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Thanks Be To God

It has been some time since I posted on my blog. I have wanted to, but have been so busy with everything that consumes my life! My ministry, my family, and my schooling seem to monopolize every waking moment of my life. There are times when I wish I could eliminate one thing or another from my life, but then realize that each part of what I am doing is significant in some way or another. When I get to the point where I have burnt my candle from one end and the other, only to meet in the middle, is when it can seem incredibly easy to slip into a spirit of un-thankfulness. Sometimes, we tend to focus on the struggles, the trials, the stress of life, and the things that just down right make us tired instead of looking past the haze to see what God is doing.

During this season, most everyone is taking time to say what they are thankful for. On the other hand, it is a time filled with incredible stress and calendars that have no blank spots, so it can be easy to forget the meaning of it all!

So, I want to take a moment and look beyond the haze of my crazy life to say how thankful I truly am. The three things that I mentioned earlier are not only the things that cause me stress in my life, they are the things that bring me some of my greatest joys. My family...anyone who knows me knows that my wife and my children are the most important people to me on this earth. God could not have blessed me with a more wonderful women to call my partner. She has been faithful, patient, loving, kind, compassionate, and true to me for over 10 years. There are days I don't deserve it, but she remains a constant that I can rely on through thick and thin. My two beautiful children bring me such joy. My princess, Grace, can be counted on to strain to grab my hand, only to guide me to the other room so she can show me her tea party or her latest coloring creation. Her spirit, her beautiful blue eyes, and her reliance on me - daddy - are highlights in my daily life. My bright and talented son, Tyler, never ceases to amaze me. His incredible imagination and overall zeal for life is infectious! He is developing into quite a little singer and loves to display his gift for anyone who will listen. It's not pride - he just loves to sing and I love to listen to him sing. I am so grateful to have a son that loves me and his mother and already has a desire growing inside of him to know God in a very real and personal way.

Ministry is a chore that not everyone can commit to. I have questioned over the years if I was truly cut out for it. There are highs and there are lows, but through it all, God has been constant. I think about my church family...what a wonderful family it is! I feel so privileged to have been provided the opportunity to serve them and see how God is working in their lives and in mine. I often dream about what the future holds for me and for my church and can see great things happening as we partner together for His Kingdom! Thank you, to my wonderful church family. You all are some of my dearest friends, my confidants, and my biggest supporters.

School...oh, school. Being 31 and going to school full time is not easy, especially when you throw in the previously mentioned items! But, through this time in my life, I can see how God is growing me in ways that I never dreamed possible! I was never a fan of school (you can ask my dad about that one), and would do most anything to slide through. Now, I find myself studying into the late hours of the night and the early hours of the morning. But this time, I have an earnest desire to wrap my head around the knowledge that is being bestowed on me and I am excited to see where God is taking me on this journey. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to go back to school at this time in my life.

Through all of these things, I see the hand of God at work. He is at work in my family, in my church, and in my education. Thanks be to God, the Creator of all things, the Savior of my life, the Redeemer of my soul, the Sanctifier of my spirit...for without Him, I am nothing. God is so good.

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