horrifically beautiful

January 5, 2012
Blog
7 Comments
**disclaimer: while this post isn’t going to be terribly graphic visually, it is my perspective of the birth of our son, so it may be graphic emotionally.**
 
so, my wife pushed a baby out the other day.  i know that millions of women do it every year, but when its your wife, your child, it rocks your world.
it all started at 4:30 in the afternoon on friday (well, it actually started nine months ago, but i’m not going to get that graphic).  i was in the bedroom and emily shouted from the bathroom, “i either just pee’d myself or my water broke.” tears instantly welled in my eyes.  a little back story is needed to understand the full emotion of that moment.
on december 23rd i received a phone call from our hr director telling me that due to higher rates and new terms, we would be switching insurance companies on january 1st.  while the change was good overall, our old insurance paid 100% after the deductible and our new insurance only paid 80%. additionally, since it was the friday before Christmas we couldn’t get a hold of our doctor or hospital to verify that they were covered in the new plan.  the change was not only making our holidays a little crazy and stressful, but if he was born after the new year it was going to cost us thousands of dollars more.
at this point, we began to pray that he would come before 2012.  we sent out emails to our supporters, asked friends and family to pray, and began praying ourselves.  we know our God is good, so we fully trusted that even if he came after the new year that God would provide.  nevertheless, we prayed.
they say that after the water breaks the baby should be out in 24-hours in order to protect from infection.
so, when emily shouted out about her water breaking and i realized that twenty-four hours was still 2011, i cried.
i cried at God’s faithfulness to hear our prayers.  i cried because our awaited son was coming.  i cried because i was going to be a father.
___________________________
months earlier emily had decided to try to give birth without epidural.  i had preferred this from the beginning, but it was easy for me to have this preference as i wasn’t the one giving birth!  emily was praying about the decision, scared to do it without, and asked God for a specific answer soon.  hours later our friend called and said that her doula (natural birth coach) called and had an opening for a birth class that Saturday and that she was going to give it to us for free.  emily had her answer.
so, with natural birth, we labored at home for first few hours.  emily sat in the bath tub most of the time and let the waves of pain get soothed by the warm water.  my role was to just sit with her, pour water over her belly, and love her.  it was difficult, but not horrific.
the contractions increased in frequency and intensity, so at four in the morning we decided it was time to go to the hospital.  the movies are a little dramatic about the start of labor.  they show us the water breaking and the husband freaking out as they pack the bags and rush to the hospital.  we didn’t leave when the water broke, but hours later, my experience was just like a movie.  rushing around making sure we had everything, packing emily and her mom in the back seat of our borrowed grand marquis, emily on her hands and knees contracting with her mom pushing on her hips to relieve some of the pain, and me driving like a maniac down the i-17 to the hospital.
the period of time between our arrival at the hospital at 5 am until his birth at 1:39 pm was the most horrific time of my life.  
_______________________________
i love zombie movies.  i love graphic horror.  i can see people’s heads blown off, bones broken, brains eaten and not flinch.  but i can barely handle real life.  i think of the time i saw a girl blow out her knee in a girls basketball game screaming in pain or the time a student broke his arm at youth group.  they stand out vividly.  i hate seeing pain in real life.  i think its my empathy (or just a weak stomach for other’s pain), but i can’t take it.
seeing my wife in that much pain for that long was horrible.  it made me sick.  there were times where i would cry as she groaned in pain and looked into my eyes for relief.  there were times i just had to walk away.  times that, as much as i wanted to be by her side, i just couldn’t.  times where i bent my head and asked Jesus to end it…to just bring this boy out of her.
but it didn’t end and hour after hour she labored.  she groaned.  she waited.  her face contorted in agony.  
and we waited.
the hardest thing was hearing our doula say that it should be over soon at 9 am, but not having that joyous release when i looked at the clock at 10:30 am.  or at 11:15.  or noon.  i really just wanted it to be over.
then the pushing came.  the video we watched during our class showed the woman pushing for a couple of minutes and the baby flying out…seriously, the video was insane…and gross (i almost petitioned em to go the  epidural route after we saw that video)…i digress.  
emily pushed and pushed.  different positions. different strategies.  but it was slow.
S
L
O
W
 
every small movement “down there” was a victory.  later we heard from em’s dad that he heard us all yelling with delight one time and thought the baby was here, but really there was just a little movement.
but then after more than an hour of pushing we saw the head…just the first little glimpse…covered with curly dark hair, and then it retreated again…for another half hour she pushed and then it happened…
the horror ended and the beauty began.
titus benjamin hughes arrived.  
he cried.  he breathed. he stretched.  he squirmed.  he lived.
still connected to his mother by the umbilical cord, he was placed upon his mother’s breast and he was home.  tears filled my eyes, his grandmother’s.  joy was seen on the faces of all in the room as life began.
oh, the beauty.  but you know, in the end even the horror was beautiful.  

