TH2 Palo Alto Day

I'm letting go of trying to post events in order of occurrence.  I will get back to Christmas sometime soon.. but for now let me tell you about TH2's day in Palo Alto today. 

Julie and I remember what it's like to be new parents (vaguely, dimly.. but we do remember).  It's a tiring, challenging role and new parents deserve some TLC every once in awhile.  So, we offered Joel and Carissa a little break time while we watched Ryan.  We were pleased that they took us up on the offer.  Ryan loves to cruise.  Julie and I love to walk.  So - we're a good fit.  Off we went.

Here's Ryan in the Bear Sweater that Hannah got him for Christmas inspecting a water fountain.  He loved the visual play as well as the sounds it was making.  He was mesmerized.

Next, he insisted we take him to the Apple store.  Well, you don't have to ask me twice.  Off we went.  I got a little weepy when Julie rolled him into the store.

 

After walking around some more we joined back up with Joel and Carissa for some lunch.  There's a place on University Ave aptly named SLIDER.  Joel loved the concept and ordered these three beauties;  cheeseburger, chicken and Kobe beef sliders.

Julie loves the pulled pork sliders with 'slaw.  And the sweet potato fries are her absolute favorite!

Ryan loved the table ;)

 

 After lunch we did a little more walking/browsing.  Here's TH2 reunited.

 

There's a great bookstore in PA that was started in 1935.  Carissa and Julie enjoyed exploring.  It's not a shock they're in the Children's section in the picture below.

A family picture near the fountain was next up.

This is the kind of day that makes Julie smile.  And that's the best kind of day there is.

More Wedding Pictures

Here's some more pictures from Mr. and Mrs. Winslow's (aka Julie and Evan) wedding.

The invitation.

The bride's bouquet; which comprises the theme colors for the wedding.

Both the wedding service and reception were held in Julie and Evan's church sanctuary (picture is pre-wedding setup).

What they do is set up tables for both the service and reception.  So, when you come to the wedding you find your table, kick back and enjoy.

The table setup followed the theme and was very elegant.

 ... but fun as well.  Check out the candy dishes right on the tables.  And there were little bells for each person to ring.  The little card attached encouraged the guests to ring the bell to get the couple to kiss.

Hannah helped the bride with her hair.  I was surprised they let me in to take a picture ;)

Fam and friends.

This is Evan's grandfather, Ed.  I got a chance to spend some time with him and he is really a great man.  And that's Mark Logan with Jon.

 I didn't take too many pictures during the service itself.   But,  I had to get one of Hannah walking down the aisle.  She looked beautiful.

Then, of course, came the bride with her father. They looked so good together and we were so happy for both of them.

Alas.. Tim lost Julie to the better man ;)  And, eventually, they enjoyed a first kiss.

It wouldn't be a wedding without a jumping picture.  Poor framing (had the wrong lens on when the jumping broke out).. but you get the idea.

Here's the bridesmaids; with the lucky groom.

 

And the Logan clan.  They were looking at the professional photographer up on a ladder... so the angle is wrong.. but you get the picture.

 Here are the bride and groom being welcomed into the reception after pictures.

The reception was festive!  The cakes (actually multiple) were each delectable!

Everyone got a chance to take pictures with the bride and groom.

 Or the flower girls...

 And then it was on to the throwing of the garter..

 And bouquet..

Congratulations again to Evan and Julie.  And thank you for letting us participate in your wondrous day.

Congratulations Evan and Julie

Our most heartfelt congratulations go out to Evan and Julie Winslow who were married Sunday!  I'm only going to publish a head shot since I haven't had the chance to inquire from the bride and groom how sensitive they feel about pictures being posted.  So - perhaps more will come soon (we will see them in a couple days).  But, this event couldn't go unhearalded.

Here's to the quite lovely bride and groom.

The color palette was pink, orange and yellow (or some variation thereof ;)).  The setting was quite unique in that the guests were seated at their tables throughout the service and reception.  This turned out to be a significant blessing because the weather in the LA area was in a word - drenching - all weekend.  The table decorations were simple, elegant and gorgeous.

You could tell from the beginning of the service through its climax that God was the featured guest and passion of the two celebrants.  It was deeply touching to hear the official's encouragement as well as Evan and Julie's personalized vows to model their marriage after Christ and His church.  What a solid foundation for the days, weeks and years to come for these two newlyweds.

I'd be remiss if I didn't say that this was a bittersweet celebration. My dear friend, and Julie's mother wasn't able to attend due to her passing 9 years ago.  That realization crippled my emotions at times. There were many private tears shed throughout the weekend, during the proceedings, and as pictures of her were interspersed with pictures of Julie and Evan projected onto screens during the reception slideshow. I find that it is a really, really bad idea to lock eyes with Julie during these tender moments.  However, it is reassuring to know that she is truely content where she is and that her beautiful daughter was able to follow on in her tradition of marrying loving, godly men.  What more could she have hoped for?

