Dang...it's a busy week

I really want this blog to be a "semi-daily" deal...BUT life is stinking busy and it's only Tuesday. I started school once again yesterday. I'm taking three courses online from Southern Seminary, that's probably too much, but this is my last semester ("Hallelujah" chorus breaks out!) My classes are going to be busy, tons of reading, book reviews, a few papers...I'm taking Old Testament 1, Old Testament 2, and New Testament 2. I covet your prayers that I would not go insane!

Hey...a HUGE congrats to my best-est of buddies Geron and Lydia Brown with the news of their first baby. You guys are awesome and will be incredible parents. (Geron Brown will be a dad!) Geron, I think you should start conditioning your fetus to call you "pop". I've been trying to get Bryan to call me that...he's sticking with Dad...and that's cool. Love you guys! You can check out more information by going to the Brown Baby Web Site.

Where was I one year ago today...hmmmm

Whew...what a day! B-U-S-Y, but good!

Sitting here thinking about what I could blog about...and it struck me where I was one year ago today. Holly, Bryan and I were flying over the Atalntic ocean to Heathrow Airport in London...our ultimate destination was Uganda, Africa.

For several years we had been praying about going oveseas and doing a family mission trip...we had a connection in Uganda (a family who are missionaries through the International Mission Board). So after much prayer and planning we went.

We spent 14 INCREDIBLE days in Uganda, particularly ministering in a remote village called Ntaala. We built some great relationships with the most humble people we've ever met in Ntaala...these people were amazing to talk with (through interpreters of course!). Holly spent several days teaching the women about the Bible and about a new life they could have in Jesus Christ. It was a priviledge for me to spend several days teaching to the men of the village...learning from scripture what it meant to be a Godly husband and father. We did hut-to-hut evangelism...saw many folks invite Jesus Christ into their lives. Witnessed over 40 people be baptized in Lake Kyoga.

There are some parts of my life that have been changed forever because of my experience...how I view things and situations, the value of relationships, the value of the Bible...many more. I hoped to go back one day...I'd love to see where some of the people we encountered in that little village are in their lives. I keep pictures of them up in my office and on my computer...matter fact just got done looking through our photo album of the trip.

Folks, we have it made compared to many people outside the United States. I am thankful for my country, although it is not perfect and probably never will be, I am thankful. We live in a land of abundance and I will always be grateful.

Where were you one year ago? What was your life like then...and what is it now?

Here are a few pics...
One is my family, Ethan and Kira (missionary kiddo's) and Susan (our Compassion International Child that our youth ministry has supported for almost seven years now)

Another pic is of my friend Moses...a fairly new Christian brother.

The last pic is a sunrise on the Nile River...pretty darn cool! Peace.

We're Going To The Super Bowl!

Well, I'M not going, but you know what I mean!
Woo-Hoo...Super Bowl Bound! Pittsburgh Steelers!

Whirlwind Week!

I realize the name of my blog implies blogging every other day, well don’t let that fool ya.

Crazy, busy week this past one…Monday was your basic Monday, Tuesday I spent more than half my day at the doctors office; back in August it seems I’ve torn my meniscus on both knees and will have surgery to repair them. On Wednesday my son Bryan had to go into the UK children’s hospital overnight for a procedure that he’s had done four times now. Thursday afternoon we brought Bryan home…he’s doing great. Later on Thursday afternoon, I attended the funeral of 18 month year old little girl from our church…she was truly an amazing little girl, her parents were so astonishing, a very sad day.

Welcome to Friday! I dropped Bryan off at school this morning; Hollybird is on her way to work…I’m preparing to go into the office for a little while. Tonight I’m taking our youth on a ski retreat in which we will not be skiing! There’s no snow! So instead we are going to go and spend the night in Louisville and hang out all day Saturday and finish up the day at Louisville’s Hard Rock Café.

I hope next week will be a little bit more normal…whatever that is!

Here are some pics of Bryan at UK Children’s Hospital. Thanks to my good friend Ron Boyd for giving Bryan the cool head band. The writing means “Courageous Fighter!”

The STEEL Curtain Rides again!

Pittsburgh Steelers 21
Indianapolis Colts 18

Enough said...bring on the Broncos!

Sparks

This is SPARKS our cat (Felis catus or F. domesticus). A small carnivorous mammal domesticated since early times as a catcher of rats and mice and as a pet and existing in several distinctive breeds and varieties.

