Everything Glorious

You make everything glorious...and I am Yours...what does that make me?

It's amazing how God makes everything glorious. It's on us to recognize this in who we are. We also have reminders around us everywhere, in people, situations, and nature that reflect the awesomeness of God. The following pictures reflect this idea of "You make everything glorious."

These are images that were captured by the Buckman's during their exciting San Francisco adventure. Ultimately, this trip resulted in a new "official" addition to the family, but it also reminded us of how BIG our GOD is and how we are surrounded by His glory on a daily basis.

San Francisco...baby

The trip was amazing. It was the birthplace of our little baby. We were back to make her an official member of the Buckman family. Amazing! I know I use this adjective a lot, but it really was. The conversations had with traveler and native San Franciscan's alike were great. The scenery was reflective of God's glory. The interaction we had with people was also reflective of God's glory. This got me thinking about how we are supposed to love people, regardless. It can be tough sometimes. For example, one of the two rude people we encountered, both on the same trolley, was the driver. I was very irritated at first because of her rudeness. As I now think about it, I imagine she encounters some crazy things as a driver of a cable car in San Fran. I should have had a better attitude while talking to her.

Some of the other conversations had with people were pretty awesome though. I'm thinking that I should have taken a digital recorder and, with their permission of course, talked to them about specifics. For example, a lot of the people seemed genuinely happy. This goes back to my earlier post about choosing "happy." I wonder if they're choosing happiness amongst the chaos of the city, or what. I don't know. I would like to think that they're choosing to be happy about things. Even with 4 dollar a gallon gas, which explains why many of them were using public transportation, the weather was beautiful and happiness was present. There are some amazing sights out there. God's creation is evident...which makes me wonder why I don't pay attention to that sort of stuff here at AV. Again, I don't know.

Normally I don't post on the weekends, but...

It has been pretty amazing. We're in San Fran. The weather is beautiful, and we've seen a bunch of stuff so far. Soon, Sarala will officially be our child. Amazing. God's blessings and His creation are pretty awesome.

Today's the Day

Well, I'm writing this post and it is super, super early. How do people get up this early? We are leaving soon for the city, where we will board a flight heading to San Francisco, CA. Not too much to say today other than thanks to God. We'll come back home with a little girl with the last name of Buckman.

A case of the "Mondays", even though it's Thursday...

Life is pretty amazing. Awesome one minute, horrible the next. We all experience it. Many of us hit circumstances as we trudge through the work week. We find ourselves saying, like I do from time to time...is it Friday yet? How long is this week? What's happening?

It's not always the bad things though that wear on us. I'm very tired now...worn out. I thought that this Friday was May already...which means I lost a week and have now gained it back realizing it's only April 25th. Wow. It seems like my job, which I do enjoy, can get pretty busy without a blink of an eye.

I'm trying to finish up my career ladder hours, those curriculum objectives that are due, and also a trip to San Francisco. I've also traded morning duty with someone so that I'm covered next week, but means that I came in early today. Not the best start to a Thursday, but it is Thursday. Almost there. Looking into tomorrow, we'll be on a plane to San Francisco by 10 am. Are my lesson plans done yet? Almost...which means that I'll have to make it happen today. I am happy though. The negatives can't be the focus when my life is so wonderful. Yes, it can be crazy and bad things happen from time to time, but I'm surrounded by great friends, have a job I enjoy, am blessed with an awesome family, etc. It's a choice. That's what I said. I'm choosing to remain happy even though life is pretty crazy right now. Also, there's a God who loves me regardless of myself. So, what does it mean to live a happy life? It's one thing to try and not let circumstances get you down...but to truly be happy? I love what this says...from Philippians 2:

Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

We all agree that our world isn't the best place. The Arcadia Valley isn't always the best...but I'm ready to go out into AV as a breath of fresh air. It seems like a lot of people focus on the bad stuff, and therefore all they talk about is negative. That can get you down. I would love to be that breath of fresh air, the one who people look to talk to when times are bad because their outlook on life is positive and their happiness is infectious. That's what gets people thinking. It's not our talking, but our lives. The way we live, does it reflect how happy we are...or are we focused on other things...negative things? God has done some awesome things in my life, one of which concerns little Sarala and the blessing it is to have her in our lives. We go to California and come back with a daughter. Amazing. So, be happy...even though it is raining...which means inside recess;) Oh well, life is good. God is good. Be a breath of fresh air for somebody today. It's infectious. Soon that'll spread. Much better than gossip or complaints...which I've had some complaints lately. Choose "happy."

Some timely thoughts from Andy

Where it's at...with two turntables and a microphone...

I've been thinking about people lately. People in general, and also some specific individuals in my life. People are where "it's" at. We, as Christ followers, are in the "business" of people. Our "job" is to try and illustrate a life abundant and full through loving God and loving people. Awesome things can happen if we fall in line with what God has planned for us. Surrender.

The idea that keeps coming up in conversations, reading, music, and everyday stuff concerns how we handle ourselves with people. Are we truly who we portray ourselves to be or are we a certain type of person at church and someone totally different everywhere else? I guess the main question is: Am I the same person regardless of situation or location? I've encountered some people lately that have illustrated this concept...being someone at church who doesn't match who they are the rest of the week. I myself fall into this trap at times. What needs to happen though is a desire to follow Christ and an acknowledgment that we are not perfect. Human. Everyone is human. This means that we all will make mistakes. A slip of the tongue here, a regrettable action there. Stuff tends to happen. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes we try to act a certain way in a place like church that doesn't really represent or reflect who we are. I've done this. The key though is being able to admit this. We need to be honest...vulnerable...real.

