Jack of all trades, master of none or Jack of all trades with a master of one®?

Well, God’s Fellow Workers (2006-2008) just quickly surpassed the two year mark of Officership. Is it everything I expected? Everything and more. And more. And more. and…well, you get the point. At Crestmont the concept of ‘officership’ was always in my mind, but the reality was something that seemed far away. I knew that it was coming. I couldn’t wait for it to come. I was preparing for it to arrive. And then concept met reality on July 16, 2008. It was good in a ‘jumping off a 20 foot pier into a foot of water’ way. I wasn’t fully prepared for what awaited us at the Corps.
Before becoming an Officer I worked for the Army for 10 years as an employee. In working for the Army I became accustomed to my job descriptions ending with the words ‘and other duties as assigned’. If I had a normal, physical job description as an officer it would not doubt end with the words ‘and all other duties as assigned and unassigned’. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining (this time), but there are so many aspects to this job (or calling, if you must) that one cannot hope to be proficient in every single phase of officership. It is a sometimes tough, grueling sludge through things that have to get done in order to protect, or propel, the mission. There is an old saying that describes someone who does many things without perfecting any of them as a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’.
Just off the top of my head, here is a very incomplete list of ‘trades’ that I have plied in my two years of officership.


Driver
In-home Care giver
Preacher
Teacher
Accountant
Toilet Cleaner
Baby sitter
Launderer
Complaint Department
Store Clerk
Wedding Officiate
Suicide Counselor
Praise Band substitute member
Prayer warrior
Waiter
Food line server
Bad guy
Cook
Phone Operator
Cashier
Clothes Sorter
Trash engineer
Donation collector
Tour guide
Tax preparer
24 hour on-call
Parking enforcement officer
Chairperson
Table mover
Night watchman
House cleaner
Carpenter
Low level plumber
Verbal punching bag (literal)
Counselor
Travel agent
Grant writer
Good guy
Caregiver
Master of Ceremonies
Funeral Officiate
Human Resources Department
Board member
Plumber
Punching bag (figurative)
Parking attendant
Tent repairer
Carpet Cleaner
Camp planner
Painter
Security Guard
Social Worker


As I stated above this is a very incomplete list. I once worked with an officer who once complained about something that he needed to accomplish, but had no desire to do. I answered quite flippantly, and in hindsight quite inconsiderately, that he had ‘signed up for it’. I can’t remember how he responded to me, but I think about that exchange almost every time that I am engaged in doing something that a) I am not proficient in or b) don’t really want to be doing. And (can I start a sentence with ‘and’?), let’s be honest there are many situations that fit the first description. And (again I fight grammar) to be even more honest the second probably presents itself more than it should, but this isn’t a confessional so I will move on from this digression.
So are we set up to be a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’? Yes and no. There are many things that I do so infrequently that I cannot hope to become an expert at them (however, this does not give me an excuse not to try my best or give my all in those situations). But there are many things that I do so frequently that I must master them (preaching, teaching, counseling, etc) for the sake of others and my ministry. So the term ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ isn’t completely true. I guess I will just have to settle on being a ‘jack of all trades with a master of one®.


Philippians 2:13-17
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[a] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Craig Summerfield: Welcome to Canada, it's the Maple Leaf State...or is it Welcome to Canada, it's the make believe state?

I typed up today's blahg in a Word document but Blogspot wouldn't allow me to copy and paste it. So here is a link to the newest Blahg.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/craig-summerfield/welcome-to-canada-its-the-maple-leaf-stateor-is-it-welcome-to-canada-its-the-mak/417719839137

