To say it’s been an up and down year for my sports allegiances would be an understatement.

The Chicago Cubs were streaky all year and squeaked into the playoffs with the lowest win total of the 8 postseason teams. While it was fun and exciting to win the Division (being the first NL Central team to go from worst to first since the division was created), the disappointment of being swept by the Diamondbacks was disheartening. I guess all the money spent in the offseason was only applied to the regular season.

As everyone knows, the Michigan Wolverines started the year pretty rough. The loss to Appalachian State was completely unexpected and embarrassing. To start the season at 0-2, unranked, and with an injured senior quarterback… wow. Since then, things have looked a little brighter. While we had some difficulty putting away Northwestern, the mighty blue seem to finally be putting things together. I don’t want to look ahead to Ohio State too prematurely, but I get an excited feeling in my gut just thinking about it!

On Saturday, our great friends Nate and Christa invited Sarah and I to see the Wolverines play Purdue… in the Big House… on homecoming… from the front row! It was amazing! Not only did Michigan crush them, but I was able to take along a 500mm telephoto lens and get some sweet photos. Click on the sweet pic of Michael Hart to the right to see all 343 photos. (Thanks to Drs John and Kelly Geisler for sharing their tickets with us!!!)

I’m just glad I don’t really care about any NFL teams.

Aaron

So today in our residence life “covenant time” (a weekly time of connection and spiritual reflection) we talked about transitions or ecotones that we are currently making in life. I have been thinking a lot lately about learning and how we move from theme to theme in our thinking. These themes are usually connected to the circumstances we find ourselves in and the conviction we experience in those circumstances. I love the poetry of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3…

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace…

17 …I thought in my heart,
“God will bring to judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time for every deed.”

As we read this passage and discussed these “times” that God guides us through - areas of thought, responsibilty, lifestage, and learning, I was struck by how we are each on a personal journey trying to navigate through life. Often we travel blindly, relying only on hope that we will make it to some destination that is better than the last place we visited. We forget that God is guiding our steps through the wisdom we have stumbled upon, his providence, and others to assist us on our way.

We then spent time sharing with each other the “times” that we are currently experiencing in our life. It was a beautiful time of seeing how our teammates and friends are journeying toward greater maturity. As we concluded our time, we went around the table and recited these in a manner similar to Ecclesiastes 3. It was very inspiring to me. So, I thought I’d memorialize our covenant time here.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time for wandering and a time for settling
a time for refrain and a time for marriage
a time for fun and a time for providing
a time for following and a time for leading
a time for hard work and a time for simplifying
a time for cowering and a time for pursuing
a time for judging and a time for accepting
a time for reactivity and a time for proactivity
a time for searching and a time for trusting
a time for childish thinking and a time for child-like living
a time for looking good in others eyes and a time for looking good in His eyes
a time for living dutifully and a time for living passionately
a time for watching from the dugout and a time for stepping up to the plate
a time for experiencing and a time for planning
a time for saving and a time for spending
a time for pride and a time for humility

17 …I thought in my heart,
“God will bring to judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time for every deed.”

Metanoia,
Aaron

Okay, not a great update here, but thought I’d share a little bit about my brain with you….

Be informed… And if you do take the test (which is a little weird and I find myself agreeing with almost everything) comment and tell me which half of your brain works.

Note, the photo to the right of my left brain… covered with a lot of hair.

Metanoia?
Aaron

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com