The Captain...

I know I've talked about Steve Yzerman in the past on this Blog, but Tuesday night, January 2, 2007, was a very special night in Hockeytown (Detroit, MI). On this evening, the #19 was raised to the rafters, never to be worn again by a Detroit Red Wing.

Yzerman's number was hoisted alongside those of legends like Gordie Howe (#9), Ted Lindsay (#7), Sid Abel (#12), Alex Delvecchio (#10) and Terry Sawchuk (#1). It was an amazing night. Gordie, Ted and Alex were on hand for the ceremony as were many Wings from the past and present.

Hockey has meant so much to me over the years because some of my best memories as a kid were when Dad took me to a hockey game or when we sat and watched the game together.

My dad took me to my first game when I was only 4 years old at the old Olympia. I still remember the smell of the ice, the stale spilled beers and that "old" smell, you know like an antique store or your grandma's house. I got a souvenir minature hockey stick, which one day had the autograph of Ted Lindsay taped to it. Dad told me to hold his hand as we walked through the crowded, noisy arena, and just like any son would, I held on as tight as I could. The sound in that place was so deafening that I plugged my ears so it wouldn't hurt.

Dad took us to games on and off throughout all our years growing up and we always had a great time. We made moo-ing sounds as we walked as a herd through the tunnels on the way to Joe Louis Arena. We even caught a puck one time and I had beer spilled all over me when the Wings scored one night. Matthew and I went to one of the Wings longest playoff games ever agains the Mighty Ducks (now just the Ducks), a triple overtime thriller that started their march to the 1st Stanley Cup in 42 years.

My brother, Matthew, and I used to play hockey in the basement all the time. He was the "full-time" goalie. I was all five guys on the team and did the play-by-play and color commentary. Somehow whenever I got ready to take the game winning shot on Matthew I yelled out, "Steve Yzerman carries in across the blue line... he shoots... HE SCORES!!!" If I didn't score Stevie got another chance at some point. When I was Matthew's best man at his wedding he gave me his very own Yzerman O-P-chee Rookie Card to add to my collection. I begged him for years for that thing... it meant the world to me; it still does.

The Red Wings were really horrible back in the 70's and early 80's, they were known as the "Dead Wings," so when the Illitch's (of Little Caesars fame) bought the team they needed someone to build around. Steve Yzerman was that guy. He started playing in 1983 (I was 11 years old) and stayed with the team his entire career (I was 34 when he retired); quite unheard of in most of professional sports. 23 Years as a Red Wing and 20 as the Captain of the team. No one else has ever been captain as long.

He had many devistating injuries throughout his career that few have ever come back from, but some how his perserverance and determination kept him going. He won 3 Stanley Cups while in Detroit and each one was a joy to watch.

Cheryl and I sat and watched as Steve Yzerman was honored for his contributions not only on the ice, but for all the things he did and still does behind the scenes for the sick and less fortunate. Everyone talked about his quiet leadership. The way he walked the walk without talking too much talk. When he said something, it really mattered.

Stevie said, as his chin began to shake and tears welled up in his eyes, that when we saw that jersey hanging from the rafters we should, "pat ourselves on the back," because we were a part of who he had become and what he had accomplished. He really meant it. At one point he even said that he didn't think he really did anything special or different than any other of his teammates and the entire crowd shouted, "NO," with a few boos thrown in... they wanted him to know that what he did was special.

Cheryl sat here with me and soaked it all in... I loved that. She is the best earthly thing that has ever happened to me, so sharing a moment like this that brought back so many memories was that much sweeter with her beside me.

If you never had a chance to watch Stevie play, stop by and ask me to pop in my Red Wings DVD's and we'll see a couple of his greatest moments. Even if you aren't interested, indulge me.

Thanks a lot Steve.

Football Fizzle...

While the Lions were celebrating their 3 - 13 record with a win over the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Michigan Wolverines were preparing to show the nation that they should have been playing Ohio State for the National Championship by dismantling the #5 USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl.

Wa-wah!

