I sit on my tug on the ramp. I should be pulling my departure around, but I've some time to spare, and so I pull the park brake and turn the engine off.
The sun is just beginning to peek above the FedEx building across the airport to the east. The air is quiet, still, and for a fleeting moment I imagine my dusty fly rod in my hands.
I breathe deep of the cool morning air and watch the day begin.
I could explain that at this moment we're moving toward the sunrise at approximately 700 miles an hour as the earth rotates, and that we are also orbiting around the sunrise at about 67,000 miles an hour. I could tell you that the sun and it's planets are moving at 155 miles per second through our Milky Way galaxy, and that the Milky Way itself is moving through the universe at about 185 miles per second.
I could tell you that the radiation given off from the sun is of a certain composition well suited to provide light for the photosynthesis of plants, as well as heat that provides the engine that drives our weather patterns, distributing the water of this fine planet to the plants and the animals.
I could explain that the earth's atmosphere is of such a combination of elements so as to provide a diverse mixture of gasses to support the abundant life on this planet, as well as refracting our sun's light to make our skies blue and our clouds white.
I could say that the many beautiful colors of the sunrise are a result of this refraction, moving through the visible spectrum from red to orange to yellow to green to cyan to blue to violet, and I could say that all of these colors and all combinations of these colors could be seen on any given day.
I might even go so far as to explain that the inner workings of our eye are best suited to receive certain colors and that we see the world differently than some animals because of the features of our eye.
I could say all these things. I could give you endless links to Wikipedia, and university websites where people spend their entire careers studying sunrises and sunsets and sunlight.
I could tell you all of this and more, but you will still never know a sunrise.
We can understand every little shred of insignificant scientific facts about the sunrise, and still not understand the sunrise.
Instead, I will invite you to sit next to me on my tug, with the engine quiet and the windsock limp, to breathe deep of the cool morning air, and truly understand the sunrise.
jj
29 September 2010
26 September 2010
Sunday Quote 92610
Denying God’s power might quiet the nerves of some, but I truly cannot begin to understand why. When the roller coaster inverts me, twists me, and sends me in a tight spiral, I do not struggle philosophically or religiously with the idea of someone being in control or of engineers having been involved or of all of this being in some way intentional. As I quease and scream, do not stroke my cheek and try to reassure me by pointing to a panicking carnie as he wiggles powerless controls. Don’t start holding my hand, telling me about the engineers’ good intentions, but the impossibility of them actually knowing what the ride was going to do or where it would end when they created it.
In those stories, vomiting is my only option. And preferably on you.
– N.D. Wilson, Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl, p. 71-72
21 September 2010
Numbers
I want to offer a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all who donated your resources for the continuing work of the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center. It is your efforts that continue this ministry that enables new parents to make the best possible decisions for their new family.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
It's done.
I survived one ridiculously long day of golfing. I was sick of it by 1100, and still had six and a half hours to go.
We pushed through, and managed to score a team record, my Dad and I.
Because we in America are fascinated with numbers and results, here's some important numbers from the LPC Golf Marathon 2010:
19: The number of golfers that participated.
2,475: Total number of holes played by those golfers.
225: Most holes played by an individual golfer.
242: Most holes played by a team of two golfers.
162: Holes played by Dad and I (a team record).
$9,300: Most money raised by individual golfer.
$31,763: Corporate sponsorship raised.
$57,713: Total money raised.
10%: Percent of LPC budget typically raised during the golf marathon.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
It's done.
I survived one ridiculously long day of golfing. I was sick of it by 1100, and still had six and a half hours to go.
We pushed through, and managed to score a team record, my Dad and I.
Because we in America are fascinated with numbers and results, here's some important numbers from the LPC Golf Marathon 2010:
19: The number of golfers that participated.
2,475: Total number of holes played by those golfers.
225: Most holes played by an individual golfer.
242: Most holes played by a team of two golfers.
162: Holes played by Dad and I (a team record).
$9,300: Most money raised by individual golfer.
$31,763: Corporate sponsorship raised.
$57,713: Total money raised.
10%: Percent of LPC budget typically raised during the golf marathon.
17 September 2010
Last Quick Note
By the time most of you read this, I'll be golfing my way to and beyond 100 holes, and hands full of blisters. My Dad and I are golfing together, and by this time we've probably both gone through at least two boxes of golf balls (12 per box). Last year, I brought my softball bat and had almost better luck with it than with my driver.
The course we play on is beautiful, and I always think I should come back. But by five o'clock, and however many holes we manage to play, I'm sick of it. It's all we can do to peel ourselves out of the golf cart and walk our bag to the truck afterwards.
My wife and I recently dug out our GameCube and played Mario Golf a few times, so I feel like this year I'm all practiced up.
Wish me luck, and there's still time to contribute if you feel so led!
jj
The course we play on is beautiful, and I always think I should come back. But by five o'clock, and however many holes we manage to play, I'm sick of it. It's all we can do to peel ourselves out of the golf cart and walk our bag to the truck afterwards.
My wife and I recently dug out our GameCube and played Mario Golf a few times, so I feel like this year I'm all practiced up.
Wish me luck, and there's still time to contribute if you feel so led!
jj
15 September 2010
Another Quick Note
This Friday I am golfing just as much as I can stand between 0730 and 1700. I hope to get at least 100 holes in, but I'll probably get just a bit more than that. My record, if memory serves me, is 135.
We'll not eat much breakfast so we can move without barfing. We'll eat our lunch on the course in the golf cart as we go along. Dinner won't be until later than we are used to.
There will be blisters a plenty, but we'll keep going. One year, it was 90 degrees and humid, and I had white crusts all down my arms and legs and had to throw the shirt I was wearing away afterwards. One year, it rained almost three inches by noon, and then let up only slightly.
