Election Season

Mercifully, election season all comes to an end in just under a week. And then, we have to live with the consequences for 2 years. Of course, we have "nothing to fear but fear itself."
To all the undecided voters, I urge you to ask yourselves "not what your country can do for you," but rather "what you can do for your country." Government simply cannot solve all of our problems, and in some cases, it can make them worse.
Questions of all sorts keep cropping up. Is McCain too old? Is Barack Obama really ready to lead the country? Are voters going to vote on the basis of policies or on personality? I guess "it all depends on what your definition of 'is' is." I mean, we could be facing a "nu-cue-lar" stand off with Iran, and I would hate to see that part of the "axis of evil" triumph because we chose the wrong guy.
For those of you who have reached the point of apathy long ago, let me say, "Read my lips: I feel your pain." The good news is that in 2 years, we'll have mid-term elections, which will allow us to make changes to our government if we don't like the way things are going. The only question, then, is whether any group can destroy a country in two years. Let's hope not. May God have mercy on America!

Exhausted

Wow, this past week took more out of me than I expected. I was going to try to post about 1 Corinthians 7, a passage that is quite hard for me to understand, but I simply don't have the mental energy right now to process anything that complex or deep. I guess it's one passage where I often find myself wishing it said something different than what it says. But that is human nature, is it not, to wish for things to be our way instead of God's?

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

As often is the case in Kansas, it's the weather that's making the biggest story around. It's been raining nearly non-stop for the past 24 hours, and I would guess that we must be near 1.5 inches in the past 24 hours. That's a lot of rain in a short time. It's been a cool, wet year overall, and that's made for a welcome change after several hot, dry years. For now, I'm going to go enjoy being inside where it's warm and dry.

Singleness

Some rambling thoughts on singleness in a rough draft form. Critiques, disagreements, suggestions, and notifications of typos are always appreciated.

It's amazing to me how often at church, the pastor feels it necessary to mention marriage and romantic relationships in sermons. It seems that a Sunday doesn't go by that the whole idea of marriage isn't brought into a sermon, whether it validly fits or not. And each time he asks, "Do you remember when you first started dating your spouse," I catch myself thinking, "No, and I have no idea what that was like." And more than once, I've caught myself, to quote Caedmon's Call, wondering if "Maybe I have the gift that everyone speaks so highly of / Funny how nobody wants it."
The gift that everyone speaks so highly of is singleness (or celibacy), and it amazes me how we (myself included) react with such dislike to the idea of such a state being a gift. It's almost like we treat singleness not as a gift but as a curse. I know that I often react with disdain to the idea that somehow, I may be single the rest of my life. I want to scream to God that it's not fair. Men who see women as objects wind up married, while men who would make excellent husbands (perhaps I'm in that group; I'm hardly an objective judge of myself) are bachelors. It makes no sense. Most people in the Church react similarly, and prefer not to think about the issue since they can't make it reconcile with all of the "marriage language" in Scripture.
Jesus, however, addresses this very issue in commenting on marriage. He says, "For some For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage [or made themselves eunuchs] because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it" (Matthew 9:12, NIV). (I think that, based on the context, it seems safe to say that Jesus is thinking about marital status when he uses the word "eunuch" here, which is probably why the NIV renders the last of the three phrases "renounced marriage" instead of "made themselves eunuchs.")
Based on this passage, there seem to be at least three classes of people who never marry. One is those who were born with some sort of physical condition (severe mental retardation, e.g.) that prevents them from functioning in a marital relationship. A second are those who because of something done to them, never marry, and the third group are those who forgo marrying in order to devote themselves fully to God.
The vast majority of single people in churches today fall into the second class. They are unmarried because of something done to them, whether by others or by themselves. The key here is that these people often do not want to be where they are. The Church, I'm afraid, has not handled this group very well. They too often try to treat them as if they belonged in the first or third classes, instead. Some unintentionally treat those who are single as if there is something wrong with them, and shuffle them off into singles' groups, where their "needs" can be addressed. The thinking seems to be a sort of "put the mutants all at table 9" attitude. This sort of approach does nothing to help a person with the gift of singleness learn to treat singleness as a gift. Instead, it simply devalues the person by telling him, "You're anathema because you're not married. Get away from us, you freak!" The result is a feeling of being worthless not only in the eyes of others but also in the eyes of God.
At the same time, other people try to treat everyone who is single as if they are single because they are on some sort of "mission from God." The most frequent refrain of these people is "just remember that Jesus was single and that Paul was single." This attempted encouragement, while well-meaning, tells the single person that his singleness is God's way of making the single person more spiritual. It ignores, however, that Paul and Jesus both chose singleness "for the kingdom of God." Most people who are single, however, did not choose their state. It was forced upon them in some way, meaning that they don't want to be in the condition that they are in. Thus, when someone tells a single person that his singleness makes him more spiritual because he is like Paul or Jesus, the single person invariably feels inferior because he isn't super-spiritual the way people say they should be. The end result of this sort of counsel is a feeling of inferiority.
I've talked a little about how not to treat those who are in the second classification of those who have the gift of singleness. I want to take a moment, as one who may well be a part of the second group (even though I pray daily that I am not), to suggest some ways that the Church might better handle those who are single. First, remember that they are human beings just like anyone else. They are no more broken than any married person, and need friendships with others who share their interests, not just their marital status. Second, remember that just because a person is single, do not automatically assume that he doesn't understand the time pressures that families face. Single people face time pressures far worse than any family because if a chore has to be done, the only person to do it is the single person. Third, be careful how marriage is held up in services and teaching. Discuss it, treat it with honor, and use it sometimes as an analogy, but don't refer to it constantly. Constantly talking about marriage will only accentuate the pain a single person feels and make them feel inferior. Lastly, while singles-only small groups are great, all single people to be part of small groups with married people if their natural inclinations so lead. This will allow the single person to feel less isolated from the rest of the Body of Christ.
Again, these ideas are my first attempt to delve into this issue in a logical fashion. I'm sure that they overstate (or understate) certain aspects. I welcome any thoughts or corrections. And I hope and pray daily that God, in His mercy, will see fit to bring into my life a woman of God with whom I can happily share many years of worshiping and enjoying Him and the life He has given us. Yet, I also know that at my age and in my circumstances, I may well be one of those who has "the gift that everyone speaks so highly of." If I do indeed have this gift, then it's getting to the point where I need to stare the facts square in the face and begin to try to be a member of class three: those who renounce marriage for the glory of God.

