Employment!

     I am elated to report that I have accepted a job offer in St. Louis! Since moving here in June I have been job hunting for full time employment while still working remotely for the company I worked for in Indiana. Just this week I accepted a job offer from St. Louis Parking Company as a Building Manager for their facility at Union Station in downtown St. Louis.
     A little about this journey of employment for me. When Anna and I made the decision to move to St. Louis with her having a job here and me not we seriously considered every possible outcome in regards to employment for  me. We considered (and hoped for) me finding a job here immediately. We also talked about the possibility of me not finding a job before my temporary contract with my job in Indiana expired, thus making me unemployed. But what we did the most of was pray. We prayed for wisdom in our decision making, we prayed for favor and we prayed that I find a job! God had shown us both during our transition to St. Louis that he was taking care of us. From Anna's job, to a place to live here, day care that we trusted for the boys. All of those things God just helped us check off the list one by one and gave us an overwhelming feeling of comfort in our decisions with them. So what we were left with was me finding a job, and selling our home in Goshen. We just had such an overwhelming feeling that God was with us, and had our best interests in mind we did not (at times did our best to not) worry about those two things. My contract with work in Indiana came to an end and I had not found work here yet, but through God's goodness they needed my help for longer and extended my contract with them. That happened twice while I was here, my time was running short, I did not have a job here and they extended my contract. This last time my contract was extended to November 30th and they made it very clear that would be my final day. No more extensions, that was it. Then just last week a friend from church emailed me a job opening at a company here in St. Louis. I did my research on the company (you can find out a lot on google) and got a good feeling about the company so I submitted my resume and cover letter. I was contacted in less than a week and asked if I could come downtown to interview. My interview went so well that I was asked right there if I would come back the next day and shadow one of their current managers so I would have a little better feel for the position helping me make my decision if an offer were to be made. I of course said yes and was able to shadow a manager the next day. I had a great feeling about this company withing the first few minutes of my interview and those feelings were only confirmed when I was out shadowing in the field. One thing I always pray for is that God make decisions easy for me, make His will be very clear in one way or another and I have found that when I seek Him out and follow His will He will show me the direction He wants me to go. This overwhelming good feeling about this position and the company as a whole was God's way of showing me this was right for me. Within a few days of my job shadow I was contacted on my phone and told that they felt I was the man for their job and were going to submit a formal job offer to me in writing the next day! The offer was exactly what I needed and even a little more and I happily accepted the position yesterday afternoon! I will start with them on Monday November 12th. My journey started in the beginning of June with a lot of uncertainty about employment, limited time for work from Indiana and a lot of praying by a lot of people. Fast forward five months and I am still employed with my company in Indiana, have accepted a great position here in St. Louis and will have zero time of unemployment between. My last day with my old company will be Friday November 9th and I am starting my new job the following Monday! God has shown me time and time again that he has my best interest at heart. That interest may not always coincide with my timing or my ideas but I have found that if I trust Him and continue to seek His will He will follow through. Like I said he just continues to check the things off the list for us. The only thing we have left is our home in Goshen is still on the market. Anna and I will do everything that we can do to make sure it sells, but have learned that we will trust in the Lord and when the time is right He will deliver the right family to see it and make us an offer that we are comfortable with!

It's October!

It's fall all across America and fall is my favorite time of year! Just thought I would share a few of the reasons why.

I love the outdoors, I have always preferred to be outside than inside. I especially love the scenery of the outdoors, trees, lakes, ponds I just love everything about it! So this time of year when the temperature is a little cooler, the leaves have started turning colors and there is just a crispness in the air really puts me in a happy place! I love to get out and go camping (I wish I could do it more) and this time of year for me is without a doubt the best time to pitch a tent and stay out in creation for a while!

The Ohio State football! Usually by this time of year the Buckeyes are 6-0 and getting into the heart of their conference schedule playing powerhouses like Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan (BOO). There's just something about watching the Buckeye's play that makes me happy, I don't know if it's the Scarlet jerseys or the metallic sparkle of the helmet, or the history and tradition that they have but I love Buckeye football and this time of year gives it to me!

