It’s been a great week.

And our two oldest kids are coming home from church camp tonight! Can’t wait to see them.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)

God is so good.

Two of my kids got back from church camp today. One was a student, and the other was privileged to take part in leading worship. They both had an amazing time.

He’s always good, in the good times and the bad. He was so good during some of the hardest times we’ve ever faced back a year ago, and he’s so good now, having completely redeemed that situation.

Struggles will come and go, situations will arise, “happenings” will challenge our happiness, but there is a deep joy in knowing the Lord and knowing that He has it all under control. And that he really goes beyond my feeble expectations and thoughts and imaginings.

If you are facing an impossible situation, know that nothing is too hard for him. He can redeem that situation, and the next one, and the next one . . . none of us are ever “out of the woods” this side of glory. But he is the Lord of the woods, and the mountains, and the valleys, and even in the deepest, darkest pits his arm remains very strong to save.

To him be the glory, forever and ever. Amen!

Well, as I related in this post, I was part of a two-man pancake-stacking team today. This was an event held at a local bank that was holding its grand opening celebration.

I’ve decided I’m going to quit my job and just go to bank grand openings! It was fun! First, our pancake-stacking skills won us third place and $400 for the GAP (Graduates and Professionals) class at church! But we also rode an elephant, watched a juggler, ate some pancakes and, later, hotdogs, played on some inflatables, and held a monkey!

I love monkeys! This one was a cute little Capuchin monkey named Abbey. Here she is on my daughter Bethany’s shoulder.

It was awesome!

Tomorrow morning my parents-in-law are flying to Richmond for seven weeks of IMB training. From there they will be flying to the Ukraine for a three-year mission, bringing the Gospel to the unreached Tartar people.

They are a wonderful couple, and we are going to miss them terribly. Please pray for them, for God’s blessing on their mission and for his power in their work. Pray also for my wife Jill and our four kids, who are going to really miss “mama and papa”.

And I’ll miss them too. They let me marry their only daughter and have been a wonderful source of encouragement, mentoring, and support to Jill and I for many years.

May God work through this wonderful couple in the Ukraine!

Today was a day of unlooked-for gifts. This morning Quaid handed Jill two tickets to the Texans game. He had been given them by someone else but couldn’t use them. They were good seats (50 yard line, 3rd level). We decided that Blake and I would go, although we would be late as I had church-duties until noon, which was the game’s start time.

After grabbing some McDonalds Blake and I took off on our road-trip to Reliant Stadium, and we arrived as the 2nd quarter was ending. Being that late was a bit of a perq; our second gift of the day was not having to pay for parking.

As we were walking into the lot one of the tailgaters gave me two tickets. He asked me if I wanted them. Thinking him a scalper I replied “no thanks, I already have tickets”. “Not as good as these”, he replied. They were fifth row, field-level, endzone. Playing along, I said “how much?”

“I’m giving them to you. Thought your kid might like them,” he replied.

Sweet! That was gift three. I’d never sat so close to the action.

The final gift? Nearly a miracle. The Texans won!

It was Blake’s first professional football game (and he’s totally into the NFL right now).

Good day!

Behold, you are beautiful, my love;

behold, you are beautiful;

your eyes are doves.

– Song of Solomon 1:15 (ESV)

At about this time of the day, twenty years ago, on a mountainside in New Mexico, I met the love of my life.

When I met her she was laughing.

I will never, ever forget that moment. After almost seventeen years of marriage and four wonderful kids, I love her more now than I ever would have thought possible. I have been blessed so much through this marriage to my best friend.

I love you sweetie. You have captivated my heart, and I fall down that mountain again every time I see you.

If you get a moment, please pray for Thinkling Jared’s mom. She is in ICU today suffering complications from what was supposed to have been a routine gall-bladder removal but which has turned into two more surgeries and a lot of pain for her.

Jared’s dad needs prayer too – this is hard on him. Everyone’s very concerned – please pray.

Thanks

You’re the greatest gift God has ever given me, besides salvation.

Not sure how I’d make it through these times without you babe.

I love you.

An awesome thing just happened, and it was very appropriate for Easter. This afternoon we were eating lunch at Outback steakhouse following our Easter services. Midway through the meal our youngest, Blake, told me that he wanted to ask God into his heart.

Right then I had Blake come sit between Jill and I and we prayed together, and he thanked God for forgiving him, for dying on the cross, and he asked Jesus to come into his life and be his Lord. So cool!

We have always tried to be careful when it comes to our children’s steps toward Christ – never discouraging those steps but maintaining good discernment. For instance, Blake was evangelized by his older sister a year or two ago in the back of our minivan, and he “prayed the prayer” then, but in recent talks with him I know that he really didn’t understand what he was doing at that time. I believe that now Blake is ready (he is seven). We will of course be watching and praying through this time as we walk Blake through these early stages of his relationship with Christ.

God is so good. Jill and I were needing encouragement in such a big way, and God gave us that through Blake and his simple profession of faith.

He is risen!