I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

You could call it a goal, a desire, or a calling. I would like to retain my sanity as much as possible under impossible circumstances—four kids under 4 years old, all vying for the same loud toys the others have in a 960 square-foot house. This means minimizing the toy cacophony. How do you make toys quieter without raising the children's suspicions?

Enter: clear tape. I know clear tape’s cousin, duct tape, receives most of the accolades when it comes to fixing things, but let’s show a little love and give a little credit where it’s due. You see, kids can see duct tape pretty easily. Not so with clear tape. The clear stuff is incognito . . . covert silencing ops, if you know what I’m saying. You know it’s quieter, but the kids have no clue. That’s my kind of win–win situation. Merry Christmas and a quiet New Year.

The Day After

It’s amazing how much the day after Christmas in a house full of kids is like being in Vegas: out of nowhere, there are blinking, glowing, noisy things demanding attention, but there’s no real interest in any of it, and you can’t stop thinking, “Oh no! What have I done?”

New Type for IHOP–KC

My primary project here at the house of prayer for the past few months has been researching new typography. We’re picking new fonts to represent who we are. It has to feel as historic as prayer, but as accessible as God.

From working with bad fonts, I have also figured out that it needs to have all the right characters and options within the font library. Or else you get this:




Then it takes a talented designer to use the fantastic fonts. Or you get this:

This Is Why I Edit

No, this is not an ad for IHOP–KC, but we have seen some bad stuff go out in email blasts as well. Alas, we are still human.

Words from the Wife

My amazing wife has a brand new blog. I have agreed not to edit as I read, which is just fine because I do too much of that as it is. She has something to offer young mothers; she has experienced hurt, she has been broken inside, she has overcome, and she is wise. I can’t tell you how many times a day she takes calls from those with twenty questions at a time. She takes it all in stride and speaks from a position of having read from the breadth of book knowledge available, and from having lived through so much already. Her gracious tone and willingness to help brings people back time and again to draw from the well of her experience.

The questions often return to the theme of raising children who are in love with God amidst the busyness of life. Too many Christians withdraw into the safety of the religious bubble: four safe walls, too little interaction with the outside world, a lack of true life-long relationships—meaning having Christian and non-Christian influences in your life and not having any fear about that, but rising to the intellectual and spiritual challenge—that encourage and challenge each thought you entertain, studying themes that have extrapolation but not interaction with anyone but other Christians, and finally justifying this lack in spiritual terms. Sorry, but you won’t be coddled by Amy (or myself) if this is your stance. We must be able to live life with all its joy and pain, its suffering and exhilaration, and still be in love with God or the Gospel is of no use. The Gospel is for all people in all cultures at all times, in history and in the future, and in every situation of life. If this is not the outcome of what you believe, what you study or how you act, then it is not the Gospel.

No amount of egocentric excuses can justify a hands-off approach to the world or to refusing to interact with those who disagree with you. This bubble is antithetical to Christianity itself. And thank God that Jesus did not take an egocentric, hands-off approach to us.

Thank God.

Patting Myself on the Back

I have mowed the front lawn, but not the back. Instead, I pulled up the three- and four-foot trees by the roots that had planted themselves there. It took two days to rip them all out, but it needed to be done.

I scraped paint off some kitchen windows. Difficult to do with a dull blade.

The laundry is done, as usual.

I have held the hair of my puking daughter, and cleaned up the couch after we figured out she wasn't feeling so well. Three words: pro jec tile.

I have put together an oak table and chairs. This is the first time in almost seven years of marriage and family that we have all been able to sit down together for a meal.

I have taped off Samuel and Olivia’s room so I can paint it.

I have gotten shots and shot records for school, faxed several copies of things to the Nursing Division, completed a background check (not on any federal psycho lists. Yay!), and switched my classes around a few times.

I have been to visit the financial aid offices at school several times already. We need all the help we can get. We’re behind, I believe, by about a few hundred dollars per month, even with all the help from my military benefits. That’s why Amy and I are both working part-time. But even with that, we’re still not breaking even.

