i voted. now on to obesity!

i heard this little tidbit on NPR this morning. in an effort to increase voter turnout, a couple of prominent chains are offering free items if you come in with an "I voted" sticker.



your cardiologist can thank me later.
(how do i get an "i voted" sticker when it's a mail-in ballot?)

nate's cast

so, as i stated in my previous post, nate now has a cast.

here are some pics from today.

10 little monkeys

we have been thinking for a while that it might be time for beds for our boys. the issue has been how difficult it is to get them to go to bed as is in their cribs. however, yesterday's events may force our hand. the boys were jazzed at nap time, and i was working hard to settle them down. i got them into bed and as soon as i turned my back, nate jumped in his bed while holding onto the railing. i told him not to do it again. then noah decided to test if that pertained to him as well. it did. then nate, while my back was turned, did it again. what i heard was a heart-wrenching thump. and there was my son in the middle of the floor crying.
he was hurt, but wasn't overly complaining. he just kept crying. i thought he was probably more scared than anything, and possibly milking it since he knew he wasn't supposed to be jumping. after an hour and a half where i got them both settled (thanks sesame street) they both took short naps. i knew nate was hurt, but couldn't figure out exactly how or where. when i poked and prodded him, he didn't complain, which i was expecting. then after he woke up, i could see how much he was favoring his left arm. we decided to feed them dinner and then i'd take him to urgent care. i could tell it was his wrist.
sitting in the waiting room was so fun. i really don't get enough time one-on-one with my boys. we brought some books and had a great time reading and exploring. we brought "10 little monkeys jumping on the bed" which he has memorized, so he read at at the top of his lungs, which made people laugh, especially once i told them why we were there.
sure enough, 2 hours later, nate had a new splint on his arm. this was not exciting for him. it was mortifying. his comment: "i no like it." but that comment was made in tears and at about 140 decibels, so it might not be verbatim.
the only way i could settle him down was to cover his new cast in stickers. he thought that was pretty cool. he's actually been remarkably adept at learning with one hand and still being independent. i serve as his left hand to put on socks or pull up his pants. but he still wants to do it. he's left handed (at least i think he is) and it's been fun to watch him relearn things. i'll try to get some pictures up later today of the sticker covered cast.

stay at home dads

i'm hoping to get your take on this video. i came across it over the weekend, and it's been laying on me a little. watch it, give me your opinion. deal with the scripture. deal with the approach. i'd love to hear what you have to say.

disclaimer: i am a stay at home dad, and i study the bible. i am frequently challenged by other's takes on things and attempt to allow people to speak into my life. please be honest with me.

the resurgence: stay at home dads.

unshakeable

have you ever had a curiosity or a feeling you couldn't shake? i've had this thing that i have wondered, but to act on it meant a bold and calculated move that could not be reversed. so last night i finally did it, after convincing my wife it couldn't possibly be as bad as she was imagining.

conspire with me

A few years back, I was really frustrated with Christmas. It wasn't that we spent a ton of money (my family never really did) but it all seemed so contrived and opposite of how it should be. I didn't think anything would ever change about that. It really hit when I gave someone a gift certificate and they gave me one to the exact same place. What were we doing? I couldn't figure out how we could change anything. Until I found out about this: conspire with me to stop giving presents and start giving presence.

amazing grace

Our good friend Gayle gave the boys a CD this week. We've sung Amazing Grace with them, so they know all the words to the first verse. It was a lot of fun. This is the 2nd time they've heard this track.

week plans

Attention Portlanders: I'm looking to take my kids to the zoo and maybe to OMSI this week. If you'd like to join us we'd love the company. It'd just be for the morning. I get a free guest at the zoo!

sex ed from a 2 1/2 year old boy

my conversation with nate after he used the toilet this morning.

Nate: I have a penis. Daddy has a penis. Mommy has a penis.
Me: No, buddy, Mommy doesn't have a penis.
Nate: Mommy has a mustache!

typical male?

nate has cracked me up this morning. yesterday, i bought the boys a little toy golf set, but it was pouring rain all afternoon.
the first words out of nate's mouth when i walked in his room this morning.

"i pooped."
"i wanna play golf."

What do you want to pray for tonight?

The title of this blog is the question we posit to our boys every night before we got to bed. We've only been doing it for a couple weeks. I realized we weren't really including them in bedtime prayers and I wanted to get them a) to sit down and b) to realize that praying is really important and bigger than us. I figured a simple question would get responses like "Grandma" or "Mommy" or something - things we've prayed about before.

