BJL

Dry Stack Therapy

2010-12-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

I built a dry stack stone wall with my sons in the front yard to keep the yard from washing away in the rain. It works great (we just had an all night rain) and was one of the best things I did all 2010.

Here are my two helpers.

Getting all set up with a piece of 550 cord for masons line and Lathan's dump truck to move some serious dirt.

Progress.

Done.

Concrete is neat but it's nothing compared to Creation.

Nate's fountain

2010-07-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Read John 4 when Jesus is talking to the woman at the well and tells her that he is the Messiah and that he will give her living water that she will never thirst again. That is the idea behind this fountain that Nate made me. The Hebrew is read from top to bottom and means "water of life". My pretty wifee was real patient with me in making it, but now that it is done you can pray that it will be something that isn't distracting from the gospel but is a launching for me to talk about the gospel with company. I am pretty excited to see Nate's creation account in stone now.

Wowsers! Now I know why they are called "morning glories". That first pic, where you can see the morning glories attempting to climb that trellis, was taken about three weeks ago. Now it has climbed all the way to the top and is blooming every morning.

Here is what Zebulon thinks of our fountain...

Zebulon Elihu Lotzgesell

2010-06-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Zebulon turned eight days old. It just so happened that his circumcision was yesterday as well. Thus and such, he is sort of grumps today. However, here are some of the pics that I should of posted a week ago. Thanks for your patience.

Here we are flying a kite Papa John and Grammy sent us. Oh wait.... Zebulon.... right, right.....

Here we are in-between contractions.

Another contraction. Ouch.

Even though pretty wifee wanted to strangle one of our midwives for taking this picture in-between contractions, she smiled and it turned into one of my favorite pics yet.

This was after the little grape was born. That little hand you see in this picture was less than one minute old.

Park tool says 8lbs 6oz. He seemed so much smaller than Lathan Edmund. Lathan was just under 8lbs. Hummmm.......

That was our midwife. She was very understanding and helpful. Just a reminder, that bed is fourteen feet away from the tub where Zebulon was born. Having a home birth was the delight of the decade. I would HIGHLY recommend it!!!!

The night before Zebuon was born I was up until 0200 (2:00am) finishing the bamboo on the stairs. (It was a good project that the pretty wifee wanted to do to keep her mind off of the contractions.) After Zebulon was born the next morning at 1031 the request for food was Mother's Milk herbal tea and a cold slice of Papa John's pizza. I thought I would combine all three into one picture. (We still have to finish the noses.)

After tea and pizza these two crashed...

I thought that looked like a great idea.

After naps and such, we all hung out together and introduced Lathan to Zebulon. It's funny, cause I remember convincing myself that Zebulon had to be a girl. We have tons of girls clothes we have to get rid of now. The LORD has been so good to us. All in all, the verse that has been on my mind ever since has been Psalm 70:4

LET GOD BE EXALTED!!!!!!

Stone

2010-04-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

My brother came into town during spring break and taught me alot about working with stone. I can't wait to post the fountain he made me. Right now I am still trying to figure out how to get in the ground and make it efficient. You'll see. Thanks Nate for everything.

Some things you may not know.

2010-02-13T19:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics to update you guys on some things you may not know about me as of late. I ride the train to school three times a week. I bring my bike with me and ride from the train station to school. I really enjoy it. This is a pic of me and Lathan riding it together. Since I have been back I have discovered a lot of things about New Mexico as well. We have beavers! Tons of them in the Rio Grande and they love cotton wood trees. If any of you ever visit I will take you down to the river and show you. Also, this winter has been exceptionally wet, so we are anticipating an awesome spring. Recently Lathan and Beloved and I went to the Abo Ruins here which is exactly 50:06 (fifty minutes and six seconds) from my font door to the entrance to the park. The ruins were built in 1675 out of flagstone and gypsum and are still standing. Not only that but it snowed here about two weeks ago and I thought my little New Mexico Redwood holding this snow was a pretty cool pic. I can't wait to show you all some pics of spring. Cheers.
BJL

Magi in the east

2009-12-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Matthew 2:1&2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

