22 June 2006

28 Candles

Altho I will probably not have a cake this year I continually ponder the significance of the sheer volume of candles that would be on said cake. It's hard for me to think of myself as almost 30, but the reality is just that.

As I stop to look around and see what my 28 years here on earth have accomplished, I can see many good things...

a beautiful wife of five plus years
a wonderful daughter of eight plus months
commissioned on the elder track in the North Texas Conference
a master's degree from Perkins
a bachelor's degree from A&M
part of the staff of a vibrant, growing church
pastoral experience in two other great churches

I am excited about year 29 here on planet Earth...if nothing else, it should at least be fun!

Grace&Peace

21 June 2006

Here's what I'm wondering...

Why does a United Methodist church allow it's single-most influential children's event to be driven by Baptist theology?

It seems to me that if the UMC wants to be true to it's Wesleyan roots, we would need to teach Wesleyan theology to our children during Vacation Bible School. It just blows my mind that 800 kids here at Trietsch are learning about salvation using an un-Methodist paradigm. Now, I know that denominational loyalty in the 21st century is nothing like it used to be, but come on - shouldn't we be PROUD of our Methodist roots and want to embrace them?!?!

I guess I am sensitive to this issue, but I wouldn't want Caitlyn to come home from my church's VBS wondering why she was a sinner and needed to repent. I am all for explaining her baptism to her and helping her to understand what Jesus did on the cross, but does singing songs about being a sinner and needing to ask for forgiveness really edify children under the age of 8?

Anyone care to rebut?

Grace&Peace

20 June 2006

Hank's Trek

I found this clip from King of the Hill and thought I would share it with you. Anybody want to go to this church?

Grace&Peace

19 June 2006

Caitlyn Events

The past few weeks have been highly eventful for Caitlyn, so I thought I would take a moment and let you know about her newest milestones.

1 - Last Wednesday she just opened her mouth and started babbling - it was very cute, but very incoherent, but what 8 month old isn't incoherent? Then on Thursday, she was babbling along and out popped "mama"! Caitlyn's first word was "mama"! Debbie was (and still is) beaming about this...and dad's pretty happy too.

2 - On Saturday as she was getting ready for bed, she was babbling again and out popped "dada"! And guess who was sitting right there when it happened...ME, her "dada"! It was a moment I will never forget.

3 - Yesterday the three of us were sitting on the couch in the living room relaxing and Caitlyn seemed a little tired, so we gave her a drink of water from my glass (she really likes this) and we heard this "clinking" sound as she was drinking. It turns out that the "clinking" sound was her new bottom teeth hitting the glass as she drank! Caitlyn is cutting teeth! So then Debbie and I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to see them, but Caitlyn kept putting her tongue in the way, so we were not able to see them, only feel them. They are surprisingly sharp for baby teeth.

OK, thanks for the indulgence.

Grace&Peace