What Religion Can't Do, Something Else Can

Michelle Malkin interviews Daveed Gartenstein-Ross regarding his year inside radical Islam. What sticks out most to me is the fact that Gartenstien-Ross moved from a seeker to an unquestioning automaton. His parents were, in his words "new-age hippie Jews." They had a syncretistic religion in their home where Jesus was in the living room and Buddha was out on the back lawn. They saw truth in multiple faiths and so they validated those faiths, even though those faiths were exclusive one to the other.

Because Gartenstein-Ross's parents didn't stand for anything in particular, they opened up their son to a radical, corrosive religion that actually stood for something. He was attracted to the hard boundaries that Islam offers. I'm reminded of a "hippie" study where it was proposed that a school playground have it's fence removed because children should have the freedom to explore and not have to run into barriers. What happened when the fence was taken down? The children didn't wander off or explore beyond the fence. They actually didn't want to use the playground equipment but stayed near the door. Instead of feeling free to explore, the children felt threatened by not knowing they were safe.

There is something oddly comforting in a set of rules. It grants the power to know things for certain, even if the rules are self-imposed. This is the underlying appeal of fundamentalism, whether it be Christian, Judaic, Islamic, or even vegan. People long to know what the boundaries are because they intuitively reason that there are rules to life. I did "X" and I got hurt, therefore I won't do "X" anymore. They struggle for peace and they find it in the oddest places, like when Gartenstein-Ross found Islam.

My own journey through fundamentalism led me to study a number of different religions in the effort to understand their difficiencies. "We" are right, and "they" are wrong. I was searching out the truth to validate my adopted religion. While I learned much of the truth, I learned that my religion had its little idiosyncracies and, while they didn't invalidate it, it helped me understand that no person can fully understand all of life and the God who created it. No one person or movement has all the answers to everything.

As a side note, the pastor of another church that shared our facility lost his son at a Vacation Bible School session when the tree he was playing in was struck by a bolt of lightning. There was no explanation for it. Why him? Why then? It didn't make sense to me and any answer as to the real reason behind his horrible death was completely unsatisfying. I've had similar experiences since then and the only conclusion I have is that the created order has been broken and the result is that "good" people meet "bad" situations and God works in these situations for our ultimate good. It doesn't take away the pain of the broken system, but it's one that offers hope and a future better than what we face today.

I realize, though, that the God of the Bible has fewer rules than the Christian fundamentalists ascribe to him and far fewer than those who choose to live under the law of Moses in Judaism or under the law of Mohammed in Islam. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God wholeheartedly and to love others more than ourselves. Everything else in the law hangs on either or both of these prima lexi, if I can co-opt the Latin in my own words. Those are the posts and rails by which all of life should be governed. Legalism and fundamentalism may find that these rules are not enough to live by, that much more must be defined to please God and love each other. Strangely enough, Jesus confronted the legalists and fundamentalists often in his ministry. They were called pharisees and saducees. They found that by defining the law down to the minutae, they often could find the loopholes that allowed them to honor the law but dishonor the spirit of the law. This is the poison found in any religion in the world.

The law is unable to change the heart of man. It simply puts up the boundaries for people to know where they stand. More and more people flock to religion only to find that it still doesn't satisfy or change their hearts. So what does?

In nearly everyone's life, they form relationships with others, if only on the surface. Relationships are the most dynamic agents of change. They are catalysts for growth or death, refreshment or draining. What most people never seem to realize is that they can have a relationship with their Creator. It's that relationship that serves as an agent for change in the Christian life. Pushing deeper in that relationship brings more and more growth and refreshment, even if they encounter harder times.

It's this relationship that I believe Gartenstien-Ross was really wanting. The question I have is, will he or has he discovered that relationship, or is he still chasing down the perfect law?

Calling Evil Good And Good Evil

If I were an elementary student at this school, I could dress up like a witch or a vampire, but not like Jesus Christ. How about a mafia hitman or the victim of an axe murderer? Apparently, all of this is good, but Jesus Christ is evil.

Cameron's Folly

Bones of Jesus Discovered, Millions Leave Christian Faith

Could that be James Cameron's dream headline after promoting his "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary?

