6/27/15

Today has been a rough day for our family since 2008. 

To be honest, it's a day that Shanon and I had begun to dread. 

We had always hoped that the Mother of our first four children, and Shanon's sister, would pull herself out of addiction and somehow end up playing a role in our children's life. 

That afternoon, we received the dreaded phone call, she had lost her battle with addiction. 

Year after year, this day would come, the days would be a little darker, and we were reminded first hand how quickly a life can spin out of control. 

We began to dread this day. 

This year has been different. Shanon has been pregnant for the second time, we had been holding our breath since her due date a week ago. 

It didn't dawn on us until we were in the hospital, getting ready to have the baby, what day it was. 

June 27 is still the day we lost Karie. 

But it is also the day that we are blessed beyond measure, because it is the day we had our second son that we couldn't have. 

Today is now a day when we are reminded that God has repaid us with a good measure, packed down and overflowing. 

On this day we are reminded that He gives and takes away. 

On this day we are reminded that He is always with us, until the very end of the age. 

On this day there is heartache, but now there is also laughter. 

Thank you God, for turning our tears of sadness, into such joy and gladness. 

Our hearts can't keep it in. 

http://youtu.be/BXICK3erPms

Reflections 6.9.15

When our marriage was very young, Shanon and I were told that we would not be able to have biological children. Her issues plus my issues equals no kids. To put it as simply as possible. 

Having biological kids would be a struggle for us for a long time. Shanon more than I, because if there has ever been someone born to be a mother, it's her. We watched repeatedly, as irresponsible people, unfit people, people on the news, had baby after baby, tragedy after tragedy, when all Shanon wanted was to feel a baby kick inside. We wanted to talk deeply about names. We wanted desperately to see what her and I added together would look like. 

Little did we know that Our niece and nephews would need someone to step in and raise them, in order for them to stay as part of our family. 

These pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together. It made perfect sense. Why would we not do that? 

We adopted Larkyn, now 15, and Alex, now 13, and then years later, we adopted Jaylen, now 10, and Cameron, now 9. These guys are awesome. All of their quirks, all of their little personality traits, all of their smiles are the matter that makes up our family. Our world would not be the same without any of them. Even if we had to trade being Aunt and Uncle for Mom and Dad. 

Our family was complete. We had our four kids, they are awesome, lets do life. 

Then in the fall of 2011, something miraculous happened. Shanon was sick for like a month. Haha, that is not the miraculous part. We took a trip up to Detroit so I could go fishing with my Dad and Brother. While we were there, Shanon's mom immediately thought Shanon could be pregnant, but we kept her at bay for awhile. Then Shanon took the test. 

POSITIVE.

I then promptly sent the Mother in law back to the store to buy several more tests. One was surely not convincing enough for me. 

CONFIRMED!

9 months later, Shanon had our son Andrew. (Now 3)

And that was the story. God had blessed us with the one that we desperately wanted, and we were ready to close the book. Let's do life. 

NEVER try to put a period where GOD has put a comma. 

In the last year, our family has finally gotten past some turmoil in the recent past, and we have found an amazing group of people who love the Lord. Our little Church on the Street is full of World changers. and that is no lie. But that is a whole additional amazing post. 

The point I am trying to make is that I, in the last year, have learned to like the idea of Church again. Slowly but surely, I am learning, un-learning, and trusting people again. 

I think it is safe to say that Shanon and I are closer to God than we had been in the last 5-6 years. 

In the fall of 2014, Shanon was sick again. 

Our friend Kim totally called it at a Bible study we were attending. We were pregnant AGAIN. lol

Shanon is due any day now. 

My mind keeps swirling around Luke 6:38. 

It reads that if we give, we will receive back, but not what we gave. We will receive a "good measure" packed down and overflowing. 

When God blesses, it is never in the bare minimum range. 

God has not blessed us with one son, our measure is packed down and overflowing, and soon we will have a second son in our arms. 

We are laughing and joyful, because God is with us. 

Our LAUGHTER  is because GOD IS WITH US! 

ISAAC (laughter) IMMANUEL (God with us)

Coming June 2015!

Our Responsibility

For much of my adult life, I have had a pretty skewed view of the Church. 

What I mean by that is, if we are speaking plainly, I have blamed the Church for my lack of passion, my lack of tingly feelings in worship, my lack of excitement about studying the Bible, and most of all, my EXTREME LACK of prayer. 

Let me allow you literary folks to recover from that painful gesture of throwing out the proper grammatical dictation manual. 

The problem here, as obvious as it may be, is that each of my noted "problems", are not my Church's responsibility. They are mine! 

DUH! Right?

But, not so duh. 

The truth is, some Church's seem to be better facilitators of this kind of behavior, while some are not. 

The truth is, that if the American Church prayed and read their Bible as much as we claim to, the WORLD would look different. 

It is as if a veil has been placed over our faces. We have become blind to what our role in the body is. 

The truth is, we are in a culture of expecting a performance, instead of a revelation. 

We expect entertainment over an encounter. 

We expect to be given the answers to use, instead of studying and deciding for ourselves. 

But all is not lost! If you are reading, there is HOPE!

I have boasted about the incredible church that we are a part of before. I apologize, but I just can't help it. 

If only the whole American Church could pick up what CHURCH ON THE STREET is laying down. 

When a group of believers get together, love each other, hold up their part of prayer, study, and practice, the world can't help but change around them. 

We must pull this veil off of our faces! We have been deceived into looking for entertaining self help seminars every Sunday, with a little rock music at the beginning and end. Oh how the devil has tried his best to ruin it all, by using us to do the work of it! 

Satan's natural state is defeated! That is his identity. 

 Victory is in Jesus!

Victory is in the Word!

Demons flinch when you say the name of Jesus!

Lives are redeemed by His Holy Name! 

If we would just do what we are commanded to do, how different would our families be? Our communities? Our country? The world?

You are a part of the big picture. 

It starts IN YOU. 

Snapshot: New Years Day

We find ourselves in such an amazingly different place here and now.

2014 Could be best described as a year of great transition. Not only geographically, but spiritually, which has been both exciting and terrifying. What started off as gray, still, and stagnant water, has turned into a River, all surroundings coming alive, and a new calling to the people we were made to be deep inside us.

As we explore and focus on what comes next, where God has put us, and what exactly he is telling us to do; we have found a body of believers that truly challenges us to be better people. Not by great conversation only, but by again, and again, being great examples of who and what the church has been called to be, since Jesus ascended into the sky, and the first author's ink touched paper.

We look forward to more growth this year. With a new child on the way, we are bracing for all a new child brings, ready to welcome them with open arms into this crazy brood we call our family. We look forward to diving deeper into our new community of believers, and cultivating new friendships.

We are looking forward to making this place more our home. Shanon and I both feel that this house will be ours for quite some time, so we have decided to act as such.

We are looking forward to roots. Where we are.

We are looking forward.