Ribs and Cribs

bobby posting:

Seasick Steve – Walkin’ Man

This is one of the posts that was meant be written a couple of months ago.  I’m not sure if it was really that long ago, or if it just feels like it’s been that long with everything going on.  Either way, a couple of months ago I was able to embark on two of the greatest journeys I’ve always hoped to encounter throughout my lifetime:

1 / Become an expert BBQ smoker

2 / Become an expert Dad

I’m not sure which one of those you’re laughing harder at right now.  Both seem infinitely impossible, but a boy’s gotta dream, right?  With a fresh rack of ribs to work with, and a box full of instructions and pieces, I spent a Saturday afternoon smoking ribs and putting together my son’s first bed.  How did all of it turn out?  Well…the crib took remarkably less time than I thought it would and it turned out just beautifully.

little babe-raham's first bed

Since we’ve put it together, I can’t walk by that room without thinking that a breathing baby boy will be crying and laughing and sleeping and smiling there before I know it.  That whole nesting thing isn’t just true for women.  I think it’s had a pretty profound impact on me as well.  It’s brought a little reality to this whole abstract idea of being a Dad.  That and my wife’s slowly expanding beautiful little belly.

Dad Lesson #1 /Read the instructions.  Follow the instructions.  Don’t forget that you ever abided by and believed in this rule.  Instructions are good.  Got it?  Good.

Dad Lesson #2 / Even if you try to make your wife’s growing body sound like a great, gorgeous thing…she’s probably still going to be offended by it.  Don’t do it again.  Got it?  Really got it?  Good.

As for the ribs?  Well they took remarkably more time than I thought…in fact about 6-8 hours more than I initially thought…but they still turned out incredible.  I cooked up two racks that I’d split into halves.  So, seeing as how I need to experiment enough to one day have the skills to rival Whole Hog here in Little Rock, I tried four different seasonings and rubs and bastings.  After 8-10 hours in the smoker, I took these bad boys out and was blown away.

the big winner? that beauty on the far left.

We couldn’t just take pictures of them though.  After all that time slaving away, we needed to eat.  We invited over my folks and devoured as much meat as possible.  Turns out, the rack I seasoned the least turned out to be my favorite, but they were all tender and tasty.  I’m on my way.

BBQ Lesson #1 /Let the meat and smoke speak for itself.

BBQ Lesson #2 / A whole bunch of eaten ribs, even if photographed beautifully, still makes one a little queasy after devouring that much meat!

one man's trash = one dog's heaven

I’ve got a couple of months, Lord willing, until little Abe arrives.  Here’s hoping in that time, I’ll be able to keep preparing for my two life-conquests.  From working on my reading voice for story time to figuring out a way to lower that cooking time on those ribs, I’ll be hard at work.  Since Amy’s basically just sitting around and getting beautifully bigger, I figure at least one of us better be doing something.

Lesson #3 / Apologize to your wife before she reads this very public post.  There’s at least a chance, then, that she’ll be gracious and understanding!

 

To Build a Name…

bobby posting:

The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build A Home

Amy’s now 7 months along in the pregnancy. Which sounds good and fun, except for this fact: she’s 3 months away from giving birth…which means we’re 3 months away from being parents! Sure we’ve been a fine mother and father to our dog, Zeke. But a human? A real eating, breathing, crying, smiling, hand-holding, life-living boy? We’ll be sailing thru uncharted waters…and we couldn’t be more excited/nervous about it.

We’ve been told that you’re not supposed to pick out a name and settle on it until you actually see your child. I can see some value in that. That almost prevented us from full-on already picking out a name (and who knows, it may change when we finally hold him). But here’s the deal: I’ve already seen our son. A couple of months ago, I saw this:

As soon as the nurse said, “it’s a boy”, one name came to mind: “Abe.” Abraham had been on our mind. It was on our short-list, but it was certainly not decided or definite. That is until I “saw” our boy for the first time. Abraham became his name in that moment. Even if I’d wanted to change it, I couldn’t. It was already his and it was no longer ours. He was as much Abe as I was Bobby.

I’ve always valued names. I believe in the power of them and I’ve seen the biblical precedent for casting a vision thru a name. I wanted to do the same for our child. Amy and I spent a long time crafting out possibilities, until this all came together. Below you’ll find a piece I’ve written to our son. When he’s old enough to understand, I’ll give it to him. He will, for the first time, understand why he is who he is. I hope his name gives him a solid foundation. I hope it guides his footsteps and fashions his faith. I hope it inspires him to be a man after God’s own heart.

