Turning Pages

What Jonah is Saying an Doing

2007-01-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

I don't exactly know why I'm logging on tonight to write on a blogsite I have not touched in almost a year. New year, new things, new commitments I guess. Not quite committing to keeping up with this just yet, but we'll see. The reason I didn't continue writing was not because I lacked material - the past year has been full of joys and challenges both. There's no way to catch you up (if you are close to me, you probably know most of the story anyway), so I'll just pick up with January 7, 2007. Today.

Jonah is now 17 months old. This picture is fairly recent (October or November I believe). My son has grown way too quickly for me. This past week, Cristal and I spent some time in Colorado Springs for a youth ministry conference. We rekindled a friendship with a couple from Chattanooga that we met at the same conference two years ago. They now have a nine month old son. All week I could not stop struggling to remember what Jonah was like at 9 months. And that wasn't even that long ago. But he has changed so much! Every day brings a new adventure to this fatherhood journey. EVERYDAY he does something new that makes me laugh. Tonight he started spinning around in circles, laughing all the way, making himself dizzy. He continues to wrestle with me, spearing his head into my chest as I fall down defeated by this 25 pound little man. His vocabulary is taking shape. His favorite words include: doggy (pronounced "dodgy"), mama, ball, fish which is pronounced "bee" not sure why, and of course NO. But he is now learning to copy words and even understands what most of them mean. He can identify grandparents in pictures, knows their names and can say them. When you ask him to point to his toes, fingers, hair, nose, ears, eyes, tummy and tongue he can do each body part successfully (we are working on booty). He is beginning to run everywhere, not content to walk. He is making baskets on a 3 ft basketball goal which his daddy thought was much too high for a boy of his age and size (you can request the video that could be worth money one day).

Anyway, I could write all night on this subject, but I REALLY don't want to be that annoying dad that tells everyone how great his son is. I guess I just want to be the dad that gets excited about his kids and the joy inside of him can't be contained (and he comes across in a non-annoying way).

More to come.

Snow, Update on Jonah

2006-02-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

We have snow on the ground in Fort Collins! Wow!

Most of you (which probably means 5 of you considering the number of people who frequent this blog) are probably wondering what the big deal is. We do live in the Rockies after all, right? Aren't we supposed to see snow? Well, this winter has been mysteriously dry, we've probably received 5 inches of snow thus far and usually by this point, we would have received close to 25 or 30 inches. The funny thing is that the mountains are having record amounts of snowfall which is great for the ski industry (and great for those of us who love to ski), but there must be a wall around 7000 feet becaus we aren't getting much at 5,000. But last night was beautiful to watch as we got about two inches of the pure white stuff. Thank you Lord for snow.

Update on Jonah. First of all, our camera decided a few weeks ago that it was going to quit on us. It's a really nice Canon digital camera that my parents bought us a couple of Christmases ago. Not a good time for your camera to start acting up. After all, Jonah is doing something cool every day that we want a picture of. So I'm taking our sick little camera into Best Buy today, along with my service plan/warranty, to see what they can do for me so that I can get back to capturing Jonah's every move.

Big J went to the doctor yesterday for a six month checkup (he was six months on Feb 4). He weighs 17 lbs, 13.5 oz. (50th percentile for six month olds), I forget his height but it's in the 40th percentile (little chunky) and of course his head is giant (73rd percentile). Basically, we have a beautiful little chunk with a big head (I'll get some new pictures on here within the week). He's sitting up easily now, is beginning to teeth, wants to touch everything (and pull it if it's pullable - things like Mommy's hair), and is enjoying foods such as sqaush, bananas, pears, and peaches (all mixed with oatmeal of course). Have you ever seen that commercial where the dad is trying to feed his little baby and the baby doesn't want to eat his baby food so the dad takes a bite in order to convince his kid that it tastes good and ends up almost throwing it up himself? That's not me.

Have a great weekend all 7 of you.

No need to be frumpy yet

2006-01-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

If you read the title of this post, you might be wondering what the word "frumpy" means. Well let me tell you.

"Frumpy" is a term used to describe somebody who is dull and unfashionable. If you had been out with me and Cristal last weekend you might have thought us frumpy.

You see, we live a fast paced life. Always on the go. Always hanging out with kids or getting together with friends with little time to prepare our appearance. Or at least that is our excuse.

Last weekend, we went out with a couple of our best friends. Let's call them "Derek" and "Shelli." They are not old, but they are older than us (they are older than 30). They have three kids ages 9, 6, and 2. They also live fast paced lives. "Shelli" juggles three kids' schedules, is active with our youth program, helps lead a lifegroup at church, manages a part-time job, participates in TWO women's' Bible studies as far as I know, finds time to spend with her friends, watches our son Jonah whenever we need her to, and is a wonderful wife who is devoted to her husband "Derek." "Derek" also is a busy guy. He holds down a job that requires him to work 50 plus hours a week, coaches his son's basketball team regularly conducting weekly practices, teaches a Sunday school class, is active in the youth ministry, helps lead a lifegroup at church, plays with his kids, participates in a men's accountability group, and wakes up every morning at 6:30 to pray with his wife "Shelli."

Well, we went with our friends to see "Glory Road" on Friday night. Wonderful movie by the way, but not suitable for young children. I had come from work and Cristal had come from "work." Just kidding, being with Jonah all day and everything else she does is demanding of her. We went to dinner and a movie with Derek and Shelli. And it hit me. Out of left field. Derek and Shelli looked like they had come from a catalog shoot for Gap or the Limited and Cristal and I looked like we had come from a catalog shoot for the local Goodwill. No offense to those who love to wear jeans and sweatshirts 24/7, but next to these guys, we looked like we might have come from a pajama party or something. Or like we needed to go on the TLC show "What NOT to Wear." At least Cristal is good looking enough that it didn't matter that much for her.

After the movie, we picked up Jonah and came home. On top of my chest of drawers sits a small picture album full of pictures taken of me and Cristal before we were married. The album is actually engraved with the words "Before we were married." I don't know why, but I started paging through it, looking at the pictures. The couple in the pictures looked drastically different than what we look like now (and I won't even get into the fact that after looking at these pictures we set weight goals for us and rewards for ourselves when we reach those goals). This couple was well-dressed and looked like anything BUT frumpy.

And it got me thinking. I'm only 25. No need to throw in the towel yet. My friends accuse me of being old because I married earlier than they did and had a kid before they had even dreamed about it. But mark my words - I refuse to be old and I refuse to dress as if it doesn't matter anymore. If our friends who I'll call Derek and Shelli because I like those names can dress well for each other, then I can offer my wife a little more to look at. No need to be frumpy. At least not until Sunday afternoons while I am on my couch watching football. That is where frumpy should stay - on the game watching couch.

Sorry for the randomness of this post.

Choke!

2006-01-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Every kid that loves basketball dreams about hitting the big shot at the end of the game. I used to live this moment in my dreams on my small basketball court behind the house I grew up in. I would come home from school, finish any homework I might have and head outside to shoot for hours, sometimes in the rain. I would shoot for so long that when I got to the dinner table around 6:00, my mom would smell my hands to see if I really did wash them as I had claimed to. I can hear the words even now, "They smell like basketball." And then I would be forced to go to the bathroom, and wash my basketball-smelling hands clean before I could eat supper.

In my basketball "arena" made up of one rattly goal set in concrete with three point and free throw lines painted on, I would practice the art of beating the buzzer, counting down the seconds and giving audible commentary on the play that was unfolding (when you are by yourself you have to be Michael Jordan AND Marv Albert). 5-4-3-2-1...the shot leaves my hand and we all know what happens when you hit it - THE CROWD GOES CRAZY!!! And we all know what happens if you miss it - HE WAS FOULED! And then you go the foul line with a chance to win or tie and send the game into overtime. I never lost. I always found a way to win. Whether a fan threw an object at my ball while it was in the air or a flying squirrel jumped in the path of my ball or there was a lane violation or even several consecutive lane violations if I wasn't making my free throws that day, I always won.

Well, I never made it to the NBA, but I still love basketball. I am playing this season with another church in Ft Collins in a competitive church basketball league. I guess you could say I am the leader of the team. Well, we have played two games - let me tell you briefly about our last game. If you've played basketball for a while, you might know that feeling of what basketball players and fans alike call "being on fire." This is how I started this game. I hit my first five shots of the the game - four of them threes. Everything that left my hand felt like it was going in. Basketball players will know the feeling I'm talking about. I had 15 points midway through the first half and my team was ahead by about a half a dozen points. Our opposition was much younger and in much better shape, so despite my being "on fire" they were hanging with us. Well, with about 7 minutes left in the first half, I came down hard on my heel while trying to jump to intercept a pass thrown the length of the floor. I still have a deep bruise on my right heel as a result. I guess the cushion in my shoe just gave out or something, but it hurt. I lost all rhythm and had trouble making a shot the rest of the game, much less creating one. Being tremendously out of shape in Colorado altitude did not help either. The game was close until the final buzzer sounded.

I will never hit a game winning shot in an NBA game as I used to dream, but I will get a fair amount of chances to win church league games. With about 6 seconds left, we were down two points. Somebody set a pick for me up top and I drove to the basket and drew a foul hard enough to ensure that my shot attempt would not see the bottom of the net.

Two free throws upcoming. Chance to tie the game and send it into overtime. Was 2nd in the county in free throw percentage my junior year of high school. I can handle this right?

First shot up.....

No good. Rimmed out.

Second shot up.....

No good. BUT WAIT! Ref blows the whistle. Lane violation! (Childhood dreams coming true?)

Yes! I've got another sho-

Oh.

Lane violation on the shooter. That would be me. Game over.

Meet Wes Kohring, master choke artist who needs work on free throws and needs to be running in the gym so that he isn't halfway dead at the end of a basketball game played at 5,000 feet above sea level.

The Ministry of Nurture

2006-01-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've just begun reading a book by a guy named Duffy Robbins called The Ministry of Nurture. I picked this book up the other day in the bookstore because I have determined this year to really really focus on helping the kids in my youth ministry start owning their own faith. Admittedly, I've been frustrated at the apparent lack of growth in my kids' hearts. This book has me wondering if I should be discouraged at all.

I am very results oriented. I was reminded of this fact the other night during a meeting with our adult education committee. Sounds boring and truthfully, I thought the meeting would be boring as well. However, we somehow got to talking about a brand new church paradigm and it got me really excited. Finally, one of our shepherds asked us to be in prayer about what we had discussed and adjourned the meeting a little abruptly. Now I'm not one that gets excited about meetings but I could have talked about this for hours on end if I thought it was going somewhere. And it still might. But I left a little frustrated because I wanted a solution, and I wanted it NOW. I wanted something to happen quickly. I didn't want to go home and pray. I wanted us to decide what direction we were going to take that night. This brings up several other topics related to the weaknesses in my faith, but for now I tell you that story just to communicate how much I enjoy seeing results quickly.

This happens in youth ministry. I want to see kids grow and I want to see it now. I guess I'm selfish and faithless in that way. I guess in order to feel like I'm doing a good job, I have to witness the huge leaps that our kids are taking in their lives with God and then I'll be validated or something. Shame on me...

Spiritual transformation is a process. Progress is a process. That's not so revolutionary to anyone who knows anything about Christianity or Christian development, but I forget it. I love our kids and most of the time my desire to see them grow does not come from a selfish desire for me to feel good about what I am doing. I genuinely want to see them flourish in Christ. Robbins' book is reminding me about the baby steps that we all take towards a stronger faith and that sometimes it is hard to see and that in fact, we may never see the fruit of what we do as youth workers. It may be years down the line before something makes sense or something finally clicks in their heart and they start to "get it."

That said, I'm renewing my commitment to one on one discipleship. The great thing about our youth ministry is that it is small enough to be extremely relational. I can have a relationship with each kid. I probably can't mentor every kid as much as I'd like, but I can put emphasis on my student leaders and ask my other adult leaders to help fill in my gaps. The goal of youth ministry is spiritual growth in the lives of teens. That their journeys with God would not be something compartmentalized, not just a "component" of their life, but their entire life. That is what I am trying to instill in our kids hearts. Something huge. Something holistic. Something that will transform every ounce of their being. My calling can be tough (this week has been tougher than most), but I rest and trust in the fact that God is using me in ways that he shouldn't be. What I mean by that is that he has given me a high calling and I'm not really able to do anything on my own. But he still uses me. To help his kids. What an honor!

