Let's Trash the Joint!!!

I'm reading a GREAT book right now by Craig Van Gelder on "The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit." I just have to share this great quote I just read. Van Gelder is commenting on Jesus' teaching in the parable of the Strong Man (Luke 11:14-23):

Jesus then teaches two important truths. He first notes that if it is by the "finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you" (20). The kingdom of God is not just about ideas and words; it is also about power and confrontation. The children of the kingdom should expect to be involved in a power encounter with the evil one, a conflict between kingdoms that requires reliance on God's power for victory.
The second point Jesus teaches on this occasion is that God's redemptive reign as inaugurated in the person and presence of Jesus has defeated and bound the strong man, Satan. The children of the kingdom are now to participate in this great redemptive drama by plundering the strong man's stronghold. They are to reclaim lost territory by bringing back to right relationship with God what was lost in the fall. The enemy has been defeated and is bound. Although his power still operates, he has encountered someone stronger. Greater is he who is in the children of the kingdom than he who is in the world.
Page 83, emphasis mine.

This fires me up! Go plunder the strong man's plunder!!

A goal reached...

As you can see from our pastoral photo above, Hamlet, Cor and I went golfing this week. Alright, not really, but there is a close resemblance, don't ya think?

Anyway, I really did go golfing with Matt McNiece this Monday morning and acheived a goal I have been working on for about 5 years...I beat 90! Without any "foot-wedges" or "gimme a mulligan"s or "that's a gimme", etc. I played it straight up and beat 90!! I have beaten 90 many times before, but never "staight up" or not giving myself a few breaks - i.e., that ball that went in the water was of the devil, so I better hit a godly ball, etc.

Keeping score the right way, I have scored exactly 90 a few times, and 91s and 92s flourish. BUT, I just couldn't seem to break the old 90 mark!

Well, in the presence of our Lord and Matt McNiece (Jesus being just a bit more important in that gallery of spectators), I did it! Scored an 88 (44 on both sides) on Como Golf Course in St. Paul on Monday, June 13th, 2005. And, CJ, no I did not hit your house on the back nine!

Trike

One AWESOME LITTLE LEAGUER...yes, he is my son, Calvin (Ripkin) Treichler!

I am having the time of my life coaching Little League this year once again. Here's some of my recent pictures of my boy playing his heart out at our last game (okay, I'll fess up - we won BIG - 7 to 3!)


Look at that determination...look at that "ready position"
...whose kid is this anyway?


GREAT CUT!! Too bad the ball is in the catcher's glove though...

Signed,

One proud Coach and Dad

One of my favorite places on earth...

In college, I had the opportunity to attend a Navigator Summer Training Program which was held at the headquarters of the Navs in Colorado Springs. Glen Eyrie, which means "valley of the eagle's nest", is a stunningly beautiful place right on the foothills of the Rockies. I spent that summer in the mid-80's there, and have fallen in love with this wonderful setting ever since.

In fact, we are always looking an opportunity to someday move out to the Colorado area, ANYWHERE. My heart is forever in Colorado! Well, maybe we'll retire out there... God seems to be directing to Minnesota for a variety of reasons for the time being...don't worry.

Anyway, if you ever get the chance to spend some time at the Glen, DO IT. Here's their website.

Carole and I just had the great opportunity to sharpen our marriage during a 4 day retreat at the Glen two weeks ago. It was one of the most relaxing, encouraging and refreshing times in my entire life. AND, to be there with my wonderful bride of 17 years was just a memory that neither of us will ever forget. I am the most fortunate man on the face of the earth to have such a beautiful, loving, soft-hearted, and wonderful mother as my life-partner, and thanks be to God (and that wonderful person who gave us the free airfare to get out there! - you know who you are!).

Lord, thanks for Carole and for the joy she is to my heart. Thanks so very much that my heart still goes "pitter-patter" when I see her after being away for a time. You are just too good to allow me the opportunity to enjoy her and to have her be in my life. Your grace is almost too much for me to bear ---- You're just too good when I stop to think about it, and the gift of a sharpened marriage and the joy it brings to my heart is evidence of your outpouring of goodness to me. You're Awesome!

I passed! I actually DO have a world view!

Below are my results from a online quiz that I got from my friend Mark Van Steenwyk to see what your predominant world views are. I am SO HIP - I scored as a postmodernist.

[TOTALLY SARCASTIC SIDE NOTE - doesn't it completely defy the whole postmodernism thing to take a test to see that you are postmodernist! I mean, should I, as a postmodernist, be completely concerned with the parameters of this quiz - shouldn't I be DECONSTRUCTING IT TO DEATH - shouldn't I be unable to answer any question with definition at all - in fact, why am I trying to say anything at all in this blog entry, since it is all filled with words which are completely meaningless to describe anything anyway - END OF TOTALLY POSTMODERN SARCASTIC RANT]

However, my most second place was "FUNDAMENTALIST" - which is someone who totally believes in absolutes...how screwed up is that? I'm a messed up person. Do I believe everything is black and white - or that the entire world is open to interpretation? I need a sabbatical to figure myself out (I should as the elders for another month to figure this quiz out!)

I'm not sure it's worth more than 3 minutes of your time (but, that's all it takes, so go ahead and see how you score. The link is here.

I SO DIG the little graphic that describes my world view too. Pretty much sums up what is going on inside my head most days...

Here are my results:

You scored as Postmodernist. Postmodernism is the belief in complete open interpretation. You see the universe as a collection of information with varying ways of putting it together. There is no absolute truth for you; even the most hardened facts are open to interpretation. Meaning relies on context and even the language you use to describe things should be subject to analysis.

Postmodernist		56%
Fundamentalist		56%
Cultural Creative		50%
Romanticist		38%
Idealist		25%
Existentialist		25%
Materialist		19%
Modernist		13%

What is Your World View? (updated)
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