Boy oh Boy!

As you can see by the pictures, Connor is going to have a little brother. We found out today that we were wrong in thinking we were going to have a girl. Although several "wives tales" pointed to having a girl turns out there is a reason for the "tales" portion of that. We are very excited about our news and Connor can say "I have a brover" but I don't think he really gets it. Cute none the less.

Raina and the baby checked out fine. While she is at 20 weeks the fetal measurements today show Tuten-2 to be at 21 1/2 weeks. Looks like he will be an overachiever like his big brother. Raina doesn't like that outlook as you can imagine since Connor was 9 lbs 5 oz. Maybe they will let us take him a couple days early. We can actually schedule his birthday since Raina will have to have a c-section. We are taking any suggestions on days on or before the 24th of January (with in reason). So if you have a good reason for scheduling a particular date because of the moon or a relatives birthday, etc., we welcome your comments. Click the comment button below.

We are very excited and since we are having another boy, we can take the money we would have spent on clothes (he can wear Connors stuff) and put it in a fund for doctors bills and home repair that no doubt will be needed with two boys in the house.

Waiting Doesn't Always Mean Sitting Still

There are countless verses in the scripture, many of them in Psalms, that speak of waiting on the Lord.Of course waiting requires patience and I know I need more than most, which probably explains why God has me waiting so much.

But as I have been thinking lately, waiting does not mean we are to be sitting and doing nothing like we were at a holy bus stop waiting to be picked up an moved to our next destination. Many times were are to be working while we are waiting.

In James 5:7 it says "see how the Farmer WAITS for the land to reveal it's valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." Of course we know that the farmer isn't sitting on the front porch counting the days. He has to be in the field keeping out the weeds, and maintaining the crop as it grows. I think I have become a little out of focus on what it means to wait.

I have realized that I should be working while I am waiting. Working to better my spiritual gifts, improving on talents that God has given me, bettering my knowledge about my job and above all growing deeper in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? So that when the time comes that God reveals to me how he will be using me I am ready when he calls.

Ultimately we wait for the glorious appearing of Jesus to spend our eternity with Him. We don't want to be sitting still when he comes back for sure. (Matthew 24:45-47)

Mistaken Identity

After Connor did this on his own without any prompting we had to see if he would do it again. Thankfully he did. Although it took quite some time to get his focus off of trying to get to the camera. I edited out all of that. He is definitely my son!

Ahhh, Technology

I work on the computer all day building websites (check out the new HyperThink site) and am always up on the latest gadgets yet I am always amazed at how technology even with all of it's negatives has such wonderful uses. My new laptop, (MAC of course) which I am using to post this particular entry has a built in web camera. I decided to test it out with Connor. View the results below. I can only imagine what he will have when he is my age. I apologize in advance for the poor lighting.

Question and Answer

Question:
Is it wrong to work hard to make a good living so that you can provide well for your family? I think most would say, no. Solomon certainly would say no. He says several times in Ecclesiastes, specifically chapters 2 and 5, that it is from God to enjoy the food and fruits of ones labor. To me this seems to vastly different from the new testaments directive where in Acts for example the new believers gave sacrificially by selling what they had to give to the cause of Christ and the spread of the gospel.

Christ gave the great commission to go into all the word and preach the gospel. When I read that I get the sense that we are to drop everything we are doing and go preach.Not a bad idea if we had the faith to do it. But there are obviously those of us who are called to be laymen in life, not called to a full time ministry. Of course we are to be witnessing where we are regardless of our call. We know that.

My conflict comes from this thought process based on Biblical principles: After the fall of man in the garden with Adam and Eve, mans curse was to work of course but at that point history became about one thing. The redemption of all men who would believe so that man would be reconciled back to God the way it was meant to be. So it seems that the single focus of life is to bring as many souls to salvation as possible. Where does that fit in with work?

Answer:
Of course we have to eat and provide for our families. Our curse is to work but the gift is being able to enjoy the fruits of the labor. In the midst of that we have a responsibility to make disciples along the way. So there is a line if you will that is easily and often crossed. That line is the balance of the two. The struggle is that we often work so much so that we can enjoy more fruits than we need that we neglect the work of making disciples.

While I have the answer, this is a great struggle for me. The balance.

We live in a country and society that has an appetite for consumption like never before in history. We buy things with money we don't have to impress people we don't even know. We are consumed with consumption. Obsessed with enjoying the fruits of our labor. Labor that takes us away from our families, our church and the great commission.

This has gone long so I will address this again later. It is at best a struggle, but one that should be resolved for all of us.

Hurry up with that patience, God

It seems to be that the hardest thing about trials and life in general is that we should be patient in them.

My friend Larry Hatcher who is in his mid 50's fell 20+ feet from the roof of a commercial building just over a month ago. He is healing but is in a deep coma. Larry was, until the fall, the constant at our church in many ways. He always made sure that the buildings were in order and took care of so many details that even if he went on vacation it was evident he was not around.

Of course he and his wife Allyson were always there at church serving in many areas, including the choir where I stood next to him singing the bass parts. His moto has always been two words, patience and perseverance. This seems to be the attitude Larry's family is having to take as there is no sure guarantee that he will ever wake from his comma.

Larry reminds me a lot of my grandfather, or Papa as I called him. As I knew him he was a very patient man with a determination to do it right no matter how long it took or how hard the work was. Although he passed away while I was in college I have many memories of lessons he tought me, just by watching him. I wish I could have had more time with him.

So today as I read James 1:1-8 I think of these two men who are examples of patience. Not that they are perfect of course, only Christ was the perfect example. It is great to be able to see it in action and know that it can be done.

So as I find myself lately needing to wait on the Lord for His timing, I am thankful that if it takes a long time to get to the goal, the sweeter it will be knowing that I have, through God's strength, reached another level in my walk and relationship with Jesus Christ. After all, He hung on a cross in my place. The least I can do is wait on Him to show me His will and worship Him for caring about me enough to make me more like Himself.

God's Will For His Benefit, Not Mine

"We are always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with cares and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, and all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God. It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end."

Matthew Henry on James 4.