Loss of a friend

I couldn't believe the news when I heard it. A friend of mine from the fire department, someone I'd known for almost 9 years, took his own life a few days ago. Emergency workers like us get the sad duty of responding to calls like this - the first responders and EMS workers all knew him personally. 

We all knew he was going through a very difficult time in his life, and a number of friends from the department had reached out to him. How very sad that he still was willing to take such final measures to end his pain.

Our department won't be the same without him. We'll miss you, "Gump."

Please pray for his family as they deal with the loss of a husband & father.

Switched to Mac

I did it...after many years of wanting to try a Mac, I took the plunge yesterday & bought a 2.4ghz MacBook.

Nice.

After being a die hard Windows user for so many years, I'm surprised how easy it is to make the transition. I still haven't figured out all the nooks & crannies of Mac OSX yet, but it's pretty intuitive.

I'm also liking how well the MacBook is built. It's definitely not in the same league as the $599 deals from Walmart, or even some of the $1000+ models out there. In a word, it's solid. I got the aluminum 13" model, whose body is machined from a single block of metal. The fit & finish is remarkable - no creaks when you pick it up, the display is glass, not plastic.

Yup, definitely liking it!

Painful Praise

I’ve been experiencing something new in my spiritual life as of late, or at least I’m aware of it now. Probably not surprising considering my life these past 5 months. In that span I’ve lost both parents & experienced a rough start with our newest daughter Hattie. Add to that stresses at work…when it rains, it pours!

Now, I’ve definitely labored in prayer during trials past – health issues, financial struggles, future uncertainties, etc. Through it all I’ve had no doubt as to God’s presence in the midst of it, and His provision has been unmistakable.

Then came that phone call on December 9th, 2008…

The unexpected death of my mom was devastating! I had always imagined her present at my daughters’ weddings. My dad was killed in an accident on April 22nd, forcing us to not only deal with his loss, but also legal difficulties because of how his estate was left. Hattie’s birth, just a couple weeks after that, brought its own worries when she experienced complications requiring specialized care.

Then I realized it…

As the severity of my situation increased, not only was I praying (boy, did I pray), but I found myself praising God as much, if not more! The harder it got, the more grateful I became, confidently aware of God’s presence, even as it seemed my life was spinning out of control.

“I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!” Hebrews 13:5 Amplified

I have to admit, it was tempting to blame God, especially watching my newborn daughter, unable to hold her as she lay in the nursery with tubes & sensors keeping her from the arms of her helpless parents. “How much more?!” I thought as I stood there, holding Hattie’s tiny hand. I was up to my neck in circumstances that could’ve driven me away from God, trials that have done just that to countless others who’d reached the limits of their trust in God. “If He loved me, He wouldn’t let [fill in the blank].”

Instead, I found myself driven closer to Him. With every cry, every tear, a wave of praise seemed to rise up from the deepest part of me.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Christ Jesus is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 NIV

Ok, I thought I'd finally take the plunge & set up a twitter account. I'm always hesitant to add even MORE online accounts to maintain, but I think twitter will fill a niche within thedavewave that it's ideally suited for - those things that make me go "hmm" that don't really require a full blog post, plus it's really easy to "tweet" from my phone when I'm away from a computer, adding to the spontaneity of the posts.

Hattie's here!

Hattie Leona Prowitz joined us at 4:25pm on Wednesday, May 6th. Eight pounds, 11 ounces, 20 inches long, with thick & curly dark hair. It's amazing to have another little one in our family. Jen's recovering well, and Hattie is doing alright. Seems like she's trying to outdo her older sister...an overachiever if you will...

...she cried SO hard when she was born that she gave herself an air bubble trapped between her lungs & chest wall. Evidently this happens sometimes, and they're treating her with moist oxygen & letting her body absorb the bubble. It sucks to see my little one with an IV & wires hanging off of her (it looks much worse than it actually is), but hopefully it will resolve itself in the next 24-48 hours. Oh, how I wish I could take all the pokes & prods for my little one!

It makes me appreciate even more, especially in light of the recent passing of both of my parents (my dad just 2 weeks before Hattie's birthday), how precious life is & how each day we have with those we love is a gift of God.

As joyful this time is, however, it just isn't the same without being able to share Hattie's arrival with my mom & dad. The first of many "firsts" without my folks. I miss 'em so much!

Gear Review: Patagonia

Ok, I'm taking a bit of a departure with this one - not so much a review of a specific product as it is a review of the brand as a whole.

As an outdoors professional, I have a tendency to look beyond the label. My gear has to WORK, regardless of price. Some of my most versatile equipment remains to this day among the least expensive...my $8 Walmart fleece flip-mittens, $25 insulated snow bibs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to hand over large amounts of cash for quality gear that'll do the job for me. I can imagine your face if I told you how much my GoreTex XCR technical shell jacket cost.

Having never tried Patagonia's stuff before, I usually shied away...seemed like an overpriced niche brand, especially compared to my usual brands of choice...

...then I took a chance & bought my first piece on ebay.

After having a chance to put my first jacket to the test, exposing it to a full range of conditions out on the challenge courses, I became very aware of how well made it was. The quality, features, attention to detail...a very well made, solid garment that's obviously built to perform, not just to look good worn by a teenager at the local mall.

I've since sold a lot of my old gear & replaced 'em with their Patagonia counterparts.

Reading "Let My People Surf", by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) has only further solidified my growing appreciation of what goes into each of their products - company philosophy, extremely rigorous testing...testing, and MORE testing. Patagonia's never the "fad" brand because it can take 1-2 YEARS before a product idea becomes a purchasable product...that is, IF it survives the testing. Amazing stuff. I highly recommend reading the book if you get a chance.

I'm sold. Keep 'em coming, Patagonia!