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Whenever we return from traveling (or at the end of some important experience), we’ll commonly ask each other: How was the trip? It gives us an opportunity to reflect on things we enjoyed, things we didn’t enjoy, things we learned, and things we’ll carry with us forever. Here at the end of our 10-week journey … Read more
After giving Ethan some time to adjust to his new home, we took him to a professional photographer at JCPenney Portraits a couple of weeks ago. This week, we picked up our prints. As a nice touch, JCP offers (for $5) online access to all of the pictures that were taken (including the many that … Read more
Just before the local post office closed this afternoon, we mailed our defense drafts — 3 copies from each of us — to the doctor of ministry office for the members of our dissertation committees. Every step is one step closer to the finish line. Throughout this program, which we began more than 4 years … Read more
After lunch today, we needed to split shifts between dissertation work and hanging out with Ethan so that we can mail them tomorrow afternoon. At the time I went to my computer to get started on my work, Ethan thought it was a good time to play peekaboo. So we did. Life can be a … Read more
Back in mid-January, we moved our blog from Typepad to a WordPress-powered site (hosted at Dreamhost), which we wrote about here. WordPress updated their software earlier this week, so in the near future, we will be upgrading to the new version (2.5). Actually, if it wasn’t for dissertation work this week, it would’ve already been … Read more
Seven weeks ago yesterday, we received Ethan from the foster family and the adoption agency in Seoul, Korea. It’s been quite a ride so far. We thought we’d share an update on how Ethan is doing. Today, Ethan made his second trip to the pediatrician since we’ve been home. It was a good doctor visit, … Read more
On Friday, we received our second round of edits from the editor at Asbury. And just like the last time (Seeing Red), there’s a lot of red marks on the pages of our drafts! The edited drafts came about a week late, leaving us only a week to return three cleaned up copies to the … Read more
As we move closer to the end of our parental leave (our first Sunday back will be April 20), we are becoming more intentional about preparing Ethan for our transition back to work. At the top of the list is the Sunday morning routine (the weekday routine will probably get worked out as we go … Read more
I just finished reading another book by Bill Hybels, Holy Discontent. Last week I finished When Leadership and Discipleship Collide, which I wrote about here. I wanted to include both books in my dissertation, at the last minute. As I said before, Hybels is one of my favorite writers/leaders. Not only is Holy Discontent an … Read more
A second thing struck me while listening to Mark on the road yesterday (read about the first thing in my last post). Also in Mark 10, there’s a story about Jesus healing a blind man, Bartimaeus (Mark 10.46-52). The phrase that especially caught my attention was Jesus’ statement upon hearing the blind man begging for … Read more