"Last" day of summer

Sitting in my office this morning, working on my extensive to do list, I'm watching campers from the final week of youth camp leaving with their parents. Where did the time go? Summer camp is OVER!

Unbelievable.

Starting tomorrow, a week of Urban Camp, followed by WAFS "Burn Camp," and then we start training the 2010-11 class of LCM interns for our fall outdoor ed season.

It's a slippery slope - was that a snowflake I saw?

Time's slipping by so fast! In 3 weeks I'll be moving into my first house. How'd that happen? A couple weeks ago, Jen & I tossed out the "what if" concerning home ownership...less than two weeks later we've already got an accepted offer & have a closing at the end of the month.

Ever want to call a cosmic "time out?" Seriously, if God could answer Joshua's request to stop the sun over Gibeon (Jos 10:12), He can give me an extra week in here somewhere. Lord?

Ok, not that God couldn't pull that off again, but I have to admit that my circumstances, though seemingly frantic from my vantage point, are probably not exceptional enough to warrant a divine pause. So, what is this teaching me?

Love God, treasure my family, and live for today, resting in the knowledge that my steps are ordered by Him and not to lose sleep over tomorrow.

Preach it, brother!

Read a great series of posts from a fellow Elim graduate. Check it out!

What I Hate About My Job
http://theylookliketrees.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/06/what-i-hate-about-my-job-part-1.html

Jennifer Knapp

For those of you who haven't heard by now, Jennifer is back in the music scene, with a newly released album ending a 7 year hiatus...and an announcement that she's gay.


Here's a link to an article in Christianity Today.

Now, I'm not going to talk about homosexuality & what the Bible says about it. Read it for yourself. What I am going to touch on is the troubling response to her announcement on the part of some Christians & Christian retailers. Turns out some stores are pulling her Grammy nominated Christian albums from their shelves in the wake of her coming out. Anybody gonna yank her CDs from your collections & burn 'em in the Weber grill?


John 8:7, folks, hang on to your stones!


Now, I know I'm painting in broad strokes here, but I'd bet there's a bit of pride going on here... proud that they're "not like her," proud of their own spirituality, proud to take a stand, etc.


Know what the Bible says about the proud? They're pretty much screwed! (I'll let you look that up for yourself as well, but there's a lot of stuff regarding God's thoughts of the proud...and frequent use of the word ruin.)


I love the apostle Paul's reference to himself as the "worst" of sinners in 1 Tim 1:15, and vs. 16 in The Message, "...someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off - evidence of his endless patience - to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever."


Jennifer is a sinful human being in need of Jesus Christ. Plain & simple. And so am I! I can be selfish, prideful, judgmental, all things that apart from salvation through Jesus Christ justify an eternity in hell like any other sin. There are times that I feel like the "worst of sinners," and I'm inexpressibly grateful for the endless patience God continues to show me. 


Pray for Jennifer, and don't forget me while you're at it!


UPDATE: Thanks to all who provided feedback regarding this post. In response to some, though it wasn't necessarily the focus of this post, let me be abundantly clear that, as unpopular this is nowadays to say (bracing myself), homosexuality is sin (in Great Britain, I just got arrested for offending someone with my "hate speech!"). In the passage in John mentioned above, Jesus confronted the Pharisees & religious teachers, challenging the one without sin to throw first. It's speculated that the words Jesus wrote in the dirt while he waited were the names & associated sins of those ready to kill the woman caught in adultery. I can picture them, one by one, leaving with rocks in hand, heads hung low.


Jesus didn't stop there - as Jesus wasn't above getting down in the dirt, I can picture Him kneeling before this woman, lovingly helping her to her feet, asking where her accusers went, and telling her to go and "leave her life of sin." 


'Nuff said. Already thinking of future posts...

New design

Hey, I've got a few minutes before I have to run out & set up rappelling at our climbing tower - camp's in full swing, after all! Logged in to my blogger account this morning & saw some significant changes to some of the blog features, including new templates. I've never been big on some of the generic cookie-cutter templates available in the past, but some of these new ones (including what you're seeing now) are pretty nice. With a little tweaking, I'll truly make it mine.

