children and God

I have this tendency to change lyrics to songs. Whatever tune is stuck in my head, I'll just make up my own words. I do it so often, that my kids don't know the real words to the song. I constantly insert Nate or Noah's name into the song "Oh How I Love Jesus". If you're unfamiliar with it, here's Elvis giving it a whirl:



So, my version goes "Oh How I love Noah" or Nate. The other day in the kitchen, this is how it went.

I start singing "Oh, How I Love Noah"
I change to the real lyrics, "Oh, How I Love Jesus"
Nate says, "That's silly daddy."
"Why's that silly, buddy?"
"That's just silly."
"Well, I do love Jesus."
Nate looks at me for a minute.
"I love God."

I'm not sure if I should be really happy, or if he thinks he one-upped me on this. How do you teach an almost three year old a proper Christology?

second blog

i have decided to start a second blog that focuses more on theology, christianity, my thoughts about where i am in my faith, and the things i learn about living it out. it can be found at:

elahvalley.blogspot.com

Cast off

Nate got his cast off the other day. as we were going to the doctor, he was going through all the options of colors that he would choose for his new cast. I kept telling him it would be better if he didn't have to have one anymore. he was awesome. minimal freaking out from the saw (we have been talking about the very loud saw for about a week). he did great with the x-ray.

it was really interesting to see how he did not know what to do with his hand after the cast came off. he had gotten so used to not using it, or only using it in particular situations, that he didn't use it for a while. then he slowly picked things up. the bath changed things a lot. he finally got to sit in the tub rather than a bag on his hand and a quick shower. the best was that he got to go to his new class for the first time without a cast on friday. he did great and got to do a lot of stuff he couldn't do in the past.

although he doesn't get the attention he got with the cast, and now has to completely dress himself without any help, he seems content to have it off. he's excited about shooting baskets with two hands and throwing a frisbee again. his dad is excited, too.

transitions

there have been many changes in the smith household over the past couple of weeks. nate's plunge from the crib mandated toddler beds. i'm pleasantly surprised that the beds have gone very well. they (mostly) stay in their beds and comply to nap and bedtime. nap is a bigger issue, but manageable.

the biggest transition is to a new school. for many reasons, we felt it was a good idea for the boys to be in a more established school that they could grow in. but the changing of schools has resulted in a lot of stress on the boys. their are a number of changes having to do with school. but the major changes are they go five days a week instead of three, they are the youngest in the class instead of the oldest, they are in separate classes, and nate's cast doesn't allow him much freedom to participate in the classroom work. we have had a number of meltdowns in the morning in the hallway outside their door. it has been getting better. the biggest concern for me is noah's sudden stammering. for the last 4-5 days he can't get his words out of his mouth. ultimately, i assume all will be fine, but it is a daily prayer that they will adapt and it will be a positive thing. your prayers are greatly appreciated.

i voted. now on to obesity!

i heard this little tidbit on NPR this morning. in an effort to increase voter turnout, a couple of prominent chains are offering free items if you come in with an "I voted" sticker.



your cardiologist can thank me later.
(how do i get an "i voted" sticker when it's a mail-in ballot?)

nate's cast

so, as i stated in my previous post, nate now has a cast.

here are some pics from today.

10 little monkeys

we have been thinking for a while that it might be time for beds for our boys. the issue has been how difficult it is to get them to go to bed as is in their cribs. however, yesterday's events may force our hand. the boys were jazzed at nap time, and i was working hard to settle them down. i got them into bed and as soon as i turned my back, nate jumped in his bed while holding onto the railing. i told him not to do it again. then noah decided to test if that pertained to him as well. it did. then nate, while my back was turned, did it again. what i heard was a heart-wrenching thump. and there was my son in the middle of the floor crying.
he was hurt, but wasn't overly complaining. he just kept crying. i thought he was probably more scared than anything, and possibly milking it since he knew he wasn't supposed to be jumping. after an hour and a half where i got them both settled (thanks sesame street) they both took short naps. i knew nate was hurt, but couldn't figure out exactly how or where. when i poked and prodded him, he didn't complain, which i was expecting. then after he woke up, i could see how much he was favoring his left arm. we decided to feed them dinner and then i'd take him to urgent care. i could tell it was his wrist.
sitting in the waiting room was so fun. i really don't get enough time one-on-one with my boys. we brought some books and had a great time reading and exploring. we brought "10 little monkeys jumping on the bed" which he has memorized, so he read at at the top of his lungs, which made people laugh, especially once i told them why we were there.
sure enough, 2 hours later, nate had a new splint on his arm. this was not exciting for him. it was mortifying. his comment: "i no like it." but that comment was made in tears and at about 140 decibels, so it might not be verbatim.
the only way i could settle him down was to cover his new cast in stickers. he thought that was pretty cool. he's actually been remarkably adept at learning with one hand and still being independent. i serve as his left hand to put on socks or pull up his pants. but he still wants to do it. he's left handed (at least i think he is) and it's been fun to watch him relearn things. i'll try to get some pictures up later today of the sticker covered cast.

