tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24966155595022455162024-02-19T01:24:53.814-05:00Tro CreideamhZeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-14984305879537153142017-11-13T16:31:00.003-05:002017-11-13T16:31:55.001-05:00Flying by RailI don’t recall how we first heard about the Champaign County Preservation Alliance’s excursion train, a one-day-only fall colors tour along trackage that hasn’t seen regular passenger service in decades. I do recall making a quick decision to procure tickets, and a good decision it was, as the three scheduled departures rapidly sold out. None of us Acuffs had ever been to St. Paris, Rosewood, Quincy, or any of the other off-the-beaten-path country through which the train was to pass, but the five of us were eager for a rare experience.<br />
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The day of the trip began overcast and breezy, but surprisingly warm for November. As our departure approached, the clouds thickened and released a light sprinkle of rain during our wait at the makeshift boarding platform. There is no semblance of a railroad station in St. Paris; for this excursion, a stack of wooden boxes alongside the rails would provide access onto the carriages.<br />
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When the train arrived, the amorphous throngs of ticketholders milling about the park spun out like yarn from a ball of wool into three queues to climb up into the rail cars, whose floors stood at eye level to those of us on the ground. We followed the conductor’s direction to move ahead to the furthest unoccupied seating, but upon reaching the open baggage car, with its four large doors, our family elected to forgo regular coach seats for the first-class experience and wonder of an unobstructed view.<br />
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I imagined myself a hobo of years gone by, standing at a boxcar door, watching the autumn fields and forests fly past. The smells of impending storms and working farmland mingled with the peculiar scent of decades-old metal, a scent I most strongly associate with a decommissioned submarine I once toured in Baltimore. I don’t know what causes that particular metallic mustiness, but I only ever notice it around large, old objects, like room-sized mechanical machines and retired rail cars. To me, it’s the smell of history.<br />
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<br />With a single chord on its horn, the train creaked to life. We passengers waved farewell to those on the ground, some taking photos and some waiting to retrieve coins crushed thin by the passing of steel wheels on steel rails. The engineer opened up the throttle until we were clipping along at a more rapid pace than I would have expected from a sightseeing train. Farmhouses and paddocks were visible only because of their distance from the tracks. Everything up close sped by in a jumble of brown, green, yellow, and autumn reds.<br />
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<br />A long blast from the train’s horn was followed by the clacking of a dozen sets of wheels as our special crossed the double track CSX mainline in Quincy. A short time later, as I watched out the baggage car door, the ground fell away and I realized we had reached the apex of our trip: the 1911 Quincy High Bridge. Seeing the valley of the Great Miami River seventy feet below us gave the feeling of soaring through the air, while photographers on the ground snapped pictures of our train crossing above their heads.<br />
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<br />A short time after leaving the bridge, the train stopped and the trailing locomotive began to lead us back to St. Paris. Tiffany and I crossed to the opposite side of our baggage car to experience the trip in reverse: the High Bridge (somehow more impressive the second time), a pause for two freights on the mainline, all the tiny towns and country crossings. The skies darkened, and the occasional dendritic bolt of lightning fractured the sky as we rolled southward.<br />
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<br />We returned to our van minutes before the heavy rains began. Despite the kids losing interest halfway through the trip, I thoroughly enjoyed being back aboard a train for the first time in years. The chance to travel by rail through a part of Ohio new to me proved satisfying, and every time I hear the distant blare of a horn, I’ll look forward to my next historic train excursion.
Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-30937411069682166172014-12-29T20:46:00.000-05:002014-12-29T20:46:14.757-05:00My Word for 2015: ἐγκράτεια<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><span class="greek">ἐγκράτεια</span></b> (n.) self-control, from <span class="greek">ἐν</span> (in, by, with; a state of rest) + <span class="greek">κράτος</span> (force, strength, might, dominion); lit., centered strength or dominion, not receiving nor sending</blockquote>
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Around the middle of this past autumn, I set aside all of my self-improvement efforts in an attempt to prevent an impending mental breakdown. Instead, I took some time to focus on what the Bible had to say about self-control. I felt (and still do feel) that the majority of my challenges with exercise, proper eating habits, productivity, etc., essentially stems from poor self-control.
