Martin News

Soap Dispensers and the Sovereignty of God

2011-11-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I have your attention with the title of this blog, let me explain myself. My job finds me visiting people in the hospital from time to time. Sometimes I have the privilege of celebrating the amazing wonder of the gift of new life while other times I am praying over someone facing serious surgery or diagnosis with an more uncertain future. June 2004 was one such time for my family as we were in the midst of praying over our newborn premature child who at 13 weeks premature was fighting for his life. There was one particular day in July 2004 that his delicate body was shutting down and all we could cling to was the one thing we can really ever cling to, the sovereignty of God. You see here is the connection between soap and the sovereignty of God; every day approximately 4 times a day my wife and I would go to the NICU to see our son and before we could ever go back to the room where he lay hooked up to various machines, PIC lines, monitors, and medicines, we had to wash our hands. We went to see him 4-6 times per day as we arranged our new reality around our other son at home and his nap/sleep schedule and the gift of our new sons. 69 days he was in the hospital and we were there at least 4 times/day so we washed our hands approximately, 276 times. I washed my hands so many times the very smell of the soap at that particular hospital takes me back to a place I need to be reminded all too often, a place where my hope is always and only in Christ.

As my wife was wheeled back from emergency c-section on that early summer morning in 2004, I wasn't certain of the outcome. I wasn't certain my wife would survive the surgery, and I wasn't sure I would ever hold my son, so I did the one thing I knew to do; pray. I stood just outside that surgical suite and prayed for my wife and son, I prayed and asked God to protect them. There wasn't anything profound about my prayer, it was rather like the babbling murmurings of a child who needed his Daddy, and I did need my Heavenly Father. I finished praying and positioned myself where I could look through a window in the surgical suite, and as I stood there waiting and hoping I was overcome with emotions and cold with fear so much so that fingertips were cold. After some time passed the doctors emerged, he was born! He was born but no cries, no movement, in fact no life in that moment. The doctors whisked him off to another room and there in that moment I clung to a confidence I felt I had been given from the Lord, he's going to be ok! A confidence that God had a plan for this little boy, a confidence that he was going to be ok. Of course I had no idea what his "ok" was going to be and to be honest I didn't care, he was my son and I loved him before I ever saw him. I loved him when I could not see him or hold him and I would love him when I could do those wonderful things parents get the privilege of doing, holding and beholding the image of God in the creation of a child.

For 69 days this is the promise we held on to, a promise we believed was being fulfilled in God's perfect timing as part of God's sovereign plan for us, for him. We had a son who was part of a story he will never remember except for what we tell him. We had good days and not so good days, ups and downs but one thing never changed, our hope in the sovereignty of God. So now, 7 years later every time I find myself back in that hospital I always wash my hands, I am drawn to it. I am not drawn to in some mystical way, but more just like I need to go wash my hands. I used to think I washed them because I supposed that seems the most sanitary thing to do when you are going to visit people who are not well or have young immune systems. The more I think about it, it seems I go there to wash my hands to remind me of a time when hope in God was all I had to cling to and in that there was freedom and peace. I need to go there (my singular hope in God) more often and if I thought going there every day for the rest of my life would actually put me in that place of hoping and trusting in the sovereign plan of God I would go there, but it won't. This gives me that hope I long for, John 17, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017&version=ESV

I can however cling to God's Word and all the promises in his word that remind me of his sovereign plan and find hope there. Right now we are a name amongst other names on a wait list as we wait for referrals for international adoption and smelling the soap reminds me that God is in control of my waiting and his timing is perfect and I need to be reminded of that over and over again. I know we are more than a name and it is more than "just a list" and we have been able to see God's sovereign hand in the process, but it never hurts me to be reminded just how much I need my Heavenly Father.

Smell the soap, hope in Him!

"Count it all joy my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." --James 1:2-8

oh and if you want to see that promise fulfilled so far...his name is Jack, he's AWESOME!

A View From Haiti (Tam Style)

2011-07-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

(from July 8, 2011)
Today was a terrific and terrible day - all in one! We went to an orphanage that is allegedly run by a Voodoo priestess. She is out of town with two children seeking medical care in Miami, but her daughter allowed us to go in and serve in many ways. Tandy and I spent most of the early part of the day together, sharing an interpreter. The terrific part of the day was being able to paint lots of little girls fingernails while telling them that God loves them so much and made them beautiful; but, that even in spite of His beautiful creation, our sin keeps us from having a relationship with Him unless we have faith that His one and only perfect Son died on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins, then conquered death when God raised Him again. I loved sharing with them that this is a free gift of eternal life when we confess repent and believe! Some of them said they have heard of Jesus before and even said they believed in Him and had given their lives to Him, but it was still an honor to be able to share. We prayed over and held all of the babies, too. Probably another one of my favorite memories was also being able to talk to several of the women working in the orphanage. Many were sweet and nice, but there were two we encountered that seemed to be on the defensive and less than honest or interested when I started speaking of Jesus. The Holy Spirit prompted me to simply slow down with them and try to get more personal - listen more, talk less. I won't say the conversations went super deep, with a translator involved of course, but they certainly softened and both were genuinely moved when we finally prayed over them. When we gave one of them a package of clean water and offered to watch the babies while she went to see Dr. Rick, it seemed like that was the best gift she had received in a long time.

The terrible part of today was of course seeing all of these children with the wrong size shoes on the wrong feet with clothes that didn't fit and hearts that yearned to be loved. Many of them are sick, and some desperately need surgeries which we could not offer them in these circumstances. You can imagine all of the health problems that arise in places that lack good sanitation and enough supplies. Thank you so much to Dr. Rick, Rachel, Kristin, Jesse, and Katie for running the medical clinic. Please pray especially that one boy who needs to have an eye removed would be able to do so soon. One other very difficult thing to see was a 16 year old boy who became blind as he grew up and now cannot see at all. He lives at the orphanage which is an extremely dangerous facility (steel, steep steps, lots of concrete sticking up, no walls on an upper roof deck where they play, etc.). He lays in bed virtually all day long, and his muscles have been to atrophy. Rick, Robby, and Brant taught the boy and one of his friends some exercises to help him regain some strength, physically, but emotionally and mentally, he needs a lot! He is so smart and talented.... and well, this is where I will end on one truly terrific note...

The blind boy has amazing hearing and musical talent. He played a keyboard for us that one of our translators had brought along. We are trying to find a reasonably priced one to buy for him here, but the only new one we could find today was too expensive. The first time I heard him singing while Brant and the translator were playing, the translator said he was singing about how he used to not know Christ, but then God came along and drew him to Himself and now he is walking with God. Then a few minutes later he began playing the keyboard himself and singing I Surrender All - in creole of course, but we all sang along with him in English. It was so amazing! Praise God for letting us be used and be a part of where He is working...

Hallelujah, All I have is Christ

2011-01-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Why reinvent the wheel when another has said it so well? Please let these song lyrics wash over you, replay it as many times as you need but understand the truths of this song!

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/08/21/all-i-have-is-christ/

A Gasping E-mail...

2010-12-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today we were driving through town when Tamara was checking her email and all of the sudden I heard an unusual noise coming from the passenger seat. The noise was a mix of speechlessness and something I wasn't quite sure of, so I inquired, "what wrong?" Tamara in a loud overjoyed expression said, "WE'RE ON THE WAIT LIST!!!!" We had prayed that we would get word we were on the wait list prior to Christmas, but Christmas came and went and we figured it would be sometime this week. As it turns out it seems as if it was a little bit of both. The email indicated that as of 12/22 we were officially placed on the wait list but we didn't not receive this email until today, 12/27.

Probably the most moving part about the news came when we told the kids we were officially now on the wait list, they all yelled with excitement and cheered. What a little confirmation of what the Lord is doing in our family. I treasured up that moment for the rest of the day and would imagine that I will treasure it for some time. We made phone calls to some of our friends prior to tweeting the news for the rest of the following world to get word (as if we have a large following). Excitement!

So, what now? We wait! This is after all the nature of the wait list. We know that the average wait time for families waiting on a referral for one child with similar profiles as we have are waiting about 9 to 9 and a half months for a referral. We trust the Lord in our waiting and we know that we could wait longer or we could wait much less time. We are confident in the Lord's timing and we know His timing is perfect. We are so excited to share this news with so many who have been praying for our family and asking so often of where we are in the process. Thank you for your support and prayers, please continue to ask and pray for us as we continue on in this process of expanding our family.

Blessings,
Stephen

Progressing toward the wait

2010-12-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, Dec 9th, I made a phone call to the FBI, and in God's perfect timing I talked to Michael, who will never know what an encouragement he was to me as I called to ask about the status of my 2nd submission of finger prints for FBI clearance. Michael was able to let me know that my prints had been processed, approved, and gave me a FedEx tracking number which I followed all of Thursday and into Friday when they were scanned "delivered". Inside that FedEx envelope was 17-18 weeks of waiting...approved!

What we have learned from the waiting:

1. God's timing is perfect. We don't have to understand why we wait as we do for different things in life but we must trust that God knows and has a reason for our waiting. We can speculate as to why, some spiritual speculation and some not so spiritual speculation but nevertheless we had a peace about the waiting because we believe that God is in control of our wait.

2. God answers our prayers in so many ways. We prayed for patience and long suffering in our waiting, and God was faithful when so many would ask us if we were frustrated or even assumed we were. God provided grace to be able with truthfulness answer those questions with a reminder that God's timing is perfect and so we wait.

3. God grants encouragement at times in the most interesting ways. I may never talk to Michael again, but my heart was encouraged and my excitement overwhelming as I sat in my truck in a moment of praise and adoration to my great God and King.

What next?

Last Friday, I sent my approval to NY where it meets up with Tamara's approval letter to be authenticated and then from NY it will be sent to Washington D.C. The moment it hits the mail to D.C. we will officially be on the wait list. We are hopeful that we will have an official wait list just prior to Christmas this year. After that, we wait again until the Lord moves and all the while we seek to learn what we are to learn as we wait.

What I am Asking For This Year

2010-09-20T14:01:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I was privileged to spend time ministering in Haiti this past summer. My journey took me to a place unfamiliar to me in the midst of the most intense devastation I have ever witnessed. Some 6 months after the earthquake that claimed the lives of so many, our team was sent to help be part of the rebuilding effort. Our training told us that while everyone may not have lost a family member in the earthquake, everyone knew someone who was effected by the severity of this earthquake. We were there to do some rebuilding working alongside Haitians which was wonderful. What we quickly learned is in the midst of such earthly devastation, God was awakening the hearts of His people to Himself for His glory even through the tragedies of the loss of home, property, loved ones, and stability. We met Haitian after Haitian proclaiming the goodness of God to spare them their life and praying that God would use the earthquake to turn the hearts of the people of Haiti to himself. This is what I continue to pray as often as God brings it to mind.

So, how is this relevant today? While we were there, I was again reminded of the excess in which we live, of which I live. I have been richly blessed in virtually every aspect of my life and not only that, I have been blessed for a reason; for a purpose. Psalm 67 remind me that we are blessed to be a blessing as the Psalmist says, "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations." Catch the significance of this passage, the Psalmist prays the blessing of God upon himself that he might make God's ways known on earth to all the nations. I am blessed and in being blessed I am to be a blessing. In recognizing the excess of my life, I have decided this year and by God's grace for years to come, to use occasions where people have the desire to give me gifts to encourage family and friends to partner with me in being a blessing to the nations for the cause of Christ in the lives of those around the world. Below are several ideas of a few things that are on my heart right now as opportunities to invest in the Kingdom of God, and I hope by making them known to you they too will become things you care about at different seasons of your life. I hope to add to this list as time permits more research and as God leads.

One Verse (http://www.oneverse.org/) is seeking to translate the Bible into languages where there are no known copies of God's Word available. How many bibles sit unused and unopened in your house? I know I have plenty that are unopened and unused while I have several that I use with regularity. Imagine not even having access to God's Word in a language you can understand? Best part, you can give a donation to help this cause as a gift and that would be a wonderful gift for me.

We are in the process of adopting children internationally and there are great costs involved in that as well. Sometimes people give money as a gift. Please know this year any money you give to me as a gift will be helping to bring home a child or children from Ethiopia and in that you will play a part in the process for which I am grateful. God's heart beats for orphans and widows in a unique way and for all those redeemed by the blood of Christ, you too were once orphaned but God has adopted you as a son or a daughter and given you the right to be a child of His.

99 Balloons (http://www.99balloons.org/index.php), a great organization started by dear friends of ours (Matt & Ginny) after the loss of their son Eliot who lived 99 days on this earth before being united with his Creator in heaven for all eternity. They are doing some wonderful work with and to families who have children with special needs both here and internationally. This would be a wonder way to give a gift knowing the invest you make has eyes that are not fixed on the temporal world but on the world that is to come in Christ.

I have been blessed and I want my life to be a blessing but for a purpose--spreading the fame and the glory of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ here and to the ends of the earth. This is one small way, but it's a start and a continuation of some of what God is teaching me as I broach my 34th year of life.

Humbled,
Stephen

Gladney Approved!!!

2010-08-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Well friends and fam - We have received our official Gladney (stateside agency) approval for our adoption. Now, this does not mean we are on the waitlist yet. We still have to get our dossier (docs that go to Ethiopian embassy) finalized. We sent off another packet of those documents on Friday. We are waiting on the results of our FBI fingerprints and we have to call CIS (customs and immigration) and get our appointment to get that set of fingerprints done. We heard from CIS (via text, no less) that they had received our application on Friday. Wait list times are ranging from 7 months to 8 or 9 months and right now there seems to be several families wanting twins or other sibling groups, so we are going to need some patience and more patience as we wait. But, we certainly trust God's timing in all of it and we are excited to see where the Lord has us this time next year :) We are getting ready to start applying for several adoption grants, so please be in prayer for us with that -

love, tamara

Slow Movement is STILL movement

2010-08-11T14:49:00.001-07:00

This summer has been one of constant movement and many activities for our family. I had the privilege of going to Haiti to serve on a mission team in July. It was a blessing for sure and I pray the Lord allows me to take a team there in the near future. I am still processing some of the implications for me personally as a result of going to Haiti where the destruction is immense, the poverty is ravaging, and the hope in Christ for those that are His is high. I plan to blog soon about some of the personal reflections and applications for me and our family. Our kids did swim lessons and and the boys played football. We won the championship (1st & 2nd grade) last Saturday night and both boys played really well. It was a lot of fun to coach them and other boys their age in a game that I love and was very helpful in my formative years in the areas of team work, authority, and doing things you weren't sure you could do.

We were told at the beginning of the adoption process there would be times that were slower than others, and it feels like we are in one of those seasons right now. We know we are making progress but it seems like slow progress with our Foreign Dossiers. It is really something to pray at night with the kids and to be praying for a son or daughters or both or two of each that I have never met and yet love already. We are excited and trusting God with all the details! Pray for us, for our children (all of them...even those we have never met), and pray that we will continue to trust God with all the details. It is amazing to know that my God knows the plan for my family and He has or will soon breath life into the child/children that will be a part of our families and your lives at His appointed time. Hopeful and Grateful for He is my Provider!

