adventure, new life, and the promised land

ad·ven·ture [ad-ven-cher]:  noun, (verb ad·ven·tured, ad·ven·tur·ing).

1. An exciting or very unusual experience.
2. Participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.

Here’s a sweet intro for my weekend post: today Rebekah and I received our invitation for the July 6th festivities in Midland, Michigan, a love-feast featuring our son, Andrew, and his betrothed, Alicia.

This weekend they’re together again in Kiev, Ukraine, where Alicia is finishing up four years teaching music in an international school. I’m looking forward to hearing about their Saturday visit to Chernobyl, the infamous site of the catastrophic 1986 nuclear meltdown disaster.

But there are so many adventures to tell we’ll likely never get caught up. Alicia signs every email “Alicia Pashby, Music Enthusiast and Travel Addict;” it’s one of the reasons – many – that we know she and Andrew are perfect for each other. We don’t have to hear about all the adventures; it’s enough to know they are out there, together, engaging the adventure that is the gift of life with the enthusiasm and passion we were all created to enjoy.

ADVENTURE: And it never gets old. In fact, going on 34 years into our marriage adventure, Rebekah and I are just as excited and full with anticipation as the day we cranked up our “I think I can; I think I can” Chevette and drove off to our first adventure together for my senior year at Stetson University.

Adventure? You bet. Here’s the definition again: “an exciting or very unusual experience; participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.” Being a preacher’s husband is and always has been all of the above, and then some.

Being a follower of Jesus comes loaded with the same quality of exhilaration. Every day is a new opportunity to live an enthusiastic demonstration of the New and Living Way. That’s one more reason we’re so thrilled that Andrew and Alicia are beginning to live this adventure together. Their natural enthusiasm for life coupled with their sincere commitment to follow Jesus adds up to a recipe for fullness and serendipity beyond anything most people ever imagine!

Mt. Nebo, looking into the Promised Land

PROMISED LAND: Last January Rebekah and I stood on Mount Nebo and looked into The Promised Land. It was the same view Moses had when God showed him everything… and then broke the news that Moses, personally, wasn’t going to get to go in.

There it was, The Promised Land, spread before us like an invitation. And here the future is – every day – spread before each one of us like an invitation.

I think about that moment sometimes, when I wonder what God has in store for today, for tomorrow, for next week and for next year. And I’m always (mostly) excited and ready to move into the Promised Land and to follow Jesus with passion and with joy.

Andrew and Alicia

That’s the exact image I have for Andrew and Alicia. Standing there on Mount Nebo together, hand in hand, looking out into the future, committed to the promises but wondering exactly what those promises are going to look like, as they go forward – in the strength of believing – to posses the land.

My God is faithful - DEREK

Three photographs, and a few thoughts about community

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

Well it’s one of those weekends with too much going on and not enough time. Yard work; people coming to work on the house; more people coming by the house; prepping for a quick hop out of town; details and more details.

Consequently I may be somewhat behind on the blog posts and way behind on my work. If you’re an editor, expecting something, then all I can say is I’m sorry!

TODAY: Today – Saturday – dawned breezy and deliciously cool. It was a perfect 66-degrees when I walked Scoutie and I felt a breath of reprieve from this past week’s onslaught of early summer. The photograph (above) was taken Thursday morning, but it illustrates the constant and invitational promise of every new day.

At the monthly FPCBrandon Saturday men’s breakfast, pastor Tim Black shared a thoughtful message designed to set the stage for table-discussion around the topic of family. I left the church both inspired and anxious to spend some time putting my thoughts “on paper.”

FAMILY: I wish I could remember exactly how the conversation went at our table. I said something along the lines of “God’s intention for family is to be a place where we learn to live in the context of community, where we can be accountable to one-another in love, and to be the place where we can develop the skills of self-giving love, serving and encouraging one-another….” I also affirmed the commonly held belief that family is a key building block for community.

…I also made a comment about the fact that some religious institutions have co-opted the conversation about family by taking the idea of “strong, loving families” and narrowing the definition. But I find myself wondering if it’s appropriate to strive only for “strong, loving families that look exactly like the 1950′s prime-time television version?” Or should we be striving for “strong, loving families,” period; families that come in all shapes, and sizes, and configurations?

