The Butson Blog

Going home Today!!!!

2008-07-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Andrea is leaving the hospital now. For those of you who might want to visit....just give us a call. You can call me! Thanks for all your prayers. I'll be posting more photos in the days to come.

Andrea might be released today

2008-07-04T06:29:00.001-07:00

There is a good chance that Andrea and Sam will be released today :) By 5ish. I'll keep everyone posted....especially for visiting purposes. Still Text if your interested in coming by. We'd love to see you all.

Visiting hours

2008-07-04T05:45:00.004-07:00

We'd love for anyone to come by and see Andrea and Sam. visiting hours are from 12 to 8. Just give us a text when you might be stopping by. :) We are at St. Mary's in Hobart. I'm sure you can find it if you don't know where it is.

Update on Sam #5 He's Here!

2008-07-03T15:24:00.001-07:00

Andrea did amazing....she pushed 3 times....baby was out. Pushing took about 5 min. She looks amazing...I will post pics pretty soon. Here are the stats: 18 1/4" and 6lbs even. Everything is great!

Update on Sam #4 pushing time

2008-07-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Everyone is in position :)

Update on Sam #3

2008-07-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

Breaking the water....Sam could be here within the half hour.

Update on Sam #2

2008-07-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Still waiting.......contractions are every 2 min or so. We are waiting for the baby to be all the way down and engaged to go. As soon as that happens....i'm sure Andrea will feel more that it's time. Contractions are pretty strong....but Andrea says it just feels like cramping. The nurses laugh.....and say she is made for having babies. For now....she's eating jello and crackers. More to come..

Update on sam #1

2008-07-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

No Sam yet. We got at the hospital at 9am......Pitocin is making her having lots of contractions. The doctor is supposed to come in sometime today :) I'll keep posting more info as soon as I know. I'll also let you know about visiting and such. Keep little Sam in prayer if you think of it....Andrea too. Remember she loves Chocolate :)

A whole lotta bloggin going on

2008-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some Christmas pictures from Marion OH....along with some random home pics. More bloggin to come soon. Miss you all!!!

Down to Tennessee for Thanksgiving

2007-12-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

We went down to Nashville to visit my parents and sisters for Thanksgiving. it was a great time to play games, watch movies, and just catch up on life. My sister samantha also celebrated a birthday.....so we got cake as well as turky. bonus! The kids had a blast hanging out with their grandparents....they each kept asking for them for the next few days. After that we headed back up north to the cold cold winter. More winter pics coming soon!

Dressin up....and visiting the Rolands

2007-12-19T12:02:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics of the kids playing at the house, and some of our visit to Marion Oh to visit Grandma and Grandpa Roland. We made the trip to see Rachel and Chucks (Andrea's sister) new twin girls. It was a quick, but good visit.

Ty turned 3.....a month ago.

2007-12-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of Ty's big day!!!

2007-12-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, the big news. We are having ANOTHER BABY! So, in a few short months (July 7 is the EDD) I will look like this once again. It was most unexpected, but we know it was God. So, we both feel at peace with this being our last little one, and are very excited for this new life.

Also, I have been thinking a lot about life in general, being a believer, etc. So, I have been writing blurbs of thought lately about life and God, and being a believer. Here is my latest note on facebook. Hope you find it interesting, and challenging, as I have. Prepare yourself, it's long...here goes:

I have been thinking a lot lately about our responsibilities to fellow believers. I can't even begin to count the number of times I have heard the word "judge" or "judging" in a conversation, and almost always in reference to a disagreement of character or integrity. Somehow, as believers, we have adopted the opinions of a cultural trend, being tolerance and acceptance. Of course, I firmly believe that we are to tolerate and accept unbelievers, regardless of their moral convictions, or lack thereof. But I believe we have skewed the definition of what it really means to tolerate and to accept, especially in relation to our fellow believers.

To tolerate or to accept an unbeliever would mean we would engage in a relationship with this person, knowing his/her moral code and convictions do not match up with our own. We love, we share, we don't preach that every decision they are making is wrong, unless prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. The point of this relationship with an unbeliever is to love unconditionally, and accept the person who might be sinning because it is "kindness that leads to repentance." Accept in this definition would not mean to agree with the sin, or even to engage in the sin with an unbeliever, but simply to accept the person that is committing the sin without condemning.