stay at home dads

i'm hoping to get your take on this video. i came across it over the weekend, and it's been laying on me a little. watch it, give me your opinion. deal with the scripture. deal with the approach. i'd love to hear what you have to say.

disclaimer: i am a stay at home dad, and i study the bible. i am frequently challenged by other's takes on things and attempt to allow people to speak into my life. please be honest with me.

the resurgence: stay at home dads.

unshakeable

have you ever had a curiosity or a feeling you couldn't shake? i've had this thing that i have wondered, but to act on it meant a bold and calculated move that could not be reversed. so last night i finally did it, after convincing my wife it couldn't possibly be as bad as she was imagining.

conspire with me

A few years back, I was really frustrated with Christmas. It wasn't that we spent a ton of money (my family never really did) but it all seemed so contrived and opposite of how it should be. I didn't think anything would ever change about that. It really hit when I gave someone a gift certificate and they gave me one to the exact same place. What were we doing? I couldn't figure out how we could change anything. Until I found out about this: conspire with me to stop giving presents and start giving presence.

amazing grace

Our good friend Gayle gave the boys a CD this week. We've sung Amazing Grace with them, so they know all the words to the first verse. It was a lot of fun. This is the 2nd time they've heard this track.

week plans

Attention Portlanders: I'm looking to take my kids to the zoo and maybe to OMSI this week. If you'd like to join us we'd love the company. It'd just be for the morning. I get a free guest at the zoo!

sex ed from a 2 1/2 year old boy

my conversation with nate after he used the toilet this morning.

Nate: I have a penis. Daddy has a penis. Mommy has a penis.
Me: No, buddy, Mommy doesn't have a penis.
Nate: Mommy has a mustache!

typical male?

nate has cracked me up this morning. yesterday, i bought the boys a little toy golf set, but it was pouring rain all afternoon.
the first words out of nate's mouth when i walked in his room this morning.

"i pooped."
"i wanna play golf."

What do you want to pray for tonight?

The title of this blog is the question we posit to our boys every night before we got to bed. We've only been doing it for a couple weeks. I realized we weren't really including them in bedtime prayers and I wanted to get them a) to sit down and b) to realize that praying is really important and bigger than us. I figured a simple question would get responses like "Grandma" or "Mommy" or something - things we've prayed about before.

So, they have said the same thing every time we've asked. It goes something like this: "ephelants" "no, i want ephelants" "monkeys and gorillas." You have to love 2 year old prayers, right? But I was faithful, and we prayed specifically for elephants, monkeys and even more specifically for endangered gorillas - that was about a week ago.

Then I read this today. Sometimes I really underestimate God. Today I a) sat down and b) realized that praying is really important and bigger than us.

kid's music

anyone out there have some suggestions for kid's music? we're going on a road trip next week and i don't really have anything for the boys to listen to. of course they have their favorites, but i can only listen to so much led zeppelin


and mc hammer.

i know, i know, but we're 2 legit 2 quit.

please - any recommendations would be great from christian kids music to the old standby songs - as long as it's not so overly cheezy. i haven't been able to find much through itunes, but let me know what your kids like (and what you can stand) in the comments below. thanks!

pain hurts

My boys like to play outside with a little portable pool or a large bucket whenever they can. Unfortunately, we don't have a backyard, so we get to do it in the front yard.

Nate and Noah don't ever want to wear shoes, and they inevitably get little scrapes while running/tripping/crashing on our driveway. Every day it's something.

Today, however, Noah took a nice little chunk out of his big toe. He was quite unhappy about it too. The worst part was there was a tiny rock wedged in there and I had to get it out. Unhappy would not be the word to describe that. More like, "My Dad is the spawn of Satan." Beth had to hold him down, and I got out the tweezers, did a little surgery and pulled that little sucker out. He screamed his head off. (It still doesn't beat Nate's trip to the ER for stitches, but it's close.)
Then, while I was holding him, letting him know I wasn't completely evil, something came out of my mouth completely by accident. While I was holding him, I said to him, "Sometimes things have to hurt more before they can get better." I've been ruminating in this thought all night. When we realize we hurt, does it usually get better or worse? What have you found to be true in your life? Leave a comment and let me know.

