Marriage Announcement

Well friends, the time has come... thetwocentcrockpot has grown up and gotten married.

"Who did the crockpot marry?" you may be asking...

Well, thetwocentcrocpot found a lovely little female blog to marry called Racooney Where Are You. The two of them are now happily residing at The Daily Burns (www.thedailyburns.com). So, come check out the couple at the new happy home.

"So, what will become of the crockpot?" you ask...

Well, he is a happily married blog, so I doubt you'll see him around these parts anymore. However, he really wants to continue to hang out with you... so, go visit him at The Daily Burns.

Thanks for a great 2 years. Mad thanks to those who even have us bookmarked. We'll see you on the new blog...

To Robert and Erin...

Robert and Erin,

Never have I met
two people like you
and rarely have I cared
so much as I do.

There are few who have faced
the trials you’ve seen;
thieves, moths, and vandals
and death’s vicious sting.

In all you have faced,
many have watched so amazed
as your hope in the Christ
shines bright through the haze.

And truly that’s why
I love you so much,
for I see in your lives
how to hope and to trust.

To hope in a King
who sits on his throne.
To trust in a God
whose love can be know.

You’re more than great teachers
mother, father, or friends,
you are lovers of Jesus
from beginning to the end.

My prayers through these months,
“God’s glory you’d declare,
from generation to generation,
to Owen your heir.”

This prayer has been answered
and in glory he rests,
before our great King,
so happy, so blessed.

With this joy we still mourn
and Owen we miss.
There is not much in life
that will be harder than this

But our hope is in Jesus
who conquered the grave.
Death is no match
for this king who can save.

It is he who will hold you
and he who will see
that through this great challenge
victorious you’ll be.

And Owen’s short life
will not be lost over time.
Instead it will declare
God’s gospel divine.

Owen will speak
of the God who does care,
of the God who did make him,
and the God who hears prayers.

Owen will speak
of Jesus the king
to a world that is dying
and must hear this one thing.

But how shall he speak
and how will he tell?
It will be through you
and the life that you share.

Owen was well born
and a warrior most true.
He gets that from his parents
they’re pretty tough too.

I close with this thought,
I learned it from you.
To God be the glory
In all that we do.

For from Him and through him
and to him is all.
To him be the glory
and joy for us all.

============

You are our dearest friends and Jennifer and I truly love you.

Owen Greene - Well Born; Warrior...

The following is the email I sent to my friends and family tonight. I have no other words:

Friends and Family,

I really don't know how to do this and I know that a phone call is so much more appropriate, however, I don't feel like I can muster the energy or heart to do it. So, please excuse the medium.

Today was a joyous and sorrowful day. Owen Greene was born this morning. Things looked promising early on as he was able to breathe on his own. Robert and Erin had the opportunity to spend a few moments with him before he was rushed to the NICU. Throughout the day his condition grew worse and worse. In the end Robert was allowed to hold his son at which time Owen's heart beat faded. As my mother so beautifully put it, "he passed from his earthly fathers arms into his heavenly fathers." Now we join the Greene's in mourning.

I thank you for all your prayers and the many people you have shared this story with. Please continue to pray for Robert and Erin as they walk through this dark valley. If you wish to share a word of encouragement or thoughts of condolence, please visit Robert's blog and click on "leave a comment." I believe that it would mean a lot to them to hear from the many strangers who have held them close in their hearts all these months.

Again, thank you.
_ryan

owen greene update II...

As of 3:30 p.m. Owen's condition has moved to unstable. He is retaining CO2 which means his blood/gas levels are not good. Please pray.

I'll continue to post as new info becomes available.

owen greene update...

The following information is what we know at this point:

This morning Owen Greene was delivered successfully via C-section. Upon delivery he was breathing on his own, kicking, crying, and weighed in at just over four pounds. He came out a little blue but mostly pink. Robert and Erin were able to hold him and spend a little time with him before he was taken to the NICU (newborn intensive care unit) for examination. While in the NICU he was intibated (given assistance with his breathing) and his condition is regarded as stable.

Erin and Robert are together in the hospital room and are doing well.