What a disaster! Not only did the Wolverines lose convincingly to the Trojans (again), but the Lions lost the #1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft!

That line from Jerry Maguire kept popping into my head... "I lost the number one draft pick the night before the draft!"

Thank goodness that football season is officially over as far as my heart is concerned... I'll still be watching Florida take a beating from the Buckeyes in the National Championship game and following the NFL Playoffs, but at least I don't really care about any of those teams.

I still have the Red Wings...

Merry Christmas

Puffy Puppy

Usually my puppy, Bailey, looks like this:


When I woke up this morning, he looked more like this:


Apparently Bailey boy was bitten by a bug of some sort (most likely a spider) and his faced swelled up so that he looked like a Shar Pei Dog (pictured above). So the first thing I see as a I put my glasses on this morning is this puffy-faced puppy staring at me through little puppy eyes that were almost swollen shut!

I freaked out for a second... seeing that when you first wake up and haven't had a chance to adjust is quite startling. So off to our first Vet visit in Ohio. Two shots later (and $72 poorer), the Vet told us to use Benadryl. Like the kind you can buy at CVS or Rite Aid. She actually gave us something similar to take home and use, but said Benadryl would have been fine.

So Bailey is looking a bit more normal now. The only thing he is up to at this point is sleeping like it's his job.

Sweet Dreams Bailey-Boy.

Punk Appeal

I'm sure not too many people know this about me, but deep down inside I have always wanted to be a pierced, tattooed punk rocker. I have always thought of myself as a bit of a "freak," while in reality I am pretty straight laced. It all boils down to the fact that I have a little rebel inside me... that part of me that always wants to be different and go against the flow of normalcy.

When it comes to living out my faith on a daily basis, I want to push the limit and get as close to the edge as possible. In doing so, I believe I'm consistently chasing after God. I never want to be complacent or go with the status quo just because everyone is doing it.

I happened to watch a new show on the Sundance Channel called "One Punk Under God," that follows Jay Bakker (above), son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jay started a church in 1994 that now has three locations in New York, Charlotte and Atlanta, called Revolution Church. At one point in the first show, Jay places a sticker on parking meter that says, "As Christians, we're sorry for being self-righteous, judmental bastards." I know, pushing the edge, but it's true isn't it? While I'm not sure I agree with all of Jay's views, I appreciate the way in which he lives out his faith. He is real and raw with who he is and where he's at in his walk. I can identify with that.

Jesus had such an amazing way about him when dealing with people. He was so hard on the religious people of the day (Pharisees), but loved and accepted the "sinners" where they were at while calling them to a better more fulfilling life. Living like that is my dream. Learning to love the unlovable. Seeing all people the way Jesus sees them; loved.

Maybe there needs to be more followers of Jesus like, Jay Bakker, Bono, Rob Bell, Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis and countless others... that live close to and sometimes over the edge. Honestly, it's all about looking at things differently... fresh perspectives on faith.

So who knows, maybe one day soon you'll see me walking up to you with a mohawk, peirced lip and tattoos all over the place... probably not, but we can always dream, can't we? Most important, I hope you begin to see me loving and accepting those who need it most so they can see Jesus right here, right now.

iPod Envy

I was talking with a friend the other day on the phone and he asked me to hold on while he signed for a package he received from Sony. He was so excited about the arrival of this package and he couldn't wait to tell me about it.

You see my friend is on a crusade against Apple. He tried to get Apple to sponsor something for his business and they declined, so now he is out to get them.

When he was rebuffed by the snotty people at Apple, he took it upon himself to begin to take down the giant known as iPod. He quickly got in touch with Sony and asked them to join him to dethrone the almighty iPod. They agreed to help.

As our conversation continued, I reminded him that Apple didn't really need to give away iPods to stir up interest because they had a 90% stranglehold on the market. He began to talk about how elitest Apple was with their iMac ads. How they think they are so cool and above PC's (and Sony Walkmans or Zunes). How dare they?

I tried to talk him down off the ledge of inferior technology, but to no avail. I'm afraid this man has been lost due to the injustice of the one and only iPod.

Michigan gets JOBBED!