A lot can change in a year...

2010-07-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Imagine this, we are late in updating a blog! I mean I did post last September. What has really changed in a year? I mean if you count the kids getting older, doing more stuff, and making life changing decisions, sure I suppose you could say that an almost year long absence from posting is a lot.

For over 10 years, Tamara and I have been discussing the possibility of adoption for our family. Before we said I do, but after we were engaged we began talking about what our "ideal" family would be, and shortly after we made it known that we wanted children that never disobeyed we discussed number of children. Ok ok, we didn't really say that we thought our kids would not disobey but we really did discuss the number of children we would like to have if God would allow us and we had always said 4 or 5 and adoption was part of that equation at least in thought. Periodically over the last 10 years God has not allowed us to stop bringing the possibility of adoption back up in our hearts and minds. This year we have really enjoyed the stage of life we are in with our kids (7,6, and 3) and the freedom that has come with not having to be tied to a schedule as much or just the ability of the kids to handle some of the variables of life. God also brought back up the thought of adoption in our hearts and we spent time talking about it. This past fall we talked about adoption off and on some and covenanted to pray about it, and then the earthquake in Haiti hit in January and God shook us again at the staggering needs of orphans around the world. We went to an information meeting about foster care and adoption where we heard testimony of those who were in the process of adoption or were thinking about what adoption might look like for their families, and God was awakening our hearts for adoption and orphan care. In February we had a conference here at the church were Dr. Russell Moore was our speaker, and he took one of his sessions to talk about his experience with adoption and again God was awakening our hearts. March was extremely busy with life and adoption was still on our radar but we had not taken time to sit down and talk intentionally about it until about mid April. We had had a late night conversation about adoption and talked through some more of the logistics of the adoption and still God was awakening our hearts. At the end of that conversation we agreed to take a week to pray about where we were in the midst of what we believed the Lord wanted us to do in obedience to a glaring need He had made know to us. That night we decided that we felt the Lord was calling us to adopt children just as we are spiritually adopted by God through the blood of Christ in salvation.

Our hearts were with the children of the nations as we thought about where we would pursue adoption. We are now a good ways into the process of international adoption through Gladney Center for Adoption based out of Ft. Worth. Due to several circumstances and some leading, we felt as though Ethiopia was the country we wanted to adopt from, and by God grace by this time next year we will be adding children to our family. Yes, you read that correctly, we have been approved for 2 children and we are requesting twins (1 boy, 1 girl) but are open to non-twin siblings as well.

As this post is published (July 20, 2010) we have finished our home study and all necessary paperwork for Gladney and now are beginning the Foreign Dossier paperwork. We are hopeful that within 4-6 weeks we will be officially on the wait list to be matched with the children God has in mind for our family.

In addition to our adoption, God has continued to put orphan care on our hearts and minds and we are seeking opportunities and praying for opportunities to care for the children of the world as we are reminded they all have names and worth and there is One who knows them all. God created them, he knows them, and he loves them and so too will we purpose to love the children of the world by our actions, our words, and our opportunity to raise awareness about the staggering numbers of orphaned children in the world right now. We felt it was time for us to do something and soon will be asking you to join us in making a difference too.

From Sour to the sweetness of Christ

2009-09-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

We have been having our weekly staff meetings on campus this semester to increase our opportunities to meet with college students and it has been great. Every week so far we have friends stop by and say hi. However, I have been mulling over some of the conversations that took place yesterday about nothing in particular as we sat in a little coffee shop on the U of A campus. I will try my best to explain what I am talking about so this will make more sense. As we sat talking about the weekend and the short week of classes I was taken back by the tone of the conversations out of the mouth of those at the table. It was not specific to this group of people, it is more specific to a general outlook on life. Somewhere we (even Christians) have bought into what we would consider to be our rights to a worry free, ease laden, don't inconvenience me lives as followers of Jesus. I am not angry about the direction these conversations went, I am heart broken. I am heart broken that the love we profess for our Lord and Savior does not flow out of everything we do as followers of Christ. I do it too by the way! I was on my way to my son's soccer practice yesterday when I was rear ended by a car that had drifted into my lane previously and then got behind me and was not paying attention when she rear ended my new truck. I struggled with emotions of anger, unbelief, and all the ways she was a bad driver and I was so wonderful. The realities were many in that moment...the perspective came later; 1. I got rear ended...so what? I wasn't hurt and neither was she. 2. It is my new truck. "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein..." (Psalm 24:1). This includes my truck, my person, and the lady who made a little mistake. 3. I did not respond in a way that honors God in my heart. Outwardly I was annoyed, frustrated, and put out and inwardly as I drove away I was rebuked, and given perspective only He can give. (2 Tim 3:16-17). 4. Who do I think I am and what do I think I deserve in this world? Satan will attack anything and everything I love and care about including my family, my temptations, and yes even my nice truck that I enjoy, and God will allow it to happen...why? God knows that there are more times than not that I love lesser things more than I love Him and if it takes my truck being wrecked, my roof falling in, my kids getting sick, an argument with my wife, or my scorning and wickedness being exposed HE is willing to do that to help me remember that He alone is God and He alone is worthy to praised and worshiped. So, as I sat in the coffee house yesterday and listened to a group of people who profess love for Jesus and I believe genuinely love the Lord, how could I sit by and be silent about what we think we deserve in this life? So your Razorback game didn't come on until the 2nd quarter? So what? I am confident that no matter where you were it wasn't user error that caused the outage...it was a satellite problem from the cable provider. Instead of being ugly to whoever was offering the game that you were going to get to watch for free, what if we saw them as someone who needed to hear the gospel as one created in the image of God just as you and I have been created. So the insurance people were doing their job and serving you breakfast this morning trying to get you to sign up for renter's insurance and you were NOT buying, but were happy to take their hand out. Why not instead of making jokes about how the joke is on them b/c you aren't buying anything from them anyway, what if we chose to see that person handing out breakfast as someone who needs to hear the gospel? What if we forged ahead and were actually grateful even for the provision of God through secondary means to provide you with breakfast. What if we decided to care enough about that person to ask how their day is going and wish them a great day? Here is the point, if you are still reading, it may seem as if I am picking on a select group of people that came to hang out at the coffee house on campus yesterday, I'm not just picking on them...I am picking on anyone who takes an attitude like I did yesterday that thinks I deserve something from this world. Consider what Jesus told the disciples they should expect from the world in John 15:18-19, ""If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." You know what you deserve from this world? HATRED. But this certainly is not to be our response back, we are called to proclaim the love of Christ to the ends of the earth and grow believers up in the understanding and love for Christ until we die or until Christ returns. The hatred of the world can come in various shapes, sizes, and varieties but it is all rooted in the schemes of the devil that are very real and seek to rob you or your joy and steal from you that which you have in Christ.

How will you respond to them? I pray you will respond more positively than I did yesterday at least initially, and you will take a breath and choose to see what God may be doing in you through the hatred of the world or even the inconveniences of you schedule. What trial or inconveniences will you choose to see today through your understanding of who God is and what He desires from your life? Maybe the application for you is that you need to understand more about who God is and what He wants for your life. Maybe the application is that you need to die to some idols in your life big or small. Maybe the application is that you need to be training yourself to identify other people that you have never met as an image bearer of the Creator God and someone who needs the gospel extended to them.

What wondrous Love is this???

2009-07-21T07:36:00.001-07:00

Sunday at church we sang an old hymn that to my knowledge I had never heard, What Wondrous Love is This?, and the words of this old hymn have been on my heart every since Sunday. This song was written in the 19th century, and I pray it will be a rich blessing to you today. The version of the song I am listening to right now is by Koine and I found it on iTunes. I am going to post the lyrics and encourage whoever may read this to go and find a version of this song that fits your liking. The lyrics are so rich and I pray they drive you to your knees in adoration of the great God who loves you. If you have strayed this should be an encouragement for you to return to the God who gave His Son to pay the penalty for the wrath of God because of sin that you may not longer be slave to sin but free in Christ. If you are walking faithful in this life then this song will be an encouragement for you to continue walking faithfully to the very end of this life and into the life that is to come. If you are living a mediocre life as it pertains to your faith then this song should encourage you to get off the fence and choose today who you will serve. The passage we studied Sunday was 1 John 2:28-3:10 and it too has been working me over on how important it is to live my life daily for Him.

To God and to the the Lamb, I will sing....I will sing!

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

All Good Things....

2009-07-15T15:43:00.001-07:00

I am within 24 hours of being home with my sweet wife and precious children, and I am beyond ready. This trip has been amazing and I pray that I will treasure the things I have seen, the people I have met and then things I have learned for the rest of my life. I am praying the impact of this trip for me and for the others here will not be known for years to come, at least not in full. I pray the Lord continues to breath life into this experience, and I trust that He will as I am faithful to dwell on all that I have done over the past 20 days. Of course it seems like an eternity since we all met and left for London, but it was only 3 weeks ago. However, 3 weeks away from your family makes you realize what a blessing they truly are. Of course I am used to recognizing that my family is a blessing when I am with them, but this is quite different. I find myself walking, seeing things, and even eating foods that I wish I could share with my wife. All that to say, I am a blessed man! I am blessed to be married to my wife. I am blessed to be a father to my children. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to come on this trip. I am blessed beyond all I could ever hope or imagine, and if this trip helps me more fully recognize that then it was worth it a hundred times over.

Today we went to Hampton Court, a royal residence, though not used any longer by the Queen. It was something to see! Then we had the option to go to the Tower of London, or to go do some last minute sight seeing/shopping. I originally chose the Tower of London but upon arriving decided I wanted to just walk around a bit. I did take some pictures of the Tower of London as well as the Tower Bridge that spans the River Thames.

Tomorrow is a travel day, and I am at a loss for words tonight! I would like to try to update the blog even after I get back as I continue to process all that I have seen and experienced, but I can make no promises. May the Lord bless you richly as you draw near to Him and may you experience His power and glory all the days of your life. To God be the glory FOREVER!

Bunhill Fields

2009-07-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Today we had a packed day full of lots of wonderful things to see and do as we close out our time here in the U.K. We left this morning and set out for Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds, essentially a place where many nonconformist to the Church of England in the 19th century are buried. The likes of which are John Owen who recently has had a great influence on my life through one of his books, The Mortification of Sin. John Bunyan the great Puritan author of Pilgrim's Progress as well as other works is buried in Bunhill. Issac Watts the great hymn writer, Susanna Wesley the mother of Charles and John Wesley, Daniel Dafoe author of Robinson Crusoe, and one you probably have not heard of John Rippon, believed to be the first Baptist preacher. When you look at a cemetery you have a couple of different options: you can say look at all these headstones of lives gone or you can thank God for the lives represented by those headstones. Today as I thought about the influence that several of these have had on my life, I am grateful to God for His ministry through these faithful men and women at Bunhill Fields.

Next we were on to Wesley's house and Chapel. It was a very nice tour that took us through Wesley's home where he spent the last 11 years of his life before died well into his 80's. Wesley covered an enormous amount of ground on horseback preaching from town to town. One such story has it that Wesley caught up to a man riding a horse and began to talk to the man about God. The man said to Wesley, you sound like one of those fanatical followers of John Wesley, to which Wesley replied, I'm not one of those followers I am John Wesley. The man spurred his horse and rode away from Wesley, but Wesley being an experience rider caught up with the man and continued to talk to him about Christ. On Wesley's monument the epitaph reads, "the world is my parish," this was in response to his being criticized by the bishop for preaching outside his parish for it was uncouth to do in those days. Wesley told the bishop, I don't think on the day of judgment when I stand before God and he asked me why i didn't tell so and so about Christ it will be a sufficient answer to say to the Lord, "Lord, they weren't in my parish." Praise God for the life and ministry of John Wesley. Next, we went to see the site where it is believed that John Wesley's conversion began on Aldersgate Street.

Then in the afternoon we went to St. Paul's Cathedral and it was breath taking. It is the 4th largest cathedral and the life's work of Christopher Wren. We climbed the 526 stairs to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral where the views of London were amazing. From St. Paul's we went on to a training session at All Souls where John Stott was the pastor for some 50 years. Rico Tice, an evangelist at the church talked about a curriculum he has developed called Christianity Explored. I It was quite fascinating and a real delight to be with a man so passionate about evangelism and the local church and how they are to co-exist. One of the things that stuck with me the most today from Rico Tice when talking about evangelism he said we must love people enough to cross the pain line with them and explain to them that they are enemies of God and in danger of His wrath because of their sin and desperately in need of rescue. Powerful! He then said after you have passed the pain line and you are awaiting whatever response may come we are to 1. be for whoever we have just shared with and 2. truly believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our job in evangelism is to preach Christ and God's work is to open the eyes of the blind towards Him. http://www.christianityexplored.org/ Rather than endorse his own material, Rico said we should look at the gospel of Mark and see if we see it the way he does when he uses Christianity Explored.

Today was a day packed full of wonderful places and things, and I am again grateful for the opportunity to be here and learn what I have and what I will continue to learn as a result of this trip. I end today with lyrics from Isaac Watt's, When I Survey the Wonderful Cross. Google Watts and see the list of songs he wrote for the glory of God. May our worship be filled with the Glory of God, not just the sounds and styles we prefer!

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Bye Bye Cambridge

2009-07-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today we left Cambridge and headed back to London for the final leg of our trip. It has been an amazing experience, but the consensus in our group is we are ready to see our families. There is still some exciting things ahead of us in the next couple of days, and we aim to finish well this amazing opportunity we have had.

Before we left Cambridge today we toured the Tyndale House and met with a couple of different men in Tyndale House. We met first with Dr. Jonathan Chaplin, the director of the Kirby Lang Institute for Christian Ethics. His primary concern is the unique relationship between Christian ethics and our culture. Our second meeting with Dr. Peter Williams, who serves as the Warden for Tyndale House (master, dean, head of college), was a wonderful time with a brilliant man. Tyndale house has a rich history and essentially is seeking to equip the people of God to understand the Bible. It is not uncommon for the likes of some very influential evangelicals to be found on sabbatical at Tyndale House like John Piper and D.A. Carson. Were I to try to describe more fully right all that they do I would not do it justice so I have included a link to their website. http://www.tyndalehouse.com/Intro.htm

Peter Williams told us more about Tyndale House and all the right and wrong reasons one should or should not pursue a doctoral degree from Cambridge or otherwise. It was an honest and welcomed assessment to a group of seminary students. One of the things I most appreciated about what he said with regards to the church and the PhD program was simply this, (not direct quote) a PhD is not designed to prepare you for the pastorate. He was saying we need both pastors and scholars in the sense that one is focused on caring for the flock of God's people and the other is focused on the academic, archeological, historical, and other pursuits that essentially aid the pastors in doing what they do through the verification of higher critical study. I feel that the MDiv is designed in part to prepare you for the pastorate and that is why I have enjoyed my pursuit, and not that God wouldn't or couldn't lead me in the way of a PhD, but that is not my heart currently. I hope what I have explained here makes sense, but if it does not then please allow me the opportunity to further explain with whatever questions you may have. To give you an idea of the caliber of man Peter Williams was upon first impression to many of us in the room, he is like a younger Albert Mohler, and though we were only there one day it would seem that all those who have the privilege of studying at Cambridge in connection with Tyndale House are in great hands for as long as the Lord keeps Peter Williams there. They have a big vision, but with that comes big needs and you can learn more about that too on the website.

