Brothers and more

Here is a picture of me with my "little" brother, Jeff. Tomorrow is February 1 and that's his month - his birthday is Feb. 12. He'll be 47 - wow. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car and Jeff riding home from the hospital on my lap as a newborn! Since then, I've had 5 kids, he's had 2, and our sister, who was only a thought on Feb. 12, 1961, has had three. And she has four grandchildren and one on the way! Neither Jeff nor I have made it as grandparents yet but maybe not too long from now for both of us...

I went to a basketball game with Jeff and his wife, and my youngest, at our high school the other night. It was fun - we're going to do it again soon. Amazing, we live just a few miles from each other and don't see each other that often. It's crazy, but it seems like you make more effort to see someone you love, and actually do see them more often when you live further away, than when you live close! Go figure.

The election is in full swing - well, maybe not FULL swing yet. I'm scurrying to get a few things ready and certainly am hopeful...Lord willing, I'll win and have the opportunity to continue to serve the families in this area who are hurting, the best I can.

I have a speaking engagement tonight, to a group of folks who have suffered the trauma of divorce. I've never experienced it myself - thank the Lord - but I see it all around me in my work as a family court judge. Tonight should be very interesting for me and I hope interesting and helpful to the group. I can't talk about specifics or "give advice" but I can tell them generally how my Court and the law work, so as citizens and consumers they'll have a better idea about those things. Making the process less mysterious and more understandable hopefully will take the tinge off some of the nervousness if these folks ever find themselves in my Court.

Well - must go get ready for my talk, and so will close for now.

Second Blog Today!

Wow, a record already in the life of this young blog - but have a minute here and want to talk a bit about the great devotional I've been using, "My Utmost for His Highest," by Oswald Chambers. It is amazing! I've had this paperback devotional - a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association "freebie" - for I don't know how many years, and I've used it before, but not for some time. I started on January 1, 2008, and have really enjoyed it as part of my quiet times this month. I hope to be able to use it throughout the year and finish it. Chambers's thoughts are though-provoking and so downright "on" they're kinda bone-chilling - in a great way. The insights are tremendous. Now to really apply them - that's my goal! If you're looking for a good devotional, I highly, highly recommend it. Each day's thoughts are short and include Scripture. I usually read not only the Scripture quoted but the passage around it for context. Today's two passages were really powerful and beautiful - check out Colossians 3:1-17 and II Corinthians 3:11-18.

Crazy busy week

Not a very good start to this blog after the first week - been busy, to say the least. A lot of meetings, a lot of phone calls, a lot of hearings. My daughter is coming home for Winter Break tomorrow! We've got a big "family project" we're working on right now and I'm sure she'll have some input into that. My #3 son got a good job this week which is wonderful - I'm proud of him.

Long weekend

It's Friday and Monday's a holiday. I'll work on Monday, I'm sure, but this weekend too many things to do here at home. That's OK - feels good to get things accomplished, and I'm...er...a little behind on some pretty important things I need to get in order.

Today, had a couple of out-of-office appointments, including a birthday lunch with a member of my staff. We do birthday lunches for all of us - always fun and I'm sure helps with office morale, although fortunately office morale really never has been a problem. I'm very lucky to have worked with the same two people, my secretary and case coordinator, now for many years. They're both great people and great at what they do professionally. My third "staffer," my bailiff, works for me but really is a Deputy Sheriff. All my bailiffs (four since April 2001) have been good and all have stayed a fairly long time. They're assigned to me by the Sheriff and sometimes reassigned due to internal administrative changes in his office - I think that all my bailiffs would have stayed if they'd had the chance! It really is nice to have this "second family" atmosphere at work - makes work all that much more pleasant. I realize it's a rare privilege that not very many have, so I'm grateful.

This afternoon, did my monthly "chore" of reading to my son's class. It's a pleasure every time. Really, I don't read much - I do some, but just as much I tell stories, or just talk, or "do things" - like today, I taught the kids Pig Latin, how to write backwards, etc. Just a half-hour and I don't know why more parents - or more people in our community - don't take the time to volunteer a bit in our schools. The kids are great.

