Random Pic of the Day - "Swing away. . . "

Random Pic of the Day - "Dinner on the Riverwalk."

Random Pic of the Day - "Wow. What a memory."

Random Pic of the Day - "BCA."

Food, Fellowship, and Fun

Yesterday I attended a get-together hosted by the Sarratt family in their hometown of Cibolo, TX. Others present included the Manteufels, the Torreses, the Gills, the Lavins, the Spradlings, and Michael Fowl. We gathered at the Nimietz Park around 11:00 a.m., boldly braving the 93° F heat (I’m not ready for that yet) for the sake of food, fellowship, and outdoor fun. Translation? We had a picnic.

Volleyball was the first activity of the day, as everyone left the safety and comfort of shade trees and journeyed into the land of the blazing sun. Ahh, the joy of burning white sand upon one’s naked feet. It made me feel like dancing. . . and so I did (or at least I hopped around quite a bit). Anyway, after about 3-4 games of volleyball no one could take the scorching any longer, and so we all migrated back to Shadeville. Bweee.

Lunch was graciously provided for this bachelor by, well, pretty much everyone else! I believe that the Sarratts were the primary source of my sustenance at the noon-time meal, so special thanks to them. Everything edible tasted great.

Following lunch I decided that shade was the place to be, so I participated in a variety of shady activities (ahem). From watching a vigorous game of Dutch Blitz, to jumping rope (remembrances of younger days), to laying peacefully (albeit not overly comfortably) upon a picnic bench, my afternoon at the picnic provided me with relaxation I had not enjoyed in some time. There’s just something special about physical inactivity on a hot day, engaging in quiet conversation and feeling like one has not a care in the world. All I lacked was a hammock!

As the picnic came to a close, I joined several of the families in a short caravan drive to the Sarratt’s home for further food, fellowship, and indoor fun (A/C!). As per usual, the Sarratts were consummate hosts, and I again imposed upon their culinary abilities by indulging in some scrumptious fajitas for dinner. Scattered around the evening meal time were games of Dutch Blitz, air hockey, ping-pong, and spoons (a fast-paced card game involving- - -believe it or not- - -spoons). A delightful after-picnic party, to be sure.

Thanks to all who helped make such a wonderful day.

It's foot-burning time.

What does one do at a picnic? Sit around and play cards, of course.

Hmm, that doesn't look like a full house. Oh, wrong game.

The intensity level appears rather, well, low.

Five spoons, but six players. Hmm.

Random Pic of the Day - "Now that is a cute little girl!"

Random Pic of the Day - "Gotta luv it!"

Majestic: Music and Theatre

This evening I traveled to downtown San Antonio. I was drawn thence by the exciting prospect of my first–ever visit to the Majestic Theatre, home of the San Antonio Symphony. Prior to tonight I had never experienced the San Antonio Symphony in person, so when the opportunity arose to visit the Majestic Theatre and listen to the Symphony with some friends, I immediately jumped at the chance.

Attending tonight’s concert with me were Michael Fowl, Nikkae, Katherine, Brandon, and Anthony (Hubers all four). We each enjoyed the night’s two musical pieces, the first being Walton’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat minor (which piece I had never heard), and the second the well-known (and personal favorite) Vivaldi’s Le quattro stagioni, op.8 (commonly titled, The Four Seasons). Both selections were well-performed, although I preferred The Four Seasons (duh).

Check out Brandon’s blog for details about Karen Gomyo, the solo violinist who played The Four Seasons. Although my efforts to determine a good/bad rating of the violinist from the members of our group was in vain, personally I thought she was extremely good. However, Brandon will have the complete scoop on her (or so I am told), and I therefore encourage you to view his blog for that info.

After the concert we walked (and walked, and walked, and walked) along the Riverwalk and stopped at a Hagen Dazs ice cream shop for- - -believe it or not- - -ice cream. Quite a tasty treat! Regrettably, I was unable to find us any seating inside the shop or out, so we ate our snack as we walked (and walked, and walked, and walked) back to the Hubers vehicle. Oh, well. Good exercise.

Many thanks to the Hubers for inviting Michael and me to the concert. It was an enjoyable evening, and something which I look forward to doing again.