And what about single persons? They are the fastest-growing adult demographic in the USA. Don’t they need the opportunity to grow in love, and mutual service, and accountability, and encouragement. What are we doing to help facilitate community with those who don’t live in a traditional structure?

In the garden this morning

QUESTIONS: I believe these are important questions. And I also believe the “family of God” has room for every single individual in our culture. Not just room to show up, but room to grow; to love and to be loved; to encourage and to be an encouragement; to learn and also to teach.

This is a conversation I trust that we can continue - DEREK

 

Flower; Men’s breakfast; sunrise

dinner “on” the kids, and “with” Jesus

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth. (Psalm 127:3-4)

Raising children is a huge undertaking. Guiding one, two, three or more offspring from birth to independence is a commitment that completely defines life for parents, and it can last anywhere from two to three decades or more.

But then – just like that – they’re gone, and the challenge shifts from “How do we equip our children to do well on their own?” to, “How can we stay connected in meaningful ways?”

GOOD FOOD & GREAT CONVERSATION: Well, one answer is to talk about them at a dinner out that they paid for! Seriously; no kidding. One of the best things Rebekah and I did as parents was to teach Andrew and Naomi the joy of being generous. It’s a lesson they learned well.

So for my birthday this year, Andrew, Naomi, and Craig teamed up to get me not one but two gift cards for my favorite restaurants. On my actual birthday Rebekah and I went to Carrabba’s on the kids. Then yesterday evening we enjoyed amazing food at Bonefish Grill, once again, “Thanks” to the young people.

Of course we did more than talk about the children. I kind of stood outside of ourselves and observed some of the conversation and it was fascinating. “I wonder,” I said to Rebekah at one point, “if other people have dinner conversations like this. I sure hope so.”

“The Tea Room”

PRAYER: It actually started when Rebekah arrived home from work. We’d both been involved in some fairly deep interactions with people in crisis during the afternoon, so I made us a cup of tea and we sat down in “the tea room” to debrief.

We ended up focusing on the spiritual resources we had utilized in our respective work situations, and our own dialogue ended up turning on the same truths. God was very much a partner in our conversation and it overflowed into our car ride to Bonefish and our talk about our children over dinner.

We only prayed, formally, during grace, but God was such an intimate participant in the evening that we were, in a sense, engaged in “prayer without ceasing.”

FAMILY DEVOTIONS: What happened reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend last week about family devotions. “Do you and Rebekah have a regular devotional time together? We’re planning on starting, once a week.”

Here’s how I responded (it was email, so this is exact): Regarding devotional time. We’re informal. We have our formal devotional times alone, but we often tend to talk about the devotional experience together, later. Which makes the reflection together an informal devotional experience. That makes me think that, for a once a week devotion, you could both take notes during the week and then “report back” to one-another for your time together. Kind of a “This is what God has been up to with me,” conversation. Hmmm.. I like it!

our awesome children, Jan 2013

NATURAL: What I’m saying is that it’s probably a mistake to get all formal and preachy. Instead, consider scheduling a time where you share “What God has been up to with me,” with one-another.

Make the God-conversation the most natural thing in the world. When you do that, you’re already praying together.

So, no, the kids aren’t really “off and gone.” Andrew – and Alicia, and Naomi – and Craig, are also our brothers and sisters in faith. We pray for them every day…

… And even more often when they take us out to dinner!

“Imitators of God” and twisty DNA

• I’m happy to say there has been a huge surge of activity on this blog over the past few days, including a fair number of additions to the “follower” list. So if you’re new to this space, then “Welcome!” I hope you’ll visit on a regular basis - DEREK
• Here’s today’s weekly short video-post, “Smile, You’re On Video!” Please take a look and feel free to share around.

oday Rebekah is home again. She’s been up in Connecticut for a week, visiting with our daughter, Naomi, her husband, Craig, and David (THE one and only grandchild).

Rebekah says David is a hoot and a half, which I already know from the extensive Skype sessions we’ve been enjoying. He’ll be 18-months in a couple of days, and (no surprise considering his extra-twisty DNA) David has already developed a profoundly independent mind of his own.

