WOW! Has it been almost two weeks. I started this blog about ten days ago, it's outdated now but I'll post it anyway. I know I blogged that I've been busy, but this has been crazy. Two kids in the mix, one sick, is really cool but also a lot of work. I love it, but I never thought it would consume this much time, along with work, classes, bball, etc.

On my way to coffee tonight (ten days ago)I was thinking about "Tuesday's with Morrie" and Morrie's comment about the Buddhists in particular. He says, "Maybe we should be like the Buddhists who turn to the bird on their shoulder and ask it today is the day" (paraphrased). That got me thinking, what do the Christians say? How about "love."

This almost can't be true, but did you see the Sports Guy's comments on Kobe:

On his 666th regular season game (seriously), Kobe scored 66 percent of his team's points.

I'm actually a fan of Kobe, but that's just too much.

Finally, I never thought I'd see common sense quoted in the court of law until I read this article recently. My wife is a Pharmacist so she gets all these nerdy periodicals to do her CE credits and such. This past month's mentioned a court case in CA where the pharmacist didn't consult because the patient turned it down, which is allowed by law. Well, what the patient didn't realize, but what was handed to him in writing, was that his med could have a side-effect of something like peristalis or something, and he got it, but didn't realize it until it was too late, and now has some permanent effects, although I don't know how severe. So of course he sued the pharmacy, but since he turned down the consult they were off the hook. Not so fast my friend, he said since there were two meds and one was new they should have forced him to consult, and he may be right. But the court ruled in favor of the pharmacy, saying there is no way it would be possible to consult every patient whether they desire it or not, doing so would cause more lines at the counter and more angry patients, and the guy needed to read the info he was given. They even cited "common sense" in the argument. WOW! Maybe there is hope for our country after all.

I almost forgot, if you are in the area, check out this awesome event at Harbor House, a domestic abuse shelter in our community. Lisa and I went last year, it's been a long time since we've laughed that hard, and it's for a great cause!

http://www.harborhouseonline.org/events.htm

Just a couple of random thoughts tonight:

First, I'm busier than I've been in I don't know how long. There is literally not a minute in the day that I'm not working, coaching, parenting, or studying for my class. It's really getting to me. I don't see it slowing down for the next two or three weeks, and they blocked blogs at school, so it may be a little slow for a while.

There's a good chance I'll be heading to Guatemala in the beginning of April to work with 200 high school teachers on implementing a curriculum I and some others developed a few years ago. I'm really looking forward to that, but trying not to get my hopes up too much in case it doesn't work out.

Sojourner's doesn't realize that when they break the law, no matter their intentions, the US Gov will not be happy:

The 25 members of Witness Against Torture returned from their vigil at Guantanamo on Sunday night, Dec. 18, and were not given a very warm welcome by Homeland Security agents. The group of Christian peace activists had walked 50 miles from Santiago, Cuba, to the gates of the controversial American detention center at Guantanamo Bay to set up a vigil and encampment at the closest point they could reach to the prisoners held there. "After repeated appeals to the White House and the Guantanamo base commander," said Art Laffin, vigil participant and Catholic Worker member from Washington, D.C., "we were denied an opportunity to perform a simple work of mercy - to visit the prisoners." On Thursday the vigil participants ended a three-day water-only fast with a liturgy at the Glorieta Cuban military checkpoint, about 10 miles from the tortured prisoners. On Sunday they headed back to the United States.

However, 14 of those who flew via the Domincan Republic and landed at Newark Airport were met by U.S. agents lacking Christmas cheer. The Witness Against Torture members were interrogated by Homeland Security and U.S. Customs agents. "We had to fill out a special Cuba form explaining why we went to Cuba without a license and what we did," said Laffin. This information, they were told, will be turned over to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a division of the Treasury Department that deals with people who travel to Cuba without a government license. The office is the government agency that recently fined Voices in the Wilderness $20,000 for taking medicine and medical supplies to Iraq in violation of U.S. sanctions laws. "It remains to be seen what will happen," continued Laffin. "We give thanks to God for what we were able to do and pray that God will now guide us in the next steps we take on behalf of the Guantanamo prisoners."