A Great Question

Vicki commented on my previous blog entry and asked a very compelling question: If we can afford to give so much away, why do we still have so many poor people here in the U.S.?

This is a pivotal question and I think most Christians think about this question, in one form or another, earnestly and often. It drives where we direct our giving (‘where is my money doing the most good?’). It drives whether or not we are motivated to give (‘if my giving is not having an impact… why bother?). It drives our perception of God (‘if He loves us so much why does He allow such poverty?’). And it drives a personal assessment of our individual ‘okay-ness’ (‘am I doing enough? All I can? what God requires?).

I would be very interested to get a dialog going on this subject. What is your experience? What have you discovered on your journey in this area? Are you discouraged? Motivated?

Please join in through the commenting feature and share your thoughts.

Personally, I believe that poverty is a very big and very complicated issue. It defies easy explanations and solutions. But it is a subject we all are compelled to consider given that we are called to be ‘the aroma of Christ’ on earth. So, here are some snippets of thought to get the dialog going.

ACT WITHOUT ALL THE INFORMATION – I have accepted that I may never understand poverty, its causes and what sustains it. Given that acknowledgement, I am faced with a simple choice: do what I can without all the answers or do something only when I have all the answers. For instance, I can’t tell you what has caused the person asking me for help to be in the situation they are in. And, I can’t be certain if the guy I give a few bucks to is going to buy alcohol, food or pay his rent with it. I can’t even tell if he/she is really wealthy and just scamming me. So, I have to decide what I am going to do with imperfect information. I choose to act in many of these situations as an alternative to inaction.

POVERTY IS A PART OF GOD’S OVERALL DESIGN (Part 1) – I don’t make this point idly. As I have thought, studied and prayed about the general question of why God gives differently to different individuals and people-groups (money, looks, talents, gifts, etc.) I have become convinced it is a part of His plan. God is the potter and we are the clay. He makes some to be beautiful vessels on earth and some to be meager. I believe He does this to challenge our understanding of who He is. How else would you understand true beauty if you don't learn to look inside instead of the outside for it? How else would you understand true love if you can’t understand that God loves the lowly and the exalted (on earth) equally? How could you understand true charity of spirit if you didn’t have the example of the poor widow who gave such a small amount – but all she had? How could you experience giving without someone in need? Is it possible that God designed the world to include ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ to allow us to learn to be like Him? How else would we understand blessing if we did not have the counter example of lack of blessing? How else would we understand contentment if we were not in some level of need?

IT IS A PART OF GOD’S OVERALL DESIGN (Part 2) – I also consider that God gave us free will and an opportunity to exercise it. Therefore, to some extent, the exploitation of some people by the powerful and greedy is also a part of God’s design – in the sense that He has allowed evil to co-exist with His creation on earth for a time. In that regard it is a sad part. Obviously, God grieves when we choose the world instead of Him. But, he allows us that choice. It makes it even more meaningful to think of the angels rejoicing in heaven as we come to God when you realize their grief when we turn away.

POVERTY IS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOME PEOPLE’S CHOICES – this may be a bit controversial – but I believe that some people make their own bed. Some people are lazy. Some people are unwilling to work. Some people have too high a sense of worth and are unwilling to accept labor they believe ‘beneath them’. Some people don't take full advantage of their God-given talents.  Some people don't take advantage of readily available education. Some people are foolish and take ill-advised financial risks. 2 Thessalonians 3:10b says ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’. Proverbs is replete with warnings against foolishness. For some people, poverty is the outward manifestation of idleness and foolishness.

POVERTY IS A POLITICAL/ECONOMIC REALITY – some poverty is a result of unemployment. In strictly economic terms unemployment (specifically in a capitalist economy) is directly related to inappropriately high wages. When political entities (unions, the government, etc.) set wages artificially high (e.g., minimum wages, etc.) unemployment occurs. Wages are also set artificially high when Government implements price controls (e.g., grain prices, utility prices, etc). It’s straightforward economics. If you want to have lower unemployment (which contributes to poverty as much or more than low wages) get government and other political organizations out of our markets and allow the free market to set the price on wages. The fact that the US has a minimum wage and over 2,200 price supports in place is clear evidence we intend to maintain a higher than necessary amount of poverty indefinitely. It’s designed in.

