called to stand here

My wife is one of those people who has no shortage of ideas about how we can live lives that matter. In the first months of our marriage, she told me she felt we were supposed to get our foster license . That resonated with me, and we did it. Over the past four years (it took us awhile to get the paperwork sorted out!), we've had 11 placements, mostly teen moms and their children. A good thing, having a vision that fits in with your character, your interests, and your abilities. We've been blessed with the opportunity to engage these 11 young people's lives in very profound ways, and we've got an adoptive daughter as a result. None of us will be the same—I hope! The challenge comes when Margy and I play the role of tsela ("rib" Gen. 2:21) / neged ("help mate" Gen. 2:18) in each other's lives. There is a critical need for agreement in every healthy marriage, but 100% agreement (or compliance) one to the other gets us to a bored, or even sleepy,...

Over the past few weeks, I've experienced or witnessed lots of significant events. I've also missed some. Here are some of each: Margy and I had our sixth anniversary; special treat was visiting the Lake Home and Cabin Show . What does that say about us? But I can explain: we're in need of answering the question, "What shall we build on our newly purchased lot in Mankato?" we drove to Orlando and visited Disney World , Sea World with Adam, Holly, Isabelle, and Elise ; had a great time. Adam has been accepted for a Fulbright to Norway . Oh, the challenge of a young father of two who will be leaving his family in July for nine months to do research in another country. He and Holly sound like they know what they're up against, and I pray they'll be willing to ask for help as they get into territory they hadn't anticipated. That's hard for independent self-starters. So all of us grandparents of Isabelle and Elise have the chance to step up and love th...

My parents didn't teach me how to be an adult, at least in any formal way. It was just the standard method of child rearing: if you want a car, you'll need to get a job so you can buy it, and then you'll need to keep the job so you can afford the gas and insurance; if you want clothes, you'll need to have that same job. It's a time-honored practice, and lots of parents still use it. And for the most part, it's just fine. But what it can't do is get a young adult really ready for adulthood. I'm only just now, at the age of 53, starting to figure some of these things out. As I reflect back, it was only after I had kids of my own for awhile (like five years?) that I started to really grow up. I don't know if I ever would have made the move into real maturity without the responsibility of children who required of me something I didn't have, or know how to give, up to that point in my life. I'm deeply involved with about 20 young adults, most ...

There have been two suicides on the MSU campus in the past six weeks. I could rationalize that this isn't too far off the odds in a community of almost 15,000; maybe a little weird that the two statistical probabilities that could be expected over a year's time would come within a month of each other. Such are the anomolies of statistics--no big deal, statistically speaking; a very big deal in all other areas. The administration hasn't tried to downplay these occurances by hiding them. Instead they've created a condolence page for expressing the emotions that surround the tragedy that suicide is for all concerned. Although the number of messages posted in this forum is smaller than those posted on the page for the three who died in last year's highway accident on the way to the automotive engineering competition, the need for processing the pain is as deep, and the suvivors' helplessness is as real. But the issue isn't how friends and family members are ...

When I was young (from 3 to 30, say) I loved autumn over all the other seasons. Every year I'd yearn for the lowering sun, drying breeze and the crisp leaves. For me, fall embodied a rich nostalgia that even a youth could relish: the end of the growing season, the first frost and hints of snow to come. At that time I wanted the depth of experience that maturity brings, and autumn's mystique let me borrow those sensations for awhile. I believed the tale that autumn spun in and through me; nothing has ever felt quite the same. Today that tale doesn't fascinate me like it did then. Over the years I've accumulated a boat load of experience and some scars; the appeal of nostalgia that was so sweet then has at least a twinge of pain now, if not a full ache. I don't need to long for autumn any longer to partake of richness and depth. Fall isn't my favorite season any longer. Now it's spring. These 70° days have coaxed the buds out of the trees. Grass is nice, and f...

the big story on MPR this morning was on the return of birds to Alaska . It's never been news that lots of birds return to Alaska in April until this year. Now there are scores of birdologists scouring the countryside scooping up bird droppings to see if any of these fowl are infected with avian flu . The "news" is (almost) always in the fear-mongering business. When I listen, watch, or read the news, I can count on either having my hair stand on end or getting numb from the horror, terror, or shear stupidity of what passes for news. Cynical? yes, I admit it. But I keep listening to see if there might be a positive development in the health of the patient. None yet. This morning's story was rich with the low rumble of a fear that hasn't yet reached an audible level. There have been other stories of many birds and a few people dying from this dread disease in other countries. But we Americans haven't experienced the numbing fear of this plague reaching our sh...

Every new start has to contend with its fits. Fits and starts. Mine goes like this: I'm mulling this turning concept ( see previous post ), but I'm up against the list. Most everyone I know has a list. On mine this week, at the top, is Jasmine's dedication. Jasmine is a special gift from the Lord to Margy and me. Jas came into our lives almost three years ago as a foster daughter who became our adopted daughter at the end of last September. What joy and energy in this girl! So we gave her the middle name Joy. Another fit. So next Sunday we dedicate Jasmine to the Lord. As a gift, this corresponds to what Hannah and Elkanah did with Samuel, although less extremely: they gave their son to God (with the priest as proxy) as a loan for life. For us, it's a public testimony (like a baptism is) of our commitment to raise her in a community of faith in Christ, and also a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and share this milestone in our lives. That's ...