Sunday Ibok

Over the last few months it seems that pain, suffering and grief are on the rise. Losing Sheryl's mom has made us even more aware, I'm sure. We're approaching the 20th anniversary of my father's death next month. At Highland we're praying for several families with young children who are fighting cancer. It makes you just ask all the WHY questions.

I think some people feel afraid of questions. Solid answers are much safer...much stronger...much more resolute. But how can thinking people live fully in faith in a God who sent His Son to Earth through the womb of a virgin, healed sick people, raised the dead, and then came back to life Himself WITHOUT asking questions??

God is certainly big enough for my questions. He isn't shaken. He doesn't fret when I doubt. He doesn't doubt His ability to be King of Kings, Lord of Lords and the Alpha and Omega. Actually, I believe He allows me to dive into deeper places in Him through times when my understanding just doesn't cut it. I hear echos of His words to Job. My heart hears the songs of faithfulness that He so lovingly sings over me.

My friend Sunday Ibok who went to ACU, would visit Nashville frequently, and whom I loved to hang with in NYC when I was there on work, had a freakish brain aneurysm Sunday night while on a visit to Texas for a wedding of a mutual friend.

Sunday had come through Abilene last week to see friends here and then traveled to Dallas for the wedding. While sitting in a hot tub Sunday night he began to complain of his head hurting. He went and laid down and his friends knew something wasn't right. He was taken to the hospital and then care flighted to Baylor Medical Center. Sunday was declared brain dead on Monday afternoon. As friends have gathered and prayed over him for a miracle...for healing...it struck me--God's been healing Sunday for years! That man was an overcomer. We see in part...but God sees in full. He knows ultimate healing. People may say, "Where is your God"? I would point to Sunday's life and say, behold the matchless grace of Jesus. 

Why? Why, God, would you want to allow this light to leave our world? Why so early? I don't understand. I don't have to.


Sunday loved Jesus. In fact...his last post on Twitter on Sunday before anything went wrong was "FAITHFUL". God has been, is, and will be faithful. I miss you, Sunday! My heart grieves for those of us left behind who will greatly miss you. But I rejoice for you. Go dance with Jesus!

Happy Birthday, Sally!

Happy birthday to one of our dear friends today...Sally Gary. I won't even mention her age. I just wanted to give her a birthday shout out! :)

Built Ram Tough

I know it may seem crazy to some of you but there is a part of me...the part raised in the country on a farm...that LOVES trucks. I made the move to Texas in another way last week when we traded my car for a Dodge Ram. Yes, I'm serious. And can I just say how much I am LOVING it? It swallows me, but it is fun to drive! You won't be seeing a gun rack or NRA sticker on this one, but I am thinking about adding some custom made ZOE mud flaps. ;) Just kidding!

A Duet with Haven

Last night before bed I got to do an impromptu duet with my buddy, Haven Heflin (daughter of Houston and Karen). She is 3 years old...and completely adorable. This made my whole day!

 Haven Heflin and BST singing "Hear Our Praises" by BrandonSThomas

KTAB News story update

Here's the link to the story on KTAB last night...

http://bigcountryhomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=412017

Thank you again to Jessica Reyes and KTAB!

KTAB News story update

Well...long story short...the morning the interview was scheduled last week Sheryl fell and we thought she broke her ankle (still might be...although she is much better). So, it was postponed. It airs tonight at 6pm on KTAB channel 10 in the Abilene area. It should be available online afterwards at KTAB News Stories . We have decided to DVR it and we are going to the West Texas Fair tonight. Yeee-HAWW!

KTAB News

Tomorrow, Abilene CBS affiliate KTAB will be doing a story on our family for their series called "Beyond the Book". I'm not sure whether it airs at 6 or 10 tomorrow night but if you're in the area, tune in!

* well, this morning Sheryl fell off a stack of boxes at storage and we thought she had broken her ankle. Very painful! Xrays showed no apparent fracture but she has a really bad sprain. All that to say...the interview was postponed until Thursday. Not sure when it will air but I'll let you know. Thanks in advance for your prayers for quick healing for Sheryl. :)

ACU Recreation and Wellness Center Grand Opening

Yesterday marked the grand opening of the incredible "Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center". It is beyond anything you can imagine...and certainly beyond anything we ever had as students. Huge fitness class areas, gyms, rock climbing wall, unbelievable pool area complete with a lazy river, indoor track, and more.

