Settling In

The last couple of weeks I have noticed something about myself. I think I have finally settled into Ohio. Looking back I think last year was really really rough. New state, new home, new church, new friends, new job. Although my transient nature somewhat thrives on the new- I am finding alot of joy in the familiar and a peace with my surroundings.

This week especially two things stuck out to alert me about my new found state of mind.

We are getting more involved in our church. This week we met with leaders to volunteer in both International Student ministry and Young Professional women's group! I think holding back from comitting ourselves was fear that Ohio wasn't going to work out for us. It feels so good to be involved and using our gifts and talents for God's glory!

Second thing may seem a little weird- and no there is no Agbovi Junior on the way yet. When I left California I was given some items from my previous employer who was liquidating inventory. Two boxes of high end English baby strollers. We brought them with us to Ohio and for some odd reason I have never opened them up!

This week I was envisioning the "nursery" and decided to see what was inside those boxes. Wow..what a surprise! I found there are three beautiful strollers in those boxes. :) One pink and two neutral. Emmanuel heard me banging around upstairs so he came up and started laughing! He grabbed the pink one and started vroom vrooming around the hallways! Hopefully soon we can fill up those little strollers.

Anyway- just wanted to let you know that I am doing well here. Enjoying God's blessing on my life.

Guest Blogger- "Today is Valentine's Day"

Today is Valentine day

Yesterday my wife asked me what I’m going to be writing about today, since today is valentine day. I told her I started another topic and should finish it today.
Well, you can imagine what her advise to me is. She said: “I think you should write about valentine day.” So here is what I think about valentine day.

As a married man, I know that valentine day is very important for most women, especially to those with “soul mate.” Here is my confession. I can be a little stubborn sometimes, particularly when it comes to “Traditions.” I don’t really like the idea of having tradition, I like thing to happen spontaneously. Don’t get me wrong, I get excited everyday on my way home from work to see my beautiful wife and talk with her and just have fun together. Is that a tradition? I look forward to spending time with her, but when it comes to things that seem akin to “tradition” I’m averse, yes quite reluctant. I’ve learned quickly to please my wife in many ways for God’s glory, and I know she is grateful for that, but at the same time, I know she gets sad or maybe upset when I don’t get excited about traditions.

I decided to get energized and be prepared for some of the traditions such as putting Christmas tree together few days before “Jesus birthday”, or celebrating valentine day with passion and enthusiasm. For those of you who are thinking, what about birthday, or wedding anniversary? Those days are “a giving” which means, I do not consider those celebration days a traditional days; those days are days God has set aside and blessed. That being said, for this year valentine day, my wife and I have a reservation at a very nice restaurant at 7:00 PM. We are going to dress up very nicely and have a romantic evening for ourselves. I bought her a very nice gift from Victoria Secrets. My wife and I often spend quixotic evening together, either in our house or go out for dinner, but why today is different from the others?

Valentine day is a unique day set aside for romance sometime in the 3rd century (not by God but by people). Maybe for those who don’t usually have time to be romantic (I was once one of them), or to those who because of their jobs or geographic location do not spend time together enough!
The day was originally a pagan celebration that was renamed after two early Christian martyrs named Valentine.
Jesus did sacrifice his life for us so we can have abundant of live. So whenever you celebrate the so-called “Valentine day” remembers the love God demonstrate to the world. Valentine has many symbols, but the one that I like the most is the heart-shaped outline and the doves. These two symbols represent for me LOVE and PEACE.

We need to be thankful for every single day God has given us and treat those days with our spouse like a valentine day, day of love and peace. A healthy relationship is a blessing from God, so let us celebrate this valentine day with joy and gladness with respect that God is sovereign.
Here we go!!! Have a Happy valentine! Emmanuel Agbovi

More patience than I!

So I am not going with any of the three suggested topics in my previous blog because I just wanted to quickly brag on my husband for a few minutes. There are so many good qualities that make me adore him...even after being with him for 4 years, but yesterday it was his patience that made me giggle.

We had rented some movies from the Redbox- for those of you who don't know what that is, it is a movie vending machine located at various gas stations and grocery stores around my community. For $1 a night you can select a movie from a touch screen.

Well we had two to take back and wanted to rent a new one- so we stopped at the local gas station. Eman wanted to drive me because it had started to snow- but insisted on wearing his Adidas shorts and tennis shoes!

So we get the Redbox- snow is coming down and the machine is broken. I first attempt to get a movie and after two attempts I give up and go to the car. Eman however, standing in his shorts mind you, attempts for AT LEAST 15 minutes to get the darn thing to vend a movie. I see him using two hands...one to get the mouse over the right movie and the other to quickly select the movie. You would think he was performing brain surgery with the intensity he was working!! I was cracking up in the car and had to both take a picture and show you the patience of a saint that is my husband.

I love that perseverance in him and it spreads throughout his life. Whether it is our marriage, his job, his home, his friendship, he has taught me so much about patience. It is amazing what we have learned from each other and I am so thankful to have him in my life.

Avoidance

Apparently I either have had too much to blog about or not enough. To let you in on a little secret...it has been the too much option.

Blogging is like having a best friend- if you let too much time go buy, catching up just takes a while.

So now I am faced with various topics...I think the titles could be one or all of the following.

"Yeah right I could be a mayor!"
"Valentines Surprise"


We will see which one I end up blogging about. :)

Layer vs. Pile

It is probably only fitting that at some point in this LONG winter, I reflect on my spiritual health using the snow metaphor. It has been snowing for several months now and it finally came to me.

(For those of you who are in California and can not visualize my analogy, I have pictures for you! But I did not take them.)

This week I was entering my garage and looked up at the beauty of layered snow on my roof. From a side view the snow piles on top of each other like a pillow top mattress. It looks so cool!



But at the front of my forgotten lawn is a huge pile of snow. No apparent beauty in my eyes other than the fact it is off the road!




Last week I hit a rough couple of days and really withdrew into myself. Poor Eman tried his best to figure out what was wrong but I couldn't communicate it to him. Everything was a jumbled pile of feelings, emotions, thoughts and prayers. I have learned at that point it is better to not say anything than to say too much.

I do better with layers. Tackling one problem at a time! But sometimes we don't get a say. Sometimes life just comes to us all jumbled and in a mess. I think God allows those times because we need Him even more. Given the option we would all choose to have a cross section of our pain to analyze. It is scientific and clean.

Thankfully the "Son" can melt both the layers and the pile if we call out to Him. :)