Cold winter, warm reminder

Remember the rooster crowing in the morning right after Peter denied knowing the Lord Jesus? He was standing away from the fire and ignoring the crowds attempt to include him as a follower, then just as prophesied the rooster crowed. Thus began a dark period for Peter as he spent the days following in the darkest coldest period of his life.

Here in Oklahoma the rooster or Thanksgiving day turkey came and the whole state got cold. You could not even guess it was winter till then. Maybe the Peter illustration was a bit much, but it was on my mind to describe the feeling of going directly into the cold. I mean how could Peter, how could any of us deny His presence in our lives. This time of year more than any is all about celebrating Jesus the Messiah. Lights go up, trees get decorated. It is all about the Lord God coming into this world to be one of us, a man, so he could live and die for us all.

Each week drawing us closer and closer to Christmas reminds me evermore of God’s unending love. Its not about how many presents we buy or get, how much candy fills our stocking, or how big a house we have to share with family. Love and only love is what this season teaches. I praise and thank the Lord for all He has taught me this past year about trusting in Him more, coming to Him in our need but not leaving Him out in the cold when He needs us. Okay He doesn’t need anything, but He wants us. More so He came so He could serve, and show us how to serve. He came so He could pay the price for our sins.

My heart may not always be working as fast as my brain. The flesh seems to have control over one or the other. In the end I pray my spirit will always win. Of course the more we feed the one, the stronger it gets and the harder the other side will fight. So command yourself every day to read the Word of God with all readiness of mind and do as the Scriptures teach us, not rules and regulations, but commands to love God and serve and love people.

Reading through my blog or journal for this past year has proven insightful. Even if I neglect the pen and page, I can still type my heart and experience. We all should have such, in order to remember. Remembering is what He wants us to do, this is why the Word of God is a treasure. It’s a reminder of what He has already done. From Adam to Paul we see extraordinary lives playing out the message of His plan for man. He loves us and this is the season to make that love known to all people.

A little Wicked

Three weeks and things finally got a little Wicked… the musical that is. But that was last night, so lets not skip ahead too fast. It has been a quick week, the week of feasting and family fun. My dad flew in Monday and will be here for three weeks to help around the house and help with the babies. Erin and Kenneth, and of course Avery love having grandpa here.

With the Christmas season in full swing I finally got the lights up on the house and decorations pretty much everywhere. We thought this year a live Christmas tree would be best so we went down to the tree farm and picked out a beautiful tall full tree to enjoy. After strapping it to the roof of the car and hoping for no squirrels, we headed home to get lights. Now we have a tree all ready for decorations and presents. Hard to believe the season is really upon us, after the crazy year we have had.

Since it seems like I am always busy at work and going to and fro it was good to get out with the wife last night and go see a Broadway musical. Wicked. We have seen it twice before, and this was not the best of the three times, the singers were out of sync and the sound mixing might be blamed the most. Some of the key actors were not good at all. But it’s a beloved musical for Holly and I, so we enjoyed it anyway. Love the tale, but feel sorry for anyone who that was their first time seeing the film. It has such good themes.

Really hate when I have the writing bug but cannot think of what to write. Its one of those itches you just can never seem to reach. Then someone else seems to be reaching it better than you, so you don’t even bother to try. Another week is about to begin, more house work to do, some major league spring cleaning in December!

Closing in on Thanksgiving

Been another busy week for parenting and marriage. Life always does seem to get extra crazy this time of year. For one thing, standing in line idle in the car waiting to pick up and drop off my kid. Avery loves school, gets excited about going and hanging out with her friends. I am glad she is happy to go. Her teacher is teaching her letters and numbers, and how to cut things. We know about the cutting things as there are mysterious piles of paper showing up around the house in odd locations. She has gotten a new hobby apparently, shredding paper! Back to the lines for a moment, daddy fell asleep in the line waiting to pick Avery up this week. No one bothered to honk they just went around me! Guess they figured i needed the nap.

Trying to maintain a busy household and keeping the part time evening and weekend job does prove difficult on family. Somehow i need to manage family time along side juggling with work. My goal right now while i have time at home is to organize the house better. I would very much like to get rid of a lot of junk we do not need and never use. So much clutter and no real reason as to any of it. We have to look at what we need, not what we want or think we might use someday. My dad will be here Monday for a few weeks so he can give me a hand with a lot of the chores around here. Then i can try to figure out what i am going to do with the rest of my time.... chase after my children!

Kenneth and Erin are growing well. Kenny is our little chunker, he likes to eat all the time. Actually they both do, and will chew their hands till we get them something. Not sure if they think thats going to work. They look more alike now too, yet have polar personailities. Kenneth is laid back and wimpers, while Erin is loud and vocal. They both talk like little birds. Erin if our little bird. Avery loves to help when she can, but still wants to be separate and do her own thing sometimes, which is good. Mommy and daddy have their hands full for sure.

After two weeks of the stay at home daddy thing, i have to say i do not know how so many do this for a job. Its a lot of work and my babies arent even up and crawling around yet. So i am sure its going to get even crazier. The Lord is good though, continues to be faithful and showing us He will be there to meet each need when it comes. His timing is perfect and we will trust him to lead us to whatever form of ministry he has for us ahead.

We look forward to Thanksgiving, and to decorating for Christmas. So much to do, and not enough time for anything. Thats how it works!

Week one down!

Diapers need to be changed, bottle nipples need to be sterilized, so much to remember and so much to be done. Still we juggle from one end of the house to the other. From flipping peanut butter sandwiches into school lunch pails, to tossing wet diapers across the room making full court shots to the waste basket. Parenthood is full of craziness. Love every moment of it and cherish every second of being a parent and having children.

Monday started off wishing my wife well as she went back to the workforce after being on bed rest and maternity leave since March. None of us were happy about the event, and I was left standing in the driveway after waving goodbye, thinking to myself, what did I get myself into? True the Lord did lead us down this path, and it made the most sense for me to be the choice to stay at home, but it does not make it any easier. Staying at home with the kids is work, possibly the hardest job I have yet to attempt.

Three days out of the week Avery, who is now four, goes to her preschool to learn and grow. While she is at school it makes it that much easier for daddy to balance the twins and their schedule. Avery loves her school. I have to begin a habit of routine which is kind of new for me, as it requires self discipline. I am my own boss as it is, and stand to be responsible for my own duties. No one is looking over my shoulder, but everything I set out to do, still must be done. My goal is to make it easier for my wife when she comes from a busy day and I head off to my evening and weekend job.

Keeping things tidy around the house is simple with the babies being pretty much non mobile, and when Avery is not wreaking havoc every turn. The real challenge is shopping for food, which I am going to have to work on as it’s a necessity for the family to eat. Even as the babies get older they need more. Last time we managed into the store for cupcakes and water, Avery helped push the buggy while I had the stroller. So it wasn’t too bad. Not sure if it’s easier this way or another just yet.

Giving everything to the Lord is key to the stay at home life. I have spent eight months preparing for this role, but it doesn’t seem to matter because things do not always go perfect. For two years before I married Holly I read over 15 books on the subject of marriage; still I find myself rereading them because I know there are so many areas I have I need work. Same will be true as we progress into this stay at home role. Everything for Christ and His glory, is rule number one. Rule two is do not attempt everything in a day. If something cannot get done, do not push so hard you run weary. This is my first week, there is a long road of learning ahead as I lean on trusting God for every moment.

Stay at home husband life has begun

Clearly been too long since i have had a spare minute to do anything other than take in a deep breath. Since the babies came home it seems the entire house has been turned upside down and I am thinking to myself, was it this crazy with Avery. It could have been, but I think having twice as many diapers to change, and twice as many mouths to feed is adding up to more than we ever expected. But as a Father to three of the worlds most amazing and beautiful children, I would not trade it for anything. Part of my motivation to be a stay at home dad in the first place.

My co-workers may not have understood fully what quitting was really meaning to me. I tried to explain even if it meant our budget belt would tighten a bit, I had to do what I had to do. Years ago a teacher had me and some other students draw the kind of car which portrayed who we were. While other kids my age were drawing sports cars, i drew a mini-van. I knew family had to come first, it always had and always will in my mind and life. So last Friday when i finished out my last day of two and a half years of material handling service, I was at total peace. It helped the Lord already had my night and weekend job ready.

Doughnuts were brought in by me for my last day. I had to bring them since I had been eating everyone elses generosity for two years. I hope they all appreacited how much I appreaciated them.... at least most of them. Either way. I did before i left have a nice sit down chat with the CEO which was both educational and encouraging. His best advice for me on being successful in life is to find a problem and then become part of the solution.

