Ten Moments of 2007

My good friend, Mark Webb, has a blog entitled Converging Heritage on which he posted 10 memorable moments of the last year. I always enjoy reading Mark's blog (and I would encourage you to take some time to read through his thoughts) but I thought I would copy his post. This is always a good exercise - to look back over the year and think about its impact. If you are reading this, consider yourself "tagged" and create your own "Ten moments of 2007" and post the link in the comments. I would love to read about your year. 1. Our family's trip to...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 12.18.07

I can buy a lid!I can buy the flap on the lid!Jessica and Rhonda discussing what they could buy with a $2.00 Starbucks giftca...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 12.17.07

I want an official, Red Rider, carbine action, two-hundred shot, range model air rifle...oooooo.Ralphie, on a commerical for A Christmas Sto...

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Digging Into the Burial of Sarah

For my final post on the chiasms found in Genesis, I want post more of an assignment rather than just posting information. I would like to challenge you read Genesis 23 and identify the chiasm there and the find the focus of the passage in this section of Scripture. This chapter records the burial of Sarah by Abraham. It is an interesting story. Spend some time looking at this passage. Attempt to find the chiasm by identifing the word pairs in parallel to each other (they are easily identifable in the English translation). After that, you can read...

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The "Point" of the Tower of Babel Story

In the series of post concerning Genesis, I have introducing the topic of poetry and chiasm so that I could share about the tower of Babel story. To begin with, allow me to say that while the tower of Babel story is written in a poetic form, I do believe that it is a true story. Just because something was written with poetic style does not mean that the story is myth. It is just a creative way for the author to convey the story. The Tower of Babel...

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The Emphasis of the Image of God

In the previous post, I was discussing poetry, chiasms, and interpreting in Genesis. Continuing on the same topic, I want to post another example of a chiasm to show what a chiasm is and the significance of the structure when interpreting Scripture. This example is found in Genesis 1:27, which says, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. In the English versions, one can sense there is...

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Structural Issues in Genesis

In a previous post in the series I have been posting on Genesis, I mentioned that one of the more fascinating aspects of the Old Testament literature is the artistry with which it was written. Hebrew poetry is an interesting and enlightening study for the Bible student.In short, the basis for Hebrew poetry is the word pair or parallelism. Parallelism presents itself in many different forms. One of the more interesting forms is called a Chiasm. First, the word Chiasm (key'-as-um) comes from the Greek letter chi (key) which is written like an "X"...

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Narrative and Poetry in Genesis

It is interesting to note that when one is reading through Genesis there are "tags" which indicate something important just happened. These tags are poetry. In English, the basis of poetry is rhyme. In the Japanese form of poetry called Haiku, the basis of poetry is syllables. In Hebrew poetry, the basis for poetry is word pairs. Thus, various forms of parallelism make up poetry throughout the Old Testament (a great source with which to gain a better...

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The Origins of Public Schools

It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors. It is therefore ordered that every township...

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Orthopraxy Requires Orthodoxy

It is worse than useless for Christians to talk about the importance of Christian morality, unless they are prepared to take their stand upon the fundamentals of Christian theology. It is a lie to say that dogma does not matter; it matters enormously. It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe. It is hopeless to offer Christianity as a vaguely idealistic aspiration of a simple and consoling kind; it is, on the...

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The Key to the Structure of Genesis - Toledot

As I indicated in a previous post, I am teaching through Genesis for our Sunday School class. As I have been studying I have become more and more awestruck with how intracately the book has been written. This becomes evident when noticing the main structure of Genesis. Most Old Testament scholars hold that the key to Genesis structure is a Hebrew world toledot (pronounced toll-uh-dote). This is the word translated "the account of" or "generations"...

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I Was Born With It

When was the last time your name made the top 1000 baby names? And when it did, what did it rank. Strangely enough, my name never rated high and fell off the charts sometimes in the 1950's. CLICK HERE for a visual representation of how unpopular my name is. CLICK HERE to gloat how popular your name is. Go ahead and post your link the in posts so I can see how normal your name is and I can continue to wonder what my parents were thinking. Have fun. And I am just kidding. I love my name. Really...

