What a weekend to Remember! We had about a foot of snow or more (last weekend) and we were snowed in, but we didn't mind for we were at a weekend seminar! I don't want to be guilty of just saying my wife is important, but I want to be guilty of proving it to her! She wanted to go to one of these for a long time, but our circumstances haven't allowed us too. So when we found out that there was a Family Life - Weekend to Remember seminar here, locally, we chose to invest in our marriage and family. Sometimes we are so "bottom line" oriented that we only look at the dollars and cents and make decisions on this fact alone. Investing in our family and marriage can't be weighed by dollars and cents. It's an investment!

With that being said I state some of my core beliefs in these areas:

1. My relationship with God is first and comes before everything else. I am to love God with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength!
2. My relationship with my wife comes second! When we got married, we became a family! Adam & Eve were the first family! Children increase the size of the family. They should not be the focus but an addition to the family! Our focus should be on our mate.
   
3. The children come next and are my third priority. "The best thing you can do for your children is to be a good husband to their mother." If I have a good relationship with my wife, loving and caring for her, it will bring security to the children.
   
4. Ministry/ Missions/ job/etc. comes 4th. This is not a selfish kind of thing where family comes above all else but a Biblical thing where I invest the most in the lives of those who God has placed under my responsibility. Why would I forsake those that I have the most influence over in order to spend more of my energies on those that I only influence for a short while. In reality, our family has expanded our ministry, not limited it!
   

The spiritual well-being of my wife and children is more important than any ministry or job that God calls me too! Now that I've said it and believe it, may God help me to LIVE it!

Recently, while my parents were here to visit, we took a field trip with the kids. (notice their notepads that they brought along with them) We went to the Creation Museum and it was a wonderful field trip. Not only was it Scientific but it was Biblical and you didn't have to constantly hear things like, "billions and billions of years ago". We came away not only learning more about Creation but more about our AWESOME God. Truly He is the only one who is AWESOME for it is only God who we look at in awe!

Here's the special assortment of flowers that I bought for Brittany. She's a special girl and God has been helping her tremendously!

For those of you who even care!!

Here's the answers to the birthday questions:
1. . How much weight has Daryl gained since he got married? 10-15 lbs, depending on the day
2. What is his favorite sport? Basketball
3. What is his favorite car manufacturer? Toyota - a wise use of God's money
4. How many states has he visited? 48 or 49, I've been having doubts about the state of R.I. other than that, I'm trying to figure out how I can arrange to visit Hawaii
5. How many countries has he been in? I think 16
6. What is his favorite non-veggie food dish? Chili
7. What was his favorite dog's name? Rita
8. What is his hobby? Playing basketball
9. Is he right handed or left handed? "Everyone is born right-handed, but only a few, talented, gifted individuals soon overcome this obstacle!" (that should give you a clue)
10. What foreign country did he enjoy visiting the most? Austria
11. What historical place did he like visiting the most? Hard to limit it but it would have been Red Square, Aushwitz & Dachau Concentration camp
12. What Bible College did he graduate from? (smile) I put this in as a little bit of humor because we had a bunch of our GBS friends over, so I had to get them to write down HSBC, Hobe Sound Bible College.
13. Is he an early bird or night owl? Mornings were made to be taken real slow and very little talking.
14. What is his least favorite household job? Cleaning the bathroom, in particular - the TUB!!!

Here's the three girls with their wonderful violin teacher, Mrs. Collins.

I will try to upload some of Natsaha's piece if I can, since the memory is quite large.

Here's just a piece of Brittany's piece. If there's any poor sound quality, it has to do with the digital camera, which isn't the greatest for videoing.

This is just a sample!

God really helped and we thank God for the wonderful teacher, Mrs. Collins.

Brittany is playing a piece by J. S. Bach, entitled Bouree

Here's a quote that I've recently run across. It is very profound and obviously, not original with me. If it was original with me, it wouldn't be profound. Don't say "Amen" to loudly!

"Politics don't determine a culture; Culture determines Politics."

It's no wonder we are in the shape we are in with our political world. We as the church have not done our job to reach the lost and therefore impact our culture.

The predicament we are in politically, should scare us to our knees and then scare us into actually getting out and impacting our world.