from one traveler to another…

Ethan’s first tooth has pushed through the gum line.  Another tooth is close behind. 

Like his big brother, Ethan’s teeth appear to be coming up on the bottom row first.  We have tried to get a picture, but it is hard to catch him with his mouth open so you can see the tooth.

He is getting so big and growing up so fast.

Please read a great review of the film at www.pluggedinonline.com

I was embarrassed to invite church friends and family to this film.  Too much violence.  Too many swords and crossbows.  Too many “charges.”

The story of the book was lost in the intense, yet bloodless, violence.  Walden Media should be ashamed that they blotched this second film.  They tried for Braveheart, but with a PG rating.

C. S. Lewis would not be proud.

I will be seeing Prince Caspain tomorrow afternoon with a bunch of families from my church.  Very much looking forward to this second installment of the Chronicles of Narnia.

C.S. Lewis is an amazing story teller.  Andrew Adamson, the director of the film, is good at taking a great story and putting them on film.

I am probably the most excited about one of my favorite characters in the entire series coming to life on the the big screen.  Reepicheep.  Small mouse that packs quite a punch.  He is central in this story.

For my movie review, check back next week.

May 13, 1977 at 7:34 AM at Jellico Hospital in Jellico, TN, my beautiful wife was born.  Jennifer Rose Hale, born to Earl and Linda Hale of Wolf Creek River Road in Williamsburg, KY.

Linda and Earl arrived at the hospital at 7:30 and little Rose was born 4 minutes later.  She has always been an early bird.

Birthday cupcakes were made: yellow cake with chocolate icing.  The birthday date is coming this weekend.  For presents, she received some 8 x 10 photos of our family and her boys.  Mom’s always like pictures for presents. 

If you would like to wish Rose a happy birthday, her email address is: jrgarrison@hotmail.com

I get a special treat this Sunday to preach at my church.  I usually preach about 3 or 4 times a year.  My pastor will be on vacation, so he has asked me to fill the pulpit.  I will also be preaching the following week (May 25) as he will be on a mission trip to Uganda.  So I get the joy of two weeks bringing God’s word to the people I dearly love.

Here is preview of this Sunday’s message.

Sermon Series:           To Live is Christ
Sermon Title:             To Live as Participants in the Gospel
Sermon Text:             Philippians 1:1-7

The message will be on iTunes next week.

Isaac, Shane and the Monks - St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Rome, Italy 2006

I was clearing out an old file on my computer today and stumbled upon this picture from two summers ago (2006).  I had just started my doctoral program.  Isaac was not even one yet and just learning to walk.  Jennifer and I headed off on our first international mission trip with a child in tow. 

Isaac did great.  He grew out of his only shoes we took on the trip.  On the last day in Italy, he and I cruised the Vatican together with our dear friend, Charlie Worthy.  In less than three hours we hit the Coloseum, the Vatican, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.  My little boy was riding in style.

The Garrison’s have been grounded since that trip.  No vacations.  No international travel.  No time away from school.  Plus we had Ethan over the last year. 

I remember vacations way back then.  Might be good to get another one in soon.

Great video of our jumpin’ bean Isaac performing “This Little Light of Mine” at the Awana celebration.  It is on my Facebook page.  He is the third from the right (the smallest one of the bunch).

You got to check it out.  Go to: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=586006913

I am going to try and get a copy for the blog.

Mother’s Day, for the majority of my life, has not been a very good day.  Mother’s Day church services always cause me pain and sorrow.  Not that I didn’t like women who were mothers.  I just didn’t have a mom around which caused much celebration. 

You see, I have a very estranged relationship with my mother.  I have not seen her since I was 12.  That has been a long time.  She has never met my wife face to face.  Never held either of my sons.  Was not at my wedding, graduations, or the births of my boys.  She lives in Florida.  I live in Kentucky.  We do talk on the phone very occassionally, but those conversations are more like talking to a distant Aunt or relative.

But God has worked in my life to give me other women to affectionally love as ”Mom.”  My mother-in-law, Linda Hale, is a wonderful mom to me.  I even call her “Mom.”  She has embraced me as her very own son.  She would do anything for me and has blessed my life so much over the last six years Jennifer and I have been married.

