Big Gringo

SpanglishGringo.com

2006-06-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

This post - #400 - will be my last post on this blog. I've now switched my blog over to SpanglishGringo.com!!! Change any bookmarks you have for my blog to that new URL.

juror #1

2006-06-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

That's me. I can't talk about any of the details of the trial, which starts tomorrow, but I can say that it was really an intriguing experience being a part of my first jury selection process. Here were a few of the questions we were asked:• "Have you ever been arrested, or visited someone in jail?" - No personal criminal history, but I taught a bible study in the juvenile hall in Lincoln

And the winner is...

2006-06-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

...not going to be revealed just yet. Thank you all for the help - through your votes - about the URL for my new blog. I'm working on the new page this week, so I'll let you know by Friday what the results were/are as I launch the site. Stay tuned.

My 10 year reunion...

2006-06-09T04:15:00.000-07:00

...happens this weekend. Io Truimphe!!! I've been looking forward to this for a while. Since I didn't make it to my high school reunion, I've been very eager for my college reunion. Of course there are some people that I'm excited to see that I haven't seen in a while. And while I've developed many great friendships since I've graduated, there is still something very special about the

Faith defining

2006-06-09T04:10:00.000-07:00

Last night, while most other students on campus were moving out, or starting to party because finals were finished, our handful of students from DEEP finished up our last session for the quarter of studying the Gospel of Mark. We started in January & made our way - week to week - through about 1/3 of the gospel, examining Jesus under the microscope. Last night we spent some time stepping back

new hours of operation

2006-06-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

At least for this morning. I've been up with Isa since about 1:45am. Its now just after 4am & I think she is finally out. She had some pretty painful gas, though I'm not sure why. We introduced her to a new solid today, which she seemed to really enjoy. And that was way back at 5:30pm. But maybe it didn't agree with her. I don't know. I'm still figuring out what makes her tick.

Reading list

2006-06-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Books I'm on my desk - either I'm reading through them or reading some part of them:• The Out-of-Sync child, Carol Stock Kranowitz• Compassion, Nouwen, McNeil, Morrison• Christian Anarchy, Vernard Eller• One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez• Slavery, Sabbath, War & Women, Willard SwartleyBooks that I've finished reading in the past month:• Manhunt: The 12-day chase for Lincoln's

FYI: Gringo

2006-06-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

"Gringo is a term in the Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese languages used to refer to foreigners, especially those from the United States. Although its original meaning was perhaps derogatory, its usage today is not necessarily pejorative, even though it may be considered offensive by English-speakers.The American Heritage Dictionary does however classify the term as offensive slang. In informal

help me pick a name... please

2006-06-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I need some help in selecting a URL for the webpage I'm going to set up. Can you give me your vote on one of the following options? Of, if you think I haven't found "the one" yet, give me your suggestions.What should my new blog address be?

FYI: Spanglish

2006-06-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Apart from being a really great recent movie, "Spanglish" is a portmanteau, or a morphing of two words "Spanish" and "English". (no, duh.) According to wikipedia, "spanglish" is: "...is a product of close border contacts or large bilingual communities, such as along the United States-Mexico border... Spanglish can also exist in areas far from borders, where English phrases caught in movies,

Now I know my A Bee C's

2006-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'll stear Isa towards entering the 2016 National Spelling Bee. She and I watched about an hour of the even on ESPN - yes, ESPN - this morning. The final round will be on national TV tonight in primetime. They have to spell the word as given to them, though they can ask for more information - or just stall - by asking for the definition, the origin or etymology of a word, the part of

I'm mean in my sleep

2006-05-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

And my poor wife is my biggest victim. Fortunately for me, she has discovered my nighttime Dr. Jeckle personality that talks in his sleep over the past 7 years of marriage. Unfortunately, unless seriously stirred from my nighttime stuper, I can be just plain mean.Case in point - On Monday I went to bed early, just so that I could be prepared to wake up in the early morning to care for Isa, who

