Today was Mom’s birthday.  I didn’t get this written early enough in the day for her to see it on her birthday, but I did get a chance to call her.  So:

Mom was the first school teacher I had.  I think they realized early on that I was academically above average, and so mom helped by giving me a head start with school.  I remember that the home school element ended after a few months of kindergarten, but that there was quite a bit of education prior to that. 

Instead of pursuing a music education career, mom spent most of her time raising us kids.  And I think you can see how well that investment paid off!  Whether it was countless trips to the pool in the summer, or doing housework almost as fast as we were making messes throughout the house (we had a 4-1 advantage, so don’t knock her), mom spent a lot of time with us.

Mom read us stories as kids, and that helped our ability to think and be creative - and of course, gave us great cultural literacy as well. 

There is so much more that could be said, but - Happy Birthday, Mom!

Looking back on the end of my college days and on through my seminary days up into the time I moved to Warren, I can say that one of my college buddies is my brother, Grant.  I’m not sure I would have said that kind of thing growing up.

I mean, I could go back to the little sibling fights and him and Paul knocking my door down on my bedroom and stuff, but I won’t.

It’s his birthday today. 

I drafted Grant for a worship team I was leading during the first weeks of his college freshman year.  He didn’t want it, at first, but grew into it.  In fact, he really made the place go for the whole time he was there.  We lived in the same sorta-fraternity house for 2 years, and spent a lot of social time together, especially when I moved back to Champaign during my third year of seminary.  It was always good to have Grant around. 

So, happy birthday, Grant!

Las Flores (CA) – 18-year-old Omar Khan should be graduating from high school this week, but instead he faces more than 38 years in prison for hacking into school computers.  School officials at the Tesoro High School in Las Flores California allege that Khan changed grades and his Advanced Placement test scores.  Khan is also alleged to have installed a remote access program onto school servers.  In all, Khan is charged with 69 felonies.

more of the article here.  Via /.

When I dealt with a computer discipline case a few years ago, we didn’t have the legal basis (nor really the desire) to prosecute as a felony criminal case.  To me, this seems a bit excessive.  Perhaps a settlement can be reached?  I mean, putting this kid away for more than twice as long as he’s been alive seems to be the wrong answer.

What do you think?

This is Midsummer - the longest day of the year.  For me, this was a day off, as is my practice.  Fridays accomplish for me what Sundays do for many folks. 

I am getting used to life at 41 13′ 57″ N 80 47′ 39″ W.  There was enough sunlight on this mostly-sunny day for me to read on my east-facing front porch until 9:20 this evening.  I have moved from Patrick O’Brien’s Master and Commander series to C.S. Forester’s Hornblower Saga.  I’m working on #3 of 11, Hornblower and the Hotspur.  I initially delayed reading the Hornblower novels just because of the rediculous name of the protagonist. 

Still, on these warm, summer evenings, my mind travels back to Champaign-Urbana, where midsummer is ever-so-slightly shorter in terms of daylight - especially the backyard at home.  Somehow, whether it was a croquet match or just sitting on the patio or the back porch, that is where summer evenings are most comfortable. 

Nevertheless, I am content - even happy - here in Warren.  This is my house.  This is becoming my city.  This is my place of mission.  And there are good memories here, too.  Moreover, they are getting better, and are more frequently positive. 

Thanks be to God.

Over the past years, Americans have been more socially conscious about protecting the environment and inhaling tobacco. They have become less socially conscious about money and debt.

The agents of destruction are many. State governments have played a role. They aggressively hawk their lottery products, which some people call a tax on stupidity. Twenty percent of Americans are frequent players, spending about $60 billion a year. The spending is starkly regressive. A household with income under $13,000 spends, on average, $645 a year on lottery tickets, about 9 percent of all income. Aside from the financial toll, the moral toll is comprehensive. Here is the government, the guardian of order, telling people that they don’t have to work to build for the future. They can strike it rich for nothing.

Provocative?  Read full article here.