Just in case you didn't notice, the University of Michigan got hosed in the BCS ratings on Sunday. There is an excellent article detailing the absurd BCS snub of a rematch between the Buckeyes and Michigan here.

We're off to the Rose Bowl to play the #5 rated USC. Notre Dame, ranked #11 are off to play the #4 ranked LSU... Ummm, can someone tell me why we are playing #5 instead of #4? Oh yeah, MONEY$$$!!

Well, until the NCAA works out some kind of playoffs, this money making BCS thing will continue to ruin college football.

P.S. I'm still not rooting for the Buckeyes.

Deal or No Deal?

I had a conversation this week that really annoyed me...

When it comes with dealing with our past hurts and pains why do so many Christians tell us to "get over it" or "move on"? While I understand that we can't just dwell in the past or let ourselves spiral down into the depths of depression because people mistreated us or called us names, can't we learn from our past? Can't we begin to see why some of our behaviors or attitudes are affected by our past?

Looking back to your past doesn't always mean that you have to look at the negative either. Jesus asked us to remember Him when we take communion. Hebrews 11 looks back at the past to teach us about faith. God reminded the Children of Israel about their past on a regular basis.

Our past molds us into who we are. The good and the bad.

Some might say that the moment we step into Faith in Christ that "the old has become new" that "the old man" is gone, very true, but a relationship with Christ - at least to me - is not like "the Matrix" where we take the little blue pill and wake up nice and safe, nor is it like taking a red pill and waking up to see how things really are. While I think both of those scenarios may resonate, neither is black or white.

Why are we so afraid of the grey?

When someone tells me that "this is the only way" or think they have it all figured out, I want to tell them they're crazy. I know I shouldn't say things like that, but I don't have time for people who think they know it all, because as much knowledge and we think we have, we haven't even begun to understand God.

God does not fit into our box. He is so much bigger and better than we want Him to be. Once we think we have it all figured out, what is the point then? Where do we go from there? Do we get to walk around with a smile on our faces telling everyone the "truth"? When you get there, you missed the boat and you're right back at the beginning again... ever heard of the Pharisees?

I'm not trying to say that believing in something or having a solid knowledge about something is wrong, but why do we always have to deal in our own form of absolutes. "What works for me must be right for you." Why would a God so creative and unique make all of us fit into the same mold? Aren't there millions of different flowers in the world? Isn't every snowflake that falls from the sky different than the others?

So tell me why we try to make the Creator and Artist of this world fit into our little formula. God can do anything He wants. He can speak to us through all sorts of things... like Balaam's talking donkey, or an angel on a stone in front of a tomb, or a burning bush. The point being, just when we think we have God all figured out, He can flip the script on us.

Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, God likes keeping us on our toes? If we know exactly how, when and where God works, wouldn't that make the relationship with Him a bit stale and boring? With God everyday can be fresh and exciting. But we like things all figured out and comfortable... black and white.

When it comes to our past and dealing with the good and the bad, there has to be a happy medium somewhere. Completely ignoring it just leads to future mistakes and pain. Dwelling on it leads to anxiety and an unfulfilled life. Jesus came to help us experience life to the fullest (John 10:10b).

Take some time to reflect on where you've been through God's eyes, both the good and the bad. Then ask Him to lead you into the future life He promises, living life to its fullest.

Update from Marysville... (cough, sniff)

O.K. this is kind of ridiculous... it's just a cold, but come on!

Theraflu is doing it's job and relieving my cold, but somehow this streak of sickness in Ohio has to end. My Scottish blood has to stop being so cheap and start saving up to have our furnace and ducts cleaned... darn cat! That and I need to find a doctor... I hate going to the doctor.

Other than my health, things are going quite well. As I mentioned Mom & Dad came and visited and we had a great time with them. We're starting to get into a normal groove now and Marysville is feeling more and more like home.

We have so many great friends and we are making more and more. We are going to Florida with some new friends who have been kind enough to invite us for a trip to their condo. God keeps blessing us in so many areas, it's amazing.

