bierkergaard

“The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some chasm that yawns between us and reality, is part of our inconsolable secret. And surely, from this point of view, the promise of glory, in the sense described, becomes highly relevant to our deep desire. For glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgment, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last.” ―   C.S. Lewis ,  The Weight of Glory I am surely not alone to hold C.S. Lewis as the finest writer in modern Christianity, as far as the English language goes. It would be imperialism to assume that other cultures' Christian writers don't measure up since I have not read many of them even in translation.  My book by Soren Kierkegaard "Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses" was translated from Danish into English quite capably by Howard and ...

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God Last October 15, 2015, I picked up this devotional comprised of Calvin's commentaries on the Bible. I had tried using it before as my morning reading and it didn't stick so I put it aside for a few years. The last year, it did stick. I am now moving onto another morning reading but Calvin's writings have been a faithful companion during a year of growth. Life is all about inputs. We can't necessarily control all outputs. There is a general sowing and reaping principle that exists but there are no guarantees. We can work hard and til the soil with skill and still get Nada. Others can stumble upon work not their own and appropriate for profit to their own ends. Alguno (maybe I should use French, the language of Calvin but I know a bit of Spanish). Life in a fallen world. If you are not doing a devotional in the morning, why not? Now I am not talking about c...

I was talking with a buddy yesterday over coffee (he no longer drinks my high test but decaf) about the wish we both have about wanting to be "rock stars." For him. it is literal as he is a musician and it has morphed into being on stage Me, it is the more generic use of the word describing one who has legions of adoring fans. My stage was first athletics, and now it is writing. I think everyone wants to feel that their life matters. That we weren't just bubbles of existence carried away by the wind into the abyss of nothingness. So, we wish to make an impact and be appreciated and acknowledged by others. I call it "dust applauding dust" as that is where we shall return. But, the dust shall dance again. Some to everlasting life, some to eternal destruction. Many times our dreams are laudable. Very few people want to be good at being bad. Like being the best porn star or highest-grossing drug dealer in the area. No, typically our goals are above board and...

Matthew 6:9 And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. It is rainy and cool early October day here in Central Pa. I was thinking of going to another Oktoberfest today but I am partied out a bit.  A good day to stay home and reflect. Weather can create emotional states. So, cool and rainy makes me more introspective than I already am. I have a public persona that helps with my position. I can put on the extrovert character. Yet, I cherish coming home, closing and locking the door (the turning of the lock is the sweetest sound in the world), and being alone with my thoughts. I heal by silence and letting the concussive nature of my work wear off. Sleep is my primary coping mechanism. An hour nap after school dissipates the trauma. We school counselors deal with a lot of sad news yet there is much happiness, too. And these two realities exist side-by-side and can switch back and forth with almost jarring and blurring speed.  To change...

* A meme from www.fitnessandpower.com   I am officially back into school mode in regards to waking up early. Over the summer, I can trend later if I am off of work. To around 9:00 am.  During the school year, I typically wake-up at 5:00 am. My body and brain don't differentiate between workday and weekend, so here I am typing and composting away early (that was a typo but I kept it in because I thought it funny. Composing is what I meant). Waking up early is fine but it becomes problematic when I went to bed at midnight, as I did. My faithful companion is a cup of coffee that could raise the dead. When I give my brew to others, unless the person is like me with a serious coffee habituation, it almost results in folks needing an epi-pen because they get the shakes so bad. I like it dark and strong. No sugar, no cream.   I rarely ever drank coffee, until in my 30's, except for when I had a long night of studying in college. Then, I learned in grad school (age 25-...

For the last hour and change I have been listening to a WXPN podcast of "The Jimi You Never Knew."   Being that September 18 is the anniversary of Hendrix's demise in 1970 at that tragic rock star iconic "age of death" of 27, it seemed timely to reflect on his legacy.  The podcast checks in at 1 hour and 51 minutes and is a treasure trove into the his music and into those minds of the people who knew him best and worked with him closely.  I saw and heard Hendrix's Band of Gypsies drummer Buddy Miles play at the local Chameleon Club before he died in 2008 and in some way it connected me to Hendrix in a meaningful manner. Miles was still in awe of Hendrix decades later.  Hendrix was prodigious in his four years of recording music and now that his Estate has regained the rights to his music, much of what was buried or shoddily bastardized and bootlegged, is now streaming out like rays of the sun through the clouds. If you dig Hendrix, this podcast from WX...

The check for the essay I wrote about Craft Beer.... For the last year or two, I have made more of a concerted effort to be active about my media/writing work. Most of the opportunities that I have had are in my vocational area of working with high schoolers to discover and develop their giftings and goals. It is truly my day job and I am extremely grateful for it. I essentially get paid well to be helpful and informed about things that interest me. Career and Calling is the essential foundation. A lot of dumb and unwise stuff that teens get themselves sucked into are because they have no vision about their life. With that lack of long-term gaze, all of the churn and chaos of the sometimes awful world of adolescence overtakes them. Social Media has been profoundly unproductive and unhealthy for high schoolers.  I told a gaggle of girls embroiled in a conflict the other day that if I were king, I would feed all of their smartphones into a high-powered wood chipper and pulver...