Why would ossuaries discovered 27 years ago and already documented in 1996 by the BBC be re-documented in 2007? The only reasons I can think of would be to offer new and substantiative evidence or to make a quick buck. Given the credibility and tendencies of Hollywood and its "documentaries," I'm betting on the latter. Someone should give Cameron an introduction to Al Gore and Michael Moore. He'd fit right in. Then again, maybe that's what he wants to do.

Even the article from Fox News has the decency to point out,

William Dever, an expert on near eastern archaeology and anthropology, who has worked with Israeli archeologists for five decades, said specialists have known about the ossuaries for years.

"The fact that it's been ignored tells you something," said Dever, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona. "It would be amusing if it didn't mislead so many people."

So why is James Cameron making this gaffe of Titanic proportions? Perhaps because he knows how to follow marketing trends and he believes that his move from Christian-bashing to Christ-bashing puts him on the cutting edge in Hollywood. That certainly would raise his political capital with the Hollywood elite, who for time out of mind have been anxious to paint Christians as ignorant trailer trash.

The article also points out,

Pfann is even unsure that the name "Jesus" on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it's more likely the name "Hanun." Ancient Semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher.

Kloner also said the filmmakers' assertions are false. "The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time," he said.

Jesus, as most Biblical scholars know, is a variant of Joshua. Mary is a variant of Miriam, which is still a popular Jewish name 2,000 years later. If ancient Semitic script is difficult to decipher and the names are so common, what makes Cameron think he's got a case here? He doesn't appear to, which makes his chase of the almighty dollar all the more likely. He wouldn't be the first to put money ahead of religion.

Why Bill Maher Hates Christians

A lot of people remember Bill Maher from his late night television show and his adventures in cable. I'll always remember him as the guy who dressed up as Steve Irwin, complete with bloody stingray barb in his chest, during Halloween in 2006. He likes to make fun of Christians and George W. Bush in particular. His latest comments compare our sitting President to Gilligan.

Why does Maher hate Bush and Christians in general so much? A friend of mine named Greg gave me the answer in the form of a quote. I thought it worthy of your consideration.

Principle—particularly moral principle—can never be a weathervane, spinning around this way and that with the shifting winds of expediency. Moral principle is a compass forever fixed and forever true.

-- Edward R. Lyman

Maher is a skeptic and a cynical one at that. There's nothing skeptics and cynics dislike more than people who adhere to a moral compass. If someone has the answers you have declared unanswerable or unsearchable, you have an obligation to deplore their answers and the certainty with which they hold those answers. One of the two parties is wrong, and Maher doesn't want it to be him. Maher blusters with anger at Christians. Anger is always rooted in another emotion, be it frustration, fear, or some other source. It's unfortunate, but I think Maher's real issue with Christianity lies within, and not without.

This Side Of Heaven

I'm convinced that Satan applauds this guy's work. I'm sure they've read this scripture and this one too, and they are absolutely convinced that Jesus isn't referring to them. I'm pretty sure the pharisees felt the same way too until Jesus rebuked them.

A teacher recently quoted a friend who said "Religion is man's idea about God's expectations." Another person defined religion as "man's attempt to get to God." I suspect that the average person really doesn't know what to do with God. He's either some far-off abstraction, or a cruel master, or a powerless benefactor, or... fill in the blank. A lot of us are either unwilling or unable to accept God as being Who he has revealed himself to be and accept whatever that means for us. No, we like having things neat and orderly and contained, like

• The utility company provides electricity if you pay your bill
  
• Mechanics are guys who can fix cars
  
• Do good things and you will have a good life

The last few years, I've been forced to confront one of the hardest truths in the Christian life: Man is finite and not capable of fully understanding God, and God's actions are not always predictable or suited to man's morality. This is in direct conflict with my desire to understand God and understand his actions in and around me. For years, I treated my religion with the standard belief that if I love God and do his will, I will get a good life in return. The problem is that my idea of "a good life" is not really his chief objective. Proverbs makes certain guarantees for wisdom and there are many promises and blessings for the person who does God's will, but there is nothing said in scripture that says everything will go my way. In fact, if I do believe that, I'm not really serving God, I'm serving myself. It's a painful realization to know that God is not subject to my scruitiny, as if I had a microscope big enough to put him under or a brain large enough to grasp his eternal existence. This doesn't stop me from asking questions, but it does help me realize that I will have to wait until I am face to face with him in eternity to get a satisfying answer for each one of them.

