Is 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
The first chapter of Isaiah is basically God convicting His people of sin. It is far beyond accusatory. In verse 18, God extends the offer of grace. Then, He warns what is going to happen to His people if they do not accept the offer of forgiveness. Read it...it is not pretty.
Snow is a picture of divine forgiveness. It comes pure and white from heaven like frozen spiritual manna. We can't dictate to the cold, the clouds, and to the snow where it is to fall and when. It comes down, we receive. Simple.
There is always a cause and effect when God's grace takes a hold of us. This inevitably leads to the fires of Hell in our souls being chilled. There should be an external manifestation of peace like coolness resulting. We can't chill the brimstone alone. Or efforts are futile and foolish and fraudulent. We are to extend grace to others as we have received grace from God. Acts of compassion and charity must fall like snow from the skies.
We can no more throw snow into the heavens than we can be right before God in our efforts. We are always in the responsive posture. When God offers to reason with us, be sure that the conversation, if it is to end well, will be us agreeing with God on every point. There is no negotiation as if we have any right to dictate terms. In a democratic age, that does not sit well with many. Nor should it. We want to think we can fix our problems. Lurking in this premise is pride.
If we are to talk the Psalms as a guide, we can ask hard questions. But we had better be prepared for some hard answers. I found this work to be a comprehensive outline of this line of thinking.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Fleece as White as Snow
Mt 25:33
"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."
Been thinking about this teaching of Jesus. Trying to figure out why goats are sent to the left. I kind of like goats. There is a farm close by where I, on occasion, feed them hay. They don't seem particularly wicked. In fact, compared to sheep who are kind of generic-looking and dull, goats are pretty cool...they are colorful and have hip beards and spots and all. Probably would be funner to go to a loud and crazy goat party. The sheep would all probably sit around and play board games and drink Pepsi, nibbling on Nilla wafers, all night.
What is it about goats that make them doomed for Hell? The best I can discern is that goats are independent. They do what they want to do. Sheep, for all of their stupidity, at least know one thing well. They follow...except for the really stupid one, who wanders off and gets lost. But, Jesus does not speak of 99 sheep out of a 100 getting lost. It is one. The other 99 stay close. With goats, it would probably be the 99 getting lost (if they were being herded) with one staying close.
Now, I am pretty sure that both sheep and goats are about the same I.Q. So, the difference is not intellectual; it is a inclination of dependence vs. independence from what I can tell. I am no expert on sheep vs. goat cognitive abilities though. Not a major emphasis in my Ph.D program.
If we follow Jesus, we are going to do what He did while on Earth. These verses make it clear that we are to serve other sheep. And sheep are pretty simple creatures. Sheep need water, food, warmth, and protection. A "sheep" sermon would not do much good to the flock if it was only mere words with no action. The sheep know the Good Shepherd's voice and His voice is connected to actions.
After the snowstorm, a couple of neighbors and Lina and I went around the neighborhood to help shovel people out. I nicknamed ourselves "Amish Snow Removal Services" because it was all by hand and shovel alone.
We on the crew started to joke around to pass the time and to distract us from the drudgery. I joshed that all of this snow shoveling could be equated to "works righteousness." I joked that with every shovel-full of snow that I heaved, I was lessening my weight of sin guilt. Then, to show that I was not depending on works to be saved, I was going to quit shoveling and start drinking beer instead in my Great Room, leaving my neighbors snowed-in. My fleece is already white as snow...why not go relax? Why break my back if I was already saved?
I am going to try and work through "works" this week....
"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."
Been thinking about this teaching of Jesus. Trying to figure out why goats are sent to the left. I kind of like goats. There is a farm close by where I, on occasion, feed them hay. They don't seem particularly wicked. In fact, compared to sheep who are kind of generic-looking and dull, goats are pretty cool...they are colorful and have hip beards and spots and all. Probably would be funner to go to a loud and crazy goat party. The sheep would all probably sit around and play board games and drink Pepsi, nibbling on Nilla wafers, all night.
What is it about goats that make them doomed for Hell? The best I can discern is that goats are independent. They do what they want to do. Sheep, for all of their stupidity, at least know one thing well. They follow...except for the really stupid one, who wanders off and gets lost. But, Jesus does not speak of 99 sheep out of a 100 getting lost. It is one. The other 99 stay close. With goats, it would probably be the 99 getting lost (if they were being herded) with one staying close.
Now, I am pretty sure that both sheep and goats are about the same I.Q. So, the difference is not intellectual; it is a inclination of dependence vs. independence from what I can tell. I am no expert on sheep vs. goat cognitive abilities though. Not a major emphasis in my Ph.D program.
