: “ if you can’t get out of something, get more deeply into it!” -Ronald Rolheiser, “Sacred Fire”
: “The Artist’s Way,” Julia Cameron
: “I don’t believe; I know.” -Carl Jung
: If you read 50 books a year for the next 20 years, you would have read 1000 books. Say 15 of those …
: A modest revision: “To teach is to make spaces for truth, goodness, and beauty to be collaboratively …
: Today was the first time in my life seeing a bald eagle on our family property in northern Indiana.
: Canvas, Vol. 28 The university creative arts magazine is an education, not so much for the artwork or poetry, but …
: If you’re not listening to Mark Sayers, you’re missing out. No one is reading the times with greater …
: “It is one thing to make repairs on the outside. It’s another thing to be repaired on the inside. So …
: Praxis test #2 in the books.
: These are the five best shows I’ve watched on Netflix since I began subscribing (in no particular …
: My friend Baugo tells a story. www.tumblr.com/baugobank…
: It’s easy to assume that my past suffering and sin have disqualified me from God’s best for my …
: “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being …
: Every time I peek at traditional social media (Instagram/threads, twitter/X, Facebook), it seems …
: As a Wheaton alum (1994), I find the “for Wheaton” folks to be… a little unhinged. No Christian …
: Of ducks and daydreams They bury ducks, dead from avian flu, in the landfill, up the slope from where I am working on the …
: Perfection. open.spotify.com/track/1mZ…
: Jamie Winship, Living Fearless, p. 72
: Jozy’s nap spot on a February Saturday.
: "Confession Doesn't Mean Saying You're Sorry" “We grew up thinking confession was just telling everyone and God that we’re sorry about …
: Note to self: If you ever write a long novel, be sure it’s divided into short chapters. Anna …
: I get invited to “meet for coffee” often, but I hate coffee. Cannot stand any of its nasty relatives …
: People paying $5k per ticket to watch a stupid football game in a country where we have children …
: Football must be played on grass I do not have many opinions about football. But I will die on this hill. All football games should …
: One of the best things about February in my neck of the woods is that it can be 5 o’clock in the …
: “Moron herder” is an apt description.
: Crossroads League basketball is more entertaining than Big 10, SEC, or ACC basketball. Division 1 …
: a good article by Jamie Smith. mbird.com/the-magaz…
: “To be on the wrong side of Mercy is to be on the wrong side of God.” -Brian Zahnd …
: Reading Suppose, instead, your choose one book to read for the month, and you read in it for at least one …
: From Esau McCaulley www.theatlantic.com/politics/… Although Christians believe that God reigns supreme over …
: “Not only in the United States but also across the globe, evangelical forms of Christianity have …
: 2025 “I am no longer my own, but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; Put me to …
: Deconstruct this Any time I see someone online (mis)use the term “deconstruct” or some form of it in reference to …
: What if? What if… Blow up existing college football conferences and start over. 6 regional divisions of 10 …
: Day 20 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 19 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 18 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 17 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 16 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 15 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: LMS As an instructor, I’m not a big fan of LMS’s. I have the most experience with two: Canvas and …
: One Hundred Years of Solitude I just watched the first episode of One Hundred Years of Solitude on Netflix. I don’t tknow what it …
: Day 14 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 13 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 12 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 11 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 10 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Barbarians at both gates The only thing worse than using a rubric to grade a college level assignment is being forced to use …
: Day 9 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 8 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 7 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Statistic of the day. When I sat down for lunch, I checked my Garmin. I had exactly 8888 steps.
: Day 6 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 5 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 4 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he …
: Day 3 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 2 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Day 1 Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in …
: Got my hands full with this.
: Thanksgiving 2024. Thankful for 32 years.
: Carry a tiny notebook with you (almost) always, and write things down.
: Neil Postman (1) “When a population becomes distracted by trivia, when cultural life is redefined as a perpetual …
: “They looked at me, and were so full of delight in the pleasure they were giving me that some final …
: Alfie Kohn is right. The question is, what do you do when you’re stuck with rubrics someone else …
: Buttersville Park, Ludington, Michigan.
: Haruki Murakami Shadows play a major role in this book. What is it about the concept of shadows and pairs that …
: Nordhouse Dunes Wildernesss. The wind was howling thus day. I love November weather.
: Us and them “Othering” is the process of perceiving or treating individuals or groups as fundamentally different …
: It’s a good day to walk in the woods.
: Inspiration Point, Ludington State Park
: How does this guy not have 10 million followers? This is exactly what social media was made for. …
: Micro-pod I am thinking of starting a micro-podcast of “reveries” relevant for sharing with my students. Take …
: open.spotify.com/track/5nJ… JOY
: “Our calling is not what we do, but how we do it.” Dan Allender
: I.U. is #8 in the country. Prediction: Another 3+ touchdown win vs. Michigan next Saturday, and then …
: Online “teaching” I don’t know whether my students pay any attention to the required readings in this online English …
: When we built the place 6 years ago there were no trees.
: Guns and me Walking the dogs into the woods today, I met an older gentleman who told me he was a pastor in town …
: The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, …
: I wonder if I would delight as much in these peak fall colors if they lasted a month rather than a …
: Please listen to this podcast. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
: open.substack.com/pub/adamk…
: “I have rewritten- often several times- every word I have ever written. My pencils outlast their …
: How good is this? youtube.com/watch
: I get very bored very quickly when historians turn into propagandists.
: I no longer mow my lawn all at once. The front one day; the back the next. Takes almost three hours …
: I want to begin a new practice of reading the Bible for 45 minutes at a stretch, at least two times …
: What is the best quality but inexpensive pocket journal?
: I recently reread this book by Richard Foster, and I agree with Dallas Willard, who called it his …
: This interview of Malcolm Gladwell is worth a listen. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
: The Detroit Tigers have the best home white uniforms in MLB. No contest.
: I would like to thank the federal government for this beautiful weather we have been having in …
: Complaining about your children’s behavior on social media signals your pathetic immaturity. Always.
: So powerful. Andrew Peterson, “The Silence of God.” open.spotify.com/track/6O9…
: Wow! What a sermon! youtube.com/watch
: This looks spectacular. youtu.be/qCKWhvYdb…
: Service I’m looking for a service opportunity, something regular, something that fits who I am. The sermon …
: To Do Read more books. Take more walks, preferably in the woods, in every kind of weather. Keep a journal, …
: I want this. (Thomas Kelly, “A Testament of Devotion” p. 9)
: Ohtani’s season, and that single game, maybe both the greatest of all time. Wow.
: My New Reading Group I have decided to start a new book club or reading group. This is not my first. Perhaps some of you …
: This certainly must be the hottest September of my lifetime.
: I miss Saturday morning cross country races.
: Is September summer or fall? Who knew that mid-September was so much like summer? Academia has always left me feeling like summer …
: West Nile vs Dengue We walk in the woods, and a mosquito bites the back of my neck. Am I the only one who wonders, …
: “Exclusion (i.e. Cancellation) is not justice. It is cruelty.” -Malcolm Gladwell
: I had some hope that the new show on FX called “English Teacher” might actually be good and funny. I …
: Easy run today. Cooler weather and easy pace—love my avg heart rate.
: September Serenity As summer fades and September arrives, you find yourself reflecting on the changes this month …
: Another scene. www.tumblr.com/scnsfrmal…
: My labor today has been trimming about 5 million trees in my yard, hauling brush, and cleaning out …
: Nice going, Baugo. www.tumblr.com/baugobank…
: I love these little concerts. youtube.com/watch
: So ND is favored in every game the rest of the season? The schedule, right now, doesn’t look …
: Currently reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 📚
: Here is an author I follow on Tumblr. www.tumblr.com/baugobank…
: A little jog after the p90x workout.
: P90X again P90X again Today I commence on a journey through (some of) the P90X workouts. Only some because I …
: Northwood football gave one awayy to Portage tonight.
: Someone didn’t run the spell-check.
: One (certainly not the only) thing small colleges do much better than huge universities… Academic …
: 531. #531 - In which I return I have not read all 530 blog posts I created over many years, but I did read some, and I have come …
: Empty Nest We are empty nesters, if you don’t count the two dogs. For the past 18 years my daughter was nearly …
: This felt good a day after a 10 mile run. I think my back got some sun.
: I write I write something every day. Most often I write by hand, most recently with my favorite sharpie …
: Required “core” course at Christian liberal arts college: “Stewarding the Home Economy.”
