A year ends

Well, we celebrated another year of community together this past Saturday night after worship with our community group. We shared appetizers, played games, and just enjoyed each other's company and fellowship one last time in 2008. We've already planned a Chinese-themed meal for this Saturday, our first of what will hopefully be many faith and fellowship filled Saturday nights to come as we also look forward to Sunday's new dedicated education hour. Thank you Lord for all the blessings of this past year and may you bless us richly in 2009 as well, if it be Your will.

Home with the boys

Having a week off of work is nice, especially since the boys are home with me and we get to play and hang out together. They've grown up quite a bit in 2008, and still amaze us every day with what they learn at school, from friends, from church & Sunday school, and from books, movies, and television. I look forward to spending 2009 with them and can't wait for son number three to join us very soon.

0-8 was great

Ah, what a wonderful year my sister--my bride, and I have had. We've accomplished a lot of do-it-yourself projects in the house, we built on our personal faith and on the faith of our family and even, by the grace of God, have built upon our family with our 3rd son on the way. O eight was truly great, and I look forward to O nine with my lovely wife and our boys.

Climb a tree to see

My sons have a computer game that includes many Bible stories and one of their favorites is the story of Zacchaeus climbing up the Sycamore tree. The story comes from Luke 19:1-10 (NIV) ~ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Zacchaeus had earthly wealth and earthly position. He lacked only in height, but still he wanted to see. The crowd blocked his vision, he overcame the crowd. But...he couldn't overcome his own sinfulness. He couldn't save himself from his sins. So he sought out the savior. He climbed a tree to see and he saw. The crowd which didn't need a tree to see focused on the sinner not the savior. The savior was just "passing through" but took the time to stop and save a sinner seeking him out...and the crowd merely focused on the sins of the sinner, instead of the grace of the Savior! Sometimes we too need to get away from the crowd, and seek out Jesus the Savior. Perhaps we need to climb a tree to see!

Snow Day

Well, we tromped about in the snow at Grandma's today. Snow ball fights, sledding, snow angels. The boys just loved it...too bad all the snow will melt tonight and tomorrow! In honor of the snow, here's a poem I wrote about snow days:

I really think that snow days are cool,
And not just because you get out of school,
When the backyard becomes a winter wonderland,
Snow men, sledding and snow balls in hand,
snow forts and tunnels, and snow angels too,
Well have cold toes and cheeks before we are through,
So back in the house, before the frostbite,
Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows, sooths just right!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone

A Gift For Us All

We all have received salvation, by grace through faith, through Jesus the Messiah. As the Band Aid song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" states, "the greatest gift they'll get this year is life," which is what we've all received, eternal life through Christ's death upon the cross and resurrection on Easter morning. Joy to the World indeed!

I also pray that those who are serving in harm's way tonight, delivering on God's promise of "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men," that they have a most Silent Night, God keep them safe as they keep me safe each night, Amen. Merry Christmas.

Anticipation

The boys are getting a little eager for Christmas to arrive. The younger one wants a dog (he'll have to settle for a visit to grandma's and a couple days of playing with the dogs there). Actually, I'm surprised at how well they've both left the presents under the tree alone. They seem more interested in playing with the ornaments than the wrapped gifts. The older one is ready to sing in the service tomorrow night. Christmas is almost here.

Bake, Bake, & Bake

My sister--my bride has been in major Christmas baking mode this weekend. I've chipped in with a dipped pretzel round myself but she's still going at it with fudges & cookies galore. It will be a delicious Christmas this year.

A Wage & A Gift

Christmas comes this week. We recollect the stories of Jesus the Messiah's coming so long ago and rejoice with the faithful in the hope (our confident and assured knowledge) that He will soon come again.

Romans 8:19-23 (NIV) "I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Our wage...what we've EARNED is death. We sin. We constantly fall short. We are poor miserable sinners WORHTY of nothing by derision, shame and yes...Death! Anyone eager to cash that paycheck? No, we're all like the Cat, Dog, & Duck in the Little Red Hen story eager to say..."NOT I!" But unlike the traditional end to that story, when the Cat, Dog & Duck are very willing to eat the bread none helped or deserved, Our Lord does let us eat of the Bread of Life. Our Wage, our earnings bring us death. Our Lord gives us life as a gift. We've been set free by Jesus the Messiah's death and resurrection and the result it holiness and eternal life for us all, by the grace of God, through faith. Come Lord Jesus, Come! Merry Christmas...tis the greatest gift I have and ever will receive.

Daddy Wraps

Ok, spent some time late last night wrapping up some presents for my sister--my bride and the boys. I took the man's easy way out on hers, using the gift bags method then just sealing those with tape...perfect. But the boys gifts were too big to fit a bag, so it meant having to actually wrap the gift. I'm a lousy wrapper. In December of 1990 when I was a Marine stationed in Korea and we were doing our own Toys for Tots program to get toys for a local orphanage, my duty schedule only allowed me time to volunteer to wrap. I got there, and wrapped two gifts and was summarily relieved of my duties as wrapper and told my services were no longer needed. (Marine wives can be cruel) So last night again, I let my wicked wrapping skills loose on a few things for the boys. It went downhill as I went. The first one I wrapped came out ok...but pretty lousy by department store standards. The last one was so bad it kept ripping, but rather than starting over, I just kept taping up the holes with excess paper. It will be an easy one for them to open no doubt.

Ice, Ice, Maybe?

Well, this afternoon could bring us another devastating ice storm. We just went thru one two years ago in December 2006 when we lost power in the middle of the night as we heard tree branches crashing all around us. That was Thursday night to Friday morning. Friday afternoon we still had no power and packed up the car and moved into the home of friends of ours from church who lived across town in a newer subdivision (with no big trees and thus no major power outages) and stayed with them till Sunday when we moved into student housing on campus when the University I work at stepped up to house those still without power. It wasn't until Wednesday evening that we got our power back, 6 long, chilly days of uncertainty...but also a real honest test of how God provides even in a crisis. Let's hope and pray this time around that it will not have the same negative effects on us again, and I also pray that as conditions possibly deteriorate this afternoon/evening, people will stay safely at home and not risk their lives in travelling. There is something about the bravado, the man-warrior in us that makes us want to challenge nature. The big SUV with the 4-wheel drive makes us think we have all the armor we need, but in the end, the heavier vehicles just do more damage to others and themselves as they are no match for ice. Stay home. Stay safe.

Thirty Seconds Over the Caine Mutiny Battleground

Van Johnson, another of my favorite actors, died this past week. When Paul Newman died earlier this year, I dedicated an entire week of posts as an homage, but with Johnson, I'll just due today's post as an homage. He was in a ton of movies, and I always thought him to be a very versatile actor who could hold his own in just about any genre and sharing screentime with legends and holding his own. My most favorite of his roles though were the war movies he did and he did several. Three of my favorites of his were:

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
The Caine Mutiny
Battleground

And all three speak to aspects of the ups and downs we in the Body of Christ face daily.

In Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, which was released while World War II still raged in November of 1944, Johnson played an Army pilot of B25 bomber which was part of the famed Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in which Army bombers were launched at sea from US Navy Carriers. The movie is a docudrama of how the men trained and cooperated to get the mission done and how they made it back home after crash landing in Japanese occupied areas of China. The crew of the B25, the entire squadron, the cooperation of Army & Navy, the cooperation of Chinese nationals, and on and on speak directly to how cooperative effort with each person doing their part and each sacrificing something of there own, be it a living space on the ship, or volunteering for hazardous, potentially life-threatening, duty.

In The Caine Mutiny, a fictional drama set in World War II in the Pacific, Johnson plays the XO (second in command) to the Captain of a US Navy minesweeper (the Caine) and actually seizes command of the ship out from under the Captain in a storm after several incidents lead him to believe the Captain is mentally unfit. The finale is Johnson's character's court martial for mutiny, and the verdict (I won't play spoiler here) but it speaks directly to both what an effective team can do under effective leadership, and strategies (both good and bad) for dealing with ineffective leadership in a crisis.