What I learned is that self-control is less about controlling myself and more about giving up control of my life.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/realisticimaginations/8001288327" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Fruit of the Spirit: Self Control Gal 5:22-23 by Realistic Imaginations, on Flickr"><img alt="Fruit of the Spirit: Self Control Gal 5:22-23" height="300" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8001288327_ab7bc309e0_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22–23</h3>
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Self-control sounds like a good thing, and it is. The danger, as I see, arises when our striving to control our self becomes a pursuit of Godliness through our own strength. If my desire to control my self is focused solely on what I do or do not, it becomes easy to shut God out of the equation entirely. A life lived without God’s influence is exactly what I’m trying to avoid by practicing self-control!<br />
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In Koine Greek, the word translated in modern Bibles as ‘self-control’ is <span class="greek">ἐγκράτεια</span> (<i>egkrateia</i>), a derivative of the term for force or strength (<i>kratos</i>), typically referring to God. The prefix <i>en</i>- means in, inside, by, or with, and refers to a state of rest, neither entering nor exiting.<br />
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I am by no means a Greek scholar, but my rudimentary understanding of these component parts leads me to deduce that <i>egkrateia </i>means something like <b>centered strength</b> or <b>abiding dominion</b>. Self-control is a state of neither having power forced into me (that would be the prefix <i>eis</i>-) nor of expressing might outward (<i>ek</i>-), but of recognizing that a great force resides within me which allows for wisdom in everyday choices and actions. And no, I’m not talking about <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Midi-chlorian" target="_blank">midi-chlorians</a>.<br />
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A man who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down. Proverbs 25:28 [HCSB]</blockquote>
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The King James Version of the Bible translates <i>egkrateia </i>as <b>temperance</b>, which derives from the word temper. As a verb, temper refers to <b>modification through the addition of a moderating element</b>, often describing the working of a certain substance into a desired consistency so as to impart strength or resiliency. More simply, to temper a thing is to make it more suitable by adding something else.<br />
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In today’s parlance, we talk about tempering steel, glass, or chocolate, in each case manipulating the raw material so as to create a substance that is more resistant to damage. Music, too, uses temper as a verb: to temper an instrument, especially a piano, is to adjust the pitch—to alter or regulate the instrument so as to conform to a standard of accuracy.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/124497826@N08/13942731758" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Piano Tuner by Leeds Piano Competition 2015, on Flickr"><img alt="Piano Tuner" height="267" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/13942731758_d79cd44913_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The noun temper is defined as <b>disposition, composure, attitude</b>, or (positively) a mental condition of moderation and calm. It can also be a characteristic or general quality of a thing. Archaically, temper is a middle course between two extremes. In reference to metalworking, the temper of a piece of iron or steel is its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking.<br />
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I suggest that for the Christian, the moderating element that tempers our life is the Holy Spirit. He works in us to impart strength (“be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength”), to conform us to a standard of accuracy (i.e., the image and likeness of Christ), and to correct our frame of mind (“Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus”). If we “lose our temper”, or lose those elements which keep us in the right composure and right relation with God and neighbor, the Holy Spirit offers loving guidance to calm us and restore our mental strength and resiliency.<br />
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Self-control (or temperance) then is the realization of the Holy Spirit’s work in us and the centering calm of the Spirit’s strength imparted to our lives to grant us the durability and resiliency to navigate our daily trials as citizens of Heaven on assignment in the strange land of Earth.<br />
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My “one word” for 2015 is <i>egkrateia</i>, <b>self-control</b>, as I seek to recognize the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in me and His influence that should be at the forefront of every choice I make: what to eat, what I amuse myself with, how I spend my money, etc.</blockquote>
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<i>Do you agree with the idea of the Holy Spirit tempering our lives like hardened steel? Are you itching to correct my interpretation of Koine Greek? Leave a comment below!