If we follow Jesus, we are going to do what He did while on Earth. These verses make it clear that we are to serve other sheep. And sheep are pretty simple creatures. Sheep need water, food, warmth, and protection. A "sheep" sermon would not do much good to the flock if it was only mere words with no action. The sheep know the Good Shepherd's voice and His voice is connected to actions.
After the snowstorm, a couple of neighbors and Lina and I went around the neighborhood to help shovel people out. I nicknamed ourselves "Amish Snow Removal Services" because it was all by hand and shovel alone.
We on the crew started to joke around to pass the time and to distract us from the drudgery. I joshed that all of this snow shoveling could be equated to "works righteousness." I joked that with every shovel-full of snow that I heaved, I was lessening my weight of sin guilt. Then, to show that I was not depending on works to be saved, I was going to quit shoveling and start drinking beer instead in my Great Room, leaving my neighbors snowed-in. My fleece is already white as snow...why not go relax? Why break my back if I was already saved?
I am going to try and work through "works" this week....
Friday, February 5, 2010
I am Hungry
Welcome back to another installment of "Fluffy Fridays" where I drop all my deep musings like a bad habit and go goofy. It is actually Saturday when I am posting this as I got onto other things yesterday. So it is "Snowy Silly Saturday" in Blogdom de Bierkergaard.
This year, with me being on Sabbatical from my school counselor position, I have escaped the clockwork precision and regimentation of the school day, where everything is controlled by the bell. For many years, I have eaten at 12:30. While working, once I hear the bell for lunch, like a Pavlovian dog, I trot down to the cafeteria, salivating and slobbering all the way down.
Since I do my doctoral work from home, time gets chewed up, a mastication of the minutes, a digestion of the days, all the while I miss eating lunch.
This year, lunch can be any time, and more often than not, I don't eat until 3 or later. I still eat breakfast first thing in the morning. But once that meal is concluded, who knows when I shall return to the trough. Strangely, I find myself resistant to eat lunch and often will not eat until my tummy starts to sound like the garbage disposal. My stomach will go from gnawing to snarling before I reckon its chow time.
Now, I love to eat. So it is not like my abhorring of vacuuming where it is easy to ignore the signs of dirt. Being 6'8" with ever-increasing poor eyesight also helps. It is almost as if I need to be reminded to breathe. This really puzzles me. I am not sure why I am inclined to practice deprivation of my person. I know I don't like the feeling of being hungry and it is not like I don't have Costco-West in our fridge and freezer or have to take down wild game with my bow and arrow before saddling up to the feed bag.
"Give us this day our daily bread" Jesus said. I might miss a meal. But, I should never daily miss eating of the one who is that "manna from heaven." My soul growls when I do.
This year, with me being on Sabbatical from my school counselor position, I have escaped the clockwork precision and regimentation of the school day, where everything is controlled by the bell. For many years, I have eaten at 12:30. While working, once I hear the bell for lunch, like a Pavlovian dog, I trot down to the cafeteria, salivating and slobbering all the way down.
Since I do my doctoral work from home, time gets chewed up, a mastication of the minutes, a digestion of the days, all the while I miss eating lunch.
This year, lunch can be any time, and more often than not, I don't eat until 3 or later. I still eat breakfast first thing in the morning. But once that meal is concluded, who knows when I shall return to the trough. Strangely, I find myself resistant to eat lunch and often will not eat until my tummy starts to sound like the garbage disposal. My stomach will go from gnawing to snarling before I reckon its chow time.
Now, I love to eat. So it is not like my abhorring of vacuuming where it is easy to ignore the signs of dirt. Being 6'8" with ever-increasing poor eyesight also helps. It is almost as if I need to be reminded to breathe. This really puzzles me. I am not sure why I am inclined to practice deprivation of my person. I know I don't like the feeling of being hungry and it is not like I don't have Costco-West in our fridge and freezer or have to take down wild game with my bow and arrow before saddling up to the feed bag.
"Give us this day our daily bread" Jesus said. I might miss a meal. But, I should never daily miss eating of the one who is that "manna from heaven." My soul growls when I do.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Charlie Brown: Why Is Everyone Always Picking on Me?
On Sunday night, a good friend and a new friend (Dave Squared), and I went up to the Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg for a charity concert to raise money for Haiti Earthquake Relief. The band "In Wilderness" was fantastic.
The venue is awesome...kind of a hip urban storefront with an interior bucolic barn-like structure for books and a "Scholars Underground" (beneath the first floor) which makes scholarship seem subversive and clandestine...which it is these days with mass media vapidity and "sound bite" attention appetites. Catacombs, as it were, for the persecuted faithful of the book.
