Here is 13-year-old grand-daughter Kayla. She snapped this self portrait. Actually, she's a budding photographer---takes some very creative photos. She's a straight-A students and just an all-around super kid.

The Pleasures of Ohio

We just got back from a quick 2-day trip to Ohio where I spoke Thursday night at a conference sponsored by University Bible Fellowship. What a wonderful welcoming group they are! We stayed downtown at the Hyatt Capitol where the conference was held. Friday morning we drove out in the country and went through Circleville where we came across this incredible mural on a building in town. It truly looked like you could walk right through the arch. The creator is a local artist who is known for his second to none life-like murals.

From there we headed down to Hocking Hills---a wonderful place to hike and to spend 2 or 3 days if we had the time. There are spectacular cliff and cave formations that an outsider would never imagine could be found in central Ohio. Here's a photo of Old Man's Cave. I'm pictured somewhere in the middle.

NEWS FROM THE SEMINARY

I was out of town with no online access today and yesterday and got home to emails from Calvin Seminary sources. It seems that Neal Plantinga (who was installed as president in the fall of 2002, less than 3 months before I was given the boot) is on his way out. There's a story behind it, but he says publicly: "I have prayed earnestly about this decision and have made it freely and joyfully."

BACK HOME IN MICHIGAN!

We arrived home this afternoon after 3 wonderful weeks on the road. Since the last post we had good days in Glacier National Park and Yellowstone, where we stayed at the historic log lodge, Old Faithful Inn, where my mother and father stayed on their honeymoon in 1938. Here is a snap of us at one of the geysers.





After Yellowstone we went to Montana where we toured my younger brother's 2 ranches. Here I am, flanked by brother Jonnie and sister-in-law Sooky at one of the wonderful rock formations at the Cherry Creek Ranch. We also hiked at his smaller ranch not far from the South Dakota border. Both offer incredible hiking and scenery.


Here is the house on the smaller ranch where they sometimes stay when they visit from their home in Minneapolis. It has incredible beauty against this stark Montana background.






After we left Montana we headed for my childhood home in Wisconsin, now owned by Jonnie. We wanted to spend some time at his picnic spot on the Yellow River that runs through our farm but we were stopped by this little guy---his mother no doubt close by. It's interesting that we were warned a hundred times in Yellowstone to watch out for bears but saw only one----at a great distance. Then we head to Spooner and are stopped dead in our tracks.

On Tour Out West!

Tomorrow we begin our third week out West. Our first stop was in Denver, spending a wonderful 4-day Labor Day Weekend with our dear fiends Darlene and Kathy. We had wonderful mountain hikes with them---including a drive up a remote mountain road to the Pomeroy RR tunnel. I did my doctoral dissertation on Marcus M. Pomeroy, a 19th century newspaper publisher and general gad-about who was also the brains behind a railway tunnel through the Continental Divide---a tunnel that was later labeled "Pomeroy's Folly" because the tunnels coming in from the East and West didn't meet. Here's what is left of the opening. I walked in a ways, but we'd forgetton to bring flashlights so cut our excursion short after 90 feet---as John paced it. Kathy treated us to wonderful meals, thanks to her recent cooking lessons, and we joined them for worship on Sunday at Columbine United Church. What a preacher is Steve Poos-Benson; we'd drive every Sunday from Grand Rapids if we weren't so concerned about our carbon footprint!

In Salt Lake we spent a night and much talk-----and a fantastic meal with Chris and Bob Nelson. What fun to be back together again.

Then on to Oregon where we hiked all the falls beginning with Multnomah and then a drive down to Silver Falls State park, all combined to make 13 miles of hiking that day, staying in a wonderful inn in Silverton. From there to Camano Island, NW of Seattle for a wonderful evening meal with Rimmer and Ruth DeVries and then a couple of miles away to see family, David/Sharon/Barry/Margaret. My brother David has a wonderful 5-acre woodlot. What a wonderful spot to live. They took us to Mount Baker. Here they are hiking.



From there we went to the little western town of Winthrop, WA. We stayed in this wonderful Inn right down town.

















Our next stop was Glacier National Park. Here I am at Virginia Falls.

