Monthly Archives: July 2018

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We Boldly Went…

The Official Star Trek Convention 2017, Part 1



It’s every Trekker’s dream vacation.  My son Chris and I attended the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas in August, 2016, for the 50th Anniversary of the franchise. It was an exciting and informative experience.   I watched the very first Star Trek episode in 1966, and I haven’t missed an episode in any series in the franchise since.  Chris began watching with me when he was little, and it’s been “our thing” ever since.  


 


 


 


 


We went to the convention last year to  celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek and learned 2017 would honor the 30th Anniversary the Star Trek: The Next Generation.   We knew we had to be there.  I’m so glad we did.  I don’t get that much one-on-one time with either of my boys now that they’re grown, and Chris and I had so much fun.  Last year we saw Terry Fador’s show at the Mirage,  enjoyed seafood at the Rio, and Sunday Brunch Buffet at the Bellagio.




This year we ate at Guy Fieri’s restaurant and shared the biggest burrito I’ve ever seen and fried ice cream!!’’




                               


 


 


 


 


We love checking out the vendor’s room.  It’s absolutely packed with everything Star Trek that you can imagine – Tribbles, T-shirts, jewelry, books, posters, art, backpacks and lots and lots of photos.  Many of the cast members and other celebrities sign autographs there as well, and others just walk around to meet people. Chris found a phaser pillow and those are accent tables in various Federation shapes.


       


That was just the beginning of an amazing five days!!!

	



	
	



					
						


	

				

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Surprises Happen

				
	


	
	

		
8-11-17


 


I was almost done with my 3 ½ mile walk.  It wasn’t yet 8 a.m., but it was hot and muggy, and I was ready to be home.  As I turned the corner onto my street, I saw something unusual in a neighbor’s yard. There were three mushrooms growing in a spot missed my their lawnmower.   I kept my pace, turned the corner and then stopped.  Something told me to go back and take a closer look.


Anybody driving by at the time probably got a chuckle at my undignified pose as I bent over to investigate.  I listen to podcasts while I walk, so I had my phone; that means pictures.


These didn’t look like the ordinary toadstools I’ve seen in my yard.  They hadn’t yet opened and so were perfectly round, snowy white, and textured.  I decided to get closer, set my phone on the curb (that was even more undignified) and took the vertical shot above.  It wasn’t until I got home and looked at that photo that I really appreciated what I had seen.


I was surprised by the delicacy and detail of the mushrooms in the photo.  Color, shape, and texture combined to make something unexpectedly beautiful.  They made me smile, and amazed me once again that God would put so much creativity into a an apparently insignificant thing.  I’m glad I didn’t miss the mushrooms.




Nobody gets up in the morning and expects to be surprised by a fungus!  I certainly didn’t.  God often has these little treats for us.  I think they’re His way of sharing His love and His work and making ordinary life a little more special.


I looked on the web to try to find out what kind of mushroom these are.  I had trouble locating an image that seemed right.  Eventually I found one, and if these are Amanita cokeri, they’re fairly rare.  That only makes me more grateful that I followed the impulse to t go back and investigate.


God has so many sweet surprises for us.  So often, all we need to do is pay attention and enjoy them.


 


7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;

8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish in the sea inform you.

9 Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the Lord has done this?


Job 12:7-9New International Version (NIV)


 




References: Kuo, Michael (ND) Amanita cokeri .  Retrieved 8-11-17 at MushroomExpert.com http://www.mushroomexpert.com/amanita_cokeri.html

	



	
	



					
						


	

				

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Thoughts On July 4th….

		
Contributions and Cow Patties
		
	


	
	

		
Hot dogs, fireworks and freedom are “key words” for Independence Day.  It’s a great day to remember how blessed we are – and we are blessed.  Things we take for granted – like running water, indoor plumbing, air conditioning and health care – are only dreams for many people in this world.  While we may not have everything we want, we usually rest for the night in a comfortable bed and doze off in safety.  The Bill of Rights, education, self-determination – these are all things we should remember and appreciate because they were bought with blood and tears and toil and thought.


