YouVersion

Another thing that I started at the end of last year was a better way keep me on track with my Bible reading. I got a tablet for Christmas and I began using it for my Bible reading while I helped Mercedes to fall asleep. It works out great. I am using the YouVersion Bible App. It is a great tool. Almost any version of the Bible that you want, tons of different reading plans to fit any schedule or whatever you are wanting to study as well as a daily Bible verse and lots more. If you don't have a tablet or a smart phone you can do all the same stuff on their website: www.youversion.com.

I am currently reading through the New Testament in a year. It is a great plan to go with my schedule because I don't always have a lot of time, plus I am reading through several other books at the same time.

So, find something that works for you and start getting in the Word every day. See what God has to say to you through the Bible. You don't have to start big, just figure out what works and go from there. Even if you just have YouVersion email you the daily Bible verse that is still a good place to start and you are getting a little bit every day.

The Love Dare

Marriage is a kind of touchy subject for me. As I have written in other blogs, I have no intention of ever leaving my wife. When I got married it was for life. I try to be proactive about keeping our relationship healthy and me and Rebekah have what I consider to be a well above average marriage. But that doesn't mean I can let my guard down. It doesn't mean that it is always smooth sailing either. Satan hates our marriage and we are under attack almost every day.

Now, I love my wife more than anything, the trouble is I am easily distracted and I don't always remember to show Rebekah how much I love and appreciate her. I also have a tendency to do stupid and inconsiderate things because I am a guy and that seems to come with the territory. That said, after we had a particularly rough day, I decided it was time for me to step it up a notch. To make sure my priorities were in the right place. To make sure I was doing everything I could to make Rebekah feel loved and cherished. So I went out and bought The Love Dare.

The Love Dare is a forty day study with a reading and a new dare every day. It goes along with the movie Fireproof and is designed to strengthen and revive marriages.

I started going through the book earlier this month, along with fasting from watching movies and TV in my personal time as well as fasting from video games. The idea was to get my focus back where it needed to be and to help me learn to better show Rebekah how much I love her. I am a little over half done with the dare and let me say that it has been a rough month. Satan has been hitting hard. At first it caught me off guard and I didn't even realize what was happening until one night me and Rebekah were talking and she pointed out that I was giving in to everything without even a fight. After that I started to realize what was going on and watch out for it. The reason I was caught off guard was that Satan was attacking in areas that aren't usually a problem for me. I have had to be extra diligent and try to be praying all the time.

What I am trying to say with these blogs is not how great I am or how spiritual I am. It is not about how awesome my marriage is. Although sometimes it is about how amazing Rebekah is. The point is that no matter how good or bad your marriage is, there is always something you can do to make it better. Don't settle for good when maybe God is trying to give you something that will blow your mind if you are willing to work for it. Don't lose hope, if it seems like your efforts are just one sided or that your partner has already checked out, keep praying and seeking what God would have you do. Stay focused, work on your own issues instead of always looking at what you think your partner is doing wrong. Be on guard though. Be ready to fight because Satan isn't going to like it. Don't give up on your marriage and never stop trying to make it better.

I have put some new books and stuff up on my resources page so be sure to check them out if you are looking for a place to start.

Communication Is Key

As the girls continue to grow, their schedules are constantly changing. We do what we can to keep Mercedes on a consistent routine but with Emerald you kind of just have to go with whatever happens. There was a few weeks were the girls were going to sleep at the same time and so while I was putting Mercedes to sleep, Rebekah and Emerald would be going to sleep too. That meant me and Rebekah weren't getting to talk much in the evenings before everyone was asleep. So Rebekah came up with the idea to keep a journal that we would both write to each other in every night. It worked really well. So now even when we do get to talk and spend time together before bed, we still write a little note in the journal sometime before we go to bed. It can be a long message or just a quick I love you. It is a great way for us to stay in touch and stay connected even when life gets crazy.

Bringing In The New Year

The start of this year has brought with it many changes. The reason there has been a lapse in my posting is because I have had so much going on this month. I will list some things briefly in this post and then go into further detail on some subjects in the next few posts which will be following shortly.

First, at the start of this year my amazing wife helped me revamp the budget which was long over due. Then I began a forty day media fast to help me better use my time and help me get in tune with what God wants from me. Along with the forty day fast I started going through The Love Dare book which is also forty days. Rebekah came up with some ideas to help us stay in touch and communicate with each other better. We have started some fun weekly family stuff this month as well. On top of all that we have been dealing with Rebekah's dad battling cancer.

