September

At the beginning of September, Eli (my bike partner-in-crime) and I went to a small grassroots conference called BikeBike. It’s a very cool eclectic bunch of folks from all over the country who come together to talk about running community bike shops. We had a couple of guys from Nebraska sleep in a tent in our backyard. At the conference we learned a bit and hooked up with a guy named Jason from Sibley Bike Depot. Jason was excited about what we were doing and encouraged us along and promised the support of Sibley. A week or so later we check out Sibley to see what a real professional community bike shop looks like, it’s sweet. Sibley has a board meeting and agrees to support us by allowing us to order tools and supplies through their wholesale account. We put in a $550 order (from a neighborhood block grant) for locks, tires, tubes, patches, and more. At the end of the month we host a small “bike safety” gathering to connect with a few neighborhood kids and give away some bike locks (along with an elaborate system to help track whose lock and bike each is).

October

Sibley offers to give us some bikes. I was thinking maybe 10, but they say they’ve got plenty more. We take two pick-up trucks and put 67 bikes in the back! The bikes fill up half our basement.

A week later, Eli is given a big trailer from another bike group that’s disbanded. The trailer used to be for a traveling bike circus (tall bikes, strong man, etc). It has a wild mural painted on it, the side opens up to a stage and it’s seven feet tall. Not sure exactly what we’ll do with it yet, but it’s sweet. And it’s parked in my backyard.

We buy a few more tools too and start setting up shop at the end of the month.

November

It’s just me and Eli, but we’ve had our first two ‘open shop’ times where we mostly hung bikes up, set up a work bench and organized tools, but we’ve started messing with a couple bikes. We also scored a couch for the downstairs and as soon as I get the radio working we’ll be ready to make the shop public.

The plan is to have open shop hours every other week for other volunteers to come and help fix up bikes. Come spring time we’ll potentially have over 50 bikes to give out to neighborhood kids. I’m still planning on keeping things very low-key on my end, just giving bikes to kids who I know, but we’ve talked about partnering with other neighborhood groups to give out bikes through their programs.

Here are some photos:

And to finish things off, if your on facebook, consider becoming a Fan of the project there as I’ll be posting more regular updates and pictures as things progress.

Mr. Fine — thank you for sending this official listing to the Presidential Selection Committee with the information on the “signers” of the open letter.  The information has been forwarded to the Presidential Selection Committee for their review.

We appreciate your interest and especially your continued prayers for this very important process.

Sincerely,

Presidential Selection Committee

Wheaton College

presidentialselection@wheaton.edu

Mimi Barnard, CCCU’s vice president for professional development and research, provided Her.meneutics more recent statistics. As of fall 2008, the gender ratio among all senior administrators at CCCU schools was 86 percent male, 14 percent female, compared with a 55/45 percent ratio among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Further, 5 percent of CCCU schools are now led by women…

Dear Wheaton Presidential Selection Committee,

As an academic institution and as a Christian community, Wheaton recognizes the importance of diversity and has acted successfully on it. The selection committee, chosen to help select the next Wheaton president, also recognizes the importance of diversity and includes this as part of its “Commitment” section in the concise “qualifications desired”:

To champion ethnic, economic, and gender diversityCompared to other academic institutions, the percentage of white and male Christian college presidents in the CCCU is much higher than in their secular counterparts (currently there are no minority CCCU presidents and only 2% female, compared to 12.8% and 21.1% respectively in all national institutions). Wheaton College has had seven presidents over the course of its 150 year history and Litfin began his tenure as Wheaton College’s seventh white male president in 1993. We should acknowledge that our historical prejudices would probably not have allowed it otherwise, but a lot has changed in the 17 years since Wheaton last had the chance to select a president.

We strongly encourage the committee to search diligently for a female or minority candidate to be in the final pool of candidates. It is not enough to hope that qualified women and minorities will present themselves. Wheaton should make diversity of primary importance in considering the leader of this great academic institution for Christ and His Kingdom.

The Selection Committees deadline for applications is next week (Nov. 1st) and so we are trying to gather signatures as quickly as possible. The hope is that this letter will serve as an accountability check on the process, recognizing that diversity isn’t something we just pay lip service to, but that we actively have to work against some of the systemic discrimination that exist in the system.