So you can be sure that Rebekah has enjoyed a lot of one-on-one time with David. You can tell by the big smirk all over his face that “Grandmama time” has been just fine with him.

CREATIVITY: The other part of Rebekah’s visit was to help Naomi get the nursery ready for “Baby, Part-Deux, the Adventure Continues.” Yes, Rebekah-Mae is expected to make her debut appearance around the end of June. The (former) guest room has been completely remodeled from the ground up, including several hand-made items Rebekah worked on over the past couple of months.

Rebekah painted, went to Ikea, assembled furniture, painted some more, went back to Ikea, went to the hardware store, and hung stuff where Naomi wanted it.

The result really is quite splendid. But Naomi and Craig could put Rebekah-Mae in a cardboard box, line it with an old sheet, and stow her in the guest room “as is” – and she’d be fine, because she’s going to have all she needs to thrive. She’s being born into a family that loves her, and her parents are prepared to do absolutely anything and everything in their power to make sure she learns and grows in a safe and stimulating environment.

STIMULATION: And boy will she ever be stimulated with an older brother like David bouncing around!

And so I’m thinking about how complex it can be to raise a young family in the 21st-Century, and at the same time I realize how straightforward and uncomplicated the task really is.

A new child is very much a metaphor for how we all live, and how we all could live. We really do make a complicated mess out of the most straightforward things so much of the time. But at the heart of it all, we know that what really matters is love, and what really matters is guarding our relationships like they are the most precious thing in the world… and that would be because they really are.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 4:32-5:2)

It’s such a simple equation, and yet it breaks down so much of the time. Why is it that we devote so much time and effort to the unimportant, and at the expense of love? There is a better way; won’t you let Jesus be your guide?

- DEREK

PS - Here’s today’s weekly short video-post, “Smile, You’re On Video!” Please take a look and feel free to share around.

reverse incarnation… (remembering to look up)

VIDEO-POST – RIGHT HERE! Today’s featured two-minute video-post could easily fit with Monday’s “Easter: so-what?” post. Regardless, the video-conversation poses a question that’s always valid; namely, “What difference does Easter Sunday make in real life?” (2 mins. check it out and share).

CONNECTIONS: Rebekah made her connections to Hartford yesterday without any travel troubles. Which was especially good when you think about how disappointed David (almost 18 months) would have been if he hadn’t seen grandmama.

We’ve been Skyping a lot (in addition to those two long visits while Naomi and Craig cruised) and David recognized Rebekah with no problem at all. Apparently he did his little “David-Shuffle” dance and then ran to her as fast as he could.

Grandmama Rebekah on Skype is all well and good, but grandmama in the flesh – the “incarnational” grandmama – well that’s a whole other story.

FLESH MADE SPIRIT: Talking of incarnation, I’ve been thinking about the Jesus story today and how we always (well, me, anyway) tend to put the responsibility on God, and look for God to move into our limited, three-dimensional, world if we’re to have any kind of a relationship at all.

Then we say things like, “If only I’d actually met Jesus…” and, “If I’d have been around when Jesus walked the earth…” or, “If Jesus came and made an appearance in our 21st Century World today…” (well, I do, anyway)… as if the only way we could possibly relate to the divine is via God breaking into time and space, on our terms.

Always on our terms (well, mine, anyway).

Church of the Resurrection

But what about us making a more deliberate shift into the spiritual? What about a reverse incarnation? How about if we put out more effort, and intention, and creativity, and application, and repetition into our prayer and meditation life?

That’s how we can enter into the presence of God; that’s one more way we can know Jesus; that’s how we can be in fellowship with the Spirit.

Sometimes I worry that I’m so concrete in my understanding of faith that I root my spirit deep in the earth and fail sometimes to remember to look up.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

there is a time for every season under heaven (photographs and memories)

 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:-12)

Derek & Geoff, circa 1963

Yesterday would have been my brother Geoff’s 59th birthday. So I drove down to Sarasota and had lunch with my parents. After enjoying my dad’s excellent cooking we sat down (with a cup of tea) to look through some old family photo albums.