saturday zoo

last saturday we went to the zoo. i never really liked the zoo all that much. beth and i went to the "world famous" san diego zoo & wild animal park a couple of times when we lived in san diego, but i could take it or leave it. it probably has to do with my disdain for large groups of people touching me. really, don't touch me if i don't know you.
having kids has changed this monumentally. i now love the zoo. why? because they love the zoo. their complete joy at seeing the different animals affects my joy level. of course, i still don't want strangers touching me, but i'll put up with some discomfort when there is that much joy surrounding me.
saturday was about the most perfect zoo day you could imagine. just slightly overcast, in the mid-70s and the animals were out. even better, the people weren't. i love the oregon zoo. it's quaint, they have great animals, their prices are great (with a season pass) and i can easily find my way around. we found a parking spot, brought in our wagon and the day had begun.
our boys first reaction when we get into the zoo is one of excitement.

they took off running to look for "amnals." unfortunately, the first animal you come across going this direction is a mountain goat. they don't like goats. ask them. they'll tell you.
the wagon is a great tool at the zoo. in fact, a lot of times, the boys will do the work:

the day is always great when you get to the primate section. the boys love the monkeys, and they always seem to be doing something awesome. today was no exception. we got to the chimps at feeding time, and then there were two primates that really wore their emotions out there for everyone to see:
This guy was awesome. he sat here the whole time. not happy at all:

and the orangutan. what can you say. haven't you had a day when you just wanted to sit in a giant bowl with a bag on your head? i have...

anyway, it was a great day at the zoo. if you ever want to join us, we're ready to go! the boys talk about it any chance they get. maybe the tiger will be out again:

5.27.08
Today was mostly boring. I found myself out in lala land for a while. The beginning of the day was review, and we actually stopped at a couple of places we had already been to. I think the day was a little out of place. It didn't help that we were all exhausted from the previous 4 days in Galilee. But now we're back, and we get a "day off" tomorrow, although our prof has planned 2 extra-curricular events that we are going to. We'll be going to the Garden Tomb, and to the Western Wall tunnels. Both of these were by appointment only, so it's a special treat to be able to go.
Today, however, was spent in some of the outlying areas of Jerusalem. We went to the Church of our Father and to the Church of Dominus Flavit (the Lord Weaps). This church was very cool. I got a great shot of the dome of the rock through the window.
The Garden of Gethsemane had a beautiful church, The Church of the Agony. I wanted to spend more time here, but we were pretty quick in and out. It was a dark and ominous church - the colors and themes echoed the night Jesus spent in the garden. I loved it and snapped up a bunch of pictures.
We also went to Herodian and Bethlehem. At Bethlehem we went to the Church of the Nativity, which is a bit over the top. It is filled with gaudy imagery and far too much incense and candles. It was cool to be at the place that was highly likely to be where Jesus was born. I also thought I was an expert at debunking the Christian Christmas story myths, but I've learned even more.

Mom - for the answer to the quiz, check here:

quiz answer

moments

5/26/08
Galilee
Today was a bizarre day. Even though it was really full, it felt remarkably laid back. I thought yesterday was fantastic. I loved our communion service that happened after dinner. We spent time talking and praying and sharing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was really great to hear what other people were learning and have time to reflect myself. There were snapshots in my mind that I shared and it was really cool. I have those God moments - those little connections with my Savior - that have happened periodically throughout the trip. I had a handful of people come up to me afterward and thank me for sharing, which was a very reassuring thing. I'm really glad the things that have impacted me have impacted others as well.

We went to Zippori, a town that has a number of names associated with it. It would have been the main city in Galilee at the time of Jesus, and was a short walk from Nazareth. There was a home there that had a magnitude of mosaic art on the floor. It was amazing the detail of work using a bunch of colored stones.
We also stopped at the spring where Gideon's men were whittled down in numbers. It was kind of cool, but lost it's luster since a swimming pool had been built right next to it.
We picnicked at another spring that was nice. A little relaxation - we were able to swim in it before lunch.
After that we went to Beth-She-an, a major site with an amazing amount of excavations. I thought it was beautiful, and was really glad it was near the end of our trip. Even though it had little biblical significance, it was really interesting to see how a Roman City would have been at the time of Jesus. The expanse was impressive, as you can see in the picture - it was loaded with a giant bathhouse, theater and massive architecture. It was demolished by a huge earthquake in the 700's.
I have a quiz for my mom. Try to figure out where the tree is from. It's from a movie. I'll give you the answer on my next post.

Tonight has been about reconnecting with everyone. I talked with my wife, saw my boys over the web-cam, and now getting pics uploaded and the blog updated. Drop me a line if you can, I'm a little homesick!

Jesus Day!

5.25.08
EVENTS OF THE DAY

My highlight location of the day was Capernaum. But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you about an awesome discovery that was made. When the water was low, a couple of fishermen found a 1st century fishing boat! It was quite an intensive restoration that took over 10 years, and it was an amazing thing to see. You can read more about it here.

