tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61907932024-02-07T12:36:53.791-06:00Wandering in the WildernessMy journey in and out of the wild places of life, where I struggle with and meet God, and where I attempt to find my place in this beautiful, dangerous creation.Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.comBlogger1036125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-24780117242640800912022-05-25T21:50:00.000-05:002022-05-25T21:50:00.022-05:00Another School Shooting<p>I had to turn off the news tonight. The coverage of the school shooting in Uvalve, Texas, was too much for me. It happened yesterday afternoon. An 18-year old walked into an elementary school, barracaded himself in a classroom and started shooting the teachers and students in the room (he had already shot his grandmother in the face). Two teachers and nineteen students are dead. Elementary students. </p><p>I have had many students over the years for whom going to school is a safe place. Their homes have some upheaval. There isn't food security. Their neighborhood isn't safe. The end of the school year produces anxiety for some. They're made to leave their place of safety. </p><p>But school isn't safe. It hasn't been for a while. Posts are going around on facebook with a list of all the school shootings that have happened in the US. It's long. Too long. One school is too long. There have been 2,052 school shootings in America since 1970. There have been 27 in the five months of 2022 alone. </p><p>Fingers get pointed at gun laws, lack of mental health help, social media...and these all have roles in what is going on, but it's something deeper. Other nations don't have these issues. Shootings may happen but not on the same scope. Since 2009 Mexico has had 8 school shootings, South Africa 6, India 5, Canada and France 2, and the USA had 288. </p><p>The Governor of Texas and law enforcement described the shooter and his actions as evil. And evil was definitely present in the taking of those young innocent lives. The fingerprints of evil are everywhere today. Many in the church are quick to point to the fall of society away from Christian morals. I was recently in a three part Sunday School class discussion how the Christian faith is meant to be amoral. Knowing good and evil is a result of the Fall (sin entering the world through Adam and Eve's disobediance. The church imposes it's concepts of good and bad, right and wrong, holy and evil on society. But that wasn't the intent when God created humanity. Humans were just meant to be in relationship with God. Life flowed from that. Righteousness was meant to be how life was lived--not "good" or "evil." Those things weren't even knowable until the Fall. </p><p>I bring this up because I think what is missing in society isn't morality, but love. Jesus said that the world would know His followers by their love. But what the world knows the church for is hate and judgment. Much of the church makes war against the LGBTQ movement, abortion clinics, socialist liberals and any other cause they deem as evil rather than showing the world love. </p><p>We don't know the shooter's motives for what he did--he was shot to prevent more bloodshed. Reporters say he was bullied as a youth and spent a lot of time alone. I can't wonder if he just needed more love. </p><p>Tonight I had to turn the news off. It was just too hard after several minutes of seeing all those parents who have an empty bedroom in their homes, the fellow students who witnessed the horrors of their classmates being gunned down. </p><p>It is not easy to go to work at a school wondering what could happen. It is not easy being a parent and sending my children to school knowing that they live in a world where they have to practice in their classrooms what to do in the event an intruder walks into their school. The world is not right. We can't keep doing nothing. I can't watch more of this on the news. </p>Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-29072536142305512872020-08-06T14:35:00.002-05:002020-08-06T14:45:05.537-05:00Graduation in the Time of Covid<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My nephew graduated this year. He's from a school outside of Des Moines, Iowa--a rural school, but not as small as a lot of them. He missed a chunk of the rites of passage: prom, senior awards night, and just having time to finish out with your friends. I'm sure it was a disappointing senior year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thankfully, he got to graduate. Although, that of course looked different. It was about a month later than it would have been. They intended to have all the graduates on distanced chairs on the football field with immediate family only in the bleachers. Instead, the threat of unfavorable weather moved them indoors. They graduated in three groups alphabetically by last name. He was in the last group, and had to sit around waiting the whole time while the first two groups graduated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Since only his parents and siblings could attend, we watched at my sisters house from the live Facebook feed. There weren't a lot of masks in the audience (currently, Iowa and South Dakota are the only two states not to have any mask regulations). The chairs were spread out in the gym. The diplomas weren't handed to the students but pushed across the table to them. And oddly, they left the gym to the song Ice, Ice, Baby. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So he got the graduation experience (althouh many of his friends were in the other two groups, so they didn't get to do it together). My brother and his wife had an open house for him. Precautions were taken for serving the food. People tended to spread out a little more to eat. But otherwise, it probably didn't look too much different than it would have.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">He just went off to college this week at ISU. It sounds like masks are required just about everywhere on campus. His roommate wasn't supposed to arrive until a few days after him. All of his big lecture hall classes will be online and the smaller classes will meet in the big lecture halls. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOQGx0K0881Yl3bpjQhyeZwsNPaKdko7Nugzm35aPoiS0q8Wjsxke2d3uNh_hvHKRoSCOEgVL5GT_bgwafTl4hmD2WAuPeHDmra5Y2o1gZP_D5YaAjuDWB8M6m6X8C-fIen277w/s2048/BB78E07E-8E3C-4560-9F5F-2ACB64693E31.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOQGx0K0881Yl3bpjQhyeZwsNPaKdko7Nugzm35aPoiS0q8Wjsxke2d3uNh_hvHKRoSCOEgVL5GT_bgwafTl4hmD2WAuPeHDmra5Y2o1gZP_D5YaAjuDWB8M6m6X8C-fIen277w/s640/BB78E07E-8E3C-4560-9F5F-2ACB64693E31.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylB9quwn_xuwyFI_yvcgwNE_MhUxHuUXMQvn9QKvJIvYG6nn7JDSYTf8yyssdN-YNyvzeriaRB8O1myemEWjTJAutjws1fytzxcqUTNEtTTzhNF2jHrN5pz_KCCzpK8QU1XTfhQ/s2048/BB470332-0F2D-4D41-9BAA-577485371679.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylB9quwn_xuwyFI_yvcgwNE_MhUxHuUXMQvn9QKvJIvYG6nn7JDSYTf8yyssdN-YNyvzeriaRB8O1myemEWjTJAutjws1fytzxcqUTNEtTTzhNF2jHrN5pz_KCCzpK8QU1XTfhQ/s640/BB470332-0F2D-4D41-9BAA-577485371679.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Ok8drKapNxi-4HBcAkc_Mtyxa9M78kt5IaqFK0gZcGwZFCRqitTjfdy8GefOtf2YrZ0dOeq58I4mOtriJ4uP-XGzbFyJZcxXs_yTqPBWrpjpq2xFiAgTw_PNJiHeXFemrX7Rw/s1334/C6DB05EF-6BD6-42B8-AE87-A4960F8055C6.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Ok8drKapNxi-4HBcAkc_Mtyxa9M78kt5IaqFK0gZcGwZFCRqitTjfdy8GefOtf2YrZ0dOeq58I4mOtriJ4uP-XGzbFyJZcxXs_yTqPBWrpjpq2xFiAgTw_PNJiHeXFemrX7Rw/s640/C6DB05EF-6BD6-42B8-AE87-A4960F8055C6.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfY6mWAb8wfkO7-A6UFs4f17uTo5vxB2AfVb0prwiyHNt1-mxpvAmIwIc7qfsSOKn60JR0eEegXA6SogoX3oDJRvVhGupBWALk5GtgpLhJyZxcCkfXt6ttLWLUGOogEFfhC0Otmg/s2048/FA8B6AD9-FBDC-40C0-B06D-F24F283688EB.