Lil'E and the BFF

Timeline:

Summer 2005 - Lil'E and BFF meet for the first time, at church. Lil'E just turned two, and the BFF was about to (or had just) turned three. They hit it off, quite well actually.

Summer 2005 - Summer 2007 - Lil'E and the BFF request to have play dates at least 100 times a week. They laugh, play, and run crazy as little girls do. In the background to all this, BFF's parents separate and divorce (very sad).

Summer 2007 - Bff and her mom move to another city, some four hours distant. BFF is starting kindergarten and Lil'E has plenty of friends at church and preschool. We figure that, over a few months, the girls will drift apart and stop thinking about each other. After all, that's how preschool friendships go.

Fall 2007 - present - Were we ever wrong. For the first six months, both Lil'E and the BFF ask about the other and tells her parents she misses the other at least daily (sometimes more often); at least weekly Lil'E goes to bed crying that she misses BFF (okay, that's at least partially a bedtime stall tactic). We manage to get them together a few times (for only a few hours) when BFF is in town (BFF's dad still lives here, so she's here every other weekend plus many holidays). Birthday parties are looked forward to by both. Mrs. E and Lil'E go to twice visit the BFF and her mom for a weekend. And the girls write letters and talk about the other. No fading friendship, here. Lil'E talks less about all her preschool friends combined (whom she has seen much more often in the last two years) than about the BFF.

Last weekend - The sleepover. BFF was here with her dad for spring break, and he agreed to allow her to have a sleepover with Lil'E. There was much anticipation from the girls; yea verily, there was much rejoicing. And much crying when the weekend was over.

Somehow, I think this friendship is going to last a little longer.

(P.S. What's you longest friendship?

The BFF


Silly Dancing

<
Thumb War


Sunday Best


Parting is such sweet sorrow

Music Monday: And now for something completely different

"Don't Download This Song" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Disclaimer: I downloaded this song.

Just for the record, I do not in any way support music piracy. I often tell friends, when letting them borrow a CD, not to burn a copy for themselves. I know and interact with some of these artists, and the real impact that it can have on their lives - not all musicians can afford a solid gold Humvee. But I also have very little support for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. In premise it's a good idea, but the legislation is so skewed in favor of big corporations that it is ridiculous, and Weird Al's satire of it's use as a club is perfect.

In fact, I was chatting with a friend last night and found out that he has run afoul of the DMCA. He's a big contributor on the MobileRead forum, and Amazon has threatened them with a lawsuit over their offering a link (just a link) to a script that allows people to nefariously use their Kindle mobile reader (sold by Amazon) to read e-books that were not purchased from Amazon! Oh, the shame! I fear the next time I visit my friend it will be at Club Fed. (You can read a CNET article on this here.)

Tags: Weird Al, Amazon, Kindle, MobileRead

So, about all that lack-luster CCM . . .

There's been much discussion, in magazines and on the web, as to the state and quality of modern Christian music. There are camps that love current music styles and see little wrong with the current trends in style and content. There are also camps that see the market as highly narrowed and filled with artists of mediocre talent. Some believe that those who market the music have become overly focused on specific sounds and artists, resulting in narrowed playlists and overlooking many good artists and songs because they don't "fit" the model. Others believe that doing this is justified because it is simply giving the audience what they want to hear.

And the talk goes on and on and on . . .

I'll admit that I'm pretty opinionated about this topic (just ask Mrs. E, she'll confirm that statement). But I'm also tired of talking about this topic; I believe that, for the discussions I've been in, the subject has been beaten like a dead horse. The conversation has become circular, and I want to break that loop.

But someone else has broken that look for me. Actually, I'll give two examples you should check out. First is my old friend Kat. Kat is as frustrated as I am about some of the trends, but this weeks she's asked for some input and wants to know one song that you think should be getting airplay that isn't. Go tell Kat what you think needs to get some spins, and why. (Now, Kat, once the list is filled why don't you forward this to your old buddies at KSBJ? Just a suggestion.)

And then there's Joy. Joy is in the music scene, having recently released her first album. She, too, feels skeptical of mainstream Christian music. In a post yesterday she commented how much she has been loving listening to Phil Wickham's album Cannons because it does not feel manufactured, off an assembly line. But she also posed a couple of questions:

What do you want to hear? What do you need to hear musically? Is there a part of the Christian walk that is not being addressed by artists? If you could make a request as to what kind of song you wanted someone to write, what kind of song would it be?

