1 Thessalonians 1

Rev. David Hardwick, Sr.

Doing a Lot Right

Click Here for Audio of Sermons at Gentian Baptist Church

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy Set an Example.

• Galatians 6:1
• (1) Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted.
• Proverbs 13:18
• (18) Poverty and disgrace comes to those who ignore instruction, but the one who accepts rebuke will be honored.
• Proverbs 12:1
• (1) Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.
• Proverbs 13:13
• (13) The one who has contempt for instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.
• Proverbs 15:31
• (31) An ear that listens to life giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.

The Church Followed That Example

• Mark 8:34-35
• (34) Summoning the crowd along with His desciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. (35) For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it.

The Church Became an Example

Couch to 5K–Week 1

Hello again all!  I'm back!

I have been away from the blog for a while and though it was time to get back.  I have been away because I couldn't really think of anything to write.  Well, that is no longer an issue.  I have started training to run a 5k (3.1 miles).

I have been thinking for some time now that I would like to start running.  Now, this is in stark contrast to my lifelong resolution which was "You will only see me running if someone is chasing me!"  I have wanted to find a way to get in better shape but couldn't find anything that I could really enjoy doing or consistently find the time to do.  I can't join a gym because I just can't find the time to do it, especially when I live 30 minutes from the closest one.  Seeing as how we have a treadmill in the house that doesn't get much use and how we live in a beautiful quiet neighborhood, I thought running would be the best option.  Not only will it build my cardio but it will also work most of my body at once.  I work with some great people and am able to get out and walk at least 1.3 miles nearly every day.  We first started walking almost daily in October and I was out of breath after each walk.  After a couple weeks of walking 5 days a week (weather permitting) I was no longer huffing and puffing after each walk and started feeling better overall.

I have also been listening to a podcast called WDWToday (greatest Disney podcast).  Several of the hosts and guests on the show like to run and join several of the races put on by RunDisney (http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/sports/rundisney).  These races consist of Marathons, Half-Marathons, 5ks, family races, kid’s races, etc...  Listening to these guys (and gals) talk about their love for running these races as well as just being able to get out in the mornings to run around whichever resort they are staying at really makes me want to get out and run.  Staying at any resort level other than the Value Resorts (Pop Century and All Stars) will provide beautiful grounds to run around in the mornings.  As you all surely know I love anything and everything Disney.  We have been the last two years and plan to return next year.

Our first year we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (moderate|top right pic).  The grounds of this resort would have been great for running.  Last year we stayed at the All Star Sports Resort (Value|left pic).  Again, this one would not have been ideal for running.  It was too busy and not landscaped all that well, plus it was mostly just parking lots.  Next year I am hoping that we can stay at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort (moderate|bottom right pic) which is just gorgeous.

Now let me get back to the races for a minute.  Everyone that finishes one of these races gets a medal with a character on it that represents which race it is for.  I am talking about medals with Mickey, Goofy, Donald, the Three Caballeros, etc...  Races are run throughout the year but unfortunately at times that would make it difficult for me to attend one since Jenny is a teacher and Bree is in school (plus Austin starts Pre-K in the fall). Even though I may never get the chance to run one of the Disney races I can still set it as a goal and there are plenty of 5k’s and other races around here that I could run.

There are numerous benefits of running. It will get me in shape and keep me there which is something that I have wanted for a while now. I am not fat but I am not in the shape that I want to be in either. Have you ever seen people who run a lot? That is how I want to look; not too muscular but toned and solid. Running will allow me to get to that place. The last time I weighed myself at home I weighed in at 185 lbs. My goal is to be somewhere around 170. I know that running will not get me there completely but it will make me want to eat better. Not eating healthy causes one to be lethargic. That is not exactly conducive to exercising and I am set in my goal of running an entire 5k. Therefore, my goal of running a 5k will lead to healthier eating habits.

To make sure I stay on track I have downloaded an app to my IPhone called C25K. This is a free app that gives the user a set work out three times a week which should lead to the user being ready to run a 5k within 8 weeks. I have already completed the first two days of the program. I must admit, they were tough and the third day is the same so I should be able to not struggle as much with the third time. Days 1-3 consist of a 5 min warm-up walk then 60 sec of running and 90 sec of walking (alternated for 20 min) with a 5 min cool down walk. I can’t recall what week two has in store but I am sure it will be a little more challenging. I will keep this blog updated at least weekly with how I am doing with both the program and the eating.

