TIeche is Back

So I know I've been out of communication for a while, but there's been a lot going on. The following is a brief listing of all that's been going on since I last posted.

1. Grades were due Monday for the first 6 weeks of the semester, so I was busy grading papers lately. This is like a cross between getting a root canal and attending a series of lectures at a Dermotology Convention. Not that I have done either, but you can imagine.

JUSTUS TURNS 1
2. Justus, my son, turned 1! How exciting. He had a party with balloons, which he loves, and some of his friends came over. Here are some pictures

This is Justus playing with some cool cars that his friends Chris and Bettina gave him. Grandpa is fun!


This is Justus with Mommy and Daddy blowing out his candle.


This is Justus playing with his birthday cake. He didn't know what to do with it at first, but then he decided that smashing it would be best, and then grabbing some streamers and mixing it in with the cake. Cold Stone should investigate that as a mix-in.



BEST FRIEND ENGAGED


The other big news is that my best friend Jon Fortt got engaged. We had a party for them at our house, and lots of folks came over, including all the guys in our men's Bible study. That was a blast. Gina's ring is huge! Seriously, Bugs Bunny doesn't have as many carrots.

The really weird thing is that Jon and Gina are thinking about getting married in the exact same location where Nicole's dad and step-mom, Shari, got married almost 10 years ago. It's a gorgeous little church in Saulsilito, just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I actually saw it when I was sailing around the bay with Nicole and her folks two Father's Day ago on an old pirate ship. I know that sounds like I'm making it up, but it's true. I just don't have time to go into the details. Suffice to say, it's a gorgeous location.

The coolest part of this whole thing - besides the fact that two people will be forever united in love to each other - is that Jon asked me to be his best man. I have never been a best man before. And I probably never will be again. So that makes this an even bigger deal for me. I'm already working on my speech. After 10 years, I have lots of dirt on Jon. He will have to pay me lots to not talk about certain topics.

Tieche Speaks on Main Stage
So three weeks ago, I got the chance to speak on the main stage of FCC. It was a blast, but I was really scared. I had to practice all afternoon Friday. Really, when I say "practice" I mean "condition." That stage is giant. Walking back and forth takes 21 minutes (only 3 if you drive).

The sermon went really well, and I was really well received. It was probably because I worked on an intro story for a while that actually turned into one of the funniest opening stories I have ever told. At least, that's what folks who have been around me for a while have said.

The story is about a time in college when my buddy Andy Stanley took me bridge jumping in the middle of the night.
If you didn't hear it and are interested, you can download it here.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'll write more soon.