The Biggest TV Event of the Decade

Last night was important. Was it going to be Jen or Sadie. Whitney and I could barely wait to feast our eyes on the ongoing saga of The Bachelor: Rome. Okay, maybe that is a little of an overexageration, but we did watch. There really isn't that much to learn from watching this show, but Whitney and I do get to laugh a lot with one another. By the way, for the 3 people in the world that care... Jen won. (Yes, she is the one who has the dad that is a freak!)

Thanksgiving Weekend

Well we had a wonderful adventure over this Thanksgiving holiday... From good food, to good conversation, to good ideas, to good activities, we had a blast. More good news is that California survived Texas coming to town! Whitney's parents and brother led most of our adventure as we saw many parts of the place in which Whitney and I now dwell. We prepared a surprise Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night soon after the Walkers arrived. Everyone chipped in and after a bit of chaos , the meal came together. The center of the trip revolved around a wonderful stay on Coronado Island at Hotel Coronado. It was a historic resort that was plush with luxury and many memories were made there. We also ventured over to the San Diego Zoo on Friday afternoon. We especially enjoyed the polar bears, gorillas, and the howling wolf. After fighting some nasty traffic, we came back to Pasadena yesterday afternoon. The boys went and played golf at the Rose Bowl while the girls went down to Old Town. We introduced Brandon to In and Out burger for dinner and headed to Hollywood for a night full of sight seeing. The long weekend has been memorable. The bad news is that the Walkers leave this afternoon, but the good news is that we will get to spend some more time with them over the Christmas holiday. This week is filled with catching up for Whitney and with preparing for finals for Nick. I bet that our minds will often to drifting back to the relaxation of the holiday!




One more thing... From my wallet, to my keys, to me golf shoes, I felt like a large flake all weekend as I officially misplaced many items. (I found all of them except for the golf shoes.) The humor magnifies behind these misplacings as the Walker family is now officially aware that their girl married a flake!

Over-caffeinated

While I have had too much coffee this morning,,, (My fingers are finding themselves with their own will as I write) I have enjoyed the contemplation of the past, present and future of the morning. The past weekend was marvelous. While Michigan lost the big game, I was able to spend Saturday with some new friends on the golf course. There is something about the conversation and the action of a golf game that I find intoxicating. I also enjoyed a couple of nice meals with Whitney and wonderful/thought provoking conversations with her all weekend. From Jesus, to church, to family, to friends, to further discerning our calls in life, we dug deep into some new realities. Whitney continues to amaze me with her ability to articulate life in fresh and creative ways. We are also feeling settled at a local church. It is called Christian Assembly and we think that this will probably be our church family for the years to come in Pasadena. We are so excited to get plugged in and plan doing so in the near future. (You can check out their website at http://www.caeaglerock.com/). The contemplation of the present continues to revlove around the Gospels. I have been digging deep into Raymond Brown and his commentary on Matthew. The most poignent of his thoughts has revolved around Jesus leaveing the 99 to pursue the one. This is such a revolutionary action both in past time and our time today. Think corporate America, think leadership goals, think mega church models, think templates for growth and sustaining communities of people, think 80/20 principles... They all revolve around maintaining the 99 and not the one. my prayer this morning revloves around being a seeker of the one. (And I certianly have a long way to go to achieve this...) Finally, future contemplations are around the anticipation of teh future holiday. Whitney and I are excited to spend time with the Walker family as they have been gracious enough to fly to Los Angeles to spend Thanksgiving with us. We will be staying at a resort in San Diego for the holiday. We feel spoiled and we are thankful for the blessing of the coming retreat down south. We continue to appreciate all that happens out here in Pasadena. A church member from Heritage said that our experience out here would certainly be stimulating. She was correct!

Big Game?

So I had heard some rumors that there is a big game out east today... It is a bit of a weird year, as I guess that in the end, I will be happy with any outcome of the game... If Michigan wins, well I guess that is obvious... If Michigan loses, then they would probably play in the Rose Bowl and I could go to the game. I am celebrating (and missing) the game today by playing golf... So yes, I will be taping the game... So please don't call, e-mail, or text me any sort of messages as I will be transcending time in watching the game later as if it never happened. Go Blue!

Continuing With George Eldon Ladd

"Theology, it is increasingly being recognized, is not confined to propositional discourse, but may be equally in narrative form. The result, in Mark's Gospel, is a balanced account of Jesus' mission that in its turn forms the basis of a realistic assessment of what it means to be Jesus' disciple. It is a theology in which rejection and triumph, humiliation and glory, meet in this new scale of values of the Kingdom of God." P. 236

Are you ever reading something and you know that it is a marvelous thought, but you can't quite get your mind around it, and you need to read it over and over again becuase you know that it is well worth your time to do so in order to grasp of fuller picture of reality? This quote from Ladd did that for me. So please, go ahead, read that thought from Ladd again to make sure that you can put a piece of your brain around the writing. It just may change everything for you...