So, you want to break the circle? Go comment on Joy's post and give some creative suggestions.

That will be all for today.

Tags: Joy Whitlock, Phil Wickham, CCM

Ho do I get myself into these things?

Oh, that's right; I know how. I go out of my way to go to the concert of someone I really want to see live. The last time I ended up driving a couple of hours to see Sara Groves perform in a barn. This time I wanted to finally go see Addison Road after missing them the last few times they were in town. They didn't play in a barn at a fair, but it was in a big box - 50' high, 50' deep, and 100' wide. With a stage that was maybe 20'x20' that four bands cycled through. Honestly, I think the barn had better acoustics than this room. I'll be fair, then, and not really talk about how the bands sounded - it was all a little jumbled in that tight space.

Really, though, the evening was pretty good. After I got past feeling like a goofy, out of place adult, that is. There were maybe 100 people there with an average age of maybe fifteen. I came to the concert straight from work, wearing my normal dockers (i.e. not cool clothes). There was no seating, only standing at the stage - I'm waaay too old to be in the mosh pit. But, once the music actually started things got better.

The show opened with Philmont, a new band, followed by Our Heart's Hero. Both of them put on pretty good sets. I've learned something new - to play in a punk/hard rock band one must master Jedi fighting skills and apply them to playing guitar. It looked even better when copied by the six-year old boy down front.

Next came Addison Road - they did a great set, and the crowd seemed to get into them a little more the the first two groups. Of course, it helps that their song "Hope Now" has been all over the airwaves down here, with people really loving it since Ike hit town. After their set, once Pillar was hitting the stage, I got to sit and chat with Jenny Simmons and her
husband Ryan. These guys are always on the road, it seems. Their tour with Pillar ends tomorrow night, then next week they start a month plus with Building 429. They'll be starting work on a new album soon, so be looking for that next year sometime. The first thing Jenny asked me, was to what I do for a living. When I told her I am a rheologist (translate: science geek), she then asked me to explain the Large Hadron Collider to her and Ryan. I did my best.

Seriously, Ryan and Jenny are good people. I wish them well in their music - if you've not heard it, go check it out. We talked about Mocha Club and about Inspired to Action, among other things. Jenny, has been a big supporter of I2A - for which she gets a big thanks from me!

The whole Pillar tour is being sponsored by World Vision, and the shows are pay what you want. Having been to this show last night, with a turnout that looked like little more than people from the church where the show was held, I understand more about what Shaun talks about. He does a similar arrangement with Compassion and pushes the venues to seriously promote the show. The point is to bring people in, tell them about God's plan for us, and tell them how they can help save people - free them from the bondage of poverty - through Compassion or World Vision. When all they do is put it in the weekly bulletin they do a disservice to the people footing the bill for the show (Compassion/World Vision); more importantly, though, they do a disservice to the children in need of rescue. I chatted with the people at the World Vision table for a bit - nice folks, too. They told me the night was a bit slow on sponsorships. I hope it picked up after I left.

For my next concert experience I am going in a completely different direction. Tonight Mrs. E and I are taking the kids to see VeggieTales Live. Even a younger crowd; but, at least there's no mosh pit.

Tags: Addison Road, Jenny Simmons, Pillar, Our Heart's Hero, Philmont, Concert, World Vision, Mocha Club, Compassion International

Doing just a little something . . . Impact Houston

Sometimes, you just have the perfect opportunity. Sometimes, you can do the right thing and it is so easy. Sometimes, well, sometimes it is so easy to serve and worship God by following His call to care for those in need. We had one of those chances last night, and it was a great time. But these opportunities don't usually occur without having a helping hand, that third party that makes things so easy. For Positive Post Tuesday, I want to talk about what we got to to, and who made it so easy.

Last night our church took in 300 kids - elementary and Junior High age - from inner city Houston. We took them in ones and two and threes, we fed them (CiCi's pizza is quite popular with these kids), and we took them to Wal-Mart for school supplies. We bought them the pens, pencils, and paper they need in class, a backpack to carry them in, and some clothes to start off the school year in a few weeks. The picture on the right is of Mrs. E with the girls we were able to help out - one going into 9^th grade and one into the 7^th grade. I talked about when we did this last year and I'm glad we were able to participate again this year.

