Do you have Easter plans?
Join us for Easter morning on Sunday, April 24th @ 10AM (9AM for a free pancake breakfast) at Graceada Park in Modesto, CA.
Easter 2011 from Redeemer Modesto on Vimeo.
We have been attending Redeemer for the past six months and I can honestly say that I have never been in a church that communicates the gospel so consistently and effectively.
Seriously.
Are you continuing to look for your acceptance, security, value, and worth in stuff (read: junk)? Are you searching desperately to find peace in religious behavior (read: how to behave like a Christian)? Or maybe you are like me, I spent years suffering from "gospel amnesia." I began trusting more in systematics than a savior. Evangelism was more about telling people what I had done and how I lived than what Christ had accomplished and how He lives in me!
This is no bait and switch. Come worship with us on Sunday April 24th at 10AM. Learn about Jesus. Hear the Gospel. Find out how the same power that conquered the grave can live in you!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Reluctant Evangelists
Found this morning on the Reformissionary blog.
Here are five of the "Ten Commandments for Reluctant Evangelicals." I found these particularly insightful, especially as I consider the lack of passion for evangelism I've seen over the years among myself and others in the reformed church.
- Shut the lid on your computer.
- Get out among people. When Jesus saw the crowds he was moved with compassion.
- Set aside a regular time/s each week to share the gospel. Don’t come home until you do.
- Be accountable to someone to stay on track.
- Spend time with people who share their faith and make disciples. Learn from them and catch their heart.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Dinner at Phil's
A quick trip to Santa Cruz for a New Year planning weekend. Kenj and I got caught up on some long overdue paperwork and school discussions. We capped the night with a quick trip to refuel at our favorite seafood restaurant on the coast. Phil's Fish Market claims to serve the best cioppino in the world (Phil proved it by beating Bobby Flay on Throwdown). I have to agree that it's pretty dang close to the best I've had.
Ten out of ten Fletchers agree that Phil's is a worthy stop when you are visting the central coast. Tucked in and amongst the fisheries and docks in Moss Landing, CA (look for the smoke stacks between Santa Cruz and Monterey) you will find this warehouse/market/restaurant. It's first come, first serve...never any reservations. It tends to get packed by dinnertime, so plan accordingly. We give it 5 out of 5 stars!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
A New Look...again?
That's right!
Through a providential turn of events, theMangoTimes was asked to pack up and move from their prior rental space on the web. So, like a dilapidated old Winnebago, we loaded up all of our belongings and moved across the Internet. Thanks to Sven at SvenonTech for the great lead (seriously people...Sven rocks!), we have landed at our new trailer space on the web.
If you are viewing theMangoTimes on a reader, pop on over to our website and see if you agree. We hope you like our new look and interface.
Anyhow, we are here, we are happy, and we hope to stay for a long time...
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Gospel Amnesia
***2014 UPDATE TO THIS BLOG POST - IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THE PODCAST OF GOSPEL AMNESIA. FOLLOW THIS LINK.
I wrapped up last year spending three days with thirty-five young men at a leadership conference. I was very thankful for the opportunity and the invitation to speak on the topic of leadership and with these young guys In considering my topic, I was immediately drawn to 1Timothy 4:11-12. I shared that Paul (the old guy) encouraged Timothy (the young guy) to lead by example in five areas: speech, conduct, faith, love and purity. For three days, that is exactly what I did with these young men.(photo courtesy Creative Studios Photography)
On the last day, I uncovered the topics of lust and purity. Often, these topics are not spoken about in the public arena with teenage men, yet I have always found it easy to find a connection and did not waste much time navigating through this discussion. My audience (which had largely been asleep) suddenly began to straighten up and engage in what I was saying. I think they realized I was going to punch through some of the tougher subjects and not hold back.
As I spoke to these guys there was a moment that I tripped on my words. As I was speaking, suddenly what I said caused me to speak and listen at the same time. It was funny, because I had prepared for weeks what I was going to say. I crafted the discussion and I had reviewed it before getting up to speak. It wasn't until I began to speak out loud that it suddenly applied to me.
I wonder if this happens to pastors who preach weekly. Probably.
Anyhow, I stumbled through my words while trying to listen to God speak to me at the same time. I'm not sure if I pulled it off or not, but I'm thankful most of the guys were drifting in and out of sleep and missed my distinct pause. I'm not talking about a monumental life-changing event. This was just a simple truth in life I discovered while I spoke. It began as I was sharing with them about helping fellow believers that are "stuck" in their faith. I suggested one of the ways we can help someone who is stuck in sin or in their relationship with God is to merely remind them of the gospel.
