A Christmas picture at last!!!

Here is our puppy Crimson laying under our Christmas tree. We could not put ornaments on the bottom of the tree because she decided that she likes to eat them. Right now our only issue with her is that she likes to hop over the couches and run under the tree. Earlier today while Sean was watching the Titans game she lept over the couch and I heard the tree shaking. I looked to see it wobble just a little. I had this thought of the tree toppling over. Hopefully she will be kind enough to leave our tree alone for the next week and a half.

This Christmas season has proven to be a busy one in our house. Between work and church and hanging out with friends we have stayed busy. My mom was here this weekend and we did Christmas with her Saturday night. Tonight we had dinner with some dear friends of ours. Tomorrow night we will go to Christmas Vespers at church and then go out for Chinese (this is a tradition that Sean has had for several years now). Christmas morning we will get up and open presents and that night we will go to his parents house for Christmas dinner. December 30- Jan 1st Sean and I will be helping out with Tera Nova (a huge youth conference held by Brent Gambrell Ministries). For the rest of our vacation we will be hanging out at the house and we may take a day trip or two. We plan on resting as much as we can before the new year begins!

I hope that all of you reading this post will have a very Merry Christmas. I pray that the Lord will bless your new year. I pray that all of your hopes,dreams and prayers for next year come true and that the Lord will bless all of you in a way that you never imagined

P.S thanks Susan for showing me how to put pictures on the blog!

Pictures

I have yet to figure out how to put pictures on here. For those of you who are on Facebook can go to my page and see all of the pictures that I have been wanting to post. For the rest of you, hopefully I can get someone to show me what to do. Have a blessed night!

I caved!!!/ short update

Well folks, I guess I should never say that I am never going to do anything. First I said I would never own a cell phone and I now I do. I said that I would never live in TX and I did. I said that I would never marry Sean b/c I thought we'd drive each other crazy, we've now been married 2 and 1/2 years. I said that I would never own a digital camera, b/c I loved film and now I own one. I said that I would never have a blog and I do. As of yesterday I have officially joined facebook after saying that I never would. I am proud to say that after only 24hrs of being on facebook I am up to 22 friends. I am stunned. We'll just see what other things that I have said that I would never do that I will end up doing.

For those of you who are waiting on an update from our household, here is the readers digest version....

-My friend Debra spent the week of Thanksgiving with us.
-Oct was busy for Sean, Nov was slow and Dec has picked up.
-Our Christmas tree went up the week of Thanksgiving. I could not put ornaments on the lower branches b/c our dog has decided that she likes to eat them.
- Two Rivers had its Christmas concert and banquet on Dec 9th. It was wonderful!
-I am dancing in an recital on Sun (12/16) for the first time in ages. I am taking an adult tap class at Bellvue Dance Academy (no I will not be posting a video)
-Outside of normal Christmastime activities we are just hanging out.

If there is anything specific ya'll want to know just post a message and I will answer it.

30, 40: Age or State of Mind?

Well folks this has been a year of decade birthdays in my family. We start at 30 and run through 70 this year...

First to Matt (My wonderful bro-in-law) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! He turned the big 4-0 on Oct 2nd. I am sure there was much partying to be had in Michigan last week. I am sure that he has been playing his new X-Box non-stop with my nephew. Love ya Matt!!!

Me- I have officiall hit the big 3-0, although I have decided that I am not going to grow any older than 25. So, really I am 25 for the 5th time. As I sat in my bed at midnight and cried in my birthday with my husband and dog snoring, I decided that I dont really have to get any older than I want to. I have also spent a good amount of time evaluating where I am in life and where I want to be. I have accomplished some of the goals on my list but not all of them.

Here is the list that I had for me to accomplish by 30...

1) Graduate from college: accomplished in 00 (B.S in Psychology and double minor in Religion and Human Performance (exercise physiology) from Judson College).
2) Married: accomplished on June 11, 2005 to the wonderful Sean T Hughes
3) Graduate with my Masters: accomplished in 06 (Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling from South Western Baptist Theological Seminary)
4) Settled into a career: I am actually in my 2nd career. I worked in the recreation field for 9 years and have been in the counseling field since this past Feb.
5) Have 1- 2 children: hasn't happend (2 pregnancies both miscarriages)- Lord willing, it will happen soon.
6) Home Owner- hopefully this will happen next Spring
7) Start Ph.D: since I just graduated in Dec with my Masters, this has not happened yet. Sean is wanting to go back to school, so I will wait on this one. (My dream is to get a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt)

I know many people have told me to celebrate this birthday like I have never celebrated another birthday, but it has been hard. Several have told me this will be the best decade of my life. I am going to go out with a small group of friends tonight for dinner. I guess as I sit here I realize that turning 30 is not the worst thing in the world and it sure beats the alternative.

