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Thursday, November 4, 2010

My last entry.................

being single.

Last night at youth group prior to me speaking, Woody announced that it would be my last night to speak to them. He took a long pause and my stomach fell. I thought, "Wow...is there some announcement that I haven't heard about yet?" Then he finished with..."his last time to speak to you as a single man." He announced that I would be married this weekend. The teenagers all cheered.

I had an amazing experience last night and a picture of God's grace in my life again. It is the little things that God does many times which brings a smile on my face. The message was on I Timothy 4:6-12. Timothy encourages us to be "discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness." We talked about how discipline is a lifestyle change and that without a purpose in our lives it is difficult to change our lifestyles. I used dieting as an example of how people might have good intentions, but most people fail. I asked why and Chandler spoke up and said, "they lose interest". It was the perfect phrase and really opened up the passage in a way that I had never thought about before!

Why do we not live our life for Jesus? It is not because we struggle with consistency. That is just a symptom of the larger issue. We lose interest!! We lose interest because we struggle with consistency. We struggle with consistency because we have no purpose for godliness in our lives. Since we have no purpose of godliness in our lives, we do not change our lifestyles and "discipline" ourselves after the footsteps of Christ.

I am humbled that the Holy Spirit used my 14 year old to nail some truth down even when he might not have known it. The Lord took that little epiphany and weaved it in the meaning of the message. Let's not lose interest. How do we not lose interest? We must have a purpose for godliness that drives us to change our lifestyles to give God the glory for the things in our lives. What is even more incredible about this experience is that in verse 11-12 Paul encourages Timothy to speak up even though he is young.

Praise God for Chandler being obedient to his Word and speaking up at a young age. God is good!

On another note, this weekend is the wedding. I start a new chapter, book, etc. in my life with a beautiful, godly woman who is driven to godliness. What more could I ask?

Lisa, I will do the best I can to love you the way God has called me to love you. I will not be perfect and I guarantee you I will mess up on a number of occasions. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving my boys. Thank you most importantly for loving the Lord. I see in your eyes that you truly want to live for Him. What a privilege I have in marrying someone who loves Jesus and wants Him to be the cornerstone of our relationship.

You are a blessing and I praise the Lord that He has put you in my life.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

25 days, a babysitter, and Starbucks...what could make a better memory?

After going to church on Sunday, Lisa and her sis hit up Sam's for a number of items to be utilized for the wedding. I took care of the boys, watched some football with Chandler and chilled for a little while. Once Lisa returned it became naptime for the kids as they were showing signs of tiredness (well...maybe not Chandler...hee hee). The weather could not have been much better, so she and I decided to go out to the hammock. There is almost nothing better than a hammock between two trees on a gorgeous day to lay in and have a nice casual conversation about life, laugh about your kids, talk about the "big day" and just enjoy one another's company.

Enter Chandler. Yes. He is a major player in the scene that is about to take place as without him, none of this would be remotely possible. "Hey...you two need to go on a date. You haven't been on a date in a couple of weeks." What he says is quite true. It is not easy to find that time when there are the future fantastic four under one roof. We both laughed and thought the exact same thing when the words were uttered.

"You want some babysitting money!"

"Well..." spoken with a smile like he had just been read like a book! ..."....yes, but you both do need to go on a date. It has been too long and you don't get a whole lot of chances. So go on a date tonight! I will take care of the kids and put them to bed." Soooooo, we took him up on it. Chandler made his famous pancakes and only burned a couple, played with them, tucked them all in bed and then took a deep breath.

Meanwhile, Lisa and I did leave and have a really nice time together. We brought the laptop to Starbucks, bought two Pumpkin Spice Lattes and listened to some nice Italian music to be played at the wedding. We talked and listened and laughed and talked some more. The blessing that God has given me in the midst of what happened a year ago is truly amazing.

So, a memory was crafted Sunday night. Another in a short string that has taken place that is part of a longer string of memories yet to come. I look forward with aniticipation to the numerous reminiscings (is that a word?) that await our future.

By the way, I promise to keep up with this blog more often. I have homecoming to write about, the hilarity of two boys that are only a year apart in age who both look up to an almost 8 year old girl who constantly reminds me of Junie B. Jones. I will either write more or go into stand-up comedy!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

God's hand and the waiting for His wings...