That's when it happened. I had what others describe as a lightbulb moment. Instantly I was able to describe much of what I had been thinking about in 2010 with a single phrase. As I spoke to these young men at the leadership conference, I realized that I had been one of those people that was stuck. It's not that I was stuck in sin. I was not having a crisis in my faith. I was not abandoning the church. I was just stuck. Somehow...somewhere...I had developed a case of "gospel amnesia."
You see, after years and years of ministry and church involvement, I found myself struggling in 2010. Much of the year felt like I was waking up out of a slumber and rediscovering old truths. As I looked back on previous years, I began to question what had taken place. As I looked at my life I realized that I had a form of faith. I also found that I had been tangled in a mess of religion. I had gospel amnesia. For years, I had been working hard at the outward lifestyle of Christianity, but the roots of that lifestyle were established in the fear of man. I was "doing Christianity" because of what I read and saw others "doing." I was saying/repeating what others were saying or sometimes what they thought was important to say. Again, I had gospel amnesia. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that my faith was a sham, but it wasn't authentic either.
Conversation after conversation had taken place all year and I kept trying to pinpoint what I was thinking and what I had learned. I kept searching for ways to communicate what exactly I meant. Then, in the last few moments of the year, it came into focus...and quite unexpectedly. 2010 was a year of curing the amnesia with heaping doses of the gospel. 2011 will be a year of rediscovering how to live out my faith with authenticity and Spirit-led humility.
What are your plans for 2011?
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Four Score
TIME, 12/22/30 (courtesy of TIME archives)
Eighty years ago today, on a cold December morning in Somerville, New Jersey, the world changed. In a sense, my world was changed too. Well...let me back up and clarify this for some of you that may already be confused. I am well aware that I have only been around for the past forty-two years.
Clearly, I did not exist eighty years ago and I really do not intend to speak paradoxically, but my world as I live it out today was changed (or begun) on that frozen East Coast morning. It was also when the stories began.
Modeling Hand-Me-Downs in the backyard
Joseph Raymond Fletcher was born at home on the morning of December 22nd, 1930. His father, a quiet English gentleman was a lace-worker by trade. His mother was a full-blooded Italian woman and was just plain feisty by trade. With five children in the Fletcher home, my dad had two brothers (Tony and Tom) and two sisters (Katherine and Marie). The close quarters of that small home on East Cliff Street taught my dad from a young age the importance of family relationships and how to get along with crazy family members. Elbows were often bumped among siblings and parents, but it was in this environment that he entered this world and learned from a young age how to not sweat the small stuff.
Winter circa 1944
Graduation 1948
Historically, my father was born in the midst of the Great Depression. During his life, my dad has lived through thirteen different presidents and six American wars. He likes to remind anyone who will listen that he was getting ready to turn eleven when America went to war (the Big One) and a freshman when it was drawing to a close. Key dates have been repeated every year since they occurred: Pearl Harbor Day, D-Day, V-E day, V-J day, Hiroshima, Nagasaki...in his life these were all days that would live in infamy. My dad was alive for the genesis of jet aircraft, rocketry and the race to the moon. He witnessed the life/death of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and all the vinyl records that recorded their music.
But these are not the stories I'm talking about. No, I'm thinking more about the stories from within my dad's own life. The stories that he has repeated year after year. The stories about picking beans in grammar school to help support his depression era family and stories about getting in trouble with his brother and sister as they threw crabapples (or was it plums? or cherries?) from the rumble seat of my grandfather's Model A. I'm thinking about the stories from the Great War, like the combat-wounded family friend who recovered from his war injuries while living in their NJ home. The stories about the endless list of relatives that moved in and out of his childhood home. His retelling of growing up in Somerville NJ, playing basketball at the local Baptist church, pumping gas at the service station, stocking shelves for the local grocer, and cooling off in the local creek (crick) during a summertime swim. Those stories. The ones the get repeated often and sometimes even change.
USMM, 1948
Aboard deck, 1948
These tales have been growing and developing for the past eighty years. Great stories about life as a US Merchant Marine and how at eighteen years old he left home to live in the belly of a ship shoveling coal for eight hours at a time. The detailed stories about sailing on the SS Frontenac and SS Champlain while these monster steam vessels hauled iron ore around the Great Lakes. In my minds eye, these stories came to life more than once as he described what it was like to sail on Lake Gatun during his first trip through the Panama Canal or what it was like when he visited Dry Tortuga. These stories, filled with adventure and excitement are the stories that have been written for eighty years.
Cleveland Cliffs Steamship "Champlain"
I'm also thinking about the list of humorous characters my dad has described to all of us. His humorous renditions of Wagonwheel Jones, Archibaldassholder and Ralphie the bus-driving gorilla have each caused many tears of laughter when enjoyed around the table with good friends and an open bottle of wine. Then there are also the stories of real life characters my dad has encountered that were based on actual experiences. There were bank robberies, home invasions from self-proclaimed inter-planetary visitors, meatball eating dogs, and shotgun toting neighbors on Christmas morning complete with corduroy slippers and terrycloth robes.
Does this post seem over the top? Spend a day with my dad, this is typical fare. Yes, there are many times that I feel like the son in the movie, Big Fish, but my dad's stories have wedged a place in my mind that I have just come to appreciate as a vital part of his persona and his character. They really do knit together and create the mosaic of his life and help to tell a pretty damn good story at that. As he celebrates eighty years of living, I'm proud to say he's never stopped living. He is still a character and remains witty, articulate, and animated. My dad is known as a friend to children, the man with a never ending supply of red-hots in his pockets, the forever scoutmaster, the consummate salesman, the director of signage (I'm surprised my mom doesn't wear a plaque on her neck that says "Wife"), the community representative for Orchard Supply Hardware (also born in 1930) and the owner of gadgetry. My dad is the keeper of traditions, the teller of tales, and a constant for many people trying to make sense of the craziness we find daily in this world.
Here at theMangoTimes we attempt to honor accomplishments (that's because we take great pride in just trying to get by), so today we honor 80 years in the life of a man who did more than just get by!
Joe Fletcher, Character
Happy Birthday Dad! Thank you for the memories! You have stepped into 80 well!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Harry Potter, Homeschooling, and a Pink Professor
!!!WARNING!!!
THIS POST IS ABOUT HARRY POTTER!
If you haven't seen Harry Potter 5, navigate away now! Spoilers abound in the following paragraphs!
Also...If you don't like Harry Potter or if you think that by reading this you may be turned into a newt, then please stick around! I promise this isn't a pro/anti Harry Potter rant. I also promise not to "geek-out" on you and I promise, promise, promise that you won't be indoctrinated into witchcraft and wizardry just by reading this post!
Actually, this post is really more about one character than it is about the book/film in general.
Okay, the warning is over...now onto the post. I just finished Harry Potter 5: The Order of the Phoenix (and by "finished" I mean the movie). Yes, I'm watching HP from start to finish with one of the Mangoboys (and for the fun of it, let's call him "Jack"). It is our goal to catch Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 on the big screen. Overall, I've enjoyed the stories as they follow the classic storyline of good versus evil, redemption, hero/villain, with some enjoyable twists.
Dolores Umbridge
Professor/Special Asst. to the Minister of Magic
Hogwarts School
In book/film five of the story, they have introduced a fantastic new character: Dolores Umbridge (pictured here). I won't overwhelm you with the whole HP story, but Professor Umbridge has been appointed to Hogwarts School by the Ministry of Magic as an agent of change at the school. As I watched her character develop in this movie, I couldn't help but laugh at some similarities she shares with a few characters whom I've met in real life.
On first glance, you know Dolores is different. Instead of the typical black robe worn by students and teachers, Dolores shows up in a tailored pink wool suit complete with a flowery pink pill box hat and matching handbag. She looks like a spokeswoman for Pepto-Bismol. Visibly, she is the antithesis of what wizardry and witchcraft look like. Her first words to the student body give you a hint as to why she has been brought to Hogwarts.
After the Headmaster's brief introduction, Professor Umbridge interrupts to say:
"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged...let us preserve what must be preserved...let us perfect what can be perfected...and let us prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
Spoken with a tight smile and a syrupy sweet British accent, you know she is going to be at odds with at least the students and most likely the administration. I'll get back to her "pruning practices" in a moment, but I want to begin with her first day in the classroom.
"There Is Nothing Out There, Dear!"
On the first day of class, Professor Umbridge introduces herself and her subject matter:
Dolores Umbridge:"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you will be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"
Hermione Granger:"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells..."
Dolores Umbridge: "...You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way."
Harry Potter: "Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk-free."
Dolores Umbridge:"It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about."
Harry Potter: "And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"
Dolores Umbridge:"There is nothing out there, dear!"
Please tell me you caught what I caught here? Maybe it's just my experience with uber-conservative Christianity, but there are several aspects to this character that I found to be humorously analogous to some branches in the Christian Homeschooling Tree. Here is what I caught: Theory versus reality. Risk-free environments. Professor Umbridge focuses on teaching these Hogwart's students the theoretical knowledge of dealing with evil, but refuses to provide them any real skills or experience for engagement or defense.
The comparison I found is simple. Christian homeschoolers (and I'm one of them) have plucked their kids from the public school system. Theory of engagement with the world is and should be taught, yet for some families that is where they stop (and this is where I swing down a few branches on the tree). Here's what I've personally witnessed: These families never use their training in the real world. In an "us vs. them" mentality they continue to sterilize their children by raising them to avoid any engagement with the world. They disengage from anything to do with popular culture instead of entering the culture equipped with a Christian worldview and practicing the skills of defense (read: Gospel living). After pulling away from the philosophies of the world, they never return to engage the world with sound Biblical philosophy. Even after equipping their families with the tools to engage, their energies are spent avoiding the world and living in a "secure risk-free way." Like this example from Professor Umbridge at Hogwarts School, these parents never intend on letting their students leave the classroom.
High Inquisitor
After only a short time at Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic expands the Pink Professor's role at the school: "Having already revolutionized the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Jane Umbridge will, as High Inquisitor, have powers to address the seriously falling standards at Hogwarts School."
Here is another place where I found that art intersects reality.
Measuring Up
Dolores becomes both a teacher and a clipboard carrying inquisitor. She is often seen interrupting classes in session and challenging what and how other instructors are teaching the students. One of my favorite scenes shows Dolores using a tape measure against the choirmaster to literally see if he "measures up."
Hello? Can we find similarities with this clipboard carrying inquisitor within our own experience? How often have I picked up the clipboard and tape measure? Too often. We don't need to look too far into the Christian homeschool community or even some of our churches or some of our own lives (there I said it...) to find the behavior we see displayed in Dolores.
On the outside, she projects perfection. Tailor-fitted clothing and a matching pink office with walls covered with photos of cats (yes, she is the ultimate "cat lady"). Visitors are escorted into her office and served a hot cup of tea. Dolores appears kind and hospitable (afterall, she's doing things right!), yet without skipping a beat, she politely shows where her guest has not met the standard and all the time smiling and sipping tea.
Comparisons. Pride. Inquisitions. This doesn't just happen at Hogwarts people! This happens around our kitchen tables (and sometimes around our communion tables...ouch!). We are reminded in Proverbs that God hates a proud look and one who has haughty eyes, yet this behavior comes so easily to us as Christian homeschoolers. With little effort we can all become like Dolores. We pick up our measuring tapes and evaluate one another according to a standard that we have created and others simply cannot keep. How easy it is for us to become pink-washed tombs? Ha!
Pruning Prohibited Practices
After her instatement as High Inquisitor, Dolores also focuses her attention on student behavior at Hogwarts. With a down-turned eye, she instates a series of new decrees to the Hogwarts student body. Clothing standards, relationship standards, how to talk, how to think, how to live...nothing is outside of her reach.
With each declaration, she frames the edict and her lackey assistant nails it to the school wall. As her laws multiply so does the difficulty to police student behavior. Dolores solves this by recruiting several Hogwarts students to serve on her Inquisatorial Squad and rat out classmates whose behavior is out of line. Within time, there is a new law for every behavior and the school wall is covered with framed decrees. Students are driven to misery until the inevitable finally happens. In the movie, a comical student revolt is led and Umbridge is driven from her post at the school. As the lawmaker flees the auditorium, the framed laws shatter away from the wall (see photo below).
Exploding Degrees at Hogwarts
Legalism is tricky that way. You can't stop with just one law (like Pringles potato chips). Laws have a funny way of multiplying and soon they are hard to keep track of, let alone keep. Yet there are families trying to manage behavior every day with external systems and rules. It's impossible. I've tried. I've witnessed it in church and in the homeschool community with my own two eyes. I've seen kids that were seemingly well controlled for years finally revolt.
I remember reading an article a few years ago about kids who "jump ship" and reject a system based on meaningless rules. I've seen it and when they jump, they jump far away and land running! Lists of right and wrong behaviors will serve to frustrate children, not encourage them. Dolores Umbridge had rules, plenty of them. What she lacked was a relationship with her students and a desire for them to grow and learn and apply their learning in real world situations. They never were allowed to take their education and use it outside of the classroom.
Oh how I loved and hated the character of Dolores Umbridge. What an example of how not to run a school of witchcraft and wizardy!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
PS...see, you didn't turn into a newt!
Advent Plans
This year for Advent we will begin reading through the third book in this excellent advent series. If you haven't read these books yet, they are WAY WORTH the investment in time and effort. "Jotham's Journey" and "Bartholomew's Passage" are great stories full of adventure and evening cliff hangers.They are each unique stories, but each one is written parallel to the other stories and there are several cross-over characters and even the occasional blending of the stories as the main characters meet one another on their journeys.
