THE MISSION!

I just got home from church and thought I would write a little about what was on my mind. First of all, a quick summary of the service. He was talking about what a missionary is, and basically said being a missionary is being in a foreign environment, finding a way to connect, and sharing your faith. The thing that really stuck with me that he talked about was what our personal mission was, and I really related that to my personal life. Right now, my mission is to find a job, get a home, and get out of the Navy. Even though I feel this is important for me to focus on, it got me thinking about what my real mission should be. He mentioned several challenges, such as talking to everyone on your street about Christ by the end of 2007. This really hit me, because there have been at least four areas in my personal life that I feel God has been trying to get me to step out of my comfort zone and do what he has called me to do. Every time, I have found an excuse to either put it off or ignore it all together. I made a decision tonight that I want to do my best to work on these areas. My mission as a Christian should not involve shame of what I believe or excuses for not doing what I believe to be right. My mission should be to live my life as a Christian all the time. Much easier said than done, and I don't expect to be perfect either. If you are reading this, and you are a Christian, I challenge you to look at your life and ask yourself if your personal mission, or goals, are only for you and your family, or are you also missing out on something God is telling you to do. If you're not a Christian, and you are reading this, you may be wondering why you have read this far. I have two challenges for you. First, look at your personal life. Is there anything you could be doing to help those around you? You don't have to be a Christian to be a good person. Second, ask yourself, what exactly you do believe in, or don't believe in. Put some thought into it, and give some feedback.. Don't worry, I don't plan on all of my blogs being this serious, but just wanted to write what was on my mind. Thanks for reading patiently.

BASEBALL SEASON!!

We have been enjoying several games at our local minor league team. The only down fall is that they are a Yankee's (BOOOO!!) farm team. Aaron spends the majority of his time playing, watching, or talking about baseball, so he has really enjoyed it. Luke spends most of his time drooling on himself and trying to eat everything in sight. He looks a lot like me at a buffet, I guess. We have also been spending quite a bit of time at the pool. Aaron has conquered his fear of water, so now we can't keep him out. Luke still just sits and drools. We are planning another trip to Chattanooga in September to check into a couple of jobs and possibly start looking around at some houses. We are really excited about how things are starting to come together. It is going to be strange after 11 years in the Navy, but I am ready for that change.

Chattanooga update

Just a little update on the Chattanooga plan. Ryan (pictured at left) just returned from a trip to Chattanooga. He is the one mentioned in a previous blog as the one starting the church. How could you go wrong with this guy? Just look at him. He has to be intelligent. We are excited to hear that he has located a couple of possible locations for the church whose name is to be determined. As for me and the fam, still no job, but I'm sure it will all work out. I am planning a trip in September to Chattanooga to look into one possible job. If all goes well, my job hunt will be short. Our biggest concern at this time is selling our current house. Houses are selling a little slow right now in our neighborhood. I am definitely more excited than nervous at this point, so we will just continue to trust God has a plan for us and do all we can on our part. We have until May 2008, so no real pressure yet. Until another random thought crosses my mind, good night.

Local Heroes!

Today I am here to brag on my wife. Many of you may have seen how nine firefighters were killed in the Charleston area. This has been on national news and was truly a horrible event. My wife, being the amazing woman that she is, organized a bake sale with some of the neighborhood kids and took donations. The money she raised will be donated to a local firestation by the kids to show our appreciation. Whether $1.00 or several hundred dollars, I know this will mean a lot to those men and women. Not only am I bragging on my wife, but I also challenge all of you to take time to let your local heroes know that you appreciate what they do. My wife is truly a woman with a heart of Christ, and I hope her attitude is contagious. Please keep the families of these firefighters in your prayers.