Ella video

Hi Dad!

She is here!  After all the delays and slow progression it only took 3 pushes over 12 minutes for Ella to join us.  6 pounds 7 ounces.  21 inches long (longer than both of her brothers).  

Despite 4 wraps of the cord around her neck (a site none of the nurses or OB had seen before) Ella is doing well.  Tonya is doing great as well.

  

The waiting...

No, not the group.  I'm referring to us.  Ella still has us waiting.  Contractions started at about 5:00 this morning.  As of 7:20 tonight she's still only dilated to 5 cm.  The obstetrician has decided to start oxytocin.  Hopefully, things move forward a little faster once the drugs start working.

Whoa!

Front Page of Charlotte Observer

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/408/story/191882.html

My new addiction

If you're busy, don't click it. If you have anything to do in the next 2 hours, don't click it. If you're afraid of losing your eyesight from staring at the computer for too long, don't click it.

This is my new time-wasting-guilty-pleasure. This might be the greatest blog on the internet. No, I'm not kidding. Remember, you've been warned!

http://stuffchristianslike.net

The artist formerly known as...

Here is the trailer for our next series at Elevation.  We've been informed that it will be PG-13.  I love going to a church that isn't afraid to tell the truth, no matter what.

Daniel is FULL!

We officially concluded the fast this evening at 6:00. More about how we celebrated later. Today was the final sermon in our series entitled The Gospel at Elevation. I won't steal all of Pastor Furtick's thunder, but I can't continue this post without sharing this number with you...903. That's not our attendance or the amount of money in the plate or the number of times someone coughed during the sermon. Nine hundred three decisions for Christ in the past three weeks! WOW! Praise Jesus. You can read more about it here.

In the interest of full disclosure...I have to admit that Tonya and I did break the fast for 1 meal on Friday evening. As you read, it was our 10 year anniversary - so we decided to forego the fast for 1 meal and celebrate. (If anyone wants to debate the spirit of the law vs. the letter of the law - bring it!) We successfully got our grub on at Bonefish. If you have one of these near you, I highly recommend it. The Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer is phenomenal - and I hate seafood - so you know it's good.

Saturday we were back to the fast. We went up to Concord and ordered Josh and Caleb's new furniture. Then we stopped at Concord Mills so Tonya could buy some "hospital clothes" in preparation for Ella's arrival. (I have to digress here to pat myself on the back. Early in my married life, this would have resulted in an argument. Why do you need "hospital clothes?" They give you clothes to wear...you don't even have to bring your own. It is illogical to buy special clothes for a situation where clothes are provided for free! Serenity now! These days, I'll admit that I still have a fleeting thought or two along these lines...but I've learned 1) mommy deserves it, period and 2) keep your mouth shut when you think things like this.) So, we sat and ate our brown-bag-DanielFast-approved lunch in the parking lot before heading inside. We took care of business and then thought about spending a bit of time brousing through a few more stores...and then the melt downs started...which means it's time to go. So we left.

Then comes Sunday. The final day. Day 21. The day I was convinced would never arrive. I made it through lunch without much of a problem. But then, it became very difficult. I only had 3 or 4 hours to go. But church was over...the series was over...the whole objective behind us fasting corporately had been realized. Why would it matter? And then I was remined, ever so gently, by the Holy Spirit that the real benefit of the fast was my relationship with God. Maybe I need to keep fasting...so I can get that into my head.

Our small group has been planning a feast/celebration in honor of the fast and all that God has done in our church and our lives over the past few weeks. Everyone was asked to bring meat for grilling and a dessert. We brought apple-chicken sausage (it's much better tasting than it sounds - really!) and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...which I made...this afternoon...without licking the beater or the spatula or the bowl or eating a single cookie. Howdaya like me now?

After our discussion of our experiences during the DanielFast, we fired up the grill and started eating. It was like manna from heaven. Pictured below is a very full, very satisfied, very blessed small group.

10 years

200 people packed into an auditorium meant to comfortably seat 150...in early September...in Grand Prairie, TX. At least we had the ceremony at 7:00 PM so it wouldn't be hot. :) (For those who may be reading who are not familiar the climate in Dallas in September - that was a joke. DFW is 300 square miles of cement seemingly situated 7 feet above the mantle of the Earth - which, by the way, is approximatley 5400 degrees Farenheit).

Well, 9 cars, 2 apartments, 1 rent house, 1 "great deal" on a foreclosure house, 4 pregnancies, 2 8/9 children, 1 dog, ? fish (all drains lead to the ocean!), 3 cities, 4 churches, 10 less than satisfying Cowboys seasons, 1 how-did-we-survive-that wreck, 1 head rolled up in a car window (ungh!), 4 years of pharmacy school, 2 years of residency, 4 years of starting a pharmacy school, 347 viewings of Cars and 1 year of homeschooling later...God is still good.

I am absolutely the most blessed man on this planet. I am so amazingly undeserving of the undescribable blessing that my wife and children are to me. I don't know why he has given all that he has to me, but I am humbled and eternally thankful for every up and down and huh? and WOW! of the past ten years.

Tonya: I love you. I am a better everything because of you.

Josh: Daddy is so proud of you.

Caleb: Hi Boo-Boo. Please come down from there. No, I didn't say climb higher...Caleb...No, don't you even think about jump....how did you not break both of your legs? OK, we can go eat, again.

Ella: I know you're not here yet, but please don't take advantage of Daddy.

Bandit: Hush! No bark! And please start bringing your ball all the way to me. This 3/4:1/4 thing we've been doing is remarkably ineffecient and, frankly, it sucks for me.

Thanks also to the 3 or 4 of you who trouble yourself to read this blog. Thanks for praying for us and supporting us and letting us sleep in your homes and hanging out with us through the years. We love you and pray for God's rich blessing and favor on your lives.

Whole buncha DanielFasting

Well, I had every intention of documenting each day of this, but things got busy at work. Rest assured that we've continued the fast each day since the last post. We are nearing the end and that is producing mixed feelings. On one hand, I nearly chased down a rabbit in the back yard today. I'm afraid that I might wake up having chewed off one of my fingers. I miss meat! On the other hand, we've seen God do some amazing things since the leadership and volunteers began the fast nearly three weeks ago. It's also been a miraculous experience in terms of my personal relationship with him. Makes me want to keep fasting.

In addition, the process has given me a new understanding and empathy for people with an addiction. I know...and I agree - it's not the same. But it has been so difficult to have the only thing separating me from a meat/dairy/caffeine/sugar relapse be my free will. I can't imagine having to give up nicotine or alcohol or, worse, some illicit substance that I had developed a physiologic addiction to.

Lastly, for today, if you've ever been angry or disappointed with God, carve out an hour and watch this. It's life changing.