In a previous post, I promised to talk more about my Christmas gift from my children and I'll try to do that next time - will sign off for now - hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday

Didn't post yesterday but had a good but busy day. Last night, went to the first quarterly business meeting/celebration I'd been to at our church for a long time. It felt good. I went alone because my wife didn't get home until late and we had a quick dinner before I had to go. It had been four years ago - Jan. 2004 at this same meeting - that the new church Constitution and By-Laws which I helped draft were adopted, barely - which changed the entire administrative structure of our church. While I'm still convinced that the changes were needed and good, we haven't yet completely settled into the "new" system. Hopefully the growing pains will not last much longer -

A friend of mine told me he'd recommitted himself to the Lord today. There's nothing more important. I'm so glad for Him and blessed that he shared it with me. The fellow is not someone I know all that well, but I do see him often and he knew of my faith and my feeble attempt to live my life in a way that's pleasing to the Lord. His openness with me was humbling and encouraging. I will pray for him.

Snowy day

We had a Bar meeting last night and it was well attended - an enjoyable presentation by Jeff Strange about his military tour of duty in Iraq in 2003-04. He's the husband of Dr. Amy Wilson Strange, a psychologist who does a lot of work with people in my Court. They're a nice young couple - I remember how stressful it was for Amy when Jeff was deployed, especially because he's a reservist and had little notice, and most importantly because of their two small children. Jeff's a law student now.

We woke up to some snow yesterday and last evening, while we were in the meeting, it was snowing continuously. Travel was a bit treacherous on the way home and it's continued to snow today. The kids had only a two-hour delay from school and seemed to me like it should be a snow day but they didn't ask me! Even though it makes travel tough, I like snow - makes everything look clean -

It's official, I have competition. Cornelia Reep told me last night she formally has filed as a candidate for Family Court Judge in my division. We had a brief but friendly conversation and I told her I appreciated her telling me and I appreciated hearing it from her, which absolutely was sincere. I have confidence it will be a "clean" campaign and even though all this is highly stressful -- for all of us I'm sure -- we'll take one day at a time and do the best we can, and hope for a good outcome!

The filing period opens today!

First of all, here is the picture of my Christmas gift from my children which I promised yesterday! It's my life verse, John 3:30, "He must increase, I must decrease," in symbols: I < + > I. I'm sure I'll write more on my gift - and the verse - later on in this blog.

Well, it's January 14. Six years ago today, exactly, January 14, 2002, I registered for my first election, for my current seat as Family Court Judge. That year, I survived the two-week registration period without any other candidates filing against me. This year, no such luck, I'm afraid.

I do know that two candidates have registered this morning for the other Family Court Judgeship in this area, so they are not running against me. But, the handwriting seems to be on the wall that the remaining candidate will indeed choose to run against me. She hasn't told me that, but I've heard things through the grapevine...if she were to choose to register in the other division, against the other two candidates, it would be a great and wonderful surprise. But for now, we'll consider that I do have competition. Whatever the circumstance, it will be confirmed in a few hours or days.

There could be others out there, waiting in the wings, who have made no public announcement but who also intend to file. I doubt it, but certainly it could happen. That would throw an interesting twist into the mix - it's already fairly interesting, to say the least.

One thing is true - when the filing period is done and we all now "for sure" what is going on in terms of who is against who, that will be a relief. At least, then we'll all know what we're dealing with! I'm looking forward to a clean and honorable campaign and lots of hard work - it'll be a challenge with all I have to do here at the office, and all my responsibilities at home - but God knows all that stuff. He's orchestrating it all even now for whatever the outcome will be.

My family's gotten involved - thinking up ideas for creative commercials, designing a logo for me, etc. It's nice to have a talented family - they're all very positive about this and pitching in like crazy. I love them, for who they are, not just for what they do, though that's pretty wonderful too!

One thing, as I said yesterday - I promised our youngest at the beginning of the school year that I'd go with him on his school field trip to Philadelphia, and even though that's very shortly before the primary election I'm still going. First things first! My wife will still go to Haiti and be gone for ten days before the primary. I'm proud of her work there! Duncan will be home to help me with his younger brother which is great.

There's a bar meeting tonight which I'm looking forward to attending. The meal is always good and there's usually a good turnout. Most of the members of the bar, I like, and I think I have a good rapport with most of them.

Signing off for now --

Four more months

As I write this, and start this blog, it is January 13th and the election is May 13th. Although it's not yet confirmed -- since the filing periods for candidates officially does not open until tomorrow -- it looks like for the first time, I'm going to have competition in an election for my job of Family Court Judge. Lots of mixed emotions - certainly a bit of anxiety, but definitely some excitement too. So many friends (and others I don't really know) have been supportive in their comments and their tangible help - it's been really humbling.

