A Boy and His Kitty

Matthew and Lucy have a, well, special relationship. Matthew loves to pick Lucy up, play with her, and occassionally chase her around the house. To her credit, Lucy does not run away when he approaches but sometimes rolls over on her back.

Ollie Hubbard

Ollie Hubbard was a distinguished faculty member at Taylor University - as well as a campus leader, a friend and beloved brother in Christ. After his diagnosis with terminal cancer in 2003, he carried himself with the grace and dignity we had all come to know and love him for.

During the Thanksgiving 2003 chapel service, Ollie said, in essence, that he did not fear death and that he looked forward to being with Christ.

I Love Lucy

This is our cat, Lucy. She has a lot of personality - for a cat. I grew up loving dogs but since Lois and I were married we have been a "cat" family. First was Miriam; then Nutmeg; followed by Tabby, Sammy and Blackie. Lucy is our most recent cat. The kids named her. We were in the CS Lewis motif at the time - Peter had a lizard named Caspian.

The Love of My Life

This is me with Lois - the photo (obviously not taken by me) was taken at the New Castle State Park in October of 2001 after we had taken our children on the Knightstown to Carthage train ride.

Lakeside Ohio Sunset

One of our favorite places in the world is Lakeside, Ohio. Lois' parents - Warren and Joan - retired there following his successful career as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. We try to get to the lake whenever we are there and there also happens to be a beautiful sunset. One of my favorite memories came from the time Lois and I took a long walk along the lake shore one evening. The winds were low and out of the south and the lake was the most calm I've ever seen it.

Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Former Taylor University President David Gyertson is not only a gifted academician, he's also pretty fair with a pair of sticks. Gyertson, who left Taylor this summer for a faculty post at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA, is also a much-loved brother in Christ.

May God bless and be with you as you continue to serve Him.

The Rotunda

The Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building was one of the more memorable sights our family enjoyed during our trip to Washington DC in 2004. It was on this spot that Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan laid in state.

The Role of the Church

This quote in the Holocaust Museum fascinated me. Apparently Hitler was concerned that opposition to his plans for a Final Solution might be opposed by churches unless there was something else going on to keep them busy.

Death Mask

This was one of the displays at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.

The Empire State Building

This is the view from street level of the Empire State Building - perhaps the most recognizable New York City landmark since terrorists destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The day I visited it, the once proud building was nearly half vacant; it's plaster and paint crumbling.

Lower Manhattan

This was the view from the observation deck of the Empire State Building looking south toward Lower Manhattan and the cluster of buildings from which the twin towers of the World Trade Center once rose.

The Bowery Mission

One of my most thrilling moments came in March of 2003 when I was able to photograph Jay Kesler speaking at the dedication of the newly-remodeled Bowery Mission Chapel in New York City.

Just a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, the Bowery Mission Chapel was a relief spot for tired workers who sifted through the building's rubble looking first for survivors and eventually for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Kesler is a powerful communicator and linked in a very personal way to the men who attended that day with a message of God's love and second chances.

There is a place ...

This is one of my favorite places in the world - Westminster Presbyterian Church. Our lives have been changed as a result of our decision to attend here.

We have laughed and cried; grown and been challenged. We have also met some incredible people who have left their mark upon us. While there is a danger in beginning to name names, those names who have been so dear to us through the years include - but are not limited to:

Rodney and Liz Stortz
Petros and Jan Roukas
Scott and Kim Parsons
Andy and Dorothy Reibe
Bob and Garnett Rainey
Ralph and Pat Montgomery
Bob and Jayne Kersey
Dan and Marcia Sumner
Jim and Mary Rosema
Wayne and Nancy Grile
David and Paula Tyler
Keith and Elaine Miller
David and Karen Gilliam
Norman Devening
Alan and Linda Miller
Jerry and Carol Mott
Gary and Pam Wangler
and so many others ...

This song by my friend Wayne Grile sums up our thoughts in such and eloquent way.

There is a place

There is a place where I can find comfort
A place where joy is on faces of those gathered there
A place that offers a refuge from life’s troubles
And I can rest in the love of people who care .

Where would I be without such a place?
How would I get along?
The joy I’ve received over all of these years,
I sing in the words of this song.

There is a place where God’s word is honored
A place where the sound of God’s people fill the air
A place where people joyfully serve each other
And reach out into the world to show them Jesus Cares.


Where would I be without such a place?
How would I get along?
The joy I’ve received over all of these years,
I sing in the words of this song.

There is a place….

Summer Heat

This photo was done during the Balloon Illume - a point in the program where the balloons are inflated and the pilots turn on the burners to make them glow in the twilight.

A Bygone Era

When I went with my son Peter's fifth grade class to Kentucky two years ago, I saw this man at the Shaker Village near Lexington. He reminded me of my grandfather - who died in 2000. From his big, thick hands to the wrinkled skin and wry smile, I could see him, like my grandfather, picking tobacco, working in the fields, weathering the storms of the Great Depression and two world wars. My grandfather loved to tell stories of his younger days.

