Photo recap and update...

This crew is what's known as the "Bottom 5," or the youngest five cousins of the Bubalo dynasty. Laura is an honorary member, along with cousin Stephen's fiancee. Also featured in this picture is the matriarch, aka Grandma.


We both had a great time in Indiana, but Laura clearly had the most fun. These are "witches fingers," or long pointy flowers. Scary.

We stopped in the Amish section of Indiana for awhile and I tended to the goats.

For the last month, we have been dog-sitting Freckles, the dog I grew up with who now lives with my parents for obvious reasons. This mischievous beagle dominated our cozy lair, claiming it as his own. He looks sinister and cute at the same time here - a very true depiction of his nature.


Sea World is too much fun to put into words. Laura took this photo of me posing by the Kraken, a mysterious eel which haunted sea-goers for centuries until it was turned into a rollercoaster. We've been on it a couple dozen times.

A couple of weeks ago we took our big vacation of the year, heading to Kansas City for four days and Indianapolis for five. It was a refreshing time for me and the wife. With the newness of life in Florida and doing the same thing for forty hours a week, the familiarity of the midwest was comforting. I've never been happier spend time among the fields of corn. Also, it was nice to drive up and down a few hills and lay down in some soft, untropical grass. Florida grass will stab you and cut you up if you don't wear proper protection. A special treat in KC was seeing the grandparents. Old people can be really nice to be around sometimes. They aren't obsessed with the future, but want to soak up the time they still have. They ask you the simple questions, like "are you making money? do you have friends?" Their advice is always 'save money.' My grandpa told me that because we live healthy lives there will be negative consequences, such as staying alive a long time and having to pay for that extra time on earth. What's with these old geezers? You'd think they've lived through some sort of American financial meltdown. But I appreciate the simplicity of that generation. A book we're reading in church described how our generation is overwhelmed with the different options of what we should be doing with our lives. We have become obsessed with discovering God's will rather than simply living. I think I need to get back to the basics like my grandpa sometimes.

In Indiana I spent an evening with the gang from Fishers. Definitely made me miss spending time with people I truly know. Sometimes when I get in new groups of people, they don't understand my humor, or don't even think that I'm being sarcastic or making a joke. Usually I go through a introductory period with people where they learn that not everything I'm saying is serious, even though it sounds serious. Fishers is probably where this sort of humor began, so its usually hilarious being back with everyone.

Laura's grandparents live in the sticks on a nice-sized plot of land. Needless to say, we did some frolicking, berry pickin,' and had some good oldfashioned country fun. It's like living in Little House on the Prairie, which is obviously an enjoyable time. I reexperienced poison ivy and got 26 chigger bites all within the boxer shorts region of the body.

Since we have been back we have found a house to rent, thanks to a tip we recieved from a friend. I'm looking forward to mowing the yard, and Laura wants to plant a garden. There is an avocado tree in the backyard, which is basically a celebrity vegetable right now. Laura will probably want to eat them, and I will want to sell them (thanks Grandpa, for passing down your thrifty genetics - aka being cheap). This leads me to my final, important point...

The reason I suck so bad at golf is because I've been too cheap to pay to practice, buy clubs, etc. I'm a natural athlete (not to brag), but I am an incompetent and pathetic golfer. For the last year we have lived on a historic, city block, par 3 golf course, and I have never played. We are moving only a few blocks away, so we'll still be near the course. The stars came into full alignment last week when my boss gave me a full set of golf clubs, leaving me no excuse not to play. We have been picking up golf balls on our street for a while now, so that's free too. I refuse to commit to this, but I may start tracking my golf progress on this very blog. Look for future updates on life, work, school (starting Sept 1st), new house, and golf in the coming weeks.

Last Word

Well, I said I would answer a few questions on the Christian church. They were: "What do you find to be special about the Christian Church? What is it the Church is capable of that cannot be found elsewhere? Why does Christianity/Church matter?"

Since Sam has posted like three times since our theological discussion, moving on to vampires and other weird stuff, I'll be brief. I realized that all of these questions have to be answered by pointing to Jesus. He claimed to be God, and a church was established in his name which has been carried on for 2000 years and counting. This church, or body of believers, isn't about proclaiming the church, but Jesus and his message of repentance, grace, and living by faith. Being a Christian isn't centered on the good things we do, but the fact the we are broken people in need of a savior. The church is here to continue bringing the good news, or gospel, of Jesus: that through faith in him we can have eternal, fulfilling lives. It is a God-centered faith rather than human-centered, so when you ask, "what is the church capable of?" it really isn't about the people of the church so much as where they are pointing, which is towards God. The church's role is to manifest the Kingdom of God upon the Earth, so that means many other good things are being done here, in the name of God, by Christians.

These are questions of enormous proportion, and that was a relatively short paragraph. It's been a great blog conversation, and I appreciate all of Sam's questions and desire to examine all things. Thanks to everyone else who chimed in as well!

