Baking in Chicago

I looked at the car's outside temperature reading and couldn't believe my eyes. Did that really say 106 degrees?

Ok, it's not really 106, but sure feels like it.

I can't complain, though: I've been inside pretty much the whole day.

Hope you're surviving your weather. Be careful out there.

Happy Reunions

Here are some shots of Luke meeting his Mommy and me upon our return from CHIC.

I got home first, on Saturday.




His Mommy got home on Sunday.



The grandparents had house-guests for part of the time, too. They sang some songs: guitar, Grandpa's piano, and great voices in harmony. Luke was mesmerized.



I guess I was, too.

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Other random cuteness.
In the kitchen.
The living room.

The car.

Won't Let It Go to my Head

At CHIC, a student reporter came by and interviewed us. Debbie Griffith and I were in the office and it wasn't too busy, so we chatted a while. They published the story in Friday's edition (just like she said), and I'm quoted a few times! Today I even found the article online.

From The Daily Beacon, the University of Tennessee's student paper, 6,000 students gather to renew faith:

“The conference takes place every three years because of the amount of time necessary to organize and plan an event of this magnitude,” said Jim Bell, assistant CHIC coordinator. ...

“Few places around the country have the ability to hold a group of this size,” Bell said. “The UT Conferences’ staff is top-notch. The staff is one of the reasons we continue to come back here.”

The reporter liked Debbie's title (CHIC Liaison) better than mine (Assistant CHIC Coordinator). Hmph!

Where did she get the 6,000 attendance figure? I gave it to her, before I knew the real count. It's right to one "significant digit," so there.

Please pass word to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and others that I'm available for more in-depth interviews.

Jim's CHIC Reflections (Part 1)

Wow. Or should I say, "Whew!"

CHIC 2006 is in the past. I can hardly believe it.

Kirsten flew back from Knoxville yesterday. (I flew back Saturday.) We met up with Luke in South Bend, where Kirsten's parents took care of him.

Luke had a great time with his Morfar and Mormor. (Thanks for taking care of him!) He missed us. And we missed him.

CHIC was an amazing time, and it's clear that God is using it in the lives of the 4600 students who attended (as well as the 1200 adult volunteers). Kirsten did an amazing job, too.

We have lots more pictures and reflections, but this is a good place to start.


A typical moment in the CHIC Office, handling issues, solving problems.


The CHIC Council gets a little credit at the last night's Mainstage.



Mainstage from a distance, to give you a little idea of the size. This is in the University of Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena. 5,800 or more in the audience.


I'm busted by the boss: "Stop taking pictures and get to work!"

The full set of photos here. Check back for more.

Hello from Knoxville!

Today 6000 people went home from CHIC 2006. It will take some time to decompress from the week. This week was for many was probably the most intense, most stretching ministry experience of their lives.

A highlight for me was the seamless diversity that was represented at every level of the event. To see the cross-cultural relationships that have developed and matured over the last few years is a cool thing. Get this. Kids worshipped in Spanish and English...and LOVED it (and not just one token Spanish song).

Well...at some point I'll share more about the week...but I've worked 16 hour days the last 10 days and it's time to catch some zzz's.

PS Luke, we're almost home!

Headed to Knoxville!

Tomorrow I drop Luke off in South Bend. He'll have a great time...a nice big yard, a kiddie pool, and two doting grandparents catering to his every whim. Even his other grandparents are coming to visit while he's in South Bend! He'll be in good hands.

As I closed up shop today in the CHIC office, I stumbled across a prayer in one of the handouts a NPU professor is using in his seminar on social justice next week. It's seems appropriate as we make the final preparations for CHIC and quite frankly I feel like it's Christmas Eve and my presents aren't wrapped. Even so, I am reminded daily that every aspect of CHIC is fully immersed in prayer by hard working laborers who love this generation.

Closing Prayer and Benediction

Archbishop Oscar Romero

It helps now and then, to step back and take the long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capability.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

Amen.

P.S. The onsite chic website will be here starting Sunday, July 16.

July 4th Weekend with the Birches

The Birches are close friends of Kirsten's family, and lovely Sophia is our goddaughter.

We spent the weekend of July 4th hanging out in downtown Chicago. It was great seeing Luke and Sophia hang out and get to know each other better, and for all of us to get together. We're told that her fondest memories of the weekend are playing "hide and seek" in the hotel room.

Our lack of any good pictures reflects the general state of our crazy pre-CHIC lives. :-( I have no idea why the coloring is so strange.

Sophia hanging out at Navy Pier.








We took a quick swing through the American Girl store, just because it's such a phenomenon, and we were nearby. The Birches are thankful that Sophia isn't into dolls (yet). Here's Kirsten at her namesake's display.


We made a stop at Shedd Aquarium. Luke loved the big turtle.




Sorry about the pictures, but thanks for the memories!

Luke's new word

Luke's been saying, "Mice! Mice!"

Huh? What? That can't be it.

I finally figured it out yesterday. He's saying, "My's! My's!"

As in "Mine!"

He hears "Luke's," "Daddy's," "Mommy's," "his," "hers," "yours." So why not "my's?"

(Of course, this means he's moving into the whole, "me-my-mine-mine-mine" stage, doesn't it? Uh oh. Parenting advice welcome!)

My new long-term goal

I've decided that I need to have a kid under two around at all times, for the rest of my life. They're so fun! It's a great age.

I'm sure there's no down-side.

I'll mention it to Kirsten.