Hello Old Friends

My last post was in September, 2012. A lot has changed since then, as you might imagine. I won't even try to catch you up on what all has gone on; suffice it to say a lot of water had run under the old bridge since then.

I am also not going to promise you that I'm going to start blogging again regularly. I've seen too many sputters and coughs by folks trying to keep a blog going. I do plan to revisit this spot occasionally though.

Meantime, have I told you about my first grand child? Oh yes, I'm a proud grandpa now. She was born in February. Let's see, I just happen to have a photo right here...

Have a great day - and keep on smiling like little Olivia Kate in this photo.

Blessings - Steve

Christmas Movies

Christmas would not be complete at the Jackson manse without a few “Christmas movie nights” where we change into our most comfortable clothes and settle down to watch Christmas movies together. Our three favorites are White Christmas, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone. Like all good movies, these films evoke laughter as well as tears as we watch them. They also do something else – they remind us of deeper truths.

White Christmas was mainly written as a vehicle to accommodate Irving Berlin’s song by the same title. And yet, as we watch the story unfold with its forgotten General, broken dreams, and balmy temperatures in Pine Tree, Vermont at Christmas – we are reminded that while things have been, and currently are rough – better days are coming. It won’t always be like this. One day by the grace of God what has been lost will be restored. In fact, before God is finished, “we will be changed,” the Bible says. What we’re experiencing now is not how it will always be. Alzheimer’s will not have the last word. Cancer cannot win in the end. Brokenness will be restored, and sin defeated. The good guy will get the girl, the old General will be remembered, and the snow will come. In the memorable finale to this movie, General Waverly is again honored by his troops, Bob and Betty declare their love, and the background of the set is removed to show the falling snow. Everyone raises a glass, toasting as they sing, "May your days be merry and bright; and may all your Christmases be white."

The star of Christmas Vacation, of course, is none other than Clark W. Griswold. All Griswold wants is to give his family “the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever." But everything goes wrong. First Clark can’t get the Christmas lights to come on; then Cousin Eddie shows up. Next the turkey explodes and Uncle Louis burns down the tree. To cap things off, Clark discovers that his Christmas bonus consists of an enrollment into the Jelly of the Month club. The classic line in this movie, for me anyway, is when Clark’s wife Ellen tells her daughter to stop complaining: “It’s Christmas Audrey…we’re all miserable.” In the end the Griswolds survive a holiday season that would try Job's patience, but it’s one that many of us can relate to. And yet Clark's faith never falters through it all. This avowed family man continues to count his blessings and in the end, all is well. This movie reminds us that even though our families often drive us nuts, there are few things in life that are more important than those whom God has put us together with. After all, the first Christmas was about a family too: Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. This Christmas as you gather with your family, lighten up; laugh a little. Be present in the moment.

Home Alone is about an 8 year-old boy named Kevin McCallister who gets accidentally left at home when his family forgets him on a Christmas vacation they take. At first Kevin is thrilled to have full run of the house. He eats forbidden junk food, watches forbidden movies, sleeps wherever he wants for as long as he wants to, and even raids his older brother’s room. But after a conversation with an elderly neighbor who is estranged from his family, Kevin realizes how lonely he really is. Being alone isn’t nearly as wonderful as he thought it would be. This movie reminds us how we often think we’d be happier if we didn’t have to answer to God – if we could do whatever we want to do. For a while we would probably revel in our newfound freedom. But in time we would begin to feel the emptiness and loneliness that comes from being isolated and at odds with God. Like Kevin, we’d eventually get homesick, even though we were still at home. Christmas is about Immanuel – “God with us.” We might think we’d like it better without his watchful eye upon us, but we really wouldn’t. The wonderful news of Christmas is that we haven’t been forgotten. We are not abandoned. We will never be “home alone” because God is with us forever.

Influences

Donna recently told me the story of meeting a teacher at her new school. In an attempt to see if they had any friends in common Donna mentioned a good friend of hers who teaches the same subject. When she mentioned the name, the other teacher exclaimed, “She is why I went into teaching! She inspired me to become a teacher.” This young teacher went on to explain that from the time she had this teacher back in middle school she knew she wanted to be a teacher.

That story got me thinking about influence; especially about those who have influenced me the most. Think for a moment; who has influenced your life the most? Who are the top five most influential people in your life right now?

Many of us would list our parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse, or other family members. Others might include a teacher from their school days, a sports coach, college roommate, or perhaps a mentor from their vocation in their top five. Some might include a pastor or best friend.