Grand Rapids has a big art contest going on through the end of September. Artists from around the world are bringing their outdoor art to display---hoping to win the big $250,000 ArtPrize award. I decided to enter my own outdoor art for the contest. It's displayed at my business, Carlton Gardens and titled "ArtPrize 2009." It's a quilt painted on wood. John framed it for me, and we just finished it yesterday--took most of three days to complete.















John has also been building outdoor structures for me at Carlton Gardens. He does a fantastic job. This is what you see when you drive by on Breton Road. He also built that absolutely wonderful orange Adirondack chair you seen in the photo.

DEFINITION of FAILURE: You know you've failed (at least as a gardener) when morning glories start growing up your hoe handle. But now at least I have an excuse for not getting rid of the weeds. I just don't want to damage those lovely little morning glories and that's the only hoe I've got. (John claims there's another hoe in the shed, but you can't trust him.)

Tomorrow we will be making a journey to Texas that we have been dreading. Ann Kelsey died this morning. My beloved college roommate is gone---45 years of friendship. I'll never hear that incredible laughter again, but heaven is just bit more fun-loving as of today. Friends and relatives will be congregating in Longview from all over the country. Paul has asked me to say a few words at the funeral on Wednesday. O, how terribly I already miss her. It's been a wonderful ride, dear Annie. You will never be forgotten.


Here she is just a few short weeks ago with Connor, her youngest grandbaby.

Mom and her Kids

How would you like to have a "mother" like this? Isn't she georgeous! Kids are, left to right, Jim, Steve, John, and Mary.

BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Today I am 64. When I contemplate my age I realize time is running out for writing. I probably have only about 30 good years left in me. I draw this time frame from Mom---Franny Worst, John's mother. She was 94 ten days ago, and except for a little memory loss she's doing great. (And who made the rule you need memory for writing!) I also draw on my love and admiration for Mom and Dad Kraker (John's 2nd inlaws.) They've reached 90 as well and their minds are razor sharp. They are my heroes.

So if all goes as I see my future, I'm about midway through my writing career. Just hope John makes the 30 year journey with me. He has no plans to check out before then.

MORE RIVER NEWS

The mighty Grand River just won't behave. We're doing fine, but up stream in Ionia the fair grounds parking lot was flooded a few days ago, with a FLASH flood, stranding---and ruining---hundreds of vehicles, front page news in GR PRESS.

Plugging Along

The flood has long ago receded and I keep plugging away at the book still playing catch-up from last summer. I will be turning the manuscript into a church historian in July, having him search out errors. Then it will come back to me for corrections and on to my editor for a final line by line editing. In the meantime, John will be editing it again. With my long days of editing I still haven't gotten my garden in this year. But will have it planted, I have vowed, within two weeks. Last year everything was coming up nicely when I got the dog bit and from that point on it all went to weeds. This summer will be different.

ANOTHER FLOOD ON THE GRAND RIVER

We've now set a record---6 floods in the space of 15 months. Part of the problem is that West Michigan had near record snow for 2 winters and near record rainfall for the past year or so. This morning John and I kayaked through the wooded wetland across the road from our house. We can kayak the whole 1 mile of Abrigador trail--have never done that before. Here's a photo of me in the woods and another of our house.



This one is taken from the road in front of our house. Our house is and island; the only dry land is part of our yard that faces the river. Our 2 vehicles are up on high ground.

Radio in Black and White

This morning my partner at Carlton Gardens and I were interviewed for a local live radio program Radio in Black and White. We told about our business partnership across racial lines and about our website Business Black and White. It was a good time. I'm used to doing radio interviews. Billie isn't, but she come off as a real pro!

Mountain Lion Lurking in my Woods

This morning when we opened our Grand Rapids PRESS, we saw this photo of a mountain lion west of Spooner, Wisconsin, my neck of the woods (where I spent the first 18 years of my life). My brother owns the farm now and from what I could find online it is hanging around within a mile or two of our farm, if not the property itself. My brother and his wife are planting trees there this week so they may spot it.

Someone asked me the other day why I hadn't posted for so long. I've been working virtually non-stop on the church history book, still playing catch-up from last summer. I was originally supposed to have it completed by now but it will be on into the summer before it's completed. John is a saint. He prepares wonderful meals, does my share of the yard and house work, AND edits chapters besides. We're planning a 2+ week trip out West in the fall, so the book's got to be done before then.

