A Day I Can't Help but Remember

Today is 9/11/11...the 10th anniversary of that fateful day when our country's way of life changed forever. As I see all the Facebook posts, e-mails, news articles, etc. I can't help but relive where I was and what I thought on that day 10 years ago.

It was a typical Tuesday morning. I had been attending Bethel College for just a few weeks at this point. I was getting ready for my first class of the morning when I received a knock on my door - this was odd. It was my RD. He had a look of sheer sadness and stoicity on his face. He calmly but seriously told me that the Pentagon and World Trade Center had just been attacked. I could hardly believe what I was hearing? How could this be?!

So, after he left, I quickly turned my TV and switched it over to a news broadcast, which wasn't that hard to find. What I saw then was the World Trade Center - one of the pinnacles of our capitalist society - ablaze near the top of the building. They then switched over to show the Pentagon - the center of our national security - also on fire. Both buildings had suffered planes flying into them. There was NO WAY this was a coincidence! Already I felt sick to my stomach and as if the floor had just dropped out from underneath me. Just as I had thought that nothing else could be worse than this, I watched yet another plane fly full-speed into the second WTC tower and explode. I think that I fell to the ground. I had just witnessed (along with millions of other people) a jumbo jet full of people being flown intentionally into a building full of people. The nauseous feeling I had grew exponentially. It was as if the world was ending right before me on TV.

Bethel administration had called for an emergency prayer chapel meeting in the auditorium. As I made my way over, I saw many people walking as if zombies to this meeting. They were feeling and experiencing this just like me. Their security and peace had been stolen away. As we met for prayer, it was very heavy; however, I could still feel that God was at work in some way here. I didn't know what or how, I just knew. Still, I could help but think, "WHY?! Why me? Why our country? Why did these people have to die in this way??" No answers. As the people around me prayed, I began to calm. No, the feelings weren't gone, just I knew that God had the situation under control.

As I think about that time in my life, being a young, naive college junior, I had my innocence taken away by force. It changed me - my life, my concept of national security, my whole existence. 10 years later, I still don't have the answers to all the questions, but I am learning day by day that God has a bigger plan than what any of us can possibly understand. He is in control - that's all I need to know. No, that doesn't wipe away the loss of lives, the broken families, the state of our economy, and the wars we've fought since then, but it does help me cope with the "why". I continue to pray (probably not as much as I should) for those families who lost loved ones, the police and firefighters who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, and whose lives where thrown in a tailspin. In addition, I pray for those people who plotted to commit this horrific act. God will be victorious and He will set it aright.

That's what I need to remember today. I will never forget - we will never forget. God is on His throne.

Things I Want to Teach My Daughter

As many of you know, we are expecting a little baby girl in November. We are very anxious to meet her - to learn what she looks like, acts like, and what she'll be someday. Here are a few things I hope that I get the opportunity to teach her:

* Teenage boys are weird (I should know).

* Sometimes a good scoop of ice cream solves all dilemmas.

* Reading books open all sorts of worlds to you.

* How to play the piano and sing.

* Always do your best in whatever you do (school, sports, music, etc.).

* She is incredibly beautiful in her father's eyes.

* She will ALWAYS have at least one guy wrapped around her finger.

* I am her biggest fan, her chief protector and #1 ally.

* She should hope to be as beautiful and incredible a person as her Mommy is.

* I love my little girl more than ANYTHING ELSE in this world.

and most importantly...

* I want her to know that God loves her more than even I can AND to know Jesus as her Savior.

Daddy-hood

Guess what all? I'M GONNA BE A DADDY!! :)

Wow! Who'da thunk?! This is been such an emotional ride already, full of ups and downs, with fears and hopes. So many thoughts fill my mind daily, and I am processing it little by little.

I'm so thrilled to be able to have a child of my own. This has been one of my dreams for as long as I can remember. I have always wanted to be a father, doing father-son (or daughter) things. My dad was always such a great example to me and I can only hope to be as good a father as he was to me.

In all of the up's and down's, I've been learning to trust God and praise Him for this blessing. I know that I can do this if I follow His plan. After all, he is the ULTIMATE father. He loves us unconditionally and never lets us go.

A Good Couple of Weeks

Sorry for such a long absence from the blogging world. Life has been EXTREMELY busy and I just haven't had much energy or time to type one up. Well, to cure that, here's a list of the great things going my way:

* All three of my choirs recently received GOLD ratings at ISSMA contest last Saturday. They all scored extremely well and did a great job. I'm so proud of them.

