U.S. Treasury Tour (and other adventures with Flat Stanley)

We went on a special tour of the U.S. Treasury today.


Our tour was arranged by Neal Carlton, a former Boy Scout (Eagle Scout) from my dad's troop. Neal is the Scheduler for the Treasurer. We met the Treasurer of the United States, Anna Escobedo Cabral. She was very nice and greeted all of us, including Allison and Ainsley. We also met a Treasury intern from Alaska named Eric. He is an interesting guy. And we met several of Neal's friends: Michael, a staffer in Congressman Joe Barton's office, and Chris, who works at the Treasury. After our visit, we went over to the Old Ebbitt Grill for lunch.


It was great. The food and atmosphere were wonderful. After lunch, we went over to the White House so we could take a picture. But, the south side was blocked off. And here's why:


So instead, we took a picture in front of the north side of the White House. Ainsley is sleeping by this point - pretty amazing considering it was cold and windy!


The paper doll in the pictures is Flat Stanley. He was sent for a visit by Maryanna, a second-grade girl from our last church in Texas. Her class is doing a project about different states. Flat Stanley is supposed to visit different states and his hosts are supposed to send back pictures, postcards, and stories about what he learned. So we took him with us today!

Annie is Six!

Happy 6th Birthday, Annie!!!!!!

I Love You!

Daddy

We interrupt this program for an important message from BBC News...

Last Saturday, our church held our annual Mama Mia's fellowship. Mama Mia's is a church-wide spaghetti supper and variety show that raises money for youth missions. People from the community also support this event. The great thing about Mama Mia's is that many, many people are involved and it is great fun (and I'm not in charge)! Our creative people really get to show off their talents and skills (as well as some who are not so creative, but are good sports). Check out the video above for an example of the show. The theme this year was "TV Like You Have Never Experienced Before." To see more, check out our youth group's blog here!

Are you a bigger loser than Marko? Week 3 Recap

Week 3 is in the books and we have reached the one-quarter mark of the contest. I did okay this past week - I lost 2 1/2 pounds. It's not quite the 3 pounds I was hoping for, but it was better than the 1 1/2 pounds I lost during week 2. (Randa had a better week than me and lost 3 pounds. Way to go, Babe!) So far, at the one-quarter point, I've lost 15 pounds. Not too bad! I'm 21 pounds away from my contest goal with 9 weeks left. I did better with my eating and walking last week. This week I am hoping to add some other exercises in addition to walking. I might even try to mix in some running this week - after I get some running shoes. My parents are in town this week for Annie's birthday, so that will make it a little tougher to stay on the right track eating-wise. I think I had too many sweets last week; I'm going to try to limit myself to just a piece of birthday cake this week! All in all, I'm pretty happy with things so far!

TRACKER: Starting Weight 251, Current Weight 236, Contest Goal 215, Ultimate Goal 185

I Saw a Glimpse of Heaven Yesterday

...or maybe heard a glimpse of heaven is more appropriate. Yesterday our church celebrated a joint worship service with the Northern Virginia Chinese Baptist Church. The NVCBC started out as a mission church of Westwood and reached full church status in 2005. Sunday was their last time to meet in our facilities. They are moving to the Fairfax area and will meet in two locations for their various ministries - an elementary school and another church. This move, as one of their members shared Sunday, will be bittersweet, but it will allow for growth to occur in both congregations. Both congregations seem excited about the possibilities the future holds.

During the service, we did two things that painted a picture for me of heaven: we said the Lord's Prayer together and we took communion together. To hear the Lord's Prayer spoken by hundreds of people in Chinese and English (and who knows what other languages) was an awesome and powerful experience. The rhythm of the voices reciting the words of the prayer simultaneously was both wonderful and awe-inspiring. To see two different churches cooperating in the serving of communion really helped to see a glimpse of what heaven will look like and be like - all God's people worshipping him no matter the differences in race, gender, age, or language. It was a good day to be in the house of the Lord!

JUBILEE Retreat

Last weekend I was on retreat at a monastery in Newport News with my youth group and my good friend Josh Hayden's youth group. The retreat was called the JUBILEE Retreat and you can read about our hopes concerning the retreat here. I really enjoyed the retreat!

Most of all I enjoyed planning the retreat with Josh. I love being able to plan and share ministry opportunities with friends. And I especially enjoy friends who make me think in deeper and fresh way. Josh is that kind of friend. Our friendship was a big reason I decided to suggest to our Youth Ministry Group leadership that we do our Winter Retreat differently this year. Normally, we go on retreat during the semester break. I'll invite in a speaker and worship leader, we'll go away to a resort, enjoy skiing and tubing, and have a few sessions. We usually have a great time and take a big group, but the retreat sessions part usually isn't that powerful because the kids are always tired from skiing. And because of that, I have felt that we are not being good stewards of our ministry budget dollars. This year we are substituting three things for our Winter Retreat - a ski day at Whitetail, the JUBILEE Retreat, and the PlanetWisdom Student Conference. Doing this met several needs: better stewardship, a greater focus on the retreat teaching, and being able to participate in activities with other groups. After PlanetWisdom, we'll evaluate and make decisions for next year.

