new blog

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What am I?

Am I democrat, a liberal, a conservative, a moderate? What am I for? Against? What issues do I stand for? Here's a quote from a book I just read that I loved.

"Don't choose issues, choose to love people, and the issues will choose you."

It's easy to form opinions on different issues and what should be done abou them from the comfort of an office or a living room. When you decide to love people, things become clearer and muddier at the same time. Simple, but not easy. Love all people, and see what issues float to the surface.

Here's one that's rising

Any religion which professes to be concerned with the souls of men and is not concerned with the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them, is a moribound religion awaiting burial.
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Go Cowboys

Happy Thanksgiving to me. I think I have decided what I want for Christmas - Season Tickets. (just kidding) But I did get to go to my first Cowboys game on Thanksgiving, thanks to Christine's uncle Steve and his amazing tickets. Me, Brad, Peter and Steve had a blast. We sat in row 13 in the lower deck right about the thirty yardline. It was awesome. What a great game to go to. Romo looked pretty good trouncing the Bucs for 5 touchdowns and 306 yards. In fact some suite owners took it on themselves to add him to the ring of honor. Anyway it was very fun, and I can't wait to go again sometime.

twinkle, twinkle little star, no one wonders what you are

Here's a little Jack concert. Featuring twinkle, twinkle little star, and ooh, ooh says the monkey(a cover of the TJ McCloud song)



He's loving your new cd TJ!

She's One in a Million

My sweet wife. We hate hearing doctors say you don't need to worry about (insert concern here), it's very rare, one in a million chance. We know that Christine is that one. For instance, there's a small chance you can get pregnant on the pill...check. There's a really small chance doctors would misdiagnose something for eight years...check. There's a teeny tiny chance of developing a blood clot from a pic line...check. There's an itty bitty chance of internal bleeding from the blood thinners they give you to treat the blood clot...yes, check.

But after three weeks in the hospital we are back at home, and feel like we have come to the edge of the woods. She still feels really tired and really weak, but better. It will take a few weeks to gain all her strength and energy back, but when she does I'm hopeful that she will feel 100% for the first time in a long, long time.

It's hard to express how much you love someone, and it's especially hard to watch that someone suffer. Christine is my heart, without her I'm a complete wreck. When she's broken, I am too. I want to thank everyone who has prayed for her, and for me, and visited, and brought us food, and cleaned our house. We have both felt surrounded by love and like a part of a true community. Thank you

growin up so fast

2 years ago today, I was very tired. Christine was even more tired. But we were also ecstatic, because we were holding a perfect little boy. He decided to make an early debut, but it was clear pretty quickly that he had a good set of lungs, and was in good health.

I will never forget when he opened his eyes and looked around. We could tell right away from the way he instantly looked around and calmly soaked in his brand new surroundings, that he was going to want to check out everything. And boy does he. He is always exploring. I pray that he will always explore, always seek, and that he will find a God that loves him. I can't believe he is 2 already. We love him so much Happy Birthday Jack!

3 years ago today

It's hard to believe it has only been 3 years. That sounds bad, it just seems like we have come a long way in the last 3 years. 5 residences, different jobs, hospitals, a baby. I'm not sure where I was at 10 minutes till on July 19, 2003, probably on my way to the Magnolia Hotel. I know I was a little bit freaked out. Until I got back to the church and got my tux on, and thought about who I was going to be waiting for at that altar. After that my heartrate returned to normal, all the "I can't believe I'm getting married" thoughts turned to "I can't believe how lucky I am."

I still fight off a lump in my throat anytime anyone sings "My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine." If I'm lucky enough to be standing next to my wife when we sing it at church, then I close my eyes and think back to that day when her angelic voice reduced me to tears in front of a church full of people. We had a beautiful wedding and a perfect reception(thank you Roy), followed by a dream of a honeymoon(thanks Dad). It was a big wedding, 15 bridesmaids, 15 groomsmen. We decided that we were going to have nobody or everybody. We went with everybody. That's one of the things I love about Christine. She has always had open arms, she wants to involve everyone, she is quick to embrace the hurting, the marginalized. Her heart aches for people less fortunate than us. If Sally Struthers or WorldVision or any of those commercials come on, I have to turn the tv off, because Christine will watch it for hours and cry. I tease her about that kind of stuff, but it's one of the reasons I love her.

Because we were good friends before we started dating, we have an unusual story. It's not like I asked her out, and we liked each other and fell in love. It's more like she told me she thought she had feelings for me, and six months later I told her I loved her. It's sweeter than that, but that is the short version. I do, however, remember an exact moment when I realized she was going to be the one. On our spring break campaign to Connecticut I watched her lead, I watched her serve, I watched her stand up to the task of me and Andrew leaning on her to take care of everything that required responsibility, and I saw her do it with grace, beauty, and a loving heart. I remember we were painting, and I looked over at her and found myself just watching her, and thinking I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this woman, and I was convinced that I could search the world over, and not find anyone who I could love more. One of the best moments of my life, right behind this day 3 years ago, when she agreed to love and cherish me, to go where I go, and to help me get to heaven. I love you baby. Happy Anniversary.