Years ago, I decided to introduce the rhythms of Advent to our family by making candle-lighting a family ritual. But when I looked up the Advent candle meanings, I was not satisfied with what I found. Since there are multiple meanings anyway, I decided to create my own ritual, but with a missional bent. When I say "ritual," you probably picture something formal and solemn. So I offer, for whatever it's worth, a glimpse into our chaos.
One candle: The light of the world.
Suggested scriptures: John 8:12, Matthew 5:13-16
Continue reading "Missional Advent Candle Meaning: Week One" »
This is Part 3 of a series on my stolen laptop.
As I look back on the theft of my laptop from my car, I realize there are things I could have been done to prevent the laptop from being stolen. I also learned that there are steps you can take in advance to attempt to recover your laptop after it has been stolen.
This begins the "practical" part of this series, and I hope you will find it helpful. But I am also writing for myself, so that I can think it through and learn from my mistakes, and from your recommendations.
Continue reading "Stolen Laptop: Prevention and recovery" »
Which do I write? "This morning, I dreamed about my dear friend Mike." Or, "This morning, my dear friend Mike appeared to me in a dream."
Saturday morning. A child's alarm mistakenly goes off at 7:10 and is silenced. Kay & I look at each other, roll over, and go back to sleep.
I am at some kind of wooden mansion with other people. We go around and enter a large room. Something happened earlier in the dream, but it was unremarkable and quickly forgotten. Then I notice Mike, standing in a corner, looking straight at me.
Continue reading "I Dream of Mikey" »
This is Part 2 of a series on my stolen laptop.
Having my laptop stolen from my car left me feeling violated. I'm sure there is only slight resemblance to suffering personal violence, but the experience gave me greater sympathy for victims of violence. The daze. The fear. The uneasiness in innocent situations that would not have bothered me previously.
The incident also affected my immediate family. My wife drove the car that night, taking our youngest daughter out on a date. They were uneasy about leaving a car with one window missing, so they parked right in front of a restaurant window and sat at that window. And watched the car as they ate. And felt uneasy.
Continue reading "Stolen Laptop: Violence and forgiveness" »
This is Part 1 of a series on my stolen laptop.
Last month, my laptop was stolen from my car in broad daylight. It was in a grey tote bag lying on the floor, right there where you see all the broken glass. I thought that laying a dark bag on a dark floor would make it mostly unnoticeable. That may have hidden it from casual eyes, but not from the thief who set out to do a job.
Continue reading "Stolen Laptop: In broad daylight" »
Though my birthday was many months ago, only last week I enjoyed a long-promised birthday present: a ticket to see Porcupine Tree! You see, I grew up listening to progressive rock: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Todd Rundgren & Utopia, Genesis, Yes, and a smattering of others (Camel, Gentle Giant, Renaissance, Focus). For this classic prog guy, it has been a breath of fresh air to be discover the neo-prog of Porcupine Tree. (Thanks to my buddy Chris for the ticket, and for introducing this band to me in the first place.)
Continue reading "Porcupine Tree: The New Face of Progressive Rock" »
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