Justin Wilson and Ethiopian

This past Friday-Saturday Justin Wilson came down from Moline.  Justin is a good friend and is married to Tara (the lady Kathee is going to court with tomorrow).  Justin is officiating his best friend's wedding and needed some help on preparing the wedding and help with what to say.  So on Saturday we talked and worked and worked and talked for 4 or 5 hours.  I think Justin is in a pretty good spot, and feels like what he is doing isn't just words on a page, but is his words, with his personality, and his desire that God be spoken of at this wedding he's doing.  

Although that was the reason he came down, we also did some other things.  He and I rode about 20 miles (on one of the hottest and most humid days of the year down here).  And we also went to one of our favorite restaurants in town, Meskerem (which is an Ethiopian place).  As Justin is a vegetarian, and we wanted to take him out to eat, I knew that Ethiopian has both meat and vegetarian options.  WE ATE WELL!!!!  As you can see, we even demolished the injera that the food sits on.  It was so good!  

  

There was also a neat interaction as Justin was leaving.  We were standing outside our apartment building and some of our neighbors were out, too.  As we talked, one of the ladies said, "Wow, you all must be very loved.  You have people come and visit all the time.  That's so nice."  And Justin responded back by telling them something like, "you have no idea how much we love and miss the T's, and that there are many back in Moline who love and miss them."  That was good to hear. 

This move has been VERY hard for us.  We REALLY miss Moline.  We really miss our loved ones and FUPC.  I REALLY miss my youth ministry.  And we often feel sad and alone here.  I know things we even out.  And that we will thrive here.  It just takes time (according to most I've talked to here, it takes about a year).  So as we continue to adjust, it was just a nice interaction to have with a good friend.  

That's it for now.  Covenant Theology needs the top of my game tomorrow morning.  Night.

Gideon To The Bus Stop

Gideon's bus comes to the circle by the seminary library each morning at 8:40.  There are 11 kids who are picked up from campus and head to Mason Ridge Elementary School.  Each morning, after breakfast we head up and wait for the bus.  I thought this was a good picture from this morning's walk to the bus stop.  

Mud Hole!

How is it possible that whenever there's a mud-hole that my middle child instinctively finds it?  This one happened a few days ago.  She was SO proud of herself.  Now, she's cute as a button, but good night, I thought girls like sugar and spice and all that garbage.  Not this one.  These are some of my favorite pictures of late.  LOVE my Hope-y!

First Day of Seminary In Review

Today I felt a little like an elementary-school kid who is excited to finally get going with school.  

After years of taking classes from a distance, and the struggles of not being able to interact with the professor and other students, today was the day to get that kicked off.  I slept like a baby last night, which was very unexpected, as I thought I'd be mulling over everything in my mind.  Instead, it was the opposite.  

And if I'm completely honest, I felt a bit of the attitude of an arrogant adolescent.  "I've been in full-time Christian ministry for almost 15 years."  Blah, blah, blah.  But it sure didn't take very long for that attitude to get a solid come-uppins.  I went from feeling like the arrogant adolescent too..

a guy who thinks he's all that but in reality know it' just a show.  Exhibit #1.  I put the classroom number in my calendar prior to Covenant separating the Greek 1 class into 2 sections.  So, apparently, my class section was moved over one class, and the second section was in the classroom that I had on my calendar.  So, after walking in a few minutes early, and getting a seat by the back door (just in case I was in the wrong class), when Doctor Sklaar walked in, I knew I was in the wrong classroom.  So I popped up and walked to the next classroom over, into Doctor Yarbarough's class, which is the correct class.   

Thankfully, I took a semester of Greek in college (and for my entire ministry years I've been looking up Greek words and am able to pronounce many of them) so was able to remember some/most of the Greek alphabet.  However, after class (which goes Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11-12:15), I went home for lunch and then back to the library to study.  I am doing pretty well with the alphabet, but royally confused about some of the rules of accent and pronounciation.  I know I'll get it, it was just pretty deflating today to have that class right out of the shoot.  With it being an academic class (rather than a practicial theology class, couseling, etc), I know it's going to be very difficult for me.  And I know I'll have to work hard at it.  It was just a sobering and humbling experience to have that right away.  

Doctor Yarbarough is also a pretty no-nonesense guy.  He's taught Greek for 30 years.  He started with prayer and we filled out 3x5 cards with our personal information on it.  We read aloud the alphabet a bunch of times throughout the class, as well as, learning a couple of other things that are in our Greek Primer book.  

