...While visiting the Fuller Seminary website there was a banner across the frontpage with Danny Martinez's picture. So I clicked and came to this page. Danny is the pastor of one of our Covenant churches in South Central LA. He's also a gifted musician.
...My other seminary, North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, has an opening for a Dean of Students. (.pdf)
...More free online educational opportunities
Wednesday, March 14
Eastern Seal
Daisy Ho got back yesterday from visiting her mother in Hong Kong. And as seems to be the case with all good Chinese friends she came bearing gifts. While she was in HK she had personal name seals made for both Cheryl and me. The one picured here is mine.
These seals are a big deal throughout the Asian world and often serve as a legal signature. Daisy tried to find some words which approximate the sounds of our names in Chinese and then had the seals designed. Very cool.
These seals are a big deal throughout the Asian world and often serve as a legal signature. Daisy tried to find some words which approximate the sounds of our names in Chinese and then had the seals designed. Very cool.
Daisy is the pastor of the Guam United Methodist Church, where Cheryl works as the secretary for 15 hours each week. Daisy and I are also the defacto Guam branch of the Fuller Theological Seminary Alumni Association. (We're still waiting for Rich Mouw to make a presidential visit so he can personally update us on all the school's happenings -- as he does for alum on the mainland.)
Tuesday, March 13
Random
...Hafa Adai #9 -- our most recent ministry update posted today.
...Ben Witherington really likes it. On the other hand, Scot McKnight likes a lot of it but thinks that Rob Bell's sloppiness with the facts detracts from it -- "it" being Bell's new book Sex God
.
I probably won't have time to read this book anytime soon (you should see the pile on my desk) but I do appreciate the fact that it can generate differing responses from two top notch scholars -- and those scholars make their work available to us through their blogs -- without cost. We live in an incredible flat era where there are not only creative books coming through the pipe -- but also opportunity for significant dialog about the ideas in those books available to people from all walks of life, living on all corners of the planet. We shouldn't take this for granted.
...Ben Witherington really likes it. On the other hand, Scot McKnight likes a lot of it but thinks that Rob Bell's sloppiness with the facts detracts from it -- "it" being Bell's new book Sex God
.I probably won't have time to read this book anytime soon (you should see the pile on my desk) but I do appreciate the fact that it can generate differing responses from two top notch scholars -- and those scholars make their work available to us through their blogs -- without cost. We live in an incredible flat era where there are not only creative books coming through the pipe -- but also opportunity for significant dialog about the ideas in those books available to people from all walks of life, living on all corners of the planet. We shouldn't take this for granted.
Monday, March 12
Random
...Standard & Poor's has given the Government of Guam a "Credit Watch with a Negative Outlook" designation. No one is surprised -- or honest enough to take responsibility for the mess. Nor does anyone seem to have anything close to a realistic plan to fix things....The US has a fallback strategy if the current surge fails -- fallback. This is a tough spot that we've created for ourselves. Our presence kindles violence. But if we leave the civil war will escalate and more innocent people will die. There has got to be a third way.
...And now for some good news. A rural Kenyan family has developed their own bio-gas generator which keeps them cooking.
...The National Association of Evangelicals is in for more (this time globally warmed) rough water. James Dobson seems to be in the middle of it all stirring things up. (via)
...MIT will become by year's end the first US university to offer all of its classes for free on the Internet -- that's 1,800 courses. Learners won't have the advantage of access to the faculty. Nor will they be able to get "credit" or earn a degree through the system. But there is a lot one can learn for free.
...On a slightly smaller scale -- I've given the PIBC blog an update using the new Blogger templates. Take a look at pibc.edu.
Sunday, March 11
Random
...Tim Stafford on Andrew Walls, the Scottish church historian who saw the rise of the African church's influence well ahead of everyone else.
...Entrepreneur Quay Hays has plans to build a completely solar-run community in an isolated part of the San Joaquin Valley of California. It might work if he put his "Quay Valley Ranch" up close into the western foothills where the tule fog wouldn't shut down the solar dream for two to three months of the year. At the very least it's a good dream.
...I finally got around to doing template updates on our Guam ministry blog. There is still more to tweak but it's now somewhat seamless from this blog.
...Entrepreneur Quay Hays has plans to build a completely solar-run community in an isolated part of the San Joaquin Valley of California. It might work if he put his "Quay Valley Ranch" up close into the western foothills where the tule fog wouldn't shut down the solar dream for two to three months of the year. At the very least it's a good dream.
...I finally got around to doing template updates on our Guam ministry blog. There is still more to tweak but it's now somewhat seamless from this blog.
Saturday, March 10
Pictures
 |
| Guam Condo |
Random
...Jars of Clay to go public with war protest song?
..."Homeschool secessionists have seized control of western parts of South Carolina and declared the world's first Homeschool Republic..."
...Giving dropped at the New Life Church after the Ted Haggard problem. Now the church has had to lay-off 44 staff members.
...Innovative farming on Guam with "chicken tractors"
Well, there is no shortage of chickens here. For some reason the brown tree snakes haven't gotten to their eggs. Most of the other birds are gone (even the normally ubiquitous seagulls are missing) but the place is overrun with chickens. No exaggeration.
...Guam: Where America's Drinking Problem Begins. That's because we start 'em out earlier than everyone else. Never mind the science about brain damage in drinkers under 21, it's still culturally acceptable (encouraged?) to get wasted. What a waste.
..."The world generated 161 billion gigabytes -- 161 exabytes -- of digital information last year." Now there's a problem finding enough storage for it all. I can so relate -- I have the same problem with my desk, my sock drawer, and my side of the closet. Sometimes you just have to downsize or it all drives you nuts.
...I'm having a similar problem in my one gallon desktop fish tank -- home to my four little guppy-like fish -- and now a billion snails. When I got the fish from a friend's pond I was excited that some of the greenery I picked up came with a snail or two to help clean the tank. That snail has multiplied to the point where I'm now flushing a hundred little mollusks down the toilet everyday. Suggestions?
..."Homeschool secessionists have seized control of western parts of South Carolina and declared the world's first Homeschool Republic..."...Giving dropped at the New Life Church after the Ted Haggard problem. Now the church has had to lay-off 44 staff members.
...Innovative farming on Guam with "chicken tractors"
Well, there is no shortage of chickens here. For some reason the brown tree snakes haven't gotten to their eggs. Most of the other birds are gone (even the normally ubiquitous seagulls are missing) but the place is overrun with chickens. No exaggeration.
...Guam: Where America's Drinking Problem Begins. That's because we start 'em out earlier than everyone else. Never mind the science about brain damage in drinkers under 21, it's still culturally acceptable (encouraged?) to get wasted. What a waste.
..."The world generated 161 billion gigabytes -- 161 exabytes -- of digital information last year." Now there's a problem finding enough storage for it all. I can so relate -- I have the same problem with my desk, my sock drawer, and my side of the closet. Sometimes you just have to downsize or it all drives you nuts.
...I'm having a similar problem in my one gallon desktop fish tank -- home to my four little guppy-like fish -- and now a billion snails. When I got the fish from a friend's pond I was excited that some of the greenery I picked up came with a snail or two to help clean the tank. That snail has multiplied to the point where I'm now flushing a hundred little mollusks down the toilet everyday. Suggestions?
Thursday, March 8
Random
...The UK has become a wealth magnet.
...Oops? The mint proof-reader was asleep at the switch. "In God we Trust" and "E Pluribus Unum" somehow dropped off an unknown number of the new "gold colored" George Washington dollar coins. Frankly, whether intentional or not it's a great marketing ploy -- generating lots of interest in dollar coins which have traditionally been hard to "sell" to the American public.
...Burning plastic. That's what the "vog" from the Anatahan Volcano in the Northern Marianas Islands, which has been hanging over Guam off and on today, smells like. Fortunately, it's not overwhelming.
...Sark, the last feudal outpost in Europe, is under pressure to join the 21st century.
...While most of the US mainland goes on Daylight Savings Time early Sunday morning, Guam stays the same. At 13 degrees north there is not much daylight to save. It's a pretty constant 12 hours dark, 12 hours daylight (give or take a few minutes each way) -- year-round.
...Oops? The mint proof-reader was asleep at the switch. "In God we Trust" and "E Pluribus Unum" somehow dropped off an unknown number of the new "gold colored" George Washington dollar coins. Frankly, whether intentional or not it's a great marketing ploy -- generating lots of interest in dollar coins which have traditionally been hard to "sell" to the American public....Burning plastic. That's what the "vog" from the Anatahan Volcano in the Northern Marianas Islands, which has been hanging over Guam off and on today, smells like. Fortunately, it's not overwhelming.
...Sark, the last feudal outpost in Europe, is under pressure to join the 21st century.
...While most of the US mainland goes on Daylight Savings Time early Sunday morning, Guam stays the same. At 13 degrees north there is not much daylight to save. It's a pretty constant 12 hours dark, 12 hours daylight (give or take a few minutes each way) -- year-round.
Random
...I guess the NRSV of the Bible is still alive and kickin'. The NRSV is a pretty accurate Bible translation. I enjoyed using it in the 80's, but eventually tired of some of the clunky and unnatural language. Some of it was that the translators worked way too hard at trying to be gender-inclusive. (Both the TNIV and NLT have done a much better job at that.) I figured that the NRSV was quietly fading into the sunset with the mainline churches which were it's most ardent supporters. But perhaps it will be around for a little while longer. (via)
...Dell is testing the waters, trying to figure out if they can sell computers with a Linux operating system. It won't cost them much to at least make the option available. However, the demand won't be as great as the enthusiast think. The fact is that Windows doesn't cost all that much to install on a new computer, there are a lot more software options available for Windows, and it still takes a dedicated geeky consumer to make everything work right on a Linux system. And I say this as someone who enjoys playing with various Linux releases. That's just the reality in March 2007.
...Is Commodore trying to get back in the game? Resurrection.
...Most blogs are discovered through links off other blogs. Yup. Another indicator that blogging is still a grassroots movement.
...Dell is testing the waters, trying to figure out if they can sell computers with a Linux operating system. It won't cost them much to at least make the option available. However, the demand won't be as great as the enthusiast think. The fact is that Windows doesn't cost all that much to install on a new computer, there are a lot more software options available for Windows, and it still takes a dedicated geeky consumer to make everything work right on a Linux system. And I say this as someone who enjoys playing with various Linux releases. That's just the reality in March 2007.
...Is Commodore trying to get back in the game? Resurrection.
...Most blogs are discovered through links off other blogs. Yup. Another indicator that blogging is still a grassroots movement.
New Uke
I bought a new ukulele this evening -- a mahogany Kala 6-string tenor uke. A tenor is about 5 inches longer than what people think of as a normal ukulele (soprano uke). The sound of the tenor is a lot fuller. On the 6-string instrument the C and A strings are doubled -- with the duplicate being an octave lower than standard. Most people don't realize that you can actually get a very rich sound out of a ukulele -- and with the two extra strings it is all the more mellow. This one has an active P3 pick-up with equalizer, just in case I turn professional. :-) JB's Ukulele Hut in the Agana Shopping Center got my business.
Wednesday, March 7
Tim & Melody Plaxton
Melody and Tim are friends from Northern California who are raising support to join the staff of PIBC starting this summer. They've both been out here before. And they're both desperately needed at this point. Melody will be teaching English and Tim will take over the maintenance operation.- (Peter Vaas, the current maintenance guy is from Liebenzell Netherlands. He has been working on a degree at PIBC while overseeing maintenance. He's an excellent student and will graduate in May with a PIBC BA, return to Holland, and start seminary.)
- The Plaxtons have raised about 25% of their support and are preparing their house in California (where they've lived for the past 20 years) to go on the market. Pray for them -- that God would provide for their needs and speed them along.
They have a blog at plaxtonsonguam.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 6
Random
...A large-billed reed-warbler, last verified sighting in India in 1867, has shown up at a waste-treatment plant outside Bangkok. Amazing....New! Water treatment that removes the nasty bacteria without the taste and expense of chlorine -- cheap enough that developing countries will be able to afford it. The ripple effects of inexpensive clean water for the poorest of the world are going to be mind-boggling wonderful.
...One more water related note -- my children sent me a copy of the DVD Flushed Away for my birthday (which was last week). It arrived in the mail today. I laughed the whole time when I watched someone else's copy a few weeks ago. Thank you. I'll really enjoy that.
...With the closing of Covenant Bible College there are a lot of people wondering about other options for a one-year intensive discipleship training course. My buddy Glenn Kaiser is suggesting Project 12, which is run by JPUSA.
We could handle a few mainland students at PIBC. While we are a four-year school the focus is very similar to CBC and there is a lot you can cram into a year. It would definitely be a cross-cultural experience (95% of our students are from various Micronesian islands -- almost everyone speaks English as a second language -- and life here is very... ah... island). PIBC is accredited, which makes US financial aid and credit transfer a lot easier.Eric and Karyn Sorenson will be joining the staff this summer as the second set of Covenant Church missionaries working at the school.
Random
...In an effort to divert customer attention from how long they have to wait in line, 37,000 US post offices have removed the clocks from their retail areas.It sounds like somebody with a psychology 101 education thinks that he has figured out how to keep customers from going postal. Of course, removing the clocks also means that the postal workers will be even less aware of time and the lines will grow longer -- and customers will be even grumpier. The law of unintended consequences.
At the very least this is a major PR goof for the PO.
The other option is efficiency but that would demand more of the system than the system can apparently handle.
...During their first year out of law school new attorneys working for high powered New York firms are making $160,000 a year. Why so much? Is that enough to keep them put? Or is there something else to life?
...Eugene Cho on pastoral health.
Snake encounter
I spent the evening unpacking boxes of books. So I had an armload of flattened cardboard that I was tossing into the dumpster. But just as I was about to compress the boxes I had tossed onto the heap, out off the corner of my eye I saw something moving through the garbage. I looked closer and there he was -- at least 5 feet long -- the longest brown tree snake I've seen since arriving on Guam.
I thought about grabbing him by the "tail" -- the non-venomous end. But what would I do after I got him and he wanted to constrict around my hand and arm?
I ran into the house and grabbed my machete.
He was just slithering over the edge of the rusted refuse box as I returned. I took a quick whack and got him somewhere on the tail-end. The snake was stunned. But as I lifted my arm for another blow he came alive and dropped to the ground off the far side of the dumpster. Within two seconds he was gone into the jungle.
Now that I know where he likes to eat dinner I'll keep an eye out for him. I'll also be slower to jump on top of the trash heap for one of my famous compression stomps.
I thought about grabbing him by the "tail" -- the non-venomous end. But what would I do after I got him and he wanted to constrict around my hand and arm?
I ran into the house and grabbed my machete.
He was just slithering over the edge of the rusted refuse box as I returned. I took a quick whack and got him somewhere on the tail-end. The snake was stunned. But as I lifted my arm for another blow he came alive and dropped to the ground off the far side of the dumpster. Within two seconds he was gone into the jungle.
Now that I know where he likes to eat dinner I'll keep an eye out for him. I'll also be slower to jump on top of the trash heap for one of my famous compression stomps.
Monday, March 5
Random
...Today was a holiday on Guam -- Discovers' Day -- commemorating the March 6, 1521 discovery of the island by Ferdinand Magellan. Of course, the Chamorros had "discovered" Guam a little earlier than that when they sailed here from Indonesia or the Philippines -- perhaps as early as 2000 BC. No one really knows.Apparently there was a little miscommunication when Magellan landed in the 16th century. He thought the natives in boats were greeting him with gifts. They thought they were selling trinkets to tourists. When they weren't paid some of the natives boarded the Spanish boats and took some iron. Several people died in the resulting conflict. And Magellan, who failed to appreciate the beauty of this place and people, ended up naming Guam and the Marianas "Las Islas de los Ladrones" -- the Islands of the Thieves.
...It's been 72 degrees and rainy today. The people of Guam are freezing. Rumor has it that the president will declare a federal disaster and send in FEMA with a plane load of parkas. GovGuam has applied for a bank loan with the expected coats as collateral.
...I understand that it actually dropped down to 66 degrees one night in March of 1965. Ah, winter in the tropics.
