"Spiritual" President?

If I were elected President (which I have no desire to be), there is only one thing that I KNOW for fact would be true. I would be on my knees before the Lord seeking His direction. I would pray over every decision. After being elected, I could not imagine skipping church to workout at the gym. Well...that is the case with our President-elect. What can we do about it??? Some might say nothing...but we MUST pray daily for the leadership of our country. You can read the article here... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15902.html

Surprise!!

My wife and I had hoped to getaway for the Fall Break weekend and go somewhere. That didn't quite workout, so we decided to take Addy to the OU Homecoming Parade. It is Addy's weekend with her dad, but he needed to pickup a birthday present. We picked her up for the parade and had a blast! The theme was "Once Upon A Time In SoonerLand" and so many floats had famous children movie themese. That worked out perfect this year for the kids. Addy got to see Polar Express, The Grinch, Alice In Wonderland, and her favorite Wizard of Oz....not to mention many others.

After the parade was over, Addy's dad picked her up near by. Liz wanted to hang out before the game, so of course I was fine with that. The kickoff was at 2:30pm, so I HAD to be home before then. It was about 1:45pm and I told her that we HAD to get going. She was "looking" for her uncle Charlie in hopes that he would go inside and get her one of those frozen lemonades that Liz loves so much.

We couldn't find him, so we started walking away from the stadium. Liz thought we might see him on the way away. Finally, Liz stopped me and let me know that she had tickets for the game. I was definitely excited...but let her know that she can't do that to me when it comes to OU football. haha! She knows how much I love OU and did something so awesome for me. It is stuff she does like that to let me know how much she loves me! We have now been to 3 out of 4 home games this season...sweet!!

What Is Up My Brethren and Sisters!?!?

Yeah...I'm horrible. I have intentions of posting everyday, the next thing you know it has been a month or two. Things are going good. We are scaring our foreign exchange student to death...she must think Americans are crazy by now! Yeah...we are cool!

Yes, welcome to the Shipley household. Hey...at least we have fun!

Home Sweet Home!

Life has been a bit crazy here. It is weird that we are having to adjust back to life together in the house. Unfortunately, Liz has had to do it all over the summer and live as a single parent...and forunately, I have been cleaned up after by staying in the hotel (gotta love housekeeping). After 12 straight weeks out of town (home on weekends), I have been in the office this week...which means I am home every night.

Another thing, I have been sleeping in a king-size bed all to myself....I am also having to adjust my sleep patterns as I am back to sharing a full-size bed with my wife. Trust me when I say that I am not complaining, though. I love snuggling up with my wife, and I enjoy being home with the family.

It has just been one crazy summer full of big jobs. It looks like things are starting to slow back down to normal.

Christians Today...

I was just thinking about talking/witnessing/just living as Christ would. I have realized that I am not doing my job. Never did I think I was perfect or even really good at it...I have just realized that even my neighbor needs Christ.

Every time I pull up to the house....every time I leave the house, he is always sitting outside in his chair having a beer. He is eager to chat, and I am eager to get inside to the air conditioning. He is eager to help anyone with anything (yard work, cars, repairs, etc)...again, I am eager to get inside to the air conditioning.

No wonder people don't realize they are lacking a Savior...they know I go to church, they know I am a believer, etc...but they see me running inside, instead of serving others and sharing the love of Jesus!

Hopefully, this will serve as a reminder to all of us. We need to do something nice for others, and share the love of Jesus while serving.

Strong and Faithful Marriage???

What is marriage? Everyone used to know. Collier's Encyclopedia 1969 says, "Marriage is a socially recognized and approved union between two individuals of the opposite sex...Over 90% of people in the United States enter marriage, and the great majority of marriages are broken only by death." Compare that to what we hear and see in the world around us. That doesn't mirror the way it was "in the old days".

The false messages which are accepted in American culture make it difficult for Christians to have good marriages. Paul warned Christians 2000 years ago to resist being pushed into the world's mold. We are under great pressure, and we must resist. Our culture scoffs at the idea of living by the Bible, an out-of-date, old-fashioned book of legends and myths. We are new, modern, educated...we can figure out for ourselves what marriage is, and what we want it to be.

But we believe in the Bible. We accept the Bible's authority about right and wrong. Marriage is from God. We didn't invent it.

Tonight, while being in the hotel out of town, the Lord just placed a comforting feeling in this area. I'm so glad that my marriage isn't "of the world". I'm so glad that I don't have to worry what my wife is doing while I'm away...and that she doesn't have to worry about what I'm doing on the road. I love the Lord, I love my wife, I love our marriage and relationship...and I know she feels the same towards me. I thank God everyday for blessing me with the perfect wife...she is my best friend and knows me better than anyone. Just like 1969...we are "old fashioned" in our marriage (and everything else in raising a family/living), and we want others to see God through us.

Note: Let me clarify one thing. I do believe there are circumstances that allow for divorce...and I'm not saying if you are divorced that you are not living by the Bible. This post is about faithfulness...not about abusive (physical, emotional, mental) situations.

