Wonder of Nature

Over the weekend we got in one last summer fling--camping with our friends the Meisters. We went down to The Shades State Park in west-central Indiana and were totally awed by nature.

Yes, it was hot--probably too hot for tent camping and camp fires--but we enjoyed both nonetheless. A canoe trip down Sugar Creek (anybody else read the Sugar Creek Gang books when they were kids? Same Sugar Creek?) was great fun. Hiking in canyons (the likes of which I didn't know Indiana had) was unbelievable. Then it was a perfect midnight to view the meteor showers. The two couples cozied up on a blanket (girls in the middle) and saw a bunch of shooting stars. Evidently the best one of the night occurred while I was rubbing my eyes.

Other memorable moments included the Lego candy found at Wilson's market on 31 where everyone waited while Chad and I went in search of a new wheel for the broken down trailor ("It's all part of the camping experience"); poison ivy everywhere; listening to Captain Picard read The Last Battle while on the road; Chad's new hat.

Knee Deep Comes Back to Life!

It is good to see Dean Linhart back on the blog-waves. His blog, Knee Deep in Life, came roaring back this week. I was especially thrilled to land a guest spot on the popular series, Tuesday's Travel Tips (airing on Wednesday this week because of a dispute over the international date line). Also of significant note is his feature of an up and coming Red Sox pitcher who came through Bethel--significant because the personal connection to Justin was strong enough to overcome franchise loyalty (Terry doesn't talk much about the '04 series)

The gray lining to this silver cloud is that it signals the end of summer... The swallows return to Capistrano, the French President winds up his New Hampshire vacation, the lemmings jump off the cliff, and Terry's back writing. You've got to take the bad with the good.

There's something very satisfying about the rhythms of life. Here's to hoping that you've got rhythm and good friends to share it with!

Philosophy of Religion

This book, co-edited by my friend Chad, was just released. It is a very significant volume, containing 64 brand new introductory essays on lots of topics in the Philosophy of Religion by such luminaries as John Hick, Bill Craig, Kai Nielsen, Merold Westphal, and other famous philosophers you've never heard of. It represents an enormous amount of work on Chad's part, and I'm very proud of him. It is only in hardback at the moment, and so carries a hefty $160 price tag from the publisher. Amazon will have it shortly for $100. They expect a paperback in a few months (and if sales are strong, perhaps a movie adaptation thereafter).



To celebrate, I'm taking him to see the Bourne Ultimatum tonight. Nothing says "congratulations on your new academic work in philosophy of religion" better than going to an espionage thriller blockbuster movie! (Showplace 16 at 9:50 in case you'd like to join us.)