> Tricia and I held an Open House last Saturday to show off our new place! Thanks to everyone who came out to see it -- over 50 people from our families, friends, and church! The house has come together very nicely (my wife deserves the credit for it!) and it's finally starting to feel like home. I should have some "before and after" pictures of the place up next month.

> I also started school again for the first time in a decade. I was late to class on my first day since I had to park so far away, but I started leaving a bit earlier in the morning and haven't had too much trouble since. I am enjoying the class so far...but I haven't gotten my first paper back yet, so we'll have to wait and see if the class is enjoying me!

> Finally, thanks to everyone who passed along birthday wishes! Turning 31 went without a hitch, and I don't even feel any older! And I just have to thank my wife for what could possibly be the coolest birthday present ever...NFL tickets!! I will finally get to see a professional football game -- and it's my favorite team! She totally surprised me on this one, and I'm very excited about the two of us going to see the NFL in person.

Have a happy Labor Day weekend! See you in September!

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I haven't mentioned it yet, but Tricia and I are taking part in a month-long TV fast. In other words, we aren't watching any television during the month of August. Sounds crazy, right? The reason behind this is so we will spend more time with each other, and also spend more time studying God's Word and praying.

It's not that we think TV is evil, and I'm sure we'll watch it again in September. But we have both noticed how much more productive we seem to be, as well as how much more we actually talk to each other, as opposed to just being in the same room at the same time. There's nothing inherently wrong with TV, but what benefit does it bring? Ultimately, the question is this: How does watching TV enhance my family relationships or walk with Jesus?

The idea for this came from a friend of ours named Jason. He goes to church with us, and he challenged our Sunday school class to take part in it. It's interesting to hear people share each week about how they have used the time to grow closer as families and deepen their devotion to Christ instead of watching the tube.

We're about halfway through the month now, and it's been challenging at times, but I'm glad we're doing it. Honestly, we don't even miss it.

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A quick disclaimer: I used a few PhotoShop 6.0 (if anyone wants to buy me CS3 for my birthday, feel free!) tools to enhance the contrast and colors a bit. I didn't alter the picture content. I generally shy away from digital manipulation on photos, but it seemed necessary in this case.

I also went to orientation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary yesterday. For the first time in 10 years I'm going back to school. (My class starts next week.) Things have gone well so far, and I'm still feeling a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and excitement.

I'm only taking one class a semester (this time it's Church History 1), so the work load won't be too bad. On the flip side, that puts my graduation date about, oh, spring 2018... 

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We've been a bit busy. There will be more to come in the days ahead, but wanted to give you a quick update for now...

Since the last time I posted (July 12), Tricia and I have taken the youth group to Florida, worked at Vacation Bible School, celebrated our four month wedding anniversary, and bought and moved into a house!

It's that last one that's kept us on our toes. Things have actually gone very smoothly: we closed in late July and were living in the house just 8 days later! (Although we were without internet service until yesterday, and I'm still sorting through the e-mails that piled up.)

If you are ever looking to buy a house in the greater Louisville area, let me recommend the people who helped us: Phil Howard Realtors and Old Town Mortgage LLC. Both of these companies went above and beyond to make everything happen quickly, were completely honest with us through the process, and worked hard to get us the best deal.

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