Welcome!

Welcome to the World Joanna! On October 6th, 2009, we were blessed to welcome Joanna into our family. She weighed 7lbs 4 oz and measured at 18 inches. She was born at 1247pm in Belleville, Illinois. Maleah met Joanna that evening and seems to be adjusting with mom and dad. We are anxious to meet Cooper in a few weeks and hope to see a post of him soon.

Live at Tummy Central It's 35 Weeks!

Yeah, you missed 34th Week because of a repeat episode of 33 Weeks.

Now, here another episode of Tummy Central at 35 weeks.

So, it's the 35th week of Joanna's life in the womb and Sara's life of misery of stretches and growth. She definately loves Joanna, just the affects of being pregnant is starting to take it's tole. From contractions to no more room to grow. So far, no baby but getting closer by the day.

A Man's Point of View of a Joanna's Growth...
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

The Real Deal....
Your baby is in your ribs, pelvis, sides, and other areas. She's not going any where because she's run out of room and you have run out of patience. Sitting is an option if you have nothing in your way. Laying prevents her from dropping into your lap but there are things to do so you suck it up and deal with it. Your other little one doesn't understand that you are pregnant so she slaps everything that's in reach. Who knows, today could be the day but you don't know. So you walk until there's no tomorrow if you can. If you can't, who cares, you are miserable and ready to pop. You'll do just about anything to get this beautiful bundle of joy out. But seriously, it's not worked yet.

I thought Sara would like that. We are shopping for clothes today and we are getting more things together. So far, we have a few clothes with some diapers. We went to this new place in Red Bud and got two games for 10 bucks and my drill for 10 bucks too. I think we are going to go back soon. They have some picture frames that will fit my Thomas Kincade prints.

Getting ready for the Women's Conference. No, I am not going but I am going to be busy getting things at work ready for it. This week was an interesting week of emails and phone calls. I am believing that we have solved the problem and next week will be a week of cleaning up. Nothing else new is going on, we are pretty much just on stand by and clean up.

Live at 33 Weeks, It's Tummy Central!

Some may wonder, what happened on the 32nd episode of "Tummy Central?" Glad you asked. Nothing. Baby still grew, mommy still was ready for her to be here, life was still grand.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.....

Now Live at 33 Weeks in Tummy Central!

Monday we heard the heart beat again and Sara measured well. The biggest pain right now is no sleep. We call this getting prepared. Maleah was good sleeper so Joanna will be too. That's what we will believe and nothing less. Sara's other pain is heartburn. The myth of hair is a lie. Maleah didn't have that much hair and Sara had heartburn even after the pregnancy. Lies. All Lies...

This guy still insists on measuring by fruit but Sara goes here so, here goes I:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Somehow, I missed a whole week but it's not all in vain. Next week: 34 Weeks....imagine that....

Live at Tummy Central, It's 31 Weeks

It's 31 Weeks at Tummy Central and we are on constant movement these days. Sara's ready for Joanna to sleep through the night so she can. The bladder has become the trampoline and so far, there's an extra room being built. Maybe not an extra room, but for mom it certainly seems like it.

What Joanna's up too....
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Nothing else is really new so keep looking back for updates. :)

Live at Tummy Central....30 Weeks

Things are definately moving quickly in Tummy Central. Joanna's growing bigger and bigger every day. Sara hasn't had too many weird cravings other than her normal lemonberry slush from Sonic...which someone is due for soon. She's definately feeling pregnant between the stretching to the "i can't sleep" syndrome to the Braxton Hicks....lol. I know it's spelled wrong but just the thought of Toni Braxton mixed with a hick kinda makes me laugh....corny. Anyway, we have another dr appointment next thursday and we get to hear the baby's heart beat which always reassures us everything is great and it gives us a sneak peak of Joanna's progress.

She's getting bigger:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

I am looking forward to many new things that are going on in our lives. New days ahead with new "adventures" as Sara and I call them. Stay tuned to Tummy Central.

29 weeks in Tummy central

Well, it's another week at Tummy Central and Momma is experiencing the fun of Braxton Hicks. She's not been feeling weel today but soon, it will be over. Joanna's growing strong and healthy. We just had our monthly visit with the doctor and he says that she's "borining." We like boring. Our C-Section date is set for October 15th at 730 am.

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Maleah's moved up to a big girl bed. She continues to roll around and find the crack that is opened at the bottom to fall out. Tonight was the first time that she didn't fall out. Whoohooo! Some say it's too early but we honestly have no choice. We have run out of room for her to sleep in the crib. Soon, Joanna will occupy the nursery. Maleah's growing by leaps and bounds. She's over two and a half feet tall and about 25 pounds. She loves to eat, sleep, and play.

Nothing else is new but soon, there will be a day full of excitement.

26 Weeks in Tummy Central

It's a night in front of the tube watching the Cardinals whoop up on the Diamondbacks! We are just jellin' like no body's business tonight. Sara's growing more and more everyday. Maleah loves playing peek a boo with Joanna. Joanna's getting bigger and healthier. We believe great things are to come. Sara's getting more anxious as the day arrives. Keep her in prayer as there were issues in Maleah's delivery. We believe that the blood will flow correctly and not clot in Jesus name. We can't wait to see the newest addition to our home.

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

We are also anticipating the arrival of Jeff and Val's little boy, Cooper. As if he hasn't heard it enough already, I was going to mention "Mini-Coop" but we already know it's getting old. But this little one will be healthy and grow strong.

Josh leant me a book called "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose, which is a pretty good read. It is not for the faint of heart or the deeply religious. But it will get you to think more and more each day.

There's not too much going on other than doctors visits and weekly visits to Sonic for a Lemonberry Slush for the muther.... I love God, I love my family, and I love my job. God is so good to me. Be blessed!

25 Weeks in Tummy Central

The past few weeks seemed to have flown by like the wind and the rain on a hot summer day. Sara and I are amazed at how quickly our family is growing, our lives are changing, and how funny God really is. Seriously, you ought to get a trip out of what God is doing in our lives. We should, by all the world's standards, be living in poverty. We are not filthy rich by any of the worlds standards but I don't have to worry about anything because I have a God who meets our needs (Phil 4). We recently went to the Grizzlie's game and watched some baseball and fireworks. Maleah got to watch the big explosions and she clapped her hands in excitement. Nothing matters to her in life. The only thing she cares about is food and sleep with an occassional diaper change. But now we are in the 25th and 26th weeks of the next stage in our lives. Joanna Grace is moving around quite frequently, landing on mom's bladder and thinking it is funny deep down inside. she is healthy and that is what matters. Here's what's going on in Tummy Central :

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

It's amazing how God created this little being and day by day she is growing bigger and stronger. We serve an Almighty God! See my post on A Quest for Jesus. God bless you and have an awesome day!

Tummy Central at 24 Weeks

At 24 Week, we are trucking along waiting for the arrival of Joanna Grace. So far, mom has ballooned little by little. Feeling the affects of Joanna growing, she's taking it a little more easier. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves is over doing it for the sake of keeping up with everyone worth it but for the sake of mother and daughter, it's good to take a break. At the end of July, we are heading to Memphis for a furlough which will be nice.

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Over the weekend, PaPa and Grandma took Maleah so that mom and dad could get away for dinner with some people from work in St. Louis. We went to a little Nicoquan restaurant in the Soulard district of St. Louis. We hung out most of the evening with Denise and her daughter. Sometimes I know I over kill the humor but you know, I am at a point in my life where if you don't like me for being me, then I guess I can handle hanging somewhere else. They seemed to be good sports about it. Sunday we had the parade in Red Bud that preceeded the festivities of Maleah's first birthday party. Yes, our baby is one as of today. It's scarey, really, how fast time flies. Not that because she's one but because we are where we are in life. It seems like yesterday that I was unhappy and lonely with the weight of the world on my shoulders. Now, I couldn't be happier. I have my days, like today, where my mind tries to over take how awesome my life really is. But I tell you, contrary to popular belief, we are happy. Maleah received plenty of presents and lots of love from people around her. She had her cake and ate it too. Tonight, we hope to go to McD's for dinner and let her have her ice cream. This coming weekend is going to be busy as well. We are going to a Grizzlie's game to watch the game and fireworks to follow. Sunday will be a quiet day with no plans that I am aware of. We are planning a game night soon at our home and hopefully will have a good turn out. I would invite you St. Louis people but it's just too far for you. Memphians, sorry, it's just not happening. lol. Now Jeff and Val can come because, well, we have something for you. That's about it in our world. I hope to see you guys in July in Memphis. If not, we'll see you in September if Joanna's willing. lol.

Tummy Central at 23 Weeks

As momma gets bigger, so does Joanna Grace. Sara seems to be feeling pretty good so far. This past weekend we went camping, hence the reason I didn't update. She climbed boulders, slept on the ground, ate smores, and swam in a creek. By Sunday, she was beat. Maleah seems to be enjoying herself with her new found freedoms. She started walking a little last week which was pretty weird considering she's not quite a year and it's just wrong that she's growing up.

Joanna at 23 weeks:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

I have been doing OT it seems like forever. We don't mind the pay check but I think that it will be worth it in the end. Sara will be glad when it's over too. :) She's truly a good sport about it. Most women would be ready to fire their husbands and hire a butler.... not her. She knows she would have to retrain him. lol just kidding. This week has come to an end and now we are enjoying the spoils of our labors. We're playing games and jellin' next to the couch. Why not on the couch? Jenga. Enough said.

Tomorrow we are heading to St Louis for picture for Maleah, grocery shopping, and then dinner with George and his crew. Look forward to seeing all of you there. The baby will be going to grandma's for the night. Well, that's about it folks. As you can see, Tummy Central is getting closer and closer to disbanding and moving to crib side seating. God bless all of you and don't stay up too late.

Busy Bees Getting Busier

So...I hear people are complaining that I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. Seriously. :) Sorry for the absence. I have been extremely busy with overtime, house remodeling, cleaning and cutting the yard which this week is a no, and getting ready for the rest of the summer. Sara is doing pretty well and keeping busy. She is getting excited that Maleah's new room is almost finished and is ready for her to move into. Sara and I found out last week that we are having a girl! So another addition to the Howell clan will be a hormone filled creature. Her name will be Joanna Grace. Joanna is going to move into Maleah's old room and we will hope that in a few years they won't realize that one's room is bigger than the other. Then we can threaten with a sibling....just kidding. Joanna is growing by leaps and bounds. So far there are no cravings that are out of the ordinary. I will have to say that Momma loves to eat. And I love it! Because if she eats....I eats....lol. On to the update:


At 21 Weeks
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.


At 22 Weeks
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Maleah never misses a beat. She started walking on Sunday night before last from the couch to the futon. Now, she likes to chase dad around the house on all fours saying "da da da" and laughing. I think it's a sign of things to come. She also broke through her fourth tooth earlier this week shall we say Praise the Lord. She's definately a tough fighter being that she has both the Howell and the Krebel traits in her. Praise God for the Germans. lol.

This weekend will be full of camping and fun. We are hoping that mom gets plenty of rest on the ground..... we can pray. We have an air mattress that I am going to blow up, not literally, to see if it will work for her. Maybe we can both sleep on it....one can hope.

Week 20 in Tummy Central

We are quickly passing twenty weeks and a few more days we find out if we are having a girl or a boy. All bets are pretty much that it is a boy. We will be happy either way. :) Sara's been doing good with the exception of the painful back, legs, feet....ok, there's a lot of discomfort. But hey, you carry around a munchkin in your belly and you will quickly find that it's not easy task.

OUR Baby
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

We find ourselves finding something to laugh at more each day. Whether it's who passes the loudest gas. This week, Maleah. The child made my arm quiver in fear! But yesterday, Jessica put a funny post on Facebook about "I Don't Drink Beer." We heard the clip and about fell off our rockers....literally.

It's been very busy at work with the new system and overtime. I am sure Sara will be glad when I am home more. I am so glad that she understands that I am preparing. Someone once told me that is why God gives us 9 months....

Keep our Pastor and his family in prayer. Many developments will be coming soon in the case and we are excited that God is in control. Do we know the final outcome, no. But we do know that God knows the future and our plan is to kick back and pray. I wanted to include in this portion the following thought;

If someone has repented of committing a sin to God, then God no longer remembers it. With that said, all other talk about the topic that this person has repented of, namely adultery, is considered gossip. Why? God is listening to you speak about something that is not in His mind any longer and it is considered a slanderous thought or word. Be careful what you speak about. The fact of the matter is that God knows the heart and it is place to judge, not us. I may catch some slack for this statement but I have to say, unless you have been in the shoes of the accused, you need to think about what would you feel like if you were there in those shoes? Just food for thought.

Soon, we will be heading for a few busy weekends and a few things that will rock our world. Thank God for His provisions and grace!

God's Ultimate Repayment Plan

In the past situations that I have been in, I have found myself wondering why things happen the way that they do. It wasn't until recently that I realized that it's none of my business why it happens but that I have the faith to endure and withstand the trial that is before me. It's none of my business why God allows the injustices in the world to happen but to be in prayer for those injustices. I believe that I have had a revelation in this area in my life. Though I have not completely arrived, I know that I am on my way to the freedom of knowing that I am not God. You may laugh, but we often treat our lives as if we have all control over it and that we are the center of the universe. Have you not seen the stock market? Have you not heard of the housing market? Have you not seen the prices of a Starbucks coffee? For the love of Pete, you have to almost take out a loan just to get a Venti Vanilla Latte, not that I am advertising my all time favorite flavor but it takes an act of God to afford it. I know that so often we find ourselves blaming God or asking God why things happen in life. Stay with me as we go together in the Word and discover the ultimate repayment plan that God has made for His children. Like most companies, Frito-Lay has a Money-Back Guarantee on the back of it's packages in small, almost illegible print. But if you don't like their product, you call the eight hundred number on the back and complain. If you don't like the packaging, you can call them and let them know. Already I can hear you saying, "where's God's 800 number? I would like to place a complaint on this packaging He put me in." Let's be realistic, it could be a lot worse and it may get that way if you keep that attitude. Back to the point, many companies will repay you for the 'wrong' that occurred. Whether it was poor customer service, a bad product, or unreliable services, the company will, at times, repay you in the form of money or additional services. Where are you going with this, you may ask. Turn your Bible to Isaiah 61:8 and let's take a gander at what God has in store for us today.

"Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs." (NAS)

The fine print that God gives us, if you will, is that instead of the trouble that people give you or the injustice that people do to you, He (GOD) will repay that injustice. Where do we find that? In Proverbs 20:22, wisdom says that the Lord will repay. There is a portion of that which we don't like to hear very often or at all. "Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. " We often want to get back at the person right away and show them who is boss. We want to get even and do it without even thinking twice about it. However, it says that if we wait on Him, He will save us. There is not a maybe in that verse. If we try to get back at someone, there is a high possibility that we will fail. With God, that repayment by Him is a 100% guarantee. In several places in scripture ( Deut 32:35, Ps 94:1, Heb 10:30) God instructs us to leave it to Him to repay the judgment. How awesome is that! We get to let the almighty Jehovah fight out war and we get to sit back with our cup of coffee and newspaper while He does it. Okay, maybe not with those things but the fact is it takes more courage to admit that the battle is the Lords (1 Sam 17:47) than to run into the fight to obtain revenge. It brings back memories of an old movie called "The Princess Bride." Through out the whole film, one of the characters vowed to obtain revenge of his father's death. His whole goal in life was to duel with the man who killed his father. He practices the lines that he will say, he practices the moves, and rehearses the scenes over and over. But in the end, he dies. Bummed? It is the very same principle in our lives. If you go around with a big chip on your shoulder wanting revenge because someone did you wrong or you are harboring unforgiveness, you are no better than this character who wasted his whole life looking for the man who killed his father to get revenge. God has already declared that you have won this victory, He knows the outcome, He has spoken to you to give it up and let Him deal with it so let Him deal with it. Let Him give the repayment. Let Him be the one who bears the burden. Let Him be the one who carries more than you can bear because you can not carry or bear this alone. You can not repay what anyone has done. Jesus said it best on the cross, "Forgive them Father for the know not what they do." We need to ask God for His help and divine assistance. In closing, we find ourselves in Psalms 43:1 which is "Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men." Apart from God, you can do nothing my friend. Trust in Him, believe in Him, follow His calling. If you have failed in the past and have done stupid things, forget about it. If you have asked for forgiveness, quit talking about it. God has already forgotten about it and so should you. Is it easy, absolutely not. But you have people praying for you, you have people thinking of you, and with the help from Almighty God, you will overcome evil with good. He's not leaving you nor is He forsaking you. Stand firm and stand strong! Let God repay and let Him be the victor and stop being the victim.

Mind? What Mind? Week 19

I still laugh when I hear Sara mention, "I have prenancy brain." Some people may think it's a fake thing but I am starting to beleive it more and more. Not that she forgets a lot....okay, she does. I can't complain. I'm not even pregnant, so what's my excuse? Sympathy Pregnancy Brain. It's a new thing I bet they are going to come up with a drug for. Any takers? We are finally in week 19. I say that like it's been a real long pregnancy. We were just talking the other day about how fast this one is going compared to Maleah. Then again, we are chasing her around the house more often saying, "No Maleah, don't touch." I can hear Mammaw's voice, "I believe that is the most hard headest...." Anyone reads this knows she was talking about Amanda, right? Ahem...right. Anywho, Sara's doing pretty good. The normal gravings are there which is nice. Along with the comes heartburn, indegestion...no, I am not doing the commercial. Pretty soon, we will see what our little sprout is. Whether it's a girl or a boy. Maybe I should run a contest?

Our Baby at 19 Weeks
How your baby's growing:Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Other news:

I have been working loads of overtime this week which is nice. Next week will be even busier as we prepare for the new software system we are getting on June 1. It's going to rock! I have enjoyed the overtime but must admit, as any husband or father would, I miss my family. I thank God this is Memorial Day weekend. It's going to be good. We are heading to the zoo on Monday if it doesn't rain. I am cutting back in a few areas and if you have seen the Myspace and Facebook numbers, they have dropped dramatically. I had all these people on my "friends" list and maybe 5 commented a few times a year. But that's not the reason for the slim down. Have you noticed Myspace's ads? Seriously, you would think that they would have more taste...wait a minute. Nevermind. So I have decided to cut the strings. To the site, that is! Don't need to see any of that here in this house from anyone who isn't my wife. But seriously, it's annoying to be trying to log in and bam! There's a girl winking at you with suggestive clothing saying be my friend. No thanks. I will just pass. So in June, the Myspace band wagon ends. I have been a loyal blogger there for almost 5 years and have not seen any improvement. What can I say though? So long, fare well, a vida say goodbye.....

Anyway, in more news, we finally got our yard cut this week. It rained over night but I decided to suffer it out. Which means Sara went to work, the baby was at Aunt Wendy's, and it was on my list of things to do. Sure, I love to cut the grass. I do, however, loathe bugs that bite me while i destroy their habitat. Suck it up and be a mosquito! Ahem.

American Idol and Survivor are gone for the season so here I am on Thursday nights thanking God we have games! We should have a game night soon. Oh, Wait, you all live forever and ten miles away. Doh!

I hope you all have an awesome weekend! Soon Sean will get to see Jessica again when she gets back from Dominican Republic. September seems so far away.

Week 18

Man, it's been a crazy two weeks. No one could ever have imagined how much can change in just a blink of an eye. We can one minute be resting with the care that all is well in the world. And the next minute, that very world that was restful and carefree can be rocked. Many times have I just wanted to type out and write what I thought at the time. Pastor's message today was so on key and on target. Of course, it's understandable. So I have decided to refrain from throwing the spears back. I have decided that any snide or coarse remarks about my church family and it's members will remain unspoken. But I have decided that I would say one thing. Hold your children and loved ones close to you. They are a precious treasure from God that should be charished forever and ever. Love God first and then your family. You never know when the day will come when you will have to say goodbye. It's a fact of life that in this world we will face trials and things will happen that we feel to be unfair and unjust. However, we have to remind ourselves it is not God that did this unthinkable thing. It is not God who allowed it, though He could have prevented it. It is the pure evil that took away these lives. We need to pray for that individual and believe that God will bring salvation to his or her's path. Never forget that He, being God, is the one who will receive the glory, the honor, and the praise.

Week 18- The BabyHead to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Week 18- Le MammaSara's doing well and feeling pretty good for the most part. The Braxton-Hicks have been starting up again like they did with Maleah. At least this time, we know what's going on and aren't freaking out. Sara seems to be enjoying the pregnancy with the exception of the side effects. We look forward to Memphis soon to see Valfrey with they upcoming arrival. It's exciting to see that our family is growing.

May God's love pour out on you and overtake you!

Tummy Update 17

It is hard to believe that we are on week 17 with our newbie. Soon, we will get to see our little bundle and find out what he or she is. So far, Mom is doing well. She's growing by leaps and bounds and enjoys the joys of eating whatever she wants with no excuse required. I second that amen. :) Baby News 17 Weeks:Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.Momma's Day was filled with praise and worship at church, food in the tummy afterwards, and resting the afternoon with the Cardinals. Maleah slept this afternoon and played when she got up, not understanding the reason for the day. Soon, we will be painting Maleah's new room. The guest room is old ladyish right now because of the quilts and flowers on the wall. Soon, it will be transformed into butterflies, beautiful egg shell paint, and some other suprises. More tummy updates and pictures to come soon. No, I haven't forgotten the pictures. Geeze, what kind of daddy would I be?

Updates on the Kiddos and Life

God has been so awesome to Sara and I. Both of us lately have been under the weather. More her about pregnancy and me about the cold. Today is a great day though, we are going to the United Tour Concert tonight! It's one night away from the Kiddo and some fun with Jen and Wendy. Sara is in her 14th week of being pregnant. The baby is growing healthy and whole. I am sure you are looking for a weekly update and I am going to be trying to do that for you. Life at 14 Weeks:This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.Sara's Life at 14 WeeksHave you ever wondered when it will end? Sara's at that point with morning sickness and other blah things. She is excited about the 2nd Trimester which is going be "easier" for her. It's hard to believe to see her pregnant again but still cute as ever! She's beautiful no matter what stage she is in. We believe in the power of prayer. It's so easy to flippantly say, "I'll pray for you." When we say we are, be careful....we are praying for you. So I want to encourage you to pray for them today. So many more updates to come including a possible new song that I have written. I know, many people are surprised...right.. :) Be blessed!

Busy Bees Meet Honey

Wow! It's been a few months since I have posted anything. Sorry for the delay, we have been so busy with new things arising. Let's see where should I begin?

First, some don't know already that Sara and I are expecting our second bundle of joy on October 20th. Recently, Sara hadn't felt well and we decided to see if this was the answer and suprise! It was. God is being so good to us.

Second, we (finally) bought our home late in March. It's nothing fancy to some but to us it is a home that we are permanently fixed in. If you don't already have the address, email me and I will send it to you. Maleah is growing up so fast. She is now 9 months old and is trying to walk by herself but hasn't gotten it down yet. She wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter! It's hard to believe this time last year we were expecting her arrival.

Last Friday night, I got tickets to a Phillips, Craig, and Dean concert for Sara and I. On our anniversary, Maleah had the flu and we couldn't go anywhere so this more than made up for it. I decided at the very last minute that we were going. How last minute you ask? I called Sara on my way home from work and told her to hurry and get our bags ready that we were leaving as soon as I got home. She was so suprised! It was nice to get away for a while. We drove to St. Louis and stayed at a hotel just outside of the city. The hotel was nice enough for the one time we will ever stay there. It was definately not the Hilton this time but it was enjoyable.

We had a hot tub in our room. Anyway, we went to the concert and afterwards hit the Cracker Barrel where we had some hot fudge sundaes. Sorry, no pictures of that. We ate it before we could show you. :) Then back to the room for a relaxing evening. We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and stayed around until around 10 where we headed back to reality to pick up our little girl from Grandma and Grandpa's house. Boy, they enjoyed having her for the night which was a treat for them and for us.

Right now, we are getting ready for the Easter production at church. Unfortunately, Sara and Maleah had to drop out because the practices are just way too late for the little one. But the show must go on. On Saturday we are packing up and heading back to Memphis for a little vacation for Easter. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there! There is so much going on and so little time to write it all. My Bible Study website has been on hold since February but I have added a new teaching there for you to see. We pray blessings over all of those who read this blog and the Bible Study blog. Until next time, remember that God loves you more than apple pie!

To Know Him

I find it interesting that we glorify those that lie. The actors are merely people who get onto the screen and live a fairy tale that does not equate to what happens in real life. How many times have you popped into a painting and went riding on a horse? How many times have you driven over 100 MPH to out run the cops and actually survive a car falling twenty feet from the air and catching on fire? How often do you end up with the prettiest girl? Wait, I have done that..ok, bad example but you get my point. We often glorify something that is completely not true and we veer our lives around them, we set our DVR's to record them, we can't wait until the next episode. Then suddenly, we wonder why our marriages aren't working out or why our children act the way they do. Now, I am not saying that movies and television are evil and must be done away with. There is balance, you can watch movies and television but when it comes to God, what do you do more of? The average American watches television almost every night for more than two hours. Sure, we want to escape the harshness of the world because our lives are in turmoil but when it all boils down to it, what is true in the end? God wants a moment with you today. He wants more than an simple blessing of the meal. He wants more than His name yelled out when you smash your thumb with the hammer. He wants your attention more than you'll ever know. Did you know our God is a jealous God? Many would think, well if that's the way it is then why serve Him? Wouldn't you be jealous if your spouse spent more time with a friend than you? Or when they are on the internet for hours and only spend ten minutes with you? God has the same feelings. He wants more than thirty minutes with you every Sunday and Wednesday. He desires for you to know Him. In Psalms, God calls us to "be still and know that I am God." I am amazed of how often God uses small words to prove a point. God wants you to "know". To know is to have full knowledge of the truth. What would we have if we truly knew God in His core essence? Get to know God and get close to Him. The only thing certain other than death is God. Be ready and be prepared. The question will remain when you leave this world, will you recognize the one who created you or will He be a mere figment of your imagination? I am often reminded of the psalmist David. He sinned like no one's business but he was considered a man after God's heart. Many would think, "why would God want to hang out with a looser?" Well...um...I think I will just leave that one alone. But the fact of the matter remains, God wants you to get to know Him.

Looking back

Can you believe it? It has been yet another year! God has certainly blessed us and has given us so many things and blessings this year. We have had our struggles like everyone else but we really have enjoyed our lives and can't wait to see what God is going to do next!


January
We moved to Red Bud! I made a promise to Sara that once I started working at JMM, we would move to Red Bud. We are still enjoying our home and hope to purchase it soon.

February

March
We lost Sara's grandmother to cancer this month. She accepted the Lord shortly before her passing. Sara went into pre-term labor the week before after we went to St. Louis to celebrate our anniversary.

April

May
I have been with JMM for one year! I received my first big pay raise and moved to a new desk.

11: Sara celebrated her 26th Birthday
14: I celebrated my 26th Birthday
26-28: We went to Memphis to celebrate Sean's 25th Birthday at Jillian's and at the Red Bird's game.

June
29: Maleah made her grand entrance to the world at 9:00 AM at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, IL

July

August
28-30: We went to Memphis to celebrate Mom and Dad Howell's Anniversary
September

October

November
For Thanksgiving, we headed to Memphis to celebrate Maleah's first Thanksgiving.

December
We went to Memphis to celebrate Christmas and ended up celebrating my sister's son, Daniel Bithe, being born. Maybe next year we can celebrate one of my blog reader's and his wife having a baby..... :)

A Simple Message

It's so easy today to get all wrapped up with who's who in the world. From the "greatest" actors in the world to the hottest news of politics, we find ourselves bombarded with negativity resting on our shoulders. As we ring in the new year, my prayer for you is this; that you know simply that God approves of you. You probably are thinking, " I already know that. Of course God loves me, what's that got to do with me right now." It's a revelation that I had the other day while studying for a new message. We are so engulfed with the fact that Jesus died for us and our sins are washed away but do we really know how much God really loves us? Do we have any clue to what He was saying when He placed Jesus on the cross? In Jeremiah 1:5, the prophet declares that "before I (God) formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you." God didn't just pull you out from under a cabbage patch and say, " Here go! " Then pat you on the back and wish you the best of luck. No, God
approved you. He accepted you before you even were thought of by the ones who had you. The Almighty God, took a moment in time to get to know you and prepared you for a purpose, for a reason God has placed you in this moment in time. Imagine this, a Captain of a ship sets the course of the ship. Before he even gets onto the ship, he has a plan for that particular ship and it's destination. If the ship veers off course, then it's not doing what the Captain wants it to do and he will redirect the ship onto the right course. God is the same way. He set a course for your life, He set a way for you to live. Now when you get off course, He places people in your life to help you get back on course or He speaks to your spirit. Before He sets you to sail, God already approved your course and knew the plan for that course (see Jeremiah 19:11). It's so simple but it's so profound, God approves of you. The psalmist David wrote that "Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]."(see Ps. 27:10) and "I was cast upon You from my very birth; from my mother's womb You have been my God. (see Ps. 22:10). How amazing is it that God, in our very birth, prepared our calling, prepared our mission, knew already what we were going to do. If you had a bad year, or a bad life, know this; God loves you more than you could every imagine. It's a simple message of love. It's a simple message of His grace. Simply, it's His message to you this new year! God bless!