This is a picture from October 6th 1997. The Cleveland Indians has just beaten the New York Yankee's in game 5 of the ALDS to advance to the ALCS. I was at that game sitting in the left field bleachers with my Grandpa, Dad, Grandma and two Aunts! It was awesome! I love the game of baseball, I love the Cleveland Indians and I love playoff baseball. It brings a whole new level of excitement to the game that it just incredible to watch!

Since my Indians haven't showed up to play since the mid 90's and I married into a die hard St. Louis Cardinals family I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Red Bird's play in October last year and this year! It brings me back those exciting feelings of watching my team in the playoffs again! The Cards are a scrappy team that just refuses to die no matter how far behind they get. Watching them play with their backs against wall for the last month of last season all the way through winning the World Series was awesome! If my Indians cant be there I am completely happy rooting for the Cardinals!

So there's just a handful of reasons why this time of year really makes me happy!

Wild At Heart: Grace Community Church (Goshen, IN) Men's Retreat

 

     Today I am extremely excited and pretty bummed out about Grace Community Church's Wild At Heart men's retreat that leaves for camping in Western Maryland this afternoon. I'm excited because this is an awesome time and opportunity for the men of Grace to link arms with one another in a safe environment where men can come together and experience God firsthand and see incredible breakthrough in their lives! I am pretty bummed out because for the first time in four years I will be missing this one.

 

     Wild At Heart is a weekend of men getting together and being men! It's shooting shotguns and pistols, it's 4 wheel drive climbing up a mountain, it's running through the woods, camping out under the stars, 40 foot fires, canoe trips in the most beautiful environment I've ever seen. It's camaraderie, team work, fellowship and personal time with God and it is without a doubt one of the most awesome times I have all year long!

 

     It was four years ago that I went on my first Wild At Heart and I got grouped up in a pick up truck with three other guys I had never officially met before. Usually somewhere between 12-15 pick up trucks, SUV's and 16 passenger vans caravan to Maryland and the driving assignments are completely random. We drove the 10 hours (one way) to get to Maryland at about 1:00 in the morning and set up camp by head lamps and headlights shining from the vehicles. This particular trip four years ago found me in a weird place in my life. Anna was about six months pregnant with Leyton, I was drinking far too much as well as being wrapped up in a few other vices. As far as my walk with Jesus went I was luke warm at best. We went to church on Sundays but that was about it for me. I believed in Jesus and what he did for me on the cross but my every day life did not reflect my gratitude for that at all. I was in a scary place for a married man who had his first child on the way. While I was there I was in a group of men with a leader named Jason and Jason was (and still is) a really awesome guy. Someone I knew of, but didn't know well and my time with him in this group only showed me how awesome he really was! We had some very real talks in our groups about things that men struggle with. Most importantly, for me, I learned that my struggles were not just my own that quite a few men in my group plus the whole large group (about 75 men that year) struggle with. We were able to come together as a group of men and link arms and say "you are not fighting this fight alone brother, I a fighting it with you. And if you'll keep fighting for me I'll keep fighting for you." I can't begin to explain in words the overwhelming feeling I got when I realized that these guys all wanted to link arms with me, right where I was, and press on fighting this fight together. One of the biggest tricks the enemy tries to pull on men (and women too I'm sure) is to try to get us to believe that the things we struggle with are so bad that we are the only ones who are hurting in that area thus keeping it to ourselves. Once a few guys got transparent with me and told me their hurts, their struggles, their shortcomings it made me realize that I'm not the only one who falls short in these areas. Some of us struggle in different areas, some of us fight the same fight but what was most important for me to realize was that we are all fighting and now we are fighting together!

