The Consitution still stands

A great ruling from the Supreme Court. It is says so much - none of it good - that we have come to the point where the Supreme Court has to decide an issue like this - and in a 5-4 vote no less. But at least we get a decision that does not shred the Constitution. There is hope.

UPDATE: A more in depth look with analysis is here.

Doubts

I think I have said this before, but I love my church. I love the way it encourages people to embrace their doubts, not to stay in one place, but to continually seek new answers. Cases in point. Tonight I met with my life group, and in a meandering conversation we ended up talking about forgiveness. How difficult it is to forgive, can you forigve in the absence of justice, why do we even need it, etc. And somewhere between my first and second beers it struck me how rare this is. How rare it is for a group of men to come together and share their struggles and their doubts with faith and be open about their shortcomings and their striving to do better. And then I come home to Trish and her friend Amy deep in conversation. Amy is struggling to reconcile her fundamentalist upbringing with her current world - "I want to do good because I know it is good not because I have always been told it is good." And I realized what a gift she was giving us by sharing her doubts and her fears.

I wish this was the image more people had of Christ followers. I wish they could see more of the doubts and the struggles and the questions and less of the arrogance and the certainty and the rigidness. The only way to build an authentic community is to engage people on a level with their doubts and fears and not from a place of superiority.

Anyway... here is a picture of me and some of the guys from the group with our beers and our Bibles.

And the Emmy goes to...

...Mike Heinrich. My brother won a regional Emmy award (Public Affairs Special category) for his photography work on the series Living In a Landfill for Channel 12 in Portland. Congratulations, brother. It is well deserved.

Long flippin' week

My day job had me in a document warehouse in Kent all week reviewing 330 boxes of pension data. Not as bad as it sounds since the review room was windowless concrete with fluorescent lights which means I did not have to get depressed watching the rain come down. On Friday I was back in the office trying to pull everything together before turning the documents over to the other side and got bitched at by opposing counsel that I had done it all wrong. I will be glad to see the last of this project.

On top of that, we had some -- a lot of -- drama surrounding the Gigi short and I have to make a tough decision this morning.

But there was plenty of good in the week, too. Trish and I went over to Katie and Jim's to drop off a meal and we got to spend a little time with them and Leo, who is probably even cuter now then earlier this week. Tonight is the long awaited regional Emmy awards. My brother Mike and his wife Tracy will be in town. We will get some good family time tonight and tomorrow and will hopefully have great cause for celebration.

Todd finished the poster for our feature film project, Duo: A Geek Tragedy (picture at the bottom of the post). I know it is just a poster but it really sparked something in me. We are getting very close to being able to pitch this. Of course that means I have to spend this weekend finishing up the marketing piece of the pitch package.

And Trish met with an Ob/Gyn this week. The doc is recommending a number of tests for both of us if Trish is not pregnant. And she will then meet with the two of us to map out a plan for the next year or so. Trish really likes the doc and I am looking forward to meeting her. It just helps having some kind of plan in place... not that it gives us total control over the situation but that we are doing something more than waiting, hoping and being disappointed.

A good week all in all. But considering it started last Saturday with Leo's birth... like I said, long flippin' week.

STIFF reminder

Wanna go see Behind Closed Doors and revel in its awesomeness? Of course you do. Well it plays on Wednesday and you can get screening details and buy tickets in advance here. And if you are up for two movies this week, do not forget to check out the equally awesome Ordinary Angels on Sunday. Advance tickets for that are here.

Here's Leo

As promised, a few photos.

Leo....

The new family...

Gram, Grandad and Leo...

Word is Katie, Jim and Leo are all doing well, if pretty much exhausted. They should be good to go home today. Sweet!

Welcome, Leo Gilbert!

My sister Katie gave birth last night to her first child. Leo Gilbert Masson clocked in at 11:22pm on May 31st weighing 8lbs, 3oz. And as an uncle I know I have to say the following, but nonetheless it is heartfelt: Leo is key-uuuuuuute. Wrinkled hands, big eyes and constantly smacking lips as if he is getting used to this mouth thing.

I wish I could say it was a day of pure celebration, but I would be lying. Those moments holding him in my arms today were bittersweet. It is hard, very hard, not to long. Hard not to wonder when it will be my child that I get to hold in my arms. When it will be Trish lying exhausted, disheveled and radiant in the bed.

And yet.... In the midst of the longing there was a sense of peace. Maybe it is just too hard to focus on negatives looking into the eyes of someone not even a full day old. Or maybe..., maybe Leo showed me my future. If so I am going to have to thank him one day.

If I haven't mentioned already he is amazingly cute. And I will prove it to you after Dad sends the promised pictures.