While my picture-taking has slowed down of late, it has not stopped altogether. I haven’t made the time to sit down and edit, and thus a number of these endeavors have not turned into posts on their own, but I’ve gotten a few shots worth sharing…
Woodward Park, Fresno, CA, February 2010
Gettysburg, PA, July 2009
The adorable L.O., March, 2010
Ojai Valley, CA, January 2010
Simi Valley Sunset, January, 2010
Me, to office staff today:
I have believed, ever since the day I was a paralegal, that a lawyer without staff is much like a lion tamer without a chair, a bear trainer without a whip, and a race car driver without a steering wheel. Pretty much pointless, and quite possibly dangerous.
Office staff to me, responding:
Behind every great lawyer is a worn-out staff.
You can trust me on this - it’s true on both sides of the equation.
A week and a half ago, I woke up earlier than normal for a Saturday morning, glanced at my Blackberry, and knew that my day was not going to be ordinary.
“God bless you, my brother is among the persons arrested, how can you help?”
This was a direct message from a man I met via Twitter, and knew to be a Christian living in the Middle East. And I knew instantly what story he was referring to - a story of the arrest of multiple Christian pastors in the country of Iran.
My first thought was to want to help, but how? I indicated my willingness, waited, and prayed. I received a phone call from Turkey, from my Twitter friend, updating me on the situation, on his brother, Pastor Behrouz, being held in an undisclosed location, for an undisclosed amount of time, for “crimes” that were undisclosed but easily guessed - evangelization and apostasy.
A couple of days later another direct message came:
“They have been sentenced Thursday for apostasy, it means to death according the shariah”
I will admit that I had no idea what to do. One thinks of these things in theory, but when they arrive - what is the right course of action? And yet, though I did not know what to do, I knew that I needed to do something. 
So I began to e-mail - advocacy groups, news organizations, anyone I could think of.
And the amazing thing is this - when there’s a need, people respond. I was, frankly, amazed at the response I got. Now, I wish I could tell you that the story was over, but it is not. Wheels are turning, but Pastor Behrouz remains in prison, subjected to immense suffering, and not to mention the threat of death.
I was asked to write an article for Assist News, which was published last night, and I share for you here. What struck me as I wrote, though, was the hope embodied by this situation. Hope not necessarily in staying alive, though there is hope for that - no, the deeper hope comes from the chance to die. Philippians 1:21 drove this home, where Paul says, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.“
I ask not, friends, that you read this and weep. I ask that you read it, and pray.
*****
Update: This just in from Compass Direct News.
The things that belong in them, and sometimes, the things that don’t quite fit.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I’m almost a week behind on posting these, but better late than never, eh?
The San Francisco Bay Area might be known for a lot of different things, but beauty should certainly be one of them.
I think it wonderful to live in a place that allows a day trip to the Yosemite Valley. And I think it’s about time we took it. We had a great excuse this weekend, because Katie’s sister is out to visit!
We lunched on the Valley floor…
The “Tunnel View” of the valley…
The viewers looking down on the Valley…
And then we timed it just right to see this as we came around the bend. There was a turnoff - and we took it.
