Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
My Life So Far
Since I am re-connecting with so many old (and not-so-old) friends, I thought I would blog about my life so far and fill in the blanks.
After graduating from Longview High (Texas) in `78, I attended Baylor University and majored in Music Education, but was more interested in partying (I know that's hard for some of my high school friends to believe) than studying. After a great experience in BUGWB, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and SpiritWind, I left school after the Spring semester of `81 and went to work, planning on returning a year later.
That summer of `81, I met the love of my life, Kris(ti Kirk), a native of Austin, and we married in January of `82 at First Baptist Church, Hewitt, a bedroom community of Waco. We ended up settling in Austin, and in November of `82, our only child was born: Joshua David. After working in the Soft Drink industry, we left Austin for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with the intention of my going back to school, and surrendering to the call that God had put on my life.
In `88 I started serving Chisholm Baptist Church in Chisholm, Texas (between Terrell and Rockwall), and the next year I went back to school at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas. I finished my Bachelor's Degree in Music in `92, and enrolled the following semester at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas to earn a Master's Degree in Music. I graduated in `95 and really enjoyed my time as Associate Minister of Music at Southcliff Baptist Church in Ft. Worth.
Kris and I always felt like we would be moving out of state, not that it was an easy decision, because we miss Texas. But God has been gracious. We have served four churches full time since `95, one in Georgia and three in Illinois, as Minister of Music and Worship Pastor. Our son, Josh, married the former Kim Bright of Flora, Illinois, in May of `05. Josh and Kim both graduated from McKendree University in Lebanon, IL, with their Bachelor's Degrees and Kim earned her Master's Degree as well. Josh is currently working on his Master's Degree, and he and Kim will be planting a church with three other friends in October in downtown St. Louis.
As a side note for all my football lovin' Texas friends, Josh was an All-State Football player at Anna-Jonesboro High School in Anna, IL (OL/DL). He actually was chosen for four All-State teams, including the Coaches All-Academic Team. He also played football for McKendree University, an NAIA school.
We currently live in Carlinville, IL, and Kris is a Teller at U. S. Bank in Carlinville. Josh and Kim live about 25 minutes away in Litchfield, IL, where Josh is Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church in Litchfield, and Kim is working for a CPA as an Administrative Assistant in two office locations. They don't have any children yet, but we do have a Grand Dog named Sophie. Kris and I are the proud owners of 2 pugs, Dolly and Suzie Q.
We're enjoying life and waiting for the next page to turn and see what God has in store. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you and what you've been doing these past years.
After graduating from Longview High (Texas) in `78, I attended Baylor University and majored in Music Education, but was more interested in partying (I know that's hard for some of my high school friends to believe) than studying. After a great experience in BUGWB, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and SpiritWind, I left school after the Spring semester of `81 and went to work, planning on returning a year later.
That summer of `81, I met the love of my life, Kris(ti Kirk), a native of Austin, and we married in January of `82 at First Baptist Church, Hewitt, a bedroom community of Waco. We ended up settling in Austin, and in November of `82, our only child was born: Joshua David. After working in the Soft Drink industry, we left Austin for the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with the intention of my going back to school, and surrendering to the call that God had put on my life.
In `88 I started serving Chisholm Baptist Church in Chisholm, Texas (between Terrell and Rockwall), and the next year I went back to school at Dallas Baptist University in Dallas, Texas. I finished my Bachelor's Degree in Music in `92, and enrolled the following semester at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas to earn a Master's Degree in Music. I graduated in `95 and really enjoyed my time as Associate Minister of Music at Southcliff Baptist Church in Ft. Worth.
Kris and I always felt like we would be moving out of state, not that it was an easy decision, because we miss Texas. But God has been gracious. We have served four churches full time since `95, one in Georgia and three in Illinois, as Minister of Music and Worship Pastor. Our son, Josh, married the former Kim Bright of Flora, Illinois, in May of `05. Josh and Kim both graduated from McKendree University in Lebanon, IL, with their Bachelor's Degrees and Kim earned her Master's Degree as well. Josh is currently working on his Master's Degree, and he and Kim will be planting a church with three other friends in October in downtown St. Louis.
As a side note for all my football lovin' Texas friends, Josh was an All-State Football player at Anna-Jonesboro High School in Anna, IL (OL/DL). He actually was chosen for four All-State teams, including the Coaches All-Academic Team. He also played football for McKendree University, an NAIA school.
