This may have been one of the worst weekends of my life. I caught a cold/allergy that I can't get rid of. I thought it was gone this morning but as the day rolls on it's coming back. I'm taking everything I can to kill it, but no such luck.
It's been an interesting week of teaching. For one, my kids have been pretty good. Two, there are three kids in one of my groups that just arrived in the US from Thailand last week. They have relatively no English skills although have made huge strides in the first few days. It's pretty cool to be involved in something like that.
I was lying awake last night (not able to sleep due to the allergies) and kind of sulking on certain things that aren't going the way I want (kind of just feeling sorry for myself). The house is a disaster, school is good to be back at but in other ways kind of a drag, Lisa and I really don't have any friends and in some ways I feel I don't fit with a lot of co-workers at school (for some reason I feel very removed from the rest of the staff, I don't know if it's me or them), just an all out case of the blues. But then I began to put things in perspective: in Thailand a 12 year-old girl had just gotten done having sex with her twelfth person of the day, children were sleeping in Kenya with no blankets in chilly weather with malaria-carrying mosquitos buzzing around, those in LA and MS had nothing, a church in China was meeting under the threat of death if caught, etc. It was good to have a dose of perspective. I need that often!
My final thought of the day revolved around the question of whether non-believers should be invited to church. I'm torn on this issue, for one I know that there are times when believers need to be and worship together without worrying about who they are offending, watching their language, etc. On the other hand, Paul knew that there would be unbelievers present when thec church in Corinth met, that's why he scolded them on their misuse of the gifts, and I do believe that when people are allowed a glimpse of Kingdom living and have a chance to ask some questions rather than "Say this prayer or rot in hell!" they'll be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit on their lives and seek the things of God. For now, I'm leaning toward the latter in my approach to fellowship, gathering, and "church."
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Friday, September 02, 2005
I hate to say it, but I'm in agreement with this:
Hastert wasn't the only one questioning the rebuilding of New Orleans. The Waterbury, Conn., Republican-American newspaper wrote an editorial Wednesday entitled, "Is New Orleans worth reclaiming?""Americans' hearts go out to the people in Katrina's path," it said. "But if the people of New Orleans and other low-lying areas insist on living in harm's way, they ought to accept responsibility for what happens to them and their property."
And I promise after this, no more blogs on Katrina.
Hastert wasn't the only one questioning the rebuilding of New Orleans. The Waterbury, Conn., Republican-American newspaper wrote an editorial Wednesday entitled, "Is New Orleans worth reclaiming?""Americans' hearts go out to the people in Katrina's path," it said. "But if the people of New Orleans and other low-lying areas insist on living in harm's way, they ought to accept responsibility for what happens to them and their property."
And I promise after this, no more blogs on Katrina.
I'm sorry, but people need to start learning priorities in life:
Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. "Snowball, snowball," he cried.
Never mind that this is a life or death situation and someone is worried about their pets.
Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. "Snowball, snowball," he cried.
Never mind that this is a life or death situation and someone is worried about their pets.
Like I said yesterday, I've got to watch myself but I'm getting a little frustrated with the attitude of the people down in LA and MS. Stop the crying! Donations are being made, the federal government will bail you out, things like this just don't happen overnight. I can't help believe how much better the situation is here than the aftermath of the tsunamai. I heard complaints last night that the people were FINALLY getting air conditioning, cold water, and sewer systems. Well Praise the Lord! I would bet money that three-quarters of the world has never known cold water or AC, and a sewer system has escaped half the world. Furthermore, the FEMA director put out a statement that "help is on the way, but unfortunately the people who need the help the most were those who chose not to heed the advice of authorities and flee the city." And I don't buy the "we couldn't get out" argument, you knew a week in advance, start walking! I'm sure there were ways out, one just had to have a little wisdom.
My prayers and thoughts and wishes to those suffering, but please stop whining, help is on the way and now we get a little feel of what the rest of the world lives in. (And yes, I do hope I keep this attitude when something like this happens to my home.)
My prayers and thoughts and wishes to those suffering, but please stop whining, help is on the way and now we get a little feel of what the rest of the world lives in. (And yes, I do hope I keep this attitude when something like this happens to my home.)
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Watching the aftermath of Katrina puts me in a very surreal position. I find it so hard to believe the devastation and need that exists there, it seems like a movie rather than reality. Yet it is real, millions of people may never return to their homes, a year for sure, and here I sit living my normal life worrying about gas prices. Like Maiya just told me, CRAZY!
Speaking of gas, I have not ever seen such a disparity in prices as today. The gas station by my school said $3.09, just a mile down the road it was $2.94. I have mixed feelings on this, part of me thinks it will continue to grow, yet part also thinks it will level off and drop down to around $2.50 or a little highter.
School started today, pretty cool to be back. I have high hopes for this year, I have my own room for the first time, love the people I work with, and hope to get involved and be a leader for the students. I have a good group to work with and hope I can do justice to their desires of growth.
Speaking of gas, I have not ever seen such a disparity in prices as today. The gas station by my school said $3.09, just a mile down the road it was $2.94. I have mixed feelings on this, part of me thinks it will continue to grow, yet part also thinks it will level off and drop down to around $2.50 or a little highter.
School started today, pretty cool to be back. I have high hopes for this year, I have my own room for the first time, love the people I work with, and hope to get involved and be a leader for the students. I have a good group to work with and hope I can do justice to their desires of growth.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I'm not the kind of guy that wants to kick someone while they are down, that's not what I'm trying to do here. The people of LA, MS, and all other areas affected by Katrina have my prayers and wishes and condolensces. I have heard that a lot of them have been ripped apart pretty good in the mainstream media, and I write this not to add to that.
However, I have to question in light of this incident the wisdom of building a major city on the coast under sea level. I have never been to NO so don't know all of the details, but due to the events of the past week I have learned that the city is actually under sea level and the reason for the flooding is the damage to a levee protecting the city from the Gulf. (Please forgive my ignorance on this matter as this is probably common knowledge to most of you, but I wasn't taught this in school). Of course it is the mouth of the Miss. River and a major port and people move to where the jobs are, but are there any other options? Maybe there's not, and if not please again forgive me. It's the same with Amsterdam, I watched a special on the Discovery Channel a few weeks back about the levee that had to be built to protect that city from becoming part of the North Sea. Again, are there any other options? Now the government has to bail them out with billions of dollars of aid.
John Stossel wrote about this in his book and did a 20/20 special on his Long Island beach house. Not once, not twice, but three times his house was washed away by powerful Atlantic storms. And not once, not twice, but three times was he refunded for his multi-million dollar estate by government subsidized insurance. Finally common sense took over and he cashed in without rebuilding, but as he looks back, should the government pay for him to build a house that had a great chance of being damaged almost yearly? Should the government pay for that who stubbornly refused to abandon their houses and are now in need of rescue? What about people who unwisely choose a sea port that lies under the sea? The humanitarian side of me says that we have to help them, and we do, but where do we stop? Do we ever say no, it's your fault, deal with it? Not in a civilized society, but sometimes its tempting.
(Note to reader, I'm thinking through this as I write and an uncomfortable with part of this blog, bear with me while I work through this issue.)
However, I have to question in light of this incident the wisdom of building a major city on the coast under sea level. I have never been to NO so don't know all of the details, but due to the events of the past week I have learned that the city is actually under sea level and the reason for the flooding is the damage to a levee protecting the city from the Gulf. (Please forgive my ignorance on this matter as this is probably common knowledge to most of you, but I wasn't taught this in school). Of course it is the mouth of the Miss. River and a major port and people move to where the jobs are, but are there any other options? Maybe there's not, and if not please again forgive me. It's the same with Amsterdam, I watched a special on the Discovery Channel a few weeks back about the levee that had to be built to protect that city from becoming part of the North Sea. Again, are there any other options? Now the government has to bail them out with billions of dollars of aid.