After posting this letter on my own facebook page and sending a note out to all my fellow Wheaton alum, I received a rather negative comment about this sort of “affirmative action” being “racist” and discriminatory. It was a pretty harsh critique, but seeing as the letter had already garnered several signatures in a couple hours, I felt I wasn’t alone in my beliefs. Before I had time to respond to the comment another friend, Indie, gave this brilliant response that I’ll include below. I think this comment is a great summary as to why a letter like the above is so important to keeping our “christian” institutions accountable.

That depends on your definition of qualified. “Qualified” has traditionally been defined in a way that excludes the experience of women and minorities. For example, if unpaid volunteer experience is considered to be less than paid experience then by and large women are being excluded because they tend to spend a large amount of their time not working in order to serve others. As a Christian institution, Wheaton should be recruiting leaders based on Christian values. Giving up your income to serve others is very Christlike, but it seldom wins you any fans on the types of boards that choose presidents of universities.

Another thing that might be looked at is where a candidate did his or her course work. Will the committee take into consideration that some candidates were excluded from even attending many schools in the past (including many Christian schools) due to their race?

The biblical precedent for this sort of thing is jubilee. Those who had failed and missed out in the past (due to injustice or their parents or whatever) were given another chance, an equal playing ground. We need to really clearly understand that women and minorities have not been given an equal playing ground and take that into consideration.

The letter simply asks that a minority or woman be in the final pool of candidates. That is not too much to ask. If 50 percent of the final pool is not female, the leaders at Wheaton should be asking themselves long hard questions about the fairness of the system to begin with. Unless they truly believe that women are inferior. In that case they should be upfront about it. Likewise, minorities should be represented in proportion at least to their existence within the Christian community. The fact that we have to be so intentional to make this so points to the systemic unfairness of the system in the first place rather than the unfairness of the request for equal representation.

Please consider signing the letter and passing it on to your friends and fellow Wheaton grads and students to sign as well.

Order Here.

Read about child labor in the chocolate Industry here. and here. and here.

The one thing I think about each year when my birthday rolls around is whether or not my life (and the past year) has had a positive impact on those around me. If I’ve had a positive impact on you let me know and consider doing something intentional …Read More

The one thing I think about each year when my birthday rolls around is whether or not my life (and the past year) has had a positive impact on those around me.
If I’ve had a positive impact on you let me know and consider doing something intentional to have a positive impact on others. I’ve listed 5 things that make up my birthday wishlist for this year. Consider doing one of them and then let me know about it (or not).

1. Become a mentor ( http://www.bbbs.org , Kinship, Bolder Options)
2. Eat Fair Trade chocolate or give up chocolate for a year. http://bit.ly/lqC1R
3. Sponsor a child ( http://www.worldvision.org/ http://www.compassion.com )
4. Take a person in need out to a nice dinner or hold a banquet for a larger group http://bit.ly/2ytjsX
5. Loan money to someone through http://kiva.org

And if your not comfortable doing any of the things I listed pick something else: bike to work, donate blood, volunteer at a domestic abuse shelter, pay for the persons toll behind you, give all your money away, become an organ donor, adopt a child, give away your nicest coat and don’t buy a new one, smile.

(Via my Birthday Wishlist on Facebook Causes)

And for other random birthday fun, become a fan of these Facebook Pages below:

(And become a Friend on Google Connect)

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

The idea of our “satisfaction” being central to life’s purpose, to ‘worship’ and to God was apparently counter to what most religious people believed. Me, personally, being early in my faith and walk, soaked it up. It seemed to make perfect sense to me, we were created to have pleasure (think: taste buds).  And that quickly, I became a Christian hedonist.

Now, you can read Piper’s summaries of Christian Hedonism, but for the purpose of this discussion I’ll try and summarize it in my own words.

Basically, the idea is that following and seeking our intended purpose will lead to the most fulfilling life. Piper believes that our purpose is to glorify God and we do that through following the scripture and mandates laid out in the Bible. So, we are ultimately seeking our own happiness and satisfaction through Biblical calls to “deny yourself” and “love one another” and give to those in need and so on and so forth.

I think one of the things I connected with so strongly with this view is it is, again, something that most people, regardless of religious background can relate to. We all want to be happy. We all want purpose in life and to fulfill that purpose.  I had discovered this and then sought after it within the context of the Christian faith. And so far, despite faith struggles, I haven’t found the need or desire to seek it elsewhere.