 

     Back to those guys I was in a pick up truck with for the 20 hours of driving round trip. (Well what should have been 20 hours, somehow my driver did it in like 11!) Two of those three men in that truck plus myself struck up a friendship that lasted long past that weekend. We came home and stayed up with one another, went to breakfasts once a month, sent multiple texts a week, saw each other face to face a couple times a week at church and ended up becoming an accountability group. Those two men have celebrated some of my highest highs with me over the last few years. Just as importantly they have walked beside me and even carried me through some of my lowest lows also. We have been able to be 100% honest with each other without the fear of judgement but with the love of an accountability partner who will kick you in the teeth when you need it. I have enjoyed doing life, closely, with them and having them do it with me. I have celebrated births of children with them, graduations, anniversary's, breakthroughs and my own sobriety. Together we have also battled the enemy and his attempts to get into our lives, we've fought through tough times and even picked each other up when we fell. You see when you can be 100% honest, show who you really are, even the ugly stuff to someone knowing that they would never break that trust, never air your dirty laundry to the world you gain the power to fight against those things in a group and believe me when I say that once you get those things out in the open they are much easier to fight against. If you know me, or have followed my blogs or Facebook page you know that accountability is something that I take very seriously and hold my accountability partners very close to me.

 

     On that first trip for me four years ago I planted my flag in the ground on that mountainside in Western Maryland and said I will no longer let the enemy have a stranglehold on me or my life. With the help of Jason, my accountability partners and every other man that I linked arms with that weekend I decided to make a life change and it has been the best thing I have ever done for myself, my wife and my sons. God shows up in a huge way every year on that mountainside and moves in the hearts of men, I have seen it firsthand. I just pray right now that as men are getting ready in Goshen Indiana to take off this afternoon God start moving, move in their hearts and I pray that the holy spirit be there on that mountainside when they arrive at about 1:00 in the morning tonight.

 

     Here's a video from a Wild At Heart from a few years ago to give you a small look into what it's like there!

 

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The best I can do

     Anna snapped this picture of our boys this Saturday morning as we were getting ready to walk into Grant's Farm. We had an awesome morning, the weather was beautiful and the boys really enjoyed the morning out seeing all the animals and taking the train ride through the park.
     Sunday morning we woke up and headed to church. As we were driving Leyton got on the topic of Jesus. He likes to let us know that, "I love Jesus very much" or one of my favorites "Jesus lives inside my heart daddy, and he lives in Ryder's heart too." Now I know Leyton doesn't fully understand the concept of what he said there and I pray that one day, soon, when he's a little older and has a better understanding of Jesus living inside his heart he chooses to make that decision. Ryder is just over a year and a half old but is speaking pretty well for a child his age. He's just started putting simple sentences together and will say things like, "I love you daddy" or if we're on the way to church and he hears Leyton talking about Jesus he'll say, "I love Jesus!" Back to this Sunday. Leyton was telling us that he loves Jesus and that he loves to give him hugs and kisses. Then he asked me if Jesus would love to give him hugs and kisses and I said "oh yes he would love that." Without missing a beat Leyton tells us, "I can't wait to live with Jesus someday." Then he told Anna and I that Jesus tucks him into his bed every night. The most important thing that Anna and I believe we can teach our boys is that they have a God who loves them very much and that God has a son named Jesus and he loves them like crazy too. We pray before our meals, we pray before bed every night (most of the time Leyton leads our prayers) and from time to time Leyton will just come up to me and say "pray for Leyton." Anna and I want them to know that God and Jesus are real and that we are really talking to them when we pray and they hear us. Anna and I have always done this with Leyton when it was just him and now with both of them since Ryder came along.
     I spent a lot of my life doing the wrong things, making bad decisions and hurting people along the way. I'm sure I influenced people in a bad way when I was living like this and I wish I could take those times and actions back. But I can't. What I can do is lead by example now. I can live my life in a way that would influence people in a more positive way to make good decisions. I spent so much time doing wrong that sometimes it's hard for me to believe that I could influence someone to do right. So as I was sitting in the front seat of the car this Sunday it hit me that I had done something right I was seeing the fruit of that in both of my son's lives. Now let me quickly interject that this has nothing to do with me, it's not about me and this is not me taking the credit for "the good I've done." This is me taking the opportunity to thank God for changing me and through my change letting my sons know him at an early age.
     As they grow I pray that their relationship with God grows and that loving Jesus is something they never walk away from. I pray that I always be a good example for them to follow after and that they be world changers for the Kingdom of God someday.

