Been a long time coming

I woke up this morning realizing it had been a long time since I had last posted.  When I got home a week and a half ago, I basically didn’t do anything but spend time chillin’ with the family.  As a matter of fact, I don’t think I opened my computer but just a few times. 

I really enjoyed my time at home.  I was able to watch both Ty play in his first baseball game, which didn’t turn out to well, but he looked pretty good, and Taylor compete in gymnastics.  She did a pretty good job.  She got first place on the bars and finished 4th overall.  She didn’t have a good vault and that hurt he overall.  But she did get all 9’s for the first time in her career and she scored over 37 for the second straight meet and for the second time in her career.  She is beginning to score like I know she can. Getting back to Ty, he played right field to start with and he was the clean-up hitter.  For those of you who don’t know much about baseball, hitting clean-up means hitting 4th and it means you are one of the best hitters on the team.  He didn’t get a hit, but he did hit the ball fairly well, he just flew out both times.  He also pitched.  And for not pitching for a while, he really looked pretty good.  He just needs to work on his control.  I am proud of both of them.

As for my other child, Trip, we had a rough time.  Trip is a great kid and I love him to death, and he is very talented musically, creatively and he loves technology.  He does a lot of tech stuff at church and he does a fantastic job.  I know that God has huge plans for Trip and I look forward to seeing what those plans are.  But the rough time I am talking about, came the day before I left.  A kid at Trip’s school attacked him.  The kid was taking to Trip and then sucker-punched him a couple of times and one of the punches cut Trip under his right eye.  Trip did not retaliate.  Trip was the example of Christ when he turned the other cheek.  We were called to the school and needless to say, I was pissed.  And I still am.  The other kid was arrested and we had to take Trip to the hospital to get checked out.  He didn’t have to get stitches but they did do a cat scan to make sure nothing was broken.  Everything checked out fine, thank the Lord.  Trip asked me what I thought he should have done and I told him he should have beat the crap out of the kid, but then I told him that he did the right thing.  I hate it when my flesh gets in the way.  I am glad Trip is okay and I truly hope the other kid gets the help he needs and doesn’t get away with this. 

As far as Christy and I go, this was a weird trip home.  It felt as if we were busy the whole time, either running kids here or there, or just busy in general.  I left on Thursday morning Feb. 19th at 4:30 and I won’t return home until late March 2nd or 3rd.  I pray that this trip I will see a lot of kids come to know Christ but I also pray that it will go by quickly.  I am ready for my schedule to calm down to the point that I will be home much more.  I miss my wife and look forward to spending quality time with her.  I love Christy Slade and am very proud to call her my wife.  She does a great job taking care of our family and she is a great wife.  I am also very proud of my kids who all love Jesus and allow Him to be Lord of their lives.

Jesus,

Please be with my family as I am on the road.  Bless them with patience and strength to honor you in all that they do.  Be with Trip as he faces the tough situations in his life, bless his abilities as he uses them for your glory.  Be with Ty at baseball as he uses the gifts you have given him to honor you and be with Taylor as she competes at the gym.  Help all of them understand that they are witnesses of your grace and mercy in all that they do.  Help them to honor you in all of their relationships.  Be with my wife as she continues to live life without me during this period of our lives.  Help us both be wise in all that we do.  Help me to honor her and love her as you loved the church.  Thank you for my family.

Amen