The White Mountains in Autumn

Last week, my wife and I got away for an early 20th anniversary celebration. We spent a few wonderful days in New Hampshire; this post shares highlights.

North Conway

After taking an early flight to Manchester, we drove north and stayed in a new hotel in North Conway, a lovely mountain resort town in east-central New Hampshire. We enjoyed an initial hike east of town before checking out the (surprising) number of outlets and having a nice dinner.

The Kancamagus Highway

The next day, we stopped at a covered bridge (there are many in the region) and then headed out for the main feature: the Kancamagus Highway, which runs west from Conway to Lincoln. This scenic road had plenty of stops for short (or long) hikes and beautiful vistas. Parking at some stops became an issue, but it all worked out. As you'd expect, cell service was not always available, so download local maps as needed before heading out.

Just before Lincoln, we stopped at Loon Mountain, headed up via cable car, and enjoyed the poorly-named (yet exciting) "glacial caves," which are a series of natural granite obstacles [not caves] that force you to contort yourself in fun [and nerve-wracking, for the older] postures to navigate them. 

The Loop Back

After a nice lunch in Lincoln, we stopped for ice cream (I had maple soft serve) and took the northern loop back, which runs through Franconia Notch, by Mount Washington, and had plenty of sights on its own. But we visited there last year, so we just enjoyed the views and meandered back to North Conway. The map below shows the Kancamagus (the southern road) and the northern loop back. The listed drive time of two hours is deceiving and easily exceeded; plan to stop often (and/or be held up by slow motorists).

Lake Winnipesaukee

The next day, it was time to head home. We had driven up from Manchester on the east side of Lake Winnipesaukee, and headed home on the west side. We intended to find a place to hike and enjoy a view of the lake; our first choice, Castle in the Clouds, was out due to a classic car show that day. We drove on through Meredith (it looked pretty; we should have stopped) and Interlaken (not to be confused with its Swiss counterpart) before finding what looked like a good spot. What we didn't know: the road up went from pleasingly paved to dauntingly dirt and rock, with difficult climbs and hairpin turns. We parked in a lot that had some other cars, saw no other hikers, and grew increasingly nervous. After briefly exploring the local trail options and enjoying the view, we decided to head back down. On the way, a passing motorist told us to watch for black bears he had just seen, reinforcing our decision to get out of there.

We drove back to Manchester, stopping at (another) L.L. Bean outlet on the way before catching our flight home.

Thoughts

It was a short but wonderful trip. The people in the White Mountains live life at a different pace. They are polite, kind, and much more relaxed than what we are used to. The area is beautiful, even though the leaves were not as vibrant as we had hoped (the locals told us a drought had affected the maples in particular). There is plenty to do for the outdoors enthusiast, and many options for all skill levels and desires (we focused on shorter hikes and loved it). The food options were excellent, with an array of both chains and local fare. The shopping was surprisingly fun. I wish we had more time to explore the Lake Winnipesaukee area (and foreknowledge of where best to do that), but ultimately, the trip was made not by what we did, but who we were with—each other.

It was the first time my wife and I had gotten away overnight without the children in seven years. It was a much-needed time to relax, enjoy each other's company, and connect without distraction or interruption. We need to make this a habit.

Daily Doctrine (Kevin DeYoung)

Daily Doctrine is a devotional of sorts, with 260 entries (five per week). But unlike most devotionals (where each entry focuses on a Bible passage or topic), this book presents systematic theology for laypeople in digestible pieces (about a page per entry). Here, notable pastor and author Kevin DeYoung covers doctrine in 9 categories:

- Prolegomena (Preliminary Considerations)

- Theology Proper (The Being of God and the Works of God)

- Anthropology (Man as Created and Fallen)

- Covenant Theology (How God Relates to His Creatures)

- Christology 1 (The Person of Christ)

- Christology 2 (The Works of Christ)

- Soteriology (Salvation in Christ)

- Ecclesiology (The Nature, Mission, and Ordering of the Church)

- Eschatology (Last Things)

I loved this work. It takes skill to translate skilled theologians and their terminology into something clear and concise, but that is DeYoung's stated gift, and he pulls it off. He presents the Reformed view on most matters, but for particularly contentious topics, he does give a fair summary of different viewpoints. I recommend this to anyone interested in learning about systematic theology but (understandably) overwhelmed by other works on the topic (like John Frame's excellent, but much longer, volume) and simply wants an overview. I only wish there had been 365 entries.

