Surrender

Surrender is a hard word to accept. It means to give up, to let go, to release control and to abandon. Man, this is a hard thing for me. I really like being in control of things, especially the big things in life. I went to bed last night and began to battle with myself. I was praying to God that the right thing would fall in my lap, that the right thing would happen and everything else in life would be clear. I kept asking and asking and asking for a break, for something. Then it became clear as I was calling on God for help. It's as if I could hear his voice asking, "what are you giving me?" I hadn't heard something this clear before. I kept battling and then it dawned on me, I wasn't listening. He wanted me to SURRENDER control of something so dear to me. He wanted to be Lord over it, not me. I kept praying and finally surrendered it. Oh my word, what a relief. But I also surrendered future control of it. Scary it sure is, but I want God to be the Lord of my future. I continued to pray and seek the Lord and I felt God asking me to give something else, something that hurts - something that I will feel. I gave it, I'm giving it. So I prayed some more and I wanted to make sure that none of this was an emotional response, but a spiritual response. I slept on it, woke up and prayed. I talked to Danielle. We talked about it. Yep, this is what the Lord wants of us. He wants me to SURRENDER control of our lives. This is a beginning point for me, for us. I'm so thankful God's voice is louder than the voices in my head. -Ryan

Grounded

I've been writing this week about three types of people you need in your life. I first heard the idea while attending "Promise Keepers." You need someone that you can build into, someone that can build into you and someone to walk through life with you. I wrap up with this topic because I think it is so important. Here are a few people who have walked through life with me - and continue to make a profound impact on me. Danielle No surprise here, but my dear wife. We will celebrate four years of marriage next month. Danielle is my rock. Danielle keeps me sane, pushes me to be better and is so patient with me. Throughout our marriage, Danielle has been a rock for me, been faithful to me and been everything I need when I need it. Danielle knows when I need her to remind me to be more caring towards people or when I need her unwavering support. When I am feeling attacked, Danielle steps up and takes the blows for me while building me up at the same time. Danielle prays like crazy. Danielle believes the best about people. At her core, she is so gentle. Danielle will give everything she has to help someone else. She has made me a better giver, a better husband and taught me there is so much value in trusting the Lord. Danielle carries us through tough times and makes the good times so much better! I love her with all my heart and so blessed to have her with me on this journey. Gregg Apple Valley Elementary - home of the Cougars and home to some, well let's just say - important learning experiences! I learned a lot about myself there. I learned I couldn't keep a beat, that Math wasn't my thing, I figured out lamps don't raise the temperature on a thermometer and that writing a book report on a book you never read isn't a good idea. But at that school, I also met a friend - who would end up making a profound impact on my life. My friend Gregg and I first started hanging out in second grade. He was smarter than me, better at sports and was a lot more driven than me. None of that kept us from being friends. We had some similar interests like riding bikes, riding the Yakima Transit, we even talked about starting our own lawn-mowing business. Good thing we never did! We would spend our elementary, middle and high school years having classes together and becoming even friends over time. We traveled to Disneyland, the beach, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York, Canada and then Europe over the course of a few decades of friendship. We also went through tough family times together - the death of both our Grandfathers, death of pets and so much more. We talked each other through various moves in life, career choices and relationships. But through it all, Gregg has made a pretty big impact on my life - and in a very profound way. Gregg always wanted the best. We have had several conversations over the years. I would start to settle on something, but Gregg would remind me there is something better - worth working for. He didn't settle and he never expected me to settle either. This is the type of accountability you don't find in a self-help book, it's the type of accountability you're lucky to get in life. Gregg has pushed me to be a better leader, a better man and a better husband. Gregg encouraged me to work harder, to be better and to expect to win. You can't ask for a better friend than that. My Grandpa I could talk about the greatness of my Grandpa, but I'll keep it short - because he's not one for wasting words. I talk to him almost every day. Something I appreciate is that I can't outwork him (despite him being 84), I can't out-pray him and I can't out-give him. He isn't proud of my earthy accomplishments, instead he rejoices when we make eternal accomplishments. He keeps me balanced and isn't afraid to ask me the questions few others will. I've given you insight into 9 people that are part of my life. There are so many more that deserve a lot of credit, but I have told you these stories as proof that three types of people in our lives are necessary. People who we can build into, people who build into us and people who aren't afraid to tell it like it is - and walk through this journey with us. Who is playing these roles in your life?