To tolerate or to accept a believer has a different place, and this is where I have been trying to find the line. As believers, we have the same standard, the same moral code, The Bible. It is our responsibility as believers to know the code, if you will. We are to grow in love for our Father each day, and part of growing in love for our Father means we want to do as he commands. (1 John) Our love for him grows, and as it does, we become a different person. All of us are in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Jesus, or at least we should be. We should all be working on something. And this is where the word tolerance, or acceptance comes in as believers. As we see each other growing, we are to accept, to tolerate, and to forgive if we make mistakes. We are still being transformed, which means none of us are perfect. But did you know Christ says "be perfect, therefore, as I am perfect?" In this reference, in the original language, perfect means complete. We can only be complete by the holiness (God's main attribute) of God. If we are holy it means we are ridding ourselves of the "patterns of this world." We are to be set apart, to be different.

What it does not mean to tolerate and to accept as believers is to accept, or tolerate each other's sin. And I know most people would say sin is different for one person than it is for another, but most of the time, we have a clear definition of sin in the Bible. Now, I know, there are gray areas where most of us tend to want to focus. If we are distracted by gray areas, we tend to side on tolerance so we are not accused of "judging" our fellow believers. And this is the skewed definition. We should not be so concerned with offending a fellow believer that we miss opportunities to see growth in each other's lives. This does not mean we point out each other's flaws constantly, or reprimand anyone who, in our definition, might be "straying," but we do have a responsibility to challenge each other. Again, all of us should be being transformed daily. And even if our actions may not be clearly defined in the Bible as "sin," if it is something that keeps us from being transformed, or growing more into Christ's likeness, then why keep it in our lives?

Then there is the real issue of outright sin, not just a gray area. What do we do when we see a fellow believer stray from a known Biblical standard? We approach them gently, in love. We are not there to condemn. We are there to bring this person back into growth and love of Christ. But in approaching, sometimes, a person may not feel loved, may not want to stop sinning. This person may even accuse someone of "judging." They may even sight the reference in Matthew or Luke that tells us not to judge. But we need to look closely at that passage. It says take the plank out of your eye before you take the speck of sawdust out of your brother's eye. It does not say never take the speck of sawdust out of your brother's eye. We just need to remove the planks so we can "see clearly to remove the speck from our brother's (or sister's) eye." (Matthew 7:5)

How can you point out the speck in your brother's eye when there is a plank in your own? But if we are all introspective, growing, and transforming, there is a place where we can point out the speck, and it is okay because we all have specks. It doesn't mean we are judging to point out the speck if none of us have a plank in our eye. So, lets all get the planks out of our own eyes so we can see more clearly and be able to discern the specks in our brother's eye so we can all get rid of those pesky specks. Isn't it annoying when you know there is something in your eye, but you can't find it, and you can't see it? Sometimes we need someone else to help us find the speck, right? So, lets all just settle down, stop saying we are judging each other, and be willing to let someone else point out our specks because we have such honor and respect for each other that we know the other person has taken the plank out.

New Do

2007-10-23T14:52:00.001-07:00

Yes, after all the hair pulling, and long blow-drying sessions, I have finally rid myself of about 5 pounds of hair. I LOVE IT! Fred still prefers my hair long, but he thinks it looks nice, and is a good change. I donated my hair to locks of love, and got my normally $40 cut at the best salon in town for free as an added bonus. I'm not sure how the kids feel, seeing as how they love playing with my hair. Ty did say I looked pretty when I came home. :)

First Things Tour

2007-10-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

This month Sevenglory is out on the road with Warren Barfield and a girl named Alisa Turner on the First things tour. So far, they are really enjoying the tour. Check out the link:

http://firstthingstour.com/

Keep calling your local Christian radio station to request the single, "Just me." It got up to #9 in the nation last week on the CHR charts.

I am so proud that I have a husband that is willing to pursue what God has asked him to pursue, though at times we have not seen clearly how everything will work out. He inspires me to know what dreams God has given me, and pursue those, even when it is hard, everyone is saying it can't be done, or it just takes years and years of work without seeing any immediate result. Ephesians 3:20-21 God does immeasurably more than anything we could ask or imagine. I will set my sights high, and let God blow me away...to HIM be the glory!

Big Belly

2007-10-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had a visit from my mom, my sis, Chase, and Elise and Ariana (the twins in the big belly). They came just in time for my birthday, which was a nice surprise! Ty and Chase love playing together. I wish we lived closer so they could play all the time. And, as you can see, Rach's belly is very large, and she has at least another month and a half, maybe 2 at the most to go. Doesn't she look cute pregnant, though.
This picture of the kids was so cute! To get all three to smile like that all at the same time was almost a miracle! For all of you with multiple kids, you know what I mean.