John Stossel wrote about this in his book and did a 20/20 special on his Long Island beach house. Not once, not twice, but three times his house was washed away by powerful Atlantic storms. And not once, not twice, but three times was he refunded for his multi-million dollar estate by government subsidized insurance. Finally common sense took over and he cashed in without rebuilding, but as he looks back, should the government pay for him to build a house that had a great chance of being damaged almost yearly? Should the government pay for that who stubbornly refused to abandon their houses and are now in need of rescue? What about people who unwisely choose a sea port that lies under the sea? The humanitarian side of me says that we have to help them, and we do, but where do we stop? Do we ever say no, it's your fault, deal with it? Not in a civilized society, but sometimes its tempting.
(Note to reader, I'm thinking through this as I write and an uncomfortable with part of this blog, bear with me while I work through this issue.)
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
A lot of press on the spiritual world has been made of late due to the upcoming release of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." I have seen numerous specials on people performing exorcisms around the world and debates on the validity of demon possession. Normally I would be overly suspicious of this supposedly true story, but this case is different.
About five years ago I received a call from my pastor on a weekday afternoon that he wanted Lisa and I to come down to the church office immediately. He gave me a few words of instruction and off we went. I had no idea what I was in for.
When we arrived, I saw a lady in the office conference room who I had known and seen every Sunday in church. I was then told that this lady experienced bouts of demon possession and we were to pray for her and try to exercise the demon. I was a little skeptical but a few minutes later I was a believer. All of the sudden as we began to pray the lady's eyes turned red, she stiffened in the chair, and she started cussing us out in a deep, male, voice. She cursed the pastor, told us we had no part in being there and we would not win. He released his name, Pornea (sp?) and said he lived in this lady. We did not succeed in getting the demon out, but I was told we had made some good progress.
So like I said, my worldview on the spiritual world did a one-eighty. It's one thing to read about account of demon possession and exorcism in the Bible or other accounts, it's one thing to see them first-hand. I think I'll take in this movie and see how this event compares to my experience.
About five years ago I received a call from my pastor on a weekday afternoon that he wanted Lisa and I to come down to the church office immediately. He gave me a few words of instruction and off we went. I had no idea what I was in for.
When we arrived, I saw a lady in the office conference room who I had known and seen every Sunday in church. I was then told that this lady experienced bouts of demon possession and we were to pray for her and try to exercise the demon. I was a little skeptical but a few minutes later I was a believer. All of the sudden as we began to pray the lady's eyes turned red, she stiffened in the chair, and she started cussing us out in a deep, male, voice. She cursed the pastor, told us we had no part in being there and we would not win. He released his name, Pornea (sp?) and said he lived in this lady. We did not succeed in getting the demon out, but I was told we had made some good progress.
So like I said, my worldview on the spiritual world did a one-eighty. It's one thing to read about account of demon possession and exorcism in the Bible or other accounts, it's one thing to see them first-hand. I think I'll take in this movie and see how this event compares to my experience.
The Sports Guy is doing it, now I'm going to give it a try. Every Tuesday (I saw every, I'm not very good at keeping up on things like this, but I'm giving it a shot) I'm going to post a brief book review of a text I highly recommend and one that has gone a long way in shaping my worldview and the life I seek to live.
This week's is a no-brainer, I took one glance at my book shelf and it basically threw itself at me. "Safely Home" is a fictional account of the Chinese church at the current time, when the government of China is trying to put on the front that it allows religious freedom to its people. I am usually am not a fan of fiction (find it somewhat of a waste of time, especially fiction in the Christian genre), but this book, while fiction, takes events that truly happened and revolves them around one character, Ben Fielding.
