You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello. (How Donna Got Her Groove Back)

The summer of 2009 was the worst ever in the life of our family. My oldest, firstborn treasure had graduated from high school and an emptier nest was looming when all of a sudden the bottom fell out of life. (I've written about it here and that's all I have to say about it for now.) I had made my entire life parenting these kids and serving in my church and trying to be a good wife. I had loved and parented my children with all of my heart and now one was preparing to go and do the exact thing I had raised her to do...leave us. If you parent well, you parent yourself out of a job. What was I thinking!?! She was ready but none of us was sure if, when it came time to let her go whether I would really be able to do it or not. I had been involved in every area of both of their lives. We had raised them to be godly warrior attack sheep. We had passed to them our faith and they had made it their own. I taught them to do laundry and have kind hearts. But every mother has a fear section of her heart that we don't really talk about. What if these great kids were really just little con artists and would run wild like banshees the first opportunity they got? What if  my babies harmed themselves or made poor decisions? Having children is a risk and hard on your heart. It's not for sissies or the faint of heart.

God and I had a lot of time to communicate that summer and so when it was time to take her off to college, I was able to get in the car, drive down and help move her into her dorm. We were so proud that neither of had a complete nervous breakdown. No tears (that anyone saw.) She was ready to fly! She jumped into college life like she was born to it. A few months in we had out first difficulty. We lost a family member that she loved so very much. I had to break the news to her and she was there and I was here. I had to do it over the phone. I couldn't hold her and cry with her and dry her tears. This is not how parenting is supposed to go. While that loss continues to be an only partially healed wound, I was reminded that God loves my child and has her wrapped up in His wings. He had surrounded her with a new godly family of kids there who helped her get through it when I could not. I grew stronger.

So what's a mom to do when she suddenly has time on her hands. My boy child was still in high school, but let's be honest y'all, girls take up wayyyyy more time and energy than boys. I have always served in Ministry to Women and God opened a door for me to step into the ministry He had been preparing me to do. I always felt I should wait until my babies were grown, and one was there and one was close. So I jumped in. Suddenly life became about everyone else. My time was filled up much more than before. My mind was engaged. I was spending a bit less time on the couch and doing the thing I love. Ministering to my sisters in Christ and leading or participating in Bible Study. Ashley was always surprised when she would call me and I had to return her call because I was busy. She had always come first and I was never too busy for her before! My baby girl would come home on occasion and my heart would soar! For that first semester her leaving to go back to college was bittersweet. I loved hearing about the goodly friends she made and the fun she was having. I thought it was so fun that she was the sweetheart for the music fraternity. I loved that she caught it when a local church did something crazy and she recognized the stink of it and called to ask me about it. I missed her so much and the silence here was deafening! I was used to a loud girl and chaos. My boy, who was a sophomore, is a musician but still manages to be very quiet. (Solution: Drums for Christmas for Tyler. For reals.)

But here's the good news. After a month home for Christmas, I was ready for her to go back and so was she. I loved having her home but letting her go was pretty easy. God had been slowly filling me up and holding me just like he promised and she had become a beautiful butterfly who didn't need us much. She had grown up into the beautiful woman of God we knew she would be. She was not just OK, she was thriving and I was serving and learning.

Then the summer of 2012 rolled around. NOT MY BABY BOY! He's all I've got left. I still haven't figured him all the way out so I can't be finished parenting him. I just don't think I will allow this to happen. I had seen so many signs that he was ready to go. He had participated in a mission trip with our church and his father and we had all gotten a glimpse of the mighty mountain of God he was becoming. He is quiet but mature and wise beyond his years. He was born a 40 year old man so he was ready. Responsible is this child's middle name. He had decided where he was going to college and done what he needed to do to have easy admission and so I had no choice but to let him go. He was ready to fly. It was hard. He had chosen to go to our alma mater, the University of Texas in Austin. It's a hard place to be a person of faith. But God has been working there and preparing for him. (That's right...I believe that all of the godly ground made in Austin has been laid just in preparation for my baby boy...and others of course. That's what I'm telling myself. In the last twenty something years, He has MOVED INTO Austin and claimed some serious ground. That was not true when we were there.) He found a great church with a great college ministry. He met with a man who mentored freshman boys. He had the opportunity to serve in leadership at the BSM and he got to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica. This boy walked into the ungodliest place in Texas and started ministry. Those of us here who poured into him are so proud. I was terrified that Austin would chew him up and spit him out. Nope. Not happening to God's quietest and gentlest warrior.

