What exactly do you do?

For most people, my occupation is mostly mystery.

I do three things:

• teaching
• reserach
• service.

It's easy to understand the teaching part.   The service part is sitting on committees that review applications for scholarships, or applications for tenure and promotion, or reviewing applications for research ethics approval.  I have done all of those.

The tricky part is the research part. Since I am in exercise science, most assume i study things like push-ups.  In truth we did some contract research for a company that made a product called, "The Perfect Push-up", but I prefer not to talk about that study.

In my younger days I did most of my research on protective clothing, as worn in the US Military, industry, and fire-fighting.  Those studies paid the bills, and got me promotions.  We still do a lot of these studies.  Here's an example:

T

After a few years, I realized that some of my grad students had little interest in protective clothing, so I started studying recovery from training.  That has been a fruitful reserach line for many years, and our lab has published more of these studies than any other lab.  I don't have a photo handy, but it looks a lot like running, lifting weights, swimming, soccer, and gymnastics.

Keppler said that "Science is thinking G^d's thoughts after him."

What a great enterprise!!

Those who have gone before...

Spending 30 years in a job means that lots of folks will come and go.  Whereas I don't have every name plate for those who have moved on, I have many of them.  One former colleague, when she married and moved away, said specifically, "Make sure Bishop doesn't get my name plate!"  Not sure form whence this sentiment arose, but my reputation was already made, I guess.

You'll notice my own name among those of my colleagues.  I have left the group for several bouts of a few months at a time.  One of great aspects of my job is that you can move to Houston, or Highland Falls, or Sweden, or even Botswana and never miss a pay check.  I don't understand it, but I ain't asking any questions.

Most of the names on the list above are good friends.  I won't tell stories on specific individuals, but these people represent some good ones.  A lot of them, I know where they are today.  All those with whom I worked directly I know where they presently reside.  A few are retired.

Lately I have been reflecting on the values of being older.  One of those advantages is that you have a long, long list of friends.  I count myself fortunate to know people around the world.

G^d gave us the gift of friendship.  I count it as one of my richest blessings!

Most of you reading this are friends.  Please accept my sincerest thanks.

Unexpected Museum

My family has been extremely Blessed to have to opportunity to visit some GREAT museums all over the world.  Here are a few that come to mind without prodding:
Field Museum in Chicago
British Museum of Natural History in London
Smithsonian
Aviation Museum, Pensacola
American Museum of Natural History, NYC
American Museum of Art, NYC
Cairo Museum
The Terra Cotta Warrior museum in Xian
The Country of Israel

Well, you get the picture...
Our friends wanted to take us to the Safari Museum in... Franklin, TN.  To be honest, it isn't really in Franklin, but about 4 or 5 miles outside Franklin on HWY 64 headed east towards Highlands, NC.

It was astounding!  Go see it if you ever get the chance.  It is essentially the display room of the head of the taxidermy shop, Bill F and his wife.  Here's what you can see:

Mr Bill F greeted us at the door and was obviously a people person.  In all our museum visits, I have discovered that a knowledgeable guide makes all the difference...

Just like in daily life.

The Tongue

Today's Sunday School class is on the Discipline of the tongue.  There are a ton of Scripture written about the power of the spoken word.  Likewise, because of its power, there is likewise a lot of stuff on the harm that words can do.

•      Ja 1:26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain.

•      Ja 3:1-5- Tongue is powerful

•      Proverbs 12:18 “Careless words stab like a sword, but wise words lead to healing.”

•      Ps 52:2 "Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor..."

•      Prov 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver…

•      Prov 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles.

•      Prov 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

 working deceitfully.

If I asked you to recall some positive things people have said to you, I hope you can readily come up with a few bon mots.  If I asked you to recall some crushing things people have said to you, I fear you, like most, can readily come up with quite a few things.

And that's a good principle to keep in mind.

Memories

For those of you who eschew hunting of any kind, this blog is not for you.

It is hard for non-hunters to understand hunting, and equally hard for hunters to explain it.  I wrote an article for Deer & Deer Hunting magazine while I was in Africa titled, "I am a Whitetail Snob."

Before I went to Africa, I had visions of hunting.  I had 10.5 months and connections with a top-notch professional hunter in northern South Africa.  When I got there and started seeing a lot of animals most of the appeal was gone.

