Its time to get serious!!!

Ok, its really time for me to get serious.

I've spent my entire life being over weight, and I was ok with that. The most I've ever weighed was 320 lbs. But when I was that heavy I was also powerlifting so it was mostly muscle mass. Since High school, I have maintained a 38 in waist. Now that I'm married and out of school that all has changed. The kicker was this last week. My wife and mom took me clothes shopping for my birthday, and my waist is now 42 in. Not only that, belly is 53 in which is big enough that I can not see my feet when standing any more, and I'm weighing in at 274.5 lbs. This is way to big.

Because of my weight and size of my belly I have sleep apnea. This is where I stop breathing for small periods of time in my sleep. I snore as loud as a freight train, keep my wife up all night (she has even slept on the couch a few times because of it. That is not good at all), I wake up in the mornings feeling exhausted, and I have really bad heart burn. Recently, I was told that it was sleep apnea that was the cause of my dad having a heart attack that lead to a triple bypass surgery when he was 47 (he is now 60).

About a year ago, I talked with my friend Emilio about my weight and sleep apnea issues (Emilio is a Medical Doctor). He told me that I could get a CPAP machine that will help me get more oxygen at night, but that would just mask all the problems and possibly make them worse later on in life. What he recommended for me to do was to have a life style change when it comes to food and exercise.

What Dr. Emilio recommends for me is that I go on a high protean high vegetable diet, and eat very little sugar and carbs. He said that if it is white to stay away from it. The up side to this is that I can have as much vegetables and protean that I want to. The down side is that I have to quit eating all the breads, pastas, and the sugary foods that I love to eat. Emilio did say that I could treat my self to one meal per week where I can eat the carbs and sugar, I just can't go crazy with it.

I went on this diet back in June of 2010. During a two week span I lost 15 lbs, was feeling a lot healthier, and was still eating a ton of food (it was just healthy food). However, It failed. Two weeks into the diet I took some of my students to church camp where the food was worse than eating McDonalds for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. It was greasy and loaded with carbs. Half way through the week I started feeling really sick, my sugar level bottomed out, and I nearly passed out because of the food. Dr. Emilio told me not to stay on the diet until I saw my primary care doctor and had some blood work done. Four months later all the blood work came back normal, but I was already so far off my diet that I had gained more weight back that I had lost.

The other side of this is that I need to start exercising. This is something that I have been very bad at. I don't think I have exercised since I was powerlifting back in 2006. So its been about 5 years. It's not that I've been lazy about exercising, it's that I have been so busy that when I get home I just want to lounge around. Emilio told me that I need to start exercising every day for about between 40 minutes and an hour.

I told my wife last week that after my birthday Ice Cream Cookie was gone then I would start trying to loose weight and being healthier. It just so happens that my little brother Jacob ate the last piece yesterday. So today is the starting of my weight loss and life style campaign. It is literally going to take a life style change for me to be able to loose all this weight.

I've been told several different things about what I should weigh. One doctor told me I should weigh 157 lbs. Another doctor told me that if I weighed 157 lbs that I would look sickly and really wouldn't be healthy. The second doctor told me that with my bone structure and muscle mass that I should weigh around some where between 210 and 230 lbs. Dr. Emilio confirmed that I should weigh in the lower 200 lbs range. So that I what I'm going to shoot for.

My goal is to loose about 50 lbs. Currently, I weigh 274.5 lbs and have a 53 in waist. So I want to loose about 50 lbs to get down into the 225 lb range. I would imagine that when I loose the weight I'll also loose some inches around my waist. I hope to eventually fit into a size 36.

Another part of my goal is to work out between 40 minutes and an hour every day. I'm going to start off by walking or riding a bike. One of the things my wife and I have done to help is we got a dog that goes crazy if we don't walk her for about an hour every day.

Starting today, I'm getting serious about living a healthier life style so I can loose weight and be healthy. If you would like to help support me, please send me encouraging messages and/or healthy recipe ideas that I can use on the road to a healthier life style.

