A Great Responsibility

We were aksed by dear friends to be Godparents for their daughter. Our answer was a quick yes, but we know that the responsibility is great...to see her faith life mature and to remind her of God's work in baptism. A great responsibilty and a great joy. Here is a picture of us and Grace.

The Great Forrest Park Balloon Glow

Well, we know that many of you have been asking, "are they dead?" The answer, of course, is no...just busy.

In August, we left Houston and returned to St. Louis. Brian is in his final year at the Seminary. Can you imagine...Brian as Pastor?! Erin has returned to work for the National Youth Gathering and is looking forward to a return trip to Orlando (though...it's to work). Other than that, we are trying to spend as muh time as possible with family and friends. It's so good for our hearts! To our family and friends in Texas and K-Town...we miss you all terribly.

One of the things we missed while in Texas was the Energizer Bunny. I know that it sounds like a strange thing to miss...but it's true. Every year in St. Louis, the Great American Balloon Race draws hundreds of thousands of people to Forrest Park (about 1/4 of a mile from our home). The race itself is a race of speed and accuracy. Balloons and their pilots take off and race after the Energizer Bunny Balloon (which is by the way the tallest hot-air balloon in the world). The pilots of the Bunny that keeps on goin' land a place a large cirlce upon the ground. The pilots of the other balloons are to be the first to the cirlce and drop a colored flour pack within said circle. Again, speed and accuracy.

Well, the night before the big race is the Balloon Glow. All of the pilots set up their balloons in Forrest Park and at the sound of a fog horn, they all light up their flames and the glow from the balloons light up the darkness. It really is a lot of fun...plus it's free (since Brian is a grad student and soon to be Pastor, free is great!). Anyway, enjoy the picture.

Strangers in a Hostile Land

Before leaving St. Louis and arriving here in Houston...we knew we were headed for trouble. We love the game of baseball and our beloved team, the St. Louis Cardinals. But Houston boasts the Astro's, an unofficial yet official rivalry.

Well, we were priviledged enough to see two games this past weekend, (both of which went extra innings). Have you ever had that experience when walking into a situation when you suddenly realize that you don't belong. It's like that ever too common dream...you know, when you end up at school...you look down...and your naked. Yeah, it's like that. We felt out of place from the moment we arrived. We cheered...of course, only loud enough so as not to be pummeled after the game. We jumped for joy when Astro players were fanned by the ever impressive Chris Carpenter and rookie Anthony Reyes. All we can say is, "Albert in the top of the 10th baby!!!!" In the end, the Cardinals came out on top and we went home with a smile and a satisfaction that has yet to be quelled.

We took some pictures so you could experience it too! Enjoy

VBS

This past week was CTK's VBS. For those of you who are new to the conventional church VBS stands for Vactaion Bible School. It's an opportunity to reach out into the community to teach children about the God story.

Christ the King was priviledged to host 300 children between kindergarten and 5th grade. They would arrive on campus around 12.0opm and leave at 3.00pm. Between the hours of 12.00 and 3.00 children had time to learn different activities like drama, art, sign language, taekwondo, x-training, serving elderly men and women...or even hip hop; they were also taught of God's unfailing love for them. A great opportunity.

To be honest, VBS is contained chaos!! It 300 reasons why Brian doesn't do children's ministry. So, this post is to those who thrive on children and who are committed to teaching them.

For Those of Us who Grew Up in the 80's

I just found this and couldn't resist putting it up. So, click on nintendo and once there click on nintendo choir and enjoy!!!

Colorful Colorado

And so here we are...at the bottom of the Royal Gorge. For those of you who have never been there, it's in Canon City, Colorado (made famous, of course, for the Gorge and the State Pen). We are very near the Arkansas River as it cuts its way through the Gorge. This was our last stop before leaving the ever beautiful Colorado.