Dianne Miller, a mother of one of my close friends from college and fellow member of Main Street, treats me like her own son.  She checks up on me all the time and acts as a Grammy to Isaac and Ethan.  She is always available if I need anything.  Every Mother’s Day she gives me a hug as a mother would, because she knows how hard those days are on my soul.  (I am sure I will get a hug on Sunday.)

But the one mother that I have learned more from than any other is my wife.  Not that she is a mom to me; she is my best friend, my love, my dear.  But seeing her care for my boys is the greatest picture of motherhood I have ever witnessed.  Her devotion to them is simply unbelievabe.  There are moments when I wonder “how does she know to do that” or “what book did she read that in” because her mothering is spectacular. 

I may not have had a perfect motherly example in my home as a child, but I have an amazing example in my home now.  Rose, Happy Mother’s Day.

A quick congrats goes out to my sister-in-law, Janice Hedayati (aka Aunt Jan Jan).  She will be graduating on Saturday from Eastern Kentucky University (Go Colonels!) with her Masters in Nursing.  She will officially be a Nurse Practitioner.  Jennifer, the boys, and I will be traveling down to stand among the masses for the graduation ceremony.  We will be the ones in the upper deck, wrangling the children, and taking all the pictures.

Everyone is very proud of Jan.  She has worked very hard to get this done.  Jennifer is pretty pumped because now she only has to proofread my dissertation and everyone will be done writing papers.  Her proofreading skills are heavily sought out by our family.  You get a degree in English, people want you to proof their papers.

Great work, Jan.  You deserve a huge pat on the back.  You are going to make a fabulous Nurse Practitioner.

(Sorry, this is the only picture I had on my computer.  Jan is standing in red.)

Ethan has said his first word.  Well, it is not necessarily a word, but he does know who he is talking to.  When he wants me to come and get him in the middle of the night for some milk, he starts yelling “Dadadadadadad…my Dadadadadada.”  I immediately wake up and go get him.

Now when I come home from work, he starts yelling “my Dadadadadada” and “ohhhh Dadadadadada.”  It is the sweetest little noise one could ever hear.

Jennifer is not jealous.  Isaac’s first words were “Dadadadada.”  I think it is just easier for babies to say.  But I also practiced 4 hours a day with Ethan to make him say my name.  The regiment really has paid off.

The boys were dressed like twins (Jennifer’s idea, not mine), so why not take a family pic. 

• I mowed my yard yesterday and watched Lost and The Office last night.  Place that in Free Time.
• Tonight we are taking the boys to the park to play on the playground and walk around.  Place that in Kids.
• Tomorrow morning I will cook breakfast for my family.  Place that in Wife and Kids.
• Tomorrow afternoon I will spend 6 hours in the library working on my dissertation.  Place that in School.
• Sunday morning, teaching, worshipping, fellowshipping at Main Street.  Place that in Faith and Work.
• Sunday afternoon, lunch with family and take a nap and then back to the library.  Place that in a mixture of Wife, Kids, Free Time and School.

Finding a proper balance is a constant struggle for me.  Finding peace knowing that you can never do everything, but still must be a good steward of your time, talents and treasures.  My family seems to always sacrifice for school.  Putting the boys to bed, helping with chores, having a late night dessert with my wife seem to get put on the back burner for higher priority things. 

How could there be anything with a higher priority than time spent with my beautiful wife and two glorious little boys.  Deadlines must be met.  Assignments must be completed.  Church people need my help.  Oh yeah, and I need to mow the yard…AGAIN. 

The reality is that we all must find a proper balance in our lives.  And in finding balance, there will always be somethings sacrificed so that others can receive the attention needed.

No great suggestions here.  No tips or good ideas.  Just live by this motto, “Do what you can, the best you can, and leave it at that.”

A news brief about the CEC’s (Christian Education Center) first graduation hit the streets today.  The CEC is the school I am the principal of.  We are so proud to have our first four graduates walk the line.  To check it out, click here. 

http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/NEWS01/804300431/1077/RSS09

Isaac, our two year old, will graduate from Puggles tonight.  Puggles is the 2 year old program for Awana.  There is going to be an awards night and everything. 

I was terribly emotional when he started Puggles back in August because it was his first “official” Bible program.  Now that he is finished with Puggles and ready to move to Cubbies in the fall, I am even more emotional.  He is just growing up too fast.

For those who don’t know, a Puggle is a baby platypus.

