Thursday, August 24, 2006

Inbox Overload


This past week-plus, I’ve been unable, for multiple reasons (long lost brother returns, mother debilitated with cast on foot, five-month old in growth-spurt, impromptu weddings, etc. etc.) to check my e-mail (Gasp—hard to believe I know!) But this morning during a quiet moment I was able to open up my little window on the world, and was amazed how out of touch I had become in such a short-period of time. Many of you know of my bad phone habits, not checking voice-mail, talking on the phone and ordering drive-through at the same time, so it should be no surprise how heavily dependant I am on e-mail. But it was a shock to see how much I was missing from so many lives. New babies, business, break-ups, and great stories. I have to admit--I think I just have the most interesting friends. NEVER a dull moment. So those of you who’ve been waiting for an e-mail from me thanks for your patience, with a little luck hopefully I will be back in the cyber-world here before days end.

At the moment however, Sophia’s sound of the day is strangled screams, she’s not upset--mind you, just having fun. Yesterday it was buzzing her lips, the day before something like MMMMM boom boom, but today we’ve discovered the power of our vocal chords and we have to let the world know that Sophia has arrived! It’s sort of cute—that is until I decided "if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em"! I’m sure the neighbors think we’re nuts, let’s just hope they don’t call social services.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Dana's Home!


We're so thankful to he's home--but I'm so glad he had a wonderful trip! Posted by Picasa
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Mt. Longanat

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Hands On Missions

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Dana building a steel fence with AIM Tech Posted by Picasa
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Missionary Dan

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Nagishot International Airport

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Nagishot. Sudan Population: 45


Notice the sign in the tree for Nagishot International Airport Posted by Picasa

Dana & Iben


My little brother Dana--spent a couple of days in London and actually flew to NY hours before English police raided several suspected terrorists and shut down Heathrow airport. So many thanks to everyone who was praying for Dana's safety. He had a great time in London and even made a couple of new friends. Posted by Picasa

Street Art London Style

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New York! New York!


Dana got the royal treatment in NY city from our cousin
Kelly--Here he is at the Yankee's game. Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 07, 2006

View from the Inside Out

Got my first negative review today. . .my heart’s still in my throat. I stumbled on to the reviewer’s page at Amazon (I know I promised myself—and some of you I wouldn’t read them and I guess I learned my lesson.) Whew, well the reviewer admitted that she was looking for a book on pain for non-Christians, and I’ll be the first to admit that isn’t who I wrote it for, I wrote it for the church, for those of us who are trying to love the hurting or are the hurting. She also mentioned theology and as I snooped (hey I’m only human) she loved a book my Spurgeon---oh yeah, if you’re looking for a lot of theology for suffering, please don’t try my book. My book is simply a journey and a heart on a page.

But I don’t mean to review the reviewer, in many ways criticism is the best form of information b/c it gives you specific instances of what you can improve. I know it’s not the first and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’m just thankful to be in the conversation.

From day one, this has been God’s story and I am only the vessel, I don’t expect everyone to love it. I only pray that it the Holy Spirit will be present for the people it was intended, that they might find comfort.

But while I’m on the subject I want to make a few points about what you won’t find in my book.

Tips on how to beat grief or sorrow.
Explanations, complicated or simplistic about why people suffer
(Philip Yancey wrote that book. Disappointed with God—I highly recommend it)
Theology in almost any sense, only observations
A happy ending—not to say that there isn’t hope—on the contrary, hope abounds but it isn’t limited to endings or results it comes from God alone.

What you will find is a first-person narrative from a survivor, written for my peers, the post-modern me generation. Personally, if you listen hard enough to a Gen X-Y’er you will hear our explanations of personal experience and hopefully begin to see that they’re in direct contrast to typical Christian conversation or literature ON PURPOSE. Not in order to draw-attention to ourselves but to humbly offer our experience to others in order to give credibility to our conclusions and to reach out.

So yes be warned—my book is all about God and me. Despair is selfish—it only thinks of itself, but thankfully God never leaves us to flounder until we right ourselves and then return to his austere presence. He meets us in our despair and uses isolation to move in mighty, personal ways, to arrive at the theology we may already know, only now it’s imprinted on our hearts, not simply our minds.

In all fairness you can view the review at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310269598/ref=pd_rvi_gw_2/102-1838448-6496953?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Top 10 Reason’s Why I Love Nate



10. Diapers, baby food, drool, spit-up, all the things that make most men weak in the knee’s. Nate takes in stride like it was the most macho thing in the world.

9. “Honey, you’re tired, I’ll get up w/ Sophia tonight.” Need I say more?

8. He listens—to anything & everything I say. Not only that he tries to understand it all. God bless him—sometimes I make myself dizzy but he never backs down.

7. “No, insert bosses name here I can’t play basketball tonight—like I said last week, Wednesday is my date night with my wife.”

6. He gets me he makes me laugh, he prays for me and is so sensitive to what God is doing in our family.

5. He listens.

4. He loves me at my best, but even more importantly, he loves & finds joy, in me even when I’m at my worst. He’s my biggest fan & supporter as a wife, mother a writer.

3. In spite of all the differences that could separate us, he loves my family and I love his.


2. “God is sovereign” Nate’s motto that helps him, & us, move forward through the big & small stuff of life.

1. “I love to come home to my wife and daughter.”
What more could a woman want?

(And of course God is #1 in his life but this list is about Nate)

The picture of perfection

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Baby Toes

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Summer Reflections

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Look what my Kaga made me!

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Sweet moments

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