Happy Birthday, Maddie! My beautiful, red headed, charmer is 5 today. WOW! I just can't believe it. She is a lover. She is tender hearted and loves people deeply. She can't stand to see anyone in pain or sad. She is such a gift to me...and all of us in this Thomas family. I love her sweet hugs and her very girly personality. I love the way she lights up a room (at least in her father's eyes). She is 5! It's a big day for us. Happy Birthday, sweet Maddie!

Happy Birthday, America! I'm thankful for our country. Lord, give us a heart for the nations!

First things first...go now to Craig's Blog to further enjoy yesterday's post...love you, Stephen!

Last night I had a most enjoyable visit with Phillip Duncan. Sheryl was out on a girls' night and the kids were asleep. Phillip's wife and son are in Alabama at his parents' house so he came over and we laughed for a couple of hours. I was hoarse this morning. I'm grateful that they are back at Otter.

We are planning to go to Smyrna to the fireworks show tomorrow night. It's a great event and a lot less of a headache than the downtown Nashville show if anyone's interested. (Although, there's no Nashville Symphony)

One last thing...a garden story for you...

My dad was always big into gardening. We grew asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, onions, peaches, plums, green beans, even corn at one point. Sheryl's dad is a gardener too. It's no wonder that we both have some degree of it in our blood. However, this is really the first year that we've tried growing anything seriously. We have some huge tomato bushes that are heavy with green tomatoes...I can't wait!! (The first one to ripen was promptly eaten by our dog Bear...a real test in my adoration of her.)

As I planted annuals this year, I kept trying to remember where I had planted bulbs last year. I finally gave up. Since I tend to have a real green thumb at growing weeds, I also found it hard to discern what was weed and what was flower. This one weed looking thing came up and I could not for the life of me decide what it was. I was convinced it was a weed...but decided to wait just in case. It grew, and grew and had a strange stalk. It kept looking like it was going to flower and then it would just turn into another leaf or more stalk. Weird. I just decided to wait and see. Finally, 2 weeks ago a thing resembling a bud of a flower appeared. Here's what the "weed" looked like early this morning...



Sorry if this seems like a cheesy spiritual analogy, but it struck me that sometimes life is like my garden. Sometimes we wait and wait and wait for fruit from a bush we know will bear it and it gets squashed or eaten before it can be used. And...other times people who seem to be "weeds" or rough on the outside end up bringing the most beauty to our garden. It's a good lesson for me to remember.

Thanks for the cool discussion over the last few days in the comment section. Again..let me reiterate, agreeing with me is not required for you to be welcome here.

And now for something completely different. I warned you, Stephen. My long time brother and best buddy, Stephen Bailey (call him Steve. He loves that), sent me this earlier this week. Joel Quile had made posters and put them all over his office.



Absolutely priceless.

OK--three things. First, last night on the way home I had all three since Sheryl had a rehearsal. We stopped at McDonald's for an easy dollar menu snack. The girls were arguing over whether they could get the happy meal...after hearing from me that we were absolutely NOT getting the happy meal. Maddie could not let it go. She kept telling Ella that she could NOT have the happy meal. Ella finally replied to her, "You are NOT the boss of me, Miss Maddie." I about choked. Seriously. It's not funny. But it is.

Second thing...I'm really enjoying the new Won By One CD. If any of you have a chance to pick it up, you'll be glad you did.

Lastly, our FX Worship experience last night was awesome. (Family worship) The kids were adorable. Audra Crisler could not have been any cuter. Kudos to Melanie for a great night of worship!

OK--sorry to stir the pot...But I need to say a couple of things out loud.

The combo of Christians and Nationalism nauseates me. I am thankful for America. I'm grateful for the freedom we have here. I'm thankful for and pray for our leaders. But...I can't stand how many evangelical Christians use Jesus in politics.

Now, the irony in this is that I am a Christian and I am about to use Jesus to talk about my ways of thinking. I find that there's a growing tension in me regarding many in our country who show hatred towards other nations and sing songs like "God Bless America" with an attitude that almost suggests America is the only country God loves.

