the unlikely orange

yesterday was the first day of school for all three of our boys - 6th(!), 4th, and kindergarten.   the biggest impression of the day, for me, was all the newness.  new shoes.  new backpacks.  new unopened packs of 18 un-sharpened pencils.  new bus stop, new bus driver, new bus route!  new kids, new teachers, new new schools, new everything .  it's a season that is ripe with unthinkable possibilities, and overwhelmingly disorienting at the same time. and so, my prayer for my three boys, in the midst of all the brand new everything, is that they will find ways to make the "new" become familiar - that school will be like a family to them: fun, supportive, encouraging, and challenging in the best way.   i pray that they will find the joy in this adventure, and that in the midst of discovering new names and ideas, they will come to see more of the One who made it all, who makes all things new, and who calls us all family (familiar). Godspeed, my boy

on friday i had the opportunity to lead a group of 10 of us to latrobe for the annual friday night lights steelers practice at latrobe memorial high school stadium, along with 12,000 of our closest friends. we drove out there, did the steelers experience with the kids (including bounce house races, rock wall, face painting, spinning the prize wheel, football toss, and a photo op with the steelers' 6 lombardi trophies, among other things). then we waited in line to get in, so that we could get our position around the autograph fence, and then there was a significant amount of waiting.  but at least the weather was beautiful!  we enjoyed good conversation and laughter along with homemade steelers cookies.  finally the team and coaches arrived on school busses and the autograph session began.  you never know who might come your direction, so we were pretty surprised when ben roethlisberger came near us and started signing.  sure enough, he came our way, and i got his autograph on his

this morning for my quiet time i was reading acts chapter 3, about peter healing the crippled beggar at the temple gate (acts 3:1-10).  i was struck by a particular word which is repeated in this short story.  after peter heals the man, we are told that he  jumped to his feet...then went into the temple courts, walking and jumping.  i guess i never thought much about this before, but today i began to wonder why he was jumping.  there was no practical need to jump.  this was not a utilitarian action.  he wasn't jumping over anything.  he was just walking and jumping, one presumes, with great joy for the way his life has been changed.  jumping for joy.  you know what isn't very dignified?  jumping for no apparent reason.  let's be honest, you look sort of silly.  if someone was walking into church on sunday and starting just started randomly jumping up in the air, we would think something was wrong with them, and would probably assume that they need some kind of medi