: Wordle 718 4/6 ⬛🟨🟨⬛⬛ 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬛ ⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Winner!
: This is my first micro-blog post. It is a lovely early summer evening. That’s it. That’s the post.
: bring it Standard push-ups. Wide grip pull-ups. Military push-ups. Reverse grip chin-ups. Wide fly push-ups. …
: Energy Yoga Flow - Day 1 - Restorative Yoga Challenge [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: 18.6 5 in a row on the way to 21 [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tVBPIFKY_c&w=320&h=266]
: 18.5 Even Though it Hurts Sometimes, I Still Play Basketball at 48 At 48, my knees, ankles, achilles tendons, and on occasion my lower back, make basketball more …
: 18.4 Anonymous and Confidential Let’s say you work in a Christian organization. And let’s say your administration wants …
: 18.2 Activity Log (2/10/18) [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkezM1UbFOw&w=320&h=266] Yoga. Read The Epic of …
: 18.1 Return Somehow I’d forgotten how much I had written and posted on this blog going back nearly a …
: after the shutdown From NYTimes: However you slice and dice the history, the strategery, and the underlying issues, …
: 13.35. Game notes (7) Since my last game notes we've played quite a few games. I couldn't begin to recap them all. Most …
: 13.34. Game notes (6) We won a league game 12-1 in a five inning mercy killing on Thursday night. We finally knocked the …
: 13.33. Toast: a poem It occurred to me this morning at breakfast that I always bite my toast buttered side up. This, I …
: 13.32. Game notes (5) Split a double header last night. Lost 8-2 in our first game. Scored 2 in the first and then gave up …
: 13.31. Game notes (4) We won 7-6 in nine innings on Thursday, our first league victory at last (1-3). I played second base …
: 13.30 Game Notes (3) Not much to say about this one. We gave up 7 runs in the first inning of both games in our double …
: 13.27. Madness Irony = let’s simulate a school shooter so we can prepare for something that will very likely …
: 13.29. Game Notes (2) We lost our first league game 3-4 to Trinity Green. We played fairly well defensively, and they …
: 13.28. Game notes (1) Smalltown Fastpitch * Early Bird Tournament (May 11-12)* Coldwater, MI With temparatures …
: 13.26. The Great American Poem Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front by Wendell Berry Love the quick profit, the annual …
: 13.25. Book #10, 2013 "You also are Psyche..."
: 13.24. Book #9, 2013 PERFECTION "I am haunted by waters."
: 13.23. Sabbath "The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of Sabbath. It is …
: 13/22. "Why Work?" part ii "Let the Church remember this: that every maker and worker is called to serve God in his profession …
: 13.21. "Why Work?" "The greatest insult which a commercial age has offered to the worker has been to rob him of all …
: 13.20. Idea Chapel for academic credit. Attend chapel for two days of the week. Meet for small group discussion …
: 13.19. First draft I hope we all do understand that all this crap I write is unproofed first draft crap, written fast …
: 13.18. Book #8 2013 Several years ago I discovered the most helpful little book on academic writing I’d ever seen. …
: 13.18. Book #7 2013 That is, if you count the two volumes as only one book. Of course this is again a re-re-re-read (at …
: 13.17. Book #6 2013 Some of my students have a hard time with the playfulness of post-modernist literature--especially …
: 13.16. First Sunday in Lent "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Ps. 34:18)
: 13.15. I am a quitter I quit facebook a couple months back, and I like some of my “friends” a lot better now …
: 13.14. How, then, should we teach an ethics course? Actions, then, are called just and temperate when they are such as the just or the temperate man …
: 13.13. Book #5 2013 A re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-read. And it gets better every time.
: 13.12. Poem of the day Psalm for the January Thaw By Luci Shaw Blessed be God for thaw, for the clear drops that fall, …
: 13.11. Book #4, 2013 C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves. (re-read) One of my favorite passages from the book. There is no safe …
: 13.10. Solitary crossfit 5 Rounds 15 pullups 20 situps 25 pushups 30 squats 12:10
: 13.9. Book #3 2013 A re-read of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. It's a story about the love for a place, …
: 13.8. Book #2, 2013 Walter Dean Myers's Monster is a movie script interrupted occasionally by diary entries--both …
: 13.7. Simply Speaking "I recently observed a man from whom I believe God wanted to rid the strength of the self nature. It …
: 13.6. I'm Different [youtube www.youtube.com/watch And I don’t care who knows it…
: 13.5. 43 Most of the time, I do not feel 43. 34 maybe. 17 sometimes. 12, too. But far less often 43. People …
: 13.4. Book #1 2013 Dog-Heart by Diana McCaulay As an experiment (and who knows if this will last), I'm going to post …
: 13.3. Rejected blog post topics Review of the X-Files episode I watched yesterday, one from Season 3 about what I think Charles …
: 13.2 Half June 8, Lord willing, J. and I will run in our first half-marathon together. I probably won’t …
: 13.1. New Year Maker of heaven and earth, space and time, entering this new year I put my hope in you, trusting …
: 90. Bigness "It is the vice of a vulgar mind to be thrilled by bigness, to think that a thousand square miles …
: 89. Saturday Activity List Read Augustine. Read paper by T. Erdel. Ate three eggs and toast. Walk in the woods with …
: 88. Minor ouch Strained or pulled or–who knows, maybe tore?–a calf muscle playing basketball yesterday. …
: 87. Tuesday's WOD: Homegrown Filthy 50 We make up our own workouts patterned after actual crossfit workouts. This was Tuesday’s …
: 86. Freaking Awesome Passage By now Penelope, Icarius' wise daughter, Had set her chair across from the suitors And heard the …
: 85. W.O.D. - P90x Did p90x workout tonight–shoulders and arms. Played basketball at noon for an hour. Won 4 lost …
: 84. W.O.D. - Helen Today’s physical exercise included: 14 mile bike ride in what I can only describe as perfect …
: 83. "Your years are a single today" “Perfect you are, beyond all change, and today does not reach its end in you, yet it does end …
: 82. On the Importance of Imagination “A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the …
: 81. Facebook Spent fifteen minutes scrolling through Facebook feed, reading status updates and …
: 80. The tyranny of tyranny "But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me. It was an immense crowd, two …
: 79. Belabor Day Being the day when we celebrate wordiness, redundancy, and general wastefulness in an effort to …
: 78. Killing trees And then someone went completely mad and decided to cut down all the trees that gave wonderful shade …
: 77. Of Childhood, Imagination, and Play Child's Play by Dan Liberthson I play the World Series with marbles on our vine-laced Persian …
: 76. Missionary Church: Richly Flavored Stew or Bland Baby Pablum? “The Missionary Church is a fascinating blend of five traditions–Anabaptism, Pietism, …
: 75. Chest & Back Tonight, I am proud. Jeanie did p90x “chest & back” with me tonight, and did a great …
: 74. When Learning Hurts "Sometimes when a student tells me that being on campus is painful, that a course is too difficult, …
: 73. bad poetry trees hang limp in the sultry August mid-morn damp from last night’s showers and I feel like …
: 72. Localism "If you understand your own place and its intricacy and the possibility of affection and good care …
: 71. Boyhood "His mother decides that she wants a dog. Alsations are the best--the most intelligent, the most …
: 70. Borges Happy birthday, Jorge Luis Borges. "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of …
: 69. Joy in Persecution "Nothing has any value but the love of God and doing His will. There is no happiness outside of Him. …
: 68. end of the season Smalltown Fastpitch ended its season last night with a victory in the league tournament championship …
: 67. "Jared" They call this one “Jared." 800 meter run (6 laps around back yard) 40 pull-ups 70 …
: 66. Crossfit (but not officially) I’ve never been to an actual Crossfit gym (or I guess its “box” not …
: 65. Listen to my life “Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.” …
: 64. On Mowing This week was my week again to mow the grass at church. We have an enormous property, and it …
: 63. Fourteen This fall I will begin my 14th year of teaching English at Bethel. I don’t know where the time …
: 62. On the education of teachers “For when she was hardly more than a girl, Miss Minnie had gone away to teacher’s …
: 61. Contact Lenses I was fitted for contact lenses last Thursday and have been wearing them a bit each day since then …
: 60. Quirk There may well be something wrong with me. Yesterday I was one of roughly 75 people watching a …
: 59. Song of the day: "I am Blessed" by Mr. Vegas [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOAH2XWkhEc&w=560&h=315]
: 58. Poem of the day: "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver When I Am Among the Trees by Mary Oliver When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the …
: 57. Poem of the day: "Silence" by Billy Collins Silence By Billy Collins b. 1941 Billy Collins There is the sudden silence of the crowd above a …
: 56. A family workout This morning we did a “family workout”–Sydney, Jeanie, and me. Here’s what …
: 55. On exercise I’ve been to so many chapel services at Bethel over the years and heard so many speakers that …
: 54. Memorial Day Rhetorical question (which means I have a pretty definite answer in mind): Is there something …
: 53. Neon Yellow Softballs For some reason, most men’s fastpitch leagues and tournaments refuse to use those easy to see …
: 52. 6 Sydney is six now. Yesterday was her “Fancy Nancy” birthday bash with friends. …
: 50. Opening night Tomorrow is opening night for the Smalltown Fastpitch season. We play in Bremen. I look forward to …
: 49. Chicken wire When your dog can no longer jump at all (aged hips and arthritis in the hind legs) and when your …
: 48. Fiction is good for you “Is fiction good for us? We spend huge chunks of our lives immersed in novels, films, TV shows, and …
: 47. More Gratitude I’m grateful that I live in a time and place where dentistry is practiced by trained doctors …
: 46. The Practice of Gratitude "Gratitude ... goes beyond the "mine" and "thine" and claims the truth that all of life is a pure …
: 45. Blister in the sun Sydney likes playing the opening riff of this song on the piano. [youtube …
: 44. Circle 8: Simple Fraud Bolgia 10: Falsifiers. Where the plagiarists are punished.
