I’ve actually flown with my guitar(s) several times. The first was when I bought one while in Mexico. I didn’t have a case for it, and so I slid it under the seat. Remarkably, it was still ok in the end. Since then, I’ve taken it in a case as a carry-on. Southwest is great about this. I’ve never checked it, though, except for the checking that happens at the gate. And I probably won’t ever check it after seeing this video. Enjoy!
And no, I did not make this. I just found it recently and thought it was really funny.
Happy Independence Day everyone! I am reminded of all the individuals who have sacrificed so much for us to have the independence we have in the USA. Sure, we have some problems, but I am glad to live where I do. So many are not as blessed to have the freedoms we do in America. Please continue to join me in prayer for our government and military.
What did you do to celebrate? Yvette and I went to a movie and then went out to eat before we headed up to the local high school for a fireworks display. Check out the video I took of the finale below.
I thought it was about time for me to catch all of you up on my life…so here we go.
Yvette and I will soon be heading back to IL for a few days. It’s been 5 months since Yvette and I got married, and soon we will be going to another wedding. This will be our second one we’ve attended as Mr. & Mrs. Our good friends, Dann and Heather, are getting married this Saturday. They’ve known each other for about 7 years, and have dated for the last 2 of those years.
Yvette has been working hard at her temp job. She’s realized it is probably not what she wants to do the rest of her life, but it is a good job for now, and it pays well…which is definitely a big help for a new married couple in a struggling economy. We praise God all the time for providing it.
It seems like everywhere we turn, our married friends are having kids. As of right now, Yvette and I do not plan on having our own for some time. We’ve both decided it is more imporant for us to spend time together and also begin to pay off our school loans before ushering in another person to our family. Of course, if God has other plans, we’ll obviously adhere.
We’re still looking for ways to get out and in the community in which we live. We want to be a shining light for God, but we often find ourselves (at least I do) surrounded with only Christians. This is great, but I’m not sure if God wants teenagers to be the only people I tell about Him. We’re thinking about joining an athletic/workout club, and I’ve definitely tossed around the idea of joining a soccer league. I do miss playing a lot! Honestly, I feel that is something I’ve not done much with lately — my athletic side — since I’ve been in New England. Other than watching sports, I’ve not played much. So, maybe God will put me in contact with someone on the soccer field or gym.
Other than that, things are basically normal around here. We’re still getting use to marriage, and we’re having a great time together serving God. We thank all of you for your continued support! May God bless you as you have been a blessing to us!!
It’s crazy to think that it has been 19 months since I moved out to New England to do youth ministry at RCC. When I think back over this past year and a half, I can’t help but think of all the changes. Some changes have been for the good, while others haven’t. For instance, our middle school ministry has had times where it seems to be exploding with new people…but our high school students have began checking out due to their priorities switching. We’ve started a new student band, and they are doing great. However, we’ve also lost several of our key volunteers due to them moving. All in all, I would see the ministry as a success, but it’s hard to get those “failures” out of my mind. What can I do to keep the high school students focusing on God and church instead of work? How long will it take for people to see church and youth group as not just another extracurricular activity, but so much more?
As I ponder these thoughts, I’m reminded of how I’ve been told by many people that the ministry will only go as far as the leader is able to take it…and that if I want the ministry to grow, I need to be growing. In actuality, I long for the day when I can grow as I once did while in college and seminary. It was so great having professors pouring into you 4-5 days of the week. You almost couldn’t help but grow deeper in your faith and fall deeper in love with God. Now, I’m on my own…and I’m the one leading others to the cross of Christ. If I’m not constantly studying the Bible and evaluating my ministry, what good am I? Overall, this has been an eye-opening past 19 months…and an even more eye-opening blog entry today. I ask that you all pray for me as I begin to take this ministry, that God has called me to, to the next level in the next 19 months and beyond. Thanks for all your support! May God bless you!
Yvette just got a new job in Massachusetts, and she starts tomorrow. Since Yvette will be taking the car, we were in need of another vehicle that I could drive back and forth to work. We didn’t have a ton of money to spend on a second car, so we decided to go in a 2-wheel direction. This past Thursday, I headed over to Specialty Motor Sports in Atkinson, NH, to purchase myself a Roketa scooter. I’m really enjoying it. It gets up to 35-40 mph, and close to 100 mpg, which will definitely save us money on gas. At the very least, it’s a lot of fun to ride. I went ahead and got an all-weather cover, and I’m still shopping around for a helmet. Yes, I won’t always be able to ride it (i.e. in the rain), but Yvette could drop me off and pick me up on those days (on her way to and from work).