The second child leaving is a teeny bit easier than the first, but the fact that he's the last sort of evens the pain of loss. I bounced back a little faster. I now had both children out of the house and I was still serving in a ministry that I loved. I won't lie though, if you enter ministry, you better buckle up. It won't always be pretty. But it WILL always be blessed, no matter how it feels. For the first time in my adult life, I had no babies in the house. No one here but my husband, Mr. Perfect, me and our ill and aging dogs. To be fair, they were the children's dogs and it seemed they decided to expire when their babies were grown. I clung to those dogs like a life raft. They represented so much to me. The childhood of my children and 11 years of great memories. I literally felt that I was breathing for them. A part time volunteer ministry takes time but not really all that much and I had a lot of free time to love on them. And as they faded, I found I missed my babies less and less. The babies, on the other hand were having a ball! They were thriving. They were happy. The world had not corrupted them. I was able to serve in the ministry I had been in many ways training for all my life. Life was going to be OK. But I was still spending most of my time on the couch...and it showed. (Still does. Working on that.)

In December, I got an "opportunity" to serve my community for the next 6 months. I couldn't turn it down. I was so excited I could barely contain myself until it began in January. I have spent so much time in the towns around where I live, I didn't know many people in my own town. Nor did I have any idea what we had going on. I spent the next 6 months serving with people who treated me with respect and dignity. I discovered that I still had a brain and it still functioned. If you've ever been a stay at home mom, you know it atrophies the brain. I began to learn of fun and sometimes educational events and opportunities in my own town. I also found that once again God had been looking out and preparing me. You see, a long time ago (1996) I learned about guardian-ad-litems from watching a TV show. I promised myself I would look into that when my babies were grown and I had the time. I felt it would be in the best interest of us all not to have my time split. But I am not really a kid person. I don't feel the need to hug and squeeze babies. I will walk into battle with the meanest adult, stand on stage and sing in front of anyone but 2 and 3 year olds terrify me! I wasn't sure it was going to be a fit. However, about 2003 I met a new friend that I loved instantly. She is an attorney-ad-litem and she is a WARRIOR for her clients but she doesn't feel the need to pinch cheeks either. Without words, she encouraged me gave me hope that maybe someone with my personality could still be useful there. In November of 2012, shortly after my son left for college, I told my husband it was time to look into it. Shortly after that I sent an email requesting information. I received no reply. OK Lord, we will wait. On my 6 month team, I discovered two wonderful ladies who were volunteers with CASA. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. They are guardian ad litems. God had placed these two in a room with me once a week for six months and had given me the opportunity to ask all my questions to several of their best and brightest. But please catch this, it was MONTHS AFTER I had decided to jump in. He knew they were coming for me. Months after my original inquiry I received an apology from their headquarters stating they had had email issues. SO I rolled the ball. I went through the training and I received my first case and my second one. I absolutely love this organization and I believe in it. I believe it is the literal meaning of "true religion." 

James 1:27 says "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

The children represented by CASA are not all orphans but they were all living in terrible conditions. I can stand up for them and look out for their best interests. I also get to help their parents on the pathway to being better parents so maybe, just maybe their children can be best served in their own family. And I can minister in different way than I do in the church. It is stretching me. 

About this same time I discovered Dr. Oz's Arthritis Cure. While it isn't a cure, it has given me a new lease on life. I have mostly pain free days most of the time. 

