To celebrate, she decided to unveil a new trick today.  I was working at home this morning when from the other side of the room I heard Catrina exclaim, “She rolled over!”  Of course I missed it….too busy reviewing some proposal or something.  Of course we put her back on her stomach to see if she could replicate the move, but alas, it wasn’t to be.  We only succeeded in making her mad.

We gave it another try after I got done working and the most amazing thing happened.  First she lifted her head and chest off the ground.  Then she brought one leg up, twisted to the side and let gravity do its job.   It was pretty unbelievable to watch.   While I didn’t get to see the first one, I’m glad I got to see the second. 

As amazing as that was, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like to watch her take her first step, ride her bike without training wheels for the first time, get her driver’s license and take the car out for a drive, graduate high school, walk her down the aisl…….I don’t want to get ahead of myself.  It’s already going so fast.

You can check out some recent pictures of Grace Elizabeth at my wife’s blog.  I do love that little girl…

Ken Griffey Junior’s return to the Mariners this past week got me thinking about my favorite sports  memories growing up, most of which involve watching him play.  I was 10 years old when he joined the Mariners and had the privelege of growing up watching one of the greatest baseball players of all time. 

 I got to watch him play for a decade during the prime of his career and do things that no one thought could be done on a baseball field.  I wanted to grow up to be just like him…right up until 8th grade when I realized I couldn’t hit the curve ball.  That was the end of my dream to play professional baseball. 

 Therefore, in honor of his return, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite memories from my favorite player:

1.  Going to a game with some friends at the Kingdome and sitting in the center field bleachers.  We screamed at him for a good five innings…until he finally turned around and looked at us and gave us the ‘hang loose’ sign.  We thought we were the coolest!

2.  Watching him make some of the most amazing catches ever seen in the outfield.   Being in the stands and seeing him go over the wall to make catches, stretching out in a full on dive to make catches, breaking into a full sprint as soon as contact was made to chase a ball down in the gap.  He was unbelievable.  I’ll never forget the sound the crowd would make as a ball was hit his way….40,000 people holding their breath, wondering if he was going to be able to get it….and the cheers that erupted from us all when he would somehow come up with the ball.  

3. Trading away a number of Griffey rookie cards to my friend Brian Lorence, who lived across the alley.  His mom always bought him a Beckett’s Baseball Card Magazine, which he’d use to swindle me out of all my good cards.   At one point, I think he swindled me out of a Griffey Upper Deck Rookie Card, like the one seen above (although it was probably just a Donruss) for a Kevin Mitchell Rookie Card (or something like that).  At least he made me feel like I was getting the better end of the deal….

4.  Nothing will top the memories of the 1995 season.  Being so far out of the pennant race late in the season and storming their way back into playoffs…it was a great couple of months.  There is no greater sports highlight for me than Edgar’s Double in the 1995 American League Division Series. Listening to Dave Niehaus call him home still gets me a little dusty.  

I know he’s not the player he once was, but just having him back around brings a bit of joy into what has been, and what will probably continue to be, a bleak sports season in Seattle.  Welcome home Junior….I can’t wait to see you again.  I’ll be the one screaming at you from the bleachers in center field.

1. In the 23 hours of driving it took us to get there and back, Gracie only cried (the I’m starving and need my diaper changed’ scream) for 15 minutes.  That is amazing!  Praise Jesus that she didn’t cry longer, because that 15 minutes seemed like forever.  Ritzville couldn’t come fast enough.             
2. It was nice to get away from work/church stuff for a couple of days.  It’s been a stressful month and to have a couple days away from everything was a welcome relief.
3. The Montana City grill makes a mean prime rib.  It was fantastic.
4. I enjoyed spending time with family that we don’t get to see enough based upon the distance between us.  It was a pleasure to watch the cousins (Grace and Tristan) interact…and by interact I mean stare at each other and occasionally smile.
5. Catrina is a great driver.  I feel totally comfortable when she’s driving over mountain passes at night.  So comfortable in fact that I can put my chair back, wrap my coat around my head and try and take a nap.

Catrina has also commented on the trip as well.  You can see what she had to say and view some pictures at her blog:  Somathose Majacks

Rep Lewis:  It says something about the power of love, the power of grace…

I was encouraged this week as I listened to some great sermons on evangelism at the recent Pastor’s Conference put on my Desiring God Ministries.  They were informative, encouraging, challenging, and convicting.  Whether you’re looking at evangelism through the pastoral lens (how to instill a heart of evangelism to your congregation) or an individual lens (how can I be a better evangelist), these sermons may be of help to you.  Throw them on your iPod and listen while you run/drive/work/whatever.  You can find audio and video of all sessions here.