The Majestic Theatre (sevnty-six years young).

My one quick (and illegally snapped) photo of Majestic Theatre's interior. Kinda dark (no flash).

Katherine, Nikkae, Anthony, Brandon, and Michael.

Anthony graciously snapped this photo so that I could prove my presence at tonight's events. Evidence of our stop at Hagen Dazs can be seen in my left hand.

Random Pic of the Day - "That's a lot of guys."

Silence Does Not Automatically Equal Wisdom

Proverbs 17:28
"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

It is interesting to note that, although a man who refrains from speech is "counted wise" and "esteemed a man of understanding," those imputations of wisdom are actually perceived realities, not true facts. In other words, keeping your mouth shut doesn’t make you smart; it merely hides your foolishness from others.

The man who diligently studies God’s Word and applies it to his life need not hold his peace in order to hide his foolishness from the world. Instead he relies on the wisdom of the Lord to provide a strong foundation of knowledge and truth for his speech.

While I am by no means advocating uninformed commentary or arrogant blustering, I am encouraging myself and others to resist the fear of man and to speak truth when appropriate. A man who consistently says nothing is not a leader, but rather a coward. Therefore, men, be bold, act like men, and proclaim the truth!

Random Pic of the Day - "Truly Random."

Random Pic of the Day - "Oh, the story behind this photo."

Random Pic of the Day - "Introspective in a truck."

Random Pic of the Day - "Memories. . . "

Random Pic of the Day - "Wesley Strackbein: A great man."

Random Pic of the Day - "No comprende?"

Ocean City, New Jersey: The Boardwalk

Ahh, the ocean. How I love this mighty evidence of God’s creation! Many are the hours I have spent in the Atlantic Ocean during my young life, enjoying its power and majesty in North Carolina, Florida, and (most often) New Jersey.

There are few activities in which I take more delight than in body-surfing the ocean, floating on my stomach and catching a wave just right so that it pushes me well toward the shore at an exhilarating rate of speed. The feeling one gets as one finds oneself entirely at the ocean’s mercy is deliciously fearsome, yet strangely peaceful. Suffice it to say that the might of man quickly diminishes before the omnipotence of God Who controls this untamable salt water sea.

I was reminded of my love for the ocean during my visit home earlier this week, when my dad graciously suggested and made possible an evening journey to Ocean City, New Jersey. My dad, Mark, Cara, John, and I (my mom stayed home with my grandfather) drove the approximately one hour from my home to the Jersey Shore, arriving at one of New Jersey’s world-famous boardwalks (Ocean City’s) around 6:00 p.m. After gazing at the Atlantic Ocean (only 50 yards or so from the boardwalk) and walking a bit on the board walk, we stopped for some good South Jersey pizza at Mack & Manco’s (a favorite boardwalk pizzeria). Oh, the joy of eating good pizza! San Antonio’s pizza has left me longing for the pizza of the Philadelphia region, and my longing was satisfied (at least for the moment) at Mack & Manco’s. Major kudos to that fine pizza establishment.

Once done with our meal we walked back out to the brisk, evening ocean air and made our way to the beach. Although the weather was much too chilly for swimming (we were all wearing jackets), just to walk on the sand and see the ocean in front of me was sufficient enjoyment. Strolling along the beach, we headed to a pier of large rocks that jutted about 25 yards into the ocean. The waves were washing over the outermost quarter of the pier and we "daringly" tempted the waters, treading nearer and nearer the gentle, foaming white-caps. Somehow we all managed to remain dry. What fun!

To complete our evening we stopped by The Original Fudge Kitchen, also located on the boardwalk. There I procured a one-pound box of salt water taffy, a treat most enjoyed when purchased at the boardwalk (at least I think so). However, even if one cannot find one’s way to a New Jersey boardwalk, I still recommend indulging oneself with this delectable delicacy (just make sure it’s fresh; stale salt water taffy can be very annoying). From my early childhood I have appreciated the unique taste of salt water taffy, and every time I eat a piece I return in my mind to fond memories of family, friends, the ocean, and the beach. What power food can have upon a person!

Thus I spent another enjoyable evening in New Jersey. They say you don’t miss something until you lose it. They’re right.