For this past week Holly and I have been trying to get into a set routine on baby raising, along wiht rushing Avery to and from school. The week is hardly over and it feels like its been pretty good. The only hard part is my part time job which does take away two hard working hands when babies need to be held. We are pushing ahead for the Lord is with us. He is guiding every step. Our three darling children are proving to teach us something new every day. Thankful and wonderfully blessed we are.

Psalm 67

Psalm 67
To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1 God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah 2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. Psalm 67

God shall make His ways known through His people. Every story in the Bible is centered on individuals for a reason. God uses people to get His most important messages communicated. Prophets proclaimed judgments, and missionaries brought messages of hope and truth, but real people throughout the Word show us who God is and what He does in our lives.

May God be merciful to us and bless us for the reason that His ways may be known to the world. Praise and worship belong to Him because of the great and marvelous things He does in our lives. Never is it about you or me, but His glory. The testimony of a life changed is far more powerful and effective than historical events and statistics. Souls given over to Him reveal His good work.

You are the masterpiece of the Lord. Your story and the work the Lord does in your life is what will change people. It is good to have knowledge and increased understanding in the facts and truth of the Word of God. We all need a foundation in which to place our faith. Even more the faith in shoes walking around showing God’s love and power. God did not stop after the days of Paul, using people. He uses them today, men and women of ordinary backgrounds to do extraordinary things in order that others will see and glorify God.

Change is here

Crunching leaves, the sweet smell of rain, cool evenings are here as a sure sign of fall. We look ahead to winter with not so eager anticipation, but are happily done with the heat of summer. Into October and half way through the month now we enjoy needing the light jackets and still some warmer days wearing shorts. This is also the month of Avery's birthday, our twins are two months old, and of course Halloween is right around the corner.

Avery turned 4 last Tuesday and her party was a grand success. Neither myself or my amazing wife desire to have the party at our house again however as the house and even the massive backyard do not have acreage enough for the attendes. Still the Tinkerbell theme and jump house we borrowed made for our little girls happiest birthday celebration as of yet. Guest list included three grandma's, two great grandma's, one great granddaddy, all her aunts save my sisters in CA, and a few small friends. My mom has been out these last three weeks as well which not only gives Avery someone else to play with but also major help with the babies.

Baby Erin is now past 8 pounds and her growing brother is up to 9.7 pounds. Growing fast as they should be but not quite sleeping through every night. We have a chart in the kitchen next to the feeding station, so we can keep track of when they eat, how much the eat, and what kind of diaper they leave behind. This helps because its hard to remember who ate what and when. Big sister Avery is a big fan of her little brother and sister. She helps out so much and enjoys being proud of both of them.

For Avery's actual birthday we went to the Zoo for a few hours which went pretty well. Its easy to take the babies out at this time since they are pretty portable. I love my little family of five and am greatly blessed the Lord has given us so much, all undeserved. He is always there with us. Even more than His grace and mercy, I love His presence daily in my life. Moment by moment He is here. The more we realize this truth, the more joy we will have. He makes Himself known to those who diligently seek Him.

Even with all the change having occured thus far, we have much ahead in these days. The Lord provided me with a good night and weekend job to work part time during the hours my wife and I can trade off on baby duty. Going to make personal time togther even more cherished then it is now, but we will manage. The Lord knows what we each need and gives us help in our weakness.
Working two jobs the last two weeks has not been easy, but only one more to go then I will be a house husband by day. My two and a half years in the Material handling world will come to an end peacefully. I have had a good time, enjoyed the job, but eagerly look forward to task ahead.

Our future is only clear in the eyes of the Lord. His eyes are the ones which matter. We do not need to know tommrow, we are not promised anything other than He will be with us always. Through all trials, struggles, and fears He is there to watch over us. So He will guide us and give us mercy. In the weeks ahead I hope to update more, we will see how things go and hopefully settle down from all the chaos of this past year.

Psalm 66:16-20

Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

Psalm 66:16-20

Not too long ago the popular form of distance communication was a radio allowing only one person to talk at a time. You had to get out what you wanted to say and wait for the response of the other party. With the world changing so much, the invention of cell phones, emails, texts, we do not have as much a problem with lag time in conversation. It seems sometimes we are still living in the past because we will not quit making noise so we can just listen.

God wants us to be silent before Him, for He is both Holy and He wants to speak into our hearts. We have cried out with our hearts to Him, we have sought His face in the sanctuary. When we have not done these things we will soon notice we are missed. Too often the loudest and most troubling disturbance in our conversations with God is our own heart. We are the ones full of so much pride we lose sight of His Glory. We are so selfish we do not hear who He wants us to pray for. Our own sins in our own hearts cause too much interruption. And He is ever patient.

You are the workmanship of Jesus. He has made you and is forming you more and more so every day. Every trial, every circumstance, nothing comes your way without His command. Through His hands your life is filtered. Blessed is God who does listen to our prayers. Begin such prayers with the words of a humble heart, asking if there be anything in our lives hindering us from a fresh encounter, the Lord remove such problems. Come and hear.

Psalm 66:6-15

8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, 9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. 10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment. 13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah Psalm 66:6-15

So sweet it is to look behind you and see the vast distance you have come. Each journey is designed to bring us closer to the Father, closer to Him with every breath and beat of our heart. It is on those meditative moments we can lean close to the Father and thank Him for getting us down the long and difficult road.

Maybe the road of hardship is just beginning, maybe you are in nearing the end or just getting through it is all that you can even see. What matters most is tucked away in the message of this Psalm. It is a reminder that God is God and He is the one who lead us. We are also advised to hold true to whatever promises we have made to the Lord in the midst of the fire. You know the ones I am talking of, you will pray more, read the Bible more, and do more for others if only the Lord would spare you now. Repay those vows as they were made to the One who has walked you through.

Whatever the case may be, whatever you are dealing with in this life, He is faithful. Maybe now is a joyful time and things are well, rejoice for the Lord has given these moments to you in order to encourage others! He gives no pain without purpose or pleasure without a plan. He loves you and will remain faithful to the promises He has made in the Word to always be right here.

Psalm 66:5-7

Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
Psalm 66:5-7

Remember when…? Our Lord always seems to point to the exodus of Israel and the parting of the Red Sea as one of His crowning achievements.
Yes it was a simple act for the Lord to defy both gravity and the properties of water in order to cause a dry ground for thousands of Israelites to walk, but He makes a point to bring it up throughout the Old Testament.

Our Lord delights in remembering how from one man came forth a nation. It only makes sense then the Lord knows what is going on in this world moment by moment, no nation or Kingdom is ever built or destroyed without His knowledge or allowing such. He cares about the big things of this world, but He is also interested in the smallest things, even the simplest things in our lives.

What we do not want to find ourselves doing is asking the Lord what kind of cereal He would rather have us buy. If that is the deepest our prayers ever get we need to keep swimming. He is observing us, watching over us, desiring to take an active role in our lives. He did in truth give His own life so we can live, how much more than should we give our lives back to Him.

One home, one to go

September 8th was Kenneth's big discharge day. Holly and I went up to the hospital and watched as our baby boy was officially unhooked from all the heart monitor's and everything else. Strange suddenly not having him so attached, and free. Pretty amazing. Holly's friend Charity came up to see us off which was a blessing. Always nice to have company to celebrate the moment. We hope soon we can have the same with Erin. As of today she is 4'4.5 so she is getting there. Hoping to have her home next week!

Kenneth made it home safe and has been doing great ever since. He is not a very cranky baby unless he is hungry or doesnt want to be changed. Otherwise my little boy is home and there is nothing quite as exciting! Also very tired, going to be even more so once Erin gets home. Holly's friend Lindsey came over when we got home with Kenneth to help get him settled into his new world. Little Avery of course bouncing off the walls with excitment, been a long time waiting for the little ones. She is full of joy over her siblings.

Last night a few breif stop by visits from Holly's mom and sister, and friend Joni. He did well last night again, keeping mommy and daddy very active and wishing our bedroom was bigger as we have the pack and play stuffed into the small space between the bed and the dresser. Going to have to upgrade soon. So far so good. Just waiting to see what the Lord has in store in the coming months. Going to be tired, but going to be fun.