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Filling the Spaces of Creation

This Sunday, I will be leading our Sunday School in a discussion of Genesis. This study will last for two quarters. I am excited about delving into this important book.The first lesson will be covering the first two chapters of Genesis. Granted, that is way too much ground to cover in one session but Lifeway's material always moves a bit faster than I care to go. Nevertheless, there is still good meat to chew on in the verses we do cover.The outline...

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Apparently, FIFTH Time's a Charm

In my previous posts (here and here) I have chronicled my adventure in fixing my Nissan 200SX. Actually, the posts were more about me waiting for the AC Compressor from the part store than the actually fixing of the car. The four hour job turned into a seven day job. The part store actually had to reorder the part FIVE TIMES! However, I was patient and after much trouble, which I will not detail here, I finally installed the part. Rita is up and...

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My Favorite Christmas Song

This is one of my favorite holiday shows songs. These "villians" crack me up. They're too mu...

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Third Time's a...Pain!

In a previous post, I mentioned some problems I was having with my little Nissan 200SX. I finally was able to begin work on it yesterday. I got the car in the garage and begin tearing it apart. First of, I will mention that it looks like they dropped this engine in from a helicopter because EVERYTHING is so crammed in there you cannot do anything without taking the car half apart. Nevertheless, I took off the tire, the cowlings, and the belts (a...

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True Students

In contrast to the previous post about learning and students (here, here, and here), I must brag about the students of Pikes Peak Bible Institute (PPBI logo on the left). I am currently teaching a class in Christian Doctrines and we were fast coming up on the end of the class sessions. Technically, we were supposed to be completed with the class in the last week of November. However, I was a few weeks behind in my instruction and needed one more...

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My Love/Hate Relationship with Rita

Did you ever have one of those days which did not end the way you thought it would when you got up that morning. First thing this morning I received a call from a friend whose car had broken down somewhere between Colorado Springs and Cañon City. So I packed up my toolbox and numerous supplies, got my coffee and bagel, and got in my car to go. I turned the key and rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr...rrrrr. "You have GOT to be kidding me, Rita!" Rita...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.18.07

Thank you, pronouns! Albert Andreas Armadillo, on the School House Rock DVD song for pronou...

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Same Thing, Different Setting

In my previous posts (here and here) I discussed my frustrations with my desire to teach for education while many students I have recently encountered have not wanted to learn anything but were motivated by something else. In these previous posts, the motivation was grades. However, I have also encountered a resistance to learning in the church. While not motivated by grades, there is still something that blocks these people's desire to learn. I...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.16.07

WIN A PRE-PAID CREMATIONIn a piece of junk mail from the Neptune Society. Backstory: On my last birthday, I began receiving mail from the Neptuen Society encouraging me to choose cremation as the way of disposing my body after I die. Not exactly the birthday I was hoping for. I have been receiving them since. Today I received this piece of mail with the chance to win the pre-paid cremation. Technically, then, this would be the funniest thing I read to day. But I did read it aloud so it was heard. Apparently, October's "winner" was Thomas A. Malone....

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Teaching for Learning...NOT Grades

In my previous post I discussed my frustration with students who are not as interested in education as they are in grades, specifically those students who have something of an entitlement mentality. I said, there argument is something like this: "I have paid a lot of money to be in this class. I have shown up every week and have stayed relatively conscious. I have turned something in every time something is due. Therefore, I should receive an 'A'...

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Grades vs. Education

One of my passions is teaching adults. In general, adults who attend a class, whether in school or in church, want to learn something. Lately, however, I have been an instructor to students who do not really care to learn but, instead, are in the class to receive a grade. More specifically, they are in the class to receive an A, whether their work reflects that level of understanding or not. This is incredibly frustrating for me as an instructor....