Tim had some great things to say Sunday about courage and the ways we see Jesus showing courage. He could have spent his time speaking out against the Godless Roman government and authorities. He could have made it his mission to challenge their authority. But it appears he was more concerned with the religious leaders and the way they were oppressing people and turning the love of God into regulations and laws.

I remember a Sunday when we went through a worship period at church where people were marginally engaged until someone had the veterans stand. There was a standing ovation. I know, I know. I'm on thin ice here. And, I am not saying, by any stretch of the imagination, that those men and women don't deserve respect. However, doesn't anyone else find it strange that we can become so swept up in emotion over a soldier and can't muster even an "amen" for what God means to us?

I know the 4th of July is coming. I know it's a fun celebration. But, I would love for Christians especially to be leading the way in preaching and living out love for our "enemies". What would that look like? What would the world say about Christians then? What if we tried love at all costs? Ridiculous? Yep. But, what if Jesus had chosen to treat us as we deserved as enemies to his holiness?

We had a good weekend. The Won by One students from Pepperdine came in Saturday and we had some fun times together over the weekend. It was awesome to see Lindsey. She's family. We're praying for continued safe travels for all of them. Here's a picture from last night...minus Kelly. (The guys wanted to come jump on the trampoline. John was quite the acrobat!)



They also were on praise team with me Sunday morning. It was a great day!

Writing today with TJ and Eric Wyse. I'm looking forward to that. The girls have day camp at Miss Betsy's. I know they'll have a blast.

Happy Monday!

Congratulations to Jacinda for winning the book package yesterday! (honorable mention goes out to Eric Ebeling for his descriptive and imaginative email describing Seedling's issues. I'm still laughing!)

So, did anyone watch America's Got "Talent" last night? (Sheryl had a rehearsal for ZOE stuff so I watched the kids.) There are so many things to comment on. First of all...David Hasselhoff telling people whether they have talent? For the love. But who am I to cast stones? They certainly aren't asking my opinion and Hasselhoff is driving "Kit" to the bank every day to drop off his check. But, puh-lease. I honestly enjoyed the 70 yr old harpist/opera singer. That was something.

So, in keeping with the paragraph above, I had a most randomly hilarious moment at my favorite bookstore yesterday (I'll try and keep this vague so as to protect this person's identity should she be surfing the web). I had a meeting in the cafe/coffee shop part of this bookstore where there's a stage and sometimes they have live music. As I walked up outside I could hear this woman singing at the top of her lungs. She was totally Phoebe Buffet from Friends (considering the song, "Smelly Cat"). She had a guitarist and she was singing her heart out. I mean it. She was full of zeal. She was like the musical theater version of Phoebe. Here's the deal...there was NO ONE in there when I got there. No one, but me. I ordered my lunch and stood around awkwardly while "Phoebe" sang. She was really going to town. Then I realized, I'm going to have to sit and eat. So, I did. It was "Phoebe", her guitarist, her 60yr old mother (who was singing "back-up" by the way) and ME. She would finish each song almost Will Farrell style...one time even clapping for herself and saying "WHOOOO!" Was I to clap? Sometimes one lone clapper can be even worse. There were major crickets. I was waiting on Eric Wyse to get there for a meeting. I kept texting him telling him to HURRY!! Then, her mom came and sat at a table. After another song her mom called out a request and they had this banter that was as if there were hundreds of people in the room...including her mom saying, "Tell them the story about the time..." I'm looking around... "them"? It was a fantastic 15 minutes of incredibly awkward hilarity...one of my all time favorite settings and emotions. :) I couldn't help but think of her while watching "America's Got Talent". She would have been perfect.

Here's to you, Hasselhoff. Just when we thought reality TV couldn't get any weirder, you're saving the day. Whoooo! :)

Before I even get to the game last night, let me preface by telling you that my mom bought this for our kids for Maddie's birthday (coming up in a couple of weeks). It's a trampoline. It's a HUGE trampoline. It didn't look that big on the box. It was the smaller one too. Heaven help us!

The kids absolutely LOVE it. And...if I am being honest, I'd have to say I love it too! I jumped with them last night until I was dripping with sweat. Sam even loves it! He was laughing so hard!