Here are some pictures I took yesterday during the grand opening...

Entry way into the center

rock wall climbing

indoor pool area

view from above

fitness classrooms

view of the bell tower from one of the wellness center balconies

It is a great day for ACU and a wonderful day for all current and future students! What an awesome recruiting tool and perk for all students, faculty and staff!

ACU Opening Day Chapel 2011

This morning Sheryl and I attended the opening day chapel ceremony  for ACU's 106th year. It is always something to behold! Like a scene from the opening day of Hogwarts, it is full of pageantry and tradition. We LOVED getting to be there today. The singing brought chills!

Here are a couple of videos from today...

ACU Welcome Week Candlelight Devo

Tuesday night I went to the annual ACU Welcome Week candlelight devo in the ACU amphitheater. It was awesome...as always. It had been almost 20 years since I had been to it. I loved hearing the more than 1000 voices sing with passion to the Father. Many of the songs were ZOE songs/arrangements. It was surreal in a way. I thought of my friends who had written some of those songs...probably having no clue the life it would have within my particular tribe, and wished for them.

My buddy Chris Davis who wrote "Here In This Place" probably never imagined how his song would be tied in a very emotional way to the beginning of all these students' college experiences. Chris is a good friend and a good man.

I'm wondering if my friend Eric Wyse ever imagined the picture above when he wrote "Light the Fire"? Eric and I produced several kids records together for Parable Bookstores and we've done multiple projects together including the Hymns project for Family Christian Bookstores. I love and miss you, Eric! Please come see us.

I'm wondering if my friend from Belmont Church, Rob Still, could have ever imagined how "A New Anointing" would take on a life of its own? Rob has often told me how ZOE brought that song to life. Worship Leader Magazine had used our recording to introduce that song in their Song Discovery program. I wished for him as I heard these kids belting it out. A season for a NEW anointing! Powerful words for these kids in this time in their lives.

And every time we sing Shout Hallelujah, I think about the night in the studio when Randy Gill introduced us to that song. It's one of my favorites! I love how Randy has helped shape the worship vocabulary within our tribe and beyond.

One of the MOST bizarre things is how songs take on a life of their own. I stood there as the students sang these songs and listened as the girls all sang the adlib parts by memory...parts that my wife Sheryl, Jason McArthur, Zach Wilson and others made up while we were in the studio. I listened as the tenors soared on parts in "Salvation Belongs to Our God" and "Worthy is the Lamb" and remembered how the tenors and altos haggled (a serious ZOE tradition) in the studio over who would sing which part. The tenors always want to sing the alto parts. HA! And those students were just belting it out. There were no screens....no lyrics...they just all knew them by heart. It was so incredibly moving. I just cannot express how full my heart was that night.

I doubt most of these kids knew any of the background or history of these songs. I did some quick math in my head that night and realized that they were all 3 and 4 years old when the first ZOE CD came out. Talk about a fossilizing moment!! What they WERE thinking about was worship. They seemed to be transported right into the throne room of God. And, after all, THAT is what it's about.

I walked away that night thinking about my ZOE family...all the experiences, the journey, the laughter and tears, the prayers....and I thanked God. It's in times like that when words completely fail you. But I know that in ways I cannot know, the Spirit was able to help me as I prayed. As we have said from the beginning in ZOE...there is only ONE audience and it's our Father. He is the Almighty, Abba, Alpha and Omega, King of kings and Lord of lords. His glory is above the heavens. What I saw Tuesday night was that His fame and glory were being celebrated in powerful ways. Hallelujah! May this generation take that to even higher heights! I want to be a part of THAT! We serve a mighty God! I stand in the shadow of the cross and feel so thankful that I have a hope in Him. Without Him, I am nothing. He gives Life. He takes my meager offering and makes it into something I could never imagine. He takes my brokenness and makes beauty from ashes. He loves beyond my wildest imagination. I want MORE of God and LESS of me! Praise God for his unfailing love!

