The Godfather- Happy Birthday Hulyn!

Today is Hulyn's birthday; he's my godfather. I have no idea how old he is and probably never will because he and Anne (my godmother) just never seem to age at all. So we'll call him 39 and be done with it.

Like Marlon Brando & Al Pacino in the Godfather movie trilogy, Hulyn is known for his one-liners. Though he never said anything to me like: "Tim, you've got to keep your friends close and your enemies closer" with a raspy voice and an Italian accent, his sayings are no less memorable. One time I asked him why a funeral home in Rome, GA (where he and Anne live), had closed up, because it seemed rare to see a funeral home out of business. He very calmly replied, "Well, they were building funeral homes faster than we were dying...." I laughed my face off. Oh, I wish I had time to write them all down. Those of you who know Hulyn, feel free to post a note on this blog with your own funny story.

Aside from a great sense of humor, Hulyn has imparted a lot more to me, and now to Janet and Isaac as well. He and Anne have been such strong and consistent examples of godly character, discipleship, faithfulness and commitment to Christ. We are blessed to know then and to belong to them. They are family to us and we're grateful for them.

Happy Birthday Hulyn! We love you, Tim (for the Hoodlums)

Mother Russia (think Rocky IV)

The last couple weeks of October I (Tim) went to Russia to meet with some of our personnel who are working there. It was an incredible and eye-opening trip in so many ways. But it was hard to be away from Janet and Isaac for so long. You see I tried to pack him in my suitcase....


The folks who are seeking to share the Gospel in Russia certainly have their work cut out for them. The mission statement for that region (Central & Eastern Europe) is: "Hope for every heart... a church-planting movement for every people group." And hope is certainly what these folks need. Their expressionless faceless and distant looks speak of tremendous sadness and a lifelong fear and suspicion.


The Kremlin. When a Russian woman was asked why all the "intellectuals" who wanted revolution fled Russia in the 1920s instead of embracing the communist ideology they said they wanted, she replied, "What we wanted was revolution. What we got was terror." What a sad history.



St. Basil's cathedral and night. Beautiful!


This Orthodox cathedral, Church of Christ the Redeemer, was destroyed by the communists and actually turned into a community swimming pool. When religious freedom was restored to Russia money was collected to restore the cathedral to its original beauty.

A typical street in Moscow.

Uzbekistani pottery. I brought Janet back a plate. Each piece is hand-painted and so detalied.

Apparently Moscow and Russia are known for bears. These poor souls are kept just outside a major tourist market for cheap, silly pictures. I guess it's sort of a Russia Gatlinburg... pose with the bear. It's just plain tragic. I DID NOT pay for this picture!

Riding the METRO. You might imagine that I, along with my other American co-workers, stuck out a lot. Americans are pretty loud and border on obnoxious. Those of you who have ever traveled with me know that's a pretty accurate description of how I tackle the countries I travel to.

Catching up....

Hello Friends. Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that each and every one of you had a very special holiday yesterday. Grandmother Hood-- or Gigi, as Isaac is learning to call her-- came up from Atlanta, and we've had a wonderful time with her here. Isaac is her first and only great-grandchild and she's enjoyed making memories with him.

We know it's been a very long time since we've blogged and many or most of you feel clueless about life for the Hoods in the past couple months. So we'll try to update y'all with the latest on life with our little boy. Thanks for reading....

Our Pumpkin in the Pumpkin Patch

Lazy & Educational Sunday Afternoon

Visit to Uncle Gardner's-- Blue Ridge Mountains

Our good friend and former neighbor, Gardner, has been building this home in the Blue Ridge Mountains for almost as long as we've known him... 3 years! Many times we've wondered if the house and the "glorious" mountain views he often told us about even existed. But Gardner didn't exaggerate even a little. It's incredible! And it's a wonderful retreat from the madness of the city. We enjoyed our time with him and at his new home so much. Thanks Gardner!

This is the view from the upstairs deck! Imagine waking up to this every day.

Country roads.... This is Gardner's 1/2 mile driveway.

The "Mountain Man" himself... and his dog Angie.

Isaac got to enjoy cool mountain air for the first time in his life; he loved it!

Reagan loved it too. And he loved playing with Angie, romping through the woods, chasing sticks and wasps (yeah, he's not the brightest light in the harbor), and peeing on everything that didn't move. He was meant for the mountains.

Lion King

Okay, so we got TONS of pictures of Isaac in his lion towel, so be thankful only 2 pictures made it on the blog. He looked like he was part of some Ugandan tribal ritual.

Isaac- Son of Laughter

We are firm believers that children take on the meaning of their names. And Isaac is no exception. Some of the things we've read say that he should just be starting to laugh and smile spontaneously. But he's been doing that for several weeks. And we pray that laughter and joy will mark his little life always.

