Minneapolis

Here we are in the Twin Cities!

We didn't have any travel issues and arrived only about twenty minutes late. We got to the hotel and were hungry for lunch, so we cruised the streets looking for somewhere to eat. Unlike the Northwest, people apparently take the Sabbath seriously and all the restaurants were closed. With one exception. And that is how we ended up eating in Hell's Kitchen. Of course Hell's Kitchen is open on the sabbath. I had a ridiculously good Bison burger.

About 1,800 people showed up for the conference, which is amazing. I gave my first talk last night and couldn't really see those back rows far off in the distance. I spoke about following Jesus and living a life where you are becoming like him.

We're having a good time. Krista and I had lunch today with four college guys and we talked about life, how to hear from God, and what it looks like to be transformed to be like Jesus... a really excellent conversation. Now we're gearing up to run to dinner with an old friend of Krista's. They were on summer project together years ago.

That's the little update for today. I speak again tomorrow night and then on the 31st.

Future Shock!

Krista and I eavesdropped on a group of people from the twentieth century complain about the brave new world of the 21^st century at the Portland airport this morning.

“The security took away my water,” said a woman on her way to Cancun. “It was a brand new bottle that wasn’t even open and now I have to pay three times as much for a bottle half the size.” Several people commiserated.

“I used to take the corporate jet," said a nearby man, somehow connecting this to the inconvenience of being deprived of bottled water. "And now they’re making all of us fly commercial. I had to go buy an iPod and an iPhone because I used to be able to watch movies on the jet and now I can’t.” He also liked to show off by making pronouncements like, “We’re going to be boarding any minute now.” He can tell this because his phone is also a clock!

Another excellent moment was when The Lady From The Past talked about her son’s health care. She has to have his permission to look at his medical forms, even though he’s only fifteen. She’s livid. She pays the bills. He’s a minor. She wants everyone on the plane to know about the insanity of our privacy laws. Her lawyer told her, “Just get him to write you a permission slip.” NO WAY! She is not going to cave to the system. She is going to keep beating her head against the bureaucratic wall. She would rather keep calling and complaining to the medical services than exert her authority over her minor to have him write her a permission slip.

Welcome to the 21^st century fellow travelers from the far flung past, and we hope you enjoy your stay here with us here in the future.

Happy Birthday, A!

Yesterday was A's SIXTH birthday! Krista and I are on our way to Minneapolis this morning, so I'll try to remember to put up some pictures when we get back.

Highlights:

* We had a "Bunny/Kitty party"... A invited over some friends from school and they all crawled around mewing and barking (?).

* Decorations had to rival the "unicorn" from Z's party this year, so I stayed up late with Krista's dad drawing, coloring and cutting out cartoon bunnies and pasting them up all over the house.

* We started with a family breakfast out with us and all the grandparents, followed by feverish house cleaning, followed by two hours of sugar-induced birthday mayhem.

* Once everything had settled down our neighbor Derek called... A had been telling him for days that her birthday was coming. He called and asked what one buys for a six-year-old girl. I suggested a candy bar or a stuffed animal. He showed up with a candy bar... and a drum set. The next hour or so was spent banging the drums as they were being set up. A told Krista last night, "I'm a rock star!"

A, Happy Birthday! We're so thankful for you, for your sweet, friendly way of interacting with the family. We're thankful for all the music you bring into the house with your constant singing, piano and I'm sure in the future drums. We're so proud that you've learned to read and that you are doing so well in Kindergarten and Awanas. Happy Birthday! I'm looking forward to seeing what you do as a six-year-old!

New Discipleship Journal Article

My first feature article in Discipleship Journal is now available in the January/February 2009 issue. The name of the article is "Disarming Questions" and it's about ways to continue a positive conversation about God with people who are hostile to Christianity.

The editors at DJ are great and really excellent people to work with. If you get a chance to pick up the magazine I think you would enjoy it.

The Post of Christmas Present

Me: A, what was your favorite Christmas moment?

A: When all our friends and family came over to our house. WAIT! No, it was when Jesus came and died on the cross for our sins.

Me: That's very sweet, A. I meant your favorite Christmas moment from the last day or two.

A: Oh. Then it's when all our friends and family came over.

Me: Z, how about you? Favorite Christmas moment?

Z: When Mom said I could have two of her Breyer horses! And also when I got Dreamer (another Breyer horse).

The Post of Christmas Past

A couple of favorite BHR Christmas moments....

2007: What Christmas Means to Me

2006: The Christmas Hierarchy

2005: The Key to Christmas

BONUS: The Christmas-inspired moment that brought the Very First episode of Eavesdropping with Matt to the faithful minions here at BHR.

Christmas quote from Shirley Temple

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph."

Shirley Temple

A Christmas Ghost Story

One of the most famous Christmas stories, of course, is Dickens' A Christmas Carol. You can read the original here.

A Great Light

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;
They rejoice before you as people rejoice in the harvest,
As men rejoice when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered
The yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle, and every garment rolled in blood
Will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
Establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

A Christmas "What If?"

Here's an interesting article that asks the question, "Would Christmas have still come even if we had not sinned?"

It's worth a read.

And there were in the same country...

