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Month: October 2021

Acadia 2021

Published by on October 28, 2021

Several years ago our family took a trip to New England. One of the stops was Bar Harbor, Maine. It quickly became our favorite stop, so much so that we cancelled the next leg of our trip so that we could stay an additional day. Since that time we’ve gone back twice.

We had a trip planned to Bar Harbor last fall but had to cancel due to COVID. I looked at planning a trip there this fall, but the boys’ fall break schedules did not align. So we decided to wait another year. Then one day, about two months ago, I asked Mandy the question, “What does a rich life look like to you?” It’s a question I had heard listening to a podcast. Without skipping a beat she said, “going to Bar Harbor this fall.”

That’s pretty specific, so I started thinking about ways we could make it happen. By searching for vacation rentals two weeks after the week we were originally looking, there were more options to choose from. We booked our flights using American Airlines points and found a cute apartment right in the heart of the town.

We spent last week there, and it was a wonderful trip. Mandy asked me the other night what we should call this area. We have three options. Bar Harbor is the main city. Acadia is the national forest. And Mount Desert Island (MDI) is the island that it all sits on. No matter what you choose to call it, for Mandy and I it’s our favorite place.

Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Watching the sunset at the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

The view from the top of Huguenot Head after a lovely hike

Riding bikes on the carriage roads. This is one of the nineteen Rockefeller Bridges scattered throughout the park.

Sitting on Sand Beach. A traveler from Indiana took this photo of us. He said it looked like we had the beach all to ourselves.

And finally, sunset on our last night from the top of Cadillac Mountain.

If you’re looking for a great place to travel, we highly recommend Acadia!

Reading the Bible

Published by on October 12, 2021

A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to try to read the entire Bible in a year. I wanted to come back to this beautiful yet complex book with new eyes. Like many, I have a complicated relationship with the Bible. I’ve been reading it all of my life, yet there have been times when I have had to step away from it. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the Bible has been used throughout its history to justify some pretty jacked up things. Through the years this book has helped me grow closer to God, but at other times it’s played a role in me wanting some distance.

Despite all of this, I found myself wanting to revisit it, and I decided that I’d like to try to read the entire thing. This is something I’ve tried before, and I’ve never made it through. Most Bible reading plans start in January with Genesis. The last time I did this, I made it through the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). I got through Joshua and Judges, and then I began to make my way through the glory days of Israel’s history, which centers on the story of David. I’ve always liked David’s story, so this was pretty easy. It was Kings and Chronicles that did me in. There’s lots of repetition, and I got fatigued and quit.

This time I’ve done three things to hopefully help me meet my challenge. First, I’m reading my favorite Bible – The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. What I love about this Bible is that it’s divided into 365 daily readings, but it’s in chronological order, at least according to the editor. There is also a lot of historical and cultural commentary that I find super helpful.

Second, I decided to start two months ago rather than waiting until January. This meant that I began with Ezekiel, a very complicated book. I’ve read the minor prophets, which are sometimes tough to get through. I also made it through the large book of Job, which gave me a lot to think about. I’m about to finish the Old Testament. There are then a few days that cover the intertestamental period and the impact of Greece and Rome on the Hebrew people. And then we start the New Testament. By the time I get to January and start Genesis, I’ll be almost five months in. I’ll have a good foundation, but I’ll also have developed a good habit.

Finally, probably the biggest key is that I’m not doing this alone. My friend Luke is going to be reading with me, and our plan is to meet weekly to discuss. Getting to talk about what we’re reading is going to be great. It will of course give some accountability to meet the challenge, but more than that it will be great for our friendship.

I’m going to use this blog to write from time to time what I’m learning and how it’s shaping my life. I’m excited to dive in and see where this takes me!

Our Backyard Project

Published by on October 6, 2021

Almost eighteen months ago, knowing that we would be spending the summer mostly at home due to the pandemic, we decided to buy an above ground pool. We had a lot of fun with it last summer. Unfortunately this past summer was a different story. Mandy spent more time maintaining the chemicals than the boys actually spent swimming in it. So we decided to get rid of it. That part was easy. Then we needed to decide what to do with our barren yard.

Normally Mandy and I take a long time to make a decision, especially when it involves spending a large chunk of change. This time, however, we decided pretty quickly what to do. When I asked Mandy what she envisioned, she said that she wanted something that reminded her of the pacific northwest. So we knew we wanted trees. We also knew that we wanted grass. We had tried zoysia sod several years ago, and it looked good for one summer, then went downhill from there due to too much shade. So we definitely didn’t want to make that mistake again.

I had met Chris Pettit with Pettit Lawnscapes a few months ago when our neighborhood association hired him to plant trees along one of our streets. I gave him a call and asked him if he could help us. He came over, asked us lots of questions, and shared some ideas. A couple of days later he stopped by with a drawing and estimate. It was what we wanted. Fast forward a few weeks, and Mandy and I are extremely pleased with what we have.

This is where we were by the end of the second day. We had our trees, as well as a flagstone patio and walkway. Here’s where we are two weeks later.

In the end we decided to get lights installed. I’m so glad we did!