Mom and Dad didn’t let me and my brothers fight when we were younger. The expectation was that we would get along and actually like each other. When we argued and verbally fought with each other, we got in trouble. I can’t even imagine what manner of wrath would have befallen us if any of our disagreements had come to physical blows. That was simply never an option in our house growing up. For my part, I was such a laid back older brother that not much bothered me and I was nice to my little bros. That turned out to be a smart move because my height and weight advantage quickly disappeared as we progressed through high school. Fortunately I’ve maintained my intellectual edge by a long shot.
Author: freest8r
Transcend and Include
I recently heard Father Richard Rohr reference Ken Wilber and the concept of transcend and include. Many Christians grow disillusioned with religion, move toward something new, and reject the faith of their youth. Richard encouraged us to find the value in what we learned in the first stage of life. Include those traditions while we transcend toward the second stage.
This resonates with me. I grew up in the charismatic movement, but over the years I’ve moved away from that focus on emotionalism and supernatural gifts. I question the idea that speaking in tongues is mandatory, or even something to be sought. I look at the elevation of prophets and prophecies with much skepticism. I’m uneasy with the focus on uncontrollable physical reactions, such as being slain in the spirit and shaking during worship. I don’t see faith as a contractual agreement with God whereby He is subject to our needs. I don’t believe the Bible is inerrant or that it has one authoritative meaning.
However, I still include much of what I grew up with into my current life and practices. For example, I try to combine body, mind, and spirit during my worship times. I lift my hands and I move. For me, this is an outward manifestation of the wonder that I feel. It allows me to holistically experience and express my connection with God. I also view speaking in tongues as a type of meditative practice, although I meditate in different ways now. I see faith as a continual journey of growth, and I pray for good things and for healing, with as much conviction as I can muster. I read the Bible as a diverse collection of writings about God, and I hold on to my respect for the Truth it contains.
I think this is where many of us miss out as we transform our beliefs through the years. We utterly discard where we came from, rejecting it with an anger and a contempt that isn’t healthy. In our drive to be more progressive we exclude our past and fail to incorporate it into our future. I want to grow and transcend beyond the faith of my youth, but at the same time respect and include the things it taught me as part of my continued journey.
Winning Isn’t Everything
All of our kids have been involved in sports since they were 8 years old. The teams were always decent, and often they were very good. I’m used to winning, and I enjoy it.
We’ve participated in Beach Breakers sports for a few years now. It’s a homeschool sports organization that plays in private school leagues in our area. This year I launched a varsity boys volleyball team. Seven of the nine players who came to the boys volleyball evals had never played before. I knew it would be tough to get wins. We went 0 – 9 and didn’t win a set. We lost to last year’s public school state champions 25 -2. We lost to the worst team in our conference in straight sets. There was a lot of losing … and it was so much fun that I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Continue reading Winning Isn’t Everything
The Good Citizen
Mom and Dad went to high school in the 60s. They told me about greasers, nerds, and a few other cliques. Dad didn’t really belong to any particular group, but Mom said she thought he was a “punk” at the time, whatever that means. I figure he was just a regular kid. He did get in a couple of fights in Junior High, and one of them is a story he wasn’t shy to share.
The Metamorphosis
I found out recently that my favorite high school English teacher passed away. Cancer. She was a fun and engaging teacher. I really hate cancer. News of her passing brought her class to mind, and a few of the memorable experiences I had there. One in particular revolved around a group assignment on the short story, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. It’s about a young man who wakes up one morning as a giant vermin, bug, beetle thing. Our assignment was to reenact and discuss a scene from the book in front of the class. My Dad was an entomologist. I had access to all kinds of insects. My high school self saw a perfect opportunity.
Count the Cost of Living in Great Bridge
When we had the house fire back in January, insurance gave us the option to move into a rental anywhere we wanted. We were seriously looking at buying a house with some acreage out in Great Bridge, so we saw this as an opportunity to find a rental out there and see how we liked it. We found a house only a few minutes off the bypass. That meant it was pretty easy to get places, and it would just add 10 or 15 minutes to most of our trips. We went for it and signed a 5 month lease.
Finding God in the Flames
Reflecting back on the house fire causes me to once again ponder the Problem of Evil. It’s challenging to look back on horrific events like the Holocaust or the school shootings, and wonder how a loving God could allow that to happen. It is another level of self-reflection when you watch your dad die of cancer, or see your house going up in flames. My Dad was a good man. I’m a decent chap. Why do bad things happen to good people? Continue reading Finding God in the Flames
The House Fire
It was Saturday night around 11pm, January 20th, 2018. We were heading toward bedtime, although Davin was the only one actually asleep. Jaron was in his room, Lianne and I were in our room, Ava was getting ready for bed. The power went out. Jaron noticed it immediately because his gaming computer shut down. His cry of frustration could be heard throughout the house. He and Ava quickly came into our room to ask what was going on. We looked out of our bedroom window and saw that the neighbors had power, which was unusual given that our power was out. There were no high winds or crazy storms in the area either, which was also unusual. So, Jaron and I decided to head to the garage to check on the circuit breaker. He pulled out his phone, flicked it twice to activate the flashlight, and I followed him across the house. He opened the door out to the garage and immediately said, “Dad, this isn’t good. There’s a lot of smoke.”
Man vs Opossum
A number of years ago I was changing the oil in our car and decided to change the oil filter as well. It was on so tight that I couldn’t get it off with my hands. Lianne saw me struggling with it and said helpfully, “Maybe you should call Eric, he could probably do it.”
Immediately a rage built inside me. I sputtered, “Eric!! It’s an oil filter! I’m capable of removing an oil filter. I’m not a dolt. I just need to get one of those filter remover thingys.”
I stripped the threads on the new oil filter when I tried to put it back on. The process took most of the day. Oil stains marked the driveway where I had toiled away at my task. I made four trips to the auto parts store, but by golly I got it done without any help from Eric, that’s for sure.
One Week With a Car Named Boogie
Our primary vehicle is a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with 192,000 miles on it. It is starting to show signs of aging. Lianne frequently drives the van around town with only one or two of the kids with her. It isn’t very efficient. Also, Ava just got her learner’s permit, so we will soon have 4 drivers, but only 3 vehicles. It was time to look for a new car. We quickly settled on an electric car of some kind because of the reduced cost of ownership and the lower impact on the environment. After much research, we chose the 100% electric Nissan Leaf. We found a good deal on a 2013 model down in North Carolina and went and picked it up last week. It didn’t take long for the family to fall in love with her and she was christened “Boogie” because “It’s electric.”
Continue reading One Week With a Car Named Boogie