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfY6mWAb8wfkO7-A6UFs4f17uTo5vxB2AfVb0prwiyHNt1-mxpvAmIwIc7qfsSOKn60JR0eEegXA6SogoX3oDJRvVhGupBWALk5GtgpLhJyZxcCkfXt6ttLWLUGOogEFfhC0Otmg/s640/FA8B6AD9-FBDC-40C0-B06D-F24F283688EB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-4554112589296982262020-08-06T14:18:00.002-05:002021-06-11T23:31:04.928-05:00Vacationing In the Time of Covid<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In early July we went to the resort in northern Minnesota where my wife has gone since she was young. Things were different this year, of course. Our stay was a day less as the staff needed more time to clean and disinfect. The lodge was closed for hanging out in. The swimming pool had a 20 person occupancy limit. Boat paddles, oars and life jackets were supposed to be dipped in the pool after use so the chlorine would kill of germs, bacteria and viruses. A lot of activities were changed or done away with. Bingo night happned, albeit on the lawn spread out more than usual. The mini golf contest was coordinated so everyone started ten minutes after the previous person. There were no staff versus guest games. Bingo night happned, albeit on the lawn spread out more than usual. The mini golf contest was coordinated so everyone started ten minutes after the previous person. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Still, it was a good time. We got to relax by the pool and swim in the lake. The kids got to fish with grandpa, and I got to read in my hammock. They played tennis and built sand castles for the contest (though the sand castles were spread out between the beach and the volleyball courts). They swam a lot (it was a nice, hot week). We relaxed, had fun, and had time together. Which though it was different from previous years, still made for a successful vacation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWChuUbSk7CDPp2VqHvw6la21Z6QWKQMka2TGgD-n0MMuIM_AcReDVDJTVCBDxJgNP2HSj4k_OG_lPnJw4nOvW8dZpgb6aAhny4tHKQ1gFrlkMkznQAB-XmqRTGgfFGwTZROeyxw/s2048/B3BE0BCF-7BFD-4945-93C1-091C058F4055.jpeg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWChuUbSk7CDPp2VqHvw6la21Z6QWKQMka2TGgD-n0MMuIM_AcReDVDJTVCBDxJgNP2HSj4k_OG_lPnJw4nOvW8dZpgb6aAhny4tHKQ1gFrlkMkznQAB-XmqRTGgfFGwTZROeyxw/s640/B3BE0BCF-7BFD-4945-93C1-091C058F4055.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div>Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-72591458669293976542020-06-15T17:38:00.001-05:002020-08-06T14:33:35.642-05:00Re-opening during Covid-19<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKcyNHc9rVshmbr3sXLPtdbO7-_GaXliBm1Juv2jKWyi0OYQw3nYudAPzvO1Bf0juCwtvYYZYrg0dFdiI9XlIjVxnxJCrTjHAnUnZh7t34DKJUR4xDCTiej4ZRrkbfjFCh8ABAQ/s2048/29491EF2-0535-4103-81BC-C589EB89DCC4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKcyNHc9rVshmbr3sXLPtdbO7-_GaXliBm1Juv2jKWyi0OYQw3nYudAPzvO1Bf0juCwtvYYZYrg0dFdiI9XlIjVxnxJCrTjHAnUnZh7t34DKJUR4xDCTiej4ZRrkbfjFCh8ABAQ/s640/29491EF2-0535-4103-81BC-C589EB89DCC4.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTKxe5xiXzw2gOAKfBlqfDu0-SP_vA-iGFYd7u5CDl3ZP_-D22XXVMXSDvLvXp9Bl_oXDoDBBMiWA5cS338MNOQUI1qeZXRcw_4D_IYvzipz9f_O2cBZErtsbb8BeRUmiMuCbXA/s2048/AB0BCE32-BB5A-4A9C-966F-BEF87F68FA3D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTKxe5xiXzw2gOAKfBlqfDu0-SP_vA-iGFYd7u5CDl3ZP_-D22XXVMXSDvLvXp9Bl_oXDoDBBMiWA5cS338MNOQUI1qeZXRcw_4D_IYvzipz9f_O2cBZErtsbb8BeRUmiMuCbXA/s640/AB0BCE32-BB5A-4A9C-966F-BEF87F68FA3D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Some of the state restrictions are lightening up a little. Last week we went to a restaurant and ate on their patio. There were about four other couples/families on the patio as well. The nearest to us was about ten feet away, and they weren't there for long. It was nice to be able to be somewhere other than our house or a park (not that eating outside at a park isn't beautiful this time of year).<br />
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I got my haircut a few days ago. I have an appointment to renew my expired driver's license tomorow, so I wanted it done before then. I had to check in online, which is routine. But when I got to Great Clips I had to wait outside the door. One of the stylists came and checked me in as well as the teenager who was also outside waiting. The lobb was closed, but they were ready for me, so I was able to walk right in and not have to wait. I had to wear my face mask the whole time--which isn't easy during a haircut.<br />
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My step-daughter started tennis camp today (just two hours every morning). Everything else for the summer has been cancelled--a week at Bible camp, the youth group trip to the boundary waters, music camps.<br />
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We're far from over with the pandemic. It's nice to have a little access to some "normalcy" again, but I know it's going to be a long road as we try and keep everyone safe.Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-50616189722632718542020-06-03T22:30:00.001-05:002020-06-03T22:30:06.609-05:00A City (and Nation and World) at Unrest <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-37219465906692571982020-05-29T13:55:00.004-05:002020-05-29T13:55:49.646-05:00Race Relations during Covid 19Today I have to ask my children if they feel safe going to their mom's house tonight. She lives in North Minneapolis (where I used to live). It is not the epicenter of the events surounding the murder of George Floyd, but all of the stores along a street just blocks away from her house were vandalized last night. Everything in the residential neighborhood around their house is untouched, but the photos of the businesses nearby show a lot of broken windows and two buildings that look destoyed.<br />
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Yesterday the mall and Target stores near us shut down out of fear for their employees.<br />
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Yesterday another person died.<br />
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Yesterday small business owners who are struggling already from being closed from the pandemic suffered more loss.<br />
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Yesterday buildings burned to the ground.<br />
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All of this is because of the murder of George Floyd. Yet another unarmed black man killed by the police. Now, I have several good friends who are in law enforcement. I don't doubt they are men and women who would do the right thing. Most of the law enforcent out there likely would. It just takes a few bad ones to make everything look bad. And it's not the police ultimately at fault here. They're on the front page because they have power and auhority. But this is a societal issue. Racism is still rampant. And it's only been getting uglier.<br />
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I'm not even sure what to say. As a white man I don't feel I can say much a all. But it has to stop. I fear for my niece's husband and children. I fear for good friends and their children who don't feel they can go for a walk alone. Or drive a car. Or do much of anything without having to constantly check their surroundings in fear.<br />
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I don't get what happened. Why a man died that way. Why he died at all...<br />
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I don't get why the other three officers just stood by and didn't intervene. Especially officers who are sworn to protect and serve. Officers who are first responders and are to first take care of a person's safety...<br />
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Why no one else intervened...<br />
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And would I have done something if I was walking by and saw a man been held down, unable to breathe? I'd like to think so, but in the face of an authority figure with weapons, I'm not sure...<br />
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We have to do better. We have to love better. We have to. For the sake of my family. My friends. Our children.<br />
<br />Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-65525906843880198172020-05-21T18:35:00.001-05:002020-05-21T18:35:36.288-05:00A Trip Home during Covid 19My sons and I drove down to Iowa for 5 days last week to visit my parents. It was partly for our mental health, partly for my mom's mental health (plus it had just been mother's day), and partly because my 101-year old grandmother wasn't doing very well.<br />
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The boys still had their school work to do while we were there, so that was most of their days before the weekend. But they took some time on a sunny day to help grandpa pick some aspargus in the ditches. And splitting firewood. There was also some hammock time, time building forts are exploring the farm, a little hiking, and driving around the countryside.<br />
