Dance Fever!

Emery likes to dance. A lot. Asher does too if he thinks no one is looking. Emery prefers someone looking. Her style is rather, well, lets say "unique". So, nothing else to do but put together a dance mix video. Take a look.



P.S. - a couple of new pics on Flick'r

Lent, History, and The Evangelical Experience

So, what are you giving up for Lent? Coming from the non-reformed evangelical background, it's a question I've never really asked. I haven't really ever given Lent much thought other than the glances at the dark spots on random foreheads and curiosity with the kid in my school growing up who gave up gum every year. But what is it and is it something that Evangelicals are missing? The Wiki definition is basically this; It's a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, almsgiving and self denial, representing the 40 days Christ spent in the desert, preparing the believer for the commemoration of the Passion and Resurrection. Sounds nifty really. I like the idea of taking an extended amount of time, a season if you will, to reflect, repent, and focus on the important and lets the non-essential things blur as we pin point our lens on the goal of being Holy, as He is Holy. On the other hand, it seems with an organized effort, it looses some meaning and can become just a ritual. My friend had no idea why he couldn't enjoy Bubblicious for over a month every year. It never had any meaning for him.

But while thinking about Lent and all that it entails, it got me thinking about other church traditions that Baptist and other Evangelicals have given up. And I wonder if it is to our detriment. I was in my 30's before I had seen, much less participated in, the tradition of Advent leading up to Christmas. And loved it. How richer would our collective experience be if we tied our beliefs and our worship to traditions dating back centuries? Instead, for example, of teaching against the evils of Halloween just prior to Oct 31st, we instead have a Sunday celebrating Luther, Grace and the Solas? Or, in lieu of the Mother's Day "Her children shall rise up and call her blessed" sermon, we taught about the significance of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit and celebrated God's tabernacleing in our hearts? Or, maybe we should take baby steps, and actually have communion more than twice a year - thats a start. Communion has always held a special place in my heart. The light came on, and I accepted Christ as they passed the Cup in a service just before Thanksgiving. Good thing the Spirit was leading, otherwise I would have had to have waited until Easter the next year for my next shot.

So how about you? What tradition do you hold dear or wish they did away with? Would you and your brothers and sisters in your congregation benifit from a little more emphasis on certain dates or times of the year?

Third Generation Conservative SBC'ers

I found a great blog post on Baptist 21 by Steven McKinion, a prof at SEBTS. In it he describes the Theological, Cultural, Biblical & Intellectual distinctives of the under 40 crowd in the SBC. The oldest of us were 8 or 9 when the Conservative resurgance started in '79. Many feel disconnected from the players, politics and principles that started the resurggence. However, we've been rewarded with the fruits of the return of the convention to orthodoxy. The article, lengthy, but well worth the read , can be found HERE.

It's interesting to read that some of the problems I have with certain SBC teachers/Pastors, as well as evangelicism as a whole, are the same problems others have. McKinion writes, when speaking of the Theological differences:

"A limited view of the Gospel in which church people obtain a “get out of hell free” card by saying some prayer seems Gnostic, at best, to these young people. They have come to adopt a holistic perspective in which Jesus is Lord, not just of the believer’s eternal state, but of all His creation. For that reason, the younger conservative desires obedience to the only Law for the Christian: Love God and love neighbor. "

Sweet, there might be hope for us yet. We aren't in the SBC anymore (although, I'm sure we are still counted as members in over a dozon) mainly because the only SBC church in Temecula proudly states on it's website that it's KJV only. Nothing wrong with the KJV, but there is a conversation I don't want to have. Anyway, even though we aren't part of the SBC physically, it's my spirtual heritage. Our prayers are that the resurgance that started 30 years ago, yeilds fruit for generations to come. It'll look different, to be sure. But thats OK, I hated ties anyhow.