Six minutes until my staff arrive... later!

Where have I been?

Where has the time gone? Hard to believe thedavewave has been without a Dave for over two months. To all my faithful readers out there, my apologies.

Where to start... the picture. It was taken this past weekend at Devil's Lake State Park. Got to run climbing and rappelling for a couple Timber-lee groups. My reclining on the rock before the groups got there was well earned. I was awake by 5:10am and climbing the bluffs by 6:00am to ensure we got the climbs we wanted. Good times later that morning with guys from the Father/Son Retreat and youth from First Presbyterian Church of LaCrosse.

Our outdoor education season is winding down. Only 1 1/2 weeks left before summer staff training and 10 weeks of summer programming. The year is flying by!

Olivia and Hattie are a handful, with Olivia turning 3 last April and Hattie turning 1 a couple weeks ago. When do they start college?Seriously, I love my girls! Jen's got a few more weeks before she's done teaching for the summer.

I've got more on my mind, but I'll save it for later this week. Gotta keep you coming back for more!

Why do people hate change?

Get it? Change?

Sorry, but I thought it was funny reading some of the angry comments left on a coin blog (yes, there are blogs for pretty much everything) regarding the redesign of the back of the 2010 Lincoln cent coin. Some folks are outraged - "It's ugly!", "should've left it the way it was," etc.

People don't like change.

I actually collect Lincoln cents. I've got one from 1909 (the first year Lincoln was on the penny), steel pennies from 1943 when World War II demanded copper for shell casings, the switch in 1959 from "Wheat" pennies to ones featuring the Lincoln Memorial on the rear face, and on through the present day.

I can imagine there were similar thoughts with each of these changes, but we survived. We weathered the storm of the different, persevered, and came out the other side relatively unscathed...with new pennies.

Admittedly, in the grand scheme of things, the penny change is insignificant (hopefully for you it's not a big deal!) But why is it, that as Christians, we sometimes get all bent out of shape when change is thrust upon us. A move, loss of a job, illness, standard of living, etc.

GOD, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!
(Why did they have to change the penny?)

Now, let me back up a bit to clarify something - just because you're a Christian doesn't meant difficult things don't affect you, like you're inside some fluffy, pink, cotton candy-filled bubble of denial, 'cuz...that's just weird. Jesus, our ultimate example, wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus before raising him from the dead. Take a good look at the apostles... beaten, jailed, stoned, crucified, etc. 

Peter writes (1Pet 1:6 NLT) "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while."

In The Message, vs 7 "Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine."

The Message in 1Pet 4:12-13 "Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner."

I've been reading "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God" by Francis Chan, and he spends a decent amount of time trying to paint a picture of the enormity, the eternal nature of God, a God who spoke not just a few stars into existence, but countless galaxies, populated by billions of stars, with planets orbiting these stars...all because He could! He created caterpillars with 300 muscles in their necks alone...all because He could.

And He loves US!

As Christians, we're not immune from life's changes, trials, and tragedies, but thank you Jesus we have hope! Each difficulty we face is an opportunity for change, for refinement, one step closer to that finish line that Paul talks about in 2Tim 4:7 ("the only race worth running" in The Message...hmm, how many different races do we sometimes find ourselves...sorry, little attention deficit creeping in, topic for another day!)

"You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him - with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation." (1Pet 1:8-9 MSG)

How cool is that? Now, go enjoy your new pennies!

Social networking fast

Ok, I told you I'd write about my experiment in cutting the technical "cords" for a weekend. To be honest, it really wasn't that bad. The inspiration for my fast came from an article I read from a former editor of a well-known blog, chronicling her experiences (both good and bad) in living a life both on & offline.

