Christmas Eve 2008

I just got done putting together a princess make-up table for Chloe and setup Stephen's desk. Our house is so small that I had to rearrange the furniture, so when the family wakes up I hope they don't trip....

Stephen and Chloe are so excited, they can't control themselves. We found a Santa tracker and before they went to bed, they saw where he was. It was fun checking through the night on his progress and learn a little history about the cities he visited. I heard Kathi and Caitlyn laughing. They explained to me that Santa was not real....

Tonight I walked the neighborhood with the kids. We found a house with candles in bags. It was the image of a cross. Chloe randomly starting to sing Silent Night. Then she reminded me once again that "Baby Jesus was born by Mary and Joself, grew up, dies on the cross, and went to heaven and became Santa." Reminds me of my own faith at times. It would be easier to think of Jesus as Santa. Even with the strange explanation Chloe gave, she somehow gets what Christmas is about and I was touched looking at the cross listening to her sing...

Here is a video of Caitlyn getting mad at her gingerbread man.
I love how serious she was about it.



I realized tonight that Kathi and Caitlyn call me the Grinch more then I like to admit. It is kinda funny because at times I see myself getting all frustrated with the kids. I am off 2 weeks and not use to having them around 24-7. Even if I am the Grinch, I really do love being with them. The short moments we are all focused on each other and none of the static of the world. Like playing Candy Land, going for a hike, building a Pinewood Derby car, or taking naps together.... I hope they remember those moments more then my Grinch ones...

It is 12:15 am... Merry Christmas!

Santa talks to our kids

We got emails from Santa today. He had us gather the kids around the computer and spoke to each of them. As you can tell they were so excited and amazed that Santa not only knew their names, but had pictures of them and knew what they wanted. Check them out, each is a little different. Pay attention to Caitlyn's. I think Santa was not paying attention.....

• Click here for Stephen
• Click here for Chloe
• Click here for Caitlyn

After they watch the videos, they began to see elf's peeking in the window checking in on them. The energy got so bad, I had to take them on a elf hunt around the block. At dinner Chloe explained that "Joeself" and Mary had baby Jesus. Baby Jesus grew up, died on the cross, went to heaven to be with God and became Santa.

Stephen was struggling to listen today and recorded Santa an apology. I hope he gets it in time...

What am I getting into?

Today I applied for graduate school and a new position at BCBSNC.

My brothers visit

John and family came up last week to watch Alley's soccer team play. We had a good time with the kids. Stephen and Chloe loved having Emma and Garrett around. Garrett was soo nice to the younger kids. Here is a sweet picture from our trip to the mall. More can be found here

Here is a video of Alley punching me. She hits harder then John...
More video with the kids can be found here. There is a video of Garrett dancing and telling us what hew wants for Christmas. Santa better wach out...

Chloe gets her ears pierced

For over a month Chloe talked about getting her ears pierced. Last week, she came home from preschool saying she was not a real princess because she did not have pierced ears like Megan at school.

Pierced ears became priority one for her. She talked about Santa getting her ear rings and how pretty she would be. Telling her she was pretty the way she was did not help. She could be prettier with ear rings....

I wanted to be there when she got her ears pierced because it seemed so important to her, but I did not want to be blamed for putting her through the pain, if she cried.

Well, I decided to man up and go. Below is a video of my brave little girl. I swear I see her fighting back tears. But, she won't admit to it. At the end, with no one to remind her, she even tells the women "Thank You"!

Now she wants Santa to bring her ear rings and lots of make up......

November Activities

More photos from November can be found here.

Lots of playing in the leaves and in the backyard, A perfect kids paradise.
Drew and Sharon came for Thanksgiving and we had a good time. But, somehow I forgot to take pictures.....

Stephen and I rode our bikes 4 miles round trip today. We went to his school and then hiked to the river. Below is a cool panoramic shot I took of the river. I darkened it up to make it spooky.

Click on image for larger view

Here is a picture of the car I purchased after I totaled my truck. It reminds me of a college kids first car. Small, not a smooth ride, no power anything. But gets 35 MPG and a low car payment.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a happy thanksgiving. Here is a comic from Being Five that I thought was classic. Click on the image to get a better view.

Fall Weekend

It has been very cold, we even saw a few flurries. This weekend was cool, but very nice. I had to force myself to stop being busy with adult things and enjoy the moment. The kids jumped into piles of leaves all weekend. We even piled them in their tree fort and had a blast going down the slide. Check out the fun below:

Big Bad Squirrels

Stephen has been practicing for a school play. He comes home and sings a few notes from the songs. I can't wait to see them perform "Big Bad Squirrels".

When they perform I will post a few clips to share with you. For now have a sneak peek at the video clip below.

Onesie - Gotta Love It!

This may be a geek thing. If I showed this to Kathi, it would not be as funny to her. But, I don't care, the next person I know who is having a baby is getting this.

Backyard visitor!

Check her eyes out...
It is really freaky when you click on the picture and see it close up.

I found her on the top of my tent. After my initial reaction to smash it, I placed her on a log and watched her for a little while with my son, who also wanted to smash it (a guy thing).

I am not sure if she has babies in her or what. But, she was big and freaky.

Obama Wins!

WOW, he won. America made history! That's a wonderful milestone, but not the reason so many of us voted for him... I was excited to see overall turnout so high. Young people not only voted, but volunteered in large numbers.

Obama has a huge database of excited volunteers, imagine if he leverages the Internet, as he did in his campaign, and uses it to motivate, challenge, and empower those volunteers. Turn them into the Obama Ground Team. The team could be dispatched to help during a crisis or various key initiatives. Through the Internet he can engage with so many people and motivate them to action. I would love to see this!!!!!

I really appreciated his speech last night. My hope, is he can now work across party lines, bring the nation together, and get things done!




I cannot do the night justice, so I'm posting an article about Obama's speech from Ragan Communications. By Fraser Seitel (A Republican)

Maybe, just maybe, Barack Obama really is different.

Maybe he is not at all like the men who preceded him in the White House or the self-righteous blowhards with whom he worked in the Senate. Frankly, I’m not convinced (Hey, I voted for John McCain, so shoot me!).

But … if his victory speech this morning was any indication, president-elect Obama may be very different indeed.

His speech declaring presidential victory was unlike any in history.

Traditionally, election night victory speeches are perfunctory and formulaic: 1.) Talk about how “humbled” you are, 2.) acknowledge your opponent, 3.) thank your supporters and family and 4.) mention the “challenge ahead” and then start partying.

Most such November victory speeches are quickly filed in the dustbin of history. (John F. Kennedy in Hyannis in 1960 simply read conciliatory telegrams from President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon, thanked the people, and left.)

But Obama’s 16-minute oration, begun promptly at the stroke of midnight ET, was something different.

The rhetoric—word choice and syntax—was soaring. The delivery—emphasis, cadence, eye contact, gestures—was inspired. And the speech construction was unlike any previous presidential victory speech in our history.

1. The opening "moment."

Out of the gate, Obama confronted—with neither preamble nor overstatement nor false humility—the overwhelming significance of this moment in America.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”

It took but this simple, stunning opening sentence to summarize the unprecedented, historic occurrence.

Immediately on display were Obama’s subtle mastery of the rhetorical rule of threes to prove his points and the use of staccato lists—“young and old, rich and poor, Democrats and Republicans, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and non-disabled”—to drive home his promise as a leader bent on unifying.

His opening point—that “change has come to America” —required no further substantiation.

2. Respect.

Next, the new president acknowledged the man who had been his adversary for the last year. Again, this is standard.

But while Bill Clinton casually recognized Bob Dole and George Bush briefly alluded to John Kerry, Barack Obama took quality time to praise the merits and measure of the man he had just soundly beaten.

“He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifice for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.”

It seemed heartfelt and sincere—the opposite of what one feels when Clinton speaks. This was different.

3. The thank you.

The obligatory “thank yous” also began like all the speeches that came before—acknowledging running mate, family, campaign workers. But then Obama suddenly switched oratorical fields and focused on those “hard-working, middle-class folks” to whom he was most indebted.

“It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston … built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give the five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause.”

Once again, with simple language and well-chosen words, Obama had honored the spirit of the millions along the way who had flocked to see him and captured, with eloquence, the context that had resulted in this landslide.

4. The mission.

Where his predecessors had been content to bask in the glory of the victory moment and let the big issues wait for another day, Obama was all business. He quoted Abraham Lincoln and called for action to meet the litany of challenges the nation faced.

“Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers—in this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people.”

It was as if there was so much to do, the new president didn’t have time to wait for tomorrow. The call to mission was that pointed; the delivery of the message that urgent.

5. One last living metaphor.

And finally, this new president with the new speaking style, needed to cite one last, living metaphor.

He chose a black woman he had met along the campaign trail, who cast her ballot in Atlanta—“like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing—Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.”

And thereupon, Obama launched into a brief historical tour, through war and Depression, through segregation and assassination, ending with the election of the nation’s first black president.

Cooper’s journey—a metaphor for the hope and promise of positive change in America—was a fitting way to conclude a remarkable victory address on a memorable, historic evening.

Fraser Seitel has been a communications counselor, lecturer, TV commentator and teacher for 30 years, and is a prominent public relations author. He can be reached at yusake@aol.com.

Final round

The final days of the election are before us. If Obama wins, I hope he can live up to the expectations he has set and others are setting for him. I know I have my expectations of change in the government, health care reform, economy, poverty, and better global relations. WOW can anyone meet these demands with the situation things are in? In reality we should not look to the president for these solution, we as individuals, communities, organizations, churches need to push for change and make it happen from the bottom up. That is what has started change since the beginning of our country.

HOPE....CHANGE....

Obama gets Colin Powell's endorsement

He still draws huge crowds, tons of new voters, and in Republican states draws crowds of over 100,000.

If Obama becomes president can he live up to everyone's expectations? His campaign is built around "grassroots" effort and ideals based on "hope" and "change". Is real change possible?? Yes. Is it possible now? We will see...

Brothers Weight Loss Challenge

I have been 235 lbs for many years. I may loss an occasional 5 lbs, but always gain it back. As I got older, I talked myself in believing that at least I am not getting fatter.... Well, I got a health check a month ago and lets say it was not good.

I nag Caitlyn about checking her sugar levels, getting exercise, and eating right. Now it is my turn to be an example and make a lifestyle change. My excuse up till now has been; "life simply gets in the way. Kids activities, family chores, work, and TV/computer time :)". I can't keep using it as an excuse and need to make it a priority for me and my family.

To help motivate me, my brother and I decided to have a weight loss challenge. Whoever loses the most weight from Oct 2008 to April 2009 wins an undetermined prize. Maybe an airline ticket to see the other brother.

I created a spreadsheet we plan to update each Sunday. You can view our weight loss data and charts on this spreadsheet.

Maybe all of this exposure and pressure will motivate me. Heck, I need to post a picture of myself, but I am afraid you would never come back to my blog.....

Web 2.0 Conference

Blue Cross of North Carolina (BCBSNC) sent me to a Web 2.0 conference at SAS Institute hosted by Ragan.com. I enjoyed learning about SEO, blogs, new technologies on the horizon, and how other corporations are using these tools to communicate with employees and customers.

Best moments at the conference:
David Pogue speaking about technology and singing a few song parities. Below is a tape of two songs he did at the conference. The second one about the RIAA is really funny.

Best resource I learned about:
http://www.everyblock.com/ - A way to find out about anything in your neighborhood

Best tool mentioned:
http://search.everyzing.com/ - Did you know you can search text from audio and video on the net?

Sites mentioned during the conference:

Tools

• http://www.blogpulse.com/ - A BlogPulse blog summarizing recent activity, trends, personalities and issues in the blog universe.
• http://technorati.com/ - Lists websites by their overall page rank and authority
• http://search.everyzing.com/ - Search online audio (podcasts, You Tube, Video)
• http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en - Setup email alerts on news or blog posts about a topic
• http://www.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en - Blog Search
• https://www.blogger.com/ - Blogging tool
• http://www.newsgator.com - RSS readers
• http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/FeedDemon/Default.aspx - Feed Demon personal RSS reader
• http://friendfeed.com/ - Discover and share sites with friends
• http://qik.com/ - Streaming and archived video using your cell phone
• https://twitter.com/ - Service to communicate with others using short questions/answers
• http://www.yammer.com/about - Twitter solution for employees on an internal network
• http://digg.com/ - If used on public site to rate news, helps drive traffic
• Google Page Rank - Allows you to see the rank Google gives a page, determined by back links and content on site
• https://www.getdropbox.com/ - Store, Sync, Share files
• http://www.digsby.com - consolidates your social media tools in one place. From IM to Facebook.
• http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp - video training tool
• http://www.tubemogul.com/ - Send videos to multiple video sites
• http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki - Free wiki product

Tech Blogs

• http://www.engadget.com/ - Tech product review site - top blog site
• http://www.techcrunch.com/ - Reviews web start up companies - top blog site
• http://www.davidpogue.com/ - NYT tech reviewer

Company Blogs

• http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/ - GM blogs
• http://www.sun.com/ - Links to employee blogs on front page, over 400 bloggers
• http://blogs.thomasnelson.com/ - company bloggers listed on corporate site
• http://www.runningahospital.blogspot.com/ -
• http://www.bigmedicine.ca/stevencrimando.htm

Marketing and Social Media Blogs

• http://www.nevillehobson.com/ - Business and communications blog
• http://www.pr-squared.com/ - Social Media blog
• http://badpitch.blogspot.com/ - Highlights bad pitches PR professionals send to bloggers
• http://www.marketingovercoffee.com - Tips on marketing
• http://micropersuasion.com/ - Technology and communications blog
• http://www.christopherspenn.com/ - A visionary in new media with an intuitive sense for how marketing and community outreach

Video Blogs

• http://www.blogsouthwest.com/video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaHtA89RHUQ - Here is a video a B to B company did and it got lots of attention which increased page views and brand. This was successful because the video was on YouTube and linked back to the site. Video hosted on your own site have less exposure.
• http://bloggingheads.tv/ - video blog debate format, very cool. Could use for interviews as well

Podcasts

• http://forimmediaterelease.biz - For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report is the twice-weekly podcast of Neville Hobson, ABC, and Shel Holtz, ABC, a pair of communication professionals who think they have something to say.
• http://www.whirlpool.com/custserv/promo.jsp?sectionId=563 - Podcast to help build customer loyalty and brand awareness.

Resources

• http://www.bettermanagement.com/ - Better Management provides articles, webcasts, and conferences addressing Performance Management, Financial Management, Business Intelligence, IT management, and other critical business management issues
• http://sncr.org/ - The Society for New Communications Research is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank dedicated to the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications, and their effect on traditional media and business models, communications, culture and society.
• http://www.stopblocking.org/ - The value of enabling social media for employees, both inside and outside the firewall, keeps getting reinforced by study after study, yet organizations continue to block access to external sources while resisting internal implementation citing excuses ranging from bandwidth and storage limitations to fears of diminished worker productivity.
• http://www.pitchengine.com/ - PitchEngine is the new social media release champion, and an indispensable tool in the new media arsenal.”
• http://www.davidpogue.com/
• http://social-media-university-global.org/ - Free classes on social media
• http://www.everyblock.com/ - BETA - search on info in your area
• http://www.fightthebull.com/ - Evaluate emails for BS
• http://www.domystuff.com/ - Outsource chores, sample of web 2.0 community

Soccer season ends in two weeks

A few posts back I talked about the kids soccer teams. Time flew by because the season is almost over.

Here is a picture of Stephen's soccer team (Red Tigers). I think they won every game this season. The kids don't care too much about winning and really seem to have fun.

Here are some more pictures of The Red Tigers in action.



Chloe had a slow start to the soccer season. She wanted to pick weeds and hug everyone. We also lost a coach. The parents stepped up and took over. It has turned out better then I thought. Kudos to two key parents in making it a great season.

I have a few videos of the team in action. At this age it is funny to watch them.

Check out pictures from the game.
Check the videos out here.

Below is a video of Chloe in action. This was the most I have seen her touch the ball. At the end of the video one of her friends scores a goal and hits his head on the goal post. OUCH!!!

A billion

A billion seconds ago it was 1951.
A billion minutes ago Jesus walked on earth.
In Washington a billion dollars was spent only in 10.3 hours ago.

Are you talking to me?

I hate going to the grocery store or on the elevator at work, when a person talks to you and you respond, only to realize they were not really talking to you... They were talking into their Blue-Tooth headset.
So many people have these things, I feel like I am in a sci-fi movie and they are the cyborgs...

Kids are tough

Man, kids are tough. Being a parent is harder then I ever imagined.
I hope I don't screw them up to bad.......
I thought I would have all the answers by now.
Where is the cheat sheet?

It is so strange, the kids are at 3 different phases. Switching to deal with each of them can be difficult.

Caitlyn is turning 18. She wants the privileges of being an adult. It is hard to let go and allow her to explore yet set limits. I remember being that age and thinking my parents were so out of it, while my friends parents were so cool. I look back and those friends made a lot of bad decisions they are living with to this day. I now appreciate my parents attempt to keep me safe and helping me grow. She is a smart kid and I am excited to see what she does in college. She has worked hard to this point and amazes me with her wit, knowledge, and wide variety of interests.

Chloe is so cute and knows it. She started school and wants to do everything Stephen does. She started playing soccer and loves it. Chloe never meets a stranger. She is going to be a fireball when she gets older. I am not sure what we are gonna do...

Stephen is gaining confidence weekly. School and all his activities make him tired. But, if we don't keep him busy, he gets himself in trouble. He realized he is smaller then the other kids and struggles with it. But, at soccer he mixes it up with the biggest kid on the field.

Cub Scouts

Stephen is really enjoying cub scouts. I love watching him feel apart of something positive and bigger them himself. He is getting his "Bobcat" badge in a ceremony end of this month. He has to know the Cub Scout motto, salute, handshake, and complete some other activities.

We purchased his outfit a week ago and he enjoyed helping me put the patches on. We used some special adhesive, but I think we are gonna have to use needle and thread soon....

Thursday we received the dreaded fund raising kit to sell popcorn. The money allows the group to go camping and buy supplies for this years activities. Stephen was so excited to go sell popcorn I was really surprised. Today he dressed up in his Scout uniform and we walked 3 blocks selling popcorn. As we walked home, I told him how much we raised. He jumped up and down excited. He wanted to go buy the $80 transformer remote control car...... After some explaining, he was OK with the money going to Scouts. He asked that next time we raise money could he make a lemon aid stand to sell and keep the money for himself.

Next summer, lemon aid stand her we come!

Update 10/4/2008 - Stephen and I went door to door and sold over $300. We also went and sold popcorn at the local grocery store. I was surprised how much fun he had. He was the smallest scout and sold the most. Little old ladies could not say no to him. He sold 15 packs of $1 popcorn in 15 minutes. He was on fire.... I was very proud because he took the job serious and worked harder then the other kids (age range from 8-13). Sometimes when people turned him down, he would say "Thank you anyway, have a nice day." They were surprised how nice he was and would change their minds and buy some popcorn or donate a couple of dollars.

He sold enough to win tickets to a NC State Basketball game where he will eat with the coach and players. He also won a rocket.

Self Portrait

Vote for Max

My brother emailed me a photo of a poster they made because Max is campaigning for school office. With such a high profile presidential election going on, it made me realize how important it is to teach our kids the importance of community and our role in making a difference.

The time is now. The place is here.
Vote for Max for a awesome school year!!!

Good luck Max. I made a campaign video for you. Let me know how it goes....

First time for everything

Remember when you were young and discovering how to tie your shoe, ride a bike, or the first time you got to go around the block by yourself..... Ahh, the simple times!

Here are a few firsts for our kids, click play on the videos and prepare to be amazed :)

Stephen's first bike ramp
We made it together a week after he learned how to ride a bike.

Chloe's first day at preschool




Stephen's first day in adult church
When the children enter first grade our church introduces them to the congregation. They are now of age to sit with their parents (to test our patience...) He was so proud and excited to be presented with a new bible. When they introduced him, he told them he liked to "work" with his hammer and enjoys salad...... I hope the faith thing comes easier for him then it did for me. Below is the outfit he picked to wear.

Thoughts from a former "Illegal Immigration"

I received this email from a good friend who now is pastor in Apex. It is heartfelt and an interesting perspective.

What follows is a first attempt to respond in a pastoral way to this topic. I'm not responding to any particular point of view. I simply want to add my own limited view to this conversation in a spirit of friendship and openness. I speak to this issue from my own experience as a Latino immigrant, as a Protestant Christian, as an evangelical pastor, as a head of household of a Latino family.

Immigrants come to this country for different reasons. I was brought here by my mom to protect me from the civil strife of my country of birth. One of my brothers was killed by the military at age 16. My oldest brother was arrested by the military at age 17. I was 15 when I left El Salvador to come here.

I remember having a difficult time adapting to a new home, new culture, and new life. Language was different, relationships were different, values were different, living for the first time in my life with my mom was different, etc. I was unhappy and angry at everything that was happening to me. I wanted to go home, my real home.

Two identities were new to me in this culture. First, I learned that I was a Hispanic person. The church I attended was Hispanic, my mom's friends were Hispanic, my friends at school were Hispanic, the places we ate were Hispanic, the TV channels we watched were Hispanic, the places we bought groceries were Hispanic, etc. Second, I was an illegal alien. I didn't feel much different than other Hispanics. But nevertheless I knew not to tell to strangers that I was an illegal.

In 2001 I immigrated to this country again. I was no longer a newcomer but my wife was. Through her I relived some of the emotional and social challenges that comes sometimes with being an immigrant. In an instant she lost all of her support networks (family, friends, church, neighborhood, university, etc) and felt disconnected and isolated. She became overly dependent on others for things that she use to be able to do alone (go to the market, ride the bus, attend church, make a phone call, meet people, etc.). But God was with us, we had each other and we had the love of Christian brothers and sisters to help us get through. And we still do.

As a Latino pastor, I hear from Latinos who are struggling because they are not able to find a job or receive services available only to legal people. Many Latinos live with the fear of being deported and separated from their families. There is fear of raids from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at job sites or homes. I hear from people who wrestle with feelings of humiliation, of not being appreciated, of not belonging. People who tell me that no matter how hard they work and how many sacrifices they make their quality of life is diminishing. Why don't they just go back home?

The point is this is home. I have more relatives here now than any other place in the world. Two of my kids were born here. I have friends here. I have a church family here. I received an education here. I serve Christ here. God's dreams for me are tied to my presence in this land. Through it all, with its ups and downs, I have experience the love, embrace and hospitable spirit of people in my new home, particularly from sisters and brothers in Christ.

What are we to do as Christians?

The most important word we can share with illegal immigrants is that they are children of God. This child of God identity is an unequivocal truth. Divine recognition of the dignity of the human person, so much so that God didn't withhold even his only Son, uplifts people who feel disenfranchised and provides a sense of purpose and belonging again.

I speak to this from my own experience. To know that I'm a child of God before I'm anything else is the strength and foundation of my existence. Yes, I was born into Salvadoran citizenship. Yes, I was a U.S. illegal. Yes, I became a Permanent Resident. Yes, I'm now a Naturalized U.S. citizen. These identities are part of my story and have shaped who I've become. But nothing has shaped me and is more important to me than to know that I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ and a citizen of God's new people. No matter how many borders I cross that identity stays with me.

