storytime

I'm pretty excited about my latest idea/product/venture/partnership. It all started like this...

Having a baby makes me think about a lot of things that have never crossed my mind. I think the biggest is the overwhelming sense of responsibility for this little person's life. The single-most important role that I have as a father is to groom and shape him with what we have learned to call a "Biblical Worldview" (for more pickup this book).

In the book "Family Driven Faith", Voddie Baucham addresses that there are 5 key aspects that shape our worldview, including our perspective on; God, Man, Truth, Knowledge, and Wisdom. I am going to add a sixth, Love.

So, I was left dreaming of all the resources as my disposal to help me train up a man who had a solid Biblical Worldview on each of those topics. About three weeks ago this pondering ran straight into another hamster wheel in my head. I was dreaming of an iPhone application to develop for myself. I was creating some apps for clients... but I wanted to do something for myself.

On a Saturday morning, it hit me. Pick a story from the bible that somehow illustrates one of the five key aspects of the worldview. We make it a story on the iPhone. Instead of flipping pages, you could now FLICK through pages. Then, when your done reading actually go back and pick one of the pages and color them in (all on the iPhone/iPod Touch).

I was sold! And pumped! The next thought was that Heidi (my sister), is the PERFECT person to do the illustrations. I called her up and she was on board. That same week I had been talking with Kennedy Kok (K5 Software) about doing some apps together... he was on board.

We had our idea and the perfect team! We all got right to work. This week we launched a website that will showcase the stories. It is mostly just a framework with demos and screenshots forthcoming... but take a look and let us know any comments or ideas!

http://www.istorytime.net/

it's been a little over forever

hey all. so i'm pretty good at blogging through major life events... not so much on the day-to-day.

What's happened...

Link is growing and starting to interact. Our favorite time is in the evening. We have a family devotional during his feeding then it is off to bath time! He loves it. He loves to eat his fists in the bathtub. I'm not sure what that means, but it makes him happy.

I am working from home again. It was really weird moving the office back home, but MAN am I loving it.

Erica is adjusting to mommy-hood really well. She started training again last week and has added some non-baby life back into her world.

I'll keep it short... hopefully then I'll come back soon. Ow... if your checking this looking for Link picts. He has his own facebook account and updates stuff there ;-)

New (old) Picts

Here is a link to a bunch of picts my dad took when he was here a while back. Link was 2 weeks old in most of these.

Linkin Urijah

new work work

We updated our work website yesterday with some of our latest work... check it out.

the two week old

Our great friend Amelia started her own photography business (we think she's awesome). She was with us at the delivery (sorry - those picts are not being posted) and she came over this week and took some "2 week old picts".

Directions: goto http://www.amelianreasons.com/
on the bottom right click: client proofing and ordering
a password will box will appear in the middle of the screen enter: ourlink

ENJOY (and hire Amelia)

One Day at a Time

What an interesting process this is! Learning this little baby is quite an adventure. Between all the feedings and naps, there are these cool times when Link is actually awake. Sometimes his eyes are open so wide and he is just alert and staring. (Totally love those eyes!) Other times he is in and out of sleep or fussiness and we try different things to calm him down. Thank God that he likes to be swaddled and responds to the shhhshhing thing! It's such a strange feeling to want so much to help him be calm and happy and sometimes not know how to do it. As our friend Joy has said, so the journey of living with your heart outside your body begins!

Right now I am super grateful that B's parents are here to help us around the housenand to hold Link. After 45 minute feedings eight times a day, I am okay with other people snuggling with him for awhile. And, knowing that soon enough it will be just B and me here at the house, I am glad that he is getting loved on by people other than us!

e

Erica writes a million more words than Benj probably ever has on this blog!

Hi - It's Erica... Benj said it was my turn to let everyone know how we're doing - so here I am!

Must say that this little guy is totally amazing! Every single time I see him with those huge eyes open, I am overwhelmed by this new love I feel...and maybe some of it's emotion b/c of these hormone changes (and there is DEFINITELY a lot of emotion -- read "emotion" as crying & tears!) but it's also just me really experiencing God's love for me and this new little one. Anyway, crazy awesome!