Be A Person of Character, Get A Pencil

The proverbial leaf doesn't fall far from the proverbial tree. Proverbially speaking. Asher received recognition for demonstrating character traits emphasized in the school's Citizenship program. Specifically, his teacher says he exemplifies "friendship". Yep, he's his father's son.

So Friendship gets you a "student of the month" pencil, just like the Bible says (Living Bible).

He was honored at a ceremony on the school playground this morning.

Scattershooting While Wondering Whatever Happened To Blackie Sherrod...

-I've signed up for face book. Add me as a friend, and enjoy my beat-down on two websites!

-The Flick'r page has been updated. Some pics of a recent Saturday in San Diego when V's parents were in town. Includes Coronado Beach and the USS Midway. We've given Emery the old camera, and she is constantly taking pictures. We've uploaded those too.

-I'm going to write a Management/Leadership book entitled "Leadership Secrets of The Old Testament". In it, we'll mine for nuggets of wisdom God has revealed to help the busy manager be prepared for all the pitfalls and opportunities in the work place.

-Actually, I hate Management/Leadership books. Everyone of them should carry the subtitle "Simple, Common Sense Crap You Already Know, and If You Didn't Know, You Shouldn't Be a Leader Anyway.". Which probably means that my book project will never get off the ground.

-I have a habit of picking a shirt, particularly in winter, and wearing it until it either falls apart, or people start asking me if I do laundry. This year I found a comfy blue shirt from Old Navy. It has "California" written on it. I wear it all the time. I say this only because most pics and videos since Thanksgiving feature me wearing it.

-Here is a video message from Emery to my parents.



-Asher and I have tickets to a suite for the Lakers game on the 17th. Not that you care...

-Reading list update: Finished with the Yancey Book. Just started Matthew. There are 3 or 4 blog entries worth of material from that coming soon (ish).

-Whats that? You want to see 3 minutes and 12 seconds of random video from Coronado Beach that has poor sound quality and a Zapruder Film -like shakiness? OK, here goes....



-I'm missing traveling I think. I don't miss airports, flight attendetts, TSA workers, airport food, trying to sleep in hotels, lines at rent-a-car counters, or middle seats. But still, there's somthing I'm missing.

-We still haven't found a church. I'm not certain that the church we want is out there. How does one find a house church?

Until next time...

Family Interviews: Pt. 3

Vanessa
The WAM Interview

Children, it seems, have a much easier time talking about themselves than adults. So, interviewing Asher and Emery's Mom proved to be more of a challenge. It's hard for us to be transparent without thinking about who is reading, who might get offended, who might think I'm stupid. Luckily, This Reporter doesn't particularly care. And thankfully, Vanessa became convinced as well.

Over three years ago, Vanessa started having pain in her left leg. Nothing too terrible, but enough to let her know something was there. Then, one morning nearly three years ago to the day, she woke up with excruciating pain in her neck and shoulder. So much so it sent her to the Emergency room. What followed was months of MRI's, specialists, failed treatments and poor diagnoses. In may of 2006, she had surgery to replace a ruptured disk in her neck. After a long recovery, Vanessa was looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. However, after the pain associated with the disk left, it revealed that the pain in her leg had grown from light and bothersome to what became severe and life-interrupting. What followed was another year or more of mis-diagnosis, experiments in medication, treatments, and a resignation from Doctors that a) They didn't know what was wrong, and b) there wasn't anything that could be done. She was in her 30's and facing the rest of her life believing that she would have to take heavy duty medication - just to be functionable - for the rest of her life. Then She moved to California. Doctors here weren't conveinced life was over. She is in less pain now than before - not pain free, but much more able to manage and work through the pain than at any point in the last three years. She still has neck problems, replacement of one disk has weakend the adjecent disk. But She feels that she can put behind her the story that unfortunatly defined her for the last three years. She is also eager to talk about lessons learned, her kids, her strikingly handsome husband, and the other parts of her life that never dominated the conversation like pain did. Vanessa sits down with this reporter after a typical hectic suburban stay-at-home mother's day.

TR: Thanks for making time for me. First question: Has it been a long 14 years living with ole whats-his-name?

V: It feels like I've known him all my life, so yes, it does seem long. Plus, so much has happened. Our lives have completely changed. God took two kids, one making $150/week and the other making just enough to afford an apartment & eat - and look at them now. We could never have imagined this. We trusted God and we are in a place -spirtual place, physical place, emotional place - that we couldn't have dreamed.

TR: Talk about your health for a bit. We'll touch on all things Vanessa, but for a while now, this has been the main topic. How's your pain?

V: Better than a year ago. Better than 6 months ago. It feels like I've turned a corner. I'm much more active, off a lot of medication...

TR: How frustrating has it been? And follow that up with how has that frustration affected your faith.

V: No words can describe how frustrating it's been. I've never ever been able to deal with pain. My mother used to joke that it was a good thing that my brother was the one with diabetes, because I would have refused to take the shots twice a day. To have constant pain is exhausting. I'm in my 30's but felt like I was an old woman and had become convienced that was my life. Which led to depression. As to faith; I finally accepted the pain, and know that it is/was there for a higher purpose, God allowed it, and that forced my faith to be stronger. I've grown so much in my faith that it has been worth it.

TR: Name me something that you've learned about yourself in the last year.

V: I think that I'm a lot stronger than I used to give myself credit for. God won't give me more than I can handle, basically, because without him I can not handle anything, but with Him...different story. I believe my approach to problems in the future will be different.

TR: Which is more awesome; Your husband's rugged good looks, his giant brain or his infectious personality?

V: [EDIT: This is a family blog. Suffice to say, she didn't answer the question directly.]

TR: Do you miss Texas?

V: I miss friends and family.

TR: You've spoken about moving to California being a new start. Other than the obvious fact that it is, in fact, a new start, in what ways to you believe it to be so?

V: I felt like I was in a rut - the pain had a lot to do with it - I also felt I was isolated, both in Waco and to a certain extent, Waxahachie. Again, the pain was a big factor. Oddly enough, moving all the way out here, away from friends and family where I should feel more isolated, I don't. There is so much to do - thats a whole blog in and of itself - so much to explore, so many options here. I'm not sure if I would have come out of the rut and isolation in Texas, but here I HAVE too. Being this far away forced me to make friends. I've found two really good friends here. Plus, the pain alomost defined me in Waxahachie. Here I don't carry the old 'in pain' me around.

TR: OK, change of subject. Describe your children, using one word for each.

V: Asher: Gentle.
Emery: Amazing

TR: Having interviewed both, I would agree. Asher is Gentle, caring, kind and sensitive; in addition to being smart. Emery - "unique" and "different" were the first thoughts in my head, but Amazing is a good choice -probably the right choice.

V: The differences between the two is shocking. Asher is amazing in his own right, for sure. But Emery, she's funny, she's unique, she observes, she's always wanting to help, quick with a compliment, eager to do somthing..anything. She's the first out of bed everyday because she sees everyday as an adventure, she's such a people person. And she doesn't have bad days, always happy, always looking to make the day better. Now, she is hard headed and will push and push and push until she either gets her way or I yell....but that is OK too.
Not that I prefer her over Asher of course. Asher is amazing, smart, kind, a thinker. But Em is what I want to be. And she's 5.

TR: How does a stay-at-home mom keep her identity?

V: Being Mom is a part - a large part, but not all - of who I am. I think to keep who you are you have to stay in the Word. Focus on who God says you are, not what your emotions tell you. I'd tell a new mom that you will make mistakes, but give yourself to them, show them love daily - that stands to reason. Make a point to enjoy every minute of it.


TR: Good advice. Any more advice?

V: The key to a great marriage? - Take care of your husband and he'll take care of you.

TR: Wow. you should have a call in show. So, knitting. How'd that start and what does it do for you?

V: It started when I went to my friend Nicole's house and she was knitting. I knew right away it would be somthing I'd like. Knitting helps me relax while keeping my mind busy.

TR: How many projects do you have going right now?

V: I always have 5 or 6 going at one time.

TR: Any of those projects the long promised sweater for This Reporter?

V: Uhmmm, I'm making you a scarf. Well, a scarf that you can wear too.

TR: Yeah...right. In closing, tell the world one thing about yourself that they might not alread know.

V: I'm an extremly loyal person to a rare few.

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Wherein I Justify My Existence & Pat Myself on The Back

I have spent the last 3 years or so working with the latest construction technology. I started while working for Graphisoft/Vico Software as a liaison between software people and construction people. That's a hard gap to bridge at times. So I spent my time working at Vico helping some of the largest construction firms in the world implement Virtual Construction (or Building Information Modeling-BIM for short). The driving thought behind VC is that you can build a 3D model of a building, with all of the building elements included, to see what fits, where problems might arise and where productivity can be improved. Once you have a model, you have all the geometry needed to estimate the costs of the project. If you have all the costs, and labor productivity that drive the costs, you then have all that is needed to create a schedule. Schedules then can be linked to the model, and you can animate the construction process for better visualization and communication. That is what we call '5D'. 3D models, plus cost and time. Once I had my head wrapped around the concepts and the change in the process that the technology calls for - and the industry desperately needs - I couldn't wait to implement the new processes in a firm. I had some limited opportunity to do that while working in a consultant role with Vico. But I really wanted to get into the day to day activities of a company and change the thinking form within. Then came RQ. RQ Construction hired Vico and thus, me, to deliver a project in 5D prior to construction to reveal design flaws, provide quantities, and check the construcabilty of the schedule. That was in April. I started as a full time employee on July 1.

95% of the projects that RQ delivers are Design-Build. Meaning that we contract directly with owners to provide design and construction services for the projects. Historically, architects deliver design, then contractors bid based on the design. Architects are notorious for underestimating the costs of a project, over designing, and producing drawings that are unconstructable. Hiring a construction firm to design a project improves the owners chances for getting a project that is under budget and leaves out costly items that do not contribute to the functionality of the building. (Case in point: We recently submitted a proposal on a museum for the Navy SeaBees for $9 million. Previously, they had an architectural design that was designed to cost $16Million. Our proposal actually ADDED square feet to the building, kept all of the desired functions, and did away with features that didn't add to the appearance or functionality of the building).

Our in-house design team was already designing in 3D. My role is to implement 3 Major efforts to bring complete 5D projects to the job trailer. First items on the list: Implement model-based estimating and total project cost management. I was given 9 to 12 months. After months of analyzing how we estimate, what works, what doesn't, what the new process should be and building a brand new database from scratch; we will role out model based estimating on Monday. For those of you good at math, you understand that is a month earlier than expected. And I'm pumped. Additionally, we are starting this week to track the design changes on a project that is in the pre-construction phase. We rock. Once a database is linked to a model, any changes to that model are (nearly) automatically recorded, and their associated cost impacts are flagged.



By my estimation, we will realize a 33% increase in pre-proposal estimating, and no less than 50% increase in productivity on cost management. Did I mention we rock? We totally do.

Next up? Integrated Project Delivery. Our Design team, using the same model as Structural & mechanical & electrical engineers to eliminate waste and re-work on the job site. (35-50% of construction cost is re-work...no, really). After that, we tackle model based schedules. Tieing schedules to a model to more accurately visualize where we are ahead, behind or on track. In the job trailer, on site. Over all goals? First, is to revamp the way we write contracts and pay sub-contractors. Today, payment is based on what has been accomplished in a month. Our goal is to move to a performance based payment structure. Meet your goals and get paid this month. Don't meet your goals? We'll pay for your pay-roll and materials, but that's it. Next, I REALLY want us to be the first company in the country (or world) to deliver a project without the use of 2D paper plans. We aren't that far.