We are getting a chance to get more involved at church too. Cheryl has a women's retreat coming up and I have been meeting with others on Wednesday mornings for prayer. Let me just tell you, God definitely knew we needed to experience a community of believers like we have here in Marysville.

Well, time to hit the sack... the Tigers need to win 3 straight, but what an amazing season either way.

Speaking of... November 18th is going to be crazy down here. There is a real possibility that Michigan and Ohio State will be 11 - 0 in addition to the number 1 & 2 teams in the nation for the game here in Columbus. Stay tuned.

Oh My Gosh! It's Almost Christmas!!

Every year around this time (a little earlier every time I'm convinced) Cheryl's family sends out emails regarding Thanksgiving and Christmas. It really freaks me out. It's still October, we haven't even had Halloween yet!

The non-planner in me just really thinks, "Hey, we have two months before Christmas, what's the hurry?" But I'm glad that somebody thinks about this stuff or I would be sitting at home a few days before and think, "Holy crap! How are we gonna' pull this off?"

So now that the Holidays are right around the corner, it's hitting me that this is the first time in my life that I will be visiting Detroit for Christmas. Not a huge deal, but we've had quite a year since the Holidays last year. Cheryl wrote a nice little Blog about what has happened over this past year. But everything feels different.

For the first time in my entire life, my Mom and Dad came to stay with us. That was so cool. They ate and slept and showered in our house. They came to church with us and hung out watching our TV and I got to control it! I even got to tell my Dad that if he didn't obey the rules of the house I would kick him out... of course my rules are very easy to follow, but how fun was that?!?

Jim, Phiona and her mother were here the weekend before that as well... we can't wait for the kids to come and visit next time.

It was really nice having family visit with us in our little town.

We miss everyone and would love to see all of you soon. The drive is not too far and Ohio ain't so bad after all. It may get ugly down here when Michigan beats OSU on November 18th, but it'll be a lot of fun that's for sure.

Here I Go Again...

Here I go again... writing a whiney Blog about how long it's been since I've written.

The truth is, I've been in the dry, lonely desert lately. Nothing inspirational happening. I know it has everything to do with me and nothing to do with God. That is the thing that is killing me.

I keep thinking about how Paul said, "What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise." Why do I keep falling for the same crap? I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good, yet I continually fall back into old habits. I neglect the very thing that brings me such peace and joy. All for my own "foolish desires."

Not trying to beat myself up here (believe it or not I have a tendency to do that), just sharing the struggle. Throwing it out there for no other reason than to be vulnerable and honest about my current situation. So when you think of it, send up a few prayers for me or tell me you know where I'm at so we can travel together through the desert.

God Bless.

Since You've Been Gone...

Sing it with me everybody! You know the words... Kelly Clarkson. Don't act like you haven't heard that song and tapped your fingers or toes to it. It was everywhere. Even some of the elder statesmen (and women) have probably heard it, you just don't know it.

That song was blaring in my head as I noticed how I have neglected the Blog. It's about time I sat down at my little iBook and typed away on the keys telling all of you about some crazy adventure I've had or some amazing "Aha!" moment that I have recently experienced... unfortunately, I've got nothin'. Bupkis (I looked that up to make sure it was spelled right).

Uninspired as of late I guess.

You know how when you have a break in your routine it takes you awhile to normalize? Well, that is what the past few months have been for me. Transitions. Sickness. Worrying. Just a ton of changes.

This was the first step. I'm back on the horse...

You cannot stop a Ramblin' Scotzman from ramblin' for too long... you can only hope to contain him.

Buckeye Bug

So I realize it has been quite som time since the last post kiddies, but the Ramblin' Scotzman has been deathly ill for almost two weeks now. Maybe it's something in the crisp, clean Ohio air.

Usually about this time of year Cheryl and I both start feeling the allergic reactions to ragweed, a nasty little bugger. Cheryl has it way worse than I do, but I feel the effects nonetheless. So two weeks ago when I felt that tickle and scratchiness in my throat I thought nothing of it. A few days later I had full blown cold/flu symptoms. Coughing uncontrollably and hacking up all sorts of nonsense. Headache and loss of appetite, just really feeling really horrible.