All that to say, the trampoline came in handy later in the night when I found myself pacing, stressed out, wanting to panic-eat everything in sight, and yelling at the Mavericks through the TV set. I knew it was time for a break...so, about 10pm I went outside and jumped...and jumped...and jumped. Then I just sat on the trampoline and kicked back and watched the stars for a few minutes. Ahhh...so nice!

What a game. Oh my goodness. I just knew we were going into overtime there at the end. No such luck. Poor ol' Mavs. It was a great game. They just couldn't pull it off.

Now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Ok--so yesterday (see below) I posted a picture of Sierra reading to the girls. The book is called Super Duper Sundae Sleepover. My buddy Stuart at Waterbrook Press has offered all the readers of this blog a special summer reading deal. The first blog reader who can answer a couple of trivia questions about that book will get a special treat. Stuart will send the winner a special book package. Good luck, everyone!

1. What's special about this sleepover?
2. Who's having the sleepover?
3. The main character in the story is named Seedling. What's his older brother's name? (there's a series of books based on him too)

One of the great things about the cousins visiting is getting to watch the dynamic between them. Maddie adores Sierra and Sierra is so incredibly sweet with her. Ella and Canaan hold hands just about everywhere they walk. Sierra is really an amazing reader. She reads to everyone at night. I thought this picture was so sweet!


I didn't get a chance to write about the nice visit we had over the weekend with some old family friends from Abilene. Morgan and Pat Phillips, as well as his sister Joyce and her husband and his brother Meyer and his wife came over to my mom's for brunch. It was nice to see them. Morgan and Pat have a son, Paul, who is also an only child. He was like a big brother to me growing up...hand-me-downs and all. It was nice visiting with them.

Here are some pictures from our day at my mom's on Saturday...

Here's a great pic of my mom and all her grandkids. She's such a great grandmother!


The Thomas family and the Phillips family

Have a great Tuesday, everyone! Please keep our friend Geof in your prayers. He's recovering from a bike wreck over the weekend. It was pretty serious, but he's improving well.

Overtime?? Are you kidding me??? That was AWESOME! It would have been even better if Dallas had come out on top, but what fan wasn't chewing nails in anticipation of the finish?? Incredible!

Today was family day. We spent the majority of it at the pool. It was a great day! The kids all swam to their hearts' delight.

I hope this Monday was a good start for all of you. I pray your week goes well.

The cousins are here! Chris (Fajita) and Gail brought Canaan and Sierra yesterday and the kids have played non-stop. They are getting ready to move far, far away and we won't get to see them as much so it's fun that they'll get to spend the week together having a great time. Last night Sierra read to all of them and it was the sweetest thing!

It's been great visiting with Chris and Gail too. I'm thankful I am a part of that family. They are such an encouragement!

Happy Father's Day to everyone out there. I miss my dad today, but it was fun telling old stories of the mannequin with the old man mask on that Dad would dress up and sit on the toilet for unsuspecting people who were rushing to the bathroom. He'd twist his head to be looking at the door so you'd always hear a nice scream from the poor victims. Then there were the marbles he'd keep in the freezer which he would, without fail, dump into my bed whenever any friend spent the night. Then there were the rubber snakes, the plastic dinner rolls, the fake ice cubes with a dead fly in them, plastic cheese that would always end up in someone's hamburger when we had company...and the list goes on. We miss you, Dad!

Now, about that moment of silence for the Mavs...let's have another one and everybody pray really, really hard!! GO MAVS!

Let's all have a moment of solemn silence for the Mavericks. Here's a quote from the AP this morning...

"Now, the Mavs are somewhat of a wreck. They scored just seven points in the fourth quarter, a record low for the NBA finals."

Seriously, someone must have sprayed an anti-sinking potion on those rims that had the Mavericks' names written on it. For the love. It's not over though. It's not over!

Yesterday afternoon I had a most enjoyable hour and a half with Father Thomas McKenzie. Check out his blog by clicking here. I've also added him to my links over there. He and I are both a part of a group that's been transformational for me in recent weeks called the Samson Society. (I've also added a link to it) He's also the pastor at Redeemer, the church who used to meet at Otter Creek on Sunday afternoons. What a great guy! He was a huge encouragement to me yesterday.

