My Epic Journey

The following is my Thanksgiving list—a list of what I am thankful for:

T—Time. I often take this for granted but God has given me this time for a reason and I need to use and be thankful for it.

H—Home. God has blessed us with a beautiful home to live in. It is such a warm and loving place. Everyday I can’t wait to shut the door and leave the world outside and focus on just my family.

A—Anna. No doubt THE greatest gift God has EVER given me besides His Son.

N—Naps. I asked Anna to help me on this one and the word “naps” came to mind. She said I must love them since I take so many of them. I do love them. A quick nap in the middle of the day is so refreshing, but don’t tell Pastor Terry (my boss), he just thinks I am praying!!!!

K—Kisses. I know this sounds weird, but to me, there is nothing greater than a kiss from those you love. Every morning I get a kiss from all my kids and from Anna and before the kids go to school, I get a kiss. As they climb in bed, Dad always gets a kiss. I know the time for these will be short and it won’t be cool to do that anymore (Isaac is quickly moving into this stage) but for now I cherish them immensely.

S—Sundays. This is the longest day in my week but also the day that brings me a lot of joy. To be able to serve God by investing into teenagers and families is a gift that I don’t want to ever take for granted. And to able to do this with a loving and supportive family is even better. I also am so thankful for how the EPIC students, in turn, invest into my children.

G—Girl—My Girl, Emma. Since there is no E in “thanksgiving” I had to stretch this one but it works. I never thought I would be the dad of a girl and for that fact a “Princess”. Emma always brings a smile to my face.

I—Isaac. Mr. Sensitive. Isaac is the greatest big brother any kid could have. He is always looking out for Noah and Emma and takes such good care of them. The thing I appreciate about Isaac the most is his sensitive heart for others (much like his mother). Isaac would give the shirt off his back in a heart-beat to help someone who is need.

V—Vacations. Be it week long family vacations or my regular weekly “day off,” these are a must for anyone who not only wants to keep their sanity but most importantly want to keep their family. My FAVORITE memories come from vacations growing up and especially time off I get to spend with my own family now.

I—Ice Cream. No, seriously, without ice cream there would be no point in living. A bowl a day keeps the blues away, but not the doctor away so I have to be careful. I just love ice cream so much!

N—Noah. No doubt, the “ham” in our family. Noah keeps us laughing for hours. He brings so much joy to the Smith family. He definitely has a special place in Dad’s heart.

G—Grace Point Community Church. I have never been part of a church/family so loving! God has blessed this church through the leadership of Pastor Terry in ways that make this the most exciting place to be on this planet.

What is your THANKSGIVING list?

I have had some people ask me, “who took the pic of Anna?” I posted earlier. 

Though I love photography, I wish I could say that it was me but it was not.  The picture was taken by our EPIC Student Photographer, Eva Hyder.  She did a GREAT job capturing the essence of who Anna is.

Thanks Eva!!!!

I am just continually blown away that my wife, not only married me, but also continues to stick with me and love me.

Here is the list of why I am excited to spend one more day with her:

1.  She is GREAT mom!  Just ask any of our kids.

2.  She is my CLOSEST friend.  One that sticks closer than a brother. Through THICK and THIN!

3.  She is my STRATEGIC business partner.  She loves our students and our students love her.

4.  She is a FANTASTIC lover.  More beautiful than the day we met.

My hope is that my boys, Isaac and Noah, will be as blessed as I am if and when God brings a help-meet into their life.  For Emma, I pray she picks up all the AMAZING qualities of her mom.

Thanks Anna, for bring such joy and excitement into my life and into the life of our family and friends.