It is through Jesus' Lordship and teachings of the Kingdom of God that we can discern how to best respond to the challenges and opportunities of our own context. We don't get to choose our parents, birthplace or time. But in the new birth of the spirit we can experience a new life in Christ, and as the mission of Apex UMC states "invite and equip ALL to follow Jesus in transforming the world.

The life on earth of our Lord Jesus can enlighten our dialogue. Jesus, himself a Jew, grew up not protected from the guarantees of class or citizenship. As a newborn of a common Jewish family, Jesus and his parents immigrated to Egypt to escape a government policy that would have ended with Jesus' life. As a Jewish adult, when judged for his teachings by the religious and political powers of his day, Jesus couldn't appeal to Caesar (like any Roman citizen) and was sentence to death overnight. Yet, Jesus' understanding of his Sonship, his conviction that God was with him even on the cross, allowed him to overcome any temptation to give in to hopelessness. He conquered his own fears and transformed his own religious tradition. He spoke radically to his contemporaries about a new kind of life (a new order), teaching his visions of the "Kingdom of Heaven," of a new citizenship committed to God's will. "Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself" (Philippians 3: 20-21).

Paul in Romans 12:12 said that one of the marks of the Christian is to "extend hospitality to strangers." What does this mean for our own context? In what ways are we to show Christian love to immigrants in our midst? Our response will determine how aligned we are or how distant we are with God's will and the teachings of our Lord.

Our nationality, ethnicity, race, culture, economic status, experience of God, and theological interpretation will inform our opinions on issues like this one. And that's OK. We enter this conversation not from a void but from a real self. As we engage in dialogue let us seek God's Kingdom first and in so doing seek the Holy Spirit's guidance and power to transcend our own limitations and prejudices to carry on the ministry of Jesus.

RNC Week

Since I watch the DNC all last week, I thought it was only fair to watch the RNC this week. Few random comments about what I saw:

• OK, he was a POW years ago, I get it. I respect that, but think it is overkill now. His POW story may show part of his character, but I felt like that was the main theme. That and how we won't be protected if Obama gets into office. POW does not mean you will make a good president.
  
• If I hear "Maverick" one more time, I'm going to puke. From what I know he voted with Republicans a large percent of the time and his maverick days have far gone. Now, he's claiming he can be the solution and a critic of politics in Washington, when he has played the game forever.
  
• Did you see how negative every one's speech was, directly at Obama and his ideals. I was amazed how condescending and hateful they were. You can attack political views without being hateful. Also, these ideals are millions of peoples ideals and they laughed at them. Not a way to win people over.
  
• McCain did OK on his speech. I found it interesting how "nice" he was compared to all the other speeches. Some interesting themes:
• I will fight for you, I will fight corruption, We will fight, fight with me
  
• Change - Guess this was working to good for Obama
• He did things because it was right, Obama because he wants a career as president
• Vote for Obama and taxes will increase. Hey, McCain how are you gonna pay for everything, including the wars we are in? Let's borrow money from China and make our grandkids worry about it.
  
• What I did not hear this week
• Real solutions and how to pay for them, Obama made some attempt, but not much either
• Sounds like they do not know who the middle class are
• Social justice
• How we deal with world situations and our current reputation
  
• Hey where was George and Dick. Funny how they acted like they did not know them
  

Here is a good summary of his speech.

Obama's DNC Speach

A great American story. From simple beginnings, attended Harvard and became the first African American president of Harvard Law School. He turned down the high paying jobs to work on community development, was elected to the Senate, and now the first African American to be a democratic nominee.

I watched the DNC all week. Tonight 90,000 supporters filled the stadium and millions watched on TV. Obama's speech is historic and on the anniversary of MLKs "I Had A Dream" speech. Obama gave a wonderful acceptance speech.

I am proud of him because along his path, he touched peoples lives and used these experiences to take action and become a voice of hope. He is not Superman! There is no way any president could solve all the issues in 8 years. But, maybe he can start changing how Washington works and make it more transparent. Maybe he will inspire us all to make change for the positive. Even if that means sacrifices. Whatever he does, he will not live up to anyones expectations....

I am also proud that he ran his campaign in a more positive and grassroots way. It amazes me to see the weekly house parties and voter registrations going on for Obama. He has leveraged the Internet, not just for donations, but to help bring people together and including them in the campaign. Did you know most of his donation are $50 or less.

What is the right experience to become president?
I think it is the only job, without a real list of prerequisites and that amazes me, since it is the most important job in America. JFK and Clinton were both said to not have enough experience. Yet their experience and leadership lead this country to better places. I just hope unlike Clinton and Edwards, Obama really does have the better judgment when it comes to his libido. Specially, if Obama Girl is close by....


Obama's DNC speech mentioned:

• Environment
• Energy solution, not just drilling and we need to act now
• Education - better education, teacher pay, affordable college education for all
• Poverty
  
• Health care - Lower premiums, get coverage as good as Congress, stop discrimination of chronically sick, require employers to provide paid sick days and leave
• Economy
• Income - fair wage for all, equal pay

All of the changes cost money, how does he plan to pay for it?

• Close corporate loops holes
• Eliminate programs in the federal budget that does not work
• Government can lead, but we all have a part how we impact our community, families, and the world. From the light bulbs we use to fathers taking responsibilities for their kids.

Obama said we may not agree on things, but can work together on solutions that will help all.

• Reduce abortions, even if it is legal
• May not agree on same sex marriage, but allow them rights (visit partner in hospital)
  
• Immigration - As we try to figure out the problem, treat them fairly with good judgment
• War - As a last resort. Work with other world leaders in a more willing way. Need better ways to deal with terrorists. Can't Help Georgia due to lack of resources and manpower
• World politics - Restore what we stand for and how we treat other countries
• Character - Wont tear down McCain, it is about politics and we need to all work together as America, not left or right. We should disagree respectfully, but work together.
  
