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Showing posts from 2013

4th Wedding Anniversary

Today, Amy and I are celebrating our 4th anniversary.  I am so very thankful for our marriage.  I love my wife dearly and appreciate that she inspires me to grow every single day.  She brings me so much joy.  Her spirit truly illuminates our home. It seems like we have been looking back and discussing where we were in our relationship prior to being married quite a bit lately.  We have also been talking about our spiritual climb toward knowing God and understanding his Word together over the past 4 years.  As I reflect on this, I tried to come up with some wisdom that has come to me through experience, listening, prayer and reading of Bible scripture.  Here are 10 things I've learned in the last 4 years.  Not an exhaustive list, or a “top” 10 list.  Just 10 things that come to mind as I fill this page. Expecting her to be the source of my happiness sets her up to fail. Speaking gossip to each other causes a slow erosion of our moral fiber.  It takes training and discipline t

Phari-blind or Phari-see?

Does Jesus point to the dis-ingenuity of the Pharisees in John 9:40-41?  Or is it something different?  The Pharisees ask Jesus an undoubtedly wisenheimer-ish question when they say, "Do you think we are blind?"  Surely he speaks to something we need to understand when he says to them, "You say you can see, but your sin/ guilt/ blame remains."  After reading "The Message" translation, it seems the Jesus might be pointing to the holy stature and posture that the Pharisees claim to have and outwardly portray to the Jews.  These were men who strictly interpreted Mosaic law and were not to be intellectually or spiritually challenged by some unknown vagabond.  In an earlier passage in John, the Pharisees are quoted to have said to one another about Jesus, "Where does he get his knowledge?  He isn't classically trained in Mosaic/ Old Testament scripture like we are, but he quotes it perfectly."  The truly scary thing to them was not just that Jesus

English Ivy: Devilish Enemy

 Since we moved into our old Brookside Tudor I've been trying to kill, destroy, demoralize, wound, or at least come to an agreement with the English Ivy that covers our front yard.  Seeing how "enhanced interrogation tactics" aren't an option in negotiating with this terrorist, I'm being forced to resort to go medieval in my tactics.   Imagine your yard being covered by a giant wicker basket.  But the wicker is so tangled its as if a highly motivated, schizophrenic basket weaver completed the task.  Now drive that wicker deep into the earth with railroad stakes. Finally cover the wicker with waxy leaves that are so tough they would laugh wildly in the face of the sharpest, most menacing machete.   During a web search I came across several forums where homeowners and landscapers were searching for communal support while they shared stories of defending a leafy assault on their lawns and trees.  My favorite comment came from a person identified as "mdshank&

Throwback post: "9 mos. into marriage and all is well on California Street"

I wrote the following in July of 2010.  I remember wanting to connect better with family and friends who were far away by giving them a glimpse into our lives.  I never published this post, for some reason.  It is awesome to look back at our time in San Francisco and our first year of marriage!  It is also funny to hear my take on a old RENTAL house now that we own a 1918 "charmer" that births a new maintenance/improvement project almost every day.  I never finished the below post, but it is still interesting to look back.  One part I didn't finish was that the ceiling collapsed on our first floor at around 2AM and although we both woke, neither of us got up to check out the damage.  I guess we thought it was just another earthquake.  It was "quite a disaster," as our landlord said.  ---- Amy and I have surpassed the 9 month mark of being married and it has been quite a blast so far. Our SF apartment is compact but roomy, too old with all the necessary upd

The reason to write: vulnerability

A desire to write down my thoughts on a variety of topics is a persistent urge of mine.  I've sporadically done it on iPhone notes and Evernote.  I had a paper journal that I wrote in consistently for a few years, but have since rarely cracked it open.  Now I think it is important to begin to aggregate these entries in one place.  I hope it helps my wife know me better and my children know me better.  If my friends and other family end up taking a look, that is great as well.  My prayer would be that my exploration of thought helps me come closer to Christ and know God better.  I believe that allowing yourself to be vulnerable forces humility and gives you a real opportunity to grow.  So much of life and relationships involve protecting and shielding ourselves from being vulnerable around others. God seizes your heart if you remove the barrier of your ego and you clear the path to seek his knowledge.  I want others to join me on this path, because I can't walk it alone.  I fall