It’s always a startling journey through time to pull out old photographs! My favorite was the classic school picture of Geoff and me together, taken circa 1963. We were both students at Harcourt Primary School in Folkestone, England. Gotta love the grins, the creative tie-tying, and the possible evidence of Brylcreem in the hair!

My next “pick of the crop” is this image of my dog, Lassie, taken sometime in the late 1960′s. Of course – and it’s the same with all of us and our family pets – we knew she was the best dog ever in the world. She was my great friend from around the time I was seven through the year I turned 18. Forget “dog-years,” eleven is a huge number in “kid-years” too.

A FAMILY: I was six-weeks old when this next photograph was taken. Look at my parents; my dad was still 27 and my mum was 24! What strikes me is how they had absolutely no clue as to what the next 18 years Geoff and I were both at home would look like.

I was about to write “when the dust settled in 1974,” but, to be honest, the dust never did settle. Fact is it never does. That’s the beauty, and the great challenge, of life as a family.

I look at this photograph, and I see the hope and the promise of a family grounded in love and in faith.

But life as Mauls turned out to be real: at times idyllic and at times difficult; beautiful, messy, joyful, fun, rich, disappointing, rocky, smooth, surprising, heart-wrenching, serendipitous, always soaked in prayer. It was nothing like the romantics like to imagine; it was (and is) everything like a real adventure of living as disciples.

EVERYTHING APPROPRIATE IN IT’S TIME: And so life continues. By the time Thanksgiving 2011 rolled around, the family photograph had grown to look like this joyful conglomeration!

Then, last year, Geoff’s journey took the sharp turn toward eternity. But now his daughter, Hannah, has added a toddler and an infant she and Andrew Roberts are fostering. Our Andrew’s Alicia has joined the family, and in June Naomi and Craig’s second child will be born.

There is a time. There is a season.

There’s a season for everything
and a time for every matter under the heavens:
     a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
     a time for killing and a time for healing,
a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
     a time for crying and a time for laughing,
a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
     a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
     a time for searching and a time for losing,
a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
     a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
     a time for loving and a time for hating,
a time for war and a time for peace.

 What do workers gain from all their hard work?  I have observed the task that God has given human beings.  God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11)

“Amen” – DEREK

on thriving babies, and why it matters to you

Andrew (holding Hannah), Haley, Hannah (holding Harper), Hudson

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.

Today’s post will read more like a short newsletter article: several pictures and just enough words to tie them together. (Luke 17:1-3)

PRE-BIRTHDAY: First, Friday evening Rebekah and I hosted my immediate family for a celebration dinner party.

For years, I’ve shared a birthday bash with my brother, Geoff (we were born March 26 and 28); it seems like an even better idea to keep the family tradition going now that he’s gone.

Harper “photo-bombs” my birthday cake moment!

My niece Hannah and her family are fostering two sisters, Hannah and Harper. It’s heartbreaking to know that so many children are at such serious risk with their biological parents, but it’s heartwarming to witness such generous love and care from Hannah and Andrew, and the older children.

It makes me shake my head in amazement when I hear rhetoric that tries to blame all kinds of social challenges on political, ideological, theological, or doctrinal points of dispute.

Really? What strikes at the core of the kind of America we should value is the neglect and abuse of children, the failure of parents to take responsibility for the care and nurture of their offspring, and the unwillingness of the rest of us to invest adequate resources in social services designed to identify children at risk and then follow them as part of a manageable case load.

My dad, always the gentleman, brought along flowers for Rebekah, two dozen beautiful roses.

WELL DONE! So kudos, and prayer, and encouragement, and love to Hannah and Andrew Roberts. You have the determination and the commitment and the faith to make a difference in the lives of these children.

But I’ve got to tell you (and it looks like my focus today is staying with this subject of “at risk” children) it’s an amazing thing to witness the recovery of a child who has been given the beautiful gift of the opportunity to learn how to thrive.

thriving all over our furniture!

