GroshLink

Lily had her 2 month check up on Friday (though she was technically 2 1/2 months old).  Here are the stats:

12 lbs, 23 3/4 inches long.  According to the doctor this puts her in the 90% percentile for both height and weight!  I find it a little hard to believe a) because she doesn't seem unusually large to me and b) our other girls typically hovered around the 25th percentile.  Lily is currently bigger than Eden was when Eden was 6 months old.  But Eden had trouble gaining weight from 2-6 months.  (In fairness, Eden reached the 90th percentile for weight by her 3rd birthday).  What a relief it is to have a baby that is healthy and growing easily!  She's had nothing but breastmilk.

And sleeping -- I say this not to toot my own horn, because I have done virtually nothing to cause this to happen, but Lily will sleep 9-11 hours straight at night.  And (as if it could get any better) she is by far the happiest baby I've ever seen.  She smiles easily and has started to giggle.  She doesn't like to be alone, so if I'm working in the kitchen I sit her in her bouncy seat where she can watch me and she's usually content.  I'm learning her sleep cues so that when I sense she's tired I lay her in her crib and she falls asleep.  Sometimes I don't read her right, but I often do.  She is full of joy and brings joy to all of us!

All I could say was Wow! when I turned on the radio to hear Sarah Palin's vice-presidential acceptance speech (and I thought the choice was going to be Lieberman). Check out Andy Crouch's post The best thing about Sarah Palin | Culture Making, it's excellent!

The choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate has all sorts of interesting political implications, which are being diced and parsed as I write. But I’m more interested in the long-term cultural ...

 (More)

More from Miller on depression

thinking of Second Corinthians, chapter one, and the fact that you are being prepared to help others going through similar times of depression...elisabeth elliott says that what helps her is to "do the next thing"...not to sit and stare, and wait until the mood is right, but to do, no matter how we feel, the next thing that needs to be done...the laundry, wash the car, call someone who needs a call, clean the house, whatever...

Note: Earlier post Depression among the thinkers

Thank-you to Miller for some helpful reflections on depression, an area which is of great personal and vocational concern to him.  Anyone with thoughts of their own to share? 

seems depression is always a possibility for those of us who think a lot...a survey of harvard students showed that ten percent of them are clinically depressed, and half of them have times of depression when they can't operate...it seems to run in families...i think we don't realize we've been through a time of depression until we get on the other side of it, and look back...i am especially sympathetic toward students and friends who go through this. ... (More)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We rejoice in your standing with us in prayer for our family and by God's grace we have a good report to share with you.

Join us in praising God for a smooth Wednesday morning ear surgery for Eden. She was wobbly in the afternoon while trekking around and was up for a few hours in the middle of the night.  But she was ready to go Thursday morning, maybe a little too much for us today ;-)  Pray for us to be careful not to have water get in her ears.

Note: During the surgery, God even provided a 'perfect baby' as Lily slept, smiled, and feed without a cry the whole morning!

Shalom, Tom & Theresa

Those of you who were part of InterVarsity at Carnegie Mellon or Grove City College (or for that matter Western PA or even Great Lakes East) sometime during the past several decades will remember Jean Duerbeck's strong Bible teaching, mentoring, and base guitar. The other day I received an email update from her giving praise for God's grace in her transition to life and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Graduate & Faculty Ministry in Tempe, AZ. To God be the glory!

 (More)

On Monday, Ellen & Hayley were out the door for third grade at Donegal Spring Elementary School.  It's hard to believe summer vacation has ended, but maybe that means it's time for some fall vacation for Theresa and myself ;-)

What are some of the summer highlights?

1.  Lily Joy.  As she was born on June 13, we had plenty of summer activities with family and friends for her to enjoy.

2.  The seven week visit by Theresa's sister, her three boys, and a friend of the oldest boy.  Note:  They stayed next door with Theresa's parents.

3.  Eden walking the length of the house coached by her cousin Firas.  AND she has not looked back as she careens her way around home, store, church, school, and beyond.

Pray for a safe and quick out patient Wednesday morning ear surgery for the restoration of Eden's ear tubes.

Are you unfamiliar with mood, tone, direction of InterVarsity? Then check out this video.

