Feeling Tropical

Well, Marcie and I have just faced our second tropical storm of the summer going from Dora to Fay. Yesterday was a day of sheets and sheets of rain falling down with sustained winds from 30 to 40 miles and hour and gusts over 50 miles an hour. There were spin up tornadoes that popped up all around us and I eventually put the Ipod in my ears last night listening to Chris Tomlin rather than hear the wind that was consistently gusting over 50 last night. It went all through the night and now it is relatively calm outside...thank you Jesus. We got up to 7 or 8 inches yesterday...and not all stayed outside the home.

We love our old home but we found out last night that the windows aren't tropical storm proof. We had a lot of leaking through the night and used a lot of towels as water came leaking through several windows, especially through the front windows, let alone the door. Won't complain though as we saw people on the weather channel going around in boats in their neighborhood. We got a late tax return the other day...now we know where it will go as we go window shopping here shortly. We are all safe and just had branches blow down as no trees got uprooted like a lot did around town. If a hurricane comes in the future, can we evacuate to Franklin or Nolensville?? In the mean time, we need to blow our cushion on some windows (ha). Love you all and wanted to give a little update from L.A.

Todd

Love

This picture was taken shortly after Easton was baptized. He and his cousin Adam have a special relationship as Easton has always been very sweet to Adam and they truly love each other. In this moment Adam had been overwhelmed by the baptisms he'd just seen and was feeling the desire to be baptized. Adam's Dad couldn't be there so it wasn't meant to happen that day, so Adam was visibly sad. Easton saw him and went over there to encourage him. This was Easton's first ministry opportunity after he was baptized and it was one of those moments that warms your heart as a Dad.

I taught on Love last night to the teens and highlighted John 13:34-35. Loving each other (family, friends, neighbors) is not an option and it has an everlasting impact on the world on how we love each other. Love starts with your family and stretches outward to a world in need. I'm amazed more and more at the depth of love my Savior has for me. This amazing love ultimately pours out through our relationships with each other. Maybe the more I receive and believe in the love our Father wants to pour out on us the more easily I can pour out that love on to others. To do this we must spend time with our father and may we hunger for that time as I really don't have any excuse not to no matter how "busy" things may be.

While we continue to train our children on their strengths and weaknesses, God trained me when I saw Easton loving on his cousin Adam. His natural response was to love him and encourage him and Easton does that to me on a daily basis. I know I'm not worthy to receive the kind of love I experience daily from my boys or the amazing love I receive from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You know...we are never the same once we receive love encounters from our good Father. There truly is nothing better than resting in His love for us and the opportunities He gives us to love others as He loves us. Love is the birthplace for God to do mighty things through us...may we receive the love He so freely offers! I love you Lord!!

Todd

Thirteen

Yesterday marked the day that 13 years ago Marcie and I made a covenant in front of the Lord to become one. It wasn't your typical anniversary as we were worn out from our trip, I didn't get the opportunity to talk to my family, we went out as a family to Jim and Nick's with a shake from Dairy Queen to top it off, and ending the night with me mowing the yard. Pretty romantic huh?

Didn't seem to matter too much after the weekend as God is enabling us to pass on the faith and Spirit of Jesus to our boys. The cool connection came after we were looking at our wedding and engagement photos with our boys last night. I was laughing at how much we have changed and feeling nostalgic looking at a picture of Grandma Miller kissing me. She readily passed on affection and her faith the best way she knew how and that's what we are trying to do with our boys. There is a generational responsibility I have and as the Spirit works in me, I'm seeking full deliverance from things such as anger that can hurt a marriage. I'm still trying to stay on the path of full deliverance from selfishness but stray from the path at times.

God put me with someone that covers my weaknesses. God put me with someone who's "living" example shows me what peace and servanthood are to look like. God put me with someone who loves me despite my weaknesses and loves me unconditionally. Someone who has a child-like faith to make up for my tendency to need "seeing" to believe...as for her, believing is seeing. I praise God for the strengths He has given me that make Marcie a better person as we both seek God to point out any offensive ways in us and lead us on the path of everlasting life (Psalm 139). It's not easy as marriage is a great crucible to either refine and purify you or it can be a great spontaneous combustion waiting to happen.

Amazing how long it can take sometimes to fully trust your spouse as your "ally" and let them and God refine you into a better person. Marriage is a great test of surrendering and soliciting when it comes to realizing you can't become like Jesus without God and the community around you. That vulnerability has to be risk-taking on both sides and ultimately we surrender our hearts and control to each other and God...this is a daily process that I sometimes struggle with. Children take this to a whole new level!

Although painful at times, I'm enjoying the refining and the veils being removed of how far I have come with Jesus...and veils being removed of what I need to confess and still be delivered from. I truly believe that the deeper levels of intimacy we dare go to in marriage, God will take us to those deeper levels with Him.

As I look back to those times I saw Marcie my freshman year at Harding in those three classes I was prompted to tell Dad, "Remember the name Marcie Fouts". I realize now that was the Spirit leading me as only God could have joined me through the prayers of my parents with someone like her. I praise you God for my wife and for the boys you have blessed us with...I feel so unworthy at times and yet receive fully as You make me worthy and You can do more than I ever asked or imagined. I pray these next 13 years take us from the Glory to Glory that you promised in the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3) as the Spirit makes us more like Jesus. I love you Marcie and want to thank you for loving me as fully like Jesus as a human is capable of. May we pray for our children's future spouse's with faith and a sense of urgency!! In the Name of Jesus...
Todd

Catching Up 3

It really was awesome getting to baptize Easton and Isaac and was very surreal in the moment. We got to have a great praise time leading up to the baptisms and were able to celebrate afterwards. The boys (including their cousin Luke) were very excited and were able to have their first communion right after and we gave them Dog Tag necklaces with the date, born again, and Galatians 2:20 in scripted. Mom gave them a gift and then we had a birthday cake to celebrate. We felt His presence and enjoyed it as a family in the water. Continue to pray as the enemy has been coming at our family in different ways, but "Aslan" is on the move. We'll just leave it at that as God is bigger and will prevail. Enjoy the pictures and put on your armor in the name of Jesus...we are in a war.

Catching Up: Numero Dos

We had a wonderful time in Mexico working with the City of Angels. Each day we got to put on a VBS with skits, singing, crafts, coloring, etc. It was a lot of fun leading the little ninos and ninas in singing and after the skit, I would take the guys helping out to the worksite where we got to help them as they build the new orphanage. Each night we got to play sports with the angels...all of that was fun and challenging as I took a spill the first night down concrete stairs and hurt my ribs. They still hurt somewhat right now over two weeks later but we still had a great time. Marcie and I got attached to Gustavo who you see us together with.

We also got to go snorkeling the last day there and floated above those in our group who were scuba diving. It was beautiful and we came within 25 feet of a 7 foot long shark. Just positioned myself between the shark and Marcie and prayed for the best. It was pretty awesome watching that shark swim and eventually swimming "away" from us. Looked over my shoulder a couple of times after that! Enjoy the pics and I'll make one more post after this...

Catching Up

We were very blessed to have our parents watch our Miller boys while we were gone to Mexico. My parents spoiled them with fun such as swimming at the YMCA, taking them to see Space Chimps, giving them good food, playing Uno Attack, doing devos with them at night, etc. Marcie's parents took advantage of the $650 we left Lee to build a fort. They made it go a long way as you can see below. The last pic is of the rope swing/slide he built for Grandparent's Camp this past weekend.

We love our parents and the boys really didn't miss us too much as they had a lot of fun without us! Thank you guys!!! More pictures are coming...