Today, myself and a good chaplain buddy of mine went outside the gate to get away. We were talking about monuments and tourism in Iraq. Some how that lead into us talking about Chaldean Christians in Iraq. (I haven't sourced any of what I am about to say so if anyone has something to add about Chaldean's please share.) We began wondering what the Magi (another word for Chaldean) saw when they followed the "star in the east." After thinking about it for a while we realized that geographically, you can't be east of Jerusalem and follow a star in the east to get to Jerusalem. I guess you can but you are taking the long way across Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North American, the Atlantic Ocean, and finally the Mediterranean sea. It would be a lot easier to simply go west to Jerusalem especially if all you have is a "foot-subishi". In Matthew the Chaldeans (Magi) that lived in the east (Iraq) came to Jerusalem and asked for the King of the Jews. They mentioned that they saw his star, WHILE THEY WERE IN THE EAST, and have come to worship him. They weren't speaking of the star being in the east, they were talking about themselves being in the east. It is pretty neat finding these little morsels in the text. What do you think?

Inconceivable

2009-12-16T04:14:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading the headlines on Yahoo like I do everyday. (That is everyday I have internet.) One of the headlines read; "Study: Sexually active girls in urban areas have high STD risk." REALLY! YOU DON"T SAY?! You can look at this two ways. For me it's two. One is you can clearly see this as a media blitz to get more government involved in pushing all girls to get the HPV vaccine, because "poor girls that are sexually active, they get STD's." (Weeping and sobbing.) Or you could look at it as a gentle nudge by the media to say, "ummm...... hey girls (and guys) in urban areas, STD's are killing you so why not stop being 'sexually active.'" Now I am not a girl and I am not going to pretend to understand woman's issues, but I do have an ever so small amount of common sense and I am pretty sure it's the first view. Especially with the recent health care debate going on in the US. But I gather that some people didn't have parent's teach them common sense. So in a way, the big media machine is their parent. Whatever the message that the media is giving young girls everywhere, I pray that parents would be there to filter the nonsense for them. I have a cool suggestion. Abstinence! You see, media, when you aren't "sexually active" you increase your chances of not getting STD's by 99.99%. (That goes for both male and female.) Oh the novelty. My point is not to solve the STD problems in inner cities, or offer suggestions on being a better parent. My point is that our definition of news is pathetic. I can't believe that was even a headline.

I Am A Christian

2009-12-11T12:42:00.001-08:00

I Am A Christian

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SPEED KILLS

2009-12-02T05:04:00.000-08:00

I would like to know the velocity behind these arrows cause it is pretty impressive. I was shooting today and from 25 yards, missed my target completely and shot a concrete T-wall. I thought the arrow would disintegrate, but to my surprise it tried to drive itself through the concrete. It's pretty amazing! I took a video of it and will try and download it and send it to whoever wants it. Hummmmm....... needless to say, I am starting to run out of arrows. If you ever find yourself in a sporting goods store and think you want to buy me some arrows, I won't stop you. (wink wink) Maybe I should work on my accuracy and this kind of thing will take care of itself. Hummmmmm..........

Ice Cream Date

2009-11-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

I had to show you guys these pics of Lathan and Mamma having an ice cream date. We love that swing.
Enjoy.

Awful Trinity!

2009-11-17T03:47:00.000-08:00

Pretty amazing to be able to pen these thoughts.

"Philosophy and science have not always been friendly toward the idea of God, the reason being that they are dedicated to the task of accounting for things and are impatient with anything that refuses to give an account of itself. The philosopher and the scientist will admit that there is much that they do not know; but that is quite another thing from admitting that there is something which they can never know, which indeed they have no technique for discovering. To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for "where" has to do with matter and space, and God is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made."
-A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy

"Timeless, spaceless, single, lonely,
Yet sublimely Three,
Thou are grandly, always, only
God in Unity!
Lone in grandeur, lone in glory,
Who shall tell Thy wondrous story?
Awful Trinity!"
-Frederick W. Faber

(awful here means = inspiring reverential wonder or fear)

