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.