Bloggin' With Rob

2011-02-08T15:18:00.003-05:00

YouthReach International invites you to join us at a benefit dinner affirming the timeless values of Coach Don Meyer, with special guest ESPN's Buster Olney, author of How Lucky You Can Be: The Story of Coach Don Meyer.

Coach Don Meyer has influenced thousands of men and women in his basketball coaching career, guiding them not only in their skills on the court as a team, but also as productive members of society, thinking of others first, and joining together to become part of something bigger than themselves. In speaking of his program, Coach Meyer has been quoted, "Your program must have an overriding purpose which is clearly visible and which teaches lessons beyond winning."

This philosophy of life has impacted organizations, relationships, and families around the world. Coach Meyer's coaching philosophies have influenced the staff and Board of YouthReach International, and as a result are now being shared with Mentors and orphans throughout Ukraine and Russia.

This benefit dinner is an opportunity to share with friends, teams, customers, employees, and families the wisdom of this legendary coach. We will share a meal together, briefly hear about YouthReach International's orphan mentoring programs, and then Buster Olney will introduce Coach Don Meyer. A book signing opportunity will conclude the program.

Contact me via this blog or at my profile email address for more information!

Reason # About a Billion I Why I Just Don't Get Facebook

2011-01-10T20:05:00.004-05:00

My wife just showed me something a friend of hers posted. It read (and I am 100% serious), "I just got shocked by a banana. That's a first."

(Imagine roll your eyes emoticon here)

BCS Championship Game starts in 28 minutes. Now, that is entertainment.

Amending an Adage

2010-11-01T07:34:00.001-04:00

It would probably be more correct to amend that old adage 'you are what you eat' to ‘you are what you ATE!’

Russia Today - Poverty Rates Down, Life Expectancy Up

2010-10-24T21:43:00.000-04:00

The number of impoverished Russians has decreased in recent years and life expectancy has grown, but 14 percent of the populace is still living below the poverty line and gender discrimination remains rampant, a new UN study says.

The report, titled "The National Human Development Report in Russia 2010" and released by the United Nations Development Program on Friday, examines the country's progress toward Millennium Development Goals — a set of social goals that all UN members have pledged to achieve by 2015.

“There is considerable progress in poverty reduction and an increase in average life expectancy,” UNDP representative Frode Mauring said at the report's presentation.

The poverty rate has decreased by 3.7 percent from 2005 to 2009, and the monthly minimum wage reached 5,000 rubles ($164) last year compared with only 1,200 rubles in 2000.

Male life expectancy grew from 58.8 years in 2005 to 61.8 in 2008, the report said. Corresponding figures for women grew from 72.3 to 74.1 years over the same period.

But male mortality still exceeds that for women, with rates of 1,071 and 281 deaths per 100,000, respectively, with alcohol being the main cause for the discrepancy, the report's authors said.

Women's empowerment remains an issue as well, with most decision making in the country remaining in the hands of men even though there are 11 million more women than men in the country, said Natalya Zubarevich, one of the report's authors.

Only three of the 19 ministers of the federal government are women, Zubarevich said.

My Beautiful Wife and Me

2010-10-18T22:16:00.002-04:00

Tell me she's not HOT! I dare ya!!

My Beautiful Wife

2010-10-18T22:11:00.003-04:00

With the pink clippers doing their thing Traci says bye for a few months to her blond locks!

Sniff sniff...

2010-10-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

Updates on Traci and Our Journey With Cancer

2010-10-06T07:28:00.002-04:00

For updates on my wife Traci and her journey to freedom from breast cancer, please follow us at http://blog.youthreach.org.

80's Memories

2009-08-08T15:02:00.002-04:00

"My name is Mr. T. First name is Mister, middle name is that period, and the last name is T."

Been a while. Most great thoughts are pondered at a time when I am not near my computer. By the time I get to my computer................what was I was talking about?

Anyway, good Mr. T memory up there.

You go Hank!

2009-02-23T09:59:00.000-05:00

Back up and runnning

2009-02-02T07:04:00.002-05:00

Actually, just walking really fast up hills these days. The bouncing of running is a killer on the shoulder but I'm 75% back to well thank God! I should be ready for Opening Day in my back yard with the boys in mid April.

A funny thing happened this morning while quickly walking up a set of steep inclines. I just started counting my steps for a while. It gets my mind off how bad my calves and hammies hurt. I walked at a pace of 20 steps (sometimes 21 but never less than 20 or more than 21) per 10 seconds. Not counting a brief warm up and cool down I walked like this for 45 minutes. 17 years of private school education helped me figure that in 45 minutes there are 270 sets of 10 second blocks. At 20 steps per block, I walked a total of 5400 steps. I do this 5 times a week so that's 27000 steps a week.

That's a lot of times to do anything in a week other than breathe in or blink eyes. I don't think I do many things that often in a normal week. I've flown 27000 miles in a week before but that's not something to brag about in most crowds. I've probably eaten 27000 calories before in a week in a previous time of my life. I bet I've not expressed my love to Christ or my wife or my kids 27000 times in a week but I'd sure like to try. That sounds kinda fun actually.

Anyway, just thinking this morning about the number 27000...

Ouch! That Hurts!!!

2009-01-11T21:43:00.002-05:00

Friday night in Athens, GA, I separated my shoulder working out. I actually fell into a perfect jujitsu roll got up and kept running the drill I was doing. About ten seconds later I knew something was wrong. The picture you see here is a pretty good description of what happened. It's not dislocated but it is separated. I'm in a sling for 4-5 weeks and will learn more from a surgeon tomorrow of what all more I'll need in order to heal up.

With all the conviction I've been under the last 3 months about working out, healthy eating and so on, I am reminded that I never separated my shoulder while eating chips on the couch watching football. Hmmmm....

4 years ago today

2009-01-08T10:47:00.003-05:00

Well today is a day that will always, for the rest of my life, be bittersweet. Bitter in that my dear father died 4 years ago today but oh so sweet in that Nate was born 7 years ago today. I'm glad Dad is where he is but I just miss him a lot. At 40 I could sure use a 70 year old dad at times.

Nate is all the a 7 year old truly should be - funny, curious, busy, skinned up knees, into sports, loves his mommy and is a bit of a clown too. Dad would love Nate no matter how he is but he would love him especially as he is.

Less of Ann is Better for Me

2009-01-07T07:16:00.002-05:00

After watching Ann Coulter on Today this morning, I am just about sure that I now understand why so many people find her so annoying. I know I now do.

Going Old School in the A-T-L

2008-12-24T14:12:00.005-05:00

If you are from Atlanta or now live in Atlanta or have any nostalgia at all towards Marthasville/Terminus, check out this site: www.atlantatimemachine.com. It is chock full of pictures that are priceless. Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, Ponce, Grant Park, Hartsfield, and on and on will be revisited both in photo and in word. I just spent 2 hours on Christmas Eve of all things looking through it.

And, in regards to the picture above, the first few episode of the CBS Friday night at 8 p.m. eastern classic, "The Dukes of Hazzard", were filmed just south of where I now live. Conyers, GA, is where that odd show that has created a sub culture all its own (of which I am not part but that's beside the point) began. The cast even stayed at the old Holiday Inn at Exit 82 off of I-20. That's from my own mind by the way. I don't think you'll get that kinda insight from this site but,then again, you might!

So, check it out. If you give a rip about the ATL and are older than 30 you will love it.

Merry Christmas to all by the way...

Crisis Humor

2008-12-23T10:21:00.002-05:00

In these financial times, we MUST have a sense of humor. My friends in Russia are masters at humor amid dark and dangerous times. These have appeared recently in Russian newspapers:

If you had invested $1,000 in Delta Airlines a year ago, you would have $49 today; $1,000 in AIG a year ago, $33 today; in Fannie Mae, only $2.50 today. But, if instead you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer a year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for a recycling refund, you would have received $214. Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily and recycle. It's called a 401-keg.
===========================================================================================
The wife of a banker decides to surprise her husband and stop by his work to see him. She gets there and sees his secretary sitting on his lap. Without blinking, her husband begins to dictate: "In conclusion, I must affirm, gentlemen, that even in the midst of this financial crisis, one chair for two people in my office is not enough!"
=========================================================================================
A spring day in 2010, 6 a.m. Two street sweepers meet outside. One looks fixedly at the other.

"You look so familiar!"

"I think I've seen you before too ... which bank did you work at?"
=========================================================================================
Since American medicine couldn't stop the fattening of the nation, the American economy came to help out.
=========================================================================================
The economic situation has become so bad lately that women are now marrying for love.

And now the Falcons too?

2008-12-21T21:56:00.003-05:00

First the Jackets beat UGAg and now the Falcons make the playoffs. The Hawks are about 10 wins ahead of where they were last year and it is good to be an Atlanta/GA TECH sports fan again.

Ain't life grand!

It's good to be Tech Fan

2008-12-02T15:32:00.003-05:00

45-42 Jackets. Ahhhhh...I can smile again.

More Sigs

2008-09-24T20:28:00.002-04:00

More of the same...

* 99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.
* I am a nobody, nobody is perfect... therefore I am perfect!!
* "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."-St. Augustine
* You have reached the last page of the Internet. Please turn off your computer and go outside to play.
* "Life's tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid." - Greg Stejskal
* “I am now going to read aloud your submitted medical conditions. When you hear yours read, you will raise your hand to indicate that it is real. If you do not raise your hand, your disease will not be covered…Number one. Inverted penis.”
Dwight Schrute

Some Favorite Signatures of Posters I Know

2008-09-11T18:40:00.003-04:00

I belong to a couple of travel and Russian forums. We all use handles which are interesting enough themselves but the signatures of some of these people crack me up. Most are travel related but some speak to more of a general outlook on life. Here's a few of my favorites:

I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, then I thought: What good will that do?

Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil says "Oh crap, she's awake!"

Don't take life too seriously, nobody gets out alive.

"Attention Terrorists: You can run, but you'll only die tired"

This game is not as much fun as it used to be.

If at first you don't succeed, find out who's responsible and make them pay.

If we all are here to help others, then what exactly are others here for?

To understand another man's life, walk a mile in his shoes. Then walk another mile in his shoes. By then, he'll be too tired to come after you and you'll have a new pair of shoes!

Constituo, ergo sum (which means "I post, therefore I am")

More to come...

Random thoughts from the center of Moscow...

2008-08-26T23:52:00.003-04:00

I have been keeping a mental checklist of sorts the last few years about why people (me included) blog. I'm not the first to ask this I am sure. Here are a few of my personal reasons I am sure of and an example or two to boot.

I think people blog to process stuff. I know I do. I was in front of the computer within 4 hours after my father died pouring my heart out. I really did not care if anyone read what I said (or did I?) rather I was just trying to put into words what 10 years of knowing his illness would eventually bring about brought about.

I think people blog to mark stuff. I have a friend who left a nice job (the 6 digit a year kind) to transition to a ministry job (the 4 or 5 digit a year kind). A few weeks before he left his job, he blogged. Included a picture and great movie quote too! Interestingly, he posted 3x in 6 weeks and was done forever. His blog is still up but he is so done marking that event in his life. He's 3.5 years down the road and other events are mark worthy now.