Some celebrating has already been done. Sean took me shopping last Monday night. He knew that I love to shop and that would be a great gift for me. He has said that there will be another surprise tonight so I am waiting on that. My mom came up the weekend before last and bought me a beautiful brown dress coat so that I dont have to wear my black leather with everything this winter. I went home last weekend and mom took me to Mikata for dinner. That was fun. We ended up sitting with a group of students from Rehobeth HS on their way to their homecoming dance. Saying that I graduated from Carroll HS, the team that beat them the night before, they were pleasent. Today Sean brought me chinese for lunch. So, even though I am not thrilled with the birthday number, it has been a good birthday. Here's hoping and praying for an awesome decade!

An Anniversary

Today marks the 6 year anniversary of the day that Sean and I met. Here is the story....

On Labor Day of 01, the guy I was dating broke up with me. I was devestated to say the least. On the following Sunday I knew that I could not go back to the church that I had been attending due to the fact that my ex and his entire family had been in that church for a very long time. The only other Baptist church I knew how to get to was Two Rivers. So that Sun 9/9/01 I attended Two Rivers for the first time. I was a little overwhelmed at the size of the church. I was not sure that I would be content in a church that size. I was pleased by the welcome that I recieved. This was also the first Sunday that the church had returned to one service instead of two. That morning I also sat in the Gathering Sunday School class for the first time. I felt welcomed and enjoyed the class. At the time I was a little uncomfortable with being as young as I was in that class, but I was thinking about returning to Two Rivers the following Sunday.
Tuesday morning was a morning that I and the rest of the nation will never forget. It was 9/11 I woke up and was getting ready to go to work at the Green Hills YMCA. I had the "Rick and Bubba Show" on the radio. As first I thought they were playing around with what they were saying and then realized that there was something not quite right. I turned on the TV and realized that what I was seeing on TV was also what was coming through on my radio. I sat in stunned silence, feeling completely numb. I went to work and the mood was subdued and many people stayed home from work that day. This day also means something to me because not only did my mother call me at work but so did my younger brother. Jason rarely called me at home and never called me at work. He was worried about me and wanted to check on me. That night I walked into an empty apartment and felt completely alone in this strange new city, that I would later come to love.
Wednesday night (9/12/01) I went to "Soul Training" which was the singles Bible study on Wednesday nights. I had my first conversation with Sean that night. He welcomed me to the church and we talked about Sunday School. I told him that I felt a little young in that class and that I was thinking about trying a class where the singles were a little closer to my age. Sean did not take that comment well. He pretended like he was pulling a knife out of his back and handed it to me while asking me if I had lost something. We had a good laugh and then I handed him a pretend walker. That was the beginning of a relationship that I praise God for every night.
As time went on I made some incredible friends that I would do anything for. With time Sean found his way into my heart and eventually I let him in and have not regretted it since. I praise God that the Lord has blessed me with such and incredible, godly, funny husband. I love his sense of humor and the way he helps me to not be so serious all of the time. I love his servant's heart. I love the way he goes out of his way to take care of me. I love the way he goes out of his way to take care of others. I love the way he makes my lunch every morning. I love the way he puts gas in my car and changes the oil. I love the way he likes to bring home flowers and icecream just to surpsrise me. I love that he is willing to sit through a chick flick just to make me happy. I love that he can finish my thoughts sometimes. I love the way makes me smile. I love that he will sit and talk with me for hours about everything and nothing. I love that we can sit on the couch and snuggle and never have to say a word and we know what the other one is thinking. I love watching him interact with his friends. I love watching him perform for children and love the way the look at him. I love that he is not afraid of being silly. I love the way he smiles at me. I love that he works hard to provide for us. I love that he is not afraid of hard work. I love that he does the little things in life. I love that he is not afraid to be himself. I love watching him serve at church. He is the only man in my life that can stand up to me and I will take it. I love that he loves me inspite of me. I only hope and pray that I can be the wife that he deserves. This list is so much longer. I could blog on the positive attributes oh my husband all day long.