Sunday night at Celebration we're doing a normal praise team thing for the first part and then Brad Crisler and I are doing an acoustic worship set. The evening begins at 6pm and will go for an hour. Come join us if you're in town.

Father's Day...if you've been reading for a while you know it's a hard day for me. I usually don't enjoy leading worship on that day. However, life has changed a great deal for me over the last 15 years since I lost my father. It's still very fresh in some ways--the missing him part. But, I've got these amazing little monkeys who climb all over me and give me hugs and kisses. It's a glorious day for me. I'm so imperfect. I have failed in many areas of my life, but these 3 beautiful children remind me that love is unconditional. They remind me that if I can be so crazy in love with them, how much more does God love me. They remind me that even through the valleys in life... laughter, hugs, and kisses still make the heart soar. What a blessing! I'm so grateful for them. I often tell each of them, whispering in their ear, "I love being your daddy". It's true. I really, really do.

Today after Sheryl and I met during lunch to do our spin class, I had a conversation with a good friend. He is one of the most gracious people I've known. I was reminded of several things...

*judgmental attitudes do not promote honest sharing (his was the opposite of judgmental)

*listening goes a long way

*preachy people do greater harm than good

*offering grace, offering friendship, offering a hand...these are essential in helping others.

Why in the world have we done the opposite of those things so often in churches? It is a peeve for me...almost as big as sharing gossip in the name of prayer requests or being "concerned". I'm so thankful for the friend I mew with today. He taught me about Jesus by his actions and his heart. I want to be that kind of person.

Now...for something lighter! :) Last night We were having some fun taking some pictures. The girls were being absolutely hilarious. Here are a few...


Maddie is ready for her debut on TBN.

Ella practices the bugle

This picture was taken by Maddie!

Last night TJ and Holly McCLoud came over for dinner. It was so much fun being with them. I really love them so much and I'm GRIEVING over them leaving us for the Dominican. However, I know they will be such a light there.

TJ stayed for a while last night so we could write some together. He's really so gifted. Before we did though, he was sweet enough to play for the girls. Maddie and Ella LOVE TJ's music...and they think Holly is the coolest thing ever! TJ played some songs they could sing along to and also let Ella strum his guitar. She was thrilled!

Here are a couple of pictures from last night.

Two stories today...

Yesterday Maddie and Ella were in the living room and Ella was playing the piano. Maddie was trying to direct her. I heard her saying...

"Now, right after I sing 'ba, ba, bam' you come in playing the piano. Ok? Let's try it."

Maddie: "Ba, ba, bammm..." (at the same time as the piano was being "played".)

Maddie: "No!! That's not it! You're supposed to WAIT until I sing 'ba, ba, bammmm'!!!"

Ella: "I like it better my way."

Gotta love it!

Yesterday Paul Young came through town on his way back to their home in Atlanta. I can't even begin to describe how their absence has impacted us. We miss them very much. I really miss Paul. It was great to spend a couple of hours sitting together and laughing and catching up on life.

Maddie and Ella are trying out a dance class today. If it works out, I'm SURE it make things ripe for more stories.

Have a great day, everyone!

Maddie part 2...

Last night as I was helping get the kids in bed, Sheryl and I were taking turns laying on each of their beds like we do each night--scratching backs, cuddling, telling stories, etc. Maddie will sometimes talk to me and rub my arm. So sweet! As we talked last night I asked her if her tummy was feeling better. (It had been really hurting earlier.

"Yes, Daddy, it feels better."

"I'm so glad. I was kind of worried about you."

"You were worried? Why were you worried about it?" She asked

"Because since I'm your daddy, I want to take care of you and make things better--especially when you're not feeling well." I replied.

She turned over and looked at me and in the sweetest voice ever said, "Daddy, you can't make me better. Only Jesus can do that."

Hello?? Words to live by from an almost 5 yr old. That simple message applies to so many areas of my life right now. I'm thankful for the reminder!

Today we celebrated the life of Jack Karnes, a quiet, gentle servant of this church. He died Friday.

