Huge Blessing Number One:
Friday at 1pm Krista and I were handed the keys to our new house. That was a pretty surreal moment. We still can't believe it. We had been looking forward to that day for years. Now we own a house and not just any house but a house we love and can't believe we have been blessed with. Of course after receiving the keys we had to go celebrate so we headed over to Chewys, one of our favorite restaurants and ate a late lunch and said things back and forth to each other like, "Can you believe we own a house?" and "Did that really just happen?" So Friday was a great day in which God blessed us in an amazing way.
Huge Blessing Number Two:
Saturday I had my DTS class all day so Krista took advantage of me being gone to get some of the girls in the youth group as well as our lady youth leaders and my fabulous Mom to help her paint the living room and kitchen of the new casa. Amazingly they knocked all of that painting out in an afternoon. That was a huge blessing. Krista was blown away by how many people wanted to help out and how eager they were to serve. After class I got to go to the house to see it and it looked awesome. Those girls rock. That was such a huge blessing to me personally because I would have had to do a lot of that painting if they hadn't served us in that way. That was a great act of love on their part and Krista and I felt very blessed again.
Huge Blessing Number Three:
Saturday night Jason and Beth, two of our youth leaders, call and ask me and Krista to see if they can come and see the house and then go out to eat. Now Beth had already helped paint the house but Jason had not seen it yet. So they came over and said nice things like, "I really like it" and "y'all did a great job picking this out" and other nice things you say to new homeowners. Then we went out to dinner and had some great Mexican food at Maudies. Then after dinner Jason insists on paying for our meal telling me that he won't let me pay because I just bought a house and I am probably dirt poor now. So that dinner was huge blessing number three.
Huge Blessing Number Four:
Sunday after first service Krista and I walk up to the High Dive to get things ready for The Gathering and there in the room is a huge cake in white and maroon with me and Krista's picture on it from outside of our new house. Next to the cake was an awesome tree in a very cool pot with cards tied the branches of the tree from different families within the church. They had thrown us a surprise party and the incredible Carol Hemphill had put it all together. She is amazing. Krista and I didn't know what to say. We felt so loved. When we headed home from church that day we opened up the cards and in them were lots of gift cards to our two new favorite stores Home Depot and Lowes. We couldn't believe it. What a huge blessing that was.
So this weekend was the weekend of blessings. Blessings from God and from the people in our church. Krista and I went back to our house last night and we talked about how cool it is to serve a loving God and to serve Him alongside of people that we love and love us. This weekend was a weekend we will always remember. Thanks everyone that had a part to play in it.
We are really blessed.
Showing posts with label Thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thinking. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Grace
So God has been incredibly good to me this past month. I mean really good. As you saw last week Krista and I bought a house. And not just any house, but a really awesome new house that we just love and can't wait to get to move into. On top of that, just the week before my Dad gave me his truck. Now you need to understand that I have wanted a truck for an incredibly long time. Krista can testify to that because I use to talk about how bad I wanted a truck all the time. Then on top of that, I love my Dad's truck. It is a man's truck. It is an old F-150 with just the right amount of dinks and dents to let you know that this truck has done its share of work but it has also been taken care of. It is a special truck. And now it is mine. I can't believe it.
I named the truck Grace. I always name my vehicles. My first car was called Daddy Long Doors because it was a tank and it only had two doors but the doors alone were the size of a Miata. I had to make sure no cars were coming on both sides of street if I was going to try to get in or out of that car because the doors were so long. Then I bought my Mustang which I appropriately named Mustang Sally after the great song by the same name. After I drove Mustang Sally into the ground I inherited Krista's Toyota Corolla that we named Cloe. Cloe the Corolla. I was happy to have a working car but I must admit I hated having to drive Cloe. It made me feel like less of a man. Even the horn on Cloe sounded feminine. I would get all angry and honk at someone and this polite little melodic sound would come out as if to say, "please don't hurt me but you are in my way and so if you would be so kind as to get out of the way if you want to then I would appreciate it but only if it is okay with you." I man can only go so long in a car like that before he finds himself listening to magic 95.5 and pulling over on the side of the road to admire some flowers. But then came the truck. Given as a free gift from my Dad to me. Given as a free gift to me because my Dad was given another vehicle from my Papaw as a free gift that enabled him to pass on his truck to me. So my truck was given as a free gift to me because another vehicle was given as a free gift my Dad. On top of that the way that my Dad first got the truck, that is now mine, was because it was given to him by incredibly godly man at Hill Country NW about ten years ago. Given the history of my truck the name Grace fits it like a glove. Grace, a free gift.
