My Bride!

Today is a very special day! It's my 13th wedding anniversary. I must say, I still can't believe that God paired me up with such an incredible woman!

For those of you who haven't heard the story, Cheryl and I have known each other for a very long time. In fact, we actually met in the 6th grade. We've been best friends ever since. We started dating officially in the 10th grade, went to the same college, and eventually decided to spend our lives together. She was 20 and I was 21 when we got married!

If you've spent any time with my wife, you know that she is an amazing person. Cheryl loves Jesus more than anyone or anything in this world and this is very evident in the way she lives her life. She is most passionate about her family. She also loves going on missions trips. Her first trip was to Guatamala when she was only 15. She was there for 10 weeks!! Boy, was I sad! Cheryl is avidly involved in MOPS and enjoys helping other moms to grow in their walk with God.

Here are a few more interesting fact about Cheryl:

-Cheryl is one of the fastest people I've ever met! She shops fast, drives fast, cooks fast, walks fast...well, you get the idea!

-Cheryl hates to cook.

-Cheryl was born in Wimbledon, England.

-Back when we were teenagers, Cheryl actually fell asleep one day while I was practicing my trumpet. My mom declared on that day that she would be my wife!!!

-Cheryl was the Children's Pastor at our church in Chicago for 8 years before coming to NC.

Well, as you can imagine, I could go on all day. Instead, I'll leave you with Proverbs 18:22 which says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."

This has definitely been true for me!

Flies Own Ants

Did you get a chance to read the article about the parasitic flies? According to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, researchers in Texas are trying to combat fire ants by deploying parasitic flies that turn the pesky insects into zombies whose heads fall off. No joke! Called the phorid fly, this South American fly is native to a region where the ants originated.

Here's how it works. The flies lay eggs on the ant. The eggs hatch into maggots which eventually eat away at the fire ant's tiny brain. The ant begins to wander aimlessly for a period of 2 weeks until his head falls off. By then the maggot has become a fly which is ready to destroy another fire ant. This is absolutely hilarious!

While I laughed a good bit after hearing about the zombie ants, I couldn't help but see a parallel to the spiritual lives of believers. The truth is that there is one who has every intention of destroying us. His name is Satan.

The parasites that he sends our way are many: pornography, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, adultery, bitterness, jealousy, etc. Unfortunately, the more we give in, the more we have the very life sucked out of us. We become spiritually useless, wandering around like zombies until we finally experience spiritual death.

Perhaps you've been attacked by a parasite or perhaps you are playing "host" to one right now. Unlike the ants, the good news is that God's power is greater than the battle you face. Confess your sin and surrender to God. Get help from others around you if you can't shake the parasite on your own. While this may be difficult, I can guarantee you that it will be much better than having your head pop off!

Here's a cool video showing the phorid flies at work (for strong stomachs only!).

God's Chisel

Click here to watch video!

The Package

Everything comes in a package. Everything! Think about it...the food you eat, the lyrics to the songs you hear, the car you drive, the commercials you watch on TV. It's all packaged a certain way for its intended purpose.

Packages exist for different reasons. Some are good and some are bad. Some packages are meant to protect; others to disguise. Some are designed solely for the purpose of making its contents look attractive.

Have you ever noticed that God's communication to us is often packaged? We are all familiar with the package of the Bible. But God speaks to us in other ways, too. Sometimes he speaks through the package of our circumstances--good and bad. Sometimes his package includes things said by people we love or a spiritual authority in our lives. We know it's Him when it lines up with the scriptures.

I'm convinced that there are times that I don't hear God completely because I get so hung up with the package. "Why would God use that person or that church or that pastor or this circumstance? I know better than them. I could do this better." Ever been there?

God is always speaking. In my life, I often have to ask him to help me to get past the "package". Once this happens, I begin to hear his voice much more frequently. Oh, by the way, it's good to remember, too, that all God's packages are ones that are rooted in his goodness and his love. He's not trying to keep you from hearing his voice nor is He trying to deceive you.

I encourage you to think about the "packages" in your life. Are you hearing what God is saying? If not, rip them open and look inside. You will not only find His words to you; you will find Him!