There is just something about youth ministry that I still miss. The teenagers? Of course. The changed lives? Definitely. Being who God created me to be? Without a doubt. It reminds me of those little sponges that we played with as kids. You know the ones. They were in little plastic things that looked like...well...pills! They would be placed in warm water and they would break free from their case and become some sort of shape. A duck, a boat, a car, a space ship, etc. This is how the Lord is with us. He has created us to give Him glory. He has given us gifts and talents to use for Him. When we break free from the distractions of life, we can be molded into what He has created us to become. I know that I will never get the chance to be a full-time pastor again (no pity parties please), but I do pray that I can use my gifts and talents for Him in ways that I haven't yet. I don't know what that looks like nor do I know how that will come to fruition. Only He does. Now it is time to bask in Isaiah 40:28-31 and rest, wait, and allow Him to energize me and give me new wings, new talons, etc so that I can rise up, spread those wings and move forward with the next part of my life. God is so good to me. I praise God that He still uses me for His purpose. What a privilege.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Engaged...


One year. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525,600 minutes. This amount of time will have passed on the day I say I do. Whoda thunk that in 31,536,000 seconds a healing would take place that would surpass what I would ever conceive?!

Numbers do not define the Lord. Unfortunately, man defines healing by a certain amount of time. It takes a certain amount of time for a cut, bruise, broken bone, torn muscle, etc. to heal and then it can be used again. Our hearts, I have been told our heart is no different.

Thank goodness we serve the Lord who created our hearts, knows how to heal our hearts and has His own "timeline" that He takes care of Himself. The story of Lisa and I starts at this point. The Lord has taken a shattered heart, destroyed dreams, fearful future, and crushed confidence and replaced it with a healing heart, driven dreams, fondness for the future, and a confidence anchored in the work of Jesus Christ.

The fact that I stand at this point today details God's handiwork in my life. What an exciting time to live life and live life abunduntly. Lisa and I will officially start this new chapter (really it is a new book in a totally different section of the library!) on November 6th in Conroe at her Grandmother's house. Chandler agreed to be my best man. I can not think of anyone else I would want by my side than my son. What he has gone through and how the Lord has brought him through it is truly astounding. He and Lisa have bonded and that alone is an incredible blessing. All of the kids will touch some aspect of this wedding which is fantastic.

The Lord deserves all praise and glory. We plan to give it to Him in our lives, relationships, and of course our new family. God is so good. His ways are not mine. His thoughts are beyond mine. His work is not my work. his blessings are His grace that I will never deserve. I stand in awe of Him. I look forward to a new life with a beautiful bride who is a wonderful godly woman that loves Jesus and wants to serve Him. I love you, Lisa. I look forward to all of everything.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Suicide Varments!

I normally would not just put a pic of myself, but this is a friendly reminder to watch out for suicidal/kamikaze squirrels. Oh sure, they look cute and all, but they have ulterior motives or as some might say...an agenda. It all began on my evening training ride. I strolled out of the driveway to get in 20 miles of hard TT training with the goal of staying above 21 mph most of the way minus some of the sharp turns. 30 minutes into the workout, I am on a long straight hunkered down and hammering away at the pedals when I saw him. He jumped from a tree next to the left side of the road just past the Bear Branch pool. He hit the ground in a full spring B-lining it for my front wheel. I was somewhat in the middle of the lane, so a nudged the handlbars to the right to steer clear of the crazed animal. Did he respond to this by slowing down or turning away? No...of course not! He adjusted his attack instead, bared his head downward and picked up speed for the front of my Schwalbe kevlar tires on my Time Edge Pulse machine. Determined to take me out he jarred himself under my front wheel. My wheel did the rest...SNAP! I heard his back break and due to the location of where he threw himself, my sled threw him straight up in the air into my face! My right hand rose to the occassion attempting to get the furry creature out of my eyes. Meanwhile, my left hand, still on the bars, overcompensated and steered me straight into the curb. At 23 mph, I was thrown from my carbon fiber steed over the bars into someone else's front yard hitting head first, then shoulder, arm, right hip and knee. I could hear the helmet give and pop when I collided with the earth. As I rolled over to survey teh damage to myself and my ride, all was okay minus a large amount of turf, some blood and the need for a new helmet. My two-wheeled fitness machine lay in the grass wiht shifters needing readjustment, grass hanging from the derailers, shifters, and chain. Turf hung from my helmet, dug into the side of my Lance Armstrong cleats, and stood out from under my bib shorts. I noticed about ten feet behind me two little cocked eyes. He laid there on the concrete about five feet in front of the mail box. He flailed in a circular motion as if laughing at me. He kicked his little paws in the air one last time, breathed his last and lay there lifeless. Squirrel dead. Bike okay. Me...well, a little bruised, battered, but will ride again another day. At least this squirrel didn't wreck me into the concrete!