The people who influenced me most, especially in my early years, were my parents. They gave me a solid foundation and a great start to life. I can also still feel the imprint of high school teachers and coaches, seminary professors, and colleagues in ministry. Many of my influences lived hundreds of years ago, because I have been influenced by their writings. Some of my influences are still alive but I’ve never met them, again because I have read their stories, heard them speak, and read their books. The greatest influence in my life today is my wife; if I could be more like any person – living or dead – it would be her.

Who are your top influences? As you think about this, keep in mind that not all those who influence us do so positively; some people influence us in ways that are to our detriment. With some people we say, “I’d like to be just like him/her.” With others we say, “I hope I am never like that.” Some people draw us higher with their influence; others bring us down.

Now that you are thinking about this; you may want to take it a step further. Ask yourself why that person has been such an influence on your life. Ask yourself if you have lived up to the expectation they set in your life. You might even want to ask yourself if their influence on your life was even warranted.

Finally, if one of your “top five” is still around, you might want to take the time to express your appreciation to them. Call them, write them, email them, or go see them. They may not even know they have been an inspiration to you in your life. Every influencer deserves that.

Book Review: Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham

I just finished reading Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, a book whose self-proclaimed goal is to “equip Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society” (from the cover).

In this book Baucham argues forcefully from Deuteronomy 6 and Ephesians 6 that Christian parents have failed and continue to fail to bring their children up in the “training and instruction” of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

I agree with Baucham in general – who can argue with statements like, “Turn off the TV, and hand your kids a book” (p. 103), and “Raising godly children is not a matter of luck; it is a matter of work” (p. 105). The author is absolutely right in insisting that if Bible training and spiritual formation was done in the home as God intended we would begin to see multi-generational faithfulness and less children and youth walking away from the faith when they grow up.

Unfortunately Baucham, like many others of his ilk, insist on insulting everyone within earshot as they try to pound their point home, including parents who choose to send their children to public school, parents who allow their kids to attend church youth groups, and well-meaning and godly pastors and youth leaders who are doing their best in a very difficult environment. Statements like, “How does a father raise his son to respect young women and protect their purity only to send him off to the youth building with exposed midriffs, low-cut tops, and skin-tight jeans?" (p. 182) are low blows to pastors, churches and youth groups that I simply cannot abide with. Baucham has this angry tone through most of the book and, honestly, a “holier-than-thou” attitude where he acts as though his interpretations of Scripture are the only ones that count.

For instance he critiques others for misapplying and misinterpreting Scripture, then proceeds to do the same thing himself. For example, in arguing against public education, Baucham quotes 2 Corinthian 6 about not being yoked with unbelievers. This passage from Paul is clearly about marriage and yet Baucham has conveniently misapplied the text to blast public education.

Baucham also shoots himself in the foot in his argument that home school groups should be embraced by the local church because they are a great field for evangelism. After arguing throughout the book that parents should home school their children because home schooling is more effective at training up our children in biblical ways, the author says, “More than half of the parents who homeschool their children in this country are not Christians” (p. 209). If more than half are not Christian as Baucham claims, why on earth is homeschooling such a vast improvement over public education?

Baucham also sees fit to blast churches who hire pastors who are “unfit” according to the author. Sure, there are pastors and churches that are making huge mistakes chasing culture and the latest fads instead of searching Scripture to see what God has said, but what about the dedicated men and women who are doing their best in what is an increasingly hostile and faithless arena? Would a sentence or two lauding these tireless servants have been too difficult?

In the final analysis, I totally agree with the author that we must always do our best to promote a biblical view of marriage and family, a biblical worldview in general, and a biblical definition of “success.” There is no question that many of the problems we face today would go away if fathers took their spiritual responsibility in the home seriously. In Baucham’s words, “No amount of money, toys, or fringe benefits can replace a godly father” (p. 155). And yes, I agree with the author that motherhood is a noble occupation (Prov. 31). Would in home worship and catechism study be helpful and effective in raising up godly children? Absolutely! Is the “pull of prosperity” (p. 149) deadly to our faith? Absolutely!