: 43. Mastered by Truth "The act of knowing is an act of love." "The known seeks to know me even as I seek to know it; such …
: 42. Happiness "When we want to be something other than the thing God wants us to be, we must be wanting what, in …
: 41. Numbers 2/27 - 138 2/28 - 151 2/29 - 140 3/1 - 223 to be continued
: 40. Professor “…the original and authentic meaning of the word “professor” is “one …
: 39. Break Some people enjoy a coffee break. I, myself, cannot stand coffee, its aroma, its effects on my …
: 38. Exercise log 1. 30 minute bike interval (while watching “X-Files”, of course) 2. 5 minute medicine …
: 37. Lunch Order Sydney’s lunch order: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich apple slices carrots and dip and, if …
: 36. Spring Break Workouts I’m a relatively consistent crossfitter/P90x-er. I’m not a fundamentalist/legalist when …
: 35. Nothing 1. Someone named Adele won a bunch of Grammy awards the other night. I did not watch the show. I had …
: 34. out of touch I do not understand “gaming.” At all. And I don’t care. Perhaps that’s how …
: 33. Three Things I Would Rather Be Doing 1. Playing shortstop in a fastpitch game on a 70 degree Saturday in June. 2. Eating a giant brisket …
: 32. For D.S. A Meeting by Wendell Berry In a dream I meet my dead friend. He has, I know, gone long and far, and …
: 31. On Merton's Prayer of Abandonment (Part 2) One thing I appreciate about the prayer is that Merton doesn’t make bold promises to God; …
: 30. Prayer of Abandonment My students seemed to deeply appreciate this prayer from Thomas Merton’s “Thoughts in …
: 29. Odysseus and I Agree "My Lord Alcinous, what could be finer Than listening to a singer of tales Such as Demodocus, with a …
: 28.1. On Missing Jamaica In my top ten coolest reggae songs of all time. [youtube …
: 28. B7 Reconnect At Bethel we have what are called “FYE” (Freshmen Year Experience) blocks–two …
: 27. Advertisement Free to good home: two knees afflicted with mild patelar tendonitis from years of basketball. As a …
: 26. 150 Makes Sometimes in the middle of the day I have to break the monotony of checking things off my “to …
: 25. Pro and Con I’m considering the pros and cons of a standing desk or stand-up desk. Pro: No more sore rear …
: 24. On My Favorite Thing About Crossfit The best thing about crossfit is that you can invent your own crossfit workout and call it a …
: 23. On "Little Things" I read this short story–very short story, really–by Raymond Carver yesterday, and now I …
: 22. Five Guys Boogers and Flies At first, Sydney cackled with joy when I called it this. Now she gives me a look of disgust and says …
: 21. Last FM and the Writing Process Ya, I’m the guy who listens to “Keane” radio while he tries to think of something …
: 20. Friday Nights at 9:00 p.m. It’s “Gold Rush” time. I’m not the biggest TV buff I know, but I do kinda …
: 19. On the Paralysis of Perpetual Analysis "Nothing," replied the artist, "will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must first be …
: 18. On Literature and Confession Every semester I have to come up with some new idea for a literature seminar. Every semester I …
: 17. What Sydney Ate After School 1 small bag of doritos 4 miniature reeses peanut butter cups 1 half glass of pink lemonade 9 baby …
: 16. Happy MLK Day [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHcP4MWABGY&w=420&h=315] I’ve seen them …
: 15. On Writing, Practice, and Discipline This book is worth reading for anyone who has to write a book length manuscript. A lot of books get …
: 14. In the Garden "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Mt. 26:38) "Through the prism of my …
: 13. On Visigoths (Part 2) In blog entry #11, I commented on “Visigoths” and the visigothian idea of grades. See …
: 12. This is What It Feels Like to be a Teacher Sometimes [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdKa9bXVinE&w=560&h=315] The first reading …
: 11. On Visigoths Here is, by far, the best insight from class on Tuesday. We read Neil Postman’s “My …
: 10. On Mondays My Monday’s are tough. It’s all relative, of course. A high school teacher would look at …
: 9. On Psalm 6 She knocks at my office door, enters. She is the student who shows up far too infrequently to class, …
: 8.5. Wish [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j8mr-gcgoI&w=560&h=315]
: 8. On Libraries He slips out the backdoor of his office and into the movable stacks. Most employees have but one way …
: 7. On “The Road Not Taken” TWOroads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, …
: 6. On Cars Or not so much on cars in general, “On My Car.” Or, “On My 1999 Blue Ford …
: 5.5. In Dreams [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: 5. On 42 I turn 42 today. Jackie Robinson wore #42. One time in a summer league basketball game in Bourbon, I …
: 4. On Creating vs. Consuming She makes things. She makes things all day long. I consume things. I consume things all day long. I …
: 3. The False Self Life is a journey. All journeys quests. Every quest has the same purpose–that purpose is to …
: 2. On the Neighbor’s Dogs Two dogs—both medium sized mutts of indistinct breed—live in a cage behind the house a couple …
: 1. On Leadership Considering how many words have been written–especially in recent years–on leadership, …
: and if your way should falter along the stony pass [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INPs-LmKL1A&w=420&h=315]
: show me a garden that's bursting into life [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrpSjXo6ah0&w=560&h=315]
: sunshine in november I have always found sunny days in November ominous in their loveliness. Something about long shadows …
: post-modern sacrament “In the morning I walked to the bank. I went to the automatic teller machine to check my …
: grading Today I read the best student paper on the Odyssey I’ve ever read in ten years of teaching the …
: baby one more time How awesome is this song; how awesome is this band? [youtube …
: Crossfit: "Cindy" 5 pullups 10 pushups 15 squats As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes. My score = 24
: secret “Yes, it is the dawn that has come. The titihoya wakes from sleep, and goes about its work of …
: sydney whispers She approaches with stealth, quietly as he reads an ancient epic on the recliner. The sun has made …
: "the offense" When Christianity came into the world, it did not need to call attention (even though it did so) to …
: wagon wheel [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yswz5MtGey0&w=560&h=315]
: Kierkegaard on truth Christ is the truth in the sense that to be the truth is the only true explanation of it; the only …
: LBA Couldn’t win a stinking game last week. 10-0 this week.
: be still, and know [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13aTWulSMPE&w=560&h=315]
: pilot crossfit w.o.d. Three rounds for time of: 25 Push ups 25 Pull ups 25 Dips 75 Squats 16:36 as rx’d.
: everyday's song [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=481XQAOA_6s&w=420&h=345]
: today's song [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd60nI4sa9A&w=420&h=345]
: sweet mercy [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6t594P6myw&w=420&h=345]
: "murph" Crossfit, “Murph” Run one mile. 100 pullups 200 pushups 300 squats Run one mile. For …
: sydney's last day of summer vacation Tomorrow, Sydney has her first day of kindergarten. That makes today the last day of summer …
: a song for today [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk3sLHZzZRI&w=560&h=349] Gotta love Harry …
: chainsaw massacre I’m not very good with a chainsaw to begin with. But after I figured out that I had installed …
: Ludington In August. Perfection.