Jonah's First Christmas

2005-12-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Our family just returned from a 12 day journey spent visiting friends and family in Tennessee. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing and spending time with everyone, but we were relieved to finally arrive back in good old Fort Collins and excited to sleep in our own beds. The trip was especially taxing on Jonah who did not sleep a wink his first night back (he is now back into his element, sleeping 10-12 hours a night which pleases mommy and daddy very much). Everyone really enjoyed getting to see, hold, and play with Jonah who will be five months old next week. Wow.

Jonah did very well his first Christmas. Mom and dad even had to buy new luggage to get his Christmas presents back to Colorado (we still paid $50 because one of our suitcases was over the 50 lb. weight limit). Pictured above is a nice singing caterpillar. Jonah hasn't gone a morning yet without listening to and watching his new PraiseBaby DVD (thanks Aunt Kasey). Uncle Shelby thoughtfully put together an impressive memory frame complete with the ticket stub and a picture of Jonah at his first baseball game. Grandpa, Nonni, Belew, and Gigi also showered him with gifts. I was commenting to Cristal that next year Jonah will actually understand Christmas (at least the presents part) and he'll be running around instead of just sitting there. Please Lord, no rush.

However, on that note, how fun is it going to be to watch him grow! 2006 is going to be exciting - first steps, first words (we're working on "I love Daddy"), first homerun....(I realize I'm getting ahead of myself). Anyway, we've got a lot to look forward to.

Cristal and I are still feeling good about Fort Collins, Meadowlark, and youth ministry. A lot of people back home ask us when we are coming back home or at least back to the south and to be totally and brutally honest, I just want to be here. My friend's wedding was tough because I don't know when I'll see my college buddies again. Seeing Wes and Leanne briefly was great, but too short. We don't see them enough. Being so far away from friends and family brings sadness to be sure, but following God's calling brings so many rewards that help ease the hurt of being away. And we've been so blessed to make a few wonderful friendships out here. We are supported and loved by so many out here. The Lord is good! I taste his goodness every day! He is leading us. And that gives me a comforting security that nothing else in this world could ever give.

One more tidbit - I am planning on starting on my Masters of Divinity in the fall at Abilene Christian University in Texas. It will take me a good 5-6 years of short one-week courses and online studies, but I am excited about what God will teach me in their program. I want to learn more about God's Word and am hoping that this will help me be a more effective minister - something I want to be for a lifetime.

In the air again

2005-12-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I will board a plane for the 7th time this year. Let's review Wes' year in the air.

May - trip to Nashville to officiate friend Ryan's wedding
June - trip to Nashville to be groomsmen in friend Sam's wedding
August - trip to Nashville to be groomsmen in friend Josh's wedding
October 1-3 - trip to Texas to speak at friends youth retreat
October 8/9 - trip to Detroit for weekend family reunion with Dad's side of the family (won the Kohring cup, shot an 84)
November - trip to Nashville to attend Youth Specialties conference (which I really should blog about because it was an incredible mountaintop experience)
December - trip to Nashville which includes being a groomsmen in friend Eric's wedding and celebrating Christmas with Cristal's family in Milan and my family in Knoxville (I think we are going to get to see the Benders as well - Leanne, if you're reading this know that we can't wait to see you guys!)

I don't think I will EVER fly this much in my life ever again. I guess I am just in that season of life where all of my friends are getting married. A few were married last year and I think a couple will be married next year. More flights. More tuxedo rentals. More $$$. But it's a privilege to stand with my friends in these wonderful times.

Let me catch you up a little bit on our little boy. Jonah is growing up fast. He weighs just over 15 lbs. and is much heavier than that when you have to carry him in a carseat - a carseat that Cristal just told me will be too small for him after Christmas. Wow. You really don't understand when people tell you how fast your children will grow until you have one of your own. Before I know it, it will be time to do this whole pregnancy thing again. God help us....

Jonah has become my favorite playmate. Most people don't think I'm very funny, but Jonah thinks that I am hilarious. Sometimes when I call my grown up friends to play they have other things to do. Jonah is pretty much always available. He enjoys wrestling with his daddy (in a really gentle sort of way). He isn't really self-conscious about snuggling either, something I really have a tough time getting my other friends to do. He and I have a lot of fun together. He knows my voice and my touch and that makes me feel good. I'm not just a face to him anymore.

Cristal is an incredible mother. And Jonah knows it. He can't take his eyes off of her. He's developed his first crush. They've got some red head connection (that's right, Jonah's hair is coming in a little red - God help me with two red heads in the house!) No seriously, Cristal is such a wonderful, caring and selfless mother. I shouldn't be surprised because that is one of the reasons I married her - I knew she would love my kids unconditionally and always put them above herself.

We found out just about a year ago that Jonah was on the way. Can't believe it's been a year. We love our little boy. We are having fun watching him grow although we DO wish he would slow down a bit! He is healthy, beautiful (see his mom), fun to cuddle with, sweet (unless he's hungry), and he loves Jesus. I can already tell.

Sleepy

2005-11-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while. The fall has been crazy and I have not kept up this blog at all. Hopefully most have you have seen pics of Jonah anyway through email and grandparents.

This picture of Jonah isn't even all that current. Our pictures are all downloaded on our new computer at home, but I haven't taken the time to download them onto this computer at work yet.

Jonah is incredibly active and growing. He laughs all the time, even at me. In fact, especially at me. He must think I look really funny or something. He is very happy. Mom and dad are very happy too, not only because we have the most beautiful and wonderful baby in the world, but because that same wonderful little boy is sleeping through the night! Yes, 10 hours at most. Woohoo!

Jonah is also beginning to talk. He said "Daddy" the other day.

Not really. We're not that advanced yet. But he is walking.

Not really.

But soon. Kind of a scary thought. As I sat rocking him last night after his last feeding of the day, I really noticed how big he's gotten. People tell you all the time that kids grow up so fast. I started imagining him at 3, 10, 18, and 25 years of age. I'm sure it blows my mom and dad away to see me with a child of my own since memories of rocking me to sleep are still very vivid in their minds. It just hit me how much I ought to cherish every second with him the way he is. He will be a daddy one day and that day will come all too quickly. It was enough to bring a tear to my eye last night.

God, thank you for my precious son. I can't imagine loving anything more.

P.S. I will put some new pictures on my blog soon and try to keep you updated more frequently.

All Smiles

2005-09-14T15:03:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody, Jonah here. Just wanted to show off my great smile that I only pull out when daddy isn't around. When daddy is taking care of me I just like to cry and not let him sleep. But even daddy will admit that I sound cute when I cry.

I now weigh 10 and a half pounds and I'll be six weeks old tomorrow!

GO TEAM!

2005-09-08T11:02:00.000-06:00

Normal?

2005-09-08T10:40:00.000-06:00

I figured the other day that out of the 35 days Jonah has been alive, he has been with only mom and dad for 3 of those days. Cristal's family was here in the beginning, we went to Nashville for Josh's wedding and then my family was here for about 10 days. Now it's just the three of us. Getting back to normal, whatever that is. I for one am hoping that 3 a.m. feedings do not become "normal" or at least that they cease to be normal. Anyway, it was great having family here to help out and it was wonderful for all of us for them to get to experience Jonah as a newborn. But it's nice to be getting settled.

The outfit above is Cristal's favorite thing to dress Jonah in. She thinks it makes him look like a little man. I don't want him to look anything like a "man" yet. People keep telling me how fast he is going to grow up and I hate it. Absolutely despise hearing it. I don't get upset with those people for saying that to me. In fact, it's probably a good thing that they do tell me because I take it as a warning, or a reminder. "Take advantage of every opportunity Wes" or "Cherish every moment of his life" are things that come into my head when people remind me about how fast children grow. For right now, I am content for him to stay the way he is. However, if he is still this small in one year, we should probably go to the doctor to have it checked out. When I see little kids running all over church laughing and talking and having a good time, it is hard for me to imagine that Jonah is going to be that way. Because right now, he just rests in my arms. It's hard to grasp the reality that someday soon, he will try to wriggle out of those arms and want to go play with some kid who is wreaking havoc on the church stage, about to run some 80 year old lady over.

God, give me the wisdom to wrap up every moment of my son's life as a precious gift. He is yours. Help me to help him see and understand that when he's ready.

First baseball game

2005-09-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday evening was a major major milestone in Jonah's new life. He saw his first ballgame (well, we think he opened his eyes to peek at the field once or twice). He couldn't quite pick up the particulars of the infield fly rule and didn't quite grasp the concept of "tagging up", but we think he enjoyed it all the same. And the Rockies won! A miracle in and of itself. Actually, they smoked the injury ridden Dodgers. We all had a good time. Grandpa, Nonni (am I spelling that correctly mom?), Uncle Shelby and Aunt Kasey were there as well.

Growing, growing, growing

2005-08-24T14:44:00.000-06:00

Just thought I'd plant a big one of Jonah in his camo for everyone to see.

Jonah now weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz. He has gained one pound and 8 ounces in two weeks. He is extremely healthy, back to dirtying his diapers (a good thing).

Tomorrow morning, our new family of three is flying to Nashville. I am going to be in my good friend Josh Nipp's wedding (third wedding this summer - my wallet thanks you Ryan, Josh, and Sam for choosing the same summer to be married in). We'll spend a couple of days there and then me, mom and dad are driving back to Colorado (Cristal is flying back with Jonah). They'll be here for several days - my dad hasn't seen Jonah yet so I'm excited for him to get to spend some time with his grandson. Also, my sister Kasey will get to come out for a few days. She is one extremely excited Aunt.

You will notice in the picture above that Jonah is wearing a shirt that says "Born to Play Ball." I would like to know what kind of "ball" everyone thinks he is going to play, if any. I have my hopes, but I would like to hear what everyone else thinks.

Thank you for your continued prayers. God has blessed us. We hope to bless Jonah. Life is good. God is great.

Arms of Love

2005-08-23T13:56:00.000-06:00

This happened a few nights ago. Jonah would not go to sleep. Cristal and I were trying to get a few winks before one of us would have to wake up to feed him. We could not figure out why he was crying. He wasn't wet, we wasn't dirty, he had eaten not long before. My wife tenderly rolled over and asked me in a sweet and polite manner to go and try to soothe him. Thinking it would probably be an uphill battle, I got out of bed, put on my glasses and walked next door where my son was screaming bloody murder for goodness know why.

I walked over to the crib, leaned down, and wrapped my boy, all swaddled up, in my arms. I looked around for his pacifier, but before I could locate it, Jonah's crying ceased. He quickly closed his eyes, nestled in my chest and got very quiet. I sat down in the rocker and spent just a few quiet moments with Jonah, just me and him. Peace. Quiet. Stillness. All elements that my Father seeks to find in me, just as I found in Jonah that night.

Jonah is just learning my voice. He is getting accustomed to my touch, the roughness of my face when I have not shaved, and the rhythms of my patting his back when he is less than calm. We are coming to know one another more and more each day. I had heard it said that I would learn more about my own relationship with my heavenly Father when I became a dad, but I never knew what it would look like. Right now, I am receiving glimpses in a journey with my son that is only beginning, a journey that I believe looks something like the journey we are on with our Lord, our Daddy. How I long to be as quiet, as trusting, and as still with God as Jonah is with me when he is in my arms! Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Until the other night, I do not think I understood the scripture. My son does not understand why he needs to be still, but for the most part, when he is in his young daddy's arms, he just IS. Something wonderful and comforting comes over him and his whole body, and instantly, his young heart understands that everything is going to be just fine. Daddy's here. Nothing can hurt me.

I want to be like my son. I want to trust that God is there, that he is in absolute control and that because of his undying and unconditional love, nothing can separate me from him. Oh I know the scriptures. I can quote them. I can teach from them. But sometimes I still get a little squirmy in the arms of my God. I once heard it said that the only problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off of the altar. I am guilty. Guilty of thinking that I can soothe myself. Thinking that I can control my own life when all the while the answer God whispers is found in the middle of the Bible - "Be still - I am God!" My son does not yet know the shortcomings and sins of his father. One day he will discover that his daddy is not perfect. But we know the opposite is true of our heavenly Father.

A song was sung on June 14, 2003 - the day that my wife and I said "I do." Read the relevant lyrics:

My heart is glad that you've called me your own
And there's no place I'd rather be
Than in your arms of love
In your arms of love
Holding me still, holding me near
In your arms of love

May all of us nestle snuggly into the arms of our Father. May we find peace and stillness in those arms, knowing that he is God - perfect strength, perfect peace, perfect love.

For Those of You Wondering....

