Hybrid Possibilities

Stop the Internet Blacklist Bill

2011-11-24T11:26:00.001-07:00

Help stop this ridiculousness.

Info to know:
SOPA = House Version
ProtectIP = Senate Version

Watch this video:

Check out this infographic:
http://americancensorship.org/infographic.html

Sign up to do something about it:
http://americancensorship.org/

Why so Contentious?

2011-09-30T10:20:00.003-07:00

In May I walked across the stage, took the pictures and received the congratulations on graduating from Seminary. But I knew I wasn't finished. No diploma resided in the handsomely apportioned case handed me as I confidently strode across that stage. No, inside was a single sheet of paper that read, "Return this case. You will receive one with your diploma when you finish your graduation requirements." This sentiment was underscored when my theology professor whispered, "now remember, you're walking by faith." as I shook his hand before leaving the stage.

What was left for me to do? Well, I still needed to pass my seminary orals.As part of that process, I've been working in fits and bursts on a 2 final papers for my Seminary degree. The first on Pre-Tribulation Rapture and the second on God's sovereignty (you know, the whole Calvinism/Arminism thing).

Both of these topics have knowledgeable and thoughtful scholars who disagree on how to interpret scripture. The tenor of the disagreements are quite different from each other. In the timing of the rapture debate, people are civil and their critiques have an attitude of "Well, I probably can't get the other guy (or gal) to change his (or her) position, but I sure can have fun with it by poking a little fun at them."

On the other hand the sovereignty debate is vicious. Both sides are playing for keeps. throwing down gauntlets as requests for proof and then refusing to accept what proof is offered. (And please note, I did say BOTH sides.) It's hard to even consider entering into a debate where arguers are routinely accused of ignorance and stupidity in interpretation and intentionally misleading Christians in this "most important of all doctrinal issues." (As if they would just read the right book or article and go, "Oh my! I've had it all wrong. Now I get it!")

I find this particularly frustrating in that I hold to parts of both traditions, but adhere to neither in its entirety. So, my question is this: Why is this issue such a contentious one? Why would people say that Arminians and Calvinists shouldn't even work together (as one friend of mine was advised)? I haven't come across this advice over End Times theology or many other theological issues. Why is this the common response for this one?

Summit 2010 - Session 6 - Dr. Zhao Xiao

2010-08-05T16:38:00.003-07:00

.:Beyond Economy: China's Transformation with the Cross
Four Stages or Platforms that Countries can have Influence
1 - Economics Stage - China was everywhere
2 - Political Stage - China is on U.N. Security Council
3 - Sports Stage - China hosted Olympics
4 - Faith Stage - Rarely see Chinese influence

Leadership is not just about influence. It also must be about thgoing the right direction

We must recognize, accept change.

What is the significant change between now and 500 years from now?
The most significant thing in the 20th century is not the two world wars or the rise and collapse of the soviet union. It is the rise of china because it will influence generations centuries into the future.
I don't like using the phrase China "rising up," but rather that China is "coming back."
If you look at the last 5000 years as a footrace, china was in the lead for most of the race, but fell behind over the last 2 laps. It is now catching up again.

There is no such thing as a "Chinese Dream," so no other country (particularly in Asia) will follow China. The American Dream is more than just cars and houses, it is the values behind them. People love America around the world because of these values.

There are only 2 kinds of transformation in the world
Transformation with the cross
Transformation without the cross

Every significant national prominence has come from a nation that was transformed with the cross or was influenced by a nation that was transformed with the cross.

America has built a city on a hill that has shined throughout the whole world, the light of Christ.

Per Capita Missionary sending
#1 - Singapore
#2 - South Korea

I believe that I will see the day that the Leadership Summit will be hosted in China.

Summit 2010 - Session 5 with Adam Hamilton

2010-08-05T15:54:00.002-07:00

.:When Leaders Fail
This is not an inspirational talk. But I think that for some of you, this may be the most important talk and could save your ministry or your church.

A study that was done in 2005-2006 of 1050 pastors had 30% admit to some sort of sexual impropriety during their ministry life.

Though there is not a one size fits all approach, our story might help.

I want to talk about three things

Share about how my church handled a situation in this area
Why Church leaders have a hard time in this area
Five "Rs" for resisting temptation in your own life

Our situation
In the United Methodist Church, the bishop handles discipline. That would be taken care of by someone else. they were removed and a system was put into place. It fell to me to handle how to talk to the congregation.

As I saw it, we had four options
1 - Say nothing, hope no one would find out and if they do let the rumor mill run
2 - Be evasive, say they were leaving for personal reasons and let the rumor mill run
3 - The scarlet letter approach - clearly condemn the sin and distance ourselves from both individuals, condemning them in the process
4 - With transparency, honesty and compassion
We chose number 4. We acknowledged what had occurred, recognized the consequences, reminded ourselves that the church is for broken people and that, being the church of these two families, we will love and help and care for them through this time.

We want to exhibit the two sides of integrity
1 - When you're in pastoral leadership in a church there are expectations of trust.
2 - The Church is the body of a Christ who came to seek and save the lost.

I met with our staff that Tuesday to share with them. We had them meet in small groups to process and express their feelings. I had hoped to wait to tell others until that Sunday, but by that night people were already calling and asking - had to decide how to handle it. We sent out an email to the church that said this thing has happened, we'll talk about it on Sunday - I'm asking you not to throw stones, to pray for these families and wait until Sunday.

Sunday came and I spent 5 minutes before the sermon explaining the situation. Then said I'd like to remind you of a few things and I gave a message on temptation, the human condition, the reality of sin and God's grace. I ended the sermon with John 8 - Woman brought in front of Jesus by the Pharisees and accused of adultery. I said this is a defining moment for our church. Everyone will ask, everyone wants to know - Who are we? Are we the kind of church that will take the stones in our hands or that kind that exhibits compassion and grace, loves broken people and welcomes sinners in the name of Jesus Christ?

Safeguards

We have a staff covenant that clearly outlines our expectations
We have policies about where you can go with people of the opposite sex who is not your spouse
If you want to go to a conference or a trip, you have to find someone else. If you just can't - then you have to leave on different flights and stay in different hotels. Is it overkill? I don't know.
If something looks like a date or smells like a date, we're going to call it a date.
Twice a year we have a meeting with all of our staff and talk about these things. Some of them might roll their eyes and call it the "sex talk", but they recognize that it's important.

The "Sex Talk"
I begin by reminding our staff that we have 3 fundamental drives as humans:
We are wired for reproduction
We are wired with a deep desire for intimacy and companionship
We are wired with a sin drive

Than I use a Buddhist technique: think of the things we don't want to pursue in the most disgusting and repulse terms.
I use a story about our dog that can't seem to resist eating what she finds when rooting in the cat's litter box. Then, we talk about the Moment of the Maybe - "What would it be like if..." It's the moment when sin is rationalized and gestating.
I remind them that if they discover feelings like this not to tell the other person about them. Nothing good comes out of telling the other person about your feelings. Even if you have the feelings - never, ever share those feelings with the other person.

We discuss that at some point, if you keep entertaining the moment of the maybe, that maybe will become a "Yes." We must concentrate on finding the strength to no longer say "Maybe," but "No."

We must deal with the seasons of life together with your spouse. There will be times of closeness and times of distance, but we must stay committed. So far neither of us has been unfaithful in 28 years - I say "so far" because I recognize that everyone can be tempted.

The Five "Rs" of resisting Temptation
1 - Remember who you are
A child of God, follower of Jesus, Leader in the church, Spouse, Parent, Child

2 - Recognize the Consequences
Will I feel better or worse after I do this?
Will I feel more or less human?
Will I be proud or ashamed?
Who will be hurt?
What will happen to the church if It becomes known?
How does this end happy?

3 - Rededicate yourself to God
When your heart is inflamed - Stop, drop and pray

4 - Reveal your struggle to a trusted friend
James tells us to pray for each other
When you tell someone the secret, it somehow doesn't have the power that it once had.

5 - Remove yourself from the situation
Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount he tells us to do radical things to keep from sinning.

Two Big Concepts
1 - The aim of the Christian life is sanctification
Christians are called to model for others
2 - All of us are tempted as human beings.
There are consequences when we fall, but the final answer from the church should always be grace.

Summit 2010 - Session 4 - Craig Groeschel interviews Tony Dungy

2010-08-05T14:31:00.005-07:00

.:The Mentor Leader
"Stubbornness is a virtue - if you're right."
Being a pastor is similar to being a coach:

What do you do the rest of the week?
People watching can call better plays from home (or the pew)
You can work yourself into the ground.

Known for encouraging a life of balance

We are going to win, but you can't make football your life.
You can be passionate about it, but you need to have other interests.

What would you do to show your people how to live a life of balance?

I would show you what I do in my life
The building is always open to bringing your family (especially kids) to work
Let's be efficient with our time
Don't mistake hours for productivity
Don't feel guilty going home at a decent hour

What do you say to someone who says, "I want to be mentored, but can't find one."?
We have to be available to mentor people
Find people you admire and ask them for advice (even if it's for just a conversation)
Everybody should have a Paul in their life and everyone should have a Timothy

What does mentoring look like?
It depends on the mentor - they need to look at what the mentee needs and leverage knowledge to help them.
It doesn't need to be formal, but the informal part is often more prominent and powerful.
Don't worry about knowing all the answers
Developing a relationship is the key

Biggest life-changing moment:
I was going to quit my high school team over a dispute with my coach. I thought he was wrong - I still think he was wrong.
My Junior High principal called me and said, "Why would you let anyone stop you from doing something you enjoy?"
No matter where you are in life, one word can have a huge impact and you might never know it.

What type of a person should you look for to invest in?
When you see someone in a work environment or in our community with potential, connect and offer your advice or leadership to them.

Who was the most important mentor/leader in your life?
All of the people who have led me have led me to Jesus.
He's been the best leader, the best mentor I have ever been involved with.
Christ has shown us how to live and how to reach those who don't know him.

Summit 2010 - Session 3 - Christine Caine (Founder of the A21 Campaign)

2010-08-05T12:37:00.002-07:00

Leading from a Place of Hope

I'm sorry that it took me so long to respond to God hearing your cry that I didn't come sooner.

The Cry of the World to Us:
If what you believe is true, then where are you? Because we live with no hope.

This is Our Time of Greatest potential
Ephesians 5:14 - wake from the dead, you who sleep.
Jesus Christ is the hope of the world and His church is still the best vehicle to bring that hope to the world.

