Well that was unexpected

We've done the Pinetop Memorial Day weekend trip now for 13 years. We've had hot weather. We've had cold weather. We've had thunderstorms. We've even had a hail storm. But, never have we had snow!

Yeah, snow!

It had snowed Thursday night (the latest snowfall in Pinetop on record) and we had to shovel the driveway to get into the cabin! And it snowed more Friday after we had arrived! Weird. But it made for a very fun weekend. Besides, it was all melted by Monday morning. So contrast the pictures below, taken Friday, with those in my previous post:

A white Memorial Day!

Robert having fun with the shovel

More snow coming down on Friday afternoon

Headed to the mountains

Continuing the tradition started over a decade ago, our family and the Goelz family are headed to the White Mountains today to spend a relaxing weekend eating, sleeping, and playing cards. I love this tradition and these Memorial Day weekends. Plus, I won't even be doing as much homework this year, especially compared to other years. Well, time to start loading the car...

She made it!

Oh happy day! Carolyn managed to pull her grades up enough to not be grounded for the summer! I'm so happy - for all of us! But especially her, because she worked really hard these past few days and it paid off for her. (heavy sigh of relief...)

Praying for Steven Curtis Chapman

I just read about a tragic accident today for the family of Steven Curtis Chapman:

Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Full story...

Greeked out

Last night I finished translating 1 John 1-3. Whew! It was a busy, Greeked out weekend, let me tell ya! Now I need to get to that exegetical paper of 1 John 3:11-18. I hope to finish that this weekend while we're in the mountains for Memorial Day, and then all that's left is studying for the final exam on June 3rd. When I have a little more time, I'll post my translation of 1 John 1-3.

Other random thoughts on a Monday night:

• My new Dell Vostro 1400 laptop is awesome!
• Carolyn has two more days to pull up her grades...
• Today was our summer icebreaker - it reached 103 today (and so it begins)
  
• I can't wait for this weekend in Pinetop!
• My allergies were horrible today
• My 2003 Mazda Protege 5 is about to pass the 100,000 mile mark (and last week I got 33mpg)
  
• Interesting words here from Alice Cooper
  

Graduation!

The graduate and the proud family!

Whew! It's all over!

Kim's last day at UofA

Today is my wife's last day as a student at UofA! She takes her last final this afternoon, and then she will have finished her degree. Tomorrow is graduation, and then...a free summer before graduate school!

I'm so proud of her. She has worked very hard and done so well. I know today will be bittersweet, since she has really enjoyed these last two years but is also certainly happy to be finishing. I know she will enjoy walking on campus today, taking the final, and treating herself to some chocolate afterwards! There will likely be a little water around the eyes and a skip in her step. I can't wait to hear about it tonight when I get home...

Renewing the World

Dear Lord, when your Spirit descended upon your disciples, they spoke in languages of those who came to hear their witness. Tonight I pray that in our time your Spirit will also break through the many barriers that divide nations and people. Let there be unity among us who inhabit this world. Give us the strength to transcend our physical, emotional, and psychological differences and recognize that it is your Holy Spirit who unites us by making us all participants in your own divine life. Let your Spirit open our eyes and ears to your ongoing presence among us. Let us recognize you when we serve each other, work together for reconciliation and peace, and unite our talents to build a better world. Without your Spirit we are powerless, but with and in your Spirit we can renew the world. Do not leave us alone, but let your Spirit enter into our hearts so that together we can prepare the day of your glorious return, and can praise you, thank you, honor you, and love you all the days of our lives. Amen.

- Henri Nouwen, A Cry for Mercy

Choices

I've said many times that I feel like my kids teach me a lot about God. Tonight, I'm learning about choices. My daughter continues to make what I consider bad choices, mainly about how she spends her time. She has eight school days left to bring one of her grades up to a previously established, acceptable level. If she does not, she will be grounded for the entire summer. Yeah. The entire summer. Not exactly how a 13-year-old wants to spend a summer. And she has known this for several weeks. And she has yet to even start her homework tonight. (You'll just have to trust me that we are not being overly harsh or demanding parents. This simply has been an issue for far too long.)

It's 9:45pm.

And my heart is breaking. Kim and I have both talked to her tonight, but she refuses to hear us. With four assignments due tomorrow and a test in the class in question, this may be her last chance. So now I have to start preparing for that conversation that I don't think she believes will occur - the one that goes something like this: "You had your chances and you choose poorly. You are grounded for the summer." She'll be mad. And I'll be sad. She'll yell. I'll cry.

Is this what happens when we refuse to listen to God? When we make bad choices?

God, how many times have I made poor choices and then been mad at you? Have you cried over those decisions? How many times have I broken your heart by not listening to you? I'm so sorry.

Pentecost

Jesus speaking to his disciples on his last night with them: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:15-18, NIV)

Speaking of the disciples in Jerusalem: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4, NIV)

Wow. It's good to go back over stories like this as days, like Pentecost, come throughout the year, marking key moments in the history of the church. For some of us, we've heard or read the story so many times that it's easy for it to fly right past us without any sort of awe-inspiring questions like, "Is that what really happened?" I mean, seriously, did some sort of ancient whirlwind invade this house and enable a group of people to begin speaking in other languages? In one sense, that sounds crazy. Maybe they had been drinking (the accusation comes a few verses later). Maybe it was a dust devil that blew sand and dust in their mouths causing them to slur their words. Or maybe it was exactly as Luke described it - an incredible display of God's power filling them with the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus the night before he died. In any case, it must have been something quite amazing to the disciples. So amazing, in fact, that immediately following this, Peter stands up, gives a sermon to be recorded for all time, and we witness the beginning of the church:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, NIV)

Wow. So whatever it was that did happen motivated these people to begin a radically new way of life together.

Crazy? Maybe.

Amazing? Absolutely.

Greek mid-term tonight

Tonight is our mid-term on participles, subjunctive mood, and translations. I had a good study session last night with Dan which helped. A few more flash card reviews over dinner will hopefully put me in a good mindset. Only 4 more class meetings after tonight! And I haven't started my exegetical paper yet...hmmm...

Other random thoughts this Tuesday morning:

• My wife graduates in 10 days!
• I'm taking the summer off from classes.
• I'm starting to think seriously (i.e., daydreaming) about our cruise vacation in June.
• Why are there so many choices of carpet?
• New couches arrive Friday.
• Carolyn is reading a book on her own.
• My new laptop is just a few days away.
• I'm trying to select summer reading material. Any suggestions?

A really great day

Today was a great day. It was my wife's last Friday as a University of Arizona undergraduate student, so I just had to go with her to the campus. Once there, we grabbed a quick breakfast at Starbucks, she went off to class, and I sat outside in the beautiful morning studying some Greek. When her classes finished, we headed off to do some long overdue furniture shopping. In between stores, we grabbed some lunch, and headed off to more stores.

It was really cool just to be with her all day, sitting on couches, reclining in recliners, laughing at prices, eating fresh-baked cookies at one of the stores, and then making a decision at the end of the day. There was no rushing, no stress, no worries of school or work or kids, just she and I enjoying the day and time with each other. It was wonderful...