The location of the bookstore changed within the last year from a house to this spot, and it is sweet. Bookstores, if they are to survive as actual bookstores, have to offer more than just books these days. And, bringing in bands and speakers, for a reasonable price, and throwing in some good coffee and healthy snacks, might just prosper the institution through the 21st century. Amazon has no soul...the Midtown does.
Since I have a problem with buying books, like an alcoholic takes to drink, going into a bookstore is dangerous business for me. Like a reforming drunk has to steer his sobriety wagon away from the direction of the town saloon, I should only enter a bookstore under close supervision. Yet, I had received $ 25 from my Aunt for Christmas. Yearly, I decide to freely imbibe with this money to buy a book or two. One or two purchases can't hurt...can it?
I found an audio book on a shelf of the "Schulz and Peanuts", the recent authoritative biography of the comic strip Zeus who ruled the Pantheon of Cartoonist for over 50 years--and still yet rules from the grave. The audio book was $ 11, which comes out to be one dollar per CD. This book is Bible-like in its size, at least the New Testament with the Psalms, Proverbs, and the the Minor Prophets thrown in. The price was a bargain...so I bought it.
I have been feeling like Charlie Brown of sorts these days. Our car got hit and runned on New Years Eve (and the Lancaster Police are making the Keystone Kops look like Elliot Ness...c'mom cops, we gave you a pretty big clue, the license plate of the car that hit us), our plumbing in our house is defective and no one is taking responsibility (our Home Inspector at the time of purchase who should have caught it did not...and is now dead...and all of the entities...the manufacturer of the plumbing, the builder, the plumber, and the real estate agent, disavow any responsibility), and I had a protracted rumble with a truly shady credit card processing company out in Colorado.
Yep, I'm feeling like I should just get one of those zig-zagged yellow and brown Charlie Brown shirts (I wonder if they come in 2XLT? Might have to special order). For the record, generally, I don't see myself primarily as Charlie Brown. I think I am more Linus-like, who always seemed to be the brainiest and most philosophical of the Peanuts bunch, who had some weird hang-ups like thumb-sucking and blanket-toting.
When I was a child, I made an Jacob and Esau-like swap with a fellow neighborhood boy. I swapped some "stew" for a series of "birthright" Peanuts books (original prints, some of them). I got the better deal by far. I used to spend hours as a kid reading and re-reading the strips. I have the fraying collection in my Book Hall of Fame like sacred Toral scrolls. I only unroll them on special and holy days.
When I critiqued modern-day comic strips the other day in a blog, I am comparing these strips to Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes. These two strips were able to combine witty humor with profound pathos...and somehow that paradoxical pairing attracted millions of proselytes. Most strips today are just trying to be funny...the best humor tries to find the funny in the sad, and perhaps the sad in the funny. Modern strips miss the balance.
The book on Schulz and Peanuts major thesis seems to be how Charles Schulz grew up with a profound sense of being a nobody. He took this everyman identity of being a "Nobody" and became a "Somebody" by essentially parlaying this personal sense of "Nobodyness" into national and international acclaim and affection. In other words, Schulz became a Supra- "Somebody" by being an Uber "Nobody."
Spiritual truth is often paradoxical as in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Or, in Charlie Brown's words, "Good Grief." Grief can be good in God, the One who provides succor and comfort to the broken-hearted. Only He is infinitely capable to fill the inestimable depths of hurt in our hearts. True about Haiti, true about me. Grief in others gives us the opportunity to step up and serve. Thanks to the Midtown for having such a great place for this "Haiti Help" to happen. May you live long and prosper!
Charlie Brown, the one picked on became the one we picked. An irony indeed.
The venue is awesome...kind of a hip urban storefront with an interior bucolic barn-like structure for books and a "Scholars Underground" (beneath the first floor) which makes scholarship seem subversive and clandestine...which it is these days with mass media vapidity and "sound bite" attention appetites. Catacombs, as it were, for the persecuted faithful of the book.
The location of the bookstore changed within the last year from a house to this spot, and it is sweet. Bookstores, if they are to survive as actual bookstores, have to offer more than just books these days. And, bringing in bands and speakers, for a reasonable price, and throwing in some good coffee and healthy snacks, might just prosper the institution through the 21st century. Amazon has no soul...the Midtown does.
Since I have a problem with buying books, like an alcoholic takes to drink, going into a bookstore is dangerous business for me. Like a reforming drunk has to steer his sobriety wagon away from the direction of the town saloon, I should only enter a bookstore under close supervision. Yet, I had received $ 25 from my Aunt for Christmas. Yearly, I decide to freely imbibe with this money to buy a book or two. One or two purchases can't hurt...can it?