I have completed several exciting projects for the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and am now assisting the Creative Director in revamping our choices of typography for the IHOP–KC brand. Right now, our main fonts are Perpetua, Gill Sans and Helvetica Neue Condensed Bold. We’re looking at getting two serif and two sans fonts (a loose and tightly kerned of each, giving us 4 total) that all work well together, and can translate easily to any media (Web, TV, print, postcards, etc.). It is a tough goal to hit, but I think we can do it.

Life is crazy right now. And my semester hasn’t even begun. This is gonna be nuts.

Lists

I’m supposed to be making lists of all the chores to get done over my two-week break from school.

Just wanted to give my summer school grades: C in Algebra and B in US History.

And Sam just had his first birthday. Here’s a before and after.

AfterEden Movie Trailer

Professional snowboarders discuss the pursuit of their significance, purpose and identity.

Check out the trailer.

http://www.afteredenthemovie.com/

Like Flynn

I received a call telling me I made it into the Nursing Program, so I am officially in. But I’ve been given a list of impossible missions to complete before then: lots of vaccines, CPR certification, background check, summer school . . .

They said they would meet me halfway on the slaying of the dragon though. I’m allowed to bring in a store-bought gecko.

Definition

Split-second: n

The time it takes Olivia to eat two hot dogs = the time it takes me to put a single piece of bread in the toaster. 

What Good Is The Internet If You’re Dead?

I feel sorry for all those third-world kids with the laptops who can now see the bazillion or so blogs of “What I Ate Today”.

Bazillion is so a real number. Google doesn’t lie.

. . . In A Handbasket

Breakfast: leftover chocolate chip pancakes.

Lunch: handful of marshmallows.

Dinner: unknown, but probably the leftover Orange Chicken concoction (which I love).

Yes, my amazing wife is out of town.

Yes, it is Finals week.

Yes, I have all four children.

Sure, we’re doing great. Pay no attention to that fire.

Why?

Why is it that as soon as we put the kids to sleep—and they actually are sleeping—the ice cream truck comes by with its annoying ringing bell, the mailman dumps junkmail in our box with a loud thud, the street sweeper truck takes his sweet time on our part of the street (not that I mind a clean street), and the neighbors have a friend who shows up and blares their horn?

Public notice to Kansas City: you are not an island; you do not live by yourself; you do have neighbors. I’m one of them, and my kids need their nap.

Thanks for listening.

Hard Hitting

Our four-year-old daughter, Kayla, fell out of her bunk-bed a few nights ago. I was concerned that she might have hurt herself pretty bad, so I asked her, “What did you hit?” Through her tears, she answered, “The floor.”

Which Store Was That?

I’m looking for an easy, enjoyable part-time job just to keep our family on the positive side of the bills. For the second time in as many days, my wife was talking with another woman about the transition. The chat went something like this.

“Josh is thinking about getting a small job at the Mac store.”

—“Really? That’s interesting.”

“Yeah, I’m just concerned he would buy a bunch of stuff and we wouldn’t see a dime of it on a paycheck.”

—“Why would he do that?”

“Because he likes all of their stuff. If we ever have extra money, he starts dreaming about what he can get from the Mac store.”

—“But . . . what does he do with it all?”

“He uses it. He doesn’t have much now, but if he worked there or if we had the cash he would.”

—[slight giggles] “But . . . what does he do with . . . makeup?”

“I meant the Macintosh store, not the MAC store.”

I don’t know, maybe my wife is onto a new model for a husband and wife business. We can call it “Fruit/Face,” a new Apple and makeup combo store.

Madeline’s Birthday

Our wonderful Madeline turns three on Wednesday. In the past few months she has turned a corner to become one of the most voluntarily loving kids that we have. She regularly kisses everyone within arm’s reach—even if they are too busy to be stopped in their tracks. She’s a great girl.

Happy Birthday, Maddie.

The “guess what I’m thinking” look

The “about to lick the zoo glass” look

The classic look

Heart and Wisdom: Thoughts From My Grandmother

I talked with my grandmother for several hours tonight, touching on many subjects.

Money quotes: “Too many people want God to be theirs, instead of being God’s.”

“More and more, I have stopped mentioning all the little details in prayer. I just pray that the Lord will fill up our family so full of His love—like a cup that will overflow if one more drop is added—so there is no room for anything else bad. The love of God makes no room for our bad stuff.”

My grandfather (D-daddy, as he is known to the family and a few outsiders) has the beginning stages of Parkinson’s, three microphones in each ear, a bad back, and prior cornea surgery. My grandmother (Mom-mom) is spunky, outspoken and thoroughly able to complete any task as long as it falls beneath the level of a triathlon. She has the particular gift of hospitality. Seriously, even a PB&J snack looks as if it was prepared for a king. And Thanksgiving? I’ll just say her meals are the only ones I know of that get five-star critics to make house calls. Visiting them was like going on a progressive dinner tour of Zagat’s.

My grandparents still love each other dearly. After mealtime prayers, D-daddy always pulls Mom-mom’s hand close, kisses it, and then waits for her eyes to meet his and for her to feel how his heart feels toward her. Always. Even considering the effects of Parkinson’s.

My grandmother related this story to me. One evening after dinner, she sat down at the table and announced to my grandfather that she would like some pie. The pie was right behind her on the counter, so she was fully able to get it herself. Grinning from ear to ear, my grandfather got up, made her some decaf coffee and brought her the dessert—as if he was the most chivalric knight in shining armor from age-old enchanted stories. He knew she still wanted him to be her hero.

Hedging Bets

Let’s say John McCain gets the nomination. His best bet is probably to get Huckabee as his VP to almost guarantee pulling in the evangelical nomination. If it’s the other way around with Huckabee as president, I would still say the same. Huckabee needs someone with strong foreign policy experience, and just experience in general. [Sorry, but at this point I just can’t see Romney being a viable . . . anything.] McCain is seen as a problem by the republicans. Gee, maybe it’s because when they had the democrats in a tight spot and were about to make a killer deal, he stepped in the middle and fouled it all up. Several times.

For democrats, the ultimate ticket just may be an Obama–Clinton clincher. I say Obama first because he is the visionary, while Billary has the experience and clout on the Hill to line up all the ducks in a filibuster row. They just have to get over their exploded egos and the tension that has built up over the past almost-year.

Of that ticket, the real problem is Billary. Even though she’s got connections, you’re just sure you can’t trust her. She’s like old toothpaste with new packaging; promising fresh and clean, but your intuition tells you there is a real reason why it hasn’t gotten the Dental Association’s seal of approval. Or like pharmaceutical companies; you know they’re scalping you and that you are bound to end up with more negative side effects than the original problem gave you, but you’ve got to take something for your ills.

This is pretty much the best positioning for each party as far as I can tell. And they each need to figure out how to get their side elected. From now until election day, electability is the game.

Beyond One Commonality

The first major round of primaries is done.

John McCain has over half of the delegate votes needed to get the Republican nomination. Mitt Romney, the Mormon sugar daddy, has spent more than $35 million of his own money to get to where he is now. At best, he could only hope for a VP appointment. But, you never know, maybe he could help America pay off its deficit. Between Clinton and Obama, a decided leader hasn’t really emerged.

Looking at the polls, we see that most people are initially attracted to a certain candidate based on one feature or a commonality the voter feels they have with the candidate: Hillary attracts the women; Obama attracts blacks; Edwards attracted the “sick of government business-as-usual” crowd; McCain attracts the veterans and strong military types; no clue about Romney; and Huckabee attracts the evangelicals.

