Who is that mad man?

Driving by PF Chang's recently was interesting. Some nut was riding the horse in front of the restaurant. The evidence was caught on film. Hmmm...

I wonder who that horse riding wild man would be? Leave your guess in the comments.

A friend of mine from Cuba is coming for a visit, Rafael Alvarez. He's one of the co-pastors in Havana. Great guy. I am really looking forward to connecting him with people here. He'll be in NC from Aug. 21-26.

Two great CD's coming out real soon. Will McFarlane's "For The Peoples" CD is complete. He's getting the art work done and putting up a website. Mali has finished their new CD "Awkening Days". They'v sent it off to press in Kansas City. It'll be out by the end of the month. I've listened to both CD's, and they're awesome. You'll really enjoy them.

Horse Camp

Kendrick Jr. and Joseph had horse camp a week ago. This past week they attended Junior Prep Stars basketball camp.

The boys attended horse camp with three of the Lobachs: Elizabeth, Rebekah, and Anna Laura. Actually the five of them were the horse camp. Jenny was a great instructor. The kids got lots of ride time.

Nana's gearing up for school again. Start date hasn't be set yet, but soon...

Check out a gallery of some photos from today's horse camp performance for the parents.
Horse Camp Photos

Congratulations John & Kristianna

John & Kristianna Daley were married this past weekend. I had the privilege of shooting the pictures for the wedding. It was a pleasure being a part of such a wonderful event. Very exciting to see John & Kristianna starting out their life together. Definitely a God thing.

You can catch some pictures at The Big Wedding

Absolutely Stunning!

Lance Armstrong has absolutely crushed his competition on this year's Tour de France. In the most prestigious bike race in the world, he has established himself as the greatest bike rider ever. Four other great riders have won 5 Tours, but only Lance will ride into Paris tomorrow and be crowned with his sixth victory. He has won all six consecutively - absolute dominance of the sport.

Last year, Lance looked very beatable. After 21 days, he squeaked out a 61 second victory over his archrival Jan Ullrich of Germany. Lance was dragging up the mountains stages just barely hanging on. This year has been completely different.

Lance has crushed his competitors on every significant stage. On the flat stages, the sprinters fight it out for a stage victory. The mountains and time trials decide the victor in Paris on the last day. Lance has not given up one second to any competitor on any mountain stage or time trial.

Today Lance capped off his most dominant performance to date by crushing everyone in a 34 mile individual time trial. He beat the number 2 man Jan Ullrich by 61 seconds. In the previous invidual time trial, Lance beat Ullrich by 61 seconds. Remember last year Lance beat Ullrich by ... 61 seconds in the whole Tour. Ullrich will finish this Tour over 9 minutes behind Lance.

To me, the Tour de France represents the greatest endurance athletes on the planet. These men basically run a marathon every day for 21 days with only 2 rest days. History will be made tomorrow as Lance crosses the finish line on the Champs Elysees. Hats off to Lance - one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Bummer at the Vinar's

Gabriela has been complaining about a tooth that hurts. Nana took her into today and found out that there was an abcess. Bacteria had gotten into her tooth and it was starting to die. The dentist pulled her front left tooth. Argh. Gabriela was super brave - didn't cry. She'll be toothless for 2-3 years.

They could put in a temporary tooth, but it may be expensive and uncomfortable. We'll see. Sometimes it's good to embrace our weakness and frailty as humans instead of covering it up with cosmetics.

The Big Sky Adventure

We had a blast on our two week vacation out West. It was a delight spending time with the Lobachs. The scenery was amazing. I really enjoyed going back to Glacier National Park where I worked for two summers during college. Jason Harris was the most amazing host in Helena. We rode horses, did sack races, and lit off fireworks.

The whole RV experience went surprisingly well. I understand why people enjoy it: stove, oven, microwave, refrig, freezer, bathroom, and shower. The kids can watch a video. The kids sleep in the same bed every night.