And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them, Fear not! For behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you" ye shall find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly with the angel appeared a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and good will toward humanity.

News from My Neighborhood: Winter Wonderland

The lady at Home Depot asked, "Are you ready for the snow?"

"I think so," I said. I was buying a forty pound bag of water softening salt, because they had run out of regular rock salt. No one around here was ready for so much snow.

"When you're a kid," she said, "Snow is all about magic. You grow up and it's all about work."

Trying to get home was work. The cars spinning on the ice, the semis breaking every traffic rule to try to get onto the right street. Pileups and accidents slowed everything down. After five cycles at a light waiting for a left hand turn, but receiving nothing, I decided to head North and then double back on another road farther from the crowds of incompetent ice drivers.

As I moved up the street, I saw a left hand turn that looked familiar. The snow made it hard to tell if it was the street I thought it was... everything was uniform white, smooth and stretched out to more white smoothness. I took the turn.

A few minutes later everything looked familiar, but not quite right. The snow-covered houses could be any snow-covered houses. A field of sheep was on the right side, and I thought they should be on the left. I picked up a compass between the seats and held it up. I should be going West. But the compass didn't turn.

A dark wood crept up on the road, the snow like the caps of waves. As I went around a curve I heard a muffled thunder from the wood. The car slid on the ice, and I wrangled the car back on track. I stopped, the adrenalin and blood pounding through me, and turned off the car for a minute. I looked up, and emerging from the wood was a centaur, his hooves flinging up the snow. He stopped in front of the car, his chest heaving, his breath rising like clouds, his hair encased in ice and sweat. He looked at me with wide, golden eyes, then back to the woods. He motioned with his hand for me to follow, and trotted across the road and into the dark woods.

I had read enough as a child to know that this was the moment in which I could enter into some great adventure. A howling from the distance told me that something--or someone--was on his trail. I sat for a long time until the air in the car started to cool. Then I reached down and turned the key in the ignition. I had a driveway to shovel, and ice to melt on the walkway.

Around the curve, the street came out into a familiar road, and I made it home without any excitement.

The Wave of Batmania Continues

There's been a lot of rumors going around about the next Batman movie, which is just silly because the director hasn't even signed yet. So while we wait, here's yet more Dark Knight to tide you over:

News From My Neighborhood

Snow To Go.  Some enterprising young lads walked through the neighborhood today, offering to shovel our driveway for "a couple of bucks."  As it happened we had five dollars.  So we asked the "salesman" on the porch if that was enough.  He looked to the street for secret signals, received the affirmative and he and his partner set to work.  A while later we started to feel guilty that each kid had done more than his two-fifty worth of work, so I went out and shooed them away. 

Master Bargainer.  The neighbor across the street paid twenty bucks to the same kids.  Yup.  Which brings us to the following rules: 1) Don't underestimate how little money it takes to motivate a teenager.  2) Being cheap is easier when you don't keep cash on hand.

The Fleet.  Several of our neighbors own snowmobiles and four wheelers.  This means that when they get home from work there is a great deal of snow-spurting four wheelers sliding through the neighborhood.

On a related note.  I saw some idiot kid trying to ride his motorcycle on the ten inches of snow on the main road.

Balance

On the walk to go sledding yesterday, the kids liked to climb one neighbor's retaining wall and balance all the way across. Here's me serving as a safety net for A.

On the way back I did the same thing for Z.

"Dad," she asked. "Could you hold my hand?"

"No," I said, "But you can put your hand on my shoulder."

"So if I fall you'll know I'm falling?"

"That's right."

"And then you'll catch me?"

"No, then I'll know to look around for you on the ground."

Yes, I know. I'm a great Dad. You don't even have to tell me, I know already.

Picture This

Whenever I speak at a conference or something, Krista tries to get a picture.

Here's a pretty typical example from when I spoke at WOU. Notice the look of consternation on my face. I am holding my Bible open and my hands up as if to say, "I don't have any idea what this book is about, either."

Also, please note my refusal to use the microphone (left). I want to make sure that nothing I say is recorded and held against me.

Krista and I leave on the 28th for the TCX conference in Minneapolis, where I get to be one of the main speakers. I'm pretty excited.

Santa Snowbound

The kids' gradeschool had to cancel the big Christmas party this year because of the weather. Santa comes to our school and gives actual gifts to all the children.

Kids were all wondering, "Why can't Santa get here just because of the snow?"

It's because Santa lives mostly in his second home in Florida. He sits on the lanai and smokes his cigar while watching the alligators eat birds. It takes a lot of effort for him to take off his Hawaiian shirt and pull on that big red coat.

Dodge Fail

If you look closely in this picture you can see how I used my head to protect the ground from getting hit by a snowball. My right hand, blurred in the lower right part of the picture, has just released a snowball that flew so fast that it caught on fire before knocking my daughter down and causing her to slide down a hill, through traffic, up a ramp and into a tree. Overall, I think I won.

3-D Children

At the Desperaux screening we took this picture of the kids in front of the giant advertisement. Or did we shrink the children to mouse size? You decide!

Please note that the tiny pink poodle was not in the movie. That is my children's addition.

If you're trapped at home and hungry

You may find this website useful.