Ten things I'm going to start doing soon...
1. Finish school for the semester (DONE)
2. Plan out my break, so I don't waste my free time. (DONE)
3. Restring my guitar, and take it to a specialist to figure out how much it would cost to fix the pick-up problem it has. (soon...)
4. Get our car registered, and change the title (waiting on Carmax) on the Galant over to Amber's name. (REAL soon)
5. Find and buy insurance for Jaimie and I. Soon...)
6. Get set up to substitute on Mondays and Fridays in the Spring. (DONE, waiting to hear back)
7. Begin studying vocabulary for the GRE. (DONE)
8. Restart German studies with Jaimie. (soon...)
9. Work out more often. (Started a new routine!)
10. Hang out with good friends, watch some good movies, read some good books. (Done, done, done)
12.04.2007
11.29.2007
more things...
I. Act in a play
II. Coach a team of some sort
III. Play in an organized team sport
IV. write more poetry
V. Use roman numerals more often.
II. Coach a team of some sort
III. Play in an organized team sport
IV. write more poetry
V. Use roman numerals more often.
11.25.2007
Things I want to do...
Things I want to do.
1. Write a bunch more songs
2. Read more fiction
3. Write some fiction
4. Play in a band
5. Learn to paint
6. Teach a class on church history
7. Put together an event re: teaching/history
8. Do some more CHAPs
9. Work with film
a. Make a short film
b. Write some screenplays
c. Learn to speak German fluently
d. Learn to speak Italian fluently
e. Learn to read Latin
f. Learn to read Greek
g. Get a full time teaching job
i. Substitute teach in Spring 08, Fall 08, Spring 09
ii. Put together a camping trip or two
iii. Fix guitar
iv. Take a cooking class
v. Raise a puppy, then, raise a child
vi. Build some more furniture
vii. Maintain my blog
viii. Develop history curriculum
ix. Develop the animated map curriculum idea
x. Get a PhD, someday...
1. Write a bunch more songs
2. Read more fiction
3. Write some fiction
4. Play in a band
5. Learn to paint
6. Teach a class on church history
7. Put together an event re: teaching/history
8. Do some more CHAPs
9. Work with film
a. Make a short film
b. Write some screenplays
c. Learn to speak German fluently
d. Learn to speak Italian fluently
e. Learn to read Latin
f. Learn to read Greek
g. Get a full time teaching job
i. Substitute teach in Spring 08, Fall 08, Spring 09
ii. Put together a camping trip or two
iii. Fix guitar
iv. Take a cooking class
v. Raise a puppy, then, raise a child
vi. Build some more furniture
vii. Maintain my blog
viii. Develop history curriculum
ix. Develop the animated map curriculum idea
x. Get a PhD, someday...
11.06.2007
Well...
Update on what's happenin:
* My grandmother passed away this Friday. She had battled through some really tough years fighting Alzheimer's Disease, and she had left us bit by bit. Now she is complete again.
* This weekend was a long, but good, weekend. Spending time with family is irreplaceable, and it needs to be a higher priority for my wife and I. We say that we put family first, but sometimes our actions speak otherwise.
What I'm readin:
* I'm reading about 3000 pages of text this month, as I prepare to end the semester, write 3 papers and study for 3 finals. This will be the craziest month so far, but it will be very fulfilling to finish my first semester.
* Some books I'm reading for this marathon:
John Cobb - Process Theology: Introductory Exposition
Selected writings of Maximus the Confessor
Selected writings of Gregory of Palamas
Sallie McFague - Models of God
Richard Nelson - The Historical Books
Selected writings on Liberation Theology
And some other stuff too...
* My grandmother passed away this Friday. She had battled through some really tough years fighting Alzheimer's Disease, and she had left us bit by bit. Now she is complete again.
* This weekend was a long, but good, weekend. Spending time with family is irreplaceable, and it needs to be a higher priority for my wife and I. We say that we put family first, but sometimes our actions speak otherwise.
What I'm readin:
* I'm reading about 3000 pages of text this month, as I prepare to end the semester, write 3 papers and study for 3 finals. This will be the craziest month so far, but it will be very fulfilling to finish my first semester.
* Some books I'm reading for this marathon:
John Cobb - Process Theology: Introductory Exposition
Selected writings of Maximus the Confessor
Selected writings of Gregory of Palamas
Sallie McFague - Models of God
Richard Nelson - The Historical Books
Selected writings on Liberation Theology
And some other stuff too...
10.18.2007
In class...
Update on what's happenin:
* I'm in class. School rocks.
* Life is good, but kinda unsettled. We're housesitting in Addison, and its really thrown our 'routines' off.
* Pretty sure that by Fall of 2008, I'll be applying for PhD programs. I'm trying to put together my top 15 program list, and then we'll be makin it happen! Studying latin (on and off), learning German with the wife, and trying to kick butt in seminary. Also have been meeting with some professors and that has been fun.