You can checkout pictures at The Big Sky Adventure

Vacation Time

We leave Thursday for two weeks out West. So here's the plan. Vinars and Lobachs (all 13 of us) are flying to Salt Lake City. We're renting two RV's and then heading to the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier. We're also stopping in Helena to visit Jason Harris.

I picked up two books on photography. I don't get time to read books for fun very often. I'm looking forward to working on improving my photography skills. Here's a shot of Joseph riding his bike in front of the house. I slowed down the shutter speed and then followed Joseph with the camera.

Several more updates here. :-)

My parents are in town for almost two weeks. My dad watched the kids while Nana and I went to the beach for an elders' retreat. My mom came two days later as she was finishing up an art class in Minnesota.

We've been having a lot of fun with my parents. They came to Kendrick Jr.'s Cuba presentation on Sunday morning at church. They've taken the kids swimming several times at the YMCA. Yesterday we went out to Mark & Susan Daley's farm and had a blast. We went fishing - caught 10 brim and cooked them up along with two huge steaks. Stephen Gwaltney was our fishing guide and chef. We went swimming and had a great meal poolside. My dad loves ice cream, so we've been out for ice cream most every night.

Monday night we went to Shrek 2 with the whole family, my parents, Jerry & Nan, Jim & Phyllis, and Nathan. We had dinner at Big Bowl and then caught the film. It's a really good sequel, but my expectations were pretty high as I had so enjoyed the first and heard that this one was better. Go in with low expectations and you'll enjoy it more.

That's the latest from here. Tomorrow morning, it's golf at The Challenge. Whew... it's wearing me out all this fun. :-)

One more newsflash: I went to the orthaepedic today. He gave me permission to ease into jogging. He's also sending me to physical therapy. It's been 10 weeks since my fall. My ankle is still swollen and very tender when he pushes on that ligament. Both knees still bother me. Argh! Quite frustrating, but ohhh did it feel good to go for a run today. Or at least a walk/jog.

The Catch-22 of Blogging

Here's my catch-22 of blogging. When I'm really busy with lots to blog, I have a hard time finding the time to blog. When life is slower, then there isn't much interesting to blog about. Hmmm... With that excuse, here are a few updates from the last month.

1. Had a fabulous trip to Cuba. Went with Mark & Susan Daley and Jeff Moran. It was so exciting to see what is going on there. We were able to help equip them with some a complete video editing studio. They'll be able to mass produce DVD's and VCD's. It's a privilege to go down there and participate in the amazing things which God is doing.

2. Nana's birthday was May 6th. I surprised her with an overnight babysitter. We went to a bed and breakfast. Had dinner in Greensboro at Carrabba's. It was a delightful evening with my lovely wife. She's the best.

3. Hung with out the youth group at Grace Church (4D) on Sat. the 8th. They're doing great stuff. Fun to see what is happening there.

4. We bought a used Suburban and upgraded our '94. Josh Daley (Nana's brother) is buying our older one. The new one is a 2003. Wow, have these vehicles changed in the past 9 years. It's fun driving around using OnStar - getting directions and phone numbers through an integrated phone and GPS system.(Oh yeah, lots of safety features too). :-)

5. This past Thursday and Friday, I was up in the mountains with Jerry, Josh, and Jerome. It was a guys weekend for fly fishing and whitewater rafting (Jerry's invitation). A first for me on both events. The fly fishing was great. I learned a lot. I'd enjoy doing it again some time. The whitewater rafting was amazing. Way more fun than I expected.

My parents are coming into town this week. I'm really looking forward to the time with them. They're going to watch the kids while we got to an elders' retreat at the beach.

That's the latest. I'll be back again much sooner.
Grace to you. You are deeply loved and unconditionally accepted by God.
Kendrick

Never a Dull Moment :-)

We've definitely been keeping busy. This past Sunday I shared on forgiveness at Grace Church. You can catch the audio sermon and notes at Grace Church Sermons.

