Pair o' Dime Props: Jonadab and the Recabites

Yeah, you heard right and it's not the name of a musical group. This morning, I was reading Jeremiah 35 which is an account of a tribe called the Recabites. During this time, God wasn't very pleased with how the Israelites were behaving and he asked Jeremiah (in verse 2) to

"Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink."

Jeremiah of course did this and when he asked the Recabites to drink the wine, the response he got was

"We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.....' We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us..."

See what I mean? What's more is I did a quick study and apparently this tribe was about 200 years old. This is impressive. What hit me the hardest was the influence of a father. I mean, don't drink wine is one thing, but to basically say, that throughout history, I command you to never drink wine. That's huge! If Jonadab were here today, I'd say, "Hey thanks! You've set the bar pretty hard for us dads who are just trying to get our kids to do their homework and obey in school." I'd then follow that up with something along the lines of, "How did you do that?" I think with this alone he has set himself up as one of the best dads in the history of Man. Second, the Recabites had maintained a great respect for their previous generations. No doubt this was reinforced by each set of parents, but again, I'm impressed by the legacy of maintaining a certain behavior.

Oh, and God was impressed too:

"You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered. Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me."

So, for today, props go to Jonadab and his descendants. Well done!

Side Note: This in no way is some sort of endorsement of abstaining from wine. God used the Recabites' faithfulness to their forefather's commands as a way of exhorting the Israelites on how they should be behaving. He essentially said these people are following the commands of a man, and yet you will not follow the commands of Almighty God. It was not to tell the Israelites not to drink wine. Anyone who may think because of this we should abstain from wine should read the whole text where it says the Recabites also did not work the land and refused to build houses. This being said, I do not want to discourage anyone from being teetotaling tent-dwellers either.

Question of the Day: Teaching Double Standards

Short post today, but perhaps it will get me back in the posting groove.

My sons have discovered burping. Yeah, and here's the problem: When half of you read this, you said, "eww, gross!" while the other half of you either laughed, or said, "heh, cool!" Do you see the problem? Everyone would likely agree that in a public setting, and specifically in the company of ladies, this is intolerable! However, when it's the guys, it's cool. Moreover, the level of coolness is directly proportional to volume and length of the belch in the company of guys and conversly, the volume and length is inderectly proportional to the acceptability in mixed company. This is a bit of a stumbling block for me as a parent and I am appealing to you for help.

During little sibs weekend in college, I put upon myself the task of tackling this double standard with my future wife's brother. He was there for the weekend and at age 8 or thereabouts, he needed to understand the complexity of social relationships and I felt called to explain it. When Tina wasn't around, I would let out a good one and tell him it was cool, but then continued by letting him know that it wasn't cool when his sister was around. "Belching is cool when you're with the guys, but not with girls present." I worked hard. It was a mantra of sorts and by the end of the weekend, I think he was able to repeat it easily.* However, I must admit, I don't know if I have ever heard him produce a thunderous belch in the 18 years I've known him, so I believe I still have more to learn in teaching the subtelties of this double standard. Any help in this area was appreciated.

*Tony and Elaine. Thank you for your tacet forgiveness on this. :-)

Seventeen Years Ago

Warning: Recycled Post. Originally posted on 7/23/07


Seventeen years ago, I had the privilege of participating in a short term mission project. My girlfriend Tina and I had been actively involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and this was where we had essentially met and built our relationship. Tina and I had been dating for about a year and a half when we felt led to go with Operation Mobilization to Birmingham and Bradford, England. The trip was life-changing in so many ways. Seeing people learn about Jesus and grow in their faith as well as being able to serve alongside other believers from every corner of the globe was an experience I will not soon forget. But I have to say the biggest part of this trip; the part that has changed my life the most, (and for the better), was the evening of July 23rd, 1991. Seventeen years ago today.

After spending the day doing direct/assertive evangelism in Birmingham, the large group of international missionaries were to go back to the Elim church where we were having evening meetings. This usually consisted of dinner, worship and a message. Well, Tina and I were on different teams and hadn't seen each other all day so I had asked my team leader, Ian, for a place I could go in the evening with my girlfriend. So when we got to the church, I told Tina that we were playing "hookie" from the meetings and going out to dinner.

The day was typical of England in mid-July. A light drizzle and temperature in the 50-60 degree range. Not ideal I suppose but there is something about an English rain that makes it a little less of a downer. (I was amazed by how little the weather affects the English. I suppose when it's something you're used to, it doesn't bother you). Well, I took Ian's advice and we headed to a local street where there were a number of restaurants. There was even one touted as "American Cuisine," but we opted to pass on that. We settled on a place appropriately called "Valentino's." It being a Tuesday, the place was empty and quiet. I asked if what we were wearing was acceptable and he told us to come on in. After 10 days or so in Europe, it was really nice to get away by ourselves and not have to think about everything going on around us. We sat by candlelight and I think we talked about the future and probably talked about the mission trip we were on, but it's hard to recall. I can't remember much of the conversation, but being in love, I'm sure it was good. Tina and I shared our dinners: Chicken Marsala and Spaghetti Bolognese. Afterwards, I asked the host if we could take the candle with us for memorabilia. He probably thought we were being silly, but of course he said "yes." A half-burned candle isn't something you keep on a table anyhow but it was a nice reminder for us. When we left, I noticed that the rain had finally stopped. This was an incredible blessing because I was hoping we could find a nice place to sit after dinner before heading back. We walked up the hill we had come down earlier and stopped at a BP "Petrol" station to ask for directions/advice. This being "pre-blackberry," we were at the mercy of a local in order to find some place to go. We asked the lady at the counter if there was a park or something nearby to walk to and she mentioned there was one but wasn't sure if it was walking distance from there. Just then a local cab driver came in and he told us about Grove Park and said it was a little far to walk. He offered to take us as a courtesy! What are the chances that the rain would stop and a cab driver would take us there for no charge? We thanked the man profusely and Tina gave him some Smarties as a "thank you." (Smarties are not American smarties...they're like M&M's).

The park had a nice pond and the sun was just behind the trees from where we sat. Again we continued our conversation and enjoyed the serenity of the evening. Very few people were out, and we felt like we had the place to ourselves. With the rain stopped it had turned into a pleasant evening. I was pleased with how the evening had turned out. In some ways it was how I had hoped it would be when I proposed to my wife. So with my heart in my throat and my knees on the ground, I slipped a ring on Tina's finger and asked her to marry me. I don't know what possessed her to do so, but after a moment of disbelief, she said "yes."


Engagement is often overlooked as far as a milestone. However when you think about this, engagement is a huge commitment! It is my belief that engagement is where the real commitment is and the ceremony follows later. The man is essentially saying, "I'm all in," and for a moment which seems like eternity, waits to hear the response. In my case, Tina said she was "all in" too. Once this is done, it's extremely difficult for a couple to turn back. I have a hard time seeing how a once-spurned proposal could turn into a happy marriage. I'm sure it's done, but I suspect that it's not a point of fond memories and I'm guessing a lot of folks go their separate ways after such an occasion. For me, I was incredibly blessed. Tina is as close to a perfect complement to me as there can be. It is hard, and virtually unthinkable for me to think of life without her. She's an incredible wife and mother of our two boys.

Like many, when you participate in a short term mission project, you experience things that alter your perception of life. You become a more open-minded and loving person and you have experiences that you will never forget. Although this was one of the many memories from the trip, it was also the one that made the most impact on me. Anyone who knows Tina, knows how loving and caring she is and I have the honor and privilege to spend virtually every day of my life with her. What more could I ask for?

Tina,
thanks for saying "yes" 17 years ago and for loving me "no matter what" since then. I love you.

Hardin Family Tour 2008: Dayton, Ohio

Last Thursday we arrived in Dayton, for the first time in over 10 years. Tina and I met at Wright State University and spent 8 years together in this town. We figured after a decade it was time to travel back to where our relationship began. While traveling I thought it might be good to blog about my observations along the way.

• It only took me ten years to miss Dayton! That's less than expected, and it's good to be back.
• I underestimated the joy I would feel when seeing the smiles of retiremnt home residents when they saw my boys. The elderly just love seeing life in young children.
• About 20 years ago, during college an elderly couple "adopted" a bunch of college students. We were able to surprise Mrs. Ramsey and serve her Tea and sweets. This was the highlight of our Dayton leg.
• I had forgotten how nice a good "cuppa" with some sweets were. It was a great time.
  