: diamond notes (12) Last night we played two innings before the storm hit. I went 2-2 with a three run homer. We were …
: my strengths Strategic Learner Ideation Intellection Context www.strengthsquest.com
: more fastball news I had a rough day hitting-wise on Saturday. I went 3-13 with an inside the park homerun as we went …
: crossfit: angie My first ever crossfit workout. “Angie” is … 100 pullups 100 pushups 100 situps …
: diamond notes (11) Last weekend we finished second in the Michigan ASA state tournament in Moline. We went 5-2, and …
: AddThis Social Bookmarking Sharing Button Widget AddThis Social Bookmarking Sharing Button Widget: “AddThis is a free way to boost traffic back …
: eddie calls it a campfire song [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkRNz0tR7tc&w=560&h=349] [youtube …
: diamond notes (11) We swept a double header on Tuesday night, and I had one of the wierdest nights at the plate ever. I …
: gimme shelter Saw her bring the house down with this song one late night at Cornerstone in 1999 (I think). With …
: diamond notes (10) A lot of fastball (that’s the Canadian term for fast-pitch softball) has been played since I …
: let the truth run wild [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzCZ7lJbrc&w=425&h=349]
: Diamond notes (9) Won 12-7 on Tuesday night. 3-4 with a walk and a double. Scored 3 runs. We play in Elkhart tomorrow …
: song of the day http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf
: the pleasures of eating "The pleasure of eating should be an extensive pleasure, not that of the mere gourmet. People who …
: a good song for today [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagzTRmUBIE&w=425&h=349]
: something that annoys me …“Dr.” in front of the name of anybody but a medical doctor, veterinarian, or …
: Diamond notes (8) Won 10-0 on Thursday night in Benton Harbor. 1-4 with my 6th homer of the season. Next game Tuesday …
: what I wish I could have learned in science classes in high school and college My approach to education would be like my approach to everything else. I’d change the standard. I …
: it must be a duppy or a gunman [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8za1x–cN4&w=425&h=349]
: summer reading group #4 Monday, July 25 @ 7:00 p.m. Prenkert’s house We will be discussing Mark Richard’s …
: Papa San (song of the day) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9gxrExNBQQ&w=425&h=349]
: Diamond Notes (8) My “pick-up” team and I went 3-0 in pool play on Saturday, in what was most likely the …
: Diamond Notes (7) Tomorrow I play softball in Wabash, IN. I would like to explain why. My regular team (Smalltown …
: rise Such is the way of the world You can never know Just where to put all your faith And how will it …
: updates Turned on my computer today for the first time in a week. Here’s what you’ve missed. …
: magnificent: guaranteed I bet my ticket we’ll hear this one. [youtube …
: staring at the sun [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCY9OEmObig&w=560&h=349]
: Diamond notes (6) Moved to 12-9 on the season with our 8-5 win last night. I played centerfield and went 2-3 (.426) …
: Saw this one Notre Dame, October 2001 [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgnVHxE171M&w=425&h=349]
: U2 360 So, next Sunday night I’ll be going to my 5th U2 concert. It will be Jeanie’s 4th. But …
: Diamond notes (5) Long story short: We finished second in the Rich Plangger Invitational this year. After winning our …
: Rave On Buddy Holly lives! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPs9WMWlbaU&w=425&h=349]
: Diamond notes (4) We won our first game of pool play last night 11-3 in five innings. We played one of our better …
: song of the day--a little cigar box blues Just because cigar box guitar has to be one of the coolest instruments ever. [youtube …
: Diamond notes (3) We played (sort of) a nine inning game last night. The other team only had 9 players, so we provided …
: Twinkle, twinkle... In honor of Sydney, who figured out how to play this song on the piano app on mama’s phone ALL …
: Diamond Notes (2) Last night we won 4-3 in extra innings. We scored 3 in the first and didn’t score again until …
: Keep your lamps trimmed and burnin' [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_FRFp2iBco&w=425&h=349]
: Diamond Notes (1) -- season summary Due to the overwhelming interest (expressed by the thousands of readers of this blog) in my …
: all the way down "...depression demands that we reject simplistic answers, both "religious" and "scientific," and …
: "and butterflies are free to fly..." “I’m strangled by your haunted social scene Just a pawn out-played by a dominating …
: Somebody's Crying--anthem of unrequited love [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BFIfmhCzSw&w=560&h=349] From “High …
: Come and Get It (35) Best song I heard on Pandora this morning, hands down. [youtube …
: Reading Group Book #3 We will be discussing Tim O'Brien's groundbreaking post-modernist novel at our next meeting. …
: "No waving and no cigarette lighters, please" (34) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRyaCiOkzU&w=425&h=349]
: As the days fly past will we lose our grasp or fuse it in the sun? (33) Today’s song–just because I love Neil Young more than anyone probably should. Will I see …
: "I kiss you in my dreams" (32) How do you get a name like “Lead Belly”? Comment with nickname suggestions for me. …
: After Day 30 in the 30 Day song challenge? Day 31 And now, let the real fun begin. Here’s a song for today, just because. What’s my …
: Day 30: Your favourite song at this time last year [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANncUPxfnOI&w=425&h=349]
: Day 29: A song from your childhood This song is incredible… [youtube …
: Day 28: A song that makes you feel guilty [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pi7JFn1Cyg&w=425&h=349] “Where you live …
: day 27 – a song that you wish you could play [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9M37qeA_oM&w=425&h=349]
: day 26 – a song that you can play on an instrument [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8APTMRfDmKY&w=425&h=349]
: Day 25: A song that makes you laugh [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q6DdTcqGy8&w=425&h=349]
: Day 24: A song that you want to play at your funeral [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nszR0tfp4Es?rel=0&w=425&h=349]
: Day 23: A song that you want to play at your wedding [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5djkVhLjw18&w=425&h=349]
: C.S. Lewis on entertainment “Every good book should be entertaining. A good book will be more; it must not be less. …
: reading group meeting #2: Haroun and the Sea of Stories Sunday night five of us (David, Dori, Lyndsey, and Katrina) discussed Wendell Berry's novel The …
: Day 22: A song that you listen to when you’re sad [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TXNSipWUiE?rel=0&w=425&h=349]
: Day 21: A song that you listen to when you’re happy [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjmzSaiDobQ&w=425&h=349]
: Day 20: A song that you listen to when you’re angry [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjkW6iyXNo&w=560&h=349] It never ceases to cheer …
: Day 19: A song from your favorite album [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzZWSrr5wFI&w=425&h=349] Not the album version, but …
: Day 18: A song that you wish you heard on the radio Only problem… the song makes me cry every time I hear it. [youtube …
: Day 17: A song that you hear often on the radio Stupidest category so far. On the other hand, this song is better than most you hear on the radio …
: Day 16: A song that you used to love but now hate [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTrNQCYh70Y&w=425&h=349]
: the NBA's most difficult player to defend (ever)?