It is our Job to Lead from a Place of Hope.
If we don't have hope, then how on earth can those without Jesus have any hope at all?

God's Word is true and it Brings Life to Everyone
A confident expectation that God's word is true is how you can keep leading from a place of hope and confidence.
If I think about 27 million slaves on the earth today, I can be overwhelmed because numbers are numbing and desensitizing. I have to think of each of them as an individual. We must keep breaking it down and put faces to that number.

I Am Convinced that We can make a Difference
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us and powers our work.

Passion Fuels your Hope.
It doesn't matter what discouragement happens, you have that hope on the inside and it fuels you.
When you step into obligation, you have lost hope.
When we have a passionate hope for the world, it will carry us beyond our ability.

Hope Fuels Risk-Taking
You need hope to step out and take a risk.
We spend too much time praying for signs and miracles and avoid the context in which miracles happens.

Can we Please Go and Find Some Darkness?
Light is not to run away from dark, but to penetrate and illuminate it with the light and the hope of Jesus Christ
That's why God's planted us all over the world.
It doesn't take much light to change the darkness.

I am convinced, in the words of Paul, Jesus who began this work in us, will be faithful to complete it.

Summit 2010 - Session 2 - Jim Collins

2010-08-05T12:33:00.004-07:00

Never, Ever, Give Up

5 Stages of Decline

Step 1 - Hubris Born of Success
It is not success that leads to failure, but outrageous arrogance that inflects suffering on the innocent
Bad decisions taken with good decision are still bad decisions

Three very different leaders
Darwin Smith - Kimberly Clarke
Had a charisma challenge
Funky looking guy, socially inept introvert
"I was just trying to be qualified for the job."

Anne Mulcahy - Xerox
She was magnetic
She did not expect to become CEO, but was determined to fix the company
She was surprised that she became CEO and never sought it
"I was an accidental CEO."

Herb Kelleher - Southwest Airlines
Not normal
Rents a stadium and resolves a trademark dispute with the CEO of other business with an arm wrestling match.
"When the going gets weird, the weird become CEO."

What do these three leaders share in common?

It is not about them
They never, ever give up
They are level 5 leaders

(What separates the Level 5 Leaders from the Level 4 Leaders is humility of a very special type - it is an absolute commitment to do whatever it takes)

Step 2 - Undisciplined Pursuit of More
Hubris leads one to think, "We're really good."
Overreaching is how the mighty fall
Packard's Law (named after David Packard, the founder of Hewlett Packard): "If you allow growth in revenues, growth in scale, growth in new adventures to exceed your ability to have enough of the right people in the key seats to execute on that growth brilliantly, you will fall." If you allow growth."
Do we have all of our key seats filled with fantastic people?
If the answer is no, we must resist expanding until we do.

Step 3 - Denial of Risk and Peril
There start to be warning signs that tell you that all is not right with the world.
The critical thing is that we deny it.
When a culture of denial takes hold, we are fully in Stage 3.
From the outside you really look great, which makes it really easy to deny.
The Stockdale Paradox - Named after Admiral Stockdale, from who we learned it.
He was the highest ranking resident of the Hanoi Hilton
"I never wavered in my faith that I would get out and I believed we would win.
The optimists didn't make it out
The optimists would say "We'll be out by Christmas"
And it would come and it would go and they died of a broken heart
The Faith that you will overcome in the end and that you will Never Give up must come face-to face and stand in the face of the most brutal facts.
You must never, ever confuse faith and facts.

Step 4 - Grasping for Salvation
In Step 4 we start looking for a silver bullet - a radical break-through that will save the day or a CEO that can swoop in and make it all turn out okay.
Greatness is never a single event, it is an ongoing process.
It does not happen any other way

Step 5 - Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
How did al of these great businesses survive - they had a reason to endure
Do you have an answer to the question: What would happen if we disappear?
Driven by purpose beyond money or success.
Examples: Apple and Sony
The most enduring enterprises place above all core values they will not compromise.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "The ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still be able to function."

The answer behind any great human system: Preserving something core and stimulating progress.

Ten "To-Dos"
1 - Do your Diagnostics
Good to Great Diagnostic tool: (www.JimCollins.com)
2 - Count Your Blessings
Literally Count them
Do not stop until you hit at least 100.
When we begin to account for all the good things that happen to us that we did not cause, it's humbling.
3 - Examine Your Questions to Statements Ratio
Can you double it in the next year?
Instead of spending so much time trying to be interesting, spend time working on being interested
4 - Examine Your "Bus"
How many key seats are on your bus, how many are filled with fantastic people?
5 - Do the Leadership-Team Dynamics diagnostic from the Summit notebooks
Where is your team? On the Way up or on the way down?
6 - With that Team of Right people, create an inventory of the brutal facts
What are the brutal facts of our position?
7 - Develop the Discipline to stop doing
8 - Define results and demonstrate milestones
9 - Double your reach to young people by changing your practices without changing your values
10 - Set a B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Summit 2010 - Opening Session with Bill Hybels

2010-08-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

I though I'd give blogging through Willow Creek's Leadership Summit this year. We'll see if I actually make it through the whole thing.

From HERE to THERE

Getting stuck in a leadership slump
Half-a-dozen problems around Willow Creek that he just couldn't seem to resolve and right about this time, his secretary came in and dumped half-a-dozen new leadership books on his desk.
Then he started looking at the books and thinking about the problems and thought, "Maybe I've come to the end of my run."

Then had a wedding to do, and thought, "This will be good, because I know I can do weddings. Not my favorite thing to do, but I know I can do them. I've done hundreds of them."

Went through the whole wedding and everything went fine until the very end when he gave the nod to the vocalist to sing the final song, but she shook her head no.

"I can't even do a wedding right!"

He was in a slump.

Told God, "I need help. I don't know anything."

God told him, "Bill, you've been leading for 3 1/2 decades. You know a few things."

Leaders move people from Here to There.
We are HERE (current reality), but someday we are going to wind up THERE (preferred future) and we will all love life, our church will be stronger and better and more like Jesus.
He used to think the first step was to just describe "There"

But no matter how good a job he did in vision-casting, with a few hours he'd get emails that would say "We like HERE and we're not moving."

So, he would ratchet up the rhetoric of how great THERE is: "It'll be fantastic! Awesome! Bliss on a stick!"

The first play is not to make THERE sound wonderful.

The first play is to make HERE sound awful.

First move in a vision talk is to describe why keeping the status quo (HERE) is not acceptable, bad or stifling to ministry
Next move is to describe how wonderful it would be to have THERE exist and imagine how wonderful

MLKJ gave hundreds of "We can't stay HERE" speeches before giving a speech about dreaming of a wonderful THERE.
People were ready for a THERE speech because they had heard his HERE speeches.

"We must let our hearts be broken by what breaks the heart of God."

The god-given job of leaders is not to preside, pontificate or preserve, but to figure out what God wants to do in this world, find your part in it and move a group of people to where God is moving.

It takes fantastic people if you are going to move from HERE to THERE.

One of the greatest joy s of leadership is creating and joining together teams of fantastic people.
"This is one of the greatest joys of my life."

The three "C's" of team-building

Character
Competence
Chemistry

I've been playing with the idea of adding another "C"

Culture

What kind of person would feel at home on our team and what kind of person would feel like an outsider even if they have the other 3 "C's"?

If your phone went off right now with news that one of your staff members resigned, you'd have one of three reactions

Relief
Disappointment/Frustration
Run out into the lobby and vomit because you would realize that you've lost someone who is irreplaceable.

Recently spent a day with the top leaders and asked about every WC staff member and decided on one of the three reactions for each one. Once agreement was reached, we sat down with all of the "vomit" members and told them that we would make a disproportionate investment in them and that we hoped they would never leave.

Leaders: Do you see this as a leadership fundamental?

Mile Markers and Celebrations
How do you inspire people to stay on the journey?

Refill their vision bucket
Every person's vision bucket leaks - they have real jobs, bills to pay, lawns to mow, kids to raise and when they're doing those things, they forget about vision.
You have to celebrate every mile marker you possibly can on the journey (even if you have to add them in arbitrarily)
What keeps people on the journey s the sense of hope that they will get there someday.

Most experts would say that there is a 40% differential in productivity between an inspired teammate, office worker, etc and one who isn't.

Jesus kept close track of his followers and would take them away to mountain retreats, boat rides,

When is the last time you set a party, not for the end result, but for steps along the way?

Whispers from God
John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice and they heed it. - not just then, but now as well.
Primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible.
God also speaks to us through his spirit. Perhaps not an audible voice, but thoughts in your mind that are not your own.

A two-word whisper started all of this: "Serve Pastors"
"I could have missed all of this if I blew off that whisper."

"I believe God is trying to talk to each of us every single day."

"My question today is 'Do you think God speaks and will you do everything in your power to hear it?'"

"The smartest moves I ever made as a leader didn't come from my human wisdom, but whispers from God."
"At times when I've been at my lowest, I've heard God say, 'You are a treasure of the most-high God - don't quit.'"
"That whisper saved my ministry."

Whispers that God does a lot and might be speaking to you today:

Don't Quit
Step Up
Take the Risk
Apologize Now
Make the Tough Decision
Get Help
Stop Running from God
Slow Down
Show Your Heart
Let Others Lead
Feed Your Soul
Bless the Team
Make the Ask
Do Something More Impactful
Come Clean
Embody the Vision
Celebrate the Victories
Speak the Truth
Pay the Price
Count Your Blessings
End the Secret
Check Your Motives
Set the Pace
Give God Your Best
Get Physically Fit
Serve Your Spouse and Kids
Pray
Humble Yourself

When you feel these promptings and nudgings, practice with them and I think they will be helpful to get you from HERE to THERE.

Our Favorite Five

2010-06-09T02:39:00.000-07:00

Our little guy Eli is just past the 6 week mark and there are a few items that we have come to love.

#1 BumGenius 3.0 diapers

They’re more expense up front than disposables, but save a ton in the long run. We’ve got the one-size and plan to adjust the snaps out as little man grows. Eighteen is the magic number for us as it allows us to have a couple in each of our diaper bags and still have rotations of seven. With a nighttime insert that protects from those massive night pees, they work great. We just toss them in the washer every night and haven’t had a problem yet.

#2 Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer and Natural Flannel Baby Wipes

this is an awesome idea. Working in a daycare, I always felt bad for the poor kids’ bottoms getting wiped with the ac-temped wipes. The warmer takes care of this for our guy and we can toss the flannel wipes in with the diapers

#3 SwaddleMe 3-Pack

I was a little skeptical of these at first, but after Rachael explained them to me and showed me how to use them, I’ve become a believer. They are perfect for swaddling at the shoulder or under the arms. But the best part about them is the design that lets you set one in a car seat, snap the little one in and swaddle around both baby and straps.

#4 Boppy Feeding Pillow

I know my wife love this as it puts Eli at the perfect height for breastfeeding (Full disclosure: My wife is short. Okay she’s very short – with one of those small strike zone torsos. Taller women might need an extra pillow to make the Boppy hit the perfect height). I like the Boppy because I can use it to snuggle him up to me at night when Mommy is tired and just needs some sleep.

#5 bumGenius Diaper Sprayer

This sprayer is easy to install (I think it took a crescent wrench, a pair of scissors and about 4 minutes), works great and is useful for far more than the makers intended. Trust me, you’ll be really glad for it the first time your little one drops a deuce in the baby bath or decides to display the projectile spit-up trick they learned from their baby friend or if Dad is just a hairy beast that needs to hose down the shower after using it. Seriously – lots of uses. Oh, and it makes spraying out cloth diapers pretty simple too.

So those are our most useful, awesome favorite baby items so far. I'm sure we'll have more to come. What are yours?

2010-04-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

We are safe at home.

2010-04-29T16:31:00.001-07:00

Full day: Rachael's done w/ surgery & in recovery. My sister & brother-in-law walked out of the hotel this morn to a guy breaking their car's driverside window.

2010-04-29T09:31:00.001-07:00

Rachael's surgery is scheduled for this 2:30 or 3ish this afternoon. She will need to be kept overnight. I hope I can take her & Eli both home tomorrow morning.

2010-04-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

Eli received a clean bill of health earlier today, but Rachael is the one they won't release. She's getting her gall bladder out tomorrow. Hope to go home after

2010-04-28T12:42:00.001-07:00

Eli's billyrubin test this morning showed his level back down at 10. Another test at 2p will let us know if we're heading home or spending another night.

2010-04-28T00:10:00.001-07:00

So it turns out that parenting is supposedly easier if at least one of us gets some sleep. Since they won't let Rachael leave, I'm heading home for a nap.

2010-04-27T15:47:00.001-07:00

Wish I could say we're on our way home, but it looks like it'll be at least 1 more day, maybe 2.

2010-04-27T14:57:00.001-07:00

Eli's bilirubin level is at 12 so they've set up a light kit to shine on him tonight to combat jaundice. We'll be here for at least 1 more night.

2010-04-26T02:29:00.001-07:00

Eli's here and healthy. 2:22a on 4/26/10

2010-04-26T01:51:00.001-07:00

Still pushing

2010-04-25T23:25:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow's just a song away.

2010-04-25T22:47:00.001-07:00

Still 100% effaced, but now 8cm. 12 hours since her water was broken. Might still be here before midnight.

2010-04-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

At 6cm and 100% effaced, Rachael's going for the epidural. 3.5 hours of sleep last night just wasn't enough to last.

2010-04-25T18:48:00.001-07:00

Rachael's at 5cm and they gave her some IV fetanyl to take the edge off the pain and hopefully let her rest for a bit.

2010-04-25T17:28:00.001-07:00

Cut the lights and we're both trying to rest a bit before we get to the final stretch.

2010-04-25T16:34:00.001-07:00

Upped Rachael's oxytocin (again sp?) level to 22. She's really starting to feel the contractions now.

2010-04-25T14:56:00.001-07:00

80% efaced (sp?) and 4 cm. They're working on it.

2010-04-25T12:54:00.001-07:00

My sister Connie and brother-in-law Tim arrived with new clothes and diapers for Eli.

2010-04-25T11:50:00.001-07:00

I think I'm more sick to my stomach than Rachael at this point. Little to no sleep for me means an upset stomach every time. Rachael's at a 5 on the 1-10 scale.

2010-04-25T09:25:00.001-07:00

@kshermer (Kris) and Lacey visiting @3CSLP (Rachael) before heading to church.

2010-04-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad made it to the hospital by following an ambulance.

2010-04-25T08:43:00.001-07:00

Rachael's a 3 on the 1-10 contraction scale. So far, so good.

2010-04-25T07:21:00.001-07:00

Contractions started, but pretty far apart. Things moving along.

2010-04-25T06:36:00.001-07:00

Rachael's all pricked and sticked and drifting off to sleep for a nap before everything begins.

2010-04-25T05:29:00.001-07:00

Holy crap, it's hot in this delivery room! I thought hospitals were supposed to be cold, you know, 'cause of germs and stuff.

2010-04-25T05:15:00.001-07:00

Check-in takes a lot longer when they are expecting you.

2010-04-25T04:57:00.001-07:00

Heading to the hospital for Rachael's induction. Who knew five o'clock came twice a day?

2010-04-24T18:34:00.001-07:00

T minus 11 hours 'til we head to the hospital.

Thanks Iceland (He said sarcastically)

2010-04-20T21:19:00.002-07:00

My theology professor (Dr. Grudem) is stuck in England due to the whole Iceland volcano fallout, so Ryan's theology professor, Dr Chay is pitch hitting. Now I understand. It's stressful and exhausting just listening to him.

I did get my paper done though, so that's awesome.

5 days 'til Eli - get excited

Denying Yourself

2010-03-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me last week for my thoughts in response to these questions:

How would you explain the concept of "denying yourself" to teens?
What does denying ourselves look like today?
What is it not?

In thinking about this, my first response is that "denying yourself" is living a life filled with intentional choices to curb your natural wants and desires in order to make the world a better place for others.

One way this works is by giving not of our excess, but out of our need. what I mean by this is that I think Jesus changed the standard from the Old Testament 10% to a New Testament standard of giving until it changes how you live. Or looked at from the positive side of things, changing how you live in order to give.

I think it might be a little easier to address with adults who have jobs, budgets and direct-deposit paychecks. With teenagers who might or might not have a job, it's hard to decide what that looks like.

Maybe it's giving hope to a child across the world through compassion international. (little more than $30 a month) or by pooling $ with your friends, pulling down a carload of $1 menu food and heading out to feed homeless with a meal they might really appreciate more than a cold ham sandwich and power-bar.

I don't know if any of that helps, but it's what's on my mind right now.

:. Rachael's New Look

2006-06-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Rachael just got her hair cut yesterday afternoon. She came home and announced that she wanted a haircut. Then she went and found her sister. She came back a few minutes later with 14 inches of her hair gone.

It was surprising how long her hair had gotten. We both really like her new haircut. It'll be cooler for when we get to Tucson. She hasn't had her hair cut this short since before our wedding. It's really cute.

This morning we went to the early showing of Nacho Libre, with Rachael's sister Sarah and Sarah's husband Patrick.

We all enjoyed it quite a bit, but the preview choice really bothered me. All the previews were for kids’ flicks (How to Eat Fried Worms, a cartoon where a pet rat gets flushed down the toilet, a cartoon where the animals on the farm act like humans when no one is looking) except for the very first one. In a theatre full of parents and their young children, we cringed through a preview of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the beginning.

It was a completely inappropriate choice for the movie and other previews it was paired with. As we looked around us at parents covering their children's eyes and ears, we were horrified that it was part of this movie experience.

We sat on the front row of the upper section and right before the movie Rachael put her feet up on the wall in front of us and noticed that she was wearing shoes from two different pairs.

After the movie, we went to Panera for lunch, where we also bought a loaf of sourdough bread. Last night we watched an episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown describes how to make the perfect French toast (his secret: stale bread and half & half). We'll be leaving our loaf of sourdough out overnight for a breakfast treat tomorrow.

:. Happy Birthday To Me

2006-06-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and I had a great time (other than that whole teaching thing - but elementary kids are way better then middle school, so I guess it was a happy birthday to me after all).

When I arrived home, Rachael had chased the rest of the family out of the Kitchen and we had the place to ourselves for a while. She made dinner - an awesome white lasagne with chicken &crab, fresh vegetables, and garlic bread.

She couldn't wait to give me my present so she gave it to me yesterday. She bought me an acoustic/electric Ibanez guitar - and she picked it out herself! She did a great job. It's got a built in tumer and both 1/4" and XLR outputs. It even takes 2 AA instead of a 9volt , so I can use the rechargable battery packs we bought earlier this summer.

I love it. Rachael did a great job picking it out. It sounds beautiful and it is fun to play. I've been practicing more lately anyway, but now I really will be up to the level I want to be by the time we move.

:. Last Chance

2006-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

We hope you all will be able to make it. This is the same place whrere we had our wedding. Please call for directions if needed. 816.805.3268.

If you can't make it this weekend, we hope to see you at either of our other activities before we leave (Bomb Night or Send-off Lunch).

:. Government Offices

2006-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

I had to get a copy of my birth certificate this morning because I realized that my driver's license was going to expire Wednesday. Yes, my timing's perfect - I have to renew my Missouri license just one month before I become an Arizona resident and have to get and Arizona license.

Getting the birth certificate from the Health Department took all morning. (Driving + construction + drivers talking on cell phones + long lines + long waits = all morning) Getting my license renewed was a breeze in comparison. (Closer to the house and a more comfortable waiting room)

I'm preparing for a large mailing to churches to raise support for our moving expenses. I need and head home soon to get ready for a support presentation tonight.

A few more envelopes to stuff and I’m off.

:. Almost There

2006-06-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Everything went fine this morning playing bass (I even had the courage to throw a few fillss in there). I'm playing again next Sunday.
I didn't realize how much I miss playing. I definately want to get a group going in Tucson. Either get Ryan and Dave together again as UT or start something new.
We've got a support presentation for another small group tomorrow night. I need to have $10,000 in committed yearly support before we leave. We're at just more than $6000 right now. Please toss up a prayer that we'll be able to find supporters over these last few weeks in Missouri.

:. Shopping

2006-06-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today is about shopping. We spent the afternoon at a used car dealer in Independence. We both got sunburnt and then came home to browse their cars stock online. We found a couple of possibilities.
Tonight we're going shopping for clothes and then it's our week to buy groceries.
We also just discovered the USA show "The 4400". It's very interesting. The third season premeres tomorrow night.

:. Wait, You Play Bass, Right?