• That brand new apartment building that we moved into in 1995 didn't look quite as nice. As a matter of fact it looked a lot like the one we moved out of in 1995.
• We went by both of our old churches. The one we were married in and the one we went to after that. The second has a slogan/motto of "Love Grows Here."
• Speaking of slogans, we also passed a church with the most peculiar slogan Ive ever seen. I don't like when churches brag on themselves, but this didn't suffer from that. It was "The Vineyard: A Pretty Good Church." That didn't necessarily make me want to jump out of bed yesterday and check this one out. :-)
• I had a joke with Tina years ago. We would pass Solid Rock Church in Monroe and I would remark how big the portico was out front. It was quite extravagant and we would remark on how it had to cost a fortune and wondered whether it was good stewardship to build it. Since then, they've developed a little more but if you look closely at the picture, you can see the portico behind what many now call "Touchdown Jesus." I'm glad they self-regulate their stewardship and do such a great job of remaining tasteful with their building. (Click on the picture to enlarge). Additional Statue Information is here.
  

Pair o' Dime Props: Coach ------

When I had just turned 15, I was playing my last year of organized baseball. My coach for that year was a good man. He had three boys of his own, (one of which broke my nose on a ground ball, but perhaps that is a story for another day). Anyhow, this guy was nice enough to take me to and from practices during the season because circumstances didn't allow for me to get to practice by other means. Today I want to (sort of) acknowledge my coach for one particular lesson he taught me. One Saturday after practice, I helped him get the equipment put away and he pulled out some tools and went back to the field. There was no one on the grounds, but he began working on the fence and the grass around the fence. Cutting the grass, pulling the fence back down and securing it so balls could not roll underneath, etc. Well, you may know how much I love yard work, so I was probably pretty impatient. I was ready to go. I remember asking him why he was doing it. I don't remember his answer exactly, but it was something along the lines of "it needs to be done." Near the end of the conversation, I remember asking him if he was going to let the youth organization know that he was the one who did this. His answer was along the lines of, "No. There isn't any need to let them know. It just needs to be fixed." That may seem like nothing when you read this now, but hearing this as a self-centered 15 year-old (I think that's redundant), I was blown away! Why on earth would anyone work on something out of charity and not want to be recognized!!?! Well years later I understood, and perhaps he did then too. This morning I was reminded of this coach when I read the following:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
-Matthew 6:1-4

This gentleman is no longer around. As a matter of fact he died a couple of years after he coached me. Perhaps now, better than Pair o' Dime Props, he's received an infinitely better reward.

PoDS Tips for Successful Lawn Care

Here at Pair o' Dime Shift we wish to provide our readers with 10 times more than our two cent's worth. Well leave it to me to bring you the best in tips for your lawn. (GET IT? "leave" it? HAHAHAH!!).

Let's get one thing straight before we continue. Yard work is one of the most time-consuming (read: time-wasting), annoying, dreadful endeavors one can choose to do. I truly believe that those who enjoy it must be masochists. If you're a masochist by this definition, please do not take offense to the term. I don’t agree with how you spend your time, but I respect you. And if you really enjoy it, I would like to invite you over to my home some sunny Saturday in the near future. I wouldn't want to discourage you enjoying lawn care.

The overall goal of lawn care is simply the following: Minimize the total amount of time, work and money you put into your yard while avoiding the sour looks of all of those on your block.

With this in mind I bring to you the following pointers:

• Never mind keeping up with the Jones'. The goal is to be slightly better than the Smith's. Who are the Smith's you ask? Well they are the ones with the worst looking yard on the block. By being slightly better than the Smith's you will avoid the sour looks given by Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
• The frequency in which you fertilize should be the same as the frequency of neighborhood social gatherings. The goal here is to be sure to fertilize the morning of said gatherings. That way when the subject of lawn car comes up at the event you can mention that you had just dropped fertilizer that morning. You can even consider rolling your eyes when speaking about the Smith's lawn and claim that the reason you have weeds is because Mr. Smith doesn't fertilize his lawn and the wind blows all of the seeds into you yard.
• You should fertilize with the least amount of fertilizer possible. Everybody knows that these chemicals are not good for the environment and you don't want to be labeled as a earth-scorcher like the Jones family down the street do you?
• Minimal frequency and amount of fertilizer will ensure that you will have plenty of nice green weeds in your yard. The goal then is to cut them low. If you cut off all of the leaves, blooms, pods, etc. the stem will look remarkably similar to a blade of grass. Be sure to edge your lawn for the same reason. Grass tends to grow straight up. Weeds often grow sideways. By edging your yard, you again give the illusion of grass.
• Do NOT water your lawn. We have been in a drought here in Charlotte for over a year and water restrictions are in place. Of course the obsessive masochists in my neighborhood have better lawns than me, but barely. I'd like to compare fertilizer and water bills with them. While they're busy watering and fertilizing to make their yard look decent, I'm spending time with my family and making my yard look fair. It's not worth the payoff. Also, when a drought hits, since you have done minimal fertilizing, the obsessive yard-workers now have brown lawns, and your weeds are green and if trimmed nicely might even make your yard look even better.
• When doing yard work, keep the following things in mind. Doing it on a nice cool day, if you have one, is the easiest way to go. However, nice cool days are perfect days to spend doing something fun with your family. You're wasting valuable time by doing it then. You should consider doing it when it's extremely hot and humid. That doesn't seem right, does it? But doing it on an oppressive day is likely to invoke the most pity from your family. After a couple of hours sweating and exhausting every ounce of energy, your significant other is likely going to want you to take it easy for some time. They may bring you drinks, and let you sit down in a cool place for a looooong time. It's counterintuitive I know, but your return will be greater. Trust me. One note of caution though: Wear sunscreen. You could have sweat gallons of water, incurred scrapes and cuts and perhaps even lost blood, but if you have a sunburn and you didn't wear sunscreen, expect no pity. Trust me on this one.
  