2005-08-16T12:09:00.000-06:00

Yes, he has my toes. Long and slightly crooked. Jonah, whom I am affectionately calling "Rookie," also has long "piano playing" fingers. He is definitely part amphibian.

Back in the saddle.....sort of

2005-08-16T11:39:00.000-06:00

Well, this week is a regular work week (if such a thing in youth ministry exists). You know what I mean. More of a 9 to 5, in-the-office kind of work week. Everything is back to normal in the office. Except for one thing. Staring at me from the right side of my computer is a picture of the most beautiful, handsome baby boy I've ever seen. He is wearing a shirt that says "Born to play ball" (we'll see about that) and camouflage pants that are entirely too big for his little 7 lb. frame. And the best part about this new little office detail is that the boy in the picture is mine. He is my boy. My son. I just love saying it.

Summer is just about officially over. I can almost smell the scent of freshly sharpened pencils in the air of Fort Collins. I can hear the sound of fingers rattling away at a keyboard (fingers other than mine). I can see the Fort Collins high school varsity football squad marching down the field, preparing to score on their helpless Rocky Mountain opponent (I guess that memory is still etched in my mind from last year). I can hear the marching band. I can definitely hear the sounds of complaints about the incredible amounts of homework that teachers in Ft. Collins schools give. Summer is over. School is on the horizon. For a youth minister who has just become a father, this is a good thing. The truth is, toward the end of the summer, I didn't feel like a youth minister. At least not a full-time one. I couldn't leave the country to participate in the Honduras mission trip that several of our teens went on. I wanted to so badly. I didn't want to leave my wife at home with Jonah to go climb a fourteener (a 14,000 ft. mountain for those of you not versed in Colorado lingo). I've been on a little hiatus you might say. Families have been out of town. I've had family in town. With the beginning of the school season, hopefully more things will be set to normal. I guess I am fond of routine. At least for a little while.

On to tales from the life of a little baby. Many folks do not think that little newborns are very funny. They aren't active. They cannot talk. They are too helpless to be much "fun." Well, my son makes me laugh. He does one thing in particular that lets me know that he is indeed, all boy. He smiles when he passes gas. Yes, his farts, whether dry or wet, apparently amuse him. I might have expected this of him when he reached the age of 3 or 4, but not at 2 weeks. He is a stinker. And if we are holding him and happen to see a wide smile come across his face, we know what has taken place. Upstairs to the changing table we go. Quite the convenient little indicator if you ask me. I'm sure that there is probably a more scientific explanation for why newborns smile after passing gas, pooping, etc., but I don't want to hear it. I'd rather go along believing that my son of two weeks has an already developing sense of humor :)

After all, who can say that they have never smiled after finally reaching the throne to do a little long awaited, put off business? (My apologies to those that found this crude).

Have a great week.

So......what do we do now?

2005-08-10T10:42:00.000-06:00

Jonah is now six days old. He's growing up so fast! (Not really, I can't really tell any growing yet). We are parents. Finally. Hard to believe but true. And is hasn't come close to sinking in yet.

We brought Jonah home on Saturday afternoon. The doctor and nurses originally said that Cristal and Jonah would go home on Sunday because she had had a C-section. However, both mother and baby were well enough to go home a little early. When we walked into our house, the wave of responsibility didn't hit us as hard as it might have had Cristal's parents and my mom not had been there. Still, knowing that you are mom and dad to a brand new baby is a wonderful yet heavy feeling. Even being a dad for only six days has taught me how it feels to worry for your own. When Cristal called me last Thursday and explained that there might be something wrong with Jonah and that the doctor wanted to do a C-section, I was panicked. This was supposed to be a smooth ride, I thought. I guess God taught me something that day. Parts of this journey called parenthood will not be smooth. Jonah will not always make things smooth. My fallen nature will sometimes cause things to be rougher than they would be in a perfect world. Cristal and I are totally relying on the grace and wisdom of God to take us through this wonderful new life. We are so excited to be Jonah's mom and dad. He is so perfect, so peaceful. He is also so helpless. He depends on us for everything, just as we depend on our Father for everything. God is the lifegiver and he has given our family a jolt of new life. And nothing could be sweeter right now.

Cristal and Jonah are doing really well. They are both at home right now as I type these words at work. Jonah, so far, is an extremely content baby and is feeding well. I will continue to keep you updated on his progress, growth, etc. Right now, we are cherishing every little second of this newborn stage. I am in no hurry to get him on the golf course although we have discussed the finer points of the golf swing. Maybe we will watch Tiger Woods together this weekend on TV. I'm sure he'll be very interested.

New Life!

2005-08-05T17:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, August 4th, at 2:20 p.m., Cristal and I became parents. Meet Jonah.

Before I give any other details about our son and his birth, let me say this first: God is good. God is gracious. He has to be absolutely crazy about us to have blessed us with such a gift. Our family of 2 has turned into a family of 3 by his grace.

In the next week, I am going to write a lot. Come back to the site frequently for pictures, stories, and updates. However, today, I'm not. For one simple reason. I want to get back to my wife and son. I left the hospital about 3 hours ago to come download, share, and print pictures (by the way, if you are reading this and would like to see more pictures and did not receive my online album, let me know and I will send it to you).

Jonah was born by C-section (complications with labor that I will explain in a later post) weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. He was 20 1/2 inches long. He has dark brown/black hair which surprised the heck out of his mother! His eyes are a dark blue. He has long toes and fingers like his daddy. The nurses say that any and all of the above can and will change over time, some features faster than others (we especially do not expect him to stay at 7 lbs. or 20 inches!). He is incredibly healthy and so is mommy. She is recovering from her surgery and will probably get to come home with Jonah Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Again, we cannot thank enough those of you that have prayed for us and Jonah. Please continue to do so. He is a beautiful and healthy baby boy!

Jonah Update

2005-07-28T14:36:00.000-06:00

Cristal and I went to the doctor yesterday for an ultrasound and an appointment with Doc. We knew that the appointment would sort of give us a beat on what we could do as far as scheduling Jonah's delivery. Cristal was hoping that she had progressed enough so that she could have Jonah during the first week of August. Well, she hadn't. Jonah just isn't quite ready to come yet. We could have had him the first week - it was our decision not too because the risk of C-section was pretty high. So we are waiting a little longer. We go back to the doctor next Tuesday and have scheduled tentatively with the hospital to have Cristal's labor induced on the 8th. Less than two weeks away. We know that we will never be alone again and are taking this extra time as a gift from God - just a little more time together before we add his newest blessing to our family. Keep praying for us.

New hobby

2005-07-25T12:15:00.000-06:00

I've got a new toy. It is a Trek 7100 hybrid bike. I've decided to get into cycling somewhat. Fort Collins is probably the best town in the country to ride a bike in - bike lanes and trails everywhere. I didn't want anything real serious (the shop I bought this one at sold road bikes for $3000 - unbelievable), but I wanted a quality bike that would last me a long time that I could ride for fun an fitness. Everytime I get motivated to lose a few pounds and get in shape, I start running. But it hurts my knees and I never keep it up. So I convinced Cristal to let me get a bike. A nice one. I am very pleased with my new purchase. I feel like Pee Wee Herman in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, all giddy about my bicycle. Hopefully won't have any run-ins with Large Marge if my bike ever gets stolen. Anyway, last week I added a front light, a back light, and a speedometer/odometer. I've got a helmet for safety and a bike lock as well to protect my investment. When it gets cool again, I might start riding it to work (about 5 miles from the house). Just thought I'd let ya'll (whoever you are) know.

Two years old!

2005-07-19T13:48:00.000-06:00

Today Aspen turned two years old. For those of you in Tennessee that knew him well, he is still highly energetic (except for in the morning), extremely affectionate, and mentally disordered. He is still very much afraid of the vaccuum cleaner. Happy birthday Aspen.

Turning Pages

2005-07-19T11:38:00.000-06:00

"From the Trenches" is dead. Or maybe not dead. Just being given a makeover I guess. From the Trenches had been a blog in which I wrote random stories and thoughts about myself. You know what? It got boring writing about myself. I don't think I have a boring life, but I never could think of anything worth writing so I didn't write much. Maybe I am not insightful enough to be a "blogger." But I do know this. I can get excited about new life. I can be enthusiastic and talkative about my family. And my family is about to have a new addition. My son Jonah is about to enter this world and turn our family of two into a family of three (we don't count Wiley and Aspen even though sometimes they sleep in our bed). Therefore, this website, newly made over, will be a place for you to come and hear about our adventures in life, marriage, and parenting. I may include a random story every now and then - I don't want to give the impression that our son is our complete life. We very much plan on maintaining our roles as husband and wife, son and daughter, friends, and youth ministers. I will tell of those adventures as well. But let's face it. Cristal is having a baby. It's a major lifechange and should be given quite a bit of attention. We want to tell you what is going on in Jonah's world and share a few pictures along the way. This blog is just a good place to do that.

Turning Pages is the new name of this blog. Cristal and I are about to begin a wonderful new chapter in our story. Life will never be the same. We are excited about a brand new adventure that no doubt will bring joy and sorrow, both components of many stirring epic stories. All the same, it will be an adventure. And a gift. Turning Pages will be tales from this adventure and naturally many entries will be about the new member of our team, Jonah Read Kohring. He may have my eyes and Cristal's color of hair (we'll find out soon!), but more importantly, we pray that he will have his heavenly Father's heart.

Read the previous post ("Lookin' Good!") for details on when Jonah is coming, etc.

Lookin' Good!

2005-07-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

Here she is, coming down the home stretch! We're ready to have this baby! Cristal is standing in Jonah's room in this picture. When the nursery is finished, I will post a couple of pictures so everyone can see what a great job Cristal has done putting it together. Now, on to what is really important. When is the baby coming?

Cristal and I have decided to schedule the birth of Jonah during the first three days of August. The main reason for this is so that her parents can be out here when she gives birth. This is really important to her so it is important to me. Cristal will have one last big ultrasound done a week from Wednesday (July 27th) to make sure that Jonah is fully developed and ready to be born. If all goes well with that, we will meet Jonah a little earlier than the original August 13th due date. You do the math. That's two weeks away. Everyday feels like Christmas Eve these days. I promise to update everyone on what is going on via this blog. In fact, this blog is about to undergo some major changes and most posts will be about Jonah and our new life as parents (hence the name Turning Pages). I figure that anyone who does read this blog or anyone who might want to in the future would rather hear about our son than my random escapades and stories.

Please make us a fixture in your prayers. We understand that raising a child is no small task and is much different than any experiences we have had with children in the past. We will never be perfect parents, but by the grace of God, we will try to be all that our children need us to be as godly parents which includes teaching them and showing them our love for each other. I can't believe it's been over two years since I gave my heart to the most beautiful woman in the world! She is fantastic and will be a wonderful mother. If you have any encouragement or anything to offer at all, please respond to this post. We love you!

Saved By the Unlikely

2005-07-04T23:20:00.000-06:00

I meant to write about the following story as soon as it happened three weeks ago, but I forgot. Today I remembered it again and thought it might make you laugh. After church one Wednesday night, Cristal and I headed to a youth group gathering at one of our youth group families' houses. It had been raining and the roads were wet. I thought I would pull into Wendy's to get something to eat before we went. Well, as I was approaching the traffic light, it turned yellow. Believing I was too close to stop, especially on a wet road (I wasn't going fast Mom), I nudged the gas to get me through the intersection and into Wendy's. Immediately I saw the blue and red lights pull up behind me. Apparently this cop had thought I had run the light. When SHE came up to my car, we made some small talk (it turned out she was from Tennessee) before I argued my case. I told her that I was well into the middle of the intersection with my back tires well across the white line when the light turned red. She hadn't seen it that way and went back to her patrol car to write me a ticket. Usually cops are gone for 5-7 minutes before they come back with your ticket. This time, however, this cop comes running up to my car after only a couple of minutes and said the following:

"Sorry to be so rushed. There has been a burglary. Have a nice night!"

And she was gone. Lights flashing, siren blaring. And I was free. No ticket. Just a "sorry" from our nice lady cop and my license, registration, and insurance card handed back to me. No need to be sorry ma'am! I owe some burglar a huge thank you. With Jonah on the way, I did not need a ticket for running a red light (which I definitely would have contested in court). Anyway, I thought the story was worth sharing. Should I call this a blessing? Especially since it led to another's misfortune? I hope that she got her burglar, but I sure am glad that he (or she) was there for me when I needed him to break the law the most. If he or she was caught, it is my belief that justice was done all the way around.

