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The donkey is mine!
Merry Christmas!

Blessings.
-ao

mornings

You know….the morning time…in the winters -  it is an amazing thing.  Well, mornings in general have this divine vibe that just oozes out and screams to the world that God is good and His love is new every morning! It’s crazy cold outside today – so cold it takes your breath away when you step out – for some reason, I love that. Sure, I’m going to freeze in just a few minutes of being in that element…but for the reminder that God is good..this day is His and He made it…I suppose I can handle that. 

Our kids awake bright and early each day – I don’t always get the same picture in my head when they rise up as opposed to when I step outside as the day is dawning.  I guess that is because of my perspective and the circumstances; the reality is that those things do not change God and they do not change me in Him.  They don’t.  They do not.  His love is new…every morning.  I am His – forever.  Can’t my sons know that?  yes – that is our hope…they would see we are children of the king (Olivia and me) and they can have this faith in the one whom we are celebrating ever-so-more than the highly marketed deception of Mr. Claus.  Christmas time – it’s the grandest time of the year……I sure hope to enjoy my mornings.  Mornings with Jesus.  Mornings with Olivia.  Mornings with the boys.  Mornings being curious of Christmas day and the anticipation in my heart for celebrating Christ….and then out of that overflow running into the joy of the gifts to celebrate Him and watch our boys and our family enjoy Christmas – the birth of Christ (and a wee bit of “Santa” too!). 

Thank you, Lord for today. Thank you for the cold and the reminder of your love – your infinite pursuit of me and protection, provision, and trust.  I am yours. 

Cold. Morning. Today.  Greatness.  Thanks.

Blessings.

-ao

Birthday Hike!

Liquor Boxes on my front porch

I wonder how many moves it takes to become sick of moving? I would imagine my family and me to not be the types that “like” to move; however, our track record would show otherwise. Growing up I moved quite a bit, had divorced parents, and was in and out of trouble. I like to say that played a role in my being able to handle change perhaps better than others….so I say! Transition – just another piece of the pie in the mix of yet another house. We have a new house….again. This home is our 4^th home – in just over 7 years. I was sitting with a friend recently who told me his wife’s parents were buying their 4^th home soon….in just over 44 years! Wow. But, in the scheme of things, none of our moves have been in vain…they have each served in a capacity to help aid in us working to bring Glory to the Father. Each move has helped us financially…each move has been better! We have used each house more and more – not sure if that is telling of us getting older and more cemented in ministry or part of the deal as we change homes and looking to use them more and more! Our hope with this home: to use it! To stay in it (at least for a long while)! To be home and love the Lord and to love each other to the best we have been given….and to share this house as best we can – in ministry and in love. God has completely provided this house…there is no other explanation, I promise.

When you might ask me how am I doing? Well, over the past 30 days I would have told you one of a variety of different answers and not all of them were pretty! I have stunk it up. I have celebrated. I have been with Jesus. I have spent time with my wife. I have spent time with my family. I have worked much and have worried much. I have stressed and I have rested. It took a good friend last month calling me to say to me (referring to my monthly report), “what you should have said was I’m empty! That would have been the same thing…” and then he called me out. He talked of how I’ve been doing this (ministry, Young Life, Area Director) for over nine years and I am still working too much and not being with Jesus and Olivia the way I desire. He talked of me being with kids, leaders, donors, and committee folks in a daily routine but how I work so hard at that and so little at managing my time in order to remain healthy and be healthy at home and healthy in ministry. So, in the words of the Michael Jackson concert tribute to his life and movie, “This is IT!” - I am ready, Lord. I am ready to walk with Christ in the midst of all this. This is it! I am ready to realize my desires and my longings are deeper than my vocational achievements and temptation to say YES to whomever asks.

So, a new home. High time for a refreshed look at Christ in me and His infinite love. New home….high time for a renewed pursuit of Olivia. High time for a deeper intentionality of spending time with my two little boys. And…a new home is high time to be reminded of God’s love and blessings and opportunities to use it in His name so that more can be here and feel His love and be reminded of Jesus. That’s our hope. That’s what’s on my mind lately – new house…stories…stresses…and the love of God – I continue to be reminded of the hope of His Glory from sufferings and perseverance and of His faithfulness out of being in Romans and Ezekiel in my times with the Lord.

