Amazing

It’s amazing really. To think that the picture on the left is actually my little boy safely growing inside my wife. Our doctor recently got her new machine and we weren’t expecting this, but when she started the camera, he started the show. Legs flailing. Arms moving. Mouth opening and closing. Actions we would be trying to stop were it 5 years later in a doctor’s office…but now, it’s magnificent.

We’ve been waiting a long time. Makes me wonder about the sending and arrival of God’s son. I wonder if he was excited about the stir his Son would cause when he placed him right in the middle of the world? He knew that he would cause commotion even as an embryo. God only knew what a baby that created that much uneasiness while in the womb would do once unleashed into the world. I also wonder how he could have parted with him. How he could have sent him to endure so much…it’s not that he couldn’t stand the pain or the solitude or the life set out before him. I think the difficulty was that he was coming to help. He was coming bringing truth that anyone in their right mind would be glad to listen to. His love for his people was about to be rejected in huge ways. To send your son into a world that is overflowing with fear and hate. That kind of love I can only hope to partially understand.

I look at this strange picture and I know what he is in for. The heartache, disappointment and trouble. But, I also know that one day he’ll meet the God I’ve met. He’ll meet the Jesus who has saved me from myself. He’ll know the lineage and history of those who have come before him…their mistakes, problems and successes both spiritually and physically. I also know that he’ll experience love so profound that he will not know how to process it. And one day, God-willing he’ll be sending his son into the world too…with prayer and expectation.

A long time coming

Sorry about the huge gap in-between posts. My life has been a bit of a blur since Labor day and my last post. But I wanted to say, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I do have a lot to be thankful for. Here in Dallas, we sit watching the game, while my daughter is in bed with a bit of a tummy ache. But, my wife is finishing up her yummy stuffing and we're getting ready to stuff our faces.

Thanks God. Thanks that things are getting back to somewhat of a usual state.

Baby is good. 18+ weeks now...and kicking! It's so good. Let's remember just how blessed we are.

Thank you blooger readers for your continued interest in things in my world. I'll begin writing more.

Close Call

Well, I write tonight after a long week. 1 week ago, Shelly was crumpled over in pain because of, what she thought, was a pulled muscle in her neck. She endured it from Saturday until Tuesday morning when we got an appointment to visit our family doctor. She said it was muscular when she went in and the doctor said, "let me check you out." As he looked at her swollen neck, he said, "wow. This concerns me. You should probably call your fertility doctor. Can I get my colleague in here to take a look at this with me?" When He returned He said, "go ahead and go straight to the emergency room. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 $. Go..."

What we thought was a muscle pull was actually a series of blood clots from her neck to her underarm. One blood clot was in her Jugular. very close to her carotid Artery. Scary! We ended up being admitted and she stayed from Tuesday morning until Saturday Afternoon.

It came from left field. Fortunately, we have some doctors who are very smart. Although they have a slight idea why they happened, they still aren't sure why they happened up around her neck. My prayer is that the drugs do their work...the baby continues to be fine and that a sense of normalcy returns to Shelly. Thanks for all of your prayers.

Some things never change

Yes, I can't help it. I downloaded the new Elvis/Lisa Marie Presley version of "In the Ghetto." I don't know why, but it touches me. The song always has, but to hear both of them singing together, for the first time, publicly...man, it gives me chills. Sad thing is, the ghetto is still there...always will be. The song is timeless. Unfortunately, so is poverty.

Ironically, one thing that doesn't change is...well, change. I'm about to begin a study on God in pop culture: Navigating our culture through theological reflection and social awareness...blah, blah blah. Yeah it sounds more like a thesis than a wednesday evening class. But what I've discovered is that change is always present when it comes to culture. So, if one were to write a book on finding God in the culture 20 years ago, it would not do us much good here in 2007. However, the techniques used to discern what God is doing...those rarely change.

The premise is stated in the verse from 1 John 17:15, 16. "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."

The question I constantly ask myself for me and for my family is just this. How can we keep from being swayed back and forth by the cultural shifts that surround us? What I look forward to in this study is to discover some key truths that don't change...key methods that will be helpful to all of us when we navigate the life we have been given.

I'd love to hear your comments on this idea.

The Poll Has Spoken

I've received some pretty loud comments saying hey...start already! So, here it is.