So, bewared of suicide/kamikaze squirrels while you are riding, training or just out for a stroll. You never know when they will attack!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Where's Waldo, Hot Rod Sneakers, and Bang Bang on the Drums!


Following Frontline last night (KBC's youth group), we all went to Wendy's. I took Spencer, Harrison and Haley and met up with Chandler and the rest of the teenagers as Lisa had to run a quick errand. I sat down with Harrison and Haley as Spencer plopped himself down next to Chandler and Alexandra and some other teenagers from the group. The little toy in all of the kid's meals was a Where's Waldo poster that was 2D on one side and 3D on the opposite side. I took it out and put it on the floor and handed out the 3D glasses for Harrison and Haley and it was like a kid in a candy store. It drew a small crowd. Spencer was next, then Casey, Jacob, etc etc etc. They were quite excited about the 3D poster to say the least and it was a nice breath of fresh air as this toy, which will bring hours of enjoyment, isn't electronic! Hee hee. Quite hilarious and fun.

One other quick tidbit...Spencer received some new tennis shoes via our visit to Target on Friday. They are converse low-tops with flames on the side! I saw them and then prayed that they would have some in his size. Lo and behold they did! Once those babies were attached to his feet, he took off testing their speed of course. He looked straight up at me and said, "These make me really really fast!" I smiled and laughed as I told him to take off again and test the speed one more time. I absolutely love this age. Fun doesn't really describe the joy that comes from being a daddy.

I came through on my promise to Chandler. He finally decided on a drum kit. The church will house it as it is an acoustic set. We don't need to wake the dead, neighbors, etc in the neighborhood. The set journey's from Manhatten starting today. He found a used set online through Guitar Center. The shipping is cheaper than tax! Gotta love it. Beside himself doesn't describe his excitment level. What was the promise you ask? Well, as many of you know, this year has been quite trying for him and the rest of us. When he made it through 8th grade with all that went on this year, I surprised him and told him that I would buy him an acoustic set. It is going to be held in the youth room at church since that will make more sense from a sound perspective.

Stay tuned...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Privileges...



Blessings come in many shapes, sizes, moments, and memories. Privileges do as well. And lately, my blessings and privileges have taken on the same look, experience and joy.

Last weekend, I was given the privilege to lead worship while our music pastor was on vacation. I have led worship many times with students, but never with adults in my life, so I was a little nervous. Connie and Tracie stepped in and aided me in with backup and harmony and I was quite thankful! God blessed in a huge way. My friend, Dave Mugge from HI Summer Project (1989) came to visit with his family the same weekend, so he and I did a song together and Chandler accompanied on the drums! This was a huge privilege and an incredible blessing. I was surrounded by a great and talented friend and my extremely talented 14 year old son. What more could I ask for on that morning?! This memory will last a lifetime. Oh and for those wondering...we did the DC Talk version of In the Light. Yep...it was pretty good.

Having Dave and his family here was great. We ate a lot of good food of course (Chuy's, NY Pizzaria, and Pei Wei) as we couldn't let them experience Htown without some good TexMex. Great times with Dave. Great talks and catching up. Dave, you have a wonderful family. You are always welcome. Just show up...you don't even need to call!

Lisa and I have been having a ball together. Now that her kids are home with her, we have kids everywhere when we are at my house. It can get quite entertaining. Spencer is learning the art of sharing. I am in a relationship that is both a privilege and a HUGE blessing. I can't brag on Lisa enough. She is extremely special. On top of that, she wants to learn how to ride!! Now to get her a bike.

It is also quite amazing the friends that God surrounds you with on an almost everyday basis. Madeline...thank you! She shows up at 6:20 so that I can get on my bike and go ride 55 miles. Amazing. It was a great ride and I was blessed again on the ride as I ran into a great friend that I haven't seen in quite some time, John Hull. Wonderful man of God and incredible encouragement from him and his family. Sooo, another blessing from riding a bike! I think that can be my new motto: Bikes Bring Blessings! I like that! Hee hee.

Last night, Audrey - the adopted big sis of my boys - came over to babysit all four of the kids! Yep...you read that correctly. Lisa and I went on a date and had a great time. She really is amazing. We just enjoyed each other's company. We talked, ate some good Tex Mex, listened to the storm come through, and watched Despicable Me. Yes...I nodded a little bit and Lisa was very gracious. I had ridden 55 miles in the morning, we rearranged the gameroom to stage it, and it was a late night the night before. She gave me a bad time...which I deserved, but she thought it was "cute". The best part came when we were going in to buy tickets! The gal behind the register asked us if we wanted the "college" discount! HA! She thought I was in college. I laughed hard and showed her my ID. She busted out and couldn't believe I was 41. Made my night for sure! Lisa thought it was hilarious as well....of course she gets this all of the time because she does not look 32. She looks like she is in her 20's still. I, on the other hand, well............let's just say it was a first for me! What a blessing to be in a relationship with someone who is crazy about you and you about them. We laugh, we smile, we love on the kids, we laugh at the kids....great memories and even more to come for years down the road.

