The Eternal Pumpkin

No, I haven't dropped out of the ministry and joined the Charlie Brown Cult. This photo was taken in front of our house four days before Easter. Before Easter!!! We bought this pumpkin sometime back in mid-October. We decided to have a fall harvest theme back then (That's Christian for Halloween) and it seemed okay so we decided to leave it through Thanksgiving.

After that it seemed a shame to just throw it out since it was still rock solid and not rotting at all. It looked a little strange with the Christmas tree but we decided to live with it. This week, with fear and trembling I decided to pick it up and see if it was ready for the trash heap. I gingerly lifted it off the ground with trepidation and to my absolute amazement it was still solid!

Is this common or has my pumpkin petrified? If any of you have had a similar experience let me know. For now I'm considering it our second pet. I'll keep you posted on its survival.

Random Grace Shots

As you can see by this first photo, Grace is just thrilled to be dressed up in one of her new outfits. Funny, I think Jenn is having much more fun at the moment than Grace. Hmm.


These next three photos are a few of the first times we started consistently feeding food to Grace. honestly she loves eating and is a natural at it. I guess she gets that from her dad!




This is one of those odd shots that what she is wearing blends into her little floor play mat. At first I thought it was unintentional but now I'm not so sure. Anyway, it was cute in my opinion.


I don't know how she picked up this habit but a few months ago now she just started sucking her fingers. I guess all kids do it at some point but if she can't find her pacifier in the middle of the night she will start sucking her fingers. In 2017 as I am paying the orthodontist I will remember this picture.


This last picture is just one more of Jenn's torture shots. I have this fundamental sense of human decency and dignity. Although Grace is too young to defend herself she should still be afforded basic human rights such as life, liberty and the ability not to be embarrassed by her mom. So much for the Geneva Convention.

The Best Question Ever?

I finally bought it. What am I talking about? I finally bought the book that I saw several months back. Oh, you probably don’t remember me even mentioning it but I have made a few references to it. The book is written by Andy Stanley and it is titled, “The Best Question Ever.” (Andy Stanley. The Best Question Ever. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2004) Being a book-lover (bibliophile) I was intrigued by what could possibly be the best question ever.

He argues that asking yourself this question will help you in making decisions, avoiding financial ruin, saving your marriage, sparing yourself from painful emotional scars, help you to never get caught up in addictive sin, and guide you toward the fulfillment of your dreams. Pretty impressive claims! But could the book deliver? I finally broke down and bought the book to find out.

It took until the third chapter for Stanley to actually get to the question and it took three more chapters to develop the question to its final form. So, to save you from spending $16.99 (plus tax) I will share with you what the best question ever is. Are you ready for it? (No, that wasn’t it!) Here it is, the best question ever is, “What is the wise thing for me to do?” (32)

Huh? That’s it?!? You probably expect me to tell you that I return the book after reading that. Actually, it intrigued me and I kept reading. Not because it is so profound but because it is so obvious yet most of the time we miss it. We never ask ourselves this question when it matters most. The author looks at this question from three angles.

First, “In light of your past experience, what is the wise thing to do?” (43) He then explores our past to see what unique struggles and temptations we have. A quick point here, we are not talking about obvious moral issues. Clearly you should NEVER leave your wife and marry your mistress. But even there the question is appropriate because that would not be wise. Here we apply the question to our unique background. If we have struggled with internet pornography should we not have internet access at home? If we struggle with debt in the past should we get rid of our credit cards? Is it wrong to have a credit card? No. Is it wrong to have internet access? No, but if these things are in your past then it potentially is not wise for you.

The second angle is this, “In light of my current circumstances, what is the wise thing to do?” (47) We know that there is an ebb and flow to life. Sometimes we are up and other times we are down. It is important that we take into account our current emotional situation and state of mind when we make a decision. (47-48) Otherwise we can make rash emotional decisions that will cause ourselves and others pain. I think of some emails that I am glad I took 24 hours before sending (I can also think of the ones I didn’t wait to send and have regretted doing that).

The final angle is this, “In light of my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do.” (52) The decisions we make now rob ourselves of our desired future. We may want to have children who love and adore us when they are older. However, we don’t give them the time of day right now. We want to have a happy, healthy marriage but we are unwilling to call off the friendships with others of the opposite sex. If we made our present decisions in light of our desired future many decisions would be made differently. If we want to have money in the bank and money for retirement that means we can’t always buy the newest car, the nicest house, the biggest TV nor have the most extravagant vacations. These nice things may not be wrong in themselves but if you have limited income you can’t afford filet minion on a ground beef salary.