Please remember that we must continue to pray because we are not out of the fight yet. There are many miracles to fight for. Please continue to pray for the healing for his heart, kidneys, and bladder. While we pray, let us rejoice in the victories of this morning and continue this journey in faith.

PRAY FOR OWEN...

My friends, Robert and Erin, of whom I have written you before, have a really big day tomorrow. Their son, Owen, is scheduled to be delivered by c-section at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Short of a miracle from God, it is likely that Owen will not live very long. The Greene’s have had a long a difficult journey that has led to tomorrow. In this journey they have become very confident in God’s goodness and sovereignty. Robert and Erin have expressed that they feel prepared in their hearts for whatever may happen. They believe that much of this is due to the many people who have prayed for them and this situation. At this time, however, they ask that everyone spend their times of prayer for them directed in asking Jesus for the miraculous healing of Owen. They are aware of the situation and are confident that, if the worst were to happen, God is in control and will be gracious with them. With this peace in their hearts they ask that less prayers be offered for them and that many would be offered for Owen’s miraculous healing.

For all the readers of thetwocentcrockpot, I am asking that you fast breakfast (skip the meal and pray) tomorrow morning and join me in praying to the King of all creation for Owen. I believe that God is well able to confound the world by delivering Owen in perfect health.

Here is Robert’s blog where you can get the latest update:
www.cultivatethesoul.com/blog/

2 Corinthians 1:9 - Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Solo Deo Gloria
_ryan

team greene...

Please keep my friends, the Greene's, in your prayers over the next couple weeks. Their son, Owen, is scheduled for delivery on the 24th (several weeks earlier than anticipated). For those who don't know the seriousness of this, please check out Robert's blog. He'll fill you in on all the details.

In fact, do me a favor and pray right now... I know that I have a tendency to forget all the things people ask me to pray about... so, just stop reading, close your eyes, and petition the King of Kings to rule over his creation and bring perfect health to young Owen Greene (aka, "the next handsome Greene man").

Thanks.

pink dress Jesus...

Many thanks to Anthony Bradley who wrote a great article on the Resurgence website (click here to read). It is much in line with my ramblings about Jeff and his chainsaws. So, if you didn't like that entry, stay away from Anthony's.

Along those lines... sort of... I read this post by Dr. John Piper yesterday and was moved to tears. The article is his recounting of the recent death of his father. I am grateful to Dr. Piper for sharing such an intimate moment with me and for reminding me of the great call, responsibility, and joy I have in raising my son to treasure Jesus above all things.

Dr. Piper, Thank you.

real men carry chainsaws...

This is Jeff. Jeff has a handlebar mustache, wears cammo pants, has a sweatshirt that says something about mud bogging, drives a truck, and he carries a chainsaw on his hip. Jeff is my newest hero.

We've had a dead tree in our front yard for about a year now and the other day Jeff came over to take it down. Now, there were lots of people who had stopped by and given us a bid on how much it'd cost to remove the tree. They all talked about bringing in a boom and crew to get it down (the tree was right next to the power lines). But not Jeff. With a Marbrol on his lip he sized up the tree, strapped on some leg spikes, fired up the saw and got to climbing.

This one man wrecking crew climbed 40+ feet up a dead pine tree and brought it to its knees. I must say that it was amazing to watch as Jeff hung from the trunk, sans helmet or goggles, and hacked away.

I sat in my living room for over an hour staring (with my son) at this amazing feat. When it was over Jeff hopped off the tree, takes a few final hacks, threw his gear in his truck, lit another Marbrol, and cracked open a beer. He surveyed his destruction and walked my way, ready to collect his pay. As he handed me the bill I felt that, for Jeff, part of the pay was the satisfaction of being a man... a man with a chainsaw... actually two chainsaws.

I wonder what Jeff would think about most of the churches he'd walk into on any given Sunday. I wonder what he'd think about if he walked into my church on Sunday morning. Would Jeff meet the Jesus of the bible who also had an affinity for wood? The Jesus who put in long hours as a carpenter. The Jesus who never had a chainsaw, but was more of a man than Jeff or myself could ever be. The Jesus who was man enough to climb a tree, not with ropes but with nails... and not for his own ego or to make some money... but to pay for my sin and Jeff's sin. I hope Jeff meets Jesus. I think there is something about the Jeff's of the world that we need in the church.

While I don't know if I'll ever see Jeff again, I can but say a prayer for him and get back to raising my own little man to know Jesus and show His strength and glory to the world, including the Jeff's.

A compliment that got a smile...

I'm not sure why, but I don't really react to compliments too well. I guess I feel that most of them aren't really genuine and are given out of some sort of obligation or lack of anything better to say. As a preacher (at least occasionally) I often get the, "great message" compliment. I know the person is being encouraging and might actually mean it, but part of me wants to call the bluff and say, "really, what in particular was great about it?" I usually chicken out of that reply due to the fact that I am scared they might not have an answer. So, all that to say, probably to my detriment, I don't really react to compliments.

So, the other day I was in the basement with my son and I was playing guitar and singing while he played the drums (he's 2 and I only know 7 chords so it wasn't anything amazing). After a while I picked a The Family Worship Book which has about 60 hymns in the back and began to sing some of those. About that time Asher ran upstairs. I can only assume that it was my off key singing that sent him to flee. So, as any good father would do, I continued my singing and followed him upstairs (It's my house and I'll sing off key wherever I'd like).

At that time Jennifer was cooking dinner. I finished whatever hymn I was on and stood there quite content. I then told Jennifer that I would really like to attend a church that sung hymns... and not just modern upbeat versions of them, but rather, straight hymns with an organ or piano accompaniment. I told her, "I really just love hymns." To which she replied (and this gets to the compliment part of the story) "...as all good reformed men do."

Even as I write it here it makes me smile. Why, you ask. Well, I guess it is this... My beliefs in who God is run very much in line with those of the reformed faith. So, my wife was affirming that:

1. She knows what reformed people believe (that is sexy)
2. She knows I belive what reformed people believe
3. She thinks I am good
4. She thinks I am a good reformed man

It was nice... It actually made me smile. I can't remember that last time a compliment made me smile. I think it is number 4 that makes the biggest impact. See, I try on a daily basis to live my beliefs in the context of my family, my relationships and career. I look at great men like Jonathan Edwards, John Calvin, John Piper, and so many others and say, "I want to live lives like these guys... good reformed men."

So, Jennifer, thanks! I love you. While I am no Piper or Calvin, I do have this one thing in common with them... I have an amazing reformed wife who brings me great joy. Thanks for being there for me.

2 cent review...

Ok, so I got some books the other day from Westminster Bookstore online (best prices anywhere). I was shopping specifically for a new book out that is a compilation of 3 works on sin by the great Puritan, John Owen. My main reason for looking into the book was that John Owen is the namesake of my good friend's son, Owen. Owen isn't born yet and has a lot of challenges that we are all praying about, but I wanted to know a little bit more about this man for whom my friend would name his son... So, while I was there I stumbled across a series of booklets call The Basics of the Reformed Faith Series. The booklets were inexpensive and the topics were intriguing, so I went ahead and picked them up as well.

Today I finished two of the booklets but specifically wanted to comment on this one, How Our Children Come to Faith. I must say that Stephen Smallman is an amazing communicator. I find that most of the books I read seem to be written to people much smarter than myself. However, reading this book I found myself thinking, "wow, this is so easy to understand." Smallman, in a very pastoral manner, takes the time to communicate biblical truths in such a way that the reader can take the material and really gain a greater faith and hope in God for their children.

While I was greatly encouraged in the content of the book (parents, pick this one up) the manner in which Smallman gets the content to you was so impressive. Strange as this might sound, but reading this book made me want to be a better pastor. See, we often like to impress people with how much we know (or flip the coin and we desperately try to hide our ignorance) and in doing so leave people wondering what in the world we are taking about. Smallman, with the heart of a true father encourage parents to rest in God's covenant faithfulness for their kids.

My hope is that I can not only have greater faith and assurance for my children, but also that I might care for others enough to commuicate truth to them in a manner that they can understand.

seriously...