I think people blog to recast reality for themselves. I have another friend who blogs but only with pictures (or mostly with pictures). He tells a great story through the lense of the camera. It seems to me that his blog is as much about reminding himself and his family that there is a beauty and a nobleness to what they do that words can never really articulate. The pictures though do a much better job of expressing the beauty (a relative term in this case) of the place he lives and the life they lead.

Finally, I think people blog to see their View Count go up. You know one or two like that, don't you?

Last 3 Sentences Pretty Much Sums It Up For Me!

2008-07-12T12:20:00.002-04:00

Pastor among suspects in illegal snake bust
By ROGER ALFORD

Associated Press Writer

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The pastor of a Kentucky church that handles snakes in religious rites was among 10 people arrested by wildlife officers in a crackdown on the venomous snake trade.

More than 100 snakes, many of them deadly, were confiscated in the undercover sting after Thursday's arrests, said Col. Bob Milligan, director of law enforcement for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Most were taken from the Middlesboro home of Gregory James Coots, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamondback rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.

Handling snakes is practiced in a handful of fundamentalist churches across Appalachia, based on the interpretation of Bible verses saying true believers can take up serpents without being harmed. The practice is illegal in most states, including Kentucky.

Coots, 36, is pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, where a Tennessee woman died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in 1995. Her husband died three years later when he was bitten by a snake in northeastern Alabama.

Coots was charged Thursday with buying, selling and possessing illegal reptiles. He had no listed telephone number and couldn't be reached for comment. There was no phone listing for the church.

"It is disturbing to me that individuals would keep such dangerous wildlife in their homes and in neighborhoods where they put their families, visitors and neighbors at such high risk," Milligan said.

The snakes, plus one alligator, were turned over to the nonprofit Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade. Most appeared to have been captured from the wild, with some imported from Asia and Africa.

Zoo Director Jim Harrison said some of the animals would likely have become exotic pets had they not been seized.

"There's been a large trade in exotics for years," he said. "Some people are just fascinated with them."

Undercover officers purchased more than 200 illegal reptiles during the investigation, some of which were advertised for sale on Web sites. One such Web site lists copperheads for $50 each and cobras for $450.

"You can purchase anything off the Internet except common sense," Harrison said. "A venomous snake isn't a pet. You don't play with it. If you do, you're an idiot."

2 Great Stories From Involving My Sister In Law My Nephews (mild language warning but absolutely innocent)

2008-06-19T05:46:00.003-04:00

From my sister in law, Kara, in TX:

On Fridays we go to the chiropractor first thing in the morning and afterwards we go to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. Well, today when I went into the bathroom, I met a VERY tall lady in there. She liked the complimentary lotion so much that she was putting it all over her. As we got to talking, she offered me some of the lotion and said “it isn’t mine, it was in here”. So, I told her that my husband (who is the Operator and my brother, Philip Browne. rb) put it in here for people to use. When she heard that she told me she was from College Park, Georgia. Well, of course I had to let her meet Phil. So, I took her over to meet Phil and just before I did, she motioned to her husband to come over too. Her husband turned out to be a VERY nice midget! Now, not only was he a midget, but he was wearing a very colorful shirt, a Jamaican hat and had the biggest go-tee I have ever seen! We had a wonderful conversation with them and then they headed out. Just as they left Peyton (6 years old) came over to Philip and whispered in his ear, “Daddy, is he from the Chronicles of Narnia?” All we have to say is that we are SO happy that he waited until they left to ask that. Boy, has he ever come a long way!!

Also (this one is even better):

Today, during school I was reading to Wesley and Peyton from The Aesop for Children. I was reading about a donkey that had become VERY proud. In the book they called the donkey an ass. Well, for the first time ever I went ahead and read the story word for word. About half way through the story a man in the story says “Stupid ass! You have become too proud” and of course I am reading it word for word. Just as I say that Wesley stops me and says, “Mom, he really should have just said dumb ass (because we don’t say bad words)”. Then he waited for me to repeat the sentence correctly. And I obediently did!

Classic! Oh the heart of pure young boys.

Larry Legend and Magic Johnson

2008-06-06T17:20:00.001-04:00

Possibly the only commercial in the history of television that has literally given me chill bumps and watered my eyes.

Long live Larry Legend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AlN_tz44yM

Mystery Revealed for Men! 9 Words That Women Use and What They Really Mean!!

2008-06-03T22:48:00.003-04:00

From my friend Wade...who knows all there is to know about women (but don't tell his wife Jennifer that!)

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' ... that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying "Forget You!"

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later re sult in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

My Baby Be One!

2008-05-31T08:05:00.001-04:00

Our little girl turned 1 last weekend. What a year it's been. Check out a rather dashing photo of her at our new favorite photographer's blog: Click here.

The Spurs

2008-05-29T23:35:00.001-04:00

Tired, old, lead footed, disinterested, unclutch.

Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeese are your 2008 San Antonio Spuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurs!

English Invasion and Russia's Response

2008-05-22T11:00:00.002-04:00

The championship of the European Premier Football League was held in Moscow on May 21. It was a HUGE deal. Russia suspended the visa mandate for Brits coming for the match. They only need show round trip air tickets, a ticket to the game and a valid passport in order to be allowed in the country. I wish it was that easy for us! Oh yeah, Man U beat Chelsea but that's beside the point.

In today's Moscow Times a rather funny blurb appeared about how a Russian Newspaper called "Izvestia" provided an aid to Moscovites dealing with the sometimes rowdy British footbal fans. I'll quote the paper just as they wrote it:

Other fans seemed to have drunk Moscow's bars dry, too. In the walkways outside Luzhniki stadium, English supporters overcome either by emotion or alcohol stumbled and relieved themselves against the nearby fences.

The scene might have sent nearby Muscovites searching for the day's edition of Izvestia, which carried a brief English-language primer for dealing with the visitors in its sports section, including the request: "Sir, don't piss on the grass, please. Pushkin and Dostoevsky used to walk here," complete with a phonetic transliteration.

You might not but I found this hilarious...

Favorite Movies That I'll Watch Time and Time and Time and Time and Time and Time Again

2008-05-18T21:47:00.005-04:00

I'll stop just about anything anytime anywhere to watch School of Rock. It is a classic!!!

Don't Believe the Hype

2008-05-04T16:09:00.002-04:00

Celtics 99

Hawks 65

I think Chuck D and Public Enemy said it best back in the 80's: Don't Believe the Hype.

He Wants His Rights!

2008-05-04T13:55:00.003-04:00

"Student Vinicios Robacher, 15, said in March he was preparing to file a lawsuit against school officials in Danbury, Conn., over an ear injury. Robacher said that, while he had his head down, sleeping in class, the teacher slapped his desk so hard with her palm, to wake him, that he still has constant pain."

Hmmmm. My Junior High math teacher (a wonderful, Godly man actually) used to slap his yard stick on his desk whenever he saw us dozing in class. It would always cause one or two kids to scream out who were asleep in class and more than a few of us dreaming about this weekend's game to immediately whip back in our chairs risking, I'm sure, some kind of chiropractic malfunction. At least "way back then" he never nor would the school he worked for ever consider this a questionable act in the least. Oh my how times are a changin'.

Until they decide, I'll continue to post...Part Deux

2008-04-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

Oh my. Oh my. It's just too easy.

Little Rascal

2008-04-26T13:20:00.002-04:00

If there ever was a modern version of a Little Rascal then I am pretty sure it is Aidan Browne.

That Grand Old Game

2008-04-20T21:24:00.007-04:00

I met my first love when I was only 5. Not sure how it happened. We literally happened upon each other with neither expecting "this would be the one". Nothing in life has been the same since then.

Now I'm getting to watch my oldest son fall for her too. Not sure (again) how it has happened but oh the pull on this father's heart watching it unfold. Her name is baseball and the love affair is stronger than ever.

Basketball was my ticket. It got me noticed, got me educated, got me in shape, and got me friends I still treasure today. I don't play it anymore though. I don't watch it on tv and I don't care much for it to tell you the truth. It's baseball I've longed to teach my sons. It's baseball I change clothes after work to play with my sons. It's baseball that we update each other on, laugh about and replay at the kitchen table daily. I love this game and so do they.

Benjamin is my oldest son. He's 9. Great kid. He has a purer heart at 9 than I did when I was half his age. He guards his eyes and his ears militantly. He questions me openly and often with "Dad, is that song appropriate (Shift Work by Kenney Chesney being the latest one I've been called to the carpet on)?" He's not had much to do with life outside of our home the first 9 years on earth and that has been very, very intentionally so. He's getting ready though to begin some forays into the world. This new love of his is turning out to be providing one of those first out of home and out of yard experiences for him.

For the last two years I've been introducing him slowly and deliberately to my first love. He's taken her by the hand, walked alone a bit with her, and has reassuringly looked over his shoulder back at me as if to say, "you're right. She's a cutie." The boy loves baseball. Our only exposure other than the yard has been 3 Atlanta Braves games over the last two seasons. All of that changed yesterday though.

We went to a local UMC simply to see a friend play in a starter's baseball league. A day before going we were told that this friend's older brother's team was short players due to a list of broken arms and body parts that I don't exactly remember the specifics of. While at the game we intended to watch, I got to talking with the league commissioner. She's a nice lady and since she was wearing a GA Tech pullover I knew she was of the good sort for sure.

She told me they did need additional players for this team in their "Major League" division. The ages of the kids in that league are 10-12. My Benja's is only 9. What she was suggesting was a stretch for me for sure and I assumed for Benjamin too. She also said the coach quit the night before on the eve of their first game which was later this same day. Boldly, she asked me if I could coach. It all happened so fast I'm not sure what came next. It's a blur really. I could make something up but I'll just jump ahead 6 hours into the future......

Benjamin Browne is on the Red Sox of the Grayson 1st UMC Major League Division, playing with kids older than him, playing at least as well and in all but one or two cases better than the kids older than him, and his Dad (when not traveling for work) is now a coach. His dad actually had to pitch to his team during the game too as that is the way the Methodists do it apparently. There were highlights (Benjamin's single with the bases loaded driving in 2) and lowlights (Dad beaming Benjamin in the back with the bases loaded and 2 outs on the 5th pitch of an at bat that only allowed, you guessed it, 5 pitches. My bad Benja. My bad.) but at the end of the day this love affair between dad and game, son and game and dad and son was cemented forever.

Let the picture show the boy has a pretty good stroke. Let the picture not show the Dad that beamed his own son in the back two at bats earlier.

Welcome to this love story Benjamin. I pray it lasts a lifetime for you as it has for me!

Until they decide, I'll continue to post...

2008-04-17T07:23:00.003-04:00

Till she either is or is not the nominee, I must continue to share gems like this (thank you again Les!).

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

2008-04-08T20:27:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time (20 years actually) but the chant means something again.

Click here and enjoy!

She's At It Again

2008-03-06T10:25:00.003-05:00

My friend Les sent this to me. He knows what I like in the way of blog humor.