So, they have said the same thing every time we've asked. It goes something like this: "ephelants" "no, i want ephelants" "monkeys and gorillas." You have to love 2 year old prayers, right? But I was faithful, and we prayed specifically for elephants, monkeys and even more specifically for endangered gorillas - that was about a week ago.

Then I read this today. Sometimes I really underestimate God. Today I a) sat down and b) realized that praying is really important and bigger than us.

kid's music

anyone out there have some suggestions for kid's music? we're going on a road trip next week and i don't really have anything for the boys to listen to. of course they have their favorites, but i can only listen to so much led zeppelin


and mc hammer.

i know, i know, but we're 2 legit 2 quit.

please - any recommendations would be great from christian kids music to the old standby songs - as long as it's not so overly cheezy. i haven't been able to find much through itunes, but let me know what your kids like (and what you can stand) in the comments below. thanks!

pain hurts

My boys like to play outside with a little portable pool or a large bucket whenever they can. Unfortunately, we don't have a backyard, so we get to do it in the front yard.

Nate and Noah don't ever want to wear shoes, and they inevitably get little scrapes while running/tripping/crashing on our driveway. Every day it's something.

Today, however, Noah took a nice little chunk out of his big toe. He was quite unhappy about it too. The worst part was there was a tiny rock wedged in there and I had to get it out. Unhappy would not be the word to describe that. More like, "My Dad is the spawn of Satan." Beth had to hold him down, and I got out the tweezers, did a little surgery and pulled that little sucker out. He screamed his head off. (It still doesn't beat Nate's trip to the ER for stitches, but it's close.)
Then, while I was holding him, letting him know I wasn't completely evil, something came out of my mouth completely by accident. While I was holding him, I said to him, "Sometimes things have to hurt more before they can get better." I've been ruminating in this thought all night. When we realize we hurt, does it usually get better or worse? What have you found to be true in your life? Leave a comment and let me know.

saturday zoo

last saturday we went to the zoo. i never really liked the zoo all that much. beth and i went to the "world famous" san diego zoo & wild animal park a couple of times when we lived in san diego, but i could take it or leave it. it probably has to do with my disdain for large groups of people touching me. really, don't touch me if i don't know you.
having kids has changed this monumentally. i now love the zoo. why? because they love the zoo. their complete joy at seeing the different animals affects my joy level. of course, i still don't want strangers touching me, but i'll put up with some discomfort when there is that much joy surrounding me.
saturday was about the most perfect zoo day you could imagine. just slightly overcast, in the mid-70s and the animals were out. even better, the people weren't. i love the oregon zoo. it's quaint, they have great animals, their prices are great (with a season pass) and i can easily find my way around. we found a parking spot, brought in our wagon and the day had begun.
our boys first reaction when we get into the zoo is one of excitement.

they took off running to look for "amnals." unfortunately, the first animal you come across going this direction is a mountain goat. they don't like goats. ask them. they'll tell you.
the wagon is a great tool at the zoo. in fact, a lot of times, the boys will do the work:

the day is always great when you get to the primate section. the boys love the monkeys, and they always seem to be doing something awesome. today was no exception. we got to the chimps at feeding time, and then there were two primates that really wore their emotions out there for everyone to see:
This guy was awesome. he sat here the whole time. not happy at all:

and the orangutan. what can you say. haven't you had a day when you just wanted to sit in a giant bowl with a bag on your head? i have...

anyway, it was a great day at the zoo. if you ever want to join us, we're ready to go! the boys talk about it any chance they get. maybe the tiger will be out again:

5.27.08
Today was mostly boring. I found myself out in lala land for a while. The beginning of the day was review, and we actually stopped at a couple of places we had already been to. I think the day was a little out of place. It didn't help that we were all exhausted from the previous 4 days in Galilee. But now we're back, and we get a "day off" tomorrow, although our prof has planned 2 extra-curricular events that we are going to. We'll be going to the Garden Tomb, and to the Western Wall tunnels. Both of these were by appointment only, so it's a special treat to be able to go.
Today, however, was spent in some of the outlying areas of Jerusalem. We went to the Church of our Father and to the Church of Dominus Flavit (the Lord Weaps). This church was very cool. I got a great shot of the dome of the rock through the window.
The Garden of Gethsemane had a beautiful church, The Church of the Agony. I wanted to spend more time here, but we were pretty quick in and out. It was a dark and ominous church - the colors and themes echoed the night Jesus spent in the garden. I loved it and snapped up a bunch of pictures.
We also went to Herodian and Bethlehem. At Bethlehem we went to the Church of the Nativity, which is a bit over the top. It is filled with gaudy imagery and far too much incense and candles. It was cool to be at the place that was highly likely to be where Jesus was born. I also thought I was an expert at debunking the Christian Christmas story myths, but I've learned even more.