Gettin' in the Word

2005-06-30T22:23:00.000-06:00

I haven't been in youth ministry full time for any longer than fourteen months, but I still get tired. Tired of students. Tired of programs. Tired of wondering if I really make a difference, if kids really hear what I say, if kids really care (today's teens are incredibly apathetic). Don't get me wrong. I love youth ministry. I love students. The day that I lose my passion to turn kids into disciples for Jesus is the day I get out of youth ministry. And I don't ever want that day to come. I love every teen that I have the privilege to minister to. But that does not mean that I don't get tired sometime. I'm sure you know what I mean, even if you are not in youth ministry. Everyone needs a break sometime, a retreat, sabbatical, whatever.

God knows just what I need and he never ceases to give it to me. This summer has been a mountaintop experience for many of our teens (summers tend to be that way, what with camps, mission trips, etc.). The past few weeks have been special because I've been able to witness the transforming power of God in students' lives. Soul Quest was great, camp was fantastic, even last night's class seemed to be impactful. But tonight was wonderful. Tonight we studied the Word of God. We didn't teach from the newest, hippest video clips. We didn't have to play a game to warm up. All we did was open up the word to James. Nine students came to my house and I taught from James 1:1-8. And everyone was totally into it. It was just the pure word of God, transforming lives, changing hearts. It wasn't surface. It was a great discussion about the value that trials have in our lives and how gracious God actually is for sending them our way. Tonight was a refreshing time - I saw more depth in some students than I'd ever seen before.

When we were finished, we sang a song together. Then we prayed, shared a few laughs, and then split for the evening. After they left my house, I kept singing our final song in my head:

For all that you've done I will thank you
For all that you're going to do
For all that you've promised and all that you are is all that has carried me through
Jesus I thank you

I'm thankful that God provides me with times like tonight. Times that I get to see him more clearly. And it's a joy to see him in students - my passion.

Craig Biggio

2005-06-29T23:59:00.000-06:00

Today I witnessed baseball history. I attended the Rockies vs. Astros at Coors Field in Denver with a student in my youth group (actually, it was the same kid I wrote about in my last post - James). Craig Biggio broke Don Baylor's record for most HBP (hit by pitch). Biggio has been hit by more pitches than anyone in the modern baseball era. And I was there to see it. How cool is that? Let it be known that Biggio, who has been in the league since the late 80s, still looks like he is 22 years old. Apparently getting plunked all these years hasn't caused him to age. Let it also be known that following the record breaking HBP, in his next at bat, Biggio homered to deep left. Just thought I would let my two readers know that I was there to see the record fall.

God of Wonders

2005-06-27T10:07:00.000-06:00

We are finally through the real gauntlet of our summer. Having finished camp and Soulquest and most of the fundraising for our Honduras mission trip (which I will not be going on because of Jonah's due date being close to the time of the trip), we can relax a little now. We are still looking forward to VBS and a few smaller events however.

God is good. I know that is cliche' but I'm not sure what else to say. Soulquest was a huge success because he showed up and planted himself in students' hearts all week long. This year I taught a class to junior highers which was tiring, frustrating, rewarding and entertaining all at the same time. I taught about what the world and what God needs in his heroes, using multiple clips from my favorite movie The Natural. I also got to speak to all of Soulquest on Thursday morning, which also went well. We prayed from the beginning of the week that God would change hearts, that students would see him clearly and see their need for more of Him in their lives. Mission accomplished. Two events in particular deserve more discussion.

On Thursday afternoon, I had just finished taking a short nap during free time. Cristal was in the room too, which was in the basement of one of York's dorms. Somebody knocked on our door. When Cristal asked who it was, the somebody said softly something about "Jenny." Cristal, thinking that the somebody was looking for Jenny, said, "I think you've got the wrong room!" I wasn't sure if we had heard the voice correctly so I threw on a shirt and opened the door. There stood Jenny Freeman, an eighth grader from the Loveland Church that I had gotten to know a little during the week. She meekly asked if she could talk with me. I invited her into our room and sat down. She couldn't speak. She began sobbing, unable to get anything out. I was thinking something terrible had happened - perhaps a death close to home that she had just received word about. Instead, her tears were due to a brokeness of a different kind. She finally said that she had been doing a lot of thinking, reading, and praying and that she wanted me to baptize her that night. We simply prayed, said thank you God, discussed calling her parents (which we did), and hugged before she left the room. That night I baptized a sweet girl named Jenny who had come to the realization that her sweetness could not reconcile her to Christ. How sweet is the blood of Christ! How wonderful his grace!

Friday night, one of my students, James, came to me and wanted to talk. For the next hour, he poured out details of his past that he said haunted him each morning. James was very very emotional as he spoke about what he had done and how he felt and where he wanted to be. It turned out that he had "gotten wet" when he was eleven, but that he had never given his life to Christ. It became clear to both of us that in order for James to grasp the peace that Christ offers, he needed to get baptized, to really get baptized. So on Sunday afternoon, in front of our youth group, his family, and other church members, James was clothed with Christ. Coming out of the water, he hugged me and didn't let go for a long time, crying on my shoulder, knowing that God had removed his sins "as far as the east is from the west." James is an incredible kid, and God is going to do wonders with his life, which is now newly committed to Him.

Some days I stop and wonder why I am doing what I am doing. Why am I in youth ministry? Why do I spend my time talking and being with teenagers? Do they really listen? Do they really care? Does any of it really make a difference? This past week, God blessed my life by letting me see up close what he can do in students' hearts. A lot of kids surrendered to Him this past week. I can only pray that they will take their mountaintop moments and share them with those in the valley when they go home.

Start a fire in us God and keep it burning, steadily, until the day you come to take us home.

Catching Up

2005-06-15T14:04:00.000-06:00

I would try and recount the entire last month for you seeing as how I haven't posted on this blog in that amount of time, but that would take forever so I'll spare you the busy details.

Northern Colorado Christian Camp was a huge success. We started praying many months ago that it would be, asking God to show up and make it wonderful. And he did. I enjoyed serving as director and will be back next year if everyone will have me. It was an incredible team effort and I was reminded how much I love kids. They love Jesus so purely and I love that.

Cristal and I just got back from Estes Park, CO where we spent last night at a bed and breakfast celebrating our two year anniversary. What a wonderful time together. She was totally surprised by my effort. How strange to realize that this will be our last anniversary as a childless couple! If we were writing a book about our life together, we would be closing a chapter and beginning a new one. We are both extremely excited about what the future holds for us as parents and eagerly await a precious gift in our son Jonah, who is developing nicely. And while I am on that subject, let me tell you that Jonah may be born a little early. It is still too soon to tell, but our doctor knows that Cristal would like for her parents to be out here for the birth and he also thinks Jonah might be a big baby. Therefore, Cristal may be induced during early August if Dr. Finnegan thinks it is a good idea. We'll keep you posted. As long as he's healthy, the sooner the better. Right now, every day is like Christmas Eve. I just can't wait!

Tomorrow is a Six Flags trip, Saturday is a Honduras fund raiser, and on Sunday we leave for York College in Nebraska for a week long camp with 11 of our teens. Soulquest is a wonderful week and I get to teach and speak all week long, something I'm really looking forward to. That said, it will be nice to relax a little afterwards, knowing that I won't be leaving Ft. Collins until my friend Josh gets married in late August.

The Mavericks dropped one on Monday night. 10-9. I made a fielding error in the second to last inning that, had it been avoided, we might have won the game. However, I did go 3-3 with 2 runs scored. We are 3-4 and I'm just hoping to finish with a winning season.

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Summer is busy. Keep us in your prayers.

Meadowlark Mavericks

2005-05-17T09:44:00.000-06:00

I play softball with fifteen other guys from my church. We play in the league that is least competitive but we have a great time. Winning and losing matters to us, but it's not life or death. We have played three games and after last night's victory, we are 2-1. Last year I think we finished 3-8, so 2-1 is a great start.

Last night's win was a hard fought victory. After opening up a six run first inning, the hitting subsided a little, but we were able to fend them off in the end 13-10. We hit consistently all game long, something we hadn't done last week (last week's game saw only four Maverick baserunners for the entire game). We also fielded well (I made one of the few errors that we had in six innings). I went 1 for 2, scoring two runs, walking once and getting an inside the park homerun. One of our high school juniors, Josh Kyle, made his debut with us and went 2-2, with 2 runs scored and played well at catcher. As I've said in a previous post, softball isn't baseball, but it's a lot of fun all the same. Especially because of who I get to play with.

I'll keep updating you on our season. We play on Monday nights. Next week, we have a doubleheader. Double giddiness.

Cristal and Jonah

2005-05-15T13:49:00.000-06:00

Cristal at 26 weeks!

America's Greatest Pastime

2005-05-14T14:52:00.000-06:00

I can honestly say that I have very few regrets in my life. But I do have one major regret. I quit baseball after my freshman year of high school. If you were to look at the pictures from my childhood, you would likely find me holding a plastic bat or wearing a glove in many if not most of them. Baseball was my very first love. I'm not sure if it was because of my dad's influence or what but I have so many wonderful memories of baseball. And even though I quit playing ball in high school, I still have a tremendous passion for the game. Be warned now, this could be a long post.

My first major league game. The summer of 1990, my tenth birthday summer. Dad grew up in Northern Ohio, an hour or less from Detroit. Since he was a Tiger fan, I naturally became one the year I started collecting baseball cards, 1987 - the same year the Tigers lost the ALCS to the World Series winning Minnesota Twins and the same year Alan Trammell hit .343 and got jipped out of winning the MVP (George Bell beat him out). Anyway, back to the game. When I saw the field of Tiger Stadium I was amazed. Speechless for a good 5 minutes as my dad and grandfather led me to my seat. When we finally reached our seats, I was unaware. I remember Dad saying, "Are these seats okay?" When I finally took my eyes off the field, I realized that we were sitting right next to the Tiger dugout! I still to this day have not received a bigger surprise. What a gift! It turned out my grandfather knew a guy who knew a guy or something. In the first game of the doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, Alan Trammell, my hero who now manages the Tigers, hit a 3-2 pitch over the centerfield wall for the game winning two run homer. I can still see the ball in flight as everyone stood and cheered. To many fans that day, it was just another game winning homerun at an ordinary baseball game, part of a 162 game season. To me, that moment will live forever as one of the greatest moments of my life. The love affair had begun. Anyway, the Tigers lost the second game 2-1 and I cried all the way back to Perrysburg as my dad tried to explain how hard it is for a team to win both games of a doubleheader. It's still harder and more depressing to see your team get beat in person as opposed to television.

Today, I play softball. It's fun but not the same. They do have baseball leagues for guys over 18, maybe next year I'll play if I can find one that isn't stocked full of ex-minor leaugers. I still hate getting games rained out. When my childhood baseball games got rained out, I would go to my room and cry. I don't know if my parents ever knew how heartbreaking it was to have the games rained out. I mean, you wait a three whole days in between Little League games, anticipating with wild excitement. When you're a kid in love with baseball, the day before a game is like Christmas Eve. So when it gets rained out, you're depressed. So you cry. And the tears may not stop until the sun comes out.

I still get giddy about softball. Last week, we got slaughtered 11-1. I couldn't put it out of my mind until the next day. It was awful. But at least it didn't get rained out.

I quit baseball in high school because I did not care for the coach. And the JV program just wasn't very much fun. Playing freshman baseball was the least amount of fun I have ever had in any sport I think. So I hung up the cleats and opted to stick with basketball. I oftentimes wish that I had done the opposite. I sometimes wonder how far I might have gone had I stuck with it.

One of the main reasons I chose to write about this today is that Cristal and I are going to watch the Rockies play the Diamondbacks tonight at Coors Field. I hope it is a good game. Should be a great night for a ballgame. I don't even really care who wins, although the Rockies don't have much of a shot anyways. I wish the Tigers played in Denver.

Other great baseball memories include: playing one on one baseball and having homerun derbys with friends in my backyard (which made for a perfect baseball diamond), Ken Griffey Jr. throwing me his batting glove after a Reds game, delayed steals of home plate in Little League, John Heffernan (the oldest Little League coach there ever was), softball intramurals (same game just altered equipment and smaller field), umpiring with my dad and brother, and pretending I was Roy Hobbs in my childhood playroom (that one's actually on videotape).

I think for Jonah's first baseball game, I'll splurge and get box seats. Maybe a baseball star will wink at him.

Off to the ballpark.

I Love Grace

2005-05-14T02:03:00.000-06:00

When Cristal and I have a daughter, her name will be Gracie. For two reasons. We both love the sound of it and we both love the feel of it. Grace. Was there ever a more beautiful word?