Rating: A

Magpie Murders (Anthony Horowitz)

Alan Conway is a popular 'whodunnit' author. His editor, Sue, is enjoying his latest draft manuscript until she discovers that the final chapters are missing. And it gets worse . . . Alan Conway is soon found dead on his property. Baffled, Sue takes it upon herself to investigate. Having enjoyed mysteries all her life, Sue suddenly finds herself in one . . . and the stakes could not be higher.

This was a fun read. This is two books in one: the manuscript is a ~240 page murder mystery, and Sue's investigation is about the same length. I don't want to say more lest I give spoilers, but it was a fun concept well executed. It has the suspense and surprises you'd expect of the genre.

Rating: A

Loving God

In July, I did a series of posts on love, looking at a Bible-based definition, AI's take, and love's object. Those posts were generic, yet the focus was on loving people. Today, I look at what it means to love God.

My definition of love from the first linked post above was as follows:

Love is the self-sacrificial and self-forgetful care for and building up of others demonstrated by action, affection, attitude, endurance, and optimism.

I think that reasonably covers what it means to love other people, but does all of that apply to God? We can't care for or build up God. Yet Jesus says the first and great commandment is that "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:36-38).

So what does loving God look like? How can we love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind?

One important factor is obedience. If we love God we will keep his commandments (John 14:15). That means keeping God's law, but not in a legalistic way as the Pharisees were famous for doing (Matthew 5:19-20); they would tithe down to the most precise amount, yet neglect weightier things (Matthew 23:23). So an important aspect of obedience is doing so in the spirit of the law, not just the letter. The letter kills, spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6), and we should live by the Spirit, not by the letter (Romans 2:28-29). For example, the letter of the law says 'do not murder' (Exodus 20:13), but Jesus clarifies that the spirit of that law is not just murder, but even angry thoughts or insults (Matthew 5:21-22). The bar is high. To love God is to obey him. But is that all?

It's not just about obeying; another factor is humility. One aspect of love is sacrifice for another; the Lord demands sacrifice for several reasons in Scripture. Yet the Psalmist recognizes our heart plays a factor here and is ultimately what matters: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:16-17). God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). And one summary of what God requires is to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). Why all this emphasis on humility? It is the right response to our sinful state in light of God's holiness. Richard Sibbes wrote a book on the topic; with him, we rightly approach God saying "be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:9-14). He who humbles himself will be exalted. 

A third factor is gratitude. You can be obedient and even humble but wallow in misery, yet the Bible calls us repeatedly to be thankful. Psalm 50 is helpful here, as it deals with sacrifices in general. After explaining that the Earth is the Lord's (verses 10-13), he says "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving" (verse 14) and "The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me" (verse 23). We see the theme also in Psalm 107:22 and 116:17. Thankfulness is the right response to recognizing that the Lord loves and has blessed us. And related to thankfulness is enjoying life, which we are called to in Ecclesiastes (see especially 9:7-9 and this book). Life itself is a gift from God, and enjoying what is given to us is a way to show love to the one who gave it. Experientially, anyone who is a parent knows this: we give ourselves for our children, knowing that they cannot pay us back or earn it. Yet they can be thankful for and enjoy it. And we feel loved when they do so.

A fourth factor is time. When you love someone, you want to spend time with them. We spend time with God in three ways: Scripture, meditation, and prayer. We are called to store up and abide in His word (Psalm 119:15, 2 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 3:16, John 5:38), meditate on His law and deeds (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 77:12 or 119:15), and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12). Jesus clearly made the same a priority, frequently withdrawing to pray (Luke 5:15-16, Mark 1:35). Time with God shows love for God.