Prayer for the Van Riesens

2006-05-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

I got this email today from Alex Van Riesen after having talked with Susan yesterday some about this situation. From the email and from hearing Susan's voice, this is a huge blow and a difficult situation to face. Please read through their email and spend some time praying for them:Dear Friends,I am sad to have to write this email. We received some hard news today. There may be problems with

Undocumented College Students - the "Invisibles"

2006-05-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this link for a couple weeks. The LA Times had an article in their Sunday magazine (link is to the author's site) in April on a club at UCLA for undocumented immigrant students. It's important to put a human face on the immigration debate. Here's an excerpt:If archers and anime fans could have student clubs at UCLA, why not undocumented immigrants? They called themselves

switching domains

2006-05-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Abner Ramos just jumped from the small pond to the big leagues by moving his blog to barrioprophets.com. Check it out.I've been thinking about making the switch myself, but I can't land on a good domain name. I want something that is easy to remember, descriptive, as well as personal or unique to me. All of you creative people who read this - as well as you who aren't - give me some

Secrets, Lies & Conspiracies

2006-05-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

aka - my seminar title from the Urban Youth Worker's Institute on the Da Vinci Code this past weekend. For anyone who is interested, check out my powerpoint from the seminar. I'm also going to be teaching this seminar at my church this Sunday at 6pm, for anyone who is interested. It will be slightly modified - as well as translated to Spanish - but I'll cover the same basic stuff. And for any

Personal research

2006-05-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to see the 10pm showing of the Da Vinci Code. It will probably get out at 12:30, so I'll try to report on it tomorrow.

more on the release

2006-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

This week I'm going to be reposting this post from May 6th, in light of the pending release of the movie this Friday. I may add a few links as the week goes on, so keep checking back. Worked all day yesterday to finish up my seminar - "Secrets, Lies, & Conspiracies: The Da Vinci Code & urban youth" - for the upcoming Urban Youth Worker's Institute May 18-20. I'll post my powerpoint presentation

Images of America

2006-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

I bought a book on Boyle Heights from the Images of America series produced by the Japanese American National Museum. I love stuff like this - history, photographs, etc. I should have majored in history in college. Just skimming through, I gladly realized I'm not the first person of Irish decent to live in Boyle Heights. Apparently, Andrew Boyle, whom the city is named after, was an Irish

the "how" of immigration dialogue

2006-05-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

I've become a recent fan of Ruben Navarette's column in the San Diego Union-Tribune. I appreciate the way he thinks about the complexity without just over simplifying to slogans or diatribes. Just read "The ugly side of the immigration debate" and his unpacking of the blame game in "Illegal immigration is someone else's fault."

congestions, constipation = crying child

2006-05-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

...not to mention a little sore she's developed on her rump. It has been a difficult weekend on top of a challenging 3 weeks of health issues in the McLane household. Your prayers for our health are greatly, greatly appreciated. Plus, I've got a full week with 3 days of fundraising & then the UYWI conference running Thursday through Saturday. I'm almost done with my seminar, but my sick little

similar in balding and glasses, but..

2006-05-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

...not sure I'm on the caliber of leadership as Rudy was running this test on his blog, so I thought I'd try it out.

free bumps in your smooth

2006-05-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Love for ice cream must run in my family, because I don't even get any money for promoting this. But I really, really like ColdStone Creamery, so I thought I'd pass this on. If you go to www.coldstonecreamery.com/birthday and register yourself (and also your kids, if applicable) - then you get a free ice cream on your birthday. How sweet is that? (pardon the pun.)P.S. Sorry Dad. I love bumps in

seven years

2006-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today Veronica & I celebrate our 7th anniversary!!! I've tried to make it a 'day of sevens' for Vero - started with a kiss & a card at 7am, 7 haiku I wrote for her, 7 traits of Vero's that I hope Isa gains, 7 favorite memories, and a sort-of-traveling-poor-man's 7 course dinner tonight. Should be a great day.