Happy Fathers Day!

It was quite the weekend. We took my parents and my niece to Incredible Pizza Saturday afternoon. She had never been, and we knew we didn't have much time left before she went back to Arizona. We had a pretty good time! Plus, it is always nice getting to take some agression out on my wife in bumper cars (or boxing on the Wii). I can't get in trouble for "playing" the game...right!?!? haha!

After that, we went out to my parents house to play....tada, the Wii. We didn't box...but we all played some bowling and tennis. They also bought this Wii Fit thing this past week. Let me tell ya...it is real encouraging when you step on the "board" and the game makes this "oooooooohhh" sound. Yes, I know I am fat...thanks for pointing that out. haha!

Today, we had a cookout with my parents, aunt, and Liz's mom. We really hadn't decided what we were going to do until about 2pm. All in all, it was a pretty good weekend. Now the fun part of going back to work for the man. Here is a little Fathers Day video to leave you with...

It Is Official...

We just wanted to let you know that it's all official. We are excited to plan for our foreign exchange student's arrival on August 9.

Cherry (Szu-Han) is a 15 year old girl from Taiwan. She will be with us for her sophomore year of high school and return to her country when her VISA expires next June.

We're so excited about the powerful opportunity God has given us to show this girl His love and hopefully spread His word to countless others we will never meet. It is going to be so awesome to share differing cultures in the same house, while they get to experience America. Please pray for everyone involved. I know it must be very difficult leaving everything you've ever known (family, friends, sites, smells, etc) to go live a year with complete strangers in a foreign land. Also, please pray for us as we accept her as part of the family and try to share our faith, culture, and customs with her.

Updates...

It has been a long couple weeks. I was in Ponca City for 9 straight days of driving back and forth. I was leaving the house by 6:30am (6:00am if I went by the office first), picking up 3 guys, and arriving there by 8:45am everyday. We would leave there at 3:30pm, drop off the 3 guys, and get home at 5:45pm. At least I was home every night...though, that was a chore for awhile because we were in the middle of major house cleaning.

My parents got a Wii, so we were over there playing for about 5 hours last night. I love it!!!! We have got to get one!

We have finished our Adoption classes at the end of May and awaiting our homestudy. After the homestudy, they will begin the matching process which could be 2 months or maybe a year. We are awaiting our fingerprints/background check through OSBI before they will do the homestudy. We are caught in between two processes and waiting.

Another development has taken place. We decided to open our home to a foreign exchange student for next school year. We had received an email from friends stating if they didn't find families to host, they wouldn't be allowed to come to the USA (it included profiles and essays from different students). It is all but official at the moment. We had our interview on Saturday, and they were calling our references over the weekend. Our background check passed, Norman HS gave a verbal approval (awaiting the official in-writing approval), and it looks like we will be hosting a 15 year old from Taiwan. Exciting!! I can't wait to learn about their culture, while giving her a chance to experience America.

Random Thoughts...


Well, it is that time of year again. Kids are on summer break, schools closed, etc. That means that my job slows down, right? HA! This is the busiest time of year for me. Last week I drove back and forth to Ponca City everyday, and I will be doing the same again this week. Looks like an awesome mileage check coming my way!!!

I have so many jobs lined up this summer, including a $3 million job in Muskogee. I joked with my wife, saying see ya on the weekends. Truth is, I never know what is going to pop up and totally ruin whatever was "planned" for the day. Oh and I can't forget to tell the best part of working in schools during the summer....no air conditioning!!!

A thought of mine. Is it just me or does anybody else wonder how in the world they are going to make it through summer!?!? It is so stinkin' hot already! Last year, it rained so much in June...hopefully that starts, which would keep temperatures down.

We went over to another family's (from church) house on Friday night. Besides being in total awe of their house, I got to play the Wii. I have been wanting one, but after playing it...I REALLy would like one. After telling my dad about it, come to find out he has one on order. Yes!! I guess we will be spending some time during the weekends at their place to play.

For this month, my wife is hosting a women's bible study at our house on Wednesday nights. We have been "trying" to get the house totally clean. It seems we work most of the day, then look around and the house is messier. I don't think it is supposed to work that way. You should see progress...right?

The problem is that we have never been organized, so things don't really have a place. We just hide our "items with no home" in places people can't see. This women's bible study breaks into small groups and will use every room in the house. Uh Oh!! That means cleaning with with a capital C. We have our "to do" lists all planned for the next couple nights, so hopefully everything gets done.

Co-Workers...

Next time, you might want to think twice about picking on your co-worker. Watch this video to see what happens when a guy is throwing paper clips at a fellow employee...

Homeschool Day!

Last night we went to Frontier City for homeschool day. It was so awesome! This was our second year going to the event. The park is still closed to the general public and only open this day to homeschooling families. We love going on this day because you can literally walk up to ANY ride and basically get on.