2008-02-14T20:11:00.001-05:00

It's like she just can't help herself. These fotos are not from the Drudge Report either! They are straight from CNN.com.

Anyway, after TX and OH have their primaries I'm thinking we won't have to hear much from her anymore anyway.

Been Busy

2008-02-11T22:23:00.001-05:00

I have 4 kids. I love 'em but man they keep me/us busy. Blogging, though something I think about a lot even though I'm not cutting much grass these days, is just hard to get to. I suggest hanging out at wadehodges.com till I get back in the swing of things. That's where I tend to find myself.

Say Ahhhhh

2008-01-09T07:29:00.000-05:00

She won! New Hampshire has spoken and what did they say?

This photo begs a caption I think...

Just Thinking Out Loud

2007-12-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

This normally gets me in trouble but at the same time I find it invigorating.

This Mike Vick thing might very well become the racial issue in Atlanta for the foreseeable future. Opinions seem to largely be along the lines of race. That's a shame.

I am constantly amazed to find out who reads this blog. I met a friend from college last week in Nashville that said she pretty much knew everything going on in my life. She even called herself "a blog lurker". Counseling is available for that I think J.A.!

It will be somewhere between 77 and 80 degrees here in Atlanta today...on December 11...what the???

Today is my brother's 36th birthday. That means I'm 39 which is still not as shocking to me as him being 36. My brother is a great guy. Stop in at the Chick Fil A in Waxahachie, TX, and you'll some of what makes him a great guy.

I am meeting in about 90 minutes with the son of the founder of one of America's most successful hotel chains about becoming a financial partner with World Wide Youth Camps. I'm kinda shaking my head wondering how a goober like me gets to meet people like him. God takes care of babies and stupid people and, well, clearly I am not a baby.

Panera Bread offering free wifi is one thing but intentionally putting in plugs all over the restaurant so you can hook up your laptop without even leaving your seat is, as the Guinness boys would say, "Brilliant!" Long live Panera Bread (and free wifi).

Thanks to Google I found my first boss from back when I was 16 working at the Peanut Shack. He's a preacher now actually.

I just learned that the father of one my best friends in high school has dementia. Been there. Not fun. Still though, the Lord will reveal himself to that family in amazing and intimate ways as this journey unfolds.

I am learning more and more to embrace and even run to the hard conversations in life. Lots of reasons for this I think. One is that they are never as bad you think they'll be. They also are best dealt with head on. The old adage you can pay me now or you can pay me later might apply too. I think just maturing as a man and as a Christian has formed this thinking more and more in me. I just don't fear the hard confrontations anymore. I rarely get nervous even. It's not me. I hope (and will humbly profess) that it is the Lord in me that makes me feel this way.

That's probably enough for now. Seeing as how I have no cut grass in well over a month I've needed a place to hash out these deep, soooooooooo deep, random thoughts of mine.

To the degree they are true...may they bless you.

Parade Day

2007-12-03T07:50:00.001-05:00

A near have to in the Browne Christmas Routine is the Lilburn Christmas Parade. This is now all the more true since Traci's father, Tim Dunn, is a City of Lilburn Government Member. He won a seat on the city commission last month and one of the perks (maybe the only one) is getting to drive in the Lilburn Christmas Parade. One of the countless perks for having a grandfather as loving and inclusive as Tim is is that his grandsons got to ride with him in the parade and even got their names called out by the grand marshall over the loud speaker. Big dealings it was!

Anyway, here's one of my favorite shots of the day. Traci and Anna just being all girly (and cute!).

The Golden Compass

2007-11-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

Am I the only one who has received the warning email about the movie "The Golden Compass" 5,132 times? Enough already people! I filter everything I and my children watch. Nothing I get emailed to me with a "Fwd; Re: Fwd: re; fwd: Re: re: Re; Re;" on it is going to even be opened up and read much less affect my belief about a movie. I sincerely hope that everyone makes these decisions on their own based on their own personal research and Biblical convictions.

I did receive today though quite a different take on the book and movie. I offer it here only as a rebuttal to all of the other views I've seen expressed about it. This comes from a noted Christian Children's author and singer who, by the way, passes muster on my filter every single time. Here what she says:

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Hi all,I've read all three books in this series and found them to be over-the-top fantasy, very engaging, yet unbelievable at places. I've also read interviews with the author, and, yes, he's out to "kill God" as he understands God. In the books, God "shows up" in the last battle scene as a decrepit old man, carried on a stretcher if my memory serves me correctly. Very unbelievable to anyone who has any idea of God at all. By definition, his portrayal of God cannot fit any definition of God for any religion. I believe Pullman (the author) is really out to kill the iconic God he found in what he experienced as the hypocritical aspects of Catholicism. I was sad that he didn't know the true God, but I was not surprised that he would try to kill his understanding of God. The books are well-written, great fantasy reading, and all they are is fantasy. I don't think they'll do any real harm for those who know God. His God is nothing like the real thing, so he won't fool anyone. And maybe he'll get a lot of people talking about the real God. A "good try," but a sad attempt for Satan, who only ends up stirring the pot so God can show up real and powerful and more loving than ever. Much love to you all, Karyn

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It's very interesting what can be combatted not merely by censure but but equipping ourselves and our kids to know truth and distinguish it from that which is not true. I'm not perfect in that quest for sure but that sure is my goal.

Thinking Twice About Wal-Mart

2007-10-31T22:48:00.000-04:00

Here’s the reason why you shouldn’t order a custom cake from Wal-Mart:

Some people that work here had a going away party the other day for a woman that is leaving. One of the supervisors called a Walmart and ordered the cake. He told them to write: “best wishes Suzanne” and underneath that write “we will miss you”. Here’s the cake that was delivered.

Last Friday in Elijay, GA

2007-10-27T14:52:00.001-04:00

3 boys climb a mountain and 1 girls just smiles.

I'm a blessed man...

Thinking Creatively About A Not So Great IATA Identifyer

2007-10-24T08:45:00.000-04:00

After Fight, Airport Embraces SUX Code
Monday, October 22, 2007

04:34 PDT Sioux City, Iowa (AP) --
City leaders have scrapped plans to do away with the Sioux Gateway Airport's unflattering three-letter identifier — SUX — and instead have made it the centerpiece of the airport's new marketing campaign.

The code, used by pilots and airports worldwide and printed on tickets and luggage tags, will be used on T-shirts and caps sporting the airport's new slogan, "FLY SUX." It also forms the address of the airport's redesigned Web site.

Sioux City officials petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to change the code in 1988 and 2002. At one point, the FAA offered the city five alternatives — GWU, GYO, GYT, SGV and GAY — but airport trustees turned them down.

Airport board member Dave Bernstein proposed embracing the identifier.

"Let's make the best of it," Bernstein said. "I think we have the opportunity to turn it into a positive."

He noted that many airports, including some of the busiest, have forgettable three-letter codes.

"I've got buddies that I went to college with in different cities that can't even remember their own birthdays, but they all know the Sioux City designator — SUX," he said.

Mayor Craig Berenstein, who in 2002 described SUX as an "embarrassment" to the city, said he views the new slogan as a "cute little way" to make light of the situation.

Nuff Said...

2007-10-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

(L to R) Aidan, Benja, Anna, and Nate Browne.

Why I Did Not Know This?

2007-10-20T22:36:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the NCAA made a rule a few years ago saying that home teams (college football I am speaking of) could not wear white jerseys anymore. Every other sport pretty much has, to the best of my knowledge, home teams wearing white.

However, two schools were allowed to keep wearing white because, traditionally, they always had. One was Ga Tech which opted out recently as they now wear gold jerseys. Only one remains though.

Can you name which school still wears white jerseys at home?

It's In the Bible You Know!

2007-10-19T02:51:00.000-04:00

Overheard today at my son's martial arts studio between a dad of one child and a mom of another...both are very outspoken Christians.

Mom: "Yeah and the Mormons got their own problems too. That whole celestial marriage thing is just weird."

Dad: "I'll you what, they got some learning to do. The Bible clearly says '...till death do you part' and not a minute further."

Hmmmm. Lots going on here. Celestial marriage meaning, I think, that a Mormon couple is married in this life and in the life to come. I don't think so but I would not go far as to quote from the Bible that "till death do you part" is anywhere in the canon of scripture.

I laughed almost out loud at them but then I kinda thought about myself and how I probably have done the same thing before...but I sure hope not!

I Am Progressively Conservative...or Possibly Conservatively Progressive...

2007-10-15T15:06:00.001-04:00

To tell you the truth I really don't know what I am or what you are or what anybody is anymore. I come from a heritage that wore out, reworded, and unwound all the meaning from the above terms. Progressive or Conservative used to be a nice label we hung on folks who clapped hands in worship (the P's) or thought of others outside of our tradition as "being of a different faith" (that'd be the C's) at best and flat out "going to hell" at worst (those were the ultra C's...a term we won't even get into here).

I remember a very uncomfortable Christmas season about ten years ago. I was in grad school so I was thinking in a mode and pattern that were uniquely grad-school-ish. I was spending time with a friend of the family I was visiting and kept hearing him wail on "liberals" and their desire "to change everything" and "take over the church". I heard liberal and thought of some non Bible believing theological professors I was reading at the time. I was thinking of Exetentionalists and Post Mods gone awry. What was meant though was the good ole tried and true "progressives" in our own heritage's movement. It was about 10 minutes later that I kinda woke up and realized I was likely one of those that this guy was spewing filth about. I realized that and decided not to elaborate any further on the topic we were openly discussing earlier. There was no use. This guy was right and that settled that.

Once again the terms "progressive" and "liberal" just seem way too fuzzy for me to use or understand when others use it with any high level of confidence or certain degree of exactness.

I was talking last night with a man of my parent's generation. We've known each other for years but have recently reengaged each other after we've both been through some very formative spiritual awakenings in our recent pasts. He kept using this term too (conservative this time). Unlike the guy mentioned above, as a result of knowing him and where he's come from, I think I could locate what he meant pretty easily but again his definition of progressive fell more into a category of what I would call mainstream. It's just not a word that says much to most people anymore. We gotta be more exact I think.

To get really personal I found myself last night driving home reflecting on me. Am I progressive or conservative? Depending on the topic, I think I am both.

Does a progressive person clap hands in church, raise hands, prefer instrumental music (big issue in my heritage...a very much non issue in the rest of the Kingdom it seems), embrace all Christ seekers, not feel it a sin to not be at church every time the doors are open, read from alternative interpretations of the Bible, believe the Bible mandates what is healthy living and eating as well as speak about human's enviornmental responsibilities? If so, then I am progressive.

Does a conservative person not watch rated R movies, allow his young kids to read sci fi/witch craft/fantasy novels believing they are "dark" and a threat to God's light, not celebrate Halloween, intentionally home school, home birth, and home church, believe the Bible has something to say about finances, and call people far, far, far more conservative than myself brothers and sisters? If so, I'm a conservative.

I guess I'm failing to see the logic or the reason in using labels. Labels also vary from person to person. That's another reason I don't prefer them. I'm just never really sure what you or she or they mean by them. Therefore, I just won't use them.

