Add This To Your Library...

For many years, I've been a student of 'students'. I've attempted to devour everything imaginable concerning the 18 ~ 25 year olds. And there are a LOT of great material out there, however, I have just completed a book by Thom Ranier that I believe to be the best of it's kind. Nothing I've ever read compares to the wonderful insights this book shares.

'The Bridger Generation' is a MUST read for anyone who is working with, or ministering to the 18 ~ 25 year olds. And it give wonderful insight into working with our current youth as well.

This is the age group that is missing from the majority of our churches. And if we're honest with ourselves, it's the age group that's missing from OUR church. We have a chance at reaching America's second largest generation in history. But in order to do that, we MUST be willing to admit that what we're currently doing in the area of evangelism and ministry toward this group is wrong, and that drastic measures must be taken...a total different approach is demanded.

I pray it overwhelms you as much as it did me...

Christmas Week...

It's been a great week for our family. We had, without a doubt, the most incredible Christmas our family has ever had! Words cannot honestly say just how much I love my family! We've enjoyed major quality family time. And it's been so long. Another reason why I love my Lord so much. Only He and He alone can provide that.

Work, however, was totally crazy! Busiest week I've had since I started to work there. Great, great job, and I love every second of it, but crazy busy.

Today, was super! I was blessed by being able to fill the pulpit at Port Clinton Baptist Church. Great, great people...great Spirit...thanks to Pastor Gene for the opportunity to speak. Port Clinton is located right on Lake Erie, one of the Northern most communities in Ohio. It was about 7-10 degrees COLDER up there, than it is here in Tiffin.

We're getting ready to launch our Spring Semester of h2o on the Tiffin University campus. Lots of exciting things are planned.

Have a great week...be back later...

Have A Happy & Safe New Year...

Christmas Carol...

Click Here for the best Christmas Carol of the season!! Enjoy!

Christmas Carols For The Disturbed...

I received this in my email today from a very good friend, and I honestly felt it worthy of sharing it with all of you...enjoy!


1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?
2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are
3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas
4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
5. Manic - Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....
6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why
9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?
10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - - - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells , Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

A Little Christmas Story...

Little Carol came into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner. Christmas was coming up and she thought this was a good time to tell her mother
what she wanted. "Mom, I want a bike for Christmas."

Now, Little Carol was a bit of a troublemaker. She had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Carol's mother asked her if she thought she deserved to get a bike for Christmas. Little Carol, of course, thought she did.

Carol's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted her to reflect on her behavior over the last year, and write a letter to God and tell him why she deserved a bike for Christmas. Little Carol stomped up the steps to her room and sat down to write God a letter.

LETTER 1:
Dear God:
I have been a very good girl this year and I would like a bike for Christmas. I
want a red one.
Your friend,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true. She had not been a very good girl this year, so she
tore up the letter and started over.

LETTER 2:
Dear God:
This is your friend Carol. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and I would
like a red bike for Christmas.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true either. She tore up the letter and started again.

LETTER 3:
Dear God:
I know I haven't been a good girl this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good girl
if you just send me a red bike for Christmas.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get her a bike. By
now, she was very upset. She went downstairs and told her mother she wanted to go to church. Carol's mother thought her plan had worked because Carol looked very sad.

"Just be home in time for dinner," her mother said.

Carol walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. She looked around to see if anyone was there. She picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary, slipped it under her jacket and ran out of the church, down the street, into her house, and up to her room. She shut the door and sat down and wrote her letter to God.

LETTER 4:
I GOT YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.
Signed,
YOU KNOW WHO

The Snow Storm Is Over...

These pictures were taken late this afternoon when the snow storm was ending. You can see the break in the storm clouds. Just a few minutes after I took these pictures, the sun came out for about 20 minutes. Enjoy our world, here in Ohioland.

Picture Perfect...

In our 'Christmas Greetings' post, I told you about this 'picture perfect' view from our dining room window. The teasing is over...here's a quick glimpse....hope you enjoy.

This is our dining room. This is the picture window that the pictures above were taken from.

Sandy & The Snow...

Sandy absolutely loves the snow! She like to bounce from one drift to another...she's so funny. And when she goes outside and gets to play in the snow, she doesn't want to come in the house. I had already done some snow shoveling to help her not get lost in the drifts. Hey, don't you love my snow suit!!

Snow Pictures, December 16th...

These are pictures taken from our front porch, Sunday December 16th.

Yep, that's our vehicles!

These are pictures taken from our back porch.