SUNRISE OVER A FLOODED RIVER
We're in flood stage again, though less than a foot over the road---and that only in some places. The corner of our lawn is flooded and, of course, the basement where we store nothing anyway. This is a ho-hum flood that will be receding in a few days. What's scary is having such a high river going into the spring rains. We're now 5 years overdue for a 100-year flood. The last 50-year flood was 7 years late. Floods don't operate by a calendar. So we wait and let nature take her course.

HATE THE SINNER BUT LOVE THE SIN

We have a saying in my circles that we should love the sinner and hate the sin. But this morning I thought of that in reverse. With apologies to Al Franken (and his book, Rush Limbaugh is A Big Fat Liar), I give Rush the label of Big Fat Glutton, thus my hating the sinner while loving the sin.

CHICAGO, CHICAGO . . .

Here are the lyrics that Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and other celebrated singers belted out. I wasn't aware of the Billy Sunday line until just now.
Chicago, Chicago
That toddlin' town, the toddlin' town
Chicago, Chicago
I'll show you around, I love it
Bet your bottom dollar you lose the blues
In Chicago, Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down.

John and I spent 2 days in Chicago, part business of picking up some boxes of books and mostly fun. We went to the Adler Planetarium, "The Jersey Boys" musical, featuring the life and music of Frankie Valli (and The Four Seasons), and the Art Institute. I don't think Billy Sunday would have approved. Too much big bang theory at the Adler, to many raunchy lines at the musical, and too many naked ladies (painted centuries ago) at the Institute. But, we had a fantastic time and will make that little trip again soon. Chicago really is an absolutely wonderful town and we just happened to pick the perfect entertainment.

FLORIDA STATE PARKS

When we were in Florida last week we explored State Parks, and now that we have a taste of them we plan to do more exploring on future visits to the Sunshine state. Neither one of us are big-time beach people in part because so many of the beaches are crowded---might as well go to the Mall of America. We had time for day visits only except for the Edward Ball Wakulla State Park where we stayed at the lodge for 2 nights and took 2 boat trips, seeing all kinds of birds and alligators and Manitees close up.

Here is a photo of me hiking at Torreya in the midst of all the greenery and another one of me swimming at the "Fountain of Youth" at Ponce de Leon Springs. I came out of the clear cold water and felt at least a week or two younger!

Another great state park in northern Florida was Falling Waters. On the way home we stopped briefly at Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama and are hoping to get back there and stay in a cabin next month.

Mr. Jimmy of Plains

On our way to Florida with Granddaughter Kayla we stopped in Plains, Georgia. John and I had been there previously for the Christmas Parade (Mr. Jimmy offering the greeting and prayer), but we wanted to show Kayla around. Turns out that Mr. Jimmy was teaching Sunday School, so we stayed overnight in Americus and got in line for his class at 8:30. He was animated and in good form and looks much younger than this picture suggests.This photo was taken after church; people lined up for pictures and a church volunteer snapped 2 or 3 a minutes so it went fast. I was inclined to let it go, but Kayla wanted a picture to show her teacher (since she was skipping school 4 days) and the rule was that the whole family had to go or none at all. I look kind of happy---probably because no president had ever before put his arm around me. John looks a bit miffed.

Enjoying Sunshine

Life is good. We're spending 3 nights near Orlando in a luxury 3-bedroom condo, thanks to my son Carlton and his connections. We'll head off to Fort Myers on Friday and then back home next week. Carlton and Kayla are at Sea World today, so John and I hang around here and relax. I was sitting out on the deck in the sunshine reading the latest issue of National Geographic and noticed this photo. Goats are climbing an Argan tree in Morocco to enjoy some tasty nuts. It reminded me again of the sheep and goats in the Bible. I don't often criticize Jesus, but I think he had it wrong when he gives sheep the favored symbolism. Goats are incredibly resourceful and intelligent---and make wonderful pets, as Buzzy (my only childhood pet) demonstrated throughout her long life.