I'm not good at this

2007-09-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have not figured out yet how to publish the pictures so they look good when I post. But here I go again. Today, Ty wanted an early bath. I always let him splash around in there for a while. While I was trying to figure out this blogging stuff, I heard some funny noises coming from the bathroom. Here are the pictures to tell the story of what I heard. Yes, Elayna crawled into the tub with Ty, onesie, diaper, and all. How cute! She just laughed and laughed, like her usual smiley self.

Birthday

2007-09-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's our birthday! Here we are, blowing out our candles. Our birthdays are the 24 (Fred) and 26 (Andrea), so the 25 is our birthday. We have a 3 day celebration. We had a "surprise" party at our house on our birthday. (It slipped out, so we knew everyone was there) All of our Valpo family showed up, and we had a great time. Thanks to all our friends. We love you all.

Of course, while we were gone our our date, waiting until we could return to the house, Elayna took her first steps, so I missed the first ones. Mimi was there to see them, and she took more steps when we got home. What a great birthday present for us! She was saving it for our big day. Thanks Elayna. I will post some pictures of her walking when I get some.

Update Time

2007-09-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

So it's been a little while since our last post.....ok 6 months. So after a few complaints.....here is it. The update of all updates.

Kids are growing fast. Elayna started off slow and didn't want to crawl or do much for that matter...but lately she has taken off and now you can't stop her if you tried. She is crawling at lightning speed....climbing up on things. The other day i heard her crying....so i went to get her. I heard her but couldn't see her.....she was on the second shelf of the changing table inside....facing the wall. She managed to climb up there...but couldn't turn around to get out. Very funny. She also loves to say no....most of the time it's "doh". Followed by an irresistible grin. She's definitely got my number already. Ty is super awesome with his sweet hair. we've decided to keep it long....adam thinks he looks like one of the beetles. Ty is obsessed with gum. There is nothing that make shim happier than "big gum." Most of the time we give him a little piece...but he continues to ask for big gum....meaning a full piece. Many mornings I wake up and find him on the couch watching cartoons (that he turns on himself) drinking juice and chewing "big gum," which he managed to find while i was sleeping. Usually what happens is i give him the look as if to say, " what are you doing with that gum," at this point he usually takes it out of his mouth, put's it on the counter, and says "maybe later." The other thing Ty loves right now is "big waters." This implies either taking a bath with it filled up pretty high....or going swimming in our pool or at the lake. if he has to take a bath with Elayna (who is a water worm) then that's little waters. Now that you are all caught up on the current happenings of the children. i will leave it to my beautiful wife to continue to update you all on the day to day things that many times i have to hear about over the phone. :(

Other than all that things are good with us as a family. It's tough being away as much as i have been in the past 2 months, but we know that God has a plan. Our current radio single is doing well...It's been on the christian Chr charts for 9 weeks and has risen up to #14 as of this past wed. if you want to track the single here is the link. http://www.radioandrecords.com/Formats/Charts/Christ_CHR_Chart.asp

Please continue to pray for Andrea as she is home a lot with the kids...and I am on the road promoting our new cd which comes out Oct 30th.

We miss all of our friends and wish we could see you all more. So until then....

....two for the show!

2007-03-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

Well...at lot of my time in the winter is spent at a camp called Spring Hill. It's in Evart MI and it's pretty cool....ok....it's definitely our favorite place to play. For one the people who work there are awesome, two there are usually 700-900 people there (winter season), and two....the stage set up (especially this winter) is extremely cool. On either side of the stage are earbuds (you know for an ipod or equivelant). And behind the band ...in front of the our drums is an eq set up to react to the music. it's pretty cool. I have included Gabes drum solo so you can see how cool it looks when it's going. Anyway....i'm sure i've talked about this camp with a lot of you over the years and I thought I would share a bit with you.

SpringHill Drum Solo

2007-03-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

Some dude...

2007-02-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I went to the library today to rent some movies. Going about my business as usual...picked out my 3 dvd's (library limit), checked them out at the counter and proceeded to exit the building. Upon doing so....in mid stride.....about 15 feet away i saw this dude and we made eye contact. It was one of those awkward moments....cause i was still too far away to say hi....but it still seemed like I should. Normally in this instance I look down ( like all of us do )....but I thought....hey...i'll just keep smiling and walking toward my destination. And normally he would look down...but he didn't either. Maybe the same conversation was happening in his head. Either way...at this point i thought....man he looks familiar. I really should say hi....but wait....maybe he doesn't. While looking at him about to say hi i realize that it looks like he might think he knows me also. Then after as much consideration that you can have in 10 seconds I realized that I didn't know this dude...and he prob didn't know me either. So I passed by...said hey....and like elivs...left the building.