I have been watching the PBS series called “Carrier.”  This is a 9 part documentary about life on the USS Nimitz. 

There was a hilarious statement last night by one of the commanding officers.  It made me laugh out loud and I have been thinking about it all day.  I just had to share.

The commanding officer is giving instructions to his young sailors and he says,

“If I tell you a puppy can pull a freight car, don’t ask me how, just hook him up.”

In my devotional time on Thursday, I was reading in Mark 15 about Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary.  The passages says, “And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. ” (Mark 15:21)

Cyrene was a city in North Africa in modern day Libya.  A “passerby” from Libya is called upon to carry Jesus’ cross.  But what struck me more than that was the naming of the two sons, Alexander & Rufus.  Alexander, a name no were else mentioned in the Scriptures.  But Rufus is found again in Romans 16:13 “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.”

It seems that Simon, his unnamed wife, Alexander, and Rufus, all became Christians and were known in the Christian community of Rome.  How extraordinary did this “passerby” moment impact the lives of this whole family.

What did the boys think when their dad was called upon to carry Jesus’ cross?  Were they scared?  Were they confused?  They understood the cross was meant for punishment and death.  What had their father done to deserve this humiliation?  Did they think their father was being punished?  Did they understand who this Jesus’ was anyway?  The two sons watched their father bear a cross upon his back for the Lord. 

Here is the application the Lord laid on my heart: Do my two sons, Isaac and Ethan, see their father bearing my cross for the Lord?  Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Lord, please let my sons see me take up my cross daily and allow that to impact their lives as it did Alexander and Rufus.

Together for the Gospel was an amazing experience.  5500 pastors from all over the US and around the world met to be challenged and encouraged in our ministry and preaching.

If you would like to listen to any of the 8 messages, you can find them at www.t4g.org.  I would highly recommend the message from John Piper on Christian Suffering and CJ Mahaney’s message on the Pastor’s Soul.  Definitely my two favorites.

Personally, the three days of worship and Bible study left my heart burdened for the lost.  The Gospel must be preached to every soul we come into contact with.  The Gospel has the power to change lives, saving souls, and bringing new birth.  It is the only message of hope we can hold fast to.

Secondly, I came home being extremely grateful for my pastor, Pastor Robert Franklin. 

What a man of God we have at Main Street to lead us into God’s truth.  I am thankful for his humble submission to God and his willingness to walk fervently with our Lord.  I have learned so much from him over the past 5 years we served together.

Did you know that Pastor Bob and I shared an office my first year on staff at Main Street.  He even gave me the majority of his office furniture so I could have a place to work.  I am not sure how we got much done that first year, we talked all the time. 

I am deeply loyal to this man.  He has been a mentor, a teacher, a guide, and a prayer partner to me.  I will always be indebted to him for his investment in my life, both as a man and a pastor.

Thank you Pastor.

Some cute pics of our boys playing nicely together.  I know this will change as they get older, but it is always nice to see.

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Our 2 year old is no longer in a crib or a toddler bed.  He has transitioned into a Big Boy Bed.  A Big Boy Bed from IKEA nonetheless.   This is a pretty big step for him.  More room to toss and turn.  Higher off the ground.  More wood to crack his head on.

But we are really proud of Isaac and this Big step for him.  Now if Jennifer and I could just figure out how to get him to sleep with less animals.  We needed the Big Boy Bed because there were too many creatures in the toddler bed with him.

Bedtime roll call:
Little Georgie
Big George
Puppy
Minny (blanket)
Sparky
Marcus
Blue Bear
Thomas Blanket

Pastor Calvin A. Perry and I officiated a funeral together on Saturday morning.  A dear, sweet man named Charles (Chuck) Trapp went to be with the Lord.  He was one of three remaining charter members of Main Street Church.  You can read about Chuck’s service-filled life here.

Before the funeral began, Pastor Calvin asked me if I had read the article in the newspaper about him.  I said Yes.  He asked if I thought he was going to tell the paper where he got his season ticket. 

I told him that I got worried that he was going to “out” me to the press for stealing his clergy pass.  His words, “Nah, people on the outside don’t need to know where we get our season tickets.  There are certain things we should never tell.”   Well, I guess I have blown that cause I have told everyone how I got my ticket. 

He and I hope to catch a few games together this season.  This little stunt has been way too much fun.