It was our pleasure (at least in hindsight) to take 84 high school students and 14 adults to Adventure Experiences Base Camp, near Almont Colorado. Base camp is very near 10,000 feet and we spent the week rock climbing, working through the teams challenge course, and of course hiking up to Jenkins Bowl (roughly 13,103 feet). For those of you who have never been up to the mountians near this altitude...well, its amazingly beautiful...but, um...rustic (which is a nice word for livin' in the woods). Students were able to experince outhouses (double deckers at that), one shower for the week (due to the high cost of heating water), packing food in and trash out, and how deep to dig a hole if you need to "go" while out in the woods. If all that doesn't humble you out, we don't know what does.

The theme for the weekend: "The Mountian". The more you read the bible the more you come to understand that God often reveals himself on the mountain. It was our hope and our prayer that students would encounter God while on the mountain. While most of the students enjoyed the rock climbing, challenge course and hiking, many students commented on the Prayer Trek. We sent the students, and the adults, out for a solo experience on the mountain. They were given a CD with songs and leadings for prayers and were asked to go and come back when the CD was over. It took most students two hours to come back...how amazing is that...two hours of prayer, uninterrupted prayer: 100 people on the mountain spending time with the creator of the universe...you and God...if you haven't tried that in a while...you should!

Below are a number of pictures that show pieces of our trip. To see more click and go to the student ministries site at CTK. Enjoy!!

Gone Texas, Part II

Even before leaving the state of Missouri, Brian insisted that before returning for the final year of seminary he would find a cowboy hat that fit him (and his "style") well.

Needless to say, the year has flown by with very little comment about the hat...not even a peep from the man himself. It seems the hat will remain in Texas forever.

Brian was priviledged to travel to Katy, Texas for a confrence of church planters. For those of you new to this gig, church planters are crazies who birth churches from nothing (believe us when we say that they are flat out crazy). While at this confrence, Brian and the rest of the crazies went skeet shooting (sounds more like play time than a conference). The group was split into teams and let loose for the day to see which team would shoot the best. The winners were to receive a wonderful prize, while the losers would be handed something they didn't really want.

Believe it or not, Brian's team won the shooting competition and were rewarded with what you see above. It seems that we'll be returning to St. Louis with a hat after all!!

Fore

Well, for those of you who know us...you know that we are not golfers. Brian tries real hard, a grip it and rip it kind of guy. Brian's the kind of golfer people want when they need someone to point and laugh at. All joking aside, we were graciously given tickets to the Shell Houston Open. We had never been to a PGA golf event...and we had the afternoon...so we thought "why not."

The tournament itself was held at Red Stone Golf Course in Humble (which, by the way, is pronounced without the "h"...it sounds like Umble [we don't know, we just do it]). Humble is only 10 minutes from our home. Great we thought...we'll drive. Well, there is no parking near the site. So we drove 20 minutes in the other direction only to get shuttled back the 20 minutes we drove.

We were also quickly informed that cell phones, cameras, etc. were not allowed on the course. So, the above pictures are the tickets for the day and an AP photo of Staurt Appleby (who was still the leader when this post was being composed). For not being golfers we enjoyed the day. Needless to say, these men can really hit the golf ball. Plus, we perfected our golf clap.

To the "Original" BW

BDub's

We realized that many of you have been waiting in suspense for the story of the "Y". If you have no idea what we're talking about, then read the post below.

A very wise friend of ours noted, "Brian, someone spelled your name wrong" (If you look at the picture with Bryan [oh, we're sorry, Brian] playing with his mudbugs you will notice an incorrect name tag).

Brian is NOT the only BDub in the world (much to his dismay), nor is he the only BDub at Christ the King Lutheran Church. In fact, the other BDub works with our BDub at the church. What is so amazing is that both of them have the first name Brian/Bryan. The problem is that the staff has a difficult time remembering whose is spelled which way. And so it is that BDub's simply share their names. It wasn't at all offensive when our BDub had to wear the other BDub's name tag for the evening. In fact, the two are shockingly similar. So, here's to the BW's in the world.