I've had this conversation with my bass player Caleb before about awkward approaches....it's very interesting. We've also talked a lot about how each of us have different lives and if I wanted to I could have introduced myself to that dude...and who knows....we could end up best friends. But almost every time we pass by and dont take the effort or energy to build that relationship. I'm definitely not saying it's a bad thing....just an observation.

But what would happen? For most of us...at least my excuse would be time. Or we really dont have the time for more friends....or the time to develope a relationship. But after I was driving away...I realized that maybe I need to make time. Who knows what could happen. Maybe i just say hi....we introduce ourself and nothing comes out of it. But maybe something else happens....we become friends....maybe he doesn't believe in God.....maybe he knows way more about God then me.....maybe he needs to be prayed for....and maybe in that prayer someone is healed because I decided to slow down my life for 3 min to get to know some dude.

Life as un-usual

2007-01-17T07:14:00.000-08:00

Well this Holiday season was full of adventure. My parents and sisters came to visit us fas we hosted christmas. I must say that it was nice to not have to drive all over the place with two small children. During the visit my dad and I remodeled our main bathroom. wow....what a difference paint, some white paneling, and trim makes. The day after Christmas I had to head out to do a youth conference in Toledo OH. After being gone for 3 days I came home for a half day and then headed out that evening for a new years eve show close to home. I spent the morning at home new years day and then headed out to Kansas City with the band to begin recording for our new cd (coming out this summer) We spent 11 days out there with producer Don Chaffer (of the group Waterdeep) Don was awesome and we had an amazing time and finished nearly 8 songs for the record. We finally returned after 11 more days gone....we slept at home and then by noon the next morning we were off again to Michigan for a weekend retreat at springhill camps. (evartt MI) Finally on Sunday night we were home and boy was I ready. Now i'm sitting here watching the kids while Andrea is off at work. The job of Mr. Mom is one of the best jobs.....definitely something i've been looking forward to for weeks. We love you all and wish you the best as this year is going to be great!!!

Birthday #1 and #2

2006-12-08T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
This past month Ty turned two years old. Our friends Adam and Mimi have a daughter, Rylee, for those of you who dont know...and she turned one... two days later. (Hope that wasn't too confusing to read) The party was also a welcome party for the Schultz family who officially joined the Valpo community. I have attached a lot of pictures....so have fun with those. We love you all. Maybe one day we'll put up a post that has to do with soething other then our kids.....maybe not....they are way more fun.

Freddy B and the Gang

More of the kids

2006-10-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Time marches on and our kids keep growing. I realize that most of what we have been publishing on here are pictures of Ty and now Elayna...but they are the coolest thing I can think of to post about. They really are the best thing that has happened to Andrea and I. And for those of you who have kids... you totally understand....for those of you who fear it.....well....one day you'll understand :) Not that its for everyone.....i'm not saying go out and have some kids. :) anywho.....wow that was two smilie faces in two sentences.....i am getting soft.

Andrea and I redid (that's a new word of mine) our bathroom this past week. it looks much better...still not done...but as soon as it is I will post some pics of it on here.

Another thing...our friend Heather will be moving in with us this next week...so that's exciting......for those of you who know her you prob already know this....for those of you who dont....maybe i'll do a little heather blog to introduce you to our new house mate. Well that's all for now.....I enjoy our time together here and hope that you do as well as we experience life together virtually in words and pictures....the best part about that is you only see what I want you to see...and I dont have to see your messy house. Maybe that's the worst part....hmm.

Love you all.....keep using your noggins.

Fred

Man to Man Coverage

2006-09-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Hello Everyone. Life has been great here at the Butson house. You realize what the important things are whenever you look at your children....and we are blessed to have two awesome kids. Elayna is growing...well....way more than Ty did....she's our little eater. Still small compared to most....but doing well all around. Ty is beginning to sit on the big boy potty....yeah...I said potty....those are the types of words that parents use once they have kids. Also poopie...and wipie....na nite.....buh bye....the list goes on and on. It's crazy! Anywho....he doesn't do anything but grunt and smile....then just wants to flush it and say "buy bye."