But, do I think the answer to the tailspin the evangelical church is in today is to simply do away with age-segregated learning environments including youth groups, Sunday-School classes and small groups? Would that solve our problems overnight? Not hardly. The problem is much deeper than that. Like many authors, Baucham falls prey to the error of "if you are a hammer, then everything looks like a nail." Baucham pounds his “family worship is the answer” hammer to every nail he sees, whenever and wherever he sees it, and he sees it everywhere. Voddie, the enemy is not public education or youth group or Sunday school. Let’s don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater in our rush to fix things!

The church’s role is to partner with parents to help children grow in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord. No church that I lead will ever forfeit that role. But we are also not willing to sacrifice even one child on the altar of “we told you so” when parents default on their part of the equation. We will take each child and help him or her; we will do our best to help parents develop a biblical view of parenting and their most important task as parents, to transmit their faith to the next generation.

Morning Reverie

This morning I walked from our place all the way down the beach to the pier at the Manatee County public beach. That is quite a long walk for an old guy like me. This photo is my footprints looking back towards our place. At any rate, it was great watching people begin their day by setting up their umbrellas and all the paraphernalia you need to spend a few hours at the beach. I also saw the early morning fishermen and a few joggers and shell collectors.

One thing I have noticed is several instances of what I call beach reverie. Reverie is such a great word, isn’t it? It means to be “lost in thought” or “absent-minded daydreaming.” This happens all the time at the beach. You see people sitting or standing looking out to sea with a smile on their face and who knows what on their mind. There is something magical about doing that. Your mind kind of melds with God and nature and you are swept away to another place and time. There is something eternal about it; something infinite. Birds do it too – I especially wonder what is on a bird’s mind as it stands facing into the wind looking toward the horizon.



Speaking of birds, there are tons of seashore and wading birds on AMI. This morning I saw several species of them on my extended walk. I saw a couple of blue herons, tons of laughing gulls, a few egrets, three or four white ibis, a few common terns dive-bombing the shallows for fish, and of course, a brown pelican or two. You also see other species here including herring gulls and black skimmers. The photo above is a great blue heron that was standing by the pier. The bird did not seem scared of me whatsoever and I am grateful. It was awesome to stand so close to such a magnificent creature and look into its eyes.

Today I am going to go over and see if I can get Don’s boat started and tootle around the canals a bit. I am definitely not comfortable with this. For one, the boat is totally unfamiliar to me and for another, the water is so shallow in many places it is easy to run aground. In case you see no more posts for the next few days it means I did not make it back – please send the Coast Guard! More later (hopefully!) …. Steve

AMI

I am back on Anna Maria Island this 2009 Fourth of July week. I am sorry for everyone else who still slaving away at work back home – but this trip will be our last hurrah before a very busy fall, so I am not feeling too bad about it. I am going to try to get back into the habit of blogging this week, although my blogs will probably not be work-related as much as they will be life-related (which brings up the idea of a great blog about why we tend to compartmentalize our lives and the age-old question of “why can’t we live like we’re on vacation every day?”). Right now it is raining outside, so I am inside writing this.

I digress – let me begin by giving a little info about where we are. First of all, we are here mainly because Donna’s parents own a house here and so coming down is a very inexpensive getaway (basically just our gas to get down here and what we spend on food). I know, I am cheap, but I like to think of it as being a “really good steward of our resources.” (Thanks Don and Myralyn!)

What about Anna Maria Island itself? Anna Maria, known locally as simply AMI, is a beautiful seven-mile long Island that sits at the entrance to Tampa Bay. It’s about a 9-hour drive from our home north of Atlanta to here, but it is practically all expressway (mostly I-75), and always worth the drive. The best way I know to describe the island is to say it has the beautiful turquoise water like the Destin/Panama City Beach area, coupled with the “island feel” you get in St. Simons (some of you will be familiar with these comparisons). The pace here is very low-key and laid-back. There are no fast food restaurants, no high-rises and it is not nearly as crowded as the afore-mentioned beaches. The feel of AMI is often compared to the Florida Keys, without all the weirdness. Around here you see plenty of palm trees, hibiscus, oleander, lizards, pelicans, sea gulls, bicyclists, sea-turtle nests, and gorgeous sunsets. There is always something to do on AMI – but there is also no need to feel guilty if you just want to sit under an umbrella on the beach and read a good book.