We certainly have many hopes. But our largest hope in all of this, one that I hope never gets lost in the brush, is that as much as we can build a name, what we’re really hoping to build is a man.

here it is:

your name, built for you, by us

Joshua Abraham Harrison

Joshua
Joshua because “He” is before “me.” Jesus is first. “He saves”. I pray it’s always a clear reminder for you that “Abe” comes second. Always put others before you. Always put God before you. Always display your real strength in this kind of way. He did.

Joshua because it was he who led Israel faithfully into the promised land. He himself was not first, but when called upon, Joshua took the lead from Moses and finished out strong. He did not cave under pressure but rose to the occasion and stood tall. May you be a mighty man of valor one day and lead. May you be a leader among your friends and family.

And Joshua because of one of the greatest men I know. Joshua Holland. A strong reminder that God is good and blesses us beyond our belief. A good, good friend…the best a man can ask for. Here’s hoping that you grow strong and faithful like him, and that one day you have the kind of friendship the two of us share. May Joshua be a reminder and testament to friendship.

Abraham
Abraham because of faith. When the Father asked this father in the Old Testament to show his faith in the most difficult way imaginable, he came thru. Abraham was a “Father of Nations” and paved the way for the rest of history. He is the Father of our Faith. May you one day be a father like him, like me. May you one day father others in the faith.

Abraham because of our country’s greatest president. “Honest Abe”. A man of virtue and value. A man of unwavering confidence and strength. A man who’s mythology may be greater than his actual being, but who can dispute a legend? May you stand in the face of adversity and trials with the same stature and belief. May you be a pillar for others to look to. May you always be honest.

Abe because of something silly and simple, and your mom and I always value silly and simple. A is for Amy. B is for Bobby. E is for Everything. You’re Mom. You’re me. You’re our everything. You’re our Abe.

Abe because it is simple, but it carries real weight. It is a strong name filled with courage and class. Carry it well, but never carry it alone. You’ll never walk alone.

Harrison
And Harrison because it is the name of our Fathers. My father and your father. One day, I pray you will say the same to a son of your own.  Harrison:  A surname of presidents. A name that’s stood the test of time. Not that there’s any real strength in the name alone, though. The real strength will come through the first two names, and how you live them out. But eventually, you get to this last. The most stripped down paring of me, your dad. The name I’m giving to you for you to give yourself.

Harrison has no deep symbolic meaning to me. Just the old worn word that feels more like home to me than anything else. Writing it out, those 8 letters with double-R’s that I love to capitalize,  brings me thru childhood to college, marriage and ministry and now here. Writing it brings me to you.

I pray one day you have the gift of writing your wife’s name next to it, the way that I have. Seeing her maiden name moved to the side to be only next to yours is the most humbling reminder that she is yours to lead. Not because she is weak, but because she is strong. I pray that you have the reward of one day leading in that way as well. I pray that you have the reward of one day loving someone as much as I love her…and as much as I already love you.

Joshua Abraham Harrison – because you are loved.

 

Love Like the Movies / Vol. 1

bobby posting:

A few months ago, a friend of mine posted on a photographer out in California that does these amazing photo shoots.  even cooler though (as far as I’m concerned), sometimes, a videographer friend of hers comes along and makes these wonderful “Home Movies That Rock” from the shoot.  I was immediately inspired and knew that I had to do my own sometime.  On Monday the 24th, the opportunity arose.

Amy did an amazing photo shoot of our dear friends Brett and Lauren.  Brett and I have known each other longer than nearly every other person I’ve known (other than family).  We’ve shared trips, sports, schools, friends, girlfriends (that part is a lie…or is it?), dreams, and many, many, many memories.  Monday, I was able to share in on the experience and video the photoshoot.  I spent the week editing it (whenever I could boot my wife off of her work computer to use Final Cut) and officially gave it to the couple last night.

After leaving the broadcast industry a couple of years ago, there’s been a void in me.  I don’t miss the job.  But I do miss the creative story-telling process.  The cinematography.  Editing pieces here and there.  Adding a soundtrack.  Seeing it all come together.  I think my own version of “Home Movies” will be able to use those passions in a way that better suits where I’m at right now.  I’m hopeful to do more of these, to capture couples and families completely and to tell their story sweetly.  I’m calling my version, “Love Like the Movies” (based on an Avett Brothers song).  I want every video I do to transport these ordinary people into their own little movie.  I think Brett and Lauren make a lovely little movie couple.  I hope you do as well. Check below to see for yourself:

Brett and Lauren / Love Like the Movies Vol. 1 from Bobby Harrison on Vimeo.

