Last DTS class of the Spring

It's been fun waking up at 5:45am to drive downtown in rush hour traffic this semester, but..I guess I'll be content to finish up my last projects, take a few finals, and glide effortlessly into the balmy days of summer... =)

Swine Flu Rundown

Pigs don't fly, but apparently their germs do. Find out for yourself the what, why, and where of the outbreak in 10 Minutes with this swine flu primer.

• CNN: A young boy in Mexico may have been the first human case of the current strain of swine flu. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/29/swine.flu.patient.zero/index.html
• CDC’s report on the number of cases by state. Updated regularly. http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
• A brief history of the 1976 swine flu outbreak. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/dayintech_0324
• A brief history of swine flu current through today. (The China Daily) http://www.chinadaily.net/world/2009-04/27/content_7721007.htm
• Another history by The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) http://www.smh.com.au/world/science/history-of-swine-flu-20090427-ak2y.html

How's This for a Diet?

I’m on a diet. Sarah isn’t making me. I’m doing it because even though I had my last growth spurt as a freshman in high school I’m still a “growing boy” if you know what I mean. I’m going the no carbs / no sugar route.

 

The problem is, I really like food. But, a sermon has me doing some new thinking about this whole dieting thing. Like, maybe I’m missing the point of this whole breakfast, lunch and dinner thing. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever eat the same way again. There will be the same hunting down my next meal, chewing and swallowing...but there will be a new addition to the routine.

 

Today’s sermon at church by Chuck Swindol was about the cross and Christ’s humble submission to a cross-like death. The cross, we learned, was such a horrific, ghastly method of execution that even the word itself was a curse word in polite society. Christ didn’t only submit to limiting his omnipotent powers and shoe-horning himself into the confines of a frail human body. He didn’t merely agree to willingly lay down his life for the sins of the world. God the Son consented to a cross kind of death.

 

We took communion today. The bread and juice were distributed among the crowd. Chuck reminded us of Jesus’ admonition to observe the Lord’s Supper, “in remembrance of Me.” And we ate and drank.

 

Some churches take communion monthly or quarterly. Other traditions encourage a daily observance of this symbolic act. But, as I tasted the wafer of bread on my tongue I wondered, how often did the disciples eat bread and drink wine? When Jesus, in that intimate moment before the storm of suffering and sacrifice, asked his small band of friends to remember him, “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,” exactly how often was that? Perhaps more often than we think.

 

Bread and wine were the staples of first century diets. Bread was inexpensive and filling. Wine sanitized squalid water and made it more palatable. When Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life” he was saying, “I am the staple of survival. Without me, your souls go hungry.” The taste of bread was a sensation the common person experienced every time they were lucky enough to eat.

 

The Passover meal Jesus shared with his friends was a special experience - but eating and drinking weren’t. So, when Jesus said, “As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of Me,” maybe he was not saying, “As often as you have this yearly, special meal” or “as often as you have your monthly communion service.” When our Savior, who had shoe-horned himself into a human body and was willingly consenting to a death so horrible that polite Romans -- who relished the cruelties of the Colosseum as entertainment -- would not dare to even mention the word “cross”, asked his disciples to remember him “as often as you do this” maybe he was asking them to reflect on his sacrifice and servant-heartedness every time they raised bread or wine to their lips.

 

Imagine how differently we would live if we reflected for a moment on the example of Christ every time we lifted food to our mouths. How would it dull the taste of sin to us if we pictured our Savior’s humility and sacrifice for an instant whenever liquid touched our tongues? Gratefulness would lead to compassion. Sorrow for sin would motivate holiness. The picture of humility would prompt imitation.

 

As we thank God for life-sustaining food, let’s thank him for the cross and embrace it as our own. As we eat, may we be reminded that it is Christ - the Bread - who gives us life. As we drink, may we remember it is Christ who satisfies our thirsty souls.

 

How’s that for putting our me-first selves on a restriction? Now that’s a diet.

my other blog

Rather than let all my research and reading sit in the dusty corners of my mind, I've decided to put together a running archive of bits of historical background, study tools, and other nuggets from my seminary career and my personal work. Mainly for my future reference, I'm hoping to open up what I'm learning and thinking about to everyone to encourage us all to dig deeper into the Scripture and unearth some truth that we can put in our back pockets.

I'm calling it BibleDig.  For what it's worth, it's at http://bibledig.blogspot.com

dreams

write a book

have a radio show

be in shape

be compassionate as a reflex

be encouraging

be deep

Follow me on twitter and join the conversation.

BBQ Buzz

NEW RIVER, Ariz. -- It sounded like something out of a movie, but in a town called New River, just north of Phoenix, a bee attack was real.

Sunday night, about 15 people were attacked by a swarm of bees at a family barbecue.

"Next thing I know the house was full of bees, everybody was just yelling and shutting doors," said Lorrie Festa.

Her husband Lou was stung 600 times. He was rushed to John C. Lincoln Deer Valley Hospital in North Phoenix....continue reading... 

Would you like to talk more? I'm find me on twitter and join the conversation.

The grassy knoll

Sarah and I have a slightly different perception of Dallas after our visit to the sixth floor museum and the grassy knoll...Jack and I walked all over the place looking for a plaque or monument marking the place where Kennedy was shot. All we could find was a faded "X" in the middle of the street. Ironically, the location of the shooting is only feet away from the ford across the Trinity River that was to become the beginnings of the city of Dallas in the late 1830's.

A few blocks away stands the concrete cubical structure Jackie Kennedy had erected as a memorial. The white construct shows the dingy signs of neglect. It's as if the city itself wishes to erase from it's memory a moment in history the world may never forget.

valentine's day

We celebrated our first Valentine’s Day as a team this weekend. Thanks to a full scholarship, Sarah and I were able to attend the Family Life Marriage conference at the plush Gaylord Texan Resort. Sessions on all things matrimonial got us talking about our relationship...and reminded me of what a lucky guy I am!

 

As if I hadn’t noticed that Sarah is way out of my league already, a local Christian radio station manager who knows Sarah through her work was quick to ask how “a guy like you could land a woman like her.” Thanks. I needed that. And I was even using my out-in-public manners! The nerve!

 

The Gaylord was a relaxing backdrop to the weekend. The centerpiece of the hotel is a 10 story tall atrium roofed entirely with glass. Winding paths are lined with live growing plants, and an indoor river almost tricks you into thinking you’re outside - if you close your eyes. Just don’t walk with your eyes closed, or you’ll smack into some type of tall tropical tree. Trust me.

 

If we sound overly impressed with the venue, it’s not our fault. We’re only comparing it to some of our past great V-Day locales including:

 

• On the phone (Three years. #1 I was in AZ, Sarah was in KY. #2 I was in AZ, Sarah was in TN. #3 I was in OK, Sarah was in KY).
• A steakhouse in Ardmore, Oklahoma staffed entirely by women who were mad they didn’t have a date (We ended up opening our gifts to each other in the back of Sarah’s Toyota.The downside was that I got pulled over on my way and left Sarah waiting at the restaurant for a while by herself. We were in the same state for this V-Day however, so despite the run-in with the law and the parking lot party, it was an improvement.).
• A Chili’s in Durant, Oklahoma.

 

So, not driving through snow storms to see each other in rundown Oklahoma border towns automatically made this the best Valentine’s ever. Plus, we laughed, write each other love letters, I bought Sarah a puppy, and we spent 3 whole days together. Not bad.

 

Sometimes we still can’t believe we’re married...and we get to see each other everyday! That radio guy was on to something....How did a guy like me end up having it so good?