GLORY!!!

Only fitting that the Tin Caps in their inaugural season brought the franchise's first Midwest League Championship to the #1 Minor League Sports City (Fort Wayne). After a 9th inning game-winning blast in the decisive game 3 roasted the Loons (apologies to Steve), the Caps swept the Burlington Bees tonight to take the Championship. The incredible new downtown stadium + a no hitter + 101 wins + Championship = Dream Season. Luggies and Loons, I've been to the Promiseland, there is such a thing as Glory!!

estoy aqui

gaines.andrew@gmail.com or 5511-2972 - you'll figure it out.

my students are really small and i encourage them to only speak in english with me in the classroom.

i'm sure we can work something out.

i'm big into video chat these days.

feliz dia de independencia!

Andres! que paso!

Yo Ange, I wanna see if you want to join our classes together for a intercambio cultural this year, compa? How do I get in touch with you. I tried email.......let me know

jlampi@pcs.k12.mi.us

517 214-6211

facebook?


Como es DF??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This just in!!!! Central's got game!

My boys from mt. pleasant made me and thousands of other Chippewas proud today. Way to go fellas. It was just last week I was in Mt. P enjoying a coffee at the U Cup. Who knew a week later we would be taking it to the Sparty's. Fire Up Chips!!!!!

PREDICTION SATURDAY!

Alright, so I thought I would throw this out here for anyone who wants to chime in with their 2 cents (Or in Bill's case, 1 cent) about the games this weekend. Here are the 3 games on tap; let's see who comes the closest:

MSU vs Central 12:00

UM vs ND 3:30

OSU vs USC



Jeff's picks:

MSU 37 Central 18

(Le"fever"e in Greek the word "preyto" which means burning heat..and that's pretty much what the CMU QB be feeling with Greg Jones in his grill all day)

ND 42 UM 21

USC 41 OSU 17

GO STATE! And I hate to say it (not really), but Jimmy Clausen is going to bring the Wolverweenies back to earth.

Our Labor Day Weekend

I have to admit, I was a little bummed to miss the Michigan Game yesterday, as we were down in Mexico. That quickly changed as Becky, Jackson and I headed South yesterday for a 2 day mini trip to the Village of Hope with John and his family, and a small group from LA. Jackson was not only a celebrity among the kids in the village, he also helped out as his little body could-carrying both clothes and shoes, during a huge outreach to the Oaxaccan Migrants. It was a good day. I am a proud dad!

BRING ON SPARTY

From a true Maize and Blue fan!!

Sermon Prep Help

Hey Everyone,

I know we have some poets and song writers and avid readers amongst us so I need to enlist you for some help as I prepare a teaching to begin our 12 weeks series on the Psalms this Sunday. I'm going to begin with a little intro on poetry and prayer which is what the Psalms essentially are. I want to talk about how poetry is the language of the soul and that it gives expression to longings and feelings that simple prose cannot get at. I want to give some examples of this by referring to some great lines of poetry that express passion, and depth, and bring out the beauty of the ordinary. So if have any favorites and could post them as comments, I'd be much obliged and you may make it into this Sunday's message. So essentially rather than saying, "It was a beautiful sunset" how would the poet say that in a way that makes you feel like you were sitting there watching it with him or her? Okay, hope that makes sense. Please help!

You should see the other guy!

So we had our first major wipe out. Tooth thru the entire lip and face. Ouch. He is using it for popsicles all night. No worries, he's good.

Sophia Elaine Lampi 8/26/09

Born at 6:14 am Wednesday morning, Sophia came into the world, all 7 lbs. and 20 inches long and a monster head of jet black hair. And I can't leave out that adorable Greek nose after her Papou. We think as of right now she looks most like what Eden did at birth. Steph worked so hard and we were blessed by two amazing friends to help coach in DR. Jami and Meg. Caleb and Eden are so excited too -Caleb's already been helping with bath and diaper duties; however, Eden is taking it slow - "I don't want to squish her, Daddy." Thanks to my parents and mom-in-law for being such a support and for all of you who said a prayer for a healthy labor and delivery. It's going to take me a while to find words to express how I feel about God's gift of grace to our family.

A few quick cute moments to share:

At the house, while we were in hospital, Eden turned to my mom and said, "We're going to see the baby today, and you know what? Papou will be there." Turns out the little girl has a few of his features.

