There are so many words that I could use to describe my Dad, because I've known him to be so many things. The closest word I can think of to describe him, would be superman. No, my Dad wasn't bullet proof, super fast, amazingly strong, or a genius. He didn't have heat vision, x-ray vision, or the ability to fly, but he held the Earthly equivalent in each of those areas.

   My Dad wasn't bullet proof, but he withstood many attacks, getting up after each one.

   My Dad wasn't super fast, (In fact, he procrastinated a lot..) but he quickly did what was best for his family.

   My Dad wasn't supernaturally strong, but he was strong enough for my family to rely on.

   My Dad didn't have x-ray vision, but he could see through us, and tell what we needed or wanted.

   My Dad wasn't super smart, but he was smart enough to earn a degree in Nuclear Engineering, and to walk a Christian life. 

   My Dad didn't have heat vision, but occasionally, if I did something really stupid, one glance at his face seemed like looking at the wrath of God.

   My Dad never could fly, but his life was continually taking off.  Now my Dad is soaring.

   
    As I read this, I'm remembering all of the times I spent with my Dad. Sure, there are a few memories I'd like to forget, but there are thousands more that I will always treasure in my mind, and in my heart. I'll always remember the vacations, the movies, the midnight trips to Wal-Mart or Kroger, the times we worked on cars, the racquetball and tennis games, working on computers all night long, building models, launching rockets, going to track meets, playing with slot cars, going mud-running, having "table time", listening to his stereo, going to Creation.. The list could go on and on with things that I remember my Dad doing for me. But I guess the real story of my Dad took place in a world where Mark didn't have any part. His life was never perfect, and he oftentimes he fell. Occasionally I saw glimpses of who he really was, and what he had to work around. As I got older, I gradually understood more and more about the Man that was Willem Plaat. I didn't care then, and I don't care now. My Father was, and is, my Superman. Nothing could stop him, and nothing ever will.

   My Dad  never left a job partially completed (He'd just procrastinate, and put it on his "list", then say he was still working on it.) But in reality, he did his best to do a complete job of raising his children. He pushed us to be more than we had already become, and not stop at the first place where we felt content. Whether it was sports or school work, he did his best to make sure his children would be, not just good, but great. More importantly, he held the same views about our walks with Christ. Sure, there were times when this outlook caused there to be conflict, but he did it anyway, because both he and my mother believed what the Bible says. "Train up a children in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

   Like Superman, my Dad had his kryptonite.

   Oftentimes we'll read through a comic book, and watch as the hero faces death. Each time, that hero escapes, and does away with the bad guy. My Dad's story is somewhat similar. He fought Cancer several times, but gradually got weaker and weaker. He experienced victory, and he went through defeat. On July 29, 2007, he was defeated by Cancer, but on that same day, he had victory over death.

   George Santayana's popular quote, "Those who cannot learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.", is true in many areas of life, but it is not complete. There are some things from which we can model our lives after, and pursue sucess.  My Father lived a life of mistakes and errors, but he also set down an example for each and every one of us. That example has set a path before me, which, if followed faithfully, will lead to only one place.

The Finish Line.

   It's been far too long since I wrote on this thing... Maybe I should start again..

Perceptions

  What is it that causes us to percieve the things around us in a way that we feel is unique? Instead of truly being our own person, and having our own perception of life, we are simply clones of the thoughts and ideas of those who have passed on before us. Each little word, each little thought, each little feeling. They are all the product of mans knowledge up to this point.

You think you're different?

You're exactly like those before you. In fact, you ARE those before you...

   Lately I've been thinking about life, and trying to decide how I can truly step out of the box, and become a person of my own ideas, rather than someone who follows after the ideas of others. I've come to the conclusion that it's impossible for me to truly escape what I've been taught, because it has become the basis of my thought process. Sounds weird, but it's true. Besides, I'm supposed to follow after Jesus. I guess I can't be completely my own self. I have to piece together what I can, and form the rest from who I am.

   Why should 1+1=2? Why should I believe that? Is it because it's true, or is it because billions of people have believed that over the years...?

Where do you draw the line between accepting something that has been taught, and accepting something because you've found it yourself?

Maybe we'll never know.

The only thing I do know, is that


It's all physical (You most likely won't understand this...)

Seeing as how this is Xanga, and not Myspace, I'm going to assume that you all know what "The Screwtape Letters" is. (Is? Are? Its a plural subject, or a singular thing..)

Below is a paper I wrote for an English presentation.