Back to Capernaum. Even though it was extremely "touristy," I felt close to Jesus there. It was really the first place I felt that I was very close to him in a location. But when you find yourself standing in the synagogue he taught it, from the place he would have stood, it's amazing. We also saw what was most likely Peter's house. What was so amazing about that was it had been expanded to incorporate a house church. Rather than being a small little house, there were rooms and rooms added on. They made their family larger. It struck me that it was so organic, so raw and full of Christ. I think that's why I loved Capernaum. It felt raw and full of Christ.

We also went to Korizim, the likely place of the Sermon on the Mount. There is the tourist location that advertised as the location, but one of the benefits to having a prof that really studies this stuff is that you don't get swallowed up in all the hoopla. This city was a welcome change in ruins. The building materials are completely different in Galilee. They used basalt from the lava flow rather that limestone. So instead of staring at pale brown rocks, we got dark black rocks. I thought it was pretty. One of the awesome lessons pointed out during our teaching time was that Jesus spoke as "one having authority." He didn't name drop a rabbi like other teachers did. They would say, "Rabbi Hellel says..." But he said, "I say to you..." Awesome.

We went to Bethsaida, which I felt was a total disappointment. There wasn't anything particularly interesting. I think it was because our prof had dug here 2 years ago and was very cynical of their "findings." It put a sour taste in my mouth. One of the most memorable quotes of the trip happened here, "Archaeology proves nothing." Makes me wonder why we're doing this, but he pointed out a very important fact. You can make archaeology say things it doesn't say, so when someone says they found proof of something archaeologically, it isn't proof but evidence. It's very different.

The last stop was Kursi, the possible location of two different miracles. One was the healing of the demoniac where Jesus cast the demons into the pigs and then into the sea. The other was the feeding of the 5000. I was exhausted by this point, but the location and flowers were beautiful and inspiring.

Today was a day full of Jesus. I loved it!

Storms

5/25/08 Thoughts on the Day

Today we began the day on a boat. We boarded a boat and travelled across the Sea of Galilee. We stopped part way across and had a great time of reflection. Marc had us imagine what it would be like to be one of the disciples on the boat with Jesus. He first read the story of Jesus calming the storm, and then the story of Jesus walking on water. Jesus had calmed the first storm while he was with them, and now they're caught in the same situation. The thought hit me that they must have asked themselves, "Where's Jesus" or "I sure wish Jesus was here, he could fix this." Now, during this second storm, Jesus arrives by foot. They are now more scared of him than of the storm that is still raging upon their boat. (This is interesting since I've always pictured Jesus walking on calm, glassy water, but it was during a storm!) They had to be having this thought. And then he shows up in POWER! Power that scares them. I am trying to think back and recall if I've ever felt that way about my Savior. Have I been scared of his power? Should I be?
The feeling that really stuck with me was "Where's Jesus this time?" These disciples were being obeident. They obeyed and crossed the sea, but they couldn't see Jesus, and they felt he wasn't around when they needed him. Can anyone else relate to this? I feel this way in my life right now -> Jesus, you've shown up before, why not now? Will he show up in even greater power than before, like he did with the disciples? I don't know - I don't think that's what this story is about - but I think he could. That is the hope that I have. He could show up with greater power, n a way that will scare my socks off. I do know that he'll show up - he's never left - and even more, that like his disciples of that day, he has compassion on me in the middle of my storm.

Galilean Idol

5/24/08
Our place on the Sea of Galilee is amazing. Ein Gev is right on the lake. It is by far the best place we've stayed. Unfortunately, while running out into the lake last night, I stepped on a shell. My big toe got a pretty good chunk of skin removed, but I didn't need stitches. It eventually stopped bleeding.
We began the day at an overlook where you could see Syria and then turn all around and see the lake. We went to a lot of places today. It was a fast paced day. We overlooked Gamel, a place that was reminiscent of Masada. The Jews here held out a long time against the Romans, and then committed suicide, rather than be captured.
My favorite place of the day was Caesarea Phillipi. There was a large cave with many carvings and niches for the Greek god Pan. Jesus made his statement to Peter and the other disciples about the gates of Hades not prevailing over the church at this place. This is astonishing because there is a rumor that the locals believed the cave there was the entrance to Hades. If this is true, it is remarkable that Jesus would use this opportunity to say this. He chose this location, full of pagan idol worship to make a case for the church. He also taught us teachers how to teach. He used something common from the day as an object lesson. Maybe we should point out Gucci billboards and talk about consumerism, or political ads and talk about honesty and integrity.
We stopped at a beautiful waterfall, too.
After this we went to Dan, a large place where many interesting artifacts have been found. The most interesting is an inscription that mentions "The House of David." There was little historical evidence outside of Scripture about King David before this find. Dan had a large altar built and a huge platform for the golden calf. Quite fascinating.
At night, I moped around and missed my family. It was the first night I forced myself to be alone - and it was horrible.

