Our crazy lives…

…what with Emmett’s birth things have been more than a tad hectic.Bek and Andy and crew arrived here Thursday night. David’s family and Opa and Lois came over to see the baby. Friday a.m., Cindi rustled up some breakfast for the crew, and then I headed off to work. While I was away Lauren and Dean’s crew arrived. I got home for lunch and we had a little bit of time to visit before everyone headed out. Saturday, Lydia and Henry played in a “pre-concert” at Good Shepherd prior to the Symphony from Concordia, Irvine performing (we got to see Leisticos and any number of other friends, and I got to meet a young man who told me he listens to the podcast daily. Sweet!). We came home and made dinner and hit the hay early. Today we had Church (no Bible Class - confirmand’s examination instead), made breakfast for Opa and Lois and ourselves and engaged in a most frustrating game of liverpool (grrrrr! Opa!!!!). And then we enjoyed a mostly quiet afternoon and evening. The coming weeks promise to be filled with activity as well. Tentatively, Baptism is set for March 26. Between that time and now, I head to Austin for a men’s retreat; Cindi’s two sisters, her niece, and her brother-in-law arrive for a weekend visit, Cin has her final concert with the Collinsville Chorale, and I need to get to writing next year’s Lenten devotional book in earnest!

Well, it was a GREAT evening…

…with dear friends. But we won’t even talk about pinochle and the ridiculous melds the fairer sex kept inexplicably coming up with! 

An even dozen:

Kloe Iona

Sawyer Dean

Annabelle Scarlett

Lydia Charlotte

Joshua Flynn

Henry David

Felicity Lynn

Oliver James

Evangeline Grace

Griffin Lee

Chancellor James

And now:

Emmett William.

Blessed beyond words! Congrats to Andy, Bekah and Kloe!

Sexagesima Joys…with all the Grandchildren

In honor of Black History Month…

…a memory from five years ago. Victoria sang this on the day before Ash Wednesday, but we didn’t get it recorded. So after the Ash Wednesday service, she sang it and Pete recorded it: Lift Every Voice and Sing. And I remember as we practiced it the first time, any number of black employees made their way to the chapel and sat down silently to listen. It was a beautiful moment. I hope I never forget it.

A good start…

…that is, to the new year as far as disciplined exercise goes. In the month of January:

    Total push ups: 3,310

    Total pull ups: 312

    Total 45 lbs kettle bell swings: 312

    Total high intensity interval training: 140 minutes

    Total miles walked:  140 (5 miles each Monday-Saturday; 2.5 miles on Sundays)

Now, only 11 more months to go! 

AND this past Sunday…

…our first graders got their Bibles, including grandson Henry Weedon. Can you spot him? Yup. The smallest boy, but what a huge smile!

P is for “Pa” and “Pastor”

Today Crys invited me to the PreK class (which has my grandson Oliver in it) to read them my two children’s books, and to stand in the letter box. The letter this week is P and I doubly qualify, since I’m both “Pa” to Oliver and also “Pastor.” Thanks for the opportunity, Crys!

A long time…

…since I posted! Life’s been a tad hectic. And for those hectic times, if you’d like to simply meditate on some of the great Lenten hymns (no text, only piano sketches), remember you can listen here or here if you have Apple music.  

WOW!

First time The Word Endures has made it into Apple’s top religious podcasts:

And some more random pics…

…from the holidays at various get-together with friends (at the Van Ulfts new place in Missouri; with Dr. Kevin and Robyn Armbrust; Van Ulfts and Klingers; and Braasches and Wagners), but first a picture that Sandy Bowers shared me with this morning with our dear friend Dr. Lee Maxwell (may he rest in peace!), taken in his office, where there were always pleasant piles of books and papers.

And upon St. Stephen’s Day…Family Christmas!

Sounds of St. Paul’s Christmas…

Preservice

Entrance

Recessional

Postlude

And a bit of Slovak (Czech) Christmas…

https://youtu.be/GPnbQqhE4R8

And a belated happy birthday to youngest Grandson, Chance!

Who just turned 1!

What’s a little cold?

Trust me, I was only posing for the picture. Then I RAN back inside!

Patristic Quote of the Day

They must preach the resurrection of the dead, that great and truly glorious sign by which testimony is borne him that the Emmanuel is truly God and by nature the Son of God the Father. He utterly abolished death and wiped out destruction. He robbed hell, and overthrew the tyranny of the enemy. He took away the sin of the world, opened the gates above to the dwellers upon earth, and united earth to heaven.—St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 49 on St. Luke

Luther

Therefore we should let joy have rule, let Christ be greater than our sins.—Sermon for Advent IV, Epistle (CP VI:96)

Catechesis: Fourth Commandment

“For if we wish to have excellent and able person both for civil and for Church leadership, we must spare no diligence, time, or cost in teaching and educating our children, so that they may serve God and the world.” —LC I:172.

Patristic Quote of the Day

The feeding of the multitudes in the desert by Christ is worthy of all admiration. But it is also profitable in another way. We can plainly see that these new miracles are in harmony with those of ancient times. They are the acts of one and the same power.—St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 48 on St. Luke