Privilege? You bet! Blessing? Hands down. I have a feeling that these could last this way for a long time. That in and of itself is both of those as well.




Sunday, June 20, 2010


What can I say on this Father's Day? I am so blessed to have two incredible sons. 

Chandler is just simply amazing. He has grown into a young man who is becoming stronger and stronger every single day. I am so proud of him for what he has overcome in such a short amount of time as well as what he accomplished in school this year with all that he has gone through. All of this and he dotes on his younger brother, protects him and well...loves on him. It is so fun to watch them together. Spencer absolutely follows him like a shadow. 

He is so talented as well. From a little boy, it was quite known that he had amazing eye-hand coordination as he was hitting a baseball at just two years old. He has always had an arm like a rocket and quite accurate as well. He has taken that talent and used in something that he loves...his drums. I am so proud of him that he has done just that. There is no telling where he can take that talent, but the sky is the limit as far as this dad is concerned. I am enjoying watching him. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this talented, gifted, compassionate, and sensitive young man. God has already used him in ways that he probably doesn't even know and that is what is fun to see. 

Spencer will be five in a few short months and I just can't believe it! He has come leaps and bounds this year. I think one of my favorite parts of the day is making him laugh. Hearing that belly laugh of his just makes me smile from ear to ear. He still loves his Hot Wheels and I believe he is going to be my little artist from a different perspective. He loves to draw things, make things, pretend, dream, "talk" to different people on the phone, etc. Spencer's future is wide open. It is a blank slate and I pray that he will have a future that he dreams of someday. He deserves it. He is such a gift and blessing and I can't imagine my life without him. 

I can't begin to communicate how blessed I am to have the privilege of raising these two incredible boys. This Father's Day will be a day where I get to think about and praise God that I am a daddy and that I have two amazing boys. Father, give me the wisdom on how to raise them to follow after you and be like David...a man after Your heart.  

Friday, June 18, 2010

Winds of Change...

I have heard this saying many times..."The Winds of Change are blowing..."

I think as this year continues to roll along, it becomes more and more apparent of what that means in my life. Shocking things happen in life. Most of the time to other people and we all never believe that we are touchable. Then we are steamrolled and realize that we are not only touchable, but that we can hurt, be in ruthless pain, and realize that not only can we be hit life's interesting turns and be effected by other people's choices, we also can allow that change to be like Joseph. "What you meant for evil...God meant for good."

This passage has become more and more important to me as of late. The Lord continues to show me that my glass is half full. I am so blessed with two incredible boys. Yes, Chandler is 14 now and so close to college it is just scary, but he is growing into a man quicker than I can even admit to myself. Spencer is 4 and will be 5 soon. He will be going to pre-school in the fall and I am blown away at how well he is doing right now.

In my own life, the winds of change mean being a single daddy to these two boys and building a relationship with someone that I never would have imagined. These are all good things and I see that now.

For those of you continuing to pray for the Cahill Crew, please continue...we still covet your prayer support and need it. The glass is half full and as the winds of change blow through, I have this feeling that the glass is going to overflow as that is just what the Lord does.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Chandler's Talent...amazing!

Last year,  Chandler came to me and asked if he could get a drum set. He saved up and I helped him buy an electric set of drums. He started taking lessons from Michael Barrett at church and now look at him after just one year!!! He has such a natural talent.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

How blessed and talented...

Chandler played again at Frontline (the youth group) last night and really tore it up. This time, I have video to prove it. Incredible for only 14 and playing for one year. I plan on downloading the video as soon as I have a few minutes to do so. He is quite the talent. 

I gave the talk last night at Frontline. It was the first time up there in 8 months. I was so blessed to have the opportunity. It is what I was created for as I am really in my element in front of teenagers. I love it. I miss it. I will take every opportunity I get to share Christ with a group of students.

The house is slowly but surely getting ready. Lisa has done a fantastic job painting. Chandler and Lisa did some work together on Tuesday and the construction guys left the other day and finished some things that needed to be fixed up. Now it is finishing up painting, decluttering, and deciding what to sell! It looks like we will do an estate sale...or something that resembles an estate sale next weekend. Stay tuned for more information and a video of Chandler!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

What a great time...