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My parents' church has been having church in the parking lot. The pastor and musicians broadcast over a radio on an FM signal from the entrance to the church while the congregants are in their parked cars. I was a different experience. It was rainy so it was hard to see others in their cars. But it was nice to know people were nearby and not be on a computer to worship.<br />
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It was good for all of us. It decreased the stress of all of us being in the house. My mom needed some family around--especially in the midst of dealing with dealing with her mom's failing health and planning a funeral (grandma is still alive, but she's 101, so it's also good to have some of that planning done). It was good to be on the farm with fresh air and starry skies.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-87963917467816199482020-04-26T20:31:00.002-05:002020-04-26T20:35:13.933-05:00Birthdays in the time of Covid 19Good friends of our have children with birthdays today and tomorrow. Today their oldest turned eight. Tomorrow their second-born turns four. Birthday parties are an important part of kids' lives at these ages. But they aren't able to get together with their friends, or even their grandparents, aunts, uncles, counsins, etc.<br />
<br />
But they can still happen--just not in a normal style. Our friends put out a message on facebook for people (mostly from church as they didn't have contact info for all the classmates) to drive by between noon and two and give a birthday greeting. We walked over since they're in the neighborhood. We took some happy birthday banners and a couple of cards we made. The family was in their front yard. They had a sign out front for the birthdays. There was plenty of sidewalk chalk decorating the driveway.<br />
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A few other families were parked in front of their house. We waved to each other. At one point we all sang happy birthday. While we were standing there I saw a police car drive by on the side street. A few seconds later it came back. My first thought was that we were in trouble for all being out, though we were all over six feet apart (outside individual family units of course). The lights came on the squad car, but then we heard, "Happy birthday!"<br />
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A little while later my wife and I left to continue on our afternoon walk (the kids had biked home on their own). Just a block away I noticed a police car heading toward us with another one after it. And another one. By the time I saw the third one, I figured the first guy had called in and gotten a few other officers in the area to come by to wish a happy birthday to our friends. But it wasn't three cars coming by to give their well wishes. It was seven. The lights went on and we heard their bullhorn saying happy birthday to them. I admit, the tears welled up a little at the outreach of the law enforcement.<br />
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And it wasn't just them. When we were standing at the end of their driveway, countless strangers driving by rolled down windows and shouted happy birthday. OUr friends even said that one guy walking by gave them the seven dollars he had in his wallet. Everyone understands how hard it is to be a kid (or even an adult) in this time.<br />
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Even in this time of being sheltered-at-home there are ways to love our neighbors. We always have a chance to be the good in the world.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-37671885826114658122020-04-17T12:16:00.001-05:002020-04-17T12:25:22.323-05:00School in the time of Covid 19The biggest change for our children, I believe, is school. They had spring break early in March and came back to the schols being closed. I don't think it was on anyone's radar at that point that they wouldn't be going back to school for a while. Originally the first two days after spring break were called off by the school district. Then the governor called off the next week and a half. Then the shelter at home order came for two weeks in April and has now been extended into May. Other states have called off the remain school year. We're not sure if we'll be going back or not.<br />
<br />
So I haven't been working for about a month and a half now. There is no need for substitute teachers, of course. But the teachers are busy. Our state started doing distance learning at the beginning of April. It was good once it started--the kids needed it. Our middle schoolers have all of their classes every day. Their teachers make a folder online with the weeks' work. Each day they go in and do a lesson and the work. They can choose when they want to do it. Only one of my son's classes has had a live video chat.<br />
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The high school spilt the school day into an A and B day. They only have 5 periods, so A day has 3 and B day has 2. In between the classes the teachers are available for questions or other needs. Some of those classes are taught live online. Others have a video lesson to watch and work to do. They've had a fair amount of homework (at least in the AP & Pre-AP classes that our kids have).<br />
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The vidoe classes have been good in that the kids kind of get to interact with other students. I think that's what the children are missing most--the social interaction--that and normalcy, of course.<br />
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For their PE classes, they're supposed to get in 30 minutes of exercise a day: walking, running, playing tennis, shooting hoops, dancing, weight lifting, situps/pushups, etc. That's been helpful in getting them up and moving and usually going outside.<br />
<br />
But my middle schooler is missing the hands-on part of his industrial technology class. The musicians won't get to do concerts this year. My step-daughter didn't get to perform the musical she had been rehearsing for. And then there's my nephew and guys from youth group who are seniors and missing out on that whole experience--prom, last days with their friends, maybe even graduation itself.<br />
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I think it's giving everyone an appreciation for school again--even those who typically hate going to school most days.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-32597928157991384932020-04-13T10:55:00.001-05:002020-04-13T15:58:44.606-05:00Easter in the time of Covid19Easter was different this year. Now, it would have been different regardless of the pandemic going on as the majority of our kids were at their other parents' homes, so we had our Easter meal and the kids found their baskets of candy on Palm Sunday.<br />
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Easter 2020 was a virtual experience, of course, as everyone is supposed to be Sheltered at Home. We didn't get on in time to do "live church," but we watched some Easter services. Parts of four of them. It is kind of fun to see parts of other services--especially where friends are involved.<br />
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But it's very different not being around a church family on Easter morning.<br />