2006-06-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

I dusted off my old bass a couple of days ago. The regular bass player at Cornerstone is gone this week and Ethan asked me to fill in. I drug out my amp from the basement, plugged in, turned it up and nothing happened.

I spent the afternoon rewiring and sodering the leads for my bass. Eventually, I was able to get it all put back together and my first foray into the world of electronics seemed successful.

It's been a while since I've played, but it came back pretty quick. I ran through a couple of old Until Tomorrow bass lines for a sound check and away we went. Although the drummer had to work and the pianist couldn't make it, we ran through all the music and spend the rest of practice shooting each other with "finger blasters" (foam darts with rubberbands attached that are all the rage among the Cornerstone youth).

Here's hoping Sunday will come off without a hitch.

:. Father Hurts Best

2006-06-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

So, my father's dentist took him to visit an oral surgeon today. This is the latest in a seemingly unending string of complications from the radiation Dad received as part of his treatment for cancer 2 years ago.

Here's what he found out today:
When you radiate your mouth, it changes the nature of your teeth, which can make your teeth crumble. This explains why Dad has been spitting out tiny pieces of his teeth for the last few weeks.

The other thing that occurs when you radiate your mouth is your blood vessels shrink and eventually die away. So it's not only that Dad's saliva glands were taken out, but that his blood vessels are shrinking which means that his jaw is dying. Yep, his jaw bone is slowly dying and needs to be replaced.

The worst part of the whole thing is that any one of the doctors before or after his radiation could have warned him that this would happen, or told him about what signs to look for, but not a single one did - even when Dad complained about the very symptoms that would point to this. And apparently this is a run of the mill occurrence for someone who's been through radiation.

So, what now? Well, beginning Monday Dad will drive down to St. Luke's and spend 2 hours in a hyperbolic chamber. He will do this every day for 20 days and then will have surgery to replace his jaw. They've talked about taking a piece of his hip to replace it or getting a donated one, or a synthetic one.

Why the hyperbolic chamber? Well, the hyperbolic chamber forces oxygen into your body which forces your body to create new blood vessels. These blood vessels are not as large, strong or good as the original ones were, but there will be more of them.

So the hope is that these blood vessels will be up and going before all of Dad's original ones finish dying and that these new ones will be able to take over. If they do, then the surgery should go off without a hitch and my Dad will be the proud owner of a new jaw and complete set of dentures.

Does this make any kind of sense? Has anyone ever heard anything about radiation causing this kind of thing before? This is just nuts.

:. Surprise, Surprise

2006-06-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

I was back in the classroom today (and will return Thursday and Friday as well) teaching summer school at Truman Elementary. Today I taught science for a blended 2nd & 3rd grade classroom. tomorrow and Friday I will be filling in for the MR room teacher.

It came as a bit of a surprise. I thought I was done subbing. It will be noce to get one more paycheck before we go from the district.

I'm sending letters to churches to raise money for the move. Our moving estimate came in just under $3000. I've got a lot to do.

:. Packing Up & a Legacy Continues

2006-06-06T01:05:00.000-07:00

When we moved from Kirksville, we moved a lot of stuff that we "couldn't live without.” After a year of living without 90% of it (as it was packed up in the garage, basement and attic) we decided to revisit our stuff.

Now, we have three categories: 1 - Take to Tucson (the essentials), 2 - Leave in the Clouse house attic (the somedays - mostly kids books and books Rachael will need when she becomes a prof), and 3 - Sell & give away (the organ we used as a headboard in K'ville, about 400 books).

We're making progress, but it's getting stressful and sad. Neither of us likes moving. Everything about it stresses us out. Especially this time.

We're selling the car (anyone interested?) and planned on retiring the van, until it got a last minute reprieve.

That's right, for all of you who decried the end of the van; you may rest assured that it will live on in its unstoppable glory as we pass it on to my brother-in-law Jarred. All he has to do is get his license, learn the "put it in neutral and coast, while turning it off and back on" trick to fix the transmission when it's not working, remember the combination to open the doors and learn how to gauge his speed by the traffic around him ('cause the broken speedometer certainly won't help).

And the kicker - according to Blue Book, it's still worth twice as much as the car! (Even in the shape it’s in!)

I'll admit it - I'm going to miss it.

That’ll do van, that’ll do.

:. Playing with Fire

2006-06-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Rachael and I spend part of the recent holiday weekend camping with friends from Lakeland.

Jason and Twila Lahey invited us for an evening of guitar playing, song singing, and fire breathing fun.

It was a warm night at Lake Jacomo, but a fun time was had by all.

Jason's sister brought her boyfriend with her to visit the family and together they delighted the campground (if not the authorities) with a performance of their fire breathing and fire dancing skill.

It was an awesome display and sparked the interest of other campers who joined us to watch.

As they performed they explained how they learned their techniques and what safety precautions they were taking.

They capped the performance off by teaching Jason how to breathe fire. While he wasn't as accomplished as our professionals, he did manage to get the hang of it rather quickly.

As Jason has a new trick in his repertoire, we're sure this will somehow work its way into a Lakeland youth event in the future.

:. End of the School Year

2006-05-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well,
It’s the end of the school year and I’m sitting in a classroom at Smith-Hale Junior High School for what might be the last time. I’m so excited.

It’s been a long year and over the next 6 weeks Rachael and I have a lot to get done. We’ll be selling both of our vehicles (yes, the van will be no more), buying a new one, having a huge garage sale, repacking our things and saying goodbye to friends and family.

We’ll be leaving KC on July 5th in our new vehicle and fly back after finding a place to live a week later. We’ll then pack our moving truck & trailer and make the trip again.

We’re still looking for more support during this time so if you’re reading this, support what we do and waste $10 ore more a month on things you don’t really need. Please consider supporting this ministry each month and help us get a new church off the ground that will reach people in Tucson.

E-mail me at timsuddarth@yahoo.com and I will be happy to send you all the information you need to join our support team.

:. Keep the Internet Free

2006-05-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

"What? The Net's not free (unless I can find a hot spot). I have to drop my $20 every month for access. And my parent's are paying more than that for dial-up. The Net's never been free (except for those freeridin' days of college) - what are you talking about?"

Well, I'm talking about a little thing called net neutrality. Jeffery Chester explains what's at stake in his article Save the Internet:

Will the internet in the United States become, in the words of AT&T (SBC) CEO, their company's private "pipes"? Or will it remain, as the Supreme Court cited in 1997, "the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed"? These two very different perspectives reflect what's at stake in the growing fight now in Congress over the internet's future.

The basic question: Should Internet service providers be allowed to charge extra for preferential treatment of web pages? (i.e. ABC.com loads way faster than Craig's List because ABC pays SBC/Yahoo DSL [or whoever] more money to carry it's website faster) Congress is just beginning to debate this as they start the process of overhauling telecommunicaation regulations for the first time since 1996.

Alyssa Milano (yes, that Alyssa Milano) paints a picture of what it might be like without net nuetrality:

Imagine, wanting to donate money to a charity and not being able to open the nonprofit's web page because of the charity's inability to afford the dominant internet provider's fees required to make the page efficient? Imagine the millions of life-saving dollars these charities will lose if lobbyists get their way? What if your child is sick, and you can't gain access to a support group's page because the support group can't afford the fees? Or even scarier, imagine not gaining speedy access to a politician's views because the specific provider is against his or her ideology?

In an L. A. Times article, Jim Puzzanghera explains the motivation for internet service providers to push for an end to net neutrality:

As more people use the Internet for data-heavy applications like video and music, the copper wires and fiber-optic lines that whisk information from computer to computer can get crowded. Big ... companies led by AT&T Inc. want to charge extra to guarantee fast and reliable delivery.

Simply put, the internet will change completely for us if congress passes the proposed telecom bill. This would be a bad thing. We didn't let telephone companies charge a premium and provide more reliable service to those who paid as that technology spread across the country and we shouldn't let ISPs do it with the internet.

In an article for the New Yorker, James Surowiecki describes what it might have been like if we'd allowed telephone companies to act in the way ISPs are pushing for today:

In the first decades of the twentieth century, as a national telephone network spread across the United States, A.T. & T. adopted a policy of “tiered access” for businesses. Companies that paid an extra fee got better service: their customers’ calls went through immediately, were rarely disconnected, and sounded crystal-clear. Those who didn’t pony up had a harder time making calls out, and people calling them sometimes got an “all circuits busy” response. Over time, customers gravitated toward the higher-tier companies and away from the ones that were more difficult to reach. In effect, A.T. & T.’s policy turned it into a corporate kingmaker.

If you’ve never heard about this bit of business history, there’s a good reason: it never happened. Instead, A.T. & T. had to abide by a “common carriage” rule: it provided the same quality of service to all, and could not favor one customer over another.

Take just a moment and go to Save The Internet and sign the petition to speak out against this abuse of the internet.

:. In Defense of a Standard

2006-04-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

Truman Considers Dropping ACT Requirement

What is going on at Truman State University these days? It seems that in the last year things have picked up steam rolling downhill. Truman is supposed to be a University that isn't for everyone, that's unapologetically pursuing the best and brightest students across the nation and around the world.

Why the change to a "let's let everyone experience Truman, whether they cut it or not" mentality?

Without a set standard, there are no standards. This sounds like the "reward people who don't measure up" idea that permeates (and eventually erodes) society in Ann Rand's Atlas Shrugged and should have no place at Truman State.

:. Film & Theology Presents: SAVED!

2006-04-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Rachael and I are sponsoring a new KC Film & Theology Event tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit (501 N. Missouri – just off Douglas).

We’ll be watching and discussing the movie SAVED! After a brief introduction, we’ll view the movie and have a short discussion about the issues it raises. Childcare will be provided.

Movie Description: Mary Cummings introduces herself as a born-again Christian who has been following Jesus since the age of three. She lives with her mother and is just about to start her final year at American Eagle Christian High School, which is run by Pastor Skip. She is happy with her lot: she has Jesus at the centre of her life, is a member of a group of friends at school called the Christian Jewels, and has a perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean. All seems to be going well for Mary.
That is, however, until she and Dean are in the swimming pool one day. They play a game which involves telling each other secrets while underwater. Dean tells Mary that he thinks he is gay. Shocked, Mary shoots up to the surface but hits her head on her ascent, and has what she believes is a vision of Jesus telling her to help Dean and cure him of his homosexual tendencies. Mary decides that the best way to do this is to seduce him and so they sleep together. Soon afterwards, Dean’s parents send him away to Mercy House to undergo a process of ‘de-gayification’. Mary is very confused about her faith and what she has done – and becomes even more so when she discovers she is pregnant.
Mary is ostracized by her old friends and so strikes up friendships with Cassandra – the school’s only Jewish girl who has been allowed into the school so that she can be saved, and Roland, Hilary Faye’s cynical, wheelchair-bound brother who has been ostracized by his sister and others at the school because of his disability. Mary also attracts the attention of Pastor Skip’s son Patrick.