I also want to wish him an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I pray that he knows that he is loved and that he is worth celebrating. I hope this birthday brings a year of amazing blessings. I LOVE YOU HONEY!!!!!!!

To My English Teachers and Professors

This is an article that I read on MSN. I was one of those people in high school and college that actually enjoyed taking English. I would rather have had a full day of English and Lit rather than take any math and science classes. As I read this article I was reminded of some of the red marks and comments on my papers through out my schooling. I know that most of my posts do not follow all the grammar rules, but I do know them. I hope you ennoy this article. Those of you who read this blog who are grammar freaks, please dont shoot the messanger. ENJOY!
Errors That Aren't: 12 Grammar Rules You Can Toss Out the Window
by Martha Brockenbrough

In an uncertain world, it's nice to be sure of a few things:• Socks go on before shoes, and underwear, before pants; • An apple, when dropped, will fall toward the earth; and• It's a crime to start a sentence with a conjunction, or end one with a preposition. There's a bit of a problem, though, at least when it comes to the so-called certainties of grammar.Despite the insistence of teachers, starchy bosses, and more than a few well-meaning nuns, certain rules of grammar aren’t actually rules at all. They're myths, the Loch Ness Monster of language foisted upon us, many times for reasons unknown.The declarations against starting sentences with conjunctions and ending sentences with prepositions are two fine examples. And of course, there are quite a few more.It can be upsetting to realize these solemn rules of writing don't exist, sort of like figuring out Santa and your mother have the same handwriting. I still remember the time my high-school English teacher put a disapproving check mark beside a split infinitive, and the time a college-writing instructor told me not to use "like" as a conjunction. Those corrections are among my most vivid school memories, and in the years that followed, I took care not to make the same mistakes in my writing.And now, I must accept that those instructional gems were fake. At best, many commonly passed-down "rules" might politely be called convention. But even that’s shaky, because crafty dictionary users can always dig up examples where respected writers have departed with said convention for literally hundreds of years. That, alone, isn't a reason to discard a rule, of course. After all, people have been killing each other for millennia, and it’s still not OK. Or, to use a less extreme example: Just because your grandfather did something one way doesn't mean he did it the right way simply because he was born before you
The truth is that writers--even great, dead ones--sometimes make grammatical errors. In Pride and Prejudice, for example, Jane Austen's narrator says, "Every body declared that he [Wickham] was the wickedest young man in the world; and every body began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness."To be correct, she should have written "and people began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness."This doesn't mean Jane Austen was anything less than a brilliant writer. Grammar is important, but it's not the hallmark of great writing. Rather, it's a tool to help us express ourselves and understand others. It's what separates "Let's eat children!" from "Let's eat, children!" (If you can't see the difference there, please do not invite me to your house for dinner.)Where rules help us say what we mean, they're worth learning and obeying. Where they get in the way and twist our syntax--or worse, change the meaning of a sentence--they should be rejected. Here are 12 grammatical "errors" that aren't actually wrong, according to my own judgment, and that of a variety of experts, including: • Patricia T. O'Conner (Woe is I), • Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage, and his Washington State University Web site),• Ronald Wardhaugh (Proper English: Myths and Misunderstandings about Language), and • Mark Liberman and Geoffrey K Pullum (Far from the Madding Gerund).

It Ain't So No. 1: It's wrong to end a sentence with a preposition.The suffix pre means "before." This is perhaps where people got the idea that a "pre-position" couldn't be positioned last in the sentence. It's just not true, though. Even Shakespeare did it. There are certain times, though, when it's ugly to do this. "Where's he at?" is one of those times. "Where is he?" is better form.

It Ain't So No. 2: You are not to split your infinitives.The Roman Empire is long gone, but Latin's luster remains to a surprising degree. The ban on split infinitives--those "to-plus-a-verb phrases"--owes its existence to the idea that Latin grammar is superior to English. Balderdash. In Latin, you can't split infinitives because they're one word. In English, infinitives are two words, and it's not only fine to split them, it's sometimes necessary for the sake of clarity. As Patricia T. O'Conner puts it in her book, Woe is I, there really is no other way to say "To more than double" your rent without splitting the infinitive. The landlord "expects more than to double your rent" just doesn't fly.It

Ain't So No. 3: Use "that" with restrictive clauses, "which" with nonrestrictive clauses.I fed the dog that barked.I fed the dog, which barked.These two sentences have almost identical words, but their meanings are slightly different. The first one is restrictive--the only dog I fed is the one that barked. In the second sentence, the barking is incidental. It's not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Some people, including many publications, insist that writers use "that" with restrictive phrases (those not set off by commas), and "which" with nonrestrictive ones. It's not wrong to do this, and there is a certain amount of elegance to making that distinction. But, you can say "I fed the dog which barked" and still be correct. It sounds a bit more pompous, but it's not wrong, not if we're to go by the example of many accomplished writers. That said, it's not correct to write, "I fed the dog, that barked." "Which" can go both ways, but "that" can't.

