It has been a good day in Abilene, Texas. I am here at Abilene Christian University attending the lectureship. It has been a day filled with good contacts made for the Manuelito Navajo Children's Home and a day filled with personal reunions with friends I have not seen for many, many years.
I also got to hear a challenging message from Brian McLaren. I have read many of his books; it was a blessing to finally hear him in person. I appreciate ACU for having the willingness to give him a forum. I do NOT share his endorsement of Obama, but I appreciate his thoughts on theology and Christianity. His presentation today did not disappoint.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Dealing with Mistakes
Ed Hochuli is having a bad week. That's an understatement!
For the uninitiated, Hochuli is a NFL referee (one of the best) who blew a call in Sunday's Chargers at Broncos game that was instrumental in the Chargers defeat. Hochuli blew his whistle as Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler lost his grasp on the football, meaning the play was dead and thwarting the Chargers recovery of what was a fumbled ball. Hochuli thought the dropped ball was an incomplete pass, and so he blew his whistle. By rule, Hochuli had to reward the ball to the Broncos, who went on to score a touchdown and make good on a 2-point conversion play, giving the Broncos a 39-38 victory over their division rival. Had Hochuli allowed the fumbled play to work itself out, the Chargers would have recovered the ball, run out the clock, and returned to San Diego as 38-31 victors in a very crucial game.
Hochuli is now the toast of Denver, and the target of derision and scorn in San Diego. Can you imagine blowing it on a bigger stage than an NFL game with millions upon millions of spectators and viewers? Yet, even though I am a Bronco fan (#2 after the Cowboys--yes, I'm one of those twisted few), I'm pulling for Hochuli to resuscitate his reputation as one of the finest, if not best, NFL referees. I hope he is able to deal with this mistake and move forward.
I hope NFL fans will allow him the opportunity to move past it. We (speaking of humanity in general) can be awfully hard on people when they make mistakes. In our self-interests and self-pride, we are quick to ridicule and castigate others who seem to ruin our day. But, we all make mistakes, don't we? I know I have made my share. You'd think, knowing our own frailties, we would be a lot on easier on others when they mess up. Or, as someone once said, If you want some slack, you've got to be prepared to give it in return.
For the uninitiated, Hochuli is a NFL referee (one of the best) who blew a call in Sunday's Chargers at Broncos game that was instrumental in the Chargers defeat. Hochuli blew his whistle as Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler lost his grasp on the football, meaning the play was dead and thwarting the Chargers recovery of what was a fumbled ball. Hochuli thought the dropped ball was an incomplete pass, and so he blew his whistle. By rule, Hochuli had to reward the ball to the Broncos, who went on to score a touchdown and make good on a 2-point conversion play, giving the Broncos a 39-38 victory over their division rival. Had Hochuli allowed the fumbled play to work itself out, the Chargers would have recovered the ball, run out the clock, and returned to San Diego as 38-31 victors in a very crucial game.
Hochuli is now the toast of Denver, and the target of derision and scorn in San Diego. Can you imagine blowing it on a bigger stage than an NFL game with millions upon millions of spectators and viewers? Yet, even though I am a Bronco fan (#2 after the Cowboys--yes, I'm one of those twisted few), I'm pulling for Hochuli to resuscitate his reputation as one of the finest, if not best, NFL referees. I hope he is able to deal with this mistake and move forward.
I hope NFL fans will allow him the opportunity to move past it. We (speaking of humanity in general) can be awfully hard on people when they make mistakes. In our self-interests and self-pride, we are quick to ridicule and castigate others who seem to ruin our day. But, we all make mistakes, don't we? I know I have made my share. You'd think, knowing our own frailties, we would be a lot on easier on others when they mess up. Or, as someone once said, If you want some slack, you've got to be prepared to give it in return.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A Refreshing Break
It has been more than a month since I made a posting here. Hopefully, in the next few days I can get back into the swing of things and begin to offer some semi-intelligent observations and commentary. We'll see . . .
I have the spent the past 5 weeks at home in Gallup. It has been the longest break I have had from travelling since early January. The break has been good. The five weeks have been filled with activity, though. I've especially enjoyed the opportunity to do some preaching and teaching for the Gallup church. I like going out on the road and speaking on behalf of the Manuelito Navajo Children's Home, describing our ministry to churches, but I love being able to get back to regular preaching from time to time. And, this time off the road has given me that chance. And, I've had the chance to get back to my youth ministry roots, having the opportunity to direct a lock-in and teach some teen Bible classes during my break from travelling.
But, today, I have set out on the road again. I will be travelling for much of the next seven weeks (with a short 3-day layover in Gallup in the middle of this span). I am in Santa Fe tonight, and will be going to Lubbock tomorrow. Then, its off to Abilene Christian University and Harding University for the lectureships at these schools. I'll also be speaking at churches in Mineral Wells, Texas and Childress, Texas, and be spending a couple of nights in Louisiana and making visits to some churches there. Following my 3-day respite at home, I will be setting out for the left coast, spending four weeks in northern California and Oregon.