This year we have been in touch with more homeschooling families through our church and "Educating For Life", a homeschooling group in Edmond, OK. We thought we would definitely see several families we knew...or at least recognized. We only came across one family that we knew...though it was good to meet Erin's husband, Jon, who just returned home from Iraq and their two boys.

Anyway, we had a blast and we look forward to going next year!

How To Fix The Internet!

Okay...I am not a fan of South Park at all, but this was pretty funny! They were playing it at work today. Here is the synopsis...basically, internet went down worldwide. Because of that, millions of people decided to travel toward California because they just knew there would be internet there. News stations reported that there was not any news because the internet was down. Life was chaos! Well...I will let you see the rest for yourself. There are a couple parts for you, with the 2nd one actually how worldwide internet was fixed. Enjoy!






via videosift.com

Love Your Wives...

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Ephesians 5:25

My wife posted about "Honor Your Father", which really got me thinking about how we should be toward our wives. I know I have plenty to work on as far as being a better husband, father, and leader. The least I can do is respect, honor, and love her...recognize and appreciate all she does!

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers." I Peter 3:7

For those of us who are husbands and fathers, we are to bestow “double honor” to our wives — first as wives, then as mothers. God has given us an awesome responsibility as the head of our household and part of that responsibility includes the way we are to treat our wives. God makes it clear to us as husbands our wives are to be cared for and treated with honor and understanding. They are equal heirs with us in God’s sight and worthy of honor. As God’s appointed leader of the household, we are to give our wives equal honor for they are just as important to God as we are. This is so important that we are warned that our prayers may be hindered if we do not offer our wives the honor they deserve.

One of the ways we can honor our wives is to praise them both publically and privately and be thankful for them. Proverbs 31:28 speaks of the godly man who blesses his wife and expresses his praise and thankfulness to her verbally and by his actions. A good, godly wife is extremely valuable and she generates trust in her husband’s heart by her dedication, hard work, fear of the Lord, and commitment to her husband and her family. In return, she is worthy of praise and honor.

When was the last time you made a special effort to praise your wife and recognize what she does for you and your household? Do you make a special effort to give her “double honor”? If you don’t, then maybe that is why God isn’t responding to your prayers. Give her the praise she deserves. The result will bless you in return and bring happiness to your home.

My wife is simply awesome! Everyday I come home, I don't know how she does it. Running an in-home daycare, homeschooling our daughter, taking care of paperwork/phone calls for daycare and personal stuff, cleaning house, and preparing meals...my fingers are tired just from typing all that. I recognize all that she does, and I appreciate it even more!

Company Man...The Story

After posting the picture on the post below, my wife requested sharing the story behind it. I definitely don't want to come across as a goof. ;-) A couple weeks ago a couple of us had badges because we were going into a "sensitive" account. About a week later, they decide to make it required that all employees have badges made and always wear them. The lady that made our's was also making the new one's for everyone. At our annual company meeting, they took everyone's picture...but she didn't need mine or the other co-worker that had badges. She also said if there were any changes, she had our picture saved.

About a week later, they started passing out the new badges to everyone...they were a little different than our's. There was not a new one for us with the changes. The next morning (yesterday), we were sent an email saying they needed for the two of us to take pictures of ourselves and email them to her. We took each others picture, and we photoshopped ourselves into a Batman costume that we found online. The picture below was the one of me...obviously, we replaced the batman logo with our company logo. It was a laugh!

We got our new badges right before we left for the day. The lady making the badges decided to get back at us. On the back of our badges, we have "additional information" of the company and the picture of the "company man" is the background behind the words. Funny!

I'm Company Man...

There is just something that happens when I step foot in the elevator at work...I can't explain it.

Test Day!

Please pray for me. I have a Microsoft test today at 12:30pm...just right after lunch. It is the first in line toward becoming a MCSE, a Microsoft Engineer. After I pass this first test, I will be a MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional). I have been cramming all morning, and I feel like I am prepared. I will post a follow up after the 3 hour test to let you all know how I did. Thanks for the prayers!

The Traveling Man...

This is day number two on the road. I have been camped out in Eufaula, OK for two nights while working in Quinton, OK. Let me set this straight...I have driven by the lake numerous times on my commute back and forth...I am so jealous of the people actually enjoying the lake. Pretty much all I have had some time for (other than work and dining, which I'll get to) is some studying done in the hotel...I have a Microsoft test on Monday afternoon (please pray for me!).

One of the benefits of being out of town for business...is (all together) food! Oh wait...maybe that is a something I enjoy and not all of you. The company gives us expense money to eat on, and I enjoy eating. haha! I hate being in new places and eating at food places we have back home. That is something my wife and I have in common...so I know she understands. I want to experience the town/area that I am in...I want to eat what I can only have there.