* I was selected as a mentor teacher for next school year. I get to work with a small group of teachers next year, leading our school in the direction it needs to go. It comes along with a pay increase, which definitely doesn't hurt. :)

* Some of my 8th grade students were able to tour each of the elementary schools in my district to recruit for next fall. It went very smoothly and we all had a good time!

* It's SPRING BREAK! YES!!

* I have the MOST AMAZING WIFE! She is the best thing in my life (next to God, of course) and I love her very much!

Well...that's all for now. Blog at ya later!

J

DEBT FREE CAR!!

Yes, folks. That's right. My car is PAID OFF!! Check out that balance! Woot!!

This has been a long time coming (four years, in fact) and wasn't due to occur for another 2 years! My financial situation when I bought the car wasn't great, but I needed something more economic and gas-friendly at the time. Coby (my car) has been really good to me, and has seen me through many trips to grad school, work, vacations, road trips, honeymoon, etc. He does a good job transporting us back and forth between Goshen and The Bend.

Jennifer and I took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU for short), and we have worked really hard at conquering the debt we have. Our "debt snowball" tactic is working and we are seeing God's blessing on our finances. This past summer, we paid off my final credit card debts; now the car is done. On to student loans! YES!!

We know that God has His hand in our lives and we are blessed beyond measure; not just financially, but with an AWESOME family and great friends. We look forward to what He has in store for our future! To God be the glory!

SNOW!

WE HAVE SO MUCH SNOW!!

In case this is an issue of contention and bitterness about the multiple feet of snow that has fallen in the last month, please stop reading here. For the rest of you, who share my "weather geek" fascination with the aptly named "Snowcalypse 2011", let me share my thoughts with you.

Snow has always fascinated me. I loved playing in it as a child, whether it was sledding down our massive hills at home, or building snow forts and having snowball wars. Also, it was always awesome when our parents would wake us to let us know we had no school...BONUS! By the way, that really hasn't changed as an adult - I still LOVE snow days. Snow is pretty cool (pardon the pun).

As an adult, my fascination has waned a bit. While I still get a thrill out of watching weather forecasts predict large snowfalls and still enjoy seeing it fall out of the "permacloud" that is a midwest winter commodity, my love isn't as great. More so now, I see it as a hazardous substance that could put me and my car in a ditch somewhere in the country. I also hate cleaning it off my car. The sheer fact I have to stand in the stuff, while the wind blows coldly, makes me grumpy. ARGH!! Ok, all of those negatives aside, I have found that snow correlates quite well to my faith. This is something that happened over time, but I think God means for me to learn from it. For instance:

* Snow is pure (for the most part). Until we shovel it aside, put salt into it, get it dirty, etc., it is undisturbed, virgin material. God made us originally pure and virgin, but along the way we shovel that purity aside and throw the grime and gunk of our sinful actions into it. Thus, we ruin what God intended to be perfect and undisturbed.

* Snow is FULL of variety and uniqueness. No two snowflakes are the same. Just as no two people are the same, God has made us to be a unique part of His masterpiece. Genesis 1:31 reads that He called us "very good", setting us over His creation. We were each intended to play a specific, unique role in His story. Often times, we forget this and try to be something that we're not. We want to be JUST LIKE so-and-so and why don't we look, talk, act, you fill in the blank, like such-and-such. If we actually took the time to listen to God and find out what HE wants us to be, then we would, I think, find great satisfaction in being WHO. WE. ARE.

* Snow is fragile enough to melt at the slightest warmth, but can also cause massive destruction to the biggest of foes. Look at how snowstorms in Minnesota tore right through the Metrodome, a HUGE facility. Also, how many cars have we all seen flipped over, smashed up, and sitting nose-up in a ditch because of slippery roads or poor visibility? Snow can cause quite a mess. We also, like snow, have our fragile moments, but in making one horrible decision or one selfish act, can cause a multitude of problems for ourselves and others.

* Snow makes all things new and refreshed. The world looks like something new is being unveiled. Like a new painting, sculpture, invention, etc. that is getting ready to be unleashed to the world. Snow refreshes the earth, providing moisture that will make spring all the more verdant and beautiful. God washes us clean. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die to give us that newness. Daily we can come to Him and lay our dirty laundry at His feet, and time after time He forgives us. WOW! Why?! I am constantly amazed at the longevity of His love for me. Thank you, GOD!!

So you see, my fascination with snow has matured. I still love to grab an inner-tube and go tubing and yes, sometimes make snow angels, but now I think I have a better understanding of life. Yes, it still bugs me to clean my car and to shovel pounds of snow away, but I thank God for showing me a little piece of wisdom in the "white stuff".