Soccer and Cool Weather

I just got home from refereeing 2 soccer games at Hummer Park. With the cool weather setting in, I was definitely cold by the time I got done with game #2. I'm glad that soccer season is starting to wind down. I'm ready for a break.

Weird Writer's Block

I'm suffering from an odd form of writer's block: I have about 5 half-formed ideas and nothing yet worthy of posting. So, here's a picture of a beautiful sunset. Maybe my thoughts will get reset by Wednesday.

Post-Debate Thoughts

Some random thoughts after watching the debates last night:
Senator Obama's claim that most small business make less than $250,000 is a bit of a stretch to my mind. Yes, there are a few business that don't have a gross income of over $250,000, but I'd be surprised if 95% of small business gross less than $250,000. As far as profits go, of course, most small business have a net profit far less than $250,000.
Senator McCain just looks old.
Senator Obama is all about style. Whenever he talks, I feel like he's speaking a lie but is doing it eloquently so that he hopes no one will notice.
Senator Obama's "Oh, yeah, me, too" moment on Russia was pretty amusing. After Senator McCain had said what he thought we ought to do about Russia's aggression in Georgia, Obama's first statement was that he agreed with McCain. I wonder what Obama would have said if he went first...
At the end of the debate, Tom Brokaw had an embarrassing moment. When he couldn't see the teleprompter, he didn't know how to end the debate and had to ask the candidates to move by saying, "You guys are blocking my script." It played to every stereotype of news anchors as being incapable of thought because all they do is read off teleprompters. I'm sure that Mr. Brokaw is not that dense, but it was amusing.
And the most sickening part was the post-debate analysis by one columnist from the New York Times. He said that he thought Obama won. When pressed as to why, he gave an answer that was so fawning, I will paraphrase it this way: "Obama's so smooth, so personable, and so likeable, that if I were a woman and he weren't married, I'd want to marry him." It sickens me how much the media seem to obsess over Obama. Listening to the media talk about Obama is a bit like listening to a bunch of groupies at a rock concert.
This election, more than any other, has served to increase my cynicism for the entire political process and for any hope for this country. Like a lot of voters, I really would like a legitimate third option, one that isn't so old he looks like he'll die 2 years into office and one that also doesn't come across as so arrogant that you have to wonder if he's running for President because he loves his country or because he's enjoying the ego boost. Sigh. Oh, well. It's what we've got. It's a good thing that in the end, it is God who is ultimately in control of it all.

