Thankful for Time

One of the reasons I am told we're crazy is because we squeeze lots of stuff into little amounts of time. I've found this to be annoying at times too but basically I'm thankful for each moment.

I've spent the last three days in a cozy little room at the Missouri Veterans home where my Grandpa has spent the last 5 years growing older and bravely fighting the most horrific disease, Alzheimer's. I hate that disease. It is a stealer of time. Where so many diseases steal a person's future and that is horrific of course, Alzheimer's steals the past, the present and the future.

Fortunately, God is a God who heals and restores. So all that was lost temporarily has been made new. The old has passed away and my Grandpa is a new creation. He was a great Grandfather and a man of service and sacrifice. He knew the meaning of hard work and loving. He would have celebrated his 59th wedding anniversary today. I count it as 59 even though he died 23 minutes before making it official. He only loved my Grandma his entire life. He taught me something even in his death. To fight strong till the end and to cherish each moment, even the painful ones.

First Things First

Okay, so this is obviously a big day for me and Jason. SUPERBOWL 43-Now don't stop reading because you think this is about football. It's not about football at all....okay, not really, maybe sort of...okay seriously, I mean really!

We've waited patiently for Kurt Warner to be in the Superbowl for a long time and really believed that he would be here. Many think "are ya'll crazy?" :-) Of course, we're used to that as I've previously mentioned. Many think its because we're that into football. Many people think we just need to get lives. You may be thinking all of those things.

Here is the real scoop. We're this pumped and fanatical about Kurt Warner because he's an icon of our lives to us. Yes, he is a great football player. Yes, he is a patient and humble man. Why we relate? Because yes, we are crazy. Just like Kurt and Brenda. He presses on in a business that proclaims his abilities and talents as unmatched, yet benches him. They talk about what a great husband and Dad he is, but then are amazed by and critical of the fact that he has 7 children (What is he, crazy?). They proclaim him as a man of faith and tout their respect for the man of integrity that he is and then they use it to mock him.

We just relate.

Yes, for us it isn't just the surface levels of they get a little bit what we're going through. We hope it is our response as well. We hope that people see in us that no matter what the "world" says we just want to keep doing what God has called us on this earth to do. We hope that no matter what lies are put out there about how we should be doing life, we just seek what God wants. We want to stand on the World Stage that God has for us -in the good times, in the bad, in the successes and in the failures and say "Glory to God in the Highest Great Things He has done. Glory to God because if it wasn't for Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be here".

Despite what many think, this is not an idolization it is an inspiration. Despite the doubters, despite the mockery of faith, Kurt just keeps being Kurt and loving God, carrying his Bible into a locker room AND reading it; Kurt just keeps loving people despite their humanness...now isn't that something even Steeler's fans can appreciate :-)

In the the Words of Kurt Warner and his Foundation:

First Things First

Matthew 6:33

"But seek first His kingdom and His Righteousnesss, and all these things will be given to you as well."