Response 2 to Sam's Blog

Hey man, I thought your second post on this topic was very good - a lot more clear, and now I understand better what you were saying. I think you are correct about generalities: they can be easily misinterpreted or overstated. Thinking through this stuff, reading, and writing has been good for me, along with the thousands of people tuning in weekly. Thanks for starting up the dialogue...

Point by point - Sam's Blog

1. You noted, Sam, that classifying spiritual ideas is not as clear cut as material ideas, and I agree. The ideal theologian would approach theology with humility, admitting he does not know all, and that he could be wrong. Lots of polarization takes place when people claim to have figured God out; we have to be willing to accept what is indescribable. My specific point is this: there exists a Truth. Whether or not we are fully aware of it does not remove its existence. The reason I made this point is that culturally in America, we tend to be so tolerant that we forget there is actually a right and wrong. Let's say everything in the Islamic faith is perfectly correct. Logically, some things Jesus, apostles, and anyone who contributed to the Bible said were incorrect. It would be a logical fallacy to claim otherwise, right?
Moving on... Is 'right living,' as you said, the point of the Christian life? Yes. But that statement can be misleading. According to Jesus, right living includes following him and believing that he is the son of God. One of his main points is that right living doesn't exist without faith in God. The Pharisees were big on following God's commandments, but Jesus said they weren't living right at all - they actually missed the point entirely, which was God, not our good works. However, 'faith without works is dead,' says James in the Bible. Like you said, from right beliefs flow a life of love. (However, all may not applaud: they killed Jesus.)

2. You used a good example in Jesus' parables of how one message reaches people in different ways. Everyone is an individual, and Jesus was about pointing us towards himself/God, not getting a list of rules correct or explaining detailed theology. You mentioned that there were many interpretations of who Jesus was, and what he was talking about. True, some people believed he was the Messiah, some didn't. He said he was. A lot of things he said were confusing though and are still debated today. (Being God and man at the same time is nearly impossible to grasp.) He conveyed a truth rather than explaining it, and I think that's what you (and I) would like to see more of.

3. Back to the old man example. He said Josh was wrong rather than simply disagreeing. This does seem to be the wrong approach to the situation. Often we limit our growth by coming to a conclusion before considering someone else's view. As far as arguing any issue though, I think it's fair to refer to the source of your belief. E.g. "If you claim to believe what [John Smith] said, you should know that, historically speaking, he said [this]." Isn't that statement fair?
Your point was huge that we must recognize our beliefs are held in faith. The Bible itself says that about Christianity, and for us to try to "prove" our faith to others would be counter-productive. Although there is logic to my faith, it is not the basis.

4. I believe in this point you expressed the heart of many people, both inside and outside the Christian faith: "I like Jesus; I don't like Christians." We Christians tend to get a lot of things wrong, and often live wrong. We should expect this but seek to improve upon. After all, the whole reason Jesus came was to show us how misguided and bad at living we are, lead us to repentance and faith in Him, and move towards right living and eternal life. I am sorry that evangelical Christianity ended up hindering your spiritual journey, and I think people can learn a lot from your story - why you were repelled and how things could have been better.
Your last main point was that we cannot find truth without a base of love. This could lead to an extensive philosophical conversation, so for now I will just note that God describes himself as Love. If God is both Truth and Love then it seems you can't have one without the other.

I don't have time to post on your questions right now, but I will in my the next one. Hopefully I already answered them somewhat up there. They are good questions and I will get to them soon! Great talking, love you brother...

Church, Dogma, and Truth - Response

One of my best buddies and fellow blogonauts wrote regarding his current frustrations with the church and religion. I told him I had some questions, and he asked me to comment here: [check out his article here: http://samueltoddhughes.blogspot.com/]

Your exasperation with the conversation you overheard is understandable, and the gossip factor is an issue that can become most hurtful. But here is my first question: Can someone's thoughts be wrong? Without a doubt, the answer to this question is yes. If I think I am typing on a 1970s typewriter right now, my thoughts are wrong. No matter my feelings or current state of mind, this is a computer. Truth is an absolute, whether we have discovered it or not. When it comes to issues of spirituality, sometimes the truth is less clear, which is what leads us to seek truth. My frustration with the church is the manner in which people are often 'led to truth' by other people. Many people think that they have figured everything out; their mission is to prove to everyone else that what they know is true. Rarely does this result in positive, loving leadership.

But think of what positive church leadership would look like ideally. Those who are living a life seeking God, learning from him and exploring, should surely help others by providing guidance through the wisdom they have attained. Not through forced acceptance, but through conveying to others a message they have discovered to be true. There is value in allowing others to explore their thoughts and seek God, but there is also value in helping them through this time. Remember, the fact that there is room for exploration does not mean there are multiple truths. That concept is known as 'relative truth' which seems like an oxymoron to me.