• Politics - Trying to scare people to vote using untrue tactics should stop.

Obama used a quote from MLK:
"Something is stirring. We want change in the political system and it comes when we as Americans rise up and are given hope that we make a difference."

My thoughts?
Like every acceptance speech, it is full of promises and little proof of a plan to pay for it. Obama's was no different. But, unlike others since JKF, Obama seems to connect people and give them hope.

"America our destiny is linked to each other, we can't walk alone, must march ahead".
Is Obama the one who can lead us, inspire us, give us hope and start the change in Washington we need? I hope so. I am voting on it.

I know he is a good speaker and people say he has nothing else to offer. But that is too simplistic. As I watched his speech, I was moved because I am inspired by him and the hopes and dreams he has for the country. Not only for me and my kids but the "least of these" in the US and around the world. What each of us do and how our country responds to other nations not only affect us and generations to come, but others all over the world. I believe Obama gets that.

It is easier to worry about our pile of stuff, we don't want to dare think we have a moral responsibility to worry about others, specially if they are not next store or think the same way we do..... The oppression or struggles others face will eventually affect us and it is happening now with the mortgage crisis, poverty around the world, and government borrowing from China to operate, global warming, and the oil situation. We are encouraged to spend money to make the economy better, while our credit card debt is the highest in the world. There has to be a balance and right now as a whole we tipped the scales and need to be smarter as individuals and a country on who we owe and how we operate. As individuals we can make a difference, but the Government should be an example and inspire us.

I hope for a better world. Helping other countries and dealing with situations in a more diplomatic fashion. Even if you have to say "OK, that did not work, lets regroup and figure this out."

May the next 3 months come quickly. I am addicted to CNN and tired of watching the pundits. Next week is the RNC and I plan to watch it with an open mind as well, but my vote is already going to Obama. So maybe I will watch it with a closed mind :)

Grandpa L

My Grandpa, is 94 and had a stroke. I am not sure how much he knows at this point but Alzheimer is setting in as well. He has always been independent so I think it is hard for him to lose that.


I feel bad because I do not see him much. Mostly around Christmas, once a year if we get down to Florida. I guess I do not make the effort I should..... My Uncle is close by to monitor and take care of him. I can only imagine the stress and patience it takes.

Here is an odd story.

Saturday night I was told my Grandpa, broke into the assisted living centers snack closet to steal candy.

The same Saturday night, my wife and I went to bed around 9pm, the little ones were supposed to be asleep. We woke up around 11pm, to giggles and found our kids rolling a soccer ball to each other and eating 8 bags of gummy bears between the two of them...

So on the same night Grandpa was breaking into the candy closet, my kids broke into the candy jar....

Here is a video from last Christmas,
he was dancing with his great grand kids.

Alexandra Orlando

My parents emailed me about my cousin (2ND cousin) being in the Olympics for Canada. How cool is that. I think she competes next week and am looking forward to watching.

She is one of only four athletes to win six gold medals at a single commonwealth game. She is also on the list for the 50 sexiest athletes of the 2008 Olympics. I am not sure how her parents feel about that one, but all I can say is how the hell did I miss the athletic and good looks genes in this family. Damn, my parents!!!!

You got to give respect to someone that has practiced her whole life for a shot at the Olympics. Her family as well. All the sacrifice for something few achieve. Even if she does not get a medal, she has made it further then most of the population. But, it looks good for her.

Amazing stuff... You go girl!
I searched and found her blog, check it out

Make sure you watch till the end, she throws the ball very high and catches it with her legs. I can't even catch a pass on the basketball court from my son.....


Hoola Hoop to the next level

Soccer Season

Chloe and I went to her second practice yesterday. It was a lot better then the first one.

She stayed a little more focused and even scored two goals. Some kids got frustrated with her because she stole the ball and was going to make a goal. He started hitting her.... The dad was cool and took his son aside. Chloe looked dazed and confused, but continued to dribble the ball for a goal.

Haircut bro....

Tonight my son decided to be nice to his little sister and put in some hair clips she wanted in her hair. They were being so sweet to each other, it was a nice scene until he could not get one out of her hair and found a pair of scissors to cut Chloe's hair......

Soccer Practice

The kids went to soccer practice today. Stephen is on his 3rd season and this is Chloe's first season. Practice is at different schools so Kathi took Stephen and I took Chloe.

Chloe ran around crazy as did all the other kids. The coach is new and has never coached before.
What I am discovering is that no one is stepping up to help. I think we all feel we paid our fees and should have a competent coach. But, it looks like a few of us are gonna try to step up. If it does not get better, Chloe can wait a year or so...

Stephen is strong and fast, but small for his size. Some big kid told him he was to small to play. The kid was bullying other children. We are gonna have to teach Stephen how to deal with bullies and also feel confident, even if he is smaller then the others...

My visit to the mechanic

I arrived at my mechanic's auto shop at 7:30am today.
It is 11:13am and they say I should be on the road by 11:30 or 12.

I had to get a tune up, oil change, tires rotated, and a state inspection. While they were inspecting my car, they noticed my check engine light was on.
This resulted in finding out my camshaft sensor and synchronizer was bad and needed to be replaced....

I thought I was going to pay out no more then $200, but the total now is going to be $700.

Now I am grumpy, hungry, and tired. I think I am gonna go out to lunch, what's another $12 after this service bill......

CQ+PQ>IQ

I am reading "The World is Flat". It is a very interesting look on how technology is changing our world and the need to adapt. There is a concept I found interesting:

CQ+PQ>IQ
Curiosity (to discover) + Passion (to learn) is greater then a high IQ.

The author explains he would hire a person with curiosity and passion over someone with just a high IQ. He explains people with curiosity and passion are self motivators and self educators. As technology changes the world, these types of traits will prove valuable, since they are apt to be willing and ready to change and can inspire others as well.

I can relate to this because when I worked for a dotcom, we had a few people who were very smart and had master degrees from Duke. But, they were not as creative or productive as the employee who had passion and curiosity.