John heads toward the ocean.

The Ocean City boardwalk. . .

. . . and more of it.

Mark captures some boardwalk/ocean/beach footage.

Apparently Plymouth has moved (click on the photo).

Our restaurant of choice for the evening. And a good choice it was!

Pizza pie, baby!

Is he enjoying that?

The ocean blue.

My dad and sister pose on the pier.

White foam on black rock.

The Original Fudge Kitchen.

Touring Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: birthplace of our nation, guardian of our Liberty Bell, site of historic gatherings and signings of documents, etc., etc., etc. From the founding of our "free and independent states" until now, this city has played as instrumental a role as any in forming the land I love above all others. The heritage we possess as Christians in America can be traced back in many ways to the historic meetings held in that city by our Founding Fathers, and Philadelphia deserves recognition and remembrance as host of these infant American days. To remember and better appreciate the history of this city and our country, as well as the blessings of our Almighty God, Mark, Cara, John and I visited Philadelphia this past Tuesday.

Our journey commenced by taking the High-Speed Line from Haddonfield, NJ, into Philadelphia, PA. We rode the train across the Ben Franklin Bridge and disembarked at 8th and Market streets. Departing the terminal, we strolled two blocks to the Independence Visitor Center, located directly across the street from Independence Mall. At the Visitor Center we procured free tickets for access to the Liberty Bell (housed on Independence Mall), perused a few displays, and took pictures and video (Mark had brought his friend’s GL2 with him).

Walking across the street we made our way through security for the Liberty Bell, waiting only about fifteen minutes or so in line. Once inside, the four of us slowly meandered through the (for the most part) "politically correct" nonsensical placards and signs, eventually ending at the Liberty Bell itself. It is sobering to gaze upon an inanimate object that has for so many years induced patriotic speeches, writings, and songs in honor of the liberty we have been granted. Imposing in its simple, cracked grandeur, the Bell conjures dreams of freedom and independence in the beholder, hearkening one's mind back to those who gave their lives for the liberty of their children's children. An important stop during our day, needless to say.

From the Liberty Bell we moved to Independence Hall, site of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the United States Constitution. We toured the old Pennsylvania State House, gazed upon the chair of the "rising sun," and considered the events which transpired within that building more than 200 years ago.

After brief visits to a few other buildings in the vicinity, we decided it was time for our mid-day grub. Stopping at Sonny's Famous Steaks, we enjoyed a meal quite carnivorous in nature. While Cara, John, and I each ate burgers, Mark polished off his second Philly cheesesteak in as many days, his first ever within Philadelphia's city limits. To all those who have never eaten a real Philly cheesesteak (i.e., a cheesesteak made in Philadelphia), I highly recommend changing that fact.

In order to gain a better overview of the entire city and its history, Mark, John, Cara, and I purchased tickets for a bus ride around Philadelphia. We sat in the top of a two-tiered bus enjoying the unobstructed views provided by the open air setting (no roof). During our 1 1/2 hour loop we saw, among other things, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Reading Terminal Market, Carpenters' Hall, the Betsy Ross House, Independence Hall, Boathouse Row, Fairmount Park, Benjamin Franklin's Post Office, Elfreth's Alley (nation's oldest residential street), the National Constitution Center, Chinatown, the Philadelphia Zoo, and Penn's Landing. Many pictures were snapped and much footage was shot, to be sure.

Following our bus ride we stopped for some Italian water ice, a Philadelphia treat. Recommendation #2: to all those who have never partaken of this cool, delightful delicacy, I strongly suggest that you change that harsh reality.

Our Philadelphia day trip ended with a brief stop outside of Carpenters' Hall as we finished consuming our respective cups of water ice. Then it was back to 8th and Market streets to catch the High-Speed Line to Haddonfield, from which we drove to Williamstown and home. Our memorable Philadelphia tour was complete.

Mark is shooting footage while Cara and John walk around the Independence Visitor Center.

Hmm.

This is a picture of a picture displayed inside the Liberty Bell Center. The photo depicts the Liberty Bell using 25000 officers and enlisted men from Camp Dix, New Jersey.

The Liberty Bell.