How did my baby Avery turn into a preschooler already? Four years is not long enough, my little girl is growing up. Both of them are actually, but more on that in a minute. You would have thought it was Christmas morning as excited as our big girl was about getting to school. This was a whole new experience, new teachers, new friends, and after the crazy summer she has had a nice change. Now here she is little miss sunshine of our lives ready to take on the world, at least after a twenty minute wait in the parking lot. Finally out little Nemo was ready for the big ocean. Upon dropping off Avery, we got lots of pictures and made sure she was settling in well. Thankfully she did seem to get along with the other kids and even told mommy she knew how to be a good girl, she was going to be fine, and told mommy to leave. Guess that means she was ready to grow into the big sister shoes and be a big girl. Love my darling Av and look forward to seeing her education progress. Baby Erin had her first bath this evening which was a real treat. She handled it pretty well, not nearly as loudly as her brother. Think she was more just enjoying the scrub down gently as possible.

Our precious darling, just wish she was coming home along with her brother.
Providing his sleep test goes well tonight, little Kenneth will be making his way home! We are of course thrilled as could be expected. But even now my darling wife is ever so gently pulling me from the blog world to get the house cleaned as it really desperately needs help. So more on this later.

Happy Dance

Weekday nighttime NICU nurses seem to be more fun and energetic. At least the ones we have had today and this evening seem this way. Holly, Avery, and daddy went to dinner after being at the hospital for all afternoon. It is good to get out every so often, though it seems like we pretty much eat and live in the city these days. Just have to be close to our babies.

Little Kenneth is doing so well, the doctor even said he was making fun of the system. Guess he is taking all of his food by bottle and has been good with his heart rate for the last several days now. He is a good 5lb 8.6oz at measurements tonight. Wish we had a little gram scale at home, we will miss knowing these numbers once we get them home. He may actually be coming home this week in fact, just a few more days. Having him home will make things interesting at the Bowlby house, sure hope we are ready for baby.

As soon as we got in this evening we were excited to see our little Erin reach the four pound mark! She is 4 and .4 ounces. Never thought it would make me smile so much to see 4, but the Lord has been so good to us. He is providing and watching over us. So we did the happy dance as we always do, I know the nurse loves to watch us when we get into the room. It is good to see some uplifting when so many babies take a long time to struggle and get there. Still a ways to go with her, but she will get there. She’s more of a diva they call her, she milks attention then goes back to sleep. She mostly likes to sleep in the day and be awake at night, which unfortunately is the opposite of her brother. He likes to eat when he’s hungry then go back to sleep, but he is awake more in the day.

Little Avery is heading to preschool for her first day tomorrow. She is of course very excited. I am looking forward to hearing how it goes. School is going to be good for her to have this in the midst of the new babies and all, since it something belonging to her and her alone. So happy tears as we see both our little girls growing up, happy dances too.

Psalm 66:1-4

To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah
Psalm 66:1-4

Praise be on your lips, in your heart, and always flowing through your mind. A shout of joy to the Lord of all is the key of this Psalm. Psalm 66 may allude to a victory Israel experienced over Assyria as is referenced in Isaiah 36-37. We see the whole earth being told to praise the Name of the Lord of Israel.

All of the earth is told to praise and sing joyful shouts to the Lord. He is the God of Israel. His title of God of Israel will stand for all eternity; it is not one which is replaced by the Church in anyway. Both Israel and the Church have separate origins and destinies. It is important to know the Word of God, and know the plan God has for both Israel and the Church. His mission and work with Israel is not complete; it did not get taken over by the Church.

Jesus Christ will always be our Jewish Messiah, Lord and King over all of Israel and the world. He is currently on His Father’s throne but will one day return to sit in the throne of David and rule from Jerusalem. Everything in the Word of God points toward His reign. So we sing praise now just as we will then, and may the whole world continue to sing praises to His Name.

Acts 1: Waiting for Jesus' return

They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. Acts 1:9-14

What would you be doing in light of Jesus’ soon return? The disciples wondered every day if Jesus would return during that moment or later. Centuries have passed and we are all still looking up to the sky for that return. But we must not just sit around and wait without doing more. The disciples lead the way in prayer as they gathered with all the disciples and the women who followed Jesus closely. Together as brothers and sisters we are called into prayer and being one mind. By being one mind we are to be unified under the same banner of Christ and all that He did for us. Our prayer lives are not just something else we should do, it is something we have to do. Therefore get together and pray often, and don’t stop.

Wouldn’t you want to stand and stare after someone you loved departed or took flight? The disciples were probably wondering where Jesus was going and how long He would be before returning. But the disciples did not remain on the hill discussing the many theories of Christ’s return, nor did they speak about who the beast of Revelation might be. The Lord had other plans which were to move them off of that hill and into His purpose for the Church. So many of us are still standing on the hill, looking up to heaven, trying to figure out just when He might return. We think we have it all figured out as soon as a few people throw some bombs at each other and declare war. It is important to be paying attention to the signs of the times, but not as important as it is for us to be a sign pointing to Christ. The Lord did not put the Church here so it could sit on a hill, but so it could be the light to nations to the grace and love of God.

Jesus will return, do not let anyone take that one thing from you. Rather than just sitting around looking up we should remember the race we are to be running which is to bring all men to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, for the time is short before He does return.

Zoo day

We spent some time at the zoo today to see the Elephants celebrate one of their own's 60th birthday. Pretty much everyone in town was there so it was a little crowded. All in all good. I took Avery and one of her friends, Lahna (sp?). So my almost four year old and her almost six year old friend made a good pair running around crazy. Some stranger gave us their wagon which was great, made for an easier trip around some of the zoo. What a day. I am so very tired. My darling wife spent all day with the twins, watching over them just like a good momma. She takes good care of them. The only trouble is getting my little Avery to sleep even though its midnight she has way to much get up and go drive.... ahhhhh. Is all i can say. What a weekend this is already turning out to be.

Cheerleader

Thessalonians 5:11 (New American Standard Bible)
“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”

Is it as obvious to you as it is to me, we all are in need of some encouragement today. In a world which seems bent on pulling us down and putting us out, any bit of joy would be a positive help. Apostle Paul speaks about encouraging each other constantly with the hope we have in Jesus, both as Redeemer and Creator. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our comfort, our encouragement, our cheer leader. When we say cheer leader the first thing in your mind is probably a group of high school girls dancing around a field in routine fashion designed to uplift the players. But it is not the players on the field the cheer squad is speaking out to, it’s the bench.

When you are in the audience you watch the game and the cheer leaders. But how often are you being led to follow along and cheer? How many people in the stands are following the leadership of the cheerleaders? Think about the word. Think about how important it is to the players to see people in the stands cheering, or encouraging them.

As it is in the football or sports arena, so is true in life. We are involved in the game one way or another. The Holy Spirit is our cheer leader. He is there to constantly make us aware of the joy set before us in Christ Jesus. He is there to spell out V I C T O R Y every day to us. He will be way more dramatic than any group of high school girls ever will be. Plant this imagine in your mind during the upcoming football season. Listen to the leaders as they cheer on the crowd. Listen to your Leader as He encourages your Spirit and you in turn encourage others in the same manner.

Psalm 65:5-13

By awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation,
You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea;
Who establishes the mountains by His strength, Being girded with might; Who stills the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. You have crowned the year with Your bounty, And Your paths drip with fatness. The pastures of the wilderness drip, And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing.
Psalm 65:5-13

He is Creator… not of a big bang, but of a cosmic universe far beyond our understanding or comprehension. Science has gone a long way over the centuries and the true marvel is how far they will go to explain things in a way to promote their own preconceived notions. Every time I see the term millions of years ago, especially in my four year olds books. Denying the Creator is ultimately denying responsibility. And yet the irony is we teach about saving the planet which ‘accidently came into existence.’ He is the one who calms the roaring seas. Now fast forward to Jesus calming the Sea when the disciples were out in their fishing boat, Jesus once against proving to be the same God of the Old Testament and Creator. Psalm 65 is all about the Creation and the Creator. So often we stop to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings without pausing to dwell on His beauty. We forget, because we forget.

Shout for joy over your Maker, your Designer, your Creator. He made the earth and the seas and He loves all which He has made. All things in heaven and on earth created for a purpose, including you. He is the hope of all mankind from this side of the world all around. Every Nation will hear and be glad when they turn and acknowledge their Creator, their Savior, their God is Lord.

Up close: David McDaniel

Up close: David McDaniel

If I had to rank my relationships and friends it is usually based on how they relate to God and how much love they have for the Word. Those whom I consider the closest and dearest are those who I have been able to share my life with and gain wisdom and insight. They say everyone comes into your life for a reason and we can and should grow from every encounter we have. So we should pursue friendship, social groups, and close bonds which can last for a lifetime.

Wednesday evenings at our Church we have a youth group, proudly bearing the name ‘Driven.’ It is a great group, wonderful worship, good leadership, and truly the place to hang out for all Jr. high to high school students, and your occasional adult who is there to bless the kids in any way possible. I am drawn to the youth as it brings up so many pleasant memories of my own high school youth group back in California. Water of Life had the youth group and the place to be every week for good time in the Word, and awesome worship. Also had a man who I have chosen to highlight in this issue of my ‘Up close’,

David McDaniel. David, or Dave, or little Dave as I call him has always been one of my heroes. Since I met him he has shown me what passion of Jesus is all about. I have watched him as he lead our group during the four years of high school, he struggled with the struggles of the kids and loved everyone of us. He displayed the kind of leadership you want to see out of a youth Pastor. He is hilarious as well. He always had the greatest stories to tell which would get you laughing hard, than he would hit you with some serious points which made you cry because the Holy Spirit would at that point being talking to you.

The Lord is greatly evidenced in people’s lives when they are truly selling themselves out to His service. Dave does just that. He left the Youth Group along with his family to pursue ministry in Japan with Discipleship training. He, his wife, and their three darling children all live in Japan now and are serving the Lord. Dave is a man who loves worshipping the Lord and spends all of his time introducing people to Jesus. The work he does is incredible and inspirational. Like so many great ministries, David and his family do live day by day by faith in the Lord to provide for their needs. Prayer is the most import thing, but if the Lord would call you to help further or you would just like to get to know them a little more. Here is the link to their webpage. David and his ministry to the people of Japan is a continual source of encouragement to me as he continues to reach out in the Name of Jesus to the lost.

http://web.mac.com/damare50/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Psalm 65:1-4

Psalm 65
For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.
There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God,
And to You the vow will be performed. You who hear prayer, To You all men come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You forgive them. How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
To dwell in Your courts We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple. Psalm 65:1-4

No matter what the depth of trouble you may have gotten yourself in, the Lord is always able to rescue you. He delights in His children and loves all those whom He created. He made all things, and He holds all things together. This is why He alone is able to forgive the sins of man. Jesus forgives every one of our sins, when we come to Him and lay them down before His throne.

Christians will reign with Christ as kings and priests in the heavenly Kingdom. He has not only redeemed our souls from death but also given us share in the inheritance waiting for us for eternity. It is going to be amazing. There we will find the rewards for the things we have done for Him. Nothing we do on earth can earn salvation, for that price has already been paid. But we do have the responsibility to do good works as His children for He made us to serve.

Forgiveness and Christian service should be mutual in their relationship. We have been forgiven, so we should be forgiving. He has given us mercy and grace, so should we to others. Our Christian walk should not be based on how many good works we can do to make our reputation look better, but how much more we can glorify His Name. In His temple we will be satisfied. In His house we will be forgiven.

Life of David

One year ago I set out on a journey through the book of Psalms, as King David has always been my favorite Biblical hero. Psalms is the longest book of the Bible so it does take some time to dig through, and when you want to go deep it takes even longer. My Word of Truth messages have always been centered on verse by verse commentaries of Scripture. It has been important for me to never leave anything out and go over even Scripture hard to understand, there are a lot of those.

I am now approaching Psalm 65, halfway through the book and so much has already been learned. David had such an extraordinary life and career. The lessons we learn from him are good for our teaching, wisdom, and help us to know how to relate to God better. He is a big God and knows our every need and want. He is able to do all things.

David dealt with himself throughout the Psalms, with his heart toward both God and people. He struggled over his personal issues, his sin, he hated the things which God hated. He was a man who from the beginning wanted to have a relationship with His Lord, and continued to seek God’s heart. There was never room for religion, no room for empty sacrifice. He had to be real with the Creator and Savior. David always put his heart out on the line, always had compassion, and was always real. Those things got him into trouble often as well.

Personally this past year has been a struggle. Undeniably God has had me in Psalms for the very reason they would help me through dark days and give me praise for the wonderful gifts He has given. Just like King David, I have had my moments, but they always end in praise. David could go into a great deal of poetic verse about the enemies and stress he felt, but there was always an end of praise and exultation in the Lord. He never knew what was ahead for Him, but He knew if He followed God with all His heart He would be safe. - I too Praise Him!

As for our personal progress reports: Miss Erin is up to 3'12 she gained 40 grams- almost to 4lbs hopefully this weekend and Mr. Kenneth is up to 5'3 he gained 24 grams, just looking at the positive for the day. Holly is going to bring them a colorful balloon for their beds this weekend to celebrate their growth plus being a month old coming up. Keep praying for Kenneth as his biggest problem is bradycardias. He is taking his feedings completely with a bottle now though. Miss Avery starts preschool next week! She meets her teacher today so that should go well, i hope. Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming.-

Psalm 64:1-10

Prayer for Deliverance from Secret Enemies.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. They encourage themselves in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?” They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. 9 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalm 64:1-10

Our Lord is not concerned with the many rumors and malicious talk going on about himself or his children. He does not get shocked by the misdeeds of man, or the amount of gross behaviors of which we are capable. He does not get bothered because He already knows what is inside us all. He knows the darkness and the sin which plagues us from birth.

David all through his life faced people talking about him both bad and good behind his back, or even to his face. During his childhood his brothers showed distaste for him as evidenced at their reaction when he faced Goliath. He had to deal with Saul for a great many years, and even after by several of his own appointed counsel. But God was never surprised, and was always there to help David through every challenge.

Remember who you should be listening to in this world is not those who are in the world, but the One who made all things. Your Creator, Your God, He is the manufacturer of your soul and knows how it works inside and out completely. Do not believe lies, malicious talk, rumors, gossip, all those things are of the enemy. Be glad and trust Him. Be upheld by what He has said about you in His word. Study the promises, for not only did He die for you, but He is alive for you now.

Fall approaches

Change has a funny way of happening faster than you thought it ever would. Seems like the last three weeks have gone by without a chance for us to even catch our breath; the whole year has been like a whirlwind. Now we are sitting here three weeks out, our little precious babies still in the NICU, Avery getting ready for preschool, me getting ready to quit my job, Holly heading back to hers soon, and we are not feeling much ready.

Every day we just pray harder for the Lord to move, for Him to do something amazing and bring our babies home. It seems so senseless to have them be so far away, we can’t take them and hold them and feed them whenever we want. Forced to play the role of NICU parents, it is more difficult than you can imagine. Each night we lay awake, sleep is allusive.

September approaches and the season of fall is at hand. Last year around this time we were mourning the loss of our little one who passed in an ectopic pregnancy. Her name was to be Raina and it still hurts deeply that only the two of us even remember. And after so many attempts to have siblings for Miss Avery, we finally have a successful set of new babies and here we have them….but no wait we can’t actually take them home. Seems kind of cruel really…. Somehow in some way there is a reason.

Being a stay at home dad will be a huge adventure, and it does seems like the best choice to be made right now. But its scary, of course and I am nervous about the whole process. But deep down every day I am going to hate myself for not being smart enough to have a better job so the roles could be reversed. And I do tire of everyone who throws it in my face. If I could get a job which paid better I would be doing it by now. But no, I went to Bible school for five years and have nothing to stand on in the job market right now. So other than a desire to work in ministry…. I am going to be a great stay at home father. Just hopefully I can get some other work as well to make up for it.

September will prove to be a busy month then, with Avery starting her new school, my 29th birthday, and several more trips back and forth to the hospital. These have to make for some of the most difficult days in our lives right now, but the Lord is faithful and will see us through. We can trust Him and we will trust Him regardless. He has a plan, and we know He will guide us every step of the way.

Psalm 63:6-11

When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Psalm 63:6-11

David lay awake in the middle of the night full of anxiety and thoughts overpowering his sleep. So many enemies trying to bait him and attack him, they all made for a large prayer request list. David had fought with lions and bears who would try attacking his sheep, but not even those could have prepared him for the wickedness of men around his own throne.

In those moments of darkness where the moon was shining into the mouth of whatever cave he was hiding, then He would find the Lord. Darkness has a way of causing our eyes to grow to adapt to whatever light they can find. Any source of light will help us slowly gain vision. In the darkest times we find out need for light overwhelms even the desire to eat.

Darkness will never overwhelm the light of the Lord God. His truth will always prevail and He will always be victorious in our circumstances. He is willing to break us, to send us through difficulty in order to reshape and remold us into the image He desires. David knew the Lord is righteous in all His work. Darkness may be necessary for us to see Him more clearly, and in the end His light is all we ever needed.

Grams and ounces

Nineteen days in the NICU and counting. It is already nineteen too many but we continue to push ahead realizing this is all but a temporary time. Our precious babies grow by the gram and ounce every day. In order to keep track of the proper conversions I downloaded an I-phone App so I know how many grams they have to the ounce and pound. We wait with anticipation every day to see how much they will gain.