The people who helped make this all possible, who bussed 300 kids from downtown to our neck of the woods, who interact with this kids every day, are the people at Impact Church of Christ. I've been down to help them out, seen the neighborhood they are in the middle of - one that most people try to avoid for their "safety" and seen the people they help firsthand. A couple of years ago I helped paint a kids classroom in their building, and saw the kids and teachers go crazy for just having something that wasn't a plain, empty wall. I've seen their food distribution, the hungry people waiting for help, and the huge lunches they have every Sunday after worship for anyone who would come. In college, the group I was active with worked with them to bring new underwear to the homeless in the area. Underwear, which we hardly think about; but I also heard the stories of people crying to have new, clean underwear - something they had not had in years.

Impact does some awesome work, and they touch more lives everyday than I may touch in my lifetime. A good friend of mine works as a youth minister their, but feels that he has a different call in his life right now. Mrs. E passed on to me that the older girl in the picture up there is very sad to know he will be leaving. She told Mrs. E that he is the only person she trusts! Please join with me in applauding some people who can make such a difference in the lives of people. I thank God for the people of Impact.

Tags: Impact Houston, Back to School, Inner City, Children

Dentistry of a different kind

I got this picture this morning from my friend Ellen, who is a medical missionary in Uganda. This is from a recent trip to Namawojjolo. How does this compare to your usual visit to a dentist? Let's count the differences: open air, walls are see-through, no soothing muzak over the speakers, I don't see anywhere but the ground to spit, and those chairs sure don't look as comfy as the dentist chair I usually sit in. Oh, I forgot to mention that these people do not have the opportunity for checkups every six months like most of us enjoy.


I've mentioned Ellen before here on my blog and I interviewed her for Inspired to Action a few months ago. We were even able to help her in collecting some books for a burgeoning library they are working on in Kampala. She and her group are doing some great work over there. Pray for them and thank God for people like her who choose to leave the comfort of home (and potential wealth as a doctor in the USA) to help people with their physical and spiritual needs.

Catchin' some fireflies

After driving some 670 miles over the last two days, we have arrived in Tennessee. So, what is the biggest thing we've done thus far? Catch some fireflies, of course. That's what you do on vacation! Here's Lil'E with our friend NatCh

Oh, yeah, also play with your friend's papillions. When we arrived, Lil'E made me carry her in on my shoulders to keep her away from the evil dogs. After an hour, she had played with them enough that the poor dogs were worn out and Lil'E was disappointed that their stamina was so low.


So the Euphrony's are chillin' for a few days. Maybe get a chance to have dinner with these people in a few days. That'll be nice.

While I'm not blogging, be sure to follow the 40 Day Fast through Inspired to Action. Go read today's posts about the people of Paris or about the Dalit people of India. And keep praying.

The 40 Day Fast (6 billon or One?)

It's incredible! Really, it's amazing the response we've had thus far to this year's 40 Day Fast. We already have 62 people, and I expect more will join in as the word continues to get out. If you've not signed up and you still want to get involved, you can continue to sign up to participate on the registration page.

The Fast starts tomorrow, with Brant Hansen - who is really an incredible writer, by the way. Having worked with Amy, Kat, Kristin, and Texas in Africa organizing this year's fasters, and seeing the people who follow and the causes they want to talk about, I know that this is going to be a great time. Last year's Fast was like going to summer church camp and coming home with that spiritual high - except instead of a week or so this lasted way more than 40 days. I look forward to hearing from everyone and learning what they are trying to do to change the world for God's sake.

One thing I want to mention before the Fast begins is this quote from some goofy movie:

I came here to save my wife and my two children and... six billion lives... it's too much. I just hope I'm, I'm smart enough and brave enough to save three.

You know, the guy who said that almost had it right. The problem is, none of us are smart enough or brave enough to save anyone - not 6 billion, not even one. As we begin this Fast, let's try to remember that we are not going to change the world - no matter how well we fast or how good a job we do talking about some organization or group. Only God can do this, and this Fast is our entreatment of Him to change the world. Please, remember to put God first in this Fast and He will lift us up and answer our prayers.

