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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Pet Sitting - getting our puppy fix.

    We had the opportunity to dog sit twice this week. Friends Ed and Sharon ask us to watch their two dogs while they were away, on two different days. You bet, no problem. We, Linda and I are big dog people, but these dogs weigh in at about 4-5 pounds each. But these little guys can steal your heart in a minute. They are really good, not at all yappie(is that a word) like many little dogs. Both days we went and picked them up and brought them back to our RV. Most of the time they sat and watched out the door looking for their mommy and daddy. The white dog is Scooter aka Whitey, and the brown dog is Springer, aka Jumpier.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Valentine's Day

   Valentine's Day and Lobsterfest at Red Lobster. With good friends, it dosen't get any better then this.

From the rear, Andrea and Lance, Sharon and Ed, and us Linda and Bob

Monday, February 18, 2013

Florida State Fair

  This passed week we  attended the Florida State Fair in Tampa along with friends ED and Sharon . Wow, no charge for parking, and $8. a person entry fee. It was senior day.  After checking out the schedule of events we decided to got o the "Country Gold Tour". The show featured Leroy Van Dyke, Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, T. Graham Brown and Steve and Rudy Gatlin. Tickets to the show were $10 a person. The show lasted for almost two and a half hours and was  a really good show with nothing but country classics.

       There was a break in the show were a guitar that was signed by all the performers was auctioned off. The winning bid was around $4500, don't remember the exact price. This was the 17 th year of doing this auction. All the money raised is given to the 4 H Club. The lady that had the highest bid had the highest bid for the passed 5-6 years.

      After the show we walked around a little to check out the different food stands. With so many choices we did manage to find something to eat. After filling up we checked out the "Cracker Village". There is a large area in the fair grounds with many historic building. Many of the buildings were brought in from different areas of Florida, to form a small village. There were many craft demonstrations. There were, black smiths, lye soap making, old printing press, basket weaving, chair making and canning, plus others.  There is a short history of all the buildings. Well restored and nicely arranged under large live oak trees. See www.crackercountry.org

      We also checked out the antique steam engine display. Both these exhibits, the Cracker Village and the steam engine exhibit are permanent at the fairgrounds. Bob and Ed giving a course on how it works.

     We had to check out the pure bred dog tent. All four of us are dog lovers so we spent a fair amount of time checking out the dogs. To us there is a special bond to man's best friend. There is something therapeutic to us in the present of these four legged creatures. Ed and Sharon were ready to purchase a couple of chihuahua, but they weren't for sale. The Samoyed just sat and posed with anyone, even Bob. The bull dogs were cute, and one of our favorites an Australian Shepard, a close relative to a Border collie.

 There was a Greyhound rescue with these two very very gentle dogs.

    We had to check out the livestock. The 4H club, www.4-H.org  and FFA (Future Farmers Of America) www.ffa.org  had a very big prescnes. From many youthful beginnings today,to where there are many collegiate 4H clubs building the future of agriculture. We saw many, many chickens, rabbits, steer, cows, goats, etc. We saw baby chicks hatching out of their shells., baby pigs just days old and calfs just born. Check out the tiny pink piglet keeping warm between his two big brothers. Lower right is the chicks hatching.

 A Texas longhorn, many different types of goats.
 The angora rabbits, the lower right. Looks like a puppy. I learned at the show from a 4H member that angora wool comes from angora rabbits and mohair cones for angora goats. The rabbits are sheared 3- 4 times a year. Angora wool is warmer and lighter then wool. The lop ear rabbit,  could step on his ears.

    We also stopped by to take in some of the free shows scattered about the fairs grounds.

All the shows were very good or it doesn't take much to entertain old folks. But seriously the shows were good. We truly enjoyed the day. The temperature was just right and there was a threat of rain, so I guess that's why it wasn't to crowed. Just as we got to our car it started to rain. All the way back to the RV Park it poured. All in all it was a great day. Both Ed and Sharon who are from Texas said it was a better then the Texas State Fair.

The end of a perfect day.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thousand Trails Peace River -New Farkel game

   We have been to this park before and you can see our  review under the label RV Parks FL, listed on the right. To add to that report we are in the lower section that is water and 30 amp electric. We will be here for two weeks. There is a pump out service for our holding tanks which cost $10. We already had one pump out and scheduled another one. We like this area of the park because the sites are more open and away from the noisy route 17 in the front of the park. When we came into the park there was a boil water alert. Someone knocked over and broke a water hook up line. So once the water line was fixed there is a automatic boil water alert till it is tested 3 times. This is what we were told. No problem as we still had about 75 gallons in our fresh water tank left over from the Tampa rally. We were going to dump it here on the grass after we checked in, but it came in handy. We just used our water till the water boil band was lifted. We were getting near the end of our supply, but we just used the water very conservatively. Like a boon docking situation, for our non rv'ing followers, rv'ing without hook ups. The water boil alert is over.  There are about 15-20 electric pedestals covered up, that are not working. In the laundry room you can now use a credit card. Not sure of the details, just some thing new to us.
 Our site B49

        We did walk some of the short trails around the RV park. In this area of the peace river, the water is very very low. Seems like kayaking is out. We didn't see any  of the resident alligators. Wonder were they are hiding.
    Two years ago friends Tom and Paula took us to Peace River Bees. We purchased some orange blossom honey and it was super. We ran out of that a while ago, so we took a trip there the other day. They are in a new building at the old entrance. They are just setting up the new store. We did get a supply of orange blossom honey and some blueberry honey. The wood they are using for their counter tops is swamp cypress. They had a picture of the tree it came from. It was buried in the ground in a dried up lake bed. It looked like it was just under a inch or two of earth.  I have seen how they harvest this type wood on the Discovery or History channel. Neat for us to see the real thing, after seeing it on TV. A truck load of their bees are on there way to CA to almond orchards. They will be there for 4 weeks,and than they come back to FL. The 2 gals working there (owners) were very informative about the bee business.
    We also met friends at Manny's in Winter Haven about 40 miles from here, but about half way between us for a birthday celebration for Andrea. We are toasting her, and she how "red" she is.

      While in Fort Myers visiting our friend Dianne we learned a new Farkel game. While it is new to us, not sure how long it's been around. It is called Spicy Farkel. Farkel is a very popular game among RVer's. The new game is like going from hi-fi to stereo. To much to tell about the game here. Do a Google search for it. It won't be long till it is in many places that sell games.
    While in the area we checked out the Escapees RV park. In this park you can buy a lot, and then resell it back to them when you want and get back your original cost. This a co-op park. We checked on availability of a lot and there is a 8-9 year waiting list. We did talk to one lady who is staying on a rental lot and she said they are in their 8th year of waiting for a lot. So Escapees, get your name on the list of one of there co-op parks if your thinking about it. Stop thinking and do it, you do get back your deposit if you opt out.
      While here we had to go pick some fresh strawberries. Well we picked 13 pounds. Linda made some delicious freezer jelly. We'll eat some fresh and freeze some for later use. We also purchased something new to us, purple cauliflowers. It turns white when you cook it. It is also orange picking time. There were about 50 trucks like this waiting to dump their load of oranges heading to the juicer. I hope its bigger then the one we have.