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When I was growing up Holy Week was a big deal. Albert City, Iowa, was the home of just under 1000 people back then. There were three churches in town--Evangelical Covenant, Evangelical Free, and Evangelical Lutheran (and a couple more Lutheran churches in the country). During Holy Week the churches would work together for a variety of programs. They would take turns hosting a special speaker (often someone from the church's seminary) who would speak a couple evenings during the beginning of the week. There would be a men's prayer breakfast and a women's tea. Each church typically did their own thing for Maunday Thursday/Good Friday (I honestly don't remember well if we did things both evenings or not). On Sunday morning--early at 7am--the youth from the three churches would put on a Sunrise Service (again, rotating which church hosted and led the service; the churches not leading the service usually provided a musical selection). My senior year we had a trumpet player from each church, so myself and two girls were in the balcony of the Lutheran church playing trumpet along with some of the hymns (like perenniel favorite Up From the Grave He Arose). After the service there would be a brunch--typically an egg bake and cinnamon rolls would make an appearance. Then we'd have a short respite before going to our own church's regular services. Extended family would be home for the holilday there would be a bunch of second and third cousins in church. We usually would have Easter Dinner at my grandparents' or an uncle's home (sometimes our own). My mom usually made a three-dimensional rabbit cake with green-dyed coconut "grass". We'd have an Easter Egg hunt outside with dyed hard-boiled eggs. Earlier in the morning (between the two church services, I believe, we'd run back home to hunt for our hidden basket and hidden candy eggs around the living room--usually foil-wrapped little cocolate eggs and some malted-milk ball eggs).<br />
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I do remember some egg hunts outside in the snow, but that was a rarity. Yesterday we had several inches of snow which felt cruel after the previous day's 60 degree temperature where we were hiking ouside. A church friend from my wife's Bible study group drown through the snow to deliver a hyacinth. We could only wave from our window.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-70922076329071716802020-04-06T21:20:00.001-05:002020-04-06T21:25:40.946-05:00Sheltered at Home ChurchBecause our kids are all with their other parents this coming weekend (an odd sentence that only blended families have reason to use), we had our "Easter" yesterday. The kids had baskets full of candy to find. We had ham and company potatoes for dinner after church.<br />
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Church. Or what is now church.<br />
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Everything is new in this quarantined, virus-plagued world. We've been doing church online for several Sundays now. We've got two different churches between us (and multiple service choices between those two). We've been donig a pre-recorded video (I know some do a facebook live type event), and trying to gather the family together at a certain time. We still try to sing the hymns, say the prayers, and take some sermon notes. This past Sunday my church had recommended people have bread and juice/wine on hand to do communion. That helped make it feel a little more church like.<br />
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Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in His name, there His amongst them. But what if two or three can't gather together? In our case, we're lucky because of the size of our household. But a family does not make a church. A community makes a church. Yet in our online world, two or three can gather though oceans apart.<br />
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I'd like to say I'm deepening my spiritual disciplines during this time. Partly, it's hard to find quiet space while being sheltered at home with five other people. Partly, I haven't done any major attempts at it (which is the real reason nothing has happened). With all the changes, it's sometimes hard enough just to live life without getting swept away in the confustion of it all. Which probably gives all the more reason to give more focus to my relationship with God right now.<br />
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So let's do it. I guess in the midst of Covid 19, there are questions. Where is God in all this? Why is He letting this happen? Is there a bigger purpose--some "good" thing that is to come out of this? How do I love my neighbor during this? How do I love myself? What about my fears of not having an income for a while? How do I raise my children up right during this? What will our new normal be?<br />
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I don't have the answers. I know God is present and that He cares. I know because He's proven that when I've gone through tough stuff in life before. IJ know He wants to hear these things from me. That I need to tell Him. I also know He has things He wants me to hear from Him--things like I am loved, that I am not in control, and that He can be trusted.<br />
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And thankfully I am not in this alone. We're in this together, and many people are providing great resources (worship videos, uplifting messages, ideas for families, etc.).<br />
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The mantra that has followed me from different places in life (working at Bible camp in Iowa, worshipping at church in Minnesota, serving in Ecuador, and other places in between) has been:<br />
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God is good. All the time.<br />
And all the time, God is good.<br />
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Even in the midst of chaos, there is goodness to be found. Like under those decaying leaves from last fall where the flowers are starting to poke up through the ground. Or from the children down the street who write encouraging messages with sidewalk chalk on their driveway. Or in taking communion together as a family at home.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-14096184029635451092020-03-31T14:31:00.000-05:002020-04-13T12:51:49.432-05:00Sheltered at HomeI haven't written much in the past several years.<br />
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I mostly isolated myself following my divorce.<br />
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And being remarried and blending has enough issues let alone all the time spent having four teenagers in the house.<br />
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But now we're being "quarantined" under the Shelter at Home directives by our governor during the Covid 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.<br />
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The world has changed. We haven't seen anything like this since the influenza pandemic of 1918. And the world is much different now than it was then. People aren't as self-sufficient. Travel--at least commuting--is a part of life. Technology has changed.<br />
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This week our kids started distance learning. It had been three weeks since they'd been to school. It's been two and a half weeks since I've worked. My wife has been working from home for the past two weeks. While we're not all in this house all the time, needless to say it can be stressful when all six of us are here for a few days. Not to mention that it's not easy to work online with most of us needing to be at the same time.<br />
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The kids miss seeing their friends. I think that's been the hardest for all of us. But we've all be learning to use things like Zoom and Google Hangouts to connect with others. We're finding ways to worship at home with our church communities online.<br />
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Several puzzles have been done. Basketballs have been shot in the driveway. We've had some walks and bike rides.<br />
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But the world is different. There are uncertainties. We don't know how long any of this will go on for. Groceries and switching with the other parents' houses are about all we get out for. And the grocery stores are hit or miss on what can be found. Toilet paper aisles have been empty for weeks. Bread and pasta are there one day and gone another. Skim milk (which my stepdaughter only drinks) seems to be out of production.<br />
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Changes bring stress and anxiety. They also bring growth and new things. The warm weather outside reminds us of this, as the geese have returned to the lake and the tulips are thrusting up out of the ground. Change isn't easy, but it can be beautiful.<br />
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-75442517207643136572019-06-21T06:16:00.000-05:002019-06-21T06:16:09.677-05:00On Our Way<div>