I'm not going to spend a lot of space talking about a theology of grace. What I will say is that I've experienced it over and over again (see Romans 7 for a sketch of me). Tonight I watched the movie version of a well-known story that I did not know. I don't know why I had never seen Les Miserables on broadway or on my TV. But I knew it was supposed to be this classic story. You know every now and then, a story grabs you and won't let go? Whether it's in a book or a movie or a conversation with someone, you know what I am talking about. Les Miserables was one of those stories. A beautiful portrait of grace. Watch the movie, read the book, see the play. If you haven't done any of the above, you will see what I mean. Valjean is a testimony to the greatness of God and one of the most believable and wonderful characters I've ever seen in a film. One of my favorite random questions to ask people is this: If you could be anybody in any movie who would you be? My answer is always Roy Hobbs (played by Robert Redford) in The Natural (my favorite movie, about a baseball hero). Valjean is way up there on my list however. He is who I want to be. A living sacrifice who loves because he has been shown love. One who shows mercy because he has been shown mercy.

If by the grace of God, I ever have a daughter, her name is Grace. Thank you, my Father, for lifting me from the pit and placing my feet high upon a rock. Your grace is unfathomable. May it change me forever.

On another note, I am preaching again on Sunday. I preached this past Sunday on the nature of scripture (a short sermon in which I asked the church to view God's word as a love story of which they were a part instead of the rulebook we have made it, especially in the past). I spoke about how I grew up viewing scripture as the place you went only when you needed a question answered or wanted to make sure you knew the right thing to do (an extremely Pharasaical view in my opinion). This Sunday I am continuing my talk on scripture, speaking about why we study, why it's important, and how we can do it better. I've heard enough relevant sermons, read books, and had enough experiences with the Bible to have a few thoughts and insights on the subject that I think are worth sharing. At least I hope so. Meadowlark is so gracious to let me speak about what I am passionate about. For that I am thankful. And they are so forgiving of the fact that I am not a great preacher (and probably never will be but who knows?).

Cristal is doing well and so is Jonah. We covet your prayers. Less than a hundred days to go (we hope!).

Summer schedule

2005-05-10T11:49:00.000-06:00

Highlights of the coming summer:

My friend Ryan's wedding: May 28th. Cristal and I are going to take a few days vacation and visit friends and family in Nashville for the few days prior to Ryan's wedding. Ryan is a great friend from college. He called me last fall to tell me he was engaged and that he was NOT going to ask me to be a groomsmen in his wedding (he was in my wedding two years ago). When I asked him why, he told me that he wanted me to DO his wedding, officiate it. It's an honor and I'm excited about it. My sister is throwing Cristal a baby shower during this trip.

Northern Colorado Christian Camp: June 5-11th. I was asked to take over as director for this summer camp for kids ages 8-14. It's a lot of paperwork and knowing state regulations, but when camp week gets here I'll be pumped.

My friend Sam's wedding: June 11th. Sam is a great friend who I don't get to talk to enough. I've known him since I was two. He also was in my wedding and I'm honored to celebrate with him.

Mine and Cristal's second wedding anniversary.

Soul Quest: June 19th-25th. SQ is our equivalent to youth camp IMPACT @ Lipscomb. This one is at York College in the middle of Nebraska (middle of nowhere). We took 12 kids last year and expect to take more this year. I am teaching a class and speaking at one of the morning sessions. Should be a great week. This will be the last big thing that Cristal is able to participate in.

The end of June and July are full of activities such as trips to Six Flags, a whitewater rafting trip, baseball games, etc. I am missing out on the Honduras Mission Trip (July 17-24) because....

....of the arrival of my son Jonah Read Kohring on approximately August 13th. I can't wait. Cristal is doing awesome and looking great. Jonah is jumping around. He is pentecostal.

Depending on when Jonah comes, I may make it down to Nashville for my third wedding of the summer, the wedding of my good friend Josh Nipps who is just over five feet tall. August 27th.

It will be a crazy summer and the finale (Jonah) is something that I cannot tell you how excited I am about.

Top Ten Movies (my bros idea)

2005-05-01T01:07:00.000-06:00

The idea for this post comes from my brother Shelby whose own recent post on his own blog reminded me how much I love good movies. Here are my top ten of all time.

1. The Natural
2. Gladiator
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Field of Dreams
5. Braveheart
6. It's a Wonderful Life
7. LOTR Trilogy
8. Toy Story 1 and 2
9. Top Gun
10. The Matrix

Honorable Mention: Star Wars (New Hope, Empire, Jedi), Legends of the Fall, Tombstone, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Mr. Deeds

By the way, see Fever Pitch. Especially if you like baseball. Drew Barrymore was good, Jimmy Fallon was absolutely hysterical.

New friends

2005-05-01T00:55:00.000-06:00

Last time I posted I remember thinking that I should post more often. Not happening so far and for those of you that read this, I will try to be more regular.

God has answered so many prayers this past week; I'm not going to even try to go into detail with all of them. In fact, I am not even going to mention most of them. Let me tell you about one. Cristal and I made four good friends this week. We had toyed with the idea of trying to sell our townhome so that we could get into a house with a yard. We investigated a neigborhood in north Ft. Collins and to make a long story short, we found the house of our dreams, discovered the monthly payment would be just out of our range, met and made friends with the people who owned the house who introduced us to their best friends, made the peacegiving decision that we weren't going to move after all, and considered our new friends to be blessings from God. Bart and Susie are a wonderful couple about 27 years old and Chris and Emily are their neighbor friends. Tonight we all went for pizza and came back to the dreamhouse to play games and get to know each other better. We really hit it off with all of them which is really an answered prayer. Cristal and I have long felt a sort of void out here. We have a few really great friendships, but they are all with couples in their mid thirties who have two or three kids each. They are just at a different point in their family lives. To make things even better, all four of them seem to be very faithful to God. Having friends who are in our own life situation will be great. In addition, Susie has asked Cristal to help her in her cleaning business. It will be really flexible we won't have to depend on that money to survive. It will just be extra.

Okay, this has been the most boring post ever. Sorry, but I just had to share that. Thanks for reading. 104 days to daddyhood. I think.

Review of Joe Versus the Volcano

2005-04-21T21:38:00.000-06:00

This movie was surprisingly bad. I know, I know. The name of the movie WAS "Joe Versus the Volcano," what should I expect? But it was Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (who besides my wife is the most beautiful woman alive). What movie with those two could fail so badly? I always think it is a shame when a movie has an incredible cast and a crummy plot/storyline. This was such a movie. And no, my dogs did not think it was funny either. Watching them chase each other around the coffee table was more entertaining than the movie. My rating (as if you care): C+ (the + is because Meg Ryan was in the movie).

Cristal is back safe and sound. Still pregnant also which is good. I can't think about anything else other than the fact that my son is going to be born in less than four months. I am so excited about being a father and I'm just as excited about Cristal being a mother. It is the dream of her life. She wants nothing more than to love God, her husband, and her children. I'm thrilled for the both of us and for Jonah's wonderful grandparents-to-be: Jim Belew, Peggy, Mark, and Marsha (grandparent names yet to be determined). We will continue to update you on Jonah's development and everything else surrounding the pregnancy. Please make us a permanent fixture on your prayer list. The prayers of righteous people are powerful and effective (James 5:16). I believe it. Thanks in advance.

Temporary bachelorhood

2005-04-18T10:16:00.000-06:00

For those of you that don't know, Cristal has been out of town since early Thursday morning. She has gone to spend a week with her family in Milan, Tennessee, her hometown, leaving her poor husband all alone. It is definitely starting to get lonely around here. My dogs just don't seem to be able to carry on the level of conversation that I am used to with my wife. Also, Cristal smells much better.

I have managed to stay pretty busy since she left. A bunch of guys from the youth group came and hung out with me on Friday night. Or at least I was here while they were using my TV to play Xbox. I guess that qualifies that we hung out. I'm starting to learn that if you want to be relevant to guys in youth ministry, you have to know the look and difference between a rocket launcher, a bazooka, a shotgun, a something blaster, a machete, and the list goes on and on. Future youth ministry courses at Christian colleges will include courses on video game weaponry. Very cutting edge stuff. Anyway, one kid finally played me in NCAA College Football and I beat him. So that was fun. Everyone was surprised. "Wes beat you?" I still got game. Saturday I had brunch with the other ministers and John Mark Hicks, my favorite college professor from Lipscomb, who was here to present his thoughts on the Lord's Supper which are outlined well in his book Come to the Table. Throughout the seminar I felt like I was still in his undergraduate class. He would even find opportunities this weekend to catch my eye, just the way he did when I was in college. I would make sure that I was looking very intently at him, making him aware that, yes, I am listening. Not that he could fail me from my position at church or anything. Or maybe he could. He is a powerful teacher. It was great stuff - John Mark is a wonderful man of God. Finally, the majority of yesterday (Sunday) was spent in Denver at a youth area wide. We took 12 teens, all of which enjoyed it I think. We had a good time. Tonight I have a softball scrimmage and I think I'll come home and watch a movie. I've rented Joe Versus the Volcano. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Somebody told me recently that this is a good movie. I hope it makes me laugh. Although you always feel a little weird (or at least I do) when you watch movies or TV and you laugh out loud all by yourself. Probably because laughing by yourself is not near as much fun as laughing with somebody. My dogs will be here tonight. Maybe they will think that Joe Versus the Volcano is funny and I won't feel weird laughing with them.

In the past ten years or so, a common question in the Christian world has been "What Would Jesus Do?" Do people still wear those bracelets by the way. I don't remember seeing them in a while. Anyway, that is a question Christians have tried to ask themselves, especially when they get in situations where they must make a decision. Well, as a temporary bachelor, I find myself in situations where I have to ask a similar question. It is, "What would Cristal do?" I'm trying to be a good temporary bachelor. You know, keep the house neat, clean up after myself, continue doing my chores even when there is nobody around to tell me to do them. That sort of thing. But it is so tempting just to take a break for the week and not do those things. But I'm doing okay. For example, when I come home from work or whatever and see dirty dishes in the sink, I have a choice to make. Sit down, watch TV and ignore the dishes or go over to the sink and put them in the dishwasher. I have to ask myself, "What would Cristal do?" It is the magic question. Immediately I go over and do the dishes. I have a choice about what to eat at night. McDonalds would be quick and the grease tastes good besides. What would Cristal do? Without hesitation I head to the kitchen to zap the pizza in the oven that she so thoughtfully bought for me to eat before she left. Sometimes, even though she isn't here, I feel as though she is somehow watching me. Making sure I do the right thing. Not that my wife lords it over me when she is here. But imagining that she can see me keeps me on track and keeps the house clean. I don't want her to have to do a lot when she gets back. And by the way, I miss her like heck. I cannot wait to have her back with me. Bachelorhood, once you've tasted the goodness of a sweet marriage, is not all it's cracked up to be.

Wireless

2005-04-06T22:47:00.000-06:00

Something exciting happened the other day. My friend Wes (I should just say Wes Bender since everyone who reads this pathetic, non frequent blog knows who I'm talking about when I say "my friend Wes") discovered that I can piggyback off of somebody's wireless router in my "townhome" (I like to say townhome because it makes me sound like I have more money than if I say condominium, which is what it really is). So here I am, sitting downstairs with a blanket, wishing I had prepared something tasty before sitting down to read and write this post on my blog about having wireless Internet access for free. By the way, does anybody think it is unethical that I am using somebody else's router? If you do, let me know why. I'm kind of wondering that myself. It's neat though, and it may save me a lot of time because sometimes I waste time at work, surfing the Internet. I guess now I can just waste time surfing at home. Boy I can say some dumb things sometimes. Seriously, maybe I'll get better about posting this blog more frequently and I may get better about emailing friends who I need to keep in better touch with.

Cristal and I had a fantastic week with Wes and Leanne. Wes spoke at our teen retreat and did an excellent job. The kids loved him and I'm sure they would like to have Wes and Leanne back. Leanne also did a wonderful job, just having fun with and taking an interest in all of the teens. It was a good retreat. Me and Wes followed that up with one of the best days of my life. It all started at 6:00 in the morning when we left for Keystone Mountain to go skiing. On the way down, while talking about old times and laughing about some of our memories, we decided to call some folks from those memories. Wes, being the funny man that he is, will call somebody and pretend to be somebody else. You kind of have to be there. By the way, when I refer to Wes, I am not talking in the third person. I am not quite that egocentric. Anyway......after skiing for about an hour we took a break at the highest point of the mountain, the Outback, and just had a great random time discussing the wonders of life. It was there that we decided that we are going to start having annual vacations together. Being on the Outback portion of the mountain reminded me how much I loved the restaurant Outback so I suggested to Wes that we have dinner that night at Outback. After a great day of skiing, we came back to Ft. Collins, ordered all of the grease that they could possibly give us (Aussie Fries and Bloomin' Onion), and headed to the "townhome" to watch the NCAA Championship Basketball game. After the game, we drilled our wives in a game of spades and I went to bed happy. It was a good day. (Whenever I get in a bad mood and feel like talking bad about somebody, I'll tell you about Mr. R.L. Ertman, the cop who pulled me over for going too slow on my way back from the mountain).