Okay, all of this is obvious. I know, this is pretty simple stuff. But I have one question for you, why do so many people not do this? Most of us know enough about the Bible and life to know what we ought to do. But so often we do otherwise. I wish this wasn’t the case but I know that it often is. You can debate if this truly is the best question ever. However, I think it is a pretty good question to ask yourself. If you consistently apply this to your life you will avoid many pitfalls and personal pain.

Baby Grace's Dedication in Pictures

A special thank you goes to Jim and Ruth Larson who were so kind to open their home to us following the dedication for a time of celebration with special friends and family.

Reflection on Grace's Dedication

On Sunday Morning February 12 we had baby Grace dedicated to the Lord. In reality the dedication is more for Jenn and me as parents to commit publicly before God to raise Grace in a godly Christian environment, to set an example of a faithful follower of Christ and to teach her about Jesus Christ.

The act of dedication does not give her any special inroad to becoming a Christian. However, there is much value in our consistently showing her God's love and teaching her God's word, the Bible. She is a demonstration of God's undeserved favor to us and by placing her in a Christian home God has bestowed upon her grace as well.

I have observed over the years in Christian homes, particularly pastor's homes, that how the parents live influences greatly whether or not a child will later walk with the Lord. As a friend to many pastor's kids (PK's) I have seen all kinds of different outcomes among the kids. While I attended a Christian college I began asking myself what made such a big difference. I came to some tentative conclusions that I think have been born out since then.

Over the years I have watched closely every pastor's family I know. My conclusion is very straightforward. The kids who grew up watching their parents consistently live out their faith were attracted to the message of Christianity. If their parents live the same way at home as at church, if they showed the same values and had the same passion for God privately as in public, the kids generally did well. If the parents were inconsistent (read hypocrites) then the kids usually became jaded and cynical towards the Christian faith.

This held true for pastors' families as well as those families in the congregation. I was youth pastor in the same place for six years and have followed up with some of the families for the last five years since then and I have seen this hold true. If the kids started to go off track morally or spiritually my first area to begin questioning is what was going on at home. Inevitably I would find that there was some serious problems at home. It almost was a given. Sometimes the inconsistency was so glaring it was amazing to me that the parents themselves didn't see it.

Are there exceptions to this? Of course. There are times when parents do everything they can and their kids still make bad choices. Yet I think this is the extreme exception. However, I think that parents are quick to look outside the home for the answers to their kids issues because they are afraid to look at themselves and see that maybe some of the problem begin there. It could be that the parents are too rigid and won't let the kids be kids. It could be that the parents have no guidelines and the kids have no direction. Often it is the parents have one set of "stated" rules and another set that they live by. Nothing makes even me more cynical than that.

Of course the real issue having seen this for so much of my life is to not repeat it in my own family. That is the number one goal in my life right now. Will I be perfect? Yeah, right try again. I am not that diluded. But hopefully Grace will grow up seeing that her dad is trying to be the best man of God that I can be by God's grace. Fortunately that has been my experience in what I have observed in other families.

Parents don't have to be perfect. They won't be perfect. Yet the families that show consistent love and stability, have parents who love each other, set down reasonable and consistent guidelines, and try to live out what they believe generally have stable families and raise children who believe.

I don't write this as an inditement on anyone else. I write it as a challenge to myself to live up to what God has called me to be. Where and when I fall short I plead for God's grace to make up for my shortcomings. May I always strive to live up to what I believe.

Soli Deo Gloria!

A Day at SeaWorld, San Diego

We got there just in time for the Shamu show at SeaWorld. Pretty amazing what they can teach to a five ton animal!

This is just a great picture! We were about to going into the Arctic Adventure when I snapped this shot. Grace had a great day here. Too bad I can't put up the video with the polar bears. Her face was classic.

This is in the "ice cave" in the polar bear section of the park. It was funny because there is background noise we didn't know about and Jenn went in and heard this polar bear roar and came running back out which made me laugh.

This was an amazing picture for me. Imagine my surprise when I turned around and saw a future presidential hopeful in my midst. I couldn't believe that the Senator from New York would be here, oh wait a minute, that's not her...never mind.