top seven moments of ele7en (finally…)

January 3, 2012
Blog
1 Comment
so a little thing happened on my way to the internet on saturday, my wife started labor.
well, she actually went into labor on friday night, but anyways…i actually saved this post for the 31st, so that i could hopefully have an easy number one!
 
se7en | God’s very specific answer to prayers
if i included God’s biggest answer to prayer of the year this would surely be higher, but because its directly related to number one, i’ll just stick with two specific ways God answered very specific prayers. as we got nearer and nearer to the beginning of summer last year there were two very difficult challenges we were facing: we were still in need of one intern team leader and the dollar was very low and we were in danger of losing quite a bit of money for our ministry.  in desperation, i prayed very specifically that God would send a guy named Ryan out for the summer and that the dollar would rise to a very specific rate.  within a week God called Ryan (through a crazy series of circumstances) to serve for the summer and the dollar raised to the rate that we were praying for.  it was a great reminder to pray specifically for things.
 
six | heartbeat
everyone says that having a baby changes your life.  for the last nine months we’ve been experience those changes.  one of the things that changes is the way you worry for your child.  even before he was born i found myself worrying for his safety.  we are guaranteed nothing in this life and with so many friends knowing that the hard way, i found myself being very cautious about our own child’s birth.  one of the first tests of that was the doctors appointment when we heard his heartbeat for the first time.  hearing that rhythm coming from the sonogram was such a relief.  now that he’s hear i’m realizing that hearing that heartbeat was just the start of the worrying for my child.
 
five | ultrasound movements
don’t worry this isn’t the last of the baby moments that litter the top seven.  watching our little guy move on the ultrasound machine was so miraculous.  i know that people believe in evolution and that there are lots of cases for it, but seeing a human being growing inside of another with all of the development of his organs to me is proof that God creates.  i always thought that the 3D pictures of babies are kind of creepy, but when our doctor offered us to see it in 3D (4D actually, it also had movement), we agreed.  it was amazing to watch him move his arms and to even put his thumb in his mouth.
 
four | first kick
all of these moments progress more and more to the actual.  from a sound to a sight to a feeling.  emily and i were watching captain america during our intern debrief and my hand was resting on her belly and the little guy kicked.  it was amazing to feel him for the first time.  those kicks continued into thrusts and eventually into sprawling movements across emily’s belly.  we could only imagine what he looked like at that time.
 
three | berlin date
when emily and i found out that death cab for cutie was playing in berlin last summer and we were available to go, we snatched up tickets immediately.  we had our us teams arriving the following day, so we only had 24 hours to enjoy berlin, but is was a perfect way to celebrate our relationship. we spent the first evening walking around, exploring the city and eating great indian food.  the following day we rode our cruisers around the city taking in the sites, then we went to dinner at one of the best burger joints in europe and finished the evening seeing the head and the heart and death cab.  it was just the perfect day.
 
two | holding talan’s hand at the airport
in february emily and i came back for her brother, eric’s, heart surgery.  since we were already in the states we added a week in oregon to see my family.  at that point we hadn’t seen our nephew talan for almost a year and a half (since his birth) and all of our interaction with him had taken place over Skype. we were quite unsure of how he would respond to us at the initial meeting at the airport.  after about ten seconds of timidity he warmed right up to us, grabbed our hands and walked out of the airport with us.  my eyes welled up with tears as this little guy’s hand grasped ours in trust.
 
one | the birth of our first son, titus benjamin hughes
the events surrounding his birth were quite remarkable and such an amazing way to see God answer prayers.  his birth alone would have obviously been the number one event in any year, but the fact that he came in two thousand eleven makes it even more remarkable.
i’m going to write much more about his birth and my experience of that day, but for now, it should be said that there is nothing like it.  marrying emily was the best decision and the best day of my life, but having a son was the most amazing and beautiful day.  seeing new life come into the world was the most unique experience ever.  seeing his face for the first time, his cry, his smell, the way he looked at his mother for the first time…everything…it was almost indescribable.
then to top it off were the experience surrounding his birth.  just before christmas we found out that our organization decided to change insurance companies.  the change was going to come into effect january first.  the new plan is going to be much better in the long run, but the immediate changes were going to cost us upwards of $9000.  if titus was born before january first, then he’d still fall in our old insurance plan and we’d save tons of money! obviously, his and emily’s health were the most important factor and since emily was planning to deliver without epidural, we didn’t want to induce.  so instead we just called our friends, family and supporters together and prayed that God would send him to us before the first.
when emily shouted from the bathroom on december 30th, “either i pee’d myself or my water broke,” my eyes instantly welled with tears.  i knew that she would need to deliver within twenty-four hours.  God had heard our cry and answered our prayer. 