One of the reason I think I’ve carried this doctrine or view with me for so long is that I think it had a huge impact on my turning many of my convictions in my early college years. As I read the Bible and began to see with my own eyes so much of this radical love you enemies and care for the poor sorts of commands, I did not hesitate as much as I might have without this Christian Hedonism view. For me, I’d come to believe following those mandates would lead to the most fulfilling life and so if there was clear and obvious commands like “love your enemies” then it was best to follow those.

And that’s where it leaves me. I know others might find this semi-heretical and still others might find it makes a great argument for ditching Christianity and seeking many other hedonistic routes. I’d like to hear opinions from all sides. What I wrote above is some reflection on where I have been, I’m comfortable holding loosely to those views and open to hearing others.

So when we pass the big yellow bird at the Children’s hospital next week, we might say hello but he’s not going to get any special treatment.

(This article was published in the summer issue of Geez Magazine, a rough draft had previously been posted on this site, but I realized I had not posted the final version for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoyed.)

Last week, I suggested listening to this sermon, Did Christ Die For Us or for God?, by John Piper. It was one of the foundational sermons in my early faith development and something I had not really gone back to reflect on in several years. Listening to it this past couple weeks I found I could still quote much of it verbatim, which gives you an idea of how much I’ve listened to it. So, for those who have and haven’t here is an ever so brief summary.

SPOILER ALERT: The answer to the sermon title is “for God.”

Summary:

• Secular Mindset: Man is at the center of the universe vs. Biblical Mindset: God is the most absolute reality.
• “Is the basic riddle of the universe how to preserve man’s rights and solve his problems (say, the problem of suffering)?” “How shall God be known in the fullness of his personhood and glory?”
• Jesus Christ was a sacrifice of atonement to show God’s righteousness, “because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed.” (Romans 3:25)
• “All sin is a preference for the fleeting pleasures of the world over the everlasting joy of God’s fellowship.”
• “God would be unrighteous if he passed over sins as though the value of his glory were nothing.”
• But, how can self-exaltation be an act of love? “God’s self-exaltation is loving, because it preserves for us and offers to us the only all-satisfying Object of desire in the universe – the all-glorious, all-righteous God.”

(quotes pulled from this transcript)

That is an ever so brief summary. Now let me breakdown a couple things that I think have really had an impact on me.

First of all, I really resonated with Piper’s explanation of mindsets, because I don’t think it has to assume you believe in the Bible (the catch 22 of many apologetic arguments). If a creator exist, then it would be fair to argue The Creator has the ultimate rights in the universe, not the creation. That does not, for me, have the terrible implications some people see in believing in God (that of an angry supreme being eager to wreck havoc on the earth for no reason). I think it simply settled in my mind that, if I believe in a Creator (which I do), then that creator should be considered in your worldview (rather bland explanation).

Two, and I think this is the main thing I’d like to get at, I think Christ’s death and sacrifice make sense as a “vindication of God’s righteousness.” The explanation used in the sermon is that say someone tried to assassinate the president, was stopped at the last second, apologized, and where then let go, scot free. What would that say about how much we value our president? God would not be a righteous God if there was not some sort of payment for the wrong doing we humans have done (and continue to do, myself included). See, God was already being a loving God by forgiving wrongdoings (like King David), but, unless there was some form of payment (like a sentence served in the above example), God would be unjust. Thus, Christ life and death was an act to vindicate God’s righteousness.

Now what does that all mean for me? Even after writing it, I’m not totally sure. I didn’t find in revisiting the sermon and the theological points or anything else, that I was uncomfortable with the theology or points put forward. Maybe there are things that should make me uncomfortable, maybe not. I do think my above two paragraph sound a lot more evangelistic and typical “gospel presentation” then I intended.

The reason for doing this though was to allow for dialog. So please, take a minute after reading to lend your insight as well. Push back if you have a thought. Lend an encouraging or corrective word if you have it. Add further insight you came across. I can’t find the second sermon tape, but I’ll do my best to talk about the next topic next week: Christian Hedonism. Peace.

It’s a 40 minute sermon entitled: Did Christ Die For Us Or For God?

If you’ve listened or read much of John Piper’s theological stances, you might know some of what he talks about in the sermon. Maybe you’ll just need to skim it to get the main points. Anyways, my hope is that you’ll listen to it and provide your input and feedback in the comment section below. My hope is that regardless of how you feel about Piper, you’ll put that aside to simply listen to the sermon and converse with me about it.

I will be posting some of my thoughts and reflections next week, but I want to open up the discussion in hopes of bringing further thoughts out to help me reflect on it and what about this sermons I’ve found so shaping. Please, chime in with questions or comments.