I found an audio book on a shelf of the "Schulz and Peanuts", the recent authoritative biography of the comic strip Zeus who ruled the Pantheon of Cartoonist for over 50 years--and still yet rules from the grave. The audio book was $ 11, which comes out to be one dollar per CD. This book is Bible-like in its size, at least the New Testament with the Psalms, Proverbs, and the the Minor Prophets thrown in. The price was a bargain...so I bought it.
I have been feeling like Charlie Brown of sorts these days. Our car got hit and runned on New Years Eve (and the Lancaster Police are making the Keystone Kops look like Elliot Ness...c'mom cops, we gave you a pretty big clue, the license plate of the car that hit us), our plumbing in our house is defective and no one is taking responsibility (our Home Inspector at the time of purchase who should have caught it did not...and is now dead...and all of the entities...the manufacturer of the plumbing, the builder, the plumber, and the real estate agent, disavow any responsibility), and I had a protracted rumble with a truly shady credit card processing company out in Colorado.
Yep, I'm feeling like I should just get one of those zig-zagged yellow and brown Charlie Brown shirts (I wonder if they come in 2XLT? Might have to special order). For the record, generally, I don't see myself primarily as Charlie Brown. I think I am more Linus-like, who always seemed to be the brainiest and most philosophical of the Peanuts bunch, who had some weird hang-ups like thumb-sucking and blanket-toting.
When I was a child, I made an Jacob and Esau-like swap with a fellow neighborhood boy. I swapped some "stew" for a series of "birthright" Peanuts books (original prints, some of them). I got the better deal by far. I used to spend hours as a kid reading and re-reading the strips. I have the fraying collection in my Book Hall of Fame like sacred Toral scrolls. I only unroll them on special and holy days.
When I critiqued modern-day comic strips the other day in a blog, I am comparing these strips to Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes. These two strips were able to combine witty humor with profound pathos...and somehow that paradoxical pairing attracted millions of proselytes. Most strips today are just trying to be funny...the best humor tries to find the funny in the sad, and perhaps the sad in the funny. Modern strips miss the balance.
The book on Schulz and Peanuts major thesis seems to be how Charles Schulz grew up with a profound sense of being a nobody. He took this everyman identity of being a "Nobody" and became a "Somebody" by essentially parlaying this personal sense of "Nobodyness" into national and international acclaim and affection. In other words, Schulz became a Supra- "Somebody" by being an Uber "Nobody."
Spiritual truth is often paradoxical as in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Or, in Charlie Brown's words, "Good Grief." Grief can be good in God, the One who provides succor and comfort to the broken-hearted. Only He is infinitely capable to fill the inestimable depths of hurt in our hearts. True about Haiti, true about me. Grief in others gives us the opportunity to step up and serve. Thanks to the Midtown for having such a great place for this "Haiti Help" to happen. May you live long and prosper!
Charlie Brown, the one picked on became the one we picked. An irony indeed.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Calvin and Hobbes
I had read one time that Bill Watterson, the creator of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," had named his characters after the theologian John Calvin and political theorist Thomas Hobbes. It does not seem likely that there was any defining characteristic shared between the noted historical characters and the comic strip boy and tiger.
Both John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes, at least in their writings, were not known for their humor. Their take on the topics of theology and politics were quite serious and somber. I think it is safe to say that neither men would have been nominated for the "Class Clown" recognition in their respective high schools' yearbooks.
Although John Calvin might have been voted "Most Scholarly" as he was nicknamed by fellow Reformer Philip Melancthon "The Theologian." Thomas Hobbes is best known for his work Leviathan and quote within this work "The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Based on this quote it is hardly likely that Hobbes was a teenage free spirit and clown. Although, his quote could describe life for some high school and middle school students. I have found very few people who had a great time in middle school (or, as it was called in my time of growing up, junior high).
My brother Matt send me an article based on a exceedingly rare and recent interview on the reclusive Bill Watterson. When Watterson quit the strip, he was still on top of the comic world. Unlike an athlete or actor who keeps trying to regain prior glory by comeback after comeback (Ali, Jordan, etc.) when it is clear that the time for being a shining star has fallen, Watterson--despite his conflicts with the newspaper on formatting issues and his Syndicate--was still on top of his game. And, he put down his pen and pushed away from his drawing table.
I was sad when he retired. For years, I had cut out his "best" Sunday strips, which were in color, and had them laminated. They looked like place-mats for meals. Then, as part of my early bachelorhood decorating style, I taped them to my kitchen wall. Soon, I had a ten by eight foot collage of the finest Calvin and Hobbes. After moving, and getting married, I believe I tossed them all, although they could be buried in the basement in a box.