top seven films of ele7en

December 30, 2011
Blog
Leave a Comment
while most of the movies in this list came out in ele7en, it is only confined to movies that i saw for the first time this year.  
se7en | x-men: first class
i love comics and i love comic book movies…i’m not sure that there has been a comic book movie that i’ve missed in the last ten year.  rarely are they great enough to make my tops lists, but they are rarely bad enough to not purchase on dvd.  they are fun and for the most part extremely reflective of the comics they are trying to duplicate.  first class was one of my favorites.  amazing acting by both james mcavoy and michael fassbender and great cameos by some of our more well-known mutants (wolverine’s one line was by far the best!).
 
six | the king’s speech
colin firth and geoffrey rush were definitely deserving of their oscar nominations.  i always say that great art makes you care about something that you normally wouldn’t.  the king’s speech did that for me.  brilliant acting and story stirred in me deep emotion and care for a man with a speech impediment. the final speech has you on the edge of your seat not because of its power or the implication for the country, but because you have grown to love this man and want to see him succeed.
 
five | super 8
its hard for me to not like anything that jj abrams is involved in.  he made me care about a movie franchise that i never had any interest in (star trek) and owned my life for five years (lost).  then you couple that with stephen spielberg’s ability to tap into the psyche of children and bring out the mystery and wonder that surrounds them and then wrap that in a fun tale and you have a great combination.  super fun and great cinematography.  my generation can’t help but be harkened back to the days of goonies with this one.
 
four | in the name of the father
i heard once that the reason daniel day-lewis isn’t in very many movies is because he doesn’t want to waste his time with crappy films.  he said he only chooses the best.  that is why there are large gaps in his imdb timeline (five years between the boxer and gangs of new york?!).  i’ve seen almost all of his films and just finally saw this one last month (thanks netfilx!).  an amazing true tale of Gerry Conlon, the man along with some of his family and friends, who was falsely convicted of a string of bombings in belfast.  day-lewis’ commanding performance earned him an academy award nomination.  great, historical story of a country that i’ve grown to love.
 
three | the descendants
maybe its because i am about to be a father.  maybe its because i empathize easily.  maybe it was just that moving of a performance by clooney.  whatever it was, i found myself crying throughout this film. a man facing the death of his wife and then discovering her secret faced with the prospect of raising his two daughters on his own.  the movie is layered, but not cluttered.  clooney’s performance dominates the skyline of this film.  the way he deals with the collision of emotions is both real and riveting…you feel like you are peering into someone’s life through a peephole.  even with clooney’s dominating performance, nick krause, who plays the friend of clooney’s oldest daughter, manages to steal some scenes.  it is a riveting movie where i found myself wondering, “would i deal with this same scenario with the same grace and courage?”
 
two | 127 hours
i wonder where this would rank if i 1) didn’t see it on a 5 inch screen on the back of an airplane seat and 2) if i didn’t watch “the scene” through the fingers covering my eyes.  danny boyle’s masterful directing and colorful imagery are engulfing.  he takes an already profound true story and turn it into a work of art.  james franco does his best to set his sarcastic demeanor aside, but it still bleeds through in a compelling way as he deals with the immanent reality that is closing in around him.  
 
one | the fighter
did you know that christian bale is british? nope, me neither.  that really has nothing to do with the movie other than to indicate how amazing his american accent is…so maybe it does have to do with the movie, because he absolutely dominates this movie.  it is one of my favorite performances in a long time.  his skinny, drug-addicted body is remarkably different than his bulky batman physique.  although i love creepy, dark, disturbing tales, stories of redemption will always win out for me.  this is a beautiful story of forgiveness, the disfunction of family, and redemption.  walberg is great and bale steals the show, but if a collection of people could win an oscar, then walberg’s quirky sisters would surely take one home.  the cinematography is brilliant as well.  the fight scenes looked exactly like the fights i remembered watching when i was young.  overall, this movie has everything that i love.
 
what were your favorite movies of the year? do you agree with mine? what would you add?
 