Crayons

Crayons. We take them for granted here in the United States. I can't remember the last time I sat down to color a picture in a book; if it wasn't in preparation for a trip to Mexico or with one of my kids it has easily been over 40 years. While we have moved on from the crayon stage of our lives, the adults and children in the Yucatan love them.

Mayan Girl

This girl in the Yucatan village of Ticimul was stretching her arms when she looked over and saw me taking her picture. The moment only lasted a second.

Going To The Hoop

Taylor Trojans basketball player RJ Beucler twists for a layup around this defender.

101-Year-Old Learner

Although John Jacobs of Tarentum, PA, could teach about the history he has seen for 101 years, he is content for now to remain a student. He and his wife were guests at Taylor University's Elderhostel in July.

His vast memories include:
- The sinking of the Titanic
- WWI
- The Great Depression
- The origins of legendary Pittsburgh, PA, radio station KDKA

Always a joker, Jacobs said the key to his longevity was simple. "Every time I breathe out, I make sure to breathe in again."

The Acappella

A sign in a closed restaurant said it all. During the month that seemed like it would never end, September, 2001, we visited that place, just a block north of the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center.

Don Odle

Don Odle was one of those special people who came into my life as a result of my work at Taylor University. Coach Odle, as he was known, was a pioneer in sports evangelism, taking basketball teams around the world during a career at Taylor in which his teams won over 400 games. Always ready with a joke, one of my dearest memories of him was the day he first met our daughter Katie. When she told him she was in fifth grade, he replied, "I loved fifth grade ... they were the best three years of my life!"

This photo was taken during a gathering on the back porch of his former home in Upland when he had a number of his old players over for one last time of reminiscing and laughter. As former players like Roger Jenkinson, Tim Diller, Rick Seaman and Steve Brooks told one funny Coach Odle story after another, the group laughed and remembered the great times spent with an incredible man.

Shoreline

As Matthew and I visited the Marblehead Lighthouse, he climbed onto the large rocks dotting the shoreline and began to run from stone to stone.

The Marblehead Lighthouse

The Marblehead Lighthouse, just across the Sandusky Bay from Cedar Point amusement park, is one of our favorite places. It's about two-and-one-half miles from Lois' parents home in Lakeside.

Peter's Cross Country

It has been said there are two kinds of pride - the first is the opposite of humility and the second is the opposite of shame. We were proud, in the best sense of the word, of Peter when he donned his Northside Titans jersey and took off with the rest of his 7th grade team on that hot day last year (yes, it was hot before this summer). We have always been proud of our children; proud and thankful to God. Some of the best times I've had with the kids have been the times we shared at the Northside track.

My Boys

Although Lois and I were so proud of our son Peter during one of his first cross country meets last fall, we could not match Matthew. As soon as the race ended Matthew was right next to Peter, asking how he was doing, asking questions about the race and generally following him everywhere. It was one of life's great moments.

The Rice Bell Tower

One of my favorite campus landmarks at Taylor has been the Rice Bell Tower. It's two spires signify the integration of faith and learning and is based upon the premise that all truth is God's truth and in seeking it, we find Him. This shot was taken one evening as I was returing to campus as the clouds broke apart. It has been one of my favorites.

My Girl

Katie had a break-through year with her running as a sophomore on Central High School's cross country team last year. She is on the left in the black uniform.

The Pile

Although I had seen the smoking ruins of the World Trade Center on television, websites and in newspaper and magazine accounts, it was still a jolt to see the actual ruins during our trip there just two-and-0ne-half weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Beyond the smoking ruins, the greatest imprint was left by the people of New York City. From a police officer who teared up after we told him we were praying for him to a little girl at the Red Cross Family Assistance Center who said, "We are looking for my mommy. We think she is here somewhere," the personal toll of that day was with us for weeks to come.

In retrospect, I was reminded of the passage from the great hymn by reformer Martin Luther.

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevaling.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabbaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

Norman Devening

Very few people have touched us the way that Norman Devening did. Norman exuded joy more than anyone I've ever encountered. This in spite of the death of his wife and more than one adult children. He attended Westminster Presbyterian Church with his daughter, Pat Montgomery, and her husband Ralph. Norman's goal of reaching 100 years old was realized just a few months before his death in Phoenix, Arizona.

Daddy and His Girl

It is a wonderful thing to see your children embrace your faith as their own. In the fall of 2003, Katie went with me for the first time to Mexico for a week of bible schools and work projects in the Yucatan Peninsula. The experience was so moving that she has plunged into the Spanish language. Today her Spanish has become so fluent that she now teaches her younger brothers words and phrases in Spanish.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

This photo was taken at our church at the close of a Sunday Evening service in 2003. It actually is four different pictures stitched together in Photoshop.

Hallowed Place

I was reminded of the line at the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan as my family and I stood at the World War II Memorial.

"Have I lived a good life?"