Author

2009-11-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

I have been learning that in my walk with the LORD, He wants me to put everything before Him. Recently I have been asking Him to be the "Author" of everything that I do. From stacking my water in my room to building a little archery range, to my work, to school etc. These things are trivial and won't bring a desperate soul to the knowledge of the Savior, but in my personal time they are small examples of God's authorship in my life. I am trying to give him every little detail of my life. It has occurred to me that I have been trying to use God as someone might use a good luck charm. Only calling on Him when it is convenient to do so, or when I remember to. With this conviction I set off to build an archery range with the prayer that God would be the author of it and that somehow, He would be glorified by it. I don't know how that will look, but it has already opened up some doors for me to be able to talk to guys that wouldn't talk to me before. Well, when I came back from the range, I realized I needed more water. So I laboriously hauled all this water to my room to save it from sitting in the sun. I stack it so it will be convenient when I need it. However, this time I got too much. Almost. It collapsed when I sat the last bottle on it. Then I re-stacked it and it collapsed again. Perplexed, I decided to try one last time before I got my rifle and shot all of it to pieces. Then I was reminded that I am trying to give every detail of my life to the LORD. "This too LORD?" "Yep, everything." So I prayed He would be the author of my autistic tendencies, and they stacked up pretty well. This may seem too extreme, but doesn't Jesus ask us to give him everything? I have certainly not arrived and am still praying about what to do next in regards to jobs, kids, family, school, etc. But I am trying to be faithful with the small things so that I can be trusted with the larger things. (Matthew 25:1-30) Happy stacking, whatever it is your stacking.
BJL

Helper

2009-11-02T02:10:00.000-08:00

Lathan loves to help with projects no matter what they are. In this project we were taking pecan shells out of the back of my truck, putting them in our wagon, hauling them to the backyard, and spreading them around in the gardens and such. It's hard at first to let Lathan help, cause his "help" turns a 1 hour project into a 4 hour project. But then you see his innocence in that all he wants to do is be a part of what you are doing. I realize that he wants me to see he is a good helper. He looks at me while he is "helping" just to see if I noticed what a great help he is. Here is what this project was like with his "help."

1) Pick Lathan up and put him in the back of the truck on top of all the pecan shells.
2) Climb up in the truck yourself.
3) Take the shovel and try to shovel pecan shells into the wagon, being careful not to hit Lathan with the shovel. (This was one of the most challenging aspects of the entire project.)
4) Direct his little handfuls of pecan shells in the direction of the wagon. (They ended up all over the yard.)
5) When the wagon is full hop down.
6) Then grab Lathan and put him on top of the shells in the wagon.
7) Haul both Lathan and the shells into the backyard.
8) Take Lathan off the wagon and dump the load.
9) Put Lathan back in the wagon and haul him back to the truck in the front.
10) Go back to step one, until your done.

Well, it seems easy reading it, but lifting him and hauling him around was really a great distraction to any sort of productivity. But then I realized that is a small glimpse of what it must be like for King Jesus to have us help him. He sees that we want to be a part of what He is doing and we think we are being a big help, then we ask ourselves in the midst of failure or a big mess "what happened" and wonder if we really are helping His work here on earth.

I am reading a book right now that talks about being careful about applying our finite little images to God who is infinite. Here is what A.W. Tozer says in "Knowledge of the Holy."

"If we would think accurately about the attributes of God, we must learn to reject certain words that are sure to come crowding into our minds-such words as trait, characteristic, quality, words which are proper and necessary when we are considering created beings but althogether inappropriate when we are thinking about God. We must break ourselves of the habit of thinking of the Creator as we think of His creatures... 'As nothing is more easy than to think,' says Thomas Traherne, 'so nothing is more difficult than to think well.' If we ever think well it should be when we think of God."

So in my little analogy I hope I am not thinking poorly of God. I just can't help but wonder. I hope I wonder well. And I hope you see my point. Keep helping and don't think you are doing a bad job. God is sovereign and knows that we might make a mess. I can't explain it but I know that the bond I have with my son is such that I don't want him to not help. I want to see him grow and learn and try and help and fail, and try and help and fail, but that is my job as his Pops. Is it not? To show him. And that is our job as Christians right? Not to save people, but to show people, even when we fail and fail and fail and fail. Keep helping.

