IJM

Gary Haugen, President and CEO of International Justice Mission, spoke at Fuller's chapel this morning and did a wonderful job. Please check out what IJM is doing if you get a chance. www.ijm.org.

Spring Reading

What a joy to choose my own reading over the past week and a half. Since class began yesterday I thought that I would update on the reading that I did over break. I read Sex God by Rob Bell over the break and enjoyed it. I especially appreciated his thoughts on human longing for connectedness. I have been observing this over the past week and have really "connected" with his thoughts on "connectedness". The book also made me want to be a better husband and I certainly appreciated that aspect of the read. I then read Brian Mclaren's new book called A Search for What is Real. The book is a remake of a previous title that he printed in 1999 and it showed. While I don't think that I was the targeted demographic for this book, I still feel as though this book may have been a bit forced as it didn't flow as typical Mclaren books flow. I also did do some class reading in finished The Openness of God. It was a great read that reminded us of the constructs that we have used to build our modern theological systems. Calvinists beware... This book makes a wonderful case for free will theism which is basically a balance of Calvinism and Process theology, covering the weaknesses of both in one wide stroke. While the book is not for the faint of heart, it did have a positive impact on my faith. The last book that I am still reading is by Jeffrey Sachs and is called The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. This book is the winner of the week! It is packed full of tangible information and ideas and I would HIGHLY recommend it to all. While I am sad that choosing my own reading is over for another ten weeks, I am excited about some of the new books that I bought yesterday at the book store for classes. Some of the titles include... Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H.R. Rookmaaker, Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman, Image as Insight by Margaret Miles, Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse by Gregory Jantz and Visual Faith by Willam Dyrness. These titles and many more all look captivating in their own sort of unique way.

Big Bear

I had the pleasure of taking a group of students and leaders up to Big Bear, CA this weekend for a winter trip. Big Bear reminds me of northern Michigan in many ways and I enjoyed the fresh air of moving out of Pasadena! We had a blast as we snowboarded, ate well and discussed some of the deeper realities of what it means to be "connected". It has been such a joy getting to know these various students from Los Angeles. The are a beautiful group of people that have such a heart to see the world become a better place. I've added some pics and a video that may put a smile on your face.

Lost

While many have been "hatin" on Lost over the past months, and I have felt some saddness that its magic may have run its course, I must now say that Lost is officially back in full swing. The last couple of weeks have been remarkable as we continue to live in the questions of the island of Lost. Whitney and I have taken notice that all of the characters, prior to being stranded on the island, have broken relationships with their parents. I am excited to see how all of these relationships work themselves out while on the island. The past couple weeks have captured me and I can't wait to see how this story continues to work itself out. So if you have given up on Lost, I encourage you to give it one more shot, and see if the magic is back!

An Ongoing Celebration

Whitney and I have been in the process of celebrating our two year anniversary over the past week! The celebration culminated with a lovely stay at the Sand and Surf Resort in Laguna Beach. Whitney and I had not yet been to Laguna and we soaked up every second of our time away from Los Angeles. Here are some pics from Laguna. We also had a fire last night in our new fire pit. We hope that this fire pit may bring a new space to celebrate community with friends.

While Biting My Face Off

Another Day, Another Quarter

Well... I just finished my last final of this quarter, and this marks the moment of survival of the past couple of weeks. As soon as Justin and Dawn left LA 11 days ago the craziness began. The beginning of the craziness included a week long speaking engagement at Calvin Christian High School in Escondido. An old friend, Mark Vanderwerf, was gracious enough to invite me to come and speak for their schools Spiritual Emphasis week. While the week, and the two hour drive, was mentally and emotionally exhausting, the experience was memorable. The students and I dialogued all week regarding moving towards a missional mindset. A big subject for mid adolescents. We talked about where abudant life is found, where contentment and discontentment lie, where approach to ministry is balanced and moving past using the word Christian as an adjective. Included in the teaching was a collection of media (as seen earlier on the blog), small groups, and many conversations. I hope that the week was as impactful for the students as it was for me. The craziness continued as this week was full of papers and finals at Fuller. Greek continues to be my favorite as I have been blessed with the beauty of the text as found in the original language. While my work may have finshed a bit shoddy due to the circumstances of the Beck's visit and the speaking engagement, I wouldn't change it for the world. It has been a life altering couple of weeks. So on to a new quarter and with the new quarter comes a new series of thinking about deeper aspects about what it means to authentically follow Christ here in Los Angeles.

Tis Ever Green

In delightful times
Like a crown
Supported by a queen.
Let us take time
And recognize
Our abiding love
Tis ever green.

In the mundane of
Up and down of
Coffee and wine
Of a patterned routine.
Let us take time
And recognize
Our abiding love
Tis ever green.

In the dark of blue
Transcendent times
With spatters of
Black and white
For the first time disagreeing.
Let us take time
And recognize
Our abiding love
Tis ever green.

Connectedness continues
As the story yet unfolds
As commitment calls
To remind us of
Grace unfolding, grace
Invisible is seen.
Let us take time
And recognize
Our abiding love
Tis ever green .
Our abiding love
Tis ever green.

With Friends

Justin and Dawn Beck came to visit this past week. We had a blast. They got to see much of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and the surrounding areas. From the crazies in Santa Monica, to the beauty of Malibu, to Justin teaching my youth group, to Jose Canseco, to waiting in line in the rain at the Price is Right at 4 AM and not getting in, to games, and conversation, dreaming about the future, and good food and many laughs. It is good to be with people who just know you. Who can hear you say one sentence and know where you are coming from.

Calvin Christian Teaching