websites, birthdays, ice cream, and gardens

Random string of topics, eh. First off, I think the new Blood:Water Mission website will be launching this week...something I've been working diligently on for the past 6 weeks especially. As donor relations and development coordinator, much of it coincides with my work. I've been inputting all the content, working and reworking with our designers all of the navigational features, cleaning out our existing database of contacts so that we start with a good batch for the emailing tools, and trying hard to continue matching donors with communities in Africa (the long term challenge). All of this to say I am thrilled to finally get it out for all to see, use and share. More coming later this week as it hopefully moves forward.

In the birthday category, this week brings us to Sam's 3rd birthday. My how time flies! We spent Saturday putting together a new swingset and sandbox for him, giving him a chance to get acclamated this week and hopefully a little more freedom and desire to share for the party coming up. Kids and sharing...a constant reminder of how our hearts are bent toward the self:) I think we spent about 3 hours putting together the swingset, much longer than anticipated, but probably within reason. The main frustration was that we are missing a few bolts and such, and have to ask the manufacturor to send them so that we can finish the see-saw portion of the set. Sam is loving it all already, though, I am pleased to report.

Though we may have ice cream at the party, we are having homemade ice cream with our neighborhood group tomorrow night. The flavor of our choice to make and bring is yet to be determined, but we are reviewing the Ben and Jerry's ice cream recipe book to make the best choice. I'm so grateful for this group from our church, a great source of extending the vision and reality of our church into our hearts and the community around us.

And our garden is definitely taking shape. Over the weekend we planted our tomatoes and some herbs, and I'm excited to see the corn, lettuce and snap beans poking through the soil. We have a few more things to do, but I think most of the planning and planting is done. Now we wait...and pull a few weeds in the meantime.

little big town on leno tonight!

Be sure to check out my friends in Little Big Town as they play on the Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno tonight!

krazy praise

Back in the studio again with Ken L, Andy G, Ben S, Dave H, and JimmyJam for another edition of Krazy Praise. A couple of years ago we recorded Krazy Praise 1 and 2, and apparently they would like to release volume 3 in a print edition including a CD. Its fun being a dad while recording these songs, thinking about what gets Sam excited about singing along with songs. Any excuse to get together with these guys is a good one and one I look forward to; what a privilege to make music with them!

Speaking of Sam singing, his thing these days is to take songs he knows and make jibberish versions of them. Occasionally it leads to butchering hymns and the like, which we try to avoid, of course. He's also been playing lots of harmonica, carrying two (different keys, of course) around the house and switching back and forth. We introduced Buddy Greene to him last week, which features some brilliant harp playing and fun bluegrass.

I took Sam to the downtown library yesterday morning for story time, and it was so much fun watching him interact with the people and action. Looking into his eyes you can just see the wheels turning. JJ the lamb, the Spanish Fox, and Cedric the dragon all made appearances (they are puppets), and a ballerina from the Nashville Ballet Co. was the special guest. This library provides great opportunities to involve children (story time, marrionette shows, etc), and I always leave feeling like we don't use it to our full ability. He loves to get a new batch of books every week, old and new, and we spend a lot of time reading and rereading them with him. Favorites right now are Toot & Puddle, Curious George, and Lentil (Robert McCloskey character).

Consider

Consider the sun, moon, planets, and stars, the distance set between them that keeps them set in motion in an organized and intentional manner.
Consider the air contents on earth: just the right mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and other chemical elements to allow human life (as well as plant and animal life). Just a slight change in any of the percentages, and life turns into death.
Consider the tilt of the earth, the sipinning motion that keeps us anchored to the earth and provides seasons of life for creation. A slight change and all could burn up, freeze, or be set free from gravity...fun for a moment, perhaps.
"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the starts, which you have set in place, What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; You have put all things under his feet...O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth." Psalm 8:3-6,9

I am overwhelmed that God cares for me, is faithful to me, has made promises that he loves to keep with me, and is committed to restoring me in the midst of bringing the new heavens and new earth to fruition one day soon.