I've never been north of Ventura, California on the Pacific coast, so I'm looking forward to this trip with a lot of excitement. In addition to speaking to churches in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, and Portland, Oregon, and making several other visits, I hope to see the spectacular sights at Yosemite, the Sequoias, the giant Redwoods, San Francisco Bay, and perhaps most interesting to me, Fort Clatsop, west of Portland. Fort Clatsop is where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter in 1806 and was the western-most terminus of their historic journey.
In the days to come, I hope to begin posting some things much more serious and meaningful than my travelogues. Stay tuned.
I have the spent the past 5 weeks at home in Gallup. It has been the longest break I have had from travelling since early January. The break has been good. The five weeks have been filled with activity, though. I've especially enjoyed the opportunity to do some preaching and teaching for the Gallup church. I like going out on the road and speaking on behalf of the Manuelito Navajo Children's Home, describing our ministry to churches, but I love being able to get back to regular preaching from time to time. And, this time off the road has given me that chance. And, I've had the chance to get back to my youth ministry roots, having the opportunity to direct a lock-in and teach some teen Bible classes during my break from travelling.
But, today, I have set out on the road again. I will be travelling for much of the next seven weeks (with a short 3-day layover in Gallup in the middle of this span). I am in Santa Fe tonight, and will be going to Lubbock tomorrow. Then, its off to Abilene Christian University and Harding University for the lectureships at these schools. I'll also be speaking at churches in Mineral Wells, Texas and Childress, Texas, and be spending a couple of nights in Louisiana and making visits to some churches there. Following my 3-day respite at home, I will be setting out for the left coast, spending four weeks in northern California and Oregon.
I've never been north of Ventura, California on the Pacific coast, so I'm looking forward to this trip with a lot of excitement. In addition to speaking to churches in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno, and Portland, Oregon, and making several other visits, I hope to see the spectacular sights at Yosemite, the Sequoias, the giant Redwoods, San Francisco Bay, and perhaps most interesting to me, Fort Clatsop, west of Portland. Fort Clatsop is where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter in 1806 and was the western-most terminus of their historic journey.
In the days to come, I hope to begin posting some things much more serious and meaningful than my travelogues. Stay tuned.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Home . . . Almost
Home. If all goes as planned, I will be there on Wednesday. I can't wait!
Since the last week of April, I have spent all of 15 days at home in Gallup. Since then, I have driven 20,000 miles spanning from the beaches of Malibu to the Texas Gulf coast, from the Colorado Rockies and Utah canyon lands to the plains of Kansas an Oklahoma. Since then, I have spoken before 17 churches and visited dozens more. I've attended six lectureships/seminars. I've stayed in over 20 different hotels/motels. And, I'm currently in San Antonio for the third time in the past 8 weeks.
I'm ready for Home. It is only 998 miles away!
Since the last week of April, I have spent all of 15 days at home in Gallup. Since then, I have driven 20,000 miles spanning from the beaches of Malibu to the Texas Gulf coast, from the Colorado Rockies and Utah canyon lands to the plains of Kansas an Oklahoma. Since then, I have spoken before 17 churches and visited dozens more. I've attended six lectureships/seminars. I've stayed in over 20 different hotels/motels. And, I'm currently in San Antonio for the third time in the past 8 weeks.
I'm ready for Home. It is only 998 miles away!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
A Change of Jerseys
So, its a new shade of green for Brett Favre? This will certainly take some getting used to. But, as a Cowboys fanatic, I can't sy I'm torn up by all the angst this soap opera has caused the folks in Green Bay.
I did have a thought today, however. What if . . . a few months after announcing his retirement (way back in 1980), Roger Staubach changed his mind and came back as quarerback of the Kansas City Chiefs? So, in some small way, I can understand the feelings of the fans up north.
This "trade" of Favre reminds me of the drama in San Francisco a few years ago, when Joe Montana ended up as a Chief. The team management in both instances seemed to decide that their star, future Hall of Fame QB was well-passed their prime and that it was time for the "next generation." One important difference, however, Aaron Rodgers is no Steve Young.
Just a question: what happens when the Packers open the season 0 and 3?
Are you ready for some football? I am! Lombardi is headed back to Big D!!!
I did have a thought today, however. What if . . . a few months after announcing his retirement (way back in 1980), Roger Staubach changed his mind and came back as quarerback of the Kansas City Chiefs? So, in some small way, I can understand the feelings of the fans up north.
This "trade" of Favre reminds me of the drama in San Francisco a few years ago, when Joe Montana ended up as a Chief. The team management in both instances seemed to decide that their star, future Hall of Fame QB was well-passed their prime and that it was time for the "next generation." One important difference, however, Aaron Rodgers is no Steve Young.
Just a question: what happens when the Packers open the season 0 and 3?
Are you ready for some football? I am! Lombardi is headed back to Big D!!!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A Vote for Swing Vote
Some more movie reviews:
Step Brothers - F! I do not know what possessed me to watch this movie. Considering the cast of characters, I should have known better. What troubled me even more than the vulgarity and filth projected on screen was the demographic makeup of the audience that watched with me in the theater in Abilene, Texas. Besides myself, there were probably 4 or 5 other people over the age of 20. Everyone else (at least 50 others) were much younger; most in high school.