So how do we love God? Obedience, humility, gratitude, and time. There may be more, but there is certainly not less. And, if you're like me, you constantly fall short in all of these areas. May we obey God, be humble, be thankful, and spend time with Him this day.

The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship

Today's review is of the 2025 release, The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship. For 1-5 players, it takes 60-150 minutes.

Overview

Anyone familiar with The Lord of the Rings knows the story: save Middle-Earth by destroying the one ring and defeating Sauron and his armies. The task seems impossible, with swarms of Orcs, the fearsome Nazgul, and other threats in the way. Yet hope remains, if the fellowship is true . . . 

This is a cooperative game in the Pandemic line, meaning the basic rules follow that game system. Each player controls two characters from the story. On your turn, you will:

• Perform 4+1 actions (one of your characters takes 4 actions, and the other takes 1, in either order)
• actions include travel, give/take a card from a player, discard a card to take a token, add an army to a location, attack, or capture an enemy stronghold
• Draw 2 cards
• if you draw a 'shadow increasing,' follow the (regrettable) instructions to add threats to Middle-Earth
• Draw X shadow cards, where X=2-5 based on where the marker is on the threat rate track
• resolve them one at a time, which generally means moving shadow armies (and attacking), moving Nazgul towards Frodo (and searching), or other terrible things

There are many details to the above, and this video is an excellent (if lengthy) overview of everything.

Game contents; image from here

The game ends when either you complete all objectives (the introductory scenario has four) and collectively win or your hope drops to zero and all is lost.

Review

I was greatly looking forward to this one. I love both the Pandemic game engine and The Lord of the Rings; I wanted to see how they combined them. I think they did it well. This is more complicated than the other Pandemic games (there is a lot going on), but the core concepts are still there, so it was easy enough for my playgroup to pick up the rules. It is challenging and lengthy, so be warned. It is highly replayable, with 20 different objectives and 13 different characters, each with unique abilities. Overall, this is well done and worth a look.

Rating: A

Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Little House on the Prairie, book three in a series, is Laura Ingalls Wilder's account of her family's life on a prairie south of Independence, Kansas, where they lived for two years before moving [back] to Wisconsin. The book starts leaving their former residence and heading west on a covered wagon with Ma and Pa, big sister Mary, little sister Carrie, their dog Jack, and two horses. Once they ford a dangerous creek and arrive on the plains, they settle on open land (in Indian territory) and build a home and stable, eeking out a difficult (if content and joyous) existence full of close calls and adventure until they had to relocate due to government decisions on where Indians and settlers could[n't] stay. The book ends where it started, with them taking what they can in their covered wagon and heading out. 

I didn't realize this was book three in the series. And that it took place well before the family's Walnut Grove years portrayed in the television series of the same name. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this read. I was struck by 1) how little they had, 2) how content they were, 3) how hard they worked, 4) how industrious they were, 5) how simple life was, and 6) how resilient they remained in their transient existence. Pouring two years of hard work into a homestead, only to pack up and move and start all over with nothing to show for it, must have been hard. But per Pa, "we're taking more out of Indian Territory than we took in," meaning that their experiences together [and, presumably, the grace they experienced] more than accounted for the material loss. A good lesson for us all.

I'll add: there is a 'weird' mix of self-reliance and need for neighbors on display here. On the one hand, the family had incredible skill in many things, and could get by quite well off the land and their skills. On the other hand, they relied on neighbors (miles distant) for everything from news to a helping hand to supplies to protection. We need each other, but it seems to me that the pioneering way of life was an experiment in how to be as independent as possible. Similarly, their understanding of the Gospel (from what little I could glean in the story) was a mixture of helping others wherever possible, and needing occasional help, too, but also trying to be as self-reliant as possible and not wanting to owe anyone anything. Overall, it was an educational and enjoyable look into life on the plains for settlers in the midwest only 150 years ago. How we have changed since.

Rating: A

The Laudable Logo

I admire logos and enjoy studying them; sometimes, I am even drawn to (or away from) an entity based on them. In hockey, I like the Calgary Flames (see logo above), for example, in part because Macgyver mentioned them on his television show during my formative years. But the mere mention was insufficient; I was drawn to the team by Macgyver's hat, with sported their logo (see below). I've been hooked every since.

