Family Driven Faith

Joy and I recently started reading a book together called Family Driven Faith by Dr. Voddie Baucham. So far, I think it's pretty outstanding! Brian and Keri turned us on to Voddie Baucham back when we were in North Carolina, and he's got some great stuff to read and listen to. I subscribed to his podcast awhile ago, but haven't really listened to too many of his sermons. The ones that I have listened to are very good though.

I'm only on like the third chapter, but I've been convicted and challenged already! Basically, what I've gotten so far out of Family Driven Faith is that the salvation and sanctification of our children is of the utmost importance. But it doesn't start there; first it starts with my marriage. Which is the convicting part for me. If my marriage with Joy is not loving, God-honoring, and focused on Him, then it will be difficult to point my children to the Lord and show them how to honor Him. Very convicting!

Speaking of marriage, it is Joy and my 2nd anniversary this Sunday, July 4th. Pretty crazy, we've already been married for 2 years! It is amazing. I look back on these two years and see that I have been a fool sometimes in the way that I lead my family and treat my wife. It is a miracle that we are still married, but only by God's unfailing grace do we continue on. I am so undeserving of such a wonderful woman who has followed me halfway around the world and who has been patient with my hard-headedness and pride. She is very patient and understanding of military life, and she is truly my better half that keeps me sane and somewhat level-headed (as best she can, lol). I look forward to welcoming Isaiah to our family, and to see the kind of mother that Joy will be.

I don't really write on this blog very often, even though I have a lot of stuff that I'm going through. I guess I'll just chock it up to laziness. I'll try to be better about it. I will say one thing though: I really really really miss my family. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on everything that is going on with them back in the states. My nephews are growing bigger, my parents' business is growing, things are happening with my brothers, Joy's parents are going through a different stage in life, and her brother Jon is taking college, and things are happening at Grace Bible Church and definitely Maranatha Baptist Church that I wish that I could be a part of. I feel like my family and friends back home are living life without me, and I'm watching life pass away in front of me. Cause I'm kind of stuck here in Okinawa, and everyone's getting older and doing different things and enjoying new things, and I'm going to come back and will have missed out on all sorts of birthdays and milestone events in my family members' lives. I guess this is the tough part about being in the military. Or well, at least ONE of the tough parts. Buuuuut..... I know that God has placed me here and that I need to be content with where I am for the time being. It's just hard.