Weekend Adventures

Hope you had a good weekend. I am a big fan of exploring and checking out new places. This weekend was another weekend of firsts for us. Danielle's brother came to visit. It's always so fun to have people visit and reminds us of the great people we have in our lives. It also gives us opportunities to see new places that we don't normally get to visit.

Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to Bowling Green, KY. That's about an hour north of here and a good drive. We went to Lost Cave. A storm was moving through so we didn't explore the property much, but I think another visit would give us a chance to see more around the property. What we did do there was take a boat ride through a cave. The price was a little steep for the experience. You take a 5 minute walk to get on the boat and then you set off in the cave. Watch your head, the first part of the cave has a low ceiling. I managed to bump my head a few times as we went through it. The 15-20 minute tour teaches you about the questionable history of the cave. There is a good story about people who restored it the past few decades. This was fun to do, but as my brother-in-law said: you do this once and you don't need to do it again. That said, we had a good time together and stayed mostly dry.

What I would recommend you check out is the Corvette Museum. This is just off the interstate. I'm not a car guy, but I found this to be a great learning experience and one of the better museums I have toured. They do a nice job explaining the storied history of the Corvette - while also making it very visually appealing. This was a very relevant museum that would appeal to people of any age whether you like cars or not. You get to look at all different models of Corvettes and they have a neat cafe that is very reasonably priced where you can grab lunch.

Sunday afternoon, we went to the always impressive Jack Daniel's distillery. I highly recommend this to anyone visiting Middle Tennessee. Have a great week!

-Ryan

Vision in the Valley

I have been doing a lot of praying lately and a lot of thinking. In this process, I have realized that I feel I am in some kind of valley right now. You know what I mean - down low enough where the hills are tall enough that you can't see what is around you. I don't like this place and I'm not here because anything is wrong or bad, it's just a place I find myself right now. I spent some time in prayer last night as I was going to sleep and I realized this isn't the place I want to be. Life is full of these times, but I don't think God created me personally to be stuck in these places - so I started praying for something bigger. I started praying for Vision in the Valley. Not sure if this makes sense to you, but it does to me. I don't want to miss what I'm supposed to see right now. I want to see what is around me, what is ahead of me and what God has in store for me. I know this valley isn't a permanent place and I know God is seeing me through it. Today, I am praying for those of you in a similar valley. I'm praying God will give you vision and motivation that will get you through it. I've written before that these are crucial days in our lives. I can't wait to get above this point and praise God for what he taught me here. My friends, let us be thankful valleys aren't forever!

-Ryan

My Foundation

In the first post, I told you that I have tried to live my life with three types of people in it. People that build into me, people that hold me accountable and people that I build into. I started by telling you about the people I have built into and the lessons I learned from them. Now, I'm going to tell you about those that helped build into me. I consider these people to be part of "My Foundation." Mike There is a man that has had more of an impact on my life than he'll ever know. As a young boy, I was interested in TV news and he was already doing it. Mike attended our church and my Dad asked him if I could shadow him at work some day. Mike was open to it and let a wide-eyed overweight kid see his dreams come true. I followed Mike around from story to story - day after day. Mike photographed, edited, reported and anchored the news. He gave me my first taste of the TV newsroom. As a shy kid, it took a special person to be able to relate to me. Mike's ability to connect with me and value me not only helped shape my career, but shape who I am as a person. I manage the way I do and focus on the things I focus on because Mike taught me values at an early age in TV. You can't put a price on this. I followed in Mike's footsteps, getting my first job at the TV station he worked. Now Mike is a pastor. Time will tell if I continue to follow in his footsteps! Dave At my darkest moment of life, a guy I hardly knew walked through the scary doors it with me. I was in college, experiencing some health issues. My cousin who worked at the college introduced me to a guy who was interested in media. He and I went out to coffee and drove a couple hundred miles as he listened to what was going on in my life. Instead of overreacting, he calmly helped me make some tough decisions and he stood by me in those decisions in the weeks and months to come. He was a role model and a friend. For several years following, he would check on me and my health. Dave prayed for me, listened to me and encouraged me. He also taught me how important that is to do for others. I hope my efforts in this area will be honoring to both him and more importantly the Lord. Dad This probably isn't a surprise, but the man responsible for my foundation - more than anyone else is my father. He raised me to love others, raised me to care for others, raised me to work hard and raised me to love the Lord. He didn't do this by telling me everything, he let me learn it and he loved me through it. Unlike a lot of people, I grew up with a Dad who interrupted meetings to take care of me, who would drive hours to make sure I was okay, who provided a calm voice in a chaotic situation - you don't get that anywhere else. Dad taught me value in taking care of people. He taught me "helping people" could be a hobby. I am thankful for my Dad teaching me how to be a Godly man in an un-Godly world and that you can be successful while standing for the Lord at the same time. I have a firm foundation because of Godly men committed to showing me the way. It is their legacy I hope to carry-on for others. Next Post... The people that kept me accountable