 

top seven albums of ele7en

December 29, 2011
Blog
2 Comments
these are my top se7en albums of eleven…the difference between this list and yesterday’s list of books is that all of these albums came out this year.
seven | fleet foxes_helplessness blues
ever since my buddy josh introduced the fleet foxes to me with mykonos a couple of years ago i have gotten easily lost in their dreamy, airy sound and beautiful harmonies.
download these: montezuma, bedouin dress & helplessness blues
 
six | bon iver_bon iver
everything this guy has touched in the past has been gold…shiny, polished, pure gold, so i can’t say i wasn’t a little disappointed with this album.  it was obviously good enough to make the top seven, but don’t expect for emma, forever ago or even the blood bank ep…i don’t think it quite approaches that level, but its still a solid album.
download these: holocene, wash. & perth
 
five | gold in the shadow
as impressive as it is, fitzsimmons doesn’t get a bump because of his glorious beard.  its the sounds that trickle from behind it that makes this the fifth best album of the year.  if you’ve heard any of his other stuff (particularly the uber-sad, the sparrow and the crow) you’ll understand the title of the album really does capture the album.  a shadow of sadness still seeps through the music and lyrics, but there is gold in there too…hope even of a new beginning and new love.
download these: beautiful girl, the tide pulls from the moon & tied to me
 
four | death cab for cutie_codes and keys
death cab remains my favorite band.  i love ben gibbard’s masterfully creative lyrics and a sound that continues to develop but not abandon their roots.  codes and keys is a far cry from transatanticism or plans, but it is still a great album.  gibbard promised a more upbeat album and even admitted a bit of shame in the dreary, hopelessness of narrow stairs, and he delivered (although i didn’t mind narrow stairs).  you can feel zooey’s influence in a few of the songs…it’ll be interesting to see where they take the next album after their divorce.
download these: you are a tourist, home is a fire & stay young, go dancing
 
three | adele_21
sometimes albums come along that transform an artist from great to epic.  from artist to icon.  i believe 21 is this album for adele.  literally every song on this album is amazing.  it more than the sum of its parts, because when i break it down it doesn’t add up.  yeah, her voice is amazing, the lyrics are solid and the music is great, but that doesn’t seem to satisfy what the album is.  its bigger than it should be, but when you listen to it all together and just let the music take you, it is a truly amazing album.
download these: just spend the money and get the entire album!
 
two | jay-z & kanye west_watch the throne (deluxe edition)
its rare that a modern rap album makes my tops list.  i think a couple years ago an album by a christian rap artist made my top ten, but its been a long time since a rap album could even approach the top two! but simply put, this album will go down as one of the best rap albums of all-time.  in an era where modern rap music is uninventive and more like club-pop, jay-z and kanye break the bank with this collection of masterfully written rhymes and beats.  there is really only one mis-step in this album and that is at the end of otis when someone (kanye?) starts screaming…i can barely take it. other than that, it is flawless.
download these: do it all…i got the edited version, but that’s just preference.
 
one | the head and the heart_the head and the heart
thanks must be given to death cab for cutie on this one.  when emily and i bought our tickets to see death cab in berlin, we had no idea who would be opening for them.  as the concert drew nearer we continued our tradition of purchasing the album of opening acts to get a taste for the music before the concert.  we really enjoyed their sound and they surely would’ve been a top seven album if we’d only heard the songs on my macbook pro speakers.  but then we saw them live and that changed everything.  they were one of the top bands i’ve seen perform.  their on stage persona is magnetic. they look like a bunch of long-time friends who are just getting together for the sole purpose of entertaining themselves, but in so doing entertain everyone else.  thematically, the album revolves around the idea of being away from home which we can also really relate to.
download these: just spend the $9.99 or go to amazon…i’m sure its cheaper there anyways!
 
honorable mention | the decemberists_the king is dead
its a shame that i only bought this album last week, because i’m sure it would make my top seven. but due to lack of exposure it’ll have to settle into its place as an honorable mention. i’m excited to listen to it more.
download these: this is why we fight, don’t carry it all, january hymn
 
*bonus: top songs of ele7en*
seven | someone like you_adele
six | beautiful girl_william fitzsimmons
five | heartless_dia frampton
four | fix you_javier colon
three | niggas in paris_jay-z & kanye west
two | barton hollow_the civil wars
one | rivers and roads_the head and the heart
[what were your top albums of the year?]

top seven books of ele7en

December 28, 2011
Blog
4 Comments
this year marked the exploration of alternative media consumption of books.  i listened to multiple audio books and even read a couple of books on my iPhone (yeah, it was almost as bad as you think it would be-but, i could read in bed at night while em was sleeping, so that was advantageous).  these are the top seven books i read this year.
se7en | Ghost Story_Peter Straub
all the motivation i needed to read this was found in danse macabre by stephen king.  he declared this book one of the greatest horror novels of the 20th century.  i don’t read much horror any more (sans mister king), but i picked up this book and couldn’t put it down.  great, classic story telling.  believable characters.  a great opening scene that hangs with you through the entire novel.
 