What's the point here? Well, I think we need a new venacular for one thing. Terms change. Definitions change too (don't they?). I know that limits of what we refer to something as change as well. So, let's use language that more clearly describes what we are trying to describe.

The other point is just to say what you mean. Don't refer to a hand raiser as a progressive. Refer to him as a hand raiser. Don't speak of a person who loves Fannie J. Crosby songs and only FJC songs as conservative. Just call them a fan of Fannie J!

That won't cure everything but it will sure will help me understand what in the world you're talking about!

The Best Books

2007-10-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

To me the best books are not the ones that I read about in a magazine or other book. They are also not the ones I hear mentioned in a great sermon or lesson by someone I know and trust. They also are not the ones that friends tell me, "Oh man. You gotta read this book." Finally, they are not even the ones that a friend will send me the link to from Amazon with an encouragement to "check it out".

No, the best books I've read are the ones that people actually buy and give to me. For me that is the ultimately litmus test as to whether I'll like this book or not. If you know me well enough to think seriously about whether I'd like it and then you put your own money down to buy it and you have it shipped to my house then I know, without a doubt, that I'll like the book.

That happened to me this spring. A great friend (more than just a buddy of mine) offered some honest critique regarding a presentation I did in his city about the ministry with which I work. Not only did he offer helpful critique but he sent a book along too. That book is called "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die." As good as his critique was the book has been even better. I'm on my 4th reading now actually.

While I'm not going to drop ship you a copy personally I will challenge you to test my hypothesis. Is the best book you've read in a while one you've heard about from a friend or one you've been given by a friend?

My Boys...And Girl

2007-09-27T09:23:00.000-04:00

The Fam took a rest/educational jaunt to East Tennessee/Western North Carolina last week. Pictures pretty much say it all as to whether the boys and girl had a good time (me being one of the boys of course).

Enjoy...

I love Grass!

2007-09-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

Easy there reader. I love cutting grass. I missed the smell and feel and act of cutting grass so much while we lived in Russia. One spring I almost bought a German made lawn mower and cut the grass in our apartment building's court yard. I ended up not doing it but I sure wish I would have.

One of the great joys of my role as father to three sons is teaching them to do things on their own. I gotta be honest though...I might teach them to cut the grass at our house but I think I'll always prefer to do it myself. I just enjoy it that much!

Why? One reason is that while cutting grass it is one of the few times (ok, only time) that I am without a mobile phone, PDA, mp3 player, or TV. I just get lost in thought...thoughts about being a man, a husband, father, missionary, sports fan, son, brother, and on and on. The really great thing is that I don't have to push myself at all to move into this mode. It just happens.

Another reason is that it reminds of so many great memories as a young man. As a 14 year old, I once earned almost $4000 in one summer cutting grass. I had a sign and a trailor and little company called "U Gro It, I Mow It". Man I loved those days. I remember Dad bringing home a Snapper riding mower from my grandfather's farm sale in middle TN. I remember "not being able to start" a mower one time only to have my father say "I'll give you $5 if you start it on the next pull." I did and he did. I'll never forget that.

Anyway...that's me...a lover of grass!

I Rest My Case

2007-08-31T07:41:00.000-04:00

David Beckham is out...again...with another injury...and will miss the rest of his (y a w n) first partial season in the MLS. Glad his "pay me a ton for 23 minutes of a season played" contract is guarenteed. I'd hate for him to have gone through all of this and not netted some coin.

Wise Word of the Day

2007-08-29T18:01:00.000-04:00

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter and those who matter, don't mind"

--Dr. Seuss

If Dr. Seuss said it...it's gotta be true, right?

More of my girls!

2007-08-22T22:06:00.000-04:00

Traci and Anna! Two Browne ladies are better than one.

The 59 Year old Linebacker!

2007-08-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

ALPINE, Texas -- Mike Flynt was drinking beer and swapping stories with some old football buddies a few months ago when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: Getting kicked off the college team before his senior year.
One of his pals asked why he didn't do something about it? So Flynt started a comeback -- at age 59.

Flynt has returned to Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, 37 years after he left -- and six years before he goes on Medicare. And, he's has made the roster of the Division III Lobos and could be in action as soon as Sept. 1.

Flynt enrolled in graduate school so he can take advantage of his final semester of Division III eligibility.

Flynt is giving new meaning to being a college senior. After all, he's a grandfather. He's eight years older than his coach and has two kids older than any of his teammates. His youngest child just started at the University of Tennessee.

Flynt's position is still being determined, but he used to play linebacker. Wherever he lines up, just getting into a game likely will make him the oldest player in college football history. Neither the NCAA or NAIA keeps such a statistic, but research hasn't turned up anyone older than mid-40s.

And with around 200 pounds on a 5-10 frame, about the only visible difference from his playing days is a shaved head. He's in tremendous shape for his age because he's made a living out of working out.

A longtime strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M, Flynt has spent the last several years selling the Powerbase training system he invented. He recently taught it to some of the military's special operations forces, keeping up with them in their workouts.

My Girl Is A Growin'

2007-08-16T01:15:00.001-04:00

Here's Anna Grace. She'll be 3 months in 1 week. I think she's beautiful. You?

I've been a week to Russia which was not easy remembering this little one was waiting for me back home. Thankfully, she did not change much while I was gone. She just got a little cuter but that's ok.

Best Not to Mess With People Who Use Words for a Living

2007-07-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

Barry Bonds, he of the questionable muscle gain activity over the last 4-5 years, uses his muscles for a living. They speak, as I see it to his guilt as much as his greatness, more than anything he might ever put into print. In fact, Bonds generally gets in trouble whenever he speaks. To put it nicely, he comes across in less than flattering ways.

A few days ago Bob Costas, a renowned sportscaster for NBC who grew up in St. Louis and is a real baseball fan, interviewed a guy on an HBO show that was directly involved in the formation of HGH and performance enhancing drugs at the BALCO Labs in San Francisco which is suposedly where B.B. got his stuff. Anyway, "the guy" said Bonds was "on the program" which for everyone else meant he was using the steroids that the lab was producing. Costas pressed the question and "the guy" said yes he thought Bonds was on steriods as well.

Bonds retaliated, with words, in the media the next day by saying that Costas is a "little midget man who knows (nothing) about baseball." Again, Costas is a real fan and an excellent broadcaster as well. B.B. is obviously a bit defensive and chose to lash out at Costas. Barry got zinged a day later when Costas responded by saying (and I love this line):

"As anyone can plainly see, I'm 5-6 1/2 and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally."

Great response. I think it best to remember Barry to not mess with folks who write, speak, and create with words the "once in a lifetime event" that is your chase of Henry Aaron's homerun record. In this game, you'll lose everytime.

Though I Do Love Sports...

2007-07-25T16:07:00.001-04:00

Here's two "hot stories" in the world of sports that I care nothing about:

1. David Beckham and his arrival into MLS. Whoop Tee Freakin' Doo! I just don't get the whole Beckham thing. Beckham and Harry Potter should just disappar on an island together and have it out. Last one standing is...well, a loner. I just don't get it.

2. Barry Bonds' pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record. Surley, distant, cocky, smart alleck are all words that readily come to mind describing Barry. My only fond memory of him ever was in the 1992 National League Championship Series when Sid Bream beat out his throw from left field to catcher Spanky Lavallee and the Braves won the NL pennant. That was a great moment in my and Barry's relationship. Everything else is island worthy with Potter and Beckham in my book.

I'm a sports fan, yes, but I do have my limits.

Enough about travel stuff...

2007-07-22T17:33:00.001-04:00

My head is hurting from the details of last weekend. Let's move on with a few random observations from Rob...

Writing about your mom on your blog generates MAJOR traffic. I've been linked to and contacted more about this than anything I ever write about myself. Note to self: write more about Mom!
When we landed in Atlanta last Tuesday evening, my son Nate set foot on the ground in the U.S. during the month of July for the first time in his life. He's never been, in 5 Julys, in the U.S. one single day. Pretty neat, eh?
I know of a guy in Novosibirsk who makes $300 a month as an electrician. He is selling his apartment, which is in a primo location in the center of the city and was given to him 20 years ago by the state, to some friends of ours for...get this...$600,000. Real Estate, for now, is a great, great investment in Russia.
Man vs. Wild is the best TV show of the last 5 years in my book. It alone makes having cable worth the overpriced price.
I have been on the road for 47% of my 2 month old daughter's life. She was born on May 24 and I was gone just about a month so obviously the numbers are a bit skewed. As each day goes by I gain a few % points.

Nothing deep. Just some casual observations this Sunday night from east of Atlanta.

That Goodbye Lufthansa Hello Delta Decision Looking Very, Very Good

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

I really don't know a place or way to express the gratitude I feel towards Delta right now but this is a start. I'll write them directly as well you can be sure. Having someone you love injured and on the mercy seat of an airline during the busy summer time travel season can go either really well or really, really badly. Thanks to Delta, it went about as good as it possibly could for me, my two sons, and my mother (a widow of a Delta man of 32 years). Here's the story:

This past Sunday morning, my two sons (8 and 5), and my mother (62) flew from Novosibirsk (OVB) to Frankfurt, Germany, via Moscow on Aeroflot. We planned to stay over one night at the Sheraton Congress Center (at FRA) before getting on a flight Monday morning for Atlanta. I and my 5 year old were on paid tickets and my mom was using her Delta pass and my 8 year old son was using a buddy pass. Availability was kinda tight but we were confident that we'd get to Atlanta by Monday night one way or another. If my Mom and 8 year old had to stay a day extra in FRA that was fine by us.On Sunday night at about 8 p.m., at the Sheraton Congress Hotel located just beside the Frankfurt airport, Mom slipped while getting into the shower. She grabbed for a faux door that gave way and then fell backward, hit her arm, back, but thankfully not her head. She screamed and I went running to the bathroom. Since she was getting into the tub she obviously had no clothes on. Wanting to protect her dignity but needing to get in there to see how bad things were I told her to get the bath robe that the hotel provides and try and cover herself up. She was able to though with a lot of pain. My sons were just about to go to sleep as we had been awake for about 18 hours already. Mom was hurting very badly and crying out loud. After a few minutes, I was able to help her get to the bed dressed only in a bath robe still. She was in a lot of pain and thought she might have broken her hip. My sons were now just about asleep.

I called my father in law (a retired Delta man as well) in Atlanta and told him what happened. He said she might have broken a hip or leg so best to call an ambulance. I asked him if he would fly to Frankfurt immediately to help me with my sons. He agreed and left for the airport at once. Meanwhile, I called the hotel's front desk and they called an ambulance from the Frankfurt Airport Hospital in Terminal 1. In about 15 minutes we had two medical professionals and a lot of managers from Sheraton at our room. My sons are now deeeeeeep into sleep. They put a neck brace on mom and said we would have to transport her to the airport's hospital. I had to wake up my boys, get them dressed, and follow the medical people with mom on a stretcher out to the parking lot on the ground floor just outside the Congress Center entrance. They put her in the ambulance and then I had to answer a bunch of questions for legal reasons I was told. My sons were tired but very cooperative. Not a word of whining or complaining. I've got great sons!