The Original Three

Throughout my life, I have focused on having three types of people in my life. People that build into me, people that hold me accountable and people I get to build my life into. Over the next few days, I will write about these different people in my life because I think the lessons learned from them are so valuable both for you and for me and these lessons deserve to be in writing. Today, I am going to write about "The Original Three." These are three guys I met when I began doing youth ministry many years ago. It was my calling to build into their lives, but what I learned from them far outweighs anything I could have taught or given them. Today, I am honored to call these guys, now adults, friends. In no particular order, here are some valuable lessons I learned from them. I hope you'll learn something too. Chris I met Chris when he was in 6th grade. Chris always walked into our youth room full of energy and excitement. He made people laugh! Chris and I used to eat pancakes with his family before church and then go to Starbucks. We found so much to laugh about! We took every chance we got to laugh at ourselves. Chris taught me to slow down a little bit and enjoy the process of life. I remember teaching him how to drive my car which had a manual transmission. Yeah, because that's what a youth worker should be doing with his students! Like any good driving teacher, I took him on a hill the first time, a steep one. Of course, the car stalled and Chris didn't worry or get panicked, he laughed. What a gift! Through so many things over the years, Chris chose to smile and accept what was going on - instead of focusing on everything that was wrong. Chris is a successful guy now doing what he loves - selling cars. Chris is successful because he focuses on what is good and refuses to let tough times take him out. Jeremy Jeremy didn't want to talk to me the first time he met me at youth group. He was shy and so was I! After all these years, finally talking to me probably seems like the biggest mistake of his life! Ha! Truthfully though, Jeremy is a gift from God and a gift to my family. Jeremy didn't have it easy. In fact, Jeremy had it pretty tough - but you sure wouldn't know it now. I am not going to go into specific details, but let me just say - Jeremy overcame circumstances few could overcome. I know it's because he had faithful parents, solid people in his life and a God who loves him. I always appreciated that Jeremy would ask God to prove himself to him - and God certainly did. So what lessons do we learn from Jeremy's life? The thing that stands out to me the most is: Jeremy faced his fears, so can I. As a child, as a student and as an adult, Jeremy has faced his fears and done so better than anyone I know. Jeremy is honest about life, has an incredible memory and a great sensitivity to people. I believe God has blessed Jeremy with these traits by the way he handled everything that came his way. I am so proud of Jeremy. He is college graduate, successfully working in the financial industry and living for the Lord. I thank Jeremy for teaching me that great things come out of tough times. Chase Oh, what I would do right now to have the opportunity to sit at the dinner table with Chase and his family. I met Chase when he was in middle school. I instantly hit it off with him and his family. I know I needed them more than they needed me. Chase became my little brother. We would share meals together with his parents, we would go to various church events and find countless ways to laugh at each other - and others too! But what I have always appreciated about Chase is how good he makes people around him feel. I always wanted new students to be around Chase because he didn't care where you came from, what you are going through or who you are - he just wanted you to be happy and have a good time. Everybody liked Chase because Chase liked everybody. As Chase has gotten older, his love and acceptance of people has grown. Chase is a hard worker and cares deeply for people. It was so great to have him stand beside me on my wedding day. You've just read the stories of three people who I thought I would get to impact. Instead, God used them to impact me. I hope they know that. We all live miles apart, but I certainly cherish the friendships I have with "The Original Three" - and am thankful God used them to teach me to focus on what is good, to persevere through tough times and to love those around me. I'm proud of these three young men for following their dreams, attempting to live the best life they can and for their friendship. I have been blessed by their lives and I know others will be as well. When you feel God calling you to be part of someone's life, don't ignore it. Who knows? You may be on the verge of getting a new friendship that will last a lifetime. Next post... The three people that impacted me.

Life in Nashville

You probably have read some of our Facebook and Twitter posts and have seen our big news on here about the adoption happening, but I realized I hadn't written much to update you on our lives here lately. Next month, we will celebrate four years of marriage and 2 years in Nashville. I must say, it seems a little strange that half of our married life and soon to be more will have been spent here in Nashville. Here is a quick update on what has been happening and what we have been learning here in Middle Tennessee. As you know, Danielle and I felt God calling us here to Nashville a couple years ago. We had been praying about what he wanted us to do and where he wanted us to go. At the time, we couldn't pinpoint exactly where we would be going, but we knew we'd be leaving all that was familiar to us. An opportunity came up for me in Nashville. I interviewed and took the job. My how time flies. I'll never forget when I was interviewing here and drove to Gaylord Opryland. It wasn't open yet because of the flood, but I pulled in the parking lot and I called Danielle. I told her this was the place I felt God was calling us. I was scared, anxious, nervous, excited and felt so much peace about it. Two years later, I must say I still have those feelings at times - especially the peace from God. Living here has been an adjustment for us in many ways. In some ways, it has been very easy. Going to church is a normal thing to do, people say they pray for you all the time. Nashville has a healthy economy, you don't see people struggling here the way they do in other places. We know it is happening, it's just not as evident. People here are proud to be from Nashville. They take great pride in this part of the country - like I have never seen before. On the flip side, this is not an accepting culture. I see so many people here longing to be loved for who they are. Sure, this is the case everywhere - but it's different here. Because of a well-documented past, people here still struggle to accept each other the ways you see in other parts of the country. We are honored that people here have accepted us and we have embraced the people of Nashville. Enough of my assessment on Nashville. Here is what Danielle and I have been learning. We have learned to take care of ourselves by ourselves. I am so thankful we learned this at such an early part of our marriage. We haven't had our parents available to rescue us or take care of us. We have learned to rely on each other for everything. This has made us so much stronger as a couple. At the same time, we have learned that God provides the right people in your life at the right time. Because we don't have family here, we learned that friends can also be family. Never in my life have I been blessed so much by friendships. We have celebrated holidays with friends, birthdays and so much more. We have leaned on them to help us and I hope we have been there for them. The word friendship has a new meaning to us and we are so fortunate God put these people in our lives. We have learned God gives us direction. From the moment we moved here, God has been guiding us. He has shown us which steps to take and where to go. God is doing a great work in our hearts. He is teaching us patience, understanding and trust. I don't think we would have learned this if we hadn't made the move here. Living here, Danielle and I have been able to see so much of the country. We have been to Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Illinois, North and South Carolina and all over Tennessee. It's been important for us to embrace the culture and the people here. We are doing that. This is making this experience in our lives so much sweeter. All of this to say, we long for our family. I long to share dinner with my parents, to sit and visit with my Grandparents, to give my Nana a hug, to play with my niece and nephew, to talk with my sister, to walk along the lake by my in-laws home and breathe in the fresh air. There is one thing that hasn't been replaced on this move and that's the love I have for my family. I miss them every day and long to be with them again. God has taught me to pray so much more and I'm so thankful for that. Danielle and I believe God is the creator of our future and we are looking forward to what he has in store for us. That said, I could never have planned this part of our journey better and I have a feeling the next part will be just the same. We know many of you have brought us before the Lord and we thank you for it. God is stirring up a great passion in our hearts and we look forward to seeing him make things clear to us in the months and years to come. -Ryan