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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Pancakes, The Family, and TV

last night the wife and kids were on the news! For eating pancakes! Yup, life is exciting in Nebraska...where everything makes the news. See it at the link below. Be sure to click on the "Pancake Day" next to the blue camera. http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/84961192.html#

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posted by Mark Ashton, Lead Pastor at 7:48 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Why I like Snow Days

With our third snow day out of three approaching, I am loving snow days. I love them more than most holidays. Here's why.

1) The whole family stays home all day.
2) Painting, Wii bowling, wrestling with the kids.
3) Unlike Christmas, there's always snow.
4) Snow means sledding.
5) My neighbor with the snowblower often does my driveway.
6) Hot meals taste even better. No pressure to do gourmet.
7) A book by the fireplace is awesome.
8) No self-consciousness about gift giving or recieving.
9) No time on the road traveling to celebrate.
10) No sugar-buzz hangover.
11) Doesn't cost a dime.
12) Snow makes everything look, well...white.

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posted by Mark Ashton, Lead Pastor at 8:11 PM 0 Comments

Monday, August 17, 2009

Thirteen Candles

I am so proud of my daughter, Caysie. Yesterday she became a teenager. Her thirteenth birthday fell on Step-Out Sunday. So we asked her a couple of months ago what she wanted to do. She said "there's nothing I'd rather do on my birthday than step out and serve!"

Her reward? The satisfaction of serving, fun with family and friends...and her picture in the Omaha World Herald. Check it out here!

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090817/NEWS01/708179966

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posted by Mark Ashton, Lead Pastor at 7:25 AM

Thursday, August 13, 2009

19 years

Nineteen years ago this week I married. I married up...way up. I found a girl who is smarter, richer, funner, and kinder than me...and way, way prettier. The best part was that she said she would take me to be hers forever! Yes!

There is no question that marriage has been one of the hardest things in life. It has also been one of the absolute best. Because the best things in life are not easy. Here's what I love about being married for a long time.

  • We can agree on what dishes we want
  • We have been through all of the conflicts about the best brand of spaghetti sauce, the right way to fold towels, and who makes the popcorn
  • Every day is still a mystery
  • We have four growing kids to carry on a legacy of love and influence
  • We have shared history. For nineteen years, we have shared friends, shared context, shared challenges, shared ups and downs, and shared love for each other. The older I get, the more I realize that this is utterly irreplaceable. There is no other person in the world that I will ever share life with like this.

Marriage is worth the investment. Through all of the turmoil, you wind up with a person who is utterly dedicated to you, knows you better than you know yourself, and loves you anyway. There is nothing better...I love you Kelle!

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posted by Mark Ashton, Lead Pastor at 8:45 AM

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Off to School

We are sending our 14 year old off to his first day of school today. Very wierd. Because for us, it is not just his first day of High School, it is his first day of school period. He's been homeschooled up until this point. So we did not send him out of the house to school at age 5, like most parents. I guess we're just slow.

It feels like we've been preparing 14 years for this day...14 years to work on education, character, relational skills, love of learning and now he's off. He's off to learn, grow, have fun, make friends, play tennis, meet girls, represent Christ, and influence Millard West. Last night we prayed together. This morning I prayed more...then blogged. It is a big day for him, but I wonder if it is a bigger day for me!

I know that today, hundreds of our kids will begin in the Millard Schools. Next week, hundreds more will start in OPS, in Bellvue, Papillion, Elkhorn and others. Lets pray for our kids this week and in the coming weeks. Let's pray for their protection, for their growth, for their influence. Let's pray that Omaha is a different place because of kids that come from godly families influencing the schools. I know I'll be praying this more than ever.

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posted by Mark Ashton, Lead Pastor at 7:31 AM