One final note about the Tyndale house though I am quite sure there is much more to say; the room where we met with these two men of Tyndale House was the room were the ESV (English Standard Version) was translated. This is of particular significance to me as it is the primary source I use for teaching and studying God's Word. http://www.esvstudybible.org/
I have included also a picture of the Cambridge Divinity School building.

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

2009-07-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

A hymn written in the 19th century per my quick web research has been a favorite of mine for some time, but it was all the more sweet this morning as I was singing these precious words of worship and adoration to my God and King with a couple hundred people who look, talk, and to some degree act different than I do. The beauty of the body of Christ is they all to one degree or another look like Him, we are all image bearers of the King.

This morning we visited Charles Simeon's church, whom I wrote about several days ago, and it was a privilege to worship there. The biggest pastoral exhortation for me this morning was regarding how we judge a sermon. A good sermon should not be judged by whether or not it was entertaining, rather whether it moved you to action. The pastor told another story of a person who had visited a bible study at his home but failed to show up for 6 weeks straight only to return on the 7th week. When the pastor asked him how he had been for 6 weeks, the man responded, "I've been great, I decided I wouldn't come back until I was obedient to everything I learned last time. I am back and ready to learn more.!" Then the pastor asked, "what if preached on the same text until everyone in the church was obedient to act on it?" The reality check is that God's word is meant to be acted upon, not just read or heard but to be acted on in obedience and adoration for who He is and what He has done. (James 1:22).

This evening we went to Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge, where Mark Dever served as Associate Rector (pastor) after graduating from Cambridge. From 1 John 2 the teacher tonight encouraged us to find our treasure in Christ and Him crucified not in temporal things that don't matter. We have an exaltation to not love the world because we have known Him who was from the beginning. It was sweet fellowship with the body of Christ. The teacher tonight is a New Testament Scholar from Cambridge, Simon Gathercole, and he quoted another Puritan tonight that was a breath of fresh air. I intend sometime to purchase and read Jeremiah Burroughs, Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, he truly was satisfied in plenty and in want because he was content in His Lord and Savior. http://www.amazon.com/Jewel-Christian-Contentment-Jeremiah-Burroughs/dp/1878442287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U TF8&s=books&qid=1247432115&sr=8-1

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Free Day--Punting

2009-07-11T14:50:00.001-07:00

Today we had a free day in Cambridge, and it was a nice day to try to catch up on a little rest, laundry, and do a little site seeing and shopping. In the city square there is a wonderful open air market and i took a picture of this wonderful strawberry display because my kids are part strawberry and the smell made me happy. Yesterday afternoon we walked out to a bed & breakfast run by a sweet but blunt English lady named Judith. Dr. Magnuson has known her for some time and said many people at Tyndale House are praying that Judith would come to embrace a relationship with the Lord. We had a real English afternoon tea and the picture you see is a wonderful English scone with jam and heavy English cream. It was a beautiful walk and very nice to meet Judith. Pray for her, that she would indeed come to know Christ as her Savior.

This afternoon a group of us met to go punting. A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punt_(boat) It was great fun to be out on the River Cam and try something new. There are some pictures of me punting but they were not taken with my camera.

The last picture I have included is the famous mathematical bridge, built in 1749. The rumor has it that this bridge built originally only with the principles of mathematics and not using traditional nails or other rivets or fasteners only wood was dismantled by students one night but they were unable to reassemble the bridge. It has since been rebuilt and now has more modern support but was built back as it was originally designed. http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/Queens/Images/WinBridg.html

Finally, two corrections for some misinformation on earlier posts regarding some of the history here at Cambridge. First, Cambridge University is celebrating 800 years not simply the college we are staying at, Sydney Sussex College. Second, Trinity College is home to 32 noble prize winners, not Kings College.

Humbled and Honored

2009-07-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

Cambridge American Cemetery

Today we did a bus tour of the city of Cambridge and some of the surrounding area to get a better appreciation for what all was in the city, but mostly because it took us to the Cambridge American Cemetery. On the way out to the cemetery, the tour told us of a couple of notable soldiers that were buried in the cemetery, and I found myself somewhat irritated by that comment. As I see it, there are at least 3810 notable men and women buried in this cemetery that gave their lives for the freedoms that I enjoy today. US men and women probably much younger than I, who fought in WWII for freedom. This 30.5 acres was donated to the United States by Cambridge in 1944.

I still get goose bumps when there is a fly over at any ball game, when the national anthem is sung, when I see stories of soldiers who have returned or those that are being deployed. I was raised with a great appreciation for our service men and women and a respect for what our flag stands for, and for that I am grateful. Many members of my family (grandfather, dad, at least 2 uncles and others) served in the armed forces, and I am grateful for their service. I still have friends and friends of friends that tonight will go to sleep somewhere in this world uncertain if they will see their family again, and for that they deserve our prayers and admiration. I owe my understanding of a grateful heart towards our service men and women primarily to my mom, who is proud to be an American. I know I sound like I am running a campaign, but there is something about seeing the American flag flying in a cemetery full of young men and women who gave their lives that was incredibly moving today, especially on British soil today. It was a little slice of home and I am grateful for that. I will let the pictures speak for themselves below.

Blessings

Cambridge

2009-07-09T13:58:00.001-07:00

Today we spent our day in Cambridge where we are staying for the next few days; Dr. Magnuson is an alum of the Cambridge system so he is well versed in many things here in Cambridge. We visited many historical sites today, but there were a few of extreme interest and importance to me. The Church of St. Edward King & Martyr is believed to be the site of the first English reformation sermon delivered in December of 1525 by Robert Barnes. I have included a piece of literature (or a picture of it) that you can read to get the full story. The original pulpit that the sermon by Robert Barnes was delivered from is still in use today. Charles Lattimer and others that I have written about also preached from this pulpit in The Church of St. Edward King & Martyr. Without being too touchy feely, in a way I was stand on some pretty sacred ground because of what God did through the obedience of men like Robert Barnes, whom most of us until today have never heard. Whether he did or did not deliver the first pre-reformation sermon or not he did deliver one of the first explicitly gospel centered messages in England and for that we should be grateful.

Just outside the gates of King College, which if I remember correctly has produced 32 noble prize winners over the years, is a tiny blue plaque on the wall marking the former location of The White Horse Inn. King College is the most prestigious college in all of the Cambridge University system. The White Horse Inn has great significance because it is at this pub that "Little Germany" would meet to discuss the writings of Martin Luther and implications of these kinds of teachings. The members of "Little Germany were most likely Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Lattimer, Robert Barnes, Thomas Bilney, and others over the years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Horse_Tavern,_Cambridge

Finally, I find great irony in the fact that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin, the father of evolutionary thinking. Darwin though not a particularly good student from what I have heard was indeed a student in Cambridge. 661 miles miles away thousands are gathered in Geneva Switzerland to commemorate the 500th birth of John Calvin, a man who has had more than a tremendous impact on the church and that statement is far understated. God used and uses Calvin greatly in the life of the church and in Christianity across the world.

Tonight at dinner we had a great conversation, one that I am always interested in having. It went something like this; we have seen a lot and heard a lot...not what are we going to do about it? Certainly this is not a question that can be answered in one dinner setting but it was these types of questions that made the White Horse Inn what it was. What are we going to do to champion the Word of God in our churches today? What are going to do to anthem the name of Jesus Christ in our culture today? What are we going to do to prepare laborers for the harvest? What are we going to do to reach the lost and disciple the eager? What are we going to do in this ministry God has called each of us to? I know for me it was a good reminder that change, transformational change takes time and perseverance as well as fortitude to stay in the place where God has you. There are many implications of which this blog would not be readable were I to expound too much, but these are the types of questions that got the Reformation started and I believe that only by these types of questions and obedience to the answers will our churches be reformed today. To God be the Glory forever!

I beleive...part 2

2009-07-08T15:16:00.001-07:00

We had a quite a train ride from Edinburgh with a couple of really wild train exchanges, but we made it safely to Sydney Sussex College in Cambridge where we are staying for the next few days and nights. All the colleges here are part of the Cambridge University system, so I suppose I can say that I lived at Cambridge when I return. This college is 800 years old...that is quite a history. The picture below is part of the building near where we are staying inside Sydney Sussex College.

Probably the greatest treat today upon arriving to Cambridge was knowing we were going to a lecture of a man I deeply respect, Wayne Grudem. The venue held only about 100-150 people and the topic for tonight was The Perspicuity of Scripture, that is to say the clarity of Scripture. Dr. Grudem is a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona. The greatest impact, to date, he has had on my life is his single volume Systematic Theology text titled Systematic Theology (fitting). I highly recommend it, as even tonight he talked about why he wrote it which was quite simply to provide a text that could provide complex doctrines of the nature and character of God and other essentials of the Christian faith in a way everyday people could understand. I also recommend it because he litters his doctrinal discussions with Scripture.

I will not do justice to what was spoken on tongiht but I will hit a couple of really great high points. (these are my notes based on what I heard him say so not direct quotes) The clarity of Scripture means that complex doctrines can be taught in a way that can be understood. Scripture affirms that it is able to be understood but not all at once, and not without effort, and not without ordinary means, and not without the help of the Holy Spirit, and not without human misunderstanding, and never completely.

Clarity is a property of Scripture, NOT of its reader who varies greatly!

Grudem called us all to the life long pursuit of the clarity of Scripture because the subject matters, because of the value of the relationship with God whereby we gain understanding through prayer, study, meditation, and teaching, and because there is value in the life long process of it as well as our obedience to it. The clarity of Scripture is no minor doctrine; it is the basis of so much of our pursuit of Him and teaching about Him. Our infinite and Holy God loves us so much He spoke to us in words we can understand.

When was the last time you stopped to thank God for the clarity of His Word, not that it comes quickly or easily but that over time that which is supposed to be understood can be by the student of the Word?

(One quick word about the photo below, this is obviously me with Dr. Grudem and I look like I have had a hat on all day because I have, but what a treat to meet him tonight.

I believe...Part 1

2009-07-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on a train to Cambridge right now meandering through the beautiful countryside from town to town. I just finished reading a little booklet on the life and ministry of Charles Simeon titled, Simeon, by Max Warren. Simeon was a faithful pastor in Cambridge for 54 years where he died in 1836. This book has some amazing insights into the pastor and believer that Charles Simeon was; one of which I will share with you that has had an impact on me this morning as I sit on the train bound for the very streets that Simeon walked in faith for the Gospel.

Writing to a distressed believer he says, "....There is another thing that I would suggest...namely, that you are too much occupied in looking at yourself, and too little in beholding the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by the former you are to be humbled; but it is by the latter that you are to be "changed into the divine image" (2 Cor 3:18). You want a greater measure of holiness to warrant your confidence in the divine promises; when it is only by apprehending those promises that you can attain the holiness you are seeking after (2 Cor 7:1). You must learn to "glory in your infirmities (so to speak), that the power of Christ may rest upon you". You are nothing, and it discourages you; but you must be content to be nothing, that Christ may be "all in all."

What a profound statement about how we are to view ourselves in light of the mercy and grace of our holy God. I have my headphones on listening to some music while working on some of seminary classwork, and the song that seems to compliment so well the profession of gratitude I wish my life more readily reflected is a song by Andrew Peterson called, The Good Confession (I believe). I have listened to this song at least 5 times as my heart wants to jump out of my chest proclaiming the very anthem of this song, I BELIEVE...HE IS THE CHRIST...SON OF THE LIVING GOD...MY LORD...MY SAVIOR! I am more and more convinced that I could spend the rest of eternity proclaiming this truth and never adequately speak the gratitude of my heart to my God who saw fit to wash clean the filth that is and was my life apart from Him. I am including the lyrics that are speaking so powerfully to me today and hope you find time today to google, itunes, or myspace this song and take it in for what it is, a anthem of the majesty of the glory, grace, and love of God the Father. What is your life dying to cry out? Is it true gueniue gratitude to a God who loves you so much He sent his Son to die on your behalf paying the penalty for sin forever that you might be made right in the eyes of God? Is it your status? Is it your pride? What is your heart dying to cry out and what is stopping it? I beleive, He is the Christ...Son of the Living God!

The Good Confession (I believe)
was a boy, just nine years old, I heard the call and came. They buried me beneath the water, then I rose again. Well, you know my dad was a preacher man. I walked the aisle and I took his hand. He said, “Son, just do the best you can, and say the words, ‘I believe he is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Through the years I barely fell; I mostly dove right in. I drank so deep from the shallow well only to thirst again. Well, I sang the hymns at the summer camp, then I rocked and rolled with a lousy band till I heard a song that took my hand and led me home. And I believe he is the Christ, Son of the living God.
All I know is that I was blind but now I see that though I kick and scream, Love is leading me. And every step of the way his grace is making me; with every breath I breathe, he is saving me. And I believe.
So when my body’s weak and the day is long, when I feel my faith is all but gone, I’ll remember when I sing this song that I believe. I believe he is the Christ, Son of the living God, my Lord, my Savior. Oh, hosanna, I believe.

All Glory forever belongs to the One who sits on the Throne FOREVER! Amen and amen

The Old Course

2009-07-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a great touristy day! We got the choice between going to St. Andrews, where many consider to be the birthplace of golf. The setting was breath taking even if you were not a golf fanatic. I thought much about my family today who love golf so much (Dave and Tommy) as well as two friends particularly (KWas and Damon). It was very cool to walk the course and to see the Old Course up close. Two of our professors got on and played the Old Course, quite expensive, and Dr. Magnuson shot an 82....WOW! Enjoy the pictures and know that the sights and sounds of the North Sea crashing in the shore just to the right of the 1st tee box will not fully appreciated by looking at these photos. Tomorrow we set off for Cambridge!

St. Andrew's, The Old Course: Bridge on 18th Fairway

#1 Tee Box Sign (left) and #18 Green (right)

This is the pro tee box at #4 on The Old Course

The view looking from 18 fairway to 18 green

Samuel Rutherford's tombstone, a Scottish theologian and author, of whom Spurgeon said, "When we are dead and gone let the world know that Spurgeon held Rutherford’s Letters to be the nearest thing to inspiration which can be found in all the writings of mere men".

An old Abbey in St. Andrews torn down after the Reformation (center) and the beach where the running scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed (right).

Edinburgh

2009-07-06T13:47:00.001-07:00

This unassuming marker in space 23 of a public parking lot is the place were John Knox, one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation; some consider him to be the founder of the Presbyterian denomination. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Knox Knox's hero was John Calvin. Rumor has it that Knox did not really want anyone to know where he was buried because he didn't want a shrine or a big deal made of him personally, rather a big deal made of the great God that he believed in.
Just a cool set of phone booths!