Meals
Meal	Serving	Food	Calories
Breakfast	1	1/2 size bagle	110
	1 TBSP	1/3 Fat Cream Cheese	35
	1 TBSP	Peanut Butter	105
	1	Bananna	90
		Total	340

Opryland Hotel

On our 1600 mile journey from Miami to Oklahoma City, we made a few stops along the way. We mainly stopped to see family and friends. However, we did stop at a destination spot in Nashville Tennessee… The Opryland Hotel! This hotel is by far the most extravagant hotel I have ever seen. I will note that we just spend the day there. We did not stay the night. The inside of this hotel was like a botanical garden that was separated into 3 areas, and each area  seemed to be the size of a pro football stadium. It even had a river that ran through the different sections with water falls. It also had plenty of shops and restaurants for people to look at and eat in. For more information go to www.gaylordhotels.com. This is a beautiful hotel, and I recommend that if you get the chance to walk around in it.

Here are some of the photographs that I took while we were there. Please take a look and let me know what you think about the pictures. Note that these photographs don't do the Opryland Hotel justice.

Web Design

Web Design-O-Web Design

The Internet is something I have used for years now, but the coding of it has always confused me. When I look at HTML all I see is tons of letters and numbers that seem to run together in a way that is very difficult to read (especially for someone who has Dyslexia). So I think its time to break down and learn it. I've tried to learn it before, but the coding part was so confusing (Note that this was before Dreamweaver era). I even took an "Intro to Web Design" class when I was at design school.

Now, I think I may have an upper hand at learning web design. I have the programs for it: Flash, Dreamweaver, and Text Edit. I also have a wealth of friends who know about web design, and a computer programer dad who knows the coding side. On top of all that, I also have Lynda.com and a few other web sites to help out too.

So here are the things I want to learn:

1. Dreamweaver
2. Flash
3. HTML (I've been told to learn this first, but I've also been told that learning Dreamweaver first will help me understand it better)
4. CSS (revert to comment on HTML but this comes second)
5. Java Script
6. Action Script
7. PHP

I have been told that if I am able to add Web Design to my skill set that it will help me obtain a good design position, and help me get better freelance assignments. I have also been told by multiple people that they would not hire a Graphic Designer unless they know both Print and Web Design. These are tough times for those of us designers who specialize in Print Design, marketing, and advertising. However, the one thing that will separate me from the rest of the designers is my ability to overcome and adapt to the changing world of Graphic Design.

I hope that this learning endeavor will help to widen the horizon!

If you know of any books, resources, or have any recommendations for me on how to get started or the way that you do web design please comment on this post.

Job Search: Day 11

So its the 11th day of the Job search. I've sent my resume to numerous design studios, corporations, and churches. Thus far, I have only heard from one design studio just letting me know that they have received my application.

I've talked with a few churches about pastoral positions. All of them would love to hire me, but it's just not in their budgets to hire another pastor at this time. However, several of the churches have freelance design and media work that they may be sending my way over the next few weeks.

The goal for tomorrow is to call the places I've sent my resume to.

This coming Tuesday, Beth and I have a meeting with our missions director to receive council about our options and what his recommendations are. I'm really hoping that my we can find  positions by the end of the month. Please be praying for us that God will open the door that He wants us to go through.

Job Search: Day One

Bethany and I made it back to Oklahoma this past Friday. We took the weekend to rest and regroup. So today makes day one of searching for employment.

This morning I woke up to start making calls to churches, and searching for jobs on the internet. Although I'd prefer to work for a church, there are a few good leads on graphic design positions.

I did receive a phone call this afternoon from a Church looking to hire me for a freelance job. Ill be meeting with the pastor either tomorrow or Wednesday to find out the specifics of the freelance opportunity.

Please be in prayer for us as we are searching for where God will have us serve and work.

Bulletin Design

These are 2 bulletins that I designed for Sunset Chapel. Each Bulletin is fully customizable for the churches need. These are Just the outside part of the Bulletin, because the inside has the design elements for the church to customize it for their needs. These bulletins are 14x8.5 full color, full bleed, with a 3 in perforated information card.

Note: The Heart on the front cover came from creativemyk.com

The Dogs

THE VOTES ARE IN!!!

A few months ago, I posted a poll that asked the question "Which Dog Should We Get?"
For those 20 people who voted, thank you! The top 2 dogs that you voted for are also the dogs that we are leaning more towards. Next step, is to start looking for one. Let us know if you know of anyone who is looking to give away one of these awesome breeds of dogs. :D

Here are the results:

1st Place: The Miniature Schnauzer

2nd Place (Tie): The Yorkshire Terrior and The Irish Wolfhound

3rd Place (Tie): The Rottweiler and The Giant Schnauzer

4th Place: The Scottish Terrior

Returning To The Art Of Drawing

Ok, so I have to admit something… I haven't drawn anything in several years! Oops :D

Now I want to get back into drawing and illustration, and learn about animation. Because of that, I have decided to start drawing again. It's been over 3 years or so since the last time since I've drawn anything, and now I'm really rusty. I contacted some of my design instructors to see what they recommended for me to do to get started again. One of them, Mrs. Wedel, told me to start practicing and keep on practicing. So, I figured that I would start practicing like I use to by taking a picture that I found and draw it.