I have to admit, it was tempting to check my facebook, or post updates to Twitter, especially for the first day or so, but then it kinda wore off. Maybe it's because I grew up in the days before email, MySpace, etc. Social networking back then involved physically getting together with people. Maintaining relationships required actions beyond a few keystrokes from miles away.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology (and most other things shiny - my iPhone is a part of my everyday life,) and it's allowed me to stay connected with friends, relatives, etc. in ways that were unimaginable 25 years ago...but we need to be careful that the people that are important to us aren't reduced to profile pictures on a computer screen. Go out for coffee, why don't ya!

Is death ever "good?"

How’s this for a nice, light post after my ebay blurb. And don’t worry, I’m still planning on posting about my social networking fast, but that’s getting pushed to the back for a while.

I recently was informed of the death of a friend of mine, someone I knew many years ago from a Bible study I attended. Service is this weekend. Having experienced my share of memorial services this past year, there’s a part of me that’s not exactly looking forward to going, in spite of the fact that it will mean a reunion with good friends from long ago, people who were lasting influences in my life.


Earlier this week I came across my “keepsake box,” a catch-all containing everything from my plastic Yamaha recorder from my 3rd grade music class, pay stubs from my first job (The Hobbyist), and birthday cards & letters from throughout the years. I also found tons of letters from my mom & dad during my time studying in New York. I spent a couple hours reading them, bawling, reading some more... more bawling.

Letter from when our dog Randy died... you guessed it! [sniff]

As a Christ-follower, what exactly is the “correct” response to death? Don’t base your theology off this (though, maybe I’m quick to discount it based on my personal bias...and the fact that I’m writing this wearing a bathrobe while eating wasa bread while listening to Clifford the Big Red Dog in the background.)

I’m sure you’ve heard them - the “Christian-ese” expressions (better place, with the Lord, God’s plans, etc.) offered to the grieving. I’m convinced that these are given, not out of insincerity, but maybe a lack of knowing the “right” thing to say in the midst of such pain and loss.

As one left behind, there’s also the temptation to try to be strong, to answer “ok” when asked by a friend or loved one. To be or do any less might seem to be lacking in faith or something. The ones who died, those who knew Christ as their Savior are with Him now. No more pain, worry, sorrow... we should be rejoicing, right?

Well...

Now, before you start throwing things at me (putting some extra pillows under my robe), hear me out. Death sucks! Whether it was over quickly or dragged on for many months, it leaves those left behind wounded. Those wounds may heal over time, but there will always be a scar, a permanent mark reminding us of our loss. That scar on my pinkie finger from when I cut it 24 years ago working at McDonald’s hasn’t produced pain in... about 24 years, but the reminder is there & will remain until I’m old & gray (no smart comments, please! :-)

As Christians, there is incredible comfort knowing that our loved ones are with God, that they’re no longer afflicted by the pain, illnesses, worries, losses, etc. that mark this broken, fallen world. There’s also security for those of us that remain, knowing that this isn’t the last stop for us. Thank you Jesus for making a way for us to know God the way He intended before sin wounded & scarred creation. Hallelujah!

As I prepare to see my friend who lost his wife tomorrow, I really can’t fathom the “right” thing to say. I anticipate that there may be no words at all, that as one husband to another, the best I may be able to manage will be to simply hold him & weep, and to continue to lift him up in prayer as he faces life without his beloved.

Dave's ebay secret

Here's a light post for the day - I've been using ebay to buy & sell stuff since 2005, but it's not until the last couple years that I've perfected my technique for winning auctions. After some really good buys this past week (i.e. $175 snow pants for Jen for $13.06), I'm feeling pretty good, so I figured I'd share my secrets.

(1) Know the value of what you're bidding on. It's not a deal if you end up spending more than it costs in stores. I laugh when I see people get into bidding wars & drive the price to full retail or even more!

(2) Watch for bad descriptions & photos. I love picking up items that are listed as "Patagonia fluffy jacket" along with a blurry photo. A casual glance may not reveal much, but closer inspection may reveal that the "fluffy" jacket is actually a Patagonia Retro X windproof fleece, last year's model based on the pocket design & zipper pulls, that retails for $185. I'll pick up the "fluffy" jacket for $30, turn around & list it accurately with great pictures and double or triple my money.

