Presenting the Nutcracker for Your Enjoyment!

What Will You Do In Eternity?

I love to sing.  Once upon a time I could.  Sadly, my age and my physiology has left me with a wizened vocal range and a tonal quality that sounds like someone has poured motor oil on my vocal cords.  Most days I can't even hope to eke out a few lines. 

I've been thinking about eternity lately.  Given the cartoons we often see, I suppose many Americans think of eternity as a place where we float around on clouds and play harps all day.  I think of eternity as a time when God has set things right again.  Part of that package entails the granting of a new "glorified" body, a body that functions properly.  One that operates as God designed it and without fail.

You know what I am going to do with mine?  I'm going to sing.  I am sure that we can't conceive of the quality and clarity with which we will be able to praise God with our new bodies and I am sure that our current abilities are but weak approximations of that glorious reality.  But someday, when by God's amazing grace I can once again sing, I hope to sing His praise in like fashion to the following clips.  

A Quote For My Preacher Friends

".  .  .  my mentor gave me some good advice:  your praying and your preaching should be of the same length.  You don't want to find yourself limping, with one leg shorter than the other.  God works as a result of prayer and faithfulness, not technique and cleverness."

-- N. T. Wright in Surprised by Hope (p. 226)

A Quote for Today

But idolatry is always the perversion of something good. 
-- N. T. Wright in Surprised by Hope (p. 212)

The Knack Part II

Can you tell what is wrong with this picture?  If you are young problem solver I'll bet you can!

Earlier this week Sam came downstairs and saw the Charlie Brown tree we had set up on the table.  In a matter of moments he became deeply troubled.  "Dad", he said, "the ornament is on the wrong part of the tree!  You need to move it to the branch that is bent!"  

So we did 

As you might surmise, he is a observant kid who loves the Charlie Brown Christmas special and has analytical problem solver skills.

How Did I Miss This?

Today I was checking in on one of my favorite blogs, (Justin Taylor: Between Two Worlds) and he had highlighted a Christmas collection that was unfamiliar to me.  Behold the Lamb of God is by Andrew Peterson and it is well worth listening to.  I enjoyed the musical style and quality, but I also appreciated the depth of the lyrics.  It starts out like this: 

Gather round, ye children, come
Listen to the old, old story
Of the powr of death undone
By an infant born of glory
Son of God, Son of Man
Gather round, remember now
How creation held its breath
How it let out a sigh
And it filled up the sky with the angels
Son of God, Son of Man

How is it that I am only know becoming aware of this wonderful collection?  Listen to and enjoy "Behold the Lamb of God" for free by steaming it online here. 

Football Memories

Sam loves football.  I was pondering how I could turn his interest in football into a learning opportunity when my mind took an unexpected turn down memory lane.  While I might have grown up without a television, I was always surrounded by books.  My mom would periodically take me to town and I would bring home a stack of books from the public library.  I had an affinity for American History, but a different type of American History would often find it's way into the stack as well.

    I wanted to be just like Bart Starr.  I studied how he held the ball and how he played the game.  Unfortunately, the only time I got to play was on the playground at our country grade school, I was never allowed to play on an organized team.

Now that we live in the frozen tundra, I thought this might be fun book to page through together with my son. I found one online and it arrived just a few days ago.

Superbowl I!!!

Bart Starr, MVP!

The age of technology is great in many ways, but nothing beats holding an old book in your hands!  Every kid should grow up with books to pour over.  Books that invest their dreams, their hopes, their imaginations.

The "Beer Cave"

We traveled down to the Cincinatti area over Thanksgiving to visit family.  The cultural experience would not be complete without a visit to the "Beer Cave."  If you aren't familiar with the concept, it is a drive through quick shop of sorts.  You  drive your car in, tell the attendant what you want, and drive on out.  

This one is located in the bustling metropolis of Morrow, Ohio, population approximately 1,200

We weren't in the market for any beer, but we did buy some Cheetos and chocolate milk to keep the little guy happy!

I Will Never Leave You

I took a vacation day today and was doing a little painting upstairs.  Sam was downstairs playing.  Suddenly he stopped and hollered:

"Dad?"

"Yes, Buddy?"

"I just wanted to know where you are."

"I wouldn't leave you buddy."

I was struck with the parallels between my son's relationship to me and my relationship to God.  How often I want to check in and make sure that He is still there.

He replies back to me:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Thanks, Lord.  I just wanted to know where you are.

Road Trip!

This past weekend my lovely bride and I embarked on our own road trip. This one had a definite purpose in mind.

GO CATS!

We passed some sights along the way

Finally we reached the holy grail

At game time the place was rockin'!

Finally, the win after 4 OT's!!!!

The "architect" who has twice rebuilt K-State Football heading off the field

Give coach Bill your vote for coach of the year!

Kansas State Wildcats 53 - Texas A&M Aggies 50

		1	2	3	4	4OT	T
	TA&M	0	14	7	10	19	50
#14	KSU	0	14	0	17	22	53

It's a lot of fun to watch your alma mater be successful on the football field.  Sadly many programs are successful on the field, but not in the classroom.  I am proud to say that Kansas State is one of the better programs in college football when it comes to educating student athletes.
K-State Places 16 on Academic All-Big 12 Football Team

"This continues a long tradition of academic excellence at K-State, the finest land grant university in the nation. Kansas State's football and all-sports graduation rates have led the Big 12 Conference in each of the last four years.Head Coach Bill Snyder has established a track record of encouraging academic achievement, and the effort of those student-athletes has not gone unnoticed. K-State has had 10 Academic All-America selections under Bill Snyder, plus eight CFA National Scholar-Athletes. According to Diverse magazine, K-State ranks 10th in the nation among all Division I football programs, and tops in the Big 12, in graduating African-American student-athletes."

Next up, Texas. 
GO CATS!
Make steak out of those Longhorns!

Road Trip Songs

The video I previously posted has put me in a road trip mood.  Here are a few songs that have sprung to mind:    

Some day I dream of driving as much of Route 66 as I can.  In my dream I'm driving a fully restored Nomad pulling an old Airstream trailer.  The only real problem here is that my lovely wife does not share this dream.  Maybe in time I can sway her.

I don't know that this one is quintessential, but you have to have a song about the Highway Patrol!

Of course no road trip selection could possibly be complete without CW McCall!

Breaker 1-9 and 10-4 good buddy.
Dare I admit to being alive during the CB craze? I remember learning to fix CB radios in my high school electronics class.  Yikes!

I should head down to a truck stop and see if they still make those things.

The Ultimate Roadtrip?

I came across this road trip video today.  See the USA in 5 minutes on time lapse!  I was amazed at how much of his road trip I recognized.  It gives me the itch to be on the road again!  You can learn a bit more about this trip and see a trip map at the photographer's blog.  



See you on the road!

Death-Defying Boys And Their Epic Poems

Boys are made for adventure, for dreams, for conquest.  When they are young they dream big, but it seems that their hopes are often soon dashed.  Thanks Tony for the reminder that I am helping my son build, understand and protect his own epic poem. 

But here was Caleb not knowing any better, thankfully, asking for stories of his death-cheating self, because this is what our children look to from us, the first stanzas of the epic poems that are themselves. We were riding in my pickup with his three younger brothers, who took interest as well. Boys like death-defying stories.

 Read the whole article here, it is worth your time!

Image ◊ Good Letters: The IMAGE Blog ◊ Death-Defying

I Can Deny It No Longer

Growing up, it seemed I was surrounded by engineers.  Everything had to be analyzed ad nauseam.  The world was entirely black and white, there were no shades of gray.  I decided to rebel against that and become the anti-engineer.  I fully denied any and all inner tendencies associated with what I perceived to be an engineering mindset. 

However, it is hard to escape genetics.  The first step came about 13 years ago when I came to recognize and embrace my inner analytic. 

Yesterday while working on my snow blower I had a crushing discover.  It started so innocently.  I was merely removing the belly pan from the machine to lubricate the appropriate surfaces.  I removed four bolts, pulled the pan and to my shock and horror, I found myself delighted, enthralled, exubrant, even about what lay in front of me.

This is in high gear

I pulled out my phone, started taking pictures and marveled over the design that had been revealed.  I was aware at the appalling implications of this discovery, but I couldn't help myself.  I then began moving the gear levers to confirm what I suspected and marveled even more.  The shear ingeniousness of the design and the simplicity of it was awe inspiring to me.

This is in low gear

Here it is in reverse

I guess I can deny it no longer.  Inside of me there is a mini-engineer trying to find his way out. 

Today's Thought

The law says, »do this«, and it is never done. Grace says, »believe in this«, and everything is already done.

-The Heidelberg Disputation

A Thought for Today

I can't remember where I heard this, but I scribbled it down on the back of envelope. 

"Nothing is impossible for those who don't have to do it themselves."

Are You Weary?

I found this post to be quite refreshing.  Perhaps you will too.  Here is a little taste:

"The first stanza begins with my most pressing need:  rest.  I am “weary and worn and sad,” battered by the world, by work, by relationships, by senselessness and violence and misunderstanding.  The struggle seems never ending."

I Know What the Future Holds!

I hate to think about it, but I know that this is right around the corner

Here in the frozen tundra, you have to make sure you are ready for the white death.  In the winter time, this is one of my best and closest friends.

This past winter he was a bit unreliable.  He started up ok, but he would intermittently die on me while on the job.  It took a while to get him restarted after each episode and it was more than a little frustrating.

This appears to be the culprit

I pulled this little carb off and found that one of these passages was clogged

I got the passages blown out and it seems to be running just fine now.

Because when the snow begins to fall and the wind starts to blow, you have to be ready!

Deck of Disappointment

Last summer my deck was in desperate need of repair.  The stain was worn thin and the wood was starting to show through.  I decided that since I didn't want to do this very often, I would do it right the first time.  I spent an inordinate amount of time stripping, prepping and staining the deck.  Much to my dismay when the winter's snow melted away, this is what I found.

So once again I found myself with a summer deck project in front of me.  I had used a waterborne stain, so this time I opted to strip as bare as I could, and go with an oil based stain (and a different manufacturer).

With some help from my lovely assistant, we now have a lovely outcome.  I'm feeling better about this application.  I sure hope we don't have a nasty surprise come spring!

Hey, he cut me off!

Talk about irony.  On the way home today a guy sporting one of these bumper stickers cut me off in traffic.

I guess he wasn't planning of coexisting with me.  Likely he only cares to coexist when it is convenient for him!

Does He Have "The Knack?"

Little dude loves his cars, motorcycles and trains.  He takes the wheels off of everything, too.  Recently he has become more creative with his legos.  Tonight he proudly showed me his newest creation.  He told me it was a truck, but it reminded me of "Big Bud."

This is "Big Bud."  Wouldn't you just love to take this bad boy for a spin?

Of course, my real concern is for his future.  As I watch him grow and develop, I see certain tendencies emerge.  Could it be that the following conversation is in our future?

Help!

How To Build a Balance Beam

As Kate's gymnastics prowess has increased, she has begun asking for a balance beam.  Since this was a long weekend, I decided to take this project on along with some help from my lovely assistant (aka my wife).

The first requirement of building a beam is to find a friend with a a LOT of wood clamps.  Thankfully, I have a friend like that.

Next buy a LOT of wood glue, 6 - 10 foot 1x6's and 4 - 10 foot 2x4's.

Cut the 1x6's to a uniform 10' length

Before beginning the lamination project, I did a mockup first.  I used the 2x4's to help transfer the "squeeze" of the clamps more uniformly.

Satisfied, I glued together my first two boards.  I had no idea how quickly the glue sets - yikes!  There is very little time to adjust the boards the way you like!

TIP:  find a friend with a table saw, and cut all 1x6's to a uniform length before laminating them, this will make the whole process a bit easier with a better end product. 

Here is the outcome after four  boards are glued together

 Here are all six

Since I had not sawed the boards for width, I took a hand plane to the beam to create a nice flat surface

Then I hit it with a sander

And voila!

Next we wrapped the beam in some 1/2"   1" foam. 
(This gives the beam a bit more cushion.  You may choose to use a bit less)

Finally, we wrapped it in "marine vinyl"

We trimmed off the excess and admired the finished product!

and turned our gymnast loose!

NASCAR As A Moral Example?

I have a secret.  I hope you won't think less of me for revealing it.  I kinda like NASCAR.  I am not passionate about it, but I do watch it occasionally and I know a bit about some of the drivers.  Sam and I watch it together from time to time.  He likes Jeff Gordon.  I like Matt Kenseth.  I have no use for Kyle Busch.  I think he is a whiner who races dirty and hides behind Momma's apron.  It seems like whenever there is a wreck, Kyle Busch is near by.  It seems that whenever he is close to winning, he will wreck everyone between him and the finish line.  Whatever it takes to win is the price he will pay.  Now, I admit that I don't know any of that for a fact, but I've watched enough to form that opinion by observation without outside help.

Tonight at our family devotions we were talking about putting others first.  I was explaining to the kids that some people will do whatever it takes to be first.  I am endeavoring to come up with relevant examples when Kate pipes up and says: "you mean like Kyle Busch?"  Maybe there is some moral value to NASCAR after all.  

Grandma's Books

My Grandmother was a great and godly woman who passed away almost two decades ago.  As I wrote that sentence, I was startled at how quickly the time has passed since that day!  

Grandma had collected a number of books during her lifetime and a few of them fell into my hands.  Most of them are in a box in the basement and are not the type of books I would readily read or use when doing research.  Recently, however, I came across one that I wanted to read -- "The Weapon of Prayer" by E.M. Bounds. 

E.M. Bounds lived from 1835-1913.  He was trained an apprenticed as an attorney, but entered the ministry in his twenties.  He was ordained in 1859 in the Methodist Church and he served as a chaplain during the Civil War.  During his life he wrote extensively on prayer. 

This little book has been slow reading for me because I have had precious little free time lately and when I do I tend to fall asleep in mid sentence!  Further, his writing style and language is dated and therefore a bit more difficult to access. Another challenge has been that Grandma marked up the book extensively in some spots.  Now, if you know me, you know that I mark my books up to, so it may seem that this is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.  But I have actually found it interesting to see what my Grandmother found interesting.  Grandma was a woman of prayer.  She was passionate and persistent in the pursuit of prayer.  I could learn a lot from her in this area and I wish she were with us today so that I could learn this discipline from her.  

Today while reading the Bounds book I noticed this notation on the side of the page written in the shaky cursive of her later years: "My Prayer".  What exactly was the paragraph that she highlighted?  It was a quote from
William Carvosso:

Oh, I long to be filled more with God!  Lord, stir me up more in earnest.  I want to be more like Jesus.  I see that nothing will do but being continually filled with the divine presence and glory.  I know all that Thou hast is mine, but I want to feel a close union.  Lord, increase my faith."

 Concerning Carvosso E.M. Bounds wrote: "Continual prayer and turning all conversation toward Christ in every company and in every home, was the inexorable law he followed, until he was gathered home."  That was my Grandmother to a "T."  No matter where you started with her, it always ended with Jesus.  And it usually started with Jesus too!  Jesus was everything to her and she spent hours in prayer with him -- until she too was gathered home.  

You did exceedingly well, Grandma.  I love you and I miss you. 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Cooking with Style

I saw this video imbedded on another blog and I laughed so hard I could hardly see!  Perhaps I have a warped sense of humor, but I found this to be an entertaining parody on the plethora of cooking shows that are available for public consumption these days.

Welcome to Kate's Hospital

Here is the morning's patient

"First we put him to sleep with this"

"Then we take out his tonsils with this" (notice the power drill in her hands)

I'm a bit suspicious about her medical credentials and training, but she has a great bedside manner!