12Dec/090
Gaudete! She said “yes!”
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Today is a special Sunday in the Church - the Third Sunday of Advent is known as "Gaudete" Sunday, from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon in its native Latin, "Gaudete", which means "Rejoice!"
Today is the day we light the third candle of the Advent wreath - the pink one amid the others, which are all purple.
Today is also quite special in our home, as it's the day 6 years ago on which I chose to ask Suzanne to be my wife, and it's the day 6 years ago on which she accepted my proposal.
I proposed after we had both received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, while we prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, before 10 PM Sunday Mass at St. Frances Xavier (SLU) College Church.
Here we are, 6 years later... blessed with five years of marriage, three wonderful boys, the blessing of being surrounded by numerous family and friends, good jobs, a nice home, an extended parish family, and so much more.
As the readings today instruct us, we rejoice always, shout for joy, and sing always. We are so blessed, so happy, and so full of thanks.
I've reposted our wedding site from 6 years ago, complete with both of our sides of the story of the proposal, and with the well-wishes that friends and family sent us back then. There are great memories there. Check it out!
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29Nov/090
Dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Tweet ThisI'm really getting excited about the dedication of our cathedral (the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, Illinois) that I'll be going to on Wednesday afternoon this week.
I was honored to have been asked, knowing that the tickets for the dedication Mass were extremely limited. But then it didn't really set in until today, as I was reading this week's special edition of our diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Times, which was all about the renovation and dedication.
Those who have been reading for a while know that I wasn't thrilled about everything surrounding the renovation, including the timing of the request for financial support, simultaneous to one in our own parish. But looking at the results of the renovation, I'm proud of and excited about what our diocese and cathedral have accomplished.
Keep an eye here. I'll post more, and photos, as the week progresses.
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25Nov/090
Thanksgiving
Tweet ThisWell... it's time for my annual "Giving Thanks" post. (See last year's post.) After all, "Eucharist" means "Thanksgiving!"
Thanks to you, my family and friends. And thanks, above all, for the gift of life... for my wife and boys... and for all of our blessings. God is good... All the time!
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17Sep/090
Adobe + Omniture
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Many friends and family noticed my Facebook status on Tuesday mentioning that the company I work for, Omniture, is being acquired by Adobe. The proposed deal was announced on Tuesday.
It's been interesting to watch the analysts and commentators talk about the deal for the last couple of days.
I'm honestly very excited about this move. Having leaped to the analytics space from an advertising agency, I've always been hopeful of more ongoing synergy between the left brains and right brains that seek to most effectively market on the Internet.
The diagram on the Adobe announcement page (below) is eerily similar to a chart that we used to include in decks when I was at Rodgers Townsend that illustrated the full-circle from creative through execution through analysis and feeding back into creative.
Here's some more cool analysis that's come out over the last couple of days related to the combination of the companies:
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4Sep/092
5 Blissful Years
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I post this as I leave the hotel to board an early-morning flight home from a visit to our Herndon, VA office.
When I get home, I'll be to a special day: our 5th wedding anniversary.
Honestly, I can't believe that it's already been 5 blissful years. Time has literally flown by.
We're blessed with so much: each other, our boys, our families, parish community, friends, health, home, employment. It's pretty overwhelming, really.
We're looking forward to a semi-relaxing weekend around the house and with family.
A few quick items you might enjoy... my gift to you on this special day, you might say:
1) Article 7 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - on Marriage.
2) Humanae Vitae. 'Nuf said.
3) For Your Marriage - a site by the U.S. Catholic Bishops
4) This podcast by Fr. Dwight Longnecker, which he just posted on Wednesday, which is part of his homily series on the seven Sacraments, and the second on Marriage.
(PS: Happy anniversary to my parents as well... yesterday was their 32nd anniversary. They have a few years on us!)
(PSS: I love you dear!)
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3Jul/090
Great Men, Great Mentors, and Great Ideas
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There are a few men who have taught me a lot about business, leadership, management, and life. I've come across them as I've traveled this journey called "life", and have been blessed to call them acquaintances and, in many cases, friends.
My list won't be able to include them all, but I'll highlight a few.
If I were carving Mount Rushmore today on my sabbatical day of rest, relaxation, errands, reading, and writing, I would carve these 6 men onto it. I hope that I can be as solid an example of the things they've taught me for my own sons as they were for me.
Woody Halbrook (a.k.a. Dad)
My dad pushed - and still pushes - me to be the best I could be, to work as hard as I can, and to live as honestly and uprightly as any man before me. And he does it through both word and example, day in and day out.
My Grandfathers
Grandpa Ross Halbrook and Grandpa Reg Mennerick were constant, steady examples of the hard work, honesty, and integrity that my dad mirrored. I've also seen in them - for even longer than I've seen in my dad (not to say he doesn't have the same... just not for as long yet) - the fidelity to their marriages and the example of love for their wives. Grandpa & Grandpa were best friends growing up, as grandfathers should be. They read with me, fished with me, played mini golf with me, bought me dessert and root beer at Jerry's cafeteria. In a sense, they taught me to "live deep and suck all the marrow out of life", as Thoreau wrote. And they taught me to do it honestly and in the context of faith and family.
Jim Dedera
My old lodge adviser in the Order of the Arrow, Jim was like a second father to me in scouting as I grew up. I can't put my finger on any one lesson in particular, but Jim was the first great mentor in my life, encouraged me to learn and grow and lead, and remains a friend and mentor today. In fact, he's currently the music director at the other Catholic parish across town. I've continued to learn from Jim's passion for his work, his faithful facing of adversity, and his strong faith and belief structure. Jim is a substance abuse prevention consultant and is online at JimDedera.com (I'm working with him to improve his site in the coming months.)
Allan Fee
Allan was the first man to hire me full-time. I met him when I was still in college, was working at the front desk of the Adams Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis, and desperately wanted to work (in radio) at 105.7 The Point in St. Louis. Allan took me under his wing, made me his personal intern as Operations Manager at The Point and The River, and three months later gave me my first full-time job. He had also gone right into a successful career, and I learned a lot by his example - and was motivated and inspired by his stories. He pushed me, motivated me, trusted me, and gave me an opportunity to grasp. In doing so, he inspired me to do the same through my own career. Allan is currently the program director and part of the "WILDE AND FEE" morning show on Q104 in Cleveland, OH, where he's been since leaving The Point, The River, and The Rock. He blogs at AllanFee.com.
Steve Walters
Steve hired me when I was in a slump after the .com boom & bust and, as a two-man team, we started to build what became Avatar Interactive, and now Roux Interactive, here in St. Louis. Steve became a great friend, and another mentor. With Steve, what I learned about team size and teamwork in Scouting was reinforced in a business environment. We built something great... a true team in business, and succeeded in doing so. If you would, please go pick up a t-shirt to support his son, who's currently battling cancer. You can find Steve on LinkedIn.
Father Larry Brunette
Father Larry came to Holy Family at a time when I was journeying back into the church of my childhood, and God couldn't have timed it any better. Father Larry was a husband and dad first in life, worked in sales & computers for years, and raised his family in faith. When his wife was called home to Heaven before him, he felt and answered the call to pursue a second vocation as a priest. Holy Family - and our family - have been blessed by his presence, his example, and his spirit. And I've learned a lot from him, and consider him a close friend and confidant. He had worked from a home office for years for one of his employers, so when I was considering the leap to do so with Visual Sciences (now Omniture), I got great input from him. Having a priest who had been married gave Suzanne's and my marriage prep a great spin. And his advice, encouragement, and constant fathering has been golden to Suzanne and me for the years we've been blessed with him in our lives.
Tim Rodgers
Tim is co-founder, former managing partner, and now CEO of St. Louis-based Rodgers Townsend, now an Omnicom agency and part of the DDB network. Tim was my "boss" for the 3+ years that I worked at Rodgers Townsend. Although not my direct manager, he was intimately involved and engaged in our daily work and became quite a mentor. I learned a lot about client management, agency-client communications, and how to treat employees and coworkers from Tim. He and Tom set a culture in which family came first, and business worked to support family. It's a culture I've also come to appreciate in Omniture. If I ever run my own business, I want to do it like Tim. He blogs at deepdive.rodgerstownsend.com.
I should've thought to post this on Fathers Day, and didn't... and by posting it today, I run the risk of alienating the women who have had a big impact on my life. But we'll just call it my "Founding Fathers" post for Independence Day, and I'll promise to post a post on the women who impacted my life in the coming months.
In all honesty, what got me thinking about this today was a post by Seth Godin on "What to do with special requests."
Seth's idea was not a new one to me. In fact, it's some
thing I learned from Tim Rodgers, and how he expected us to handle special client requests at the agency - never say "no." Always say "yes", but with the qualification of the extra costs involved, or how the quality of work may suffer as a result of the rush request. Nine times out of ten, the client would relent and agree with a later delivery date in exchange for their usual prices and quality of work.
thing I learned from Tim Rodgers, and how he expected us to handle special client requests at the agency - never say "no." Always say "yes", but with the qualification of the extra costs involved, or how the quality of work may suffer as a result of the rush request. Nine times out of ten, the client would relent and agree with a later delivery date in exchange for their usual prices and quality of work.
Thinking back to how Tim had taught me Seth's point years ago got me thinking about these great men in my life; my "Founding Fathers." And today, as I reflect and prepare for Independence Day and a week hanging out with the family, I'm thankful for these great men.
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2Jul/093
Staycation Day 1: St. Louis Zoo
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Today was my first of 11 days in a row off work. Although Suzanne still worked today (and tomorrow), I still used it as day one of our little "Staycation" of the coming week. So I left Matthew with Mary and used the day to take Thomas to the Zoo solo. We had registered him for another of their educational programs - this one a 1 1/2 hour session titled "Habitat Discoveries."
We had a wonderful, relaxing day - father and son.
We got to the zoo about an hour early and walked around a bit before his program, seeing some bears and penguins. Thomas loves the "zoo programs", as he calls them.
Honestly, I think the education programs for kids at the St. Louis Zoo are one of the best kept secrets in St. Louis. As Zoo members, it's easy to pick a few, since we get registration priority and a discount on the fees (plus the other benefits like free parking in the Zoo lots, discounts all over the Zoo, etc.)
Today's program, "Habitat Discoveries" helped him learn about the traits of an animal ("What makes an animal an animal?") and the attributes that are necessary in an animal's habitat (shelter, food, water, space.) It was great. We learned, built habitats, explored habitats, and pet animals. Fantastic job, Mr. Michael from the Zoo!
A funny interchange from the start of the program:
Mr. Michael: [Holds up a rock] Is this an animal?
Kid: No. It's a rock.
Mr. Michael: How do we know it's not an animal?
Kid: Because it's a rock.
After the program, we visited the new Stingrays at Caribbean Cove to see and pet the stingrays. This new attraction at the Zoo is awesome! I pet my first stingray today, and was happy Thomas convinced me to check it out with him.
Then we walked around some more of the Zoo - we had set a goal of seeing kangaroos, since Thomas had never seen the kangaroos on a previous visit (or so he claims, at least.) We saw the kangaroos and a bunch of other animals up around the Red Rocks corner of the Zoo. In fact, Thomas informed me that the Somali Wild Ass at the Zoo is the one that Mary and Joseph borrowed to ride to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus. That's a heck of an old ass.
Thomas talked me into a bonus: a lunch of a pretzel and a bottle of water. Smart kid.
As we left the Zoo, we met Byron von Rosenberg, the author of I Don't Want to Kiss a Llama. He read us the book (it's great!) and we bought an autographed copy. It was a fantastic bed time story tonight.
Today got me really excited about our plans for the coming days as we enjoy the weekend and next week as family.
Tomorrow for me: a solo sabbatical day to catch up on reading, writing, and reflection.
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25Jun/094
Neighbor + Water Bottle + Neighbor =
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= What the heck is wrong with our society?
Tonight, I was standing at our kitchen sink, cleaning up after dinner, looking out the window onto 25th Street and beyond.
Across the street, our neighbor Kyle was cutting his grass, and I noticed that he had a water bottle on the hood of his car.
As I was watching, from left to right, a woman was walking down the sidewalk across the street, pushing a stroller with her two young children.
When she got to the neighbor's car, she stopped, stretched her neck to look around the corner of the house to look for him. Seeing that he was cutting away from her - with his back to her - she slyly grabbed his water bottle and slipped it into her oversized purse. And then she kept watching.
I was flabbergasted.
So I immediately opened our back door, walked onto the porch, and yelled across the street: "Excuse me, ma'am... are you going to take that, or are you putting it back?"
After looking at me dumbfounded for a moment, she just stomped and said "Well d@mn!"
She went to pull the water bottle out of her purse and put it back on Kyle's hood. She mumbled something about her boy just needing water. So I apologized and explained that I'd be happy to give her a cup of water if they needed it.
To which she changed her reply yet again, saying "No, my boy just wanted the bottle, so I thought I'd take it."
I was even more flabbergasted.
What the heck is she teaching her kids by this kind of behavior? "Oh... I want it... so why don't I just take it? That's okay."
Goodness gracious. These are the kids my boys will be alongside in school and in life. Scary.
When she walked off and Kyle stopped cutting his grass, I explained to him what had happened. Funny... his first reply was exactly the same "What the heck is she teaching her kids?"
I'll be the first to admit - it's hard enough being a parent. When you're in severe need, I can imagine it's that much harder.
And I would do just about anything for my boys. But I wouldn't steal. That's just too much. And goodness, if I was even going to do something that bad, I wouldn't do it on their request, in sight of them. Not that I ever even would, mind you.
So I'm still in disbelief, and go to bed praying even harder for a conversion of our culture; a righting of our moors, if you will. Would you pray with me for that?
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21Jun/090
A Violent Sqall Came Up
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Singing the Psalm this weekend, and hearing the Gospel, were interesting to me, as the story from both readings - and a particular line in the Gospel - brought back vivid memories of a day on the Chesapeake last summer with coworkers.
The Gospel
This week's Gospel (Mark 4: 35-41) was about a time, at sea, when a storm arose and challenged the disciples in the boat. Frightened, they found Jesus asleep in the stern, awoke him, and he calmed the sea. The line in the Gospel that stuck out to me was "A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat."
The Squall
Last August, I made a trip to Herndon, VA (where my office and many coworkers are) for a few days of company meetings. Thursday of that week, our group had an outing - starting with a morning on the Schooner Woodwind, departing Annapolis, Maryland, past the U.S. Naval Academy, out into Chesapeake Bay.
We were about 20 minutes into our cruise when the captain said similar words: "It looks like we're going to run through a little rain squall."
The "little rain squall" actually ended up being a nearly 45-minute storm with wind that left the boat rocking while turning in and out of the wind to stay on course. We would alternate leaning one way or the other, and with no real protection between us (on deck) and the bay except how we were holding on and a thin rope along the edge of the boat, it got a bit frightening.
It was a great day, though. We were all drenched before we made it back to shore, but still in good spirits. After all, we had survived quite a storm together "at sea."
So the imagery of the Gospel hit home for me quite strongly this week.
The Reflection
For me, the natural result of the experience with the proclamation of the Word this week was asking myself a question for reflection: How good am I at trusting, in the squalls of life, that the Lord really is still there. Sure, he might be sleeping in the stern, but that doesn't mean he isn't present and aware of my challenges or fears. In fact, it should be a comfort that my fears might not be as warranted as I think. Or my challenges as insurmountable.
Christ's mere, ongoing, presence - if I only ask for it - is enough for me.
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17Jun/090
Love Circus Flora!
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Today, Suzanne and I returned to an annual summer ritual: We took the day off work to take the boys to Circus Flora's "Little Top Wednesday" abbreviated matinee for kids. It's about an hour long (shorter than the full evening circus) and the boys loved it. If you have kids, definitely take them. If you don't, definitely make an evening show before the St. Louis run is done for the year and they move on to other places.
If you haven't heard of it yet, Circus Flora is St. Louis' own real circus, performed under a real big top tent, by real circus families. It's truly a joy, and a treasure for our city to be proud of.
After the circus, we had a picnic lunch (a second time for this "tradition") at Concordia Park, and then took the boys to Catholic Supply (the "Church store", as Thomas calls it) where he really wanted a clerical shirt and collar, but we escaped just getting him a Holy Water font for his room, Holy Water bottle, and prayer card. This is his fifth prayer card, the second with "Prayer to Obtain Favors" on it. We think he's sending a signal by selecting that prayer each night.
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This is the online home of Michael Halbrook, Suzanne Halbrook, and their growing family. We're a family of five living out our Catholic faith and vocation in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
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