Everyone wish me luck! See you in about a week.

• Corey

Venting

Ok, this has been bugging me for some time lately. A few weeks ago I copied and pasted something on Facebook about mothers and their love for their children. Someone commented that some mothers do, but others don't. I wanted to reply that mothers worth the title do, but since this was posted by a man who still loves his ex, I decided to keep my mouth (or in this case, keyboard) shut. This has been bugging me for weeks though, so now I have a bit to get off my chest. (Note, I cannot speak for fathers since I am not one myself, although I will say that most of this can probably apply to them as well.)

I have known some children who grew up without their biological mother in the picture, not because she died, but because she up and left one day and never bothered to keep in touch with her children. For the most part, each of them turned out just fine because they had someone else in their lives to fill their absent mother's shoes, either dad took double duty, grandparents helped out, or maybe there was eventually a stepmother in the picture or even a caring neighbor/mentor/someone-who-cared.

Here's the thing I can't understand: HOW CAN A MOTHER LEAVE HER KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE?! As a mother, I simply cannot comprehend what kind of selfish being it takes to leave your children. I can't fathom life without my kids now that I've had the privilege of being their Mommy. My children are my life in ways that nothing and no one else have ever been or can ever be. I carried them in my body for (roughly) 40 weeks a piece. I felt their first movements before anyone else outside of my body could. I remember distinctly what I was doing the first time I felt Bree's ticklish movements inside me and can even point out where I felt it. I was there when they first cried. I fed them in the way only a mother can do. I saw their first smile, heard their first laugh, watched them sleep at night, and have prayed for their health, safety, and happiness since I first knew of their existence and even a little before that when I was just thinking of having children. Being a mom was something I dreamed of since I was a little girl. I could not wait to hold my own little baby in my arms, to know that love between a mother and her children, to be the one that they want when they're hurt and need comforting, to hear "Mommy!" followed by the sound of running feet and the feel of small arms being thrown around my neck.

My dreams have been realized in the forms of my children, and they will continue to be a source of my dreams for the rest of my life. I made a life-long commitment to them: to love them, keep them safe, and ensure their happiness as best I can, for as long as I live. This commitment is just as strong as--if not stronger than--the one I made to their Daddy, whom I promised to love and keep for the rest of my life in front of our family, friends, and (mostly importantly) God. It doesn't get more binding than that!

Maybe all of this is why I can't comprehend how a mother can just up and leave her children. I dreamed of being a mother pretty much my whole life. My children are my life, and life without them would not be a life at all. A woman who can leave her children is not a mother at all; she's an incubator!

So to all the real moms and people who are taking the place of the incubators, I salute you and wish you the very best! We are raising our future, both as individuals and as a people. Good luck and God bless!

Everything I Need to Know, I Will Learn From My Kids

Otherwise known as:

