Family Vacation

We recently returned from a family vacation to Creede, CO.  This was our first family vacation that included all of Torie's family, and it was much needed and very special.  You see, Torie's parents have surrendered to be overseas missionaries and will be gone by April 2013.  So thanks to the generosity of Eddie Tom and Marinita Lakey, we, along with Torie's folks and her brother and his family, made the trek from Southwest Oklahoma to stay in the Lakey's cabin in Creede, CO.  This also was our boys, Joshua and Braeden, first trip to the mountains.  We had a great time: 4-wheeler rides, picnics at mountain lakes, hikes up the mountain, and good ol' fashioned fellowship.  We were so blessed and it was a sweet special time! Thank you Lord for your provision!!!

The Cabin

The View

The Picnic Spot

The Bear Patrol

The Hike

The Lord's Bow

The Most Precious Niece

The Fear

(Ashley, Torie w/fear, baby Lydia, Momma Shirley)

Somehow, I never got any pics of my kids or Brother-in-law Timothy on my DSLR :(
May have to upload some from my iPhone

Joshua's First Violin Recital

Joshua (8) has only been playing for 2 1/2 months...this was his first recital. Torie and I are so proud of him!!!

Hey Javy, I joined the Snake Kings

If you have seen the movie Courageous, then you are aware of the scene where Javier Martinez (Javy) is explaining how he started a gang called "Snake Kings".  As a member, he and his brothers would go around riding the neighborhood of snakes.  My wife is terrified of snakes, so wouldn't you know we had one in our yard as she was going to our garage.  Of course, she came running back in the house screaming frantically.  Being the manly guardian that I am, I went to my gun safe and pulled out my Remington 12 gauge shotgun, and proceeded to take out the snake:

Headless Snake and divot

Remains of the head about 8 feet away from the body on the driveway

Needless to say I am a hero at our home.  My wife's adrenaline is now lowering, and we have one less snake to terrorize her...all in a days work as I serve and protect my family.

Here's the "Snake Kings" scene from the movie Courageous in case you have never seen it:

Braeden's First Piano Recital

"Lost Little Kitty"

Braeden (7) had his first piano recital tonight.  His mother and I are so proud of him!  He has only been learning for 3 months and knocked his first song out of the park!

A Puritan Prayer

A Puritan Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I believe thee,

I accept thy Word,

I submit to thy will,

I rely on thy promises,

I trust thy providence.

Thy providence has set the bounds of my habitation,

and wisely administers all my affairs.

Help me to see your providence in all that concerns me,

And may I ever give you thanks.

Amen.*

*Adapted from Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975), 296.

Taken from Barbara Rainey, Growing Together in Gratitude: Character Sotries for Families (Little Rock, AR: Family Life Publishing, 2010), 20.

Hayes House: The Gourmet 5 Course Meal

As I mentioned in the April: A Whirlwind, my wife and I has the privilege of staying at the historic Hayes House B&B.  One of the greatest features, and something I won't soon forget, was the gourmet 5 course meal our host Jim prepared for us.  It was the most amazing meal I have ever eaten!!!

Here's the breakdown:

The Appetizer

 Lovely shrimp cocktail

The Salad

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Citrus Poppyseed Vinaigrette and edible flower garnish

The Palette Cleanser

Grape Chamboury Ice 

The Main Course

Chateau Brianne with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Carrot Souffle, Fried Green Beans and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

 

The Dessert

White Chocolate Cour Ala Creme set in Brandied Apricot Sauce with Raspberries, Strawberries, and Caramel Sauce

***UPDATED***

Forgot to put what Torie had:

Chicken Breast Wrapped in Phyllo with Dijon Mustard Sauce, Carrot Souffle, Fried Green Beans and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

It was absolutely amazing!!!

April: A Whirlwind

It was a whirlwind of an April for us, both figuratively and literally (see tornadic weather).  I am finally sitting down to write about it.

New Addition:

 We had a new addition to our family...meet "Bodie" our new blue merle Australian Shepherd.  We all have fallen in love with him, and who can blame us, look how cute he is:

Anniversary:

Torie and I celebrated 13 years on April 10th.  We were extremely blessed to get to have a 3 day get away (something fairly rare with young children) thanks to some generous people.  My mom's friend, Joy, knew a guy who ran a B&B in Muskogee, OK - The Historic Hayes House.   She got us in touch with Jim, who allowed us a nights stay at no charge, and Joy paid for us to receive the 5 course gourmet meal (more on that in a moment).  Then my mom and dad wanted it to be special for us and paid for an additional night, what a blessing!  Not to mention that mom drove from the Dallas area to our small part of Oklahoma to watch the boys for us.  So the day before we were to head to Muskogee, we stayed a night in OKC, to spend some more time together and cut down the length of the drive to Muskogee.  We had a wonderful evening, eating at one of our favorite Italian restaurants and then went to see The Hunger Games.  The next day we arrived at the Hayes House:

Frontage Picture

Backyard (included Koi Pond, Tree Swing, Deck, Pool, etc.)