It Ain't So No. 4: It's wrong to start a sentence with "and" or "but." Writers have been doing this for more than 1,000 years, despite the hand-waving of frantic English teachers. And they're going to keep on doing it. I could have used a comma between the "teachers" and the "and," but the period gives a longer pause and more emphasis on the second sentence. The conjunction still links the two ideas together; they just happen to be two sentences instead of one. It's fine to do with good reason, but your writing will be choppy if you do it too much.

It Ain't So No. 5: Don't say "hopefully." Say "I'm hopeful" or "It is hoped."While many people still avoid the technical misuse of "hopefully," it's misused often enough that it sounds a bit stilted to say "I'm hopeful," and even worse to say, "It is hoped." Language does evolve, and this is one of those cases where the incorrect use has won out. It doesn't mean you have to say "hopefully" yourself, but holding out the hope and expectation that people will stop doing this is the equivalent of being outraged that people are no longer holding up their socks with garters.

It Ain't So, No. 6: Thou shalt not say healthy food.Extreme language purists still insist that we describe nutritious food as "healthful." But if you don't want to sound as though you've just snapped on a fresh pair of sock-garters, you don't have to. It's fine to describe food as being "healthy." That said, the two words are not interchangeable. As Bill Walsh points out in Elephants of Style, a "healthy" appetite is not always "healthful."

It Ain't So No. 7: None comes from "not one" or "no one," and is therefore always singular.Actually, it just might have come from "not any of them," which is plural. "None" is very often plural. None of the sorority girls have hair, for example. If you're talking about something that can't be divided into units, then make it singular. None of their hair is real. Another way to remember: If "of it" could be swapped in for whatever follows "none," use the singular. If "of them" could be swapped in, use the plural.

It Ain't So No. 8: "Since" must always refer to time.Many people are under the impression they cannot correctly use "since" as a synonym for "because." That's crazy-talk, because it's been used this way since at least 1450. While it's nice to keep distinctions of meaning between words, it's not a crime against language to use "since" for "because," even if you can't use "because" for "since." Like healthful and healthy, and which and that, they can be synonyms even if they’re not interchangeable.

It Ain't So, No. 9: Don't use "like" as a conjunction.Is it wrong to say, "I feel like a million bucks"? Or is it better to say, "I feel as though I am worth a million bucks"? If you were to say the latter, anyone in earshot would be perfectly justified in making fun of you. It's been used as a conjunction since at least 1200, according to the Oxford English Dictionary [OED]. That said, many people--such as my college writing teacher--bristle at this usage. In formal contexts, this is a rule worth obeying, just so people don't think you're a rube.

It Ain’t So, No. 10: When answering the phone, you must say, "This is I" or "This is she." "It is I," and "This is she" are two phrases that reek of eau de pomposity. At least 400 years before Shakespeare wrote "O, Woe is me," we've used that particular expression in English. That's ample precedent.Where you do want to be careful, though, is with sentences such as this: "He likes chocolate more than me." Do you mean he likes chocolate more than you do? Or he likes chocolate more than he likes you? If he prefers you to chocolate, then you're better off saying, "He likes chocolate more than I do." If you're second in his heart, well, here: Have some chocolate. It'll make you feel better.

It Ain't So No. 11: You must always use "whom" when it's the object of a sentence.Remember that Noah Webster guy? The one who wrote the first dictionary of American English? Even way back when, he had the sense to advocate "Who did you speak to?" over "Whom did you speak to?" Sometimes, "whom" is just a bit too stuffy. This doesn’t mean it's not nice to know the rule--use "who" as the subject of the sentence, and "whom" as an object--but you can break this rule on occasion with Mr. Webster's blessing.

It Ain't So No. 12: Ain't isn't a word.It is. Right here, see? And it isn’t just a lower-class expression; once upon a time it was an upper-class colloquialism the OED reports--the cousin of won't, don't, can't and shan't. Keep it to music lyrics, musical titles, and appropriate rhetorical sprees. Even with its centuries-long pedigree, it just ain't a word to bring with you to fancy places.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=ErrorsThatArent&gt1=10289

My Heart for Two Rivers Baptist

As I sit here starting this blog, I have debated about posting my thoughts and feelings about the goings on at our church. For those of you who are not members of TRBC, I ask that you pray for our church. For those of you reading this who are TRBC members, please only read this knowing that I am sharing my heart. If you are reading this for something to gossip about, please stop reading now.

My heart has broken over what is going on in our church. There is a spirit of division. I do not feel that this is what the Lord has intended for any church within His larger Church. In a warped way I feel very blessed that this is happening. I firmly feel that satan will not attack a church body unless the Lord is moving. While none of us would openly welcome this, we have to acknowledge that the Lord is indeed moving. When I look at VBS, Super Summer and the number of baptisms I can not and will NOT deny that fact.

I want to share my feelings on somethings that have I heard being said over the past several weeks...

1) That this situation was not prayed over: If any person in our church honestly knew our pastor and our staff even a little, they would know that many, many, many hours of prayer have gone into praying over this whole mess. They would also know that all of our pastors are men of prayer and they seek the Lord with their whole heart as far as their lives and especially the life of our church is concerned.

2) It has been said that Pastor has caused this dissention in the church. I have to say that this frustrates me very much. Pastor has not brought this on the church. Church members have brought this on the church. No where in scripture has the Lord endorsed a coup against a godly church leader. The fact that we have a pastor has been the pastor of our church for 21 years says a great deal about his character and the man of God he really is. I personally do not believe that the Lord would have a pastor spend his entire ministry jumping from church to church. I believe that He would have pastor be in a church to baptize, marry and bury several generations. I believe that if we will pray for, encourage and lift up our pastor, we can if it is the Lord's will, see that happen.

3) I will not believe that I am a member of a church where I am strong armed, railroaded or bullied from the pulpit. One thing that I LOVE about our pastor and pastoral staff is that we are highly encouraged to be in the Word and study for ourselves what the Lord has to say about certain subjects. I love that we are not told that they are the final authority on anything. I love that we are encouraged to get to know that Lord on a personal level and that we have the freedom in our church to ask questions and seek answers. I believe that only a pastor who is truly seeking the Lord and is secure in his position as pastor would encourage the congregation to dig into the Word and pray.

4) I know that there is some dissention about the 11:01 service. I know that I am among a rare few in my age range that actually prefers the 9:30 service. I do have to say that even though I prefer the earlier service it does NOT mean that I am against the 11:01 service. I believe that as long as the Gospel is not being watered down and people are coming to know the Lord and that people are growing in their walk there is absolutely nothing wrong with the 11:01 service. Since the pastor and pastoral staff are firm in doing both of these things, I support the 11:01 service even though I do not attend. (On a side note I do like the fact that in the early service we do get to sing the great hymns of our faith. I believe that we can learn a great deal of theology from these great hymns. I also like the praise songs in that most of these are lifted straight from Scripture. How great is it that in our music we get both theology and Scripture)!

5) I think that we need to focus on what the Lord has for our church instead of tearing each other down and back biting. I believe that the Lord has much instore for our church. I believe that we need to whole heartedly search the Lord and seek His will for our church. I believe that it is very appropriate that we are taking the entire month of August to study prayer and spend it as a church praying. I believe that only when ALL of us become broken that our church will completely heal and move forward.

6) Last but not least I want to share a personal story. The summer after I graduated from college I served a semester missionary through NAMB as a youth minister in a church out west. When I came to the church there was tension in the church. The longer I was there, the more I learned. While I cannot say that I know what our staff is going through with all of this I can somewhat relate.....
In the mid 70's the pastor of the church was asked to leave the church. In that case, the pastor had actually done something to which he should have been removed. In the years that followed the church went through some major turmoil. Since that time this church has run off several pastors. These men were not bad men, they had not even done things for which Scripture would allow them to be removed. Fastforward almost 25 years and the church is still batteling what happened in the 70's. I started in this church in May of 2000 and NAMB pulled me out in May of 01. Not long after I left the pastor was voted out.
I share this story not for gossip sake but to illustrate a point. We need to be careful the legacy that we are leaving for the children of our church. 25 or 30 years down the road do we want our children and grandchildren to still be fighting this battle? Do we want them to not truly understand what they are fighting, but that this is the way it has always been, and so that is what they must continue to do? What is it that we want our children and grandchildren to know about what happened when they look back on the history of our church? Do we want them to see dissention or a godly legacy?