This is Edinburgh Castle, it was quite and amazing site, and even to this day in part of the castle grounds there are working military operations. There is A National War Memorial on the grounds where the names of all the Scottish men and women who have given their lives for their country are listed in book after book in this Memorial. Obviously out of respect no photos were allowed in the Memorial, but it was still quite humbling to set foot in those halls.

Scotland is (insert scottish accent)...waaaaaay kewwwl

2009-07-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Today marked the end of our longest stay in any one place, we departed London and headed for Edinburgh, Scotland. The train ride was awesome and beautiful as we passed the wonderful English countryside and headed for Scotland. However before we left London, we had the privilege of worshiping at East London Tabernacle Baptist Church. There wasn't anything spectacular about the church, though it was one of the intentional church plants of Spurgeon. The thing I have most enjoyed about worshiping at two different churches here in England so far is they don't look exactly like our churches in a couple of really great ways. First, they more closely resemble what I picture the universal church looking like as men and women from every tongue tribe and nation are in the very presence of God worshiping Him forever. These churches are very culturally diverse and every thing about that feels right to me. We are so white middle class in our church in a community that radically not! What a joy it was to anthem the name of Jesus with my brothers and sisters in the Lord, to whom there is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Gentile. Second, when the worship service is over no one is eager to leave. There literally were very few that left immediately after the service as this time was devoted to fellowship and meeting guests. We are so quick to slip out the doors of the church and talk about where we will go eat it seems that all too often we rob the Lord of the message He is stirring in our hearts. We don't give proper time to let the message sit and linger having it's full effect on us at that moment. It was a joy to watch the body of Christ reach out to visitors and members alike after the service.
After we got to Scotland, the view out my window is what I am standing on in the picture below. Me and two friends, Drew and Matt, summitted the top of Arthur's Seat and took in the views of Edinbourgh and an awesome thunderstrom that literally blew right around us. Pictures never do justice for the experience of climbing this ancient volcano. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Seat,_Edinburgh

Please continue to pray for Randy and Ana as they should now be in Alabama with family preparing for the funeral and burial of Randy's father who passed away 2 days ago. Randy and I are in the same extension center and he and his daughter flew out this morning to be with his family after the passing of his father who was ill.

Blessings
Stephen

Prayer Request

2009-07-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

Please pray for my friend Randy and his daughter Ana who are on this trip. Randy's father passed away last night in and while it was expected I can only imagine the emotion going through Randy, Ana and the rest of their family. Randy and I are in the same extension and he was the person I knew best on the trip. Here are a few things to pray for please:

Randy's father was not a believer to Randy's knowledge, his mother is praise the Lord but there are emotions involved there too about eternity. What a sobering reminder that being a good person will never be good enough, He is the only way to the Father.

Randy may be doing part or all of the ceremony which would be difficult, but my encouragement to him today was at least he would have full confidence that the full gospel would be presented for God's glory.

Randy and Ana will have a long day of travel ahead of them tomorrow. Randy was very grateful for the relative ease he had with the airline and their willingness to get him and Ana home. Pray for safety and smooth connections all the way to Alabama.

Ana, Zack, and Courtney have now lost their first grandparent, so I am sure that will not be easy for them. Randy has a large family so there are many children and grandchildren that will be dealing with the loss of a loved one over the next several days.

Thank you for you prayers, more updates tomorrow!

Blessings

Canterbury and Dover

2009-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the historic Canterbury and Dover! It was the most beautiful day trip we have done yet on scenery alone. The pictures below will never do justice for what we saw, but I felt inclined to include them anyway! If I understood correctly the Canterbury Cathedral has been in use in one form or another either as a monastery or a cathedral since the late 6th century! Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by 4 of the King's Knights in this Cathedral. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket

The above picture is one of the Cloisters at the Cathedral, the presence of cloisters usually indicate the one time or current residence of a monastic order. The architecture is beautiful and I thought picture worthy. The town of Canterbury itself is a very wonderful town full of great cafe's and tourist shops...a place that my wife would love!
Dover is only about 15 miles from Canterbury and it sits on the English Channel. The train ride over was amazing and the views are even better. This photo was taken from the walk up to the Dover Castle looking out into the English Channel. This is the port at Dover and what is not pictured here is a cruise liner in the right of the photo at port. There was a wonderful breeze and the mere sight of ocean was a treat for me. I love the ocean, the sounds of the ocean, seagulls swarming overhead, and the breeze coming off of the Channel.
Dover Castle as it is now was built in the 1180's though the sight of Dover Castle has protected continental Europe for some 2000 years. We were denied access into the tunnels because of some poor communication but I think you will find the read interesting to say the least, http://www.dover-kent.co.uk/defence/tunnels.htm After we finished looking around and exploring at Dover we jumped the train back to London.

A wonderful day of walking and experiencing history.

tomorrow...

2009-07-02T16:34:00.001-07:00

I have an early train tomorrow so I am going to try a 2 for 1 post tomorrow. Today was a pretty good day! The first pic is me on the other side of the Thames River looking back at Big Ben and Parliament and the second picture was taken from the top of Regent's Park near Primrose Hill looking at the beautiful London skyline at sunset. Pictures do not do it justice but nevertheless there they are!

On this Cross in the Road

2009-07-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Much of the classes I am taking this summer deal with our spiritual forefathers in a sense, and today gave me an opportunity to walk the streets, sit in the churches and cathedrals, and praise God for men that loved the Lord Jesus enough to be martyred for their beliefs. I hesitate to even begin to list some of the men I am talking about that walked the halls of various colleges and universities in the historic Oxford system for fear of leaving some out, nevertheless; John and Charles Wesley, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, Thomas Cranmer, John Wycliffe and many others.

For obvious reasons, today was nostalgic as I sat and ate lunch with our group in the historic Eagle and Child Pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien would regularly go to discuss theological matters. However today the most valuable place was a very simple cross in a road in the heart of Oxford where three men were martyred for their faith. I am including a link so you can read more about their stories. I am including an except from the story but urge you to take 5 minutes to read their stories: Speaking of Cranmer who was the archbishop of Canterbury,

"He (Cranmer) had believed, with a fervor that many people today will find hard to understand, that it is the duty of every Christian to obey the monarch, and that "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13). As long as the monarch was ordering things that Cranmer thought good, it was easy for Cranmer to believe that the king was sent by God's providence to guide the people in the path of true religion, and that disobedience to the king was disobedience to God. Now Mary was Queen, and commanding him to return to the Roman obedience. Cranmer five times wrote a letter of submission to the Pope and to Roman Catholic doctrines, and four times he tore it up. In the end, he submitted. However, Mary was unwilling to believe that the submission was sincere, and he was ordered to be burned at Oxford on 21 March 1556. At the very end, he repudiated his final letter of submission, and announced that he died a Protestant. He said, "I have sinned, in that I signed with my hand what I did not believe with my heart. When the flames are lit, this hand shall be the first to burn." And when the fire was lit around his feet, he leaned forward and held his right hand in the fire until it was charred to a stump. Aside from this, he did not speak or move, except that once he raised his left hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead."

Article Link: http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/269.html I am sure there are better articles for this that are a more full treatment of this, but this one is brief and will give you a little bit of history! Enjoy!

Again I am flooded with these questions in my mind like would I be willing to defend the faith at the price of my life? Would I be willing to recant my recantation and honor my Lord in the end should I have chosen foolishly? I like to believe that the Lord will sustain those who are truly His to the very end, Praise God! I was also just reminded of how grateful I need to be for the men and women that have stood for the faith generation after generation to as Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-3, " You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." In addition to that, the passage in Timothy where Paul implores Timothy to guard the good deposit of the Gospel...today I was privileged to walk one of the many streets of those who heeded Paul's advice to Timothy to preserve the riches of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord.

The architecture was amazing and with every church and college I walked in I said to someone near to me, "I wish my brother was here....he would love this!" He is an architect for those who may not know. Oxford truly was breath taking on many levels and I am glad that I had the opportunity to walk the cobblestone roads of Oxford, England today praising my Father for His sovereignty in preserving the Gospel through faithful men. The picture I am posting is a picture of the actual pulpit where John Wesley and C.S. Lewis gave several sermons in St. Mary's Cathedral. Arguably Lewis' most famous sermon he preached from this pulpit was preached June 8, 1942 titled, "The Weight of Glory" if you are interested in it you can google it and download it for free.

One last note about the location of the pulpit; it is not the focal point in the church, in fact it is off to the side. In many Anglican and other denominations the Eucharist table is central whereas in almost all traditional Evangelical churches today, even bad ones :), the pulpit is central in the churches. The reason for the dispute is based on what is seen as most important for the church. In traditional evangelical churches the proclamation of God's Word is the most common means by which the church is edified, sanctified, and the most common means of grace extended to sinful man. However, in churches where the Eucharist table is central it is usually so because the common thought is that is what is most important to the church. Many believe that the means of grace, that being the receiving of God's grace comes through receiving of the Lord's Supper. This is part of the doctrine of transubstantiation whereby the bread and wine are believed to literally become the actual body and blood of Jesus while retaining there bread and wine qualities. Many believe, though I disagree, that it is in the receiving of such elements that God dispenses his grace to man.

Romans 10:9-17, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Blessings,
stephen

Look Kids Big Ben....Parliament

2009-06-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

So today we had the privilege of starting our day seeing more of beautiful London including Big Ben and Parliament. In fact, not only did we get to see Parliament, we got to go inside Westminster Hall and the Hall of Commons on a short tour as well as have a meeting with a couple of guys that work at Parliament discussing the church, the world, and politics. It was very interesting and beneficial conversation.

I had no idea that William Wallace was put on trial in Westminster Hall as well as many others. The ceiling in Westminster Hall is 1000 years old, it is wood and is still beautiful. I was wishing my brother could have been inside there with me to see it, it was quite remarkable.

After Parliament we hopped on the tube and headed for Wimbledon. I don't follow tennis at all and didn't grow up playing tennis but it was quite an amazing experience. Today was the women's semifinals and various other doubles matches. Sadly, the group I was with decided they wanted to leave early and not worry about trying to get on Center Court or Court 1 where the professional matches were being played. However, some others that I got separated from did eventually get tickets both to Center Court and Court 1.

I came back to my room, changed and went for my first London Run in beautiful Regent's Park. Then it was back to the run to change and get a bite to eat. Not a lot to report from today but it was really amazing to get to go inside Westminster Hall today.

Blessings

Another Day of Firsts

2009-06-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today did not hold quite the unusual excitement of yesterday but it did bring about a day packed with lots of activities. This morning we walked the British Museum which is arguably the best museum of world history in the world. The Brits were and have been for centuries purest when it comes to preserving history. Many of the collections in the British Museum come from countries all over the world, some dating back to at least 6000 B.C. (that's old). Many of these countries are trying to get their artifacts back from the Brits but the Brits do not want to give up easily what they have worked so very hard to preserve even when these other countries would not. One of the main items of interest to evangelicals in the Museum is the Rosetta Stone (not the DVD series on languages) but the original Rosetta Stone. The significance can be found at the link provided: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/t/the_rosetta_stone.aspx Basically, the Rosetta Stone shows the preservation and complexity of language all the way back to at least the 4th Century A.D. The Museum itself if magnificent and enormous and one could spend literally hours in there, but we only spent about 2 and 1/2 which was plenty for me.

Then on we went to the British Library which is also home of 2 highly important pieces of history for evangelicals. There are no known surviving original manuscripts of the Scriptures. However what we do have is Codex Sinaiticus which is the earliest complete copy of the Bible. http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/codex/default.aspx It was fascinating knowing what precision the scribes aspired to in copying the very Word of God...the Logos. Also the Codex is crying out the glory of God for all to see that come into the room that speak or read Greek. The Codex is opened to John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God (communion with God), and the Word was God (deity, Trinitarianism)." Also in the Library is Codex Alexandrinus one of the three earliest copies of the Bible, it like Sinaiticus receives it name from the location it was recovered. The third Codecies is Codex Vaticanus. If you care to read more on Codex Alexandrinus you can do so here: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/codexalex.html Praise God for the preservation of His Word!

Next on the whirlwind day was a quick bite to eat at a Pizza place, then some of us in the group moved on to Hyde Park to play lawn bowls...it was awesome...very British feeling. It is basically like boccie ball...it was a lot of fun though I did fall to the soon to be pro Dr. Magnuson 15-10. We ended our night with a trip to London's historic district where we took in some great people watching and the group that went with saw Jersey Boys about the band the Four Seasons and the chronicles of their story. It was a good show and an even better Theater, The Prince Edward Theater. We had dinner at a Wagamamma (a recommendation from Kym) in the Theater Distinct and it was fun and different. http://www.wagamama.com/ After the show we caught the Tube back to our stop and walked the rest of the way back to our home sweet home for the week.

Many Blessings! Stephen

Speaker's Corner

2009-06-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a most unusual day, both in London and for me personally. This day was unusual in London from the stand point that Speaker's Corner only happens once a week on Sundays in Hyde Park in Central London. It was most unusual for me because what Speaker's Corner is...let me explain. For a number of years, there have been radical Muslims engaging in debate over who is the One true God with what I will call a group of "radical" Christians. This debate has been started by these "radical" Christians and their street preaching against the beliefs of the Koran. For most the term radical Christians will elicit a picture in your mind...some accurate and some not so accurate. Those "radical" Christians at Speaker's Corner today very much love the Lord and want very desperately for the Sunni Muslims in Central London to love this same Lord and God through the worship of adoration of the Son, Jesus Christ. The "radical" Christians at Speaker's Corner today use a polemic method of sharing Christ, that is to say where an apologetic is a defense of the faith; a polemic is an offense of the faith. These "radical" Christians were quick to point out that Speaker's Corner is unique and this method is most likely not transferable in every Muslim environment. Literally in Hyde Park today as thousands fled to the grounds to hear Dave Matthews opening for Bruce Springsteen, there were Muslims clerics and "radical" Christians alike proclaiming their beliefs from step ladders, hence the name Speaker's Corner. There was shouting, debating, points, counterpoints, and even a few fists thrown by angry Muslims (though none of those punches were thrown at our group), all over the issue of who is the One true God. There are groups that go to Hyde Park every Sunday to engage in this open air preaching debate and part of the design is to draw a crowd and engage willing listeners in evangelism opportunities. You need not look far because if you did not engage a willing participant in one of the opportunities, one of the willing Muslims would engage you in conversation. One of the most helpful things I heard in going to Hyde Park today was the conversation you enter into when it is heated is not as much for the person you are debating rather for the those who are casual observers of the conversation. It is about what you say, but is also about how you say it. I am posting a link to an article about Speaker's Corner from Christianity Today, 2008 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/june/21.34.html Whether you agree with the method or not is not the point of this post. Learn what you can learn from this post and the article and ask yourself what are you willing to do for the name of Jesus Christ to be anthemed on this earth?