X-Files - B+. The ending seemed hurried and needed some more development, but the movie reminded me how much I liked the TV series. This was a solid movie. Hopefully, there will be more Mulder and Scully tales to be told on the big screen.
Swing Vote - A+. The best "political" movie I've seen (with the exception of perhaps "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but that was a long time ago). This movie makes a great point about the powerful right and responsibility we have to vote and offers some great commentary on the electoral process (and the abuses that dishearten so many of us), without pandering to the right or left and without demonizing those who commit themselves to running for office. Both candidates are put forward as basically decent and moral men who (deep down) care about their country. The movie does cast political advisers as a somewhat sorry lot, however.
Every voter needs to see Swing Vote. There is a lot of offensive language, though, but a great line by Molly (the daughter of Kevin Costner's character) offers a great comeback!
Step Brothers - F! I do not know what possessed me to watch this movie. Considering the cast of characters, I should have known better. What troubled me even more than the vulgarity and filth projected on screen was the demographic makeup of the audience that watched with me in the theater in Abilene, Texas. Besides myself, there were probably 4 or 5 other people over the age of 20. Everyone else (at least 50 others) were much younger; most in high school.
X-Files - B+. The ending seemed hurried and needed some more development, but the movie reminded me how much I liked the TV series. This was a solid movie. Hopefully, there will be more Mulder and Scully tales to be told on the big screen.
Swing Vote - A+. The best "political" movie I've seen (with the exception of perhaps "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but that was a long time ago). This movie makes a great point about the powerful right and responsibility we have to vote and offers some great commentary on the electoral process (and the abuses that dishearten so many of us), without pandering to the right or left and without demonizing those who commit themselves to running for office. Both candidates are put forward as basically decent and moral men who (deep down) care about their country. The movie does cast political advisers as a somewhat sorry lot, however.
Every voter needs to see Swing Vote. There is a lot of offensive language, though, but a great line by Molly (the daughter of Kevin Costner's character) offers a great comeback!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Return Home
I was blessed with the opportunity to speak to the Green Lawn church tonight. It was good being home.
Green Lawn Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas is my home in many respects. I came to my own faith in Christ while growing up at Green Lawn and had my first opportunities in ministry there, serving stints as youth minister and campus minister. My parents are still a part of the Green Lawn congregation as are so many of my close friends and my "closest" relatives in Christ.
It had been over 13 years since I last spoke to the Green Lawn congregation. My first sermon was preached in that auditorium . . . I was a nervous 13 year old boy! And, for a few years I had some fairly regular opportunities to preach there. I hope tonight was not my final opportunity.
Green Lawn has had a great heritage of promoting youth ministry (it is in many ways the hallmark of the congregation) and missions. Much of who I am as a Christian man and much of my philosophy of ministry has been shaped by my experiences and associations as a part of the Green Lawn family.
Green Lawn Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas is my home in many respects. I came to my own faith in Christ while growing up at Green Lawn and had my first opportunities in ministry there, serving stints as youth minister and campus minister. My parents are still a part of the Green Lawn congregation as are so many of my close friends and my "closest" relatives in Christ.
It had been over 13 years since I last spoke to the Green Lawn congregation. My first sermon was preached in that auditorium . . . I was a nervous 13 year old boy! And, for a few years I had some fairly regular opportunities to preach there. I hope tonight was not my final opportunity.
Green Lawn has had a great heritage of promoting youth ministry (it is in many ways the hallmark of the congregation) and missions. Much of who I am as a Christian man and much of my philosophy of ministry has been shaped by my experiences and associations as a part of the Green Lawn family.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Mind Over Matter
You find yourself in a set of circumstances you wish were different: the choices are (A) to be dissappointed and bitter, or (B) to grin and bear it. Most seem to choose (A), but (B) is certainly the choice of character.
I played football for Lubbock Christian School from the 7th grade through the 12th grade. Early into that first season, I was pegged as a lineman . . . much to my chagrin. I wanted to be a running back. But, the coaches assigned me to the offensive and defensize lines, and that is where I played six seasons. I had some success as a lineman (in between some awful performances), but all the time I longed to be a running back. I wasn't all that bitter, but I did allow the circumstance of not being in the position I wanted to inhibit the effort I gave the position I was assigned. In other words, I was half-hearted in my play as a lineman, and was a rather mediocre player because of it. To this day, I wonder how good I could have been had I played with more enthusiasm.
How much productivity is lost because we are moping around over some dissapointment or perceived slight? How many good experiences are forfeited because we are pouting over something that did not go our way? How much potential goes unrealized because are wishing to be somewhere else or doing something different?
Grin and bear it. Not a faint smile, but a geunine optimism that carries us through all situations and accompanying us through moments good and bad. It is the attitude of Paul when he wrote in Philippians 4.12-13: "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all crcumstances I have larned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all thing through Him who strengthens me."
Let us begin each day with a smile on our face and keep that smile until the day draws to a close. Let us remember that each day is a blessing, filled with opportunity. Let us face each challenge and engage in every task with enthusiasm . . . with the attitude, "I will do my best, give my best, be the best I can be."
