bierkergaard

Been back with Garden II this Spring. Last year was the first round of learning some things. Basically, got some seeds, some plants, watered, and let the vegetables and the weeds engage in a Darwinian struggle for survival. Decided that I would not pull weeds--although in the Fall I did mow the whole plot which felt like Judgement Day by Lawnboy. Boy, was that a lot of fun. I think that the neighbors appreciated the restoration of order out back. Weeds don't do anything productive. Vegetables, well, produce--so in some manner, weeds have a real advantage. They travel light and are only out for themselves. But, their self-centeredness is their greatest weakness. Because they aren't productive, there is little desire for others to nurture them, to look out for them in a protective fashion. It is as if they shoot themselves in the root so to speak. Then again, they don't need a lot of attention to grow. Instead, I hunt them like Osama. This year, I put down some weed bloc...

Like the mummy from the crypt, I rise again from the doldrums of nonblogdum. Coolness is definitely moving in the Facebook direction. It is pretty egocentric to think that others might find my musings interesting on a blog whereas I can throw out a quick scrap of info onto my Facebook wall and it doesn't take any great effort to read it or digest it. Kind of like applesauce. Rebounding from being sick. Emotionally, I crashed Friday night in a calvacade of anger, frustration, and sadness. Like lightning, thunder, and rain. It was a pretty massive storm. Yet, God has used it for my good. To learn my limits and weakness is always a good thing. I like what Eugene Peterson writes in The Message about Paul's passage in 2nd Cor. concerning the "thorn in the flesh." "Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he did in fact was push me to my knees." Amen Brother Eugene (kind of like a wise grandfather who writes encouraging notes to his grandkids)

Man, I love to read. My idea of the fulfilling life would be a nice cup of strong coffee in the morning with a good book to read. The Lord has not called me to the contemplative life...I think my idol would be to be idle. He has put me in the public school where I see the both the wonderful potential and disturbing problems of the younger generation. Maybe some day God will take me out of the fray so that I can retire to a mountain cabin to read and write. Until then, may I keep to my post and faithfully serve.

"The rich man takes a great deal of pains to get an estate together, and sits brooding upon it, but never has any comfort nor satisfaction in it; his projects to enrich himself by sinful courses miscarry and come to nothing. Let us therefore be wise in time--what we get to get it honestly, and what we have to use it charitably, that we may lay up in store a good foundation and be wise for eternity." M. Henry Jim Wallis in his recent book "God's Politics" asks a penetrating question. He inquires in the first paragraph of the first chapter of the book: "How did the faith of Jesus come to be known as pro-rich, pro-war, and only pro-American?" I don't fully suscribe to Wallis's perspective, but I think he raises valid points (God corrects imbalances by contrary imbalances--in this case Right and Left Wings). I am not discounting the dangers of living by the sword or nationalistic messianism, yet I think of the three, Wallis's comment about the ...

An Easter observation: I have tried to write on the Easter Story several times...trying to be succinct and profound at the same time. I keep getting bogged down...blogged down. "He is Risen" what else needs to be said?

I have been listening to the same section of Luke on CD my car going up to work for at least the last two weeks if not more. So, I have become much more familiar with Luke's Gospel. I'd like to say because it is because I wanted to delve much deeper into this part of the Bible. No, it is more due to my laziness of not wanting to have to take the CD out, put it in the casing, and put in a new Bible CD. Nonetheless, God uses my slackness for my good. I suppose it is a good sign that I am listening to the same part of the Bible over and over again rather than a stand-up routine from Larry the Cable Guy. As I have listened to the last days of Jesus, I have learned some new things. Like this: Jesus gave wine to His Disciple at the Last Supper and told them to drink it, then He broke bread, then He gave them wine again. Boy, that would really frost the legalists if we had wine twice in our Communion service (Yes, the church that I attend...evangelical...actually serves wine during Co...

It was really amusing. A kid had petitioned me to drop a course several weeks ago (a cooking class) and we approved it. I assumed he knew (I was wrong). The teacher asked me why the kid was no longer in her on-line gradebook. I said that he had dropped the class. She was like, "No he didn't, he's in my class right now. I will send him down to Guidance immediately." The kid showed up wearing his apron...a big burly 17 year old strapping young man walking down the high school halls wearing an apron on his way to the Guidance office. It is really great that amidst all the seriousness and problems in the world, that something funny happens and it is a bright moment of laughter.