All I have to say about that

Not far from the tree

2007-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Jed, the Classical Music Lover
The other day when Nana was down, some upbeat music came on and Nana started to move to the music. Jed whipped around and gave her a nasty look, and said, 'That's what I do when Lindsay does that, too!'

Chloe, the Not So Classical Music Lover
Chloe and I were going for a drive in the van the other day, and I asked if she wanted a CD. I told her I was putting on some worship music, and explained what that was. Ever one to share her mind, she looked skeptical. I think she was about to object when it started, but as soon as the first sound she heard was a good strong drum roll, she relaxed, sat back, and said, 'This is . . . NICE!'

Usually, Jed is my son all the way, and Chloe Jill's daughter. But this time the rolls were reversed. Two good apples, neither one falling far from the tree - just a matter of which tree they fell from.

Ten Commandments (and counting)

2007-02-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

I was reviewing the Ten Commandments the other day with Jed as we read some Bible stories. Chloe, who is our budding spiritual giant, was sitting on my lap, and had several guesses of her own:

1) Share your toys with your sister.

2) Clean up your room.

3) Don't pick your nose.

The theology is a little weak, but she does have some very valid points.

Fulfilled

2006-12-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Sitting here on Christmas Eve by myself, feeling myself to be quite the rich man - the three big kids are winding down watching a movie, Jill and Jack are getting much-needed rest.

We had a full Christmasy church day here at CHC.

Potluck brunch
Huge gift of appreciation from our friends at Chestnut Hill
Children's Nativity play
Dramatic reading with my beloved Sunday school students
Lots of Christmas music
Christmas sermon on Mary's Magnificat - God has taken notice of His people!
Special time with Tucker at the nursing home
Patriots on TV
Pizza Market for dinner
Watching the kids each open a gift
Special candlelight service, complete with sparklers afterwards
Sitting by the Christmas tree and reading words of appreciation from grateful parishioners
Enjoying all four children for who they are
Knowing that the love of my life is always by my side
Knowing that God has taken notice of me, and has showered His love and grace on my undeserving soul

Merry Christmas to all!

Jackson Josiah

2006-12-24T03:50:00.000-08:00

I know many of you have already seen pictures on Jill's blog, but here's the latest and greatest! He's quite a guy; we are so enamored with him.

Still waiting

2006-12-19T05:44:00.000-08:00

This time I'm waiting - in New Boston, at home, with Jill and the kids and the midwife, for Baby Dear! Looks like it will be today - nineteen is such a nice prime number.

This part of the process is so strange. Sitting around waiting for a little one to come and change your life forever. So much to do, but most of it I can't do because it entails leaving the house. I could also clean the house, but who wants to do that? So I'll keep on waiting - and updating my blog. My primary customer right now is very understanding, and had just been given a heads up yesterday that I might get The Call anyday.

We'll keep you posted.

I'll meet you in Ziklag

2006-11-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

While studying recently for a talk I was giving to a group of young people, I was struck by the importance of the geography and the chronology in I Chronicles 11 & 12 – the two familiar chapters about David’s mighty men and those that joined forces with them to make David king over all of Israel.

While these two chapters have inspired me for years, I was particularly struck this time by the timing of events, as the two chapters jump around and are not written chronologically. I was inspired by what happened when David was in Ziklag, hiding from King Saul.

David is here a type of Christ, Saul a type of the kingdom of this world. God’s people were beginning to realize that, even though Saul was still king, he was no longer God’s choice. So, those with the spiritual discernment and fortitude picked up their bags and threw in their lot with David, God’s anointed. Even though he was hiding in the wilderness of Ziklag – no royal courts, no royal food, no important cabinet positions to be filled – he became a magnet for those who wanted to be on God’s side. Just God’s man, awaiting God’s time, being joined by God’s faithful.

We read in Revelation 11:15 that “the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” But when we read that this “has become,” we read this as a future event. We live in a day when “Saul” is still on the throne, ruling over the kingdom of this world. But David’s Son is in Ziklag, patiently waiting the day of His Father’s choice.

And now, in 2006, Jesus is gathering the faithful of God to Himself - those who have rejected the kingdom of this world, and have thrown in their lot with God’s Chosen One. Jesus may still be in Ziklag, but the momentum is building. His day is fast approaching. The kingdom of this world will soon become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will indeed reign forever and ever.

As for me and my house, we’ve packed up our bags and moved to Ziklag. We’ve come with one heart to make Christ King over all the earth. We have no stakes in the kingdom of this world. Its foundations are crumbling, but our foundation is secure. Its day is past, Christ's is just around the bend. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be waiting in Ziklag.

Rats! (Literally!)

2006-10-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

(With a nod to Craig here, for the reminder to only say literally when we mean it.)

I don't really "do" rodents - especially not those of the larger variety. When Jill and I moved into the parsonage, it was overrun by mice (and the occasional rat). Brave mice, bold mice, friendly mice - but now, thank God and thank our cats, dead mice.

Recently, though, I have had two very memorable rodent run-in's. About a week ago I was working in a finished basement, removing ceiling tiles as I installed a new circuit for a microwave. Something fell in front of my face, off of one of the tiles. As I brushed aside the debris, I suddenly realized I was brushing aside a Fossilized Rat. No kidding, the thing was in one piece, even as it hit the floor. Probably eight inches long, plus a tail, it was a remarkably complete skeleton. The homeowner, a Bedford dentist, seemed appalled that I almost took it home to get a picture to post on my blog - sorry friends, I decided I didn't want it in my van all day! I, of course, called home to tell Jill of my adventures. Chloe, our three-year old daughter, was asking for the rest of the day whether Daddy still had a rat on his head - she was quite concerned, bless her heart.

And then today I was working at a customer's house, right by their floor to ceiling window, when I saw the biggest rat-looking-thing I'd ever seen scurry across the walkway about eight feet away. I thought maybe it was a ferret, but it turns out it was a fisher. They had heard it scream the other day, so were not surprised. I've been a little jumpy all day long, afraid it might be tracking me. I told Jill we were locking the doors tonight. My lovely wife assured me that fisher cats don't open doors, but then again she didn't see this guy. He wanted to eat me for lunch.

I definitely should've been an accountant or something safe like that. No rats, no fisher cats - just numbers. If anybody needs me, I'll be under my bed behind locked doors brushing up on my accounting skills.

Of communists and cheerleaders

2006-10-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Jed has been on my mind a lot recently. He's quite the guy.

Wednesday evening he was accompanying me to go look at an upcoming job. On the way into Manchester, we had a scintillating discussion on the location of Cuba, what a communist is, who Gorbachev was, and how President Reagan told him in no unclear terms to "tear down this wall."

A week ago Saturday, Lindsay and I and the kids were going through a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru. Much to my annoyance, a group of junior high cheerleaders were on both sides of the entrance collecting money for who-knows-what. I cleverly avoided eye contact by wildly pointing at a spectacular nothing in the opposite direction while we sped by the first cheerleader. All of a sudden Jed pipes up from the back seat in a scornful voice: "Why is that cheerleader pointing at everyone and doing her stupid gymnastics thing?" Lindsay and I were laughing too hard to bother reprimanding him for saying 'stupid.'

Well, now Jed understands communists and cheerleaders. Not bad for a six-year-old, I'd say.

And that, I might add, is all he had to say about that!

The Office of Homeland Diversity

2006-09-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

In these times of global crisis, I am thankful for those laying down their lives for me and my family. Particulary, I am grateful to those who are serving overseas, including my friend Ben, who heads for the Middle East very soon. The story below is of a lighter nature, and only partially true, but is in no way intended to make light of the price our own dear young men and women are paying each day for me to live a normal, and a free, life. Thank you, Ben, and thank you, each one who has served, and is serving, in the US military.

Driving through Maine on the Turnpike the other day, we came up behind a car with a Navy Seals bumper sticker on it. My curiousity was piqued because this Navy Seal was not driving a hot sports car or a big manly truck, as I supposed that a Navy Seal would. No, this one was driving a late eighties model sedan. As I passed, I glanced over to see the driver - would it be some massive stud, protecting me and my family from hidden danger, or would it be his lovely wife bravely carrying on here in the states, while her massive stud travelled secretly in dangerous places on the other side of the globe, spreading freedom and democracy. Imagine my surprise to see that the driver appeared instead to be his grandmother!

But then I got to thinking . . . maybe this was not his grandmother after all. Maybe this brave woman was indeed one of our nation's elite fighters; maybe she is part of a new Homeland Security program reaching out to the elderly. How small of me to underestimate her at first glance! How bigoted, really. Here she is, bravely risking her all to protect me and my family from the imminent threats of evil in Northern Maine. Disguised as an All-American Grandmother, this woman was indeed, I suddenly realized, a lethal weapon, a coiled cobra waiting to strike, a microcosm of American military might. Who knows what other lucrative offers of fortune and fame she had graciously declined in order to serve her country in this thankless way - only to have plebes like me mistake her for a civilian housewife.

As we travelled on our way, we began to spot other inauspicious-looking grandmother-types who were doubtless also part of this fierce fighting machine. The woman at the tollbooth that looked like every librarian I've ever known, the old lady going 45 in the left lane - all were given a wider berth. As a matter of fact, this may be the first time I've ever tipped a toll collector (or a librarian, for that matter)! My image of Navy Seals, and of anonymous grandmothers with suspicious pistol-shaped bumps around their belt, will never be the same again.

Homeland Security is embracing diversity, and I, for one, have never felt safer in my life!

Homskulerz liek us

2006-08-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last night we watched a movie with one of the funniest caricatures of a home school family I have ever seen. Being a second generation home schooler, it's not hard for me to see how easy it is for people (or Hollywood) to stereotype homeschoolers. I've done it myself. But this movie's homeschooling family was different than your average stereotypical homeschooling family - they were cool. No, they were very cool. They were too good to be true cool. They were, in a word, very-much-like-our-family (Yes, that's one word! My wife's an editor, so I should know.)

Dad was an All-American man, somewhere between The Good Samaritan and John Wayne. Mom was somewhere between Betty Crocker and Britney Spears. And the kids were, well, like ours, perfect in every way - musical, athletic, good looking, smart, and kind.

If there were more homeschooling families who were truly too good to be true - yes, even too good to be likable - everybody would be doing it. Until then, we'll keep trying.

And that's all I have to say about that!

At His pleasure

2006-08-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

In the Federal government, there are many who serve our country who have not been voted into office. Instead, they have been appointed to serve, oftentimes by the President himself. They “serve at the pleasure of the President.” This terminology is included as they are sworn into office.

Not too long ago, Jill and I were watching an episode of a TV series about the Presidency. As the President was outlining some bold moves he was about to make, and outlining the new direction of his administration, his chief of staff asked for feedback from his senior staffers. Even though I disagreed with the policies being talked about, I was deeply moved as one after another jumped aboard by answering with these simple words: “I serve at the pleasure of the President.”

Is that not the kind of response the Lord is looking for from His servants today? I serve at the pleasure of the King. His will is what matters, not mine! If He says jump, I jump. If He says go, I go. It is not mine to think about whether I agree, or to strategize as to whether this is in my best interests. I serve at the Pleasure of the King.

P.S. As I was preparing this illustration for my sermon, I stumbled across another website by an Assemblies of God missionary who had written an article that was close to word for word what I just wrote here. Seems I wasn't the only one impacted by that episode.

Rising up

2006-08-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

"Her children rise up and bless her," wrote Solomon, of my wonderful Mother. Not knowing her name, and in the interest of inclusiveness, he just called her a virtuous woman - but he was clearing writing about my Mom. Who else could he have meant???

Her worth is far above jewels

The heart of her husband trusts in her

She extends her hand to the poor

Strength and dignity are her clothing

She smiles at the future

The teaching of kindness is on her tongue

She looks well to the ways of her household

Etc., etc., etc.

Solomon had one mother, three hundred wives, seven hundred concubines, and yet when he sat down to write about a virtuous woman, he wrote about my Mom - who wasn't even alive yet. You got it right, Solomon - and I say "Amen, and well said!

AND I RISE UP AND CALL MOM BLESSED!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

And that's all I have to say about that.

2006-08-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

I am the pastor of a small, rural church in New Boston, NH.

That's all I have to say about that!

2006-08-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

Why did he name his blog that?

I'm glad you asked. My wife, Jill, calls me the king of one-liners. Having worked with some of the funniest people, I've picked up more than my share of one-liners through the years. As a matter of fact, Jill and I have been married for less than eight years, and she's already tired of both of them. What's up with that?

One of my favorite one-liners (incidentally, one of the two that my wife is already tired of) is, "That's all I have to say about that." This line is most helpful when I have tried to wax eloquent on a topic way over my head, subsequently stumbled all over myself, and then wrapped it up nicely by saying, "That's all I have to say about that."

I have resisted any previous urges to start my own blog in the past, but the time has finally come. Usually when I have something to say, I just say it - why would I want to save my wise remarks for later when I can write them down to be read by both of my friends and millions (I presume) of strangers?

I expect that this blog will become an outlet for both the ridiculous and the sublime. Who knows, maybe it will even become a clearing house for fresh one-liners.

And that, my friends, is all I have to say about that!