Tuesday night we drove all the way down to Krebs, OK (near McAlester), which is about 25-30 minutes from Eufaula. Apparently, some Italian immigrants settled there and are quite a few Italian restaurants there. One of them was Pete's Place, which is where we ate and is pretty "well known". If you are ever in that area, you'll have to give it a try. They have been there since 1925. It is like all you can eat Italian cuisine, and you are nestled in your own private dining area in this house (which is huge), and they keep the food coming. Basically, each room in this house is a private dining space...then within your area you can listen to music (or mute it like we did) and you can dim the lights to set the mood (unfortunately, my wife was home and I dined with 3 co-workers instead). If you are into the drinking thing, they have Choc Beer. If you are a non-drinking expert like myself...I had to ask what that meant. It is their home brewed beer, which you can read all about their history on their website (see link above). The food was really good, and I would like to take my wife on a weekend getaway sometime and stop by to eat there with her so she can experience it.

There is also this little diner in downtown Eufaula called J.M.'s, I think. They have an awesome breakfast and just really good food there, too. We had breakfast and dinner there today (Wednesday).

I am just ready to be back home in my own bed. It was nice to have study time, but there is nothing like being home with the family and sleeping in MY bed. Plus, I think I'm allergic to the laundry detergent they wash their sheets in...my legs, feet, and back are real itchy. I will be home tomorrow, so that is definitely a positive. Anybody else ready for the weekend? It seems like it has been a long week.

Easter Weekend!

We had a mini-vacation for Easter. Some friends of mine asked me to come up to Owasso and play drums on Sunday. My good friend Doug Gregg (you can read his blog from the links to the right), his family, and a launch team (which also consists of several old friends and my old band pals) started a church up in Owasso, OK. This city has soared in numbers over the last few years. The statistics show like 70% of the city is unchurched...which is crazy numbers. Please pray for LifePoint and the city.

We (Liz, Addy, and myself) decided to go up Saturday after a wedding (Liz's cousin) in Choctaw Saturday afternoon. We decided to stay in a hotel for the night, despite numerous offers to be guests for the night. We got to swim at the hotel (indoor pool and hot tub) and just hang out some before band practice. We went by Doug's house, which is next door to where we practiced. We had a blast, and I had some serious nerves going. I was so nervous!!

I had not played the drums (minus some Rock Band on the 360) in 2 years. We got very little practice in before going live...maybe 30 minutes to a hour. It went very smoothly and Liz said everything sounded awesome! Maybe she is trying to make me feel good...but I know she tells me like it is. haha! Afterwards, we all went out to eat. It was a good weekend and lots of fun. I almost left out the 2 hours of setting up the church and 2 hours of tearing down...they meet in the 6th Grade Center there in Owasso. That was fun! They have a desire and passion to make it happen, and I know the Lord will bless that church! If you are ever in that area, please check them out!!!

All About Me...


Name: Michael S.
Birthday: July 29, 1980
Birthplace: Midwest City, OK
Current Location: Norman, OK
Eye Color: blue-green
Hair Color: dark brown...though it is trimmed all off.
Height: 5'10"
Right Handed or Left Handed: Right
Your Heritage: My dad calls it "Heinz 57" because there is a big mixture...I know there is some Cherokee Indian on my dad's side.
The Shoes You Wore Today: Black flip-flops
Your Weakness: Being a people pleaser (it is a strength, too), but I have a difficult time making some decisions because I try to please others.
Your Fears: Something happening to my family.
Your Perfect Pizza: Pepperoni or Cheese...I'm very simple.
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: Just getting closer to paying off debt.
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: I don't use IM, except with the wife while out of town.
Thoughts First Waking Up: "How much longer can I sleep and still make it to work on time?"
Your Best Physical Feature: haha! I can't tell after all the weight I've put on in 2 years.
Your Bedtime: Whenever my wife lets me go to sleep...she is a night owl and likes me to stay up with her.
Your Most Missed Memory: Late night video games with friends.
Pepsi or Coke: I don't like Pepsi at all...but I am really getting tired of soda. I love sweet iced tea.
McDonalds or Burger King: I like them both.
Single or Group Dates: I enjoy both. My wife and I like our alone time, plus hanging out with other couples.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Lipton
Chocolate or Vanilla: I like twist...can someone please tell me why McDonalds quit having that?
Cappuccino or Coffee: I don't like either...gross! I'm too young to drink.
Do you Smoke: No way!
Do you Swear: No...I use my brain and can think of better words.
Do you Sing: Yes...everyday in the car.
Do you want to go to College: I made it only one semester, and I wish I would have finished.
Do you belive in yourself: Yes, I do.
Do you get Motion Sickness: Yes, very much so.
Do you think you are Attractive: Oh yes...I'm so fine!
Are you a Health Freak: Not as much as I need to.
Do you get along with your Parents: Very much so...I don't know where I'd be without them.
Do you like Thunderstorms: Not so much...that means children come wake us up scared.
Do you play an Instrument: I play the drums...I was in a praise band for 4 years.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: Nope.
In the past month have you Smoked: Nope...nasty.
In the past month have you been on Drugs: Nope.
In the past month have you gone on a Date: Yes...with my wife.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: Just to run inside for some Chick-Fil-A
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: Nope...not to say I couldn't.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: Nope.
In the past month have you been on Stage: I don't think so...it has been awhile.
In the past month have you been Dumped: Nope...don't have to worry about that. My wife is stuck.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: Nope.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: Nope.
Ever been Drunk: Nope.
Ever been called a Tease: Nope.
Ever been Beaten up: Nope...I was on the winning side growing up.
Ever Shoplifted: Yes...as a 6 year old, I took a package of Twinkies. When we got to the car, my mom spotted it and made me take it back inside to tell them. Never done it since!
How do you want to Die: Hopefully, in my sleep...though that is a scary thought to go to bed and not wake up.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: I would love to do something involved with sports...like sports talk radio. I wish I would have went to broadcasting school and worked for the Sports Animal.
What country would you most like to Visit: I want to go see Italy, and I would love to go see Jerusalem and walk where Jesus did.
Short or Long Hair: I think shorter hair with style always looks the best.
Best Clothing Style: Whatever looks good
Number of CDs I own: I'm not sure...I just use iTunes with my iPod now.
Number of Piercings: None.
Number of Tattoos: None.
Number of things in my Past I Regret: None...everything that happens in your life makes you what you are today.