: Day 15: A song that describes you [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPa89K_viiM&w=425&h=349] [youtube …
: Day 14: A song that no one would expect you to love [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc&w=425&h=349]
: numbers of interest Percentage of Americans in 2009 who believed the free market "is the best system on which to base …
: Day 13: A song that is a guilty pleasure [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vWONJigv5A&w=425&h=349]
: Day 12: A song from a band you hate [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA&w=560&h=349]
: day 11 – a song from your favorite band Do yourself a favor and watch this. [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: day 10 – a song that makes you fall asleep [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: Day 09: A song that you can dance to Sydney and Papa’s favorite dancing song… http://youtu.be/xcbYD_MTDcY “Minglewood …
: summer reading group 2011 What: Meeting #1 of back yard reading group Where: Prenkert's back yard Book: The Memory of Old Jack …
: Day 08: A song that you know all the words to Ya… I do. [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: Day 07: A song that reminds you of a certain event [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: Day 06 – A song that reminds of you of somewhere “Johnny Too Bad” - The Slickers [youtube www.youtube.com/watch If you know me at all, …
: Day 5 - A Song That Reminds You of Someone [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: Day 4 - A Song That Makes Me Sad [youtube www.youtube.com/watch AND… [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: process “Most students . . . feel that they must first have something to say brefore they can put it …
: day 03 – a song that makes you happy Gogol Bordello - “Start Wearing Purple” [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: 30 day song challenge--Least favorite song Hard to single out just one. When I was like 13 years old they played this stupid song to death. I …
: why i write “The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of …
: 30 day song challenge--your favorite song [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: best things about May 1. NBA playoffs virtually every day. 2. It’s not hot yet. 3. It’s not really that cold …
: Quote of the day “Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and …
: look up here [youtube www.youtube.com/watch
: chekhov's gun “One must not put a loaded gun on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.” - Anton …
: neil postman on technological change "Technological change is not additive; it is ecological. I can explain this best by an analogy. What …
: the dwight shrute approach [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S02AFoXIZeY?rel=0&w=640&h=390] …
: once upon a time The point is not that she feels unsafe. The point is that she once felt safe, and now does not. And …
: opening day is thursday And there’s no crying in baseball. [youtube …
: rob bell and pope mohler Hilarious. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PCN7A0QWDc&w=640&h=390]
: this is spinal tap [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRxFINZ24X4&w=480&h=390] Just for fun and since …
: cramer on campus safety and guns Questioning Campus Safety’s Gun Policy The following is an opinion piece published in The …
: fantastic movie The Sunset Limited [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0MSitTAYyA&w=640&h=390]
: how to help sydney not whine and cry in the morning when she wakes up overly tired Pull out my phone and turn on the “sneaky fart” app. Ya, my daughter thinks the thirty …
: back ache Is it possible to get a back ache just looking at your driveway on a morning like this? Prediction: …
: update Ok, my intuitions were proven incorrect like two minutes after I posted the previous blog. Daytime …
: lucky jeanie At 9 p.m. this evening, Jeanie got the text announcing no school tomorrow. We should all be so …
: more daylight Driving home last evening, I noticed something on the western horizon. The sun. The time: 5:45 p.m. …
: hands down, the best player in college basketball right now [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Qw3S7ukzA?rel=0&w=480&h=390]
: china Lord willing, I’m going to China! (I hate exclamation points–too much like laughing at …
: proem Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks Incalculable pain, …
: a very old man with enormous wings A story about the ways our expectations shape our responses to and interpretations of stories. This …
: how to fix basketball Some rule changes needed in both college and the NBA: 1. Eliminate media timeouts. 2. No live ball …
: suggestions Some ways to improve the NFL: 1. 10 minute quarters. 2. Each team would be allowed a 20 man active …
: something Something happened to my hip while playing basketball today. I don’t know if it’s …
: numbers revisited To write 300 blog entries in one year, one must average 25 entries per month, or about 5.8 entries …
: space My office is nearly twice the size it was for most of last semester, and I cannot begin to tell you …
: is literature dangerous? I sure hope so.
: literary quote of the day (1/16/2011) “If you know what you are going to write when you’re writing a poem, it’s going to …
: tell me what you read, and I will tell you what you are I’m thinking of a possible new topic for a seminar in literature next fall. I’d call it …
: violence on the sledding hill The kind of sleddding/tubing–ours are neither sleds nor tubes but more like the things you see …
: wow... watch the whole thing closely [youtube …
: highlights of the day Shoveling the driveway three times (okay, me twice, Jeanie once). 2. Scott Johnson’s funeral, …
: literary quote of the day (1/7/2011) “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." -2nd Witch, Macbeth, …
: A Nation of Cowards - The Atlantic A Nation of Cowards - The Atlantic
: firsts Today was the… 1. First MERT meeting of the semester. 2. First class of the semester: …
: january 5, 2011 “Papa, I just had to come in and say I love you." I guess it couldn’t wait until I …
: numbers... Number of of posts on this site in 2008: 47 Number of posts on this site in 2009: 107 Number of …
: why i do p90x workouts Reason #1: Because if I don’t workout hard on a regular basis, it becomes painful to play …
: homerun Today, Sydney hit the longest homerun of her relatively short wiffleball career, a towering bomb to …
: Three things I hate The N.F.L. Video games APA style documentation
: In Defense of the Liberal Arts: The therapeutic Left and the utilitarian Right both do disservice to the humanities. In Defense of the Liberal Arts: The therapeutic Left and the utilitarian Right both do disservice to …
: Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners (HQ Audio) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXLHUThBib8?fs=1] Quite possibly, the best song of the …
: literary quote of the day (11/26/10) One finds it hard to decide what Gradus alias Grey wanted more at that minute: discharge his gun or …
: literary quote of the day (11/22/10) God help me, I trust, to rid myself of any desire to follow the example of two other characters in …
: literary quote of the day (11/21/10) “There is a very loud amusement park right in front of my present lodgings." Charles …
: literary quote of the day (11/17/10) Let me state that without my notes Shade’s text has no human reality at all since the human …
: literary quote of the day (11/14/10) My commentary to this poem, now in the hands of my readers, represents an attempt to sort out those …
: literary quote of the day (11/6/10) “This can’t be,” I stammered, my voice hadly recognizable as my own. “It …
: literary quote of the day (11/5/10) In the heat of the party he exhibited his unusual masculinity on the bar, completely covered with …
: literary quote of the day (11/3/10) “I, too, am Ungit." Robby Prenkert, “Constructing (Our)Selves With Words: A Story …
: Literary quote of the day (11/2/10) “My sweet little blue-eyed girl,” he said in a half-sung sigh that had nothing to do …
: literary quote of the day (11/1/10) So the situation went on the same way for another six months until that tragic Sunday when Jose …
: READ THIS http://www.firstthings.com/article/2010/10/go-with-god “To be a student is a calling. Your parents …
: literary quote of the day (10/31/10) “The Lord is wonderful." Marilynne Robinson, Home [youtube …
: literary quote of the day (10/28/10) “And besides,” he almost writes, “This book is my mentor. Don’t you see? For you to want to throw it …
: literary quote of the day (10/27/10) Rage: Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks Incalculable pain, …
: literary quote of the day (10/26/10) “I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me that everything is …
: literary quote of the day (10-25-10) The world of machines is running Beyond the world of trees Where only a leaf is turning In a small …
: literary quote of the day (10/23/10) He closed his eyes and the night ran together in his mind and he remembered the rifle in the corner …
: literary quote of the day (10/22/10) “I was the shadow of the waxwing slain By the false azure of the windowpane” John Shade, …
: literary quote of the day (10/20/10) “It was a dark and stormy night." Madeleine L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
: literary quote of the day (10/19/10) So let us leave. Let us get to the Plymouth with an impolite quickness–let us fly, as …
: literary quote of the day (10/18/10) I’ll pray, and then I’ll sleep. Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
: literary quote of the day (10/17/10) Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don’t have to bring …
: literary quote of the day (10/16/10) Every man has within his own reminiscences certain things he doesn’t reveal to anyone, except, …
: literary quote of the day (10/15/10) "…I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever …
: literary quote of the day (10/14/10) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6t594P6myw?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385] Crying, …
: literary quote of the day (10/13/10) Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do …
: literary quote of the day (10/11/10) That’s the strangest thing about this life, about being in the ministry. People change the …
: literary quote of the day (10/10/10) “I just met a wonderful new man, he’s fictional but you can’t have …
: literary quote of the day (10-8-10) Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself alone in a dark wood, for I had wandered …
: literary quote of the day (10-7-10) “You cannot teach creativity – how to become a good writer. But you can help a young writer …
: literary quote of the day (10/5/10) But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it. …