40 years of fun

Fifteen days ago I turned 40. I used to flippantly tell people that I probably wouldn't live to be 3o and here I am 10 years past my self imposed due date. I used to think that 40 would feel different. I am not sure if I expected to wake up on July 2, 2010 and be a different person, or if at the exact time of my birth my back would star aching. Neither happened. It is kind of like to first time I left the United States (not counting trips to Canada and Mexico) for vacation in England. I somehow expected that once we landed at Gatwick airport I would feel like a different person-a world traveller. I did not. Even after visiting multiple countries I didn't feel like a different person, just the same person who had travelled more (in one five year stretch my birthday in five different countries - 97 Jamaica, 98 Guyana, 99 United States, 00 Russia and 01 Dominican Republic). Likewise I don't feel any older or wiser at forty than I did at 39. However, I have learned a few things in the past year about aging.
1. Bifocals-I have been wearing glasses since I was 15 and up until a couple of years ago they were good for reading at any distance. Lately I have to do the old guy tilt. You know when you're trying to read something close up and you either read it as you always have, or you have to tilt your head back and read it under the lenses of your glasses. Very soon I will need to get down on my knees and thank Ben Franklin for having the idea of bi-focals so guys like me can tilt our head back a little less for reading purposes.
2. stray hair- I used to have an impressive hairline. I still do compared to some men. However, lately I have been finding stray hairs about 1/4 to 1/2 inch lower than the rest of the hairline. (It is almost as if the rest of the hairs have decided, for some strange hair reason that humans can't fathom, that they no longer want to hang out with the stray hair) Now, I don't think that my hairline has receeding so I am not sure if the hair is finding new places to sprout, or I am in denial about my hairline. If the former I consider myself lucky, if the latter then I need to seriously consider #3...
3. Losing weight- because fat guys don't look cool bald. There I said it. Maybe some big guys can pull it off, but most (not you of course) just look like they have done it out of necessity not out of coolness like skinny guys do. Maybe this is the over 40 guys body image issue de jour. Ladies have Barbie to blame, and we have skinny bald guys.

I am sure there are more but I need to go and move furniture so our new carpet and linoleum can be installed next week.

XOXOXOXO,

My Christian attitude versus Christian Platitudes.

Writing a blog everyday is something very new to me. I want to continue to do it as much as possible but I don't know exactly what I can write to fill up a daily blog. I don't want to be a theological wanker ( I know, I know that this word has negative connotations in British usage, and that is the only usage I know as well, but in using it I don't mean it in that way. I mean that I don't want to be like a lot of bloggers who think that they are theologically intelligent because they throw out a lot of other people's quotes and think that that is what makes them intelligent.) 'Oh, how clever', I want to scream at their over serious, ridiculous ramblings, 'yes the church should be a driving force in the world, BUT HOW genius'? 'well, yes you are a clever little devil saying that we should be more like the founders of our particular denomination [yeah, I said it: DENOMINATION] because nothing nowadays is religious OR holy enough'.
Wow, in rereading that it sounds negative and it wouldn't suit this blog to come off as negative when my true intent was sarcasm (why is sarcasm called the lowest form of wit when it is so hard to perfect?)
So let me just finish today's writing by telling you one of the things (of many)that drives me crazy-the phrase 'God is good'. ARGH just typing it makes me want to test his goodness by driving to Walmart and seeing if I get a good parking place, because we all know that if my space is more than 5 spaces back then God, by definition, is not good. Or at least he won't get any love on Facebook statuses (stati?) for being good. Good and bad are human constructs and God is above that. To say 'God is good' is an anthropomorphism (I have a theory that if someone wants to sound intelligent they just need to learn to say this word without fumbling their way through it and then people will believe anything they say)and to try and bring God to our level seems to me to be an inexcusable (NOT unforgivable) action.
Well I finished another blog. This makes 4 days in a row. God is...HEY!
Theologically yours,

I would like to thank the World Cup for reminding me why I dislike soccer (or if you are a purist, football) so much. The final game had a whopping score of 1-0. Really? One goal in 90 minutes of play. That is boring! I have heard the argument that because there are so few goals it makes the goals that are actually scored more exciting. That is pure crap. That is like saying that the whole of the Star Wars prequels were good because the final fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan (in Revenge of the Sith) was good. Bull! Getting there is not half the fun if it is mind numbingly, excruciatingly dull. 'But Craig', I can anticipate some of you saying, 'soccer is the most popular sport in the world.' True, and the players are great athletes, but the game is boring.

