Month: January 2018

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Winter Running

I don’t feel like blogging about anything serious at the moment even though there are tons of things going on in the U.S. and the world. At the moment I don’t know what to say on the current events that I feel passionate about. Therefore, I decided I would briefly write about running in Wisconsin in the Winter. If you don’t run when it is cold or snowy then you typically aren’t going to be able to run in Wisconsin December through mid-March. According to Ranulph Fiennes “there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” So here is how I run in the Winter.

  • Layers. It really isn’t very difficult to stay warm when run in the Winter. Once you get started your body is going to produce a lot of heat. When in doubt I like the Runners World What To Wear Guide for a general guideline of what to wear, Usually if it is above 10° I wear two technical shirts and a windbreaker. If it is colder than that I reduce a technical shirt and pull a lite fleece under the windbreaker. If it is in the negatives I add more technical shirts nd a thicker fleece. This has worked all the way down to -20° with a windchill down to -40°.
  • Socks. Buy some good Merino wool socks and sock liners. I like Darn Tough Vermont socks. The ski socks are particularly nice for Winter running and they have a lifetime warranty.
  • Pam thought I should include a non-reflective photo of my jacket to show the difference.

    Visibility. Since it gets dark pretty early around here it is difficult to run on a work day when there is full daylight. In addition to the lack of daylight the roads get more narrow throughout the Winter because of the snow berms that develop on each side of the road from the snow plows. I have been almost hit by cars a couple of times because of not being visible in these conditions. So I decided to correct that situation with some high visibility products. My RoadID bracelet offers a small amount of reflectivity but serves as my in case of emergency identification. My main reflective sources are reflective wrist and anklebands, a running strobe or two, and/or my ASICS Storm Shelter Jacket (I’m wearing it in the picture with this post). The ASICS Jacket has 3m reflective material woven throughout it and is those VERY bright.

  • My Yaktrax keep my life insurance policy from paying out.

    Traction. I am a klutz so maybe it is just me but Winter can get a little slippery. Naw, this video proves it isn’t just me. Things get even worse when Spring starts to come around with its thaw during the day and refreeze at night routine. So I wear a pair of Yaktrax. They usually last a few seasons and you can find them on sale for a better buy.

I’m not able to maintain the same mileage in the Winter that I do during the rest of the year, but I able to run enough miles to maintain my base level of running fitness. Also it feels pretty hardcore to run when it is snowing heavily.

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Speaking Versus Preaching

Today I spoke at an all-staff meeting for one of the companies for which I chaplain.  I was asked to speak on one of their core values (they would call it a family value), “open and honest communication”. So I presented on effectively communicating using Aristotle’s model of communication. I personally tend to think that people generally better remember and implement presentations that have humor in them so I wrote out my presentation in a manner that would try to get people laughing as we talked together about effective and unprofitable communication. Thus I used big printed heads of Aristotle and Justin Bieber to walk through the model (Sender, Medium, Receiver).

I believe the presentation went well for two reasons. First, because I communicated in the manner I had hoped to communicate all the points I was hoping to address. Second, because a large number of the team members told me how much they enjoyed my lecture. I am thankful for the second reason but I was also surprised by how I was caught off guard by  being told how much someone enjoyed the presentation.

I am used to preaching most weeks but people respond to a sermon different than to other presentations. I don’t usually have someone tell me that they “enjoyed” a sermon. They might say how grateful they were for a message, or how it specifically related to their life, or they might add a point to the message that relates in another manner. If you are at a traditional church it wouldn’t be surprising to have a lot of people tell you that it “was a good sermon pastor” but they aren’t going to say they enjoyed it. That’s just not what you usually say about a message. So it threw me off.

I believe I generally preach in a manner that is at least not completely snooze worthy for most of the people listening. Still, when I preach people usually express whether or not the message was meaningful for them not just that they enjoyed the message. Meaning, not enjoyment, is what I am used to hearing about.

Which is why hearing people say that “enjoyed” the presentation threw me off at first. I was grateful that they enjoyed the message, after all who wants to be told “I really didn’t enjoy your presentation.” Still I had a small knew jerk reaction every time they said the phrase to me. Seriously, I wanted to correct them and say “no what matters was this meaningful for your life.” That was my own insecurities and thankfully my mom raised me to be polite. So I simply said “Thank you, I appreciate that you enjoyed it.”

SIDE NOTE – If you are wondering what’s up with the lady’s face on the left of the photo I blurred it to protect the innocent.