Some good friends came over last night and we prayed together - that whatever comes to pass, I would act in ways that are pleasing to the Lord, Who's in control of all this anyway. Doesn't mean I'm not going to have to work hard or will be free from worry every moment - but it's good to know Who's ultimately in charge and that lots of folks are gathering around me to help remind me of that!

I've often said, I love my job, but I'm sorry there's so much need for it since it means families are in crisis. Since I don't think we're going to solve that problem - I mean, there will continue to be families in crisis - I feel very privileged to be in a position where I can try to help them the best I can. If I do not continue as Judge after this year, it'll be a disappointment, but though it may sound trite I really do believe "where God shuts a door, He opens a window." So - I choose to be excited about what's next, and will strive to be an honorable campaigner and opponent to any challenger.

In the meantime - I'm incredibly proud of my children. My oldest son, Christopher, next month will have his 3 years of internship as an architect completed, and he'll be eligible to sit for his licensure exam. I have no doubt he'll pass it with flying colors. He's never wavered from wanting to be an architect - he was 4 when he decided! Perhaps the best thing for me is that he's the chief designer on our brand new dining hall at our beloved West Virginia Baptist Camp at Cowen, where I've spent at least a week each summer since 1972. You can check out the progress at http://www.cowencampaign.org/. Can't forget daughter-in-law Alice who at long last will graduate with her Masters in Science Education in May - way to go, Alice!

#2 son, Cameron, still has curly long hair :) and is doing great things for the Kingdom in Morgantown with his wife Sarah (who also will finish her Masters, in Social Work, in May!). Cameron is my soft-hearted, compliant kid and all that comes out in his songwriting. He's working with Great Commission Ministries and its college church, H2O, which is housed at a storefront coffee/cereal bar on High St. in Morgantown called SoZo - right in the heart of WVU land! Their church, Chestnut Ridge Community, is a fantastic base for Cameron & Sarah to work in ministry from.

#3 son, Duncan, has his History degree from Fairmont and finished a semester of seminary but since then has been going from thing to thing a bit - he spent some time at WVU, finally, which made me glad for him because he's always been such a die-hard WVU sports fan like Dad! But, WVU classes and Dunc didn't seem to gel well, so he's back home and working now which is fine. He may start seminary again - there's an extension program which meets here in West Virginia for working people and he could finish his Master of Divinity in about four years. So we'll see...

Our only daughter, Colleen, finished her freshman year at WVU last year and, as planned since high school, transferred to Huntington Univ. in Indiana for its great Digital Media Arts major. She's learning film, animation and digital photography in a great Christian environment, with wonderful mentors like Steve Leeper and Bryan Ballinger. She's my chief producer for campaign TV spots, if I wind up needing them!

And then there's #4 son - our wonderful "surprise." He's 10 and just fun -- keeps me young. We're reading "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" together right now, and soon we'll re-read (for the third? fourth? time) "Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis (Narnia books) before the movie comes out this Spring. I've read once a month to his class since he was in 1st grade and this Friday is the day! I'm going with him on a school field trip to Philadelphia PA. It's right before the election but - I promised him I'm going, and I'm going!

My wife, Annette, is doing great things with her private Christian counseling practice, and right now is planning what will be about her 30th trip to Haiti, in April. If I do wind up not having any competition in the election - which could happen, we won't know the entire lay of the land FOR SURE until early Feb - then our youngest and I may go to Haiti with her this year. It's over the Spring Break from school. He's never been (except in utero!) and I've been twice but not since Dec. 1995-Jan. 1996. That was before our youngest son came along, and all the rest of us went except Colleen, who was 7 and stayed behind with family and friends. After we were there, I said to Annette, "I don't know why I didn't realize this before, but I hate the thought of leaving her behind. I'm not coming down here again until Colleen is old enough to come too," and she agreed. Well - then comes another kid! As of now, Colleen has been to Haiti seven times. But, it's time for me to go back, since #5 is just on the edge of being old enough to go. If it's not this Spring, it'll be soon.

We took a family pic on 12/26 which I'm posting along with a picture of the special Christmas gift my children got for me! At any rate, must close for now. Tomorrow is Domestic Violence day at the office and I need to be prepared. But first - Amazing Race, my only vice besides coffee, is on tonight!