I just want to take a moment to say that I’m proud of my cousins.

The photo on the left is of my cousins, first and first once removed. Jennifer is my first cousin, the daughter of my mother’s sister, Terry. Brittney is Jennifer’s daughter, my first cousin once removed. Gardina is also Jennifer’s daughter, or, at least she will be in short order, which will also make her my first cousin once removed.

Gardina was an orphan in Haiti, and thankfully survived the devastating earthquake that rocked that nation to its core. She just arrived in the US and is being adopted by Jeff and Jennifer DeWitt and their 4 kids.

Gardina had been on their hearts and minds for some time, as either Jeff or Brittney had, on different occasions, visited the orphanage where Gardina lived, and brought reports of Gardina back home to share with the rest of the family.

For many reasons, this is a moving story, which you can read the rest of here. 

My hat is off to all those who “love the least of these,” and I’m proud to count my cousins among them. How do you say, “Welcome to the family” in Haitian-Creole?

My slow blogging of late hasn’t been planned. Rather, it is the result of a number of things, not the least of which has been a lack of desire.

Just before Christmas, I thought I had come down with the swine flu, but it turned out to be something else that included a pretty serious Strep-B infection. Thankfully, I seem to be nearing the end of that awful experience.

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend time with a friend who is leading a seminary group on an Israel study tour. My friend even let me teach a little, which is always a blessing.

Some have expressed a concern for me since I have bid farewell to baseball, asking how I’m doing emotionally and such. Really, I’m doing fine. It was a great opportunity to be involved in Israel Baseball like I was, but it is time to move on.

We are transitioning in ways that we are not always able to share in this forum, but do appreciate our friends’ continued interest in our well being and vocation.

Recently, I’ve been learning much about disagreeing more agreeably, and God has given us a graduate seminar in that topic. May God give us grace to succeed.

Thirteen years ago today, Christmas Eve 1996, Colleen and I met on a blind lunch date at the Chinese Kitchen in Odessa, Texas.

Today, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Jerusalem, and Grace took this photo for us.

We wish each of you a Merry Christmas.