jimazing.com

I would like to introduce you to the latest Anderson girl.  World, meet Molly Nicole Ogren… Molly meet the world!  Molly arrived late this morning while I was travelling to Charleston.  I have been here for a couple of hours and she has been in the nursery that whole time… so I am axious to actually meet her myself. Click here to see a slide show of photos that Jeanie took early on.

While driving down, I was thinking about my last post and how I want to be one who influences the world to be a better place for my daughters.  Now I have one more daughter to consider… a GRAND daughter.  As I was pondering the influence I will have on her, I began to think of the influence she will have on me.  When I was a youngster, the order of things was like this:  the adults influenced the kids and the kids were influenced.  It was very much a one way street.  As an adult, I have a much broader perspective.  I see influence between the generations as a two way street. My daughters and sons-in-law influence me greatly… and I am glad.  They have gifts, strengths, talents, experiences and perspectives that I do not have.  My life is much richer as I welcome their influence.

Little Molly is already influencing me.  All the way from Charlotte to Charleston, I felt as if I were being pulled by an unseen force… the grandpa magnet.  Molly, I can hardly wait to hold you.

announcements, family

I wish so much that I could travel in time back to 1978 and have a talk with a certain young man. There is so much I would tell him about life. I would warn him about some really lousy decisions that he was going to make and encourage him that some of them would actually be good decisions. I would tell him that his thoughts and dreams are important. Mostly I would assure him that his decision to ask that the pretty young lady to be his bride was a super good decision. Yes, today is the 30th anniversary of Jeanie’s and my marriage.

I still remember the surreal feeling of standing at the front of the church while she walked down the aisle. I was thinking to myself, “So this is what it feels like to get married.” That says a lot about me. Most guys, when they are making one of the biggest choices in their life, would be getting cold feet and second guessing themselves. “Is she the one? Did I make the right decision?” Not me. I was thinking about the meaning of life… what this experience feels like. I have been like that ever since… (how she could stand to live with me these last 30 years is a mystery to me)… but I’m sure thankful that she has.

June 3^rd 1978 started a new chapter in the book of our lives. It has not always been blue skies and rainbows. We have had our share of tragedies and sorrows, but somehow we seemed to get more than our share of joys and celebrations. Now, 30 years later, we have four beautiful and successful daughters, two handsome sons-in-law and our first grandchild on the way? I feel overwhelmed with grattitude to God for giving me such a wonderful life. George Bailey has nothing on me.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!

announcements, family, life, memories

I will be incommunicado for the next week because Jeanie and I are going on a cruise to celebrate 30 years of being married together.  Thirty years is just long enough to get started good.  I hope to have some good tales to tell on the other side.

announcements

I had hoped to be back in the swing of writing by now, but it is coming slow… because life is going fast! I wanted to quickly write about an upcoming event… in case you want to come too.

Brian McLaren is coming to Charlotte. Who is Brian? Why is he coming? I can only tell you what I know. He is a major voice in the emerging church. I was ready to sign up for this event from the beginning because a great friend of mine, John, had invited me. When I read Brian’s book, The Secret Message of Jesus, I became really excited about it. The title of the book was a bit of a turnoff to me. It sounds like hocus pocus stuff like using a special decoder ring to learn the secret message. It is not like that at all. Brian invites his reader to return to the Jesus of the Bible. I found the book to be refreshing, engaging and challenging.

I would like to invite you to this event at Area 15 in Charlotte on Friday and Saturday February 1st and 2nd. Click the photo above for details.

announcements, community