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Today was a great day.  I really enjoy my family, all of them.  I am really blessed to have a mother who loves me so much.  In addition to my mother I am equally as blessed to have “new” family as well.  This new family I am referring to is the one I gained when I married Jennifer.  This month Jennifer and I will celebrate our 8th year of marriage (June 30th)!  I know, I can’t believe it either, “Jennifer put up with Jake for 8 years!”

It was about 10 years ago I had the honor of first meeting Jennifer’s side of the family.  The first group I met besides her Dad, Mom, Brother and Sister was Team Wulz.  I met them the summer of 1999 when Jennifer, Justin Spargur and I were road tripping it to Michigan to work for the summer.  I had just received the news on my birthday that my father had died and the very next day I met the Wulz Family, May 29th 1999.

They are loving, compassionate, fun, light hearted, active, generous, and so much more.  They are a joy to be around.  Richard, RoRo, Eric, Rachel, Emily and Lauren.  Yeah, I know they can make up a team for court volleyball.  I am very honored to have gained them as family and friends.  It is funny to see the circle of life in things.

The second time I met Team Wulz was in Enid, Oklahoma at Grandma Schmitz’s house for a Christmas celebration in 1999.  Imagine around a 1,500 square foot home and over 27 people living together for a week.  It was totally chaos filled with joy.  Anywho, Rachel, Emily and Lauren were around 6, 3, and 3 years old (respectively) and full of energy.  They would use me as a jungle gym and I would chase them though the house.  They would dog pile on top of me and it was a “hoot” to say the least.  Now, 10 years later I have a 6 year old daughter, Madison, so adores Rachel, Emily and Lauren so much.  And you know what?  They love Madison too!  It brings so much joy to my life to know that I was able to play with Rachel, Emily and Lauren when they were young and now they in-turn are having so much fun playing with my children.

My intention tonight was to write an insightful blog about what I am reading and how it is changing the way I relate to the Gospel and Jesus but I felt moved to share with you how much this family, Team Wulz, means to me and my family.

It is my hope that you too have family out there who, like the Wulzs’, brings you great joy!

I am off to bed.  Tomorrow is day 10 of the Rasmussen/Houchin summer 2009 family vacation.  We have descided to say an extra day here in Plano Texas.  This means we will be hitting the road on Wednesday and getting home, we hope, on Thursday.  Until tomorrow…

Again I am reading more of Mark Driscoll’s book, Death by Love.  It has been a super good read thus far.  Focused on Jesus whole heartedly and it has been good to catch this side of Driscoll.  He is very pastoral and compassionate, yet leading with Jesus and calling people to Jesus.  Good Stuff.  We are almost to Plano Texas.  We will be staying there for a day or so then home to Tucson.

It was cool to check out Epic Church online today until their feed went down.  I am excited for the near future of Epic Church.  There is a lot of work to be done but one thing is for sure, we cannot loose sight of Jesus or the power of the cross.  We must all be willing to submit to God’s authority and repent of our sin and wickedness in order to be conformed more to the image of Jesus.

The day at the Lake is/was totally awesome.  Maddie totally loved the boat.  Jennifer and I tubed together and rode the jetski together.  I didn’t even scare her.  It has been awesome to spend time together for sure.  It is amazing I have known Jenn’s side of the family for 10 years now.  I am excited to head to Texas tomorrow to see more family.  But not after more lake time!  Also praying for Andrew Johnson who is in NICU in Tucson Arizona!

Made it!  Here is some of the family.  Good times tomorrow for sure.

Thanks again for all the Birthday wishes.  I am totally excited I get to spend the day with some of my family (not all SORRY MOM).  I am super excited to goto Jonnies for dinner tonight and some OKC friends will be there too.  In the meantime, check out this:

OU, Cavs, Obama, Prop8, and other random thoughts.

Video Blog - May 27th 2009

Sunday.  The Lord’s Day. A great day!

Experienced some outstanding family time.  Our children are enjoying the day camp here at College Week.  This is amazing.  Madison really enjoys her classmates and teachers.  We were walking as a family from the Chuckwagon to our room and Madison saw one of her friends and out of no where they just hugged!  It was awesome!

Jennifer and I enjoyed some time together as well.  We chilled in the coffeehouse type place.  Which is a dream of mine, that my wife and I would enjoy coffeehouses together.  We shared meals together and were just by each others side the entire time.

A huge highlight was being able to talk to Epic Church via cell phone.  I am so humbled at all the people who have sacrificed time from their busy scheudle to pray for me and my healing.  I so missed being at the Epic Church Gathering and Community Group. I really missed being at my home when the group met and BROKE my child’s trampoline!  Good times!

Spiritually, an outstanding day.  I was able to experience some outstanding biblical communication.  Although there was little application presented I was able to walk away with a lot ot chew on.  Here is a small hit list:

• What does Jesus need?
• Does Jesus really need us to accept him?
• Why is it when Jesus had large crowds he dropped the hammer?  “Hate your mother, father, wife, children” , “Eat my flesh and drink my blood”
• Why does Jesus seem, “OK” with talking people out of following him? (Luke 9)
• Do I really understand that God doesn’t NEED us?

And I am getting a little more sore walking around here.  I used an ice pack last night and I see it in my future again tonight.  And I am really looking forward to finishing our family moive in our room, “High School Musical”!

Amazing… WE MADE IT!  We are here in Abilene, Kansas.  There are no mountains, there are wonderful homes, one main street, a few hotels, a presidential libray, historic district and GET THIS….  31 churches for around 6,400 people!

Are you serious?  31 church for 6,400 people.  NUTS!  Even in rural Kansas they have more church per capita then Tucson, Arizona.  Intresting…

I am sitting here having some breakfast in the hotel before the family wakes up just thinking about tomorrow at Epic Church.  It bums me out that I won’t be there to hang with my new friends.  I know everything will go just fine tomorrow without me becuase already Epic Church has some wonderful people who, “get it”.  They understand that Epic Church is not about them but it is about others in our community and globe.  I am happy to stack hands with men and women who understand that!

Team Rasmussen’s trip to Texas was wonderful!

The Willingham/Smith wedding was wonderful.  The chapel was beautiful, the reception was fun, food was great and seeing everyone interact was great.

My family had the privilege of staying with Team Wulz at their lovely home in Plano, Tx.  They were outstanding hosts!

Now on a different note our final day in Texas was May 27th.  Our flight was to leave at 1:25p.  We arrived in plenty of time to catch the flight and return the rental car.  Our flight was over 9hours LATE.  Some of it was due to weather but most of it was due to a cruddy airline.  This became evident when the crew was upset with their employer because we had been sitting around for hours and hours without a crew or a plane but we always had one or the other.

What got to me was the fact that flights that were only 1.5hrs late were leaving ahead of our 9hr late flight!

Anyway.  We are home and excited to be in our own beds.

Thank you to those of you who prayed for us to get home safely.  Because we DID.  And with 1 diaper to spare!