Sorice Family Chronicles

Colorado Adventures - Fall 2009

2010-02-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Colorado on October 10, 2009...one day before our first anniversary. Since then, we've had many adventures as evidenced in the following pictures.

In October, we attempted to visit Buckskin Joe's Town of Terror in Canon, CO. We took a very cold train ride around the Royal Gorge. Unfortunately, a small blizzard struck forcing us to return home.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends at our home. Julie prepared a very delicious dinner with contributions from everyone. I managed to crave the turkey...although more practice is required.

What do you get when a grapefruit is crossed with an orange? You're looking at it.

At the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, visitors can feed the giraffes for a small fee. It's created quite a welfare system for the local inhabitants...but it's a lot of fun.

Julie made a gingerbread cake for my birthday and prepared an excellent Mexican feast! No, the cake isn't on fire.

Before we visited Julie's family in Oregon over the holidays, we made Buckeyes (peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate) with friends. Julie did a wonderful job decorating our Christmas tree. Many of our neighbors commented on it. We did learn not to use ribbon covered in glitter anymore...it's the gift that continues to give throughout the year.

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-13T08:52:00.000-08:00

We sent our Christmas Letter out a few weeks ago. If you didn't receive it, please enjoy it below and let us know. We'll add you to our list next year.

It’s been an eventful year in the Sorice household to say the least! We began 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spent the summer in Lompoc, California, and have finally settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Needless-to-say, I’ve earned my military wife ribbon!

God has blessed us in so many ways this year! He provided a buyer for our home in Albuquerque despite a declining housing market. Justin spent weeks trying to sell it himself and left the task to me when he went to Alabama for Squadron Officer School during April and May. Within three days of his departure, we had an offer! The closing process was a bit of a rollercoaster and a learning experience, but in His good providence we sold our first home and have recovered from the loss.

While Justin was attending training in California to become a satellite operator, I volunteered at the local Pregnancy Crisis Center and gained a new skill at making diaper cakes for expecting mothers. I really enjoyed the experience. I also mastered making an Italian crème cake, baking blueberry banana bread, and becoming an expert Wii bowler. Justin spent the summer studying and received Top Graduate and Distinguished Graduate from his two courses, respectively. I’m very proud of him! We were able to visit with Justin’s father and wife, Susan, over the 4th of July weekend. We also traveled to Manhattan Beach over Labor Day weekend to spend time with a friend stationed in Los Angeles. The traffic was hectic but we arrived safely (as well as the car). We had fun visiting Hearst Castle and the town of Solvang (a Scandinavian community) too.

With the beginning of autumn and Justin’s graduation, we set off to Colorado. We arrived one day before our first anniversary and we’re welcomed by a winter storm that afternoon. Sliding through an icy stoplight was interesting, but Justin’s New York winter driving skills came right back to him. We moved into a new, three bedroom, two story house on Schriever Air Force Base. After four months of having half our possessions packed in boxes, it was wonderful to hang pictures again and make our house our home. Most of the neighborhood is still under construction, but the community center with an indoor pool is expected to open in December. We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends new and old, and we’re looking forward to spending Christmas in Oregon this year!

I’m currently looking for a job and doing a lot of baking. Justin is doing a lot of exercising due to the baking and started unit training just before Thanksgiving. He’ll be on crew sometime next spring. We’ve begun to research adoption opportunities, and we’d appreciate your prayers as we seek God’s wisdom in growing our family. We’re thankful for all of our friends and family and pray you will continue to experience His matchless grace in 2010!

Merry Christmas and God bless!

A Letter to My Senators

2009-11-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

I currently serve as an officer in our nation’s Air Force, but I’m writing to you as a concerned Ohio citizen with regard to the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

By the grace of our Creator, we have within us the desire to assist those in need by the same Divine providence we experience provisionally as “privileged.” However, some, forsaking recognition of His providence and surrendering their own responsibility to their nation, have empowered a philosophy of entitlement whereby a citizen has a right to guaranteed benefits under their government. The idea of this “right” ignores Divine providence, disregards compassion to one another born from grace, and defines for itself a perverse measure of what is good, proper or just. Furthermore, whether this entitlement is born from a culpable conscience from being viewed as “privileged” or is formed to further the dependence of a people upon their government rather than their Creator, its affect upon the nation is the same: The dissolution of personal responsibility and essential accountability of the government to its people.

I do not envy the decision before you. Much time, thought, and effort have been made to further expand upon the promotion of our nation’s general Welfare as defined to assist the poor in our current times. Nevertheless, the framers of our Constitution were precise in its language, and we should not mistake promotion for an assurance that cannot be sustained indefinitely while burgeoning the aforementioned dissolution. Moreover, the cost to our nation for this new entitlement rebukes “securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Freedom is not free, and freedom is not bondage through debt. As a nation, we cannot afford to proceed in this course of action nor blindly presume “good intentions” will produce the means to sustain this proposed legislation if it becomes law. New taxes will be levied and further servitude to other nations by debt is the inevitable result of this entitlement as it has been with others. Therefore, I respectfully request you not further erode the government’s accountability to its people. I ask you to not immerse yourself in the quagmire of politics or in the self-preservation of your appointment, but thoroughly consider the consequences of this proposed entitlement—a grievance against domestic tranquility—and cast your vote against it accordingly.

I thank you for your time in reading this letter and your service to our nation. Please know my family is praying for God’s wisdom upon you and our leaders, and we have our complete trust in His providence.