Dreams

2009-10-31T13:01:00.001-07:00

My wife and I have alot of dreams that we want to do together. (I think she secretly wants to scuba dive with sharks with me.) One of them is to build homes together. I never knew this, and think she would tell you herself, but I recently found out that she doesn't like heights. I will let her tell you the details. Well, I was really proud of her when I noticed that she was "getting the job done" on the last bit of painting we had left. That ceiling is 16' where she is painting and her later is balanced on our dining room table. I was really proud of her. Then when me and Lathan noticed what a great job she did, we thought we should do a dance of joy. "Papa I fly high like kangaroo?"

Reformation Day

2009-10-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

31 October 1517 Martin Luther posted his "Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum" or "95 Theses" on the door of The Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany. They disputed, among other things but most notably, his displeasure with the Roman Catholic Church for selling "indulgences" for the penance of sins as a financial transaction, rather than genuine contrition of the heart with no financial obligation. Some day I would like to visit Germany. My paternal history is from Germany, and I am enjoying learning the language. Martin Luther brought about what we know today as "Protestantism." Just recently I have been attending a church called Church of the Redeemer which is part of a group called "F.I.R.E". Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals. My wife and I are not members yet, but have found that the fellowship there has pushed us to grow more than we could ever imagine. www.firefellowship.org FIRE holds to "In essentials Unity, in non-essentials Liberty, and in all things Charity." Looking at God's sovereignty throughout our short history FIRE would of never been around had it not been for Luther, and Luther had it not been for William Tyndale (1494-1536) and on and on until Christ. So all that to say, HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!

BJL

Ocean

2009-10-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am a mountain man at heart. But I really like the ocean too. I love how the cascades in the Northwest stop at the mighty, cold, pacific ocean. Here are some ocean pics for Nate who requested them. I think I want to start a part time business of collecting drift wood and making something out of it.

BJL

Oregon Trip

2009-10-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

As my lovely wife mentioned on her blog site (www.elizabethlotzgesell.blogspot.com) we had a great time in Oregon. We took many pictures, so many in fact that I could keep blogging about it until next time we go. However, I just wanted to add these cause they were from such a great day. We started the day at my favorite coffee house there in Hillsdale. It's called Capital Coffee House. When you walk in you are greeted by a lifelike / life size statue of Toad from "Wind in the Willows." He is holding a silver platter out with one hand and the other is perched behind his back in a very refined and polished manner. On the silver platter is a menu. If you go to Toad's left you are lead up these old wooden stairs where there is a visible path that has been worn by the many pilgrims, wayfarers, coffee junkies, etc. in search of some delicacy to go with a smooth hot cup of coffee on those rainy, drizzly Portland days. If you take a right you are coaxed into the faster atmosphere of the coffee bar itself that is about 8 feet long, littered with the appurtenances of a fine coffee establishment. Some coffee karaffs waiting to be filled again by the busy barista. Sugar and creamer and a damp rag to mop it all up when it spills next to the cash register that is buzzing along ringing it's bell. Across from the coffee bar is a window seat with two tables for "on-the-go" folks, or "meeting-at-the-coffee-house" types. Underneath the bar is an assortment of pastries and treats made that morning, also displays of hot soups and sandwiches. My favorite is the chocolate croissants. Across the street is a parking lot that is given it's boundaries by blackberry bushes. In the late summer the branches hang low with the weight of all those juicy blackberries. We have established a tradition of going to Capitol Coffee House and before going in, we fill up on blackberries in the parking lot. It's idilic and a great way to start the

perfect day of marching around the country side looking for land. Which is what we did after this stop. In the process we found a neat park with towering trees that we stopped at to look around. It was there that I got a great pic of Lathan and Mamma enjoying the scenery. I love going back to

Oregon. Sure, I like the beauty and the rain and the atmosphere, but for me it is where God taught me about His truths when I was a new Christian. Therefore I am always reminded of His providence in my life. Yes, God is good all the time!

BJL

Morning

2009-10-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

WOW!

It was just before six when I was home. I noticed this brilliance!

"A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic like the sun;

It gives a light to every age; It gives, but borrows none.

The hand that gave it still supplies the gracious light and heat;

His truths upon the nations rise; They rise, but never set.

Let everlasting thanks be Thine For such a bright display

That makes a world of darkness shine With beams of heavenly day.

My soul rejoices to pursue The steps of Him I love,

Till glory breaks upon my view In brighter worlds above."

