The challenge seems to be in doing more than one thing well – here’s some examples of pairs of things that hard to do both well in one day:

work vs. family
time with friends vs. time with family
strategy/tactics vs. putting fires out/dealing with emergencies

Are you able to consistently accomplish two opposite tasks per day? More than two?

So not sure what prompted it, but I decided to try and play through Final Fantasy 1, on the original NES, using party setups that are especially difficult.

The game is designed to be played with characters, of varying power and roles. The way to make the game most painful is to only use one character from the outset, and making that character be one of the most weak ones….

… so that’s what I did! First up, is a red mage. He’s a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy. He turned out to be fairly simple, as he can do everything just well enough to beat the game.

Below, a white mage. This was much more difficult. He has nearly 0 offensive power for the most difficult stages of the game, and ends up doing 1 damage per round on bosses than have 130 to 180 hp. In the end, I had to upgrade him to a white wizard for the spell FADE, as physical attacks were not enough to kill the last boss, Chaos, who heals himself to full life every 8 to 10 turns.

Screenshots show full info on both characters, as well as all theor compadres dead at level 1.

Heather and I, as well as a few others, have been discussing the nature of freedom in a Christian sense. Not so much as the freedom from sin in Christ, but more the freedom to act, go, and say as we are guided by the Holy Spirit.

I would say besides the depth of community we’re just now beginning to grow in to after a few years in house church, this freedom has been one of the more impactful things I’ve enjoyed since moving away from a more traditional church setting.

Succintly, such freedom is…

Coming to terms with the fact that the New Covenant is not just an updated version of the old Law, which was a law of bondage, but that it is a law of liberty. A liberty that extends to all parts of the Christian’s life, and that is only tempered by the role of the Holy Spirit in his and those around him’s lives.

Perhaps this doesn’t seem particularly mind-blowing to you. And in writing, it’s really not. Coming to actually live like it was true is a whole different story.

I think the freedom I speak of is best described in examples:

With regard to where we go:

- It’s the freedom that lets Heather and I go dancing at a club (Opera, to be specific), and be completely wrapped up in each other, despite the drunkenness and foolishness going on around us. I felt freedom from the Lord for us to go, and had a great time.

- It’s the freedom that lets Heather and I go hang out with a bunch of buzzed and/or sloshed old friends and just-met friends at a bar and feel at ease and not be wrapped up in judgment. Ironically, we met a couple that night and talked to them/encouraged them for awhile about communal living and moving toward a house church-type environment. We simply would not have met them, had we not gone.

With regard to the believers close to us:

- It’s the freedom that lets me talk openly (and sometimes in jokes =) about Heather and I working with a marriage counselor about various issues. There’s no shame or judgment, because I trust those I share with are operating from a similar place of freedom.

- It’s the freedom that lets us talk about the no-no topics typically avoided in traditional settings. To be more clear, that would be: sex, struggling with pornography, trouble with money and/or debt, etc. It’s not necessarily easy, but we have found freedom to discuss such things.

With regard to what we do and say:

- It’s the freedom that lets me say the word: “damn”. or “ass”. Or any other word, for that matter. Taking the Lord’s name in vain has alot more to do with calling on the Lord after you’ve done the exact opposite of what He’s counseled you to do, and then blaming him when he doesn’t come through for you, than it does with the singular phrase, “God damn it.”

- It’s the freedom to have a beer. Or a glass of wine. Or really any type of food or drink.

Perhaps you don’t agree with all of these. What’s great is, even if I was completely wrong on one (or more!) of these, I have two huge boons that the New Covenant made a reality, that didn’t exist before:

- The Holy Spirit. The still, quiet, steady voice that guides. Inasmuch as I am able to hear His voice, I have freedom to enjoy life fully, and not get tangled up in a hyper-detailed code of law. (Hear me properly – I don’t have freedom to sin. But inasmuch as I what I do doesn’t damage myself, those around me, or my relationship with the Spirit, I am free.)