May God continue to bless our nation through His grace.

One Year

2009-10-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Julie and I celebrated one year of marriage. For my gift to her, our friend Mandy did an amazing job of painting a picture of us (shown above) from Julie’s favorite wedding photo.

I’m so blessed to have Julie as my wife and my helper. We’ve grown a lot as a couple over the last year. We’ve faced many challenges together through God’s providence and grace. Looking back, I realize now how empty of a man I was before having her in my life. I have no idea what new trials and experiences await us this next year, but I know in Christ we’ll work through them together. On any day, she is my sunshine and her love is a reminder of a hope that doesn’t disappoint. I love you, Sweetheart.

SHMILY

Labor Day Weekend and La Purisima Mission

2009-09-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Julie and I visited our friend, David, in Manhattan Beach, CA over Labor Day Weekend. The trip to LA was a much needed break for both of us. David’s apartment was less than a minute’s walk to the beach, and I got to swim in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. We also went and saw the musical, Legally Blonde, at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. It was a wonderfully, relaxing weekend spent in the company of a great friend.

Additionally, this past Saturday we traveled a few miles east to visit the La Purisima Mission outside of Lompoc. We were fortunate to arrive on a day when volunteers were reenacting life at the mission a few hundred years ago. We had a great time learning about the history between the Indian culture and Spanish missionary interactions. Julie and I helped make soap, and we got to see a cow with very large horns.

A Work of Love

2009-09-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Julie and I received a beautiful quilt commemorating our wedding day from two wonderful ladies from our church in Albuquerque. Thank you Linno and Carol for your continued love and prayers! I can't quite believe Julie and I are approaching one year of marriage in just over a month!

Trip to Solvang & Our Family Name

2009-08-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

Julie and I traveled to Solvang, California yesterday. Solvang is a Scandinavian community whose architecture is modeled like a small European town. There were many small shops to explore and several bakeries with some very scrumptious pastries.

While visiting there, Julie and I learned the meaning of our family surname. Sorice is Italian in origin referencing the astute or quickly moving attributes of a mouse or rat. Since I’m known as “The Man of Action,” I suppose this means I do live up to my family name.

Space 100 Top Graduate

2009-08-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lot of prayer and faithful support from my wonderful wife, I finished my Space 100 course at the top! It's a good way to start a new career field!

Habitat for Humanity

2009-08-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Julie and I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity at a project in Santa Maria. It was my second experience while it was Julie's first. We learned how to wrap a house. For me, it was comical watching Julie hold a six foot tube of home wrap while I went up and down a ladder with a staple-hammer to tack the wrap to the home. Julie had a bad experience with ladders in the past and didn't want to take any chances. I can't blame her. The experience did prove we still need to work on our communication, but we were able to overcome and successfully finish the job. It also reminded me how thankful I am to have a wife who can be so cheerful and pleasant. I enjoyed watching her light up the room with her encouraging words and sensational laughter.

Bugs' 80th Birthday

2009-08-04T16:19:00.001-07:00

Julie traveled to Oregon last week to celebrate her grandfather's, nicknamed Bugs, 80th birthday. Bugs and his wife, Nellie, flew on a Bison plane, but there was no skydiving though.

Our nephew, Tate, with weapon in hand.

Julie's family enjoyed being 'shot' as it was over 100 degrees.

One beautiful cake made by Aunt Marg.

(If all the candles were lit, then we wouldn't see the cake!)

This is what an 80-year-old mischievous flyer looks like!

Bugs and Nellie getting ready to takeoff.

Trip to Hearst Castle

2009-07-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Julie and I traveled to San Simeon, CA yesterday to visit Hearst Castle. You can learn more about Mr. Hearst and his "Little Ranch" construction project here.

A link to our photos is here.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-06T16:06:00.003-07:00

Julie and I drove across CA to visit my dad, his wife, Sue, and their grandson, Jacob, over the 4th of July weekend. The drive was beautiful until we reached the Mojave Desert. Since there was a Starbucks near where my dad lives, we can't label the area as 'complete desolation.' It did take us 35 minutes to reach the Starbucks on our way home though.

My dad and Sue invited friends over for a great 4th of July party with enough food to feed a small army. After the sun set, Jacob and Julie had fun with some celebratory poppers as evidenced in the picture. Afterwards, we watched a nice fireworks display from the patio and a few police cars chase down some holiday outlaws. It was good to visit family and know they're nearby for the time being.

First Summertime BBQ

2009-06-29T18:28:00.002-07:00

Summer has officially come to the Sorice household. I bought a propane tank this morning, and we fired up the grill for the first time this year! The BBQ chicken was delicious!

Flora Americana

2009-06-27T14:16:00.010-07:00

Julie and I attended the 57th Annual Lompoc Flower Festival on Saturday. I definitely enjoy being in a smaller town again! Here are a few pictures from the parade. Unfortunately, I didn't charge my camera battery, and I missed a few good floats.

