That's right folks, I look like a chipmunk. I got my wisdom teeth surgically removed yesterday and now my lower jaw is swollen. But, if I had to have it done I pretty much picked the best time ever. We got our new couch delievered yesterday AND the NCAA tournament started. Best timing ever. Now if these dang pain pills would just start working like they're supposed to. They're just making me loopy, yet the pain remains.
If you're bored and want to watch Basketball, come on over. Erine is gone all day and it's just me and the tourney here. Bring some KFC mashed potatoes. It's all I can eat right now...
Pictures to follow.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
This is phenominally funny.
| Comedian doing a funny skit over hot pockets and how bad they are. Really funny. Also takes cheap shots at NASCAR. Also funny. | |
Breaking the silence...
What a crazy months it's been for the Porter's...
We started raising support to go to Botswana and were blessed by how quickly it poured in. Then we found out Er is with child. Which was quite exciting and joyful and yet at the same time quite a confusing thing. After counsel and prayer felt that God changed the timing of us leaving for Botwana to an undisclosed time in the future (hopefully not too distant) even though my heart and dreams still are there, not here. Spent several weeks falling in love with and becoming excited about this new life growing in my wife's womb. I've been running the Bluestem by myself as my boss has been gone the better part of the last 3 weeks as his father in law was very ill and subsequently passed. It's way too much work for one person. Then Er quite nearly miscarried. Apparently the placenta tore. After a long week of not knowing if our child would live or die we were both relieved and blessed to see that our babies heart beat is stronger than ever and that the placenta completely healed itself. Erine does have quite a large cist that causes her a lot of pain and will have to be removed (for the babies sake) if it grows much more, but the doctor is hopeful that it will shrink itself of the next few weeks. But praise God that both wife and baby are fine. Erine just has to take it easy for the next while (i.e. 9 months) and God willing everything will be just fine.
Needless to say, we could use a vacation.
It's a strange thing to go through so much as once. I pretty quickly figured out that I had two choices. I could be angry at God, frustrated with Him seemingly being unjust to me. And that's kinda where I was for a good while. He was after all in control of what was going on. It wasn't beyond Him to have let us discover the blessing of our pregnancy before we sent out support letters to everyone we know. Or to have prevented all the hardships of this pregnancy that had already shaken my world and my plans around so much. But he didn't. This is what He wanted for us to endure. And frankly, it just didn't seem fair to me. In a lot of ways, it still doesn't. I certianly have no understanding of it. But, that was a pretty stupid place to be. In all of my feeling sorry for myself, I began to doubt who God was. More than that, I kind of fell into this pit of unintentional self worship. After all, in my deepest parts I genuinely felt that my well being was more important than how God was moving. Eventually, I moved past that a bit. I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and kinda moved into this apathy. I knew who God was and what He was doing was going to somehow be glory to Himself. But I really just didn't care. I was tired and hurting and just didn't give a care about any of this stuff outside of myself. Which was an equally terrible place to be.
Fortunately, God is faithful to His promises even when I'm not faithful to Him. Since then, I'm in the process of trying to move to choice number two: I could put trust in the fact that God is who He says He is. I've kinda come to a the conclusion that if the goodness of God is dependent on the well being of Kevin then this world is destined to miserable place. I thought about Jacob having to wait so long for his promised son and then being asked to sacrifice him. Clearly his faith was in who God was not in what God was asking/allowing to happen - because Jacob was going to go through with it. I'm sure he was none to excited about it. But because He knew the value and joy of following after God because of who He is, he was willing to endure it. Or Joseph who had a whole lifetime of hardship (compared with my 3 or 4 weeks) who still considered God worth following because of who He was... not because of what was going on around Him. And the list goes on. Not that I have half of the faith of these sorts of men and women... but I am learning how to be more like that. Because despite what God is doing/allowing in my life. He is good. He's faithful. He's gracious. He's slow to anger and quick to love. His mercy is so abundant that my mind could never wrap it's self around it, even if I spend my whole life trying. He is just. I know these things are true. And even when things in my life don't seem (emphasis on seem) to reflect that to be true I have to remember esentially the whole history of this fallen planet where He has continually shown that be to true. Over and over and over. His nature is good and loving, even when what He gives me to endure hurts so very much. So I can trust that His plans are as well. For some purpose, seen or unseen God has given us the joy of enduring this all. And it's okay, because we'll be better off for it. Already God has taught me so much about Himself and about faith. And even though my dream is a little farther down the road now, I have a wonderful blessing on the way that I wouldn't trade away for even my wildest dream. God really is good to us. Praise Him for it.
KP
We started raising support to go to Botswana and were blessed by how quickly it poured in. Then we found out Er is with child. Which was quite exciting and joyful and yet at the same time quite a confusing thing. After counsel and prayer felt that God changed the timing of us leaving for Botwana to an undisclosed time in the future (hopefully not too distant) even though my heart and dreams still are there, not here. Spent several weeks falling in love with and becoming excited about this new life growing in my wife's womb. I've been running the Bluestem by myself as my boss has been gone the better part of the last 3 weeks as his father in law was very ill and subsequently passed. It's way too much work for one person. Then Er quite nearly miscarried. Apparently the placenta tore. After a long week of not knowing if our child would live or die we were both relieved and blessed to see that our babies heart beat is stronger than ever and that the placenta completely healed itself. Erine does have quite a large cist that causes her a lot of pain and will have to be removed (for the babies sake) if it grows much more, but the doctor is hopeful that it will shrink itself of the next few weeks. But praise God that both wife and baby are fine. Erine just has to take it easy for the next while (i.e. 9 months) and God willing everything will be just fine.
Needless to say, we could use a vacation.
It's a strange thing to go through so much as once. I pretty quickly figured out that I had two choices. I could be angry at God, frustrated with Him seemingly being unjust to me. And that's kinda where I was for a good while. He was after all in control of what was going on. It wasn't beyond Him to have let us discover the blessing of our pregnancy before we sent out support letters to everyone we know. Or to have prevented all the hardships of this pregnancy that had already shaken my world and my plans around so much. But he didn't. This is what He wanted for us to endure. And frankly, it just didn't seem fair to me. In a lot of ways, it still doesn't. I certianly have no understanding of it. But, that was a pretty stupid place to be. In all of my feeling sorry for myself, I began to doubt who God was. More than that, I kind of fell into this pit of unintentional self worship. After all, in my deepest parts I genuinely felt that my well being was more important than how God was moving. Eventually, I moved past that a bit. I stopped feeling so sorry for myself and kinda moved into this apathy. I knew who God was and what He was doing was going to somehow be glory to Himself. But I really just didn't care. I was tired and hurting and just didn't give a care about any of this stuff outside of myself. Which was an equally terrible place to be.
Fortunately, God is faithful to His promises even when I'm not faithful to Him. Since then, I'm in the process of trying to move to choice number two: I could put trust in the fact that God is who He says He is. I've kinda come to a the conclusion that if the goodness of God is dependent on the well being of Kevin then this world is destined to miserable place. I thought about Jacob having to wait so long for his promised son and then being asked to sacrifice him. Clearly his faith was in who God was not in what God was asking/allowing to happen - because Jacob was going to go through with it. I'm sure he was none to excited about it. But because He knew the value and joy of following after God because of who He is, he was willing to endure it. Or Joseph who had a whole lifetime of hardship (compared with my 3 or 4 weeks) who still considered God worth following because of who He was... not because of what was going on around Him. And the list goes on. Not that I have half of the faith of these sorts of men and women... but I am learning how to be more like that. Because despite what God is doing/allowing in my life. He is good. He's faithful. He's gracious. He's slow to anger and quick to love. His mercy is so abundant that my mind could never wrap it's self around it, even if I spend my whole life trying. He is just. I know these things are true. And even when things in my life don't seem (emphasis on seem) to reflect that to be true I have to remember esentially the whole history of this fallen planet where He has continually shown that be to true. Over and over and over. His nature is good and loving, even when what He gives me to endure hurts so very much. So I can trust that His plans are as well. For some purpose, seen or unseen God has given us the joy of enduring this all. And it's okay, because we'll be better off for it. Already God has taught me so much about Himself and about faith. And even though my dream is a little farther down the road now, I have a wonderful blessing on the way that I wouldn't trade away for even my wildest dream. God really is good to us. Praise Him for it.