arm a geddon it

5/23./08
It was another full day. I've been really overwhelmed at how much we have to do. We are constantly racing from point to point, snapping some pics and then back on the bus with hardly anytime to process. I guess that's what writing this is for.
We went up the coast and into the Jezreel Valley. The valley is beautiful and larger that the other valleys we've seen. We stopped at a place where you could see the valley and point out the mountains of Tabor, Moreh and Gilboa.
We went to Caesarea, a beautiful old city that King Herod built to honor Caesar. Which Caesar escapes me right now. Herod built this city to show that he was Rome. He wanted the Romans to know that he was Roman. He built the temple for the Jews to show them that he was Jewish. Interesting how little politicians change, isn't it? Herod also did this on the backs of the Jews, through labor and heavy taxes. Looking at the city was awesome, but then it kind of made me sick to know the motives behind it.
We were on top of Mt. Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. We also spent time at Megiddo, where we discussed its eschatalogical impact. There are a bunch of people that believe it's the location of the final battle. Armageddon literally means "Mountain of Megiddo," and so many people believe that Megiddo will be the stage. I tend to think it is metaphorical. Megiddo was the site of so many battles over the years, huge battles by large armies. The author knew of the history and wanted to communicate the magnitude of the battle. Being there really firmed this up in my mind - the valley just isn't big enough for a modern war with airplanes, etc. It would be over really fast.
The interesting thing about Megiddo is that has been destroyed and built up 25 times. It also had a spot in the city that has been the location of a temple or holy site 17 times. I think that's fascinating.

I also got to hike to the top of mount Arbel. It was an awesome view, really windy, but worth it.

Unfortunately, after two weeks of this it's starting to feel like lots of piles of stones over and over. I'm still learning a lot. I can recognize Solomonic gates, tripartate homes, casement walls, etc. I feel like I need to recognize Jesus in it all.

Hot Stuff

5.21.08
Today was a hard day. We walked a lot today, in the scorching heat of the wilderness. I felt like I did fine, but it was wearing. There was a lot of complaining, and it was hard for a lot of people to pay attention. We went to a lot of tourist spots, which I thought took away from some of the significance. Most of the spots weren't biblical either, although they added to the context.
We first went to masada, a fortress on top of a huge plateau. It was amazing from the ground, but once you got in the city itself, it didn't seem quite so impressive. Herod's palace was a colossal feat of building, but the rest seemed like a lot of what we had seen before. We spent a lot of time on masada, exploring and taking pictures.
Next we went and floated in the Dead Sea. It really is a unique experience. It feels like you're in wet Jell-o, just thick enough to hold you up. After a couple minutes, it really burns. My neck started to burn, and i got splashed in the eye, so I got out quick.
After that we hiked En-Gedi, a natural spring in the wilderness. This is where David and his mighty men hid in caves fleeing from Saul. It is also the place where David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but cut off a corner of his robe instead. It is a critical passage that shows David's willingness to follow God's leading.
We ended the day at Qumran, which was scorching hot, on the northwest edge of the Dead Sea. There are a number of theories about who the people were, and what they did. The main thing about this site is what was found around it. This is the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. It was awesome to see the caves in the cliff walls and learn about the different theories of the scrolls as we sat there.

Negev remix

5.20.08
Today we explored a number of places that I found really beautiful. I got up really early this morning to catch the sunrise over Maktesh Roman. It was beautiful and poignant. While at the crater, i took about 100 pictures. I loved it there. In the morning, we went to Avdat, a Nabatean settlement. The Naboteans were spice traders that used the routes through the Negev. They centered around Petra but had a settlement in Avdat. There were some Christian items there as well, like a church and baptistry. It would be a hard life to live in the hot and arid land.
At Ein Avdat we took a hike up a canyon and then climbed a canyon wall. I thought it would be much more strenuous than it actually was. I had a great time. I don't usually enjoy hiking all that much, but with landscape this stunning, I'd do it all the time.
So far, some of the sites we've gone to have been less interesting than others. Beer-Sheva was one of those. I found a couple of things that would be great for teaching, but the overall vibe of the place was boring.
Arad had an interesting feature, however. It had a temple - like that in Jerusalem, but smaller. This was against the covenant and in complete defiance of the law. What made it worse was that it appears to have a place for two gods. They found an inscription that mentioned "Yahweh and his Asherah." I realized that I, too, can easily become syncretistic by loving consumerism, comfort and air conditioning.
Tomorrow is the Dead Sea, Masada, and En Gedi. These are some of my favorite spots from the last time I was here. So far, the Negev has been my favorite.