Also after I exclaimed about having a girl, the doctor who delivered her turned to me and says, "My condolences."

Caleb, concerning the umbilical chord remains, says, "Mom, I'll be really happy when that things falls off."

worst worship ever?

This one's good. I love imonk's comment, if I ever become Catholic it will be from watching this video too many times!

We were looking through our old videos and....

....Steph, the boys and I came across two crazy-skilled, sick-gifted DADS who've temporarily traded in their pics for pacifiers and their sticks for thomas the tank engine and took the HIGH road. What could have been for these boys of summer - if they were a band right now we'd call them "IDLE TALENT" (reference to "talent" put "on hold" for a greater purpose)....for now..... This is a bootleg performance from our deck 2 summers ago. John Mayer and SRV EAT YOUR HEART OUT!!! Listen to these chops, and as if it couldn't get any better.....BAM - Skins!

And one of them just scored a new Fender Strat. And trust me, I've had a moment in that "STRAT-OSPHERE."

jacob stephen lampi (back on top)

Number 7 is here. The Gaines Lampi family grows. Jacob is 8 lbs, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. Jake you've been an amazing example of Christ to me and so many others, so I pray he follows in your steps as well as the rest of our family. Love ya'll. Can't wait for more to come.

update from amg

updating because i think only 2 of you can say with confidence where i am right now. los angeles. tell me if you got that one right. since finishing school on june 19 made it back to b-town, then detroit, london, brussels, copenhagen, sweden, london again, los angeles, up to sonoma county coastilne and i'm back for about a month before i take off to mexico city to finish my M. Ed.. hopefully sneak in a trip to K.C. inbetwixt. if you ever want me to call you again i suggest you give me a ring because i lost your numbers in copenhagen. thus far i only have wes' and the obvious ones.

Jacob Stephen Lampi

Number 7 is here. The Gaines Lampi family grows. Jacob is 8 lbs, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. Jake you've been an amazing example of Christ to me and so many others, so I pray he follows in your steps as well as the rest of our family. Love ya'll. Can't wait for more to come.


Steve

Big House Big Heart

Is anybody with me? A 5k or 10k race that ends on the 50 yard line of the Big House! Come on Sparty, man up for this one. You know you want to. Its October 10th, I just need someone to hand me the football when I come through that tunnel!!

ESPN GETS KLUCKED!

HOLY CRAP. So, some of you know about my friend, Ted Kluck, who I met at our church. So like, you have to check out this link and read a "letter to the editor" in Christianity Today takin on ESPN likes it's nobody's business. It's awesome and so Ted to write it, being a serious sports nut and geek, and really smooth with verbiage. I think you will appreciate the smack in the face he gives to corporate pimps.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/julyweb-only/130-21.0.html?start=1

P.S. The awesome pic is Ted signing some autographs for some of his semi-pro fans...priceless

new summer read

Hey fam,

Just wanted to pass on and recommend a new read for my 2 families - who've been rooted, raised and established in the church our entire lives. This day in age there is a stigma towards the church in our culture - towards organized religion - I see in amongst my high school students. I am starting to read it; it's well-balanced and just a solid read. Check it out on amazon for $9.00. Much love.

And praying that all the babies come soon, healthy- adoptions and deliveries!

Jeff xo

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Our zoo's African Safari just reopened after a few years of renovation. It's pretty sweet. The glass around the exhibits don't have visible frames, so it looks like the animals are uncaged. The other night, we turned the corner to see a hyena against the glass, and Wes jolted because he thought it was loose!

And while Jeff will swear we somehow "ordained" the naming of these two lions, you can be sure it's mere coincidence.

Winston Churchill Quotation

We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. - Winston Churchill

middle ground

To counter my blast on Palin, here (link) is a good argument based on the Pope's latest encyclical that the way forward is not by rigidly aligning ourselves behind a party or a leader but by aligning ourselves with the Kingdom of God, "our present political alignments are not the only ones imaginable... truth may not be served by perfect ideological conformity". Should Christians worry about government redistributing wealth? Probably not. But at the same time we should emphasize the importance of a decentralized government. great article, and the Pope usually has a lot of insightful things to say too!

bye bye

not trying to stoke the political coals again, but Peggy Noonan's article in the WSJ this weekend offered the best reasons why the Palins need to retire to Wasilla for good, "she is the most careless sower of discord since George W. Bush." (read article). The Republicans need to pay more attention to the thoughtful voices in their party like Peggy Noonan and less to the usual hot air balloons (e.g. limbaugh, hannity, beck, etc. blah blah blah)

Bored in the morning? Make a video!