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Anders and I were up by 2:45 this morning to get to the airport. We’re on our way to Ecuador with our youth group from church. We’re heading to the same church and school our youth group went to three years ago. I’m excited to view the trip through his eyes as much as I can. </div>
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<br />Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-79391234075652007142017-04-04T20:35:00.002-05:002017-04-04T22:39:22.448-05:00Prayerful Lessons from Hiking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Since my children have different Spring breaks this year, we weren't able to do a trip. And as I was sick when I had intended to do a solitude camping retreat last fall, I headed up to our Bible Camp for a couple days of solitude. </div>
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Today I headed to explore the trails at Savannah Portage State Park. I intended to have the time for prayer for my upcoming marriage, family, and life. After four hours of hiking, I don't feel like I did that much significant prayer time. I feel like most of the time I was distracted or mindlessly looking at my surroundings. I don't often feel like I'm a good pray-er.</div>
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The hike was also not what I expected. There was little wildlife around. Granted, it's the beginning of April in the North Woods of Minnesota. It was near 60 degrees today, but there was still ice on the lakes. But all I encountered were a couple of robins, a couple of crows, a couple of geese, and, surprisingly, a few butterflies. No moose (sad face). Not even a single squirrel. </div>
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(Okay, as I was leaving I did see a chipmunk and a pair of swans as well.)</div>
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Also, my map did not correspond well to the trails. I picked up the park map at the park office to know the trails. The maps along the actual trails were for the winter cross-country ski and snowmobile trails only. They did not show any hiking trails. My map did not show any winter usage trails. More than once I wasn't sure what trail I was actually on. It wasn't easy to compare the paper map to the ones on the trail, since the trails didn't often overlap.</div>
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Which is how I ended up on the trail to the bog. Which was not on my intended route. But I found myself headed that way nonetheless, so I decided to explore.</div>
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Bogs are mainly formed in colder climates where geographical conditions prevent water drainage. The cold and lack of water outflow prevent plant decay so few nutrients exist in the ecosystem. A ten foot tall black spruce tree with a trunk that I can almost encircle with my hand may be close to 100 years old because its growth ends up being so slow. This is where carnivorous plants like pitcher plants and Venus fly traps grow because they need insects to provide the nutrients they're not getting from the soil. </div>
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I eventually found the trail to the Continental Divide Overlook. It's the shortest distance between waters that flow to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. The park is named after the portage fur trappers had to make with their goods between those two riverways. It's a 5.5 mile hike from the West Savannah River which flows directly into the Mississippi and the East Savannah River which eventually flows into rivers that go to Lake Superior. </div>
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At some point in the recent past strong winds felled most of the trees along the ridge. The trail was all mud (most of the trails had been wet and quite soft, but they often had plant growth covering them--at least dead pine needles). Little plant life grew. It was all brown with dead trees and no grass or moss. The overlook wasn't accessible. Bulldozer and logging truck tracks created large pools of water. I finally made I to the next trail intersection. Only to find that trail was in the same condition. I was frustrated.</div>
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Then God reminded me that this hike is a lot like marriage/a relationship. It's a journey. Sometimes it's beautiful. Sometimes it's not. But I'm on the path with the one I love, just as God was on the trail with me. </div>
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The trail isn't always going to be great. When it's messy and muddy and not where I want to be do I give up, or do I forge ahead? (The trail did get better again.) There will be storms that come through, so will I clear the damage to foster new growth? Sometimes I will choose the wrong path. Sometimes God leads elsewhere. Do I submit to the map or be stubborn and continue on my own way? Do I trust God with the trail ahead? </div>
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And that bog--am I going to encourage bog-like conditions in my marriage--cold and devoid of nutrients--or do I nurture growth and a warm environment?</div>
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I was also reminded of the Lenten journey Jesus took to the cross. He took the path forward, even when it wasn't easy, even when He didn't necessarily want to. But He was focused on His purpose. He was focused on love. He put His selfish desires aside and focused on a selfless ambition. </div>
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So my hike wasn't what I hoped for. I didn't stumble across a moose. I didn't explore the trail I initially planned on. I didn't spend four devoted hours in strong prayer. But I have to trust that my hike was what God intended. He let me experience His creation. He heard the prayers I offered, but He also got me to listen to Him. He taught me what I needed to be taught. </div>
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Several years ago (regrettably, I did not date things at the time) a friend from church gave me the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It challenged me to count my blessings, so to speak. Gratitude, as I have blogged about several times before, has been a central focus in my life. Keeping a gratitude journal was a logical step. Ann Voskamp shares in her book about how being thankful is essential for carrying you through tough times and keeping focused on God. </div>
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I have not been diligent in writing in my journal every day. Often I get to a place in a weekend where I have a moment to breathe and catch up for several days of things to be thankful for. Tonight was one of those times. And tonight I breached the 1000 mark (1003, to be exact). </div>
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I know there has been much I have overlooked. I could easily be at 5,000 or even 10,000. I could also neglect giving thanks and spend much more time being bitter, resentful, or sad. I will continue to focus on thanksgiving as much as I can. It is good for the soul. And good for the heart. </div>
Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-62454905068873827202016-11-09T22:29:00.002-06:002016-11-09T22:29:47.673-06:00Post Election BluesI'm a pretty staunch independent voter. I woke up with a lot of disappointment today. And not just centered around election outcomes. <br />
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There was a lot of hate today. A lot.<br />
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This election was marked by hate. And fear. They tend to go hand in hand. One leads to the other. <br />
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Hate/fear of women. Hate/fear of Muslims. Hate/fear of Mexican immigrants.<br />
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But today he sides switched. Many of those who were voting against the hate became hate themselves. <br />
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That was the sad part of all this. Few people did not succumb to the hate. <br />
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"Fear leads to anger.<br />
Anger leads to hate.<br />
Hate leads to suffering."<br />
-Yoda<br />
