Thank You Lord!
Well, it’s been a while, to say the very least! This has been the craziest semester I have ever taught, and there are more big changes to come in the very near future. Thankfully, everything is going very well, and I am being taught some very valuable lessons! I would love to give you all of the details, but I will hit the highlights:
I now have a three-year old. She is too smart, too hilarious, and just too much! Potty training is almost complete! She loves music and loves to sing. She also has a memory like an elephant, and always surprises me with the little details that she never forgets. Her favorite musicals are Momma Mia and Hair Spray and can sing most of the songs from the soundtracks.
I also have a 23 month old boy…who is ALL boy! He likes trucks (the bigger the better), throwing balls, climbing, running, jumping, and aggravating his sister. He likes to wander off and do his own thing, which he gets honestly from me. He just loves to talk and sing, but you really can’t understand what he is saying just yet. He will say “I love you”! It sounds like “la lew”, but I know just what he means. He is a very affectionate little man and never meets a stranger. I tell everyone at church he is now my campaign manager…
I also have a 10 month old who is in charge of exploration around the house. He has learned to be mobile by crawling, and is very fast! He can also stand up and has recently started taking a few steps while holding on to the furniture. He still has bright red hair, and loves to laugh! He is at eating and sleeping, and practices both activities frequently. He can also say “dada” and “mama”. He is learning more tricks daily.
There have also been huge changes at school, but I won’t bore you with the details. I am now teaching 5-8 grade band and 6/8 grade general music. I love the new schedule and the new grades. It is a challenge, but I am learning. We are also moving into a new school build very soon! We are all ready to go. My new band room is HUGE; the stage is HUGE; I actually have space for STORAGE! It is a beautiful building!
Since it is almost Thanksgiving, I am going to do something I think we all should do from time to time. I am going to attempt to list a few things for which I am thankful. Sometimes, we just forget to be thankful…
- I am thankful that God knows me, and I know Him! I am thankful for Christ’s supreme sacrifice as my substitute on the cross. There is nothing good about me because I am a sinner. I am thankful that Christ died for me.
- I am thankful for salvation and the gift of Christ’s righteousness so that I can have a relationship with God!
- I am thankful for my wife. She is perfect. She is perfect for me. She is THE perfect mother for our children. I cannot imagine life without her. I know God placed her on this earth just for me, and I pray that I am a suitable husband for such a great woman.
- I am thankful for my children. Natalia, Slade, and Gavin are the lights in my life. I cannot praise God enough for allowing me to have these cherished blessings. I pray that I am a suitable father for these three gifts from God. I am learning to understand my relationship with God, my Father, by being a father.
- I am thankful for my parents. I am blessed with Godly parents who spent their lives giving my sister and me every opportunity we wanted to pursue. They taught me to work, love, laugh (a lot), respect others, be disciplined, and to honor God. I am most thankful that they loved me so much, they took me to church and lead me to have the relationship with God that I cherish.
- I am thankful for my little sister. I am thankful we have both become the adults we are today. She shows true perseverance and will have the degree she is working so hard to earn! Hanna, I love you, you are the best!
- I am thankful for my wife’s family! Yes, that’s right, my in-laws. How many people can say that and mean it??? I am thankful they opened their family to me 12 years ago, and have always treated me like I was one of the bunch!
- I am thankful God provides for my family. I am thankful my wife is able to be a super-mom and spend every day raising our children. The ends are not always tied, but God always makes the meet. His blessings overflow!
- I am thankful for my church family. I am so blessed to be the pastor of a great church, full of loving people. I am thankful we are able to study the Bible together and be present when the Word of God is opened before us! I cherish our time together, and I pray God allows us much more time in the future!
- I am thankful for my work family. It is so pleasant to be able to go to work and know there are people who genuinely care for you. The school where I am blessed to work is not just a job, it is not just a career, it is a family. I love my Prescott peeps!
- I am thankful for this: 6 For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! ~Romans 5
This should go on forever…I am working to be thankful for everything. I hope we all have a fulfilling holiday season.
