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Rivers of Life

I have been reluctant to post pictures of our family on the blog because of the chaotic nature of the Internet - the nature of a pastor's blog lends itself to openness instead of restricting access, so I have chosen to have little control over who can read the blog. So to protect our family's privacy to a certain degree, Kim sends out pictures from time to time via email instead of putting them here on this website.

We had several requests for pictures after I posted about our trip to Cancun, and Kim sent some out to some friends and family. If you didn't get the email but would like to, we didn't intend to leave you out. Just let us know where to send them.

We have heard back from many people who also sent pictures. We have been blessed especially by those of you in Sherman who were having children around the same time Michael was born. Like you, Kim and I have wondered at how much the children have grown and matured in the course of a small handful of years. Each day is different and new and the children are not the same from one day to the next. Neither are we, for that matter. The hand of God is leading us ever onward, and we hope that the Spirit works in us to become more like Christ with each new day.

Life is dynamic and active, full of movement and transformation. Love is wild and chaotic, not still or ordered. Life tends to be messy and uncontrollable, not neat in its place.

Ancient Greek philosophers tended to describe the nature of reality as a fire - consuming, dynamic, transforming. One philosopher said that the nature of reality is like a river. You can't step into a river in the same place twice; each new step brings you into contact with new water, water constantly in motion.

Psalmists and prophets celebrated the reality that Yahweh would do new things in our midst, that He is endlessly creative and inventive. That is why we must learn to sing new songs to the Lord as we try to recognize and celebrate all the new things He is doing. The old songs won't always do if we want to celebrate the persistent newness of God.

The pictures of our children remind us that we don't step into the river of life in the same place twice. Thanks to all of you for allowing us to dabble our toes in the river of your life. Keep the pictures coming.

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