son Archives | Bad Days Better

by | Dec 11, 2013 | Uncategorized

If you have ever had a premature baby you know that there are definitely many ups and many downs.  Our daughter was born premature she was born at 30 weeks and had to spend 48 days in the hospital.  That was a little over 8 years ago.  For y wife and I that was an emotional roller coaster one visit everything was great and the next everything was not good at all.  It was a very difficult time for us and our faith was stretched to great lengths.

Once again with the birth of Micah John Monda we had another early birth.  Micah was born at 33 weeks and 3 days which is very good as far as premies are concerned.  He came out doing great right from the start.  He cried quickly and looked healthy.  During his first check ups in the NICU the doctor told us he was doing better then expected.  Tomorrow will mark is seventh day in the hospital and the doctors are telling us it looks like he can come home Tuesday.  Wow this is great news for us.  We have had people literally all around this world praying not only for the birth of our son but praying for his health.

 I remember the day my son was born I sat and looked at him and wept to think God would bless us so greatly and I often think of the faith of that little preemie daughter we had and how very early on she began to pray every day that her mommy would have a baby.  What faith and what and awesome testimony of prayer she already has at 8 years old to see an answer to prayer that she constantly prayed for for years. How awesome is our GOD.

In addition to all this we are in the middle of a move.  We had a group of teens show up at our house to hel us move and that was a true blessing.  In addition we had Keith Stutzman and Jim Smith show up.  They really helped us a great deal in packing a 26 foot Penske truck full.  Everything has been loaded and is on its way to Missouri.  My wife and I are sleeping on air mattresses and doing some final cleaning and then we will wait word from the doctors before heading for Missouri.  

On a crazier side we were told we had to find an infant car seat that would hold a child for 4 pounds.  Are you aware that most car seat are rated at 5 pounds and up.  Here is the kicker we found only two car seat stroller combos that are rated at 4 pounds an up.  1 was and Eddie Bauer stroller System the cost for it was 229 ouch compared the one I had picked out at 169.  I did not like the Eddie Bauer system it was not user friendly.   So our only other option was this Chicco System it was a measly 279.  That was 279 I did not plan on spending.  So I am thankful for Laura Smith who found me a coupon and I saved 10 percent at Baby Depot which helped.  Why don’t more companies make these things for smaller babies and help us out.

 The hospital told us they are going through some sort of thing right now where they don’t have the car seats to give away.  So what do they do with people that cant afford to spend this kind of money?  I couldn’t afford it but I want my child home.  On top of that the brakes on the only vehicle I have here are shot.  Actually I think the Caliper is frozen up do I have to get it fixed before we leave but it is the only vehicle we have in PA so I will probably have to rent something while it gets repaired.  Man this is all too crazy.  But Praise the Lord my son is coming home.  Sorry for all this depressing stuff that went along with it.

It was 4am when the phone rang.  As I picked it up my wife was on the other end and she told me her water broke.  Our first child was a fast labor so I woke up my daughter and we headed off to the hospital.  And about 2 hours later Micah John Monda was born.  he was born at 6:17 am and my was at 33 weeks 3 days.  Micah weighed in at 4lbs. 9 1/2 ounce and was 17 1/4 inches long.  My daughter has prayed, and prayed, and prayed for this moment.  Her faith was always so strong believing God would give her a brother or sister.  It took  wife and I over 6 years to have this child and God poured out his blessing on us.

 Its interesting to see how God has brought blessing, after blessing into our lives.  I have been blown away.  Well I could right alot more but to be honest I need some rest and tomorrow I have alot of work to do.  Here is a picture.

youth group Archives | Bad Days Better

by | Dec 11, 2013 | Uncategorized

It has been along time since I have posted primarily because I have been so busy.  I know that is hard to believe that I have been busy without a job but I sure I have been.  Rather than update about Mike Erre’s book (I will do that later) I thought I would just give some things that have been going on in my life.

I’ll start with the crusade we recently had.  I meet with one of our Pastors pretty regularly and I really enjoy the time I get to spend with him.  Leading up to the crusade he asked me if I would like to help with train the counselors I of course jumped at the opportunity because this is the very thing I love to do.  So I spent a few nights getting things ready and going over the training and then we trained the counselors for two evenings, to be ready for the response we were expecting during the crusade.  The Impact Macon Crusade was February 22-25 and I was there every night.  We saw God move in a remarkable way during that week we saw over 100 decisions for Christ and over 90 0n one night.  I must say I was not ready for over 90 people to respond to the gospel that night but it was wonderful.  Hey they were all counseled to.

