Jacob

Here is a quick shot of Jacob. Every time Susie took this firemans hat off, Jacob grabbed it and put it back on.

"Check it out Mom, I'm making a fashion statement here!"

First Thanksgiving program

Carmen was in her first Thanksgiving program at kindergarten today. She did really well remembering her lines and everything. She came up to me this morning and said, "Daddy, I've never been in a play before. I'm a little bit nervous." I told her that every time Daddy preaches he gets a little bit nervous too. We prayed together and she left with a big smile. I love this job!

Here she is singing about coming to America. She truly is an adorable little pilgrim.

Thoughts

The events surrounding Dustin's accident have touched me in strange ways I was not expecting. On one hand, here is a tragic accident that happened to an acquaintance I have not spoken to for over ten years. On the other hand, I think about the similarities of place in life that I share with this college friend. We are both in full-time christian work, both of us married up in quality and substance and are better ministers of the Gospel for it. We are relatively close in age and both have three kids that we adore. At the risk of sounding self centered as I think through my own reaction to these events, it has caused me to think nonetheless.

How far are we really from this happening in our own lives? How many crazy little things could happen and set everything on its ear? As I sat in my home last night listening to the wind howl throughout the large oak tree outside I wondered about the possibility of a thousand other "freak accidents". It is truly enough to drive a man mad.

Into this madness, however, speaks a God of providence and compassion. Am I saying that God knocked Dustin off of that bike? Certainly not, although that has been what many hear when we speak of God's providence. What we mean is that, while God is not a perpetrator of evil, he is able to take the pain and confusion we experience by virtue of living in a world that is fallen, less than it was created to be. He is able to take those open wounds and touch us there, redeeming the brokenness into something more.

I have been amazed and encouraged as I have read through the responses and prayers posted to the Salters on the sites linked in my last post. It reminds me of why I have given my life to Christ's body, the church. This is what we are meant to be, a family walking together through a world that, though we seek its redemption and pray for its salvation, often seems intent only on destruction.

This has also reminded me of my own experience with the death of Christina and Elena, my two precious daughters. Again, I state that God is not the author of evil, and I can think of no greater evil or no greater evidence that brokenness exists than the death of a child. But in my own experience, now with four years of perspective, I can say that in many ways God has redeemed this incredibly painful event in the lives of my wife and myself. We have seen the hand of God's comfort in the actions of his body, the church. We have felt his embrace in the flesh and bone of real men and women who have been used by him to carry us when we did not have the strength to stand ourselves. God is in the business of stepping into the midsts of falleness and creating something that, while we would have never chosen it for ourselves, and something that causes us to ask deep questions that sometimes seem to have no answers, nonetheless it is something in the end brings us to a place of deep and awful beauty.

This is my prayer for the Salters, that they would know the comfort of God, and be kept in his hand and sustained by his body, regardless of the outcome. May the God who defies definition be glorified.

Dustin Salter

Dustin Salter is a guy I know from my college days at Livingston University and Campus Outreach. He graduated with his Masters of Divinity from RTS in Orlando and has been a campus minister at Texas Christian University and most recently at Furman University.

Dustin was recently in a freak bicycle accident while playing with his kids and sustained a massive head injury. Please pray for Dustin's healing as well as his wife Leigh Anne and their children. You can get more info on Dustin at the links below.

http://www.redeemerchurch.net/dustin/

http://www.furmanruf.com/

Recent Memories

Recently we were at the zoo here in St. Louis. Have I mentioned that I really enjoy living in a place where there are so many family oriented things to do that are TOTALLY FREE!!

Anyway, here are some shots of our kids getting up close and personal with the hippos.

Anna: "Quick, that way! Hey, if we catch him do you think Mom will let us keep him in the bath tub?"

Carmen: "Nah, don't ask Mom. She will NEVER let us keep him. Ask Dad. If you bat your eyelashes just right he will jump in and catch the hippo for us!"

Jacob: "Did you guys see what I just saw?!? Just imagine how much bacon we could get out of that pig!"

Costume fun!!!

Trick or Treat!!

We must be, like, the cutest kids ever!!!!

We have GOT to figure out how to get this holiday more than once a year!

Next time we will see if we can keep Daddy from asking people to trade our candy for canned goods and baby food.