Walk With The (Sean) Wise

I have a letter jacket from high school. On it are the various patches representing my high school music career. My name is also featured, as well as the numbers "07," my graduation year. Recently, I had started contemplating having the jacket cleaned and preserved, possibly to be put on display with other memorabilia in my home. I hadn't given much thought to wearing it again.  I was taking my kids out this evening, but before I could put on my Colts jacket, my daughter came to me and said, "here, Daddy! Wear this one!" In her little arms, she held my letter jacket. Now, I'm no softy, but I couldn't turn that girl down tonight. It makes me wonder - what's the shelf life of memories? Should we really put away things like that with so much connection to the good times? Yes, I know it's just a jacket, but that jacket reminds me of good times with good friends. It reminds me of my musically obsessed roots. It also reminds me of the early days of dat...

I enjoy spoilers. When I'm catching up on a TV show or am about to watch a new movie, I like knowing as many of the plot details as possible. For me, this does the exact opposite of spoiling the story. It makes it all the more interesting for me to see how it will be played out. A lot of my friends and family aren't as into the spoiler scene as I am. In fact, my brother goes to great lengths to ensure that I disbelieve the spoilers I've already read. It doesn't work out so well for him, though. Sometimes, I wish life came with  spoiler reports. It would be nice to know what tomorrow has in store so I could be better prepared for it. Then again, I'd probably try really hard to prevent some of those plot twists. I think that's a common thought.  How many sci-fi shows are out there involving time travel and a character's desire to redo the past? The end result comes out with them changing what they wanted to change but despising the other changes to life's ...

In preparation for the future of Wise Question Wednesdays, I decided to seek out and complete a "Getting To Know You" questionnaire. Please enjoy! Remember to send your questions to walkwiththeseanwise@gmail.com to have them featured on the blog! 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Sean Connery. 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? I cry a lot these days. 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? As long as no one else tries to read it, yes. 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I'd rather just skip to dinner meat, but roast beef is pretty good. 5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, two of them. 6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? It depends on which person I would be, I guess, but I tend to get along with most everyone, so I suppose. 7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? No... (He said sarcastically.) 8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, though I was supposed to get them out about 20 years ago. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If someone else pays. 10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? M...

I decided to do a bit of a social experiment on Facebook tonight. At about 9:30 Central, I posted a status with a single word just to see what kind of response I get. That word was carefully chosen, as it's one that can have many different reactions depending on the circumstances. That word was "Baby." At 9:45, I measured the results of my experiment. I had, with one word, received one "like" and convinced three commenters that my wife was pregnant. I also had one Bieber reference. Now, I will never say never, and I know you love me, but I am not a Belieber. And also, my wife is, in fact, not pregnant. Now for some apologies. First, to my wife, I'm sorry for making people think you were pregnant. Also, to those of you who went along with thinking she was, I'm sorry for the apparent deception. And finally, to the Bieber commenter, I'm sorry for calling you out as totally wrong. I do, however, believe my experiment was quite successful. I wanted to pro...

I like answering questions. Sometimes it's as challenging to me as thinking of something to blog about. So in preparation of keeping a regular blog presence after Lent, I would like to make Wednesday a regular "Wise Question" day. Here's how it will work - I'll put a question on here for my readers. Then if you want to answer that question, you can comment on this blog or on Facebook or Twitter. You can also send a question for me to walkwiththeseanwise@gmail.com. I'll pick a certain number of questions to answer directly the following Wednesday, while others will serve to help my mental process of what to blog about. Please include some code name I could use to identify the askers of my questions. Here's this week's question - what is your favorite current-running TV show and why? I hope this will be fun and informative! Let's get to know each other.