It struck me today that it's possible he doesn't care if he has a full classroom or no students.  He didn't seem to really interact, or really even realize that there were 40 of us in the classroom with him.  I'm obviously not throwing the baby out with the bath water, I'm just reflecting on today's class.  

So that left me a bit discouraged.  

Then tonight, Kathee and I have Spiritual and Ministry Formation with Doctor and Mrs Douglas.  He is the oldest employee (professor, staff, etc) at Covenant, being here 29 years.  His deep and abiding love of Christ is pretty contagious.  It's obvious he's a pastor at heart, and deeply desires us to grow in our faith and feel more comfortable in knowing God's calling on our lives.  

Kathee is auditing the class, as so many on campus said it' one of the best classes offered here.  There are A TON of people in the class.  It's offered at night so spouses can attend as well.  Free childcare at the Log Cabin is offered, so the three little ones get dropped off and then we head to class.  

Doctor Douglas is meeting with each student for 1 hour during the semester to go over our various tests (Myers-Briggs, etc) and help us discern better our paths to/in ministry.  They have also invited each student to their home for lunch during the course of the semester (like 10-12 students at a time).  They live on campus somewhere, and the old kodger even had powerpoint pictures showing us step-by-step how to get to their home.  

The class is very diverse.  From people just out of college to a couple who are great-grandparents.  

From single to married for decades.  From right here in St Louis to a couple from Korea and China and Mozambique.     

  

Tomorrow morning I have Covenant Theology 1 from 8:30-9:30.  Then Convocation at 10:00-11:00am.  Then Apologetics & Outreach from 11:00-12:15.  Then Educational Foundations from 1:30-4:15.  Tomorrow is my big day.  

It's also when Kathee and the girls head back to Moline, leaving Gideon and me here due to school for the both of us.  Kathee's good friend Tara is heading to Princeton, IL, tomorrow for the sentencing of the young lady who killed Tara's mother due to drunk driving.  Kathee has gone with her to the entire court proceedings and all the hearings and whatnot.  So tomorrow is the big day and Kathee wanted to be there with Tara for that.  So Kathee leaves here at 5:00 or 5:30 with Hope and Esther to get up to Karl's in Moline in time to drop the girls off, see Karl a bit, and then head to Princeton with Tara.  

Then Kathee and the girls will stay overnight with Karl in Moline before heading back home on Wednesday after lunch.  

So Gideon and I will be, according to Gideon's words to Kathee tonight, "partying like crazy while the girls are gone."  We'll see what that looks like, but we'll have to have fun somehow.  

That's it for now.  Even when the learning curve is really steep.  Even when I get my butt handed to me right out of the shoot.  Even when we still feel sad and lonely.  We serve a great God who has indeed been good to us.  He continues to lavish His love and grace upon us.  And He continues leading us as we walk with Him in this journey.  In Christ, there is always hope of a new and brighter day tomorrow.  Thanks for reading.  Good night!

Too Cute

Hanging with Mama

Playing with the doll house

Gideon Reading His Bible

You Mean Naked, Like, Down There?

Over the past couple of weeks, Gideon has been asking me to print off chapters of the Bible for him to be able to read.  As the translations he currently has are too difficult for him to read, and my desire for him to be able to read the Bible whenever he wants, and having a couple gift cards from Family Christian Stores, we headed out today to buy him an NiRV (New International Readers Version).  That translation is at a 3rd grade reading level and is for agest 6-10.

We looked, compared, looked at more, compared more, and ended up buying the one he wanted.

As my hope is that, in my words tonight, "he reads it so much that the Bible falls apart," we even got his name embossed in the cover, which just about blew his mind!

Tonight after the girls were down, and after our nightly wrestling in his bedroom, we settled in to read some Scripture.  He wanted to pick up where we left off last.  We went to the end of Chapter 2 of Genesis.

At the start I have to say that the kid is a little theologian.  We had one of the best talks tonight over Scripture that I've ever had with a kid or teen.  It was so fun.  And so exciting!

As we read, I dropped some solid theology on him about God giving us a job to do PRE-FALL (contrary to those who claim that work is a consequence of the fall).  We talked that doing work is important and honors God and gives us dignity and responsibility.  So that was fun.  We talked about the woman being created from the man's rib (he wanted to know where the ribs were.... he found out after a good bit of rib-tickling).  We talked of where the rivers are (Tigris and Euphrates, etc) and that they are real rivers in real places.