Okay, okay, I realize I sound like a travel guide now, so I will stop, but honestly, it is a great place to relax and unwind. I have been here less than 24 hours now and I am beginning to start to relax – it takes a while for me. Once the rain stops and I can get back outside and get some sand between my toes, I will begin the process of unwinding the coil that is usually wound so tight in me. I will be writing more soon…

Eco-Kayak Tour

On Thursday morning Donna, Amy and I took a 2.5-hour kayak tour in the canals and waters around Anna Maria Island, Florida. We met our guide and 6 other adventurers at the store that organizes the tours, Beach Bums in Anna Maria. We drove over to our launch point where our “sit-on-top” style ocean kayaks were waiting for us. The first thing we did was to get acquainted with how to handle a kayak. Our guide, Captain Scott MacGregor gave us a quick lesson. During our lesson Captain Scott pointed out a relatively rare bird sitting in a nearby mangrove, a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill. It was an exciting start to our adventure! Captain Scott is a U.S Coast Guard certified sea captain and a retired high school marine biology teacher. He has a wonderful sense of humor and kept us laughing as well as taught us about some of the wildlife, flora and fauna we ran across in the island’s rich eco-system. We learned some interesting facts. For instance, did you know that a one-acre island of mangroves can produce three tons of fish food annually as the mangrove leaves fall into the water and decay?

For those who know the area, we kayaked around the Robinson Preserve in Bimini Bay. There we saw nesting birds, including herons, pelicans, and many types of gulls. We also saw mullet jumping out of the water and, of course, lots of beautiful houses and boats lining the bay. We went up one of the many canals around the bay. Oddly enough, the canal we went up is the one Don (my Father-in-law) has his boat on. We kayaked right past his dock and it was interesting seeing things from that angle. While in the canal Captain Scott pointed out a couple of trees that are not native to the area which are causing controversy, a large shady Australian Pine and a towering Norfolk Island Pine. Originally imported to fight erosion, these trees are now outlawed in many parts of Florida due to their invasive nature, rapid growth rate, and non-native status. After Captain Scott showered Amy with pine nuts from the Australian Pine we kayaked back out of the canal and down the length of the bay. We made a brief stop halfway down the bay to get out of our kayaks and stand up in a very shallow spot (the whole bay is actually pretty shallow). After our brief rest, stretch, and a sip of much-needed water we continued on down the bay and went under the Key Royale Bridge and out into Anna Maria Sound. Once we got out in the sound Captain Scott told us that it is supposedly good luck to be able to see three bridges at once. From our vantage point in Anna Maria Sound we could see the Manatee Avenue Bridge, the Key Royale Bridge and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Also while we were in the sound we saw three or four dolphins. We had hoped to see a manatee somewhere along our tour, but we did not see one.

On the long paddle back to where we started out we saw more birds including a flock of parakeets that flew over the bay right in front of us making quite a racket. Everyone made it back safely, albeit with tired arms from the paddling. Especially me because I used a tandem kayak and paddled it by myself the entire way. There were not enough single kayaks for everyone and Donna and I were not willing to share a tandem – we each had to have our own kayak (some of you will understand).

This was a great adventure that allowed us to see a side of this beautiful island we would not otherwise have seen. I highly recommend the tour to anyone but must warn you that it does require some upper arm strength and the ability to stand the sun and heat. Even though our tour was in the morning, you still get pretty hot and it is a long haul. One of the people on our tour had to rely on Captain Scott for a tow for part of the way (none of us Jacksons I am happy to report!). Beach Bums does offer tandem kayaks, so if you are worried about making it you may want to share a kayak with someone else (preferably a strong paddler). The cost of the tour was $55 per person. The website for Beach Bums is here, tell them you heard about them on my blog and I am sure Captain Scott and the Beach Bums gang will throw in a free paddle and life vest with your kayak!

Steve and Amy's Turtle Adventure

We had another fun adventure early Wednesday morning at the beach. Amy and I were walking on the beach and we noticed a crowd of people standing around watching a woman dig a hole in the sand. We went over to see what was going on and found ourselves right in the middle of a loggerhead sea turtle nest relocation. During the night on Tuesday a mother loggerhead had crawled up on the beach and laid 104 eggs that look something like ping pong balls in a hole she dug in the sand about 28 inches deep.



Every morning around dawn from May to October volunteers from the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch Association (http://www.islandturtles.com/) walk along the beach looking for signs of these nests. Unfortunately some of the mother turtles lay their eggs too close to the water's edge and the nests wash out. When a nest is too close it is relocated further back on the beach by these volunteers. That is what the crowd had gathered to watch today.