Seeking a New Church

2009-06-27T07:13:00.004-07:00

One of the most difficult decisions in every move is what church to attend. As the spiritual head of my family under Christ, I feel a solemn responsibility, with Julie’s counsel, to seek a church faithfully under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Having been exposed to reformed doctrine from attending Providence Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Albuquerque, I have come to deeply appreciate and desire a church whose doctrine, teaching, and leadership is solely accountable to Scripture and to Christ. For me, this means the Bible is the ultimate authority as the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the church has elders and deacons effectually called to lead in the gathering and perfecting of the saints, the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, the sacraments (baptism and communion) are faithfully administered, and public worship performed (italic text taken from The Westminster Confession of Faith). In addition, the Westminster Confession of Faith reminds me “the purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error…”. Thus, the task before Julie and I is to prayerfully and diligently seek out a body of believers for the next few months where we believe the above criteria is being faithfully observed while acknowledging no church is perfect on this side of heaven. My prayer is for God to give us wisdom in this task and we may grow in our faith as a couple from it.

New Hairdo

2009-06-25T15:05:00.004-07:00

Julie got a new haircut to celebrate the beginning of summer...just another change in the Sorice household. I think she looks cute!

California Living

2009-06-21T14:37:00.004-07:00

I surprised Julie by arriving to our new home on Thursday, one day earlier than expected. We were both glad to see each other again after almost two weeks apart. She did a wonderful job selecting a new place to call home for the next five months and setting everything up. We're renting a townhouse which is a new experience for both of us. We also appreciate the help of our good friends, Eric, Mandy and Anna Hoelmer, and their hospitality. Mandy provided a lot of assistance to Julie, and they made her feel welcome while I was finishing business in Albuquerque.

Class begins in 10 days, so my schedule is fairly relaxed until then. Hopefully, I’ll be able to determine what I did to my back after an Ultimate Frisbee game last Friday. I guess I’m not as young as I thought I was. Oh, well. The sunshine and mild temperature are wonderful blessings. I think we’re really going to enjoy our time here.

California AND Bust

2009-05-31T05:38:00.006-07:00

The title of this blog entry gives a good description of the shock Julie and I felt Friday evening. Our home appraised for $10,000 less than the selling price which made me wonder what the definition of a ‘problem’ was for our appraiser. After doing some research with the help of my Father-in-Law, Bob, I determined the appraisal was low but there wasn’t enough data to refute its validity. Our buyer’s still wanted the home so we considered the choice between paying the difference and walking away from the sale.

Since I’ve lost the option to re-finance the home, I estimated we would lose $10,000 in 28 months by renting the house. Conversely, based on our savings rate, we will recover this loss in a minimum of 20 months with my income alone. Moreover, we have no guarantee what the maintenance costs and damage by tenants would amount to, and we have no assurance if the property’s value would significantly increase. In short, we rationally choose ‘the devil we know’, and I’ll be writing the largest check in my life to Wells Fargo on Monday to pay down my loan before closing.

In all of this, I received good counsel from Bob and Julie. Julie and I have prayed several times for wisdom as stewards of our home. We didn’t want to make careless and selfish decisions in determining what to do with God’s asset. It’s easy to trust God when I’m looking at ‘only’ a $3,500 loss in this economy. It becomes more challenging when a $13,500 deficit is staring me in the face. Knowing God has provided us with the means to cover this loss—which He ultimately took—has given me peace. I’m reminded again our finances aren’t ours but His. Instead of going into debt $10,000, we’re walking away from this experience wiser and still financially sound. Our bank statement may not be as impressive, but our faith in our sovereign God remains solvent.

Life Update: Spring 09

2009-05-23T04:51:00.002-07:00

Julie and I have been very busy over the last two months. God has continued pouring out His blessings upon our family. The following is a summary of what’s been happening:

- House Sale -

After much anxiety and a rollercoaster ride of emotions, God provided buyers for our home. Before I left for five weeks of school in Montgomery, AL, I had resigned any hope of selling our home outside of God’s miraculous intervention. That miracle happened and we’re set to close on 12 June. The appraiser came yesterday and said he didn’t foresee any issues and within 15 minutes of him leaving the buyers called to let us know the loan had been approved. We sold the home ourselves (Julie closed the deal for me while I was away) and saved a lot of money by not using a realtor. We learned a few lessons as well but should we need to sell a home again in the future, we feel confident we can do so ourselves.

- Squadron Officer School -

I spent the last five weeks at Squadron Officer School in Montgomery, AL. This is a course focused on developing better leaders in the Air Force. The course consists of lectures, various forms of leadership exercises, opportunities to improve communication skills, and physical fitness training. My flight (the peers whom I primarily worked with) was well balanced and worked admirably to support everyone. My responsibility there was the Conditioning Mission Area Leader. My job was to prepare everyone for the Warrior Challenge at the end of the course. The Warrior Challenge is a competition between all 32 flights consisting of individual and team events. Overall, my flight did very well during the Warrior Challenge and finished within 18 seconds of what I had predicted. In addition, I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. I can tell I’ve grown a lot since being a lieutenant. I also realized I need to exercise a few more demons as I progress in my career.

- Preparing for California -

I can hardly believe my time in Albuquerque is ending. I feel as though I haven’t been here that long. Julie and I have been busy cleaning out closets and cabinets, making Good Will runs, and deciding where our new home will be in CA. I’m very excited about my opportunity to career broaden into space. I’ll be a professional student over the next six months. Julie will be glad to be on the coast again and not working in an assisted living facility. I can’t blame her. We’re both looking forward to the next adventure together!

Dollars and Sense

2009-03-21T07:53:00.005-07:00

This week I watched a circus. The main attraction was AIG with the media acting as the ringleader. The clowns, played by Congress, weren’t funny. As I listened to the outrage on CNN from citizens calling into their hotline, I am now certain of this: American voracity still shrouds a calling to financial responsibility and integrity.