This is one of those shots where you get a little extra in the background. That's me swimming behind Jenn and Grace!

I think this killer whale is named Winfrey, Orca Winfrey. Okay, bad joke. I won't quit my day job.

And you though I had a big mouth!

What is a "hate crime"?

There is an interesting dilemma that has developed over this story and it has to do with the nature of "hate crimes." What investigators and prosecutors are wrestling with is the question of does this constitute a "hate crime"? The reason they are unsure are twofold, first the churches that have been burnt down are predominantly white churches. Had these been African-American churches and the arsonist was white then it would clearly fall under the rubric of a "hate crime." the second issue is the fact that it is a church rather than a synagogue or mosque. Can it be a "hate crime" because Christianity is a dominant religion?

Please hear me out, my point is not that this should be considered a "hate crime," because I don't believe it should. In fact, this situation reveals the logical absurdity of the concept of "hate crime" in the first place. Our justice system is set up to punish people based on their behavior. Do I suspect that the person or persons starting this fire have hate in there heart? Duh! It surely isn't motivated by love. However, is there action worse because they have hate in there heart than if they did it out of calloused indifference? Should the punishment be greater because they did it out of "hate"?

There is a grave danger here when we start legislating based on people's feelings rather than intent. This is different from determining if a crime was premeditated or on the spur of the moment. If a person plans to murder someone else and tries to do so in a way to cover up his tracks there is clearly more intent involved than if it is a spontaneous argument that gets out of hand and someone unintentionally gets killed.

Here is where we delve into moral quicksand. Lets say the person who is being killed is a minority or a homosexual, is the crime inherently worse than if the person was white? The dead guy is still dead regardless of his race or sexual preference. The murderer is still guilty of first degree premeditated murder regardless of WHY he killed the other guy. Is the life more valuable because the guy was a minority or gay? Should we punish the guy even more because of it? Can we really make a distinction that this was a "hate crime" as opposed to regular old murder? If a white guy kills a white guy isn't it pretty obvious there was "hate" there or at least really bad feelings?

Do you see my point, if it is wrong it is wrong regardless of the victim's background. If the arsonist is torching churches because they are churches or he is just doesn't like tall, pointy roofs on buildings he should be punished for his actions. Only time will reveal if these crimes are "hate" motivated but I have a hunch that they are not motivated by love.

A Million Big Retractions

On my last blog I criticized the fictionalize account of the book, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. What was so concerning was the disregard for the truth both by the author and the book's main promoter Oprah Winfrey. Fortunately the desire for truth does still hold some sway in our country.

If you click on the title of this blog above you will be directed to an article giving the follow-up to last week's discussion. In the time since the story broke pressure has been brought to bear on the author and Oprah for her comments on Larry King Live.

As I said in my last blog, the real concern that I had was the way in which the concept of truth is being dealt with in popular culture. Oprah's initial comments about the book were disturbing if that line of reasoning (or lack of reasoning) were applied in everyday life. No longer would it matter if something is true as long as it has the desired emotional response.

This goes to the heart of the issue in our Postmodern culture. News (or history) is not about the facts but about interpreting events to portray a desired end. According to conventional wisdom there is no such thing as "truth" with a capital T (as Francis Schaeffer commented prophetically years ago) then talking about events or history is only about competing stories vying for power.

Case in point with the initial discussion in my last blog. What was expressed by Oprah (perhaps unwittingly) was that very notion. As long as it had the desired emotional impact and changed people's lives then the truthfulness of Frey's assertions didn't really matter. To use another Schaeffer quip, "Modern Man has both feet firmly planted in mid-air."

If we divorce ourselves from the concept of truth then we are left adrift on the creek of subjectivity without a paddle. As Frey found out, being confronted by truth can be a humbling reality. The nature of true is such that it is very exclusive. Everything contrary to it is inherently false. It would be nice to be able to fashion our own reality. After concluding this blog I would be driving my Ferrari back to the mansion to sit in my hot tub overlooking the ocean while U2 plays a private set for me as background music.

In reality I will be driving my Subaru to my rental house to listen to U2 on my iPod. Oh well!

