Today we accomplished what I thought was the impossible: successfully posing all five Haubs for a family portrait. My mom had a portrait package at Yuen Lui, so she gave us the chance to go and have a free sitting and get a a free 8X10 as part of the deal. After almost calling and… Continue reading Are Christmas presents really the problem?
The Mom
My dad took the morning off today to take the kids swimming at a great pool and recreation center in nearby Mountlake Terrace. It is the same pool where my sister and I took swimming lessons growing up, and the place is filled with great memories for me. Our kids love the water, and Doug… Continue reading The Mom
The people who are…
Ever since I was a child, I can remember seeing the following phrase used on various publications from our church: “The people who are Shoreline Covenant Church.” As a kid, I can remember thinking that the language seemed a bit clumsy or strange. In every other context where I heard the word “church” used, it… Continue reading The people who are…
O Christmas Tree
There is a tradition in Portland, as in many cities, of celebrating the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in the center of town. Having never seen it live, Auntie Sarah and I decided to brave the elements (I forget how cold it is up here!) and head downtown with all three kids to see… Continue reading O Christmas Tree
Quotation of the Week
Justice is what love looks like in public. Tavis Smiley quoting Cornel West (from Christine Scheller)
Leaving the 99
Rudy Carrasco, our neighbor to the north, wrote a great piece in the Pasadena Star-News in response to the recent wave of gang violence in his community. He writes this about the need for intervention as well as the more common prevention initiatives: But doing gang intervention is not as easy as it sounds. In… Continue reading Leaving the 99
Things I am thankful for
An almost flawless trip up here. The kids were so delightful during the trip that I never even opened what I thought would be my back-seat survival kit of toys. Other than a handful of books the kids looked at, the landscape, animals, music and mom’s antics were sufficiently entertaining. The way that two families… Continue reading Things I am thankful for
We made it
I am writing this from Doug’s father’s house in Portland, Oregon. After three days on the road, we were grateful to safely arrive last night, and we are thrilled to be back in the land of fleece and green.
The priesthood of all; a paycheck for some
I really appreciated Julie Clawson’s honesty in looking at the issues surrounding the choice to pay pastors for their work within a faith community. I have had many conversations with many people about whether the whole “professional clergy” model is worth keeping, and whether using a community’s resources to support a paid pastor is the… Continue reading The priesthood of all; a paycheck for some
Licensed to bless
The other day I made my first venture out of the house alone with Elijah. Doug was home with the big kids and I needed to buy a hairdryer so I decided to make the trip to Target. I am not a shopper. I will do almost anything rather than shop, but I really needed… Continue reading Licensed to bless