After filling out paper work and such (it took about 15 minutes) they took me and the boys to the airport hospital. They decided before we got there that it would be best to take Mom to a real hospital in downtown Frankfurt. So, my boys got in the front seat of the ambulance and I got in the back with Mom and one of the doctors. We drove about 30 minutes to the hospital. We got there about 9.30 p.m. We saw different doctors, had x rays taken, spoke with a specialist and finally decided that nothing was broken but a lot was very, very bruised. A number of meds were given to her. During my meetings with doctors and such my sons slept quietly and uncomfortably on one chair each in the emergency room we were all in. At about 1 a.m. they released mom. We got a taxi back to the Airport Sheraton. Mom got to our room and in her bed with the help of some hotel staff. The boys went straight to sleep after being awake for a very, very long time. It was about 2a.m.

This is where my love and ever growing appreciation of Delta people starts to pick up. After everyone else was asleep, I got on the phone with Delta Airlines in ATL trying to change our tickets for the next day and work out some kind of plan for getting mom home. She took pain meds and rested about 7 or 8 hours. At 6.30 the next morning I was at the ticket counter just to the left of Delta's check in area at FRA. The nice lady there saw what had been put in the computer the night before on the phone and told me that with a letter from the hospital, she'd change my and my son's ticket (the 5 year old who was on a paid economy class ticket) as often as needed to get us home with no charge at all. I had that letter from the hospital so all was well. I also asked her if I could speak with the Station Manager about our situation as I needed some flexibility in dealing with one son on a paid ticket and 2 others (father in law and older son) on passes. I could tell this was a request they hear a lot but rarely honor. She went over to one of the desk agents at the Business Elite check in area and they called me over. She, Margo was her name...a saint of a woman, asked what this was in regard to. I began to explain it and she "enough. I'll go get her." Two minutes later I have the full attention of the Delta/Swissport station manager. We spoke for about 15 minutes and she assured me they'd do whatever they could to get my sons back out with my father in law that same day if they could. If they could not then come back before 3 p.m. and we'll work on the plan for tomorrow.

At 8.30 a.m., I took my sons from the hotel back to the airport to meet my dear father in law (I have not one father in law or mother in law joke in my arsenal. They are wonderful supportive people of my and my family's tranoceanic lifestyle) who had just arrived from Atlanta. We checked them in with all of our baggage, said goodbye (a big gulp in my throat as my two sons walked through security without me), he took my boys, and they tried to get back on the flight to Atlanta with he and my 8 year old on passes and my 5 year old on a confirmed economy ticket but with the understanding that if they all did not get on then he would not get on. I went back to the hotel to be with Mom and see how she was doing. My dad in law called me about 2 hours later to say they did not get on the flight as there were no seats for standby passengers. They were the next 3 in line but the fight went out full. Oh well. He got all the checked luggage back and I went to meet them back at the Terminal 2 meeting area just outside baggage claim.

We then all came back to the hotel room. Management had left me a number of messages about coming down to the front desk and updating them on the situation so I went down to the front desk to update them on what was happening. I had not slept since Saturday night in Novosibirsk and then for only 3 hours so I was not looking, smelling, or feeling very talkative at all this Monday afternoon. When they learned that my wife's father had come all the way from Atlanta to help with the children they gave him a free hotel room two doors down from mine so we would not all be in one small room together. They also promised me the same cheap rate for that night and put us on the breakfast list for the next morning. If you've ever had that breakfast experience at the Airport Sheraton at FRA you know what a blessing that was. It was not originally available to us on the rate we had for the one night we had reserved in advance. We all rested well that day. Later, Papa and the boys and I went for a walk to the train station beside the hotel while Mom rested. When we got back to the hotel Mom was feeling a lot better. Pain meds were working.

Looking at flight availability for the next day online via tools afforded a retired employee we decided it best to buy tickets back to Atlanta for Papa and the boys. Using their passes could take a long time to get out as there were a good back up of non rev passengers all trying to get out. It was not cheap but their mom really wanted to get them back as we'd been gone from her and our 3rd son and newborn daughter for nearly a month already. $1600 per person later they were confirmed on a CSA flight to PRG and then on a DL flight to ATL. So, on Tuesday morning the three of them flew to Prague and then connected to a flight to Atlanta. Mom and I waited a few hours after they left and then tried to get on the last flight of the day to Atlanta (DL27). The Delta people were great and helped us all they could. They earlier allowed my dad in law and sons to check more bags than allowed so that I could focus on helping my mother and not being worried about baggage carts and carry ons as we moved through the airport. That was one huge blessing to us all. They also allowed me to change my ticket 3x with no change fees since I was helping her. If she were a paying passenger this would be, in my mind, expected. She was a pass rider though so I thought this was above the call of duty.

While checking in at FRA the Swissport agent (some of the folks we dealt with were Delta and some Swissport) told me she was lead on the gate check in for this flight and would do all she could to get my mom in a seat up front on the flight to ATL. With her back and legs in the condition they were in this was a very, very nice offer. At the gate, she called me to the podium and handed me two boarding passes. 6F and 6G. Not only had she gotten mom up front but she got me a seat beside her and I was on a $900 el cheapo L fare. Not only were we on the same plane in very comfortable seats but we were even side by side. At this point I was literally in tears. I wanted to hug her but held back. I am very, very thankful to Delta Airlines as I sit here and type this.

We got into Atlanta on Tuesday about 2 hours before my dad in law and sons arrived from Prague. Mom had pain medication she was taking so she felt pretty good on the flight. We met the 3 when they came through security and then we got Mom home and put her to bed. She slept for 12 hours. I and my boys finally got home late on Tuesday night to see my wife and two other children.

Mom is sore but nothing is broken. She is moving slow, will have some rehab for a good while still but should be fine in time.

I wrote on my blog recently about how Lufthansa Airlines had lost my business forever as a result of a major screw up they did not own up and properly respond to. Though their schedule and interline agreements are much more comfy than Delta's between ATL and OVB, I determined to give all of my family's business to Delta on this route. This return trip was the first trip after making that decision. So far I have been very, very, very pleased with that decision.

For the listening ears, access to a station manager, waiving of fees, allowance of extra baggage, and just a sympathetic stance in a very stressful situation for me, I am more than ever a fan of and allegiant to Delta Air Lines.

"The Family" might be making a comeback after all...

Haircut Day

2007-06-29T21:20:00.000-04:00

Definitely true and probably odd but...I try to only get my haircut in Novosibirsk. Seriously, I plan my haircuts around when I'll be in Novosibirsk. I only get 2-3 haircuts a year in the States and the rest are in Novosibirsk. I just love the way they do it here. I even bring my friends (Rob Scott, Jim Pack, my father in law, David Hennessey...wait he has no hair to cut) when they come here. We have a friend, Marina, who has cut our hair since we moved here in 2000. She's a good friend and has always been able to make my boys looks great (not a huge thing) and me not bad either (a monumental challenge). Amazingly, I get here a shampoo, cut, style, and blow dry for about $6. Try that at a boutiquey kinda salon the States! She even asks how Jim and Rob and the others are whenever I come in. Yesterday was haircut day here in Novosibirsk and we all are thankful for it.

The proof is, I hope, in the pictures.

Hello from Weisbaden!

2007-06-25T19:41:00.000-04:00

Instead of spending the whole day in Frankfurt waiting for our flight to Novosibirsk in a hotel asleep we hopped a train from Frankfurt Int'l Airport and headed to Weisbaden for lunch. It was fun. The boys loved it. Mom did too. Here's a picture of them in front of the train station there. Being that my German is not that great I bought the wrong kind of tickets from the auto ticket machine. We were caught with them on board and the fine was 40 euro per person. Ouch. The guy could see I was sincere in my mistake so he waived the fee. 160 euro is about what I make in half a month so I'm glad that was not part of our Germany experience.

When we got back to Frankfurt we went and slept half the day. Here's an exciting picture of that (Benja makes a very uncomfortable bed mate).

That evening it was back on the plane for our 7 hour flight from Frankfurt to Novosibirsk. S7 Airlines has recently come into the 21st century with some Airbus aircraft and we got to fly on one of those. I had an exit row seat which was as good as First Class in my book. What do you think about lime green livery of S7? Catchy in a disturbing sorta way I think...

When we got to our flat Benja and Nate played with Oxcana (world's greatest nanny and an amazing friend of our family) for a few hours and then this was the result from about 2 p.m. till 8 p.m.

So, we're here, we're happy (missing Traci, Aidan and Anna a lot though), we're resting and looking forwards to the weeks ahead.

What Are You Thinking Lufthansa?

2007-06-12T07:03:00.000-04:00

I have written on this blog before about what a great person I am to have as a loyal and happy customer. Simply put, I LOVE to brag on companies I love doing business with. I brag regularly to friends about Chick Fil A for the values they uphold, the way they have practiced generosity towards orphans and at risk kids, and the place it's been for my brother to grow up as a business owner. I could say many of the same things about Vision Forum, LL Bean, Best Buy, and T Mobile. In at least one instance each of these companies has gone beyond their standard rules of operation and compensation for me in a situation were I was "done wrong" in some way by them. It might have been a faulty product, shoddy customer service, unclear rules, or some oversight on their part. I'm pretty understanding about "stuff" happening in business. I worked in customer relations for two years and know that there are times when a customer experiences inconveniences that are no fault of the vender. However, I don't understand at all when a company "does me wrong" and won't go to acceptable reaches to a) correct the situation and b) give me a reason to not even consider looking to take my business elsewhere.

At the same time I am also a terrible person to have as an unhappy customer. I talk just as much (some say more) about the companies I am not happy with as I do the companies I am happy with.

Well, Lufthansa German International Airlines now joins my list of companies I will no longer do business with. That's a shame too both for them and me. Due to oversold flights I and my family traveled on in 2006, Lufthansa paid out more than $6000 cash to us for flights we were voluntary bumped off of. That, along with the great on board service they have provided us and the easy interline ticketing from a Russian airline we fly from Novosibirsk to Frankfurt, is why it is a shame for me and my family. It is a shame for them because I travel a lot...my family travels a lot...the organization I work for sends lots of people to Russia and Ukraine year round and Lufthansa flies to a lot cities in both of those countries. None of that money though will go towards them because of the laughable way they handled a customer service dispute I filed with them in late 2006.

No need to bore you with the details of the case (email me if you want me to send you the letters I sent them and their responses to me) other than to say when a family of 5 traveling with 3 small children have their itinerary cancelled by the airline they have confirmed tickets on and that cancellation is discovered by the passenger and not the airline and then they reroute us on another airline with a stop along the way, a lost bag, and a missed hotel reservation in our layover city I am of the opinion that something above the bare minimum should be done to make that customer right. It has not and I am choosing to take my business elsewhere.

Indeed, there is a better way to fly and that way is...Delta Air Lines.

Nate Loses A Tooth!!

2007-06-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

It was inevitable. It had to happen. It finally did. Nate lost his first tooth and did it the night before he, Benja, and I were in a wedding together. It'll add another depth of cuteness to the wedding party photos for sure.

Ain't he handsome?!

Here's another. I like this one. Special thanks to Tim Dunn for taking these pictures and being nice enough to share them with me.