Amy and I learned tons of interesting facts. The incubation period for loggerhead turtle eggs is approximately 55 days. The eggs we saw being moved should hatch around August 4th. The sex of the juvenile turtles is determined by whether they are stacked on the top of the group of eggs buried in the nest or whether they are on the bottom. The difference in temperature (hotter nearer the surface) determines the sex. The photo above shows the nest on the left (it is shaped like an upside down light bulb) and the bucket with some of the eggs before they were taken approximately forty feet further up on the beach to be reburied.

The ladies doing the relocating from the Anna Maria Turtle Watch group were really into their work and were very helpful explaining things as they did the hot work of relocating the nest. There were several children and adults watching them and they made quite a few “converts” by taking the time to explain what they were doing. Amy and I were glad for the good fortune of happening upon this interesting event. Now that the nest is relocated hopefully in about two months there will be 104 little baby turtles that will hatch and make a mad dash into the sea.

We do our Eco-Kayak tour on Thursday morning – we can hardly wait!

Beach Life

I am at the beach this week, enjoying the laid back lifestyle. It was quite a run for us right up to Leigh’s wedding. We pretty much went non-stop from Easter on, so it was nice to get in the car before dawn on Sunday morning and head to Holmes Beach, Florida. Holmes Beach is on Anna Maria Island, just off Bradenton, Florida in the Tampa bay area. Anna Maria is less touristy and has more of an “island feel” like St. Simons Island in Georgia, but Anna Maria has the beautiful turquoise water and white sand beaches like Destin or Panama City. It is really the best of both beach worlds.

So far we have enjoyed walking on the beach, reading, playing scrabble and cards, sunning, bicycle-riding, fishing, and, of course, eating some great seafood out. We have all gotten a little too much sun (that’s why I am inside blogging at the hottest part of the day today). This morning we went over to the city pier at Anna Maria and I caught four mackerel in about fifteen minutes. The photo above is one of the fish I caught. The last fish I had on the line got off when my line got tangled with a bird. I ended up having to cut the line to keep the bird from injuring itself. It was pretty crazy for a moment with me having a fish and a bird on my line at the same time. Donna, Amy and I also spent some time on the pier watching dolphins swim around and pelicans and other sea birds feasting on the schools of minnows around the pier.

This morning Amy and I watched a sea turtle nest being moved. I will write more about that later as it was very interesting.

Tomorrow morning (Thurs) we are taking a kayak eco-tour through some of the canals and creeks surrounding Anna Maria. We’re looking forward to that!

We have heard from Leigh and John in St. Lucia and it sounds like they are having fun too.

I will hate to leave this place when we have to come home. Perhaps someday we’ll come to a beautiful spot like this and just never go back home…there are times when that sounds very tempting.

I’ll blog some more later on. For now I think I’ll lather up with sun screen, slip on some flip-flops and head to the beach. Ahhhhh….

The Wedding

For those of you who do not know, my youngest daughter is getting married this Saturday, June 6th. I am officiating at the service (her grandfathers are walking her down the aisle). This is a huge benchmark in the life of our family as it would be in any family. I typically officiate at 3-4 weddings a year but this one will definitely be different for me as you might imagine.

This week there has been a ton of nostalgia and bittersweet moments happening in the Jackson household as we fondly recall the last 22 plus years with Leigh. Thankfully all four of us have been together under one roof for this whole week – this “last” week (sniff). Those of you who are parents will understand; while you want the absolute best for your kids, you still hate to see them grow up and leave the nest for good.

Personally I have had a flood of feelings the past few weeks. Since I am about to think through and jot down my wedding homily for Leigh and John, I feel as though I need to process my own feelings first; otherwise my comments might lean more toward what I am feeling rather than having something to offer the happy couple from the Lord. So, here go some (somewhat) random comments.

First of all – let me say how happy I am for both Leigh and John to have found what appears to be the love of their lives. They have been dating seven years and it is abundantly clear that they make one another happy. They are both extremely industrious level-headed, intelligent people. They share a similar world-view and both have a deep abiding faith in the Lord. But at the same time they are different enough to make the next 75 years or so together interesting and not boring. Our family has embraced John as one of our own and will strive to help him feel like a true part of our family, just as I know John's family will (and already have) done with Leigh. By the way, I had the “circle of trust” conversation with John just the other night and I think we are on the same wavelength (watch ‘Meet the Parents’ and you’ll understand).