So now I'm getting back in the swing of things. Cristal leaves in a week for Milan to visit her mom and dad for a week. I will revisit bachelorhood, something I feel like I never experienced in the first place because I got married right out of college. To tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to it. I'll miss my wife, but I'll enjoy some time alone I think. I'll probably enjoy it for about 24 hours and then I'll have something dirty that I need clean and wish her back. Or I'll get cold at night. Whichever comes first. I love my wife. I'm glad that she is going to get to have some time with her mom and dad by herself.

I wish I could think of a clever way to end this post but I can't. I think I'll go make something tasty to eat though.

Still alive

2005-03-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm still writing. I haven't had the opportunity lately. I can relate to my friend Adam, who is also in youth ministry - I haven't seen the office lately. My family has been out the past week and we've enjoyed some fun times together, both on the golf course and on the ski slopes, my two favorite places to spend free time. Shot 78 on Saturday winning my 4th consecutive Kohring Cup. I skied Monday and Tuesday, Keystone and Breckenridge - it was incredible. I did have two major faceplants after attempting a couple of jumps. One knocked the wind out of me, making me look really dumb as I gasped for air underneath a ski lift. Yard sales man, ski equipment everywhere. We had a good time.

Well, if you haven't heard, Cristal and I are going to have a son! I was totally floored. I had told Cristal earlier in the day that I would be shocked if it was not a girl. Just about everyone I know in youth ministry either has all girls or had a girl first. I also had two dreams about Cristal giving birth. Both dreams involved baby girls. Well, I'm wrong quite a bit. I can't wait for Jonah to get here (Jonah Read Kohring)! He is healthy, even a week ahead of normal development. I guess he could be a big one. Linebacker maybe? Or a boxer. I'm deeply into NBC's new show The Contender and Jonah was balling up his fists during the ultrasound and moving them around a lot. If my son doesn't enjoy sports, I'm not sure how Cristal and I will entertain him! I guess I will have to broaden my own interests. I'll love him more than anything no matter what.....

Retreat coming up. Busy week. Passion week. I confess I haven't thought about the latter as much as I should have. Easter. New life. Thank you Jesus.

I'll write more later. I covet your prayers for my son.

Discipline

2005-03-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Some of this will be repeat from my previous post, Dry Bones, but I wanted to share it anyway. It is what I journaled this morning in my written journal.

I've just started Dallas Willard's Spirit of Disciplines. God is already using it to change my thinking about discipleship and how his Spirit works through me. I'm sort of starting over in a way. Beginning a journey, a training regimen that each disciple must take. I'm committing to disciplines and starting to grasp more fully my need for them. "On the spot" Christianity (see pgs. 5-10) just isn't working, leaving me frustrated and with a sense of hopelessness. I've got to become completely changed through and through. And I have to put some effort into it! God's grace alone will not, as Willard says, "infuse into my being the strength and power I need" to be complete in Christ. I must train and walk as Christ walked - live as He lived in each moment - in discipline. Christlikeness is not just an ideal, it is the abundant life that Jesus Himself came to bring. It's what He wants for me here and now. It's my salvation.

Save me God. Teach me to live just as you lived. I commit to doing the things you did and training as you trained. You spent an extraordinary amount of time in solitude and prayer to the Father among other exercises. I have an even greater need because I'm sinful. Show me how to practice the things that keep my mind and heart focused on you. Amen.

Dry Bones

2005-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Doug's sermon really spoke to me. I was fighting it, wishing that his words wouldn't hit me so hard and wouldn't ring so true in my life, but it was useless. I was at least one person in the room that Sunday morning who needed to hear about the awesome resurrecting power of God. Doug's text for the day was Ezekiel 37, a beautiful passage about God breathing life into what is deader than dead - a field of dry bones. Lately, that is how I have felt - like a valley of dry bones. I could point to quite a few things that have caused such dryness, but I will not mention them here. I was blessed yesterday in conversation with a friend in youth ministry. He encouraged and convicted me, letting me know that my struggles in ministry, life, etc. were just pellets from the evil one. They are not flaming arrows. He reminded me that he knew a missionary in Africa whose kids were going to die this year because of malaria. My struggles are small, but I sure try to make them seem big.

My inner life has been mediocre. However, things are looking up. I don't know why, but last week I picked up off my shelf Dallas Willard's Spirit of Disciplines. It's blessing my life. It's at least got me going in the right direction in my mind and heart. Make no mistake about it - I'm not in the wilderness. I'm far from it. But my lack of discipline and the excessive time I've spent trying to build the perfect youth ministry is really starting to get to me. I have let Satan's pellets start to eat away at me and my walk. I've preached about a spiritual battle to our students that I am not fighting. In one word: hypocrisy. (I realize that this is more confession than maybe some of you wanted, tune in next week for something more cheerful!). Anyway, the past two days have been better. God will always lift me up out of a pit, sometimes even when I am too weak to lift up my hands to Him. I don't mean to sound depressed or anything. I'm not. Just asking for prayers and sharing one Christian's struggles.

One week until the daddy of all ultrasounds! Boy or girl? What do ya'll think?

Dream on

2005-03-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Cristal and I have one week to go in our Dynamic Marriage class. It's been a great class for many reasons, but the biggest is that I've just fallen in love with my wife all over again during it. According to her, the class has already made me a better husband. Last night we had to tell each other why we loved them, all of the reasons I could think of (don't worry, this is not going to be a mushy post about my marriage). One of the things that stuck out to me is the fact that she has never laughed at my dreams. I'm a dreamer. I think life is a gift to be lived to the fullest. Dreams are a part of that. I have a few small ones that I hope to fulfill in the near future and a few that I may never get to, but I felt the urge to share them with you today.

I have wanted to learn to play the guitar for a long time now and just after Christmas I decided to act on that. I bought a decent solid top guitar from a really cool acoustic shop in Old Town Fort Collins. It looks great and sounds great (well, it sounds great when my friend and co-minister Russ plays it). Russ is going to be teaching me whenever we get around to it. I just can't wait to be able to strum worship music on it and maybe even write some of my own songs.

I want to jump out of a plane (with a parachute). I've had it in the back of my mind for a long time now, but not really spoken about it. When my friend Josh got engaged after skydiving with his fiancee, I really started getting the urge. I don't know how much it cost or where I could do it, but that's on my list of things to do before I die for sure. I hope that is something Cristal and I can do together sometime in the next five years or so.

I want to own a motorcycle. Not a big one, not a hog. Just a speedy Honda or Suzuki will do (my mother is cringing). Living near the mountains, I know that it would be a lot of fun to take up around the bends in Rocky Mountain National Park. Wind in my face. Ahhh. I'd have to grow my hair long though so I could look the part of all the motorcycle riders on TV and in the movies. Ala Tom Cruise MI-2. Yeah buddy.

I want to write a book. Don't know when, don't know what about, don't know if I'll have the skills or inspiration to write one. Just want to do it someday.

I want to own a horse ranch, full of wild stallions and old regular ready to ride horses. I know that costs money and I'm a minister. It can still be a dream.

Finally, I want to spend time on a long term mission. I want to live poor and simple somewhere. I admire the passion my wife has for missions and I'd like to spend time pursuing that passion and being poured out with her in that way someday.........Well that is all. Just had to get that out. Feedback?

What they did well

2005-03-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday, I was playing golf with my friend Todd who is the father of two grade school boys. He's a great dad. We were talking about marriage, family, parenting, etc. when he asked me a great question that prompted me to post this particular web log. He asked, "What is the best thing your parents did in raising you?" I answered quickly (this will shock my mother): "My mom and dad were willing to fight." I'll explain during this blog, which will no doubt, be a rather lengthy one, but hopefully one worth reading. This is my top ten list of what my parents did well, numbered ten to one in order of importance (one being the most impacting thing my parents did). It certainly is not thorough or comprehensive enough. My parents did and still do many wonderful things for me that help shape me (yeah, I'm still growing up). These are just what stick out to me the most. It's not on this list, but my mom's decision to track my dad all over the country while they were dating helped bring about the possibility of a Wes Kohring in this world. Thanks mom. Enjoy the list, it was tough to rank.

10. Giving me a curfew. It almost still pains me to say this. I fought it and fought it. "Mom, dad, all the fun starts when I have to go home." 11:00 until my senior year. Then it was 12. As the old saying goes, "Nothing good happens after midnight."

9. Knowing who I was with and where I was at all times. Whenever they didn't know, they were not happy. Mom in particular made it her business to know who I was with and to be familiar with their parents. It's comforting to know I had a community watching out for me. (And I still don't know how many times I got in trouble for not calling when I arrived somewhere and when I left; they still don't like it when I don't call after arriving back home.)

8. Mom was at home when I got off school. I understand that not every mother wants to nor is able to stay at home with their kids. However, I believe I benefited greatly by my mom being home when I got home myself. It let me know she cared, she was involved. And it probably kept me out of a lot of trouble that I might have gotten into had she NOT been home.

7. We took vacations. Every summer, every spring break, even a few Christmas breaks. Man, we had fun! Some of my best memories with my family are from the vacations we took (always by minivan, never in the air!) We skied in Colorado, spent a lot of time on different beaches, and who could forget the mammoth trip - the 25 day tour of the west in July of 1996 during the Olympic games. Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Mall of America (all national parks right?). Dad was quite the trip leader. My friend Wes Bender dubbed him "Pharaoh of the Rockies." We had some great times. I'm looking forward to taking my own kids on vacations with them.

6. We had dinner together. My folks made it a priority, even in the midst of busy, fast-paced life with three kids, to have dinner together most nights as a family. "Wash your hands" and "Set the table" were common phrases in our house around 6:00 after dad got home. Conversation wasn't always pleasant, but sometimes it was and we had a good time talking and laughing together. It was a great time for some classic "dad jokes." And my brother was always the last one sitting there, straining to get his vegetables down (I had mastered the art of leaving the table with my plate, hiding my own uneaten vegetables somehow). Good times.

5. My parents sent me to Lipscomb University. Lipscomb was a great school and I have many many memories there. I miss it quite a bit sometimes. I met lifelong friends, I received a wonderful education that will serve me well the rest of my life in ministry, and I got to know my wife Cristal, whose parents also sent her there. Lipscomb was certainly one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me. I can't thank them enough.

4. My mom and dad prayed for my future spouse. I know this because they told me all the time. And they talked about it all the time. It was a constant fixture on their prayer lists - I am confident they still pray for me and Cristal regularly. Their prayers were heard by God and He granted their request. My wife is everything I could ever want or need. I need to be praying for my own children's spouses starting now. "The prayer of righteous people is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). No doubt. I can attest.

3. Kasey and Shelby!! I love my sister and brother! I could never, nor would I want to, imagine being an only child. I have such close relationships with both of them and I expect us to grow even closer. They make me laugh. They almost always bring a smile to my face. I'm not perfect and neither are they, but my love for them is unconditional. They have blessed my life over and over again. Besides my wife, they are my best and closest friends. Thanks mom and dad for not stopping with me ("If at first you don't succeed, try try again") :)

2. Mom and Dad were willing to fight. I know that sounds funny. Let me explain. They fought with me! Over and over. I know that there were days when my mom and dad wondered if it was really worth it. I made it tough sometimes. They could have given up so easily and just let me have my own way. It would have meant less arguing, no more shouting, maybe even more peace. But they were wiser than that, and braver. After all, where would I be if they hadn't taken a stand? I thought my parents were sooooo strict. And they were. You know what? I probably will be too. If you are reading this and you are a parent, or planning on being one someday, fight the fights. Believe me, it's worth it. Don't lay down. Put em' up!

