Feed changes coming?

I am trying to learn different aspects of blogging so if you by any chance are subscribed to my feed through Blogger, don't be suprised if it goes away anytime soon. I am messing around with FeedBurner trying to figure it out :) So, please use the feedburner feed which you can find below in the sidebar. Thanks.
dj

Surgery on the 18th

Well, the twins are set for ear tube surgery on the 18th. We have to be there at 6:30 a.m. which is not going to be fun. They can't eat anything after midnight and these two eat like crazy. After bottles at 10:30 at night last night, they both woke up hungery sometime or other, Zach at 3:30 and Gabe at 5:00. Once they really get hungery, they become unbearable. That waiting room is going to be very loud :( Hopefully, that will make them go first and we can get it over with.
dj

Latest on ear infections

Ok, here is the latest. Zach now has a double ear infection which means tubes for him also. Both of the twins have appointments on Aug. 1 with the specialist. Right now with the meds, both are feeling great and are doing good. Our pediatrician said it rains in the just and the unjust and sometimes it floods :) We really like our doctors. It is part of a group. We have our favorite, but we will see anybody when he have to. The group makes it nice as you can get a Sunday morning appointment if you call in early enough. We have to had to do that once with Colby. It was probably an ear infection. Anyway, I will post more after their appointment. :)
dj

Good news, Bad news

Gabe's appointment with the specilist is Aug. 1. He is feeling better now after getting the antibotics. At first, he wasn't very reactive to some sounds which worried us some, but after the meds kicked in, he is back to himself. That makes us feel better and I am sure he feels much better. Which now we need to see if we can get Zach in with him. He woke up from his nap today with a fever and he has always been a bit behind with the ear infections. Zach has an appointment later today and we will see what they say.
dj

More ear tubes :(

Well time for ear tubes again. This time for the youngest of the twins, Gabe. He now has his fourth ear infection and he is only seven months old. He is miserable right now won't eat and can't sleep. You can tell his ears are bothering him. He's like his older brother and anytime he gets a stuffy nose and some drainage, time for the ears to get infected. We are hoping and praying that his hearing is not being affected. He doesn't seem to be as reactive as he was. Hopefully it's just swelling nothing more serious. Misty is going to call the specialist that performed Colby's surgery and get the ball rolling. I know it's tough on them, but if Gabe reacts like Colby did, then things will be hundreds time better for him in the long run. I know this type of surgery is done everyday, but a friend of mine once told me that minor surgery is surgery done on someone else's family. Once I know more, I will post it.

dj

Bumping into God really hard.

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

There are just some things you can’t keep to yourselves. I haven’t posted anything yet about our July 4^th weekend service yet and I don’t know why. God was truly at work there. Our Executive Minister, Jim Burgen, went to Afghanistan with some others from our church and some from Southeast Christian in Louisville. They came back with some video footage and Jim talked about what it was like over there. Will your child take a drink of water which could kill them because of bacteria which can cause diarrhea, but because of living conditions can’t be cured. Land mines left over by the former Soviet Union shaped like children’s toys are still around.

After this, our Sr. Pastor, Jon Weece talked about giving to SOZO International which is the organization that Jim went with. He said on Saturday night that he wanted the church to give $25,000. Little did he or anyone know that God had other plans in store for the church.

A little boy came forward while Jon was speaking and laid a check on the stage. This started God’s plan as more people came forward to lay money down on the stage. Before things were done, a little over $27,000 was given. They made this a part of service for the rest of the weekend and when it was all said and done, over $142,000 was raised.

Now this in and of itself is amazing. Jim spoke the next week on the giving and said he hates when people say that God showed up today in church. He said that God is always there, we just happen to bump into Him pretty hard at times. But that is only the first part of God's work this week.

A lady my wife works with at church was called into their supervisor’s office Wednesday and she came out crying and carrying an envelope. Misty asked her what was wrong and she could only reply that she needed a hug. Now, our minds are thinking the same thing. She’s been fired. Misty then asked again and the lady replied that someone at the church had given her a card containing $1,000 knowing she could use it. They don’t know who it was other than God.

We are in the middle of a series on our core values which are based on Acts 2:42. The church back then as it was getting started, always helped each other out when needed. It’s great to see the church come forward and help others in need. When you see it, you just can’t help but let everyone know. After Misty told me this story about her co-worker, I had to tell someone. I told four people as soon as I could. It’s just something you can’t keep to yourself.