THE POVERTY PARADIGM SHIFT- it used to be that taking care of ones self and one's family was first a personal responsibility, second a family responsibility, and lastly a community responsibility.  Charity began at home. We learned to be giving by being expected to meet the needs of those less fortunate directly among us (and then remote from us). We could directly see their needs and respond.  We also 'knew' our neighbors which allowed us the discernment to know how best to meet their needs.  Within the last 80 years or so the US has adopted a different paradigm.  The government has systematically inculcated itself into every aspect of society and has taxed us to to provide the resources to do so.  Where personal income taxes at the federal level were almost non-existent 80 years ago - they are now high and always likely to go higher.  Simultaneously, we have transitioned from not even thinking about government as the answer to a society where a majority of citizens now rely, in part or fully, on government assistance to survive.  We no longer feel personally responsible for people's needs.  Instead, we point them to the government (e.g., social services, social security, unemployment, etc...) to have their needs met. Personally, I believe government cannot be as effective as individuals and the private sector in meeting needs due to inefficiencies, fraud, waste and interference in the free markets. Therefore, this paradigm shift to government as the answer - and the payment of taxes that might otherwise be used for individual charity to support government in this role is a direct contributor to maintaining and increasing poverty.


Okay.. enough of what I think.  What say you?

We are the givers!

Thinking about the sacrifice that Christ made for each of us challenges me throughout the year to consider what I am willing to give to others out of gratitude to Him. I will admit that there are times when I am prompted strongly to give. And, there are times that my giving is more rote; obligatory. It often helps that I am married to someone I refer to as ‘the giver’. Julie is a very sensitive, generous person and often encourages me in this area when she becomes aware of needs. She has made me a better giver and for that I am grateful.

At times, however, it seems that we can never give enough. The needs are so great. The demands on our resources are so widespread and growing. With that as a backdrop it was with complete pleasure that I discovered some interesting information while doing some research on giving in America. The data reaffirmed how great we are doing as a nation and encouraged my heart. So, I thought I would pass along some of it to you – in hopes you are encouraged.

America, you are doing an absolutely amazing job at being generous to your neighbors – both local and worldwide! No matter what you hear – you lead the world in generosity by most any measure available. For instance, in absolute terms we have no peers. Americans gave approximately $300 Billion in 2009 to local and worldwide charitable organizations. In absolute dollar terms the UK was second to the US. They gave approximately $16 Billion. So, the US gives $300 Billion and the second place is $16 Billion.

Wait a second, you might say. The UK is a much smaller country than the US. That’s not a fair comparison. Ok. Another measure of the generosity of a nation is the percentage of the money they produce (GDP) devoted to giving. In the US we give approximately 2% of our country’s GDP. The European Union has an economy that is close to our size (a more fair fight!). Yet, the only country within the EU that gave more than 0.4% of GDP was Ireland at 0.47%. In aggregate, the EU had charitable giving far less than 0.2% of GDP. Americans are at least ten times more giving than citizens of the EU as a percentage of income. Giving in Japan and China, the world’s third and fourth largest economies, was less than 0.1% of GDP; less than 1/2 the EU and less than 1/20th US giving.

Christ gave us everything; providing us an opportunity at life everlasting and all that we hold dear while here on earth. The challenge that Christ put before us is to give according to His leading and the resources He has entrusted to us. So, I am not bringing these facts up to be prideful or say we are necessarily doing all we can do. However, in a time when we often hear about our national failings – I would like to pass along a bit of positive feedback. America – we are the givers! Well done!

Tweets

Okay... I'm kicking the dust off of Thursday Tweets to see if the girl still has some life in her.  What say you?

Tod:  so proud of TH2 in Oregon.  they are doing amazing!

Tod:  feels weird dating a younger woman now that I am 50

Tod:  so much going on in the next few weeks.  are you ready for it all?

The Big Dish Walk

In the foothills behind Stanford University sits a 150-foot diameter radio telescope which has come to be known simply as The Dish. Originally constructed in the 1960's to probe the scattering properties of the Earth's ionosphere, the Dish has been utilized in numerous research pursuits in its 30-plus years of existence.

The Dish is the focal point of a 3.5 mile hike aptly named The Dish Hike which Julie took me on earlier today.  The weather was spectacular as you can see in the pictures;  clear and warm (in the low 60's).  We refer to this as 'property tax' weather - because this is why we pay them ;)  A wonderful way to play hooky from work.

The hike takes you into the hills above Stanford.  It's a bunch of walking up and down but well worth the effort.  The views are spectacular.  You can see all the way to San Francisco.   Here's a picture of the Reservoir at the top which overlooks the Stanford campus.  That's the Hoover Tower in the background as well as the eastern part of San Francisco bay.

Julie and I added a couple side trails to extend our total distance to about 6.5 miles.

The Stanford foothills are largely undeveloped and home to lots of wildlife.  For instance, wild cows.

Also - moles!  How Team Henderson is that?

We look forward to sharing this hike with some of our friends!  We'll definitely be doing it on a more regular basis.