It's a Wonderful Life

Every now and then, I have to reflect on the great things God has done in my life. It's an awesome way to remember how good God is really to us all. We can reflect on the negative until the cows come home and all it will do is make us depressed and wish things in our life were different. Paul is an example of that. He often was imprisioned, sick, ridiculed, beaten, etc. But Paul said it best in Philippians 4:11-12, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." In hindsight, Paul gave praise to God no matter what his circumstances were. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul tells us to "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Why would Paul tell the Philippians twice to rejoice? Can you see their faces when they read it? "Rejoice in the Lord always." Can you see them saying, "well Paul, gee, you don't know what I'm going through. You don't understand how my son is acting. You don't have the debt that I have. You don't have the boss that I have. How can you say to me to rejoice?!" Paul reemphasized for them to rejoice. He knew their hearts. He knew their response. So God wants us to rejoice and be glad even in our adversities. In John 16:33, God tells us that "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Are you going through something right now that you feel like giving up on? Are you waiting for a victory and asking God why not yet? Are you going through a storm and your umbrella is full of holes and you are wet up to your ears? Lately it's been on my heart to write about being thankful. Many times, it's just something to say when it's that time of the year. Honestly, I think that we need to be thankful all year around. This year, Sara and I have had our trials and have had our triumphs. Many of you know the trials and many of you know the triumphs but believe it or not, everyone does not know many of the trials that we have had. Why? The answer may be simple but here it goes, it will do nothing for the problem (see Matthew 6:27). It truly is a wonderful life. I can only pray that you, along with me, can give God the praise for all that He has done, for all that He will do, and dare I say it, the things that He decides not to do.

Turkey and Dressing with a side of Cold.

For Jeff.....who wanted an update.... :)


Sara and I took the high road to Memphis for Thanksgiving this year where we were surrounded by family and friends. Sometimes I really do miss being there but knowing that we are meant to be here, I just don't think we would be happy. But it was nice to visit and enjoy the family. We stayed with Mammaw and were treated to dinner when we arrived after Maleah crying for an hour and half. She normally does well but apparently was none too happy about being stuck in the dark in a seat that buckles her in. The next day we awoke to her cooing in her bed. So we got up and ate breakfast and sat in the swing and read for a while. Then we were joined by family for a feast fit for a king. Man, Mammaw can cook. Friday we headed over to my parents to visit for a while. Dad and I headed to Wal-Mart to get some ink while Mom and Sara took care of Maleah. That night we were treated to Chili's by Sean's Mom and Dad so they could see Maleah. We headed back to their house for a game. Saturday was filled with chaos and confusion. We went to I-Hop for breakfast/lunch with Sean before Sara had to go to Amanda's baby shower. Then the baby shower was at mom's friend's house for Amanda. Sunday was church and lunch at Olympic....yummmm..... The only thing I would have changed would have been the fact that some people just don't get the hint with babies. If you have a cold....keep your hands and face to yourself and don't put it in theirs. Today, we were welcomed with snot and coughing from Maleah. It's not enough that she's already had a bunch of mess already but add the cold to it. Can we say common sense people? Anyway, in a few weeks we'll be back and enjoying the Christmas season with them again. :)

A few more....I'll be alright. God bless and good night!

Don't Panic, It's Only A Test

Through out this entire election, I have heard many people panic about the fact of if Obama becomes president. I often found myself feeling the same way about it at certain points. Now we are here, he is president, but one thing still remains the same. God is in control. We no longer are able to sit under a God fearing nation. Soon, there is a possibility that we will no sit under it again. The underlying fact of the matter is, Obama is president-elect and we must now pray for him and Washington. In Romans, Paul writes that we must pray for those who are in authority over us. There is nothing that the President can do, there is nothing that Congress can do, there is nothing that the Senate can do without Almighty God allowing it to happen. The fact of the matter is that we can no longer sit and be idle. The Christian people must get up and get ready. Gone are the days that Christians can sit on their hands and allow the rights of the people be thrown away. Gone are the days that Christians sit on their hands and allow this nation, this country, this people to get trampled over the government misleading tactics. I say these things in respect of our leaders in Washington and our leaders at home. But we must stand for what America stands for. It's time to forget the color of the skin, the accent of the native, the mind of the intellect, the pride of the people, and the heart of the cold. Christians must now stand up and say, "we are no longer going to do nothing." Many people have argued that Christians are the reason that the government is the way that it is. And they are right. Christians have long forgotten to get up and do something other than complain about who is in office. Barack Obama is now your president. He deserves your prayers. He NEEDS your prayers. He has the burden of this country's financial crisis, it's demands, and it's wars. Today, I ask that you put your political views aside. Today, I ask that you put your racial views aside. Today, I ask you to do something that we often forget to do. Today, I ask you to pray. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 it says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Today, you have a decision to make. Today, you have an opportunity to stand. In Joshua 24:15, it was Joshua who stood up for his beliefs. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” So, the question remains, who are you going to serve? Who are you going to follow?

It's a bird....it's a plane...

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Memphis....another frontier.....

We're back! Many have asked about the little bundle of joy that we had on June 29th. Okay, only one or two but hey, that's many in my book! :) Maleah is doing well. She was diagnosed with Acid Reflux and we have medicine which means, she sleeps! Thank ya Jesus!! We went on our annual Memphis Trip in August on Wednesday night after I got off of work. We arrived around 930pm after several stops on the way. Maleah did very well on the ride down, sleeping most of the way, only waking up when she was wet or hungry. I really think Mom and Dad enjoyed having her there. They really don't get to see her, in fact this was the second time since she's been born that they saw her. I know many other people wanted to see her but nothing compares to Grandma and Grandpa when they meet their first grandchild. I know they miss her and they wish that we lived closer but we know that it is better this way. Mammaw Howell got to spend time with her Thursday morning and some of the afternoon. Maleah is the fourth great grandchild in the family. Mammaw Howell had a lot of fun holding her and watching her smile and laugh. That night, Sara and I decided to leave her with Grandma and Grandpa while we went bowling with Amanda and Sean. Honestly, though we had a lot of fun, it wasn't worth 45.00. Afterwards, we retreated to the Howell Homestead to put Maleah to bed and to play cards with Mom. On Friday, Sara and I spent most of the day at my parent's house with them. I attempted to cut their yard for them but their lawn mower went kaput. We headed to Sean's for dinner which was awesome! We had hamburgers and chips. Ed and Marilyn, Sean's Mom and Dad, got to play with Maleah before she fell asleep. We got home to play more cards with Mom and Amanda, then off to bed we went. Saturday morning, Sean and his Mom treated us to breakfast at I HOP. Yum..... We left there to go to Mammaw Howell's one last time before we came back home. We had dinner with her and watched a movie shortly after. Grandpa and Maleah took a nap in the chair while Sara and I passed out on the couch. Don't let anyone tell you parenthood is nice and quiet.... it's nice but not at all quiet. On Sunday, we went to church with Mom and Amanda and had lunch afterwards with the whole family. After a lot of talking and cooing over Maleah, we had to say our farewells and off to the road we went. Though it was a "vacation", it was definitely tiring. I think next time we will have to be more strict on the schedule for poor Maleah. I don't think people realize how much it takes out of her being held and toted around all day long just to get to bed late at night. Maybe those that don't see themselves as the ones that caused her restless nights will see the truth about the whole matter. Sara and I love and miss each and everyone of those in Memphis but we are glad to be home!!!

Push and Pull- Bonus

There are times when I wonder if we are pushing God on people too much. You know what I mean? Sometimes it’s God this and God that when people just want to see the fruit of what God really is. We place God’s Word on every single sentence we say or every little comment and most people are driven to drink at that point. I know, this is controversial because God’s word does tell us to think on these things always but can a non-Christian get a break? Christian, people who do not believe in God or are in a backslidden state do not want you pushing and pulling them to Christ. The Holy Spirit will not push Himself onto someone; they have to make that choice for themselves. Many people are gathering stones now that they have gotten this far in my teaching but hear me out before you cast them upon me. I see it time after time when a person will just push God on them so much that they are driven away from it. Especially if it is a hypocritical situation where a “Christian” is acting the opposite of their beliefs. In James, the Word tells us to be a “doer of the Word.” Don’t sit there and watch someone’s need go unmet and then tell them about Christ. Don’t sit there and watch someone hurt inside and then tell him or her about Christ. Don’t sit there and watch someone cry out for help and then tell them about Christ. Don’t sit there and see someone who is not ready to accept Christ and then beat the Bible over his or her head and shove it down their throat. My friends, if you want someone to remain unsaved, do these things. Why? I have been there. I have seen the effects of “Christians” and the way that they have to get their point across about what they believe in and then tell you that you are going to hell because you don’t believe what they believe. Now there is balance in my statements. We are called to minister to people (see Matthew 28:19). But we are also called to minister to people by our actions. Matthew 25:34-36 says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Be careful fellow Christian. If you don’t meet the need, you could very well miss the opportunity to minister to a non-believer or someone who is backslidden. You never know if that person has been praying for a Christian to be a doer of the word instead of just a hearer of the word. Please don’t be guilty of falling into the lifestyle of complacency and stagnation. Be ready to see and meet the need. Ask God to help you to be a better Christian each and every day. Be prepared to be a Christian each and every day. God bless you!

Maleah's Week Two

We are inching to the end of week two of Maleah being in this world. It’s hard to believe that this little angel has taken precedence over our home. It’s unfortunate that she is having some tummy problems and cries a lot at night but we know that our Lord will heal her in His time. She really loves the blanket that a friend of Sara’s brought over last weekend. She snuggles up so much in it and sleeps a lot in it. So far, it’s nothing that you could ever imagine being a parent. Your life totally changes, I get that, but the love that you have for that little one is so much greater than you could ever know and the love for the mother of that child is even greater than you could ever know. I get the privilege to raise her up. It both thrills me and scares the mess out of me but I know that my God will give me the strength to do it all. We have had to make some difficult decisions but I know that those we have made are going to make our lives even better.
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Go see Maleah at our profile pictures!

Whistle While You Work

Well, tomorrow I have a bittersweet day. On one hand I have to leave my family and go back to work which means I can't be there to pick Maleah up when she cries or comfort my wife when she's ready to. On the other hand I get to go back to do something I love to do and that is to help people. God has given me this "break" and time to reflect on how much I love doing what I do both at home and at work. Something special happened to me over these past several months and in the moment of overwhelming thoughts I was bombarded by what the evil one would mean for my harm. You know, the racing thoughts of "will I ever be good enough" or "will I be a good daddy" or "will I be able to provide for my family." But in that moment of hearing Maleah crying out to the sound of my wife's voice in the night, I am reminded daily that I am good enough and that I am a good daddy. I can't wait to continue my life each day with this thought in mind, "If you can't do what you are called to do then you won't." What do I mean by that, if you choose to not do what you are called to do then you simply will betray it. I am called to be first a husband to my wife, a father to my children, a friend to those who are my friends, a pastor to those who need a listening ear. Pray for me tomorrow as I return. Though I return to the work I love, I leave behind for 10 hours those I love.

Home on the Range

Good Afternoon all!

Maleah has been home for almost a week now and is enjoying her new home. We brought her home on Wednesday afternoon to the delight of grandparents, deacons, sister in laws, and friends a like. Sara had some complications due to the spinal anesthetic that she had so visitors were limited to our deacons and my mother in law. Maleah has adjusted very well to her new home. She enjoys the fleece blankets people have given her and the 5.00 swing that we bought at a yard sale. Every 2-3 hours she awakes hungry and then sleepy. Right now, Sara and Maleah are curled up on our love seat sleeping. We decided to venture out on Thursday to the Dr. Office for a check up on the baby. Yesterday after being stir crazy, we headed to Walmart where we picked up a few things and headed to McDonalds to eat. Today we went to church for the first time in a week which meant that with a baby we were swamped with loverly people who wanted to see Maleah. She's definitely getting popular. Tomorrow will be a bombardment of phone calls to make and appointments to get together before I have to head back to work on Wednesday. You can see Maleah's pictures on my Myspace.

Hello World!

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, Maleah was born earlier this week. At 37 weeks and 4 days, she graced us with her presence and love. Here's her story.....

Late Saturday night, Sara and I went for a long walk around Red Bud trying to get Sara's water to break.....yeah, when you are that miserable, you will do what you can do. Sara had some contractions through the night but by around 330 they were stronger and closer apart. After a nice hot bath, Sara decided it was time to go. We headed to Belleville to Memorial Hospital where the nurses decided that Sara was going to be there for a little while. We had just one concern, is the baby head down. The nurses just could not tell from feeling so they did an ultra sound which gave us a picture of Maleah right side up. The nurses called the doctor and it was decided that Sara would have to have a C Section. By this time, Sara was glad to have it done. We really did not have time to think about it. By the time we started to, they wheeled Sara to the OR. Maleah was born at 9:00 am on Sunday June 29th. Beautiful and healthy, she came into this world grabbing hold of the nurse's mask and leaving her mark forever on that little covering. Soon, we will have more pictures of her. Right now, this is the only pciture that I can post :

http://our365.com/NewbornPortraits/BabyDetail.aspx?birthid=7f93843c-74cb-48b8-b1b9-a4f60782e1bc

We thank you for your prayers and your love. :)

Week 37- Baby news and Cardinals baseball

As you can see we have crossed yet another milestone for Sara and Maleah this week. We went to the doctor on Thursday and found out that Sara is 2cm dilated and is 50% efaced with very little hope of seeing her due date. We shouldn't say hope because she's anxious about Maleah getting here and not being so uncomfortable anymore. She's been having contractions and other indications that this week could be the week that she does have our bundle of joy. She had her baby shower last week which consisted of family, friends, gifts, food, and laughter. I am assuming everyone had fun because we haven't gotten any request to recieve returned gifts. haha. Pretty much we have everything. The question has been what do you need. Honestly we need gift cards to places that sell diapers, formula, and commodities that babies need. Don't feel cheesy sending us one. Somehow people have gotten the stigma that gift cards are a way of saying " we couldn't think of anything so you're stuck." We honestly would rather have that than something that we can't use and it waste your money. Now, off of that band wagon. The baby is doing well so far with a great heart beat and is head down which is a good thing. Here's some interesting facts about the baby in her 37th week:

Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs almost 6.5 pounds. Baby is getting rounder every day, and skin is getting pinker and losing its wrinkly appearance. Baby's head is usually positioned down into the pelvis by now.

We will definately keep you posted on the baby.

On Monday, the ministry blessed Sara and I with some baseball tickets to see the Cardinals play the Royals. Of course, with Pujols, Molina, and several others added to the injury list, the game was lost. But that's ok, they played well and hard. :) We definately enjoyed having the day to ourselves the next day and can't wait to have more times like these. I do tire of hearing "well a baby will change that" Hoenstly people, a baby can go wherever you go. The world does not completely and utterly revolve around the baby. Yes, if she's sick or blah, we probably will reconsider taking her to places in public but she can be placed in a car seat, a lap, a hand, etc.

Well, that about sums it all up. Be blessed each and everyone of you!

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Week 36- 4 Weeks to Go

Well, we are inching closer to the finish line of Pregnancy for Sara. She's definitely ready for the baby to come. With the sleepless nights, heart burn, and heat, she's ready to bring Maleah home. Sure the sleepless nights may not come to an end soon like we would like but we are okay with that . The little one is doing well, her hearts a beating like a drum. :)

Baby: Your baby measures about 20.7 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6 pounds. The baby may drop lower in your abdomen, usually assuming the head-down position after having frequently assumed other positions during early pregnancy. The brain has been developing rapidly, and your baby is practicing blinking.