Fast Facts I've Learned In Ohio...

The locals are drinking something like ‘liquid fireworks’…they’re always talking about drinking ‘pop’.
The Wal-Mart is cleaner.
Every house has a basement and a fireplace.
People walk EVERYWHERE.
The locals talk funny.
You either have a filtering system in you house for the water, or, you buy your water.
You keep extra weight in the back of your vehicle NOT because of the slippery conditions but because of the ridiculous wind.
You wear coats, scarves, hats and gloves NOT because they make a fashion statement, but because you NEED them to stay warm.
You don’t care what the hat or toboggan does to your hair.
It really does snow in Ohio.
It really, really snows in Ohio.
A snow-mobile is NOT a 4-wheeler with skis.
The locals have NEVER heard of snow ice creme.
Tabitha is better at a snowball fight than I am.

Holiday Greetings From The Northcoast…

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Even though we’re still a couple of weeks away from Christmas Day, we want to take a quick opportunity to say ‘hello’ and give you a holiday update on our family and our ministry.

Finals are now over at Tiffin University, and we have ended our weekly h2o Worship Gatherings for the semester. I feel so blessed this Christmas with everything we’ve seen God do this past semester. Our inaugural semester for campus ministry has been overwhelming. We’ve had over 60 students attend our h2o Gatherings with an average of approximately 30 each week! Our students were involved in two major ministry projects, and we’ve had 4 social events. We began our Sunday Edition of h2o two weeks ago, which we will continue in the Spring as our build-up of our church plant launch of The River Church.

Tabitha has survived her first semester with flying colors! She’s planning on another busy semester in the Spring. She will enjoy her break as well. Five weeks of no class…no homework…no studying…no papers to write…no choir rehearsals…no dance practice…you get the picture! She’s very excited to relax for awhile. She’s made ton’s of new friends and has acclimated herself extremely well on campus. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that TU is where she is supposed to be. She is right at home at TU.

Denise continues to be the glue that holds our family together. From the start of each day to the last thing at night, she makes sure each of us is going in the right direction. Without her steadfastness, I’m just not sure we would survive. Her and Tabitha have our home decorated so gorgeous for the Christmas holidays, and our home is especially filled with the holiday spirit this year. As I write this, the snow is falling and the fireplace is crackling. It started snowing about Noon today, and we’re expected to see up to 8” overnight. Denise loves the snow, as long as neither of us have to be out on the roads.

I honestly wish that each of you could see the view outside of our dining room window. I can post pictures of it all day, but you just have to be here to truly enjoy it. Behind our home is now the remains of the summer’s corn field. On the left side of the field is a beautiful tree line where deer play each day. At the back of the field, there is a gorgeous home that has white lights in each of their windows, and a strong fireplace that has smoke curling out of it. And at night, the lights flicker like candles in the distance. With the snow falling, the appearance from that home, it’s almost like looking at a live Christmas card.

This will just about do it for the night…I would like to encourage each of you to spend some extra quality time with your family this holiday season. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight…

Settling In For A Long Winter's Nap...

The past several weeks have been a whirlwind around our house. It just seems there isn't enough time in the day... I'm certainly not complaining, I would just like to get a little more accomplished, you know? But then again, there goes my 'work aholic' coming out!

We will have a couple of weeks to catch our breath. TU is in finals week this coming week, which means we won't be meeting at our regular h2o Worship Gathering on Thursday's. We haven't been able to secure an off campus location for our Sunday Evening church plant, so we're looking into mid-January for that. So with those two kinda calm for the Christmas break, we're looking forward into that 'long winter's nap thing'!

But the extra time will be spent in communicating with our students, and planning out our Spring Semester Strategy. Lot's of great ideas on the horizon...can't wait to see them in action.

We had a great Year-end Christmas party with the students, you can see some pics HERE. We had 27 in attendance...our house will NEVER be the same!!! Our special guests were Andy Weems, the Interim State Collegiate Director for Ohio, along with three of his students...Ryan, Andy and Elaine.

The snow has melted somewhat, but the little ice and rain we received today, sure helped slick things up. We're expecting a little more icy rain overnight.

I think that's it for now...my coffee cup is empty...gotta go...

Winter Wonderland...

We awoke yesterday morning to a fabulous winter wonderland. It has been so long since our family saw snow like this! It was totally captivating! We received 3 inches overnight, with another 2 inches during the day. We're expecting another 2 inches tonight. We had an overnight low of 6 degrees...yes I DID say 6 degrees! Today, it was almost 20 degrees for a afternoon high! Now imagine all of the Christmas lights that are on the majority of homes here, against the back-drop of this snow blanket...absloutely gorgeous!