 

Time Machine

bobby posting:

Jason Collett – Out of Time

I believe the last post on the Harrisonian was sometime in April.  April!  April?!  Are you kidding?!  I’d say we’ve just been really lazy recently…but I suppose we have a bit of an excuse.  Let’s see what the Harrison’s have been up to since the last write-up:

APRIL

* We’d been in our new house a month

* Older sister turned 28!  What a geezer!

* Played my first ever solo-show as a paid musician.  Pretty cool.

* Attended a fantastic William Fitzsimmons concert

MAY

*I spent a week in Canada sharing a bed…I mean bedroom with my Wise Counsel at an amazing Pastor’s Conference

* Amy made trip #1 to Chicago to see friends

* Visited by two of my best friends, Daniel and Zach, for an entire week!

* I played my second-ever concert.  Had my good friend Taylor Hall join me this go-around.  Much, much better this time.

* Little sister turns 20!  AHHH!!!  Oh…and on the same day…

* Find out my wife is pregnant!  AHHH!!!  What?  It was me?  Oh…Hooray!!!

* Me and Amy both turned 25

* Our church staff took a very impactful trip to the Central High School museum

JUNE

* Played third-ever show.  This time with Samuel Boultinghouse on banjo.  Good times had by all.

* Our church’s 25th anniversary!

* DCamp – where I had my first every opportunity to be a Camp Speaker…all in front of 90 Middle School kids!

* Amy trip to Chicago #2 for Willow Creek Arts Conference.  She flies home early though because her grandfather is sent to the hospital (he’s doing well now!).

* VBS at Fellowship with 100+ students throughout the week!

* Amy goes to Memphis to see “Wicked”.  Claims it is the best musical since “Les Miserables”.  She’s actually almost convincing me to take down my boycott on musicals.

* Kentucky Mission Trip Drive-In Fundraiser – we raise $3000+ for our students’ trips.  Simply an amazing night.

JULY

* Head off to Colorado with the college students for the annual backpacking trip.  One of the greatest weeks with students you could ever imagine.  Just a smooth, solid, sweet week.

PRESENT…

Whew…that catches us up.  I just got tired all over again.  While I have a breath, though, here’s a look at the future:

* Big wedding this weekend that me and Ames are both in.  Then…

* Kentucky Mission Trip all next week.

* Staying around for a few days to visit dear friends in that part of the country.

AUGUST

* Best buddy Adam Schaectherle should be visiting these parts to cover a tennis tournament for his employer, Wilson Sporting Goods.  Yeah!

SEPTEMBER

* Me and Amy hoping to actually take a vacation!!!  Maybe a late summer/early fall trip to Chicago.  Trip #3 for her to the Windy City this year, hopefully!

* Oh…and the reason for the trip:  4 year anniversary!

OCTOBER

* My Best Friend’s wedding!  Excited for him.  Very excited.  He found a good one.

* Back to Castle Bluff with Middle School and High School students to start the cycle up once again!

Life is busy, yes…but life is good.  See ya next April…

 

my spin on the top 5

i’ve recently read a few blogs on “Top 5 something to do with music”. as you know, i am a music expert, so i thought i’d put in my two cents.

however, mine has nothing to do with 5…too limiting. what you will find is an old artist and a new artist for each letter of the alphabet. fyi: sometimes “old” refers to artists who have been making music for awhile even though they are still around. sometimes “new” refers to artists who have been around for a long time who are still making music. also, if there’s a comma somewhere in the name…i’ve cheated. deal with it.

seriously though, if you see someone you don’t know, check ‘em out…

here we go!

A:  Alison Krauss (with Robert Plant) / The Avett Brothers

B:  The Beatles / Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama (extra points in Scattergories)

C:  Credence Clearwater Revival / Carolina Chocolate Drops

D:  John Denver / Bob Dylan (remember that “new” rule)

E:  Elvis / Eddie Vedder

F:  The Faces (Rod Stewart) / The Frames

G:  George Harrison / David Gray

H:  Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, & Kris Kristofferson) / Emmylou Harris (she’s still singing!)

I:  Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens) / Iver, Bon

J:  Joan Baez / Josh Ritter

K:  Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) / The Killers

L:  Little Richard / Leon, Kings of

M:  The Mamas & the Papas / M. Ward

N:  Nina Simone / Neko Case

O:  Otis Redding / Old Crow Medicine Show

P:  Paul Simon / Patti Griffin

Q:  Queen / (I can’t think of anymore Q’s that are worthy…and you can’t top Queen anyway, right?)