Tags: 40 Day Fast, Inspired to Action

In need of prayer

Kat is rounding up prayer requests and God things today. I've been meaning to talk about these for a few weeks, but had not really had a chance. Now is a good time.

Mrs. E and I have a couple of friends that really need prayer these days. First are some friends from our church, Randy and Danielle, whose new son, Justin, has been diagnosed with Downs syndrome. He has some heart problems as a result, but his renal system seems okay. They've got a long road ahead of them and they are going to need a lot of prayer and support in the coming months and years.

My other prayer request is for a friend from college, Brad Wims, whose wife Jenny maintains a blog of their journey. I've talked about Brad before. Brad was diagnosed last year with a rare form of bone cancer. They thought then it was treatable, but earlier this year they discovered that the particular form he had did not have any proven treatment options. Without treatment, the doctors have given him only a year or two to live. Currently they are spending a few weeks in Germany (taking their two young children and some other family) while Brad undergoes some pretty radical therapy that they hope will make a difference. Pleased pray for them, for Brad to find healing and strength through this this trying ordeal.

One more thing to pray over. Next week begins the 2^nd annual 40 Day Fast. Last years, hosted by Kat, moved many people and resulted in the birth of Inspired to Action. This year's Fast will be hosted through I2A. Go read some more about the fast and register to participate. We'll take more than 40 people, but will be selecting the initial 40 this Thursday night. Anyone over that will be doubled up on days. Everyone who participates will be highlighted and asked to blog about the reason for their fast.

Hello old friend, I hope this isn't goodbye

Isn't is bizarre how blogs can bring people together again, when you haven't see or talked in years. That happened yesterday, as Mrs. E was following blog links from one friends blog to another. All of a sudden, she found that she was reading about a guy with whom we went to church while we were at Texas A&M. He is several years younger than me, so I didn't know him that well. I knew that he had (has) a big mouth and bigger personality. He is boisterous, where I am reserved, and loud to my quiet; thus, we weren't slated to be best of friends. In fact, at times he downright annoyed me. But, I got to know him better and came to realize that while we were different Brad was still a good person and very passionate about God. We've crossed paths once or twice in the last decade, but I had not heard anything about him in years until yesterday.

And now I find that hello may be goodbye.

Last year, Brad was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. The doctors felt this cancer was treatable, though the road would be difficult. Then, late last month, the prognosis changed. That "rare cancer" that "rarely metastasizes", went from his leg to his lungs and is "uncharacteristically" spreading more quickly than previously documented in other cases. Their original treatment plan is out the window; Brad's cancer has no known successful treatment at this time.

He and his wife face two options. First, they can do nothing for now, facing a 6 month - 2 year prognosis. The other choice is to try an experiment chemo drug which could slow the cancer, have no effect, or speed it's growth - they don't know which. One ray of hope may be in the collective knowledge of several experts. One of Brad's oncologists is at a conference today, taking this opportunity to present his test results before a panel of doctors. Maybe they can glean some hope from this.

Please pray for Brad. Go to his wife's blog and let them know that your are praying. And pray for his little boy and girl - both about the same ages as the Little E's.

Welcome to the neighborhood

Hey everybody. There's a new kid on the blog-block. Case is a friend of mine, who happens to have a small predatory animal (aka teething son) a little older than my own Liler'E. He recently started blogging, and so far I've enjoyed his humor. Here are some excerpts.

On failed attempts at reverse psychology:

#7) "Chase, here's the sharpies, there's the dining room wall. Go be Picaso."
#4) "Is that the furthest you can pull the tissue paper off the roll?
Go for it! Pretend you're in Cirque du Soleil."
#1) "Go play hide and seek with Mommy & Daddy's passports."

On being ignored by Queen Elizabeth:

It was a neat experience to see a famous person so close up, and it really made Kani's day. I enjoyed it too...the only true royalty that I'd ever been close to before was Andy Rooney on 43rd & 7th Ave.

On his year-old son's ability to track down food:

You see...he's kind of like those raptors in Jurassic Park. He plans. He remembers.

On the New England Patriots:

Football heroes should never come from a region of the United States whose main contribution to society is baked beans & Marky Mark prancing around in his underoos.

Be a good neighbor. Drop by and say hi. Tell him Euphrony sent you. And he won't turn away some brownies or a plate of cookies, either.