Link and I are working on the breastfeeding thing, which obviously neither of us had a clue about before now. We are getting A LOT of practice as our little man can eat! Benj is such a great teammate in all of this and supporting me with whatever I need like taking two full two hours shifts in the night last night so I could sleep. As for sleep, I have had over 5 hours combined today, which is a record! My mom has been another HUGE support in this. She is cooking, cleaning, holding and rocking Link, going to the store, encouraging me to rest, just listening and talking with me. I cannot express how thankful and glad I am that she has been here all week. It will be hard for me to see her leave on Saturday but this has been such a gift. Finally, our little Luli...may sound silly but I am so proud of her. She is adjusting very well; actually, I think she is afraid of this new thing that is her size and makes all that noise. She keeps her distance from him but will sniff his head now and then...without licking him! And for those of you familiar with Luli, for her not to lick someone is HUGE! :-)

Well, thank you all for your interest in us and our new life with Linkin Urijah. Thank for you the many emails and texts and phone messages. Thanks for understanding when I don't reply or answer the phone...literally, my hands are pretty full and when I am not with the little guy, I am eating or resting. But, please know that I am so blessed by all of your kindness and prayers and encouragement. Please continue to pray that Link keeps figuring out how to eat well (and when to stop eating!), to sleep well (maybe even in for a few good hours straight in his crib), to calm down when fussing (and for us to know how to help him with that). Pray that Benj and I continue to connect to one another and God as beautifully as we have these past 5 days...how I ADORE my husband! (Crying again!) And that we are receiving and fullness of who God is and how huge He is to turn 45 minutes of sleep into enough energy to last many hours when it needs to...

Okay, so here are some pics, which I know is what you all really want!

Thanks! So much love -- Erica

picts from northside

http://picasaweb.google.com/eyespeak.benj/Baby01

I'll work on the video and some picts from home today!

BTW: the word that I have used 100 times in the last 48 hours.... AMAZING.

we're home!

Can you believe it. Link is was born 28 hours ago and we're chill'n at home.

Okay - so let me clear something up, when I posted earlier I did a type (no sleep can do things like that), Linkin's middle name is Urijah. It means "The Lord is my Light".

I know I'm not the best linguist when it comes to typing out events. Normally I can summarize a full day in three or four bullet points and so that's what you guys got. In addition it is a very personal experience that you want to share but there is definitely somewhere in there that you need to draw the line. So, let me take a moment to digress about 32 hours...

Erica was awesome. Labor started just before midnight on Friday with a "What was that?" contraction. It QUICKLY got more intense. Erica has a fusion in two of her vertebrae that has always caused her a lot of pain... it made the labor and deliver very painful. Even when she wasn't contracting the muscles and bones in her back never let up. I was able to get a few hours of sleep in the beginning - but then it was all about supporting Erica. I won't give all the details... but it was really hard. Erica had prepared like an Olympian. She kind of merged a few books she really liked (Ima May, Hypnobirthing, Active Birth stuff) into her version of what she wanted the delivery to look like.

Her philosophy was mostly hypnobirthing but she wanted it to be pretty active (reeeaaallllyyyy). Well her back pain pretty much took out the active part... but she KILLED the hypnobirthing part. I really don't know where she took herself for those 14 hours of labor - but she did. It was amazing to watch... A MAZE ING.

In the end we decided it was time to go to the hospital about 9:30. When she got checked upon arrival she was 7-8cm and fully effaced. It didn't go as quick as we expected from there. A bit after 1pm her water fully broke - from there it was VERY SHORT until PUSH TIME.

It took a minute to get a grasp on how to make her body work perfectly with the surges, but she did it - and before long we say a big head of hair and a second after that... a penis!

So - no... I didn't leave out the drugs part... she had nothing... not even a Tylenol. She knows she doesn't get a trophy for doing it that way - but she wanted to join the club of women from all areas of the globe and throughout time that have felt the pain of child birth. She did what she wanted and felt awesome afterwards - especially with such an awesome and alert new son.

I'd say more - but need to get back to tending to the family. Thanks again for all the support. I promise some picts and vids before long.

the first night of life

Okay - so Daddy's awesome streak of being right by mom's side pretty much shut down last night once my head hit a pillow.

Mom was awesome feeding every 2 hours. Link has pretty much aced Breastfeeding 101 - which of course is a great relief as it can be not easy.

I'll try to get some more picts or even a video online today... but it's really not my priority... sorry yaw.

Thanks for all your prayers, support, friendships and humor (in the comments).

pictures

8lbs 1 oz.
baby is in the transition nursery for another 1.5 hours - then hopefully back with mom. Everything checked out fine - he just had a lot of fluid and a faster heart beat.

Here's some picts... more to come I'm sure!

it is a boy!!!!

Linkin Urijah Miller
crying, wide-eyed, and a FULL head of hair!

--
Benj Miller

// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com

no news yet.

1 pm.

I guess this thing doesn't listen to me already... I thought we agreed on noon!

grounded!!!

--
Benj Miller

// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com

over 8cm...

still working... but I guess we may have a little visitor arounf lunch.

benj

--
Benj Miller

// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com

hospital time

we're off.

This is your last chance to put your guess out there... boy, girl, other?
weight?
height?
favorite food?

Leave it in the comments!

still working

E is amazing. Still focusing and trying to relax - but she can't hide the massive pain. Not sure when we're headed to the hospital. The doula is on the way over and will better assess the situation then I can.

I wish so bad I could take her pain. God is good. And here.

beautiful day for a baby

It's 7:35. The sun is coming up, a beautiful September the 6th. My lovely bride is in a lot of pain. I suspect the trip to the hospital is nearing. Prayers are very welcome.

long night

It's 3:26... erica's been "surging" all night and is yet to sleep. this is either false labor (that would suck) or GO TIME BABY.

the waiting game

so, the baby is fully cooked. now we begin waiting. tomorrow is the 38 week mark, which would technically mean we would have 2 weeks to go. however, if you do the math it doesn't quite work. tomorrow would be 18 days till our due date.

this whole thing is actually confusing... i mean really - isn't it supposed to be 9 months? no - guess not.

anyway, things NOT MAKING SENSE is probably just prepping me for entering this new phase of my life titled, "what the cheese is going on!"

mac daddy

today i got my new macbook. so... we have everything we need for this baby to come (and us to blog our way through it). yeay macbook.

belly picts

come out. come out. wherever you are....

ouch

a few picts from the bad weekend...

- after stabilization at hospital -
- mom's back -
- dad doing much better on the ride home -
(smile)

back to life

I got home Monday evening and have been catching up (work, family, sleep).

I was really glad to go to home group last night and share all of the thoughts about prayer with them (we've been studying prayer in group). It was also cool because they were a group of people that I knew were on the journey with me via prayer.

I'm glad to be back with Erica - her tummy grow a bit while i was gone (I LOVE IT). I'm going to get some pictures on here to share with you all.

Tomorrow the baby will be "full term" with our actual "due date" 3 weeks away. We're ready (we think).

home at last

we made it. Dad was pretty rough the first hour. We got him in the front seat and he started to do much better. He was actually awake and alert for most of the trip. His long term memory is perfect. His short term memory is a bit sketchy - I'm praying for it, but am hopeful that it is due to the drugs and drowsiness.

I wild ride. I am so thankful for this family. My wife that supports me so well. A brother and sister that love each other and their parents. And my parents... they are where I start when I tell my testimony of why I believe in Jesus Christ. And really - what is more important than that!?!?! (okay they did also bring me into this world)

Mom and Dad are VERY thankful for all of the prayers and support that have come their way. They plan to send the rest of the week recovering at home, but welcome your support via email: kmiller@ginghamsburg.org and/or clark@notforsalecampaign.org

For those who have emailed and ask where to send something they are home at:
13 E. Dow St
Tipp City, Ohio 45371
(but please no visitors yet)

As for me - I'm getting on a plane tomorrow to go check on my baby in the oven! ;-) I'll still do some posts here - but much less frequent. Thanks again to all who have played a role in this miracle.

we're outta here

next blog from Ohio. We're working on getting out of the hospital and taking our 4-6 hour drive back to Tipp City, Ohio. Pray Dad isn't to uncomfortable and safe travels. we're almost home.

riddle of the day

how long does it take to read a cat scan?

I'm sure there is some funny answer about a cat not being able to read - but this is not funny - we're so ready to go home.

Dad's dressed and ready to go and we're... STILL WAITING. It's funny how mad the nurses get when you ask them about it. I think they get as annoyed with doctors as anyone.

Okay - so this is an all call... if you can read a cat scan and sign us out of here there is a $4.50 reward. please claim redemption code: broken chain upon checkout

gotta love to wait

CAT scan was right on time and only took about 5 minutes. Now we just need to figure out who we need to pay off to read the thing.

In 5 minutes I'm going to start photoshopping myself some credentials to check us out.

dad says hi

Dad says hi!

We have about 40 minutes till the scheduled CAT. Then maybe we get their blessing to get-on-outta-here.

no more tubes

dad is tube-free!

45 minutes till scheduled CAT.

quick update

They want us to do a CAT SCAN before they let us go. That is scheduled for 2pm.

He's more and more becoming himself (without the bad jokes).

a great hour

I just spent the last hour with my dad. he was able to eat scrambled eggs and some oatmeal. I can not believe how well he is doing. Every day of the rest of his life will be a miracle... and it may even be one without any spiritual, emotional or physical scars of the trauma from the last 3 days.

It was a very special hour with my dad. Docs here... gotta go.

good morning

Dad woke up this morning better then i've seen him yet. more alert and more comfortable.

doc says if we're okay keeping food (liquids) down and okay with the type of pain killers they have us set to go home with... then we can leave!! We might be out of here by lunch time and on the road back to Tipp City.

scary

He looks like's been through surgery. Honestly, pretty scary. I'm sure he is better than he looks - but it is really hard to see him like this.

Mostly he's REALLY out of it. In two months I don't think you will even know anything happened.

Could be a long two months for him.

he's on his way up to the room!

That's all I know... he's finally coming.

andy's better details

Howdy folks,

This should be our final update assuming things continue to go well. Clark's surgery took about two hours, and we are waiting for him to be brought back to the room once he comes out of the anesthesia. Clark had 3 titanium plates and 16 screws put into his jawbone, cheek bone, and above his left eye in the ebrow area. The surgeon told us that things went very well, and that the surgery had been quick and uneventful for this type of procedure. So much so that they apparently listened to Metallica the whole time the worked on him. Clark will need to only eat soft foods for the next month or so, and will not actually have to have his jaw wired shut, as we previously thought. It looks like he will be released tomorrow morning to go back to Ohio, but will have several weeks of recovery to work through along with at least 2 trips back to Grand Rapids to see the surgeon who performed the operation.

Heidi and I will likely stay with Clark and Kim for a few days while Kim's leg gets better and help her manage things around the house. Right now we feel very fortunate for Clark's improved condition, the success of the surgery, and all the thoughts and prayers that have been sent to us via email and phone messages. Clark has been especially encouraged by the messages and we have been reading them to him when he has been awake today. It has certainly brightened his spirits, and for that we are very thankful.

Again we thank you for all the kind words and support.

more waiting

still haven't seen dad... apparently he's tired (ummmm yea).

So he's still in recovery until they fell he is alert enough to come join our party. Yea - we're trying to make the best of this.

WE'RE OUT

Just talked to the surgeon. Everything went perfect. We have a total of 3 plates and 12 screws. No problems at all!

Doc thinks we can drive him home tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WaHoooooooooo

Thanks to everyone for prayers... I sincerely believe it is the reason we can celebrate right now.

i just want to be a blessing

There was a guy that I used to know and work with from Ohio named Ray Jones. No matter what you said or did or what he said or did, he would just say, "I just want to be a blessing."

It was cliche, it was funny, it was a joke... but he was serious. Kind of. I think he just wanted to be a pleasure to be around.

Well, 10 years later - Ray lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And he has been here with our family pretty much non-stop. He's never said out loud ,"I just want to be a blessing." BUT He IS A BLESSING.

He also happens to be a doctor here - PERFECT. He doesn't interfere, is super respectful of our family - but he is here for anything we need. And just here for us if we don't need anything.

Then there is my friend's Mike and Katie. Erica and I were at their house when I got the call. Keep in mind they have a 2 week old baby and he's cooking us dinner at the time... Whatever we needed! He was about to drive me up here! He was about to give me 100,000 sky miles! Are you kidding?! You run a business, have a 2 week old baby and you would drive me 14 hours north through the night?!

Are these people angels? No. They are not. They are people who understand friendship, fellowship and serving a living God who can do GREAT things through them (like being a blessing).

here we go

Dad's in surgery. Docs are acting that it is not that bad and should not be any problem. Should be a 2 - 2.5 hour surgery.... and... there is even a chance he could go home in the morning. AMAZING.

Wow.

Here we go - need all warriors praying through this surgery and I'll post again as soon as we're out of here.

Benj

no surgery yet

we've been delayed. apparently life threatening spinal injuries take
precedence around here.

sheesssh

;-)

--
Benj Miller

// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com

some pre-surg picts

good night

it has been a long and emotional 24 hours. it is still often emotional
to look over and see your hero so broken.

I want to share with all of you the emotions that I (we) have gone
through... but I don't know how. I think every emotion possible has
gone flying thru my vains.

in the end God's GLORY is big. Between iowa, georgia, ohio, michigan,
oregon, to africa and europe... I believe so many saints were pounding
on heaven's door that God had to listen.

Mom's ankle has swollen up pretty large. Dad is sleeping a lot still.
All I can say is how blessed we are to still have both our parents.

--
Benj Miller

// all new: www.eye-SPEAK.com

better details from Andy & Heidi

Kim is doing great - limping some, but up and around and on her computer emailing and otherwise being normal. Clark is sitting up, has a pretty impressive shiner, and goes into surgery this afternoon to fix the bones in his cheek that are broken. He is on a lot of pain killers now and is sort of in and out, but is breathing on his own, making jokes and talking some when he is awake. He looks very well considering the circumstances, and his prognosis for a complete recovery is excellent.As far as details of what happened, the best we can piece together at this point is that a bus that picks up and drops of disable people was parked letting someone off at the side of the road, and pulled out in front of Clark and Kim. They were traveling about 60mph when this happened. They were on a larger motorcycle and pulling a small motorcycle camper behind them. Clark stopped the bike as quickly as he could, and this caused the trailer to fishtail behind them, swing around and pull the bike down on its side and to be facing the opposite direction. Kim was thrown from the bike and slid under the bus, and it appears that Clark's head may have hit the bumper of the bus itself. He remarkably has very few cuts on has face, but has an extremely swollen left check and ear area, a black eye, and a deep cut on the back of his head.We will be here for at least a couple of days I think while we figure out what to do with the motorcycle and trailer, and help as we are able. Thank you all so much for your emails and calls of encouragement, as well as your prayers and thoughts. Clark's condition is truly remarkable, and we are very grateful for all of your support.

only good news

The quick of it... AMAZING. My parents and my God.

Dad is pretty drugged up - but he is going to be fine. The nastiest black eye ever. His spirit could be a bit broken (could be the drugs). sinus, cheek and jaw bone are all broken or shattered. some other random stitches.

He is excited about having an all liquid diet (ice cream) for a month or two.

BTW - my mom is hilarious, with only a slight limp.

JUST IN, surgery is tomorrow at 10am.

cellphones aren't allowed on this floor - so i won't be texting, calling, emailing much.

THANK YOU ALL for your prayers - I'll write more later - but this is NOTHING short of a miricle... lots and lots of big, amazing, tear jerking miricles.

almost there

I am driving from flint to grand rapids. should be to hospital in
about 1.5 hours.

My sister just got there and is reporting good things (nothing short
of miricles). Dad is actually sitting up. will report more when I hear
or see more.

surgery is set for monday.

--
Benj

mom and dad accident

these are the first two emails written by andy (my brother-in-law) last night. I am flying up there this morning and will do my best to post here and keep this up to date with what we know:

A few hours ago Clark and Kim Miller, Heidi's parents, were in a motorcycle crash in northern Michigan. We do not know many details at this time, but we have talked with Kim, who has been released with minor injuries from the hospital in near Muskegon where the accident occurred. Clark was care-flighted from the scene due to a head injury sustained in the crash. Kim said that he was in and out of consciousness while they were waiting for the ambulance, but that his helmet came off in the accident. He was able to move his body during this time, and was speaking some. The paramedics apparently sedated him at the scene for the ride in the helicopter. Kim is on the way to the hospital in Grand Rapids where Clark has been taken, and will be with Clark shortly. Heidi and I are packing and will be likely leaving for Grand Rapids tonight.

Details of the accident are difficult to know now, as Kim's recollection is spotty, but it appears that a bus pulled out in front of their motorcycle, and Clark had to brake suddenly at a high rate of speed, causing the motorcycle to fall on its side and them to be knocked off of it.

This is a great time of need for our family and we ask for your prayers and hearts to be with Clark and all of us. This is the best way we know to help at this point. We will send another email once we know more about the situation.


--------------------------------------------

Just wanted to let everyone know that we just heard from Kim, and initial CAT scans of Clark's brain are ok. He is still heavily sedated, but is responding some when Kim talks to him. It looks like all of the bones on the left side of his cheek are broken (jaw, sinus, and cheek), and he will need plastic surgery, but the hope now is that everything with his brain is OK, and that he can soon be breathing on his own. We are on the way now to Michigan and will likely not be able to email again until tomorrow.