the fruit of the Spirit can grow in airports...

Seriously, this is how bad Christmas movies are made.

Airport cancels flights because of snow. People have to wait in long lines for hours, for their re-booked flights, to do simple things like print boarding passes cause machines were out of order.

Meanwhile five airline employees huddle together and talk to each other behind the counters while irate travelers cuss and throw luggage. These five women supposedly are only trained at putting labels on luggage. There were only 2 trained ticket agents for all hundred people in line. I manged to keep my cool, miraculously, and step in and talk to each person in line so that we could go to the front within ten minutes to make it to our flight. (Did I tell you they left our stroller in the snow and the pilot had to get it? He returned it to us with 3 inches of snow piled in it). Ug, thankfully God's Spirit reminded us to be patient and kind. He knows at times, I too, wanted to throw some luggage around and drop a few choice words, but I saw that behavior doesn't help one bit. 
And somehow, thanks to God, we managed to make it home with only a "pair of wings" pin to show for it. Our flight took 4 hours 49 minutes. Again, we were thankful to God that although energetic Isella didn't sleep one wink, (but fell asleep in the car 2 minutes before we arrived home) she was happy and not fussy on the plane. I have many ideas for a straight to DVD Holiday flick.

Chase me, Catch me

What a (good) crazy long week. A week of 14 hour days (training week for the interns) ended with an ER visit and a 72 hour virus for Isella. We were so thankful when Friday afternoon she became our happy little girl again. It was so hard to see her cry and just have to "push" through it until the fever broke. I'm so glad it did. Now I can celebrate Father's day with out worries. So in honor of Father's day I have a dad refelction!

My daughter has been doing this thing for a while. It's the "Chase Me" game. She crawls as fast as she can around the coffee table (or into her bedroom), looking behind her to see if we'll chase her.


And of course, we (either Wendy or I) DO chase her. We say, "I'm gonna get you!" (Which is so funny because that seems like such a weird thing to say. "I'm gonna get you?" Isn't that a line from some B horror movie? Somehow it ended up being a playful game for kids.


Anyway..along the chase, we play Peek-a-boo, and duck behind doorways and tables saying, "I see you." She just giggles and loves it. She will often bend around corners and just scream gleefully!

I can't help but think of God while this exchange is going on. When I catch her I just hug, kiss, tickle, and tell her I love her over and over and over. (As I'm doing that I always sense God saying to me, "Tony, I LOVE YOU, I love YOU, I LOVE you, I LOVE you, I LOVE YOU, too!") Then she gets up and starts the whole thing over. Almost as if to say, "Will you keep chasing me?" And I always want to answer: YES! Isella, Papa loves you and always wants to be close to you!





Isn't that what we all want? We want to be wanted, we want to be chased...even when we are running away.

I'm glad that's what God does!

From the park to the ER

Our young adult small groups kicked off last night at Red Morton Park. The weather was perfect for people to mingle around, mangia (eat), and throw the football around. The plan was to gather everyone together and cast a vision for why are small groups are meeting at a park in the community. We have hopes of meeting new people playing soccer, relaxing on blankets, or cheering a softball game and inviting them to join us for dinner and have conversations that show we care about RWC!



We had a great turn out, but I had to leave early!



I got a call that Isella had a 104.3 Temp.
ER here we come.
One hospital wristlet--that she didn't quite understand.
and two hours of waiting for a simple dose of motrin.



No ear infections, everything looks fine. Could just be a virus they say.
Thankfully her temp went down to 101 while we were in the ER and we are now home.
She was so sleepy.



We go back to check up tomorrow.

Interesting note: It was the same doctor who sent Wendy home from the ER when her appendix burst just later that night. HMMMM.....We pray.

Jesus is Risen! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

The words from the book of John about Easter in Chapter 20

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.




They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"



"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus."Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"



And she told them that he had said these things to her.On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.