Watch out!

I took this picture while we were at the zoo this weekend and when we all got home and were looking through the pictures it stood out to me. It stood out for a couple of reasons the first being that I love lions. They are the king of the jungle and one of the most powerful, dangerous and fearless large cats in the world! It also stood out to me in a symbolic kind of way. Try to follow me here... I walked up to the pen and I saw that lion laying there in that empty basin, I know he's dangerous but I see him he's on my radar. Knowing that he's there and that he's dangerous gives me the advantage (well that and the giant wall separating us) I can keep an eye on him, if he gets too close for my comfort I can move away from him. The fact that I am aware of him and that he is very dangerous to me keeps my on point about staying safe when it comes to him. All that make sense? Now the symbolism, we all have things in our life that we struggle with, that are dangerous to us and our well being. It could be food, alcohol, drugs, porn, men or women who knows but those could be things that if we are not hyper sensitive to be careful around they could hurt us. As long as we know those things are around, they are on our radar we can take steps to avoid them. I have a couple (just a couple LOL) old vices that I have kicked the habit of for a long time, but if I'm not careful, if I turn my back on them they can sneak up and attack. Still following? Did I bring it all together there? Well it makes sense to me.

Now here's the other thing that stood out to me about this picture. I see the King of the Jungle laying there on the ground eyeballing me. I'm well aware of him and I wont let him hurt me. But what about that lioness up in the tree that I didn't even see until someone else pointed her out to me? She wasn't on my radar therefore I wasn't careful of her. I could have gotten too close and BAM I would have been in trouble. Here's where I'm going with this. There are things in our lives that could be dangerous to us that we don't even see until we walk under them and a giant lioness jumps on our head! What happened in this exchange for me though was another man who was standing there did see her, and he did warn me about her and then she was on my radar. I try very hard to align myself with men and women who "bring me up." Who are good for me if that makes sense. A good friend of mine once said, "if you're not bringing me up you're bringing me down." Having those people in your life is very necessary, they can keep an eye on you when your walking through life and if they see you getting too close to that lioness up in the tree they can grab you by the arm and say be careful friend you're walking into dangerous territory. Let me also say that I rely on God, heavy, to help keep me out of trouble. I ask him every morning to keep the hedge of protection around me high so that nothing can get to me today and I believe with all my heart that God has delivered me safely MANY times away from some trouble that I got myself, unknowingly, too close to. I also believe that our relationship with man is a very important one and that God places people in our lives to help us on this journey too. I have 4 accountability partners whom I have made a bond with and given my word to that on many different levels "I've got their back." And I know they've got mine too. So be deliberate about who you surround yourself with in life and remember, if you're not bringing me up you're bringing me down.