We went down the beach last week just before it started to rain....Ty loves to look at the water. it was a fun time. other than that there are a couple great pics of Elayan and Ty....wish we could see you all....it's just not possible. However....the invitation is always open for people to come visit...we've got a spare room and plenty of floor. :) Until next time...

Big as a bear!

2006-09-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone....our beautiful little girl is doing great. Thought I would take a break and post some pictures of her.......we love you all and wish we could have everyone visit. We know that's not possible so this will have to do for now.

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

She's Here !!!

2006-09-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Elayna Louise Butson
Sep 3 @ 4:41am
6lbs 6 oz
18.75 in long

Four Years

2006-08-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well it's been the best four years of my life.......i'm not even just saying that. On Aug 17th Andrea and i celebrated our anniversary. It was nice to once again be able to be home for the anniversary. (pretty important fact for all you guys out there) We chose to stay a little closer to home this time. In past years we have ventured up to Chicago...or up somewhere in Michigan. But this year we started off with a massage. In a town about 10 minutes from our house. It was my first "official" massage...and let me tell you.......i would go every day if I could. it was great.....it wasn't so great for Andrea. Her masseuse didn't deliver, as mine did. Normally at home if Andrea gives me a massage...i seem to let out little groans...mostly so she knows that it feels good and that I wouldn't mind it if she continued for another 20 min :) So it was extremely difficult for me to hold back my true feelings while receiving my massage. Overall....great experience.

Second we drove up the road to this small restaurant called Popolano's. I must admit that the food we got wasn't that amazing....but it was definitely a nice place to eat. Hoping next time our meals will be better.

Immediately after leaving the restaurant Andrea, like most pregnant women do, had to go to the bathroom......again. Except this time she wasn't so sure she could hold it....so we ended up at Dunkin Donuts.....a great place....the place to get a cup of coffee...in my opinion. So I did......and andrea got a donut.

After that we drove to Michigan City,IN which was another 20 min up to Lake Michigan. It was dark by the time we got there...but nice enough to see the lighthouse and sit by the all the docked boats. We got some funny photos of my jumping over a cement post. Luckily no one was hurt....at least we think.

Looking forward to many many great years with my wife....who in my opinion is the best person in the world. I am the luckiest guy to have a woman who cares for people so much...and puts up with my sarcastic, and sometimes mean moods. So cheers to Andrea for being the best wife a man could ever ask for.

Are we making the world a better place?

2006-08-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

So many questions have been racing through my mind this past month or so. the main question i find myself with is; What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? Am I doing all I can? Do I have all my chips in? Am I even playing the right "game?" I dont think i'm going completely crazy...I just know that I want to be certain that what I do for God is what he wants from me. Is he pleased with all of his children going to church.....having pot-lucks.....spending all extra time in small groups......creating worship services. etc. The list goes on and on. Now dont get me wrong....i love potlucks....i am a part of a worship service...and love the idea of small groups. I just want to make sure that our focus is right. I guess more importantly that my focus is right.

I'm actually pretty excited about it. I've been asking God to show me if I'm doing the right things, and have the right motives. But not just asking....really begging God with all sincerity. I'm not sure i've ever been as persistent as I have this past week. Maybe its because I'm about to have another child, maybe because I've been away from my family a lot this year. I'm not really sure....what I am sure about is that I'm not sure. It has definitely brought a new excitement to my life.......i'll keep you updated.

fred

Pictures I can't resist posting

2006-08-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from my trip to visit our growing family in Ohio. Both my sisters are there. The new one is Rose Linville, Shannon's third. I didn't get any pictures of Charles Russell Osborne IV, otherwise known as Chase, while I was there, but I'll post a couple of him from when they visited me in Valparaiso. Ty loves his cousins. They have great love/hate relationships. One minute they are kissing, the next hitting each other. I guess that's what happens when you have kids a few months apart. Elayna will be only a couple months younger than Rose, and Ty is 2 months younger than Vivienne. Well, hope you all enjoy the pictures.
Here's a breakdown of our growing family:

Shannon and Troy Linville- 3 kids
Roland- 4
Vivienne-2
Rose- a few weeks

Rachel and Chuck Osborne
Chase- 6 months

Andrea and Fred Butson
Ty- 2 in November
Elayna- only a few weeks from birth!