</i>Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-22226745786372886692012-01-13T21:14:00.000-05:002012-01-13T21:14:35.948-05:00When it Rains...I haven't gotten off to the best start on my resolutions. My weight is slightly up (and I've cheated on my diet a few times this week - hello, Dove chocolates!) and the running isn't terribly compatible with the snow on the ground. Maybe I'll make running a "starts-April-first" resolution. Why should January get all the excitement?<br />
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Sermon transcription is humming right along, and I'm catching chances here and there to read. Genealogy has taken a back seat to life right now, but I've been mulling some ideas around in my head. I've baked <a href="http://pie2011.blogspot.com/2012/01/back-in-saddle.html" target="_blank">two pies</a>; they just aren't on my <a href="http://trocreideamh.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-resolved-pie.html" target="_blank">list</a>! The Easter project hasn't started yet - again due to a lack to time.<br />
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We spent two nights this past week at an <a href="http://carm.org/introduction-apologetics" target="_blank">apologetics</a> conference in Milan (Michigan, not Italy) and that was time well-spent, for sure, and not just because I'm teaching apologetics this quarter in Sunday School. I cannot recommend enough the ministry of <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/" target="_blank">Answers in Genesis</a> and the <a href="http://creationmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Creation Museum</a>; if you have the opportunity to go, please do.<br />
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Through no (recent) direct action of my own, however, we have been making progress on our <a href="http://trocreideamh.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-resolved-financial.html" target="_blank">financial goal</a> for 2012. Between now and next Monday (1/23), I have no less than <b>four</b> in-person interviews for full-time professional positions. Any one of these would more than double our 2011 income and allow us to make significant headway on getting out of debt. They would all mean a move for our family, but we've been prepared for that.<br />
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The timing couldn't be better: we need to move on to the next chapter of our working lives, and soon. Tiffany needs to cut back due to our new baby, and I can't support us all on pizza money alone. Our savings have lasted just long enough to carry us through the last 15 months, but we can see the bottom of the barrel. Praise God for His perfect provision and perfect timing. We need not fear, for God is with us.<br />
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Please be praying with us over the next weeks as we travel for interviews and await their responses. I will be going to Fort Worth, Texas, next Tuesday; then Hamilton, Ohio on Thursday; Mansfield, Ohio on Friday; and finally Carbondale, Illinois, on the following Monday. As I mentioned above, any of these would be a providential opportunity for us, and while we have our preferences, I'll be content just to have a full-time job again.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-76751237391626083812011-07-31T21:57:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.058-05:0031 July 2011A weekend of milestones! Isaac swam across the pool yesterday, without his floaties, and is definitely reading independently - his latest effort is the original Boxcar Children chapter book. Esther has had two days now of no diapers and no accidents, and lots of self-prompted trips to the bathroom, both at home and at church. It's funny what gets you excited as a parent of pre-schoolers, but there you go.<br />
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I watched the recording of Dave Ramsey's The Great Recovery presentation last night. I am reminded again of how much I want to be out of debt, but not having an income to speak of makes that difficult. When you're just getting by, it's hard to dig out of the pit. At least we're not adding to the hole at all, and we haven't since February.<br />
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One of Dave's action items, especially for church leaders, is to teach people what God has to say about money. I've certainly got the platform in my Sunday School class, but how do I structure it and how do I get over the trepidation that the broke, unemployed kid in the room wants to teach everyone else about money. And is there a way to tie discipleship in, or is that just pushing it?<br />