Here is my first practice drawing. It's from the book "Through The Lens" by National Geographic on page 196. Let me know what you think…

View from my front door

When I got home today from the office, I saw a really beautiful sunset. It just so happened that my camera was close by, so I set it up to take this photo. This is an HDR photo made with 5 exposures. It's not a perfect HDR photo, but its better than the origional. So what do you think, which one do you like better? Let me know :D

Original Photo                                                  HDR Photo

Canon 30D • 24-70mm 2.8L • ISO 100

Exposure 1: f/4.0 1/25

Exposure 2: f/4.0 1/50

Exposure 3: f/4.0 1/100

Exposure 4: f/4.0 1/200

Exposure 5: f/4.0 1/400

Action Method

OK. I'm one of those people who is always trying to find better and easier ways to stay organized. As a Husband, a Pastor, a Designer, and a Photographer this can be kind of hard. Especially if you have as many projects as I get. I need something that can help me manage all my project lists both at Church, with my clients, and with my family.

Well, today I found a really good project manager that I think will help me do this. Its called "Action Method Online." This is an online project manager that I think can make life easier. Another cool thing is that it's FREE. If its FREE and worth something then its for me. Now I say its free, but there is also a version that cost $12 a month that comes with more bells and whistles. Right now, I'm using the free version to see if its going to work for me. And, another cool thing, they have a FREE app for the iPhone as well!

This online project manager was created by Behance.com. Let me tell you, the people of Behance really know creatives and how our minds work. This project manager is really easy to use, easy to navagate, and so far its better than Apple's iMail, Gmail's calendar and project manager, and Microsofts Outlook and Entourage.

Head over to www.actionmethod.com to check it out for your self.

Graphics were taken from http://www.actionmethod.com/Methodology

Good defence is a good strategy

Image from www.thebricktestament.com

This morning while checking my facebook, one of my former students (from my second youth position at Guthrie's First United Methodist Church) messaged me and asked me a very good question.

He asked me "What does Jesus mean in Luke 22:36 when he tells his disciples to buy swords and then he tells them '2 will be enough'?"

This verse through me for a loop at first. I don't think I've ever payed attention to it before. If you read through the Book of Luke, and look at it in the correct context the answer is there.

I think J. Vernon McGee gives the best explanation about it in his "Thru The Bible Commentary Series on Luke"

Here is what Dr. McGee said on Luke 22:36:

"You had better pack your suitcase and get your traveler's checks if you are going out for the Lord today and give out the gospel. You had better be prepared to protect yourself and your loved ones. We are living in difficult days. The Lord said, 'He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.' Why? For self protection, of course. They were living in days that required a sword. We need to recognize that fact also. IF we do not resist evil today, all kinds of evil will befall us. We could end up in the hospital or have some of our loved ones slain"

John Wesley commented about this verse too. He said "It is plain, this is not to be taken literally. It only means, This will be a time of extreme danger."

I personally think that Jesus was telling those with him to be prepared to defend yourselves and your families. In those times everyone had a sword, and if someone decided to come after you with a sword and you didn't have one then your pretty much a goner.  Jesus didn't say to use the swords to harm or attack others, but at the same time he knew that the disciples and his followers would be in danger and that they needed to be able to defend themselves.

Now the question is: "But, didn't Jesus tell us to turn the other cheek?"

Yes, Jesus said to turn the other cheek in Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:29. But he was talking in a different context than what he was in Luke 22:36. Jesus is saying here not to retaliate. Sometimes, when we are doing what Jesus has asked us to do, people are going to get mad at us. I've even seen evangelists get punched in the face for saying Jesus Loves You.

Jesus is talking about showing those people love and kindness. When someone has wronged us, we shouldn't react in a hateful or angry way, but in a way that demonstrates Jesus character and values. The actions we make when someone is mean to us should cause them to consider what Jesus is like so that our example might lead them to accept Jesus as their Lord God and Savior.