Obviously there is a balance here, but they are then the same people who expect the government to bail them out when they get kidnapped in these dangerous places. There are proper channels to go through. On the Cuba issue, I read a book two years ago called "Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag" which really left an impression on me in regard to Cuba. They may put on a good face, but it's ugly over there.

Chips and Salsa - $5.50
Take-Out Pizza - $10
Six Pack of Michelob - $7
Watching the Super Bowl without either Manning in the game - PRICELESS

I'm not in the mood to rant today, but I just can't pass up these opportunities from today's local paper:

It seems that the mayor of LA had deemed it the homeless capital of the nation. Ya think? There is no other place I'd go if I were homeless. Warm days, cool nights, what else do you want?

The editorial section contains a letter on the growing chasm between rich and poor in America, quoting Sandra Day O'Connor that the "strength of a democracy is judged by how those on the lowest run of the ladder are doing." I don't disagree with her at all, but then the author of the
letter quotes Princeton U economist Alan Krueger who wrote that "in comparison with other countries, the United States of America has fewer opportunities for advancement in regards to income distribution." I'm sorry, I don't know about his research or his intent by this statement,
but has he been to India and talked to the Dalits or Untouchables? What are their changes for advancement? How about those in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, whom I have talked to, I can't believe they stand a better chance of advancement, with little or no education, than an American with a guaranteed twelve years of free education. I just can't accept this.

Finally, I don't know much about the Packers new coach, Mike McCarthy, but he better be good, because he wasn't even on the radar of most local or national sports people. Usually I like it when they come up with a diamond in the rough, but I am very skeptical about this one. In
addition, his success may hinge on talking Bates into returning and Favre for one more year. He certainly has his work cut out for him.

I like this description of the missional church:

What is the Missional Church?
Larry Chouinard has posted about some of the characteristics of the Missional Church.
(1) A missional church is externally focused.
(2) A missional church is culturally engaged without being absorbed.
(3) A missional church is incarnationally not institutionally driven.
(4) A missional church is about discipleship not church membership.
(5) A missional church is patterned after God's missionary purpose in the world.
(6) A missional church seeks to establish Kingdom outposts to retake territory under the control of the Evil One.
(7) A missionary church seeks to plant,grow, and multiply missionary communities.
(8) A missionary church trains and equips new leaders to enter territories under seige by Dark Forces. We learn in the context of mission not in the security of our comfort zone.
(9) A missional church highlights character, virtue, and compassionate deeds as the most effective witness to God's Kingdom.
(10) A missional church connects to Jesus through mission not doctrinal precision.
(11) A missional church adopts an organizational structure and internal forms based on mission not ecclesiastical traditions.
(12) A missional church sees itself as organic and not in static institutional forms.
(13) A missional church pursues relationships across generational, ethnic, economic and cultural lines of distinctions.
(14) A missional church seeks to partner with the community to "seek the shalom" of the community.
(15) A missional church assembles to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.
(16) A missionary church seeks to reawaken a movement ethos as together we engage our cultural context.

I almost forgot, I've got this new cable box, more channels, on-demand options, etc. It also flashes incoming calls on the TV, so when I hear the phone ring I don't have to run upstairs if I don't want to take the call, I can tell if it is important. It also flashes a light when I have an incoming email, although I haven't figured out how to get that to work yet. Technology...I'm trying to watch less TV, then this comes along.

Back to school, tough transition. I like being off, but this on and off has been tough for me. I had a great summer, then worked four weeks and was on a flex schedule for ten weeks. Then three weeks back and ten days off. I love it, but it makes me want to stay home more. As I mentioned a while ago, it may be time for a change for me, but my options are limited. There is one good possibility on the horizon though, I'm in prayer...

Two years ago in one of my introductory blogs I predicted that Oklahoma would overcome their loss to Colorado and rebound for a Sugar Bowl victory against LSU. How wrong I was! No predictions tonight, but I can say...hook em horns!