I thought the retreat went well. We only had 8 in our group - 3 adults and 5 youth.

Despite the low number, I felt the participation was above average. I am really looking forward to seeing how this retreat impacts the lives of these youth, our youth group, and our church. Here's a breakdown of the retreat from my perspective:

LOCATION
The location, LivingStone Monastery, was a perfect setting for our theme of Jubilee.

Being able to observe people living for a season of their life in community was wonderful. Being able to join with them in the daily rhythms of their prayer life was fantastic! Having our students have the opportunity to have a Q&A with them was beneficial and helpful for the retreat and for the students.

The facility itself was very conducive to having a spiritually-focused retreat. Our hosts displayed wonderful gifts of hospitality.

SPEAKER
The speaker, Jon Middendorf, did a great job communicating the idea of Jubilee to us. We had three worship gatherings and the style of Jon's teaching changed with each gathering. I think that helps to keep interest from the audience as well as allow people to experience several different learning styles. I thought Jon did a great job of explaining Jubilee and then tying it into our personal, church, and community lives. I was challenged and inspired to make Jubilee a reality.

We ended our last worship gathering with taking communion together - two different youth groups from two different Baptist churches, but with one heart - a heart for Jesus and a heart for Jubilee.

WORSHIP LEADERS
The worship music, led by Tim Gardner and Kent Jaffrey, was excellent and the audio/visuals, led by Kent's wife Andrea, fit in seamlessly and added to the experience immeasurably.

The songs chosen, the graphics used, the prayers and readings chosen, and the movie clips used for reflection all helped to create an environment for worship to take place. The theme song, Give Reviving, was wonderful and for me, helped to focus my thoughts on Jubilee.



OBSERVATIONS
I felt that the worship stations allowed for us to reflect more in depth our relationship with God and they also helped us have an awareness to the need for Jubilee in our lives and in our world.

I felt that the discussion time with Jon about Jubilee and how it impacts us on many levels was powerful, challenging, and inspiring all at the same time. I have great hope in a future where this band of students and adults has chosen to make Jubilee a reality in daily living! This hope was seen in the response to our groups to the movie we watched on Saturday night, God Grew Tired of Us. The movie dealt with the crisis in Sudan and followed the stories of several of the "lost boys." Seeing their response to tragedy and injustice was inspiring.

PRACTICE
The chance to work with the community at LivingStone was an integral part of the weekend. I had hoped we would be out in the community instead of at the monastery, but all in all it was good to do something, however simple it may be, that will help minister to others as they come to LivingStone for help. I look forward to our groups getting together again in our local communities and practicing Jubilee together!

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
I really enjoy doing things differently than they have always been done. It's good to get out of our comfort zones and stretch our mental and spiritual muscles. Through solid teaching, wonderful music, opportunities for service, observing others living in community, and being challenged to bring about Jubilee, this retreat definitely made a mark on me and I trust my youth group and Josh's youth group. Ending with lunch and games at Chuck E. Cheese capped off a great retreat weekend!

Lent Update - Week 2

This is a bit later than usual, but I am doing well in keeping my Lenten promise. Next Wednesday I will be teaching the children and I am looking forward to discussing with them how their promises are going and how they are experiencing God during Lent. This year, for the first time, I have introduced the idea of Lenten promises to the youth. Sunday night will be our first time to have discussion about our promises - I am looking forward to that as well!

One thing I have noticed in reading other people's blogs about making promises for Lent is that some people share about their promise and some people choose to keep things to themselves. I see merit in both approaches. I like to share because I need/want the accountability that comes with sharing. I also appreciate the community aspect of sharing the promises. I also try to emphasize the idea of humility with the groups that I share/discuss with - we're not doing this to brag about how good we are, but instead, to draw closer in relationship to God and each other.

Are you a bigger loser than Marko? Week 2 Recap

Week 2 is in the books! It wasn't a great week like last week, but it was a good week because I did lose weight. I lost 1 1/2 pounds last week - I'm now at 238 1/2 pounds. Not too bad considering Valentine's Day fell last week, I couldn't walk several nights, and I was on a youth retreat last weekend. I knew it was going to be a hard week, but I still was hoping to lose 3 pounds. I've already eaten better today and had a great walk tonight! Here's to a great Week 3!