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Kathy went back home to Houston yesterday morning, and we're attempting to settle back into normal life. Tiffany's at Applebee's tonight, I got the kids to bed about 8:30, and now I'm on the computer, playing cards and surfing the web. I've already clipped and sorted coupons, even though there's not money for groceries before we leave for Minnesota in a week. I've got a sink over-full of dishes to wash, the house is a disaster, and I really should help Tiffany with the laundry. I guess we're back to normal, then!Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-120974112304637602011-07-25T08:32:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.039-05:0025 July 2011I stopped in at Borders on Lohr Road last night just to walk around and see how things were going. There are signs everywhere about the closing sales, and the coffee shop is already packed and gone. It may have just been my general pensive mood - almost a minor depression - but it was a very melancholy experience to see the last dying gasps of such an institution. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected, but it was closing time on a Sunday, so maybe that's why.<br />
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I know that many people decried Borders for killing small, independent bookshops in the past, and I would agree with them. I remember bookstores on Main Street in Newark and McMahon's at Christiana Mall - now you're hard-pressed to find any sort of a decent bookstore in a mall. While Borders was a juggernaut, it was still a place where we could go to touch books and sit down for a while with a coffee and a novel. Tiffany and I spent many date nights at Borders, just enjoying a bit of peace and quiet while browsing through a stack of books that we didn't need to buy.<br />
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There's the rub: we don't have much disposable income to spend on books, so we've shifted much more to borrowing books from the library. It's free, and we don't have to find shelf space to hang on the books after we're done. We have plenty of books already and we're trying to pare down - buying more from Borders is a touch antithetical to that endeavor. In fact, I can't remember the last time we bought a book (more than a small school book for the kids); I can't even remember whether we bought it in store or online. Do I have much room to lament the closing of Borders if I don't buy their merchandise? It's not for lack of desire - I'm sure I could spend a couple hundred dollars each time I walk in - but perhaps there are just too many others in our situation.<br />
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I do mourn the loss of Borders: the loss of a local Ann Arbor business, the loss of a haven of knowledge and entertainment, the loss of being able to physically browse books. I don't see e-readers being a viable alternative, and while the library is an ideal option in many respects, there's just something different about it.<br />
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Farewell, Borders. I pray that this is not a nail in the coffin of printed books. If so, God help us all.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-91319316216056927742011-07-20T23:44:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.063-05:0020 July 2011The last few days have been just weird, off-kilter somehow. I think it's a combination of Kathy being in town (and staying at a hotel, which raises car issues), being unresolved about Nashville, the intense heat this week, and the two-day drive that got inserted at the last minute. Tiffany said it best tonight - I (we) feel very out of control. I did get a chance to sit down and balance the books tonight though and I feel somewhat better. I'm so grateful for the cashed-in life insurance policy - I know we wanted to save it for Christmas travel, but it's serving as a great buffer right now for a life in flux. At least I got something productive done tonight (the books); maybe tomorrow I'll sort through some of the boxes in the basement. I'm still not sure how Tiffany plans to pull off a garage sale in three days...Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-50633186859714399782011-07-19T17:23:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.051-05:0017-18 JulyA busy weekend - I left after the church picnic Sunday to drive to Nashville for a job interview - about an 8.5 hour drive. Spent the night at the Alexis Inn just off Briley Parkway and near the airport.<br />
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In the morning, I packed my stuff up, put it in the car in the parking lot, and caught the #18 bus to downtown (via the airport). An hour early for my interview, I walked around downtown Nashville: through the War Memorial, around the Capitol grounds, and down the Arcade between 5th and 4th Streets. Interview at 10:30 with Tim Roach of the Greater Nashville Regional Council went well, then lunch at Katie's in the Arcade - fried pork chop, greens, and sweet(!) tea.<br />