(P.S. This is not an endorsement of John Piper or his theology. This is part of a series of posts of mine reflecting on those sermons, books, etc that were foundational in my early theology and my attempt to revisit those tenants. For better or worse, I credit Piper for impacting much of my foundational theology, I’ve also harshly criticized him on this blog.)

Several years ago, that answer would have been staunchly black and white. I am following Jesus, the God of the Bible and no one and nothing else. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…and run with perseverance…” Back then though, I probably wouldn’t have used the word “trying”, it’s too wishy-washy, too uncommitted. The songs sung in church never have the ambiguity of “trying” they are steadfast commitments, battle cries and no compromise allegiances. Most of that’s not bad, positive self-talk certainly has it’s place, but somewhere along the way I found it fairly disingenuous to be singing those types of words. I wasn’t really following Jesus, not most of the time anyways.

Nowadays, I’m quite happy with just trying to follow. I don’t have aspirations to be a leader, I’m going to just stick with doing my best at following. And, I’m going to be honest about my lack of resolve and commitment, I’m gonna “try” that’s the most I can offer and I’m okay with that.

As to the who, I still use this line sometimes:  “I once read the words of a man who said, “Follow me,” and I’ve been on that journey ever since.” That is definitely a reference to Jesus and his teachings, which I’d still consider the primary path I’m trying to follow. I’ve found nothing more fascinating and life-changingly radical then the philosophies and teachings I’ve seen in Jesus’ words, that’s just the honest truth. At the same time, along my journey there have been other mentors whose wisdom and lives I’ve found inspiring, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, MLK, Dorothy Day. I’ve also found I don’t need to completely agree with someone to find wisdom and encouragement in their teachings. Greg Boyd and John Piper have both been largely influential in my theology and yet they appear to be each others archnemesis.

Trying to follow means taking this humble journey one step at a time. Being okay with making mistakes, being wrong, needing to turn around, or seeking further wisdom on the path. It means no one person might have all the answers, that maybe there is kernels of truth lying in many. And it means not being too stubborn to think your going to lead the way on your own. We all know, you’ve gotta serve somebody.

So, I’d like to start writing about these things and share them with you here. I’m not sure if these old beliefs I’ll dig up from the back of my brain have simply line dormant and unused or if they silently serve as the very foundation upon which much of my other thoughts are formed. We’ll find out. I might even get around to writing a post explaining the long held title of this blog.

I ask this of you in return, if you are going to come back and read what I write. Be gracious, but feel free to critique or call out what you see as off or misguided. I might very well share things I believe, that I’ll decide shortly after I don’t really believe at all, please give me room to grow and change and make mistakes. And I ask if you do read, please don’t be a silent participant. Dialog with me, be willing to share your own thoughts, be open to your own mistakes. Not sure this final disclaimer was necessary, my post might end up being underwhelming, but at least we prepared for something potentially bigger.

I don’t think political maneuvering and government are the way to get things done, though I do think are collective organizing and resources (i.e. government) for all it’s flaws can definitely be a tool to address community needs. I do find it useful when the fire department shows up to put our a fire, and when I check out books from my local library, and when we bike on the paths all over the city. I don’t like it when our collective funds are used to purchase weapons of war and kill women and children.

That’s really the end of my train of thought here. I think there are plenty of reasons to engage in politics and write your congress (here’s one). The reason I didn’t want this to be a political post is that I’d love to see those who trumpet their religious values (on both sides of the aisle) to start presenting real non-governmental solutions and ideas that uphold and live out the values they (we) claim.

I’m not sure I’ll change that routine, but I’ve had an idea brewing for about a year and figured I’d just share it here. Thanks to Facebook and other social sites, I’ve had close friends and mere acquaintances use their birthday’s as a chance to fundraise for a cause of their choice. It’s been fun to see that and I’d like to encourage it to continue as an alternative to further consumption.

My idea is a bit different, and it’s inspired by this passage:

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. (Luke 14:12-14)

Though I’m not positive what to make of Jesus’ statement or following parable, I do think he meant it more literally then figuratively. And so I find it quite sad that 2000 years later, many “christ-followers” (myself included) seem far from following anything close to that statement of Jesus.

What if my birthday was a big banquet with those who couldn’t repay me? What if my birthday wish was for others to consider Christ words and hold their own banquets? Maybe it’s a reservation at a restaurant, maybe a meal at your home, or a party in the park. I’m not quite sure, I’d just think a great birthday wish would be for us to take Jesus’ words and “crazy ideas” a little more seriously. That’s my birthday wish.

