I am thankful for my growing awareness of God's nearness.

I am thankful for my beautiful wife and how good of a mom she is.

I am thankful for Max and Lydia and every single smile they've ever had.

"The truth will set you free, but at first it will really hack you off." ~Michael Hyatt

children: more work than you want, more rewarding than you deserve

One thing that has fascinated about having kids is the immediate bond I felt with both Max and Lydia.  It's not like I needed to get to know them first, or they needed to get comfortable with me before it happened.  I would even say I felt this bond before they were born.  I remember thinking while they were only a few days old, "Wow, I am surprised by how much I love these two little snotty, poopy, crying, needy, slimy alien-like creatures.  I don't even know them yet I already love them more than almost everybody else I know."

I have also been surprised by how excited I am when they grow older and bigger.  Carrie is always saying how sad she is that her "babies" are not as small as they used to be.  All I can think is that I can't wait until they can crawl, talk, walk and someday learn to intentionally scare mom.  I have very minimal nostalgia for their previous phases.

Just my thoughts.  Anybody else have a similar experience?

Great pics

The fires in heaven...

I am thoroughly convinced that God will let everyone into heaven who, in his considered opinion, can stand it. But "standing it" may prove to be a more difficult matter than those who take their view from popular movies or popular preaching may think. The fires in heaven may be hotter than those in the other place.

...I often wonder how happy and useful some of the fearful, bitter, lust-ridden, hate-filled Christians I have seen involved in church or family or neighborhood or political battles would be if they were forced to live forever in the unrestrained fullness of the reality of God...

- Dallas Willard, from The Divine Conspiracy

digested lung

Have you ever taken a dump so big you felt like your body accidentally digested one of your lungs and then crapped it out?

I did...

...yesterday...

...it was awesome.

Tends to Fill Up My Soul

for Max and Lydia

Jesus Saves... The Party...

I don't know if I'm supposed to think this is sacrilegious because I'm a Christian, but I think it is hilarious.

MONKEYS, MONKEYS, MONKEYS!!!

I drafted this post back in 2008 when I was in India, but didn't post it until today.  For the record, the monkeys were awesome.  And they were fearless.  They would steal sodas and food and shiny things from tourists.


हे वहत'स उप?
This means "hey what's up?" in Hindi.
इ सव अ लौट ऑफ़ मोंकेयस टुडे!!!
This means "I saw a lot of monkeys today!!!"

Hyper-Minimalist Children's Posters

So, my buddy Christian Jackson is a ridiculously talented creative.  I use the word creative as a noun in his case.  Dance, music, art, graphic design... you name it and he is creative at it.  Here is one of my favorite hyper-minimalist children's posters that he created as part of series that has become very popular.  If you haven't already come across them, then check them all out here on his website:
http://www.squareinchdesign.com/category/special-projects/



Also, you should buy one of these as a poster here:
http://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=506502a6-9ebb-453c-a5f0-90cd14c2abbc

PG-Rated Tactile Sensations I Love

Tearing along perforated lines
Popping bubble wrap

Warm-air hand dryers (especially the ridiculously powerful ones)
Pop rocks
Smashing ice with a stick or rock

Tends to fill up my soul

A little hand reaching out to grasp whatever it can

Finds my face and a smile

Tends to fill up my soul

A little eye struggling against sleep to open wide
Finds both of mine

Tends to fill up my soul

A little voice grunting and singing in pathetic and beautiful tones
Finds my ears and my heart

Tends to fill up my soul
Tends to fill up my soul
Tends to fill up my soul

I hate waste

I have known for a long time that I hate waste.  It's part of why I am such a vulture when it comes to eating with other people.  Partly, I love food.  Partly, because I hate waste.  I would rather eat it even if I don't particularly care for it and even if I am already uncomfortably full, RATHER than see it go to waste.  So, it always amazes me when I see people that don't mind waste.  So, I want to apologize to people that I have made feel guilty because I am OCD about not wasting.  Particularly, Carrie.

quote

I just stumbled across this fantastic quote:

"When you are complaining, you become a living, breathing crap magnet."

Lydia Jean Loe and Max Stuart Loe - What up?

February 17, 2011 at 9:48 pm Lydia Jean Loe was born at 4 pounds, 13 ounces and 17 inches long.  18 minutes later, her brother Max Stuart Loe followed at 5 pounds even and 16.5 inches long.  They are beautiful and healthy.

They were born at 34 weeks (6 weeks early), but they are both healthy and breathing on their own.  They will need to spend some time in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where they are monitored for breathing, weight gain, and feeding. Carrie is doing really well.  It was a relatively quick and natural delivery (no c-section) with no complications.

We literally could not be happier.  Here's some online pictures to enjoy https://picasaweb.google.com/beefstu/LydiaAndMax?feat=directlink

34 weeks = 6 months ???

What does 34 weeks have in common with 6 months?

This morning, a resident walked into my office with a big smile on her face.  She said, "Stuart, do you know what today is?  Today marks 6 months of me being clean.  Thank you Jesus."  Then I said, "That's really awesome.  Good for you.  Congrats!  Do you know what today is for me?  Today my babies are 34 weeks old.  We've been praying so hard that our babies would make it to 34 weeks without delivering early and today marks 34 weeks."  And she replied, "That's beautiful - 6 months and 34 weeks."

That is frickin' beautiful!