Tim Boyd's Blog

Let’s pretend that your family has decided to foster or adopt a child.  The child has been in and out of houses and families.  You’re a good person - so you want what’s best for that child no matter the cost to you.  You also believe that welcoming that child into your family is what’s best for your kids, your spouse, and your marriage.  You know it’s going to be super hard and you don’t know what the end result will be.  You are scared.  You are worried.  But you have committed to love this child so that this child will be able to have the best thing a person can have - unconditional love.  You want your family to grow in love and showing love to a child who needs it is the way to do this.  And baby you are the one who’s going to provide it.  It will cost, but you are ready for it.  You are willing to walk through the fire. So the day comes for that child to join your family.  They are dropped off at your house.  What do you do?  I’m assuming that you will have some sort of plan.

I'm writing this blog because this picture pretty much sums up what I think you think when I invite you to church!  :) Obviously I can't speak for all of us.  But I do think I can speak for many of us.  You know us.  We go to church.  We don't secretly go to church.  But we also don't "loudly" go to church.  We aren't posting extreme messages on Facebook or "liking" all the Jesus pictures on Facebook either.  (Although we really like Jesus - like a lot.)  No, we just go to church because we like Jesus in real life. We aren't weak.  Seriously.  We are weak at times, but we don't go to church because we are weak.  We aren't inviting you to church because we think you are weak. We aren't broken.  Well, we are broken in some ways, but overall we are fairly together.  We don't go to church because we are broken.  We aren't inviting you to church because we think you are broken. We don't believe that we are right a

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a great day on Thursday.  I hope that great day turns into a great weekend.  Then I hope that great weekend turns into a great “Holidays.”  In turn, I hope that great holiday season turns into a great new year.  I hope that new year turns into a great year.  Then that year turns into an amazing life. I hope the same thing for myself too.  (I’m not quite as altruistic as I came across in that first paragraph). If I can give you just one thing to think about for a moment on this Thanksgiving Day it would be this - Don’t let fear ruin your day. Take the day off.  Take the day off of fear. If you had no fear - what would you say today? If you had no fear - who would you call today? If you had no fear - what would you quit today? If you had no fear - what would you start today? If only life were that simple, right?  It’s hard to not be ruled by the fear within our hearts.  It seems very unresponsible or un-adult to not allow fe

Last night most of the family was sitting in the living room just hanging out after finishing work, homework, chores, etc.  I was on the couch trying to keep my eyes open as I was going over some homework stuff with one of the kids.  I think it was multiplication flashcards. I looked down to the floor where Silas (my Kindergartner) was saying something to Wesley (the baby).  What he said didn't quite register at first. "Wesley what are you eating?"  Silas says. I looked over and thought nothing of it. "Wesley what are you eating?"  Silas says again. Uh oh!  I jumped off the couch and ran over to the baby.  I saw him chewing on something so I grabbed him and started digging around in his mouth.  I was shocked when I pulled out a full-size sticker!  He could have very easily choked on that sticker had he tried to swallow it.  The damage in that situation could have been major. I told Silas I was proud of him for saying something.  If it wasn't for

There I was standing in front of the dressing room at TJ Max on a Tuesday night holding a baby stroller.  I was tired.  I was TIRED. The day before was Halloween and our church did our Trunk or Treat.  I worked that day.  Then I had to get our trunk ready at the parking lot as I also helped others figure out where they should park.  I had two of my kids come early with me to “help.”  (I’m using that term loosely.) We did our church event until about 8pm and then we hopped into 2 vehicles to take our 5 kids (7 months - 13 years) and three of their friends trick or treating in another part of town.  On the way out there we had to stop and buy baby Wes a pacifier.  He was tired and upset.  We tricked or treated with about 800,000 of our closest friends in the dark surrounded by packs of unaccompanied minors (in my group were 4 girls 11-14 so I was already on edge.) We got home and sent everyone to bed.  We crawled into bed and the next thing I know my alarm went off at 4:45. 

Discouragement is a force in my life.  Most of the time I feel it hanging over me, making me slouch in my chair.  I can feel it in my stomach.  It warms the back of my neck.  It makes me feel so foolish.  It really makes me embarrassed to be me. Discouragement lies to me.  It lies so well.  It takes all of the things I’m good at and makes me ashamed of them.  If I’m great at meeting people - it makes me feel like a flake.  If I come up with an amazing idea - it makes me feel like a loser who could never actually pull it off. Discouragement yells at me to “shut up!”  I have nothing important to say.  Anything that I would say would just come across as dreams of a man with his head in the clouds or empty platitudes by a Pastor. Discouragement tells me that people can’t really change.  I am who I am and that’s all I will ever be.  That man over there will never be any better off than he is right now, no matter what I might say, do, or pray. I can never argue with him eith