With no children at home, vastly improved pain issues and a life full of service, I discovered the beauty of a life after babies. I no longer miss them terribly. Letting them go allowed me to step into the ministry God had waiting for me and allowed them to grow to maturity in His way. I've dedicated my life to serving in God's Church. I know He's called me to the Church. I have loved it and have been privileged to serve Him in Ministry to Women. I will always serve in that capacity in one way or another, I always have. My time in that particular church ministry has ended for now. I am grateful for lessons learned, some the easy way and some the hard way. (There are a few lessons I'm still working on being grateful for, but I'll get there.)  I believe that God used that ministry to make huge differences in our church. I believed He used it as one mighty form of discipleship and I've been privileged to watch many women blossom with new understanding of His Word. I've cried with many of them during times of terrible pain and sadness and also times of great joy! I've watched Him step in when words failed me. I've watched the worst thing I could imagine happen to people. I've seen some fly and some fail in those difficulties. What a privilege to get to serve others in this way. For sure, its not for everyone. That's why they call it a "calling." There's an old seminary saying that applies here: "If you can do anything at all but preach  boy, do that!" I really can't do anything other than minister to the wounded and hurting and make disciples. No matter what I intend to do, that's where I find myself.

So I once again have time on my hands. I'm excited to find ways to fill it. I'm excited to figure out where God is leading. I'm serving Him outside of the church and I will follow Him to the new ways to serve Him inside the Church too, if that's where He leads. I believe it will. It always has. But please know, there is life after children. I couldn't have imagined it 5 years ago. Now we can do anything we want. We can go to the movies on Tuesday evening...and sometimes do. Every Saturday night is date night no matter what the children are doing because they aren't here. That man I married still has it going on! We can get in the car and go should we desire. We can eat out a lot and still spend less money than home cooking for four. We can spoil our new puppies like crazy people. Who's here to tell on us? Our time is our own for the first time in 23 years.  I had figured I would sit around and cry until the grand babies came but let's be honest, that's not my style. Ashley has graduated with honors and is beginning graduate school in a few days. My baby boy was home for the summer and just left to start his second (but technically junior) year. I couldn't be prouder but no longer is their life, my life. As it should be. 

Still Putting Up With Nonsense

Wisdom from this old woman: Sometimes we are fickle, fickle people. Sometimes people won't like you. Sometimes you will spend years giving to people content to take. Sometimes you will listen to the troubles of people who are at the bottom of life till your ears bleed and when you try to give them words of life, they will slap you in the face. There will be times when you try to help and they will want not only what you gave but what you kept. There will be people who say things about you that aren't true. There will be times some of these people will try to destroy your character. But here's the deal. SO WHAT? You live your life for Christ. You comport yourself in such a manner that anyone who's paying attention will know that lies aren't the truth. You don't exist to please man. You will go crazy trying. You minister to "the least of these" because your Savior told you to do so, not for accolades here on Earth. When those who hurt you come running back for help that you are able to give, what should you do if you are hurt or tired or DONE? Help them anyway. Don't hold grudges. Let it go. Be generous and kind anyway. You will be taken advantage of again. So what. The blessing will still be the same. Jesus reminds me daily that it doesn't matter what I think of people. They are His and He loves them and so should I. Period

There does come a time when, the words of Matthew 10:14 come into play. Just be sure that the conviction comes from the right place. "And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. " I can only do that when I have peace. Until I have peace, I'm still there. Even if it hurts.

Happy Easter! He is risen!

 "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."

-Matthew 28:6

Tremble!

Oh Thursday...this particular Thursday every year, I can almost feel the ground begin to tremble with the weight of what was to come very shortly in the earthly life of Jesus. Even knowing the pain and betrayal that was to come, our servant Savior would humble Himself to wash the feet of the disciples thus teaching them to be humble and to serve even when life is tough. He instituted the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion and implored them, "Remember Me." He was then betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver, the going rate for a slave in those days...a slave!. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked that if possible He be spared what was to come, but was prepared to die the ugliest of deaths for our sin. He was arrested and still took the time to put the ear back on the guard that impetuous Peter had cut off in anger. That same Peter betrayed him...HIS Peter! He was questioned by Pilate still remaining humble and mostly silent. The people yelled, "CRUCIFY HIM!" Our ugly, heinous sin demanded the highest of price tags. But we were deemed worth it to our Savior. He loved you passionately that day. Today, pause, read the Word, soak it in. Remember! Oh friend, can you feel the tremble begin?

Time to re-visit the Easter Circus!