More fun with boys...

2007-06-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

There continues to be some great family days these days. While Anna is the center of the universe right now I just feel very, very, very close to my boys. They feel it too. I traveled so much this spring. Nearly 45k miles in less than 3 months all over the U.S. and to Russia and back twice. It was not easy on the family or fun for my children (and definitely not for my wife). With that behind us now and hopefully not to be repeated for a loooong time, attention has turned to our kids. A few fotos...

Aidan goes airborne though none of us were really sure why... . Apparently little boys just feel the need to jump every once in a while. Wait a minute - maybe? I've got three sons. Of course they feel need to jump...and run, and hit, and tackle, throw, duck, twist, turn, spring, launch, lurch, and lunge. Gotta love little boys.

Keeping on the theme of little boys and levitation, Nate, Benja and I have been learning baseball the last few weeks. We made a makeshift field in our front yard (not worthy of a picture trust me) but recently graduated to a local park's football field. Better grace, more open spaces, and lots of room for Dad to smack it and let them run after it as I "scurry" around the bases (picture a 6-8 guy walking really, really slow not even bothering to drop the bat. Now slow that down another 2 or 3x. There ya go). Here's Nate sending me one of his heaters. Note he's airborne too as he puts his all into the delivery...

Benja is gazing off at something in center field apparently...

Anyway, no real point here other than I'm really enjoying my sons these days amid all the excitement of "girlgate 2007".

Sonic Guys

2007-05-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

Ok, Dad's finally got a few minutes to himself and is able to catch up on his You Tube fix. I love the Sonic guys and their commercials. I just crack up at their stuff. I hate Sonic but I'll almost buy a burger there simply based on these two yahoos. Check out their stuff online by clicking here.

Meanwhile...

2007-05-29T07:51:00.001-04:00

Life has not totally stopped since Anna's birth. There are still 3 brothers here who keep us laughing, learning, and praying a lot. A few photos of how they've entertained themselves since Anna came our way on Thursday night.

Let's start with Aidan...he is training to join a children's roaming circus as a magician/stunt man. We like to fill his wagon up with water, have Aidan put his head under it, balance on his head and arms as he raises his feet upward, and then Benja and Nate pull the wagon at full speed over the bumpiest parts of our yard. So far he's done very well. On to Nate...

Nate has a passion for good dental hygiene. He's been working on a new technique for low cost cleanings that anyone can do with a garden hose, jet spray, and a 911 number close by. Other than some surface tissue scarring he's well on his way to perfecting this technique. We're sure that once the ADA approves this HUGE money is a comin' to his parents as a result of his innovative thinking. Let's hope so anyway.

There are times when the big brother has to lay down the law. This day was one of those days. Benja took it upon himself quite regularly to gun down the younger brothers when they got out of line. Here, Nate cowers for cover as "The Marshall" hunts him down. Nate was fortunate to find some garage refuse to hide behind. Aidan, as you can tell, is trying to get away from the scene as quickly as possible before the Marshall hunts him down using his Head-Bobbing-Circus-Mobile as an escape vehicle.

So, just know that while we are very, very, very excited about Anna's arrival, life does go on in a very normal fashion...

6 of us

2007-05-27T19:25:00.000-04:00

Five no more. We're 6 now. Here on our bed celebrating Anna's 2 day old birthday are me (Rob), Anna, Traci, Aidan, Nate, and Benja. Three days in things are going quite well. Aidan is handling not being the baby pretty well. He really is proud to have a baby sister. The other two are as well.

This morning at church Benja, Nate, and Aidan all had pictures of each one of them with their baby sister. They loved showing the picture to folks when people would ask. Obviously, the parents are proud. Apparently, the brothers are too.

Day Two of SHE IS HERE...

2007-05-26T10:12:00.001-04:00

May 24 was the day it all changed around here. Cammo and t-shirts began the slow retreat against pink and lace. Twas a day we won't soon forget.

I did forget though to give the vitals. 8 lbs 8 oz. and 21 inches (3.8 kg and 53 cm for our European readers). Dark hair and lots of it are typical for Browne babies at birth. Nate was more of a blonde at birth which has held true 5 years onward. Anna has plenty to start out with for sure.

Many have asked if we'll call her "Anna" or "Anna Grace". A more pressing question seems to be if we'll say "Anna" with the Russian sound (Ah na) or the American sound (Aan na). I lean towards the Russian sound just because I've been saying the name that way for 15 years. The rest of the family seems bent on the American sound. Stay tuned for this still developing story as Daddy doesn't like it when he does not get his way...

She will be Anna though sans Grace. At least for now. I think. We'll see.

More to come...

Here SHE is

2007-05-25T05:31:00.000-04:00

Well, after only 18 hours of total labor and only 6 hours of active labor and only 8 minutes of pushing, Anna Grace Browne is here. Home births allow you a lot of priviledges and we took big time advantage of one of them this time. That's the birthing pool. Wow. What a blessing that was. A big, high sided inflatable pool (far from a jacuzzi but about the same idea sans the jets) set up right in the middle area of our bathroom allowed Traci to rest in warm water through out and even give birth to Anna in the water. From water to water. Kinda neat. After watching four of these births "live and up close" I'm still in shock as to how the whole thing comes off.

Home births also allow you to live on no one's time schedule but God's and the baby's (those two normally work together really well) while letting the Mom dictate the where's and how's of the whole affair. That has always been a huge plus of this whole thing to us. Traci was as comfy as she could be and that made all the difference in the world.

Having 3 little boys in the other room waiting, wondering, listening beside the door...

...literally, added a new demension to this whole thing too. Seeing Aidan as a big brother is just as amazing as realizing I finally have a daughter. From baby of the family to big boy in a matter of hours.

Nate with two younger sibs now has been freed from being "the" middle child (really a horrible choice of words as Nate never seemed to have an issue with being "the" middle child) and now has two under him to lead, protect, and love on. Nate's gentle heart and kind spirit were very evident when he came into the bathroom/birthroom just about 1 minute after Anna was born. He kinda wanted to cry, kinda wanted to laugh, and kinda didn't know what to do. I hear ya Nate!

And Benja...oh Benja. He and Traci have always had this really special connection. 26 hours of hard, active labor will do that to you I guess. Anyway, Benja came in to see Traci one more time about 3 hours before Anna was born. He broke down. Mom broke down. They just held and loved on each other for a few minutes before another contraction finally pulled them apart. Benja is an amazing kid and the perfect biggest brother in this family we know as the Brownes.

As for the name...Anna (meaning gracious or merciful) is a name we've had picked out for our girl since before Benja was born. As we never find out until they show us themselves what the gender of the baby is we always have or try to have a boy and girl name picked out. We've had Anna for about 8 1/2 years now. That was a no brainer. The challenge on this one was a boy's name. We'd still not come up with anything and had decided about a week ago to wait and get a look at him before naming him. This way that stress never had to be dealt with. Anna is also a very popular name in Russia which bodes well for her future life. She's the only one of us that has a name that works like she's from either place though Benjamin is an old Jewish name that we have seen two Russians named as over the years. Anna is also the name of more than a few dear friends in Russia including Anna Shorina (main strategic partner of WWYC and a great friend to the Browne family for almost 7 years now). Grace was the name of my late father's mother. Maw Maw, as I knew her, was a strong and as dear a woman as I have ever known. I am honored to have children now that carry my father's name, my father's father's name, my father's father's father's name, my mother's father's name, my father-in-law's name, my father-in-law's father's name and now my father's mother's name as well. Anna Grace Browne. Welcome to the world!

Obviously...more pictures and random musings of a dad with things to say still to come...

(Hours later) More musings continued...

In a home birth you do most of the same have-to's that you do in a hospital. The weighing of the baby is always something we enjoy. All 4 of ours have been weighed the same way in the same sling actually. The baby lies in the sling and a scale hooks on to the end. All of our kids have been totally still and quiet during this. It apparently reenacts the feel of the womb pretty accurately. From there you get 8 lbs 8 oz. Maybe a picture is the best way to describe it:

Papa Tim and Mimi are proud to have their 6th grandchild and 2nd grand daughter...

Now...a word about midwives. Debi Thomas (the blonde on the left of the picture) has delivered all 4 our kids. Debi is an awesome woman of God, amazing mom (5 kids) and grandmother (6 grandkids). We met Debi when Traci was 7 months pregnant with Benja. She is a woman of strong conviction but not of any personal agenda. We were almost sold on the home birth thing at this point but meeting her and hearing her share stories of the nearly 500 births she had assisted in pretty much sold us on the spot. She is a dear, dear friend of ours now and our boys have a unique connection to her that's hard for me explain without getting teary eyed. She's had a different assistant on each of our four births as she is constantly mentoring younger midwives in the art, science, and ministry of midwifery. We've been blessed to share her with a number of friends who have investigated home births and most of them have chosen to let Debi assist them in theirs. I just can't say enough about Debi and midwifery in general. They are such servants...so submissive to the mom and desiring to let God, the mom's body, and the baby rule the day. No hurry, no outside concerns, no nothing other than focusing on loving and serving the mom and baby. I could go on and on. Anyway...here's another traditional picture we love...the after glow!

(Sorry for my hair)

Nan also is pretty pumped. 7 grandchildren in less than 8.5 years. 5 boys, 2 girls, 1 more due in October and 1 in heaven with Jesus hanging out with my Dad.

The world's longest blog post will be continued a bit later...

The Baby's Arrival

2007-05-24T09:31:00.001-04:00

Well, we're in a holding pattern for Baby Browne #4 right now. Traci feels great but is ready to get the deal done. She had a few contractions last night but, as with all of our kids, when the sun came up the action stopped. It'll start again this evening probably.

There's lots to be learned in these waiting times. We actually treasure these times for what the Lord teaches us. Lots of "his time is perfect" stuff seems to come our way. Apparently, we need to learn this lesson once again. It's a recurring theme in our life. At church last Sunday I shared this very idea thinking it was for everyone else there. I guess that was meant for us actually.

Anyway, she's fine and we're going on with our day as is.

Stay tuned...

From my friend Barrett came these words this morning:

2007-05-17T08:18:00.000-04:00

"The cost of quitting will be a life of peaceful stagnation. We sons of eternity just cannot afford such a thing."

AW Tozer from That Incredible Christian

What If...

2007-05-14T14:36:00.000-04:00

Just kinda thinking out loud today about...

I often ask team members and co-workers to think about what our organization and teams would be like if everyone on them had their (or my) attitude and gave their (or my) effort. Would they be better? Worse? The same? What if everyone in my church had my attitude towards...the homeless...orphans...other believers...lost non-believers...seeking non-believers...malcontent believers...and on and on. Would anything ever get done? Would anything change? I'm nearly afraid to know.

I've rubbed shoulders recently with folks who don't think like I think. They seem to have arrived, through sincere seeking and struggle, at a "stance on stuff" (that's a theological term I learned in grad school way back when) that I honestly feel I've escaped from. They're passionate though. That's for sure. They're sincere too. They've studied it out as well. This is not a lightly regarded landing place for them. It reminds me again that the greatest question in the realm of issues and stances for me is not where you/I land or what you/I think but what will you/I do with the other Christ lovers and Christ seekers who have worked out with fear and trembling their own answers just to find that you/we don't end up seeing things the same way? May grace abound.