Saved! has been steeped in controversy since its premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. It is an all-American high school movie with a difference – it is set in a Christian high school and seems to be a parody of such Christian institutions. This film has offended Christian and non-Christian critics alike, although a few have found its satire funny and accurate.
Saved! is director and co-writer Brian Danelly's first feature film. He was born in Germany, and moved to the US when he was 11, attending a Catholic elementary school, a Jewish summer camp and a Baptist high school. He says, ‘The biggest lesson I learned from my experience became a line in the script: “They can’t all be wrong and they can’t all be right.’ He studied visual arts in college before becoming a directing fellow at the American Film Institute. The producer of the film is REM's singer/songwriter Michael Stipe.

How does the world view Christians? What stereotypes do Christians feed into and what things should change in our discussion of tolerance?

Come join us for an evening of cinema and discussion.

:. A Fruitful Trip

2006-04-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a trip to Arizona. I had the opportunity to meet some cool new people with Mission to the Americas and Damascus Road, plan a ministry conference, spend time with family and hang out with friends.

All in all, a great time.

My trip began with a mother trying to hook me up with her daughter on the plane. After we hit the flight deck, I pulled out my PowerBook and began working on a project for church. Nancy (the mom) noticed it from across the aisle and asked me if it had wireless. this began a conversation about her daughter’s (Allie) iBook and the problems they’d had trying to get it wireless.

Throughout the conversation Nancy kept throwing the ball to Allie to explain things about how she used her computer or to ask me other things. After about 5 – 10 minutes, Allie turned to her mother and said, “Mom, leave him alone – he’s married.”

She then turned to me and said, “I’m sorry about this, my mom really wants me to find a guy and get married.”

Nancy blushed and tut-tuted Allie’s comment and would have gone on, but for the beverage cart moving between us. When we landed we walked together through security and wished each other well.

My first few days in Arizona were spent planning the Campus Ambassadors Staff Forum for MTTA. We worked on the overall plan and started hashing out details. It's going to be June 10 – 15, 2007 in Oregon. I think our approach will be a lot of fun and provide ample opportunity to learn from each other. It was wonderful seeing Val & Jackie again and awesome getting to know Ben & Jeff.

Next, I had the chance to spend the day with my sister Connie and her husband Tim (yes, Tim) in Phoenix. They showed me around town and we had a fun evening hanging out with their neighbors Matt & Kerri. Matt & Kerri both teach autistic children and we swapped stories of breakthroughs and letdowns over dinner and then spent the rest of the evening in an intense game of Scategories.

In this picture of their living room, you can see a set of paintings Tim painted specifically for the space hanging over Connie's inpulse purchase couch and chair.

The next morning Connie and Tim introduced me to their pastor Jim Bauer at Mesa Baptist Church. It’s quite a ways from their house, but it’s worth the drive. After church they drove me down to Tucson where I met up with Ryan & Liz Miller.

After the normal catching up, the Damascus Road Steering Team met for the first time all in one state (web cams, IM and cell phone just aren’t the same). After a good meeting, we headed to worship.

DR meets for worship Sunday evenings at Espresso Art, a coffeehouse right next to the main entrance to the U of A campus. Liz’s brother Chris led worship and Ryan spoke on recognizing and using your gifts. The service started with a clip from the Worst of American Idol DVD (not recognizing and using your gifts) and ended with a clip from American Inventor (recognizing and using your gifts to help others). It was a good night.

The space is free for groups to use, as long as you buy drinks or food from Espresso Art. One thing that was kind of different was the featured artist Yoni whose art was displayed around the room. Her show featured black and white pictures of pregnant women and their families. It was the kind of art that my wife loves.

The next day brought great conversation with Ryan and Colin over lunch and the ride to the airport and a longer than necessary (layovers – Come On!) flight back to KC.

:. Drug Smuggling

2006-03-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

Sounds like someone's been watching LOST.

:. Desaparecido

2006-03-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

I came across information on this ad campaign on a Brazilian blog that tracks Latin American and South American advertising trends. I thought it was a pretty cool idea and I look forward to using a version of it for events in Tucson in the years to come.

Desaparecido (missing person) is a new ad campaign in Brazil (created by the Publicis agency of São Paulo) promoting the second season of Lost.

The campaign spread photocopied posters of "missing people" with profiles on characters from the show, with info on where they can be found (the local TV affiliate).

Postings appeared throughout the city on telephone poles, signs, buildings and in bathrooms and bars.

What I found most interesting is that some of the posters use the actor's name and some use the character's name. Either way, it's pretty cool. I really like the way that they plastered the posters all over town and that they really are pretty interesting to look at and would probably catch people's attention, even though they are relatively "low tech" in their approach.

Leave a comment for me and let me know if you've seen any cool advertising or leave a suggestion on how we can use this idea to promote a ministry event.

:. Real Life Simpsons Intro

2006-03-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is cool, but what a huge amount of time to film all of it.

:. Ministry Display

2006-03-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the promised pic of
our ministry display from Cornerstone's ministry fair this weekend.

We made it out of $1-a-yard material and copper pipe.

Those of you who were at the send-off for Ryan & Liz in Kirksville might remember the wood pieces with pictures of Tucson on them.

:. You've Restored My Faith in Marriage

2006-03-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

A trip back to Kirksville gave us a chance to spend time with friends we hadn’t seen for a while.

A birthday party was the convenient excuse to see each other and one friend graciously offered up her pad for all to chill.

After a revealing game of I’ve Never, she pulled us aside.
She said, “I’ve always thought of marriage as the end of your life. That you are happy and carefree and enjoy life, then you get married.

“Seeing the two of you together,” she continued, “makes me think that’s not the case. You’ve restored my faith in marriage ... er, I mean, maybe marriage isn’t the end of the world after all.”

It turns out that we were the first married couple She's come across who actually enjoy being married to each other.

It is wonderful to share our lives with our friends and discover they are changed by our discussions and friendships.

:. Time Well Spent

2006-03-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

We spent the last week-ish with my parents in Troy. It was really great getting to spend so much time with them. We watched movies, played games (my mom loves Settlers of Cataan!) and just got a lot of time to talk. Mom and Dad are planning a new business, looking for land to house that business and designing a new house.

On the first day of spring it snowed about 6 inches. Rachael and I had a good time walking in the woods and taking pictures.

We bought a bunch of copper pipe and pipe fittings to make a display for this Sunday. We're starting to support raise at Cornerstone Baptist Church (we're we've been going while in KC) and this sunday is the 'introduction of our ministry to the church'.

It's exciting to get the chance to start talking with everyone we've been meeting and working with over the last 10 months about what we'll be doing when we move in July. Every time we get a new supporter, it helps encourage us and excite us all over again. Shout outs to Sarah, Amanda, and Dave - thanks for joining our support team.
We'll have a new newsletter done this weekend and it should be e-mail out to everyone by Monday.
Blessings.

:. Film & Theology Presents: I, Robot

2006-03-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Rachael and I are sponsoring a new KC Film & Theology Event this Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll be meeting at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit (501 N. Missouri – just off Douglas).

We’ll be watching and discussing I, Robot (Directed by Alex Proyas, rated PG-13) and discussing the question: Have we been made for a purpose? After a brief introduction, we’ll view the movie and have a short discussion about the issues it raises.

Childcare will be provided and the event will last about two hours.

In the year 2035, robots are an everyday household item, and everyone trusts them, except one, slightly paranoid detective (Will Smith) investigating what he alone believes is a crime perpetrated by a robot. The case leads him to discover a far more frightening threat to the human race. Inspired by the classic short story collection by Isaac Asimov.

How far can mankind come technologically in a 30 year period in history?

:. Chef’s Voice has Left the Building

2006-03-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Isaac Hayes recently announced that he would no longer be working on the popular animated satire “South Park.” Hayes citied the show's treatment of religion as his main reason for ending his tenure as Chef the school cook and master of romance.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," said Hayes. South park co-creator Matt Stone responded bitingly, saying that Hayes’ behavior shows intolerance.

Check out the AP article here and share your take on the issue with a comment.

:. Not a Good Time

2006-03-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

I was sick last week - afraid to move for fear of instigating more dry heaves kind of sick.

After a day or two I started noticing a few weird things that were definately new to me.

First, tiny red dots appeared around my eyes. Now, every once in a while during college I'd get a couple of small red dots under my eyes (where most people get 'circles') after extended periods without much sleep, but this time they were underand around my eyes, on my eyelids, forehead, and cheeks.

Then I noticed a red spot in my eye. It started very small at the bottom of my eye and within a few hours extended to the edge of my iris.

The best guess around the house is that I burst blood vessels around and in my eye from the strain of the dry heaves. (One set did last for about 25 minutes) Is this even possible? If it is, it sure doesn't sound safe to me.

Anyone have any other explanations?

:. Another Fine Mess ...

2006-03-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just when you think Christianity can’t get a worse name, along comes someone with a harebrained idea that misses the whole point of both what Jesus taught and how our country works.

House Concurrent Resolution 13, currently pending in Jeff City would name Christianity as Missouri’s official "majority" religion. State representative David Sater of Cassville in southwestern Missouri, sponsored the resolution, but he has refused to talk about it on camera or over the phone.

The resolution would recognize "a Christian god," and it would not protect minority religions, but "protect the majority's right to express their religious beliefs. The resolution also recognizes that, "a greater power exists," and only Christianity receives what the resolution calls, "justified recognition."

Every time I hear of something like this, I cringe. It signals yet another round of conversations on the horizon where I have to explain that people like Pat Robertson don’t speak for all Christians.

Oh boy.

:. She's Been Accepted!

2006-03-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

We just found out that Rachael has been accepted into the University of Arizona's Speech & Hearing Sciences PhD program!

The acting department head will be her advisor and Rachael has been hired as a research assistant. This comes with a out-of-state tuition waiver and an assistantship that will cover the cost of school plus some. Awesome!

