What an idiot

You ever just have those moments where you realize what a butt-head you are. Well I have had a couple of those in the last two days. Last night Hailey was making her sandwich for her school lunch today. Erin purchased new lunch boxes for the kids that have a little plastic container for their sandwiches. Anyway Hailey was constructing her sandwich inside the container and I started worrying that if she did that she was going to make a big mess. So I instructed her to not make her sandwich in the box but to make the sandwich first and then put in in the container. This frustrated her and she and I got in a big argument where I didn't want to hear anything she had to say and just told her to do what I said.

After the crying and yelling subsided Erin came out and I explained to her the situation. She then asked me where Hailey was supposed to make her sandwich. Erin reminded me that in the past we have told them not to make them directly on the counter and we haven't wanted to dirty extra dishes in the process, so where was she supposed to make it? Last year they put their sandwiches in little baggies and used to make them on the bag first, so now what? I suddenly realized what a horses petute I was. I apologized and wondered to myself why I get so picky like that. I am continuing to work on giving the kids some breathing room and not being on their case about everything. Also I am learning that I actually do have to let my kids explain things and listen to their reasoning because they just might be right about some things.

Take for instance this morning. I saw a stack of burgers in the sink that had thawed overnight. They were warm to the touch and I was concerned that they had been forgotten about. I had remembered bringing them in the day before and so I thought I should throw them out. I tried reaching Erin on her phone to ask her but couldn't. I decided to go out and get another frozen bag of burgers and let them thaw for tonight's dinner and throw away the ones in the sink. As I was doing that Austin asked what I was doing. I told him not to worry about it and to mind his own business. He told me that he brought those burgers in for mom last night and that they were for today. I told him he had no idea what he was talking about and told him to leave me alone.

After I had put them in the garbage and taken them outside Erin calls me back and I told her what had happened. She related to me that in fact Austin did bring in those burgers just last night and that I had actually brought in a bag two nights before. She assured me that those burgers were perfectly fine and once again I felt like a real idiot. Man...what is wrong with me?! My son was right and I didn't want to listen to him, in fact I got frustrated with him. I tossed away some perfectly good food because I thought I new what I was talking about but didn't. I am suddenly realizing that I am going to have to start giving my kids a lot more credit and listen to what they are saying instead of just assuming they have no idea what they are talking about.

Make no mistake about it...there has been someone in our house that has no clue the past two days and surprisingly enough it isn't one of our kids. It is me. This has certainly been a humbling experience and a frustrating one. I know that God is going to use it to grow me and to grow my relationship with my kids. I plan on apologizing to them when we get home tonight and trust that I have not done too much damage. I am so thankful for God's grace in my life and am learning to give a little more of it myself, especially to my family. It has been hard realizing that I actually don't know everything...lol, lol.
Blessings,
Your Dreaming Pastor

Back to School

Is summer really over?!? Wow what a great and fast summer it was. God did so much with my family and in my own personal walk with him. I will Cherish all of the memories he gave us with our trip to Gatlinburg with the family and our time at Lakeside with the WO annual conference. Then there were the smaller moments like our picnic at Meadowbrook park...my date with Erin to see the Whose Line is it Anyway guys. It was a great summer with my family. What kind of memories did God create for you this summer that can be building blocks for you?

God did some really cool things at OFC as well. We had an incredible VBS experience with our largest Sunday morning attendance since I have been here. We have seen new people coming to the church and lives being changed. Our youth ministry took it to the next level and our July sermon series was an incredible experience as God touched our lives. Way to go God and way to go church!

For me personally I saw God do a new thing as I realized much needed work in my life around prayer and joy. I set forth on a project of joy during much of the month of July. I have made a more conscious effort to invite God's joy more fully into my life. I have reconciled that joy is a choice and that I am the only one that can choose it for myself. I don't have to feel lousy. I don't have to be angry and frustrated...all those are choices. Choosing more of God's joy has been an awesome revelation for me and a wonderful experience for my family.

I think one final special moment for me was the time we got to spend with my folks. We were together for Lakeside, Gatlinburg, and a week ago we were in Dayton for a week with them at their home. It was such a rich time as we shared in common interests and just hung out together. My dad and I did some great work in an area that he is very passionate about and it brought us closer together. I so much enjoy being with them and sharing life together with them and our children. I cherish every moment now with them as in the past I used to take our time together for granted. They are very special people to me and an extremely important part of my life. God is so good and I want to give Him the glory for a great summer. Thanks God.

With every ending there is a new beginning. I am looking forward to all this school year brings. I look forward to coaching and awesome things at our church. I am excited to see our kids continue to grow up and mature. I have another chance to trust God for something huge as Isabel has yet another surgery in the coming weeks. It will be a full year for sure and I trust that God will show up as He has always faithfully done. I pray today that you can see the blessings God has brought into your life and take the chance to both reflect on what He has brought you and look ahead to what He is going to faithfully do in you.
Blessings,
Your Dreaming Pastor

Joy out the window

Wow my family would tell you it has been a hard week at our house. Due to lack of sleep and a low amount of patience I haven't been in the best of moods. In fact I have been a downright terror. Man I have sure blown it in this joy thing. It amazes me how quickly Satan can find a weakness in us and then exploit it over and over again. For some reasons joy was out the window these past few days. I was irritable and angry with the kids too many times. The smallest things would set me off. I was hollering and yelling way too much and I am certain my family had a miserable week because of my attitude.