A Million Little Lies

I am not sure if any of you have been following the controversy over the last week concerning James Frey's book, A Million Little Pieces. If you click the title above it should take you to one of the news stories about the controversy. The gist of the controversy is this, James Frey wrote a book a few years back about his life as a former drug addict, alcoholic and and criminal. He told sensational stories about what happened during different drug episodes and during various arrests and imprisonments. The book has sold millions of copies especially after Oprah Winfrey made it a book club selection on her T.V. show last fall.

Only one problem, apparently much of what he wrote in his "Memoir" are flat out lies and fabrications! This last week the website, "The Smoking Gun" wrote an extensive article outlining all off the lies and deception. Frey's lawyer has been threatening the website with a lawsuit for months if they published their story. Of course the website had one thing in their favor, namely THE TRUTH! Frey had lied in his book. He had made up people, events and situations. He had exaggerated his alcohol and drug use. What he wrote was a lie.

Confronted with the truth of these allegations, Frey should had responded with shame and remorse. He should have publicly come out and retracted his statements and agreed to rewrite the fallacious sections in his book.

Ah, but not so in this postmodern world. Truth is irrelevant if the made up "TRUTH" has helped people. Frey appeared on Larry King Live to defend his book. He is not saying that everything he wrote was totally accurate, only that his lies are just like everyone else's who writes memoirs.

Read one quote from the show cited in an AP news article:

Frey has acknowledged to The Smoking Gun that he embellished parts of the book and he said so again Wednesday night on "Larry King Live," stating that alterations were common for memoirs and defending "the essential truth" of "A Million Little Pieces."

"The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism," he said. "The emotional truth is there."

Did you catch that last line, "The emotional truth is in there." What does that mean? How can there be emotional truth if there is not TRUE truth? Later on in the show Oprah called in to defend Frey. Interestingly, she never said what he said was actually true or that the book accurately reflected Frey's life. As long as it helped people then it was "true for you." Here's her comment again quoted in AP:

"If you're an addict whose life has been moved by this story and you feel that what James went through was able ... to help you hold on a little bit longer, and you connected to that, that is real. That is real," she said. "And it's ... irrelevant discussing, you know, what happened or did not happen to the police."

Notice some key phrases: "life has been moved" "you feel" "to help you" "you connected" and then the shocking comment, "that is real." Then she says it is irrelevant discussing if it actually happened!!! In other words, it doesn't matter if you believe a lie as long as it is meaningful to you. The fact that it is meaningful makes it "true for you." It's all about you, truth is inconsequential.

Even if you are not familiar with the events above, the issue should be clear. We live in a world that devalues truth and puts a premium on emotional experience. Truth is unnecessary as long as what you believe helps you. I think Frey and Oprah's motivation for defending the book are different. Frey embellished his life in order to sell more books. Who wants to read a run of the mill turn around story? Oprah is afraid that thousands of people who quit drugs or alcohol because of being inspired by this book might relapse and return to that lifestyle. The concern is commendable but not at the expense of truth.

Paul addressed the issue of truth almost 2,000 years ago in the Bible. The issue was the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some thought, even if Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead that's okay as long as it makes your life meaningful and it helps you. Even today some say that if Christianity makes you a better person or changes your life that is fine even if the events are a canard (deliberately misleading statement), it doesn't matter because of all the good it does. Hogwash!

To that the Apostle Paul replied, "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." (1 Corinthians 15:14) Beyond that he says that he would be a "false witnesses of God." (v. 15) If Jesus did not actually rise again from the dead in real life then, "your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." (v. 17) He concludes, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." If we based our lives on a lie we be pitied. Why?

Simply because it would be a waste of my life to base it on a lie. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead literally and physically then we are not forgiven of our sins, the whole basis of Christianity has been proven false and living for Christ is a fool's errand. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead we should live it up in this life because this is all there is. Forget restraint. Forget moral improvement. Forget trying to glorify God. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die!

But of course Jesus did rise again from the dead!

Here's my point, don't buy into the postmodern garbage that truth is unimportant or irrelevant. As Christians we sometimes try to accommodate to culture in order to reach people. I have had well-meaning Christians tell me that we shouldn't try to use apologetics to reach the lost. We should just compare out story to theirs and the winsomeness of our story will convert others. NO, a thousand times no. We are people of the truth. We stand on our faith because it is true in the real world. We should stand up and expose falsehood and help people see the importance of truth.

Yes, Christianity is helpful. Yes, it has changed my life. But the reason it has is because it is TRUE. Don't sacrifice truth at the altar of postmodernism.