What's The Plan? Pt 2

I apologize for the 2 week gap between part 1 and part 2...if you scroll down you can read the others for a refresher. Today we are going to discuss our Relationship With God.

We ask God to give us a complete understanding of what He wants to do in our lives. Then the way we will live will always honor and please the Lord. All the while, we will learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10

Have you ever lost touch with a really close friend? High School graduation singing "friends are friends forever" and have a big cry. I haven't seen most of my friends from school since that day.
Did you ever have somebody that you loved? You thought they were wonderful, then things went south. Mister Perfect turned into psycho guy...which led to restraining orders.

Have you ever known a married couple...they were so close. If anyone would make it, this couple would. Then one day, they split up. Makes you wonder if anyone would stay together.

Why do relationships go sour? Great relationships never happen by accident, and that includes our relationship with God.

Where there is no vision, the people perish... Proverbs 29:18

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16

Hot: You Are Growing

...your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 2 Thessalonians 1:3

From God's perspective, it is like watching his children grow up. We are born (saved in this instance), start crawling, start saying a couple words, standing up, walking...each new thing is so pleasing. It is wonderful as a parent to see your baby always advancing and doing better.

Cold: You Do Not Know God Yet

...He who sent me is true. You do not know (God), but I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me. John 7:28-29

Some of you that are even reading this, you might know OF God, but you do not KNOW Him. There is nothing we can do to earn our way...it is only by the blood of Jesus.

Lukewarm: You Are Drifting

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1

My wife and I went on a weekend trip to a lake in Missouri. Hilarious weekend, let me tell you…I won’t tell you the entire trip, too long. This particular story is about us attempting to ride a jet ski. We are out on the lake, this was my first time on one. Liz decides she wants to drive. The people at the rental said you need to jump in the water to switch drivers. Also, if the jet ski goes upside down you have 15 seconds to get it back upright before it fills with water. You get where I am going with this. ;-)

Ok, we jump off and she tries to get back on. She can’t pull herself up onto it…so I am pushing her up from behind…still no luck. Finally, we decide that I will just get back on and help her up. I get up there in a few seconds and try to help her up. She is still having trouble and it pulls me off. We try again…this time I got her up…just as I got her up we flip off. When I gather myself and get the water out of my eyes…I see the jet ski upside down and it is drifting away. It was probably about 10 ft away from me. I have that lovely swim friendly life jacket on (haha!) and I’m trying to get there as fast as I can. You see, the rental lady also told us about the cost to replace one if it did sink. ;-) It is amazing how fast and such a little jump in the water can cause such a drift, without even realizing it. Now stop laughing at us…may God bless you and your family! On a side note…I still hear about how my wife lost her flip flops, and I didn’t save them. She also reminds me how on the first fall, she saved my flip flops and hat.

Many of us, if we were honest, would say that we have drifted from God. I used to be close to God…intimate and growing, now I have become lukewarm.

For those that have drifted...

You have forsaken your first love...Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2:4-5

Essential Questions:

1.) What disciplines best help you experience God? There are certain disciplines that lead to certain results. Those of you that are extremely fit probably don't eat a gallon of ice cream in one evening. You probably eat right, exercise right, and sleep right. Your disciplines have led you to a healthy body. The same is true in your relationship with God. What disciplines best help you? Bible Study, Worship, Serving, Prayer, Fellowship, Missions, Fasting, Accountability, Etc. We are all unique...just like your children are different in ways, we all connect with Him in different ways.

2.) What barriers are hindering you from experiencing God? Just like there are disciplines to help us connect with God, there are barriers that seperate us from God. For example, in my marriage if I were deceitful and lied all the time...that would seperate the intimacy and trust that Liz and I have. If I told her that her hair looked bad and the food tasted bad, then I am just trying to commit suicide. There are things that seperate us from God.