Playlist

I got up early this morning and got to go for a run. For the last couple days I have had an upset stomach so my goal was to do a nice easy three miles. Nothing crazy, at a nice pace so I didn't overdo it and get sick while out running. As I laced up my Saucony's I said a prayer and asked God to bless my body, espcially my stomach, and also to bless my thoughts. I am a very mental runner and can get in my own head very easily. So I asked God to keep that "you need to stop" thought out of my head while I run today. I grabbed my iPod turned on my favorite running playlist entitled "Prefontain" activated my Nike+ and hit the street! It was pretty clear to me within the first mile that I was feeling really good. Physically my body was feeling perfect, no joint or muscle pain and most importantly my stomach felt great! I attribute that all to that prayer I said as I was lacing up my shoes this morning. I also have nothing but christian music on my Prefontain playlist. I have a lot of Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii and Thi'sl (awesome christan rappers) and I have some Gungor, Needtobreathe, Sidewal Prophets and Jason Castro. I enjoy running, God has blessed me there recently and I can get out and really enjoy my time on the road taking everything in. Often times I use that as my prayer time and that works really well for me. Other times I like to put the headphones on and crank the volume up to some music that keeps me jacked up and ready to run hard! This morning I had an awesome playlist and I just ran it out. There were times when the thought would pop into my head about my stomach and without fail Needtobreathe Lay 'Em Down comes on, just what I needed to hear at that moment. A little later I'm running and facing a pretty long hill. It's not terribly steep but goes for more than a half mile. As I'm at the bottom of that hill "I aint turning back" by Thi'sl comes on and pumps me up to attack that hill! When it was all said and done I did 10 miles in 93 minutes and felt awesome! I am sure I would not have gotten a 10 mile run this morning had I not asked God to bless it for me and I dont know if I would have if I didnt have some positive music in my ears the whole way! Just in case you're interested here's my Prefontain playlist!

1. Rejects by Lecrae
2. 40 deep by Lecrae
3. Lord Have Mercy by Lecrae
4. Dum Dum by Tedashii
5. I'm Good by Trip Lee
6. War by Trip Lee
7. On my Grind by Thi'sl
8. Unashamed by Lecrae
9. Violence by Lecrae
10. Lay 'em down by Needtobreathe
11. Beautiful Things by Gungor
12. Hallelujah by Jason Castro
13. The words I would say by Sidewalk Prophets
14. Just Like you by Lecrae
15. Misconception by Lecrae
16. I aint turning back by Thi'sl
17. Cling to you by Trip Lee
18. Jesus Freak by DC Talk
19. What if I stumble by DC Talk
20. Go until I'm gone by Tedashii

Tough Mudder

I have been constantly training and working out since my weight loss journey started in February of this year. My weight loss total to date is 55 pounds, I started at 240 pounds and currently wegh 185. I have trained for and run and set a personal best for a half marathon this summer. I am currently training for a Warrior Dash in September and then another half marathon the next weekend in October. My training has gone pretty awesome I have to say. I have stayed injury free and completely motivated to stay on it the whole time. As my training progresses and my times get faster, my deistances get longer I want to be constantly pushing myself to the next level. Once I conquer 9 minute miles I want to be running 8 minute miles. When I can easily run 5 miles I want to be able to easily run 7 miles. I dont ever want to become lax in my training and plateau. I have had a great winter and then summer of training and races and feel very blessed that God has given me this body that I can work hard and it responds well. I have been blessed to stay injury free and become much more healthy than I was when I started and I turn all of that back to God for blessing me physicall and mentally and I started this journey. After my Warrior Dash and half marathon in about a month I want to look for the next challenge, the next mountain to climb and eventually conquer. That mountain for me is going to be a Tough Mudder! A Tough Mudder is about a 13 mile run that has somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 British Special Forces style obstacles. It is billed as the Toughest thing you'll ever do! There are obstacles that involve jumping into an ice water filled dumpster (first obstacle), up and down hills, running through fire, through mud, over 12 foot high walls, under barbed wire and through a field of 10,000 volt charged wires just to name a few! This event is done in teams becasue almost nobody could complete it on their own.

Why would I choose to try something like this? Honestly because it scares me a little bit and I'm not sure I could do it. I dont ever want fear to stop me from going after things and I kind of enjoy that feeling of your heart beating really fast, head rush feeling you get when your a little scared of something. That fires me up, I want to run head first into those kinds of situations. Also I want to do it becasue I think it would be an incredible team building/bonding experience for the team of guys I am going to ask to do this with me. I am a team player and I love nothing more than holding up my end of the bargain for the sake of my team achieving a goal. So on top of my cardio training that I do quite a bit now I will also have to seriously work on my strength training. This is way more than just running a straight line for 13 miles, it will be the most physically demanding thing I have ever tried and I cannot wait to jump into this thing head first!

Check it out for yourself.