The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Independence Hall (the other side).

The chair of the "rising sun," inside Independence Hall.

A romantic row of horse drawn carriages. No, we didn't.

Uncle Mark wants YOU to help him eat his Philly cheesesteak.

Mark, John, and Cara ready for the bus tour.

Elfreth's Alley, the nation's oldest residential street.

The National Constitution Center.

The famous Reading Terminal Market.

Although this was not our bus, ours looked exactly like this one.

Philadelphia's City Hall.

The Philadelphi Museum of Art. The face of Dali is not usually displayed on these famous steps, by the way.

William Penn stands atop City Hall.

The Philadelphia skyline.

Boathouse Row.

A cool in-city shot.

A parting shot of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Volleyball Vacation

Monday’s vacation events brought me back to a favorite park of mine, Washington Lake Park in Washington Township, NJ. This park has hosted many family outings over the course of my life, providing facilities for soccer, volleyball, ALERT Basic Training preparation, picnics, roller-blading, hiking, and general good fun. As a gesture of familial love and care, my family coordinated a gathering of old friends at this park on Monday, and more wonderful memories were made by all of us at Washington Lake Park.

Although there was excellent food in abundance at the picnic, I allocated most of my time to the pursuit of volleyball. It was a joy to punch around a ball with my old friends once again, and I thoroughly enjoyed the leaping, diving, and falling that ensued. Suffice it to say that most every volleyball player spent as much time in a prone position as in a standing one!

In attendance at Monday’s picnic were the following families: Pheros, Smiths, Davises, Bruces, and Thompsons. After having attended the same church with all of these families for a minimum of five years per family, it was a blessing to fellowship with them once more in a different setting. The friend’s of one’s formative years always hold a special place in one’s heart.

Regrettably, due to my intense focus on soccer and fellowship, I neglected to capture any digital remembrances of the evening. Nevertheless, those memories shall remain in my mind, and I can enjoy them even if most others cannot.

Random Pic of the Day - "My Bouviers des Flandres, Liselle."

Tennis, Anyone?

This afternoon I played tennis with Mark, my Uncle Steve (also visiting from Texas), and my dad. Although the young guys started the day with a smashing first set victory, the old guys beat us three sets to one. Oh, well.

Playing doubles. My Uncle Steve is in the foreground; I'm in the background.

Whack that serve, Marcus. Your foot was on the line, by the way.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today I enjoyed the rare privilege of visiting with my mom in person. My mom is a gift I too often take for granted, and I am a son blessed beyond measure by her motherly gifts and affections. From me to you, mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

Love ya, Mom!

A Weekend Amongst Mountains, Rivers, Real Trees, Family, and Friends

This past weekend I traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with my good friend Mark Stubblefield to represent Vision Forum at the CHAP home school convention. There I also enjoyed the privilege of working behind the Vision Forum booth with my sister, brother, and mom, who drove to Harrisburg and graciously rendered their services in the weekends’ labors. Together we were all blessed with a weekend of ministry, fellowship, and fun.

Working with my family was a true treat. My sister worked just as hard, if not harder, than Mark and me, and my mom and brother pitched in many hours of labor as well. I am grateful to have family members willing to take a weekend out of their life to work hard with me. God’s blessings are many.

Mark was, well, Mark. Need I say more? Seriously, though, Mark demonstrated a genuine servant’s heart by volunteering his time to minister with Vision Forum and me at the CHAP convention. Our friendship picked up right where we left off after he departed San Antonio, and our time together was much fun. Much fun. Thanks, Mark, for all your hard work.

CHAP’s convention drew 7,000-8,000 attendees. Therefore, neither Mark, Cara, nor I had much sitting-down time on Friday or Saturday. No complaints here, though. CHAP did a wonderful job of hosting the convention and making things easy for exhibitors like us, and I want to throw major kudos and thanks their way.

The Lord saw fit to bring many of my personal friends and acquaintances by Vision Forum’s booth during the convention, all of whom I was extremely grateful to see again. From old ALERT Basic cohorts, to friends from my Character Foundations/Childrens’ Institute days, and everywhere in between, the weekend was one of tremendous personal fellowship and conversation. Of course, there was plenty of VF work as well! However, it was pleasant to fly about 1500 miles from my residence in San Antonio and still spend a weekend amongst friends.

One of the families with whom I reacquainted myself was the Bloom family. They lived in Southern New Jersey until approximately seven years ago, and I had originally met them through a children’s program in which we had co-labored before their departure from that state.. They now live in Northern Virginia, where for the past seven years Mr. Bloom has been working in HSLDA’s IT department, over which he is now head.

The Bloom family was at the CHAP convention representing HSLDA. Two of their daughters, Katy and Kimberlee, either recognized, or were recognized by, my sister, and we ended up going out to dinner with the Bloom family on both Friday and Saturday nights. A Bloom friend and fellow HSLDA representative, Janice Phillips, also accompanied us to dinner both evenings, as did Patti (on Friday night), a fine lady representing an affiliate of HSLDA at the convention. Additionally, three of the Lewis brothers, mutual friends of the Blooms and me who were also at the CHAP convention, joined us for dinner on Saturday night. Suffice it to say there was no lack of merriment or excellent fellowship amongst our group on either evening!

Friday night’s dinner was enjoyed at the Outback Steakhouse, albeit after waiting to be seated for ninety minutes (Friday night and no reservation, don’t you know). New friendships were quickly formed, and old ones renewed, and a great deal of video and picture taking ensued. Methinks it safe to assume that "Dorothy Pictureframe" will be remembered for some time to come.

Dinner on Saturday was at Cracker Barrel, which restaurant was wisely reserved for our use by the Bloom family and Janice (many thanks!). I enjoyed conversing with Mr. and Mrs. Bloom and becoming better acquainted with them both, as the previous evening’s seating arrangements had not allowed for as much interaction with them. Judging from our conversation, HSLDA is well served, I think, to have Mr. Bloom and his family on staff. They are a wonderful representation of that organization, and it was a pleasure to get to know them better. I look forward to seeing them again this year on the conference trail.

After departing from our Saturday night dinner at Cracker Barrel, Mark and I proceeded to drive to the Harrisburg International Airport to return our rental car. My mom, brother, and sister followed behind us in their mini-van, ready to pick us up after we returned the car (we were, and presently are, spending several days with my family in New Jersey). Before leaving the Cracker Barrel parking lot, Mark and I had transferred all of our luggage from the rental car to the mini-van, packing the trunk area rather tightly. However, as we (actually I) had slammed the trunk shut with vigorous strength and determination, we harbored no concern about the safety of the transferred luggage as we made our way toward the airport. Oh, the sweet bliss of ignorance.

While driving down a busy road toward Route 81, I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed that my mom had her emergency lights on and was pulling over to the side of the road. I immediately pulled over as well, although I was at first uncertain as to the cause of our delay. When I looked again, however, I realized that the trunk of the mini-van was wide open, and I quickly ascertained that said fact probably did not denote pleasant happenings, particularly as they might relate to the aforementioned luggage. Mark and I jumped out of our car and started running back down the road toward the mini-van. We passed the min-van and saw my mom and another gentleman quickly returning from the busy intersection through which we had just driven, both carrying several pieces of luggage in their arms. After taking the luggage from them (the gentleman was an extremely kind fellow-motorist who had stopped and rendered my mom assistance), Mark and I endeavored to place the recently bouncing luggage (gratefully undamaged) back in the mini-van and shut the trunk. Regrettably, the trunk’s latch appeared to be quite busted, and no pushing, prodding, or prying on our part succeeded in remedying that reality. We soon gave up hope of fixing the latch and instead focused our attention on a nearby gas station, thinking there might be some rope or bungee cords available for sale inside (we planned to tie down the trunk for the duration of the trip, as a viable alternative option was not presenting itself to us). Hopping back into our rental car, Mark and I drove the short distance to the gas station, found several bungee cords, purchased them, and quickly returned to the mini-van. During our absence, however, a police car with flashing lights had pulled behind my mom, which fact caused us to quicken our pace even more as soon as we noticed this new addition to the situation. As we parked in front of the mini-van and hurried toward the police officer, my sister informed us that the officer had fixed the problem. Mark and I walked past the back of the car and were greeted by a police woman who was in the process of leaving the mini-van, mission accomplished. Apparently she had jimmied with the lock using her pen and had successfully restored its latching capabilities. What a wonderful feeling for two very manly (or so we thought) young men trying to resolve the matter on their own. Ugh. But, we were very grateful for the Lord’s providential working, and thanked Him for sending the police woman to our aid. What a way to end the weekend! (I won’t bother to mention missing my exit on the way home and having to take the New Jersey turnpike instead of the Walt Whitman bridge, thereby missing Boathouse Row---which I wanted to show Mark---and adding an hour to our drive.)