Cash is a big fan of Ernie's "Dance Myself to Sleep" song, so it gets sung quite a bit around here. Here's a video of his latest way to dance to this song. Who knows. Plus, there's a bit of funny toddler talk at the end.

memories of michael

Michael Jackson was our Elvis, Beatles, etc., here are a few memories I have of him:

- I remember riding on the bus during kindergarten and when the bus would pass this store in downtown Brighton that had a poster of MJ in the window we would all go nuts!

- I remember being away at a soccer tournament with the Karabelskis. We were in the Jeep driving, when Brian started asking to go back to the hotel. Finally Mr. K turned around with the sternest look on his face and said, "Brian, All I want to do right now is drive this car and listen to Michael Jackson tapes!!"

-And of course there is the Halloween that I went around in blackface. Not so sure we would get away with that these days!

crees en milagros?

US BEATS #1 Ranked SPAIN 2-0!!! You gotta ESPN360 this one!

Happy Father's Day!

Yesterday the Lampi's drove down so we could all brave the heat and the crowds for a day at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. It was fun to see the boys play together. Before they left Caleb said, "I drew a picture of me and Eden and Cash in the bathtub (with tub crayons, of course) because I'm gonna miss you guys." Sweet.

It made me wish we could all celebrate Father's Day together. I must say, we've got some pretty exceptional dads in this family. Happy Father's Day!

Summer Vacation

It's that glorious time of year again...mid-June which for me and many other Gaines-Lampi teachers means summer vacation and none too soon. I've been kicking it so far sans Abigail who is on Day 10 in Bohol, one of the 7,107 islands that make up the Philippines. Click here for more info. Grace and I have been really missing her and can't wait for her return next Monday. From the text messages, brief phone calls and emails it sounds like she's had an amazing time and I'll let her blog about it with pics and such when she gets back. This extended daddy/daughter time has been nice after a long school year and we've been having lots of laughs and fun. She is amazingly witty and I'm so proud to be her dad.

So in honor of the rest of the summer I give you perhaps my favorite Andy Bernard monologue from The Office as he reflects on his summer vacation. The last line is the best!

churchy stuff

I've been preparing for this Sunday's sermon, reading through Stanley Hauerwas' commentary on Matthew and its getting me fired up, this guy is so good, here are his thoughts the parable of the sower in Mt. 13:

"It is hard to imagine a text more relevant to the situation of the church in the West. Why we are dying seems very simple. It is hard to be a disciple and be rich. Surely, we may think it cannot be that simple. The lure of wealth and the cares of the world produced by wealth quite simply darken and choke our imaginations. As a result the church falls prey to the deepest enemy of the gospel - sentimentality. The gospel becomes a formula for "giving our lives meaning" without judgment. Too often those who propose strategies to recover the lost status of the church do so hoping people can be attracted to become members of a church without facing the demands of being a disciple of Jesus. The church in America is simply not capable of growing deep roots. It may seem odd that wealth makes it impossible to grow the word. Wealth, we assume, should create the power necessary for the church to do much good. But wealth stills the imagination because we are not forced as the disciples of Jesus were forced, to be an alternative to the world that only necessity can create. Possessed by possessions, we desire to act in the world, often on behalf of the poor, without having to lose our possessions. A church that is shrinking in membership may actually be a church in which the soil of the gospel is being prepared in which deeper roots are possible"

Wow! I'm also reading "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, which offers the best analysis I've read of why the church in the West is in the position it is in and how we must reshape and rethink our concept of church to survive. Sorry, just getting fired up! Peace. Miss you all! Wes

The Lost Summers?

Is anyone sure that Roger Federer is not a Summers?

FELIZ 3 BDAY 6/4/06 eden!!!

BIG - E! U ARE OUR SUNSHINE! You bring so much joy to your mommy, daddy and bro. We love your imaginative songs, out-of-control dances, random make-believe, stories, and yes, your keen obsession for furry fauna. You are a blessing to us and a real encourager to everyone around you. Caleb is so lucky to have you. HAPPY B-DAY today!!!!!!