Shephelah and Negev

5.19
Today was a great day. It was a day spent in the Shephelah and the Coastal Plain. We finished the day in the Negev at the most beautiful youth hostel I've ever seen. We started the day early at 7AM on the bus. We hit a number of spots along the valleys in the Shephelah. Our first stop was Beth-Shemesh where we got to dig through pottery shards. I am now the proud owner of authentic Israel pottery. Later, we went to the Elah Valley and stood in the field where David fought Goliath. I thought it was a very remarkable experience. I got 5 smooth stones from the very streambed David did. Although the time was short, I thought it was astonishing to be in that place.
Further on our travels, we stopped at Maresha, which was a biblical site. It was so amazing. Because of the heat, they dug caverns out of the soft limestone. it was a really beautiful place and it was amazing to see the ingenuity of the people who lived there.
We were able to swim in the Mediterranean in the afternoon. It was exactly what I needed. It was fun to get in the water and relax.
Once we arrived at the hostel, it was amazing. The location of this place is awesome. Maktesh Ramon is an amazing crater that expands for miles upon miles. It resembles the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon. I spent a lot of time taking pics at sunset and moonrise. At first, I was by myself and it was so peaceful. Just me, my camera and my headphones. Then, after a couple of minutes, it seemed like everyone was out there. It was great though. I am planning to get up early to see the sunrise in the morning.

slow down and worship

Day 5
5.17.08
Today was my favorite day yet. It was a day off, a slow down day, and it proved to be exactly what I needed. I wasn't planning on it, but went to church this morning (Saturday) at a Messianic service. It was at a small chapel which sat about 80, but it was packed when we got there. I stood in the foyer, where I could still see. They sang a bunch of songs in Hebrew, and I could follow along and sing as well. I had an elderly gentleman singing over my shoulder the whole time. He had a beautiful voice, and listening to him I was able to correct my mispronunciations. There were moments where I just let him sing and allowed myself to be captivated. The songs were so deeply theological and really brought the full story of salvation history together. The songs spoke of the King who sits on David's throne, and Yeshua the Messiah as the one who truly saves. I was brought to tears standing there.
Later, we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and went to the Pool of Bethesda. At the pool, we found another church that was solely "for the purpose of praying and singing hymns." Our group went inside and we began to sing together in a cathedral that makes even mediocre singing sound amazing. It was a powerful moment for me as well. There were people coming in to see what the singing was about, but I didn't notice that we had a little crowd until we were leaving. It was a beautiful, holy moment.
Tonight, a bunch of us continued our singing in the student lounge. It was a great worshipful day. The Sabbath. In Jerusalem.

temptation, tunnels and tombs

Today I felt like Indiana Jones. Thanks girls, for singing the theme song. We spent time today in three locations. First, we went and saw Hezekiah's broad wall. I was amazed to see that the city didn't look anything like the city of Jesus' day. That has been very striking for me thus far. Each time period had a very different Jerusalem. In my mind I had always pictured the same place. But David's Jerusalem was incredibly different from Hezekiah's Jerusalem or Herod's Jerusalem.
The next place we went was the city of David. We walked along the southern wall to the Dung Gate (that's where all the sewage would run out because it's the lowest point). I found the time in David's City to be powerful as we read the story of David, Bathsheba and Uriah. It was easy to put yourself in David's shoes, looking down upon the city from where your palace would be. He would be able to see anyone. It was really awesome when our prof was authentic and spoke reality into the story.
Next was Hezekiah's Tunnel. This was a tunnel that was built in order to seal off Jerusalem's water source from the Assyrian Army. The water source was outside the walls, but it got sealed off and channeled into the city. This was a big engineering feat. They started one man at the spring and another from the city and they met halfway. It is amazing they even got close to each other. We walked through the tunnel in ankle deep water. It took quite a while to walk through - about 30 minutes. The whole time I was thinking about the work that it would take to create such a tunnel. A man with a pick axe and an oil lamp. That is hard work and dedication. It was also a stunning display of faith on Hezekiah's part to seek God and plan effectively for the protection of the city.