We, as Americans, do not appear to collectively understand the amount of money being spent. Yes, $165 million is a lot to someone living on an income of less than $100 thousand per year (most far below that amount). However compared to the $170 billion the government has given AIG alone, the ‘bonus’ money is negligible. To illustrate this, I’ve written these amounts numerically:

$165,000,000 (bonus money)
$170,000,000,000 (approximate AIG bailout money thus far)

As a percentage, the bonus money equates to .097% of the AIG bailout money. To demonstrate how negligible this amount is, if the AIG bailout money is represented as $1, then the bonus money is equivalent to less than one thousandth of a penny (.00097 pennies).

I realize American frustration is focused on the principle of the matter and the public has a right to feel irate. What we cannot forget is this money, which our government is borrowing, was given with no accountability. AIG, along with other companies who’ve received bailout money, remain private corporations. It is not the Federal Government’s task to run private companies. The moment this happens as precedence rather than a temporary exception with respect to stabilizing failed banks, the United States will cease to be a capitalist nation. The government does have and must take the responsibility for stipulating how any further bailout money is used by its recipients. Furthermore, Americans must forego their victimization role and take responsibility for electing their government. President Kennedy said it best, "...ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Americans should stop holding out their hands and start picking up shovels. We either sacrifice as a nation or we embolden a welfare state where freedom is doomed to oblivion.

Work

2009-03-15T13:29:00.005-07:00

Over the last month between vacation days and my surgery, my longest work week was three days. So, this week was a little long as I “suffered” through all five of them. Now I'm not complaining, and I'm very grateful to have a guaranteed job. Yet, the experience did get me thinking about how much we, as Americans, work. In so many ways we’re defined by what we do and not who we are. When asked to describe ourselves, I find us often explaining our work contributions as a substitute for our interests and passions. Furthermore, we pride ourselves at the efficiency of our efforts. We need to show progress and/or establish our “worthiness.” But to whom?

I’ve sincerely enjoyed the quality time I’ve spent with Julie, family and close friends over the past month. Opportunities to engage in relationship building are priceless. I know I’m replaceable in my job…not true within my home, family and friendships. The last month has demonstrated the need to again reconsider the efforts of my labor as opposed to the labors of my effort.

Second Cousins

2009-03-09T16:29:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to share a picture of my cousin's, Nichole's, children. They're beautiful! Left to Right are: Austin (9), Brandon (4), Ethan (8) and Addison (1).

Love Hurts

2009-03-05T06:22:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I had outpatient surgery to remove a small lymphoma from my right forearm and left scalp. This was my first “real” surgery not counting having my wisdom teeth removed. Now, I could have had the bump on my forearm removed in the doctor’s office and left the one on my head alone. However, Julie didn’t care for the little bump on my head. Being a good husband, I asked the doctor to remove both which she agreed but required the use of the day surgery center due to the amount of blood vessels in the scalp. In a way, the experience was exciting. I had my first IV which thankfully the nurse performed without inducing a lot of unnecessary pain. I’m not sure what mixture of drugs the anesthesiologist gave me, but the last thing I remember is being wheeled into the operating room before being rolled into the recovery area. Outside of a little pain and discomfort, mostly due to the incision on my head, I’m doing fine thanks to God’s grace.

I’m sure I’m going to get some weird looks over the next week. In fact, the pizza delivery boy asked me last night, “Dude, what happened to your head!?” Funny, I never got any comments when I had the bump.

TN Trip

2009-03-05T06:00:00.003-08:00

Last weekend I took an unexpected trip to TN to help my cousin, Nichole, finish moving my grandmother into a nursing home. My grandmother’s health has been declining for the past few years and it was an answer to prayer that she made this difficult decision on her own. As we separated and packed up her belongings, a stream of memories came back from my childhood. It was a bittersweet trip down memory lane. The experience also reinforced how little material possessions matter.

On a joyful note, I was glad to see Nichole and her family again. Pictured above are Nichole, her sons, Ethan (8) and Brandon (almost 5), and her daughter, Addison (20 months). Her husband, Ken, and oldest son, Austin, weren't available when I was taking pictures.

Sunny Days

2009-02-23T06:29:00.003-08:00

I truly enjoy living in Albuquerque, NM! It's going to be in the 70s all week and it's still February! Whoo-hoo!!

Sitcom at the Sorice's

2009-02-21T13:17:00.004-08:00

Last week I came home from work late which has been an unfortunate phenomenon over the past two months. I've been working on a project requiring extreme expedience (i.e. completing 15 months of work in two). I had told Julie I would be home later but arrived about an hour earlier than my estimate. Upon opening the door Julie said in an elevated and startled voice while completely out of view, “Oh your home early! I wasn’t expecting you!” I wouldn’t have thought too much of it except for the beautiful pink rose on the kitchen counter…the one I hadn’t given her. We had a good laugh over the sitcom situation. It was even more humorous to discover she had been watching The Saint. I jokingly asked her, "Who's your boyfriend?" It seems a young boy was passing roses out to Julie's patients and gave her one also. Life is just too funny sometimes.

A Weekend with Family & Friends

2009-02-17T05:21:00.004-08:00

Julie and I traveled to Ohio this past weekend. It was a wonderful trip and much needed vacation. We visited with our good friends, the Martins, and I introduced her to some of my family who couldn’t attend the wedding. It was great to finally meet two of my nieces, Audrey and Lexie. All three of my nieces are too cute! I also had the opportunity to catch up with a college friend and her family.

