Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Beautiful sunset!
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President Bush

"I don't miss much about Washington...but I do miss being Commander in Chief."
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Secretary Rice

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The President

Damn I miss him
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My buddy Nathan helps me move

And eats a sandwich
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The Modern Man

Snake in one hand. Mobile in the other.
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Lady Liberty (bottom left) stands tall over Lower Manhattan.

Extraordinary. Nine years to the day after that small island was attacked.

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Grateful

It can't last long. This time of peace and prosperity. The clouds on the horizon tell us something comes. It should not surprise us. A 13 trillion dollar debt; healthcare costs ballooning beyond what we can pay; and an economy that simply doesn't produce...anything, anymore. The good days will not always last.

Its funny to think that while I sit on my rooftop oasis, pool and lush plants nearby. Sun setting over the western edge. Things seem pretty great from up here.

Newspaper articles tell of far away troubles in not so very far away places. "In tent cities, no sign of 'all the money,'" the headline in the Washington Post calls out the crisis in Haiti, 8 months post-earthquake. Another warns, "In Iraq, a precarious time plagued by 'what ifs.'" Alongside the article runs the death toll of the war in Iraq. Three men this week, with an average age of 24, from towns with names like Palmyra, and Newark (Ohio, not Jersey), and Colorado Springs. Men not so very different from me, from hometowns not unlike mine.

No, the troubles aren't so very far away. And they won't stay away from here forever. Under my red and white beach towel, on my rooftop, by the turquoise pool, it is good for me to remember that. And be grateful. And soak up the goodness now. And prepare for times which may not be so good.

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Celebration Lunch

On the cabin's deck. Barvel.
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The press upon which we are printing wedding invitations

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The arch.

630 feet high!

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The Forsythes

With a Block
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Friends and wind and sun and baseball.

These are good things.
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Aunt Kak

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Alice the Dog

Ever patient with my shinanigans, Alice wears my sunglasses

As blog readers know, mom and dad had a terrific brown dog named Alice. She died yesterday after suffering a severe heat stroke.

They've had her since about 2002, when she was given to them by my brother Dan and his wife Sarah. A young adult dog, she was a little rambunctious for their household. I recall her eating an entire closet full of Sarah's shoes. But she seemed to fit right in at Mom and Dad's. She quickly became a compadre to their dog Frisky. Who, at 10 or 11, was not very frisky at all, but was wise and gray. Alice provided a nice balance to that. She replaced a terrifically funny dog named Shadow whose life came to a tragic end in May 2001.

Alice moved in with Mom and Dad after I left for college. I didn't live with her until the spring of 2009, when I lived with Ma and Pa for about 6 months between jobs. In that half year, Alice taught me about obedience and hearing the master's voice.

~
Obedience
Alice and I ran together in the mornings when I lived at Mom and Dad's. We would trek up to the nearby diary farm and back. Because we ran to the dairy farm, we passed fields full of cows. With spindly legs. To Alice, they must have looked like steak on a stick.

Our first few runs together to the farm and back were hard. Alice pulled and jerked at her leash, trying desperately to fling off her collar and chase a steaksicle. I swatted her, reminded her we don't chase cows, and told her to heel. She didn't much appreciate the guidance.

On subsequent jogs, Alice needed more reminders that cows are not treats. Sometimes our runs could hardly be described as runs, unless chasing a brown dog intent on eating a cow counts as exercise.

But over time, I noticed I trailed behind her less. She did a better job running with me, not ahead of me, nose towards the cow pastures. And after several weeks of running together, Alice didn't need a leash at all. She would run next to me, or a little in front of me, but not in the pastures.

Not because she didn't want to run through the pasture and chase cows. Quite the opposite. But because she chose to obey. When we ran past the steaksicles, Alice would whine quietly, and drool. But she didn't dash for them anymore.

She chose to obey. Even when it was hard. Even when it probably didn't make sense. ("But they look so delicious!") And in doing so, she showed me in very real terms what it means to obey. It means not doing what I want to do, but listening to the One who knows. Its hard, and sometimes I'll whine. Or drool. And I'll be in good company.