On the way home from church Maddie questioned me about death...something she's been doing a lot of. I think part of it has always been there after trying to explain where "Poppie" (my dad) is.

"Daddy, what happens when we die?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, honey. But, Jesus knows and so we don't have to worry about it."

"Will I die first or will Bear (our dog)?" she questioned.

"Probably Bear. But, we don't have to worry about it. Most people don't die until they're older...really, really OLD."

Then she asked, "When you die do angels take you to Heaven?"

"I'm not sure," I said. "Maybe they do."

"Well, I think it's more like you just die and then you just wake up and you're there," she said.

"You might be right, honey."

"Daddy, why did Jesus die? Did that cross stick him and hurt him?" she asked.

"Hmmm...well, yes, it did hurt him. It hurt him so much that it killed him, but he died for us," I offered.

"Yes, and he came back to life. How did He do that? Did He just fall on the ground and then get back up?"

"No, they buried him in a cave and then God brought Him back to life."

"Daddy, how did God make us? I mean I know He made us but how did he do it? Was it like painting a picture or something?"

"Wow, what a great question, Maddie!" I said. "It was sort of like when you work with clay--God took dirt and made a man and then he took part of the man and made a woman and they were the first mommy and daddy. Now when He makes people He does it inside the mommy."

"That's really cool, Dad. I went to the 5's class today..."

And that was that. Precious moments. Hopefully, she'll continue to question. Hopefully, I won't always have a quick answer...since I really don't always know. Hopefully, she'll discover the mystery of seeking and believing even when the answers aren't black and white. Hopefully, there will be many more conversations like this one.

Ella's bedtime prayer tonight...

"Dear God, I want to say I love you, God, and that's the truth. Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Sam and Maddie. Thank you that Jonathan (Shaub) has a bed that goes back and forth and doesn't have sand in it anymore. Please help Elmo because he's too little to go potty or sit on the Dora seat. And...Amen, Jesus."

Last night we gathered with a very small group of friends to celebrate Sam's first birthday. He was so adorable! We decided to go to Casa Fiesta. I mean what one year old wouldn't want Mexican food? Please.

It was so much fun! They servers even sang Happy Birthday to him in extremely thick accents. And...they placed a sombrero on Sam's head. (pics of that to come)

Here are some pics...


Look at this boy! He's such a happy little one year old! Here he sports his new bib given to him by sweet Lauren (or as Ella says... "Ya-ren")



Maddie and Ella pose here with Sydney Williamson. They all had fun at Sam's party. These smiles will melt your heart!



Sam had a Curious George cake. It was made by Margo Kelly formerly of Becker's Bakery (my favorite bakery where our wedding cake came from. It's now closed.) Margo still makes cakes and she made a PERFECTLY delicious one for Sam!



Sam prepares to blow out his candle.



Here we are with sweet baby Sam. Sheryl picked up this Nemo puppet today and he loved it!

It was my favorite 1 yr old birthday party ever!

Happy Birthday, Sam!!! One year old today! What a blessing he is! All smiles. Happy Birthday, dear Sam.

I am posting yesterday's blog again--trying to get rid of the unwanted comment. Don't anyone spell the name because that only attracts them. I hate that stuff!! Plus--no more anonymous comments, guys. Sorry. If you aren't a registered user--it only takes a second and you don't have to have a blog. Just do it. :) Here's yesterday's post--

This is it. My last day. My last night. The leave of absence is almost over. I feel like that dumb guy on TV who tried to stay under water for forever...like taking a last breath of air before going under. I know that sounds crazy. But--it's true.

Thank you to the OC leadership for allowing me this time. It was needed and extremely beneficial. Thanks especially to David England who bore much of the weight while I was gone. I'm indebted!

One last thing. Ella this morning... "Daddy, does Jesus go poo-poo?" That's my girl!

We spent Memorial Day at the YMCA pool. It's such a fun place! Beach music blaring, hoola hoop contests, fountains, food, swimming, playgrounds...what more could any kid or adult want? Here are some pictures of our day. Happy holiday, everyone!

Geof Vickers, our good friend and fellow life group member, had a bike race today. We took the family out to watch. He did a great job in the severe heat. Here are some pics from the race.




Happy holiday!