3.) What do you put ahead of God? Whatever it is, it is idolatry. Exodus 20:3 says "you shall have no other gods before me". I'm not going to church, I can't miss the big game. I'm not passing out flyers for church, I'm playing golf with a couple buddies that morning. Which leads into the next question...

4.) What are you going to do to change it? We should not squeeze God into a time slot...we should make time. Mrs. Smith needs some light bulbs changed...I'll do it. This new married couple doesn't have groceries...I'll buy them. They really want to adopt...I'll help. We should be the church and do whatever we can to share the love of Jesus. Would Jesus look at his watch or pull out the planner to see if it can be squeezed in there? No! He would serve the people and share the good news!

5.) My vision for my relationship with God is _____________.

6.) I do promise God that I will ____________.

"I do promise God that I will rise early every morning to have a few minutes-not less than 5-in private prayer. I hereby vow to read no less than four chapters in God's Word everyday. I will cultivate a spirit of self-denial and will yield myself a prisoner of love to the Redeemer of the world." William Booth (not the guy who shot Lincoln...haha!)

Sunday Adventure!

We got up real early Sunday morning for a Sunday adventure. Some very dear friends, Doug and Marnie...along with several friends, are starting a church in Owasso, OK. It is a city quickly growing and a whopping 70% are unchurched. You can read more about the church and their ministry here.

We left the house at 8am for Owasso, and we arrived about 10 minutes before service started. I have a lot of old friends that are helping start the church, including members of my old band. It was awesome to see them again...I had not seen them since our last performance in Wichita, KS a couple years ago. Jimmy, which played the keyboard and vocals in our band, is the Worship/Connections Minister for the church talked about me coming back up again, and playing the drums next time around. That sounds like so much fun because I haven't played at all the last couple years. It was so nice hanging out awhile with old friends.

After church, we headed to Tulsa to eat at one of our favorite restaurants...Cheddars! We love that place...good food at a great price! One of our friends gave us a nice present of $40 in Cheddar Bucks...it was awesome! I tried to eat expensive, which is pretty tough there...just to order something that I wouldn't normally and all. The food was so good! I hope Norman gets one soon...we hear a rumor that is the case.

After stuffing ourselves, we wanted to take Addy to the Oklahoma Aquarium. We had a good time. Here are some fun pics there...

Something To Think About:

I haven't quit the What's Your Plan series...I've just been slow about finishing it. I have notes on it and all...I just need to take the time to figure out what to say. We have had some illness circling around the house since Sunday night. We are starting to feel better...hopefully, that continues. That was just a little fyi, leading into something to think about...

This man and his wife go on vacation to multiple islands. At each island they have reserved just a basic economy-size rental car. At the first island, he is trying to get his reserved car. The clerk informs him that there was a mix up and there aren't any economy-size rental cars left. They will give him a convertible Mustang instead, at no extra charge.

This continues at each island and each rental car. Each rental is a free upgrade to a better car. They wound up driving the convertible Mustang, Lincoln Town Car, Jaguar, and a Mercedes all together.

Upon arriving back home, the wife told her husband how much fun the trip was. His reply was, "Yes, if only the rental car company hadn't messed up our reservations."

I think that is how we are in life. We focus on what has gone wrong, instead of realizing God's blessings behind it. That's something to think about.

Tithe Pie

When I was single, and even the first 6 months of marriage, I had never tithed. Every now and then I would give God some scraps...throw a $20 bill in the envelope. I would even throw a few bucks in the offering plate sometimes, you know friends around and all. I never did it as an act of worship or obedience to God. At the first of last year, to say that Liz and I were broke was a complete understatement. The house was about to be foreclosed and cars repossessed, we were definitely at the bottom of the barrel. We did this crazy thing....we gave money away. Really, we just returned to God what is already His. We tried it on our own, obviously that wasn't working. We took a HUGE step of faith and trusted that God would provide. Boy, did he ever. We have not been in the same boat since. We have been blessed beyond measure. We make it every month now...bills paid on time. It is amazing...PLEASE watch this video. It puts it all into perspective.

Satan uses Turbo Tax...so do we

“How Privileged Were You”

My mother-in-law posted this, and I thought it looked like it might be interesting to see how privileged I was!

It's important to note that this is copyrighted, so if you put this up on your blog, please note the following: From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois Indiana State University (ty Klady for the correction - see comments). If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.


Bold the true statements.

1. Father went to college.

2. Father finished college.

3. Mother went to college.

4. Mother finished college.

5. Have any relative who is was an attorney, physician, or professor.

6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers.

7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home.

8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.

9. Were read children’s books by a parent.

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18.

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18.

12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. (I don't really understand this one...I guess so.)

13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18.

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs.

15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs.

16. Went to a private high school (but on scholarship).

17. Went to summer camp.

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18.

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels.

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18.

21. Your parents grandmother bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child.

23. You and your family lived in a single-family house.

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.

