Incredible catch

I can't take credit for this catch because it wasn't mine--it was caught by one of my best friends though. Chris is actually the guy responsible for getting me into flyfishing, and the one who has taught me everything I know in it. A few weeks ago he stunned the locals with a 28" channel cat on his 3wt, and then since that wasn't impressive enough, he pulled this one in from a lake at Busch Wildlife. It's 26" and 7+ pounds....yes, on a 3 wt with a 4x tippet. It's NOT photoshopped, either...looks that way, but is for real.

I think every guy should have a fisherman they look up to...and envy like hell. :)

Caught in the Not-Yet-Net

No, the Not-yet-net is not the newest Arabic word I've learned, it's what Cheryl and I (and lots of others) are very caught in and struggling to get out of. Almost everyday, at the end of the day, Cheryl and I "share" with each other to what degree we are frustrated about our current situation(s). It's not that we are complainy people, Cheryl is especially not, it's something else. It is our sense of having a sense of purpose in this world (this Creation and kingdom), wanting to be actively working out that purpose and....then having the clarity and urgency of that sense spin into impatient frustration.

For Cheryl, I cannot begin to measure or explain all that we're frustrated with. Just in her job she is under-utilized, abused and not able to see or enjoy any progress or good that she brings her kids. Yes those kids need and deserve (??) a great counselor like her, but does it have to be her? What good is it really to have her spending her days with kids who have no interest in speaking with her or making any sort of progress in their own or their families' lives? To me, and to Cheryl, it seems she is being miserably wasted. Why is she just filling shoes and an office? She is built for something else, that is certain--there is no sensible explanation for the fact that she is not doing that now. There are descriptions of the reality she and I face now ("it's mysterious preparation," "there is a hidden/greater/good reason," "I don't know, but God does"), but those are not explanations and have little energizing or comforting ability. We know what is going on, but we neither understand or agree with it. I'm sick of seeing a screwdriver used as a hammer...especially when my wife is that screwdriver.

For me, having come so close to being able to pursue a phd now and do what I really feel I'm "built for" is difficult to carry. Descriptions are everywhere, but I have yet to come close to any explanation. One of my strongest frustrations with Christianity these days is its attempt to rationalize the economic (or any other) situation as individuals find themselves in it--encouraging humility, service, patience and so forth. It is suggested that the difficulties that Christians find themselves in these days are somehow a part of God's plan for them and the Church to shape, mold and use them in the future. The problems with that abound, but the major one is: difficulty and life-purpose fulfillment are not opposed, they usually coincide. If difficulty were terminal in design implementation, then we have a real problem with most of the characters in Scripture. We find, however, that life is 1) most difficult for God's people, 2) most difficult when God's will is attended to and 3) made more difficult by sin and alleviated by righteousness.

Chaos, disconnectedness and dead ends are not a part of God's pleasure and design for His Creation; I feel no guilt for being sickened by Cheryl's and my experience of it in our lives. Having had glimpses of the beauty of Eden, of shalom, of what things were and are to be, we are simply anxious beyond words to do our jobs and work on behalf of His creation. It may be God-ordained, but everything that precedes that or impedes that in our lives is nonsense and should be avoided and detested. Otherwise, complacency and numbness are all too quick to cripple.

Goin' Back to School

Yup, my 223 hours of higher education is still not enough for me, so I'm going back. This time around it's not for another degree, just for selected classes--Arabic. The community college down the road from us offers a set of Arabic classes (I-III) that I'll begin June 8th. I've already begun self-lead learning by working through some introductory grammars and Rosetta Stone, and I'll continue that through the classes. I had a fantastic experience at the community college where I did my A.A. and so I'm hopeful that this school (Meramec CC) will be equally good; I'm looking forward to it. I'm a little nervous about doing the intensive class (8wks, 4 credit hrs) while working 50 hrs a week, but thinking back to beginning Greek during my first summer at CTS (I worked FT at ITARP then) is encouraging--that time was a highlight of seminary. I'll just have to find the time to study around work/class like I did before, and I am just as passionate (if not more) about learning Arabic than I was about Greek. It'll be great, and it is really nice to have something to look forward to and work toward these days...easy to get lost in the mire of a confusing life situation that doesn't seem to connect to anything that preceded or may follow. So, with that being said, 'Al hamdu li'llah.

To be continued...

I spent 6 hours at court yesterday with attorneys preparing for the TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) trial and have stayed up late most nights this week looking over old case notes. I didn't sleep much last night. My stomach was in knots this morning.
The dreaded day was here.
Or, maybe not.
As I was frantically reviewing my notes, an attorney came in the waiting room and told me that the trial was not happening today. It has been continued until... wait for it... May 11th... which is Will's and my anniversary. Awesome! (insert sarcastic tone here)

The Battle of the Yard Has Begun

Yup, about a week ago, Cheryl and I had a day off together (rare!) and we decided to begin attacking the Euonymous that is still in strong force across the side and back yards. This is a nasty process for a number of reasons: 1) it is almost impossible to kill, 2) it is expansive and forms thick mats on the ground or aerial roots on trees, 3) there is such an incredible amount of it and 4) harbors SPIDERS! We are winning the battle, but we have a long way to go. It is starting to feel good to be rid of it bit by bit; being around it gives both of us the feeling of being choked...which is how our yard must be feeling with it around!

Beyond the Euonymous (also called Winter creeper), I have a real grass/yard challenge. A number of broadleaf weeds have taken completely over some areas and the rest is covered with a sickly mix of zoysia, rye and fescue. My plan for now is to apply some Weed-n-Feed and then come back with a rake, elbow grease and Jaguar fescue in a few weeks. It looks like late-week will be dry so I'll apply the first application then--can't wait!

While waiting for the grass to come along, I planted two berry beds in the back yard, one with three blueberry bushes and the other with three raspberries. It felt really good to go out to MY yard and dig holes wherever I wanted...not having to get permission, look over my shoulder, worry about pissing off some psycho landlady...and just plant what I wanted. I even dug a few completely unnecessary holes just for fun because I could! Home-ownership has its perks!!! While digging these beds and holes, I found a 3/4 galv pipe buried. I immediately panicked and started sniffing and smelling before realizing there was no way this was a gas line. It is 5" down at the deepest (I found one section that was actually exposed under some ground cover) and is on the opposite side of the supply for the house. I think it is some sort of ghetto irrigation or remote spigot rig. I'm going to dig to the ends and trace it out....and hopefully be able to pull it out after determining it's disconnected, broken, stupid, wrong or all of those things.

Ill try to get some photos up of the outdoor progress (haven't updated that album in a while!!) soon. The amazing transformation has begun!!