...I've been working on updating my blog template to make it flow more smoothly with the new blogger. You don't realize how deep the change in blogger is until you start working with the templates. There is some amazing ajax going on in there. Even if you can't write any code you can now do a lot of customization.
So far everything seems to work in all the browsers I've tried -- IE, Firefox, Opera, even works well in Safari. Looks best in Firefox, though.
Template changes
I'm fiddling with some template changes -- thus some of the sidebar links might be unavailable for awhile.
Saturday, March 3
Random
...Test to see if your website or blog is being blocked in China. Mine apparently is.
...Wal-Mart's new strategy -- "Saving people money so they can live better lives."
...Perhaps Wal-Mart could learn a thing from Kmart. Yes, Kmart -- at least the Kmart on Guam. (Who a year ago would have thought that my favorite shopping destination would be a Kmart -- but Guam is an alternative reality. For those who don't take either the red or blue pill there is the green pill called Guam.) Here's the Kmart formula:
1. Stock as much stuff that people want as possible.
2. Sell if for less than everyone else.
3. Staff and train for exceptional customer service.
4. Turn the store into a destination for Japanese tourists. (How many times have I stopped to help a couple of Japanese tourists who want to be photographed in the Kmart parking lot pushing an American shopping cart with the store in the background! They love Kmart almost as much as Guamanians.)
...Fact or Fiction?: Living People Outnumber the Dead. Contrary to pop knowledge the answer is fiction, according to demographer Carl Haub. (via)
...Bookmark: Beth Bilynskyj on "Why I am a Thomist, or What happens when you abandon Aristotle's logic and metaphysics"
...I understand that Linda Weiss, the associate pastor at Turlock Covenant Church, is getting married today to the guy that was starting to hang around when we were packing up to leave Turlock.
Congratulations, you've found an excellent woman of great creativity, virtue, and perseverance!
...Wal-Mart's new strategy -- "Saving people money so they can live better lives."...Perhaps Wal-Mart could learn a thing from Kmart. Yes, Kmart -- at least the Kmart on Guam. (Who a year ago would have thought that my favorite shopping destination would be a Kmart -- but Guam is an alternative reality. For those who don't take either the red or blue pill there is the green pill called Guam.) Here's the Kmart formula:
1. Stock as much stuff that people want as possible.
2. Sell if for less than everyone else.
3. Staff and train for exceptional customer service.
4. Turn the store into a destination for Japanese tourists. (How many times have I stopped to help a couple of Japanese tourists who want to be photographed in the Kmart parking lot pushing an American shopping cart with the store in the background! They love Kmart almost as much as Guamanians.)
...Fact or Fiction?: Living People Outnumber the Dead. Contrary to pop knowledge the answer is fiction, according to demographer Carl Haub. (via)
...Bookmark: Beth Bilynskyj on "Why I am a Thomist, or What happens when you abandon Aristotle's logic and metaphysics"
...I understand that Linda Weiss, the associate pastor at Turlock Covenant Church, is getting married today to the guy that was starting to hang around when we were packing up to leave Turlock.
Congratulations, you've found an excellent woman of great creativity, virtue, and perseverance!
Friday, March 2
Random
...OCN has a new online radio station called the Ark which streams "contemporary Orthodox Christian" music. Is there something oxymoronic in that? Actually, it's got a nice mix of content rich music, most of which you're not going to hear anywhere else. Yes, they've been throwing in some EO classics, too. I have trouble keeping the stream flowing on my Mac but it works great on my laptop.
...More on "the haze" -- which seems to have blown out to sea this afternoon -- hopefully for good -- but I wouldn't hold my breath. This report says that it is pollution from Asia. Unfortunately, there isn't any equipment on Guam sensitive enough to measure the air content.
...What are the odds? Darrell Bock on the odds that "The Tomb" contained the remains of Jesus, Mary, and their children. It doesn't sound like it's even worth watching the much hyped television special when it airs. Oh, well... I wasn't losing any sleep over the whole thing.
...The US and Brazil are entering into an ethanol partnership. I keep telling people that Guam would be the perfect spot to do the bio-fuel thing -- fully contained environment -- unlimited jungle that reproduces rapidly which could be easily processed -- and consumers who are already used to paying too much for gas (Mobil went up to $3.039/gallon this week). We need a US and Guam fuel partnership.
...More on "the haze" -- which seems to have blown out to sea this afternoon -- hopefully for good -- but I wouldn't hold my breath. This report says that it is pollution from Asia. Unfortunately, there isn't any equipment on Guam sensitive enough to measure the air content.
...What are the odds? Darrell Bock on the odds that "The Tomb" contained the remains of Jesus, Mary, and their children. It doesn't sound like it's even worth watching the much hyped television special when it airs. Oh, well... I wasn't losing any sleep over the whole thing.
...The US and Brazil are entering into an ethanol partnership. I keep telling people that Guam would be the perfect spot to do the bio-fuel thing -- fully contained environment -- unlimited jungle that reproduces rapidly which could be easily processed -- and consumers who are already used to paying too much for gas (Mobil went up to $3.039/gallon this week). We need a US and Guam fuel partnership.
Thursday, March 1
Random
...The parents of some of the students at the Lutheran Church of Guam's preschool are building several traditional Chamorro structures on the church's beach front. It's looking like they might put up a whole village at the rate they're going. If you were a preschooler wouldn't you look forward to playing in this everyday? (Click the pic for a bigger view)...Sean Meade has a new job as the project editor for Aviation Week's defense content on the web. IOW, he is making at least a part of his living by blogging. Congratulations!
...Tricorder now a reality -- thanks to Purdue.
...The Cat in the Hat turns 50 today -- imagine that! There is a special birthday website....A new report from Columbia University says that if we would cut the number of US high school drop-outs in half the taxpayers would save $45 billion.
...Now they're saying that the Gum haze is coming from pollution in Asia.
Wednesday, February 28
Carolyn
Our long-time friend Carolyn Newberry died Monday after a long struggle with cancer.
Carolyn grew up in Pakistan, where her parents were TEAM missionaries. She returned to the States, studied at Biola University and became a nurse. Carolyn also graduated from Talbot Seminary, where she met her husband Cal. Soon after graduation she and Cal returned to Pakistan to serve as short-term missionaries. When they returned to the US from Pakistan they settled in Turlock, California, to be near her parents, Bill and Karen Pietsch,
Cheryl and I worked with Carolyn (when she was still Carolyn Pietsch) at Frontier Ranch one summer back in the 70's. Then we were reconnected when she and Cal moved to Turlock. They have two daughters, Sara and Stephanie.
God's peace to you all!
Carolyn grew up in Pakistan, where her parents were TEAM missionaries. She returned to the States, studied at Biola University and became a nurse. Carolyn also graduated from Talbot Seminary, where she met her husband Cal. Soon after graduation she and Cal returned to Pakistan to serve as short-term missionaries. When they returned to the US from Pakistan they settled in Turlock, California, to be near her parents, Bill and Karen Pietsch,
Cheryl and I worked with Carolyn (when she was still Carolyn Pietsch) at Frontier Ranch one summer back in the 70's. Then we were reconnected when she and Cal moved to Turlock. They have two daughters, Sara and Stephanie.
God's peace to you all!
Random
...Now they've discovered Jesus' underwear. These are wonderful times in which we live.
...The University of Washington is offering a course about Google.
...A $2.35 million baseball card.
...The mother of one of our students is a meteorologist for the US Weather Service. She was on campus for a few minutes while playing taxi-driver this afternoon. So I asked her about the horrid haze that is hanging over Guam. She confirmed that it is volcano related. I know that some people aren't believing that because there isn't any ash with the haze (just coughing, wheezing, and itching eyes). But we lived downwind from Mt St Helen's in the 80's and we'd occasionally get hazy days after there was a release of gas from the mountain. There wasn't any ash with that haze either. The ash dump came with the initial explosion in that case.
...Bookmark: GuruLib.com (via)
...The University of Washington is offering a course about Google....A $2.35 million baseball card.
...The mother of one of our students is a meteorologist for the US Weather Service. She was on campus for a few minutes while playing taxi-driver this afternoon. So I asked her about the horrid haze that is hanging over Guam. She confirmed that it is volcano related. I know that some people aren't believing that because there isn't any ash with the haze (just coughing, wheezing, and itching eyes). But we lived downwind from Mt St Helen's in the 80's and we'd occasionally get hazy days after there was a release of gas from the mountain. There wasn't any ash with that haze either. The ash dump came with the initial explosion in that case.