six | the girl with the dragon tattoo_stieg larsson
its rare that you find characters that you shouldn’t really like, but you do.  this trilogy (of which i’ve only read the first two) is fast paced and well written.  the layers peel away quickly enough to move you through the book, but there are so many that one wonders if they can continue infinitely.  there is some pretty graphic sexual violence, so be warned.
 
five | harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban_ jk rowling (audiobook)
could cooler stories have any lamer book covers? i digress…i’m sure everyone in the world has read these or seen these, but emily and i are the last.  this summer we decided to start listening to them while we travelled around czech and managed to listen to four and a half books before the summer ended.  we’re still half-way through the fifth book and will pick it up again when we get back.  i’m sure i can’t write anything that hasn’t already been written, so, i’ll just say i really loved them and they are amazing to listen to on audio!
 
four | intimate allies_dan allender & tremper longman III
i’m not a huge fan of marriage books, but this is one of the best.  many christian books i read seem to sugar-coat life and give “perfect” answers that don’t seem to really match reality.  in intimate allies, allender and longman give examples that are shockingly true to life and provide biblical wisdom for those examples that can actually help and lead to greater glory in our marriages.
 
three | made to stick_chip & dan heath (audiobook)
i’ve realized that audiobooks help stimulate thought for me in ways that traditional books do not.  those thoughts aren’t necessarily needed for fiction novels, but i found myself thinking more and differently as i listened to made to stick.  it made me think a lot about how to present ideas, how to write sermons and our evening programs for english camps, and how to share ideas so that people will remember them.  now i just need to find a book called “made to do” where people will do all the ideas i that i come up with… :)
 
two | the hunger games_suzanne collins
i’m pretty positive that i haven’t read three books this fast since i was devouring hardy boys books at age 10.  brilliant characters, fascinating concept, and a world that could be our future with a few wrong moves.  this book is the antithesis to the twilight saga.  believable characters, a likable female lead, two young men deserving of this likable girl, and excellent writing.  its really everything that twilight isn’t and hopefully the movies prove it!
 
one | the count of monte cristo_alexandre dumas
i love classic literature.  i have a goal to read the top 100 classics of all time.  my theory is that these books are classics for a reason and none of them are a waste of time to read.  currently literature is hit or miss.  you never know if what you are picking up is worth the read.  there is only some much time to read, so i want to read the best when i do.
the count of monte cristo is one of the few books that i would give a ten out of ten.  often in classic literature you have to persevere through meandering prose and character development.  it often pays off (the brothers karamazov is a classic example), but can be difficult to get into.  within pages of the count of monte cristo the book is in full-swing and the plot thickens and develops.  as i said about the girl with the dragon tattoo, its rare to find characters that you shouldn’t like, but do, its even rarer to find characters that you love and cheer for the entire book that towards the end become so self-absorbed that you begin to dislike them.  this novel takes you to real places with real responses to what we would all do if we were put in the same circumstances, but finishes with redemption.  the move is great too, but loses much of the drama and beauty of the novel.  don’t skip this novel.  it is absolutely worth your time.

top seven pictures of ele7en

December 27, 2011
Blog
Leave a Comment
here are my favorite pictures from two-thousand eleven.  all were taken by me…except one!
se7en | leaf_cantorjye, czech
sometimes the sun casts its perfect light at the perfect place in such a way that any editing would just take away from the natural beauty.
 
six | brian’s emotion_malenovice, czech
i have never really been good at photographing people, but i managed to capture the extreme emotion of the moment with this one.  one of our co-workers, brian, shares about the miracle of his twins’ birth. diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, in which one twin steals all the nutrients from the other, often resulting in the death of both twins, his wife was rushed to belgium for an emergency surgery to try to correct the problem.  the surgery was successful and both boys are miraculously healthy.  brian responds with tears of gratitude that i’m sure i will soon enough understand in an even deeper way.
 
five | noah scott ellenwood_ostrava, czech
so, yeah, my friend, noah, is pretty big time now! after appearing on the czech-slovak version of american idol, noah has travelled around doing a couple of concerts.  it was my privilege to be the photographer at his first concert.  i love photographing concerts, but am never able to bring anything better than my iPhone into venues, so this was super fun.  i’m sure i have lots to learn, but i loved capturing noah as he croons away!
 
