Leaving...on a jet plane...

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

worth dying for...

"Essentially, I went to Iraq because I believe in a God of scandalous grace. I have pledged allegiance to a King who loved evildoers so much he died for them, teaching us that there is something worth dying for but nothing worth killing for."

Shane Claiborne, talking about why he went as a peacekeeper to Iraq
From "The Irresistible Revolution"

Waking up is "hard" to do?

Not the greatest pictures... but man... I wish we could all wake up like my daughter.

These are taken probably within 2 minutes of each other...

Pulling back

My daughter is growing up... and it is just amazing to watch. She was around 6 months old when I took this picture. That is her sleeping... as caught by her baby monitor. (My wife and I have decided we are going to keep this camera well into her teen years.) We call this, "Lydia TV!" ("All Lydia, all the time.")

It is amazing how much joy this video baby monitor has brought to our lives. Originally purchased for her safely/my paranoia, it has been a bonding thing for my wife and me as we watch her sleep. When we first got it, she would easily fit within the shot on the camera. Sometimes during the night, she would slip down out of the view of the camera. (The vanishing baby trick.) By the time this was taken, she could not fit all of her body in the shot.

Eventually, I had to pull back. In two years, she has grown so much that now, in order to see her, we moved the camera back so that, basically, her entire crib is in the shot. Where she once had so much room in her crib it was laughable, she now often has limbs sticking out one side with other limbs sticking out the other. As she grows, continual adjustments had to be made.

I don't know, but maybe much of parenting is learning the art of pulling back. I'm not sure what this means exactly, but I know after 2 years, the way I relate to my daughter is already changing. She is getting some independence. Although most of the time, she still would rather be with her mother or me... every now and then, she just wants to be alone. And so I pull back.

By pulling back, I get perspective. By pulling back, more comes into my vision.

But it's hard... and many people don't navigate this well.

"And a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife... "

"God, remind me that the "one flesh" relationship is with my wife... not my daughter. Remind me that my goal in life is not to cleave to her, but to my wife. That our marriage was meant to be permanent, and that the goal of parenting is designed to be temporary. Help me to enjoy these years with her to their fullest, to help her to grow... and to pull back."

Haggard

My sincere hope is that my collegue is on the road to healing and restoration, but it takes me almost three weeks to change my socks.

I knew it!

Okay, my blog strike is over. Rumor has it that someone has snuck on my computer over the past couple of days, logged on using my username and password, and has been making posts using my name!

The nerve of some people!

I, for one, have been wayyyyyy to busy to do something as worthless as blog.

But now, for the really important stuff.

Ready?

I'm glad I'm using Safari and Firefox.

My friend Tobias was right.

Bill Gates is the anti-Christ.

And I have found proof.

Now, wasn't that worth the wait until I finished my blog strike?

On Strike

Due to the comments of certain members of the blogging community, I am officially on a blog strike.

It appears my comments are not prized and my valuable opinions aren't sought.

I feel nothing but disillusionment. :O)

I also am way too busy, with way too much to do, to spend anytime reading certain blogs of little or no sociological value.

I hope you all enjoy writing your posts without my commentary

Some Favorites, part 1

On Sunday, the team that went to Honduras got together to show our favorite pictures. Thought I would share some with you all.



I have nothing profound to say and won't comment on any of them...

yep... here they are...

I am so stinkin' busy...

For Patrick

ahhhhhh...

I'm not sure... is this really wise? Is this really a smart thing to do?

Great PR guys.

MP3

Okay...Does anyone know how I can post an MP3 song to this blog?

Can any of you do this through your hosting spot?

I really want you to hear a song.

No, seriously.

No, you really need to hear this.