I am grateful for your prayers….there is much to tell – would you consider being like my friend last month and following up with me? It is a means of accountability and connection to those I send this report to.

Blessings.

-ao

Romans 5: 1-2 today

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

                                                              -Romans 5:1-2 NIV

Lord, today belongs to you.  Thank you is not enough.  I believe.  I am grateful for the peace I have gained in knowing Christ….in knowing my access to you, my entrance in your kingdom, my hope in Glory, my trust in my salvation, the love you extend to me – it’s all through Jesus.  Help this knowledge to penetrate my heart. Help my family to know it.  Help my life to live it.  You are my hope.  Glory be to you.

 

Father – may we continue to trust you as we make our move into a new home.  Help us as we do not know where we will be putting our things as we move out of one house and into a holding pattern before moving into another home….when will it be, how long will it take, what will our situation be – may you reveal to us more of your love because apart from you we have nothing and with you and in you IS everything.  May this time become all about you, Lord.  Because if it does not….it becomes about me, about us, and not for you – this is NOT our hearts nor is healthy in your name.  We long to trust and follow you.  May our actions reflect this…..a reflection of you and your love. 

 

We go forth.  We go forth in the name of Jesus Christ. Daily we give ourselves to you. Daily….mold me, Jesus.

…and others, too.

Blessings,

-ao

A House….a Hope.

Today was a good day.  It’s Monday.  It’s my day to be with Olivia.  It’s “our day” as we call it.  We were together.  We had fun and we got things accomplished regarding our new house! 

Breakfast was at Waffle House this AM. It was so good….so good and just right! We left Waffle house and began our journey for preparing to move….well, we did more things to get ready…to get ready to move!  What all that means is we went and picked up more boxes….more boxes from the liquor stores around here!  We checked on moving trucks and prices.  We unpacked our attic – ALL of it!  What a chore and what a serious accomplishment – what a date! Olivia and I did it together and we had fun doing it….our attic is now bare.

Today was a good day.  We heard from our friend and real estate agent who gave us a bit of insight on our new home ordeal.  She told us the “papers have been signed” which is code for “the ball is now officially rolling” with our new home.  The proposed repairs for our new house are to be done this week.  We have nothing we can do in this process but simply pray.  We can pray for our builder. Pray for our new home.  Pray that things get done and the rest of this “transaction” is smooth and seamless – or so we will hope!  We can pray that Olivia and I offer our hearts to Christ in all of this and we live to bring Him Glory.  We can pray that He would be further glorified in the midst of all this.  Please pray as you have been….that we would be protected and that we would continually have a place to stay – that it would be easy and not a chore.  Pray for our boys.  Pray their little minds keep on having fun and enjoying themselves and that we get them in their new rooms with joy! 

We are preparing to move.  Our option is to move at the end of this week…or….we aren’t sure.  My work load the following week (the week that we close on the new house) is heavy so it seems that we can get help at the end of THIS week.  HELP.  That’s what we need.  That’s what we are trusting God with….His help in the midst of something that should draw us to Him more and more.  Lord, draw me nearer…nearer to Thee.  Will you pray scripture over us?  Will you send scripture to us?  Will you begin to dive in again on your own…to see what He has in store for you as well? 

Yesterday, Wyatt asked me, “Daddy, what does God want me to do…?”   My response: “Well, I think He wants you to be able to tell Him everyday that you love Him….if you said to God, ‘I love you’ everyday….I think that’s a good thing, son…”

May we live in a way that tells our dear Lord that we love Him – everyday.  Move or not.  New House or not.  Good. Bad. Ugly….or not!  Jesus, Here I am.  I belong to you.

 

Blessings,

-ao

Prayers for our family

A new house. New hopes and new visions for our new place to live.  That is where we have been camping out since our contract was signed on our current home and within a couple weeks we had a contract on another house for us to move into. It has been such a great experience…..until this past week. 