What has been our response to the incredible sacrifice so graphically depicted in that film? How do we use the freedoms those young men fought and died for? Have our lives given their families a sense of peace or have we desecrated their graves?

We must use the freedoms for which these brave men and women paid so high a price for virtue not license; for purpose not sloth; and for bravery not cowardice and resignation.

As it should be ...

It was just three days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; and while the weather was sunny and cool, there was a sense of darkness in our hearts. But we had to go on, and so we went ahead with the Odle Golf Classic, a golf outing named for Taylor's legendary basketball coach Don Odle. Although his knees ached and his heart could barely pump enough blood to keep him alive, there he was with his wife, Bonnie, laughing, greeting each of us and letting us know in his own way that somehow, things had not changed that much. As he held the microphone to greet the golfers, I noticed he was holding Bonnie's hand as he had for so many years. Just six months later, he died. It has been said that we live our lives twice - once as we experience it and the second time in our memories. The memory of that moment will always be precious to me.

The End

I was walking off the field after the final game of the year when I glanced back and saw these two Taylor football players. They were both seniors and had played their last game. It was such a touching moment that I didn't want to get too close. Sometimes the best sports action is not between the lines or when the clock is running.

This is a shot from our 2003 football season. I had left the relative security of photographing field sports such as football and soccer in a horizontal format. While I did miss some shots, I was quite happy with the ones I got.

Levitating Football

This shot is one of my favorites because I was able to catch it at just the right moment. Shooting sports requires anticipation, reaction and perseverance - and a lot of God's blessings! It was published the next day in the local newspaper, The Marion Chronicle-Tribune.

Mike Parsons

Mike Parsons - one of our favorite people. Our son Matthew thinks he is the world's tallest human. His heart is bigger. Mike overcame injuries and a number of personal sorrows to lead Taylor to a conference title and spot in the national tournament.

Breakaway

Matt Traylor broke away for a layup during Taylor's game with Bethel College in 2002. The shot was good and Taylor went on to defeat Bethel that day.

Wayne's World

David Wayne wasn't the biggest, fastest or most athletic player on the floor, but he routinely torched Taylor's opponents with withering shooting and played hard every minute of his Hall of Fame college career. He finished with over 2,000 points and led the Trojans to the NAIA Final Four during that magical 1990-91 season.

Basketball Jones

I have had so many favorite Taylor athletes through the years but Alan Jones of Muncie has to be near the top of the list. A former Central High School Bearcat, Jones overcame the potentially devastating loss of a finger in a work accident the summer before his senior year to lead the team.

The Natural

There are no steroids here, but what fuels our son Matthew is his desire to hit the ball as hard as he can. It was not a home run, but he did get a hit.

F.O.R.D.

That was nearly me that morning in 2000 - I was on my way to work in my Ford Escort and was stopped in a roadside construction zone on Wheeling when my car was struck from behind; first by an SUV and second by this car. Since I tend to relate to events in my life by photographing them, that is what I did on this day.

Jere Truex

Although it has been nine years since my friend Jere Truex died from post-polio-related complications, it still seems like yesterday. Jere had a love of life, he both gave and experienced joy and friendship, and he left a mark on me and everyone else who was blessed to know him. Jere was afflicted with polio when he was seven-years-old and lived as a respiratory quadriplegic for the final 44 years of his life. At a staff retreat a few weeks before his death, he shared that he would rather have lived in the state he did than to be able-bodied and not know the love and forgiveness of God. Even though his breathing was becoming more and more labored and there were days he did not leave his iron lung, he still made us feel welcomed and loved right up to the end. He loved sports - especially women's sports - and was a great listener. The world became a little poorer that Saturday morning in August, 1996.

Oil Fire

About the only thing that could be done at this point was to watch.

Oil Fire

When you are only 21, there can certainly be a false ense of invincibility. Armed with only a short telephoto lens, I stood within 100 feet of the fire to get the shot. I learned later there were solvents in the building that, if they had exploded, would have killed just about everyone who was within 500 feet of the building.

Bucket Truck

I saw the smoke and heard the sirens before I saw the fire. Although it was all the way back in 1977, I still have clear memories of the refinery fire in Muncie. It also led to my always taking a camera with me - anywhere for anything.

Epcot Center

This is one of our most precious memories - we took our children to Walt Disney World in Florida in 2003. This photo was taken as the park closed.

Prairie Restoration

Although the fire destroys everything on the surface, it causes the plant system's roots to dig deep for water and survival. Within a few days, there is once again the sign of life and after a few weeks, the entire system looks fresh and new. Our lives are like that. The most devastating, disappointing thing can leave us broken and scarred; but God brings healing and restoration into our lives and can make something beautiful from the bleakest moment.

Summer Heat

The hot air balloons from the Summer Heat balloon and air show in Muncie glow in the night sky.

Mayan Children

This little girl initially ran inside when I approached with my camera but felt more confident about smiling when her older brother appeared in the doorway of their hut in the Yucatan Peninsula.