Hendersonhome Chronicles

It seems that everyone else is publishing their end-of-year lists; why shouldn’t I?  I don’t have energy to do a top 3, much less a top 10.  A top 1 list seems lazy.  Let’s try some “Top 2″ lists…

Top 2 Movies

Up – If you haven’t seen this one yet, then I couldn’t urge you strongly enough to watch it.  It came out in May, when Deb and I were still reeling from our loss.  At the heart of this movie is a message about what to do when you have to let go of one dream, and how to accept a new one.  It fit well with our lives.  Everything surrounding that is pure Pixar, which is to say that the humor is top-notch, the animation is incredible, and the voices are spot-on.

Avatar – The story itself is only good, the message might make your eyes roll, but the method of story telling is nothing short of revolutionary.  Rather than using the 3-D effect to reach out into the audience, Cameron uses it to create a true window into another world.  If you can see it in an IMAX theater in 3-D, then do so.

Top 2 Albums

Sara Groves: “Fireflies and Songs” – Sara created an album about living the Christian life in this world.  She doesn’t flinch from subjects such as a marital fight or her own stage anxiety, but also celebrates relationships and the joy found in our everyday routines.  The music is a work of quiet craftsmanship.  I started using this to unwind at bedtime, but I found that I wanted to stay awake to hear all of the songs.

Jason Gray: “Everything Sad is Coming Untrue” (Special Edition) – We were introduced to Jason at a ministry conference this past summer.  His music has ministered to us since then, but this album is something special.  The hope that everything we hate about life is currently in the process of being rectified has given us something to cling to.  It’s one of the most hopeful records I have ever heard.

Top 2 Books

Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – How often do you get a chance to re-write your life?  When working with a director and cinematographer, to turn his earlier book “Blue Like Jazz” into a movie, Donald realizes that his past life seems lacking.  When you start viewing your life not as a set of tasks to be done, but as a story, the results become much more fulfilling.  This one was extremely timely, as I’ve been doing a great deal of re-evaluating of my life this year.

Randy Alcorn’s Heaven – This is not a narrative, but more of a question-and-answer book.  It’s an examination of the concept of Heaven, based on what is in scripture.  And, by getting a clearer picture of what is in store, it causes the believer to naturally reconsider how to live hear and now.  Plus, have a clearer idea of what was in store for Ian made it less difficult to let go.

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I’m introducing a new (hopefully) weekly feature, called “This Week in Pictures.”  I’m going to try to take at least one picture per day during 2010, and see if anything blog-worthy gets written.  (The more observant among you will notice that I’ve already missed a day.  Don’t worry–nothing really happened that day.)  It’s an experiment to see if I can develop a photographer’s eye, too.

Celebrating New Year's Day with Brian and Mary Krupski at the Lake Elmo Inn

2010 was kicked off with an incredible brunch at The Lake Elmo Inn. The food was delicious, but the company was even better. We got to know The Krupski’s through Hope Kids, an organization that creates fun activities for sick children and their families. Brian and Mary have been the kind of friends that make life wonderful.

We enjoyed good food and good company with friends

The party continues, this time at Casa de Henderson. Everyone contributed something, and a good time was had by all.

I got to attend my first in-person hockey game

I’ve lived in the icebox known as Minnesota for 16 years, but only now have attended a hockey game. To me, it seemed more like chess. The key is being in the right place at the right time and taking the initiative.

I get together with a group of men to determine why we were put on Earth.

This was a snapshot from my Focus of a Warrior group. We’re going through the program to use our past, our skills, our gifts and our passions to determine our purpose in life. On one hand, I wish that I could have done this twenty years ago. Then again, I don’t think I would have had enough life experience in order to effectively evaluate myself.

Home Depot, where projects begin

I spent some time at lunch trying to find a way to suspend my center channel speaker from the screen in the basement. I gave up, and decided to make another speaker stand.

A fun drive into work

On Thursday, we got another snowstorm. Also, another opportunity for people to demonstrate that they have no clue how to drive on snow and ice.

Dinner with the Bourgonds

Last night, we had the joy of seeing Dr. Bourgond (who wrote the Heart of a Warrior curriculum), and to meet his lovely wife Debby.