Second – as for the wedding itself, Leigh and John have been amazing in their planning and execution. It seems like only yesterday we toured a few potential sites for the wedding and now everything is ready to go with the location, food, cake(s), dresses, flowers, DJ, photographer, videographer, hair, attendants, make-up, etc…. . Leigh had her “Bride’s Notebook” in which she kept a running log of everything that needed to be done and she did a great job checking them off and keeping things moving. One thing Leigh and John both do well is make decisions. They both have definite opinions about practically everything and they are not afraid to share them or act on them, which I view as a very good thing.

Third - as many times as I have said to Leigh and John, “This is YOUR day” that is not really true. It is not just their day. In tying the knot they are altering the course of several peoples’ lives. They are officially joining together each other’s families on that day. Lord knows that is a scary thought – for the Smiths and for the Jacksons (I say this 'tongue-in-cheek' Smiths, but I think you understand what I mean). Truth is Leigh and John’s union also affects their extended families, friends, employers, and more. So, yes it is “their day,” and we will treat is as such, but there’s a whole lot more to it than that. Thankfully, I am confident Leigh and John understand that as well.

Fourth – I have had lots of compliments lately about “how well you raised your daughters” and every time I hear one I deflect the credit first of all to God (because it is all about Him) and second to the girls’ mother, because Donna is the greatest mother who has ever lived, and finally, to the girls themselves. No parent could be prouder of his children than I am. They are both amazing. I shudder to think what they could have turned out like with the absence of God in our home, or without such a fantastic mom.

Finally – I guess I never said what I think I will be feeling on Saturday. I am sure it will be a mixture of pride, happiness, grief, fear, joy, excitement, relief, and more. In fact, I think it is going to be very difficult to keep a lid on my emotions the whole weekend. If you think about it, say a little prayer for my little girl and her beau, and say a prayer for the rest of us, that we will joyfully let God and nature take its course and gratefully release these two to their new life together. God bless you Leigh and John!

Leigh's Graduation

This short video is of our daughter Leigh receiving her diploma for her Bachelor of Arts Degree at Berry College in Rome, GA on Saturday, May 9, 2009. We are very proud parents!

Big Weekend

This is a huge weekend for the Jackson family. My daughter Leigh is graduating from Berry College in Rome, Ga. We are so proud of her. Leigh has done great in school. She already has a job too! Leigh enrolled and finished her senior year at Georgia State in Atlanta. She is getting also getting married on June 6th. We are so excited for her and for her fiancé John Harper. Way to go Leigh! We love you dear!

Wow, it is funny how time catches up to you. I remember graduating from college myself; it seems like just yesterday (University of Georgia, 1978). I had no idea what I really wanted to do when I graduated. Donna and I were already married. I worked at the Athens YMCA. I had three job offers upon graduating. My three choices were: Delta airlines as a “Junior Accountant,” Georgia Federal Savings and Loan as a bank teller, or Northside Realty in their commercial real estate division. I chose Northside Realty because I believed I could get to the top quickest with them. It did not work out that way, but God had His own plan. Donna took a job teaching at Headland High School in East Point, Georgia and we bought a 750 square foot house on Romain Way in East Point for $15,000 and we were on our way! Wow, that was a long time ago.

Back to the present day: My daughter Amy got back from Thailand and India last night. It is nice to have all our offspring on American soil again. Sounds like she had a fantastic time. She comes home to Georgia on May 31st. We can't wait to see her.

I broke down and bought a new digital camera today since we have so much coming up with the graduation and wedding. I gave our Nikon digital camera to Amy the last time she was in Georgia because her camera broke. Buying a new camera was a very difficult choice; I did a ton of research and finally settled on a Canon SD 790 IS – a “point-and-and shoot” digital camera. It is amazing how difficult the simplest thing can be today. There were a million choices.

It is also Mother’s Day weekend. I have a great mom. I also have a great wife who is the mom to my own children. I even have a pretty cool mother-in-law. I guess I am a lucky guy in that. Everyone is coming over to our house for Mother’s Day. We are privileged to honor all the moms and we’ll have at least seven moms at our house that day – what a joy!

May God bless you this weekend – He is so good!!!

P.S. I will be pretty busy this weekend, not too sure how often I will get to blog....

Book Review: Here's the Story

I stopped by the library with Donna recently and looked in the “new books” section and found the 2008 biography of Maureen McCormick titled Here’s The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. I love to read biographies and usually pick more, shall I say, "historical” characters, but I could not resist reading a book about one of the Brady Bunch. Because I’have always been a big Brady Bunch fan – I’have also probably seen every episode at least two or three times. At our house the girls have a running joke about me because they think my deep sayings often sound like Mr. Brady; things like, “You have to be a friend to have a friend, kids.”

