Holding Our Collective Breath for the Redbirds

My oldest and I went to our last Cards game of the season on Thursday night, during which something (barely) resembling baseball was played by the home team. I’m not kidding: it was the worst major league game I’ve ever watched in person, as the Brewers beat the Birds, 9-4.
On Friday night, my sister, Jamie, [...]

Tonsils, Be Gone! (The Sequel)

Just an update: our fourth came through her surgery with flying colors, so much so that we just got her home this evening rather than having to stay at the hospital overnight. She doesn’t seem to be feeling nearly as much pain as our third did when she had the same procedure done, but that’s [...]

Tonsils, Be Gone!

Today (and possibly the next week or so) is going to be somewhat demanding as our almost-three-year-old goes in to have her tonsils out.
I won’t bore you with the details; after all, tonsillectomies are about as routine as you can get in terms of surgery. Still, anytime there’s anesthesia involved and you have to watch [...]

Baggage

(I wrote the majority of this short piece five years ago, but never knew how to end it. This past weekend, I came up with an ending that might work, though I’m open to suggestions.)
Baggage
by Craig Dunham

(The scene opens. On one side is the Attendant, a mostly-even-tempered airline employee – courteous and professional. On the [...]

Random Schmada

As the past week has largely been a wash in terms of actual content here at Second Drafts, I thought I’d round out the week with a random list so as not to break the cycle. Thankfully, this weekend is fairly unspoken for in terms of previous engagements (the first time in nearly a month), [...]

An Apple-y Part of This Delicious Breakfast

Following up on my previous weekend post, here are some shots from our first-place-winning, apple-themed float from last weekend’s Griggsville Apple Festival. This was my family’s fourth straight first place finish, which has to be a record in Magnificent Mile Parade history.
The float was themed “A Bowl Full of Apple Jacks,” and the girls and [...]

Today I Become My Students’ Least Favorite Teacher

In case you’ve been following along, you know we’ve made it through the Pentateuch and are almost to the Promised Land (not bad for a month). Here’s what I’m handing out to my high school students today at the end of Bible class (papers are due November 1st, so mark your calendars and get to [...]

That’s It?

Overheard this afternoon, just after naptime:
Katie (4 1/2): “Mommy, why did you marry Daddy?”
Megan: “Because he asked me to.”
That’s it? That’s all? Guess it’s a good thing I was first (and fastest) in line.

More Fun Than You Can Shake a Stick At

If it’s the third weekend in September (and it is), we’ll be heading once again to the Griggsville Apple Festival to defend our first place parade float finish in 2005. Here’s an excerpt of what we can expect (taken from last year’s experience, as recorded on the TwentySomeone site):
“My family has had a float in [...]

Adullamites

Here’s a shot of the participants in the first Adullam Retreat held last weekend (thanks to Dick Schamp for the pic). Great time had by all (and we may have even learned something about the difference between trusting God and pleasing God, too). Next retreat: early November.
We’re off like a herd of turtles…

Wuv, Mawiage

One class I’m definitely going to enjoy this semester is Marriage and Family Counseling with Dr. Dan Zink. While there’s a fair amount of reading, it’s manageable (not to mention highly applicable…ahem), and I thought I might let you in a little bit of the processing I’m doing in the midst of my prep for [...]

Post 9/11

I had neither time nor words to write a 9/11 entry yesterday. This morning, however, I imagined that perhaps I had blogged something at the TwentySomeone site in previous years concerning the tragedy that I might share, but alas, after a quick search, this weak post seems about all I’ve been able to muster in [...]

Adullam

The first of the Adullam Retreats officially begins tonight – fifteen of us will head to Lake Williamson in Carlinville, IL, for the first four-retreat cycle on leadership, this one focusing on learning to trust God, His Word, and His Church.
Much of the content for this particular retreat is based on my friend Bill Thrall’s [...]

Words to Study By

I’ve only heard myself make one of these excuses with any kind of regularity this past year (feel free to post your guess), but if you’re a student, here’s a list of “no sympathy” lines to seriously consider with regard to your studies. Most of this professor’s responses are more gracious than mine (“Suck it [...]

September Update from the Dunhams

We just sent out our monthly email to our friends, family, and donors, pointing them here.

So What?

I just realized I missed the opening day of the NCAA football season yesterday. Oh well.
Anyone think less of me for not really giving a flying flip?

Just In Case There’s Nothing to Talk About Later in Family Therapy

After a major amusement park bummer a week ago (and considering the calendar, knowing it was now or never), Megan and I braved the Labor Day Saturday crowd (which wasn’t bad) and took the girls to Six Flags. With four “get-in-free” vouchers in hand (thanks, Mitchell and Lisa) and a two-year-old who was free, all [...]

Thoughts on the Possibility of Pastoring, Part 3

“He must see a measure of conversion-work going on under his efforts…As a man to be set apart to the ministry, his commission is without seals until souls are won by his instrumentality to the knowledge of Jesus.”
While difficult to gauge accurately in terms of scope, the depth of difference in others whom God has [...]