Red Light Relief Coming

Oklahoma City will lead the nation technologically - and it'll mean faster commutes! Apparently, there are Wi-Fi boxes on a bunch of traffic lights already to supply Internet access to who-knows-whom. They'll hook the traffic lights into that so that they can coordinate them so you don't hit one red light after another. We'll see how well it works, but it's certainly nice they're trying (can't believe there's no one else doing this yet).

Source: Koco TV

Christmas is When All Your Chocolate is Gone

We bought Advent calendars for the girls. They have little doors you can open each day of December until the 24th, and behind the door is a piece of chocolate. They are wildly popular with them. Tonight, La was counting the days remaining that they would still have chocolate. I suddenly realized that we had also been teaching them that December 24th is when baby Jesus comes. I can see them reasoning: we're getting chocolate every day until baby Jesus comes. What then? Is baby Jesus eating the chocolate? Worse yet, Ly answered Ch's question, "when is Christmas?" with,

"Christmas is when all your chocolate is gone."

I'm sure they're looking forward to baby Jesus' arrival now.

About That Mall...

As was obvious to anyone who uses the Council exit on I-40, construction on the outlet mall hasn't exactly started. I found a news item from NewsOK that says it is supposed to happen in the Spring, with opening now targeted for Summer 2010. I'd say, we can be cautiously optimistic...

An Old French Philosopher...

My best friend gave me a birthday card once that read,

An old French philosopher once said, 'Getting old hasn't hurt anyone yet.'

You'd open the card, and inside it continued,

Those French! Always so fast with the cheese and the wine. I think it hurts them in the philosophy department.

Well, today I was offered something (through an e-mail list I'm on) labeled an "Old German Proverb." I had never heard it, but I decided it has an important message:

Love sees the need, not the cause.

Hear! Hear! They're Fixing I-44 in Tulsa

The government is moving on fixing the most problematic stretch of I-44 in Tulsa. They're also widening it to 6 lanes. Hoooraay!

Koco 5 News Release

Light of the World

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Father James Keller

You are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14

Marvels of the Information Age

Wow! I bought something on the Internet (a "code library" for software development) in the course of some work I did a few years ago, and today I was going to buy an update. Just perchance, I realized that I had bought that code from a Romanian company using a German reseller. If your web site looks good enough, nobody cares where you are, and who you partner with.

It's not that I mind doing business with Romania, or Germany. I was just amazed that the presentation in this case was so slick that I never even considered whether this was like any of the other companies I do business with (usually from the U.S.). I reviewed the web site content, downloaded the sample and tried it, and since it was what I wanted, I bought it without so much as asking who was selling it to me. They were giving me the goods, they had a place to put the credit card number, voila!

I like things that way. God created us to live for His glory. In the course of our lives, we work to be able to supply for our needs, to worship God, to love others (probably not in that order). If someone else is going to sell me the product of their efforts, I don't care where God placed that person - whether in Romania, Venezuela, or down the street. May God's blessings be on the people in Romania that wrote the code I bought, and their partners in Germany.

Steven Curtis Chapman's Story Didn't Work

I learned this good-night story from Steven Curtis Chapman yesterday, and promptly tried it tonight, as I was putting the girls to bed at 10:00 p.m.:

Once upon a time, there were two girls, who were very tired. So their daddy put them to bed, and wished them good-night, and turned off the light. The End.

It didn't work. La determined, "That was not a story."

Back When I Was Young

One day, I'll be having this conversation with my grandson:

Me: "You think that's cheap gas? When I was young, we had a recession, and gas actually sank as low as $2.50!"
Him: "Whatever, Grandpa."

A Word for Our Times?

Looking at Gospelcom's Verse of the Day today, I couldn't help thinking that some translators should consider who they are translating for, and how words will be understood. This one's from the ESV:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare
Jeremiah 29:11

Oh no, I'm going to lose my job.

Alright, I know the verse continues "and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (And yes, they did have the whole verse on Gospelcom).

John 15:8

The point is not that it doesn't matter what fruit you produce.
The point is that unless you produce fruit, nothing else matters.

Problem of Evil

One of the issues considered in one of my classes was “the problem of evil.” Simply stated, why is there evil in this world when an Almighty God can (and clearly many times does) intervene? Assuming that He does intervene, why does He intervene some times, but not others?

One of the answers has been that God is determining everything that happens. I.e., Hitler rising to power would be God’s doing. Another point of view gives credit to the fallen world being responsible for the evil in this world, and therefore, a baby dying from sickness is considered due to how this world operates since the fall, because it is under the power of the evil one.

Of course, God does heal sick babies at other times, which begs the question why some are healed, and others not. One answer has been that God knows everything, and therefore let this particular baby die for some higher purpose. An answer to which many have replied, “which higher purpose would be so significant that the pain of a baby dying, possibly after a sickness that took a heavy toll on the small child, would be worth it?” As a minister, and a parent myself, I need to think hard whether I can see myself giving that answer to a grieving parent. “If it feels so wrong (in my eyes), can it be right (in God’s eyes)?” While that question is certainly not the perfect tool for measuring biblical truth, it at least encourages a very careful review. I myself have surely been dissatisfied by the “higher purpose” explanation.

I feel that Isaiah 65:20 shares something about the heart of God regarding this matter, as the prophet is speaking about the new heaven and the new earth:

No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days

God grieves when little children die. I don’t think that the god who promises a future where this horrible experience will never happen again, would use it as a means to accomplish His purposes now. Not a final answer, but still at least a tendency to me.

Change

Here's a quote from the vice-presidential candidate for the 'change' campaign: "I haven't changed in 35 years." Hmmm.

Thoughts to Myself

This one needs to be developed further, and weighed against the whole of Scripture.

While it probably doesn't suggest that we have no role in what is often - aptly or not - referred to as 'social justice,' it is God who has to bring about that justice. We may still have some active role, but we're not going to be the one calling the shots, or guaranteeing the results.

According to their deeds, so He will repay, wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the coastlands He will make recompense. So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun, for He will come like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives.

Isaiah 59:18-19 NASB

So, what is our primary role?

“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”

Isaiah 59:21 NASB

Our primary role is focus on becoming who God desires us to be (which will/must flow into action), and train our children right. In particular, focus on God's Word so that His Spirit has something to remind us of. However, I might add, let's not do it ripping verses out of context so that they develop a life of their own that was never intended, even in a way that may actually falsify them. Rather, let's learn God's Word knowing full well the context of the scriptures we're memorizing. Maybe we even need to do it by memorizing entire chapters.

Bible Stories in Blue Books

Ch was done brushing her teeth before La was, so I sat down with her on her bed, where she asked me to tell her a story. "Not the sheep one" (La's favorite), she pointed out. So I told her,

"There was a man once who was really small.
He wasn't tall like Uncle P.J.
He was really short.
One day, Jesus came to town, and the short man really wanted to see Him."

At that point, Ch exclaimed, "That story is just like La's blue book!" Off she scrambled to find the book, while I continued that the short man had to climb on a tree because there were so many people surrounding Jesus, and he couldn't see Him.

Obviously, their reading corner was dark at this point, and we had to turn the lamp back towards the books, and get it lit. Soon, she had found the book that is just like the story of Zacchaeus.

It's Not Easy Being a Bunny. Hmmm.

Sunday - Day of Rest or Day of the Lord?

