Sharing Your Reindeer

Brennan and Tanner are pretty funny when they don't mean to be.

The boys were fighting over a toy (yes, it was the top of the hour) and I got on to them. I sat them both down and painstakingly explained that they needed to share. If one brother wouldn't share, then just go play with something else. If one brother asks for something, then just give it to him. Just… Stop… FIGHTING!!!

Wanting them to fully appreciate the depth of my wisdom, I tacked on a little scripture for emphasis, "So Tanner, if your brother asks for the toy, just GIVE it to him. And if your brother asks for your cloak give him your coat as well."

As Tanner stared off into space confused, Brennan wrinkled up his nose, looked at Tanner and then me and said, "Daddy, I don't like Tanner's coat. I don't want it. He can have it."

Oh, nevermind…

Another time, Shannon was out with the boys and drove past a van parked near our house that is decorated in Christmas lights, a big red nose, and giant illuminated antlers (it's advertising a company that installs Christmas lights on your house). Shannon pointed out the "Rudolf Van" to the boys, who didn't seem to care much at all.

Meanwhile, they're driving down the road and Shannon sees this brand new minivan coming toward her. We'd been looking at vans in recent weeks, even test driving some, because our current van seemed doomed to mechanical failure. Hoping to get out from under a lemon, we did lots of research only to discover that the only "sure thing" in minivans is a Toyota or a Honda, both of which are very expensive. So we're stuck with our Chevy.

And here was one of those nice vans driving right past Shannon and the boys.

Tanner suddenly spoke up and, seeming to read Shannon's mind, pouted, "I wiss ou' van looked like dat." And he slumped, depressed, into his booster seat.

Shannon's first thought was: What have I done? Have I taught my children to be discontent and materialistic? Have I taught them to be shallow and superficial about how nice a vehicle is?

Then she hesitated for a moment and asked, "Tanner, you want our van to look like what?

"Like Woodoff," he moped.

If only he could ride around town in a van decorated like a giant reindeer. Poor guy.

Random Sports Thoughts 11/21/05

• Kansas City has a name for its new Arena Football League team. It's the Kansas City Brigade. Uh… ok. Their logo is a B-2 Stealth Bomber. I kinda understand the stealth connection, the B-2s are based at Whiteman Air Force Base, just an hour and a half from KC. But why the Brigade? A brigade is a unit of 3000 Army soldiers. Why is that a good name for a team with an Air Force bomber as a mascot? And there are no major Army bases in KC to warrant an Army connection (Ft Riley, Ks is a few hours away, far enough to be rarely associated with Kansas City). I guess I just don't get it.
• I should count my blessings however; they almost called that team the Brush Creekers! What?!?! I personally liked the Sizzlers (we have a minor league baseball team called the T-Bones). Mmmm… now I'm hungry.
• KU lost their first game tonight. But they were playing a good Arizona team and actually tied the game in the second half. Oh well. Everybody expected the Jayhawks to lose because they're so young. Most of the team is composed of Freshmen and sophomores.
• Do I smell conspiracy? Doesn't it seem strange that the NFL would offer KC a Superbowl conditional upon an overpriced remodeling of one of the league's oldest stadiums? And the Chiefs claim to be for it?! $700 million for a remodeling job? A SuperBowl is only a $400 million windfall – maybe. And this "rolling roof" thing? To make it climate controlled would mean adding temporary sides which could take a few months to construct. That's too long to not interfere with the Chiefs regular season games and too expensive to build for weekend conventions. The Royals don't want it, so this roof would only be used the one time! Ugh! A new retractable roof stadium, which can open and close in fifteen minutes, would not cost as much as this renovation! But maybe that's the point… I'm suspicious that the NFL and the Chiefs actually want Kansas City to build a new stadium. This rolling roof talk is just a red herring that makes a new stadium look like a good idea.
• It looks like the downtown baseball stadium is dead for now. A major meeting was canceled today due to lack of political support and Jackson County voted today to only spend money on Kaufman stadium improvements. Oh well. I would personally love to see the Royals downtown and a new Arrowhead built where Kaufman is now. That way downtown businesses benefits, the Royals draw more interest, the Chiefs get a new stadium, Jackson County keeps and improves the Truman Sports Complex, and best of all, sports fans win big. But no, that would make too much sense.
  

A Look at Reality

Here's an article worth reading. The meat of the article is below but I encourage you to read the whole thing in context.

…the mass media view of the situation is largely fiction… but…

…Hundreds of thousands of Sunni Arab families have one or more members who did Saddam's dirty work. That has left millions of Kurds and Shia Arabs looking for revenge. Remember, this is where the legal concept of "eye-for-an-eye" was invented thousands of years ago. The [Kurds and Shia] want vengeance, and if they get it, the current violence in Iraq will look pallid by comparison. All that prevents a wholesale descent into mutual slaughter is the presence of coalition troops. In other parts of the world (and there are many to examine at the moment) this sort of thing is called peacekeeping. Withdraw the peacekeepers, and what peace there is goes with them.

If we had pulled out immediately, today's critics would be blustering about our failure to "stay until the mess was cleaned up." But, since that actually is Bush's position, it's suddenly become popular to talk about withdrawal.

The article continues…

…there is a cultural crises, in the Arab world in particular, and the Moslem world in general. The crises is expressed by a lack of economic, educational and political performance. By whatever measure you wish to use, Nobel prizes, patents awarded, GDP growth, the Arabs have fallen behind the rest of the world. Part of the problem is the Arab tendency to blame outsiders, and to avoid taking responsibility. Tolerating tyranny and resistance to change doesn't help either. That is changing, and the war in Iraq has become the center of this cultural battle. It began with the 2003 invasion, which was reported by the Arab media as a great defeat for the Western "crusader" army. Until, that is, it was all too obvious that American troops had battled their way to Baghdad in three weeks, and were quickly defeating Iraqi forced defending this cultural capital of the Arab world. This triggered a debate in the Arab world, one that got little coverage in the West. It began when some Arab journalists openly pointed out, in the Arab media, that Arab reporters had not only been writing fantastical stories that had no relationship to reality, but that this sort of thing had been going on for a long time and, gosh, maybe it had something to do with the sorry state of affairs in the Arab world. That particular debate is still going on, largely unnoticed in the West.

…we have major differences between the media version of what's going on, and the military one. The media are looking for newsworthy events (bad news preferred, good news does not sell, and news is a business). The military sees it as a process, a campaign, a series of battles that will lead to a desired conclusion. The event driven media have a hard time comprehending this process stuff, but it doesn't really matter to them, since the media lives from headline to headline. For the military, the campaign in Iraq has been a success. The enemy, the Sunni Arabs, have been determined and resourceful. But the American strategy of holding the Sunni Arabs at bay, while the Kurds and Shia Arabs built a security force capable of dealing with the Sunni Arab terrorists, has worked. But that's good news, and thus not news. But every terrorist attack by Sunni Arabs is news, and gets reported with intensity and enthusiasm.

But in the end, process usually wins. News events are often turned into obstacles. Journalists understand that their audience generally has no memory for past reporting that was inaccurate. What is of the moment takes precedence in peoples minds. Politicians play the same game, rewriting history freely, secure in the knowledge that their followers will go along with the revisions, and their opponents will have to play the news event game to score any points with the undecided. Human nature being what it is, the majority of the population pays little attention to the buzz of news, unless, like an outstanding TV or radio commercial, some journalist comes up with an event that registers big time. This changes perceptions, for a while at least, and often creates an artificial reality in the minds of many. This time, it isn't quite working that way. The troops can email back their experiences promptly, and this causes a disconnect in many people, between what they see in the news, and what they are hearing from people who are in the middle of it all. How all this will play out is as yet unknown, which is what makes it so interesting. There's more going on in Iraq than a war.

SSG Dan is Home

Here's the press release from Friday:

137TH TRANSPORTATION COMPANY IS RETURNING TO KANSAS
The 137th Transportation Company (Palletized Load System), Kansas National Guard, will be returning to Kansas on Monday, Nov. 21, after a year-long deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 137th Transportation Company (PLS), headquartered in Olathe with a detachment in St. Mary's, has been hauling cargo in convoys in Iraq this past year. They haul pre-palletized loads of ammunition, food, materials and other bulk items.

A return ceremony for the 137th is being planned.
This unit was previously mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom on Feb. 3, 2003, and returned home on Jan. 13, 2004. They were stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C., for that year and about 20 of the soldiers were deployed to Iraq.

Dan was one of the twenty that went to Iraq the first time, so this was his second tour. He should be undeployable now (unless there's a catastrophic event) until he retires from the guard. Please be praying for him and his family as he adjusts to life at home.

God bless you brother! We thank you for your service to Freedom and Liberty.

Don't Snicker

I've been surprised to see the amount of traffic my site has been getting lately. The last two weeks it's been about 30 hits per day. Granted that's the same number per second as some websites, but the vast majority of my audience is composed of friends and family. And many of them are not daily readers. So to be buzzing along at this pace feels like quite an accomplishment.

I should be closing in on 4500 hits by next weekend and I'd love to reach 7000 hits by next February (my blog's first anniversary). Please don't run up the score artificially but I'd love to have each of you check in everyday and I'll try to have something fresh waiting here for you. To this point I've had 256 posts in 281 days; I'll try to be a little more consistent and hopefully I'll be over 350 posts by mid-Feb.

God bless.

Random Thoughts 11/17/05

• Tomorrow (November 18) is my brother Dustin's birthday. Happy 26th!
• We now have DSL internet access at home and my what an incredible difference! It's no big deal to download large software updates or to receive emails with photographs attached. I can have the computer check my scores all afternoon on Sunday without tying up the phone line and we can watch videos over the internet with little or no delay. Awesome.
• Whew, did I miss my boys today. I had a board meeting tonight and missed Eli's bedtime; the cute little bugger was snuggled into the new blanket his mother made for him yesterday. When I did get home Brennan and Tanner were just about to head to bed. They both smelled freshly bathed (with little boys that's a distinctly unnatural state) and were just precious. You want to hug and tickle them and just squeeze them – you can't get enough!
• My mom got home from Omaha earlier this evening. She was supposed to get home yesterday but wasn't quite up to it yet. Please keep praying for her recovery from surgery.
• Pray for Shannon too. She's about five months along (more or less) and is having quite a problem with her right hip. Some evenings she can't even move, let alone walk. It's getting so serious, and it's so much worse than with Elijah, that this may be the decisive blow to our quest for a basketball team. But the four-man bobsled, quiz bowl, most relay races and curling are no problem at all. We're set!
  

Thanksgiving, Take Two

I'll be having my second Thanksgiving meal tonight (our congregation is having its Thanksgiving dinner tonight and I've been smelling food getting cooked all afternoon). My first Thanksgiving this year was back on November 5th with my folks. And I think we're having Thanksgiving again on the Saturday after Turkey Day. I'm not sure, however, that we'll actually be having any turkey and stuffing on the actual day of Thanksgiving. But we're kind of silly like that.

Gettin' Old

My laptop is starting to show its age. It was giving me fits at work this last week or so, which is unusual because I normally have no problems whatsoever. But the machine is over five years old and will have to be replaced eventually. Jarod seems to think it's about to go up in smoke. And it might!

I just want to make it last another six months or so--the longer the better. I don't want the church to waste any money and there's supposed to be a major leap forward in laptops this winter or next spring. So six more months. C'mon little computer! You can make it!

SSG Dan's Return from War

Our dearly missed brother, Dan Jones, will be returning to Fort Riley, Kansas from Iraq this weekend. His wife, children, grandchildren, and friends are eagerly awaiting him, as this was his second tour in two and a half years.

He should be undeployable until after his retirement from the military (National Guard can only spend so much time deployed by law). Pray for his smooth re-assimilation into life here at home.

More about Mom

Dad called this afternoon.

They had Mom drink "something awful" (Barium perhaps?) and they took an x-ray to find any leaks. I figured they'd just inflate her to 5o psi, dunk her under water and look for bubbles… but the docors probably know what they're doing, I suppose. They found no leaks and she's doing great. A couple more days and she'll be home.

Our good friend from church, Pam, who had this surgery last year, had another surgery this morning to remove twenty-some pounds of excess skin. Her surgery (which is outpatient!!!) also went well. Dad was able to sit with her husband and phone back about her progress.

We're praying for them both to get back safe and sound.

Update on Mom

We just returned this evening from Omaha where we visited Mom in the hospital. Her surgery went great; no problems at all. Mom will be there until Wednesday or so.

We also took the kids to the Children's Museum in Omaha. It's pretty good as far as educational playgrounds go. The boys loved it.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD
After the Second Battle of Ypres, 1915

Pray for my Mom

My Mom is in surgery about now. Mom and Dad went to Omaha, Nebraska yesterday where she will be having her surgery and spending the better part of a week recovering.

Please pray for our family, many of us will be making trips to see her and Omaha is about three hours away.

Thanks for the Reminder

Sorry, sometimes these things just make me chuckle. But I'm not so sure that it's an effective evangelism tool.

A Dedicated Generation

There are reasons to feel good about the younger generation of Americans. And a lot of it is found in the adversity of the War of Terror.

One Vietnam vet, still in the Army, says, "I've talked to many of these kids on their second tour, and they talk about, 'When I reenlist ...' " says Vickers by phone. "When you see that kind of dedication - when they know what's out there - it makes an old Soldier like me proud to be an American."

Read the whole article here.

I feel that there is a waxing and waning found in the moral direction of recent generations of Americans. You have corruption and debauchery of the roaring twenties followed by the sacrifice and solidarity of the WW2 generation. Then you have the sixties and seventies… yikes! But now you have a generation of folks, 25-35 years old, who have chosen to go a different route than their parents.

I definitely see this in ministry. Boomers, even reserved, responsible, non-hippies, are nevertheless significantly more self-centered than a typical 30 year old Gen X person. In fact, the 30 year olds appear to be a lot more interested in church and ultimate truth and right and wrong than the boomers seem to be (maybe a little more like their grandparents). There are certainly exceptions, but the pattern tends to hold true.

Totally

What do the following people have in common?

David Letterman, Stonewall Jackson, Gandhi, Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler, Lawrence of Arabia, John the Baptist, Mr. Rogers, and Donald Trump.

The answer: (use your mouse to highlight the space below)


They are all known to be teetotalers (they don't drink alcohol).


:-)

Wolf, Wolf, Woooooolf!

I'm becoming convinced that, for some people, there are three basic needs in life: air, water, and… drama. And not necessarily in that order.

Why can't things just be mundane and normal? Why must everything be life or death? Some folks wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they didn't have a crisis happening.

But because they define themselves as victims or martyrs they often need to manufacture drama in their lives (which for situations like this I pronounce in a way that rhymes with Alabama). Whenever possible these people will:

• be offended
• ignore obvious solutions
  
• cry wolf
• feign injury and illness
• declare ultimatums
• speak in absolutes… every single time!
• advertise their plight to anyone who will listen
• express absolute pessimism
• miss opportunities so they can be pitied later
  

No blessings are counted. No cloud has a silver lining. Every glass is half empty. Every gift is too small and too late.

As a minister, I see a lot of these folks. They want attention and may be lacking the social skills to relate in a more normal way. I don't think most folks do this on a conscious level but they do actively seek negative attention, since victims are given sympathy and handouts and have their deadlines extended.

The question is how do you get someone to stop acting this way? How do you convey without hurting their feelings how taxing it is to be around a person like this? How do you convince them that they are hurting themselves and those around them with this attitude? Lord, give me the right words! How can you be compassionate and gentle and still rebuke these nattering nabobs of negatitivism?

(Thanks for the alliteration there Spiro)

Your Daily Civics Lesson

Did you vote today? Most places at least have something local to vote on and these are the elections where a few votes really matter because everyone forgets about it.

I asked Bertha (a lady in our church who works at my polling place) and apparently there aren't any issues to vote on in Wyandotte County; but I'm still going to swing by and check this afternoon.

I know that it's polite to say that everyone has the right to their own opinion, but I'm sorry: If you won't vote, please don't complain. So many people have lived and died with no way to address their government and we get to have a say on a regular basis. What a privilege! What a responsibility.

Switching

Here's another article about a Windows user who switched to a Mac.

There seems to be two sides to this argument: one group has used both Windows and Macintosh computers, hates Windows, and loves the well designed Mac. It's easy to learn, easy to use, and an all-around enjoyable experience. I remember the first time I plugged in a digital camera and the Mac immediately opened the right program itself and asked me if it could download my pictures for me now. "Uh… yeah! That's awesome!"

The other side has never really used a Mac on a daily basis (especially not in the last five years) and doesn't want to repeat the difficult learning process they experienced learning Windows. Computing is not fun for them, it's difficult, and the last thing they want to do is start over.

Almost everyone I know that has used both, prefers Macintosh. Hands down. Almost everyone I know that uses Windows didn't really have a choice about it initially. They found themselves already on that road and just went with it. That's too bad.

I use my mac for hours everyday. Between my home computer and my laptop at work, I have maybe one crash per year. Right now I would consider it punishment to have to use a Windows computer all day every day.

Wrestling Dad

The boys and I wrestle in the living room on a daily basis. All I have to do is lay down on the carpet and, like ants to a picnic, three little boys come and jump on me.


All three boys are agressive and like to get thrown around. As you can see, they don't complain too much. I'll get all three on my back and then toss them off onto the couch. Brennan (5) will leap back onto me, standing on my back, and I'll whip him around, pin him to the floor and start tickling them. At that point Tanner and Elijah will come to the rescue, pushing me to the floor so that Brennan can escape. Tanner (almost 4) likes to go to the opposite end of the house and run through the hallway, through the kitchen and into the living room, slamming into me with abandon. They have free reign to get pretty rough with me.


We have a running joke that it's against the rules for the boys to ever lay a hand on each other unless they're saving each others' lives (drive for an hour in the car with them and you'll understand that). But in all seriousness, I'm always talking to the boys about being brave and fighting bad guys and helping people in need. I've stressed that good guys are honest and brave and helpful. There are few places in this world where they would learn what honor means, but in our house, I want character and integrity to be everyday lessons. Right now that means learning to tell the truth and to share… and to be very brave.

You have to be brave to wrestle big ol' dad.

UPDATE: Shannon went out and bought a little outfit for Graham to come home in. It's blue with a lion on it and the word "brave." He should fit right in with his three older brothers.

4000 Hits

Thanks for reading my blog everybody. I really appreciate the comments and I hope you appreciate the glimpse into what's going on in my life.

God bless.

Happy Turkey Day

Yeah, I know it's only November 5, but my family is doing Thanksgiving today. I'm not exactly sure why…

Speaking of timing, this is not going to be a good week for health and fitness. The grandkids just got their halloween candy on Monday and here we are having a Thanksgiving feast on Saturday. They shouldn't have to eat for the rest of the year.

The Legends

We have a new shopping center opening in Village West near our home here in KCK, nestled in next to the race track and Nebraska Furniture Mart (about two or three miles from our house). Here's an article about what's opening there, including a theater and several interesting shops. Several restaurants are already open there.

Here's another article from last month.

Units of Resistance

Elijah, as cute as he may be, is developing a stubborn streak. He tells us no when he doesn't want to follow our instruction. But it doesn't come out "no." It's just a very quiet and sober, "ohm."


"Elijah, finish your dinner."

He looks you right in your eye. "Ohm."

"Son, you need to eat!" (at least in principle – we know he doesn't miss many meals)

"Ohm."

"Ok, then you're going to bed."

"Ohm."

You can see how it goes. Brennan would have screamed and cried. Tanner would have dug in his heals and clinched his fists. Elijah? Elijah just quietly, unflinchingly tells us "ohm." Which means we have to come in and remove his stiffened but otherwise passive body like the riot police handling a non-violent protester.

Sorry son, but resistance is futile.

Reorganizing Camp

The meeting went very well… in fact, there was essentially no resistance to the proposed changes. The old by-laws were struck down, and a new, different set of by-laws were adopted. The major changes include:

• Folding the three boards into one unified board of directors.
• Creating and defining the new position of Camp Manager.
• Increasing the number of board meetings in a year from two to six.
• Specifying the various functions and responsibilities to provide accountability.
  

Our first meeting is January 17, 2006, to elect officers and begin the search for a camp manager. We also have dozens of smaller procedural things that can be implemented as soon as next year. We're really excited!

Important Meeting Tonight

We have an important meeting in Nortonville regarding Mission Lake Church Camp. This will be the meeting that potentially rewrites how we do camp. Please pray for the success of this! I can't stress how important it is.

Congratulations… Part 2

We're having another boy. That's number four!

Our due date was also moved; turns out he's a month younger than we thought. The new due date is April 20, just a few days after my Dad's birthday.

We're pretty much settled on his name: Graham Ryker Altic. His middle name, Ryker, is Dutch for Richard, my Dad's name.

Congratulations, You're Having a…

We find out tomorrow (Monday morning) whether Altic baby 4.0 is a boy or girl. I'll blog about it tomorrow, about Noon (CT) give or take a few hours.

For those of you scoring at home, here's our "version history," with major product releases about every two years (sorry, Macintosh only).

Altic Baby 4.0
- release date: due in March 2006
- working titles: "Annaliese Sophia" or "Graham Ryker"

Altic Baby 3.1
- fixed output error on startup

Altic Baby 3.0
- released 28 April, 2004
- titled "Elijah Jude"
- new feature: brown hair, hazel eyes

Altic Baby 2.0
- released 18 December, 2001
- titled "Tanner Riley"
- first Jayhawker version (initial release in Kansas)

Altic Baby 1.0
- released 26 September, 2000
- titled "Brennan Conner"
- first version

Rock Chalk

Go Jayhawks! I think that's three years in a row now that Kansas has beat Missouri in Football. That's right… Football! You probably didn't even know that KU had a football team! Actually the KU-Missouri football rivalry is the oldest and longest running matchup west of the Mississippi -- 114 years straight. They've been playing in what's called the Border Wars every year since 1891.

But Basketball starts in few weeks and that's where it's really at. That being said this may be an off year for both KU and MU. KU has a young team -- no Juniors and only one of three seniors started last year (Christian Moody, who'll be a better doctor someday than he is a ball player). MU… well, they've just got problems. And I'm trying to be kind.

Hopefully Kansas' young players will surprise us before they leave for the NBA or something, but I know that it'll likely be an up and down year.

But any year is a good year if we beat Mizzou a few times.

Another Good T-Shirt

Sorry, but I would wear this t-shirt with glee. Hee, hee, hee.

Between You and Me

Shannon has been making batches of homemade cinnamon rolls the last few weeks like my grandmother used to make. She does everything short of going to India and rolling her own cinnamon bark off the tree. About everything else is made from scratch, even the icing – and it's awesome! The rolls just melt in your mouth. It's hard to put into words how good these things are fresh out of the oven.

But we need to keep this under wraps so that Shannon won't be asked to make them for every family and church function in the next few years. So let's keep this hush hush. Ok?

Minister's Luncheon

We had a minister's luncheon yesterday at our church. It was our second monthly meeting, mostly consisting of ministers from Topeka to Kansas City to northwest Missouri (a lot of us know each other from church camp). We gather to share a meal, worship and pray. The fellowship alone means a lot to everyone there.

But that's just the point. I find the meetings pretty encouraging but, like most things, it only helps if you avail yourself to it. There are a couple of ministers that seem to really need the encouragement right now. Isolation and other demoralizing factors leave these guys adrift and depressed. If only they would come fellowship with us and know that they're not alone!

I worry about ministers because I know what kind of stress they go through. But it's the self-inflicted isolation that makes things so much worse. And just as bad is when two ministers do get together and the talk turns negative. We need to spur one another on toward good deeds not breed cynicism and promote pessimism. Ministers especially need to subscribe to a Christian idealism that sees God's blessings and opportunities in life. Ministry may be tough but there's nothing in the world more rewarding and nothing I'd rather do.

I just wish I knew how to communicate that to those ministers whose tanks were on "e."

Random Thoughts 10/24/05

• I'm still watching classic movies when I get a chance. Last night I stayed up to watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (James Stewart, Doris Day, 1956). It was better than I suspected, except that the movie ran a few minutes longer than it was scheduled, so my TiVo didn't get the last few minutes -- NOT good when your watching a suspenseful movie. I'll have to TiVo it again (plus 15 minutes) to see the ending. Fortunately it's on again soon.
  
• As a preacher, I find it intriguing that some stories are more interesting than others. More specifically, I'm intrigued that some stories are told better than others. Some people I really respect have said that it must be some kind of sin to make the Bible boring. Well, there must be a lot of ministers that need to repent. I believe that there's a lot you can learn about narrative storytelling that can be applied to preaching the Bible. But not only is this a lot of work, it's an artform – one which some folks will appreciate while others don't at all.
  
• Have you ever been enthralled by a video game, a favorite song, or a hobby of some sort? You can't get enough of it; you spend every second thinking about it, then suddenly, like a switch was flipped, you just don't care anymore? I found an article that talks about that sudden end that comes when you're briefly obsessed with something. I've had it happen with video games several times: one day I'm staying up until 3 in the morning to play just one more level, the next day I quit cold turkey and don't even miss it. I've had Dustin's PlayStation 2 at my house for months but I didn't play it after the second week. Go figure.
• If you stand in a hurricane and report that the wind is blowing really hard, is that news? I'm just saying.
  
• Shannon gave Pellet a bath last week. Pellet is a stuffed toy hamster (and a cute, fat one too) that Tanner (almost 4) has latched on to for as long as we can recall. For countless months, Pellet has gone everywhere Tanner has gone, day or night, and it was beginning to show. Reluctantly, Tanner conceded that Pellet was getting pretty grungy looking and a little stinky too, so into the washing machine he went. He emerged from the dryer, and returned to Tanner's hands, the brightest and best smelling toy in the house. If there is one toy we would pack away as a keepsake, it's the ubiquitous Pellet.
• I have a minister's meeting that we're hosting tomorrow at Wyandotte. It's just a luncheon for prayer and fellowship. No big deal. That being said, I look forward to it being over! I'm a little stressed over it.
  

Gaggles of Googles

I'm a googler. Are you? I'm hoping that if you're reading this, then you have already discovered how to use google. But I know many novice users that aren't using all of the google tools available to them.

Besides searching for websites, my favorite tool is Google Local. Type in what you're looking for and you get a map, directions, phone number, and addresses of every location within a reasonable distance. I've not picked up a yellow pages in like two years! I also use Google News, I find sattellite images on Google Maps, and I shop online using Froogle. If you need to know something or find something, just google. There's just not many questions that google can't answer.

Kansas

I get countless email forwards containing humorous or devotional material. Here's one I received recently that, though it's not necessarily new, was amusing anyway. It was attributed to Jeff Foxworthy, but I'm guessing he's either not the author, or the jokes have been modified for a Kansan audience. Nevertheless, enjoy.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Kansas.

If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you might live in Kansas.

If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Kansas.

If "Vacation" means going east or west on I-70 for the weekend, you live in Kansas.

If you measure distance in hours, you might live in Kansas.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you might live in Kansas.

If you see people wearing camouflage at social events (including weddings), you might live in Kansas.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you might live in Kansas.

If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce, you might live in Kansas.

Pitchin' a Fit

Elijah (18 months) woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. He had a screaming, kicking, beat-the-floor-with-your-fists fit for about an hour or so this morning. Shannon immediately implemented our tried and true method: win this battle no matter how long it takes.

We usually ignore them at first; fit throwing won't gain you anything, in fact you immediately lose Mom and Dad's attention. I make a point of stepping right over them when they do that. When you calm yourself down you earn my attention again. If you refuse to concede defeat after a few moments, we put you in isolation. In this case, back in the crib you go! Once you're done, I mean not even a whimper, and we've established who's really in the driver's seat, then, and only then, do you get your freedom back. Learn to cope kid, because pitchin' a fit won't get you anywhere.

A long, tough hour later… Elijah was back to his sweet, adorable self. It's like he screamed the bad right out of himself.



The isn't the easy road, it's just the one that works. The key is the will to win, no matter what else is going on. As parents we often give in because we're busy or tired or it's otherwise inconvenient. We console ourselves with the most misused maxim in parenting: "You have to pick your battles." But God put you in charge of this child's training. What kind of coach picks his battles over whether his players will run sprints or not? You will always win. You must win, no matter what. But by "win," I don't mean that you get your way; not at all. I mean that the right thing gets done over and above everyone's desires. Here's the priorities for a parent as I see it.
1. God's will (development of character, health, discipline, integrity, etc.)
2. the child's will (if it doesn't conflict with #1)
3. my will (if it doesn't conflict with #1)

The reason my will is last is because part of #1 is modeling selflessness. Part of the training would be the child putting his needs behind others as well. Besides, if you're a hypocrite your child will learn that trait too. Inconsistency is your enemy.

You have 18 years to teach this lesson however-many-thousand times: "Do the right thing!" You just pray that you did it consistently enough for it to stick.

Throwing Stones, part 2

Here's a little more about the vote in Iraq last weekend. I keep trying to tell people that it's historic, but I can't find anyone who cares!

Here's a few notes from the article and other sources: Voter turn out in Iraq (63%) was up compared to last January's elections (58%). By way of comparison, our huge turnout for Bush-Kerry in 2004 was less than 60% and that was up a lot from 54% of eligible voters in 2000 for Bush-Gore. And no one is threatening to blow us up while we wait in line!

It's thrilling to see Iraqis wave their purple, ink-stained fingers with pride. My question is why don't we do that in this country to prevent fraud? Voter fraud would be seriously reduced, I'd think, and I'd like it better than those little "I voted" stickers.

Attacks on voting places in January numbered 347. This weekend there were only 13. Way to go!

Harold C. Hutchison says,

"The American strategy of bringing democracy to Iraq is succeeding. So are the tactics that are being used to implement it. While the results are unknown, just the fact that the elections were held and were mostly violence-free is a victory in and of itself. The fact remains that the United States is achieving its objectives, while al Qaeda is not – al Qaeda is even failing to prevent the American objectives from being met. By any objective standard, al Qaeda is losing the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only places they seem to be winning are in a number of newsrooms in the United States…"

Throwing Stones

I've been stymied trying to figure out why people are so negative toward Bush and what we're doing in Iraq.

Should we be "pro-war"? Well, of course not. But unless you subscribe to the strictest forms of pacifism, there are still some things worth fighting for. And the fight in Iraq lands squarely in that category.

Myth #1: We're fighting for a lie, or Bush lied, or the only single reason we ever had to even look cross-eyed at Iraq was WMD.

No, President Bush couldn't have lied. To say he lied means that he somehow knew what the CIA, British and Russian Intelligence, Clinton, and perhaps Saddam himself did not know -- that there were no deployed and working WMD in Iraq. The President would have to be clairvoyant to have been able to lie on this subject.

Instead Bush presented the WMD issue as one part of the overall threat a dictator like Saddam posed. Supporting terrorism (remember that Saddam was paying suicide bombers in Israel) with nearly unlimited financial resources was one of the main issues actually at play.

But if you're looking for a connection to the War on Terror consider the following:

• To remove a terror supporting regime fits the overall goal of winning the War on Terror.
• To draw terrorists to a battlefield there instead of here is a wise move in the War on Terror.
• To sow democracy and liberty in that part of the world as a long term solution to undermine the roots of Islamic terrorism is fundamental to actually winning the War on Terror.

Myth #2: We're really there to steal the oil.

Ok, then we must officially be the most inept thieves in history because the last time I checked the lack of oil was putting gas prices well above two dollars a gallon.

Myth #3: Democracy can't work in the Middle East.

Is it going to be difficult? Yes. But to say it is impossible is simply racist. It took us years to establish a working democratic form of government in this country – it will take a while there also. That said, we're successfully moving along at a very rapid pace.

And what goal could possibly be more virtuous than to selflessly fight for the liberty of other people? American soldiers have been doing that for over a century. It's our greatest contribution to civilization since the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Myth #4: We've suddenly offended our Allies.

Oh, you mean the French? Read a history book – they've been offended by us to one degree or another for a very long time. We're an offensive bunch. But we also tend to save the world's collective behinds on a regular basis, so cut us some slack. Besides if you have someone mad at you, it probably means you've stood up for something once in your life. Leaders tend to draw criticism.

Myth #5: We're losing the war in Iraq.

We are? How many times do the Iraqis have to meet deadlines and accomplish historic feats to convince people that this is working. No war of this type has done this much with so little bloodshed. Never have troops been so well protected and cared for. Never has so much been dramatically changed with so little upheaval to the civilian population. Again, we need some historic perspective. The history books a generation from now will marvel at what has been done here. All we can seem to do now is gripe about the inconveniences.

--

Again, I'm not for war. But as a history buff, I feel like people are turning a blind eye to reality simply because they don't personally like the President.

The Snobbery of Connoisseurs

There are plenty of things in which I have preferences. I like my newspaper previously unread and untouched and the spines of my books uncreased. But it only goes so far. I'll still read the paper if it's been torn apart and folded backwards. I'll still keep a book that's falling apart.

But some folks make me laugh with their prissiness. They have drawn lines in the sand that they just cannot bring themselves to cross. They are incarcerated in self-imposed prisons by pride and snobbery and peer pressure. I've seen people go without basic necessities because they wouldn't be caught dead in a certain store or wearing a certain brand of clothes.

I figure beggers can't be choosers. We have some pretty nice stuff because we've compromised in other areas. Most of our clothes fall into three categories: gifts, goodwill, and garage sales. Our kids are dressed nice but it's mostly used. Instead of twenty-five dollars for a shirt, Shannon will find the same thing, nearly new, for a dollar, literally. That adds up fast.

There are precious few things in which nitpicking adds virtue. Are you nitpicking over truth and integrity? That's worth it. But if you're nitpicking about Lexus verses Honda or Gucci verses Reebok? Well, you'll end up paying for that in more ways than one.

Materialism has a spiritual cost. You have to give up a bit of yourself to invest in a "thing." And it rarely gives back anything of value. In contrast to that if you invest selflessly, say in the life of another person or in strengthening a relationship, then the return can be enormous.

The next time you think you need something, consider what it actually costs.

Random Thoughts 10/13/05

• Several men from the church are going to a men's retreat at church camp this weekend. I'm looking forward to it but not real eager to be away from home overnight. I'll miss prayer time with the boys and evenings with my bride. I'll especially miss Elijah going to bed. He tottles over to me and gives me a big wet kiss and then stubles upstairs and attempts to climb into his crib. Words don't do justice to express how cute it is.
• I saw a few t-shirts online with pictures of communist revolutionary Che Guevara. They had captions that read, "Communism killed 100 million people and all I got was this lousy t-shirt." "This t-shirt brought to you by capitalism." and "Commies aren't cool." Made me giggle.
• 3500 posts! I've got friends (really, I do!) and family reading this in mulitple states (countries?). Thanks for reading my blog.
  
• One of the funnier things I've seen lately has been the "Cpt Wedley: Bn Diciplinator" video from last year (that's "Captain Wedley: Battalion Disciplinator" for the uninformed). Pretty funny stuff. You can find it at this site but only if you have Windows Media Player installed, which didn't work very well for me even on a cable connection. Go figure, it's windows; good luck with that. Still, it's worth the effort if you need a good laugh.
• The chain has been broken! The associate minister here at our church has been telling everyone the good news: they're expecting a girl! Among the three ministers that have been at Wyandotte, we've had seven boys and no girls, so this is welcome news. Shannon and I still have to wait a few more weeks to find out about Altic baby 4.0.
• Speaking of babies, I listened to a radio interview this morning with the proud parents of 16 children. And get this, they're planning number 17… [squints and rubs temples] …uh, yeah… that's reasonable. But with people like that, the rest of can have four or five without anyone batting an eye, right? Realistically, we're going to use our God-given, Spirit-led DISCERNMENT to determine if we ever go beyond the four we have now. And no, letting nature take it's course with zero application of wisdom is NOT necessarily "letting God decide." Using that logic, you could let God decide the length of your hair and see what happens. God must be anti-short-hair and every haircut must be a sinful defiance of God's Will for your follicles. Don't get me wrong, I'm for big families, but 17?! Let's be responsible stewards here. I'd bet that very few couples are truly called to go that far.
  
• And one more thing: look at what actually happened in the largest families of the Bible – almost nothing but bad news. So don't bite off more than you can chew! If there are so many children that Mom and Dad can't do the training they're called by God to do and instead you have siblings doing the parenting, then you ought to reconsider the wisdom of what's going on. </soapbox>
  
• Elijah is into scolding. He's can't really talk, but he'll wag his finger and give the cat a stern talking to in baby talk. Today he got onto another little kid whose mother lightly rebuked him for hitting her. Well, Eli goes over and sticks his fat little finger in this kid's face and begins dressing him down in gibberish. And he won't stop either; he's determined to talk you to death. I wonder where he gets that?
• I had a door-to-door Bible salesman visit me tonight at home. I told him he was preaching to the choir and sent him packing. Go bother the pagans next door. God bless!
  

KU Basketball

All of the sudden there's an abundance of information about KU hoops.

There's news of the renovation of Allen Field House: It supposedly looks the same but they have done several things including new windows, a new and improved floor (to reduce the risk of injuries), and new lights. This article talks about the noticeable difference:

"We've got more lights, brighter lights and updated fixtures. It's much brighter in there, so bright that most strobe lights will be unnecessary this year… The building was 45 footcandle last year and is going to 235 footcandle -- quite a difference."

The article also says that in the past, visiting teams would ask when the lights would be turned up. Not any more.

The same article also says a little about the incoming freshmen:

"Top class: Rivalshoops.com on Monday rated KU's recruiting class of Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers and Micah Downs No. 1 in the country. Oklahoma State was No. 2."

I saw Wright, Chalmers, and Downs play in the McDonald's All-American game. Chalmers especially was impressive, handling the ball, scoring, passing, playing tough defense, etc. He would have been the game's MVP if his team had won. Chalmers, who hails from Alaska, also won the three point contest. Micah Downs, in contrast, reminds me more of the many BTWGs (big timid white guys) of KU's past, of which Nick Collison was the exception that proved the rule. Here's hoping the best for Micah.

Geaux Figure

The Saints will not be able to play in New Orleans this year. They were welcomed to their home-away-from-home with this sign:



When you realize that this isn't actually French (and that French spelling has no concept of phonics) then you'll get it.

Random Thoughts 10/7/05

• Today is my parents' wedding anniversary. They've been married about a gazillion years. Congrats! My wife pointed out that it's increasingly unusual to find people who've been married longer than you've been alive… including many parents.
  
• Have I mentioned that I have a problem with quitters? It's one thing to drag your feet. It's problematic if you're doing everything wrong. But when you just throw up your hands and quit in the middle of something? Well, you better have a really, really, really, really, reeeeeeeealy good reason. Really.
• Have you seen my kids lately? They're honkin' cute. Especially the short, fat one.




• There are few things more interesting (to me) than the Ask a Rocket Scientist feature over at www.aerospaceweb.org. They only answer questions about once a week or so, but still, it's fascinating.
• We're having a work day at the church tomorrow. There's all kinds of projects to do but the main attraction is working with the people that will be there.
• Kansas City is getting an arena league football team to be named later. They should start next year in Kemper Arena and then move to the new Sprint Center when it opens. In the first 24 hours they had two thousand people put down deposits on season tickets. KC is definitely a football town.
  
• Speaking of football, my fantasy team is 3-1 and tops in most statistical categories. Donovan McNabb and Torry Holt are keeping me going. Go Warhawks!
  

Of Mice and Men

Shannon called and said she wasn't feeling well. Headache, sick to her stomach, fatigued… I think she's come down with a severe case of pregnancy…

Speaking of blastocysts and embryonic stem cell research… I read some good articles over at Christianity Today. This one is a bit lengthy, but well worth it, especially if you're into the issues of bioethics. There's another, more accessible, article that is titled, "Live Patients & Dead Mice." It's by David A. Prentice and is definitely worth reading. But the link was broken when I blogged so just do a search for the title and author and enjoy.

A Different Dichotomy

It seems that when we compare and contrast relationships, our kneejerk reaction is to divide them into two categories: those folks who are doing it right and those who are doing it wrong. You ask what kind of parent or spouse is this person? Are they getting along or causing problems? And we readily assign them to one group or the other.

But I believe it's almost always more complicated than that. First off, relationships are like batting averages and nobody is batting a thousand. Usually managing a relationship is a matter of accomplishing a percentage of what you should have done or limiting your mistakes and miscues to a bare minimum. But nobody does everything right. You strive to improve your performance by winning little victories over selfishness, pride, and sheer laziness. A lot of criticism of our loved ones is little more than shooting fish in a barrel. They make mistakes because they're human, not because they are especially flawed.

And that leads to a second element vital to human relationships: intent. The motive of the heart actually does count for something. In fact, it may count for more than the action itself. Jesus made a point about anger, lust, fidelity, honesty, and revenge in the Sermon on the Mount: if you don't have these things squared away in your heart, it's the same as if you'd actually committed the crime.

So are there still two categories of relationships? Yes, because you have those who are trying to do it their own way (this includes those who've stopped trying entirely), and you have those you are trying to do it God's way. God's way is patient, selfless, long-suffering, honest and forgiving. It's harder and takes more time and you'll never fully master it in this world, but it's the only way to make a relationship of any kind work.

Everyone experiences failure in relationships, probably on a daily basis. But are you determined to let God have control? Will you honor Him with your faithfulness and integrity? Will you treat others with the same grace that you've been given? The answers to these questions will sort our marriages and parenting and friendships into two piles, those that are unraveling and those that are being blessed.

Birthday Thoughts

Did I have a good day? Well, lets see:

• Slept in.
• Took a walk with the family.
  
• Browsed a book store.
• Had Red Lobster steak and shrimp for lunch. Mmmm, cheddar-biscuits.
  
• Ate homemade enchiladas for dinner. I can barely move now.
  
• Read a good book in my easy chair for about an hour, then watched a movie.
• Taught Brennan and Tanner the version of the birthday song that ends, "you smell like a monkey and look like one too!" My apologies in advance to the parents of crying birthday boys and girls.
  
• Spent time with my wife and kids, with virtually no interruptions.

Yeah, not bad. Not bad at all.

A Word From Mrs. Thumper

Hi I'm Shannon, Jared's wife. Today is my husband's 29th birthday. He writes so much about the boys and I, I just thought I would give you a little insight into the man we call Daddy. I met Jared when I was 15 and it was obvious to me then that I had found a rare treasure. A man at 16 who was wise beyond his years and had a faith greater than most adults. I am proud to say that he is my husband, my best friend, my minister, the spiritual leader of our home, and the best Daddy in the whole world. Our son Brennan is so in love with his daddy that he afraid to go to bed at night for fear he might "miss daddy." He insists that the only cure for this is sleeping with Jared. I wish you could see into our living room each night (not really that would be creepy) and watch Daddy wrestle with his three little boys. They abuse him, but he doesn't mind. Rolling, jumping, giggling. The boys are quite strategic in their attacks. I can't wait to see who our little men develop into. I am sure they will be strong men of God who have an amazing respect and love of the women in their lives. My boys tell me daily how much they love me, how pretty I am, and how good I smell. They watch as their daddy takes great responsibility for his family and great love for his wife. God has blessed us with Jared and I wanted to share a glimpse of him with you. Happy Birthday Jared. We love you.

Here's Looking At You

Shannon and I watched Casablanca last night. It's amazing how many quotes you get out of that show. Here's just a sampling.

Annina: Monsieur Rick, what kind of a man is Captain Renault?
Rick: Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so.
--
Ilsa: How nice, you remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris.
Rick: Not an easy day to forget.
Ilsa: No.
Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.
--
Rick: I don't mind a parasite. I object to a cut-rate one.
--
Senor Ferrari: Might as well be frank, monsieur. It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles.
--
Carl: Honest? As honest as the day is long!
--
Rick: Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
--
Ilsa: I wish I didn't love you so much.

Yes, Viriginia, There is a Blog

Sorry that I've not blogged in a few days. I try to blog every day and I have stuff to blog about more often than that, but sometimes you just can't find the time to sit down at the computer.

Interesting Items

I got a catalog in the mail today and found a few interesting things… and not necessarily for me, just good stuff.

• A book titled Mean Girls All Grown Up: Surviving Catty and Conniving Women by Hayley DiMarco.
• A new Bible trivia/strategy board game called Inklings.
• Scattergories: Bible Edition
• A new VeggieTales coming out October 29 called Lord of the Beans.
• About two pages of CS Lewis stuff, especially the Chronicles of Narnia merchandise.
• A book by Paul Coughlin called No More Christian Nice Guy. When being nice – instead of good – hurts men, women and children; instead of faking nice, men should be gentle and genuine, benevolent and bold.
  

Random Thoughts 9/28/05

• Every night we pray with Brennan and Tanner. Brennan asked several weeks ago that God wouldn't let him have bad nightmares. Well, Tanner (three years old) latched on to this and now, every night, he prays, "Dear Dahd [God], pees, good notmares, is name, amen." It's hard not to giggle. Brennan, who turned five Monday, is growing more articulate day by day. I'm routinely impressed with quantity of information he consumes and retains.
• I heard a minister the other day make reference to bad PR his church had received in the community that was hurting his ministry. When did the bad PR happen? The 1950's! Not only are the elderly still bitter, they've taught younger generations to have the same prejudice against that particular church. Ouch.
• Elijah is becoming quite a ham (that's a reference to his personality not his girth). He tilts his head and shrugs at you. He smirks and casts glances over his shoulder. He's just pretty adorable… except for when he's throwing a tantrum. He's at that age now where the terrible twos begin. In our experience that's from age 18-42 months, lasting about two years. Tanner is just now coming out of it, where he can actually be reasoned with instead of just being a frustrated ball of stubbornness.
• I'm still in mortal fear of having a girl. The other day we were at McDonald's and these little girls were dominating the play area. One little despot in particular stood out. She struck me as the snottiest, bossiest, cruelest, little person in a dress I'd ever seen. Yikes! And she was maybe 4 years old. What are her parents going to do ten or twelve years from now?
• We're settling in to some names for the new baby. Our girl name right now is Annaliese Sophia. Our boy name right now is Graham Ryker. Ryker is Dutch for Richard, my dad's name and my middle name. It was either that or Ricardo (not really). We also liked the name Garrison but we got such a sour reaction from folks that we balked.
• We had a minister's meeting yesterday in Dekalb, Mo. It was encouraging to spend the time with the other ministers. Misery loves company? It's so easy to become discouraged in ministry, to just have all the wind taken out of your sails. Everything can be going great and then just one person can throw you into a tailspin. It makes all the difference that we love the church. The ministers who don't don't last long.

Just a Suggestion

You really have to wonder about the pull-out-now, cut-and-run crowd. It would be a death sentence to thousands of freedom loving Iraqis. It would recreate a Taliban-like oppression for the Iraqi people. It would leave thousands of terrorists alive and looking elsewhere (read: "here at home") to kill Americans. Quitting Iraq cold turkey could be extremely dangerous.

Well here's a bit of advice for the protesters. Sorry, but I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this one.

The Impossible Dream

It turns out Al Qaeda has a plan. And they have a book!

So how do you take over the world? The terrorists have a long term, step by step, game plan. For example:

Phase 6, “world conquest.” By 2022, the rest of the world will be conquered by the righteous and unstoppable armies of Islam. This is the phase that Osama bin Laden has been talking about for years.

By no means are things perfect on our end, but it seems that it's not really working all that well for Osama and company either. In fact the only real way for Al Qaeda to gain any momentum whatsoever is for the Americans to just give up. If you can convince the American people that we're losers and we should go home and stick our heads in the sand, then we're toast. But otherwise this plan will need to be revised a few times in coming years.

Read all seven steps here.

Rant Back Atcha, part 2

The conversation continues. If you'd like to see the other side there is a link in the comments of the part 1.

I wrote:

Where to start?

Sorry for not linking to your site from mine. I usually don't if there's offensive language there. But I'll leave it up this time to be fair.

Again, there's no need to stereotype me. No crucifix is hanging over my bed. I don't use fear to control people. I don't "talk" to God or hear voices, though I do pray. I wasn't imprinted by my parents, trapped to believe whatever they believed.

My beliefs are not based on the need for an emotional crutch. I'm not an emotionally needy person at all, in fact I'm quite analytical and open minded. And Jenn, I'm not going off a translation. I took 6 semesters of Koine Greek in college and can read the original texts for myself. Their reliability and harmony is humbling, so don't be dismissive so quickly.

I believe what I believe because of evidence, logic, and reason, not bitterness or political correctness. I've investigated both sides of the argument. I'm going to guess that you can't say the same, Edelman, because the way you talk about Xnty shows you don't understand it very well. And Jenn, that goes for you too. Your Episcopal priests must have left out the part where Jesus excluded any and every other path to God but the one that goes thru him. So you either take Xnty by itself or you're forced to leave it out of the mix. That's part of the mutually exclusive issue I referenced earlier.

Edelman, you're right in a way that I support part of your argument. I detest the blind-faith-folks who won't ask questions about what they believe and why. Real Christianity stands up to this scrutiny, but Mormonism, Islam, and others start falling apart when you begin asking questions. So they have to rule by intimidation. Some of the greatest minds in history (Newton, Pasteur, Bacon, Kepler, Pascal, Boyle, Faraday, Kelvin, Carver, et al.) have reasoned thru Xnty and found that it embraces the questioner and provides coherrent answers about reality (some of these guys, like Newton, wrote more on Xnty than they did in their other fields of study). Religious folks (in a bad sense) of all stripes often haven't asked the questions and won't suffer those who do (Crusades, Inquisition, Terrorism, church hierarchies, etc.). But that's NOT the Xnty you find in the Bible. Not even close.

But I'd like to have you consider the issue of arrogance. Anyone who says my way is the only way (just because it's mine), ought to be dragged behind a horse. What arrogance! Bigots usually won't even give a hearing to the other side. They ASSUME they know everything they need to know and dismiss it out of hand.

What arrogance to say, philosphically speaking, that God does NOT exist. To know that empirically would mean that you have searched every corner of this universe and every point in time and have scientifically proven He's not there. Sorry can't be done.

What arrogance to say I've come up with an idea that seems good to me and I'm going to just declare it to be reality. If I say Edelman is actually a 70 year old chinese woman that doesn't make it true even if I sincerely believe it. You are what you are (the truth about you) apart from my opinions and understanding. If a million people try to guess your birthday, only 1 out of 365 (give or take) will actually be right. Not all guesses are equal. Some are categorically wrong, even though they have the same goal and intention.

To recap: my opinion, my sincerity, majority rule or conventional wisdom, whatever my parents believed, etc. does not determine what is actually true. To think otherwise is the height of arrogance.

IF God is real in any sense, then the same is true of him. He is what he is regardless of how many people think otherwise. Even if everyone thought otherwise, it has no impact on the truth.

Edelman, you seem to have defined God as something that does not exist in reality (outside of the minds of people). Can you prove that? Can anyone? Jenn, your understanding has the reality of God determined by the various and conflicting whims of people's thoughts. Does that make sense to you?

Aren't both of those claims things you can't prove logically? To persist in something you can't prove is dogmatism of the worst kind… and arrogant.

Not wanting to be arrogant, I would claim to know nothing (agnostic, no one can really be atheist unless they just have a chip on their shoulder). But that's where the claims of Bible interrupt my otherwise blissful ignorance.

It claims that the creator revealed himself to the creation. Hmmm… yeah right… what's the evidence? Changed lives, changed nations, changed history. Inexplicable wisdom and truth about who and what I am. Ok, test this. Is it logical? Does it hold water? A lot of the time the people don't but the actual words do.

And what if the creation rejected the creator? Seems reasonable, it has happened in my own heart. What if the creator chooses to provide a remedy to rebridge the divide? Now I would be interested in finding out more about that.

Key point: I want to find out more truth about the creator. I'm not going to be satisfied with opinions and conventional wisdom. It's an act of humility to seek the truth regardless of my own feelings and the feelings of others.

Books to read if you're really open minded about this: A Case for Faith by Lee Strobel, an atheist journalist who set out to prove Xnty wrong by investigating the facts. C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, a deep examination of the existence of God and truth of the claims of Jesus.

If you haven't given these a fair reading, you can't say you've been honest in the debate. By the way, I have a copy of On the Origin of Species on the shelf behind me as I type this.

Please feel free to contact me. In fact if you're ever in Kansas City, you're welcome in my home. I like to stay up late and debate stuff.

Rant Back Atcha

Here's my response to a blogger that wrote a rant on his site about religion. He's basically against it. His argument in a nutshell was, "Wake the %$!# Up!" Then another person, Jenn, wrote that all religions have the same goal/outcome.

My response:

Thanks for all the stereotyping and ad hominem attacks guys.

Some of us "born agains" are nice people with nice families who make a real difference in the lives of hurting people around us. Some of us have college degrees and can think for ourselves quite nicely thank you. Enough anyway to finally see past our own bitterness and sort out our youthful angst as thinking adults.

Most of the Christians I know are nothing like what you described. They are, on the whole, the most honest and trustworthy people I've ever known. No hidden agendas. No "blind" faith. In fact most Christians I know are believers in spite of what their hippy parents and atheist teachers taught them.

Instead, they recognize that reality is absolute and relativism is self-refuting. The notion of everyone's own faith being "ok" is just political correctness. You're just afraid to say someone is flat out wrong. And Jenn, how can mutually exclusive philosophical positions both be true in any real sense? In what universe does "whatever you want to believe" just come true like a fairy tale? We would each have to be gods for that to even start to work. But that doesn't work in and of itself; it's just an opiate for those who don't want to do the hard work of finding real answers to tough questions.

You'll probably just blow me off so I'll quit now. But I'd bet if you met some actual Christ-followers instead of just the usual religious folks, you'd reconsider a lot of the things you've said.

The Point of Playing

Here's a note that I posted on my fantasy football website in response to some very pointed "smack" talk among the owners.

A Note from "Dr. Phil"

Q. Why do you think you started playing Fantasy Football?

A. You like football and (for guys especially) you like to obsess over something.

Q. How can fantasy football help you, i.e. why keep playing?

A. This league is about learning to play well with others. You will eventually learn to value the new friendships over the win/loss records and the new-found ability to get along in a competitive situation over the actual football games.

It's a means to an end: If you think the end is anything to do with football or winning, you'll end up alone and miserable.

If you realize the end has nothing to do with football, you'll find yourself in a room full of people laughing, watching the game together years from now.

It's just a game. Lose one once in awhile. Be happy for someone else. It's good for you.


--


By the way, I'm 2-0.

One Down

Well, Shannon and the ladies from MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) left this morning at 6am and the boys and I survived the day. We had a lot fun really. It was a good day off--just staying home and playing with the boys. Brennan and I did a lot of spelling today. The boys also helped me staple some papers (I provided a little guidance). We even got out and went to the gas station. Tanner picked up a flattened, dead toad and wanted to carry it. Brennan stood right in front of an officer and said out loud, "Look Daddy, there's a police man. He's gotta gun. He shoots the bad guys when they try to kills us. We dial 9-1-1 to call him." The cop just kinda laughed. Brennan is now banned from watching television. Or talking to other children.

Camp Update

Things went extremely well at the church camp meeting. In general there was complete agreement with the idea of reorganizing. A few people had reservations, but that's a healthy thing.

Hopefully anyone who feels threatened will see past the surface and understand the significance of what we're trying to do. This is the Lord's camp, let's work like we're working for Him!

And if it IS broke?

Tonight we have a big meeting at Church Camp. This is the same camp I went to growing up and where I met my wife, Shannon. I've been teaching, preaching, and otherwise helping with this camp for 12 seasons now.

Born and raised in northeast Kansas, I know well the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, what if it IS broke? This camp has been broken in several ways for years. Most of it was behind the scenes and was simply a matter of doing the best with what we had. But it has become urgent for us to do better. We have both individuals and entire congregations that have left because of the way this camp was run. And it's going to get worse. In spite of some great programming and a few remaining faithful volunteers, we are running out of time, out of people, and out of options.

To be blunt, we have a lot of work to do. With a few exceptions, almost every issue of management and organization is either unaddressed or outdated. The need for improvement and coordination is everywhere and that pressure is dumped on our deans to wing it and smooth things over.

I do NOT want to see heads roll tonight, instead I want to see each of the people involved in a position where they can be successful. As a minister, I want to see them get a second chance. So instead of changing 100 different details tonight, we're proposing a restructuring of the organization. Let's create a system with accountability and clearly define everyone's rolls. Let's build a simpler, more efficient system that actually makes sense.

Not having the wisdom to come up with this from scratch, we simply made a few phone calls and received the help of fellow church camps, which have already addressed the needs that we are facing. This has been invaluable. Not only does it show us that this is doable, but it has provided us working solutions that can be immediately applied to our situation.

In short, things can start getting better immediately. Camp will continue and we will have assurance for ourselves and others that this ministry is on track.

Remember this camp does not belong to us, it belongs to the Lord. It's not for us, it's for the churches.

Like My Soapbox

Even though almost everyone refers to music stands and pulpits as podiums, technically the podium is only the part you (and the lectern) stand on. A podium (from the Greek for foot) is a type of small stage (or the short wall in front of a stage), but no one seems to know that. A podium is what an ochrestra conductor stands on. When someone invites you "up to" the podium, they're asking you to stand "on" it, not "behind" it.

Some barbarian dictionaries (like Webster’s, grrrrr…) accept this “wrong” definition because of its popular usage. Linguists argue about this kind of thing, i.e. should a dictionary record all language usage, right or wrong, or should it record only the correct usage of a language? How do you settle an argument if you pick up two different dictionaries and get two different answers? Scrabble players will now be forced to accept "y'all", "yup" and "pert near." Imagine the anarchy! There will be violence in the streets!

I'm generally against chaos, but at the other end of the spectrum, some languages, like Spanish and French, actually have governing academies that try to control vocabulary and grammar. Most people who speak those languages just ignore the experts and borrow an English word. You can go just about anywhere in the world and say "computer" or "cell phone" or "big mac" and people know exactly you're talking about.

English, however, is pretty much mob rule. Hence lecterns have somehow become podiums, even though we don’t put our feet on them.

God's Will

We had fantastic news the other night. The church approved a significant raise for both ministers! I was a little stunned when I received the phone call -- in fact I probably didn't convey enough gratitude. But we're thrilled! It's expensive to live in KC (compared to other places we've lived) and we've been barely getting by. This will help so much!

It has always been my conviction that if you commit yourself to the Lord's will then he'll take care of you. He knows what you need and he's not going to forget about you. You just have to get up everyday and keep at it. He'll take care of the rest.

The problem is when we determine God's will after the fact. There are a lot of ministers out there who get "called" to a new church, when in reality they were just disgruntled or poorly paid or too lazy at their old ministry. It's nearly blasphemous to claim that God is responsible for the slipshod, fly-by-night, here-today-gone-tomorrow state of most ministries. Is it God's will that most ministers average less than two years at a location, and preaching ministers less than four years?

Instead, it's the Lord will that we are faithful to our ministries, that we work hard and with integrity. It's His will that we set an example as husbands, fathers, and humble servants. The laziness and egotism that exists is an albatross that hinders us from running the race as we ought to. The last five years, I knew that God would not be unfaithful. When I needed Him most, He has provided. The only variable has been my faithfulness.

Are we seeking His will? Or are we leaning on our own understanding?

None Too Pleased

Our cat, Kala, is less than thrilled that we're adding a fourth child to the family after her arrival. Cats tend to think of one person as plenty and a crowd of six as downright superfluous. So her response has been to declare war.



Last night she walked up to me and puked right on my foot. I wasn't wearing shoes. Thanks.

The kitty needs to understand that this is a battle she won't win (especially with my wife). So she needs to lay down her arms (cat puke, shedding, etc.) and learn to coexist. Or else.

Random Thoughts 9/13/05

• I never thought 75º would seem cold. Our AC has been out and it's been about 82-85º each night cooling down to 80º by morning. Well last night it was 75º and I needed a blanket! Hopefully, it'll stay cool thru fall. I've been feeling kinda funny the last few days -- achey but not in pain at all. A good night's sleep would probably help a lot. (And so would losing 50 pounds and getting some exercise and eating right and taking vitamins. Or so I've heard.)
  
• Wednesday nights are going great at the church. We used to have about 10 or 20 people come to study. Last week's Family night ran 100; the week before was 105. Pretty awesome! We actually have more people there than at Sunday School (about 90-ish). Sunday morning attendance has been around 135 or so, sometimes higher.
  
• My brother-in-law Craig has been down in Louisiana the last three weeks working on storm damaga from Hurricane Katrina. One of his co-workers was killed yesterday and they're not sure why yet. Craig said the deceased didn't appear to have burns (from an electrocution). He was 27 and from Emporia, Ks. Keep those guys in your prayers; they do dangerous work.
• My first week of fantasy football went well. As usual, one hour it all seems hopeless, the next you're sure you'll win. Either way you end up watching half of Monday Night Football biting your nails and jumping up to check the scores on the internet. The Warhawks are now 1-0!
  

Allergic Reaction

I didn't think my allergies were all that bad this year. That is until our AC went out and we've had to keep the house open a bit more (ok, ok, normally we're sealed up like last week's leftovers--and kept at about the same temp).

So in addition to some warmer evenings and a few more houseflies, I'm getting a healthy dose of pollen and dander and other allergens. Many people would just run right out and get an allergy shot. Sure, and I could too… IF I wanted to run the risk of an unsterilized needle getting broken off in my arm leading to a near-lethal, coma-inducing infection that can only be resolved by dramatic amputation, blood transfusions, and some sort of exploratory surgery!!!

[rocks back and forth in the corner, rubbing one arm, while mumbling "no needles, no needles, no needles"]

Ahem… where was I? Oh yeah… in lieu of a shot, Shannon has convinced me (between sneezes) to take a generic Claritin.

"Once a day" and it tastes like cherry candy while it dissolves on your tongue! (I admit that easily impressed right now.)

So I'm taking my Claritin, just biding my time until the weather turns cooler and we can shut the house back up. You know, so that it's safe from the needles.

Penguin Doctors

A few moments ago Brennan (5) and Tanner (3) came running down stairs, each holding a stuffed penguin toy, and started hopping around their mother yelling, "Mommy! Mommy! When we grow up we're going to be Penguin Doctors!"

"Oh you are?"

Brennan began explaining, "When we're the age Daddy is…" glancing at me to double check if I'm big enough to care for penguins, "…Daddy's age, we will get them out of their cage because they will be sick."

Tannner echoed, "Dur sick!"

Brennan continued, "We will take care of them! When we're all grown up! We'll be Doctor-Pets!"

"Dur sick! Da penguns are! When wur growd up…" Tanner tends to drift off, especially when Brennan elects himself to do all of the talking.

"Yes, boys, you would make good veterinarians when you grow up."

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Our boys have started praying at bedtime in recent weeks. We had tried to pray with them before but Brennan and Tanner were both shy about going along with it. But of late, they have taken a keen interest and have insisted on bedtime prayers.

Tanner always goes first. He used to mumble incoherently but now you can make out a little bit of what he says. Tanner never peeks and is emphatic as he prays, shaking his head with a furrowed brow, sometimes biting his lip. It's the sincerest thing I've ever seen. Last night he thanked God for "making all da people… I love da people." I'm not sure if he meant his family or the folks at church or what. Maybe he has a fan club?

Brennan is more precise in his prayers. He wants God to not let him have nightmares or to protect the baby in Mommy's tummy. He thanks God for making food or for making grass and trees grow. Brennan seems far more self-conscious, not wanting to say anything wrong and peeking to check for our approval as soon as he's done.

We both pray for them and they listen closely to what we say and how we say it. I'm eager to teach them that God is someone you can actually talk to, not just a target for you to repeat mantras at. So we have avoided any of the traditional "children's prayers." I feel that decision has already made this a richer experience.

Return to Normalcy

Pssst…

NFL Football starts tomorrow night!

And they play football all afternoon this Sunday! And Monday night too!

And it continues for almost 5 months.

[Sighs with deep satisfaction and contentment.] Hmmm…

Flabbergasted

Uh… I'm just shocked. An NBC television crew went to a Wal-Mart that was being looted and found the police joining in the looting! Here's how Newsmax reported it:

New Orleans Cops Join in Looting

A handful of police in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans joined with looters yesterday in cleaning out store shelves and pilfering merchandise that had nothing to do with survival.

While the overwhelming majority of Big Easy cops were performing admirably under staggeringly difficult circumstances, an NBC camera crew filming looters at a local Walmart captured two policewomen filling a shopping cart to the brim with shoes.

Asked what she was doing, one of the unidentified officers told reporter Martin Savidge: "I'm just doing my job" - before abandoning her shopping cart to resume her patrol. Her partner apparently continued looting unfazed by NBC's presence.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune also carried reports of police looting, noting in Wednesday editions:

"Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a 27-inch flat screen television. Officers claimed there was nothing they could do to contain the anarchy, saying their radio communications had broken down and they had no direction from commanders."

"We don't have enough cops to stop it," one beleagured cop told the paper. "A mass riot would break out if you tried."

While smaller merchants guarded their storefronts with shotguns, others made excuses for the lawlessness.

"To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it's an opportunity to get back at society," a bystander told the New York Post.

Some New Orleans residents were less sanguine about the deteriorating civil order.

"You know what sucks," one local tavern owner told the Times-Picayune. "The whole U.S. is looking at this city right now, and this is what they see."

Here's a link to the actual video as it aired on MSNBC.

On what planet do you walk in to the local Wal-Mart, loot it, and walk away feeling alright? And the cops? I wouldn't have the gall!

Patently Unfair

I didn't think I could be shocked anymore. But the seething hatred for President Bush has emerged as ridiculous criticism over Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans. I heard a caller on the radio today say that these events prove that Bush and the Republicans want black people to die so that there will be less people to vote Democrat. WHAT??!!

Others have claimed that the National Guard was sent to shoot black people. There was talk of shooting looters (which is not unheard of in times like these) but doesn't the accusation here assume that looters must be black? Isn't that racist?

I also want to know how you blame President Bush for not building better levies? Shouldn't the Democrats who have governed that city and state have done something in the last 50 years to fix this? Couldn't they have done more?

Ben Stein wrote the following in The American Spectator:

Why is it that the snipers who shot at emergency rescuers trying to save people in hospitals and shelters are never mentioned except in passing, and Mr. Bush, who is turning over heaven and earth to rescue the victims of the storm, is endlessly vilified?

What church does Rev. Al Sharpton belong to that believes in passing blame and singling out people by race for opprobrium and hate?

What special abilities does the media have for deciding how much blame goes to the federal government as opposed to the city government of New Orleans for the aftereffects of Katrina?

If able-bodied people refuse to obey a mandatory evacuation order for a city, have they not assumed the risk that ill effects will happen to them?

When the city government simply ignores its own sick and hospitalized and elderly people in its evacuation order, is Mr. Bush to blame for that?

Read the whole article here.

No AC

Our air conditioning died Saturday. The old beast was probably 25+ years old and was costing us a small fortune to run. Right now we're just trying to tough it out until we can come up with a plan to replace it. Praise the Lord that it's already September--there should only be a few more weeks of real heat.

It's hard to imagine that just a generation or so ago, everybody did without AC.

Barbaric. Totally barbaric.

Now What?

Shannon and I were looking online at the Social Security Administration's list of baby names. It's interesting to see what each name ranked each year.

The problem is we've already used our favorite boy names. We're also kind of picky:

• We don't want a name that's too common. It bothers us that Elijah is in the top 100.
  
• We don't want a made-up name. Nonsense spellings (misspellings?) are also out.
• We don't like names that are easily nicknamed, unless it's on purpose. We're ok with calling Elijah "Eli," but calling James "Jim" when you wanted James seems like a wasted effort. The same goes for giving a name you have no intention of actually using.
  
• We like strong names, especially if they have a good historical/biblical tie. Well… except for Judas and Adolf. And most of them are too common already.

If you have a boy name suggestion let us know.

We already have a girl name or two that we're pretty much locked in on.

2500 Posts

Hey, we flew past another small milestone yesterday. 2500 hits. And yes, I know that many websites do 2500 hits/hour. But for me that's pretty good.

I'm also closing in on my 200th post. I'm not currently planning anything celebration-wise, but we'll see.

Chew Toy

Brennan asked me this morning, "Dad, can we get a bird?"

"Well, son, what kind of animal likes to eat birds?"

He thought for a moment, "Cats eat birds."

"And what do we have?"

"A cat," he admitted. But he rebounded quickly and asked, "Can we have a dog?"

"And what do dogs do, son?"

Deflated, Brennan began to shuffle off and mumbled, "They chew on cats."