It's getting close to Easter. The time of year where Christians pause to remember the death of our Savior and praise Him for the sacrifice. We are humbled by the price paid to redeem our souls from hell. We spend time in meditation thinking about the heart of a Father that would sacrifice His only son for such unworthy beings. This is the holiest of all of our Christian holy days. Without Easter, there would be no reason for any of the rest. Or a Church. Or anything else in Christendom.

So why do we also cheapen it with taking as much "Church" out of church as we can, dumb down our messages that day or use it as an excuse to inflate our rolls (remember "Great Day in the Morning," Southern Baptist Church Growth Movement?) I've been disturbed by what I refer to as the "Easter Circus" for many years. So this week, I thought I would re-post a couple of my Easter posts. Be warned, they are a bit rant-y. I intended to go back and edit these but that hasn't happened yet (because I up and got myself a life. More on that later.)

This first post is from way back in 2009. This is not about any one local church and more about the universal Church. I love the Church, I love MY church, God has called me to the Church, I serve in a Church (that has changed since the original was written, you may notice) I am not attacking the church in any way, but I do feel the need to sound the alarm: CHURCH, WAKE UP!

Rants...Easter Circus...Rant...Regenerate Membership- After rereading this there is so much more I'd like to say. Some of the ideas need to be better fleshed out and better explained, such as "hospital for sinners not haven for saints." I will probably re-write this one some day soon, but for now, if you know me and know my heart, you'll understand it.

Disclaimer: The usual disclaimer also fits here. These rants are my own, the opinions are my own and may or may not reflect the feelings of Mr. Perfect. Please don't hold him responsible or accountable for the opinions of his saucy, spicy, super cute, "question-asking-tell-it-like-it-is, strong-warrior-woman, stream-of-consciousness-blogger for Jesus" wife.

Meet Katie

Every now and then, I like to introduce to you my friends. This is my daughter Ashley's beautiful, quirky and original friend Katie. The link below is to her raw and real testimony of grace. If you think you're too far gone for Jesus to find you, she will tell you that you're wrong because he came and rescued her in the midst of her "stuff." This is how our God works. Warning: it made my face leak. Katie's story

How I love this

I have some precious friends, Alex and Laura Waites, who are missionaries in Honduras. They literally devote their every day to ministering to the orphans and fatherless. They are building a school in the remote area of Honduras where they live, Puerto Lempira. I will tell you more about their ministry one day but today I want to "wet the hook" so to speak.

My church has sent several mission teams down to assist them in their work. This summer my husband and son went and they lost their hearts to these precious children. Another person who went along on the trip is my dear friend Maddie. She's in 8th grade and you will see not just a gifted writer but a lover of Jesus and of His children, the "least of these." Maddie will melt your heart right out of your chest. This is a must read and I'm sharing it with you with her permission. You will want to click through the link so you can see the pictures and learn about the ministry if you're interested. They are always accepting donations.

Walk of Sorrow...the testimony of one amazing teen

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY 2013!!!

Happy 2013!! 

It's January 1st  (or probably 2nd by the time I get this posted) and time to say hello to you guys. A very cool thing has been happening. The blog has developed quite an international following and I've been super curious who you all are. Lots of you in Russia, Israel and Italy. Several from Australia, Germany, Slovakia and the UK. Even more than a few from Canada, Vietnam, France, Ukraine and Poland, just to name a few. Of course I cherish and treasure you precious fellow Americans and I have an extra dash of "yee-haw" for my fellow Texans. If you have a few minutes, I'd love to hear from you. Introduce yourself. To help you know a little about me (if you haven't gleaned all of this by now) I'll give you a brief introduction.

I'm Donna. I'm a woman of a certain age, and a recent empty-nester. My oldest child is in her last semester of college and will soon graduate and go on to graduate school. She's beautiful, kind-hearted, and smart and all of those things a mom would think of her baby girl. They also happen to all be true. My youngest, my baby boy, is a freshman in college this year. He's cool and quiet (reserved, is a better word, I guess,) musical, intelligent and tenderhearted. I'd say more but he prefers to remain humble. I've been married for 23 years to Mr. Perfect. To me, he's super hot! He's a godly man and I love him with all my heart. For some reason he puts up with me and loves me well. ( I've included a few pictures of my "babies" and my man.) 

(Waiting at the doctor's office. They love each other enough to sit through the nightmare of a waiting room.)

