Collage of Pics ...

Collage in the Encarta dictionary is defined as “a combination of different things.” So here we go (Captions will be below the pictures).

I think my wife has an amazing artistic eye. She looked through her glass and said, "I think that would be a good picture." So I took it and I think she was right.

While shopping in Annapolis Mari saw this plate ... I think spaghetti would taste great on it.

Mari shopping.

Annapolis .

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This was when I decided to play w/ my food. Thanks Gene (even though you don't read this blog) for the onion rings.

We had Lew, Laura, Mark, and Brandy over to play the wii on Sunday. They did great!

Mari and I have a 'house rule' ... no wii during the week. So we played RummiKub

This is Mari showing off how she used the chipotle raspberry sauce my Mom bought for us.

So Mari said to me when we came back from Annapolis: "Do we have to 'post' about everything?" and I said no, but the thing about blogging is that it helps your friends and family participate in your life. Like I read the Marcantonio blog and I got to see how Jack is hanging with other kids. I would not know that. Plus with having Mari's family in Argentina, I think it's cool they can get a glimpse into what we're doing here "up North".

New Attitude 2008

The following quote from DA Carson helped me become grateful for the upcoming New Attitude 2008 conference:
“The danger in contemporary evangelicalism is not formal rejection of Scripture, but an unrealistic assumption that we know the Bible while in fact we press ‘on’ (in reality, slouch backwards) toward endless conferences on leadership, techniques, tools, gimmicks, agendas. Some of these might even be useful if the Bible itself were not so commonly sidelined.” (D.A. Carson, October 31, For The Love Of God: Volume 1) This year's theme for the conference is "knowing God's Word". Mari and I hope to attend so we can truly embrace God's Word without having "an unrealistic assumption that we know the Bible".
For anyone who may be interested, check out the website. Registration is now open.

1789 Restaurant

My Mom took Mari, Ed, and myself out for dinner last night. I have never heard of 1789, but supposedly it is a 'movers and shakers' restaurant. A place where the business people and politicians complete deals. The food was great and we enjoyed spending time with our family. I had the Lamb, Mari had the something or other that tasted like fish. 1789 is continuing their restaurant week prices so it's not too late to partake.

Here we have my brother and my Mom:
I'm experimenting with not using the flash. This was dessert. I think it was called chocolate hole cake .. or something like that. It came w/ coffee ice cream:
It was fun to dress up with my beautiful wife:

Saving lives

A few posts ago we shared about our Care Group doing a different type of white elephant. We put all our money that we would have spent on some trinket, which would have most certainly ended up in the trash, and gave it to a charity. The charity that won the debate was the Shady Grove Pregnancy Center, located here in Gaithersburg.

I've had the privilege of serving at the Center for 2 years and then being part of their staff for another two years serving mostly Hispanic women coming to the Center for help. In case you don't know much about the Center, it is a non-profit organization, funded mostly by local churches and people like you and me. They help women in crisis pregnancies with life-affirming alternatives, and they also help women who are in hard financial situations to get diapers, formula, clothes, etc.
Jackie, the director of the Center, is a godly and wise woman and it's my privilege to know her. She was kind enough to send our care group a letter to thank us for our help. In the letter she shared how in December, with the help of the wonderful volunteers and staff, three lives had been saved! This is no small task and I thank God for this place of life and light in a world that doesn't value life like our Creator does.
If you are interested in serving at the Center and/or help them financially, I encourage you to check out their website and email Jackie if you want to help in some way.

It's not everyday that you can say: Today I helped to save a life!!

New Tech Toy & Transferring to the Dark Side ...

At one of my schools I received an interwrite interactive white board. I used the below screen to teach a variety of musical concepts, one of which being "Pick-up notes" and the students loved it. They all asked if they could use the cool "interwrite" pens to write on the staff and I told them no, maybe next week. I look forward to using this new tool/toy.
Now, about the dark side ... After years of being a committed Apple user (has everyone seen the macbook air?) I will be purchasing a Microsoft Windows computer. There is something that almost makes me sick about the idea, but since Mari and I are hoping to buy a house, which means saving money, it seems like we will have to be content with a lesser computer. Actually, I am excited to get a new machine because that means Mari and I will have a good computer over the summer (during the year I have a real computer from PGCPS). We will probably get a Dell with Vista Home Premium.

Dallas and Leigh Play the wii

Well, it has been almost three weeks since I had to get stitches. And ever since then Mari and I have been bowling and playing tennis with the absence of injuries.

Here is Mari practicing her tennis game.

On Saturday night Mari and went to play the wii w/ some other wii addicts, Dallas and Leigh. They crushed us in bowling and tennis. Obviously Mari and I have more practicing that needs to take place.

Dallas and Leigh have a Dachsund dog.

I think I am starting to like Dachsund dogs. Beemer and Guido are turning my heart from hating small dogs to almost liking them. Who knows, maybe Mari and I will own a small dog. We will see ...

To follow as He leads...

I have been struggling with anxiety and the uncertainties that our future holds. But, I have been encouraged by my husband and friends who remind me of truth. I've also been grateful for great reads like Jerry Bridges' new book "Respectable Sins". I highly recommend it! He writes on discontentment, pride, selfishness, etc. So far Dave and I have been reading the chapter on anxiety and frustration. Such a wealth of sweet truth to comfort our hearts! He had this neat quote from John Newton, which is amazing! The whole thing was good, but here is a little taste of it. Enjoy and run to get the book!

"... if all things are in His hand, if the very hairs of our head are numbered; if every event, great and small, is under the direction of His providence and purpose; and if He has a wise, holy, and gracious end in view, to which everything that happens is subordinate and subservient; then we have nothing to do, but with patience and humility to follow as He leads, and cheerfully to expect a happy issue... How happy are they who can resign all to Him, see His hand in every dispensation, and believe that He chooses better for them than they could possibly could for themselves."

Matthew 6:28-33 reminds us...
"...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Costumbres Americanas

Por estos pagos celebrar la Navidad significa muchas tradiciones. Desde cortar su propio arbolito de Navidad hasta elaborados almuerzo/cena el 25. Mucha gente me preguntaba que tipo de costumbre tenemos en Argentina para celebrar. La verdad es que mi familia no es muy complicada y no tenemos grandes celebraciones. Uno de los mejores recuerdos que tengo de Navidades es las que festejabamos en Villa Rosa con toda la familia, en la pileta y despues comiendo todos juntos. Pero mas alla de eso, muchas tradiciones no teniamos.

Pero ahora, Dave y yo vamos a tener nuestras propias costumbres. Basicamente, vamos a robarnos las costumbres que vemos en otras familias! Ja!
Por ejemplo, nuestros amigos los Hydoski (Isaac es el pastor que nos caso) van todos los anos a Washington DC a ver el enorme arbol de Navidad que tienen en el parque del Capitolio. Aca pueden ver esta foto:
Asi que esta es una tradicion que vamos a adoptar (adoptar suena mejor que robar!). En el parque de la Casa Blanca tambien tienen un arbol de Navidad pero este es mas grande, y menos gente se junta a verlo.
La otra tradicion que adoptamos es la de la familia donde alquilamos. Ellos se juntan a hacer galletitas Navidenas. Una noche nos invitaron y decoramos quichicientas galletitas (como se escribe quichicientas?). Ven que no miento?
Aca les muestro las 3 galletitas mas especiales que hicimos Dave y yo. A que no adivinan cual hizo Dave?
Las galletitas en mas detalle:

La idea era hacer un venado de River pero me salio mas de Independiente. Es para vos Lole!
El pinguinito, que no refleja mi afiliacion politica hacia ciertas figuras del gobierno Argentino. (Sorry, Andre!)
Finalmente la obra de arte de mi marido, a la cual he llamado "Hombre de nieve brasilero". Simpatico el tipo, no?

Y ahora la pregunta permanece, cuales son las tradiciones Argentinas en tiempos Navidenos? Pueden dejar sus propias respuestas. Pero estense advertidos que si nos gustan nosotros las vamos a "adoptar".

Mediocre Musicianhood

So I would consider myself a mediocre musician. As a Christian I'm called to pursue excellence in everything and that includes increasing in skill as a musician. It just seems I choose to check my email more than practice drums, percussion, violin, and trumpet. May God help me to repent of laziness and start to practice.

In light of the fact that I am currently a self-proclaimed mediocre musician, I consider it a pure joy to play w/ excellent musicians. I remember before I was a Christian I played in a band w/ this guy who could play harmony with two trumpets at the same time. It was amazing. I must have seen this at least 50 times, and every time I would say to myself, "Wow, that's pretty cool."

On Sunday I had the opportunity to play drums while Bob Kauflin lead worship. Bob is an amazing musician and a very godly man. I thoroughly enjoyed participating in worship with a skillful piano player. Thank you Lord for the opportunity.

Here is something I get to play periodically at Covenant Life Church. It is called a Cajon. Mari and I received a DVD wedding present from a friend in Argentina. The artist's name is Jesus Adrian Romero. He is really good. His percussionist played it and I knew I wanted one.

This is the percussion set-up at Covenant Life.

Here is Mari playing brushes on my snare drum. Random note: this will be the last picture with Francisco. He has gone to the place where trees go at the end of the Christmas season ... aka the chipper. Neesham, we'll pretend he's going to Florida with the cows.

New Years Update

Happy New Year everyone ... even though it's past new year's. Here are a few pictures from our outing to first night Alexandria. It was a blast.

On New Year's day Mari and I spent some time w/ my Dad and Virginia. Check out my Dad's outfit.