Finally in Battleground, Johnson plays Holley, a member of 101st Airborne Division besieged in Bastogne by the Germans during the Battle of Bastogne. Holley is the resident complainer and comedian of his squad, who resists all efforts to make him out to be a good soldier, all the while being relied upon by his superiors because he is a good soldier (despite the attitude). I have to admit, I modeled much of my attitude in the Marine Corps on him (until I made Sergeant and an attitude adjustment became necessary). Be a go to guy without "acting" or outwardly acknowledging that you are the go to guy. Sometimes we do that within the Body of Christ too, we know we have the spiritual gifts necessary to accomplish something, but we deny them publically as we don't necessarily want the responsibility that goes along with the utilizing of those gifts in ministry. And like the 101 at Bastogne, we are besieged daily by sin, evil, and secular culture and we must rally together to hold our Holy Ground and keep the faith.

So I pay my respects to Van Johnson, a very underrated talent (never once even nominated for an Academy Award, which is just silly) who influenced me through his films. May he rest in peace, and may God bring peace to his family and friends who mourn his loss this week.

Book 'Em Daddo!

There is just something special about reading books aloud. You can make the story and illustrations of a book come to life for your kids and in so doing, you get to be actor, director, sound effects person, etc. And what is especially wonderful? You don't have to have a lick of talent in any of those areas to be a star! I book'em as often as I can (almost every evening!) and whether its a favorite book of theirs I've read a thousand times or something completely new to them and me from the library or book orders, we can all get wrapped up in the tales.

Pot Pie Kinda Day

My sister--my bride was such a sweetie today. Despite being under the weather and feeling fairly lousy (compounded by the limits placed on her being pregnant in terms of what types of cold symptom relief meds she could take to ease her suffering) she still had a hot pot pie waiting for me when I got home for lunch today. Monday is her day off and I often meet her at home for lunch and its always good. What a sweetheart she is. Hope you are feeling better sooner than later sweetie.

Are You Serious?

As the advent Advent-ure continues, and my focus is on repenting of my sins and preparing myself for the savior to come, I think an appropriate verse for this week is found in Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV) ~ "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Are we living invisible? Are we serious about having died to sin and living a life of meaning and purpose where that meaning and purpose is tied up in Him (and not us at all!)? As we prepare for Christmas; for our Savior's coming to rescue us; for Jesus the Messiah to return; are we focused on the things above?

Heavenly Father, I pray that this week you will help me live the life now hidden, a life of, by, and for you. Amen

Cranberries & Coffee

Cold winter winds blow chill through the air,
As I awake in the morning and out my window do stare.
French roast brews away as I try to awaken,
Oh how I wish I had remembered to buy bacon.

A loud exhale from the coffee maker roars,
So I pour me a cup to fight off the snores,
But I still haven't settled on an edible treat,
So I look through the cupboard for something to eat.

I spy a package, clear, plastic, and square,
Inside it is cookies, so I grab out a pair,
Hard cookies with cranberries, and a hot cup of joe,
In my bliss, not a care that it started to snow.

Moron Work?

Most every Thursday morning, I meet with several other men of the community at my church for Men's Fraternity. Currently we've been working our way through the second year material "Winning at Home & Work" and it has been a big growth experience for us all the past two years.

Last night, I reminded my wife that I would be getting up early since it was a Thursday (we meet at 6am). she asked, "So what is the topic this week?"
I answered without hesitation "I think it is more on work" (as opposed to being on our spouses, or our parenting, etc.)

She immediately retorted "What is Moron Work?"

Blago the Terrible~RESIGN NOW!

the Preamble to the Illinois Constitution:

WE, THE PEOPLE of the State of Illinois - grateful to
Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty
which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing
upon our endeavors - in order to provide for the health,
safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative
and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality;
assure legal, social and economic justice; provide
opportunity for the fullest development of the individual;
insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense;
and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves
and our posterity - do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the State of Illinois.

Speaking as one of those persons, grateful to Almighty God, I call on Blago the Terrible, our seemingly corrupt and incompetent governor to resign effective immediately. You have failed to provide health, safety, and welfare to residents of the Prairie state. You have failed to eliminate poverty and inequality (in fact many of your incompetent actions have been extremely inequitable). You have failed to assure legal, social and economic justice (while your corrupt acts have fomented legal, social and economic INjustice), you provide only for the development of you and your family and friends, and tranquility has been non-existent in our state since you took office. Help us secure the blessings of freedom and liberty...by RESIGNING IMMEDIATELY.

I pray that God will help the citizens of the Prairie state clean up our house once and for all so that we may once again enjoy that civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy.

In our room

Our older son occassionally winds up in our bed in the middle of the night. It used to be a regular thing but we've worked and worked on preventing that and though sometimes he starts out there (and once asleep we move him), it is becoming rarer and rarer that he wakes up in the middle of the night and comes in our room again. Last night he fell asleep in our bed, and we moved him and he spent the night in his own room. This morning, he told his mom that we shouldn't do that. We should let him sleep in our bed. No way Jose.

Our younger son lately has taken to bringing his pillows and blankets into our room and crashing on our floor or in the hallway outside our room. Now he is one who's never slept in our bed, and has always had no trouble sleeping alone in his own room.

Not sure what the recent change is about but it could be the anticipation of the arrival of brother #3 very soon.

She Came Thru!

Got my Toblerone fix this weekend as I awoke to a Toblerone bar in my shoe (and one in my sister--my bride's shoe as well) Way to go sweetie...er...ah...St. Nick!

Advent-URE

Well, were into the Advent season (want to know more about what this is, click HERE)

I like to look at it as the beginning of the annual faith journy, the beginning of this years adventure. Advent means "coming," so just who is coming? The U R E helps define just who is coming and why.

U = US, that's right, you and I and all people. Romans 3:23 (NIV) states "for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We all are sinners. We all deserve punishment. That punishment is death. We need to Repent for those sins. We are in need of Redemption, we are in need of a Redeemer.

R = Repent & Redeemer. For us, the coming of a savior should make us want to prepare. Just as when we invite guests over, we clean the house and prepare it for their coming. Likewise John the Baptist came before Jesus the Messiah calling on us all to prepare the way by repenting for our sin. We need to ready ourselves for the coming of the Redeemer. For most importantly, R points to the coming of redemption, that the Repentant will be Redeemed. So just who is this Redeemer that is coming?

E = Emmanuel. The GOD WITH US. It is Jesus the Messiah. God in the flesh who came to redeem us. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," yet Romans 3:24-26 (NIV) continues from the above: "and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

So this Advent season, I prepare for another church year. Another journey of faith to grow closer to my God and pray that I will this year better walk in His way and do His will. Let the AdventURE begin!

Shoe By The Door

Shoe By The Door (aka: Oh Toblerone!)

Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
Thy chocolate so triangular.
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
Thy chocolate so triangular.
They're triangles of chocolate bliss
They're triangles oh so Swiss
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
Thy chocolate so triangular.
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
Thy chocolate so triangular.

Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
You fill my shoe so greatly.
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
You fill my shoe so greatly.
I wake up on St. Nicholas Day
And to my shoe you've found your way
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
You fill my shoe so greatly.

Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
My shoe is now quite empty.
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
My shoe is now quite empty.
I ate each pyramid and enjoyed.
But now my diet's quite destroyed.
Oh Toblerone! Oh Toblerone!
My shoe is now quite empty.


The above is a poem (er..ah...hymn...carol...song) in honor of all those years I got a Toblerone bar in my shoe left at my bedroom door on St. Nicholas Day eve. That's tonight by the way (hint hint honey!)

27 Hours in a car mostly driving

I did all but 3 of those hours as the driver, that's an entire day spent behind the wheel and mostly at speeds above a mile a minute. Hurtling a couple thousand pounds of steel mini-van down a cold and windy prairie highway around bigger trucks and smaller cars and all with the entire family on board and trusting you to keep them safe. Now that is adventure! It is a sense of accomplishment to get there, then get back again, and logging the times all the way noting how good (or bad) the pace is. OK, enough of this driving stuff, the trip is done, and I'm glad of it. [Getting to see the family there though makes it all worth it]

27 Hours in a car in traffic

Well, we made our annual trek northward and then back southward. Good weather and light traffic for the ascent, lousy weather and heavy traffic for the return. Still, despite the lousy weather and heavy traffic, we made better time coming home. Something about a nice day and light traffic (and no need to rush to get there) helps slow the pace a little where as lousy weather, heavy traffic and needing to get home that night all contribute to driving with intesity. I guess that is what we are all doing on the road in those "rush hour" times...driving with intensity...and so I made it home. I'm glad to not have to do that again for another year.

