School is upon us

So this is only about... well my second post. I just really haven't taken the time to sit down and blog this summer and Mary has done such a good job of keeping things current so why worry about it.
Well I start school this week and I imagine it will be a little something like this


Well maybe not exactly exactly like that, that was only about 18 years ago when I was in second grade (cute huh)
I will be starting classes at Philadelphia Biblical U, on my way to earning two degrees, one in PE and a second in Bible. I have been thinking a lot this week about the amazing work God has been doing in my life. Only a few years ago I was thinking I wouldn't go to college at all and just yesterday I thought "Wow, I will probably end up with two master's degrees" Amazing! God has been so good to bring me from where I was to where I am. And He is not done, never will be, until perfection comes.
So I have a full class load, 18 credits (yikes) I am excited and probably a little nervous. I have never taken that many credits in one semester before and I will probably have the same load every semester from here on out. I know I'll get through it, lots of work though.

In other news, I was ordained as a deacon in our church two weeks ago. Yet another example of God's faithfulness and sovereignty. Everything in our lives works according to His plan. Even when we are far off from Him he is working bringing life events our way that will mold us into the person He has called to serve Him. Amazing God!
I have been teaching a really interesting Sunday school class this summer to 5th-7th graders. It is a video series that explores ancient Israel to see how Jesus impacted the culture of His day, and how understanding that culture can help us to understand the Bible better, and how Jesus' ministry can effect our culture today. There have been some really interesting lessons that deal with David and the places where he fled from Saul and how those experiences may have shaped his writing in the Psalms. Or the woman subject to bleeding (Mark 5) reaching for what our English Bibles call the hem of Jesus' garment. But really she is reaching for the "sisit" or tassels of his clothing. She knew that it was said the Messiah's sisit would be able to heal. So more than just believing him to be a prophet or a great man she is saying she believes Jesus to be the Christ, Peter's own confession does not come till Mark 8. As always when I teach a Sunday school class I end up learning more than anyone through the whole process of preparing for and teaching a lesson and the feedback I get from students. It has been a great blessing.

Weddings:

The first wedding Mary and i went to together


Me Reading at my friend Doug's wedding


Our Wedding



Mike and Jenna's wedding this past weekend!!!

We all had a great time at the wedding! They did such a good job putting it all together. The weekend was actually pretty action packed it included:


A groomsmen golf outing


Last minute alterations


An intense game of Guess Who



A little pre wedding bike hike


Our church providing the wild section


And the party afterwards

It was such a great day and we are so happy for them

Well it is time to go I have made about the longest post in history here, make up for lost time I suppose. BYE!