I pray that anyone who has taken the time to read this entry will stop and pray for Two Rivers. I pray that the Lord will bless the pastor, pastoral staff and the rest of the church staff as well as their families. I pray that all them would find and encouragement. I pray that the Lord will carry our church through this time. I pray that when we get to the other side that we will be able to look back and see what HE was doing. I pray that we can continue to seek His will do the ministry that HE has called us to.

Thank you for "listening" to my ramblings. I pray that the Lord will bless you and that you will continue to seek the Lord in all that you do!!!

Heather
Hab 3:19

Finally, Heather's other half posts on the blog!!!

(A note from Heather's husband ... Sean)

Those of you who know me know that living in Dallas/Fort Worth area was a really rough time for me.

Career wise, I went from a place where I was revered to a place where people really didn’t care about my skill set. They didn’t care how talented I was. I either didn’t fit in the Good Ole’ Boy system or some people really didn’t care about quality and just wanted the cheapest entertainment that they could get. The market there hard been ravished by low quality entertainment that though because they could make a balloon dog, they were professional entertainers

Church wise, I went from someone who was respected and even a deacon in my church to someone who people didn’t look at because my job wasn’t as important as theirs. It was a real shock to me to live in a culture where people thought that your job and what you had mattered more than your character. To have this type of attitude in the church was particularly deplorable.

Most of all, I was away from the people that I loved. I was away from the people who really cared about me in that true agape sense.

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Do you remember the show, “Everybody Loves Raymond”? I remember the one show when Raymond’s brother, Robert, got married. There were some things that went terribly wrong at the wedding. At the reception, there was an air of discomfort because of what had gone wrong. And Raymond has to give a toast with this whole family circus going on.

When Raymond starts to tell Robert of how he’ll one day think of his wedding day, Raymond looks over at the video camera and is inspired. Raymond talks of how life is like video camera editing. We don’t always remember the bad things that happen. As we move farther away from the time that we experienced, our brain has a wonderful ability to weed out the bad things and hold on to the positive memories. (Like editing a video)

That’s what I’m starting to do with my time in Texas. My wife hasn’t gotten there yet. She still has many bitter feelings over our time in Texas. I can’t blame her. We lost two babies there. We were mistreated by people. And we both definitely had our share of “raw deals”. But even as I was driving from DFW to Nashville in a moving truck, my mind starting going over the things that I would actually miss about living in the DFW area.

Yes, I still have painful memories of living in the DFW area. Sometimes, I feel like twitching like a Vietnam vet when I think about horrible circumstances there (YOU DON’T KNOW! YOU WEREN’T THERE!). In dealing with those memories, and concentrating on the positive things, I’ve developed this list.

So now, for your reading pleasure, I give to you the TOP TEN THINGS I ACTUALLY MISS ABOUT LIVING IN THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AREA

(In no particular order)

1) Four Day Weekend

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you HAVE to go see these guys. This is an extremely funny improvisational comedy group. If you’ve ever seen a show like “Whose Line is it anyway”, it’s like that, but live. If you’re looking for a great night of entertainment and you’re in Fort Worth; don’t walk, run to the theatre. They sell out almost every single show. Get your tickets early.

2) Taquitos

To many Texans, this will sound stupid. For those of us who don’t live in Texas, it’s not.

In the DFW area, there are a lot of gas stations called QT. If you go into one of these establishments, you’ll see two sets of hot dog rollers. One will have normal hot dogs. The other one will have Taquitos. This is one of those delicacies of Texas that I’ve grown to love (along with spicy food and jalapeños). You just can’t buy these at the grocery store and get the same quality that you find at a QT.

3) Texas Rangers Baseball

I’m not necessarily a Texas Rangers Baseball fan. However, I love to go watch professional baseball. There’s nothing like it. To me, it’s one of the finest things God created about summer. Even if you don’t like the Rangers, you can see a myriad of other professional baseball teams play. When everything else was going wrong, I could always go watch a game and just forget about it all.

4) The Gaylord Texan

This place and its staff will ALWAYS hold a special place in my heart. Let me paint a picture for you.

It was near the end of the year in 2004. I had moved to Texas that previous July. Every attempt to try to get in with other businesses doing entertainment work had failed. I was close to the end of my rope. I couldn’t even get a normal job. I applied at a Best Buy and was turned down (I had enough retail, management, and electronics experience to be a manger there).

