Christmas Trip to AZ

I was in AZ for Christmas from December 17th-29th. It was a nice long trip home - although my trips there always go by too fast. Here are some highlights...

Colby and Otis. Since I was home for a good length of time, I brought Otis and Sam with me.

Dinner with the Greens. Kellyn and I had them over for dinner at her house. Such a good night of catching up.

Caitlin and Kellyn.

Aaryn, Nikki and I.

I visited with Mikele one night. No pictures with her, but I did get one with Miles and Kate.

I drove the Grandma's around Scottsdale/Phoenix one night to look at Christmas lights.

Cruzer, Mom and Kellyn came too.

I had brunch with Jaime and Blake at La Grande Orange.

I took the cats outside every once in a while - they don't get to sit outside in NYC so I figured some fresh air and sun would be good for them.

I had dinner with Scott, Julie and Brady at True Foods at Scottsdale Quarter. We attempted to go to Railroad Park to ride the train but the line was way too long.

Dinner with Montana and Aubrey at True Foods at the Biltmore.

And dinner at True Foods with Lauren followed by a "slumber party" since Jason was out of town.

UES MC Christmas Dinner 2010

Yes, I am going backwards...trying to get caught up to my Philadelphia trip. Back on December 15, 2010, we had our annual (my 2nd annual) Upper East Side Missional Community dinner. We went to Sotto Cinque, the same restaurant we went to last year.

This was everyone who attended.

Part of my current Lifegroup at the time - Me, Megan, Jessica Joy and Tina.

Ben and Laurie.

Me, Steve and John.

Tom and Grace.

Dina, Veena, Eric and Zach.

Joanna and Mike.

Jessica Joy and Joe.

Dad and I. Dad was in town for this dinner, so I just had him come along. I think he enjoyed it.

The City of Brotherly Love

I had a pharmaceutical conference for work in Philadelphia last Monday and Tuesday. I decided to take an early train to Philly on Sunday morning so I could take advantage of a day in Philadelphia since I had never been there before.

This was the cute little Starbucks I stopped at in the morning.

The Liberty Bell.

In the 1790s, when Philadelphia was the temporary capital of the United States, this was the site of the executive offices and the residence of the first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams.

Independence Hall. This is where both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed.

This is the old courthouse in Philadelphia. The judges sat in the front of the room, the prosecution and defense lawyers sat together at the round table, and the accused stood in the cage.

The room where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed. The furniture is all original. Ben Franklin sat in the chair by the end of the table.

They are unsure if this is exactly how the room was set up. They have set it up to the best of their knowledge based on historical documents.

This is the courtyard where John Nixon read the Declaration to the public for the first time on July 8, 1776.

Carpenter's Hall. In 1774, the First Continental Congress met here, and this building also served as home for the Library Company of Philadelphia and as a meeting place for groups including the American Philosophical Society.

Franklin Court. This is the outline of Ben Franklin's house as his home was torn down in the early 1800s.

Standing in Ben Franklin's house.

Mr. Franklin.

The first bank of the United States. Secretary Alexander Hamilton was the force behind the creation of the First Bank of the U.S. The bank paid off the Revolutionary War debt and guided the new United States through unstable financial times. This building was built in 1795.

Betsy Ross house.

This was Betsy's bedroom. She did most of her sewing of the flags in her bedroom so she would not be seen by the British troops.

Elfreth's Alley. This is the oldest residential street in America.

Christ Church. Founded in 1695, this is where many of America's leaders worshiped.

I am sitting in George and Martha Washington's pew.

At the end of the day I did a 90-minute double decker bus tour. It was so cold, but I really wanted to sit on top.

Downtown Philly.

Philadelphia skyline.

I did not get off the bus here, but I really wanted to run up these stairs like Rocky!

It was a good day, but I feel like I need another couple of days in Philadelphia to see everything I missed.

Lent - A Bright Sadness

Tonight was my second Ash Wednesday service - and no, I am not Catholic. Since most people do associate Ash Wednesday with Catholicism, I thought I would clarify. The following is from a postcard that was handed out tonight at Trinity Grace Church's Ash Wednesday service.

What is Lent?

Lent is the forty days preceding Easter, traditionally a period of mourning, fasting and self-examiniation. Lent is inspired, in part, by the forty days that Jesus spent alone in the desert, fasting and being tested by Satan. This season in the church calendar begins every year on Ash Wednesday and ends as Holy Saturday turns into Easter morning.

Why Lent?

We observe Lent as a community to help us identify with Jesus in His sufferings, and to prepare us for the great celebration of Easter. Any event is made more significant by preparation. We look forward more to Easter when we spend seven weeks changing our lifestyles, deliberately seeking God, and waiting for Easter to come.

Ways to Observe Lent:

Traditionally, Lent is a time to give something up, or to take something on. For example, someone might fast from sweets, meat, coffee, or something else that is important to them. Fasting is a way of identifying with Jesus in His life, since he gave up being God to live with us. Another way to observe Lent is to deliberately add a spiritual practice to increase our awareness of God: an extra hour of prayer, a Lenten devotional, reading through the Gospels more regularly. Be creative. Ask God how He wants to meet you this season.