Everything Rides On Hope Now

How easy it is to forget that God has never left us and will never leave us. When we feel broken, over and over again, when those we love are broken, when life doesn't let up, when you don't feel as if you can be strong anymore ... it's easy to forget.

God doesn't leave, though. He hasn't, and He won't, and His promises are sure. He has promised that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness.

He is with us, and He empowers us to be with each other. We hold each other. We laugh together. We cry together. Sometimes we are the strong ones, who help lift others up. Sometimes we are the weak and broken who need to be lifted.

We don't do it alone. He is with us. We are with each other.

What's the Point?

This past weekend, my family took a quick trip out of town for my kids' Regional Cross Country Meet. I, unfortunately, was not able to go with them, which means I was home alone for a couple of days. This is not the first time I've been home alone without my family, but it is definitely not the norm, and I had a few realizations while they were away.

First, I was able to get a bunch of stuff done. It's amazing how much you can get done when there's no one expecting or wanting you to be somewhere at a specific time, and meals are whenever you feel like eating. In the first few hours I was able to accomplish about a half dozen errands. I went to several stores that I had gift cards to, and I was able to take time and browse and see what I wanted to get, something that I don't normally have much time to do.

Second, I realized how quiet it was. The dogs were very subdued, without the kids around, and they weren't really barking at all. There was no one else in the house. No one talking, no one playing, no one arguing, no one laughing, no one singing. It was very quiet.

As an introvert, I don't mind being by myself. In fact, I enjoy it. Being by myself is what recharges my batteries, and there are aspects of being alone that I really like. However, it was very quiet.

May The Fourth Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day everyone! I hope you are celebrating by wearing Star Wars clothes/eating Star Wars food/watching Star Wars movies, etc... I am planning on doing all of the above.

I have loved Star Wars for as long as I can remember. I was a 9 year old boy totally freaked out by the torched bodies of Uncle Ben and Aunt Beru in A New Hope. I would play Star Wars trivial pursuit with my friends, and we all knew so much about Star Wars that we required word perfect answers to the questions (I remember getting a question wrong because I answered "a asteroid" instead of "an asteroid"). I collected all form of Star Wars paraphernalia and remember saving Taco Bell cups because they had Star Wars characters on them (yes, I was a bit odd). As a teenager I dressed up as a Jedi with my friends and attended midnight openings of Episodes I-III. I attended midnight openings of Episode VII and Rogue One (though sadly not Episode VIII, it was sold out, and I had to wait a bit to see it). I own all of the movies except for Episode VIII, which I believe is in the mail for me. Star Wars was important to me growing up. I loved it. I still do.

Pork 'n Play Thursdays

About 3 months ago my family initiated Pork 'n Play Thursdays. "What is Pork 'n Play Thursdays?" you ask...well...it is a time once a week (Thursday nights to be exact) when all my family (brother, sisters, grandma, uncle, cousins, M&M, mom, dad, and sometimes friends) get together to eat dinner together, play games, hang out, and talk. Sometimes it's all fun and games, and sometimes it's more serious. The last few weeks have been a bit more on the serious side. All in all it's a really nice time to get together as a family and catch up from the past week.

It reminds me how important family is! I don't know what kind of family you have, if they are small or large, close or distant, broken or complete, but regardless, your family is important. You will always have times when you can't stand your family or some member of it, but regardless, your family is often the ones who love you and know you the best. Something that is amazing, as I grow older, my family gets much larger and more dynamic. When Manda and I got married I got a LOT of new family, and that part of my family is much different than the family I was born into, and it's great. When Mallory was born, M&M and I suddenly were our own little family, even more than just Manda and I were, and it brought a whole new dynamic, which is fabulous! My family is constantly growing, and changing, and I've started to realize more and more just how important your family is.

This week is probably one of the last weeks that my whole family will be at Pork 'n Play Thursday as my sister is most likely moving across the country very soon. In some aspects it is quite sad. I don't really see or talk to my sister except for Thursday nights, but I've also never lived over 10 hours away from her. It's strange to think about, but just like all the other changes, this is just another change in the dynamic of my family. There are a lot of unanswered questions in her move, but I sincerely wish her the best and hope it turns out great for her!

So regardless of how close or far away your family is, why not give them a call, send them a text, go say hi, tell them you love them, and realize that family is an amazing gift that God has set-up for us!

Family Photos

I keep my family on my desk at work, but not with the typical photos. Below are my family photos that I keep on my desk.

1st of all we have Mallory:

These awesome bedazzled animal stickers were my birthday present from Mallory. She picked them out herself and was so excited to give them to me, and they are absolutely amazing! They now adorn my computer screen, but I have a bunch left so I need to figure out what else to put them on! Everytime I look at them they remind me of my beautiful daughter!

Second we have Manda:

About a month or so ago it was insanely crazy busy at work, and I wasn't able to take lunch several days in a row. It was a bit stressful. So Manda went and picked me up lunch, Happy Meals to make me happy, and included with the Happy Meals, of course, were these awesome superhero toys! So now I have Spiderman, Captain America, and the Silver Surfer adorning my desk. Cpt. America throws his shield, it's quite fun to play with! I now look at these, or play with them, and it makes me happy, and reminds me of my incredible wife and all of the amazing things she does!

Finally, my mom:

 Now I'm not trying to say this is a representation of my mom... On Father's Day she bought me a Mr. Potato Head, because I was saying how much I love them and wanted one. So now I have a Mr. Potato Head who resides on my desk, and is played with by everyone in the office. My mom also bought me parts for a Mr. Potato Headesque Pirate Pumpkin, they are a bit bigger, but still fit on my Mr. Potato Head as well. So right now I have a Punk Pirate Potato, my mom. :)