Friday, March 26, 2021

Teacher Tribute

 

Some of you hear about my son, Michael, quite a bit if you follow my Spot On The Lake real estate blog.   Michael is my partner in the company.  You may not get to hear as much about the other half of my offspring, Lizzy.   Lizzy's birthday was this week, and I took a little time to reminisce about some fun memories of her.   I remember her "crew" that she cheered with and did Girl Scouts with.  They were inseparable for a while and enjoyed summers hopping from subdivision pool to subdivision pool.   Her love for the pool developed into something more competitive as she began participating in the neighborhood swim team and then the high school swim team, where she excelled in the breast stroke.   She joined the band playing the flute, but really loved leading the flagline in marching band in high school and carried that love on to lead the Redcoat flagline at UGA.  She studied early childhood education at UGA (convocation photo above) and graduated into a career that gives her the opportunity to teach and mentor her students and her peers.  The common thread through all of this is that she always had friends that loved her, and I know that is because she loves so well.  Now she is married to Trey Joyner and has 2 beautiful girls of her own with another on the way.  While I have a lot of fond memories of Lizzy, nothing gives me more pride than seeing her as Mom to those girls, helping them to know at an early age who their Creator is.  She shows them how He loves us by how she loves them.   I love her so much. 

Friday, March 19, 2021

Common Theme

I have known David Slagle for decades and consider him one of my closest friends.  His first career was in nursing, where he served his patients well.  In his second career, he serves as a pastor.  Caroline and I had the privilege of worshiping with him when the church was started, and he is still leading there 20 years later.  His parents are now advanced in age and living at their home in the mountains of North Carolina.  They are relatively independent, but David and his brothers choose to take turns staying with them to ensure they have what they need.  David is still leading the church.  He alternates preaching live at church with delivering the sermon by video when he is serving his parents in North Carolina.   I am guessing you have recognized the common theme.   David has lived a life of service.  When I am struggling with a tough decision, David is one of the first ones I reach out to.  When I need a good laugh, David is one of the first ones I call.  I treasure his friendship and admire his life of service.  To watch one of David's recent sermons, click here.  

Friday, March 12, 2021

 A calendar entry recently popped up that reminded me that Caroline and I were scheduled to see Lauren Daigle in concert.  The concert was originally scheduled for Spring 2020.  It got moved to Spring 2021, and has now been moved to Fall 2021.   Many people have suffered tremendous loss during the pandemic.  My losses have been less severe, but I do very much miss live music.  I have missed playing in the Georgia Wind Symphony.  I missed worship music in church, and I have missed live music at concerts and the theater.  I think I will appreciate it even more as we are able to re-engage.  For now, I have to make do with what is available online.   I was pleased to see that Lauren recently released a new anthem.  In the face of all that is pressing on us, and our continued unfaithfulness, her plea is simple, "Hold on to me". 

Friday, March 5, 2021

Another Virus


 In 1941, Albert Camus wrote about a small French town that was devastated when a virus carried by mice spread to the townspeople and killed hundreds.   At that time, the premise probably seemed fantastical to most, but after what we went through in 2020, the response would more likely be, "the virus only killed hundreds?"  The thoroughly modern town was filled with people going about their business without a care in the world, seeming invincible against something as disgusting as a mouse and a virus.  The virus was eventually eradicated by the hero, Dr. Rieux, and the town returned to "normal". Camus was not writing a thriller about a mythological virus.  He was giving readers an analogy for his worldview that goes something like this.  We are all living with a plague.  All of us have nastiness buried within us, and we will all die at some unknown time though random circumstances.   While we feverishly search for meaning, there is none.  Life is a cruel joke, and we are only meant to endure.  In a word, life is absurd.   This thinking became prevalent in the last part of the 20th century and was given the name, absurdism.  While that word is new to me, I see people living that philosophy of life daily.  I was taught to think differently, and as I grew older, I was able to think more for myself.   While plenty of things are absurd to me, I can't imagine a life where our purpose for being here is absurd.   My heart aches for those that feel that way.


Albert Camus was introduced to me by J.I. Packer in his book "Knowing God" and this video has a review of Camus's book, "The Plague".