Sunshine ...

While the previous post below may very well come across as kind of heavy, I promise it wasn't intended that way. Yesterday was a beautifully wonderful day outside, full of bright sunshine dancing on the waters of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. I found my spirits lifted by the refreshing air, and caught myself singing silently this truly lovely melody by John Denver. In this case, the words are just as powerful to me as the melody. I'm telling you, someday I'm going to learn to play this. That guitar will not stay in my closet forever.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always

Words by John Denver, Music by John Denver, Dick Kniss and Mike Taylor

On Our Shoulders

February is finally coming to a close today. While I do not yet know what March holds, I can only pray that with the arrival of spring (the snow forecasted for Tuesday notwithstanding) will come an inner refreshment that I desperately need. This past month has been a pressure-packed struggle in many ways, most of which is coming from work. While I was out hiking with a bunch of Webelos scouts yesterday, I stole a few moments of contemplative solitude outdoors, to try to come to grips with how I'm responding to this pressure.

Friday was a bitterly frustrating day. In a moment of escape, I latched onto a featured article about Joannie Rochette, the Canadian Olympian who lost her mother to a heart attack right before the start of the Games. Her story is probably the most heart-rending story to come from these Olympics, as she skated herself to the Bronze through tremendous emotional loss. Within this article is written one of the best lines I've ever read (emphasis mine):

"Rochette didn’t shoulder the hopes of a nation. Rather, she was pulled onto the shoulders of the Canadian people and the figure skating community. Not even the most forlorn blackheart could fail to have been moved by this tale of triumph."

When I read that line, I found myself deeply, deeply moved. When you contrast Rochette with the skaters who placed above her, each of whom carried the intense pressure of expectation from their home countries, you get a remarkable view of the complex nature of the pressures we all face. One can easily conclude by their countenance that Kim Yu-Na and Mao Asada (skating for South Korea and Japan, respectively) felt tremendous pressure to carry the load and bring home the prize for their nations. While you'd like to think the best, you can't help but wonder about the reception Mao Asada will receive once she gets home with her Silver. Truly these two seemed to be shouldering the hopes of their nations. But Rochette, in her deepest grief, found herself inspired and carried by the spirit of a nation that somehow reached out to her to lift her up to the performance of a lifetime. After watching both her short and long programs, I found it nearly impossible to not be moved to tears by the moment. Tonight, Rochette will carry the Canadian flag for her team in the closing ceremonies.

None of us are immune to pressure. There are those who place tremendous pressure upon us to meet expectations. We put tremendous pressure upon ourselves to meet our own expectations. And when that pressure builds and builds and builds, it is easy for us to start transferring the pressure we feel to our other relationships, putting pressure on our spouses, our friends, the people who work for us, and even our children. No one places a greater pressure on me than I do myself. Often, I will either shoulder it, or I will start to crack and begin transferring it onto others, continuing a highly unhealthy cycle. But there is a better way.

When I read the line about being pulled onto the shoulders of others, I was reminded of a podcast my brother-in-law pointed me to, in which a marathon runner tried to describe the emotion of knowing that there were people who would go out of their way to cheer, support and otherwise encourage the athlete to continue reaching for the goal. And therein lies a remedy perhaps. We may knowingly or unknowingly apply pressure to others, perhaps because we ourselves are feeling the pressure from others or ourselves. Instead, perhaps we should take a different approach, becoming the kind of people who are willing to carry others on our shoulders to a degree, to come alongside and encourage - not to apply pressure, but to help lift others through the pressure. You can't make the pressure just go away, but you can assist in helping others to put it in a healthy context, and to help lift them through it. Furthermore, we also may need to become the kind of people who will allow others to carry us on their shoulders, to acknowledge and accept the help we may need but are afraid to acknowledge. By becoming people who allow ourselves to be carried, and willing to help carry others (sharing one another's burdens, etc), we may just find our own spirits lifted, and ourselves better able to deal with the pressures we face.

Because, to repeat, it is unlikely that we can make the pressure all go away. It is also risky to rely too much on others to carry us all the time - because people will sometimes let us down. But knowing that we have been carried during difficult times (think Footsteps in the Sand) can soften our hearts to better respond to the pressure we are facing, to not allow it to darken us to the point that we begin to lose faith and lash out.

Why am I saying all this? Because I need to hear it. This one story, of a young woman skating through the grief and pain in the loss of her mother, of a young athlete carried upon the shoulders of a nation in her hour of need, this one story demonstrates for me a powerful witness of our life's journey. As a believer, I reach for the prize for which God has called me heavenward, and in the company of fellow believers and the Spirit Himself, there is hope for the full realization of everlasting joy. I have been a poor witness. I have transferred the pressure I feel onto others, at times unfairly. I need to correct that, and become a person who once again finds ways to lift others up. I feel like I've forgotten how to do that, but I suspect it is not as hard as one might think.


Yes, all this from a simple walk in the woods. Simple. But real.

Let Us Not Forget

When the headlines are dominated by bad economic and unemployment news, the bickering and posturing of the political class, and tragedies everywhere you turn, it becomes easy to turn inward and forget those who have fought and labored for the cause of good and the cause of freedom.

Iraq, it seems, is very much yesterday's news. With the pending drawdown of combat forces, few seem to really be paying attention to what has been achieved there by our military men and women. The battle for Afghanistan continues and Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear nation, so clearly there is much to be concerned about relative to today's and tomorrow's wars. Nevertheless, something profound has been accomplished in Iraq - an opportunity that the Iraqis themselves will have to work to see realized. The cost has been high, and there is work we must do to ensure that it is not in vain. And that work begins by remembering and appreciating those who have made the sacrifices.

This point is made beautifully and powerfully by David Bellavia, in his article entitled "Our Mission is Finally Accomplished ... Anyone Care?" I highly recommend you read it all. A few excerpts:

What we achieved in the face of an implacable enemy, overcoming many in our own government willfully ignorant of our struggle, is what I believe to be the defining moment of my generation. The veteran today is the embodiment of what it means to be an American. Even when our valor was used for political sport, we continued to serve quietly.

Mr. Bellavia goes on to share a deeply personal story of one young woman who died while waiting to vote in Iraq's first election. He concludes:

I came home in search of that woman’s spirit in the hearts of my fellow Americans. I came home expecting to find the sacrifice of these brave patriots revered at every turn by those who overwhelmingly sent us to war from Washington.

I’m still looking.

If you can’t bring yourself to give the living the sense of accomplishment for winning a war that many claimed was endless, at least humor the dead. Allow them to rest knowing that the war that took their lives was won because of their sacrifice.

Is that too much to ask for?

No, it is not too much to ask for. Let us not forget those who serve and sacrifice for freedom's cause, wherever the battle rages.

(h/t: Powerline)

Derby Day

Welcome race fans! Okay, so I'm not really a race fan, at least in terms of things like NASCAR and so forth. But today's race is something entirely different - it is the 2010 running of our local Cub Scout pack's Pinewood Derby. My Webelos scout is facing his final race, as he prepares to cross over into Boy Scouts. My Tiger scout is anticipating his first ever competition, scheduled for later this evening.

Building pinewood derby cars has been a wonderful time of bonding with my boys, and something that I have come to look forward to every year. My philosophy is very simple - any car that is built should be built (as much as possible) by the boys themselves. Every year, we face up against dads who obviously do most, if not all, of the work - which bothers me to no end. By designing and souping up cars to "win," they rob their boys of the rewards of learning skills, managing trial and error, and just the simple pride of doing their own work. It creates an unfair advantage against those boys who are trying to develop their own craftsman skills. Eight, nine and ten-year olds should not have to compete against grown men for derby success.

Instead, my approach with my oldest - which I will repeat with my youngest - is to have them design their own cars on paper, and do as much of the labor as possible in shaping the nondescript block of wood into a car for competition. From cutting with the coping saw, to the hard work of sanding by hand, polishing the axles, to the final painting - the more the scout does himself, they more he will gain from the experience. I obviously offer tips, suggest ideas, and manage the power tools (drilling insets to hold weights, and using the Dremel to do finer points and carving) - but with each successive year, I try to do less and less and let them do more and more. This year, my oldest did almost everything on his car except the drilling. (If I owned a drill press, I would have let him do that part too, but that remains on the daddy wish list for the future). I also assisted him with a tough alignment problem. As for my youngest, this being his first car, he was only able to do the design, some of the cutting, some of the sanding, and all the painting. But he put in the effort, and he deserves to be proud regardless of the results later tonight. Besides, he has four more years after this one.

Still, for me, there is some anxiety. Any parent wants their children to be able to taste success and victory. Of course I want my boys to do well in tonight's race, and truly experience reward for their labor (which is why I get so frustrated when dad-built cars always seem to win the night). It is hard, too, especially when I know that there are things I could have done myself to improve the product my boys have built. But to follow through on that temptation would be to simply rob my boys of the pleasure (and possible disappointment) of their own efforts. I refuse to be like those other dads. But, I confess, I desperately want my oldest to experience a victory and get that 1st, 2nd or 3rd place trophy - but mostly because I know that he really, really wants to place in the top 3. My guess is that may not be likely tonight. But despite the outcome, he's built a good car, built it mostly by himself - and so whatever the result, he's earned the right to be proud of his work. And I am proud of him for it.

So, for now, we wait for the green flag. And when the final checkered flag falls, we will be content regardless of the result. And those results, along with pictures, will be posted here later.

Update 9:37pm: Well, the derby is over, and despite a good showing by both boys, neither car was quite fast enough to qualify for the district competition. My oldest came in 15th, with his younger brother coming in 17th out of a total of 45 racers. A solid performance to be sure, but just short of the hitting the top 10 (who all go to district). Below are a couple of photos of their cars:




I'm a proud dad, no doubt about it.

Legos, Robots, ... Rubik's!

February is turning out to be a monster in terms of schedule. I've had very little time for blogging as a result. But what you are about to see is worth taking the few minutes necessary to post.

Made out of Legos, this robot solves the penultimate puzzle of the '80s - the Rubik's Cube. I confess that I am skeptical that a truly random scramble can be solved in under 12 seconds, at least based on the apparent speed of the moves, but I could be wrong. When I was a kid, I of course bought the cheaters book on how to solve the Rubik's Cube, and managed to hit the 40-50 second mark. While I have no doubt that many could do it faster, no one can convince me that the 3x3x3 puzzle can be purely solved in 10 seconds or less without "help." Nevertheless, what can be more cool than legos, robots, and Rubik's (h/t: HotAir.com):

Nothing Says Love ...

Nothing says love like a cozy fire, beautifully heavy snowfall, children sledding down the hill, warm cinnamon rolls ...

And a new Black & Decker Toaster Oven! (Yes, I gave my wife a toaster oven for Valentine's Day. And she didn't even hit me.)

What a beautiful morning.

Happy Valentines Day to all!

First Look:



"Yeaaargh!!!":



There she goes!



"Not Toward the Tree!"



And finally, the old man:

Making Sense of the Senseless

A former pastor of mine once advised against over-spiritualizing issues that may have simple, practical solutions. But he went on to say that in the absence of such practical solutions, don't discount the possibility of spiritual influence.

That may seem like a strange way to open a blog post, but it is a recollection that I have been dwelling on much of the past week. My adopted home community has suffered two devastating blows in the past 8 days, events that are most shocking because of where they occurred. Last Friday, a 9th grader gunned down a fellow 9th grader in the school hallway during a class break. And yesterday, in a tragedy that made national news, an assistant professor at University of Alabama - Huntsville opened fire on fellow faculty and university employees, killing three.

I have avoided most of the TV coverage, preferring to read news accounts as they come over the wire. People are searching (even screaming for answers), pointing fingers out of their fear and anxiety (although in some cases, just mean-spiritedness). But no answers are likely to be found that can possibly and satisfactorily explain the reasons these events occurred. I doubt "reason" had much to do with either case.

Rules and laws are only marginally capable of reducing the potential of violence. But they cannot prevent it, because the heart that is given over to such a hopeless and destructive state will find a way to achieve its aims. Only those closest to such lost individuals, through early intervention perhaps, have even the slightest chance of altering the life trajectory of those who believe they have "no way out."

Practically, all any of us can do is to be a friend and not be afraid to intervene when someone we know or care about starts down a path of self-destruction. Sometimes, we simply cannot "mind our own business." Help and counseling is available, and is often more effective earlier than later. And of course, we can pray.

Which brings me back to the observation at the top. Only Light can dispel Darkness. And when the darkness seems most oppressive, it is then that the light is needed most. We must pray for one another, we must pray for our community, and we must pray for light to dispel the darkness. In our actions, our words, and our service, we must bring light where today there is none, because in the light Truth will be revealed and the stranglehold of darkness can be broken.

Wild Weird Winter Weather

What wild and weird weather we are witnessing this winter! It began with an early December snow, followed by an additional snow toward the end of December, followed again by bitter cold with a snow and ice event in the second weekend in January, an EF-2 tornado on January 21, followed again by minor snow/sleet event on January 29th resulting in early school closings.

Now today, with kids all in school and everyone at work, a surprise winter snowfall has taken on the Tennessee Valley. It was supposed to be almost 50 today, and no winter precipitation. Now, through the grape vine, I hear there is an inch and half in my neighborhood, and it is still accumulating.

My camera phone is not that great, but here's the look outside my office building:



Now, where I come from, the above is not really that significant. But for this area of the country, which so rarely gets snow of any amount on the ground, it can be a big deal. And it is still coming down, although according to the radar it should be ending soon. Getting home is bound to be a lot of fun. Yeah.

I need a bumper sticker for today that simply says: "I'd rather be home sledding."

Update: Within 30 minutes of the original posting, the snow ends, the skies get brighter, and the snow starts melting. What I wouldn't give to be at home with a good 4-5 inches on the ground. Oh well.

Making History Cool?

Catching up on some blog reading today at Hot Air, I stumbled on the video below produced by an outfit called Soomo Publishing. Soomo appears to have a blog set up called PoliSilo, which originally posted the video. As I'm pushing 40, I confess to not having a clue who Timbaland is, but the song and the video take-off (this is not the original music video, so I am given to understand) is a fantastic and creative way of communicating history to a new generation.

First, enjoy:


I'm definitely going to have to poke around and see what else PoliSilo has to offer. A couple of reasons this type of thing excites me: 1) I love history, and I love seeing new and creative ways of teaching important concepts; 2) but the real reason is that this video flashes me back to my teenage years, when the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister was released (1984, I think). The music video for that song, of course, had nothing to do with the American Revolution - actually it was a little frightening. But I distinctly remember thinking that an American Revolution motif would have been great for that song.

It is indeed heartening to see outfits gearing up to keep history (and American principles) alive for a younger generation. At my age, I no longer know what "cool" is, I suppose, but in my view, this is cool.

Trip to the Aquarium

A few days ago, I accompanied my son's first-grade class on a field trip to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. Although a little tiring, the trip was pretty enjoyable. Getting first-graders to go slowly to admire and watch aquatic and marine life (not to mention frogs, turtles and snakes) is rather difficult, but a good time was had by all.

Working with an inexpensive camera with flash turned off generally results in pictures not-so-great, and true to form, most of the ones I took didn't come out too well. But a couple of them did:

The West Coast Sea Nettle (Jellyfish):


The Sandbar Shark:


Gentoo Penguins:


And a young American Alligator:


All in all, an enjoyable trip (not to mention an excuse to post to the blog).