R:  The Rolling Stones / Ray LaMontagne

S:  Bruce Springstein / Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Sam Cooke / Soweto Gospel Choir   (I’m sorry I had to do two sets)

T:  Tom Petty / TV on the Radio

U:  U2 / Uncle Tupelo

V:  Van Morrison / Vampire Weekend

W:  The Who / Wilco

X:  All the X-cellent music I had to leave out…

Y:  Neil Young / Pete Yorn

Z:  Ziggy Stardust (aka David Bowie) / Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)

Whew that’s some good stuff! Enjoy!

 

15 easy steps to buying a home

prep:  have a vague conversation with God about what this year might hold…maybe, possibly, i don’t know, a house?

step #1:  casually look for a house in the desired neighborhood, but assume there will be no commitment for at least a few months

step #2:  find a realtor who tells you all the potential (and lack there of) of each house you enter; ask her a lot of dumb questions

step #3:  make an offer on a house you’ve only “known” for 20 minutes in order to beat out a couple who’s undoubtedly been looking at the house for months

step #4:  when making an offer, never forget the lessons well-learned from Price Is Right ($1 makes all the difference)

step #5:  do whatever the nice, trustworthy-looking lady at the mortgage company says…ASAP!

step #6:  borrow lots of money from all relatives

step #7:  wait

step #8:  repeat as necessary

step #9:  sign your middle name for the first time ever

step #10: repeat approximately 101 times

step #11: hope to God you did everything right

step #12: share some bubbly with friends and fam

step #13: blow up an air mattress, calm your dog down (since he’ll be scared of the security system’s beeping), eat easy cheese, and call it a successful first-night-in-the-new-house night

step #14: ask yourselves one more time “what have we done?”

step #15: (aka. the most important) redeem tax credit after one year of homeowning bliss

 

mustardseedness

God has to use repetition with me, I’ve discovered. He’ll open up a piece of Himself to me, just a small portion of His wisdom, and just to make sure I’m understanding He brings it back to me over and over and everywhere. I usually take note of this when I begin a  sentence with “I know I said this the last time, but it still applies…” Let’s just say I get a little fixated.

The truth nugget I’ve been stuck on lately is this:  God asks us to take small steps of faith so that our eyes will be open to the big work He’s doing. He’s doing the big work, and will do it whether we’re watching or not. But without taking steps of faith, we miss the opportunity to see His power…to see Him at work.

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said: “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20). Maybe He meant that what God is asking from us is relatively small. Not easy always, but small. He asks for faith, then He moves the mountains…and we get to see it and sometimes be a part of it. In that case, nothing is impossible.

Just a thought.

 

Heading Home – take 1

bobby posting:

(Today, I’m writing the account of what’s happened here in our family. Here shortly, my wife will come back and post in a more thoughtfully analytical way (no pressure, Angel). I’m just getting the facts out.)

(also, something new here at the Harrisonian.  When it fits, we’ll try to put a song with a post.  So turn up the speakers and listen while you read.  Here’s one of my favorites right now from a group called the Deep Dark Woods.  Little tongue-in-cheek for you.)

The Deep Dark Woods – All the Money I Had is Gone

2 weeks ago, I sat staring at this same screen, writing on this same blog that this year had the potential to be our biggest year ever! Well I can report back now, 14 days later, that we’re still right on track! Me and the missus have spent the last month “casually” looking at houses. A couple of weeks ago, we called up our dear friend Kalynn Hill, who is a realtor, and asked if she’d show us around a few places. We love Kalynn and her whole family. We’ve been to Africa with her, babysat her daughter when she was younger, and really think of her like an Aunt that lives out of town or some other member of your family that you only ever see the good side of.

As we’d walk into places, Kalynn would immediately point out the good, bad, and ugly. After a week and a half of this, me and Ames had a pretty good idea of what was out there. We saw what kind of home we could get for our price range, but we also knew what we really wanted in a home and believed we’d find it somewhere, sometime. We really wanted an open living area. A nice big living room that was open to the kitchen. We like having folks over and we wanted a space that was conducive to that. We also wanted a good kitchen and a sizable backyard.