I know people that take both of these verses to the extreme. One of my professors in college said that if he walked in on his wife being raped he would allow it to happen, and when the attack was over he would simply set down with the guy and talk with him to lead him to Jesus. On the other hand, I know a guy that thinks that you should kill anybody that even looks at your house from the side walk. Both men are Christians, and both of them take these two verses to the point of being extremists. Which is a bad thing.

Jesus said to turn the other cheek, but didn't say what to do if the person kept attacking. I think that is where Luke 22:36 comes in. If someone hits you once and then its over then don't react. If someone comes breaks into your house while your there or someone is attacking you, by all means defend yourself and your family! The hard part is, you have to defend yourself and your family in a way that will show Jesus to the person attacking you. It may mean that you grab a baseball bat and scare the person. At the same time it may mean knocking the person out, then taking them to the hospital, and once they wake up tell them you forgive them and tell them about Jesus. The thing we have to remember is to not act out of hatred or vengeance, but to act out of love for your family first then to the attacker.

I hope that this helps my former student out, and that others may learn something from it also.

What an awesome question! Thank you so much for asking!

If you have any comments, questions, or want to play devils advocate about this topic, please feel free to do so.


If you have any questions like this one, please feel free to ask! I love trying to answer them.

The Birds

So the day after Christmas, Bethany and I took a drive down to Key West for the day. When we got there all we could do was drive around because there was absolutely no parking available that day. So we drove around for about an hour before making the decision to start the 3.5 hour drive back to Miami. On our way back we stopped and walked around on the 7 Mile Bridge, and took some cool photographs. If I had a better camera and a good L series telephoto lens these pictures would be the National Geographic quality (Ok, not really, but possibly if my camera wasn't messed up right now). So here they are. Let me know what you think about them.

Note: The arch that you see on just about all the pictures, i think its made from the lens mount on the camera. I tried to get rid of it, but it didn't work as good as i wanted it to. Good thing this was just for fun.

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar

Acts 3:1-10
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.  Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.  When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.  Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”  So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.  When all the people saw him walking and praising God,  they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

As I read these verses this morning, all I could think about is how simple this amazing healing was. Peter and John didn't pray, they didn't look to heaven, and they didn't get on their knees. All they did was get the crippled man's attention, told him to get up and walk in Jesus Christ's name, and then helped him up. The man was instantly healed! He was able to walk for the first time in his life, and he praised God.

I think the key to this passage of scripture is found in verse 6, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you." Peter and John wanted to help this man. They had compassion for him, and at the same time they knew he needed Jesus in a real way. I think that even if Peter and John had money they would have given it to the crippled man, and they still would have gone above and beyond to heal the man.

Not only did they heal the crippled man, but they also took him to the temple. I think they did this to provide proof that the man truly was healed. Peter and John didn't need to prove it to themselves but to other people. The people there in the temple court recognized the man, and were astonished that he was walking, jumping, and praising God.

This brings 2 questions in mind. First, what are we doing to show compassion to others? Second, how are we showing Jesus in a real way to the people around us?

Lets look at the first question, "What are we doing to show compassion to others?" Peter and John had nothing of material value to give. All they could give was the Gospel. With us on the other hand, we can all spare a few bucks every once and a while, and we always can share the Gospel of Jesus. Colossians 3:12 says, "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

How can we show compassion to others? Compassion by definition is sympathy and compassion for the sufferings and misfortunes of others. There are tones of people out there that are suffering or have been unfortunate in life. Sometimes they just need a hand up, just like what Peter did in helping the crippled man to his feet. Think about it for a min, what can you do to help other people in times of suffering and misfortune? I think that just loving on them, and being for them shows compassion. What about if you knew a kid who's parents didn't have the money to get them school supplies or new shoes. You could very easily give them a few pens and pencil's, and an old note pad. What about the beggars on the side of the street? This is the difficult one here cause you don't know if they will use the money to feed themselves, or to go out and buy alcohol or drugs. But what you could do is give them some food or clothes. If we are Holy Spirit filled believers, we can also do just what Peter did and heal those who need physical healing through the name of Jesus Christ (It is Jesus that heals through us, not us doing the healing). There are tones of other ways to show compassion. Just thank about it for a while and you can come up with your own ways.

