Recinnati

This year we gave Rece the option of a birthday party with friends or taking a trip to a Major League Baseball game with Bryce and Dadda. He chose the baseball game. This, of course, makes me very excited, not only because I love baseball, but it's fun to just hang out with my boys and have another grand adventure. I purchased tickets online a few weeks ago. Earlier this week, I tirelessly researched hotels in Cincinnati to go see the Reds play. Growing up my favorite baseball player was Pete Rose, yes, I know his character is questionable at best. But going to Cincinnati is kind of like going to Memphis, if you are an Elvis fan. Even though Pete is officially banned from baseball (perhaps I'll debate the merit of that in another blog post), there's still tons of reverence for the all-time hit king of baseball. (4,256). They've even named a street after him. Great American Ballpark is also a really nice place to watch a game. I've been there once before with some friends. It's really a beautiful park.

Rece also had a few other requests while going to Cincinnati. The city is famous for it's chili. They have a famous chili restaurant chain called Skyline Chili. The ballpark also has Skyline Chili Dog stands. Rece is a big fan of chili, so that's definitely on his list.

Since we are staying at a hotel, Rece also wanted to make sure we are going to be able to swim at the pool. I found a hotel that has an indoor pool, but has a retractable roof. That will, hopefully, guarantee us of swimming success.

I am excited to be able to spend a good portion of two days with my boys. Hopefully it will be a weekend we all remember for many years.

Dad from a distance

It's been hard, these past few weeks to be without my kids. I am trying to talk to them on the phone as much as possible and be dad for them, but it's just hard to not be physically with them. Bryce called me the other day. He sounded very down, said he was homesick. He wanted so much to be with his toys and bed and house, but most of all with his dad. He said that he got a new football with rocket fins on it and he couldn't wait to play catch with me. If there was any possible way I could find to play catch over the phone, I would do it in a second. Can't wait until they get home.

Fugaciuos Film Foray

So over the past week and a half or so, With Liesl and the kids out of town I have gotten a chance to catch up on a lot of movies that Liesl would not really be interested in. And a few that have been on my list for a while and just not gotten the chance to view. While you may think it's rather sad that I've just been sitting around watching movies in my boxers, well, maybe it is... So here's what I've seen:

Harry Potter 1-6

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Lost In Translation

Signs

Dazed and Confused

A River Runs Through It

Fight Club

Out of all those, besides "A River Runs Through It", which I have seen many times before, "Lost In Translation" was probably my favorite. I was really disappointed in "Fight Club" after many people told me how good it was. It just kinda left me feeling sick. It was just really messed up. I thought "Dazed and Confused" was very much like "American Graffiti", only set in the 70's instead of the 50's. "Signs" was really pretty good with a really good theme of losing faith and being redeemed in that loss. I thought "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was a little slow, but the end was really good. Just had to be patient with the story a little.

I've got a few more days before my family returns, I'm not sure if I will rent any more movies, But I've been wanting to watch (for like the 10th time) "The Last Samurai" again. I love that story.

2 weeks

Liesl took the kids and left me for two weeks. I assure you, nothing is going on with our marriage. In fact, I think we are stronger than ever. She made her yearly trek to Iowa to hang out with her college friends. In fact, I think she's meeting with everyone she went to college with. Well, the school only had 200 people, so that wouldn't be too hard. Anyway, I am alone for two weeks. So I am trying to figure out what to occupy myself with other than going to work for 9 hours a day. I am borrowing the first five Harry Potter movies, so I embarked on the HP marathon last night, by watching the first two. I'd seen 1 and part of 2, but I thought I'd watch them all in succession. I of course have some things to do around the house... I will most likely be renting some more movies also. Wow, what a boring life I lead. Suggestions are welcome. maybe I'll pick up the crime fighting life of the Lone Ranger.