One of the questions I don't have a satisfying answer for is why God allows the person in the picture above to go around pretending to be his only spokesman. I see them driving people away from God with these statements, and that really angers me, which can keep me from understanding what God is doing. God doesn't like what they're doing, but God can still use what they're doing. Often, these people cause Christians to stand up and confront the wrong message and present the right one. Their inflammatory rhetoric causes people to examine their own hearts and search out the answers. There is good being worked out. That still doesn't help me see why God allows these people to speak for him. I don't have the answer; just the inkling of a clue for a possible reason. And that will have to do for this side of heaven.

Oh, and if there is anyone who actually is wondering how God feels about people in the homosexual lifestyle, it's true that while God condemns homosexuality as sin, he also cares more than anyone could know about people caught up in that sin, just like the adulterer and the idolater. His word is pretty clear:

[Jesus said,] "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Matthew 18:11-14

My Daddy Prays For Me

A computer snafu--at least that's the technical term for it--has required me to go through all of my files and rescue what is worth saving. We're talking files from 10 years ago! Among those files, I came across a poem that a friend sent to me. I searched the web and didn't turn up an author. If anyone knows, please let me know.

My Daddy Prays for Me

When Daddy prays the house gets still
His voice is slow and deep
We shut our eyes, the clock ticks loud
So quiet we must keep.

When Daddy prays he doesn't use
The words the preacher does.
He prays for lots of different things,
But mostly it's for us.

His prayers get awful log sometimes
And hard to understand.
So I just wiggle up quite close
And let him hold my hand.

I can't remember all of it;
I'm little yet, you see.
But there's one thing I can't forget:
My daddy prays for me.

Author Unknown

Hot Air: Moderate Muslims Intimidated By...Other Muslims

This seems to answer why we don't see Muslims in America denouncing jihad.

Trickle-Down Homeschooling

We were just witness to another one of the benefits of homeschooling. My wife was drilling our 10 year-old and 7 year-old on reciting the US Presidents in order. Both kids had a little trouble remembering who came after Andrew Jackson. Right away, our 3 year-old daughter walked up and said, "Martin Van BUREN!" Everyone laughed in surprise. We decided to quiz her by giving the first names and having her complete them. This is no small feat considering the number of Jameses in the early years. She made it all the way to Abraham Lincoln, missing only 3 up to that point, giving her 13 out of 16. For a 3 year-old, I think that's terriffic!

This is a great example of what my conservative mind likes to call "Trickle-Down Homeschooling." It's something one-room schoolhouses also experienced. Young minds are exposed to the harder work older students do and as a result of these repeated exposures, they pick up on the lessons taught earlier and faster than the older students. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen with a lot of families that do collective or out loud exercises.

Kids naturally pick up on learning. It's just what they do. As a homeschooling parent, I'm going to look for more opportunities for my 3 year-old to hang around and pick up what she can. It's so easy and she's such a bright girl that I'm sure she'll have more "Van Buren" moments.

Myths About Socialization And Other Nonsense

Recently, I received the following note in my inbox.

Steve,

My name is Matt Scott. I am the editor of the Beginner's Guide to Home School. (beginnersguide.com/home-school)

Our site is intended to be a resource for someone looking for information on home schooling.

If you think our site would be of some interest to your readers, would you please consider adding us to the Home School links section of your blog?

Thanks in advance!
Matt Scott
beginnersguide.com/home-school/

These sorts of invitations come to bloggers from various organizations looking to generate a little more traffic to their site. I examined beginnersguide.com's homeschool page and then followed up with my response.

Matt,

Thank you for your interest in my blog, Walden's Wits. While I find your site to be useful, I also deem it to be inconsistent with our own experience in homeschooling our children. In particular, some of the cons you list are ones we have managed to avoid or simply not found in homeschooling.

For example, you listed "Socialization issues" as your first negative about homeschooling. As you can see in one of my posts here, it's clear that socialization is something that homeschooling actually helps resolve. NHEN also has a good article. I think you'll find that most homeschoolers will agree with me that socialization is not an issue when it comes to homeschooling.

