The Road Not Traveled

Yesterday, as I was walking through Wal-Mart (a detestable madhouse of chaos and confusion, even more than usual), I ran into one of my old high school teachers, whom I haven’t seen since graduation. After introducing herself to E. and cooing over Baby C. for a minute, she asked me if I had graduated college, and upon my reply to the affirmative, asked innocently, “So what are you working on now? Master’s, Ph.D, or are you teaching?”

Of course, I’m not doing any of those three things, but it’s funny to think about the fact that her question was a perfectly reasonable one considering the path I had been on in high school. As a driven student and a lover of all things academic, it seemed inevitable that I would go down that path; I was planning on it myself, in the event that I didn’t find anyone willing to marry me.

But I did find someone willing to marry me, and boy, am I glad. Still, I wonder sometimes what I would have been like if things had turned out differently. Would the Me who followed her academic dreams have been happy? Would she be a better/worse person? I like to think of this hypothetical Me as my Mirror Universe self (see: Star Trek). So much of who we are is determined by our choices and experiences and what we learn from them… so she wouldn’t really be Me at all.

But of course, that’s all completely fruitless speculation. God is sovereign, and he had my course laid in at the beginning of time. This is who I was always going to be at age 24. And, contrary to what some physicists and many sci-fi fans like to think, there isn’t some alternate universe out there where my life is playing out any other way. Thanks be to Jesus.

Random Idea #15

I have a coffee mug with all the names of coffee in different languages written all over it (coffee, cafe, kaffe, etc.). But here’s an even better idea: someone should make a mug with the names of all the hot drinks in Star Trek on it. So we’d have things like “Tarkalean Tea,” or “Coffee, black,” or “Tea, Earl Grey, hot.”  Nerdy, you say? Well, sure, but I’d buy it.

After all, I must have something with which to drink my raktajino.

I am hoping… but no promises.

Today I discovered that WordPress has developed an iPhone program that allows writing and updating of their blogs. This is my first post with the program and it seems to be pretty seamless.

This program will allow me to post pictures from my phone as well as write posts on the go.

Here’s to blogging more in the new year!

Eric

Calm down…this too shall pass.

This past Sunday, I read a particularly negative article in the newspaper (which, as everyone knows, is always full of negative stories). Not reporting anything useful, it spent its 2 columns groaning over the state of the world: gas prices rising, food prices rising, economy sliding, the never ending conflict against terrorism, etc. The writer of this article seemed to think that the whole world was degenerating into chaos, with no hope of recovery.

I beg to differ.

First of all, as believers we know that God’s sovereignty is the reality that overrides the apparent chaos in this fallen world. He institutes governments, directs leaders, and controls events with exacting care. Just read the book of Isaiah if you want particular proof of this Biblical truth.

Second of all, any student of history (even a non-believer) should be able to see the parallels between the current time and other transitional periods in history. Every generation has its own unique situation, but history tells us that there’s not much new under the sun. As our country struggles to move from an economy fueled by oil to one powered by other sources of energy, economic growing pains are a natural result. As so often in the past, conditions will get worse before they get better. Just look at the Industrial Revolution: the development of industrial technology came long before the safety standards and labor laws that were necessary to protect the many people whose lives were affected by this change. In addition, think of all the craftsmen who suddenly found themselves obsolete and unemployed! Conditions were pretty miserable for a long time, which predictably resulted in social unrest. But eventually society had time to catch up with the changes, and today industrialization is just a normal fact of life, not a cause of misery or unrest (for the most part).

I’m not saying that America is currently experiencing another Industrial Revolution; however, I am saying that the currently tough (and worsening) economic conditions are probably not permanent. It may not be fun to live with skyrocketing gas prices and unpredictable food costs, but necessity is the mother of invention. There are a lot of creative and capable people in this country working on new ways to increase efficiency, explore new avenues, and so on. This period of instability is not going to last forever.

And of course, if the whole world does completely degenerate into chaos and anarchy, we can still trust the God who’s ultimately in control of all human history.

Funny Picture

Free Stuff!

Who doesn’t like free stuff? If you’re one of those weirdos, then DON’T read this post about StartSampling.com. It’s a fun and safe website that gives you the opportunity to take advantage of manufacturers’ free samples. Granted, you’re not going to be able to stop buying groceries or something, but I’ve had some fun trying out new products (risk-free). So far I’ve tried a new line of Quaker granola bars (enh), a Fiber One Caramel Delight Cereal (gross), and some feminine products (no comment). I think there’s some shampoo and drink mixes coming sometime this week. It’s kind of fun; feel free to check it out.

Permanence and Technology

I ran across a great post by Owen Strachan via Challies that discusses how much our love (probably especially my love) for technology effects the way we look at the rest of life. Strachan does an excellent job identifying the problem and showing it’s inevitable outcome — an outcome visible all around us today.

How Technology Relates to Permanence, and What That Means for Christianity

I often find myself in the category of those who give too much importance to their technology (in my case, computers etc.) It really comes down to how much I value this life, at times, over the next. Though I don’t like to hear them, I find myself asking questions like: How does a new video card help me glorify God? Or how does a faster internet connection help me lay up treasure in heaven? The answers of course are not answers that the materialistic Eric likes, but nevertheless are true.

“…do all of these things aware that you must shape your approach to technology, and that you must let permanent things, things originating beyond the age of the earth, to direct your life.”

Book Review: Culture Shift by Al Mohler

It is with great pleasure that I recommend to you Culture Shift by Al Mohler (a.k.a. The Smartest Man Alive). It is a marvelously helpful and insightful analysis of present-day American culture, and it gives practical advice on how thoughtful Christians should approach today’s issues.

In 160 short pages, Mohler discusses such topics as the Christian’s role in politics, the abortion debate, the state of public schools, terrorism, torture, atheistic science, natural disasters, pluralism, today’s “coddled” generation, and the burden of history (Hiroshima).  How Mohler could possibly cover all these topics so thoroughly in so little space is a mystery to me, but then again, maybe it comes with the territory of being the Smartest Man Alive.

(Now, lest you think me indulging in hero-worship bordering on idolatry, let me just say for the record that I’m speaking partly in jest–but Mohler is without doubt a highly intelligent & clear-headed man.  The Church needs more like him.)

I firmly believe that young Christians in particular should all read this book.  The world is constantly bombarding us with pernicious lies and irrational thinking!  Read this book to help clarify and solidify in your mind what a biblical worldview looks like.

Challies Book Giveaway

In about 3 or 4 days Challies.com is giving away a bunch of books. Click on the link below to sign up.

Make sure you read his rules for the contest, they are simple but apparently people have forfeited because of technicalities before.

When you register you can put in the referral number 61975 so that I get credit for helping sign you up. Not to shamelessly increase my chances or anything…right.

Pizza

Scary!

“Simulated Imagery”?
Try “We Photoshopped Her Some New Skin” instead.