27 Hours in a car as little boys

OK, yesterday we gave mommy all the praise, today, the boys deservingly get their share for being such great little men on our recent trip to South Dakota. Getting awoke at TWO in the morning to go potty, then walking down to an ice cold garage to get in the van in the middle of the night, then managing to fall back asleep and sleeping all the way to Coralville, Iowa. Great job both of you guys. You were well behaved all the way there and back again and even did ok when your DVD player finally gave out after 3 years. Thanks for the knock knock jokes guys, you were awesome!

27 Hours in a car while pregnant

A long time ago, I said I was married to thee Wonder Woman. She again proved me correct with her unbelievable travel stamina while 6 months pregnant this past week. She did the 14 hours there and the 13 hours home, a total of 27 hours of travel, without complaint, and actually, without much discomfort! Great job sweetie! The best part of these trips back to see your side of the family is that I get to sit next to you for very long periods of time! Awesome!

Road Trips Revisited

Today, as I drove 13 hours from South Dakota back home, I'm inspired to refer back to an older devotion about Road Trips:

Road Trips blog post

Note that our DVD player gave out long before the end of the trip, and much of the last few hours were spent exchanging knock-knock jokes...and even the nonsensical ones from our 4 and 5 year olds were funny and a great way to connect as a family.

Thank you Lord for bringing us back home safely from our long trip.

Dakota

Well, here we are on our annual excursion to the Dakotas, heading just inside the Northern version today. This weekend its full of pheasant hunters out to bag some birds. Hopefully we won't be hit by any stray shot. Here's my Dakota's poem, in honor of being here:

Dakota oh so big, Dakota oh so flat,
Dakota oh so cold, I'm glad I wore my hat.

Dakota oh so brown, Dakota oh so dreary,
Dakota oh so wintry, it's hard to feel cheery.

Dakota oh so spacious, Dakota oh so wide,
Dakota oh so boring, thank God for the water slide!

Dakota oh so spread out, Dakota oh so sparse,
Dakota oh don't be angry, at this poetic farce.

Turkey, Football, and Pizza?

Thanksgiving at the in-laws went well, we were well fed yet, we were hungry again in the evening so it was a pizza chaser tonight. Could the NFL games have been any more boring?

Road Warriors

Well, we made it. 13 hours and 52 minutes after our 2:30AM departure, we arrived some 800 miles away from home to spend Thanksgiving weekend with my sister--my bride's family. Exhausting trip. I have to say though, that the roads were great (not a single bit of construction the entire way!) and the traffic was mild and everyone on the road was cooperating great.

David & Goliath

I took on the task of teaching the Kindergarten and younger Sunday school class this week (both of my sons making up 1/3 the class). The topic was appropriately David and Goliath as the big guy (me) all 6 foot plus of him was quickly and easily dispatched and conquered by the little ones. They didn't even need the stone to fell the giant, their teacher, and when all was said and done, they knew full well the little guy can easily defeat the mighty big one, no matter how loud he can yell and boast! I don't think I'll foray into that age group teaching again anytime soon.

In-Laws-A-Go-Go

Well, it's over the river (the Mississippi and a few smaller ones) and through the woods (actually several of these) for a fourteen hour drive to South Dakota to spend Thanksgiving with my sister--my bride's family this week. We depart at Zero Dark (2 or 3AM-ish) on Wednesday and do the 14 hour return on Sunday. We'll enjoy a few days there, including a short foray into North Dakota to see her sister's family up there. Its my wife's one chance a year to go "back home" and despite the long ride (and it is even longer when she is pregnant) and the usual lousy cold weather this time of year, we gladly make the journey (and actually wish we could afford to do it more often than just once a year).

Universal Symbol of Hope and Love

Have you seen the commercials with a certain celeb touting her new jewelry design based on her artwork as a new "universal symbol of hope and love?" It looks like a #2 and is two very sharp, open hearts, almost yin-yan like, atop each other. She is quoted as saying "If your heart is open, love will always find its way in."

Do we really need a new symbol for this?

Romans 5:1-8 (NIV) ~ "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

I don't need a new symbol, I don't need "an open heart" ready to be filled. It's not about MY Kingdom, my hope is in THINE Kingdom, the eternal kingdom of God. You can't find that at a Jewelry store or in celebrity artwork. It is by grace through faith in Jesus the Messiah offered to us all.

Improper Dress

A poem about retrieving the morning paper in the cold without proper attire.

Oh the weather outside is chilly,
And I find it rather silly,
That I don a robe so frilly,
To reach outside for the paper,
And get attacked by the frozen vapor,
As my neighbor uses his scraper,
On his car windows covered in frost,
But my paper not properly tossed,
Has some how gotten lost,
In the bushes near the door,
Making it quite the chore,
And my fingers, toes, and more,
Are chilled right down to the bone,
My skin turning to stone,
If only the paper had been thrown,
Right up on the porch,
I wouldn't need a torch,
To thaw what now is scorched,
By frozen and bitter chill,
That became the bitter pill,
I took without a thrill,
As I braved winter's cold,
In scant clothing oh so bold,
That my neighbor had to scold,
On such a chilly day,
Why the paper couldn't make its way,
To where it normally lay,
Right there on the stoop,
Where I could simply scoop,
It up with barely a droop,
Alas, I must confess,
That I have caused this stress,
By my improper dress.

Chili Dogs

The Chili dog is near perfection on the male-meal-o-ometer. Separately both rate pretty high but combined, they nearly blow out the top of the scale. Perhaps the only thing keeping them from blowing out the top of the scale is that they often lead to the eater blowing out the bottom of his tail, and though that might bring precious relief, it isn't a very enjoyable atmosphere in which to be relieved.

Group Efforts ~ So Simple

Ever get a task that is actually really simple, but it requires a coordinated effort of a group of people? Today I had the task of going to a storage area to retreive an old book someone needed. Simple. However, when going there, one needs to return any volumes that had previously been removed so there was too many of those to carry myself. In addition, we don't have a key to the storage area, so we can only go when there is someone there to let us in. I found someone willing to join me on my quest but it took an hour to finally track down someone with a key to let us in the place. Coordinated effort to accomplish a simple task. Some would argue that "there's got to be an easier way," or wonder why I just don't have a key myself. But really, this allowed for controlled access to valuable items, and by my bringing someone along, that person now knows how to go about getting one of the old volumes, in case I'm not around.

That is how the Body of Christ works at times too. It might seem "simpler" to just do it ourselves, but we can't be everywhere at once, and sometimes a coordinated effort is just what God intends, so that more people get involved in both sharing and hearing THE Message.

Four years ago last night

Four years ago last night, at 11:30pm precisely, our second son was born. It was a long day of labor for my sister--my bride and though I tried to be supportive, I myself was down with a 24-hour virus at the worst possible moment, and spent much of that day curled up on a recliner in the delivery suite. But I got over my illness and our second son is now four years old. I remember what a struggle it was to get our first son to breast feed and yet the second one had already had his first meal before midnight on that November night before he was even an hour old. What a blessing he has been and is to our family (and more importantly to God's family). Thanks be to God.

Dinner Out

Enjoying a good meal out at a restaurant is one of my sister--my bride's favorite things to do and we did so tonight to celebrate our younger son's 4th birthday. That meant the boys were along and enjoying a dinner out themselves, and part of that enjoyment was to not behave very well. Thankfully, it was a Monday night and NO-ONE else was having dinner out so we had almost the entire restaurant to ourselves and were not to worried about disturbing other diners.

It's funny though that much of our conversation, when not directed at the boys or figuring out what we were ordering, was geared toward, we should get a baby-sitter and do this without them here. Yes we should. Not because we don't love spending every possible minute with our beloved sons but precisely because we love spending precious minutes on dates with each other, and those minutes are increasingly rare. I sense another "Dinner Out" in our near future.

Joy from Anxiety

These are anxious times. There is worry, doubt, and fear thick in the air. Uncertainty is contagious and spreading. We are slipping.

Psalm 94:18-19 (NIV) ~ "When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."

There is no uncertainty when it comes to our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. By grave, through faith you and I have been saved. Praise God we are RESCUED.

Summer has gone away

Summer has gone away, and fall is rapidly fleeting,
The skies begin to grey, a chill is winter's greeting.

Blankets come out of closets, as cocoa warms on the stove,
Trees make leafy deposits, rakes gather quite a trove.

Frost coats the ground, as breath can now be seen,
The grass now has browned, gone is the luscious green.

Heavy coats, hats, and gloves, are donned to venture out,
Where are the Mourning Doves, which used to roam about?

Summer has gone away, and fall is rapidly fleeting,
Time to get out the sleigh, and ignite the indoor heating.

Birthdays

Today is my sister--my bride's birthday. A nice, simple dinner cooked by me was the order of the day (the boys and I surprised her last night with her gift and a homemade card) and will finish off with a lunch date tomorrow.

This weekend we celebrate our younger son's (soon to be the middle one) 4th birthday with some family coming down. It's root beer pulled pork & homemade pizza for the feast!

Phone Calls From Old Friends

There is nothing like hearing a voice out of the past and picking up a conversation where it left off 20 years ago! Yesterday at lunch I was pretty stressed, pretty beat up from the stress and missing my sister--my bride who was away. I was in dire need of a pick-me-up. I chose to work through lunch to get more done and yet, I needed the break both mentally and physically, just wasn't willing to allow myself the chance and then the phone rang.

A voice on the other end all the way from Texas was one I hadn't heard since the late 1980s when I was still in the Marines and somewhere between Hawaii and Korea. After nearly an hour of catching up with 20 years of our lives, I was rejuvinated, made fresh and ready for the long hours of work that lay ahead. Old friends who call you out of the blue make for a wonderful tonic. Thanks God, I needed that and you moved a heart to make them need to talk to me too. As always, perfect timing!

Survived

Just me and the boys the past two days and nights and we made it through without mom again...this time noone even got sick! Feels good to have her home with us, we survived. Speaking of surviving, today is Veterans Day, and the 90th Anniversary of Armistice Day. In honor of all those veteran's who have served, I offer this pictorial of my visit to Veteran's Point at Weldon Springs State Park in Clinton. The boys and I checked it out back in May and I never shared the pictures, today seems an appropriate day to share them.

Bachelor Dad again

Well, the boys and I survived a day and night without mommy (my sister--my bride) and we've got one more to go! We miss her A LOT!

Semper Fidelis

Tomorrow marks the 233rd birthday of the US Marine Corps, and the 525th anniversary of Martin Luther's birth. As Lutheran and former Marine, it is thus a date of dual importance to me. The Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis means "Always Faithful," and Martin Luther restored the Biblical truth of by faith alone, both again core philosophies for my being.

I thank God today for His servant Martin Luther and for the US Marine Corps and how He has used both to shape who I am so that I might serve Him by serving others.

In-Advertently

If Hardees is right that men don't bake, just who is it that bakes most of the frozen pizzas in this country?

If the side effects will kill you, why on earth would you want to take a prescription medicine that would only slightly reduce a symptom of your ailment?

If Axe is so "attractive" to women, why don't you find any in the store aisle where it is sold?

If germs are all over every surface in the house, why wouldn't they also be on the disinfectant bottle and the rag you use to wipe it up with?

Raking, and Raking Again

I've raked the yard clean twice this past week. In both cases, the yard was completely filled with new leaves by the time I'd finished bagging those I'd just raked up. Thankfully, the high winds today and hopefully the rest of the weekend will clean out most of the remaining leaves from the branches so I'll only have one or two more big cleanups to do yet.

How it works

Yesterday, we had to make a midday trip to St.Louis to visit with a pediatric neurosurgeon about our hydrochepalic son in the womb. That meant figuring out the logistics of getting the boys to their schools and arranging for them to be picked up if necessary if we didn't make it home in time, etc. Wednesday is also a very busy day for my sister--my bride as she usually has a lot of prepwork to get ready for our Wednesday evening F3 nights and the meal that his served each week. All that had to be picked up by others for the day and night.

That is how it works. We had to make the 2-1/2 hour drive there and then the same on the return on that day. We had plenty of members of the Body of Christ, that is the family of God (our family), who assured us all would be fine and it was. That is how it works. When we needed assistance, when we needed friends to take some time and do some things for us, we had no shortage of volunteers. I like how it works. Thank God for how it works, and God bless all those who stepped up and helped us when we needed it.

My Son Voted

Our 5 year old voted in his Kindergarten class yesterday. Though he can correctly pronounce and identify a picture of Barack Obama, he said he voted for "McLean." hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't watch so much M*A*S*H on Hallmark channel.

I will go to the polls today and cast my votes in the various local, state, and federal elections. I pray that all eligible also do so and also pray that whatever the outcomes may be, those who gain or retain power tomorrow will think of my three son's futures before they exercise the powers WE THE PEOPLE have granted them by electing them to their offices to serve US.

Half Way Home

My sister--my bride, my very pregnant wife marked a milestone in our current pregnancy as we hit the 20week half way point. She marked the occassion by getting an fetal MRI done today and put up the confined space and very loud noise (that our son in the womb I guess didn't like much either) to get some good images of the little guy to take to St. Louis on Wednesday. She's doing well, though has now to transition into not only slightly bigger maternity wear but also into fall/winter season stuff at the same time. Hang in there sweetie!

Lord Please Make Us One

How fitting that the 70th Anniversary of the famed War of the Worlds broadcast fell this final week of 2008 election season. For close to two years now we the people have been bombarded, invaded, and devastated by endless bickering, distortions, and paper promises. We are battered, we are tired, we just want it to end. Tuesday, barring another 2000 fiasco, it should all come to an end. And then it will be up to us again, we the people, to rebuild the nation torn apart by political rhetoric, pompous political punditry, and perceptions of mistaken political mandates. So how does a nation torn apart, a people in opposition come together?

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NIV):

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

This is what we the people need, in order to form a more perfect union. Come Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and beyond, I pray that God will help us all find it.

In honor of Reformation Day!

Sung to the tune of A Mighty Fortress

A mighty Ford truck has my wife,
a mini-van with boys wailing;
for hauling groceries bread, milk, and spud,
or taking packages for mailing,
It cost us lots of dough,
But protects us from the snow,
On long trips it is great,
When the alignment is kept straight,
It’s old, we need its sequel!

War of the Worlds

Listened to a local re-enactment of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast tonight on the occassion of its 70th anniversary. A little artistic talent combined with radio technology, and a good story, managed to give thousands a real fright back in 1938. Of course today, we have Snopes to set us straight on those scary pieces of news we pick up.

It was a far more positive daddies session this morning, as most of us were pretty low after last Thursday's beat down, but things are looking up for us dads and my dad is home from the hospital too, thank you God!

Next week holds more tests and a trip to St. Louis for my young son in the womb, please keep him and us in your prayers.

Abandoned in Nebraska

More teenagers discarded this week in Nebraska. I'm just so happy that my father, who art in Heaven, no matter how rebellious, antagonistic, mean-spirited, and downright bad I get as a sinner, never abandons me.

High Five

Well, we went back for another ultrasound on our third son today and he immediately showed us his "High Five" as the very first image we saw on the screen was a clear shot of his right hand, fingers extended. He is a little wiggly worm who didn't want to sit still. He looks healthy and vibrant in every way, though he still has fluid in his head that likely will need to be dealt with at birth. His five digits reminded me of this past Saturday when we were going to a weenie roast. My wife had told our 5-year old that we would be going at Five and even pointed to the clock and said when it reads "5:00" we would be going. He turned into a veritable Gary Cooper ala High Noon, watching the clock and waiting for "High Five" when the train would arrive (or our car would leave I guess). It got so bad that he began doodling on his magna-doodle and my wife and I just had to capture the image on film.

This is the actual drawing he did on his magna-doodle as he watched the clock:



That is focus!

Well, we got to go to the weenie roast and a good time was had by all. Keep our 3rd son in your prayers (and my beautiful wife also as this little wiggle worm is so active that very soon when he's big enough for her to feel these movements I doubt if she is going to get much sleep!)

Pumpkins

We carved pumpkins this weekend and got these wonderful battery-powered lights to go inside (no flames which is great with little kids) that change colors and really do a good job of illuminating the faces of the pumpkins. The boys each made their own, one happy and one sad and they are up in the window. On Monday's I pick up the boys from school afterwork and as it is getting dark earlier, I wondered if Mommy would have them turned on tonight when we got home.

Sure enough, we pulled into the driveway and there were the colorfully sad & happy pumpkins sitting up in the window for the boys to admire. What a great mommy they have. Oh, but it gets better cause they walked upstairs to thank her and she had their supper fresh out of the oven and ready to eat! What a great mommy they have.

To the doctor tomorrow for us to check on son # 3 inside that great mommy, keep him and her and all of us in your prayers please.

A Bulwark Never Failing

On Wednesday I sought strength and solice in Psalm 46. See post:

Today we celebrate Reformation Sunday and opened our service with Luther's own hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." Its a hymn he wrote close to 500 years ago, and is a paraphrase of that same Psalm 46. As I stood amidst the congregation singing with the organ on the opening verse, the word bulwark struck a chord with me. It is not used in all of the many english translations that exist of the hymn that Luther penned in German and though I'm sure I've sung it that way before, it stood out to me today.

It is comforting to know that our God is an awesome God. Our God is a Mighty Fortress. Our God is a bulwark...NEVER FAILING.

Romans 8:31b ~ If God is for us, who can be against us?

Doughnuts

My sons have a video from the library with an old short from the early sixties on it. It's a Homer Price story about a machine that makes doughnuts and won't stop making them and soon the little cafe is full of doughnuts. It makes us all hungry for doughnuts as we watch this silly little film, and inspired the poem below:

The simple fried cake batter with a hole in the middle,
Oh how I've loved thee, ever since I was little.

You fit on my finger, and taste great every bite,
It doesn't take long for you to be completely out of sight.

From the basic cake style to the glazed or the frosted,
Filled, sprinkled, twirled, no possibility have you exhausted.

The Long John, Eclair, and any claiming to be your cousin,
Cannot compare to a Sunday morning dozen.

Thanks for the joy you bring in a delictable round,
The champion of breakfasts you should surely be crowned.

Dad

I'm a dad. I have a dad. I have my third son on the way. Both my dad and my third son presently have health concerns. I am concerned. It's funny how God works sometimes.

This morning, in the midst of wanting answers about my own father and as a father about my own unborn son, our Men's Fraternity lesson was entitled, "What Every Dad Needs To Know." It was rich and powerful lesson and discussion that enriched the fathers present as much as it convicted them for falling short as dads. It closed with a video of Team Hoyt, a father and son team who run triathlons and marathons together, which can be seen on YouTube here:



That says it all about what Our Father Who Art In Heaven does for us, and what the father he provided for me here on earth has done for me, and the challenge that lays before me as a father to three sons God has gifted me with. May I rise each day thankful to God for the gifts and blessings he has bestowed and eager to do His will as a father to His children. What Every Dad Needs To Know is that God is there for us...it's just what I needed to know this morning!

I Need To Remind Myself today that

Psalm 46 (King James Version) ~
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Please keep my young unborn son in your prayers today and also my father who collapsed at home this morning and is in the hospital tonight still awaiting answers to the questions about his health, what happened, and what is in store for him. Stress test will be tomorrow. The eldest and least men in my family need our prayers, it is such a comfort to know that the Body of Christ that God has so richly blessed us with has responded to our calls in this time of stress for us. It is truly a comfort and joy to know that God is in control, and has provided us with so many friends and family that continuously remind us of that fact.

My THREE sons

Well, ultrasound was this morning and we are having a boy, our third. Cute little guy looked healthy in every way but one, so we have been referred to specialist and will undergo some further tests/ultrasounds to determine what, if anything is wrong, and monitor the situation. Please keep this precious, beautiful, smiling tiny boy in your prayers as we trust that God will keep him in His care.

Sciatica Sporadica

My sister--my bride, my dear beloved wife is suffering in her current pregnancy. Though I remember that her sporadic bouts of sciatica were just as bad in her previous pregnancies, she's convinced this is the worst it has ever been. The worst part about it is, it only seems to strike when she is the most relaxed. So I pray today for her pain to ease or a remedy arise to ease the stress on her sciatic nerve so that she may have a little comfort.

Going in the Strength You Have

Have you ever felt inadequate? Have you ever felt that you weren't up to the task? Have you ever looked at a home or work project and thought, "I need to hire someone who knows what they are doing to get this done?" Sometimes life in general throws those kind of curves at us. How can we cope with crisis in the family or finances or natural disasters, etc.? Gideon felt that way too:

Judges 6:12-16 (NIV) states ~ When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."

"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian."

The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

"But Lord , [a] " Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

Gideon saw his own strength as being inadequate...just as David's fellow Israelites would later see him as a boy being no match for the giant warrior Goliath. In neither case did God increase their size or strength, He sent both out with the strength they had. It was more than enough, for the faithful have God with them and no matter how weak they might be in appearance, a mustard seed of faith left in them makes them the strongest around. For our strength comes from Him whom, by grace through faith has redeemed us and made us new creations, strong and eternal! Our God truly is an awesome God and we should go forth each day, doing His will with the strength we have.

Ode to a Dust Bunny

Inspired by a day off housecleaning project:

The floor of our kitchen is like the wild, wild, west,

For there under the table, a tumbleweed finds rest.

A dust bunny just glides with the breeze in the room,

Hoping to avoid capture by the dustpan and broom.

Despite capture after capture though, they always return,

Generation after generation they never seem to learn.

A broom, mop, or vacuum, there typical demise,

My son once ate one, that was a surprise!

But as pets go, dust bunnies can't be beat,

They don't eat, poop, or bite, and stay under your seat.

No trips to the shelter or pet shop mind you,

You've already got them, don't tell them to shew!

Leave them a corner, a place out of the way,

They don't need to be walked, they don't even play.

But for dust bunny owners, the best part of all

To keep them happy, just don't clean your floors or your hall!

Praying for Bill

I think that Bill hates me. His new movie mocks all that I hold dear, but it seems Bill goes beyond mere mocking humor. Bill seemingly wants to prove that religion and religious devotees are the real root of the world's often violent turmoil. Bill seems to have malice toward me.

So what is a humble man of God to do? Jesus says:

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) ~ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I love you Bill. Further more, Jesus loves you. May God Bless you and help you find, and keep you in, His everlasting peace.

Final Debate...Both Lost

Neither of the two major-party candidates has done anything to win my vote this year. Now that the final debate is history...I've made up my mind.

Chuck Baldwin for President 2008

He is the closest to my own thoughts and feelings and in an era where change is the key to election, it's time we change the two party system that has done nothing but let us down and give us no real choices but more of the same. If you do what you've always done, expect to get what you've always got.

Now many will argue that my vote is then "wasted." I disagree. A vote for someone you don't agree with, or think is incompetent to lead simply because they are the candidate in one of the only two parties to win the Presidency since 1860 is in my mind, a bigger waste of a vote.

The only way to have a government OF, BY, and FOR the PEOPLE is to vote for who you think will do the best job in office, in getting the ideals you believe in most turned into action. It is not WE THE PARTY...it is WE THE PEOPLE, and its time the PEOPLE stood up and threw out the two party system that holds us back. Throwing it out starts by voting for a third party. The time has come...don't waste this opportunity...I know I won't.

We Got A Puppy!

Hey, my sister--my bride, finally caved in and let us get a puppy! She just couldn't resist those adorable little eyes and the tiny wet nose. Hey, and the best part is...













...he's ALREADY HOUSE TRAINED!




Our youngest with face paint courtesy of Sunday's Fall Family Festival at church!

Before the Dawn

I was up today before the dawn,
And watched you lay their sleeping.
I gently got up and out of bed,
And around it went silently creeping.
In the darkness you lay so still,
Your face against your pillow.
As the ceiling fan gently blew your hair,
Like a breeze whispering through a willow.
The comforter rose and fell again,
As your lungs took in and let out air.
And in the moment my heart did leap,
At your beauty oh so rare.

And it only gets better in the sunlight! Love you sweetie and thanks for not getting mad when the alarm goes off so early so I can get up and walk! Your the best.

Proper Alignment

Ever driven a vehicle that had a lousy front-end alignment. No, I'm not just talking about the ones that will veer right or left if you let go of the steering wheel, I'm talking the ones where at slower speeds the car literally shakes as the two front wheels want to go in different directions. The only way to stop the shaking is to either stop the car or get going fast enough that the tires are moving so quickly forward they can no longer pull to the right or left. (And no, I'm not recommending you do this) That is a car in desperate need of an alignment. If you don't get the alignment fixed, you'll soon be losing tires, possibly as you drive and that is a recipe for disaster.

How about our lives? Do our lives ever get so far out of whack that we are literally shaking as we try and live out each day? Is our heart and soul pulling us one way while our mind and sinful nature tugging us another? Yes, it happens to all of us from time to time, perhaps even more often than it does to our cars, but human alignment is something a doctor or psychologist can fix. Just like the car, not fixing the alignment in our lives can cause uneven wear and tear and eventually lead us to a disaster.

Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV) states ~"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

In God alone comes proper alignment. By grace, through faith, we are saved, we are brought into proper alignment by Jesus the Messiah's death upon the Cross and that is the only way we "WILL NEVER BE SHAKEN!"

Idiom-etry 101

If ignorance is bliss, would you know that it was?

If absences makes the heart grow fonder, why are two heads better than one?

Are slips of the tongue more likely when the drinks are on the rocks?

Would you really want to taste any but your own medicine?

If were all in the same boat, how can variety be the spice of life?

Why can't you cry over spilt milk yet you can argue if the glass was half empty or full?

If you don't let sleeping dogs lie, will they always get up on the wrong side of the bed?

How come the road never gets any of the ones for it?

If your back's up against the wall, at least you know you won't have to bend over backwards!

OK...BACK ON TRACK

My diet derailed over the summer, I had been at least maintaining my new weight though but need to get back on the horse and get busy getting healthier. The new assault begins Monday

Food Drive

Community Food Drive is underway and the school where I work has already filled an entire 15-passenger van and is started on another! The drive is hoping to collect 300,000 pounds of food on Friday.

It is amazing to see people pull together, even in the midst of a financial crisis, and meet the needs of the needy, serving God by serving others. God bless this community!

Energy Crisis

At our house, we are suffering through an energy crisis. As the evening temperatures continue to drop and cooler nights force us into closing up some of the windows, we are really starting to feel the pains of the energy crisis. No, we don't lack for heat, that we can afford with no problem. Our crisis relates directly to the energy of our younger son who never seems to tire. In fact, as the evenings wear on, he often seems to get fresher and more energized so that by an hour past his bedtime, he's just hitting his stride. He's 3 but seems to be on an 19 year old's schedule. And with that energy, and my wife and my's coinciding lack thereof, you have the energy crisis that is afflicting us each evening at bedtime. We don't have the energy for the patience we need and he had more than enough energy to outwit and outlast us both and worse yet, he knows it!

God give us the patience, strength, and endurance to reenergize ourselves and deenergize him in the days and weeks ahead.

Royal Tapestry

My sister--my bride got her hair done this week. My own words fail me in describing it so I resort to the Bible for these apt words:

Song of Solomon 7:5 (NIV) ~ "Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses."

I'm captivated sweety!

God's Bailout Plan

In a week of crisis and rescue, of tales of Woe and bailout plans, what would be more appropriate than a reminder of the only true bailout plan that ever worked, and still works for us today.

The present financial crisis is owed in part to disobedience to God's will for us, to coveting more or bigger or brighter, to over-indulging in the self rather than serving our neighbors, in essence, to sin. No amount of government intervention will help with sin. There isn't enough money in all the world's vaults to pay off the debt of sin. But God had a bailout plan.

Romans 3:22-26(NIV) ~"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—-he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

God's Bailout plan is THE BAILOUT Plan. Perhaps its time the country, in fact the world, got on board.

The Color of...Cars

A couple of classic witty lines from Mr. Newman to close out the homage week on Wit day.

"Pool excellence is *not* about excellent pool."

"I'll put it simple: if you're going hard enough left, you'll find yourself turning right"

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Newman's breakthrough role as Rocky Graziano uttering the title line "You know, I've been lucky. Somebody up there likes me."

It's not luck, and its not like

John 3:16 (NIV) ~ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."


It's grace and its love and its for all of us.

Hud

One of the classic lines uttered by Newman's Hud character kinda summarized Hud's entire philosophy of life when he said: "You don't look out for yourself, the only helping hand you'll ever get is when they lower the box"

Of course, Hud was all about himself. Selfish people will often find in the end that the only helping hand available to them are the ones that lower the box. Not so with the Body of Christ. We all serve God by serving others. Its a community effort, the Communion of Saints is and I cringe and think of Hud everytime I hear someone who says "I believe in God but I don't believe in church." It's the equivalent of saying I believe in the head but not in the body. Body of Christ IS the church! Those in the Body of Christ, that is those in the church are, and will continue to be, in receipt of the helping hands of their fellow Christians, and also the very ones offering their own hands to help others as well.

Hud is a sad tale of a lost soul who decided to go it alone and found, in the end, loneliness and despair. I'm so glad and thankful that God has adopted me into the Body of Christ through my baptism.

Road To Perdition

OK, its day three of the Paul Newman homage blogs and today is about my boys. So Road to Perdition seems so right. On a side note, the movie was partially filmed on location in West Dundee & Geneva, Illinois when my sister--my bride and I lived near there in Elgin and in fact, the salon where we both got our hair done was used as in the making of the movie. In the film, Paul Newman gives us the following line:

"Natural law. Sons are put on this earth to trouble their fathers."

In fact the whole movie is really about father/son relationships and at times, reality seems to bear true Mr. Newman's character's statement.

But that is because of the selfishness of the fathers, not the children. A father who would make the statement above is a father who's focus is upon himself. It is hard work to make a man out of a son, and many men seem to think that men are simply born, not made...but father's must make their sons men, we must all follow the example of God the Father who told his one and only Son, Jesus the Messiah, that he loved him, that he was proud of him, and that he was good. God give me the strength to raise up authentic men, and to make sure that I would never have the attitude that the blessing that they are in my life, was nothing more than trouble for me.

From The Terrace

In light of the financial crisis gripping the nation AND this being Monday, I day I dedicate my blog to my beloved wife and focus on Spouse issues AND this also being the week I dedicated to paying a "blogitory" homage to the late Paul Newman, I thought this line from his From The Terrace film covered all the bases. In the movie, Newman's character is struggling with the idea of divorcing his adulterous wife and is talking to his boss, who thinks that divorce is a worse sin than infidelity. One of his key lines in reasoning thus is this one:

"The problem of infidelity is between a husband, and wife, and God. The problem of divorce concerns the whole of civilization. What is marriage? An exchange of vows, a contract. It is my duty to myself and to any man who is working for me that he honor all his contracts. "

This past week and today in the financial world (and the political one for that matter) have all been about a lack of confidence, a lack of trust in the ability of others to honor their contracts (bad debt is really nothing more than a broken contract).

It is no less true in the marital world. I honor my wife and God by honoring my role as a husband. I am a sinner, so I often fall short of God's will for me as a husband but I am redeemed by Jesus the Messiah and by grace through faith am a saint, and therefore I strive daily to be all that my wife needs and wants and God asks me to be for her.

It is not surprising to me then that in a world that views marriage as temporary, convenient, and disposable, they likewise view debt the same way. How do we restore financial security? It might just start by honoring our vows to wives and husbands, for better or for worse.

Doc Hudson

Paul Newman died yesterday and I thought as a tribute to one of my favorite actors, I'd pay a little homage to the man by having each post this week have something to do with one of his characters. So it will be business as usual, SUNDAY, today will still be a devotion to my Lord and Savior, the ONE TRUE GOD, the twist being it will involve a Newman movie character. Same will go for the rest of the week.

My boys just love the movie CARS and it has one of the great historical plot themes running throughout it, Individual VS Community. In one of the key scenes, Paul Newman's character, Doc Hudson, asks the lead individualist in the world, Lightning McQueen, "When was the last time you cared about something except yourself, hot rod? You name me one time." McQueen is silent in response.

This plot is used so often and appeals so greatly because it is precisely this struggle that each person has faced from the beginning on through to today. Is about me or my neighbor? Do I focus on my self, or on others? Am I willing to die a little to my self, so that I can live the greater as part of the Body of Christ?

In the end, Lightning McQueen learns that he needs to be part of a team and Doc Hudson in turn learns he needs to have hope in the future. Both valuable lessons for us as Christians. God didn't put us here alone, he's equipped us with the wonderful Body of Christ, the fellowship of all believers. We make a great team with Jesus the Messiah, who defeated sin with His death upon the cross, as our head. Our leader who saves us all by grace through faith so that we may go out each day and serve God by serving others (be a community).

Why Kids Lie

Little boys lie...er...ah...exagerate. Little girls tell fibs.

Boys do it as part of masculine communication. Men don't want to be the same as the other guy, they need to be the Alpha male but they need that bond of brotherhood. They need guys by there side. So the exagerations of responding to one boy saying "my dad's car can go 100MPH," with "well, my dad's car can go 1000MPH!" is all part of that brotherhood bonding through one-ups-manship. It can go to infinity.