What I'm readin:
* A lot.
* And then more...
Random thoughts on my PVM:
I'm doing a community hour here at Perkins on blogs. Here's a basic outline:
Keep this question in mind - hypothetical question - would Paul have blogged?
I. History of blogs (15 minutes)
a. What is the internet? (digital, networks, files with file extensions)
b. What is html?
c. What is RSS? Why invented? How does it work?
d. Weblogs, and their raison d'aitre
e. Podcasts/Vidcasts (and why we're not covering that today)
II. Potential Purposes of Blogging (15 minutes)
a. Uses
1. news
2. journaling
3. editorials
4. random crap
b. Pros
1. dynamic content
2. interactivity
3. building buzz
c. cons
1. detached from other cues
2. can be static (if not used properly)
3. can be discouraging
4. isn't mainstream media
III. Application (15 minutes)
a. signing up is easy/free (tutorial at the end)
b. set up a realistic posting plan
c. write ALL the TIME
d. link - the network is the key
e. browse - aggregators are the answer (list of good starter blogs)
IV. Interaction
a. questions?
b. prompts for discussion -> ministry uses?
* I'm in class. School rocks.
* Life is good, but kinda unsettled. We're housesitting in Addison, and its really thrown our 'routines' off.
* Pretty sure that by Fall of 2008, I'll be applying for PhD programs. I'm trying to put together my top 15 program list, and then we'll be makin it happen! Studying latin (on and off), learning German with the wife, and trying to kick butt in seminary. Also have been meeting with some professors and that has been fun.
What I'm readin:
* A lot.
* And then more...
Random thoughts on my PVM:
I'm doing a community hour here at Perkins on blogs. Here's a basic outline:
Keep this question in mind - hypothetical question - would Paul have blogged?
I. History of blogs (15 minutes)
a. What is the internet? (digital, networks, files with file extensions)
b. What is html?
c. What is RSS? Why invented? How does it work?
d. Weblogs, and their raison d'aitre
e. Podcasts/Vidcasts (and why we're not covering that today)
II. Potential Purposes of Blogging (15 minutes)
a. Uses
1. news
2. journaling
3. editorials
4. random crap
b. Pros
1. dynamic content
2. interactivity
3. building buzz
c. cons
1. detached from other cues
2. can be static (if not used properly)
3. can be discouraging
4. isn't mainstream media
III. Application (15 minutes)
a. signing up is easy/free (tutorial at the end)
b. set up a realistic posting plan
c. write ALL the TIME
d. link - the network is the key
e. browse - aggregators are the answer (list of good starter blogs)
IV. Interaction
a. questions?
b. prompts for discussion -> ministry uses?
10.09.2007
Descriptive Review of The Color Purple
Over ninety Letters. No separate narrative. All conversations, scenarios, and plot told from the perspective of either the main character or her sister. And yet, in the Color Purple, Alice Walker paints a near-perfect portrait of the struggle to survive in situations of oppression and hardship. The novel is entertaining, enriching, and at times, excruciatingly beautiful. At the end, the reader finds his or her soul lifted up and offered a shining ray of hope in spite of the apparent darkness and brokenness of the world. And in the midst of this, the author clearly delineates a theological argument that resonates through all sorts of people, time and place.
Question: The primary question asked by the author through the story is, “How can I have hope and joy when I am abused, marginalized and broken in two?” Furthermore, the question succeeding the question is what that hope and joy might look like and lead to if indeed they can be discovered. The author speaks these questions to whosoever will listen.
Answer: In the words of Shug, “everything want to be loved” (Walker 198). Through the loving-kindness of Shug, and the ripples that spread from this love, Celie discovers hope and joy. This is foreshadowed through Celie’s initial impressions, glimpses and first encounter with the Blues singer (6, 8); and this fact is cemented as Shug becomes the lover and teacher of the broken and marginalized Celie (115). Celie does not discover this hope and joy on her own; she is taught to appreciate the gifts of life by someone who herself has learned to do so. Through this telling, the author argues that all of us are responsible not only to notice “the color purple” but also to point it out to others as well (197). This answer to the second question is elaborated on in the second half of the book as the ripples of loving-kindness spread outward from Celie and Shug to the rest of their family and community, until in the end the very soul of Celie is rejoined in an Utopian setting as her sister and children are verily resurrected from the dead (291).
Method: Through the use of narrative and poetic language, Alice Walker lays out her perspective on how to find joy and happiness in the midst of trial. The narrative of Celie and her sister demonstrate the divided heart; part of us has been torn asunder, and only after years of living and loving and healing can this deep rift be restored. The narrative of Celie and Shug puts on display the boundless nature of love as societal conventions and even other loves themselves cannot lessen or break the bond between the lovers. The various narratives of family members and in-laws demonstrates over and again the marginalization of a people that will not give up hope, whether it be African-Americans in the South or women in an abusive marriage; all these narratives are resolved with hope and optimism. The broken family is restored, the destitute find prosperity, the lost return home, and the ugliness of life is turned to beauty. In the end, through the resolutions of these narrative conflicts, the author clearly announces that this same hope and optimism are within all of our grasps.