Why do logos matter? Why is their role so important? Whether in sports, businesses, universities, or other spheres, a good logo can have a powerful impact. Google's AI summarizes, mentioning how logos are:

. . . visual symbols [that] build brand identity, create emotional connections with fans through the mere exposure effect, and convey a team's values and history.

The AI answer focused on sports, but the attributes are broadly applicable to any entity where branding and recognition matters.

Logos are symbols, and a picture is worth a thousand words. It is impressive how much a simple logo—even a minimalist one—can convey. In fact, sometimes the best logos, and even the most informative, are not overly complex designs meant to convey every facet of an entity in a symbol, but rather a simple design that communicates a few key truths. Let's look at a recent one, sticking with hockey: the Utah Mammoth.

In 2024, the Phoenix Coyotes (who were previously the Winnipeg Jets) moved from Arizona to Utah. Their first year, they were known simply as the Utah Hockey Club, but they donned a new brand for this year and became the Utah Mammoth. Their logo impressed me. It is, appropriately, a mammoth, but note two other pieces of information conveyed:

- the crown of the head is a mountain range

- the tusk is oriented to be a 'U'

So in a simple logo, it communicates at least three things: they are the mammoth, they play in Utah, and they are near mountains. Pretty cool.

I could give a lot of other examples, from Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign logo (widely ridiculed) to some of the most iconic company symbols (widely praised), but I'll stick with this one today. When you see a logo in any sphere, take a moment to study and enjoy its design. What is good about it? Bad? Why does[n't] it grab you? And why does it matter?

All-Star Superman, Volume 1

Superman saves an expedition to the sun, but mortally injures himself in so doing. Slowly dying, he sets his affairs in order with Lois and others in the first volume of the All-Star Superman storyline.

This series is widely lauded as one of the top story arcs about the Man of Steel. This first volume underwhelmed, though. It collects six individual issues, some of which appear unrelated to the overall arc of Supes dying. It is hailed as a fresh (but classic) look at Superman, both in story and art, and I see elements of that, but not in a captivating way. Maybe it ties together better if I would read more volumes . . . I'm not sure I will. 

Rating: C+

The Flash

Barry Allen is fast. Really fast. Harnessing his 'speed force' as part of the Justice League, he uses his powers to help humanity. When he discovers he can walk through time, he journeys to the past to save his parents from tragedy (and, later, to correct mistakes). But doing so has a ripple effect and changes many other things—and starts to mess with the fabric of time itself. The Flash must choose: can he accept failure and tragedy? Or is it worth destroying the universe to right the wrongs of the past? 

This film got mixed (but mostly negative) reviews, which is one reason I wasn't in a rush to see it (it came out two years ago). That said, I enjoyed it more than I expected. It focused on an important theme: the reality of failure and tragedy—the wrongs we do and the wrongs done to us—and their role in shaping our lives. When Flash realizes he might be able to stop his mother's murder, he doesn't realize how that event was necessary. Batman enlightens him: "Those scars we have make us who we are. We're not meant to go back and fix them." And elsewhere, as Flash struggles with how to fix things, he is reminded that "Not every problem has a solution. Sometimes we just have to let go." While the movie doesn't get all the right answers, I think it is important to think on this. We all have regret for our past actions and pain we wish didn't exist, but if God is sovereign and good, even the sins and horrors of humanity can end up playing a positive role. And our desire to go back and change things is ultimately humanity trying to be God, which is what made us fall in the first place. 

Theme aside, the movie had mixed elements. It plays on the rich history of DC movies, combinng them with time travel weirdness, to feature cool cameos (so being familiar with older films will aid your enjoyment). The humor was decent in places. The CG was weirdly (but I understand deliberately/artistically) bad at times. The film invested too much in action/spectacle and too little in character/message. There is some foul language. And in the end, it's clear Barry didn't fully learn the lesson. But overall, it wasn't terrible.