Girls do it as part of feminine communication. But they don't exagerate, they fib to connect. They don't want to be the unique one, the alpha female, they want to be just like the rest so they fib to connect with the others. So if one little girl says her daddy is a doctor, pretty soon every girl in the room's daddy is also a doctor. Its all about sisterhood and the need to be the same as the rest.

Below is a little ditty inspired by just such little kid lie's

My dad is stronger than your dad,
and his car can go faster too.

Well compared to my dad, yours is a lad,
and he wears a much smaller shoe.

Well, here comes Suzie, let's ask her who's dad is bad,
I'm sure she will tell us true.

Suzie, will you please not make me mad,
and give MY dad his due?

"I do not wish to make you sad,
but what ever does your dad do?"

He's a pro football player and really rad,
I thought for sure you knew?

"Oh you have made me oh so glad,
Cause that's what my dad does too!"

"And now that you mention it Brad,
that's what all of us girls' dads do!"

Be Right or Get it Right? That is the question.

As a man, a loving husband, a doting father, I struggle big time with being right. No, I don't mean that I'm wrong a lot, in fact, I rarely if ever am wrong ;)

No, the problem is that I like being right. I take pride in being right, and sometimes BEING right, is just plain wrong. When my focus is on BEING right in a situation with my sister--my bride then I'm getting it wrong. If my focus is on GETTING IT RIGHT, meaning resolving the conflict with dialogue (not the monologues or diatribes of the BEING RIGHT kind), WE, as in the two made one in the flesh, are both RIGHT! Talk about your tongue twisters.

We need to strive to GET IT RIGHT and stop worrying about BEING RIGHT all the time.

God, help me to grow and help me to die a little to self, so that I may live a lot! And grant my beautiful wife the patience to allow me to get to be all that You would have me be for her.

Robot Servants

My son won a Giant Joebot from school and it came yesterday and we batteried it up tonight. He can now use the remote to drive the 3 foot tall robot into the kitchen, use the walky-talky feature to tell me what he wants and I could load that into Joe's backpack and he can then drive it back to his master. My son can just lay on the couch and be served with the mere flick of a finger. Technology is so wonderful.

So how does it apply to the Body of Christ? You know, how are we to go about serving the Lord our God by serving others if all the service is being done by technology? Don't get me wrong. This is not some anti-technology rant here, I'm no Luddite and love my bread pre-sliced and enjoy coming to work on wheels. I just think the culture technology brings with it can endanger the Body of Christ and its servant heart. It can make us get so comfortable BEING SERVED, that we forget all about SERVING OTHERS.

Coming Into His Own

My three year old is fast approaching his fourth birthday and the past month has been a developmental flurry that often finds me daily with my jaw dragging the floor. He really has "come into his own" and though he is like a DVR, recording and repeating everything we (or anyone else for that matter) say, his personality resonates through. He recalls things we haven't seen or discussed in weeks like they were just yesterday, and zings me at least once a day with a complex sentence that fits perfectly into the context of the moment. It is so wonderful to see him develop, yet sad to see how fast he is going, knowing that sooner than I like, I will have to let him go. Slow down a little, little guy, but keep on chugging along!

Date Night

Took my sweetheart, that is my sister--my bride, out on a date night this weekend. We saw a show, Scrap Arts Music, at the University and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves sans sons (home with sitter). It was great just to be out with her, we even had a lunch date the day before, and even though we're in our ninth year of marriage and see each other every morning and evening and spend almost every night of the year together, it is still a fresh and wonderful thing to come up with something we can do and share as one...a date night. Thanks for the date sweetie. Love you louder than the scrap musicians could pound on their junk!

Plant, Water, Grow

This weekend was the last for the vegetable garden plants. Most had born their last fruit of the season and it was time to turn them into compost for next year. I planted, I watered, I got my fill of tomatos, peppers, and cucumbers, but no zucchini. Nope, not a single one...from two plants mind you. Both plants grew. Both plants flowered. Both plants failed to produce. In the end, there wasn't much I could have done differently. Gave them more nourishiment? Perhaps more open air? No telling. OK, I'm sure some Master Gardener would tell me what I did wrong. They'd have a myriad of explanations as to why I got no zucchini. But in the end, even the most expert of farmers can't guarantee their crop.

So it goes with God's word and faith

1 Corinthians 3:5-11(NIV)~ "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

As Christians, we often spend our time, even waste our time, focused on the planter and waterer. They may be "master gardeners" and "expert builders" but the growing takes place only by the grace of God on a foundation already laid, Jesus the Messiah. By grace through faith we are saved and can "come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—[we] also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Lord God, please help us to grow in Your will and Your way.

Ed Hochuli, Ed Hochuli

All I’ve heard all week long is Ed Hochuli, Ed Hochuli
And all I can say is I wish he had eaten more broccoli
For that supposedly improves one’s eyesight they say
And his call might have gone the other way
But really folks, while all this harshness and blame,
After all it really is just a game
And in truth it was an honest mistake
I didn’t catch it myself until the second take

And where oh where is the rest of the story?
That the Chargers defense came up short of glory,
Because after the blown call by our friend Ed,
Denver was backed up 9 yards, not moved ahead
It was the Charger defense and them alone
That could have kept the Broncos out of the end zone,
They gave up the TD, and yet were still up by a point
But they failed yet again, its they who disappoint
So enough with the scoffing, the blame, and the hate,
He didn’t cost you the game, it was your defense mate!

This is my ode to all those whining Charger fans that need to get back in touch with reality a little. Cutler GAVE YOU A GIFT, you didn't force that fumble, and Hochuli's error took the GIFT from you. It didn't put the ball in the end zone. Your defense could have still stopped the Chargers, you let them score. You then get another GIFT, they go for two and if you stop that you win anyway, AGAIN, you failed to stop the Broncos. YOUR DEFENSE LOST THE GAME, not Ed Hochuli. Move on and beat the Jets

Death By Hanging

Hung out with the men this morning at Men's Fraternity and another rich lesson with tough challenges lay before us again. In our small group we realized two important things: first, we needed to hold each other accountable as far as meeting the challenges we were being tasked with and second, we all needed to "Die to live"

At one point, it was posited that we needed an accountability punishment, what should the group do to the guy who didn't do his challenge work for the week. I humorously deflected the serious question with "Death By Hanging" Funny how the Holy Spirit can work sometimes. It was a joke, but it reminded all of us of the "Die to Live" concept we'd gone over the past couple weeks (and HAD NOT brought up this week) and it fit. We do need to Die to self by Hanging in there with our spouses. We need to die to self and hang in there with our brothers as well because we all realized how tough this truly is and how much easier it can be if you have the support of the other men in your group.

Great session, great group, what a great day the Lord has made!

Fear Factor

Tonight we talked about fear in our Book of Daniel class. Who in the text was afraid and what were they afraid of and how did that motivate their actions (or conversely how did they overcome that fear to act)?

It got me to thinking about "Fear" in the context of our faith again and that brought me back to a post I made about the Body of Christ back in March that really has relevance to what we discussed in class tonight.

Click on the link below to read that post

Fear is a Terrible Companion post

When it was all said in done, Daniel had friends. We tend to remember Daniel standing alone in the palace, but he has companions who stand with him. They had a lot to fear, the official had a lot to fear, but in the end, God provided...we SHOULD fear and love God!

Good to Bad and Back Again

Oh what a difference a day makes. Last week our kindergartner went from the epitome of integrity to the depths of dastardly. Every child will have his bad days just like every adult saint is also a sinner, and our son was no exception last week. The good news is that he has made a recovery from the bad day and has shown no eagerness to return to naughtiness.

Our 3-year old still tries to instigate the naughty...but even he is coming around and tonight even gave me a performance of his ABCs...albeit to delay his bedtime...but nonetheless a flawless effort of reciting the alphabet followed by the counting of numbers 1-15.

They keep us on our toes.

Yep, Soup Fer You

My beloved wife, aka my sister--my bride, made a fabulous soup from scratch yesterday. The scent of it was a delight all day long filling our house with joyous anticipation of our evening meal. It was created with one of her mom's recipes and ingredients from our vegetable garden (supplemented by fresh store bought veggies) and complimented by a grilled cheese sammich.

What a blessing God gave me through His creation of taste buds and the culinary gift he's blessed my bride with. Oh what fun it is to eat at my house. Yummy!

Where Has All The Harmony Gone?