You validated the idea that there must be certain beliefs which make a person a Christian, otherwise there would be no foundation to build on. I agree. How could you call yourself a Christian (aka Christ-follower), and not follow Christ or agree with him? Right on. But I would add that this isn't just to "prevent messiness in the church," as you said. In addition, Christianity itself would be nonexistent and worthless without a core set of beliefs (just as any group would).

Another question I have is: How does saying someone is wrong suppress their individuality as a human being? I agree that church leaders should never try to suppress someone's ability to think for themselves (that would be dictatorial), but really, how suppressing is it to say "I disagree, and this is why"?

Question: If there is no way to say who is right and wrong in the spiritual realm, what is its value? You said we shouldn't throw out the church, but I didn't understand why we shouldn't by your explanation. You said we should all love eachother and care for eachother, but we can surely do that without church. Jesus' words are harsh, but as far as a message of unity is concerned, he said "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matt. 10:34) Then he goes on to talk about setting families against eachother. It appears that this will happen based on differing choices to believe in him or not, follow him or not.

To add some balance here, there is enormous mystery in spirituality. In the Bible, God describes himself as "indescribable." Church history has a nasty track record of claiming to know certain things about God that we may never know for sure. I don't think we are "all guessing" as you said. But with many issues of doctrine, some people need to admit they simply cannot know or fully comprehend. As a whole, I thought your post was a severe backlash against religious dogma. However, in pushing towards love without a base of truth, one will find himself without any purpose behind the love he is sharing.

Compared to most, I consider myself a patient man, but over the last 7 months my patience has been tested. Since my last blog post, nothing has changed. HR moved with the viscosity of over-microwaved oatmeal, and the department I will (hopefully) transfer to clearly lacks motivation as they trudge along slowly. "Anytime now," I keep saying, but it seems the Lord wants to push me to my breaking point. I've told both Him and Laura that I am likely to flip out as they have never witnessed if this thing falls through. Maybe he's waiting til I am able to move closer to contentment before delivering the goods. Who can know for sure? But without a doubt, I have grown deeply from my humbling experience in the lower legions of the staff totem pole. If I am promoted, I will surely become the most grateful underpaid, overworked employee of all time.
Looking back over several months of struggling towards a different promotion, I feel thankful to know that it would not have been an ideal situation as I previously imagined. Due to some recent restructuring, I could have been working crappy hours, fewer hours, or a deadly combination of the two. Instead, it appears that being a case manager will be ideal for a grad school schedule...that is, if it actually happens. Hopefully, more news to be reported soon.

For now, Michael Scott speaks from my heart directly to the HR department and all others who try to keep me from doing anything fun or exciting. "I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."

The other day, when I was in college, every few weeks it seemed that something out of the ordinary was taking place. We were always taking breaks - spring break, fall break, MLK's birthday, and a bunch of excuses to road trip, go on a retreat, fly home... Today in adulthood, it seemslike a month blows by and I'm still thinking about the same stuff, doing the same stuff. 40 hours in a hospital is a total drainer. By the way, I'm coming off a 7am to 11pm shift on friday, and 7am-3pm shift this morning, therefore altering the molecular composition of my brain. Friday night is consistently bizarre. There are many days when I think to myself, "I literally cannot believe what I am seeing." Yesterday, I admitted about 25 patients to our hospital, many of whom were quite memorable; sometime I'll either write about them, or we'll talk about them, surely...



Lately, I have become even more irritated at the dreadful viscosity of this company (or is it society? red tape to the max). Everything takes forever to process, like the application for a new position within the company. It goes through like 4 departments before I can have an interview, which makes complete sense. So, the job is driving me nuts in a lot of ways, and I'm hopeful that I will soon be a case manager. This would give me the opportunity to meet with our patients inside and outside the hospital.


And, breaking news: I got accepted into Rollins College for a Master's in Counseling program! With a master's degree and licensure, many more opportunities to work with mentally disordered patients will become available. Right now, that's where most of my interest lies, although eventually it could be elsewhere in the field of mental health. Rollins is literally right down the street, and classes meet in the evening, allowing me to continue working.


I definitely feel blessed in these endeavors, even though things have not worked out perfectly over the last six months. I've come to realize that because things have not been smooth sailing, I have amped up my focus and become consumed with work and fixing my situation, rather than simply enjoying the amazing opportunities I have been given, inside and outside of work. If there's anything a stubborn, poorly-functioning company can teach you, it's how stubborn and poorly-functioning you are. Thanks a lot, 'nameless-company.' Sometimes, we need to pursue contentment internally rather than externally, and stop causing ourselves pain. I've begun to realize this lately, as I experience greater joy when seeking after the Lord than pursuing a career. You nailed on the head when you said we are "striving after the wind," Solomon. Thousands of years later, we're still consistently striving, and still unable to firmly place our fingers around that air.