~

Hearing the Master's Voice

Alice went to dog school when she was one. When I lived with her, she was 8. Naturally, she needed to brush up a little. So I borrowed a training collar from some friends, pulled out an incredibly old leash of Mom and Dad's and we got to work.

As blog readers know, an important skill for dogs is staying when told and coming when called. And so Alice and I worked on those skills. I would tell her to sit and stay. Then I'd walk 20 or 30 paces away, then turn around and face her. She'd watched me intently. Studying my face, waiting for me to call her name. Every muscle in her body tense, ready to launch herself. Almost quivering with excitement, but sitting still as told. Waiting to hear my voice.

"Come here, girl!" I'd shout. With a burst of energy, Alice would gallop toward me, often barreling past. She'd jump around at my feet and lick my hands to tell me how excited she was.

In her sitting still, being patient, and waiting, Alice taught me what it means, in real terms, to hear the master's voice. It means being still. Waiting. Not doing what I want to do all the time. Trusting. And then launching myself when called.

So thanks, Alice. For teaching me what it means to obey and hear the master's voice. I love you, Alice.

JFB

Alice runs on the ice on Mom and Dad's pond - spring 2009

The awesome backpack Liz just gave me! like!

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My buddies Tim and Erin Barley and their new son Valient. What a terrific name.

The st louis skyline. My building is pretty much in the dead center--right downtown.

Liz and her sister kathryn at mom and dads.

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Lunch with EK... Saw the ring. Nice work ben!

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The white house at night. America. Awesome.

South beach.

The field. The ball park. StL. Awesome.

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Brittany pets the biggest dog. Ever.

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Gen petraeus -commander of wars in iraq and afgh- talking to media in front of a military plane.

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Dad

Happy Birthday, Dad!

An open letter to my Dad, on the occasion of his birthday.

Dad,

To quote a simple country song: "I'm your buckaroo, Dad I want to be like you."

It's true. Dad, I do want to be like thee in many ways. Thee has terrific instincts. Thee has the right priorities. Thee's a man of integrity.

Thee believes in power of the Gospel to bring hope...and as part of that, thee has devoted thy life's work to uniting orphans with loving families. At the end of our days, many of us won't have much left. A stack of press releases, perhaps (for someone in my field). Court cases won. Legislation passed. But thy imprint will be thousands of orphans who have moms and dads who love them...and who have the chance to know a God who cares. Thanks for showing us through a lifetime of actions what true religion looks like: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." (James 1:27a)

Thanks for being there, Dad. On the other end of the phone line every. time. I. call. At each key juncture of my life. Career decisions. Relationship advice. Life questions. There thee is. Present. Listening. Offering good advice.

Thanks, Dad. Thee's a good man. I'm so lucky--so very, very blessed--to come from good stock, to have thee as my dad.

I'll close by quoting the chorus of the aforementioned song by Rodney Atkins called Watching You. The song quotes a son talking to his dad, and it captures how I feel pretty accurately.

Click here to listen.

When I’m big I’ll still know what to do
Cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do. ‘cause I’ve been watchin’ you.

(Watching You by Rodney Atkins)

Thanks, Dad. Happy birthday.

--Jonathan

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The library at the department of justice

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Navy memorial-downtown dc

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Nina and me. Friends for 6 years.

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A march 20 swim in the barvel creek. Very refreshing. And cold. The lake is still frozen.

Beautiful Liz

Beautiful Liz.

Together at the Botanical Gardens orchid exhibit.

My old friend concord nh.

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The booth uncle jonathan travels with.

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Emerging by mark smith. 1981 downtown atlanta

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Forsyth street in downtown atlanta.

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Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.

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My office building.

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Angie on the piano.

Dear tiger -and the rest of us- this is very good advice: `its what you do next that counts.`

Accenture ad in the philly airport that says `we know what it takes to be a tiger: insight 30%, foresight 70%, hindsight 0%.` Uhhhhhh, Accenture, perhaps the hindsight could be bumped up a little at this point.

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Beautiful white mountains of northern new hampshire on Christmas day.

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Cousins Christmas caroling.

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