Alexithymia - the inability to use words to express emotions - is a topic that intrigues me. I had never even heard of the word until listening to a song with that name as its title by a band called Anberlin. Emotions and words are powerful things, and we all have both. I know from experience that sometimes the two are hard to put together. This can be quite the struggle, and not just for the one who can't put words to their emotions. I used to talk a lot - sometimes far more than necessary. That's a trait I've noticed that has changed as I've gotten older. Unfortunately, the pendulum sometimes swings too far the other way. On occasion, I don't even say enough. This frustrates me, and I've noticed that it also frustrates those close to me. I'm not trying to be frustrating, and I know they're not trying to be frustrated. But honestly, sometimes, I just don't know what to say. I know what I'm thinking and feeling, but I don't necessarily know h...

I hate ladders. My body gets shaky any time I have to climb one. However, for anything higher than seven feet tall, I find ladders to be a necessary evil. In my kitchen at home, there is a vaulted ceiling.  I don't even know how high it is.  There's a light fixture at the highest point of the ceiling with three light bulbs.  Until last night, two of those three bulbs were burned out.  As you may have guessed, I used a ladder to reach them. After coming down, I went to the couch to rest for a bit.  Not long afterwards, my wife startled me out of my rest to tell me that my two-year-old son was trying to climb the ladder.  I quickly went back into the kitchen and said, "Get down, son! You could get hurt!"  His body froze immediately in fear on the second rung, and my wife shot me the look. It then hit me that if she had wanted him down off the ladder, she would have taken him down herself. My mind and heart for the situation changed. Knowing my son ...

I've covered a lot of ground the past few days - some of it familiar, other pieces, not familiar at all. But at the end of it all, the one place that feels best to be is home. If you've known me long at all (or even if you've read some of the previous posts on this blog), you know that I consider Indianapolis to be my hometown. Some of you are probably getting tired of me talking about it, and I can understand that. My Indy will always hold a special place in my heart. But I've had many homes, and the friends I've made and situations I've gone through in each of them have shaped me into the man I am today. Holland, Grand Rapids, Allendale, Fargo, Rochester, and Chicago are all places that influenced me for at least a year, and I'm proud to call each one "home" for the time it served in that capacity. Now, New Brighton holds that title for the time being. By virtue of Salvation Army Officership, I'm almost guaranteed many other homes before God ...

Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons. Sunshine and warmth are valuable commodities, especially in the North. On the calendar, spring started yesterday.  As I spent the day in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio, I was able to enjoy what I consider a nice Spring day - highs in the 60s, nearly cloudless sky - near perfection. I'm heading back to Minnesota in the next couple days. The forecast calls for temperatures between 10 and the 20s with wind and the chance of snow. Compared to the bitter cold of this past winter, though, even that screams Spring to me now. In my 25 years, I've lived in 5 different states, all in the Midwest. The weather in each place, even with being in the same general region, has been completely different. In the same way as no two states have the same weather, no two people have the exact same personality. We can prepare fairly easily for weather changes. We have boots and flip flops, snow pants and shorts, insulated coats and t-shirts, face masks a...

The whole of creation, God's grandest design, Spoken into being mere moments in time, But the crown of it all was man and his wife - God bent down to Eden and breathed to them life. The man and the woman in Eden did stay, And fellowshipped freely with God in that day. They both were quite naked, but they felt no shame, In innocence they walked - no guilt and no blame. God said that the fruit of the garden was sweet, It's yours for the taking, just pick it and eat, But of the middle tree, don't take it. Here's why: The moment you eat it, you surely will die. One day on a walk, the woman heard a voice, That called her to make a consequential choice. A serpent who questioned God's unchanging word Caused the woman to doubt what she truly heard. The serpent was crafty, deceiving, and sly, He said to the woman, "you won't surely die! Your eyes will be open, you really will see The good from the evil. Like God, you'll be free!" The woman picked some, and ...

As the father of two young children, I get to watch a lot of preschool TV. Disney Junior and Sprout have become two of my favorite channels, and I know my kids won't complain about me saying that. One of the shows that was on tonight featured two young bunny-like characters. When something would go wrong on the episode, they would shout, "Catastrophe!" in unison. My wife asked the kids if they knew what that word meant, and they both, predictably, said, "No!" This isn't a word we've often used at home, so I certainly didn't expect them to know it. My wife tried using context clues from the show to help the kids learn the meaning of the word. This may be a stretch, but I wonder if sometimes God allows us to be in circumstances we don't understand so we can eventually learn to deal with them and help others do the same. It is said that hardships build perseverance. I also believe that hardships can build sensitivity to other's situations. If yo...