Okay, so there you have it. It's not exhaustive, but these are sound tips that should help you in maximizing your quality of life. Since my neighbors don't read my blog and my wife only does occasionally, I think this post should be safe.

One brief glimpse of power

This weekend we had quite the storm. I love thunderstorms. There is something neat about watching sheets of rain come down while feeling the house shake from the occasional crack of thunder. It's awesome! My son, Chris, loves all precipitation. He is infatuated with the radar and we are all but convinced he will be a meteorologist. He loves it more than I do.

Saturday and Sunday both had some impressive storm activity, but Saturday was the most intense when it comes to lightening. As the storm rolled in we sat on the front porch and counted between the lightning flashes to see how far the lightening was from us; four seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds...all of them very intense. I marveled at the power of the storm. It was enjoyable to watch the intensity and strength. Then it happened. The almost simultaneous flash and crack! My adrenaline rapidly increased, and I said, "OK buddy, let's watch the rest of this from inside!" This was probably less than a mile from the house. I had been closer to strikes before, but I don't know if I had ever seen such a crisp bright bolt as the one I saw Saturday, and the thunder crack shook the house - and me. Wow!

All this just to say, that as I stood in the window looking out at the intense power of the storm and the jump I had just had, I realized that I very much take for granted the power of God. That at one moment I could be thankful for the opportunity to watch a wonderful storm. To marvel at the power God has in nature and then in the next moment be completely awestruck to the point of fear. This is just a fraction of what the Almighty can do! I think I understand better what it means to praise and fear God at the same time from that one storm this weekend.

Technology isn't all it's cracked up to be

What with email, texting, wireless technology, text editors and DVRs, you'd think we were set, right? Well, I'm a little disappointed. Lately, I've been listening to my radio and when I miss something there isn't an option to rewind and listen to it again. Sheesh! Why is this the case. I have it on my VCR, DVD, DVR, CD and even old Cassette players. This is ridiculous!

Oh, and another thing. Why is it when I write in my journal in the morning and make a typo, there is no red line under the misspelled word? Intolerable!!!

There is no excuse for these things not being available. I'm entitled to this!

Once these minor advances take place, THEN I might be impressed. I'm looking forward to this. Oh, and when someone cuts me off while I'm driving, I really think I should be able to fire a red shell at them to knock them off the road. Then we'd really be getting somewhere!!!

First Love

A common feature here on Pair o' Dime Shift, is the "second hand" sermon point* from my weekend church service. This past week my pastor preached on Revelation 2:1-7 where Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus. He had some good things to say about this church, however, what he was most concerned about was that they had lost their "First Love." In this case, it appears that the Ephesian Christians were good at discernment and intolerance for evil, but had lost sight of their First Love, which is Jesus.

Essentially, we can get so caught up in "doing" that we forget the "why" behind the actions. It's quite the challenge really. It's so easy to say, "Hey, today I'm going to go work at a homeless shelter or sing carols at a retirement home because that's what I'm suppose to do." You don't have to be a Christian to do that. Our "First Love" wants us to desire Him and as a byproduct serve others. It can be easy to go through the motions of our earthly relationships. The kiss hello, the time spent together, etc. can become routine and essentially meaningless. Jesus challenged, well, essentially threatened to take away the Ephesian Church's "lamp stand" if they did not return to their First Love.