The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

Living the transformed life: Green book reflection

When I hear people talk about how fathers should get up at the crack of dawn, before the whole family is awake, to read and pray...I'm tempted to feel guilty. Because I'm not a morning person and never have been. The thought of getting up even one minute before Isella does (usually 6-6:30am) is not very appealing! I never hear people talking about how holy it is to stay up late at night and pray-only that getting up early is what really spiritual people do. (I think I'm going to have to change that paradigm). With that said, when I do get up on the early shift (which believe me seems like never compared to how many times my wife does) of course I am talking with God, reciting scripture over Isella, singing, and trying to bring to find ways to praise God and through the day. Even with out getting up early to study, there are still many ways to pray, be devotional, and align your day with God. It's not always easy to read on the early shift, because Isella happens to really like books---and always want to get her hands, or mouth, on them. She is pulling herself up now which means she's falling backwards a lot, too which means hitting her head or other parts of her body on whatever furniture is behind her. So it's hard to keep your eyes on a book when you fear for your child's life every few minutes. Despite that, I managed to read a few pages from the GREEN BOOK today (with Isella close by continually grabbing for the book. I even read the verses out loud and prayed Philippians 1:9-11 over her. I couldn't resist shooting some pics of her eating the book). I loved this reflection below (in light of my last post from Thursday). If you are following along in the green book we are in the third Sunday of Lent found on page 140.



Probably our journey of forgiveness will be impossible unless we realize we can't do it alone. We are not the source of our healing. Truly the kingdom of God is within us as Jesus told us. But that Kingdom is God's presence, and we need God's help to experience that inner glory. As with any deep healing and release, the empowered mercy of God within and around us is ours to claim. We must face the facts: we are vulnerable (woundable); we have been hurt; we need to name our hurt and our deep needs as clearly and fully as we can. Little can change until we have faced where we actually are.
-From Forgiveness; THE PASSIONATE JOURNEY by Flora Slosson Wuellner



May we name our hurts and needs and experience God's love, mercy, and power (wherever it is in a movie theater or a bathroom)! May we experience God's kingdom. May we be a people who eat God's word and live it out! May we be transformed!

Feeling Love

I am becoming so sappy. Seriously, I have always been in touch with my emotions which hasn't always been perceived as the "macho" thing but, hey, I am proud of it. But I must admit some of this sappiness is getting out of control. Connecting the dots leads me to believe being a husband and father is to blame! What's the evidence? Well, when I am away from my family at work or traveling on a trip I am constantly reminded of them. I hear a song, a sound, see a picture, and/or sometimes a smell triggers me(don't ask). Lately I am finding myself instantly tearing up within seconds. It can happen any where and in the most random places like walking through a mall or in a drive thru--I'm toast! My vision blurs as my eyes well up and I'm warm all over. Just today I caught a glimpse of a commercial with a young family like mine and I felt like I just got hit in the gut out of nowhere. BAM! And to be honest--I love it. I love this sappiness. because I love my family and it makes me grow in love for them more to think about then and actually feel something..and that something feels good!

The real truth is that whether we are husbands, wives, mothers or fathers-it doesn't really matter. It's just being God's creation that does. What I love about God is that he created each one of us to be whole emotionally and to experience the full range of emotions in healthy ways. We "feel" because we "believe." I well up (or cry lets be honest) because I believe my family is a great gift that I enjoy and I believe they love me and make my life better. I feel because of what I believe. And just think how great we "feel" when we truly believe God loves us! Think on that for a while. Read God's word. You and me are created and loved by God. We are in relationship with God. Just being human (created by God) entitles us the opportunity to experience the depth of love and all the gooey craziness that comes when we have feelings as a result. If you are reading this, I hope that you are engaging in the opportunity to feel what God wants you to feel as a result of believing and letting him in to live in you. I hope you, too, are getting all gooey and sappy when you catch a glimpse of a picture or hear a song that reminds you of God and his love for you. Read John 14. (Jesus said those who love him will be loved back by him and his father and that they will LIVE IN US!) He is thinking of you, loving you, and ever present with you all day long wherever you are (Psalm 139).

PS.

My wife made this as a blog post for our family's blog and it was so cute I had to pass it on to our community!

A few of my favorite things by Isella Rose

I love reading a good book...

standing up (ok, with a little help)...

watching the world around me...

having a good laugh...

gnawing on things...

wiggling my legs...

exersaucin' (thanks for the loan, Natalie Stewart!)

....and snuggling with my daddy.

More to come as I grow...