-William Cowper

"Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

- Paul the Apostle

Children

2009-10-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have a son God has used in my life to show me my selfishness and foolish pride. (And a wonderfully gracious and patient wife that has put up with me.) The Righteous has used him to trump my arrogance, and teach me the value of his creation, mankind. Now I find it my task to teach him of the Righteous in whom I boast. But in 8 months I will have two pupils entrusted to me and my Beloved, to gently lead. Pray for us please. You got it right, WE ARE PREGNANT!!!! Our Beloved Lord knows the sex so we won't know until 8 months from now. Nor will you. (We, like the surprise, and we like the peanut gallery comments too, so please share them with us.)

Since we don't know the sex, we would love your help in picking both girl and boy names. We have 8 months to go. You know... it seems that girls names are harder to think of. We look forward to sharing our joy with all of you.

In Christ

BJL

Update from not Blogging for a year

2009-10-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Someone borrowed my Mike Huckabee book so we are going to have to get back to that last blog post. In the meantime here is an update of what has happened to me in the last year. I was honorably discharged from the Air Force 31 March 2009, after serving six years. I learned alot and am elated to be a civilian now. April 14 I went to training / job interview with a private security company. I graduated the training course and was hired 6 May 2009. I was deployed to the middle east with them shortly after graduating, 13 May 2009. My first rotation was from 13 May 2009 to 2 September 2009. Then I came back home to my Beloved wife Elizabeth and my beloved son Lathan. I was able to be home from 2 September 2009 to 7 October 2009. I have been in country since then and am watching the minutes until I get to be with my family again. I am thankful to be able to have a job, however, cause there are not many jobs in New Mexico right now. (Believe me, I am actively looking.) Well, here are some pictures of the fun times I had while I was at home. I have hundreds so picking these was really hard. While home, me and Beth and Lath all went to the Northwest to see the Oregon coast and look for land. It's our dream to one day live in Oregon on a little piece of land. Some of these pics were Lathan's first time to see the ocean. I took him and Beth to a place called Cape Kiwanda, and if I ever go with any of you reading this, that's where we are going to. It is unbelievable! Back home in New Mexico, I was grateful for Papa John and Grammy coming to visit us and helping us put the wood floors in the guest bedroom, and had a great time with them hiking up at our friend Edith's house, and fellowship in general. Up until this point, it had been two years since I had seen Pops. It was soooo good to see them. Then me and Pops and Nate went and had some great times together at Ute Lake in Tucumcari, NM. I learned that Ute Lake is a little oasis in the middle of the high desert. Next time I am going with a Canoe and my son and some fishing line (and would be honored if my Beloved wifee wanted to come with us). So that is a quick update and here are some of those great pics.

Tweeked to fit.

2009-01-26T22:46:00.000-08:00

I scrimped and saved and was able to get this bike for my wife for Christmas 2008. Then we got on Craigslist and found this child carrier for $20. It didn't fit the bike at first, but after some modification in one of my buddies workshops, we got it tweeked to fit perfect. Now me and the 10th commandment (see Exudos 20 for all ten) are constantly at odds, because I want to go riding with them. However, I have a great sense of pride when I look at this pic. That's me. You may see it as Beth and Lathan riding a bike, but the cool thing is that Lathan loves to go riding. I stand there and watch them ride off, and he looks back with the expression of, "Pops, you see me." It's pretty cool.

BJL

Mike Huckabee

2009-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is a quote taken out of the World Magazine, April 2008.

"Paul Weyrich- a founder of the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, and the Council for National Policy- raised his hand to speak... In a voice barely above a whisper, he said, 'Friends, before all of you , and before almighty God, I want to say I was wrong.' In a quiet, brief, but passionate speech, Weyrich essentially confessed that he and the other [social conservative] leaders should have backed Huckabee, who shared their values more fully than any other candidate in a generation."

I think there are a whopping three people who read this blog. (I am trying to get more folks to read it.) But even with an audience of three, you feel like going into politics is dangerous ground. But... who cares.