Before I tell you what I learned I want to take you on a little journey through my mind as we sat in a pre-meeting about this excursion/adventure that we had no prior knowledge of before it was announced. Before we left to walk to Hyde Park I ran the gamete of emotions; fear and excitement, hope and inadequacy, spiritual warfare and spiritual victory, etc. We had been told that though unlikely, violence was a possibility and, we were told that some Muslims would be very nasty to us personally. It was kind of a prepare for anything type of let's go get'em pep talk! The skies were overcast and even spitting some rain and I found myself in my flesh thinking, "maybe I will pray for rain so this thing might get canceled." I have never in my life thought about doing anything of this nature in this manner. I have shared my faith before and I have witnessed to friends and others, but never gone out looking for confrontation of sorts. Then, as I was thinking about the reality that the victory is the Lord's forever and ever and I as a child of the King can claim this victory I was reminded of at least three things: First, this was not and never would be about me, this was about the Lord and what He wanted. Second, instead of praying for rain in the flesh, I was reminded that I was to pray for fruit walking in the Spirit. Third, I was reminded of one of the verses that I have been memorizing this summer: Matthew 10:28, "And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell." So literally in a worst case scenario, the worst that could happen to me is I could be killed for my faith. While that would be and was a little difficult to think about I was reminded of the words of Paul, "for me to live is Christ and to die is gain!"

Today was a most unique experience indeed! I am glad that I had the opportunity and I am glad that I engaged in conversation today with a Muslim man named, or as they say in London a man called, Hussein. Pray for him, that the Lord would open his heart and his mind and he will come to know without a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I am posting 2 pictures from today so you can see Hussein to be reminded to pray for him and one of the crowd gathered at Speaker's Corner. May God receive all the glory and honor forever and may the seeds planted today in the hearts and minds of those who engaged in conversation and those who only observed bring about fruit that glorifies our God and King! Been outside YOUR comfort zone lately???

Blessings

Stephen

Who will pray for them?

2009-06-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

I was listening to a lecture for one of my seminary classes recently and was reminded again of the power of prayer, and yet was left to wonder as well. The story was being told of a young man in his 30's that came to faith in Christ and when the pastor had visited with this man about being faithful to follow through in obedience to Christ in baptism; the pastor asked if there was anyone the young man wanted to call to come witness his public profession and obedience in baptism. This man without hesitation said, I would like to invite my aunt. The pastor probed, why your aunt, our of curiosity. The man told his pastor that he knew that from his birth this particular aunt had prayed that this young man would come to faith in Christ and that she had faithfully prayed for him and shared Christ with him over the course of his life.

As I listened to this story I immediately thought of those people in my life that might have prayed for me; prayed that I would come to faith in Christ and live for his glory. However, I thought more immediately about my family members and wondered who is and has been praying for the salvation of my children. I count it my responsiblity and my privilege to both pray for my children and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them as often as possible. In fact, my children can recite the gospel when prompted by questions with remarkable clarity. However, I believe that while they profess a love for Jesus and desire to live forever with Him in Eternity knowing that He died on the cross for their sins and rose again to pay the penatly of death forever; their salvation will prove itself over time as they come to know more about Him. I do not in any way want to discount their ability to profess Jesus as Lord now, but I also believe I will continue to share and reshare the story of the finality of Jesus paying the penalty and satisfying the wrath of God in the face of sin as often as I get the chance.

I pray that I do have family members that are reguarly praying for the salvation of my children just as by writing this I consider it my privilege to pray for the contiual saving work of Christ in the lives of my family members. I am remeinded today of my need to pray for Carter, Kendyll, Ella, Ryder, Lexi, and new babies yet to be born as well as those God has placed in the lives of those children to lead them closer to the truth or by omission of that truth no closer to it.

I believe that while diffcult beyond measure to think about, it would be a great honor to have a child preceed me in death if I knew he/she was secure in their salvation because of the fruit of their lives or the bearing out of it over time; than it would be to have a child out live his parents with no assurance of salvation from that child. I don't think this is my age talking as I am not a child anymore; I think this is the call of a parent to lead his children to Christ if the Lord allows. In my house I pray that it will not be from a lack of effort, and I pray the Lord would allow me the privilege of pouring the truth of His Word over my children as often as I can. I pray too that God would allow me to baptize my children when their lives have shown sustained fruit bearing over time for His glory!

John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him."

My prayer is that the Lord would draw my children, and all of my family to saving faith in Him that is not content to say yes I believe but a faith that is active and pursuing the face of the glory of God in Christ Jesus daily.

Draw them Father....draw them!

The Power of Prayer

2009-05-25T20:29:00.001-07:00

For any of you that still get updates that I have updated our blog....I am asking you to lift up a friend of ours to the Lord. Katie Rowe was airlifted to UAMS in LR over the weekend with intense head pain and swelling on the brain. Katie and her husband Jason are expecting their 2nd child as Katie is 27 weeks pregnant. Praise the Lord, as of right now the baby is doing very well and the doctors are trying to find a the exact cause or causes of the swelling. Please pray for her, and Jason too. Thank you ahead of time: you can read her updates here: thedavisfamilynwa.blogspot.com

blessings
stephen

Days like THIS got Jerry McGuire Fired!!!

2008-02-20T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is not a post about my family per se but indirectly it certainly is. You remember the scenes in Jerry McGuire where Jerry has an epiphany about what is wrong with his business and the world around him and decides he is going to be a change agent. He stays up after many hours and crinkled pieces of paper on the floor and pounds out what he believes is to be the new mission statement for his sports agency firm. This manifesto would be his downfall professionally at least as we look at it from a carnal perspective. What I am about to write I don't fear will get me fired but I am feeling like Jerry did that day and let me assure you I don't even have an office goldfish should I get the boot.

Many Wednesday mornings you can find a group of campus ministers gathering over grocery store donuts and coffee for prayer; prayer for the campus, the students, and one another. I have been involved in this group since coming to UBC 5 years ago, and I have enjoyed getting to know the other laborers and sharing fellowship and prayer with them. This morning was different for me, and what I am about to share with you I share as a testimony to my own frustration personally as well as part of what I think is wrong with the church in general all too often. I am frustrated at myself because I don't' understand why I am so stubborn to learn the things God is trying to teach me and I am frustrated at the church because all too often our evangelical churches look this way too.

I am going to use an example of something that was shared this morning with the group to explain part of my frustration. I haven't decided where I land on this opportunity yet so please understand I am taking as objective an approach as I can. To make a long story short, a federal grant has been awarded to John Brown University to help combat against the staggering numbers of failed marriages in Arkansas and specifically in NW AR, a task force from JBU has been charged with making a difference with this grant money...great so far right? This group from JBU is hosting marriage enrichment seminars as well as seeking to provide pre-marital counseling on college campuses and other wonderful ideas. The problem as I see it is due to the fact this is federal grant the separation of Church and State will prevent this group from mentioning the only thing that can be our hope in marriage...CHRIST. I understand the material for these conferences will be Biblical no doubt but the name of Christ will never be mentioned. I feel like, and I am not speaking only to this grant as I will address in a minute, that we putting a band-aid over a fatal wound. These failing marriages don't need new principles they need Christ whether they are Christians or not. The bottom line is Christ can salvage any seemingly hopeless situation by His blood. Christians are getting divorced for the same reasons non-Christians are getting divorced; Christ is no long or never was central to the marriages. News Flash: there are days that I don't wake up and "feel" like serving my wife, but Christ in me reminds me that I am to love my wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her (Eph. 5).

Let me elaborate a little more, we do this with evangelism all the time, especially those of us who are relationally driven. We say that street evangelism or a "cold call" type of evangelism is not for us because we find it more effective in relationships with people, but the reality is all too often in the midst of the relationship we never share Christ. We either loose contact with the person, loose interest, believe that we are not good enough, or one of my favorites we hope that just by the way we live they will see Christ and follow too. This is not evangelism and certainly not what Christ has called us to. Matthew 28 makes clear that we are go and make disciples of all nations (including the one we live) not only baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit but also teaching them to obey ALL God has commanded. I do not want to make a blanket statement about everyone because there are those who do relational evangelism very well and I love the thought of relational evangelism but I am willing to admit that all too often I fall short of being obedient in the those relational evangelistic opportunities.

So what now? Well I have given a lot of thought to this...practically all day, and I have come to realize that I have no idea what now. I just know that once you look in the face of God and get a glimpse of Him from the Scriptures to turn back into your old ways is sin. I know that the answer to fixing marriages isn't going to found apart from the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord and must be the center of the home. By the way, I don't think the guys at JBU that are at least doing something would disagree, I am just praying that we as the church and as the called out ones would be more relentless in our proclamation of Christ. Practically speaking maybe that comes to pass at this pre-martial conference with Christ following adults interacting with young engaged or seriously considering couples working on this conference material with an opportunity at the end of the conference to say to them, hey these principles are great but they aren't the glue to my marriage and if you would like to talk more about that then let's meet for coffee and I will tell you. I know with confidence that Christ is what makes me acceptable to God as it pertains to my sin and we as His children have a lot of work to do to be Matthew 28 children.

This applies to my family in so much that I pray we are intentional about all the we do in word and in deed, not putting our hope in the thought that someone might just watch our family and notice a difference. I believe full well that God can and does use good example as a platform for the Gospel but it is not the Gospel in and of itself. I pray Tamara and I are building and leaving a Godly heritage of intentionality for our children not to mention boldness that will prayerfully produce obedient children with a God-sized reckless abandon for the Gospel and for His glory.

Kenya and Martin Update

2008-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

There is much to report on as we still can't seem to figure out how to update you on a more regular basis....I say you singular because I am all but positive that due to our irregularity in updating our viewer base has disappeared. If you are the faithful one, well done and thanks for checking back. Truthfully, I have ambitions to write more frequently but as you can tell it escapes my mind more than the thoughts are flooding that hollow space. I would like to write on a wide variety of subjects but have yet to do so. In the meantime, here is a simple update on our family.

I have obviously returned from Kenya and it was an amazing trip. There are simply too many stories to tell to do this trip justice in one blog entry. I will point you however to a blog about our trip that our church has compiled from all the team members who have submitted journal entries from our experience. You can find this blog at www.ubcfayetteville.org then click on the link for reach and then missions blog and follow this link to our trip. Here are a couple of takeaways from the trip personally; first, this trip was a complete confirmation that I was were I was supposed to be during the time and life of the Kenya political situation as there were no hospitals or medical facilities open in the area we were serving in and we were there to do a medical missions trip. This confidence I had in being there, confidence from the Lord, was our security while we were in country. There was political unrest, rioting, looting, and demonstrations happening all around us but we were not fearful because our God protected us and we felt His protection and your prayers. Secondly, this trip was a long time coming for me as I have felt led to be a part of one of these trips since Fellowship North started going in 2003 when I still worked in NLR, being there and standing in places I had long dreamed about felt like home, don't worry Mom I don't have plans to move there! However, this like my story of baptism was another step of obedience and obedience felt good. Lastly (for now), the Sunday morning worship experiences we had were awesome as we experienced the same God being worshiped in a different language. Many of the Kenyans have very little but worship God congregationally though He is the only thing they need and rightfully so, while so much of our Western culture has everything we need and more yet we worship God like He is just another thing. God, forgive us for that! Revive our hearts to worship you in spirit and truth as you truly are. I pray God gives me opportunity to go back soon.

Tamara was an amazing source of strength for so many while I was gone, which by the way if you have not noticed she is pretty amazing! Tamara is doing well and staying busy with her "part-time" job. It is fun for me to get to see her enjoying this new adventure and all the challenges that come with it. She is an amazing woman, wife, and mother and I am grateful for her in my life.

Cooper got a major haircut this week and we are still grieving the loss of his curls, though his hair was so thick he barely had any left anyway. However, we are holding out hope that they will return. He is really intrigued with the things of God right now which makes for some amazing conversations. Since it is the the role of the Father to evangelize his own home as well as to lead his family, I count this quite a blessing. Please pray for us as we continue to teach them about the wonders and majesty of our great and awesome God.

Jackson has gone through a little attitude phase but the boy has my heart 99.9% of the time. He is so precious and sweet. He loves school, his big brother, baby sister, reading, eating, and playing with cars. God knew what He was doing when he gave us this little one who loves to snuggle and be loved on.

Kate is learning so much and almost every time she hears a door open she screams at the top of her lungs...DA DA! Honestly, what could be better than that? However, when things aren't going just like she wants it she is looking for Ma Ma. She is so happy and easy going for the most part and is wielding a mouth full of teeth. She loves her big brothers and is changing before our eyes.

We are so blessed with our family and friends and thank you all for sharing in our lives and allowing us to share in yours. God bless and please update us when you have time.

Stephen

48 Hours and Counting

2008-01-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, in about 48 hours from now, I should be picking up Stephen at the airport! Please, God, let their plane be on time and everyone be on it!! I can't wait to see him!! As everyone knows, he's been in Kenya on a medical mission trip for the last 2 weeks. I'm so glad he had the opportunity to go and that they were there in a time of such need. Now we are a family in need - NEED OF DADDY BEING HOME! Everyone is feeling much better, which means a lot more energy and in need of daddy wrestling!

Why is it so hard to successfully scratch your foot? It never seems to fully solve the itch... sorry, a little sidebar.... Can you tell, I have an itching foot?

While in Kenya, Stephen and the team have had the privilege of serving over 2000 patients and sharing the gospel along with basic human items like food and water with them. I can't wait to hear their stories!! I know it will be incredible to see God's hand at work ...

So, please be praying for their safe return, and for rest upon his return, and for his energy level to enable him to play with the kids considering how excited they are going to be to see him. Yeah, I might never let him out of my sight again! I do not see how military wives do it - you are incredible.

Well, hopefully the next post will be telling everyone he is home safely!

Milestones....

2007-11-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

We have already established that I (using Chris Farley quotation hands) "am not a good blogger", maybe I don't "blog with regularity' and perhaps I am a "slacker" or am "too busy" nevertheless here is a recent post with the recent news about what is going on in Martinville.

Kate is walking...that's right I said it...she is walking!!!! It has been so fun to watch her start walking although I will say that she is not walking exclusively, only when she wants to. She has been walking a few steps here and there for about a month and half but today she was walking around more and more. She is so happy almost all the time and when she is not she has developed a steady new routine of a full body flail usually resulting in her head on the nearest hard object followed by a nice cry. Kate is also laughing a lot, waving, and saying bye bye every time I leave. She also blows kisses to me when I leave which is so special for me as a daddy.

Jack is doing really well and is doing really well in his speech therapy with Ms. Dee. She comes by his Mother's Day Out class and works with him while he is already there for school and he is really talking well. He continues to be a walking testimony to us of God's provision and blessing as each of our children do. His sense of humor keeps us all cracking up and he still loves his brother more than life itself. Every day that he has school he asks me, "Tay Tay gonna be der? Thomas gonna be der?" He loves being in Mrs. Jennifer's class who was Cooper's teacher last year.

