For the second year in a row, Allie and I had tickets to the Cubs game for Memorial Day. The Cubs won 3-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by 7 good innings from pitcher Ryan Dempster and home runs by first baseman Derrek Lee and third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
The real highlight of the game, however, came during the top of the eighth inning with the opposing team up to bat. The starting second baseman, Jeff Kent, lead off with a single. The Dodgers manager then substituted in pinch-runner Chin-lung Hu.
Judging by the lack of uproarious laughter at Wrigley, I think only the PA announcer and I got the joke.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Birthday Hijinks
Four birthdays in a week and only one blog in which to celebrate them...
What to do...
Unfortunately, I don't have too many recent photos of any of these guys (at least not many that I haven't already posted) so I'm digging deep into the vault.
May 14: my best friend Dan
May 20: my old roommate Matt
May 20: my Dad
May 21: my brother, David
[Editor's Note: Apparently May 21 is one of my coworkers' birthdays as well. I don't have any pictures of him. Then again, he doesn't read my blog.]
What to do...
Unfortunately, I don't have too many recent photos of any of these guys (at least not many that I haven't already posted) so I'm digging deep into the vault.
May 14: my best friend Dan
May 20: my old roommate Matt
May 20: my Dad
May 21: my brother, David
[Editor's Note: Apparently May 21 is one of my coworkers' birthdays as well. I don't have any pictures of him. Then again, he doesn't read my blog.]
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Fast Track
I'm beginning to secretly (and not very seriously) suspect that I'm on the fast track to a management position. Over the last month or so, I've spent an average of at least two days a week at corporate headquarters, and at least half of all of my working hours in meetings. This week, I'm finally crossing that magical threshold and spending parts of three days at HQ, all in meetings. With any luck, by the end of the year I'll be delegating my work to underlings and making decisions solely by some mystical combination of experience and whim.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
...Before we even asked
A little more than a month ago, our church elders told the congregation about a budget shortfall of more than $40,000. They had carefully looked over all of the numbers and determined that although we didn't have the projected income to meet the church's needs, they could not find any unnecessary programs to cut. We needed to come up with the money.
In response, they called the congregation to participate in a day of prayer and fasting the first weekend of April. However, they were very clear in their instructions: the purpose of our prayer and fasting was not to determine for ourselves how we were going to fix the problem, but rather to bring our need before God and see how He intended to provide for it.
This morning, the elders again came before the church, this time to share with everyone how God clearly responded to our need. Back in 2002, a church member had died and left $50,000 to our church. Due to some legal issues, the money has remained tied up since then and never been given. The church leaders were only recently made aware that this money even existed. After some work, all of the roadblocks were cleared and on April 4, the week after our elders spoke to the congregation, and the day before the fast, the check was finally written. Without knowing our church's situation, instructions were given not to cash the check until April 9, the week following the fast. Even after our church tithed on the check to pay into our missions fund, there was more than enough to cover the $43,000 needed to complete the budget.
"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14
In response, they called the congregation to participate in a day of prayer and fasting the first weekend of April. However, they were very clear in their instructions: the purpose of our prayer and fasting was not to determine for ourselves how we were going to fix the problem, but rather to bring our need before God and see how He intended to provide for it.
This morning, the elders again came before the church, this time to share with everyone how God clearly responded to our need. Back in 2002, a church member had died and left $50,000 to our church. Due to some legal issues, the money has remained tied up since then and never been given. The church leaders were only recently made aware that this money even existed. After some work, all of the roadblocks were cleared and on April 4, the week after our elders spoke to the congregation, and the day before the fast, the check was finally written. Without knowing our church's situation, instructions were given not to cash the check until April 9, the week following the fast. Even after our church tithed on the check to pay into our missions fund, there was more than enough to cover the $43,000 needed to complete the budget.
"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14
Friday, May 2, 2008
Transformation
In some ways, this past week feels like it has flown by (mainly at home), and in other ways it seems like nothing has happened (mainly at work). I suppose those ideas are not mutually exclusive, so for now, that's the best I can think of to describe it.
