**Mustard Seed Distributed**

I have to keep coming back to this, you know that. Family is in this post also, as if I should have to say it. But I am going to miss my friends. I have had different friends over the years, but some continue to stick. Berman, wooster, and the like. New ones like cdubs and mg and bb. Of course, the donald. Sick Pete. Steiner. My neighbors Ray and Steve-O. MC Roomie and the Graham Cracker. Downtown Kbrown and woodsie. So many to list here, but I don't have all day!! I am going to miss them a LOT. It makes my heart crinkle. (Of course sick pete will be there, but he's like my new brother that doesn't count) Speaking of family, I haven't even put them down here. I enjoyed dinner with mattsy last week, my godson's daddy. I told him he'll have to fly out with the boy if he wants to have dinner. Anyway. I will miss all of them. I look to the future and wonder who will be my new found friends that I don't even know yet? God knows, and He doesn...

So I have been walking to work in May, even though there have been a few days I did drive. It is hard to not take time and look around you when you are walking to and from work. The trees are prettier. The birds are great in the morning-singing to me, flying across to and fro. The green of this time of year is quite beautiful also to watch. Sometimes I walk quietly and pray. Sometimes I just ask God to speak to me and listen. Sometimes I listen to the ipod-which by the by is arguably the best invention by humans-EVAR!-and I had forgotten how much I like music. I mean when I was in college, I would go to the record store (because that is what it was called-"New Moon Records" and peruse the used CD's and trade some in and get new ones. Listen to music, then trade again to get something new. Sometimes if I really liked it, I would keep it. Of course, my home slice Rod used to work there so I got a great discount. ANYWHO-back to the story- Walking to work has been...

SO- Briggsy sells his car and has an interview. Kallens are in full moving mode, full time employment to begin after the temp job is up. Mucker rents her house and has to move out. People keep looking at our house. Alli says to Char the other night-"I'm ready to go, it's going to be really cool to live there." Anyone that I run into is positive about things working out. Mattsy says he is going to buy my Jeep. Mineaus say that they are interested in buying the van. I have the deepest conversation with my dad that I have ever had in my life. What else you need from me? I'll gladly give it all. “For I am about to do a brand NEW THING. See, I have already begun. Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home, I will create rivers for them in the dessert” Isaiah 43:19 NLT

It is important to keep the sabbath as God commands us. I don't think that I have really been doing that lately. What, with the work week crazy as it is this time of year, after school activities, meetings, etc....then you add in Friday night get togethers, Sunday meetings..blah blah. I have not taken many days the last two months to just take a break. So I did this weekend. Went with the sick family up north. Beautiful place. Ironic that we went up with the sick family and liv had the croup, and alli sat inside for a day and a half with a fever and was not well at all. So now we are having our memorial day break, and it is nice to do just that, take a break. By the by. Kallen and I have been emailing each other back and forth. What an incredible blessing that has been to me. He told me I had to listen to Tim Keller's message from last year "The timing of Jesus". You can download it from Redeemer here. Tim Keller is hands down the greatest sermon giver I...

Another first in the life of T$ today--being interviewed in a video conference. I just sent my things in on a position that I thought was perhaps "out of reach" for me. But the recruiter called me and interviewed me on the phone for a while. Then we set up the video conference interview today. It only lasted about 20 minutes, maybe a bit more. He asked me specific questions, but nothing "Wow". At the end, we start chatting like old friends. He says that the pool had 1400 applicants. He now has it down to five. Not five hundred, FIVE. He then says he is going to move me forward to the board/CEO of a very large organization that is renowned nationally and worldwide for the work they are doing. Me-T$ is in the pool for the position. God is so gracious to me. Jesus came so that I might have life, and have it to the full. I can tell you when I walked out of my first video conference interview today, I was full of life that only He can provide. I can't w...

So today I am supporting an organization that gets Brazilian girls off the streets and out of prostitution in Recife. You can get more information, or give to them online at: http://www.estherschildren.org/ I also get to golf which is a win-win for everyone. Looking forward to that. So I got to spend some time speaking with Superstar this morning, which is not normal on a weekday. I love my wife with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind. How blessed am I to have her for a wife? See 1 John 3:1-- "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." I am overwhelmed with the love God lavished on me by hand picking the superstar for my wife. Being with her for the rest of my life, and enjoying the journey with Jesus is going to be incredible...

So it has been a struggle lately, but not so much the last couple of days. I had to lead the communitas meeting for Pastor, as he sits his butt in Florida enjoying sun, beach, and family. I'm not jealous or bitter. That was fun to do for them as they enjoy their time away, mostly preparing mentally for the next month or so, moving to NYC, etc. Also Yankee and la puertoriqueña are away in Pennsylvania. Their moving truck already full, and probably unpacked... So I woke up this morning, and just sensed that 'something' was going to happen today. I even asked God if that was him talking to me, but I didn't hear anything. I thought I heard something was going to happen today. SO what happened? Nothing. Just having fun with who I am and where I am at. That's fun.

Listen to me. I am speaking. Through others. Don't you hear me? Listen. It is I. I am yours. I want you to listen. Don't ignore me. Just listen. Listen to me. I am speaking. Don't you hear me? Listen.