So yeah, God has been so good. In fact He has been so good to me over these past few weeks it has made me realize all the more what a good and awesome God we serve. For me, the backlash from the "health and wealth" gospel preachers has caused me to downplay the fact that God does like giving good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:9-11). I have realized I need to be able to separate the difference between trying to manipulate God into "blessing" me by doing good things or saying the right thing or having the right amount of quiet times or something with God loving me and giving me good gifts just because He is my Father and He loves me. I guess it all comes back to the idea of grace. God gives good things to His children as free gifts because He loves us, not because we have done anything to deserve them.
God has been showing me how much He loves me. He has been reminding me that though I have nothing of worth to offer Him he loves me still. He loves me so much He gave me a new house. He loves me so much He gave me my dream truck. And as I was reminded this past week, He loves me so much He gave me life through His Son's death and resurrection. He loves me more than I will ever know. He is an incredibly good God and I am amazingly blessed to be considered one of His children.
I named the truck Grace. I always name my vehicles. My first car was called Daddy Long Doors because it was a tank and it only had two doors but the doors alone were the size of a Miata. I had to make sure no cars were coming on both sides of street if I was going to try to get in or out of that car because the doors were so long. Then I bought my Mustang which I appropriately named Mustang Sally after the great song by the same name. After I drove Mustang Sally into the ground I inherited Krista's Toyota Corolla that we named Cloe. Cloe the Corolla. I was happy to have a working car but I must admit I hated having to drive Cloe. It made me feel like less of a man. Even the horn on Cloe sounded feminine. I would get all angry and honk at someone and this polite little melodic sound would come out as if to say, "please don't hurt me but you are in my way and so if you would be so kind as to get out of the way if you want to then I would appreciate it but only if it is okay with you." I man can only go so long in a car like that before he finds himself listening to magic 95.5 and pulling over on the side of the road to admire some flowers. But then came the truck. Given as a free gift from my Dad to me. Given as a free gift to me because my Dad was given another vehicle from my Papaw as a free gift that enabled him to pass on his truck to me. So my truck was given as a free gift to me because another vehicle was given as a free gift my Dad. On top of that the way that my Dad first got the truck, that is now mine, was because it was given to him by incredibly godly man at Hill Country NW about ten years ago. Given the history of my truck the name Grace fits it like a glove. Grace, a free gift.
So yeah, God has been so good. In fact He has been so good to me over these past few weeks it has made me realize all the more what a good and awesome God we serve. For me, the backlash from the "health and wealth" gospel preachers has caused me to downplay the fact that God does like giving good gifts to his children (Matthew 7:9-11). I have realized I need to be able to separate the difference between trying to manipulate God into "blessing" me by doing good things or saying the right thing or having the right amount of quiet times or something with God loving me and giving me good gifts just because He is my Father and He loves me. I guess it all comes back to the idea of grace. God gives good things to His children as free gifts because He loves us, not because we have done anything to deserve them.
God has been showing me how much He loves me. He has been reminding me that though I have nothing of worth to offer Him he loves me still. He loves me so much He gave me a new house. He loves me so much He gave me my dream truck. And as I was reminded this past week, He loves me so much He gave me life through His Son's death and resurrection. He loves me more than I will ever know. He is an incredibly good God and I am amazingly blessed to be considered one of His children.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Owning a Part of Texas
This weekend Krista and I bought a house. We didn't plan on buying a house on Saturday, it just kinda happened. We were planning on looking at houses and we had been waiting until April to begin looking, but never in a million years did we think we would buy one the first time we went out looking. Turns out, I was wrong and now we are officially home owners.
On top of that our house sits on a nice plot of ground in Austin Texas. I love that. I now own a small slice of the greatest state in the nation. There are just a few things in life that make me prouder than that. As my Dad said, next to staking my place in Heaven owning a part of Texas is as good as it gets." I concur.
The house is beautiful. It is brand new, never before lived in, and just waiting for me and Krista to move in. It has a huge front porch great for the future swing we will put out there and drinking lots of lemonade.
I can't wait to move in and have everyone over. In fact I might just have to have everyone over while we move in. That way you can help carry a box or five.
Here are some pictures of the Box's new home. Feel free to let me know how awesome you think it is.
Monday, March 12, 2007
A Big Weekend
The weekend of March 23-25 is going to be huge. As a result it is almost all I have been able to think about. That Friday is the Spring Bash (which by the way you really need to get you and your friends registrations forms into me soon) and it is going to be awesome. So much fun packed into one night and a glimpse at what God amongst your generation to reach this city. How cool is that? Which is all the more reason why you really need to be reaching out to your friends and getting them to go to this event. Open yourself up to God using you to connect your friends to Him. There is nothing cooler. Not even a night full of craziness like this one. But if you can throw the two together then that just gets ridiculous. Man that night is going to be great.
Also, I have school that Friday night. Yeah. My class begins at 6 and goes to 9. Looks like I will be skipping a part of that class for the sake of good times. Come on, a man has to have priorities. But Saturday when you all go home and go to bed I will be going to class from 8 to 4. Ouch. I might have to keep a running blog of that entire weekend because I am sure it is going to be insane . I wonder how many times I will fall asleep in class. I'm thinking it will be between 8 and 12 times. Good times.
Then on Sunday we kick off our new series, Before You Say, "I Do." I really looking forward to that. The series I will be doing is actually an adaptation of a series my youth pastor, Bobby, did when I was in high school. That series really helped define and shape a lot about who I would date, when I would date and what I would do on a date. Even more it helped me prepare for marriage. Sure at the time I was not even thinking about getting married, but that was the point. It helped me see that I needed to prepare for a great marriage now if I wanted one later. Thankfully by God's grace He helped me do that. As a result I am incredibly happily married to the most amazing woman I know. My prayer is that this series will help y'all start making decisions now that will impact your future marriage. My prayer is that all of you will marry incredible spouses and have awesome marriages. That is why we are doing this series. That is also why you should invite your friends to come on March 25th to join us for this series.
This is a really important topic in every one's life. It amazes me how in our world today we are taught so many things. You are taught how to tie your shoes. You are taught how to spell (some of you at least). You are taught how to drive. You are taught how to play sports or how to play instruments. You are taught how to get into college. You will be taught the skills you need to do your future job. But when are you taught how to have a great marriage? Seriously. Maybe that is why over 50% of all marriages, Christian or non-christian, end in divorce. Over 50%. Is that what you hope for one day? Is that what your friends are hoping? Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I can't wait to fall in love, get married, have a few kids and then get divorced." No, no one does. Yet over 50% of marriages end up that way. That is why this series is a big deal. That is why I really am excited about it for you and for your friends. So come and hear what God has to say and bring your friends so they can hear it too. Because God is good and He wants what is best for you and He knows the way that leads to a great marriage. So come and get your friends to come so you can all hear what the best way is.
So that is what I have been thinking about. I can't wait for that weekend. I hope you are excited about it too and I hope you are getting your friends excited about it as well.
Also, I have school that Friday night. Yeah. My class begins at 6 and goes to 9. Looks like I will be skipping a part of that class for the sake of good times. Come on, a man has to have priorities. But Saturday when you all go home and go to bed I will be going to class from 8 to 4. Ouch. I might have to keep a running blog of that entire weekend because I am sure it is going to be insane . I wonder how many times I will fall asleep in class. I'm thinking it will be between 8 and 12 times. Good times.
Then on Sunday we kick off our new series, Before You Say, "I Do." I really looking forward to that. The series I will be doing is actually an adaptation of a series my youth pastor, Bobby, did when I was in high school. That series really helped define and shape a lot about who I would date, when I would date and what I would do on a date. Even more it helped me prepare for marriage. Sure at the time I was not even thinking about getting married, but that was the point. It helped me see that I needed to prepare for a great marriage now if I wanted one later. Thankfully by God's grace He helped me do that. As a result I am incredibly happily married to the most amazing woman I know. My prayer is that this series will help y'all start making decisions now that will impact your future marriage. My prayer is that all of you will marry incredible spouses and have awesome marriages. That is why we are doing this series. That is also why you should invite your friends to come on March 25th to join us for this series.
