Well today is day #2 in the new era of our family's life. Our very own little Drew started daycare yesterday. Much to our delight, he loved it. He had the teachers cracking up and loving on him. It seems like you blink and years fly by. May it be a reminder to each of us... make the most of every moment.

Last night, our church had its Thanksgiving service. We started things out in the traditional Southern Baptist way: eating a meal. I'm not complaining, because it was good. We then had a testimony service where people were sharing what they were thankful for. One of the ministers on staff stood up and challenged the congregation with something. He challenged them to take some time and make a "Top Ten" list of things that you are thankful for.

This got me to thinking about the many ways that God has blessed me. To narrow the field down to ten seems to be the biggest chore. After putting a little thought into it, I think that I have my list.

1. My relationship with the living God made possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. A godly wife who challenges me daily to walk close to the Lord.
3. My awesome son, Drew for giving me a clear picture of what unconditional love and patience is.
4. Living in a country where I am free.
5. Knowing that freedom isn't free, I'm thankful to those men and women who are daily in harm's way protecting us here at home.
6. Good friends that you can share life experiences and trials with.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide football - it may not be the best quality at the moment, but there's nothing else like it.
8. Technology - I know this is a weird one, but it has been great for keeping the attention and curiosity of us ADD people going.
9. Trials - because without these, there would be no need to really exercise my faith.
10. Creativity - without this everything would be the same... nothing special... nothing extraordinary...

What is your "Top Ten" thankful list?

Time goes by too fast. I've heard that said a bunch of times growing up. I can remember thinking to myself when I would hear someone say that, "What? Fast? You're crazy!" Now I find myself saying those very words. I feel so much like ol' Rip Van Winkle. I feel that I've laid down for a nap and woke up many years later. For example, it seems as if we were bringing little Drew home from the hospital just yesterday. Just in case you may not know who Drew is, he is the greatest son in the world and not a bad dresser either... see...
Like I was saying, it seems that we just brought him home from the hospital yesterday. This coming Monday he starts to daycare as me and his mom have to be at our jobs.

This makes me think about some wise advice given some time ago: "Make the most of every moment because when it's gone, it's gone." Time is a precious commodity. But we must realize that we only have one shot at doing it right the first time. There are no guarantees that we will be able to go back and correct our mistakes either. So I guess that's my thought for the day.

Join me in wishing a big good luck to the Alabama Crimson Tide as they get ready to lay a long awaited whooping on Auburn this Saturday. Roll Tide!

Call me simple, but I never cease to be amazed. Just when I think I know how something will turn out, God comes along and reminds me that He's in control and that things don't always go the way you thought that they would. Last Wednesday night, we did a break from the normal way of doing things at our church's youth service. We had something that was called a "Night of Offerings." It turned out to be really cool. We had a couple of our youth sing some songs, one girl got up and read Scripture, and one girl revealed a piece of art that she had put together made up of pictures of people from the youth group and other creative things. I shared about the widow giving her "little" offering that would equal less than a penny today. We moved on to talk about how life is about giving our awesome God offerings of praise, our time, our lives, and our gifts. At the end of the service, we gave an invitation for students who did not have a relationship with Christ to give an offering of their life to God and receive the gift of salvation that only He can provide. One young man, a 7th grader, came to me and said, "I want that."

Amazing. I guess my thoughts have been here lately about what are we giving God? Do we take the time to give Him what He's due? Do we give Him our leftovers?

Separation is a bad thing... very bad thing. The wife and kid have been at her parents' house for the weekend to pick up some things. They are coming back tomorrow. I find myself counting down the minutes that the two people that I love more than anything on this earth return and I'm able to see and hold them. As this thought goes through my mind, I start to grab hold of a truth that I've heard for so long, but I don't know if I've quite understood it this deeply. The truth is: God loves us. I know that you're probably thinking, "Whoa! That's a deep one there!" Like I said, I've heard this truth for as long as I can remember. I've believed it for almost that long. But to take a moment and listen to what that truth says, it's mind-blowing! The God of the universe that can do whatever, whenever, however He chooses... He set aside His greatness, went through the most cruel and embarrassing execution, and was buried in someone else's tomb. And He did all of that just so that you and I didn't have to be separated from Him. I think about an OC Supertones song that goes like: "He'd rather go to hell than heaven without me."

How close to God are you? Some to think about...

As I sit here at my desk at the church, I am reminded about a couple of things. Me and my family are currently reading through Deuteronomy. If you haven't read through this book in the Bible, I strongly encourage you to do so. It gives so much insight into many things. Yesterday, I read chapter 2. Moses was reminding the people about the wandering around in the desert they had to do because of disobedience. But there came a point where God said to Moses, "enough wandering." God had promised to watch over Israel and we see in this chapter that who God gives His word to, He keeps it.

This made me think about God's leading and plans for our lives. We are told in Jeremiah 29:11 that God has great plans for us. With those great plans comes great provisions. If God has called you to something, keep watch. He will make a way of provision for you. God never said that He would give us all of our wants. God never promised us a mansion and the nicest of things. He did promise that He would take care of our needs. What are you trusting to make your provisions? That is the question of the day.