It has been a great way for our family to prepare for Christmas every year. What are you doing to celebrate the Advent season in your homes? Any traditions?
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Advent Season Begins
Worship Fully
Give More
Spend Less
Love All
Advent in the Barn
Tonight - 7:00PM
Repeat the Sounding Joy!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Winner!
Thanks for voting! I cannot believe it, but I was voted the Best Homeschool Dad Blog for 2010. I was truly surprised by this year's results and I am thankful anyone even cares what I write.
I was unable to make it to the ceremony when the awards were presented, but here are a few random quotes I picked up from those that were in attendance:
The Award Committee: "Best Homeschool Dad Blog goes to...(pause)...What? Are you sure? This guy? Again?...(pause)...Yes, sorry...and this year's best homeschool dad blog goes to The Mango Times...(whispers)...shhh...I don't know how he won, we took his name out of the envelope on purpose."
President Barack Obama: "Mr. Fletcher or Fletch as he has asked me to call him is truly deserving of this award and he embodies the "can-do" American spirit that I have been talking about throughout my presidency. His commitment to blogging and "quietly making noise" sets him apart in the blogosphere. Personally, Michelle and I would like to thank him for his behind the scenes work on this year's Beer Summit and those crazy rides he gave us and the secret service in his VW bus."
Russ N. Peace, American Roadside Memorial Association: "Yes, we are here to protest this award, because of his ongoing remarks against road side memorials..."
Jimmy Buffett (video): "Congratulations from Key West, FL to the Mango Man for another fabulous showing at the Homeschool Blog Awards! Fins to the left! Your pal Jimmy!"
John Warren, Retired USAF: "Deserving? Hardly...Fletch doesn't even write this stuff...theMangoTimes has been ghost written by his son Christian for years..."
Cookie Fletcher, mother: "As I like to say, it's all in the way you raise your children...which reminds me of a story about this time in Baltimore when Andy was born..."
Joe Fletcher, father: "My son won an award! Attaboy Scott! Good job!"
Kendra Fletcher: "Oh brother, another year of him wearing that stupid shirt that says "Bow down to the Homeschool Dad Blog Champion" around the house!"
Like I said...just a sampling of things that were said at the awards banquet. Friends in Mangoland, thanks for voting. From the very first issue of theMangoTimes, I have always written for a select group of readers. For the rest of you who like my words, thanks for hanging around!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Piper on the New Reformed Movement
Even so, over the past year, I've found myself more and more disappointed with a few crazy behaviors I have seen among some that call themselves "reformed Christians." Yes I know they are sincere, but it just seems like they are pushing the pendulum to the hilt as they embrace this system of theology. WARNING: Blanket Statement Coming - In a system of faith that focuses on recovering the gospel, it sure seems to me like many of them have checked the gospel at the door for a formula of "how-to" Christianity.
That's not all, because along with the "how to behave" message comes an attitude of spiritual elitism that takes their message a step further to "how you should behave more like me."
This has been rattling around in my head for the past year or so. I've blogged here and there about it. Providentially, I stumbled across this video response on the Desiring God blog. Here, John Piper answers the question: "What cautions do you have for the New Reformed Movement?" His answer sums up what I have been thinking. It's an old video and I'm not sure how I missed it, but I'm glad I found it today.
Desiring God Video: Piper RespondsQuietly making noise,
Fletch
Cup o' Joe
Aeropress Coffee MakerI don't think I have mentioned this yet, but the Aeropress Coffee maker is my favorite way to drink coffee lately. This is the perfect system for making "less than" a pot of coffee. It is super easy to use and equally easy to clean and there is no glass so you have less chance of breaking. You can count on this little press to make consistently good cups of coffee.I was introduced to this cool little gadget by my dad. I used it a few times at his house and loved the flavor of the coffee it was making. So, I decided that I needed one of my own (and one at the office...and potentially one in the VW bus).
It is so simple. Pop in a filter. Add one scoop of coffee. Add hot water. Mix with the handy paddle they provide. Press a shot of hot coffee through the filter into your cup Add hot water to the strength you enjoy. Stir and enjoy a yummy full flavored cup of coffee.
Clean up is a breeze too!. Twist off the filter cap and plunge the grounds and filter into the trash. The plunger cleans and dries the system, so all you need is a fresh water rinse and you are good to go.
And, it was invented by the guy that made the Aerobie flying ring. Very cool indeed.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Read with Discernment
Click to link directly to this post by Shaun GrovesUncle Jeff shared a link to Shaun Grove's blog post from a few weeks back. I can't shake it out of my thoughts. I definitely want a "Listen with Discernment" sticker for my forehead!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Just give me a new law...