This last election, I believe that America had the opportunity to elect some outstanding leaders to represent them at the State and Federal level. Guys like, Steve Pearce for US Senate from New Mexico and Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor and Lt. Governor for President. What the heck happened? Many of you know that Huckabee was my candidate. Shortly after he dropped out of the race he published a book capturing all the campaign highlights, and explaining in detail his stance on major issues. I ordered one and received it in the mail 6 months later. Recently at work, I have had to work the graveyard shift guarding weapons and that proved an excellent time to delve into it. I have to say that it's one of the better books I have read. So instead of trying to sell everyone who reads this blog on Mike Huckabee with my own words, I am going to spend the next week or so, posting some of the major highlights out of the book for your reading enjoyment and consideration. I don't think you will look at Huckabee the same, and hopefully you will vote for him in 2012.

BJL

Bike Rack Return

2009-01-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Recently for Christmas I, amassed some pennies together and was fortunate enough to buy my wife a bike. She got one first so that she can ride around while I am at work. It's our goal to all have one eventually so that we can all go riding together. Well once you get a bike you have to have a way to haul it around to all the cool bike trails. This poses a big problem if you don't have a truck. Thus, I bought a cheap little bike rack that fits on the back of the car. The only problem is that it is all plastic and when you set the 35 lb. bike on it, you can picture it falling to pieces on the highway and letting your new bike tumble down the road. After I had opened the box and realized this might happen with my cheap little bike rack I decided to return it. The only problem is that I had opened the box already and broke the super seal that comes from the factory to keep the box closed. I wanted to return the box closed so that they could resell it. That's when I remembered the "Gorilla Glue" that my brother Nate gave me for Christmas. (That was great present Nate!) I love Gorilla Glue now. I didn't think it would glue that stiff card board back together, but sure enough it did. So if you ever find yourself in a jam and need some good glue you can either; a) call my brother, Nate, and lament to him your frustration and misgivings for not giving you some Gorilla Glue for Christmas, or b) go buy some at your nearest home depot. I think it is less than ten bucks and you won't be disappointed. I love finding a product that actually works the way it is advertised.

BJL

2009-01-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

This was taken when Beth and I were down in San Antonio for Christmas 2008. We ventured out to this place called the "Japanese Sunken Gardens." It was an old rock quarry that was used to make Portland and Roman Cement. In 1918 some folks got together and decided to turn it into some Japanese Gardens. They did, but it fell apart over time. Just recently the Parks and Recreation Dept. of San Antonio got some millions together and rebuilt them. They were pretty awesome. While we were there I captured this pic proving that the best pics are always taken when no one is aware of the shutter opening and closing.

BJL

Ladrone Peak

2009-01-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

I know that I have three faithful mountaineering buddies in my family already. Nate, with Guadelupe peak and Kyle and Taylor with Long's peak. I have been watching this mountain south of our house in ABQ for a while now and, every time I see it, I want to go climb it. The cool thing is that I don't think a single soul lives on or near the mountain anywhere. So a lot of the topo would probably be untouched. Do I have any takers that would like to climb this one with me? I don't think it would be a day trip, I would like to do it in three days. What do you guys think? Uncle Dave? Keri? Lathan?

BJL

Pathetic little snow man.

2009-01-04T21:21:00.000-08:00

The cool thing about going up to Santa Fe to test for the fire department was that it was snowing the whole time we were taking the test. As you can see, when I came out of the test results, I thought I might as well not let all the great snow spoil my day that much. His eyes are two dried out pom seeds that I found in Lathan's car seat. His mouth is made out of a twig and so are his arms. As most of everyone who reads this blog already knows, I failed the test and was sort of counting on it due to the fact that I have three months left in the military, a wife and son to feed, and a mortgage to pay. Maybe that explains his dull expression. However, I would like to point out that even though my story may sound like a sob story, I am actually "surprised by joy" as C.S. Lewis would put it. There really is nothing that this ol' world can throw at a Christian to discourage them. I'll find something and I can't wait to tell everyone what it is. On another note, when I took my gloves off the snowman and got in the car and drove away, I think he stayed up there eyeing all the cars behind me almost all the way to ABQ.