Our Journey through the world of fertility treatments has finally taken us somewhere. Yes, we had our procedure at the end of July and again at the very beginning of August. Yet another IVF in a long line of Pills, shots and doctor assisted...well...you know. I can say that I'm glad to not have to go back for certain things. Anyway, to the point.

I had asked Shelly if she was going to take a pregnancy test and she said, I quote, "no, I think I'll wait until the blood test." Fair enough. Let's have a nice weekend, I thought to myself. 2 weeks ago I had taken Liv to Mcdonalds while Shelly got her hair done. We're having such a nice moment when she starts to talk about the baby. I said, "now Liv, remember it's only an embryo right now...let's not get our hopes up. You remember a lot of embryos don't quite make it to being babies...it's a pre-baby...an embryo...ok?" I thought, hey, that's pretty wise to be coming out of my mouth...I guess all those hours of Dr. Phil really did pay off.

But then, to my surprise, she contradicted me...she said, "No daddy! It's a baby. Mommy said that it's a baby if there are 2 LINES!"

aaaahhhh...it's all clear to me now! The Shelly Express Lane...No Waiting. Shelly walked in and I said, 2 lines huh? Her grin got big and said, "how did you know?" "Liv," I replied. "Liv! That was our secret!" I was shut out...the first secret of many that those two will share together...oh well at least we're pregnant! Will it last, I don't know, but we're excited all the same. God's in control and this life is in his hands.

So, thanks for the prayers...and here's the first of many pics I'll post. He/She doesn't look like me yet, but I can see she/he has Shelly's Lining. Amazing thing is that the baby's only 6 1/2 weeks old, but we heard the heartbeat...that little bittie thing inside the other little bittie things...was beating. I saw it...amazing.

Photo Exhibit

I've had the pleasure of being able to gather photos from people for the Southeast B&W photo exhibit. I've noticed how people are learning to communicate through images. People have a good eye for things. People you might not expect.

I think what it happening is that people are changing the way they communicate...or adapting to speak the language of the culture. For the past several decades, we have been indoctrinated into a particular way of thinking by the use of images. Images tell a story. It is a language that all of us understand. I love the starkness of black and white images. I love the raw undedited feel you get from the first impression. The following picture was taken in 1969. It is a picture of two young parents expecting their next child.

one 24th of a second in time. Yet a moment that tells a story.

I love this pic. It's of my folks a few months before I was born. I see a lot of myself in my dad...the hands, the smile...a story is being told.

I'm all about different ways of commuicating. With the photo exhibit coming up, I'm interested to 'see' what people have to say.

Poll

Ok, so I just added a poll to the right side of the page there...go ahead and look...I'll wait...ok, so, the idea is to see who, if anyone, reads this page...and also what you'd like to hear more about. Let me know and I'll get on it.

Settling in...

So, I've been trying to deal with the fact that I am now working again! I can't keep lying to myself, staying up late, pretending that I can sleep in only to awake feeling guilty and mad at the same time because I lied...to myself. Yes, I have to work, but it could be worse...the work could be that I put on my dungarees, strap on my helmet and take the 45 minute rail ride down into the mine. Fortunately, I get to put on my khakis, grab a Starbucks and snuggle nicely into my comfy chair in front of my twin 24 inch computer monitors in an attempt to regurgitate creativity in an orderly, yet unique fashion. Phew, I'm getting tired just thinking about it!

Truth is, I have it pretty good. I get to create and communicate ideas and develop friendships as part of my job. My quest and thirst for the truth of God is required and welcomed in my job description. I also get to have a few cool toys to play with...Video editing equipment, HD Cameras, Audio playthings...what else could I need? Oh yeah...Track lighting in my office...oh wait, I have that.

I don't say this to brag to those of you who trek into the fluorescent filled office cubes on a daily and sometimes weekend...ly basis. I say this to reassure you that no matter where you find yourself after a lifetime of working, it all boils down to the fact that in most moments, you'd rather be doing something else. I would, most times, rather be with my family...I mean honestly...look at them.

But then again, I'm sure that many people have it good when it comes to family. Of course, we know, one cannot have it all. There are always trade-offs. I find myself fortunate to have found a job that I love and found a family that loves me. Most of all, I find that I'm here for a purpose...not sure what, but I know it's there. I see it in brief moments. But for the most part, I'm moving forward, just like you, trying not to screw it all up. So, to you, as you go into and out of vacation and job changes and motivational challenges, be encouraged that by working, by taking care of your family, by getting the image of Jesus out into the world, you're pleasing God, even if you think it's insignificant. Be encouraged. And if you do work in a mine...I'd love to do a video piece on you...