And then we got into the good part.  It took all I had to not laugh... but I did...and then we both did... A LOT!  It's Genesis 2:25, which says, "The man and his wife were both naked. They didn’t feel any shame."  So when we got to the word naked I had to help him sound it out.  When he figured it out, he giggled like crazy.  Then said, "Papa, naked.....like butt naked?"  And he's giggling the whole time.  I responded affirmatively, which brought raucous laughter from father and son.  Then he pointed to his junk and says, "like butt naked...even down there?"  I again respond affirmatively.  More raucous laughter.  I ask him if he's ready to move on.  He starts reading.  After sounding out the word shame he asked me what shame meant.  I said that it's kind of being embarrassed.  In response to that, he boisterously says, "Yeah, you wanna know why they weren't ashamed?  Because aside from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they were the only ones around.  No one else was around to see them all butt naked."  How fun to have great talks like that with him!

From there he asks if he can take his new Bible to school on Monday and show Mrs Sciortino (his first grade teacher).  "Papa, I want to see if she is as surprised (by the cover of the Bible that has his name on) as Mama was when I showed her."  I said he could take his Bible on Monday, but I told him that his teacher may or may not know Jesus and so she may not be as excited about his new Bible as he is.  To say he was shocked was an understatement.  "You mean, she may not love Jesus like you and Mama and Mrs Norton (his teacher at Morningstar last year) and Mrs Gritton (his teacher at Shepherd's Fold Preschool)?"  "That's right, buddy, unfortunately not everyone loves Jesus," I tell him again.  "Well Papa, can I ask her and see if she loves Jesus?"  I encourage him affirmatively and say that's the most important question he could ever ask.    "And Papa, if I have a lot of courage, I could ask her in front of the whole class?"  I told him that that's a question to ask her in private or when not everyone is around.  His body posture was one of disappointment.  So I asked him what he was thinking.  "Well, Papa, there are a lot of kids in my class, and I don't have much time in private with her.  I may not ever have time to ask her, then."  That's when we talk about prayer and the importance of prayer and that he should ask God each morning on the bus for an opportunity to talk to Mrs Sciortino about Jesus.  He lights up from ear to ear.  "Cuz then, Papa, she could love Jesus like most of the people in our family."  It's at this point that I get a bit quizzical.  I ask him what he means by that.  He says, "Well, Papa, you and Mama and me have Jesus in our hearts, but Hope and Esther don't yet.  And cousin L from North Liberty, I think she's too young yet to know Jesus, but everyone else in our family loves Jesus."  So it's at that point we pray for Mrs Sciortino... and Hope... and Esther... and Cousin L.

People, are you kidding me?  The kid is 6.  I love what the Holy Spirit does in the lives of little ones and how they are doing some of the best and most life-changing theology on the planet today.  I love being a part of what God is doing.  And to have it happening currently in my own home is an absolute joy.  

Solid biblical understanding.  Good theology.  Great sense of humor.  Concern for the text.  And willingness to ask uncomfortable questions which bring about deeper understanding.  I hope he's in my youth group some day.  That kid is a keeper!      

After prayer with him tonight, I walked out of his room on Cloud 9.  I pray that he loves God's Word as much as his mother and I do.  I pray that He loves more and more Who every page in that Bible is speaking.  I pray that some day, in the Lord's providence, Gideon would be a man of strong faith, and a pillar in God's church.  I pray that he will be living the lifestyle of biblical eldership (whether he's ever an elder or not).  And most of all, I pray that the Holy Spirit continues to fan into fire what I see him doing in the life of my son right now.  Praise the Lord!

Shirley Rogers

Shirley was a elderly neighbor of ours in Moline.  She was also a member at FUPC and sat behind us each week on Sundays.  Each week, Kathee and the kids would go over and visit Shirley and spend time with her.  So, as Shirley is visiting her son who lives about 35 miles from here, she called Kathee and invited us to supper at her son's house.  So we drove out and spent time with Shirley and her family and had a great time.  The picture below is of Gideon and Hope sitting in the kiddie bench in front of the pond-lake that Shirley's son's family owns.    

GOOSE POOP!!!

Emerill's Essence, you've met your match!  Goose Poop.  That's right, that's its name.  It is sold at the Soulard Market and is beginning to be sold in some stores in St Louis.  I LOVE this stuff.  Emerill's pitch is that it goes on everything but ice cream.  Next time I have ice cream, I'm getting out the Goose Poop and trying some on it.  I LOVE GOOSE POOP!

Mike Brown's Murder

The picture below is graphic, and it's real.  It's a picture of Mike Brown, the 18-year-old kid who was apparently unarmed and killed by a Ferguson, MO, police officer on Saturday.  My mom and dad were in town visiting and Dad and I were watching the tv when the story broke.  I remember saying a couple times, "This is not good.  Oh man, oh man."  

