bierkergaard

Watched M. Jackson's This Is It documentary last night on Netflix. The title became in his death more true than anyone could have imagined. Michael was looking for redemption through the show, partially financial it seems, yet more as an artist. The stage for redemption is not London, or New York, or LA. It is Calvary.

So, there I am today at our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm picking up our copious weekly allotment of vegetables and fruit. I was early birding in that we are not supposed to be there until 4 but I really did not feel like hanging out at work on a Friday afternoon which is close to the CSA in Hellam. A fellow CSA'er pulls up and we exchange pleasantries. After we get our produce, he comments I look hot. Kind of an obvious statement...it was close to 90 degrees and I was wearing a dress shirt and a tie. I concurred, "Yeah, I am hot." Not exactly deep discernment. But, it was a set-up of sorts. Out of his trunk, he pulled out a chilled Sierra Nevada Pale Ale from a six pack and gave it to me. I will never turn down a good beer; that would be like a seagull declining to eat a stray French Fry on the beach. Jesus says that when we give a cold cup of water in his name we are blessed. I think the same blessing transfers when we give away a beer. I know that I was b...

Watched Good Will Hunting tonight for Cinema Spirituality. Typical...girl (and not so typical) therapist save guy, with some Amadeus thrown in. Still a good film. Loved the line, "Let the healing begin." Think that this will be be my mantra tomorrow in Guidance. Healing is most certainly needed in the broken world of kids. It is always makes me laugh and sad when kids are lectured about the real world out there after high school. High school is as real as it gets. Cut the kids a break. It is not as easy to find your way as we seem to think now that we are adults. 'nuff said.

When I get stressed out, I step back and look to see how I can get things organized. I often need to stop in the middle of the madness and plan before proceeding...otherwise I react impulsively. One of my favorite ways to reset is to get a haircut. There is something about seeing the shagginess depart and fall like snow onto the barber's floor. He squares off the back of my neck from a "V" to a straight line. Best of all, he buzzes my wild eyebrows. I am not one to go to the barber once a week...I usually appear every five weeks or so. If I weren't so cheap, I think I would like to get a trim every two weeks. Yet, that is not going to happen. I walk out feeling like a new man...plus I got a grape Tootsie Roll Pop to savor out his jar!

I aim to run three times a week from our house, to Grubb Lake, back home. It is a four mile route of enough hills to make it hard at any speed, including walking. As a matter of principle, if I am going for a run, I run the entire time. Although, at times, my run is probably slower than a walk. Beer-drinking is my Doppleganger to my running....although my beer consumption hardly qualifies as sinister. Just a way to burn calories. I have not run since mid-August. Too many 12 hour work days coupled with some couch-surfing, and it has been about two weeks since I laced up the Nikes. Today, after working until 8:00 last night, I departed soon after the end of school. I came home, took a nap, and awoke after an hour or so refreshed. I looked outside. Beautiful day. I could not generate a good reason not to run, so I ran. I left the watch behind. I generally am able to do the run in about 40 minutes. Tonight, I knew that was not going to happen. So, like an obese person avoids the scal...

Well, mi Madre sent me one of those "inspirational " emails of awesome pictures of nature and then statements from God...some of the statements accorded with the spirit of Scripture, some did not. The one most egregious was a sentence that said "What part of should not don't you understand?" I suppose it was meant to be a close approximation of "Thou shalt not" of the Ten Commandments, Moses on the Mountain, smoke and storm. Not quite....instead God, the Cosmic Nag...or non-directive counselor. "Y' know, you really should not do this." Eeeks....Carl Rogers as Deity....really, the question really is, "What part of thou shalt not don't you understand?" We all break the Commandments, we all need Grace. But, don't change the question. Reminds me of the serpent's question in the Garden of Eden, "Did God really say?"

This week I have been feeling a lot like Job. I had a killer backache all week from lifting weights without good form and started catching a cold yesterday morning. Each one of my almost 47 years on this planet were like bricks on my broken back. As is my typical response, I ate raw garlic to repel the cold virus invaders. Garlic also ironically has anti-inflammatory properties on aches and pains. It causes a sizable pain but also provides a bigger cure. Yet, it has to be eaten raw...rawer than a 36 degree wet and December morning and scorching as the Saharan sun in the noonday. Terrible and powerful, a paradox indeed. The Jews in the desert clamored for the leeks and garlic of Egypt. There was something both amiss yet understandable in their cry. Garlic is one of nature finest curatives but it is hardly kind. Although, I overkilled on the garlic and ate too much. I had to spit out the fiery mush and eat it in increments like a baby with pureed peas. The garlic, coupled wit...