When I was a kid, I never understood the joy my mom and grandparents got from going to Burlington, Iowa. They would use words like "memories" and "nostalgia," and I would use words like "boring" and "boringer." (Ok, so "boringer" isn't a real word, but I was a kid, so it works.) Now that I'm grown up (HA!), one thing I always wanted to do was bring my kids to my childhood home. We have spent the past couple days here in Indianapolis. Yesterday, I even made some new discoveries, but today was almost exclusively a nostalgia day. We started out going to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the largest children's museum in the world. Growing up, it was one of my favorite places to go as often as possible. I would even wake my parents up early on Saturdays after digging our membership cards out of my father's wallet. Today, I was blessed to share this place with my wife and children. What a joy to see them enjoying all ...

There's something about this town That just will not let me go, Even though I moved away Almost sixteen years ago. I'm still following the Colts And the Pacers when I can. Though I can't get to the games, I am still a die-hard fan. I don't know my way around. (I left here when I was nine), But I just can't shake the thought That this city is still is mine. Conseco's now Banker's Life, Bank One Tower now is Chase, The RCA Dome is gone, But there's still home in this place. It has changed, and so have I, So the answer still is this When you ask me where I'm from, It's Indianapolis.

I've started this post at least three different times in different styles with different themes.  It's not flowing today as it has been in the past.  Though I must say, I'm enjoying this journey. It is a challenge always having something to say.  As many of my friends know, I'm naturally quiet much of the time (Ok, some of you can stop laughing now...).  My wife even recently noticed that I've been opening up more in conversations with her, going on for several minutes, especially at times that I typically wouldn't have a word to say. I believe that keeping up on this challenge has played a big part in that.  I feel like I'm communicating more effectively in all of my important relationships, and that other areas of those relationships are also growing into better versions of what they should be because of it. For those of you who have joined me as an encourager on this journey, thank you so much.  The benefits are tremendous, and I don't thin...

My friend Chad and I were practically inseparable throughout middle school.  We didn't like each other at first, but living in the same trailer park and walking to the same bus stop every morning in a sense forced us to get to know each other.  It wasn't long before we truly connected.  Chad would invite me over to his house.  I invited Chad to church.  Before long, we were going everywhere together.  My mom even joked on occasion that Chad was her "adopted son," and sometimes, I would wish that it were true. Chad and I shared a passion for music.  We had some tastes in artists that were quite different, but for the most part, we found some common ground.  Among our mutual favorite bands were Skillet, Switchfoot, Relient K, P.O.D., Audio Adrenaline, and SONICFLOOd.  Taking inspiration from these and other bands, we both developed a talent and passion for writing song lyrics.  Chad had one talent that I couldn't quite match, even though...

I am of the firm belief that everyone is a theologian. We all have some of our own ideas about God, whether we claim to believe in Him or not. Nothing has convinced me more of this fact than some recent conversations with my two children. A couple weeks ago, I was putting my four-year-old daughter to bed. Having just finished devotions and still in that frame of mind, she asked, "Daddy, did Jesus die on the cross?" "Yes, baby, He died on the cross to take our sins away," I replied. To which she said, "Yeah, so we can be less sinny!" I absolutely loved her take on that. Not to be outdone, my two-year-old son has paid close attention to how and when I say things. Referring to one of my greatest exclamations of excitement, he asked me tonight, "Daddy, does 'glory hallelujah' make you not sad?" I loved that question so much that I couldn't even find words to answer. These experiences and others like them are very humbling to me. I am remi...