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After taking the bus back to the hotel, I drove to Brentwood to see Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Plaza. Dave was out of town on vacation, but I had a cup of coffee with Martha Thompson (Director of Guest Relations) and browsed the bookstore. Back on the road headed north and struggling to stay awake the whole way north of Cincinnati. Got home about 1:30 AM and fell into bed.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-83277922646783425032011-07-16T22:27:00.011-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.060-05:0016 July 2011Nervous energy this evening as I'm packing for my trip to Nashville tomorrow. Went out to Penney's to get a new, smaller dress shirt - I hope that orange is really a good color for me! Orange shirt, brown pants - not a combination I would have gone for first, but Tiffany and Kathy both say it works, so we'll go with it.<br />
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I hope I remember how to interview. I've not been terribly skilled at it in the past, but I did get McKenna six years ago, right? I just wish that it wasn't such a stilted process - it's never as easygoing as I think it should/could be. Oh, if I didn't <b>need</b> this job, how would it be different? How much freer would I be in my conversation? How much less pressure would I feel to Get. It. Right.?Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-68691661333293749152011-07-15T21:47:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.054-05:0015 July 2011Day three of leaving the windows open and the A/C off - always a welcome thing during the summer. Slow day for deliveries, but not too bad. Wendy and Jessie Nair came in to eat at the restaurant, and I took their order. I don't think Wendy recognized me, and I'm glad for it. Very awkward until they left.<br />
<br />
Dinner tonight was excellent smoked sausage, peppers & onions, and fried potatoes cooked by Tiffany. We both agree that there are just some dishes that one of us prepares better than the other does, even though we are both good cooks.<br />
<br />
After dinner, we went to Movie in the Park at Mill Pond Park. Kathy drove the kids down, while Tiff and I biked over, with an exhilarating coast down the hill at the end. Good turnout for the festivities, and Kathy and Isaac stayed to camp out in his blue tent. We'll see what the report is in the morning.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-70324248082114125242011-07-14T23:20:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.056-05:0014 July 2011Esther and I went to the airport this afternoon to pick up Kathy - she's visiting for the next couple of weeks. Tiffany and I are really looking forward to having someone around to watch the kids. That means date nights for us, an opportunity for me to go to trivia night at Applebee's, the potential for double work shifts (a nice prospect with our time off for Minnesota coming up), a chance for me to give blood on a Monday afternoon instead of stealing a Saturday from the family, and coverage for my last-minute trip to Nashville on Monday. Plus, we get to hang out with Gran-Gran and go to the zoo (probably both Binder Park and Toledo), go swimming, and more.<br />
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Dinner at Applebee's tonight on the way home from the airport, then back to home. A little picking up the living room, a few dishes, but mostly the kids enjoying Gran-Gran in town.<br />
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Heard back from Jessamine County. I made the top 10, but not the top 5. Oh well, at least I heard, and I've got the new lead for Nashville! Romans 8:28 - right?Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-20747355809897376172011-07-13T21:15:00.018-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.043-05:0013 July 2011It's good to be back at work, even though it was a slow day: 5 deliveries, and only one tipped me! $12.80 all told. In related news, I do love the bacon and onion pizzas I've been making myself. Now if I just had some spinach to throw on there, that would be great.<br />
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Shopping trip to Meijer this afternoon with Isaac. He's started to put things in the cart on his own (apples, hot cocoa) but has some good suggestions, like potatoes for baked potatoes and ground beef for "porcupine balls". If only he was more gentle with the fruit!<br />
<br />
I received an email today from Bill Orange at the Greater Nashville Regional Commission. He wants me to go down to Nashville for an interview on Monday - just five days from now! The bulk of the afternoon was spent making arrangement for hotel and rental car: I'm planning to drive down Sunday after the church picnic and return after a morning interview on Monday. It will be a lot of driving, but this is the best lead (read: first in-person interview) I've had since leaving McKenna 11 months ago.<br />
<br />