KP
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Big news...
We mailing this out tomorrow... but you heard it here first.
February 12th, 2006
Family and Friends,
Hello from the Porters! Recently, we sent you all out an update letting you know of our plans to move to Botswana to follow the Lord's calling to work along side His church there. Since then, we've received some rather unexpected, joyous news! We've discovered that Erine is going to have a baby in October! We are so excited for this new surprise, but it has changed the way that this calling the Lord has given is going to play out. After talking with doctors and the leadership God has put over us, they have all advised that we postpone our initial departure date of this summer. It's been a really difficult decision to make as our hearts are still focused and ready to be in Old Naledi -but after much prayer and council we fell that it really is what God desires for us.
So, where does that leave us? We still feel God's calling to live and work along side the folks in Old Naledi as we continue to develop this church partnership. God has still laid it heavy on our hearts to be a part of what He is doing in this way. He's has just changed His timing. So for now we're going to be a part by raising awareness locally as well as gathering His saints to be intentional with their prayers regarding the AIDS pandemic in Africa. We will also be using this time to prepare and equip for the future when we do go. Then in a year or so, when God makes His timing clear we will pack up our two beautiful children and settle in Old Naledi, Botswana.
We're sending you this letter for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, so you can share in the joyous news of the new member of our family! Secondly, we've asked you for your support because we value it so much. We need your prayers now as much as ever as these unexpected changes bring great joy as well as a degree confusion and hardship of what to do in the here and now. It's been a good lesson that God desires our obedience, even when we don't understand what He's asking us to do. His plans are better than ours, even when we can't comprehend them. We'll still be sending out updates about what is going on in this process. Some of you have also been praying about supporting us financially. We will be using this time to continue to gather up our support (which will be slightly more now), but we are going to be a little less focused on that for the time being as we don’t have a very clear time frame anymore. So, we still welcome any support that God would lead you to give, but know that many of you will want to wait until there are more firm details and more solidified plans. We'll be calling all of you that have already provided financial support over the next few days so that you better let us can let us know what you'd like us to do with it.
Wow. That's a lot to pack into a letter. You can imagine the roller coaster of emotions the last few weeks have been for us. We are so grateful to all of you for your prayers and support in this whole process. Without such a great base of support, we'd be lost. God has truly blessed us.
Under His Grace,
Kevin, Erine, Eli, and Baby
PS - Please don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions or just to say hello at kevinpporter@gmail.com
February 12th, 2006
Family and Friends,
Hello from the Porters! Recently, we sent you all out an update letting you know of our plans to move to Botswana to follow the Lord's calling to work along side His church there. Since then, we've received some rather unexpected, joyous news! We've discovered that Erine is going to have a baby in October! We are so excited for this new surprise, but it has changed the way that this calling the Lord has given is going to play out. After talking with doctors and the leadership God has put over us, they have all advised that we postpone our initial departure date of this summer. It's been a really difficult decision to make as our hearts are still focused and ready to be in Old Naledi -but after much prayer and council we fell that it really is what God desires for us.
So, where does that leave us? We still feel God's calling to live and work along side the folks in Old Naledi as we continue to develop this church partnership. God has still laid it heavy on our hearts to be a part of what He is doing in this way. He's has just changed His timing. So for now we're going to be a part by raising awareness locally as well as gathering His saints to be intentional with their prayers regarding the AIDS pandemic in Africa. We will also be using this time to prepare and equip for the future when we do go. Then in a year or so, when God makes His timing clear we will pack up our two beautiful children and settle in Old Naledi, Botswana.