Cheryl also noticed as she was cleaning in the kitchen the other day that the previous owners had cats. No wonder. I am very allergic, so most likely we'll need our carpets cleaned and our vents and registers cleaned out... bummer.

That night Cheryl picked me up some herbal tea that was supposed to help with coughing. I woke up early the next morning feeling a little better and decided to have a cup of tea to start the day. Big mistake. As I had mentioned, I was not eating very much, so this tea was the first thing to hit my stomach early that morning. Within two hours I was puking my guts out. That continued for about 36 hours. I couldn't keep anything down. Water, Gatorade, not one thing would stay inside my body. I was losing it about every two hours and by Saturday afternoon, I had become quite weak and dehydrated.

I'm sure a lot of you are asking at this point, "Why not go to the Doctor?" Great question and here is the unfortunate answer. Cheryl's new health insurance does not kick in until October 1st. So at the moment we are without a healthcare provider... makes you wish you lived in Canada, eh?

Being the true Scotsman that I am, I would rather feel like death than spend money on something that I can get for "free." Now you understand where the phrase Scott-free comes from... yes, we Scotsman are a wee bit cheap.

Finally, the gentle and loving persuasion of my wife and my own misery forced me to go to Urgent Care. The doctor said he couldn't find anything wrong with me. Figures... He did give me something to help with nauseaand then I had to ask him for something for the cough. All said and done the visit cost us $86... not bad. The perscriptions on the other hand were $90!! What a racket! That's another Blog for another day.

Since taking the medicine, the hurling has subsided, though I have only been able to eat popsicles and jello. The coughing has gotten better too, but it's still lingering a bit. The last attempt by this little plague has been a nice case of Montezuma's Revenge for the past three days... hopefully that is the last of whatever Buckeye Bug I have contracted.

Other than that, Ohio is great!

Just kidding... hopefully I will have more encouraging things to speak of in the not too distant future.

Let's Go Krogering

I seem to have a lot of weird experiences in the grocery store.

One of Cheryl's favorite stories that makes her laugh and laugh has to do with one of my misadventures in a local Meijer back in Michigan.

A new Meijer store had been built near us and I decided to go grocery shopping. I walked in and was amazed that the store was so empty. I really lucked out and missed the rush or so I thought. With my cart full of all sorts of Meijer bargains a employee of the store comes up to me with a very weird look on her face and says, "Excuse me sir. What are you doing?"

What a strange question I thought and answered back, "Shopping (duh)."

Then the horridly embarrassing part... she responeded by saying, "We're not open yet." Cheryl loves that one...

Well, this one may not be as good as that, but this morning I added to my odd experiences in the grocery store. I headed off to Kroger for our first big grocery purchase for the new house. Time to stock the fridge and freezer. Loading up on cleaning supplies and all the things we'll end up needing as time moves along.

By the way, I hate grocery shopping, it ranks a close second behind cutting the grass. Too many choices and screaming kids. My brain becomes overloaded with the decisions I have to make. Trying to figure out what brand gives us the most savings, how much we really need, will we ever eat the salad before it goes bad?

So when I headed out this morning I had prepared myself for a larger than usual shopping experience. I went up and down the aisles picking up everything we needed and planning out our menu for the next week or so. As I headed down the last row of food and got ready to checkout a horrible feeling came over me. I had no way to pay. No cash, no cards, no checks... nothing. Over an hour and a half shopping and no way to purchase a giant cart full of merchandise.

I think Forrest Gump said it best... for me grocery shopping is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna' get.

Thunder Stealer...

If you are an avid listener to any type of talk radio, you will here many callers utter the phrase, "...the last caller kind of stole my thunder." Well, today that is me.

The reason being, Cheryl emailed me yesterday and asked for me to look for a song by Casting Crowns called "Voice of Truth." So I set out to find it (not hard at all, iTunes $0.99).

