..prayer..

as i went into delta to work this evening i thought it would be like any other night. i was excited to see what area i was working in and noticed that the night would be very easy.


as i was driving bags to the local belt i encountered someone i have not seen since last october. i hollered at richard and asked him how he was doing. it was kinda funny because he came over and started chatting with me thinking i was someone completely different.



richard said that he was not busy so i told him to ride with me for a minute while i deliver some bags. we starting chatting about life and some of the different things going on since it has been a while talking. to catch you up a little.  richard was struggling in his marriage when i last spoke with him.  


i asked him how things were going in his life and then he started to share. i noticed he was a little more sporadic than usual and i knew something was up. he said actually this week has been really tough for me.


richards wife left him this week. at that moment i was like what can i say or do? i began to think about this while driving around with him and said. i am not sure where you are in your faith at all but i know i talked to you some about how i believe that you should go to church or even counseling and read some books that could be helpful to your marriage. i told him the two books that i have enjoyed are love.dare. and the. five. love. languages.


he told me he was in the middle of the love.dare. book this week..


i said to him. how can i pray for you? 


my heart broke for richard tonight..


this is a man that tried..


this is a man who was doing anything to make his marriage work..


i saw through him tonight and noticed that he was broken..


tonight i feel that god honestly placed richard in my presence so i could pray for him. i havent seen this guy since october. i never work on saturday nights. he was free so i could drive him around and catch up with him. what was it that made this scenario so perfect..


i honestly believe that God tonight reached out to richard through me..


tonight i want to pray for this man and his wife. i ask for healing. for clarity. for forgiveness. for direction


romans 8:26 says. in the same way. the Spirit helps us in our weakness. we do not know what we ought to pray for. but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that cannot express words.  .niv.


the message paraphrase opens a new light as well. meanwhile. the moment we get tired in the waiting. God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. if we dont know how or what to pray. it doesnt matter. he does our praying in and for us. making prayer out of our wordless sighs. our aching groans. he knows us far better than we know ourselves. knows our pregnant condition. keeps us present before God. thats why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good..




i pray for richard tonight as he goes through a time of struggling with a lot of pain. tonight i remember why i continue to follow God and reach out to those he puts before me.






..our lives of love for God is worked into something good..

..slowing down..

so i have enjoyed this month because i have been able to slow down a little bit. my mom would always tell me to not burn my candle at both ends and i had a hard time not doing that. through high school i was involved in everything i could get my hands on and then on into college i was working 30 hours a week while doing 18 credit hours many semesters. i was comfortable with my busy lifestyle and always being on the go but this past year has been a lot different.

 i have held down two consistent jobs for almost 65 hours a week for about a year now while just starting out this whole marriage thing. i want to be a responsible.loving.husband but it is kind of hard when i am always working and taking on more task. this year.2011. i have been able to take a closer look at where my priorities are and see where it aligns with where God wants them to be.

 i have been trying to take more of an initiative to focus on what God wants for susie and i specifically. it has been a great year being married but i want continue that and slow down some.

..susie and i have enjoyed some down time this month..

taking scout on walks to the park

..i personally have enjoyed playing around with more creative photography..

light art photography

i really enjoyed playing around with my camera again last night. i havent done light writing for a few years so i had a lot of fun playing around while susie watched greys anatomy..

light art photography is simply changing the f/stop and playing around with a flashlight while the cameras exposure is a lot longer.

..needless to say i had a lot of fun..

one step at a time...

so today i have finally started a blog on here. at first i was unsure if i should even get one or if it was worth my time but i enjoy reading others and see what is going on in their life just through their blogs and pictures. 


there is a lot to take in from what people write and i enjoy that more and more everyday. i am at a new point in my life right now which is kind of why i titled it "one step at a time". i feel like i am in a good state right now knowing that God has many awesome plans for my family. it will be a year that susie and i have been married in 2 weeks. 


we are unsure of exactly where God is taking us next but personally i am pretty excited to see what God has planned for us. as of this weekend, i will be stepping away from my part-time position away from lifespring christian church as student minister to focus on whats next. i am excited to really take this one step at a time. i am still with delta airlines and want to continue on there until God places me somewhere where susie and i will be needed and used to potential doing what we absolutely love. 


i am going to take this time away from working in the church to being the church around the world. after this weekend i am going to take some time to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!!!, then i am going to take some time to continue to focus on my personal spiritual life and see what God wants to show me through books and sermons, and especially quiet time. 


i feel that with how busy my life has been i have not been able to slow down and truly focus on God. i have been able to serve, teach, pray, listen but it seems like i have been giving more away than i actually have to give. i have listened to many sermons and read several books over the past few months to bring my focus more narrow and on track with God. 


to be honest, i am extremely excited of all that i have heard and read through some faithful servants of God. it has lifted me up when i am down and made me rethink of what direction i am going. a big question i want to continue to focus on is "are you all in?"... this question makes me challenge myself to listen to God more and more each day


i am learning so much about myself and who God wants me to be. 


i have learned so much this past year about fun it is to be married and how much there really is to learn about yourself through the one who spends everyday with you


i honestly thank God day in and day out how much of a blessing susie is to me. she is patient with me, listens to me, cares for me, and continues to learn with me. i have learned a lot from susie and she continues to build me up and challenge me daily. 


susie is my backbone and she keeps me in line. if i can get things through my thick skull easier and not be stubborn susie may never get gray hair.. honestly i couldnt ask for a better wife




if you read this would you pray that i can continue to follow God's plan and keep him at the center of my life and marriage




..daily i want to strive to be a better husband and servant of God..