I cried today. Many who knew me as a teenager would know that it's a big deal when I cry.  There was a long while in my life when, for whatever reason, I couldn't cry.  Now, though, it seems as though I cry at just about any given opportunity.  Usually, I try to find ways to laugh so hard that I cry.  On many occasions, my kids make me so proud of them that I cry tears of joy.  Today, however, was different.  Today, I cried because I lost a friend. Major Dorothy Hopps, a retired Salvation Army officer who was a faithful soldier of the Noble Worship Center where I am appointed, was promoted to Glory this morning.  I had only known her since this past June when I moved here, but it was long enough that she was able to have a lasting impact on me. If I could say one thing about her, it would be that no matter what she believed, she believed in it with all her heart and left no room for doubt.  It is truly a blessing to know that her greatest be...

Would anyone notice? Would anyone care If it was tomorrow but I wasn't there? If the world kept moving, but I was just gone, Would anyone wonder, "What happened to Sean?" That's what I once wondered, that's what I once feared, If I were to vanish, it wouldn't be weird. Today there are others who still feel this way. If we knew their feelings, what then would we say? We all have the power to save someone's life, To lead them to wholeness and out of the strife. To God, we've a value that cannot be told. The world says, "you're worthless;" you're worth more than gold. So let's take a moment to pray for a friend Who thinks it'd be better if their life would end. Let's fight for the future of faith, hope, and love And seek for God's goodness to reign from above.

This is the kind of day that prompted me to take this challenge - a day that I don't know what to write. It would have been easy for me to just forget about it and wait to pick it up again tomorrow. However, I know from experience that putting something off a day leads to putting it off indefinitely. Often, the things worth doing are the easiest things not to do. My challenge is this - find something challenging and worthwhile, and do whatever it takes to keep going, no matter what obstacles come your way. I hope and pray you find the joy that comes with perseverance.

The blogosphere is full of folks Who like to share deep thoughts and jokes. Some share poems, and some share prose, And others, pictures of their nose. For politics and religion, Comments there should be forbidden; But I don't write for the replies - Feel free to walk with the (Sean) Wise.

When my grandparents were in their last four years as active Salvation Army officers before retirement, they served as the Social Services chaplains for the Western Michigan/Northern Indiana Division.  This particular appointment gave them a variety of ministries to take part in, including a women's and children's shelter, a living center for teen mothers, and my personal favorite, the Grand Rapids Turning Point. The Salvation Army Turning Point programs are designed for those coming off of various forms of chemical dependency.  Even as a ten-year-old kid, I loved going to the chapel services my grandparents led there.  The people had such an authenticity to their worship of Jesus as their savior.  I didn't understand it at the time, but I have come to realize that the realness of their worship came from the reality of their vulnerability. Turning Point and other programs like them have the unique characteristic of causing people to expose their problems and shor...

The Salvation Army has a program for school-age boys called Adventure Corps.  At my church, we have two sections of the Adventure Corps program - the Explorers, grades 1-5, and the Rangers, grades 6-12.  I am blessed with the privilege to teach the older group of boys for our youth nights. We resumed our youth nights in January after taking November and December off (a necessary evil to meet the logistical demands of the Christmas Kettle fundraising season).  As is my custom in the class, I had the boys vote through the eight categories of Ranger badges bracket style to determine what our next set of activities would include.  After the voting had been finalized, the boys decided to tackle a badge in the "outdoors" category. Outdoors.  In Minnesota.  In January. And so, I decided to do instruction from that category on the Orienteering badge, using as many class periods as I could doing activities that could be done indoors (studying maps, learning ab...

When I started this blog, I did so with the intention of actually using it.  Looking at the length of time I've had it and the small amount of posts compared to that timeframe, I'd say I'm not doing so well.  I think it's time to change that.  But to you, my readers, I am going to need your help. Today is the beginning of the season of Lent, a time where many people of faith will give up something, usually something they like or enjoy a great deal, as a means of self-denial in preparation for celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus.  I have taken part in this historically, giving up Coca-Cola, pizza, barbecue sauce, internet, and other things of that nature.  But this year, I'm going to take a different approach. Starting with this post, I am committing to spend the Lenten season doing at least one complete blog post a day from now until Resurrection day, excluding Sundays.  I'm calling on you, my readers and friends, to hold me to this challeng...