Allie has been doing better in the last few days. She's still a bit tired, but has (generally) been feeling better. She had an appointment last Friday and everything still looks good. We're only at week 11, but our little one is now the size of a large lime and apparently danced and wiggled through the entire appointment. Allie can't feel it just yet, but Sam put on quite a show during the ultrasound. Personally, I'm hoping that this means we have a drummer on the way. We tried to get a good ultrasound picture, but Sam just wouldn't hold still.
I wrote a few weeks ago that I wanted to explore the parallels between spiritual and physical life. I still intend to do that, although much has happened to distract me since then.
I guess for starters, we find at least one place in scripture where Jesus talks about spiritual life in Him as being "born again," so for practical purposes, I will use birth as a major milestone in both realms. I am quickly learning that there is a LOT that happens in the physical world before birth. Seeds are planted. Those seeds have to unite with a willing and fertile recipient. That in itself is a miracle. There is tremendous and continuous growth from something that barely resembles a person (as one book put it, if you saw it coming at you in a dark alley, you'd high-tail it in the other direction) into something that is already becoming beautiful. Even at this early stage, Sam has a good heart, a brain, hands and feet. Although our little one has not yet been born, Allie and I have the responsibility (privilege!) to nurture them, protect them, and make sure they are able to grow throughout this process and long afterward.
We find almost the same things occurring during the early stages before someone is born again spiritually. Seeds are planted, and one of them lands on a heart and a mind that God has opened. That in itself is a miracle. From there, the person begins a period of growth, asking questions, looking for evidence, thinking about God perhaps for the first time, or beginning to finally understand Him for who He is. At this point, the person may not resemble a "Christian" in any way that we would be able to identify, but God is moving them towards beautiful redemption. Their heart and mind are changing and preparing to be renewed. The part of the Christian or discipler is to nurture them and help them grow throughout this process in anticipation of what is to come. The transformation has not yet occurred, but they are on their way.
Allie has been doing better in the last few days. She's still a bit tired, but has (generally) been feeling better. She had an appointment last Friday and everything still looks good. We're only at week 11, but our little one is now the size of a large lime and apparently danced and wiggled through the entire appointment. Allie can't feel it just yet, but Sam put on quite a show during the ultrasound. Personally, I'm hoping that this means we have a drummer on the way. We tried to get a good ultrasound picture, but Sam just wouldn't hold still.
I wrote a few weeks ago that I wanted to explore the parallels between spiritual and physical life. I still intend to do that, although much has happened to distract me since then.
I guess for starters, we find at least one place in scripture where Jesus talks about spiritual life in Him as being "born again," so for practical purposes, I will use birth as a major milestone in both realms. I am quickly learning that there is a LOT that happens in the physical world before birth. Seeds are planted. Those seeds have to unite with a willing and fertile recipient. That in itself is a miracle. There is tremendous and continuous growth from something that barely resembles a person (as one book put it, if you saw it coming at you in a dark alley, you'd high-tail it in the other direction) into something that is already becoming beautiful. Even at this early stage, Sam has a good heart, a brain, hands and feet. Although our little one has not yet been born, Allie and I have the responsibility (privilege!) to nurture them, protect them, and make sure they are able to grow throughout this process and long afterward.
We find almost the same things occurring during the early stages before someone is born again spiritually. Seeds are planted, and one of them lands on a heart and a mind that God has opened. That in itself is a miracle. From there, the person begins a period of growth, asking questions, looking for evidence, thinking about God perhaps for the first time, or beginning to finally understand Him for who He is. At this point, the person may not resemble a "Christian" in any way that we would be able to identify, but God is moving them towards beautiful redemption. Their heart and mind are changing and preparing to be renewed. The part of the Christian or discipler is to nurture them and help them grow throughout this process in anticipation of what is to come. The transformation has not yet occurred, but they are on their way.
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