As another example, you listed "Minimal regulation can lead to poor quality control." I'm not sure why this is listed as a negative aspect for a family considering homeschooling. If anything, the law that Colorado has regarding homeschooling is a model for other states. Parents have the options to choose from a wide variety of curricula and customize their children's education to meet their individual needs. Parents need freedom to homeschool their children effectively without the state looking over their shoulder to make sure every rule is followed. You should realize that regulation is a poor substitute for parental interest and control. Regardless, this negative aspect is one for legislators consider, not the family looking into homeschooling. If you would like to examine this topic further, I would refer you to the experts at HSLDA.org.

While your site is useful and helpful in other respects, these examples lead me to believe that your study of homeschooling is at best incomplete or outdated. While it's quite possible that you have some empirical knowledge of homeschooling, I'm concerned that your site does not accurately represent homeschooling to those interested. Therefore, I must decline presenting your site to my readers as a valuable resource worth their time. Hopefully, changes to your presentation will allow me to endorse it at some future date.

Sincerely,

Steve Walden
Walden's Wits

While I appreciate efforts like this to help folks decide whether to homeschool, the information has to be accurate. Perpetuating myths like homechooling will turn your children into backwater hermits has to stop. Maybe with some new data, they can change their site to more accurately reflect homeschooling to those who are considering it. In the meantime, I think it's better to sit down with an experienced homeschooling family from their church and find out why they are homeschooling. Experienced homeschooling families know what works and what doesn't. They will know whether some site or book out there has its facts straight and can help you decide if homeschooling is right for you and your children. If you can't find someone like that, I'm always available. I even have an FAQ.

Prayer Can Be A Conversation

The way people look at God and prayer sometimes makes me wonder if they've really thought it through. For example, take Pete Wentz, bassist for the pop-punk group Fall Out Boy. He was recently quoted in Kerrrang! as saying,

I don't know where I stand about God. I want God to exist when I need Him. To me, God's the ultimate crisis counselor—I want to be able to dial up 1-800-HEAVEN and make sure that my plane doesn't crash! ... I don't go to church or believe in God, particularly, but I really hope there's a place for me.

Let's hope Pete doesn't take the exit from the freeway of life anytime soon. Like a lot of people, he opts for a convenient higher power. Prayers are shot up into the heavenlies like, "Please don't let my plane crash." "Please let me win the lottery." "Please let my friend be okay." We treat God like he's someone we don't like. We don't call on him unless we're in a mess of trouble.

Prayer is--or should be--just like a conversation. The more you talk with someone, the better you know them. The deeper the relationship, the easier and more meaningful the words. Some folks never get past the trite prayers, the ones we say at dinnertime or the ones we pray when we want to feel good. I remember a line from Bruce Almighty,

Bruce: Lord, feed the hungry, and bring peace to all of mankind. How's that?
God: Great... If you wanna be Miss America.

Good prayers are relevant, heartfelt and simple. The best prayers are selfless and loving. Later on in the same movie, Bruce is praying for his ex-girlfriend Grace,

God: ...You want her back?
Bruce: No. I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes.
God: Now that's a prayer.

These are the kinds of prayers that God loves to answer. They're from an eternal perspective, not a temporal, "gimme" mentality. They have an effect not only on the subject of the prayer, but on the one doing the praying as well.

Additionally, there's a common perception out there that prayer is a one-way deal. Most people pray and don't expect to hear an answer. They don't know that they can get a response through the Holy Spirit. If you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it's possible to hear his voice in your heart and discern God's will. Why else would 1 John 4 instruct us to test the spirits? We have an ability to know God's specific will for our lives and even some of God's answers to life's questions. But it won't work if you fail to submit to him. God is not willing to give an answer to someone who wants to push back on him. Job found that out. If we think we should make God submit to our own judgment, then ants should likewise have total authority over our lives. Instead, we follow God as children: curious, inquisitive and thoughtful. It is childlike faith that pleases God. It's then that he's most willing to answer our questions and embrace our hearts.

