bobbyharding

Family of Four

2009-04-28T15:09:00.001-07:00

As we wait for the arrival of Magnolia we are making plans to maximize space in Scout's room - since it will be Mags room too. We bought a long plank and some wooden brackets so I could install a shelf in the room. Scout opened the wooden brackets and found these treasures hidden inside the packaging. She set them up on the stool just as you see them here. Then she said, "Look! It's Daddy, Mommy, Scout, and Magnolia!"

Looks like she is making some preparations of her own.

The Easter Story...

2009-04-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

It's Easter 2009. Every time we put Scout down, whether for a nap or actual bedtime we tell her a story about Jesus or God or something. For some reason we try to avoid stories about princesses and frogs and whatnot. We like to believe that maybe God will mysteriously do something deep in her soul through these stories. Anyway - today as we were putting Scout down for her nap she said, "Tell me the Easter story."

I looked up at Lexie. We exchanged wide eyed glances and her hand motioned towards me as if I was being introduced to speak at youth group. Damn.

"The Easter story?" I asked.

"Yeah. We've never done that one." Scout added.

"Ok...Ummm. What should I tell her?" I discretely asked Lexie. I wasn't going to tell her any junk about an Easter bunny or chocolate eggs, but she's a 2.5 year old. This was no time for atonement theory.

Whispering, "That he died and came back to life." she said.

That he died and came back to life? How do I explain that to my tiny daughter? I don't think she understands death and all that. Not to mention the fact that Jesus was God...and man...and lived a sinless life...and died...simple right? This was going to be interesting.

"Once upon a time (This is no fairy tale...I must have started it like this because of some insecurity or something) Jesus was...Jesus was teaching and talking and being with people. And..."

Scout was staring intently at me. Hanging on every word.

"And he (was killed? no...not yet) died."

"Why did he die?" Scout asked.

"Because some people were mad at him. But you know what? Jesus is God. And Jesus is also a man! Like Daddy! But because Jesus was God, he lived a special life and after he died...three days later...he came to life again!" Scouts eyes had gotten larger at this little piece of information. I had no idea what to say.

"That is the Easter story, Scout. That Jesus died and then came to life again. And because of that, we can be friends with God. Isn't that special? Doesn't that make Easter a special day?"

"Is that it?" Scout asked.

"Yep. That's it." I said. "That's the Easter story."

"I want some water." Scout had moved on.

So that was it. 3 years of seminary training and nothing like a 2.5 year old's question about the Easter story to freeze me in my tracks. The simplicity of the gospel doesn't necessarily translate into easy answers. Is Jesus IN the gospel? Do you think God meets us, even a 2.5 year old in the telling of that story? I do. Maybe God will mysteriously do something deep in her soul through these stories...just maybe.

Moments with Scout

2009-04-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

There were some classic moments today with Scout that I just have to pass on to the world. First one.... I put Scout on the potty because she said she had to pee. After she peed for a bit, she tooted - at which point her face lit up and she exclaimed, "Ha! Just like Daddy!" I'm ashamed and embarrassed to tell that story, but it is a riot. Second one...after her bath this evening as I was getting her dressed she noticed by basketball shorts and she said, "Those are fancy!" Because they are kind of shiny, you know, like basketball shorts are. And I said, "Fancy?" to which she replied, "Yeah - like lip gloss!" So those are our stories for tonight. She is actually in my lap right now and wants to type you all a message. Here is goes...

k'/ZXCVBB.B / /∂Ω /dff/ff s ƒjx zMzmmzCCCD

Who can top that?

She also has something she would like to say to everyone...

"I love you. That's it."

Wild Thing

2009-03-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't make your heart race and bring a tear to your eye then I don't want to know you...

Well - I do want to know you but c'mon. This trailer strikes a chord deep down inside of me. This looks like it's going to be amazing. "Where the Wild Things Are" is not only one of MY favorite books from childhood, it's quickly become one of Scout's favorites too.

soulpancake

2009-03-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of it yet, soulpancake.com is out there. check it out. very interesting. a place to "chew of life's big questions." this is what's going on in our culture so we should tune in. this video was on the page and i thought it was pretty interesting.

Did You Know? from Amybeth on Vimeo.

No More Binkies

2008-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

The darndest thing happened a few days ago. Lex and I decided that it was time for Scout to be done with her binkies. After all, she talks a lot and lets face it - - I don't know, it was just time. So we told her a couple nights ago, that it was time to get rid of her binkies and we used some of her closest friends as examples of BIG boys and girls who don't use binkies. We said, "You know what Scout? Mallory (her 4 year old cousin) doesn't use binkies. And you know who else doesn't?..." We went on and on for a while. In a last ditch effort she eventually argued, "But I'm little!" To which we replied, "No pumpkin-butter-nut, you're BIG."