SUNNY SAN DIEGO

We just returned from four wonderful days in Southern California where I delivered lectures (Rethinking Leadership, based on my most recent book) at Bethel Seminary. This is a smaller version of the big Bethel University in St. Paul--a warm place and not just in outdoor temperatures! Here I am attentively listening hard to a student's very serious question following one of the sessions. And here is John who is a vital part in each session. He's a reader, but far more than that. One student commented that he's an actor. One of the pieces he read was Martin Luther excoriating Jews. That was powerful with John's wonderful version of Luther's German accent.

We hiked up to the top of Cowles Mountain early one morning, had dinner on a sunset bay, and spent a wonderful day at the San Diego Zoo, hosted by Professor Jim Smith and his wife Linda. It was perfect weather the whole time except for the evening of our departure. Fog came in and the flights were canceled. My response is to spend the night at the airport. Not John's way, so we coughed up the hundred bucks for a room at Holiday Inn and actually had a nice evening and wonderful morning before we caught our early afternoon flight to Detroit which got us home just after 1 pm.

It's good to be home---home to the cloudy cold Michigan. San Diego people tend to be a little proud of themselves for choosing such a wonderful location (which last week placed second only to Denver as America's most desirable city in which to live). I tell them that they pay a price in having such weak characters. Hostile weather builds character. AND THAT'S THE TRUTH!

I Got Taken

John and I drove to Detroit Metro this afternoon to catch a 6:20 am flight to San Diego. We're spending the night in a motel that we were promised would cost us $62, including our parking for the 4+ days we'll be gone. When we arrived the deal was off, the guy at the desk claiming that he has no control over what Expedia offered me--an offer I had gotten through an 800 #. I asked him if this happened often and he admitted that it did; I asked why they didn't break the partnership with Expedia and he didn't know. When I called Expedia, they told me to call Hotels.com. I finally got through to Stephanie, who acted as though my problem was a routine matter. After a lot of complaining I got a $60 hotel voucher. So the moral of the story is beware. And, if you get taken, call, complain, and demand justice.

THIRD WIFE

This morning another book on my list to write (by the above title) popped into my head. John was going through bookcases culling books to give away. I walked by and started challenging him on some, including a little book on cats. It looked new and I said I could sell it at our little shop (Carlton Gardens). He glanced through to see if it might have an inscription (thus making it less appealing to a potential buyer), and discovered that he had inscribed it to Myra, a cat-lover and his second wife---a little gift on their first Christmas together.

He read it to me and commented and we set it aside to be saved. It reminded me of how well John and I live our lives with two very wonderful ever-present dearly-departed wives. They frequently come into our conversation and John adores them both---though he once said as kind of a throw away line (without me fishing for it), "I always love my current wife most"---as though, like Henry VIII, he'd had a bunch of them. Who he loves most is here nor there. He adores me as much as I adore him and that's what matters. That Myra and Ruth are so near and dear and yet not resented by me is to his credit if any credit is due. It is the way it should be, and someday I might have something to say in print as THIRD WIFE. Maybe like Ruth and Myra I will know ahead of time that I am dying. Maybe it will be a letter to the fourth wife. I've always said that if I predecease John the one thing that is certain is that he will marry again. I can only hope that it will be as happy as these three marriages have been.

Here is a photo of dear Dr. Myra Kraker who taught in the education department at Calvin College. She was a wonderful friend who gave advice and encouragement when I was being so badly mistreated at Calvin Seminary. This is a typical faculty picture. The picture that I see propped up in a bookcase near my desk is with John and with flowers in the foreground. She's beaming and absolutely beautiful.

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!

John and I have been traveling since last Thursday morning. We're sitting in the dining room of Chisos Mountain Lodge in Big Bend National Park. Tonight will be our third and final night here. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be heading back home to cold Michigan (where the flood has receded).

Here is a photo of me at trail's end at the Window, where we hiked the first afternoon we were here. Yesterday we drove out to a trail that was unmarked but highly recommended and got into some very difficult but rewarding high elevations. Today we took a 10 mile hike up the mountains outside our deck. It's supposed to be a 6 hour hike but we finished in less than 5---dead tired but feel good.


John took this photo outside the dining room a few minutes ago--looking from the patio down to the Window.














The real reason for coming to Texas was to visit Ann and Paul Kelsey and a bunch of other good friends. I dedicated my last book, Leadership Reconsidered, to Ann, and we all had a party honoring her. What fun. Ann is battling cancer, but her spirits are high. She has a fantastic sense of humor and we all love her for it. Here is her ever-ready smile and laughter.

Water, Water Everywhere--Enough Already!















This is the front of our house. We think the flood has now crested, but we've been fooled several times in the past few days. Right now the reading is 15.17 feet, more than 3 feet over the 12 ft. flood stage (which is the level of the road). Today we got up to beautiful sunshine---that, after the forecasters had proclaimed this the cloudiest December on record.

This photo looks off our deck on to the mighty Grand River. Last night we went a dozen houses down river in our waders to our retreat house cottage which is almost 2 feet lower than our house. We put everything up on blocks (including the piano) just in case the water comes in. We're leaving tomorrow to visit friends and vacation in Texas.

The predictions show the water dropping below flood stage by Sunday and to continue to go down after that. We would have canceled everything if the water were planning to stay real high---and we might be back early. I'll be checking the flood website several times a day and we'll be keeping close contact with our neighbors. When we walk in the 3 ft. deep water on the road we use ski poles that poke into the ice that we're walking on; otherwise we're in kayaks. Yes, that's me!

Another Winter Flood

It's nail-biting season on the Grand River in Comstock Park. This is the second time in 2008 that we're having a flood. It's less than 2 feet over the road in the deepest areas, so ho-hum, EXCEPT for the fact that we're supposed to get temps in the 50s tomorrow and an inch or two of rain. I spent much of the day cleaning out files and book shelves. It was hard to concentrate on my writing so I packed up 8 large grocery bags of papers to throw away and 6 bags of books to give away to a seminary student who needs them. They are great books, many of them new, but I won't be using them anymore. And I still have hundreds of books left on my shelves. I got rid of files because I don't expect to be ever teaching again, and those bags I took by kayak out to high ground where our car is parked. We'll recycle them this week. With that much gone, I feel more prepared to face the big flood if the water rises and decides to come right through our house. Life never gets boring here on the river.

Mountains Moving Outside My Window

As I sit at my desk trying to pump out another thousand words (per day) on my church history text, I'm distracted by the river. In recent weeks there has not been a lot of change in the sheets of ice that float by. But today there are large jagged "mountains" of ice piles, some 4-6 feet high---sometimes moving and sometimes coming to a complete standstill. The beauty is as breathtaking as it is frightful. Ice jams cause the worst floods. Last February we left our vehicles on high ground and kayaked over the 3 feet of ice and water on the road to get to them. This season, which is already sporting a record snowfall, could be much worse. The Grand River gave the Grand Rapids region a 50-year flood in 2004 (still 18 inches below our floor level). The last 100-year flood was in 1904, which I guess means we're due for another one. I would much rather make headlines with a church history text than with a flood.

Contemplating Wealth and Glory

This morning John was reading to me from Frederick Buechner, The Longing for Home, and one of the lines that stuck out was "Solomon, in all his great and tiresome glory." Last night, the reading was from Thomas Wolfe, You Can't Go Home Again. One of the characters has virtually nothing in his apartment; even books are considered clutter. Those readings stirred in me thoughts about things. I glance out on to the river as I write, ever conscious of the water rising and the big ice chunks forming. The river is higher than it was last year at this time, and last year we had a February winter flood. At the time and looking back, it was no more than an inconvenience---having to kayak out to higher ground where we parked our vehicles. But it could have been much worse. And this year it just might be the big one. The flood might wash right through the house. I look around me at my book shelves. Are the books merely clutter? Many of them are. They sit there gathering dust. But if the flood waters come in, we'll be doing all we can to save our clutter. If the flood waters take all our clutter away, we'll still have libraries were we can find more than Solomon's glory in books written by the likes of Buechner and Wolfe.

The book came out this week and will be on the store shelves before Christmas and perfect timing for the worst recession in the history of humankind. Baker Books will take the hit on this one; I've already received both halves of my advance.