...Bookmark: GuruLib.com (via)
Monday, February 26
Random
...Kite flying is really dangerous in some places. These people take it way too seriously.
...The air on Guam is generally some of the cleanest in the world -- thanks to the trade winds. But right now we have a cloud of smog hanging over the island. The Guam Office of Civil Defense has issued an advisory attributing the haze to dust from the Gobi Desert in China.
However, on Saipan, 150 miles north of us in the CNMI, they canceled school today because of haze there. And they're saying that it's coming from the volcano on Anatahan, which has been puffing a bit recently.
Anathan is about 200 miles north of Guam and the volcano there suddenly appeared in May of 2003.
IOW, whether the haze is from China or Anathan it's looking a lot like LA in the 1970's.
...Water to the prison in Mangilao was cut off today because the government hasn't been able to pay their water bill. The Guam Waterworks Authority is a semi-autonomous public utility which has had their own financial problems. It's hard to stay solvent when the government, a major consumer, never seems to have quite enough money to pay on time.
...One of the new "wows" on Windows Vista, the operating system on my new laptop, is the “expose” feature which dynamically tiles all of the open windows. It makes navigating between windows a lot easier. Very cool.
...The air on Guam is generally some of the cleanest in the world -- thanks to the trade winds. But right now we have a cloud of smog hanging over the island. The Guam Office of Civil Defense has issued an advisory attributing the haze to dust from the Gobi Desert in China.
However, on Saipan, 150 miles north of us in the CNMI, they canceled school today because of haze there. And they're saying that it's coming from the volcano on Anatahan, which has been puffing a bit recently.
Anathan is about 200 miles north of Guam and the volcano there suddenly appeared in May of 2003.
IOW, whether the haze is from China or Anathan it's looking a lot like LA in the 1970's.
...Water to the prison in Mangilao was cut off today because the government hasn't been able to pay their water bill. The Guam Waterworks Authority is a semi-autonomous public utility which has had their own financial problems. It's hard to stay solvent when the government, a major consumer, never seems to have quite enough money to pay on time.
...One of the new "wows" on Windows Vista, the operating system on my new laptop, is the “expose” feature which dynamically tiles all of the open windows. It makes navigating between windows a lot easier. Very cool.
Grave discovery
They've discovered the family tomb of Jesus and his wife Mary Magdalene!!!Yawn.
The biblical scholars are explaining why the latest grab for headlines doesn't add up: Barrel Bock -- Scot McKnight -- Ben Witherington
Random
...Johnna Hayward, new Covenant short-term missionary going to Belgium, leaves in three days.
...Chris and Diane, who are off in some Asian country teaching, have a blog. They were in our Covenant mission orientation group.
...Missiopedia -- a wiki of missiology information -- a little spartan at this point but with great potential.
...Extreme poverty in the US is growing rapidly -- now at the highest it has been in 30 years. The poverty rate is growing 56% faster than the growth of the
population. 16 million Americans now live in "deep" poverty.
...Our nephew, Scott Bickerton, is skating in the Canada Games this week. He's a speed skater.
...Pirates have hijacked a UN food ship off the coast of Somalia. This is the kind of thing which can turn pacifists into hawks.
...One of the best parts of Eugene Peterson's translation/paraphrase of the Bible is the way he handles Proverbs. There is a certain freshness that captures the intention and spirit of the original really well. e.g.
"A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool." (17:9)
"Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full." (19:17)
"Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene -- no nasty surprises." (19:23)
...My church website of the week is Kaleo Church in Houston. It's really clean, simple, and informative.
...Guam is becoming "the linchpin of Washington's new Asia strategy," according to an article in Newsweek which is examining the build-up of troops out on here on our 220-sq mile (at low tide) rock in the middle of the Western Pacific.
I'm not sure that I'd say that this as a regional build-up but more as a regional reconfiguration. Guam is probably the most strategic island in the world right now. And for the very small but vocal contingent of locals who complain about the growing US military presence, if they were not here some other less-friendly army would be. This is just too valuable of a piece of real estate in the big picture of global stability for any world power to ignore. (Chamorros on a whole are among the most patriotic Americans I've seen. They have a very symbiotic relationship with the US military.)
...Chris and Diane, who are off in some Asian country teaching, have a blog. They were in our Covenant mission orientation group.
...Missiopedia -- a wiki of missiology information -- a little spartan at this point but with great potential.
...Extreme poverty in the US is growing rapidly -- now at the highest it has been in 30 years. The poverty rate is growing 56% faster than the growth of the
population. 16 million Americans now live in "deep" poverty....Our nephew, Scott Bickerton, is skating in the Canada Games this week. He's a speed skater.
...Pirates have hijacked a UN food ship off the coast of Somalia. This is the kind of thing which can turn pacifists into hawks.
...One of the best parts of Eugene Peterson's translation/paraphrase of the Bible is the way he handles Proverbs. There is a certain freshness that captures the intention and spirit of the original really well. e.g.
"A quiet rebuke to a person of good sense does more than a whack on the head of a fool." (17:9)
"Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full." (19:17)
"Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene -- no nasty surprises." (19:23)
...My church website of the week is Kaleo Church in Houston. It's really clean, simple, and informative.
...Guam is becoming "the linchpin of Washington's new Asia strategy," according to an article in Newsweek which is examining the build-up of troops out on here on our 220-sq mile (at low tide) rock in the middle of the Western Pacific.
I'm not sure that I'd say that this as a regional build-up but more as a regional reconfiguration. Guam is probably the most strategic island in the world right now. And for the very small but vocal contingent of locals who complain about the growing US military presence, if they were not here some other less-friendly army would be. This is just too valuable of a piece of real estate in the big picture of global stability for any world power to ignore. (Chamorros on a whole are among the most patriotic Americans I've seen. They have a very symbiotic relationship with the US military.)
Sunday, February 25
On base
Cheryl and I spent most of the weekend on Guam's two military bases. All day Saturday and Sunday morning we were in the community center on "Big Navy" helping with the Alpha retreat. In the evening we were on Andersen Air Force base for the PIBC prayer meeting at Aaron and Hollie Schaub's place.Aaron, who flies Navy helicopters, took us for a tour of his workplace (Yes, the Navy has facilities on the Air Force base. Instead of having to duplicate aviation support systems on each base they work together. Sometimes the government makes sense.). Melissa Heck, who took this picture, has more on her blog.
It's always so interesting being on base because everything is so clean, orderly, and maintained there -- compared to the general messiness, chaos, and deterioration on the rest of the island. Guam is definitely a exercise in cultural fluidity.
Retiree generation gap
Boomers are still stressing their parents! This time the tension centers over what kind of a place retirement centers should be. The older generation is annoyed that the boomers and their expectations are taking over -- and that it's going to cost them! Or so they think.
When I was on the management advisory committee at Covenant Village of Turlock we started an expansion which included not only additional apartments but also
amenities which the incoming generation seems to want -- more fitness equipment, covered pool, more food choices... And as in the SF Chronicle article the existing residents were not too keen on it all. They felt, and perhaps still do, that this wasn't what they signed up for and that it was all going to end up costing them more in the long run.
With Covenant Village the way they capitalize projects means that the improvements will not end up costing the existing residents more (which many residents don't understand -- no matter how it is explained) -- but it certainly isn't what they signed up for. They've lived with construction for two years now. And there will be more people living on the site. AND it will be three stories instead of one.
I really think, though, that they'll end up liking it once the dust settles. If I remember correctly the new building is supposed to open next month.
When I was on the management advisory committee at Covenant Village of Turlock we started an expansion which included not only additional apartments but also
amenities which the incoming generation seems to want -- more fitness equipment, covered pool, more food choices... And as in the SF Chronicle article the existing residents were not too keen on it all. They felt, and perhaps still do, that this wasn't what they signed up for and that it was all going to end up costing them more in the long run.With Covenant Village the way they capitalize projects means that the improvements will not end up costing the existing residents more (which many residents don't understand -- no matter how it is explained) -- but it certainly isn't what they signed up for. They've lived with construction for two years now. And there will be more people living on the site. AND it will be three stories instead of one.