more than just not eating

2006-05-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was sad to realize that I'd be out of town for the May 1st immigration protests & boycott. I mean, this was going to be historic. Fortunately, I was at our regional staff conference. In addition to an already scheduled silent retreat that morning, man of us spent the day fasting and gathered at breakfast & at lunch to pray for the immigration issues. One of the things we decided

release

2006-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Just 2 weeks from today. I'm planning on watching it at one of the midnight showings. Watch one (or two) of the movie trailers if somehow you haven't heard about it yet. With quotes like:"...a murder that hides a message..."or"...a secret so powerful... it could devastate the very foundations of mankind..."or"witness the biggest cover-up in human history..."It is no wonder this movie will be a

QUOTE - Conspiracy

2006-05-05T11:25:00.000-07:00

“Conspiracy theories will not weaken the Gospel.”-Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williamsin response to the pending release of The Da Vinci Code

why isn't anyone

2006-05-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

...talking about the Clippers history-making 2nd round playoff trip? Even as a Lakers-1st LA sports fan, I'm excited to see the way that Clippers are playing past their past.

Game Plan

2006-04-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

Forget all of the "Kobe vs. Nash" MVP talk - the Laker's are playing off a great game plan against the Suns. With 4:08 left and an 89-81 lead, I don't think the Suns have enough gas to make a comeback...3:56 - See, defensive lapse to give Kwame that inbounds opportunity.3:13 - And 1! WOW!!! That dunk had "MVP" written all over it. Kobe posterized Nash.2:37 - Ouch! Wrong time to give up a 3pt.

Honestly Wrong

2006-04-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

In preparing for my seminar on the Da Vinci code for the Urban Youth Workers' Institute in May, I've been re-reading Ben Witherington's book, The Gospel Code. He opens with a poem by W. B. Yeats called the Second Coming. I include this couplet:The best lack all conviction, while the worstAre full of passionate intensity.Later, Witherington says this,"Our culture has a hard time distinguishing

a question

2006-04-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Why are the 3 aspects of Galatians 3:28 - race, gender, class - such blocks for the church to living out the whole gospel?

Surgery updates

2006-04-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

My attempt to keep a timely update on Vero's big day of surgery.Wed. 10:15pm - finished getting Vero ready for tomorrow. She's packed a bag just in case she has to stay overnight, though we're hoping the laprascopic procedure [outpatient] is enough. Her mom is spending the night with us so that she can drive Vero to the hospital by 5:30am.Thurs.5:06am - Vero & her mom left for the hospital. Isa's

Surgery

2006-04-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

For my praying friends, please pray for Veronica as she prepares for surgery. She is having a laparoscopy Thursday morning to remove 3 cysts in her uterus & ovaries. These cysts are a result of endometriosis, and sometimes cause significant pain, as well as infertility.She had a similar surgery to remove cysts 2 1/2 years ago, though the cysts have grown bigger this time around. Unfortunately,

Abortion & Immigration

2006-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

"To me, abortion and immigration are issues of equal importance. We're talking about protecting the family." My thoughts exactly, as I read this in today's LA Times article about the impact of the immigration crisis in Latino churches. I'm pretty tired of the trumped-up attention that abortion gets in the church, as though it were a more biblically relevant issue than immigration. I hope that

Something I never use to do...

2006-04-19T03:30:00.000-07:00

...is wake up at 2:45am. Though I'm not planning on making it a habit, its what you do when your daughter wakes up a little congested. I gave her some pediacare decongestant. Seems to be working. I'm going back to bed now.