My wife is posing some of the most thought provoking questions I'm dealing with right now. Why is that? I'll credit it to two main things (among many). First, she is constantly in the Word and prayer. It just where she lives. She truly has no time for anything that is trivial or mindless (though I give her plenty of chances). Secondly, she is daily knee and heart deep into home schooling 3 boys. The oldest, he's 8, is a real thinker. What, when, where, how, and why are just the tip of the iceberg for him. I think he stirs her thoughts which helps her stir mine. Thank you God for Traci.

We're just days away from the birth of our fourth child. I remember just after Benjamin was born. We were flying from Dallas to Atlanta after going to some dear friend's wedding. A guy sitting beside us on the plane saw how happy we were with our little guy. He said he had 4 and loved them dearly. I sat there and thought, "Four kids? How in the world? What does he do for a living? How can he be on a plane when his wife it at home with 4 kids?" 8 years later here I stand on the brink of my own #4. "How in the world can he" has turned into "anywhere in the world will we." "What does he do for a living" has been recast as "Wow is God ever a great provider!" and I've spent more time on planes the last 6 months than I ever thought I would in any 5 year period back when we were flying together back from that wedding. Be careful what you gawk at because it in you just might find yourself one day.

Reflecting...a dangerous past time for a guy like me...

Argh!

2007-05-09T16:58:00.000-04:00

Just had a gut level post locked and loaded on reflection. Deleted it. Sure did. Right off the map of the universe. It's not coming back. I'm bummed.

What Happened to My CMT?

2007-05-07T17:07:00.000-04:00

Before talking about reflecting...I saw Bon Jovi on my CMT this morning! What's up with that? Crossover is one thing but Bon Jovi on CMT just ain't right. Some things are sacred and Larry the Cable Guy's channel is one of 'em. Back to Jersey JBJ! I can't properly reflect when you're on my CMT!!!!

(Kudos to Jon Bon Jovi though for his work with Delta Airlines and Habitat For Humanity. That's a good thing. Him being on CMT though is not)

Moving on...

2007-05-06T04:50:00.000-04:00

I don't want to spend too much more time jabbing about my trip to Novosibirsk. It's worthy of it but other things are on my heart right now.

I'm back in ATL though after a fast but great trip. My dear friend since 9th grade, Jim Pack, and I returned on Saturday night to Atlanta. Getting home to Traci and the boys was the best. A very large pillow fight served as the welcome home party for Dad. I got beat bad but that was kinda the point I think. I love my family.

As you might know the family will be growing in a few weeks. Traci is two weeks away from child #4. While we've been locked and loaded on a girl's name for about 8 years now we're running out of boy's names. Waking up at 4 a.m. this morning though with a name on my heart for our baby if it is a boy I'm excited to share it with Traci a bit later. Stay tuned...baby's arrival, name, and relevant stats will be posted here.

Upcoming...thoughts of reflection. Reflecting on reflection is what's been on my heart the last few weeks. I'll share more later.

Now This Is Camp!

2007-05-04T02:49:00.000-04:00

Well we have another (4th in 6 years) camp site for our WWYC outreach this summer. Someday we will finally find a place to call home. Till then we do our Israel imitation as we wander through the Siberian countryside looking and waiting for home. Here are some pictures to enjoy. By the way I am very, very excited about this location. It's a real children's pioneer camp instead of an adult vacation facility we try to convert into a children's camp. Here we go...

This is me above welcoming you into the safe and cozy confines of our dear camp ground.

Just outside the front entrance to the camp is a soccer field that is ours to use as we wish. I anticipate some races, competition, walking and talking, and maybe a surprise or two taking place here. Some of our past futbol fields have looked more like an unkept meadow than a real sports field. This one is I like...for many reasons.

This is something I have always wanted at our campgrounds but have never had. It is a fire pit. We know both from scripture and from our own experiences that some very meaningful conversations have taken place around fires. Think about the chats you have had with your dad, friends, or maybe even a child around a fire. We have one of these in our back yard here in Monroe and it has already become a favorite place for me and my boys to chat about anything on our hearts. Think also about some of things that Jesus shared with his followers around fires in the New Testament. It was kinda the coffee house of his day.

Just to the right you'll see the living quarters for some of our team members and kids this year. There are 3 of these little houses on the camp territory. Each has 24 beds, two toilets, 3 showers, and a common area. Very cozy. Some of our teachers will live in these houses with the kids and some teachers will live in a separate facility. As said earlier, this is a real children's camp with things like swing sets and slides. This will make a big difference in our program this year I think. Free time will be useful time and not just lost time.

Do you know what this is? It's snow! In shady areas around Novosibirsk (and the camp is obviously a shady place) you can sometimes find snow well into May. This glob of stuff under the pine straw is snow. Jim and I thought it was worthy of a picture. I promise though that it will be gone by July 1 when we move out to the camp ground to get set up before the kids come on July 4.

To the left is a room that some of our team members will stay in this year. There are 4 beds to a room, two night tables, 2 chairs, and a built in cabinet to hang stuff up in. It's very comfortable. The far wall will be repainted or wallpapered by the time we get there. The walls were recently painted in this room and there is a big window just behind me as I took this picture. Just a beautiful view. I really like our location this year.

This is probably one of my favorite things (other than the fire pit) about the facility this year. This is a building with 3 of 4 walls made out of glass. Lisa Hennessey, our Creation Station Curator, will have a great location to plan creative projects that children will work on as part of our teaching program. This building (and the whole camp ground) are exclusively ours during the camp which means no other kids or groups will be there. That means Lisa can unpack and let her creative talents flow for the whole time the camp is going on. This really, really, really is an important part of our program and I'm so happy to have a building that will support this aspect of our outreach.

The point of this picture is that the place is working hard to brighten up itself. An artist was working in this room while I was there painting all the walls in this common area a bright, green and yellow color. This camp ground sat closed for 12 years due to finding shortages after the fall. It's only in its 4th year of operation after such a long down time. I like to think we're ultimately bringing revival to a nation but it is also encouraging to know that this place will be revived as a result of the Lord's presence there through us and the kids this summer.

So that is a sneak peak at where we'll be this year. For those of you going, look forward to it. For those of you just checking in to see what's up, this is what's up.

Rolling On...

2007-05-01T23:15:00.000-04:00

Being back here is great. Not living in my flat is odd though. We are letting 4 single ladies live there so when I'm here I just live at the orphanage. When the family is here though we all live in the flat. Living at the orphanage definitely has its blessings though. The kids, the kids, the kids.

My friend Jim Pack is here with me on this trip. Supportive in prayer and finances for years he is now getting what all this is about. He is owning his own view of things here is a way to say it. It's moving to him for sure. I love being here with people for the first time. My eyes get a bit jaded sometimes. Theirs are pure and wide open looking to learn and grasp everything they can. Jim is blogging over at thepackboysdotbloggerdotcom if you want to check it out. His take on things here might be of interest to you.

The wifi card is about to run out so I gotta fun.

More later...

Back in Novo

2007-04-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

Tired, very tired, after a two trip to Novosibirsk. Today is May 1...May Day! This is a big patriotic holiday in Russia. No one is on the streets right now but tonight will be wild. More to come. I'm off for a nap right now.

Until then!
Rob

I'm Back and I'm Serious This Time

2007-04-27T08:12:00.000-04:00

After I finally figured out the Blogspot to Google transition had to happen before I could post again, I'm finally back.

I've realized recently, amid the insanity of my life's pace, that less and less time has been given by me to reflection. My friend Wade says that "without disagreement nothing can be learned" and that is true. I say that without reflection I get old, boring and stale real quick. Wade's tag line is more flashy but I assure you mine is just as true.

For me blogging serves as a mode of reflection so get ready because I'z be about to start reflecting again!

Back "home"

2007-02-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I can't really say Russia is home anymore mainly because my family now defines home as "wherever we are together." I'm here with Greg and Houston and they are not family.

We are headed towards Novosibirsk to do a weekend retreat with WWYC mentors. I'm very excited about this....just missing my wife and boys.

More later...

Rob

November in Siberia

2006-11-29T03:52:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm cheating a bit here but bear with me.

For a good update on the main part of our last month in Novosibirsk, visit Jon Owen's blog at http://jonowen.blogspot.com.

I was, er, too busy to update my own blog. His view are refreshing though. First time visitors to Russia always see things I have grown rather clueless towards.

Enjoy!

#4

2006-10-03T19:32:00.000-04:00

We're expecting our 4th child next spring. Amazing...

Meaning What We Sing

2006-09-23T08:57:00.001-04:00

I've often thought that some of the best theology I spout comes from the worship music I sing. Whether you lean towards the archaic, traditional, contemporary, or futureistic, worship music makes some very bold declarations.

My wife and I just found out this past week that we are expecting our 4th child. This is a great joy for us and led to lots of neat worship songs running through our home and our minds. The day after I learned about Traci's pregnancy, a close friend shared with me that he had just learned, that very day, his wife was miscarrying. Two weeks earlier, my dear brother and sister in law miscarried 6 weeks into their 4th pregnancy. In each case, grief was apparent even though the journey with this child had been short. As my brother tearfully told me last week over a cop of coffee, "about the time we assigned a place in our heart to this child we no longer had a child." That's a grief I know nothing about but expect is very real and unique.

There have long been songs that I have had a hard time singing in good conscious. "I Surrender All" tops the list. I just can't do it (sing it I mean) because I have just not yet done it (surrendered all). I also can't sing "Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus" while sitting down. That's another issue though.

The most recent addition to my "Tough Songs to Sing Vol. 1" collection is Chris Tomlin's "Blessed Be The Name of the Lord". I love the title but these lines get me:

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

and

You give and take away
You give and take away
But my heart will choose to say

Blessed it be your of the lord

It's a great song which sounds wonderful if you're in a church that does it with a band, a single guitar, or an a capella praise team. The hard part though? The hard part comes living those words when a child entrusted to you dies before you ever get to meet it.

I don't know what the road ahead looks like for Traci, me, our boys, and our newest child but I hope, some way, that my heart's cry and my life's walk will truly say "Blessed Be Your Name!"

Steve Irwin is Dead

2006-09-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

The Crocodile Hunter died today in Australia. You've heard that already I am sure.

Our boys have grown up both in Russia and here in the States with Steve Irwin as a very respected source on many things animal related. They've learned respect for nature and concern for the environment through his tv shows.

As with most deaths my sons hear about these days the question soon followed, "Daddy, did he love Jesus?" They are legitimately concerned about his soul. I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I only know that God is just.

Still...a sad day today at our home...

Tour de Tiger

2006-07-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

One of the joys of my year as a sports fan is the weekend where the British Open and the Tour de France both wind up on the same Sunday within just a few hours of each other. Here in Russia, EuroSport covers every minute of the Tour live and a Russian Sports Channel (Sport On Line) covers the same of the British Open. It makes a great Sunday evening/night of viewing.