So I finally think I have it all figured out in my quest to follow Jesus. I read my bible daily. I take quiet time to listen to God to try to hear what He has planned for me. I give to Him my career, my marriage, my children, my home. One would think that doing those things would lead you to feel closer to God. However, I am struggling again this week to try to live in a world of selfish desires and people that don't seem to care about others more than themselves. Why is it a struggle to not be quick to anger? Why is it a struggle to get past the pain and anguish of watching others plot and work for themselves? Why is it difficult to not want to smack stupid people in the face and hopefully knock some sense into them? Or is it all just an attack on my thinking and being because I am trying to follow Jesus? I can tell you that I love my wife. I love my children. I love Jesus, and my communitas brothers and sisters. This much I know to be true. But even putting that in t...

God changes you. He heals the broken parts. He puts away your pain He cleans your house. God created you. He knows your hurts. He feels your pain. He gives you all you have. God protects you. He makes straight paths. He mends your friends. He guides your steps. God shows you. If you take the time. If you read His word. If you care to listen. God saves you. He sent His Only son. He died so that you live. He gives you grace and peace.

So last week at the Tiger game, superstar and I were discussing living in nyc. Yankees or Mets is a big decision as far as new yorkers are concerned. So I ask superstar who she will support-without any delay: "Oh, certainly the Yankees." "Fine", I say, "then I'll be the Mets fan." So there you go. Now we have one less thing to figure out in our journey to NYC.

I thought that maybe this was the position God had laid out for me in NYC, but I got my rejection letter in the mail on Saturday. So superstar brings the envelope to me in the garage as I am cleaning it for liv's bday bash today. I open it....thank you but no thank you...blah blah....form letter....so no. I'm fine with it, but I thought maybe this was it so that we could start doing things to move.... But it is not. I know that God has a better plan, and I am going to trust in him. Doesn't mean it is easy to get the no letter. But from the beginning I have asked God to open the doors HE wants open for me, and close the doors he wants closed. I know he doesn't want to bring my family and I harm so I will trust in Him... ANYWHO-Superstar and I read the letter, and then on the radio, the DJ says "Here's the new tune from the Wombats-Moving to New York" We look at each other, look at the radio, look at each other. Start laughing. God must have known ...

So I was told the drop dead notice date on the nlns job was the 7th. First I was telling people May 1st, but that was for another job, and it was really May 7th. Then nothing this week. So today I call and ask for clarification. Nice Joan from there tells me she was misinformed on the response date, so it will actually be May 22nd or before. I actually got a couple calls this week on other positions, so maybe God is working something out that he didn't work out yet. Either way you look at it, patience is something we could all use more of in our consumer drive thru self serve society. God didn't create us to live that way, but to look to him for wisdom and grace and patience. So I go back to the drawing board to see what God is sketching up.

I was to hear from nlns yesterday, and that didn't happen. But Monday cdubs says something about having tickets for the Tigers, and that she is thinking about selling them. "I'm in." So she even says she'll watch the girls so I can take superstar to the game. Honestly, I can't tell you off the top of my head the last date night we had. Much needed for the both of us. There are a few things that are great about last night: 1) I love my wife more today than I EVAR have 2) Cdubs rocks 3) We watched the best Tigers game I've evar been to (sidenote-I think we should all start spelling ever E-V-A-R like sick pete and pronounce it EV-AAAAARRRRRRRR) 4) Superstar and I can't wait to live in the big city 5) Superstar is committed to being the Yankees fan in the family 6) I am committed to being the Mets fan in the family 7) When we live in NYC, we are going to go to at least two baseball games a year-just spending that much time togeth...

Saturday was a bbq with communitas, our coach was in town. It was nice to meet him, and he shared some things that I thought were interesting. I found that boring (guy from kensington) led me to more insight than the coach. He said you need to think about "why God wants you to be a part of this team in nyc, and what you can give to the plant." So I'm going to pray on that every day and see what happens with it. I already feel like I have some leadership skills, I have some people skills, etc, and after all this stuff to get to nyc, I feel like I could offer some insight into spiritual development for men, couples, families, maybe even churches some day. I felt compelled to tell that to boring yesterday, so we will see what God will do with that since I am willing to listen. Also, boring said something that really rang true in my heart and my soul and my mind. He said something like -when people ask you why you are doing this-tell them "I'm tired of living ...

Yesterday was mom and dad's fortieth wedding anniversary. Time flies when you are having fun. I am so fortunate to have two parents that love and honor each other in their marriage. What an example for me to follow. No consumer relationship here, just commitment to the covenant they made before God forty years age. Thanks mommy and daddy.

I had to tell four teachers yesterday they will be laid off for next year, including cdubs. Many tears in my office for me this week. Matter of fact, it was the first time as the principal I just sat in my office and cried by myself. I know that God has a plan and His plan is better, but this week sucked. Thankfully, superstar loved on me, sick pete prayed for me, and the week was busy to keep me moving. It is SO hard to layoff the most committed, hardest working, most caring concerned teachers in the building. It doesn't seem right to me when others come in and do the bare minimum, won't even go to a presentation with their students, etc. Just not right. But God is good to me, and helped me through this week I know. I am thinking I may have broken down mentally this week if it wasn't for God helping me. I have hope in Him who guides me and demonstrates His mercy to me each day I live and breath. Thank you Jesus.