What's the specific passion and call which the Father has placed upon me? The people, ideas, and structures which which shape higher education ... I love the opportunity to walk side by side with the people of God, encouraging them as they live out their vocation as Christ followers on campus! Nothing like digging into the Word and material written by followers of Christ with faculty and administrators as they, by the Spirit of God, seek to live by faith day by day, student by student, class by class. Join me today in lifting up in prayer the people of the Book on campus (student, faculty, administrator, staff) as the fall term opens. Welcome class of 2012!

I had to make a new rule tonight:  "You may not sleep with the flosser" (you know, one of those little plastic do-hickies with the dental floss).  It is, however, acceptable to sleep with the metal mummy pencil case.  I suppose the rule applies across the family, but tonight it was directed towards Eden. 

Note from Tom:  Not surprising for a grandchild of a dentist who loved visiting the dental office.

after the russians attempted to take over afghanistan (ten year slaughter), J. Christy Wilson, longtime missionary there, had to come home..."death of a dream"...he then taught missions at gordon/conwell...i invited him to spend several days here at westminster with our missions group...what a blessing he was to many students who met with him here at my home, individual meetings at student center, in classrooms, and i think he spoke in chapel too... he told me that early in life he made a major decision:  whether to get involved in "programmatic" ministry, developing and maintaining programs,  or pray that God would lead him to specific individuals that have great promise, and disciple them one-on-one...he did the latter...and that's also what has given me the most satisfaction...i often ask students who have a passion for Jesus how they got that way...i never heard them say, "oh, just by going to church"...they almost always mention one specific individual who stayed close beside them, and helped them... -- a note from our brother in Christ Miller.

Amen!  A special thank-you to Miller for regularly sharing ministry insights and encouragements, particularly the inquiries "how are you doing?" 

P.S.  For an Urbana 2000 tribute to J. Christy Wison, who served as the director of the first InterVarsity Missionary Convention, click here.  Also check out his Urbana 1973 presentation Self-Supporting Witness Overseas.

Our friend Marci recently visited us to take pictures of Lily Joy. They're fabulous, check some of them out at Sweet Baby.

What a gift of God to be given the opportunity to raise four women of God!

I looked on youtube for a trailer to add to my post Anyone seen "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (2008)? but when I came across the below trailer with trailer review I had a few thoughts to share.  

1.  A trailer review has more merit than a judging a book by its cover, which I had a conversation about at an InterVarsity Press booktable the other day. 

2.  This negative trailer review, made me more commited to seeing the film. Which leads me to believe that the diehard franchise fan still lies beneath the surface even after the disappointments with the prequels and changes in my overall perspective/worldview since seeing the orginal in the theatre at the formative age of three.

Would one categorize the NY Times Review of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) as encouraging? Sure the film isn't the most painful movie of the year, but ...

I noticed the comments on the review indicated some fans. If anyone has seen Star Wars: The Clone Wars, let me know your reactions.  I'm not sure when I'll get to it, maybe on DVD in the coming year.  I must confess the prequels wore down my enthusiasm for The Galaxy Far, Far Away AND I have other priorities at this time, possibly even when the DVD comes out.

If you're a parent, children/youth minister, educator (K-higher education), take a moment to prayerfully consider the Books and Culture article And to Think It Is Happening on Mulberry Street: Preparing teenagers to cope with the "hookup culture" when they go away to college.

What brings this concern to mind, in addition to my years on campus ministry which spurs me to bring Soul Searching to InterVarsity's Staff Conferences, fall on my knees in prayer as first year students begin to flow onto campus, and causes me to regularly try to build bridges with youth ministers?

 (More)

In the Weekly Bulletin from the Editors of Books & Culture Magazine, I came across the WSJ article Solzhenitsyn, Optimist.*  This will serve as an excellent article for our family as we continue dinner conversations on Thou Shall Not Lie, Jesus as the Truth, & following Christ in the real world (at home, on the bus, at school, and beyond). I'd encourage you to take some time to chew on the piece, here's the quote which I'm going to share with my family:

 (More)

We're in the midst of our staff conference, which runs August 12-15.  Pray for a deep, refreshing time of spiritual renewal as our team digs into John 14-16, reconnects with one-another, and prepares for the fall mission.  Pray for clarity in our fall schedules, details regarding our Graduate student winter retreat (e.g., date, location, topic), which I will once again be directing. For me in specific, pray for connections with undergraduate field staff in order to coordinate campus visits with faculty and for feedback on the InterVarsity Press conference kit which I've worked on as part of InterVarsity's Staff Advisory Team for InterVarsity Press.