Prayer can be a conversation, a meaningful, loving, heartfelt, selfless, childlike conversation. By reading the word and seeking his wisdom in prayer, we get to know the character and the heart of the Almighty. Most importantly, little by little, that character and that heart reaches into us and makes us more like him. That alone should make it worth our while.

So Sad...

Fathers just don't do this. Words fail me.

Football Blues? Not Tonight

Football season may be over, and men may have the February blues, except those in Indiana. After all, it is another five months until training camp and the pre-season. But before you start reaching for the NFL Films highlight reels or in a worst case scenario, resort to sleeping with pigskins and a mouth guard, consider one last hurrah. The Super Bowl echoes may already be fading, but my family and I just watched one of the best football films of all time.

Think Remember the Titans. Think Rudy. Now think… Facing the Giants. Like the fictional team it represents, Facing the Giants is from a no-name production company out of what could be considered a no-name town like Albany, Georgia. This is no formula-driven, market-researched, product-placed-at-just-the-right-moments- (did someone say Top Gun and Pepsi?)-to-sell-more-stuff kind of movie. This one has dirt under its fingernails and grass stuck in its cleats. Is it cliché-ridden, emotional-roller coaster, mom-and-apple-pie, chest-thumping movie making? Of course! Those are the best ones. We want to see those stories because those are the stories you go looking for in the dark, stinking moments of life where you’re nearly convinced that what others say about you and yours is true. We need to believe in the myths and legends that tell us it’s not over yet, that you have a hope and a future. We need movies like Facing the Giants.

It is rare to see this kind of filmmaking put on by--dare I say it?--a church. Few churches are willing to pony up the bucks for a top-notch production. Too many faith-driven productions suffer from the words “close is good enough.” I am sensitive to those flaws because I’ve seen the best messages fumbled by lousy deliverymen. I was looking for the letdown and I couldn’t see it. Football movies don’t cost much to make when you balance it against the money-shot special effects that dazzle the audiences. But when the hits happen, you grit your teeth. When the drills and spills come at you like they did me... well, my football legs were aching in sympathy. Someone said it once, “Find one thing you like to do, and do it better than everybody else.” The folks behind Facing the Giants did that. They did it with the same heart and determination you see on the screen, and you believe each character because they are each character. They know football. They know the smell of the high school locker room. You want to talk about Friday Night Lights? Go "Face Your Giants" first.

And my son likes it just as much as I do.

Feedburner

I'm happy to report that the problems with feedburner appear to be resolved. Those that have subscribed to the feed for Walden's Wits will likely not experience any more difficulty after today. You may notice that several posts "reiterate" themselves today due to some changes I'm making. I apologize for any inconvenience. It should be resolved shortly.

Suffering By Comparison

One of the best ways to judge performance is by comparison. It’s also one of the worst mistakes a Christian can make when judging their progress. It is so easy to look at our friends or even our acquaintances we meet at church and make comparisons with our own lives. And unfortunately, it’s totally wrong. The problem is twofold.

First, we believe we are working with accurate data when we’re actually not. We judge things by appearances. That nice, neatly dressed family that sits in front of you at church seems to have it all together. We have a hard time seeing past the veneer and realizing that they have their struggles just like we do. The pastor’s family has their issues too. People are not all that willing to share their human frailties because they instinctively cover and guard themselves from other’s scrutiny. As a result, the polished image of others is all we usually see and we make the leap from seeing our own faults to believing that we are specially flawed. While some have it more together than others, no one has it all together and no one can make an accurate judgment about whether someone else has it all together because they don’t see everything. Only God knows everyone’s faults and strengths. Only God can judge rightly every time.

The second part of the problem is more complex. We assume that everyone faces the same problem set. We believe that the Christian walk is the same for everyone. While we may use the same gate of Jesus’ unblemished sacrifice on the cross to enter the kingdom, the roads both to and from the crossing of Jesus Christ are as varied as the people who travel them. Making comparisons is impossible because no one has gone over the same exact road, living the same exact experiences. Our problem comes when we move from relating with others to drawing comparisons between how we acted in one situation and how others handled their own situations. It is the classic analogy of apples to oranges. Situations have similarities, but each one is unique and different. There’s no way to make an accurate, side-by-side comparison.