Outsourcing-R-Us

2006-04-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

This summer my friend Walter and I read The World is Flat together. I'm not sure we finished talking through all of it, though it is an interesting read. One of the authors thesis points is how "flat" the world economy is becoming, that is, how global the workforce is becoming because of technology. On his list of top 10 reasons, global outsourcing was one of them.I bought into his ideas for the

State of the City

2006-04-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching Villaraigosa's State of the City address. I already really respected him. That only increased hearing him speak.A few highlights for me: emphasis on educational reform in the form of strengthening charter schools for more parent choice, parental contracts for education, principle training to increase leadership, local school ownership & empowerment, and the rational for why

"In the world, not of the world"

2006-04-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

Where did this phrase come from, since it isn't anywhere in the Bible? It has to be on the list of most mis-quoted non-Biblical passages, right up there with "God helps those who help themselves."

QUOTE - Jesus and Us

2006-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

"The suffering Christ is important... because he is the sign that God suffers with us...He must be divine, for otherwise his suffering has no power to redeem, and he must also be human, for otherwise his suffering has nothing to do with us." Justo Gonzalez, author & theologianManana

QUOTE - Survival of the Fittest

2006-04-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

"The problem of evolution is not that it claims that it took God so many billions of years to bring the world to its present state... The problem with the theory of evolution, at least in its most popular versions, is that it asserts that the ultimate rule of creation is the survival of the fittest.This is indeed antibiblical. The ultimate rule of creations is the victory of love...To claim

Coming soon in 2009

2006-04-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

Image of Mariachi Plaza StationThat's the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. I can't wait. The construction is all underground through Boyle Heights, so not much visible progress yet.But when it opens, there will be two stops - one at Mariachi Plaza on 1st & Boyle, and another at Soto & 1st - that will both be less than a mile walk from my front door.Image of Soto Station, complete with fiery

QUOTE: Worship

2006-04-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

"In every denomination, power and prestige in society at large translates into power and prestige in the church. It is as if a higher standing in the social hierarchy were an indication of a closer connection to God. Thus while we do not lift up our eyes to the holy places where the Baals are worshiped, we are often invited, by the church itself, to lift up our eyes to the stories of success

QUOTE: Immortality

2006-04-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

"God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind I will never die." Bumper sticker material I foundwhile cleaning out my garage.

Anatomy of Language Learning

2006-04-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Why, after 9 months in the womb, don't babies come out talking? Why is it, do you think, that babies take 18 months to 2 years to learn how to even begin to speak words? And why is it that we are designed so well for listening and observing - 2 ears, 2 eyes - and yet it is so rare to feel heard and there are so many that thirst to be noticed?Why? What do you think?P.S. Yes, I did just put my

Big Day ahead

2006-04-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Even though Congress is on vacation (for Easter?), the demand for immigration reform rolls on. I just found out that tomorrow is being called the "National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights." There is going to be a candelight vigil & procession at 5pm at La Placita [Olvera] Church. This is co-sponsored by: CARECEN, CHIRLA, CLUE, Dolores Mission, Korean Resource Center, NAKASEC, SEIU 1877, SEIU

Letterman & Sleeping Baby

2006-04-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

That's all that I need at this hour. Isa ate a full bottle & fell asleep. Dave is interviewing Denzell Washington. I'll hit the sack soon, but these are good times.

Underrated

2006-04-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Finally, somebody in the sports world catches the dis the UCLA Bruins have been getting. Even though nobody expected any of these teams to get this far, everybody seems to point to the reason why the other 3 teams have.Not any more. "...in a way, this NBA GM's reaction pretty much summed up this week's Final Four buildup:Florida! LSU! George Mason!ucla.I've got news for you: This team just might

And my family came...

2006-03-31T23:05:00.000-08:00

...on a ship named Elizabeth about 30 years after Plymouth Rock. No one ever checked to see if their backs were wet, their cards were green, or their taxes paid. **image 'borrowed' from Latina Lista

"No such thing as a good immigrant"

2006-03-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

"...for many Americans, the problem is not with people coming into the country illegally, but with the effect they have on their surroundings once here." Read all of Ruben Navarrette's article about immigration and the recent protests.

