Author: Wick

A few notes from returning home yesterday, for the first time in about 2 weeks:

I became a virtual jungle gym of sorts, as both Addison and Sophie attacked me for attention in the living room. It was really as if they were physically saying “daddy, we missed you”. 🙂 It was incredible.

After we tired out a bit, all three of us took a nap on the couch together. Usually a nap of any sorts “together” has very little sleep involved. But thankfully, I don’t think they slept well Friday night, which led to a new sense of sleep deprivation. Sophie on my chest, Addie curled up under my arm, they both echoed smaller versions of their mothers “deep breathing noise” (not a snore, my dad snores….this is no way the same thing). 🙂

After a short nap together, I transferred them both to their respective sleeping quarters, where they BOTH slept over 2 hours further!!! After they woke up, we had a very healthy dinner of pepperoni pizza (made Mediterranean by some feta cheese sprinkled all over it) and potato chips before bath time.

With bathtime, booktime, bedtime, breakfast time, getting dressed time, packing, etc…times..(with moments for breaking out in running around the house sans diapers screaming and dancing to whatever song we wanted to sing or make up…or just crawl around like puppies for a bit)..whew. I have definitely gained a new appreciation for what my wife has been up to the past two weeks, and what she goes through every Sunday morning. I leave for church early by myself usually (two services), and try to escape with everyone still asleep. Maybe Addie should start coming with me to both services…we’ll see. 🙂

Looking forward to my wife’s return late tonight,as the Anderson family becomes “whole” once again finally, and a VERY exciting day tomorrow!!

(not the kind of “whew” where you feel like you’ve dodged a large bullet, but rather a “whew” of man that was pretty awesome and I’m overjoyed/crushed that it’s over)

It’s been a great time of learning and growth. For those of you who have continued to read my blog, congratulations. Your faithfulness has brought you far. For those who have been waiting patiently for me to get over all this Minor Prophet/Wesley nonsense, your time has come. I can’t promise not to mention them in the future, but at least for present blog posts, beginning tomorrow you should expect to see more of the day to day musings and ramblings of a youth pastor/father/husband/Child of God/etc. 🙂

I want to give a shout out to my homies at the Groover house, for being such AWESOME hosts. Even though I couldn’t party with them regularly like I would have wanted to, I know that at the drop of a hat, a party could have happened. At any moment, I could have put down the books, or closed the laptop. I could have climbed up those stairs. I would say “lets party” to whoever of the family was socializing in their main living area. The music would begin, and we’d boogie to whatever musical show they’d recently DVR’d. They are, after all, the GROOVERS. 🙂

Instead, I’m guessing I was a rather boring houseguest. A bookworm, a computer-worm, or an “out with the guys” worm on occasion. Thanks Groovers, for letting me find refuge in your basement…it was perfect.

I also want to make a suggestion based on a week of careful research. If you happen to find yourself in a distant city, without your usual selection of music to abuse and burn through like you deserve something better. If you find yourself with only 3 cd’s with which to fill the silence of a week’s worth of driving. If this is ever you, I recommend keeping a musical instrument in your car. Something that can be held in one hand, preferably. If it has a “key”, you should probably make it something generic like “G”, or “C” or something musically practical like that.

Examples include, but are not limited to: Harmonica, Egg Shaker, Tambourine, Recorder (without much demand for notes), kazoo (for those less inclined to actually be musical), etc.

I have had with me, my Hohner Harmonica (key of C). It’s been interesting to see which Jack Johnson songs really should have had a harmonica in them, and which ones a harmonica shows up like Spongebob on Yo Gabba Gabba (unwelcome). Sure, you get a few strange looks, but you learn to get over those (as if you haven’t already). It makes any cd you’ve heard a thousand times, a brand new opportunity at being musically entertained, AND this time you’re a part of the action.

That’s my major contribution to humanity for the day. (my fortune cookie told me I, in fact, DO contribute positively to all humanity, so back off) After many days of study and all the writing I involved myself in last night….it feels good to simply spew thoughts out there.

Thanks for playing.

Last week Dr. Headley of Asbury Seminary gave a short devotional based on Peter’s denial. It was a take I’d never heard before. It was a take that was hard, but appropriate, to hear.

It was that Peter’s denial was not when he claimed not to know Christ. His real denial began earlier that chapter, when he denied TO Christ that he would ever deny him. He was denying his humanity. Denying his ability to fall. Denying his need for Christ.

How often in my own life, have I set myself up for that same denial? Coasted through waters, always assuming “hey, I’m in ministry”….or “I read the Bible, and go to Church, how would I ever screw up majorly?”. But as the message of Dr. Headley, and God’s own working on my heart stirred, I was forced to realize I’m capable, humanly speaking, of any crime committed by a person found behind bars these days. Or even those who should be behind bars.

With that knowledge, I’ll confess it’s been a rough week in some ways. When I’ve allowed God to confront me with that understanding, it begs the quesion – so what? How does this change how I live my life? And this week I have been given the answer. Holiness as sin-expelling love.

You see, because in the same way I must realize my humanity and capability to commit heinous crimes, I also recognize – as pointed out by Wesley – the Witness of the Spirit on my life. Romans 8:16 tells me that, “the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God…”

I am a child of God. The more I am filled by this/His Spirit/His Love, and fill my life with loves directed towards, and sourced in that…..look out. 🙂 Am I humanly capable of horrible things? Yes. It’s when I understand/confess that – that I’m completely honest with my need for what God has done/is doing. Am I even more so capable of reflecting the God who created me? YES! And He has claimed me as His own. To love.

He has claimed you also…child of God.