I'm especially amazed at the organization of our communities snow removal program! By noon yesterday, most of ALL of our streets were clear. And even today, only minor icey spots. If we had received this much snow in Arkansas, it would have shut down the entire community.

These are pictures taken yesterday outside of our home...enjoy!

Saturday On The Coast...

As I sit here tonight, I can’t keep from thinking just how much things are different than what we’ve been used to. Here I am watching the fire dance in the fireplace, doing my best to keep a good fire burning. I’ve had to learn quickly how to work a fireplace. And I’m really enjoying it. It doesn’t hurt that our next door neighbor is the ‘king of the firewood’ in these parts. I love the atmosphere the fire gives off.

All three of us are extra chilled tonight. We spent the day up on Lake Erie doing some Christmas shopping. And the wind off of the lake was extremely icy. And right now, the wind chill is 20 degrees…brrrrr. But it’s a good cold, if there is such a thing. It was a wonderful day of family time. We’re now all in the Christmas Spirit…enjoying the Christmas lights around town…the Christmas music on the radio…it’s just different when the temps are colder I guess. We even had icicles on the eve of the house this morning before we left. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen an icicle.

Most of the leaves have fallen off of the trees. Everyone around here has spent the last few days raking…and raking…and raking. There are leaves everywhere! And tonight, I saw a large herd of deer out behind our house, along the tree line. I can only image what those sites will look like when the snow falls. We have a large picture window in the back of our house where our dining room is, and the view is unbelievable.

We’re all excited to see what this week is going to bring. It’s the final week of prep work for our new church start. Next Sunday night is the opening night for The River Church. Lots of work yet to do, but the anticipation overshadows it.

I really missed having Bible Study on the campus this past week. The students have grown on me. They’re like part of our family now. I have talked to many of them over the holiday break, all seem to be having a good time at home. For many, this was the first opportunity to go home since the beginning of the semester. But I’m sure, that tomorrow evening, there will be a lot of happiness taking place as they return back to TU.

Guess I’ll go for now…everyone is already asleep. As for me…a fresh pot of coffee, and I’ve got to stoke the fire…

Thanksgiving Blessings...

Happy Thanksgiving from the Ohio’s Northcoast! It’s so unusual for our family to be expecting snow for this holiday week. But tonight, we’re expecting our first measurable snowfall. It’s been raining most of the day and the temperature has steadily fallen. We can’t wait till tomorrow, turkey and all the trimmings, I’m off from work, Tab is on Thanksgiving break, so all three of us are planning on enjoying a nice relaxing day at home.

The campus ministry is still growing. We’re averaging over 30 almost every week. New faces each week. But much more than numbers, our students are growing deeper in their walk with Christ each week. They have tasted what ministry is all about. We have been a part of Operation Christmas Child, and for Thanksgiving, we have been able to bless three incredible families with more than enough food for their Thanksgiving meals and for many days afterwards. We also have collected enough, that we will give out three more turkeys for Christmas. If you could only have seen the look on the families faces. I truly believe that we received as much of a blessing as they did.

We have a great open line of communication with each of our students. We receive prayer requests throughout the week from many of our students. This collegiate ministry has literally been an overnight success, proving that God was at work here, long before we arrived. Please continue to keep our students in your prayers, and also pray that God will continue to open doors for us to share the Gospel.

And I’m excited to let you know that on December 2nd, we will be launching our new church plant! The River Church will hold it’s first service on Sunday NIGHT, yes I said NIGHT, at 6:00pm. Anticipation is extremely high for this service. We have secured a temporary location that will serve us well. I humbly ask that you keep that date on your prayer list. I fully expect for God to do some incredible things at this service. I’m very close to having our website ready for the new church plant. As soon as it’s ready, I’ll share it with you.

It’s such a peace to know that we’re in the middle of God’s Will. And to watch Him at work, each and every day continues to blow my mind. This is a Thanksgiving that has a much deeper meaning for our family. We’ve been on an incredible ride for many months, and to look back and see exactly what all God had done for us and provided for us is so humbling. I can’t imagine a single second without God directing our every move. Without Him, we are absolutely nothing. And I want Him in TOTAL control of our lives, every second of every day.

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. God continues to provide for us in miraculous ways. But we’re still seeking God’s Will for 10 additional families or churches that will see our vision and become financial partners with us. We have no doubt that He is in control, and that He has everything ready for us, in His time.