Further, Walker employs dialectic to establish her theology in key moments. Whether it is Celie ‘arguing’ with Shug, Sofia fighting with her husband (and whoever else is stupid enough to mess with her), or even Nettie talking with Celie’s children and the tribe in Africa, the author continually uses dialogue to move towards the deeper truths hinted at in the narrative.
Significance: Since the message is one of hope, anyone who experiences a dark time can take solace in the notion of the eventual good; all ends well for Celie and her family, so why should it not end well for the reader? Also, this hope extends outward to a broken world that can’t seem to get it right. Maybe, Walker seems to say, we can fix this whole thing if we learn to love each other as equals in the scheme of things.
Evaluation: Walker’s novel is superb, her characters rich, and her tale engrossing. Even her theology, as implied in the book, is full of sparkling hope for the eventual unity and equality of the human race. However, the only flaw is that Walker’s story does not seem to imitate the way life actually ends up. The author’s utopian vision is jarring when contrasted with the unfair nature of the poverty cycle, the un-repentance of many abusive partners, and the death of many loved ones. It seems clear to me that the author was not naïve; every scenario seems to play out for the best in spite of all the odds for failure. Perhaps this is the vision of Walker: to present an absurdly hopeful picture. Maybe the author is saying that the world doesn’t look like this at all, and we all know it. But maybe it should. And maybe it can.
Question: The primary question asked by the author through the story is, “How can I have hope and joy when I am abused, marginalized and broken in two?” Furthermore, the question succeeding the question is what that hope and joy might look like and lead to if indeed they can be discovered. The author speaks these questions to whosoever will listen.
Answer: In the words of Shug, “everything want to be loved” (Walker 198). Through the loving-kindness of Shug, and the ripples that spread from this love, Celie discovers hope and joy. This is foreshadowed through Celie’s initial impressions, glimpses and first encounter with the Blues singer (6, 8); and this fact is cemented as Shug becomes the lover and teacher of the broken and marginalized Celie (115). Celie does not discover this hope and joy on her own; she is taught to appreciate the gifts of life by someone who herself has learned to do so. Through this telling, the author argues that all of us are responsible not only to notice “the color purple” but also to point it out to others as well (197). This answer to the second question is elaborated on in the second half of the book as the ripples of loving-kindness spread outward from Celie and Shug to the rest of their family and community, until in the end the very soul of Celie is rejoined in an Utopian setting as her sister and children are verily resurrected from the dead (291).
Method: Through the use of narrative and poetic language, Alice Walker lays out her perspective on how to find joy and happiness in the midst of trial. The narrative of Celie and her sister demonstrate the divided heart; part of us has been torn asunder, and only after years of living and loving and healing can this deep rift be restored. The narrative of Celie and Shug puts on display the boundless nature of love as societal conventions and even other loves themselves cannot lessen or break the bond between the lovers. The various narratives of family members and in-laws demonstrates over and again the marginalization of a people that will not give up hope, whether it be African-Americans in the South or women in an abusive marriage; all these narratives are resolved with hope and optimism. The broken family is restored, the destitute find prosperity, the lost return home, and the ugliness of life is turned to beauty. In the end, through the resolutions of these narrative conflicts, the author clearly announces that this same hope and optimism are within all of our grasps.
Further, Walker employs dialectic to establish her theology in key moments. Whether it is Celie ‘arguing’ with Shug, Sofia fighting with her husband (and whoever else is stupid enough to mess with her), or even Nettie talking with Celie’s children and the tribe in Africa, the author continually uses dialogue to move towards the deeper truths hinted at in the narrative.
Significance: Since the message is one of hope, anyone who experiences a dark time can take solace in the notion of the eventual good; all ends well for Celie and her family, so why should it not end well for the reader? Also, this hope extends outward to a broken world that can’t seem to get it right. Maybe, Walker seems to say, we can fix this whole thing if we learn to love each other as equals in the scheme of things.
Evaluation: Walker’s novel is superb, her characters rich, and her tale engrossing. Even her theology, as implied in the book, is full of sparkling hope for the eventual unity and equality of the human race. However, the only flaw is that Walker’s story does not seem to imitate the way life actually ends up. The author’s utopian vision is jarring when contrasted with the unfair nature of the poverty cycle, the un-repentance of many abusive partners, and the death of many loved ones. It seems clear to me that the author was not naïve; every scenario seems to play out for the best in spite of all the odds for failure. Perhaps this is the vision of Walker: to present an absurdly hopeful picture. Maybe the author is saying that the world doesn’t look like this at all, and we all know it. But maybe it should. And maybe it can.
