I’m back home from a quick trip to California. Some of you prayed; thank you. A few observations:
1. My first impression when I got out of the airport was how beautiful southern California was. I was looking at some very green hills. I haven’t seen that since I last left Texas.
2. I have some wonderful friends. The Lord has blessed me with some people who really care for me and my family, and that constantly brightened my time there.
3. The two questions everyone asked were: how is your family? what are you going to do when you finish?
4. Chapel went well. At least I didn’t hear any bodies slam on the bleachers from fainting. I was not real nervous when speaking, but I can’t say I was comfortable either. I prefer a well-lit classroom with 10-40 students I know to a darkened gymnasium with hundreds I don’t. I received a very encouraging comment via an IBEX parent. At some point in the future, the messages will be online here.
5. I sat in on one class. It was the best lecture on Job I’ve ever heard. The most astonishing thing to me was that while I understood only a portion, the students in the class seemed to be tracking very closely.
6. I brought three books but had no time to read besides the plane rides. I finished What the Best College Teachers Do on the way there and read a commentary on Jonah on the way back. I may write more on the first title later.
7. I listened to Andrew Peterson exclusively while driving around.
8. I had dinner with a Christian family with 8 children. It was absolutely inspiring.
9. The answers for question #3 above are: good and teach.
Thanks, Todd, for both coming to TMC and for posting. I can’t wait to buy and read that book on teaching. Thanks for including the title in this post, so I don’t forget about it. Please tell Kelli and the kids hello.
Todd,
If you liked reading the book of Jonah. Dale Johnson has a gripping account of his time in a monastery in Turkey during the Gulf War in 1991. He said that he had memorized the book in Syriac and quoted it while being tortured by a member of the Republican guard in Iraq. He would lake supplies over to the other monasteries and relatives and got caught.
Steve
Hey Todd, so glad you could come! :)
Todd, who taught the class on Job that you sat in on?
Tommy – Abner Chou.