Two blog posts in one day – it’s a modern miracle! Ha! A friend sent this to me tonight, it’s hysterical and so, so true. Enjoy

I haven’t written a lot in recent weeks, mainly because I’m just tired and the words just haven’t been there. Unlike so many others I know, blogging just doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve never been good at talking about myself or what’s going on in my life. And although it’s always been easier for me to write it all out – even that’s been difficult lately. But I’m working on that – among other things.

I did want to stop in though and share what’s been going on in the world of parenting lately. We are now the proud parents of an always on-the-move toddler! Landon is so much fun right now – seems like he’s learned something new every time I walk in the door after a day at work. I’m so thankful Carrie’s able to stay at home with him during the day – she is such an amazing mom and teacher.

Right now, Landon’s at that stage where he’s wanting a little independence – and testing our limits at the same time. There’s several things around the house he knows he’s not supposed to do – like play in the dogs water bowls, touch the entertainment center and throw food to the dogs. We’ve learned that we’ve got to pick our battles – especially at this age when he’s just being a little boy, discovering things for the first time. But these are a few battles we’ve decided to take on. Discipline is a tough thing, but consistency in discipline is even tougher.

At 16 months, it’s tough to know how to discipline Landon, but for us, it’s a makeshift time out. We make him sit on the floor, we hold his hands and make him sit still for 1 minute. Then we talk about what he did and why it was wrong, give him a hug and tell him we love him. Last night, he kept throwing his food, so we had to do it 5 times in a row – but I think he’s slowly starting to understand.

Most parents have some form of discipline, but very few are consistent over time. It’s hard – really hard, but it is the only way. I’m thankful Carrie and I had great models of this growing up. Now as a parents ourselves, we realize how difficult it is, but how critical it is to teaching Landon obedience, respect and love. It’s funny how the farther down the parenting road we go, the more we understand the immensity of God’s patience and love for us.

What are some tough things you face(d) as a parent?

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted something, mainly because I just haven’t felt like posting anything – some days I just don’t have any words. I admire those of you that can post stuff on a daily basis – that’s just not me. When I do post, I tend to lay it all on the line – otherwise, it’s just not worth the attempt.

I don’t know what it is, but honestly, I’ve just been in a funk lately – spiritually, emotionally and physically. For whatever reason, I’ve always struggled with these times in my life. And unfortunately, it always takes something out of the ordinary to wake me up. That something this time around was a girl running a red light and t-boning our SUV this past Friday. Thankfully, Landon wasn’t with us at the time and Carrie and I walked away with just whiplash and some minor cuts & bruises – our car was not as fortunate.

I’m still a little shocked at everything that happened and I keep playing it over and over in my head. There’s nothing I could have done differently to avoid it – it just happened. I believe everything happens for a reason, there are no accidents or coincidences. I’m just so thankful for God’s protection over us – had we been in a smaller car, Carrie would have been seriously injured.

I’m still processing and working through some of these things this week – both the personal stuff and also the financial end of things and all the “fun” that an accident like this entails. I just wanted to update the blog with what’s been going on. Thanks for your prayers and support this past week, it means the world to us!

I can’t imagine how hard it is to be a mom – not just physically, but emotionally and every other way too. It’s been awesome watching my beautiful wife transition to being, not only an amazing wife, but an incredible mom too. And she’s done it seamlessly, as if it’s what she was destined for all along – which I know she was.

I knew from the minute I met Carrie that she would be an amazing mom some day.  She has an enormous heart and has always had a way with connecting with kids like no one else I’ve ever seen. I know she was nervous before Landon was born, but the second she held him for the first time, everything just seemed so natural – and it’s been that way ever since.

They say being a mother is the hardest job there is – I couldn’t agree more. It’s a 24/7/365 gig that never ends. It’s a thankless job, with rarely any down time, you’re sleep deprived, there’s always cooking and cleaning and laundry to do, and on top of it all – the never ending worry and stress that comes with being a mom. And if that’s not enough, the pay sucks and so does the boss. Name one profession that even comes close to competing with that.

All that to say, I love you Carrie. I want you to know that you are an amazing mom – the best there is and ever will be. You’re not only an amazing and gorgeous wife, who takes care of all my needs (quite an accomplishment in its own right), but you’re a beautiful and loving mommy to a very active little boy who adores you. Thank you for all you do for us – we wouldn’t make it 10 seconds without you!

Happy Mother’s Day baby, we love you so much!

- Your Two Studmuffins

I’ve been going back and forth for several months now about whether or not to do this, but I think the time has come to give ‘social media’ a break. I just really need to quiet the noise, turn down the volume and re-evaluate my priorities, where I am in relation to where God wants me to be and where my family needs me to be.

You see, I’m the kind of person that gets easily distracted and sidetracked – especially when it involves something I’m passionate about and enjoy – things like social media and technology for example. These things regularly fill up large amounts of time in my day – which honestly, is the one thing that has kept me from pulling the plug before now. I’ve made so many new acquaintances and friends as a result of joining Twitter last Fall. You guys entertain me, while at the same time inspiring me to passionately pursue Christ. That’s mainly the reason I know it’s time to take a break.

I’m not kidding myself here, I know I’m not a well known blogger like Jon Acuff or Matthew Paul Turner. I kind of equate it to the old ‘tree falling in the woods’ analogy, except that I’m more like a leaf, lol. I am me and that’s all I’ll ever be and I know my ‘online presence’ won’t be missed. But that’s another reason for this break, I’ve been caring way too much about what other people have to say, than what Jesus is trying to say to me (Twitter). I also care too much about where I’ve been than where God wants me to be (Foursquare). And I care way too much about everyone else’s life, than the life God’s blessed me with and has called me to (Facebook).