Made (baked is too strong a word here) a banoffee pie tonight - <i>dulce de leche</i> and bananas in a prebaked crust, topped with a coffee whipped cream. Not bad, and light on the points (only 69 for the whole pie), but it doesn't quite match up to what I remember from Piece of Ireland back in Newark. Their pie was somehow more solid and richer - maybe they cut the bananas in smaller pieces? I wonder, too, if making it with boiled sweetened condensed milk would make that much of a difference over the jar of <i>dulce de leche</i>. Experiments for another day.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-27872834950538158892011-07-12T23:30:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.044-05:0012 July 2011Last day before going back to work. Did some genealogy research this morning while the kids watched movies, then downstairs for dishes. Both Isaac and Esther were out of sorts today – turns out Esther is running a 102° fever.<p>Went out to Ypsi to get Project Fresh coupons to use at the Farmers’ Market, but they didn’t have a record of my appointment. Add pissed off to the list of hot and tired today – reacted by eating two chocolate bars from Hiller’s after a brief grocery stop for sparkling water.<p>Tiffany worked lunch and dinner today, but had a long break between so she hung out at home for a couple hours and made no-bake cookies for her co-workers. I crashed on the couch for a couple hours holding Esther – she’s very clingy when she’s sick. Isaac made himself a peanut butter sandwich, then up to bed about 9pm. Relatively easy bedtime tonight – maybe I just need to let them stay up later?<p>Tuesday night is job hunting night! Applied for three new jobs – one in Kansas and two near DC. Printed applications for two others in Wyoming and Iowa. Sent another followup email to Jessamine County – it’s been about a month since I heard anything from them.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-37643654379106783692011-07-11T00:20:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.045-05:0011 July 2011Home all day today – I don’t work again until Wednesday. Strong storms came through about 1:00, but the gardens are glad for the rain. Got almost caught up on dishes, read some, copied some genealogy notes, and cooked pork chops and broccoli for dinner. Lazy evening online, mostly due to waiting for kids to go to bed (put down at 7:30, still bopping around at 9 – ugh!).Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-20538672167288340492011-07-10T09:44:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.042-05:0010 July 2011Up early this morning to head down to Mill Pond Park and help clean up from yesterday's Celtic Festival. Wrapped up about 10:40, then on to church, where I struggled to stay awake. I couldn't even stand up for most of the songs because I was so tired and worn out. Lunch at Qdoba with Don and Christina - it was good to hang out together without feeling the pressure to be in teaching mode. Home to crash and recuperate, then Tiffany off to work. Got the kids settled down relatively easily, then spent the rest of the evening avoiding the dirty dishes. They'll still be there in the morning; might as well be rested up for them, right?Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-89885261417534486842011-07-09T21:44:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.061-05:009 July 2011Hot day today for the Saline Celtic Festival. We helped Fellowship run the Celtic Survivor tournament - I drove the golf cart for the joust while Tiffany documented the day in photos. Had to leave early because Isaac was having heat issues. Home to the air conditioning and corn-on-the-cob for dinner! Everyone's pretty tuckered out, but I still have to run to the store for a few things.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-66760496520913164762011-07-08T23:47:00.001-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.053-05:008 July 2011Final day of traveling. Breakfast & swimming at hotel in Lexington, then northbound about 11:00. Started out in a driving rain - almost too heavy to see. Stopped for a late lunch at Chick-fil-A in West Chester, Ohio. The drive so far has been testy & kids have been a bit wild. Need to remember to drink more water! Brief stop in Lima to see the static train display at Lincoln Park, dinner at Sonic south of Toledo, then home by 7 PM. Met with Don & Christina for discipleship from 8:30-11:45: studied Matthew 3-4, chatted.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-60691248719369624982011-07-07T21:54:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.052-05:007 July 2011Left Tennessee about 10:45 headed back to Michigan. Stopped at
Cumberland Gap for a trip up to the Pinnacle Overlook and a brief visit
to the Visitor Center. Lunch at KFC in Middlesboro, then on to
Pineville, where I got a copy of Claude and Hazel's marriage record from
the old courthouse. Just north of Berea, we got off the highway and
took a side detour to Valley View Ferry - a two-car paddlewheel ferry
across the Kentucky River - very cool. Drove through the edge of
Nicholasville en route to Lexington for the night. Star Trek movie
marathon on SyFy while Tiff did laundry at the hotel.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-42552406335537639002011-07-06T21:51:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.046-05:006 July 2011Happy Birthday to Hazel Lea Acuff! 95 and still kicking.<br />