But I digress; the book only takes a few pages to cover the “Brady” years. I believe Barry Williams wrote what is considered the definitive “Brady Bunch" book. Instead McCormick’s book is more of a personal memoir covering the ups and (honestly, mostly) downs of her life.

McCormick was born the same year as me, 1956, and grew up in Southern California (where she still lives with her husband and daughter today). She began her career at the tender age of six after winning the Baby Miss San Fernando Valley beauty pageant. She then appeared in numerous commercials for great sixties brands like Mattel Toys, Kool-Aid, and Mr. Bubble (to name a few). She also appeared in early episodes of some great sixties shows like Bewitched and My Three Sons before landing her role as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, which aired in prime time from 1969 to 1974.

McCormick clearly had her share of troubles, especially after the show ended, and she writes candidly and courageously about them. It seems most child-actors end up going down the road of drug abuse, rehab and multiple marriages. Honestly though, McCormick seems to have had an even more difficult time than most. In addition to the usual stock of downfalls McCormick also survived depression, an eating disorder, and more. Of course, all this makes her more human, and thus easy in some ways to relate to. I could see how women my age who idolized Marcia Brady could gain a sense freedom in the fact that prim and perky Marcia Brady struggled like we all do.

After kicking her drug habit, McCormick battled depression, reconnected with her mother, whom she nursed through the end of her life, and then found herself in a pitched battle for her family with her weird brother. McCormick also chronicles her faith experiences in the book. She admits that she was “not an easy or quick convert” (pg. 146). She also recounts her conversion experience where she was walking down Westwood Boulevard in LA when, suddenly and without warning, she was thrown to the ground by God. Then she saw two hands reaching down from the sky towards her; “it was Jesus,” she said (pg. 148). After that McCormick began attending a Vineyard church, but she still seems like more a a seeker to me.

The “story” has a relatively happy ending, although not everything is resolved. What's more, since “Marcia” is still alive, her story continues. This biography is definitely worth reading. I consider it a good, but not great, read. Reading the book held my attention but I did not feel as though I lwas reading a barn-burner.

Easter Eggs

We've had fun today dying Easter eggs. Reminded me of when the girls were little and we did this every year.

My eggs were "interesting" colored.

Donna did the best egg - a dark red one.

Fun having everyone at home!

More later...

Great Day!

We had a great day today. Donna and I picked up Amy at the Atlanta airport at 7:45am and then we came home and I made a batch of biscuits. Then we changed clothes and drove up to Amicalola Falls and did about a 3 mile hike. It was great. We cam home after that and rested a bit then I cooked out pork chops and steamed some vegetables on the grill.

Like I said, it was great, especially having Amy home a day earlier than we expected. It was wonderful for all four of us (me, Donna, Amy and Leigh) to sit down together for a meal tonight. I'm exhausted and stuffed from eating too much supper, but it's all been worth it!

Until Tomorrow!

Tallulah Gorge Hike

I went hiking today with my father-in-law, Don Hartsfield. We went to Tallulah Gorge State Park. We had a great time. We hiked down into the gorge and crossed the suspension bridge and then walked on around the gorge covering the north and south rim trails and all the scenic overlooks.

Tallulah gorge is considered one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia” and is approximately two miles long and nearly 1000 feet deep. A series of five or six waterfalls occur as the Tallulah River races through the steep rocky cliffs.

Some interesting side notes include the fact that in 1970 Karl Wallenda walked across the gorge on a steel cable (the steel cable platform is still there), stopping twice to stand on his head. Sadly, Wallenda died eight years later in a fall in San Juan, Puerto Rico as he tried to walk between two 10-story buildings. Also, several river scenes from the movie Deliverance starring Burt Reynolds were filmed in the Gorge (yikes! Do I hear banjos?).

Anyway, it was fun. I always enjoy hiking with Don. We also did a little sightseeing after our hike. We ate at Oinkers Barbeque near Clayton for lunch then drove through Lakemont, GA and by Lakes Rabun, Seed, and Burton. We stopped at the old Sautee store and drove on through the scenic Sautee-Nacoochee valley and then on down through Cleveland and back to Cumming. Everything was green and very spring-like. It was good to get away and relax.