Mom - for the answer to the quiz, check here:

quiz answer

moments

5/26/08
Galilee
Today was a bizarre day. Even though it was really full, it felt remarkably laid back. I thought yesterday was fantastic. I loved our communion service that happened after dinner. We spent time talking and praying and sharing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was really great to hear what other people were learning and have time to reflect myself. There were snapshots in my mind that I shared and it was really cool. I have those God moments - those little connections with my Savior - that have happened periodically throughout the trip. I had a handful of people come up to me afterward and thank me for sharing, which was a very reassuring thing. I'm really glad the things that have impacted me have impacted others as well.

We went to Zippori, a town that has a number of names associated with it. It would have been the main city in Galilee at the time of Jesus, and was a short walk from Nazareth. There was a home there that had a magnitude of mosaic art on the floor. It was amazing the detail of work using a bunch of colored stones.
We also stopped at the spring where Gideon's men were whittled down in numbers. It was kind of cool, but lost it's luster since a swimming pool had been built right next to it.
We picnicked at another spring that was nice. A little relaxation - we were able to swim in it before lunch.
After that we went to Beth-She-an, a major site with an amazing amount of excavations. I thought it was beautiful, and was really glad it was near the end of our trip. Even though it had little biblical significance, it was really interesting to see how a Roman City would have been at the time of Jesus. The expanse was impressive, as you can see in the picture - it was loaded with a giant bathhouse, theater and massive architecture. It was demolished by a huge earthquake in the 700's.
I have a quiz for my mom. Try to figure out where the tree is from. It's from a movie. I'll give you the answer on my next post.

Tonight has been about reconnecting with everyone. I talked with my wife, saw my boys over the web-cam, and now getting pics uploaded and the blog updated. Drop me a line if you can, I'm a little homesick!

Jesus Day!

5.25.08
EVENTS OF THE DAY

My highlight location of the day was Capernaum. But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you about an awesome discovery that was made. When the water was low, a couple of fishermen found a 1st century fishing boat! It was quite an intensive restoration that took over 10 years, and it was an amazing thing to see. You can read more about it here.

Back to Capernaum. Even though it was extremely "touristy," I felt close to Jesus there. It was really the first place I felt that I was very close to him in a location. But when you find yourself standing in the synagogue he taught it, from the place he would have stood, it's amazing. We also saw what was most likely Peter's house. What was so amazing about that was it had been expanded to incorporate a house church. Rather than being a small little house, there were rooms and rooms added on. They made their family larger. It struck me that it was so organic, so raw and full of Christ. I think that's why I loved Capernaum. It felt raw and full of Christ.

We also went to Korizim, the likely place of the Sermon on the Mount. There is the tourist location that advertised as the location, but one of the benefits to having a prof that really studies this stuff is that you don't get swallowed up in all the hoopla. This city was a welcome change in ruins. The building materials are completely different in Galilee. They used basalt from the lava flow rather that limestone. So instead of staring at pale brown rocks, we got dark black rocks. I thought it was pretty. One of the awesome lessons pointed out during our teaching time was that Jesus spoke as "one having authority." He didn't name drop a rabbi like other teachers did. They would say, "Rabbi Hellel says..." But he said, "I say to you..." Awesome.

We went to Bethsaida, which I felt was a total disappointment. There wasn't anything particularly interesting. I think it was because our prof had dug here 2 years ago and was very cynical of their "findings." It put a sour taste in my mouth. One of the most memorable quotes of the trip happened here, "Archaeology proves nothing." Makes me wonder why we're doing this, but he pointed out a very important fact. You can make archaeology say things it doesn't say, so when someone says they found proof of something archaeologically, it isn't proof but evidence. It's very different.

The last stop was Kursi, the possible location of two different miracles. One was the healing of the demoniac where Jesus cast the demons into the pigs and then into the sea. The other was the feeding of the 5000. I was exhausted by this point, but the location and flowers were beautiful and inspiring.

Today was a day full of Jesus. I loved it!

