Category: Life
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Sailing and blogging
“Hours of duldrum followed by moments of sheer terror.” That’s how the captain of our catamaran on a cruise excursion a few years back explained sailing to Grete and me. I think the same can go for blogs sometimes: “Pages of nothingness followed by moments of sheer inspiration.” Hopefully you don’t have to wade through…
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The FedEx mystery
Last week I found a FedEx tag outside our apartment complex with our name on it – you know, one of those “we missed you and need a signature” tags. I was immediately a little irked. Here’s why. Sometimes delivery people will come to our complex, and instead of trying to dial the apartment and…
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Today’s thoughts. No particular order.
Been thinking about the saying, “People overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.” It’s so true. Most people take it and then ask, “Where do I want to be in ten years?” I’ve never been good at that exercise. I have no idea where God…
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The end is near!
At least for one fictitious wizard’s story. Grete received her copy of the final installment of Harry Potter today (she’s a purist, ordering each book from England so she can read it in its original language :)), and is eagerly preparing to read it (by reviewing the last book). This is good for the Sampson…
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“Can we go in there?”
I’m reading outside in our apartment complex today when two of the kids come up to me. “What are y’all doing?” I ask. The older one holds out his half eaten pastry – it looks like some kind of donut hole filled with chocolate. “You’re eating! That looks good!” He nods, and then speaks. “Can…
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I got my groove back
Ok. Not really. Never really had it. Never really will. But, I DID get my favorite groovin’ song back. When my computer crashed a few weeks ago, I lost all of my iTunes music (and half my files). I’ve been working to piece together my collection of music from CDs I’d burned in the past.…
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A “why’s it been quiet here” quiz
You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet here at Live. Work. Play. recently. Now you get to play along! Select the reason why below: A) Jon’s computer crashed while he was backing it up meaning (1) most of his files are gone because he was trying to keep that from happening and (2)…
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Happy Birthday!
Today is my amazing wife’s birthday. If you don’t know her, you can’t be as excited about this as I am. So let me give you a little of her resume: She’s beautiful (how many people can look this good while hiking?) She’s creative She’s funny She’s intelligent She’s fun to be around She’s a…
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They just expect less…
Grete just picked me up from the airport. My plane was an hour and a half late. I was disappointed, but I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I fly American Airlines pretty loyally because of their frequent flyer program. Been flying with them for probably 20 years (My family did conferences for teachers every summer,…
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Seminary and relational “in-between-ness” (spending time on what really matters)
Seminary can be an amazing time. You’re preparing for ministry. And for one of the only times in life, you’re surrounded by people who believe something similar and are pursuing a similar calling. They may have different backgrounds. They may be diverse. But they have a similar passion. They’re preparing for a similar thing. That’s…
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Slowing down for a while
I’ve been trying to post on a more regular basis around here, but I want to warn you – it’s going to be a little slower over the next few weeks. We’re into the final two weeks of the quarter at Fuller. And that, along with some big events coming up with small groups, is…
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A little giddy
I registered for summer classes today, and aside from the event being a major drain on the bank account, I’m excited about the courses. Here’s why: I have high expectations for this class. It’s taught by Alan Hirsch (and … it appears … Eddie Gibbs). I honestly get excited whenever I read anything by these…
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Be thankful – here and now
There’s always a struggle to not let things you “get to” do become things you “have to” do. God’s used some recent events and conversations to remind me how thankful I am for the place God has put Grete and I and the opportunities and relationships he’s growing around us. For me, it’s easy to…
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Relief from the heat
So the downside of sunny weather is a bit of heat. And when you don’t have central air (or really any air besides a unit in the living room), that heat can be a little uncomfortable. So yesterday we welcomed a new member of the family. To the left, you’ll see R2D2 the portable air…
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A Schleiemacharian weekend
It’s been silent around here because it’s been a busy past few days! Here are a few highlights … Finished a paper on Friedrich Schleiemacher (That’s what’s consumed most of the time). He was a German theologian whose influence on “liberal Protestantism” is still seen today. He’s also a tough read. And I still have…
Jon Sampson 