Archive for January, 2010
So, I’ve been getting grumpier and grumpier lately. I’ve been wearing my hat almost every day, and I had gotten to the point where no matter how much gel I used, I could not sustain the weightiness of my hair. It just kind of all fell down in my face like I had bangs. So today was the day. Haircut Day! I’m especially excited about this haircut day because the boys got “buzzes.” They haven’t had these in a really long time (couple years for samuel) and I think they look really cute. So in honor of haircut day (and maybe to compete with some other blog I read sometimes…) I am posting pictures tonight!
That’s my haircut. And with the blessings of photobooth – as always – I look slightly demented.
Mathea wanted a buzz. We said no :) Instead she got a slight trim
Elliot just lost a front tooth, got a haircut, and got a new hoodie. He’s very excited!
What a stud! iPhone camera didn’t work to well this time, but he is so cute with his short hair. It’s been maybe a year or two since it’s been this short for him!
OK – and I was looking through photobooth tonight at all the pics the kids have taken while I’ve been at work. They have some awesome stuff! This one made me laugh. How cool does he look?? He’s like a super hero!
As a teacher I live for these. Really. I love when a scripture or an insight or a story just comes to life for me in a new way. Like light shining on a previously darkened landscape. Lately I have especially been drawn to reading the stories of Jesus, and particularly his interactions with people. I think so often we read these stories as little kids, and then as adults, somehow we fail to lose that “kid-like fairytaleness” that we have assigned to the stories.
Two of my favorite Christian authors/preachers are Erwin McManus and Max Lucado. And both of them excel at getting real with the characters of the Bible. I really like to get down and feel the sand of the ancient middle eastern road; to smell the scent of the fishing nets when Jesus called Peter; to feel the rush of people pressing in to see Jesus as the woman touched his garment; to hear the heart-wrenching wails of Mary and Martha as they mourned the loss of their beloved brother Lazarus; to feel the utter awe-filled silence as Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
What were these moments like? They REALLY happened! What did it feel like? I wish I could enter in. But one thing I am convinced of—I think we better understand these stories if we read the characters as real people and not as some fairy tale versions of reality.
So tonight, I’m excited, because I had some moments of revelation for my teaching on Sunday. Hopefully others will be equally excited by the end of the sermon!
Today neared the top of my list of highly stressful days at work (yeah I’ve got that list – don’t you?). In fact, there’s been a few of those lately. And there’s always the transition to be made after being at work all day, coming home feeling pretty depleted, and then walking in the door and needing to be an amazing father, husband, spiderman (or more likely Doc Oc), Darth Vader, International Spy, Pro Wrestler, or Master Swordsman.
In fact, two days ago Mandy caught a glimpse of me doing something very “Dwight” (office reference). As I got out of my car and walked to the door, I made an internal decision—”I will not allow myself to bring my work home! I will be a really fun dad and loving husband! I will myself to do this! I choose life!!!” Of course, while this was happening internally, I involuntarily raised a fist in the air in triumph! And of course…Mandy caught me! L. O. L. (Yes I know you don’t need periods there, they are for dramatic effect. Which of course is now lost since I had to explain it. Darn.)
Anyway, today not only was I particularly stressed, but after dinner I received an email that further exacerbated my condition. We had Jonathan and Rebekah and their wonderful kids over for dinner, so after dinner I made a decision. I inentionally need to be a kid. Just forget it all, leave all the adult stuff behind, and just be a kid.
So I grabbed my guitar and said, “Let’s go downstairs and ROCK!!!” (That’s right. I’m Jack Black. Hair and all.) Samuel on drums, Elliot on electric, Cosi on accoustic, Charis and Selah on vocals, and me…being a kid. It was awesome. I quickly taught myself how to play Crush, Crush, Crush by Paramore. And then worked my School of Rock magic. We developed this amazing, accoustic version of the song that seriously should be released on iTunes. It was great.
When we came up an hour later from the basement, it was as if the whole rest of the day had vanished. I felt free. I felt alive. I felt . . . like a child.
“I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.” — Jesus
“Be not deceived, Wormwood, our cause is never more in jeopardy than when a human, no longer desiring but still intending to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe in which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
C. S. Lewis “Screwtape Letters”
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately with a lifelong friend of mine named Jessica. I have known her since she was 9 and I was 12, and what’s crazy is, that doesn’t seem like that long ago! She has always been a person who has seen the fullness of color in life. Lately though, the colors of her life have turned to so many shades of grey. And I’ve seen my friend go from zestfully loving life, to just walking out one day at a time.
As we have been talking, even though our situations are radically different, I’ve been reminded of the pain that Mandy and I have walked through the last several years. It’s funny—when you suffer in tragic ways, it’s almost like you join this really sad club. Weepers R Us, or Pain-a-holics Annoymous. And you all wear shirts that say, Life is HARD instead of Life is GOOD. Yeah, I’ve been to those meetings.
Anyway, I was thinking about pain, and life, and all this—and I remembered this quote from one of my favorite C.S. Lewis books. It’s about a veteran demon who is training a novice demon on how to make Christians stop believing in God. And in this one section he talks about how God (the Enemy in his language) will sometimes stand off from us so that we will learn to run to him. And then he talks about how annoyed he gets at the human, when the human, inspite of all the bad that is swirling around him, and the distance of God away from him, will still choose to follow.
I can remember in the midst of some of the darkest days after Hope passed away saying to Mandy that I didn’t want to lose my faith. I didn’t understand God, I couldn’t feel God’s presence, and I even was harboring some serious resentment and anger towards him. But at the same time I knew that I did not want to be the person who walks away when the going gets rough. So I made a choice. And so did Mandy. And so is my friend Jessica. And so can we all (too preachy?).
But really, I mean it! No matter what happens around us, we still have the power to choose. The power of choice. I choose this and not that. I choose life and not death. I choose faith and not fear. I choose love and not hate.
Now granted, these are not easy choices. They were not easy choices for me to make. And I learned that I often had to make them every day—little decisions over and over again that eventually would add up to something bigger. And as I survey the landscape of life around me, and all the hurting people I know right now, I just get this sense that those who make good choices now—choices to walk toward God and not away—will find the restoration of hope that one day will come.
As I look back into the darkest times of grief that Mandy and I shared, I realize that not only did I not lose myself, but in many ways I found myself more powerfully than ever before. And this is just true. The dark hour, the shadow of death, the valley of decision—these are all terrible times that are ripe with potential.
So my prayer for all my friends (and myself) who are struggling now is to make those small choices today that will lead to life in the tomorrows to come.
OK, so along with my many more advantageous dreams, I have a set of less impressive, but still very real, goals in life. One of them was accomplished tonight!
I am the kind of guy who really likes to help people out of jam. If I see an old lady on the side of the road with a flat tire, I stop and help. If someone is lost I’ll try to help him or her find their way. Sometimes however, my desire to help is limited by my knowledge and skill set. For instance, we were waiting in a huge traffic jam a couple months ago, and this car in front of us erupted in a plume of steam and smoke. As she pulled over, I said to Mandy – “I bet that’s her radiator. She’ll need water poured into it so she can keep going, and we’ve got water! (We were on our way home from our kids’ soccer game.) The problem is, I really have no idea what to do with the water, where to put it, or how it works. Fortunately though, a guy who drives a big truck (good sign that he’ll know something about cars, I thought) stopped too. Between his know-how, and my water, Ms Smoky Car was on her way in no time.
One of these types of “spirit is willing, know-how is weak” situations is the keys-locked-in-car dilemma. I have ALWAYS wanted to solve that one. And I have tried many times. This summer we went camping at Ricketts Glen (amazing) with good friends of ours (Nathan and Shannon). It was a great three day camping trip. And the very last thing we did was spend the last morning canoeing on the beautiful moutian lake amongst huge fields of white flowered lilly pads. Amazing.
As we were loading the boats on Nathan’s truck I hear Mandy exclaim, “the keys are in there!” That can’t be good. Nathan and I tried and tried, but couldn’t get in. And then we called the ranger, and he tried and tried with his instrument he has (slim jim), but couldn’t get in. Then I paid $80 and waited 30 minutes for this tow guy to come and try. He pops out of his truck, grabs this rubber wedge, a mallet, and a stick. In 30 seconds, it was over. Car open. That made me mad! If only I had that rubber wedge, it was so easy!
OK , so that’s way too long of an intro for this: Tonight, God gave Nathan and I a second chance, and we were resolved not to fail again. My friend Jessica locked her keys in the car tonight, and I sprang at the opportunity. Nathan just happened to be at church with me, so I said – “You ready to try again?” I rummaged through the Latshaw basement and came up with some instruments that I thought resembled the rubber wedge. And I got a hanger.
The wedge worked! But the hanger did not – not strong enough to press the unlock button. So then I tried a stick…it broke…in the car. That’s not helpful. So then Nathan had a brainstorm, as we were combing over a tree looking for a better branch. What about one of those thin sticks we use to show the plow where not to plow? We raced to find one, and yes! We got one! And sure enough, with the right instruments, and a little know-how, the car was unlocked! Victory!
That’s my exciting story for the night. It was very fulfilling to see that door open. Quite a sense of accomplishment. And now I’m considering carrying wood shims (the wedge) and a plow stake in my car for other opportunities to save the day!
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