I really think, though, that they'll end up liking it once the dust settles. If I remember correctly the new building is supposed to open next month.
Saturday, February 24
On the screen
...Amazing Grace, the movie telling the story of William Wilberforce, who led the abolitionist movement of the 19th century, was released yesterday. Charlotte Allen protests in the Wall Street Journal that the movie turns Wilberforce into more of a political crusader than an evangelical strategist. The problem of conveying history in popular film is that they have to emphasize the things which they think people will identify with. So now, unfortunately, people will think they know the story of Wilberforce. I'd still like to see it.
...Our afternoon plans at the Alpha retreat were thwarted by rain so some of us watched the new DVD release Flushed Away. I laughed the whole time.
...Shrek the Third will be released in theaters on May 18th.
...Our afternoon plans at the Alpha retreat were thwarted by rain so some of us watched the new DVD release Flushed Away. I laughed the whole time.
...Shrek the Third will be released in theaters on May 18th.
Friday, February 23
Computing the economics
The new laptop arrived this afternoon -- shipped from Phoenix two days ago using USPS Express Mail -- and the shipping was less than $50. If you consider that a comparable computer out here -- if it could be found -- would cost at least $400 more than the total for this one, it's pretty amazing. If I didn't already have a couple of great full-time jobs I'd go into computer sales and save Guam a bucket of money. Of course, the whole thing was made in China -- just a stone's throw away -- relatively speaking. That's why high prices don't really make sense here. If things are made in China or Malaysia they're shipped less of a distance if they go directly to Guam. But it's a bundle cheaper to buy from someone in Phoenix and ship through the mail back this direction. Obviously, I wasn't an econ major or I'd understand why it works that way.
Okay, it's a Sony Vaio -- VGN-N200 with a gig of RAM and VISTA. Nothing really that special but it should get the job done. And tomorrow we'll take it to the Alpha retreat at the Navy base and give it its first workout as a DVD player.
Okay, it's a Sony Vaio -- VGN-N200 with a gig of RAM and VISTA. Nothing really that special but it should get the job done. And tomorrow we'll take it to the Alpha retreat at the Navy base and give it its first workout as a DVD player.
Tuesday, February 20
Random
...Today is Ash Wednesday, which on the Western Church calendar is the beginning of the season of Lent. I was surprised at how many people attended the service this evening at the Lutheran Church of Guam. If it is packed out for Ash Wednesday I can only imagine how many people will show up on Easter Sunday. Interesting dynamic.
...Mission opportunity in Mexico for health care workers.
...The prestigious Middlebury College in Vermont has banned the use of Wikipedia as an academic source. That seems a little extreme. If for some reason a professor wants to accept it as a source that should be his or her call -- not that of the institution. Yes, it's true that some of the articles on Wikipedia are not totally accurate. But I've seen textbooks and even "primary" sources which contain questionable information. Besides, generally speaking, an entry from an encyclopedia, whether online or in print, is considered to be an inadequate academic source. Occasionally a professor will allow it in some extraordinary circumstance (and should be allowed that option) but usually after the 7th grade encyclopedias are considered inadequate for academic writing.
...Mission opportunity in Mexico for health care workers.
...The prestigious Middlebury College in Vermont has banned the use of Wikipedia as an academic source. That seems a little extreme. If for some reason a professor wants to accept it as a source that should be his or her call -- not that of the institution. Yes, it's true that some of the articles on Wikipedia are not totally accurate. But I've seen textbooks and even "primary" sources which contain questionable information. Besides, generally speaking, an entry from an encyclopedia, whether online or in print, is considered to be an inadequate academic source. Occasionally a professor will allow it in some extraordinary circumstance (and should be allowed that option) but usually after the 7th grade encyclopedias are considered inadequate for academic writing.
Random
...Rachel Ekstrand, who was a part of our Covenant missionary orientation group last summer, is engaged. Ryan Einfeldt is another MK working at Rainforest Academy in Yaounde, Cameroon. If Rachel picked him he's cream of the crop....Okay, soteriology class, I finally put this week's quiz up online. I'm a little slow sometimes.
...My laptop has been acting up a bit (short in the electrical connection) and will need to visit the shop soon. I had my parents in Arizona pick up another one for me. It's on the way -- at about $400 cheaper than anything comparable than I could get on Guam -- even with shipping (even though we are closer to the Asian manufacturer). My current machine, once repaired, will become the back-up. Back-ups are pretty important in a place like this.
...It appears that the Anglican Communion has survived their leadership pow-wow in Tanzania. They'll live to fight another day.
...Australia is planning to ban incandescent light bulbs and require the use of more energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs instead. I see a trend coming.
...Indonesia is getting knocked around today. No tsunamis expected.
...The not-a-denomination but a "network," Calvary Chapel is having a rough ride right now. My guess is that they'll get it together but that in 10 years the network will have a stronger accountability structure. Hang in there, guys.
...I understand that yesterday was a holiday in some parts of the world. No complaint. It just seems odd that Guam, which seems to always be on holiday, didn't get this one. Then again most people here are pretty ticked because even though they are US citizens there is no mechanism that would allow them (us!) to vote in a presidential election. Why SHOULD we celebrate President's Day?
...VG, the Norwegian tabloid is making money -- with their online edition. And the amazing thing is that this is news. It's not easy being in the news business these days.
Sunday, February 18
Random
...Sean sent me a link to a Wired story on portible housing. "Priced out of the housing market? Obsessed with design? This glass-walled mobile is low-budget high living for the modern nomad." Interesting concept.
...Speaking of nomads, Richard Kew is moving back to England, where he will serve as Development Director at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
...We've hung a picture in the condo -- no small accomplishment since it requires drilling a hole in the concrete wall and driving in a wall anchor. It's beginning to feel like home.
...Yesterday we purchased a piece of kitchen furniture (another drawer, more cabinet space). When we got home we discovered that the very basic assembly instructions were in Chinese. There was no way that we could figure out how to piece the 150 parts together. So today we took our kitchen cabinet back to the store.
"No problem," they said. They'd assemble it for us at no charge. "Come back tomorrow."
So we left the pieces of our new kitchen furniture, along with the Chinese instruction sheet at the Town House store.
Two hours later my phone rang. It was the store. My first thought was that perhaps they couldn't find all the parts. But no, they were calling to say that the kitchen furniture was ready for pick up! Two hours later!
Sometimes I'm surprised at the level of service you can get out here in the middle of nowhere. Many times it beats what we've experienced on the mainland.
...Speaking of nomads, Richard Kew is moving back to England, where he will serve as Development Director at Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
...We've hung a picture in the condo -- no small accomplishment since it requires drilling a hole in the concrete wall and driving in a wall anchor. It's beginning to feel like home.
...Yesterday we purchased a piece of kitchen furniture (another drawer, more cabinet space). When we got home we discovered that the very basic assembly instructions were in Chinese. There was no way that we could figure out how to piece the 150 parts together. So today we took our kitchen cabinet back to the store.
"No problem," they said. They'd assemble it for us at no charge. "Come back tomorrow."
So we left the pieces of our new kitchen furniture, along with the Chinese instruction sheet at the Town House store.
Two hours later my phone rang. It was the store. My first thought was that perhaps they couldn't find all the parts. But no, they were calling to say that the kitchen furniture was ready for pick up! Two hours later!
Sometimes I'm surprised at the level of service you can get out here in the middle of nowhere. Many times it beats what we've experienced on the mainland.
Saturday, February 17
Friday, February 16
Random
...There are 27 million people living in slavery today. I was taught in school that the abolition movement had been successful.
...Thousands of churches in Britain are on the verge of closing. Frankly, though, I suspect that it's more a matter of the real estate market catching up with reality. That is, most of the churches that are closing have been "closed" for years. No need for new panic. God will work around and through our failures.
...Channel 11 in San Jose, California has a great video piece on Daniel Chae. Daniel's father, David, is the pastor of Great Exchange Covenant Church in Santa Clara.
...I'm still catching up on some news which occurred while we were moving and offline for awhile. Christ Church Plano (Texas) has joined AMiA. (via)
I like AMiA -- a very mission-driven and evangelical expression of Anglicanism (although I wish that they were more open to women in pastoral leadership).