Julie and I celebrated our one-year engagement anniversary on Valentine’s Day with Chris and Jennifer Martin. We ate at the Pasha Grill, a Turkish themed restaurant, where the food was incredible. I strategically sat so I would not be looking at the belly dancer and, thus, avoided any awkward situations.

I enjoyed seeing Chris and Jennifer’s girls again. I wasn’t sure if Evangeline, their middle child, would remember Mr. J but it didn’t take long to get a huge hug from her. Their youngest, Anastasia, quickly took a liking to both Julie and I and more than once I found a cute baby looking up at me with her big brown eyes and smile. Eliana, their oldest, was as precocious as ever. I attempted to show her how to eat a Fun Dip but only managed to succeed in spilling the blue raspberry sugar all over the table. Brilliant!

Good vacations do go by too quickly. Now if only I remembered to take the camera out more often instead of an hour before we left.

Go for Launch!

2009-02-03T18:42:00.002-08:00

I found out on Monday my Space and Missiles Operations Duty physical was approved. This means I'm medically cleared for my next assignment! Colorado Springs or bust!

A Reminder from Stepping Heavenward

2009-02-01T05:14:00.001-08:00

Julie and I received the book Stepping Heavenward: One Woman’s Journey to Godliness for Christmas from my best friend’s wife. I’ve been reading it, albeit leisurely, for the last month. While some might think it unusual for a man to read an autobiography of a woman who lived almost 160 years ago, I’ve found it refreshing to know her struggles in her Christian walk often mirror my own. In fact this particular exchange with a friend caught my attention the other day:

“When one is well and everything goes quite to one’s mind, it is nice to go to church and sing with the rest of them. But sick as I am, it isn’t too easy to be religious.”

“But isn’t this the very time to look to Christ for comfort?”

The last few weeks have been long, stressful and, at times, miserable. My job has been filled with daily disappointment and frustration. In addition, my lack of trust in God concerning the stewardship of my home has festered in my soul. For those who do not know, Julie and I are in the process of selling our home ourselves in preparation for a summer move. I am thankful, however, for the joy, comfort and encouragement of my beautiful wife. Yet her sweetness cannot fully undo the bitterness and contempt my sinful nature has recently encouraged. Instead of drawing closer to Christ, I have fled His comfort too often. What a fool I have been! His embrace may not resolve the stress in my life but my focus on Him will surely keep in perspective His sovereignty over and love for His broken child.

We have a Wii

2009-01-29T17:59:00.002-08:00

We purchased a Nintendo Wii on Monday. Julie lets me win sometimes though she throws a mean curveball in Wii baseball.

100 Days…And Not Long Enough

2009-01-19T05:13:00.002-08:00

In the last hundred days I have…

…experienced God’s grace through Julie daily

…felt simultaneously the joy of leading family worship and the struggle within my flesh to selfishly abandon it

…understood a new depth of communication, both verbal and non-verbal

…discovered a deeper joy and a new perspective of God’s creation

…been challenged to share responsibility in both success and failure

…been encouraged in the struggle against my iniquity

…been reminded of God’s faithfulness and to trust Him more

…witnessed a character of service and nobility

…struggled with gentleness and self-control

…learned there is no shame in being humble

…struggled with disappointment and its articulation

…cherished the intimacy and confidence of my helper

…recognized how truly incomplete I was 101 days ago

Wedding Boogie

2009-01-11T03:58:00.000-08:00

We attended Jason and Judy’s wedding last night. Needless-to-say, it brought back some wonderful memories. We’re so happy for them! It is truly joyful to witness a ceremony where God is recognized and worshipped as the giver and sustainer of the marriage.

On a side note, I greatly enjoyed dancing with Julie for the first time. Although I’m not as graceful or talented as she is, I did manage not to step on her feet. That’s got to be some husband points, right?

The Decider

2009-01-03T06:03:00.003-08:00

Yesterday morning I met with some great Christian brothers for our weekly prayer breakfast. One of them, Jason, is getting married on January 10th. Julie and I are looking forward to attending the wedding and we’re very excited for him and his fiancée, Judy. He looked fairly exhausted and stressed which brought back some recent memories. As we were talking, the subject of the differences in decision making arose between men and women.

Now this is an area I can relate. Remarkably, Julie and I are very similar concerning most matters. For example, our preferences for home décor, foods, financial priorities, child rearing beliefs and devotion to having a Christ-centered marriage are (thankfully) in sync. However, how we process information and come to a decision is not. While I can allow this to become frustrating, her uniqueness in reaching conclusions has taught me how I make decisions and how to best convey information to her.

When presented with a situation, my mind is multitasking. I narrow the decision space to probable courses of action, evaluate the perceived risks and benefits to said alternatives, assess what information I don’t have, form questions to attain the missing information and reach a conclusion based on what I know. All of this usually happens within a span of a few seconds. Moreover, this deliberative process is iterative and constantly seeks a “better” solution. For Julie, I perceive her decision making process as more judicious and cautious. She is very capable of making sound decisions however there isn’t a natural instantaneous inclination. That is, there is no “need for speed.” Her mind works relentlessly on each piece of data to understand the information completely before analyzing the next. Moreover, if bombarded with too many facts at once, she simply shuts down. So, when I ask “What do you think?” after a volley of details, I’m left with a confused expression. Of course, my mind is waiting to hear her opinion and begging her to “use her words” as it can’t comprehend the look it’s receiving. The result is my decision making process coming to a screeching halt with the phrase “FATAL ERROR. DOES NOT COMPUTE” in front of my eyes.