My B-E-A-utiful Bride on the swing

Jim, our host, was very friendly and welcoming and a very good cook.  I mentioned the 5 course gourmet meal, but want to do it justice so I am going to do a separate post concerning the most amazing meal I have ever eaten in my life.

Upon returning from Muskogee, my wife immediately left the next day for OKC again to attend  the Women of Joy Conference.  The boys and I, thinking we would have a fun guys weekend, got to endure tornadic weather through which we spent an adventurous 3 hours in our storm shelter.  The day after Torie returned home, we left for a week long trip in Dallas....wheeww...

Baby Gets Older:

Braeden, our youngest son, turned 7 on April 15.  With my sister's 31st birthday being the 16th, we made a trip to Dallas to have a dual birthday celebration (which means my sister gets a little boys birthday party, but she doesn't mind). Braeden is BIG into pirates and requested a "pirate treasure" birthday cake, to which "Gammaw" was happy to oblige:

The Cake

The Boy

Did I mention he likes pirates - LEGO Black Pearl

Odds and Ends:

Well, those were some of the major things that kept us busy.  The boys continue to excel in their music lesson, Braeden (piano) and Joshua (violin), and we have also changed our Homeschool Curriculum to My Father's World, which Torie and the boys are loving!!!  Other than that, I continue to be blessed as, through the Lord's strength, I preach and lead our church.  What a blessed busy life I have, thank you Lord!!!

Braeden's First Piano Lesson

Braeden had his first ever piano lesson today and learned "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".  Torie and I are excited that he likes taking piano, and are so proud of our little 6 yr old!

 

A Nature Journal

One of the great joys my wife and I have is homeschooling our children!  We are so very blessed to have this opportunity to invest in the education of our boys and to give them a strong God-centered Worldview as a foundation.  There is also the fact that we get to do neat activities that reinforce what they are learning.  Such an activity, like that of a nature journal, allows them to be hands-on with the nature they are studying in books, and gives them a greater appreciation for God's creation.  They have recently been studying about the century plant and thought they had found one in the wooded creek bed behind our house:

While I don't think we have century plants in our part of Oklahoma, it certainly has similar features, and was a good find by an eight and six year old.  Shows they are paying attention!

Here is Joshua (8) drawing a picture of it and noting it in his nature journal:

While out exploring, I came across an ol' timey harrow that has long been abandoned in the wheat field behind us.  One of it's blades was off, so I took the opportunity to take a couple of photos:

What an adventure to be a homeschool family!!!

Bowhunting Turkey: What I Use

As Turkey Season is approaching thought I would make an inventory of the gear I use to bow hunt turkey:

1. Bow - Mathews Switchback XT

While this model is a few years old and is no longer in production, it still gets the jay-oh-bee done!!!

2. Camo - Realtree AP

There are other good choices, and to me it is a matter of personal preference, but this is my camo of choice

3. Blind - Primos Vision GroundMax Blind

For the money, this is a great blind.  It comfortable for two hunters and offers 360 deg. field of view (Though I have never opened all the way to avoid silhouetting).

4. Calls - Friction: Primos Jackpot

 Has great tones and brings em in!
 
        Gobbler: Primos "Shaker Call"

Get more struttin Toms with this little beauty!

5.  Decoys - Primos B-Mobile

Have had several big Toms go to sparring with this thing!

6.  Arrows/Broadheads - I use Beman Team Realtree MFX with Blazer vanes and NAP Spitfire Gobbler Getter Broadheads

The FMJ-like tip provides maximum shock inducing power while the expandable 3 three design offers 1 1/2" cutting diameter....THWACK!!!

6. Rangefinder - Bushnell Scout 1000 A.R.C Laser Rangefinder (Realtree AP)

Works great, particularly from a treestand as it has Angle Range Compensation (A.R.C.) built in.

Well those are a few of the things I use to be successful in the turkey woods.  What do you use?

I've Gotten Naked...

No, it's not what you think, I am fully clothed. I'm referring to my iDevices. I have recently taken the covers off and allowed my iPhone 4S and original iPad to bask in the freedom. Nothing against Otterbox, they make terrific protective cases and they have been my choice since my iPhone 3GS. However, they are a bit bulky and weighty, particularly the Defender Series, which offers the most protection and has adorned my iPhone's and iPad. Unfortunately they also conceal the aesthetic beauty of Apple's design. To be perfectly honest I am a bit leery of potential catastrophe, but the aesthetical quality, as well as the lifting of bulky weight currently is helping me overcome that fear. It also goes without saying that by going caseless, I am taking a little extra degree of care ( these are after all expensive devices). However, I am truly enjoying the new experience and feel offered by being naked...ur uhm caseless.

Posted using Blogsy for iPad

All in a Days Work - My Wife's Garden

My wife decided she wanted to again do a garden this year.  We had one about 3 yrs ago, then we attempted to build some raised bed gardens (that didn't work).  So here we are, needing to till the earth to make ready for a new garden plot.  Thankfully we had just received a snow storm, that promptly melted in two days, making the ground moist and a little softer.  Of course softer is relative, as it was only softer than concrete.  At any rate, I was able to get the allotted space tilled and ready to receive seed. 

We have still yet to determine what that seed will be, but stay tuned as I post pics of the, Lord willing, bounty to come!

Tweetbot for iOS - The Only Twiter Client on my iDevices

Perhaps you have heard of, or even use Tweetbot for iOS by Tapbots.   

It happens to be the only Twitter client I use on my iPhone and now iPad.  It originally was released as an iPhone only App, but with Tweetbot 2.0, it now has an iPad version as well.  The UI is simple and beautiful, with features (click link above for list of features) that blow the official Twitter App out of the water.  The list of previously used apps is numerous, from TweetDeck to Hootsuite, Uber Social to Twitter, and seemingly everywhere in between. The problem was always the same, they each offered something useful, but didn't meet all my needs in one client, until now!  I recommend checking out Tweetbot for iOS if you own an iPhone or iPad.  Yes it will cost you a few bucks, but it will be worth it!

You can download Tweetbot for iOS in the App Store: 

iPhone

iPad

Day After Tomorrow

More pics from our Oklahoma Snow Storm:

"Day After Tomorrow"

"Splash of Color"

"Igloo"

Fun Snowy Day

We had some wintery weather move in today in SW Oklahoma.  Due to the cold day we had yesterday, ice and snow have blanketed the roads leading to the need to cancel our Sunday night bible study.  So the boys took advantage of the time...

As Iron Sharpens Iron...

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

When I was a freshman at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, myself and a couple buddies felt led to start a christian fraternity on our campus.  As we began looking into it, we discovered that it is extremely difficult to do so without sponsorship of an already existing fraternity.  One of my buddies, Chad Cain, knew of a great group of young men who were involved in a christian fraternity on the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock, Texas.  They were known as Kappa Upsilon Chi, which signifies "Keeping Under Christ".  Well to make a long story short, through prayer and their guidance, we brought Kappa Upsilon Chi to Wayland.  I, along with eleven of my brothers, became the founding fathers of KYX Alpha Class Beta Chapter (You can learn more by clicking this link: Kappa Upsilon Chi - KYX). I mention all of this because the motto verse of the fraternity is Proverbs 27:17.  We became a brotherhood of believers that would encourage one another, help each other grow, and when necessary keep each other accountable.  I somewhat lost that after leaving college.  The reality is we need other men in our lives as brothers in Christ for all those things.  There is no such thing as a "lone-ranger christian", we need one another.  This last weekend I was blessed with and "Iron Sharpening Iron" moment.  I must first admit that I have been going through a "desert" season in my life spiritually.  It has been very dry, and at times, there is seemingly no relief in sight.  We had some of our good friends up for a visit this weekend, and the Lord used Clayton greatly in my life! We spent the weekend in great conversation, all of which was grounded in the truth of God's word, and through that time, a spiritual oasis appeared.  Truly as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another!  Thank you Lord for Clayton and for the victory!!!

Death Shimmer: Why I Can't Wait to Hit the Water

Some time ago my buddy Jason Baggett tweeted about a new spinner bait known as Death Shimmer.  As one who loves to fish, I marveled at the innovation of this particular spinner and knew I wanted some.  So I asked him if they were available at Bass Pro or Cabelas.  He told me they were made by Law Lures and were not yet available at the big outdoor stores, but got me in contact with the owner Rich Lau.  Needless to say I am the proud owner of three Death Shimmer spinner baits, two pictured here:

I have yet had the opportunity to hit the water and give these bad boys a proper breaking in, but in a couple of  weeks my mom and dad will be coming in from Dallas, and the one thing dad wants to do every time he comes, have me take him fishing (he never gets too living in the concrete jungle).  So T-minus 17 days and counting till death hits the waters of SW Oklahoma.  So excited, can't wait, and what a blessing it will be to have my dad along with me!