Christmas in the Midwest

Here are a couple pictures of my parents with their granddaughter for the first time! It was such a joy to have my parents hold our baby for the first time. Like everyone else, they didn't want to let go. My mom suggested we could leave her in Wisconsin. After eight kids what is one more to raise?




I absolutely love this next shot of grace. Poor girl had to be bundled up like a giant pink snowball every time we ventured outside. The weather wasn't too bad for the midwest but she's been a California girl her whole life!


The next two shots are just a few of the pictures we took with the family. On Christmas day most of the extended family crammed into my parents old house in Waukesha, WI for a festive get together complete with tamales, chicken and mole, ham and mashed potatoes, and every other food you can imagine. Truly an eclectic feast!




These next two shots were taken when we were visiting Chicago before Christmas. One of the coolest kids I've ever known, Alex Mrakovich, hung out with Jenn, Grace and me for the day and we ventured down to the Miracle Mile on Michigan Avenue. The weather was amazing for December in Chicago and the streets were packed with shoppers.




That night one of most amazing musicians I know put on a concert in downtown Wheaton. it was a great time to see a bunch of the guys who were in my old youth group from Lombard Bible Church. Most of the guys in the pictures I've watched grow up from grade school to become godly young men walking with the Lord and ministering in local churches. I don't think there is a greater joy as a pastor than seeing people you ministered to continuing to walk with the Lord.




The next picture is of one of my best friends and his wife, Jason and Megan Mkrtschjan. Jason was the best man at my wedding in 2004 and I returned the favor last year. He is an amazing musician who has a phenomenal new album coming out in just a few weeks. Look for one of my future blogs to feature his new album and links to listen and purchase it for yourself!


The following picture is Jason's mom, Cheryl with Grace. She insisted I take the picture and put it on my blog then changed her mind after seeing it. Oh well, I already said I would so here it is Cheryl!!! Ha!


This couple have been my friends and mentors for the last decade. Gus and Marge have been a home away from home and they have shown me love and fellowship throughout the years that goes beyond description.


This next couple, Paul and Diane, along with Jenn and Grace are another special couple to me. When I first moved to Lombard they welcomed me into their home and family like no other couple I know. They are an amazing couple and have truly been an encouragement and inspiration to me. Their son was born extremely premature over 22 years ago and has grown up to become a good man and a good friend.



Finally, here are some Chicago shots. Again the best of the 200 plus that I took. These are all on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. There is no other city in the world like Chicago. New York may have Broadway and L.A. has Compton, but Chicago is my kind of town. (Only you Californians are going to get the L.A. comment)






That's all for now. For those of you actually reading this, one other thing. After much prayerful consideration and discussion it was decided that Jenn would continue to be a full-time mother and shortly before Christmas announced officially that she would not be returning to work. Continue to pray for us as we make those adjustments financially. Thanks again for your interest.

Please leave comments if you read this. I'd love to know who's looking!

Further Reflections: Life is a Vapor

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16 ESV)

Time flies when you’re having fun but the reality is that it continues to fly even if you aren’t having fun. The relentless march of time moves on. Recently I read this, “Time cannot be stopped, saved, traded or slowed. Our choice is whether we waste it, spend it or invest it.” (Gene Wood. Leading Turnaround Churches. St. Charles, IL: Churchsmart, 2001, p. 163)

The half-brother of Jesus, James, addresses this reality at an even more fundamental level. First, time is ultimately not yours, it is God’s. Secondly, time is fleeting or transitory like the morning mist that quickly burns off in the morning sun.

We often make plans as if we are guaranteed another year. I just recently bought a new desk calendar, I ordered my 2006 Day-Timer refill and I updated my schedule program for 2006. Each of these actions assumes a very basic premise, namely that I will be around to do what I planned. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for planning for the future. I believe you should invest for retirement, save for your kid’s college education and have something in the bank for a rainy day. What is in question is my attitude as I make plans.

We are encouraged to remember that God hold each life. He has numbered our days and He is the One who sustains us from day to day. Each new day we have is a gift of God’s grace not something that is owed to us. It is His prerogative to say that today is the final day on this planet. When we plan (and we should make plans) we need to recognize the centrality of God’s Lordship over our lives.