They overcame [the accuser] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony

Revelation 12:11a

Our testimony is not simply our story of how we got to the cross, but our journey afterward. It is the narrative that describes God’s active role in our lives. It has similarities for some, but in every case, it is unique. Making a comparison between testimonies is beneficial only for marveling at the wondrous variety of ways in which God works with people. We cannot use it as a basis for judging progress or strength. God is the only capable judge of such things, and so our only focus should be on his perception of us. In the end, that’s the only judgment that matters.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

Psalm 141:8

We have only one person whose opinion about us truly matters. It is God Himself. If we set out to please ourselves by comparing our lives to others, we are under a delusion of bad facts and poor judgment, suffering the consequences and failing the real test. Only God matters, and he works by a system he spells out in his Word, the Bible, not by our standards. If we learn this, we will avoid a lot of heartache and disillusion and we will enjoy the fruits God wants us to have.

Jihad And Mickey Mouse

“One day you will see the flag of Islam
over the White House. Allah Akbar! “

-- a Muslim Imam in California

I'm no stranger to the clips that Fox News plans to air in its show on Saturday 2/3 about Radical Islam: Terror in Its Own Words, but if you haven't seen this footage, you need to. We have good reason to be concerned that Iran and other militant Islamic states will continue to export terror and violence to every corner of the world, including our own back yard.

This isn't just the standard "Death to America!" footage that rolls so often. This shows how the terrorists glorify jihad, how they train children practically from the cradle to idolize suicide bombers, and how they regularly incite violence from the platforms of their mosques. Those on the left would be appalled at the extreme institutional racism both genocidal and ruthless that is broadcast day-in, day-out on Arab channels throughout the Middle East. I have seen these shows using Mickey and Minnie Mouse-like characters to train the children how to despise Jews and Americans. The whole of it makes the World War II-era Japanese fanaticism look weak by comparison.

We all have reason to be concerned. More importantly, I believe our nation has cause to act in the interest of it's citizens to protect them from such crazed hatred. Like it or not, this war may have no choice but to expand. I don't say that lightly. In fact, my stomach churns at the thought. War is so ugly and ruinous and I truly hate it. Yet, I worry that we may have no choice in the near future. Our very survival as a nation may depend on it. May God protect us all and may it be over quickly.

A Not-So-Super Bowl Party

Rules irritate me.

Let me clarify. It irritates me when someone uses the rules that exist for the good of X to prevent the good of X from happening. In Jesus' time, the Saducees and Pharisees burdened their people with all sorts of rules which they believed were necessary to please God. "No walking more than so many feet on the sabbath," and so forth. It was ridiculous to be that specific. Part of Jesus' revolutionary teachings was that the two greatest commandments were all that was necessary to please God and live a fruitful, satisfying life. Keeping the letter of the law kills your soul, but keeping the spirit of the law brings life.

This weekend will see Super Bowl XLI® in Miami. The two teams, the Chicago Bears® and the Indianapolis Colts® will represent the NFC® and the AFC® respectively. Please note that the words Super Bowl XLI®, Chicago Bears® and Indianapolis Colts® along with the acronyms NFC® and AFC® are licensed and protected by the NFL®. It is unlawful for organizations, entities, persons, or corporate bodies and/or enterprises to use these terms in promotion of their own events. A church in Indianapolis (thank goodness they didn't ® the city name itself) has found out through lawyers for the NFL that they could be sued if they have a Super Bowl party or show the Super Bowl® on anything larger than a 55 inch screen. Some homes, I reckon, are also breaking the law by using their projection TVs and having a few friends over. I wonder why the lawyers don't go after them?

All the NFL® has done by enforcing this law aimed at protecting the NFL® from being abused is alienate fans in Indianapolis. A few years ago, my own church hosted a similar party on it's projection TVs for families that didn't feel comfortable taking their kids to sports bars. This is a new and untapped potential audience and such events promote the NFL and football in general as an all-American, family-friendly activity. How on earth is that wrong? This is holding to the letter of the law (no events and no screens larger than 55 inches) and ignoring the spirit of the law (protecting and promoting the NFL®). Commissioner Roger Goodell had better learn such differences quickly if he expects his league to prosper and expand enough to support teams in cities outside the United States.