Our next step is finding a three or six-month lease on an apartment so we can be in town for a bit before we buy a house.
She celebrates here with Santa, because Christmas came twice this year.

:. Autistic Team Manager Amazes Crowd

2006-03-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Thinklings for bringing this one to my attention.

Jason McElwain is a student at Greece Athena high school, and served as the team’s manager for his entire high school career. He was a gofer, he kept track of the team statistics and made sure everyone was supplied with Gatorade. Until the last home game of his senior season.

The 17-year-old, who is autistic and usually sits on the bench in a white shirt and black tie, put on a uniform and entered the game with his team way ahead. McElwain proceeded to hit six 3-point shots, finished with 20 points and was carried off the court on his teammates’ shoulders.

Watch the last few moments of the game or read more about it.

:. RFID: Should We Worry?

2006-03-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

So, I'm home sick for a second day and there's not much to do but check out what's happening online. I came across an article in Wired's online news pages that highlights a new book by Katherine Albrecht in which she argues that RFIDs will develop into the mark of the beast.

Her detractors say that people have freaked every time we have something new from the printing press to social security numbers to credit cards, but there are RFIDs designed to be implanted under the skin of one's hand. These seem a little more likely than other technologies.

Thoughts?

A Pair of Busy Weekends

2006-02-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

Rachael and I spent last weekend on the road, traveling to Jefferson City to speak at a conference and then to Kirksville for a birthday party. In Jeff city, we spoke at the MO BSU Leadership Development Conference, and event that Gene Austin (our campus minister from Truman) runs.

Rachael's sessions were on how to develop a comprehensive women's ministry. I presented resources to use in ministry and how to take inspiration from resources to create new ministry tools. Both of us enjoyed the conference main speaker, Alex McManus. He shared a number of interesting ideas for ministry many of which incorporated arts and technology. Check out his blog(or xanga) or his world music band.

We also liked getting the chance to see some of our friends from Kirksville, even if it wasn't for very long.

After our part of LDC was over on Saturday, we drove up to Kirksville, where we met up with other Truman alum to celebrate the founding of The Bulldog Party (an organization Rachael ran while in school). We had a great time. A number of times people asked about ministry and we had the chance to share. We also talked about marriage with some of our friends who had a dim view of marriage. One told us that seeing us made her think that maybe marriage isn't the end of all life and that we gave her hope that one day it might be something to consider.

This weekend looks to be another whirlwind of activity. Tonight we are doing our Film & Theology night, showing The Story of Us. Tomorrow we are attending a Children's ministry conference, and Sunday morning I am speaking to the youth at Cornerstone during Sunday School about God's will, ministry and the future. We'll end the weekend with part two of our small group's Got Niche? study on spiritual gifts (by far the best spiritual gifts material we've ever seen).

What happened?

2006-02-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

Writer Rob Borsellino posted an interesting opinion piece for USA Today called "What has happened to America's Jesus?" that is an interesting conversation starter. What do you think about it?

I'm Sick

2006-02-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have a cold. Not one of those I cough a bit colds. No, this is one of those can't breathe without assistance colds. I've been stuck in bed for most of the week so far.

Except, of course for our first volleyball game of the spring session, which we won (myself, 'hopped up' on cold medicine). This time around our team's returning players are myself, Rachael, my father-in-law Paul and Russ (who works with Paul). Joining us are Ricky & Lacey Meads (Lacey's father teaches Sunday School with Rachael's mother).

This weekend Rachael and I will both be teaching sessions at the BSU State Leadership Development Conference in Jeff City, MO. Rachael's session will be on creating women's ministries that create Proverbs 31 women and mine will be how to discover resources that sharpen your focus in ministry.

Then next Friday night will be our second KC Film & Theology event. All the details are below and everyone who reads this should come join us.

:. Film & Theology Presents: The Story of Us

2006-02-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Vows. They're like New Year's resolutions- easy to make and really hard to live up to.

Rachael and I are sponsoring a new KC Film & Theology Event on Friday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll be meeting at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee’s Summit (501 N. Missouri – just off Douglas).

We’ll be watching and discussing Rob Reiner’s “The Story of Us” and discussing the question: What if God designed marriage to make us holy, more than happy? After a brief introduction, we’ll view the movie and have a short discussion about the issues it raises. Childcare will be provided and will include a children’s movie dealing with love. We hope this will spark family discussions about love and marriage.

Movie Description: The Story of Us, starring BRUCE WILLIS and MICHELLE PFEIFFER, is the very real and humorous examination of Ben and Katie Jordan's marriage. After 15 years, the couple is wrestling with the universal paradox: why are the qualities that made them fall in love in the first place now the very things pulling them apart? Emotionally drained from their relationship, the Jordans attempt a trial separation while their children, Josh, 12, and Erin, 10, are away at summer camp. For both Ben and Katie, fighting has lately become the condition rather than the exception, and they believe that their only option is a silent retreat to neutral corners. During their time apart, both Ben and Katie reflect on the value of their shared history -- the dance, perfected over time, that has made them an "us."

How can these qualities that were once so endearing become so infuriating that you lose sight of what is important? At what point do you forget that without the other person you are incomplete? Where do we get the idea that marriage is supposed to make us "happy ever after?"

Come join us for an evening of cinema and discussion.

Getting Her Throat Ripped Out

2005-12-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, Rachael had her tonsils taken out. We were told that it would be quite painful for her, but 2 trips to the emergency room and one re-cauterizing later, Rachael said it has been the most painful thing in her whole life. And this is her third surgery since turning 20.

Actually, she didn't really "say" that she signed it - she can't talk yet so I've had to brush up on my ASL skills (my previously nonexistent ASL skills).

Here's the before and after pics of her throat. Gross, but informative (if you like that kind of thing) Note the huge swelling in the before pic that is simply not there in the after pic - those were her tonsils. They've been swollen since she got mono as an undergrad and have consistently bothered her. I guess it's good that she got them out, but a week of lukewarm liquid diet and loads of pain make it seem like a worse choice than before.

:. A Completely Different Kind of "Inspirational" Calendar

2005-12-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Now, this is the kind of youth group that parents can be proud of their kids being involved in. A youth group in Germany has put together a calendar for 2006, with each month sporting a photo interpretation of a biblical erotic scene. Photos include a "bare-breasted Delilah cutting Sampson's hair and a nude Eve offering an apple."

Apparently there's a market for this - the first printing sold 2000 copies and they're currently selling the second. I wonder what the youth group hopes to accomplish with this project. Is this a fundraiser for them to go to camp next summer? It's certainly a far cry from bake sales and magazine subscriptions.

Still The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

2005-12-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

As I told you a little while ago, Rachael is in a play, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! for the Lee's Summit Community Theatre.

The play is about the Herdmans, a family of children who sign up for the Christmas pageant at church, when they’re told there are free snacks at practice.

The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale -- the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating -- has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

Tickets are $6 and are available at the door or from any actor in the show. Proceeds go to benefit Giant Step Special Needs Day School - a nonprofit for physically and mentally handicapped children and their siblings in the Kansas City Area.

There will be 3 performances on Saturday, December 10 at 11 am, 1 pm, & 7 pm. The play will be performed in the upper level of Paradise Park (located at 1021 NE Colburn Road in Lee’s Summit).

This fundraiser will benefit a wonderful group of kids. Please come out next weekend to help make their holiday season a wonderful one.

Carpet:1 - Skin:0

2005-12-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Rachael and I joined a volleyball league with Paul (Rachael’s Dad) for the fall. We have a really good time each week. There are a few drawbacks. One is that the church has carpet on the floor. I tend to be the kind of player that tries to get to the ball no matter what. This means that I often will have a solid rug burn or a skinned knee by the end of our match each Tuesday.

This changed last week when I slid on the side of my leg and melted my skin off. Or rug-burned my skin off.

<--- the day after it happened

and two weeks later:

It's Only, Like, My Favorite Resolution Ever!

2005-12-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

State Legislatures pass resolutions all the time that are afirmations of individuals or groups that the state is 'officially' proud of (we have one hanging on our wall from the legislature afirming that the state of Missouri is proud of Rachael and that she's a good kid - I might post it sometime). But this resolution, passed 69-0 (with one rep absent) by Idaho house of Representatives, has to be the best.

Oh, and by the way - this is legit.

__________________________________________________________________

The Legislature of the State of Idaho in the Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session – 2005 in the House of Representatives

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 29

By Ways and Means Committee

A concurrent resolution stating legislative findings and commending Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for the production of the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

Whereas, the State of Idaho recognizes the vision, talent and creativity of Jared and Jerusha Hess in the writing and production of “Napoleon Dynamite”; and

Whereas, the scenic and beautiful City of Preston, County of Franklin and the State of Idaho are experiencing increased tourism and economic growth; and

Whereas, filmmaker Jared Hess is a native Idahoan who was educated in the Idaho public school system; and

Whereas, the Preston High School administration and staff, particularly the cafeteria staff, have enjoyed notoriety and worldwide attention; and

Whereas, tater tots figure prominently in this film thus promoting Idaho’s most famous export; and

Whereas, the friendship between Napoleon and Pedro has furthered multiethnic relationships; and

Whereas, Uncle Rico’s football skills are a testament to Idaho athletics; and

Whereas, Napoleon’s bicycle and Kip’s skateboard promote better air quality and carpooling as alternatives to fuel-dependent methods of transportation; and

Whereas, Grandma’s trip to the St. Anthony Sand Dunes highlights a long-honored Idaho vacation destination; and

Whereas, Rico and Kip’s Tupperware sales and Deb’s keychains and glamour shots promote entrepreneurism and self-sufficiency in Idaho’s small towns; and

Whereas, Napoleon’s artistic rendition of Trisha is an example of the importance of the visual arts in K-12 education; and

Whereas, the schoolwide Preston High School student body elections foster an awareness in Idaho’s youth of public service and civic duty; and

Whereas, the “Happy Hands” club and the requirement that candidates for school president present a skit is an example of the importance of theater arts in K-12 education; and

Whereas, Pedro’s efforts to bake a cake for Summer illustrate the positive connection between culinary skills to lifelong relationships; and

Whereas, Kip’s relationship with LaFawnduh is a tribute to e-commerce and Idaho’s technology-driven industry; and

Whereas, Kip and LaFawnduh’s wedding shows Idaho’s commitment to healthy marriages; and

Whereas, the prevalence of cooked steak as a primary food group pays tribute to Idaho’s beef industry; and

Whereas, Napoleon’s tetherball dexterity emphasizes the importance of physical education in Idaho public schools; and

Whereas, Tina the llama, the chickens with large talons, the 4-H milk cows, and the Honeymoon Stallion showcase Idaho’s animal husbandry; and

Whereas, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote “Nay” on this concurrent resolution are “FREAKIN’ IDIOTS!” and run the risk of having the “Worst Day of Their Lives!”