More Fun

The Pistons game at the Staples Center did not disappoint. Whitney and I were totally the obnoxious away fans all game and loved it... Especially in light of the Pistons having their way with the Lakers. They played so well and we had a blast. At times, I think that our friends Jon and Taylor may have been a little embarrassed by our extreme cheering, but we certainly laughed a lot. We also enjoyed wonderful conversation on Saturday night over a lovely meal with some other friends that Whitney has spent a lot of time with. Whitney has connected with some ladies from campus and it was nice for me to spend more time with her lady friends and their husbands. The conversation had more of an academic feel, and it was great to be challenged in that way. They were some smart folks! This morning we worshipped at Mosaic in Pasadena. It was a stimulating experience! Lots of Greek and writing this week in preparation for the end of the quarter... Crazy, only three weeks left... It goes sooo fast.


Here is a clip of a couple of loyal fans... Be sure to listen to how the Laker fans responded to us!



We also entered into a deep conversation on the train on the way home. We posed the question... What would happen to a mosquito if it were floating in the air when the train started? Would it fly back or would it stay in place? Whitney put this question to the test in this video... (She always can make me laugh!)

No fro needed...

While the Pistons have had a slow start to the season, Whitney and I are going to give them some loving tonight at the Staples Center as they play the Lakers. The game is on ESPN (in case you want to look for us!) and we will be the only people in the crowd with our entire bodies painted blue and with signs that say, "No fro needed." Our friends Jon and Taylor will be joining in the adventure... We are totally excited. Have a great weekend...

Craziness!

So I did this little website to advertise guitar lessons out here in Pasadena. I put a stat counter on it to see how much traffic I had on the site, and in a couple of weeks over 20,000 people have been on that site. How does that happen??? That is crazy to me. Of the 20,000 people that have visited the site... 0 have called to book lessons. That is also crazy to me!

Something to Chew On...

Jesus had many titles... Messiah, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Son of David, and many more. A title that is of particular interest to me today is his title Son of Man. ONLY JESUS USED THIS TITLE FOR HIMSELF. To quote from George Ladd's opus...


pg. 151
"We maintain that the one solid critical position is the fact that in all our New Testament sources, Jesus and Jesus alone used the term "Son of Man" to deignate himself."

Why is it that only Jesus used this title on himself? There could be so many possibilities... I'll throw down this quote as well to add to the mastication!

pg. 142

"This is the clue to Jesus' use of Messiah. He was the Messiah, but not the warlike conqueror of contemporary Jewish hopes. He avoided the title because of its NATIONALISTIC (my emphasis) implications to the Jews; on occasion he accepted the title, but he reinterpreted it, particularly by his use of the term "Son of Man.""


This blows my mind in light of Jesus calling Peter satan when he doesn't believe that he is going to die. Peter thought that Jesus, and the Kingdom that he brought, was going to save the Jews from the Romans in an earthly sense. Apparently Jesus doesn't like Peter's thought as he calls him satan. But why would Jesus be so angry at Peter for this? Perhaps division plays a roll here? Maybe Jesus is upset at Peter's "zealotness"? How does this relate to today? Why do we still rarely designate Jesus as the Son of Man today? I think that there are probably some deep and ugly roots here that we might want to start dealing with as the body of Christ...

Funny URL Addresses

Whitney just sent these to me! I dropped #8 to keep it PG-13! Enjoy...

1. A site called ‘Who Represents‘ where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name… wait for it… is
www.whorepresents.com

2. Experts Exchange, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at
www.expertsexchange.com

3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at
www.penisland.net

4. Need a therapist? Try Therapist Finder at
www.therapistfinder.com

5. Then of course, there’s the Italian Power Generator company…
www.powergenitalia.com

6. And now, we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New South Wales:
www.molestationnursery.com

7. If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always
www.ipanywhere.com

9. Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:
www.speedofart.com

10. Want to holiday in Lake Tahoe? Try their brochure website at
www.gotahoe.com

Crab Legs and Horned Frogs

I have gotten out of the pattern of sharing relational items regarding our lives. This is probably the case because Whitney and I haven't been near as adventuresome as when we first arrived at Fuller. While this weekend was not very "adventuresome", it was filled with fun and some lovely new people...

On Friday evening Whitney and I went to Macaroni Grill with some TCU folk (Jon and Grete). The conversation and the food was delightful. However, I think that the most stunning feature of this evening was eating at a chain restaurant. We walked in and I felt overwhelmed! So many people, so many tables, so many waiters and waitresses running around, it was a strange, yet, stimulating experience. Whitney and I have not set foot in any sort of chain restaurant for 4 months now... And while it was strange to go back into that world, there was something comfortable about the moment. Regardless, we learned a new card game from Jon and Grete called oh hell, (Michiganders will love this one!) and enjoyed the evening.