Christ Church Plano was the largest Episcopal church in the States until they left that denomination last year. They were just getting going when we were starting Community Church in Bedford, Texas. And I remember their rector David Roseberry from a Purpose Driven Church seminar. Rick Warren, some new guy on the church growth circuit, was doing a conference in Forth Worth. I remember thinking that Rick wasn't saying anything all that new but I was intrigued to see an Episcopal church planter at a church growth conference. He learned well.
...Even if the new Blogger spell checker ate some of my paragraphs on the first day I was on the new system, it's a great improvement over the old checker.
...Thousands of churches in Britain are on the verge of closing. Frankly, though, I suspect that it's more a matter of the real estate market catching up with reality. That is, most of the churches that are closing have been "closed" for years. No need for new panic. God will work around and through our failures.
...Channel 11 in San Jose, California has a great video piece on Daniel Chae. Daniel's father, David, is the pastor of Great Exchange Covenant Church in Santa Clara.
...I'm still catching up on some news which occurred while we were moving and offline for awhile. Christ Church Plano (Texas) has joined AMiA. (via)
I like AMiA -- a very mission-driven and evangelical expression of Anglicanism (although I wish that they were more open to women in pastoral leadership).
Christ Church Plano was the largest Episcopal church in the States until they left that denomination last year. They were just getting going when we were starting Community Church in Bedford, Texas. And I remember their rector David Roseberry from a Purpose Driven Church seminar. Rick Warren, some new guy on the church growth circuit, was doing a conference in Forth Worth. I remember thinking that Rick wasn't saying anything all that new but I was intrigued to see an Episcopal church planter at a church growth conference. He learned well.
...Even if the new Blogger spell checker ate some of my paragraphs on the first day I was on the new system, it's a great improvement over the old checker.
Random
...My friends all know that I have this mild obsession with citrus. So, I was excited to see the article in the LA Times on the citrus research center at UC Riverside. They're the best in the world -- and they make it all happen right in the heart of the smog belt.(Isn't it funny that we latch onto certain things? A couple of weeks ago I had to gently explain to the produce worker in the grocery store that the limes he was selling as "key limes" were really bearss limes. And my citrus obsession is enough that I have to at least occasionally point out to people on Guam that what they call local lemons aren't lemons at all but are sour oranges which the rest of the world calls Seville oranges. It could be worse. I could be obsessed with golf or football.)
...Sad. Covenant Bible College is closing its doors.
...Regarding the financial state of Guam, from an article in the Pacific Daily News and a newsbrief from the Pacific Islands Report: For every 2 cents that the government of Guam had in the bank at the end of fiscal 2005, it owed US$1, according to the results of the latest analysis of the government of Guam's financial condition. If the government of Guam were a hospital patient, doctors would be frantically pounding on its chest. Government of Guam during fiscal 2005 had a financial health rating of 1.7 on a scale of 10, according to the analysis released yesterday by the Office of the Public Auditor. According to the results of the "Performeter" analysis for fiscal 2005, Government of Guam's financial health score dropped from a year earlier, when it was 2.86 out of 10. The fiscal 2005 Performeter score is Government of Guam's lowest since 2002, the analysis said. According to the analysis, large government debt, poor ability to pay short-term debts and the Retirement Fund's unfunded liability were the main factors.
GovGuam still hasn't finished paying people their 2004(!) tax-returns.
Why? Corruption. Mismanagement. Lack of experienced and capable leaders, and managers. Poorly written legislation which comes back to bite. An entitlement mentality (hold-over from early clan structure, as well as sense of victimization during colonial periods and WWII) .
...My former ministry partner in Turlock, Dan Whitmarsh, picked up on my tag. He always has interesting things to say.
...There is a new wave of immigration to Europe. No, not the Africans who have been pouring in over the past two decades. The newest wave consists of Southeast Asians attempting to get in from West Africa.
...David Fitch outlines his reasons as to why the lone-pastor model no longer makes sense.
Thursday, February 15
Random
...I picked up a hitchhiker today. He prayed the whole way.
...From a missional perspective updating the name of a church is sooooo over-rated.
Tuesday, February 13
Random
...Happy "Hearts Day" as the students on campus are calling it. I was wondering why Google didn't put up some cute little hearts on their logo today. Then I realized that it was probably still the 13th at Google Central.Cheryl and I are off to have dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant that we really enjoy.
...We're supposed to have a record-low high of 82 degrees on Guam today. Winter has arrived!
...Quest Church in Seattle appears to be on the road to merger with their neighbor, Interbay Covenant Church. Now, that would be a truly diverse church.
...Not that I'm objecting. I just find it interesting that the North Park University alumni association (i.e the fundraising people) are hosting a wine and cheese reception at Hilmar Cheese in California. My, how times have changed for these teetotalers.
...I switched to the new Blogger software and the new Blogger spellcheck promptly and randomly deleted two paragraphs of a post. I figured that by now, after a million years of beta (which I participated in with another blog), and a few months of public release, that they would have fixed that problem. Sigh. Even Google can't get everything right.
Monday, February 12
Random
...Chocolate covered Altoids -- coming soon to a candy store near you -- unless you live on Guam. Then it will be not-so-soon, if ever. A small price to pay for living on a beautiful tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There just aren't as many choices here -- unless you add in the Asian labels -- and then we probably have more choices than the average mainland grocer. Still, I'd at least like to try them. After all there is some chocolate involved....Worth a look: Sivin Kit's reflections on Clark Pinnock's The Scripture Principle.
Sunday, February 11
Random
..Anyone interested in trying to get a handle on the "New Perspective on Paul" (i.e. that espoused by James Dunn and Tom Wright), should find the Paul Page to be valuable....I have some newish entries on our ministry blog -- Guam.Boydston.us. Pictures.
...They've actually started construction on a Home Depot for Guam. Sometimes talk around here actually becomes reality. They're supposed to open the doors in September -- only a year past original projections.
...Google has introduced an Ajax news bar. That is, you can customize it using search results from Google News. Very easy to set-up and drop into a blog or other website. However, it doesn't work in a Blogger post because they don't do javascript. (I'm still using the old Blogger -- don't know what would happen in the new editor.)
Wiki woes
I noticed that the Wikipedia article on the emerging church didn't have any references to Scot McKnight. So, I added him in. But in order to do that right I had to stub in an additional article on him. So, I started that, too. However, the Wikipedia system doesn't like the McKnight entry -- putting an alert across the top indicating that the article reads like an "advertisement."
I'm not sure what to do about that. Anyone willing to jump in and add content or edit what's there to not only make the entry more complete but also to make it less like a promotional piece? It doesn't seem to be any more promotional than any other entry on an individual -- but what do I know?
I'm not sure what to do about that. Anyone willing to jump in and add content or edit what's there to not only make the entry more complete but also to make it less like a promotional piece? It doesn't seem to be any more promotional than any other entry on an individual -- but what do I know?
Friday, February 9
Random
...Here are a couple of pictures of the outside of our new digs (click on photos for a bigger view). The inside is still too messy to show-off. One of my potted Calamansi trees is blooming and even has some new fruit starting to form. So the farmer in me is happy....The emerging church movement is trying to break loose from it's North American, British, Aussie, and Kiwi moorings. One voice behind Emergent Malaysia is Sivin Kit, a pastor with a background in Lutheran Pietism.
...Jim Swanson, friend and supporter, was hit hard by the storms in Florida.
...Southwest, my favorite airline, is returning to SFO. They left a few years ago because the constant delays and inefficiencies in operations at San Francisco International meant they couldn't turn their planes around fast enough. And that's where they make their money -- in quick turn arounds.
That is one thing I miss about life on the mainland -- the Southwest option. The closest they get to Guam is Hawaii -- and I think that has to do with the fact that they're running ATA.
...I got to play for a few minutes on a Windows Vista computer in the store. My first impression is a wow impression. Wow, this feels a whole lot like a Mac. Whether it will be as efficient or as stable as a Mac remains to be seen (Each version of Windows has been more stable than the preceding. I'm not sure that they have grown in efficiency.). I like the way the start menu comes up and is searchable -- even better than what happens on my OS X Mac.