So since that evening, I've been pretty caught up in the events of Ferguson.  I stayed up late the night of the riots and looting.  I've been following the latest events on twitter (I learned that when it comes to MAJOR world events that if you want the latest information you need to be on twitter.  I learned that as I followed a guy named SandMonkey during the protest and transformatoin of Egypt at Tarhir Square).  And like that event, I'd learn about things happening before news updates and so forth.  

I'm honestly not sure why I'm so drawn in.  I remember being drawn in when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebald shot up Columbine High School, The 9/11 attacks, and now this.  Although I'm not sure how this will all turn out, I thought I'd share how it has impacted me.  

  

First, the reality is, I have an African son.  One who I have talked to about race from many different angles over the past few years, but certainly as a result of this.  It pains me to think that Gideon could very well be pulled over, harassed, and messed with merely because he's black.  It pains me to think that those who Gideon has been taught to respect and honor could one day target him just because of his skin color.  So it has gripped me in the sense that that could very well be my son one day lying on the street, bleeding out while those who are charged with serving and protecting just stand there and let him die (the police left Mike Brown like that for 4 hours, and his body wasn't taken away in an ambulance, but a police SUV), as he and a buddy come walking home from getting Slurpies at 711.  So that has gripped me.  

It has also gripped me in that Monday night I volunteered to go to Panera to pick up bread for the seminary (back story:  Panera donates all of its bread at the end of the day to needy groups.  Apparently Covenant is one of those groups.  So once a week, volunteered bread-toters go to the St Louis Galleria Mall to get bread, and another day of the week to another location for bread).  So this was supposed to be my first night going to get the bread.  As I'm studyig for the Bible Content Overview test, I thought I'd leave right after supper and head to the Panera and study, and then get the bread right at closing.  So at supper I received a notification on my phone that the Galleria was being shut down by police due to unrest inside the mall.  Being pretty sure that's where I was headed, but knowing that the Galleria is about 10 or 15 miles from where the riots and looting were happening, I headed downstairs to check with Jody to make sure I was right, which I was.  

As it turned out, there was some sort of brawl inside the mall, where 40 people (mostly teens) were involved.  Although I'm still not sure if that event is connected, it gripped me.  I could have very well been at the mall when this took place (or more than likely, had I not gotten alerted by my phone, I would have potentially walked into a trouble spot).  The Galleria is between the seminary and where we go to church.  We also drive by the Galleria just about whenever we go east on I-64, which is very often as of late.  

Another instance is that parking lot, which is right across the street from the County Government building.  In St Louis, in order to get your vehicle registered, you have to have a mechanic do a safety test and an emission test (every two years).  Also, the amount you pay for the registration is based on the vehicles worth and the tax in the municipality in which you live.  So, since we just moved here, I had to go to the Government Building with some documentation to get a tax waiver release so I could get the van registered.  When I went inside the building, I parked in this lot (that didn't have those barracades up at that point).  The next day, the location in the building I was in (right off the street) had SWAT team members with tear gas, etc, etc, and that parking lot was full of protesters.  

And the last one was after taking Kathee to Sump, which is supposed to be the best coffee place in St Louis.  I had researched a bit, and had saved this one for one of those days.  So when Kathee was feeling a bit off, we loaded up and went to South City (which is south of the Arch and is also where the Soulard Market is).  After getting our cups of coffee and going home, everything was great.  

The next day I woke up and saw on the news that 4 car loads of people had looted a shoe store a mile from Sump.  So it's just been those little things that have gripped me and continue to draw me in.  

I continue to try and process theologically, biblically, and personally.  Race in America is such a weird thing.  And so I continue to process, learn, think, and observe.  

Gideon's First View and (the next day) First Day at Mason Ridge Elementary

So Gideon is a first grader at Mason Ridge Elementary School.  HE LOVES IT!!!  His teacher is an Italian from Nebraska.  It was like it was divinely ordained.  Her name is Mrs Sciortino, and she's from Columbus, Nebraska.  We met her on Monday, when Gideon unpacked his bookbag and whatnot.  I was very surprised how big the school is, and thus, how many kids must go there.  I was also a bit afraid for me cute, cuddly, not-ready-for-a-school-this-big, boy.  However, unlike his father, Gideon acted confident and positive, and was excited for school and to get to know his 20-25 classmates (there are three classes of first graders at Mason Ridge).    