Now, therefore, be it further resolved by the members of the First Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the Senate concurring therein, that we commend Jared and Jerusha Hess and the City of Preston for showcasing the positive aspects of Idaho’s youth, rural culture, education system, athletics, economic prosperity and diversity.

Be it further resolved that we, the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Idaho, advocate always following your heart, and thus we eagerly await the next cinematic undertaking of Idaho’s Hess family.

Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this resolution to Jared and Jerusha Hess, the Mayor of the City of Preston and the Principal of Preston High School.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this resolution is to recognize and commend Jared and Jerusha Hess for their cinematic talents by which they have increased the nation’s awareness of Idaho.

UTSA Students offered Porn for their Bibles

2005-12-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, a group of atheists at the University of Texas – San Antonio asked students to exchange Bibles for porn magazines, making some religious leaders angry.

Student Ryan Walker, a member of the student group Atheist Agenda, said, “We consider The Bible to be a very negative force in the history of the world.”

Atheist Agenda members were on campus asking students to exchange religious materials for pornographic magazines.

Only five students so far have exchanged their bibles for porn.

The Deepest Theological Movies - Ever!

2005-11-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

Are you having problems understanding the Bible? Need help getting your head around multifaceted theology and complex concepts?

Well, your problem is that you’re trying to think for yourself. BIG MISTAKE.
All you ever need to know about faith, religion and God can be easily explained by a little visit to our friends in the B Movie industry.

Our first stop is the movie Ultrachrist. Here we learn the answer to the burning question: What would Jesus do if he returned to Earth and discovered he could no longer relate to the youth of today? Apparently, he would become a super-hero.

Synopsis: Jesus returns to Earth in present-day NYC, sent by his Father to usher in 2000 years of Godly peace. Unfortunately, modern young people respond poorly to this bearded weirdo. Taking the advice of a market research guru, Jesus has a Spandex costume made and declares himself "Ultrachrist", an urban sin-fighter. Unfortunately, his Father doesn't approve of these unorthodox techniques, while the Antichrist (the NYC Parks Commissioner) resurrects an army of famous sinners to make sure Ultrachrist's mission fails.

Our other stop in this journey is a quaint little period piece called Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter. Here we learn that, uh, well just read the synopsis from the back of the DVD case.

Synopsis: The first testament says "an eye for an eye." The second testament says "love thy neighbor." The third testament KICKS ASS! The filmmaking team that brought you Harry Knuckles and won the "Spirit of Slamdance" prize with Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy ups the ante with this tale of the ultimate action hero: Jesus Christ. The second coming is upon us, and Jesus has returned to earth. But before he can get down to the serious business of judging the living and the dead, he has to contend with an army of vampires that can walk in the daylight. Combining kung-fu action with biblical prophecy and a liberal dose of humor, the film teams the Savior with Mexican wrestling hero El Santos against mythological horrors and science gone mad, and also manages to address contemporary sexual politics. And did we mention that it's a musical? This sure ain't Sunday School.

So, there you go boys and girls – the next time you’re having a hard time preparing for a bible study, preparing a message, or studying your Bible; pop one of these theological gems into your DVD player and enjoy the ride.

There's a Reason We Put Breaks Between Words

2005-11-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

It must have been a slow news day on the other side of the pond.

One of London's newspapers reminds us that there's a reason we put breaks between words: Check out whorepresents.com, expertsexchange.com, penisland.net, therapistfinder.com, and molestationnursery.com.

Wow.

Discover Petra Just in Time to Say Goodbye

2005-11-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

From the thinklings I learned that Petra has released their farewell album.

Petra was still recording?

Dealing with Death and Car Dismemberment

2005-11-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Rachael's in a Christmas play called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." It's based on the book to the right. If you're familiar with the story, Rachael is playing the role of the mom who has to step in and run the pageant when the normal director breaks her leg. It's the first staring role Rachael has had since appearing in multiple theatre productions at Truman State University.

The show will run Dec 2, 3, & 4 in Kansas City.

The play is a fundraiser for the non-profit Rachael works for, Giant Step. Giant Step is a special needs daycare for mentally and physically disabled children and young adults. It's a great organization and if you're going to be in the Kansas City area next weekend you should come to support the organization and Rachael.

I'll post exact location, times, how to get tickets and more later this week.

________________________________________________________

It's been a hard month. My grandmother passed away at the end of October and because I'm the "pastor in the family" things were much more draining than they would have been.

The visitation and funeral were in Sikeston, MO (where my grandparents lived for a long time until we moved them to Texas this summer to live with my Aunt Diann and Uncle Buster - yes, I said Buster - and cousins Texas and Trinity).

It's weird. Just a few months ago I drove their car from Sikeston to Texas and I as I left town I thought, "This'll probably be the last time I see Sikeston for a long time," and just a short time later we were all back down there.

My family asked me to perform the graveside service in St. Louis. Still being new to the whole pastor thing, I was worried that I wouldn't do something right. Rachael's uncle Richard (himself a pastor just over the river in Illinois) came and was very encouraging. Grandma had wanted people to donate to our church plant in lieu of flowers, which was a wonderful blessing.

Throughout the visitation, funeral, and graveside service people didn't know how to talk to me. Was I the pastor, there to comfort them, the grandson they should comfort, the grandson whose ministry donations were being made to in Louise's name who they should congratulate and encourage?

Most talked to me in a quickly changing mixture of the three, asking me for reassurance, telling me she was in a better place and was from Tucson all in the same breath. It's just tough.

________________________________________________________

Last week Rachael was invited to speak at Literacy on the Lake, a Missouri state conference on literacy and reading instruction. She spoke on the crucial role of Speech Language Pathologists in developing reading and literacy skills at a young age. It was very nice. We stayed at the Lodge of the Four Seasons and it was all paid for by her work. I took these pictures the first night we were there.

The one weird downside is that someone stole our license plate. The entire license plate holder assembly was torn off of the front and three of the four screws holding the back plate were removed. Our theory is that they got scared off before they could finish with the back plate. We were parked against a retaining wall and the front of the car was in shadow, while the rear was under a street light.

So, I have to go to the DMV this afternoon to get new plates. I don't know if the police report will let us get a new set without having to pay for them. I guess I'll find out.

Our car is in shambles right now anyway. Last night when we pulled up to an ATM, I rolled the window down and it wouldn't go back up. When we got home ( a very chilly ride) Paul (my father-in-law) and I tore the door apart to fix it and came to the conclusion that the motor was frozen up and would need to be replaced.

When I got in the car this morning to take it in to the shop, the window rolled right up. I don't know what changed from last night, but maybe we just won't roll that window down again any time soon.

________________________________________________________

Also, please pray for me as I am going through a very trying time with the substitute teaching thing. It's rough and I could use prayer.
________________________________________________________

If you're reading this, post a comment. I'd be nice to get some comments to know that people are actually out there.

Kansas City Star Editorials Tick Me Off

2005-10-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've been reading editorials again and it seems that I always find something that ticks me off when I read them.

First, I think it's just silly to watch the current flack and scuttlebutt about Bush's newest Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers.

Basically, everyone is criticizing Bush for his choice saying that it was stupid. But from his point of view, maybe it's not. He knows that someone who has a public conservative record on things like abortion, homosexuality, end-of life and everything else would have a difficult (if not impossible ) time of making it through the confirmation process. By nominating Miers, Bush has chosen someone that he knows well enough to be confident in her views, but who has no public record that can trip her up in confirmation hearings. I'm not saying that he's my favorite person, but it seems that this was a much smarter move than most are claiming.

Second, How on earth is it a good idea to mandate raising all insurance costs to cover natural disasters like Katrina and Rita?

How is it any different that life insurance or auto insurance? If you want to buy life insurance, it will cost you much less at 20 than it will at 50. Why? Because they know that you're statistically more likely to die sooner at 50 than 20. Same thing with health insurance. If you have two tickets in the past 6 months, you are going to pay more for auto insurance than you will if you had never been pulled over.

The most logical plan is to rate based on the likelihood of disasters. I mean come on people who live on the gulf have to know that they have a higher chance of losing their homes to a natural disaster that people who live in Kansas. I think they should have to pay more money in insurance costs to live in a place where they know their homes are like to be demolished every time there's a hurricane that people who chose to live in areas of the country where natural disasters are less likely to happen.

Third, SHUT UP about the stupid 'Bird Flu'!

According to the Center for Disease Control: The only reported case of a human with 'Bird Flu' in the United States is from back in November 2003. A patient with serious underlying medical conditions was admitted to a hospital in New York with respiratory symptoms. The patient recovered and went home after a few weeks. Subsequent tests showed that the patient had been infected with an avian influenza virus. An investigation to determine the source of infection is ongoing.

There has been no (I repeat not even one) case of this bird flu passing through person to person contact. Avian influenza viruses are transmitted to humans through direct contact with birds or from avian virus-contaminated environments..

All the scare the news is pumping up is nothing more than a theory that if all things align perfectly, might happen (person to person transmission).

Marc Siegel, an internist and associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, explains it here.

No Respect

2005-10-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not in the classroom today and I am happy about that. Is it just me or do today's sixth graders have way more respect and language issues that those from just a few years ago? I've subbed three times so far this semester and al of them have been an exercise in outlasting each period. My patience is tried like rarely before. The last time that I was a sub on a regular basis (Fall 1999), there were not nearly as many problems with fighting and verbal onslaughts between students as there have been this semester.

I wonder if it's the kind of school. I've subbed in rural schools in the past, now I'm in an urban setting.

I think it's just a different set of values. I don't have any idealized version of country life in mind, but it does seem that respect for others is a "country" value that isn't taught in urban environments.

Another sub wondered if it's that I'm used to a classroom of white kids and now I'd be hard-pressed to find a white kid.

I don't know.

Word from the Wife

2005-09-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today - a guest post from my wife Rachael.

_______________________

Wow, three jobs in three months. I have been a speech-language pathologist at a nursing home, at Giant Step - a day-program for children with disabilities and their siblings, and a school district. Frankly, after about a month at a job I get bored and can’t wait for something new.