Cooper is a great protective big brother and loves to take care of Kate. They have a special relationship and she still lights up like a Christmas tree every time he comes around. Sometimes she will only do things when Coop is around, like tonight at dinner, she would only eat her apple sauce when Cooper gave it to her. Recently, Tamara and I had our first parent teacher conference with Cooper's preschool teacher, Mrs Lineberger, who he loves. It was a proud parent moment as we sat in little kid chairs in the classroom that Cooper spends Tuesdays and Thursdays in and heard someone else brag about how well our son is doing in class. We picked Mrs Lineberger because some of our other friends had her as a teacher last year and she always shot straight with them about their son's behavior and performance in class. Cooper is doing really well, is playing and including all the kids in the class, and he is learning a lot in preschool. He knows how to spell is name and write his name and Mrs. Linberger said he is the first one to come sit down when it is show and tell time. She said that he loves to read books in class and also loves to dig for worms on the playground. We left there feeling great about his time in preschool and great about how well he is doing in preschool.

Tamara is doing some work doing what she loves to do, picking stuff out for houses. She picks everything from bricks to fixtures. She is working hard and doing well and she seems to be loving every minute of it. We are nearing our 7th year anniversary and are looking forward to the beginning of year number 8.

To date, I don't remember a fall that has been this busy with a full work load and new ministry strategies at work, seminary classes, and trying to be the best husband and dad that I can for my family. I am excited about an upcoming opportunity that God has provided me. I will be leading a group of college students to Kenya this Christmas break. We leave December 31st and will return January 12th. We have been fund raising, praying, meeting, and getting ready for whatever the Lord wants to do in and through us during our time in Kenya. Please pray for us as we continue to raise prayer support and finances to go on this trip. We hope to see as many of you as possible over the holidays and catch up in person.

Love to all
the martins

Big Squirken Birds and the Like

2007-08-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

This has been one crazy summer to say the least. I have found myself doing something I swore I would never do in the summer....enroll in summer school classes. However the difference is this time around I am actually going to school because I want the education whereas before I guess i liked the thought of the education but my retention seemed only for the grade not for the education. I know that at times this summer I have found myself reverting back into that pattern with one of my classes. (this next sentence is where I will justify myself for this last sentence) Let's be honest, I have 3 kids 4 and under and a wonderful wife that are very patient and supportive of my scholastic endeavor but I have found it most difficult to balance my work, school, and family this summer. I also was asked to perform a funeral this summer, the first one I have ever done entirely by myself, of a former high school student from when I was at my last church. The week I spent in NLR for the funeral was immensely challenging and immensely rewarding as I was reminded over and over again of what God has called me to in ministry, relationships, as well as being able to give some sort of support for a dear family grieving the loss of their daughter. All that to say, that week I was in NLR for the funeral I ate, slept, and breathed funeral putting me far behind in the school scene but I felt confident that is what the Lord wanted me to be doing that week so I fought the rest of the month to catch up and still haven't fully caught up. This is what I have discerned from this summer, God knew that I would be overwhelmed, busy, stressed, and crazy this summer and He knew that I would do that funeral so I will trust that the things that I learned or didn't learn, as this case may be, He will use to glorify Himself.

Okay, now that I have that intro done I can address the title of this blog post. If you have kept up with my family or heard me talk about Cooper much then you would probably recognize this as another classic Cooper story. Yesterday he wanted to tell me a story he made up so of course I was excited to hear it as I am with all his made up stories. The story went something like this...first, image my 4 year old with his dramatic facial expression talking with his active hands...okay back to the story, "me and my brother were outside the other day and this big squirken bird sprayed us with water...." My first question after laughing at whatever a big squirken bird is, was how big is a big squirken bird? "Well....the big squriken bird was about ummm ummm ummm 60 feet tall." Classic, I loved it! I have retold that story several times and have been cracking up at the thought of the big squirken bird.

We went swimming today at a friend's pool and if was so much fun. I love how much Cooper loves to be in the water, and now how much Jack is loving being in the water. A couple of weeks ago Jack was not really interested in getting in the water but now he loves to jump in and swim to me with the biggest grin of accomplishment on his precious little face. I was so proud of him and he knew it. Cooper has begun taking his floaties off and swimming between Tamara and I and that has been fun to celebrate with him about his little fish accomplishments.

Sweet Kate! Kate is crawling now and she loves it. She hasn't fully abandoned that prayer crawl yet and is actually doing a partial bear crawl/regular crawl. I guess the point is she is mobile and enjoying her freedom to move it...she likes to move it move it...she likes to move it move it. Kate still loves her big brothers and they love her too. Jack occasionally gets frustrated with Kate when she wants to play with his toys and his, "no no kate....no kate...no no kate" falls on deaf ears. I don't say this lightly but it is a good way to describe it, Kate's other new "trick" is waving. It is really cute because if you ask her to wave she will wave and she has this look on her face like...Mom...Dad, check this out, you see that.

Tamara is staying busy. I know some of you reading this are saying, thank you Captain Obvious for telling us that Tam is staying busy. Tamara always finds something to stay busy with, making curtains, combing through mountains of house plans, analyzing the market, or doing any other things that you can think of to keep her busy. Tamara is doing some work for a good friend of ours helping him do a little of this and a little of that and she is enjoying it. She is like Jose Oquendo...a real utility player. I married over my head but again thank you Captain Obvious!

We are looking forward to football season and seeing as many of you as possible. Let us know what is going on with you and your families. We miss you all and love you.

Stephen

Don't Call it an Update

2007-07-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I remember in the summer of 1990 I was on the way to Colorado to do some backpacking with my cousin and my uncle as was our tradition in the summers; we stopped to get some supplies at Wal-Mart and my cousin and I went nuts with our spending money. To make a long story shorter, I remember buying the tape single for LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out" which is the inspiration for this post as the opening line of LL's song (that's right we are on first initials basis) is "don't call it a comeback..." I will pause a minute before I get back to my point as I know many of you are still singing the rest of the line in your head....ok good. Anyway, Don't call it an update is the title for this post b/c it has been almost 2 months since I posted anything.

First things first, Jack is doing really well, his ears are so much better as is his balance which is a plus for the rest of his body which was daily getting bumped and bruised because of what we now believe was the amount of fluid in his ears. I can only laugh about it now because I feel terrible that my poor little buddy would "bonk" into things almost daily as if someone had slipped something into his drink....Uncle Dave....just kidding. We are daily amazed at how well Jack is formulating words and making us laugh with his sense of humor, timing, and silliness. I have no idea where he would have gotten such antics.

Kate turns 10 months tomorrow and continues to be the sweetest and easiest of our babies. She is so loved by her brothers and pretty spoiled by her parents. She is "crawling" which looks more like as Tamara has coined it a prayer scoot. She puts her hands together and pulls her legs around wherever she needs to go but she is mobile.

This has been an incredibly busy summer for our family. I am taking 2 summer classes through seminary which has been challenging as I am taking Elementary Greek and a Leadership class. The Leadership class has been really good reminding me of what is required of me as a leader and challenging me to continue to refine my character daily for the glory of God. Greek, cue the sad song, is the hardest class I have ever taken in my life, but enough of that talk.

On a more serious note, we got one of those phone calls no one wants to get last Saturday, a good friend of mine called to inform us that another of my former students was killed in a tragic automobile accident. She (Rachel) was about to start her sophomore year at the U of A and her brother (Kyle) is going to be a senior. Their family is very close to one another and I have been close with them since having all three of their children in the ministry I used to lead in NLR. Two of the pastors, real pastors Ginny, were out of town so the family thought of me and asked me if I would do the funeral. I didn't hesitate, so we packed up the car and headed for NLR on Sunday afternoon. I won't say too much else about the funeral for time sake but I will tell you a couple of things I learned.
1. The family had an amazing perspective on the loss of thier youngest child and little sister, believing the Lord is going to use this for His glory as others decide to trust Christ with their lives as Rachel did.
2. God provided me with the strength to proclaim the Gospel at this funeral, I am an all or nothing type guy so I was concerned that my emotions might make it difficult for me to make it through the service. However God used those emotions to proclaim His truth and for that I am and have been grateful.
3. I realized again how short life is and how we have a responsibility to live each day as if it is our last never knowing and prayerfully never fearing when the Lord will call us Heavenward where He is preparing a place for His children...for me.
4. This funeral has made me realize that God has gifted each of us and that we must use our gifts to glorify Him. The purpose of our spiritual gifts, for those who are in Christ, is to glorify Him.
5. Tell those you love that you love them regularly, don't assume they know or don't need to hear it. Thankfully the last conversation Rachel and her dad had prior to her accident ended on both sides with I love you.

Those are a few things that I have realized over these past few days in LR. I was blessed to have been asked to do this funeral and thankful to God all over again for speaking through me and not having to rely on my abilities.

I of course have a Cooper story related to the morning I was getting ready to go the church for the funeral service. Oddly enough, the suit (singular) I have I purchased for another one of my former students that died in an accident several years ago is a little big on me now as I have lost some weight in the last year or 2. Anyway I had to buy some suspenders to keep my "britches" up. I came out after getting dressed, I had on my suit pants, dress shirt, tie, and my suspenders. Cooper, my little encourager, says, "you look nice Daddy." I thanked him for being sweet and then he said, "I like your farmer things!" in reference to my suspenders. God knew that in a moment when my heart was heavy I could use something to make me laugh and be grateful for my children.

I pray I never have to experience the loss of a child, but if I do I pray that I would have the perspective that God would be glorified even in that the most horrible of circumstances. God willfully gave up Christ, his Child, to ransom His children from the pit of sin and death, so maybe the lesson God wants me to learn is simply, I need to love Him even more than I love my children. I know that needs to be true but it is times like these that I need to be reminded that the only thing I am promised in my life with Christ is life with Christ....everything else is icing on the cake so to speak. May God receive all the glory and honor forever and ever, Amen

Sweet Jack

2007-05-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Though I wish I were writing to share funny stories with you, today I write to you as a father who is asking for prayer for Jack. There is nothing that is life threatening but next Tuesday, May 22, he will have tubes inserted in both ears and have his adenoids removed. Jack has been in early intervention therapy for most of his life due to his premature arrival. He still goes to speech therapy once/week and he loves Mrs. Wendy very much. The Lord has been so faithful in so many ways as we have been blessed to have Jack as part of our family. You don't have to spend much time in our home or with Jack to know what an amazing blessing he is. All that to say, the speech therapy that Jack has been in has been completely paid for by DHS, and when Jack turns 3 he will be transitioned into another program. He has been finishing up his therapy with Mrs. Wendy and with that comes testing his progress, he has done very well in most of his progress reports. He has failed several parts of his hearing tests over the last several weeks, and Wendy said that sometimes fluid can build up in the ear and cause the minor problems Jack is having. Wendy recommended we send him to a audiologist to be tested so Tamara took him today and in fact he does have some fluid that doesn't seem to be draining which is causing some of his hearing difficulties. When his ears were tested bypassing the fluid he passed the tests with flying colors.
I realize that I am probably belaboring the point a little bit about this, but I am asking the Lord for protection over Jack, wisdom for the doctors, and faith for Tamara and me. I know this is so minor for all that Jack has been through and the Lord has been so faithful and I believe full well that He will continue to be faithful. Pray too for the post-op as he has certain things that have to happen before he can come home, and once he is home he is supposed to avoid major rough play for 2 weeks....2 weeks are you kidding me we can't go 5 minutes at our house. Pray for us.

God Bless,
Stephen

Never a dull moment

2007-04-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Spring is trying to come back here in NW Arkansas after it was rudely ushered away by one last freeze that lasted about 10 days around Easter weekend. A lot of our plants are struggling to survive that one and our kids were the fortunate recipients of one more cold, we are just now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from that one. Nevertheless the stories keep coming and since many of you don't get to experience them everyday I thought I would post a few highlights from the last week or so.

Tales from the Jack:
Jack is coming into his own more and more everyday. His personality is funny...not like peculiar funny but like he is really funny. The things he says, does, and his little facial expressions are funny. You know that he is showcasing some new talent around our house when you hear in his sweet little voice, "hey hey look at me guys....look at me guys." Of course you have to say it in Jack voice to get the full cuteness of it but it is hilarious. He also has a fascination with his tennnnnnis shoos. We were out for a bike ride the other day and we got to Taylor Davidson's house and from about 100 feet away Jack pulls up his feet and says, "Hey Tay Tay....i got tennnnnnnis shoos on" These are not new tennis shoes he just loves to wear them and to make sure others notice them. Not just his tennis shoes but he wants everyone to wear tennis shoes....Mommy have tennnnnnis shoos? Daddy have tennnis shoos? Bubba have tennnnnnis shoos? Kate have tennnnis shoos? Jack loves to bring me my tennis shoes before I go to work or go for a run. I run some days when I get home from work and when I do run, Jack looks at me with his pretty blue eyes and his scrunchy face and says, "I go runnin'?" So as I am finishing up my run he and I run down the street together and do our cool down. Cooper likes this part too.
The other night I heard Jack who thinks we might someday want to actually pee in the potty running naked from out bathroom to the living room yelling, "we got a streaker in the house." This of course is much more cute when you can see this little naked jay bird running through our house in his little voice proclaiming his streaking...PRAY FOR US!
Tales from the Coop:
I know I have harped on Cooper's imagination but the boys if full of it. The things he comes up with sometime I think it would be impressive for a 12 year old to have thought. The other day Tamara and I were talking in the kitchen around a meal time about God. Honestly, I don't remember know exactly what the discussion was but there was a small break in the conversation and Cooper said, "Dad....you're just not making any sense!" I laughed and said what do you mean buddy? He shrugged his shoulders and said, "you're just not making any sense!" So I began to explain it to him, which by the way this was a conversation between Tamara and I, I used an analogy of some king. I started by saying, "you know that...." So the light bulb comes on for a min and he says with this big grin on his face, "You know that....word" Again we all started laughing because at first I thought my 3 year old was using some good ole slang..."word". I came to realize he was giving me an analogy of his own...you know that word....cheerio?
One day last week I was mowing the yard and the boys were outside with me when Cooper sees a butterfly on the ground and says, "look it's so beautiful" Fearless Jack goes over and touches it and proclaims gladly that he had touched the butterfly. Cooper asked me if it would bite and then tried to touch it but it flew away. I found the butterfly again in the back yard a little while later which by now Cooper was referring to as "his butterfly", we looked at it again and it flew away again. Cooper got really sad and sort of walked away with Jack. I looked over a few minutes later and he was just sitting in the grass sad. I went over and asked him what was wrong and he said, "I just didn't want my butterfly to leave." It was so cute.
One last story:
Several months ago, I was putting a pull-up on Cooper when i realized that he had some coverage issues in the rear. I asked him to turn around so i could get him squared away and he decided to stick his hips out pushing his little butt toward me and looking over his should said, "how bout this?" I lost it laughing and I smacked his little butt and he laughed too. Well fast forward to every time he gets out of the bath he gives me at least one "how bout this?" What do you know, monkey see monkey do....Jack has caught on. So now after bath time there are 2 little jay birds running around my house sticking their hips out and asking me..."how bout this?
There is never a dull moment and we are loving every minute of it. we love you all and hope you are doing well.

Stephen

The Things he says....

2007-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying that while many of you may be trying to find your glasses to figure out who hacked into the Martin blog and actually posted twice in one week....not to worry, it is me. Cooper, our oldest child has been giving us some classic material lately and for any of you who I haven't called and told, this is for you.