So we grabbed a bowl and agreed to walk around the apartment gathering her binkies to throw away. She was all for it! The rest happened rather quickly. "Where are my shoes...let's go outside...throw them away!" Scout really got it. So off we went, I carried her outside to the dumpster where she courageously and rather hastily dumped all her binkies into the depths. That was it.

She cried hard and real for about 1 hour that first night. She never asked for her binkies, we think it was a cathartic release, she was subconsciously mourning the loss of the little plastic comforts. Lex and I have been working triple-time to encourage her and remind her of what big girls and boys do when they can't fall asleep. The past several sleeps have gotten progressively better and she is now doing just fine.

I'm not going to get all serious right now, but the whole thing did make think. Here were these binkies, her possessions that she loved both physically and emotionally. She depended on them, at least a little. 2 whole years of never going to sleep without them...and she thew them away, trusting US her parents, who were telling her that this is what big girls do. Deep down in her being I think she hated it. But she did it, without a fuss, and she never looked back. She has still yet to ask for a binkie. She knows they are all gone and her binkie sucking days are over. Amazing. Warning, here comes the spiritualization of the whole thing - could I have done what she did? What are the things that I depend on, physically and emotionally? Things that God might like me to gather in a bowl, so that he can carry me out to the dumpster to toss? Does Scout trust me and Lex more than we trust God? Is that what it boils down to? If God said to me, "Hey Bobby, you know what? Big boys don't do such-and-such or big boys don't have this-or-that." Would I even entertain his suggestion to get rid of those things? I'd like to hope I would. But who knows.

A Situation of Veneration Observation

2008-08-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that I am here in Chicago working as a manager for a company that goes from school to school performing sports physicals and providing cardiac screening. www.sportlinkusa.com if you're interested. Anyway, every year Sportlink travels all the way up to northern Illinois to a little town called Hebron, with its 1000 people. Hebron is a pretty amazing place.

In 1952 the basketball team from Alden-Hebron High School did the unthinkable. 9 boys, 4 of whom weren't really basketball players, won the state championship. It was such an incredible story, one paralleled a couple years later in Indiana by Milan High School, that a movie was made inspired by these stories. A little known piece of cinema history called Hoosiers. If you haven't seen it yet, make it your top priority today.

After we finished the school yesterday, the Athletic Director, who is also the coach, and a teacher, a farmer, and who knows what else, told our team some of recent stories of these 5 old guys that took the championship 58 years ago. I'd heard some of these stories in years past when Sportlink had been up before, but this was a new Sportlink team and I wanted them to hear the stories too. There is something magical about the spirit this victory has done to this town and especially to these old fellas who's lives have been changed because of it. Allow me to outline only one of these terrific tales.

A few years ago at an all-star game two of the original 1952 squad showed up to support the players and enjoy the game. The coach at the high school alerted the two old timers that they would be participating in the half time show. The deal was that between the two of them, they had to make 8 of 10 free throws and the whole crowd would win buffalo wings from a local wing place. Naturally they were worried since they hadn’t played much basketball in recent years. They were each around 73 years old. They missed the first two shots and the crowd remained silent, they watched these guys with a hopeful prayer that they might at least make a couple baskets. Then it began. Swish. The crowd came to life. Swish. Swish. Swish. At this point the crowd was going nuts. All the young all-star players were running around the court pumping up the crowd and giving high-fives to the two living legends. Little kids were looking at these retirees like they are heroes and the adults in the crowd were starting to get teary eyed. Swish. Swish. Swish. One more shot and the whole place gets free wings, but more importantly these two old hoopaholics experience another victory in a gym they knew so well. Swish. 8 in a row. The whole place went absolutely crazy. The crowd was roaring. Kids worshiped these guys and they had just had the time of their lives...again. But was it because they made 8 in a row or was it something deeper?

I’m guessing that if you ask anyone in town about these guys they’ll tell you how young they seem. How enthusiastic and energetic they are. I think its all tied to that state championship 58 years ago. Because if they hadn’t won, these old guys would be treated like every other senior citizen in our culture. Pushed aside. Ignored. Disrespected. Undervalued. Underestimated. But thankfully we live in a Hoosiers culture that loves its sports and loves champions even more. So because of this accomplishment, these guys are elevated, respected, and venerated more and more the older they get. This is no far-out concept but is rather customary in tribal cultures and supported firmly by Scripture. They may not live longer because of it, but at least they will die happy, knowing that people loved them, cared for them, and looked up to them not only for their accomplishments but for their wisdom and life experiences.