At the end of Week 1, I was in 9th place. Marko was in 14th place. Week 2's standings came out this afternoon and I did not stay ranked. Week 2's standings are different than Week 1's - Week 2 lists the top 10 men and the top 10 women; Week 1 listed just the top 10 overall. Marko is still in 14th place overall. According to his blog, he has lost 14 pounds so far; I've lost 12 1/2.

TRACKER: Starting Weight 251, Current Weight 238 1/2, Contest Goal 215, Ultimate Goal 185

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's a glimpse into what my Valentine's Day is like - love, flowers, and candy for all the girls in my life!

Here we have home-made cards for the three girls. We have roses for Randa - 9 roses, one for each Valentine's Day we have spent together. We have three roses for my three sweet daughters. There is candy for Annie and Allison. And last, but not least, we have tulips - Randa's favorite!

This part of the post is for my wife.

Happy Valentine's Day, Babe!

To my one and only, always and forever!

I love you!

Lent Update - Week 1

Week 1 of keeping my Lenten promise went well. I was able to keep my promise of not watching sports on television. I was able to spend more quality time with family on Saturday and I was able to reflect on my relationship with God when I normally would have been watching sports. Since those two things are the reasons I am doing this particular promise, I feel pretty good about the Lenten journey so far.

I don't really anticipate not watching sports on television being too difficult until my parents arrive for a week-long visit next Saturday. My dad, like myself, loves watching sports on television. After that hurdle, the big test comes when March Madness begins. The First and Second Rounds take place during the final days of Lent. After football, the NCAA Tournament is my favorite sporting event to watch.

Are you a bigger loser than Marko? Week 1 Recap

Well, Week 1 is in the books and I'm happy to report that it was a great week! I lost 11 pounds! My current weight is now 240.

I've been counting calories, drinking more water, and exercising. (I'd say exercising more, but then I hadn't been exercising any.) Randa is joining with me in the calorie counting and she lost 5 pounds! I made a few startling realizations (which, in retrospect shouldn't have been all that surprising) in the first week. First, I was eating way too many calories. I would say that at times, I was probably consuming at least twice the calories I should have been consuming. Second, I need to exercise. I've felt good after my walks, especially the ones where I have pulled the girls in their wagon. I'm looking forward to seeing how I will feel once I start running again (once I lose some more weight - too much pounding on my joints right now). Third, I'm not feeling as hungry as I thought I would. Sure, I am feeling hungry some, but the problem I have dealt with more is wanting foods that are unhealthy and filled with calories. Participating in this contest and receiving so much encouragement from Randa have made staying on track a whole lot easier. Here's to a great Week 2!

Week 2 will be harder for several reasons. First, I am certain that I won't lose as much weight the second week and I have to prepare myself for that. Second, Valentine's Day falls during this week. Randa and I are going to order in and have a nice romantic dinner at home. We're going to relax the rules a bit for this meal. Third, I'm going on a youth retreat this weekend. Staying on track away from home is harder, but it can be done. I'll be happy with whatever amount I can lose in Week 2. I'm hoping for at least 3 pounds.

TRACKER: Starting weight 251, current weight 240, contest goal 215, ultimate goal 185

Ash Wednesday

Tonight our church held our Ash Wednesday service. Our children (1st-6th graders) participated in part of the service. They entered and led the congregation in a Taize song, "Come and Fill Our Hearts." We then received the ashes before leaving to have our own special Ash Wednesday study. Last year I led the children in a special Lenten study. As we reviewed Ash Wednesday tonight I was impressed with the children's memory about many of the things concerning Ash Wednesday and Lent. It was very encouraging! We talked again about making a Lenten promise and I gave them Lenten calendars to take home to use as reminders about their promises. My Lenten promise this year is to not watch sports on television during Lent. It's going to be hard, but it will be great for my family and for my relationship with Randa (as a matter of disclosure, this was one of her suggestions and after reflecting on what to give up I chose sports watching because it would require the most sacrifice). I'm also planning to work through a devotional book during Lent called, "40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer." Randa is going to work through "40-Day Journey with Joan Chittister." Should be a great time of remembrance, reflection, and repentance.

Are you a bigger loser than Marko? Contest

Today, I'm starting the Are you a bigger loser than Marko? contest that is being run by Youth Specialties. You can read more about it here and here. I'm doing this for several reasons. First, I weigh too much. My official starting weight for this contest is 251. I'm pretty sure this is the heaviest I've ever weighed. The second reason I'm doing this contest is that it will help me meet some of my goals for my 39th year. Read here for the goals. Specifically, I want to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier. Finally, I hope to win some stuff in this contest. If I lose more (percentage-wise) than Marko, I can get some free YS stuff. If I'm the biggest loser, I can win free stuff and a free registration to the NYWC this year! Since I'm attending Orange 2008 this year, this is the only way I'll be able to attend NYWC. Anyway, if I lose weight, I'll be a winner!

Here are my Day 1 pictures (full body and scale):