I've been mentoring five guys from UNC for the past two years. They are in their last week of classes. I'm going to miss Mike, Vadas, and Dane as they are graduating. Great guys with hearts for God. It's been fun hanging out with them as they're always inquisitive and desiring to grow in God. Reagan and Seth will still be around for at least another semester next fall.

Next week I am going to Cuba with Mark & Susan Daley and Jeff Moran (April 30-May 4). We're looking at establishing Seminario de Gracia in Havana and Las Tunas. We'll be bringing support for the pastors. It's exciting to see all that God is doing in that country. I appreciate your prayers for protection, blessing, and provision.

Kendrick Jr. said that he never had washed dishes by hand before. We tried doing so tonight. I was going to give him an old fashion lesson. Somehow things got out of control. I think we got some of the dishes clean.

Whose Kids are These?

We had a fun night hanging out at the house tonight. Joseph invented a new jumping game that included wild costumes. Yes that is underwear on the head. It actually matches the outfit though. We also played basetennis with Nathan (a game that Nathan, Kendrick Jr. and Joseph made up). It morphed into sailing the tennis ball as far as we could down the street. I think we only lost one tennis ball to the gutter. :-)

Panther Update: All clear. It's been smooth sailing. All happy here. Nothing like an updated operating system to put some spice into your life.

Panther - Mac OS 10.3

I upgraded my operating system to Mac OS 10.3 tonight. No final word yet. I am just bumming around trying to make sure everything works. I am bit paranoid when it comes to upgrading and messing with a system that works. I like to keep it simple. Keep it clean and mean. I've had few computer problems over the years.

Nana and I got back from Marco Island today. I was able to catch an early flight which saved me 6 hours in the airport. I had gotten all psyched up for a work day at the airport. It was nice to get home much earlier than planned. Tomorrow back at it - at least I'll have my new friend with me. Mr. Panther and I will be off to work.

If you're a switcher to Panther, I'd like to hear what you've experienced.

Chad & Stephany are Married!

The wedding was beautiful. It was an absolute gorgeous night. I'm so happy for the two of them. God really orchestrated the two of them coming together, and now they are married.

Just a little info on the wedding. Chad & Stephany each chose a Scripture that was meaningful to them. Chad's verse was 2 Cor 5:17 about being a new creature in Christ. Old things are gone behold all things are new. Stephany's verses were from the two greatest commandments: to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself.

The dinner was fabulous. We sat outside on this veranda overlooking the sunset. The food was great. Lots of laughs and a special time for Chad & Stephany.

Chad & Stephany send their love to everyone back in Minnesota. They are looking forward to getting back as a married couple.

Wedding pictures can be viewed at The Wedding Day

Marco Island, FL

Reporting to you from Marco Island. I am down here for my good friend's wedding (Chad Aleshire). It was a bit of an adventure as Nana and I were suppposed to fly down together yesterday morning. Kendrick and Joseph were sick. They thought it was whooping cough, but it turned out to be just a virus. They are doing much better.

Nana is flying down to join us today. I'm staying at my uncle's condo. It's a beautiful place. Can't wait to have my wife join us. Chad and Stephany are here with me. We had a great time last night. We grilled chicken and watched a movie on my uncle's massive HDTV.

Chad just walked in the door with a dozen Dunkin' Donuts. He proclaims, "Breakfast time. Nana isn't here yet, so let's dig in!" He just polished off his third one.

Blog Expansion

The other night I helped Nathan Fancher get a blog put up for Mali. We originally posted it with a template from another page on their website. Nathan later tweaked one of blogger's templates. It looks clean and crisp. They'll be adding more links and posting more, but you can get an early view now.

Check it out at Mali Blog

You Saw It Here First!