There’s another word we also need to remember:  respect.


As citizens, thinking people, and especially as Christians, we will disagree with others, but we must always do so with respect.  Yesterday, Beth Moore, a Christian author and teacher I greatly admire, posted about her passionate concern about how social media is being used, especially when self-professed believers post and share mean-spirited messages and memes.


“Funny” does not make it okay.


In the past, the Supreme Court has withheld First Amendment protection to certain kinds of speech (legal obscenity, advertising) because it did not contain ideas and therefore did not contribute to the marketplace of society.  Some say the “marketplace” doesn’t work in a digital era, but the principle still resonates.  Are we communicating ideas or merely vitriol camouflaged under the guise of clever humor?


We don’t need snark.  We need ideas.


Our nation is founded on important ideas.  As American citizens we need to respect them, our founders, and our defense and discussion of national issues.


As Christians, we need to remember Paul’s words to the Colossians, “And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, …” (Col. 3”17, NLT)


Yes, it’s hard to do.  I see things online that disturb me greatly.  Those emotional reactions can be positive if they motivate me to learn more, think more, and respectfully advocate my position with facts provided by reputable sources.  Then emotion is fertilizer; it can produce growth and change.  On the other hand, if my emotion only generates more negative emotion from those who respond, I have accomplished nothing.  We might as well be kids in a barnyard throwing dried “cow patties” at each other.  It might be funny if someone gets hit, but nothing is accomplished.  Nothing grows.  No problems are solved.


All we have is a stinky mess.


Our nation deserves more.

	



	
	



					
						


	

				

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Our kids and our Mirror

		
How do our kids see themselves when they look at us?
		
	


	
	

		
 


 




 


One of the most important things we can give our children is an appropriate self-concept.  That doesn’t mean telling them they’re wonderful all the time.   Sometimes it doesn’t have anything to do with what we say to them.


Psychology and Com Theory offer some insight into this process.  George Herbert Meade wrote that who we are is not just a product of our biology, it’s a process of interaction – communication – with other people.  Charles Horton Cooley developed what he called “the looking-glass self.”   We see ourselves as other people see us – what they say, their body language, how they respond to us.  We believe what people tell us about our value, our ability, about who we are.  That assessment doesn’t have to be fair or accurate to shape our lives.


The Apostle Paul warned fathers not to aggravate their children or they’ll become discouraged and give up trying. (Col. 2:21).  What we say matters.


Years ago on a Focus on the Family broadcast Dr. James Dobson made I point I will always remember. He was talking about building the “self” in a child and he stressed how much children want to believe what we say about them.  He stressed that we parents must make a distinction between the child and the child’s behavior.  “You did a bad thing,” not, “You are a bad boy/girl.”  One addresses an action, the other labels the person.  Labelling Theory (Becker, 2003) tells us that once we get labelled, it’s hard to peel the label off, and some labels stick for life.


It’s just as important to make that separation regarding good things as well.  “That was a good/kind/generous/thoughtful….thing you did” rather than “What a good boy you are”  or “You’re a good girl.”  We don’t want our children to think they’re so good that they can’t do wrong – or that God owes them a few because they are so good already.


We want to raise smart, thoughtful, caring and humble kids who understand every decision matters, and that who they ARE is different from what they DO.  We love them, they are significant – no matter how well they perform.  Success or failure is not everything.  Consequences are real.  What we do may reflect who we are, but it is not all of who we are – or who we can be.


I tried to follow that principle as my boys were growing up, as well as another Dobson suggestion.  Always say as many affirming or positive things to your child as corrective or negative things.  Even Dr. Dobson said on some days that can be hard.  He said to find something even if it’s “I like the way you tied your shoes.”