I keep plugging away at the Church History Text, working now on chapter 24, the final chapter. Next week I'll be starting with chapter 1, going over it and all the other chapters for errors and omissions and then John will give it the first proof-reading before it goes to my editor at Zondervan. In the meantime, I spend 3-4 days a week at Carlton Gardens, mainly writing during this economic downturn----not too many customers come by. And, we manage to have some fun. Last night we were out on the river kayaking in the moonlight. Today we took in a matinee of the movie "Changeling"---good acting but not exactly what you'd call a "feel-good" flick, as "Mama Mia" was.

NEW BLOG

This morning I created a new blog. Someone asked me recently why I had so many blogs--almost hinting that I might be self-absorbed. ME, self-absorbed!! How could anyone imaging that! But beyond self-absorption, most of my blogs are what I call "content" blogs where I keep a lot of information. In fact, this morning when I was researching a woman in church history the first site I came to was one of my own blogs. I also store the church history text and other manuscripts I'm working on in draft form on my SECURITY blogs so that if our house imploded tomorrow I would have my material saved out there in cyberspace.

WHO IS JOHN McCAIN?

Headlined in today's Grand Rapids Press: "Milliken backs away from McCain." Here are the first sentences:

GRAND RAPIDS--He endorsed John McCain in the presidential primary, but now former Republican Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts about his party's nominee.

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' . . . I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

WHO IS JOHN McCAIN?

In 2000 I posted signs on my properties for McCain, and he was the first presidential candidate I ever supported financially. Who is McCain. He's not the "Straight-Talk Express" McCain we once knew.

NEW TRANSLATION

Today in the mail I received 3 copies of a Korean translation of my book Left Behind in A Megachurch World. I was surprised---not even aware that a translation had been in progress. There are a lot of megachurches in Korea, and smaller churches are often dismissed as failures, so I hope the book serves to encourage pastors and parishioners of "left-behind" churches.

I continue to plug away at writing my church history text, still hoping to complete it in very rough form by the end of the year. This evening, granddaughter Kayla (12) asked me if I know the quote by Gertrude Stein: "To write is to write is to write is to write is to write. . . ." I needed to be reminded again of those words.

John continues to read to me every night and morning. We are right now in the midst of Abel Sanchez by Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), a Spanish author who writes provocatively about religious topics. This novella is about Abel and his best friend Joaquin (Jo-Cain). It is a Cain and Abel story and we are eager to find out how it ends. The first story we read by Unamuno was "Saint Manuel the Good, Martyr," the story of a priest who continued to serve both his parish and God long after he had lost his faith.

NO REGRETS

I look at the calendar and I have not even the slightest sadness or regret that I'm not hunkered down preparing for a new school year at the seminary. It doesn't mean I'm not hunkered down, though. I'm still working hard on the church history text, and I have one final chance to look at "Leadership Reconsidered" before it goes to press.

Today, however, was for relaxation. We biked more than 20 miles, beyond Rockford and back (the longest I've gone since the dog bite), and then we spent some time this evening kayaking. Tomorrow we'll be spending much of the day with Son Carlton and granddaughter Kayla.

A POOR CANDIDATE FOR TORTURE

As a church historian I know well the stories of torture and persecution--and not just way back in history. Such continues today. I've often wondered how faithful I would be in the face of torture. This morning I spent much of an hour contemplating that. I was scheduled for an MRI and learned after I was flat on my back on a metal table that the procedure takes about an hour. I never sleep on my back because of the discomfort it causes me---with my low back problems. Here I was unable to move for an hour, and to make matters worse something went wrong with one of the images so they had to leave me under the machine for anothr 10 minutes. I wondered how long it would take before I would deny the Lord just to be set free! The MRI was one more step in this long dog-bite ordeal. Hopefully, with the proper treatment, my leg will heal.

SUMMER OF THE DOG BITE

I'm still "doctoring" with the dog bite. Yesterday my doctor prescribed another round of high-dosage antibiotics and pain pills for the shooting needle pain in my leg. He also has ordered an MRI through a local Wound Clinic, fearing that the infection might have gotten to bone. In the meantime I try to keep up on my writing. This will be forever in my memory as the summer of the dog bite--even as 12 years ago will never be forgotten as the summer of my mental illness, but that's another story. Actually I was functionally mentally ill (my own diagnosis; shrinks were not in the picture). I say that because I got a ton of work done (despite terrible depression and only 2-3 hours of sleep at night). That's a lot better than staring at walls and sleeping the months away as was the case with a friend. The cause of my depression? Everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong all in the matter of a few months. So, it seemed circumstantial , but I believe it had a "clinical" side to it. As with most such depression that I've read about, it gradually went away as time passed (and as circumstances improved in the fall).

