Trip to Lake Brownwood

Every other year, my parents, siblings and I, along with my mom’s sisters and their families, meet at a magical lakefront property in Lake Brownwood, Texas. There, we enjoy all sorts of water-sports (water-skiing, jet-skiing, knee-boarding, wake-boarding, fishing, the cousin-blob, etc), fabulous home-cooked meals, telling stories, singing and worship, taking naps, celebrating birthdays, playing on the Wii, solving 1000 piece puzzles, and relaxing together. Our amazing accommodations, courtesy of Dale and Rita Brown (Ben’s wife Trisha’s family), are spacious and delightful for spending a week at the lake.














































































This year was made all the more special by the fact that Jenna decided to be baptized into Christ during our time there. She has always wanted her baptism to be at a beautiful and special place, and with lots of family on hand to help celebrate, Lake Brownwood was the perfect venue! We are so proud of and delighted for Jenna in this vital step she has taken on her faith journey.

Here and There

During my sabbatical, I have enjoyed some times to connect with old friends, valued mentors, confidants, and loved ones. Pictured below are a lunch meeting with my long-time friend Jon Reed (minister of the Hilltop Church of Christ in El Segundo), a dinner date with Carrie, and a Dodger game with the extended Giboney side of Carrie’s family (Dodgers won!). For a people-person like me, times like these are priceless!

In Malibu with Jon Reed

















On a hot date with Carrie

















With the Giboney crew at Dodger Stadium

Sedona Family Reunion

During the weekend of July 23-26, we drove to Sedona, Arizona for an extended Wall family reunion, stopping en route in Flagstaff to visit long-time college friends Rick and Connie Krug and their kids.

Krug and Wall Kids


















Growing up, my visits to the Wall side of the family were always confusing. My dad is the 10th of 11 siblings and has 5 brothers and 5 sisters. Some of his siblings are 25 years older than him, which means that he is younger than some of his nieces (one by six years). For me, this meant that most of my first cousins are 10 to 20 years older than me. It was confusing to me because most of the kids my age were my second cousins. Now that I am older, I can cognitively process this information but it’s still tricky trying to explain it to our girls.

However, we enjoyed nice visits with the various family members who gathered from as far away as Washington, California and Texas to share in the fun.

With the Wall First Cousins


















Some friendly family competition on the volleyball court


















Spectacular Sedona Cliffs

East Coast Trip (Part 7 of 7) -- New Hampshire & Main

We spent our final day and a half on the East Coast with long-time friends Paul and Leanne Clark and their teenage sons, Drue and Devin. We have known the Clarks for 20 years, since we were M-Div students together at Abilene Christian University. They have served a congregation in Nashua, New Hampshire for the past 9 years. It was great to reconnect and our families enjoyed a less "historical" and more "relational" final stop on our odyssey.

In addition to enjoying ice cream together ("The Big One" in Nashua serves up a wide variety of generous and tasty concoctions), playing cards, playing a fun basketball game called knockout, watching some of the MLB home run derby, and getting caught up on life, we enjoyed a day trip to the coast of Maine. We took in several lighthouses, relaxed at a gorgeous and unusual rocky shoreline (which looked like petrified wood), did some rock-climbing and wave-evading, and enjoyed New England seafood (at least, those of us who go for that sort of thing did).

East Coast Trip (Part 6) -- Plimouth Plantation and Mayflower II

During our final day in Massachusetts, we visited the Mayflower II, a full-size (and seaworthy) replica of the original ship complete with wonderfully informative characters dressed in period costumes. The ship's "captain" (see below) was a particularly excellent and knowledgeable character who spoke in a strong Scottish (?) brogue, knew every aspect of ships and sailing, and helped us better appreciate the rigors and hardships endured by the initial passengers and crew of the Mayflower.























Ready to board the Mayflower II


















Hoisting the anchor with the windlass























We also explored the Plimouth Plantation, which presented life at the first colonial settlement from the perspective of both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. I appreciated learning more about the lives and challenges of those early settlers and how being persecuted for their faith led them to seek a new life on a new continent. However, I continue to be deeply unsettled by and ambivalent about the legacy of the white man's displacement of the native americans. The cultures and civilizations that my ancestors displaced and/or eradicated (whether intentionally through conquest or inadvertently through disease) leaves me feeling unsettled about the whole "manifest destiny" thing (though that language wasn't used until the 1800s).

At the Plimouth Plantation


















Inside a Plimouth Plantation Home

East Coast Trip (Part 5) -- Boston, Massachusetts

Following a great day at Old Sturbridge Village, we went to Boston, where we stayed on the MIT campus in the apartment of Bob and Jan Randolph (Loyd's brother & wife).