four | hannah?_karvina, czech
this red wall was at the venue of one of noah’s concerts.  there were many great pictures, but this is my favorite.
 
three | my girl_berlin, germany
berlin? yep, that’s in tiergarten in the center of berlin.  em and i biked through this park on our one-day date to berlin.  i love the contrast of color and of course em’s natural beauty!
 
two | the beauty_stanislavice, czech
em and i got up early one morning to take some pictures in what was left of autumn in czech.  the lighting was perfect and the colors managed to hang on for one more day.  and this cute girl carrying our child looked perfect!
 
one | maternity shoot_phoenix, arizona
this is the one picture i didn’t take, but i just love what erin did with our entire shoot.  she was so great to work with and nailed every shot with exactly what we wanted.  it was effortless and avoided all the cheese that is normally spread throughout maternity shoots.  thanks erin for capturing this special time for us!
 
bonus! | hayley and the technicolor dream hallway
how could i have pics of noah and hannah and not include a picture of hayley! the ellenwood siblings are some of the most photogenic people i know.  the variety of color in this shot is stunning and all natural.  i love hayley’s classic beauty and style.  so cute!

top seven verses of ele7en

December 26, 2011
Blog
Leave a Comment
there are thousands of verses in the bible.  all of them have their purpose, but not all of them impact everyone in the same way.  that’s the beauty of the bible: its ability to speak to everyone and the ability to change lives.  these are the verses that more or less shaped me, challenged me, and spoke to me this year.
se7en | first peter 2.9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

i’ve thought a lot about the people of God this year and how it is to function and how it should look.  i love the way this verse describes who we are as the people of God:  a race. a priesthood (in all its good connotations). a nation. a possessed people.  but we aren’t just these things statically…we are these things for a purpose: to proclaim the excellencies of the one who called us out of darkness into light.  we are to declare the greatness of our God who has saved us!
 
six | deuteronomy 6.7-9
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
the verses before this are known as the shema in hebrew.  it means ‘hear’ and i’ve heard its the most memorized verse in the world.   jesus calls it the greatest commandment: to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might.  as emily and i think about raising a child we are thinking a lot about the spiritual nature of our family.  since we both didn’t grow up in the church we have great disdain for the cliche.  we hate when people use religious platitudes and say words/verses that don’t really have meaning.  but, recently we’ve realized that this has caused us to not speak almost any biblical truth to each other for fear of being insincere.  we know this needs to change.  we shouldn’t pendulum to the other extreme, but we want to teach the word of God to our children and we want to be people who speak words of truth to each other.
 
five | psalm 32.1-2
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
every year our church in czech gives out verses to individuals at new year’s eve service.  the verses have been prayed over and are supposed to be our verse for the year.  i’m not sure how accurate they are, but i’m always thankful to have a specific verse to meditate on.  last year emily and i didn’t receive them, so we made our own from a website that generated random verses! this verse was our verse for two-thousand eleven.
forgiveness.  in our two and a half years of marriage we have learned that it is the key to freedom. love. unity.  we realize that it first has to start with our own relationship with God and the forgiveness He gives us.  when we truly understand the limitless way our Savior has covered our sins, then we have the freedom to forgive each other.  we’re still learning and i’m sure a child is going to introduce a new level of need for forgiveness.
 
four | romans 1.16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
this is a verse that i really spent time meditating on and memorizing this year.  i want to be a man who isn’t ashamed of the good news of Jesus Christ.  i want to be someone who is so in love with Jesus and what He’s done for me that i’ll gladly talk about Him and share is goodness.
 
three | proverbs 19.21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
i love plans.  i love my iCal.  it brings freedom to me to have my calendar planned out.  it allows me to be present where i’m at and really engage with people while i’m with them.  but a season is coming with many unknowns and with less ability to plan.  i want it to be a season in which i refocus on God’s plan for us as a family and focus less on my will.
 
two | mark 12.41-44
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
i often struggle with the feeling like i’m not giving enough.  not financially, but of myself.  i’m not exactly sure where it comes from, but i often feel like i could be giving more.  especially this last year when i had three different large roles in ministry and didn’t feel like i was giving 100% to any of them.  i want to give everything of myself at all times and there just wasn’t enough of me for each role.  
when my friend, mel, came back from israel he brought me a gift.  it came packaged in a very small ziplock bag and was about half the size of a penny.  i opened it up and found a slip of paper explaining that it was a widow’s mite.  this small gift was exactly what i needed.  at a time where i felt like i wasn’t giving enough, mel reminded me that i was giving everything i had and that is what Jesus celebrates.
 