I try to pinpoint why I feel the way I do...it has to be multiple things but mainly because I have made an agreement. That the day is not going to get better, that I am not going to experience joy today, that my kids have no clue about anything in life, that I'm just going to be in a rotten mood because that's what I feel like doing. All those things are agreements I have made. I don't have to because I can choose what I am going to do and how I will respond. I can choose how I am going to look at my day and whether or not I want joy to be a part of it. I guess if I had to pinpoint it, it all boils down to distractions. I have been distracted from God over the past week. I haven't keep up with my reading everyday, haven't been inviting him into everything as I had been concentrating on doing for the past month. I really slipped in my commitments to Him. Because of that I opened the door for Satan and he wreaked havoc.

I am praying against these choices right now...God in the name of Jesus I want you to fill my life with my commitments to you. Close the doors in my life where I have allowed Satan to creep in. God give me the strength to turn away from the agreements I have made about life and my family. Thank you for your grace and loving kindness and for your forgiveness when you have not held first place in my life. I want to seek your face, to be made whole and Holy, and ultimately live in your joy everyday of my life. God I am starting anew with you today and my quest for your joy. A-men. Even while I was praying this prayer I heard Him tell me to apologize to my family. To seek there forgiveness by acknowledging how miserable I have been to them this past week. This means sitting down with them and sharing this. It means calling Hailey and Austin in Dayton on the phone because they are at my folks house. It would be easy to skip this step and just talk to them at the end of the week (that would be another agreement) I need to call them and I am going to.

This joy thing sure is hard but I am determined in Christ to make it a regular part of my life. I do not like who I am when I am not living in God's joy and I have only myself to blame. I do know one thing. God is so good and I feel so blessed with all that he has done in my life. I am not down or discouraged but convicted to keep growing in Him.
Blessings,
Your Dreaming Pastor

A new season of life in the Alice household

When we look back on life we are always able to see where one chapter began and another chapter ended. Life is like that, at least for me it is. Our lives are filled with different seasons good and bad. There are seasons where we are in school as a college student. There are seasons where we deal with an illness or struggle or tragedy. There are seasons where we have a certain decision that guides our lifestyle and then inevitably changes are soon to follow. The page turns and we are on to the next chapter.

Growing up my family were always campers. In fact my folks still own a trailer and keep it in Myrtle Beach, SC. However, I didn't marry a camper in Erin and to tell you the truth for the season of our life (first 12 yrs) that really didn't bother me. Most vacations for us consist of visiting her folks or mine for w weekend or a week. Then usually once a year we would take a week long family vacation and rent a chalet or a cabin or some type of house. We just returned from Gatlinburg, Tn in July and had a blast. Our first love has always been Myrtle Beach but until now the babies have just been too small for that far of a trip. That's when we decided we were ready for the next chapter in our life. With the two youngest getting older and it becoming more and more expensive to rent houses for week we have decided to do the camping thing. It was kind of funny all Erin had to do is look at me and say she was ready to do the camping thing and I hit the ground running. I have been waiting for years for that moment.

It makes so much sense for us. We want to be able to get away more often both locally and going to places like Myrtle beach and out West but can't afford to stay in hotels and houses every time we do this. Also we have 5 kids and keeping them entertained is a chore in and of itself. Camping affords us all these opportunities and more. The kids will have plenty to do anywhere we go and will have to get creative in enjoying the outdoors. Camping is relatively inexpensive once you get over your initial expenses of purchasing whatever means you are be using for camping. Plus we will be able to do it more often that just a week out or the year. I believe this will be a good thing for our family especially with all of the struggles we have with our children. It will allow for us to devote more time to each other and in the end I sense God is going to do something special.

Needless to say this has caused us to have to make some significant changes in our approach to life. We have decided that a Travel trailer is the best way for us to enjoy camping. (just don't think we are tent people, if you know what I mean!!) This has meant that we also need to acquire a vehicle that can both carry all 7 of our family and at the same time have a significant towing capacity. In the end my white trunk was the sacrificial lamb. Here is the great news. With the economy the way it is and gas prices the way they are we were able to pick up exactly what we needed for our new camping and family lifestyle and relatively the same value that my truck was worth when trading it in. God's timing is always perfect! Now we are in the market for a used Travel Trailer that can sleep 8-10 people. Keep your eyes open if you see anything give me a holler. God is so good and I am looking forward to our new season of life as campers. I am nervously anticipating what God is going to do for us. Anytime you step into a new place where there are unknowns and things we haven't done before one always gets a little nervous curiosity. But, I know God is going to meet us there and am so excited for this opportunity.

Lastly, this has been a good lesson for my children. We have included them in on this decision from the very beginning. I have been able to share with them how blessed we are that we as a family can make theses kinds of choices. I was able to share with Austin that because his mom and I have made a lot of healthy choices in our life that we have the freedom to be able to do these things. If you work hard and trust God somehow he always meets our hearts desires. Thanks God for making this dream and new chapter in our lives come true! I am expecting God to bring a lot of additional joy into our life because of this blessing. Thanks God.
Blessings,
Your Dreaming Pastor