Mar 31
This is the last picture I took of Elijah. We were having a small family gathering for our Thanksgiving meal, and I thought I should grab a quick picture. I was probably more interested in photographing the food that I had cooked, and I didn’t even take time to make sure the lighting captured everyone properly. As …
Mar 29
I am posting this message on Palm Sunday. It’s the week before Easter, and Palm Sunday celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem surrounded by noisy celebration. Some of the religious leaders there complained about all the noisy people, but Jesus responded, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40). …
Mar 28
Have you ever been in the middle of a big home improvement project when you suddenly ran out of critical supplies? It’s usually pretty easy to just run to the store. This past weekend some of my family and I were finishing a variety of projects on our lake house in South Dakota where Elijah …
Mar 26
We all know what it feels like to suck on a raw lemon. The facial expressions can be pretty funny. For some reason, Elijah used to love eating raw lemons and limes. I think he liked to prove how tough he was. But watching him was always good for a laugh and some memorable pictures. …
Mar 24
We all like to remember special events in our lives. Usually we commemorate important events with recurring annual celebrations. We celebrate events like holidays, anniversaries and birthdays. These were all first time events at one time, and they are significant markers for us as we watch the years go by. First time events can be really …
Mar 17
These blog posts have been focused on looking for the hand of God in the midst of our tragedies and trials. We can find encouragement in seeing God’s fingerprints on the events of our lives, and we can often see triumph when we otherwise feel hopeless. Much of what I share here relates to our son, Elijah. …
Mar 15
How do you see the world? It’s interesting that we never ask how you hear the world, or how you taste or feel the world. As it turns out, the eyes have it! We think of our eyes as an amazing way to gather information about the world around us. The eyes are like visual sponges, …
Mar 14
‘Unbroken‘ was one of the best books I’ve read. I’m still waiting to see the movie. I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to endure all the intense brutality and suffering those soldiers experienced. We admire their ability to remain unbroken. But I want to focus here on why it’s important to actually become broken. …
Mar 12
Is chaos inevitable? We like to think that bad things are mostly avoidable. Maybe they actually are, but we still say things like, “Oh well, accidents happen.” I’m reminded of our final month with Elijah when I was fussing about how often he would break our drinking glasses. After breaking his fifth glass in a week, I asked him …
Mar 10
How do you grieve over a significant loss? For me, it boils down to two things: trying to survive the intense pain and sadness, and the desperate effort to figure out whatever is next. The first one requires comforting. The second one requires determination. I don’t know how you can avoid the painful part. Melanie and I …
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