In October of 2007, Samantha and I decided to get a puppy. It had been 5 long years since I had to put down the greatest dog in the world, Alexander Amadeus Tchaikovsky, or Alex for short. I was more than ready for a dog, but Samantha didn;t think so till we saw Winston.
Winston Elvin got his name from our neighbors who are from England. They said he looked like a Winston and we had nothing else better beside "dog," so we kept it. As for the Elvin part, we thought it would be fitting to name him after Samantha's grandfather - we knew he'd get a kick out of that. He actually says, "why in the world did you have to do something so mean to that dog and name him after me?"
From day one, Winston has been nothing but all puppy. He chews, eats, wines, won't listen, takes things he isn't supposed to have, etc... He is coming up on 1 year old now, and not much has changed. He is calming down, ssssssllllllllllllooooooooowwwwwly. My cousin came in back in the Spring while doing a cross country flight - he's a pilot - and when he came in to spend the night, Winston got so excited he jumped up really high and started urinating on him. How embarrasing.
Samantha admits he has been trying. She thought she was patient, but this dog has made the devil get a hold of her a few times. She tells me she is getting over the rough spots before we have kids. I just agree as I duck to avoid the shoe aimed for the dog.
Anyway, we've really enjoyed him and I'm sure, things will just keep getting better especially if I can keep him from chewing on the siding. Below is a few pictures and a video from today of his new pool.
Click on the pictures below to make them bigger. A slideshow will automatically start.
I have a really hard time keeping track of my family's birthdays, anniversaries, and important dates....most people do, except my mother. That's why I have compiled a calendar full of those date and placed them on our site using Google Calendar.
All families have been represented; the Flynn's, Francis', Graybill, and Meredith's. To access the calendars, you must register on the site by clicking "register" in the Login box on the left. You will receive an activation email which will then activate your account and give you access to the Calendars.
If you really want to go really high-tech, you can also create an account on Google and copy all the events from my calendars to yours. This will enable you to choose to receive email reminders of those upcoming dates.
Now, I got to admit, I'm not perfect. There are dates left out and dates that are probably wrong. If you see these, just email me using our contact form.
Holiness. It's almost a four letter word anymore. The idea that someone could live above sin is hard to believe...for some. But to others, it STILL is a second work of grace by God.
It can be explained simply as the relinquishing of one's self to God's will, wholly. We must die to ourselves so that we may receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and He may guide us. And it is through the power of the Holy Spirit, and by He alone, are we able to live a life without sin. Not by our own strength, but through His. It is the "What would Jesus do" movement fully developed in one's life.
Samantha and I had the opportunity to listen to a talk recorded by Dr. Linda Seaman, wife of the District Superintendent of the Michigan district, speaking at a retreat about the need for a revival of holiness in the Church of the Nazarene. The General Superintendents called this talk a "landmark moment" for the church as Dr. Seaman's gave an impassioned plea for the church to return to it roots of holiness.
This is good listening for any Christian. Press the triangle below.
Well, it has been well over a year since my last post. A lot has happened....some good...some bad, but God is still in control. Over the next couple of weeks, I want to do an overview of the past year.
My plan is to cover the highlights of each month, maybe one for every month. Also, new entries need to be placed and I hope to do those concurrently.
Over the past two years, Samantha has tried to blog once. Since I have been on vacation, I have updated our web system making it easier for her - and me as well - to blog. Now, she has no excuse. Soon, or so I hope, we will be seeing many blog entries from Samantha.
I have a really hard time keeping track of my family's birthdays, anniversaries, and important dates....most people do, except my mother. That's why I have compiled a calendar full of those date and placed them on our site using Google Calendar.
