Christopher's Meanderings

I'm about to head out to my weekly board game night in an effort to regain some of my sanity from all the time indoors this week. In that vein, I thought a brief post on games was appropriate. 2018 was another great year for board and table top games. There were so many published, I haven't even been able to try half of the games I want to yet. Hopefully, we get a little more levity in terms of what is published this year, but there is no guarantee. Since the amount of games published last year can be overwhelming, here are my top three games from the year. 1. Azul A wonderful puzzle game with plenty of replay-ability. I've played it with people new to board games, kids, and veteran games. It's a near perfect filler and doesn't take long to explain. 2. Dinosaur Island Absolutely the most fun I've had with a worker placement in quite a while. Not for those new to board games necessarily, but the bright colors and fun graphics will attract some people...

Isaiah 2:2-4             2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4       He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Is 2:2–4). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. The Temple Mount in modern Jerusalem.  Commentary: Vs. 2   ...

Since I will be trapped inside the house like most of Michigan tomorrow, I thought it was time to start thinking about camping. Here are ten of the places I would go camping if it were summer or fall and the weather were different from our current polar vortex. Our 1961 Garway camper.  10. Great Smoky Mountains National Park  , Tennesse Specifically, I would visit Cades Cove Campground.   With miles of trails and electric hookups at the campsite, this would be worth visiting in the fall. One of my hikes would definitely include Abrams Falls . Autumn colors, rushing water, and the chance to fish? Yes, please. 9. Little River State Park , Vermont I can't wait to visit Vermont and go camping. There's a lot of great state parks with stunning views in this state. What attracts me about this one is the relatively small size (although it's popular), the ruins of a community, and Waterbury Reservoir sitting below Mount Mansfield .  8. Acadia National Park , M...

Henri Nouwen has been one of my favorite authors since college. Although popular, I had not read his The Return of the Prodigal Son before. At first, I was skeptical of a book about someone’s reflections on a painting taking a little more than a hundred pages. How could such a simple subject take up so much time? Would it be dry historical information about the artist? What the book really is about is the inner life of Nouwen as he saw himself in the painting. From his personal retrospection, the reader can make applications for their own life. There are small bits of information in the book about Rembrandt and how his life produced the painting.   Overall, they are asides which serve to help the reader identify with the different characters in the painting. This self-identification proves to be the real heart of the book. Nouwen uses his own experiences to draw us into a realization that we are meant to see ourselves as the prodigal son, the elder brother, an...

Two things this weekend reminded me how quickly and how often we can share important narratives with other people in simple ways.   First, I was involved in worship training. One of the things we talked about was stage presence. Music worship leading is a tool. It's not an end in itself, and our hearts may feel one way, but there is nothing wrong with extending a welcoming attitude in how people lead from a stage. In fact, this is part of what can help invite people into this element of worship. Worship should be our approach to life, but why not try to use music to encourage people? A good stage presence can be a useful part of that story.  I know the topic is bigger than this short summary, but this is one element of the conversation.  Second, this Forbes article on narrative advertising  had my attention the whole time. It's the perfect length to both share why narrative is important in all forms of communication, and it made me want to watch the videos. ...

Today I have the pleasure of sharing an interview with a classmate from high school. As usual, our interactions happened through text online. We all have people we wish could have gotten to know better in high school and she is one of those people for me. Rebecca McGee is a 36-year-old mom with a soon to be 12-year-old daughter.   She values family more than anything else. She kindly took time out of her week to work on this interview about some important issues. Christopher: How would you tell your story? Rebecca :   I was born in 1982 with Spina bifida ( SB from here on out) . At that time, they didn’t know I had SB until I was born. Nothing showed up on the sonogram. I had a relatively “normal” child hood.   I went to school like my siblings and peers. I graduated high school in 2001. Gave birth to my daughter via c-section in 2007. I have myelomeningocele form of SB. I do not walk.  Although I did ( walk) when I was a kid with leg braces and...

The next interview is with my friend Matt Hoffman. As usual, our interview happened through online text and has been edited for clarity and conciseness with his permission. Matt is the Brand Strategist at Deeper Roots Coffee, and he gets to work in social media, creating narratives for people to connect with regularly. He has told stories through video, photo, and song. We first met through the band The Waking Point where Matt played drums and I got to play guitar. His wife Lanna is also a talented photographer, and they are raising three cute kids together. Some of his recent work can be found at “A Story about Coffee” on Instagram and the website .   He's also trying to meet someone different over coffee each week this year- so if you are in the Cincinnati area, consider reaching out to him.  Christopher: What do you love about coffee? Matt: I love that it’s a daily connector. What I mean is that a lot of people seek it out in their own way, on th...

As the news cycle continues to churn out this week, I would encourage you to take a step back.  Despite the presence of social media's intrusion into the everyday, 24 hours a day, we do not need to know what is going on in the world at all times.  To become better able to think through critical issues, it is essential to realize we all have bias and our immediate reactions are not necessarily the most helpful reactions. Cognitive bias  is an important part of who we are as humans ( For an interesting Reformed view of apologetics making use of bias, see this article by Cornelius Van Til ) Our experiences shape us and help us to filter the world so that we can make better sense of it.  However, those same experiences, memories, and ways of thinking about the world which allow us to make helpful snap judgments are also terrible at telling us if those judgments are correct, helpful, and truthful. I have a bad temper at times. It is especially hard to keep my tem...

This is an interview conducted through text with my friend Billy Coker.  It has been edited with his permission for clarity and format. Billy is a graphic designer who shares a love of Star Wars. Also, he happens to have been raised by two of the most generous people I have ever met. Currently, he lives and works out of Chattanooga, Tennessee although he grew up in Southern California. (Photo of Billy in his natural habitat, part of his series of 52 self portraits) Christopher: How did you get started in your line of work? Billy: Back in the mid-90’s I played in a band. I didn’t consider myself a musician, but rather a guy who played bass well who wanted an excuse to hang out with his friends. That’s always been my approach to creative projects and skills. I recognize I have been blessed with creative talent, but I’ve never made creativity my identity. During my time in the band, I took on the role of making all our flyers and shirt designs. It was fun! I ...