JOY: Sometimes, babies are neglected to the extent that they don’t even bother to cry anymore, because they’ve learned that the attempt to communicate is a waste of time and energy. When that happens. they are on the threshold of a dangerous and possibly permanent disassociation from any kind of relationship. Babies who are neglected fail to learn, fail to bond, fail to grow properly… they fail to thrive.

And then, sometimes, you meet a child who has been brought back from the edge of the abyss, who is surrounded by love, and care, and more healthy stimulation than their foster parents can probably stand… And you get to be witness to a miracle.

TRAGICALLY LOST: It’s then that I find myself praying, hard, that this most privileged and blessed of societies we live in will somehow learn to bridge (or fill in) those tragic gaps in care, and awareness, and responsibility, and social action, that turn into chasms where children fall, and where children are often lost, and tragically forgotten.

my dad, great-grandpa-ing the foster baby

But, in the meanwhile, thanks, and kudos, and encouragement, and love to my niece Hannah, and her loving (and patient) husband, Andrew Roberts.

In love, in the sure promise of hope, and with the conviction that we can change this world – DEREK

The Bible… C.S. Lewis… Family (three blips on my radar today)

Today I’m likely going to ramble a little. Reason being, there are too many directions I want to go in with today’s post! (Here’s yesterday’s video post if you missed it.)

BIBLE STUFF: First, I have a new “pet peeve” going, vis-a-vis the ongoing foolishness of the “my church is more Christian than your church” rhetoric. This one runs in a similar vein to the previously discussed “We’re a Bible-believing church” and “Your church doesn’t hold to the authority of scripture” nonsense.

I first read the following phrase on a west coast church website; later I saw it referenced in a news feature; then I noticed the idea come up in a couple of conversations. Here it is: “I’m in a church that preaches the whole Bible” (code for: “other churches don’t…).

REALLY? You’ve got to be kidding! Unless the minister’s Bible reading starts at Genesis 1:1 and finishes (many, many hours later) at the end of Revelation, then “preaching the whole Bible” is ALWAYS going to be impacted by some element of weekly sampling.

Denominations that tend to follow the lectionary (reading cycle) guidelines are the most likely to cover their biblical bases during a given year. However, no matter how deeply your pastor mines the scriptures, and how convinced your church is that they do the best job when it comes to interpreting God’s Word, preaching and teaching is/are always going to involve choice when it comes to “what to include in today’s message,” and “what to save for another time.”

One of (my wife) Rebekah’s favorite phrases/questions is “What else does the Bible say?” Consequently, we have several church-wide initiatives in place designed to expose people to the epic scope that is the depth, breath, and completeness of scripture. But we (and this is true of every church and congregation) will always need to be more deliberate and more thorough when it comes to our study of God’s transformational Word.

C.S. LEWIS: My Wednesday evening men’s group (The Men’s Room) just launched an overview study of the writings and thought of C.S. Lewis. It was a good beginning, and I’m convinced it’s going to be a thought-provoking journey.

Lewis, for those of you who don’t know much about him, was one of the great theological and philosophical minds of the 20th-Century. He was a scholar, an apologist, and an inspirational writer. His vast collection of work includes Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, A Grief Observed, Surprised by Joy, and The Chronicles of Narnia.

The point of our study is to introduce ourselves to challenging Christian thinking that will help deepen our spiritual journey, and to better equip ourselves to invite others into faith-based conversation.

FAMILY: The other huge blip on my radar this morning is family. Andrew just finished up his visit with Naomi (and Craig and David) in Connecticut, and he’s on his way back to Italy, via Hartford, Washington DC, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Frankfurt, Venice.

Even though we didn’t see him in person, it was good to have Andrew in the States. What was even better was knowing how well he bonded with his nephew, David. They played together all week and that makes my heart glad.

Today, Naomi sent this picture collage. Craig, David, Andrew. Words can’t say it any better.

Peace, blessings, family joy, deep C.S. Lewis thoughts, and “the whole Bible.” - DEREK

(Yesterday’s video post)

“THRIVE!” – first letter to my new grand-daughter, Rebekah Mae

Today is my first “Grandaddy Letter” to our second grandchild. “Rebekah Mae Campbell” – David’s little sister – is expected to make her debut into this world around the second half of June.