I played football for Lubbock Christian School from the 7th grade through the 12th grade. Early into that first season, I was pegged as a lineman . . . much to my chagrin. I wanted to be a running back. But, the coaches assigned me to the offensive and defensize lines, and that is where I played six seasons. I had some success as a lineman (in between some awful performances), but all the time I longed to be a running back. I wasn't all that bitter, but I did allow the circumstance of not being in the position I wanted to inhibit the effort I gave the position I was assigned. In other words, I was half-hearted in my play as a lineman, and was a rather mediocre player because of it. To this day, I wonder how good I could have been had I played with more enthusiasm.
How much productivity is lost because we are moping around over some dissapointment or perceived slight? How many good experiences are forfeited because we are pouting over something that did not go our way? How much potential goes unrealized because are wishing to be somewhere else or doing something different?
Grin and bear it. Not a faint smile, but a geunine optimism that carries us through all situations and accompanying us through moments good and bad. It is the attitude of Paul when he wrote in Philippians 4.12-13: "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all crcumstances I have larned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all thing through Him who strengthens me."
Let us begin each day with a smile on our face and keep that smile until the day draws to a close. Let us remember that each day is a blessing, filled with opportunity. Let us face each challenge and engage in every task with enthusiasm . . . with the attitude, "I will do my best, give my best, be the best I can be."
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Which Way Is North?
I am spending a few days in Abilene, Texas. I love this city, but despite the dozens upon dozens of visits I have made here over the years I become totally disoriented every time I drive through town. The layout of Abilene confuses me, much more than any other place I have been. I'm not certain why that is, Abilene is a small city, and I easily navigate my way around large cities like Phoenix, Houston, and L.A.
__________
Will you be near Clarendon, Texas this weekend? If so, make plans to drop by the American Indian Missions Conference being hosted by the Clarendon Church of Christ. It begins on Friday evening and will continue all day on Saturday.
__________
During the evenings this week, I have been catching up on some of the new movies in theaters. Here's my report card.
Hancock - D (with a curve . . . I like Will Smith, but this movie was awful)
Incredible Hulk - C (great beginning, weak ending . . . the Iron Man tie-in needed some work)
Get Smart - B (I was pleasantly surprised . . . I'll see the sequel)
Dark Knight - A+ (just don't bring the kids)
__________
Will you be near Clarendon, Texas this weekend? If so, make plans to drop by the American Indian Missions Conference being hosted by the Clarendon Church of Christ. It begins on Friday evening and will continue all day on Saturday.
__________
During the evenings this week, I have been catching up on some of the new movies in theaters. Here's my report card.
Hancock - D (with a curve . . . I like Will Smith, but this movie was awful)
Incredible Hulk - C (great beginning, weak ending . . . the Iron Man tie-in needed some work)
Get Smart - B (I was pleasantly surprised . . . I'll see the sequel)
Dark Knight - A+ (just don't bring the kids)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Camp In Review
Broke camp on Friday afternoon. Wow! The week went by fast!
This was somewhere in the neighborhood of my 115th session of camp attended as a camper, counselor, teacher, or director. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I look forward to camp all year round, and my fervor for camp hasn't diminished after this latest installment. I am noticing, however, that my 38 years of age makes it a little tougher to keep the late nights and early morning and nearly non-stop action of a week at camp. There was a time in my life where I spent 10 straight weeks of camp each summer at Camp Blue Haven. After this past week, I'm fairly certain I'm not cut out for that anymore, but I did survive this latest session fairly intact. Of course, a weekend of catching up on some sleep has helped :-).
As I have directed camps at Four Corners Encampment for the past four summers, I have been blessed with some terrific staff members. I have had to rely increasingly on older teenagers and college students to fill my ranks of cabin leaders (counselors), but I am always left quite impressed with the caliber of young men and women who come to serve in these capacities. My deep appreciation goes out to Lindsey, Anna, Nathan, Charley, Jordan, Will, and, of course, to the "adults" who helped out, as well, including Lacy, Tyson, Bill and Jackie, and Francie. Nathan and Lindsey have been with me for each of the four summers I have directed camps at FCE; I can't imagine doing camp without them. Oh, and the cooking at camp was again superb . . . thanks to Jack and Janelle and crew. Not every camp has a bonafied Professional Chef as camp cook, but FCE is blessed!
The campers were terrific, as always. This session was special for me, because my eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was a camper for the first time. Boy, am I getting old!!! And, two campers have now attended all four summers with me at FCE, Jared and Rhea . . . next summer, both will be able to serve on staff . . . how neat.
I will be posting pictures soon . . . here and on the camp website. But, for now, it's some sleep and a trip to Arlington, Texas tomorrow. I will be attending the Global Missions Conference and presenting the Manuelito Navajo Children's Home display. My girls and I also plan on some fun at Six Flags and the Ft. Worth Zoo.
This was somewhere in the neighborhood of my 115th session of camp attended as a camper, counselor, teacher, or director. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I look forward to camp all year round, and my fervor for camp hasn't diminished after this latest installment. I am noticing, however, that my 38 years of age makes it a little tougher to keep the late nights and early morning and nearly non-stop action of a week at camp. There was a time in my life where I spent 10 straight weeks of camp each summer at Camp Blue Haven. After this past week, I'm fairly certain I'm not cut out for that anymore, but I did survive this latest session fairly intact. Of course, a weekend of catching up on some sleep has helped :-).