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Swiss Bratzeli Cookies

One of Pam’s former students brought these Swiss bratzeli cookies by for her.

The student told her that when her great, great, grandfather immigrated to the United States he was only allowed to bring a few things with him. One of the possessions that he was able to bring with him to the States was a bratzeli  iron. This iron is used for making the cookie and gives the cookie it distinctive design. He brought it to the US so that his family could continue to make bratzeli  cookies together.

The student’s family’s tradition has been to gather together before Christmas and bake bratzeli cookies together. Originally they did this on the great, great grandfather’s iron. Eventually they special ordered a new iron (I assume to keep the great, great grandfather’s iron in shape) but they kept the tradition going. Such a wonderful tradition.

Serves as a reminder for me that so many of the traditions and norms that we think of as “American” were started by bringing them over from an “old country”.  We were and still are a country of immigrants and wonderful new traditions like Pam’s student’s family’s tradition (my that is a lot of possessives in a row) are being developed all around us.

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Budgets Don’t Matter, People Do What They Have To Do

If I were to do something else for a living I think I would enjoy doing something related to personal finance. Not only do I like studying personal finance for my own good but I deal with personal financial issues a great deal as a pastor and a chaplain. So I listen to quite a few podcasts on personal (and broader) financial issues, as well we reading as much as I can on the subject. Here are the personal finance podcasts that I am listening to right now (I listen to every episode of the ones in bold) :

Anyhow, I recently heard a podcast that took a famous line from Vice President Dick Cheney and reshaped it for good personal financial advice for the new year. The quote is “deficits don’t matter”. The paraphrase, which I believe was from “Stacking Benjamins” (but I’m not sure), is “‘budgets’ don’t matter” with “people do what they have to do” added to it. The point was that if you are trying to increase saving/retirement don’t start by combing through your budget (if you have one) trying to find spare dollars. Instead setup an additional automatic deduction for a small amount to go to your saving/retirement forcing yourself to adjust to it.

The mindset is that if you have to find the spare money you never will, but you will adjust to money that is “missing” because it was automatically removed from your funds. If you do this each year your savings will slowly but surely go up significantly. If you aren’t saving at all this will get you started at a pace at which you can and will adjust. If you aren’t saving enough for retirement (the amount depends upon the age you started saving and how much you have already saved) this will help get you a little closer each year.

Get a raise? Adjust your saving/retirement. Smartly decided to search your current expenses and found something you no longer needed (finally stopped your Columbia House Music Club subscription) take the money you just found at adjust your saving/retirement. Each little bit adds up till you are at an amount that reaches your goals.

Every little bit makes a difference in taking control of your finances. If you don’t control your finances they will control you. At any rate, I obviously bumped our retirement contribution up a little bit. 🙂

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The Prettiest Vehicle is One that is Paid-For

Fred the minivan hit 300,000 on her odometer tonight!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah! That is one sexy minivan.

I made it home from working with only two and a half miles to go before hitting the big 300. So Noah jumped in the van with me and we went for a short ride.  It was a good father/son moment.

I posted in December when Fred received her last oil change before reaching this milestone. Here’s hoping that I get the chance to post in the future of her last oil change before 350,000 miles and maybe even 400,000 miles. Mhmmm 400,000 miles.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

I’ve been busy most of the day, but was able to come home earlier than planned because of a curling schedule mix up. So while sitting with Pam and Noah on our coach watching the Warriors and Cavaliers play I thought it would be a good moment to read something from Dr. King. I decide on his Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech which I haven’t read in years.

You can read the transcript of it here or watch the video on it above. I’ll quote one section of his speech:

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today’s mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. “And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid.” I still believe that We Shall overcome!

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Whoever Has Ears to Hear

At lunch today Adam and Noah were talking with Pam and me about the music of Kendrick Lamar. I know who Kendrick Lamar is but I don’t really know any of his music. I do know that both my boys really enjoy his music. So we listened to a few of his songs while we ate some wonderful pesto chicken sandwiches that Pam made for lunch and talked about what they liked at his music.

One of the things that brought up several times was how often one of songs would sound like it was about one thing when it was actually about the exact opposite. For example, here’s an article talking about his song “Swimming Pools (Drank)” being treated as a drinking  song even though it is actually an anti-drinking song. Apparently he does this with whole albums. I say apparently because I’m not cool enough to know. It reminded me of The Police song “Every Breath You Take” being used as a love song when it is actually about a stalker. Instead of a love song, it is a VERY dark song.