Story #1
We were on our way home the other day from running errands and like Cooper is prone to do he started telling me a story that is usually very elaborate and complex for a 3 year old to have come up with. Anyway, in the middle of the story he stops talking so I wonder if he thinks I am not listening which of course I was listening as the uninterested parent is a big pet peeve of mine. I ask him, what happened next buddy? His response was, "hang on Dad, I'm talking to myself for a few minutes right now." Tamara and I laughed so hard I could have wrecked the car....but I didn't.

Story #2
Cooper and Jack got some money from their Nana and Papa for Easter, they decided to go to Wal-Mart and pick out a new "Movie Cars" (that is Cooper talk for a car from the movie, Cars). Cooper picked the green Ramone and Jack picked Chick Hicks. We get home and they are playing with their cars, but when asked to do something or not do something, whichever it was, Cooper chooses to disobey. Tam sends him to time out and out of frustration he threw his new car down. The punishment was an explanation of why we don't throw our cars and loss of the privilege of the green Ramone for one day. Fast forward to Saturday after nap time, Cooper gets up after a good rest and wants to know if he can play with Jack's Chick Hicks because of course his green Ramone is in exile, we tell him yes he can until Jack gets up from his nap. Then, Cooper says, I want to play with 2 cars, where is Sally? Tamara tells him Sally has been put away and he responds with, "Well Mommy, would you be so nice to let me play with my green Ramone?" Tamara and I smirk at each other from across the room at his grown up dialect and delivery. Tam does what any good mother would do, she says, "go ask your Daddy." Cooper walks over to me with his heart on his sleeve and sincere face and says, "Hey, hey Daddy, would you be so kind to let me play with my green Ramone?" I busted out laughing and told him how cute he was, how polite he had asked, and of course I told him he could play with green Ramone until Jack got up from his nap when green Ramone would return to exile in place of another movie cars.

Story #3
This one involves our newest member to the family...no it isn't another baby, just a renaming of a current member. Jack for the next week will be referred to as Jack Balboa in honor of Rocky Balboa who often wore a black eye as Jack is currently doing. Cooper and Jack were at Mother's Day Out Thursday playing in the same playroom when Cooper helped a hard plastic puzzle piece into Jack's face at a high velocity resulting in a swollen eye just in time for Easter pics. Jack however i s doing quite well and is so cute and animated. In fact, the picture here is one of Jack making a funny face the day of the incident on our way to an Easter Seals Celebration for NICU babies. Cute...that's all there is to it.

Story #4
This one will be a short story, my precious daughter is cutting her first of hopefully many teeth on the top of her mouth.

Story #5
Welcome into the world Carter, my nephew who my kids already love and can't wait share Easter eggs with him as Cooper says, "when he's a kid." Carter is doing quite well and is home with his Mom and Dad. They are very proud of Carter and rightfully so...he is a handsome little fella.

Shameful Quarterly Update

2007-04-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Kate my precious daughter went for her 6 month check-up last Thrusday, she weighed 15lbs and some change and the doctor said that she is the picture of health...almost perfect of course. She got her shots and she did fine. Kate is great and continues to live up to the stereotype of 3rd child as we have been told, she is laid back and so happy. She is probably our happiest baby and is such a joy. Her big brothers love her and they still love being big brothers.
Cooper and Jack seem to be getting closer with each other and they are so glad the summer months are ahead of us and and that means more time outside playing. Jack's speech is coming along very well and he is so cute and funny as we have adopted a Jack language around the house with phrases like, "i wear my crocs day", "i wear jersey day", "yes i do". I know that you can't a full appreciation for how he looks and sounds when his precious little voice utters these words but let me assure you it is cute.
Cooper's imagination and memory continue to amaze us as does his mentality of almost 4 going on 40. He is very sweet and funny and amazing in his comprehension of the spiritual matters and his ability to memorize stories from our nightly Bible reading. The key now is to get him to apply these things to his life and remember them in his frustration. This is something that is the perpetual struggle for us all as we seek to integrate the gospel and the power of the authority of the Word of God into our lives so much so that it affects our lives.
Tamara and I are doing well and have recommitted to a nightly devotional and prayer minus the last couple of days while we were in Little Rock for the birth of our precious new nephew, Carter Chase Martin born at 12:05pm on March 31st. He was 6lbs 14ozs and is doing well. We are gearing up for birthdays for Cooper and Jack and looking forward to the summer months. We love you all.
p.s. I got a new computer and one of the features is an integrated camera and one of the features allows us to have fun doing things like this.

Another shameful update...timing wise

2007-01-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

kate, now 4 1/2 months old is doing very well and as you can see has begun eating cereal. She had her 4 month check-up last Thursday and she weighed 13lbs 1oz. She is sooo cute and Mom is trying to transition her out of her daily pjs into
"real" clothes. she lives up to the theory of the laid back 3rd child syndrome. She sleeps great and eats great, she is.....perfect! Ok, so maybe I am biased but hey she is pretty stinking cute. the boys continue to amaze us with their tenderness toward "kater taters" as she is often called around here.

cooper and jack are anything but tender toward one another as they seem to have fully embraced the battling brothers dynamic. they love each other well most of the time but cooper seems to get really frustrated at jack and jack like another little brother I once knew wants more than anything to be and do whatever his big brother is doing. often that desire manifests itself in being a little pest. needless to say we are working with them on this issue and praying for them often in regards to attitudes and actions towards those we love.

here are a few funny stories that I remember from the past few weeks: a couple of weeks ago cooper came out into the living room after having closed the door to his room and hallway and told me, "dad, there's and ant in my room and i'm never going in there ever again!" he has mistaken a worm for a snake which also was very cute and the other day while he was talking to me on the phone I thought he was talking to me so I asked him what he said and he responded with, "juss (just) a minnit (minute) dad, I talkin (I am talking) to mom rye (right) now." jack likes to tell us after we tell him we aren't going to do this or that, "I think 5 minnits (minutes)" jack is talking more every day and is really cute and funny. there are many days we just sit back and laugh and thank God for the joy of raising these 3 children and yet other days we sit back and wonder....what have we gotten ourselves into. Although those comments are mostly in jest it proves difficult to stay patient while we raise these beautiful children. However, I keep going back to the fact that God, the Creator of it all, never looses patience with me and never stops giving me one more chance. Even in the midst of discipline, grace is ever present. glory be to God!

as for tamara and I we are still training for the half marathon in little rock though the weather has made it difficult. I have decided to begin taking seminary classes and am in the midst of enrolling in souther seminary in louisville, kentucky. there is an extension here in springdale and I begin taking classes on monday. pray for us as we walk down this road as it is a large financial commitment as well as time, but we feel confident that we are to take advantage of these classes being offered in our back yard. more to come sooner rather than later....hopefully.

Crazy Christmas Times

2006-12-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have been in Little Rock celebrating Christmas since last Friday, December 21st with family, family, and more family (sorry still no pics). Every other year the entire Martin crew converges on Little Rock for a good ole fashion Griswald Family Christmas. Family gatherings for us are getting more and more crazy because well let' s be honest we have 3 children 3 and under, combine that with family houses that haven't consistently had children that little for a long time and lots and lots of breakables and general children's hazards and you have yourself a recipe for hearing a lot of "don't touch that, don't fall off that, don't lick that, don't eat that, watch out for your brother, and a various array of other random statements you wouldn't hear at an asylum for the mentally disturbed. All in all we have had a wonderful Christmas vacation...err holiday and our children are mostly well and happy.

Cooper's favorite gift was probably his new cars from the movie CARS which he pushes all over the house and takes everywhere we go. Jack, as Nana (Tamara's mom) called it liked more than anything else his 2 $.98 toy horses that he carries around with him. Kate could care less as long as she stays fed and gets her sleep...which thankfully she is a champion sleeper. Some of our favorite memories so far this Christmas include Jack asking me every night if Santa is coming, telling me that Santa is out running right now, and a host of other Jackisms. Cooper keeps us laughing with most everything he does but some of my sweetest memories of him from this Christmas involve his incredible imagination and ability to remember stories. At night when we go to bed we read the bible and he has memorized word for word several stories and he holds the bible and reads it to me and Jack and pauses where I would pause and waits for Jack to fill in the blanks. Also, Cooper and Jack both sure love their baby sister and shower her with hugs and kisses. Kate is my little cutie and she is growing so much and is the sweetest little gift and good reminder that Jesus entered the world the same way we do and grew up just like we do. One difference in us and Him is that from the time he was born his purpose was clear and he pursued it with every ounce of who he was, all too often we know our purpose and yet we struggle to find true north in the midst of the sin that so easily entangles us. Our purpose is the same as that of Christ Jesus, to lay down our life for the glory of the Father. What an amazing responsibility and opportunity we have every day to live life with that in mind.

I hope and pray that your Christmas holiday has been a blessing and you are refreshed and ready to pursue this day and every day thereafter with the purpose that God intends for you. Blessings.

Stephen

Words that make you melt

2006-12-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

First of all I fully realize that we are slacking...correction I am slacking on blogging and posting new pics of the kids. Now that we have that formality out of the way I wanted to share some updates with you as we head into Christmas. Tamara and I ran a 5k last weekend in preparation for the Little Rock half-marathon in March. We are doing well and training is going pretty well, although this week has been a bit challenging due to the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and such.

Cooper last night almost brought tears to my eyes that if I weren't trying to be macho probably would have as I over heard him telling Tamara something very sweet out of the love in his heart for his mommy. He said, Mommy, you know what makes you so beautiful? When you give us kisses. Usually when he tells Tamara she is beautiful or pretty it is because I have coached him to do so, but not this time. This time it was a little boy who loves his mommy expressing to her the out of a pure heart. It was so precious. Then, if that little boy didn't come over to me and melt my heart even more. He said, Daddy, you know what my favorite part of the day is? When I hear the door open when you get home from work and I come running to you saying Daddy Daddy because you're the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world. To be honest it was everything I could do not to let a tear roll down my face and then he threw his arms around my neck and gave me a big hug and kiss and said I love you Daddy!!!

I am pretty sure I could have died right there and my life been complete. Think about in terms of Christmas, think about how God loves to hear us make this realization that He is the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world when we turn from our sins and run to Him throwing our arms around His neck and saying I love you Daddy. Praise Him because it never matters what we have done or how far we have strayed from Him, when we turn and repent from our way of life and run towards Him He embraces us and we feel the love of the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world.

Jack is talking better and better every day and I am pretty sure on the cute scale this kid is a 10+, they all are but there is something about Jack's personality right now that I am so in love with, minus the whining and the grumbling. Even when he says no he makes the cutest face, with his no ending with big puckered lips and a furrowed brow. Everything with Jack right now is 5 minyets (minutes) and he is so in love with this little bible that was Tamara's from 1979. I don't know if there is significance there or not, but I can't help but think about all the time we spent praying over him with a Psalm posted in his hospital bed that it is no wonder he loves his bible. He wants to take it everywhere and he wants Cooper (Bubba) to take his bible everywhere. Often Jack will walk around the house with his bible and then bring Cooper his bible and say to Cooper, Bubba bible...rea it (read it), then he will pick up my bible and bring it to me and say, Daddy bible...rea it. Accountability! It has been such a beautiful reminder of not only my need to be in God's word but my need to model that before my family where it is part of our life. Jack loves to read stories about Moses, Samson, Goliath, and Jesus; I only wish I could type those words like they sound coming out of his precious little mouth. What an amazing gift we have in him.

Sweet Kate just loves her mom and dad, why you ask? She sleeps like Jack did when he was little, meaning a lot. Tamara usually feeds Kate between 7 or 8pm and we don't hear from her again until 8'ish the next morning. She is so laid back and beautiful. In fact, I felt my Daddy protector kick in the other day as I heard Tamara say something Luke Davidson being her boyfriend....in my head I was thinking yeah right when she is 25. We are looking so forward to Christmas and spending our first full holiday season together with full quiver. Thank you for the blessing that you are to our family.

God Bless You All
Stephen and Family

Update Time

2006-11-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today, Kate had her 2 month check-up and of course those pesky shots they have to give little babies. I stayed in the car with a sleeping Jack while Tam took Kate to see the doctor, who of course thinks Kate is amazing. However, like her brothers, especially Cooper she doesn't much care for those nurses that come in the room and pretend to be her friend and then stick her with shots in her little legs. Tam said she turned a shade of red like she had not seen before, I guess it is good to know that she has good lungs. She did well with her shots and she weighs 10lbs 14ozs and is doing very well. She has been smiling a lot lately, and it seems her two favorite people right now are of course Mommy and her big brother Cooper. She smiles almost every time he comes close to her and she hears his voice, which of course makes him light up like the Griswald Family Christmas light display. Jack is doing better this week than last when he had a fever and the yuck most of the weekend. He has been a little more clingy than normal but hey he is the middle child. We have almost decided that he for sure is going to be our artsy fartsy emo kid which we are fine with by the way. He loves to read and play both the real toy guitar as well as the air guitar and his speech is coming along very well. Cooper and Jack love each other dearly and of course they fight like brothers. Tam and I will have been married for 6 years this Saturday and we both think we would like to stick it out for several more years to come. We are having a lot of fun and love being married and raising this crazy family together. There is the update for now, we love you all and hope you have a great Thanksgiving.

Ok...so blogging is a work in progress but hey so is parenting...right?

2006-11-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, a good friend of mine let me know that I need to get on the ball and get new pics of Kate up before she turns 1. So in an attempt to do so I am going to quickly let you know what is going on the crazy world of Martinville.

Kate, CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!! We sometimes just sit and look at her. She is so precious and a wonderful reminder of God's goodness to us not only in the gift of her life but in His provision in her days in utero. We went out for Halloween a couple of nights ago and of course she went as a princess...well at least for part of the night. I say for part of the night because like every girl, a night out wouldn't be complete without at least one "outfit" change. We stopped at our dear friends the Mooney's to trick or treat and they gave us a precious little zebra costume they had purchased for their little boy. Many of you have been praying for the Mooneys and for Eliot their son who had trisome 18, a genetic disorder; he went to be with the Father last Friday. It was sad, but his life was a ministry beyond what my words can explain. Matt and Ginny (Mooney) have blessed our lives so much by allowing us to share in Eliot's story and his impact will forever send ripples across circles of people who know and hear about his story. Praise God for the 99 days Eliot lived on this earth and now forever with Him in Eternity. Kate was happy to wear Eliot's zebra in fact she looked like she loved it so much she was passed out drunk sleeping....but again so cute. She is sleeping pretty well at night sometimes up to 6-8 hours for which Mom and Dad are thankful. She has already been to Florida and been to the beach, for my birthday trip from Tamara we (Tam, Kate, and I) went to Tampa to see a Buccaneers game and spend time with family...it was great.

Jack, participated in the festivities as a fire fighter, all kudos to Mom who came up with the boys costumes. He is talking more and more every day and is a ball of fun mixed with a 2 year old attitude. It seems like when I am not clutched over laughing at him I am scratching my head at his attitude. He loves being a big brother, in fact if you go looking for Kate's pacifier when she gets upset often times you will find Jack's gorilla in her bouncy seat with her as he tries to share his toys.

