Wednesday, February 7, 2007

On My Mind.........

First of all let me apologize. It has been a while since my last post and below you'll see some of the reasons why. These things are random and may not even be thought provoking or deep but nevertheless they are on my mind. Enjoy.

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Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry is challenging. It seems like everytime I begin to think I have a handle on it I am blown away by something else. Of course this is also the irony because part of the reason I love it is because it is challenging.
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Travel and Busyness
The Christmas holiday/first few weeks of January have been exhausting. From December 22nd through January 13th I spent one night in my own home. I vow to NEVER do this again.
The time away involved the ski trip (see the last two post), NCYM in Colorado Springs a Grad School class in Abilene.

NYCM is such a refreshing time of connection with friends in ministry. This year Lana got to go and it was a blast to spend time with her in the snowy mountains of Colorado! We stayed in a resort that was top notch. That didn't hurt our level of satisfaction either!

This has brought me face to face with the reality of how consumed with busyness I am. It has become a god for me that I am currently wrestling with.
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The Pacifer and Family
The latest news from home is that we are getting rid of the pacifer. Drew has always been our thumb sucker and Allie Joy has used the pacifer. Whoever said this would only take three days didn't have twins. She has been doing great considering we took away her primary source of comfort for over two years. For about two weeks we reverted back to our sleeping patterns from the first 6 months. She is a tough little girl though and we have had a couple of really good nights recently. I know she is close to figuring it out!

Lana is such a good mom. I am so thankful for the opportunity to partner with her in life and discipling our children. What a blessing!

Drew and Allie Joy turned 2 on January 11 and are talking like crazy. Everyday is new and challenging and refreshing. They are learning to pray and sing and dance. They play great together but are having more moments of getting frustrated with each other. They give the best hugs and kisses. Their laugh cures anything. It is always an adventure and such a blessing!
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iPod
One of my favorite gifts from Christmas is my ipod. I think it may the most amazing piece of technology in a long time. My favorite element is are podcasts. Don't get me wrong, the music is great. But the podcasts are FREE in most cases. You can listen radio brodcasts, sermons, are contemplative prayer. It is a fun toy but also practical! What a great combo!
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One Year Bible
The leadership at our church decided this year that as a body we were going to commit to reading through the Bible. At first, I had my doubts about this but have become overwhelmed by how refreshing my reading has been thus far. I am trying to be committed to just reading. I want to hear what scripture has to say in a new way. I am trying to read it as if I was reading it for the first time. (And in some cases this is true!)

This week I have been overcome with amazement at how much Christians I know are still exactly like the Israelites. Complaining, griping, forgetting how good things were three days ago when we go through something difficult today and even wishing we were back in Egypt at times! God help us!
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Things I Love
Here are a list of my new favorite things:

1. Sneezing - I made a decision recently to stop holding in sneezes. It was beginning to hurt. They were not meant to be held in. Let them go, they need and want to get out. It feels so much better to have a huge sneeze than make an annoying noise with your nose because you try to hold it in.

2. Crocs - I got a pair of these from my mom and dad. Dude they are comfortable. A must have! Check out their website here.


3. LOST - I know everyone else has been watching for a while. Lana and I are still catching up. We're on Season 2 but I'm hooked! Well written, decent acting, very intense.

4. White Chocolate Mocha-I recently discovered this as well and it is hands down the best drink at Starbucks.

2 comments:

Michelle said...

I know your blog said a lot, but I only need to comment on one thing. You are the first person I've ever met who has made a commitment to sneeze. Good for you.

Larissa Smith said...

Doug, I am with you on the iPod. It has kept me occupied during many nursing sessions; I've gotten hooked on Mike Cope's sermons. I am also a fellow sneezer. I've never held them in and I sneeze BIG. The release feels too good to try and hold it in.

My current favorite Starbucks selection is a double toffee nut latte. Try it. The second shot keeps it from being too sweet. I like my coffee to kick like it's coffee.

LOST I can live without. I try really hard not to miss House, Studio 60 or Bones. They're the right combo of drama and comedy. I love it.

Are you guys going to be able to visit Tyler the weekend of March 10th? That's when we're coming.