The 40th Annual GMA “Dove Awards” were held last night to congratulate all the top singers and songwriters in Christian music. I wish I had more than just basic cable so I could have watched it online. Oh well. If you were like me or just missed it, you can view the list of winners by clicking here. What I wanted to share with you was the song that won “Song of the Year.” It is by the artist who also won “Male Vocalist of the Year,” Brandon Heath. The song is “Give Me Your Eyes.” I just heard it for the first time today (an unfortunate side-effect from living in New Hampshire, where there aren’t many Christian music radio stations). Check it out below. I’d love to know what you think. Personally, I love it, and I think it’s a great prayer for us to ask God.
(For some reason, it won’t play from here, but you can click it to head to YouTube and watch it.)
If you don’t see the lyrics below, click “keep reading.”
I just realized I had not written anything since Easter, so here’s a quick update as to how things are going.
Ministry
Had a great day Sunday with the Local Outreach Team, and we are gearing up for a year of outreach here in Salem (including some stuff for July 4th and hosting a 5K run in the fall). We had a Student Worship time on Sunday afternoon, and we invited the parents to join us. They had an excellent time of discussion, and they are even interested in meeting more often! Afterwards, the high school girls went on to have a “polish party,” and the guys came over to my house to eat some pizza and play video games. I’ve also now got 3 students taking guitar lessons from me.
Life
Yvette and I are doing well. She has been offered two jobs, and she is ready to take one. It’s in Massachusetts, but it seems to be a great fit for now. We are still unsure about our car situation, but we know that God will provide. If you have any ideas on where to get a free car, let us know. Ha! Speaking of cars, Yvette got hit a couple weeks ago, and we are still trying to figure out the insurance situation. The other party’s insurance does not want to pay for the entire cost, saying it was 50% Yvette’s fault…even though she was sitting still when she got hit. Other than that, we’re getting ready to celebrate Yvette’s birthday tomorrow.
Website
I added a “media page” to the site. Be sure to check it out for photos, videos, and other media that I will post from time to time. If you’d like to see anything in particular, please let me know by commenting or sending me an email.
Speaking of which…I’d love to hear from you, especially those family and friends who live far away, so feel to comment below or email.
Another year, and another time the world begins to celebrate Easter. Even though some may only think of bunnies and dyed eggs, many remember the true reason for celebration — Jesus Christ’s resurrection! This year, I will spend another Easter away from home and family, but it is great to have my wife around. At the same time, I have a wonderful church family!
This past week has been crazy busy (or “wicked” busy for those of you New Englanders). We’ve had a great LCC Week of E team here, and I’ve got the privilege of spending several hours/days with them. Yvette and I spend Friday night with several people from the church. After that, we went back home to dye eggs. Saturday was a great day, as we had our 8th annual Community Egg Hunt. It is a great time to connect with the Salem community.
I’ve posted a few photos below from our egg dying and from the egg hunt. Click each photo for a larger view. And for the entire album (on Facebook), click here.
For the last seven years, RCC has hosted a community Easter egg hunt on the day before Easter. Last year was the first year we hosted it at the Rockingham Park Racetrack. There were almost 1,000 people in attendance. This year, we are hoping and praying for even more. This is an amazing “first-touch” experience for many people in the community. In fact, a good number of our current church members first heard about RCC through the egg hunt. I am asking that you pray for this year’s event. Pray that the families who come have a great experience, that their kids have a lot of fun, and that they can connect with our church families. We want to put our best foot forward, showing them how great God’s Kingdom really is.
Today, Yvette and I went skiing at Gunstock Mountain. We had a great time just hanging out together and enjoying a the slopes with only about 30 other people there (at least that’s what it seemed like… I guess Mondays are slow days for skiing for obvious reasons). This actually marked the third time we’ve been in the past three weeks. The first two was with the high school and middle school students. If you ever come out and visit us in the winter, and you enjoy skiing, we’ll have to go! I’ve posted some photos on my Facebook profile. I copied three here, but you can see the entire album by clicking here. Feel free to click on the photos below to see a larger view.