Thursday, February 8
Random
...Happy 23rd Birthday to our #1 son Kirk -- yesterday Guam time -- except it's really today San Francisco time where he lives.
...I spent the morning hanging out at home waiting for the cable guy to come connect the Internet. And as you can deduce he arrived (perhaps I can now catch up on some blogs). While waiting I hung two light fixtures, cleaned up the house some more, and graded the preaching class tests. (A few of you did really well!) I also got my fish tank set-up AND read the introduction to The Forgotten Ways
by Alan Hirsch, which arrived in the mail today. (I had seen that Fuller is offering a class by Alan [.pdf] -- and then I noticed that Scot McKnight was blogging through the book -- so I did the Amazon thing -- the book looks great!)
In addition, I discovered that one of our new neighbors is learning to play the drums (competition for the roosters across the street). Fortunately, the drummer lives across the parking lot and concrete buildings are fairly sound proof.
Maybe I'll take every Friday off. I seem to get a lot more done when I'm not "working."
...Melissa responded to my tag, as did Sean.
...Sean has redesigned his website -- the most change I've seen in all the years I've known him.
:)
...I spent the morning hanging out at home waiting for the cable guy to come connect the Internet. And as you can deduce he arrived (perhaps I can now catch up on some blogs). While waiting I hung two light fixtures, cleaned up the house some more, and graded the preaching class tests. (A few of you did really well!) I also got my fish tank set-up AND read the introduction to The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch, which arrived in the mail today. (I had seen that Fuller is offering a class by Alan [.pdf] -- and then I noticed that Scot McKnight was blogging through the book -- so I did the Amazon thing -- the book looks great!)In addition, I discovered that one of our new neighbors is learning to play the drums (competition for the roosters across the street). Fortunately, the drummer lives across the parking lot and concrete buildings are fairly sound proof.
Maybe I'll take every Friday off. I seem to get a lot more done when I'm not "working."
...Melissa responded to my tag, as did Sean.
...Sean has redesigned his website -- the most change I've seen in all the years I've known him.
:)
Wednesday, February 7
Random
...American money continues to become more interesting. On the way -- the presidential dollar coins. Will they be interesting enough to overcome our aversion to carrying and actually spending dollar coins? ...Perhaps if they put enough in circulation....We took a breather from our renovation and moving work and went to Chamorro Village for BBQ last night. But when we got home I finished the painting (now completely done!) while Cheryl made food for tonight's Alpha Course meal.
...Big test today in my preaching practicum class. It's on the reading -- Calvin Miller's book Preaching: The Art of Narrative Exposition. There shouldn't be too many surprises on the test since I had groups of students write most of the questions.
Tuesday, February 6
Random
...For the first time in perhaps 15 years I'm missing the Covenant Midwinter Conference this year. And in spite of the fact that the Covenant has an unwritten policy about holding the conference in insanely cold places (we wouldn't want our churches thinking that we're having too much fun) I miss seeing and being with my people. I would have enjoyed hearing William Willimon, too. A webcast would be nice -- and connectional!
...With the help of some PIBC students and staff we moved the last of the heavy stuff yesterday afternoon and then in the evening Cheryl and I finished loading the last boxes. IOW, we're completely out of the apartment and into the condo. I even turned in the old keys last night. It's a bit cluttered with boxes everywhere but it feels good to finally have everything in one place.
...Since they didn't show most of the Superbowl commercials out here I've been catching up online (although we don't have Internet at the new place until Friday). The game was good but once again the commercials are definitely more entertaining with some really good storytelling. Now, if the Bears had kept things tighter that would have been a story worth telling.
My favorite commercials (so far):
+ The Doritos Crash (winner of the contest)
+ The Blockbuster Mouse
+ The Bud Light Wedding
+ The Bud Light Classroom
+ The Bud Light Slap
+ The Bud Light Gorillas
If I were a beer drinker -- Then again I do watch DVD's -- but haven't been to Blockbuster in years and the cute animation commercial probably won't change my shopping habits. And we buy whichever Western Family chips are on sale. I do appreciate the entertainment, though.
...With the help of some PIBC students and staff we moved the last of the heavy stuff yesterday afternoon and then in the evening Cheryl and I finished loading the last boxes. IOW, we're completely out of the apartment and into the condo. I even turned in the old keys last night. It's a bit cluttered with boxes everywhere but it feels good to finally have everything in one place.
...Since they didn't show most of the Superbowl commercials out here I've been catching up online (although we don't have Internet at the new place until Friday). The game was good but once again the commercials are definitely more entertaining with some really good storytelling. Now, if the Bears had kept things tighter that would have been a story worth telling.
My favorite commercials (so far):
+ The Doritos Crash (winner of the contest)
+ The Blockbuster Mouse
+ The Bud Light Wedding
+ The Bud Light Classroom
+ The Bud Light Slap
+ The Bud Light Gorillas
If I were a beer drinker -- Then again I do watch DVD's -- but haven't been to Blockbuster in years and the cute animation commercial probably won't change my shopping habits. And we buy whichever Western Family chips are on sale. I do appreciate the entertainment, though.
Monday, February 5
Superbowl Monday
...We had a 20-minute power outage that started 10 minutes before the game began. I don't suppose anything of significance happened during the first 10 minutes.
...We missed all the good commercials, too. Guam is an "international market" so they dump all of the US national market commercials and replace them with local spots. However, in spite of the fact that Superbowl Monday is a big party day (they even cancel public school) they were unable to sell all of the advertising slots locally. So there was a lot of blank space between plays. Strange.
...We slept in the condo for the first time last night. No roosters to wake us up. There are some in the neighborhood -- just not as many -- nor as loud as where we've been staying. We still have lots of stuff in the old apartment -- squeezing in moving between the Superbowl and work.
...We missed all the good commercials, too. Guam is an "international market" so they dump all of the US national market commercials and replace them with local spots. However, in spite of the fact that Superbowl Monday is a big party day (they even cancel public school) they were unable to sell all of the advertising slots locally. So there was a lot of blank space between plays. Strange.
...We slept in the condo for the first time last night. No roosters to wake us up. There are some in the neighborhood -- just not as many -- nor as loud as where we've been staying. We still have lots of stuff in the old apartment -- squeezing in moving between the Superbowl and work.
Saturday, February 3
Random
...Tomorrow is Superbowl Monday -- when most of Guam either has the day off or calls in sick -- at least for the morning.
...Keith Drury has a great post on "retreating and rising" emphases in the evangelical churches -- encompasses but transcends the whole emerging church thing.
...I'm preaching at the Guam United Methodist Church this morning -- time to go.
...Keith Drury has a great post on "retreating and rising" emphases in the evangelical churches -- encompasses but transcends the whole emerging church thing.
...I'm preaching at the Guam United Methodist Church this morning -- time to go.
Thursday, February 1
I'm still alive...
I know that I owe about a thousand people email and I'm wanting to catch up on blogs. But I've been spending every extra moment these past few weeks painting the condo. There is, however, light at the end of the latex enamel tunnel. And we've started to move a few things in.
Unfortunately, the cable company won't be able to transfer the Internet connection until Friday the 9th, That's the bad news. The good news is that when I went to the cable company to arrange the transfer I found out that cable TV is included in the monthly condo common area maintenance fees. It's so expensive otherwise that we had planned on not having cable TV.
Lots of pleasant surprises associated with this new condo -- even the homeowners' insurance has a bonus. We noticed when we were reading the fine print that we have hole-in-one insurance in the policy. If either of us makes a hole-in-one the insurance company pays us a couple hundred bucks. That must have something to do with the Japanese influence in this area. If a Japanese golfer gets a hole-in-one he is expected to throw a party. That means that his guests will bring gifts. And that, of course, places a burden on him to give expensive gifts in return. Thus the need for insurance.
I don't think the insurance company has to worry about us trying to collect on that one.
Unfortunately, the cable company won't be able to transfer the Internet connection until Friday the 9th, That's the bad news. The good news is that when I went to the cable company to arrange the transfer I found out that cable TV is included in the monthly condo common area maintenance fees. It's so expensive otherwise that we had planned on not having cable TV.