More like my dad than I thought?

I had last week off from work on vacation, but I think I got more done in my life than I would ever got done at work. My whole life growing up I have heard stories about how my dad would always take me places while we lived just outside of Cincinnati. I have heard comments like, "He is going to wear the wheels out on that stroller."
I took Colby to his first movie at one of the local theaters on Tuesday. They show free kids movies on Tuesday and Wednesday's during the summer so we figured that would be a good way to see how he handles the theater. He did good. I was able to spend all day with him as we then went to lunch and then to the fire station to have the twins car seats installed. Their Dr. told us to get them out of their carriers. Only 7 months old, but that's another post.
In Dr. Dobson's book, Bringing up Boys, he talks about how boys at Colby's age will start to pay more attention to their fathers to learn more about themselves. I can see that in him right now and loved the fact that I was able to spend the day with him. We then took him back to the movies on Thursday to see Madagascar which he loved.
I guess I am more like my dad than I thought.

Another reason for celebration

Well, the Fourth of July will have an additional meaning for our family now. I am now an Uncle. My brother's first born son made his appearance into the world today after a 30 hour labor for his wife. They have tried for a while to have a baby but it just didn't work out until now. I know how much they wanted one and with us having twins I know didn't help. It had to be hard with them trying so hard and us having twins by accident. I remember the night I had to call them and tell them we were having twins. I think his wife pretty much started crying. It wasn't long after that when she became pregnant again and this time it all worked out for them. It was their time. My parents stayed at the hospital all night with them last night.

I know they will make great parents. This child will be really loved. He has great parents and a great family surrounding him.

One day in Bowling Green

Who knew that going to one church conference could not only change your life forever, but bring you into a group of friends that you may have only met face to face once or twice in your life, but yet you consider them some of your best friends.

When I started volunteering at church running Power Point I never knew the impact it would have on my life alone just in the friends I would meet. Most of them I talk through web forums or through instant messaging. I see their websites and get reminded on what they look like and it reminds me of how much they love life and the Lord.

After I started volunteering, I was asked to attend a conference in Bowling Green on using media in church. I grew up a Southern Baptist and had only attended churches that had organs and pianos. No Power Point, no videos and for sure no bands. I still had doubts on that last one. When talk of bringing a drum set in at church, I just didn’t know how it would fit in.

Before the conference started, the church had a worship service. When the first beat of the drum hit, I knew right then and there it fit in. It made the service that much better. I had taken Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and he talks about Spiritual Road markers in your life where God speaks to you and you know it. It marks a point in your life where God has told you something and invites you to walk with him which leads you to a decision you have to make. That night was a road marker for me. At that point, I had to make a decision to jump head first into the technical ministry and go forward.

The class also mentions that these decision can and will bring you to a crisis which you have to make decisions about. Working in media really pulled me away from God at times as I was getting to the point where I was just “doing church” and nothing else. I didn’t worship and I wasn’t involved in a small group. I just wasn’t connecting to God.

Thanks to people I have met, again maybe only once face to face, through media ministry I was able to make it through and after about a year of “healing” I have started back in ministry. Not as a lead, but as a follower.

dj

Getting back into the grove

I don't spend enough time documenting the things in my life. Which is kind of funny as I really told someone last summer that they needed to do that since God was really at work in their life opening and closing doors.

Well, we finally moved not only our address but our membership. In the last month or so since we did, Misty is now working parttime at the church in the pre-school and nursery and I had my first full weekend in the technical services area. I was supposed to "watch" and learn the job I would be doing on my future team, but I guess other plans were in store for me. I got an email from Dave on Friday morning asking if I could work a camera for him for the weekend. Now, I have never worked a live camera ever, much less for a church service which will go to broadcast the next week.

I showed up for the Saturday evening service a little early so Dave could go over the camera with me and what he expects. There was another person who had never worked either so he went over with us both at our cameras and then went up stairs to talk to us over the intercom system switching us back and forth.

The four services went good and I learned a lot. I guess I still need to train on my regular spot, which may or may not be my regular spot. I will talk to Dave later this week and go over a couple of things and see what happens. Anyway, God is great and it's great to be climbing back in the saddle again.
dj