one | psalm 139
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. (v. 13)
again, our son takes center stage.  this entire passage is about God’s knowledge and care for us.  i spent a good majority of the last couple of months memorizing this entire passage.  meditating on God’s great care and love for us.  how He knows everything about us and how He gently guides us. as our son has been knit together by his God, i’ve prayed that he would know his God and not just know Him, but also follow Him with his entire life.

top seven places of ele7en

December 25, 2011
Blog
Leave a Comment
these are the top places i visited this year.
se7en | new apartment
 
if you would’ve told me at the end of july that this would be one of my favorite places of ele7en, i would’ve called you a fool.  we loved our old apartment.  i hate moving.  it was the worst time that we could’ve moved.  but God provided for us in such a great way.  a great, newly renovated apartment located right on the town square.  within weeks we felt at home and now it is the place we’ll bring our son home to in march…so exciting!
 
six | baumholder, germany
obviously from my first post a place is more than just the beauty around it, the sites you see, or the things you do.  it can be home or a place of peace or just being with friends.  baumholder was such a place for us.  we met rich and melissa in ephasus (!) last fall and have since hung out with them four different times in four different countries.  country number three was germany in the spring when we went to visit them before they moved to thailand.  it was a great time traveling out there with em and a greater time with our friends.
 
five | san diego
while we’re in arizona our time is insane! tons of people that we want to hang out with.  supporters to meet with.  so its very difficult to get time with emily’s family.  so, this year we decided to take a week for vacation in san diego.  there was no agenda other than sleeping in and spending time together.  it was super relaxing!
 
four | bend, oregon
its just too hard to be away from this kid.  so, whenever we get time together it ranks so high on my list.  certainly the rest of the family is important too, but lets be honest, how could you not fall in love with this face.  
plus, bend is just awesome.
 
three | selah
rest.
its not something we get very often during the summer, but after some minor issues (read deportation of teammates to belfast), we finally got a mid-summer reprieve at josiah venture’s retreat cabin, selah.  it was a perfect time to go away together, pray, and rest.
 
two | croatia
after the summer we traveled to croatia with emily’s family for a short vacation before josiah venture’s kids camp.  again, it was very little agenda, but lots of relaxing, swimming, reading, and being together as a family.  oh yeah, and these bomb sunsets.
 
one | berlin
you may notice a theme here, but almost all of my favorite places have to do with rest and most specifically rest around the summer time! before the first round of our summer teams arrived, emily and i drove to berlin to spend a day in the city and to see death cab for cutie in concert.  we brought our cruisers and rode around town, ate good food, and concluded the entire time with the dcfc concert! i can think of no other person i want to spend my time with, so pretty much everywhere with her is my favorite place.
but, berlin was cool anyways…

top seven iPhone apps in ele7en

December 24, 2011
Blog
Leave a Comment
five years ago apps were things you filled out when you were looking for a new job or trying to get into college.  now apps rule our lives.  these are the seven apps that make my wife feel like i’m cheating on her with my phone.
*click on the picture to go to the iTunes app (all except march madness)*
se7en | soundhound
i’m sure some of you understand how this app works, but it still blows my mind that an app can understand words/key/notes/melodies and deliver the answer to you in a moment.  for those that don’t know about this app, sound hound listens to a song that you’re listening to and tells you the artist in just a few seconds.  its really remarkable and helpful when you’re debating whether a song is by Jesus Jones or U2 (no offense to Bono and the boys!).
 
six | ncaa march madness on demand
its hard enough living in czech and having to watch sports at odd hours, but this app made all the difference during the magical season known as march madness.  the pinnacle of its usage was when i was watching listening to a game while driving home from a youth retreat.
 
five | starbucks
some of the apps i use are pretty useless in czech.  this is one of them.  i had it but had never really used it until we got to the states last month.  at that point i unlocked its inner beauty.  i was able to put all of my gift cards in one place and am able to pay with my phone.  it finds the nearest locations, plus it tracks my *stars* which gives me free perks.  very useful!
 
four | what to expect
2011 has been the year of the baby.  our whole world has been consumed with baby things.  this handy app allowed us to track the growth of our child weekly, give us tips daily, and most importantly, track how many days until he arrives.  its one week and five days in case you’re wondering.
 
three | foursquare
if you know me at all you know that i love tracking things, competing, gaining points, etc.  so foursquare is the perfect app for me.  go somewhere, check in.  check in enough times, become the mayor of that location.  but what has really propelled this app recently is the usage by certain retailers to give deals for checking in.  we’ve saved money at dinner, coffee shops, and even gotten free things at grocery stores.  plus it links to my number one app, so checking in is easy!
 