Now for the second question, "How are we showing Jesus in a real way to the people around us?  The problem here is that most the time we don't. Most people say that it is the pastor's, evangelist's, and missionaries job to do. However, the reality is that tells us in 2 Timothy4:5 that we all need to do the work of an evangelist. Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That wasn't just a command for the disciples. It was meant for all people who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord God and Savior.  This is something that must be done until Jesus comes back because not every one has heard the gospel yet.

Pulis, said in his Youth 101 class at Central Bible College, relationships that use to take 3 to 6 months to build with teens can take up to 3 or more years to do now. Even though that statistic is about teenagers, its the same for young adults too. The important thing is that we build relationships with people in a way where we can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them through the way we live, and through our words. So how do we build relationships? It's simple, hang out with them. Think about it, how did you build relationships with your friends, coworkers, and even your spouse? By hanging out with them. Some of the ways that I do this is by playing video games, go to sporting events, and talk about art and computers with my students. I do it in an authentic way, because those are the things that I enjoy and it opens up a way for me to talk and get to know my students.


By showing compassion and building authentic relationships, people will look at you with wonder and amazement. In doing those two things, you will help people and will spread the gospel. And, by showing compassion and building authentic relationships you will achieve things that you never would have dreamed of.


Go out and show people compassion, build relationships, and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The African Engagement

In 2008, I made one of the biggest and best decisions of my life. I met the girl of my dreams, and immediately knew that she was the girl I was going to marry. And this is the story of our engagement.

The Missionary Kid Office of the Assemblies of God grants a certain amount of free trips for Missionary Kid's (MK) to go see their parents on the mission field. Bethany had one last trip to use, and she decided that she was going to use it to see her parents for Christmas in Togo West Africa. She was so excited that she was going to be able to be in Togo with her parents.

Bethany and I had been dating for 3 months when she asked me to go with her to Togo. I immediately said yes. I had never been out of the US before, and knew that this was my chance to go International. So, I began to raise the money. Bethany's dad, Bernie, also asked me if I could do some photography and video work for him while I was there, and this trip quickly became a missions trip.

A few months before leaving for Togo, Bethany and I began to talk about the possibility of getting married. We even went ring shopping so that Bethany could give me some idea as to what kind of ring she wanted. We talked about getting married. Bethany was still unsure about it, but I knew that she was the girl for me. During this time, Bethany told me that she would automatically say "No" if I asked her to marry me in front of anyone. She wanted it to be special and romantic.

A week before we left for Togo, Bethany began to pack. She had 4 trunks to pack with supplies and Christmas presents people wanted to send to the Missionaries in Togo. So while she was busy with that, I went and bought the ring she wanted. And hid it in the one place I knew she would never find it… in my camera bag. I also made a little box for it to go in with a couple of card saying that I wanted to marry her.

On December 18th, it was time to start the 24 hour trip to Togo. We drove from Springfield Missouri 3.5 hours to St. Louis Missouri to get on the plain. At the air port, we checked in all of our luggage, and all we had on us were our carry on bags. Bethany had a small suit case with an extra set of clothes for each of us in case our luggage didn't make it, and I had my camera bag. When it came time to go through TSA, I placed my camera bag in the bucket, and slid it through the x-ray machine. The lady running the x-ray machine stopped on my bag, and looked at it really hard. It seemed as if they were going to search my camera bag, and I got nervous. I was so afraid that they were going to take everything out of my camera bag, including the ring, so that Bethany could see it. After what seemed like 5 minutes they finally slid my camera bag through the line, the lady shot me a look and smiled as if she knew what I was going to do in Togo.

After getting through TSA everything went smoothly. We boarded the first plain and flew from St. Louis to New York. Then we had a layover before we boarded the second plain in New York. 8.5 hours later we landed in Accra Ghana, where we met up with Bethany's parents. After getting all of our luggage we began the 4 hour drive from Accra Ghana to Lomé Togo.

When we arrived at the West African Advanced School of Theology (WAAST) and got settled in, Bernie asked me if I wanted to preach in a local church while I was there. I jumped on this opportunity, and spent the entire day on Saturday December 20th studying to preach in a local church. I think Bernie knew what was going on and wanted to test me and see if I was worthy or not. This is when I started to get nervous.