BJL

FORD

2008-12-07T22:43:00.000-08:00

My first car was a 1977 Ford Ranchero. The guy I bought it from had nicknamed it, "double-ugly." I remember getting it running and never being able to drive it cause I was only 15. (Not to mention it was a death trap.) However, my brother was able to use it for school and eventually sell it for $700. (I remember him telling me about the tire exploding into pieces when he was driving down the highway one day.) Evan before the days of double-ugly, I remember driving to the Ford lot with Pops and drooling over the new Ford Trucks. I still go and drool to this day sometimes. All that to say, I love Ford trucks. They get sweeter and sweeter every year. www.thefordstory.com

BJL

Marriage Problems???

2008-12-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

Problems with interpersonal communication between you and your spouse? Hackie Sack will solve it. I picked this up at the local hiking store and never thought I would be playing it with my wife. Good thing no one lives below us. Come to find out though, we both felt like we were in a russian ballet more than we were playing hackie. We have a lot of room for improvement.

BJL

"I feel like a brute."

2008-12-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

My beloved son, Lathan Edmund, whom I am very fond of, has a problem with obeying authority. There are a myriad of lessons written on discipline and many a debate to engage oneself in on the subject. However, I have found an unusual acquaintance in the pages of one of my favorite stories. It is from "The Wind in the Willows," by Kenneth Grahame. Here it is;

The two animals conducted him between them into the small smoking-room that opened out of the entrance-hall, shut the door, and put him into a chair. Then they both stood in fromt of him, while Toad sat silent and regarded them with much suspicion and ill-humor.

"Now, look here, Toad," said the Rat. "It's about this banquet, and very sorry I am to have to speak to you like this. But we want you to understand clearly, once and for all, that there are going to be no speeches and no songs. Try and grasp the fact that on this occasion we're not arguing with you; we're just telling you."

Toad saw that he was trapped. They understood him, they saw through him, they had got ahead of him. His pleasant dream was shattered.

"Mayn't I sing them just one little song?" he pleaded piteously.

"No, not one little song," replied the Rat firmly, though his heart bled as he noticed the trembling lip of the poor disappointed Toad. "It's no good, Toady; you know well that your songs are all conceit and boasting and vanity; and your speeches are all self-praise and - and -well, and gross exaggeration and -and -"

"And gas," put in the Badger, in his common way.

"It's for your own good, Toady," went on the Rat. "You know you must turn over a new leaf sooner or later, and now seems a splendid time to begin; a sort of turning-point in your career. Please don't think that saying all this doesn't hurt me more than it hurts you."

Toad remained a long while plunged in thought. At last he raised his head, and the traces of strong emotion were visible in his features. "You have conquered, my friends,: he said in broken accents. "It was, to be sure, but a small thing that I asked-merely leave to blossom and expand for yet one more evening, to let myself go and hear the tumultuous applause that always seems to me - somehow - to bring out my best qualities. However, you are right, I know, and I am wrong. Henceforth I will be a very different Toad. My friends, you shall never have occasion to blush for me again. But, O dear, O dear, this is a hard world!"

And, pressing his handkerchief to his face, he left the room with faltering footsteps.

"Badger," said the Rat, "I feel like a brute; I wonder what you feel like?"

"O, I know, I know," said the Badger gloomily. "But the thing had to be done."

It's funny how much a book written for young children, in 1908, can seem to be so relevant to parenting.

BJL

Bougainvillea

2008-11-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

I remember talking to Mutha, during her last visit, about her fight to save her bougainvillea that she planted outside her bathroom window in Akwanga. The guards at their home, take great care in making sure all living things around the perimeter of their residence are abolished. Momsi, bought a small bougainvillea at the market in Jos, and migrated it all the way back to Akwanga to plant it beneath her bathroom window. She is not one to loose her patience quick. But when that guard came buy and sprayed her bougainvillea, she was upset, to say the least. Oddly enough, bougainvillea grow well here in Tucson, AZ. Here is what they look like.

On an aside, I used a color accent feature, which allows you to take a black and white photo while only highlighting the color of your choice. In this photo I only wanted the red highlighted. The rest of the plant is green, with hidden thorns. Bougainvillea's were created with all sorts of brilliant colors. Purple, yellow, pink, etc. This one happens to be red, which, I think, is the color of Momsi's in Africa.

Sometime, everyone that knows her is going to have to ask her about her bougainvillea, and if it lived or not.

BJL