Addiction

Some folks are addicted to:
- drugs, alchohol
-plastic surgery (Real Housewives of OC)
-working out
-games
-mountain dew
-mickey mouse (ed)

We seem to be addicted to construction around our house.
About the time everything was back to normal after the addition, we decided it would be good to dig up our front yard!
Actually we didn't decide it, a hug water bill decided it for us. Apparently our main line to the house has been leaking, but no more, "Mr. Jim" (as Davis likes to call him) put in a whole new line.

It's fitting that we are hoping (if the the snow holds off) to have a construction themed birthday party for Davis tomorrow. So now we have really set the scene for a construction party!


Davis and Allie found a little perch to watch "Mr. Jim" work on the "bobcat".

20 minutes

What will we do in 20 minutes today?
If I started this blog off with the ask, most of us would make the excuse that we don't have time to do "the ask."
So let me ask you this first...
What WILL you do in 20 minutes today?
Read the sports page?
Check your blog roll?
Read a chapter of a novel?
Watch sportscenter for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time?
Surf youtube?
24?
Bachelor?
Check stats on a sports team...

We ALL have 20 minutes.

So my ask is this... would you spend 20 minutes watching this next video? If you are really crazy, spend 45 minutes and watch the whole video, I think it will be worth your time.

The video is of John Piper, a pastor in Minnesota, talking about the importance of scripture in our lives. The first 20 minutes is Piper quoting the book of Philipians. If you've never seen someone really recite a book of the bible, it's powerful.

20 minutes. It's all I ask.



I hope you know this isn't about Piper memorizing the book of Philippians. It's about being hungry for the word of God in our lives. Letting it not inform us, but rather transform us.

Laughing in the tub

I have a feeling that this is exactly the reason that Aunt Kristin gave me a flip video for Christmas.
Our kids are awesome.

MLK Zoo Visit

I was fortunate to get MLK day off and Katie had the great idea of going to the zoo.
It turns out that it is pretty fun.
This was Davis' second trip, Muma and Papa took him when Annie was born.
He was so excited this morning when we said we were going to go see the animals.
At breakfast, Gourmet's Market, he kept saying, "Animals, zebra, giraffe." Giraffe was not quite as clear as you are reading it!

It was a perfect day for the zoo, because it was cool all of the main animals were out enjoying the sun.
I am sure we will be making many more trips to the zoo if it is up to Davis.
When we left we asked him what his favorite part was... his answer, "Animals." I guess that's pretty good for a zoo.

Enjoy.


Here is what it looks like after a long morning at the zoo and a random cute pic.

Picasso

Our own little Picasso

Don't want to say told you so...

If you remember I did a post about Lane Kiffin a few months ago.
Here is an excerpt from that post:
How quickly will these same people turn on Lane? His first loss, his first major mistake in play calling? When we haven't "won it all" after so many years?
The reason we will eventually turn on Lane is simple. Lane Kiffin will NOT satisfy. As much as we would like for him too, he won't. He can't.
Lane Kiffin is a miserable Savior.
Lane Kiffin is not meant to be a savior.

One year.
That's the answer to the question, How quickly will these same people turn on Lane... one year.
A few months ago he was being praised, now his facebook "fan" page is flooded with comments about what a miserable person he is, where he can spend eternity, hopes that he never wins a game again, and plenty of other comments that I am sure you can imagine.
Some might say, "Yeah, but he betrayed us!" "He's a sellout." etc...
No, he's a football coach.
He took a job.
He showed us his life is not consumed with orange and white.
Ultimately what frustrates us about this is that he is showing us that he doesn't love something as much as we do.

You know what I hope we may learn from this...that everyone's life does not revolve around one football team, even coaches, even Lane Kiffin's.
He's a human.
He is guaranteed to fail, so am I.
Mission accomplished.

"I will never leave you or forsake you." Heb 13:5, Deut. 31:6

Baby it's cold outside

Today is the first day since Jan 1st that it is above freezing! That is the longest stretch of sub freezing temps in Knoxville since 1895!!
In Kansas, Kristin says there are days where the windchill is in the negatives, so i guess we can't complain too much.
Here are a few pics playing outside. It didn't really snow that much, but it stuck around for a while because of the frigid temps.
Davis' favorite thing was to run up and down the driveway and say, "Run fast"





Katie threw her back out earlier in the week, and while we were playing outside she decided to hang from the monkey bars. She may or may not approve of this photo being on the blog. You can tell by her face that this is the less staged picture in the history of this blog!

Boldness

I don't care what you think about Fox News.
I don't care what you think about Bill O'Reilly.
I don't really care what you think about this blog.
I do care what you think about Jesus Christ.
Some will say this is out of line.
Some will say he shouldn't voice his beliefs about his faith on tv.
Some would say this is just another judgmental Christian.
I don't care if you are a news anchor, a lawyer, a mom, a president, an entrepreneur, or a golfer. IF you are a follower of Christ you should be talking about Him. There is no segregation of life and Christ. Scripture is clear that "whatever" you do, do it for Christ. (1 Cor 10:31) I must stop filtering myself when it comes to Christ.
I have a hard time talking as openly about Christ as Brit Hume does, and I work at a church!
Thanks Brit.

Handy Man

My twitter account is on the side of our blog.
Katie has started twittering as well.
You should also check out her tweets occasionally, I promise that you will probably laugh. www.twitter.com/ktneelymama
Today she put this picture of Davis up. She told him to smile and this is what she got in return.
Do not mess with Davis while he is working.


FYI- Passion was amazing. God was made great. The Word of God was taught. And I pray that more than emotions were stirred, but that God will graciously help our lives to be transformed in the coming days.

New Year

Well here we go... a new year.
Last night Katie and I kicked off our new year with our small group from Fellowship. There were 4 couples total that spent the evening at a lake house. Katie's parents kept the kids and we had a great time spending time with each other.

My favorite part of the night was that we spent 10-15 minutes praying as a group. That doesn't just happen.
I am really thankful for a group of friends that spent time before the Father, thanking Him, praising Him and remembering all He has done.

To start the new year off Katie and I are heading to Atlanta for 4 days to a conference. My parents will be keeping the kiddos for this stint.
We are going to Passion Conference. Passion is a conference for college students which was very formative to me when I was in college. I am REALLY excited to be going and sharing this experience with Katie.
They will actually be putting some of the main sessions online for anyone who is interested. www.268generation.com/passion2010

As we begin the New Year i would love to ask you to pray for us. There will be over 21,000 college students invading downtown Atlanta, Philipps Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center. Pray that things would happen that can only be described by God. But can I ask that you not only pray for the corporate gathering but pray for Katie and I. Pray that we would not just lead/chaperone the trip, but that we would meet Jesus in a way that changes us. That we may be "transformed more into His (Jesus) likeness". I want to go expectant that God will do what only God can do.

Happy New Year.