Memorial Day Weekend

Sarah and I had a great Memorial Day weekend. Friday we went out with the Slack’s and celebrated us both being pregnant. Then Saturday we went to a Toledo Mudhens game and enjoyed a firework show afterwards. Sunday, I gave the teaching at church from Joshua 4:1-9, I spoke about remembering what God has done in our lives. I really love the summer atmosphere at our church and in the town of Bowling Green. Things are much more laid back and relational.

Then after church Sarah and I headed out to go camping. When we got married we thought we would go camping a lot because we both enjoy it. But, in our 3 years of marriage we have still never taken the time to head into the great outdoors. So we decided that this weekend would be the prefect time. We headed north to the little town of Port Clinton, Ohio, right on Lake Erie. We found a nice camp ground and set up our tent. It was a great time of roasting smores’ and brats and enjoying the 90 degree weather! Since Sarah is pregnant we decided to sleep on an air mattress, I know that is a little disappointing to you hard core campers, but marriage is all about compromise.

Then on Monday (Memorial Day) we went into the town of Port Clinton. We watched the parade, and then went to their Memorial Day service. It was a really touching service they honored the veterans of the town and told the story of their heroes. One of the most impact moments came when they were talking about World War II. The small town sent 42 young men to serve in the Pacific theater of the war with Japan only 10 men returned. And all 10 of them were prisoners of war in harsh work camps in the South Pacific. Now it really felt like memorial day. Sarah and I talked about our grandfathers, between the 2 of us we have 5 grandfathers and all of them served in World War II or Korea (my grandpa Wiles actually never made it to Europe because the war ended right as he was about to leave). It was neat to think of the sacrifice that the generations before us made so that we can be free.

Overall, it was a great weekend... relaxing, thoughtful, and fun.

The News

Sarah and I had our first ultrasound today! It was really crazy and really exciting! We saw our kid for the first time! He or she actually was moving around having a good time. We found out our official due date is December 5th. The heart was beating really fast and you could actually see it beat. The rate was 147 beats per minute, which I guess is completely normal at this stage. It was a relief to find out that as far as we know everything is going great. I posted the pictures here but they don't really do justice to what we could see. Hope you enjoy!

King of the Hill

I came across this interesting and insightful video clip from the show "King of the Hill." It gave me some comedic insight into how pop culture views the church in America. Hope you enjoy!

The Psalms

This week of my life revolves around one thing...the Psalms. I am taking an intensive seminary class on the book of Psalms. I have been eating, drinking, breathing, and sleeping Psalms (at least that is what we all joke about in the class, including the professor). So far the class has been really cool. It is taught by a man that is extremely qualified to teach the class. In fact, he is known around the world as an expert scholar in many of the Old Testament books, although he would never tell you that because he is an extremely humble man.

The overall point of the class is that life does not always make sense. There are often times bad things that happen to good people, and good things that happen to bad people. In the Psalms we hear of many of these bad things happening and the writer will often cry out to God in anger, or fear, or frustration, or sadness. The bluntness and honesty of the Psalms is really cool and it should be an example to all of us in life. When hard things in life happen they should drive us to God, because for some crazy reason he has allowed those things to happen. It doesn't mean that he made them happen, or even that he wanted them to happen, but that he allowed them to happen. But, here is the kicker, in spite of all the complaining and anger and emotion in the Psalms they almost all end the same way… in praise.

That is what I have been learning. No matter what is going on in our life, no matter how bad things seem to be out of control, no matter how bad things seem to suck! There is one constant, and that is that God deserves praise. No matter whether we understand him, no matter whether we like what is happening in our lives, we must keep praising God. It takes our eyes off of ourselves and puts them on the only true thing that matters in the universe and that is God.

I will close with one of my favorite examples of this Psalm 13.

1 How long, O LORD Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him, "and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Another One Bites the Dust

I can’t believe that another school year has come and gone. As I am writing hundreds of students at BGSU are cramming for finals while others are packing up to head home for the summer. It seems like just yesterday, that I was living in the dorms and cramming for finals. But, I just realized that this marks the end of my forth year in ministry! I can't believe how fast those four years have gone. And this year like all the others Sarah and I have scene some awesome things happen on the campus of BGSU. That is what keeps me coming back for more. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping a college student experience God, and watching their lives change forever! I am looking forward to the summer, to a change in pace, maybe even a little more realization, but I am also looking forward to next school year. And seeing what God has in store for year number 5!

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~Hebrews 11:6