Mmm, Mud Bugs

Having grown up in the midwest, we were both raised on meat and potatoes; not much demand for seafood in the square states. But down here in the South, seafood is something else.

Christ the King had its annual Shrimp and Crawfish Boil (wow, we just had potlucks). Basically, the church gets together and boils a whole ton of shrimp and crawfish, they cover the tables in newspaper, every member brings their own "adult beverage" and the eatin' begins.

Well, Brian was new to the crawfish (which, by the way, they call mud bugs in this here part of the country) eatin' experience (see the picture above). So, he quickly sought the advice of Nikki's (a member of our Kairos gathering) family, all of whom are from New Orleans. They quickly taught him the art of eatin' mud bugs.

First, one pinches the tail, and with a firm grip on the body...separates the two. If one is experienced, he/she would then place the tinest bit of meat between the teeth, turn the tail ever so slightly (like a key in a lock) and pull. If one is successful, he/she would have pulled out all the meat there is to eat in said mud bug. But, that doesn't alot for the best part. Those who really want the full experience are to take the body, crack the torso, and the suck the juice out of the head. It's common for people to go through 5 pounds of crawfish. Brian did!

So, the next time you go out for seafood, try ordering the mud bugs!

Gone Texas

There is a famous bumper sticker around the area that says, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!" While we're not ready to say that we got here as fast as we could, we have found ourselves delving into the realm of being Texan.

For those of you who don't know, the state flower is the Blue Bonnet. Each year, about this time, these wild flowers being to bloom all over the state. Apparently, people drive from around the country (by which, most Texans mean the state) to see large fields of them. Once arriving at said field, people plop themselves in the middle and start snapping photos. What's so amazing is the number of cars, simply pulled off to the sides of the road...so that the family can mass exit the car to take the yearly photo.

Well, needless to say, we headed up to the hill country and began a search for the ever infamous Blue Bonnet. We drove to Brenham (made famous by it's Blue Bell Creamery...which has amazing ice cream). We marveled at the hand of God, as fields that were once brown have grown green, all while sporting a wonderful blue. That blue...the state flower. We couldn't help but to plop ourselves in the middle of a field and start snapping photos.

Below you will find pictures of us in the field, some blue bonnets, some real Texas longhorns, and us at the Blue Bell Creamery. Sorry we couldn't get you any ice cream. Just come for a visit and we'll be happy to go again.

Just for Fun

This picture of us was taken at a wedding we attended (Liz and Danny are a part of our Kairos group). We wanted to share to show you that very little has changed with us! Enjoy.

Snow for Rain

We were blessed with a visit from Erin's parents. Paul and Phyllis were able to spend 4 and 1/2 days here in H-town. We're sad to say that they escaped the snow covered St. Louis to the rain falling Houston. But, our plans would not be spoiled!

We were blessed with beautiful weather as we headed south to Gavelston island for some time on the beach and to watch dolphins (which, by the way, are extremely cool) on the car toting ferry. Of course, a day on the island is not complete without some great fresh sea food (when I say fresh...I mean whatever was caught that morning). As we walked "The Strand" (the historic part of Gavelston) the clouds parted and the rain ceased; the sun showed it's face for the remainder of their trip.

We also spent a day downtown. We visited Herman Park (across the street from Rice University; and much like Forest Park in St. Louis or Central Park in New York City) where we walked through a japenese flower garden. While a few things are blooming away, it was bit too early to enjoy the colorful richness of that garden.

Paul and Phyllis also joined our Kairos gathering on Tuesday night. Awesome! They were able to experince the kinds opportunities that we both have here; to interact with people who are committed to one another and to the Word of God.

Needless to say...it was a great, relaxing and heart-warming weekend. There is something about family that cannot be filled by anything else. Our prayer is that you too cherish those moments with your family!

When God opens a Door...