It's a hot one

2006-08-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a hot one this summer. We've tried to make use of the pool as much as we can, but on the hottest stretch of the year, I went to visit my parents in Marion, OH. Being 8 months pregnant, I was driven first by Fred to Marion, IN, picked up there by my little sis, Rach, who was there with the youth group from Dayspring Wesleyan in Marion, OH, then headed back to OH with her. We, of course, still have our trusty car from college....it's been good to us, except for the fact that we don't have air, radio, or a CD player. The result of this trip for Fred, me, and the fam on this 90 degree day are the pictures we've posted here. Ice cream seemed a good idea, until it ended up down the front of my shirt...nothing like feeling messy and hot to make you feel even more confident with a bulging belly! Will post again soon!

He's crazy folks...

2006-08-10T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well....he's my son....I should have known. Ty is a crazy kid. Just thought I'd share some fun video footage for those of you who dont get to see him.

Cheers.

A little hello

2006-08-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's been several days since my last post. I'm not actually sure anybody reads this thing......but oh well. I've (fred) been gone a lot this summer....however......when I am home....we like to hang out by the pool. So I added a couple pics by the pool to give you an idea of what it's like. Andrea is doing great......although really wanting to not be prego anymore. All in all we are very excited about Elayna. Andrea told me that she went out and bought 4 new outfits for our little girl.......she's pretty excited about them.

My older sister Angela visited with her kids a couple weekends ago...so i've also posted a pic on there of that visit.

And our friends Adam and Mimi Schultz (who are soon to be Valparaiso peeps) came by this past week...and their daughter Rylee took a bath with Ty. Since that bath i am told that Rylee now splashes water everywhere. (just like ty)

I guess that's all for now....hope to hear from somebody soon. Is anyone out there?

Mac Attack

2006-07-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

So i'm sitting in a "green room" in Michigan with my fellow band mates. We currently all have mac laptops....it's pretty cool. This week we have a fill-in guitar player, Jeff, who does not have a mac...he has a gateway computer. Now....nothing against gateways....actually I take that back....i dont like those things, but he is having major problems connecting to the wireless signal that is feeding this blog. He is currently pretending to throw his computer to the ground and continues to try to connect with no resolve. I love macs. Here is a fun link that might help get your mind around why people who have macs are so pro-mac.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GOODNESS

Giving

2006-07-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

My bible reading today was from from 2 Corinthians 8. The boys (sevenglory) and I have been coming together every night and discussing what we've been learning through God's word. It's been a great time for us to really share what's on our hearts, deeper than some cool new song or t-shirt design. Anywho.....giving was the focus of my reading today.

Now...I love tithing. I can honestly tell you that every time Andrea and I give our tithe, I feel like I'm actually putting money in a savings account. God has just taken care of our every need, and there is no way I'm not ever going to give back. But this chapter seems to talk about not just being willing to give.....and not just giving.....but really meeting the needs of people around you.

Andrea and I have talked a lot about tithe and how it should be distributed.....by either local church....or whether it can be split up into different ministries. I have still not come to a complete conclusion. However, I love the idea of taking care of each other. Cause when we give to a "brother" in need, we are giving to God. I want to be so willing to give to those around me in need, that I not only give it, but I give it even if I can't "afford" it. And do this knowing that I might not even be able to pay my own bills. Now this sounds crazy....and you might say....hey your family is your first ministry and you need to make sure that they are taken care of. And I'm definitely on your side there...but how much better is it for my family if I model sacrifice in exchange for faith in knowing that God is going to provide? I want to error on trusting too much in God, rather than playing it safe in my finances especially if this means letting my friends and neighbors go without a blessing I could give them.

What woud it really look like if we all took care of each other? Can it work?

Just something I'm thinking about. Thought I would share.

Cheers

Devotional for CmCenral

2006-07-18T11:10:00.001-07:00

I recently wrote a devotional for CmCentral. It's a site that focuses on the Christian Music Industry. The Devotional is on the left side about half way down on the home page.

CLICK HERE FOR DEVO

Summer is Crazy!

2006-07-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well for my first post I thought I would just say hello....cause dang.....summer is a crazy time of year for us. Wait....that's every part of the year. Anywho....Andrea is doing great (with our second baby, Elayna, on the way), I am on the road as of now...but have been home a lot more than I originally thought. Actually I have been playing at the same camp for 4 straight weeks, and that camp happens to only be 90min away from home...so the fam comes out here for a couple days a week. Which is where the video is taken from directly above this text.

Ty is doing great! He just learned to jump this last week...he not only gives high fives...he also can "pound it." For those of you who dont know what that means.....just ask anyone who's younger than you.

WE love you all and will do our best to update this thing.....even if nobody is even reading this right now.

cheers.

The Butson Family