Saturday, January 27, 2007
Snow
From our snowshoe hike to Trillium lake a few weeks ago. Ironically enough, the day before it snowed in Beaverton. P.S.- These pics are of us on top of Trillium lake. That is, we're standing/sitting on the ice where we've all been rafting/canoeing before.
Monday, January 22, 2007
One more Ethan Update
See previous post and now add to the list...
We walked into Ethan's room this morning to get him out of his crib because we heard him chatting. He always wakes up chatting.
Anyway, Sarah stopped cold and gave him a big grin. I peeked around the corner to see him standing up holding himself against the crib and looking at us like, "how do I get out of this thing?"
So apparently in the space of 2 weeks he decided to figure out how to climb stairs, sign "more" and pull himself up. I just love watching him explore the world!
We walked into Ethan's room this morning to get him out of his crib because we heard him chatting. He always wakes up chatting.
Anyway, Sarah stopped cold and gave him a big grin. I peeked around the corner to see him standing up holding himself against the crib and looking at us like, "how do I get out of this thing?"
So apparently in the space of 2 weeks he decided to figure out how to climb stairs, sign "more" and pull himself up. I just love watching him explore the world!
Friday, January 19, 2007
Ethan Update
Realized I haven't been updating this spot with Ethan info lately... (no pics since I'm at work...on a break people, so go easy!) =)
In the last couple weeks he has...
In the last couple weeks he has...
- Started signing "more" and is quite proud of himself when he does it too.
- Figured out how to climb stairs with no help (time to put up the gate!)
- Started waving consistently (mostly with fingers, so it's pretty cute to see his little fingers wave with no arm movement)
- Tried to pull himself up on the couch
- Started crawl/rolling off the couch
- Started "walking" when we hold his hands. It's still pretty cute/funny as his legs flop out in front of him, but it's definitely a walking motion.
They sure pick up things quickly don't they?
On another note, we took him up for a snowshoe hike last Monday. It was gorgeous! We even sat on frozen Trillium lake for a quick snack and a photo-op. I'll try to post pics later. The funny thing was the snow followed us down the next day, but I'm still glad we went to the mountain with him.
-ET
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The enemy within
Two nights ago was one of those odd nights when I woke up in the middle of the night with my mind running.
The thoughts I had have stuck with me these past two days and on the chance they mean something to those of my family and friends who frequent this site, here are a few of those thoughts. These were personal thoughts and I hope they won't come across as preachy or pretentious. They probably apply more toward guys in my circle, and finally, they may be a bit scattered (that's what comes of 3AM thoughts)...
I was thinking of my responsibility as a father and as a husband to raise God's standard over my home, to be a shield for my family, and to do the work of building God's kingdom. A tangible picture would be that of a military unit constructing a wall or fence for a perimeter and setting up camp within the perimiter. Within that perimeter there is the safety to rest and build strength.
Here's the point I and my brothers must consider as the "man of the house"- Have we invited elements into our homes which directly seek to tear down the kingdom of Christ, and to rob our wives and children of innocence and steal their peace?
On the surface it's only too obvious that we've failed as gatekeepers of our perimiters (the "we" being Christian men in our society, me included). Think about the music, movies, shows and books we have brought into our doors. These are now literally in our homes. The perimiter is breached and what's worse, we welcomed the enemy with open arms. Besides those, I haven't even mentioned the more subversive tools of the enemy in our thought-life and attitudes.
"Come on in, and take what you'd like! Make yourself comfortable!" Would we ever say that to someone who threatened our wife or children physically? Now we have to ask ourselves, have we done so with elements that would threaten them spiritually?
As I had these thoughts, I remembered the story of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18). The Israelites had welcomed the enemy and had set up "tents" for them. That is, they set up places of idol worship which were high up and were called the "high places". Hezekiah realized the nation needed to turn to the Lord and...(quoting from NIV ...2 Kings 18 3-5)
"3 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him."
Hezekiah literally tore down the elements inside his perimiter which were contrary to the kingdom of God. He went on the offense.
I am convicted of just the same need for action. It's a choice, and we can't fool ourselves. A choice not to act is a choice against God's kingdom as it is a choice to allow evil to gain a festering foothold in our homes. I simply can't bear the thought of choosing to expose my innocent son and pure wife to evil within my perimiter. So as Joshua so definitively said (Joshua 24:15)
"15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
So I'm now asking myself. Where are the high places I must go to and tear down the enemy's standard in order to raise that of Christ? At all costs I must protect the innocence and purity of my children and wife and offer them a safe perimeter to grow in and be nurtured. A place they can go out into the world from to minister to others' needs and always come back to for rest and safety.
So what must be done then? Remove anything that opposes Christ as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6.
"4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."
Amen?
The thoughts I had have stuck with me these past two days and on the chance they mean something to those of my family and friends who frequent this site, here are a few of those thoughts. These were personal thoughts and I hope they won't come across as preachy or pretentious. They probably apply more toward guys in my circle, and finally, they may be a bit scattered (that's what comes of 3AM thoughts)...
I was thinking of my responsibility as a father and as a husband to raise God's standard over my home, to be a shield for my family, and to do the work of building God's kingdom. A tangible picture would be that of a military unit constructing a wall or fence for a perimeter and setting up camp within the perimiter. Within that perimeter there is the safety to rest and build strength.
Here's the point I and my brothers must consider as the "man of the house"- Have we invited elements into our homes which directly seek to tear down the kingdom of Christ, and to rob our wives and children of innocence and steal their peace?
On the surface it's only too obvious that we've failed as gatekeepers of our perimiters (the "we" being Christian men in our society, me included). Think about the music, movies, shows and books we have brought into our doors. These are now literally in our homes. The perimiter is breached and what's worse, we welcomed the enemy with open arms. Besides those, I haven't even mentioned the more subversive tools of the enemy in our thought-life and attitudes.
"Come on in, and take what you'd like! Make yourself comfortable!" Would we ever say that to someone who threatened our wife or children physically? Now we have to ask ourselves, have we done so with elements that would threaten them spiritually?
As I had these thoughts, I remembered the story of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18). The Israelites had welcomed the enemy and had set up "tents" for them. That is, they set up places of idol worship which were high up and were called the "high places". Hezekiah realized the nation needed to turn to the Lord and...(quoting from NIV ...2 Kings 18 3-5)
"3 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him."
Hezekiah literally tore down the elements inside his perimiter which were contrary to the kingdom of God. He went on the offense.
I am convicted of just the same need for action. It's a choice, and we can't fool ourselves. A choice not to act is a choice against God's kingdom as it is a choice to allow evil to gain a festering foothold in our homes. I simply can't bear the thought of choosing to expose my innocent son and pure wife to evil within my perimiter. So as Joshua so definitively said (Joshua 24:15)
"15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
So I'm now asking myself. Where are the high places I must go to and tear down the enemy's standard in order to raise that of Christ? At all costs I must protect the innocence and purity of my children and wife and offer them a safe perimeter to grow in and be nurtured. A place they can go out into the world from to minister to others' needs and always come back to for rest and safety.
So what must be done then? Remove anything that opposes Christ as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6.
"4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."
Amen?
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Fill in the blank
Probably a little simplistic and egocentric to apply this to my inability to run the last 14 months, but it spoke to me about my frustrations with running and about life...
From My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
"There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God's guidance. If ther is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt- don't"
From My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
"There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God's guidance. If ther is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt- don't"
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