We headed to the PDR fort on Saturday and enjoyed some lemonade and closing ceremonies followed by a parade on the old route. Other than the heat, it wasn't too bad. Our weekend ended with that so we enjoyed a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Well, more to post on Sunday after Sara's shower. :) Be blessed!

Weeks 34-35- Only 5 Weeks To Go!

Sorry for the delay in posting an update. Things have been busy around the Howell house the past few weeks with work, the yard, and other things. Sara is at the very uncomfortable stage which is expected with just over a month to go. Maleah is doing very well with a lot of movement and a strong heart.

Week 34

Baby: Your baby measures about 19.8 inches from head to toe and weighs about 5 pounds. Baby is probably settling into the head-down position, although it might not be final. Organs are now almost fully mature, except for lungs, and the skin is pink instead of red. Fingernails reach the ends of fingers, but toenails are not yet fully grown. Baby might have lots of hair. Movements are less frequent because of the tight fit.
Week 35

Baby: Your baby measures about 20.25 inches from head to toe and weighs more than 5.5 pounds. Lungs are almost fully developed, but if born now the baby would probably be put in an incubator. It still doesn't have enough fat deposits beneath its skin to keep warm outside your womb.
There's not too much more to update except our adventure to the Fort tomarrow. See you soon!

A Weekend Away- BONUS 33 Weeks and 7 Weeks left to Go!

I bet some of you were wondering when I was going to post about our trip. Wait, you didn't know we were gone? Geeze! Well, we were. :)

Sara and I headed to Memphis at 845PM on Friday May 16th with a car full of luggage, a cat, and a litter box. We finally arrived in Memphis about 3am after several stops along the way. As much as I hate to drive that late, I rather enjoyed the company. Sara is always the best passenger. :) We decided this time to stay at Mammaw's house since she really doesn't get that many guests and hasn't really had anyone stay with her since Granddaddy died last year. So up the stairs we went to our bed in the rec room. Rachel and Stacey remember that room very well I imagine as they stayed many a nights up there. The next morning we were greeted by a cup of coffee, cereal, and conversation with Mammaw. Shortly after our showers we headed to Sean's so that we could enjoy a day of fun with he and his family and friends for his birthday. We all went to Jillians and ate, played games and bowling, ate some more, and had Starbucks. Ok, just me, Marilyn, and Beth had Starbucks but hey, Sean almost got a girlfriend out of it...lol. Maybe not but Beth tried. Sean, Sara and I along with Sean's friend Dan headed to tour downtown until our game started at Autozone park. A long walk by the river with a trolley ride was just the ticket to enjoy downtown a little bit more. We were met by a mob of people who refused to let a seat up at all, even for Sara who is pregnant. We found it rude but the next stop, most people got off. Anyway, we finally made it to AZ Park where we watched the Redbirds play Oklahoma in a fight to the finish. I believe it was one of the best AAA games I have seen in a long time. Of course, no one can out play the Grizzlies up here in St Louis. ;) After the game we went on an unplanned tour of downtown and headed to Millington where we dropped Sean off and then we to mom's. Of course, mom was excited to see us because it has been ages (march to be exact) since she's seen us. I felt kind of bad about not staying there but I know that we can't please everyone. We retreated to Mammaw's after a breif stop at Wendy's. Sunday was a day to rest and go to church with Mammaw. Sara's never been to a Southern Baptist Church and so this was a treat. Our Sunday School teacher made us the center of his Bible Study. We found it comical but hey, he made a few great points. Brother Ray taught on faithfulness which was a really good sermon. With Glen, Carol, and Mammaw we headed over to Old Timers to meet Mom, Dad, and Amanda for lunch. The conversational pieces included Chickasaw, the SMokies, and long lost memories of times past. Not long after, everyone with the exception of Glen and Carol went to Mammaws where we played Scrabble and listened to Dad snore. :) On Monday, Mammaw had a dr's appointment so we took her there first and then headed to I HOP. We took Amanda to see Chronicles of Narnia which was an awesome movie plagued with funny puns and fast paced action. For such a long movie, we never noticed. Tuesday was pretty nice. We knew we had to head back but we weren't in a hurry. We really enjoyed the time in Memphis which is not always the case because when we are there we are usually constantly running so we can see everyone. We met Mom and Dad for breakfast at Perkins and enjoyed having two waitresses because they messed up and let us sit there for over 30 minutes before we even got a menu or drink....there was only 4 families int he whole place. lol. After that we went to Mom and Dad's to talk for a little while before we had to leave. Normally we get so much time with them but this trip we weren't able too. I really wanted to focus on getting Sara the rest she needed before the baby comes. Speaking of the baby:

Week 33
Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. The next few weeks will mark lots of growth in the baby. The fetus will gain more than half its birth weight in the next seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as it runs out of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest and arms and legs crossed.

Mom
Sara is doing well but is very uncomfortable now with heartburn and trying to sleep. Other than those things that come with pregnancy, she is doing very well! :)

Well, now I must leave you but you can always come again. Take your shoes off, you hear? Nevermind.

Oh yeah! You have to visit my new blogsite for the Bible Study: redbudbc.blogspot.com ! Enjoy!

Weeks 31-32- 8 Weeks to go!

Sara and Maleah are doing well. Sara's starting to run out of room for baby to grow so we know it's not too much longer. Man this time flew by. :) Sorry for the delay in posting just been so busy! :)



Week 31

Your baby measures about 18 inches long from head to toe and weighs about 3.5 pounds. Rather than hearing vibrations, baby's nerve endings in his ears are connected now so that he can hear distinct sounds, like familiar voices and music.

Week 32

Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing.

We have another doctors visit next week and after that it's every two weeks. Next week is going to be so busy! We have Sara's birthday on Mother's Day, Bible Study, Church on my birthday on wednesday, Sara's appointment on Thursday, Braeden's graduation on friday before we leave for Memphis.

Whew!

Weeks 29-30

Mom and baby are doing fairly well. We just spent a week of being extremely busy so this part of the pregnancy will probably fly by fast. Sara's got a pretty nasty head cold so we are at home resting today instead of going to church. We normally wouldn't but with all the coughing, we just want to be sure not to get too many other people sick. Maleah is kicking around and healthy according to the doctor. Not too much more is going on right now, just getting things ready. Be praying for our home as we are trying to buy it. Thanks for taking a look around!

Maleah Week 29

Your baby measures about 10.4 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 16.7 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.7 pounds. At this stage a fetus's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall. Baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb become more cramped, but still doing a lot of kicking and stretching.

Week 30

Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing.

Week 28

It is hard to believe that we are in the final months of the pregnancy. I am sure Sara's ready for it to be done. She wants to see Maleah so bad. But we are glad that the baby is waiting until the exact right time to be born. Sara's doing well with the exeption of the heartburn. Other than that, life is grand. We are BBQing tonight. I did some last night and it turned out ok, I just need to cook it on a lower setting.

Maleah Noel:
Your baby measures about 10 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15.75 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.4 pounds. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means your baby may be dreaming. Eyelids are opening. Branches of lungs are developing, so there's a good chance that baby would survive if born prematurely now.

Week 27

Well, momma and baby are well as always. Sara's enjoying feeling her kick and move. You can make out body parts like an arm, butt, head. Sometimes you can see her kick Sara's stomach and it's really cute. Today we are getting a kitty cat. Sara found one for free online. That's pretty much all that is to update today. :)

Maleah Noel:
Your baby measures about 9.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs a little more than 2 pounds. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that he can get his thumb into his mouth. Thumb-sucking calms the baby and strengthens his cheek and jaw muscles. Your baby can cry now.

Week 26

Well the third trimester has begun and we are ready and waiting. Sara is not feeling very well today but the weather is nasty and cold so that would explain that. Other than today, Mommy and baby have been doing well.

The Baby

The baby's constant movements should be reassuring. You'll be putting on weight at the rate of about 1 pound per week now. You may be feeling some rib pain as your baby grows and pushes upward on your rib cage. The pressure may also be causing indigestion and heartburn. You may even be feeling stitch-like pains down the sides of your abdomen as your uterine muscle stretches.

A New Blog

Hi! After noticing that my blogs and bible studies are blending together, I decided to open a new blog site for just the studies. Come visit me at Red Bud Bible Studies!


I can't wait to see what God has in store!

William

Week 25-Fat and Sassy

As you can see, we are heading towards the third trimester! Sara and Maleah are doing very well and are healthy. The major issue at hand is the lack of sleep for Sara. The comfort level is not there but we are trying new things. We had my parents, sister, and grandmother over for easter this past week. They, for the first time, we able to enjoy our new home. I think their favorite room is the baby's room. They went to church on Friday because our church has a play that we do each year. Sara, her mom and dad, and I took part in it this year despite the adversities that we had. Some of you know that Sara's grandmother had been ill for the past several months. I entitled this blog "Fat and Sassy" for her grandmother who each time we asked how she was doing would answer, "Fat and Sassy." The hardest thing to do is to say goodbye. Grandma B passed away Sunday afternoon after fighting the illnesses that afflicted her. She did, however, accept the Lord Jesus Christ into her heart in the past several weeks. She's now relaxing in no more pain and no more sorrow. She will be missed.

Week 25- The Baby
Your developing baby now measures about 8.8 inches from crown to rump and weighs 1.5 pounds. Skin now becomes opaque instead of transparent. Its body is still covered with folds like a puppy dog that need to grow into its skin. Heartbeat can be heard through a stethoscope or, depending on the position of the baby, by others putting an ear against your belly.

Week 24, Baby Update, and One Year

Welcome to Week 24! We have finally found out what kind of joy we are having. The baby is a girl! Maleah Noel Howell is doing well and very healthy. We have so many people praying for her safe delivery and wonderful life. So far we have enjoyed the joys of heartburn and sleepless nights but other than that, the pregnancy has been uneventful. We celebrated our one year anniversary early this year with a trip to St Louis to the Hilton. We were given a really nice, brand new room and we enjoyed a night of each other in peace. We had dinner at Bandana's BBQ which was awesome! Then we retreated to our room to a show of Wheel of Fortune. I feel so old but who cares. I am married now, who am I trying to impress other than my wife? Sheesh. We woke at 500 the next morning to a movie and breakfast. Then we retreated to our room to pack and play a game of Phase Ten which is a tradition that we have. We then drove far and beyond to the St Louis Mills Mall where we spent some money we have been saving up and bought our new addition some clothes. ;) We over did it physically so Sunday was our recouperation day.

Week 24
Your baby, now about in its 22nd week of development, is 8.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 1.2 pounds. It is starting to produce white blood cells, mostly for combating disease and infection, and may respond to your touch or sounds. If you haven't felt hiccups yet, you might feel some jerking motion now.

One Year Ago

On March 17th, 2007, Sara and I celebrated a milestone in our lives. We became husband and wife and prepared the spend our lives with one another forever. It has certainly been an adventurous year:

April
Well, I lost my job at Washington University 6 weeks into our marriage which threw our world into a shake up. A few days later, we traveled to Memphis where my car decided to quit working. The transmission blew out while we were in town. We attempted to repair it and to no avail, were scammed. Anyhow, Sean took us home and I went back a week later to get my car.

May
I began working at JMM as a CCR with NMM. Sara and I celebrated our 25th birthdays and went camping with the Kleins.

June
My Grandfather passed away after fighting many illness over the past few years. We drove to Memphis with no air in the car.

July
Once again, my transmission went on hiatus. We spent this month with the "Green Beast".

August
For a third time, our transmission went out and we spent some time with the "Green Beast", who also went out the same weekend. We traveled to Memphis for my parent's anniversary.

September
Other than a few annoyances with the neighbor, nothing much happened.

October
On Halloween, we called the police on our neighbor who loves to party during the week. After being confronted, harrassment began.

November
We found out that we were pregnant with Maleah Noel.

December
Other than more harrassment from our neighbor, not too much more happened.

January
Finally, after having enough of our neighbor, we moved to Red Bud into Jamie and Wendy's old house.

February
I so love our new home. It has a few kinks being worked out. The bathroom was scheduled to be completed but weather delays caused it to not be.

March
The bathroom pipes blew within a week of each other. We found out the sex of our little bundle of joy and we celebrated one year!

You will have to check out previous blogs over the past two years to see our eventful lives. :) We are living proof that you can have a happy marriage. Keep reading for the next year of our lives! There is always more!

Update

Well, I guess it's time to break the silence on the sex of our little one to be:

It's a Girl!

Will post more later!

Weeks 22-23

Many would think that I don't care about this pregnancy because I don't update every single minute.... sorry people, I am too busy kissing my new little one and his or her momma.

Sara's doing very very well and glowing every minute. She constantly reminds me of how much I love her. The baby is growing and doing well. We will know on Thursday what it is.

Now to the baby:

Week 22

Your baby measures about 7.6 inches and weighs about 12.3 ounces. The muscles are getting stronger every week now, and the eyelids and eyebrows are developed. Your baby's acrobatics are pretty constant, and since he responds to sound, rhythm and melody, you can try singing and talking to him. After he's born, the same sounds will soothe him.

Week 23

Your baby is about 8 inches from crown to rump and weighs almost 1 pound. The body is becoming proportioned more like a newborn, but skin is still wrinkled because your baby still has more weight to gain. Lanugo hair on the body sometimes turns darker

So much more coming soon!

A Full Weekend----And A BONUS

It has definately been a full weeked of fun for Sara and I. After the storm passed, we headed up to Belleville and picked up the kids (Kiersten and Braeden) from their house. We ended up eating a nice dinner with the family (Wendy, Jamie, Kiersen, and Braeden) and talking until about 730. We headed home and watched half a movie. Well, I should say they watched half a movie while I worked on a digital art project (you can see that on my photos on my Myspace Page). Then off to bed we all headed to sleep in sweet lala land. We woke up to watching cartoons, eating chocolate chip pancakes, and watching the rest of the movie. Shortly after we headed over to Grandma and Grandpas for some snow sledding. We had to have run around for 2 hours but the kids had fun. I would have had some pictures but goofball here forgot to bring the camera. Not that we live that far but I didn't want to drive any more than I have to with the car, which is another story for a longer blog. The kids had a blast playing in the snow (I should say Ice but anywho) with everyone pushing them around. Sara and I remenensed of the times we were their age and realized that we are getting older. Crap. We'll just leave it at that. Grandma and Grandpa fed us all with pizza from Pizza Hut. Best pizza I had there in a long time. We proceeded with a game of Life and then off to talking the adults went while the kids played other things. Now, we are home following a great dinner of shrimp with a movie. Soon, we will be heading to bed to sleep the night away and wake up to go to church. I am going to miss these little rascals when they leave but I am enjoying them.

***NOW THE BONUS***

Ok, so it has been a few weeks since I have updated you all on the baby. The little angel is growing and is doing well. Soon, we will find out what the baby is and how big it really is. All we have to really rely on is WebMD. Sara is doing much much better and is enjoying the pregnancy more and more each day. We can feel the baby kick from time to time. Sometimes harder than others. If you want to get a good hard kick, don't feed it for 3 hours. It WILL let you know it's time to eat.

Here is the week by week of the baby from 19-21

Week 19
Your baby measures about 5.2 to 6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces. Skin is developing and transparent, appearing red because blood vessels are visible through it. Creamy white protective coating, called vernix, begins to develop.

Week 20
The fetus measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 9 ounces. Your baby can hear sounds by now -- your voice, heart and your stomach growling, as well as sounds outside your body. It will cover its ears with its hands if a loud sound is made near you, and it may even become startled and "jump." The baby is moving often, too -- twisting, turning, wiggling, punching and kicking.

Week 21
Your baby measures about 7.2 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 10.5 ounces. The fetus is steadily gaining fat to keep warm. Growth rate is slowing down but organ systems, like digestion, are continuing to mature. A waxy film, called the vernix caseosa, is being produced by your baby's oil glands and covers the skin to keep it supple in the amniotic fluid. Buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form.

If you want to see a jewel, see the baby's room in the House Portion of our Photos on Myspace. :) Have fun!

God's Waiting Room

As we wait in this little time called life, I would like to welcome you to the School of the Holy Ghost. As a patron here in this school, you are obligated to receive a five course meal with a complimentary gift at the end. I want to encourage you to not be discouraged as we walk though this together as Christ has given you strength. Often we are too much in a hurry to take care of the things of "life" and we fail to hear what God is saying. So as we sit here and wait, we will talk about being patient. I believe it is God's will for us to sit and wait for His glory. Now, of course, there is always balance. We don't want to sit on our hands pretending that we are waiting to hear from God but we also don't want to jump off a cliff without a parachute, amen? In Psalms 46:10, God calls us to be still and know who He is. Just in the comment from God to "Be still" tells us that we don't have to move on any decision or be impatient on anything that we need because we already know that He is in control of it all. He also reminds us to know that He is God. God is already in control and we already acknowledge that but do we KNOW that He is in control? Do we allow Him to take control? Philippians 4:19 tells us that God will "supply all your needs in accordance to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus." As we rely on Him to supply that need, we have to learn our patience factor. We have to rely on and have confidence that God is going to come forth with these things (see PS 37:4&7). We don't have to go out and do our sacrifices because we are scared that God is not going to show up on time. We have that type of representation of this impatience in I Samuel 13.

"Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him."

As we see here, Saul disobeyed what Samuel had instructed him to do because he was impatient. Have you ever been disobedient thinking God won't come in time or you weren't sure if He would show up in that mid-night hour? See what happens to Saul next;

'"What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." Could you imagine the disgust in Samuel's face when he found Saul in disobedience? I honestly think there was more hurt that disqust. Imagine entrusting your prophetic gift to someone who doesn't have enough faith or patience in believing it's true. It would pretty much devastate anyone. But because of Saul's impatience, he lost a huge portion of his life and his inheritence. Be prepared to wait upon the Lord. Stand on God's promise in Isaiah 40:31 (amp), "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."

Be Blessed!

Week 18

Well I am almost on top of the game this week. Sara is doing very well. She had an appointment yesterday with the doctor and everything is going well so far. The baby is "boring" which is supposedly a good thing...lol.

The Baby

Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled in weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.

There is more to come eventually when I actually have time. :)

Weeks 15-17

Yeah Yeah, I am behind. So what's it to ya? So here we go.

Week 15

Your 13-week-old fetus now measures about 4.1 to 4.5 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 1.75 ounces. Its body is covered by an ultrafine hair, called lanugo, which is usually shed by birth. Eyebrows and hair on the top of the head are beginning to grow. He may even be sucking his thumb by now. Bones are getting harder.

Week 16

Your baby now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces. Fingernails are well-formed and the fine hair, lanugo, may be growing on the head. Arms and legs are moving. The nervous system is functioning and muscles are responding to stimulation from your baby's brain. You may be able to hear the baby's heartbeat in the doctor's office.

Week 17

Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled in weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.

Mommy is doing well. Finally we are past the morning sickness and feeling yuck but still dealing with the heartburn. Gotta so that momma is lookin pretty good....ahem. Anyway, we go to the doctor next week and then it's pretty much up hill from there. We felt the baby move a little this week in Praise and Worship at church. :)

Nothing really new going on at the house other than we are working on the baby's room getting it painted.

That's all folks! More to come in the upcoming weeks.

PS-New series coming in the next week or two. Be watching. ;)

Week 14

Well, after a rough week last week, baby and mom are doing well. Sara had the flu and a cold for majority of the week but other than that all is well.


The Baby
Your baby measures about 3.2 to 4.1 inches from crown to rump now and weighs almost an ounce. The ears are shifting from the neck to the sides of the head, and the neck is getting longer and chin more prominent. Facial features and unique fingerprints are all there. Your baby is beginning to respond to outside stimuli. If your abdomen is poked, the fetus will try to wriggle away.

We also moved into our new home (pictures coming soon of momma and house). Unfortunately I don't have much to blog about today but hey, who knows what will come this week. :)

Week 13

Momma and baby are doing today. They are very tired though with the move to Red Bud and getting things prepared. Sara is overtired a lot from working on all these projects, but we are going to look on the bright side...it's almost all over with the move.

The Baby:Your fully formed fetus, now in about its 11th week of development, measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches from crown to rump and weighs between half an ounce and seven-tenths of an ounce -- about the size of a peach. The head is still disproportionately bigger than the body, but the rest of the body is starting to catch up. In fact, your baby is growing rapidly these days. The face is starting to look more human, with eyes moving closer together. Toes and fingers are clearly separate, and ankles and wrists have formed. External genitalia are becoming visible. Intestines are shifting into their proper place, too.

Sara, other than feeling a little blah from time to time, is doing well. She is showing (more pictures to come soon after the move) and is filling out some of the clothes.

The move is going well, we are almost done. Saturday will be our final move and the old house will be empty. I am going to clean it completely out (dusting, vacumming, washing..etc..) the last Saturday of the month. Work is going well for me so far. Really enjoying all the stuff going on around the ministry.

Man, so much going on in the mnext few weeks and so many things to think about. Be blessed in all that you do!

To Be A Blessing

Have you ever found yourself driving down the street and seen the sign, "Will Work For Food"? Or maybe you overheard someone being short ten cents? Or maybe you even heard of a need that you were very much able to provide? Don't be guilty of looking away when you see a need that you can meet or can call to action. In Job, we find that he told God that if he saw a need and failed to meet those needs to let his arm detach from his shoulder and his arm to fall off. He later in the same chapter Job said may his land be cursed if he failed to meet that need. If we, as Christians, could simply be what a Christian should be, we would be able to meet every need.
Now, I can already hear the moans and groans of this short little study but hear me out. I want you to reap the benefits of being a blessing to someone whose need you can meet. Does it mean that you have to go into debt to help someone? No. Because God's Word tells us to "owe no man anything" and "the borrower is slave to the lender" we know that we can not borrow or go into debt to help someone. However, we can give of ourselves, of what monies we have, or even call on others to help meet that need. What happens when you bless others is you make room for a blessing for yourself (Proverbs 18:16, Malachi 3:10). I would like to focus on Luke 6:38 for a moment. "Give and gifts will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will they pour into the pouch formed by the bosom of your robe and used as a bag. For what measure YOU deal out, it will be given back to YOU." I like that God has promised that if you give, you will get it back. Many people use this in the "prosperity gospel" in which I do not believe in. It is often out of balance and can cause many to fall from the Christian faith. However, I do believe that we are called to be prosperous (see Jeremiah 29:11). Now there is always balance in being prosperous and being rich. Being prosperous makes available a tool to help those around you in which can make a blessing to them. Being rich is merely a term used to say that you have a lot of stuff. One thing that we have to remember in being a blessing to other people is that we have to do it cheerfully. Your blessing is only as good as your attitude. If you bless someone with a begrudging attitude, then you have already spent your blessing in a way that is not pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 9:7). Your blessing you surpass any of your desires and will expand your inheritance in heaven.
Now we must tackle the topic of being boastful and prideful in being a blessing. Often I like to refer to the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 19. The Pharisee was a man who boasted that he gave to the poor, paid his tithe, prayed umpteen times a day, etc. But the Tax collector, a man who was known for his greediness, because humble in what he felt. He asked God to forgive him and simply beat his chest for he knew of his unworthiness. The Tax Collector went away justified and the Pharisee got his reward there in public. Jesus also gave the parable in Matthew 6 to not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Why would that be? If we let others know what we are doing and why we are blessing someone, then we don't have the opportunity to watch that blessing grows. The person who flaunts the blessing he gave someone is one who has lost his reward from God because that person has already received praise. Because you give and pray does not give you the right to flaunt it. It will take away your blessing.
God is waiting to bless you for blessing others. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Let me encourage you to find someone to bless and don't let them know. Do it secretly and watch them from a distance. Whether it be a waitress that you leave a 10 dollar tip and a note saying God loves you or it be a co-worker who has been tight on cash and you leave a 20 in their mailbox at work to help with gas. Maybe you can do something as simple as bringing someone lunch or helping with a difficult project. You have so many avenues that you can be a blessing through. Ask God to show you these avenues and become even more a blessing to someone in need. Who knows, your blessing could lead someone to Christ. What a testimony.

Another Great Year!

It's that time of year again and it has been an exciting year for the Howell family!

January
Sara and I prepared for our wedding and my move to Millstadt.

February
15-Moved to Millstadt

March
17-Sara and I became husband and wife
18-21-Sara and I went to the Bahamas
22-Reality hit. :)

April
30-Lost job at Washington University after a year and half of employment


May
7-Began working at JMM :O)
11-Sara celebrated her 25th birthday
14-I celebrated my 25th birthday
19-The coldest camping trip in my life but a lot of fun with the Krebel and Klien families!

June

July

August

Septmeber

October
We found out that we were pregnant!

November
We publically announced our pregnancy

December
We began to move this month! We are so excited!

Another Year, Another blessing! Thank you for making this year such a wonderful year!

Week 11-12

Here we go! Sorry for the delay but with the holidays, it has been hard to post. :) We recently returned from Memphis from our wonderful holiday with the Howell family. A few people may have been upset because we couldn't spend Christmas day in Memphis but unfortunately, I am not willing to travel on Christmas day late to get home so I can work on the next day. Anyway, we are now in week 11 and tomarrow will be week 12 in the pregnancy.

The Baby at Week 11:

Your fetus, about the size of a large lime, measures about 1.75 to 2.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about three-tenths of an ounce. About now the rapid "swooshing" noises of the heartbeat can be heard through a Doppler sound-wave stethoscope. Fingernails and external genitalia are showing distinguishing characteristics, and the baby is swallowing and kicking, although you still won't feel it.

Sara is doing well this week with the travel and the baby. Although we have been traveling and visiting, she has not been too sick. The baby is acting well so far with the exception of making an upset stomach.

The Baby at Week 12

The fetus now measures about 2.5 inches from crown to rump and weighs between three-tenths of an ounce and half an ounce. It is fully formed, from tooth buds to toenails, and your baby's job now is to continue getting larger and stronger for the rest of your pregnancy. With the most critical development behind the fetus, the chance of miscarriage drops considerably after this week.

We are hoping that this is the week that Sara will be more energetic and less sick. So far, so good. Though we are moving and she's working more, she seems to be doing well. We will hear the heart beat next week which will be a blessing to us.



Well, in my next blog, there will be a recap of 2007! Look forward to seeing you guys soon!

Week 10 Baby Update

Ok, the last update was a week early so I waited to post this in the correct week. Sara and baby are doing well this week. Sara is still under the weather typically at night and more when she is tired. The baby is not adjusting to the weather in St. Louis. Of course, it does take after the mommy and daddy. Anyhow, Sara is developing a little pouch that is more visible from a profile glance. You can see her on the pictures in my photos. Sara's first appointment was Wednesday and they basically drew blood and gave her loads of information. She even got a book on what to expect when you are expecting. I thought that was pretty cool that they are trying to help her as much as possible. The lady was pretty nice...even if I played a really bad joke on her.

The Baby: Congratulations! Your baby is now officially called a "fetus." It looks a little like a medium shrimp, measuring 1.25 to 1.68 inches from crown to rump, and weighing a little less than two-tenths of an ounce. You might be reassured to know that most physical malformations, when they occur, have occurred by the end of this week, so the most critical part of your baby's development is safely behind you. But other developmental processes, such as those affecting behavior and intelligence, will continue throughout pregnancy. Eyes are covered by skin that will eventually split to form eyelids.



-----Other News----

With the move to Red Bud quickly approaching, we are in the middle of packing and getting ready. Soon we will be going to Memphis and enjoying a time of a family gatherings and food. I recently found out that I am almost as fat as I was when I lived in Memphis so with that little bit of encouragement, I am attempting to get back down to a healthy weight. This month I have lost 4 pounds so far with just adjusting my food intake.

We also are in the market for another vehicle since the one we have is currently having issues again. It's nothing major but I just had the brakes replaced on it and now I have to get the steering column fixed on it. Not to mention that the transmission is slipping again. We will see. Anywho, we are doing well with the adjusting to the business of life. Soon, it will calm down...for a few months at least. :)

Whatever Turns You On

I can already see it now, there are teenagers reading this thinking alright he’s going to talk about…. I can see parents going, “this could be interesting.” I see the grandma in the back putting in her teeth with her jaw dropped. Relax. I promise this message is rated G. God’s anointing is overflowing with His endless mercy and grace. I was stopped at a stoplight (makes you glad that I stop, doesn’t it) in South County on a Thursday morning when a bus was in the turn lane in front of me. You know how some buses have those big advertisements for facilities on it or a brand name on it, well this particular one had an ad for a casino that was built in downtown Saint Louis. Illuminating the entirety of the right side of the bus was “Whatever Turns You On.” I won’t say the hotel and casino that it was related to but I will say it had a hidden message in it. God revealed clearly to me that we need to be turned on by the Spirit. By that I mean we need to be prepared to have our switches turned on and readily be sensitive to the call of the Holy Spirit. When we prepare ourselves to be used by the Spirit, we are more apt to hear what He has to say. We are to be like a light bulb. If we are turned off, we can not shine to the world. But if we are turned on, we shine brightly to the world. In Matthew 5:16, the Word says “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” Let your light shine brightly, don’t let Satan put it out. We often let our emotions dictate how we live in the Spirit. We often find ourselves wondering why we can’t change the circumstances or have a “where is God” mentality instead of quietly waiting on the Spirit to tell us in peace what we should or should not do. God tells us in Psalms 46:10 to “be still”. In the stillness, you hear God speaking and we find that out when we read the story of Elijah when he was on the run in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 19:10-12, Elijah was in despair and was ready to end his life even after his major victory. But God told him to go to the mountain and wait there. Elijah had to be thinking he was in a heap of trouble. Getting there had to be a challenge in itself because now he had to face God Almighty. It had to be almost like hearing your father saying “go you to your room and wait for me there.” Nothing good comes from that statement. You know that there is either a hand or a switch on its way. But he gets there and sees all these things happening; the earthquake, the strong winds, the massive fire, yet God was not in these things. There was quietness and a stillness that God came and spoke to Elijah. In that stillness, God intentionally overlooked Elijah’s faults and his weakness. He told him to simply go and anoint this man to be king. I love it when God goes, “What are you doing?” because we already know God knew what we were doing. What would have happened if Moses had not listened to the Holy Spirit? What would have happened if Abram did not listen to God’s plan for His life and stayed where he was? What would have happened if Saul had not heeded the command of the Spirit on the road to Damascus? What would have happened if you had not listened to the Spirit when He called you to be His son or daughter? In the stillness, in the quiet, listen to the Spirit. Turn that light switch on and get turned on to the Spirit.