Every April, down in Augusta Georgia, the best and the brightest golf talent in the world will gather at the exclusive Agusta Golf Club for the Master's Tournament. Over the course of one week, the players will play up to 36 holes a day for five days. Maybe even more. That's 180 holes of golf. In a week.
Last year, the man with the most holes during our golf marathon made over 200. In one day.
Why would I do this instead of playing paintball?
Because every $100 I and the other golfers raise will help one person with the emotional, physical, and spiritual support they need during their crisis or unplanned pregnancy.
The people that come to the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center are often young, unmarried, and usually without support from their families and friends. They usually don't have a church community to turn to either.
We can not let that happen. I could not be content with saying I am pro-life and doing nothing for those who are deciding what to do about their unplanned pregnancy.
I invite you to join me by praying for us golfers the day of for peace, at least marginal weather, and no major bloodletting or other mishaps.
If you would like to do more than pray, follow this link and you will be given an opportunity to support me financially. The donations are handled through PayPal, so your donation will be secure.
I thank you for any support you can give for this wonderful ministry!
jj
We'll not eat much breakfast so we can move without barfing. We'll eat our lunch on the course in the golf cart as we go along. Dinner won't be until later than we are used to.
There will be blisters a plenty, but we'll keep going. One year, it was 90 degrees and humid, and I had white crusts all down my arms and legs and had to throw the shirt I was wearing away afterwards. One year, it rained almost three inches by noon, and then let up only slightly.
Every April, down in Augusta Georgia, the best and the brightest golf talent in the world will gather at the exclusive Agusta Golf Club for the Master's Tournament. Over the course of one week, the players will play up to 36 holes a day for five days. Maybe even more. That's 180 holes of golf. In a week.
Last year, the man with the most holes during our golf marathon made over 200. In one day.
Why would I do this instead of playing paintball?
Because every $100 I and the other golfers raise will help one person with the emotional, physical, and spiritual support they need during their crisis or unplanned pregnancy.
The people that come to the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center are often young, unmarried, and usually without support from their families and friends. They usually don't have a church community to turn to either.
We can not let that happen. I could not be content with saying I am pro-life and doing nothing for those who are deciding what to do about their unplanned pregnancy.
I invite you to join me by praying for us golfers the day of for peace, at least marginal weather, and no major bloodletting or other mishaps.
If you would like to do more than pray, follow this link and you will be given an opportunity to support me financially. The donations are handled through PayPal, so your donation will be secure.
I thank you for any support you can give for this wonderful ministry!
jj
14 September 2010
Your Next Show
Somehow we have gotten to a point where a seemingly intelligent, grown man can study Jesus his entire life and come to the conclusion that Jesus would, in fact, burn books in protest of a building as an insult to a worldwide religious community.
Somehow this man can convince his few followers and random strangers that his message is one that Jesus would approve of, and even preach were He still preaching.
I, for one, do not understand how this message is in any way biblical, much less Christian.
Somehow this man can convince his few followers and random strangers that his message is one that Jesus would approve of, and even preach were He still preaching.
I, for one, do not understand how this message is in any way biblical, much less Christian.
07 September 2010
A Quick Note
Some of you may know, but most of you probably don't know, that every year I am involved in a golf marathon to raise money for a local charity.
On September 17, just a few short days away, I will be hopefully completing 100 (or more) holes of golf in nine hours. This is a marathon to raise money for the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, a ministry who helps those who are dealing unplanned pregnancies. They provide testing kits, ultrasounds and other basic care, as well as parenting classes and counseling for those dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
This year, LPC has set up a website in order to facilitate online donations as well as their mailings. I have a huge stack of mailing cards that I've been giving away, but I also have a website set up in my name if you would like to make a donation. If you are interested, click this link!
As I said, it's a local charity, so all the funds raised will go to help those hurting right here next to us. Every $100 we raise is enough to provide one person with the tools to help them cope with their life's situation.
I have already sponsored myself for $1.25 per hole. Will you help?
jj
On September 17, just a few short days away, I will be hopefully completing 100 (or more) holes of golf in nine hours. This is a marathon to raise money for the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, a ministry who helps those who are dealing unplanned pregnancies. They provide testing kits, ultrasounds and other basic care, as well as parenting classes and counseling for those dealing with unplanned pregnancies.
This year, LPC has set up a website in order to facilitate online donations as well as their mailings. I have a huge stack of mailing cards that I've been giving away, but I also have a website set up in my name if you would like to make a donation. If you are interested, click this link!
As I said, it's a local charity, so all the funds raised will go to help those hurting right here next to us. Every $100 we raise is enough to provide one person with the tools to help them cope with their life's situation.
I have already sponsored myself for $1.25 per hole. Will you help?
jj
05 September 2010
Sunday Quote 90510
I would like to thank Bob Robinson of Vanguard Church who found this week's Sunday Quote! I shamelessly ripped this right off his blog. So Bob, if you're reading my little corner of the interwebs, thanks for stopping by, and thanks for finding this quote!
jj
“I have come to the conclusion that for we who live in the Western world, the major challenge to the viability of Christianity is not Buddhism, with all its philosophical appeal to the Western mind, nor is it Islam, with all the challenge that it poses to Western culture.
It is not the New Age that poses such a threat; in fact, because there is a genuine search going on in new religious movements, it can actually be an asset to we who are willing to share the faith amidst the search.
All these are challenges to us, no doubt, but I have come to believe that the major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism.
This is a far more heinous and insidious challenge to the gospel, because in so many ways it infects each and every one of us.”
- Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church, pp. 106-7
jj
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