I am not saying high IQ's or advance degrees are not helpful. But, I can see where a persons drive, curiosity, and passion can provide an edge to someone who only offers a high IQ.

My daughter is very smart. We are proud of her and I have tried to explain to her how important other attributes are in life. You do not wear your IQ or test scores on your head. For me that is a good thing! Grades and scores can help get you in the game, but performace is what counts. Performance is a result of CQ+PQ.

My daughter is cute, smart, and unique. I love that about her. She is as pig headed as me too!
I love that she explores different music and reads graphic novels. Those are things I loved as a kid too. She is into literature, even in the summer time... She has some passion and I cant wait to see what she does with it.

It's not a competition!

My son loves to make everything a competition with his little sister. From who can run up the stairs faster, kick more soccer goals, ride a bike better, brush his teeth faster. You name it, he can turn it into a competition.

I can be competitive and for the most part turn it off. We try to explain to our son that everything does not have to be a competition.

Well, the other night he turn the tables on me.....

My son wanted to do sit ups before he went to bed. I think this was triggered because when he was 3, the only thing that calmed him down was bedtime "Yoga". It was really just stretching...

Our nightly routine goes something like this "The kids brush their teeth, we read books, I tuck my baby girl in, and sneak off to my sons room so he can do sit ups. This was the routine most nights for the last 2 weeks. We would take turns and do 3 sets of 10. I was impressed he could do them. Well, one night we completed our sets and he wanted to see how many he could do. He did 54 sit ups (on top of the 3 sets of 10). I was amazed and as father would do, I started doing sit ups to show him how many I could do. Well, after about 30 (on top of 3 sets of 10) I struggled. As he held my legs for me, he said "Daddy it is not a competition you can stop if you want..."

Talk about funny. He not only showed me up in sit ups, but used my own lecture on me.

Women as Deacons in the Church

If you hang in long enough to read this post, I would be interested in your comments, please post them by clicking "comments" link at the bottom of the article.

There are many interpretations depending on your perspective. But what we do know for sure is Christ is the equalizer for the poor, women, orphans, and everyone else. Not just men. If someone truly believes they have a gift and are called to serve who are we humans to judge? Was not Christ on the cross for all of us? Is it too hard to believe that the issue at hand is salvation for all and each of us have a role to play. Using any amount of energy on condemning someones calling, even if it is a "woman", means we are not focused on Gods kingdom, but our own earthly world and biases.




Women role in church:

• Acts 2:18 - God ordained women to preach
• Acts 21: 8-9 - 3 of Philip's daughters preached.
• Acts 18:26 - Priscilla played key role in teaching spiritual formation even to men
• There is some evidence that a few were women deacons

Christ and women:

• Mark 5:25 - Christ touch women when menstruating, taboo back then
• John 4:1-27 - Christ established relationships with women of questionable ethical and moral backgrounds
• Gal 3:28 - In Christ there is neither male or female
• Christ reversed the trend deliberately and had a different attitude towards women than was expected. He spoke in public with the Samaritan woman (John 4 : 27) and allowed a sinful woman to approach Him in the house of Simon (Luke 7 : 37).
  
• He affirmed the equal status of the rights and duties of married couples ( Matthew 19 : 3 – 9).
  

Key verses people bring up are Eph 5:22-22 (wives submit) and 1 Tim 2:11-12 (learn in silence)

Taken at face value you can see why people believe women should not have roles in the church. But, looking at the bible and historically at the culture, education, and to other documents we find that it may be that some women who became Christians were quick to abuse the new freedoms of spiritual liberalization and not only spoke out about religious issues, but their marital issues and lectured husbands in the church. If that is the case, some think Paul was telling them to be silent in the church and talk in private. These scriptures were written to churches about specific issues.

The fact that the bible is believed to be infallible does not mean you take every scripture at face value or pull it out of context. Scripture was written to a certain culture and situations and to this day is valuable to Christians.

All of us see scripture through our own lens. What I mean by this is we experience life different then anyone else and we take these experiences and incorporate them into our faith and how we see scripture. I am sure we can interpret scriptures all day on all sorts of topics. But, I have to restate my first paragraph:

"But what we do know for sure is Christ is the equalizer for the poor, women, orphans, and everyone else. Not just men. If someone truly believes they have a gift and are called to serve who are we humans to judge? Was not Christ on the cross for all of us? Is it too hard to believe that the issue at hand is salvation for all and we all have our role to play. Using any amount of energy on condemning someones calling, even if it is a "women", means we are not focused on Gods kingdom, but our own earthly world and biases."

So will Women go to hell or disappoint God for being a deacon or will he rejoice because of the lives she touched and souls she brings to Christ using her unique and beautiful skills as a women?

Are we playing our part as a Christian or are we playing arm chair quarterback, picking at someone in the game?

In the end we all have a calling and only we know what God has put in our hearts. Let's travel the journey together and support each other on the way. We may disagree on some issues, but they all are overshadowed by the fact that we exist to worship him and in Christ we can do all things.

Here are some interesting info:

Greek Philosophy on the Inferiority of Women:
http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/infe_gre.asp

History in the Baptist Church:
Even the early Baptist churches had women preach and deacons, not until Calvin and later Southern Baptist that these roles were taken away.
http://www.baptisthistory.org/contissues/deweese3.htm
http://baptisthistory.org/contissues/huffman.htm

Biblical commentary and good links:
http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/?p=38

Commentary on Church issues:
Getting the congregation involved, bridging the generational gap and the role of women.
7 min. 16 seconds into the video it talks about women in the church
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9022771525666008496

Hanging Rock Trip

Family vacation was fun. We saw lots of waterfalls, got lost around the lake, and hiked Hanging Rock with a 3 year old on my back. When we got back our garden was bursting at the seams.


For more vacation pictures click here

Text Msg. and my Social Life

A few months ago we took most of the cell phone features away. This would include downloads, ring tones, text messaging, sending photos, etc... My 17 year old actually now has a cell phone to talk to people. No distractions in class, work, or driving: photos sent to her phone or the pressure of knowing her friends sent a text message and if she does not reply ASAP she is a loser, even at 1 am...