Baby Update: Week 9

Well, it's that time of the week. The time that I enjoy. That time of the week that is almost my favorate. It's time to talk baby!

Sara is doing pretty well, all things considering. The morning sickness is our greatest feat right now. Keep this in prayer because it is no fun being the one being sick.

Baby: The embryo measures about 0.9 inches to 1.2 inches from crown to rump, or the size of a strawberry. The arms and legs are longer, and the fingers might be a little swollen where the touch pads are forming. The head is more erect and neck is more developed. Your baby now moves its body and limbs, and this movement can be visible during an ultrasound, but you won't be able to feel it yet.

With the few things that we need to get done, the stress is very minimum. We are excited and ready for the arrival of our bundle of joy.

Grandpa's Belt

Well, we announced today that Sara and I are expecting our first child. We bought Mom a Christmas Angel that said “Grandma’s Little Angel” and we bought Dad a belt buckle that said “Grandpa”. Needless to say, the common phrase was “What does my belt buckle say?” today. I don’t think that anyone was as excited as dad was about us having a baby. Soon the quiet halls of our new home will echo with the coo of baby noises and me going, “Man! She couldn’t have crapped again!” and of course, changing her diaper with all the love of a father. Sara’s going to be holding that baby and kissing her forehead all that she can, singing little songs to her as they rock in the chair. I can see Precious Moments quilt baby blankets hanging off the crib as I look down at what God has truly blessed us with. This little one is going to be loved and blessed through out their childhood. God is truly so good. The family adjusted well to the news with Amanda calling Mammaw at 7 o’clock in the morning and Dad showing his belt. We can’t wait to share the joy with those around us. Please keep Sara and I in your prayers as we embark on this journey. Though I may not know exactly what my beautiful bride is going through, I am proud to be at her side through this quest. I believe that I am honestly the most blessed man in this world. I don’t have to brag, I don’t have to boast. God knows the truth of the matter. Someday, I pray that our little one will look back and see how much we not only loved them but how much we really loved one another.

One Empty Chair

The smell of turkey filled the old house at 2300 Independence Drive on Thanksgiving afternoon. Laughter erupted out of the breakfast room as people told their stories over dinner. The television blared in the den and shouts of disgust echoed as, once again this year, Michigan lost. But at the dining room table, there was a silence. Though the people were talking, there was an emptiness that could not be explained. No one mentioned the current political events on MSNBC or how certain some ones needed to learn how to speak less and hear more. There was a quietness from the room that even I missed as I noticed no one was telling the stories of old Chickasaw and the 1940’s depression era. There was a chair that no one dared to fill. No one would sit in it nor would they even think of taking this place. I can still hear the echoes of “Fat Mammaw” across the house and the bickering of how the government needed to be changed. Even Hilary didn’t come across the lips of those in the room. I can still hear him call out to us to come into the room and tell us to find some hidden present of his out in our car or he would tell Mammaw to give us a dollar. I can still hear the disgust in his voice when Dallas lost….once again. I can still hear his voice telling me how he didn’t really understand Amazing Grace until the day he asked Jesus into his heart. There was one empty chair this year, one empty voice, one empty thought…but there was a mind full of memories. Never will we forget the voice that told us just how it was. Never will we forget the stories of the days that he fought in the war. Never will we forget the opinions of his heart or the thoughts of his mind. It was one empty chair that one day will be filled again.

I hope all of you guys had a happy thanksgiving! Truly remember the reason you are thankful for.

A Pastor's Prayer

Just a little thing I wrote, it echoed truth in my life:

A PASTOR'S PRAYER

Lord, I am slow in speech, for I know not what to say.
Did I not give you the lips that you speak with?
Lord, I know not what message to deliver.
Am I not able to control the words that spill from those lips?
Lord, I am not worthy of these things.
Did I not form you within your mother's womb?
I have a purpose for you.....

Lord, I know not how to speak these things.
Did I not give you breath so that you may live?
Lord, I know not how to believe in what I can not see.
Am I not able to breathe these truths into your soul?
Lord, I know not what truth to disperse amongst your people.
Did I not send my Son to die for the sins of the world?
I have a purpose for you......

"Do you doubt my power?" sayeth the Lord.
"Did I not tell you to go to the nations, spread my Word, be a witness to those who are in doubt? Did I not instruct you to preach my message without doubt? My child, I sent my Son to this earth to save you from darkness and destruction, yet you can't get out of bed? Arise, my love. For I have a purpose for you. Draw close to me, my child, for I know where I will send you. I call you, my child, to be a trumpet of my love. Be not afraid of what is in store for you, my Son. For out of the lips I gave breath to, I will breathe utter truth to the disbelieving of the world. I will form words out of your breath that will be heard over all the nations and into the outermost parts of the Earth. My child, be ready for the time is near. "

Lord, I know what to say.
My Child, it is from your lips my name will be glorified.
Lord, I know what to do.
My Child, it is from your life my name will be glorified.
Lord, I know where to go.
My Child, it is from your heart my name will be glorified.
Lord, I believe Your truth.
My Child, it is from the words I give to your hands, my name will be glorified.
Lord, I will follow you.
My Child, it is in your walk with me, my name will be glorified.

Who's your master?

With the T.V. blaring in the background, the kids yelling, the dishwasher running, and your spouse begging you to get something done around the house, I want you to take a moment. You laugh at the idea but God is asking you to remember, who is the Master and who is the slave. We see in the dictionary that a master is 'one whose teachings or doctrines are accepted by followers' or 'one who owns a slave'. Many people flinch at the idea of being a slave to something or someone. They are reminded of how slaves were treated in the Civil War days and refuse to retreat to that but we have to be reminded that we are a slave or a bond servant to Christ. The Master plan is to follow the Master. We often find ourselves being slave to other things in life and without realizing it; we treat it as our god. Now there is some balance in what I am saying, I am not saying you can't never watch television or play a video game but what I am saying is there is balance. If you watch television for 4 hours a night and never spend more than 10 minutes with God, then what is your god? The word 'god' is defined as 'one that is worshiped or idealized', which means if you would ideally rather watch television than to spend time with the Master, then we know who is your god. In Exodus, God put in His commandments to 'have no gods before Me'. So I have a question for you, who or what is your god? Is it money? Is it a sin? Is it a god? In Matthew 6:24 (AMP) it says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in)." In other words, you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you ever noticed those who are in God's Word that the bond servants of Christ are ones who give up themselves to do His will. Take Paul for example. In 2/3's of the New Testament is written by Paul and we can attest that the Almighty God is his Master. Even in the church we find out who our master is. If you are not careful, your pastor can be your master. Yes, your pastor should be your spiritual leader and you should seek his counsel, but if you set him on a master level, when he sins (and he will by the way because he is human) you will be disappointed. So we should set our eyes on the higher prize of Christ being our Master. When Christ came to this earth, He left behind His Godhood, if you will, and took the form of man which He then became a servant (see Matthew 20:28/Mark 10:45). We are to follow the example of Christ and imitate His example. Are we going to do it perfectly? I believe we can do it through Christ. We have to decide who are we going to serve, are we going to serve God or man?
Now going back to the beginning, With the T.V. blaring in the background, the kids yelling, the dishwasher running, and your spouse begging you to get something done around the house, I want you to take a moment. Who or what are you going to be a slave to? Are you going to be a slave to sin? Well, you now have a choice because it says in Romans 6:14 (NIV), "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace". It's time to turn the T.V. off for a few minutes, put the kids to bed, wash the dishes by hand with your beautiful spouse by your side, do the task that they ask, and get into the Word. You can not live by merely bread alone. Why? Bread only satisfies you for a moment, the living water will satisfy you for life. Your master needs to be the Master. In Joshua 24:15 (AMP), "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua challenged the Israelites to choose who they were going to serve and he also took a stance, he was not going to be bullied into serving another master.
Now with that T.V. turned off this will make some sense. The requirements of being a servant of the Master are simple. You have to love one another (see Galatians 5:13) regardless of the past histories. That means your worst enemy and your best friend. You have to serve God alone and no other gods (see Ephesians 6:7) so that means that T.V. has to be turned off for a time. I am not saying turn Amish and forsake all modern technology. But you do need to have some time to clear your head. Besides, there's not much worth watching on T.V. anyhow. And finally, you have to give God what you have. What? You don't make enough to give to God? I beg to differ. Let's travel back in time to Matthew 25:14-30. We see in this little piece of history that God doesn't take lightly those who are stingy, let's just call it like it is. The man who had one talent dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Are you guilty of hiding your 'master's' money? The bank is what some people say a great place to invest. Let's do the math, if you put your money in a savings account for a year your gain 2-3 percent interest in a good bank. However, you put 10 percent into God's work, you will receive it back in full. As you have witnessed, the one got 5 talents received 10. The one with 2 received 4. That is a 50 percent return on your investment. However, you bury it in the ground and you will get…. UTTER DARKNESS….I think it's time to reevaluate your position. Being a servant is merely giving yourself fully to God. Does it mean you go off in a cave, collect lint, and only come out on the Holy Mass? No. I mean, spend time with God. You call your friend up 2-3 times a week but you can't call the one who died for you? The call is free and the connection is priceless. So what are you waiting for? Turn off the T.V. and place that call to God. He's waiting for you!

Small Town Pride

The sun gleamed down onto the fall leaves as we drove down Route 3 to the game yesterday. You can already see the excitement of the football season plastered on every store front window: Go Musketeers! The Red Bud no win wonders made a turn around this year with winning 8-1, which is a first in the history of this town. We gathered with half the town to see the young men play a great game of football. The brisk breeze blew as the people cheered for their alma mater as they kicked the pants off of the opposition. There's nothing like the smell of hot dogs, nachos, cola, and b.o. to kick off a great time. Of course, you have to see this to believe it but some people take it a little to the extreme by sitting atop a R.V. to watch the game. Free food, clean toilets, and heat. What can you complain about other than falling 10 feet? Never mind. We have to say it was a hoot! 13-0 was the ending score with the other team trying 3 times to score on the 1 yard line. No comment.

We headed back home to get some rest when in the middle of our rest we got several phones calls. Something was up so we decided to call Sara's mom back. They invited us to go to the St. Louis Blues hockey game. Come on, how can you turn that down? Free, can we say duh? So we headed to St. Louis with them and watched Washington get creamed 4-3. Ok, maybe not creamed but hey, we were there...they won. :)

Small town pride......would not ever change that for one moment.

Almost

I was driving to work one day and I noticed as I looked out my window the trees had started turning yellow. I am always amazed by God’s creation and how on cue the seasons flip channels, if you will. I started looking around at the busyness of the world. Cars were whipping in and out of traffic, people were honking, some were reading (yes and driving), and some were applying lipstick to their faces. Imagine what would happen if someone decided to just stop for no reason. What a mess! But I began to notice a Jeep in front of me with one of those wheel coverings on it and it read “Almost a Landmark.” Of course, it was talking about the company that it was purchased from being almost a landmark but God began to speak to my spirit, “what if Christians had something like that on their cars that said, ‘Almost a Christian.’ How sad would that really be? People are driving around that way, William.” I had to stop thinking for a moment and realize that there are people like that. “It’s time to either be on fire for me or not for me at all.” I really pondered that. Then I was reminded of Laodicea in Revelations 3:15-17, “I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” In other words, you are either going to be on fire for God or you are not.
Picture with me a cup of coffee sitting on a countertop. You notice that the coffee pot is on and so you safely assume that it’s a hot cup of coffee. However, you take a sip and it is as cold as ice. You immediately spit it out into the sink. That is how God feels about being “almost” a Christian. Later in the Chapter, Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Could you imagine someone coming over to your house and knocking on the door and you just ignoring them? Ok, except for the annoying sales people. Let me paint another picture. The Pharisees were religious men who were “waiting” on the Messiah to come as the prophets had foretold. Jesus came and knocked on their hearts but they refused to believe that He was the Messiah. Could you now imagine someone you have been waiting for and they knock on the door but you decide not to answer it? I believe we are to be like the high school girl waiting for their prom date to arrive. They don’t just sit in the living room watching television all day, but they prepare themselves for when the time comes. I believe we should be this way for Christ, waiting in anticipation for His coming by and preparing for that event.

May I Help You Please?

Well, you are in luck! Two blogs for the price of one! :) Sara and I have been so busy the past two weeks that I haven't had time. But here we go, another blog and another day. We went on our usual shopping trip on Saturday (the one we go on every pay day) when we were abruptly met with rudeness not from one place but three! Honestly, are you having that bad of a day that you have to treat your customers with such disrespect that you can't even say hello? We went to IGA (our local grocery store) where our checker didn't even crack a smile when we approached her. I cracked a joke but she didn't budge. Nice. I know I m not the funniest person out there but come on...humor me people. We walked toward the exit, the person behind us came up and "Hi! How are you!?" screached the IGA employee. Yes, I am naming companies... Next on our shopping list....Walmart. We get our usual stuff that I won't mention because of the innocent but we went to the "speedy" check out... Not even a smile. She didn't even greet us. Alright. Stop number 3...Aldi's (Save money...loose a smile.) The checker talked with the other customers and when we got up there, she managed a hello...nothing else. Hm.... Stop number 4 (The "Friendliest" Store in town...right..) We finished our shopping trip here with the remainder of our food (the meats and things). We headed towards a clerk when Sara smiled at her, the woman scowled. We went to the self-check line instead. Even the clerk there was short with us, "why are you giving ME the cupon?" when the machine tells us to do so...duh? Anyhow, here you go. Honestly, if you hate your job that much I only ask that you turn your smock in and leave. Simply put.

We had more trouble with our car for a couple of days but it's back to us. Same problem but a better solution! :) IT works!

There's not too much other than that going on, I still love my job and I guess they still love me. I still really really love my wife and she really really loves me.

Have fun tonight people! :)

There's Something About Mary.....

Top Five Things You Don't Do In A Duplex

5) You don't have parties at 2 am with drunk boyfriend (s)

4) You don't allow your mother access to your side of the duplex at all hours of the day and night.

3) You don't hammer nails into your neighbor's wall at 11 at night....

2) You don't decide to miraculously slam at door in the middle of the night.

and the number one thing you don't do in a duplex.....

1) You don't have loud sex in the middle of the day when you know your neighbor's home.....

What a wonderful neighbor we have. I think Sara and I are ready for our own place now, don't you think? I can't wait. Of course, we don't have much patience right now with this place. But whatever. We finally are catching up and getting back on our feet. I really love my job and can't wait to keep moving up. I think that God has really big plans for us and I can't wait to see Him make the move.Until then, we must avail to the annoyance of a loud neighbor, yet again.