Thus the Madness

2006-03-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

That was incredible.I'm still in shock.Even though I watched the whole game, I'm still not sure how UCLA was able to pull off the victory, considering how the first 38 minutes were some of their worst basketball all season. But wow. Hats off to them for not falling apart & being able to hang in their for the win. The only regretable 'moment' was CBS choosing to continually replay Adam Morrison's

Blood is thicker than... jail time?

2006-03-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Reading about the 4 1/2 years of extra jail time that the brother of Pittsburgh Steeler's safety Tyronne Carter got for going to the SuperBowl made me think - "Yeah, my brother would do that for me." I love you, too, bro.

Escape & Regret.

2006-03-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Its Spring Break at CSULA this week, marking the beginning to the end of the last stretch of the school year. The activities of many students over Spring Break, however, isn't much cause for rejoicing. According the the Chicago Tribune: Recent surveys of females on spring break have shown some alarming results:• 83% of college women say their break will involved heavier than usual drinking,

Myopy on Sex

2006-03-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal Opinions has a great article on the overemphasis in the "morality" war - on s-e-x (can't write the word outright - it will attract the wrong kind of traffic to this site). "Inner-city parents desperate to use vouchers to send their children to values-forming parochial schools can't, because the reigning political calculus holds this would somehow "advantage" an

"young men that could be my kids."

2006-03-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

"This is a national issue about young men that could be my kids."That from a Guatemalan business leader, Carlos Zuniga, about the problem of gangs in his country.The same could be said of the U.S. Less than an hour ago, I walked my daughter, Isabel, 3 blocks from my house to her babysitters, Gabby. A block away from Gabby's, we passed an apartment with some young men standing in front. "Miralo,

QUOTE - Direction

2006-03-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes when you don't know where you are going, it makes you a better follower." -Paula Fuller, new InterVarsity VP of Multi-Ethnic Ministry

Its a Ring Thing

2006-03-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night I experienced a first in 10 years of college ministry. We lead our students in a commitment to holiness and sexual abstinence. We had done a two-week teaching series from Genesis 2 and 1 Thessalonians 4 about God's creation of us our sexuality, thus giving him ultimate authority about how to exercise it right.In response, we invited our students to make a commitment to God to

NT Reflecting Pool Updates

2006-03-14T12:15:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: For anyone that is interested in the read, I just finished my course paper on "Christology in James." I've linked to it as a pdf.file.ORIGINAL: For those of you who thought I lost track the journal entries for my New Testament: Acts to Revelation course from Fuller, I'm back on track - finishing up the assignment that is due Tuesday. Read and Enjoy. Leave a comment with your reflections.

Reform this

2006-03-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

"The war on terror isn't going to be won through immigration restrictions."- Cardinal Mahoney The quote is from a CSMonitor article on a House bill for immigration reform."The House measure includes reforms that have raised the ire of religious leaders. Specifically, it expands "alien smuggling" to include those who help an immigrant remain in the US when they know that person is in the country

367 days, 342 posts later

2006-03-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

So I missed the date of my 1 year mark for blogging this past Sunday. But close enough, right. You can read my first 3 posts - "Rolling 2 Deep," "Rise Up," and "Top 10 Insights" just to reminisce.Other than that, I'm still figuring out what I think of the blogging world. Having a baby has curtailed me a bit of late, but I'm starting to get my second wind, so we'll see what this next year brings.

Maddening Marchness

2006-03-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Due to a Valentine's Day gift kindness of my wife (cable TV), I got to enjoy the early moanings of March Madness this weekend with all of the NCAA conference tournaments. Wow, was that a thrill. It helps that Isa really likes watching them with me. So here are my picks for the Round of 8. I'm not so confident beyond that. I suspect Duke & Villanova in the Final, but I'm not sticking to that.•

Eternal Learner --> Right Huge view of God

2006-03-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Check out this post from the Eternal Learner about the greatness of God.