We're sending you this letter for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, so you can share in the joyous news of the new member of our family! Secondly, we've asked you for your support because we value it so much. We need your prayers now as much as ever as these unexpected changes bring great joy as well as a degree confusion and hardship of what to do in the here and now. It's been a good lesson that God desires our obedience, even when we don't understand what He's asking us to do. His plans are better than ours, even when we can't comprehend them. We'll still be sending out updates about what is going on in this process. Some of you have also been praying about supporting us financially. We will be using this time to continue to gather up our support (which will be slightly more now), but we are going to be a little less focused on that for the time being as we don’t have a very clear time frame anymore. So, we still welcome any support that God would lead you to give, but know that many of you will want to wait until there are more firm details and more solidified plans. We'll be calling all of you that have already provided financial support over the next few days so that you better let us can let us know what you'd like us to do with it.
Wow. That's a lot to pack into a letter. You can imagine the roller coaster of emotions the last few weeks have been for us. We are so grateful to all of you for your prayers and support in this whole process. Without such a great base of support, we'd be lost. God has truly blessed us.
Under His Grace,
Kevin, Erine, Eli, and Baby
PS - Please don't hesitate to e-mail me with any questions or just to say hello at kevinpporter@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
As long as I'm posting....
I know this is post number 437 today... but here's and article from Relevant..
Go here to read about McBlessings. A happy reminder that the grass really isn't all that greener on the other side.
Go here to read about McBlessings. A happy reminder that the grass really isn't all that greener on the other side.
My kid is really cute...
These are from around Christmas... he's always smiling. I love it. How lucky am I?
Coach P
I've been coaching the Jr High Boys basketball team for Flint Hills Christian School the last few months. Due to our recently canceled tournament (which is a rotten then to take away from a kid just two weeks away) my season ends Thursday of next week. Supprisingly, I'm pretty bummed about it. I love coaching. Don't get me wrong, I'll love the free time. It'll give me a chance to get this crazy life of mine sorted out a bit and maybe even I'll get to take a nap for the first time in months... but man, I love to coach.
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself from a bunch of 12 year olds. I've learned that deep down, no matter what anybody might tell you - I'm an optimist. These kids have won one game this whole year. I think we're something like 1-11. I like to think it's not due to poor coaching (but I'm sure that has a part) or lack of talent so much as it has to do with us playing a whole bunch of schools that are way out of our league. The few teams that we've played that were close to our level we've played with in 3-5 points. I hate loosing by 3 points. Anyways, back to me not being as much of a pessimist as I thought I was. I really go into every game (almost) expecting those kinds to get a W. It's not really realistic - but I have a lot of faith in those kids. I kinda wonder if that's how God looks at me when I'm getting ready to step on the court? Probably not, but it's kinda a neat picture. So far I'm my record is about 2 and 1million (the two wins being my wife and son) and still God's on my bench giving direction - directing trafic; Helping out. Anticipating me to do great things for His team And sometimes, I lose by 100 points... but Coach just helps me learn from it, fix what I did wrong and try again next week. I think I've learned a little about not just basketball but about who God is by interacting with 12 year olds. I'm probably more like them than I know. Regardless, It's been fun. I'll be sad when it's over.
Also, no matter what anyone tells you - hustle can't always win you a game. I've watched those kids play with more heart and intensity than I've ever seen in Jr High. Sadly, they don't have a lot to show for it. They worked a lot harder and played like a team a lot better than anybody else we've played. But man, we all learned a lot about basketball and being a team.
Eh. Three games left. I think we'll probably go 3-0.
KP
It's amazing what you can learn about yourself from a bunch of 12 year olds. I've learned that deep down, no matter what anybody might tell you - I'm an optimist. These kids have won one game this whole year. I think we're something like 1-11. I like to think it's not due to poor coaching (but I'm sure that has a part) or lack of talent so much as it has to do with us playing a whole bunch of schools that are way out of our league. The few teams that we've played that were close to our level we've played with in 3-5 points. I hate loosing by 3 points. Anyways, back to me not being as much of a pessimist as I thought I was. I really go into every game (almost) expecting those kinds to get a W. It's not really realistic - but I have a lot of faith in those kids. I kinda wonder if that's how God looks at me when I'm getting ready to step on the court? Probably not, but it's kinda a neat picture. So far I'm my record is about 2 and 1million (the two wins being my wife and son) and still God's on my bench giving direction - directing trafic; Helping out. Anticipating me to do great things for His team And sometimes, I lose by 100 points... but Coach just helps me learn from it, fix what I did wrong and try again next week. I think I've learned a little about not just basketball but about who God is by interacting with 12 year olds. I'm probably more like them than I know. Regardless, It's been fun. I'll be sad when it's over.