Rating: B-

You are Not Your Own (Alan Noble)

Modern society claims that "I am my own and belong to myself." We imagine freedom as "the absence of constraints." This false anthropology imposes a terrible burden on us: if this is true, it puts on us "the responsibility to justify our existence, to create an identity, to discover meaning, to choose values, and to belong." Author Alan Noble refers to these as the "Responsibilities of Self-Belonging." 

Noble argues that our culture's embrace of this self-belonging concept has ultimately led us to where we are today: we spend our lives seeking affirmation ('like and follow!') and meaning (so long as it's optional), putting efficiency as the ultimate good (no rest for us! always more to do), and pursuing (but never achieving) a satisfied or content life (focusing instead on medicating ourselves through meaningless "sad-making" distractions or other coping mechanisms).  In short, such a society "will develop into a hypercompetitive society, one in which we all must fight for survival, validation, meaning, attention, and affirmation." It promises (but never delivers) "a full and satisfying life." We respond by affirming (if we're one of the 'winners') or resignation (if the 'losers'). In either, we are overcome by fatigue and/or inadequacy. "Thank God we are not our own."

The question is not "who am I?" but "whose am I?" If we belong to God, our life looks very different indeed. "If we belong to God, then knowing and abiding by His limits enables us to live as we were created to live, as the humans He designed us to be." And we'll find that "our longings are met in union with Christ when we accept our belonging to Him." 

In Christ, we see that "your existence is good and right and significant because a loving God intentionally created you and continues to give you your every breath. Your life is significant whether you choose to see it that way or not . . . " and you will realize "that your life is not a quest for significance or self-actualization, but an act of joyful participation in God's grace." We will have God's standard and guidelines for how to live. We will see our sinfulness—how far we fall short of God's standard. And if we belong to Christ through believing in him (and his sacrifice on the cross, in our place), "God looks at our face and sees the beauty and righteousness of His Son. And the judge of all assures us that we are loved, accepted, and adored." We will be free to serve God and neighbor not to belong, but because we belong. And our "obligation is to honor God with our lives." He calls us to faithfulness, not success. To love our neighbor and seek the good of the city in which we live, but not to be personally responsible for saving it (as only God can). And to rest, trusting in his sovereignty and goodness. And there is true freedom and comfort indeed. As the Heidelberg Catechism states, 

• Q. What is your only comfort in life and death? 
• A. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

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Great book! Repetitive and wandering at times, but well worth the read.

Rating: A

Thrawn (Timothy Zahn)

Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Ascendancy has been abandoned on an alien world. Rescued by Imperials, and having once known Anakin Skywalker, he is brough before Emperor Palpatine and given a chance to start afresh in Imperial Navy. His genius is soon on full display, and he rises quickly in favor and rank. He is not without his enemies, but he will prevail. This is the origin story of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn holds a special place in my heart, having been the antagonist in the first Star Wars Expanded Universe book, Heir to the Empire, I read some thirty years ago. When Disney bought the franchise, they relegated all such material to 'legends' status, saying it was no longer canon, but then proceeded to bring some elements back—Thrawn among them. He has since appeared in animated and live-action TV shows alike, keeping the core components of the character the same while altering his adventures, but his beginnings have always been shrouded in mystery. Here, author Timothy Zahn (who authored the original Thrawn books) returns to tell his origin story.

How was it? Okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't overly interesting, either. It's always hard when you know the end of a story . . . this is basically an expected tale where Thrawn comes up through the ranks and encounters challenges along the way. He's smart; he uses art to analyze enemies; he has integrity. Some parts were cool; others were boring. There were some plot points that seem far-fetched. It wasn't terrible, but it was vanilla enough that I'm wondering why they bothered to tell the tale. Sometimes impressions of depth are best enjoyed by leaving them unexplored.

Rating: B-

K-Pop Demon Hunters

The Huntr/x are a K-pop girl group. They are also [secretly] demon hunters, charged to protect the realm through song and violence. But one of their members has a secret . . .

The Saja Boys are a K-pop boy band. They are also [secretly] demons, charged to get the population under their sway to steal their souls. But one of their members has a secret, too . . .

