Praying for SCC

Back in the day, there was no bigger fan of Steven Curtis Chapman's music than your's truely. In case you haven't heard, his youngest daughter was tragically killed last week. Here is a link to the family blog dictating the events of what sounds to be a very powerful memorial service.

http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/jim/2008/05/marias-memorial.html

I am encouraged by the power of the testimony of Steven's son Caleb who gave the following testimony:

"Caleb sharing how he had prayed for God to heal Maria after the accident, and how God did it in a way that he didn't like very much (taking her to heaven) but that he has never been more convinced that Jesus is real,"

Grace is mysterious. There have been several occassions over the past ten years where Steven has been able to use his ministry of music to minister to the hearts of friends and family who have suffered the loss of their children. Consequently, they are now a means of support for his family.

What an awesome picture of grace. As I look over my three children as they sleep, I shudder to comprehend the loss of one of them at any age, let alone early in life. Those families that have lost a child early in life, while the tragedy is real yet, I imagine incomprehensible and unbearable in its pain, it is a grace gift offering that allows the opportunity for future ministry. The "awesomeness" of this is that God plans and ordains our suffering to allow an opportunity for him to blanket us with the ministry of others. When we become isolated in our lives, we miss the chances to minister or be ministered to.

Praise God that His grace is larger than all of our plans. Praise God for His sovreign will!

I'm Ready For Summer

I've seen muliple Robins

The Tulips are coming up . . .

& I saw my first dandelion of the year today!

It's official, I'm ready for summer. It may be a little hasty since technically in Wisconsin you are not safe from winter until mid-May, but after seeing my first dandelion of the year, I'm ready to move on.

To this . . .

A Little Bit of Heaven, And She's Only Turning Seven

The chip and the block

Surfer Girl Attitude

Happy 7th Birthday Elaine!!!

Thank You for your smile.

We Love You

Daddy, Mommy,

Aaron & Jonny

Happy Birthday Mom!

(Mom and Dad, circa 2003)

My mom turned ?? yesterday! Just to let you know how good a son I really am, I had actually forgotten until I was reminded by my sister's post on the family blog. Now, here I am reminiscing of all that she did and did for me, and "this is the thanks she gets".

Most of you hardly know my mom, so I'll take a minute to tell you why my mom is the best mom on the world, which of course, would make her better than your mom.

1. She gets the best deals on clothes at garage sales.

These are not for me, but for her grandchildren. She scours and scours the neighborhood garage sales and 90% discount racks to provide for the grandkids name brand clothing @ unbelievable prices.

2. I will guarantee you that she has the cleanest kitchen floors in the county, if not the state.

When we had our dog Abby, mom would get home from work around 3:45-4:00 p.m. and immediately get on her hands and knees to clean up dog hair, cookie crumbs, shoe marks or anything else a group of 15-22 year old kids could possibly do to a kitchen floor.

3. She learned from her mom the ability to stitch blankets, weave braided rugs, knit clothing, and stitch or fix any tear in any article of clothing.

This is becoming a lost art. Mom has made quilts for almost all the grandkids (she has a hard time keeping up at this point) that would easily sell in a country store for $400-$500 . They truely are a work of art.

4. Her passion for gardening has "blossomed", and has given me my green thumb.

I think that this is also something that was passed down to her from her parents. There is nothing more relaxing and fun than a days work in the garden. The rewards pay off for years and years. I long for the days when I can actually spend time in a real garden.

5. I still look forward to every hug and kiss I get from her.

Enough said.

6. After years and years of living life as normal, she knew in her heart that she didn't know God as she should, and despite the fears of her heart and fears of her reputation, publicly professed His name and was baptized.

This is without question my proudest moment of her. No, this does not make her better than your mom, but it reveals the greatness of an awesome God, who never rests until His called are His.

7. She embraces Ruth as if she were her own daughter.

______________________________________________________________

She never told me life was like a box of chocolates.

She never told me I was super special, and had great things in store, giving me false security of my own abilities. (as if my prideful heart needed any assistance)

She never promised me the moon.

She certainly is not going to leave me a huge financial inheritance.

She never sat me down and said, "This is how you become a good parent"

She wasn't perfect.

What she learned from her parents, and passed down to me, both good and bad (to some degree), will be passed on for generations to come, and that to me is a legacy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!!

The Three Stooges

I suppose it is befitting, since my current poll question involves the three potential candidates for the presidency. I wish I had time to sit at a computer and develop this brand of humor.

Throw Down: With Patrick Ewing Jr.

One of my favorite shows is "Throwdown With Bobby Flay". But Patrick Ewing Jr. just stole the show with this dunk.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/blog/ncaab_experts/post/Patrick-Ewing-Jr-deserves-a-trip-to-the-Gold-Cl?urn=ncaab,75208

The Official Christmas Letter

I know what you're thinking. It's April. 2008. Get your act tgether man!

Well here you go:

December 2007
Dear Friends & Family,
Merry Christmas to all! I don’t know what it’s like by you all, but up here, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” as we are once again pounded by the white stuff. I’m looking out the window, and there is a postcard like snowfall coming down all around us. You’d think I’d be sappy and sentimental about it, given this time of year, but all I can do is think “great, I gotta drive in this stuff.”