Finally, a quote from Charles Spurgeon that Mark Dever shared in his last sermon that has stirred my soul:

I am occupied in my small way, as Mr. Great-heart was employed in Bunyan’s day. I do not compare myself with that champion, but I am in the same line of business. I am engaged in personally-conducted tours to Heaven; and I have with me, at the present time, dear Old Father Honest: I am glad he is still alive and active. And there is Christiana, and there are her children. It is my business, as best I can, to kill dragons, and cut off giants’ heads, and lead on the timid and trembling. I am often afraid of losing some of the weaklings. I have the heart-ache for them; but, by God’s grace, and your kind and generous help in looking after one another, I hope we shall all travel safely to the river’s edge. Oh, how many have I had to part with there! I have stood on the brink, and I have heard them singing in the midst of the stream, and I have almost seen the shining ones lead them up the hill, and through the gates, into the Celestial City.

(HT: Desiring God Blog)

My favorite part is the kid sitting on the toilet with his guitar…That’s awesome.  I can’t laugh too much because J and I spent plenty of time singing in bathrooms when we were younger.  You just can’t beat the acoustics.  

Here’s one more…just because:

Enjoy…and good luck trying to get some work done the rest of the day!  You’re welcome.

I find the idea of a critic interesting to say the least, especially with regard to the arts (music, film, art).  I understand that they’re allowed to have their opinion, as I am mine.  The only real difference is they get paid to share theirs.  Couple things I was thinking about….

How seriously should we take what they say?  Just because they don’t like an album doesn’t mean I won’t like it. 

How can you tell if they’re a good critic or not?  Isn’t their opinion (and mine) completely subjective?  If they don’t like an album and it ends up going platinum, should they be fired?

With all that being said, I still go looking for movie/music/book reviews on a regular basis and allow some person who I don’t know and whose taste may be completely different than mine tell me why I won’t like an album…or a movie….or a book…or whatever. 

Why should I allow their opinion to influence what I may feel or think about the object of their criticism, whether good or bad?  I shouldn’t, but I still do…and probably will do in the future.  Oh well, one day their critique may save me from wasting $20 and 2 hours on a movie that was horrible…and that they were right about (at least in my opinion).

It’s not that I’m incapable of crying…Lord knows I’ve done my share of it over the years.  I’ve cried when I’ve experienced loss, pain, rejection, and out of sheer self pity.  I got a little ‘dusty’ when I saw Catrina begin to walk down the aisle, and when Grace was being born.  When I was younger, I would cry every time I read Where the Red Fern Grows.  Just thinking about Old Dan and Little Ann still gets to me a little bit.  I also cried like a baby while watching My Life and a little known TV movie called Chips, the War Dog that I just found out was filmed in Buckley, about 5 miles from my house (thanks IMDB). 

Last night I was thinking about the songs that make me cry.  In this case, when I say cry, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there are tears running down my face.  I mean lump in the throat, tears in the eyes, and unable to continue singing until I compose myself, which is kind of a big deal given that usually this happens when I’m leading the congregation in the singing of these songs.   Here are the top three songs that currently make me cry, including the lyrics that get me every time, with links to youtube videos of the songs being performed:

1.  In Christ Alone (performed here by the Gettys who wrote the song)
          There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain
          Then bursting forth in glorious day, Up from the grave He rose again
          And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me
          For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ

2.  It is Well with My Soul (performed here by Shane and Shane)
          My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought
          My sin, not in part but the whole
          Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more
          Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul

3.  Jesus Paid It All (performed here by Kristian Stanfill…after he babbles for a couple of minutes)
          Oh praise the One who paid my debt
          And raised this life up from the dead

Catrina’s List:  Without telling her what my three were, I asked Catrina to pick her three.  I wanted to see if we matched on any of them.  Here’s her list:

1.  Ghost in This House by Alison Krauss
2.  Revelation Song by Kari Jobe
3.  In Christ Alone by the Gettys.

Oh well….1 out of 3 ain’t bad….wait…Catrina just wanted to add ’It is Well’.  Since I picked it too I’ll let her add it.   What’s on your list?  What song(s) make you cry and why?

I’ve been having a tough time keeping the blog up recently.  It’s not as if I don’t have something to say.  I always do.  I just haven’t had the time (taken the time) to post to the blog.  Part of the tension rises from the fact that I don’t want to take time at work fashioning a life-changing blog.  I’m not getting paid to write personal blogs.  The last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of the computer….I do that all day at work.  I’d rather hold Grace and talk with my wife….or hold my wife and talk to Grace.  Frankly, both options sound much better than blogging. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to quit blogging.  I just need to work through some scheduling issues….and not just with regard to my blog posting regularity.  I’ll let you know how that all turns out…maybe.

Meanwhile, please check out my wife’s new blog.  You’ll find out quickly that she’s much more interesting than I am.