I thank God for friends and family like you. Without your support, it would be extremely difficult doing what we’re doing. Just knowing that you are there, thinking about us…praying for us…loving on us, continues to help keep us focused. May God give you and your families an incredible Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy your families. We love you dearly.


Serving Him In Ohio,

The Whaley’s
Jim, Denise and Tabitha


The River Church
http://www.h2oforlife.blogspot.com/
http://www.dadsdailygrind.blogspot.com/

Pictures From Our New Home...

Here are a couple of new pictures taken from our new home.

The first is a shot taken from our back yard.

The second picture is taken from our front yard.

And this beautiful shot is taken from our front porch.

Ice & Snow on the Coast...

Snow and ice fell here on the Northcoast today. We're headed to an overnight low of 28!!! Brrrrrr. Not counting the wind chilll!! BBBRRRRRRRR!!!

I'm beginning to feel somewhat better, still kinda runny nosey, and a little achy, but definitely on the mend. Got a busy weekend coming up, tomorrow night we host the TU Dance Team at our house!!! Gonna be some steppin' goin' on, I can just feel it! Saturday night is the TU basketball game against Heidelberg. The TU Dance Team is going to perform...can't miss that with Tabitha in it. Sunday, we'll finish up the Thanksgiving Food Drive for h2o...somekind of serious ministry going on! Pray for us. Pray for the families that we'll be able to share with next week. God is really doing some incredible things here in Tiffin...we're now beginning to see them in action...what a thrill! Have a great weekend...talk to you soon.

Midweek on the Northcoast...

Hey,

Kindof a weird day. I'm still miserable with this cold/flu mess. I simply can't remember being this sick in a LOOONNNGG time! And I'm truly a baby when I'm sick, so please pray for Denise and Tabitha.

We're slowly trying to get settled into our new house. We have our first house party this Friday. The TU Dance Team will invade my house around 5:00pm, and who knows when they'll go home! :) They're a great group of gals. Should be time for some 'steppin' in Jim's house on Friday!!!

Got a lot going on, gathering food for a Thanksgiving Food Drive for h20, getting ready for Thanksgiving break, planning next semester's activities for h20, working, being sick...you get the picture.

We're almost secure with our new location for our new contemporary church plant. We're in the last of the negotiations now (I PRAY). It will be such a relief for our family to get back to a contemporary style church. The praise & worship music, full multi-media, the 'come as you are' atmosphere (where there is NO dress code), the cafe' type setting where relationships are built. Please join us in prayer as we near our launch.

And also, my best friend is just a few short weeks away from releasing his new book, "If The Truth Be Told." I'll keep you posted on that, and you will be sure to want to get a copy. I've read it, unbelievable stuff!

Have a great week.....

Weekly Round~Up...

It's Friday night late, and man has it been a long week. Denise and I are just now getting over this cold/congestion/flu/mess that has taken it's toll on us. Thank you for your prayers.

It was great to get internet back up and running, it's amazing how our family uses the 'net.

We had another great time last night at h2o, we had 30 in attendance, WOW! And to top that all off, 19 of us crashed McDonalds afterwards for a McFlurry Run! That was way too funny! But seriously, 30 in worship...now on a regular basis...I'm praying for 50 before the Christmas break. Join me in that prayer, wont' you.

I'm really glad it's the weekend. We've planned absolutely nothing! And I'm so excited! We do have to assemble a few pieces of furniture this weekend...I've borrowed a drill...for Denise (for those of you who don't know, Denise doesn't allow me NEAR tools and any shape, form or fashion)...so that small project shouldn't take long.

I built my first fire in a fireplace this past week, now that I'm proud of! But the repeat performance didn't fare as well. I really need to gather some wood this weekend, if an effort to attempt it again.

Have a great weekend, we'll talk to you soon...now where did I put my coffee cup...

Our First Snowfall...

It’s awful hard for this word to come out of my mouth...SNOW!

It’s our first snow of the winter. Just a few flakes, mixed in with a light rain. And AMAZINGLY COLD! We had a steady wind of over 30 mph with gusts over 40mph. Our wind chill today was in the mid to high 20’s. The temperature probably wouldn’t seem so bad, but Denise and I both have this ridiculous cold, congestion, runny nose, you get the picture.

Should be consistently in the 30’s for a while now.

I’m sure for many of you, life is still in the 70’s! I spoke with some great friends in Odessa Texas yesterday, and it was 89! Unreal!