By the way, I didn't have to ® every term (or the NFL logo) because they constitute illustration and fair use. I was just showing how cumbersome and ridiculous it is to hold to the letter of the law.

Bouncer - A Ski Story

I have been battling a bit of the blues lately. We have had snow on the ground since before Christmas here and it's getting into February. Snow where I live is like a good houseguest. It stays a few days, maybe two weeks and then it's gone.

I would be enjoying this more if I was able to ski. Sadly, my condition really doesn't like skiing, especially because it seems to be weather sensitive. Not to mention the fact that my toes still remember the indirect frostbite from high school days spent rocketing down the slopes. I couldn't feel my toes for a few years. But it was a small price to pay for all the fun I had.

Bouncer

One time when I was up skiing with my high school, a friend dared me to take a run called Bouncer. It was a relatively quiet day on the mountain and I had not done that run yet. My friend assured me that it was a groomed blue, meaning steep and smooth, good for large carving turns or tucking. My friend, of course, dared me to "tuck all the way down." Being young and foolish, and never for a moment considering why it might be named Bouncer, I did it. I got into the tuck and began to really pick up speed. It was like the movies. Trees were whizzing past my field of view. Instead of thinking 40 feet ahead, I was trying to look 150-200 feet ahead for people, which were thankfully almost non-existent. The adrenaline was in high gear. My heart was beating in my ears, battling to be heard above the wind as it roared. I could feel the dynamics of my skis changing with the speed and they felt terrific as they flew down the slope.

It was just about halfway down that I saw it. It was a 12 foot-wide access trail traversing the steepest section of the blue and forming an unmarked jump. Because it was white-on-white, my eyes didn't pick it up until it was too late to do anything. Anything, that is, but scream, "Oh NOOO!" My skis hit the jump and it forced me forward to where I was looking between the pair fairly closely. The snow peeled away as I rose up into my "modified spread eagle," also known as the "Look Ma, I'm About To Snort Snow!" position. I was flying! I saw the run fall away beneath me and I was flying!

Then...gravity reasserted itself and I fell like a rock. One thought ran through my mind. "Get forward over your skis now or you're a dead man." I leaned forward until I felt like any more would result in a somersault. Wham! My skis hit the snow and if I had been going fast before I hit the jump, falling the 25 to 30 vertical feet I covered in the jump made me feel like I was on rockets! I carved two giant rooster tail turns to bring myself to a stop and look back up at the "cliff" I had just soared over. It was the bounce in Bouncer. My other friends, who were not quite as crazy as I was had stopped short and were amazed to see that I was, in fact, standing and not lying in the middle of a yard-sale of slightly used, adrenaline-soaked ski gear. That night, we exchanged our stories over dinner and I thanked my friend for the dare. It made for one of my best experiences skiing. In the years following, I would do plenty more jumps, but none so high or thrilling as Bouncer.

Further Thoughts

Looking back on those days, now almost twice as old as I was then, I see the foolishness of my actions and wonder... I really do wonder... if I can get back up there and do it again! Am I crazy? Probably. On the other hand, it is one thing to tell stories and watch others do. It is quite another thing to actually live it yourself. I want to get healthy enough to challenge my son to go faster and fly farther than I did. Are there risks? Absolutely!

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

-- Theodore Roosevelt, 1899

Roosevelt is on Mt. Rushmore for good reason.

I want my son to take risks, to dare mighty things. As a father, my first instinct is to react and pull him back from the edge of risk. Yet, in his heart there is a man wanting to test himself, to see what he's capable of. He may be seven now, but tomorrow he's eight, then nine. When do I pass on that willingness to test himself, to gain the confidence he needs to dare to do great things? It starts right now. I will pass on what I have learned and encourage him to press into bigger and better things. I will counsel him to be wise but bold, for timidity is often excused as wisdom. I will not demand success, but I will give him a solid foundation from which to build and the courage to do so.

In such an endeavor, I will need help, perhaps moreso than the average guy because of my disability. Being disabled does not excuse me from raising a son to be godly, strong and full of courage. It is among my most sacred duties. The help I need will come from God, my family, and from a select cadre of men that can pass on to my son more skills, and more gifts. I want my son's life to be far richer, far more fruitful than my own. And it starts here.

God, help me complete this quest, in Jesus' name.