(3) And lastly, the "Dave Snatch." I'll set my scope on a particular item, watch it closely throughout the auction period, and if the price is still low enough where it'd be a deal for me or I could easily resell it, I get down to business. First, know your maximum bid. Don't get swept up in the thrill of the hunt. Give yourself the maximum you're willing to spend on the item. If it goes for more than that, it wasn't meant to be. Let it go! :-)

During the final minute, watch the bids. With about 30 seconds left, enter your maximum bid (the most you'd consider bidding) and place the bid. Go with an amount that's weird. For example, instead of entering $100, enter $101.22. I can't tell you how many auctions I've snatched by 50 cents because of entering an odd amount.

Here's where it gets fun. Ebay will ask you to confirm your bid. WAIT!!! You'll want to wait until about 6 seconds left before confirming your bid (a second or two longer depending on your connection speed.) This timing prevents someone from submitting a counter bid before the auction ends.

BAM!!! The moment of truth. You either just won the item or another bidder's maximum bid was greater than you were willing to spend in the first place.

Happy ebaying!

The real tragedy of Global "Warming" (btw, the polar bears are fine!)

[Getting on soapbox] Ladies and gentlemen, the myth of manmade global warming unravels almost by the day. Googling "Climategate" produces a wealth of information. Regardless of what you believe, read everything you can get your hands on. At the very least, it should prove that the theory of manmade global warming is far from settled science. We need to show our leaders that we have brains & can think for ourselves.

But this post is not about whether or not we're responsible for raising the earth's temperatures. It's about, in my opinion, collateral damage resulting most recently from this whole global warming mess.

(1) The death of network news. In the two weeks following the University of East Anglia's documents being made public, the "major" news outlets in the US remained oddly silent on the matter, even as it was being reported in major outlets worldwide. Instead, viewers who rely on NBC, CBS, and ABC were treated to more than 35 reports on Tiger Woods' marriage problems, even something about a moose, with nary a SINGLE mention of quite possibly the biggest scandal of modern science. Crickets chirping...

And they wonder why their ratings continue to plummet? It's because they've lost our TRUST. No longer champions in search of truth, they've instead become a glorified infomercial, hawking agendas.

(2) Corrupted science. Contrary to how Al Gore and other global warming acolytes would like to portray them, the recently published documents from the University of East Anglia are pretty damning. An article in the Wall Street Journal-Europe calls "Climategate" the "tip of the iceberg" as raw data from other researchers, including NASA and NOAA, has not been provided as required by FOI. Interesting to see how far the rabbit hole goes! Think Al will give refunds if all this proves to be a big sham?

Used to be the scientific method couldn't be corrupted, but when the politicians write the scientist's paychecks, what should we expect?

(3) Polar Bears. Ok, contrary to what kids are STILL being taught in school (the "drowning" polar bear pics were debunked years ago, btw) they're really not a victim in this, as scientists who actually STUDY polar bears for a living report that their numbers are increasing overall, that the varieties that are decreasing are doing so primarily as a result of hunting. Actually, according to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, if there's an increase in temperatures, it'll result in an INCREASE in habitat for wildlife, decreasing the arctic desert and increasing forested areas.

Bottom line? Study for yourself, guys! And you politicians out there, beware. Knowledgeable citizens vote.

A financial milestone

Besides being December 1st (WHITE RABBIT!), today marks a significant event in our family's financial history.

We don't owe anything on credit cards. Zip. Nada. Zilch.

Four years ago, Jen & I were introduced to Dave Ramsey & Financial Peace University. Both with good jobs, in debt up to our eyeballs, Dave encouraged us to take steps to change our situation.

We learned that that dread "B" word...budget...isn't a dirty word but a tool intended to gain control of the money we worked so hard to make in the first place.

Then came the debt repayment plan. Almost $40K in credit card debt is hard to ignore, and even harder to pay off playing by the card issuers' rules, especially when they CHANGE the rules frequently (ex. "New changes to your account terms and what they mean to you.") Four years later, that debt is gone & we never wanna go back!