The Screwtape Letters
(A letter from Wormwood, to Despondence)

Dear Despondence,

   Your recent letters to me have given me an idea of just how vulnerable your position is right now. The current situation that Mark now finds himself in can either play him into our hands, or straight to the Enemy. Such things have worked both ways, and have decided the battle for many a soul throughout the annals of time. I can go down list after list of these pathetic hairless creatures that have faced similar situations. Some worse, some not quite so bad, but the point is that each scenario has its openings from which you can steal his soul.

  Unlike the humans we used to tempt, this generation of Christians is quite aware of the heavenly battle that wages above them in the heavenly realm. Although they realize that the battle is constantly waging, we are helped by the fact that they cannot see just how serious it really is. In some ways, their realization of the heavenly battles have actually given us a whole new set of opportunities that we can use to ease our way into their lives without them even noticing. They have grown so accustomed to our presence that their defenses are gradually lowered to the point where it is hardly a challenge to defeat them.

   With that in mind, you can now move onto the Patient himself. After reading up on his file, and getting to know more about his life, it becomes obvious that our first area of attack is through his father’s cancer. The only problem with this plan is that it is just too obvious. Although his vision of the heavenly realm is limited, he is not completely blind. His father’s cancer can, instead, provide a foundation for the rest of our attacks, and give us something to work off of. As our Father below once said at a seminar, “For the humans, pain can be more painful, if it lies with somebody else”. Just allowing the situation to remain can cause Mark to question the foundations of his faith, and the reality of a “loving God”.

   Although your time should be spent pursuing other methods of temptation, devote a bit of that time towards getting Mark to question the reasons for his father’s illness. Specifically, try to make him wonder as to why his father is sick, and why the Enemy has not done anything about it, despite the numerous disgusting prayers that he, and the fellow “saints” raise to heaven. However, the danger of this attack is that Mark may begin to wonder the real meanings behind this trial. If he should discover just where the path of the Enemy leads, I fear that there would be no hope left for his soul. As I have said earlier, this may be the most obvious, and the easiest way of temptation, but it also carries the potential of being the most dangerous. If you choose to not undertake the above suggestions, fear not, for there are many other battlegrounds that we can resort to. 

   From your last letter, I have surmised that Mark has been under stress from a variety of other issues, as well as the obvious family ones. His worries over sports, grades, and friends can be exploited to make him feel weak, out of place, and insecure. It’s remarkable how much value these little humans place on temporary happiness, and how quick they are to throw away the few things that really do matter. Try to divert his attention towards his performance in sports and academics, and convince him that he will never be able to achieve his dreams, regardless of the help that he receives daily from the Enemy.

   Lastly, his situation with his friends, from what I can gather, has caused him to lose some sleep as of late. His recent attempts at starting a relationship with a Christian girl didn’t end so well, and have made him unsure as to where he intends to go from there. He has been thinking about once again starting a relationship, but he is unsure as to whether or not it would help him in his spiritual growth. By all means, do what you can to entrap him in yet another relationship, for it is in that position that we can do the most subtle damage. Through his earthly “love” towards his fellow humans, we can manipulate his love towards the enemy, and gradually pinch it off at the source. In time, he will find himself dry, and almost completely under our control. However, if you wish to accomplish this, you must do it quickly, before he reaches the age where a relationship truly can pull him even farther away from our grasp, as the Enemy intended.

   Ultimately, you will find that your best weapon is the threat of failure. Your patient is young man that was trained up in the Enemy’s camp since birth, yet suffers from the same emotions and fears that we plague the rest of mankind with. He fears one thing above all else; Failure. Use this to your advantage, and constantly remind him of his numerous, and ongoing failures, for through these reminders, he may overlook the Love and strength that the Enemy freely gives. We cannot shield him from that love, but we can make him oblivious to it. A life without love is a life without hope. A life without hope is a life of defeat. And a life of defeat is ours.

   In reading your letters, I am reminded of myself, when I was an eager graduate of Slubgobs College. I tried hard to win over the soul of my first patient, but in the end, I failed miserably. I took too many chances, and allowed myself to be distracted by the smallest of victories. I celebrated each small win, and in doing so, forgot to keep the big picture in focus. Eventually I was able to work myself back up, but I never would have been able to do so without the help of my Uncle Screwtape. Yes, I know that it’s hard to believe that the legendary Screwtape is my uncle, but it is true. He constantly sent me words of wisdom that I neglected to use. Because of my stubbornness and pride, I faced the consequences of losing a soul to the Enemy. Having said this, I leave you with one final thought, something that my Uncle once said to me.
  
"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

   Continue on in your attacks, but do so in a gradual manner, and do not rush to accomplish anything too soon. The human life has an expectancy of 70-80 years. You still have quite a bit of time to play his soul into your hands. Remember, no matter what happens next, I will remain here to guide you.

Your Affectionate Uncle,
Wormwood


For those of you that actually read all of that..

Congratulations.