The Bubster’s First Time under Water

Samuel got to hang out with some of his cousins at the pool on Independence Day. Below are some snaps from the great time he had on the bright, sunny day—including a slow-motion clip where he goes under water for the first time. What a cutie! 💙

Meanwhile, the crew on our side of the family yesterday went to see The Sound of Freedom, the incredible story of Tim Ballard, a federal agent who rescued a boy from child traffickers. After learning the boy’s sister was still a captive in the Colombian jungle, Ballard quit his job (because of bureaucratic red tape) and embarked on a dangerous mission to save the young girl from a fate worse than death.

It’s not uncommon for me to get choked up at poignant moments of a good flick, but this was different. I tried three times to stand up and walk out of the theater after it was over, and two times I had to sit back down and continue the blubbering. It was an ugly sight. As I seem to remember, the same thing happened after the last Jim Caveizel movie I saw in the theater.

Yes, everyone needs to see this movie. And, yes, we all need to be angry, sad, disgusted, and—above all—mobilized to action. I’m pondering how our family (and church family) might be able to contribute to the solution. Speaking of angry, Disney stood in the way of this movie’s release for five years. Walt would roll over in his grave if he know what a slimeball enterprise his company has become.

Unrelatedly, this coming weekend we’re headed to Cooperstown, NY for an anniversary trip. Friday will be a Puccini opera, Saturday will be the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Sunday is the art museum. So, we’re checking all the important boxes here—music, sports, and the arts. 😊

Our son took this picture from our front porch as the sun was setting on Independence Day 2023.

All Chili Dogs Go to Heaven

1. My poor mother-in-law is prepping today for a colonoscopy on Tuesday, so we decided to have our Independence Day picnic yesterday and join her today in a period of, uhm, deprivation. Yeah, that’s the word for it. Deprivation. Nuff said! She continues to decline cognitively, and sometimes it’s a real challenge to know how best to care for her. Something seems to be wrong digestively, too, so we’re getting her checked out. Of course, it could all be mental. Either way, we’ll know soon enough.

2. Yesterday’s picnic treats included chili dogs (with mustard and onions) and a build-your-own sundae bar. We had three kinds of ice cream and about nine or ten different kinds of toppings. The most interesting topping was waffle cone crumbs, which turned out to be delicious. I’ve never had those before, but I saw them at Dutch-Way last week and wanted to try them. I’m pretty sure I could survive on picnic food! Especially chili dogs. All chili dogs go to heaven, right?

3. Since this past weekend was the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), we watched the extended version of Gettysburg, the poignant 1993 movie starring Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, and Martin Sheen. Just hearing the theme song is enough to get me choked up. Sadly, Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Officially, 7,863 were killed, 27,224 were wounded, and 11,199 went missing. My great-great-grandfather, Michael Link, fought in that battle and nearly died. I wrote about him here last year. 

4. Our current sermon series on the book of Philemon, which I’ve titled “Squeezed,” is meddling with many of our hearts. Paul’s letter to a first-century friend is only 355 words in the original Greek, but it carries a theological weight far beyond its length. It’s all about forgiveness and reconciliation. I keep thinking about Genesis 33:10b: “To see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” I had the opportunity last week at a wedding to see quite a few folks from a previous era, and it was a delight to reconnect. The divine Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is pure relationship—perfect unity, diversity, and mutuality, so it’s no wonder the Scriptures keep pressing us to be on good terms with each other to the extent that we’re able. God is completely unified within himself, and he wants his people to reflect him in this way by being unified as well. Something to think about before it’s too late.

5. Since I was recently dubbed “Instagramps” by a good friend of the family, I’ll need to live up to my new name and end with a few shots of Samuel. Apparently, he’ll be driving soon. 🙂

EDIT: Bonus Fourth of July Pics: