Dearest Rachel – I had a dream, it was a mysteryI dreamed of science and of history iDeoLa (Mark Heard), “Is It Any Wonder?” from Tribal Opera (1987) There is a certain item of presidential lore that tells of letters written at some point in time between Election Day and Inauguration Day by the outgoingContinue reading “Nineteen-Twenty-Three”
Monthly Archives: August 2023
Dangerous Race
Dearest Rachel – I need to get this written down quickly, as the details – such as there were – are already starting to fade from my memory. That’s the trouble with dreams; trying to put them into a story form is like trying to get a soap bubble to hold still so you canContinue reading “Dangerous Race”
Preservation Priorities
Dearest Rachel – I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned the story in passing before, but I might as well retell it here and now; I’ll get to the ‘why’ in a moment. Your family, if I remember the story correctly, were among the first to get their hands on a video cassette recorder, back in theContinue reading “Preservation Priorities”
The Deals I Make with Myself
Dearest Rachel – It’s still pitch black when I open my eyes this morning for the first time. Without even looking at the clock on my nightstand, my superego points out that I probably have just enough time to throw on shorts and a t-shirt, and head out to the fitness center for a workout.Continue reading “The Deals I Make with Myself”
Old – And Gone – Before Our Time
Dearest Rachel – Last night, I found myself dreaming about how I needed to make preparations for Kevin to come up here to the Chicago suburbs to see us, as he usually does. It is about that time of year, after all – Labor Day is just a little more than a week away. IContinue reading “Old – And Gone – Before Our Time”
from Rachel: Surveying Ancient Ruins
Please read Ezekiel 18 in its entirety. Write a one-sentence synopsis of this Old Testament chapter. “God explains to the people of Israel that He holds each person accountable for their own sins alone – no one else’s – and He desires that all should repent and be saved” Write your own basic outline ofContinue reading “from Rachel: Surveying Ancient Ruins”
Never the Target Audience
Dearest Rachel – There was another thing that came to mind for a topic to discuss with you yesterday morning as I was working out, but since I had the actual events of the day (and the attitude associated with them) to describe to you already, I set it aside for the time. But sinceContinue reading “Never the Target Audience”
“Let’s Just Get This Over With”
Dearest Rachel – It probably wasn’t the best idea for me to totter off to bed by nine-thirty, but by the time Logan realized we were home from having dinner at the folks’ and joined Daniel to watch anime with him, I was barely able to keep my eyes open. If it weren’t for theContinue reading ““Let’s Just Get This Over With””
Heat
Dearest Rachel – Given its immense breadth – from the depths of absolute zero, where motion stills, even down to the subatomic level, to the eight- and nine-figure temperatures of stellar cores – it’s amazing to think about how little of the range of temperature is comfortable for us humans, or even survivable. With properContinue reading “Heat”
Greetings From the Robinsons
Dearest Rachel – Well, it seems as though my subconscious decided to take the night off last night; I guess I can’t expect it to come up with something to tell you about every night. After all, there are plenty of real-life things I could be telling you about. It’s just that none of themContinue reading “Greetings From the Robinsons”
What I Had to Do
Dearest Rachel – I think my subconscious mind is trying to help me come up with material to tell you about these past few mornings without actually putting together actual dreams as such – I don’t know if it’s being lazy or brilliant. Considering that what it put together is mostly unusable, I’m actually mildlyContinue reading “What I Had to Do”
On Disgust and Fear
Dearest Rachel – There are so many reasons why I wish I could have you back here with me. Most of them are perfectly obvious; I miss all the things we used to do together – and would like to continue to do them with you, rather than do them alone, or try to findContinue reading “On Disgust and Fear”
from Rachel: That Ancient Serpent
How does Revelation12:9 portray Satan? “a dragon, a serpent” What is Satan’s role in every human going astray (Revelation 12:9)? “He leads the way.” What more do you see about Satan in Luke 4:13? “He waits for opportunities when we are vulnerable.” What behavior might you see in your life that you disliked in yourContinue reading “from Rachel: That Ancient Serpent”
Data Wants to Know…
Dearest Rachel – Even at this moment, barely half an hour since waking up, I can only remember the setting, the characters and the subject matter of last night’s dream. So, I’m going to have to reconstruct the script based on what I think might have been logical, which, as you’ll soon see, may proveContinue reading “Data Wants to Know…”
A Reach Beyond My Grasp
Dearest Rachel – Were it not for the fact that I assume that the afterlife you’re experiencing is pleasant beyond expression or comprehension, I could easily imagine a rueful chuckle escaping from your lips every time I write to you about my plans for the future. There’s nothing like having an eternal perspective like yoursContinue reading “A Reach Beyond My Grasp”
Using the Memento
Dearest Rachel – This letter is going to be a little more difficult to write than most, particularly because it’s about a touchy subject – and, since you know me, I have to make it clear that I don’t mean that literally – and I thus, don’t want to name names. But I suspect that,Continue reading “Using the Memento”
“When?”