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word,

Then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isaiah 58:13-14 NASB

We've thought of Sunday as "Day of Rest," and gradually, it has become a day to sleep, or quietly enjoy ourselves. While "the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27), it is also characterized as "The Day of the Lord." It's not a day to focus on our hobbies, slouch on the sofa watching TV, or have planning meetings for ministry (did I just say that?), but a day to delight in the Lord.

Food for thought.

Map of New Outlet Mall

Horizon has posted a map of the new outlet mall at I-40 and Council. They also have a news release that puts the construction start date at Summer 2008. Hmmm, they better hurry. It's supposed to be completed by December 2009.

The Middle Way

They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God.They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.

[...]

No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

Isaiah 58:2,6-7 NLT

Granted, there is a way to do this wrong, and reinforce bad things.

There must be a way to do this right.

Often, I feel that we have chosen the middle way: do nothing.

Oops!

So I come to the office with boxes of all shapes and sizes (my lunch). As is my custom, I make a trip to the break room next thing to put all the perishable foods into the fridge. And usually, I take my empty water glass to fill it up. Since I had lots of boxes of all shapes and sizes this morning, I decided I'd just stuff the empty water glass under my arm sideways so I'd have my hands free so I don't end up dropping the yogurt.

Turns out the empty water glass wasn't empty.

Yes, it looked like I wet my pants.

Why am I blogging this?

What the Duck 553

Source: What the Duck

Clever Quote

"In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those [...] who use their careers to promote change."

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Source: USA Today

What is God Like?

[Y]ou shall know [with an acquaintance and understanding based on and grounded in personal experience] that I am the Lord; for they shall not be put to shame who wait for, look for, hope for, and expect Me.

[A]ll flesh will know [with a knowledge grounded in personal experience] that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer.

Isaiah 49:23, 26 (AMP)

What is God like?

He delivers those who trust in Him.

He saves out of deepest trouble.

Swearing In Ceremony

Gov. Palin's Swearing-In Ceremony (2006)

As I said, I'll try to stay out of politics. I did want to post this comment, though: I like the fact that the Bible used in Gov. Palin's 2006 swearing-in ceremony looks as if someone has actually been reading it.

Photo Credits: obtained from Associated Press via Wall Street Journal.

What is God Like?

Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.

Isaiah 49:13 (NASB)


Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.

Isaiah 49:13 (NLT)

What is God like?

He comforts.

He has compassion.

His actions fill us with overflowing joy.

For Your Benefit...Pay Attention!

This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commands. Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Isaiah 48:17-18 (HCSB)

Suppertime Prayer

"Jesus, help our food be in our tummy.
In Jesus' name, amen.
And our milk.
In Jesus' name, amen."

Ch.

Making Ethical Decisions

"You first have to ask what is right, and then ask what is possible - and in that order. Most people only ask what is possible and never deal with the other question. If you ask what is right, then what is possible, you will know what compromises are appropriate."

Stephen Covey

Is God Intricately Involved in World History?

How involved is God in history? Is he watching from a distance how things are going, as many people (often without saying it out loud) assume? Isaiah tells us a different story:

It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’ And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built.’ And I will raise up her ruins again. “It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’ And I will make your rivers dry. “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’ ”

Isaiah 44:26b-28 (NASB)

God here claims involvement in

• natural events (the sea, rivers going dry)
• political events (leaders coming to hold power)
• community/national events (rebuilding of the capital city, the temple)

Things don't just happen by chance. Note, however, that God's claim of power does not automatically mean the reverse - that everything that ever happens must have been willed by Him to be so.

Did God Create the World?

At times, I read or hear about people who believe that we can trust the Bible in general, but relegate Genesis 1 and 2 (creation story) to the status of myths. I usually respond that the entire remainder of the Bible is littered with references to these first two chapters that would be meaningless - even refuted - without the story of God's creation of the earth. Here's one example:

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself and spreading out the earth all alone[.]

Isaiah 44:24 (NASB)

The creation as described in the Bible may not make sense to the modern mind, but the Bible is clearly taking Genesis 1 and 2 as a fundamental assumption. Those who complain that "we're fighting over just two chapters" are ignoring that you cannot chop off those two chapters and still have an account with integrity. Creation is a Biblical concept you cannot get rid off - and neither should you.

God's Word in Different Media

As I was reading my Bible, a random thought struck me. I was using Logos, and the text was nice and large, and scrolls forever to the top and bottom. I realized that I had no sense of how much space the portion I read would take up in a "normal" Bible, and I thought how that would be very upsetting to some people. Making the transition from print to digital makes Bible reading just not the same thing! Turns out that the "normal" Bible we are used to is obviously quite far from the original scriptures. They had no chapter or other headings, bold print or italics, not even chapters or verses, for the most parts no book titles like we have today, and most importantly, they came on scrolls. So all of you paper-lovers: those of us who like to read their Bible on the computer aren't really any further from the original way than y'all!

So, there.

Children Who are Mighty in Spirit

As I was in prayer today, I brought our children and our friends' children yet again before God, asking Him that they would become His children as soon as possible, and live their lives for His purposes. I am more than ever convinced that nothing could be more important for them. My study of 1 John has confirmed that the difference between succeeding in life is whether or not the Holy Spirit is guiding and enabling us. Without His power, all the best training is useless (= will not be used) because in our own strength we are unable. Then, the following verses struck me:

For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants; and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.

Isaiah 44:3-4

As I looked up poplars in Merriam-Webster, they pointed out that a defining characteristic of poplars is that they grow up quickly. May that be the case for our children!

What a wonderful promise to claim: "I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring."

Singing Over Breakfast

I'm staying home with the kids today, so Ly can go shopping. It'll be a fun day.

Somehow, over breakfast we got to the Wiggles' "Calling All Cows." I sang it intentionally with the wrong tune, which repeatedly got Ch, and then also La, to call out, "Noooo! Calling all cows!" which meant I should use the right tune. After several unsuccessful attempts to get their daddy to behave, La finally declared in exasperation, "Just eat your french toast!"

Car Window Shopping III

Granted, this is the one I really want...

It's Been A Long, Long Time

Last Friday, I had lived in our home longer than anywhere else in my life. I've lived in this area twice as long as anywhere else ever. And on Wednesday of this week, we celebrated the six year anniversary of moving in. One day, we'll be driving into town to visit the grandparents, or check by the church, and we'll go through our neighborhood to see the place where we used to live - our "first home" - where all the kids spent their first years... .

Evening Snack Conversation

I was sitting in Ly's seat at the table during evening snack time, across from Ch, with La to my left and Ch's right.

Ch (in a deep, slow voice, as there are two pieces of honey graham left on her plate): "I'm all done."
Me (similarly deep voice): "Iss mal auf." ("Let's eat it up," i.e., "why don't you go ahead and finish that.")
Ch (with a smile and a deep voice): "I'm all done."
Me (deeper): "Iss mal auf."
Ch (with yet another smile, and yet a deeper voice): "I'm all done."
Me (returning the smile, but the deepest and slowest yet): "Iss mal auf."

La: "Guuuuyyyyyyyys! Stop fighting!"

Car Window Shopping II

Toyota Highlander 2008. The Highlander comes with 7 seats standard (Hybrid [not limited] has it as an option package), making it a competitor to a minivan for us.

After the Sienna, we tried out a Highlander, though there were no hybrids around since they are selling like hotcakes. While this speaks for their appeal, it also means that there'll be little room to improve the price. As a matter of fact, we'd likely order one from the catalog, and then wait to get it. The Highlander improved remarkably on the Sienna's pickup when the light turns green. However, both at 40 and at 50 mph, you had to push the gas pedal a good deal to make it pick up speed quickly, which took you to higher RPMs. The brake had a little wiggle room before it would break hard, which would allow you to slow very gradually.

The large turn knobs are a sound technician's dreamland. The center console really got me.

I love the Highlander's center console. Two turn knobs allow you to set the temperature for either of the front seats separately. It's full of fun buttons, and the AUX input is near the ground, so you don't have cables hanging all over the car. One elegant package. There weren't as many cupholders as in the Sienna, though I think there were still plenty.

The backup camera is great to see how close you are to the car behind you, though you should use your mirrors for the cars next to you.

My first experience with a backup camera was "I want one of those." Fortunately, it would be an option on the Sienna, too. One thing I didn't like at all was that the frame of the car is so big on the inside that you can't see out the back left window from the driver's seat - the frame obstructs it. I know, I know, I shouldn't be turning around that far anyway. Still, I'd like to be able to see out wherever I desire to.

The speedometer is not in the center, and some evil spirit made them put it into weird pipes.

I didn't care for the speedometer being off-center, and in weird pipes. It's plain hard to see what's going on - what were they thinking? While the center console and the controls for the second row were very nice, the remainder of the vehicle was not as luxurious as I had expected. Some parts looked almost cheap, which at a price of $35,000 (hybrid) seemed odd to me. Once again, though, it'll be easier to clean, and we're not really after luxury.

Unfortunately, the Highlander had zero space behind the back row. Ly claimed, you couldn't even get a diaper bag in there, and you certainly wouldn't fit a lot more. The seats did not fold as flat at the Sienna, and the backrow appeared to have a good deal less legroom. The space from floor to seat surface was very short, which could make a long ride quite uncomfortable. Finally, I do think the Highlander comes with a proper spare.

Conclusion: All in all, I loved the feel of the Highlander, and its driving. I was underwhelmed by the interior, and the total lack of luggage space when transporting 7 passengers is shocking. 27 mpg is obviously vastly nicer than 17 mpg, but is it enough to pay $10,000 more?

Photos copyright Toyota.

Car Window Shopping

A week ago, Ly and I went for a different kind of date. We went to our local Toyota dealer and test-drove two vehicles: a Highlander and a Sienna. If we ever have to transport more than the five of us, we'd need something bigger than our Camry, so we decided to check out the options. We drove a 2008 Highlander Sport and a Sienna LE. Following are some of my observations.

Toyota Sienna 2008. Palm trees would be the way to sell me on a car.

My first experience with the Sienna was that a minivan drove just as I had feared: it accelerates about as quickly as a Galapagos turtle when the light turns green. You can overcome that by pushing the gas pedal a little more, but now we're talking 5000 RPM. Not good for your gas mileage, which is already only 17 mpg. Generally, the 266 hp were a good package. The van was a little more luxurious than I had expected. Personally, I can do without the automatic sliding doors and trunk, though the salesman claimed you could do it by hand regardless. The all-wheel drive versions come with run-flat tires, and therefore don't have a spare. That's nice if you're in a bad neighborhood, but I'm skeptical what it'll mean when you have to buy new tires. Since there's no place to put a spare, you'd be unwise to just change to regulars. The two-wheel drive apparently doesn't have a full-size spare.

The center console isn't much to write home about,
but what are you asking for?

I liked the fact that the stereo took WMA and MP3 CDs, as well as the auxiliary input (MP3 player, etc.), though its placement was a little odd (high up on the right - where do you put the MP3 player?). The center console wasn't much to write home about, though. There was adequate air conditioning, and plenty of cupholders. Ly really liked the fact that you can fold away the center area between the seats, so she can put her purse there. As you can expect, that's not a big deal to me. ;-)

These seats are not removed, they are folded down!




Even with all seats used, there is still luggage space

I loved the trunk area. You can fold the back row into the floor, and the second row collapse so low as well that you basically have flat surface with a lot of space if you have to haul something. Most versions appear to come with a roof rack, and you could set your van up to be able to tow some weight. Nonetheless, even with all seats up, you have trunk storage not much below the Camry, though vertical rather than horizontal. The Sienna costs about $25,000 new, and there are plenty of older versions of the current model (back to 2004), which can be had as low as $12,500 (Kelley Blue Book).

Conclusion: it's not my dream car, but it can probably do the job. It has the extra umph when it is needed. It's clearly family-friendly, and "not so fancy" tends to translate into "easier to clean." All in all, it was better than I had feared.



I'll follow up with the Highlander review later. Photos copyright Toyota.

See Me in Tulsa October 23rd

I think I'll be in Tulsa, OK on October 23rd.

The Significance of Followers

John Maxwell said (or did he just parrot it?), "Everything stands and falls on leadership."

I do believe that he is right about that. However, note that leadership is only part of the formula. If you take out the "Everything," you have lost - everything!

So, let's stay humble about leadership roles God calls us to.

Gas Prices Will Continue to Climb

You didn't want to know this:

Despite the demand for passenger cars in China, less than four percent of the country's 1.3 billion people have purchased one.

Source: AP

In the U.S., there are 251 million vehicles for 300 million people. That's about 84% (Source: Wikipedia). That means that if they get to half as many cars per capita as us, their need for gas will be more than 10 times as large. That would be 380 million additional cars, about 1.5 times as many as we have in the U.S. today (and yes, we have the most). Obviously, I just picked a number on the "half as many as us." Oh, yeah: India is just about as big as China (actually projected to pass them sometime 2050ish, I think). They don't have a whole lot of cars yet, either, compared to what they could have...

Amplified Bible for Logos (new), 50% off until July 31st

Logos Bible Study Software now offers the Amplified Bible as a single book download (previously only available in some obscure package, and not part of even the GOLD Scholar's library). Until July 31, it can be had at 50% off by typing AMPLIFIED into the coupon area in the checkout process (i.e., $20 instead of $40).

Book Download: http://www.logos.com/ebooks/details/AMP

More Information: http://blog.logos.com/archives/2008/07/amplified_bible_now_available_for_download.html

As you may know, if you don't have it yet, you can download the Logos ["Libronix"] software (no books) for free, and adding a package can be substantially lower if you qualify for a student discount.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust.

Josh Billings

Lord, have mercy, and help me learn this one.

And I Thought the CD Was Dead

Ha! I thought everyone was saying the CD was dead, and iPods rule the roost. Now here's an interesting statistic:

People who buy CDs as often or more often than digital music:
Age 18-35: 73%
Age 36-50: 88%
Age 51+: 91%

I don't know about the quality of the survey (the percentages don't add up, for instance, and there weren't that many people polled, nor do I know the process). But the numbers sure are very different from where I thought things were supposed to be heading. It does beg the question: what are the teens buying?

Note: I added up "All CDs," "Most are CDs," and "About half and half" to come up with my number. The survey can be found at http://blogs.zdnet.com/ITFacts/?p=14657 .

Worry Warts

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.

Certainly an interesting quote, though most people who tend to worry may shrug their shoulders - and keep on worrying. What gets me is who said it. When we worry, we may be concerned how long the car will keep on running, or how we're going to "get it all done," or whether our job will be safe for the foreseeable future - and also many smaller things. The person who originated the quote above would have had reason to worry, yet she is essentially saying, "Don't bother worrying. It's no use." 'Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow' was coined by Corrie Ten Boom.

Most likely, the reason she could say this is because she believed what her sister Betsie told her shortly before she died in Ravensbrück concentration camp: "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still."

Very Likely

Amazon sent me another offer for diapers one size smaller than what I purchased last. This time, they were trying to sell me size 4 pull-ups, remembering that I bought size 5 pull-ups a while back. As a matter of fact, we just ran out, and realized too late. If they had sent me a reminder to buy size 5s a week ago, they might have sold me...

The likelihood of someone who buys size 5 pull-ups buying size 4 pull-ups is about as high as that same person shopping for

• a trip to the Heard and McDonald Islands,
  
• German chocolate, or
  
• guillotine replicas.
  

In other words, it's completely random, and actually rather unlikely since most families have children no more often than every 9 months, usually less often than that...

In my mind, this is elementary marketing. If you try to sell someone on related products, you need to take into account that some things are bought in sequence. Someone who bought an advanced engineering book won't be interested in "Elementary Principles of Engineering." Someone who bought size 4 diapers may be interested in size 4 and 5. You'd think Amazon would have this down.

Clever Quote

I'm trying to avoid politics on this blog (I'd rather participate in our community being changed one family at a time). However, I felt this quote was really clever:

[Hillary] called McCain and President Bush "two sides of the same coin and it doesn't amount to a whole lot of change."


Source: USA Today

Family & Ministry

One of the things I've been chewing on is the relationship between family and ministry. It seems that neither should be lacking the proper attention, and that they should not be competing. Now here's an interesting passage:

Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller's field, and say to him, 'Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah.'"

Isaiah 7:3-4, NASB

So, God had Isaiah take his son along to meet the king? Interesting...

Trouble

This can only be trouble. Some students with too much time on their hands are working on a way to let your facial expressions control computers. Their example is a lecture - if you smile, it speeds up, if you frown, it slows down.

Using your face for remote control

Here's what's going to happen. You sit in the living room, watching the soccer game. In comes your wife. She sees what you're watching, and frowns. Click, now you're watching a soap opera.

Right Word for the Moment

Someone at Gospelcom's Verse of the Day must have known that today the final papers are due.

Isaiah 40:31
"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

When Human Intelligence Would Serve You Better

We've been buying Pampers Baby-Dry diapers sizes 4 (Jo) and 5 (Ch and La) from Amazon.com . Since it's more than $25 a package (they are really big packages), you get free Super Saver shipping, making it actually cheaper than Wal-Mart, and certainly much more convenient (no full shopping cart; instead delivered to your door step). On top of that, we can combine one of these purchases with an item less than $25, and we still get the free shipping.

Today, the friendly people at Amazon.com thought they'd cut me a deal via e-mail:

Amazon.com recommends "Pampers Swaddlers, Size 2-3 (14-22 Lbs), Economy Plus Pack, 152 Swaddlers" and more

Hmm. How many people do you know whose children wear sizes 4 and 5, and who go for a deal on sizes 2-3?

Look at Me! You Disobeyed!

"And horse ... you obey!
You're a big horse!"

Shortly thereafter, the horse was put in timeout for disobeying.
It touched the CDs ... again.

A Word from the Lord?!?

Isaiah 8:1: Then the LORD said to me, "Take for yourself a large tablet."

The Progress of the Lord's Kingdom

When we calmly reflect upon the fact that the progress of our Lord's Kingdom is dependent upon prayer, it is sad to think that we give so little time to the holy exercise. Everything depends upon prayer, and yet we neglect it not only to our own spiritual hurt, but also to the delay and injury of our Lord's cause upon earth.

E. M. Bounds

He Will Give the Holy Spirit

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13, ESV)

Everything we hope to do stands or falls based on what God will do. There can be no true success without His work - He determines the direction, and He gives the strength to accomplish it. Does it sometimes seem like His hand is difficult to see, His voice hard to hear? Whatever things may seem to be like, His promise stands: how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

Highchair Rennauto

Having finished a delicious supper, it is time for a ride. Our brother's highchair - the occupant still inside - becomes our race car. We sit side-by-side below Jo's high chair's legs on the floor, racing wildly, but we have forgotten our seatbelts. So La runs and gets them, and Ch runs and gets them. After imaginary seatbelts comes imaginary sunscreen. "You sit in Papi's seat, and that's Mommy's seat." That's what I get for letting Ly drive while I'm studying, Papi is now relegated to the passenger seat. Jo is protesting from high up above as his throne moves by an invisible force. Nonetheless, La declares, "He like to drive!"

Church Growth is Inevitable in a Healthy Church

Rick Warren maintains in "The Purpose-Driven Church" that growth is something God gives, and that our best strategy is to become a "healthy" church - a people that live for His purposes. Then, growth will come because God sends it.

While probably not intended to back up Warren's thesis, Henry and Richard Blackaby (Henry being the author of "Experiencing God") write in "Spiritual Leadership" (p. 126):

Certainly church growth is inevitable in a healthy church, as the Book of Acts clearly exemplifies.

Music in the 21st Century

On the way home from church, Ly tried to sing a new favorite of the girls'. Unfortunately, singing a song is not an approved way of enjoying music. La shouted from the backseat:

"Noooo. Play it in the computer."

Not using the record player.
Not using the cassette recorder.
Not using the CD player.
Music is what you listen to in the computer. You also "see the music" there. Turning off the computer screen is off-limits, because we see music (they are referring to the animated circles and dots and fireworks and stuff in Windows Media Player).

I think they got the computer thing from their mom.

P.S. We do sing, too, and enjoy it a lot. As a matter of fact, the girls sang a special in church with Vo the other day.

See Them Live

I really wasn't going to blog about soccer. Anyhow, I just found out that ESPN360 appears to make the games available live (for free!) across the Internet. While I'm at it, here's my forecast (wish list) for tomorrow's squad:

Jens Lehmann (VfB Stuttgart)

Philip Lahm (formerly VfB Stuttgart)
Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid)
Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen)
Marcell Jansen (Bayern Muenchen)

Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen)
Michael Ballack (F. C. Chelsea)
Thorsten Frings (Werder Bremen)
Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart)

Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart)
Miroslav Klose (Bayern Muenchen)

Not Enough Time

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it."

Charles Bixton

Camping Worries Conquered

Gary Smalley has a video series on married relationships in which he suggests that the greatest bonding time for families happens during camping trips, because that's when so many things go wrong. Of course, he wasn't familiar with our situation, which is why he is so far off.

We prepare things thoroughly. Looking over Ly's shoulder, it appears that she had a two-page, type-written packing list, which I believe had two columns on each page. We arrived at the camp ground in time to pick a beautiful spot. The ground did not slope. We set the tent up without any problems whatsoever, the air mattress worked flawlessly, and everything turned out as desired. Going swimming was fun for the girls, though Jo hated the cold water (we're talking H-A-T-E-D!). At night, the lantern gave a nice light, and we had enough flashlights that no one had to go to the bathrooms in the dark. Ly had prepared a menu that included all the necessary food groups, including fruit. Jo went to sleep without too much trouble, and Ch and La did pretty well, too, considering that this was their first camping trip ever. As we were fixing to shut it all down I looked around, and everything had gone so perfect that I almost felt bad that we had cheated the camping complications. We had managed to plan the worries out of camping. It was nearly as if I had broken a new toy.

The rain started at 2 a.m.

Rough-ing It

We went camping Monday-Tuesday, and since we were going to be in the great outdoors, we decided to disconnect from our normal way of life, and only take the minimum with us. I did prepare a few electronics that would come in handy while we'd be far away from civilization. So before we left, I charged

- 8 D batteries for the lantern
- 2 AA batteries for Ly's camera
- 2 AA spares for Ly's camera
- 2 AA batteries for my flashlight
- 2 walkie talkies
- 1 BP-511A battery for my camera
- 6 AA batteries for my external flash
- Ly's cell phone
- My cell phone

We also bought 2 block batteries for the weather radio at Wal-Mart.

P.S. Just before anyone complains, I really did cut down. For instance, I didn't take the razor, the FM transmitter, the Pocket PC, the laptop computer, the portable hard drive, the CD player, or the MP3 player this time.

Waylaid at Home

As we arrived home this evening, someone was already waiting for us. On the bathroom windowsill near our entrance, a black ratsnake lay in expectation. A friendly neighbor knew what to do and brushed it into a trashcan, and took it to the lake, so that it could continue hunting rats and the like. The adventures never stop...

Mary ...

During our picnic today, I sang

"An so 'nem schoenen Ferientag mit Mary
Muss man guter Laune sein..."

Everyone gave me a blank look, and Ly asked, "What? Which Mary?"

I said, Mary ... POPPINS with a big "POP" sound.

To which Ch responded, "Noooooooooooo! Mary ... Christmas!"

Frisco

Frisco is an Oklahoma ghost town. For all I know, the graveyard is the last reminder of a place that once hoped to be what Yukon became - a town along the railroad just West of Oklahoma City. The railroad took a more Southern route than the founders desired, and Frisco went the way of many an early settlement in Oklahoma.

Several of Ly's relatives lie buried in Frisco cemetery. It's a square plot of land out in nowhere, with fields to the horizon all around. A road passes by just South of it, and there are a few trees planted parallel to the road, which can't keep away the noise of the cars traveling past the cemetery every few minutes. We visited with her parents, and our three children. As Ly, her parents, and the girls walked across the graveyard to another tomb, I had to think about the people buried here, and the scene in front of me.

Many of those who found their final resting place here have relatives whose tombs they visited during their lifetime. One life overlaps portions of another life, both have a starting and an ending point, but each is over now. There's an uncle of Ly's who died 11 days after the girls were born. His wife's grave is here, and he surely visited it often. Now, he lies next to her, with his nieces, still to young to understand why you don't climb on tombstones, running about and enjoying their childhood. An even smaller nephew is sleeping in a car, unaware of what's happening.

Looking to the South and to the North, it's like I can see the passing of time in the endless fields, reaching to the horizon with not so much as a real hill in sight. It is as if this graveyard was a symbol of a few lives, many of them interconnected, somewhere in the course of earth's existence. Much time has passed and many life stories were written before those of the people buried here, many more are to come. Some of us are alive right now, full of vitality, joy, curiosity. To the North, power lines go toward the horizon, the increasingly "smaller" poles hinting at the ever farther distance. Blooms that have broken off the plastic and cloth flowers put down for Memorial Day have been taken northward with the wind as if those who have gone away want to send a message to the future, alas, they are kept from leaving the cemetery by a fence. Maybe that is so that we can see them, maybe pick them up? What will we do with them? Throw them in the trash?

Above the entire scene, a blue sky and a few clouds spread majestically. It makes me think of an old Steven Curtis Chapman song I listened to this morning.

"Way beyond the blue, where the Father is calling
Let Him take you to a life beyond compare
His love is wider than the skies above you
And He has plans for you, that go way beyond the blue"

I Love You

What could be sweeter to a father's ear than to hear his baby girl say as he carries her to bed, "I love you...I love you."

Fuller - Week 2 Recap

In the second week, our topic was "Biblical Foundations of Mission." We discovered how God's desire for the return of the nations into His family is displayed in Scripture from beginning to end. As a matter of fact, you would be hard pressed to find five successive chapters that do not mention it in some way. We considered various motifs that appear repeatedly in Scripture. An example for a motif would be God's using people that were not special in their own right (compare Gideon, Saul, David, Naaman's wife's servant girl, the fishermen among Jesus' disciples, the boy who brought the five loaves of bread and two fish).

We saw an amazing graph showing how phrophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled and witnessed to elsewhere in Scripture. With the Biblical books at the bottom, lines were arching from left to right like a time exposure of a starry night. It was powerful indeed!

The Story of His Glory, by Steve Hawthorne, summarizes the theme of our week well. It's definitely worth reading.

Wichita Mountains

Is this a great world or what?

We Found a New Way to Discriminate

"It is the policy of [organization name] not to discriminate with regard to

• race
• color
• religion
• gender
• national origin
• age
• marital or
• veteran status, or
• disabilities.

Inquiries concerning application of this policy may be directed to the Human Resources Director, who serves as the Coordinator of Title IX; Section 504; and Americans with Disabilities Act, at [address]."

Add a new one to that... . In addition, plenty of places are now adding, "sexual orientation."


Addendum:
I should probably add some perspective here. The article talks about people getting fired for putting on too much weight, among other things. I have a hard time thinking of a situation where that would be appropriate (maybe a woman who was hired to be a model, with a particular idea of what a model should look like, and then she gained 200 lbs.?). However, as soon as a new form of discrimination actually makes it into law, it has very far-reaching repercussions. For instance, a court just ruled against a Christian photographer in New Mexico who refused to shoot a gay commitment ceremony, citing religious objections. That case may be appealed. Once there is legislation banning a particular kind of behavior, businesses providing a public service are held to not discriminate. On the one hand, I believe Christians are called to love everyone, including those who disagree with them on a matter. I can't see a restaurant saying, "sorry, we don't serve food to people who are ... ." However, being forced to shoot the homosexual equivalent of a wedding seems to err on the side of the freedom of the photographer to be forced to do things she shouldn't have to participate in.
Obviously, body weight isn't such a heated topic. However, if it becomes law, I wouldn't be surprised to see lawsuits against airlines whose coach seats were to small. Would that be a good thing? Maybe it would be. It certainly makes a lot of things very complicated as we evaluate everything we do so there's no one who's going to get hurt. Then again, doesn't that seem like an appropriate thing to do for Christians?

Thoughts?

Lindley House

We had a wonderful anniversary celebration this weekend, staying at the Lindley House Bed & Breakfast in Duncan, OK. They have several beautifully decorated rooms as well as three dreamy cabins. Their landscaping is magnificent, and the property is large enough that you forget you're in the middle of Duncan. The breakfast was out of this world.

Birding

I spent some time watching a bird in our backyard just now. We have many pretty birds, including blue jays and cardinals, among others (they appear amazingly beautiful if you grew up where I did - virtually none of our birds had any color). Anyhow, I saw a bird I hadn't seen before (though I suppose I really should have): a Gila Woodpecker. They have a beautiful red cap, and this one (a male) had a deep black chest (OK, maybe all the males do). Trying to find out what it was, I ran across the Birds of Oklahoma web site. They have photographs of lots of native birds, making it easier to identify them if you're ignorant like me. Used to be, you'd have to buy a book for this, and now it's just "out there on the Internet." It's a great time to be alive.

Oh, yeah, I better be careful about doing too much birding. If I watch them too often, I'll want this.

A Chance at Redemption

We made it into the UI Cup, a chance to qualify for the UEFA Cup. That gives us the opportunity to redeem the season, and play internationally next year, though I'm sure Armin Veh and all the others would have much preferred any of the five spots ahead of us.

Manuel Fischer came in about the 70th minute, when we were down 0-1. His first touch of the ball resulted in a penalty kick in our favor, and later he marked the 2-1 (they still tied us afterwards). Not a bad game, there, his third for our team after a few minutes against FC Barcelona in Camp Nou, and 10 minutes against Nuremberg. If Gomez ever leaves, he'll take his spot. Better yet, though, may be a combination of the two. I wouldn't be surprised if they were our starting strikers by the end of next season. Time will tell.

I Shall NOT Want

We're praying about doing something very bold (at least to us), giving up comfort and security and launching out into the unknown. Let me rephrase that: the to-us unknown, but we know Who is going with us, and that He is faithful.

Nonetheless, the thought of leaving behind a life of ease, comfort, and security is somewhat scary. To this, He says:

"[You] shall not want."

Furthermore, He promises, "[I will make you] lie down in green pastures [and lead you] beside quiet waters" - pictures of plenty. If we mean that we trust Him, we should have confidence that taking the step is safe. Note that the psalm (Psalm 23, you guessed it) talks about lead to quiet waters - they are not right next to you, an expert is needed that leads you - past what? desert? - to those quiet waters. "He restores my soul" - what from? This is not a picture of perpetual ease, but one of faithfulness of God that difficulties that will come are not going to negate His arms of protection that support us.

Yet note further, "My cup overflows" (verse 5).

For "I shall not want," compare Psalm 34:9-10, Philippians 4:19. However, let's not forget, either, Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:8, "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content."

Also, verse 4 "rod" and "staff:" the shepherd not only leads, but also defends the flock (Lange, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures).

Finally, one thing we shouldn't forget as Christian leaders is that the picture is of a flock (me, us) and a shepherd (Jesus). Too often, we limit ourselves to the "chief shepherd" - "shepherd" verses, and think of ourselves as the shepherd only, and those we lead as the "flock." While that is biblical, too, we must not forget to remember that we and those marvelous leaders God placed around us are also (dumb, helpless, needy) sheep led by the Shepherd.

Should We Water Down the Gospel?

In a conversation yesterday, a friend of mine mentioned that we "don't want to water down the gospel." As I considered those words later, I realized that we probably never defined what we really mean by that. There are probably at least two things we may mean by it. The latter appears to me to be the biblical way of discipleship.


Scenario A: We water down by permanently removing portions of what believers (or potential members of the body of Christ) ought to receive. We never feed them any proteins, or not enough of the various vitamins to sustain them. In the process, they are malnourished because they lack a balanced, wholesome diet. In spiritual terms, this diet may be that we teach them they should be nice people, and think of God as a really great guy that is an example to follow. This "pandering to the consumer" may include the addition of foreign elements to encourage consumption. "We're overcooking the vegetables until the vitamins are gone and add sugar on top so they'll eat them."


Scenario B: When our son was a few months old, Ly started introducing him to "solid food" ("cereal" that looks more like powder). She mixed the cereal with plenty of baby formula (OK, so we're baby formula-ing things here). We never intended that he would not one day eat Jaegerschnitzel and Spaetzle. However, because his body was not yet able to handle meat, etc., we gave him what he could take in small portions, mixed with plenty of what his body is already comfortable with. If we didn't, his body would reject it (yup, spitting up or diarrhea). Note that watering down is not about changing or leaving out, but about providing smaller amounts of the real thing in a manner that will actually be digested rather than rejected, and delaying other things (e.g., honey) until the baby will not be in such great danger of developing allergies. The aim is that we learn to eat the real thing. Instead of saying "Great is Thy faithfulness" which may be obscure to the audience, and therefore be blended out as they listen, we may say "God, you do exactly what you said you would do, and we can trust you to take care of us." If the well-tried line is going to be lost on them, and the latter wording will bring the concept across, is the latter maybe the right "watered-down" version that will start them growing until one day they can grasp the whole range of meaning of "God's faithfulness" - using that term or not?


As you will have guessed, it seems to me that we probably should water down the gospel. However, since the term has such a bad rap, we're going to waste a lot of energy and spend a lot of time explaining it if we actually call it what it is.


1 Cor 3:2 - I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. (NLT)

Sign of the Beast Deciphered

For years, I didn't know what to make of the "sign of the beast." What's the point of a three-digit-number? Driving to work this morning, the solution finally hit me. Right there in front of me, in Conoco-Phillips red, I saw the number 366. Bingo! Three conclusions:

1. The end is near. At the rate gas prices are rising right now, the world will be destroyed in about two years.
2. California is going first.
3. We should switch to selling gas by the liter.

Joe's Rule of Potty Training

The greater the desire for stickers (Ds), the greater the need to go use the potty (Ng).

Multiply by two.

A Long Week

I promise, I'll stop blogging about the VfB for a while soon (that's not much of a promise, as you will see in a moment). One week is terribly long to be under such tension. There's two UEFA cup spots available, and four teams are vying for it - all have 51 points. Unfortunately, we have the worst goal difference. The third of the four spots still qualifies for a play-off of sorts that may get you in by the backdoor, the fourth (our current ranking) means you're doomed. I'm cautiously optimistic that if we can win our home game - the last game of the season - that we can at least get this "UI Cup" spot. That's because second-placed Bremen is playing Leverkusen, one of the four. They should at least manage a draw against them. My preference would be a VfB win over Bielefeld, a HSV draw, and losses for Leverkusen and that dreadful Wolfsburg team that slaughtered us last weekend (0-4). If you're quick at math, you'll notice that would put us on top (actually, in fourth place on the whole grid, there are three champions league spots ahead of us). I'm not sure we can lay any claim to deserving to get in after some of the mistakes we've made all season. Anyways, Saturday morning will be torture until it's all over.

Until then, hope dies last.

BTW, the European championship starts in early June ;-)

Fussball

When I was in Pasadena, I chose to get a "surprise" for the girls. Unfortunately, Pasadena appears to lack tourist traps, which meant I had to go to Target for my purchase. Worse yet, California is too backwards to have supercenters. Consequently, I found myself in the enviable situation of buying a soccer set for my children (they had nothing else that was appropriate. I promise!). It said 3 years and up, so it seemed fairly appropriate. They loved it.

Ch is actually doing very well with it already. She's got the concept of kicking the ball down, and she knows that it needs to be kicked into the goal. There's one small nuance that she's still working on. Instead of kicking the ball towards the goal, and then through it, she leaves the ball wherever it lies, picks up the goal and sets it in front of it, and then kicks the ball through it.

Toooooooooooor!!!

Debt Culture

Yikes!

"The Fed's measure of consumer borrowing, which does not include any debt secured by real estate such as mortgages or home equity loans, stood at a record $2.558 trillion in March."

Source: USA Today

An Evangelical Manifesto

A large number of Evangelical leaders, including Fuller Theological Seminary President Rich Mouw, have composed "An Evangelical Manifesto." Aptly worded, it lays out the Evangelical position. There's room for you to sign, too, if you desire to. There's even a study guide if you want to look at it more closely with others.

"An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of “confusions within and the consternation without” the movement. As the Manifesto states, the signers are not out to attack or exclude anyone, but to rally and to call for reform.

As an open declaration, An Evangelical Manifesto addresses not only Evangelicals and other Christians but other American citizens and people of all other faiths in America, including those who say they have no faith. It therefore stands as an example of how different faith communities may address each other in public life, without any compromise of their own faith but with a clear commitment to the common good of the societies in which we all live together.

For those who are Evangelicals, the deepest purpose of the Manifesto is a serious call to reform—an urgent challenge to reaffirm Evangelical identity, to reform Evangelical behavior, to reposition Evangelicals in public life, and so rededicate ourselves to the high calling of being Evangelical followers of Jesus Christ."

Fuller - Week 1 Recap

This photo isn't going to win any prizes. However, I wanted to capture a view of our classroom (and only remembered when pretty much everyone had left... thanks, K and J, for the smiles!). We had an amazing time these two weeks. Hearing everyone's stories was incredible, and reason to thank God for His faithfulness.

We would start with a time of worship. Every group led in worship once, as did the instructors. We worshipped through joint prayer, prayer for one another in small groups, meditating on our Community Rule of Life, considering a graphical depiction of how prophecy in the Bible has been shown to be fulfilled elsewhere in His word, giving our dreams for the future over to Him, and many other ways. Our perspective of how God can be worshipped was surely expanded, and it was a wonderful way to start off the day.

In the first week, there were a number of presentations on character as the significant determinant of finishing well. We explored Willard's concept of the capacity ladder and the character ladder, noticing how the two can be combined to avoid the fallacies of climbing the unstable capacity ladder only. We also met the MAGL faculty and staff, and took a campus tour. We even met the person who came up with the name for Fuller's Coffee by the Books cafe.

A Powerful Picture of Community

Photograph by George Steinmetz, National Geographic.

Original Caption: In Guandong Province toulou, the traditional dwellings of the Hakka minority group, curve around each other like the rings of a tree. As the village grew, new homes were built around older ones.

What a powerful image of community!

P.S. I hope I have done justice to copyright laws, if not, please comment.

Five Purposes Revisited

Some people are going to be ready to shoot me. I have spent the last 5-6 years drilling the five purposes into the heads of people at our church: Worship - Fellowship - Discipleship - Ministry - Evangelism. However, recently I've started to wonder whether a change would be wise: would the purpose of "fellowship" be better expressed as "community?" While I'm at it, would "service" be better than "ministry?" So, this may be my new language:
Worship
Community
Discipleship
Service
Evangelism

The Germans say, "Worte sind Schall und Rauch" (or something like that). "Words are like echoes and smoke." I suppose that's supposed to mean that the exact word used is less important than what it stands for.

Thoughts?

Outlet Mall Ante Portas

Oklahoma City is getting an outlet mall! The city council approved a mall that is supposed to be twice the size of Gainesville, TX, located at I-40, Council, and Reno. That's Western Heights' school district (also part of Francis Tuttle's CareerTech district). We're talking new jobs for an area that can use them, and possibly new opportunities for Francis Tuttle to serve her stakeholders, too. You can see Francis Tuttle's Reno Campus from the site. For more info, check out the City Council package PDF about it (there's a map as the last page).

Several Scripture Passages Side-by-Side

This one is for novices...oh, well. If you want to look at several passages from the same translation side-by-side, open your preferred translation, then select "Window, New Window" from the menu.

Three Times is a Charm

Bless Bayer Leverkusen, their kindness lasts forever... . Every time we fall behind them, they are nice enough to lose their next game to put us back on top. You can't complain about that.

Seminarians

Tonight, almost all of us hung out together at the Guest Center and had a potluck dinner. I had a tremendous conversation with one of the pastors about church growth and church planting.

Most of the time, we start classes at 8:15 a.m. with half an hour of worship. The morning session goes until 12:15, and after an hour lunch break, we have class until about 4:30 or 5:00. In the first week, everyone gave a presentation at some point in time about their spiritual journey, current ministry context, and hope for growth from the MAGL program. In addition to that, we heard several short lectures. This week, there's a continuous lecture (mostly - there are some group exercises etc.) on God's story of missions, which is an ongoing thread throughout the Scriptures. You cannot find five chapters in any book of the Bible in which you will not run into some reference of God's desire to be known and worshipped by the world.

After class, we sometimes go to the Fuller Bookstore, or just hang out at the guest center. We've also gone into town for something to eat (one restaurant has a $1.95 cheeseburger meal during Happy Hour!).

Saddleback Church

This was one of the baptisms I had longed to experience (not literally). I went to worship with Saddleback Church yesterday. Unfortunately, I missed the first part of the service. However, it was good to have been there, and I learned some good things. I'll try to report more soon.

Fuller

I have finally arrived! I flew into LAX Sunday morning, and have been taking classes last week. I will have another week of classes coming before I return home. Our cohort is absolutely fabulous, and I am thoroughly enjoying my time - though I do miss my girl, and my girls, and my baby boy. I'd write more, but there's another paper to finish before tomorrow night.

What to Do with Your Logos Box

I know, I know, you're all going to call me crazy. So, here goes nothing...

Most Logos resources you'll buy will be downloads or single CDs. However, when you buy a library, you get a box that measures two by three feet and 15 inches deep, with a single CD in it. Alright, I was stretching the truth. There are two CDs in it (one has training videos). Anyhow, here is my genius idea: hold on to the paper casket you got with the library, and put all your loose CDs into it. Now, wasn't that clever?

It took me 101 days to come up with that.

Choosing Bible Study Software

As most of my friends now, I am a firm believer in Logos bible software. Let me give a few reasons why:

1. It is by far the largest collection out there, which means you can do one search and get lots of results, not just from two or three commentaries. "It has critical mass."

2. The software is extensive, and has a substantial community backing it. There are newsgroups, training videos, and a blog, for instance. Last time I checked, I couldn't even find a product page for Zondervan's Pradis, other than a mention with a few product bundles they offered. It also offers a format that other publishers can write to, and software to write your own books. "It's around to stay."

3. Logos does a marvelous job getting you quick access to extensive search results. I especially like that you don't have to wait for the search to complete, but that it shows what it has already found as it continues searching. "It gets the job done."

4. There's great student pricing. "It's a great value."

I ought to write a few more, but my lunch break is only so long... Sorry.

Addendum: Logos would love to do a link exchange with you: you add them to your blogroll, and they put you into an April 28 post (if you tell them about it).

Do The Owl

The most amazing thing just happened. My mom was looking out the window at our patio, and there, on a patio chair, sat an OWL! I don't remember ever seeing one in the wild, and certainly didn't expect one to sit six feet from my living room window. It was pretty good size, too. Ly and the girls got to see it, too, and Ch and La were quite amazed. I can't believe the range of birds we have seen in our backyard. God's creation sure is awesome!

You're Doin' So Good

We went to the 6-month appointment for Jo today. He's 22 pounds, 8 ounces, which puts him in the 97th percentile. He's also 27 inches tall, and the doctor said that because of his size, the weight is just fine. The doc also complimented him on his head shape. The little man only cried for a few seconds when he got his vaccinations. Then again, maybe he didn't feel them that much through all the fat on his legs... . We put him into a regular rear-facing car seat Monday, since he's too big for a baby carrier. The backseat is nothing but a wall of car seats. Jo also rolled over both directions this week. Ly says, she's not sure how much he may have done it before she noticed. He likes to sleep on his side, so you never know. He hates being on his belly, though, so he's probably not too excited about his new skill. We've tried a number of solid foods as well. By and large, he's eaten quite well, though he does have his favorites.

O Yeah, Baby!

Gotta love those Bayer-guys. They lost again, letting us reclaim 5th place. Hamburg only tied, too, putting us on one level with them, too. I want that champions league ranking!

