soph vs soup

most of us would admit that we don't do well with change. at some point in life we shifted from trying new things to sticking with our favorites. favorite soda, burger joint, person, preacher, film genre... sure we step outside our favorite from time to time, but usually because of a nudge/push from someone else.

sophi's life is one great big change, at least up to this point. new foods, clothes, toys, family... as you can see she wasn't so sure about the soup at culvers. but not one to avoid change she plowed right in and found it to be quite delicious (and went on to paint her face with it). here's to not shying away from change.

although, she does have a favorite blankey already, so maybe i'm way off and we're born to be stuck in our ways. either way, there's no denying the cuteness of this child.

eleven months

oscar is proud to announce that sophi is 11 months old today. as you can see, he is very excited and says that his life has been nothing but extraordinary since january.

old photos, bad sweaters and lives together

I'm not usually one to get all mushy over anniversaries. although i do admit in public that i am a bit of a romantic. anyway on this date, ten years ago, at a certain university christmas party, some quite stylish guys went out on a limb to serenade some ladies they kind of knew. fortunately the soda had been flowing freely the entire evening and these fellas were quite hopped on sugar and caffeine.

this led to much laughter and the need to remember the moment in photographs...


one such photo captured the beginnings of something beautiful...




here's to fifty more years of group shots on funny couches... i wonder if i still have that sweater?

holiday cheer ramping up!

sophi demonstrating michigan's chance for the national title...


pics from our annual "get the christmas tree" outing. sophi sporting the very warm and necessary puffy coat. the aftermath of the trip and finally our fabulous tree...which is currently standing with lights on, but without ornaments (only so much time in week).


on other news, we spent the weekend over with the ullmers in appleton (amy's family). cookie baking extravaganza! family pics at the fox valley's best lit house and home hunting in oshkosh. marking my third drive to the fox valley in one week.


next year for christmas i'm going to ask santa for a non-complicated life. some assembly required i'm sure.

Movement

this should be the place where i insert some fantastic quote or an inspirational scripture or something. it is usually a way of validating or at least adding weight to what i have to say, but not this time...

this past year has been one filled with all types of ups and downs. some downs that actually played out as ups and vise versa. out of all the twists and turns, foggy mornings and bright sun at noon moments one dream has emerged. the idea of beginning a new community of faith, one centered on values that we may not even be able to write out clearly. but that we know are essential if Jesus-following-life is to mean anything to those disconnected from church (myself included). i heard someone once say that Christian life is more than believing properly (orthodoxy), it is right movement as well (orthopraxy). like riding a bike, balance is discovered in the going, doing, moving (except to my brother-in-law and his whole "fixed gear" bike subculture -don't ask).

amy and i, along with some friends and family are on a journey to discover what a faith community, centered on living the kingdom of heaven here (oshkosh) and now, could look like. as of this moment, we've got no mission statement, no meeting place or anything... but we very much feel like God is directing us to step out this way. so here we go, closer up... deeper in.

On faith, love and stuff...

This morning I was hit (once again) with the reality that Christianity is so much more than right beliefs...

"To affirm the approach that I am advocating means we must accept that to be a Christian is to be born of love, transformed by love and committed to transforming the world with love. This is not somehow done by working ourselves up and trying to find the right way of thinking and acting, but rather in letting go and opening up to the transformative power of God. In so doing, we will not merely sit around describing God to the world, but rather, we will become the iconic spaces in which God is made manifest in the world.
Peter Rollins
How (Not) to Speak of God (p 71)

I am in love with the image of followers of Christ as "iconic spaces". There is a danger in describing yourself by what you are not. Having said that, it troubles me that so often the church seems more concerned with describing God, or God life, than in actually living, creating, healing, feeding, inspiring, going, giving, dancing, somersaulting, loving,...