Mike Huckabee has shown to be a resilient campaigner and evangelical front-runner. My only concern is that most evangelicals see him through rose-colored glasses: he was a pastor, so he must be an incredible politician. Not so. If I go in to have heart surgery, I don’t want someone who is “just a Christian”, I want a great surgeon.  If I go to record an album, I don’t want someone who is “just a Christian”, I want great musicians and producers. When it comes to politics, I don’t just want someone with whom I have a starting point to relate to them (religion, philosophy, issue agreement, etc.), I want a great politician. Whether they are Christian or not only lends me to attribute more commonality between us and more solid of a starting point from which to investigate them further. A single commonality does not a good __________ make.

The question—politically, for me—is not whether we should have a Christian leading America, but how the candidates stack up on certain issues. Obviously an atheist is going to feel the same way about how the country should be led, but from an opposite perspective (“The less god-freaks in government, the better.”). For Huckabee, I just hope we can look past his halo to see:

• his foreign policy with Iraq, China, the Koreas, the Middle East, Israel, etc.
  
• how he grants favored nation status to countries guilty of inhumanities to man
• how he will deal with terrorism and our security
• how he will deal with radical Islam
• his economic plans (mortgages, jobs, various stimuli, avoiding recession/depression, etc.)
• his social security, welfare  and healthcare overhauls
• his tax system overhaul
• his illegal immigration response

As with all things, politics has more to it than, “Do I have an item of significance in common with this person?” Somewhere famous there is a good quote about being as wise as serpents but as harmless as doves. As a whole, contemporary Christianity seems to have the impotent thing to a science; it’s about time we get wisdom.

Historical Imperialism

For those thinking I was not being reasonable in my assessment of evolution and slavery, do not forget that my very assertion was one of the main arguments for Imperialism in America in the mid– to late 1800s.

Immediately upon Darwin’s convergent scientific release, Imperialists seized upon it as such an elementary and obvious understanding of class, and, therefore, of inherent value, position and rights. Well, that should actually be in reverse order: they recognized it as such an elementary and obvious understanding of inherent value, that it gave weight to their bigoted system of position, rights and class structure.

What was that time like?

• The Civil War had just ended; Lincoln was still the BMOC, but VP Johnson was about to get a raise
• Reconstruction had begun; it was the president’s job to put the country back together and start the healing process between the north and south
• Darwin released his evolutionary theory in 1859
• Only 25% of the south owned slaves; early in my life I was led to believe it was almost 100%
• Only 8% of the south had more than two slaves
• When the slaves were freed, their numbers totaled between 4 and 4.5 million; definitely a lot of people, but still less than half of all the losses and murders of WWII
• Blacks and whites were not segregated until between 1810 and 1830; therefore . . .
• Slavery was not originally an issue of race, but an issue of economics; many whites were slaves
• Many who were anti-slavery (and fought to end it) were still not pro-equality

As slavery transitioned from an economic impetus to an ethnic impetus among the general population, Imperialism provided the necessary tools (yeah, um, that would be “prejudice”) to apply inherent value to certain groups and not to others.

Fodder Alert

For those who missed the annual presidential spin machine, here’s CNN’s State of the Union video page. Notice to all Christians who missed it: in the first two minutes of part 4 Bush says there should be peace in the Middle East by the close of this year—2008. Well, at least he’s doing his part to make sure it happens this year.

Fire up the rumor mill, folks. This has “next bestseller” all over it.

History’s Lesson: Good and Bad

This continues the line of thought from the last major post.

If you recall from WWII history, the Nazis performed an unparalleled number of experiments on humans in a very short amount of time. They kept meticulous records, as they did in all circumstances, and built entire libraries of scientific information based on their results. Granted, they were aiming at a predetermined conclusion, so it was rigged, but they utilized “science” as their justification for murder and mutilation. That’s just as bad as people doing the same in the name of religion. The Nazi’s scientific conclusion was, for instance, that those with darker skin, with larger noses, from Jewish ancestry, or with darker eyes were predisposed to criminality. Since being a criminal is a bad thing, those who fell into those categories were sequestered and dealt with in ferocious ways.