To Boldly Go Where Many Men Have Gone Before

I spent last weekend hanging out with a couple of friends and had some time to chat about life. One of the things that came up as we talked about life and the brokenness of the world, was Martin Luther's quote of "Be a sinner and sin boldly...". Of course there is a more important part right after that quote of "but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly". But that first part is what really got me thinking. What is Luther talking about? Should I really sin intentionally? should I bask in the knowledge that God has already saved me? Should I be careless?

I believe that what Luther is talking about is when I sin, I shouldn't try to hide it or be fake about it. There's no sense in trying to hide the truth about my life. Yes, I will feel guilt and shame about it. I will try to not do it again. Hiding it would only help me to prolong it, do it again, and not allow people who care about me to speak into my life or be with me in it and help me through it. I also believe if I am real about my fallen-ness It allows me to seek healing more expeditiously. The quicker i hit the bottom, the faster I realize how much I need Jesus, and will surrender to him. God is big enough for my sin. no matter how ugly it is. This whole process gives me freedom. Not freedom to sin more, but freedom not to sin. It's not about rules, it's about letting God transform my life.

wonder what, wonder if

As some of you may know, the past several weeks have been kind of crazy to say the least for Liesl and I. While enjoying a pleasant dinner with the kids and Liesl one night, a few weeks back, Liesl simply says, "By the way, I'm late." She wasn't late for a meeting or anything. Her time of the month was late. She took a home pregnancy test the following day. While I'm sitting in a meeting at church that evening, she calls me hysterical. I knew right away. She was pregnant. We were both so scared. Really, really scared. Over the next few days in chatting through this whole pregnancy thing with God, I started to feel some peace about it. If God really wants me to have another child, He will prepare me. He has already made me into a better man and a better dad through my marriage and with my kids. I can do this again. He has made me capable. It was also something that I grew to experience more joy through. This is a precious life! I was surprised after the birth of each of my children so far, that God increased the amount of love I had to share with them. He would certainly do it again. Yet, I was still scared. A few short weeks later, the baby miscarried... How could we go from one to the other so quickly? My fear turned to sadness. Great, intense sadness. Which is where I am today. So here I sit, wonder what he/she would have been like, wondering if there was anything I did, or didn't do. Even through my life goes on, it feels different. Just a little lonelier, like I am missing someone who would be here. Like I was meant to give someone part of me, that I am no longer needing to give, but I still want to.

Burgess Falls State Park

Last Sunday, I took the boys on a hiking adventure to Burgess Falls State Park, near Sparta Tennessee. I was looking to get them out of the house for a little activity so I looked for a close state park. For some reason I'd never heard of this park, and from the pictures on the website, I was not terribly impressed. But what the heck. So we took the hour and 15 minute drive east on I-40 and then turned off into the land of nowhere. There were very few signs for this place and my GPS told me where it was supposed to be, but it wasn't. So we kept driving. Another few miles down the road we found it (we were about to turn around). Immediately after getting out of the car we could hear the sound of rushing water. Yes, just a few yards from the parking lot. The map I had said the trail was about 1.5 miles long. I was thinking, "easy trail, it's probably even paved..." I'm glad I had my hiking boots on. It was fairly steep and very rocky. and in several places, if we took a few wrong steps, we might have fallen off the bluff and into the falls. There were three main falls and the last was the most impressive. We actually could hike down the cliff to the bottom of the third falls and sit where the spray cooled us off. It was very steep and me, being afraid of heights, was terrified in one part where there is a set of metal stairs with a cage around it that scales the cliff wall. Once at the bottom, it was just large boulders that we climbed over to get to the bottom of the falls. It was truly amazing, the power of the water rushing over the top of the cliff and hitting the bottom. The wind was strong simply from the water coming over the 136 foot drop. after climbing back up the freaky stairs, we found another trail that had some nice views over the back side of the park that looked out over the lower river, past the falls. It was beautiful. I'm so glad that I got to spend time with my boys Even though they didn't want to go hiking originally, they were both asking when we could come back.

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