Friday, September 26, 2008
Too Much for Words
For now, I'll just report that life has been great. I am loving class (not really loving homework though) and am really growing in knowledge and depth of character. This weekend I am going rock climbing at a place called Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, WA. Vantage is right on the Columbia River and is absolutely gorgeous, so I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and let you know how my sabbath (weekend of climbing) went. Peace.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hourly Work
I don't particularly like this feeling, but I will persevere over the coming 4 years, keeping in mind that I have a long, salaried career ahead of me. Well, enough of my incoherent rambling when I should be working. Bye for now!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Real Communion
As I was walking to the bus stop from class this evening I passed a man and woman who were holding hands and obviously a couple. The thing I was struck by was the fact that each of them was listening to their own iPod and not communing or conversing with each other in any way.
Tonight in class we discussed the role of the reader of any text (literature, music, art, etc.) as someone who communes with the soul of the author. In this case, I would say that each of these people were communing with the soul of their respective musicians, while failing to commune with the soul of the one they gripped palms with.
I was instantly reminded of a meal I shared with my wife a few years back where we sat in Applebee’s and watched as five consecutive women walked into the restaurant with phones to their ears and proceeded to continue their phone conversations for the next 15 minutes. Why is it that we can’t simply “be with who we’re with”?
In the words of Rob Bell, we need to be “fully present” with who we are with. Both of these occurrences serve to remind me to fully engage the people around me when they are in my presence and I in theirs. Our culture has glorified the “art” of multi-tasking, but I think this “skill” has caused us to poorly handle all the situations and relationships we face. May we be people of intention, not neglecting any situation that God has provided for us.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Funny Button
This was just too good not to share.

An Update on Me
- I'm really, really busy (trying to juggle school and work and family and fun has been exhausting)
- School is great but really challenging (classes are fantastic, I'm learning a lot, but it is so much reading and writing)
- I'm already behind in my homework (I've only had 4 classes and I'm already needing to play catch up--not a good sign)
- I get the privilege of being in Sioux Falls this weekend to usher at my friend Dan's wedding (I fly out tomorrow morning and fly back to Seattle on Monday)
Holy War
Bruggeman, one of the world foremost experts on the Old Testament, with much credibility to lose in making a flippant remark that he really wouldn't support (thus, he must really believe what he said), was quoted as saying, "God is a recovering abuser." I'm really not sure what to make of that comment, and am more excited to look at that quote in context and to wrestle through those horrific passages of Scripture in the future, not as a way of getting the answers, but as a way of better understanding my God.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
An Interesting Question
Let me know what you think. I really don't know what to think about this idea.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Appalling Speeches

When I turned on the tv I was alarmed to hear the incredibly negative words coming from the mouths of both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin. I don't mind a small amount of showing why the opposition isn't as qualified as the person you are supporting, but I hate the frequent use of cruelty and anger in an attempt to decimate the character of the opponent. Giuliani was simply mean tonight, attacking Obama unashamedly, and Palin wasn't much better. The following is an excerpt from the Giuliani speech.
Obama, Giuliani said "is the least experienced [presidential nominee] in the last hundred years. He was a community organizer ... What do they do? .. Then he was in the Chicago legislature, no the Illinois legislature, no the Chicago machine ... [The Democrats] have got their experience at the bottom [of the ticket] ... Joe Biden, Joe's got a lot of experience which he'll tell you about ...He's got a lot of experience talking ... talking ... talking," Giuliani said at a luncheon at the New York delegation's hotel. As a state senator, Obama had "an interesting record," Giuliani said, noting that Obama voted "'present' almost 130 times. I don't remember having that vote when I was mayor of New York City ... You're supposed to make a decision."
I would love to simply see a clean fight, a good series of debates where the candidates focus more on the issues than on slamming one another personally. I'm not sure that's too much to ask for.