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Winding Down (or Up)

Most of you who know me know that I have been in grad school now for what seems like forever. Actually, it's been more like 4 years, 5 if you count the time spent in the Chinese University. But I rarely feel like there's much "free" time to do much blogging, though I truly enjoy it. So, after August 9 (the due date of my LAST project), I hope to come back to the blogging world with a newly designed blog and some more regular appearances. So please come around every now and then, and feel free to say words for me to read.

Be a Leader

Some people are thankful for their spouse because it's easy being married to them. Some people are thankful because their spouse doesn't cheat. Perhaps others are thankful because they "could do worse."

While I am thankful for my wife for many of these reasons (except the last one; that's a ridiculous reason), I'm most thankful for her because of her heart. She has a heart that longs for God, and she wants others to long for Him as well.

While there are countless reasons for me to be thankful for her, today I'm thankful because I know her heart longs for me to lead her. Her love for the Lord, and her love for me, makes me want to be the spiritual leader that God has called me to be.

She encourages me every day, and this week she encouraged me with something that touched her heart. I found it challenging as a husband and Christ follower, and I don't think there's any guy out there who wouldn't benefit from seeing it, so I'm posting here for your edification. I hope you're challenged by it as well.

The Story Behind "Lead Me" - Sanctus Real from BrightBulb Entertainment on Vimeo.

Twins?

I promise I like polar bears. But...



I'm just sayin'... They kind of look alike.

It's Been a While

I have had intentions to update...really. But, I've had a crazy couple of months with work and school, and I haven't even had time for many of the necessary agenda items. Nonetheless, I wanted to provide a quick update. I'm sorry to say that it's somewhat sad, though.

Few causes stir me to really change my lifestyle, especially if they're not directly related to my faith. However, this oil spill situation has started to stir some strong feelings in me lately, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to shed some light on one aspect of the situation.

Due to the millions of gallons of oil spilling out into the ocean, and eventually the coastal areas, a large number of marine animals have been impacted. Amongst those hit hardest are the marine birds, such as pelicans, but no ocean animals have escaped the effects of the oil spill. You can read about the damage and see some photos here, though I have to warn you that some of these photos are sad.

This has really been a wake up call to me about the dangers of relying so heavily on fossil fuels, especially those that have to be mined off-shore. I've felt somewhat convicted that I take for granted that it's someone else's job to ensure the safety and future of the wildlife in these and other areas. So, I've decided to make some little changes, and hope to build up to bigger ones. One of the easiest changes for me is to ensure that our home always purchases Dawn dish detergents, which donates to such causes. And, where possible, I'd like to boost my conservation efforts so that I consume less fossil fuels, and rely less on fossil fuel powered products. And last, but certainly not least, I can start praying for the safety of the people and animals affected by this recent spill.

If you're interested in more information about wildlife conservation efforts currently underway, you can check out this page of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

And now to lighten the mood, you can check out this youtube video of a cat who teaches his owner a lesson or two about the proper treatment of animals!