Summer Reading

The dog days of Summer are here, and I find myself spending more time with a good book, than I do with any other activity of late. Part of that is due to the amount of time that I have by myself, but another part of that is the great pleasure that I find in reading. To borrow a page (no pun intended) from my friend Lisa's blog, here is a sampling of the books that I am either reading, or that are lined up in my queue.

"A False Spring" is a baseball classic that I read about once a year. It is about unfulfilled potential, and how a person has learned to live with that failure. One of my favorite lines is that the author (Pat Jordan) doesn't view himself as a writer who used to pitch, but as a pitcher who happens to be writing just now (ten years after his minor league pitching career ended). I dive into this book whenever I need a quick and enjoyable read, and whenever I am feeling nostalgic for things past.

I am also in the middle of reading a book about Sandy Koufax, called "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy." Koufax was a dominate pitcher in the 1960's, who ended his career early by retiring in his 30's. He went out while on top of the game, when he was still overpowering the sport. Over the years, he has been rather reclusive with his life, but was willing to share his story with the author of this book. It has been a glimpse into the mind of a pitching genius.

The third book I am reading, which is a difficult one for me to get through, is called "The Shack." I bought it based on a recommendation of my friend Eric, and have been intending to read it for months now, and have finally started to do so. It's a hard read for me not because of the writing style, but because of the content. From what I've pieced together so far, it's about a family that loses a child to kidnapping/murder, and how they've dealt with that loss, and with their relationship to God. Those that know me, know that I do not enjoy violence, or bad things happening to children, so this book is stretching my boundaries a bit.

As usual, there are more books on my bookshelf waiting to be read, with the last count of about ten books lined up! They range from Erwin McManus' newest "Wide Awake," to a work of fiction about golf. What are you in the middle of reading, or what type of book would you want to read if you had the time or the desire?

In a Fog

This is the view from my 34th floor window at work this morning; a thick fog covering up the skyline. What is usually a pretty clear and far-reaching view, is now just my own reflection, staring back at me.

In a fog...that pretty much sums up my life these days. I'm not sure of what is out there, or what my next step might lead to, because I cannot see through the fog. It's at times like these when I need to rely on God the most, and trust in His leading me through the confusion.

James' Adventure

James sure has been gone awhile...
It looks like he found out where the swamp was!
He had to push the four-wheeler out of the mud!
At least he found his shoes!

Men Being Men

Scenes from the 2008 GC Men's Retreat:

Details

Well, this Summer sure is moving along quickly, isn't it?! I am getting my plans in place for the Fall, with my remaining requirements for my practicums and internships. I have my high school internship in place at DeLaSalle, while I just received word from Hidden Oaks middle school in Prior Lake that they want me for a practicum and possibly then an internship. I have also been getting some alternative practicum hours done at Lincoln International high school this July during their summer school program, and will be finishing up the remaining hours in September. Now all that is left is to get an elementary school lined up, for both the practicum and internship hours.

My plan is to quit at Target in mid-September, and focus on getting all my hours done within 6 months, as well as writing my final project paper/thesis. I hope to be completely finished with my program by April, and will then be in need of a short-term temporary job (to pay the bills) until next Fall, when I hopefully will have a School Counselor job secured! I know that God is a God of details, but there sure are a lot of details for me to work out/worry about in getting things all lined up!

Roads

"Two roads diverged in the middle of my life,
I heard a wise man say
I took the road less traveled by
And that's made the difference every night and every day."
- Larry Norman and Robert Frost, The Shack

There have been many roads over the years that I have chosen to take; some not so good, that have shaped me into the person that I am today. Finally, I chose to follow the road leading to God; and even though it has been difficult at times, it is the better road to be on. I once struggled with alcohol, unhealthy relationships, and dead-end jobs. I once chose to live for myself, and my own desires, and I paid dearly for those choices. I could have easily kept on drinking, kept on chasing after women that I shouldn't have been chasing, and by now I might have actually been married with a family, but I know I wouldn't have been in God's will. Instead, I am no longer drinking to excess like before, I am still single (looking and waiting for the right woman), and I desire to do God's work through my soon to be profession of counseling.

No one ever said being a Christian would be easy; as it is sometimes filled with loneliness and doubt, but I have come to understand that it's the best road that I could have taken.

Happy 4th

I trust that you are having a wonderful 4th of July. For lunch today, I grilled up some marinated pork - nummy! Now, I am getting ready to head outside and enjoy my Adirondack chair, with a good cigar, and a good book, while staring at my freshly painted house! Later tonight, I'm going to Paul and Deneena's for a BBQ, and then we're going to see some fireworks.

Have a happy 4th!

Finished!

1/2 Done

Well, Ben was able to get about 1/2 the house painted today! The driveway side and the back of the house are now done. He will be back tomorrow to finish up the remaining sides, and to do any needed touch-ups. If he has time, he will also get the garage painted. I like the color scheme, but it is going to take some time getting used to the new colors!

Windows

Ben came over today, and got all of the window frames painted! He'll hang the storm windows later tomorrow. The red really stands out to me, but I bet that when he paints the body of the house tomorrow, it will all blend in quite nicely! It's rather dark inside tonight, as there are no windows to see out of!