Amplified Bible for Logos

A helpful soul just pointed out on the Logos Bible Software Blog that the Amplified Bible is available for Logos after all. It's part of the NAS Electronic Bible Library package for $29.97.

Incidentally, if you feel that you just absolutely can't afford even the cheapest Logos package, this could be a very reasonably priced means to get started on Logos. Remember that you can download the Libronix software for free, and this package will then give you the NASB, Amp, ASV, and KJV, Easton's dictionary, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary, NAS Topical Index and concordance, Nave's Topical Bible, and more. Don't forget, though, that if you're a student, you already get incredible discounts, and should thoroughly consider a more complete package.

Planting Time

We have decided to keep hacking away at making our garden more beautiful. Except for some tree bark to cover up the dirt, we completed the front yard today. To the very left of our three azaleas, we added a gorgeous Autumn Twist Encore azalea, completing the flower bed in front of the bedroom. In the garage bed, we added two Rose of Sharon trees, a purple "Ardens" hibiscus, and a white "Jeanne d' Arc" hibiscus. No idea how the french lady made it past my eagle eyes. A few days back, we had also planted a Hydrangea into the small square beds on each side of the path to the front door, just before the porch.

For the backyard, Rebekah had already purchased a plethora of smaller plants which she will put into pots. In addition, we procured a cute Variegated Ficus Bush. We had already purchased a Forsythia the other day to cover up the meter, and a Lilac to go under the small tree in the back corner. We will buy wasp repellant next.

Follow Me and I Will Make You...

We have been quoting the same Bible verse every night for quite a while now ("Jesus calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out - John 10:3"). It is clearly the girls' favorite. To stem the tide, we have tried to get them to remember others they haven't said much lately. Tonight, Ly tried to help La with a verse she hadn't said in quite a while.

Ly: "Follow me, and I will make you..."
La: "Happy."

Hard to argue with that.

Going Nowhere Fast in San Francisco

San Francisco has a public transport system. Obviously, the city is near the sea, which is fortunate. You can dump the bodies of those visitors who didn't make it from point A to point B.

We arrived at the airport (the nicest airport I've ever seen, and I've seen an airport or two), and took the BART into the city. You put your credit card into a machine, figure out how much you have to pay from a table on the machine, and decrease the amount via buttons from the default of $20 to the $5.35 you have to pay. You put the ticket into a machine to access the station, which spits it back out at you (hey, I'm used to handling spit-up). When you leave at your destination, the machine at the exit swallows the ticket. That part went well. It was the last part that went well for a while.

We had heard that we could buy 3-day passes on MUNI (which aren't valid on BART). Turns out, the places where they sell them are closed on Sunday. Trust me, it's not because they're all conservative Christians there. Did anyone ever tell them to sell their passes via machines? We returned to Powell station the same afternoon to buy some type of ticket to get us to the Japanese Tea Garden. Unfortunately, MUNI expects quarters there, six of them per person. Of course, you need the same to get back home. How many people do you know who run around with 24 quarters (Ly and me) in their pocket? Fortunately, they have change machines. You can change 20s and 10s. They give you 5s for them. You can also go to the BART machine, which under option H changes dollars into quarters. To change the 5s they gave you into dollars, you need to go to Starbucks and buy something, and beg them to give you 1s for change, so you hopefully end up with six dollars that you can change into 24 quarters. There was a guy in a booth, but he wouldn't help you, and didn't know much English, either. There were a few beggars that offered help...

They are not prepared for strollers, either. When you get to the turnstile, lift the stroller over it, or you won't be able to enter yourself. Later, when the N street car finally goes above ground, station names end together with the darkness around you. Good luck guessing how far you have traveled. There are no announcements. We made it to the tea garden nonetheless (years of public transport experience, hah!). As we prepared to return, we expected to pay $1.50 again. The machine at the driver's said $.50. I dropped in the first quarter, and the driver handed me a ticket. I thought that was a little cheap, so I dropped in another quarter. Then, I explained that I wanted another ticket (for Ly). I handed him a quarter, counting myself lucky to travel so cheaply. He ripped out a ticket, and barked something about more money. So I gave him a few more quarters and sat down. They don't care much for people who don't understand their system (I think the machine wasn't reset correctly, and in addition, it counted up what you paid. You're expected to understand their system, even though they don't explain anything anywhere).

The next day, I took the BART to my training site, since the MUNI was a mess. I paid credit card to keep expenses on the same bill. Ly was going to buy a 3-day pass now, but they don't expect anyone to buy such things before 9:00 a.m. Go figure. I had settled on paying cash for my vacation-part travel. I met Ly for lunch later (I walked!!!), and was going to help her on the California cable car line. The driver barked at her that she couldn't leave Jo in the stroller so she said "forget it" and walked back to the hotel. Do you want to be on a crowded cable car going up a steep San Francisco street with a 25 pound squirming infant in one arm, holding on to an empty stroller with the other? That night, I was going to take the BART home. Unfortunately, the BART won't accept the same credit card more than once a day. Why would anyone want to buy two tickets in one day?

I did lots of walking while we were in San Francisco...

It's Time to Stop the Olympic Torch Relay

Call it off. You just turned it into a pointless exercise. If I remember this correctly, the olympic torch relay was supposed to call people to the games. If you tell people where to go to see the torch, and ten-thousands come, and then you play hide-and-seek and have them standing around for hours for nothing because you chose to clandestinely change the route, you've turned it into a farce. You saved face, because there were no riots. You also erased any reason to have a relay. So, call it off.

Thank You, Leverkusen!

Well, they did us the favor of losing to Dortmund, giving us our first UEFA Cup spot ranking of the season. Keep up the good work, Bayer!

Great Time in the Bay Area

After my first sitting-on-the-runway experience, we arrived safely in San Francisco. We took a few moments to rest at the Donatello, after which we went to the Japanese Tea Garden, a very nice experience. We had warm sandwiches (roast beef and barbecue chicken) from a little pizza place. The waiter recognized the VfB logo on my coat and asked me about Krassimir Balakov.

Yesterday, Ly had a great time with Jo following a historic trail, while I was in training. We did get to meet for lunch. At night, after calling the girls, we took the street car to Hyde and Lombard, and went down Lombard steet. We walked to Ghiradelli Square, and out onto the municipal pier where we were able to have a nice view of Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate bridge at night. We had supper at Nonna Rose (prawns, quite nice!), and took the F line, a historic street car back to our hotel.

Oh, Wie Ist Das Schoen!

Wir haben gewonnen!!! La and I celebrated our glorious victory with a duet of "Ein Stern, der ueber Stuttgart steht..."Oh, yeah, baby!

Home Game against the HSV

We're playing Hamburg tomorrow. A win should put us into contention for a Champions League rank. My tip: 2-1. Gomez and Khedira are out, which hurts, but the midfield will take us there. Look for Stuttgart to finish the season 2nd.

Travel Preparations

Sunday, Ly and Jo will join me on a trip to San Francisco. I'm going for training, and they will enjoy the city. We hope to see the Japanese tea garden, a sunset at the Golden Gate, and the Olympic torch, among others. The grandparents are staying with the girls. It's their first time to not see both parents for several days. However, at least Ch seems to be ready for anything if there's a "surprise" coming at the end.

The Perfect Time to Begin

It is 12:29 a.m. Sounds like the perfect time to start my blog. This time is quickly developing into one of the times I'm guaranteed to be up.