I know what it was like to be a teenager and now more then ever there are so many useless distractions in life. This includes useless expenses that add up. Five dollars a month here, Ten dollars a month there.

As Americans I read our debt ratio is the highest in the world. If we can't afford it, we put it on a credit card knowing we can't pay it off in a month. I wonder what I am teaching my kids and if my oldest really gets it. She is almost 18 years old and if I compare her life to mine as a kid, she really has no concept of struggling for "things". Not that we spoil her, by all means we are attempting to teach her how to budget by giving her an allowance and clothing budget each year. This has help a lot. Each school year she gets a set dollar amount and if she decides to spend it all on 2 outfits, then that's all the clothes she gets for the year. I notice her "need" for expensive/trendy clothes is less of a "need" now. I am proud of her, she works part time, paid for half her car, and is responsible for car repairs and some gas. She is also a great student. But, all the classes, they really never discuss checking accounts, investments, or debt and though we discuss it with her, we are her parents, and you know what that means....

She approach me and her mom on different occasions explaining not having text messaging has been a dent in her social life. I laughed it off and did not attempt to put it into perspective, but I recall a few dents in my social life as well. But, they were things like:

• Could not afford expenses of prom, so I avoided it
• Wore sneakers with tape around the sole
• Glasses broken, so my choice was to wear them with tape or not at all
• Many times not having a ride home from football & walking several miles or thumbing it
• Fighting over the last bit of milk and watching it spill on the floor, so no one got it.
• Having to show the cafeteria lady my "FREE Lunch card" in front of all my friends
• My lazy eye was real attractive when I was tired or had to take my glasses off in gym
• Ahhh, College... I was poor, worked and went to school the whole time including summers. There were no spring break trips or "discovery" overseas. I graduated in 1991 and in 2007 finally paid off my student loans
  

I can really say I don't miss those days. I do recall finding out who your real friends were, and I learned what was important in life quick.

I don't want my kids to go through many of the things I did, but I still want them to struggle, to have to work, set goals, and sometime fight for their wants and dreams. I think it made me a good person and can only hope my kids will grow up and be better then me.

What makes a great dad?

I found this neat site for dads called SavvyDaddy. There was a post asking what makes a good dad vs. a great dad. I find this thought very interesting. Heck I feel like being a good dad is hard enough... We go to college and learn everything except parenting and that appears to have more of an impact on society then anything else.

Take a look at this link and
come back here to post your thoughts.

Friends

I don't remember being 3 or 6 years old. I guess me and my brothers played a lot together and I know as we got older we fought a lot. But, one thing was for sure, if anyone messed with us, they had the other brothers to deal with.

Chloe & Stephen fight too. Stephen does not realize that when he plays tricks on her she learns and eventually will get him back. A few days ago Chloe hid for 3-5 minutes waiting for Stephen to come up the stairs and when he did she scared him. Stephen screamed and came running with tears in his eyes. Chloe was so proud yelling with an evil laugh from the stairs "I scared him". As soon as she realized he was crying, she came running to hug and comfort him. It was so sweet. Payback is tough....

Anyway these pictures remind me of the joy of friendship and the simple days when the only thing you cared about was when the ice cream truck came and what tree to pee on.

This is a picture of Stephen and his friend on a hike. They are starting to act so independent. I was chop liver on this hike and could hear them a few feet in front of me talking about half truths and the adventure that lay ahead of them on the hike. It was fun listening to them.

I pray Stephen and Chloe have close friends and keep in touch with them for their whole lives. I missed out on that. I always felt like a nomad. As a kid moving to 3 high schools and as an adult moving for jobs. I never kept in touch with the friends I made. I think I also took/take life to serious and do not stop to enjoy it. If I can teach my kids anything, enjoy the moment, stay in touch with friends, and touch other people's life in a positive way.

Here is a picture of Chloe on the same hike. She found a walnut shell and showing me that it looked like a pigs nose...

Don't steal my grill

A few weeks ago I cleaned the grill to start the grilling season. Some friends came over for a BBQ only to discover my grill would not go over 200 degrees. I had to bring the burgers inside and cook on the George Foreman grill...

Later that night I tried to figure out what was wrong with it. No luck. The next morning Kathi called for me. As I entered the deck I found myself engulfed in the smell of propane. It was BAD! If a spark or cigarette went off, the deck would have exploded.

With that wonderful event in mind, I decided to get a professional to look at it....
I finally got around to loading the grill onto my truck the other night. The grill store was around the corner and I planned to drop it off on the way to work. I guess in the middle of the night I woke up because of a bad thunderstorm. I remember jumping up and yelling "Their gonna steal my grill" while running to the window to find my grill on the truck safe and sound. I scared the crap out of everyone including the dog. Who the hell wants that old grill anyway.....

At the grill store they looked at my grill and explained NOT to turn on the propane fast or some safety value reduces heat to only 200 degrees... But, as he investigated more, he could smell the propane leaking out. He ran some test but could not find a leak. Finally we check the burners, only to find the one burner I never use (the one off to the side like a skillet) was on..... DUH!!!!

So the grill would not heat because I turned it on too fast...
The leak was from the skillet thing being on.....

In the end I felt stupid, but very happy that my house did not blow up, my grill was working, and I could turn something on fast.

Florida Trip

We are back from Florida. The wife and kids went down last week and I was gonna have the house to myself for an ENTIRE week!!! But, It was gonna be Kathi's birthday and I could not imagine missing it. After some thought, rearranging work appointments, and guilting my boss, I purchased train tickets and surprised her with a visit on her birthday. I am glad I did. She seemed surprised and happy! Work can wait....

We had a nice time and the kids really enjoyed it. We swam, went to the zoo, played in the backyard, visited some friends with horses and just relaxed... Here are some pictures of our week.

Happy Birthday Kathi, I really love you...