Here is my own personal credo:


I believe in one God, who is God over all, infinite and omniscient.

I believe God is genderless, but for my purposes I will refer to God as him.

I believe that God created the universe and everything in it.

I believe that God created me in his image, although not necessarily a literal flesh and blood image, rather the ability to think and reason and choose.

I believe that God loves me, not because of who I am, but because of who he is. I have done and can do nothing to earn or deserve his love, it is freely given.

I believe God desires to be in a relationship with me and has instilled in me the desire to be in a relationship with him.

I believe that humankind rebelled against God and that a separation occurred. Our relationship with God was broken.

I believe that throughout history God has communicated with humankind through various messengers.

I believe that Jesus is unique among God’s messengers in that he was God incarnate, and was sent to be the one through whose perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumph over death, restoration of the broken relationship caused by humankind’s rebellion can occur.

I believe that God continues to communicate with humankind through the Holy Spirit and other messengers.

I believe God wishes us to continue to seek after him and know him and to be open to his messages and messengers.

I believe that God is love, and that the opposite of God is hate.

I believe God wishes us to fight against hate as expressed by all forms of evil, injustice, and oppression.

I believe that God has a plan or a path for each of us, but that no two plans or paths are perfectly identical, because no two humans are identical.

I believe that just because our paths are different, it does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong.

I believe there is no “magic formula” for knowing God, but that he honors all who have a sincere desire to seek and know him.

I believe I can never in this life fully comprehend the nature of God. I can know part, and you can know part, but none of us knows in full.

I believe there is a life beyond what we know and understand on earth, where all paths come together, where all knowledge will be joined, where understanding will be in full, and where all who have sought after God will find him.

An utterly fascinating look inside the mind of an autistic person. "The Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon, is set in the near future. Lou Arrendale, the book's protagonist, is an autistic man nearing 40. He was born in an era where early intervention methods made it possible for him to live a near normal life, while not actually "curing" his autism. He is one of the last of his "kind", as those just slightly younger than he were given a treatment in-utero to "fix" the genetic abnormality identified as the cause of autism. Lou struggles with the idea of being "not normal" in a world of "normals'. He is near genius in his intelligence, but significantly impaired in his ability to interact socially. When the pharmaceutical company he works for develops an experimental treatment designed to re-wire his brain through a combination of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, with the potential to elimate his autism, he and his fellow autistic co-workers find themselves wondering who and what they will become if they agree to submit themselves as volunteer subjects for the procedure. Will it change the very essence of who they are?

The story raises many moral, philosophical, and ethical questions about how society views not only autistic people, but anyone who is considered "different", for whatever reason. At the core of many of these issues is the question: if we truly love and accept people for who they are, why is it necessary for them to change, especially if they are also happy with who they are?

Lou is a very likeable character. He reacts to his environment in interesting ways. I especially enjoyed the way he was able to internalize music (classical) to adapt to his moods or to regulate them when he felt himself becoming anxious. His special ability in pattern recognition is a common trait among autistic people, but I was intrigued by the descriptions of the many ways he uses pattern recognition to help him cope with the world and his interactions with it. He is endlessly fascinated by the idea of darkness and whether or not it has a speed (light has a speed, why not dark?) "The Speed of Dark" becomes a metaphor for other things - discrimination, ignorance, death - basically anything unknown or misunderstood. Lou prefers his environment to be ordered, predictable, routine - known - but through the course of the book he encounters situations that he cannot control, things that challenge his rhythms and routines and force him to change in order to adapt and understand. He learns that change is inevitable, and that we must make the choice to accept or resist the change, even if the result is unknown.

Most of the story is told from Lou's point of view, but occasionally the perspective changes to that of another character. I did not find this to be at all difficult to follow. I liked being inside Lou's mind the best, but the occasional shift of perspective helped with the overall flow and development of the story line.

I would put this book near the top of the list of books I have read in the past year. I would highly reccommend it for readers who enjoy character-driven vs. plot-driven stories. It is not action and adventure, but more an exploration of culture and ethics. This book won the 2004 Nebula Award for best novel.  The Nebula Award is given annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.  The author, Elizabeth Moon, is better known as a science fiction writer, and the story is set in the near future where science and society have made some significant advances, but this is not your typical sci-fi story, so even those who usually don't care for science fiction could enjoy reading "The Speed of Dark". My only complaint with the book is that I was not 100% satisfied with the ending. Because the story and Lou's character were developed in such detail, I found the ending too abrupt. I was so invested in Lou Arrendale I wanted more details, and they simply weren't there. On the other hand, it does have a great "last line", one of the best of any of the books I have read lately.  However, you will have to read the book yourself if you want to find out what it is!

I have long been haunted by the concept that material things have more "substance" than our lives do -- that the things we own or create, the places we build and live in --endure longer than our fragile human bodies.  As human beings, our lives on earth are so evanescent, vanishing in the blink of an eye.  And yet, I believe we are eternal beings of soul and energy, so that the things we do and the lives we live, in our fleeting existence here on earth, have eternal significance.  Some people create great works of art, some write epic stories, and some build great structures -- landmarks, even.  Some architecture is more humble, built more for function than form, as depicted by my photos for today.  I wonder about the people who built these...who were they? For myself, I will not create any great masterpieces.  I hope my legacy lives on in the lives of my children and in the mercy, love, and grace I have shown towards others in my own brief journey through life.

Now for the pictures.

An old museum school not far from my house.  This one-room schoolhouse was still in use as recently as 1971.  Current 3rd graders in our school district still attend school here one week out of the year, to experience first-hand what "old-fashioned" school was like.

A close-up of the bell tower.

I love this gnarly old tree outside on the school grounds.

Near the old schoolhouse is a "Pioneer" cabin, a reconstruction of the type of home early settler's in this area may have lived in.

Peeking into the cabin's interior. 

Highlighting a few details of the cabin --

The rain barrel:

The door handle:

The peak of the roof against a brilliant October-blue sky:

I'm not sure what this is, but it was outside a shed near the cabin...an old water heater, possibly?  Or an early attempt at robotics? 

From old school to new -- this is at the local college campus, one of the newer buildings in the area.

Also on the college campus -- these retaining walls are a perfect blend of form and function. 

A nearby country church.  Something about these buildings stirs me as deeply as the great cathedrals.  Perhaps because I see in these humble but beautiful structures a reflection of the simple but solid faith I feel in the depths of my soul.

I leave you with this song from Nicole Nordeman, which sums up my thoughts about the kind of legacy I hope to leave behind me.