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PATTERN RECOGNITION
John 1:45-46 “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.” Here’s another insight from Scott Adams: “There are three important things to know about human beings in order to understand why we do the things we do. 1. Humans use pattern recognition to understand their world. 2. Humans are very bad at pattern recognition. 3. And they don’t know it.” (Loserthink, p.66)…
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THE 10/90 SPLIT
John 2:25 “[Jesus] did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” It is rare for me to find a book so interesting that it is hard to put down. Much rarer still to find a book that I don’t want to put down because I find its ideas literally life-changing. It is pure magic to come across words on a page that feel like locating a long-missing puzzle piece. I’m talking about the sort of idea that grabs your mind and doesn’t let go. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And…
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MR. RUKES NEVER LEARNED
John 2:23-25 “Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs He was performing and believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” You could get away with almost anything in Mr. Rukes’ classroom, at least until student misbehavior reached a certain critical mass, turning Mr. Rukes’ face a dark red to the top of his bald spot. At that point, his veins would bulge and he would always…
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A NEW YEAR…
And a fresh start. No year in my lifetime has taught me more important lessons than 2020 did. My family and I got knocked around pretty good, and not just by the pandemic. But at least I have something to show for all the pain by year’s end. You do not have to love the teacher to be grateful for the lessons learned. I have made a New Year’s resolution to write: 1) Daily and 2) Concisely So I will consider this a good start. 😉
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A VAGUE UPDATE
Many people have contacted Melissa and me after seeing Cap-Haitien Christian School’s Facebook and Instagram posts naming our friend and co-worker, Kacie, as “interim director” of the school. Natural questions arise: “Why the change?” “What does ‘interim’ mean here?” “What will Melissa’s role be next school year?” “Are you guys planning to return to Haiti?” “What’s going on?” For now, Melissa and I find ourselves in the midst of a period of discernment regarding recent years of ministry as well as the future. Some day I will be able to speak more freely about this season in our lives, but…
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CHANGE OF PLANS
Like you, our plans have been altered repeatedly over these past few weeks. I’ve been pretty quiet on social media (I tend to process things in silence) and so much has changed that now I don’t even know where to start. But here’s a basic timeline:Early March – COVID cases reported in the Dominican Republic next door, but nothing in Haiti yet. Thursday, March 12 – Haiti shuts its borders with the DR. Knowing our school could be shut down at any moment, we begin making plans: grade school teachers make take-home packets and junior and senior high teachers prepare to…
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Most overrate Kindness Greatest be Oh Staking laughter
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the…
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The heart of Nintendo’s new console isn’t the Switch
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the…
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FIGHTING THE FUNK
Last weekend I worked myself into a true funk after Sarah’s (belated) birthday party ended. So, the party just left me fighting the funk.My memory often fails me now, but one moment at the end of what must have been an unusually harmonious night ten or eleven years ago (!!) sticks with me: Sarah was still a little one in diapers, just recently arrived at the really fun stage of toddlerhood, and Melissa and I had put her in her crib for the night and had now turned our attention to getting the older three kids to sleep. Samuel, four…
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GETAWAY
My family and I have only recently started taking advantage of a generous offer that was first made a year and a half ago when we moved off the OMS grounds and relocated up the mountainside. Our new landlord told us from the start that we were welcome to use his family’s beach house for occasional getaways if we desired. That sounded like a GREAT idea to us, but most free time – and spare energy – during our first six months were spent getting settled and doing projects around the house. Then came the civil unrest and for most of…