Just when everything was at it’s darkest, a light shown through. All of my attempts to get into the Gaylord Texan had paid off, and I got a meeting with the Entertainment Management.

The meeting lasted no longer then fifteen minutes. The Gaylord Texan was looking for entertainment for their “Lone Star Christmas”. Since I had tried to contact them on numerous occasions, they decided to give me a chance and call me into a meeting. After the meeting, they decided to give me a shot, but just for their Christmas holiday season.

During their holiday season, the comments about me started to flood into guest services. Visitors absolutely loved me. And Gaylord decided to give me a contract for 2005.

One of the comments that the former director of Food and Beverage gave to me was that I was the lowest paid entertainer, but I got more positive comments than any other entertainer that they ever had. I continued to work for them until I left in 2006. I still have a great relationship with the management. They’ve gone to bat for me several times; trying to get me into the Gaylord Opryland. They’ve even told me that if I ever move back to Texas, I have a standing job offer with them.

Keep in mind, for most balloon artists; I had one of the top jobs in the area. It was also a dream job in that the Gaylord gave me the freedom to do whatever I though was appropriate, knowing that my number one concern was making people happy. I really miss the Gaylord Texan and everyone I worked with there A LOT.

5) G.O.T. Balloons

This was the group of balloon twisters in the DFW area that met once a month. I loved hanging out with these people. I loved them for their creativity, their wacky characters, and the fact that they were people who understand what it meant to look at a balloon and see a world of possibilities. I miss you guys (Especially Stretch and his family)

6) Balloon Wholesalers

Like I said before, I now live in Nashville. If I want balloons, the closest supplier is a two day ship from me. In DFW, I had two to three choices of where to buy balloons. Some places knew me by name. One, I actually started to work for. You get really spoiled when you live in place where picking up balloons is as easy as going to your local grocer.

7) FBCD video crew & Children’s ministry

At one point, I volunteered once a week, until it got to the point where I had to go out and get a real job to support my wife’s education. I worked with this video crew at First Baptist Church Dallas (FBCD) until the summer before we moved back to Nashville. It was actually one of the few things I liked about FBCD. Unlike most people at First Dallas, they didn’t care that I didn’t have a prestigious job or owned fancy things. They liked me for me and my love for video and technology. I loved working with the guys there, and I became good friends with the video director, Dan Beckwith.

I also have to say that I also loved working with Jane Mason and the First Dallas Children’s ministry. I have to say, that God worked his hand of providence when I ended up working with them.

Before I worked with the Children’s ministry, I had a really poor experience with the Singles Ministry at First Dallas (Heather and I were engaged, but not married). I was treated so poorly, I was ready to quit going to First Dallas, despite the fact that Heather was an intern there and had to go to church.

It just so happens that just as I was getting ready to leave, I met Mark & Karen Korenek at a restaurant I was doing balloons in. In our conversation, we discovered that we both went to First Dallas. They asked me if I had ever considered working in the children’s ministry. I told them no, and they said I should really consider it.

I then called Jane Mason to see if they needed any volunteers. She put me in the same class with Mark & Karen. Once Jane saw the talent that I had, she immediately integrated some of my talent into the AWANA program. It was truly a blessing to use my talents for the glory of God

Now that I’m back in Nashville, I somewhat work with the video ministry at Two Rivers Baptist church. I don’t work with the children’s ministry at Two Rivers, as God hasn’t called me to use my gifts there in that way. However, I truly have a special place in my heart for both ministries at First Dallas. For a long while, those were the only things keeping me at that church.

8) Garden Ridge

I know that this will make me a wimp to some guys. What can I say? The creative decorator in me loves Garden Ridge. And the next time I drive to DFW, I’m picking up one of those Chiminea I’ve always wanted.

9) Panda Express

This is my favorite restaurant in the DFW area. If you live in an area where these restaurants are everywhere, consider yourself blessed. My wife and I love Chinese food. We love Panda Express even more.

10) Friends

Despite the fact that it was hard to make relationships in this area, I did manage to make a few close friends that I still contact from time to time. I would list them all, but then I’d forget someone and make them mad. Just know that these friends were an oasis in a place that was otherwise a desert.