I've been leading the Women's Ministry at my church, Pin Oaks Christian Fellowship, in the small town of Anna, TX for the last 2 years, almost exactly to the day. I had no idea what that would look like when I said yes, but I love it! It's the hardest, most heartbreaking and most rewarding thing I've ever done. To follow your calling is not an easy path, but there is much peace in knowing you're following God's path for you. I get to go to Bible Study, talk to people about Jesus, be an un-official life coach and   "go to lunch" or "coffee" and call it my "job." I don't even like coffee, but I am all about some hot chocolate!

I love Jesus with all of my heart. I'd love for you to have a personal relationship with my Savior, who not only died for my sin but for yours too. He is the son of God. He was crucified for our sin and raised from the dead three days later. That is the most amazing story every told. I'm constantly amazed at the depravity of humanity yet His love for us in never changing. We can never go too far. There is no sin too great for his forgiveness. No soul too sinful for salvation. So I'll leave you with this scripture from God's Word. I hope it speaks to you today. Now, who are you? Yes...I mean you. Leave me a comment. I look forward to it!

 "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 4: 16-18

Fed up on Facebook? My manifesto...so to speak.

I shared this on my Facebook page this summer and I decided to share it here too. It's just all about me. Wanna know me? This is me. I won't edit it for now, I'll post it as is. Enjoy. Comment. I'd love to hear from you.

OK, don't say I didn't warn you. This is Facebook, not FaithFreeBook. This odd little place where you and I meet is an interesting experiment. It's a place where some people share every thought that passes through their mind, and some people just watch. Some people share their faith and politics. Some people complain about people sharing their faith and politics. I love all of it. If I either sent

 you a friend request or accepted yours it's because you are someone I care about and I care to know you better. These things help me know you. However, if you will give me your ear for a few minutes, I'd like to share a few thoughts with you. Then you can do with me as you wish. I assure you this is in no way personal nor aimed at any one person.

I love Jesus. I believe He is the Son of God. I believe he died on the cross for my sin. I believe in eternal life. I am a passionate, sold out, freak for Jesus. I gave my life to Him when I was young and that has never changed. My life is dedicated to His service. I had the privilege to grow up in a church and have a family that taught me to think for myself and to search things out for myself. "Test all things," if you will. I have done that. I am not a sheep. I do not blindly follow any man. If you know me at all, you know my stubborn nature would simply not allow me to blindly follow any man. I care for you. I believe in heaven and I want you there. YOU SHOULD BE OFFENDED IF I AM NOT SHARING MY FAITH WITH YOU, NOT THAT I AM. My decisions and passions are informed by my understanding of Scripture. I wake up and attempt every day to put on the full armor of God and to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God's Word. That said, I love you. I do not hate you. I don't hate anyone. Not even those who hate me. My Jesus tells me to love them too, so I do and I promise you it's brought more rewards than punishment. It isn't easy though. However, I assure you I can also flip over the tables if need be. If you only think Jesus exists only to love and tolerate all things, we don't know the same Jesus. However, I'd love to converse about it with you.

That said, there are THINGS I can not approve of. But make no mistake, while I may not approve of people's actions or the actions of a business or institution, I love you. Period. My heart is hurt however by all of the divisiveness I see. Politics and religion divide. I understand it, I just wish it weren't so. If you've known me 10 minutes in real life, you know I am passionate about both. Many of you are on the other side of the spectrum from me. I appreciate that most of you are very respectful and we have great conversations. Knowing we differ doesn't offend me, it may make me sad, but it doesn't offend me. If you accuse me of being hateful, THAT offends me. I hate things (not people) I believe to be sinful. That starts with my own, though I promise you I'm working on it. You can love me and hate my sin. My Mama has managed to do it for years, as have many of you. I feel the same way about "you."

If you differ politically, I don't hate you simply because I disagree. I am passionate about what I do believe, and you are free to do the same. It helps me know you. Our founding Fathers gave us the right to speak freely and that includes ALL of us, not just people who share your opinions.