Next are the car loans & student loans. We're working toward having those completely paid off within the next 1 1/2-2 years.

We're already talking about saving for and paying cash for a house. How crazy is that?

Where's my stone?

I'll be honest. There are times that I'd like to throttle people. There's one in particular, right now, that I'd like to kick the royal ####### out of.

"David!" (I can hear my mom gasp)

As a husband & father, I was made aware last night of a supposed follower of Christ who recently announced to his wife (with infant son) that he was leaving. Reason given? He wanted his life back & his wife and child were holding him back.

Wanna take turns swinging? I'll share my bat.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged." Luke 6:37 NIV

Ugh! Ok, God, I'm listening...

In this passage, Jesus isn't asking us to abandon discernment. It's not popular to say such things nowadays, but there still are things that are right and wrong. What Jesus is saying is that we should avoid self righteously judging others, whipping those rocks at someone who may honestly have 'em coming while we ignore the sin in our lives that deserve our own helping of judgement.

Pray for this family!

Memories of home

Spent some time last weekend transporting some things for my sister as she prepares to move back home to my parent's house. After bringing the last of the boxes inside, I found myself walking around the yard in the moonlight. It was amazing all the memories that came to mind...

* That scraggly little tree in the front yard that looked like a mop
* Dodgeball in the front yard with soaked Nerf footballs
* The apple "bush"
* Our dog's "minefield," especially when cutting the grass
* Riding bikes on the patio 'cuz dad didn't want us in the street
* Mom's chive plant by the back steps
* Throwing dried dirt clods at each other like hand grenades
* The grits I dumped into the evergreen bush when I made too much
* The play fort (manly 'til mom & Vikki painted flowers on it)
* Playing catch with Dad next to the garage
* Kickball games at the side of the house
* The Prayer Tree

Louis Vincent Albano - 1933-2009

I'm both sad & smiling as I write this, especially considering the substantial amount of time since my last full post. Who would've though that "Captain" Lou Albano would break my writing drought.

Ugh, another month has gone by!

Yes, I'm still alive. Not much new to post besides the fact that life is crazy as usual. Olivia continues to grow at an accelerated rate...Hattie is developing into a little girl with a unique personality (she laughs & smiles a lot!), Jen's busy with school & parenting, I'm trying to stay on top of the wave that includes being a good husband, dad, and camp program director (without a fulltime assistant) during a crazy busy fall outdoor ed season.

[breathe]

Oh hey, here's something new...I started playing volleyball in my church's league. Surprisingly, we won! I think the last time I played volleyball was almost 20 years ago. I remember because I broke my left middle finger during that game. No breaks last night, so maybe that's a good sign!

Taco John's + caving = ?

Had the pleasure of meeting up with our new interns yesterday in Richland Center for an afternoon of caving. On the way there, my friend Jim and I stopped at one of my favorite eating spots. Oh, Taco John's, home of the Potato Ole. Yumm! Anyway, as we were back on the road with the spoils of our stop, it hit me... can burritos and underground confined spaces ever safely mix?

I'll let you find that out for yourselves.

Summer draws to a close

Where did it go? Seems like not so long ago we were wrapping up staff training and welcoming our first week's campers. Now we just have a couple weeks of specialty camps, training for the new interns, then the fall outdoor ed season begins in force. Wow!

Learning to float

It's hard to believe I've been in fulltime Christian camping ministry for 10 years now. That's 25% of my entire life! Scary thought...some of the 6th grade students I may have taught in 1999 are now finishing their undergraduate degrees, some possibly with children of their own! Yikes!

How did I get here? As a senior at Elim Bible Institute, I thought I had it all figured out, and it didn't include camps. Sure, I got hooked on backpacking & rock climbing while a student there, but I had a plan. My friends were envious as we approached the end of our last year together. I had taken quite some time writing down in detail my plan for the 3-5 years following graduation. Yup, had it all worked out...

Until I sat in the "hot seat"...