P.S. Special Thanks to Rich Lau, God bless you brother!!!

Why the 2012 Turkey Season will be the BEST EVER!

Okay, so by the title one might think that I might have some inside information about turkey quantities, movements, habits, etc., or some scouting secrets to get you onto more birds.  The truth of the matter is, for me this season has nothing to do with the turkey themselves, but rather the hunt, and more specifically whom I get to hunt with.  This season, I will have the opportunity and privilege of taking my 8 yr old son Joshua out for his first Oklahoma Turkey Season.  As a father of two boys, I have been looking forward to this moment since they were born:
 
1.  The opportunity to pass down to my sons the joy, knowledge, and responsibility of hunting and the outdoor life. 

2.  To pass along the appreciation of God's wonderful creation of nature and wildlife, and our call to have dominion and stewardship over it. 

3.  The blessing of spending quality time with my sons and teach them how to hunt, both ethically and for success.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it outlines a few of my reasons why, for me, the 2012 Turkey Season will be the BEST EVER!!!

Lord, lead me so I can lead

As men, we are created, called, commanded and ordained to lead our families.  This leadership is not limited to financial, but also encompasses emotional leadership as we love them, and spiritual leadership as we draw them closer to Christ.  However, in order to fulfill this role, we must first be led ourselves.  The apostle Paul wrote,

"Wives, submit to your own husband, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church" - Ephesians 5:22-29 (ESV)

The Word states that we are the head of the family, but in order to lead correctly, Biblically, we must be under Christ's headship.  Christ must first lead us in order for us to lead them. Our headship is not a dictatorship, through which the husband can lord over the wife commanding her to obey his every whim, but rather it is a role that requires sacrificial, unconditional love!  As head of our home, we are to love, nourish and cherish!  He goes on to say,

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)

As fathers, it is our responsibility to teach, train, and instruct our children in the admonition of the Lord.  We are to be the model and example for them, particularly our sons, to pass on to their family!  In this investment, through God's grace, we have an impact on generations to come. We must diligently pray for our families and ourselves that Christ rule!

Lead Me
by Sanctus Real

The "Fanboy" Transformation was made Complete

Okay, so I realize that this post is likely going to earn me the label of "Fanboy", but I am okay with that.  The reality is I am an Apple Fanboy.  It started small with desiring to get an iPhone.  When the iPhone was launched 5 years ago, they were to pricey for this preacher, so I had to bide my time.  Then it happened, with the launch of the 3GS, I was able to purchase my first iPhone.  Now, I already had owned iPods and was familiar with iTunes, but who knew it would be so nice to have a computer, camera, apps, music, etc. all in one device.  Then came the iPad, which I purchased about 4 months before Apple announced the launch of the iPad 2 (early bird may get the worm, but the tortoise gets the iPad 2).  Anyway, the usefulness of the iPad for me was immeasurable, in that I daily used journaling apps in conjunction with the Bible App, for preparing sermons, bible studies, and personal growth.  Yes, I know you can do those things with a pad, pen and bible, but the fun and ease of copying and pasting, along with being able to sync between my iPhone and iPad was great.  I have since upgraded to the iPhone 4S when it launched in November.  All of this is meant to get us to the complete transformation.  You see, though I loved all these Apple products (iPod, iPhone, iPad) I was still a PC guy.  I even had a friend, on more than one occasion, try to convince me to go all Apple and get a Mac.  Of course I scoffed at the idea, I was a dinosaur of habit.  The PC, and Windows in particular, were familiar to me and I had fear of a new learning curve, as well as software and hardware compatibility.  Then it happened!  My family and I were at my folks house for Christmas, and my PC laptop started acting up once again.  I had had it!!!  Of course my friends encouragement had begun to sway me, but this was the last straw...I was done with PC, and knew I wanted a Mac.  I went to Best Buy with the initial intent to buy a Macbook Air, but then decided to get the 13" Macbook Pro (Late 2011) model (the very model I type this post on).  It was now done, every electronic device that I owned and now used was Apple.  If I am honest, I was initially scared of the learning curve when I took it out of the box.  However all that fear was for not, as Mac OS X is about as user friendly as anything I have ever used.  I am thoroughly glad I made the switch and now will never go back to PC.  During that time during Christmas vacation, the transformation was made complete!