The girls got to see the Broadway tour of Annie last week when it came through Nashville, thanks to Nonnie. They enjoyed it a lot.

Ella got in trouble yesterday for taking her skirt off and dipping it in the sink and drenching it. As she was cleaning the floor (Sheryl recounted this story to me last night), she had the towel and was wiping up the floor and in all seriousness was singing, "It's a Hard Knock Life". Love that!

Chores and allowance...how many of you do this and what are the things that have worked for you? How much are the chores worth? (keep in mind, these are pre-schoolers)

This is my last Sunday on leave from Otter Creek. We're going back to Mosaic. I had a great two hour lunch with their pastor, Gary, this week. They are pioneers and have all the joys and struggles that come with the territory. I bought McManus's book, "Seizing Your Divine Moment" this week. So far so good. I'll let you know more about it as I continue.

Happy holiday weekend, everyone!

OK--please know this is all in fun. I took a break tonight to watch the season finale of American Idol. There were some hilarious moments. Here are some of my favorite in a top ten list...

1. Dionne Warwick. Bless her 115 yr. old heart. She has been looking for San Jose for like 50 years now. What WAS that note she tried to sing at the end of that medley?

2. Prince.

3. Meatloaf. I've never been a fan of meatloaf...either kind. Tonight was no exception.

4. Clay Aiken. There just aren't words. That entire segment...it just scared me.

5. The Simon video tribute--fantastic!

6. Please, please, please...radio DJ's out there...please don't play that song, "Do I Make You Proud" (How many graduation videos will have that on it next year?)

7. The girls' medley was awesome. Mandisa--you betta sang! Incredible!

8. Did anyone else who wasted money on the movie, "American Dreamz" have a hard time not flashing back to it tonight during the finale?

9. My boy, Elliott. He sounded great tonight!

10. David Hasselhoff. Did you see the cameras pan to him at the end? He was crying. David. Hasselhoff.

What were some of your favorite American Idol moments?

Last Saturday my cousin, Mary, got married in Plano, TX. Mary, Josh and Jeremy have been like siblings to me my entire life. It was great to be with family and watch Mary be joined to Chris Clark. Chris is from England and works with a professional soccer team in Dallas--FC Dallas. It was wonderful getting to know him better and getting to see family from all over.


Mary, Chris, and some of the wedding party (including my adorable young cousins--the twins--Madison and Caitlyn)



L-R: Jeremy, me, Josh
Jeremy has been coaching soccer at SMU and Josh played soccer all of our growing up years and into college. These guys were the brothers I never had growing up. It was fun being back together and re-living memories and laughing at dumb family stories.



My mom, Mary, and me in the atrium of Prestonwood




L-R: Stephen Bailey, BST, Chris Doggett, and Craig Fisher

For over 16 years these guys have been my best friends--brothers. 16 years ago we were all living together while attending ACU and it was just the four of us...well, really 5 of us counting Karen who was dating Chris and eventually married him. Now there are 18 of us counting spouses and kids. It's really scary if you think about it. They all live in the metroplex and we had some precious time together on Saturday night and Sunday all day. We used to try and do that at least once a year, but with the demands of family, it's been a while. It was really amazing to be laughing so hard that your sides were hurting and then 30 minutes later crying together over some struggle or hurt. I was reminded once again that I am a blessed, BLESSED man when it comes to those friendships. Not everyone has that. I'm so thankful! I also had some awesome soul-filling time seperately with Joel Quile and Brad Voss. All of those guys from my roommates to Quile and Voss cause me to dream bigger dreams. It was food and drink for my soul.

There's so much to blog about that's just not bloggable. I still covet your prayers. Praying hard for discernment, wisdom and vision as I look to my re-entry date next week--June 1st.

Maddie and Lauren Gingles were talking this weekend. Lauren was asking her about different parts of the body and what they did. Maddie wanted to discuss the belly button. Lauren asked her what it did. Maddie said, "I don't know...but it makes lots of boogers."

Still today these lyrics are running through my head as I listen for God...

"All of my ambitions, hopes, and plans
I surrender these into Your hands."

