What I'm Thankful For

As Thanksgiving approaches I'm compelled to do something I don't do near enough; give thanks! I have a lot to be thankful for and this will only be a partial list. If I was to include everything I've been blessed with in my life I would overload the internet.

1. God. He did not have to create me but He did. He did not save me but He did. He did not have to bless me but He does. After choosing to create me He chose to sacrifice His own Son for me so I can be with Him for eternity. For this I am truly eternally thankful.

2. Karina Tinsley. My wife is a rare gift and she is hard to explain.  There is truly no one like her anywhere. She's funny and snarky, she's an amazing cook, she thinks of the little things like a fresh towel every morning and a snack with my favorite TV shows. These things are great and I do love them about her but they are not why I love her. To understand why I love her, you'd have to know her. Karina is an incredibly special woman who seeks Christ and seeks to point others to Him. I love my bride!

My beautiful wife!

3. My Kids. I live in a loud house filled with giggles, princesses, tea parties, pillow fights and occasionally real fights. Someday I'll live in a quiet and restful house with time to curl up with a good book. I dread that day. I'm so thankful for daddy snuggles, daddy dates, pillow fights for candy and pig piles on daddy. Each kid is special in their special way.

It's a daddy horse

Saphyre - My first born is now a tween but she's still my baby girl. I'm not as cool as I once was but I think she still likes her daddy time. Every Sunday night we share a long drive just the two of us and when all goes right I get to hear her heart. I love those drives and I love watching my baby grow up.

Saphyre on a daddy date

Olivia - Olivia is fabulous! At 6 years old Olivia is as fashion savvy as anyone. She loves to play dress up but only if everyone involved acknowledges that it's just pretend. She is one of the most colorful people I've ever met yet she lives in a black and white world. She loves rules (especially if they apply to others) and even homework. Her favorite daddy dates are going out for ice cream and I have to say they are my favorites as well.

Princess Olivia and her ice cream

Abby - Abby is a force to be reckoned with. Her emotions are out there for all to see. She lives life to the fullest and with no fear. She cherishes her role as the middle child, looking up to her big sisters and taking care of her little brother and sister. Her smile can brighten any room and her giant tears trigger a flood warning. Abby is one of a kind and she is her daddy's girl.

Beautiful Abby

Chaucer - My boy, my only boy. Chaucer is my best bud and my pride and joy. He loves to play ball and snuggle and is the first to run up to me when I get home. He can never wait to play ball and wrestle and he loves to wear his brown leather jacket just like daddy. I've always wanted a son and I could not ask for a better one.

My boy

Tessa - My baby, my last child. I've only know her for 3 months but she has a firm grasp on my heart. Her cry is the saddest sound I've every heard while her baby giggles fill me with warmth and wonder. Her beautiful full head of hair and adorable little nose are some of my favorite features. I can't wait to get to know her personality.

Happy baby

4. Family. In addition to the amazing family I just mentioned, God has given me so much more. My kids have the most amazing Aunt and Uncle ever. Neither Jordan or Alicia are related by blood but they are the closest family I have. Our bind is in Christ and His blood nit DNA. No one loves my kids like they do and my kids love no one more than them. The are one of the greatest gifts I've ever received and I love them both dearly.

5. Sylvia and Sarah. These 2 girls have a special place in my life and my heart. I'm not sure if I feel more of a fatherly or brotherly love for them but I know I love them and will protect them just like they are my own. Sylvia Soup Saturday's are the best days! It's like having a child come home from college. Sylvia is wise beyond her years and works hard to surround herself with wise and godly people to help her grow. Her thirst for Christ is unmatched in people her age. Sarah is simply put one of the funniest people I have ever met. At 15, she is everything you'd expect from a kid her age but coupled with a love for Christ and her friends. These girls are truly part of our family and again I can only thank Jesus for that.



6. The Geddi. A few years ago one the men in my church was laid off and since our daughters were friends we decided to reach out to them and have them over for BBQ. Over the past few years it's been me who has been the one who has been blessed. The Geddis' are the faithful friends who stand by your side through thick and thin. It's been a great privilege to watch their kids grow physically and spiritually. Seeing them move quiet kids who rarely engaged to kids who love Jesus and share their thoughts and emotions. Yet again, though we share no DNA we are truly family in every sense of the word.

7. Mars Hill Church. I love that my church is full of sinners. I love that my pastors make the wrong call sometimes. I love that Pastor Mark is a lightning rod for controversy and I love that sometimes it's deserved. I don't attend Pastor Mark's church, I attend Jesus' church. Pastor Mark is the fallible man who preaches. That's what I love! It's not about Mark, it can't be. He's a Coug for crying out loud! Throughout history God has uses fallible men to make much of Himself. What I love about Pastor Mark is that he regularly mentions how unable he is to do what he does. He constantly points to God when things go right and to himself when things go wrong. I thankful to be in a church where my local (Mars Hill Shoreline) leaders set time aside to fast and pray for us. I'm glad I'm not in a "perfect" church. I'm thankful to be in a real church that loves and serves the real God.