Today is my Father’s birthday.  On my birthday back in March, my mom composed an encomium for the event.  My dad and my brother Grant commented with their own additions.  So today, let us celebrate Mike Thomas:

Being his first child, I cannot speak to the events of the day of his birth, or youth, or college years.  My earliest memories go back to my earliest childhood - Dad coming back from work with the two oversized portfolio cases to our house in west-central Champaign.  Shortly thereafter, he became self-employed, and I remember talking to him through the intercom from the house to the detached garage where he had his office.  I remember many attempts at wiffleball and football, with varying degrees of success on my part.  I remember making the Snow Bunny out in the driveway on Saratoga. 

I remember working in the heat, re-roofing the house one summer once after the leaky back porch became a liability. 

But memories do not a character make, necessarily.  Dad modeled for us what a Christian man should look like.  Such a man read the Bible daily, always desired to tell others about Jesus, volunteered at a homeless shelter, led the cub scout pack, took the kids camping (even when it rained), and did most home repairs himself.  Prayer and quiet time went alongside of paying the bills.  Work was something that could happen at home or at an office.  Giving and receiving favors from others when needed was a part of life. 

These and many other lessons I have learned from Dad over the years.  I really don’t know how to say more.  There is much more, but it’s hard to put in words - and then hang it out on a blog. 

Grace and Peace - have a great birthday - I love you, Dad!

I have a very friendly cat named Sam.  He’s 10.5 lbs and orange-striped.  Most people expect cats to ignore them or to sit quietly on them while they read or watch television or converse.  My cat is rather different.

He always insists on being in the same room I’m in.  Moreover, he insists on sitting on my book, or standing in front of my computer monitor when I’m working.  If I don’t pay enough attention to him (in his terms), he will start clawing at things and pulling books off of bookshelves and then looking at me like, “do you want to play?” 

Most annoying is when it’s time for bed and, upon lying down, the cat comes and puts his wet nose under my chin or in my ear and starts purring loudly.  Then he starts marching in place and batting at my face with his claws.  That means that for the time being, he is banished from the room for the night.  Tough luck for him, eh? 

He also greets all of my guests once they sit down - by jumping on them and exploring their faces, hands and feet.  Then, for the people he really likes, he attacks their legs like a scratching post.  Yes, biting, scratching and kicking.  He usually gets shut in the basement now for guests. 

Today, he recycled some of my houseplants back onto the floor, since they didn’t agree with him.  After cleaning the dirt up, I realized that he had eaten some and they didn’t agree with him.  I’ll clean it up soon.

Now after all this, do I like my cat?  I do!  I do the typical cat discipline with spray bottles and scratching posts.  I actually expected this cat to be more - catlike - stand-offish, etc.  He’s not.  He’s an in-your-face kind of guy.  So, I’m adjusting to life with a cat.  I’m sure we’ll be the best of pals for the next 15 or so years.

Ok, so I saw this and just had to post it!

Yesterday and today I timed how long it took me to go through my whole walk.  Yesterday, I think I did it at the fastest it can be done - especially since I didn’t have to wait for any stoplights to change.  Today, I took it a little slower.  The fastest: an hour.  Today, more like 1:08.  Many times, longer.

The point of the walk isn’t so much speed, though.  It’s prayer and getting to know the neighborhood, along with exercise.  And I get a lot of all of that.  Now, to figure out exactly how far the walk is!

Before I became a Pastor, I never really encountered people in my daily life and work, school, family, etc., for whom dishonesty was truly a way of life.  There were some cases, of course, but they were the exception, rather than the rule. 

Now, I deal with people who lie and manipulate all the time - and find it normal.  What the heck?

It’s been a cool, wet May here in Warren, Ohio.  A few days ago, though, the oversized Rhododendron in my front yard burst forth into bloom!

It is the lover of himself, not the lover of goodness, who thinks himself always superior to others.

- Plutarch, Aratus I.4 (LCL)

Any wordpress users out there that can tell me why my tags went 404 and why my rss feeds aren’t working?

I upgraded to the latest version and forgot to turn off the plugins in the process… did this cause the problem? 

Help!

Today, I took a half a day off to go visit my grandfather and spend some time in Pittsburgh.  Here’s some phone pictures from Point State Park.

Today, my strawberry patch really bloomed!  Check this out!

Now, I have to find a way to keep the birds and other critters from getting to them first!