More Twists

The twists and turns that make up this year keep coming, both good and bad. This year has been full of more unexpected occurrences than I have ever encountered in one year. From misplaced computer files to leaky water heaters, from unusual soccer senior nights to the unstable economy, and from unexpected affirmations and encouragements from parents at the school to the rare moments of unplanned time off, this year has been full of challenges and blessings that I never could have predicted. In the midst of all of this uncertainty, the hardest part is staying focused on allowing God to be the Lord of my circumstances, trusting Him to work out the details that I am powerless to affect. If I can find a way, by His grace, to rest in Him more and enjoy the ride, this year, like a roller coaster, promises to be an exciting and enjoyable year. Now, the challenge becomes enjoying the "roller coaster."

Good Expectations

Last time, I wrote about expectations and how they can detrimentally affect our perception of reality. Expectations do not always, however, serve such a negative purpose. Indeed, without expectations, we easily sink into apathy and failure (like '90s grunge rockers). Expectations serve the legitimate purpose of motivating us (or someone else) to achieve more than we would otherwise accomplish.
Consider the case of a soccer team. If a coach sets low expectations for his team, the end result will be a team that accomplishes little. If, however, the coach sets high (yet realistic) expectations for his team, the team will perform well. Likewise, in our own lives, if we expect nothing from ourselves, nothing is precisely what we will get. If, however, we expect ourselves to live to a certain standard, we will try to live up to that standard. (Obviously, some of us set the standard too high, but that's another story.) Therefore, expectations function as a driving force, urging us onward to become something more than we otherwise would become.
As a side note, just as unmet expectations are a source of anger and conflict in relationships, so exceeded expectations are a source of joy and wonder. To eliminate expectations in order to avoid the anger of unmet expectations means that we often would have to live without the joy of exceeded expectations. While I know first-hand the pain of unmet expectations, I also know that I would not trade the joy of having people around me surpass my expectations.

Expectations

Lately, I've been pondering the effect that our expectations have on how we perceive reality, and, in turn, how those perception (sometimes incorrect), affect our actions and reactions. While this rough draft essay is far from perfect, it is an attempt to summarize in a somewhat coherent fashion, many of the diverse threads that are running through my mind on this issue.
While expectations can serve a good purpose, too often expectations can cause us to deceive ourselves about the truth and thus have incorrect responses to the circumstances of life.
Let me start with a classic illustration from the early 1900s. French scientists, determined to make a breakthrough to bring glory back to their country, believed that they had discovered a new form of radiation, dubbed "N rays." These rays had certain properties that could be observed by using a specially constructed device that identified the unique signature of these "rays." After a failed experiment of his own, an American scientist went to France to observe the collection of "N ray" data. Prior to one of the experiments, he secretly replaced the object that was supposed to be emitting "N rays" with a piece of wood and removed a prism from the apparatus. There was no way that the French scientists should have been able to detect "N rays." Yet, amazingly enough, the French scientists still reported the exact same "N ray" readings as before, because they expected to see them. These scientists fell guilty to allowing their expectations to influence improperly their perception of reality.
Before we have too long a laugh at the expense of the French, we should realize that we are too guilty of having incorrect expectations ourselves. I can think of times when I've been attracted to a woman and misinterpreted her actions because of my desire for her to show reciprocal interest in me. Likewise, we all know of students who have told themselves that they are "stupid" enough times that they stop trying in school, even when they are perfectly capable. Expectations, then, often cause us to twist the truth to suit our liking.
The problem with this twisting is two-fold. First, when we begin to make decisions based upon incorrect presuppositions, we will (eventually) wind up taking an action that results in negative consequences for us or for someone else, as was the case for our "failing" student above. Second, when we have unrealistic expectations of others, we often find ourselves disappointed and angry. How many marriages in this country, how many friendships, how many familial relationships, have been wrecked because of unrealistic expectations from one or both parties?
The solution to the problem posed by expectations is not to refuse to have expectations. Having no expectations results only in complacency, since we will accept anything if we expect nothing. (Perhaps this explains the current state of the American political system, but I digress...)
The solution to the problem posed by expectations is to have a "check" on our expectations. We need to examine them to make sure that they are in accord with reality. Often, when we find our expectations unmet, we tend to get angry and assume that our expectations were right to begin with. Instead, we should take a moment to examine our expectations to see if we had any reasonable right to hold them in the first place. For instance, many people get angry at God for some reason or another ("God didn't save me from this or that tragedy"). They expect that somehow, they deserve from God nothing but good. The become angry with God for not meeting their expectations. The way to recover from this is anger is to realize that, in reality, we are all sinners, deserving of nothing less than hell itself. That God is often merciful to us, both believers and unbelievers, by allowing good to happen in our lives does not mean that we have any right to expect such good from Him. For it was not because of our own goodness that God chose to save those of us who believe. Rather, it was by his grace alone that we are able to exercise complete trust in Jesus Christ and live a life glorifying to God. And I digress.
Expectations, as we've seen briefly, do wind up affecting us more powerfully at times than any of us would care to admit. The key to living without unrealistic expectations is to check our expectations periodically against an absolute standard. Often, we will need outside help (a friend, a pastor, a family member, God's Word) to do so.
Expectations, though, are not always bad. That discussion, though, belongs to another blog post.

Expectations, Sort Of

I had planned on blogging on expectations and how they affect our actions and reactions. It's something that I've pondering quite a bit lately. In an ironic twist, though, I haven't had the time that I expected to pull my thoughts together coherently. For now, though, I will say that I am fascinated about how much our expectations can be a source of conflict, as well as source of misunderstanding between people.

Interesting Week Ahead

This coming week should prove to be another interesting one: we have two big soccer games, one against Cornerstone (an in-town "rival" of sorts) and one against Tri City in Kansas City (a definite, friendly rival). On top of that, I have all of the typical tasks of a teacher, as well, in addition to needing some time to rest. It will be an interesting week.... The busyness sometimes makes me wonder why I still coach soccer. Oh, yes, it's because I enjoy it and enjoy the chance to build relationships with my students.

Cold+Busy Week=Tired

I have a cold. I have a busy week that includes an away game at Sunrise tomorrow. I'm not going to post anything more because I want to take advantage of my unscheduled time while I have it. And listen to K-State football.

Rain and Busyness

Busyness kept me from keeping to my scheduled blogging, which shows where it falls on the priority list: low. Still, I'll sort of "bridge the gap" between postings by making one now and then waiting until Wednesday (hopefully) for the next one.
The story around Topeka (all of NE Kansas, really) is the rain. It has poured all day. It's been a long time since I've seen it pour like this for so long. It was decidedly tropical in nature. And while the moisture source was ultimately the remnants of a Pacific hurricane, the forcing mechanisms were extratropical: a slow-moving cold front and a shortwave hitting at the same time.
I received over 2 inches of rain Thursday and Friday, and I think more is on the way for tomorrow. It will continue to make this summer (it's still technically summer) one of the coolest and wettest that this part of the country has seen in many years.

Puzzling Circumstances

My circumstances, as I expected before the year started, have gotten puzzling. I will spare you the boring details. Suffice it to say that I am staring at complex situations. Partially, I did it to myself, and partially, God has put these circumstances across my path. Either way, I know that as PFR says in one of their songs, "I got here by myself, but I know that I will never leave the same way." Or as Jehoshophat, faced with overwhelming odds from enemy armies, says in 2 Chronicles 20:12b, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." (You, in this case, refers to God.) My circumstances may be puzzling me, but they are not a puzzle to God, and in the end, it is He who will work His will in these circumstances. My task is to do as Jehoshophat did: turn my eyes to the Lord, pray, and then listen to Him and to wise council. I'm going to need it.

Rain and Cool Weather

I could comment in detail on the Presidential election and the games that the media and the Democrats are playing by trying to slander John McCain's choice for VP. But I won't. I don't care. I'm sick of Presidential politics right now and all the stupid games that both parties are playing so that it's nearly impossible to discern the truth.
Instead, I'm going to focus on the wonderful, unseasonable weather that we have here in Topeka. The temperature is not even 60 degrees, and light rain has been falling on and off all day. The cool temperatures are courtesy of a cold front that pushed through yesterday afternoon, but the rain is courtesy of the remnants of Hurricane Gustav. So, the end result is a wonderful, late-October-type day that is perfectly suited for running. And that's what I plan to do, go out and enjoy a nice, relaxing jog without worrying about how long it takes me. And no matter who is elected President, they won't be able to take that away from me!

Presidential Campaign Thoughts

This Presidential election cycle has been one of distaste for me so far. Neither major candidate and I see eye-to-eye on most of the issues. Obama's politics are so different from mine and his inexperience so great that I do not feel comfortable supporting him. McCain's age, on the other hand, is a factor that makes me hesitate to support someone that I'm not sure could survive 4 years in office. Which is what makes McCain's choice for a running mate intriguing to me. By choosing a young, conservative governor, he has created a ticket that I could support far more comfortably than I could if it were McCain-Romney or McCain-Lieberman. I still am not completely convinced that I will vote for McCain-Palin; I still would like to do a little more research. Still, McCain's choice of Palin has made the idea of voting for McCain a little more palatable for me to consider. There's a long way to November, still, and I could still decide that I would rather vote for 3rd party candidate than McCain. We'll have to see.

Case in Point: Why I No Longer Watch Evening News

I rarely watch evening news anymore on television because of how insipid and irrelevant I find much of the coverage. It seems that the mainstream media is simply out of touch with what is going on. My case in point tonight comes from what is perhaps one of the most absurd statements I have heard a newsman utter in quite some time.
He said, "There are no headlines [to start the newscast tonight] because there is only 1 headline: a major party is about to nominate an African American for the first time in history." Now, while I can see why the media would consider this an historic event, I cannot believe the amount of hubris and ignorance that the statement expresses. The only headline is the nomination of Barack Obama? Not even close. What about Russia's continued conflict with the republic of Georgia? What about Tropical Storm Gustav, which is eventually expected to become a strong hurricane and threaten the Gulf Coast? What about John McCain's campaign? What about Pakistan's upcoming presidential election? What about...well, you get the idea. To be so narrowly focused as to see the (already assured) nomination of one man, regardless of his race, as the only important item of the day is poor reporting. I'm disappointed.

It All Starts Tomorrow...

The day that I've been expecting for 3 months is finally almost here: the first day of school for this school year. As a result, I'm going to break my "rule" about not writing about school and take a few minutes to ponder the coming start of classes. Even though I've gone through 6 other starts to school years, I still feel like I felt when I faced my first start to my first year: very excited and also a little fearful.
I'm excited because I see the potential that this year has to be an excellent year. I'm excited to teach a smaller Calculus class, and I'm looking forward to see the leadership that this senior class will take. Second semester, I get to teach a Meteorology elective, and that has the potential to be a great experience.
I'm also fearful, though. Some of my fears deal with the differences that every year brings: new students (freshmen), a new senior class, changes to the school calendar and administrative structure. So much about this year is different that I have no way to know what to expect. There's always a bit of fear that we have to fight when facing the unknown. The other component of my (mild) fears deal with my own awareness of my own inadequacy. I know that without God's grace working in me, I am worthless as a teacher. At best, I will last about 3 days on my own strength; after that, I'll be worn out. I need to rely on His grace if I have any hope of having the energy to think clearly and teach my students well.
Whenever you read this, please pray for me and for all of us teachers. We always will need God's grace in order to do our job well. Thank you in advance.
Now, it's time for me to relax a little more before the marathon-sprint known as the school year begins. As always, it could be a late night because without fail I have trouble falling asleep before the first day of school.

Maybe I'm Getting Too Old for This

A new soccer season has started, and with it come the challenge of 7 am practices. I say "challenge" because I am not a morning person. This week, though, has been difficult so far. I can't remember being this tired after three days of practice. I feel like I've been sleep walking all week. I certainly hope and pray that I don't feel this way next, or else the first two days of class are going to be very interesting...