8. Food. I love food! There are many reasons I love food, it tastes good, it's fun and it's a rallying point for community. God did not have to design us to need food but He did and He didn't have to make it taste so good but He did. I love bacon, brownies, pasta, garlic, shrimp, Joyce Chester's lasagna, The Red Onion, Melt Waffle and just about anything on diners, drive-ins and dives.

Karina's Famous Beef Stew in a Pumpkin

9. Walt Disney. Walt was a man who had many issues and he was far from a hero but he did a lot to make the world a better place. Walt created Disneyland because he wanted a place dads could take their kids and interact with them. For that I am extremely thankful.

10. Disneyland. As I mentioned in a previous blog my family gets to go to Disneyland often and we are blessed to be able to stay in a palatial hotel room at the Disney Grand California. Our trips our about the memories that last forever. We get to bring Jordan and Alicia with us and hang out as one big (sometimes) happy family. Every once in while one of us (no names, Alicia) has a no picture day but it's still always a blast. This is a HUGE privilege that we are able to do this and I pray I never take it for granted.



Christmas as Disneyland

Alicia looking at the park from our room

Jordan and Alicia

If you can't pull it out just eat it

11. Being Unemployed for 7 months. This year started on what at the time seemed like the wrong foot. In February we found out that Tessa was on the way and I lost my job. What I learned was, I'm incredibly loved and God is faithful. While it was frustrating to search for work to no avail I did get the chance to serve at my church full time. I learned a ton of new skills, some of which led to the position I have now. I got to work with the greatest group of people I've ever worked with and built some amazing relationships. This has been a year than I am extremely thankful for.



Why I Don't Support the Occupy Movement

One of the biggest things in the media right now is the occupy movement. Their protests have dominated the headlines for weeks and their muddled message is all about American privilege. My problem is that the guys littering, polluting the environment, sexually assaulting women and blocking hard workings Americans who are just trying to get home from a hard day's work, are the 1%.

As tweet from their iPhones about their silly little gatherings and whine about the lack of jobs they all have access to services a good portion of the rest of the world would give anything for. In Africa, people walk miles for disease infested water, During these walks women face rape and battery. Or how about the over 3 billion people around the world who live on less that $2.50 a day. What of the millions dying of avoidable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, smallpox and the like?

If you live in America, you are the 1%! The homeless shelters would seem palatial to many around the world, the local soup kitchen would be a feast for the ages, and a free education to top it off. Here's my advice to the American whiners, take a shower, use the creativity you've used to protest to market you skills, stop harassing the people who might offer you a job and go to work. In the beginning you are going to have to work hard to prove yourself but with hard work you'll be amazed how much extra money you have to help the 99%.

One great way to help the real 99% is to donate to charitywater.org. 100% of every penny given goes straight to the field. (All of their operating costs are covered by corporate contribution) To the best of my knowledge no one at Charity Water even knows I exist and they certainly to not endorse this blog and in fact they may outright disagree.

Disneyland an Essay

While talking with my 11 year old Daughter this Sunday I decided she needed a bit more homework than her school has been giving her. For the record, she did not agree. I asked her to write me a 5 paragraph paper about Disneyland and what she likes about it. It took some discussion but eventually she accepted the assignment and wrote a great paper. My wife suggested that the entire family do this project as well and I'm not gonna mess with her so here is my paper on Disneyland.

When we go to Disneyland, we drive! It's partly about the money because my family is huge and cost of flying rivals the GDP of a small nation. It's more about fun though. I love time in the car with my family, there are always laughs (usually at me) and it's a beautiful drive. Inside jokes are born on trips like this. There are only a select group of people who know about the Urine killer, Mark Bergin helping Johnny Cash with his flooded basement or what I would do if pulled over in Oregon. They are are great stories and they are our stories and we wouldn't have them if not for the drive.

Excited that Daddy is FINALLY going to make a bathroom stop.

Chaucer's sitting next to Auntie Alicia on his first trip to Disneyland

Karina is excited... I think.

I love the joy I get to see on the faces of my family. At Disneyland you truly do "leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” I suppose a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll shut up and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Pretty Abby on a Seahorse at Disney California Adventure.

Abby on her 4th birthday getting ready to head to the park.

A birthday princess lunch.

Beautiful Olivia.



King Triton's Carousel

Saphyre & Olivia with Auntie Alicia on the Tea Cups.

Family

 

 

I also love our hotel. The Disney Grand California and the Disney Vacation Club go out of their way to us feel at home. From the greeting of, "Welcome home!" to the TV in the bathroom mirror to the amazing views and the pool table in the room. It's an amazing place to stay.



Olivia enjoying the view from our room.

 The sights and sounds are unbeatable as well. Nobody puts on a show like Disney. I love that they think of everything and make it perfect every time. When Pirates first opened Walt Disney thought it was missing something so he rode it with a cast member from the Bayou and asked him what it needed. Fireflies were the first thing he noticed missing. So what did Walt do? He had live fireflies brought in until the Imagineers could create fake ones.

There is a lot more I could mention but I think you get the drift.