Good Questions

"Can we critique the issues -- and the man -- without resorting to racial interpretations and recriminations? If McCain wins, can his victory simply be a loss for Democrats -- and not a loss specifically for African-Americans? The answers to those questions will be the measure of whether we've really progressed to the point we claim."

-Kathleen Parker, Chicago Tribune, 6\6\08

Home Sweet Home?

This week, parents of the Texas based Mormon polygamists were cleared to regain custody of their children. I can only feel relieved for the sake of the children, taken from their parents. And my sympathy lies with the family institution, and not Social Services. Reflecting back on my own childhood, I am reminded of the manila folder my parents kept by the doorway and their instructions that we should thrust the file into the hands of any social worker that might come by asking us personal questions. We were homeschooled, and the folder contained a basic set of our rights as a homeschooling family in New Jersey and the number of our lawyers- in this case, the Homeschool Legal Defense Alliance.

At the same time, there is something definitely wrong, twisted, and immoral about this particular Texas cult. While the initial tip may have been a hoax, there is clearly illegal activity going on, not to mention un-godly activity. How could the situation have been handled better?

At some point I heard a murmur of a possible negotiation for the return of the children, based on a commitment from parents to give up certain practices. It's that sort of lanugage that makes me pretty nervous because of how it seems it might easily become something much more intrusive.

As with all moral-governmental intersections, however, there is a dangerous deception that can occur. We much too easily forget that all laws are moral, and are laws are meant to mandate and model social morality.

A Pathetic Discrepancy

I really don't know how to take it in and put it into perspective. If I were to report to you the current death toll in Myanmar I would honestly have to say that it was between 100,000 to 200,000 - a pathetically large discepancy, one to two thousand human lives- as if the word "to" does any justice to the difference.

And now the death toll in China is climbing to 15,000.

I cannot imagine this kind of loss. It doesn't register.

Travelogue Snippet

The shower felt great. As I peeled the winter skin from my back in one long continuous shell I thought back over my recently ended Florida spring break. I’ve been thinking that I’m getting old, but maybe not that old. First stop on the way there was Graceland. Everyone rolls out of road trip coma and stumbles into the closest bar. It was our lucky day! Honest Abe was in the blessed place, sipping on pale ale and eyeing the ladies. Lucky for him, he was immediately propositioned by the co-driver who was disappointed to discover that Abe is now a paid city employee who wanders local bars blowing the minds of similarly wasted spring breakers and shotgun fiancés. Several hours later, we were back on the road again. No more stops.

The National Debt

In an otherwise largely vitriolic opinion piece, Robert Scheer sad something painfully true in the San Francisco Chronicle today.

The Bear Sterns bailout "was made possible only by the federal government using your tax dollars to pick up the bad debt of the banks. Tape that picture to your wall to remind you, when you open a credit-card bill with a 30 percent interest rate - not the 2 percent the fed will charge banks - or see the increase in your adjustable-rate mortgage, of just what your government will do for the really big guys that it will never do for regular folks
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/19/EDVOVLURS.DTL

So who is the real victim?

Today I spent away a sizable tax refund on paying off three separate private education loans. It is such a relief to be free of these relatively higher interest debts (9-12%). The rest of my college was paid for by Northwestern's endowment and federally subzisdized loans with fixed interest rates of around 6%. It was only until December of this year that I managed not to carry a credit card balance since my second year of college. I say this, because in general I feel like I have been overall responsible with money. I've tried to avoid being a slave to it, while at the same time not being afraid to use it to my advantage. Credit cards in college allowed me to experience a lot of things that I would have been left out of, and still manage to purchase the required textbooks. I remember accidentally missing a monthly payment during my junior year of college and watching my interest rate skyrocket. I am no math major, but I realized that at the rate I had, even on a relatively small balance, it would literally take years at the minimum payment to pay the debt off. I told the friendly customer service operator this, and after haggling, I got my low interest rate back. Just like that, a click of the button. I think that's when I realized for the first time, fully, the fact that the credit card company really didn't want me to pay them back. When I realized that I was sort of disgusted, but I also knew that the joke was on me. I could plead ignorance, or I could face the music. There's a price for everything- it was my debt after all. My road trips, bar tab, spring break...

So who is the real victim?

The truth is, we all are. Victims often of our own greed. People bought houses they couldn't afford because of greed. Banks gave loans on dubious terms because of greed. And of course, this is all the President's fault.

Wings Like Eagles

Vicki Van Meter died Saturday night, it was reported today, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at age 26. I remember reading about her cross country flight at age 11. As I think back, it was one of those things that inspired me to take flying my lessons myself.
I wonder if God met her in the clouds. When you fly, you do feel a bit more free, a bit closer to Him, "with wings like eagles."

Dear Vicki, "why do you say, my way is hidden from the lord, and my just claim is passed over by my God. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength."

A Full Weekend, A Full Heart

An incredible weekend at home with family in the Philadelphia area was capped off by the baptism of Eve Marie Church by her grandfather, Rev. Thomas Church (my father).


On Saturday, Immanuel OPC in Bellmawr celebrated my parents "50 years of love a devotion" -30 years of marriage and 20 years of ministry at Immanuel. It was so overwhelming to be reminded of how much my family has been loved and cared for over the years!

Why it didn't work out...

To summarize for now, one might say that she was a Lady Margaret when what I'm really looking for is a Ms. Dashwood
But one might counter, I myself am no Edward.

Perhaps I'll leave both to Mr. Grant and consider it good policy not to let Jane Austen adaptations guide ones romantic sensibilities. It is an excellent film.

Dreaming of Sailing Fast

This is the new and beautiful boat that my sailing partner in crime just purchased for the 08' season. I am absolutely itching to get out in her! She's a 25 year old 505, but don't be fooled, underneath the wood veneer is good as new, stiff as rock honeycomb design fiberglass. Just a few weeks for the ice to clear out and I'll be planing over the water at ridiculous speeds, all by simly harnessing the wind!

Gained and Lost

This week I learned that one of my former girlfriends is engaged and preparing for a summer wedding. The first engagment in fact, among that category of women in my life. I am of course extremely happy for her and her groom (also a high school friend). So perhaps we can say that something is gained but also lost. Or is it just irrelevant?
My brother has the distinction of having at least 5 women in his life who married the next man they dated after him. At 25, this makes him nervous.