10.03.2007
Post on scripture as metaphor
this was from my New Testament class. We were supposed to first read the passage in Luke about the calming of the storm, and view it as metaphor. Then we were tasked with engaging with it personally. Lastly, we were to pick our favorite scripture and explain why...
Scripture as metaphor:
Crossing to the other side - we are a part of a new exodus, leaving the old for the new; we have set out on this journey at the behest of our teacher/messiah/Lord; he has begun a new creation, and we are ready for the glorious journey...
(the ascension) - Jesus falls asleep.
The storm - wow, this journey is tough. Immediately, things have taken turns for the worse. What was promised is not being fulfilled. We are fighting against not only our own spiritual failings but against what seems to be the very bent of creation.
The calm - Jesus wakes up. He fixes it. (Implied: we make it to the other side).
My personal view:
Well, I always try to run away (far far away) from my built-in, Sunday school, canned responses that are so interwoven with the language and narrative of scripture that I have trouble distinguishing my own thought from that of Cokesbury Publishing. Here, after clearing my head as much as possible, I felt afraid. This story is deeply connected to my own struggle in this present day. I am much like the disciples, pre-calm.
We (humans/Christians in general) are stuck in a nasty storm. The waves are terrible. The wind is powerful and chaotic. There was little to no warning. We are in danger, constantly. So what do we do? I believe that we must read between the lines to understand the space between the storm and the waking up of Jesus (else, why the comment regarding little-faith?). The disciples first tried to bail out. They tried to sail away, or sail through. Some might have wanted to turn back. Others began doing what I find myself doing on a daily basis: accusing. "Peter, I thought you knew how to sail this thing!" "Andrew, you said those clouds wouldn't put us in danger!" "James, it was your turn to check the boat for leaks!" "Thaddeus, it's your job to get this boat bailed out!" "C'mon guys, we suck, we need to fix this boat!! We are failing! This isn't how we were supposed to sail!! How do you expect to get to the other side like this!" "Jesus, you ... you. are. sleeping."
Where are you, Lord? How strongly does the storm rage.
The promise is there in the text. I do not feel inclined to read this passage in a individualistic/salvation light. So I ask that dreaded question. Why? Why are you sleeping? Do you not care that we are perishing?
Now. My choice of text.
Revelation 22:17, 20.
"The spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift...
The one who testifies to these things says,
Surely.
I am
coming
soon.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus."
I echo the words again, in my soul.
Amen.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.
Come.
Scripture as metaphor:
Crossing to the other side - we are a part of a new exodus, leaving the old for the new; we have set out on this journey at the behest of our teacher/messiah/Lord; he has begun a new creation, and we are ready for the glorious journey...
(the ascension) - Jesus falls asleep.
The storm - wow, this journey is tough. Immediately, things have taken turns for the worse. What was promised is not being fulfilled. We are fighting against not only our own spiritual failings but against what seems to be the very bent of creation.
The calm - Jesus wakes up. He fixes it. (Implied: we make it to the other side).
My personal view:
Well, I always try to run away (far far away) from my built-in, Sunday school, canned responses that are so interwoven with the language and narrative of scripture that I have trouble distinguishing my own thought from that of Cokesbury Publishing. Here, after clearing my head as much as possible, I felt afraid. This story is deeply connected to my own struggle in this present day. I am much like the disciples, pre-calm.
We (humans/Christians in general) are stuck in a nasty storm. The waves are terrible. The wind is powerful and chaotic. There was little to no warning. We are in danger, constantly. So what do we do? I believe that we must read between the lines to understand the space between the storm and the waking up of Jesus (else, why the comment regarding little-faith?). The disciples first tried to bail out. They tried to sail away, or sail through. Some might have wanted to turn back. Others began doing what I find myself doing on a daily basis: accusing. "Peter, I thought you knew how to sail this thing!" "Andrew, you said those clouds wouldn't put us in danger!" "James, it was your turn to check the boat for leaks!" "Thaddeus, it's your job to get this boat bailed out!" "C'mon guys, we suck, we need to fix this boat!! We are failing! This isn't how we were supposed to sail!! How do you expect to get to the other side like this!" "Jesus, you ... you. are. sleeping."
Where are you, Lord? How strongly does the storm rage.
The promise is there in the text. I do not feel inclined to read this passage in a individualistic/salvation light. So I ask that dreaded question. Why? Why are you sleeping? Do you not care that we are perishing?
Now. My choice of text.
Revelation 22:17, 20.
"The spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift...
The one who testifies to these things says,
Surely.
I am
coming
soon.
Amen. Come Lord Jesus."
I echo the words again, in my soul.
Amen.
Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.
Come.
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