Back into the groove

It's been difficult to get back into the swing of things since returning from a week-long adventure into laziness. I find myself grasping for things to do...trying to keep from going back to that pre-vacation place where I sit and wait for the time to dwindle so that I can get out of town. Sometimes I get into that rut. I find myself feeling down and discouraged...a bit on the pitiful side. looking down, waiting for something good to pop me out of my nosedive into self pity.


I was reminded today of the two guys on the road to Emmaus. Looking down, feeling discouraged. Quite pitiful really. Then they meet a man on the road who asks what their problem is. They say do you not have any idea what's been going on? Then one statement stands out to me. In Luke 24 verse 21, they talk about Jesus and say, "but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel."


Hope. I am a hopeful person. To a fault really. I hope when I know that things aren't great. Even when I know that the outcome will be a certain way, I hope for the alternative. I guess it's foolish and sometimes selfish to hope for a certain outcome.




Shelly and I love the HBO series Band of Brothers.

Whenever it comes on television we stop and watch...we can't help it. One particular exchange took place between a private who was wracked by fear and a lieutenant who had developed a reputation of being a cold and fearless soldier.


The Private was stuck in a foxhole, unable to fight. During a quiet moment he asks Lieutenant Speirs how he does it. How can he fight? Speirs replies,

"We're all scared. You hid in that ditch
because you think there's still hope. But Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends on it. "

There's always hope. But hope in what? For this soldier, his hope was that he wouldn't die. For Speirs, his hope was that he would do his duty...his hope was in himself. What do we hope for?


When these two men were walking on the road to Emmaus, they had lost hope. Of course when they told this to the man who they later realized was Jesus, he responds to them in a unusually non-gentle way. He says, in verse 25, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"


I continue to realize that sometimes my hope is that I get what I want. It should be that God's Will be done. Now that I'm back into the swing of things, this is a reminder that I need continually. After all, it's going to be a while until the next vacation...tick, tick, tick...

Deep thoughts On Vacation

I've heard it said from some that those who dance participate in behavior that is both lascivious and anti-Christian. When I was a boy, I might have believed and participated in this narrow perspective of the Christian life. I might have adopted this viewpoint because i didn't care about searching out the truth for myself. Actually, while in High School, my 'independant, fundamental, bible believing baptist' upbringing was beginning to wain when confronted with opinions such as these.

There was a point in my life when I thought to myself, "should I really think about this issue for myself, or should I just let someone else dictate my thoughts for me?" My entire life was filled with dictation. I was a regular administrative assistant when it came to personal beliefs. Let me know what I think pastor. It was laziness really. I didn't have time to fully seek out the truth.

Of course someone made the statement a few weeks ago, "Why do we need to seek out the truth? We've already found it?" This is the attitude in which I wallowed for several years. Then I got wise...or wised up...probably the latter.

I began to study theater and dance in College and discovered that sexual feelings and rebellious attitudes aren't directly connected with bodily movement. If it were, every time we got scared and flailed our arms trying to escape the stinging of a bee we'd be in violation of the 11th commandment, "thou shalt not dance." But we know the truth...sometimes we're scared that we might do something that might make us sin...so we impose our fear on others so we won't feel alone. Sad...but true.

Of course my daughter loves to dance. There is a purity in her movement. She is expressing herself in one of the only ways she knows how. It's probably for attention, but deeper than that, she just feels that she wants to dance. It's in her. God has given her a love for movement. How could this be wrong? Recently she participated in a recital. Along with 11 other little girls who were doing the same, she couldn't hide her excitement. This is her with one of her best friends in class.

Overall, We need to make our own informed decisions, which means that we need to seek out the information from a source that is not motivated by fear, but by love. Seek out the answers for yourself. If you seek the truth, you will find the it. You might also find a really cute picture in the process.

Vacation

Ok...So I'm finally out of the office. Getting away is so important. Liv wanted to do a little webcam blog updating you of the immense amount of fun we are having. (she didn't say it just like that, but it was close...she is a genius you know...) there is a reason why people need to get away together. More later.