This is not a set up... our son is learning to use the bathroom and he likes his privacy. So, we put him on the toilet and then he tells us "bye-bye." We stand outside and wait for him to say, "all done" and then we go get him down.

So, the other day he was taking a little longer than usual. After a few minutes we peeked in and this is what we saw... seriously, this was not set up at all...

our amazing grace

check out the newest addition to the family:

http://www.ouramazinggrace.com

the f-bomb

Yeah, so today, I came as close to dropping the f-bomb as I have ever come in about 7 years. It was sometime after I hit a water line in our downstairs bathroom and sometime before I finally located the valve to shut the water off. Running frantically through the house I had to consiously think about not saying the f-bomb knowing my little son was somewhere in the house. I am sure he did, however, hear some other choice words.

Let's just say today has been a challenge. All I can assume is that the Apostle Paul must have been a home owner who had a basement bathroom like mine... surely, this is the thorn in the flesh that is so commonly debated. For me, it just makes sense.

Anyway, I've been to lowes 3 times, home depot once, target once, and spent close to 6 hours in the smallest room in my house... and it still isn't finished. Maybe this is why I have put off finishing this bathroom for over a year.

Anyway, Jenn has finished putting together the towel rack and it is time for me to add this final piece. So, fare well my friends, I am heading back in... you might want to put your fingers in your ears for this one.

baby burns #2...

So, we went to have an ultrasound today and discover the sex of baby burns #2. Before you get too excited, we are going to keep this little surprise to ourselves as long as we can... so the mystery continues for you.

Now that you know that I am not going to reveal the sex, I wanted to make my initial observations on finding out vs not finding out. I would say that Asher's birthday was one of the single most incredible moments in my life. I still get awestruck remembering the room, the sounds, the emotion... and then there HE was... not she, not it... HE! That was an amazing moment that I believe everyone should experience at least once. So, when we found out about baby #2 we talked about the option of finding out. I was against it initially as the first time was so amazing. However, I knew that Jennifer really wanted to know and truthfully, so did I. The decision was finally made and today was the day...

As we drove into the hospital, I wondered what it would be like... would I cry like I did when I saw asher? Would Jenn cry? Would I have a flood of emotions? Would I be disappointed if it was not a boy? Would I laugh if it was a girl? I had no idea what to expect.

We entered the room and the ultrasound was pretty run of the mill with the ultrasound-ninja taking pics and making notes about all kinds of stuff. As the ultrasound progressed the moment of truth came. We directed our gaze at the screen. The nurse pointed out things to us. We saw the baby's cute little face, hands, and feet (the feet were the most distinct and amazing... 10 little toes)... and the the lady said, "and here is one leg and the other, and here is its bottom and between..."

And there it was... We knew who baby burns was. I sat there for a moment thinking, "wow. we are having a ____." I didn't feel the flood of emotions... I mostly felt like, "where are the emotions?" After the nurse walked out I prayed for jennifer and the baby, thanking God for making it just the way he wanted and in my heart treasuring the prayers for our baby. We gathered our stuff and headed out the door.

As we walked to the car, I was mostly sad that I did not 'feel' anything... THEN, like a wave, Jennifer and I both started to cry... It was then that I realized what is so special about finding out... For, the baby is no longer just "a baby" it is _______.

On the way home we just smiled and talked about the baby and it was so much more... real... I could see in my mind, looking in my rear view and seeing Asher and his _____ sitting right next to him. It was (is) so amazing.

So, is finding out better? no... just different but no less special. If I had it to do over again, I'd still find out... but only because I have had the experience I had with Asher. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE KNOWING! It is so amazing. But my two cents... don't find out on the first one and after that... fielders choice.

Right now, I just cant wait to hold him... or her... or them... HAHAHAHA!

The plague...

Sorry for not posting in a while. The plague has rested on the burns household for the past month. I've been sick three times, jenn a couple and asher some... most recently included Asher's first visit to the emergency room (see pic)... that, on top of work and my studies... basically, I have plenty of excuses, so cut me some slack. I did post a new book review above, so check that out. I 've been reading a lot lately and actually have two more reviews I'd like to post eventually... till then...