Dearest Rachel – There’s a scene near the beginning of the movie Blazing Saddles which serves as an establishing character moment for Gene Wilder’s Waco Kid. After being offered something for breakfast by Sheriff Bart (and turning it down, claiming “food makes me sick”), he takes yet another long swig from his whiskey bottle, muchContinue reading ““When?””
What We Would Watch
Dearest Rachel – Last night, while occupying my evening with YouTube in the bedroom while the boys were doing likewise in the family room, I was presented with an AdSense question that, at the moment, struck me as rather strange. It was asking me how often I watched horror films and series, with responses rangingContinue reading “What We Would Watch”
An Exercise in Willpower
Dearest Rachel – So, after a day of trying to get Daniel to eat a little more (which turned out to be less than necessary, as he’s more than capable of doing so, if he wants to, and there’s something in front of him) by setting more of an example than I probably ought toContinue reading “An Exercise in Willpower”
from Rachel: The Ancient Boundary Stone
Point 1: Even Christ had a blend of the “negative” and “positive” in His lineage. Point 2: We don’t have to “disinherit or dishonor” our physical lineage to fully “accept and abide in” our spiritual lineage. How did God identify Himself? Complete the verse: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out ofContinue reading “from Rachel: The Ancient Boundary Stone”
Dragged Along in My Wake
Dearest Rachel – Last night, I actually managed to stay up until 10:30 again, despite having first woken up at a little after four (although at that time, I did try to go back to sleep for an hour or so before conceding defeat and writing to you about it) and finding myself painfully awareContinue reading “Dragged Along in My Wake”
Tired
Let’s face it! From the waist down, everything is kaput! “I’m Tired,” Lili von Schtupp (Madeline Kahn), from Blazing Saddles (1974) Dearest Rachel – You might recall, back before we all but officially turned Saturday mornings into “our” time, I would wake up early in the morning, drive to the office, and put in aContinue reading “Tired”
Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Dearest Rachel – Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen claimed that she prided herself on believing “six impossible things before breakfast.” I’m not nearly so ambitious, honey – indeed, I rarely bother to try to believe the impossible at all, let alone so many such things at once – but just for today, it seemed like IContinue reading “Impossible Things Before Breakfast”
DIY Zombie Karaoke
Dearest Rachel – Since I’m meeting with Lars today, and I just got confirmation that everything is a ‘go’ as far as the church books are concerned (which is to say, everything from last month has finally been entered, and I can run the numbers and assemble the reports for the board members), I haveContinue reading “DIY Zombie Karaoke”
Ignored Opportunity
Dearest Rachel – It’s weird to realize that I’m talking to you about a prescription regimen that completely postdates you, but things are starting to get to that point. Logan expressed concern to me just the other about how he hoped that Daniel would be okay after consuming a bowl of instant udon that wasContinue reading “Ignored Opportunity”
Quidditch in Milwaukee
Dearest Rachel – Considering the title, and the fact that it’s barely six o’clock as I’m starting to write you (can you guess that I’m trying to do anything but head off to the gym? At least I’m far enough below that mental threshold – and have been for almost a week, now – thatContinue reading “Quidditch in Milwaukee”
from Rachel: Touring the Ruins
Think about generational strongholds for a moment. Describe why they could be hard to recognize. “Familiarity becomes normalcy; we don’t realize how abnormal certain behaviors, attitudes, schedules, environmental elements, etc., are because they are normal within our family. It is very easy for abnormal to feel normal because it is familiar.” Briefly describe another possibleContinue reading “from Rachel: Touring the Ruins”
Only in Fairy Tales
Dearest Rachel – Every so often, someone tells me that “oh, don’t worry; God has someone out there for you.” And, as much as I like hearing that, and I’d like to believe that, I really don’t dare – and I rather wish they would stop (to be fair, it’s tapered off over time, soContinue reading “Only in Fairy Tales”
Boaz Without Ruth
Dearest Rachel – I considered titling this letter “Boaz Seeks Ruth,” which admittedly sounds like the wording of a traditional personals ad, except that, as I began to type, it occurred to me that he very much wasn’t seeking her – or anyone else, for that matter. In fact, he had very much given upContinue reading “Boaz Without Ruth”
The Desire of Eve
Then God said to the woman, “I will ·cause you to… greatly desire [C the word implies a desire to control] your husband, but he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16a, c, Expanded Bible Dearest Rachel – I hardly have to tell you that this is going to be (as it always has been) a touchy subject; peopleContinue reading “The Desire of Eve”
Blue Sky and Memory
Dearest Rachel – I don’t exactly have a dream to tell you about this morning, only a piece of music that was running through my head upon waking up at three in the morning. It was a song that I would claim that I’ve never heard before my iTunes algorithm brought it to my attentionContinue reading “Blue Sky and Memory”
Tinted Greys
Dearest Rachel – Much as I like to have it taken care of before I start in on the ‘real work’ of my day, unless I’ve had a dream I simply must tell you about before I forget it, writing you is rarely my first task of the day. And no, ‘tasks’ like opening myContinue reading “Tinted Greys”
Letters to Rachel 