I was really enjoying the whole discussion until Adam said “It kind of fits in with all the times Jesus said ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear‘ and how quite often we think we hear one thing but it is because we aren’t actually listening to what is really being communicated.” I love my kids but I do feel inadequate when they come up with better illustrations of Jesus’s words than I do. ARGH!

Obviously I will be using this in sermons in the future and will not be giving credit to Adam. 😉

SIDE NOTE – The Saints/Vikings games ending was absurd.

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EOG Hat or Holden Caulfield Hat?

So apparently instead of my Stormy Kromer hat being my EOG (Early Onset Grumpiness) hat it is my Holden Caulfield hat. This is according to one of the concessions workers at Cedar Creek Cinema. Pam, Adam, and I went to see “The Post” tonight, which all of you should go see because it was very good. Well while we were buying popcorn, because even though the price of movie popcorn is a scam this is one scam that the Terrell family goes in for, the concessions worker look at my hat and said “You know, I like you hat because it reminds me of Holden Caulfield. Do you know who he is?” The second part of his question must have been what brought out the EOG in my again because I respond with “Yes, ‘The Catcher in the Rye‘ is a great book but Holden Caulfield is kind of a jerk. He hates phonies but he is the most fake person in the book. Still thanks.”

Yeah the EOG is strong in me. 🙂

SIDE NOTE – Here’s the Portlandia skit that the term EOG comes from.

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The Imago Dei Calls for the Rejection of Racism

Every now and then at Tapestry I talk about my friend and former “thread” Joel. Joel studied soil science at UWSP. Some people may use the saying “as dull as dirt” but Joel finds dirt fascinating and when he speaks about soil I realize that I suddenly find soil fascinating too. He believes (rightly so) that soil is amazing and therefore he expects to find interesting stuff in soil and looks for that which is interesting.

I post fairly often on this blog concerning the Imago Dei. Genesis describes humanity as being created in the image of God, the Imago Dei (Genesis 1:26). If you are human then you bear the image of God. That image might be bent or smudged or scarred but underneath those scars, dirt, and deformities is the image of our Creator.

Jesus tells a story of people doing and not doing things for Him in the 25th chapter of Matthew. In the parable that Jesus is telling the King, representing the Son of Man (i.e. Jesus), says the following to those who have helped Him.

Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (34b-36)

Why were they helping Jesus by helping “the least of these brothers and sisters” of Jesus? Well because they were brothers and sisters of Him because they were image bearers. To see the image of God in them and to react to that image was to see and serve God. This is also why He curses those who do not help Him.

Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. (v. 41b-43)

The image of God was right in front of them, they didn’t see it, and they didn’t respond  to the Imago Dei. Therefore, they have turned their backs on God Himself.

This is why racism has to be called what it is – evil. It is looking at someone who bears the Imago Dei and ignoring that image by considering that person as less than. When we look at others we should see our Father and our Brother Jesus because they bear image of the triune God. Regardless of skin color, culture, citizenship, or language, we are all image bearers.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that all of us live a life that reflects the image we bear.

So let me get back to my friend Joel. Since, he is looking for amazing stuff when he looks at soil he sees it for the amazing, life-encouraging substance that it is. He then helps other people to see soil as amazing. I’m not trying to put words in Joel’s mouth but I believe that if he saw some one seriously damaging soil he might say them them, “Hey, don’t treat soil like that because it is amazing and we depend upon it.”  When you see soil as an amazing, life encouraging substance how could you not respond?

As a follower of Christ I should be recognizing the image of my God in those around me and responding to the Imago Dei. When I see or hear someone treat another image bearer as less than I have to stand up for that person because he is an image bearer. “Don’t you see the image of our Creator right in front of you? That person right there bears the Imago Dei! To treat her as less than is to insult and hurt the One Whose image she bears! That’s evil! Your actions are evil!” When we see someone hurting the image of the God you love how could we not respond?

Discussing immigration is not a racist thing, but immigration discussions can be turned into a excuse to deny the image of God in people who are different than us. Such discussions can be used to declare others as less than us. My friend Scott, who is an immigration attorney, often posts on his Facebook page concerning how messed up the current immigration system can be. Improving the immigration system is a good thing. Treating those made in the image of our Creator as less than is evil. Those of us who claim to be followers of Christ should constantly be focusing our eyes to see the image of our Lord in those around us and we should  fight for the sanctity of life for ALL who were created in His image.