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Our Little Family

Graduation 2008!

After 3 1/2 years of classes, one mission to Spain, a 45 page dissertation, church-wide prayers to get me through Greek and Hebrew, the diploma's are finally in hand. Praise be to God to my three biggest encouragements throughout the entire process. If it weren't for my wonderful wife and my amazing parents I never would have been able to get here. The ceremony was Christ-Centered just like our education, and we all enjoyed it. I never thought it would be here but wow, what a feeling to be done. Thanks to anyone and everyone who encouraged me along the way, who prayed for us and who supported us.

Welcome Grandpa and Grandma Jennings

I'm just sitting here waiting for you guys! I really don't care about Daddy's graduation I just want to see you. So welcome back to Boston--don't worry I'm really a Cardinals fan, the hat is just so the other kids don't laugh at me!
Love, Kasaan

I'm not sure why but Kasaan has hated church. On Good Friday I heard him yelling outside the sanctuary while I was preaching and could barely go on knowing that my kid was screaming. Of course everything was fine he just wanted to eat more but when it's your kid things are just different. However, the last couple Sunday's he has been great. He is sleeping less and that helps out with his happy attitude, not having to go down in my office. Here he is a couple weeks ago, happy as a lark.

Guess Who's Five Months?

Tomorrow will be April 17th. The taxes are done, Margaret is done with classes for the semester, the New England sun is shining, and Kasaan is 5 months old. What a joy this little guy has been. Life for us has been somewhat normal the last few weeks. Margaret has started a new nursing job. She works one day a week in Gloucester and she really likes it. I'm so proud of her for getting this job. Lots of nurses applied for it but they hired the best one. My jobs are going just fine. Starbucks continues to be a great environment for me to work and Harbor of Hope has seen some great things of God since Easter. So I guess you can say we are doing great. We are eager for the warm weather. We scheduled our first picnic coming up soon and my parents come out on the 8th of May for my graduation. We are looking forward to a great few weeks.

Easter Thoughts.

Creeping behind our curtain, tomorrow morning, the sun will shine on my face and wake me up. The last two days this has been the case. I love that feeling. Tomorrow as the sun wakes me up it will be Easter. The last several months for us have been very difficult. Baby, school, work, marriage, family, friends, faith, sleep depravity, so many things we have faced we have never had to deal with before. But tomorrow morning I will wake up with the sun on my face. After the sun wakes me up I have two plans. First I'm going to roll over and glance at my beautiful bride...still sleeping of course. When I look at her, since the SON rose up on Easter I know everything is going to be just fine. Bird is the love of my life and the resurrection of Jesus gives us so much hope in marriage, as a spouse we are asked to sacrifice continually for one another...with Easter it is good to know that our sacrifice does not end in death. In marriage the sacrifice does not end it death, it ends in more joy. So as I glance, I will be reminded to keep on sacrificing and to keep on growing as a husband. I've learned that it does end in life...not death.

Secondly, I'm going to walk into Kasaan's room and sing. There is something about Easter that puts a song in my heart. There is something about that kid that makes me want to weep with love. I'm going to sing him a song tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what will come out...up from the grave he arose, or Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, or Christ the Lord is risen today...who knows what will come out...maybe my own little chorus of made up mumblings...."I love you and you are my son, you are beautiful and today is Easter and because its Easter I can love you even more and you never never never never have to die! And I'm going to be your dad for ever and ever and ever and even when we are dead we will be together....who knows what will come out. But I will sing him a song nonetheless. The resurrection of Christ offers me the hope that this kid does not have to die. Christ's defeat of death offers him a life beyond his own. A life not made for this world. This week as I have been pondering what the Cross means to me one day I was doing dishes and Kasaan was playing in the living room. Bird was running some errands and I looked over my shoulder at him playing in perfect peace. Nothing special, just a 2 foot colorful alligator, soft yellow duck and a fluffy bear, in that moment the cross, the tomb, my understanding of love to the point of tears, it all hit me. I would be willing to walk across fire for the life of this little boy. Walk across fire for this little boy. And as I soaped another plate it hit me. "Gregg, I would be willing to walk across fire for you, my little boy. And I have. And now it is over, it is finished, I have purchased you back from the Kingdom of Satan and you are free."

Easter to me is the greatest day out of the year. It is joy, life, love, freedom, hope, and peace. May we take the time to see it everyday....may we take the time to see the love.