Sparks has been a part of our family since May 2001. She's a great cat...lazy as all get out, but isn't that what cats are supposed to do? She enjoys sleeping, eating, and long walks on the beach. Her front claws were removed to save our furniture and as Bob Barker always reminds us, she has been spade. Her favorite places to sleep are either on Bryan's head or curled up on the couch.

Just wanted to introduce her to everyone...feel free to drop her a comment.

"Karate men bleed on the inside!" - Eddie Murphy Trading Places

What up everyone!
As I have said in a previous post, my nine year old son, Bryan has a new hobby / interest…Japanese culture / stuff. I’m not quite sure where he got this, probably from the “Iron Chef” (thanks Geron…great show!). Anyhoo, he really has taken a liking to this ethnicity. For Christmas he got a Barnes and Noble gift card and what do you think he bought? Something about Star Wars? Or sports cars? Nope, not even close…he got a Japanese dictionary, a Japanese calendar and a book on how to do Japanese calligraphy. Is that not amazing!

So a good friend from our church, Sensei Ron Boyd gave him his own gi, with a white belt; loaned him a pair of num chucks and a practice knife to check out AND a free visit to one of his aikido classes. Bryan went last week…he came home trying to flip me…he’s going back this Thursday night. I am so proud of him. Tonight before bed he told me “good night” in Japanese!

“Everyone was kung-foo fighting…those kicks were fast as lightening.”

Reunion

I'm back! What a great week, a whirlwind of a week and to sum it up, some sort of a reunion. I'll esplain. My J-term class that I took "Discipling Adults", exceptional class…learned some great things about trying to figure out how we become disciples of Jesus Christ. It was challenging and extensive and I left with a new perspective of discipleship after being in the classroom for 40+ hours last week.

I stayed with a my dear ole mom throughout the week…each night when I got back to the house I’d make a nice roaring fire and snuggle up to some books or my laptop. We had great times of chatting about everything; we even broke out some old pictures and revisited some memories.

Wednesday night I went to Valley View church (my home church!) to join them for worship. I wanted to see how things operated with their youth worship…cool stuff. Throughout the night I saw people that I hadn’t seen in years…some its been at least 12 years. Men who were mentors to me growing up, my first youth minister, a few old Sunday school teachers, and gobs of mom and dads of some of the friends that I grew up with.

I sat in the sanctuary while the service was going on, trying to focus on what the pastor was preaching on (encouragement)…and then my mind started wondering back to so many of the incredible things that took place in my life in that sanctuary. Countless times of taking of the Lord’s Supper, numerous sermons that I heard, a revival that started out as one week, but lasted like 2 months…great concerts, took part in lots of Easter dramas, in that sanctuary is where I felt Gods calling on my life to go into the ministry, my wedding day and seeing my lovely bride walk down that aisle, it’s also where my dad’s funeral took place. I could go on and on. Lot’s of mind-boggling memories!

My Aunt Jay (dad’s sister) passed away while I was in Louisville. I went over to the funeral after class on Friday and once again, reunion took place. Cousins, aunts and uncles that I haven’t seen in ages where all there. We had some great conversations thinking back to old stories of growing up. I heard so many comments on how much I look like my dad…that was pretty cool. I saw my Uncle Doyle (dad’s younger brother) for the first time in at least 15 years and it was almost like looking at my dad.

REUNION was found in the midst of a J-term class at the seminary…the only thing that would have made the week sweeter, was if Holly and Bryan were with me. Dang I missed them this past week. I’m glad to be home!

It's going to be a tough week...

Tomorrow afternoon following the Gator Bowl (Louisville vs. Virginia Tech) I'll be traveling to Louisville for a week long J-Term at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I'll be taking a week long class from Tuesday-Saturday 8am-4pm...pretty intense stuff. The class is called Discipling Adults, I'm really looking forward to it, it's been great reading so far in getting ready.


This will be my last semester at the Seminary and finally I'll be finished in the Spring...dang, it's only taken 10 years to accomplish. After graduating from EKU I started my degree on a full time basis at the seminary, but then took a church position in Lexington, got married, our son Bryan came along, etc., etc.

So I won't be doing any posting this week...my nose will be stuck in books, knocking out papers, presentations...see ya next week!

Happy New Year! Go Cards!