What I’ve learned from this is to have more patience and to communicate better. As a family, decisions are no longer singular. I greatly value Julie’s opinion and, therefore, need to adjust how I approach decision making. More often than not, I have more confidence in a solution after talking with her and know I haven’t ignored key details.

Analogously, I’m convinced if there had been forbidden fruits, not fruit, in the Garden of Eden enough time would have elapsed for Adam to intervene as he should instead of standing there dumbfounded before Eve ate of it. Moreover, the snake would have died of boredom as she would have tediously decided of which to partake.

Discovering Joy in 2009

2009-01-01T10:30:00.004-08:00

First, Happy New Year!

Since Julie had to work today, we didn’t make it to midnight. However, we awoke to the sound of fireworks about that time, embraced each other and then promptly went back to sleep. Earlier in the evening we enjoyed good food and fellowship with friends.

While I don’t believe in New Year Resolutions, my aspiration for this year is to adopt a genuine spirit of joy. God has poured too many blessings upon me for my attitude to generally remain melancholy. After all, joy is a Fruit of the Spirit. Julie continuously demonstrates to me how a person should reflect the pleasure we receive from God’s presence and mercy in our lives. I know she’ll be especially helpful to me in this endeavor. So, here is my prayer from Psalm 30:10-12 for this year:

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help.

You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Mmmm...Chivalry

2008-12-30T12:39:00.004-08:00

During our family worship time last night, the following question was posed to Julie in the couples’s devotion:

What has been my most “shining moment” as your husband?

Since we’d only been married for 79 days, I didn’t expect anything too grand to embellish my ego. After a few moments of deep thought, Julie replied, “You rescuing my candy bar from the trash container.” We had gone to the grocery earlier that day and, in the frenzy of putting things away, her Butterfinger Crisp was left in the sack and then thrown away. Upon discovering this, the man-of-action delved into the trash container, searched through the trash bag and found said candy bar.

So, for those who think chivalry is dead…think again. As for me, I'm confident I haven't set the bar too high just yet. :)

Yes, the Butterfinger Crisp was delicious.

Peek-a-Bow Wow Wow

2008-12-29T15:03:00.001-08:00

Our neighbor's dog is quite the athlete and curious too! Julie and I get a good laugh watching him jump over the wall to see what we're doing in our backyard.

Pandora Internet Radio

2008-12-28T05:44:00.005-08:00

My father-in-law showed us Pandora when he was visiting over Thanksgiving. The site allows the user to configure their personal radio stations around a particular song or artist. Pandora will play songs musically similar to those chosen, although it cannot play a particular song because of their agreement with the industry. I've really enjoyed it--especially with no commercial interruptions! Happy listening!

When Independence Meets a Caregiver

2008-12-14T06:19:00.002-08:00

The most prevalent challenge I’ve faced so far in marriage is allowing Julie to fulfill her role as my helper. God created this beautiful woman with gifts of humility and service. For example, she continuously strives to support me through prayer, household chores, performing errands and words of encouragement. Having ‘Acts of Service’ as one of my primary love languages, these tender actions speak volumes to me. My difficulty isn’t omission of gratitude, but returning these sentiments in dialogues of trust and ‘Quality Time.’

I’ve never been one to openly trust others. In my mind, trust is something earned over time when the demonstrated intent of one’s actions is honorable. For me to ask someone to do something while having no apprehension in the task’s accomplishment requires much effort to suppress my ego. If I fail in doing something or doing it well, I become extremely frustrated with myself. When others are involved, I don’t understand how to properly allocate responsibility for failure. Moreover, my sin nature usually compensates for this by blaming them. My mind is saying, “If I had done this or done this my way, then that wouldn’t have happened.” Scripture shows us an example of this early. After the fall, Adam says to God, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Again, this quote reflects the same conceit in my struggle with trust—easier to blame than accept responsibility for my own actions. It is the loathing of failure that keeps me from allowing Julie to realize her role fully as an equal servant.

So, how am I going to allow God to mend this brokenness? His Word states it simply in Colossians 3:19, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” This week I’m going look for opportunities to allow Julie to help me in areas I haven’t previously. I’m going to pray for patience, humbleness and self-control. When I come home, I’m not going to rush into my perceived nightly responsibilities but take time with Julie to relax and enjoy her wonderful presence in my life.

Fudge!

2008-12-11T05:35:00.001-08:00

10 December 2008

Julie and I made peanut butter fudge topped with melted chocolate last night for my office Christmas party on Friday. Believe me, it’s delicious! I really enjoy cooking with my wife. We make a great team!

Sackcloth Christmas

2008-12-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

I watched several news reports this week about how gloomy the American public and retail store owners are concerning the forecasted reduction of consumer spending this Christmas. However, what’s important to understand is the growth of American Christmas shopping compared to previous years is less, not overall spending. In other words, we’re simply not out spending ourselves this year…some of us our actually attempting to be financially responsible. That’s a bad thing!?