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Isaac got up early with Tiffany to bake a birthday cake, then we all had a piece before the DE Acuffs headed home. Buddy stopped by for a visit - he's looking poorly, in lots of pain, and having trouble sleeping. Tiny brought up a package sent from Mary V for Hazel - cheesecake and chocolate-covered strawberries shipped in an insulated box from California! Hazel enjoyed a huge strawberry, while we looked on and took photos for Mary V.<br />
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After the Michigan crew made a run into Jeff for Walmart and Sonic, Jerry and Tiny stopped by to bring a birthday card and more well-wishes. I made salmon cakes for dinner; Isaac eventually ate his (shaped like an elephant!) after a bit of struggle. Rest of evening devoted to cleaning up and prepacking for tomorrow's departure.<br />
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Hazel relayed a story that, when growing up, whenever they broke something in the house, she and her siblings would hide it from Momma under the house. The story came up when I dropped the electric griddle and broke its plastic legs - superglue to the rescue!Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-7883465043127995532011-07-05T21:55:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.059-05:005 July 2011Had A/C replaced at Grandmother's house today. I made two pies to
have with dinner - not much left afterward! Jess & Gladys came over
just before dinner to visit; they had a photo of my
great-great-grandmother Mary Eliza (Darting) Morgan, her sister (they
didn't know her name), and their mother "Granny" Darting (Sarah Ann
Seymore Darting). Not sure when it was taken, but Granny Darting died in
1945 so it had to be before then. Not much else of note today.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-17722760348043224172011-07-04T21:55:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.041-05:004 July 2011Happy Independence Day! Finished trip to Tennessee this morning,
leaving from Berea about 9 AM, stop at Middlesboro Walmart at 11:15,
then in to Grandmother's house by 12:30. A/C broken at the house -
repairman will be out tomorrow to fix or replace it. Mom, Dad, Sarah,
and Belle have been here for a couple days; Sarah went and bought large
fans to station around the house to get some air moving. Brief visit
with Tiny, Jerry, and Rebecca, then dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers,
with fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob. Isaac and I slept out in his
tent for the evening.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-70698050960067965582011-07-03T21:56:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.057-05:003 July 2011Finished packing for our trip to Tennessee, then off to Sunday school
and church. I wrapped up teaching The Believer's Three Judgments in SS;
Bert preached on the NT understanding of the commandment not to commit
adultery (Matthew 5) - a solid text to keep at the front of my mind.
After a brief Celtic Festival planning meeting, the four of us headed
south on our trip about 1 PM. Stopped in North Baltimore, Ohio, for gas
(scary Speedway station!), then on to the Creation Museum to buy a
dinosaur book for Isaac. Dinner at Qdoba in Florence, KY, then on to
Berea for the night. To bed early (for me) and late (for the kids) -
about 9:30.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-46774805888434772232011-07-02T21:57:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.048-05:002 July 2011Watered the gardens today - a good long soak. Tomatoes are going
gangbusters - even starting to pink up on a couple of the Romas. Beans,
okra, peas, and peppers are very leafy, but no flowers or even the hint
thereof. Cucumbers are tall with lots of flowers - lets hope that they
set some good fruit.<br />
Sat down to work on Bible study, then I couldn't recall the last time I
opened my Bible just to read. Why is it such a struggle to have a daily
quiet time? I wonder if the struggle is similar for all stay-at-home
parents with young kids - I need the kids to entertain themselves, be
gone, or be asleep to get any time for devotions. I really should
restudy Herb's Quiet Time lesson - and take it to heart! As Bert says,
the lesson is not for those I wish would hear it - it's for me!<br />
--<br />
Just sitting down to a snack of cottage cheese and apple butter
(homemade last fall from Wasem's apples). I'm told it's a Pennsylvania
Dutch thing - perhaps a relic of my birth place? Listened to Aaron
Copland as I washed the dishes this afternoon. There are few CDs that I
want to sit down and deliberately <i>listen</i> to, and this is one. I
want a pair of big, ear-covering headphones and an hour to myself to get
lost in Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Quiet City, Fanfare for the Common
Man...Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-48556924213542622462011-07-01T21:57:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.049-05:001 July 2011Pretty leisurely day, but hot outside! A good day to stay indoors.
After work (2 deliveries today), came home and waited for Tiff &
kids to return from Toledo Zoo. Made mini pizzas on flatbread for an
early dinner, then hung out while the kids colored & cut paper.