P.S. I also must say that my watch is now an iWatch.  My old iPod Nano (which I had passed down to my wife long ago) was up for recall because of battery issues.  So through Apple Replacement Program, I was able to get a new iPod Nano 6G (which my wife loving and graciously let me have back).  I then purchased a iWatchz band and voila:

Misunderstanding

Have you ever missed the Lord? Though He has indeed spoken, you have missed what He was trying to tell you? Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice..." (John 10:27a). But when you miss it, the enemy tempts you to think you are not His "sheep" or else you would've heard clearly. Your misunderstanding can give way to doubt. It is in the second half of this verse that we have the truth that sets us free from such a lie, "...I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27b). We are know by the Lord! I do believe we, on occasion, miss Him, misunderstand His words. This of course is no fault of His clearness, but rather of our sinful, finite nature. But this lack of understanding doesn't mean we are less His sheep, anymore than your children misunderstanding your parental instruction makes them less your children! Though they have misunderstood, they still hear you, and more importantly you still know them. Don't allow the devil to try to steal your identity in Christ based on your misunderstanding. Rather continue to seek and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth. You are His, you are known by Him, and can hear His voice!

2011 Oklahoma Hunting Season

Well unfortunately I didn't make it into the deer woods very much this season, in fact only twice.  But on both occasions (both during bow season) I saw plenty of deer, and managed to put some venison in the freezer.  On both trips to the stand I had shooting opportunities.  This first night, I had a group of does come out onto the food source.  I watched them for a while, and waited for "big daddy". Since he, a nice tall, thick 10 pt., who stayed back behind me about 80 yards off and never came out, I decided to take one of the does.  She had come out to 40 yards, and was slightly quartering away when THWACK! A nice young doe on the ground and wonderful venison in the freezer for my family.

 Taken with my Mathews Switchback XT (yes I know it is an older bow, but it's still SMOOTH):

The next night the same opportunity presented itself and I decided to pass.  So though my deer hunting was limited, I had a success rate of 1/1 in arrows released to deer taken, saw plenty of wildlife (which for me is one of the most enjoyable parts), and got to be in the Lord's marvelous creation.  No trophies taken, not a lot of days spent on stand, but in my book a blessed and enjoyable 2011 Oklahoma Deer Hunting Season!

How to Reconnect: Slowing down a Busy Life

There is no doubt that the majority of people find themselves in a busy, hustle-bustle lifestyle.  Even if you are not part of the so called "rat race", your attention and time is pulled by work, family, responsibilities, etc.  Sadly, it often is time with the Lord that gets sacrificed.  So how can we make sure that we remain abiding in Christ (John 15:5-6) in the midst of a busy life?  Obviously the first step is to simply SLOW DOWN!  But Scripture gives us a model:

1.  "After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray." - Mark 6:46 (NASB)

Jesus had just spent significant time preaching and healing.  He had also received news of the execution of John the Baptist and was grieved.  He wanted to get away from the crowd, so He and the disciples went into a desolate, secluded place, but the people followed.  There He performed a great miracle in the feeding of the five thousand.  Then we get to verse 46, Jesus had been very busy, and needed to get away by Himself. Scripture says He went away by Himself to pray.  For a moment, He had to disconnect from the franticness of the world and just spend time in communion and koinonia (fellowship) with the Father.

STEP #1
Get away and spend time in prayer. Spend time in communion and fellowship with the Father!

2.  Martha and Mary: "And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.'
But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'" - Luke 10:39-42 (ESV)

Sometimes, our busyness doesn't have to be a byproduct of this world, it can even be in serving the Lord.  Martha had gotten so caught up in the busyness of serving, that she had become distracted from what is most important, the ONE whom we serve!  Jesus said that Mary had the correct response, she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened.

STEP #2
Spend time at Jesus' feet.  Spend time seeking Him, listening to Him, worshipping Him!

3.  ""Be still, and know that I am God..." - Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

There is little need to expound much further on what the Psalmist is saying, simply BE STILL and KNOW.

STEP #3
Be still.  Be still and rest in who God is!  Rest in His presence, rest in His goodness, rest in Him!

4.  "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Jesus bids us come to Him and find rest.  He tells us to not yoke or burden ourselves with the things of this world, but rather to take His yoke, which is easy and light and learn from Him, that we may find rest for our souls.

STEP #4
Come to Jesus and rest.  Take off the yoke of the world that so easily burdens us with busyness and toil, and put on the yoke of Christ and rest in Him!

5. "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you..." - Psalm 55:22 (AMP)
And
"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." - 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

what an amazing two verses!  God says, cast all your cares, fears, doubts, worries, anxieties, concerns, etc.(which all of that is like a rocking chair, it will give you something to do but will never get you anywhere) upon Him; releasing all the heavy weight, burden, and despair it brings, once and for all, because of His great love and care for you!  HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU! 

STEP #5
Cast away (release) all of the stress and weight the world brings and let God sustain you.  Don't worry, be happy, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!