bierkergaard

My dreams when sleeping recently have been dull but dreadful in just an irritating way. Small things going wrong. I haven't woken up with a cold sweat. More just indigestion. My life is pretty good presently. I am in a rut but it is meaningful. I find purpose in my work and fun in my spare time. So, I am scratching my head as to why my dreams have become Kafka-like. Counsel thyself. For about a decade I decided to push the envelope and live on the edge. Go after a God-sized dream of transforming the conversation about the high school to college transition. Do the work, make the sacrifice, and suffer. All so that I could be seen as one who knew what he spoke and wrote about. Well, it didn't work out real well. Despite earning my Ph.D., it has done close to nothing in regards to opening previously closed doors. I am at peace with how it played out yet it has made me very reluctant to do anything similar in the future with such a heavy cost. No thanks. I like pain but not that m...

Genesis 28:11 - And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put  them for  his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. Sorry, I love the King James Version.  I was listening to a R.C. Sproul sermon the other week and he mentioned that he had several revelation-like experiences when crossing over from non-belief to belief in Christ when a young man in college. His story in that way is similar to mine. I had several experiences in my late teens which convinced me of the Truth of Christianity. I don't intend to detail them here but supernatural revelations restructured my understanding of reality. I didn't think my way to faith. My thinking was changed however by these encounters with God. R.C. mentioned this story from Genesis 28:11. With Jacob, the Old Testament Patriarch, he's a mommy's boy. Doesn't leave the tents. Domestic. He's an usurper of his brothe...

U2 Last night, I put the headphones on and really listened to the U2 album Songs of Innocence. On top of the great musicality of the songs are the lyrics . So much profound insight. This is the album that Apple downloaded automatically for free onto their devices. I didn't quite understand the uproar.   U2 and Apple are more than welcome to download all of U2 albums for free on iTunes for me.  It is hard for me to put into words how important U2 has been to my soul every since they first appeared in the early 1980's. Rock and Roll has influenced many to ruin but U2 has been redemptive.  They were and are such a breath of fresh air.   Song by song, here are some of the best: (maybe for the sake of brevity, I will just take on two at a time and return to it in the future).  "I was young, not dumb" -  The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) As a high school counselor, I am often struck by how wise kids are. They lack experience of some things due to...

Well, a little more than a week ago, a Friday, I had a big talk to give. I had prepped for months. Researching the topic with an intensity not equaled by me since Ph.D. studies. The topic was Craft Beer, something that I know a lot about.  Since I needed to eat quick, I popped into the local McDonald's up the street. I wanted to blow in, grab a Big Mac, Fries, and a Chocolate Shake, and head down to Lancaster City. I am not a frequenter of fast food as a rule. I know that the money adds up over time and I can typically eat better and cheaper at home. Yet, have been eating the school lunches this year as a concession to simplicity, pretty good tasting dishes, and fresh fruit and vegetables, two things that I don't eat without it being spoon-fed. It is easy to grab some salad, broccoli, or some fruit. All for three bucks and change.  So, while at the McDonald's, things were not quick. I spent about ten minutes waiting for my food, somewhat diminishing my reason for goi...

A dear student of mine passed away in a car accident. She was a great kid. Brought so much joy. Sad to have lost but glad to have known. Bye Masey. You are loved.

* This statue is in Valley Forge Park. My favorite place in the world. The Freedom of Discipline sounds like crazy mumbo-jumbo like "War is Peace", "Up is Down" or "Black is White." But it is not. Want to see an unfree person? Let that person live an undisciplined life. Ungodly rebellion is romanticized as a pathway to freedom but Jesus calls that individual a slave to sin.  Dylan sang long ago and perhaps believes it no longer that "You have to serve somebody." What has brought this to my mind recently was the reading of two books about Valley Forge and the Continental Army's camping out there in the Winter of 1777. The war was going poorly for the Colonials. The leadership and military smarts of George Washington was being questioned by some in the Continental Congress who had fled to York, Pennsylvania, when the British occupied Philadelphia.  Washington's personal character seemed unassailable yet his military acumen was lackin...

I am an early riser by habit. I can get to sleeping later but it has to be a trend for a couple of weeks before it takes. I wake up early for work at 5:00 AM so even on Saturday and Sunday, I am typically up around then. I love the early morning though. Waking up before 5:00 is very daunting but once it is 5:00, I am up and at 'em. No snooze button typically although I will sometimes go back to sleep on the weekends if I lay in bed for a bit and have nothing pressing. I am a certified master napper however. I love coming  back from work and hitting the sheets for an hour or two. I often have to heal from the concussive nature of my job and the sooner I sleep it off, the sooner I am ready for the next day. Better than pills from the Psychiatrist I'd say. I don't need to usually process the day verbally. Just let me sleep and I will  be fine. It is a luxury of being single. I know many parents would crave to be able to do this but it is hard when there are kids needin...