To end the day, we walked up the Kidron Valley. I was struck by the elevation change up to the city of David and the temple mount. When you are up top, it doesn't seem that far down, but when you are at the bottom, it is a very arduous task to get to the top. It also struck me that these battles with large numbers of soldiers would fit in this valley. It is stated that at least 185,000 soldiers were in the valley with Sennacherib when the Assyrians attacked Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:35). They would have spread farther than you can see. It would have been quite a sight. We also got to see some tombs and monuments that would have been present as Jesus crossed the valley. That was really cool. Large tombs, that I crawled inside of, really brought it home that I was here.

from hell to resurrection in 5 minutes

Today was a great day. We spent the morning walking around the Old City of Jerusalem. As we walked out of the school, we looked over the Hinnom Valley. This is where child sacrifice occurred, and where the city dump was started. During Jesus' time, it was a place that was constantly on fire from the trash that was being burned, so it was an ample picture of death and agony. When he spoke of Gehenna, people knew what he was referring to. It was a powerful moment to look out over the valley and to be struck with the force of Jesus' statements when I could see where and what he was talking about. After our morning devotion, where Jan spoke about Jerusalem only being a tourist place without Jesus' death and resurrection, it was fitting to begin with the idea that we needed to pray and weep over the city as Jesus did.
We started at the Zion Gate and made our way in a sort of clockwise fashion around the city. I had gotten lost around there last night with Josh, so it was funny to start where the evening ended. We went through the Armenian quarter into the Christian quarter. There we spent a little time at a church that has a number of names - Anastasia, Resurrection, Holy Sepulchre. It is most commonly called the Church of the Holy Sepulchre today, but was known as the church of the resurrection for many years. It was built in the 4th century by Helena, Constantine's mother, when she researched and found the likely place. Time has changed the idea, but it was only through bad research. The Church of the Resurrection was stunning and caused me to wrestle with the dichotomy of worship and excess. I think it is a beautiful expression of worship to build a building like that, but at the same time it appears to be so much excess. what good the money could have done. But, I know that Jesus accepted gifts that were expensive and seemed over the top.

initial thoughts

today ended up being a fun, eventful day. after very limited sleep and a really long flight, we arrived in Jerusalem slightly behind schedule. when we got here, our leader and our bus were nowhere to be found. it appeared he had forgotten or was running very late. he's the kind of guy that would be totally early. we got to the school, which is really cool. it's built into a wall around jerusalem, so it's maze-like in its hallways. i have yet to find the library. it is on Mt Zion and overlooks the Hinnom Valley. We can literally walk a hundred yards and be in the old city of Jerusalem in the Armenian quarter.
after dinner, another guy and i decided to walk around the town - New Jerusalem rather than old, since we'll be doing that tomorrow. we finally found Ben Yehuda street, where all the happening stuff was. Then we walked back toward school. Rather than go the way we came, we decided to wander into the old city and subsequently got pretty lost. thinking that the 100 yards idea was true, we thought we'd take a shortcut. rather than the 5 minutes it would have taken, we got back in about 30. we learned the Armenian quarter rather well.
i'm looking forward to a good night sleep tonight. it will be much appreciated. i've already got a roommate sawing logs as I type, so I am very thankful for the nightshade and earplugs. tomorrow is 8AM to take a tour of Old Jerusalem.

Why is Greenland icy and Iceland green?

Well, I find myself on the plane on my way to Israel. The whole experience thus far is a little surreal. I'm sitting next to a guy who is really cool - a blessing, since I was afraid that I would have an experience that rivaled that of Planes Trains and Automobiles.

Right now, we're flying over Iceland, just passed Greenland. Juno is playing for the second time on the flight. It's weird to think that we travel over the Arctic Circle rather than straight east. But, it's logical once I think about it.

I started a really interesting book by Shane Claiborne. It's called Jesus for President - thanks Kyle. About 100 pages in, I find it a very engaging read. The premise is that understanding the political climate of Jesus' day supercharges his words with revolutionary meaning that we don't understand at a cursory glance of the Scriptures today. I have been thinking about these ideas for a couple years now (in some ways longer, because I've never felt all that patriotic) and I'm finding a lot of it rings true. It would be really interesting to get the academic side of this idea, although I appreciate the many footnotes and references. There are statements that are made that should require footnotes that don't have any - some of the big things I've been chewing on don't really get answered - just restated.

I also learned that Manchester United won their match today, which means Chelsea places second. Better than the fourth that most people were expecting after the managerial change. And they still have a chance at the Champions League against ManU. Next year.

three weeks of posts?

it's been a solid month since my last post. but i've written a good paper, failed miserably on a vocabulary test and learned a lot in the process. i hope to discuss some of my personal discoveries from my paper in a later post.

for those of you who don't know, i will be traveling to israel for a class for three weeks, starting may 11. i am really looking forward to the time to learn, be engulfed by the land, and to have some time to meditate with God and ruminate over the last couple of years and what lies ahead. i haven't felt like i've had much time at all to slow down for about two years. i will miss my family to no end (i've only been away from my boys for 3 days at the longest). however, i know that my time away will be beneficial to my whole family as well.

if you would pray for me on my trip that would be great. i am really trying to have a reflective attitude and absorb this whole experience. it is my second time in israel, but unfortunately i don't remember much of the first time. i feel this is an enormous piece of being able to teach the Bible - especially the Old Testament.

my hope is to blog some of my thoughts - we have to keep a journal anyway, so why not do it electronically right? so hopefully, there will be a good three weeks of postings up here in the near future.