My brother also included a link for this Calvin and Hobbes comic. In reference to this comic's point, the use (really overuse and abuse) of Ritalin (and like drugs) tells us more about the problems in the American educational system than the children, mostly boys, themselves. We force energetic boys to sit at desks and act like girls and be social and cooperative. To top it all off, we take away their recess, the one time of day that they can blow off steam and energy--so that they can work at improving their scores on state tests.
And, if these boys act up, we drug them into compliance. Few people really seem to be asking the critical questions of why such medicated children are in such high numbers. As an educator willing to ask the hard question, I propose that we look to changing more the structure of such kids educational and classroom experience rather than merely medicating them to fit their square peg into the round hole of the system. By taking these kids edges off, we are often diminishing who God made them to be. Vocational and technical education--hands on and active--has fallen on disfavor in the U.S. We need to bring it back. Not all kids are book learners, and neither should we force them to be. Some of these students also come from chaotic or over controlling homes. Their disability often has what are termed environmental influences and/or causes.
Another issue this Calvin and Hobbes comic speaks to is the loss of childhood and the reality of the demands of adulthood crashing in on Calvin. Kids these days are forced to grow up quick. Parents may either control most aspects of their lives through "adultified" activities like soccer leagues for five year olds with coaches, uniforms, and the like and, even getting into the "right" Pre-School. Or, kids maybe left to fend for themselves emotionally, psychologically, and physically, because parents are out doing whatever they want to do (basically, adults acting like children). When children are not allowed to be kids, don't be surprised when they are adults, if they never really have grown up. They long for a childhood that never was, innocence ruined by parental over-attention and control and/or abuse, indifference, and neglect.
Parents need to be in their kids world...but leave some space. But not too much. Enough. There are great parents. They know the balance. But, don't equate great with perfect. Only the good Lord is perfect.
Both John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes, at least in their writings, were not known for their humor. Their take on the topics of theology and politics were quite serious and somber. I think it is safe to say that neither men would have been nominated for the "Class Clown" recognition in their respective high schools' yearbooks.
Although John Calvin might have been voted "Most Scholarly" as he was nicknamed by fellow Reformer Philip Melancthon "The Theologian." Thomas Hobbes is best known for his work Leviathan and quote within this work "The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Based on this quote it is hardly likely that Hobbes was a teenage free spirit and clown. Although, his quote could describe life for some high school and middle school students. I have found very few people who had a great time in middle school (or, as it was called in my time of growing up, junior high).
My brother Matt send me an article based on a exceedingly rare and recent interview on the reclusive Bill Watterson. When Watterson quit the strip, he was still on top of the comic world. Unlike an athlete or actor who keeps trying to regain prior glory by comeback after comeback (Ali, Jordan, etc.) when it is clear that the time for being a shining star has fallen, Watterson--despite his conflicts with the newspaper on formatting issues and his Syndicate--was still on top of his game. And, he put down his pen and pushed away from his drawing table.
I was sad when he retired. For years, I had cut out his "best" Sunday strips, which were in color, and had them laminated. They looked like place-mats for meals. Then, as part of my early bachelorhood decorating style, I taped them to my kitchen wall. Soon, I had a ten by eight foot collage of the finest Calvin and Hobbes. After moving, and getting married, I believe I tossed them all, although they could be buried in the basement in a box.
My brother also included a link for this Calvin and Hobbes comic. In reference to this comic's point, the use (really overuse and abuse) of Ritalin (and like drugs) tells us more about the problems in the American educational system than the children, mostly boys, themselves. We force energetic boys to sit at desks and act like girls and be social and cooperative. To top it all off, we take away their recess, the one time of day that they can blow off steam and energy--so that they can work at improving their scores on state tests.
And, if these boys act up, we drug them into compliance. Few people really seem to be asking the critical questions of why such medicated children are in such high numbers. As an educator willing to ask the hard question, I propose that we look to changing more the structure of such kids educational and classroom experience rather than merely medicating them to fit their square peg into the round hole of the system. By taking these kids edges off, we are often diminishing who God made them to be. Vocational and technical education--hands on and active--has fallen on disfavor in the U.S. We need to bring it back. Not all kids are book learners, and neither should we force them to be. Some of these students also come from chaotic or over controlling homes. Their disability often has what are termed environmental influences and/or causes.
