The Beauty of Aging

Getting old is something that should be embraced and welcomed. The older we get the more time we have to stop thinking and acting like idiots as we hopefully mature and gain some proper perspective on life. Christians, even more so, should look forward to aging since it means getting closer to leaving this place (dying) and going to live eternally with God in Heaven on a new earth.

For theDan aging has involved slow maturation (very slow at times), realization that the body does need to be stretched out, a sore hip, a wonderful wife and child, an increasing desire to focus all energy on things that have value/meaning, a decreasing desire to stay up past 9:30, and a greater appreciation for the things that I have been blessed with.
I must thank my father for one of those blessings that is at this moment enriching my life, that's right the Porta 3B (Big, Bold, Beautiful) Hair. One could spend an hour staring at the hair of Chuck, marveling at how it stays so poofy and it would not be a wasted hour.

Words cannot do it justice. Below are pictures...experiences that are my attempt to honor theChuck. His example is one of living the gift and I can only hope to leave the same legacy for my son. As you take in and digest the Porta 3B Hair, think of your own aging and the gifts that you have been given and thank the people responsible.


Note: No hair product was/ever is used, the Porta 3B rejects product.






I wear the hair and pants of Chuck.





Thank you Dad, thank you!

A New Year

My blog silence has caused too much damage (ie. the current economic crisis), I have left you (the world) on your own for too long and it is time for me to come back and help you. I was hoping that with a little tough love I might be able to encourage you to fly on your own. So I pushed you out of the nest (by not blogging and feeding your knowledge starved minds) only to watch you fall straight to the ground, you were not ready. This year I plan to blog at least twice a month so you can come to the fountain of reason and truth and begin to get back on your feet. As usual my blogs will be insightful, soaked in logic and life altering. I will also occasionally throw in a lighter blog that will be as the life sustaining morning dew in the desert of your life.

Before I go and leave you to enjoy the excitement of my return I give you this list of Horrible Ideas, may you avoid them and rebuke those who partake in them:

HORRIBLE IDEAS

- dating (you should only be involved in courtships where the intent is to discover a spouse, nothing good comes from dating, the whole "you learn about relationships when you date" is crap)

- teaching your kids witchcraft (ie. letting them read Harry Potter or play with large cauldrons and dead animals)

- not ruling your emotions with the firm hand of logic

- PETA or any "save the animals/stop animal abuse/etc" type association (come on, people are homeless, starving and dying all over the world and you're gonna come on TV and tell me to give you $$$ because you found poor Rex in a garbage can!)

- valuing open-mindedness over truth (sorry but there is black and white and right and wrong in a lot of situations, it's good to be closed-minded in those instances)

- altering Chipotle and Chinese take-out for more than 2 meals in a row

- junior high and high school dances (at best they don't cause immorality but nothing good can or will ever come from them...unless your a fan of forming useless relationships, premarital sex and teenage pregnancy)

- challenging Jason Hetland to a Flex-Off

- filming an epic snow football match on a device that is not compatible with the average computer thus hindering the world from viewing the amazing footage

- insulting any member of my family

- getting upset over who's elected to the Presidency, doesn't matter who's there, God is still God

- being serious all the time

- thinking I'm wrong about any of the aforementioned items

Digest what I have given, I shall be back soon with more.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

From: Me
To: You

Enjoy!

Teh Groove

I'm a day late but I must extend a "Happy Birthday" to Jesse Gavin (aka. the Groove, teh Groove, GavJess, GrooveNasty, JGav, Groovin'). The man is now 30 and I can say that I've known him all 30 years. He's a skilled guitarist, enjoys softball and whitty banter, reads Harry Potter (sadly), lived as a vampire for a few years, appreciates a good man-cuddle and could make even the most depressed person laugh out loud.

Happy Bday Groove.

Here's a pic taken right before we went into the wilderness to live off the land and kill a bear using a rock thus becoming men...I'm the stylish one with the colored socks.

Beware the FALL BEAST

I must first apologize for my lack of frequent posting as of late, it is not fair for me to leave you wandering in the dark for so long.

I come back to you now with an urgent warning. As the seasons change and we head deeper into fall you must be aware of a rare Beast who only rears his ugly head during this time of year. The creature is indeed here all year round but can only be seen when the leaves change, at which time he occasionally comes out of hiding to attack the unsuspecting. If you hear strange rustling of leaves and gentle growls run, run and for the love of all that's good and right Don't Look Back! If you see him, it's probably too late, you'll be frozen with shock at his grizzly grotesqueness and you're well being will be in his hands. If you can somehow recover from the sight of his awesome beastliness you may have time to try to play dead and hope he leaves you alone. Avoidance, however, is the only sure way to get through this fall without being scarred by the beast. Walk quickly from your cars to your homes and try to stay away from large leaf piles.

I've included a picture below, taken several years ago, the last time the beast was seen by a living person. Sadly that person has still not recovered, beware of letting children see the following and don't look for too long, even in photos the eyes of the FALL BEAST are piercing:

The Woods, Part I of LVII (aka. 57)

Ahh the Woods, being "up North" away from the city is a most excellent experience. There are so many good things about being amongst the trees it can be hard to know where to start the appreciating. Luckily for you, I am here to help and to give written expression for your feelings. In this ongoing series of posts I will go through just 57 (to keep it reasonable) of the core "Joys of the Woods" so that you can appreciate your outdoor experiences more specifically. As you read this series (each part will be short and sweet so you can take it all in) you will be able to put into words your feelings and you'll know Why you like the woods so much, and therefore be able to enjoy them even more. I know I know, you are welcome.

Side Note: If you do not enjoy the woods and/or nature at all you are lying to yourself and are probably unhappy in general for neglecting the God-created natural earth.

On to Part I, which I shall call "Potty in the Woods."

True Story: I'm walking through the woods, just my rifle, my whit and the trees when I feel a familiar urge to release bodily waste. For a brief instant my city damaged mind begins to think of where the nearest facility is, but then in a beautiful moment I realize I am exactly where I need to be to take a pee...the woods. In a majestic picture of the cycle of life I relieve myself giving back to nature as it has given to me. The only thing that could make the moment any better would be if it was raining and I titled my back and drank the replenishing water thus instantly demonstrating the rain cycle.

Being in the woods gives the freedom as well as the necessary cover to go to the bathroom in the most appropriate, tranquil setting. You may wonder why it feels so right going to bathroom in the woods and the answer, as my story told, is that you are directly fulfilling the cycle of life that was put in place when God created this amazing earth. When we do what we were created to do our souls are satisfied, granted going to the bathroom in the woods is a small thing compared to other things we have been created for, but nonetheless it is a part of our original creation to go Potty in the Woods.

Book Ideas

One of the perks, if you want to call it that, of substitute teaching is a movie or study hall day. I find that I'm able to get quite a bit of reading done and there are a few books that I've thoroughly enjoyed recently and I thought I'd share them with you.

Side note: You'll notice that none of them are fictional, in my old age I've found that I have no drive to read about something that didn't really happen. I know there are very well-written books that are fiction, but for me I can't justify taking the time to read a fake story when I could be reading something true and/or learning something I didn't know. I'm all about what I like to call "reality reading."

On to my suggestions and why you should read them:

"Heaven" by Randy Alcorn.

This is a quite lengthy book (I still have a few chapters to finish) but very worth the time required to read it. The author presents a view of Heaven that is totally scriptural and well researched. As one who "grew up" in the church I've found it fascinating. Heaven, at least in my church, wasn't ever talked about in detail and described based on the scriptural glimpses the Bible gives. While the author does make some speculations I don't totally see they are all in accordance with scripture or at least not going against scripture. It's been the most thought provoking book I've read in a long time. For me having a more educated understanding of Heaven or the "end goal" makes the journey here on earth that much easier and clearer. I think a proper view of the goal (and the Bible does give us a decent view, it's not like God left us to guess what our eternity will be like) can significantly impact how one lives their day to day life. The Bible tells us to "keeps our eyes on the things above," if we really do that and know what awaits us in Heaven temptations will become easier to resist and decisions will be easier to make in light of all that God has prepared and will prepare for us. The truths in this book have given me a new respect and appreciation for the speck of time that is our life on this earth compared to an eternity with Jesus, on a New Earth untouched by sin, living in a resurrected body forever in God's presence. It's truly amazing.

ps. For those of you who love John Piper, he's quoted often.


"Walk on Water: Inside an Elite Pediatric Surgical Unit" by Michael Ruhlman.

The author of this book spent a year or so following one of the best pediatric surgeons in the world. It's an intense, detailed look into the world of pediatric heart surgery. Congenital heart defects are the most common defects in the world and as recently as the 1970's mortality rates were incredibly high (%30+). The book does a good job of giving a concise history of this specialized field while at the same time sharing what everyday life is like for these Dr's and patients and patient's families. Obviously I was interested in this book because my son has a heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot and also because his surgeon (who will be doing his full repair in two weeks) happened to be doing a one year fellowship in the exact unit the author is writing about. I suggest the book for anyone for a few reasons, it's really rare to get such an inside look at one of the if not the most intense profession, it's totally engrossing and therefore a quick read, and finally because the information is not only intriguing but tangibly valuable. One of the themes of the book is parents who get thrown into this world and they just don't know their options. A lot of what the Dr. in this book does is correct other hospitals mistakes, parents need to know what questions to ask and that they do indeed have options.

A quote in the book from my sons surgeon Dr. Moga:

"You can't hide when you're a peds heart surgeon, you know who you are and where you stand. Because the stakes are so high, because there's so much at risk, there's no room for dishonesty...It's clear. It's beautiful. Elegant. Brutal. There are not many jobs when you're forced to know exactly who you are. You can't lie to yourself here, because if you lie to yourself, it becomes very obvious. Somebody dies."


"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.

This book is now a movie and as with most books turned into movies I'd suggest reading it first and then seeing it. It's an interesting story about a kid who's obviously mixed up and confused and takes a unique road to figuring "it" out. The main character just takes off after college one year and begins tramping around the Western U.S. and eventually ends up in Alaska. Again, this a pretty quick read and the story is told very well by the author. It has a Shakesperean quality to it and I enjoyed the ruggedness of it.

That's all for now, I have a few more I'd like to mention but I want to go read and/or lie down a bit before my son gets up.