Payback

I went through a phase early in my marriage to Annette where I would always make silly faces in our pictures. She used to say to me, "Can't you just take a NORMAL picture?". I thought it was so funny...now my boys do the same thing to me. It is so hard to get them to give us a "normal" pose for a picture. ...Annette, I now see the error of ways...

My little shadow...

I love this picture of Jonah standing by me while I officiate my sister Sara's wedding. The problem is that he was SUPPOSED to be sitting down...but I think it is pretty cool that he wanted to stand by my side. I would be so proud if my little Jo-Jo followed in my footsteps...

Travis Oberg's Bloodlines: A CD you MUST listen to...

Travis Oberg is a friend of mine and a gifted musician with a heart for the Lord. I met him at Vintage Faith Church as he serves on the worship team. I have listened to his "Bloodlines" CD over and over this past year and a half. It has brought me through some tough transitions this past year. I thought you all should check it out. Here is a link to listen to it:

http://www.myspace.com/saltwatermerchants

("saltwater merchants: another name to find his music under)

You will thank me later for this...

The Tent Trailer, AKA: "the Camp Castle"

About 4 years ago, we bought a used tent trailer from our friends in Riverside. We LOVE this thing. Our kids are so excited to go camping and sleep in the "camp castle". A few summers ago, we took it up to Patrick's Point in Eureka then down to Fort Bragg. We would ride bikes all day, make forts, make s'mores, the kids would practically fall into bed and be asleep within minutes, and Annette and I would make some tea and read before heading to bed.

A few weeks ago, we cranked up the tent trailer in our backyard and had a campout one night. The kids were SO excited. We also played two FULL games of monopoly in the trailer. My kids love this game (although Annette can't stand it).

I need to remember the "simple adventures" like this that make life fun. It didn't cost a dime to camp out in the back yard and our kids thought it was the best thing ever...

Personal Rule of Life

I'm currently taking classes at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary to complete my Master of Divinity and I had to write a "personal rule of life" for my Christian Spiritual Formation Class. I thought I would share it:

1. An early morning walk with God (Mark 1:35)
2. Daily Scripture reading and reflection (Psalm 1:2)
3. A personal prayer & fasting retreat every six months (Mark 6:31)
4. Pray continuously throughout the day, recognizing God’s constant presence (1 Thess. 5:17)
5. A humble attentiveness to the needs of others; no tolerance for personal arrogance (Philippians 2:3,4)
6. In daily interactions, open my mouth to encourage others with the good news of Jesus (1 Peter 3:15)
7. Rejoice in the wife of my youth and be ever captivated by her love (Proverbs 5:18,19)
8. Teach my children, with my life and my lips, the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:7)
9. In my work/ministry, I will be prayerful dependent upon the Lord to direct my paths (Psalm 127:1; Proverbs 3:6)
10. I will not love money. I will share the resources God gives. I will live in the freedom of simplicity. (Luke 12:15)
11. I will invest in a community of Christ followers where I can spur others on and be spurred on by others toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24, 25)
12. I will be a contributing member in my neighborhood (outside of my church community), walking with and serving those who do not know the love of Jesus yet (Matthew 5:13-16)
13. I will strive to be a man of character and integrity in every area of my life, inviting God to renovate my heart each day (Proverbs 10:9)

We bought a house!

We just closed escrow today on this house. It is awesome...the perfect home for us. We will move in about a week and a half. It is only a couple miles from the house we're renting (and about a mile or so from Simpson).

Sledding with the Family

Today, we took the family up to Eskimo Hill near Mt. Lassen for some killer sledding. The kids had a great time. We would go down with 3 of us on a sled. Jonah was fine sledding by himself until he took a spill and did a face-plant in the snow. He wasn't so keen on sledding after that. I think I might teach our kids how to snowboard this season.