Ben Fielding is your typical American businessman who has bought into the lie that our faith is a private matter and any sign of one expressing their faith (a cross on one's desk, the sight of a Bible, someone professing their faith in Christ as a reason for doing something) should be prohibited. He is in a management position and while a church-going believer, he does not allow this activity in those underneath him, especially his co-worker named Doug who is very pro-life and will not go along with the tolerance espoused by his company (side-note - I use tolerance here in a negative way, as I believe it has been forced on us by the liberal world. I believe we should be tolerance of others, accepting of their differences. However, the new definition as it has been forced upon means that we must not disagree with anyone or say that any culture is belief or lifestyle is wrong. This is just not true, there are some worldviews that are wrong. Take for instance radical Islamic governments who believe they are in a jihad with the infidels, or parts of India and China where children are just thrown on the road when they are not wanted, or parts of Africa where the culture tells the men the way to get ride of AIDS to is have sex with a virgin, and the only way we can be sure one is a virgin is to rape a ten, six, or two year old, or younger. I love these people with the love of God, but their behavior is wrong and I will not tolerate it.) Anyway, Ben is about to fire Doug due to him being vocal about his religious beliefs.
But then a turn in the story happens when Ben has to return to China for some business (a place he has spend a good deal of time in) and happens to receive a letter from his old college roomate requesting he visti. Li Quan, the name of his roomate, is a pastor of an underground church in China and one that the government has been watching out for. He also has received his share of beatings. Ben doesn't know this until he visits, which he doesn't want to do but feels obliged, and he gets a different view of Christianity than he has experienced in the West. The story continues to tell of Li's struggles along with Ben's eye-opening experience in a world he never know. While the book is over 400 pages, it can be read in a few days (I couldn't put it down, believe it took me three) and encourages one to pray for those around the world as well as take a look at our own faith and ask whether we have bought into the Christianity the world and the West tells us is okay, which may be contrary to what Jesus is calling us to. I urge you to check it out, I have a few extra copies if you want to borrow one.
This week's is a no-brainer, I took one glance at my book shelf and it basically threw itself at me. "Safely Home" is a fictional account of the Chinese church at the current time, when the government of China is trying to put on the front that it allows religious freedom to its people. I am usually am not a fan of fiction (find it somewhat of a waste of time, especially fiction in the Christian genre), but this book, while fiction, takes events that truly happened and revolves them around one character, Ben Fielding.
Ben Fielding is your typical American businessman who has bought into the lie that our faith is a private matter and any sign of one expressing their faith (a cross on one's desk, the sight of a Bible, someone professing their faith in Christ as a reason for doing something) should be prohibited. He is in a management position and while a church-going believer, he does not allow this activity in those underneath him, especially his co-worker named Doug who is very pro-life and will not go along with the tolerance espoused by his company (side-note - I use tolerance here in a negative way, as I believe it has been forced on us by the liberal world. I believe we should be tolerance of others, accepting of their differences. However, the new definition as it has been forced upon means that we must not disagree with anyone or say that any culture is belief or lifestyle is wrong. This is just not true, there are some worldviews that are wrong. Take for instance radical Islamic governments who believe they are in a jihad with the infidels, or parts of India and China where children are just thrown on the road when they are not wanted, or parts of Africa where the culture tells the men the way to get ride of AIDS to is have sex with a virgin, and the only way we can be sure one is a virgin is to rape a ten, six, or two year old, or younger. I love these people with the love of God, but their behavior is wrong and I will not tolerate it.) Anyway, Ben is about to fire Doug due to him being vocal about his religious beliefs.
But then a turn in the story happens when Ben has to return to China for some business (a place he has spend a good deal of time in) and happens to receive a letter from his old college roomate requesting he visti. Li Quan, the name of his roomate, is a pastor of an underground church in China and one that the government has been watching out for. He also has received his share of beatings. Ben doesn't know this until he visits, which he doesn't want to do but feels obliged, and he gets a different view of Christianity than he has experienced in the West. The story continues to tell of Li's struggles along with Ben's eye-opening experience in a world he never know. While the book is over 400 pages, it can be read in a few days (I couldn't put it down, believe it took me three) and encourages one to pray for those around the world as well as take a look at our own faith and ask whether we have bought into the Christianity the world and the West tells us is okay, which may be contrary to what Jesus is calling us to. I urge you to check it out, I have a few extra copies if you want to borrow one.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
I came across the following news piece on Friday and was going to make it the focal point of my next post:
Matt Leinart, the probably number one draft pick in LAST year’s NFL draft, returned to school and is taking one class this fall semester, Ballroom Dancing. Being a single man in Southern California at one of the greatest college campuses in the nation with only one class and a sure-fire future multi-millionaire, this man has my vote for having THE LIFE!
But after spending this past weekend with my family at the wedding of Lisa's cousin, I have to change my mind. For those of you who don't know me, I HATE WEDDINGS! I am the most unromantic person you know, so spending a day oodling over the wedding couple makes me nauceous. Furthermore, I am a very cynical person, so I'm always thinking about what could go wrong with this relationship (I know, I'm a tortured soul).
This weekend wasd different, however. First, I really like the couple. Stacie is Lisa's coolest cousin and I have always liked her husband. I also like the family surrouding the both of them and the setting was a pristine lake.
More than that, though, my daughter Maiya was a flowergirl for the wedding, and watching her walk down the aisle (with a hint of seriousness and just enough of a smile to melt all hearts in the audience) nearly brought a tear to my eye. I was so proud of her. Then, during the father-daughter dance she wanted to sit on my lap while "Butterfly Kisses" played. That song should really be outlawed as I don't know how the bride's father kept from losing it, there didn't seem to be a dry eye in the place, especially not among the men with daughters. And to add insult to injury, she fulfilled my dreams by dancing an entire song with me, laying her head on my shoulder for the whole song. Times like that are just priceless!
So I take back my comment above that Matt Leinart has my vote for THE LIFE. I'm sure it would be great to take part in the college life again, beautiful girls chasing you around, millions of fans watching you throw a pigskin around every Saturday, millions of dollars waiting for you in the bank, what could be better. That life is sure envious, but I wouldn't trade my life yesterday for the world.
Matt Leinart, the probably number one draft pick in LAST year’s NFL draft, returned to school and is taking one class this fall semester, Ballroom Dancing. Being a single man in Southern California at one of the greatest college campuses in the nation with only one class and a sure-fire future multi-millionaire, this man has my vote for having THE LIFE!
But after spending this past weekend with my family at the wedding of Lisa's cousin, I have to change my mind. For those of you who don't know me, I HATE WEDDINGS! I am the most unromantic person you know, so spending a day oodling over the wedding couple makes me nauceous. Furthermore, I am a very cynical person, so I'm always thinking about what could go wrong with this relationship (I know, I'm a tortured soul).
This weekend wasd different, however. First, I really like the couple. Stacie is Lisa's coolest cousin and I have always liked her husband. I also like the family surrouding the both of them and the setting was a pristine lake.
More than that, though, my daughter Maiya was a flowergirl for the wedding, and watching her walk down the aisle (with a hint of seriousness and just enough of a smile to melt all hearts in the audience) nearly brought a tear to my eye. I was so proud of her. Then, during the father-daughter dance she wanted to sit on my lap while "Butterfly Kisses" played. That song should really be outlawed as I don't know how the bride's father kept from losing it, there didn't seem to be a dry eye in the place, especially not among the men with daughters. And to add insult to injury, she fulfilled my dreams by dancing an entire song with me, laying her head on my shoulder for the whole song. Times like that are just priceless!
So I take back my comment above that Matt Leinart has my vote for THE LIFE. I'm sure it would be great to take part in the college life again, beautiful girls chasing you around, millions of fans watching you throw a pigskin around every Saturday, millions of dollars waiting for you in the bank, what could be better. That life is sure envious, but I wouldn't trade my life yesterday for the world.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
This needs to happen more, there is a church in our area who does similar work with people from some part of Morocco, what a great ministry!
Heart and Soul Community Free Methodist Church of Rochester, New York, includes nine refugee family groups from the Uduk tribe of Southern Sudan. They are among the very few who have been allowed to enter the U.S. while most of their fellow tribal members remain in refugee camps in Ethiopia.
Heart and Soul Community Free Methodist Church of Rochester, New York, includes nine refugee family groups from the Uduk tribe of Southern Sudan. They are among the very few who have been allowed to enter the U.S. while most of their fellow tribal members remain in refugee camps in Ethiopia.
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