Over the course of the past few months I've managed to lose nearly half of my readers here at two10eleven. It's because I have been crazy busy and have put efforts towards things other than this blog.  If you are one of the few left around here, thank you.  I really appreciate it.

Today was one of those "God days" for me.  As I sat in our Executive Pastor's office talking about the next month's plans, I realized something once again.  For the past few months, every thing I have done at the church has been under my own ability...my own talents...my own time...and my own will.  Seldom have I truly turned to rely on God to help me.

I now find myself tired, burnt out, pissed, lazy and short with people.  I can't deny the fact that God has been molding me the past few years and prepping Sara and I for Thailand.  But, I don't believe He ever wanted us to do this alone.  So, back to God I squirm...  repentant, sorry, ashamed and tired.

God have mercy on us...

One another note, Sara and I are now less than two weeks away from our trip to Thailand...and, honestly, I feel like we need it more than ever.  This past weekend we had the opportunity to talk with perspective missionaries at our denomination about the challenges, blessings and craziness of missionary work.  And, despite the stress of not having the weekend to last-minute prep for KidStuf, it was sooo refreshing.  We can't deny the fact that God has built us for missions work, for traveling and for sharing our hearts with other people...

We so look forward to getting away for a few weeks.  We look forward to once again experiencing the land that we love.  I look forward to getting to know my wife once again... 

It's been crazy lately...  But God is at work...  Probably as much on us as He is through us...  But, hey, I'll take it...

Dear Thailand,

There isn't a lot I can't stand about you.  Even the occasional street vendor who tries to charge me 300% the normal cost of the items.  Yeah, I still like you.  In fact, I'll be honest, we've been having a love affair with you since we first met you.  Your warmth, your taste for food, your beauty...and even the way you smell early in the morning.

I'll be honest.  Over the past few years, we have continually longed to see you again.  We had to leave you...but you have never left us.  In less than a month we get to hold you again, smell your smells and tackle your tastes...  and, well, we can't wait...

We feel like you are our first child.  We've even held off children as best we can in hopes that one day we would be with you again...settling in for the long road destined to us in our church planting journey.  We look forward to holding you, feel you and smelling you...

We miss you...

 Brook Sarver

 Tonight I will start a new series as Sara and I ramp up for our return trip to Thailand this Fall.  For some time we've been longing to return to Thailand.  Actually, we've been longing to return since we last left Thailand...the first of last October.

This series will be quick notes and updates about what we miss about Thailand and about what our plans are this time around.  I look forward to sharing our passion with you!

Also, feel free to sign up for our ongoing Thailand updates or respond below with your interest!

Hey all, a while back I posted a couple of times about Sara and I's photo shoot at HU, our alma mater.  We helped them with a little promo and offered ourselves as a story and a photo.  They took advantage of it...

 To check it out, and please do, go to  http://www.huntington-youniversity.com and click the blue guy "Leverage" then select "Brook and Sara Sarver" in the left menu and check it out.

Yes, we are the "lounge singers"....

Adam ought to feel real proud. I haven't posted in about a month...and here I am, tagged. So the idea is this:

1. Post these rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of you post
4. If you tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag.

My six random things are:

1. I beat box...kind of. There is always a beat or three going through my head.
2. I bite my fingernails. I can thank my mother, who while raising me was a part-time college student and bit her fingernails as she was stressed and delt with being a 4.0 student while also being a mom. Thanks Mom!
3. My first car was a 1988 Le Sabre. I blew up the engine in about 5 months after driving home late one night try to make my curfew...
4. I wish I could have been European. I have a sick fascination with European accents. Don't know why really... I'm just a fan. And I wish I could speak with a thick Irish accent. ...Maybe someday...
5. I love trying something new.  Whether learning a new software program or a new trade or honing a new ability.  I'm up to try about anything...
6. My first name is Michael.  I go by my middle name, "Brook".  In Kindergarten there was another Michael in our class and my teacher asked if either of us had a nickname we'd like to go by.  Being the outgoing kid I was I answered by noting that while I didn't have a nickname, I did in fact a middle name that was seldom used.  So, I started going by Brook from then on.  Now, that's basically the only name I answer to...except my photography MichealSarver :: photography and credit card bills...  oh, and my grandmother and Aunt still call me Michael Book.

Exciting stuff, I know.  There.  I did it.  Thanks for the tag, Adam.  But why did you have to push so hard?  I think I have a bruise!

My six are here:   Sara, Carrie, Adam, Matt, Greg, +1 of you who respond below......

It is crazy to think that summer is now over. Ok, it isn't technically over yet, but it sure feels like it. The cool air in the mornings as the sun rises later, the yellowing of the soybean fields, the starting back to school and the chopping of corn silage...not to mention football season. But where did August go? As I sit here I cannot recall a single thing in August. I feel as though I must have been a zombie the entire month...in a deep sleep walk through work and life.

Yesterday we kicked off our new Family Ministries that we have been working so hard this summer on....and God showed up. Despite months of preparation, we still found ourselves unprepared. Despite lots of excitement in our church families, only a relative handful chose to volunteer. Despite studying lines for hours on end, I still managed to forget them...only to ad-lib over half of the production (which is ok as long as the person next to you is able to play off of it). Despite all of the things going "wrong", God showed up. Through months of preparation we were able to reach out to our kids in a new way. Through lots of excitement a handful of families invite new families and kids to our church. Through studying lines for hours we enable parents to take their shared experience with their kids home with them. After all...what happens at home is more important than what happens at church.

And through all of this mess, late nights, long days, no sleep, no alone time, not eating, living on coffee, painting, building, my wife turning into more of a roommate than a soul-mate (yeah, it was that bad at times...actually, most of the time it was that bad)... Through all of this mess, God showed up, not only to our church family, but me personally.

After working 99.5 hours last week (which actually is what I worked) a normal Sunday afternoon would be to take a nap. Instead, I ate a late lunch with Sara (steak on the grill) and spent an hour responding to email, Facebook and Google Reader. Then, it was back to work. I can't explain what happened during that hour. God renewed my Spirit in a blink of an eye. My entire attitude changed, my heart changed and my physical body felt replenished.

I can't explain it...and I don't know why. But I felt closer to God. I went down to the church as Sara rested on the couch (a much needed rest for sure. My wife rocked during KidStuf!). Despite "earning" and afternoon off, I felt led to get ahead a bit and prep for next week. The perfectionist in me didn't want next week to turn out like this week. Not to mention that I had 9 months to plan for our first KidStuf and UpStreet...now I only have 6 days to plan for the next...

So, thanks for your prayers these last few months. Hopefully I can stay on top of this blog now. I've got things to share... So, has God ever showed up to you in a different, refreshing way?

So everything we have worked for in the past several months is about here... Meaning, that now all of the emotions, stresses, joys and pains of it all is also here. Last minute prep work, endless lists needing attention, 1.6 billion things to think about: volunteers, A/V cue sheets, last minute light design tweaking, memorize lines, don't forget UpStreet, eat something, don't forget about the bills, make time with Sara...if only for a minute or two, delegate, dictate, plan, prepare, produce, write, read, sleep, print, mail, call, laugh, cry, sick, sleep, eat, prep, read-through, brainstorm, dream, sleep, daydream, imagine, realize, fax, drive, edit, shoot, 4Before, sermon, worship, kids, school, partner, delegate more, explain, cast, pray, read, pray, sleep, dream, pray more, puppy, stage decorations, nurseries, buy, pay, purchase, bills, stress, anger, joy, tired, full-filled, empty, interesting, overwhelmed, under-appreciated, over-appreciated, worthless, dumb, brilliant, worth-while, games, Thailand, missions, lonely, blog (seldom), completion, soundtracks, Once, wife, Olympics, The Office (daily calendar), early, late, new, refreshing, old, same-old, unbelievable, honest... etc. etc. etc.

It's been a crazy summer. Thanks for letting my explain it via commas....