: literary quote of the day (10/4/10) He had stuffed his own emptiness with good works like a glutton. He had ignored his own child to …
: literary quote of the day (10/2/10) He saw that no sin was too monstrous for him to claim as his own, and since God loved in proportion …
: october [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDwQaVZuAjI?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385] October …
: literary quote of the day (9/30/10) Now that I’m dead I know everything. This is what I wished would happen, but like so many of …
: song of the harlot [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbdtq75xhlk?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385] …
: literary quote of the day (9/29/10) “Good!” Johnson said savagely. He thrust his head forward. “Listen here,” he …
: a second literary quote for today (9/28/10) ‘Why is it that really beautiful people think everyone else in the world exists merely for …
: literary quote of the day (9/28/10) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFJUKIULsxk?fs=1&hl=en_US&w=480&h=385] …
: literary quote of the day (9/27/10) What we, or at any rate what I, refer to confidently as memory—meaning a moment, a scene, a fact …
: literary quote of the day (9/26/10) In the Palace at 4 A.M. you walk from one room to the next by going through the walls. You …
: literary quote of the day (9/25/10) My younger brother was born on New Year’s day, at the height of the influenza epidemic of …
: literary quote of the day (9/24/10) Boys are, from time to time, found hanging from a rafter or killed by a shotgun believed to have …
: literary quote of the day (9/23/10) Yes it is the dawn that has come. The tithoya wakes from sleep, and goes about its work of forlorn …
: literary quote of the day (9/22/10) The complaint was the answer. To have heard myself making it was to be answered. Lightly men talk of …
: literary quote of the day (9/21/10) He had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of …
: literary quote of the day [9/20/10] “Ivan Ilych’s life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most …
: literary quote of the day (9/16) Long ago, when I was a young man, my father said to me… “Norman, you like to write …
: literary quote of the day “How will he keep them all in his head, all the books, all the people, all the stories? And if …
: what do you want for a snack Sydney: “I want popcorn and ice cream." Mama: “How about one or the other." …
: burning things Burnt up a big brush pile in my back yard last night. Why is there so much pleasure to be had …
: Jimtown pizza I like the “Cook’s Special." Probably going to need a ride an extra twenty minutes …
: 200th post all time!!! This is my 200th post on this blog. Big woop. Check out my nephew Calvin’s blog. He’s …
: bear grylls Let’s hope it never comes to this. [youtube …
: p90x “If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are …
: advice Do not look for God in your story. Look for your story in God’s. We are (essential) sub-plot …
: the whole and the parts “It takes the whole Bible to read any part of the Bible.” -Eugene Peterson,Eat This Book …
: my two favorite nba teams Have I mentioned lately how little I care about NFL preseason garbage? Truth be told, I care very …
: question Does it take anything away from my achievement of 200 posts for the year if many of them say very …
: please... Please doubt me… you’ve no idea how much trivial drivel I’m capable of writing …
: post stats In the year 2009 I had 107 blog posts. To date in 2010 I have 33 (counting this one). What does this …
: my dog morgan He walks with a limp now—arthritis in both a front and a back leg give him the creaks when he …
: eat this book "Lectio divina is not a methodical technique for reading the Bible. It is a cultivated, …
: God's camping instructions “Mark out an area outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourselves. Along with your …
: softball Last week I drove to Benton Harbor to play in a church league fastpitch softball game, and ever …
: ludington It wasn’t great body surfing, but it was body surfing nonetheless. Three days in a row on …
: from The Herald Palladium Smalltown Fastpitch captures invite title Smalltown Fastpitch of Benton Harbor beat the Munger …
: Jamaica Gleaner News - Jamaica needs more, Bruce - Lead Stories - Monday | June 21, 2010 Jamaica Gleaner News - Jamaica needs more, Bruce - Lead Stories - Monday | June 21, 2010 This is my …
: "We're gonna take you on back to the Caribbean" [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUU6jbBmJ6U&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=480&h=385]
: what ever happened to offense? They’re supposed to be the two best basketball teams in the league playing in a seventh game …
: Morning Wake up, watch soccer–Chile v. Honduras. 2. Drink juice, take vitamins, check e-mail and …
: My favorite sporting events to watch on tv Notre Dame football (just because it’s local–not because I’m an avid ND football …
: I blogged this from my phone. How cool is that? Call me Dr. Technology.
: free throws and the daily office Most days I take a few minutes to either go out to my driveway or into the gym at Bethel and shoot …
: new phone arrives monday Cool feature: Wireless hotspot for up to 8 devices–so now we have Internet when when …
: Tivoli Speaks [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UbGSPx486E&hl=en_US&fs=1&w=480&h=295]
: colbert on beck http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/309295/may-13-2010/glenn-to-the-mountaintop
: in 33 days, little else matters
: in the zone Two words…. GORAN DRAGIC.
: wow http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100502/News01/5020310/1129/News I play softball against …
: On Nietzsche’s “The Anti-Christ” R. is not an avid blog reader, but he does read one blog religiously. Not many days ago his favorite …
: walk in the woods Four kinds of flowers, two ducks, new leaf buds, and two butterflies. Morgan took a little dip in …
: compare and contrast One difference between Glenn Beck and me: while we both assume people are greedy, I happen to think …
: three observations Amare Stoudamire is playing like a man possessed right now. Unfortunately, Jason Richardson …
: interesting fact of the day A bee gets nearly 5 million miles per gallon of honey. If only my 1999 Ford Escort would run on …
: sydney whistles Sydney has been teaching herself to whistle. Every so often I’ll hear an airy whistle from the …
: x-files Splendid news. A couple days ago I discovered that we actually get the SciFi channel. Call me …
: in praise of pull-ups Pull-ups are hard. Some varieties are easier than others, of course. Reverse grip chin-ups are, for …
: Tonight at 9 p.m. Man vs. Wild Urban Survivor TV-PG, CC In a special edition of Man vs Wild, Bear Grylls finds …
: in praise of acai berry juice So I wake up in the morning and I drink a cup of 1/2 water 1/2 acai berry juice. Eight ounces of …
: some days are better than others Playing basketball at 40, some days are better than others. And probably that’s not even true. …
: new light Today we got new light fixtures in the basement and a new motion sensitive outdoor light in the back …
: my all time favorite preacher [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWYtkn_8D-g&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=425&h=344]
: too many steps “Too many steps; that’s just too many steps.” (Sydney, after watching Bethel Lady …
: From the couch… “Papa, I wanna go down stairs and watch ‘The Office.’ I like Michael Scott." …
: the office A man, standing in front of classroom full of MBA students, rips pages from an economics textbook. …
: Sorry, Mr. Homer. Your epic is marvelous, but it's just night right for us as publishers (an excerpt) Beginning in 1959, Umberto Eco contributed a monthly column of wit and parody to an Italian literary …
: A MAN WILL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER This week’s column is written by Alvera Mickelsen, a founding member of Christians for …
: this my... …101st blog entry of 2009, and my 150th total entry on this blog. Wow. Should this even …
: To write prayerfully In my ENGL 101 class today I had my students do a writing warm-up exercise, something we do every …
: hong kong phooey They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. [youtube …
: sanity The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of …
: more on novel writing (as well as the writing of history) “Fiction is history that might have happened. History is fiction that did happen." - …
: MUTUAL SUBMISSION IN SELF-SACRIFICIAL LOVE MUTUAL SUBMISSION IN SELF-SACRIFICIAL LOVE This week’s column is written by Allison Young, as …
: Go cubs go… With great gusto, and over, and over, and over, Sydney sings… "Go Cubs go, Go Cubs go— Hey Chicago …
: Nobel Prize in Literature 2009 Herta Mueller wins 2009 Nobel literature prize (AP) – 10 hours ago STOCKHOLM — Romanian-born German …
: novel writing Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair falls out and the teeth decay. …
: ditto How quickly they forget the lessons of Sunday school LEONARD PITTS JR. The Bellingham Herald …
: From the bathtub... … and with enormous gusto, Syd sings: “Don’t let Satan Whoof it out, I’m …
: Countdown to U2: "ONE" day We get to carry each other… [youtube …
: Countdown to U2: 2 days I wanna tear down the walls / that hold me inside. [youtube …
: Countdown to U2: 3 days It will be… Magnificent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUgj5_bNCpk [youtube …
: Ludington Three days on the “gold coast.”
: on the upside... Milton Bradley is 6 of his last 7.
: maybe next year As much as I hate to admit it… the Cubs are lousy. Which makes September a considerably less …
: first day I have no memory of my first day of college classes. I sort of remember my first day of freshman …
: Smalltown Fastpitch State Champions Michigan Men’s Fastpitch 2009
: lip balm? [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHVpJGXZ21o&hl=en&fs=1&&w=425&h=344]
: El Guapo In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, …
: Colbert rips the most idiotic man on television The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The 10.31 Project www.colbertnation.com …
: Go Tony, Go!!!! Article published Jul 30, 2009 Teacher licensing rules eyed Schools chief wants changes; board slows …
: catch-22 quote of the day “They’re trying to kill me,” Yossarian told him calmly. “No one’s …
: whaddya know the Cubbies are in first place…
: "The Trees" by Franz Kafka “For we are as tree-trunks in the snow. Apparantly they are merely resting on the surface of …
: healing Yesterday I hit Morgan in the eye with a golf ball sized wiffle ball–a line shot from about …
: 1982 The first record album I ever bought for myself.