Little Kenny likes to chew on his fingers when he is hungry, which is pretty much all the time he is awake. My sweet little boy… I cherish him so much. I always wondered what it would be like to have a son and what kind of things I would be able to do with him. Fishing, sports play, you name it. There are a lot of things me and Erin and Avery can do together, but father and sons have their own bond. I lean heavily on my relationship with my own dad as an example of what is ahead.

My dad has always been the greatest hero in my life. He is a great example to me on how not only to be a great father, but also to be a great husband. Little Kenneth’s middle name is Gregory, named after my dad. My only heartbreak is I live so far away from both my parents and it is going to be hard to not be closer when I need advice. Precious Erin is growing little by little as well. She may not be picking up quick as her brother, but she is getting there. She is a wild little child already, just like her big sister. Hard to believe she is almost three weeks old, but the time goes too fast at the same time. Every day we wait and wait hoping and trusting the Lord will take care of her and Kenneth. I know He will and does.Meanwhile the NICU is a pretty lonely place full of so many little babies in need of love and tender care. The nurses do a great job but it’s hard when there are not enough people out there to love the little ones. We are pretty much living at the hospital for now, as it is our home till our babies are out of there. Homes are not buildings of wood and concrete, but of hearts welded together with love.

Psalm 63:1-5

Our precious twins are now two weeks old, and it doesn't seem like that much time has passed already. Little Kenneth is still growing strong and probably has a couple more weeks before he will get home. Erin on the other hand is still not gaining on the food and the doctors are concerned. She was sick from the beginning even in the womb it seems. Please pray as we trust them to find the help she needs. My little girl is going to have a long struggle ahead. Thank you for those prayers.
-David
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A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. Psalm 63:1-5

David wandered in the wilderness for a great deal of time during his life, between running from King Saul and later from his own family. We hear the term wilderness so much we forget what kind of bareness such a place would be like. David was in the midst of the hot sands, rocks, surrounded by death and extreme conditions. David knew fully what it felt like to be thirsty in a dry land.

“My God,” is the difference between relationship and religion. David did not just have an abstract knowledge of the Most High, God was not just a theory or idea or hope. In the barren wilderness God was all David had to cling too. His God was His very source of strength in the greatest of troubles. We see many times throughout the Psalms, David struggled with his thoughts and feelings but always clung to the trust He has in His Savior.

Our soul will find satisfaction in nothing else other than the life giving truth of the Lord. Even when life is at its darkest hours, God is the light. He does not expect us to slap on a happy face and go our merry way with joy. He does expect us to confront Him with our darkest fears so He can be the one to take them away. Commit your praise and lips to the Lord, and He will be the water you seek in the wilderness of this life.

Our little twins

When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:6-8

If it were not for the Lord and the strength He gives; none of us would be able to stand. This world is just too cruel, to harsh, to wicked to maintain any form of life. Thanks be to the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can have a renewed strength every morning to continue and press ahead. After all there are so many wonderful blessings.

Here I am in the midst of my Word of Truth, strudying through Psalms. The messags coming out of these chapters are some of the most comforting and powerful. King David was a mighty man of God. But it was never the wars he won which made him a warrior. (Okay i know that sounds like something Yoda says in Star Wars but its still true.) Anyway the man David was a man after the heart of God. He was genuine in His affections for the Lord. He was honest and real. He has been my favorite Bible hero and of course my namesake. While we deal with the dark clouds overhead as we wait for our babies to come home, I can put my heart into these Scriptures and know Jesus is there with them.

Weeks it will be though we do not know how many. Erin was at 3'2 and Kenneth 4'7 last we checked. So we just have to pray they keep gaining and pushing ahead. Little Avery can't wait to help mother her little siblings. She is going to be so much help. Sure its scary thinking about what is ahead, but great is our excitment and weak is our patience. Still the Lord is good. He is watching over them and we will continue to trust in Him. Best is yet to come.

Baby story in Holly's words

Thank you everyone for the congrats we are over the moon with our little blessings, they are just wonderful sorry it took so long to post. It has been a whirlwind since Monday when the twinkies arrived. The last couple weeks have been hard... Ive had a lot of contractions and they have been trying to stop it so we could make it a little further.On Sunday night I started bleeding a little so I knew it was going to be soon, the contractions kept getting closer together. Monday morning I went straight to the doctor at 7am and I was dilated to 2 and 70% effaced but contractions were still 10 min apart and the doctor told me to go home and lay around and see how it progressed, and by 10:30 they were about 5 to 6 min, so I called and he told me to go to the hospital and when I got there I was a 4 to a 5 dilated but they wanted to wait on the c-section as long as possible well throughout the day I just kept having contractions about the same time apart. By 10:00pm the bleeding picked up and when the nurse went to check me again, well... my water broke during the exam and it was end game but I was a 6 dilated. She called the doctor and he came right over but we had to wait for the anesthesiologist (sp?) b/c he was already in another C-Section, by 11:20pm when he came in my contractions were about 30 seconds apart and I was dilated to a 10 and needed to push so bad while I was in the OR waiting, no drugs is not the way I wanted to go, lol. The doctor was quick about the C-Section and Kenneth- 4lbs 3oz was born at 11:33pm and Erin- 3lbs 4oz was born at 11:34pm on 08/09/10 The neonatologists were there and ready to assess the situation they quickly wrapped them up, held them up to me for literally 1 second and placed them in the incubator and ran them up to the NICU. Originally they were on the C-Pap for oxygen but then went to high flow nose canulas (sp?) but as of this morning they both are off oxygen completely and on room air!! Erin has been doing really good overall except her feedings have been struggling and she is at 3lbs 1oz right now and Kenneth has been having a lot of Bradycardias where his heart rate drops but today they have slowed down and he weights 4lbs 3oz today. I know we have a long way to go, original estimate time coming home is mid September so we just wait and see since I know we will have ups and downs along this bumpy NICU road. Trying to stay positive but its been hard this week.I just wanted to let everyone know how thankful I am for the prayers

Faith in the night seasons

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

When one must face difficultlies in life, and it seems like darkness is closing in, we are all to aware of our evergrowing dependence on God for strength. He is always our refuge, He is always our shelter. The Word is where we look for strength and hope in our time of need. Every day we gain more and more faith as we trust in Him.

Our precious babies continue to grow and strengthen daily, it seems hour by hour they change. Thursday the doctors decided rather too soon I feel, Holly was ready to go home. So now we begin the travel between the babies and our house which is not going to easy. We do not know how long they will be there, but we know they are getting what they need right now. Somehow the Lord knows what we need to, and for one thing it is to depend on Him with our greater need.
Kenneth is having a lot of heart issues where the rate drops suddenly then goes back up. His weight is hanging near the low 4 pound mark. Erin is eating a lot better now than in the beginning, she is a little fighter for sure. She likes to look around and keep up to date on what is going on. 3 pounds and 3 ounces last night was her weight.

Avery is being Avery as usual, much more wild these days. I have not figured out if is due to her being out of daycare or not. I hope she adjusts to being a stay at home child once the babies do get back home. We have known for a long time now the babies are going to need a lot of attention, our precious little ones.

It is hard on mommy and daddy to see them so small and in the NICU. We pray every day for their stength and growth and know this is just a season we must pass through. It may seem dark and cold, we will be weak and weary, but the Lord is good and will be with us to see us through to the next stage. So for now we press ahead each new day back and forth waiting for our precious babies to be well enough to come home.

Birth story

Psalms 22:10 I have been dependent on you since birth; from the time I came out of my mother's womb you have been my God

Monday August 9th Holly was driven to the hospital by her best friend Lindsey, as she was having a lot of contractions and pain. She arrived and got checked in for a long afternoon and evening of waiting and praying for our little ones. At lunch time i left work and rushed to the hospital to see my darling wife and look forward to the babies finally joining us.

A long afternoon into the evening went by. Plenty of visits from a few family and friends. Holly and the babies were approaching the time. Not evening a sign of the doctor. Patience. Finally they checked on her progress at 10pm and discovered she was ready, babies water had broken. Erin and Kenneth were ready to come into the world... only problem is we are doing a c-section... hang in there babies.

My mother in law and I got into our surgery gowns ready to go in with Holly and see the little ones come. What an amazing experience it was going into the busy surgery room, crowded with nurses and doctors for both babies, my little ones came into the world. First Kenneth at 11:33 coming in at 4'3. Erin second coming in at 11:34 and 3'4. Both tiny little babies. Cut the cords and ready for action. Babies went to the NICU for tender love and care. With all the rush we tried to get in and see them all at once as much as we could. Aunt Nicole, Aunt Beth, Pam, Holly's step brother Richard was even there visiting his own relatives on another floor. Crazy night. Erin and Kenneth have their own little room.