Happy Mother's Day to the best moms in the world...my mom and Sheryl! My mom has been a constant source of encouragement and renewal in my life. What an example she is! Thanks, Mom! We love you!

Sheryl is such a great mom. She loves our kids, plays with them, teaches them, and protects them. They are such blessed kids to have her as their mom!

One benefit to this "leave" is being able to experience other churches. This morning we went to church at Mosaic Nashville. Incredible!! Many of you have read Erwin McManus's book, The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within. Mosaic is sort of his brainchild. It started in Los Angeles. It was an absolutely incredible experience this morning. It is, to me, what church should be like. I needed that this morning. My mom and Lauren Gingles went with us. It was really fun!

Their pastor, Gary, gave a very scripture based, relevant message. It was about the implications of John 1:41 (Jesus changing Simon's name to Peter) on community. Did you know that Simon means "one who vacillates"? Doesn't that make his new name (Peter=rock) even more meaningful?

He talked about levels of involvement in community (church). He said we come in evaluating our likes and dislikes (making it about us). Then, hopefully we move to the next stage--evaluating whether this makes a difference in our lives or not (still about us). Finally, we should move beyond what church can do for us to that next level--investing in the lives of others...giving of ourselves.

It struck me that it seems that in so many churches the majority seem to camp out in that first stage. That's why we have so many complaints and gripes. If it's not just the way we want then we gripe. There are those who move on to stage 2...but it really does seem that we need to work on expanding the number of people in stage 3. I know I struggle myself with living in stage 3.

On so many levels, today was a blessing. Even in the worship, we sang a song that couldn't have been more fitting for where I currently find myself. Here is one section of lyrics from Robin Mark's song, "Jesus, All For Jesus"...

All my ambitions, hopes, and plans
I surrender these into Your hands.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there...especially to those who have so lovingly mothered me over time...Darla, Jeannenne, Kaye, Pat, Beth and Jeanette.

Most of you know that I am in the middle of a leave of absence from Otter Creek. I have also taken some time off of ZOE...time for reflection, renewal, and rest. As I always do on this blog, I have written about certain things and chosen not to write about others. And, as is always the case, I like writing about family time.

Make no mistake, this time has been very intense. I have found myself unraveling months, even years, of compensating for things I haven't had or made time to do. Most important in that category is quiet reflection. I have had a lot of time alone. To be honest, I've found it difficult to detox. To be honest, I'm processing through some things that I've put off over the last couple of years. But, having said that, some of that processing is best kept between my family, close friends and mentors.

At some point I will blog about it. For now, I am being fed by being quiet. I'm being fed by close relationships. I'm being blessed by reflection and reading. Meanwhile, I will not be posting pictures of me looking dour or reflective. Life goes on at our house. I just wanted to give a little update just in case, by some crazy notion, anyone out there thought that my leave of absence was all zoos and birthday parties.

There is a lot of processing going on with me. I have seen friends from church who have asked me if I'm having fun. I know that what my friends and a lot of my fellow Otter Creekers want is for this time to be full of refreshment. It's hard to answer the question about fun. I am definitely having fun seeing more of my family. I'm not sorry for that. I'm enjoying having time away from the hamster wheel that my mind sometimes slips into. But fun? I'd say that some people really love processing. Some people really enjoy facing issues and deficiencies head-on. I am not that guy. A lot of this time has been extremely difficult for me. It's something I hope to write about at some point.

I know many of you have prayed for me and maybe even wondered why I haven't written more about this time off. I so greatly appreciate your prayers. Just keep them coming. Being molded by the Potter is often-times difficult, but always beneficial for Life.

Wednesday we went downtown to Otter Creek's Wayne Reed Inner-city Daycare. Johnathan Vest (most of you know him through ZOE. He sings with us and arranges some of our music) teaches music at an inner-city elementary school. He brought his 4th grade percussion ensemble to the Wayne Reed Center to perform for the kids. He invited us to come and bring the girls and Sam. Of course, they LOVED it! I was completely amazed at the talent and abilities JV brought out in these kids.


JV leads his group in a percussion number. They were awesome!


Maddie got to sit with her buddy, Abby Mangrum. They had a great time! At one point Abby looked over at me and said, "This is impressive!" Impressive. Gotta love that!