: 88 degrees That’s a little more like it.
: Thursday ticket holders get Monday golf (if there’s Monday golf) The U.S. Open on Thursday, day one, was virtually a washout. They did play three hours worth of …
: ear infection Morgan has an ear infection in his right ear. Not the first time. Common in Labradors, in part, …
: What??? “But the whole point of God, at least in the viewpoint of us human beings, is that He does not …
: teamwork Sydney, singing at full blast from the other room: “What’s gonna work? TEAMWORK! …
: smalltown fastpitch Smalltown Fastpitch, winners of the “Ed White Memorial Fastpitch Softball Tournament” in …
: The NBA’s uncool rule By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports Jun 1, 11:26 am EDT Derrick Rose is a hell of a …
: don't miss it “Men vs. Wild” Tuesday, 10 p.m. on Discovery [youtube …
: a romantic comedy Family axes wedding plans, Egyptian cuts off penis By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Writer Sunday, …
: a good sermon “A good sermon is one side of a passionate conversation. It has to be heard in that way. There …
: wcws I don’t think I can name a single individual player in NCAA Division I college softball, but I …
: lola Sydney and I sang this song, radio blaring, on the way to the park. Lyrics way ahead of their time, …
: top five things I can hear from where I sit typing this Gunshots from the shooting range half mile away. 4. Train whistle from the tracks half mile away. 3. …
: defense of the liberal arts (and indirectly, of a major in Humanities). 19 May 2009 10:03 am In Defense of the Liberal Arts By …
: robin-bird “Papa, look, there’s a robin-bird over there.” (Sydney, age 2 years, 11 months, …
: walk in the woods As a deer strolls out of the woods and onto the path thirty yards ahead of us, Sydney, riding on my …
: "Spirituality for all the wrong reasons" (excerpt from an interview with Eugene Peterson) What if we were to frame this not in terms of needs but relevance? Many Christians hope to speak to …
: what are you doing this summer? Why do I always feel guilty when I’m asked that question? I don’t have any big plans. …
: variations on a theme Life is the tree of art. Death is the science of trees. Life is the death of trees. Science is the …
: life and death “Art is the tree of life. Science is the tree of death." -William Blake
: Swine Flew (by One Bad Pig) When Jesus made me Kosher When I drank the sweet new wine I felt like a new creature Really felt …
: syd's medley Music from the bathtub… “yes, Jesus loves me… the Bible tells me so” …
: the dirty little secret “After all manner of professors have done their best for us, the place we are to get knowledge …
: Last snow, first 80 This is a good week. A slim chance of snow this week, certainly the last of the season. Good chance …
: 55 word story A New Narrator in Town I was certain of one thing, and this one thing gave life its meaning. I was …
: if... … the Cubs win 2/3 of their games all year long, they should be ok. In fact–while …
: Post #95 A more prolific blogger would have far more than a mere 95 blog posts by now. What seems to be my …
: summer reading group 2009 Possible readings: 1. A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines 2. Where I’m Calling From: …
: spring “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
: Opening day Today is a day of hope for Cub fans everywhere—thinking this, at last, is the year. Of course it may …
: top five track and field events I went to Bethel’s track meet at Goshen today. These have nothing to do with the individual …
: Top five male characters in “One Hundred Years of Solitude” 5. Jose Arcadio 4. Aureliano 3. Colonel Aureliano Buendia 2. Jose Arcadio 1. Jose Arcadio Buendia
: LeBron and Yoga LeBron’s extra edge: Cavaliers star’s devotion to yoga training helps keep James healthy …
: Tolstoy replies “In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” (Leo Tolstoy)
: the genius strikes back ‘‘What obsessed Tolstoy, what obscured his genius, what now distresses the good reader, …
: a writer "A writer is dear and necessary for us only in the measure of which he reveals to us the inner …
: my top five bad habits Eating only one big meal a day. 4. Poor eye contact. 3. Taking forever to return homework/papers. 2. …
: top five movie characters Rob, “High Fidelity” 4. Juno, “Juno” 3. Sonny, “The Apostle” 2. …
: Top five Homeric characters Hector 4. Nausicaa 3. Eumaus 2. Odysseus 1. Penelope
: top five Top five characters in American literature: 5. The Grandmother (“A Good Man is Hard to …
: Today we… read five books took a walk to the pond listened to birds singing found a spider …
: strategy Basketball, as a game of skill, is totally compromised when referees don’t protect shooters by …
: Bethel Basketball MCC Tournament: Championship Game Bethel 74 Indiana Wesleyan 70 Pilots head into the NAIA national …
: involution The Counterfeiters by Andre Gide "The diary of a novelist who is writing a novel [to be called The …
: How many days until spring break? One.
: countdown to spring break 5 school days. But who’s counting?
: thirty-nine theses (31 etc) I’m too tired for strong opinions. How about just some simple declarative sentences and maybe …
: The Walk You Remember Kip Prenkert’s Funeral Wakarusa Missionary Church 12 February 2009 Robby Prenkert The …
: thirty-nine theses (28-30) More strong opinions: #28 Super Bowl halftime is too long. #29 But if the halftime has to be so …
: thirty-nine theses (27) Strong Opinion #27: This is one of the worst constructed sentences I’ve ever read (from A …
: thirty-nine theses (26) One strong opinion about a basketball rule that need to be changed: #26 You should not be able to …
: thirty-nine theses (26) A borrowed opinion: #26 “Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like …
: thirty-nine theses (22-25) Some meta-opinions: 22. I don't have enough strong opinions to write thirty-nine interesting theses. …
: thirty-nine theses (21) A strong opinion in the form of a strong recommendation: 21. Do yourself a favor (on this frigid …
: thirty-nine theses (18-20) More opinions: 18. The worst part of winter is the static electricity. 19. The best part of winter …
: thirty-nine theses (17) A very strong opinion: 17. Every student at Bethel should consider a second major in Humanities.
: thirty-nine theses (16) Another S.O.: 16. I agree with James; “peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of …
: thirty-nine theses (11-15) A few more strong opinions: 11. The designated hitter rule allows for a few good beer league …
: Elaboration (7): Thesis: A professor should not distribute a hard copy of the syllabus the first day …
: thirty-nine theses (8-10) Strong Opinions #8-10: 8. If you want comments and requests for elaboration on your blog series …
: thirty-nine theses (7) Strong Opinion #7: A professor should not pass out a hard copy of the syllabus the first day of …
: thirty-nine theses (1-6) Strong opinions, the first six: My harmonica playing does not hurt my dog's ears. He's not whining; …
: strong opinions? Well, now that I got those thirty-nine memories out there, now what? I had this conversation with …
: thirty-nine memories (39) Memory #39: She’s Got a Way 39 things I like about my wife: Her eyes Her relentlessness Her …
: thirty-nine memories (38) Memory #38: Top Five Basketball Memories 5. The summer I was seventeen, playing by myself, in my …
: thirty-nine memories (37) Memory #37: Birthdays When your birthday falls less than two weeks after Christmas, one of two …
: thirty-nine memories (36) Memory #36: Moonwalk For younger readers of my world famous blog series, "thirty-nine memories," I …
: thirty-nine memories (35) Memory #35: Yoga, etc. Today I did an entire 90 minute yoga workout. Is it a workout or a routine? …
: thirty-nine memories (34) Memory #34: She Calls Me “Papa” I remember the day she was born: 3:06 p.m. on May 18, …
: thirty-nine memories (33) Memory #33: 33 Larry Walker wore #33 when he played for the Colorado Rockies. One very cold April …
: thirty-nine memories (32) Memory #32: Buncha Bethel I’ve been around Bethel a fairly long time, now. This is actually …
: thirty-nine memories (31) Memory #31: Three Pages a Week When I was fifteen and a sophomore in Mrs. Yoder’s English …
: thirty-nine memories (30) Memory #30: Softball at “The Campgrounds” My dad played church league fast-pitch …
: thirty-nine memories (29) Memory 29: October 10, 2001 I’ve said many times that the most powerful worship services …
: thirty-nine memories (27 & 28) Memory #27: Skunked So this fall, Anne and Joel and I are sitting around the campfire in our back …
: thirty-nine memories (26) Memory #26: Hair I remember having this much hair. That was March 2007.