Except for boringness I am hard pressed to think of exactly why I dislike soccer. I like indoor soccer because of its fast pace. I like hockey, which also has low scores, but it also has hits and fights (on the ice as opposed to in the stands) so there is an excitement factor. I dislike baseball because of its start/stop nature. Basically the same with American Football. There are hits but it also starts and stops very frequently. So what is the best sport in my opinion? Basketball. Despite being played by overpaid, self important players, it has high scores and mostly fluid playing (except in the last few minutes of some games, which is annoying).
So what am I trying to say? I find soccer boring, but I would never begrudge someone the right to watch it. I would one day like to be able to watch a full game and say, 'wow 1-0 that was a great game', but I don't thing that day will never come.
If you like soccer/football I honestly hope you enjoyed the World Cup and maybe you can explain to me what I am missing.

Just sitting here in the stench of by own well earned b.o. Today I have been cleaning out the garage so new carpet can be put down on Tuesday. We are at the beginning of a big update of the quarters. The house is 21 years old and the carpet and laminate flooring are both original. Ewwww, right? So in the midst of everything that is going on (regular life, pregnancy, etc) we are moving everything in the house in three waves (garage, kitchen/dining room/bathrooms and rest of the house) to make the floors accessable. This wouldn't be too bad, but we are one lifter/packer down, so I am on my own in the moving department (which is fine with me since it means baby S will soon be here).
Since baby S is soon to arrive I thought that it would be interesting (or at least fun for me) to write a few things about Fatherhood that I already have decided. These will be divided into two categories: 'Things I don't like but will probably cave in on' and 'Things I will not cave on'.
1. Things I don't like but will probably cave in on
- Santa Claus. I am not a fan of Christmas. I know that it celebrates the birth of Jesus at the wrong time of year, but I am fine with that aspect of it. What I don't like is Santa Claus and the untruths that go along with his mythology. However, I married into the wrong family if I want to extracate Santa from my life, so I will give into it and let family fill her head with Santa stuff while I put my name on EVERY gift that is from me.
-Pink/frilly clothes/tea parties/Disney Princesses I am not into these things but if baby S likes them, I will let her and support her. EXCEPT for the Disney stuff. NO PRINCESSES!
2. Thing I will not cave on
-the word 'fair'. Life isn't fair. Get over it. The sooner learned, the sooner we can move on to real life.
-sports leagues that don't keep score. Life keeps score. Not everybody wins everytime. Learn it. Live it. Thrive on it.
-dispensationalism is silly. Since Veggie Tales have been mum about Revelation and the Resurrection, this lesson may have to wait until she is a bit older. Unless she starts reading the Left Behind for kids when she learns to read at 2 years old. Then we will have some great theological debates.

That is all for now as I must get back to work.
Your working boy,

Well, I finally made it. I am now at the bottom of the front steps of the door that leads to middle age. This is a good thing because if 40 is the beginning of middle age I should theoretically live to be at least 80. Not bad.
I spent my 4oth birthday in Honolulu visiting restaurants we don't have on the Big Island and watching a movie in that newfangled 3D (which we do now have in our 'little' town). The movie we saw was Toy Story 3. It was good, but the 3D did not add anything to the movie except $4 to the ticket price. It tugged at the heartstrings, but not in the same obvious, over-the-top toy with your emotions way that 'UP' manipulated a cryfest out of some people. Toy Story 3 was a good movie, not Pixar's worst (The Incredibles) but not the best either (Monster's, Inc).
For my birthday I received the 'Tales of the Gold Monkey' Complete Series DVD. I have been waiting a long time for this series to come to DVD. I almost broke my own rule (and federal law) and came close to buying bootleg DVDs of it. Almost, but never did. I haven't had the opportunity to watch the whole series yet, but what I have been able to watch is fantastic in a somewhat cheesy 80's kind of way.
Well I am tired and I have typed more than I expected, so I will sign off now.

p.s. I will be a father soon...yee haw!