Saying Goodbye To Our Temporary Mansion...

The day was bittersweet…

What was supposed to have only been for four weeks quickly turned into four months. It was the home that should not have been vacant…it was the home we NEVER should have been able to find…it was the home that was least expected…it was the home that God provided…it was the right home.

It was our sanctuary…a place of peace in the eye of the storm…

I could write for hours about our temporary mansion, but I’m saving those thoughts and memories for another literary work.

Denise and Tabitha had taken many smaller loads over during the week, but on Saturday, we rented a 15’ Budget Truck to take care of everything else. We really got started much later that I had planned. We were scheduled to pick up our truck at 9am, but instead, it was almost 1pm when they called us to tell us it was ready. That made for a loooonnnggg Saturday. We did spend Saturday night in our new house, which was a massive blessing.

Sunday, we still had to get all of the living room furniture, spare bedroom stuff, and numerous other things still in boxes that we haven’t seen since July.

At the end of the day Sunday, all three of us were totally exhausted…the truck was returned…but we were ALL here with ALL of our belongings in one house…our new home…here's one of the first pictures of our new home…

Urgent Prayer Request...

Hello everyone,

I'm writing, asking for specific prayer for the Tiffin University campus. On Tuesday night of this week, something happened to many of our students and they became very ill, to the point of overwhelming the local hospital emergency room. The numbers were so large, that a special tri-age unit was set up in the hospital just for TU students and staff. No one is sure quite what the illness is at this point. Food poisoning was the initial reaction, but that was quickly ruled out.

It certainly took it's toll on our h2o Bible Study tonight. We had almost 20 students out with this mess. Currently, the numbers are over 120 that have caught this, and the numbers are growing. It's not contageous, but we're taking as much precaution as necessary.

All events for the campus have been cancelled, even Family Weekend for this coming weekend. Please pray that God will do a miraculous work on our campus, and that this will be a phenominal opportunity to share the Good News with our students.

Here is a link to an article in our local paper today about this epidemic.

Thank you so much for your prayer support.

Midweek Rain on the Coast...

Moving has started! We spent yesterday and most of today cleaning our new home. We did manage to take over 6 loads of our stuff that has remained in boxes today. To say the least, we're tired. And to add to that, Denise has got a horrible cold...please pray that she'll get better and get her strength back quick! Tomorrow, I'm sure that Denise will take over a couple of more loads of our stuff, because tomorrow night is our h2o Worship Gathering on the TU campus.

As I write this, it's raining, here on the Northcoast...the wind has a steady breeze, which makes it colder than it really is. Oh, the changes in the weather....

I can sense the fact that we're almost able to settle down, and get our routine going. Can't wait. I've got so much to write about, I just can't get to it.

Time to wrap up my last pot of coffee for the night...and crash. Can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

The Season's Are A'Changing....

Just a quick 'Hey' from the northcoast! The last several days have been extremely hectic, I've actually met myself a couple of time, I've been so busy.

We had a chance to visit with the incredible congregation at First Baptist Church in Sheffield Lake, Ohio this past Sunday. Had a WONDERFUL time. And to all those folks, 'Thanks so much for your warm welcome!'

The weather is changing drastically now. We've had to scrape the frost from the vehicle windows the past couple of days. Can't wait to get moved so we can find all of our winter clothing...and our coats!

Speaking of moving, we signed the lease this past Saturday on our new house. Denise and I have spent today cleaning it, and getting ready to start moving tomorrow. We plan on getting all of our boxed stuff over during the week, then on Saturday and Sunday, get all of the heavy stuff, like the furniture, bedroom suits, upright freezer...and don't forget about my TWO pianos!! Our plans are to spend our first night there this coming Saturday.

Our h2o Worship Gathering is growing like I truly never expected. We had 32 last Thursday night...I'm praying for 50 by Thanksgiving.

We're very near to the point where we have our location to launch our new church plant. Please join us in prayer that this will all work out ASAP..

I'm including some new pictures on this blog of shots that we took around town, hope you enjoy!

Stay in touch....

Midweek On The Coast...

Just a quick g'morning! All is well on the Northcoast. We're getting ready for h2o tonight, then preparing to move into our new house after the weekend. Looks like we will start moving next Wednesday, November 1st.

The weather is distinctly changing, the leaves are turning, and many of them are falling. Lot's to tell you about later. Have a great weekend.

Windy Week...

OK…I’ve had an eye-opening experience this week.