The Adventures of Jenny, Corey, Bree, and Austin as of Summer 2011

1. My shin and foot make a great track/ramp for a monster truck.
2. A dog and reindeer CAN get married and their kids will either be a dog or a reindeer.
3. TV shows can become books if you add, “said [character’s name]” at the end of each character’s line. Example, "Said Winnie the Pooh," after Pooh says something.
4. There is no better sound on this planet than an excited, “Mommy!” followed by a great big hug and sloppy kiss, except “I love you, Mommy.”
5. It’s always a great idea to take a nap when your kid does, even when he/she is no longer a baby.
6. Six year-olds can be extremely independent and self-sufficient.
7. A three year-old IS capable of outsmarting his 30 year-old father, even when said father is trying to outsmart him.
8. Three year-olds are ALSO capable of outsmarting their 6 year-old sisters.
9. Children are quite capable of fighting with their siblings, even when they just woke up.
10. Younger children expect you to be excited when their favorite shows come on, just like them.
11. One way to lose your first tooth is to pretend to be a dog and pick a ball up with your teeth.
12. Glitter glue will come off of laminate floors if you just scrape it with your fingernail.
13. Playing Go Fish can get old… FAST!
14. The sweetest sight in the world is the face of your sleeping child.
15. Cow manure apparently smells much worse to your kids than it does to you.
16. Kids are the best alarm clock you could ever have!
17. Waking up to a smiling or sleeping angelic face on the pillow beside you is wonderful!
18. Paper jewelry made by your daughter, no matter how odd-looking, is beautiful, no matter what.
19. Laundry. Never. Ends!
20. Cleaning/painting/housework-in-general takes 2x longer when you have “help.”
21. Even a 3 year-old gets the concept of revenge. He will ask you to whoop his sister when she hurts him, even when it didn't hurt much.
22. Kids can have belated reactions to their sisters taking their toys, even reacting after they get it back and they are holding said toy in their hands.
23. Simple words can be very hard to pronounce when in the mouth of a child, and the end result sometimes is something you NEVER want to hear out of his/her mouth again!
24. Some of the best bonding you can do is to rock your baby to sleep, even when that baby is six years old.
25. A plastic Jack Sparrow sword is ABSOLUTELY acceptable paraphernalia to cutting up a watermelon.
26. Apparently, your sleep habits reflect your lifestyle, as in the day Bree informed me that she leads a wild life because she is a wild sleeper.
27. Storms are just as scary to children as they are to their mommy.
28. Princesses do not wear crowns to bed if they are wild sleepers.
29. It is possible to fall asleep with a sucker in your mouth (or on your eyelid).
30. Some dogs will put up with ANYTHING your child can dish out and were meant to be owned by a child.
31. To stop a dog’s ear from bleeding after being snipped with scissors by your daughter, put a little flour on it. It acts as a coagulant. (Then see #29.)
32. It’s great to relive some of your favorite cartoons and movies with your little ones.
33. On the same token, it’s equally gratifying to get excited about their movies and cartoons (like when a new Winnie the Pooh movie comes out in theaters).
34. There comes a point in time when your singing is no longer pleasant to your child’s ears. Sometimes they wait until they’re teenagers, sometimes it starts when they’re three.
35. Even three year-olds can get mad and call their sister by her first and middle names.
36. Six year-old girls want to pee off the porch like their little brothers are capable of, but have no interest in doing, and sometimes will try to convince said little brother to pee on a bee.
37. Sometimes little brothers do not do what their big sisters tell them to. (Thank goodness!)
38. Sometimes telling your three year-old son to sit still is like telling Cinderella Castle in Disney World to get up and run away.
39. If you ever think your kids aren’t well-behaved, just go to Disney World and watch other people’s kids. You learn to appreciate yours really fast!
40. Threatening to tell Mickey Mouse about misbehavior actually works on a three year-old.
41. Sometimes a kid doesn’t want to be squirted by squirt fans—unless he does it himself.
42. The most simple of rides at Disney World is most likely going to be your kids’ favorite, like the TTA.
43. You should ALWAYS, NO MATTER WHAT have a camera ready to roll at all times when you have kids, but especially at Disney World. You never know when your daughter is going to hold hands with Tigger and start bouncing.
44. Want a skinny pic of yourself? Let your six year-old daughter take it with your cell phone. It will be blurry, but you will look 25 pounds lighter!
45. Kids not used to housekeepers will sometimes think their toys came to life and changed things in your absence.
46. It is hilarious when your son keeps telling you that his name is not (fill in the blank), his name is Austin!!
47. A child will make you research what rolly pollies actually eat.
48. Sitting at home is much more rewarding when you’re sitting at home with your kids and hubby.
49. Kids can make up the best songs for Mother’s Day.


Last, but NOT least:

50. Life is so much more rewarding and fulfilling when you have children!

My Goofy Husband

So, my goofy husband unknowingly decided to challenge me with his blog by saying that he knew I would want to write in it. Well, until that moment, I'd never had the desire to write a blog. It's like keeping a diary for everybody and their brother to see. But, by his adding that little part in his blog, he made sure I would find some way to do it. (Granted, it took me FOREVER to figure out what to write about!) So, I decided to open my contribution with something about my husband, whom I frequently call "To-wee", thanks to our nephew, who couldn't pronounce "Corey" when he was five.

Here are the top 10 reasons why every woman should have a To-wee (but I thank God I have the only one!):

10. A To-wee's arms are the best place on Earth to be: they are safe, warm, protective, comforting, and loving all at the same time.

9. Everything becomes dirty when it's filtered through a To-wee brain. ;o)

8. To-wees do DISHES!!

7. To-wees help with laundry, and will even do most of the folding/putting away of clothes, particularly the stuff beyond your reach.