Well, 6 days ago, after having lunch with some good friends, we decided we’d looked enough online at homes and that maybe we should drive around neighborhoods we liked. After 20-30 minutes of this, we started to narrow the path down a bit and began to make our way back home. But, with Ames driving, we took a turn and found one more FOR SALE sign. The most exciting part was the little “price reduced” sign that’d been attached. We pulled into a driveway and the wife got out to look into the windows. I always think this would just be hilarious to watch from a living room across the street…all your “potential” neighbors looking into an empty house…you secretly pulling for certain couples to get back in the car and keep on driving! After staring into the house for a sec, Ames turned back to me with that same face that a young child gives you when you tell them they can have a cookie before dinnertime. We immediately called Kalynn and Amy’s mother, and within minutes the four of us were walking around the Harrisonian “dream home”. Wide open dining room/foyer when you walk in that connects right to a great, big living room with built-in bookshelves and a wood burning fire place (both things Amy really wanted, but definitely was not demanding). Then Kalynn dropped the bomb on us: somebody else was making an offer on this house…that day!!! Lets just say it made that initial walk-thru a little more intense. We fell hard and fast for it. Kalynn left for the office to work out what we’d need to do to make an offer too! The three of us headed to the backyard and prayed over the process. We prayed that God would be glorified from beginning to end in this situation. We prayed that we would hold loosely to this home. We prayed that God would put us as a family in a place where he could use us for his purposes…and we prayed that maybe this wasn’t that place. We immediately did all we could to give it all over to Him.

Within a couple of hours, I found myself in a realty office that I’d driven by a million times since I could first drive. I thought of all the vehicles I’d been in as I passed this building. My sister’s old Nissan Sentra. My 1982 Jeep CJ7. My mom’s old Isuzu Trooper (R.I.P.) (I loved that car). I looked at what me and Amy were wearing: grey cardigans. Seriously, the day I make my first offer on a house I’m wearing a grey cardigan at the same time that my wife is? Silly and unbelievable. I knew I’d have to sign 6000 pieces of paper, but other than that, this was not at all what I pictured this process to look like. We spent an hour going over everything and went back to our beautiful rent home shell-shocked and hopped up on life’s version of Mountain Dew. That was on a Friday. Because this past Monday was a holiday, we wouldn’t find anything out until Tuesday. Four gruelling days.

While meeting with Kalynn again, four days later, we upped our competing offer to our max (that was still within our “comfort zone”) and signed papers for the last time. We were told we’d hear the next day now. Then…a few hours later, Amy popped her head into my office downstairs at the church and screamed, “We got the house!” Shocked. I was shocked. Absolutely, jaw-on-the-floor-shocked. Some may call that “buyer’s remorse”. Some would simply call it hysteria.

There’s still 2-4 weeks of closing everything up before we officially “get” the house. Things can go wrong and take a turn for the worse. But we are pretty confident (as much as can humanly be) that it’ll all go smoothly. God has certainly already been glorified through this story. As Amy will probably write about here in a couple-few days, every major decision of our relationship has been strikingly quick and strangely similar to this one. All I know is that for the next few weeks, before we actually end up in that home, I may have to don that grey cardigan at least once a day for good luck. Maybe all you fellows out there should go look for one yourself. I found mine at Saver’s for 5 bucks. May be the best Abe Lincoln you’ve ever spent.

 

Biggest Year Ever? Hmm…Maybe.

bobby posting:

So the missus tells me this may be the biggest year ever (of our own lives).  I’d have to say that she just may be on to something.  Things that could happen this year.

1.  Baby Maybe. That’s right Zeke…we may adopt another dog!  Or…we might begin to walk down that road known as “trying to have a baby.”  Either way, another mouth may be fed in our house…and either way, it’ll still be a few months before that “process” even gets going at all.  So listen up Debbie and Laura…no grandkids yet!  Patience!

2.  Home We Own. Me and Amy have been blessed each year of our marriage with an amazing rental home that was just perfect for us at that specific time.  We are now in the beginning stages of looking at homes and thinking about what we want.

3.  Bob’s Job. I’m in conversations with my “wise counsel” about further-down-the-road kinda stuff.  Ways to grow in my role within ministry and avenues to pursue to deepen my education.

4.  Video Schmideo. I just wanted to have another rhyming thing here, although Video Schmideo is the coolest video rental store name ever.  Amy saw it one time in Chicago.  Hilarious.

5.  ‘09 is the Time. Me and the missus have both jumped head-first into a few New Year’s resolutions, and they’re holding strong so far.  For Amy, that involves eating right, buying right, and excercising right.  From fresh-green salads to energy-saving light bulbs to pain-inducing yoga she seems to be doing great.  For me, that involves being very intentional in my guy friendships, really enjoying the sport of soccer again, and writing and recording my first (and only?) album.  I’ve always wanted to do it.  As far as we’re concerned, ‘09 might as well be the time!

Will it be the our biggest year ever?  Hmm…maybe, baby.

[to be continued...]

 

happy holidays

We’re not sending out Christmas cards this year to your mailbox, so instead we thought we’d do it electronically.  We had a professional photographer and costume designer come by and outfit the family and shoot us in our Sunday Best.  Hope you enjoy the outcome.

Love,

Bobby, Amy, and Zeke Glorious Ellington Harrison III