Super proud of Joshua for speaking in high school chapel today. He stood in front of his peers and delivered a ten-minute talk about the example of Joseph from the Old Testament. I love how he shares his heart whenever he speaks.
I especially loved how Joshua used Joseph’s story to point us toward the freedom we have in Christ.
Jackson and I saw David Gray at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville this week. The venue was fantastic (first time we’d been there) and David Gray was on point. He sang the entirety of his “White Ladder” album and he sounded incredible.
Somebody got a new guitar this week. Could this be a precursor to some new music from @jacksonbybee? Hmm….
We watched Ben Joyce pitch tonight for the Trash Pandas. The first pitch in this sequence was 101 MPH … followed by 79MPH. Are you serious?
First day of the 2022-23 school year. Senior year for the twins; freshman year for the youngest.
Found this at a record store called “Dr. Music” in Fairhope this weekend.
Sunny and I spent the weekend in Fairhope, Alabama, where I was performing a wedding. We had never been there before but we LOVED it! Such a fun little place. We stopped to grab a picture near the water before the wedding. And since we were kind of close, we had to pay a visit to our favorite seafood restaurant in Gulf Shores, DeSoto’s. Thankful for a great weekend with my girl.
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken — that is, things that have been made — in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:25-29
The writer of Hebrews points us to see Jesus in a variety of ways:
But toward the end of Hebrews 12, he adds that Jesus is the One who speaks to His people in the present, shaking both the heavens and the earth with His voice. This idea of “shaking” alludes back to the prophet Haggai who foretold of YHWH shaking earth and heaven and all the nations in order to fill His house with glory. The writer of Hebrews seems to understand a present-tense fulfillment of this text in his own time. Whereas the Exodus generation witnessed a “shaking” in their own day as they encamped at Sinai, the Hebrew writer anticipates an even greater shaking — one that is characterized as a shaking of both the earth and the heavens.
We are living in a world that shakes.
A world of school shootings and senseless violence.
A world of abortion and sex trafficking and countless other offenses against the most defenseless among us.
A world of war and rumors of wars.
Evil is called good; good is called evil.
These things cause the world to shake because they will not endure. The new heavens and the new earth is a promise of something unshakeable — an eternal kingdom that is secure, safe, founding upon God’s eternal promises. It is the same kingdom Simon Peter spoke of when he spoke of an inheritance that could never perish, spoil, or fade (1 Peter 1:4).
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Today Joshua and Abby Kate turn eighteen! That is so hard to believe.
They’ve certainly come a long way since they were born seven weeks early. Sunny and I always knew that was a possibility, but I think we were still a bit shocked when we were told to leave the doctor’s office and head straight to the hospital that day! But God watched over them as they grew and after some great care in the NICU, we were able to take our babies home.
And now we look at them and we give thanks for their growth — physical growth, obviously; but more importantly, all the other ways in which they have grown. We are grateful for their relational growth. Our kids have some awesome friends. They’ve chosen to invest in people who are fun and kind and full of laughter. If you’ve ever cared deeply for a teenager, then you know how thankful we are that Abby Kate and Joshua have such a great group of friends. We are also grateful for their emotional growth. Being a teenager has always been difficult, but our present culture creates some really unique challenges. But these challenges also provide growth opportunities and we’re thankful for the ways Joshua and Abby Kate are learning to navigate these difficulties with maturity. And of course, we are most grateful for the growth they’ve experienced in their walks with the Lord. He continues to demonstrate His grace and His favor toward Joshua and Abby Kate and that brings us so much joy.
Joshua, you have always been like a bolt of lightning. You never learned to walk — you just started running! From the very beginning, you have always been quick to laugh, always up for a game of some kind. And you’ve retained that playful spirit to this day. We have so much fun watching you play baseball, the game that you love. You play with passion and fire — and it is contagious. And you bring that same passion to every pursuit. You have always been a people person and we see the ways in which you mediate peace: at home, at school, with your teammates, everywhere. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God.” And you are truly one of God’s children, Joshua. We are so proud of you.
Abby Kate, they say still water runs deep — and this has always been true of you. Whereas Joshua would run, you were always content to sit and take it all in. You are discerning and careful — and we love you for it. But you are also compassionate. Loyalty is your love language. And you are exceedingly loyal to YOUR people. When you go all in, you really go all in. We love your drive, your commitment to your grades and to your future career in medicine. And we hope this next year is a year of preparation and joy — preparation, as God equips you to walk into the future He has planned for you; but joy that is found by recognizing the tremendous gift of the present, the gift of TODAY. You make us so proud, Abby Kate. We love you greatly.
Happy 18th birthday, Joshua and Abby Kate!
already & not yet 