It's Still a Wonderful Life

I confess, there's a part of me that would prefer not to indulge in a review of 2012. It certainly would be easy to pass over, wish everyone a happy new year, and move on into 2013. But to do so would cost me an opportunity to once again reflect on the remarkable blessings and experiences brought forth by the events of this year.

When 2012 began, I had assumed that the most traumatic thing I would experience was a 4-day, 3-night adventure to Dauphin Island with 69 7th graders. It turned out to be a great trip, although exhausting. My kids, one 13 and the other 9, consume a significant part of my life, and they bring me great joy. Much of that interaction has come through Scouts, baseball and school activities. I have no idea if I'm doing well as a dad, but I couldn't be prouder of the way they have handled the crisis that befell us in March.

March 2nd has seared itself deeply upon our souls, as our house succumbed to the destructive winds of a high-end EF-2 tornado. Emotional and material recovery has colored every moment of every day this year, and will continue to mark us into 2013 as we continue rebuilding. The burden is at times overwhelming, even now, but you press on because you must. Yet even that horrible day, and the difficult days that followed, are accompanied by a tremendous outpouring of grace and blessing. A few days after the storm I wrote:

In April 2011, we did what we could to reach out to neighbors, family and strangers to support relief efforts. In March 2012, I was the recipient of the generosity of my many families: immediate, church, and work. Yesterday, 60-some people descended on our property and helped us with the first phase of salvage. Boy Scouts, members of a high school football team, two church groups, FEMA, Red Cross, and numerous volunteers from a local college tackled the mess. We have been flooded with all kinds of support, kindness and care. Last year, I considered it a tremendous blessing to serve. This weekend, I consider it a tremendous blessing to allow others to share their gifts of service for me. I am overwhelmed.

With respect to my house, the lights cannot come back on. But in the eyes and hearts of those around us these past couple of days, the light is shining. We are in good spirits, all things considered. The Lord is our rock, and our refuge, in this most certain time of trouble. I will praise Him in good times, and bad, and despite our loss, we have been given much.

As I hold my family close, I cannot help but think: I have been, and remain, very, very blessed.

I read those words now, and through the tears I can testify that they still hold true. We have been embraced by grace all year, reflected through people we know and people we're getting to know. As I wrote in my anniversary piece on the April 27, 2011 outbreak, "Are we changed? Yes. But we are together, and that means everything." And it does. Perhaps in a few months, Lord willing, we'll move back into that place we're calling (tongue-in-cheek) Chase Manor 2.0. Already, our once and future home has taken shape, familiar yet different. This, I'm sure, will bring on a whole new set of feelings to work through. But we anticipate a new beginning, and the day cannot come soon enough. What a celebration that will be!

The other night, a few days after Christmas, we sat down as a family to watch It's A Wonderful Life. The older I get, the more emotionally sensitive I become, and I allowed the tears to flow in the final scenes of this timeless classic. I've written about this movie in the past, and while I don't need to rehash it here, the truth it shares is apropos: When we give of ourselves to others, we are blessed. When we allow others to give of themselves to us, we are blessed.

So yes, 2012, while fraught with peril and difficulty, was a year of tremendous blessing. We enjoyed family breaks at Hilton Head and Disney World, and time together wherever we could make it. Yes, it is still a wonderful life. Thanks be to God!

Nuggets

Just a couple of nuggets today, while I ruminate over a year end post of some kind:

- I know it is a little thing in the grand scheme of things, but I was greatly relieved this week to finally find 5 stray DVDs of James Cagney movies. This means that every Cagney film I have captured to DVD is safely in my collection. I own 52 of 67 Cagney films, plus a few documentary pieces and one TV appearance (A Link in the Chain). I had about 9 more than were only on VHS - these did not survive. I've been collecting his movies for almost 20 years. He's got a number of TV appearances that I keep hoping will show up on some internet archive someday.

- I ordered a first edition hardback copy of Cagney's autobiography as a Christmas present to myself. It'll be here next week. (No, I decided not to spring for the $500 signed copy, although for a moment, it was tempting). Have I mentioned that I'm a Cagney fan?

- Changing the subject, here is a brief but clear illustration of how silly this end-of-year fiscal cliff, tax argument really is in the grand scheme of things. Taxes will go up for all or for some, but it won't do squat to address the true fiscal crisis this nation faces.

- I almost dedicated a full blog post yesterday to this article on teaching table manners to your kids. You have to read the whole thing to understand just how flabbergasted I was to the idea of outsourcing the teaching of basic manners (and the cost!). Etiquette "schools" have been around forever, but still. One person quoted in this article states: "When it comes to children, she said, long gone are the days when you could tell them that they have to behave a certain way 'just because.'” Wow. "Just because" may be an incomplete answer, but parents are delegated an authority for a time, and by golly they shouldn't be afraid to exercise it.

- House 2.0 update. We are bricked, drywalled, and primed. We're heading into the homestretch, with painting, trim, flooring, cabinets, appliances, fixtures, deck and landscaping. Will we be in by March? We'll see!

- Updated 4:18pm: From the great family Scrabble competition: You will NEVER convince me that "jo" and "oe" and "ai" and "qi" are valid Scrabble words. I don't care what the "official" Scrabble dictionary says. Use them in a sentence. Bah. Humbug!!

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours, may you find peace and joy and comfort on this blessed Christmas Day! Make it one to remember!

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
-- Isaiah 9:6-7a

Mood Music - Bocelli

As is so often the case, music makes the season, cutting through the noise of life to bring me to that place where my soul can rest and contemplate, reminding me that there is a light that shines, a truth that saves, and a beauty in the simple exaltation of praise. I invite you to fill your ears and your heart with the sounds of this classic performed by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.


Shamelessly borrowed, with a tip of the hat, from Dave Carter at Ricochet.

Christmas Canon

Well, the world apparently didn't end today as adherents to the Mayan calendar allegedly predicted, but by and large, the work year for me will end today. (I always leave myself some leeway on these things). This week has been nuts, filled with last minute, end-of-contract deliverables. But now that is all done and it is time to think about Christmas. I also have to start my gift shopping. (Hey, for me, this is early).

I was looking through my notes that I keep for this blog, looking for something to write about today. I have a number of topics in the queue, but all of them are depressing: fiscal cliff, Russia, the weakening North American church, healthcare. Interesting stuff, but not exactly cheerful fodder with Christmas so close.

So I today I'll keep it light, turning instead to one of my standbys to get me in the mood for Christmas.

The video below is a children's performance of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's (TSO) Christmas Canon. Under normal circumstances, I'm not generally a fan of taking many liberties with Pachelbel's classic, but I make an exception for Christmas Canon. The lyrics and the counter-melodies move me, although that is not hard to do when it is right.


The above is a nice arrangement isn't it? Of course, I still have a soft spot for the original Christmas Canon Rock by TSO. It is edgier, but the vocals get me every time.

Key lyrics:

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will show
This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows

We are waiting
We have not forgotten

I pray that we never forget the power, the hope, and the joy of Christmas. This is the season of waiting for the Christ child to come. Lord help me not forget to wait.

An Act of Evil

By now, anyone who finds this post in this highly obscure corner of the web will have heard of the horrific events in Newtown, Connecticut. I see no value in linking to any article on the subject, so instead I will offer up a simple response.

Every time something like this happens, I wrestle with tears of anger and grief, coming almost always to a place of deep brokenness, marveling darkly and sorrowfully at the human heart's capacity for evil.

Because no matter what mental, medical, emotional, or relational breakdowns precipitated this event, the truth is the perpetrator succumbed to the darkness within and committed an act of unconscionable evil. Many will water this down and call it a tragedy, and indeed, the results are tragic. But we also need to recognize that this tragedy didn't just happen, it was premeditated. It was an evil act with devastating consequences, leaving a trail of victims in its wake.

I have no other words that are suitable to this situation. I continue to wrestle with my emotions and my thoughts. As a believer, better that I wrestle and pray, than to walk away indifferent. I'm so aware of my need for a Savior, for grace, for a light in the darkness.

I pray that the Light breaks through the darkness that has unfolded in Connecticut and indeed, everywhere. May our Father in Heaven bring comfort, mercy and grace for the afflicted, and may we all respond not with more darkness, but in the spirit of He whose life is the Light of men (John 1). It may not be easy, but it is essential.

Vilsack Says Rural America is "Less Relevant," is He Right?

Over the weekend, I read some comments from current Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (the former governor of Iowa) about the state of rural America that gave me pause. Sure, there is an inflammatory quality to the "less relevant" soundbite, and reactionary arguments abound that could refute such an indictment. Yet on the surface, the electoral map seems to support his point, where even a vast sea of red states cannot surpass the starbursts of blue urban population.

Having spent some formative growing-up years in the farming communities in eastern North Dakota, I remember well hearing my friends and their dads (farmers) bemoaning the state of farming, of being told not to grow wheat in the mid '80s. These were proud folks, running family farms, and the thought of having to take subsidies to not grow crops was anathema to them. Historically, we've had farm bills and subsidies since the Great Depression. Nowadays, there are tremendous economic pressures to end or at least drastically reduce those subsidies.

Mind you, I'm not a farmer, nor am I a fan of subsidies. But Vilsack may very well be right when he points out that despite the vital importance of rural America (the food supply, energy development, etc.), the fact is that the population of such areas continues to shrink. And with that shrinkage comes the loss of political influence. I'm not sure how they gain it back.

What happens when the subsidies give way to fiscal pressures? Can the family farms survive, or will they give over to the corporatism and conglomerates of the growing agribusiness sector? Would this further suppress rural population growth, or might it have the opposite effect of revitalizing the agricultural sector?

It strikes me that squeezing out the voices of those so vital to maintaining our food supply is a very bad idea. Is it possible to reverse the trend?

Christmas Waiting

I have not yet collected my thoughts for a series of Christmas posts, and to be honest, there may only be one or two. But in the meantime, check out this delightful commercial:


Very nice.

(h/t: Lance at Ricochet)

Update on House 2.0

The pages of the calendar have turned to December, and as expected, progress on the house seems to have slowed despite the fact that work hasn't stopped. In September, we watched as the house was framed at what seemed like lightning speeds, to be followed by the roof and the rough-ins for plumbing, electrical and HVAC in October.

Since then, much of the focus has been on insulation and waterproofing. We've also had crews working low voltage rough-ins for network and media (structured wiring). Waterproofing is of critical importance because of our daylight basement. The primary retaining wall was deemed structurally sound, but with evidence of water seepage. As a result, it was then necessary to go back and redo and improve the external waterproofing.

After excavation, crews thoroughly cleaned the exterior wall and footer. For the primary below-ground section, they then used a spray-on waterproofing membrane (the black stuff) and covered the lower portion with protection board up to the brick ledge. After that set, they came back and installed additional membrane up to the top of the cinder wall. Finally, they installed a drain, routing it to the back of the house along the perimeter and backfilled the dirt and gravel.

The other major effort has been the installation of open-cell spray foam insulation. As I may have mentioned previously, we lost nearly 20 trees off our lot, including four towering pin oaks that provided shade for the house in the spring and summer. Now that the house will be fully exposed to the eastern sun, we determined that making the house as energy efficient as possible was imperative. So instead of traditional blown fiber insulation and standard batting, we've opted for the spray foam solution. Open cell spray foam is applied to all exterior surfaces, from the attic roof to the exterior walls (and ceiling over the garage). It is similar to Great Stuff, if you've ever used that wonder in a can. While permeable to moisture (good so that we know if the roof leaks), it is impermeable to air, creating a controlled atmospheric environment in the attic space as well as the main floor. In theory, we should lose a lot less heat, but the result is that we have to have a somewhat more sophicated HVAC solution to move the air around.

We have gone with a more standard batting for the interior walls and the basement ceiling however, for use as a sound barrier. For if there is one thing we have learned in this rental house, it is the value of having interior walls insulated with a sound barrier. It is a unique state of affairs when you can stand in the kitchen and hear the toilet paper being pulled from the roll in the master bath on the other side of the house. It is an extra expense, but in my view it is worth it.

What else? Well, I have a new garage floor, which is nice.

But the bigger news is the arrival of brick and drywall on site. Rumor has it that bricking started yesterday, although I myself have not had a chance to see it. The weather is iffy today, so I'm not certain how much will be done. We have hopes that we will be bricked and drywalled before Christmas. If and when that happens, you'll be able to see and read about it here. Best guess right now on closing? End of February. It cannot come soon enough.