Barevzez from Armenia

Hello and greetings from Armenia. I dont have much time to write. So far it has been an exciting and eventful trip. I will give details and post pictures when I am back in the states. So far I have seen Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower on an unexpected overnight layover in Paris. We have met the church here in the capitol city of Arevan. We have also spent 2 days in a village north of here. We will be back in that village tomorrow as well as work with the university students on Thursday. On Friday we will start the 2 day journey home. Please pray for our work here and that the Lord will be glorified in all that we do. Also please be praying for the missionary family we have been working with as well as the pastor of that church. I hope ya'll are doing wonderful state side and I will see you soon. I love ya'll!!!

Heather

Off to the see the Mouse and an update

Well folks,
Tomorrow Sean and I head to Orlando to see the Mouse. We are very excited and are very much looking to have a vacation and play a little. (Well I am going to try and get Sean to play as much as I can). We are staying with Sean's aunt and uncle when we go down. On Saturday we are going to hang out with them and goof off at their house. On Sunday we are headed to Epcott. This was a place we wanted to spend more time in while on our honeymoon and did not have that opportunity. On Monday (our anniversary) we will spend the entire day at the Magic Kingdom. On Tuesday we will hit the outlet malls!!! (I am thrilled, Sean is just going along for the ride). That night we will eat dinner with my sister, brother-in-law and my niece and nephew. This schedule is not written in stone but this is what our trip to FL looks like as of now.

I am also trying to get everything ready to head to Armenia. I think I have most of what is on my list. Part of my goal for today is to get as much packing for that trip done as possible. (My mom was kind enough to let me borrow one of her suitcases so I could do some advanced packing).

As I am typing this Sean is at a gig for the CMA. He participated in the CMA parade yesterday. He walked up and down Broadway in his stilts. For those of you not from the Nashville area, Broadway is a big hill. Sean came home last night exhausted and sore. He has a clown gig today for them as well as tomorrow. Praise God things are picking up for him. He has actually had to turn down some gigs because he already had others scheduled. Sean likes that things are picking up, but he would like to see it pick up a little bit more.

Since my last post, I have been to a baby shower and a wedding. The shower was for some close friends of ours who came in from NC. Marsha is due in July. Her husband Steve is thrilled that they are having a little boy (yet to be named). Big sister Anna is not sure exactly what is going on. The shower was wonderful. It was almost a mini Gathering reunion. (The Gathering was the singles Sunday School class were we all met and became friends and many of us found spouses). After the shower was over, there was a sweet time of prayer between a close knit group of us. I have to say that I am very thankful that the Lord has blessed us with such wonderful, godly friends!!!!

This past weekend I went home for a wedding. I have to say that Kristen was a beautiful bride. The ceremony was sweet. I wish Kristen and John all the best!!!

I am still trying to figure out how to post pictures. As soon as I get it figured out I will post pictures from the shower and the wedding posted. (I finally broke down and agreed to get a digital camera). By the time I get it figured out I will probably also be ready to post pictures from Disney and Armenia.

I hope ya'll have a blessed weekend!

Welcome to the New Blog

Hey ya'll,
For whatever reason blogger has not allowed me to log back into our old blog, so I am starting from scratch. I will catch you up on what has gone on since I posted last....

Update on my mother: I did not share with all of you the scare that she had, but we are in the clear now. A couple of weeks ago mom found a lump and went to the doctor to get it checked out. Praise God the doctor did not find anything. Mom will go back in 6 mos for another check up. As long nothing shows up, she will go back to having yearly exams.

Update on Armenia: Praise God! The Lord has worked everything out. I have my passport and the money has been provided. The team and I will be in Armenia June 14th-23rd. We had our first team meeting on Sunday and I was able to meet several of my new teammates. We have another meeting this Wednesday to go over some other things for the trip as well as spend some time praying.

Sean is starting to really pick up speed with his business. He come Sunday, he will have worked 6 days straight! This is hard and wearing on him, but it helps us out.

Just in case you wonder what is on our plate for the summer, here is a tentative schedule:

June 1st: Heather starts summer vacation
June 1-3: Heather is going to Alabama for a friend's wedding
June 8-13: We are gonig to Orlando to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary
July 9-13: VBS for Two Rivers Baptist
July 15-22: We are headed to MI to see my sister and her family
July 23-25: Youth Super Summer for Two Rivers
July 26-29: We are headed to Boston for a balloon/ clown convention
Aug 1st: Heather head's back to work

This is what is on the calender so far, I am sure there will be other activities that will come along and we will keep you posted. Take care and God Bless!!!