This is the 4th straight year I've watched the Tour here. It draws me in every year...especially this year with the absence of Lance and the emergence of Floyd. BTW, is there is a more super hero type name than "Lance Armstrong"? It sounds like he's jumped straight off the pages of a comic book. Then is there a more non super hero like name than Floyd Landis? Super name or not the man became only the 3rd American to ever win the Tour and his victory makes 8 straight in the Tour for the red, white, and blue (US variant...not Russian, Dutch, or French variants which also fly a red, white, and blue flag).

A few hours later Tiger laid claim to his second consecutive and third over all British Open title as well. As well as he played, I kinda enjoyed even more seeing his heart expressed in the tears he shed on 18 after he won. His dad died 2 months ago. Anyone who has lost a father had to have something inside of them well up as he said, "I just wish he coulda been here to see it all one more time." I've felt that same way the last 18 months about my dad as well.

It was not just a great day to be a sports fan yesterday. It was a great day to be a human.

The Sound of Silence

2006-07-17T07:50:00.000-04:00

1.5 months since my last post but the world, for now, still turns. It's been a summer here in Russia of kids, camps, and proclaiming Christ. It's been a great summer so far with just under a month to go.

Odd feeling our family is going through. While we know Monroe, GA, is our home, we all are very comfortable here in our other home of Novosibirsk. This flat we bought in 2000 has lots to do with that. So does the fact that so many of our dearest friends in the world either live in this city or have been working with us here this summer. I think we've officially reached the status of being "2 home family". Here or there, we're quite at home.

Nuff for now. I'll be back later...

2 Paths

2006-05-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

Read this today from Dr. Ron Martoia:

The only ministry experiences in this post-Christendom era are two:
1. slow death
2. deep change

Might the same be true of one's Christian life too? I'm wrestling with that right now. How deep are my changes and how slow is my death.

More time on the mat needed for this one.

Blessings on your day!

7.13 p.m. on Wednesday Night

2006-05-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

True story...

My 7 year old passed out asleep tonight on the couch at 7.12 p.m. A minute or so later this was found by his side apparently the last words thought at the end of a very busy day.

Here Tis!

2006-05-22T22:36:00.000-04:00

Ok, you've all been waiting. Here's John Anderson. He looks NOTHING like me. Well, ok, a little something like me. There is a bit of a similarity I guess. You know the more I think about it there is a striking resemblance actually. It's kinda freaky really. At any rate, that's the answer to this much ancipated trivia question.

The family and are in our apartment in Russia now. We'll be here all summer ministering to kids through our youth camps we've directed here since 2002. We left 80 and sun in Atlanta and arrived here on Saturday morning with cloudy skies and temps in the 50's and low 60's. It's just not right that these good folks here in Siberia have endured the winter they have only to have a pseudo spring to enjoy. It should be get better though...thus says the Russian Farmer's Almanac (aka the grandmothers sitting in the yard outside our front door).

Stay tuned...should be a fun summer!

Anybody Ever Tell Ya That You Like....

2006-05-11T22:10:00.000-04:00

"Ah, great. Here we go again." So thought I yesterday as I plopped down in my dentist's chair while he joined a long line of dubious smart allecks from the past who have mused about my resemblance to...

or

or

or

So you'll understand if I was a bit worried as to where this conversation was headed. He couldn't quite nail the name/face down he was shooting for so he started getting there in a round about way. "You know the guy on ESPN."

I thought...

or

"Please Doc. Clarify quickly. This just keeps getting worse and worse in my mind."

Finally, he said he's a white guy that does SportsCenter and

Stop.

For some reason...I don't know why...I knew exactly who he was talking about. I've never really thought about it before but I think maybe, especially with those glasses before these I have now, I do kinda look like which ESPN SportCenter host?

You knew this would turn into a sports trivia question one way or another. First one to answer gets their picture posted in my next blog entry wearing whatever they wish and, no, nothing is not an acceptable answer.

I await your response (especially you Faj...you know this one).

Still here...

2006-05-03T17:08:00.000-04:00

Rule #1 of blogging:

If you don't have anything to say (PLEASE) be quiet.

My Friend's Faith and His Son's Testimony

2006-03-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

From my friend Dana who is fighting cancer with faith and gallantry:

Me thinks sometimes when I write something God says, "OK, now live it out." (It is easier just to write it:) So, I'm in the midst of persevering, hoping we can get enough stem cells for a future transplant (if needed). The normal procedure did not work this past week as we only got a tenth of what is required. So this next week we are trying an experimental drug discovered in AIDS research that tends to bring more stem cells out of the bone morrow into the blood stream. This means another weekend of shots, more tests, and a brief hospitalization
Tuesday and Wednesday. Perseverance...:-)

So I thought I would change topics and write a little about healing...
Five years ago, I firmly expected God to miraculously heal me of cancer.
I know He really did, but I was kind of hoping for the type that bypasses all the suffering. It really is amazing to think of all the things that have been discovered in medicine. God deserves the glory for all these advancements and I praise Him for the progress made in my disease. From a purely scientific point of view, if I had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma twenty-five years ago, I would not have lived more than a year. Five years ago, there was no chemotherapy around that would knock back the cancer like the new chemo I received before Christmas.

Even this experimental drug, which has only been in use about a year, is an incredible advancement that gives people with damaged bone marrow hope for harvesting stem cells. I am thankful for all these discoveries and I am certain that, if God permits, man will continue to find ways to combat cancer and other diseases. If He chooses another transplant as the path for me to go, I pray for grace.

But I know God heals in other ways. Some doctors and nurses will tell you there are things they have seen that defy any medical explanation. Taylor told us some funny stories about healing from his recent trip.

People sometimes say, "Yea, all those stories of miracles always happen in some third world country where there is no proof. Why doesn't God just heal everyone in Northside Hospital? Then I'll believe." I imagine God has His reasons for what He does and where He does it. Even Jesus addressed such skepticism in the prideful people of His hometown as He prepared to share truth they did not want to hear. "Surely, you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'" (See Luke 4:23-30)

One of Taylor's friends, who went on a different outreach, shared God's display of power as they visited a local church. In that church there was a lady that had been blessed with the gift of healing. When Zeke saw this, he said, "Man, I wish God would use me this way!" The lady told him to come over and she would pray for him. Zeke related the story:
"She prayed for me a long time and when she finished I was stoked! But then she told me I needed to put this gift into practice and she pointed to Chris!" Chris was one of the leaders on the outreach and everyone knew he had a disability. Chris had been born with a condition where one leg was three to four inches shorter than the other. Taylor said Chris had a very noticeable limp and that he could not run or do physical activities the way most people could. "You want me to heal Chris?" Zeke asked reluctantly. Well, Zeke walked over to Chris and asked if he could pray for him. He did not lay a hand on him, but while he prayed Chris yelled, "What are you doing?" Chris described what felt like three separate tugs on his leg and his shorter leg grew about three inches. Taylor said this was one of the testimonies shared in front of two hundred people after all the students came back together in Hawaii at the end of the outreaches. As Zeke told the story, everyone turned around and looked at Chris. He just waved and said, "It's true!"

Isn't that cool? I asked Taylor, "What if someone denied that such a thing happened?" "I'd just give 'em Zeke's phone number and let him tell the story." Taylor said it was not uncommon for God to heal people out in the country-side of Cambodia. "We didn't see much healing in town, but God often healed people in the hill country." He told us about a guy who had been bedridden for two years. After much prayer, a missionary named Garth told him to get up. The guy not only got up and walked, but he started jumping. The funniest story Taylor told took place the previous year when a team went to pray for the sick in the country.
"This girl on the outreach prayed for a man with a withered arm. Right there in front of everyone, the arm grew and became normal. The girl that prayed was so shocked, she fainted!" The "faith of a mustard seed..."

Many of you have heard, perhaps, that a generous family gave me a ticket to go to Africa this spring. I want to go without this catheter in my neck and with more than a mustard seed of faith! Our team will serve many orphans in Namibia whose parents have died of AIDS. How Africa needs healing! How the children need comfort for their hearts and food for their bellies! How the missionaries need encouragement and support from the Body of Christ! May our awesome God do far more than we can ask or imagine!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Hurray for Technology

2006-03-06T06:39:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in seat 29G on Lufthansa flight 444 from Frankfurt to Atlanta as I type. We are somewhere over the English Channel at the moment. This aircraft is equiped with wifi! How cool is that? Being the tech geek I am, stuff like this amazes me. 17 days of on and off internet capability has my inbox needing lots of attention so consider this post over.

Some Dear Friends

2006-02-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

These folks are the backbone of our ministry in Russia. They are the 365 day a year presence in the lives of the young people with whom we work. Salute them! I sure do!

Road Warriors

2006-02-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

There is no real reason for this post. I'm in Russia again and, while that is exciting, it is really not a good enough reason yet to update the blog. The two guys I travel with though are just fun enough to travel with that this alone might (MIGHT) be reason to do what I'm doing right now. Simply put, Atlanta to Novosibirsk is an exhausting trip. No way around it. Two straight nights of sleeping on planes, long layovers that are at best mildly uncomfortable, and the constant temptation to just lie down wherever you are and enter REM sleep immediately. Fortunately, for me and the viewers of this entry, my two buddies did just that on the most recent trip. Without further words, here they are in all their traveling glory:

(our brave leader)

(he directs all operations)

Redneck Limo

2006-02-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

Hee hee hee. I've got some neighbors not too far from where I live that might really dig this.

Something is outta whack here...

2006-02-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit miffed over this fact...

Muslims fly commercial airliners into buildings in New York City. No Muslim outrage.
Muslim officials block the exit where school girls are trying to escape a burning building because their faces were exposed. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims cut off the heads of three teenaged girls on their way to school in Indonesia. A Christian school. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims murder teachers trying to teach Muslim children in Iraq. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims murder over 80 tourists with car bombs outside cafes and hotels in Egypt. No Muslim outrage.
A Muslim attacks a missionary children's school in India. Kills six. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims slaughter hundreds of children and teachers in Beslan, Russia. Muslims shoot children in the back. No Muslim outrage.
Let's go way back. Muslims kidnap and kill athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims fire rocket-propelled grenades into schools full of children in Israel. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims murder more than 50 commuters in attacks on London subways and busses. Over 700 are injured. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims massacre dozens of innocents at a Passover Seder. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims murder innocent vacationers in Bali. No Muslim outrage.
Muslim newspapers publish anti-Semitic cartoons. No Muslim outrage
Muslims are involved, on one side or the other, in almost every one of the 125+ shooting wars around the world. No Muslim outrage.
Muslims beat the charred bodies of Western civilians with their shoes, then hang them from a bridge. No Muslim outrage.
Newspapers in Denmark and Norway publish cartoons depicting Mohammed. Muslims are outraged.

Outrage over a cartoon but silence in regards to the rest of this. I RARELY get political (especially on this blog) but I am mystified by the mainstream Muslim's community and their silence so many year's of terror. It is time for that respectable arm of Islamic faith to get a handle on those that represent the fringe element. The world is getting very tired of this nonsense. Maybe real change must be initiated from within.