The natural and supernatural worlds collide in this musical tale of living with your faults and fears in a society that teaches you to hide. 

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My initial take on this was "frenetic, bizarre, and catchy." From the same studio that animated Across the Spider-verse, you see the stylistic similarities. The music was good (one song reached #1 in the real-life charts), the humor was zany but fun, and the point was awesome—I think. Let me explain.

The main characters in the film wrestle with their faults and fears, the repeated refrain being "our faults and fears must not be seen." But charged to fix the world, they cannot fix themselves despite their best efforts—and hide as a result. They fear being known, assuming that such knowledge would erase any love others have for them. And they can't let go of their past failures, listening to their demons that won't let them forget: "all we get/deserve is to live with tons of pain and misery." The result? They are alone, and the demons are near victory. What is the way forward?

According to the film, the point is to be open about your faults and failures and "bring jagged edges to the light." Be there for others and know you are not alone. See the scars as part of yourself, and "see the beauty in the broken glass." And sacrifice yourself for the good of others, giving your soul to others rather than taking. 

There are a ton of good messages here. The only point that gave me pause—and which wasn't explained in the film—was whether brokenness should prompt any degree of repentance or sorrow. If it was calling you to see beauty in the broken glass or despite it. One line spoke of "darkness and harmony," and I couldn't tell if they meant making peace with the fact that we are fallen people [but to strive against it] *or* making peace with the fact [and embracing it]. That's a huge difference. I will assume the best, though, and give this film high marks. See it for yourself and let me know.

Rating: A

Daredevil: Through Hell

Continuing from last time . . .

Matt Murdock continues to wrestle with how he can help people in a broken system without resorting to being Daredevil; Elektra arrives to help him investigate the rampant corruption. 

Wilson Fisk has stepped away from his violent past, but Hell's Kitchen is descending into chaos as rival gangs vie for dominance.

Detective Cole North is fighting his own demons as he tries to be a good cop in a crooked city. 

Everyone's on edge . . . and something's gonna give soon.

This one was fine, but felt less hard-hitting than the first two volumes. More like exposition setting the stage for more good things (hopefully).

Rating: B

Daredevil: No Devils, Only God

Shortly after Volume 1 . . .

Plagued by his conscience, Matt Murdock has stepped away from being Daredevil. And a lawyer. Now a probation officer, he struggles with his new life and wrestles with his faith. God gave him gifts, but it seems he must break God's laws to use them. He cares about justice, but the system is broken and the most just course may be breaking the law. As he struggles, violence rages in Hell's Kitchen, but the Kingpin may be stepping away from his dark past, too. Can people really change? What does it mean to fight for justice in a broken world?

As with the first book, I really enjoyed this one. Some great dialogue, questions, and thoughts. It doesn't provide all the answers, and gets some things wrong, but it's nice to see a comic that grapples with what is (to me) a key challenge of the superhero genre: if a person has great power, and the system is broken, when is it justified to act outside the system? 

Rating: A-

Stone Harbor & Cape May

Last week, we got the chance to spend some time with a friend at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. We took one day to explore nearby Cape May. This post looks at both.

Stone Harbor is the southern town on seven-mile island (the northern is Avalon). It features a quaint downtown strip with expected stores (food, souvenirs, and so on—Springer's ice cream, two blocks north of the strip, is a must-visit). With the island having a typical width of only 2000ft, all homes are within easy walk of both beach and bay. It is almost entirely single family homes, many of which are modern, large, and beautifully constructed, with multi-level decks and flower boxes and more. (I enjoyed the homes more than the beach itself.) This lends itself to lower population density, less crowded beaches, and a laidback atmosphere well-suited to families.

Cape May is 12 miles south of Stone Harbor as the crow flies. Cape May Point (south of Cape May proper) has a lighthouse, WWII-era bunker, sunken concrete ship, and WWII-era watchtower. Cape May itself has a nice shopping district and pretty Victorian homes scattered throughout the town.

Overall, we spent our Stone Harbor days on the beach, walking the town, enjoying the homes, eating ice cream, and playing games or relaxing with our friend. And enjoying the sunrise. Time well spent.