Secondly, we need to realize how fleeting life really is. I’ve told people I don’t feel any different physically than I did when I was 18. I lift, run, play tennis and am as flexible as I was in high school. In fact, overall I am in better shape than I was in high school and stronger than I was in college (of course that could just be a sad commentary on my physical shape as a kid!). Having said that, I realize that I graduated from high school when Reagan was still President and that doesn't seem that long ago to me!

What should we make of this? Simply this, we need to make the most of our days knowing that we are not living for ourselves but are living instead for God. We must not be presumptuous to think that we have tomorrow guaranteed. We need not live in fear either because God is the Lord of tomorrow. Between abject fear and presumptuous arrogance is a humble confidence in the Lord who is over us. We submit our plans to the Lord and trust that He is the one who guides our steps and governs our days. We don't know what 2006 holds in store but fortunate for us we know the One who holds 2006 in His hand. Lord willing I will write again soon.

Book Review: Life as a Vapor

Many of you who know me well know that I am a fan of Dr. John Piper. Sometime down the line I will give reviews of some of the books that have been strongly influential in my theological insights and spiritual formation. One of those books was the first book I read by Piper titled, Desiring God. It is one of my top ten books of all time. In many ways that book revolutionized my understanding of my relationship with Christ and stirred within me a greater hunger to find my satisfaction and strength in God alone.

Life as a Vapor is another of Dr. Piper's many works which is worthwhile. In this book he generally sticks to issues reminded us of the brevity of life and the importance of living for eternity. It is set up in 31 chapters with a brief prayer at the end of each chapter so you can easily use it to supplement your Bible reading with further devotional thoughts. It is a fantastic book to have around when you only have ten or fifteen minutes to read and you want your heart and mind stirred with truth.

If you have never read a Piper book this is a great place to start. You will get a good overview of his writing style as well as an understanding of what he is passionate about. Because of the devotional nature of the book it is difficult to summarize it more but I would definitely encourage you to get a copy and read it.

If you want to consider buying this book or reading it online, click on the title of this article above and it will take you to the website for this book and John Piper's ministry, Desiring God.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

I won't say much about this book because nothing really needs to be said. In anticipation of the movie I dusted off my old copy of this classic book and reread it. What struck me this time was the brevity of the story! Over the years since college I have read hundreds of novels and I forgot how quickly this one reads. I first read this book in fourth grade, again in college while taking a class on C.S. Lewis and once again this week. I think I enjoyed it more each time.

I would encourage you to read this book before seeing the movie. Not so much so you can criticize the movie but to give your imagination one last attempt at creating your own view of Narnia before it is forever changed by seeing the film. I haven't seen the film yet but I am looking forward to comparing the two. If there are significant comments about the movie I will post my thoughts.

A Few Fun Photos of Friends and Family (say it 10 times fast)

This is actually one of my favorite shots of Grace and Jenn taken while we were up at a friend's cabin in Big Bear, CA. I believe this night we had a fire going and it was nice and toasty in the cabin. Grace loves to nap after a feeding (who doesn't?) and if Jenn isn't careful by the time she is done burping Grace they are both having a nice little rest. Download the picture soon because it won't be here long when Jenn checks the blog! Hurry!


This is my attempt to be an amateur photographer. Only a few problems, first I am using a digital pocket camera and two, I have to take 200 shots to get one decent one. I guess I won't quite my day job however this was a great little hike along the lake!


I told you that we borrowed a friend's cabin up in Big Bear for the week prior to Thanksgiving. Well, this is not it. I just wanted to see if you are actually reading the captions or if you are just looking at the pictures. This was a building along the side of the road that I randomly shot because it was big and made of wood. Not the greatest criteria for taking a picture but hey, its a digital camera. One of the perks of not using film.


One of my best friends came out to visit over Thanksgiving at Jenn's parents' house up in Glendora, CA. It was an opportunity for him to finally see Grace. He was out the weekend before Grace was born when we still thought her birth was weeks away. I first met Vic when I was youth pastor in Lombard back in 1995. He's a good man.


I think that this is my new favorite picture of Grace and me. It is also one of those rare shots that I have glasses on instead of my contacts. I think that it was one of those lazy days after Thanksgiving where you sit around and read between snacking and putting up the Christmas tree. Of course in reality I was reading and snacking and Jenn, her mom and her sister were putting up the tree. Jenn is a wonderful decorator and I just try to get colors to match. Jenn's tree looks like Martha Stewart and if I did the tree it would look like one of Martha's old roommates.