As I have directed camps at Four Corners Encampment for the past four summers, I have been blessed with some terrific staff members. I have had to rely increasingly on older teenagers and college students to fill my ranks of cabin leaders (counselors), but I am always left quite impressed with the caliber of young men and women who come to serve in these capacities. My deep appreciation goes out to Lindsey, Anna, Nathan, Charley, Jordan, Will, and, of course, to the "adults" who helped out, as well, including Lacy, Tyson, Bill and Jackie, and Francie. Nathan and Lindsey have been with me for each of the four summers I have directed camps at FCE; I can't imagine doing camp without them. Oh, and the cooking at camp was again superb . . . thanks to Jack and Janelle and crew. Not every camp has a bonafied Professional Chef as camp cook, but FCE is blessed!
The campers were terrific, as always. This session was special for me, because my eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was a camper for the first time. Boy, am I getting old!!! And, two campers have now attended all four summers with me at FCE, Jared and Rhea . . . next summer, both will be able to serve on staff . . . how neat.
I will be posting pictures soon . . . here and on the camp website. But, for now, it's some sleep and a trip to Arlington, Texas tomorrow. I will be attending the Global Missions Conference and presenting the Manuelito Navajo Children's Home display. My girls and I also plan on some fun at Six Flags and the Ft. Worth Zoo.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Camp Prep
My blogging activity has been reduced to a trickle over the past couple of weeks, hopefully I can resume a steady stream before too long, but . . . my favorite activity of the year has arrived . . . CAMP! The session I direct at Four Corners Encampment begins on Sunday.
I am excited, but also somewhat apprehensive about camp. I am excited because (A) I always get excited about camp, and (B) my session should a little larger than in past years, because we have combined our first two sessions into one week (so, I will have campers, ages 9 through 14 . . . my favorite age range for camp). I am apprehensive because (A) my work and travels for the Manuelito Home have left me little time to prepare for Camp, and (B) I am not certain who all will make up my staff (but, this concern is there every year, because FCE is fairly remote and the pool to draw a staff from is limited). Concerns aside, though, I am eagerly awaiting Sunday and have no doubts that a great week will unfold.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Things I Miss
My girls and I drove down into Palo Duro Canyon this week. Despite the ravages of the long drought in this area, and some apparent neglect to camping and picnic areas, I was reminded of how special a place Palo Duro has been to me. I have taken countless camping trips and other excursions to Palo Duro over the years, but it had been probably 8 years since I last visited.
As I reminisced about palo Duro, memories of some other "missed things" came to mind:
*Pick-up football games on Sunday afternoons at the LCU intramural field
*Jose's . . . a long-sinced closed Mexican food restaurant in Lubbock
*Gilligan's Island
*8-Track tape players . . . yes, I'm serious
*#40-Bill Bates
*My parents' old blue Ford LTD2
*Moria . . . the "original" computer gamers will know
*Late night talks/debates with Chetlen, Vernon, Tim & Jeff
*The Green Lawn Youth Center
*Size 40 jeans!
*Guy Goen's BBQ (perhaps one of the reasons I lost the size 40 jeans)
*Spades!!!
*Strat-O-Matic Baseball
*Dr. Pepper (I haven't had one in 10 years!)
*A daily view of Hesperus Peak
*Hot Dog (my favorite pet growing up . . . a Dachshund)
*The JOY Bus
*Singing in the old chapel at Camp Blue Haven
*Sardines in the Green Lawn building
*Coach Bruce Dean's 7th grade Bible class
*Quartz Mountain Christian Camp
*Double-board Monoply with Risk in the middle
*York College's Soul Concern
*Washing pots and pans at Camp Blue Haven
*The desk I had at Hollis
*Rosa's (okay, I was there on Wednesday, but that was 2 days ago!)
As I reminisced about palo Duro, memories of some other "missed things" came to mind:
*Pick-up football games on Sunday afternoons at the LCU intramural field
*Jose's . . . a long-sinced closed Mexican food restaurant in Lubbock
*Gilligan's Island
*8-Track tape players . . . yes, I'm serious
*#40-Bill Bates
*My parents' old blue Ford LTD2
*Moria . . . the "original" computer gamers will know
*Late night talks/debates with Chetlen, Vernon, Tim & Jeff
*The Green Lawn Youth Center
*Size 40 jeans!
*Guy Goen's BBQ (perhaps one of the reasons I lost the size 40 jeans)
*Spades!!!
*Strat-O-Matic Baseball
*Dr. Pepper (I haven't had one in 10 years!)
*A daily view of Hesperus Peak
*Hot Dog (my favorite pet growing up . . . a Dachshund)
*The JOY Bus
*Singing in the old chapel at Camp Blue Haven
*Sardines in the Green Lawn building
*Coach Bruce Dean's 7th grade Bible class
*Quartz Mountain Christian Camp
*Double-board Monoply with Risk in the middle
*York College's Soul Concern
*Washing pots and pans at Camp Blue Haven
*The desk I had at Hollis
*Rosa's (okay, I was there on Wednesday, but that was 2 days ago!)