Here's a picture of JV and his entire group. The cute little girl in the upper row in the middle wearing the blue shirt is named "Precious".


JV and I pose with one of his students. This kid sang a "blues" number about how his girlfriend had made him miserable. It was pretty hilarious.

It all makes me think...praise God for teachers like Johnathan Vest. JV has his masters in piano performance and is finishing his doctorate this year. He moved from a wealthy Brentwood school to teach music to these beautiful children who might end up becoming household names one day as musicians. What a gift he's giving!

A lot has happened since I blogged last. Sheryl and the ZOEs had a great time in Malibu. The girls and I did well here at home. I spent a weekend in Wisconsin retreating and got back on Monday.

There've been a lot of conversations, a lot of thoughts, a lot of questions. Part of taking time away involves evaluation. Thankfully, I have friends and family who are great in helping me process.

There's also been plenty of fun!


Last night we went to celebrate our friend Randy's 50th birthday. It was such a blast! They rented a room at the Richland Country Club and his friends surrounded him to celebrate his life. Randy is the president of Lyric Street Records, the Disney Country Music label. This picture is a great representation of the night. Randy on the left being completely goofy, Shaubie in the middle trying to be serious, and me. David and I had way too much fun. We're dangerous together.

It was fun getting to hang out with the Shaubs again. Jonathan and I pose together here.








Jonathan (who is Randy's nephew by the way) and I pose with Kristen from SHeDAISEY, one of the country groups on Randy's record label.











Two of the Rascall Flatts lead us in Happy Birthday to Randy. (The Flatts are also on Randy's label) What a fun night!

In February of 2005, Jonathan Shaub was in a terrible pedestrian accident in New York City where he was attending Columbia University. Many of you read daily accounts of his progress on my blog and his family's. The Shaub family has meant more to me than I could ever put into words. They made Nashville home in the beginning and have been family ever since. It's been grueling to watch Jonathan go through the healing process, but he has stayed true to his over-achieving form. He's really doing well.


Ella and Maddie still pray for Jonathan virtually every night. They've been bugging me for weeks to go see him, so tonight we went to the Shaubs and spent some time laughing and playing with them. Jonathan had to leave early to teach his LSAT prep class. (The boy scored a perfect score...literally...on the SAT.)


After dinner, David got on the floor with the girls and played dolls...actually at the moment this picture was taken I think he was showing them how dolls pick their boogers. Love it. Of course the girls think David, Sharon and Jonathan are the coolest people ever. And...I think they might be right. Praise God for Jonathan's progress!

It's a gorgeous day here! Sheryl, Sam and the ZOE's made it safely to California. The girls and I have been having a blast. We packed a picnic lunch and went to the ZOO this morning. Nashville's ZOO is so nice! Here are some pictures from our day.



Here's a picture of my mom (Nonnie) with the girls posing in front of the Elephant Savannah.















Daddy and the girls...it's nice and sunny!















The ZOO recently put in this amazing carousel with lots of colorful animals. The girls loved riding! Ella rides a blue tree frog.













Maddie is riding the Kangaroo!
















Ella was totally cracking up at this goat. The goat actually looks a little amused himself!


Enjoy your day! Howdy to all you Pepperdiners reading!

Yesterday we loaded everyone up and drove to Home Depot to buy some flowers and veggies to plant in the garden. The girls LOVED getting to "help" plant the flowers. We planted marigolds, impatients, daisies, tomato plants, basil, rosemary and a large hydrangea bush. The gladiolas and elephant ears are already coming up and looking good. It was a lot of fun--we were all covered in mulch!



Later that afternoon the girls were sharing an ice cream cup from McDonald's but got distracted playing and Ella placed it under the kitchen table. Apparently, Sam found it and hid himself under there finishing it off. Here's a picture I snapped of him.

Pray for ZOE this week. This afternoon, Sheryl and the rest fly to Malibu to sing at Pepperdine. For the first time in 8-9 years, I am not going. I'm really going to miss being there! For those of you going, have a blast! I am staying here with the girls. It's not Malibu, but it might end up being warmer! Have a great day, everyone.