Secondly I was asked if I could teach a book of the Bible to the youth what book would it be.  I replied I would go through the book of James and the response was “why don’t you teach it” of course I jumped at that any time I get a chance to teach some teens I am going to do it.  So on Sunday nights I am taking our Student Overflow through James.  I pray and hope they are enjoying it.  I have already taught through James so I already have the messages done, but if you know me you know I spend a great deal of time with message prep even if I have already done it before and making sure I am saying what the Lord wants me to say.

Thirdly the first week in March I started taking over the Wednesday evening teaching to the Youth.  This has been going great once again I love teaching the teens.  On Wednesdays I typically play a game with them and then we go over prayer requests and then I teach.  I desire to see both these ministries grow tremendously and I have seen God definitely working on the hearts of some of the teens that come.

Fourthly I received a call from the principal here at Atlanta school and was asked if I could come in and teach Science while the current teacher is away on maternity leave.  I accepted the position.  Which if you are a teacher you know the work that gos into lessons and so forth.  So for the next few weeks I am now a Science teacher.  I must say that teaching in the public school is a lot different then teaching in Christian School, or teaching at church, however the kids seem to like me as a teacher and some even thanked me for teaching.

Finally all of this has been happening while still sending out resumes (required for state aid) and while going through an interview process with a church that is interested me.  So yeah I have been busy but hey I like being busy.  Please pray I will be directed to the church God wants me at and that I will know it and so will the church.

It has been along time since I have posted primarily

Starting Seminary, Unexpectedly?

by | Dec 12, 2011 | Seminary, Uncategorized

Starting Seminary

Well here I am 36 years old and just now getting ready to start seminary.  Honestly I never thought I would go to seminary.  I have been in youth ministry for over 17 years now and have felt that perhaps I did not need it.  In addition I really am not that smart of a guy anyway.  However after 3 years of searching for a position and still not finding a full time one I have decided to at least further my education.  The circumstances are a bit strange.

Initially I had been talking with and interviewing at a Church in the Kansas city area and after a unanimous recommendation for their search committee and deacons we all felt that the vote would go through without a problem.  Just goes to show you never assume anything in a baptist church.  I enrolled in seminary thinking I would be pastoring this church and Kansas City and well why not make good use of this time living so close to Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Apparently the Lord had other plans.  One thing lead to another and hear I am enrolled to now take classes online to get a Mater Of Arts in Theological Studies.

Classes will begin August 22nd I have already highlighted my Syllabus for both classes entered all due dates in my calendar and have started to read the book of one class.  Wish I was this ready in college.  I pray I do well in these classes and can graduate with some sort of dignity.  I have already added Master of Arts in Theological Studies on my resume with the expected completion date in 2013.  Anyway there is a part of me that is hoping this will help in finding a position full time however I am not so sure about that and that my friends will have to wait for another post.

The Crazy Night Zephaniah Was Born

by | Nov 15, 2011 | Uncategorized

The Night Zephaniah Was Born

 

First let me start this by letting everyone know things have been crazy before the birth of my third child Zephaniah and this just added to the strange and weird experiences that seem to happen to me.  My wife and I have just moved to southern Illinois, Marion to be exact from northeast Missouri as I took a position of youth and children.  In addition to this I am presently enrolled in Seminary and during the move to Marion my wife was 8 months pregnant.  I seem to be one for adventure at times.  Anyway this blog post is not all about my move, me attending seminary, or starting a new ministry though they all could be valid blogs.  I originally started this blog to blog about life and though not many come here to read about my life (the actually come to find a resume example) some do like to come and read.

So I wanted to blog partially so I would have a record of this event while it is fresh on my mind and well to just share the story because it is crazy.  In fact all three of my children have now entered the world in their own dramatic fashion.  In every one of them we have seen God at work.  Here is the scoop

My wife was having contractions lastnight at church but they were far enough apart that really we were not all that concerned with them.  In fact  we went home thinking no biggy, she went to bed and I was working on a sermon for seminary.   Around 10:30 she got up and was in the bathroom and I heard her moaning but me being the loving husband I am was preoccupied with my sermon writing, so I let it go because this sermon was already a day late.  I finally decided I needed to check on her so I got up and asked her if she had been timing her contractions, and  she responded with no, but she did not know if she would get through night.  This was just after 11:00 pm. to which I posted on Facebook at 11:16 p.m.

