A visit to the principal's office

Yesterday was a first for the Holmes' household. Kelly and I met with the principal of the Hesston public middle school to start the process of enrolling Abby and Emma for this next fall. That's right, our two home schooled kids will be braving the wild and woolly world of jr. high. They will officially enter the ranks of the Mighty Fighting Swathers.

(Those not from this area might be wondering what exactly a "swather" is. Fair question. It's a piece of farm equipment used to make hay bales.)

Yep. That's our mascot.

We had a very good visit with the principal. We also had a chance to meet the school counselor, a few of the teachers, the lunch ladies, and Lilly (the school's Golden Retriever who has free reign to walk the halls and go in and out of classrooms - very cool).

Kelly and I were very encouraged by our visit. I am looking forward to this new chapter in our family's life. Abby and Emma are nervous - which is to be expected - it's all very new. But, I am so proud of them. They are going to do awesome.

Spring, spring - glorious spring

In one of C.S. Lewis' books (I can't remember which one), he talks about the delicate balance between our need for permanence and our need for change. We each have both of those needs - in differing degrees. As a pastor I deal with people on both ends of the spectrum. Some have a high need for permanence and get very nervous whenever they experience any type of change. Others have a high need for change and feel bored and stagnant whenever things stay the same for too long. But, even those who love permanence don't eat the same food every day. We all need change - at least a little. Even those who love change feel uneasy when the thing being changed is something near and dear to their heart. We all need something secure to count on.

We need all need both change and permanence, but they seem at odds with one another.

The balance between the two is found in... rhythm.

We live in a cycle of rhythm every year in the coming and going of seasons. Every winter I long for spring. I desperately desire the change that spring brings. But is it really change? Every year spring is pretty much the same as the previous year. I know what to expect. I am not longing for something new and different. I am appreciating the cycle of the seasons. The seasons illustrate a permanent cycle of change. Spring feels new and exciting... every year.

Much the same happens within the church. I do not come from a tradition that puts much stock in the formal church calendar. But, even within my tradition we all look forward to singing the same songs at Christmas time, I cry at our Good Friday service... every year. Every time I celebrate Communion it is a little bit different - but for 2,000 years communion has remained very much the same. The Old Testament feasts and festivals illustrate this year by year cycle of change. There is a time for feasting, a time for fasting, a time for weeping, a time for laughing. It is not right to weep all the time. Nor is it right to laugh all the time.

Rhythm walks the line between permanence and change. Rhythm lets me grasp permanence and change at the same time.

I plan on tilling up a vegetable garden this evening when I get home. This weekend I plan on dividing and transplanting some perennials that are already coming up. In a couple of months flowers will be blooming and my family and I will be eating fresh lettuce from our garden. How do I know these things will happen? Because I know that in God's unchanging nature - winter will not last forever. Change is coming. The flowers will bloom. The birds will sing. This night will end. Our unchanging God brings necessary change into our lives.

I love spring.

Release The Cracken

When I was a kid there was a cheesy movie called Clash of the Titans. Other than the laughable special effects, the only memorable thing from the movie was the line, "release The Cracken". The Cracken is a mythological sea monster held in bondage at the bottom of sea by the Greek gods. The Cracken is a really bad thing.

I feel like The Cracken has been living in our home for about a month now.

Our family has been sick... for a month. We keep passing sicknesses around to each other. I guess that is what families do. We share.

And since it is not yet spring-time, it is still too cold to open the windows and air the place out. It's like we are living in a thermos bottle of germs. I just want to let the wind blow through - get that Cracken out of here.

Well, I thought we were all better. Kelly and the girls headed up the Iowa to see her sister's new baby and catch up with some friends. While at the house of one of our friends, Abby got sick... again.

I am so tired of this.

On a more positive note - perhaps if we export The Cracken to Cedar Rapids it will leave us alone.