Cooper, hmmm I don't know where to start with this boy. He cracks me up and is such a big brother. He can be heard telling Kate on occasion, "Settle down...it's ok Kater Taters" He loves to help and to be a part of whatever is going on with Kate. He went as Bob the Builder and even pulled Jack and Taylor Davidson in the wagon while we went trick or treating. He loves life except most things that involve sleep...still struggling with that one. His big thing right now is to mismatch whatever he is wearing on purpose and see where he can go with 2 different color flip-flops on or 2 different socks. He still climbs on everything like a monkey and also is so sweet and precious...you know when he is asleep. I am kidding, he is a sweet boy and is a wonderful big brother to Kate all the time and to Jack most of the time....boys will be boys.

Ok that should catch you up to speed on what is going on right now in Casa Martin. I will try to do a better job of posting and adding pics.

love to all
stephen

Katherine Grace..it's official

2006-09-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying having Kate here at home and again standing in awe of God and provision over our family. The first couple of nights were a bit long...long would be a good word as little girl had her days and nights mixed up, but last night the Lord knew we were tired and she slept really well.
Kate had her first visit to the pediatrician who was pleased with her weight (7lbs 1.2 oz) and said she looks great. We go back to see the pediatrician in 2 weeks for another check-up. Tamara got her staples out yesterday and is getting along amazingly well. Cooper and Jack love having a baby sister in the house. Many times you can hear Jack walking around the house when Kate is fussing saying, she sad....she sad....she sad. I know it seems early but those boys are so great with baby Kate and love her so much.
My biggest struggle right now is finding myself loosing sight of God's great favor on our family and I don't know why other than I am a selfish me centered person. However, when I stop and thank about it even for a minute I am so amazed and blown away at the amount of love God has for me and my family. Kate is a visible reminder of that love and blessing every day and so are Cooper, Jack, and Tamara. I will post more soon, and hopefully more pictures.
Blessings,
stephen

Just Kate

2006-09-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Providence...Sweet providence

2006-09-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

God is beyond good and today I know that again in my life. Today, September 15th, 2006 we were able to bring Katherine "Kate" Grace Martin home from the hospital just 2 days after she was born. This is the day we have been praying for that we would be able to walk out the doors of Willow Creek Women's Hospital with our precious little baby girl in our arms and today God has allowed us to do that.
Providence encompasses our delivery of this baby girl from the beginning of this pregnancy all the way to the time we pulled up in front of our house to welcome her into a home that is full of love for this gift from God. Providence is defined as divine guidance or care.
Providence, Tamara decided on a feeling to call the clinic on Wednesday due to the contractions she had been having and a few other symptoms that were different than days before, when she called the clinic Dr. Partridge-Hix said she would wait for us at the clinic and we could slide right in. Providence because Dr. Partridge-Hix is married to Dr. Hix that delivered our baby and had seen us throughout this pregnancy. Providential in that Dr. Hix has 4 children all of which were premature so he knows what he is doing as does Paige his wife also an OB/GYN.
When we went to visit Paige she examined Tamara and discovered that she was already dilated to a 3.5 and informed us that Robert (Dr. Hix) was on call and would be waiting for us downstairs to do a c-section "pretty quick".
More providence, Dr. Hix doesn't usually do call on Wednesdays but this Wednesday he was on call and knew every bit about this pregnancy and how we wanted to proceed not to mention was able to walk us through every step of the way.
After Kate was born she was having some issues with her blood pooling in her extremities, nothing serious but unsightly and what do you know in comes more providence. Our wonderful nursery nurse for the first day was a sweet lady named Lorraine who "just happened" to have had several years of Neonatal ICU training. Kate was experiencing some discoloration due to the fancy word that I can't remember, we called providence...oops I mean Lorraine and she came right down. Lorraine told us that if it was ok with us she would take Kate back to the nursery and put her on monitors to watch her and make sure everything was still stable, which it was. While in the nursery Lorraine taught Kate how to improve her suck/swallow reflex necessary for proper nourishment by lovingly working with her through the night.
Thursday came and we were able to have Kate in the room with us all day as we continued to pray that we would be albe to all leave together, and Kate and Tamara would be ready sooner rather than later. We had a good day on Thursday and Kate stayed in our room for all but about 1.5 hours in the early morning Friday.
Then the news came as Dr. Davis the pediatrician came by to tell us that Kate looked great and that if it was ok with Dr. Hix to be discharged today then it was ok with him too. We got excited that we had received clearance to bring this little girl home, and then Dr. Hix came by with more great news...GO HOME!!!!
We drove home thankful that exactly what we had been trusting God for had now come to pass. Cooper and Jack are so excited to be big brothers though Cooper understands more and is sooo sweet with her. We are home and excited to be here. Check back more for more pics. Providence...sweet providence. Like I told Lorraine during a special story she shared with me, it's like God really does know what is better for us than we do. Home sweet home.

She is Here

2006-09-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well Praise God, she is here!!!! Katherine (not sure this is how we will spell it yet) Grace Martin was born today a few days before her scheduled delievery date of Sept 22nd but hey can't blame a girl for wanting to wear a bow like that. She was born at 5:14pm on September 13th, she weighs 7lbs 8ozs and is 20" long. She is so cute and reminds us a lot of Cooper when he was born. Mom and baby are doing well.

The nurses are going to watch Kate overnight and make sure everything continues to show wonderful health. These pics don't do her justice she is so chubby and cute and has a head full of dark hair and signs of curls.

The boys are excited and I will post more pics soon...I am home packing my bags...Donna, isn't that something you are supposed to do beforehand? Love you all, join us as we thank God for the arrival of this precious little girl.

Love you
One Proud Daddy

Bonus Time

2006-09-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Today was a milestone, we are now officially in uncharted territory as far as carrying a baby. In fact, as of 4:43p.m. we have now carried this child longer than Cooper or Jack, and are creeping toward September 22nd. What a day that will be!

I failed to mention in my last post that we are also now past the point where "if" we were to go into labor right now they would not need to give Tamara any steroid shots for the baby's lung development and that is a welcomed relief.

In the pending arrival of this little girl my (our) prayers remain the same, carry her to the delivery date, health, and all leave the hospital together. I am praying specifically for the health of this little girl as both our other boys put the yellow in a banana to shame with jaundice. We are so excited that in just 12 days we will meet this little girl and welcome her into a sea of people who have been praying for her and are ready to love her. Thank you again for praying for us.

More later this week
Stephen

In Awe

2006-09-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today we had our 35 week visit and all is still well, no change. I never thought something not changing could be so great, but it is. Tamara is doing well and the baby is doing great, in fact she measures 36 weeks. We go back next Thursday for another visit and then from there the next time we will see Dr. Hix will be on D-day...Delivery day. We are now 2 weeks away from meeting little...oh wait she doesn't have a name yet. In fact, she has a lot of possibilities so maybe we will call her Many Martin (for the amount of names we have looked at and considered) and if you say it fast it sounds like Mini Martin although she will be huge compared to little Jack's entrance into this world at 2lbs 4ozs. Many Martin.

I don't know if you have ever just stood and in been in awe of something, but today I have found myself reflecting on a few reason why I am and should be in awe of God and His graciousness. First, I was in awe again today with the news of no change, not because I didn't think God could or would do that more just in the fact that He has. I hope that makes sense to you, I know in my heart and believe by faith that God is able to do abundantly more than I could ever even ask for but when it happens before your very eyes there is reason to stand in awe. In fact, we were leaving Dr. Hix's office today right around lunch time to go home and relieve our baby sitter (thank you Caroline) and I called one of my best friends to tell him the news of no change when it dawned on me and I shared it with him, 2 weeks from now (then 12:20 p.m.) people will be driving to the hospital on their lunch hour to see our precious little girl. Don't be mistaken there is no chance you are going to hold her...She is mine...MINE. Wait, no that isn't even right she too is a gift from God and again I stand in awe.

Second, I stand in awe because I don't think I ever even came close to realizing the love God is and has for us in giving up his only son for me until I witnessed the birth of my own children. I have never known love like that. I love my wife more than you will ever know and I love my family like crazy, but it feels different when you lay eyes on your own child. All the the other love I can remember feeling or experiencing in my life previous to having Cooper consisted of learning to love things and people through experiences and circumstances, but not with my kids, when they were born and even before but for sure when I laid my eyes on them for the first time I was instantly in love. My perspective was forever changed when I held Cooper for the first time and remember thinking about how much God loves me to send His son to die in my place that I could forever be with God. I stand in awe of our God who loves us so much He gave up His only son.

Third, I stood in awe today because I realized that the Lord has blessed me beyond what I could have ever hoped or imagined with my family and extended family, my health, my job, my house, my friends, and so much more. The crazy part about that is there is a world of blessings out there that I don't even know about yet. A world of awe, and I am grateful because I am His.

I don't ever want to stop having awe moments with God, and I never want to loose sight of the fact that God has done more for me then I can ever do for Him. My life in service, dedication, admiration, and love to Him flails in comparison to what He has already done for me, yet it is what I am called to do, give all of me to all of Him. There is much to stand in awe of for me and these are only my thoughts from today. Praise God for who He is and what He has done.

I will post more later in the week with an update on the boys because let me tell you they are something else and I love it.

Love you all
Stephen

T-Minus

2006-09-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

We went back for our 34 week visit yesterday, did I mention 34 weeks? All is well once again at the doctor's office and more importantly no change once again. Monday we will be 8 weeks further along than we were with Jackson and rapidly approaching a September 22nd delivery date.

We asked Dr. Hix yesterday what his thoughts were on the size of this little girl right now and after giving the eye to the belly and a little measuring he thinks she is upwards of 6lbs right now. He said he thinks we will hit the 7lb mark with her before this pregnancy is over. The sound of 6lbs almost brought tears to my eyes as I was once again reminded of God's provision and hedge of protection around this baby girl's life before she is ever born. 6lbs now and 7lbs in 3 weeks is bigger than Jack was after spending 69 days in the hospital. Go ahead and pinch yourself and go back to the beginning of this paragraph and read the part about how much this little girl is going to weigh. I am never really sure why I am amazed when God provides for us when we ask...hello, He is God and that is why we trust Him to do all things according to His plan. Praise the Lord for how well this pregnancy is going even though Tam is getting(...err strike that) Tam is ready to have this little girl from a comfort standpoint, we are content to wait until the time has come. Not that I am counting but as of today it is 20 days away!!!

We have plenty of help here this weekend as the family is in town for the USC game here in Fayetteville, GO HOGS! Tamara has baby girl a modified girlie Razorback jersey ready to support her favorite team when she is born. It is a Matt Jones jersey that Jack used to wear that now has pom-pom fringe on the bottom, cute and girlie.

Please continue to pray for this precious baby and for Tamara. Thank you again for your prayers and for your calls and help. We love you all.

Stephen

Little Blessings

2006-08-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

While our kids are in Little Rock this week giving my wife some much needed rest time while on bedrest we have been getting the house ready little by little. What a blessing it is to have amazing in-laws and family to help. Last night Tamara and I went out to one of our favorite restaurants, the Market Place, where we ran into one of our favorite college girls who at this time will remain nameless although you know who you are. Anyway to make a long story short after we finished our meal we were sitting around talking just the two of us which was weird because we weren't telling anyone to stop eating paper or get your hands out of the ketchup, our college friends left wishing us a nice evening. Our waiter came by about 5 minutes later asked if we wanted anythign else and then informed us that our "friends" had picked up our check. Tamara and I were so blown away at this gesture and blessing that we just sat there stunned for a while. What an amazing thing to just have a free dinner as a blessing from a sweet college student with a huge heart. Thank you thank you for blessing us last night. I pray that we too will take advantage of an opportunity to bless someone else unexpectedly.
We go back to the doctor on Friday when we will be 34 weeks and only 3 weeks away from meeting this little girl, Sept 22nd and the countdown is on. Just to offer a little perspective on this pregnancy, Jackson had already been in the hospical for 51 of his 69 days at this point. Praise God and thank you for your prayers for this precious gift we are about to have. I told Tamara and the Lord that if he wanted me to go through the experience of Jack again with the NICE stay I could and would do because I knew he would give me the faith and strength to do so but if I was going to be trusting God and asking boldly regarding this pregnancy I have been praying that we wouldn't have to do the extended stay again. In fact the more time that goes by the more I can see the real possibility that I am probably going to get to walk out of the hospital a couple of days after she is born with my baby girl in one arm and holding my wife's hand with the other...What a great day that will be.
I will report more on Friday.

Stephen

"What we have here is failure to communicate"

2006-08-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the doctor for our weekly check on baby #3 and I am pleased to report that everything is sailing along smoothly. Everyday we wake up and Tamara is still carrying this baby girl I praise our great God in Heaven. Every Friday before we enter into the Park Hill Clinic for Women for our weekly visit with Dr. Hix my prayers are the same; "Father I pray that there is no change again today in this pregnancy but more than that I pray that I will have faith to trust you with whatever the doctor tells us. Thank you that you are in control and I am not, help me to trust You and increase my faith." When I hear those words from Dr. Hix, no change I again praise God.
Today we are in the first day of the 34th week and Monday we will be 7 weeks further along in this pregnancy than we were when we delivered Jackson, and again I praise God. At the end of our visit today, Dr. Hix wanted us to visit with the lady who schedules all the c-sections. All along we have been told that we would deliever this little girl, known by Cooper her oldest brother as Kutty (we have no idea where he got this name, but pronounced Cut-t), on the 1st day of the 37th week which calendars out to be September 15th...or so we thought. To make a long story short, we had had a misunderstanding about when the 1st day of week 37 actually is counted and now we are scheduled for a c-section on September 22nd. We have to be at the hospital at 7:15am and surgery is scheduled for 8:45am. This was a bit of a set back for Tamara today as she was worried about my birthday and Kutty's (not her real name...not sure of that yet) being on back to back days. I don't know what greater gift I could be given than the precious life of a little girl and to be reminded of God's graciousness to us every year as we share back to back birthdays. However, for those of you who know Tamara very well, this was NOT what she had in her mind.
Kutty's room is mostly done now and it is so cute. Tamara and our wonderful friend Katherine Sasser (known by our kids as Aunt Katherine because we are pretty much family) put a lot of the finishing touches on her room last night and today. It is so pink and cute that Tamara had to just walk back in there today and report that it was indeed still cute. Katherine has been amazing to bring their (Timm & Katherine) two children to our house this week to help Tamara with our kids while she is on bedrest. Katherine and Tamara are so much a like and compliment each other very well with similar taste in decorating and views on life. It is no wonder that Annie (Timm and K's oldest) and Cooper (our oldest) play so well together and love each other. All that to say Katherine has been a life saver and a blessing to be here in our home this week helping to prepare the way for baby # 3...you know, Kutty.
We are beyond excited about the arrival of baby # 3 and as of right now we are 28 days away from holding that precious little girl in our arms and meeting this gift from God with all the love we have to give. Excitement would be an understatement. I will post more as there is more to post. Thank you for your prayers and for your help in praying this little girl into this world.

love
Stephen & the rest of the Martins (Tamara, Cooper, Jackson, and little Kutty)