- The Body. I can’t always hear the Spirit speaking in to my life. Frankly, it can be quite difficult. But that’s just fine, and even by design. I am surrounded by believers who know about all things listed above. And they can hear the Spirit just as clearly as me. And they have responsibility that if they received a word for me about what I do or say, to tell me.

That about covers it. Feel free to comment or reply as you see fit, all thoughts are welcome!

[note/commentary: it seems silly to write some of those examples, as some reading them would consider them basic/"duh" type stuff. I tried to write this post to believers from all different sorts of places and worldviews, so to any given person, some of them would have to appear to be plainly obvious.]

We’ll just get right to it. I fundamentally struggle with whether having my own child is an act of selfishness when God [has broke/is breaking] my heart regarding HIS heart for neglected children and the unborn, and what part I could have in that. Or put another way – why would I bring my own child in to the world when there are millions already being aborted and unwanted that need parents just as badly as my own children would?

Perhaps selfishness isn’t the fairest word. Perhaps it would be better worded to say that I struggle with whether it’s God’s call on my life to have my own children rather than adopt… and ignoring that call would be selfishness.

There’s always danger in the zeal with this sort of thing. It’s happened innumerable number of times throughout history, believing something God told you so fiercely and deeply that you begin to think that it MUST apply to every other believer. I know both Heather and I have done that regarding another call on our lives, the call to missions, but that’s another story.

It’s funny how I feel I need to disclaim my words at the beginning of this post, before I’ve even said anything. I know some people read what I say above and immediately feel the need to go look for God’s command to Abraham about being fruitful and multiplying.

But the problem with fruit (in the literal sense) is that if there’s more of it than can be eaten (or if we’re talking about children, cared for), it rots. If the positive fruits of the command to be “fruitful and multiply” is the joy of children and family, the sinful results of the same command being twisted are abortion, neglect, and forced poverty… or summed up in one word, rot. At this point in my life, I feel that adoption is the primary way that God redeems the sinful results of the twisted of this particular command.

So at the end of day (which is coincidentally only 10 minutes from now) I’m still left with the question… what would God have me do? I guarantee Heather and I will be seeking his heart further about that question.

I assure you that you’ll find out the answer there as well, by whether we announce an adoption or a pregnancy in the future =).

There are 770 abortions for every 1,000 live births in NYC (CDC).*

Whoa. Hold on, now what? That’s saying that every time the 1,000th baby gets born in New York City, 770 pregnancies/babies have been aborted? I can’t wrap my mind around that.

Moving Beyond the Statistics

So while I by no means have come to terms with that number, I have found that it has had one effect on me – it breaks my notions about the topic, as well as breaking my heart. It makes me weep while I commute. It makes me realize that a merely political stance on the topic is not a place I want to be in. I don’t want to be able to produce eloquent reasoning about the topic, to change people passionate about the topic (i.e. very much passionate about a right to choice, but not actually intending to have an abortion themselves). There has to be more.

So what’s this “more”, then?

Keep in mind these are my initial thoughts about the topic, be gentle on me =).

This “more” is about sacrifice. It’s about love, and courage. It’s going WAY past the notions that prayer (the sort of blanket prayer with no specifics, just asking God to end abortion in the U.S.) and voting for the pro-life candidate are going to magically change the hearts and minds of the people. The problem with these two solutions is neither offer a “better way” for the desperation of some seeking an abortion.

Here’s what I suggest, ranked in order of importance to me. I’m not advocating you agree with me, but here’s what God has placed on my heart:

• 1. Adoption - Perhaps because I feel called to it, God has impressed this answer to me over and over. I was reflecting on it earlier today, how close the words Abortion and Adoption are to one another and while not defined as antonyms, form direct opposites when viewed in light of children. I am starting to see more clearly how the adoption of an unwanted child is a redemption of the abortion of an unwanted child.

  To abort the pregnancy of a person is one of the most ultimate forms of rejection – rejection of the person completely, to the extent that they no longer live. No other answer to abortion is as extreme in the opposite direction as adoption. To adopt a child is the ultimate form of acceptance, to take a person who is not your family or your own child, and treat them as if they were, for the rest of their lives.

  I realize there are many roadblocks to why adoption isn’t the best answer – it’s prohibitively expensive for the adopter (a recent email I saw from a friend pegged the price through a particular agency between $20,500 and $35,000, depending on the circumstances), adoption law is very messy and can wear heavily on all involved, etc, etc. Not to mention, it’s clear the number of unwanted babies greatly exceed the number of people willing to adopt.

  Fortunately for me, these roadblocks aren’t the destruction of my hope, or my own calling. My responsibility extends to what God has entrusted me to. Right now (as in, like, today), that responsibility means praying and seeking a mother who doesn’t want or can’t care for her baby and would otherwise abort it, and adopting it. Yes it’s only one, and that’s a drop in the pond. But it has to start somewhere, and for me, this is my place.

• 2. Prayer - I know several paragraphs ago that I didn’t see generalized prayer and voting as the solutions to the issue. Though I would whole-heartedly agree that both of these things do help, especially given the small amount of sacrifice involved with each.

  But what I mean when I say prayer is much more specific, putting myself in a place where I can see God work, and be much more involved. It means going to abortion clinics and just praying for the unborn, and perhaps even pleading with the mothers who would enter the clinic. It means finding ways to serve and minister to people who struggle with the decision of aborting or keeping their baby, and falling on God to change their hearts.

  Put succintly, its the type of prayer that puts you in a place where God has reign to ask you to sacrifice in some way. For me, that could be adoption. For you, it could be any number of things. (a few examples: volunteering at organizations that offer counseling to mothers, accepting ridicule and shaming at those who disagree with your actions or beliefs, supporting others financially or emotionally through the adoption process either on the adopter or the mother’s side.)

• 3. Awareness - I hate the word “awareness”. It’s usually applied to something that most people are fairly aware of already (did you know that February was National National Awareness Month Awareness Month? Epic list of all awareness-themed months, for the whole year!).

  I will list it though, because I do believe that a part of what needs to happen is that the people around me also become passionate about the topic. A real part of the problem with this topic is that the people who are aborted never have any say in the matter. While other social issues around the world typically deal with people who are less able to speak for themselves (usually the poor, victims of war, racism, etc.), there often arises an advocate personally affected by the injustice to speak for their brethren.

  This will never be the case with abortion. It’s not the type of thing where an unborn child will ever be able to hold a rally in D.C. and speak for all the other unborn children.

  So this third reason, Awareness, is really the reason for this post. I’m personally of the belief that God is the one who breaks a person’s heart on this topic, and I believe that when the facts about the topic are laid bare (the numbers of abortions, the methodologies, etc.), a person will be more receptive to being against the act.

  Look for more posts about this topic. If you know of any good agencies or organizations for linking adopters and women considering abortion, let me know. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please read the following information below. If you don’t, feel free to skip it as it contains info about what types of comments and discussions I will engage, and which I will delete.

  [Few ground rules for discussion. Fail to acknowledge them, and I promise your comment gets deleted.

  1. I'm not here to discuss whether abortion should be legal or not, or whether it is moral by the Bible or any other standard. I've come to an answer on this question (obviously) and debating these questions in the comments is a waste of time. God changes peoples hearts, and comments on blogs do not. I've tried to make it clear the purpose of the post isn't to try and sway your heart, only to let you know what I plan to do. If you'd like a theological explanation of how I feel about abortion, the Abort73's website has a fairly short discussion of the topic.

  2. I'm not going to discuss the issue of "what about rape, incest, health risk to mother or child". While it is a valid question, the VAST VAST majority of abortions have nothing to do with this question, if 770 babies are being aborted per 1,000 live births in NYC. I consider this question nearly exactly the same as asking a pacifist, "well what would you do if a person broke in and tried to murder your family, would you fight back then?" Sure, it happens, but its simply not the norm.

