Happy First Birthday Luke!

YES! Luke had his very first Birthday! And after taking him into our home on April Fool's Day we have been praying that his adoption would be final in time for his birthday.... well... we are excited to let you know that his adoption certificate and final adoption papers arrived just DAYS before his birthday, so God does answer prayer! "Mom" and "Dad" are no longer terms of hope... they are our new reality. Enjoy these birthday pics.

Luke with his grandma, they are only 90 years apart in age!

Here is Luke about to recieve his first Birthday Cake made
lovingly by mom. (yes, he is dressed as as rodent again)

First time having sugar! He seemed hesitant. What is this stuff?

Checking his cute self out in the back of the Mikey balloon.

Look at all those presents! Yes, spoiled already!

Which one should I open first?

Ah ha! I get this ribbon thing!

Luke's Micky Mouse Cake!
(read his expression: "Get me OUT of this rodent outfit!")

Daddy did the blowing for Luke, but no need to make a wish,
Luke IS the wish come true!

This cake stuff isn't bad!

But he left plenty behind... we're in no hurry for sugar rushes!

For our games we played "Plug the Pacifier on the Baby"
and, of course, Mommy was the only person to get it perfectly
in his mouth. Until she confessed later that she peeked!

The other game was Baby Luke Memory, and YOU CAN PLAY TOO! Just click on the image below, print two copies, cut out the pictures, shuffle them, lay them out face down on a table, and see if you can find pairs by turning over only two at a time.

PLAY LUKE MEMORY:

(Click on Picture to Enlarge and say "oooooh he's sooooo cute!")

A Walk in the Garden of GOD

NOTE: All images in this post are clickable for wallpaper size.

"Thou art the God of the early mornings, the God of the late at nights, the God of the mountain peaks... but my God, my soul has further horizons... higher than any mountain peak... Thou who art God of all these, be my God." (Psalm 139)

While I was in Colorado I got to take a day to do the one thing that "re-creates" me most deeply, spend time alone, with God, in nature, with only a camera and an iPod loaded with worship music..... ahhhhhhhh

The place was "Garden of the Gods" but I prefer to call it the "Garden of God." It's a place I often visited as a young boy living in Colorado, so it was so nice to visit again decades later!

There is just something powerfully refreshing to walk around a place that is so ageless, it somehow puts your life in perspective... God is not in a hurry. He takes his precious time to do His work, and it is always a master peice.

The view from the highway heading in.

I love to climb, but was not equipped to rope climb on this trip, though I did spot these climbers right beyond the 'stay on the sidewalk' sign!

Of course, they had a permit, so I was the one off the sidewalk, though I enjoyed getting to meet this US soldier on a break from Iraqi climbing with his wife. They were here to climb from California - living within hours of Yosemite, but not yet ready to climb there. It was nice to hear this soldiers wife speak both of her fear but moreso of her pride in what her husband is doing in his service for the county. As I often hear from every soldier I talk to, the media is greatly misrepresenting the war and ignoring all the good and wonderful things that are happening over there. This soldier was most upset that they fail to honor the many US and Iraqi citizens that are killed volunteering for many of the most dangerous positions because they believe in what the United States is accomplishing over there. History will prove that, while it is a painful and tragic process, America is doing a good thing and bringing about changes that will greatly help the entire region as well as keep America safer. Those that don't get it yet, have their head in the sand. Our enemy is real, and defeat is the only way they will cease their mission to destroy us and our love of freedom. "Ant-War" is a slanted phrase, for it suggests if you are not anti-war, you must be pro-war. No one I know is 'pro-war' - war is ugly and painful, but necessary. Instead, I like to say we ought to be pro-America, and pro our TROOPS and that means PRO-their mission! Victory is the only option. Those who would have us turn tail and run in defeat or failure have forgotten 9-11 and the lessons past world wars. But I digress....


A climber that I spotted, he is MUCH higher than it appears in this photo. He is actually over half way up the mountain that is behind the one in the forefront of this picture.

I love using my ten second timer and running to get pics of myself at cool places throughout the day....

It was REALLY TOUGH to get up there in ten seconds! :)

I spotted these piles of berries several times along the way and a fellow hiker told me they were safe and healthy to eat. I'm not sure... they tasted HORRIBLE! Soft and sorta stale. Maybe if they had been fresh?

Night time at the Garden was spectacular!

One of the many lessons I've learned this past year, is that you MUST take time for the things that re-create you. I used to live as though "recreation" was just the "fun" stuff of life... and I missed the "re-creating" aspect of the things that truly refresh and refill and rejuvinate me. For me, one of the most powerful is getting alone in nature with my camera.

What is it for you? If you don't know, make it a New Year's Resolution to find out, and if you do know, schedule it now... it will never "just happen."

ENJOY THIS VIDEO I MADE THAT
HAS EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES
OF THE GARDEN OF GOD!

Download link: Garden of God
(QuickTime 18.2mb, just under 4 minutes)

2006 - A Year of Dramatic Change

2006. Wow.

There is no way to summarize last year. 2006 contained more change than any year I've ever experienced. 2006 was a year that was filled with the happiest and yet the hardest times in my entire life. When we look back we tend to want to focus on the worst... and yet, even in the midst of extremely difficult times, it is good to remember that God never fails to bring joy in the midst of suffering... if we take the time to look.