Rebekah Mae, 18 weeks

Dear Rebekah Mae (“Peanut”). As of today you’re 18 weeks into your journey. You’ve come far enough that we all know you’re a girl, so I guess this means it’s about time we begin to communicate. Let’s get a few items on the table while you have time to mull things over; because you’re going to be out and about before your parents have time to catch their breath.

WHAT KIND OF A WORLD? First I want to address the “Why would anyone want to bring a child into a world like this?” question. Well I’m going to tell you, Rebekah Mae:

1. This world needs you.
2. This world needs the strong witness of another good family.
3. This world will be brightened by the light that you bring.
4. You already have a purpose (and I recommend you get to know the God who created you, and who intends to help you with that).
5. The victory has already been won, your opportunity (and your responsibility) is to live into it.

LOVE IS YOUR FOUNDATION: Rebekah Mae, please know that you are already loved beyond reason; your home is going to be saturated with it.

You are going to be held, rocked, snuggled, kissed, sung to, prayed over, and variously soaked in genuine affection, to such an extent that the truth about love will penetrate to the core of your being; and you will know at the heart of your experience that you are valued and embraced and worthy; and the definition of committed, unconditional love will be engrafted into your consciousness so that you will never, ever doubt who you are, whose you are, and the infinite extent of your inestimable value.

David!

GET READY FOR A WILD RIDE: That said, Rebekah Mae, you need to understand that you are going to be in for one wild ride!

You already have a brother. David is only going to be 20-months when you come home, so you’re going to have to make some allowances. Your parents are going to have their hands full; your home is going to be very noisy at times; there’s going to be a lot going on. The atmosphere, to say the least, is going to be extremely stimulating!

But stimulating is what you want. I know children who have given up crying because no-one ever responds, who have stopped trying to play because there’s never any attention or encouragement, who have withdrawn into themselves because nobody cares to know who they might become, and whose bright light gradually dims until somebody finally notices and calls it “failure to thrive.”

18 weeks

But you, Rebekah Mae, are going to thrive your socks off, because your bright light is welcome, your contribution to this world is needed, and the wild ride you’re climbing onto is wild with anticipation, with excitement, and with love.

In love, and because of love - GRANDADDY DEREK

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. (1 John 3:1-2)

Hot Streak Continues!

still can’t get over how amazing life is, amazing in so many ways. If I were publishing a newspaper, a magazine, or a bulletin, the headline would probably read: “Valrico Man’s Hot Streak Continues!”

This week, the features would look something like this:

SON HITS JACKPOT: Saturday, around noon, I dropped off Andrew and Alicia at Tampa International Airport. They flew back to Europe together before heading to Italy and the Ukraine.

At The Columbia the other day I offered a toast to the happy couple that said, essentially, “It took Andrew 30 years to bring a girl home; but when he did he got it exactly right. Thank you, Alicia, for bringing such joy and grace into our family.”

I can’t even begin to express the depth of the joy Rebekah and I experienced all week long. We are too blessed for words.

DAUGHTER SHARES WORLD’S MOST ADORABLE 1-YEAR-OLD: Unwilling to be outdone by the purity and beauty of nascent love, Naomi and Craig Campbell showed up with unprecedented cuteness on board. Then they left him with us!

Our grandson, David Henry, may be a lot of work, but he is so full of sunshine and so in love with life that he raises the happiness index for the entire house.

Plus David seems to truly love his grandparents, and that makes everything that much the sweeter.

AWESOME BRANDON CHURCH! Things have been so busy since the children( and everyone else) started rolling into town that I haven’t had time or space to write much about how blessed we are to be a part of the vibrant life of faith at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon.

In Sunday’s message, Rebekah talked about the day the disciple Andrew met Jesus. Andrew had been part of a group who had been following Jesus at a distance. Eventually, Jesus turned around and spoke to them.

All he said was, “What do you want?”

“MORE AND BETTER LIFE!” What people want is a deeper experience of life. We want to live life to its fullest. We want to know that our existence counts for something.

The people we hang around at First Presbyterian are engaging faith at that level; they’re growing; they’re moving forward; and it’s a privilege to be around.

Peace and Promise – DEREK