This is a really important topic in every one's life. It amazes me how in our world today we are taught so many things. You are taught how to tie your shoes. You are taught how to spell (some of you at least). You are taught how to drive. You are taught how to play sports or how to play instruments. You are taught how to get into college. You will be taught the skills you need to do your future job. But when are you taught how to have a great marriage? Seriously. Maybe that is why over 50% of all marriages, Christian or non-christian, end in divorce. Over 50%. Is that what you hope for one day? Is that what your friends are hoping? Do you ever find yourself thinking, "I can't wait to fall in love, get married, have a few kids and then get divorced." No, no one does. Yet over 50% of marriages end up that way. That is why this series is a big deal. That is why I really am excited about it for you and for your friends. So come and hear what God has to say and bring your friends so they can hear it too. Because God is good and He wants what is best for you and He knows the way that leads to a great marriage. So come and get your friends to come so you can all hear what the best way is.
So that is what I have been thinking about. I can't wait for that weekend. I hope you are excited about it too and I hope you are getting your friends excited about it as well.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Spring Bash
Today I had a meeting with Nyke (the Student Ministries Pastor at NW) and Cody (the Youth Pastor at Pflugerville) to discuss the awesomeness that is going to be the Spring Bash. And let me just tell you it is going to be majorly sweet. I'm serious, good times for everyone. I don't think it is possible for you to pack more fun into one night. One thing we were talking about was the prizes we are going to be giving away at one portion of the night and things like $500 dollars in cash and Ipods were brought up. Seriously, I wouldn't miss this for the world. Where else can you see an illusionist, have a chance to win $500, see a good movie, go swimming and then do a little bowling/glow-in-the-dark putt/rock wall climb all in the same night? Only at the Spring Bash my friends, only at the Spring Bash.
I think I am going to be counting down the days to this thing as if it were Christmas itself. If there was a Spring Bash Santa I would go sit on his lap and tell him all about how much I want to win an Ipod and kick Seanzy's rear in some bowling.
Until this fateful day comes though we need to build up to it by inviting everyone we know to come. This is going to be a blast and if you really like your friends you will not want them to miss this. Plus it will give your friends a chance to connect with you and our group and ultimately to Christ and you know they don't want to miss that. So invite your friends. I have about 400 invitations in my office right now just waiting for you to pass out to everyone you know. So come and get them. And just to make things interesting I am saying right now that the student who bring the most friends to the Spring Bash gets a $150 Simon Gift Card. Yeah, you read that right. $150 bucks. Just for inviting your friends to something you know they want to go to already. How sweet it is.
Oh yeah, and since I have to be Howie Mendel for the Deal or No Deal Game I am going to shave my head bald if our group brings more than 160 people. That is a lot of people, but if you do it, then off goes my hair.
So that is what I am thinking about and my guess is, now it is what you are thinking about too.
I think I am going to be counting down the days to this thing as if it were Christmas itself. If there was a Spring Bash Santa I would go sit on his lap and tell him all about how much I want to win an Ipod and kick Seanzy's rear in some bowling.
Until this fateful day comes though we need to build up to it by inviting everyone we know to come. This is going to be a blast and if you really like your friends you will not want them to miss this. Plus it will give your friends a chance to connect with you and our group and ultimately to Christ and you know they don't want to miss that. So invite your friends. I have about 400 invitations in my office right now just waiting for you to pass out to everyone you know. So come and get them. And just to make things interesting I am saying right now that the student who bring the most friends to the Spring Bash gets a $150 Simon Gift Card. Yeah, you read that right. $150 bucks. Just for inviting your friends to something you know they want to go to already. How sweet it is.
Oh yeah, and since I have to be Howie Mendel for the Deal or No Deal Game I am going to shave my head bald if our group brings more than 160 people. That is a lot of people, but if you do it, then off goes my hair.
So that is what I am thinking about and my guess is, now it is what you are thinking about too.
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