On Saturday, we caught the "T" (Boston's subway) to downtown and explored the Freedom Trail, which winds through town by a host of historic sites, from Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church (immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride") to the Old State House and the Old South Meetinghouse, to Boston Common and Bunker Hill. We also visited enough grave sites to make Jerry Rushford proud.

Freedom Trail Marker


















Follow the Red Brick Line























In Paul Revere's family pew at the Old North Church




















In front of the Old North Church






















Our teacher at a historic educational site






















A bit of Boston humor

East Coast Trip (Part 4) -- Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts

Following our three day adventure in New York City, we spent the next three days in Massachusetts.

Old Sturbridge Village
Our first stop was at Old Strurbridge Village, one of the country's largest living history museums, with a great staff of craftspeople and historians in costume, 59 historic buildings on 200 acres, three authentic water-powered mills, and two covered bridges. If you're familiar with Colonial Williamsburg, Old Sturbridge Village depicts life a century later (1830s New England).

We loved interacting with the townspeople and watching the blacksmiths, tinsmiths, coopers (barrel makers), cobblers, wool-dyers, potters, farmers, and other various craftsmen and women ply their trades. I was impressed by the amount of work that people in 1830 had to do simply to have clothes on the backs and enough food to see them through the next harvest. Before the automation brought by textile manufacturing, a wool coat would take about 31 days to make (including 9 days of carding the wool and 13 days of spinning it).

In the Potter's Shop




















Wall Family Portrait (minus Mom)




















At the Village Parsonage




















Wall girls having some dressup fun

East Coast Trip (Part 3) -- New York

Manhattan, New York: "if I can drive it there, I'll drive it anywhere!" (With apologies to Frank Sinatra.) By far the most exciting (or nerve-wracking) part of our two week East Coast trip for me was driving the streets of Manhattan. Fortunately, I've been driving the LA Airport for years and it turned out to be some very useful training. But nothing in LA quite prepares you for NYC's volume of foot-traffic, since "nobody's walking in LA."

This was our first trip to New York City and I wanted to share some first-timer's impressions:
* Running in Central Park is never lonely -- people are running all over that park! (I can't wait to run the New York Marathon!)
* New Yorkers were very helpful when we were lost on the subway system -- we just had to ask. Though I'm sure they could be out there, we did not meet the stereotypical neurotic, rude, self-obsessed New Yorker.
* You're never far from a place to eat anyplace in the city (though the Central Park food carts only serve hot dogs and ice cream).
* The view from the Empire State Building at night is spectacular, perhaps even better than the day view.
* The homeless sleep on steps of the cathedrals at night; I was pleased to see that those who are following Christ are visibly providing for "the least of these."
* Times Square is like Las Vegas with taller buildings.
* Once you figure out the difference between "uptown" and "downtown," the NYC subway is a very efficient way to get around.
* New Yorkers are not Dodger fans (just wear a Dodger t-shirt and they'll tell you).
* Everyone who's been to New York has a favorite restaurant there.
* The Lincoln tunnel is way too long to hold your breath all the way under.
* We did not see any single family dwellings in all of Manhattan.
* New York is not a cheap city to visit or to live in.

With Lady Liberty






















Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe




















Mary Poppins on Broadway




















Rowing on Central Park Lake




















On the 86th floor of the Empire State Building

East Coast Trip (Part 2) -- Pennsylvania

After five full days in Washington D.C., we headed north and spent an afternoon in Gettysburg (and discovered Friendly's Diner) before driving through Lancaster county and staying at a bed and breakfast located in the heart of Amish country.

At the various Gettysburg sites, I was reminded about how deeply and how long the nation had been divided on the issue of slavery. It was a conflict that was brewing for decades; many politicians and leaders simply tried to postpone a definitive decision until they were out of office. I was also reminded that in addition to the issue of slavery, the matter of States' rights was also at stake. It must have been an agonizing decision for Abraham Lincoln to decide to go to war in order to preserve the union but in retrospect, it was the right call. Gettysburg exemplified the painful losses of the Civil War (11,000 deaths, 51,000 total casualties) and is the location of President Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address ("Four score and seven years ago").

Gettysburg -- atop Little Round Top




















In Amish Country, we stayed at Fassitt house, an 1845 home which served as a stop along the Underground Railroad (32 documented runaway slaves stayed there between 1845 and 1862). I had forgotten that harboring runaway slaves was against the law even in the pro-abolition North and those who did so put themselves and their property at risk. Our girls stayed in the Freedom Room, whose closet still has the original trap door and hiding space intended for runaway slaves in case of emergencies.