A very tired mommy and daddy went down to sleep in recovery. Precious Avery was with Aunt Lindsey and her kids so that was a blessing too. She did get to see them and wants so badly to hold them. None of us got too much sleep. Our little ones will be in the NICU for quite a while as they get stronger. Baby Erin Nicole needs to develop more on her eating, which is normal and expected. Baby Kenneth is doing well with his own food. So we can already see their little personalities as well. Most precious and adorable twins! To think their mommy and her twin Nicole were born at this hospital almost 29 years ago.

We do get to touch our little ones which is a blessing. Erin was the first one to poop so shes already competing with her brother. She is also waving her feet around in the air looking for his head to kick we assume...kind of cute. I awaite the progress as they grow stronger and look forward to them arriving into our arms. What a blessing the Lord God has given us in this time.

32 weeks; and Ten Years

Ten years Holly and I have been dating, if one can count the last seven being married. I do count marriage as dating because we should never stop going after the girl we love. We have come this far and it has been a wonderful experinece. Sure there are memories both good and bad but in the end the Lord has done so much to bless us.

Holly is at 32 weeks now. She spent a couple more days at the hospital this past week and I know the hour is soon when we will have these twins. Kind of feels like it should be anyway, they have spent enough time baking as they call the process. Don't know what will come but the Lord does and He is in control of all things. So we push on and look forward to what is ahead of us.

Week 31 and the melting summer heat

No suprise the pool water is about hot enough to cook an egg. In the midst of the summer heat and rising tempatures we enter the 31st week of pregnancy. The adventure has not been without its trials though as we did have a hospital stay this past week. At some point wednesday morning there was enough cramping and contractions to get us to the hospital to be checked. Stayed the night in Labor and Delivery watching the babies heart rates. Was pretty fun to hear the little ones moving around and all. Enjoyed the rooms bathtub though, the chair i slept in needed some help however.

Today is July 31st and the beginning of the 31st week of pregancy. At this point we are just counting each day as a blessing as every day is a day of growth for the little ones. They need to keep in mommy so they can build all the necessary body fat and strength to enter the world. God knows, and has His hand in their lives. He is in full control as crazy as it feels right now.

August will be here soon and its going to be a hot month to end the summer. I know how fast time goes, and soon enough the babies will be here. I just pray they do not come too early so they wont have to stay in the hospital too long. Praise the Lord for both little Erin and Kenneth. We are blessed and excited. A tad nervous too. Avery will be a load of help though with the little ones, she is going to make a great big sister. We are all home now and hopefully wont return to the hospital till we have to! We wait anxiously for the moment, but know there is much to do before they arrive.

Overwelming flow of life

Here we are at the beginning of 29 weeks now in the pregancy with our adorable little twins. Seems like they could really be here at any moment. The doctor said he hopes to have them by labor day, if they can stay in there for another few weeks! Seems like that will be here before we know it, then our entire lives will be turned upside down.

My dad and sister Diane drove here from California last Tuesday, and are staying till Wednesday. So its been a tremendous time spending with them, and enjoying some of my family from Cali. They are not too fond of the heat though, neither have i ever been but you do get used to it after a while. Along with them came several bags full of baby clothes my other sister Laurie was done with using for her twin boys. So the last couple days have been spent going through clothes both those and Avery's old ones. We have them divided up now by age groups and put aside ready to go.

Avery loves having her Aunt Diane here. It is her favoraite time of year when she gets to see Diane. She has a pool time buddy now too which is great, when the pool is cool anyway. Keeping it cool in the Oklahoma weather can be a challendge. Avery is ready for her baby brother and sister to be here, im sure she is impatient as every. She has shown a lot of good practice on her little cousin Emery though. She will be ready, its just important she knows mommy and daddy cannot do this without her. And she will need to be our little helper!

Always makes me a little homesick for California when i see family. Somewhere along the line i would like to move back closer to the west coast. But they are talking about moving up to Orgeon possibly after 5 years, so we might just wait. No sense in moving twice. Might give us some time to get the little ones grown a little more. Avery will be almost ten! Yikes. The Lord knows, He has us here for His reasons and we can trust Him. Praise be to the Lord who brings each new day of grace to us. Ever flowing with His love.

Fire Works!

Was a wonderful Fourth of July celebrationwe had this weekend. Seems like the whole time went too fast though. Of course we had way to many fireworks than we really need, but every bit of them was fun. Next year our little ones will be so small, they might not like them as much. Avery is at the age where keeping her away from the area while setting them off is hard enough. But thats what sparklers, snaps, and poppers are for.

We had a cook out and friends for Church over. All in all a great night of fireworks and fun. Now today is another day off, and its pretty much just a lazy day. Stil so much to do as we prepare for our little babies.

Hey those things come with diaper bags honey

Anyone who knows me is going to know I love my little niece Madison like crazy, and my newest little niece is also growing on me as well, her name is Emery. Madison is getting so much older so quick these days, but since she was born in 99' i have known her pretty much her entire life. Emery was just born last Feb so shes pretty fresh and also very much a infant still. Infants who come with diaper bags, most of the time.

Yesterday was the first time we have been asked to pick little Emey up a daycare, which of course we do not mind doing. We have picked Madison up many times when she was little, and Avery gets picked up by grandma aka mimi, so we were willing to go for it. Emery is the daugther of Elizabeth, Pam's youngest daugther, and Holly's sister. So Uncle Dave went to get the baby and they did not give a diaper bag to send home with her. Emery gave me a huge smile when she saw me, she just knows her Uncle David loves her. So when i got home of course Holly took a look at the baby and smiled, then at me and said, "hey honey where is the diaper bag. These things come with diaper bags?" Yeah well they didnt give me one so i had to head back. Hard to imagine i would forget such a thing. But you know what, i have a lot in store of me with twins coming. Much to prepare for ahead.

Fireworks were purchased last night for a fun display time this evening in our yard, providing it quicks raining soon. Otherwise we will still have some fun. I am looking foward mostly to my sister and dad coming out to visit.

We will need two of pretty much everything with twins. One diaper bag will do, but its going to be a good little backpack system to carry along on our outings. Otherwise two cribs which we just bought. And we still need several things to do along with them for the babies. Someone gave us a nice diaper bag as a gift so that was awesome.

27th week has begun

Happy Independence Day as it really should be, its not really the fourth after all. But since the whole thing was finailized on the 4th, we will celebrate on Sunday along with everyone else. This whole year has been kind of a hit and miss with the holiday's. Seeing as how Holly's pregancy began before Valentines day. She was barely out of the hospital for a day before Easter, and everthing else has been kind of slow. But that is the case with bed rest, you have to be careful and take it easy.

Now we are moving into the 27th week of pregancy with our little twin twinkies. Hard to believe its really July! Though with the heat outside i can believe it more, reminds me i need to go clean the pool. Holly and her twin sister were born at 27 weeks, i just hope these two do not follow into that pattern. We want healthy babies as everyone does. Though no matter what the Lord has His hand in their lives and is watching over all little babies always.

We had a ultrasound appointment today and disovered one is behind the other, and also has his little head a little down. So hopefully they hang in there for another month. Still just keeping the bed rest going. As it is for now, going to enjoy the weekend, maybe shoot off some fireworks, and have some good family time.

No question i believe in the goodness of the Lord in difficult times. Even saying it as 'difficult' does not always fit the mood. Everything happening with Jon and Jessica's little baby girl is only a strong reminder of our miracle giving God and how amazing He is! He is our healer, our helper, our counsel. The Holy Spirit has given them so much wisdom and strength through all of these things. It also reminds me of our dark days when our own little one was in the NICU. No parent should ever have to deal with such pain, and yet we all need to know the closeness of the Lord which comes from those experiences. I am so thankful little Rylee is in the hands of the Lord, and will be miracle baby through all.

We finished putting up both cribs last night for the twins. Now the nursey is even closer, but still has much work to be done before i begin posting pictures too much. This old computer is having issues with carrying over pics and memory as well. Hopefully all things come together soon, as we will have two little newborns here soon. There is yet another miracle ready to come. I wonder if people said the same thing when Jesus was heading into a town. Here comes a miracle! Waiting is hard, but knowing there is something great to wait for is awesome!

June will be finished up today and July begins. From one month to another. We have so much to do this next month. But right now its good to remember to breath, take each moment and enjoy everything God has to offer in the day. To often the small things are taken for granite. Watching the precious little life struggle is a reminder to keep all things sacred. God has given us the moment, and in this moment we must live.