Immigration faith dilema? I don't see it.

2006-03-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

"For the most part, these are perceptions masquerading as conclusions, which is not to say that they should be lightly dismissed." This statement came from a December LA Times article about immigration. And while the perceptions and masquerading conclusions across the country rage on about what U.S. immigration and border security policy should be, I was honestly shocked to read the latest CT

NT Reflecting Pool - Mar 9

2006-03-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Institution & CharismaIn the face of the current dialogue about the emerging church or the emergent movement, discussing the reasons for the institutionalization of the church are significantly & relevant. Underlying the discussion, however, is a question I have about why we associate “Institution” with “insincere,” “inauthentic,” or “illegitimate?” For a “Gen Xer”, institutional sounds

Money, Money, Money

2006-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Last night we finished up our last Deep meeting of the quarter with the 2nd part of a 2 part series on Money. The two texts of Scripture were: "Keep your character free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?"- Hebrews 13:5-6"

NT Reflecting Pool - Mar 7

2006-03-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

“Christians were covered with wild beasts skin and torn to death by dogs; or were fastened on crosses and when daylight failed, were burned to serve as lamps by night.”- Tacitus, early Roman historian. The Church under ThreatA main threat that the early church faced was persecution for this growing faith. For the leaders of the early church, persecution was seen as a basic, given element of

NT Reflecting Pool - Mar 2

2006-03-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

More Jewish HeritageHow Christian is the book of James? It has few characteristics of a traditional Greek letter, as it is lacking a introductory thanksgiving and provides no corroborating personal information about the author. Though James is listed as the author in 1:1, there were multiple James in the New Testament. In the Gospels, James son of Zebedee leaves his father in the boat to follow

Da Vinci Code Challenge

2006-02-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Sony Pictures is smart about their bottom line. They want to make successful films that produce good money.So they are doing an excellent job of marketing the movie rendition of Dan Brown's best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code: a novel, set to premier May 19th - through a website for Christian opinions about the controversial movie/book. In the words of George Barna, one of the contributors to

Lego Bible

2006-02-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

Remember the lego church? Well, brace yourselves for the Bible in lego! Some guy (his "Reverend" title is suspect) has put together the lego story of the Bible. I recommend the "Jesus is Born" story if you have a few minutes to click through the story.

This generation

2006-02-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

This from the IvyJungle.org-Over 15 million undergraduate students in the US. -58% of them are women. -College students spend over $231 billion a year in total expenses

NT Reflecting Pool - Feb 23

2006-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

Diversity of NT Beliefs & PracticesThe focus of reflecting on the nature of theological unity & diversity, of heresy & orthodoxy, in the New Testament, brought a quick challenge in the observation that no one in the New Testament was labeled a heretic. This was particularly striking to me in light of the great debates that existed throughout the Gospels between Jesus and the religious leaders,

What do I have in common...

2006-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

today, with the following?• W.E.B. Du Bois• Iwo Jima• Patty Hearst• Magic JohnsonGive it your best shot.

Money Talks

2006-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Abner Ramos - urban ministry at East LA College - has a great post on education and salary that is definately worth the read.

Care givers

2006-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've recently made a new acquaintance. His name is Luis Aguilar and is probably my parents' age. He lives in the apartment building where Gabbi lives - our friend who takes care of Isabel. He and I seem to share the same schedule, as I regularly meet him with his father at the same time when I drop of Isa in the mornings.His elderly father recently had surgery to address an infection in his mouth

Buy Now - part VI

2006-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, like many other days, I recieved lots of junk mail. Usually I just tear it in half without opening it. But one letter from a company called "Community Development, LLC" caught my eye. It was a real estate investment company offering to buy my house. They said they could make me an offer in 48 hours. That they could close escrow in 5-10 days. Intrigued, I opened another from "LA