So please stop yelling at me (or on your feed) when you disagree. Please stop thinking Christians are hateful because we are not approving of things we can not believe are OK- you'd think us hypocrites if we didn't stand for our beliefs, and rightfully so. Also, please know that some things are not both faith and politics. (I'm a HUGE 2nd amendment proponent and it does not negate my faith one bit.) If you think something is not OK, feel free to exercise your first amendment rights. I will read it and give it thought. I won't hate you. Please know however, that if you are mean I will hide you, if you slander my Jesus, I will hide you. I still won't hate you. Feel free to respectfully disagree with me, but don't expect to change my mind. I'm too old and (honestly) too well read and educated in my faith to be argued into a different life, but I really do respect that you care enough about me to try. If you are of a different faith, I expect you to talk about it too. It doesn't offend me. You go ahead. You comment on my Jesus posts about your beliefs and we'll have a great respectful conversation. I'm going to keep on being my sassy self (and YES!!I"m going to keep on preaching about Christians and lady porn and anything else I feel necessary.)

OK, now feel free to either hide me, or if you must, unfriend me. But before you do, copy down my phone number and email address (I've changed it from my Facebook one to my real one just for you.) We don't have to meet here. You may free yourself from knowing one more thing about me, my family, my dogs, my politics or my religion. But if you ever miss me, even just a little...pick up the phone and call. I will probably want to talk to you about my Jesus, but I will try to let you get a word in edgewise.

"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 This is why I care.

Dear Former English Teachers, please excuse my stream-of-consciousness writing, bad grammar and anything else that needs excusing. You did teach me better, I just got in a hurry...as usual. :-)

19 Shades of Not So Magic Men... Part I

Well hello! It's been a while. This is a topic I've wanted to personally address for a while, but quite frankly, I had to calm down first. You see there is a phenomenon that has overtaken women this summer so I've dubbed this summer "The Summer of Lady Porn." "50 Shades of Grey" and "Magic Mike" have women shamelessly all atwitter. "Not Christian women," you say. YES, CHRISTIAN WOMEN! I just don't understand it at all. In the words of a dear pastor friend of mine, "This is the summer women lost the moral high ground." If men were flocking to these things you would see us women having Texas sized hissy fits all over the news because, we would not be having it. Husbands would be burned in effigy and any woman prettier than us would be the subject of creative vandalism. We are fully aware that what goes into your brain through your eyes can be just as sinful and as damaging as what your body does. I don't know any woman, Christian or not who is OK with her man perusing, reading, watching or making pornography of any kind. No matter our faith, we know we can't measure up to a fake perfect image.
I don't know any "Magic Men" but I know a lot of good and godly men who are not magic at all and I think that's much better. So I thought maybe a good way to address this is to tell you that there are still good men out there. They exist. You don't have to imagine them. I know so many of them I can't count them. So I'm going to introduce you to just a few. They are all godly men. Everyone. These are men who understand God's call to be men of honor. Good faithful men. They walk in integrity, they honor their marriage vows and love their wives like Christ loves the Church. They stand firm in the faith. They are strong. Some are young men keeping their way pure by guarding their hearts and storing up God's Word in it so they won't sin against Him. I'll tell you a small bit about what makes each one a "good man" other than his godliness, which they all share. These men are not to be the objects of lust. These are real men. Doing what real men do. Not fake, impossibly perfect men. Those would get boring in a hurry. I'll take real any day. (Some are not still living here among us, but helped shape me and were good men whose name is still good today.) Here is "19 Shades Of Not So Magic Men."

This is John. He's married to my girlfriend Pam. I've known him most of my life. John works in a high pressure big important job but his heart is in the country with his family. Every day he makes a nasty commute to provide for his family so they can live their simple life of tractors, sweet tea, front porches and fresh-from-the-garden vegetables. A simple life loving man who will still race with the rats is a good man.

This is Greg. He's married to my girlfriend Lisa. He and John have a lot in common. Greg is also a country boy who loves a simple life. Greg loves his wife so much that when he speaks of her there is an unmistakable giddiness in his voice and his smile is bigger than his face. He also has two adopted boys that he is raising to be godly men and a daughter he's raising much like my daddy raised me...in the woods with a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other. A man who can't stop grinning about his wife, dotes on his little girl and will take in someone else's children and make them family (like our Heavenly Father has done for us) is a good man.