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Out of Print Gold

I have several things that have been on my mind lately. Most of them have to do with teaching and lack of receptivity in students, which I have experienced lately. I want to post these thoughts but there is some development I need to work on before I post them. However, there is one thing that I have been thinking about.In my never-ending search for good books, I have come across some great books which are now out-of-print. It breaks my heart because...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.12.07

You lousy bunch of bleeding hearts.Juror #3, played by Lee J. Cobb, in Twelve Angry ...

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Chocolate Biscuits - Take 1

My wife has many allergies which makes it hard for her to eat any pre-prepared food. So instead of getting her chocolates or cookies and things liek that, I try to show her how much I love her by making food for her. Consequently, I am becoming quite the cheif/baker/cook. She bought a cookbook entitled, "Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook and in that cookbook is a recipe for plain biscuits that I am getting pretty good at making. However, this evening, I was thinking that I would like to try to make chocolate biscuits, something that I have...

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Visual Eschatology

I have been teaching a class for Pikes Peak Bible Institute called Christian Doctrines. It is a systematic theology class. The class follows the following outline:RevelationTheology - The study of GodAnthropology - The study of humansHarmatology - The study of sinChristology - The study of ChristPneumatology - The study of the SpiritSoteriology - The study of salvationEcclesiology - The study of the ChurchEschatology - The study of end thingsI just...

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Incarcerated Freedom

This last weekend my pastor, Ron, and I drove to Sayer, Oklahoma, to make a ministry visit to a guy in prison. It was a medium security prison and was quite an adventure. We walked up to the door in which we were to enter the prison and pressed the intercom button."IDENTIFY" the voice said."Ron Watkins and Rolland Kenneson to see Jason" and we gave the last name (I will leave the last name out but just know we had to tell them who we were visiting).Bzzzz....

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.4.07

...and if it falls out, it is free!The Dairy Queen employee from Shamrock, Texas, in reference to her turning the blizzards upside do...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.3.07

...and across the street you can eat at the combination Mexican restaurant/laundry mat.My pastor, Ron, about a restaurant we saw in Texline, Tex...

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Staying in Tune

The other day our daughter had a band concert. Every year Colorado Springs Christian School's High School Concert Band goes to specific high school in the area and they have a concert together. It was a really nice concert and they sounded great.Usually, our school (CSCS) has concerts in their gymnasium, which as everyone knows are the worst kind of room for acoustics. Additionally, the band teacher forces every parent to sit through fifth grade...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 11.1.07

Ha Ha...wait a minute!My daughter, Jessica, after she realized I was talking to her and not the d...

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The Coolest Skeleton

Since it is Halloween I thought I would post an appropriate picture. This is the coolest skeleton on the web. This is a picture made entirely of Craftsman tools. You can see their ad HERE and it will show you which tool is making what part of the skeleton. You can even make it dance. I thought this was a great advertising idea. I bet someone at Craftsman got a bonus for this. Now, I know as a Christian I should not even know Halloween exists, so...

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The Funniest Thing I Heard Today - 10.23.07

Get up off that thing.My wife, Rhonda, to my daughter, Jessica, at the doctor's offi...

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What Else Can You Get For Two Bits?

Last Saturday (Oct. 13) my local Christian bookstore, Born Again Used Books, had an big sidewalk sale. They has 120 boxes full of 25¢ books. I just cannot pass up a 25¢ book so I spend some time meandering through the books to find those books that most will pass over. I think I found some great finds for future use:• Between the Testaments by Charles Pfeiffer, Baker 1963. This looks like a nice book for an overview of the history of the time between...

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Yes, I Am A Geek

With new season of television shows starting, I have noticed that I have been watching mostly the sci-fi shows. Now, I realize that I should be watching less T.V. but with the help of TiVo, I can at least watch when I want and so my schedule is not dictated by the networks. Nevertheless, I was glad when the seasons for Stargate Atlantis and Doctor Who started up again. I am loving Eureka. I have noticed NBC is capitalizing on the sci-fi theme (not...

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