Jephthah's appointment

I am currently working on a project on Jephthah in Judges 11. I have found that when I ask a lot of questions, it tends to help me process things. I thought that it might be a cool thing if I put my thoughts and questions down here. Then, if you want to do a little study on a passage that you may not have spent much time on previously, this might be helpful to you. I hope this is beneficial. I really love working and thinking through these things in community. Please put your thoughts in any comments, as they will greatly help me in my work as well.

I decided to break them up into smaller bite-sized passages rather than the entire chapter, and we can look at different events that happened in Jephthah's life. So periodically, I'll post new questions from the next section.

Today's reading: Judges 11:1-11

Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.
Some time later, when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. “Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”
Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”
The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead.”
Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me—will I really be your head?”
The elders of Gilead replied, “The LORD is our witness; we will certainly do as you say.” So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

Some questions:
*What was Jephthah's background/family history? Why do you think this is important?

*When Jephthah was thrown out, where did he go? Who were his companions? The NIV states they were "adventurers". This is a kind translation. The Hebrew calls them "empty men." This is sometimes translated as "worthless men." What kind of work would "empty men" do? Does that say anything about Jephthah?

*For what reason did the elders seek out Jephthah? Why do you think they chose Jephthah? Was this the best they could find?

*What is Jephthah's initial reaction? Do you sense any bitterness?

*11:9 is not translated very well in the NIV. The verb they translate "take me back" is the same word for repentance and restoration. Is Jephthah negotiating for a higher title "head" versus "commander" or is he really asking for dignity and to be restored to his family?

*Jephthah is given a position of authority. In fact - it is actually stated as a legal proceeding, a very strong affirmation that this is indeed reality. Given Jephthah's previous occupation, what is the outlook that he will be successful? Is this a foreshadowing into the story, or a possible sign of redemption of his negative past?

*Verse 11 is the first time we are introduced to God in the story. What is his role? Why has God been excluded from this important decision? Why has Jephthah found it necessary to repeat the words before the Lord? Who or what is at Mizpah? (hint - it's not a place of worship, so why would Jephthah find it necessary to do it here?) (second hint - look at Judges 10:17-18). Was Jephthah proclaiming the words for God's benefit, or to let the people know what is going on? What do you think are his motives?

Thanks so much for looking at this passage with me. Your comments are greatly appreciated and welcomed. If you have other questions that I might research for you having to do with this passage, please let me know.

thesis help

it has been a long time since i have blogged. this one will be brief as well. i am actually asking for help. for those of you who know me, you know i am completing an advanced master's degree in theology, specifically Old Testament. i need help coming up with a thesis topic. my parameters are this:
1) i want to work with Old Testament narrative. i am particularly interested in the Torah, and then the Writings.
2) i want to deal with narrative more than poetry. Poetics are very challenging and usually have the oldest Hebrew, which can be very difficult to translate.
3) It has to be something that not too many people have written about. An example of something that I wanted to write about, but has too much already written is the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis. It is inserted right in the middle of Joseph's story. Feels out of place, but it isn't. Unfortunately, this has much written about it.
4) I want it to be applicable. I could choose to write about verb tenses and comparisons between poetics and narrative, but if it doesn't have any impact on our spiritual journey, who cares?
I'm going to be pouring a lot of time into this. Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Here are some questions that you could think through that might help me. What is your favorite Old Testament story and why? Where have you had questions about the theology or relevance of a story? What seems the weirdest to you? Have you ever wondered how a particular Old Testament story relates to the New Testament? Do you even read the Old Testament, or do you feel that it's antiquated and has little to do with you? have you read the new testament where it has mentioned something from the old testament, but you don't get it? if i can help you through my research, these are the things i want to do. thanks for your input.

least favorite super bowl

i haven't cared less about a super bowl since i can remember. i probably cared less for that super bowl the ravens won. but i just can't get into this one. i don't care about the history. i don't care about the commercials.

heading into the nfl playoffs, i had great hope for the ultimate super bowl. all the teams i follow were in the playoffs, and many teams that had players that i like and cheer for. i have followed the seahawks, cowboys and chargers for years now. all of them had a decent if not excellent chance of advancing deep into the playoffs. only the chargers overacheived.

watching this superbowl is like watching the yankees play the dodgers for the world series. you with me john? is there any way that both teams can lose?