: thirty-nine memories (25) Memory #25: Zapallo Grande Allow me to continue the story from my previous post. Our transportation …
: thirty-nine memories (24) Memory #24: The Best Literature Class Ever It was all about context. I’m the one in the orange …
: thirty-nine memories (23) Memory #23: Warm Christmas On December 24, 1982, the high temperature was 60 degrees in Wakarusa. A …
: thirty-nine memories (22) Memory #22: Blue Mountain Peak One of the best parts about waking up every morning in Kingston was …
: thirty-nine memories (21) Memory #21: “I’m a Rebel” It was July and I was driving home from mowing the lawn …
: thirty-nine memories (20) Memory #20: Blizzard On the television today I saw the words “Blizzard Warning.” A …
: thirty-nine memories (19) Memory #19: “Boston Sucks” So it’s July of 2001, and we’re walking to our …
: thirty-nine memories (18) Memory #18: Pretending Sometimes when I hit the wiffleball to Morgan in our backyard–if by …
: thirty-nine memories (17) Memory #17: Thunder Sometime in February of 1998, about half way through our first year serving as …
: thirty-nine memories (16) Memory #16: Everything Is Illuminated “I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It …
: thirty-nine memories (15) Memory #15: An Unreliable Memory I seem to be suffering from some sort of memory blank tonight. …
: memories? How reliable, do you suppose, are these thirty-nine memories? http://www.robbyprenkert.blogspot.com/
: thirty-nine memories (14) Memory #14: I Am a Witness For the past two years in FYE I have had my students read the novel …
: thirty-nine memories (13) Memory #13: U2: Zoo TV I was in the house for this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sUXZ8RNzco U2 …
: thirty-nine memories (12) Memory #12: Crayfish The once rocky part of the Baugo Creek, the part down by the bridge over C.R. …
: thirty-nine memories (11) Memory #11: Applause Today was the last day of FYE this semester; it was also the end of ten year …
: thirty-nine memories (10) Memory #10: Bus Race I do not think she liked me; in fact, she did not even stop at our driveway to …
: thirty-nine memories (9) Memory #9: Personal Best During the two summers I worked the most intensely on writing my …
: thirty-nine memories (8) Memory #8: Grace Incarnate: A Dissertation Excerpt The summer his best friend died, he …
: thirty-nine memories (7) Memory #7: Memorial service My best friend Dave was short and round. He had dark hair that got …
: thirty-nine memories (6) Memory #6: “IMPORTANT” About forty-five minutes before my seminar on C.S. Lewis (taught by Professor …
: thirty-nine memories (4 & 5) Memory #4: The most delicious flavor on earth The “Pork Pit” in Montego Bay, Jamaica was the first …
: thirty-nine memories (3) Memory #3: Imaginary Friend When I was very young I had an imaginary friend who played with me. …
: Deadly Stampede At Wal-Mart Not Surprising : NPR Deadly Stampede At Wal-Mart Not Surprising : NPR
: thirty-nine memories (cont'd) Memory #2: The greatest Pony League baseball team in the history of Wakarusa Virgil Weldy, Jr. …
: thirty-nine memories On January 5, 2009, I will celebrate my 39th birtday. I wish I’d thought to start this series …
: Random things I'm thankful for: The acid burn in your throat when you take that first gulp of an ice cold coke. The delightful sound …
: "as you squint with the light of the truth in your eyes" Ten songs: 1. “Hey You” by Pink Floyd. “But it was only fanstasy / The Wall was too high, as you can …
: random things about me I have a hard time with eye contact. It must be from being a very bashful and introverted child. I …
: Writing assignment from LIT 421 In Myth & Archetype class the other day, Stephen and Mary assigned the class to read the chapter …
: happy birthday Dear Katylynn, Someday, when you are an English major at Bethel College, and your professor says …
: the sacrament of the present moment Sacraments are acts regarded as sacred, holy. Confession is sacred, holy. Blogging is confessional. …
: this might be interesting http://www.facebook.com/share_redirect.php?h=f5c0a4ea2fee357c4d852ab9e8b3e98a&url=http%3A%2F …
: check this out http://www.facebook.com/share_redirect.php?h=f5c0a4ea2fee357c4d852ab9e8b3e98a&url=http%3A%2F …
: xanga My most viewed xanga entry ever. …
: top five reasons you gotta love Morgan
: today's weather... Clear; 55 perfect
: faculty retreat Robby Prenkert Faculty Retreat 2008 Bethel College The Intersection of Faith and My Discipline “our …
: "Side Effects" by Steve Martin DOSAGE: take two tablets every six hours for joint pain. SIDE EFFECTS: This drug may cause joint …
: Welcome to Bethel; sorry your old school closed Have you heard the news? Taylor University decided this week to close its Fort Wayne campus. …
: fall break looms For me, the first seven weeks of the fall semester always goes by faster than any other seven week …
: job interview: a fiction “Your education, experiences, and credentials are impeccable. We have been moved by your …
: Must a senior pastor have a penis? At the church I used to attend, the pastor insisted that you have one in order to serve as an elder. …
: trivial fact about me I wear a plastic guard on my teeth ($400 something at your local dentist if you can imagine that) …
: Cryptic opening remarks from tomorrow's world lit class Hell is the place where you get what you want only and always. Only and always getting what you want …
: archetypes and basketball “Every trip is a quest,” he tells them. “And the real purpose of every quest? …
: notice... Almost everything here can be found somewhere else. Except for this.
: What you write when you can’t think of anything to write… My brother is a prolific blogger. His blog is the Don Quixote or the War and Peace, if you will, of …
: Happy (belated) birthday, Cervantes Yesterday (29 September) was Miguel de Cervantes’s birthday. I’m sure you’re still recovering from …
: a historical fiction (Disclaimer: the names of parties involved in the non-fictional version non-fictional version of …
: most idiotic letter to the editor of the week (F. Irene Keb of South Bend) Congratulations are in order to F. Irene Keb of South Bend, Indiana for her grand achievement this …
: telepathy "Papa, does it annoy you that I had three poopy diapers before noon today? Just wondering. You seem …
: wisdom "Do your best, and forget the rest."- Tony Horton, P90X
: Rom. 12:2 "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible."Leo Tolstoy, …
: public speaking "At best, public speaking affords us the opportunity to impersonate our ideal image of our selves." …
: A gut-wrenching work of bumbling mediocrity Foreword: Memo to the dean Dear Dean Pleasures,You are about to begin reading a dissertation called …
: selecting a reader My perfect reader of this blog… his name is my name, too. Whenever he logs out, you will likely hear …
: talent borrows, genius steals Nearly a month ago he remembered the time when the rasta-looking old man offered him …
: Pineapple He wears a wool cap of black and gold, red and green covering his dreadlocks, smiling, toothless. We …
: MEMO: a fiction Memo TO: Prof. Pranker FROM: Dean Stimp RE: Faculty Development Funds cc: Prof. Paperclip; Dean …
: The Big M Lust_Control_-_The_BigM.mp3 He had forgotten all about this delightul little punk/thrash band and …
: escalation Bulla elbowed Phillip, who was holding him in the post area. Two times down the court later, Phillip …
: The Last Novel - David Markson - Books - Review - New York Times Crap. There goes my once great idea for a novel. The Last Novel - David Markson - Books - Review - …
: 55 words--a fragment A Very Young Woman With Tiny HornsBy the time the sun had set, Pablo had swept into heaping piles so …
: first person You make me pose for these pictures when you know what I really want to do is play catch. So please, …
: Annals of National Security: The General’s Report: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker What truths do the fictions that the Bush administration propogates reveal that reality obscures? …
: Bush admits Iraq war unethical “Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical." –George …
: metablog “To write is, above all else, to construct a self. Only secondly is it to record ones …
: Another 55 word short story Enlightening Dinner Conversation "I dunno, I don't think much of his blog. It's a bunch of …
: 55 words - a story Love in a Time of Tooth Decay Simon liked gooey, fruity candies. Tropical flavored Starbursts. Green …
: Semi-truck takes man and wheel chair for ride PAW PAW, Mich. – A 21-year-old man was taken on a wild ride Wednesday afternoon when the …
: freedom from the facts The autobiography I had been writing was organized around certain events in my life that either a) …
: forty minute jog Typically, he jumps rope a few minutes before stretching and then taking his jog. He runs for a set …