On Sunday December 21, I preached in a small Togolese church called "Jesu Komé." That day 12 people accepted Jesus as their Lord God and Savior that day. I was more nervous that day than any other day of my life. After eating at Pastor Agba's (the Senior Pastor of Jesu Komé) house, we went back to WAAST for siesta. Later that night after attending service at the WAAST Church, I asked if I could speak to Bernie. By this time my hands were all shaky and sweaty, and my voice started doing that nervous cracking thing that made me sound like a prepubescent teenager again. Bernie and I went to his office, and I opened up my camera bag and started digging through it. Then I pulled out the box with the cards I had made and the ring, and showed them to Bernie. I said "Bernie, with your permission, I would like to ask for your daughters hand in marriage?" Bernie sat there for a second then asked "When do you want to ask her?" I replied "I want to ask her on Christmas day." "OK" Bernie said, "I knew this might be coming. Let me talk to Brenda (Bethany's mom), pray, and think about it for a while." Then we left Bernie's office and joined Bethany and Brenda in the living room.

The next day, I waited all day for Bernie's answer. The answer never came. On Tuesday December 23rd, I waited for Bernie to give me the answer. But once again no answer. On Christmas Eve, I really got nervous. I waited all day for Bernie to give me his answer. I was almost to the freaking out point. Then finally, about 10 minutes before we sat down for dinner, Bernie pulled me aside to the corner of the room. "You have my blessing" he said. I did
everything I could to keep from jumping and yelling with how excited I was. So I smiled at Bernie and thanked him.

After dinner on Christmas Eve, we opened Christmas presents. Bethany and her parents surprised me with some really cool gifts. I think Bernie and Brenda were expecting me to propose to Bethany while we were opening our Christmas presents, but I didn't. I felt kinda bad that I didn't have another gift to give Bethany. Now, Bernie says that if he would have know that I didn't have another gift for Bethany he would have made me sweat a little longer.

Hours passed by that night. I was getting really nervous and anxious. It seemed like those few hours were days. But finally, at 12:03 am (Togo time) on Christmas Day, I couldn't wait any longer. Bethany and I were sitting on the couch talking, and I reached in my pocket and gave her the box I had made with the cards inside it. She started pulling out the cards one at a time and read them. They said "Bethany Joy, you are my best friend, the girl of my dreams, and the girl I have fallen in love with, will you…, Marry Me?" As she read the last card, I got down on my knee beside her, and opened up a box to show her the ring she wanted. "Bethany Joy Smith" I said, "You are my best friend, the girl of my dreams, and the girl I have fallen in love with. Will you Marry me?" As Bethany was fighting back the tears, she smiled real big and said "Yes!"

Later that day, we went to the Christmas Service at WAAST Chapel. And later that day Bernie and Brenda announced our engagement to the other missionaries at WAAST during the Missionaries Christmas Party.

On Sunday service on December 28th, Pastor John Bonde, had Bethany and I stand and he announced our engagement to the entire WAAST Chapel. Then Pastor Bonde said that I owed Bethany's dad a dowry of 100 Cows, and that Bernie need to tithe his 10% to the church. Bernie said that I could pay him in the form of Hamburgers and Steaks when they came back to the states for our wedding.

Its been 2 years since I proposed to Bethany at her parents house in Togo West Africa. We have been married now for one and a half years.

The Greatest Story Ever Told

“The Greatest Story Ever Told”
Matthew 1:18-2:23 & Luke 1:26-2:40
Compiled and Paraphrased by Adam Weatherly

—————————————————————————————————

                               
To tell The Greatest Story Ever Told, we have to go back in time 2009 years to year 1 AD. This story starts around the Arabian Desert. That is where there were some Magi studying the stars. The Magi were know to be wise men, priests, and astrologers who were experts in interpreting dreams and other “magic arts.” One night while studying the stars, they notices something different. They found a new star in the sky. Because of the new star, they knew that something special had happened. They knew the King of all Kings had been born, and they needed to go worship him. So that night the Magi set out to follow after the star.

Around the time the Magi first saw the star, God sent Gabriel, the angel, to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. God sent him to speak to a girl named Mary. Mary was a young woman probably around 13 to 17 years old. She was a virgin, and was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David.

When Gabriel went to Mary he said “Hi Mary! You are the one chosen women, and the Lord is with you!”

This shook Mary up a little, and she didn’t know what to think about what Gabriel had said.
Then Gabriel spoke to her again, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God has chosen you to be blessed. You will become pregnant and will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him Jesus. The boy will be very great, and will be called the Son of God. God will give him the throne of King David, he will rule over Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.

Mary heard what Gabriel said, was still kinda shaken up, and now was probably a little concerned about getting pregnant without ever sleeping with a man. So Mary asks the Angel, Gabriel, “How exactly is this going to happen? I’m still a virgin, and plan on staying that way until I get married to my Fiance Joseph.”

