Learning all sorts of things...

• Cameron, 13 months, has been walking like a champ for over a week now...
  

• Chandler, 6 years, told me in the van today that he had learned a new word in church today from the visiting missionary speaker. "Oh, what is that?" "Gross!," he said. "What does that mean?" I asked. "I think it means the same thing as 'big'," he answered. I want to hear him use it a few times before I correct him.
  

• Gabrielle, almost 4 years, asked me this week how babies get out of "the ladies' bellys." I was torn between making something up or just telling her to ask Tammy when I blurted out, "I think the baby comes out the mommy's vagina." (As though I have not seen this occur three times.) Gabrielle screwed up her face and said, "No, I think they poop them out."

Tragedy in Afganistan

You may have heard the news story from last week about a rocket attack in eastern Afganistan that hit a school and killed and wounded several children. Link to news story {opens in new window}.

Anyway, my Uncle David (dad's youngest brother) is with the U.S. Army in Afganistan commanding a Forward Surgical Team. My Uncle James emailed him about the attack and the following was David's response...

Jim, the rocket that struck this little school - impacted about 1/4 mile from our location. Every injured child there - excluding the ones killed immediately - were carried to my medical team. Within 30 minutes - we had 29 children - all below the age of 12 - and the school master - at our front door.

It took us about 9 hours and 6 emergency surgeries - followed by MEDEVAC of 6 patients - to put things together. One of the little ones - with a massive brain injury - died after reaching our team. The others - a variety of injuries from minor to very severe - are doing o.k.

That rocket and others, were aimed at us. We're safe and doing good...

db

Clapp Street

The Town of China Grove, where our Youth Pastor is one of the Alderman, is having a little uproar over street names. They are renaming some streets after former mayors and the following is an excerpt from a Salisbury Post article...

Briefly revisited naming streets and how to mollify a resident unhappy with the newly named "Clapp Street."The board previously named the street in honor of a former mayor who served in the 1920s-30s.

"How did the name get up so fast?" asked Welter, noting near record speed for a street sign.

"We have a very efficient public works department," responded planner Lindsey Hobbs who went on to suggest adding "Mayor" or "Clarence" to the sign, perhaps making it less offensive.

Hobbs went on to say that he couldn't find any military service record for Clapp, ruling out adding a rank such as "Colonel".

Spectators decided to offer suggestions. A voice boomed out over all others, suggesting "Major," flooding the room with laughter.

The fate of Clapp Street will be decided at a later meeting.

Honor after the Fall

I typically despise E-mail forwards and usually delete without reading but for some reason opened this one. Here is the original link:

It is a Time magazine photo essay entitled, Honor After The Fall.

5-minute Personality Test

Try This! I found it uncannily accurate.

Letter to the Church

This is an open "Letter to the Church" from a guy who describes himself as "struggling with homosexual temptations and desires."

It reminds me of a college friend who confided in Tammy and I a couple years after school that he was "struggling with homosexuality." We were pretty surprised at the time though looking back I feel terrible about how isolated he must have felt.

See more at: http://justlikelove.com

Birthday Boy!

Cameron with Grandma Morgan

This is about how Cameron looked through his whole 1st Birthday party. He was tired! It was just a small celebration with Grandpa and Miss Lois, Grandma Morgan and Uncle Glyn and our friends from church, the Houghtens. See More Pictures.

Daddy, who is a boy that's not in our family?

I saved my favorites of the wedding pictures for their own post. More than anything else right now, Gabrielle is enamored of two things in life: Weddings and Cake.

I just can't wait.

Wash down another bite!

Daddy, who is a boy that's not in our family?

No more Weddings for a while!

Finally, the end of the Mateer Weddings. Michelle's was in December, Janelle's in January and now Terri's in March. (Terri is my business partner and longtime family friend.) Anyway, this third wedding also has the distinction of being Chandler's (age 6) and Gabrielle's (almost 4) first time to participate in a wedding. Chandler was the ring bearer and Gabrielle served as the flower girl.

Just before the big moment.

Passing of Dan Gordeuk

From Centre Daily Times: Dr. Daniel S. Gordeuk, 58, of Rural Port Matilda, died at the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Saturday, March 4, 2006. Friends, received 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, March 6, 2006 and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, 2006, the State College Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, 1221 W. Whitehall Rd., State College; funeral services, 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, 2006, with Rev. David Janssen officiating; burial, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Union Township. Memorials, to the State College Christian & Missionary Alliance Church for the Establishment of a Gordeuk collection of reference books related to the Bible and Divine Healing. Arrangements under the direction of the Dean K. Wetzler Funeral Home, Milesburg.

Testimony from CBN in 2001

Testimony from New Hope Ministries