1. Mom and Dad loved each other. When Todd asked me "What is the best thing your parents did in raising you?" my answer was #2 (see above). It should have been this one. Mom and Dad loved each other. They have been married 26 years. I've been alive for the overwhelming majority of those years and I've NEVER ONCE worried that my parents were going to divorce. I NEVER ONCE thought that there might be a chance that they did not really love each other. My mom and dad do not have the perfect marriage; they never have (who does?). But they love each other with all that they are. And that has made all the difference in the world to me. My view of love and what a marriage should be has been well shaped by them. I'm still learning (much of what anybody can learn in marriage has to come from personal experience), but they gave me a great head start. That, above all, is the most wonderful thing they ever did and still do, for me.

Mom, Dad, I love you. I always have and I always will. Thanks for loving me and my wife. Thanks for loving my child, I can't wait to introduce you to him/her. Thanks for being great parents. Take comfort in knowing that I've learned a thing or two from you.

To anyone who made it this far, thanks for reading.

Catching Up

2005-02-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

To all of my many readers out there :), I'm sorry I haven't kept up with this in the past nine days. It's been a whirlwind week - a good week, but a busy one all the same. Last weekend, I took 6 students to Winter Peak of the Rockies, an area wide retreat/mini camp in Salida, CO. I think we all grew and had our thinking stretched quite a bit at WP. Monday was a ski day at Monarch Pass. The snow was great (14 inches in forty-eight hours), but my ski boot rentals were terribly uncomfortable, limiting my enjoyment of the day slightly. It was still beautiful....
After driving the four hours back to Ft. Collins to drop off the students to their parents, I swung back around to Denver to pick up my good friend and college buddy Eric. We had a great couple of days, just catching up a little bit and having great conversations about everything under the sun (meaningless talk). I was really encouraged speaking and listening to Eric. He has blessed my life for a while now. It was cool to uncover how much we had grown since we last saw each other. God's working on us both. Finally, this morning I had a great time of prayer/conversation/breakfast with a teen in my group that I'm extremely close to. Good times. Rich times. Thanks Lord.

So here I am, sitting at my laptop in my office, early in the morning, and nobody else is here. Ahhh, I love it. Extremely peaceful. Derek Webb playing softly in the background, and the sound of a keyboard are the only sounds. Catching up.....

I'm preaching my first Sunday A.M. sermon in a couple of days. Am I intimidated? Slightly. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes. (It's all God anyway right?) The Lord has been impressing quite a few things on my heart recently about the adventure He has given me to live. I think a lot in those terms, especially since reading everything John Eldredge has written. Therefore, Sunday is about the great adventure and what I believe that to be. I think we've been going about it all wrong. The main point I want to communicate is that the adventure we've lost is not about ourselves, but about the kingdom. The adventure is not about the blessings we receive so much as it is about the blessing we are. Consider God's blessing to Abraham:

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Eric, I promise to use as much tact as possible when blasting the Prayer of Jabez on Sunday. Actually, I will not blast the prayer, but what we've done with it (8-10 million copies sold in America!) Anyway, the point is that we've let our consumeristic society bleed over (actually gush over) into the church. Brothers and sisters, it's not about us and what we GET. It's about what we GIVE. Loving and serving as Christ did is adventurous. Let's face it. We have a lot. Receiving from God is wonderful, but I've got all I need from Him already. This world needs us to step up. Well, that's a rough preview anyway. Pray for me as God's mouthpiece and pray for the hearers of the message, I hope it is received well, meaning I pray we begin to practice it in our lives.

By the way, Cristal and I went to the doctor a couple days ago and saw another picture of our child. Our sweet alien has some wonderfully big eyes and is growing well. Baby and mother are doing well. Father is too. Dr. Finnegan said he has a feeling it is a boy. We find out in a month. Stay tuned. Exciting times.

Book Review

2005-02-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

To any of you wondering what I read this past week, it was in fact, Francine River's novel, Redeeming Love. Wow. Adam, you were absolutely right when you suggested reading it for the purpose of falling in love with God all over again. Please, if you have not read this book, pick it up and don't stop until you are soaked all over with the astounding love and grace of God. God's words, through his servant Francine Rivers, will wash you clean. You will find yourself in this book. It will make you cry, it will make you laugh. If you need healing, read it. If you need reaffirmation, read it. It is a cool drink of fresh water for everybody who wonders how God feels about them. Then, now, and forever.

Request for input

2005-02-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is my third post of the day because today has been a slow day of sorts and I've had a lot on my mind that I felt the need to record and communicate to you all. Hey, I need some help. I love to read. I want to be a better reader. I see myself as a student for life. My shelves are full of books. I've read most of them, but I have many that have been recommended to me and some that I've just heard are excellent. I want whoever is reading this blog to recommend to me what I might need to read. I'm going to type a list of possibilities. If at all possible, give recommendations and input on these books, but feel free to let me know of anything wonderful that you have read that I might not have. My profile gives a few of my all time favorites. The books that have shaped me more than any others (besides the Word) are: Waking the Dead (Eldredge), Wild at Heart (Eldredge), The Story We Find Ourselves In (Mclaren), The Ragamuffin Gospel (Manning), and Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry (Fields). Currently, I am rereading Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (an incredible book for every single man in the universe). The following titles are books that I may have read once already and would like to read again, and some, I think, are wonderful works that are collecting dust on my shelves. Give me your reviews. BTW Adam, you've probably read all of them, so your advice is really welcome.

Redeeming Love (Francine Rivers)
Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenager (Chap Clark)
Youth Builder (Jim Burns)
Small Group Strategies (Laurie Polich)
The Silence of Adam (Larry Crabb)
Come to the Table (John Mark Hicks)
Little Buddy (Chris Seidman)
Celebration of Disciplines (Richard Foster)
Messy Spirituality (Mike Yaconelli)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
A Generous Orthodoxy (Brian Mclaren)

That is my list. Let me know what you think of any or all of these books. Thanks. Eric - CALL ME!

Twelve A.M. thoughts

2005-02-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

I stayed up late last night to watch the David Letterman show. Usually when I stay up late, after Cristal has gone to sleep, I watch Seinfeld and Home Improvement reruns for a late night laugh. However, last night was Dave's Super Bowl recap show and his guests were Will Smith and Tom Brady so I thought it might be worth watching. Nevertheless, I dozed off with fifteen minutes left in the show. Waking up just before it ended, I took the dogs out and then put them to bed. As I tried to go back to sleep myself, I lay there with my thoughts. For whatever reason, they centered on this theme -- How did I get here?

I thought back to last year at this time, the beginning of February. Having just sent out resumes to churches, I was waiting to hear back from them. Cristal was doing a wonderful job as children's minister at West End in Nashville. I was bored out of my mind, substituting sometimes in Nashville schools and at Lipscomb. Waiting. Waiting. Wondering what would come up. Where would I be in a year? (Definitely didn't see Colorado coming!).

I thought about all that had happened in a year. Way too much to list here. We had been set to start our ministry in Kentucky when this church in Fort Collins, CO called and invited me to come for a week. Things progressed nicely and quickly and we accepted a job twenty hours away from what we called home. Left home, family, friends, everything we'd ever known, and headed to unfamiliar terrain in a foreign place. It's been wonderful, God has been faithful through all of this transition. Seven months after arriving in Colorado, we find out we are pregnant. How wonderful a day that was! We started planning. We saw the doctor. We saw our child! It has changed our thinking on most things. We have started thinking like parents on many things. Anyway, as I lay there last night, I wondered, "What will life look like one year from NOW? How different will I be? What will Cristal be like as mom (besides incredible)? How will my child feel about me? To be called "daddy" almost chokes me up even as I type this. I can't wait!

How will my ministry change? How will the kids take it? Will I still have time to play the occasional round of golf? Will my child be a boy or a girl? What kind of toys will be in the house? Will I still be a good husband? How often will my child see its grandparents?.....All of this weighed heavily on me last night between 12:00 and 1:00 in the morning. One question I already know the answer to. The question is, "Will you be with me through it all? Will you hold my hand and help me? He assures me that He will, no matter what happens. He is faithful. He is incredibly passionate about me, my wife, and my child. He is excited about using me in ministry. I can feel it. I know that no matter where I am, He is on my side. No matter how old I get, I can always curl up on his lap. He offers me more security and comfort than I will ever be able to imagine giving my child. Thank you Abba.

Finally, finally all of these thoughts evaporated and one remained:

"When will I fall asleep?"

My "Three Stooges" Week

2005-02-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Interesting title huh? Let me tell you what it means. If you could have just watched me walk about from day to day for the past week, you might have gotten the same kind of chuckle you would normally get from watching an episode of Three Stooges or maybe more appropriately Abbott and Costello. In the aftermath of cracking my head open on shower tile, I have bumped my head, hit my funny bone, stubbed my toe, and knocked other parts of my body on things so much this past week. It's been really weird. Seriously, like twice a day. You know the sort of instances I speak of. The kind where, no matter how wonderful and moral a person you are, four letter words just seem to come to mind when these things happen. I dare say that sometimes, if we are alone, they may actually go from the mind to the mouth. Seriously, who bangs their thumb with a hammer and thinks in their head, "Fiddlesticks" or "Darn-it-all"? Sometimes these things happen at the worst times. Just yesterday, I was walking into the house where Cristal is nannying, talking on the cellphone with my mom. Somehow, I wasn't paying attention to the closing storm door and I banged my funny bone on the door handle. It hurt. Trying to get off the phone, I walked into the living room holding my elbow to see my wife. I couldn't think of a nice thing to say and it showed. "Why are you in a bad mood?" she asked. Truthfully, I had been in a great mood until I banged my darn elbow, but I was embarrassed to say that the funny bone incident was what made me mad. Wow, I actually got mad at a door handle as if it actually hurt me on purpose or something. Grow up Wes. Anyway, it's been that kind of week. I guess after the shower incident, I can't go cold turkey on hurting myself. Apparently, my injuries have to decrease slowly in severity. Okay enough of that.

ER Adventures

2005-02-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Imagine giving 25 folks a safety speech the night you leave for a ski trip, telling them that you do not want to take any of them to the emergency room. Imagine saying all of that in all seriousness and then having to be taken to the ER yourself less than twelve hours later. Well, I don't have to imagine. It happened to me. Please excuse me for telling this story like it is. I hope no one is offended.

On Saturday morning, at approximately 5:30 a.m., I groggily picked myself up off the couch I was sleeping on inside the Summit County Church of Christ fellowship hall. I was surrounded by thirty folks on sleeping bags, so I carefully stepped over them on my way to the mens restroom, only fifteen feet away. I was tired, having fallen asleep at about 1:30 that night (remember, I'm leading a youth group trip). Stumbling to the urinal, I did my business. And then, feeling extremely dizzy all of a sudden, I said out loud, "Oh no." A few minutes later, I woke up, finding myself lying on my back staring at the bathroom ceiling feeling as if I was going to die. My head throbbed so badly, I had difficulty breathing. What in the world was I doing lying down on the bathroom floor? And where was this sudden pain coming from? I stood up carefully, and stumbled out of the bathroom back to my couch, holding my head. After trying to remember what had happened, I pulled my hand away from my head. My hand was covered with blood. "Cristal, come over here."

She took me into the womens' bathroom and told me about what my head looked like. In our talking, we had awakened my friend Damond, who helped clean my gashed head. It was obvious that we would need to take a trip to the ER. Minutes later, after I had become fully awake, I walked back into the mens' bathroom, where I found Damond cleaning up the pool of blood that I had been lying in earlier. It was apparent that I had passed out at the urinal, falling straight backward, splitting the right side of my head on the shower tile, the corner of the step into the shower stall directly behind the urinal. Ouch.

I got 3 stitches, which Damond said looked like cat whiskers coming out of my head. It was the first time I got stitches. The shots of novacaine into my head sure hurt and I had a headache the rest of the day (I still skied). I'm fine now. I got the predictable reactions I expected from everyone. The teens laughed at the story. The jokes flowed. My brother's reaction was more mixed. My mom was very worried (this is not the first time I've passed out). I'm not a doctor, but a few things may have contributed. I was probably pretty dehydrated. I was exhausted. I probably stood up too quickly. I locked my knees. I had an EKG done on my heart at the ER. It turned out fine. My heart is good. I don't know exactly why it happened.

One thing is for sure. I'll pay more attention in the future to my own safety speeches.

Besides that fiasco, the ski trip was outstanding. The crowds weren't bad for a weekend. We got some new snow on Saturday night, adding to snow that was already pretty good. We had fun together. We experienced a wonderful Saturday night worship service. I loved the skis I demoed. It was just a good weekend.

Snow, snow, snow!