We enjoyed driving around the gorgeous farmland and seeing the Amish families sharing in meals and volleyball games, as well as their horse and buggy carts. We watched an incredible sunset and then were delighted by thousands of fireflies putting on a fireworks show of their own at dusk.

Sunset in Amish Country




















On Monday, July 6, we drove into Philadelphia, the one-time capital of the Unites States and the leading intellectual and cultural center of the Colonial era. We visited the Liberty bell and the Visitor Center, took a carriage ride, ate cheesesteak sandwiches (well, some of us did), enjoyed "Once Upon a Nation" street performers, and went on a tour of Independence Hall. I also learned (in no uncertain terms) that the Superbowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, though located in Pennsylvania, are not much appreciated in Philly.

Cheesesteak baby!



















My favorite stop of the day was at Independence Hall (the building pictured on the back of a $100 bill), where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated, shaped, and signed/ratified. Those who signed the Declaration of Independence essentially were signing their own death warrants if the revolution against the British failed. I appreciated being reminded about the significant debates regarding how to shape the fledgling U.S. government -- how to provide a government that sought to prevent a "tyranny of the majority" and to create checks and balances through the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. I don't think I had ever realized how independent the various states originally were (more like a confederation of sovereign nations) and how vigorously the tension between federal powers and state powers was debated. I found myself admiring the thought and the give and take that went into creating the founding documents of the United States.

Look Familiar? Philadelphia's Independence Hall

East Coast Trip (Part 1) -- Washington DC

During the past two weeks, our family enjoyed the trip of a lifetime, fulfilling one of our dreams of taking our girls (and myself!) to see some of the major sites of the historically and culturally rich East Coast. (I have not been able to post because we have had five people vying for time on the laptop along with inconsistent internet access.) We were able to visit parts of nine states (and we barely missed Delaware and Rhode Island), covering some 6000 miles by plane, 800 miles by car, and many more by DC metro, MTA New York City Subway, and the Boston "T."

Our East Coast Itinerary
















We returned home yesterday (July 14), and I am sifting through 1563 pictures and countless memories, wondering how to "sum up" this rich, educational, and fun trip. I think my best strategy will be to do it in sections. In this post, I will focus on our five days in the Washington, D.C. area. If you'd care to see a lot more pictures, please check out Jenna and Jessica's posts on Facebook.

While in the DC area, we were royally hosted by Carrie's long-time family friend, Paul Gibson and his wife Melanie. They were a wonderful resource to us in figuring out how to get around and what to see. We enjoyed their three adorable children and even got to run together by a wooded riverside in beautiful Virginia.

The Smithsonian Museum:
* Air and Space Museum -- was especially taken by the systematic and creative persistence of the Wright brothers in achieving the first successful flight (and how these two very different brothers successfully worked together by playing to their strengths).

* Museum of Natural History -- of course we loved all the animal and fish exhibits; but I was surprised by how fascinating the minerals and gems section was; it struck me that God not only created great and diverse animal and plant kingdoms but also that God made the various elements of the universe to combine in some practically useful and spectacularly beautiful ways. I’ll never say “it’s just a rock” again!

* Museum of American History -- enjoyed the Abraham Lincoln exhibit and the display of the U.S. flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner.” Was also drawn into an interactive exhibit for kids on the creative process and various approaches to stimulating creativity.

Capitol tour, Supreme Court, Library of Congress
These are most impressive edifices, with gorgeous architecture and a grand scale, and with reminders everywhere of the great leaders who have shaped U.S. history. I can easily see how working in such a space could be intoxicating to the ego and be a serious temptation to pride. But I was also able to see how this grand experiment we call the U.S., with her two houses and three branches of government, was built on careful thought and reflection as well as through vigorous debate and give and take.

The Capitol Building






















Mount Vernon
I gained a new appreciation for George Washington during this visit, as it seems he was a man who genuinely enjoyed (and perhaps would have preferred) the simpler life of running and farming his estate and yet who responded twice to the call of service and duty, first to be the general of the revolutionary forces and then to be the first president of the United States.

At Mount Vernon



















National Mall monuments (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson), the White House, and the War Memorials
We visited these sites on the 4th of July, and I was particularly struck by many of the words at the Abraham Lincoln memorial.

From Lincoln’s 2nd Inauguration (1865, toward the end of the Civil War):  
(said of the North and the South) “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully.”

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue






















We ran into some friends at the National Mall in DC on the 4th of July