Florida blood

Our little boy is a Virginian by birth, but he's got Florida blood running through his veins. These pictures are proof. Doesn't he look like his PeePaw (my dad)... or Rick Warren!?

Anne's birthday

The night I was born my dad was away at the Southern Baptist Convention. Now, I came right on time, but for some reason he was convinced that I would wait until he got back in town. I didn't. Thankfully, though, my godmother, Anne, was there to drive my mom to the hospital. And in so many ways, Anne & Hulyn have been there ever since. In fact, they surprised us and traveled all the way to Richmond to be here for Isaac's grand entrance into this world. They have always been precious friends and in so many ways have inspired the pilgrimage Janet and I are now own, as I watched them travel all over the world and share the love of Christ. Today is Anne's birthday. Happy Birthday, Anne. We love you!

Don't you love this kid!?

Dad said when Isaac was born that he isn't my toy. Yeah, I beg to differ. Any chance I get to make Isaac talk or sing or dance, I take it. As well, I've been known to put his diaper (of course clean) on his head and call him George Washington. Or, when I'm changing him for bed I sometimes pull his onesie off up to his head and make him look like a shepherd or an Arab Bedouin:). Isaac just smiles and laughs (and Janet sighs)... he's got a lifetime of this ahead of him. As for dad, all I can say is that the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

As for this shot, I really resisted the urge to put a cigar in his hand. He looks so chilled out... like he's anticipating a very exciting game of Wheel O' Fortune.

Multiple times since Isaac's birth 2 months ago he's looked at me with an expression that says, "How exactly were you allowed to be my dad!?" This is one of those faces. Some of you may be asking same question.

What are blogs for?

What are blogs for? I said when I started this that our purporse was to share stories of Isaac. In fact, there are multiple stories it seems I've started and not returned to. However, the passing days bring new journey that takes precedence over what was intended for this site. Like this past week; there's so much I need to get out... to talk about. It's a little soon, but writing helps me process. And I need to process these days. Thanks for taking the time to read....

Moses writes in Psalm 90: "Teach us, O LORD, to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Well, numbering my days is actually what I've been doing. It turns out, you already know, that there was no pulmonary embolism but instead something related to my GI tract that is causing issues. So I really didn't stare death in the face any more this past week than at any other time in my life. But it sure felt like I did... repeatedly. On Monday the doctor said a clot had lodged in my lung and that it had to pass through my heart to get there. He continued with the startling and not so gentle announcement, "Yeah, if it had been any bigger it would have killed you." His coolness and dismissive nature angered and troubled me. This was my life he was talking about. I'm only 30. Janet and I have been married less than 3 years. We have a 2 month-old. How could he act so callous. Death, though, is, in fact, part of life. That wasn't God's plan from the beginning. His Word, the Bible, is very clear about that. Life was to be lived in complete joy and sweet fellowship with Him forever. And how thankful we are, as followers of Jesus Christ, that Heaven will be just that, as God always intended it to be. Again, in Scripture we're comforted with the truth that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD". And Jesus said that He has prepared a place for us that where He is we might be forever. What incredible and abiding truth!!

Still, I have to say I wasn't ready to go. Now, I'm confident that Heaven awaits me after death because of the grace and mercy of God expressed through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. But I still wasn't ready. As I held our little Isaac I wept at the thought of missing him growing up, not being there for baseball games and someone else teaching him to fish. My heart ached at the thought of Janet becoming a widow at 29; who would walk beside her, with whom would she share her life? What 30 year-old has to even think of these things. Part of this whole experience seemed so unfair. The other part pure divine. For God redeems all things and really does "work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes". Numbering our days, as Moses ask of God, is an important part of this journey of walking with Jesus.

So many times growing up my parents shared the little poem, "Only one life twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." Walking the 5th floor halls of Henrico Doctor's Hospital I started praying and asking Christ about what might last when my life was over. And I discovered as He gently walked me through the pages of my life's story a tremendous sense of mediocrity and complacency. Oh, there's always a desire in me for something more... to be a better husband, father, son, brother, friend, student, employee. But I've been content to look to another day, somewhere ahead, when I might be all that God has created me to be. A day when the purpose God ordained for my life is fulfilled. Well, today is that day.... Life for me has become about the next 5 minutes. There is no surety or promise in tomorrow. It may never come. All we have is really right now. And that's where I must live radically and passionately and totally for the glory of God.