“Well Tzigane is having contractions as far as we know the baby is still breech her Dr. appointment is Tuesday and her appointment for Insurance is late afternoon tomorrow not sure if she is going to make until tomorrow I hope so but I am doubtful.”

So I went back to my sermon and a while later she is still in the bathroom I think this is strange but she knows what she is doing. Finally I go in and start talking to her and I realize ok we have to go, we have waited to long.   Both of her labor times for our previous two children have been short.  With our first child  she was in labor 2 hours 30 minutes and the second 2 hours.  It was late at night so I call the pastor to get someone over to stay with our kids, he sent his wife right over, and we have it planned that  as soon as she gets there we will leave. I know we are roughly 7 minutes if that from the hospital.
I take off doing 70 down the main road with my hazards on, worried I am going to get pulled over or a citation, thinking this is a great way to make a debut in Illinois.   In my excitement between trying to get my wife to breath and driving fast I look up and say “look there is no wait in the ER” as there is a billboard that tells you this.  In reading the sign I drive right by the hospital wasting precious time I now have to turn around.  I speed to the next light thinking I have a red arrow but oh well I run right through it to turn around.  Finally we are there and I am relieved so I thought.

I run into the ER and let them know she is in labor and the response is “come in and go through the door” I tell them “no the baby is coming get someone down here now”.  I then rush back outside to be with my wife it seems like forever and finally I see a nurse come walking out casually I yell at her to hurry up.   When she gets there and takes one look and totally freaks out and tells me to run and tell them “we need a Dr. Now”. Seriously whose to blame her it’s not everyday someone shows up in the parking lot with a breech baby. I run back inside and tell them “we need a Dr. Now”. I then run back out and the baby is now half out breech in our van. I am literally looking at half of my child rear first while the other half is not delivered yet.  The nurse seems almost in shock I can see it in her face, I hear her yelling for the Dr. I see no one, all I see is baby and I am thinking “should I pull this baby out”  I have no clue what to do.  The nurse tells me to run inside because the Dr. did not see us.  I run inside the hospital and yell at the Dr. to come out.  Once again apparently no one trusted I knew what I was talking about the Dr. seemingly rather calmly comes strolling out as I am telling him to hurry.

After what seems like forever the Dr. gets to the van looks down and now he realizes the concern for the situation. For whatever reason I seem to be the only one calm at this point. The Dr. Begins to fly into action I am standing next to the him almost assisting him in this whole ordeal.  The baby had been in this breech state of half in and half out for a minimum of three minutes. He tells my wife to push and out comes Zephaniah in the front seat of our mini van.  It is at this point that calm went away and fear began to grip me.  It was at this point that I realized the time for any human reasoning was over, the time for science was gone, if we had been relying on anything but God we could do so no more, we now had no choice but to rely on Him.
I looked at my precious baby that we had waited so long for and he was lifeless, I remember in my mind crying out to God to let him be ok.  It literally seemed like and eternity My baby is blue he is not breathing the Dr. is wiping his little face, rubbing his chest doing all he can to stimulate him but nothing.  I see fear in the Dr.’s face, he is yelling for the nurses to help him but nothing, no breath, nothing.  Finally a breath, but that was it, one single solitary breath.  He is still blue he is still not breathing the Dr. is talking to him “breath buddy”  I am telling Tzigane not to look, my thoughts are “oh please God let him be ok”  it seems like another eternity a he takes a second breath. Once again he stops he is still blue he is still not breathing and finally I hear what every parent wants to hear that first cry.

We cut the cord suction him out wrap him up and the Dr. and I run to the labor and delivery.  I push the buttons on the elevator he cuddles my child in the blanket. I stay by Zephaniah’s little side the entire time.  We bath him, give him his shots, I even assist in drawing his blood. The nurse was great as she told me everything we were doing. Praise be to God that he brought us our third miracle He gets the glory, He gets the praise.

Viral Twitter TV | Bad Days Better

by | Jun 16, 2011 | Uncategorized

The second best thing about Twitter is the pure viral nature of the animal. It’s quite amazing how your followers followers can become your followers. If I may say so myself it’s magic.

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