I will say I about puked when I walked down the hall and saw this posted.  YUCK.  I mockingly say that garbage to Kathee (as the Bible shares with us what happens when we listen to, and then follow, our hearts).  So Kathee made sure I saw it (as if I could miss it) and then went ahead and read it out loud to insure maximum blood pressure for me.  

So Tuesday morning, we got up and got ready to walk Junior to his bus.  11 of the 79 kids living on campus also meet at his bus stop for Mason Ridge Elementary (the others are either in Junior High or High School or they are home schooled or go to private, Christian school).  So, trying to blind him, or at the minimum burn his retinas, I had him pose for a picture before we walked up to the seminary library circle for him to get picked up.  

The bus was about 20 minutes late, and was a bit of a fiasco the first day.  

His bus stop is technically out on Conway and Williamsburg, which is across the street from campus.  However, some of the other parent ensured us that the bus driver also comes onto campus to pick up the kids at the library (which is at a completely different location-- like we can't even see his legitimate bus stop from the library circle).  

So after seeing a bus blow by (and not come ont campus), we decided we'd just load up the kid and drive them to school.  As we were walking back from the library to our apartments, one of the mothers called the school, who then tracked down the bus.  But apparently the bus broke down, so we were told it'd be better to just drive them to school (after hearing they'd tracked down the bus we all returned to the library).  But then hearing that we should just take the kids, we started re-walking back to seminary housing to take the kids to school.  It was then that the bus showed up, loaded up the kids, and off they went.  

Gideon, being so excited to ride the bus, didn't say goodbye or anything.  I'll be honest, it wan't how I'd written up his first day in my mind.  However, he did fine, got to school safely (but a bit late), and his second day at school was a bit more like I had envisioned the first day being.  

Esther Sleeping

Let The Nations Be Glad

I realize that the picture below does not do a great job of making my point.  Rather, it looks more like Esther is digging through Esther's hair in search of lice.  That's not what she is doing.  Rather, I am making the point that it's a joy to see how diverse campus housing is right now.  The picture below is of Esther (from China, who lives in the next building up with her familiy, who is also from China) with our little Esther.  By the way, there are 4, count em, 4 Esther's on campus right now.  

I am really enjoying this fact.  Of the top of my head, there are families on campus from Canada, Britian, Germany, India, Korea, and China.  I love it that there are families from varying cultural backgrouds living on campus.  And I love that my kids get to build relationships with children from other cultures, as well.    

The above picture is Gideon with his buddies Charlie (dressed as Batman) and Moses, who is from Chennai, India.  

Won't Be Long Now

She's taken to using anything stable (and sometimes not) to stand up and hold herself up.

And in the last few days she's starting to just stand in the middle of the room.  I can't wait until she starts walking!  Fun times ahead!!!

Room Changes

Tonight we split the two older kids up into separate rooms.  Gideon now has his own room and the girls have their own place.  This afternoon Gideon wasn't too excited about the reality of this change.  By bedtime his attitude seems to have changed!  

He's absolutely giddy.

Nap Time

How is she able to sleep like this?  She does this all the time.

Pickle Update

Nope, that's not Mountain Dew or anything else a doctor may study, that's the leftover of the pickles I made on Saturday.  They were delicious!  Carry on.

That's All For Now

Homemade Pickles

I saw pickling cucumbers at the market a few weeks ago, and thought it'd be fun to make some sometime.  So today, I bought 2 pounds of pickling cucumbers from an Amish gentleman at the market and whipped these babies up.  Using the recipe I found on one of my iPad apps, I went to town and made them today.  

I don't believe they will make it through the week.  

Playing at the Playground

Kathee loves swinging on the swings... and I'm not sure the kids who play at the playground know what to do.  They tentatively think it's cool she swings with them, but they aren't sure as I'm not sure other parents do!  

Here Kathee is on the swings with Hannah, a girl from South India.  

Along with Moses, her brother, the moved from Chennai, India, about two months ago.  Her father, Prekash, helped us move in.  They are great kids!

Soulard Market Pictures from Today

I took this picture of the Arch right outside of the market.  

Free face painting (air brushing) again.

Gideon became Spider Man

I love the colors and how the produce is laid out.  

Pig snouts, anyone?

Or rabbit?  

I don't even know what one does with pork skins?

Chicken Feet, that sounds...yummy?

I've eaten (and gagged) on tripe.  

And I've eaten goat (in the Somali section of Minneapolis when we lived there).  So there are weird stuff for sale at the Soulard Market, too.  I love that place!