Week 26 draws closer and I can tell both of us are eager as ever. Seems like it has been a lot longer than it really has. Funny how that works. The first

several weeks were the hardest of all. Than we moved into a short quiet time which was not so much quiet, but you know what bed rest feels like. Now its just a lot of babies making mommy ready. Both of the little ones like to move around in the womb when awake. Its one thing to see them kicking, and a whole other to feel them. Down right amazing. Avery likes to feel them too. They are her little babies as she says, she loves them and cannot wait to see them.

We took Avery to see Toy Story 3 last weekend, and it went pretty well. Except for the 3-d glasses not being all that exciting, the movie was very well done. Avery sat through the whole thing. We dont usually take her to movies as sitting through them can be difficult for her age. But she enjoyed.

It has been a hard, miserable week for my best friend Jon and his wife Jessica. Last week they had their second little girl. Her name is Rylee Ann. She has been in the NICU since birth with severe problems to her lungs and vitals. Much prayer is going to them now. Hard to see my friends going through this without being closer to lend all the hands i can. But I will pray and do so pray. I know little Rylee will pull through, the Lord will be with her. He is in control, just as He was with Avery when she was in the NICU too. I do pray the twins stay put till late Aug or even Sept to be safer for them. Just going to keep holding on to all the faith we have.

Standing in my living room are two large boxes. They stand as a token of realization of what is coming my way. Its not as if the last 25 weeks have not been enough of a wake up call. We picked out the kind of crib we wanted a few weeks ago. And now both crib boxes are standing in the middle of the room waiting to be assembled. Waiting for the little babies who are growing inside of mommy. We just have to hang in there a few more months and hope they will be here in the middle of August or around about. Still two cribs. Two babies! Yeah it just hit me when i saw double. This is going to be amazing and crazy.

In the midst of all the excitment and anxious preparations for the babies, there is news of concern from California. Not just concern but critical condition. Jon, my best friend, and his wife Jessica had their little one last week. Little Rylee Ann was rushed to Loma Linda NICU upon arrival as her tiny body is not responding to life outside the womb. She is still in critical condition. We are praying hard for her little life. Its so hard to see all of this happening to my best friend miles away. The Lord is faithful and the Lord is good, and I know He has His hands on their lives. Nothing can happen without His will or allowance. So i pray glory will come from this and she will recover quickly. I shall report more soon.

Father's Day is here once again! Does make me wish i could be in California spending some time with my dad. But I wont be too sad since i just saw him last weekend and am going to see him in three weeks along with Diane. It should be a good day, I have my lovely wife, my darling Avery, and of course the twins who are kicking up a storm. We look forward to another two months and they should be here in August.

Last monday we celebrated seven years of marriage. So many good memories as we look past the years. God has brought us through so much, and He will continue to bring us through even more. I am excited about the future ahead of us as we prepare for the twins arrival. So amazing just thinking of having more little ones here. Avery will make for a busy big sister. Not sure I am ready for sibling choas just yet.

My high school reunion last week went great, it was a treat to see some old friends and teachers. Ten years doesn't seem like it went by, but truly it has. Now we look to the next ten and onward to see what will be. God knows, and He is good. He has the plans for me all together perfect. He knows what area of ministry i should have and what i will be doing. All my prayers answered and unanswered are filtered through His hands. I have to do what is best for my family first, as they are my first ministry.

As head of the house hold my first duties are to keeping the Word of God moving through my family. I do need to do a better job with this and will be working on it. When the babies get here its going to be very busy around here, I will have my hands full. But I am very much looking forward to all.

So far only two things are missing from my trip to California, those would be my lovely wife and daugther. Of course i should add the little twins in there as well, but they go where Holly goes at this point. Being 24 weeks along she just could not fly. As for Avery plane fare is too much to be able to come just for this short while. When we do come next its going to be all of us.

California is just like i remember, the air crisp and the traffic crazy. Do so enjoy the In-N-Out though among other things. Its good to be here, happy but sad since my girls are not with me to enjoy. I did enjoy meeting my nephews though. Nathan and Caleb, twins born to my sister Laurie last January. They are adorable and getting lots of pictures from their Uncle David. They are loaning their strollers, car seats, and a suitcase full of clothes to our twins. So thankful for my sister giving those to us. Going to make it so much easier.

We are still working on preparing for baby arrival and feels like there is still so much to get done. I have barely had time to work on much though. I need to get things cleared out and make room and ready for new babies. Not going to worry about it right this moment though. I am in CA, i am enjoying my parents house and sisters.

My 10 year high school reunion is today! Really hard to believe it has been this long already. I have been working on scanning some old pictures, looking through. Reminding myself with each memory how the Lord was holding me through and keeping me in waiting for my future bride. SO glad I waited like I did for her. There were plenty of girls i had crushes on here and there throughout the years, but the Lord knew better after all. He prepared me for my Holly, I love my girl of 7 years marriage now. Its actually been 10 years this August when i asked her out to date.

Meanwhile it is quite early, though about the normal time for me to wake up anyway. Going to need to see if i can either get back to sleep or busy myself with some study time. Will enjoy the rest of my trip and be ready to see my girls tommrow!

It is truly an uphill battle trying to get a toddler to sleep in her own room. Some days i am firm and clear, she needs to try going to bed in there. Other days i think, i am only going to have this baby girl so long before she doesnt want to have anything to do with me! Well i hope she always wants to have something to do with me. I know when the twins arrive its going to be crazy around here. Hard to believe its really been almost four years since we had Avery.

Glee has ended for the season, a final song to lead out the enjoyable year of programs around here. Now its summer time and we have room to enjoy the heat, the pool, and hopefully two months left of pregancy. Those babies just need to stay put for a while longer. Right now they are about 1 pound and 3 ounces a piece which is the normal range for just one baby in the womb, so they are above the twins ratio. Baby Kenny likes to sleep and suck his thumbr, while Erin kicks her brother in the head and smiles. Ah children.

As the summer months are now in full swing, I already wish it were fall. Though fall means diapers... going to happen soon enough. Trusting the Lord for all things.
"Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things." (Ecclesiastes 11:5) Going to hang onto that truth with all the Lord has ahead. In Him we have strength and hope.

Summer has hit with a vengance, does anyone remember spring? I really do not know if there even was a spring time this year, I only know we have been hibernating for the last several months while the twins grow slowly and safetly in Holly. They are 23 weeks along now, seems like its gone fast but really still feels slow. We just hope for two more months of growth before they get here. Which is all the more reason to get up and start getting things done around here.

Our Masterbedroom has moved into our guest room, and we are making the master the new nursey. It makes more sense in location in the house and size for two cribs and all. Walls are painted but not much else is done yet, we just have so much still needing to get in prepartion for the babies.

Avery is excited about her baby brother and sister and cannot wait to hold them and feed them and um change them.... not sure on the last one. But she talks to Erin and Kenny all the time and gives them kisses. She is also ready to teach them how to swim, which she is still working on herself. We have the above ground pool up now so we can enjoy some water fun this summer. Good distraction away from the TLC programs. But aside from Cake Boss, Ice Road Truckers, and Say yes to the dress, is there anything else on in the summer. Cant wait for NCIS and Glee to return this fall!

Bed rest and staying at home all the time is rather boring...but we know the babies need mommy to rest and take care of them. My sis Diane and dad will be coming out in July sometime to visit so that will be great. Once the twins get here we will really have our hands full, still don't have a handle on what we will be doing with the little ones, but the Lord will provide. So as mid June approaches and our seven year anniversary, i just look forward to all the Lord is doing and going to do.

Avery got her tonsils taken out and some new ear tubes put in - last Tuesday. So she is recovering rather well from that experience. Good to get it done while she is young, we know they were a problem. I took the last two days off to help take care of her as well. Its hard when i am away, she misses me terribly. Have no idea how she will manage while I am in CA in June for my high school reunion. Hard to believe it has been 10 years since I graduated...

Another thing we managed to accomplish is the buying of some new used cars. I went out to Stillwater to get the Honda for Holly to drive. We bought a Toyota minivan last month which will be my new car to drive around. We needed a bigger car for the babies, one with more room to carry all of their stuff too. The Honda is a work car for Holly to commute with.... its a good car too. The Lord blessed us with both of these and we will use them to honor Him.

20 weeks pregant now. The twins are moving around when they choose. Avery got to feel Erin kicking which was pretty cool. She loves to talk to them and kiss them all the time. Its funny to hear her little voice. She tells them to behave and not hit each other and tickles the tummy. Too sweet. Carry on and carry on, just a few more months to go. We are excited to see them.

