Free Indeed, Through the Eyes of a Dog

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

~ John 8:34-36

Last week Donna and I spent an evening with my son, Phil, and his fiance, Sarah, at the home of Sarah’s parents, Mike and Susan.  Phil and Sarah’s one year old basset hound, Dennis, was also there.  They do not like to leave Denny home alone, nor does Denny like to be alone.  He’s a very personable dog and, even though he is full grown, Denny is still full of playful puppy energy.

You Never Know What a Day Might Bring – Part 6

It’s been over a year since the heart attack I suffered while hang gliding (see the “Heart Attack 3/6/09″ link on the right).  In regards to flying, I did return to the skies about 6 weeks after the event, and even though I never get to fly as often as I like, I was still able to put in over 10 hours of air time during 2009.  I set a personal altitude record of over 6,000 feet, and my longest flight of 2009 was about 2 hours and 20 minutes.  You can see a music video of some footage I shot of that flight by clicking here.  It was a fantastic day of foot-launched hang gliding at the Richmond Dale ridge (the same location where I had the heart attack) with five other Ohio Flyer pilots.

The “Illusion” of Design and Purpose?

To see a display of color that can rival the leaves on a sunny autumn day, visit a gathering of hang glider pilots as they unfurl their wings to prepare them for a day of flying.  Some sail colors are subdued, but most are bright and symmetrical, and it’s typically rare to see identical patterns from one kite to the next.  Other variations exist in the sizes and types of gliders.  Beginner wings typically have a lower “aspect ratio” with noticeably wider square footage nose to tail.  Higher performance kites are thinner, and the structure of the wing may be more rigid, imitating the wing design found on fixed wing airplanes.

You Never Know What a Day Might Bring – Part 5

After a forced but thoroughly enjoyable and fruitful recuperation period I started the gradual transition back to a normal life.  An appointment with my own cardiologist several weeks after the heart attack gave me the opportunity to fully explain to him the circumstances around the event.  Dr. Mehta felt partly responsible for giving in to my pressure to stop taking Plavix in October 2008, but I assured him that he had fully warned me of the risk I was taking, and that the decision was one that I owned completely.  He viewed the brief video of my emergency catheterization procedure about which he commented “You were one sick fellow.”  Even so, Dr. Mehta said that, after a month, I could do anything I wanted to do, including flying.  I should just listen to my body and quit if it said “Enough!”  He also prescribed cardiac rehabilitation at the hospital near my home, which I started a few days later.

Transcendence and Glory

We have three boys who are now adults.  Our oldest, Ryan, is interested in the more traditional sports, especially basketball and golf.  Ryan has the most naturally gorgeous basketball shooting form of anyone I know, and the same is true of his golf swing.  The guy just had it from the womb!  Jeff, my second son, and his brother Phil have had an interest in non-traditional sports, particularly extreme BMX biking.  Donna and I have supported all 3 boys in their interests and activities, usually timing our summer vacation plans around the sports camps they wanted to attend.

Recreation and Redemption

We all do it.  We all recreate.  If you want to start a lively discussion among friends or even strangers, just ask them what they like to do to have fun.  Those of us who seek to live an integrated life in which our faith in God is actively woven through every fabric of our existence had better develop a theology that includes recreation as a vital element.  Otherwise we could be accused of being inconsistent in our systems of belief.

I have devoted much time in reflection and study of this topic.  Perhaps this is because I enjoy playing so much that I hope to justify the time I spend in the pursuit of recreational happiness.  But I honestly believe that God is pleased when our frolic bolsters our faith and when the end result of an afternoon of play causes us to well up in gratitude to the Lord of creation who made it all possible.   So allow me to take a crack at developing a theology of recreation that may settle into your soul, giving you reason to rejoice in the God of rest and refreshment.

Turkey Vultures and Venn Diagrams

Eagles are majestic birds who rule the skies above mountains and ridges, but few birds compare in their thermal soaring abilities like the turkey vulture.  These relatively large birds live all over the North American continent and are usually associated by most people as devourers of carrion – dead animals (as in road kill).  Vultures scavenge for food in open fields, along shorelines, and in rocky terrain, but they most often are seen circling in the skies as they search for their next meal.  The scientific name for turkey vulture, Cathartes aura, means “cleansing breeze.” They are not deemed the most beautiful of birds, perched in a creepy, hunched over position when not in flight. 

Eagles, Wonder Winds, and Rest

The most memorable flight I’ve had so far took place at the Richmond Dale ridge on a Saturday afternoon in mid-October 2007.  The flight lasted 3 1/2 hours.  Two other Ohio Flyer pilots enjoyed the flying on that day which always adds a extra level of enjoyment as together we explore the atmosphere around the ridge.  Only a few times did I need to scratch (fly close to the trees or near the top of the ridge) to stay up. Most of the time I was able to experiment with finding the best part of the lift band while trying to gain as much altitude as possible. I was only able to achieve a maximum altitude of 350 feet above the launch, but my variometer logbook recorded a cumulative altitude gain during the flight of 10,700 feet.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Part 3

The freshly-rennovated radial ramp at Henson's Gap is one of the nicest launch ramps in the world.

Team Challenge is a hang gliding competition event sponsored and hosted by the Tennessee Tree Toppers hang gliding club based in Dunlap, Tennessee.  Their premier launch sight at Henson’s Gap is the location of the week long meet that is promoted as an event where cross-country flying novices are teamed up with more experienced pilots.  Scoring is based on a sliding scale where the distances accomplished by team members each day are multiplied by a factor determined by each pilot’s relative skill level and glider performance level.  Tom, a member of the Ohio Flyers club, had lobbied for our involvement in the meet each year, but to my knowledge no team made up of just Ohio Flyers members had ever competed.  Dad’s challenge to me to “go for it” prompted my registration for the event in the fall of 2008.  Some other Ohio Flyers registered as well.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Part 2

On Wednesday this week my father, who lives with mom next door to us in the home where I grew up, came over to ask if I wanted to go with him to fly indoor electric remote control airplanes in the gymnasium of an elementary school not far from where we live.  I was pleased that he asked me to go; I was hoping we could spend more time together during my recuperation enjoying his flying hobby.  Dad’s real passion, when the weather permits, is flying RC gliders and sailplanes from slopes or by towing them up with a small electric winch.  It’s a miniature version of what I do in hang gliding.  We frequently compare notes on how the flying was that day in each of our aviating worlds.  Today, even though it was warm outside, was too gusty to fly outdoor model airplanes so the indoor variety would suffice.

Aviation of one form or another has been a part of our family life from my earliest recollections.  Gas-powered control line and RC model airplanes pacified our interests until my brother’s desire to learn to fly launched him, Dad, and me into the world of full-scale aviation.  We all earned our pilots’ licenses while I was in Jr. High and High School.  I could legally fly an airplane by myself before I could drive a car by myself.  My brother went to technical school after graduation where he earned his airframe and powerplant mechanic’s license.  He’s now the chief mechanic and inspector for a jet charter service in Columbus.  Dad owned several different small airplanes during the time that we were actively flying.  At this present time, none of us has a current license to fly an airplane.