Another Survivor...how could Dave not be gone? I mean, seriously, his annoying tactics of "leadership" really got on my nerves. Of course, it's just a game. Still, it would be nice to see him go home because I think he's anything but a winner in my book.

CSI...how could you miss this episode? I am sure everyone was in tears and on the edge of their seats when it came on and went off. Of course, you have to watch it to know what happened...I am not going to spoil it.

Oh, if you are reading this, please go to Sara's Myspace... we need some feed back on the honeymoon pictures and the pictures of the kids. Come on, you have plenty of time to read this, you have plenty of time to see those. ;)

As far as getting out of debt, we made a ding to the student loan which is nice...maybe we can actually pay towards the principal now. I have to say, I will be glad when it's done.

Well, to end a good blog I have to give you a quote.

"Before one leads, one must serve."

Another Blog

It's the week of the 25th annual women's convention so we have been busy at work. It's actually been pretty nice though, we are getting all reved up for over 25,000 women and a lot of people to get their lives touched. I have to make one statement though...if you are going to proclaim you are a Christian, please please act it. If you call me up all mad because you are late in registering for this thing, then come on, you have had since June to register. If you are going to act like an irate human being with the patience of a nine year old, please my friend, do not say that you are a Christian.

We are pretty steady around the house with a few things to do this weekend. Are you ready for Christmas? We almost are. :) And it's not even October baby!

We are now onto yet another reality show. I never thought I could watch them but I have been enjoying them lately. Just finished up Big Brother which was a disappointment. I have to say Jermeka and Amber really lost my respect after a while. I know we can't be perfect but come on people. Again I refer to my first comment. Tonight we are watching Survivor:China. So far not too bad. The Christian Radio Host really got my respect for not bowing before the Buddha gods. They may not have been worshiping...but she had a point. Good Job!

Well I guess that is all for now! TTFN

A Six Month Anniversary

Well everyone, we made it. We lasted longer than most Hollywood couples do in 3 marriages combined. Joking? I think not. :) But I have to say it has been a great 6 months though it doesn't seem like it at all. I wouldn't change it for the world. Nothing too new going on around here other than just working and resting. We helped Jamie and Wendy move a couple of Saturday's ago and during that I decided I didn't need my nose for the evening and hit it with an entertainment center. lol. I had a cut and a scrape for a week. But I am alright. We ended up going out to their house yesterday to "move a few fish tanks." This translated to sitting around and talking for 4 hours which Sara and I did not mind at all. On Friday we are going to IHOP with them. To us, this is an accomplisment. We have virtually no friends up here and in one weekend we will be hanging out with two couples. What's up with that? lol. We will be going to Elizabeth's (someone from church) house on Sunday after church for lunch and who knows what. I think we will have a great time just getting out of the house. I will be glad when we have house and can actually invite people over. With the duplex and our neighbor, we can't just invite people over. But anyhow, that is all that is new. I still love my job, Sara is still working at the Y and enjoying it, and we are still in love. Anything new? Not yet but the best is yet to come!

I love ya honey!

Will

Grandma got ranover by a lawnmower....

You just couldn't resist this blog, now could you? We went to Memphis last week and decided to visit everyone and there grandmother, and I mean that quite literally. We left good ole' St. Louie on Thursday and arrived late late late that night to a twin bed for two. lol. We slept through the night and decided to go to Mammaw's the next day where we had lunch with her and I went through some of Granddaddy's cameras. We grabbed my old mattress from the barn and took it to Dad and Mom's house. While were there we got a phone call from Mammaw, hence the title of this blog. She and Glen (my uncle) were driving down Independence Road (where Mammaw has lived forever and a day) and a lawnmower decided to plow into her Thunderbird (which has maybe 35000 miles on it and its nearly 20 years old...eh?) Grandma got ran over by a lawnmower. With minimal damage, she went on her merry way. We then headed out to a Chinese restaraunt with Sean and his parents where we ensued in an interesting conversation about women's rights, the bible, tracts, sex (yes you read right), and so much more. We enjoyed our time there and decided it was time to head out. We played a few games of Rummy and Liverpool with Dad and Mom. On Saturday we headed to Mississippi to see my Mom's family. Sara had an interesting time. We will leave it at that. Then we went to Mammaws house again and ended up at Ryan's Steakhouse for dinner. Our short vacation ended with going to church with Sean and eating at Wendy's with his friends. We definately had a time to remember.

More to come.....more to share....just watch out for Grandma!

Getting out of Debt

Well...Well..Well....
It's another update for you guys and it seems to have been almost a month. Since I updated you, the car is running great now. Still needs an air compressor but other than that it is fine. As of August 1st, it has been paid in full! We no longer owe the bank money for this car! And, we are another day closer to being debt free along with buying a house. I said closer, not there yet. We still have a few thousand dollars left to go but we are good. We got pre-approved to get a mortgage for $100,000. Now, we won't use the entire amount but we are looking for a house to live in when our lease is up.



We have been extremely busy this past month. We will be making trips in and out of town in the next month. Since Granddaddy passed away, we haven't been far. We are going to try to go see my Grandmother soon hopefully. Those in Memphis who are sitll waiting for us to see them, sorry. We are limited in time and money so those that live close to Mom and Dad will see us first.
There's not much more that is new. Keep praying for us and looking for more updates!

Yesterday we went to the JMM company picnic. It was pretty nice getting to eat and win prizes. Sara and I won a DVD player. We don't need one now but we might once we buy a house. We enjoyed watching the people around us talk with one another. We ended up talking to a couple shortly after we got there. Sara got to meet a lot of people....a lot of people. But so did I. We enjoyed it even while it was hot.
So, you know about the story of the Green Beast? Well, don't get too comfortable. The Green Beast died today on the side of State Highway 159 and Floraville Road....where is that you say? Out in the middle of nowhere. We laughed so hard it was retarded. We know that God has a plan, ours for now until He tells us otherwise, I will be driving Sara to and from work as well as going to work myself. We were on our way to Wendy and Jamie's to swim when it decided to stall on a turn from a stop sign. All we could do was laugh. But that's all good. :) Maybe what we can do is lay hands on all the vehicles we own. Someone, get some oil! Wait....they already have oil....nevermind. We'll just slap them once or twice...
Anyhow, our day was well, all things considered. That car that I keep beliving in, is sounding good right now. :) Hope you all had a great weekend!

The Green Beast Returns!

Well, on Tuesday we made the difficult decision to welcome back into our lives….The Green Beast. Our car quit once again because the transmission leaked all over Gravois Rd and I had to have it towed all the way back to Red Bud (45 minutes from work). How embarrassing it had to have been to see a grown man on the side of the road on his cell trying to get someone to tow it. Anyway, it sits once again at the shop to be repaired and now we have re-inherited The Green Beast.
We had a great time yesterday just hanging out with family. Well, more or less swinging around. Sara and I went to Grandma B's house for her annual BBQ where we decided to recline after filling our bellies with food. We sat on her wooden swing on the patio. For some reason we decided that we wanted to talk to family while we sat there so we adjusted our bodies as such. Sara leaned on my chest to see everyone and I leaned back to make sure all was well in the Kingdom. All was not well in the Kingdom….lol. The swing came crashing down with Sara and I in it, I was whacked on the head by the ceiling board that was holding the swing up, and like the wonderful relatives that we have, they all laughed. Of course, I laughed too because man, it was funny! After picking up the pieces of the swing, we had some homemade ice cream (the first I had ever had), and decided to retreat to Jamie and Wendy's house with the kids. We ended up eating Italian food, swimming for a little while, and loosing my wedding ring. Just when you think the story couldn't get any funnier….a little pee comes out (that's for you Sara). We were swimming in their pool which isn't very big but big enough to loose my wedding band. Why did I not take it off like the good husband that I am? I don't know. J But I lost it. Soon after loosing it, the kids had to get out so Wendy, Sara, and I could look for it. We did the search and Wendy found it in a loop at the bottom of the pool. Needless to say I was relieved. Anyhow, we decided it was time to get out and get ready to leave. We headed to Jay and Iva's to pick up the Green Beast and go home. Did we go home? No. We thought it would be nice to go see some fireworks in Evansville with the family. It thundered and lightening for the whole time we were there. But it was so worth it. The kids enjoyed it, well Kirsten enjoyed it. Braeden hates loud noises and with that in mind, he was covered up most of the evening. We finally retreated to our home and fell asleep for a few hours. We woke up with thundering g and lightening going on but retreated back to rest shortly afterwards. Sara set her alarm for 430am like usual, we got up at 600am…she was late. So needless to say she got up bolting and running around the house. Poor thing is probably exhausted from all the running. But I love her and miss her just the same.
Now that you have been updated, I must retreat to my work and my life as a Joyce Meyer Ministries Employee. I love and miss you all!

The Funeral

Well, some of you already know but on June 27th my Granddaddy passed away. After 78 years of living, he went home to the big blackroom in the sky ( he was a photographer). I can hear him now telling the angels how to do their jobs or sitting with his mom and dad talking about the good ole days. I know he misses us, we miss him, but he can not possibly miss this world.
Out of desperation to see him before he died, I left work at 1pm on Wednesday (on Tuesday he had had a heart attack) and rushed to our house. Sara and I packed in a record 30 minutes and left town. It was 95+ degrees, no air in the car, and muggy. About 330 I recieved a call from dad that Granddaddy had died. So we decided to stop for a minute to catch our breaths and off we went again. We arrived in Memphis around 830. What usually is a 5 hour drive was longer because we were sufficating and had to stop every hour or so. Mammaw handled it well. They were married 58 years! What a blessing it was for her to have enjoyed him for that long. I know that they didn't have a picture perfect marriage but Granddaddy loved her and she loved him. I learned a lot this week. So much that I just don't have room to place it here or at least I know that no one would really read it. But I do know one thing, Granddaddy is in that home far away and we will see him again.

Come and Follow Me.

Well, it has been a week since I updated and thought I better get on here and do so. Sara's watching Bingo and eating cheezits. Tomarrow we are going to Ragin' Rivers with the Kleins. After that we are going out to eat and then home. Sunday we have church and then we have the Red Bud parade. We are moving to Red Bud sometime in the next 6 months or so. We just can't be here much longer because crime is starting to rise. It's mostly because some of the E. St. Louis scum is starting to filter over into our area. We happen to live not far from that area. Anyway, I know that all people from E. St. Louis are not bad. But it is unfortunate that a lot of them are and they filter over into our area. We also want to be close to family and church. It only makes it 10 minutes or so longer for my drive and 20 minutes closer for Sara's drive...or walk. :)

This week I learned something, maybe something that you will catch onto. Read Below:

In Mark 1:17, Jesus simply said, “come and follow me.” It doesn’t get complicated nor does it require that you have to hop on one foot then do two back flips with your hands tied behind your back. Simply put, “come and follow me.” We come together to cast our nets as the disciples did that day. They knew that He was their provider. “They left their nets and followed Him.” Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone had that kind of faith. The kind of faith that all God has to do is “let’s go” and we go. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus tells His disciples to “Go Therefore.” There is more but He just told them to go. It is time that we “go” with Christ and spread the word of God. “Go ye therefore to all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” As Christ was returning Home in the air, He made it clear what your destiny in life was. You may say, ‘no, He was talking to the disciples.” The definition of disciple is “a person who believes the doctrine of Christ, rests on His sacrifice, taking in His spirit, and imitates His example.” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). So we are called to believe in Christ, rest on His sacrifice, take in His spirit, and imitate His example which means we are to act like Him. Christ went all over the known world, preaching God’s word and speaking of God’s love. If we are to be like Him, we are to do what He does. Someone may say that I take it too far speaking in that way but simply put, become a fisher of men.

Four times in the gospel’s, Jesus tells His followers that in order to follow Him, they have to first deny himself, take up a cross, and follow Him. (Matt 16:24, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, and Luke 9:23.) It amazes me that it is a simple task to follow Christ, yet it is a hard one. We as humans find it difficult to deny ourselves. To deny ourselves means “to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests.” Do you mean I have to loose my identity? Yes. We are to loose our identity of ourselves and identify with Christ who bore our sins on the cross. I do not believe that the followers of Christ really understood this until after the death and resurrection of Christ. It’s high time that we give up our own ambitions, identify ourselves with Christ, and follow Him. Once we follow Him, His will becomes our will and the desires of our heart becomes His.
End of Part One


Well I will close for now, I hope all is well with all of you. :)

Look it's a bird, no it's a plane, no....it's Will with an update!

Before you all get excited, let's get the bowl out incase someone decides to wet themselves with excitement that I actually have five minutes to actually update this thing today.

The Marriage:

I love being married to my beautiful wife! We are actually doing pretty well considering we have been without my car up until yesterday for the past 6 weeks. While in Memphis, as some of you know, the transmission took a sabbatical and my car was out for a few weeks. By the grace of God and her parents, we actually had the money to take care of it....$1847! OUCH! That's a dent but all is fair in love and war, right? Sara enjoys my new job...more money, better hours, closer to home, and definately better for my moral. I started working at Joyce Meyer Ministries a month ago making more money than I did at Washington University and my benefits are paid for. The best thing is, I can talk about GOD all I want and get away with it. I think that she enjoys the fact more that I get home at 545 everyday, no questions asked. The beginning of our marriage was marred with the fact that I might get home at 545 or 700 depending on what doctor decided to work over his/her allotted time.

The House:

Like Jeff and Val, we are looking for a home. We are currently residing in a small town that is run down but our house isn't too bad. We are sharing a duplex (nice...right..) with our neighbors who like to curse and get mad at 430 in the morning. It's fine at 1200 in the afternoon when neither of us are home but still, give me a dog gone break. We are trying to sleep here! I have to get in touch with a realitor sometime soon to find out what we can afford with our income and what we can not afford. I guess that 1.5 million dollar mansion is looking improbable but hey, I work for GOD now, so anything is possible lol. But seriously, I don't think I would want a house that big. Too much cleaning for us to do. We recommend you do a background check on your landlord....just word of advice.

The Car:

As stated before the car is back and running. Next are the brakes so please pray for that. They work but they are not the way I would like them. There is a short delay that I am not fond of.

The Job:

It has been a month and now I am loving it more and more. We have been busy with the Women's Conference orders flying in left and right with Salvation week coming to a close, we had over 1200 salvation calls. We had a lot of overtime, praise GOD!

The Ring:

As a joke for Jeff and his friend, I haven't flushed my ring this week but I almost dropped it in the sink drain when washing dishes. That's what I get for loosing weight! :)

The Computer:

This would be the real reason why I quit updating for a month! It worked but it started frizzing out on me while working going from dark to light to dark screens. The power supply is not worth what I paid for it but anyway, we finally got a network card from Sara's Brother IN Law and he came and programmed it after I installed it. It works great!

The Wedding Update:

We got our beautiful pictures and I haven't had time to update it on here.

