find the matching (or not-so-matching) siblings

Why Have Children - Part One

I took this photo of my daughter, Reyna Joy, four days ago with my cell phone and saved it as my phone's wallpaper. Ever since then I've pulled out my cell phone about ten times a day when I'm at work, school, etc. just to look at my two-month-old beauty. I love her more everyday.

In a world that has gone mad, why bring precious children into it? Richard O'Ffill says he advises couples its a risk worth taking. "They're the only thing you might be able to take with you to heaven."

Think about it.

What do you call yours that won't one day burn at Christ's second coming? You can't take your car, clothes, or CDs to heaven. As my friend Thomson Paris wrote in a great post, outside of character and souls there is nothing else you can take with you.

But to be more specific, what is mine that I can take? As much as I would like to lay claim to my friends, they really don't belong to me. Therefore, the closest thing I can claim as mine is my family and that strongest claim may be made about my girl Reyna, the one I'm responsible for Biblically, morally, and legally.

So when it comes to what you call "your's" or "mine", take a risk: Have children. Love them. Teach them. Disciple them. And pray they'll be good and faithful servants of the LORD and that they'll spend eternity with you.

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

What Victory Looks Like

Do you know how hard it is to get two knuckleheads together? Especially when the boy has temporarily misplaced his mojo and the girl's intuition is on the fritz? Never in my life had I had to resort to every single Machiavellian trick up my sleeve to make any other conniving scheme work, but it was worth it for my February triumph.

The three tenets I had to obey for ultimate victory...
1. Make the boy think that every idea I had to get him into the vicinity of the girl was actually his idea.
2. Make the girl think that every time she "happened" to be around the boy that there served a practical purpose for some altruistic venture.
3. Use deceit only when necessary, which basically meant all the time.

For instance, one night in January, I needed help moving the baby crib into the basement. It just so "happened" that on a Saturday night I "desperately" needed the boy's help in moving the crib. Of course, with two people carrying such a cumbersome crib in the pitch black darkness of night, I "needed" the help of the girl to be the "lamp to our feet and a light for our path".

Naturally the task was so "taxing", I suggested the three of us should go back into the living room and recover our strength. And what, pray tell, would be a better way to recover than upon the most comfortable coach in all of Collegedale? Of course the boy was too gentlemanly to share the couch with the girl and it took much "prodding" by the man of the house before the boy was convinced that the wobbly wooden chairs from Wal-Mart might collapse under his well-toned, muscular body (due to regular visits to the YMCA).

Hee, hee...


Knowing that something special was blooming I grabbed my Canon Rebel to photograph the historic moment that will be passed down the Paris/Pham family tree.

Of course it didn't take too long before girl and boy felt cozy...


The eventual result...weeks later mojo was rediscovered, intuition was restored, and soon after victory was achieved.

Perhaps I'm taking too much credit, but as a journalist I've learned never to let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Thomson is Dead...Long Live Thomson

Words cannot express the loss of my dear friend, Thomson Mason Paris, last December. A brother with whom I Bible worked and worshiped with, often joined in cooking and eating, and laughed and cried with...was no more.



All that remained was an occasional glimpse of a shadowy wraith who would laugh, but not with all his laughter, and who would cry, but not with all his tears.

Thomson, my brother, my friend, my confidant...was gone...

Brother where art thou?

But like the mythical Phoenix, Thomson in January rose from the ashes, better, bolder, brighter and more brilliant than ever.

Thomson The Phoenix is back...Long live Thomson Mason Paris.

Being a Witness

I found this video where a couple of Christians happen to be videotaping in a Burger King parking lot when they are approached by two Mormon missionaries. Whether this is just an extraordinary coincidence or a fake, the following is an intriguing dialogue (sometimes heated argument) as they begin proselytizing each other.

As you watch this six-minute video, consider the following...

1. What are the Mormons doing right?
2. What are the Mormons doing wrong?

3. What is the Christian doing right?
4. What is the Christian doing wrong?

4. How would you have handle the situation differently (as either party)?




Flame On...

Happy Valentines

This video goes out to Thomson, who I know has secretly been wishing six times a day for the last six days for me to post this in his honor.

Yes...that's right. It's the Chinese Backstreet Boys singing.

This one's for you T-Bird...Happy Valentines.




Click here for the high quality video and stereo version

P.S. This video is also why people shouldn't eat so much MSG.