I treat rest as a method for becoming more productive.
I want to change my mindset and settle into restfulness for the direct benefit of my spirit.
More Shakespeare!
On Saturday, Kristen and I went on a date to see a friend in Twelfth Night.
I’ve seen at least three productions of this play and this was easily funniest. There’s still time to catch a performance this weekend.
Yesterday, Isaac competed in a theater competition at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire with Pages Alive Theater. Although it was only a single scene, Isaac had his first leading role as King Lear. I’m blessed to watch him grow into his interests.
Lego Memories
These boys have been building for a long time.
Kindness
This applies to all people. Sometimes we demonstrate kindness before any thought of why we are doing it and sometimes we are kind because we feel an obligation to something greater than ourselves.
I’m not well versed in Judiasm, but I don’t believe it holds that we can know the heart of another man. Many kind acts have selfish motivations that we would rather not see or admit exist.
I do know that Judiasm has many rules around behavior, while Christianity simply says, Love thy neighbor. Love is not an act, but inspires and directs one’s behavior.
Regardless of belief structure, I judge my own acts in this way: Am I acting in Love?
Isaiah 47: Babylon’s Hubris
Isaiah 47:10 RSV — You felt secure in your wickedness, you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”
Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray.
This is an example of the descriptive nature of the Old Testament. God doesn’t bring Babylon low out of vengeance, but rather Babylon’s arrogance and refusal to see its limited role in history.
Diversion
Today was all distraction. I had a lot of driving to do and I must have missed four or five turns during my travels.
During my last kid pick-up, I don’t have the mental capacity to dig into anything heavy.
Thankfully, one of my favorites, Dave Smith, is on with Joe Rogan:
The Next Lego Project
Brainstorming for the tiki totem I’m planning to build.
Kristen drew this amazing design for a client and I found inspiration and challenge in translating it into Lego.
I decided to simplify and start by turning this minifigure accesory into a large piece.
It was a day full of failures.
I’ll have to start from scratch…again, but that’s alright, I love a trial-and-error launch.
I experimented today while we had a house full of homeschooled builders. They had a lot more success than I did.
#BannedBooksWeek Scam
Banned Books Week is a scam to sell books that are not banned.
This Teen
Westen has been getting a lot of attention with his musical endeavors, but Isaac has been quietly carving out his own narrative through jiu-jitsu, stage Shakespeare, rifle club, and trumpet.
Maybe it’s the length of Westen’s shadow combined with inherited rebeliousness, but Isaac’s growth has also come with a lot of trouble.
We’re struggling through his 14th year, much like we did with Westen, but I see him gaining skills in many disciplines.
Darryl Cooper on Jim Jones
I think I’m hooked.
Dave Smith has been recommending Darryl Cooper’s Martyr Made podcast for a long time.
After listening to several recent interviews, I decided to look at the episode list.
My sons have an interest in cults, so I saw Cooper’s series on Jim Jones as an opportunity to listen to something together. As they grow, it is becoming more challenging to find common subject matter.
The introduction episode started in an unexpected way. It is a cursory review of black persecution in America, told in reverse, tracing a thread of violence backward in time.
Cooper relates powerful stories and focuses on empathizing with the subjects of his study. He’s given my sons a lot to ponder.