Gabriel answered Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of God the Most High, will overshadow you. Because of this the baby will be called the Son of God. You see Mary, nothing is impossible with God.

Then Mary said, “Yea, I think I understand, I see it all now: I’m the Lords servant, and am ready to serve. Let it happen just like you say it will.”

Before Mary and Joseph got married, Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant. He didn’t know that the baby came from the Holy Spirit, so he decided to divorce her. But, because of Joseph’s upright and moral character, he decided to take care of the situation quietly so that Mary wouldn’t be disgraced.

One night, Joseph was up really late and troubled about what was going on. While trying to figure out how to deal with Mary and the Pregnancy, he fell asleep. Then he had a dream where the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. “Joseph son of David,” the angel said “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife! The child she is going to have has come from the Holy Spirit. The baby will be a boy and you should name him Immanuel – which means, ‘God is with us.’ This baby will save his people from their sin. This will happen to fulfill God’s message through his prophets – watch for this sign – A virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel.”

When Joseph woke up, he did exactly what the angel told him to do in his dream. He married Mary, but did not sleep with her until she had the baby.

About the same time Joseph had the dream, Caesar Augusts (the Roman Emperor), said there was going to be a census taken. Every man was required to take his family and return to their home town. Because Joseph was a member of King David’s royal line, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea. So Joseph took Mary and traveled 6.5 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

When they arrived in Bethlehem it was time for Mary to give birth, but there was no room at the Inn. So they found a near by cave, that was being used as a stable for animals. It was there, in that dark and dirty cave, that Mary gave birth to her first, a baby boy. Mary wrapped the baby snugly in a blanket, and laid him in an empty feeding trough (manger).

That night there were some Shepherds camping right outside of Bethlehem, guarding their sheep. Out of nowhere and angel appeared to them and God’s glory shined around them lighting up the are around them. The Shepherds were terrified.

“Don’t be afraid,” the Angel told them. “I’m here to bring good news that is meant for everyone all over the world: the  Messiah had just been born in Bethlehem. He is the Savior and Master of the world. God look for the baby, he is wrapped in a blanked and lying in an empty feeding trough.”

Then they were joined by a choir of Angels who were singing praises to God. They sang out “Glory to God in the heavenly heights. Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.”

After the Angels went back to heaven, the Shepherds talked about what just happened. They decided to go into town as fast as they could so they could worship the Messiah. So they ran as fast and as hard as they could to get to town, and when they found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby laying in the feeding trough they worship him. When they saw the baby they believed, and told everyone they met about what the angels said about the child. And, Everyone who heard what the Shepherds said were impressed. Then the Shepherds returned to their camp and praised God for everything they had heard and seen.

Eight days later, the baby was taken to the Temple where he was circumcised, and was given the name Jesus. That day Jesus was dedicated to God to follow the law of Moses and 2 doves were sacrificed as an offering to God.

While they were still in the temple a good old man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, named Simon, came in. Simon constantly prayed that help would come to Israel. Earlier that day the Holy Spirit showed him that he would see the Messiah before he died, and led him to the temple. When Simon saw baby Jesus, he took him in his arms and blessed God, them blessed Mary and Joseph, and said to Mary:

    “This child marks the failure and recovery of Israel. Many will misunderstand him and will reject him, But he will be the greatest Joy to many others.”

When Simon said that, an old woman, who was a prophetess named Anna, came into the temple. When she saw the baby, she began thanking God and telling everyone in Jerusalem that the Messiah had finally arrived.

During the time that was going on, the Magi, from the far east, who set out to follow the star arrived in Jerusalem. The started asking people in Jerusalem “Where is the new born King of the Jews?” They said to people there “We saw his star from the far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”

By the time word got around to King Herod, there were already rumors going around about this in Jerusalem. Herod became really mad about the rumors, and the thought that another King had come to take over. So Herod called a meeting with the Jewish priests. He asked them “Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?”

“Yes,” they said. “The prophet Micah wrote that he would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.”

Then Herod called a secret meeting with the Magi from the east. Herod pretended to be a devout believer, and got the Magi to tell him everything they knew about the star and the new born king. The he told them about the prophecy from Micah, and sent them to Bethlehem. Right before the Magi left, Herod told them “Go find the child, and then report back to me as soon as you find him. When you do I’ll come and worship him with you.”

