books

the irresistible revolution by shane claiborne

check out www.thesimplyway.org for more information. a great book that will stretch your concept of modern Christianity. shane will challenge you to put your faith into action every day in all that you do. while I do not agree with everything that is said, it is really good to get another perspective that is given in a positive and challenging way.

better late than never

some pictures from when my brother jeff, his wife jessie and their son ian visited this summer. we had a great time seeing them. they live in south carolina.

Backpacking

I developed an appreciation for backpacking while in college. This is the first trip I have been on without Courtney. We went to North Manitou Island, which is near Traverse City. I took several college students on the trip. We almost received a ticket from the National Park Service for being close to the water, luckily Rick and Dave saved the day. They moved their tent back earlier in the day and that is what spared us. It is good to get away from the routine. It is also good to carry everything you need on your back. Backpacking helps balance the message the world continually sends us of needing more of everything.

our first entry

elli, what more can you say! she is the center of attention and courtney and i are continually amazed. what a challenging thing it is to be a parent. it has been so rewarding. i hope i do her justice.