  3. If you can't behave by these two simple rules, I'll just lock the comments. If you want to discuss it further or in a more personal manner than in blog comments, email or facebook-message me. eric and henderson at g and mail dot com. Take out the and's and the at.

  4. If you can't help yourself and have to make this political, comment on this post, which addresses the topic very well. Britt is teh smart.]

  * Sourced from the CDC – Link to report, from 2002. Specific link to said info can be found by going to that report, and doing a Find (Ctrl- or Apple-F) for the phrase “776 per 1,000 in NYC”, without quotes.

  ]]> http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/10/abortion/feed/ 6 http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/10/callin-me-back-home-to-burnamwood/ http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/10/callin-me-back-home-to-burnamwood/#comments Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:43:16 +0000 Eric http://www.fraggedformysins.com/?p=656 This weekend, the ladyfriend and I will be going back to a camp that I attended pretty much for all of the 90′s, (so that’s like 5th grade to Senior in HS) that was very formative for me both as a believer and as a person. It’s called Burnamwood, it’s in Irvine, KY, and it’s made of win.

  Heather has never been, and as such there’s been some reservations about this camp, because most images and descriptions of it include some level of craziness (mud sliding, games with shaving creme, mass chaos), which is exactly the type of activity Heather is not a fan of. I’ve done my best (as well as Britain, mad props homegirl) to re-assure her that there is a place for her, and not everyone is crazy. In fact, there is a large swath of people who are very chill and quiet, and I think Heather could totally do well with those people.

  On a related note, we had some Chinese food on Tuesday night, and each got a fortune cookie. Heather opened hers, and it read:

  You’ll accomplish more later if you have a little fun this weekend.

  Holy crap. I started shouting, something along the lines of: “SWEET BABY JESUS, THANK YOU FOR BESTOWING US WITH THIS EXCELLENT PROPHECY OF TRUTH.” It was all kind of blurry. I’m thinking about taking the fortune and scanning it in to the computar.

  So anyway, see you next week. By the way, if you haven’t subscribed to the ericonceaday photostream (RSS LINK), you’re doing it wrong. Here’s a sample of some of the last two weeks best pics, that you’ve been missing.
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ]]> http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/10/callin-me-back-home-to-burnamwood/feed/ 1 http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/pocketses/ http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/pocketses/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:00:15 +0000 Eric http://www.fraggedformysins.com/?p=574 I’ve recently been trying to cut down on the amount and volume of items I carry around in my pockets every day. Hopefully this will turn out to be a before/after scenario, where this is the “before”, but here’s a brief view in to what I carry now (you’ll have to click the image to see the full-size version to read the captions), followed by a side-view of the height of each item:
  

  

  Suffice to say, this is waaay too much stuff. Especially since I’m considering ressurecting the Eric once-a-day photosteam, which would require carrying yet another bulky item, a camera.

  So I did some research, and here’s my sekrit plans for pocket domination:

  • 1. Wallet -First of all, it’s a 3-fold wallet with exactly 14 pockets and crevices for putting… well, I’m not sure what. It has a coin purse, two see-thru pockets, 2 areas for monies, and 2 secret compartments. This is vast overkill. Currently, I carry at most 40$, and the cards shown in the top picture (license, car insurance, medical insurance, 1 credit card, 1 debit card).
    Solution for Wallet (generalized) - Less cards, less scraps of paper, less discount cards. If you can significantly reduce the number, move to a smaller wallet.
    Solution for Wallet (for me) -(courtesy of the evar-useful mr. d10) – The Slimmy, and it’s smaller cuz, the SlimSlimmy, for the minimalist. Their marketing is elite:

    

  • 2. Phone(s) -Ugh. This is definitely the biggest problem area. The main issue is that I have to carry two phones, one for my personal number, and one for my work phone. I would happily just leave my work phone in my laptop bag… but sadly, I have to go on call every 2 or 3 weeks, and have the Treo on me 24/7.