NT Reflecting Pool - Feb 21

2006-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Opposition to Paul’s teachingFor the same reasons that Paul needed to contextualize the message of the gospel to match the individual needs of each place he went, he faced different oppositional challenges in each city, which informed the content of his various pastoral letters. Today we examined two of these letters – 1st Thessalonians & Colossians – more closely.In Thessalonica, Paul

NT Reflecting Pool - Feb 16

2006-02-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

Dissent in CorinthThe most challenging thing from today's class was the role play between the four factions mentioned in 1 Corinthians - the Party of Apollos, Paul, Cephas, and Christ. What made this exercise so difficult was 1) the lack of really distinctive information about each party, and 2) the questions poised to each group that we were assigned to debate as though we represented each

NT Reflecting Pool - Feb 14

2006-02-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

"The church is only the church when it exists for others."-Dietrich Bonhoffer, theologianAntioch as a model churchThe church in Antioch was Paul's home base of operation. In this way, we can see that it probably most reflected his values. Additionally, it was missionally significant as the 1st place that Jesus' followers were called "Christians." This is most attribued to the significant

Something You'd Never See at UCLA

2006-02-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

I (not Scott) was walking around East LA College, a community college in East LA with an InterVarsity chapter. I was walking through the Administration building, which was crammed with students still trying to add classes. There was a guy with a table set up from the Rose Hills Mortuary with brochures.I didn't have time to stop and ask this guy what he was doing on a college campus selling burial

Urban Jungle

2006-02-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

This wild beast was in front of my house on Saturday.

Jeremy Del Rio's post on "Gay Actor Controversy"

2006-02-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

I wasn't aware of the controversy, but reading Jeremy's post got my attention. It is full of "Emmanuel, Incarnation, God-made-flesh, gospel-sharing" implications.

NT Reflecting Pool - Feb 7

2006-02-07T13:15:00.000-08:00

Paul as an EvangelistFocusing on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, we examined the nature of evangelism for Paul, as well as understanding Paul’s strategy for evangelism. In our pairs, we came up with the following list of observations about how Paul talks about evangelism:- how much they suffered to preach the gospel;- how the manner they preached was bold and honest, not manipulative;- how they were

Baby Love & Drug Addiction

2006-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Oxytocin. Apparently that is the chemical evidence in my body for why I love Isabel so much as a new father. "Like mothers, fathers get a rush of oxytocin when they see their babies for the first time. But that's not the only change to their system. A Canadian study in 2001 found that men's testosterone levels tend to plummet (for a couple of months anyway) after they become dads for the first

2.6.06 - A day in the life...

2006-02-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

...of a new father and missionary to college students on a urban commuter campus. 12:15am - Put Isa (click here if you haven't met Isa yet) to bed after good feeding & burping session6:15am - Woke up to help Vero with Isa as she got ready for work7:10am - Held Isa for the next hour. Intermittently watched the morning news. Frequently gazed at Isa in my arms8:05am - Drove Isa down the street to

Low Post in January

2006-01-31T23:25:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about my dominating inside game. Just wanted to share the main reason for my low posting this month.But since I've been back at work for a week now & with Veronica going back to work this week, I'm sure we'll get back into a regular flow that will include more blogging.

NT Reflecting Pool - Jan. 26

2006-01-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

Paul's Conversion & OursWe mostly talked about Paul's conversion today, though examining the different recountings by Paul of his conversion in Acts 9, Acts 22, Acts 26, and Galatians 1. I hadn't realized how contextual Paul was in re-telling his conversion story, nor how adept Luke was as a story-teller in shift the focal element in each recounting of Paul's story, depending on who the audience

NT Reflecting Pool - Jan 24

2006-01-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

Today’s question – “How did Paul relate to his Jewish roots?” – has enormous significance. Not only for understanding Paul’s ethnic identification and spiritual practice, but also in relating the spiritual practice of the catholic church in a global, multi-ethnic world. In our class discussion of Paul and his Jewish roots, the questions were: -