We live in a society and culture that stresses the individual. It is rare thing today to find singing groups based on a combined set of voices, and if you do find one, they are likely to soon be breaking up to pursue "solo" projects. No one wants to be the voice lost in the crowd, they want to standout. We want our space, our facebook page...yes we even want our BLOG space where we get our say, where our voice gets heard over the crowd of others.

1 Peter 3: 8-9 (NIV): "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

Compassion, sympathy, love, humility...these are what it takes to live in harmony according to the Word and that means being selfless. Repay evil or insult with what? Well, with a blessing of course. Someone puts you down, cuts you off, causes you harm...bless them. That is a tough one I know. But what else can we do for our own evil, our own insults, our own sins against God which justifiably earned us all the death penalty, were repaid with a blessing, the blessing of Jesus the Messiah and who took on that punishment for us and died so that by grace through faith we have life eternal. Eternal life doesn't begin when you die and go to heaven, by grace through faith we are already living it, so why not live in harmony with one another and lend our voices to the mighty chorus singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men"

Where has all the harmony gone? It is right here, right now, we just need to live it out.

Red, White, and Blue Today

Patriot Day was a day ago so why am I in Red White and Blue?
I was supposed to wear that yesterday, could I have missed my cue?
Or is it that this was a conscious choice, something I planned to do?

You see I believe in the response, not the tragedy, but the reaction.
Its not about the calamities, but rather the follow-on action
And so I wear my colors TODAY, as a reminder of that abstraction

Patriot Day was yesterday and that I cannot deny
I wear my colors on the day after, primarily as a way to imply
That every day, on "We The People," I surely can rely
And what else would you expect from one born on the FIFTH of July!



I'm wearing my Red, White, and Blue today to remind myself that America is defined not by the tragedies, but rather by how we have lived and responded in the wake of those tragedies.

Seven Years Ago Today

Seven years ago today I was working as a customer service rep for a big corporation. I hated the job. I started at that company a year before in a job I enjoyed but had been "moved up" to customer service and it was awful. Managers and middle managers and productivity consultants all with different ideas changing things every other day and the only respite being 40+ calls a day from customers who were angry and upset and ready to let YOU know it. I dreaded going to work. It was getting to the point where I would arrive in the parking lot in the morning and pray in the car for God to please give me an easy day. That Tuesday was one of those days. Monday had been a bad day. So I sat in my car and prayed for an easy day and went in to work. By mid-morning the phones weren't ringing. No one's phone was ringing...it was as if the phone lines had suddenly been cut. It was the quietest morning I had spent in customer service. By lunch time the corporate office had decided to close up business for the day and wouldn't reopen until Thursday. Had God answered my prayer? Should I have prayed for a difficult day instead?

Seven years ago today was a benchmark in the lives of so many. It changed so many lives, so many families, so many communities. People spent today remembering. Remembering loved ones departed. Remembering where they were or how they found out. Remembering the tragic images of that day seven years ago. I remember that I sat in my car and prayed for an easy day at work, and unfortunately I got exactly what I had wanted.

May God comfort those in need of comfort today and continue to heal the wounds still festering in the hearts of so many people, so many families, and so many communities

F3 is Back

Hurray, today is the day, we finally get F3 going again after the long summer layoff. That means our congregation's Wednesday programs are back in session, from 4s on up through confirmation, then youth and adult options as well, every square inch of space and young and old alike will gather tonight, for some Family, Faith, and Formation (and likewise some Food, Fellowship, and Fun!).

I've missed seeing many I only see on Wednesday's (as they attend different worship times from me) and spending that time in the Word. This wil be my first chance to actually attend F3 class, as I've been teaching Crossways throughout the first two years that we've had this so it is very exciting for me in that regard as well. May God continue to bless our congregation through F3 as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts minds, both young and old.

Integrity

When my kindergartener started school a couple weeks ago, he started on a system where his behavior in class would be measured in colors for each day. Each night he would bring home a folder which would indicate whether or not he was good (green), had a discipline issue (yellow), or worse behavior yet (other colors). Up until yesterday, he has brought home green every day of school. Yesterday was a yellow day. We asked him about it last night and he quickly told us that he had hit one of his classmates. We challenged him to return to school today and apologize to that student and strive to get back in the green the rest of the week. My sister--my bride took him to school this morning and informed his teacher that he was to apologize to his classmate that he had hit the day before and that we had talked to him about not getting any more yellows this week. She looked surprised and then asked the aide if my son had had a yellow yesterday. They both had him down as green, he'd been fine yesterday. So they asked him why he had colored yellow in the box on his folder for yesterday instead of green. He responded that he did that because he had hit his classmate and that was wrong.

I guess when you are wearing the full armor of God at school, things like honor and integrity matter, even in kindergarten. Well done son. (And to your brother as well as he has been spectacular in his adjustment to pre-school and not seeing his brother most of the day)

Maternity Wear

One of the things my sister--my bride has noticed with this current pregnancy is that much of what is in fashion today can be mistaken for maternity wear AND vice-a-versa. Her recent acquisition of a few new maternity outfits made her stop and think that she could possibly wear some of this stuff after she gave birth. From the husbands perspective though it is all about answering that dreaded question: "How does this look on me?"

I'm of the opinion that this question should only be asked as a multiple choice question AND THEN, ONLY AFTER the spouse tells you their own answer first. It should go like this:

The wife asks: "Honey, how does this new top look with these pants? Is it A fine B kinda off C makes me look fat, or D who'll even notice with as bad as my hair looks? I'm leaning toward B, what do you think?"

The husband, after careful consideration says "E"

The wife groans "your choices were A, B, C, or D!"

The husband quickly retorts (best done while ducking at the same time): "E is always ALL OF THE ABOVE, dear, and the answer is almost always ALL OF THE ABOVE on multiple choice tests!"



All kidding aside, my wife usually never puts me on the spot like that and never gets upset if I tell her the truth and will actually thank me when I suggest something doesn't look quite right. Furthermore, is there anything more beautiful than a pregnant woman? You're gorgeous sweetie!

Preparedness

"Did you take your umbrella? It looks like rain today."

Has your wife ever sent you out in the morning with one of those? It's her way of saying, "be prepared." As winter rapidly approaches I'm sure the news shows and papers will trot out their annual "how to prepare your house, your car, your yard, your pet, your physical health, etc. for winter" segments. This past few weeks has seen the same with how to prepare for football/tailgate season. Its all about being prepared. Who wants to be the one guy sloshing through the monsoon soaked to the bone cause you forgot an umbrella as you go into work in the morning? Who wants to be the one at the tailgate with a grill, brats, canopy, lawnchairs, frisbee, radio, and friends, only to realize you forgot the charcoal? Ok, so maybe the person parked next to you lets you in under his umbrella and all your tailgating friends love brat-cicles or again, the person parked next to you brought an extra bag of charcoal. Who would you rather be then, the unprepared one or the guy parked next to you (aka, the prepared one)? Yes...we all would rather be prepared. That's why we go to the trouble of making packing lists for trips, having that emergency kit in the trunk of the car, or installing that sump pump battery back-up. So are we prepared to witness?

1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV): "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER

ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER

Wow is that scary. For many of us, always being prepared to give an answer depends on our ability to always avoid being asked the question! It's easy to be prepared to give an answer when you go out each day purposefully avoiding the potentiallity for such a question. We'll study for an exam, we'll watch the weather each night and dress & accessorize accordingly the next morning, we'll weatherstrip and insulate and pack that emergency road side kit in the trunk, but do we ever bother to be ready with THE ANSWER? We live in a world where that question can and is being asked every day by people desperate for the answer...AND WE HAVE IT! So where is our confidence? Where is our preparedness? Are we ready to breech that home and hearth threshold each morning and go into the world ready to share will all who ask that God loved the world so much he gave his one and only Son so that none of us that believe in Him will ever perish?

Oh we know the truth. We know we are equipped by the Holy Spirit to give THE ANSWER. We know THE ANSWER. We live our lives by THE ANSWER. And yet, for many of us it is just easier to avoid the question than it is to be prepared to GIVE THE ANSWER. Lets get prepared. Lets get ready to go out and seek the seekers! Lets SHARE THE ANSWER. We are not alone. The Word is filled with reluctant messengers called to share THE ANSWER with an angry and disagreeable world. It is our turn. We need to step up and go. Preparing for that rainy day? Look outside...it's pouring!