two | heytell
thanks to a certain mr. robert h chestnut for recommending this life-changing app.  now, maybe its not life-changing, but if you hate writing text messages or talking on the phone, hey tell is for you! it finds a happy medium between the two by allowing you to send instant voice messages to any of your contacts who also have hey tell.  husbands, earn points on your way home from work by hey telling your wife and asking her if you need to pick up anything from the store.  forgot what time the party starts? just push the button and ask your friend! its so easy to use and saves your fingers from typing out lots of messages.
 
one | instagram
if we’re Facebook friends, if you follow me on twitter, if you read my post from two days ago or pretty much if we ever hang out then you’ve seen these fun little pictures.  it is super simple to use and an easy way to connect with friends or strangers.  i’m able to share pictures with the community that’s following me and i’m able to be inspired by those photographers that are producing beauty.  easily the most used and fun app on my iPhone.
 
honorable mention | camera+
a lot of my pictures on instagram owe a lot to this handy app.  its only $.99 plus i think another $.99 to access all the features, but its totally worth it and make those pictures on instagram pop even more! totally worth it if you like doing some minimal editing and using filters.  quite a bit more intensive than instagram, but easy to send your edited pics over to instagram for easy posting.
 
what apps should i be using? what are your favorites?

top seven tv shows of ele7en

December 23, 2011
Blog
3 Comments
last year this topic was a surprise category after the new year.  this year its factored into the schedule. the early evenings coupled with the cold weather leads to lots of tv watching during the fall/winter months in czech.  its amazing that after a month in the states how little tv we’ve watched (not including football!).  here are the shows that occupy our time during the frost.
 
se7ven | the voice
i’ve never been a big fan of american idol.  yeah, i’ve seen a couple of the finales, but there has never been anything intriguing about it.  then came the voice! this is like idol doped up on steroids! its not just competition between the contestants, but also competition between the judges coaches! and this guy LOVES competition.  we all know that competition brings out the best (read blake) and worst (read christina) of us and its no different for these superstars.  great concept! even if the 49ers get eliminated from the playoffs i’ll still have a reason to look forward to super bowl sunday!
 
six | new girl
emily has always been a huge fan of zooey deschanel (everything from elf to she&him), so when she saw that she was going to star in her own show it was a must see for us.  other than the early departure of damon wayans jr, it has not disappointed.  zooey’s character, jess, is so bizarre and quirky and the cast of characters around her (especially schmidt) round out nicely.
 
five | suits
i don’t even remember who recommended this show to us this summer, but i’m pretty sure we watched the entire first season in a week.  the concept (a brilliant, yet lazy, LSAT cheater who gets hired as a lawyer without a degree) is intriguing and the banter between the two lawyers as the experienced, Harvey Spekter, takes the younger, Mike Ross, under his wing is clever.  Not to mention Louis Litt, the ego-manic junior partner and rival to Harvey.  Great characters and dialog make for an excellent show.
 
four | game of thrones
if it weren’t for graphic sex in this show, this would probably be my number one show of 2011.  it’s a bit too graphic for my taste, but the story-line, characters, and cinematography are brilliant.  i have yet to read the books (that will change soon), so i can’t compare or be disappointed.  but if the show is an indicator of the quality of the novels, then i’m sure the books will find themselves in my tops of 12.
 
three | the amazing race
its just simply one of my favorite shows on tv and probably always will be.  if i had to make a list of things that i want to do in my life, racing on the amazing race would probably be a top five desire.  the problem is that you can’t apply if you live outside of the US… :( but fortunately, i am not in charge of organizing our josiah venture amazing race this year, so hopefully i’ll get to race!
 
two | the walking dead
i love zombies and this show continues to please.  the human element is so realistic as the characters try to cope with the loss of loved ones, the loss of new companions, and the continual fear of zombie attack.  it also holds in tension the desire for survival with the desire to do what’s right.  in a time when everyone could be your enemy, the zombies aren’t always the scariest creatures.
 
one | up all night
with our son due any time in the next couple of weeks, how could this not be my favorite show! it centers around a fun, partying couple who are dealing with all the adjustments surrounding having their first child.  they wrestle with still desiring to be hip and cool (I can relate!), leaving their child for the first time (Will Arnett’s character quietly sings Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle”), and balancing work (Christina Applegate works and Arnett is a stay-at-home dad).  then capping it all off is Maya Rudolph’s character Ava, an Oprah-like talk show host who still treats the couple as if they are without child and has a past as an R&B singer (“Basically” is her hit song-google it!).  the show is timely for emily and i as we think about and wrestle with many of the same issues!
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 205 other followers