I started this blog, PastorKarl.com, in April of 2005 when I went on sabbatical in order to chronicle my adventures during those fantastic six weeks, but I'm so glad the habit stuck. Any time I am down and wondering where is (or where was) God, I can simply click through the archives of my blog and am flooded with memories of great times and great memories, super friends and special kids, especially when I miss most of what was once my daily life.

Indeed, 2006 brought a lot of changes, and at times, more than I could handle, and I failed miserably in keeping on top of everything, and yet in that brokeness God has taught me and shown me things I would never have seen otherwise - I was moving too fast to ever hear His soft voice calling me to a quieter deeper place of abiding in Him. Life today is much slower, thoughtful, and restful.... and balanced.

Most noticably, in 2006, on April 1st, my wife, Sara, and I suddenly became parents overnight to the most adorable little boy, named Luke. Finally, after years of heart-aching prayers, my childhood dream of being a DAD has come true. But it was also a year of stepping down from pastoral ministry after it became painfully clear that I was unable to maintain the life I was building especially once I became a father. But GOD IS SO GOOD and I continue to trust Him to work all things out together for good in His time.

In light of these changes, I have renamed my blog Kidologist.com for the new year while I am taking a break from being a full time children's pastor. But my heart for kids and my life mission has not changed: To reach and teach as many children as possible with the Good News of God's Love, and in the process to Enlist, Equip and Encourage others to do the same!


Below are some of the highlights of this past year that can be found within this site. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into 2006 as much as I did. (Clicking on any of the months will take you to the archive of that month which will contain the stories and pictures below, plus more!)

JANUARY

PIE IN THE FACE!
It so fun to let kids have fun at your own expense!

CPC FUN!
(www.incm.org)
See ya in Orlando and San Diego this year,
but taking a break from speaking, will just be attending.

MEEETING MY CHILDHOOD CRUSH

GOING DOWN A PAINFUL SLIDE!
(one of the best posts of the year, by feedback!)

RAINY DAY AT DISNEY

FEBRUARY

GETTING MY INTEL MACBOOK PRO!

ARENA FOOTBALL FUN!
(with crazy fan friend)

MARCH

SAVED A TURTLES LIFE!

KID U CHICAGO (with Mary Rice Hopkins)

APRIL

GOT BEAT UP BY SOX FANS
(went undercover as a Blue Jays Fan. Why? Read and find out)

TOOK A BABY HOME!
Here is where the huge changes began!

SARA BECOMES A MOM OVER NIGHT!
Aren't they beautiful?

HANGIN' WITH "W" IN WASHINGTON
(I had sooo much fun doing this, there is a gallery of pics)

MAY

ON BEING A FATHER FINALLY

REMEMBERING MY MOM

LEARNING ABOUT RAISING A BABY

JUNE

REFLECTIONS ON MY DAD

ENJOYING BEING A DAD

PARENTS AT LAST

SPORTS CAMP

JUMPING OFF A ROOF?

JULY

CHANGING THE SMOKE DETECTOR
(One of the best posts of the year!)

LUKE IS SIX MONTHS

LUKE GOES CAMPING

AUGUST

BACK YARD WATER BLASTS!

HEADIN' TO TENNESEE

SEPTEMBER

UGLY SPIDER PICS
(Sorry Henry!)

LUKE LOVES MOUNTAIN DEW!

LUKE HEADS TO KID U!

OCTOBER

BACK TO MR. G's
(after 18 years!)

PICKIN' PUMPKINS

DRESSIN' UP AS A RAT?

TRICK or TREATIN'

NOVEMBER

A POTTY PARTY?

LUKE'S FIRST FLIGHT!

DECEMBER

LUKE'S ADOPTION DAY ADVENTURES!

GROWN MEN ACTING LIKE KIDS... a video!

WHITE CHRISTMAS in COLORADO!

TRAPPED IN PARADISE!

THOSE WERE THE DAYS?
You know how when you look at pictures from the past you often think, "I had no idea how lucky I was..." or "wow, those were the days" or "If only I'd known to savor the moment more..." because there is something in those pictures that we miss or wish we could have or do again, or at least we miss the feelings we had then... in those moments. That's what my blog is for me. Stats tell me a lot of people read my blog, but I write it for myself. Others reading it (and leaving comments) encourages me not to quit, but I think in the end, I will always get the most out of it, because it is here I get to savor the memories again, and close my eyes and reflect on just how wonderful these events and the people in them were. I was just thinking about how despite all the pain and change in this past year, there were so many good times too, it was a year filled with fun memories that if I'd hadn't snapped some pictures and blogged them, I might have forgotten them altogether overwhelmed with the 'big things' of 2006. That's when it hit me.

TODAY IS TOMORROW's "THOSE DAYS"
Today will be tomorrows "those days." Think about it. This week, this month, THIS year, will be one that you will soon (and long from now) be looking back on as 'those days.' So no matter what 2006 was like, good or bad, (or some of each) focus on making some new 'those days' now. You can't change the past, and you can't determine the future, but you CAN make today count, you can seek to make this week, this month, this year one of the best yet.

Over Christmas my dad took me out for breakfast, and a little sign above our table read:

"Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow, Live Today."

I thought that was pretty good advice for me, and I decided to make it my motto for 2007. We can spend too much time on either missing the past or day dreaming about the future, and miss TODAY, the day that matters most. Lets get Livin' (and bloggin') ;)