"My," The Evil Word

I went for a hike yesterday in the woods behind our house for the first time since they logged the "mature-growth" trees out and deer season this past fall. I was certainly overdue for a time of solitude in the woods.

What I saw as I trekked down the hill behind our house and back up into the wilderness was that my sanctuary had been raped!
The loggers obliterated most any recognizable paths and landmarks with wide, tractor-wheel packed roads back and forth through the woods. That is not to mention all of the tree stumps and toothpicks and splinters of trees that were left behind as evidence of the mutilation. Given that I walking through this man-made mess in mid-January, I felt like I was wondering aimlessly in some deciduous graveyard.
I kept hiking, deciding to move on deeper into what-used-to-be woods, hoping to find an end to the destruction, which I did as the topography rolled into a descent towards a creek. I crossed what I figured was the spray-painted boundary line for the loggers, and found unadulterated solace again.

Somewhere in this little 2+ hour journey, I realized that these were not MY woods. It was not MY sanctuary. Although I feel robbed of some personal access to a corner of natural beauty, I do believe in property rights, and I cannot fault the actual owner of the land on which those harvested trees grew for turning those timbers into some [needed?] cash.

Besides, Our God, the real owner of anything in Creation, has some more woods a bit beyond the deciduous graveyard, which I can still borrow from time to time for a personal, momentary sanctuary.

Blogging Revisited

I think it's time to restart the blogging thing again...at least the weekly thankful lists. Details and actual follow-thru to follow.

More Pix

Mother and Daughter:

A Family of Four:

Big Brother Holding Little Sister For the First Time:

Big Brother the Entertainer:

Lookout World! Adele Elizabeth is here!!

The little lady poses for her first photo shoot:

Daddy & Addie:

Hello Grandma Donoho:

Hello Grandpa Donoho:
Hello Grandma Frazee:

My Weekly Seven v10.17.10

These are seven of the more peculiar things for which I'm thankful from the past week...

Finished Project | Now, all 3 underbed drawers are complete! Maybe Alison will post a pic or two...

Short Week | Though it makes for a feeling of low productivity at the end of the week, a short work week is always a nice change of pace.

Random Text Encouragement | The little 56-character, out-of-nowhere text message I received on the way to work one morning last week was a nice pick-me-up to start the day. Thanks again, friend, for noticing the Holy Spirit's nudges.

Nature Walk | JT's homework (Yes--preschoolers have homework, too.) last week included going on a nature walk and looking for certain items like an acorn, a red leaf, an ant, a twig, etc. We did a late afternoon/early evening hike as a family last Thursday in the woods behind our house. It was gorgeous! It was a great family moment.

Piddling on the Piano | In my former years, I learned who I was and to have confidence in this person God made through music. Although my musical achievements were not on the piano, I've always enjoyed tinkering with chord progressions, melody lines, and some harmonies on the ivory. I got to do that for 20 minutes or so last Friday. Ahhh.

Wrestling with JT | He's been asking to wrestle quite often lately, and it's fun. It's definitely more WWF-style (the staged aspect, that is--not the the folding chairs and body slams) than any technical skills. And JT usually gives one or two of the down-from-the-gut laughs.

Golf | Before this past weekend, I had golfed once. (Evidently miniature golf doesn't really count.) I participated in a golf benefit. It was a "scramble," which meant that everyone on the team hits from the spot of the best-hit shot. In 15 holes, I think we used one of my drives, a couple of my ons, and I got a couple putts in for us. It was good times.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Weekly Seven v10.10.10

These are seven things for which I'm especially thankful from the past week...(posted a couple days late)...

Our Preschooler's Rebuke | As I complained out loud about a do-it-myself construction project, JT says, "Uh, you're whining. You're a big boy--you need to use your words."

Our Preschooler's Observation | Another JT quotable: "Pregnant people don't do much. All they do is sleep, lay on the couch, and watch TV."

New Computer | I got a replacement work laptop (previous one effectively became ineffective) and now I'm back in business! It's an HP G72 series. (Thanks for your help, Steve!)

UnHappy Valley | Illinois 33, Penn State 13...at Penn State's home formerly referred to as Happy Valley. This Illinois team is legit. If they continue on this trajectory of playing hard and improving, they should get a bowl bid this year. Getting 6-8 football wins is a realistic expectation again.

Indian Summer | Although autumn is pretty and there's something pleasant about the cool weather of the season, I prefer it warm.

Homemade Apple Pie | One of the delicious results of a weekend family trip to Eckert's Apple Farm. Best served warm with ice cream and caramel...mmmm!

Amateur Woodworking | The first 2 of 3 under-bed drawers have turned out well...pretty much like I conjured up--functional & spacious on the inside, nice & simple looking on the outside. Not the woodworking masterpiece that my Grandpa Scott would turn out, but I'm quite satisfied (and so are Alison & JT).

Praise God
from whom all blessings flow!

Another Word on Fasting - Let's Get Ready

“Get everyone together and fast...”

That was the request of a brave woman when she realized that she had to do something drastic for her family. What she would have to do was risky—it could’ve ended in her death. But she also knew that if she didn’t, she and all of her relatives would certainly die.

The woman’s name was Hadassah. Her story and the story of how her family, the Jewish people, was threatened with genocide is recorded in the biblical book carrying her Persian name, Esther.

When Hadassah came to grips with the situation—that she and her whole family tree were facing death if nothing changed, she asked for the whole people to join her in preparing to take action. She didn’t stomp into the throne room and make her demands. Nor did she make plans to get out of town. She didn’t just take some time to pray about it alone. Neither did she just sit and complain about how unfair it was. She resolutely accepted the situation, decided to do something about it, and requested that her uncle Mordecai “gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast...” (Esther 4:16, NIV)

There are a number of ways in which we American Christians (and us UABCers specifically) are now much like Hadassah’s people. If nothing changes, we also will be facing death. (See the Life Cycle of a Congregation diagram below. The Church Board last year determined that we are somewhere between “Stability” & “Decline”.) We know that we must take action soon. Yet, we will not stomp our feet making our demands; we will not look for opportunities to get out of Dodge; we will not pray with passivity; nor will we not sit down to complain. As Hadassah, Mordecai, and company, we will prepare together.

And so, 2010 has been declared the Year of the Fast, because one of the functions of fasting in the life of the people of God is as a form of communal preparation. On our Day of Prayer & Fasting this month, Wednesday, June 16^th, please join me in praying especially for

wisdom for the Church Board,
diligence for the Programs & Property Task Force,
and that the "5 ALIVE" language will continue to become part of our rebirth as a church family.