25. You had your own room as a child.

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18.

27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course.

28. Had your own TV in your room in high school.

29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college.

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16.

31. Went on a cruise with your family.

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family.

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up.

34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family.

I had 19 of them....I was and still am pretty blessed!

What's The Plan? - Part 1

This is part 1 of the life plan I talked about. This one is titled mission and values. In the intro I talked about stumbling. Most people go through life stumbling around, without a plan, without preparing, without passion, and without focus from God. I will be the first to admit, that is me.

Where there is no vision, the people will perish... Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision for a Godly family, 1 in 2 marriages end in divorce. Don't they?

Where there is no vision for financial freedom, we are in the richest country and be the most debt-ridden people alive. Aren't we?

Where there is no vision for a healthy body, I can just look in the mirror and realize that there is no six pack...it looks more like a keg.

When there is no vision, people wander through life and stumble. I can just listen to people here at work to know what their goal is. It is their goal to make to the weekend, pay their bills, if I can just get a raise, holding marriages together for the sake of kids, keep their children out of jail, and the list goes on. Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Craig Groeschel uses a word chazown (khaw-zone), which is the hebrew word for vision. It means a dream, a revelation, or vision.

Assignment - rate last week on a scale of 1 to 10. What is your rating based on? Not closing a deal at work, fight with your spouse, kids acting up, maybe your hair just isn't doing what you want? I know it is rough...you should be thankful you have hair. haha! If low, why? If high, why? You did close the deal, you had a date night with your spouse, kid got a good grade, the Sooners just got a huge commitment for next season. How do YOU define success? What does GOD say success is in your life? Everyone wants a great life, but most people don't even know how to recognize a great week...much less, how to create one.

What is your mission in life? I have a 2 part challenge for you, which will lay the foundation for the remaining parts.

1. Prayerfully uncover your values. What core values has God planted in you?

Our responsibillity is never to oppose the truth, but to stand for the truth at all times. 2 Cor 13:8

What is ultimate truth? God's Word...is living inspired truth. God has planted in our hearts a passion for searching His truth. Have you ever wondered why you care about something more than others? God has planted within each of us certain values. What are your core values? What do you stand for? Pray and try to come up with 5 to 10 core values for your foundation.

2. Prayerfully discover your mission. What is it that we are about? Why are we here?

But Abraham's servant said, 'I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come.' 'All right,' Laban said, 'tell us your mission.' Genesis 24:33

To go through life without even being able to define what we were created for, is a tragedy. If I ask what is your mission...I hope the answer is more than to take life easy.

Paul: I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may...complete the task...of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24

How do you define what your mission is? Fill in the blanks to that statement. I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may _____________. What do you say there? If I did this...I would feel like I did what God called me to do.

Jesus: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

Scripture also says what Jesus was not about. Your mission will tell you what you do and don't do. He said His mission was not to condemn but to bring freedom.

Many people have a vision for your time and resources. Even great people like family, friends, boss, and co-workers. They have a vision for what they want to see you do. Their vision usually doesn't line up with what God wants. Jesus told the disciples that one day He was going to give up His life and die on the cross. Peter had a different vision for Jesus and spoke up...

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!' Matthew 16:22

Start preparing your one sentence mission statement. I know it is tough....it is supposed to be. Why is this so important? Because we are called to do life as God has called us to, with the values He placed in our lives.

People have a different vision for my money...they have trained us to feel okay about being in bondage with debt. People have a different vision for what we eat...every fast food restaurant wants us to super-size.

People have a different vision for my family. We will live a simpler, less materialistic way than most. My wife will stay home and raise our kids...which we don't use birth control, we will let the Lord open and close the womb. We will homeschool them. We will be strict with them. They will help out with chores because we are a family. We will raise our kids up in the Lord and prepare them for the world before we send them out in it. People may say we are weird and aren't normal. Frankly, I see normal and don't like it. I'm in the public schools everyday, and it is scary. We plan to be weird, normal doesn't seem to be working. Bottom line, we don't answer to people on how we raise our kids...we answer to God.

You pursue what God tell you to pursue. Everyone ends up somewhere...but we will seek the heart of God, we will hear from God, and we will end up somewhere on purpose. What is God calling for you to be about?

What's The Plan? - Intro

I tend to be like so many of you just stumbling through my daily life...without a plan. I don't know what is going on one day from the next. My wife is a planner. She absolutely loves lists, if you read her blogs you already knew that. She always wants to know....what's the plan? I say I have no idea, I fly by the seat of my pants....that doesn't sit well with her. If I were telling the truth, I don't like living that way either. Craig Groeschel puts it so well when he says "Everybody ends up somewhere, few people end up somewhere on purpose." We need to have a plan...a vision for all areas of our life.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18

I kinda think of it like a dart board. All the darts hit the board...some stick, some don't...all over the board. The question is...how many actually hit the bull's eye?

