Happy Birthday to Trish

Sometimes in life you are lucky enough to find someone to inspire you to dream, to live, to love, to laugh and even to grow up.  I have met someone who has inspired me to be more than I have ever thought I could be on my own.  Through her encouragement, example and testimony I have reached greater heights.  This week, this beautiful woman is celebrating a birthday.

Happy Birthday Trish!

In honor of your birthday:

I never would have imagined that I'd find someone like you

One who makes life special by all the little things you do

I never really dreamed that we would become such an amazing pair

The type of couple that lives a life of passion through the moments that we share

My dear if there is anyone who deserves the very best there is in life

I'd have to say it is you, my best friend, true love and amazing wife

So my birthday wish for you is love, peace and quite time to rest

And many more years to come filled with all the very best

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y!!

Love +8!

I'm fired up!

So I'm riding in this morning and I am listening to ESPN.  Suddenly a story just fires me up.  First, in a bad way, but then as I start to reflect on it more, it fires me up in a good way.  The story was related to one NFL players comments about Tim Tebow.  First, I must admit that I am a big fan of Tebow now that he doesn't play against my Gamecocks.  Anyway, I listened to the comments made about Tebow by another player, and I was fired up.  I began to think about why he was under attack for his faith.  Initially, I could feel myself getting angry as I thought about how many times people have complained, grumbled and spoke negatively about this young man.  He has never once stuck a microphone in his own face and demanded anyone write or record.  I thought to myself, he has never once said to anyone you have to be like me or love my God.  Then it happened!  Just as I could feel myself going in the wrong direction, it happened!  Suddenly, I got fired up in a good way.

With that one thought I realized that Tim Tebow never asked anyone to love his God.  He just simply loved God himself.  And he loved him so much that it pours out and pours into everything he does.  He doesn't come on TV and demand that anyone convert.  Instead, Tebow lives a life of such passion for God that it makes you want to know his God.  It makes you want to know the God he serves, the Christ he proclaims as Savior and the Spirit that brings him strength.  When he talks about giving honor to his Lord and Savior it makes you wonder why, and makes me want to know my God even more.

The more I thought about it, I got even more fired up about it all.  Not fired up because someone else was taking unnecessary pot shots at another human being.  Not fired up because it seems like faith, Christian faith, was under attack.  I was not fired up because it seemed like more of the same negativity was being spewed out over the airwaves.  Instead, I was fired up because someone had lived an example of a life spent giving praise and honor to the only wise God; the only God.  I was fired up because I realized that God wants the same of all of us and especially me.

I am fired up this morning because I know that God wants me to live a life that is so surrendered and so passionate for him that my love and praise pours in and out of everything that I say and do.  God wants my life to be so exciting and passionate that when people see me, they want to know my God!

I'm fired up this morning because I serve and awesome God who is worthy of praise and I hope you will want to know him b/c of the love you see in me, the grace and mercy that is shown to me and the truth of a life well lived.  I'm fired up and I hope that I will continue to be passionate about God so that others will see him and want to know him too!

Super Woman stays here!

So, for the last couple of hours I have been sitting here with Ava.  All I can say is wow, where is Trish's cape.  Surely, she has got to be Super Woman.  I am just not exactly sure where she keeps her cape.  After today, I have no clue how she does it all.  I take that back.  After sitting with Ava for the last four hours I'm not sure how she does anything.  Right now at this moment, I can barely function.  I'm exhausted.  No, seriously.  Today, Ava, seemed to need some "special" attention.  At least that is what I thought.

We have been going back and forth from eating to changing diapers to playing on the floor.  First she eats, and then when she is done I have to go change a diaper.  After the diaper she sits for a minute or two on the floor before demanding a ride on my hip as I try to accomplish something, anything!  Just when I think she is ready to get down...it is time for another bottle.  Or time for a diaper change.  Or time to just sit and play.  Or it is time for a nap and she wants to be rocked to sleep.  I just can't begin to tell you how amazing it is that Trish has time to do anything.

A few minutes ago I had to put her down to go to the bathroom.  It was the funniest thing.  Now that  she is mobile (or in other words crawling) she just followed me towards the bathroom crying.  It was not one of those real cries.  It was that pick me up/play with me cry.

Don't get me wrong, this is good stuff.  I'm loving being home from work.  This beats anything I can do at my job.  And I'm loving being able to spend time with Ava and girls.  I even love watching her crawl all over the place and try to stand up and walk around.  I even love the broccoli and carrots that have been drooled on my shirt.  But I am exhausted.  This has given me a totally new appreciation for the Super Woman living under my roof.  How she has managed to keep Ava all day is amazing.  Not to mention the fact that Ava is one of five very busy, very demanding young ladies.

And you and I thought our jobs were tough and demanding.  I had forgotten just how much it takes to be a full time mom.

Now, where is Super Woman - I need a nap!

Ava in one of today's moments.

Coming Soon....

Okay, so I haven't exactly been lighting it up on the regular blog posts.  It seems these days that I can barely get enough time to think let alone actually write about something.  Well, maybe that isn't totally true.  I did have at least three hours free last night.  Unfortunately I chose to fall asleep watching the movie "The Body Guard".

 It has been a tough couple of weeks.  I've had a really interesting schedule at work.  We have been working on another release and it is really a bigger challenge than we initially thought.  I also have school starting back again. I was hoping to take two courses this semester, but I settled for only one.  I think that has turned out to be a good choice.  With all that is and isn't going on I'm not sure I would have the mental strength or the physical time to work on two classes.  Hopefully next semester I can afford (mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally) to take a couple of classes.  Hopefully!

Anyway, since I haven't blogged in a while I figured I better put down a few thoughts.  Here are some ideas for a few upcoming posts

1. Letting Go
2. Ground hog's day
3. An excerpt from a draft

It may be a couple of weeks before I get to these three, so stay tuned.