As we we have been getting ready for Bethany to come into the picture this time, he has been great.  He would snuggle Katie in the bed while she was on bed rest and he was never too far from her side. 

So a couple of days when Bethany came home we were excited about his reaction.  Once again he took up his post as protector and shepherd of this little bundle.  This picture was taken the first night (about 2am) where he sat and laid all night beside her. 

This second picture is from this morning when Katie got up and he figured he would take the next shift of watching the baby and snuggle down on the couch.  He reminds me of the dog from the Disney version of Peter Pan (nana) who took care of the kids.  What an adventure that the WHOLE Bishop family is on. 

Eden is being a great big sister.  She is loving holding and caring for Bethany.  She has wanted to spend the night so badly, but spent the first night we were in the hospital with the Posey family and then last night with the Bishops.  This morning Eden is going to Middletown Church where I am sure she is going to be showing off some pictures of “her first baby.”  She is going to be a great helper as we make the transition back to home life.  Now the real question is how the dog is going to feel about all of this.  I brought home one of Bethany’s blankets so he could sniff yesterday.  He then looked at me with eyes that said, “I remember when this happened 30 (dog) years ago.”

A new adventure begins today as we make our way home.

It is going to be great!!!!!

I love the adventure of shaping and facilitating worship.  This is a picture from our last youth worship service.  The goal of the service was to capture the drama and emotion of all of Holy week.  We began on Palm Sunday, and people even threw their hoodies and jackets on our road to Jerusalem (see pic).  Here we also had students write reasons they wave their palms for God.  Then we moved to the upper room and had communion.  From there we had a service of light and good friday liturgical readings. We then had students write on a dry erase board the things that separate them from God.  Finally we ended worship with Easter and the proclamation that the tomb was not only empty because god overcomes death, but also because God’s love for us wins even in the face of death and humiliation. 

I thought it was very cool and the students took to it as well.  

What have you done to shape your programs that has worked?

They even took pictures and video of the vandalism.  Best prank ever

This week I think part of the sermon is going to allude to the way that we fall all over ourselves for people who make music, art or other forms of creative expressions as if they are on a wonderful crusade.  It is important to note that some artists are working for social change and advocacy.  Yet the fact is we give much more press, celebration and acclaim to these folks than we do the civil servants (social workers, firefighters, police officers, EMTs…). 

In this kind of thinking I thought about the influential bands and artists I could name (a good number), contrasted with the number of social workers I could name (none, unless you count family members). 

This weekend we are going to be using this discrepancy to illustrate difference between being in love with God and falling in love with God. 

Come and see the difference.

With this kiddos all tucked in bed, or at least in their rooms, I find myself wanting something to do at 12:15am.  I know I should sleep, but it is hard with a room to myself and I haven’t gone though the night time routine with Eden and Katie. 

Because the gym was closed I took some time to make a little reading nook (a more mature way of saying fort out of sheets) where I am going to crash and read. 

I am just reminded that this small group of students we have with us is such a blessing.  There are time in ministry where I really feel blessed to be a pastor.  Sharing this weekend journey with them is one of those times. 

Sunday evening Eden was so tired from the day that she feel sleep in our bed while Katie and I were talking. 

At one point Katie looked at me and said “look at her hands.”

She must have been praying that she would fall asleep before we noticed so that she could stay in the big bed.  It kind of worked.  She was asleep before we knew it, but she still had to go to her bad and sleep the rest of the night. 

So there hasn’t been much posting going on here for the last little bit because it is simply something that has fallen off of the plate for the past little while.

I have notes, drafts and potential posts scattered throughout my bags and notebooks, but there is little progress that is really happening.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  My rationalizations about neglecting my blog are:

• I have been the one one at the helm for the past little while while our Senior Pastor is on Sabbath rest. 
• I have a very pregnant wife who just the other day admitted she is nesting (in reality it has been happening for many weeks).  This means painting the baby room, getting furniture set up, grooming the dog and other things around the house. 
• I have been working on another little digital brainstorm to equip youthworkers in my area with teaching, training and resources.  The hope was it would be a launch pad for community, connection and events.  So some blog energy have been put into theYMcloud.com which may not see real daylight for a while now. 
• confirmation class has started which adds another layer of teaching on to my weekend preaching, youth lessons and small group teaching. 
• We are having a Kid in May.  Baby Bethany Grace will be here soon
• Finally, I am going to be reappointed in July to Faithpoint church in Urbana.  I am excited at the new ministry opportunities with this community.  SO the next couple of months will be filled with good-byes and finishing well at Middletown UMC, 

Some of you might read this as a list of excuses, but I just wanted to give a heads up as to what is going on in the real life of this dad/pastor that has cut my web time down rather drastically. 

I am hoping to get some stuff up soon because I have some posts that I would like to get out about being the one at the helm, transitions, and how planning for a second kid changes the game (again). 

In the mean time if we haven’t connected recently, let me know how you are or lets connect up for coffee. 

What an adventure this conspiracy of grace is. 

Redirecting to external links doesn’t count. 

Today the amount of written material and media is astounding.  Most of it is just background noise to us.  It is hard to have something that passes through our filters and then makes an impression.  It seems that there is great value in short and sweet.

So with 140 characters PROCLAIM the WORD!

The past couple of days have been a true gift. 

Friday was my Sabbath and it was filled with a little work while Eden was in preschool, then we went to chuck “e” cheese and we suppressed Eden with a playmate there with one of her best friends, then we played outside where we got this pic.  Eden put herself down for a nap and I took a great 7.5 mile run that ended with the assistance of a headlamp.  Dinner was amazing too. 

Saturday was more of the same with a family hike, some Toy Story mania on Wii.  Katie was trying to work and then she was playing 2 players at the same time (see pic). 

The Dog even has loved this little bit of spring before real winter has come.