2005-01-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

It's NOT snowing in Fort Collins right now. In fact, it's been in the sixties this past week. In spite of the warm weather however, I am taking a group of about 30 to ski Copper Mountain this weekend. And it's going to snow, snow, snow! It's supposed to be in the low twenties and they should have quite a bit of new snow by the time we get there. (I realize many of you could care less about this, but if my friend Wes Bender is reading, then he is jealous).

How about this for an affordable ski trip? We are lodging two nights at the Summit County Church, paying next to nothing to sleep on their mattresses, cooking our own meals in their full service kitchen, and staying up late into the night playing card games to our hearts delight. It's gonna be awesome! The only thing that really really stinks is that Cristal can't ski. She has only been on skis once, so the prospect of her skiing this weekend is too risky (she is almost through with the first trimester of her pregnancy). Oh well........

I thought long and hard about buying my own skis this year, but I'm just not sure how much I'll get to use them if I did buy. If I'm lucky, I'll ski 10 days total. That would be fantastic. We'll see. Please continue to pray for me and Cristal. Outside of our parents, probably not many of you know this, but we've just begun an eight week long marriage class with ten other couples called "Dynamic Marriage." It's largely based on the popular book His Needs Her Needs, and is a class put out by Joe Beam's company Family Dynamics. It's going really well so far and we're learning a lot about our marriage and each other. I think it is definitely going to benefit us. We'll keep you updated.

2005-01-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Almost eleven weeks, am I beginning to show yet?

Something very very cool...

2005-01-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have seen my child! And it looks wonderful!

Yesterday I accompanied Cristal to her first meeting with the man who will bring our child into the world. As I sat in the waiting room, I thought about everything BUT my child. I was bugged by an annoying conversation that my neighbor had had with my wife an hour before. I thought hard on what exactly I would teach on the following Wednesday night in youth group. I watched in amazement as a teenage girl that appeared to be about six months pregnant walked into the waiting area with another teenager (I assumed it was the father, a boyfriend perhaps). And finally, as I'm prone to do, I scathed my unfinished to do list over and over in my mind, trying to remember exactly what it was that I did not get done that day in my office.

After Cristal and I answered a few questions about our medical history, Dr. Finnegan ushered us into a small room with some pretty heavy duty looking equipment. He put some sort of device on Cristal's stomach and then I saw something that I cannot imagine ever forgetting. There was my child. There was no mistaking that it was a child. Defined crown, fledgling limbs, jumping periodically as if it were riding a wave. A tiny flickering which the doctor explained was its' beating heart. Wow. And then we heard it. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. Wow.....

And in that instant, nothing else mattered. Everything I'd thought about or experienced in my lifetime (much less those thoughts in the waiting room), were gone. Removed. Temporarily erased from my mind. My child, God's child, was living and growing. Nothing could have been sweeter. After gazing at the screen for a few minutes, I caught myself looking extremely goofy. There was no mirror around, but I could feel my face just looking stupid! Good thing THAT isn't on camera. I was just dumbfounded by what I was seeing. I'm sure my face reflected it.

Cristal and I go back in one month. Following that appointment in February, we'll go back in late March to have the sex-revealing ultrasound done. I will certainly have that date circled on my calendar! I can't wait until I don't have to refer to our child as "it" anymore. We are going to find out the first time and we will be sure to get the word out quickly. We've also committed to having boy and girl names picked out by the time we find out the sex. We're getting pretty close, but you may still give input! Our good friend Phil Kinzer, the preacher at the West End Church of Christ in Nashville has suggested Colorado Kohring, no matter what the sex of the baby is. My sister has suggested her own name as has my friend Josh. However, we are leaning toward Olga for a girl and Zebulon for a boy. What do you think? :)

Continue praying with us. We are excited about that which will change our lives forever. We love each other deeply and cannot wait to share the joy of raising a child together. Besides, Cristal has already committed to letting me sleep through the night, every night. How could I not be excited? ;)

* If you read this and did not receive the footage that we took of the ultrasound and would like to see it, email me at wes@meadowlarkchurch.org and let me know you would like to see it and I'll email it to you.

YES!!

2005-01-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

The following are meditations from this morning...

When I was a child, I tugged at my mother (I still tug at her for some things). I asked, sometimes not so politely, for items, privileges, or whatever I was absolutely certain I needed or in most cases wanted at the time. Maybe the question was, "Can David spend the night tonight?" Or "Can we go to McDonalds?" Or possibly "Mom, will you buy me those Nike Airs? (I still remember thinking that my first pair would really make me jump higher). Later on I asked for extended curfews, buffalo wings from the grocery store to feed me and my friends, and the permission to drive someplace I was not normally permitted to drive. Every time I asked the question can you, will you, do you, etc. I eagerly awaited an answer, THE answer that would instantly spread a smile across my heart, if not my face. One word, three letters. YES.

When I came to college, I met a girl. After two days of surface level conversation, I decided that I would like to take her out on a date. After gathering the courage, I asked her if she would be interested in coming with me to a concert (it was Caedmon's Call, a band which Cristal pretended to know a lot about so I would take her). Pretty certain of how she would respond, the YES that followed my question was music to my ears. Almost three years later, I had another question. This one made me a little more nervous. Convinced that I could not live the rest of my life without her, I cooked up an elaborate date, complete with romantic music, a scenic landscape, a tasty dinner, and my friends videotaping in the background. But in the moment I asked THE question, the music faded, the landscape only a memory, and the dinner and my friends were forgotten. On one knee, I stumbled briefly over the four words every girl dreams about hearing: "Will you marry me?" The next word out of my wife's mouth was about the sweetest word I've ever heard. "Yes."

Nobody on earth loves me more than my wife and my mother. But somehow, Somebody loves unfathomably better than even they could. And get this: He says YES to me everyday. First Corinthians 1 holds this gem of truth: "Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge - a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete."

Just about everyday, I ask God a question. Sometimes I forget to ask, and he answers anyway. Do you love me? Yes.
Will you stay with me? Yes.
Can you forgive me? Yes.
Do you forg- Yes.
Even though I- Yes.
Can your grace cover this? Yes.
Will you use me? Yes.
Am I your Son? Yes.
Will you protect me? Yes.
Are you in control? Yes.
Are you faithful? Yes.
Do you live in me? Yes....

Yes, yes, yes. Every time. God is crazy about us. He stamps us with his Yes. His approval. We are His. Yes yes and yes. The great Amen! His quiet whisper "yes" gives me peace everyday that He will see me through, that I have nothing to fear. The joy that I took in getting a yes from my mom and the yes that I got from my wife were sweet. When Cristal said yes to me, I lit up. In the same way, may our response to God's "yes" cause this world to overflow with His light.

From the trenches?

2005-01-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

My life is a battlefield. So is yours. Read C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. For that matter, read God's Word. For those of you wondering why my blog is entitled "From the Trenches" (not that I have a large audience:), it comes from my realization that I am at war. Cristal and I are doing fine. Satan and I are not. He's got this thing for evil that he wants me to be a part of. So I fight. Every day I wake up, I have to remind myself that I am going into battle. Ephesians says it better than I ever could in my pathetic ramblings: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (6:11-12). That verse, often quoted, has so many implications. As "brothers" in the south might say, "That'll preach!" This is how it preaches to me. I cannot become complacent. I cannot walk to the sideline and take off my helmet and walk to the locker room (sports fans see Randy Moss). The minute I do, he pounces. What follows is not pretty, but is something we have all experienced.

Sin is nasty business. The triune God was separated for just a short while during Friday of the crucifixion. God the Father turned his back on His beloved Son. Couldn't look. Couldn't stand it. One of our teen's fathers made a great analogy while giving communion thoughts last Sunday. Chuck said that when he and his sons go camping, they take the family dog, Jasmine. Jasmine is privileged to get to sleep in the tent with Chuck and his sons. However, Chuck was able to think of one condition that would keep Jasmine out in the cold, out of the tent - if she had been with a skunk. If she had, then Chuck wanted her as far away from him and his boys as possible. That's how it is with God and sin. He will not be around it. It is the polar opposite of His very nature. Get the stink out of the camp!

My battle is extended in youth ministry. Just as William Wallace fought for the freedom of his comrades, I fight for the hearts of those I minister to. The guys in my youth ministry knew this and all chipped in to buy me a really nice replica of a Scottish claymore, the same type sword that William Wallace wielded in battle. It sits in my office to remind me that I am a warrior, and that with the strength that God provides, I will win. If you haven't read John Eldredge's book Waking the Dead, you should do so. I don't think he meant for it to be a book about spiritual warfare, but it has some of the best writings on the subject that I've ever read. Respond to this if you like. Share with me your thoughts. Currently, Satan is nailing me with this whole idea that if I'm going to be effective in my ministry, then I've got to be perfect, have all the bells and whistle of a finely tuned youth ministry machine. Pray for me. I'm feeling some unhealthy pressure and setting some unrealistic expectations on myself.

"God, do the work. Win the battle. I know you've already won the war. Thank you for loving me in such a way that I cannot even understand."

Stand firm my friends!

2005-01-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Part of the crew

Baby update

2005-01-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you that somehow have not received the good news, Cristal is pregnant. Some couples tell others, "We are pregnant." While I understand the reasoning behind this, I will not claim to being pregnant myself. Cristal is definitely the pregnant one...

She went to the doctor yesterday to get her bloodwork done, nothing too exciting. I don't have an ultrasound to show, no pictures of my wife's swollen tummy, nothing like that. But trust me, it's becoming more real all the time. I can go a few days without even thinking about it at times, but then Cristal somehow reminds me (if you're a father you probably understand that). My wife is going to be an incredible mother. I would say that that realization was one of the top five things that led me to marry her. She has just begun nannying for a four month old child named Annie. I guess it will be good practice. As I write this, I still cannot believe that I am going to help bring one of God's most wonderful creations into the world. Unbelievable. At Christmas time I asked my father-in-law rhetorically if he thought I was really ready for this and he answered and assured me that I was. It was nice to hear, but I keep coming back to something my mom has always said when guys and girls my age have children - "Babies having babies." I know that she doesn't mean that we are incompetent to raise a child or that we are even too young. She just remembers well the day that I was born and is in unbelief herself that her own "baby" is going to have one (again, remember Cristal is having the child!). Anyway, any advice is welcome. I realize that our lives are about to change forever. And I'm excited about it! By the way, Cristal and I have picked out a few names that we are seriously considering. However, I AM interested in hearing what everyone else has to say. Give us your input on this blog. It will be fun to see what everyone says. Rest assured, we will name the baby. Even more interesting though will be if you can help our mothers decide what they will be called as grandmothers. Apparently, grandma just doesn't cut it anymore.

"God, you tell me that your grace is sufficient for me because your power is made perfect in my weakness. Well, I sure don't know anything about being a father. Please let you grace and mercy cover that weakness."

2005-01-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Wes, Cristal, Wiley, Aspen

Why a blog?

2005-01-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

Besides sounding like a noise that a vomiting child makes, "blog" is short for web log. I am going to continue posting on this blog in order to converse, catch up, share, discuss, and possibly even argue with family and friends. I used to think that blogs were created by egocentrics who thought they held the secrets to life and that others might feel the need to glean wisdom from their daily insights and wisdom. Some blogs may be exactly what I've just described. However, many may not be. Two things changed my mind. First, I read two books. The first was entitled A New Kind of Christian, the second The Story We Find Ourselves In. Both were written by Brian Mclaren and both were written as wonderful conversations between folks that were searching. I identify today with Neo, Dan, Carol, Kerry, and Kincaid (read the books). All six of us are seeking God. This blog will hopefully prove to serve as a wonderful forum for conversation among seekers. The second thing that changed my mind was the fact that Adam Copeland, a good friend from Lipscomb days, enlightened me to the blog that he had created for the similar purpose that I have described above. Adam is a great friend whom I do not get to spend enough time with (he is in youth ministry in San Antonio). He has a wonderfully pure and humble heart. I have been impressed with him for a number of years. Therefore, I got to rethinking my stance on blogs. If you're reading Adam, know that I appreciate you and value our friendship. I wish you were not so far away.

Family and friends, I am excited about being able to seek with you. To my family back home in Tennessee, please keep up with this as I will be journaling about what is going on in my life out here in Colorado. Read. Respond. Pray. Discuss. Grow. I love you and miss you very much. Everyone, this is not "Wes' fountain of wisdom." This is a place that I can journal, communicate, and learn from what everyone else has to say. Hopefully, it will benefit you in some way. You may get to learn. You may get to teach. You might laugh. You might cry. God is moving in my life. I want you to hear how and I want your input. Thank you for loving me.