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Today at school I saw it's effects in my students. All they have taken in from the rhetoric of this election is fear and hate. My class is about 75% students of color. Our school is over 50%. There were comments about fear about how they're afraid their family or even themselves won't be able live in this country any more. They're afraid that their parents won't be able to stay married. They're afraid of threats against themselves. They're afraid that as girls they won't have a future. <br />
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Fear and hate aren't getting any of us anywhere. <br />
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The only way we as a nation can move forward is in love and kindness. To see the good in the other. To disagree without castigating. To listen. To hope. Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-67700033715088365042016-10-28T20:02:00.002-05:002016-10-28T20:02:53.717-05:00Table MannersI just spent a week with around sixty 4th - 6th graders at a YMCA camp in Minnesota's North Woods--just outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. It was a great week away from technology, surrounded by the beauty of lakes and woods. The students were great, but I noticed a few things that we (as a society, as parents) can work on.<br />
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1. Self-regulation. Students need to develop an awareness of how their actions effect others. Talking while one person is speaking (I notice this among adults, too), using indoor voices, words that aren't helpful. <br />
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2. Self-reliance. I don't mean this in the typical sense, but in the sense of not needing to constantly be entertained. The students did pretty well without technology for a week, but even while hiking in the splendor of the North Woods I heard a few students say, "I'm bored." This isn't a surprise to anyone who has been around children. They have a need to be entertained and lack the ability to do it on their own.<br />
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3. Table procedures. Every meal we ate was served family style. You know the one: large bowls of food on the table that get passed around as each person serves themselves with the amounts they actually think they can eat. The camp talked with the students about taking appropriate amounts of food to work toward having little food waste at the end of a meal. Students had to work on this. But I noticed as much of a struggle with knowing how to pass food around a table. <br />
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I suppose this isn't much of a surprise in a society where we're too busy with activities that we seldom have the time to eat a meal together. Even when there is time to eat together, families are smaller and we seldom eat family style where there is a need to pass dishes of food. Maybe the rare holiday with families. <br />
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I believe that this is the best place to start work. It takes intentionality, of course. And time. And work. But these things are typical for any work in a family. But in spending time together as a family, teaching children how to pass food around a table so that each member of the family receives everything, opportunities exist to talk and teach about how to handle time without entertainment and how to think about others.Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-30504825729265266382016-09-18T19:55:00.000-05:002016-09-18T19:55:47.422-05:00Taking it Slow"Go slow."<br />
"Take your time."<br />
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This is some of the most admonished advice given to the dating divorce. And I understand it--or the intent behind it. Kids are in the picture. There's already been pain. No one wants more hurt.<br />
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But it's also a load of crap.<br />
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Time is not a guarantee. I just read a story by a pastor who was paged to a hospital ER during her CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) while she was in seminary. A 30-year old mother lay dead on the table while here two preschool aged sons were in the next. Last year I read another story by a Midwestern writer and volunteer EMT in his small town community about being called to the scene of a fatal accident and finding it was his sister-in-law who had only recently married his brother. I'm already 41. I hope to have a long life, but there is no guarantee. And time passes more quickly than I'd like.<br />
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And none of us (speaking in generic terms on behalf of other divorced people) honestly know what going slow means anyway--other than the well-meaning warning not to get too physical. Nor do we know what guarding our hearts means either--at least not in practical terms.<br />
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I was teach the senior high Sunday school class at church today. We talked about discipleship in the ancient Hebrew setting. If a young Jewish male wasn't chosen to become a disciple of a rabbi, he went home to learn the family trade and start a family of his own by age 14 and 15. Scholars believe that Mary was likely around that age when she and Joseph raised Jesus. Did anyone tell them to take it slow?<br />
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I think the proper aphorism is to make the most of your time and use your head as well as your heart. I know there are plenty of mistakes we make when dating after divorce. I've made several. But in relationships sometimes you have to give things a try. It's a learning process of trusting your heart and your mind--and learning when to question them. <br />
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What I'm discovering is that when things are right and meant to be--when a lot of prayer goes into the relationship and God's hand is clearly at work--that you know when and how to proceed.<br />
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There is plenty of advice out there on when to take the next steps in dating--especially with children involved. And it varies quite a bit. It's all well-intentioned. It's also frustrating and confusing as you try and figure out what's best. Sometimes you can only trust God, trust the other person, and trust yourself. Which is what a good relationship needs anyway. Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-63667834210035950272016-08-28T15:05:00.002-05:002016-08-28T15:05:45.373-05:00Summer ReflectionsSummer is one of those sacred times for me. I think it's because I grew up on a farm and my mother was a teacher. Summers were about family time. Working hard, playing hard. I love the outdoors as well, and summer is prime time to be outdoors. Hiking, biking, swimming, camping, sitting under a tree or on the grass by a lake.<br />
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This summer didn't go as planned. At the beginning of the summer I thought I'd be working at our church's Bible Camp. Within a couple days of when I was planning on leaving to head up, I learned that those plans had fallen through. I was disappointed. I love camp. It's a special place. My boys were looking forward to being up there for half of the summer as well. <br />
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But being around meant I got a chance to develop a friendship with a woman I had gone out a few times, but where the relationship had been delegated to just being friends. After not too long we clearly saw God's hand at work bringing us together, and that our friendship had become more. It's been a relationship I didn't expect but have longed for. <br />
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I also had the blessing of going with our youth group from church on a missions trip to Ecuador. It was an amazing experience. One where I saw God at work, where I learned much. I learned about hospitality and seeing the other.<br />
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The kids and I had a couple really good camping trips. We enjoyed the outdoors. Hiking, picking wild raspberries and gooseberries, swimming. They were moments where summer was at its prime, where the boys were boys. Exploring, playing, enjoying.<br />
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I had a few trips to the North Shore. It's my happy place. My spiritual place. It renews me.<br />
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I had somet time with my extended family. Watching fireworks, cheering on family runners in a 5K (including my son and nephew for their first race), sitting at a parade, playing lawn games, laughing.<br />
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I didn't get to many outdoor concerts. Only one movie in the park. Only a few bike rides. <br />
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Meanwhile school starts this week. I've already been there for staff training for two weeks. Fall will come soon. Seasons change. More opportunities to be had. Many will be missed. But I'm learning more and more to be present in the moment wherever I am, whoever I am with. <br />
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I will take the space to reflect on the blessings of each day, to make note of what I'm grateful for. I will see those around me, noting their presence. I will live, and worship, and love. Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-32469631392878721682016-07-29T14:57:00.002-05:002016-07-29T14:57:27.502-05:00Missions Trip Overview<div dir="ltr">
I recently returned from Ecuador where I was on a missions trip with our church youth group. It was been a blessing beyond words. We had to be at the MSP Airport at 3:30am on Tuesday, July 19. It was a long day. We had a long layover in Miami so we hopped on the bus to go to the beach for an hour. We arrived in Guayaquil quite late, and stayed at a hotel near the airport. The staff from Merge Ministries (a part of the Evangelical Covenant Church that helps facilitate missions trips) met us at the airport. The next morning they briefed us on our schedule and things to remember. Then we headed to the church and school where we would be spending most of our time.</div>
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When we arrived we were welcomed with an hour long assembly by the schol we were serving at during the day. They performed dances, sang songs, led us in worship, and treated us like celebrities. Students would come up to us with paper and pens and ask for our autographs. Some would even have us write our names on their arms. </div>
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During the day part of our group leads worship services and part goes into classrooms to help students practice and learn English. Some students knew English fairly well and wanted to talk and ask questions. Some didn't know it at all and didn't want to try. Most had some interest in interacting with us regardless of their proficiency in the language. Most of our group, however, only knew the rudimentary basics of Spanish (some knew none), so at times communication could be an issue. Still, we usually found that we could communicate far beyond what words allowed.</div>
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We stayed in groups with local families. Three of the high school guys and I stayed in an apartment building where our hosts lived. We had our own flat. We missed out on living with our family, but it was also nice to have our own space and be able to go to bed when needed. Hot water is a rarity in most homes. Toilet paper cannot be flushed into the sewers. The water isn't safe to drink for North American stomachs. The windows don't have screens and parts of the apartment are open to the outside or hallway. Doors are metal and have several heavy bolts. Cats roam the sidewalks outside at night and pigeons do during the day. We had a lizard show up in our bathroom the first morning. And we thoroughly loved our "Ecuadorian Bachelor Pad." </div>
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The first two evenings we went into neighborhood churches and ran outreach programs for children. We sang some songs, acted out the Good Samaritan, memorized a verse in Spanish, made some crafts and played some games. We had initially been told that we would be doing three nights of this as a whole group. We ended up having to split up our group into two and doing two churches each night. It wasn't what we had planned for, but flexibility is a needed quality in Ecuador, and things still went well. The youth did great in reaching out to the kids who came. </div>
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On Friday the students at the school had assemblies to celebrate three upcoming holidays over the course of July 24-25: a celebration of Armada (defeating Peru), the birthday of liberator Simon Bolivar, and the founding of Guayaquil. The youngest students dressed up in traditional outfits (the girls often in dresses that reflected the pattern on the city flag) and performed skits or sang songs. The junior and senior high students had a pageant to vote for Miss Guayaquil, enacted skits about the founding of the city and traditions, and had another pageant of outfits made from recycled material. That evening we played games with the youth group from the church.</div>
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On Saturday the local youth group joined us as we boarded busses to drive two hours to Salinas to play at the beach that day. The students from both countries got along together remarkably. At this time of year the water in the Pacific was much colder than what we experienced in the Atlantic.</div>
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On Sunday we attended the two morning services at the church. The Holy Spirit was very present. Our group led a few worship songs and Pastor Mark preached the sermon. Right after church we left with our host family. They had a family obligation that day that we were invited to. It ended up being our host father's parent's 55th Wedding Anniversary. We drove out to the wealthy suburbs where his brother (a doctor) had a home. The parents and along with the brother and his wife renewed their wedding vows. We were welcomed as part of the family and enjoyed time with them.</div>
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There was no school or work on Monday because of the holiday, so we had the day to tour the town with our family. We went to the Park de las Iguanas were scores of lizards roamed freely. Then we went to Malecon 2000, a park that stretched along the riverfront. We visited two soccer museums, hiked to the top of Santa Anna where we climbed the lighthouse and saw 400 year old houses and cannons that were used to defend the city from pirates, and visited a firefighting museum. The brother-in-law of our host dad picked us up and took us to their home where we played soccer with some neighborhood kids, swam in the pool, and enjoyed a meal and their hospitality.</div>
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Tuesday was our last day at the school. We did some English classes and the youth did three assemblies teaching the students about Minnesota life and culture, focused around the four seasons. Before the final assembly, the school and church gave us a farewell. It was very touching. That night they decorated tables and chairs in linens with gold trim for our supper. After a reflective debriefing, we headed to the hotel we stayed at for the first night and had a short night's sleep as we had to be ready to leave for the airport by 3:30am the next day. After hours in the airport and on airplanes and delays of our final flight, I was finally home by 1am Wednesday night/Thursday morning.</div>
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The trip was a huge blessing. I was blessed by getting to know people from church better. Blessed by the guys in my group. Blessed by the hospitality of our hosts. Blessed by the welcome and sending off from the school. Blessed by the worship there. Blessed by the ministry we got to be a part of. Blessed by the people. </div>
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-28697687574855500452016-07-09T22:26:00.000-05:002016-07-09T22:26:04.678-05:00Whitewater<div dir="ltr">
My oldest turned 12 this week. We went camping. He wanted to explore a new place, so we went down to Whitewater State Park. We got, set up camp, and explored. We did some hiking up the bluffs, got really hot and went for a swim. </div>
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We had some rain after supper (thankfully the storms held off). We almost always have rain when we camp. My youngest dislikes camping because of the rain we always get. But this time it was a nice light rain. We played bocce in it. And they slept though the night well. </div>
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The next day we drove down to another state park. We checked out Mystery Cave and historic Forestville. It was fun to see the boys ask questions of the naturalist in the cave and to interact with the historic actors who took the boys back to 1899. I enjoyed watching them ask questions, answer questions and pretend they lived back in that time. </div>
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After playing some molkky (a Finnish lawn game) after supper, we all sat around the campfire and drew pictures of our campsite (unarranged--we just all ended up drawing the tent at different points). While the oldest read in the tent, the youngest and I took a walk and looked at the stars and fireflies. </div>
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On our last day we took another hike. It was supposed to be a short hike before lunch. It took us over two hours. We took a hike up to inspiration point for the view. Then we continued back on the trail we were on because there were lots of wild raspberry bushes (and a few gooseberries). The boys really enjoyed fresh fruit and ate their fill. </div>
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They were happy to get home after a couple nights away (we had only been home two nights before that after a 4th of July trip to be with family in Iowa). I wasn't as excited to be back. It was nice to be in the wilderness, seeing the stars at night, away from traffic. It was nice to have the time with the boys, making memories (I'm about to go into a long stretch without them around). Life is good when camping.</div>
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Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-87723908513180926772016-04-18T22:30:00.002-05:002016-04-18T22:32:35.456-05:00A Wetland Walk in AprilI abandon the city in search<br />
Of a hillside forested in birch;<br />
But find myself in a marshy wetland,<br />
Ground seldom dirt, mostly sand<br />
And where the land changes<br />
So does the scenery and vegetation:<br />
Fewer willows and more evergreen,<br />
Basswood, larch, birch to be seen<br />
When the path goes from sand to soil.<br />
The tiniest of purple flowers<br />
Polka-dot the land in places.<br />
Reeds and sedges fill the open spaces.<br />
Canada geese take wing;<br />
The redwing blackbirds sing.<br />
I happen upon a pool with<br />
Several fallen logs upon which<br />
Upwards of two score turtles bask<br />
Until I walk close by<br />
Then they all dive<br />
Into the safety of murky waters.<br />
Spring peepers sing their chorus;<br />
Bullfrogs croak along the shoreline.<br />
Cranes circle overhead, trumpeting their cry.<br />
Shot gun shell casings litter the ground;<br />
Red, yellow, teal, even purple, abound.<br />
I want for shade, as the day is hot,<br />
But leaves are just budding, so shade is not<br />
To be found upon the dusty, dry land,<br />
And when I try to sit or even stand<br />
For a short moment, ticks emerge<br />
And crawl from my socks to exposed skin<br />
Upon my legs seeking a place to dig in<br />
And feast upon a meal of life-giving blood.<br />
Dragonflies zoom around, also looking to feed<br />
But not on me--I am not what they need.<br />
But though it is early spring, insects are about.<br />
Even the butterflies flutter<br />
And a bumblebee buzzes. <br />
This place did not have the hills I desired,<br />
Yet still my walk has made me tired<br />
And yet renewed and refreshed<br />
And feeling wonderfully blessed<br />
To be able to experience solitude <br />
And yet I was not alone at all<br />
But surrounded by life and the presence <br />
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The drive was uneventful in a good way. There was really light snow off and on at times through South Dakota. It had been almost 70 when we went out--and it's supposed to be in the 70s again this weekend--but most of our time was cold--at least at night. We played a few rounds of finding the alphabet in order on road signs. We ended up with 41 state license plates, 4 provinces, 1 Native American tribe (Cherokee from Oklahoma) and some US Government plates. We thought that all but 9 states was pretty good in a trip just across one state. We even saw at least 4 Alaska plates (but no Hawaii). I had the boys work on their math as we went by figuring out what percentage of the states we had found (ended up with 82% as they can tell you). We also ended up seeing a total of 162 different Wall Drug signs (99 on the way out along Interstate 90 from Worthington, Minnesota, to Wall, South Dakota, and 63 heading back east from Summerset to Wall). <br />
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All in all, despite colder weather that only allowed us one night in our tent, we had a great trip. I hope to return to do some more intense hiking some day. The landscape is beautiful, from rugged mountains to forests to grasslands. Saw a lot of wildlife we don't see here (bison, pronghorns, prairie dogs, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep--we saw all the large mammals except mountain lions and elk). And most importantly we had fun together as a family.Rev. Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06970669645768760513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190793.post-22457277763546788492016-03-31T22:17:00.001-05:002016-03-31T22:17:10.412-05:00Spring Break Day 5<p dir="ltr">It was a crazy windy day. It was almost impossible to open the car door at times. And at times there were ice pellets in the air which became miniature ballistic missiles in the wind. </p>
<p dir="ltr">We made our way from the Black Hills and had our obligatory stop in Wall Drug. 99 signs on our way out. 63 different ones today. Half the place was closed. The problem with touring this time of year is that most places aren't open. The good thing is we don't care for the most part---we've enjoyed the wilderness--and there aren't crowds of people anywhere. Before leaving Wall we stopped at the National Grasslands visitor center. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Then we headed into the Badlands. Right away we saw a group of bighorn sheep. I was excited as we hadn't seen any yet. We saw most of the large mammals found out here except for elk and mountain lions. Because of the wind (which did make it colder), the boys didn't want to get out of the car much. But eventually they did and we had a few fun hikes. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Another night spent in a motel. I knew we'd end up in them some, but I was hoping the weather would cooperate for more nights of camping. Tonight the tent would have blown away. And waking up cold isn't fun with kids. If I was alone I would have tented a little more, but it's been more comfortable this way. Still, I haven't slept in this many motels over several years' time. We ended the day with a game of cribbage to make up for the lack of math practice (though I did have them work out what percentage of the states we had found license plates of on the road each time we found new ones). </p>
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<p dir="ltr">Hot Springs is a quaint old town built on the healing power of the natural mineral springs that dot the area. Many buildings in the downtown are built of local sandstone circa 1888-1930s. There is an active paleontology dig in the city of mostly mammoth remains. The boys, however,  were more interested in checking out the swimming pool built on a hot spring. Naturally we get out of the rain to get wet. </p>
<p dir="ltr">From there we headed back north, driving through Wind Cave National Park. I had planned to visit Jewel Cave. We didn't end up staying near there. And the boys weren't really interested in going in another cave (we had visited the Mark Twain Cave in Missouri a few summers ago which apparently was enough for them), but we stopped and explored the visitors center and Nils got another Jr. Ranger badge. We continued driving back through Custer State Park. We saw the burros this time, though not very close.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And now for a good night's sleep to rest up as we slowly start our way back east tomorrow. </p>
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