I think that I have mentioned before that songs appeal to me at first based on whether or not they sound good, not usually based on lyrical content. Cheryl is really drawn to the lyrics. I could have listened to a song a hundred times and then all of a sudden (sometimes to my horror) I figure out what they are talking about.

So Cheryl purchsed "Voice of Truth" last night off iTunes and Googled the lyrics for me and asked me to listen to the song (and read the lyrics) when I was in the right frame of mind (long story, but I have been going a little crazy lately and last night I was certifiably mental). This morning in the quiet as the sun tried to burst through the clouds I listened... and cried like a baby. After all that we have experienced over the last few months, this song hit the deepest parts of me. God is so amazing.

Here is where I steal Cheryl's thunder... posting the lyrics of this song (before she does) for you to enjoy.

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I soar with the wings of EAGLES
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth

The First 13...

For those of you who had no idea why today is so special let me tell you...

Today, Cheryl and I celebrate 13 years of wedded bliss!

Cheryl, I love you more today than I ever thought I could love you in my wildest dreams. You are my loving companion and fellow sojourner headed out on a brand new adventure. We are truly blessed by our Heavenly Father to share an amazing love like no other I've ever known.

Thank you for being the Sunshine in my life.

Sometimes I just wanna' laugh...

Throughout this roller coaster of emotions that has been our life the past few months, God has been so amazingly faithful to us. No matter how worried or how much I have doubted Him, He has never stopped blessing us.

There have been a lot of last ditch efforts by the enemy to throw a wrench into this move, but God just keeps doing what He does best. We've cast our cares on Him and He has taken care of us... no matter how big or how small, God has been amazing.

Today Cheryl called me to tell me about our ever changing closing costs... this has been one of our biggest nightmares. One day it's a couple hundred dollars the next a couple thousand, a roller coaster ride to say the least. So when Cheryl called to tell me our closing costs would be zero dollars and zero cents with a tax credit to boot I was jumping for joy, but not suprised because God is good and His mercies endure forever.

Thank you all for the prayers and words of encouragement. Just remember that God has your best interests at heart and will bless you until you feel like you cannot be blessed anymore. Your cup will overflow even when you don't have what the world sees as blessings, we know that God's blessings are much more than material things.

The Golden Arches

Tough Enough?

I am not gonna' lie. This is tough.

The finish line is in the distance, but I am running on fumes here.

Honestly, I can feel satan making one last attempt to derail everything. He has both guns blazing and he is gathering the troops for one last movement against us... for now. I know that there will be more attacks in the future, but the enemy really wants to stop what God has started. Too bad for him that he can't.

God is faithful. This thing is going to happen and nothing that he does is going to stop the plan that He has laid out for Cheryl and I.

Speaking of... I miss that woman. She is definitely the better half of who I am. Not being sappy here, but she completes me.

If you are a regular reader of this Blog or just like to pray for random Bloggers that you find on the internet (we'll take all we can get), please pray for Cheryl and I in this journey. The adventure we are about to take is exciting and scarey all at the same time, but we know God is in this and has plans to bless us not hurt us.

No matter how tough things get, He is protecting us.

God Bless.

Update...

Bailey and I are loving the Central Air in my old stomping grounds (Mom & Dad's house)! The temps have been close to 100 or more over the past few days in Motown... and yes, it's HUMID! Definitely not a dry heat (hello to all my Vegas friends).

Mom and Dad have been taking care of B-Boy while Cheryl and I are finishing up all the details of our big adventure in Ohio!

Keep us in your prayers, we have had a lot of interest in the house here in the Detroit area and we may have something big happening in the next day or so. God has a plan and I am trying with everything inside of me to be patient and wait on His timing... it is perfect after all.

Looks like we are closing on the new place on the 15th... The sellers were not going to let us have the place until closer to the end of the month (they are not living there), but our realtor, Virginia, and I thought it would pull on their heart strings if I sent a picture of Bailey looking sad in our old house saying, "Please let me have our new home on the 15th, I miss my family." Must have worked, because they agreed!

Cheryl and I are so thankful for all the prayers and support we have received, just know that you are always welcome and encouraged to visit us in Ohio.

God bless.