Moses asks that God would teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom. What is wisdom? I've heard wisdom defined as: seeing life from God's perspective. And that seems right. I'm easily distracted and tragically satisfied by the silliest and most temporal things. God calls me to incredible intimacy with Him, and I settle for the next season of Survivor. God calls me to make His Gospel known among the nations, and I settle for being a "good neighbor". God calls me to feast on His Word, and I settle for devotional thoughts on the radio or a few minutes reading before rushing out the door. But seeing life from God's perspective means that I understand the wonder of knowing Him and being His and living in complete abandon to Him. Funny thing is that this is a lesson I thought I had already learned while studying at Berry College or living in the deserts of Chad. How gracious our God is to patiently teach us again and to continually draw us deeper into fellowship with Him.

The words of Annie Flint's hymn capture so much of what I'm thinking and feeling:

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Home... Thanks for praying

Well, it's been a long and trying week. But it's been good and we're so thankful for God's goodness, His presence, and His grace. Turn out that my pulmonary embolism was misdiagnosis. After meeting with the Pulmonologist, he was very suspect that my symptoms were indicative or a clot. So he ordered a CT scan and that showed very clearly that there was NO embolism, nor was there any reason to suspect there ever was one. Either way, God really used this season of rest to draw me closer to Himself, and I'm so thankful for that. Some times He really does "MAKE us lie down in green pastures". And indeed that's what He did to me.

I am home with Janet and Isaac and am thrilled to be here. We are resting today and recuperating. I have A LOT of medication in me that will take some time to where off, so that's first on the list of things to do. Janet has been an incredible trooper through all of this, balancing taking care of Isaac and taking care of me like a pro. Of course we had tremendous help from folks in our church and folks from work. It's great to have "family" here in Richmond!! We welcome your calls but do ask that you might wait a couple days to do so. E-mails are always a blessing. Thanks for standing in the gap for us. We love you.

In the hospital... please pray

I'll get back to the Alabama story eventually. There are some more great pictures that need to be posted. But I've been traveling and involved in a lot of other things lately and haven't been able to do it.

Another issue we're facing is that I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in my right lung. And I've been in the hospital since Monday, September 17th. The doctor's aren't certain about how it arrived but are working to make sure it doesn't happen again. Please pray for wisdom, patience, and rest in the Lord. I meet with a pulmonologist this morning and that should shed some more light on where we go from here. Pray for Janet. Pray for Isaac. This is a new journey... especially since this isn't the kind of thing you expect to hear at 30. But we know that God is sovereign and has purpose for all things.

Road Trip: Sweet Home Alabama- Post 1

I had to teach the introductory course for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (http://www.perspectives.org/) in Auburn and Montgomery, Alabama last Monday and Tuesday nights. So we decided that a family road trip was in order since Janet's family lives in Dothan. Visiting her family was especially important this time because her dad had not had a chance to meet Isaac. Mr. Sewell just returned home from a year in Iraq with the Alabama National Guard. And before he left for his tour of duty he specifically requested another grandbaby by the time he got back. Well, he got his request.

We started our journey on Friday, August 24th, at around 9:30 in the morning. That's about as early as we could manage with a 5-week-old.

I've decided to call our mini-van the man-van. I'll have to agree with some friends who lamented when they got a mini-van that their "cool days" were over. However, get a load of all that space. You can fit that much junk in a Honda Accord!!

Janet and Isaac look excited about our journey... Isaac's first departure from Virginia and into the true South.
Yeah, Reagan wasn't quite as excited. He did get his on air condition vent, and that seemed to make life a bit easier. Bless him.

Wal-Mart in Waynesboro, VA, was the first place we pulled off to feed Isaac. While Janet was taking care of filling him up, I filled up on need supplies. You've got to love Wal-Mart. They all have EVERYTHING!

Our next stop wasn't too much farther down the road, but scenery throughout southwestern Virginia was beautiful and we enjoyed the ride a lot. And we had some good food along the way too.

After lunch we loaded back up in the man-van and got back on the road. Once again, we didn't make a lot of mileage, but at least we entered new territory: Tennessee. Go Volunteers!

The trip took a lot longer than usual. Normally we make it to Atlanta in 9 hours and then on to Dothan in 3 more. Well, the first day of our trip we only made it to the other side of Knoxville, TN. Turns out that there was some kind of tremendous motorcycle meet in the Knoxville area, so it was quite a challenge to find lodging; a challenge that was made more complicated by having Reagan with us. But eventually we found a place to lay our weary heads. And that was at the Super 8, which was a bit of a surprise since Janet and I are pretty committed Hampton Inn patrons. Growing up, though, family vacations ALWAYS included staying at Super 8, so it was a little nostalgic to sleep under that glowing yellow sign.

Would you believe it was actually very comfortable and clean. And with our AAA discount, it was only about $50 for the night. That's not a bad deal.