.: What’s Bruin :.

What’s the latest here?

Well, I’ve been juggling lots of things lately: two classes, work, and church and stuff.

I was taking Photography 230 Digital Darkroom at Palomar College. But today I dropped the class and am taking Graphics Communications 140 Digital Imaging/Photoshop 1 (online) instead. I dropped the class because I did not like the teacher nor how he conducted his class.

First, he’s a condescending and arrogant person. Second, last night he told us to work on our first assignment, but gave no other direction. So almost everyone in the class stared at their computer screen since he does not like it when people leave early. I opened a few of the pictures that I had taken for the assignment, but beyond that, I did not really know what to do. And with 20+ people in the class, it was very difficult to get his attention.

The other class I take is EdTec 544 Instructional Design through San Diego State. They have the leading instructional design Master’s program in the nation. And I am starting a second master’s there, but through online courses so I have no commuting down to State.

Work has been great, though busy. We’re full-on into storyboarding. And although I struggle with getting started on storyboards, I think I’m getting better at it and producing great-quality design documents.

My reading schedule has been wild to say the least. On top of two classes, Pourpa and I have already finished reading Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. But now we are finishing up another Piper book, Don’t Waste Your Life. Additionally, I’m trying to read Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World before the Desiring God conference at the end of this month. But I honestly don’t think I will finish the book before the conference because it’s pretty heady reading. John and I are also finishing up Tender Warrior: God’s Intention for a Man for our monthly accountability and reading times.

Finally, owning a house can sometimes be more of a headache, but I need to remember that having a house is a tremendous blessing. Despite the additional and unexpected expenses of power washing our dirty house, fixing a slab leak underneath the downstairs bathroom, and now learning that we have some fungus rot (due to moisture) in some of our wood fixtures, I’d say I’m content, but kinda irritated with all the outflow of money into maintaining the roof that goes over our head.

Tags: Announcements, Books, education_and_training, Life

Above all Earthly Pow’rs by David Wells

Date Read: August 3rd, 2006
Introduction — pages 1-12

Chapter Outline:
Introduction

• The Front Lines
• Christ and Context

Summary:

• Wells frames the book by contextualizing to the backdrop of the events of 9/11.
• After the trauma of the 9/11 attacks, interest in spirituality increased.
• Three Issues:
• America was basically unchanged even after 9/11.
• There is increasing religious diversity and plurality
• The evangelical church is not serious enough.

Key Quotes:

1. p. 3: [Referring to the words Good and Evil] In the absence of absolutes, these words go no deeper than our feelings about our personal circumstances, be they pleasant or unpleasant, satisfactory or boring.
2. p. 5: And what will prove to be even more momentous in the evangelical world than its engagement with the other religions, I believe, will be whether it is able to distinguish what it has to offer from the emergence of these forms of spirituality. Therapeutic spiritualities which are non-religious begin to look quite like evangelical spirituality which is therapeutic and non-doctrinal.
3. Premise p. 11: The two motifs which are transforming culture — the emergence of the postmodern ethos and the new, growing tidal wave of religious pluralism — are deep and powerful currents that are flowing through the nation.
4. The author’s aim pp. 7-8: What has changed is a growing concern on my part to be able to say more exactly how Christ, in whom diving majesty and human frailty are joined in one person, is to be heard, and is to be preached, in a postmodern, multiethnic, multireligious society.

My Question: If evangelical spirituality is becoming non-doctrinal, what is the difference between evangelicalism and other spiritualities?

Reflection: When I first was going through the teacher credentialing program in 1992, I really disliked the “Multicultural Education” class that I was required to take. I felt like as a teacher you had to cater to every single lifestyle that you might encounter. The big buzz word in the class was “values clarification”. I was irritated that we were taught to be “valueless”, that there were no absolutes.

Since 1992 this relativistic attitude has become even more prevalent. This is the milieu that we live in. Instead of fighting this, maybe it’s time the church learns to adapt, to bring its message, which is radically different and full of absolutes, into a relevant context so that postmodern people are drawn to it. I’m curious to read further, to open my mind, and see what God will do in my heart.

Tags: Books, culture, Life, postmodern, Reflection, Religion, Spiritual

I’m registered. At the end of September I am attending this. The conference theme and title were inspired by this book. So I am going to try to read all of it before the conference starts. It’s pretty serious reading, so in order to better understand it, I will try to write about various sections of my reading and reflect on them here.

Tags: Announcements, Books, conference, Desiring-God, John-Piper, Life, quick_links, Spiritual

Watching a second feature about Kyle Maynard, the congenital amputee (born without arms and legs), on the Oprah show spurred me to buy this book. As expected Kyle adeptly chronicles his journey through the course of his 19-year life via his experiences growing up, especially through his participation in organized football and wrestling. In his autobiography Kyle spreads the inspirational message of his “No Excuses” attitude and philosophy towards life– an attitude that has helped him to reach a sense of normalcy in life as an amputee with obvious physical challenges. Through Kyle’s eyes we get a glimpse of how one person overcomes challenges, like learning to eat with silverware, putting on clothes, making friends, or striving to make the high school varsity wrestling team. Kyle says over and over again that it was the love of his family and the love of his God and savior Jesus Christ who have helped him become a “champion in wrestling and in life”.

Each chapter of No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life begins with an inspirational quote from Kyle. These quotables will challenge you to reflect and strive to become a better person, not to take things for granted, and most of all, not to complain about trials in life. One of my favorite quotables is from Chapter 3:

I look everyone straight in the eye, as an equal, as God created all of us. We are all created uniquely, but we are all equally precious in God’s eyes. That’s something I believe in my heart, that my faith and my family taught me over and over again.

Through the reading you’ll also get a glimpse of Kyle’s parents. Remarkably, doctors advised them to abort their child if there happened to be anhy complications, but their love and faith preclude abortion. Instead, they chose to believe that a gracious God has a master plan for their child’s life. And they taught this faith and belief in God’s sovereignty to Kyle.

You’ll rejoice with Kyle as he tells of his first wrestling victory after 35 consecutive defeats. You’ll marvel at his determination to be part such a demanding and physical combat sport. You’ll cry when he wrestles his last high school match, and cheer alongside his many fans. But most of all you will catch his fighter attitude, and never-give-up will and spirit exemplified by his slogan: “It’s not what I can do; it’s what I will do.”

The books seems more like Volume 1 as it ends with Kyle as a sophomore at the University of Georgia and a member of the wrestling team. I’m sure there will be more to follow from this remarkable young man as he brings his message to people all across the world.

Tags: Books, book_reviews, Christian, faith, Kyle-Maynard, Spiritual, Sports, wrestling

When I was a young believer the story of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador by the savage Auca Indians captivated me. I read most of the books written by Elisabeth Eliot about her husband Jim, one of the five. I was amazed and humbled at how God’s sovereignty, grace, and life-changing power could so radically change lives of the family of the murdered missionaries as well as those of the Indians. It seemed unfathomable to me that the women left behind in their families’ deaths could go to the very tribe who did the killing to serve and love them. What amazing grace! That story changed my thinking and my life. In this book, Steve Saint has picked up where much of the details are left behind in many of the previous books written. End of the Spear details the modern-day story of where the Indians are today and the journey of faith taken by Mr. Saint, whose dad Nate was the missionary pilot killed by the Waodani (Aucas). The book describes the courageous determination and struggle of the Indians to be independent as they confront the 21st Century and begin to leave their Stone Age existence. Woven throughout you get a glimpse of the heart of Steve Saint, the hidden pain that comes out over losing his dad at age five, his other-worldly love for his dad’s killers, his tender heart as a husband and father, as well as the role of suffering in the maturity of his life and family.

Saint describes what his life was like growing up in Ecuador with the Waodani tribe. Remarkably, his testimony is not about the certain anguish and suffering he must have known at such a young age, but rather the adventures of learning about and becoming a part of an ancient culture and people who have become his family. We see how young Saint adapts to the “simple” life of cae (doing); he learns to hunt, fish, and gather like the other Waodani boys. Interwoven are funny anecdotes that illustrate the clash of cultures like understanding the differences between shame and nakedness. The Waodani do not have the shame of being naked because they had no concept of clothing as covering. Rather their G-strings serve a more functional purpose as any hunter running through the jungle after their prey would know.

The epic struggle in the book is with modern culture itself. Saint tells of returning to the tribe after years of learning how to live in North America and having five successful businesses. He returns at the request of the Waodani who want him to come live with them in order to teach them to be independent. Here we see all the things that we take for granted, like good health care, automobiles, and an unlimited supply of food in “food houses” (grocery stores). The Waodani have none of these. They have been reduced to a complete beggar-welfare society through the seemingly benevolent efforts of aid organizations and missionaries. Mr. Saint and his family live with the tribe and show them how to live in a “modern” world, establishing schools, health care, and even teaching them to fly an aircraft, the Waodani’s most powerful link to the outside world.

Throughout the telling of this struggle, we see the Saint family and their hardships for sure, but moreover, we see the transformation of their fear of leaving a comfortable life behind to a life of service and sacrificial love. As you read their story, you always have the gnawing realization in the back of your mind that the Saint family is pouring out their lives for the very people that murdered their dad and grandfather.

The story in the book closes with the Saint family returning back to the United States after one-and-a-half years of living with the tribe. Realizing their presence with the tribe has become a hindrance to their independence, the Saints again rip apart their family roots so that the Waodani can make decisions for themselves without filtering their actions through the lens of whether or not it will please their beloved Babae (Steve Saint).

Amazingly, the story continues today. Mr. Saint has established an organization called i-tec, Indigenous People’s Technology and Education Center whose mission is:

Serving the “Hidden” Church

I-TEC supports the Great Commission by assisting the “hidden” church in its journey toward independence under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

One of the great barriers that has prevented indigenous churches from growing to maturity is their continuing dependence on the welfare of outsiders. A native church that relies on the leadership, technology, and financial support of foreign missionaries rarely can stand on its own when that support is withdrawn.

We are convinced from the Scriptures, however, that goal of the Great Commission is to establish churches that are self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating.

Who We Are, I-TEC

This is truly a remarkable story; this book is difficult to put down. You will laugh, cry, and marvel at God’s gracious transformational power. I read it in three days and I’m sure it can be read in one sitting. You’ll be encouraged by reading this. Prayerfully, it will spur you to action in God’s kingdom.

Tags: Books, book_reviews, Christian, End-of-the-Spear, faith, gospel, missions, Spiritual

I couldn’t just pick one quote for this week’s readings in Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man. So I chose three to reflect upon.

Following one of the points made in church the other week about hypocrisy and the “log-eye” syndrome (Matthew 7:3-5) is the following quote that highlights the practical aspect of what hypocrisy does in the spiritual life.

If I fail to live as I’m instructed, I undermine my own credibility to remind or teach my family to live as they’re instructed. How can I credibly teach other to obey God if I don’t? Men, you and I need to make sure we are obeying as well, and that we are providing a climate where obedience can flourish.

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, pp. 87-88

The next quote outlines a man’s responsibililty in this world.

Men, as husbands you have been given a trust–a stewardship, a responsibility, a duty–to husband, or manage, or care for the gifts of your wife. If you abuse that trust, you fail at the very heart of your manhood.

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, p. 92

The quote below from C.S. Lewis depicts the struggle and pain of the weight upon which rests on the shoulders of a man.

It is painful, being a man, to have to assert the privilege, or the burden, which Christianity lays upon my own sex. I am crushingly aware of how inadequate most of us are, on our actual and historical individualities, to fill the place prepared for us.

C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics

Tags: Books, Christian, faith, leadership, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual, Tender-Warrior

The husband does it when he lets his wife into the back rooms of his soul. He tells his fears, dreams, hopes, failures, feelings, the whole “nine yards.”

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, p. 78

Tags: Books, Christian, faith, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual, Tender-Warrior

He was a man whose masculinity rested

–not in what he owned
–not in the size of his home
–not in the amount of his investments
–not in what he could perform
–not in what he could achieve
–not in people he knew
–not ini what model of donkey he rode
–not in his status in the community.

Job proved himself quite apart from the decorations and tributes and trophies and newspaper clippings. Job sourced his masculinity and personhood in who he was, alone and naked before God. And that makes a man out of you.

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, pp. 56-57

Tags: Books, Christian, faith, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual, Tender-Warrior

I received this book for Christmas. I looked forward to reading it since blogging is one of my favorite hobbies. But it was a struggle to finish it. It’s written with an arrogant tone. I almost wonder whether Hugh Hewitt actually wrote the book or if some ghost writer did.

I don’t think I learned very much from reading it. Basically, the message of the book is: You better blog because it’s important to your business, your faith, and your political candidate.

I didn’t bother reading the appendices because the main text was so torturous.

I’m grateful for the present because this book is one the things I wanted for Christmas, but personally, you’re not missing much if you don’t read it. A definite thumbs down.

P.S. This is not a very scholarly written review. It’s my first review, but I hope to write others that are more serious, especially for books that are worth my time.

Tags: Blogging, Books, book_reviews

THE HEART OF THE FRIEND is a loving heart. It is a caregiving heart. Passionate, yes. But more. Compassionate (”I will be with you”). The friend in a man is a commitment-maker. And a promise-keeper. His is “the energy that connects men to others and to the world” (Moore and Gillette).

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, p. 43

Lord, make me a promise-keeper. Give me your heart.

Tags: Books, Christian, faith, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual, Tender-Warrior

This marks the premiere of a new series on What’s Bruin, called the Pourpa Letters, establishing a legacy from a dad to his son on life, work, and faith. Pourpa is the adopted stepson of JoeBruin88.

Dear Pourpa,

How have you been? It’s been a long time since we last talked. I hope you are well and school is going well for you. How are classes?

Being Thankful
Mom and I were at bible study the other night. We prayed for you, for your studies and your spiritual growth. We also gave praise for how God is blessing our family through a good start on my new career. It’s important to remember to give thanks and praise to God for his blessings, not just to always ask him for things. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17).

Using Your God-given Spiritual Gifts
As I was reviewing the work events of the other day, I was thankful for my work environment and the current manager I have. I was on a conference call with another design team in Florida. My manager, F, was telling these other people on the phone that if they have further questions they should “contact ***** [me] because of his expertise”. Later on during the call, she praised me for my advanced planning, thinking ahead, and organization skills.

It’s interesting how during bible study the other night we discussed spiritual gifts. Of course, you know my two strongest ones are servanthood and humility … J/K, obviously. But anyways, I believe the biggest reason I’m so happy in my current work is that I’m using my strengths–the gifts God gave me– which are administration and teaching.

Lesson Learned
While I was in business school, I had the opportunity to read a book “for fun”. I had chosen to read Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch, the very successful former CEO of General Electric. It’s a very good story, but as you know from reading good books as these, sometimes it’s difficult to process because there are so many good things to incorporate into your life. Well, I focused on one thing in the book that resonated strongly with me.

When Mr. Welch first started as a chemical engineer with General Electric, he struggled with the work for GE because he wasn’t being recognized, promoted, etc. for all his hard work. He had a tremendous work ethic. One of his work tenets was to always try to deliver something extra above and beyond what is expected. Well of course, someone finally did notice. And he retired as CEO of GE several years later.

On Friday, my manager had come by my desk to ask me to work on this updated project calendar. She wanted me to set up a review schedule to organize our efforts for this project because when it starts, it will be massive. Realizing this for myself, I had already begun analyzing the project calendar with respect to our efforts that will be required when the project ramps up. She specifically asked me to create a process organization chart in Excel similar to another one I had created earlier. Anyways, when she started talking to me at my desk, she realized that I had already started working on the very thing she wanted– I was thinking ahead, planning, basically using the strengths God gave me. She smiled when she saw I was already working on it. I was glad too because she knows that I’m taking initiative to do something important without being told.

Anyways, I hope you actually read this letters and enjoy them. Hope all is well.

Love,
Dad

Tags: Bible_study, Books, Career, Jack-Welch, Life, Pourpa, Pourpa_Letters, Prayer, Reflection, Spiritual, work

The measure of a man is the spiritual and emotional health of his family. A real provider has a vision for a marriage that bonds deeply, for sons with character as strong as trees, and for daughters with confidence and deep inner beauty. Without that vision and leadership, a family struggles, gropes, and may lose its way.

Stu Weber, Tender Warrior : God’s Intention for a Man, page 26.

After reading that tonight I’m feeling a little short-sighted and inadequate. I think those feelings are part of the journey of life. Deep down I think every man faces questions, feelings of self-doubt. I believe godly men wrestle with these thoughts. They are challenged by them. They face the fear that thoughts like spur them on to greater things. Then they strive to make things right in their lives, to rearrange priorities, and to “work out their salvation in fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). That is the journey of life.

Tags: Books, Christian, faith, Reflection, Spiritual, Tender-Warrior

In order to make room for new books that I want to read I’ve cleared out some space from my library of books that I don’t want anymore, which contains several books that I’ve both read and have never read. What a waste of I’m sure was hundreds of dollars. At least these will comprise a nice charitable donation for tax purposes.

Lessons Learned:

1. When you buy a book, read it as soon as you can before you get too busy.
2. Buy hardback whenever possible because paperback will just rot and not last for long.
3. Periodically do some spring cleaning and donate your unwanted books.

Tags: Books, spring-cleaning

Before this comes out in theaters, I am going to read this. I bought the book today while shopping at Costco. It’s a couple of dollars more expensive than Amazon, but I saved money on shipping, so I guess it equals out.

Unfortunately, I will probably miss the premiere because I’ll be on vacation. I could watch it in Athens, but I doubt Josephine or her family there will be interested in that.

I like comparing the movie to the book to see how they match up. Plus there is a lot more background in the book that is impossible to get from the movies.

Tags: Books, Star_Wars

In honor of Eliot Landrum’s 5th birthday of his blog, I shared the five most recent books that I’ve read. And I won a $10 gift certificate to be used at Amazon.com.

Thanks Eliot. You are very cool. I think it’s neat how you can “meet” someone through a blog. Someday, maybe we can actually meet IRL if I am ever in Texas again. I went to Plano, Texas for the first time a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away when I was in Air Force ROTC. We had flown into Plano Lubbock to some Reese Air Force base, the name of which I forget, but I flew a T-37 trainer jet. Here’s a pic to prove it.

Tags: Amazon, Blogging, Books