The thing is, you shouldn't have to be a state champion to be treated this way because you don’t have to be a state champ to reap the mental, emotional, and spiritual rewards of being a respected, honored, loved, and valued older person in your community. I'm inspired and challenged by the folks in Hebron and I'm encouraged by their stories - I hope you are too.

windy city here we come

2008-07-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

We've made quite a run this summer leading up to this point. School drew to an end and we had a couple weeks in Bakersfield to prepare and celebrate my sister's wedding. After that I had a two week intensive class on the Presbyterian Creeds - a truly life changing experience. After that, Lexie and I had a magical day at Magic Mountain where we put to test our once roller-coaster-invincible bodies and minds. Of which, I'm happy to report, we still got! Side note - if you like coasters, Tatsu will blow your mind. The picture above is Tatsu at sunset...a spectacular site.

Anyway, now we're off to Chicago to work, relax, and play before the fall quarter begins. I've got a lot to think about between now and then, some of which I hope you share with you in this handy dandy blog. But I also have a lot to not think about - which is what I hope I can do over this next several weeks. And thats my invitation to you all, in the in-between times may we have the courage and strength to find a good book, some spf 30, and a pool. Lets relax - because the days of summer are numbered.

Connecting the Dots

2008-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Something cool happened yesterday during my last class meeting of Presbyterian Creeds. Long story short, God sort of revealed to me the connection between reformed theology and infant baptism. As someone who grew up with a believer baptism model, the idea of infant baptism has taken some...getting used to...if you will. I've understood why we do it I guess, but it never really clicked - until yesterday.

For the last few years I've considered myself "reformed", theologically speaking - and as I gained a better understanding of what that meant the connection between reformed theology and infant baptism became clear. A reformed understanding of God is that he is completely sovereign and that when it comes to our salvation God initiates the relationship with us...stirs up inside of us a desire to love him and to accept his grace through Jesus Christ. God does this, not us. I believe this is true about God and his character. So then how does this play out in the arena of baptism? As an adult, if you were reformed you would profess God's initiation of your relationship with him, you would not take the credit but would rather give testimony to God's grace that has saved you. For the believing parents, infant baptism is a symbol of God's initiating a relationship with their child. It's a sign, and a proclamation of God's sovereignty and love. It marks the beginning of a covenant relationship, not the end. And it allows us as parents and communities to make a vow to bring these kids up in an environment where they will learn what their baptism means, and what it means to be a Christian.

At least now when our daughter Scout gets baptized in a month or so, I'll have a grasp on what its all about and why we do it. Our Catholic brothers and sisters love baptizing their babies but for them God's sovereignty is debatable. But can a person believe that God is sovereign and yet not support the idea of infant baptism? I guess it depends on what they believe baptism is - for me, the answer seems more clear, infant baptism connects directly to a reformed view of God - the dots are connected.

Gender Inclusive Language and the Art of Gender Maintenance

2008-07-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought the debate over the ordaining of gays and lesbians had taken over the world, the little old GIL (Gender Inclusive Language) issue plopped back on the table. In the context of my Presbyterian Creeds class, we talked about a lot of things, one of which was this idea that while as a denomination we claim to be gender inclusive - we have failed at really succeeding in being inclusive...in more ways than one.

I'm not going to bore you with all the details but I will say this: I think it might be high time men in the presbyterian church champion the fight for gender inclusiveness instead of just 'leaving it to the ladies' or claiming that 'we already did that'. This would cause us to ask and answer some serious questions. For example, how do we go about changing the language in the PC(USA) Book of Confessions? Is there like a form we fill out? On a more serious note, where do we draw the line with GIL? Should personal pronouns be avoided when talking about God? Does that take away the personal nature God has and wants us to know about? When I think about the Lord's Prayer as "Our Mother who art in heaven..." or even fill in the blank "Our _____ who art in heaven..." honestly I get a little uneasy to say the least.

Take this little quiz...

1. Which of the following statements is more gender inclusive?

A. Beer is proof that God loves us and God wants us to be happy.

B. Beer is proof that God loves us and he wants us to be happy.

C. Beer is proof that God loves us and he/she/it wants us to be happy.

2. Do personal pronouns help us understand and appreciate God's personal nature?

A. Yes.

B. No.

C. Maybe.

D. Yes.

3. What is at the heart of the GIL issue?

A. Liberals

B. Making God impersonal

C. I'm not always sure.

D. Equality

If you answered A for 1. then you are off to a good start, although B is good too. C is just plain annoying. For 2. I would accept A or D and C would earn you half a point. I don't see how you could answer B, unless you argue that personal pronouns aren't needed for something to be personal. In that case you are wrong. Just kidding. But seriously. For 3. if you answered D, I think you're right. C. is ok because I fall into that camp at times myself. B is not at the heart of the issue but my fear is that it is at risk, half an point for that one. A is a bit of a paranoid response to the question, if you answered A, I would encourage you really think for a change.

The dawn of my blog

2008-07-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

It is the dawn of my blog, welcome and congratulations for reading my first entry ever in all of history, time, and space. I'm not quite sure how I am going to handle this particular creative outlet. I spose I'll just write about whatever I want, whenever I want, offering my own personal thoughts and opinions - cause that's what blogs are all about. No big wow.