I am undertaking the longest job contract I have ever had, nine-months in the Hickman Mills School district. Yikes, that is a long time – we will see how it goes. I’ve started working at Warford Elementary. I am very excited about starting the semester, the first half of my day I conduct reading therapy in a classroom of kindergarten through second grade children with multiple and severe handicaps. The second half I am conducting kindergarten through fifth grade language and articulation therapy one-on-one. After school I work at Giant Step. So if you are keeping track, that is two jobs for the foreseeable future. Please pray that God will give me strength to continue serving students and that I can be example for the students to follow.

In July, Tim and I went to Tucson so I could interview with the Communication Science and Disorders Ph.D. program. I talked with one professor who was a Christian and when I told her that Tim and I were going to plant a church she was very excited. She said that virtually none of the faculty or students were Christians. Then I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement; never had I realized what a mission field my profession was. Please pray that I am accepted into the program and that I can actively do mission work within the ranks of the University of Arizona.

-Rachael

Back to School

2005-09-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

For the first time in almost a decade I'm not planning the semester in Kirksville. I’m back in the classroom this semester, but on the other side of the desk this time. I'm substitute teaching for Hickman Mills School District in Kansas City. (yes, Hickman is where Rachael went to school) The district sits between the infamous Kansas City School District (Oh, the accreditation woes) and suburban districts - basically the transition school for the white flight from Kansas City. The district is ethnically diverse, but predominately African-American. (yes, I'm "that one white substitute"). Apparently, they can’t seem to find enough substitutes for the High Schools in the district. Hmmm… Enter Tim the “experienced permanent substitute.” More on this experience in future posts.

Welcome Home - Rachael and I have settled in at the Clouse House in Kansas City. Paul and Sharon (Rachael’s parents) have generously allowed us to live with them for this year while we’re on furlough. It’s taken a little getting used to living with a large family again. In Kirksville our neighbors were so quiet, it seemed like we were the only ones in the building. After a while I just thought of our apartment as our house. It has helped me to learn patience all over again to realize that I can’t just take a shower, or get online, or do laundry whenever I want. I think it will be an educational year.

Licensed and Official - In March, Rehoboth Baptist Church in Kirksville, Mo licensed me as a Minister of the Gospel. Only a few short days later I officiated my first wedding ceremony for my sister Connie and her new husband Tim (Love the name!) Moore. May found me officiated wedding number 2 for Kacie & Jeremy, a couple from the church in which I was raised. Now that I know what I’m doing, give me a call if you’re thinking about tying the knot.

Art From the Past - This piece was created for a Damascus Road at Truman State University.

That's it for me tonight.
Blessings,
Tim

Current Rachael Status

2005-08-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today Rachael found out that due to a stupid miscommunication about two levels above her, she will not be working at the school she was sent to, but rather a different school about twenty minutes away.

Current Rachael Status: Pissed

__________________

I just talked to Rachael on the phone and she said that things went well at the new school.

__________________

I'm working on a book while we're in KC. Please help me out by sending me any stories you have about living with parents, in-laws, siblings, other family or roommates.

New Beginnings

2005-08-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Rachael had her first day of training yesterday for her new job as a Speech Language Pathologist at the Hickman Mills School District in Kansas City. She was underwhelmed to say the least. Here's hoping the rest of the week goes better.

The last few weeks have become a bit more difficult for us energy-wise. Basically, she spends all day around people and just wants to cocoon in our room for the evening and I spend the day working from home and can't wait to leave after supper and go out somewhere. There are a couple of coffee shops with wireless nearby. I think I might start going to one of them during the day for a change of pace.

Today is our anniversary (awesome)! We're going out tonight and will hopefully have a nice, relaxing, romantic evening.

I have been thinking a lot about relationships and how fragile they are. You know, right now it feels like I should be making plans for the beginning of the school year. So it feels like it's just been a little bit since I've seen everyone and I'll see them again soon. But I won't. Or if I do it won't be for very long. It's just different when you don't see people on a regular basis. You have to work harder at keeping relationships and it's hard not to feel like it's one-sided. Oh well, part of moving on to the next stage in life.

After Brad and Lacey's wedding, we drove Brad's car down to Tucson with Ryan so that Brad and Lacey would have one less thing to worry about when they moved. We stayed with Ryan and Liz for a couple of days and flew back to KC.

Rachael got the chance to meet with three different profs about PhD programs and we looked at a number of different condos, houses and townhouses. I have to admit that visiting Tucson was not particularly encouraging. None of the properties we looked at were even close to what we want to find and the whole place just looked dirty.

I'm excited about the ministry opportunities there, but not thrilled about living in Tucson. I really want to make sure that we don't just focus on college students. I think it's easy to focus on students because that's what we know, but I don't think DR Tucson will ever be anything more than a campus ministry if we don't reach post-college, young families and other adult groups as well.

Blessings,
Tim

Blowing Up the Front Yard

2005-07-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

We just got back inside from the Fourth of July bomb show at the Clouse house. This year we moved up from a 1/4 stick of dynamite to a 1/2 stick - there are now decent -sized craters in the front yard and Sharon's metal mixing bowl disintegrated entirely. My new brother-in-law, Pat, took over the lighting duties this year. No one was hurt and we again had the best display in the area.

Sunday morning at church I realized that the worship pastor is the older brother of a friend of mine (Katie Bryan) from Truman. We talked about her for a while and then he asked me if I was planning on doing a song for a fundraising concert this friday at the church. The church (Cornerstone Baptist in Lee's Summit) is raising money to build a house on a mission trip later this year. When I agreed, he said, "Great, we'll give you about twenty minutes."

So, if your in the KC area, come to the concert Friday night at 7pm at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee's Summit. I'm a little nervous (it's been 3 or 4 years since I've done the whole one-man-show thing), so a few friendly faces would be great to see.

I'm typing this on our new Apple Powerbook. Rachael and I were a little nervous when we bought it because it's the most expensive thing we've bought since we've been married, and we're not used to actually being able to afford things.

I spent about a week in Colorado at St. Malo retreat center just outside Estes Park. The building in the background it the retreat center where we stayed and in the foreground is the chapel of St. Malo. We were there for the CA Staff Forum, where campus ministers get together for a time of renewal, learning and sharing. It was nice to see all my friends from the Northeast and get to meet the guys and gals from the Northwest. It was especially nice to get to know the Southwest crew who I'll be working nearby when Rachael and I move to Tucson in May.

Ryan and I got a chance to talk about the church plant/campus ministry. I shared some concerns and we got the opportunity to talk them through. Rachael and I are both a little worried about Tucson venture. Not arriving until a year after most of the team makes us nervous, especially in light of our last semester at Truman.

Ed Marcelle was the speaker and brought a camera crew who are making a set of DVDs for new church planters to help them learn from others. We stayed with Ed when we visited Albany a couple years ago and it was great to reconnect with each other.

Ed is working with Kim Cahill (the Campus Minister at SUNY-Albany) to create a campus/church hybrid similar to what we are doing in Tucson. I look forward to learning from each other as we move along in ministry.

When I arrived home, Rachael asked me to help out at Giant Step (daycare for physically and mentally handicapped children) for awhile as they had a teacher walk out on them. So, now I am working with toddlers. A few of the people who work there are amazed that a guy would actually play with the kids, sit down with them, read books for them, etc. I guess their experience with guys is that men don't like kids. It's nice to change people's preconceived notions.

I'm writing to Rehoboth (actually Jeremy to give to Rehoboth) about starting to support our ministry again. They suddenly stopped and we don't know why. Please pray for me as I will be meeting with potential supporters over the next few weeks.

I still need to find about 75 more supporters. If you know of anyone who might be interested in supporting new ministries like ours, please introduce us, or send me their info.

Blessings,
Tim

New Digs

2005-06-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

This Summer is hectic. Rachael and I are almost settled in KC (No more living out of boxes!), but we've not had much time to enjoy it. Since leaving Kirksville I have officiated my second marriage ceremony (for a couple from my church back home), Rachael has organized and produced her sister's wedding, and we've spent quite a bit of time on the road.

In addition to running back and forth to Kirksville shuttling sound systems and such, Rachael and I have also spent time in Southeastern Missouri. My Grandmother has Parkinson's and a few weeks ago discovered she had developed pneumonia. We spent the night in the hospital (Thanks for the directions Nick) with Grandma and sent Grandpa home to sleep. Grandma hadn't been eating much and after we arrived Rachael examined her and discovered that her Parkinsons had left Grandma with little to no control over her tongue making it extremely difficult to chew solid foods. This had also been the cause of her pneumonia as food had gotten into her lungs. Rachael recommended a plan of care and a new diet, both of which have helped greatly.

Grandma is home now, but please keep her and my grandpa (Tom and Louise Howard) in your prayers. This is the first time in over 50 years of marriage that Grandpa is the cook. My father left him detailed instructions on how to make high calorie soft foods for Grandma to eat, but he's pretty nervous about cooking for her. We'll soon move them in with my aunt and uncle in Texas. I think it will be good for them to be around the younger grandkids and Grandpa will certainly like being back in the country.

Rachael was recently hired as the Director of Giant Step, a special needs day program for mentally and physically handicapped children. She has also joined the Special Education Staff at Hickman Mills school district and will begin to work with students there in August.

I am concentrating on raising support, preparing for the new ministry in Tucson and starting my first book. (Yes, I'm currently writing a book) In May I was asked to lead a new prayer initiative at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Lee's Summit. It's based on the 24-7 prayer movement. If you've ever read the book Red Moon Rising, it's pretty much the template for the 24-7 prayer movement. Rachael and I also started The Journey a children's ministry at Cornerstone where we help kids learn the Bible by introducing them to the Journey of God's people and helping them learn how they fit into the story of God's people.

I'm in Denver right now working out of the Mission to the Americas main office for a few days and then will spend the next week in Estes Park with Ryan Miller (and others) at our National Staff Forum. Rachael is back in KC house-sitting for her grandparents while they vacation.

We'll be in KC for the next year and will move to Tucson in July to get the church up and running. We invited people over last week to hang out and were happy to spend time with Dan Schmidt, Rachel Haffey, and John & Kathleen Cross. We hope to be able to reconnect with these friends and others during our time in KC.

Well, time to start working on support letters and such. - Oh, one more thing, if you're reading this and you aren't already part of our support team, you should be! Use the resources God has blessed you with to help reach others. E-mail me about joining this team that is vital to the success and development of this new ministry.