Jakob Blaise Neffendorf

Welcome Jakob Blaise! Our son was born on November 14th at 6:02 AM. He is more beautiful that I could imagine. Truly God has been good to us.



Here are some photos.



Here is Blaise in mid-sneeze...

A Brief Education

This is a 45-minute animated video that is a lesson on our economy and our banking system here in the free world. Usually I am not in favor of video forms of education as they tend to dumb important topics down, but the words in this video are too strong to ignore.

It's all together interesting, frightening and angering. I hope you take some time to watch it and I would love to hear any feedback you may have, either positive or negative. The link is below:

Money as Debt by Paul Grignon

Unless it is Bent

I cannot think very clearly these days. I have no lack of thoughts bouncing through my mind, but there is little control or grasp of those thoughts. I cannot hold tightly to one long enough to develop a full idea and therefore I have no strong ideas that lead to me to action. Seasons such as this, are not uncommon to me. It’s paralyzing to a large degree and it’s altogether frustrating.

Sunday, my thoughts began to move in a more consistent direction as my pastor preached a sermon on 2 Peter and passivity. He began by playing a portion of Martin Luther King’s, “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech. In the address, King comments on the condition of men’s backs:

"If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1962, when Negroes in Albany, Georgia, decided to straighten their backs up. And whenever men and women straighten their backs up, they are going somewhere, because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent. "

King was obviously making an allusion to the oppression of the black men and women during that period. And our country has grown much, relating to this oppression, since these words were spoken, but true and good words transcend time and specific instances in history and I believe his words here reach into our culture today.

But our backs are not bent from being ridden by oppressive men. Quite opposite of racial oppression, our backs are bent from the soft couches in our living rooms. Our backs our bent from reaching to push the button to surf the channels, or to record our weekly addiction. Our backs are bent from the pull of the ear buds that fill our heads with noise. Our backs are bent from the atrophy of our leisure… from our master, complacency.

It is not that our culture has too much leisure, but that we hardly realize that we have it because it’s filled with out second thought as to how it should be used. I often have read that people today have more leisure time than any other time in human history. I’m not sure if this is true, but it seems likely.

As believers our leisure is not used as it was intended, to enjoy communion with brothers and sisters, to serve those in need or simply to do something outside of our own consumption. We fill our spare time with things that numb our minds and keep us from thought or action.

We seek out gray for our leisure. Justification for our complacency cannot be found in the black and white of the Gospel, but if we could just pry open a gray area in the midst of it then we could at least escape our thoughts of guilt. We have done this successfully and we then fill that time with noise and amusement so that our mind will not easily wander back to the black and white. And we can keep afloat in the sea of gray.

I hope and I pray that I am beginning to grow weary of the gray; because I confess that I’m drowning in it. The only way out is, by grace, to straighten my back and shed the oppression of my complacency. Complacency cannot ride my back unless it is bent.

Finally... Wedding Photos

Ok, here are the wedding photos. Just like the honeymoon, there are two albums. One is an abridged version and the other is the complete 460+ photos. I hope you enjoy.

The shortened version.

The complete album.

The Truth is Nearly Impossible to Rhyme

Here's another song I've been listening to extensively lately. It's 'Ballad in Plain Red' by Derek Webb. Great lyrics. It's an indictment of our 'Mega-church, best-selling, market-driven, billboard-messaging' modern evangelical culture. Sometimes when I hear this song, I nod my head with self-righteous condemnation, and other times I writhe in self-reproach of these sharp words.

I’m robbing Peter, I’m paying Paul
I’m changing my name back to Saul
I got to them and you know I’ll get to you

I’m turning shepherds into sheep
And leaders into celebrities
It’s holy sabotage, just look around you

‘Cause everything’s for sale in the 21st century
And the check is in the mail from the 21st century

Don’t want the song, I want a jingle
I love you Lord but don’t hear a single
and the truth is nearly impossible to rhyme

But I know the songs with all the hooks
And I know some lies that will sell some books
So grab ‘em fast, I’m running outta time

Just keep selling truth in candy bars
On billboards and backs of cars
Truth without context, my favorite of all my crimes

‘Cause everything’s for sale in the 21st century
And the check is in the mail from the 21st century

What works verses what's right
Hey, what's the difference tonight?

Take out the sign, forget the meal
We’ve got a gym and a Farris Wheel
I swear it's just like the country club down the block

‘Cause you can make your life look good
You can do what Jesus would
You’d be surprised what you can do with a hard heart

‘Cause everything’s for sale in the 21st century
And the check is in the mail from the 21st century
I think you’ve got trouble in the 21st century
So welcome to the struggle, it’s the 21st century
I never thought I’d make it to the 21st century
Lord, I love the 21st century

I write these words from the grave
‘Cause it’s the only place that I’m safe
And only the dead are permitted to speak the truth

Cookie Jar

I haven't had much time to think about writing, much less to actually sit down and write. So for now until I make the time to start again, I will point towards others writings that I have enjoyed or been encouraged by.

This is a song titled, "Cookie Jar" by Jack Johnson. It's been around a while, but it's rare for a pop singer these days to have actual insight into anything. Which is why I wanted to post the lyrics.


I would turn on the TV but it's so embarrassing,
To see all the other people, I don't know what they mean,
And it was magic at first when they spoke without sound,
But now this world is gonna hurt, You better turn that thing down,
Turn it around.

"It wasn't me," says the boy with the gun,
"Sure I pulled the trigger but it needed to be done,
'Cause life's been killing me ever since it begun,
You cant blame me 'cause I'm too young."

"You can't blame me. Sure the killer was my son,
But I didn't teach him to pull the trigger of the gun,
It's the killing on this TV screen,
You can't blame me it's those images he's seen."

"Well you can't blame me," says the media man,
"Well I wasn't the one who came up with the plan,
I just point my camera at what the people want to see,
Man it's a two way mirror and you can't blame me."

"You can't blame me", says the singer of the song,
Or the maker of the movie which he based his life on,
"It's only entertainment as anyone can see,
The smoke machines and makeup, man you can't fool me."

It was you, it was me, it was every man,
We've all got the blood on our hands,
We only receive what we demand,
And if we want hell then hell's what we'll have.

And I would turn on the TV,
But it's so embarrassing,
To see all the other people,
I don't even know what they mean,
And it was magic at first,
But let everyone down,
And now this world is gonna hurt,
You better turn it around,
Turn it around.

Honeymoon Photos

Ok, so we've returned from the honeymoon and I have the photos of Chile that we took while we were there. It is quite an amazing country; so dramatic. The people were great, the scenery was incredible and the companionship couldn't have been better. I really can't say enough about this place and our adventure there.

The wedding was great as well. The whole experience from the planning to the wedding weekend to the honeymoon was truly enjoyable. I am definitely experiencing God's blessing right now and I'm trying to be grateful.

These photos are an 80-photo highlight of our trip.

This is the full 481 photos.