Another issue this Calvin and Hobbes comic speaks to is the loss of childhood and the reality of the demands of adulthood crashing in on Calvin. Kids these days are forced to grow up quick. Parents may either control most aspects of their lives through "adultified" activities like soccer leagues for five year olds with coaches, uniforms, and the like and, even getting into the "right" Pre-School. Or, kids maybe left to fend for themselves emotionally, psychologically, and physically, because parents are out doing whatever they want to do (basically, adults acting like children). When children are not allowed to be kids, don't be surprised when they are adults, if they never really have grown up. They long for a childhood that never was, innocence ruined by parental over-attention and control and/or abuse, indifference, and neglect.
Parents need to be in their kids world...but leave some space. But not too much. Enough. There are great parents. They know the balance. But, don't equate great with perfect. Only the good Lord is perfect.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Not So Funny Papers
I was mentioning to Lina, after consuming the Sunday comics, how comics these days seem to be funny and cynical, or simplistic and silly. Or downright unfunny. Here is my take
My selection from best to worst, in the Lancaster Sunday News Comics:
Cynical yet Hilarious: Get Fuzzy, Dilbert. Some may dispute, as Lina did, that "Get Fuzzy" is cynical. C'mon, the dog is always getting abused, either verbally or physically, by that whacked wordsmith S & M cat.
Funny and Familial: (Zits, Grand Avenue, Baby Blues, For Better or Worse, Jump Start, Blondie, Dennis the Menace, Rose is Rose, Born Loser, Family Tree, Sally Forth). This is probably the strongest genre in the comics. I just like Dagwood. Some might put Blondie in the Lame section. The guy who does Jump Start is from Philly so he gets a push into this category. Sally Forth can be weak at times...
Lame: (Garfield, Ziggy, Marmaduke, Family Circle, Hagar the Horrible, Marvin, Beetle Bailey). A lot of these strips ceased to be funny sometime in the 1970's or 1980's. The same old jokes keep being reheated and served as leftovers. There must be a contingent of elderly loyalists that keep voting for these strips in Readers Polls. Ziggy used to be funny. Now he seems to be an anachronism, lost in time. Family Circle is just ready to go to its final resting place. It was a good run but enough is enough.
Hit or Miss: (Mother Goose and Grimm, Ollie and Quentin, F Minus, Born Loser). Both Lina and I were really down on "F Minus" but it seems to be hitting its stride. And, with a name like "F Minus" can we really expect that much? The cartoonist kind of beats us to the punch. Mother Goose and Grimm relies on too many wordplays but can strike gold.
Troubled: (Pearls Before Swine). Talk of killing zeebras by the gators over and over again as a theme is pathological.
Depressing & Suicidal: Funky Winkerbean.
More thoughts to follow this week on the Comics...
My selection from best to worst, in the Lancaster Sunday News Comics:
Cynical yet Hilarious: Get Fuzzy, Dilbert. Some may dispute, as Lina did, that "Get Fuzzy" is cynical. C'mon, the dog is always getting abused, either verbally or physically, by that whacked wordsmith S & M cat.
Funny and Familial: (Zits, Grand Avenue, Baby Blues, For Better or Worse, Jump Start, Blondie, Dennis the Menace, Rose is Rose, Born Loser, Family Tree, Sally Forth). This is probably the strongest genre in the comics. I just like Dagwood. Some might put Blondie in the Lame section. The guy who does Jump Start is from Philly so he gets a push into this category. Sally Forth can be weak at times...
Lame: (Garfield, Ziggy, Marmaduke, Family Circle, Hagar the Horrible, Marvin, Beetle Bailey). A lot of these strips ceased to be funny sometime in the 1970's or 1980's. The same old jokes keep being reheated and served as leftovers. There must be a contingent of elderly loyalists that keep voting for these strips in Readers Polls. Ziggy used to be funny. Now he seems to be an anachronism, lost in time. Family Circle is just ready to go to its final resting place. It was a good run but enough is enough.
Hit or Miss: (Mother Goose and Grimm, Ollie and Quentin, F Minus, Born Loser). Both Lina and I were really down on "F Minus" but it seems to be hitting its stride. And, with a name like "F Minus" can we really expect that much? The cartoonist kind of beats us to the punch. Mother Goose and Grimm relies on too many wordplays but can strike gold.
Troubled: (Pearls Before Swine). Talk of killing zeebras by the gators over and over again as a theme is pathological.
Depressing & Suicidal: Funky Winkerbean.
More thoughts to follow this week on the Comics...
Monday, February 1, 2010
Trees
Joel 1:19
"O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. "
We have been in a bit of a cold snap here in Pa. OK, more than a snap; how about a slap? On Saturday, Lina and I decided to stay inside and not venture out of the domicile. I thought that it would be an ideal day for a fire.
