Christmas in Ohio

I hope everyone has had a very Merry Christmas! We were in Dellroy with Kathi's family the past few days, and yesterday we drove from Columbus to Dayton to hang out with my family. Before doing that we spent the night with our friends Randy and Sarah. It was pretty awesome. We went out to a pub and laughed all night. It's been a long time since I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt.

We also went to hospital last night and saw Gavin for the first time. It's still touch and go with him, and there were actually some tense moments while we were there. He just needs time to grow stronger and develop his lungs more. He's a strong little kid though. Please continue to pray for him as well as my sister and her husband Dan.

Reflections on Christmas Sicky

You can just call me Sicky McGhee right now because I'm not doing so good. Teaches me for kissing my sick wife, but I now have whatever she had. Actually, I've been running a fever the past few nights, which is weird because I can't remember the last time I've had a fever. Anyway, send up some prayers that Kathi and I get healed soon. We have a few support appointments this week, and then we're heading back to Ohio on Friday for Christmas.

Speaking of heading back to Ohio, we have a lot to do to prepare for this trip. We're going to be moving most of our stuff from our temporary digs back to Ohio. The scary thing is that we haven't even started packing yet.

Reflections on Gavin Update

Thought I'd give a quick Gavin update. I found out from my dad yesterday that Gavin had to go into surgery to close a pulninary valve that normally closes during the finall weeks of pregnancy. The surgery went well, and with that Gavin's outlook is very good. In a few days he should be off the respirator and beginning to nurse normally. Thanks again for everyone that has remember my sister and Gavin in their prayers.

Reflections on Christmas Markets

Over the past couple of years, Kathi and I have had a holiday tradition of going into the city and visiting the traditional German Christmas market at Daley Plaza. Last year we went down with our friends Eric and Kathy, which at the time was their first date. Now they're married. Anyway, we decided to all head down again this weekend. We picked up Tony at his place and enjoyed Chicago in the winter.

The Christmas market was, of course, quaint, but we didn't buy anything. We have a yearly mug of glühwein, which is a spiced, mulled wine. It makes you feel warm all over. This will probably the last time we ever visit this market. Instead we'll, Lord willing, be enjoying the real thing next year.

Reflections on True Identity

This past week, I've been reading Neil Anderson's Victory Over The Darkness, which explores the impact of our identity in Christ. I've been struck by the truth of one of his main assertions, that people the majority of the time act according to how they view themselves. If you see yourself as a failure, then you're probably going to fail a lot. This isn't to say that Anderson is advocating the power of positive thinking. Rather, he's saying that recognizing our status as saints and children of God will make a significant impact on how we live our lives. We'll start to look like saints because that is what we are. I've been really seeing that I don't truly and fully grasp this new identity that I have been given. I want to be able to walk and live in the victory and fullness that this identity entails.

Reflections on Busy Weekends

Boy, was it a busy weekend. Kathi went off to Ohio for women's retreat with a bunch of girls we went to college with. This left me stranded in Illinois without a car. So, I jumped on a train to the city and hung out with our friend, Tony. We had a total man-date. It started off with dinner together and then saw the new Bond movie. Good times. It was also pretty awesome being in the city this weekend because we had our first major snow.

We also bought a new laptop this weekend. We named her Stella.

As I mentioned the other day, I became an uncle! Just to update, Gavin and my sister are both doing fine. She was released from the hospital yesterday, but Gavin has to remain in isolation probably until February. Please continue to pray for them.

Reflections on Uncle-dom

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am an uncle! A few days ago my sister, who was seven months pregnant, went to the hospital complaining of back pains. They initially released her, but she returned soon after knowing something was wrong with her. They then diagnosed her with HELLP syndrome which is a liver and blood platelet disorder occurring in some pregnancies. Because of this, they had to perform an emergency C-Section on Thursday night.

Even though the baby was two months premature, both him and my sister are doing fine now. My brother-in-law said there was some scare moments for a while, but now everything is looking good. They named him Gavin Charles Rodgers, and he's currently in isolation at Children's Hospital in Dayton. Praise God that everything turned out so positively! The downside though is that Erin and her husband won't even be able to hold their child for the next two months. But, aside from that, everyone is grateful that Erin and Gavin are okay.