In light of the recent unemployment numbers, increasing housing foreclosures, U.S. automakers pending bankruptcies, uncontrollably rising Federal deficit, and fall stock market collapse, all I’ve heard from our elected officials (including our President-Elect) is how we need to stimulate the economy. Not one of our leaders, to my knowledge, has stood up and said how blessed a nation we are even in this time of economic downturn. Not one has publicly thanked God for the last several years of prosperity, acknowledged His sovereignty and mercies, or asked for His wisdom in leading our nation.

My point is not to belittle the hardship of many American families this year. There are real sufferings beyond ‘the kids not getting everything they want for Christmas.’ Yet, these are pale compared to the horrendous conditions so many people live in around our world. When I served in Afghanistan last year, I saw poverty beyond description. My pastor quoted Luke 12:48 during his sermon last week, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” I hope we, as Americans, renew our humbleness towards God’s grace this Christmas season, understand what we’ve each been entrusted with, and act in accordance on it. To that end, Julie and I have decided not to purchase gifts for each other. Instead, we’re seeking out opportunities to spread the hope this season represents in others’ lives. I do not mean to boast in this admission but to encourage you to consider the same.

30 is the New 20

2008-11-29T23:00:00.006-08:00

30 November 2008

Yes, I’ve crossed a great milestone in my life. Today I’m 30. Julie, Robyn and Bob threw me a party last night. We all enjoyed the scrumptious peanut butter chocolate pie Julie made me! Yes, there are 30 candles on the cake. As the last 50 days of marriage have shown, this is going to be an awesome decade!

Here are a few things that have happened since I’ve been on this Earth:

10,958 days; 262,992 hours; 15,779,520 minutes and 946,771,200 seconds

8 leap years (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008)

5 different presidential administrations (2 Democratic and 3 Republican)

Smallpox was eradicated (1978)

First birth due to in vitro (1978)

Iran hostage crisis involving 52 U.S. diplomats (1979-1981)

Mount St. Helens erupted (1980)

CNN was launched as the first all news network (1980)

Attempted assassination of President Reagan (1981)

First Space Shuttle flight (1981)

MTV launched (1981)

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" sold 20 million albums to become the largest selling record ever (1982)

Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space (1983)

The United States hosted the Olympic Summer Games twice (1984 Los Angles, California & 1996 Atlanta, Georgia)

Scientists identify HIV as the cause of AIDS (1984)

Nintendo Entertainment System first sold in the United States (1985)

The Space Shuttles Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) disintegrated in the atmosphere

The stock market crashed twice (1987 and 2008)

Star Trek the Next Generation (1987)

Human Genome project begins (1988)

Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland (1988)

Berlin Wall falls down (1989)

First liver transplant (1989)

Simpsons (1989)

Hubble telescope launched (1990)

Apartheid ended in South Africa (1990-1991)

The Soviet Union collapsed (1991)

The United States invaded Iraq twice (1991 and 2003)

Germany was unified (1991)

LA riots (1992)

The World Trade Center was bombed (1993) and later destroyed (2001) by terrorists

The European Union was created (1993)

Tiger Woods won the Masters (1994)

North American Free Trade Agreement signed (1994)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) became fully operational (1995)

The Internet and E-mail became a household phenomenon (1996)

First animal, a sheep named Dolly, cloned (1996)

Mars Pathfinder lands (1997)

Impeachment of President Clinton by the House of Representatives (1998)

A new Star Wars trilogy was created (1999, 2002 and 2005)

Great Britain turned over Hong Kong to the Chinese (1999)

USS Cole attacked (2000)

Human Genome Project was completed (2000)

The United States launched the ‘Global War on Terror’ in Afghanistan (2001)

Blackout in Northeast (2003)

A new Pope, Benedict XVI, was elected (2005)

Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast (2005)

The United States added its 300 millionth citizen (2006)

An African-American, Barack Obama, was elected President of the United States (2008)

Visiting Albuquerque

2008-11-29T15:12:00.007-08:00

29 November 2008

Julie and I took her parents around Albuquerque today. We started with a delicious breakfast at Le Peep (a favorite restaurant of ours). We then traveled to Old Town and did a lot of window shopping. We also stopped at the Candy Lady store and Julie's parents treated us to some incredible fudge. Finally, we explored the Petroglyphs. The wind was quite strong at the top as evidenced in the third picture below. Yes, that is my wife 'hiking' with a coffee cup. We only take the absolute necessities on our adventures!

The Beginning of Traditions

2008-11-29T05:23:00.009-08:00

28 November 2008

This year, of course, is many firsts for our family. I love every one of them. It was wonderful putting up the tree together. When I was growing up, my family would decorate our home for Christmas either the Friday after Thanksgiving or shortly thereafter. It’s one of my favorite memories from childhood. I was very pleased Julie also enjoys decorating earlier too! I’m also glad Julie’s parents could be a part of this experience. Bob was an expert in artificial tree stabilization engineering, and Robyn ensured we had the best looking tree on the block. I chuckled inside as Julie worked to place each ornament in just the ‘right’ location. I admit my mind did wander a few years into the future when other little hands are helping us put on the decorations in a less than orderly fashion and bright eyes are gazing in wonder as we plug in the tree. For now, I’m thankful to have my wife next to me this Christmas season as we continue building our traditions together.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T14:50:00.009-08:00

27 November 2008

We were blessed this year to have Julie's parents, Bob and Robyn, visit with us for our first Thanksgiving together. Julie, with some help from her mom, worked tirelessly to prepare a wonderful meal. I made my family's apricot jello dessert and Bob showed me how to carve a turkey. Everything was absolutely delicious! As always, Julie worked hard to make every detail special.

