NEXT, not NOW

Life is full of pleasures, but temporary ones. As I was mowing my grandpa's yard this afternoon (something I look forward to weekly), I finally hit that point of the summer when I began to feel the excitement of a freshly cut lawn fade. If you know me, you know that whenever Spring arrives, I get an itch and the only cure is yard work. What I love about mowing is: a good mower, sharp blade, the smell of gas, the sound of the weed-eater, the feel of rocks slapping your skin as you cut a clean edge (for some reason I really do) and the opportunity to just be alone and think.
So, today as I was thinking about my fading joy of mowing, I began to dig at the root of that thought. And what I found, was that all pleasure outside of Christ is unfulfilling and temporary. How often are we looking forward to what is next? I know I always do and I am always disappointed because it never fully satisfies.
As a family, my parents took us to Washington state last month and I tell you what, I had been looking forward to that trip since the beginning of February. August finally came around. When we arrived, I was amazed, I had never seen so much green in one place, it was majestic. I had never been surrounded by such creation in my entire life (check Alex's facebook for pictures). I love the mountains, the waterfalls, the snow capped peaks, green meadows, glacier lakes, wildlife, hiking, etc. But, after being there several days, I began to grow numb to this beauty, the majesty of the mountains began to look normal/ even mundane (which it truly was not). On some of our hikes I would get lose in my thoughts about what is after this vacation, instead of living in the moment. I hated that feeling.
We see this in every stage of life. I can't wait till high school, college, first job, marriage, more money, house, new job, kids, etc. We are always looking forward to the next stage of life. We find pleasure in the next and not the now. We want something more. We try to fill this void in our hearts with worldly pleasures, as if they would sustain us. Alcoholics want more and more alcohol, potheads want more and more, millionaires want to be billionaires, and on and on it goes.
This tragedy can even take place in our walks with Christ. We tend to think that we have experienced all that He has to offer. The mountain top experience was nice, but is that it? We have nailed down our moral checklist, what else is left?
But, WAIT, in Christ there is more......and it sustains. There is One who can fulfill, He is the Sustainer of life, the Creator, Savior, the Prince of Peace. Have you truly meditated on all the attributes of God and become satisfied? A.W Tozer says that "God being infinite, must possess attributes about which we can know nothing" Frederick Faber says that He is a "God of a thousand attributes". What does that mean? We will always have a new attribute of God that we can ascribe to His name and worship Him for. No matter what our Christian maturity level may be, we will never be able to study all of God's attributes, we will never find the mystery of God mundane. He is far more miraculous, glorious, and mysterious than we can imagine. This relationship cannot become dull and mundane. How does Christs work on the cross become ordinary? For we were dead in our sin and trespasses and Christ took them, not holding them against us, and died upon the cross. And what happened next?.....He rose....we rose. We were dead but now we are alive, we were blind but now we see, Christ is alive and we are alive in Christ.
We cannot be a people who seek the pleasures of this world, BUT a people who are fully satisfied in Christ. These were just some of my mowing thoughts.

hey-o

...don't know if you guys remember me...I'm Alex- the founder of this blog. Jason has been the primary blogger as of late. And I have just been enjoying my sweet little summer life. For some reason, I just haven't felt the need to blog, but maybe I am back in action. We shall see. I am currently sitting at home enjoying a turkey sandwich (duh), wheat thins, and grapes. It's a tasty lunch. I don't have much to do today or this week for that matter because summer school ended on Monday! Sweet!! I have a two week break before the fall starts back up, and I am going to enjoy every bit of my time off...mainly because we are about to take a week long family vacation to Washington state. But you guys went there last year, you say? Yes, Jas and I did, but this time it is the whole Sudan fam...babies included. It is going to be BOMB. I will finally get to experience the infamous Sudan hiking that I have heard so much about. I will take plenty of pics and post them for sure! So lets see, what has happened this summer that is worth noting...

-made the switch from PC to Mac.
-got new bangs.
-lost Spud at the lakehouse....and then found him again (thank you Jesus).
-jas started a Bible study with some Liberians kiddos.
-finished summer school (2 more semesters to go!)
-went to the batting cages for the first time since 1991.
-rekindled my determination to save money through couponing.
-still waiting on the fire department.

It has been a nice summer and I am grateful for it! I also can't wait for football season! I have high hopes in Robert Griffin!! Bowl game this year, perhaps?? Also, Jas and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary on August 18th! We will be in Washington on the actual day, but we are having dinner at my fave restaurant, Tillman's Roadhouse on Friday before we leave! I can't believe we have been married for 2 years! It has been so fun and rewarding in so many different ways. And I am excited for this next year! Anyways, time for me to go be productive. Look for some pics from the Washington trip soon!

Blog dedication, Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! So, I thought that writing a blog dedicated to you would be a perfect birthday gift. Fellow bloggers, you see my dad, he loves the blog world and is a frequent blogger, kind of hip...I know.
Dad, I am so thankful for you. I am thankful for the loving, encouraging father that you have been to your children. I am thankful for the way that you love mom. I am thankful that you are an overcomer in Christ Jesus (heart surgery). I am thankful for the way you have held the Sudan family together.
Now, since I have never owned a camera, I did not get a chance to place pictures up of us, but one thing I wanted to do was place courage into your heart. I wish that I could really explain to you the man that I see when I look at you. You have been the most influential person in my life. You have taught me how to be a man. You are a humble servant, a leader, a prayer warrior, a loving father, an encouraging friend, etc. Most importantly your life has been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and that has affected every area of your life including the way that you lead and love your family.
I love you dad and hope that you have a Happy 54th Birthday!.

hi-yah OnGuard

What a difficult calling....love your wife as Christ loves the church? Husbands, we have quoted this verse time and time again, implemented it in our vows, and even tattooed it on our hearts, yet, do we really understand the depth and sacrifice of this calling? How serious are we taking the commands of God?
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred covenant, sought after and longed for by single men and women all over the world, especially among believers. Is it the sex, the love, the fellowship, the title, the safety, or the respect that draws people to this covenant? I know that many of those attributes really pulled me towards marriage. Now, being a seasoned veteran of marriage (not even 2 years) I have come to the realization that there is much more to marriage than the safe/happy list above. Another realization that I have recently faced is that, Christian marriage is under attack by the enemy. I believe that as husbands and wives we are in a constant battle for our marriages and the sanctity of marriage must be fought for....so be on-guard!
Why is that? When you break it down, what is marriage? I find from Scripture and from my 2 years of experience, marriage is complicated...it is more than living together, more than sex, more than happy lives together. Marriage is a relationship in which we must die daily to the selfishness and pride we are so accustomed too and lovingly serve and respect our spouse. No wonder this covenant is constantly under attack by the enemy, a relationship in which you are to put your spouses needs before yourself. A relationship that displays the gospel message (Christ's love for His bride, the church), a relationship in which this gospel message can be lived out daily by husbands and wives. Marriage can be a very powerful evangelical tool. When we exam Christ and His relationship and love for the church we see.....Christ forfeiting His throne in heaven for a short time to take on flesh and become like us. (spouses we must constantly be forfeiting our pleasures and comforts for the other)...Christ loves us while we our still sinners. (spouses- confess and forgive each others sins, spur one another on in love)....Christ prayed for us. (spouses pray for each other, fervently)...Christ came not to be served but to serve (spouses serve one another daily)...Christ pursues us (husbands pursue your bride, keep the flowers fresh and wives put courage into your husbands)...Christ leads us. (husbands lead your wives with wisdom and humility)...Christ has been faithful to us (spouses remain faithful to one another).
Marriage is beautiful, precious, powerful, yet daily under attack. As believers we must fight for the sanctity of marriage....be on-guard.

J

Little Duncan- aka: Peanut

So a new little addition to the family was born last thursday...his name is Duncan and he is a little cutie-pie. We have been calling him peanut though because he is so small and itty bitty. He was born on Thursday, June 18 at 5:08 pm at 6 lbs 6 oz. I need to get more pictures....because these below are the ones taken right after he was born and you can't see his face very well, but they will do for now! Enjoy!

Schlitterbahn-bahn-bahn

yep...thats right, we recently went to Schlitterbahn with my family and it was AWESOME. Here are some pictures from the weekend...


Mmmm dippin dots!


Goofy Ashtin


Good Ol' Mark and Tamra


The Gristmill in Gruene, TX


kiddie area for Ashtin


The crew...minus my dad.


Me and the J-bird

Boycott "Orphan"

I am posting to inform those reading this to boycott a film coming out called "Orphan". I'm sure not many of you would probably see the movie anyways, but spread the word and tell people not to support this film. It carries an intense negative message regarding adoption- especially the adoption of older children. Having worked with abused and negelcted children that are currently available for adoption, this movie breaks my heart. Adoptions allow for beautiful opportunities for children and families to experience the fullness of life that Christ has given us on this earth. I have met and loved many beautiful children in the foster care system that have been through more than most adults have experienced in 50 years, and these children are NOT damaged goods,thank you very much Warner Brothers. Sorry, I am getting worked up, I'll shut up now. You can read about the film below...

Info from Forever Families:
There is a horror film being released on July 24, called Orphan, about a family who adopts an older girl who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer is available at http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.

Though we have not been able to preview the entire movie, the trailer leads us to believe the movie will send a horrific message about adoption. The adoption community is protesting the release of the film. We urge you to contact the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Contact information:

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd. 90
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000