I don’t know how long the break will last – maybe a few weeks, maybe a month or two – I don’t know. All I know is it’s time to quiet the noise and turn down the volume and start paying more attention to the physical world around me and to the God whose voice often gets drowned out in all the noise I surround myself with on a daily basis. Easier said than done I know, but it must be done. See you after the break.

Wow, life has been anything but boring over the last month. Two weeks ago we got to spend a week at Disney with Carrie’s family (and had a blast!), celebrated Landon’s first birthday last weekend and we felt like we were just getting back into a routine when we got the call yesterday that Carrie’s grandfather had passed away. So we’ve been rushing around trying to get all the last minute details worked out to head to Pennsylvania this weekend.

Landon has been such a good little boy in all of our travels so far — we were blessed with an amazingly patient and flexible child. By the time we get back from PA, we’ll have gone through 6 different airports and traveled over 3000 miles, all in less than a month. Getting through security before Landon was tough enough, but now that we have a stroller and all of his stuff — it’s quite the chore, but we’re getting better at it.

Please keep Carrie’s family in your thoughts and prayers. We’re not sure if her grandfather knew the Lord and we know a lot of his family from his first marriage are not Christians. In addition to all of this, Carrie’s dad’s been in the hospital since last Saturday with complications from shoulder surgery. The doctors still don’t know what’s going on, but we think he has blood clots. They’ve put him on Coumadin which has helped, but just pray they find out where the clots are. It seems like anytime he has any kind of out-patient type surgery, he winds up getting blood clots.

We would appreciate your prayers for us too – we’re tired and just want to get back into some semblance of a routine for awhile. I’m thankful that my employer has been very flexible lately. Luckily, I’ll be able to work remotely while we’re in PA so I’m not getting too far behind and leaving them to fend for themselves. Anyways, just wanted to stop in and update the ‘ole blog since it’s been awhile. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

Looks like I’ll finally be able to unlock that JetSetter foursquare badge, sweet!

It’s hard to believe my baby boy is 1 year old today! This year has gone by so fast and I shutter to think how fast the years will fly by and he’ll be all grown up. It’s been amazing watching Landon grow up before our eyes… it seems like every day he’s changing in some way or learning something new.

On Monday night we got a chance to go out to Downtown Disney, just the two of us, and spend some time together. On the way there, I heard the song Find Your Wings by Mark Harris for the first time. It’s an amazing song and one I know will stick with me for a very long time. I’d like to dedicate it to my little boy Landon, on his first birthday.

I love you Landon, more than you’ll ever know. Next to the day I married your mommy, the day you were born was the best moment of my life. The greatest gift I’ve ever been given is the opportunity to be your daddy. I’m so proud of you and I always will be. I will always love you and I want you to know that Jesus loves you too. Happy birthday buddy! Love, Daddy

Find Your Wings by Mark Harris
It’s only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I’ll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I’ll want to know
You’re walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I’m here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

It’s not living if you don’t reach for the sky
I’ll have tears as you take off
But I’ll cheer as you fly

I was reading in Exodus 18 this morning and read something that I’ve always just skimmed over before, but it offers some powerful lessons, especially for those in leadership positions or in positions of authority over others–whether it be within the church, at work or simply as head of a home. Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law and shortly after the Israelites exited Egypt, he came to visit Moses in the wilderness. Jethro taught Moses some important lessons during their time together. See if you can spot them from the passage below:

^{13 -14} The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What’s going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?”

^{15 -16} Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God’s laws and instructions.”

^{17 -23} Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.”

^{24 -27} Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges. Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.”

There are a lot of lessons here, but here’s a few things that stood out to me. First, Jethro taught Moses to delegate. It’s impossible for one person to do it all. Us men struggle greatly in this area because delegating responsibility isn’t something we’re naturally good at. To some, delegating seems like a sign of weakness because you’re admitting you can’t do it all. I’ve had managers and bosses and I’ve seen pastors and ministry leaders that had this mindset–it’s unhealthy and eventually leads to complete and utter failure.

The second lesson is a bit more subtle, but is the most important in my opinion. Jethro told Moses to surround himself with God-fearing men–men who loved God with all their heart and were loyal to the cause of Christ. This is why I love seeing a plurality of Elders in the church, because it takes the pressure and focus off the pastor being “the man” and distributes the responsibility to other godly leaders. There’s so many lessons that can be taken from this one point too, outside of leadership. As individuals, we should surround ourselves with other people in our lives that will keep us accountable, who will encourage us when we’re down and speak truth into our lives when we’re veering off course. The Christian life was never intended to be run alone.

Jethro spoke truth into Moses’ life, which I truly believe changed the course of history for Israel. It allowed other men to step up and become leaders–men like Joshua. But none of this would have happened had Moses not listened. As leaders in whatever aspect of our lives (church, workplace, home), we must listen to the advice and council of others around us. God used the simple words of a simple man named Jethro to change the course of Moses’ life–and it can change ours too.

What about you… do you have a hard time delegating? Ever find yourself running the race alone, trying to make it all work out on your own?

We can all learn a lot from Jethro.

My sister-in-law posted this photo earlier and it made me laugh. It’s the Christmas story told by my 3-year old nephew, Eli.

Caption this: