You know those yellow, computer-generated lines they put on football fields during televised games to show how far the team needs to go to get a first down? Lines that only the TV viewing audience can see? I believe those lines rank as one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime. This I believe with all my heart.
Today Pastor Tim preached from Song of Solomon and showed the fabulous “Flame” NOOMA video from Rob Bell at Mars Hill Church. It also happened to be the anniversary of his very first date with Tara (I forget the number–13? Something like that). Tara sang, as a surprise, the song she sang at their wedding: “All of Me,” by Stryper. Tim was expecting a different song, but she secretly arranged this with the worship team and we played it live.
Tim talked about remembering the things you did when you were dating. He told about a typical date he and Tara have now (eat, movie, Starbucks–I think that’s the basic formula), and recalled what they did when they were dating.
So I got to thinking about what Pam and I enjoyed doing when we were dating. We often–at least once every two months–spent Saturday doing what to us was marvelous, but which would have been boring to most couples. We would drive to Fort Wayne and hit the various used bookstores. We started with the Book Rack on South Calhoun, near Rudisill (this store has since closed). Then we drove to a large used bookstore at Georgetown on the east end of town (this store later burned down). Then we hit the Book Rack on East State Street (it’s still there). And we ended at a bookstore near Glenbrook Mall located in a house (with used books in every nook and cranny; it closed some years ago).
That was our idea of a fun date. We would come home with gobs of novels, all bought at half-price. And a few weeks later, we would do it all again.
When Pam has continuing education CPA seminars in Indianapolis, I take the day off and accompany her. While she’s learning stuff, I kick around in computer, music, and bookstores. She had a seminar two weeks ago. When I picked her up at the end of the day, we headed straight to our favorite store: a huge used bookstore in the Castleton area. We both left with a bunch of books (Pam with a gob of Christian novels). So used bookstores remain high on our fun-time list.
We are, undoubtedly, the Fun Couple of the Year.
Last night at our prayer meeting, Jennifer had a neat praise. She’s a twenty-something who works at Taco Bell, and she has great difficulty reading. But on Tuesday, she voted for the first time. A poll volunteer helped walk her through the process, but she did it, she pressed the red button at the end…and she voted. She was included. It was a big deal for Jennifer. So it’s a big deal for me. For all of us in that group.
Mark, our leader, led us in a little discussion of some verses in Philippians. We talked some about the fact that Paul was writing this from prison. Both Dan and Alan, other members of our prayer group, have spent time in prison. Alan wasn’t there last night, but Dan gave us some insights into prison life.
We’ve prayed a lot about job situations, and we’ve seen answers. Mark has been working fulltime. Alan got a job (started this week). Terry got a different job. Nicolette got a promotion and it’s going well. We’ve been praying that Jeremy, the son of Mark and Tami, would find a job. Tami’s phone rang during our meeting last night. It was Jeremy. He landed a college teaching position and starts Wednesday.
This prayer stuff really does work, because God’s listening on the other end, and he knows how to make things happen.
It’s a sad, sad day in my gloriously all-Macintosh world. Justin Long is the “Mac Guy” in those fabulous Apple ads that leave both PC and Mac guys in stitches (well, at least all Mac guys, plus PC guys with a sense of humor–and they do exist, though not in overwhelming quantities).
However, though Apple is making more of those ads, Justin Long won’t be in them. In my world, this is worse news than the Democrats capturing both houses of Congress. But according to a rep, “Justin’s a movie star, not a commercial guy.” Well la-de-da.
Regardless of any misplaced hubris on Justin Long’s part, I mourn his departure. He and John Hodgman (PC Guy) were perfect together. I can’t imagine anyone else taking his place. But then…Apple doesn’t produce lame commercials. Whatever they come up with, it’ll be good.
I’m pleased with the election results. Republicans weren’t doing anything with their control of the House, and had given in to corruption and laziness and yes-man behavior for the White House. So, I say, “Off with their heads!” As a Republican, I’m ashamed of their arrogance and inaction. Wanting the Democrats to take charge is like wanting the Babylonians to conquer Israel…which, as it turns out, was what God wanted to happen.
Now it will be fun mocking Nancy Pelosi and rest of the liberal, disorganized Dems as they take over the House. They have no idea what they’re going to do, as opposed to the Republicans, who were united only in what they were not going to do–which is, be responsible legislators. The Dems will at least be earnest.
And the investigations will be fun and helpful and, in my view, necessary for our democracy. This time next year, we’ll be fully engulfed in hearings on the Tom Foley scandal, Halliburton, CIA torture factories, and general what-the-heck-is-happening-in-Iraq hearings. Republicans deserve to be put on the spot, and they will be…by grandstanding Democrats eager for the spotlight. The hearings will make us mad. But they’ll be good for the country. Sort of. Or maybe not. We’ll see.
I am glad that (so it looks) the Republicans retain control of the Senate. The Senate is, for the most part, a higher calibre of people, more classy and thoughtful than the messy House.
It’s no fun living in a bulletproof Republican district. While epic wars rage in other parts of the country, all is tranquil in northeast Indiana. I’ve seen very few political ads, and the charges candidates throw at each other are pretty lame, the political equivalent of, “The other night, my opponent didn’t eat his broccoli,” countered by, “Well that’s nothing. My opponent got a C- in eighth-grade English.” Nasty, nasty stuff.
When I voted this morning, I was surprised to see several state-wide seats up for grabs, including a US Senate seat. I thought this was the year free of Senate races, but no, there was Richard Lugar’s name on the ballot. Lugar has been a senator since the Pleistocene era, and I like him. But he obviously took our district for granted, and figured he would save his campaign funds for other districts. Likewise for other state-wide seats.
For probably half of the positions on the ballot, the Republican candidate had no opposition. That stinks.
I said previously that I wouldn’t vote for Mark Souder, our Republican congressman, but I wouldn’t necessarily vote for his opponent. Well, I did vote for his opponent. Initially, he may have fantasized about pulling a huge upset, but I can’t imagine that lasted long. For most of the campaign, he exerted energies exuding false optimism, rallying troops in a doomed cause, convincing people to contribute money to a sinkhole, and generally playing the role of sacrificial donkey for the Democratic party. I gave him points for effort and general pain and anguish, and voted for him. This can only be described as an act of irresponsible, cynical citizenship on my part.
I like the new voting machines.
The Ted Haggard story is heart-breaking. It’s probably over now as a news story, and didn’t get the attention it might have received had we not been consumed with midterm elections. Haggard’s contrite, honest statement to the church yesterday (with another statement from his wife to the women of the church) are wonderful examples (download statements in PDF).
A lot has been written already in the blogosphere about this. Much more will come. Here are two I found exemplary:
I highly recommend those articles, especially the one by MacDonald.
Yesterday Pam and I saw Clint Eastwood’s new movie, “Flags of Our Fathers,” about the famous flag-raising on Iowa Jima during World War 2. Excellent movie with a complex structure, moving back and forth between the battle, the battle’s aftermath, and present-day.
Photos from the actual battle were shown throughout the credits. Nobody left until the credits ended. It’s neat when that happens.
We hadn’t seen a movie since July 1–Superman.
I, personally, hope the Democrats take the House back. I will cheer if they do. (I won’t be disappointed if they also sieze the Senate, but I’d rather they didn’t.) The Republicans have shown themselves to be unworthy and incompetent, and have given in to corruption. Let the Democrats take over until they’re corrupted (it probably won’t take as long).
With Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, we’ve lost any checks and balances. Which is why George Bush hasn’t used a veto to stop pork-barreling or anything else. The Republicans in Congress and the Republicans in the White House just give each other whatever they want. If the Democrats are in charge, Bush will finally begin using his veto power, and Congress will finally start pushing back with more than token resistance.
Plus–I gleefully welcome some Congressional investigations. The word is that Nancy Pelosi has warned her colleagues that she doesn’t want the House to become a courthouse. But some investigations will occur, and they will become political circuses with lots of self-righteous Democratic grandstanding (not unlike the eight tedious years–eight years!–of Clinton-era Republican hand-wringing over Whitewater). But I say to the Dems, “Go to it!”
I want to see Congressional investigations on some issues where I feel the Bush Administration has shown itself to be incompetent, unethical, and occasionally evil. Issues like how my beloved country embraced state-sponsored torture, the Abramoff scandal, declaring ourselves exempt from the Geneva Conventions, sinful tax cuts for the rich. And I want bright spotlights on the whole Iraq War Debacle, for which history will rightfully shame Bush.
I want heads to roll. Republican heads. And since that’ll only happen if Democrats wield the sword, I’m all for it. God often used pagan nations to discipline Israel, so I’m okay with using Democrats to discipline Republicans (since Republicans utterly refuse to discipline their own, unless they trail off-message or are powerless, low-level pawns).
I have abandoned any notion that the Republicans are the “Christian party” or the “family values” party. Both parties are secular entities, and I place little hope in either. So let them trade power back and forth. Doesn’t matter a pittance to me anymore.
I spent yesterday in Indianapolis while Pam attended one of her CPA continuing education classes. She gets to sleep while I drive down, and then I kick around at music stores, computer stores, and a wonderful used bookstore in the Castleton area. Before leaving Indy, we eat at Skyline Chili.
As we left Skyline, a fellow probably 55-60 years old approached the car timidly and motioned for me to roll down the window. He was dressed in older clothes and a stained jacket, and wore a cap, but didn’t look unkempt in any way. A respectable appearance.
He quickly told me his story about moving recently from St. Louis, having an accident and breaking his ankle, and several other things going badly. He was also diabetic, and needed a little over $19 to get insulin at Wal-Mart. He said he only had $3 on him. He assured me he didn’t smoke or drink. Could I help him?
As he told me this story, he kept looking down, trying not to make eye contact. He knew I didn’t believe him. The thing is, if I found myself in his position, a proud fellow who had no other options, I would have acted and spoken in exactly the same way he did. It had the ring of truth. But it could just as easily have been a well-practiced act.
When he finished, I looked at Pam and said, “How about it?” Then I pulled a $20 bill from my wallet and gave it to him. He thanked me profusely, shook my hand with a strong grip, and said, “God bless you.” And then we drove away.
I don’t know if I got taken or not. Probably did. But I don’t care. People will tell me I should have taken him to Wal-Mart and purchased the insulin for him, just to make sure how the money is used (and to call any bluff that needs to be called). I’m aware of these principles. Time didn’t allow that.
A Christian should err on the side generosity, not on the side of suspicion, cynicism, and stinginess. I’ve erred like this before, and will again. I feel a lot better about that than telling guys like this, “Sorry, buddy. Look somewhere else.” And even when I do get conned, I think Jesus smiles with satisfaction.
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