We currently live in Carlinville, IL, and Kris is a Teller at U. S. Bank in Carlinville. Josh and Kim live about 25 minutes away in Litchfield, IL, where Josh is Worship Pastor at First Baptist Church in Litchfield, and Kim is working for a CPA as an Administrative Assistant in two office locations. They don't have any children yet, but we do have a Grand Dog named Sophie. Kris and I are the proud owners of 2 pugs, Dolly and Suzie Q.
We're enjoying life and waiting for the next page to turn and see what God has in store. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear from you and what you've been doing these past years.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Rules For Singing
| I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterward learn as many as you please. II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.. | | ||||||||||||
| III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing. IV. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan. V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before or stay behind it. but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first. VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in Every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually, so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here. and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven. John Wesley's Rules For Singing in Worship | |||||||||||||
Taking Down Christmas
This article really spoke to me. I hope it touches you, too. - Dale
Taking down Christmas
by John Fischer
This is always a difficult part of the holiday ritual: taking everything down and packing Christmas away for another year. It seems like every year, the house never looked better, or the tree was never so perfect, and it all becomes so empty when it's gone. Like the guy on a "car-talk" radio program I heard recently who explained the hole in his dashboard left by someone who "borrowed his car stereo without asking" as "nothing but torn wires and sadness." I thought it was such an apt description that I jotted it down, and now I'm feeling a little like my house is all about torn wires and sadness.
There is a depression that sets in after major events in our lives. We struggle with getting back to normal. What can help us move on?
First, we can remember that we take the risen Christ of Christmas with us into the New Year. On Christmas, we focus so much on a baby in a manger that we sometimes forget the baby grew into a man who conquered death once and for all and now sits at the right hand of God the Father where He intercedes for us constantly. That means you and I have continuous representation at the highest level. All these decorations celebrated His birth, but walking into whatever our lives hold for us on January 6, 2009 is a celebration of resurrection and of power. We will never walk alone.
Second, I suggest you do like we do: leave something up -- some little reminder of the season. Maybe an ornament on a mantle, or the wreath on the door. In areas of New England and especially Pennsylvania, many homeowners leave a single light in their windows throughout the winter. I always wondered why they did that, and now I may have come up with at least my own reason.
The light Christ has brought into our lives has forever dispelled the darkness. Nothing will ever be the same. Maybe it would be good to leave a little light on around the house that wasn't there before, just to remember what remains from Christmas. The whole point of His birth into our torn world was to show the lengths He would go to in order to get to us. And now He is here. That is the point.
We might take down Christmas, but Christ remains in our lives, and no one can ever take Him away!
For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made His light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Taking down Christmas
by John Fischer
This is always a difficult part of the holiday ritual: taking everything down and packing Christmas away for another year. It seems like every year, the house never looked better, or the tree was never so perfect, and it all becomes so empty when it's gone. Like the guy on a "car-talk" radio program I heard recently who explained the hole in his dashboard left by someone who "borrowed his car stereo without asking" as "nothing but torn wires and sadness." I thought it was such an apt description that I jotted it down, and now I'm feeling a little like my house is all about torn wires and sadness.
There is a depression that sets in after major events in our lives. We struggle with getting back to normal. What can help us move on?
First, we can remember that we take the risen Christ of Christmas with us into the New Year. On Christmas, we focus so much on a baby in a manger that we sometimes forget the baby grew into a man who conquered death once and for all and now sits at the right hand of God the Father where He intercedes for us constantly. That means you and I have continuous representation at the highest level. All these decorations celebrated His birth, but walking into whatever our lives hold for us on January 6, 2009 is a celebration of resurrection and of power. We will never walk alone.
Second, I suggest you do like we do: leave something up -- some little reminder of the season. Maybe an ornament on a mantle, or the wreath on the door. In areas of New England and especially Pennsylvania, many homeowners leave a single light in their windows throughout the winter. I always wondered why they did that, and now I may have come up with at least my own reason.
The light Christ has brought into our lives has forever dispelled the darkness. Nothing will ever be the same. Maybe it would be good to leave a little light on around the house that wasn't there before, just to remember what remains from Christmas. The whole point of His birth into our torn world was to show the lengths He would go to in order to get to us. And now He is here. That is the point.
We might take down Christmas, but Christ remains in our lives, and no one can ever take Him away!
For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made His light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
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Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year
Happy New Year everyone! I will be posting a new blog soon about our family events of 2008. May your 2009 be a far sight better than 2008.
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