I'm back...

Praise God my blog is now working again. It is amazing how much I take for granted that I am able to post to the blog and you all are able to read this. You may think I am being sarcastic but I am really not.

The company where my website is hosted has recently changed web servers so we planned to move my website to the new server. I entered the new information in Blogger but I could not save the changes because of errors I was getting. Finally, I gave up on it and asked that my blog remain on the old webserver. I may not have some of the new functionalities, but at least I can post and you all can be updated on what is happening in our lives here in Grand Rapids.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday break for us. Becca and I celebrated in Zeeland with her family. Becca's parents church does an outreach into the community and invites those who do not have a place to go for Thanksgiving, to come to the church for Thanksgiving Dinner. There was not a big turn out this year so there was a lot of food. They plan to advertise a bit earlier next year in hopes that more people will come out. The highlight of the experience for me (besides spending time with my in-laws) was eating deep fried turkey. This was a new thing for me and I must say deep fried turkey is very nice. After dinner I went to my in-laws house and was asleep within a minute and a half. The Lions game on TV actually helped me sleep I think :)

Becca and I did a lot of relaxing at home this weekend. We did a bit of shopping on Friday, though starting at 11:30am not 4 in the morning.

This morning was a little bit different dynamic for me as I headed to work and Becca stayed home. Becca's last day at work was Wednesday. She is still sending out applications and did go to the temp agency today to see what jobs are available. We should have a meeting with a local ministry this week to learn about an opening there. Thanks for your prayers as we wait to see what God has for us.

tmsaisti

Stop Dating the Church

In my weekly e-newsletter from Barnes and Noble there was an advertisement for a new book coming out from Josh Harris called Stop Dating the Church. As I was reading Ameliou's post today about her experience in a small group at her church, this book came to my mind. I have not read this book yet but I am very interested to take a look at it.

Here's the review from BN's website:
Putting in their hour or two on the weekend, many Christians take the rest of the week off, neglecting the church and her needs. It's not a serious relationship. Some shop around, looking for a church that suits their lifestyle. It's dating, with no assurances, no obligations. Bestselling author Joshua Harris calls Christians to stop playing the field and commit, just as Christ is committed to us, His bride. In his new book, Harris explores the ramifications of Ephesians 5:25-32, which proclaims the intensity and the breadth of Jesus Christ's love for His church. God has designed us to build our lives around a local church; we cannot be indifferent or uninvolved. Rather, we must be in love with and committed to God's plan and purpose through the church. Are you dating the church, or are you committed?

This also reminds me of some articles I have been reading on Christianitytoday.com about the Church. Chad Hall and Doug Johnson have been going back and forth on whether or not the place where we go on Sunday mornings is the church or a 501(c)3 not-for-profit religious organisation. I am not sure what my feelings are on this yet. I want to read their articles some more and then share with you. If you get a change to read this articles, I would be interested to know your thoughts as well.

I think God wants me to be a...

Over the last few days I have been scared to complete this sentence. Scared because of one "minor" aspect to a job opportunity my wife has. Becca has been in contact with a local ministry called Mission Possible. This ministry sets up and runs missions trips. This job sounds perfect for Becca (and me too), but there is one minor stipulation. Becca would need to raise her own support to do this job.

I am realising afresh that God needs to put us through the fire in order to increase our faith. Not by coincidence by devotions one day last week was in James 1 talking about trials. Trials are a necessary part of the Christian life, though definitely not the most comfortable or desired.

I am honestly not sure if this is the job for Becca or not. The leaders of this ministry want to meet with Becca and I next week. Please pray for wisdom for us and for God's provision.

New Starbucks!!!!

Well Ameliou and Supa K are making me look real bad so I better get to posting again.

I must say I am very excited because the newest Starbucks has come to Grand Rapids. There is a Starbucks located in the Meijer right by my work so no excuses for not having a Venti Caramel Apple Cider in hand at all times. I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is a week from today. Where did the summer and fall go? It feels like my wedding was yesterday and that was back in June.

Very busy times for Becca and I this week. We had a meeting last night for our missions trip to Thailand this summer and a Youth Advisory Board meeting. The Board has not met for a while so I really wasn't sure how the meeting was going to go, but I knew that we needed to meet badly. Though the meeting definitely had its ups and downs, I felt support from the Board for what Becca is trying to do as Youth Director. It is obvious that Becca did not grow up Baptist and everyone else in the room did, but I think this will afford us the opportunity to learn about each others traditions and work together as a group.

Happy Veterans Day!

I approach this Veterans Day differently than I have ones in the past as we are currently in the war in Iraq. I realise that as I write that each Veterans Day I have been alive there have been troops deployed all around the world being put in harms way while away from their families. For some reason though this Veterans Day reminds me in a stronger way of the blessings I receive because of those who have fought in wars, many of whom would not have chosen to fight in. Thank you veterans for your sacrifice!

Thank you friends for praying for Becca and I. Becca decided to put in her two week notice at her job. Praise the Lord for the peace she feels having made this decision. Please continue to pray that we would follow God's leading for her employment. Pray also that Becca would feel better soon.

Fun weekend and prayer request

What am amazing weekend! Becca and I along with two other leaders took the youth to the Word of Life Superbowl in Kalamazoo. This was an all-night activity. We went to a K-wings hockey game, had an evangelistic speaker, went bowling and then had free reign of the rec center at Western Michigan University. I really enjoyed this experience as it gave me the opportunity to hang out with the teens in a more casual setting.

The majority of the day Saturday was spent sleeping. We woke up around 3:30 and got ready to have Jared, Susan and Misty over. We played games and watched Trading Spaces. Did anyone catch the Trading Spaces last night where they showed rooms that people absolutely hated? I don't think I would ever let Hildi touch a room in my house even if she paid me.

I don't do this often on here but I have a prayer request. My wife really needs a new job. The job where Becca is currently working is making her physically ill. We are really not sure what we should do next and therefore we are in need of wisdom. Please pray that God would guide us where He would have us to go and that we would be very sensitive to His voice.

Thank you for your prayers and friendship!

Happy birthday Debby Li!

Today is Debby Li's 19th birthday. Check out her blog and wish her a happy birthday.

Also, don't forget who has a birthday this coming Tuesday!

It's finally over

President Bush has been re-elected! I am glad the election process is finally over. I don't think I was the only one tired of political commercials and messages on my answering machine from people like Carl Levin and the Democratic Party.

6 days until my birthday. Guess who else has the same birthday as me...