15 YEARS AGO TODAY...

Fifteen years ago today:
A first class stamp was $0.29, the song/record of the year was Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, the top sitcom on television was Roseanne, a gallon of gas cost $1.47, George H.W. Bush was in the White House, the first web sites were being created on the new Internet, hurricane Andrew just hit south Florida killing 23, and the super Nintendo was the big gaming system. I know, thanks for the history lesson.

While those events are huge in the day that was August 29th, 1992, none can compare to the big event of that day. You see, 15 years ago today, Julie Horan agreed to become my wife. Over the years, when people have asked me how long I have been married, I often joke, "ten(or whatever it really was)but it feels like thirty" (ha ha). The truth be told, today, as we celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss, it seems like yesterday. In fact, to look at my wife Julie, it could have been yesterday. Even after shuffling from Tennessee to Ohio, job changes, house changes, three kids, and two (stupid) dogs, the girl hasn't changed. She looks the same, smiles the same, and even acts the same. Even her easily recognizable "Julie" laugh is the same (I can hear it a mile away). Being around Julie, I feel like I'm still a goofy teenager (no offense to all of my goofy LCC teenagers), at least until I look in the mirror or get on a scale.

I hear people talk all the time about "soul mates", "the love of my life", and things like to refer to their significant other. To me, those phrases pale in comparison to what my wife of 15 years means to me. You see, 15 years ago today, God gave me the second greatest gift ever. He gave me Julie

Someone is watching you.

Now don't take the title of this simple blog to mean something weird. I am not going to ask "Have you checked the children?" or "Do you want to see something really scary?" or any thing else that is related to some cheesy horror movie. In the course of my ministry, I have used the phrase "someone is watching you" many times to illustrate that people watch us, and what we do as Christians, to see how a person of God is supposed to act. True statement but recently in my life, I have noticed that the "Someone is watching you" thing has gone to a whole new level. Not only are people watching me but some people are mimicking me. Mainly, my kids. Sometimes, I look at these wonderful children and I see....me. Nothing that Hollywood could produce in the horror movie genre could frighten me as much as watching my kids act, talk, and eat the same way that I do. My oldest son has a great sense of humor (not from me) and often does (and says)the goofiest things. I tell my wife "I don't know where he comes up with this stuff" and she says..."He's just like YOU". My middle child, Nathan, hates to lose, AT ANYTHING! Again, my wife informs me that he is competitive... just like me. My youngest (a three year old female terror), likes to sing random songs...just like me.
I must admit to you that sometimes when people tell me that my kids are like me in this way or that, a small sense of pride comes to my mind. It's fun to hear that my kid eats his peanut butter and jelly...just like me or he has a goofy sense of humor...just like me or she sings random songs...just like me but what I really would like hear someday is....Man your kid's love Jesus....just like you.

LCC CRIBS

We did this video and laughed the whole time during the shoot and the editing. Evidently it is more humorous to the participants than to the general public.

New Series For This Season Of IMPACT

TIRED

I'm tired. For the past 10-14 days it seems that things have been going nonstop. Last week, I had the pleasure (no kidding, a pleasure) to take a group of senior high youth to summer conference in Carbondale, Il. What a great time! If you have never taken a group of teens to a week long conference, I highly recommend it. I do, however, recommend that you take along a great group of adult sponsors to help out (as I always do). Our kids were great. It is truly awesome to see how they are maturing in their faith. The tendency at these conferences is for teens to respond out of emotion and the heat of the moment and get all fired up every night. While that's not all bad, it usually doesn't last. This year was different. Everyone in our group really seemed to be contemplating what they heard, saw, and felt every night. There was a lot of heavy duty soul searching going on and I think that some of them are still working through it. It seems that most of the time, people (teens and adults alike) go to high impact, emotionally charged, events like these and go crazy about Jesus while they are there but when they return home...reality sets in. I've seen kids (and adults) return from an events like summer conferences, men's retreats, woman's retreats, and revivals and then drop off the face of the earth. I simply never see them in church again. That is why it was so encouraging to see our teens really working everything out. It's really cool to see.
Another highlight of that week was that I had a heart attack. Don't freak out, it's not what you think (at least not yet). We had an afternoon off from conference so we went to a mall and decided to grab lunch at the food court. I glanced over the menus of the various eating establishments and quickly found the place that suited my fancy. Burger joint. Now this fine eating establishment had several kinds of burgers: Single, double, double with bacon, all of the ordinary fair. What I decided on, however, was their signature hamburger, THE "HEART ATTACK". I was made to consume a burger like this. (WARNING!!! Content of this hamburger not suitable for all readers) It had two patties with cheese on each. On top of that, they piled up shaved gyro meat about two inches high. On top of that was placed three really greasy pieces of bacon. All of this on a bun (already soaked with grease when I got it) along with all the fix ins' including that gyro sauce stuff. Good times. I actually felt my blood thicken as I ate.

This week, the craziness continues. It's vacation bible school week here at LCC. I used to think that the most ear piercing sound in the world was a seventh grade girl screaming, I may have thought wrong. The new winner might just be a couple of hundred kids during song time at VBS. They crack me up. To add to my craziness, for the last two days, I have been doing a painting job for my father-in-law. I HATE TO PAINT (especially at two o'clock in the morning)! Especially since it was a rush job that had to be done by this morning and as of last night at 11:30pm...it was done.
Like I have said...I'm tired but rest is on the way. Next Monday, me and the fam are going camping for a couple of days. It will be good to spend some time with them and I am looking forward to it.

So allow me to recap:
SUMMER CONFERENCE = Fun and encouraging
HEART ATTACKS(burgers of course) = $4.59 and a culinary experience that is unforgettable
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL = Ear piercing but mucho funo
PAINTING ON A DEADLINE = STINKS but profitable
VACATION WITH FAMILY = Can't wait