Saturday morning we had a lovely brunch with some different TCU folk. While Jon and Grete are Fuller peeps, Ben and Tracy are old friends of Whitney form TCU that are pursuing the "rat race" out here in Hollywood. We walked around Old Town, ate at a fancy little joint for brunch, talked film and Jesus and again, enjoyed more Kingdom minded conversation.
The highlight of the morning was scanning a book called The Sinners Guide to the Evangelical Right. The book is perfect and humbling for those wanting to know how part of the world views evangelicals. From a guide to Christian hair cuts to serious conversations regarding sexuality, the book will surely make you laugh and will surely offend you in some way due to the political incorrectness of the writing. (Maybe being a little offended would be good for some of us...) The book was great, but the potential for meaningful friendship is sacred. And we got to experience that with two new couples this weekend. Good times.

Saturday night rolled around and after grocery shopping and going to see The Prestige, Whitney and I boiled some King Crab Legs.





(Along with wine, you can get crab legs for cheap out here...) We had so much fun cracking them and talking psychology with our friend Charlie who joined us at the end of our meal.

Every year I get a new Christmas collection and during dinner we listened to our new album that we got off iTunes.







We got Sarah Mclachlan’s new Christmas CD called Wintersong. It is good and some of the songs will go down as classics. (We are trying to get in the Christmas spirit, but again, the high today is 93 in Pasadena... Craziness!) We also watched National Lampoons Christmas Vacation last night. I was studying for my Greek midterm (which is this evening) while we watched the film, but I still laughed at many moments.

This was a good weekend. We ate well, we had strong conversations, we met new friends, we laughed a lot, we studied Scripture, we saw good films, and Whitney and I drew closer together. It is weekends like this that seem to be the most formative in our lives for the extension of the Kingdom. Heaven was mysteriously near.

What to Do?

As I watched Jimmy Kimmel last night I laughed and then I stopped laughing and I felt sick. He was talking about Ted Haggard and some of the happenings surrounding him over the last 24 hours. I was laughing as my skeptacism of extreme evangelical leaders was shining (especially in light of what a fool Haggard made of himself in the film Jesus Camp), and then I just stopped. This was a truly hurt man. He was back on his heels, and lies covered his face, his speech, and his body language. He had messed up and it was evident that it wasn't only his "high" position in the church that would be hurt, but so would all of the people in the church that look up to men like this, and most of all, his family, and his wife. So what is the best way to handle situations like this? Is there more to it than we just need to love him, pray for him, and forgive him? Or is that it? Let's love him and pray for him and forgive him? Or is it both? Does to love always mean to forgive? Does forgiveness always look the same? Maybe discerning "the best way" to love him for Kingdom of God and it's church is the best way? Maybe bringing more attention to Haggard on blogs like this is unneccesary and unloving? This is a confusing subject and there are certainly some tensions...

PS My wife has taught me that confusion often results from a network of sin.

For Those in Pasadena

I am trying to get the word out that I love giving guitar lessons. I put up a new site...

www.pasadenaguitarlessons.blogspot.com

I would appreciate any suggestions regarding the creativity of the site... PEACE!

The New Generation

I asked one of my students that I tutor this evening why he was so excited to turn 18 and he said... "I can now have my own credit card."

The Tradition of November 1

Did you know that today is Saints Day? A day where the church uses the tail end of Halloween to convert people to Jesus. (We are so brilliantly creative aren't we!?!? This was a jeopardy question last night.)

On better note, today is a day that will break tradition for me... It has been a part of my story (even in the midst of harsh persecution that I recieved from so many...) that on November 1 I start listening to Chrsitmas music. I know, I know, you are thinking that we shouldn't listen to Christmas music or Holiday music (depending on your denomination) until after Thanksgiving, but I have enjoyed the sweet rythems of Manheim Steamroller even during the early portions of Novemeber. The problem with this tradition while living in Los Angeles is that it is still 75 degrees here and I just can't gather the energy to sing Jingle Bells while I am roasting in the sun. I hope that as Christmas gets closer that energy will be able to gather and that Christmas music will once again be flowing through my brain.

Since Christmas is coming soon, I thought that I would make a top ten list of my all time favorite Christmas Songs for you. No Christmas party is complete without these songs! You can find them all on iTunes...

1 White Christmas by Bing Crosby
2 The Chipmunk Song by The Chipmunks
3 Anything by Manheim Steamroller
4 Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry
5 Carol of the Bells by John Williams
6 Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie
7 O Holy Night by Kelly Clarkston
8 Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano
9 Little Drummer Boy by Harry Simeone Chorale
10 Jingle Bells by The Barking Dogs