Brotherly Love

You know one of my favorite things about this blogging thing is the lovely communication it brings between siblings and family. If you take a moment and just scroll through all of the posts and comments you will see an endless amount of love and affection amongst my family. These are not just meaningless comments about "how's the weather there" or "so did you watch the news the other day, the economy is going down the toilet." No my friends... not my family. Our comments to one another are well thought out articulated responses to everyday life. They are from the heart people. We put so much effort in to showing our love that if we just took a few minutes and combined our brains, our massives IQ's, we could solve all of this countries woes. If we could just take all of the energy we spend on being smart asses to one another and use that same energy for good, the earth would be our playground. Oh the things we could accomplish. The economy, peace in the midde east, the Browns winning a Super Bowl. We might even be able to figure out a cure for premature hairloss in young attractive males. Hmmm

28 + 2 = 30

My husband turns 28 today! Apparently that's a big deal because now there is only 2 years until he turns 30. I wasn't sure that 30 really should be a big deal, or that being 2 years away from it should be. That was until I found him wandering in the desert. Well, not so much wandering as much as hitchhiking...he's gone mad, thrown in the towel and decided that life as he knew it is over. If I listen closely I can still hear his muffled cries, waiting for someone to stop and pick him up. That's his only hope really. If he can start a new life somewhere then maybe he can lie about his age. Then and only then would someone still want to be his friend. That's where true happiness will find him. At this point a strong attempt could be made to scrape the shattered pieces of his life back together. When all else has failed, hope remains. (Oh well, he might be old, but he's still got killer good looks and a body most women can't keep their hands off of!)

Love you baby! Happy Birthday.

Jasmine on 97.1zht

Hey everyone Google 97.1zht Utah and go to the Jacko-Cuties page and vote for Jasmines photo. We could win $500 if she wins. She is entry #224 cast your vote and hopefully we'll win! Thanks for your support.

What About Life?

So as I sit with my family having a Little Ceasars five dollar pizza by candle light I start to ponder over the range of emotions I've experienced the last several weeks. Any of you that have been reading our blog know what we have gone through. It hasn't been easy. We've been tested in so many ways and it feels like life just continues to throw stuff at us. Just the other day I was on a call and watched a young woman die right in front of me. She took her own life. So I run over and over in my mind what could be so bad that would cause a person to think that ending their own life is their only option. I will never understand, my only hope is that God is waiting for them on the other side and His mercy covers them. That is my prayer for all of us...that God covers us in His grace when we face hard times. I'm not trying to say that what we have faced has been as bad as what was going on in her life. All I am trying to say is life isn't always fair to any of us. Her life coming to such a tragic end has effected everyone who new her or who came into contact with her in many different ways. There is a line in one of my favorite movies that always sticks with me. When a man complains about his situation and the adversity he faces saying he never wished for his situation, his friend responds by saying "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us." I don't think anything can decribe it better than that. I have experienced frustration, anger, sadness, confusion and so many other feelings in the last few weeks that it's hard to summarize my thoughts. And yet through all of the bad I feel as though God reveals himself in extrodinary ways. I have such an amazing love and appreciation for my family. I see my son and daughter with such a powerful love and hope for their future. Just looking at them lately can bring a tear to my eye. My wife is the most supportive, caring, compassionate person I have ever know. Her love for our family cannot be measured. The love of parents have been experienced from my point of view in both directions. What my parents and grandmother did for us I will never forget. The time they spent with us recently and the blessing they have been will forever remind me of the uncompromising love a parent has for their children. The love shared with us by our friends caught me off guard. It comes from the most unexpected places sometimes...it truly amazes me. SO in closing all I am trying to say is through all the tough times we have, and the emotional roller coaster we ride, God is always there. Constantly trying to remind us to just look up! Sometimes I think God has to guide us through struggles to remind us of all the blessings we have. The hard times in our life shine the blessings we have even brighter. It's an incredible reminder of the fact that we do not walk alone and that He has promised us a future abundant with hope and love.