Back in the Fall of 2008 I bought a cord of wood, not sure of how much I needed for a winter, figuring it would be better to have more wood than not enough. Well, after stacking the wood (and restacking due to wife's requests and other factors), we now have wood on our brick porch (fifty feet from the house, to keep the termites from establishing a base for a home-eating offensive), wood in a plastic storage structure taller than me, and about a half-ton of wood in the wood shed at the back of our property. I even have an auxiliary pile for my neighbor, on the right side, for him to access when he wants. Wood R Us.
In my bachelor pad, I had a wood pellet stove where the process was so much easier and less labor intensive. To keep the fires burning now, it is constant attention. Though, I am no fan of natural gas fires either. No substance, no crackle, all gaseous hollowness.
With all of the wood in my possession, reminds me of when I was in college where I priced out the cost of chicken vs. turkey and decided that since turkey was so much less expensive, I would cook up a big bird and eat off of that for awhile. And, it become awhile. It got so bad that I was eating turkey at every meal and giving it away like gifts to guests. "Here, have some turkey." God sends quail, for sure. I had so much turkey, it was in-between my teeth (Numbers 11:32-33). See bottom of post for added musical bonus!
On Saturday, I came up with a new wood delivery system. Since it was so cold outside, I decided to get the wheelbarrow and put about 50 lbs of logs into it and then push the pile on wheels into to garage where it was about 25 degrees warmer.
In the past, I would either roll the wheelbarrow up to the back sliding doors with wood and then open such doors, to bring the wood in a portion at a time. Thus, letting a good amount of warm air out of the house. If it was raining, the strategy went from "C" work to a "F." The wood and wheelbarrow would get wet. Or, I would grab a log or two from the woodpile and hand carry it to its incineration.
This winter, after Lina bought a nifty wood hand-held toter, not sure of the official name, I would head out to the woodpile and stack this carrier with as much wood as possible, right up to the point where it would disjoint my shoulder. Then, I would transport the wood in. Going from the woodpile to the fireplace seemed to be the best way to conduct the process.
But then the cold hit Saturday and I didn't wanna go outside. Hence my solution. I know that to most people such insights are obvious, for me they are hard work. The mothership wheelbarrow now sits in a nice and dry and warmer location in the garage ready for the shuttle's pick-up. Voila.
It got me thinking about wood and trees (BTW, check out this cool painting of trees, thanks to Walt Mueller for posting). Wood is a picture of the past, present, and future
The Past: Before I could get the fire started on Saturday, I had to clean the ashes out of the bottom and below the fire rack. Air has to flow beneath the fire in order to feed it. Made me consider about ashes in a metaphorical manner. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, some things have to be left in the past. We must consciously move them away in order to start the fire of the present. Conversely, wood can be positive remembrance, tradition, and reflection. Just don't count on the past to provide for the future.
The Present: Wood is also a picture of the present. It is impossible to have a fire without wood or some other combustible matter or substance. Thinking about wood doesn't warm the house, Accomplishment takes a hands-on approach. Chopping, lugging, lighting, enjoying (repeat).
One of the reasons that Haiti has so many problems is that they do not steward their wood. They are caught in a terrible conundrum of needing wood to cook, but killing their forests to do so, which dismantles topsoil protection, oxygen replenishment, and destroys wood that could be used for more long-term projects than heating the stew. I am not going to be too hard on Haiti, especially since the earthquake. First, that would be despicable. Second, the U.S.A's dependence of fossil fuels has likewise been short-sighted, just at a much higher level of complexity.
The Future: If you want to look at the future of humanity, look at the trees. The Trees of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and of Life, were both in the Garden. The Tree of Life reappears in Revelation. Wood can be used for a lot of useful things and processes. Carefully consider how you would use your wood (time, money, other resources). "Measure twice, cut once" as my carpenter friends say. Careful planning is better than reaction and repairing. You only have so much wood potentiality.
Trees in a very real way mirror man's condition. Jesus being a Carpenter and dying on a wood cross, are not just interesting coincidences. Even in the carbon dioxide and oxygen interchange between trees/plants and all other things living and breathing, is a profound symmetry that shows God's design. The Lord of the Rings (and Pandora, in an LOR inspired theme) shows what happens when the trees are messed with; trees are defenders and protectors of God's goodness. Mess with them and beware...you are messing with yourself.
I would that all of us would use our wood wisely....
For the heck of it, I decided to link the 77's song "God Sends Quail" as an added bonus. For you neophytes, the 77's (prior emanation) was one of the best rock bands of all time, Christian or not.
"O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. "
We have been in a bit of a cold snap here in Pa. OK, more than a snap; how about a slap? On Saturday, Lina and I decided to stay inside and not venture out of the domicile. I thought that it would be an ideal day for a fire.
Back in the Fall of 2008 I bought a cord of wood, not sure of how much I needed for a winter, figuring it would be better to have more wood than not enough. Well, after stacking the wood (and restacking due to wife's requests and other factors), we now have wood on our brick porch (fifty feet from the house, to keep the termites from establishing a base for a home-eating offensive), wood in a plastic storage structure taller than me, and about a half-ton of wood in the wood shed at the back of our property. I even have an auxiliary pile for my neighbor, on the right side, for him to access when he wants. Wood R Us.
In my bachelor pad, I had a wood pellet stove where the process was so much easier and less labor intensive. To keep the fires burning now, it is constant attention. Though, I am no fan of natural gas fires either. No substance, no crackle, all gaseous hollowness.
With all of the wood in my possession, reminds me of when I was in college where I priced out the cost of chicken vs. turkey and decided that since turkey was so much less expensive, I would cook up a big bird and eat off of that for awhile. And, it become awhile. It got so bad that I was eating turkey at every meal and giving it away like gifts to guests. "Here, have some turkey." God sends quail, for sure. I had so much turkey, it was in-between my teeth (Numbers 11:32-33). See bottom of post for added musical bonus!
On Saturday, I came up with a new wood delivery system. Since it was so cold outside, I decided to get the wheelbarrow and put about 50 lbs of logs into it and then push the pile on wheels into to garage where it was about 25 degrees warmer.
In the past, I would either roll the wheelbarrow up to the back sliding doors with wood and then open such doors, to bring the wood in a portion at a time. Thus, letting a good amount of warm air out of the house. If it was raining, the strategy went from "C" work to a "F." The wood and wheelbarrow would get wet. Or, I would grab a log or two from the woodpile and hand carry it to its incineration.
This winter, after Lina bought a nifty wood hand-held toter, not sure of the official name, I would head out to the woodpile and stack this carrier with as much wood as possible, right up to the point where it would disjoint my shoulder. Then, I would transport the wood in. Going from the woodpile to the fireplace seemed to be the best way to conduct the process.
But then the cold hit Saturday and I didn't wanna go outside. Hence my solution. I know that to most people such insights are obvious, for me they are hard work. The mothership wheelbarrow now sits in a nice and dry and warmer location in the garage ready for the shuttle's pick-up. Voila.
It got me thinking about wood and trees (BTW, check out this cool painting of trees, thanks to Walt Mueller for posting). Wood is a picture of the past, present, and future
The Past: Before I could get the fire started on Saturday, I had to clean the ashes out of the bottom and below the fire rack. Air has to flow beneath the fire in order to feed it. Made me consider about ashes in a metaphorical manner. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, some things have to be left in the past. We must consciously move them away in order to start the fire of the present. Conversely, wood can be positive remembrance, tradition, and reflection. Just don't count on the past to provide for the future.
The Present: Wood is also a picture of the present. It is impossible to have a fire without wood or some other combustible matter or substance. Thinking about wood doesn't warm the house, Accomplishment takes a hands-on approach. Chopping, lugging, lighting, enjoying (repeat).
One of the reasons that Haiti has so many problems is that they do not steward their wood. They are caught in a terrible conundrum of needing wood to cook, but killing their forests to do so, which dismantles topsoil protection, oxygen replenishment, and destroys wood that could be used for more long-term projects than heating the stew. I am not going to be too hard on Haiti, especially since the earthquake. First, that would be despicable. Second, the U.S.A's dependence of fossil fuels has likewise been short-sighted, just at a much higher level of complexity.
The Future: If you want to look at the future of humanity, look at the trees. The Trees of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and of Life, were both in the Garden. The Tree of Life reappears in Revelation. Wood can be used for a lot of useful things and processes. Carefully consider how you would use your wood (time, money, other resources). "Measure twice, cut once" as my carpenter friends say. Careful planning is better than reaction and repairing. You only have so much wood potentiality.
Trees in a very real way mirror man's condition. Jesus being a Carpenter and dying on a wood cross, are not just interesting coincidences. Even in the carbon dioxide and oxygen interchange between trees/plants and all other things living and breathing, is a profound symmetry that shows God's design. The Lord of the Rings (and Pandora, in an LOR inspired theme) shows what happens when the trees are messed with; trees are defenders and protectors of God's goodness. Mess with them and beware...you are messing with yourself.
I would that all of us would use our wood wisely....
For the heck of it, I decided to link the 77's song "God Sends Quail" as an added bonus. For you neophytes, the 77's (prior emanation) was one of the best rock bands of all time, Christian or not.
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