I'm back

Man, it has been a long time since I've blogged. So much has changed since the last time I was able to log on here. 

Sara & I are working out at Western Mennonite School. She is teaching Middle School History, Geography, & Language Arts. She is loving the kids & enjoying this teaching experience a lot. It is incredibly different then what she was doing last year, & overall she loves the change & is glad she made it.

I am the Dorm Director at Western. We have 39 students that stay in the dorm, & of those 39, 20 are international. We have 8 different countries represented in the dorm. I have 6 staff members that work for me & so far this year is going so well. The students seem to love it here & I have had to do very little discipline which is rare. 

Basketball has started & that has me busy, but very excited. Our varsity team is ranked #1 or #2 in state depending on what ranking your looking at & we are posed to have another fantastic year. My JV team is loaded with talent again this year & we should challenge our 21-3 record from last year. 

Sara & I live here on campus, & when we took the jobs we weren't sure how the living arrangements would be. After a few months of being here on campus 24/7, we are learning to love it. It is quiet & peaceful. Our dog Promise has plenty of room to run around & it is so convenient having everything you do be within walking distance. The only bad thing was it didn't have cable or satellite & the Internet was limited as it had school blocks. So after months of looking into stuff, we finally have our own Internet & I can finally access my blog once again! Hallelujah! Sometimes in the warp speed of life, work, family, & friends you begin to get out of touch with people you want to stay in contact with. My blog is a resource I use to keep people involved in Sara & I's life. It has been rough lately not being able to blog for 5 months. but hopefully now I'm back on the blogging trail & I will start it back up.

Lately, God has been opening doors for Sara & I to talk with people or be a support to people. It has been amazing to see the blessings that he has given us that have allowed us to freely bless other people. We have been learning that even in the hard times, God is doing something new & creating growth. Even in the unlikely of circumstances, He is growing us up to reach to higher heights. Last year at this time we were at a low point in our marriage. We were arguing, we didn't have a dime to our name, I felt 100% responsible, & we simply didn't know what to do. All I kept doing was trusting God & trusting He had our best interests in mind & that He would bring Sara & I stronger together. Flash forward one year & we couldn't be happier. Our marriage is fantastic, we have more than enough money which has allowed us to begin to get out of debt & to bless others, & we absolutely love our jobs & know we are right where God wants us. It's amazing to see how God works & how he can make a "flower grow through the cracks even in hard times." 

Sara & I are embarking on our 4th Thanksgiving together & know one thing...I am so thankful for her & the blessing she is to me. I am thankful for my family. I have been blessed now with 2 wonderful Fathers who are great men to be with, 2 spirit filled-interceding mothers who are a joy to me, 5 sisters who I care for dearly & would do anything for, 2 brothers who are great guys, & grandparents who love me through thick & thin. I have an amazing family & am so blessed to be surrounded by such great people. In this holiday season I am thankful for what I have & expectant to what is to come. I only hope I am as much of a blessing to others as they are to me...

"What love we've given, we'll have forever. What love we fail to give, will be lost for all eternity."

Leo Buscaglia

Quick Week

We spent Father's Day over at my parents house. It was a fun, low key day. We decided to just do a low key dinner for my dad (spaghetti) & then we had some amazing strawberry shortcake that Sara & I made. WOW, it was good. You know it's summer time when the strawberries are oh so sweet, yet tangy at the same time. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you have never had fresh strawberries.

Here are my 3 of my 4 nephews (From left to right: Ashton, Kaenan, & Sam). They were hot so they took off their shirts & went running through the yard. They thought they were pretty tough & looked cool. Oh to be a kid again, eh?

My Dad & I were just relaxing inside while everyone ate outside. I think he really enjoyed his Father's Day & we are all so blessed to have him still with us. He gave us quite a scare 3 years ago with the worst cancer there is, Pancreatic Cancer. However, my Dad is a fighter! He never gave up & as of last month he is cancer free & considered cured! We were just kicking back & relaxing while we enjoyed an outstanding U.S. Open that ended as dramatic as any major golf tournament could.


Here is my moms thumb now. She has had such a crazy week with this infection that really sprung up from no where. They concluded it was staff infection & possibly some other things, but staff was the main culprit. She has gone through a lot of pain lately & is still in quite a bit as her top layer of skin on her finger is gone & she still has an open gash in her finger. After surgery they think they have fixed the problem, but only time will tell.

This weekend we are headed to Sunriver for 4 days & then we are staying with our Aunt & Uncle for a few days. It should be a fun time with friends & then family. Sara & I feel so blessed to have the freedom to take trips during the summer & to manage our time as we wish. It's the beauty of being self employed & both of us working for schools as well. It means summer's are free but you still get paid. You can't beat that!

BLESSING

Sara & I have been talking about our car situation since we rarely use my 1994 Ford Explorer & it is running harder & harder by the day. We were talking about potentially selling it since I will be at Western almost always during the days so I wouldn't need a car. We have been racking our brain, talking about it, praying about it, etc but have not come to a decisive decision.

On our way home from Sara's parents 2 weekends ago, we talked the entire way about the car situation. The pro's & cons of what to do, but we never came to a decision we really felt good about since transporting Promise is still in issue in the car.

Well unknown to us, Sara's phone had died & she had a missed call. When we got home & she plugged it in, she noticed the missed call & voicemail. It was from her Aunt, so she gave her a call back. To make a long story short, her Aunt shares with us that they had bought a more gas efficient car due to the amount of driving they do so they were discussing what to do with their minivan. As they prayed about it, they felt God was telling them to give it to us. No not sell....I said GIVE!

Sara & I were completely blown away by this & were honestly humbled beyond compare. God has provided for us over & over this past year & as we sneak up to our one year anniversary (June 30) he has astounded us once again. There have been months where we were worried about money or how we were going to buy gifts for birthdays, but every time we have made it. He astounds us that as we follow after him & honor him in our actions, time, & life he blesses us beyond our wildest dreams. We could have never conceived this situation. We could have easily come up with a smart & economic decision on our own, but his plans our so much higher then our own. Who would have thought that the whole time Sara & I were talking about the car situation all the way home, that God had already taken care of it & it was waiting in our voicemail. What a blessing!

So in a few weeks we will be the proud owner of a Maroon, 1996 Minivan. God is good...that's all I can say!