I am now safely at my home in New Jersey, having just completed a day of celebration (Mother’s Day), attending church, playing tennis, visiting my grandparents, and teaching Mark to play Pinochle. Presently I am sitting in my dad’s office blogging as Marcus sits in a chair next to me doing likewise. How sweet it is to once again be recording my adventures for posterity (and myself).

Following are some pictures from this weekend. Enjoy!

Mark setting up. He's glowing!

Setup is complete.

Okay, now it's complete.

Conversing with customers.

Friday night at the Outback Steakhouse. From left to right: Cara, Katy Bloom, Mrs. Bloom, Patti, Kimberlee Bloom, Mr. Bloom, Janice Phillips, and Mark. We're patiently (or not) waiting to be seated inside the restaurant.

We made it inside! The white napkin is holding my seat.

Back to the booth on Saturday.

Saturday night at Cracker Barrel. Counter-clockwise from left to right: Katy, Rob Lewis, Ben Lewis, Kimberlee, Andrew Lewis, Cara, and Janice.

The "grown-ups" table (I'm sitting to Mark's right, by the way).

Random Pic of the Day - "Front Left: my brother, John, and my dad, Jeff."

Random Pic of the Day - "In preparation for an evening on the Riverwalk."

Conviction or Compromise?

Recently I had the opportunity to see a friend whom I had not seen in some time. She is a young lady (now in her mid-twenties) who has always held a high place of honor in my mind, and I was grateful for the opportunity to visit with her again.

The group setting in which I was to see her was one of some formality, and required the wearing of "dressy" attire. When I arrived at the event, I soon observed that my friend was scheduled to play an integral role in the proceedings of the day. To my chagrin, it became quickly apparent that the other young ladies with whom she was to appear were dressed in a manner I knew was not up to the standard of modesty my friend had always "preached" and practiced. As I waited for my friend to make her "entrance," I wondered within myself whether she would compromise and conform to the crowd for the sake of unity and comfort, or whether she would choose to hold fast to her convictions of modesty. Would her attire be that of the others, or would she stand alone - completely alone - for her beliefs?

To my immense joy and relief I was blessed to see my friend arrive looking very pretty and sweet, wearing a dress that was tailored for the modesty standard her parents and the Lord had set for her, and which she had likewise embraced. Rather than compromise her conviction and "fit in" with the other young ladies, my friend chose the path of principle. As I watched her come into the room, I almost cried with pride in this young lady of conviction. Oh, the happiness of obedience.

As soon as I had opportunity, I approached my friend and told her how proud I was of her for making the difficult choice to stand out and be different for the sake of conviction and principle. It was important to me that I communicate to her my gratitude and appreciation, as I was certain there would be few others who would do so (ridicule and misunderstanding was the likelier response). How sweet it was to visit with a friend from years gone by who continues to live according to her convictions, not from a "holier than thou" attitude, but with a sincere desire to conform herself to the image of Christ rather than the world.

There are many Christians who wouldn’t have given a second thought about the appearance of the other young ladies I mentioned in my account. Most people, Christian or not, would probably have thought nothing other than that there were several pretty girls in appropriate dress for the occasion. Yet I knew my friend, and I knew that her heart’s conviction would not be comfortable with wearing what was worn by the others. Praise the Lord, my friend disdained compromise and embraced conviction in her appearance.

May God richly bless all who remain so faithful to the convictions He has laid upon their hearts. In so doing they bless others who are watching their lives and hoping against hope to see obedience. And there are always people watching.

Random Pic of the Day - "Look away, Michaela. Look away!"