[By the way, their data collection was that of correlational studies—that there might be a correlation between physical traits and criminality—which is completely different than strict cause-and-effect studies. Correlational studies many times are inconclusive at best because there are not effective ways to account for known and unknown variables. You cannot gather correlational data and say that it shows a definitive cause-and-effect.]

I am concerned whenever science is allowed to place value on certain individuals due to ethnicity or genetic make-up. I do not think assignment is within the domain of science. Yet, it seems we are headed back that way, down the road most traveled.

The catch-22 is that I don’t think science has a real choice in the matter. The advances in genomics leads down the path of investigating genetic predisposition, whether they want it to or not. Find the future alcoholics, flag them and get them in a program at an early age—show the detriments of alcohol and scare them straight. Find the future criminals, flag them and get them in a program at an early age—teach them to empathize by six months old and they will even cry at puppy commercials. Find the future abusers, flag them and get them in a program—empathy training with a heavy dose of familial and societal attachment. These ideas are such a small leap from where we are now.

We already use intelligence testing for placement (SAT or college entrance exam anyone?) and promotion, so why not utilize “the gifts God gave us” and include genetic testing as well. Find the sports star at age six and train them for the Olympics. Find the born leader and groom them to take over your multi–billion-dollar company. On the flip side, if we find the felony-minded, we have the opportunity to make our part of the world that much safer. Who wants to live in a bad neighborhood, anyways?

Problem is, who decides bad and good? Not the scientist; they can only say what is or isn’t. Good and bad are beyond their scope. But so far, they are the only ones speaking up.

This brings us back to the Nazis and evolution. The Nazis pursued justification through scientific means, making them seem like the voice of authority. The evolutionist’s claim of science currently positions them as the authority . . . but they come up empty when confronted with ideas like “all men are created equal”. How could you arrive at equality when evolution clearly states that all are not equal?

And, more poignantly, Martin Luther King, Jr. is hailed as a hero of the entire human race and as one who fought for justice. But if, according to evolution, he was not equal because of his ethnicity, why would evolutionists call him a hero? What do you do with a man who fights for equality when equality, according to evolutionary belief, is a myth? By their standard, he would be considered a subverter who was fighting for something that did not exist and was not his to obtain. This puts evolutionists in a tough spot.

If evolution is true, then we are not all created equal and King is bad. But if we are all created equal, King is a hero and that is good.

I am thankful that scientists cannot dictate what is good or bad, including which people are good or bad.

MLK Photos

One of the many presentations available online about Martin Luther King, Jr. This one is hosted by Slate.

An Evolutionary Argument for Slavery

I think it is interesting how you will not hear someone arguing a pro-slavery position nowadays, even though it has only been a little over one hundred years since slavery has been abolished. This post comes from an exchange with a prior psychology professor (a black female) about race and slavery.

My argument is for slavery from an evolutionary point of view. In other words, if humans are believed to have evolved from apes, I think it is arguable that slavery is an allowable, logical deduction. This is obviously not what I believe (either that humans came from apes, or that slavery is a good thing), but it is an interesting thought exercise.

The thought goes like this:

1. Evolution states that various species came into being from random or selected mutations over long periods of time.
   
2. It states that these changes are positive in that “survival of the fittest” is ensured through the changes.
   
3. It also states that these subsequent species came into being precisely because they were better in one way or another, regardless of how you categorize that: faster, smarter, stronger, smaller, more venom, more protection, more egg-laying capacity, ability to breathe in both air and water, ability to fly, etc.
   
4. These statements give rise to a flow of thought related to species hierarchy: a human is better than an ape, which is better than a weasel, which is better than a frog, which is better than an amoeba. This flow can be stated in reverse order, like this:
   

amoeba —> frog —> weasel —> ape —> human

So far, so good. Pretty generic stuff. We will quickly admit that an amoeba does not have the same rights, value or position as a human.

Following a great many articles and vast research, including, most interestingly, genomics, scientists have concluded that the first humans were located in Africa and subsequently spread from there in several waves. The first wave was into Egypt, the second was into various regions of Africa. The third was into the Middle East, India, Australia (the Aboriginal tribes), and Asia. The final wave, they say, was into the European nations, which would make caucasoids the latest “race” to evolve, while Africans would be the earliest.

With this in mind, the entire flow could be stated like this:

amoeba —> frog —> weasel —> ape —>

human {African —> Egyptian —>

Middle Eastern/Indian/Aboriginal/Asian —>

Caucasian}

If we can readily admit that an amoeba does not have the same rights, value and position as an ape, and that an ape does not have the same rights, value and position as a human, it should not be difficult to think that later iterations of humans are therefore higher in the hierarchy of human evolution.

And if we admit that, then it is a short leap to say, therefore, that certain humans, based on the evolutionary scale, are more progressed . . . better, in other words, according to evolutionary assertion #3 above.

Let’s talk about slavery for a minute. A slave, in short, is a person who is held in non-compensated servitude by another. By definition, the slave, is “less than” the owner in at least one way (position), but is usually considered “less than” in many ways. We may treat the family pet as if they were dear to our heart, but we would not grant them the same position, value or rights as a child within the family structure. The animal is still property and may be treated as such. And if it came to a choice between the pet or the child, it shouldn’t be difficult to agree which should be saved. Property can be replaced, but people can’t.

As far as slavery goes, they were considered property. They had no recognized value, rights or position because they were less than. I can’t imagine the average person saying that a Black person is “less than” today, but it almost seems that this is what some of the sciences are insinuating if we follow their line of thinking through to the end.

I think a serious evolutionist should look at this argument. Glibly saying that all humans, regardless of ethnic ancestry, have equal and inherent value is a serious misappropriation of evolution’s main tenets. Evolution clearly shows that one is better, and the other worse. So if you think slavery is wrong or bad, you can’t expect evolution to help prove that. Why? Well, because evolution will always highlight progress in successive iterations, not equality from the earliest to the most recent. The most recent is the most fit, the earliest is the least fit.

On the other hand, if evolution is taken to be true, then there is no grounds to say that slavery is wrong or bad. Slavery would be, at the very least, logically allowable. If evolution is true, it is no worse for the better and more recent iterations of humans to rule over the earlier “less than” iterations, than it is for an owner to rule over a dog. I think that if evolution is true, this could be one logical deduction.

I hope your emotions are pricked by the thought that evolution provides logical and (most notably) scientific grounds for slavery. And I hope you are repulsed by this thought. If not, then I fear we have learned nothing from history, but instead have accepted something sinister without greater scrutiny. More on that later.

MLK Day

Hope is one of the greatest gifts ever given to the human race. I believe that mankind has been given one of clearest pictures of true hope in the African American heritage, but especially as it is seen within the Black churches across the world, and specifically by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here’s to you. Here’s to hope.

Can They Sue Us?

Is it considered slander if a child equates their latest “porcelain deposit” to Thomas the Train?

See the mugshot of the accused below. See how she tries to blend into the background. Obviously guilty.

Everyone’s A Comedian

Amy took Kayla to run some errands the other day. While they were out, Amy had Kayla try on a few pairs of shoes and asked her which ones she liked. As Amy narrowed it down to two pairs, Kayla made her choice clear with one, shall we say, word of warning to her mother.

“You can get those shoes for me, but I won’t wear them.”

Thought

Without love, man finds no great home.

Samuel’s Fauxcut

Samuel was born with a natural fauxhawk. It has grown to the point where it won’t stick straight up, so it ends up being his first comb-over. Now, at about six months old, we decided to give him his first haircut. It’s kinda funny when you notice for the first time that a third of his cranial height was due to hair.

Hair to spare:



Post-cut:

Books

“Those books weren't made for walking!”
—Said to Kayla as she walked across books she had piled on the floor