Football Camp

D. got to write his first essay for a scholarship a few weeks ago, and won! He got a scholarship to the Pro Football Camp. Rich Griffith, a former Jacksonville Jaguar and New England Patriot and a Christian leads this camp. Several current (or who will be in their first year) and former NFL players help coach this event.

I wasn't sure how D. would do. We watch football on TV, but I have never really sat him down and walked him through the "rules" of the game. No problem. He did great! And he loved it. 4 mornings of drills and scrimmages and he had a ball (no pun intended). Got a bunch of autographs, and pictures, but most of all he had fun and learned some skills. A neat part also is he will have a few guys he "knows" playing this year and we can follow them.

Kudos to the organizers of the Pro Football Camp. They focus on character traits, as well as football. And they also have learned how to keep the kids attention, keep them moving, and let them have fun while they learn.

I am proud of my Brother

I get to fly out to California for a few days. I'm hoping I can maybe enjoy and In-N-Out burger while out there, but the primary reason I am going out is to attend a pinning ceremony. In the military, you find out you get promoted, then several months later, you actually get "pinned" with your new rank.

My Brother is getting pinned on Wednesday. He will be Major Marc Wolfe, United States Air Force. I am proud of him. His work is fascinating to me and he does it well. This is demonstrated by his promotion to Major on his first try. That doesn't happen all the time. I will be joining my parents and my Brother's in-laws. We are all proud of him.

Congratulations Marc. I am proud of you.

Some Vacation Time

We were able to have some "real" vacation time last week. We met my in-laws in Telluride, Colorado and enjoyed being "in" the mountains.

We made some day trips up the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, Silverton, and the Old One Hundred Mine. Saw beautiful expanses of the Rocky Mountains and saw more 14'ner peaks than at any other location in Colorado (so say the guides). We also saw waterfalls, mountain goats, and got to hike a bit. It was a bit chilly, but we had jackets. Even got a picture of me in shorts while it was snowing. Now I really feel like I live here in Colorado.

We are coming up on my one year anniversary of my firing. However, I look at it now as a release date. Over the past year, we have been able to do so much. I have also been able to put into practice that God is in control of everything and he does not give us anything we cannot handle.

JOB: Although I don't feel I have found my career job yet, I have met people and have expanded my network of contacts. I am enjoying my position with The Men's Wearhouse, and have been able to use my people skills as much with customers as with co-workers and bosses.

FAMILY: We have been able to spend more time together as a family. We are also becoming more intentional with our time together, and I feel we are growing even closer.

PRIORITIES: I have also learned more what my priorities should be. God has truly blessed me in this regard. Someone said that for change to happen, we either have to increase the pleasure or increase the pain, and both of those have happened this past year.

FINANCES: As I mentioned in a previous post, this has been the biggest trial of faith. God has truly blessed us financially, giving everything we have needed, not all that I have wanted. And you know, we don't neeeeed a whole lot.

FUTURE: Amazing Awaits is our family motto. Not sure what lays ahead, but that doesn't matter does it? He knows, and that's all I need to know.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.    - (Doxology) Thomas Ken, 1674

Transfer to a New Store

I'll take it as a compliment. After a little less than three months in my new job, I was transferred to the store across town. 

So, how do I feel about it? It is a larger store - That means a better commission for me.  There is a different internal dynamic - I was a bit worried how things would go as I came in, being the "new" guy from the "other" store,  but after two days, I feel I can/will adapt quite well to this new environment. I am glad that I learned how the company works before coming to this store, as my previous manager was quite knowledgeable in the product we sell and in how to effectively run a store.

So I feel good about it. Amazing Awaits!

Communion

As we shared the Lord's Supper this morning, my mind wandered to my Brothers and Sisters I was in communion with. Obviously, those who were sitting around me, and those in the same room I was were communing with me, but there were a few other people also...

Richard and Jade Wolfe - Olathe, Kansas

My parents who are now in the USA after 23 years as missionaries in Belgium and French speaking Europe.

http://www.151cofc.com/

Marvin and Judith Crowson - Searcy, Arkansas

My In-Laws, who after being missionaries in Jamaica, and preaching across the US, are now living their dream of developing teams planting churches in major US metropolitan cities.

http://www.domesticmissions.com/

Marc and Christa Wolfe - Vandenberg AFB, California

My Brother and his family, who because of his job, has and will move across the US.

Latay - Tabligbo, Togo, West Africa

I met Latay in Togo this past Summer. He heads up an agricultural mission effort helping local Christians farm crops for sale. 

Rosanne Dreher - Atyrau, Kasakhstan

My Aunt by marriage who is living out a passion of empowering local people in Kasakhstan.

Pierre and Mary Paquet - Liege, Belgium

Pierre is Belgian and Mary is his American wife and strong members of the Liege congregation - my home congregation -who surprised me when their daughters came to Harding.

Murphy and Christine Crowson - Kigali, Rwanda, East Africa

My Brother-in-law and family who have just moved to Rwanda after more than 10 years in Togo and Benin, West Africa.

http://www.rwandaharvest.com/crowsons.php

Take me out to the ballgame...

I have been making a special effort to spend time with each child and doing something they enjoy. When it's the girls turn, we say we are going on dates. But with the boys, that just doesn't ring right, so we are just calling them Daddy/Son Days. 

D and I took in a AAA baseball game. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are one step away from the Colorado Rockies. Smaller stadium meant we were in row "J" - Niiice. I enjoyed a Pepsi and a foot long hot dog. D decided on pizza - must be a new ballpark food :) The game was pretty good, with the Sky Sox losing. As we were leaving, a young man who had caught a ball hit into the crowd, just gave it to D. It had been already autographed by Sal Fasano, the catcher for the game. Cool. It was a fun Daddy/Son day, and allowed us to also get some sun/wind -  burn.

We did miss the Terrazo parade at the Air Force Academy. Not a big deal since we did see the parade a few weeks ago (on another Daddy/Son day), however, it would have been neat to see the guest of honor today, Captain Sullenberger. 

And we have an out of town visitor coming next week. My brother is coming for his work (with JSpOC). I will also brag on him a bit here - He will be pinned with his USAF Major rank this Summer.

So today turned out to be a warmer day, high 60's, but snow and snow accumulation is coming in starting tomorrow night. I love Colorado!

God is Great!

God is taking care of us. Over. And over. And over. And over. Finances have probably been a concern ever since we were married. And it has been one thing that we have had to turn completely over to God. 

The latest example of this was this past week. Traffic has been a bit slow in the store. My paycheck the week before was about half what it had been the previous 3-4 weeks. And it looked like this one was also going to be low. I walk in on Saturday at 1 pm, and within 15 minutes, I close a sale, that makes up the difference. God is watching over us and taking care of us.

I am in awe. My biggest lesson since being fired from my job has been to swallow my pride, and recognize the control that God has in our lives that we try over and over to take from Him. Don't we know that He knows what we need? Before we even know! God is Great!