    We will be in the Orlando area till about the 7th of April. So we will not be posting to much till we start moving again, unless we find some new adventures.  If in the area give us a call so we can get together.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Workamping - Work kamping - Work camping

 Workcamping, spelled several ways, but all mean the same.  Some information for our rv'ing friends. This isn't for us, but maybe someone will find this information useful. Spoke to some workcampers working here at the Thousand Trails Peace River Park, that worked at Amazon. They said the work was hard and tireing but stuck it out for their 3 month contract. They worked from late Sept to Dec 23rd. By doing so they each received a $500. bonus. They received $9.91 per hour and worked from 40-60 hours a week. They banked a little over $10,000 for the three months. They worked at the facility in KY. Amazon provided a full hookup site for them in addition to their pay. There were some couples that only one of them worked, but were still provided with an RV site. I ran this by Linda, but she said NO . I even said I would do all the cooking and laundry. But I just got that "look". You guys know what I mean. They also said Amazon is looking for 1000 workcamping couples for this year.  This summer we met a couple we worked with at Walt Disney World, and they said just about the same thing, except they worked in the KS facility. Both these two location are to cold for us in the winter.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Dental surgery

   This passed October I, Bob had a root canal after some very bad weeks of a  very bad toothache.   This tooth has been an ongoing problem for three years. I had seen a dentist in TX, one in FL and two in PA. Now a dentist in FL and an Oral surgeon. Well, it seemed to be a good fix until last Saturday. I got some very serious pain in the same area as before. Called the dentist in Pa. well Linda did as I was in so much pain I couldn't talk. Our dentist called in two prescriptions and said look for a dentist and have the tooth extracted. Well after spending a huge amount of money to save the tooth three months earlier I didn't want to hear this. But, by Monday  the pain subsided only a little I decided to get the tooth pulled. Looked up dentists in Wauchula and started calling. The first two were closed on Monday. The third said come in at 1 and we will work you in. Things went downhill from there. After an attempt to pull the tooth I hear a large snap and saw pieces of tooth passing in front of me. The tooth split into pieces. The dentist said I'll have to go to a oral surgeon to have it removes. Oh sh__, the nearest oral surgeon was 40 miles away in Winter Haven. The whole side on my mouth is numb and I'm bleeding and my speech is slurred. The dentist called the oral surgeon and they would be able to see me as soon as I got there. Linda drove and it seem like the trip would never end, not because of her driving, but because of my predicament. My mouth is full of gauze to curb the bleeding, I can hardly talk, and I'm having a sickening feeling. The drive was pretty much a straight drive but through several small towns with 35 mph zones. We got to the dentist and of course there are forms to fill out. But in about ten minutes after arriving I was in the "chair" getting more numbing shots. Within 5 minutes the tooth was out and 3 stitches were in. I didn't feel a thing. I was so numb I could hardly talk. The following day I had a tremendous amount of pain. A call to the Oral surgeon, and it was keep on the pain pills and restart the antibiotic.  By Friday I was feeling petty good.  That was almost two weeks ago, and knock on wood I am healing without any pain.

Friday, February 8, 2013

More Key West photo's

 Our hotel, also on the side of the street I'm on. Its like 5 small house under one name, like a BB, but called a hotel..
Downtown  Art and History Museum
Neat church
 Cruise ship in town
 Unusual tree, forgot the name
 Southern most house
 Southern most beach
 Key West Light House
 Two rooms in Ernest Hemming home

 A huge fresh caught grouper sandwich
 Ceiling of bar covered with dollar bills, one of 150 bars
 Part of this building is hand carve mahogany,built in 1891 ,Fl. National Bank and Center of Commerce. Hemmingway tried to cash a check for$1,000. was refused and he ended up cashing it at Sloppy Joe's Bar.
 Scooters and bikes for rent. A good way to get around, one of many.
 Mile 1 of hwy route 1 starts or ends here, depending which way you are heading.

 Linda really likes these trees, it is a banyan tree

 The Audubon house
 Henningways favorite hangout
 They Key Lime pie baker with Bob

 Sunset from the boat heading out of Key West
 Key West behind us
 Few folks liked the outdoor seating on the boat
Linda with the sunset, leaving Key West

Monday, February 4, 2013

Key West Florida

   We receive tickets as a Chrisrtmas gift, from our sons Cyril and Mark and their wives, for a trip to Key West aboard the Key West Express. A large catamaran from Fort Myers to Key West. The trip takes about 4 hours. The boat holds around 400 passengers.
Check out the size of the haul.

 It was an early rise for us. We boarded the boat a little after 7 in the morning. Beautiful morning sky in Fort Myers. Update; We returned the next day. The boat left Key West at 6 PM. When you schedule you can choose a different day to return. You can return several days later. Just make your reservations to suit your schedule. see www.keywestexpress.com

    We left the dock about 8:15. We were in Key West about noon. We booked a hotel that was 2 blocks from the ferry terminal. Its was a 10 minute walk. Our room was ready and we checked in and dropped our bags, each had a small backpack.  We walked about 4 blocks to catch the City View trolley. It was a hop on - hop off trolley. We paid for a two day ticket. There are three different trolleys running about the same routes.  There were 8 different stops. In between we walked many many miles. The narrations was a good way to learn some of the history of the town.There is so much history to tell, so we will try to hit some of the highlights. One of the places we wanted to visit was the Earnest Hemingway's home. In the photo below, the upper left is the front of the house. Top right is the room on the second floor were he did a lot of his writing while in Key West. Lower left is his desk and the inside of his office. Next the master bedroom with one of  the 40-45 cats. The cats are said to be descendants of the legendary original six toed cats of Hemingway.  The house is on one of the highest locations in Key West, 18 feet above sea level. The only house on the island with a basement, according to our very informative tour guide. There was a walkway from the balcony off the master bedroom to his office. It is not there now.

   We also wanted to tour The Harry S Truman Little White House. This house was used mostly by President Truman. Unfortunately we could not take any photo's inside the home. It was small and not elaborate at all, rather plane.
  There are about 8000 chickens running loose on the island. And they are multiplying. Note she is using the cross walk. The residents don't care for the roosters as they crow at all times of the day. But even the chickens are tourist attractions.

      In the evening many street performers gather at Mallory Square. Besides the street performers, its a great place to see the sun set. The street performers were just ok, but the dog stole the show in our opinion. He did several tricks, but jumping thur hops was funny. Note the height of the hopes. But then again his legs are only 3 inches long. There were several jugglers and even a performer with trained rats. Yes "rats".
Here we are at the southernmost point in the continental US.

   We only got to visit the exterior of the Audubon house. At one time Key West was the largest city in Florida and the wealthiest  city per capita in the U.S.. There were many Cuban residents and  many cigar barons, along with many cigar factories. This trade latter moved to Ybor City after the devastating fire in Key West. Sponge harvesting was also very profitable along with capturing of green turtles. We also visited the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. There is a aquarium and a live video from the reef.
   Being surrounded by water there are many many water activities, like sitting on a beach, dolphin watching, Eco tours, fishing, glass bottom boats, jet boats, paddle boards, scuba diving, etc.
   There are many dinning options. Fresh seafood is abundant in many restaurants. There are Tropical and Cuban influences in many restaurants. There is a very lively nightlife. On Duval street, once called the longest street in the U.S. because it goes from the Gulf Of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, but is only a mile long and claims 150 bars. According to Anheiser Bush Sloppy Joe's sells more Bud them anywhere else in the U.S.. And there is Jimmie Buffet's Margarita, and Hogs Breath and 150 more. This is a party town. It reminds us of a town in the Bahamas.
    Welcome new followers Allen and Donna.  We are now in Wauchula FL at the Thousand Trails Peace River Park. Next we will be in Davenport at Fawn Ridge. If anywhere is near by give us a call. Thank for stoping by.


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30 September, 2009

Biggest Loser Recap - S08E03 Part-1

As always, the show begins with a recap of what happened the week before and how well they did at losing 155 pounds. But the show must go on and as Sean points out when seeing Alison on day one of week three, he knows something awesome or horrible is going to happen. Alison explains this week is “Would you rather” week. The group will be given choices they will have to decide upon. The first choice offered to everyone is between a weigh in advantage or sticking with their trainers. The teams are lined up and given the choice with a 2 pound advantage to whoever crosses the line. Alison explains if no one crosses the line, the advantage will go up to 4 pounds. Several of the teams discuss it, but Tracey on the purple team steps across without even consulting Mo. He looks shocked and disappointed but with Tracey making the decision for him, his ‘team’ is bound. This will be a week without any help from Bob or Jillian for the purple team and as the commercial break arrives, Bob and Jillian show up to find out what happened.

The trainers arrive to find out what happened with Alison and they are immediately told what the challenge and theme for the week is going to be. Bob and Jillian thinks it ridiculous for anyone to accept the bribe, especially with only two pounds up for grabs. They are told someone did and after assuming it was the pink team Jillian finds out Tracey took it. “It’s a slap in the face” Jillian tells her to think a two pound advantage is better than working out with Bob or her. To the camera, Jillian says her and Bob are probably the best in the world at what they do and Tracey must not be the ‘brightest bulb’ in the group. The others are dismissed to the gym so the trainers can talk to Tracey and see why she did what she did. Tracey tells them about her fears and anxieties but says she’ll work better at ignoring it. After reconfirming with her they are not going to be able to help train her she says ‘What have I done” and prepares herself for the gym. Not working out in the gym is Abby who is visiting with Dr. Huizenga. Abby has suffered from shin splints in the past but it looks like she may have a more serious case. An MRI is taken and she is shown a micro fracture on her tibia and is now restricted to water exercises only. Abby confesses she could give up and say ‘she’s injured’ so she has an excuse to give up but refuses to fall into that temptation. She remembers her husband and kids who were killed only five miles from home by someone driving over 100 miles an hour. She could have given up life then, given up on many things, but she refused then and she is not going to give in now.

A commercial break arrives but they are not quite over when Biggest Loser resumes. Bob is talking with Abby about her restricted training. He reminds her she has to be on target with her diet and nutritional consumption. He offers her Yoplait light because of all the goodness packed inside. He gives her a single serving which she eats quite happily and seems to enjoy very much (wouldn’t be much of a commercial if she didn’t). The commercials are finally over so I can continue with the recaps as written with my new Microsoft Office, home edition 2007. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, no matter what the task Microsoft has your answers, download a free 60 day trial today. The week of choices now continues with a temptation challenge. Every individual is tempted with a small cupcake of only 100 calories. The cupcake isn’t the only temptation however. Alison explains whoever eats the most cupcakes in 10 minutes will win control of the game for the week. This week only one person from each team will count at the weigh in, and whoever takes the power, will get to decide which team member from all the teams will count. The timer starts to count down and several people pick up and hold their cupcakes, looking at them and deciding if it’s worth it. Antoine makes a decision to eat a cupcake, hoping everyone else will resist and he may possibly win the control with only one cupcake. Alison then announces, ‘someone is now winning’ as she brings out more cupcakes. Tracey now makes a decision this is only a game and she has come to win. When the challenge is over Antoine is told he is not the winner despite eating two cupcakes. The winner goes to Tracey who ate a total of four. Mo asks her, ‘What were you thinking?’ Tracey just laughs to herself.

Returning to the gym the contestants explain to Bob and Jillian what the temptation was. Bob wonders who in the world would have fallen for this temptation, everyone looks to Tracey. She raises her hand and admits it was her. Jillian is furious with her and yells at her because the day before Jillian was obviously wasting her time trying to talk to her. Tracey looks unfazed. Bob admits to the camera, “game players get fat again”, and notes she is a ‘game player’ and not serious about losing her weight. Back in the gym you can tell Mo is upset he cannot train with either Bob or Jillian this week so he tries as best as possible to follow how they are training the others.

Moving on to the challenge for immunity, the contestants are taken outside to a large ramp along with large containers of weight. The teams must take the weight to the top of the ramp and place them in a special container, as more weight is placed a team flag will raise. When the flag reaches the top, they will win immunity. With the ‘choices’ theme of the week they are offered to take up two five pound weights placed at the bottom of the ramp, or a large 25 pound container placed several yards away. With Tracey and Abby on a restricted exercise routine they will not be able to participate, so Mo and Allen will join Julio to represent their teams by themselves. Because of this, their weight to reach has been cut in half to only 250 pounds. Alison asks what the teams are going to do and Purple, Green, Pink and Blue opt for the 10 pounds, while Brown, Black, Red and Orange go for the 25. Pink and Green teams take an early lead with Purple following everyone. Allen wins it for the Green team, but the others decide not to quit and instead go on to finish what they have started. With Mo being the very last team, and having many more weights to take yet, everyone helps him in completing his task. It’s quite the team effort and Allen says of this house, ‘If you think you are alone, you’re not.”

1 comment:

  1. Great re-cap as usual! To me, neither cupcakes or 2 lbs worth of advantage would have been worth it...Booo hiss to the player who did.

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Friday, January 11, 2008

Oil Companies versus the Kyoto Protocol

Majority of petroleum companies at present doesn’t agree on the Kyoto Protocol’s plea of carbon dioxide sequestration, but that’s about to change.

By: Vanessa Uy

The Kyoto Protocol is seen as Bolshevism by most of the existing petroleum companies who don’t have the fiscal incentive to find an effective and low cost method of storing the carbon dioxide by-products of oil and gas extraction process. The emphasis here is on the effective method of carbon dioxide storage/sequestration since future legislation might impose stiff fines on the companies who aren’t in line with the Kyoto Protocol.

Natural gas is by far the cleanest fossil fuel in current use, but it contains up to 10% carbon dioxide as it is extracted from the well/mine. Today, only a handful of environmentally conscious petroleum companies extract this carbon dioxide that’s mixed with the natural gas and return the carbon dioxide back to the mine in sandstone formations underground so that it won’t contribute to global warming.

The Insala Gas Plant in Nigeria has been doing carbon dioxide capture and storing them back underground since 2004. That’s way before precedents are agreed upon by the Kyoto Protocol. Although petroleum companies that does this on a voluntary basis are still the exception rather than the rule. Norway’s STATOIL also practices carbon dioxide capture/sequestration of their petroleum extraction by products and they posses the most sophisticated underground carbon dioxide storage facility to date as recognized by the IPCC, the inter government panel on climate change.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

It's Monday 9/26! What Are You Reading?

End of September already...and it still feels like summer here!  I'm ready for some real fall weather instead of this warm and humid stuff.  We had another busy week, though not as bad as the last few.  One of my sons was home sick for two days, and the other one was home sick all week, so we had lots of reading time:
  • I finished The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, a novel about the Vietnam war, though not in time for my book group discussion (I still went, though!).  It's an excellent book on a very difficult subject.
  • After that heavy read, plus the 1000-page book I read before it, I was ready for something short and light, and Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm was perfect!  As the subtitle says, it's "a year told through stuff" - very creative and enjoyable.
  • Now, I am reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, in honor of Banned Books Week.  I haven't read it since I was a teen and had forgotten just how brilliant it is.
  • I finished a teen/YA audio, Bruiser, by one of my favorite YA authors, Neal Schusterman.
  • My husband, Ken, finished The Roar by Emma Clayton, a middle-grade sci fi adventure that our son recommended.  It's on my TBR shelf now.
  • Ken is now reading The Passage by Justin Cronin, based on my recommendation.  I'm already enjoying being able to talk to someone about it!
  • Jamie, 17, spent the week lying on the couch, so he read a lot.  He finished re-reading Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, in preparation for the final book to be released in November.
  • Next, Jamie read Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, the final book in the Leviathan trilogy.  This one will also pass through our entire family.
  • Jamie has resumed re-reading a favorite series by Tamora Pierce, The Immortals, with Book 3, Emperor Mage.
  • Finally, Jamie is reading Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn for his World Lit class.  Ken and I both read it years ago; he's enjoying it so far.
  • Craig, 13, is reading The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
I posted a review of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth last week, as well as my lists of Top Ten Books Everyone Has Read But Me, both here and at Great Books for Kids and Teens.  And, although it is rare for me, I also joined a challenge, Fall Into Reading Challenge.  You can read my list of books to read for the challenge, as well as another list of kids/teen books to read for the challenge.

What are you and your family reading this week?

(What are you reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.)

  1. Great list of books! Fahrenheit 451 is one I recently read...definitely affects you differently when reading it as an adult.

  2. I still haven't started Fahrenheit 451. I haven't had any reading time in two days! But I'm hoping to get to it tonight. Glad to hear you're enjoying your re-read of it.

  3. I think you aready know how excited I get about The Passage!!! :)

  4. Really enjoying Fahrenheit 451 so far - it's just so clever and very prescient. You're right, Lisa, I;m sure I'm getting more out of it this time around!


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Friday, December 31, 2010

So much for the best-laid plans!

I'm one of thousands of people who got screwed over by Jet Blue. Even though I was traveling from the East Coast back to the west several days after the latest messy storm, I was caught in the ripple effect - my plane was hugely delayed, then they couldn't find crew. Only after making us wait around for 6+ hours did they cancel the flight. And the kicker is, they couldn't get me anywhere until January SEVENTH - more than a week after my initial travel date! They refunded that part of my fare and I bought the last seat on a Virgin America flight on the first, but I'm still fuming about it. I'm not sure what I expect them to do, though - pay for my new flight? ha.

So I'm trying hard to focus on the positives:
  • I wasn't traveling with small kids, or a pet, or with people in wheelchairs.
  • One of my friends saw my plaints on Facebook and invited me home to her parents' house, a half-hour from the airport. That saved my parents and me the hassle of dealing with a bus and car ride to their place, 2 hours away.
  • Another of my friends was invaluable in her long-distance support, texting me about alternate flight times and eventually buying me that last seat.
  • I have another friend picking me up at the airport tomorrow.
  • I get to have 36 hours at home before going back to work.
  • I'm having a quiet New Year's Eve at home with my parents & older brother
  • Pizza is on the way!

So I'm scheduled to fly tomorrow. And I had better get home!!!!!!

Lessons learned:
  • Don't fly Jet Blue. Is that too harsh? I'm not sure. I am unlikely to fly them over a holiday, that's for sure.
  • Always bring my passport! I could've looked into a NYE in Toronto, but didn't have the right paperwork to do it.
  • Don't feel too smug about avoiding travel messes - at least wait for smugness til the plane is safely landed!!!!

1 comment:

  1. YES you should absolutely expect them to pay for your new flight!!!!


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Friday, November 28, 2014

"The Social Executive" (Dionne Kasian-Lew)

TITLE: The Social Executive: Winning In The Multi-Trillion Social Economy
AUTHOR: Dionne Kasian-Lew
PUBLISHER: Dugdale-Woolf Publishing, 2014, (92 pages)

This small book champions the use of social media for business in this fast-paced social media world. Offered primary as an ebook format, it is brief and to the point about the many business advantages of using social media. It is a brief primer on social media culled from her bigger work of the same name. The three main concerns Kasian-Lew are highlighted as:

1) Most executives know the potential and impact of social media
2) They also know they needed to do something with it
3) They needed to know how to go about doing it.

Written for busy executives, Australian trainer, coach, and CEO of "The Social Executive," Kasian-Lew puts her thoughts in point form through 18 short chapters about how executives can use the power of social media to drive their business. She begins with a passionate call for leaders to let the size of the opportunity sink in.

  • It's a multi-trillion dollar economy
  • It's growing more than 10% every year
  • It's too big for executives to ignore

Thursday, November 27, 2014

"The Grave Robber" (Mark Batterson)

TITLE: The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible
AUTHOR: Mark Batterson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014, (288 pages).

Miracles are not restricted to the past. They exist in both the present as well as the future. In Batterson's words, "sometimes God shows up. Sometimes God shows off." Based on the famous seven signs recorded in the Gospel of John, Batterson asserts once again that each of these signs point to the Person of Jesus Christ. These stories reveal the power of God not only for the people then, but also for us. We are all urged not to miss the miracle. John's signs are meant to stretch our faith. Every miracle does its part to build up a grand picture of Jesus coming to earth as a humble baby, and rising up to heaven in glory and honour. All in the power of Almighty God.

The first sign showed us that the miracle at the wedding in Cana was no mere coincidence. Every water molecule was converted to wine. In fact, it foreshadowed the Last Supper where wine was the blood of the Lamb. Batterson describes how Mary nudges Jesus and reminds us of Hebrews 10 that nudges us toward good works. We read of how a bridegroom's potentially worst embarrassment can become a beautiful moment to bless the guests. The One who made it all possible? Jesus.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

"Slowing Time" (Barbara Mahany)

TITLE: Slowing Time: Seeing the Sacred Outside Your Kitchen Door
AUTHOR: Barbara Mahany
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2014, (208 pages).

For the racer, speed is king. For the high achiever, quick results means efficiency. For the impatient, any time saved is never really good enough. As a result, the world spins faster and faster turning life into a giant rat race. Many of us have become so accustomed to such a lifestyle that "fast-paced," "busyness," and "quickly" have become norms in our culture. As the task grinds on, and as exhaustion wears one down, work increasingly looks more like a chore. The clock runs ceaselessly pulling people in and breaking people up. Something must change. We cannot live on speed forever. Machines may be light-speed capable, but man is very much "life speed." Life is about telling a story not rushing a storybook to meet a human deadline. The big question is how. If everybody is so busy, who would have time to look at the slower things in life? Enters author Barbara Mahany, who knows what the benefits of slowing down are.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

"What's Best Next" (Matthew Perman)

TITLE: What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done
AUTHOR: Matthew Perman
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014, (352 pages).

Not too long ago, there was a bestselling productivity book that helps us manage our time and achieve our best use of resources. Entitled, "Getting Things Done," author David Allen shows us the way to live "stress-free" as we practice the art of "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" rule and so on. What about a similar book but written from a Christian perspective? Like many well meaning Christians, it is easy to talk about ideas and generate tonnes of them. When it comes to putting ideas to work and finding workers to do them, the ideas and suggestions remain pieces of paper to be shoved somewhere in the building. Then there are also myths that are far too often been brandished as facts. Dispelling myths first is like getting a person to stop doing wrong before starting to do right. Halt the rot and begin the recovery. I summarize Perman's initial 12 myths as follows:
  1. Productivity is less about efficiency but more about effectiveness;
  2. Productivity is less about having the right tools and techniques but more about character and right decisions;
  3. Productivity is less about man helping himself but more about stewarding God's gifts to us;
  4. Productivity is less about how productivity forms us but more about how God reforms us;
  5. Productivity is less about tightly managing people and ourselves but more about engagement, motivation, and unleashing our best;
  6. Productivity is less about achieving peace of mind but more about serving people for the good of others and for the glory of God;
  7. Productivity is less about succeeding for self but more about putting others first;
  8. Productivity is less about getting everything under control but more about letting the gospel drive everything;
  9. Productivity is less about to-do lists to be made and accomplished but more about appreciating time and space as "support material" for our activities;
  10. Productivity is less about achieving "tangible outcomes" but more about intangibles like "relationships developed, connections made, and lessons learned."
  11. Productivity is less about the amount of time spent working but more about results we get;
  12. Productivity is less about concerns for work stuff but more about concerns for all areas of our lives (work, home, community, church, etc);

Monday, November 24, 2014

"Preaching by Ear" (Dave McClelland)

TITLE: Preaching by Ear: Speaking God's Truth from the Inside Out
AUTHOR: Dave McClelland
PUBLISHER: Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2014, (176 pages).

Preaching is not only about giving a sermon. It is also about preparing the preacher. This two step process is critical, but it needs to begin at the heart. For once, the heart is right, we have one foot firmly on solid ground. As for the other foot, we will need an "orally based model of preaching." This two-part preaching process is taught in this book, with a very intriguing title, "preaching by ear." I have heard of "playing it by ear" by musicians, as a way in which experienced persons "wing it" or let the spirit flow. In social circles, when people say, "Let's play by ear," it can also mean staying flexible to decide the right moves later. More importantly, in preaching by ear, one preaches out of something rich and full "because the preacher and the sermon are inextricably linked," so says Dave McClellan, Pastor of the Chapel at Tinkers Creek in Ohio. With a PhD in Rhetoric and Communications from Duquesne University, McClelland is well equipped to show us how to move sermons from paper into the preacher's heart, and then to the audience. For the author, preaching by ear is a movement from literary sermon to "the orally driven sermon." The former streams off from the written text while the latter springs from the impressed heart. Preaching by ear carries with it an aura of vulnerability and risk. How do we cultivate a heart that leads to the ability to preach by ear?

Saturday, November 22, 2014

"Faith" (various contributors)

TITLE: Faith: Essays from Believers, Agnostics, and Atheists
AUTHOR: Various contributors (edited by Victoria Zackheim)
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Atria Books, 2014, (288 pages).

What is faith? Is it possible not to have faith? Is faith some kind of a mysterious force or a misplaced belief? What is the meaning of faith for both believers as well as non-believers of any religion? In a remarkable book that brings together believers, agnostics, and atheists, two questions were plainly asked of 24 contributors of different religious or non-religious inclinations:
  1. What do you feel?
  2. What do you believe?
Tamim Ansary, an Afghan-American author writes about a "secular mystic" who believes that this world is more meaning than material, with individual parts all connecting up to one big whole. Growing up in a religious environment, he base his own living on doing good and reasoning well. Most of all, when we help one another, we do what it takes to be human. Anne Perry, a New York Times bestselling author based in Los Angeles tackles the question of faith from major influences on her life: her grandfather, father, and mother. It was the death of her mum that haunted her most. Believing in the power of faith, especially in the potential of goodness for humanity to love one another, she holds firmly that at the end of it all, one needs to be still and know that there is God. David Corbett in "Love and Insomnia" writes about his difficult childhood, his battle against insomnia, and his early exposure to Catholicism and belief in God. His views on faith are shaped more by his therapist training in two ways. The first is that perfection is the enemy of the good, which is a learning not to let the drive for perfection destroy one's faith in imperfect humanity. The second is unconditional love. Corbett was also deeply shaken when his wife who was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer die within four months. Instead of faith in God, he found faith in a Buddhist teaching of impermanence: the wisdom of letting go while not caring less. Accomplished author Beverly Donofrio finds her own sense of faith shaken down after being raped by a serial rapist in Mexico. With steely calm, she was still able to pray a "Hail Mary" which freaked out her assailant. She constantly reflects on the Virgin Mary, finding comfort in the words "Do not be afraid" during moments of light as well as darkness. For Amy Ferris in "Ah. Yes," her light-bulb moment comes when she realizes faith in the eyes of love, of being herself rather than doing all kinds of good outside. Love is not selfish but deep awakening of who she truly is. Sylvie Simmons wonders if there was a "viagra for faith" describing her need for a personal God in spite of feeling distant from Him. Pam Houston, an educator in creative writing hates holidays.  wonders about faith from both an agnostic and atheistic angles.

Friday, November 21, 2014

"The Church According to Paul" (James W. Thompson)

TITLE: The Church according to Paul: Rediscovering the Community Conformed to Christ
AUTHOR: James W. Thompson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014, (304 pages).

There are many books about Church growth, and how to have a great Church ministry. Whether it is emergent Church, or the Progressive movements, missional or the latest trends in doing Church, it is easy to overplay the word 'relevance' into our Ecclesiology. What about being relevant first to the original intention of Church? What about asking the fundamental questions like:
  • What is Paul's perspective of Church?
  • What is his original intent?
  • What is the original vision of Church?
  • Can we re-discover the Church according to Paul?
James W Thompson believes so. In fact, he feels that the most basic questions about Church are often not asked. Beginning with a rather depressing observation about the state of the Church, with dwindling memberships in the West and vacant Church buildings in Europe, it is common for people to say that the Church today is in crisis. The fastest growing group are those who are not affiliated to any Church. On top of that, modern perceptions of Church are increasingly negative and the word "church" is often treated pejoratively. Thompson gives us some possible explanations like secularism, individualism, capitalism, and especially the politicization of the Church. Instead of the Church as a community like people of God, he laments how the Church has become more like social clubs, entertainment centers, corporations, theaters, associations, and so on. He even criticizes the emergent church model that becomes so open that it lacks a doctrinal foundation; and the missional church movement that are so focused on the doing that it risks losing its own identity and message of the Church. His big idea is that the Church according to Paul is two-fold. a) Absence of politicization and power; b) Church as a community where everyone participates. Thompson is convinced that Paul's model of Church in the first century can be implemented in our era. In other words, the first century Church may be different in form, it is however similar in essence of identity in Christ being formed in community. The main sources Thompson draw from are the Old and New Testament Scriptures. This is supplemented by the Apocryphal works, the Pseudepigrapha, some later Greek and Latin works from Aristotle to Josephus, from Plato to Philo. As usual, there are lots of inputs from modern scholars too. Throughout the book, there is a strong and consistent emphasis on the Church as a people of God; the community of believers; communion of saints; the work of the Holy Spirit; all of which point to Thompson's conviction that the Church identity is corporate, not individual.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

"Invitation to Philippians" (Donald R. Sunukjian)

TITLE: Invitation to Philippians: Building a Great Church through Humility (Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church)
AUTHOR: Donald R. Sunukjian
PUBLISHER: Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2014, (124 pages).

Based on a popular preaching textbook (Invitation to Biblical Preaching) used by many students of preaching, author Donald Sunukjian continues with this new volume of sermons on biblical preaching for the contemporary Church. In this edition, readers will find fourteen sermons that were originally preached before a congregation, and slightly edited to fit readers instead of hearers. Currently a homiletics professor at Talbot School of Theology, with doctorates in communications and theology, Sunukjian has both the academic credentials and the pastoral experiences to teach us the art of biblical preaching. The big idea in this book is how the Apostle Paul helps to build a "great Church through humility." The Church at Philippi was the only one that had supported Paul financially. They were dear people in his heart. He encouraged the Philippians for their faithfulness and their resilience in the midst of trials. By structuring the whole letter in a chiastic fashion, readers will find the central characters of humility and self-sacrifice in the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Sunukjian's Chiastic Structure of Philippians

With the above as the preaching framework, readers are set to learn from one of the best preachers in the evangelical world. Each sermon begins with a catchy story to highlight the problem at hand. It is quickly followed up with a contextual description behind the passage. Interweaving flashbacks to the past and relevance to the present, Sunukjian expounds the biblical texts with clarity and with purpose. He typically ends with a call to the good news as expressed in Paul's letter.

Readers may ask: How is humility demonstrated in this book? Frankly, that is the essence of Philippians in the first place. For the uninitiated, Sunukjian brings in elements of love, obedience to Scripture, posture of gratitude, letting God be first, perseverance in spite of trouble, salvation and deliverance, and many more.

How do we read this book? For those of us who are students of homiletics and preaching, this book needs to be used in conjunction with the main textbook, "Invitation to Biblical Preaching" by the same author. This book complements by putting the principles introduced in that book into practice. Second, learn the way Sunukjian bridges the ancient and the modern with stories, everyday language, and of course, the biblical picture. Finally, the casual reader will have a lot to benefit too, as the sermons not just teach us, but show us the way to learn humility in Christ.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

This book is provided to me courtesy of Weaver Book Company and Cross-Focused-Reviews in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

"Culture Shock" (Chip Ingram)

TITLE: Culture Shock: A Biblical Response to Today's Most Divisive Issues
AUTHOR: Chip Ingram
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014, (256 pages).

"The Church is losing its commitment and courage to believe and stand for what Jesus and our forefathers in the faith have given their lives for." So laments Senior Pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California, Chip Ingram. With a book aimed squarely at Christians, he criticizes the lack of meaningful engagement with society's most divisive issues. Many remain silent when there is a need to speak up. When they do speak up, they fail to interact well from a biblical standpoint and straddle along with individual opinions and personal choices. Worse, some have compromised or abandoned absolute truths. Enters this book where Ingram first points out the modern scene about the loss of conviction about absolute truth. Society is not getting any better, judging from the rising suicide rates, adultery, premarital sex, drugs, and other ills of the culture. Accompanying these moral declines are the relativitizing of truth matters. By definition, truth is absolute. What the world deem as relative truth is essentially about wanting to be left alone to do what they please.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

"From God to Us" (Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix)

TITLE: From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible
AUTHOR: Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012, (416 pages).

Ever wonder how we got our Bibles? How did we end up with only 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 in the New? Are we being shaped by the modern stories about the Bible as mere myth? Are we more influenced by how the Da Vinci code book portrays the Bible as a conspiracy? Or are we aware of how the Bible we have today had gone through many years of inspiration by God, faithfulness of God's people, recognition and consistency of tradition and practice, and plain simple divine guidance? Imagine over 2000 years with multiple authors across many centuries, and yet, the Bible books point to that one God. The best human efforts cannot replicate such divine flow of beauty, consistency, and truth telling.  This primer on how we get the Bible has been called a "classic" because of the depth of coverage, the clarity of thought, the conviction of the inspiration of the Spirit, and the excitement of plain story telling of a old old story.

Patiently and with understanding of the curious mind, Geisler and Nix, both professors who had taught at various evangelical seminaries offer us a new expanded edition of the 1972 classic. There are four parts to this book. Part One covers the Inspiration of the Bible, what is inspiration; how the Bible is structure; comparing orthodox views with others;  theories of revelation and inspiration; objective evidence of inspiration; and others. Part Two describes the canonicity process and criteria, covering both the Old and the New Testaments in detail. Simply put, there are three steps in canonization: Inspiration, Recognition, and Preservation. The authors answer questions about:
  • What is canonicity and how it came into being?
  • What are the differences between canonizing and categorizing?
  • What are the differences between the development of the Old and the New Testaments?
  • What about the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha?
  • Which books are cited by the Early Church fathers?
  • What about other gospels and letters? Why are they not as inspired?

Monday, November 17, 2014

"A Passion for the Fatherless" (Daniel J. Bennett)

TITLE: A Passion for the Fatherless: Developing a God-Centered Ministry to Orphans
AUTHOR: Daniel J. Bennett
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014, (240 pages).

Experts estimate the number of orphans globally stands at 163 million. In the United States alone, there are 425,000 of which 115,000 are waiting to be adopted. We may shudder at the numbers or be horrified at the huge quantity of fatherless. What about our compassion? Is it not God's will for us to care for the poor, the weak, the vulnerable, widows and orphans? Bennett believes that it is not only what God wanted the Church to do, it is also a very powerful "apologetic" when believers stand together to support the fatherless. Whether it is fostering, adopting, mentoring, or simply supporting, the transformation can go much more. Not only will orphans be reached and cared for, the ones who reached out will also be transformed.

Daniel J. Bennett is Senior Pastor of Bethany Community Church in central Illinois whose passion for orphans accelerated after his stint as a Family Pastor in 2005. He has adopted a child too. He notes how people caring for foster children are able to open up conversations about God as well. He describes his convictions as follows.

"My compassion for orphans flow from the fact that I know God and know that he passionately cares for the fatherless. I love orphans because I love God. If I did not have this theological understanding, my passion for orphans would be commendable but ultimately worthless." (19)

Friday, November 14, 2014

"The Drama of Living" (David Ford)

TITLE: The Drama of Living: Becoming Wise in the Spirit
AUTHOR: David F. Ford
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2014, (240 pages).

In his earlier work, the Shape of Living, Ford talks about the need to live wisely amid three guidelines to help us deal with the "overwhelming" forces in life. He calls it the NDA: Name-It; Describe-It; and Attend-to-it. This book continues the flow which I call as "Live-It." In this sequel, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, Dr David Ford continues with another trio of Bible, poetry, and life. The operative words in this book are "drama," "improvisation," and "wisdom."

On the Bible, Ford focuses on the gospel of John, calling it the "most dramatic book of the New Testament." The first chapter of the book tells us what the book is about. Using the same name as the title, Ford observes how Jesus' public life intersects with the lives of ordinary people, and how Jesus shaped them. He then ponders on the question of how our own lives are shaped by noting the need for patient listening to truth matters, and gentle entering into the brokenness of this world. Public drama influences us in more ways than one. In a world crowded with famous people, we can be influenced by what they say or do. We need to be selective on which character we allow to influence us. More importantly, we need a better grip of the ordinary, and not to be easily swayed by popular persons or fads that do not last. He praises the ordinary because it is a great environment to promote "promises, commitments, habits, disciplines, and routines." This calls for an "ongoing improvisation in the Spirit," something that is about embracing Jesus' love, following after Jesus, and manifesting his love in daily living.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

"Storm" (Jim Cymbala)

TITLE: Storm: Hearing Jesus for the Times We Live In
AUTHOR: Jim Cymbala
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014, (208 pages).

The name of the book may suggest it. The picture that accompanies it may show a physical storm approaching. However, the book is more than twisters, tornadoes, or typhoons. Though it began with a story of how Superstorm Sandy affected the author's city of residence, it struck three warning signs for the Church at large. First, the Church is not as large as they thought. Second, not many Christians have been transformed in Christ. Third, there is an alarming decline of biblical literacy. Instead, people mimic the world more than Christ. They buy into fads and trends that are more worldly than biblical. They incorporate modern management techniques to drive Church attendance. Entertainment programs fill worship halls to drive numbers. The message focuses more on relevance rather than preaching the power of the Cross. As the Pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle Jim Cymbala puts it, there is mostly "icing but no cake." He counters the approaching storms with a call to storm heaven with prayer. Like the biblical Hannah who prayed amid her struggles with dark moments, the author shares about his desperate prayers at a time where his Church only numbers at most twenty people; low on funds; located in a broken inner city neighbourhood; and he and his wife needed second jobs to make ends meet. The big spiritual problem facing churches is actually not external but internal: like the lack of prayer. Other problems include the rising social problems in our vicinities. In the story of Avril, Cymbala tells of how God can turn the mess of life into a ministry for life. For God's call is not only for people overseas but also for the poor and vulnerable near our neighbourhoods.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

"Persuasive Preaching" (R. Larry Overstreet)

TITLE: Persuasive Preaching: A Biblical and Practical Guide to the Effective Use of Persuasion
AUTHOR: R. Larry Overstreet
PUBLISHER: Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2014, (312 pages).

Is there a place for persuasion on the pulpit? How is that not manipulation of minds? What about the risks of preachers using the pulpit to sway minds on politics or social matters favouring a particular party? Is not preaching primarily about teaching the Bible and its meaning? What about the ethics of preaching?

Since 1970, the author had been thinking about the issues surrounding persuasive preaching. He laments the modern state of preaching that lacks giving congregations a call to action. Persuasion involves doing everything we can to preach God's Word and to let God's Word be proclaimed in outward actions. Overstreet, an Adjunct Professor at Piedmont International University has been pastor of churches in Michigan and Indiana for 17 years. He knows the importance of the pulpit and the need for God's Word to go beyond mere Sunday listening pleasure. This book comprises four parts where Overstreet will:

1) Identify the Issues Facing Persuasive Preaching;
2) What is the Biblical Basis of Persuasive Preaching;
3) How to Structure Persuasive Messages;
4) How to Apply Persuasion?

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

NIV First-Century Study Bible

TITLE: NIV First-Century Study Bible: Explore Scripture in Its Jewish and Early Christian Context
AUTHOR: Zondervan Team, with notes by Kent Dobson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014, (1888 pages).

Any form of Bible study would require an understanding of contexts. If you have been attending Bible studies, you would be familiar with this phrase: "What's the context of the Bible passage?" For twenty-first century readers trying to make sense of ancient texts, it would be a big challenge if we try to use only the Bible to determine the backgrounds of every book in the Bible. This Bible contains notes that shed light on the contexts, the cultures, the chronological sequence of events, and the unique perspectives from the Jewish and Christian lens form the first century. Rather than trying to understand the ancient Scriptures from our Internet Age, or trying to reach too far to the ancient times, perhaps, we can look at how first century people understand the Bible. That would shave off about 2000 years to bring us closer to the original meaning of the contexts. For four years, the Teaching Pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan wrote historical notes, word studies, articles, and together with the Zondervan publishing team, have put together a study Bible that tries to do just that. Questions that occupy their minds were:
  • What were the rabbis thinking?
  • How did the disciples understand the Old Testament?
  • What are the cultural nuances in both Jewish minds and the Early Church?
  • How do they make sense of the Bible?

Monday, November 10, 2014

"Losers Like Us" (Daniel Hochhalter)

TITLE: Losers Like Us
AUTHOR: Daniel Hochhalter
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishers, 2014, (236 pages).

What does it mean to live as failures, rejects, outcasts, and in Hochhalter's words, "losers?" Not many people would be willing to tell of their failures. Most would prefer to parade their successes, their accolades, multiple achievements, and symbols of progress the world looks up to. It is much easier to trumpet our highlights and successes than to tell of our lows and failures. This is an "upside-down theology" that works pretty well in a book entitled "losers like us." In 2008, after seven years of hard work, expensive fees, big sacrifices, and high hopes, Daniel Hochhalter failed his oral defense, was denied of a PhD, and kicked out of the doctoral program with an unnamed British University. Devastated and stunned about the unexpected turn of events, this single event drastically changed the life of Hochhalter, who had dreamed of a career in teaching and academia. The words "underachiever" defines how he feels. Yet, these feelings of personal doubt and distress mark the beginning of his journey to "redefining discipleship" and how it feels to be a "social outcast" in the world, but still completely accepted by God. God loves losers too.

Friday, November 7, 2014

"The Art of Social Media" (Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick)

TITLE: The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users
AUTHOR: Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Portfolio Penguin, 2014, (208 pages).

Many of us are users of social media. It is quite straightforward to set up a Twitter or a Facebook account. With simple instructions to follow, one can be connected very quickly to friends both new and old, near and far, and best of all, free of charge. Even businesses are quickly getting into the fray, promoting their products and services through this new media. What about the rest of us? What about those who want to learn beyond the basics? How can one maximize the power of social media? This book reveals many tips in twelve chapters. Meant primarily for people already familiar with social media tools, this nook aims to provide "power tips for power users." Tips such as attracting greater attention with catchy profiles as well as something as basic as creating an avatar. Or providing ways to "feed the content monster." Kawasaki teaches us about content creation as well as content curation. The former is about our own works while the latter is about sharing worthy works of other people. He guides us through the planning, the use of Excel spreadsheets to plan, how to reshare posts, using aggregation services and so on. He acknowledges tips from others as well. More importantly, Kawasaki exposes readers to a whole lot more besides the titans of social media.  He teaches us how to create content well. I like the way he points out the four forms of good stuff: Information, Analysis, Assistance, Entertainment.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

"Urban Apologetics" (Christopher W. Brooks)

TITLE: Urban Apologetics: Answering Challenges to Faith for Urban Believers
AUTHOR: Christopher W. Brooks
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014, (176 pages.)

It is already hard enough for the majority to try to fix things. For democratic societies in which the majority usually gets their way, the challenges for fixing the problems in society still exist. If such is the case, then what hope is there for minority groups? Worse, how can well meaning Christian groups (in the minority) bring meaning and encouragement to share the gospel of truth in a difficult secular climate? Senior Pastor of the Evangel Ministries in Detroit, Christopher Brooks believes otherwise. Focusing on the urban Christian and the apologetics student, three things are essential for what Brooks call, "Urban Apologetics" or standing up for the gospel in the city. Firstly, it is not a mere intellectual issue that requires belief but demands practice. It must mean something to the contemporary realities and challenges of every age. Such a intellectual-practice will be necessary for deal with the "dual challenges" of society: Connecting and Conversing. Secondly, we must engage culture and not be easily buried by the apathy and aggression non-Christian groups aim at gospel people. The Church simply cannot remain indifferent or discouraged. Thirdly, they must recognize the opportunities to present the truth and reality of the gospel in a world that is seeking it. Arguing for a strategy of "One Message, Diverse Methods," the way to counter postmodernity is to go beyond didactic approaches or scientific arguments. Try what Brooks called, "preacher-poets" where the gospel is embodied in what we say and do, but also in what we can incarnate the gospel by not giving easy glib answers, not surrendering to the tough questions of life, but to embody the reason and hope of the gospel. This book is essentially about how Brooks go about presenting the gospel in meaningful ways in an urban culture.

First things first, before making major decisions, one needs to consult God. One needs also to consult one's spouse in discerning the will of God. One needs to be convicted that the gospel is not something intellectualized but incarnated. The big question Brooks gives us is this: "Is Christ still relevant in our urban centers?" He points out a new category of people called the "apatheist," that asserts nothing and denies nothing. It is a modern expression of indifference. The problem is the disconnect between how people view the Bible and how they see it relate to the issues of our age. He shares about the gospel story of three travelers: the priest who represents the religious establishment; the Levite who represents the race of people; and the Samaritan who was despised by both Jews and the religious establishment. Yet, it was the third that did something good. Truth must be accompanied by love. It is not enough to convince a person. One needs to relate to the person about his/her struggles.

Readers are reminded that apologetics and evangelism are two sides of the same coin: The Great Commission. Apologetics try to clear the rubble and the barriers to belief. Evangelism gives it "meaning and direction." The key to effectiveness is to learn to answer the questions people raise, but to relate to people where they are, and not from our ivory tour positions of arrogance. I like the three B's of relational evangelism: 1) Boulevard strategy that learns and understands the unique inroads of a person's spiritual life; 2) Beliefs strategy that gets people to talk about themselves to go beyond labels; 3) Barriers strategy that combines both apologetics and evangelism to deal with why people are stuck against Christianity in the first place. Brooks show us that there are many ethical issues in our world in which Christian principles can speak into, even when the relativist, the postmodernist, and groups tend to be dismissive of Christianity. The urban apologist must stand their ground, not to be easily deterred but to remember that most unbelievers reject not the Christian Message but the lifestyle of imperfect messengers of the gospel. The Christian needs to know that true ethics is grounded in the gospel.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

"The Making of an Ordinary Saint" (Nathan Foster)

TITLE: The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines
AUTHOR: Nathan Foster
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014, (208 pages).

One of the most influential books on spiritual disciplines is Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline." That was more than 30 years ago, where four inward, four outward, and four corporate disciplines took the Christian world by storm. The book also propelled Richard Foster, the author's father to fame. At that time, Nathan was a little boy below ten years of age. Fast forward to 2014, we have a grown up Nathan Foster, an associate professor of social work and theology at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. If Richard Foster's book is a didactic description of the 12 major Christian disciplines, this new book is a personal journey of how the son puts the disciplines into practice, one that is uniquely Nathan Foster.

I read this book with my old dog-eared copy of "Celebration of Discipline" next to me. While both books still described the 12 spiritual disciplines, there is no longer the three-fold distinction of "inner," "outer," and "corporate" disciplines. Instead, Nathan mixes the 12 disciplines, beginning with "submission" instead of "meditation," and ending with the toughest one he personally encountered, "celebration." He realized from his dad that the fruit of spiritual disciplines is joy, not chore.  Neither is it a toilsome labour that is boring or plain impersonal. For me, at the risk of being oversimplistic, if Richard Foster's book is about the theory, Nathan's book expands it not only with theory but also with practice, personally that is.

Monday, November 3, 2014

"Expecting with Hope" (Teske Drake)

TITLE: Expecting with Hope: Claiming Joy When Expecting a Baby After Loss
AUTHOR: Teske Drake
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (240 pages).

It takes one to know one. Just the other day, I came across this quote of the day: "The first to help you up are the ones who know how it feels to fall down." This essence is expressed well in this book about hoping once again after a miscarriage, a fertility challenge, stillbirth, infant loss, or a devastating birth defect. Whatever it is, losing a child is a deeply painful experience. The author is a mother who had lost three babies, two to miscarriages and one soon after birth. Each journey through the pain of loss is different but they all plumb the deep emotions of grief. Through her pain, she reaches out to other mothers also going through trials and suffering. Through her ministry, she encourages others with her testimony and her faith. Through her writings, she brings us pages of hope and how one can keep getting up each time one falls. "Expecting with Hope" is written specifically for mothers to be who are fearful about their pregnancies. Her key conviction is that one can be hopeful even when the clouds of despair seem big and overwhelming.

With deep honesty and understanding, Drake, who holds a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University, speaks more from her own experience of pain and loss, rather than her area of expertise. It is hard to find any scholarly references simply because it is a book wrapped with personal experiences and her ministry with others.  In each chapter, Drake declares upfront the specific kind of hope we have in God. She describes either her own loss or her struggling mother, and invites us into the hard areas of fear and uncertainty. She ends with a "pregnancy prayer" to help bring the thoughts and the feelings together in God. It is common to read huge chunks of Scripture being used to accompany the process of hope.

As President of Mommies with Hope, Drake is filling a specific need, mothers who are fighting fear and struggling to stay hopeful. If you are a mother, this book will bring about much comfort. If you know of a mother having fears about miscarriages or the potential death of her child, this book teaches us not to be too quick to speak or to judge, but to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and always being ready to offer a word of encouragement. So that mothers will encounter more and more moments of "expecting with hope." Thanks Drake for your valuable role in this ministry.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Saturday, November 1, 2014

"Soul Feast, Newly Revised Edition" (Marjorie J. Thompson)

TITLE: Soul Feast, Newly Revised Edition: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life
AUTHOR: Marjorie J. Thompson
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014, (200 pages).

This book is a potpourri of spiritual food that invites hungry guests to come and feast. Even if one is not hungry in the first place, it would certainly whet the appetite. Such is the beauty and inspirational of a classic published nearly 20 years ago and is still making a powerful impact. Now in its newly revised edition (third), while the contents remain very much the same, there is an additional foreword by renowned preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor who calls this book full of "effective sermons" and ranks Marjorie Thompson in the same category as the Catholic writer, Henri Nouwen. In the original foreword, Nouwen calls Thompson's work a "clear, concise way the essence of her ministry." Indeed, my appetite was more than whetted just on the basis of these two honoring forewords and captivating topics of spiritual disciplines. More importantly, it is not a book that teaches to invite ourselves into spiritual disciplines. It initiates us into the Christian spiritual practices that are historic yet relevant; grounded in Presbyterian traditions and yet ecumenical; old ideas and yet very fresh for the soul. Thompson notes that in the 90s, there was an acceleration of interest in spiritual formation matters which led many clergy toward Roman Catholic centers. Toward the end of the twentieth century, there was a surge of resources about Christian living, with particular focus on the spiritual life. The author also notes the rise of the "Nones" or the religiously unaffiliated group in this era, as well as a resurgence in the "spiritual but not religious" wave, first observed in the 60s. Amid the changes, Thompson reminds us once again that if we learn to "dwell in trust," we can be confident in God, who is the One who "creates, renews, and fulfills all things" and I believe that includes the use of spiritual practices that are evergreen and deeply satisfying, in God. Her encouraging tone throughout the book injects hope even in the midst of discouraging news about cultural resistances toward the gospel. This book is an attempt to bring back inspiration and fascination to a world inundated with spiritual information and fears of religious fanaticism. Also, the rise of technology also means people are able to search out other religions with much ease and depth. The downside is the rise of distractions and inattentiveness as well, something that the spiritual practices in the book aptly addresses. The brief notes below will demonstrate why this book is a spiritual feast.


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A film highlighting some of the fantastic boulders protected by the Carolina Climbers' Coalition, Access Fund and Triple Crown Bouldering Series.

I’ve been spending a lot of time behind the scenes working on a video to help raise money for the recent acquisition of a 6 acre tract at rumbling bald. The Carolina Climbers Coalition with the support of the Access Fund and the Triple Crown Bouldering Series have secured some CLASSIC boulder problems at the bald. When people think of rumbling bald bouldering, the French Maid or Shady Grove might come to mind. These lines are in the tract of land that has been protected from development.  It’s time to give back to our climbing community! Sign up, donate, and become a part of your local climbing community today.

People I need to thank:


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dc.contributor.authorGulsvik, Anne K.eng
dc.contributor.authorGulsvik, Amundeng
dc.contributor.authorSvendsen, Einareng
dc.contributor.authorMæhle, Bjørn Oveeng
dc.contributor.authorThelle, Dag S.eng
dc.contributor.authorWyller, Torgeir B.eng
dc.identifier.citationEuropean Journal of Epidemiology 26(3): 221-228en_US
dc.description.abstractMortality statistics represent important endpoints in epidemiological studies. The diagnostic validity of cerebral stroke and ischemic heart disease recorded as the underlying cause of death in Norwegian mortality statistics was assessed by using mortality data of participants in the Bergen Clinical Blood Pressure Study in Norway and autopsy records from the Gade Institute in Bergen. In the 41 years of the study (1965–2005) 4,387 subjects had died and 1,140 (26%) had undergone a post mortem examination; 548 (12%) died from cerebral stroke and 1,120 (24%) from ischemic heart disease according to the mortality statistics, compared to 113 (10%) strokes and 323 (28%) coronary events registered in the autopsy records. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of fatal cerebral strokes in the mortality statistics were 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.66, 0.83] and 0.86 [0.77, 0.92], respectively, whereas those of coronary deaths were 0.87 [0.84, 0.91] and 0.85 [0.81, 0.89] respectively. Cohen’s Kappa coefficients were 0.78 [0.72, 0.84] for stroke and 0.80 [0.76, 0.84] for coronary deaths. In addition to female gender and increasing age at death, cerebral stroke was a negative predictor of an autopsy being carried out (odds ratio (OR) 0.69, 95% CI [0.54, 0.87]), whereas death from coronary heart disease was not (OR 1.14, 95% CI [0.97, 1,33]), both adjusted for gender and age at death. There was substantial agreement between mortality statistics and autopsy findings for both fatal strokes and coronary deaths. Selection for post mortem examinations was associated with age, gender and cause of death.en_US
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NCeng
dc.subjectIschemic heart diseaseeng
dc.subjectDeath certificationeng
dc.subjectMortality statisticseng
dc.titleDiagnostic validity of fatal cerebral strokes and coronary deathseng
dc.typeJournal articleeng
dc.typePeer reviewedeng
dc.subject.nsiVDP::Medical disciplines: 700eng
dc.rights.holderCopyright The Author(s) 2010
bora.peerreviewedPeer reviewedeng

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Not sure where you live, but...

In Polk City, the weather was AWESOME!  and we spent the ENTIRE DAY OUTSIDE!!!  I loved every  minute of it.

Finally got to break out some of Olivia's summer clothes.  I took a picture of this one because I'm pretty sure once it's washed it won't fit again:)

I think Keith's trying to make these sunglasses cool - his broke, they are welding glasses.

washing up their bikes for summer!
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