I am going to do a small series on here about a life plan, which I got from LifeChurch. My wife makes fun of me when I copy and paste, so I will use my own words mixed in with some of his. I'm hoping to develop my vision/plan for my family and me...during this series I will evaluate where I currently am and where I/We want to be.

This will be a 6 part series involving Mission/Values, Relationship with God, Relationship with People, Finances, Physical Life, and Work Life.

No Place Like Home...

Since the new year, I have been out of town at least for one night every week. Matter of fact, it has been in Wagoner each week. I think this one is coming to an end, then it might actually be a few weeks before I am out of town overnight again. I'm ready for the break. I realize how much I love being with my family, when they aren't here. There is nothing like evening coversations and cuddles with my wife. I'm just tired of living out of the suitcase. There's no place like home!

Mind Your Own Business!

I've been listening to a sermon series from LifeChurch.tv about finances. There are some amazing facts out there. Like...

95% of married couples fight about finances

Leading cause of divorce is financially related

Average American spends $1.22 for every $1.00 earned.

If you own a car, you are in the top 3% of richest people in the world.

66% of the parables Jesus spoke deal directly with finances and possession.

In the gospels, 1 in every 10 verses dealt directly with money.

In the entire Bible, over 2300 verses talk about money...5 more times than prayer and faith.

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another. Romans 13:8

Craig also has this saying, "We will say NO for a little while, so we can say YES the rest of our lives.

With the statistic of $1.22 for every $1.00 earned...obviously, our treasure is in this world. If our treasure is in this world, so is our heart.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of a hunter. Proverbs 6:5

You can go watch the sermons here. They are AMAZING! I'm ready to make changes! Problem is we don't get mad...it is normal to us. Normal is car payments, house payments, student loans...normal is credit card payments at 19%. Normal is panic, worrying, stress, and fighting. Normal makes me mad...I want to be weird.

Perfect Church!!!

Why do I have such lofty expectations of a church here in this world? I want to combine the preaching and music worship of LifeChurch.tv with the church atmosphere of a smaller, more intimate church. I want my kids to experience the close knit youth group that I went through...where you have the core group of kids from children's church through high school graduation as friends. A church where you know your children have awesome lessons for their age group every week from 1 year old to 18....and even into college.

Just curious...what are 5 things you want in a church? Obviously, same beliefs....what next? I'll start with mine...though it might change after hearing some others.

1. Awesome preaching...basically, Craig Groschel. I've had a few good ones...and a couple not so much. There is a huge difference in my walk with Jesus when I have the good ones...which is more of my fault for not doing more on my own.

2. Full band, or willing to if it had the people to play (you can even mix hymns in there with contemporary music). I absolutely love music worship at LifeChurch.tv South OKC!

3. Children's program...I want to know my children (and we will have plenty, Lord willing) are being taken care of. Obviously, being homeschooled, our kids will receive plenty of lessons at home...but I want them to receive it at church, and not babysat (even as a 1 year old).

4. A church with a heart for people...a selfless church will do AMAZING things. Also a "self centered" church ends up turning their back on the ones who need to hear the gospel, which is so important as christians...we are to spread the good news!

5. A church that is willing to try new things to reach the lost/community, as opposed to grasping onto traditions. How many have heard "we've never done that before"? I don't want to hear that at church...I want the church to do whatever it takes, short of sin, to reach the lost.

I am currently attending a church that is AMAZING at 4 of my top 5 things...but I feel lacks in one area. I do have a few doubts/concerns in a couple other areas...but is it all enough to leave seeking something I won't find?

Christmas Vacation...

No...my vacation didn't rival the Lampoon's. I know that would make for a more interesting story, but it was still a good one.

First, I will let you know just how spoiled I am. Here is what I got:

1. pair of Dr. Martens

2. leather jacket

3. cologne

4. belt

5. RockBand...yes, I actually got the game.

6. Garmin Navigation system....can't believe I got it either.

7. Refrigerator...my parents are buying a new one and giving us their's that is only 2 years old (our's is 20 years old).

The day after Christmas we (Liz, Addy, and myself) joined my parents in traveling to Arizona to visit my niece, sister, and her husband. Unfortunately, we had to drive...long trip. We had a good time, but it is so hard to leave my niece...there were some tears. Here are a few pics at their house...the first one of Addy singing the nativity song, and the second one of Addy and Kayla opening presents.

While we were out there, of course we did some activities. We went to the Arizona Mills outlet mall, and I sure wish we had a mall like that here. We went to the IMAX theater to watch the Polar Express in 3D inside the mall, and while there we sat with the OU and West Virginia coaches' kids during their kid's day out. Here are a couple pics from the mall.






We also went to a place called Goldfield, Arizona...aka Superstition Mountain. That place was so cool. It is an old gold mining town...matter of fact there are still people there all dressed up that live in tents just outside town. Addy and Kayla panned for gold...Liz, Addy, and myself also went down into an old mine underground. It was very neat and interesting...getting to see what it was like. I strongly recommend going there if you are in the Phoenix area. Here are a few pics of that...