Recovery feels like "the valley of the shadow of death".

I'm finally begining to lose my fear that I will live.

I just got home from the hospital about two hours ago. Had my appendix hacked out yesterday. Will post more details later. Doctor says I can't drive for a week.

Years ago, the jackrabbits were so plentiful you could round up hundreds of them in one square mile in Kansas. That's what the old guys tell me. Not anymore. The rabbit-chasers, coyotes, and hawks pretty well wiped them out.

This year is a strange year. It rains here in Kansas this year. And there are no hawks. No hawks. Anyone who lives here (or lived here) knows how strange that is. I have no idea why they disappeared. I've seen one hawk this year. And there's corn. What we call "dry land corn" here. So I suspect that the jackrabbits have more cover, fewer predators, and may be on the verge of a come-back.

This guy has been showing up rather routinely in our front yard.

The date on the pic is wrong - camera wasn't set.

This customer made the cable so that he could run it from a friend's house out across the parking lot to the van where he was sleeping with his computer. He's a mobile computer tech here in Hutchinson. He was having problems with the cable because it had TWO splices in it like this.

The whole time he was in here he was bragging about his technical skills.

I'm a little suspicious that we're so busy because people are tired of dealing with guys like that.

We're currently studying Ecclesiastes in our Sunday School sessions. Following are some of my ruminations about Ecclesiastes 1-3.

In Ecclesiastes chapters 1-3, Solomon expresses a deep frustration with several problems he is unable to resolve:
- The work to which he has given his heart has not satisfied his longings.
- The material things he has accumulated will be left to someone else, who may not manage it as well as Solomon has.

As I thought about Solomon's life, and compared it to the lives of David and Saul, as well as some other leaders I have personally observed, a recurring theme seemed to develop. It is this: How we respond to things that increase or decrease the material goods in our possession, and the position of authority and responsibility we may have, is determined largely by one thing: a perspective of stewardship, or a perspective of ownership.

Solomon viewed his position as a position of ownership. This is evidenced in several key ways:
- When Solomon found out that Ahijah gave Jeroboam 10 pieces of his robe, he tried to kill Jeroboam. (1st Kings 11:26-40) He clearly viewed Jeroboam as a threat.
-There is no record of Solomon addressing Rehoboam as David addressed Solomon in 1st Kings 2:1-4. No plan for succession.

In Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, Solomon laments leaving his things to the man who shall be after him, and expresses uncertainty about who that man will be. This is a clear indication of a lack of planning for successful succession, and a primary trademark of an "Owner". An "Owner" does not give any real thought to cultivating talent to replace himself. After all, these things are MINE, why should I give them to another person? Potential replacements are viewed as enemies to be destroyed, since they are clearly usurpers trying to oust the incumbent.

On the other hand, a "Steward" views his responsiblities as something given him, not something earned. Therefore, a steward recognizes that someone greater than himself has given him a field of responsibility, and can just as easily take it away. A steward mentality cultivates talent and gifts in others, and understands that the authority placed on him is never about himself, but about something much greater than himself. A steward expects that others will achieve greater heights after he himself passes from the scene. Conversely, an owner believes that no one can do it better than himself.

It is a rarity to find a stewardship mentality in government or business. Most men will hang on to their position of control as long as possible. It is a rare leader who cultivates a replacement and facilitates a smooth transition of responsibility.

The stewardship mentality is often more noticeable in church leadership. It is very appropriate for church leaders to cultivate younger talent, and facilitate smooth transition of responsibility and authority. This has a positive effect on the stability of the church. There are cases, however, where a church leader stays behind the wheel until he gets to the point where he refuses to turn it over to someone else. This has a very disconcerting effect on the church.

The nation of Israel was never as united as it was under David and Solomon. It was never as divided as it was immediately after Solomon's passing. Solomon was an owner; David was a steward. The state in which they left the kingdom is a huge testament to their viewpoints in life.

Solomon reminds me a lot of Samson. They were both given unusual gifts that were intended to make them extraordinarily effective in leading God's people. However, they largely used these gifts to serve their personal interests. Both gifts allowed each man an unusual helping of self-gratification. It is interesting to note that both men - possibly because they had no real logistical barriers to personal gratification - developed very serious women problems. Solomon hints broadly at his failure to find satisfaction in his relationships with his women in Ecclesiastes 7:26 - "And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her." In the end, both men are remembered for their heights of folly where they could have been remembered for astonishing greatness.

How do we view our lot in life? Are we owners, or stewards? The results are evident in our hearts every time something is taken off our balance sheets.

I think COX goofed when they worked on our connection. I'm not complaining.

Just picked up a Duraplane Trainer 40 last Thursday. This thing should take the punishment I'll dish out to it till I've learned to fly.

Also just ordered a Spektrum DX6i radio. Cool thing is it will do helicopters too. Maybe I'll try that sometime. Been flying helis in RealFlight G4. Takes some doing.

I'll post some pics of my workbench later. The plane is already in progress.

This stuff is being procured through http://www.hangarhobbies.com located in Wichita, KS. Sure, I could order all this stuff through Tower Hobbies or another online site, but it's hard to hold a conversation with a website and get questions answered, ya know? What surprises me is they match Tower's prices. Sure makes it nice to have a good hobby shop this close.

Oh, and the thing is getting a OS 46AX engine. The remote needle valve is a really nice feature. Should help me keep my knuckles intact. I don't like the idea of breaking an 11" prop over my knuckles.

Today is our first Sunday School session in Ecclesiastes. After teaching Revelation and 1st & 2nd Peter, Solomon almost leaves me cold.

I think I'm going to tell my class that we're studying the writings of the greatest polygamist the world has ever known. Kinda puts some things in a new perspective.

Following are the main points I want to cover in our discussion this morning:

1. Wisdom that is not directed by the Holy Spirit will focus on pleasing myself.
2. Just because he was the wisest man ever to live does not make Solomon a role model for us.
3. The real product of Solomon’s wisdom was shown by the actions of his son Rehoboam.
4. The truest form of wisdom is that which is directed by the Holy Spirit and causes us to live in peace with both God and man. (James 3:18 – And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.)

On the way home from church today, I noticed the perfect weather. Got home, called a friend of mine, and sure enough, he was at the gliderport. After lunch, Shawn, Eric, and I headed out there. The picture above is what it looked like a few minutes after we got there. I went up with a friend in the Grobe Astir in the foreground. We towed to 2,000 feet, then hit a thermal and released. We had excellent thermalling and got up to 5,000 feet - right under the cloud base. Just an incredibly beautiful June day. What a wonderful day to be out flying! Definitely rekindled my interest in getting licensed.