Haydn in plain sight

M. played in a string quartet yesterday, October 31, at the college. She played with three college students, M. being the only high school student. It was wonderful. We were proud!

Mowing the grass

As has been noted in other blogs, mowing one's yard is very satisfying on several counts. First you can tell when you're done, just look back. Second, it's an excuse for avoiding balancing the checkbook. Third, I don't have to think much, nor make decisions affecting someone's life. Fourth, I get to believe (for a short time) that I'm actually exercising. All in all, it's quite a fun experience. 

Until I sneeze the entire next day. 

A Fair Day

We went to the Kansas State Fair today. It was fun. It was a nice change of pace. It was tiring. 

I enjoyed just being out of town, away from the usual daily grind, being with my family. 

The weather had been very wet the last several days, then today, praise the Lord, it was absolutely beautiful. The temperature was perfect; the sun was shining. 

The parking lot was, however, a muddy mess. The wheels spun as they do in snow and slush. Our shoes got dirty. That's OK. It was a day spent with folks who get their shoes dirty every day. 

Importantly, Michelle spent 5 hours doing hand painting at the CEF booth, telling young 'uns about the love of Jesus via the colors. It was amazing; they painted 99 kids. Ninety-nine kids who maybe got a little closer to the Kingdom. Ninety-nine kids who were touched by Michelle and faithful disciples like her. Nothing flashy, nothing dramatic. Just faithful obedience to the King. 

A Stirring in my Soul

Thursday, September 11, I was driving to choir rehearsal in the early afternoon. I was listening to the radio when I suddenly started to tear up (cry). I even had to go into the bathroom at the church to get my composure before I went to the choir rehearsal. 

Where did that come from? The person on the radio was commenting on the story of the folks in the plane over Pennsylvania who jumped the highjackers. 

The part that made me tear up was when they recalled the conversation between Todd Beamer and the GTE operator. He was speaking to her, reciting the Lord's prayer I believe, then the last thing she heard was "Let's roll." 

Why did this cause me to be emotional? I think it harkens to a deep longing within me and most males. It is a deep longing in my soul to be strong, to be protective, even to be willing to die for "the cause" whatever that may be -- one's wife, one's family, other people, even ... one's country. In a sense, to be like Christ. 

Excited about the impact

We're excited about an upcoming marriage conference in Wichita at Central Community Church on October 3-4. We've attended the live conference in Oklahoma City a couple of years ago. I cried during it several times (so, what else is new?). It is a wonderfully marvelous impacting conference, that guys in particular find very meaningful (so do the women). Here's the page with the specific information: http://www.loveandrespect.com/content/calendar_conference.asp?ID=520. The home page is www.loveandrespect.com

Please register; please attend; it is well worth the minimal $35/couple fee.

Disappointments

Disappointments lead to growth. I think.

Happiness is ...

Happiness is sitting down to a great meal at Martinelli's with a very dear and loving family who remembered our anniversary.

Positive things about losing partners

One positive thing about losing partners is that you can move into their much larger office, with much larger exam rooms, with a power exam table and an electronic scale. Wow.

Dead, Dark, Depressing ... and redeemable.

Since the other two general internists left, my end of the clinic is rather depressing. Not many people around. No one to commisurate with. No one to confer with. No one to trade call with.

Dead, dark, depressing ... my end of the hall.

But ... also, I must recall that this did not catch the Father by surprise. It is not out of His ability to redeem. In fact, it's no doubt meant to help all of us to grow and depend on Him.

So, I take one day at a time, anxious to see what He is store for us!

Wishing I were singing

I wish I could sing in a really good choir.

Bike rides

Michelle and I went on a very hot, humid bike ride yesterday. We explored various areas around our neighborhood. I had forgotten how fun a bike ride can be. Especially with a very special person.

Discourse on diversity or "higher thoughts on higher education"

The mantra of the liberal arts colleges (at least ever since I attended one in 1971) is "The purpose of college is to expose young people to diverse opinions so they can see the world is a big place with many different viewpoints." The corollary is "We need to correct the narrow worldview of the conservative kids" or "narrow minds are bad; open minds are good." There are, admittedly, elements of truth to these statements. When I attended college, I saw the value in this and I did grow by rubbing shoulders with other viewpoints.

Yet, what does the Master say about this? "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Are we ever commanded (or encouraged) to try out other ideas, to have an "open mind?" It seems we are commanded to seek the truth, and that is found only in the Book.

Even our denominational magazine, in an editorial, praised the value of diverse viewpoints and condemned staying safe in our own little enclaves. Fair enough. There is truth there, somewhere. Yet, something doesn't quite ring true about this. I have yet to fully work this out in my little (enclaved) mind. 

Non-linearity

Tomorrow is never promised to be like yesterday.

Missing the Miss

All the boys, her mom and I have said, "We miss her." Hurry back!

Sermon Sense

Well, I did it. Our pastor asked me last week if I’d like to preach this Sunday. He was going to be out of town, the associate pastor was going to be out of town and the person they asked initially backed out. So they were down to me. 

