General Status Update #2

Hey all - our lives have been busy ...

-: Jason :-

* I finished the Shack - powerfully written fantasy that has the potential to bring many people back to Christ Jesus.  I was personally moved by the foreword.  I believe the essence of the book is true and that not any single aspect of the content to be impossible.  Miracles happen every day.

* A few weeks ago I grew a full beard. In the last three days I've shaved it. I took pictures ...



- As you can see, I appear to lose several years of age and maturity. It is quite odd :D

* As mentioned previously, I have placed my web-comic online. Please post comments if you would like to peruse.

* Almost a week ago, my back seemed to be less than stellar.  Through the Lord's healing, and a wake-up call to slow down, my back has been healed!  Praise God for His healing mercies!

* School starts for me, Lord-willing my last semester doing undergraduate work for a Computer Science degree. Books are expected to be ordered before too long and away we go! I'll be studying Astronomy, Programming in C++, Network Technology, and Software Engineering. A big shout out goes to God for allowing this past year to occur with all its grandeur. Truly He is amazing!!


-: Ruth :-

* Ruth got her car inspected and it failed - but that is where Dave Ramsey's suggestion for an emergency fund kicks in! We've had, built up, used, and built up again this thing several times now - and I heartily endorse it!

* Ruth has been an amazing care-giver, a reliable and loving domestic engineer, and a consistent stabilizing force in my life - I am blessed to have her as my wife!

* I learned recently that Ruth has drawn closer to God as a result of living with me.  Apparently she prays a great deal as my wife!  The reality is that we are two very different people and it is only Christ Jesus that allows us to function as one flesh.

-: Peter :-

* Peter is adorable!  He continues to grow into his skin, sometimes over the course of a week, sometimes over the course of an hour!  At least five times, we've seen Peter go down for a nap and wake up visibly different.  The boy grows in visible spurts!

* Peter has gently improved his crawling, having made his first "official" crawl stance today.  This is in addition to his tendency to crawls backwards.  Yes, he IS my son.

* Peter will, no doubt, make many friends over the course of his life.  I believe one of his newer friends is a Rumba!  We found he fits nicely upon it.  Initially we placed him a box on the Rumba - later, we let him ride the Rumba for a short time as well ...

 - Which didn't last too long but was a joy to share with the family.

-: God :-

God has shown Himself faithful every day in so many quotidian details that to list them all would be only evidence of my own inability to recognize every aspect of His presence in my life.

A short list would be:

• We were able to visit a family relative
  
• We observed amazing weather
  
• We made it home safely after being driving more tired than we were aware
  
• I continue to be gainfully employed
  
• Peter continues to be a source of amazement and humility as I identify many of his weaknesses as my own

May you praise Christ daily in your heart, life, walk, and mind.

General Status Update #1

-: Jason:-

I've been reading "The Shack" (author: William P. Young) ... and won't endorse it yet; but, I've personally been encouraged by the raw hope and faith exhibited by the character/author.

We start our ball-room classes up next week - I have not practiced often (enough). Haven't quite worked out consistent recollection of the distinction between dances. It comes with time, I expect.

I'm looking forward to starting classes next week - last semester for my Bachelor's Degree!

I have been considering starting a web-comic.

And I just realized I've been getting phonemes and phenomes backward!


-: Ruth :-

Has been busy doing her fair amount of chores, t'toring, d'livering, b'keeping, and Petering.

Has been working on something of a secret project that I look forward to observing when she's through.

Has been mulling over the epilogue to a novel she wrote.


-: Peter :-

Seems SO CLOSE to speaking - he's been repeating his phonemes quite a bit. I expect he'll be a bit of a talker :D

He has been standing up in his portable crib, with help. Not quite strong enough to climb up there by himself, but getting there.


-: Praise Reports :-

1. Clan Miller stopped by last weekend to do what they do best - enhance!
It was amazing to see my house be transformed by God's grace and copious effort into a place where I can really see clearly the vision God has placed in my family's heart.
It is humbling to know how much I cannot do myself and how much simple trust and acceptance in Christ can transform ... EVERYTHING!

2. I finally got my grade for Programmable Logic Controllers: A!
I find all for of the classes resulted in praise resports this semester and seeing His hand in reconciling my efforts was a huge blessing.
It was only through hand of Christ Jesus that I was able to stay focused, learn so much, and grow as a student this past semester.

Well, I'm out - hope your walk is stronger now than ever before.

Leave a note if you'd like.

Christmas is ...

When I was growing up, Christmas meant waking up early and rushing to wake my parents up without sneaking a glance at the tree.  This is my first Christmas as a married man, a father, and it is completely different on this side of the tree.  We have Christ's love in our hearts and a true desire for His grace and His mercy to fall upon each of us.  But we don't have a tree.

The funny thing about the tree ... in our home, we don't see it as honoring Christ.  In its own way we see it as a kind of worshipesque symbol of Christmas itself.  I see that each of us has our own walk - and that walk is magnified during Christmas.