The Wedding in July:

Rachel, we will not be at the wedding but we will be there late that night around 8. I unfortunately can not ask for it all off and Sara can not either. We will leave Illinois around 1.00pm. However, don't get too happy, we have something for you but if you guys are not there, we will just give it to your mom and dad.

The End:

Well, I guess that this will have to end my little episode of "The Ramblings of a Married Man" and hope to get to talk to you all later. Remember Kids....don't eat yellow snow.

Happy Trails!

Somedays

Somedays

We got our bed on Saturday afternoon after waiting for it for a week. Oh...sweet bed.... It is a monstrosity of bed springs and foam. I love this mattress. Sara loves this mattress. Thank God. :)

A Funny:
Sometime last week Sara and I were washing our hands in the bathroom before dinner and it has always been a practice to put the toilet seat all the way down (yes, a man wants the seat completely down...you’ll see why as this story unfolds.) because I have this fear of dropping things in there and flushing them, costing lots of money to get it out. Well, my fear came true to a degree. I went to take my band off because I was going to wash my hands and whoops! It fell into the toilet. EWWW! Luckily it was not flushed and I could just reach down in there...but still. It was funny to hear the reaction from Sara’s lips. Lol. We found it to be funny because it has always been my fear and someone left it open. Hehe.

Reality Sets In:
Many know that the married life is not easy. However, Sara and I apparently are the exception. Pastor announced to the whole congregation on Sunday that if we hadn’t had the whole distance between us and talking on the phone with each other all the time, we may not be as happy as we are. Reality is, we are happy and the Pastor acknowledged it. If the church didn’t know who we were then....they do now. ;)

The Garage Sale:
So, May 5th, we are having a big garage sale...without the garage. Ok, so it’s a yard sale. But we have a lot of stuff to get out of this house. When we got married, I had a lot of stuff donated, which is nice but we have so much right now. We are trying to get out of debt so...this will help.

The Car:
I have had this car for a little over a year and have had nothing but problems out of it. It works fine for several months and then something freakish goes wrong with it. It works. It gets me here and there. So I really can’t complain. However, I can say that when someone is supposed to tighten your belts....it means all of them. KTHX Anyhow, if anyone knows a good inexpensive mechanic, let me know.

Love:
I love my wife so much. This weekend, she hasn’t felt well. Well, all week she hasn’t felt well. But she still manages to try to do things around the house. Like yesterday, she gets down in that basement with me and brings more stuff to see out and she’s feeling like crud. More than that but I can’t tell online here. Anyway, I love her very much.

वीक्ल्य अपडेट!

The Life:

Being married has brought us some great adventures. I don’t think I could have asked for a better gift from God other than the sight of Heaven. I come home everyday to my best friend and I get the pleasure of spending the rest of my life with her. This is the life. I can not say that I miss the single life. Coming home to an empty house with no conversation is really dull. I can not say I ever had a social life outside of my wife. I love just being able to spend time with her and loving on her.

The Word:

1 Peter 5:8 “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [ [Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.] in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” AMP

The more I have prayed on it, the more that the Holy Spirit has told me that it is time to start watching what I say and do around others.

Proverbs 13:3 “He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” AMP

Matthew 15:11 “It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].” AMP

I am finding that I have let my guard down too low and now I am being attacked. Many people don’t understand why I had my guard up in the first place but when it is down, I tend to believe others easily and am more vulnerable to what they say and do. I am so blessed that I don’t have to have my guard up for my wife. She is so trusting and caring when it comes to knowing what I have been trying to do well. I am a talker and most people get that. I am very outspoken and love to make people laugh. However, I am noticing that I am not helping my professional and spiritual life. I am getting a lot of my professional peers treating me like a child and I am not amused by it. I am a grown, married man who is hard working and caring. Am I bragging? No. It is a gift that God has given me to be caring and responsive to those in need along with being funny. Now I am having to build my guard back up at work and not let so much of my personality back out. I thought it would help to be always smiling and always cracking the joke. But when it comes back to being the butt of the jokes, I am not amused. Holy Spirit brought the Proverbs to my attention today and I realized that I have to be on my guard with my mouth.

The Job:

As you can tell above, my job has not been all that easy since we have been back. My doctor I work for has been very snippy with me lately. I haven’t been able to do anything right and i have a feeling that it is because I have been trying way too hard at regaining my desk back from my leave. In that, my guard went back up and now my professionalist side has to be revealed...oh, I hate that. I love cracking jokes with my patients. I hate that now I have to be all professional. Oh well.

The Money:
Malachi 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." NIV

It seems that God has been dipping into our account and adding to it. For those who are not tithers....get over it. Sara and I are living proof it this. Since we have been married, we have not had to touch her paycheck and I don’t make very much on my own. I was barely making in this time last year. Heck, I was barely making it this time two months ago. Sara has always tithed. I didn’t start tithing until July of last year and have missed once. Did it show back up right then and there? No. I wish it had. But we were more than blessed later on. For those who poo-poo the idea, it’s time to buck up. If you go to church and reap the benefits of the Word of God and listen to the worship and you don’t tithe, you are no better than the person who comes in and swears. Am I wrong? “But I can’t afford it.” I am going to say this once, you can’t afford not to tithe. He gives it back people. We are living testimonies of it.

The Blogs:

Though I love to blog, they will become few. I am making an effort to do so once a week to keep those who live far away and are family posted but I love my wife more than the internet.

The Bed:

Stop thinking that you perve. We bought a new bed Saturday and are waiting on it to come. It is so comfortable. We needed it because we can’t both fit comfortable on the one we are borrowing from Jean and Joel. So, Jean and Joel, you will be getting yours back soon. Thank you for helping me (now us) out. :)

The End:

Now that you have been updated on this, thank you for reading. If you disagree with what I said, then you are entitled to your opinion...read the Word while you think on this.

:D With Great Love

Finally back

WARNING! THE IDEALS PLACED IN THIS BLOG DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE WHO HAVE RESPONDED. THIS BLOG IS RATED R FOR REALLY RETARDED AND MUST BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

**We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging**

Well, we made it! Our wedding and honeymoon are over. It was very very beautiful at the wedding with the snow and the decorations. It doesn't just snow in March. Especially on St. Patty's day. We headed to the Bahamas on Monday Morning on a beautiful damp day. It was just awesome flying up into the clouds and seeing all of God's glory. Once we landed in Miami, we decided to take a walk through the airport and come back later. We boarded the next flight with the fear of God in mind. It was a prepellar engine plane that rocked as it took off and jerked around for the 15 minutes we were taking off.....come on people, American Airlines is a multi-million dollar corporation. Give me a plane that won't take me out of this world permanetly. We were greeted with some seat belts missing and others being replaced as we boarded the plane. A loud bump under the plane warned us that we were about to land and the scretching tired and bumpy run way let us know, we were there. Little did we know the adventures that we had encountered were just a small prelude to the excitement of the honeymoon.

We made it to the RIU resort where we called home for 4 days. It was very well done in the lobby and high class. However, the room wasn't as impressive. Most of the teenagers (which you will hear about through this blog) couldn't stand staying in their own rooms....but that is just story for another day. The bed proved to be our biggest obstacle being that it was harder than....let's just say it was just hard. Though the bed was hard, we enjoyed the food! Yummy. I think that was the majority of our vacation was the food. There were about 4 bars and 4 restaraunts in the resort with a beautiful view of the ocean. We walked on the beach for most of the afternoons that we were there. The teens managed to leave us alone enough to catch some sun and some rest. We ended each day with a big dinner at one of the restaraunts each night.

There was an account of boobage from one teenager shortly after the beer drinking contest by the pool. He was either drunk or the booby attacker was the one drunk. I choose to believe the kid was little tipsy from the view of him stumbling over the beach chairs and the slap on the face he got from telling the story to his girlfriend.

*NOTE TO SELF: DON'T TELL THE ONE YOU LOVE THAT YOU SAW SOME MAJOR BOOBAGE UNLESS IT IS THEIR OWN.**

With the drinking age being so low down there, the level of STUPID compensated for the lack there of. I am suprised that so many parents allowed their children (yes, I call teenagers kids. Anyone under 21 is considered a minor in the states for Alcohol consumption.) to drink as much as they did. Once they were barred from one bar, they went to another one. When all the bars were done selling liquor, it was off to the rooms where there was more liquor in the wet bar.

Though the level of stupid was on the rise, we didn't let it dampen our honeymoon. As a matter of fact, we found it humorous to see gay Bahamian guides throwing water balloons at drunk teenage girls and the girls almost falling in the pool. I don't know if he was just thinking maybe a guy would dive in and save them or what but whatever the case was, it was funny.

We enjoyed our time there but it was time to come home। The day we left, we got up before 8॥which was a far cry from what we did during the week by getting up at 10 and not leaving the room until 11। We packed our bags and left the island behind. Though we were ready to leave, the time wasn't ready to leave us. We arrived in Chicago around 755 after circling around the airport for half an hour with hopes on going home as soon as we landed. We ended up waiting until 1130 to leave because of the bad weather outside. Once we got home we crashed. Our married life has been wonderful. I can't believe that I get to wake up to my best friend every single day in our lives.

Returning to normal was harder than I thought. Work was just exhausting trying to remember everything and get everything done. But I have to say, I am glad to be back. I am glad that Sara is here at my side to get me through this adjustment.

A Few More and I ll be ok....

I just could not resist the title. I was in Fairview Heights this morning with Sean and we ate at I-HOP as a ritual for the end of my single life. Not that my single life was that exciting. I never really drank and when I did, it was very little. I never smoked mary J or did any drugs. I never went on sleeping bendges with all the girls at my employer's office even though most of the guys wanted to...scares me at the thought of it. **shutters** In a few days I can check that mark on all of those surveys as married. I can finally tell people, "Hey. That's my beautiful wife!" and not be making a joke about the girl next door who I have never met in my life. We ended up going home to wait for Sara to get there and once she did, we decided to go to St. Louis to get my hair cut. One place was 25.00. I said, nah I think I ll look somewhere else. Well somewhere else was an hour wait and we wanted to go bowling. We looked into the Discovery Store before we left and before we left, my mom called (who I thought would not be here until around 2...I was proved wrong) to let me know that they were are mile marker 186. Which is literally 40 minutes from the house. So I had to book it home where we were met by them. Amanda, I believe, is more excited about the wedding than we are. I thought it was funny that she can't wait but then again, most of our families are the same way. We are both 24....enough said. Anyway, we decided to go to...**drum roll please** IHOP. I almost got disowed earlier because Sara didn't get to go and she loves IHOP. Well, I recieved my redemption. ;) We waited almost 15 minutes to be waited on. The place only had 10 people in there eating with several people just standing in the kitchen. One girl past us, I know at least 10 times. I finally got up and told someone. Dad was a little ticked because I told him to sit back down that I would take care of it. But he wasn't feeling well and I know how he can be when he is not feeling well and that just would not make the situation any better. Anyway, she finally showed up and took our order. The cooks in the back got the orders wrong for Mom and Sean. It was pretty sad but what do you do. You eat the food, you leave the tip, and you walk out the door being sensible. That's called Christianity. Anyway, we were going to go to a movie but since we were delayed at the restaraunt, we were running late. By the time we got to After Hours, it was already 330 and the movie started at 405. We had to get them done. So we got that done and waited 45 minutes to get my hair cut. Which was fine because it needed it. We sat around for about an hour and finally I told mom and dad that they needed to go to the motel because mom was hurting and dad was tired. So they left and we headed to our home away from home, Target. We looked for some shoes for Sean and Sara looked at some sneakers. Then we left to drop her off at the nail salon to get her nails done with Wendy, Beverly, and Amanda. Sean and I have been sitting here playing games (meaning him on the x box and me ont he computer) and relaxing. The next to last day of my single life was filled with more excitement than most of the days combined of my single life.

Less than two days people. I think I am getting excited lol. Thank you for you all your prayers and your time for reading these blogs I have been posting. Of course, next week there will be no updates and no postings. I will be...away....yeah, away.....

Who's Yo Daddy?

You can almost count on the title of this blog pertaining to the late Anna Nicole Smith. I might as well jump in on the band wagon of disgust and make my comments known. HA! I think that the life of Anna Nicole Smith is a sad reminder of Hollywood today. The need for constant companionship and sex is what tends to be the 'norm'. It is unfortunate that Anna Nicole Smith felt that she had to sleep with over 12 men, if that is in fact true, to find love. Honestly though, we don't know the heart of Anna Nicole Smith or the reason she felt that she had to sleep with these men. But come on, Zsa Zsa Gabor's ex? The man is 10 years older than God with a few years left in him close to dirt. I can understand millionare status yet I can't say I agree with it. The media has found some new juice that Howard Stern (no pun to the radio talk show host) refuses to give DNA for paternity (as of 1145 AM) testing. However, the truth is clear that the women in Hollywood that our girls are looking up to is becoming pathetic. I am sorry if I burn someone's nose hairs from the flames flying out of them but come on, look at the people we idolize in Hollywood.

As for Anna Nicole Smith, I feel sorry for her soul. Whatever the case may be, she is now gone to the great unknown. I am not here to judge lest I be judged. I don't know Anna's heart and I don't know her reasoning.

As for this poor little girl that is caught up in the middle of this web, I pray that she will never remember this mess that she has been drawn into. Born in a game of chance? I don't think so. I think God's glory will be revealed somewhere in this mess.

What did Anna die of? Honestly, who cares. She passed away tragically and it happened over a month ago. I am sure that if she were here now, she would tell you to move on and get over it.

The Test of Time

After countless head bangings on the brick wall of the Internet, I decided to try blogging elsewhere. The whole Myspacestarted getting on my nerves from the moment I opened the account and yet, I stayed for nearly 18 months trying to convince myself, it will be all good. **BANGS HEAD HERE** So, I started reading Jeff's blog and I got to thinking, maybe I should get a clue and move on. I may bid my farewell to Myspace after all but it is hard to part from my 84 "friends" that so desperately read my senseless rantings about Britney Spears' new hair do to what our lovely politicians have to say about who's gay and who's a faggot. Whoops! Maybe I should sensor that because God knows who might read this and be offended.

**crickets chirping**

Ok, so the countless people reading this might be offended by the whole F***OT ordeal but you know, the last time I checked we lived in a free country. Of course, don't get me started on the whole "it's a free country so I will believe what I want to." Then when a Christian gets up and says something we are told we are too radical. But that's another story for another blog.

Sara and I are winding down the final moments of our last week as a "single" person. I just can't wait to see the look on her face when she walks down the aisle and I am sure everyone else can't wait to see the look on my face as well. I am nervous about the whole wedding thing. Not that I don't want to get married because I love Sara with every ounce of my being, however, I am always afraid I will be that groom who falls down the stairs as he walks up to to the alter. I am sure everyone at Washington University would love to see that. Sean will be coming into town bright and early on Thursday morning on the Amtrak. Then Mom and Dad are coming sometime that afternoon and then we are all going to Fairview to get the tuxedos. After that is the trip to Chester on Friday to decorate and reherse the wedding. Of course, Saturday is the wedding and Monday is the flight to the Bahamas. :)

Maybe someone will hit the fast forward button and we will be in the Bahamas tomarrow...hm...