In Ephesians, Paul says we have been chosen to be "holy and blameless." We spend way more time worried about how to be blameless and way too little time working on what it means to be holy. Sermons abound on what to do or how to live. I cannot say it enough: "It's not what you do...it's what's been done for you."
Enough of my rant...enjoy the song!
A New Law, by Derek Webb - Lyrics
Don’t teach me about politics and government - Just tell me who to vote for
Don’t teach me about truth and beauty - Just label my music
Don’t teach me how to live like a free man - Just give me a new law
I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me
I want a new law
I want a new law
Gimme that new law
Don’t teach me about moderation and liberty - I prefer a shot of grape juice
Don’t teach me about loving my enemies
Don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit - Just give me a new law
What’s the use in trading a law you can never keep - For one you can that cannot get you anything
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid
Do not be afraid
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
4 One One
In January of this year, we expanded to include several more young men and a few of their dads as we gathered in our kitchen twice a month. I also invited several guest speakers. These were more-seasoned men and they were invited to share their lives and experience with a table full of young men. These have been great nights, with topics ranging all over the map from evangelism to ministry to marriage...great information from great men!
As the school year began this year, we added a few more changes: First, we chose a new name. We always called ourselves the "Do Hard Things Group," but thought that was a mouthful.
So, we now call our group 4OneOne. This comes from a passage in 1Timothy 4:11, where Paul(an older man) instructs Timothy (a younger man) to "command and teach these things." Essentially, that is what I had been doing with these young men for the past few years. 4OneOne is also a place for the giving of Godly information: "Do you have questions? God has answers!"We also moved to a more central location in town, allowing more young men to take part in the discussions. We meet in Modesto near highway 99 and our current group stretches from Sacramento to Oakdale to Turlock.
Lastly, I have been incorporating more or my peers to take part in the instruction of these young guys. My current favorite is "Howie's Minutes" where a good friend of mine takes a few minutes to encourage these young men in the habits of gentlemen. Holding doors open for women, choosing wise words with mothers/sisters are just a few of the recent discussions he has led.
To help with the discussions, we have chosen to use books that cover the topics. Over the past few years we have read through:
"Do Hard Things" by Brett and Alex Harris
"Not Even a Hint" by Josh Harris
"The Measure of a Man" by Gene Getz
"Courage to Flee" by Jeff Klick
and now a look at 1Timothy Chapter 4.
If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of 4OneOne, you can have them email me at the address on the right sidebar.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
4T2
Last week I turned forty-two years old. No biggie. Not a significant birthday. Just another flip of the calendar. It did hit me though, that I am now swimming in the section of the pool they call"middle age." The forties have been that way. It's hard for me to believe. College graduation is easily reachable in my memories. The friends, the classes, the ivy-covered campus...all right there. It was my twenties and thirties that seem to have blinked by. Marriage, then a child, then another, then another, and the next thing I knew...I celebrated my fortieth birthday with a wife and eight kids. Today I'm wondering where all these teenagers have come from? I feel like I was just 18 myself. How can I have a son who is taking college classes?
I celebrated my birthday this year by working. A day at the office is rarely bad, considering I love the people I work with and the patients I treat. The office staff surprised me with a Margaritaville Concoction maker...five o'clock just got that much better at Fletcher Dentistry.
We also took off on a road trip to visit the Wolfe family for the weekend. They have remained good friends since college and I look for the opportunity to visit with them whenever I can. We can always depend on good food, good conversation, and great laughter (and adding a second generation has definitely helped the laughter department). This was no exception. A birthday dinner at The Red Tavern in Chico, a trip to watch the salmon run up the Feather river and a quick peek at Sierra Nevada brewery added to the adventure of this trip.
A Surprise Birthday Message From Christian!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Washington DC - Top Six Things
Here's a cool thing. Kendra's mom(Grammy Adele, G-Ma, or my personal favorite "Ladele") has decided to introduce each of her grandchildren to American history with the gift of a trip to Washington, DC. Instead of taking everyone, we decided to split the trips, so this past month we travelled with the top three Mangoboys to DC and Colonial Williamsburg.
It was a very fun trip. Kendra planned out all of our events and did a great job allowing us to see more than the highlights of the city and surrounding region. There is so much to report on, but to keep it simple, here are my top six highlights of our week on the east coast.
6. The Metro. I'm not a regular commuter in the DC area. I don't know how good or bad it is on a daily basis for commuting. But, if you have to use a public transportation system, it is hard to beat the Metro system in Washington. It was super easy to understand and navigate for newbies and tourists. We only used our rental car once to go into town and the rest of the time we easily travelled to and from on the train.