As the Magi set out towards Bethlehem, the star appeared again. It lead them straight to the house in Bethlehem where Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were staying. When they entered the house they threw themselves to the ground in front of Jesus to worship him. Then they opened their presents for the new born king and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
After the Magi left the house, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a second dream. The Angel said to Joseph “Flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, and stay there until I come back to you. Do this because King Herod wants to kill the child.” That same night Joseph took Mary and Jesus to set out to Egypt.

When King Herod heard that the Magi disobeyed him, he was furious. So, he sent his soldiers out to kill all the baby boys who were 2 years old and younger. This brutal action happened to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah: “People will cry out in Israel, weeping for their children, because they were killed.”

After sometime had gone by, King Herod died. Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph a third time through a dream. The Angel said “Joseph, get up. Take the baby and his mother, and return to Israel, because the one who wanted to kill the child is dead.” So Joseph took Mary and Jesus and returned to Israel to their home in Galilee in the town of Nazareth. It is there where Jesus grew up, to become a strong, robust boy, and was known for wisdom beyond his years; and God poured out his blessing on him.

New Years Resolutions

So my wife and I were just out running a few errands, and some how we started talking about New Years Resolutions. Bethany has come up with some really good resolutions that she wants to do. Now I'm wandering what am I going to do for my new years resolution?

I don't want to do the Big 5 resolutions: get organized, help others, learn something new, get out of debt, and battle the bulge. Part of the reason I don't want to do the Big 5 is because I'm constantly trying to do those things. So what else could I do?

Here is what I'm thinking about doing:

1. Reading 1 book per month that I've never read.
2. Put away $50 per week for 1 year for a new camera.
3. Loose 5lbs per month.
4. Shoot at least 1 set of senior pictures a month.
5. Do one Design project per month.
6. Read the Bible from cover to cover in 1 year.
7. Write 1 devotional per month or week.
8. Learn XHTML.
9. Learn Adobe Flash.
10. Learn Adobe Dreamweaver.
11. Write a Book on Book Design.
12. Learn Spanish.
13. Excersize.
14. Get published in a magazine.

What do you think, and what are your new years resolutions? What has worked for you in the past, and what did you find didn't work at all for your resolutions?

Let me know about it…

Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs

Just about every Friday I watch a show, on the National Geographic Channel, called the "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan." In fact, my wife and I are about to watch it and we don't even have a dog. This has to be one of the best shows to watch if you are training your dog. Every time I watch this show I want to get a dog.

This is something that Bethany and I have been talking about for the past year and a half. We really want a dog but there are 2 issues: 1. We can't decide on what breed of dog, and 2. We refuse to pay the ridiculous $700 non-refundable deposit to have a dog where we live. The good news is that our lease is up in February and hopefully we can find someplace better than where we're at.

When we move there will be a really good possibility of getting a dog. Bethany wants a small dog, particularly a Yorkshire Terrier, and I want to get a big dog like a Rottweiler or an Irish Wolfhound. After an incident a few months ago where the maintenance people left the door of our apartment wide open for several hours (with the spare key in it, and the complex office was closed), Bethany has warmed up to the idea of a big dog. Now the question is what kind of dog should we get?

We want a dog that can be our companion that is good friendly family dog, one we can play with, go on walks with us, and for the physical and mental health benefits that dogs offer. But on the other hand we want a dog that will stand guard to scare people off who come in uninvited, to protect us if needed, and to keep Bethany company when I'm away at church camps and events. I want a dog that will play with and allow kids to come in and out of the house, but will not allow adults in until my wife or I says its ok. We want to train a dog to be a fun friendly family dog, not a mean guard dog.

Let me know what you think, what you would recommend, and what your experiences are with dogs?

The 6 dogs below are the dogs that we have narrowed the search down to. The ones Bethany wants are at the top, and the ones I want are towards the bottom.

Yorkshire Terrier

Scottish Terrier

Miniature Schnauzer

Giant Schnauzer

Rottweiler

Irish Wolfhound

Vote for which dog you think we should get in the pole on the right side of the screen.

The H2O Christmas Party

The H2O Christmas Party was awesome! There were 18 students, 6 adult leaders, and tons of food. We divided the students into 3 teams to see which team could build the best gingerbread house in 15 minutes. Then we had a gift exchange game where everyone went away with some cool gifts.

These pictures are just a glimpse of how much fun it was...