A few years back, Bobby made arrangements for us to hunt elk in NM.  We drove out and in a couple of days Bobby killed an elk.  The next day I killed one.  It wasn't my idea of hunting.  The guides did the majority of the work, and all I had to do was stay calm and make a good shot at 256 yards.  I made the shot and greatly enjoyed the elk meat.

In Africa, hunting is similar to that elk hunt.  The guide finds the game, and says, "Shoot that one!"  It takes some shooting skill, and it must be thrilling for the moment, but I veiw that as mostly shooitng with a little hunting.

With the Whitetailed deer, Odocoileus Virginianus, it is a LOT of hunting with just a bit of shooting.  This past season was cut short due to late return from Africa combined with some terrible weather.  I had some great thrills nevertheless.

Over the years I have given away quite a few horns to friends.  One of our friends just started an antler-art business, and I found out about it today.  Consequently I gathered up a few horns to trade to her in exchange for a bit of antler art.  Here is what I had.

This collection is missing a few of my favorites which I don't want to give away.  Each set of horns represents a great memory of a hunt gone by.  A few of these, like the one on the center right, I recall very clearly.  Many of these I cannot recall, but I can think back to many a hunt including the majority of hunts where the only thing harvested is another pleasant memory, and that is more than enough.

Yep, hunting is hard to explain.

A lot of life is like that...

One of my most vivid memories is from 1968.  I had graduated High School that year, and a few weeks later was off to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis to begin Plebe summer.

Plebe summer at any of the academies used to have several purposes:

• Teach young high schoolers how to be midshipmen (or cadets),
• Get them in the "spirit" of the military warfighter,
• Test their mettle,
• Run off those who weren't committed to the program.

Or I could summarize this way:
It was one of the toughest 10 weeks of my life.

That said, in the late 1960's, the Naval Academy ended Plebe Summer with "Parent's weekend".  Parents of Plebes were invited to come up, see a parade and learn what the Naval Academy was all about.

My older brother Doug had graduated 3 years earlier, so the Naval Academy was not exactly new to my folks, but in a show of genuine sacrificial love, they drove a bit over 700 miles to see me and celebrate the end of Plebe Summer.

Parent's Weekend ended on Sunday evening with "evening meal formation" in which every midshipman at USNA lined up by companies to march in to the Dining Hall.  I was walking alongside my Dad on that brick, two-lane walkway that stretches like a aircraft runway between the Library and the Bancroft Hall couryard where we formed up.  We were near the famous Tecumseh statue when I remarked to my Dad,  in despair, "  It's just so tough, the same thing day after day!"

"Son", he said, "you'll find that a lot of life is like that."

That wasn't exactly the sympathy I was hoping for in that moment, but you know what?  He was absolutely correct.

Much of life is routine... and that's not always so bad.  What makes life satisfying is NOT the variety.  Variety may be the spice of life, but G^d is the source of meaning, even in the midst of monotony.

And that's the truth!

Thanks Dad.

Worship

We had a very enjoyable Sunday School class this AM.  The topic was "The Discipline of Worship".   Take a minute and think about how YOU define worship.

If you are like MOST Americans you define it strictly in terms of CORPORATE worship.  In fact, that is the way the author did, in the book that is guiding us.  And there is NO doubt that corporate worship is extremely important.  But take a look at Romans 12:1.

Offering our bodies as living sacrifices, as a spiritual service, or spiritual service of worship-- it's the same either way.  But the point is that worship is a 24/7 opportunity and the day of worship isn't just Sunday, but Monday- Sunday, repeat.

If worship is restricted to corporate worship, then there won't be much genuine worship.  BUT, if worship corporately follows a week of personal worship-- now that will be a great time!

One thing we didn't get to discuss was the important role of music, in personal, as well as corporate, worship.  You don't need a pipe organ, a piano, or a skilled musician to engage in musical worship.  No matter how bad your voice, you can sing to the L^rd a song of worship, and the ONE who made your voice will recieve glory in your offering.

After class was over it dawned on me how circular worship is.  True worship originates with the Holy Spirit who stirs us to worship G^D the Father, which is only possible because of the the Shed blood of the Son of G^d.  Jesus himself told us, that,

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks."  Jn 4:23

So enjoy a WEEK of worship instead of a day of worship.