Thankful.

It is days like yesterday that really remind you to count your blessings.  Yesterday my company let several people go.  It was sad to see people that I had worked with have to pack stuff up and leave.  The economic times are hard and are hitting everyone.  I am so very thankful that I do have my job.  That even though it isn't really exciting that I do work with great people, that my boss is nice and looks after my team, that many of the benefits we still have are there.  All that thinking made me think a lot more about the rest of the things in my life that I am thankful for, my wonderful best friend and wife, our great apartment, our church family, our friends etc.  God really has given us so much.  And to paraphrase Peter Parker, with great blessing comes great responsibility.  I pray that Lulu (yes that is what I call my wife :) ) and I are using our gifts, talents and blessing in a way that is pleasing to God.  For everything that He has given us I want to use to give back to others whom He also loves.  I want to manage the things that have been given to me in a way that would please Him who gave them.  For these gifts, talents, abilities, strengths, and blessing aren't mine, that is something I have been learning.  That all of it is the Lord's and he has given it to us.  In money we are the account managers, in time we are the ones making the appointments and managing the reservations, and in love, the gift he has given most greatly and freely to all by His death on the cross and His ressurrection from the grave, we are also distributors of that.  I pray that I not be stingy in the sharing of my blessings and doleling out of the love that God has shown me, but that I may pour out His love into others' lives continually so that they too can feel the joy that I feel because

"Jesus loves me, this I know."

Please pray for those that lost their jobs yesterday, that even through trying times they can see God's love, that they may come to know Him.  I pray that each of you will be ready and willing when the time comes to reach out and love on those around you that might need some Godly love in their circumstances and that God continue to bless you through your service of Him. 

Saturday with no plans!!

Saturday we had no plans, which was awesome.  We slept in, we got laundry done, we played some Wii Super Mario Galaxy (i might have an addiction), I started crocheting again, it was fun. :)  I did have a little problem though...so some of y'all know I'm forgetful sometimes and I guess easily distracted.  Well I was hand washing something and so I turned the sink on with the clothes in it and went to go get detergent.  On the way to getting detergent I looked at the guest bedroom and thought I should talk to Brian about reorganizing it one weekend when we get time (probably not for another month).  So I completely turned around and went into the living room to talk to Brian about that.  After that little conversation I went back to the bedroom to try and remember what I was doing and heard the water and freaked out.  I had left the water on for long enough to overflow the sink all over the counter, all over the carpet in front of the sink and in the cabinet under the sink.  I was soo embarrassed and it was hilarious at the same time.  Brian just laughed with me and got me a trash bag.  Luckily not much was ruined - just some toilet paper and Q-tips. 

So that was my Saturday adventure. :)

 

From the Reynard...

So the Mrs. and I thought it would be good if we were both contributors to the blog. Hopefully this will result in more activity on it and keeping all of you up to date on the goings on in and around the Fox Hole. (yes that is what we call our apartment.)

This week seems to have flown by. We both have been enjoying being part of K-Life Atlanta. My best friend Matt is the director and has been working hard with Dustin and Becky to get this ministry off the ground. Things are going well so far and the Lord is truly blessing the group. The house where we will be meeting is coming together and the kids seem to be really having a great time and enjoying themselves. I will be leading a small group of 9th grade guys. I am excited and anxious to get started.

I am also pumped about the fact that we have been entertaining friends a lot lately. I really love to cook and it makes it super fun to have people over to the house to showcase my culinary skills... they are still in the infant stages but doesn't make things less tasty or fun to do.

So random information for you. The male fox is known as either a reynard (hence the title), dog, or tod, while the female is known as a vixen. Tod(d) is also the name of the Fox in Disney's The Fox and the Hound.

I hope that my contributions won't scare away any of Lu's readers and that from time to time they are interesting or funny. Until next time...

MLK weekend with no MLK day off

We went to go visit my parents this weekend, which was really fun.  I had started to really miss my parents even though I just saw them at Christmas, so it was great to hang out with them.  We took them their "parent's album" copy of our wedding album.   It's always fun to look through our wedding album over and over and over again. :)  We also took our Wii to play with my parents as well, and we definitely managed to play Boom Blox all afternoon on Saturday (til 6pm).  My mom was really sweet and made me a birthday cake (even though it's a month early) since we probably won't see them on my birthday.  We have yummy pound cake now.   They also took us out to Mellow Mushroom for my birthday too.  It's kind of fun celebrating your birthday early. 

I helped my mom update her facebook page and make a new blog.  :)  So if you know my mom and want to add her as a facebook friend - she'd be really excited.

We got home today to make our K-life leaders meeting, which was low on attendance, but still really fun to just hang out with the awesome K-life leaders and staff.  Afterwards, Brian, Matt and I brought back an old pastime and went to Cici's pizza.  It's definitely one of those places we're ok only eating at maybe once a year, but it's fun.

I was telling Brian tonight that I was sad that we had to miss our church service this morning. Then I was thinking, that thought says a lot about our church - that I don't like missing church or missing one of Larry's sermons.  Before now, I've never enjoyed a church so much that I was sad if I didn't go to our chuch one Sunday.  So if you're looking for a church - I highly recommend The Midtown Bridge Church in Atlantic Station - www.themidtownbridge.com

What I love about Atlanta

I've finally decided to start blogging! :)

Tonight when I was driving home I saw one of my favorite things about Atlanta, so I've decided to make a list.

My favorite things about Atlanta:

• The skyline at night
• The Midtown Bridge Church and all the awesome people there
• Atlanta K-Life - a cool ministry reaching out to middle school and high school students
• Driving home and seeing military aircraft of all sorts flying over the interstate
• My good job with great people I like seeing everyday
• Our great home and the area I'm finally learning my way around
• Traffic - and I put this because even though traffic itself is not fun, it's definitely taught me patience
• Georgia Tech
• pretty sunsets with lots of colors (someone told me once the colors were because of pollution and I still like it)
  
• HERO units - they are very helpful, unfortunately I know first hand
• Coming home to Brian :)
• When it's so foggy that you can't see the buildings and it seems like we're not in a huge city.
  

I'm just really enjoying life right now. We are very happily married after 9 awesome months, and look forward to the rest of our lives. I feel like we've really settled into our lives and are having a good time. God has really blessed us with awesome families and friends and with good jobs and a nice place to live.

On another note, we finally got our wedding albums - from Key Photography - who did an outstanding job! This weekend we're going to AL to visit my parents and give them their copy of the album. I like going to AL and hanging out with my parents. :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading and maybe these will get more interesting. We'll see. :) Have an awesome day!