Upstairs at 6:30 for popcorn and The Polar Express, while I finished up a
novel and catnapped. Then off to bed with the kids - usual hourlong
process, but this time instead of sitting at the computer, I went
downstairs and did the dishes. I head some running around, but things
seemed to go a little smoother. I came back upstairs, watched a couple
shows online, and worked on my family history questions - paring down
the list to something reasonably usable - but it's still so long!<br />
---<br />
"When I was young, I thought I could fly" - just a little snippet of
verse that came to me today. I wonder if I still have what it takes to
write a whole poem. Or maybe this line <i>is</i> a whole poem?Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-50512426156400510842011-06-30T21:58:00.000-04:002013-02-23T23:34:39.050-05:0030 June 2011I guess that's the point of a diary - to record life in small doses so
it doesn't get overwhelming. Tiff took the kids all day today - first to
a playdate at McDonald's, then to work for the Chaliogianis kids, a
nice unexpected treat. I had most of the day to myself and went to the
library to check out the local history/genealogy collection. I don't
have any specific to Washtenaw County ancestors, but I did check up on
Sweenys and Larzeleres since they were in Michigan. After about an hour
of familiarizing, I went to work at Mancino's - incredibly slow today
and not a single delivery. That hasn't happened in months, and it is
certainly not typical for a Thursday. I hope this doesn't become a
pattern.<br />
<br />
Back to library afterward for some transcription, then a perusal of some
genealogy magazines. I love having the library as a resource for books
and magazines that I want to read but can't spend the money on
purchasing - it's great! Picked up the kids from Tiffany so she could
work her dinner shift at Applebee's, then back home for a typical
evening of anti-dinner for the kids, watching Ratatouille, then
struggling over bedtime for an hour. It <i>will</i> get better someday, right?Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2496615559502245516.post-50032741268633543042011-03-03T20:52:00.000-05:002011-03-03T20:52:25.308-05:00Skydiving: Learning About The ParachuteI finally picked up a copy of Richard Bolles' classic What Color Is Your Parachute? from the library. I must say, it's not at all what I expected. I had a vague misconception of it as retirement planning, as in 'golden parachute'. Turns out that's not what the book is at all!<br />
<br />
Time is too short to do a review of the book now. I plan to periodically post here as I go through the Parachute Workbook, basically finding myself (which is really the point of this here journal).<br />
<br />
First off, my ten Who Am I? answers and the common denominators:<br />
<ol><li>I am a reproducing disciple of Christ.</li>
<li>I am a kid of the King.</li>
<li>I am husband to Tiffany.</li>
<li>I am a responsible adult.</li>
<li>I am a father.</li>
<li>I am a provider.</li>
<li>I am a respecter of people.</li>
<li>I am a planner. (and more than just an "urban planner")</li>
<li>I am a teacher.</li>
<li>I am a nerd.</li>
</ol>The common themes that I see among these are:<br />
<ul><li>relationship with God</li>
<li>following rules</li>
<li>leading people to understanding</li>
<li>long-term and/or eternal focus</li>
<li>loving and helping people</li>
<li>thinking before acting</li>
<li>focus on the next generation</li>
<li>peace of mind</li>
<li>facts and details</li>
<li>sense of control; order instead of chaos</li>
</ul>In the context of a relationship with Christ, I obediently make disciples, teaching and showing them how to focus on future generations. I am deliberate, fact-focused, and precise so as to bring peaceful order out of chaos. I am a lover of people and emphasize relationships with an eye toward eternity.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
The first step of the Parachute Flower is determining what values I want my life to serve. After coming up with a (incomplete) list of values, I used Bolles' prioritization grid (an online version can be found <a href="http://www.beverlyryle.com/prioritizing-grid">here</a>) with the following top-five result:<br />
<ol><li>Relationship with God - bringing more spirituality, more faith, more forgiveness, more love for God, more Biblical foundation into the world</li>
<li>Integrity - bringing more morality, more righteousness, more honesty into the world</li>
<li>Relationships with others - bringing more love and compassion, more fellowship into the world</li>
<li>A proper perspective of possessions - bringing into the world better stewardship of what we possess (with an emphasis on savings, simplicity, <i>enough</i>) as individuals, as neighbors, as communities (small and large), as nations</li>
<li>Intelligence - bringing into the world more knowledge, more Truth, and more clarity</li>
</ol>As a result of my life, there will be<br />
<ul><li>a stronger focus on man's relationship with God and the Bible as the foundation of life;</li>
<li>greater personal integrity as people learn to take responsibility for their actions; and </li>
<li>a renewed interdependence on personal relationships as neighbors strive together to meet needs and achieve dreams.</li>
</ul><br />
More to come later.Zeb Acuffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16411577104615419903noreply@blogger.com0