6. A To-wee's fingers are magic; he's a great masseuse. (Get your minds out of the gutters. I will not comment on that here.) ;oP

5. To-wee's are GREAT cooks! (Which is good when the wife in question is only great at following directions in the kitchen.)

4. To-wees spoil their wives like she's the Princess she really is, causing her to acquire the nickname "Princess" by her friends. :o)

3. Life with a To-wee is never boring. There's always something to laugh about.

2. To-wees make the most beautiful babies when combined with your own genetics AND they will develop the gene that leads to #3.

and the #1 reason is...

1. Because life with a To-wee is more beautiful than anything you could ever imagine!

Disney 2010: Prep, Trip & Arrival

Once we had decided to go the next step was to tell the kids. When me and Jenny were
growing up, every Sunday night was the Wonderful World of Disney on ABC where
they showed Disney movies. We both grew up hearing about Disney World and how
is was the “Happiest Place on Earth”. I actually got to go when I was a kid but Jenny
was not able to experience the magic until our honeymoon. Well, the kids were excited
but I think that was just because we were going on vacation. At seeing their lack of
excitement we decided to do something about it, you know, get them hyped up for it
by trying to show them exactly what they were in store for. First up was the Disney
Planning DVD. We let them watch the DVD and talked about excitedly about the
different rides at the Magic Kingdom. We also made sure we showed them almost every
Disney DVD that we owned so that they would know most of the characters they were
going to see. Next, we showed the photos that we had taken on both our honeymoon
trip and the 2004 trip with Chrissy. The kids were still just not getting as excited as I
would like so I then began playing YouTube videos of the various rides and things from
the parks. This helped a little more as they got to see some of the things they would be
getting to do. The straw that finally got Bree beyond excited was we made a countdown
calendar. We took colored paper and cut out 45 Mickey heads. Then we had Bree help
write the numbers on them and decorate the ones that fell on important days like her
birthday, Jenny’s birthday, the last day of Pre-K, etc… Once those were finished we
taped them up in the hall and she got to pull one down every night. She couldn’t wait to
be able to pull each one down!

Before we left for vacation we took a trip to the Dollar Tree and stocked up on cheap
ponchos and glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces for the kids to keep from having to
buy the expensive ones in the parks. When the time finally came to leave for the vacation
we to up bright and early at 4AM and hit the road. The kids slept most of the way down
but when they weren’t asleep we had a portable DVD player for them to watch, toys to
play with, coloring books, and of course songs from Disney movies to listen to. They
were the best kids the entire eight hour drive.

Upon arriving at Disney World, you have to pass through an archway that says “Walt
Disney World Resort” with characters on either side of the road. This had the kids
thoroughly excited. We finally arrived at the Caribbean Beach Resort to check in at
around 4PM. Check-in was a breeze as we had completed the online check-in 10 days
prior. We walked right up to the counter and met the friendliest employee (cast member
in Disney language) who gave Bree and Austin buttons saying it was their 1st Visit and
Mickey Mouse stickers. After getting our room keys we drove to the section of the resort
that housed our room and began to lug our luggage up the stairs to the room. The fact
that there are no elevators there is the biggest downside of this resort. Well, that and
the busses which I will get to later. The room was FANTASTIC! The beds looked like
pirate ships, the dresser like stacked crates, the carpet resembled planks of wood and the
table/chairs looked like they came right off a boat. There was even a carving of the Black
Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in the wall of the shower. This is easily
the coolest room I have ever stayed in. Once we got settled in it was around 5:30PM
so we chose to head to Downtown Disney in an effort to try out the Disney bus system
before we wanted to use it to go to and from the parks, grab a bite to eat and do a little
shopping. We hauled the kids and the double stroller (which we bought specifically for

this trip) to the bus stop and waited on a few minutes for the Downtown Disney bus.

The Caribbean Beach Resort is such a spread out resort that they have an internal bus
that will travel around within the resort from bus stop to bus stop picking up passengers
to take them to and from Old Port Royale – the food court / pool area. In addition to this
bus, a bus from each park and Downtown Disney make stops at each of the bus stops. As
I stated earlier, we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus to arrive and were arriving
at our destination within 10 minutes or so.