We are “set to close” on October 30th to get our new home….however due to a few things adding up we now believe that will more than likely not happen. It’s paperwork issue from the previous owner and builder (it’s a new home that has never been lived in and is over 2 yrs old) and their broker. We continue to feel deceived and as the 30th approaches…..so does the time where our family will be homeless.  This is a hard truth…..nonetheless – it’s real. We have spoken to a generous family who can offer their home to us for about 5 days toward the end of October and this will be wonderful as we move our stuff out and allow the close of this house to be smooth and easy for the folks buying our current house. 

Our prayers is that God would move in radical ways this week! This week!!  We need our builder to begin doing the things he told us he would do and for the paperwork “signatures” to all be set up and completed. We have done all things necessary as this is our 4th house to purchase and we have seen most of this before.  Our inspection was great….the appraisal was great – home appraised for more than we needed which is a great thing as well.  Our bank is ready and insurance and all other paperwork from our end is all set.  However, none of this can happen if the seller has not taken care of their responsibilities of paperwork, not to mention their repairs etc. that are necessary. 

Our “stuff” is insured so we have permission to move items into this house….but it’s just putting stuff in a house that is not ready nor legally ours until we close.  This is all a big deal….it’s all feeling like a gamble…we have felt the presence of the Lord in the midst of everything – and now we feel we are tempted to “question” this thing.  Why?  It is just an odd thing. Will you join us in praying?  Will you pray we can find easy housing until we close?  We do not feel like it is “if” we close on this home but more a matter of “when” we close.  It has been a difficult road to live and one that has our emotions high and low. 

 

Please pray. Please send scripture.  Please stand in the gap with us. 

We belong to Jesus and in Him we will trust his call on our lives.  He is my light.  He is my strength.  We will follow him.

Blessings.

-ao

Today – of the Lord

Today is His day. 

We belong to Him – to God, the Father….and so it is forever and ever – as believers of Jesus Christ.  It’s His promise…we have His seal stamped upon us – always. I belong to Him.  Thank goodness it is so; there has been much to say lately…much to talk about and much to pray over.

Today…on the day of the Lord…I am fixing breakfast for our family this AM – we are resting at home….and preparing for a wedding this afternoon.  I am officiating a wedding for a dear friend of ours, Sara.  Her parents are special to us and in our lives have been such a blessing.  Our friendship with Sara has been one for a long time now and it has been a privilege to walk along life with her thus far. Olivia was her Young Life leader.  And now, Olivia will be praying at her wedding and I am the minister at the wedding – it is a privilege.

Sausage and biscuits are frying and baking as I’m writing.  It smells great.  Boone isn’t napping and is crying in the back (his room). Wyatt is running around with no clothes on.  Olivia hasn’t felt well all morning.  Music ( an instrumental worship mix ) is playing in the background.  Somehow, all this feels okay. It feels like madness.  But, I think that craziness of life sometimes is in the everyday and acceptance and realization of the crazy love of Christ – His love is nuts….it must be….because in the midst of all this and potential for frustration…and pain in the world…and joy and all things in between – He does not change. 

Wyatt keeps asking me questions….I don’t think he’s stopped talking this entire morning….we think he hasn’t stopped for the past three days – it’s been something to watch him learn more and more and get bigger and bigger. This also means he asks more questions….discusses more with us, etc. When this happens – I’m reminded of a skit I saw at a marriage conference one time where a son was talking to his father and the dad never responded….kept reading his paper and didn’t play with his son.  The son resented the dad, ultimately, for his lack of attention to his kids!  Yet, I tell you that my relationship with my boys is one of the greatest things in my life.  It breaks my heart to think of not paying them attention or playing with them or being in their lives.  So, I will always do so and it has taken me forever just to get to this point in this post because of the fact I want to be and remain present in their lives…even now.

I think this comes from two places:  the Father and my Dad.  The Father:  He’s my light.  My Dad:  has always loved and lead me well.  I can’t tell you the things, attributes, manners, mannerisms, habits, sayings, sense of humor, style, etc. that I have…all of them and more – they come from my dad.  I am the kind of daddy that I am to my (ours, Olivia and me) boys because of how my dad was to me….and still is. 

Love:  by its nature seeks union (B.Manning).  Union with Christ. Union with my wife.  Union with my family.

 

Today – I will work on and keep seeking this union. 

Blessings.

-ao

Wyatt measuring windows in new house!