Friday, June 20, 2008
A Threat to Families
It's a story from Canada, but if other developments are an indication, it may only be a matter of time before we face similar challenges in the United States. In my humble opinion, this story illustrates the great need to elect presidents and governors who are dedicated to nominating judges who will uphold traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and standards, and especially the sanctity of marriage and the family, and not activist judges intent on unraveling all that is traditional.
This story was posted on the Fox News website:
A Canadian court has overturned a father's punishment for his daughter after she refused to stay off the Internet, his attorney said Wednesday.
The girl, 12, took her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on Web sites and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer, AFP reported.
The punishment was for the girl's "own protection," according to the father's attorney, Kim Beaudoin, who is appealing the ruling.
"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parent to set boundaries. I started an appeal of the decision today to reestablish parentalauthority, and to ensure that this case doesn't set a precedent."
Otherwise, she continued, "Parents are going to be walking on egg shells from now on."
According to court documents, the girl's Internet usage was the latest in a rash of disciplinary problems. But Justice Suzanne Tessier, who was presiding over the case, found the punishment too severe.
This story was posted on the Fox News website:
A Canadian court has overturned a father's punishment for his daughter after she refused to stay off the Internet, his attorney said Wednesday.
The girl, 12, took her father to Quebec Superior Court after he refused to allow her to go on a school trip for chatting on Web sites and then posting "inappropriate" pictures of herself online using a friend's computer, AFP reported.
The punishment was for the girl's "own protection," according to the father's attorney, Kim Beaudoin, who is appealing the ruling.
"She's a child," Beaudoin told AFP. "At her age, children test their limits and it's up to their parent to set boundaries. I started an appeal of the decision today to reestablish parentalauthority, and to ensure that this case doesn't set a precedent."
Otherwise, she continued, "Parents are going to be walking on egg shells from now on."
According to court documents, the girl's Internet usage was the latest in a rash of disciplinary problems. But Justice Suzanne Tessier, who was presiding over the case, found the punishment too severe.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Powering My SUV w/ the Aid of Bacteria?!
I found the following article fascinating, and all the more since fuel has broken the $4-a-gallon mark.
The article is by Chris Ayres, and appeared on the The Times of London website.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece
“Ten years ago I could never have imagined I’d be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. “I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to – especially the ones coming out of business school – this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.”
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”.
Mr Pal is a senior director of LS9, one of several companies in or near Silicon Valley that have spurned traditional high-tech activities such as software and networking and embarked instead on an extraordinary race to make $140-a-barrel oil (£70) from Saudi Arabia obsolete. “All of us here – everyone in this company and in this industry, are aware of the urgency,” Mr Pal says.
What is most remarkable about what they are doing is that instead of trying to reengineer the global economy – as is required, for example, for the use of hydrogen fuel – they are trying to make a product that is interchangeable with oil. The company claims that this “Oil 2.0” will not only be renewable but also carbon negative – meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made.
LS9 has already convinced one oil industry veteran of its plan: Bob Walsh, 50, who now serves as the firm’s president after a 26-year career at Shell, most recently running European supply operations in London. “How many times in your life do you get the opportunity to grow a multi-billion-dollar company?” he asks. It is a bold statement from a man who works in a glorified cubicle in a San Francisco industrial estate for a company that describes itself as being “prerevenue”.
Inside LS9’s cluttered laboratory – funded by $20 million of start-up capital from investors including Vinod Khosla, the Indian-American entrepreneur who co-founded Sun Micro-systems – Mr Pal explains that LS9’s bugs are single-cell organisms, each a fraction of a billionth the size of an ant. They start out as industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli, but LS9 modifies them by custom-de-signing their DNA. “Five to seven years ago, that process would have taken months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he says. “Now it can take weeks and cost maybe $20,000.”
Because crude oil (which can be refined into other products, such as petroleum or jet fuel) is only a few molecular stages removed from the fatty acids normally excreted by yeast or E. coli during fermentation, it does not take much fiddling to get the desired result.
For fermentation to take place you need raw material, or feedstock, as it is known in the biofuels industry. Anything will do as long as it can be broken down into sugars, with the byproduct ideally burnt to produce electricity to run the plant.
The company is not interested in using corn as feedstock, given the much-publicised problems created by using food crops for fuel, such as the tortilla inflation that recently caused food riots in Mexico City. Instead, different types of agricultural waste will be used according to whatever makes sense for the local climate and economy: wheat straw in California, for example, or woodchips in the South.
Using genetically modified bugs for fermentation is essentially the same as using natural bacteria to produce ethanol, although the energy-intensive final process of distillation is virtually eliminated because the bugs excrete a substance that is almost pump-ready.
The closest that LS9 has come to mass production is a 1,000-litre fermenting machine, which looks like a large stainless-steel jar, next to a wardrobe-sized computer connected by a tangle of cables and tubes. It has not yet been plugged in. The machine produces the equivalent of one barrel a week and takes up 40 sq ft of floor space.
However, to substitute America’s weekly oil consumption of 143 million barrels, you would need a facility that covered about 205 square miles, an area roughly the size of Chicago.
