Take Two

A Cucumber

Originally uploaded by ryaninmtv

I was going to post this yesterday after reading this story in the New York Times but I didn’t have any pictures. Fortunately, Charity took care of that for me. The Times story is about people who want to eat fresh local meat and produce but don’t want to work for it. I fall squarely in that category.

Again, fortunately for me, Charity and the kids took on the project of starting a garden this year. The initial pictures of it are in this post. You can look at the most recent pictures in my Flickr stream and see how it’s grown. We’ve had fresh squash and zucchini bread already from the garden and everything else looks like it’s going to be a great year. Charity wants to expand the garden to about 4x its size next year. I’m all for it.

Sustainability that tastes good. I’m all in favor of that.

Excellent story today in the New York Times regarding Berea College in Kentucky.  The focus of the story is the debate on whether or not school endowments have grown too large and what percentage they pay out.  True story- Berea was one of the schools I looked at when I was in high school (waaaaay back in 1986).  My other schools were Ohio State, Kenyon, Anderson University, MedCentral College of Nursing, Boston University, and George Washington University.  My final three were OSU, Anderson, and MedCentral and I, like an idiot, chose Ohio State (as a Political Science major) which delayed my entering into nursing (which I love) by about five years.

Big step for me as a parent, I am taking Becky on her first college visit this week, to Kent State.  It is exciting and frightening all at the same time.

In the comments (if you would), where did you apply and wind up going to college or, if you didn’t go, why not.  I love learning more about my readers.

How’s that for a post title?  But seriously, everyone (barring divine intervention) is going to die.  I have been working on a case this week that reminds me that it can be, without proper planning, very expensive and stressful to your family if you’re not prepared when the time comes.

Specifically, I have a client who is in a long-term acute care hospital in Cleveland.  The daily rate (excluding medications) is $1200/day.  Brutal.  I have a major medical policy so in theory my liability for such a stay would be somewhat limited however; without a backstop, one illness can ruin a family.  Many items (physical and occupational therapy come to mind) are not covered on many employer sponsored plans or, if they are, the coverage is spotty.  This study by Harvard’s Law and Medical Schools confirms my worst fears.  Even with insurance, there are limited protections.

So what to do?  If I had a good idea I would run for president but I don’t but I would offer one piece of advice- For the love of God, don’t count on the government to pick up the tab.  It’s not their forte.

Enough of the soapbox, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Although it seems like an eternity, just 10 months ago we were in deep turmoil within our organization regarding advertising on television (which I must say, to me, in hindsight seems foolish).  I was talking to a friend yesterday and we agreed that, for the leaders who left, it was not about television it was about power.  You don’t form an entire organizational structure in one month.  Get real.

However, lest I get on my soapbox, I thought I’d show you what one of our presbyters here in Ohio has done with this new found outreach.  I think it’s pretty cool.

As you know, I was speaking in Delaware this weekend.  Had it not been my very dear friend asking for my help, I would have been at Start-Up Weekend Columbus.  Since I wasn’t there, here is my brother Rocky shouting out to the good folks at nbc4.

As you know, I am into the unusual and bizarre food (for example, the $41 burger or this montrosity).  We hand lunch with our friends David and Michelle Kuhtenia today and learned of a gem from West Texas known as chicken fried bacon.  Apparently, this is served with a side of creamed gravy.  Yummy!

So, dear Texans, if you have had this delightful artery clogger please comment and let me know a) how does it taste and b) were there any complications from your cath and stent placement.

I await your response.  Side note- I’m only drinking a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee tonight.  This picture has made me queasy.

1 Corinthians 1:20-21
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
KJV

I am just back home after preaching this morning and evening for my friend Mike Wilson in Delaware.  We love the church and they are like family to us.  It is always an honor to be there.

I was reminded of the above verses after preaching two sermons today.  Candidly, to judge for myself, they were not my best effort.  And yet for both services I had folks come up to me and tell me of specific issues in their lives that the Lord ministered to them via my preaching.  It struck me that, in God’s inifinite wisdom, he can use less than perfect oratory to address the needs of his people.  I am convinced that He often ministers in spite of our preaching rather than because of it.  In my mind, surely there is a more effective way to communicate the Word to the church.  And yet, in thousands of churches across the country (and the world), millions of preachers and teachers break the Bread of Life and feed the hungry.  To some, it is foolishness.  To the hungry, it is life.

I don’t understand how it works but it just does.

Gabri running from the spray

Originally uploaded by ryaninmtv

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
NKJV

My pastor spoke at our Bible Study last night on “Why we do what we do”. Specifically, he spoke of the feasts that Israel had to attend every year and noted that there were times when we needed a spiritual refreshing. With our camp meeting coming up in a week and a half, it was a timely message. Since we have an awesome line up (Wayne Francis, Eli Hernandez, Jeff Arnold), my arm really doesn’t require a lot of twisting.

It also made me think about why I continue to serve in Sunday School. The pay is lousy (especially for the amount of time involved in the summer), the parents make you want to go nuts, and at times it seems like you are speaking to an audience of one (yourself). However, look at all of the kids in this picture (including my beautiful baby up front). We had the chance, over a week, to impact 225 lives. I have no idea what their life at home is like but, for a week, I can influence them, love them, and bring them hopefully into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. There isn’t enough money to pay for that.

On Friday of camp, I was presented with a shirt that a large number of the campers had signed in black. There were also 38 signatures in red. These were the campers who had received the Holy Spirit during the week for the first time. Our bishop, Brother Jordan, asked what it would take to buy the shirt. I informed him it wasn’t for sale at any price.

I just got to unpacking some of my stuff from camp (I know, it’s been a week but I’ve been busy) and I unpacked that shirt. I am reminded again of why we do what we do. In my day job, we charge an extraordinary amount of money for me to address the problems of our clients. But in ministry, we don’t always get that payoff. That’s why I’m glad I have that shirt. It reminds me that money could never buy what we are able to share.

Well, I finally did get a flight to New York and, as luck would have it, Charity is coming along.  It’s only a weekend but I’m really looking forward to the trip.  We are staying at the W Hotel which is very nice.  My boss, who is the best, said to take Charity out and expense it.  You have to like that.  I told Charity to pick any restaurant in the city and we would have dinner there next Saturday.  As our 19th anniversary is July 29th, this works out well.  Good times!

I am trying to book a trip to New York City to meet with clients of mine and finish up a (now) seven-month long project.  I am finding however, that it is nigh unto impossible to get to New York from Columbus.  I click on the available flights to find out there are no seats available (or, in the case of Continental, only “premium” seats are available. Note to Continental, the “A” seat in a regional jet is not premium in anyone’s book).  It’s crazy.  And American, for $15/bag please don’t offer me CMH-MIA-LGA.  Going through South Florida is really not the most direct route.

If it were not for $4+/gallon gas, I would just drive and be done with it.  Nuts.