So, that is some of what has been happening this month. As I said, more to follow in upcoming posts, hopefully in rapid succession.

My Kansas Dad

To Stan, my Dad away from home.

People always joke about the in-laws and how awful it is to have to put up with your wife's family, but Stan took me in and made me part of the family. I never think of Stan and Michael as in-laws, they have always been family since the day I passed through for the first time in January 2009. Rebekah and the other kids are all making lists of things they remember about their dad so I thought that I would too.

Things I remember:

You were working in TX when I first met Rebekah.

You told her she couldn't date me because I had a lip ring and when I took it out you threw away the letter you were writing me about it. I never saw the letter. That was before we had even met.

I came to visit on Valentines day. We all played phase ten that evening.

You took me into your home for three weeks when I moved down here while I was getting my own place lined up. We had known each other for less then two weeks.

You gave me a job and taught me to refinish furniture.

You trusted me to take care of your daughter and gave her to me on August 15, 2009. We had only known each other for 6 months.

You took me and Lopez fishing at your friend's pond.

Riding around in your van going on service calls listening to march madness on the radio.

You took me to the airport when I flew to MN and you picked me up when I came back.

I can't remember a time that you didn't have a smile for me and Rebekah and the girls.

You showed us your shotguns and told us about going hunting.

You would pray with the people that we were working for. You were never afraid to tell anyone about Jesus or ask them if they need prayer.

Stan, you're not just my father-in-law, you have truly been a second Dad to me.
I love you.

Do You Witness While You Work?

If you are like me and work in a secular environment, sometimes it can be hard to share your faith. People are always saying that we need to tell people about Jesus, or invite them to church, and those are good things, but sometimes I think that that might not be the right approach. For example, I work with some pretty rough guys. Some of them think that religion is just for people that are too weak or stupid to take life as it is. That Jesus is just a crutch for people that can't handle life. If I start trying to tell them about Jesus or ask them to come to church, they are not only going to ignore what I am trying to say but they might also pull away from me and make it hard for me to have a relationship with them.

This is the way that I try and do things. I live my life differently than them and they can see it. I don't hide the fact that I am a Christian or that I go to church, but I don't shove it in their faces either. If I can respect their choices and beliefs, even though I don't agree with them, then maybe they can learn to respect my beliefs as well. If I build a relationship with the guys I work with out of respect and honesty then when the time is right they will be much more receptive to anything that I might have to say. Especially if they can already see the peace and joy that God has given me.

If I can get to know them on a personal level, I can be a good friend and hopefully someone they can talk to about what is going on in their lives. Then I can pray for them much more specifically and really know where they need God to touch their lives.

Whether God ever gives me the opportunity to talk to them about Him or not is up to Him. But whether it is me or someone else later on, they will be much more open to it if they trust me and know that not all Christians are crazy people.

The Love Of My Life

God has given me the greatest gift I think that any man could be given. And that is the gift of an incredible wife. Without Rebekah things would be a mess. She has more patience and grace than I will ever come close to having.

Raising kids is a huge challenge. Some people think that staying at home all day with the kids is taking the easy way but that is not so. Rebekah does so much for the kids and her days are filled with taking care of the girls and doing projects and helping them learn and grow. It is such a blessing knowing that my kids are getting the best possible care and treatment while I am at work. Rebekah has the best mothering instincts too. She has a talent for knowing what the girls need and if she isn't sure what to do she researches and studies until we can make an educated decision about what do.

If the girls are having a fussy day or a bad day somehow she finds the strength to keep going. I get home form work some days and within an hour I am stress and frustrated with the girls but somehow Rebekah can deal with it all day long. I don't know how she does it and I couldn't do it without her.

I know that I am not always as helpful or as thankful as I should be. I try and help out with the girls and with the house work the best that I can but the little bit that I do is nothing compared to what she does. I work eleven hours a day and then come home and play with the girls and then usually do the dishes. She works around the clock, even in the middle of the night she has to feed Emerald and some nights Emerald keeps her awake most of the night.

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing woman to love and care for me. She is always helping me grow closer to God and helping me be a better person. I know that we are perfect for each other and God is so good to us.

So if you have an amazing wife, don't forget to be thankful for her and remember the gift that God has given to you.

Rebekah, I love you with all my heart and I can't imagine life without you. You make me a better person and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together discovering what God has for us!