That is the main problem: although LS9 can produce its bug fuel in laboratory beakers, it has no idea whether it will be able produce the same results on a nationwide or even global scale.
“Our plan is to have a demonstration-scale plant operational by 2010 and, in parallel, we’ll be working on the design and construction of a commercial-scale facility to open in 2011,” says Mr Pal, adding that if LS9 used Brazilian sugar cane as its feedstock, its fuel would probably cost about $50 a barrel.
Are Americans ready to be putting genetically modified bug excretion in their cars? “It’s not the same as with food,” Mr Pal says. “We’re putting these bacteria in a very isolated container: their entire universe is in that tank. When we’re done with them, they’re destroyed.”
Besides, he says, there is greater good being served. “I have two children, and climate change is something that they are going to face. The energy crisis is something that they are going to face. We have a collective responsibility to do this.”
The article is by Chris Ayres, and appeared on the The Times of London website.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece
“Ten years ago I could never have imagined I’d be doing this,” says Greg Pal, 33, a former software executive, as he squints into the late afternoon Californian sun. “I mean, this is essentially agriculture, right? But the people I talk to – especially the ones coming out of business school – this is the one hot area everyone wants to get into.”
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”.
Mr Pal is a senior director of LS9, one of several companies in or near Silicon Valley that have spurned traditional high-tech activities such as software and networking and embarked instead on an extraordinary race to make $140-a-barrel oil (£70) from Saudi Arabia obsolete. “All of us here – everyone in this company and in this industry, are aware of the urgency,” Mr Pal says.
What is most remarkable about what they are doing is that instead of trying to reengineer the global economy – as is required, for example, for the use of hydrogen fuel – they are trying to make a product that is interchangeable with oil. The company claims that this “Oil 2.0” will not only be renewable but also carbon negative – meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made.
LS9 has already convinced one oil industry veteran of its plan: Bob Walsh, 50, who now serves as the firm’s president after a 26-year career at Shell, most recently running European supply operations in London. “How many times in your life do you get the opportunity to grow a multi-billion-dollar company?” he asks. It is a bold statement from a man who works in a glorified cubicle in a San Francisco industrial estate for a company that describes itself as being “prerevenue”.
Inside LS9’s cluttered laboratory – funded by $20 million of start-up capital from investors including Vinod Khosla, the Indian-American entrepreneur who co-founded Sun Micro-systems – Mr Pal explains that LS9’s bugs are single-cell organisms, each a fraction of a billionth the size of an ant. They start out as industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli, but LS9 modifies them by custom-de-signing their DNA. “Five to seven years ago, that process would have taken months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he says. “Now it can take weeks and cost maybe $20,000.”
Because crude oil (which can be refined into other products, such as petroleum or jet fuel) is only a few molecular stages removed from the fatty acids normally excreted by yeast or E. coli during fermentation, it does not take much fiddling to get the desired result.
For fermentation to take place you need raw material, or feedstock, as it is known in the biofuels industry. Anything will do as long as it can be broken down into sugars, with the byproduct ideally burnt to produce electricity to run the plant.
The company is not interested in using corn as feedstock, given the much-publicised problems created by using food crops for fuel, such as the tortilla inflation that recently caused food riots in Mexico City. Instead, different types of agricultural waste will be used according to whatever makes sense for the local climate and economy: wheat straw in California, for example, or woodchips in the South.
Using genetically modified bugs for fermentation is essentially the same as using natural bacteria to produce ethanol, although the energy-intensive final process of distillation is virtually eliminated because the bugs excrete a substance that is almost pump-ready.
The closest that LS9 has come to mass production is a 1,000-litre fermenting machine, which looks like a large stainless-steel jar, next to a wardrobe-sized computer connected by a tangle of cables and tubes. It has not yet been plugged in. The machine produces the equivalent of one barrel a week and takes up 40 sq ft of floor space.
However, to substitute America’s weekly oil consumption of 143 million barrels, you would need a facility that covered about 205 square miles, an area roughly the size of Chicago.
That is the main problem: although LS9 can produce its bug fuel in laboratory beakers, it has no idea whether it will be able produce the same results on a nationwide or even global scale.
“Our plan is to have a demonstration-scale plant operational by 2010 and, in parallel, we’ll be working on the design and construction of a commercial-scale facility to open in 2011,” says Mr Pal, adding that if LS9 used Brazilian sugar cane as its feedstock, its fuel would probably cost about $50 a barrel.
Are Americans ready to be putting genetically modified bug excretion in their cars? “It’s not the same as with food,” Mr Pal says. “We’re putting these bacteria in a very isolated container: their entire universe is in that tank. When we’re done with them, they’re destroyed.”
Besides, he says, there is greater good being served. “I have two children, and climate change is something that they are going to face. The energy crisis is something that they are going to face. We have a collective responsibility to do this.”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
In the Aftermath of Tragedy
Undoubtedly like most others, I have been heartsick this week over the tragic news of the vicious murders of the two young girls in Oklahoma. The story has to be one of the most troubling and saddening and infuriating stories to be reported in the past several years. Two young girls, walking down a road, probably laughing and simply enjoying one another's company, gunned down by some sick, perverted, evil killer. The story has hit me especially hard since I am the father of three precious little girls.