Maybe I'm being naive (probably), but I felt very safe and especially loved the opportunity to sleep on my way in and out of town. Very cool indeed!
5. Art Galleries. We visited two art galleries: The Smithsonian Gallery and The National Gallery of Art. They were both fantastic. The main exhibit on display at the Smithsonian was the personal collection of Norman Rockwell's belonging to Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Way cool! The National Gallery of Art was equally phenomenal. Walking from room to room took us from the 13th to the 17th century of Dutch, French, Italian, and American pieces of art. Seriously, from a guy whose knowledge of art stops at Disney cartoons, these two museums were a highlight of our week! My personal favorite find was DaVinci's smudged thumbprint in one of his paintings. How cool is that?
4. The Library of Congress. This was my first trip to the Library of Congress and I was stunned by the beauty and architecture of this building. I'm not normally moved by grand architecture, but this place is truly amazing. I watched Nicholas Cage run around the building in "National Treasure 2," but that does not begin to do this place justice. As the largest library in the world, they have over 140 million volumes. We were able to see a real Guttenburg Bible on display. We browsed Thomas Jefferson's personal library, and the list goes on. They receive over 20,000 new items every single day. We could have spent an entire day just touring the library.
3. Maryland Crabs. Here is a little known fact for the readers of theMT. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. It must be in my genetic make-up, but we feasted on a dozen Maryland blue crabs until our bellies were full. We didn't take the boys (acted "shelfish"-hahahaha). These tasty big boys (did you know you order Maryland crabs by sex and size) were doused in Old Bay and accompanied by a dozen Blue Point oysters (not ordered by sex) and a few Red Stripes and "the best Arnold Palmer Kendra has ever tasted." For our west coast friends, we are still partial to the steamed Dungenous crabs. We can't wait for crab-feed season (the only high point in otherwise foggy Januarys).
2. Mt. Vernon. Hands down, my favorite piece of history continues to be the home and property of George Washington. Gorgeous riverfront acreage, beautiful grounds and a wonderfully restored home. What's not to love?
There is plenty to learn about Washington's life as a farmer, a soldier, a president and a husband, but my favorite fact has to do with his prolific correspondence. In the course of his life, George Washington wrote over 20,000 pieces of personal correspondence. Granted, he had secretaries, but that is a lot of ink/feather letter writing (as we struggle to reply to an email).
1. Companionship. The sites were terrific, but at the top of my list was the company I enjoyed. I loved hanging out with these goofballs for ten days. We ate a ton of good food, walked our butts off, and just enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with these young men.
They were great travelers and had great attitudes as we dragged them through the city for ten days. Iron hats at Jamestown, juicy burgers at the Hard Rock Cafe, drinking songs in a Williamsburg tavern, balsa wood airplanes at the hotel, and trying to act cool on the Metro...just a few of my favorite memories with these guys!
Thanks Ladele for such a great trip! You rock!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
theMangoTimes - New and Improved!
A New LookIf this is your first time here, you may not know that theMangoTimes has a new look. We've parked at this domain since 2006 without a change of scenery. To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of theMT (click on the picture to read Issue #1), we thought we would shake a few things up, change our look and take things in a new direction.
A New Community
I did not think this would ever be a blog topic in theMangoTimes, but recently our family made a very difficult decision to leave our church community. For some, leaving a church is a simple decision. For others, the idea of even joining a church body may seem foreign. For us, this was a huge decision in our family. Let me see if I can explain why.
Our family was there from the beginning. Seven years ago, we were one of four families in a bible study that joined together to create this church (see picture on right). The very first worship service took place in the living room of our house. For 1/2 of our children, this is the only church they can even remember. On a personal level, I served as an elder for the first four years and in one way or another was personally involved with the worship or teaching nearly every week. I was the person that thought up and suggested the name that the church uses today. What I'm trying to get at is that this was not the type of church where we snuck in the back door, hung around for a few years and then quietly moved on. Our decision to leave was one of the most difficult choices I've made on behalf of our family. In the sense that Scripture talks about church being "the body," we have felt the amputation.Why? Why would we leave a church that we had invested in so heavily? The simple answer is that we changed (or rather God used experiences in our lives to change us), and a discerning reader could probably read through the past few years of blog posts in theMangoTimes to get an idea of those changes. However, I'd prefer to leave the reasons very simple...we changed.
