bierkergaard

Sociologists, and those from any Discipline really, are taught to make the familiar strange. And not in a grotesque and bizarre manner (The Doors' Strange Days album cover non-withstanding), but more in a sense of seeing things with fresh eyes. Kind of becoming children daily. That inclination is where innovation comes from. Hmmm, glue that doesn't dry strong yet stays sticky. The Post-It Note. The power of wondering. Children can be fascinated by a ball for hours...we get bored with 500 channels on the Cable in three minutes. Kids in a real sense stick to everything but also are better at not getting stuck. I know that there are children who lack a spirit of openness, yet I surmise that the parents own lack of adventure or chaotic patterns, creates this condition. Temperament also plays a role. As adults we need routine but should endeavor to avoid the rut. Look at something today in a novel and new way. Matthew 18:3 Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as litt...

I was in a situation the other day which could have gotten nasty. I am not at liberty to divulge the details. Yet, I faced a choice of either escalating the conflict or draining the conflict. I chose to drain the conflict. Like a swamp. I gently walked away, excused myself, closed the door, and resumed addressing the problem a day later. I can't say that I always walk away. There is a time to fight and I am not afraid to...but there are some conflicts that can't be resolved at the time. There are also times I feed a conflict better left to starve. I know that the Scripture teaches that we should not let the sun go down on our anger. Yet, I don't think that means that we always have to hash things out before the sun falls beneath the horizon. In fact, I think we can actually create more of a problem by trying to address issues when we are: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. That is called HALT. As in stop. The more of these one has at a given moment, the wiser it is to wait...

The last couple of times I tried to save my Calendar on my iPhone, the syncing did not work to Microsoft Outlook on the Lap Top. I started to get queasy. The idea of all of my data disappearing in a wisp of an electronic pulse scares the crap out of me. I know that Apple and Microsoft are at best Cold War-like collaborators/combatants (I will let you decide who is the American and who is the Russian Commie Pinkos), so the software and hardware do not always play nice. The last time I lost all my data, Microsoft blamed Apple, Apple blamed Microsoft, and so it went. Like two children on a playground with me trying to figure out who pushed who first. So, I decided to not investigate the non-syncing, and just throw my data saving lot in with Mobile Me, Apple's version of the cloud. It updates data wirelessley. One feature that I did not realize at first is that it permits my Apple-loving wife to share her calendar with me and vise-versa. We also have a shared calendar. All three sets ...

Yesterday, I was getting ready to break for lunch. I saw that a teacher (I work as a high school counselor) had sent me an email letting me know one of my students was somewhere else besides her class. No, he was there, but he wasn't. So, I asked her to send him down. No use in keeping him class. I have a long history with the kid. I really like him...he's bright, funny, sensitive, and does very little school work. For three solid years. I try to care about my students regardless of whether they get good grades or not. I think that is what Jesus would do. As a school counselor, I strive to create a space of compassion in the hard four walls. It does not mean that I don't challenge kids like him to do their work. I do...but it is because I want him to have choices and opportunities and not to be consigned to dumb jobs for the rest of his life. Not graduating from high school is a curse that few are able to transcend. When he came down, he was sad. He had much to be legitimat...

Man, I have a theory about blogging. Put a picture of food that people like, you can reel them in. Here is why. My posting on the Whopper the other day garnered the most "bites" ever of any blog I have ever cooked up. And, I have been at the blogging grill for over three years. Still at it. So, today is really not about the candy bar from Hershey per se, but it is about the idea of taking 5 minutes. Shameless bait and switch. Not sure a clock would have the same shelf appeal. I awake on most day during the week at 5:00. Surprisingly, I usually even wake up earlier on the weekends. I just can't wait to do stuff...like write entries for my three blogs (Bierkergaard, College Transition Group , and my most popular blog, 40 Breweries/40 Days ). I've found people love beer a lot more than theological reflection--and at least on the surface it is all about beer. Drink through the froth though, and there is some depth in the blog's mug--because like all of life--things ar...

Yesterday, I completed my yearly administration of the SAT and the annual reward: A Whopper and accouterments (fries and shake). This year there was a twist. Lina wanted McDonald's fries instead. She decided to join me in my fast food foray (not typical for us). I doubled down on the burger. I have a Whopper fetish of sorts. As a kid, my Dad used to take us to Burger King and a Phillies game once a year. My Dad just wasn't into baseball. Now, the Philadelphia Art Museum on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, he was all game. Neither of my parents were much into fast food either. So, I came to treat Whoppers like idols, almost worshiping the mastication of all of the ingredients. So, I have an attraction to Whoppers, but in all practicality, I hardly eat them. I am glad my parents were stern about fast food and junk food in general. I just never got used to it. I still recall my older brother Mike and I freezing our alloted half can of soda a week to make it last longer as a frozen tr...