I also find it interesting that discussing this private aspect of our lives is hard.  It is hard to put forth these statements upon a blog, knowing that others may potentially read them.  But the truth is something, when properly dispensed in a balanced manner, that is priceless.

But the one thing that most struck me on this fine, early Christmas morning, is how much I love my family.  It is easy to miss - and most of the time it is like a warm blanket that coats everything, obviously there but easily missed.  I don't always feel it.  Kind a like the difference between mountain top and valley bottom walks with Christ, there is an odd valence to some days that make each resonate with their own "feeling".

So today I feel closer to my wife, my son, and who God wants me to be than I normally do.  And as a result I feel closer to God.

Because, for me, that is what Christmas is really about.

It is about a kind of rekindling who Christ is to you, who you are in Christ, and the glory of being and doing who you are in His will.

He is the master conductor.  We are his orchestra.

And we are made to dance.

Change is

December 2008

Sooo much has changed since last I posted - here is some updates

(0)
Our walk with Christ has been changing - and I'm fighting to give God the glory.
The fact is that none of us can succeed without His presence within our lives. Fight to choose him!

(1)
We moved!
Before Pic:


After pic:


Before was a townhouse - we were sooo blessed by the corner lot. It gave us a little more room and made moving in and out a whole lot easier. Both pictures were taken from Google Maps, which explains the mower in the before-pic and the truck in the after-pic. Also - the trees suggested by the shading on the truck were also removed - so that place on our lot is quite bald!
The after home is a rancher - a little less room on a half-acre lot. Soo much room!!
God is so faithful!

(2)
Peter has been growing! He can almost walk - backward!
He has his own face-book page (link).
And he is a continual delight to the both of us.

(3)
I'm in the middle of my second semester at Thomas Edison State College (link).
It's been an interesting thing - to juggle work, school, baby, wife, and house. Almost sounds like a modified rock-paper-scissors game.

(4)
Ruth and I are participating in our own version of the Biggest Loser.
If you wish details, please ask us in person ... or we may have a blog up about it.
Last week was our first week and team Cooper lost 19 pounds!

(5)
Ruth and I have been taking ballroom dancing!
We've learned some steps from Foxtrot, Swing, Waltz, Rumba, Tango, and one other that does not come to mind at the moment.
Other than swing, they seem to all fall into variations of a kind of square dance.
Perhaps there is an alternation of quick to slow, maybe a bending of the knee, but the basic flow is almost identical to each.
... Maybe I need to practice more ... they're not properly differentiated to me yet. Still - it's been fun and great exercise!

(6)
I continue to misspell practice and presence.
Hopefully I'll now get them right:
both end in "C" and that'll be enough for me.

(7)
I learned that FreeRice.com (link) has more settings than simply vocabulary.
This is a site that I thought initially held only vocabulary words - until I realized there are other options. It's a cyclic quizzing site and correct answers reward "the hungry with rice" (see site for details - it is interesting nonetheless) and found that correct answers can be in English vocabulary, English grammar, countries of the world, works of art, and really - not a profoundly large smattering, but enough that I think a visit to the site is worth a mention.

(8)
Well that's enough - hopefully I can get into the habit of sharing once a week

and last, and certainly least:
Here are the top 10 ways to amuse a geek
1. Make a list of the top 10 ways to amuse a geek.
2. Use binary.


May the holidays draw you closer to Christ!

How much of our crying out to the Lord is vanity?

:- Peter
Peter has been growing so very, very fast. I don't have great recollection of any particular day, but it is amazing to me how much he's grown since I first held him, an hour after he was born, less than two months ago.

:- General
Growth is painful, as are the transitions between growth spurts. Ruth has shared that she remembers growing. I don't recall anything close to that ... but growing, regardless of context, is hard. It's hard for cities, it's hard for companies, and it's hard for people.

:- Ruth
Ruth has been doing wonderfully. She is becoming increasingly aware of her fitness needs and I have heard her plan. She put in for two part-time jobs: newspaper delivery driver and Trader magazine (Friday Only) delivery driver. We're getting rid of the credit cards!!! She also has an accountability coach, which is always encouraging. Her birthday is on Monday!! I already planned a small surprise - I anticipate she'll like it :)

:- General
Being a father is very eye-opening. I know it's cliche ... but you have a much clearer understanding of what God sacrificed when He gave His only begotten son. In addition, you see how much He wants to give us good things, and most of the time we're whining. Simply whining. All is vanity says the preacher. This applies even to heart-felt worship. If God didn't guide your heart to do it, even if you were focused on God, it's likely it's a form of vanity.

:- Jason
House purchase moving forward, settlement date seems to be end of September.
Classes are progressing nicely - have an appointment with adviser in early September and should start up new classes cleanly. Also, no word on amount or degree of corporate reimbursement, but any would help knock out the credit.
We also have a budget. Dave Ramsey Rocks!!

Bye Ya'll!

First post

This is the first post for the Cooper family.

Pictures, thoughts, and considerations posted.

Perhaps a touch of salt.