As bad as that time was, however, it was ho-hum compared to the terrible ordeal I more recently endured for 3 years, as I tell in "My Calvin Seminary Story."

MORE NEWS

I wrote the following to a friend today--an update on the dog bit and more details about the Toronto conference of Christians for Biblical Equality:

I went to my doctor yesterday regarding the dog bite. He is very concerned and put me on a very strong antibiotic. I will see him again tomorrow. He may have to dig into it and if that doesn't work, the next step is admitting me for IV antibiotics.

Along with 19 others, I was honored with a Life-time Achievement Award. If you're over 50, clothed and in your right mind, you get one! Everyone gave a little speech. One gentleman told how people sometimes tell him how his books have transformed their lives. So when my turn came I said that someone said to me the previous evening that my book transformed her life. When I asked her which one it was, she said "Gender and Grace." True story. Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen [the actual author] was in the crowd so it added to the humorous touch.

I gave my plenary session on Friday night. My best lines were as follows, on Anne Marie Javouhey, b. 1779.

When her Bishop appealed to the Archbishop, Anne-Marie fought back:

"I am not only the Superior General of the Congregation of St. Joseph of Cluny; I did not merely cooperate in the foundation of that Order; I am its sole and solitary foundress. I am its Mother General as God is its Father, since it is I who created and have developed it." So just get your fat ass out of my domain! No. Strike that from your notes. I’m getting a little carried away. “I am its Mother,” she said, “as God is its Father, since I created it.” Strong words, nevertheless.

Hey, I'll do anything for a laugh.

Now here's something for your grandkids. Give them a little math problem: The farmer has twenty-sick sheep one one dies, how many did he have left. They'll answer 25 every time (especially if you slur your words a bit).

BACK HOME AGAIN

We arrived home this afternoon from Toronto where I addressed the annual convention of Christians for Biblical Equality in both a plenary and workshop session. I met some wonderful people for the first time and caught up with acquaintances from years ago, including Ron Sider and Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen.

The previous week we were in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, where I was the featured speaker of the week for InterVarsity's Cedar Campus SLT (Student Leadership Training) program. It was a beautiful setting and a great week, speaking on the difficult and most challenging Book of Job. Now it's back to the church history text, full speed ahead, 1000 words/day or else!

DOG BITE UPDATE

I've been through a week of pain and lethargy. It's amazing how much energy one can lose through pain. I have stinging/throbbing pain now as I'm writing. My Vicadin is running low, so I tough it out.

It turns out that Jimmy the dog owner, according to his testimony, sent his dog to Utah with a friend the day after it bit me. I told Animal Control I didn't think that was legal--that I thought the dog had to be quarantined. They agreed but said they can't extradite the dog.

Here are a couple of photos four inches above my ankle on my swollen right leg that show what "Patty" did to me.

A Quick Cure for Poison Ivy

I've been suffering with a bad case of poison ivy this week, but last night for a few hours the poison ivy misery vanished. The pain of a dog bit overcame it. I was walking along the road passing a house 2 doors up-river when a pit bull suddenly rushed across the wide lawn and clenched his teeth into my leg right through my jeans. The owner has an electric fence, but this dog is her boy friend's and apparently does not have a collar for the fence. Blood started spurting from my leg, and John rushed me to a med center. They took me in ahead of those in the waiting room and a wonderful doctor fixed me up after an x-ray showed the bite had not gone to the bone. There were five puncture wounds, only one really deep. He put a needle in each one twice to get me numb and then pumped a saline solution into each wound. So I'm on vicadin and on the mend. Such incidents have to be reported. Hopefully this dog will not be around to do other people in. The doctor said mine was an easy case in comparison to some children he's had with chewed-up faces. If this incident, now reported, will prevent a child from such harm, I'm very thankful it happened to me.