Chicago in July

I realized that I had posted a story here before we made our trip to Chicago in July, but I never posted a follow up with pictures from our trip. So here goes. I made my pilgrimage to the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha Wisconsin to get the delectable cheese curds and other assorted goodies, like sausages and preserves.

Made sure I had some of the Italian perfection from Giordano's, left Keeley in good hands with Grandma Lou, and headed downtown to show the boys a few sites before heading out to US Cellular Field to watch my beloved White Sox put a beat down on the Indians. It was a great night with Liesl and the boys and glad they got to experience a great Major League Baseball game. Paul Konerko, the Whitesox first baseman, went off and had 3 homers, one of which was a grand slam, all of them prompting the score board at "The Cell" to explode with fireworks along with the deafening cheers of the crowd. The Whitesox won 10-6.

Overall it was a successful trip.

Land of My Sojourn

It's fall. Makes me think of leaves falling, and dark mornings and getting cold. I also think of Rich Mullins, and how Autumn came early the year he died. So i had a great idea for a blog post. Pick my favorite Rich Mullins song and write based upon that and that will also be about things that counteract the dreariness of this season. The song is "Land Of My Sojourn" off the "A Liturgy, A Legacy And A Ragamuffin Band" album. It talks about how much he loves this earth and the story God has written here at the same time longing for heaven and all it's majesty. Here's the chorus:

Nobody tells you when you get born here

How much you'll come to love it

And how you'll never belong here

So I call you my country

And I'll be lonely for my home

And I wish that I could take you there with me

So here's a few things where I see God's unmistakable activity here in this Land of My Sojourn.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a place that Liesl and I have visited many times since moving here to Tennessee. It doesn't have the biggest mountains or the best views or deepest canyons. It's beauty is in it's subtlety. It's beautiful rolling hills and changing colors, no matter what the season, and abundant, visible life. It's also so accessible for us, and I so much want to experience and partake of it frequently.

The Color Green (stealing another song title) I love green. It means life and abundance and vitality to me. To see the leaves start to grow on trees, to see grass available to play soccer on, growth all around. It makes me feel alive and vibrant. Like this big world is all growing and thriving. maybe that's why I don't like Autumn very much, it means the death of all that green. Hopefully I can remember that that death always brings new life.

I often discuss with my wife why I like sports so much and maybe this is a longer discussion than I can pose here, but I've gotta say something about how awesome sports are. Between the redemption of a winning touchdown when someone fumbled early in the game to being part of something larger than myself and something people of totally opposite religious, political and financial stances can come together and cheer and celebrate and also agonize together in a way like no other... What an amazing experience.

When I hear stories about military service I marvel and feel slightly jealous of the brotherhood that is gained by these men. After going through sometimes traumatic event together and realizing they were a team and each person had something to contribute. What a great picture. Something I long to exist in my life.

I am so glad to know that this is not a complete list or even a complete experience of any of these examples. I do hope for more of these here on earth and know just a little that they will be fully available in heaven.

Maybe the funniest website ever

In a recommendation from a facebook friend (thanks Brian) I have come upon maybe the funniest website ever. Awkwardfamilyphotos.com Please check it out when you get a chance, I'm not sure about it, really it seems to good to be true. My personal favorite is "Doubledelish". Anyway, if you need a really hard laugh, check it out. I was going to put one of the pictures in my blog, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Oh, yeah, make sure you read the captions below the pictures.

Posting Comments

I would love to read your comments to any of my posts. If you wish to leave a comment, go to the bottom of the post that you want to comment on, type what you want in the big text box. Under that there is a "Select Profile" drop-down box. If you wish to comment anonymously, select "anonymous" or you can select "Name/URL" if you wish to put your name in. You don't have to have a URL. then it will make you type in a Word Verification. Type the letters as you see them in the box. This keeps spammers from setting up scripts to post junk in my blog. Hit finish and you're done. Thanks.

Camera

Yes, Liesl found the camera. Very good news. Apparently there was even a team of people praying over the lost camera. However. It is a little disturbing as to where we found it. After missing it for several weeks, It was right under our noses. We have a bin with bills and mail and miscellaneous items in the kitchen. And Yes, it was in the bin. First of all how could we have not looked there. Well, I thought I looked in there. the disturbing part though, I guess is that that bin must be really full of stuff not to see the camera in there. It's not a big camera, but it was in it's camera bag... What other stuff is in that bin? Is anyone else missing anything? I'm missing a sock, perhaps I should look there. Hopefully I'll start posting pictures of some of the things I'm posting about.