Sam Thomas Elementary

We were so very honored by the Abilene Newspaper doing a front page article on my dad and our family returning to Texas and being a part of Sam Thomas Elementary. What a treasure for us to keep, always! I absolutely loved the pic of Sheryl and Sam too.

To read the story...go here-- Abilene Reporter News

School Days

School starts in Abilene on Monday. The kids will be new students at Sam Thomas Elementary--a school built and named after my father. It is a dream that we are getting to be there. It is an awesome school and the administration and teachers are incredible.

Last night we had meet the teacher night. We got there a little early to find long lines waiting out the front doors to get in. Once the doors opened, we walked past this picture of my dad smiling down on us...I think we all took a collective sigh of peace.

We love Mrs. Smith--the principal. She has done so much already for us. Sam has Nyla Davis for Kindergarten (long time family friend), Ella has Mrs. West for 3rd grade and Maddie has Mrs Sutherland and Ms. Mayhall for 4th grade. They are all really excited about their teachers. We are at Thomas with some of our favorite Abilene friends...Bill and Laura Carroll's daughters as well as Houston and Karen Heflin's daughters.

Last night was a blast. We are all excited about being a part of this community and school. It seems like only yesterday I was starting school as a Kindergartner riding to school with my dad. Every morning on the way to school he would sing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning". And it was...just about every single day.

Here's my Kindergarten school picture...

Thomas Family Pics Summer 2011

Our dear friend, Jill Batson, took some pictures for us before we left Nashville that have become my favorite family pictures we've ever had made. Go visit her website! Jill Batson Photography

Here are some of my favorites...

Thank you, Jill! Tomorrow the kids get to meet their teachers at Sam Thomas Elementary and they will begin a brand new chapter on Monday. We're all excited!

Happy Anniversary

In the course of 2 months so many things have happened in our lives that it seems hard to keep track right now. I haven't had much blog inspiration since we lost Sheryl's mom. But so many wonderful things have occurred. We are transitioning well into Abilene life. More on that later.

The true purpose of today's blog is to celebrate our 13th anniversary! Happy anniversary to my lovely wife! It's been an amazing journey of faith and laughter over the years. I am a very blessed man. 13 years ago today we stood with Mike Cope and many of our closest friends to join our lives. Many of those friends have walked every step with us. What would we do without community? We are deeply thankful for the friendships and family given to us. God is good!

And over the years God has added to our joy by giving us 3 amazing human beings. Each birth was special. Each child a unique piece of God's heart for us. We love them!

Maddie

Ella

Sam

Summer 2011

Sheryl's Mom

In the midst of our transition from Nashville to Abilene we lost Sheryl's mom, Ernestine Rathbun, this past week to a sudden stroke. Sheryl and I were laying on the bed Tuesday night crying tears of joy that our 13 year old dog, Bear, had been found in Abilene. We were so thankful to get her back. Then we got the text that Ernestine had been life flighted to Houston. It just seemed too much. Surreal.

Sheryl headed to Houston to be with her and the kids and I waited in Abilene for good news. At first the news seemed positive. She was responding to voices and pain. But over night Wednesday, things declined.

Thursday night as Sheryl and her family were gathered around, Ernestine slipped peacefully away. The last thing she heard in this life was Sheryl's voice singing over her. The song was straight out of scripture in Zephaniah 3.

The Lord our God is with you
He is mighty to save.
The Lord will take great delight in you.
He will quiet you with His love.

He will rejoice over you,
He will rejoice over you.
If you could only hear His voice,
You would hear the Lord rejoice,
Rejoicing over you with singing.

We are all so sad. The family is gathered in Lake Jackson and as happens every time we're together, there's laughter, joking, hugging, and lots of stories. This time it's seasoned with tears, but it's good to be together.

Tuesday of last week Ernestine made her famous chocolate cake. Ironically, even in her absence, she is still taking care of us by feeding us. We're savoring every morsel.

Visitation is today at the Restwood Funeral Home from 1-3pm.
The memorial service will be tomorrow at 10am at the Lake Jackson Church of Christ.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!