I crack my wife up...

Well, I may not be too great at this whole completing an adoption in a timely manner thing, but at least perhaps I'm good at one thing. What is that you may ask? Winning free music. Yes, that's right, I did it again, and was the right number caller to win music on the radio today. And no, it was NOT Bon Jovi. It was Sara Groves. She's great, and if we weren't tied up in a few weeks, she's in town with some other folks on a Christmas tour, but we won't be able to make it. Of course, this apparent 'talent' cracks up my wife. She actually heard the song too, since I had told her to be listening for it knowing she likes the song, but she didn't call knowing I would. As I said last time I won something though, she always asks why can't I apply my luck elsewhere to get us through this thing faster. I guess because it has nothing to do with being the right number caller. (Hey, maybe I should start calling PGN and just asking what number I am?) Anyway, hope you all continue to do well. Have a great one. -T

Okay, I confess...

A frequent activity my daughter and I partake in is going to the library to pick up some books and usually some movies or music for her as well. As I've said before also, I love music, so often if she'll give me any time to look, I pick up a few CD's for myself. Well, the last trip a little more than a week ago, I picked up a Bon Jovi CD out of curiosity, maybe even on a whim you might say. However, the confession is that I actually think I really like it. I think the name of it is Have a Nice Day. It's a few years old I believe. Well, now I feel better getting that off my chest. ( I also got a Bruce Springsteen's greatest hits, which was fun for a listen or two, and some live Dave Matthews Band (just incredible musicians in my opinion).) I pretty much listen to Christian radio or CD's like 90% of the time, so I guess that's how I keep things varied when I can't afford to buy new tunes.
If you were wondering, a few of the favorite Bon Jovi tunes were:
Welcome to Wherever You Are, Complicated, and I Am, but I really liked most of them.
Anyway, I hope you all are doing well. Keep praying for us. We do still need it. We still don't have any news yet, and saw today that even an abandonment case starting the same time we did has already completed now before us. We are happy for them, but sometimes it does still make you wonder just what happened to make ours such an anomaly. It's admittedly hard sometimes not to feel passed up and forgotten by the agency. There's so many places and times they, the attorney and those working with them out and out failed us.

Hello...

Anybody else starting to feel like Christmas is barrelling down on you? There just seems like a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it. Pretty much the only gifts we've knocked out so far are for our daughter, no one else. Plus, we've got several family birthdays to squeeze in there also... Oh well, it will work out I'm sure. Still in the PGN black hole for now with the adoption. Six weeks down, so that's good. The wife is going a bit crazy with the waiting, and honestly, if I weren't in a training class this week at work that's forcing me to focus there, I would definitely be also. It's so hard, because we've learned to know it's never done until it's really done, no matter the time frame, but yet we're so hopeful. I hope you all are still well.

Just chugging along...

No adoption news to report... To our knowledge, we're still in PGN, hoping for the best.
I do have a couple of requests. My mom didn't get the best of reports last week at the doc, and dad's health isn't exactly superb either.
Also, please pray for my brother and sister-in-law. Their children should be here any day now. Mom and dad are there right now to help out.
Anyway, I hope this finds you all well. -T

The Centurion's Faith

I'm referring to the account in Matthew 8:5-9 this time. Something that struck me about this passage the last time I read it was a realization of what the Centurion actually had his faith in. What the Centurion seems to have said as I understand it was that he fully acknowledged and accepted Jesus' authority. I believe it was his acknowledgement of Jesus' authority that was so remarkable, especially since that's the exact question often asked of Jesus by the scribes and Pharisees: By whose authority are you doing this?. Anyway, that just my realization of what Jesus commends. He wants us to honor his authority, whatever his decisions are.

That's my boy...

Is he a flirt or what?

How to grow a church?

I ran across a verse the other day that kind of struck me. It's Acts 9:31. My first notice of it was in the NRSV translation I keep at work to read there. It says:
Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Nothing fancy, no grand new ideas even, just living in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

If you're wondering about the 'meanwhile', it's referring back to the fact that some of the Greek speaking jews had attempted to kill Paul (Saul), and they had to send him away to safety. In other words, this growth came even in the midst of or immediately after trials and loss.

Perhaps next time we hear about some new great 'growth strategy', we should examine it in this light.

Am I really forgiven?

In Sunday School this past week we were studying (among some other things) the parable of the unforgiving or unmerciful servant (slave). It's from Matthew 18:21-35. If you don't remember the story, it's essentially this. The king or master decides it's time for everyone who owes him money to pay up. The servant who owes millions of dollars can't pay, and begs for mercy. The master forgives the debt completely.
Then this same servant goes out to another servant who happens to owe him a few dollars demanding he pay him now, and even starts choking him for the money and threw him in prison. In the end, the king finds out and the first servant winds up in jail himself.
The obvious question to me (though I'm not sure I have ever asked it before) is this? HOW COULD HE BE SUCH A BONEHEAD?
Then this thought occurred to me. Maybe it is because he didn't really trust that the master had actually and completely forgiven him and was trying to get a few dollars to get back in good with him. Don't we so often think we must have to do something else? That we still somehow have to pay him back, even if it's just a little bit?
But no, when Christ forgives us, it is indeed completely and permanently.
(So don't go around choking another sinner.)

Do you want to get well?

I am always amazed by the Bible. It fascinates me how wonderful it is, and how each time you read something, even something very familiar, the Holy Spirit may show you something fresh and new if you're listening.
This time, I'm referring to the story of the man by the pool of Bethesda, found in John 5. I have thought many times before about Jesus question to the man: Do you want to get well?. What struck me most the most recent time I read it though, was the man's answer. He never really out and out says yes. In fact, he almost gives a list of excuses. I don't have anyone to help me. I'm not fast enough. Others get in my way.
Can't I be like that so many times with so many excuses? I am so thankful that Jesus healed him anyway.

Anybody still here?

If so, well, great, since I obviously haven't been much lately. Sorry about that. I really just haven't been on the computer much in the evenings lately, which is when I typically write. I have been thinking, though, and jotting down a few thoughts here and there to develop later. I kind of thought rather than one long and rambling post, I'd break them up into smaller ones (for easier digestion). I hope this finds you all well. Four weeks down in PGN for us, and hoping this is the real deal this time.
Many, many congrats to lots of people who have gotten out since my last post. To the ones not quite so lucky yet, hang in there. They say one day it will all work out. They really do.
Anyway, I hope you are all well. We're doing pretty good here. The new pics of Joseph this month are great on the wife's blog. They're saved on the other computer right now, so I'll put one on here later when I have a chance just for good measure.
Toodles, -T