Julie and I have so much to give thanks for this year. God continues to show us His mercies and grace through our marriage!

Psalm 111

Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.

He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.

He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Thoughts on Headship (43 Days)

2008-11-23T06:43:00.001-08:00

23 November 2008

Julie and I read a few books on marriage together this past summer. Each for the Other by Bryan Chapell was very enlightening into understanding God’s ordained roles and responsibilities of our covenant. I’d recommend it to any couple whether they’re engaged or have been married for any length of time.

I’ve only begun to discover the joy and adversity within my flesh in fulfilling my role as husband. Julie and I have time set aside for family worship. We’re currently going through a couple’s devotional we received as a wedding gift and we pray together nightly. After a Sunday school lesson a few weeks ago concerning prayer, we created a weekly prayer list designating certain nights for specific families and themed requests. But don’t let this Pleasantville picture fool you. While we both have generally encouraged each other (one of the most meaningful aspects about Julie I love is her service in encouraging me in my Biblical responsibilities as her husband), there’s a good chance we still miss this time once a week. Due to my self-imposed, hectic schedule, there are some evenings I want to go directly to bed after dinner. Julie teases me of ‘thinking to much’ (she’s correct) and there are times I believe my higher-level brain functions want a bailout. The temptation of skipping a night by throwing up chaff in the form of watching a movie or TV through our computer is sometimes overwhelming and unfortunately becomes reality. Besides my wife, what often aids me in conquering these temptations is knowing how much we both appreciate our worship times together and how much closer as a couple we feel to one another when finished.

Due to the long distance of our courting and engagement, our relationship has heavily relied on prayer as its foundation. I believe this with God’s grace has helped us form strong patterns in our marriage thus far. But marriage, as I’m learning, requires constant work and selfless action by both in order to fulfill its true intention—to represent Christ’s relationship with the Church. I hope as we grow in our marriage, both Julie and I can share how we’re better comprehending and accomplishing our covenant roles. As for me, marriage is the most sanctifying experience I’ve ever had—and there’s a lot more dying to self needing to occur.

The Final Frontier

2008-11-22T15:24:00.007-08:00

14 November 2008

I found out a few weeks ago I was accepted into a highly competitive program at work. Instead of pushing paper, I’ll be monitoring satellite operations beginning in 2010. Julie and I will be moving to California next summer for training and then to Colorado for three years. We’re very excited about this. We appreciate all the continued prayers and support from our family and friends!

Luna de Miel (Spanish for Honeymoon!)

2008-11-22T14:05:00.026-08:00

12-26 October 2008

We honeymooned in Los Cabos, Mexico. Julie’s father won two weeks at the Grand Mayan Resort and gave them to us as a gift. Yes, I have wonderful in-laws! The resort was beautiful and the food unbelievably delicious. The Grand Mayan was in San Jose del Cabo (cabo translates cape) and another town we visited was Cabo San Lucas where the famous Baja Arch is between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. Besides laying next to the pool working on our tans, we took a sunset dinner cruise, explored Los Cabos through a city tour and went horseback riding. We did make a few funny memories through our adventures.

The first escapade involved a bus ride from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. A taxi would have cost us $35 each way. Since we’re frugal, we opted for public transportation (about $2 each one-way). Our first challenge was finding the bus stop. It wasn’t well marked (i.e. look for a bunch of people standing together). The second trial was the ride. I paid the driver through the window at the front of the bus and we got on at the rear. The problem was every seat and the entire middle aisle was full. So I squeezed my way in and went to help my wife. Julie stood there in disbelief and said, “I don’t think this is going to work.” As the bus started to move again, I grabbed her and said, “I’ve already paid and we just have to make this work.” Since I had the tickets for the dinner cruise, the cash and the room key, leaving her there wasn’t an option. We spent 40 minutes being jolted and assaulted by the rear door as it opened and closed at indiscreet stops. Moreover, every time the bus stopped I had to jump out to let someone off and then frantically jump back on before the bus picked up too much speed as it left. Needless-to-say, we took a taxi home.

The second venture began with my idea it would be fun to go horseback riding. Why I thought this was a good idea, I’ll never know. The first horse I rode knew who was in charge…him. I thought I was riding a donkey for awhile. He had one speed and I soon found myself further and further behind Julie and our tour guide with snails passing me. Additionally, this animal wanted to eat every few yards. When I finally gave the rope a good yank, my horse decided he’d had enough and tried to buck me. I then exchanged horses with our tour guide. I’m pretty sure this animal was on some form of cocaine. With a slight touch of my heel, I found myself at ‘ludicrous speed’ charging down the beach and running out of sand. Worse, I found out how horribly painful it is for a man to ride such an animal as I was constantly being jolted up and down on my saddle. It took three days for me to walk correctly again. Thankfully, Julie had a ‘normal’ horse.

We had an amazing time but we were both ready to come home and start our lives together in New Mexico.

This was our 'Moment of Zen'...

Going to the Chapel

2008-11-22T12:12:00.023-08:00

11 October 2008

Well, everyone said our wedding day would go by in a flash. They were right. We couldn't have prayed for a more tender and classy (as Julie says) ceremony. We were so blessed to have our family and friends there to share the day with us. The pictures below are courtesy of Jimmy Do Photo.

And when it was all over the way we felt couldn't have been expressed any better than by our niece, Mia...