Planting vs. Gardening

I just spent some time sweating up in my garden attempting to remove all the unwanted plants that have crept into my plots. It only takes a few days for small weeds to become large weeds and take over the plants that I am seeking to cultivate. As I looked around our community garden at the other plots that people have I was struck by the difference between planting and gardening and the connection between gardening and the Christian life. Everyone in the spring becomes zealous about planting vegetables and seeing the fruits of their labor. People sift through the freshly tilled soil to rid their space of all weeds and seeds so that they will only have the plants that they desire growing in their oversized rectangle. The six packs and 3 1/2 inch pots are easily selected off of the greenhouse shelves and seem to slide into the dirt with ease. The peas and beans fall perfectly into place as one invisions what their mini-farm will look like come July. The sprinkler feels light and playful in one's hand as they moisten their young plants and seeds while the air is still fresh and the rain is in ample supply.

All of this seems to change as the summer schedule becomes hectic and the mercury rises outdoors. As the weekend approaches you have to choose between the lake and the weeds, and the lake always wins. After a long day of work you can head to the grill or up to the garden where immature weeds are doign their best to suck up your gardens nutrients and water. Once you return from a week of summer vacation you realize that some of your seeds have not come up, a few plants have been eaten by bugs, varments, or deer, and you can hardly see your tomato cages through the thick cover of weeds. Now it is decision time! Do I give up on the garden and call it a loss, or attack the neglected space like a hungry teenager on a cheese pizza? Your veggies want to produce and will bless your table with a bounty of goodness as long as you put in the time and effort.

In the same way that there is a large difference between planting and gardening, living a life for Christ is markedly different than accepting Christ as one's Lord and Savior. So many Christians are only concerened about "praying the prayer" or the four Spiritual laws, and not on a living faith that is difficult and messy. It is easy to walk down the aisle and affirm that you are in fact a sinner, but it is entirely different to live a life in Christ. There are certain weeds in your personal garden that require you to put on the leather gloves to uproot. Your spiritual journey requires daily watering, fertilizer, and lots of weeding. Just because I think that I have ridded my garden of all the visible weeds does not mean that the garden is actually weed free. Those thistles that you think you have pulled may have left some roots in the ground that will fester and develop over the next few weeks or months. If you desire to produce maximum fruit you must be watering, weeding, and tending to the garden of your life. Don't just plant seeds along your spiritual journey, but really dig in and get good at gardening your heart and soul. You will not be dissapointed.

Cold Sheets

Why is it that somethings are so enjoyable one time of year and irritating others? The other night I crawled into bed with cold sheets and was giddy! I love to crawl into a cold bed during the summer and feel that brief chill before drifting off to sleep. The great irony is that in four months I will be changing out the plain cotton sheets for a cozy flannel that will never provide the icy evening shock. The seasons in Minnesota provide you with so many joys that you only are able to fully cherish when you do not have them for months at a time. When we used to live in New Mexico it was always sunny and warm with rarely a chance of rain. This seems to dull one's senses and appreciation for the little things in life. If we had access to egg nog all year we would not look forward to that first day in November when we do a double take in the dairy isle to discover that creamy carton of bliss. If pumpkin pie were always on the dessert menu the post Turkey day delight wouldn't demand the reverence that it does. Why is it that people are so obsessed with Girl Scout cookies, the NFL, and Shamrock shakes? They are only around for a short time every year. I purpose that we look at limiting more items in our life to particular seasons so that we enjoy them more. Those cold sheets become unrecognizable when they are at your toe tips every night!

One Way

Yesterday I had to spend some time in downtown St. Paul with my beautiful wife and two adorable children. As we were attempting to find the building we were headed to I had an epiphany...I despise "one way" streets. The first time that I really encountered the labyrinth that is one way streets was in downtown Lincoln Nebraska. My older brother and I were attempting to find the state capitol of Nebraska and ended up driving the wrong way down a one way! This was quite an experience and has left me scared for life. Yesterdays experience reopened my one way wound and caused by blood pressure to rise. What is the value of the one way? Why can down towns not have streets like the vast majority of streets in the U.S.? I ended up having to drive an extra 4-6 blocks because of the inability to simply turn around on the street I was driving.

Once I successfully navigated the web of one ways I encountered the second thing that I despise in a downtown area, parking meters! When you are not used to using parking meters you never seem to have the change that you need to cover the meter. Since we did not know how long we were going to be in this particular space we were at the mercy of the change in my wife's purse. Why is it the amount of change that you place in the meter is never enough and you have to come back and the most inopportune time? There we were with only five dollar bills and no change machine insight. It is the only time that I have been glad that 20oz. sodas now cost $1.50. The soda machine allowed me to put in a five and get out $3.50 in quarters. It saved me a ticket and reduce the ache in my head, even if it was only slightly.

I am certain that hell will be paved with one way streets and parking meters!

The Blog in my Head

I have spent a lot of time working by myslef throughout my life. Whether I have been mowing someone's lawn, working in a camp office, or acting as a campus security guy I always find myself working alone. In addition, the amount of time that I have logged running down the road has resulted in more than enough time to ponder life's questions. I started this blog as a way to get some of those thoughts out, but have found it hard to sit down and type on a regular basis. It is not that I have not had anything to say, or even thought to myself, "This would make a great blog post."

I wonder how many people who have blogs don't post all the blog ideas that they come across? This past weekend was the celebration of our countries independence, which brought on more ideas to blog about. Why do we spend so much money on things that we blow up or burn down? How much money is spent by communities and cities across the country on fireworks displays? What could we have done with the money that was "blown" on fireworks to aid those who are suffering financially in this soft economy? Antoher topic that came to mind was the outrageous cost at movie theaters. How can movie theaters get away with charging what they do for popcorn and soda? What will be the top end cost of going to the movies?

Some other ideas that I have overlooked have been: guided fishing trips, gardening, the relation between weeds in your garden and weeds in my life, death and dying, saying goodbye, eternity vs. human life, weight loss and self control, and many more. I am attempting to find a way to make this a more regular practice, but who knows. How does one become a "professional blogger?" What do I need to say on a daily basis to get people interseted in my blog so that I can be payed for ads? All of these thoughts that swirl around in my head, but never make it out.

Is this the start of something new?

Faith seeking understanding?

This posting is something that has been ruminating in my mind for quite some time. A couple weeks ago a wonderful friend of mine who lives in Plano Texas asked me a pointed question that called for a response that is now becoming a blog post. The question revolves around the balance/bifurcation that takes place in my mind between my theological studies and my spiritual journey and "devotional time." Here is my response to my friend:

These are great questions that continually are tossed around here on campus and I love to engage them. Some people refer to the Seminary as the cemetery. It is the place where you faith goes to die. I think this is ridiculous. Scholasticism and the Enlightenment are not the devil, they have simply been used by the devil! I see my studying as an integral part of my faith journey. For example this paper that I am typing on Acts is highly academic, but is extremely enriching to my faith because it allows me to understand in a deeper way what was taking place during the time of Acts and how the things that Luke wrote about are far larger than one can realize by simply taking the text at face value. I cannot separate the relationship that I have with Christ from my academic study, and in the same way I cannot turn off my academic mind when spending exclusive reflection time with J.C. The symphony sounds the way it does because of all the pieces, not simply because of one dominant part. If you take out the strings you are not going to have the same symphony. The great composers often spoke of the level of worship they felt while composing music. I think of the awe doctors must have when they discover how the body works. They do not have to shut down their relationship with Christ because they are in the lab. I once heard a baseball player say that if Jesus played baseball he is sure that he would have slid as hard into home plate as the next guy; he just would have helped the guy up! I think the church and the academy have ruined people, or at least put them through a lot of turmoil, by teaching that there has to be this separation. It gets back to Luther and the sacred vs. secular dichotomy. Wow, this is getting longer than you were probably expecting.

I am a firm believer in organic and holistic living. There can be no Cartesian dualism. (The belief that the mind and the body are separate entities that can be examined by themselves.) We are whole people who need to be whole and holy. The life that we live in Christ must be one in which the Spirit permeates all the nooks and crannies of our being. Just as I cannot shut off my personality in my writing or studying, I cannot turn off my critical evaluation of the reading that I do. The revelation of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit must be always present as I study things like apriori knowledge and as I sit down to read through Psalms for personal edification.

I just thought this might be helpful to someone who is out there wrestling with the question of faith and higher education. It is more than "faith seeking understanding." It is a difficult situation that many face and need to be validated in their frustrations and feelings. I wold LOVE to hear your thoughts on the topic.

Distorted Images

I sit here at the desk and opine on last weekends trip to Miami. It was about this time that I was chilling in Key West sipping on a Red Stripe (insert "Hooray for Beer!!!" here) at the Hog's Breath! What a wonderful vacation full of sunshine, ocean air, and varrious cultures. I have always wanted to go to Miami. Since I was a wee lad I have been a fan of the Hurricanes and cannot quite tell you why. I can think back to the Hurricanes baseball shirt that I had when I was 6 or 7 and think that it has to trace back to that time frame when the Canes were winning National Championships in football and baseball. Needless to say, the trip was a dream come true for me.
Having spoken with a few people who have been to Miami I was told that it is like stepping into a different country. One person exclaimed that they were glad to get home and hear English being spoken everywhere. I have to say that I can agree with a portion of the South Beach analysis I recieved from others, but not all of it. The afternoon that we arrived at MIA we quickly loaded into the convertible and headed for Key Biscayne. While lounging on the beach we realized that we were certainly in the overwhelming minority. Various languages could be heard throughout the beach. It was FANTASTIC!!! It was as if we had left the States and entered into a tropical land where individuals from various countries flock to bask in the Atlantic sun. This trend continued throughout the weekend and made my wife and I very happy. The culmination of the linguistic experience was Sunday morning when we stumbled upon a phenomenal Argentinian bakery near North Beach. We knew that they must have good food by the crowd that was gathered on the sidewalk in front of the bakery. Immediately upon entering the establishment we knew we had made a great choice. The place was buzzing with all sorts of people, speaking multiple languages, and consuming delightful confections. After making our selections and heading for the beach we were slightly saddened for those who become intimidated or scared by foreign languages. Part of the excitement in traveling is meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. Sure it can be frustrating when communication is more laborious than fluid, but that is the beauty of this thing we call life. When you are in a position where you cannot understand the language that is being spoken you are vulnerable, but in vulnerability there can be found great growth.
I think back on all the great times that we had and the richness that was added to our vacation by the languages and cultures of complete strangers and hope that you will be able to share in a similar experience. I pray that you would not allow the images that others paint for you to distort your understanding of an area, a city, or a people group. The old saying goes, "Don't knock it till you've tried it," and I could not agree more. Intentionally step into another culture and see what excitement might be awaiting you there.

Birthdays

Yesterday I celebrated my twenty-nineth birthday. I have always been a big fan of birthdays and enjoyed remembering when my friend's birthdays are so that I could show them how much they mean to me by giving them a call, or sending them a card. I have been conflicted on the location of my birthday though. Since it is in mid-April it often falls on or very near to Easter. As a child this created problems for planning birthday parties. One year I had a birthday party where only one friend showed up. What is kids birthday party with one friend? On the flip side though, April always means the arrival of Spring and the ability for those in the Upper-Midwest to once again soak in the outdoors without covering every inch of our bodies with insulation.

Ohh the birthday party at Memorial Park with all my friends when someone gave me a foxtail (a ball with a streamer like silk tail that you could throw around) that was stuck in a tree within minutes of it exiting its packaging.

Then there was the infamous dual birthday party at the Yankton Inn where we played Wallyball and one of my best friends was mad at me because I chose to have this joint bash with a different friend whose birthday was also at the same time as mine. This party is brought up every year as we wish each other happy birthday in April.

How about the fourteenth birthday party in Sioux Falls where me and three budies stayed in the Ramkota with my dad and spent the day at the mall causing trouble? This was the year I receieved my first CD walkman. It was an Emerson that took SIX AA batteries and was heavier than an Algebra textbook. My first CD I bought was by Snow, "Informer!" Ahh the refined taste of a 14 year old living in Yankton, SD.

There was also the one where Nikki (my wife now, but girlfriend at the time) blindfolded me and drove me around in circles attempting to confuse me on where we may be going before heading to Yankton to celebrate with some of my family and best friend. This was the year she gave me the malt maker that still produces some killer treats. (And also scrambles eggs like you wouldn't believe.)

Can you tell that I love birthdays? The interesting thing this year was the explosion of birthday wishes I receieved from friends via Facebook. I have been writing down friends and family memebers birthdays on my old fashioned calendar for decades. Facebook eliminates that need for those who subscribe to this networking epidemic. There is no need to write anything down, Facebook pulls your "friends" info off of their profile page and infroms you when exactly their birthday is so that you may send them well wishes. It is fascinating to see the number of people who take the time to look at this and in fact wish you a Happy Birthday. My date of birth has not somehow changed over the past twenty-nine years, but now is broadcasted to the masses so that they may too join in my special day.

The sad thing about my birthday has not been the events that have signified April 18 throughout history, but the day after. So many tragedies have take place on April 19th that it always brings a somber mood the morning after the celebrations. The Branch Davidian invasion, Oklahoma City boming, Columbine shootings....the list goes on and on. Most parents are surprised by the exact day when their child is born, but all people are surprised on the day they die. Celebration and saddness surround the middle of April for me.

So I have 364 days to make the most of my 29th year of life here on this planet. What will I do? How much will my life change? Will we still be talking about the economic crisis as I ring in the big 3-0? I am not sure what this next year has in store for me, but I do know that my Redeemer lives and He will be near me as I journey along this road that we call life. Birthdays are such a beautiful thing that I think can be often overlooked. Take some time to write your friends and family memebers birthdays down and let them know that you celebrate the day they were brough into this world. A birthday wish is a sign of appreciation for the enrichment that person brings to your life and our world.

Thank you all for your birhtday wishes!

P.S. I could have typed a whole other blog about the wonderful cakes that my mom and wife have made me through the years.