After 25 years with the same haircut, something came over Nana and inspired her to change. She cut off her beautiful hair for a stunning new haircut. Her Aunt Mary Bryan recommended a Chapel Hill legend, Klaus. He's been here since 1969 - quite a guy. Anyway, Nana got her haircut this afternoon. I think she's amazing. :-) (But I am biased)

We were at Jim & Phyllis Reklis' house tonight for dinner and hanging out with the McFarlanes and Donna. We had to get back by 10 p.m. for our school night babysitter. Nathan Fancher is living with us for a month or two as he's in transition. So Nathan hung out in the quiet house while we celebrated Nana's new haircut down on Franklin Street.

Last night I went to a movie with Kendrick Jr. and Joseph. We saw "Miracle" - about the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team. It was a really fun movie. I remember watching those games. I was 13 years old at the time. The coach, Herb Brooks, and half the team was from Minnesota. So it was particularly enjoyable to watch the hometown boys upset the best hockey team in the world (at the time).

Very clean fun movie. Rated PG. A little bad language. Otherwise, great family movie.

A little blog catch-up. Here's goes the blur version. :-)

Feb. 17-25. Had a fabulous trip to Cuba with David & Martha Rich and Kendrick Jr. It's so amazing to see what God is doing in that country. While the political system is so very broken and makes life so difficult for people, the church is moving forward with power and life. Churches are full and multiplying quickly. Our dollars go so very far in that land. They are experiencing revival. They are aggressive, strategic, and evangelistic. It's a real privilege to play a small part in what is going on there.

Feb. 28. Andy & Emma Klischner put on a dinner party. Emma is English and knows how to do a dinner party. Another expertise of hers is adjectives. Listening to her talk is a delight in and of itself. There were five couples total invited.

March 2. Saw Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" movie. It was stunning. He really did an amazing job portraying the last 12 hours of Jesus' life. I was very impressed. I didn't know that they'd have so many flashbacks of Jesus' life. It really made it much easier than I expected to put the dots together on why He suffered and died. John Piper has written a book The Passion of Christ. Piper gives 50 reasons why Christ died for our sins. Each reason is a short two-page chapter. Piper had distributed over 1.3 million copies of his book as of March 11.

Maybe you think John Piper is taking advantage of the movie to make money. Two problems with that thought. #1 He has been selling an $8 book for $1.20 (in cases). #2 Quote from his website: "John Piper personally receives no royalties from any of his books. The copyrights and royalties are owned by the Desiring God Foundation, not by John himself, and are used to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. John made this decision years ago to protect himself and the ministry from the danger (Mark 10:23) and deceitfulness (Matthew 13:22) of riches."

John Piper has a passion to spread the fame of God. He'll take advantage of any opportunity to tell people how wonderful and great God is!

March 5. 20/40 Window Seminar. We had three hours with the 105 people in the age group of 20-40 at Grace Church. It was really cool to see what is important to them. We brainstormed moving forward together as a church. Watch out world. A generation of lovers of Jesusu is arising!

March 9-12. GCI Pastors Conference. We were in Williamsburg, VA for the Grace Churches International pastors conference. It was a refreshing time. David & Linda Wells were the speakers from Regina, Canada. They were great. Nana and I drove back to Chapel Hill with David & Linda. It was very inspiring hanging around them. They have a lot of wisdom. I really appreciate some of David's thoughts on how to lead a network of churches. They are some exciting possibilities of truly networking our networks. We'll see what God does.

Aliesha-n-Daddy Time

Aliesha and I have our restaurant, Top of the Hill. The family rule is that only Aliesha and Dad eat at this restaurant. If you haven't been there, it's a fun place on top of a three story building overlooking Franklin Street in the heart of Chapel Hill.

We start our date by skipping down Franklin together singing "Aliesha and Daddy Time. Aliesha and Daddy Time". Then we're off to Top of the Hill. We usually have time for some shopping, ice cream or a latte. Here Aliesha is pictured chatting with Grammie on the cell phone at Starbucks.

This is my kind of investment package - what a princess she is to me. :-)