Lots of pleasant surprises associated with this new condo -- even the homeowners' insurance has a bonus. We noticed when we were reading the fine print that we have hole-in-one insurance in the policy. If either of us makes a hole-in-one the insurance company pays us a couple hundred bucks. That must have something to do with the Japanese influence in this area. If a Japanese golfer gets a hole-in-one he is expected to throw a party. That means that his guests will bring gifts. And that, of course, places a burden on him to give expensive gifts in return. Thus the need for insurance.
I don't think the insurance company has to worry about us trying to collect on that one.
Tuesday, January 30
Random
...I've got my wings back. Last month I had to send my passport to the mainland so I could get it renewed. The new one came in the mail today. I can now travel again. I probably got one of the last old style chipless US passports.
...The Guam K-Mart added a large Craftsman tool section last month. Now they're putting in a huge Kenmore appliance department. Are the surviving K-Marts all morphing into Sears stores? Maybe the surviving Sears stores are morphing into K-Marts. Those two companies were meant for each other.
...Still painting the condo. We finally got all the texture off the master bedroom ceiling. It now has three coats of paint on the concrete -- I'll perhaps give it two or three more. But it's starting to look good.
...They found a way to add an intro to Japanese class at PIBC. There was a major line after chapel this morning to sign-up. I'm surprised at how many of our students already speak some Japanese. It's considered a life skill in this part of the world. I'm always impressed when I go into K-Mart and I hear the check-out clerks speaking pretty fluent Japanese with the tourists.
...The Guam K-Mart added a large Craftsman tool section last month. Now they're putting in a huge Kenmore appliance department. Are the surviving K-Marts all morphing into Sears stores? Maybe the surviving Sears stores are morphing into K-Marts. Those two companies were meant for each other.
...Still painting the condo. We finally got all the texture off the master bedroom ceiling. It now has three coats of paint on the concrete -- I'll perhaps give it two or three more. But it's starting to look good.
...They found a way to add an intro to Japanese class at PIBC. There was a major line after chapel this morning to sign-up. I'm surprised at how many of our students already speak some Japanese. It's considered a life skill in this part of the world. I'm always impressed when I go into K-Mart and I hear the check-out clerks speaking pretty fluent Japanese with the tourists.
Sunday, January 28
Six Questions
Last week Bill Kinnon tagged me. I've generally tried to avoid responding to all the tagging that goes on (at one point I just couldn't keep up with all the "games" in play) but these are good questions so I thought I'd give it a shot.
1) What is the most fun work you've ever done, and why?
I really enjoyed church planting -- even when it came time to do the construction projects. There is something about seeing actual progress in something that encourages me. So much of pastoral work does not bear immediately visible fruit. But putting up a building, while not the most important thing, is very visible.
2A) Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did?
Preach and lead worship regularly. I really enjoyed the rhythm of pastoral life. I like what I do now and I believe that it's what I'm called to do right but I never disliked what I was doing before.
2B) Name one thing you've always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
It's not so much that I'm putting it off -- more that the idea is still gelling. I'd like to write a basic introduction and theology of the Christian faith aimed at English as Second Language readers.
3A) What two things would you most like to learn or be better at, and why?
As crazy as it sounds, I want to get better at playing my ukulele. It's just fun. And then I'd like to develop my struggling Spanish language skills someday -- and a few other languages while I'm at it.
3B) If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
I'd like to pick Leslie Newbigin's brain about what it means to be the church in a multi-cultural globalized world.
4A) What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you?
Random, loyal, squirm
4B) Now list two more words you wish described you.
Disciplined, wise
5) What are your top three passions? (can be current or past, work, hobbies, or causes)
The church, growing things, and at the risk of sounding sappy -- my wife. So much of what I do is tied to her approval and the things she enjoys doing. I receive great joy when I can do things which make her happy.
6) Write and answer one more question that YOU would ask someone.
What is it that you most like about where you live? I know that this question sounds mundane but I'm a place person. When I visit someplace new I'm always trying to imagine what it would be like to live there.
What I like about living on Guam: the people, the weather, the fusion culture, and the beauty of tropical coastline and beaches (I've never lived anywhere quite so beautiful).
I'll tag Dan Whitmarsh, Sean Meade, and Melissa Heck -- if you have the time or energy.
1) What is the most fun work you've ever done, and why?
I really enjoyed church planting -- even when it came time to do the construction projects. There is something about seeing actual progress in something that encourages me. So much of pastoral work does not bear immediately visible fruit. But putting up a building, while not the most important thing, is very visible.
2A) Name one thing you did in the past that you no longer do but wish you did?
Preach and lead worship regularly. I really enjoyed the rhythm of pastoral life. I like what I do now and I believe that it's what I'm called to do right but I never disliked what I was doing before.
2B) Name one thing you've always wanted to do but keep putting it off?
It's not so much that I'm putting it off -- more that the idea is still gelling. I'd like to write a basic introduction and theology of the Christian faith aimed at English as Second Language readers.
3A) What two things would you most like to learn or be better at, and why?
As crazy as it sounds, I want to get better at playing my ukulele. It's just fun. And then I'd like to develop my struggling Spanish language skills someday -- and a few other languages while I'm at it.
3B) If you could take a class/workshop/apprentice from anyone in the world living or dead, who would it be and what would you hope to learn?
I'd like to pick Leslie Newbigin's brain about what it means to be the church in a multi-cultural globalized world.
4A) What three words might your best friends or family use to describe you?
Random, loyal, squirm
4B) Now list two more words you wish described you.
Disciplined, wise
5) What are your top three passions? (can be current or past, work, hobbies, or causes)
The church, growing things, and at the risk of sounding sappy -- my wife. So much of what I do is tied to her approval and the things she enjoys doing. I receive great joy when I can do things which make her happy.
6) Write and answer one more question that YOU would ask someone.
What is it that you most like about where you live? I know that this question sounds mundane but I'm a place person. When I visit someplace new I'm always trying to imagine what it would be like to live there.
What I like about living on Guam: the people, the weather, the fusion culture, and the beauty of tropical coastline and beaches (I've never lived anywhere quite so beautiful).
I'll tag Dan Whitmarsh, Sean Meade, and Melissa Heck -- if you have the time or energy.
Random
...Friend and colleague Wainer Guimaraes, his wife Magui, and son Peter are on the way to Brazil. Wainer and Magui are Covenant Projection Missionaries (as are Cheryl and I). They plan to begin a new church and development ministry. He's got a video on YouTube.
...It's now possible to open Word attachments within gmail. It's just gets better and better.
...Botnets: Internet pandemic could shut the whole thing down.
...It's now possible to open Word attachments within gmail. It's just gets better and better.
...Botnets: Internet pandemic could shut the whole thing down.
Thursday, January 25
A true winner
Wednesday, January 24
Random
...Barium-nitrate battery breakthrough! Finally -- electric cars within reach! Or is this just another one of those innovations that sounds like it will change the world but never makes it to the market?...Still painting the condo. Still lots more to do before move-in.
...Yesterday was the first day of classes for me -- both went well -- great students! The preaching practicum class would have gone better if the video I was trying to show hadn't spent so much time buffering. We're so far from anywhere that it's hard to get teaching resources on short notice. So we try to use the Internet a lot. But the signal is less than consistent or reliable. We do what we can do -- and laugh when things go goofy on us.
...William Willimon has a blog. He is always thought-provoking.
Monday, January 22
Church website of the week
Church on the Vine in the northwest burbs of Chicago. David Fitch is the pastor. Creative and innovative without trying to be creative and innovative. This is a church which is asking a lot of the right questions.
Sunday, January 21
Random
...Bill Kinnon tagged me with the six questions game. I'll try to get to it sometime within the next week. We start the new semester tomorrow and we're trying to get the condo ready to move into by the end of the month. So I'm a little distracted right now. But they're good questions. While you wait check out Bill's responses.
...Been there. Done that. Left lingering bad taste in the mouth. As ready as I am to move George Bush along to retirement, the last thing we need is to return Hillary Clinton to the Whitehouse. We need someone who is not only smart and wise, but who can function as a true statesman. It's been awhile.
...Been there. Done that. Left lingering bad taste in the mouth. As ready as I am to move George Bush along to retirement, the last thing we need is to return Hillary Clinton to the Whitehouse. We need someone who is not only smart and wise, but who can function as a true statesman. It's been awhile.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)