Advancement

I've groomed the lawn and the Lord has watered it. I've had a restful five hours of sleep, dreaming about our family mole. I've packed my bags and books. And so now I'm ready for Advance09!

This is a conference in Durham, NC, in which 3/4 of my favorite preacher-mentors combine to discuss the topic that couldn't be nearer to my heart and soul--the church.

I have often said, I do not love the church because I am a pastor; I am a pastor because I love the church. (Note: But if you think that by "church" I mean buildings and pews, we need to talk!)

Following this conference, I'll be back to preach - would be hard not to - and then off to Michigan for Kelly's wedding and then Florida. The wedding will be great fun, whereas Orlando will be all business... well, business and worship and relationships. Kinda hard to explain.

I'm off.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Thought I'd post a few more strawberry photos from our outing with our friend Jeanne on Thursday. Virginia Beach is an interesting mix of rural and convenience...the strawberry fields are minutes away from nice neighborhoods with all the shopping and restaurants you could want. We came home with 8 pounds--most of them got used in a strawberry bbq sauce for pulled pork. I wasn't sure about that but the recipe looked interesting and it WAS tasty! Soon it will be time for blueberries...

Getting Excited - Cullen's List

And now, five things that Cullen is very excited about these days.

1) Strawberries. Cullen's always been a big fan of them, but the ones that are grown right here in Virginia Beach are the best! (Dad is pretty excited, too. Ditto Smarty.)




2) The great outdoors. It's great fun to walk on grass and dirt, not only hardwood and carpet! There is so much new to experience!


3) Getting bigger and faster. Soon he'll be outrunning mom and dad. Soon he'll be stronger than them, too - he has big plans for when that day comes!


4) Learning to swim. Cullen has had swim lessons for the past couple months, and he loves it! Okay, the truth is he usually isn't so thrilled. But we know he'll be glad when he jump off the diving board, go spearfishing, etc.

5) Bearing the ring. If you've read (or seen) Lord of the Rings, you know that ring bearing is an honor only entrusted to little people. Since Kelly hasn't seen Cullen in a while, she thinks he's still small and harmless and hobbit-like. He's getting ready for the big day on June 14, when he gets to be part of the big shindig, with Madison at his side!

Stay tuned - next time it's Daddy's list.

Cullen's Mom

Cullen is blessed with a wonderful and devoted mom.

She always has Cullen's best interests at heart--meaning exceedingly close to her heart at all times.

She looks out for him--meaning she looks into the future and thinks about what he needs now to make sure his tomorrow is a happy one.

She is also (as our favorite preacher says) "Yoda smart"--meaning she has a lot of wisdom. He is already benefiting from this wisdom, though he may not realize it--as I understand it, though, kids begin appreciating their parents more and more each year, right?

I should note that she is much better looking.


Cullen is also blessed with a mom who is devoted to his dad. I'm so thankful for that.

Happy Mother's Day, Cheryl! You're the best mom a little boy could ask for, and the best a grown man could ask for too!

Spring Visit

Just some family photos of Cullen from my parent's visit last week, and visiting my grandparents. Check out how red my hair looks!!! No color!