Storms

5/25/08 Thoughts on the Day

Today we began the day on a boat. We boarded a boat and travelled across the Sea of Galilee. We stopped part way across and had a great time of reflection. Marc had us imagine what it would be like to be one of the disciples on the boat with Jesus. He first read the story of Jesus calming the storm, and then the story of Jesus walking on water. Jesus had calmed the first storm while he was with them, and now they're caught in the same situation. The thought hit me that they must have asked themselves, "Where's Jesus" or "I sure wish Jesus was here, he could fix this." Now, during this second storm, Jesus arrives by foot. They are now more scared of him than of the storm that is still raging upon their boat. (This is interesting since I've always pictured Jesus walking on calm, glassy water, but it was during a storm!) They had to be having this thought. And then he shows up in POWER! Power that scares them. I am trying to think back and recall if I've ever felt that way about my Savior. Have I been scared of his power? Should I be?
The feeling that really stuck with me was "Where's Jesus this time?" These disciples were being obeident. They obeyed and crossed the sea, but they couldn't see Jesus, and they felt he wasn't around when they needed him. Can anyone else relate to this? I feel this way in my life right now -> Jesus, you've shown up before, why not now? Will he show up in even greater power than before, like he did with the disciples? I don't know - I don't think that's what this story is about - but I think he could. That is the hope that I have. He could show up with greater power, n a way that will scare my socks off. I do know that he'll show up - he's never left - and even more, that like his disciples of that day, he has compassion on me in the middle of my storm.

Galilean Idol

5/24/08
Our place on the Sea of Galilee is amazing. Ein Gev is right on the lake. It is by far the best place we've stayed. Unfortunately, while running out into the lake last night, I stepped on a shell. My big toe got a pretty good chunk of skin removed, but I didn't need stitches. It eventually stopped bleeding.
We began the day at an overlook where you could see Syria and then turn all around and see the lake. We went to a lot of places today. It was a fast paced day. We overlooked Gamel, a place that was reminiscent of Masada. The Jews here held out a long time against the Romans, and then committed suicide, rather than be captured.
My favorite place of the day was Caesarea Phillipi. There was a large cave with many carvings and niches for the Greek god Pan. Jesus made his statement to Peter and the other disciples about the gates of Hades not prevailing over the church at this place. This is astonishing because there is a rumor that the locals believed the cave there was the entrance to Hades. If this is true, it is remarkable that Jesus would use this opportunity to say this. He chose this location, full of pagan idol worship to make a case for the church. He also taught us teachers how to teach. He used something common from the day as an object lesson. Maybe we should point out Gucci billboards and talk about consumerism, or political ads and talk about honesty and integrity.
We stopped at a beautiful waterfall, too.
After this we went to Dan, a large place where many interesting artifacts have been found. The most interesting is an inscription that mentions "The House of David." There was little historical evidence outside of Scripture about King David before this find. Dan had a large altar built and a huge platform for the golden calf. Quite fascinating.
At night, I moped around and missed my family. It was the first night I forced myself to be alone - and it was horrible.

arm a geddon it

5/23./08
It was another full day. I've been really overwhelmed at how much we have to do. We are constantly racing from point to point, snapping some pics and then back on the bus with hardly anytime to process. I guess that's what writing this is for.
We went up the coast and into the Jezreel Valley. The valley is beautiful and larger that the other valleys we've seen. We stopped at a place where you could see the valley and point out the mountains of Tabor, Moreh and Gilboa.
We went to Caesarea, a beautiful old city that King Herod built to honor Caesar. Which Caesar escapes me right now. Herod built this city to show that he was Rome. He wanted the Romans to know that he was Roman. He built the temple for the Jews to show them that he was Jewish. Interesting how little politicians change, isn't it? Herod also did this on the backs of the Jews, through labor and heavy taxes. Looking at the city was awesome, but then it kind of made me sick to know the motives behind it.
We were on top of Mt. Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. We also spent time at Megiddo, where we discussed its eschatalogical impact. There are a bunch of people that believe it's the location of the final battle. Armageddon literally means "Mountain of Megiddo," and so many people believe that Megiddo will be the stage. I tend to think it is metaphorical. Megiddo was the site of so many battles over the years, huge battles by large armies. The author knew of the history and wanted to communicate the magnitude of the battle. Being there really firmed this up in my mind - the valley just isn't big enough for a modern war with airplanes, etc. It would be over really fast.
The interesting thing about Megiddo is that has been destroyed and built up 25 times. It also had a spot in the city that has been the location of a temple or holy site 17 times. I think that's fascinating.

I also got to hike to the top of mount Arbel. It was an awesome view, really windy, but worth it.

Unfortunately, after two weeks of this it's starting to feel like lots of piles of stones over and over. I'm still learning a lot. I can recognize Solomonic gates, tripartate homes, casement walls, etc. I feel like I need to recognize Jesus in it all.