Obamaman!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhhkF3dqXR0
check the link, copy and paste
He makes it all good. A little fun on the Bob and Tom show from Greg Morten.

Clearwater

I've been working in Clearwater, Florida all week (don't ask...). Here is the view outside my hotel tonight. I guess I can't really make fun of dad anymore for all those beach football pics we stumbled on. Its been fun but I'd rather be in Indiana with my family!

Way To Go Ben!

Ben finished yet another marathon! He did great and we were happy to be there to cheer him on:)

"This too shall pass"

All I can say is Grey, penny, ate it, pooped it. No worries for the rest of you with little children. The bowels are a miraculously created disposer of unedible items.
Pictures to come. Joking!!

levitical teachings

Hi y'all,

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring. As some of you might know, our family recently became members of University Reformed Church in East Lansing. We love it, mostly because of the diversity and as a community they desire to KNOW the word, act on it, and strive for holiness. It's the friendship AND the fear that Matt Redman sings about. One of the many elements of the church that we anticipate every Sunday morning is the incredible teaching. And the fact that every time the gospel message is preached and the center of the message.

These last few months, our pastor, Kevin, has been preaching through Leviticus. To say the least, I didn't expect what has become of it. We are in the middle of it, somewhere between rules for bodily fluids and unlawful sexual relations. Now, Kevin has been far from shy when it comes to taking the BIBLE LITERALLY and preaching with conviction and taking on the hard issues, and last week's sermon was primarily about holiness and sexuality with the bulk of it being homosexuality.

I won't say anymore. Just give it a listen if you have some time. It's just another NEW thing I learned that never has been discussed amongst the circles I have been involved in. I think you'll find it really worthwhile. Love to dialogue later with you too.

Blessings


http://files.urc-msu.org/mp3/2009/051709.mp3


If this doesn't work, go to wwww.urc-msu.org and click on the latest sermon.

Happy 5th BDAY, Caleb! 5/14

 

You blink and your kid is 5. I know cliche, but seriously, incredible. We're so proud of you, Caleb. You are an amazing big brother and it's so awesome to see Big E just in awe of you. I hope your curiosity for learning and child-like love for your Savior continues to grow as you do. You're mom and dad, tios and tias, papas and grandmas are SOOOOO proud of you. Have a great day!

I'll take a second to share with you guys a hilarious "5 yr old moment" Steph and I had last Sunday afternoon with Caleb. He and Eden were outside playing with a neighbor, Vincent, and Caleb yells to Steph, " Mommy, I got to tell you something. Vincent doesn't know JESUS! But don't worry, I told him all about HIM." Steph and I just cracked up!

Back 2 Back

Over the weekend the Komets claimed the Turner Cup for the second straight year. Muskegon didn't even have a chance. Way to go guys. Time will tell if this another two cup season for me. Go Wings!!

that's dodger baseball!

it was surprisingly easy to walk into dodger stadium w/o a ticket. from the top row, i was explaining baseball to my friend from spain. with the bases juiced and one out they call #99, manny ramirez - the 1/4 full stadium goes mad. and as predicted, manny ropes one to the opposite field driving in 2 runs. nothing satisfies after a ramirez rbi like a good ol' white/latino fist bump. these guys had too much beer and goofed it up.

mannywood

walked into the dodgers game in the 5th inning last night.

moved down here after a few innings.

and finally to here.

This is one of my favorite times of year - the Dodger's have now started off the season 13-0 at home, and I can ride my bike to the stadium in 10 minutes. The Lakers were playing 2 miles down the street, which might explain why the place is nearly empty.

Quacked!!

So I caught some Cup Fever last night and decided to stay up to watch the Wings game. Even when down 2-0 I had that feeling that they'd be back. Then I got punched in the gut as with 1 minute to go and down one Hossa slapped the free puck into the net just as the linesman mistakenly blew the play dead. Ah!!! the pain!! We got QUACKED! Go Wings!!

He's a broken record

One of Cash's favorite snacks is his "special drink"--a smoothie he and Wes usually make together. A couple months ago I attempted to get his special recipe on video. As you can see, it's difficult to get him past his two favorite ingredients.

Cash's glossary:

"Boo strawberries in aiiiiiir." = Blueberries in there.
"Baaaa in aiiiiiir." = Banana in there.
Odrit = yogurt
Tafuuuu = tofu