This is Frank. Frank is a devoted family man. This man was so excited when he first heard there was going to be a baby girl in the family that his heart was wrecked before he ever met her. God loves his attitude so much that he blessed him with a girl twice! Frank gets to be married to my girlfriend Kristin. I think that's how he would say it. He is proud of his woman! When she is the subject of conversation, you can tell that he is just gobsmacked that he gets to be married to her. I think he feels like he won some sort of wife lottery. A man who is wrecked over a baby that isn't even born yet and is gobsmacked over his wife is a good man.

This is Alex. Alex is married to my precious and unforgettable girlfriend Laura. Alex serves as a missionary with the Miskito Indians in Honduras. He is a man to whom God said "take your family and go" and he said "will do." He loves his family and has a special heart for orphans and the fatherless. He puts his shoes to the road and lives out that calling every day. He has 4 children, a mixture of natural and adopted. Doesn't matter which is which because he's Daddy to them all and NOW there is a new precious baby girl to love too. A man who will devote his life to His call and still keep a tender heart for "the least of these" is a good man.

This is Jimmy, or Jim to his friends. He's a cousin and is married to Karen. They call each other "Pal" and have two boys they call "The Wonder Boys." Jim is a successful composer who lives in Hollywood yet still manages to live out his faith every day. Not only does he stand for Christ in Hollywood, he teaches classes and has written a book to help others share their faith. A man who is a "pal" to his wife, recognized the "wonder" in his boys and gets that making disciples is the Great Commission is a good man....who makes great music.

This is my Uncle Don. He's just a straight out good old God loving country boy. Need a hand, he'll lend you both of his. He is a craftsman and a loving husband, father and grandfather, and he's one of the men I love to call family. He is my Daddy's brother and he is super funny. I bet we got our sense of humor from the same place. His grand kids call him "Dino." Who doesn't love that? He's married to my Aunt Mary who is, as far as I know, the perfect woman and a super great aunt!

This is Clay. He's married to my girlfriend Collette. Clay has 4 children and several beagles. He says he's not a "kid person," but you just hurt one of his and you'll see that he loves his kids ferociously. Clay loves Disney only slightly less than he loves Collette. He knows that he hit the jackpot when he landed his woman. This man is always ready to lend a hand, to pitch in or lend an ear. He's a good friend, husband and father. He is always pursuing knowledge in an attempt to understand God's Word as well as he possibly can. A Disney, beagle and family loving man who is a good friend as well as all those other things is a good man.

This is Usarian. He's married to my girlfriend Kristine. They have five boys. This man recently spent six or seven days with all of his boys by himself so his wife could go "home" to a wedding. Then just yesterday he searched high and low to find a restaurant that served his wife's favorite soup so he could bring some home to her. He has several reasons to complain, yet I never hear him do so. A man who will take his vacation and spend uninterrupted time with his own FIVE BOYS and then search out secret soup just for his wife is a good man.

This is Chip. Do you see that smile on his face? It's because he gets to be married to my best friend Laura. They have four children (mostly now adults,) who are all dedicated to serving others. He works harder and longer than your average bear. He has always been on Laura's side, no matter what the other side was. I have seen this man get his own behind up off of the comfortable couch just to get her a drink or warm up her coffee. This man is completely unaware that there are other women on this planet because he simply can't see them. A man who only has eyes for you, is on your side, helps you raise servant hearted adults AND will fetch a drink for you because you're thirsty is a good man.

This is Marcus. This man is married to my girlfriend Tricia and he is near and dear to my own heart. This man saw potential in my child when he was just a quiet and painfully shy 7th grader. He mentored him and taught him guitar, which changed his life. He gave my boy an outlet for his godly passion and a way to serve Jesus. As you can tell he's an amazing youth minister but he is also a devoted father to a precious boy that I love almost as much as my own. He works harder than any man I know and I'm not sure he sits down. He is super busy yet is never to busy to be a good friend to me. He has spent his summer hauling kids all over several states for camp at the expense of his family time. A man who will invest in your children and haul them all over the world for you and still be a great husband and father is a good man. That's only the first half. Stick around for the second half. Some of my favorites will be there. Please leave me a comment telling me about a "not so magic man" that you know and what makes him a good man.