Correct, guide, teach, but guard children’s spirits so their “self” can grow in a realistic, healthy way without insecurity or egocentrism.


IF you’re a former student and this seems familiar, we talk about these concepts in the Com Theory lecture on meaning construction.Here are some resources, if you would like more information:


	



	
	



					
						


	

				

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How can it be FIFTY YEARS?

		
Thoughts on a reunion a high-schooler never imagines.
		
	


	
	

		
Class Senior Trip to Washington D.C. and New York City.


The big 50…. I thought it was bad when it was my 50th birthday.  Now I just celebrated with classmates at our 50th High School Reunion… It was a great event, but I was surprised by the mixed emotions.


We were the first graduating class from the newly consolidated Delta High School, a county school near Muncie, Indiana.  It was our job to choose the colors, write the fight song, name the yearbook and newspaper, and set the example and foundation for all of high school students from three different (and rival) schools merging into Delta High.   We took that responsibility pretty seriously, got to know each other, worked together and made it a great year.   Even now, it’s weird to think the “new” school is fifty years old.


Class reunions are a lot of trouble.  It takes a lot planning, dedication and hard work to put one together. (Thanks to those who did that work.)  It’s hard for some of us who live far away to get back for them.  Your spouse must be prepared to make the trip and interact with all those people you know but he doesn’t.  Then there’s the where to stay and what to wear….


It’s worth the trouble.  The years do somehow melt away.  You see people who know you in ways that your spouse and your kids and your grandkids don’t.  You were friends as you all were in the “becoming stages”, when everything was new, when dumb mistakes (big and little) were common.  It was an exciting time, even when it was hard, and growing is hard.


The thing about a fiftieth reunion, is that the relabeling and “proving” ourselves doesn’t seem all that important any more.  We’re pretty secure in our own skin.  We just are who we are, and we’re there –at the reunion—because we care about each other.  Many in my class are retired.  Some of us are moving into second careers.  Some, like me, can’t imagine retirement.   We spent a lot of time sharing and laughing and remembering.   We also spent time looking forward to new challenges, growing families, and living all the days God gives us.  Our reunion was a blessing, at least for me it was.


In other ways, it was sobering.  Fifty years.  I remember seeing pictures of 50-year reunions of previous classes from Royerton High School.  Those people looked so OLD.   I don’t feel old.  Am I?  Those gold numbers on the cake were a little disturbing.  Age happens whether we ignore it or not.


My hometown has changed.  The Ball State University is growing and modernizing, but I struggle to remember what used to be in a particular location, things that I thought would always be familiar are not so much.  Once new and neat neighborhoods from my childhood are now a little shabby.  The boom and bloom from heydays of Midwest manufacturing have faded into to weeds, cracked paint and disrepair.  Certainly there is growth and new construction in Muncie, but the change is evident to me.  They say you can’t go “home” again.  I didn’t expect it to be the same; I didn’t expect it to feel so different.


There are those who are gone…. Twenty-two members of our class have passed.  Some recently deceased, some we didn’t know well, others who were dear friends who blessed our lives.  We know that number will be larger when we meet again.


It was important to Mom and Dad to pay respects at the cemetery, so the last thing I do before I leave Muncie is put flowers on graves of my parents and sister.  I know they are not there; they are with Jesus. Still, I feel their absence from here so deeply.


So much change.  So much loss…. Reunions remind us of those things as well.


As Randy drove us down I-65 back to Alabama, I was glad to be going home.  It was great seeing everyone and being back where I grew up, but it was very clear that Muncie was just that – where I grew up.  God blessed me with a wonderful childhood, adolescence and early adulthood when Muncie was home.  Once home was where the people I came from lived.  Now home is where the people who come from me live –our sons, our grandchildren, my students.   Home is where my future is — and theirs.


Maybe I am old, but It’s okay.  Lord willing, I’ll be “old” for a long time, and I’m looking forward to our next reunion.