Each spring, Elim has visiting ministers with proven prophetic ministries come to the school, a kind of "sending out" or commissioning of that year's senior class. As I sat with my back to them, facing my friends & the rest of the student body, I'll never forget the first words out of Stanley Hammond's mouth...

"Plans, plans, plans...this young man is drowning in plans. It's no fun to be drowning. I have a clear word of direction from the Lord for you. SCRAP whatever it is you have written down, and learn to float in the sea of My Spirit."

There went my plans!

Over the next couple of years following graduation, God continued to prepare and guide me, teaching me to "float", knowing that His current would carry me in the direction He intended for me. Bobbing around in that seemingly endless "sea" with no sign of a destination, God would sometimes drop a clue or an encouragement, especially when I started focussing on the waves instead of keeping my eyes on the horizon. On a trip to New York, just before Timber-lee entered the picture, a pastor I had lunch with shared a word God had given him concerning me. "I can't shake it," he said, "but I keep seeing a picture of a slingshot in my mind, and I believe God wants you to know that He's preparing to launch you into the ministry He's called you to. Don't be discouraged, like you're not progressing, or even losing ground, because like a slingshot, it gets pulled back before it fires. Be ready!"

A year later I was at Timber-lee in a fulltime position! Borrowing from the Peace Corps' slogan, it's the toughest job I'll ever love. I have to restrain my laughter when I'm asked what I do for a living & I tell 'em I work at a camp. "What do you do for the rest of the year?" is not an uncommon response. Timber-lee serves around 60,000 people a year on our grounds, and the ropes course program I oversee serves almost 30,000 participants annually. I'm a pastor with a climbing harness on, an adventure minister who gets to see lives impacted through the tools of adventure programming. It's a fulltime, year-round job that is very hard work, but I absolutely love it. Watching a sunset from atop our 40' climbing tower after a full day of classes, or Nordic skiing with school students when the air is calm & those huge snowflakes are falling...you get the picture. It's such a gift to have a career built around a blessing!

Thank you, God.

The pain will never end...

I've been chewing on this for a bit now. As you probably know by following my site, the past 7 months have seen the loss of both of my parents. Particularly hard for me is seeing pictures of mom & dad at the birth of our oldest, Olivia, two years ago. I was so proud to introduce them to her, to see them hold their granddaughter. This past May brought the birth of our second daughter, Hattie, only 2 weeks following my dad's death. Just the thought of them not being there still brings tears to my eyes. There are times that I fear, if I dwell too long on their loss, I may be swallowed by the grief.

I grieve deeply because I loved and was loved deeply...

I will always miss my parents. The void they left will never truly be filled. I'll never get to email mom the latest pictures of the girls for her work computer desktop...I'll never share another breakfast at McDonald's with my dad.

But I will go on...I can go on!

It's only because of Christ, and the love of others in my life.The blessed truth is that I will see my parents again someday, and in the meantime I have a wife & daughters that I love, brothers, a sister, and relatives that are here for me to love & enjoy. The sadness doesn't stand much of a chance when my Olivia jumps on the bed in the morning, a big smile on her face as she gets to "snuggle daddy", or I get that look from my wife that expresses a wellspring of love & support. Hattie pretty much just lies around at this point. I swear she smiles at me sometimes, but the accompanying farting sounds reminds me it's probably just gas.

Life without my parents will never be "ok," but God sees every tear, and promises to supply all my needs. God has blessed me with life & it's my responsibility to honor Him by treating each day I remain on this earth as a gift, and be an instrument of His love to those around me.

Zagg "Invisible Shield"

Looking for the ultimate in protection for your valuable gadgets? I tried one of their screen protectors for one of my GPS units & I'm sold. The installation process is a bit more involved than a simple stick-on sheet, but the extra labor is well worth it.

The invisible shield product uses a kind of activator spray that allows the military-grade film to conform to the surface. Over a 24hr period, any air bubbles are eliminated, resulting in a flawless-looking installation.

Since buying my iPhone the other day, I've ordered a full "skin" that protects the entire unit from scratches. Watching the video of the guy "keying" an iPhone with & without their product sold me.