The first thing we did was to check out a couple of the stores as we made our way to find
something to eat. We ultimately settled on Wolf Gang Puck Express for dinner since
they take the Disney Dining Plan. Speaking of the dining plan let me tell you a little
about it. This plan is basically you prepaying for your food. If you are paying for the
plan it works out to $29/adult per day and $19/child per day. Basically it would have
cost us $370 for this plan had it not been for the PIN code that I received. The Quick
Service Dining Plan that we received covered 2 counter service meals and 2 snacks for
each night of your stay. There are plans that cover table service meals but those are
more expensive. We found that the Quick Service plan provided more food than we
could possibly eat and ended up getting lots of snacks for the ride home. Anyway, I
digress. Back to Wolf Gang Puck Express. The food there was pretty good but nothing
to really just up and down about. After dinner we explored the Downtown Disney area,
bought some souvenirs and had desert at Ghirardelli’s. The ice cream there was fantastic,
expensive, not on the dining plan, and bountiful. There was so much ice cream that none
of us could finish what we had. After that we decided to head back to the hotel to get a
good night’s sleep prior to getting up early the following morning for our first day in the
parks. On the way out however, Austin found a play area where water squirts from holes
in the sidewalk and he and Bree had a blast for a while just playing with the water. The
next morning we woke early and grabbed a breakfast at the resort then caught the bus to
the Magic Kingdom.

Disney 2010: The Decision

Hello again. Yesterday I mentioned that I would provide more information on our family
trip to Disney last year and I am here to deliver. This may be a little lengthy so I might
have to break it down into more than one post but we will see how it goes.

I took Jenny for her first trip there on our honeymoon in 2003 and we had a GREAT time
so this place has a special place in our hearts. The following year we went back and this
time took her sister Chrissy (15 at the time) for her first visit as well. Both of those trips
were for only 2 days which were both spent in the Magic Kingdom park. We also stayed
off of Disney properties with each of these trips. The honeymoon was part of a timeshare
presentation that we had to sit through in order to get 2 free tickets. DO NOT EVER
DO THIS! That timeshare wasted a good half day of our honeymoon. During that trip
we stayed in a hotel called AmeriSuites. The hotel was nice in itself; the only complaint
I had was that our room overlooked the indoor pool area which had Karaoke until after
12AM! For the next trip with Chrissy we stayed at a hotel called the Clarion Maingate
on US192 in Kissimee, FL, which is literally only 1 mile from the main entrance to
Disney. This was a pretty good place to stay and we had no complaints at all. Besides,
for $55/night you couldn’t beat the price. I must say that after these trips I was in love
with Disney. There is just something about the place that feels magical. Something
inside of you changes when you see Cinderella Castle in the distance getting larger and
larger as you approach. Standing on Main St. USA looking directly at Cinderella Castle
is a feeling like no other. Regardless of your age you will feel like a child again.

Now that you have a little history as to my love for Disney I will move on to 2010. After
getting our income tax refunds back last year, me and Jenny were toying with the idea of
taking the kids to Disney World but had not decided yet. I began doing some research
looking at prices on the DisneyWorld.com website for different packages (staying at
Value hotels vs. Moderate hotels vs. Offsite hotels, etc…) In doing this, I created an
account on DisneyWorld.com and saved several different options to it, changed some
of them a few times, etc… A few days later I checked my email that I had registered on
the Disney site with and found that I had an email from Disney. As I read I discovered
that this was a PIN Code email. What this means is basically that Disney sent me a
coupon that could be used when booking a trip through the Disney website. These PINs
don’t come to everyone nor are they all the same. Some PINs are for up to 40% off of a
room only, Free Dining Plan when booking a package, etc… The PIN code I received
was for “Free Quick Service Dining Plan” when purchasing a package (hotel & tix) for
at least 4 nights. After comparing the cost of this package to how much it would cost
staying at a cheaper hotel offsite but having to pay full price for tickets, having to spend
the money for food in Disney & paying for parking each day worked out basically even.
There are also so many advantages to staying on Disney property that are intangible.
After a little more research into the different Disney resorts and room types at each,
we decided to spend a little extra to splurge on a room at a moderate level resort. We
wouldn’t have made this decision had we not seen that some of the rooms had just been
remodeled to “Pirate” rooms which we thought the kids would love. Thus, our decision
to take the kids to Disney World was made. We would be spending 7 days / 6 nights in a
Pirate room at the Caribbean Beach Resort!