Obligatory Post

So it's time to update this here blog. Not much exciting has been happening for us here in Delaware. Susan's parents arrived Saturday evening for a nice Thanksgiving visit. I think they are heading back on Friday. So it'll be nice to visit with them for about a week. The boys are super-excited. Isaac is off from school all week. They have parent conferences today and tomorrow and teacher inservice on Wed. So the whole week is free for Isaac to spend with Mamaw and Papaw.

We had a pretty good day at church yesterday. Decent crowd with several regulars not present for various reasons. Found out that one of our members will be moving to Fayetteville, NC, for her work with DuPont next month. That kinda stinks. She was a link back to Indiana and Purdue even. We will miss her friendship a lot. She has been very encouraging.

Yesterday the leaders voted not to buy some land that we have been considering for a couple of months now. The discussion got somewhat heated, but cooler heads prevailed. Right now, I just don't think it is in the best interest of the church to sink so much money (BIG TIME BUCKS) into land when it might be better used investing in people. There will be more opportunities for land when the time is right. Hopefully everyone understands that too.

Dad and Mom will be moving in a couple of weeks. Sometimes it hits me that Byrdstown will not be their home anymore. Not that I was especially attached to Byrdstown, since we moved there when I was 16. But that is where we have gone every year. To some extent, I associate Byrdstown with Dad and Mom. Don't get me wrong. I'm very excited for the opportunity that they will have in the Hedgesville area of WV. Just sort of weird thinking about not returning to Byrdstown anymore. I'm sure it's harder on my brother who has become very attached to the community there. Pray for him and for my parents as they all prepare for this move.

Well, I really need to work on my sermon instead of updating this thing. Hopefully, it has given me enough inspiration and creativity to continue what I was doing before I started doing this.

Phone numbers, lost books, sports and other greetings

So far so good today. Except that I hate dealing with doctors and insurance companies. Not fun at all. No need to go into that though.

We have had three days of school this week here in Middletown and each day either Susan or I have been in Isaac's school. Susan went up again today to help in the library. She gets very tired but it makes her feel good to help and it's good for her to get out of the house a little bit.
Went to Wal-Mart this morning and picked up a new phone with digital messager today for the new church line being put in tomorrow. I'm very excited about this. It's almost like it's official now. We are a real church because we have our own phone number and not just our pastor's number. It's a big step for us.

Spent several hours last night looking through boxes and shelves for a book that I borrowed from a couple at church. Can't find it anywhere!!!! I told Susan that I even remember seeing it since the move, but at midnight last night still no sign of it. Oh well. It will turn up.

I'm very proud of major league baseball and the players union for their new steroid policy. First time = 50 game suspension. Second time = 100 games. Third time = lifetime ban from baseball, with reevaluation 2 years later. WOW!! Maybe this will finally tell guys to give up the "juice". It's not beneficial to them. It's not beneficial to the game. This policy says that both the owners and the players are serious about cleaning up the game.

Will someone please DEFEAT the Detroit Pistons?????? Maybe it'll just have to be the Pacers coming up soon. Wouldn't that be great!! HA!!

Actually watched a little hockey last night. It was a shootout at the end of the game. Very exciting! Maybe hockey is coming back strong. Whatever!!

So now that the sports references are out of the way, I need to say Happy Birthday to my Dad, Gene Grasham!! Dad is getting older and older every year. Amazing how that happens. But even more amazing is that he gets wiser and wiser every year. Or maybe it's just me finally taking the time to listen and appreciate it. Anyway, Happy Birthday , Dad!

Gotta run!!

Regular Ol' Tuesday Night

So it's Tuesday night and I'm hanging out in the basement with the boys. Susan has her ladies Bible study here tonight. So Tuesdays become boys night together in "the hole". Isaac and I will probably spend some time reading another Hardy Boys mystery. It's really cool because it's really taking me back to my childhood days. I love reading the Hardy Boys. I remember even setting up a mystery solving club when i was in elementary school. Maybe that's where Isaac gets it from. Reading over those previous statements again makes me really sound like the geek that I was.

I went into the school this morning and helped Isaac's class take a reading assessment test on the computers. It was a lot of fun seeing the kids working on it. I was proud because Isaac did quite well, in my totally unbiased opinion of course.

Tomorrow is Small Group at 7:30am followed by a possible visit in Newark to an older couple from the church. Susan has another doctor's visit tomorrow morning as well. Then I'll lead another small group tomorrow night. It definitely has the prospect of being another very busy day.

Today was a good day. It's always nice to have those from time to time. LOL.

Hope you all have had a good day too!!

Change?!?!

I know I need to update this thing more often than I do. Maybe I need to do it for therapy. Maybe I need to do it to actually communicate with people. I'm not sure why. But for some reason I feel as though I should update more. Not that there's a lot to update people on.

Life is about the same here in the busy state of Delaware. We had a pretty good day Sunday in church. Probably about the same amount of people as we have been having. I believe firmly, with all my heart, that God is going to bless us with an abundance at Northeast. I'm not sure what holds us back. I don't think it's me, but there is something there. I spoke Sunday on change. Change is necessary if we call ourselves Christians. I'm afraid that even this could have been interpreted differently, though.

Even though God is unchanging in His character, He has used different methods to reach people throughout the history of the world. Think about it. Christians didn't have Bibles to read in their own language until the past 5 centuries. How did the church grow in the Dark Ages? God made a way. The same goes with today. I'm afraid some people will here those words, God never changes, and believe that He wants us to do the same things that we've been doing for the past 100 years to reach people with the gospel. What a shame if that is the case!

Just sorting through some thoughts this afternoon. Susan and I watched the classic 80s movie, Chariots of Fire Sunday night with another couple from church. I had forgotten how meaningful that movie really is. What's even more amazing is that it actually won several Academy Awards. AND IT'S A GOOD MOVIE!!! Very moving and challenging! It may bore you for a while, but the message is tremendous.

Trying to get some work done this afternoon. I called and got a church phone number set up finally. Sure, it will ring in our house, but it's the church's number. We can finally change our answering machine back to a normal message. Still got to work some more on my sermon for next week. Looking at the game Risk and how we need to step out and do more for God. Should be fun!

Comment me back if you feel like it! Later!!!

Busy times

Life just keeps speeding by. I always have the best of intentions of updating this thing, but it always ends up on the "back burner". Life has been pretty good the past week. I thoroughly enjoyed the David Crowder Band concert last Friday. Absolutely amazing! The sr. pastor at his church in Waco died of electrocution a week and a half ago. The concert on Friday was their first since the funeral. Very emotional and worshipful. Amazing is the best word that I can use for it. Absolutely amazing!

Riley spent a couple of days last week puking. Being a parent can be so much fun sometimes. Last Thursday after the "fun" started, Susan asked Riley if he was feeling better. To which he replied, "Yeah, since I'm not pooping out my mouth." How funny is that!! He's feeling much better now.

Soccer is officially over for Isaac and me now. I really had a good time coaching the team. Even though I was completely inadequate for the job. My assistant coach talked with me after the game on Saturday about coaching together next year too. Can't wait. Really!! I can't.

I spoke today at Red Lion Christian Academy in their chapel services. Lots of fun speaking specifically to teens again, but relieved that I don't have to deal with youth ministry issues all day, every day. Too emotional for me.

I'm excited for Dad and Mom. They will be moving to Hedgesville, WV in a couple of weeks. Dad will begin ministering at the Tomahawk Christian Church. We're excited because they will only be about 3 hours away from us.

Anyway, I need to finish my small group lesson for tonight. Have a good one!!!