 (More)

It's quotes like the one below, from the archives of cultureisnotoptional, which remind me how much I miss living in the international mix of academic life 'da Burgh.  Furthermore, I am compelled to pray that the people of God in 'da Burgh will graciously extend hospitality to the stranger in their midst. Join me in prayer today for CMU and Pitt international students, which have orientation over the next several days.  They are the first to arrive and on the graduate level they all live off-campus.  Pray for them to become established before the fall term begins on Monday, August 25. 

Additional prayer request (posted 8/17):  Pray for many, both international and American, to become connected with the people of God through opportunities such as the CMU Student Services Resource Fair on Sunday, August 18.

 (More)

At present I'm quite enthusiastic about the public library's growing stock of graphic novels in the area of mysteries, non-fiction, and classics.  After our recent visit, Ellen blazed through Trojan Horse:  The Fall of Troy followed by Harriet Tubman:  The Life of an African-American Abolitionist, Hayley started the Nancy Drew series, and I previewed Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.  This afternoon we're going back to the library for more graphic novel biographies to take along to InterVarsity's Regional Staff Conference at Camp Hebron.  It's great to be a kid again!  Love the conversations regarding the material and the additional teaching resources in the back of the Lerner and StoneArch publications.

Thank-you to Andy for passing along the related article Marvel Follows the Yellow Brick Road.

A basic trouble is that most Churches limit themselves unnecessarily by addressing their message almost exclusively to those who are open to religious impression through the intellect, whereas ... there are at least four other gateways -- the emotions, the imagination, the aesthetic feeling, and the will--through which they can be reached. -- A. J. Gossip (1873-1954)

 (More)

For those who know Maggie and/or are interested in a competitive emerging artists program to highlight and support the next generation of Pittsburgh's Jazz Giants ... check out her brand new blog Jazz Space, which starts with reflections on the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. Theresa and Tom are the first to comment ;-)

I enjoyed the NY Times piece Tape Delay by NBC Faces End Run by Online Fans. How many of you ran around the internet for Opening Ceremony Coverage? I didn't have much time to do such. Our family watched some, critiqued commercials, discussed Communism, and went to bed. What an opportunity to discuss world politics, history, and critique our culture through the lens of Gospel (watch out NBC fall line-up, Ford trucks, Budweiser).  Let the games begin!

Thank-you to my friend Tom who passed along the link for Bill Hull's Change Direction: Brokenness, How I got to this point.  I commend it to my friends in ministry (both professional and volunteer).  Hull's presentation resonates with me as I've shared a lot of the same material in personal conversations/team meetings over the course of my much shorter time in ministry.  May the people of God listen and submit themselves to the Way of God.  Here's an excerpt from the introduction page:

To choose the life is to commit to a way or pattern of life. Its basis is humility, and it is a life of self-denial and submission to others. We choose it because Christ chose it for himself. The essence of faith is to take up our cross daily and follow him.

The Journey begins with Bill talking about the brokenness that led him to a new realization of an old truth: that full churches are not necessarily full of disciples and that transformation is what matters. The purpose of the sessions is to identify those who are enthusiastic about the call to the life of discipleship. The messages are designed to introduce the issues that will enflame the heart.

We've been negligent in posting updates on our fine feathered friend. The big news is that Lucky now enjoys the company of a lady friend whom Hayley and Ellen named Lucia. Lucia is a layer hen but thus far has only laid one egg for us. It's likely that the trauma of moving to her new home will put her into a molt so we're not holding our breath for more eggs any time soon.

For their first week together Lucky was terrified of Lucia and would "fly" to the opposite end of the chicken tractor whenever she approached him. But after a week of forced companionship he finally realized she was not a threat to his life and started to crow again. Now they get along fine. The girls have somehow even "trained" the chickens to walk up the plank into their house in the evening. This beats trying to catch 2 chickens every night before going to bed. Some nights it took a really long time and multiple adults helping. We generally lock them in their house overnight so that the clever racoons around our house won't have a chicken dinner.

Eden's sisters and her cousins have been a great blessing to her this summer.  The other day her cousin Firas coached her the length of our first floor.  Today she was trying stairs on her own, i.e., without me holding her but right next to her, en route to playing Barbie with Hayley and Ellen.  Praise God!  Can't wait to see how far Eden can travel when we're at Camp Hebron next week for InterVarsity's Mid-Atlantic Regional Staff Conference.  Pray for Eden's continued development and that soon she will have the strength for stairs and will run with the joy of the Lord in the fall!