Family. It is a statement above my television set in the living room. Its a truth and reminder of the most important thing in my life. I live and love those who I call my family. And every moment of my life I continue to work toward making this world a better place for them all. Sometimes its difficult though, because the world is not an easy place to be. Sometimes things try to get in the way and do not go as planned. Things get turned upside down and go backwards and take side roads you never expected. Life is after all a very busy place.

So it is the middle of May, mothers day to be exact. Avery commented we do not have any decorations for Mothers day. I was not aware we needed any... but i guess we do. We are still anxious and trying to get things ready for the twins. Pretty much everything has yet to be done. Kind of hope things will just happen on their own, but if we do not act soon we wont have much time really. We did register today so that is a start. Now just got to clear out the room and make some space for the coming children. Hope Avery is ready for it all.

Avery loves watching her movies before she goes to sleep. Though sometimes its harder for her to sleep with them on, so i tell her she cant watch them on nights before she goes to school. Does not always work that way. Hopefully getting her tonsils out this week will help her sleep better. Hopefully i can sleep better too once this class is over and i am not worried about it so much. Not that school is not important, but it really does cause stress. And i am already getting behind on more important things. Family is my goal. Taking care of Holly and the kids is my main priority. So we continue on into the week ahead. Hopefully we can find a good deal on a new or used Honda for Holly to drive around.

I want to be all in. All into the Christian walk. Making things happen. I do not want to be a bench warmer. Maybe that is my biggest problem. Darn sports analogy. But still. Must keep on pressing forward. At work. In life. With the babies. I know we do not have a lot of room here, and i really do wish we had more, but we have to do what it takes to move ahead.

Home from the mountian top experience! And when i say experience i mean it really was. Wish i had taken my camera. The mountians of New Mexico are amazing, the whole conference, Men of Iron, was solid. So many men there giving themselves over to Jesus with all of their heart and soul. It was a great place to renew so many things we let off on the curb of our lives. I reflected a lot in my journal during the trip, since i did not have my home computer. It was amazing though. Been ten years since I graduated High school and took that commission to head off to Bible school and make something of my life for God. Ten years. So much has happened in ten years. Took the first few getting ready for marriage, then our first baby, and now we are in the waiting period for our little twins! This pregancy has been a lot harder then the first, we are all anxious as to what is ahead.

I sit at school right now breifly noting my blog as a quick update. Once again I am going to be taking a break from school as with the twins coming and everything else going on, it seems I am going to need to have all the free time I can get with my children. Not a bad reason. On the other side I also need to dedicate myself more to ministry... something i should have been doing more of for the last 10 years. No excuses, plenty others have been able. So now I push ahead and seek whatever the Lord has. I do know this, He has it all together and is ready.

I do not want to look at the past two years of school as a waste of time and money, its been good knowledge and will still look good on a resume someday. Perhaps i will return too, we will see. But i know my heart is in ministry, is in the Bible, is where i want to be. I want to be more involved in the Church.... so when i look down the road in ten years from now, i can smile even more to see what the Lord has done. I already do when i look back from here. He has done so much!

So now its into the summer time we go. Preparing for the next three months to pass so our twins will get here! Just want them healthy and ready. Looking for a new or used car for Holly to drive to work. Enjoying our new mini-van. Taking a lot in at a time. Trusting and waiting as we always are as parents . Looking forward to seeing what He wants us to do now.

Going on 17 weeks pregnant now, heading toward 18. Our lives are surrounded by all the various books on having babies, National Geographic shows on having twins, and advice left and right. Seems like we should already know most of this stuff, but looks like its been a long time in the last four years to forget. Babies are a lot of fun and a whole lot of work. For now mostly we are concentrating on eating as much as we can. And i do say we. I have lost of lot of weight from the first few months of this pregnancy. Its hard to eat when you are worried about your wife's health and the babies. Now we are in middle looking toward hopefully a healthy August delivery.

Avery is pretty wild as most three year olds are. She goes from being helpful to cranky too quickly. She does enjoy listening to the heartbeats of Erin and Kenny through the baby dopplar. Recently i have discovered more and more baby stuff is appearing from nowhere. Example is this tiny elehpant toy which liks to sing and talk. Not sure where he came from, but Avery used to have him in her crib when she was tiny. She would just sit there and roll the little ball which made it sing.

Not sure what the status of school is curently. Apprently my parents are unable to help me for this time. So maybe its God's way of saying its time for me to focus on something else. It has been for a while. I complain a lot about not having a door of opportunity into ministry. Well He has given me one. It is at Hope Chapel Foursquare. We have not attended there since Avery was born, or at least a few months after. The Pastor and I are good friends though and they need help with the Childrens ministry department. To deny myself helping, i would be denying God's calling me to it and would be a hyprocrite since its something i have asked Him for. So lets see how this goes.

At least this week will be short. After three days of work I am heading to a Men's retreat. A much needed gathering in New Mexico, to get away from the real life and enjoy some life. More on that later. I am being called to the bathroom where my darling Avery is needing some help.
Later...

Ultrasound is an awesome technology! I simply cannot get enough of enjoying my little ones on the screen, watching them move around and wave little hands. The doctor says we have a girl and boy, he is 90% sure on the boy. Either way they are heathly little ones. Each day moves closer and I continue to think about them and look forward to them getting here.

We have our hands full even now with Miss Avery. I took her out of daycare for now and family is taking turns watching her. Its a blessing to have some help. Holly will be on bed rest for a while. All of this is simply new stuff to deal with one moment at a time. The Word keeps me busy, and the Word gives me life in the midst of stress.

Easter weekend went really well, was a beautiful day for the party too. Our house played the role of host, and our newly fenced yard and deck were a good place for everyone. Avery loves the egg hunt, though its not so much a hunt as it is a clean up job really. Its not like the eggs get up and move around on their own. Hol got to come home Thursday evening too so thats even better, having my whole family home is what matters to me.

I look forward to the weeks ahead as we watch our little babies grow, or at least imagine how they are growing. Still hard to believe, but the closer it gets the more exciting. We know the Lord will provide for us as He has shown Himself faithful before. He will continue to be faithful. These are just times of testing.

Seems like Facebook and other things are our main source of expression these days. But i do need to find my neglected journal and update in there as well. I wont always have the computer logs to keep up with. It is nice to have things here, but still there is much to be said for private prayer life as well. As i read the Psalms there has been many topics as well as the one of trusting the Lord, and giving everything to Him. Its an attitude really as need to focus more and more on the One who is in control.

Taking Avery out of daycare feels like the right thing to do, at least for now. Not only will it help the burden but gives Avery a chance for more one on one attention too. Though she does miss playing with other little kids most of the week. We will have to see what we can do. Once the twins get here things are going to change a lot anyway. Daddy will be her daycare, and she will need to help me all she can to take care of our new little ones.

ITT is a good school, just wish it didnt cost so much. For that matter wish the economy was not so rough right now all around. I am thankful for my parents help in it, but sometimes I wonder why I am in this school and in this direction. I do love computers, and I like helping people, so maybe it does have a good purpose. Just hope when the time comes there is a job for me in the IT world. But we shouldnt worry.

Press forward and plan, but in the end give it all to the Lord. he has the ultimate end in mind, He knows what is to come. Praise Him and thank Him for everything. Most of all give our will and control over. I dont know how long the bed rest is going to be, I do not know when the little ones will be here, but i trust the Lord has all these things in control.

Another day, another night, and another several. Still in the midst of hospital recovery and dealing with this sickness. Still our beautiful babies are thriving and growing. We are almost into our 13th week now so hopefully as we get closer Hol will get to feeling better. I for one and ready to get my princess back home, even of its on bed rest at home. This has been a difficult journey. The Lord has kept us in the Psalms and kept us through the darkness.

Avery is going to spend her last days at daycare a little early. I decided to take her out at the end of the week and have family watch her for the remainder of the pregnacy. This is a hard decision to make and I hope its the right one. I know family will take good care of her and she will still be learning a lot. With living on only my income and part of the short term disability we will make it the Lord always provides. He will walk us through all of this as He has in the past.

Adventures is a good title for this blog because they are going to get even more exciting once the twins get here. The baby girl has a name picked out, we still have not made a final boy name just yet. Still have our options and ideas for the name. We have so much to get done. Both cars to sell. A new mini van we are praying for and a new civic for Holly to drive to work. So yet there is plenty to do. All of this in in the hands of the Lord. We must trust Him and commit every moment to His hand.

As we push forward we will trust the Lord to provide. When the twins get here we will have our hands even more full. I do not know how, but the Lord will help us. I look forward to it. For now though I just pray for Holly to get better so we can get back to our home and press ahead.