[photo credit]

Know Who You Are (2 minutes long) via

This is the line that struck me the most:

“If I have a missionary who comes to me and says, ‘I have no culture,’ I’m terrified of him because they’re going to think that the way they do things is the Christian way.”

This hints at the reason that discussing race (and racism) in the church is so important. If we act like race and culture is a non-issue, then we are most likely maintaining the dominate race and culture as the norm, and there is a great danger in that.

What struck you?

“Actually, what you need is a chain tool.” I ran inside and grabbed my small handy little device for removing a bike chain. When I came out and showed the kids how to use it, I was instantly transformed from that random neighbor who walks around with his kid all the time to The Bike Guy (I’d like to think of it as on par with super hero status).  Soon, I had neighborhood kids coming over all the time to make adjustments and patch tires. We’d sit on the porch together and I’d show them some of the basics (I honestly don’t know all that much myself).

Fast forward to this summer, We have a growing pile of dismantled bikes in our backyard, the kids are still knocking on the door daily asking to use tools, I even bought a few thrift store bikes and gave them away, flats are still a regular repair…and then my bike pump broke. I’d had some ideas brewing for a while, but now with the need to dig up some money for some new tools, I decided to put them into action.

I got approval for a neighborhood block grant to organize a community “bike safety” event to give youth bike locks, and then I’ll also use grant money to purchase a set of tools and a whole stockpile of patches, tubes and more. And recently, I’ve been talking about Eli about what a northside bike project might look like.

I have a small vision right now: Ensuring every kid in my neighborhood, that wants one, has a bike and a lock. Hopefully along the way we can teach some basic bike maintenance, build some relationships, and have some fun. Interested in getting involved? Let me know.

Ironically, my children are a bit of clean freaks. Adyra’s never really liked finger painting or anything else that gets your hands icky, like getting peanut butter on them. Occasionally, when they are eating, they’ll stick their grubby hand out and I’ll wipe or grab and sometimes eat the yogurt or kiwi or food in question. So, when she sticks out her fingers yesterday, I naturally lean down to wipe them off, seeing the brown peanut butter substance. I’m getting ready to just lick it off my fingers when in a split second a smell hits my nostrils and I realize, Adyra’s Peanut Butter sandwich is still on the counter.

I almost ate my daughter’s poo! Now that’s disgusting. Apparently, and this is a first for her, she decided to stick her hand in the back of her diaper and check out the results. Why she neglected to tell me that when she innocently stuck them out there is beyond me, but fortunately that creamy nutty-colored poop stunk like the dickens, otherwise this story would have had a much worse ending.

So, here I am, back with some daily posting. The reality is that I enjoy writing, if only because it helps me process my thoughts. I feel I frequently find myself saying that I’m not a very good writer, but that I tend to say things I don’t see being said. So, until someone comes around and starts saying these things more eluquently then I (which wouldn’t be hard), I’m going to keep saying them. And that’s true. At the same time, I find that each day that I write I’m slowly refining my craft and becoming a better writer. Maybe not great, but better.

It might not be till I’m fifty, but if I keep writing on a daily basis, I’ll hit my 10,000 hours of writing in plenty of time to share that skill with others afterward. Here’s to trucking toward 10,000.

Piper’s view of this tornado was, at best, an exaggeration (there’s probably a better term [and a whole lot of much harsher ones], but I’m using this one). There are hundreds of tornados a year and to point out this minor one, which happened to damage the steeple of a church, the hand of God seems like a stretch to me. There are a lot of people who believe in christianity and in God doing miracles and speaking through the natural realm even today. I think you could draw a spectrum from “no miracles” to “everything that happens is a message from god” and most people fall somewhere along that spectrum. I could be wrong, but I bet most folks, even some of the more charismatic types, would see Piper’s tornado as an exaggeration.

