how not to give a presentation:
…trail off into personal life story
…face the screen and read facts from a book
…show complex charts and lament that it didn’t turn out like you wanted
blogging from class #5
October 14, 2009
driving – intelligence NOT required
October 7, 2009Read this article this morning. Depressing…really. How confusing is this??
yellow = caution/suggested
white = limit/law
I took driver’s ed and license test 13 years ago…I still remember and nothing has changed.
I guess in actuality I am surprised that Dallas drivers even noticed the new signs…any signs for that matter! Driving in to work yesterday, a car entered the freeway and nonchalantly cruised from the entrance ramp all the way to the left lane with no hesitation, cutting off drivers in each lane. Apparently the driver was attempting to enter the HOV lane…he missed…but he didn’t notice this until he was on top of the divider-stick-thingies. It is a good thing we all slowed for the first pass, because he made his way back across all lanes of traffic…only this time he was facing us…yeah, he slammed the brakes and cranked the wheel to avoid the pylons. But, he spun around and skidded all the way off the freeway into the grass. I would say “unbelievable,” but for those who have had the experience, this is just about an everday in Dallas traffic…
wow, too much to write??
October 6, 2009so, many times it seems there is not much to write about…course, I can always just throw up a couple of pics of Luke and that is sufficient. However, in the past week there has been solid teaching, amazing worship at church, personal study goodies, and random thoughts. these are coming…
for now, a half-random…okay not really….thought. I learned that the book of James in the NT is probably the first letter/book/writing in the NT. Most date it somewhere around 46-47 AD. Cool, huh?!! I think so. And guess what, it was one of the last books to actually be accepted into the canon (accepted by the early church as written by an apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, orthodox teaching). So, probably the earliest writing is one of the last to be accepted as Scripture. Interesting…well, my real thought is this: if James comes before Paul, why do we usually try to make James’ teaching fit Paul’s, rather than Paul fit James??
I know…I know…we are Paul-lovers! I am too, I just find this interesting.
Paul deservingly receives a lot of attention. He only wrote like half the NT and clearly (some say not-so-clearly) explains what Christians believe…and why.
friends & pumpkins
September 30, 2009Mere took Luke to the Arboretum here in Dallas, and he had a BLAST!!! Apparently he feels too cooped up at home or something because he took off running from the minute they got there and never stopped! What a day they had!
friends
Mere went with another seminary wife and her two kids…and Luke made a new friend.
what's this??
Don’t be fooled by the innocent expression…that is all it is. Immediately after this, Luke threw the pumpkin into the pile…then he picked up another one and threw it…then he did it again. Then, other kids decided that it looked fun and joined in…ours was the instigator!
i really touch this thing??
I double-dog dare you…
September 29, 2009…to take this quick science quiz. After scoring your results, you can compare them to selected demographics from a sampling of test results. This quiz was part of an actual study done. If you show me up, by all means, post your results and brag…if you don’t well, no one will know 
I’m not sure if I’m ashamed at the question I missed or not…hmmmm.
when technology fails…
September 24, 2009…you can still piece together a solution. For example, my Wednesday night class is a video conference feed from Houston campus. This means there is a class in Houston and a class in Dallas, and they are linked via a video feed that is projected in both places. The prof alternates teaching from each location. It is actually really neat!
Last night the prof showed a video, which was supposed to be projected simultanesouly in Houston and Dallas. We, in Dallas, did not get the direct feed, so here was the solution (worked, but the quality was…well…lacking):
VHS player sends feed to projector > projector projects image on screen (Houston) > video camera picks up video playing on screen > digital signal sent to Dallas > projector projects feed from camera > we watch video on screen
blogging from class #2
September 22, 2009
world crumbling…shadows overcoming… dismayed…what am I to believe now?!?!?teaching moments
September 18, 2009Every moment. Every day. We are surrounded by teaching opportunities…especially those of us who are parents. I can remember that some of the most mememorable lessons just happened, they weren’t planned in advance…no 3 point lesson…no planned lecture. And so, I want to be intentional in taking hold of these teaching moments in life with Luke.
Yesterday was our first moment. I siezed it! I “grabbed it by the horns” and wrestled that moment into submission and taught Luke a lesson that, I believe, was only my fatherly duty. 
HOW TO SPLASH IN PUDDLES!! I liken this lesson to the adage “Stop and smell the roses.” Well, when life gives you rain…stop and splash in the puddles!! Obviously Luke is an all-star, but I must admit his form is a bit stiff. We will need more practice…yes, much more practice.
bad orthodoxy or orthopraxy?
September 14, 2009Evangelism…this is one of the touchier subjects in Christian churches. Our pastor has jumped in on a whole series on evangelism (a rarity to find anything more than one sermon), and all I have to say is “ROCK ON!!!!”
I was struck yesterday at an all too often comment that made me want to guffaw loudly. My reaction? Well, it stems from frustration, the cliche-ness of the statement, and…okay, personal attachment to the underlying sentiment. (By the way, this was not spoken by our pastor).
Well, I just think the best evangelism we can have is to live a good Christian life for everyone to see.
WRONG!! This is not evangelism…okay, okay, I don’t want to spend the rest of this post trying to define and nuance all the terms related to evangelism. Because, yes, this can be a very real and quite valid part of evangelism as a whole process. But you know what, me just living a “good Christian life” never got any saved by itself!!! At some point, by some person, in some way, there must be a presentation of the Gospel!
And so, as I sat pondering this statement, one that I am far too familar with…I’ve used it myself…though I knew that it wasn’t true…I wondered if it stems from bad orthodoxy or bad orthopraxy (orthodoxy refers to correct belief, orthopraxy refers to correct practice or behavior as a result of belief). I think I’ve concluded that it is really bad orthopraxy. In general, most Christians know that evangelism requires more than living “a good Christian life.” The problem is, we don’t want to actually have to share the Gospel, so we cop-out by saying we’re no good at it…there are others “gifted” in evangelism so we’ll let them do it…and we’ll do our part by living with good Christian behavior. Umm, no. Sorry, that doesn’t cut it…but nice try!
At some point, by some person, in some way, evangelism requires that the good news of Jesus Christ be told/shared/explained/preached/etc. God has not ordained for a specific behavior by which people will say, “Oh! Jesus Christ is Lord and I can be saved only through faith by believing in Him!” Nope, it is by the proclamation of the Gospel, which might indeed be given a hearing by your “good Christian life.” By all means, lets definitely live correctly…but let’s not stop there!!