We live in a fallen world. This is certainly plain to see when we witness and hear of these great tragedies, these acts of unspeakable evil. My initial response is to want to reach out to these grieving families and offer what love and support I can give. My next response, and one that closely follows the first, is to want to rush out and find the evil perpetrator(s) and . . . well . . . have you heard the old Charlie Daniels song? I don't remember the title, but it speaks of the rage toward those who could do such evil, violent acts and the vengeance that many of us would like to enact.
My third reaction is to fall on my knees, and pray. To pray to God asking for his hands of healing to be placed upon the grieving, but also on our land. For Him to change the hearts of those who curse him and others and who have little or no regard for life. For Him to take away these great tragedies and keep us safe. But, then I realize that this world is what we (humanity) have made of it. It is not the world God intended; that image was marred in the Fall, when the man and his wife disregarded God's word and sought their own way. And, I am challenged with the thought that for the world to change requires my willingness and your willingness to be ambassadors for Christ in this fallen, broken world, this land estranged from God . . . to be Christ in this world . . . and, in so doing, to affect, little by little, change, to transform the world about us.
This great tragedy should challenge all men and women of faith to be more proactive in affecting the world about us, to reach out to the hurting, to speak to the lost, to do what we can to affect the hearts of evil men.
I am mindful of the story of an old man trying to rescue a scorpion from a twig floating in a stream. The man was a man of faith, a caring and generous man, a Godly man. He reached down to lift the scorpion to dry ground, but the scorpion stung the man, and so the man let go, leaving the scorpion on the twig. Again, the man reached down, only to be stung again. And, again. And, again. And, again.
A passerby witnessed what was happening, and asked said, "Fool! Don't you know that scorpion will continue to sting you? Why waste your efforts on one who only seeks to harm you? It is in his nature to sting."
The old man responded, "And as a redeemed child of God, it is in my nature to save. Why should I change my nature, or worse yet, deny it . . . even in the face of such harm and rejection?" And, the man continued his efforts to save the scorpion.
We live in a fallen world. This is certainly plain to see when we witness and hear of these great tragedies, these acts of unspeakable evil. My initial response is to want to reach out to these grieving families and offer what love and support I can give. My next response, and one that closely follows the first, is to want to rush out and find the evil perpetrator(s) and . . . well . . . have you heard the old Charlie Daniels song? I don't remember the title, but it speaks of the rage toward those who could do such evil, violent acts and the vengeance that many of us would like to enact.
My third reaction is to fall on my knees, and pray. To pray to God asking for his hands of healing to be placed upon the grieving, but also on our land. For Him to change the hearts of those who curse him and others and who have little or no regard for life. For Him to take away these great tragedies and keep us safe. But, then I realize that this world is what we (humanity) have made of it. It is not the world God intended; that image was marred in the Fall, when the man and his wife disregarded God's word and sought their own way. And, I am challenged with the thought that for the world to change requires my willingness and your willingness to be ambassadors for Christ in this fallen, broken world, this land estranged from God . . . to be Christ in this world . . . and, in so doing, to affect, little by little, change, to transform the world about us.
This great tragedy should challenge all men and women of faith to be more proactive in affecting the world about us, to reach out to the hurting, to speak to the lost, to do what we can to affect the hearts of evil men.
I am mindful of the story of an old man trying to rescue a scorpion from a twig floating in a stream. The man was a man of faith, a caring and generous man, a Godly man. He reached down to lift the scorpion to dry ground, but the scorpion stung the man, and so the man let go, leaving the scorpion on the twig. Again, the man reached down, only to be stung again. And, again. And, again. And, again.
A passerby witnessed what was happening, and asked said, "Fool! Don't you know that scorpion will continue to sting you? Why waste your efforts on one who only seeks to harm you? It is in his nature to sting."
The old man responded, "And as a redeemed child of God, it is in my nature to save. Why should I change my nature, or worse yet, deny it . . . even in the face of such harm and rejection?" And, the man continued his efforts to save the scorpion.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Honda Commercial
You've probably seen the Honda Pilot commercial with the nude balloonists. If not, follow the link. Hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tcqWk4je3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tcqWk4je3U
Monday, June 9, 2008
Griffey Hits #600
Congratulations to Ken Griffey, Jr. He joins the 600 HR club. Overlooking Bonds and Sosa, Griffey is the fourth legitimate batter to hit at least 600 career home runs, joining Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays - what a crew! My admiration for Junior has grown over the past few years because of the great integrity he brings to the game.
Corpus Christi - Beautiful City!
I have made my first visit to Corpus Christi, Texas. I am impressed. What a beautiful city. I arrived early enough this afternoon to take a tour of the U. S. S. Lexington, the longest serving carrier in U. S. Navy history (comissioned from 1942 to 1991). It has been transformed into a floating museum. As a proud Navy brat (my dad spent a career in the Navy), I love Naval history and especially the ships. I've been through a battleship and a couple of subs, but this was my first visit onboard a carrier. Wow! I you come to Corpus, you must visit the Lexington.
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