Now, anyone whose picked up and read a bible, or heard some of the stories, knows there are a lot of crazy miracle/hand-of-God type things in there: Moses parts the Red Sea, God floods the earth, Jesus heals people’s sicknesses and diseases, the walls of Jericho crumble. Christians tend to take those stories at face value, if you believe in a super-natural God there’s no reason those things couldn’t have actually happened just as they’re written. Other folks see the bible as a mythical story, maybe based on actual history, similar to many others told of gods and goddesses and their interaction with the natural world. They see it as best an exaggeration. One example of this division I can think of Moses parting the Red Sea. You’ve maybe hard something similar: “Some scholars believe that it was actually “Reed Sea” not Red Sea, just knee deep and that’s how the Israelites were able to cross it.” And someone will respond, “But if that’s the case, then isn’t it a miracle that the entire Egyptian army drown in knee deep water!” One group believes God is at work and attributes miraculous acts to God. The other group believes devout followers exaggerate natural events as miracles for their fictitious deity.

For several years, I’ve counted myself in the God does miracles camp. I believe some sort of super-natural being exists and I see no reason to believe that being couldn’t do super-natural miracles. So, I’ve read the Bible and had no problem assuming those stories could have actually happened, just as they’re written. Over the years, I’ve had my doubts about God and faith and a great many things, but I never spent much time debating the validity of the miracles recorded. If God exists, I don’t see any reason they couldn’t be true; if God doesn’t exist, there’s a good chance they aren’t true.

Enter Piper’s Tornado. If John Piper, a devout, respected, faithful, bible-reading-and-believing pastor can equate a tornado damaging a church with the hand of God, how many of the devout followers of God in the Bible exaggerated the stories and miracles they wrote about?

This conclusion didn’t shake up my own faith, I’ve heard enough of these sorts of declarations from others, but I don’t think it’s a good testimony to the evangelism Piper claims to be about.

Most of his lyrics these days would be considered too political, too controversial, or too explicit for most churches, he doesn’t seem to be getting invited to many christian concerts or worship services either. But, if he had a church, I’d go to it.

I’ve struggled a lot with faith over the last nine years, and amidst that struggle I’ve grown a lot in my awareness of the world, my understanding of the Bible and what Jesus said and did while he walked the earth. I find myself in this mysterious place, trying to reconcile my beliefs and values that I have now with the faith I still believe in, but that looks nothing like the faith I embraced in high school and still see so many embracing today. Derek Webb’s music has been a saving grace in my life, speaking in lyrics and melody, the beautiful ways my faith and values align.

You should seriously just listen to all his stuff, like now. Here’s a whole album for free: Mockingbird. And here’s a five set playlist for you to listen to right now of some of my favorites:

1. Rich Young Ruler
2. This Too Shall Be Made Right
3. What Matters More
4. Savior on Capitol Hill
5. Wedding Dress

Seriously, if you want more I’ll send you a nice personal mix.

*Webb would not like this post title I don’t think. He said this in an interview about his newest album:

“I don’t go into records thinking, ‘OK what am I going to go after this time, what big controversy am I going to stir.’ These just happen to be the things that occupy my mind. I don’t know how else to say it. And as an artist, the resources that I have to tell my story, to communicate to people what I see when I look at the world, are melody and lyrics and rhythm. And I try to do that. I don’t do it intentionally to be provocative, I don’t do it intentionally to be a leader or communicate a message. I really don’t. I’m literally just a person trying to live my life and do my job. Lord knows, there are easier ways to sell records than this.”

Here’s some of what I’ve been working on lately and what’s been on my mind:

• InsideNorthside.org is the project I’ve been contributing most of my energy to over the past month. I’ve carved out a few hours a week to meet with people and organizations in the neighborhood to try and spread the word about the effort. It’s basically an encyclopedia (built of the wikipedia model of user contributions) for North Minneapolis. I’ve met with some great organizations, our council person and even the mayor. My plan is to spend maybe another month to try and spread the word and hopefully “sell” folks on the idea. People are very receptive of the idea, but very few people have actually made contributions. Anyways, that’s where most of my free time has gone.
• Summer has meant a lot more time outside with the kiddos, parks, bike rides, libraries, you name it. Add a couple recent road trips and it’s wound up being a busy summer.
• I started reading again, after about a 6 month break without finishing a single book. Recently I’ve read: Work Hard. Be Nice. which is about KIPP Academy a very successful charter school; The Glass Castle, a memior; Finding an Unseen God, reflections of a former athiest; and  maybe one or two others I can’t remember right now.

And of course now the kids are waking up, so my time here is almost done. My current plan is to write one short thoughtful blog post a week, probably following a certain topic or train of thought (consistently is the plan). So, help me choose the first topic thread to begin with:

• money and finances
• church
• parenting
• neighborhood and community

Or if you’ve got something else you think I might like discussing leave a suggestion.