When God opens a door, walk though it! You may never know what it on the other side. In fact, if you are being led by God's Spirit, the probability that you know what it on the other side of the door is most likely very low. But God is faithful saying, "never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." So, walk through the door.

We have been blessed by the Kairos ministry here at CTK (Christ the King). For those of you who are new, Kairos is the young adult ministry in which we commit ourselves to the study of the Scriptures and to each other. When we arrived, Kairos was a group of 7/8 people meeting every week at church for study. (Note: what will be said next may rub some people wrong) Church felt exceedingly sterile. People did not come as themselves, but rather as Bob, the church goer. So, we quickly moved it to our house where we meet every Tuesday for a meal, the study of Scripture, prayer and praise. We spend 2 and 1/2 hours together a week. And, we must be honest, it is a real hoot (we told you that we're fixin' to work on the southern thang). By God's grace, our group has grown to the point of needing another meeting space here in the near future.

All while this was going on, we quickly realized that a number of leaders has stopped coming to our gatherings. Not because they didn't like it. But, they were commuting from downtown...which is a good 30 minutes. So, in response to that...we thought to ourselves, "maybe we could go downtown and hold Kairos there?!" And so it was that on March 2nd, we had our first official Kairos @ the Loft (in downtown). What an experience! A couple from the church own a loft in the center of downtown and have graciously opened up their home to us. We meet there every Thursday night. Again, by God's grace, we are growing to the size of expansion. Remember, that when you walk through the door, you never know what is on the other side! Well, we walked through the door and another member has offered their three story townhouse in downtown as another location to meet. Needless to say, God is faithful.

God has infected us...we have a burning passion to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. Houston is a huge mission field that we are proud to work in. Pray that God would continue to guide people to a spiritual community like Kairos, especially those young adults in downtown Houston. Pray that God's Spirit would bring people out of the woodwork who need to know Christ.

When God open's your door, walk through it!!!

Blogging Blah's

Well, it has been far too long since our last post. I think that we both have had a case of the blogging blah's...

"So," you ask, "what have the West's been up to since the pandemonium that erupted with the Peterson's?" Plenty actually...but, in order to keep the post from getting too long too quick, consider this the highlight reel with more to come:

~Erin attended the Christ the King women's retreat
~Brian spent time in Orlando helping to plan the next National Youth Gathering
~Erin celebrated her 28th birthday...yeah!
~A 30 year roof was put onto the house
~Brian's parents came for a visit which included a honky tonk and dolphins
~Kairos (the young adult ministry @ CTK) has expanded into downtown Houston.
~Panera (St. Louis Bread Co. for all those at home) opened a store 15 minutes from our house...bagels were had by all
~We ate a wonderful pub in downtown called "The Flying Saucer" complete with golf tees (we'll explain later)
~Brian gathered again to plan the National Youth Gathering while Erin visited Kari in San Antonio
~Hurricane Salte came through town (Ryan, KerriAnn and Anna got to experience it first hand)
~The first of many weddings commenced last night

There are many others...many of which will come to you in soon to be posts. But until then, know that we think of you often and look forward to hearing from y'all (we're working on the southern thing).

2+2=Mass Chaos

This Christmas we were blessed with the arrival of...not a little one...not a red-suited man...but two of our closest friends, Ryan and Kristy Peterson.

In order to escape the rather cold, blustery state of Missouri, Ryan and Kristy quickly sought refuge in a warmer climate. They said to themselves, "who do we know that lives in a warm place?" Ryan, being the mastermind that he is said, "Brian and Erin live in Texas!" Kristy, hesitant to venture to the Lone Star State for fear of tumble-weed attacks, consented only after assurance of beaches and 80 degree weather.

Upon their arrival, chaos erupted in the Greater Houston area as two sets of friends reunited at long last (hear the music)! Our time together was short, but filled with infinite smiles and loads of laughter. Below are a few pictures of the rauckus time had here in H-town!