One thing I continue to glean throughout the last few months is the importance of good relationships. Surrounded by people I love yesterday, I was reminded of this yet again as I enjoyed great conversations, people who I love and love me and my boys. What a blessing to have so many people who love us and want to be with us.

We pulled out the slip and slide again yesterday after feasting on ribs, sausage, portabella mushrooms, salad, stuffed jalapenos, avocado, and queso and praying for and thanking God for those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we most of the time take for granted.. I think we went through an entire cooler of drinks! Wow...the kids just kept coming up and grabbing drink after drink after drink. The slip and slide was quite the entertainment for all of the adults with Woody and Tracy cheering everyone on as they slid head first down the slide in the back yard. Meanwhile, the future high schoolers were all in the gameroom...well...gaming on XBox 360.

This will go down as a very memorable Memorial Day. My life has changed. It is different. Today was a great day. Thank you Lord for the people you have surrounded me with in my life. They are passionate about you, about serving others, reaching out to the hurt and lost, and flat out enjoying each other's time together. What an awesome God we serve.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Memorial Day Weekend

It has been a great weekend so far as Grandpa and Grandma Jan came to visit yesterday. We ate some really good fried shrimp, fish and a wonder salad thanks to Jan and yours truly (I did the salad - full of almonds, avocado, strawberries, and blue cheese!)...yummmmmmm!

We hung out most of the afternoon. Spencer drew some pics for dad and Jan and Jan showed her arts and crafts talents by constructing numersous little things for Spencer's enjoyment out of pipecleaners...even some glasses that he and dad wore for everyone's laughter. Chandler showed off his chops on the drums to dad and Jan's jaw drop as they haven't heard him play in a while. He has really excelled and done nothing but get better and better each week. It is kind of scary how good he is after just one year. I will post a video soon.

School ends this week and summer break officially begins. We are headed to an Astros game on the with some fantastic seats from a client of mine. We get to sit behind home plate about 30 rows up. Some incredible seats! Thanks, Clark!

My riding has taken quite the hit, but I have had some good trainer time lately. This morning I put in the dvd to the 2001 Tour and rode up the Alpe with Lance...lol. Wow...can't imagine doing that! I did ride for an hour and 15 mins and mostly did up/downs. It was a lot of fun and I had a puddle of sweat on the towel below my bike when I was done. Good stuff.

Church this morning at 11, helping a friend out after that, and then off to a graduation reception at the Baird's. Chill time tonight...probably watch a movie with the Chan man.

There is nothing but blue sky today...great day...good worship...great friends...blessed with the two best boys in the world. God is good.

The pic above is of Chandler and Spencer playing a really cool game that was brought back from Haiti to Frontier Camp. The best camp in Texas!! www.frontiercamp.org

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Great Day....

What a great day. Spent the day mulching the front flowerbeds. They look so good. With my father's tutlege and Lisa's guidance, they look fantastic!  They "pop" with the flowers.

Chandler is getting better and better with the mower, so the yard looks fantastic. Spencer helped a lot with his bucket and little shovel by putting mulch around the flowers. How cute can he get?!

Now that we are all clean, it is time for some errands, cooking some ribs on the grill with my soaked hickory chips and then a good movie for the evening...maybe some Monty Python for a good laugh.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Welcome Back!

It has been a long time. So much has happened. All I can say is, God is so good and his mercy, grace, and sovereignty is so far reaching. Each day I am reminded just how much God not only loves me, but that He is not done with me.

I am going to be keeping this blog up more often now to share what is up with myself, Chandler and Spencer on an ongoing basis. Summer should be interesting as I am a single daddy now. Chandler will be quite the traveler heading to Panama City, FL with the Dodgen's, Keller to see Aunt Vickie, Covington to fish and hang with Mimi and Papa, Clear Lake to fish and hang with Grandpa and Grandma, and of course two weeks at Frontier Camp.

Spencer will be quite busy as well soaking in another summer of MDO, swim lessons and I am sure a ton of cycling on the greenbelts with Danielle, Laura, Madeline, etc.

I plan on taking a trip myself for a week. It will be good to get away, bring my Time and hammer away on the pedals in some hills, mountains or where ever else I sojourn.

This weekend will be encompassed my a lot of mulch, paint, and boxing things up as we declutter the house, get the flowerbeds looking somewhat nice, etc, so that our home starts to look like a home again.

In the meantime, the pic at the top is of Chandler and Spencer at our most recent Slip-n-Slide event in the front yard a couple of Sunday's ago. This has to be one of the best pictures I have taken of the boys in a while. They are growing up and I am so blessed to watch that and be a part of that everyday.