My pastor went on to ask the question of what a "first love" looks like. Perhaps we should look at what we would do for someone we are in love with. This is what Jesus wants. It's not the busyness of serving or ministry. It's the passion and desire to know him better. We do this through actions, but not in actions alone. When we're in love we would drop everything for that person. We would forsake many responsibilities for their sake. We would take risks to the point of death. We would be completely content just to be present with them. This is where the challenge lies. It's easy to see where the application is, but so extremely difficult to put it into action.



*You usually only get one point from me. It's typically all I hold on to on a Sunday morning. It's not my pastor's shortcoming...it's mine. So analogous to gossip, you only get part of the truth. I'm doing what I can but the sermons can be heard online as well.

Pair o' Dime Props: Fathers

It's been a few days since I've posted, but I can't let this day go without acknowledging dad's. Father's who engage in the lives of both their children and the mothers of their children provide a stable environment for all. To me, there is something special about a male role model. I was not fortunate enough to grow up with my dad, and although there are things about him that were good, this post is to give thanks to men in my past who have mentored me in some way. Some of them aren't even old enough to be my dad, but they modeled behaviors and/or shared their heart in a way that impacted who I've become. (The positive bits of who I've become :-) ). So today, I raise a glass to the following people:

Tom Spittal
Ralph Small
Dave Bratton
Loren Freshwater
John Theis
Don Mechlem
Tony Bonacci
George Jonson
David Ziels
LeMont Jacobs

These men have shown me how they raise their children, treated me like their son, or shared with me godly wisdom that has helped mold my spiritual life. All of which I count as treasures and today, I am thankful that I have known them.

Hallway Etiquette

Recently I moved across campus to a building near some different "clients" of mine. These are people I support or associate with who now see me when I step out of my office. Now I don't know if this is just me, but I'm beginning to get annoyed with what appears to be a lack of Hallway etiquette. Let me explain. I don't have a large number of subordinates in a closed space where my job is such that I manage by walking around. Therefore, if I am walking in the halls, it's for a purpose other than to casually ask clients how things are going. I'm on a mission of some sort. So allow me to enlighten and express myself at the same time:

• If I am coming in to my office with a bag of hot fast food around lunch time, it is not an invitation to say hello, walk in with me and proceed to talk to me for 30 minutes. My office is cold and the food is initially warm. I would like for it to stay that way all the way down my throat!
• If I am leaving my office and passing your office towards the men's room, please do me a favor and at the very least, wait until I'm coming back out of the men's room! I still don't care for being stopped and asked work-related questions, but have a little compassion.
• If I walk by the window of your office while you are waiting to ambush me, well...just don't.

The rule of thumb is to either call or come knock on my door. At least meet me on my own turf. Otherwise I may be afraid to even leave my office, and I don't think the university will pay for my own personal restroom and Chick-Fil-A restaurant.

There, I'm done. Thank you for "listening."

Our first Dinner Debate

With an 8 and 5 year old at the table, I think today we had our first family debate today. A friendly debate it was although my 8 year old and his mom found themselves on different sides of it. No insults were thrown but there has been no real resolution or even compromise. The debate rages on. The question: Is Clifford an indoor dog or an outdoor dog? I think I know the answer, but I don't want to take sides.

Pair o' Dime Props: Ken Griffey Jr.

It's time to give credit to one of the best baseball players of our time. Yesterday, Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th Home Run in a game against Florida Marlins. Griffey, is now the fourth, along with Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, NATURAL baseball player to reach this milestone. The guy loves his wife and kids and is nothing but class.

Congratulations Ken!

Watch the video while listening to Hall of Fame announcer, Marty Brennaman, make the call.

Read more about Ken Griffey's accomplishment.

Ivy League Whiners

I can't help but share this. This was on Morning Edition (NPR) this morning. I'm less than encouraged that some of these future leaders of the free world were disappointed that J. K. Rowling was their commencement speaker. I'm not a Potter fan, but goodness...

Your choice, you can read it, or click on the listen link on the article page. I'd opt for the second if possible.

Burning Question: Stress

Here's the question for today. What is more stressful: Stress due to excessive busyness of our conscious life or stress due to intensity/drama of our conscious life?

I'd give you my current opinion, but I don't have the time right now.