Ending Is Beginning Releases!

Well the day has come. Tuesday the 23rd marks the release of our fourth studio album and we'll be spending the morning on KLOVE with John and Sherry Rivers. KLOVE is one of the largest Christian Radio networks in America so we are thrilled to be spending release day on their morning show. If you want to tune in go here.

And don't forget to go out today and pick up a copy of the new album, Ending Is Beginning. The more that sell during the first week the more the stores will continue to carry and hopefully the more will continue to sell!!

By the way, check out this great review from a fairly critical reviewer at ChristianityToday.com.

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Update On The Boys

I just love that I can say "the boys" now for some reason. Funny.

Little Bram is doing great. He's gaining weight like crazy and is so pleasant. It's been fun being able to use some of the infant clothing that Jonah had once again. I thought I better get this onesy on him before he ran out of time. This was a gift from my friend Brian in Chicago. It was originally meant for Jonah but hey why not spread the love!

(In case you are wondering I'm not much of a Cubs fan at all but I think it looks cute on him for sure.)

And in other news, Jonah started Junior Kindergarten yesterday. Today was day two and he really seems to enjoy it. So far both days after school, by about supper time, Jonah is mister chatty. Well he's always mister chatty but this is even more than usual. Here's a pic of him with his back pack on just leaving the house.

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A few more pics for ya and why we went with Bram.

Bramwell Timothy Lavender

Some people have been asking about the name and if there is a story. Sherri and I had a hard time coming up with a boys name that we both liked. It took till about last month for us to find Bram and Sherri really just decided she was ok with Bramwell when the government worker came in and today and asked what his name was for the health card. I had also forgotten that my Grandfather Norm Lavender had a brother named Bramwell. Ha ha. I knew it sounded good. Then when we were looking for a middle name Sherri asked me if there was a guy in my life whose name we could use. Well, my cousin Tim and I grew up like brothers and although we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like I still really love the guy so his was the first name that popped in my head and we both liked it right away. So there you go!! Enjoy!

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Not Home Yet

I thought I'd post another picture as there aren't too many yet! Sherri's brother Mark took this one last night. Bram is now out of that incubator thingy and is with Mommy in her room. So we are very happy about that. It sounds like it still won't be until tomorrow that Bram and Sherri will be home so I'll be praying for good rest for Sherri tonight as sleeping in the hospital isn't all that great.

I still haven't had a chance to hold Bram and Jonah has only been able to see him through the glass so we are looking forward to getting to the hospital this afternoon to finally get some good family bonding time. Hopefully we'll have more pictures then that we can share!

And just to clarify for those that like the details, the name will actually be Bramwell Timothy Lavender but we'll just go by Bram.

Thanks to all of you who have sent your good wishes. I've had messages and comments and emails from over 100 different people in the last 24 hours! It's nice to know we're loved. Thanks!

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Our baby BOY arrived!!

Just a quick update! Our new son Bram Timothy Lavender was born this morning at 8am weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces. Baby and Mommy had a bit of a rough time after the birth but are now doing much better. Will still spend the night at the hospital though. Here's a pic of Bram. Don't let all the hoses/wires freak you out. He is doing pretty good now.

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Guesses??

Well we are very close to this baby arriving and thankfully it didn't show up this weekend (yet). I'm typing this while in the airport in Nashville so there is still a chance but at least I am heading home now!

Anyway, Sherri posted a couple of new pictures of her and her pregnant belly on her blog and asked for predictions about the gender and weight. Head over there and add your opinion!!

http://sherrilavender.blogspot.com/

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100 Mile Diet and Buying Local

I finished the book 100 Mile Diet - A Year Of Local Eating this past weekend and today the family went to the local Cambridge Farmers Market! I guess the book worked.

The premise of the book is that the authors, a couple who live in Vancouver (Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon) decided to take one year and only eat food that was grown within 100 miles of where they live. Each chapter is a new month and they are alternately written by Alisa and J.B.. When you think about eating locally it changes quite a bit. For them it meant no bananas or oranges and it took them a good 7 or 8 months to find decent wheat which meant 7 or 8 months with no bread, pancakes, crackers or anything delicious with flour in it!!! It's a good read and one worth reading to see the possibilities of trying to move to a more local diet.

With gas prices where they are and wanting to be a good steward of the resources I have been given eating locally makes so much sense. Also the food is much fresher and you're supporting your neighbours! So consider getting out to your local market or farmer's stand. Winter will be here before we know it so might as well get out and pick up some of that delicious produce while it is at its best! Here's a few pics from our trip this morning!

Sidenote - The Cambridge Farmers Market (I live in Cambridge) was recently named one of Canada's best 10 markets! It's been around since 1830 and has operated from the same place ever since. A long time for this part of the world!

This is a photo of one side of the market. There are vendors on both sides then there is also an indoor part where you can find meat and cheeses.

Our bounty from this morning. Jonah is nibbling on a green bean!

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The Shack

I've had a book called The Shack on the waiting list for me to read at the library for most of the summer. It's been recommended to me by a few people and I thought it sounded interesting so I reserved it. It turns out Dr. George Grant who I greatly respect has written his thoughts about the book on his blog. Let's just say he is not a fan. Read the whole post here. The post is called Bad Books and Good Books.

If you have read the book (which I haven't yet) what are your thoughts about what Dr. Grant said? I'm up in the air about even reading it now.

"So look: I am not unaware of The Shack phenomenon. How could I be? I couldn't begin to count the number of people who've asked me to review it, who want to know what I think about it, who are wowed by it, or baffled by it, or angered by it, or all three together. But, here is the thing: the book is just dreadful. It is badly written and badly conceived. It is maudlin, sentimental, and silly. But, worst of all, it is heretical. Indeed, it is heretical from start to finish. Its portrayal of the Trinity, of Scripture, of man's calling, of providence, of the Fall, and of Christ's purposes in redemption are all blatantly, brazenly, objectively apostate. And then, there is its horrifying view of the church—according to a recent articles in World Magazine, neither the author or the publisher have attended church for years, and it really, really shows. Screwtape, Gollum, and Voldemort working together couldn't have made this any worse. Surely this is the sort of thing Francis Schaeffer had in mind when he warned about an encroaching latitudinarianism in his final work, The Great Evangelical Disaster.

But--and here is the point--it is so bad, it is likely to be about as enduring as a summertime gnat. I know, I know, it's made an astonishing climb up the New York Times bestseller list, but this really is not the sort of book that will still be in print in twenty years. It's a blip on the screen. It's a fad--like neck tattoos, droopy pants, doo-rags, tongue piercings, and bed-head dino-hair. It's just another of the tawdry passing fancies of a culture slouching toward Gomorrah.

So, I am not going to do a full review this book. Ever. Instead, I am simply going to repair to my commitment to focusing only on good books. At a time when so many of us are only too well aware of the smothering mediocrity of American Evangelical pop culture, why not direct attentions to those few works of encouragement, edification, erudition, and enlightenment?"

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