Fear not. Do not be afraid…..

for this news will comfort you in your time of musical darkness.

Milano/Zurich/Koln

[[image:milansquare.jpg::center:0]]So far the Europe trip has been awesome. I spent some time in Italy for the first time, Milan to be exact. Actually it’s “Milano” and I never knew that until I saw the signs on the way into the city from the airport. Why do we feel the need to Americanize the names of foreign cities?

The first night we were in Milano, we went to a restaurant very close to the hotel. I forgot the name of it but it was awesome. Great food, wine, people. It was the opposite of fast food. I think when Italians decide to eat, they EAT and they don’t rush it, which is pretty cool….especially since the food is so good. We walked in and there were about 5 or 6 different groups that were already seated and eating. We sat down, ordered, ate, drank, sipped and three hours later, we left. The thing is almost all the of the people that were already there when we sat down were still seated at their tables, hanging out, taking it all in as we were leaving.

As we were leaving the restaurant we noticed a staircase that led to a basement into what was obviously a wine cellar. We asked a waiter if we could check it out and he led us down there. There were so many bottles of wine, it was insane. Not one bottle had been dusted for a very long time. I asked him how old the older bottle were and he said from the 1880s.
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Now we are in Germany and by tonight I will have made the smooth transition from Italian wine to German beer. We are in Koln at the present time and will be staying here for a few nights. I love Koln, probably my favorite city in Germany. Anyway, that’s it for now. Will check back soon.

Let it Rain Down

[[image:greendesert.jpg::center:0]][[image:greendesert2.jpg::center:0]]As a child I used to think that the Arizona desert was boring, bland, dry, and just plain ugly. As I’ve gotten older, that’s changed. I’ve lived in Arizona my entire life and as time passes, I love it more and more. It’s been raining non-stop in the Phoenix area and that’s a very good thing. There’s nothing like the smell of the desert right before it rains. I took these photos about a week ago. I was just amazed at how beautiful and green our desert is at the moment.

On the Road Again……

I’m in Dallas today. I got in yesterday afternoon after I had missed my original flight in the morning, I was able to hop on a mid day flight. In the end, it was better that way as I could spend a few more hours with my family before departing and I got here in time to take care of business. It was so hard to leave home this time. It’s so sad when you start driving into the airport and your 3 year old daughter recognizes from past experience what’s happening and totally breaks down in tears and then your wife precedes to cry as well. I felt like a total ass.

Today we travel to Milan. Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to London, and London to Milan. Fun, Fun, Fun. Today is gonna suck but the end of the day’s road will be worth it…..Italy!!! I’ve never been to Italy so I’m really looking forward to checking it out. I have a feeling the photo blog will awaken from it’s current slumber.

Justin and Erin Kick Ass!!

I am very excited about Justin and Erin’s entry into the blogoshpere. Do yourself a favor and check them out at tryingnottosellout.org

My Daughter Kicks Ass!!

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A Quiet Birth

We have said good bye to our baby boy today. Our souls cry out for understanding. Our hearts mourn for a lost future. We are not angry. We cannot be angry. It is the love from the Creator that we all receive, even before our first breath of air, that speaks to us in this moment of brokenhearted loss. May our boy who has left the womb with a quiet birth rest peacefully in the Creator’s palm and know the cracks in our hearts will never fully mend.

Friends of Democracy

[[image:friends.jpg::right:0]]I found this blog this morning. It’s a group called Friends of Democracy. It’s a blog run by a small group of Iraqis to report on the elections and the democratic progression in Iraq. It’s really interesting to hear some of the stories of their experience by those who are actually going through it, rather than hearing about it from Aaron Brown or some other person comfortable in the anchor chair. Check out the photo section as well, there are some really compelling and powerful images included. Major credit is due to these Iraqis for stepping out and telling their story.

I really want to like George W. Bush……..

….but this story makes it really hard. I know I am supposed to “love” George Bush, but right now I really don’t want to. God forgive me. As Americans, we are a pretty intelligent nation, but are we really more intelligent than these 6 other countries who actually want to go above and beyond to help these poor global neighbors of ours? I guess I’m not proud, but merely a plain ol’ American. I’m actually more proud to be a citizen of a nation who has an ally with a leader that seems to have read the Gospel and is ACTUALLY TRYING TO APPLY IT. Go Tony B.!!!

Pomomusings Solidarity Post

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I love not going to seminary and playing in a rock band. I can’t wait for all the other rock band people to start calling me out on how little I’ve been partying lately. Hang in there Adam. If you get black balled from the right wing christian establishment, you can always pastor the lost souls like myself.