It makes me think back to our days in the month of April. Ah yes! Things were much simpler then. Well . . . for at least 5 days. Since Ryan’s sister Tina so graciously offered to watch the kids for us, we dumped them off at her house for a week as we jetted off to Kauai, HI. While a week alone in Hawaii was awesome, the best part was the price! You can’t beat free! Ryan’s hard work at Sherwin-Williams paid off as they footed the bill for another great sales year.

We bounced out to Washington State for a week in August at Grandpa & Grandma Sutton’s, and were joined back in Wisconsin by Uncle Merril, Aunt Lori & Cousin Patrick from San Diego just after the 4th of July. Ryan played out his inner pyromaniac for them with multiple dazzling fireworks performances. And no, this wasn’t sparklers and party poppers. This was the real deal.

Our little 1st grade Princess Elaine, turned 6 this year, and has developed into quite the little diva. She enjoys dressing up in her costumes and princess outfits to put on plays and musical performances for us. The big day for her this year was her graduation from Kinder-Pond! She grows sweeter every day, and no longer displays that sweet baby face any more. No, she’s growing up, and becomes more of a clone of her mother every single day. We laugh at her idiosyncrasies, as they remind us of ourselves.

Our 3 year-old alarm clock, Aaron, is the definition of personality. It doesn’t matter when he goes to bed, he’s up between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. every . . . single . . . day. There is no rest for this kid. He certainly keeps us entertained and on our toes. He’s the kind of kid you just want to bottle up all the energy on, and find a way to make a pill for it. There is no doubt, in his mind, that he calls the shots & wears the pants in our family. He is without question daddy’s boy, and takes a liking to “Buzz & Woody”, trains and his baby brother Jonny.

Jonny. Ah yes! He is our dose of sanity in an otherwise insane world. He turned one year old on December 5th. Ask anyone who knows him, and they will tell you . . . He’s the happiest, most content baby on the face of the earth. There is a special sweetness to Jonny that is hard to describe. You simply need to experience it. I know that sounds sappy, but it’s true, I get emotional just writing about it. Whether it is his desire to snuggle, play, smile, kiss or just simply be a boy, he has a special spirit about him that is unparalleled. I believe it is the sweetness that his mother holds as well. He started walking about a week ago, and is always into everything. If it is in the house, he has tasted it at least once.

Ruth is without question, in my opinion, “Mom of the Year”. Once again, she has handled the process and tasks of being a stay at home mom with remarkable consistency and endurance. She balances the life of diaper changer, potty trainer, chauffer and grilled cheese/hot dog maker with a life of ministering to a stubborn sap like me, and still manages to minister to multiple women in the church, whether it is for coffee, counseling or just playing games. She taught the 2-3 year olds in church for 9 months, and still finds delight in playing the piano with the worship team nearly every Sunday. God has truly graced our family with a remarkable wife and mother.

Ryan continues to balance husbandry and fatherhood with many other leadership roles. This April will mark 14 years with Sherwin-Williams. He continues to lead the music and corporate worship at church, and is relieved at the addition of several musicians and leaders to support him in that role. This coming year he will step down from the elder role at church for a breather and some deeper introspection, hopefully devoting himself to reading and ministry on a more personal basis. While leading a busy life in leadership roles, his passion for music continues, and hopes to one day master the guitar, and learn to play piano. All this, and teaches 2-3 year olds at church during Sunday School!

We look back at 2007 as a year of protection. God protected Ryan’s brothers in amazing ways. Whether they were fighting for our country in Iraq, or being comforted by trial due to a car accident, God’s hand of protection provided solace during a tumultuous year. We are grateful for God’s protection, yet we are careful not to accept the good without the bad. While God’s protection was on us, many others around us suffered loss. We are not more spiritual than they, nor are we deserving of more grace than another. Our prayer is that we are ready for anything that Christ allows to cross our path. If we call ourselves followers of Him, we must always be checking our hearts for sincerity and devotion to Him. There is an assurance in time of trial that only He provides. There is no certainty to our next breath, and 2008 promises to be a year of opportunity and growth. We look forward to the pleasures of grace and the presence of God in the coming year. We pray you rest on Him this Christmas season, and this coming year.

Merry Christmas,
The Hawks
Ryan, Ruth, Elaine, Aaron & Jonny

Well, as you can tell, we fell behind. I would like to blame it on something but there is no blame. Not much has changed. We had a record snowfall this year and are just starting to see a glimpse of spring. The only BIG change is that Ruth is expecting #4 in early October. This pregnancy is quite different. There is much nausea and never-ending tiredness. When I mentioned before that this year promises to be a year of opportunity and growth, I had no idea what God had planned for us. We wish you a happy Spring and hope you enjoy the beauty of new life.

Keep in touch:
8361 N. 107th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53224 Visit the Hawk family blogs @
414-365-3724 www.abbydog-hawk.blogspot.com/
rnrin98@sbcglobal.net www.redhawk5.blogspot.com/