I’m from the South. Born and bred in the Delta…and proud of it. The South has always been known for some pretty amazing things, but the one thing that has consistently amazed me about Arkansas, is the weather. At any given time in Arkansas, a tornado can fall from the sky. I’ve seen twisters rip through the state during all twelve months of the year. I’ve watched them from a distance, and I’ve experienced them from the inside out. We never, and I did say never, had any large amounts of wind that didn’t have a twister attached to it somewhere. Whenever the wind got over 5 or 10 MPH, somebody’s trailer or cow was soon to be flying overhead. We always knew that when the clouds rolled in and the winds picked up…it was time to run for cover, ‘cause something was coming…

Now that I’m a ‘re-located Southerner’ somewhere on the Northcoast of Ohio, the concept of wind is being redefined. Up here, it’s NOTHING for the wind to blow between 25 and 35 MPH! All day! And most of the time, stronger. I talking about from the time you get up in the morning, till after you go to bed at night, non-stop wind gusts! The leaves fall, the trees bend, the house shakes, you hold on to anything that’s nailed or bolted down to keep from getting blown away.

I’ve figured out the solution…it’s time to go shopping…I need to get me some them ‘lead-filled drawers.’

The Week Is Slowing Down...I Think...

It's been a roller-coaster ride of weather this week on the North Coast. Today was absolutely gorgeous! But tonight is supposed to be much cooler! We've got rain and possible storms for the weekend. Our week has been great! I finished up getting ready for worship and Bible Study for tomorrow night, and also worship for Sunday morning. I'm leading worship at a outdoor 'non-denominational' service that is going to be held prior to a regional 5k/10k run. The organizer of the run wanted to start the contest off right with a church service. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

We're excited about moving into our new house. Right now, the move date is Nov 1st. Denise is as excited as a kid in a candy store with a pocket full of quarters! What's so ironic is, that this is the house that she absolutely loved back in March when we made our first trip to Ohio. And as God would do it, it is still available, off the market for sale, and the owner wants to lease it TO US! God really is something, huh? I'm so thankful that Denise is getting the home she wanted...if there is anybody that's deserved it, it's her!

Please pray for our Campus Worship Gathering tomorrow night...I've just got this feeling that God is ready to rock the house...my anticipation level is insane, and the excitement is overwhelming!

We are still praying that God will provide 10 families/churches that will commit to $100 a month in financial support of our ministry. We are extremely close, so if you would, please join us in that urgent prayer request.

That's it for now...gotta grab a fresh cup before I head to bed...

A New Monday...

Whew! What a week...and a weekend! It's probably a good thing that HomeComing only comes once a year! That's a lot of excitement and activities all rolled into a 7 day period. But my oh my was it worth it. It was an incredible time!

And even with it being HomeComing week, we STILL had 24 at our h2o Gathering last Thusday night! It's simply incredible watching students arrive for h2o. And to think, we have not even 'scratched the surface' yet.

Things are still 'all systems go' for us moving into our house on November 1st. We're all dreading the physical move, but literally cannot wait to get all of our things unpacked! You simply cannot imagine, over 2/3's of our stuff is still packed away. I told Denise this past week, it will almost be like Christmas getting to unpack all of our stuff. I just know that I'll find things I forgot we had!

Have a great Monday...I'm headed for coffee...

Tabitha & The TU Crew...

Enjoy these pics from today's Homecoming of Tabitha and the TU Crew, Tiffin University's Dance Team! Yep, I AM a proud Daddy!!!

Tiffin University Homecoming 2007...

HomeComing Week For The Whaley's...

It's been a wild and woolly week at the Whaley house this past week! It's officially HomeComing Week at Tiffin University and we are 'up to our eyeballs in alligators' with HomeComing stuff...and lovin' every minute of it! Since Tabitha is a member of the TU Dance Team, she has been in all sorts of mess this past week in preparation for the 'big day' tomorrow. Her Dance Team will be performing, along with numerous other things scheduled throughout the day. There are 3 NCAA sporting events taking place tomorrow to celebrate HC. Not real sure that we'll be able to make all three...but the football game is a 'sho-nuff' guarantee!

And...it's officially cold! Or colder that I've experienced in October in a looonnnggg time. Right now, it's 43 degrees, headed for a low tonight of 38. We are expecting our first frost of the year this weekend. Brrrrrrrr!!!! Perfect football weather!!!

And it's HomeComing also at UAM in Monticello! I want to say 'hey' to all our friends that will be taking part in that celebration also!!!

As soon as I recover from this weekend, I'll post some pics of the festivities. Have a great weekend....