Also, no matter what anyone tells you - hustle can't always win you a game. I've watched those kids play with more heart and intensity than I've ever seen in Jr High. Sadly, they don't have a lot to show for it. They worked a lot harder and played like a team a lot better than anybody else we've played. But man, we all learned a lot about basketball and being a team.
Eh. Three games left. I think we'll probably go 3-0.
KP
Monday, January 29, 2007
18 Bullet Holes by Don Chaffer
I was playing a little music this afternoon while I cleaned up the house before I leave to go coach basketball and this song came on. I think this is probably one of the most moving songs ever. Anyways, I decided to post the lyrics because in their own way they're really worshipful. Enjoy.
18 Bullet Holes
by Don Chaffer
18 bullet holes in the body of a priest
They say he was eating a hot dog when the ammunition was released.
They say he was always fat and lazy but he was an awfully nice guy.
That’s just one more death to show you you never know when you’re gonna die.
You might be facing the beast
Sometimes, God, I feel like I’m living in a bone grinding mill
And every time I hear the sound I can barely stand still
It’s a thing I can’t quite make out sometimes but it seems to keep getting louder-
One more body from the valley of the dry bones getting ground up into powder
Against Your holy will
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Why don’t You come and help me out?
Cause I can’t even see clear
The funny thing about the way a girl gets destroyed
About the way that deal goes down
Is that everybody pretty much sees it coming at the sister
From all the way across town
And she isn’t always blinded, she isn’t always far astray
She just might not be thinking, she might be having a bad day
But when you choose, you choose, and when you drown, you drown
Last night I dreamed that You swallowed me into Yourself
And I was floating on the sea inside
When I landed on the shore, I saw all these people that I thought had died
I hadn’t seen some of them for ages
They had left without a single word
And when I said something to them, not a single one of them had heard
They were all looking right through everything like it wasn’t even there
Some were full of anger, some full of fear
And then I recognized that something very sad
But very beautiful was happening right here
They were all caught outside standing alone in a very heavy rain
And when a raindrop landed on my tongue
I didn’t need You to explain
That these were Your tears
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Oh, that’s right, You know so well
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
18 Bullet Holes
by Don Chaffer
18 bullet holes in the body of a priest
They say he was eating a hot dog when the ammunition was released.
They say he was always fat and lazy but he was an awfully nice guy.
That’s just one more death to show you you never know when you’re gonna die.
You might be facing the beast
Sometimes, God, I feel like I’m living in a bone grinding mill
And every time I hear the sound I can barely stand still
It’s a thing I can’t quite make out sometimes but it seems to keep getting louder-
One more body from the valley of the dry bones getting ground up into powder
Against Your holy will
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Why don’t You come and help me out?
Cause I can’t even see clear
The funny thing about the way a girl gets destroyed
About the way that deal goes down
Is that everybody pretty much sees it coming at the sister
From all the way across town
And she isn’t always blinded, she isn’t always far astray
She just might not be thinking, she might be having a bad day
But when you choose, you choose, and when you drown, you drown
Last night I dreamed that You swallowed me into Yourself
And I was floating on the sea inside
When I landed on the shore, I saw all these people that I thought had died
I hadn’t seen some of them for ages
They had left without a single word
And when I said something to them, not a single one of them had heard
They were all looking right through everything like it wasn’t even there
Some were full of anger, some full of fear
And then I recognized that something very sad
But very beautiful was happening right here
They were all caught outside standing alone in a very heavy rain
And when a raindrop landed on my tongue
I didn’t need You to explain
That these were Your tears
Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here
Oh, that’s right, You know so well
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
One thorny crown, three nails, and a spear
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