Can you hear me now?

In our earlier years of marriage, we lived in a home with no central heat and air. Our air and heating source came from a little, but loud, window unit that was in the wall of our den. When the compressor would kick in on that unit, it sounded like a 747 was about to land in our den! That unit was so loud it would shake the side of the wall! One night, it was operating loudly while Jodi was in the kitchen preparing our supper. Little did I know, she was calling out to me from the kitchen. The only problem was, I couldn’t hear her due to the loud noise! She came in the den and asked, “Beck, why aren’t you answering me?” To which I responded, “I couldn’t hear you!” The problem wasn’t that she wasn’t calling out my name; the problem was that I couldn’t hear her due to the noise! The noise had simply drowned out her voice!

I learned a valuable lesson that night (get rid of the air unit!). How many times has the Holy Spirit called out to us, only to find us unable to hear His voice due to the noise IN US and AROUND US?

In Psalm 131: 2, David says, “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

Many a souls are like a raging storm tossing and turning inside, unsettled by the noise from within. Many people’s lives are so loud with activity and peppered with busyness all the while Jesus is calling out, “Come away with me. Get away from the noise so that I may speak to you.” Sometimes, it takes us getting away from the noise of life so that we can “quite our souls”.

You may be asking yourself, “Why doesn’t God ever speak to me?”, while he is saying, “I’m trying.”

Get away, get quiet, and listen for the voice of God.

10 Year Anniversary

"The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he recieves favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22)

Jodi and I just celebrated our "10 Year" Anniversary in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Thank you SO much to Dr. and Mrs. Blaine Borders for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home there!

When I married Jodi on September 28, 2002 I found a treasure! My life has been greaetly enriched by this treasure of a woman!

Here are 10 "gold nuggets" out of this treasure!

1. She seeks Jesus Christ daily longing to grow closer to him. Every day I come across a woman who is either out on the back porch or in her favorite chair in the family room with her Bible cracked opened looking for the "hidden treasures" found all throughout God's Word.

2.   She's an incredible mother to my three children! Jodi has remained true and stayed extremely focused on  one of her greatest callings--motherhood. She is my three children's mother, teacher, counselor, doctor, and the list goes on and on! Motherhood flows out of who she is!

3. I understand the "beauty is fleeting", but it hasn't left just yet! My wife is a gorgeous woman! She still has the incredible ability of just being a "knock out". She takes care of herself physically and I love that about her! She looks great whether she is "made up" and ready for a date, or on the couch with no make-up on! She is beautiful!

4. She is fun! One of the things I love about Jodi is that she loves to laugh! She has a great sense of humor. We love piling up and watching a good, clean comedy together!

5. She has a beautiful smile! She has a smile that will bring a smile to anyones face! Her smile makes you think that everything is going to be alright!

6. She is an extremely gifted decorator! The woman is so creative and is so great at making our home feel like a home! She can take what she's given and transform a place! She is great at finding inexpensive things and making the most of it!

7. Great cook! This got me in trouble our first year of marriage because she was raise an ole-country gal! Fried Chicken! Mashed Potatoes! These were the norm our first year of marriage--hence the 10 pounds I gained! I always look forward to coming home to a good meal!

8. Closed lips! You tell her something and want it kept quiet? It's good and safe with her! She is a great friend, a great listener, and can keep your confidence! She can be trusted!

9. She gives me liberty to be me. I've always loved this about Jodi. She doesn't "squash" me or want to know where I am every hour of the day. She allows me to enjoy the things that give me life, never nagging, and I appreciate this so much about her.

10. She's always supported "our ministry". Our greatest ministry is to our family and she has always been sold out to that vision and all in! She's an incredible help-mate to me carrying out our most important mission which is to move our family forward to the life that is the Kingdom of God. She has always been by my side in whatever ministry that God has called us into the serve his church. Never, not once, has she fought me on this. It helps us move forward and I am so incredibly blessed I don't feel like she is jealous of Christ's bride.

We have had great moments, very difficult moments, but nevertheless, God has continued to teach us things and move us forward closer to his ultimate plan for our life. God has used Jodi to refine me, better me, enhance my life, and make me a stronger disciple of Jesus Christ! I am so excited about the next ten years of our lives! I love you Jodi and thank you for being faithful to me!