Rough night with the Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers earned an impressive 3-1 road game victory against the Real Salt Lake last night.  Last Sunday night here in Portland, though, was a different story...

Until last Sunday, Kathy and I hadn't brought Lena along with us to a Timbers game since a couple seasons ago.  The last time Lena watched the Portland Timbers play the Vancouver Whitecaps, a few things were different:  Lena was only 11 months old, the now Providence Park had recently made the change from PGE Park to Jeld-Wen Stadium, the refs were vigilant, and the Timbers were victorious.


Before we get to the more recent game from last Sunday, here are a couple throwback photos from our 2013 Warner Pacific alumni night  (link) at PGE Park:

Warner Pacific grads Amy, Garth, and 15-20 others cheered along with baby Lena (on Daddy's lap) for the Timbers

Fast forwarding to this past week, the Portland Timbers were beat 4-3 by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the latest Cascadia Cup rivalry on Sunday.  The www.mlssoccer.com game recap is here.



After I got home from work, we dropped off our 4 1/2 month old Levi at a friends' house and headed for the MAX train with Lena.

"A twain!  Daddy, c'mon!":  Click this Vine video above for audio

The view of the field from our seats was pretty good, near the jubilant Timbers Army section.  I tried throughout the game to explain to Lena what was happening and who was handling the ball.

Thanks to some dirty plays by the Whitecaps and some controversial (read: horrific) missed calls by the refs, the mood of the crowd was a bit more intense than normal. Lena got a little freaked out and spent much of the game hiding been our legs.

It didn't help that we were sitting in the "angry" section.

Sitting in the angry section also meant that the frequent use of obscene hand gestures (and even a fight) around us rendered many of my best pictures inappropriate for this blog. Some things are a little difficult to Photoshop out of a picture.


But hostility didn't rule the entire evening. Here's a Vine video of the crowd exploding after the second Timbers goal of the night:

Timbers GOAL!!

And of course, our mighty Timbers transformed last Sunday's unfair loss into a distant memory last night on the road in Salt Lake City.  In contrast to the travesty that Lena witnessed last weekend vs. the Whitecaps, it was nice to see the refs stay on top of things.

A happy Timbers Army is a happy world.  RCTID!!

Coming in a couple weeks...

The best of all-new 2014 (so far) hiking photos!

Are youth group Super Bowl parties worthwhile?

This was Sunday's "guys only" blanket... including 2 1/2 week old Levi!  The Vine video from our Super Bowl party is at the bottom of this post.

This is yet another post shared from my other blog.  I've had zero free minutes to work on those upcoming posts that focus exclusively our newborn baby Levi for this main blog.  Chalk that up to focusing on Kathy, Lena, and baby Levi in real life!

For readers who keep asking, the anticipated post with Levi's baby delivery story/photos should drop later next week, after Homecoming weekend at Warner Pacific College is behind us.  In the meantime, I'll continue to include baby Levi in every post and feature new baby pics each time I update "Garth's Blog!"

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Until the Dallas Cowboys (remember this trip to Cowboys Stadium?) bring home another Super Bowl ring, I can't think of a happier ending to this pro football season than Sunday's E.P.I.C ministry Super Bowl party. A few students and graduates joined our house party to witness the world domination of the Seattle Seahawks, a.k.a. Super Bowl XLVIII.

Anyone still unaware that the Seahawks utterly defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 is probably blissfully ignorant of sports in general. More power to ya'll. I'm originally from Washington state, though, so I was pumped to cheer on the local team as they won their first ever Super Bowl title.

More important than the big game's outcome, however, is enjoying opportunities like this to spend time with our students. Save for saying a tough goodbye to a deeply loved graduate who is moving away, there were few spiritually earth shattering moments here. The on-screen gladiatorial combat occasionally took a back seat to our laughing, snacking, gaming on the Playstation 3, and playing with Lena and our 2 1/2 week old Levi.



Some youth pastors in the blogosphere have been skeptical that Super Bowl parties can have any value in a Christ centered student ministry. Objections range from the lack of ministry intentionality to the potential of sexual objectification in the commercials and half time show.

My evolving perspective on nonessential, fun events such as Super Bowl parties is this: Why not?

1. Can't we honestly discuss those cultural excesses that will be seen by students anyway, instead of pretending they don't exist? The ability to view culture through the lens of Scripture is a hallmark of spiritual maturity, and it may not happen without being taught. Not to mention, a DVR tape delay does wonders for dodging future wardrobe malfunctions-- I'll never forget my own relief (and disbelief) the year when EVERY SINGLE ONE of my high school guys somehow managed to miss Janet Jackson's infamous Super Bowl slip on live TV.  I'm not gonna lie... they were unhappy campers.
2. Does setting aside time for "just for fun" life moments like sports, capture-the-flag nights, and backpacking trips detract from the more intentional ministry opportunities that we as ministers plan? Granted, time with our young people is precious and shouldn't be wasted. But is wasting time a total waste? One person's perceived "wasted time" may be received by another person as an affirmation of love, acceptance, and validated self worth.

So, are Super Bowl parties worth it?  I can't answer that question for you. While we don't plan on canceling our annual Super Bowl parties any time soon, there are certainly more efficient, effective, and purposeful events that should deserve priority on our ministry calendars.

But if a dedicated Dallas Cowboys fan like myself can take a day off to unabashedly cheer for his second favorite NFL team during their Super Bowl spotlight... then perhaps there's room on our ministry calendars to also have fun with the less essential stuff.


Related:  William Lane Craig: God Hears Your Super Bowl Prayers (from Christianity Today)

Here are a couple of extras from our Super Bowl party:

Lena, Levi, and cornerback Richard Sherman (remember this?) are dumbfounded by the Seahawks' staggering lead.

My latest Vine video on Twitter: Go Seahawks!!

Unclick the "mute" button above for the obnoxious audio.track.

Garth's Blog will return in a few days.

We Have a One Year Old!

DSC_0044, a photo by gkhamilton on Flickr.

Happy first birthday, Lena!




Lena is nearly 14 months old now, but a small gathering of family drove to our Beaverton house from Salem, Washington Square, Bend, and Washington’s Vancouver to celebrate her Big Day last month.



Lena still doesn’t quite know how to handle being the center of attention, but she’s starting to get the hang of it. She decided to be on her best behavior for the audience that day.


The rowdiest that she got was an enthusiastic touchdown celebration during the opening football game of the 2012 NFL season:
Touchdown! Go Dallas Cowboys!!



Lena’s first ever cake tasting/smashing was light on the customary messiness. The grandparents kept their dashed hopes of a frosted cakeface in check as we lowered Lena down to her pile o’ loot on the floor.As Mommy and I helped Lena open her presents, she didn’t bother distinguishing between the gifts and the wrapping paper. She was enchanted by all of it!


Don’t worry about anyone stealing those birthday presents. Who would dare tangle with this one?


Lena may look all tough, but don’t let her playful scrunch fool you. She’s all love.