    Solution(s) to Phone Issues (generalized) – Not sure anyone really has an issue with phones. Obviously a smaller, thinner phone is better. Or, if you do carry multiple phones, the phone that can roll with two SIM cards simultaneously is becoming a reality.
    Solution(s) to Phone Issues (for me) – Ideally, I’d have one phone that could carry and access two SIM cards simultaneously, which I had assumed didn’t exist… but some quick googling found… these!

    - Samsung D880 DuoS
    - HKC G1000 Dual SIM Phone with Windows Mobile 6

    Sadly, these lovely phones run about 3 to 400 dollas each, so thats pretty much out of my price range. More likely, I’ll replace the Treo with a much skinnier Blackberry Curve, and keep the Nokia, as it rox long-time.

  • 3. [What the] Keys - Ugh. The metal thorn in my side. Several times while writing this diatribe I’ve looked over my keys and tried to remove some useless key or accessory from it… but its all fail. The only thing I could remove is that little grey plastic thingie that’s at the bottom, and leave it in my car.
    Solution for Keys (generalized)- One strategy seems to be the way to go… try and determine which keys you don’t use at least once a month, and leave those keys in your car. This is assuming you will be near your car during those rare times you do need them.

    Solution for Keys (for me)- meh. got nothing. I’ve already pulled off anything I don’t use at least once a month.

  That’s all for now folks. I’d like to take a moment to congratulate myself on not making a single, “is that a ____ in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me” joke this entire post. Thank you, thank you very much, self.

  ]]> http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/pocketses/feed/ 6 http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/eric-novice-lumberjack/ http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/eric-novice-lumberjack/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:20:55 +0000 Eric http://www.fraggedformysins.com/?p=635 The chopping described/animated in my previous post has continued… Sunday, Monday, today. I’ve decided to make a routine out of it on afternoons I have available, and plan on having a lovely stack of firewood by the time it gets cold enough to make use of it.

  More pictures forthcoming, but here’s a taste of one of the new tools I picked up at Ace… it makes splitting wood much easier than with a sissy axe. For you suburbanites, its called a splitting wedge (mad respect to the true outdoorsman who knows way more about this crap than me), I put it in the top of the vertical log in the last picture from the last post, and then slam the top of it with a sledgehammer, till the wood finally gives up and is split in halves. Yeah!

  

  ]]> http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/eric-novice-lumberjack/feed/ 2 http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/my-weekend-or-a-treatise-on-manly-activities/ http://www.fraggedformysins.com/2008/09/my-weekend-or-a-treatise-on-manly-activities/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:08:21 +0000 Eric http://www.fraggedformysins.com/?p=615 This weekend, my parents came in to town. Hurray! Given that my parents both subscribe to the “busybody” theory of vacation (Heather subscribes to the “chillin’ hardcore” theory of vacation), we were in motion nearly the entire time they were here. Stone Mountain, trip to the mall and/or taco mac, and then dinner at Canoe on Saturday. Here’s a pic from the top of Stone Mountain:

  

  Last week, I borrowed an axe from my brother-in-law Andrew, for the purpose of trying to chop some of the logs in our back yard into firewood. Jason, our pet teenager, and the son of the Mooney’s, Micah, came outside to watch the festivities.

  I tried to make an animated gif using the “sports shot” from the Mooney’s camera. Sadly, I missed the log entirely the one shot that had me all the way down… oh well. Here’s the finished product. Jason is the esteemed photographer in the animated gif, with Becca and I taking the other pictures:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  So there you have it. Interestingly, my brother-in-law just came over, and tried to split the log that you see in the last photo. He informed me that wood is typically not this tough to split, and that usually it gives way alot easier than the log I had was. Which is actually good, cause I’m chopping it more for exercise and less for any real need for mounds of firewood.

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