The main catalyst behind this post is how messy church can be because of the fact that people are involved. We, as followers of Jesus, are trying to show people a freedom that can only be found in Him. This can only happen if we're honest with ourselves and with each other. It doesn't do us any good to tell people that life is fine, things are great on the weekends, then portray something else during the week. True community can't happen if we aren't true to who we are. We can be stumbling blocks if we're not living honestly, vulnerably following Jesus. Life can be complicated and rough at times. It can also be awesome. We need to share in these moments, highs and lows, with each other and ultimately love one another regardless of circumstance. God created us all a certain way. We need to embrace this and trust that God has a plan for us. We also need to remember that we're not in this alone.

Hold the Light

It's amazing how life happens, regardless of circumstance. As I was leaving life group last night, feeling greatly encouraged and amazed at how God works through people, I get a phone call as we were leaving the driveway. It is a friend of ours that was on her way to a hospital in St. Louis because her uncle was in a bad motorcycle accident. He wasn't going to make it, and I found out this morning that he didn't. The fear and sadness in her voice shook me. I went from a high to an immediate low. The next thoughts were that I didn't really know what to say. I just told her that if they needed help with anything, Crystal and I would do whatever. Times like these are tough because there is really nothing to say that will help. Just letting her know that we're there if needed is about all we can do.

Caedmon's Call has this song on their new album called "Hold the Light." It's a pretty amazing song that describes how a life with relationships goes. There will be times of celebration and times of loss...along with all the stuff in between. We are supposed to hold the light for each other in times of darkness. We need to allow the "silent peace of God" reflect in our actions and words. I pray that God would comfort her and her family during this time.

One Week...

Hot like wasabe when I bust rhymes...big like LeAnn Rimes...because I'm all about value

This is what plays in my head whenever I hear the words "one week." The ol' BNL. Well...we're down to one week. Next Friday Sarala, Crystal, and I will be on a plane out to California to officially adopt Sarala. It has been a little over a year since Sarala first came to Missouri from California. The picture above shows Sarala in her pumpkin seat the day after we brought her home. She fit right in from the first moment we held her. The thought has never crossed my mind that she's not ours. God is pretty amazing though. He's had this planned all along the way and the blessings have been tremendous. I just pray that Sarala will always be aware of the love that brought her to Missouri. An earthly love from Crystal and I and an indescribable love from God. She's growing into an amazing, healthy little girl that is growing almost too quickly.

"Soon she'll leave her crib forever..."

I've been listening to a lot of Andrew Osenga music lately. He's a singer/songwriter who plays with one of my favorite groups...Caedmon's Call. He's got this song called "Early in the Morning." One of the lines goes "My tiny baby's breathing deeper every day...soon she'll leave her crib forever." Time is an amazing concept. We're learning about it in second grade, but it's a lot bigger than just clocks and the ability to answer a question about elapsed time. Time is also something that we don't have a whole lot of. Soon, little Sarala will be out of her crib forever. Sad, yet awesome at the same time. That's the thing. We don't have a whole lot of time, and the time we do have is not guaranteed.

James 4 says And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

Wow! I love the last part of that. That is the attitude that I would love to have 0n a consistent basis. Also, I'd love this attitude to rub off onto Sarala's life and the people around us. Living for the moment with purpose is a little different than just livin' for the moment. When it comes to saying "Today-at the latest tomorrow..." I find myself procrastinating about a lot of things.

I've found that I get home and am generally pretty tired. Kids can wear you out, especially during a week where all we're doing is taking a big standardized test. I get home and sit down while Sarala plays. I find myself thinking "Just sit for awhile, Sarala will play later too..." but in reality, she's growing up and doing it quicker than I realize. She won't be little like she is for too much longer. Right now, everything is new and bright for her. I need to share in those moments by getting down on the floor with her...even if I'm still in my khakis. I am forcing myself to stop just sitting there and to get down and play. Her time is priceless. This applies to a lot of other areas in my life too. Relationships should hold a high place in my thoughts. I need to make sure I have time that I can give to people, but at the same time protect my time with my girls at home. Time. I've been talking about it all month in second grade math. Not at the "We're a wisp of fog" level ;), but God's been using all this talk about time to get my attention.

Our Little "Coffee" Table

Now, I got home today from work and set my keys, iPod, bag, and other various items I pack around with me on the kitchen table. I then sat down and preceded to watch my baby girl play with her little learning table. It's funny how much the "table" plays into our lives at our house. The wife and I have been deliberately trying to spend more time around our kitchen table sharing meals with friends and family. The rest of the time at home is usually spent around our little girl's learning table in the living room, down on the floor playing. It's funny how the little table and big table serve an identical purpose...bringing people together...joy. Both are focal points for the time we're at home though, which is great. I've spent a great deal of the school year away from the two tables due to coaching duties. This meant time away from loved ones...joy. It doesn't seem like a whole lot of time, but it adds up. This is mainly the reason I decided to leave my coaching position. It was one of those things that was a good thing for me, but it seemed to take away from the "best" things in life. I've heard a message from Bryan Mills lately concerning this idea of God having the best waiting for us, but sometimes we fill our lives with too many "good" things. I feel like God was letting me know this year that my coaching was getting in the way of something He's got in store. I've gotten out, now it's time for me to be patient and faithful. This isn't usually how I roll so it's been challenging. The reward I've seen thus far has come from our baby girl. It's amazing how an hour spent on the floor with her tonight, playing with blocks, can out weigh just about anything else. I wouldn't trade that time. I'm excited for what's next. It's time to hang out around the table.