A Visit With Dax

Dax came to visit!!  His mommy brought him to see us and we were so excited! 

Before he came, I cleaned up the "grandkid walker" knowing he's grown into it since he was here last.

He had his dinner of peas and peaches while he checked it out. 

He wasn't too sure...

But Pops took possession of him after his dinner. 

They had some bonding time.

Dax checking Pops out....

And blowing blueberries with him.

  

I have a photo of Isaac at this age, in the same walker, with almost the same expression, looking at the same fish!

But he had to turn around and tune in to Pops' conversation.

Hello, Mr. Fish!

Smiling at the fish.

Smiling at his mommy!

And smiling at the camera.

He was worn out and had to rest a bit.

Later, we took him to the hardwood floor in the kitchen and he actually walked in the walker across the kitchen--several times.  We were very impressed!

Then Gee and Dax had some bonding time.

And he wanted to give out some big kisses!

REALLY big kisses!!

And Gee loved it.

The End.

10 Years Later

There have been dozens of 9/11 stories on TV in the last month and I've avoided them all...until tonight.  I watched and cried again.  I know all of you remember that day and where you were.  I'd come home from an early morning prayer time with my friends and when I walked in the door, Andy told me a plane had flown into one of the twin towers in New York.  At that time, we didn't know it was terrorism.  I quickly called my prayer partners and told them to turn on their televisions.  After the 2nd airplane flew into the other twin tower, we knew our nation was under attack and we refused to move away from our TV--we had to know what was coming next.  There was no way to know who/what/where was going to be hit next...we were under attack!  We mournfully cheered for those brave men and women who took back Flight 93 and prevented an attack on the White House or capitol building.  It was a tragic day for our nation.

Several things stick out in my mind after that attack.  Mayor Giuliani and President Bush became leaders we trusted and needed at that time--they rose to the occassion.  We knew who our enemy was--Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.  We watched firemen and volunteers work tirelessly to rescue any possible survivors.  And people became very patriotic--flags were flying and even congressmen and senators spontaneously sang "God Bless America" on the steps of the capitol building in Washington D.C.  It was suddenly o.k. to mention God and Jesus and prayer.

What's happened since then?   Obviously, we fought a battle against Al Qaeda and killed Osama bin Laden.  But what's happened to us as Americans?  It's no longer politically correct to say we have an enemy.  In fact, it seems we've embraced our enemy's culture.

Is that what's happened to us as a church?  I feel a little like we've fallen asleep--myself included.  The tragedy is behind us and we've gone on with our day-to-day living...while our enemy roams around us seeking someone to devour.

How many major disasters have happened around our world in the last 10 years?  I'll let you google it--you'll be surprised.  There are floods in the east and droughts in the midwest.  There are fires in Austin and earthquakes in Denver.  And most of these disasters are being called "the worst in history."  But has God gotten our attention?  Or are we asleep?

I heard a firefighter tonight say, "I hope we don't forget."  I hope we don't either.  There are still people to be rescued.  They just aren't  in a towering inferno in New York City...they may live next door to you and me.

God's got my attention.

Dax Saying Da-Da

Dax just keeps changing. 

And we think this is pretty hysterical!

Go Big by Cory Cotton

What a fun book to read!  You may have heard of these guys--or you may have seen their exploits on youtube.  One day, Tyler (one of the five college guys) was making a bet that he could hit the new basketball goal with a wild shot.  And he did!  When all of the guys got home and went out to watch Tyler's new feat, they all got involved...with a video camera to record their craziness.  That was the beginning....not just of some wild and crazy basketball shots, but of a whole future they hadn't planned.

These guys posted the video of their crazy accomplishments on youtube and it went viral.  From there, they began to own the vision they had of Dude Perfect--the name they came up with for their style of basketball, their company, their brand---their new life.  In fact, Cory was in San Diego with Campus Crusade for Christ and while at UCSD, he watched LeBron James King playing basketball.  He was so passionate about his new venture, that he dared to approach LeBron with the video on his phone and ask him to watch it.  And he did.  In the meantime, the other guys were owning their passion by creating a new video called Dude Perfect: Summer Camp Edition while at a Christian summer camp called Sky Ranch.  That was just the beginning.

These guys haven't just created a business; they are living their passion.  This book isn't just a tale of 5 guys making incredible basketball shots; it's a handbook to teach you how to attain the goals of your own passion.  They spell it out in 5 steps:  Get Excited, Own It, Blink Later, Inspire Others and Give Back.

I can tell you that as I read this book, I began to get excited about my own passion again.  I highly recommend this book--written by a very insightful young man.

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to Tyndale  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Dax Sings with Daddy

Dax is the 6-month-old baby of our youngest son, Zach, and his wife, Shanna.

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson

If you want to relive 9/11 on the 10-year anniversary of the attack on our country, you'll want to read this book.  Michael Hingson is a blind man...and he was in Tower One of the World Trade Center in New York when his world exploded. 

Michael doesn't just tell his story of that day; he tells the story of his life.  You have to understand that he was the blind kid who rode his bicycle on the streets of his hometown to comprehend his courage on 9/11.  You'll want to know about the history of his guide dogs so you'll fully appreciate the resolution and focus of Roselle, his seeing-eye dog on that day.  What a story--to see the unity, trust and determination of one blind man and his faithful dog in the midst of a tragedy.

This story isn't only the story of Michael Hingson, but it's the insight our culture needs to hear about the blind.  Michael shares his victories, his frustrations, his normalcy and even the bigotry he's faced as a blind man.  Can you imagine being refused access to a taxi or a flight because of having a seeing-eye dog?  

Roselle was the last touch of unconditional love one fireman received on that fateful day.  This is a story you'll want to read.

I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to Book Sneeze  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

The Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn is a page-turner.  In fact, I stayed up until 3:30 one morning to finish this book. I've read most of Davis Bunn's books, so I was anxious to receive this book to review.  I can tell you that this book is a departure from Davis Bunn's subject matter, but it still embraces his legal/thriller style.
Marc Royce, formerly employed by the State Department Intelligence, was dismissed by a boss consumed with his work and who expected the same of his employees.  Marc chose to take care of his dying wife over his job.  But now she was gone...and he was alone.  He was now employed as a forensic accountant; a boring job.  His former boss, Ambassador Walton, comes to enlist Marc's assistance to find Marc's best friend, Alex, and two women (all Christians) who had gone missing in Baghdad.  Within 3 hours, Marc is on a private jet heading to Baghdad and just a little rusty at intelligence work.
Marc is put in contact with Sameh, an Iraqi Christian lawyer.  This lawyer has been spending much of his time recovering kidnapped children who were used as leverage with their families for votes in the new and unstable Iraqi government.  Jaffar, the Grand Imam's son, employs the help of Sameh to find a missing Iraqi man.  After Marc & Sameh begin to work together, they are sure the disappearance of these 4 people are somehow connected.
Marc & Sameh are put in various situations which begin to make the Iraqi and U.S. government take notice of these two men.  And neither govenment is anxious for the four missing people to be found nor for Marc or Sameh to receive any kind of notoriety.  Marc manages to stay out of the spotlight which endears him to Sameh's family and to many leaders.  And trust is born.  Both men soon find out why two governments don't want missing people found...and they see God at work.
This is a great story.  And I can only hope that God is at work in Iraq in the way this story portrays!

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to Bethany House  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.