I’ve never done that sort of thing before. I’ve taught a lot of “Sunday School” for adults, but never have I spoken at length for the worship service. It was an honor to be asked. It was a privilege to do it. And it was a bit scary. But I thought it went as well as could be expected for my degree of training and experience.

I initially thought I might talk about a different topic than what was on the schedule. I thought about discussing “a personal walk” (the “quiet time”) or something similar since that’s what I’m speaking about in a couple of weeks at another conference. But then I decided to pursue the original topic: “The Lies We Believe: Good Christians should never feel angry, anxious or depressed.” 

This is a dangerous topic on which to speak, as most of us have very definite ideas on the topic. We’ve (most of us) experienced various degrees of these emotions. So, when I bring up ideas that may be different than our preconceived ideas, they may not be well-received. 

In particular I attacked the concept of the medical model of illness as applied to emotional/personal issues. I said that we are far more than just a combination of biochemicals and genes. While taking a pill may be a part of the answer, it is only a part. We need to also address spiritual issues and particularly our response to stressors or even our response to depression itself. 

While most folks thanked me afterward, I know of at least one person (involved in the mental health field) who took exception to my understanding and message. 

Nevertheless, it is (and was) my prayer that people would not hear me, but rather hear the Holy Spirit and His Word, remembering ONLY what the Spirit was speaking to each of our hearts. 

One other thing, I am so thankful for my precious family. I gave the talk to them on Saturday and they provided such helpful feedback. Thanks so much! 

Two brief points of interest (what I learned): 1. 1 John 4:18: “...perfect love drives out fear…” can be taken two ways: A. Our understanding and experiencing of God’s perfect love drives out our fear or B. Our love for others, as it is perfected (made more mature), drives out our fear. 

2. I recommend Robert Rogers book “Into the Deep,” the story of his family’s demise in a flash flood in the middle of Kansas in 2003 (a true account) and his response to that event. Very powerful. Very inspiring.  

I’m thankful for the opportunity to have spoken. It was … fun. 

Graduation weekend

The Graduate

Can't really believe it's been four years. Four years since he played violin for graduation from high school. Four years since we drove to Minnesota to move him in to the dorm. Four years since our third son went to college.  And now he's graduated. Wow. 

I had a wonderful time all weekend. Part of it was the fact that that was my last really good out-of-town, completely-free, no-real-responsibility weekend for a while. Part of it was spending time with my wonderful family (except Jonathan, who is wonderful, but wasn't able to go with us). Part of it was spending time with people who have contributed to Sean's life: Levi, Alan, Sarah, Kristie, Julia, Pastor Will and others. 

Part of it was the incredible orchestra concert Friday evening, the choir concert Saturday evening, the trip to the cities, the food at Panera Bread, the pizza at Basil's Sunday night, the waffles at the Waffle Shop, the Indian fare at Chapati's in Northfield. 

And of course, the great joy and satisfaction a father has in seeing his son or daughter having accomplished a great feat. We are proud. And thankful. And blessed. 

The Belle of the Ball

The annual Teen Banquet was Friday, May 9 -- and what a Banquet it
was! We had the largest turnout yet -- 89 young people, from Junior
High to 12th grade. The committee did a great job decorating the room
(theme: "Twilight in Venice"). Dr. VonBergen (aka "Antonio") did some
amazing physics tricks and involved the students very well. We hired
a local juggler who did a fantastic job. But -- the best part of it
was seeing Michelle my Belle dressed up so pretty. Wow! Is there
value in dressing up and having a great evening of fellowship with
friends and family? Yes, there certainly is! Maybe it's that it
reminds us of the finer things -- the things above, where one day we
will be living!

Where there's a will ...

"We should not ask, 'What is God's will for me?' We should rather ask, 'What is God's will for the world and how do I fit in to that plan?'" -- from Perspectives Course. 

Putting away

Joshua to the Israelites: "Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." Foreign gods ... in our very midst? Surely not. Surely not materialism, pride, self-importance, status, glamor, sports, prominence. Putting them away is so needed. But, it doesn't stop with the negative command to "put away." It also thankfully includes the positive command to incline my heart to the Lord. Daily. Minute by minute. It's the daily walk, the daily time with Him. The closer I am to Him, the less I will be attracted to the foreign gods. 

Self-assembly

John Patrick, MD and thinker from Canada:   He was lecturing/debating at a secular university and wrote on the board: “This message assembled itself." He asked the audience (made up largely of professors) if they believed the sentence. They said no. Then he crossed out “message” and replaced it with “DNA” since DNA is essentially the message/code for protein and life. The debate was over. 

He recommends the book "Professors Who Believe-the Spiritual Journeys of Christian Faculty" (IVP) by Paul Anderson.

Tackett Talk

Del Tackett, primary mover behind the "Truth Project" at Focus:  "We are approaching the “perfect storm" noted by multiple social/cultural trends converging, threatening to sweep Christianity away. “Truth” is THE focus of the battle. John 18:37. 1 John 4:6 The issues/trends: aggressive naturalism/atheism, spiritual naturalism, gender confusion, hedonism, individualism, relativism, tolerance/apathy (“whateverism).

The Trouble with Truth

Starting with Del Tackett at Focus on the Family discussing the fact that "truth" is the crucial issue today and continuing with an NPR piece about the fact that it is very hard for any one person to really know much about many things, I've been pondering the fact that knowledge of the "truth" is hard to come by.

Take global warming for example. It would take quite a bit of time for me to really research whether this (global warming) is a true concept or not, even though I have a bit of scientific background. So, I (and most others) are left with choosing to believe what others are saying. We trust the people we think have similar values or interests to ours. Using this methodology, we choose to adopt certain beliefs.

If I were to really investigate, say, evolution vs. creation, it would take me literally several years to look at all the evidence. I'd need (even greater) background in basic biology, genetics, natural selection, looking at the historical record, fossils, archeology, etc. Even then there would be a time when I'd have to say, "OK. I've looked at (for example) 3-5 years of data. What percentage is that of the whole? Have I looked at 5% of the whole amount of data there is? Have I looked at 50%? 99%?" When have I looked at enough of the data to make an informed decision?

I say all this to indicate not a hopelessness nor despair in coming to a knowledge of the truth. Rather, I say this to indicate that we all need to remain quite humble and to choose the people/books/documents, etc. very carefully that we listen to. Ultimately, I choose to look at God's amazing Word, the Bible, to inform me. After all, He came up with the whole thing in the first place. He is the One who really does know the answers!

So, in conclusion, it seems to me that it's not so much what you know. It's Who you know.

Golden Festival Day

That yearly tradition, the Golden Belt Vocal Festival (our tenth in Salina) has once again come and gone. Frankly, the one yesterday was among the best -- in being God-focused, excellent instruction, attentive students, good music and a good, solid concert. The special event this year - Glenn introduced "the love of my life" Dr. Sheila Schmitt. She is a wonderful lady, associate professor of music at Tabor College. She is Distinguished Faculty of the 2007-08 school year. We're thrilled for both of the them! The wedding is July 19. 

Critical time

Henry Blackabee ("Experiencing God") gave devotions every morning  at Focus's Physicians Conference. He reports the following interaction (speaking to Fortune 500 executive about personal devotional time): One executive said, “But you don't understand, Dr. Blackabee, I’m so busy, I don’t have time to have a devotional time.” Blackabee said, “If you don't think you have time, then you don’t know Whom you are meeting with.” 

Another quote: “There is no substitute for the spiritual leadership of the father in the home. As my spiritual life goes, so goes the family.” 

Finally, "God has a word from His heart, through my heart to other’s hearts.” Help others see where God is at work in their lives. 

That's my prayer today.  

Thursday's Snowstorm

After extracting ourselves from responsibilities at home and work, Karla and I left for Colorado Springs on April 10. What a beautiful day the Lord gave us -- here in Kansas! We got to Colby, ate a quick lunch and visited with some folks there. They said, "Yep, the storm has made it to Goodland." What storm? I had checked the weather but didn't see anything about a storm. Sure enough, when we approached Goodland it started to mist, then rain, then sleet and ... eventually snow. I-70 remained open and we actually did fine until we were about 15 miles from Limon, CO. Then it really got bad -- high winds, blowing snow, near "white out" conditions. Then it let us a bit as we approached Limon. I about froze putting gasoline in the car. The wind had really picked up. A driver who had just come from Colorado Springs said it took him 2 hours to get to Limon from Springs. I thought, hmmm, should we or shouldn't we? It looked like it was letting up a bit. 

Well, off we went, south to Colorado Springs. The weather worsened. The wind increased even more. It was truly "white out" (and white knuckle) conditions! Numerous times we slowed to a crawl of 20 mph. On one occasion we did indeed lose control, as the car in front slowed way down and I was trying to slow and stop. We weaved back and forth, back and forth and nearly went in the ditch. 

Karla called Michelle and another friend and asked for prayer. Again, miraculously, in about 10-15 minutes, it let up and we had clear sailing into Colorado Springs! 

More about the speakers and some quotes in the next post.

 

Focus on the Savior

Wow. What an amazing conference. We attended our 7th physician's conference at Focus on the Family. This, to me, was the most meaningful, worshipful conference they've done. Henry Blackabee (Experiencing God), John Patrick, Gene Rudd, Rev. Ken Hutcherson, HB London, Dr. Dobson and many other workshop speakers were fantastic mouthpieces for what the Lord wanted to teach us. The fellowship with other Christ-following doctors from across America and Canada (over 500 attended) and just getting to know really neat folks was very encouraging. I'll post a couple of pictures and later some other comments. Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful time with You!

After the recital

We had an absolutely wonderful, marvelous trip to Minnesota to hear my son's violin recital. It was certainly a highlight of my life so far. There was a bit of anxiety on my part in anticipating the event and especially as the recital began. But then after he came out on stage and appeared so very confident and professional, I knew it would go well. And go well it did. How proud we all were!

It was especially wonderful to have the whole family along, including a new member of the family! I am thankful to the Lord for the fantastic experience of this weekend!