New CarsChanging topics completely...I have always loved old Volkswagens...Hello? Did someone say Volkswagen? That's right, we've added two more cars to the fleet. I was given
A New KitchenThis year we will finish the last of the major projects in our home. Kendra has patiently waited for her workspace to be completed and I was pleased to walk in this week and find the cabinets gone and walls bare. Being down a kitchen means meals made in the garage...the school room...and a bunch of fast food (and the MangoKids cheered!). We are very excited for a slightly new layout, regular counter heights, new colors and more open space! Personally, I know this will give Kenj a place to make even better food (though I hardly believe it could get any better!). Drop by if you get a chance, you'll see that I'm right!
A New DirectionIn many ways, our decision to leave one church and join another has set our family out in a completely new direction. We have been "doing life" in one way for so long, that every step we take feels new and sometimes awkward, yet refreshingly adventurous at the same time. Stealing from a previous post, we feel like we are leaving life in the town to go and live life as pioneers out on the trail. If you have followed theMT, you know that we have definitely seen our share of exciting trials these last few years and we have learned that life can be messy. As we begin to move in some of these new directions, we are looking forward to the gentle curves in the stream as well as the unknown rapids that are before us. God has always navigated us through, we just need to learn to paddle when it's time to paddle and float when it's time to float.
Thanks for being around for the past 15 years...
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Where to find me...August 2010
The photos above are actually where you could have found me in July and I did just about everything I said in the July edition. We have had a ton of fun in Mangoland. Great music, great food, great friends and a surprise trip for Kendra's 40th birthday and our 19th wedding anniversary. Uncle Bucky visited from Florida. The Wolfe family visited from Chico. On our trip, we visited with our old friend, Robb Gordon and then in a last minute change of plans we were treated to a behind the scenes tour of Universal Studios with college friend Fred Renner. We wrapped up the month with homeschooling blog friends Nate/Deb Perkins for a whirlwind weekend of activity.
On to the month of August...
YOU CAN FIND ME LISTENING TO THIS:
I picked up a digital copy of Buffett's new live album called Encores, whose title is self-explanatory, containing acoustic arrangements from several recent concerts. This is a really fun album of Buffett's oldest stuff and some new recordings. If you are inclined to check this out, I recommend taking a good listen to his cover of John Prine's "A Big Old Goofy World." 
We are throwing a 40th birthday/luau for a friend, so I have downloaded a bunch of Hawaiian music. Steel guitar, the music of Iz, C and K, and any other island drum music I can find. If you know me (and even if you don't), I'll do anything to get Kenj into a grass skirt and coconuts for a little dancing (Grab your puka shells and join the fun, because "she's still...a Hula girl at heart!").YOU CAN FIND ME HANGING OUT HERE:
As I type this we are still fully engaged in summer 2010 by swinging in the hammock chairs on the back porch. I just finished a great book about enjoying the things of summer and I just convinced Kendra that we need to have grilled fish, boiled shrimp and steamed corn for dinner. It has taken no convincing and she is busy looking up a recipe for pineapple peach salsa for the fish. Yup, life is pretty good here in the summer! 
I recently clicked a tab on facebook that said, "I love being underwater." This is an understatement. Since I was a little boy wearing Aquaman underoos, the pool has been one of my favorite spots. We have enjoyed very mellow temperatures here in the central valley this summer, but on most days one or more mangokids can be found in or around the pool and I can be found launching off the top of the waterfall in one of my signature dives.
YOU CAN FIND ME READING THIS:
I have not listened to one full sermon of Mark Driscoll (mostly because they are long and I have the attention span of a teenager drinking Red Bull), but there is something about the guy that makes people think I'm a fan/follower. After getting my new iPad (see below), I was looking for electronic books to see if I would actually like using the device. I also thought I would finally take the time and read the pastor that people think I am so fond of following, so I picked up an electronic copy of Religion Saves. Now I see the connection. Love the topic. Love the book. Love Driscoll's style and his passion for the gospel. But, I'm not a man-follower and I still love Jesus a ton more! I'll download a sermon or two next and give a listen to see if the comparison is valid! :)
I am an electronic gadget freak and a sucker for anything Apple creates, but this is still a great little device. You know what I notice? There are a lot of critics out there. I've already heard from family members and friends that think it was a ridiculous purchase. I can handle the truth and the truth is this: email, internet, the Bible, books, and whatever else I want for about .99 is sitting in my hand as I type this portion of theMangoTimes. Ridiculous? I think not! Anyhow, here's my 10 second review: It's not a laptop...it's not a big iPhone. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you want to be on the front line of new technology and interacting with the world in a new way...get one...today. If not, go buy a PC and enjoy your experience with Windows. Meanwhile, I'll be cruising the App Store...send me your suggestions.That's it for August! I hope to see you somewhere in Mangoland. Drop by or drop me a note! Remember to stay off the highways and the byways!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch