video star?

this goes out to the countless people who have asked for some clips of our little girl. i'm not sure how i feel about this, but i do think she is the cutest thing ever so you win.


sophi in the morning

enjoy

immigration (no class action faith)

this afternoon, as i was driving out to school with sophi to visit amy for lunch, i had on a christian radio station. as disturbing as that might sound, it gets worse. actually, a program was finishing up about faith and tough times,which i thought was very solid. but, after the program was over, one of those short 30 second faith blips came on. radio bumper stickers. and downhill we went.

anyway, the speaker started by asking, "red, white and green?". and then went on to briefly talk about fact that chicago had decided to celebrate mexico's independence day by lighting up its skyline red, white and green. cool, i thought. we are secure enough in our own "country-ness" that we can get excitied about another country's freedom birthday.

i was wrong. the speaker went on to throw in a jab at illegal individuals who are here trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. apparently we (as christ followers) are very against this? or at least should be? whatever. the real thing that struck me as funny/sad was the suggestion that we, the listening audience, should all call the mayor's office and tell them we are against this whole celebration thing.

then the program ended with a little jingle that said it was faith in action. what? are you kidding me? faith in action is concerned with lighting up buildings? with celebrating a neighbors' independence? with validating over 50,000 people of mexican decent in the greater chicago area? i thought faith in action was feeding the hungry, clothing those in need, hanging out with the imprisioned. i guess not.

i shouldn't get too worked up. perhaps this was one snippet from a greater teaching on practical love, serving others, offering hope to the hopeless... or maybe it's just another believer who accidentally forgot that faith doesn't have that much to do with misguided conservative patriotism.

i wonder if the (good)samiritan was legal? did he have the proper paperwork to be traveling down that road? i bet the beat up guy he helped didn't care much.

blended roles and breathing

tomorrow marks the first day of school here in our public school district. this means that my wife, amy, will be off to school in the morning just like she has for the last seven years. this year's difference being, sophi is home with me...

from go we have aimed our life in the direction of amy staying home with our family. up until recently this was still our story line. now, we continue to find ourselves in a state of transition and limbo. which translates as confused roles and sometimes frustration, both individually and collectively. this is by no means a social commentary on cultural norms in families, just our path. i have a feeling that it can be too easy for outsiders to simply tell you how you should feel or what your next life step should be. i must admidt/confess that i have heard myself say, 'you should do such and such with your life...' it's easy enough to do from the outside. i can't imagine three years of this on our terms, let alone someone elses.

and so tonight in the midst of unknown one thing i do know is that this season will very much open up into something else. something more in tune with our wiring. we are not the first to find themselves at a place in the road saying, 'this is not where i am supposed to be...'

and so, breathe in... breathe out... breathe in...

it's good to be alive and breathing air again... (robbie seay). even if we're not sure how to step next. thank God for nexts. may our lives add to Your beauty.