I think I joked one too many times that I liked Skittles…
Dear friends have sent boxes. I like ’em, but honestly, it takes me about a week to eat a small bag. :-)
Fired!
I found out today that the college has decided not to renew my contract. They were very complimentary about me in a number of ways. They said I was nice, genuinely compassionate, and nice. But they cited two defects: content and style. I confess that this isn’t entirely a surprise. They had told me some months ago about complaints from students who simply weren’t getting enough from the lectures. They’d leave the two-hour lectures with nary a note taken. I had been working on this – throwing out the occasional date or random factoid to try to give them something to write down. It’s just not enough, they said. It hurts, but I understand. The other problem, they mentioned without being real tactful about it, is that the students are (and I quote), “bored to tears.” It seems that there would be a nicer way of phrasing it. Like, not sufficiently intellectually stimulated. Or, craving more stirring an
d passionate discourses. The lectures just aren’t up to the high standard that characterizes the school. I just think it’s unfair to hold me to that standard. Being interesting is just a passing fad and I’m a victim of the latest trend.
After reading the letter, I cried for a minute and then the phone rang. It was a job offer from the local mini-market. Their security guard just quit and they have an immediate opening. I think this is really a perfect fit for me. Not only is the pay higher, but I get to talk gruffly to random people all day long and look inside their purses. I’m sure it will make for a more interesting blog!
Follow-Up on March Hero
The March hero has arrived in Israel. This wasn’t planned when I wrote the post earlier this month, but it is an answer to your prayers I believe. Josh has a 10-day break between academic terms and will be going to Galilee with us. God’s timing is perfect. Thank you for praying. Now I am going to do something rare and leave the office early and go throw a baseball around. With him.
What This Blog Is About
Here’s the “word cloud” for this blog, showing the most popular words used here. No surprises, I don’t think.
HT: Dr. Cathey
Ten Minutes Out My Door
I don’t know what you see within a ten-minute walk from your door. Maybe a park, a grocery store, or a restaurant. Sometimes I miss those things. But on a day like today, I wouldn’t trade.
There wasn’t much rain this winter and so a Bedouin family (extended family with brother and multiple wives and such) moved from the area around Masada this week to the valley below my office. They’ll be there for a few months and I made contact today to hopefully visit them again at sheep-shearing time.
But I was just struck again that I didn’t have to get in a car or bus, but I could just walk down the hill and there they were. Not actors, and not a show. Real life. One of the wives handed us a pita right off the fire. Those are the best. The father was out tending the sheep and goats.
One of the wives told us which way he went but it took a while to find him. I felt like I was Joseph looking for his brothers. Shepherds keep on the move.
The man has 11 kids (2 wives) and the older ones were at school. But a younger daughter seemed to know the ropes already as she moved the flock along.
As I walked back, I was struck by how much the hillside looked like those of Galilee. This is the same hill I see every day from my office (a 90-degree turn of my head just now will do it), but the angle and the greenness brought back memories of time up north.
I went with the veterinarian who lives at the moshav. He had just found out that avian bird flu was discovered in the chicken farm a couple of miles away and now his phone was ringing off the hook. Every person with a chicken in his backyard wanted to know what to do. Someone asked before about the turkeys at the neighboring community – apparently they were nearing maturity when the first incident was reported in the south a few weeks ago and so the entire batch was sold. They won’t be allowed to get a new batch for at least a few months. Our moshav is under quarantine now along with the whole region.
Too bad there isn’t such a thing as a jackal flu.
Elections Today
Israel is holding elections today, the result of Ariel Sharon disbanding the government and forming a new political party, Kadima, some months ago. The Israel Project has a run-down of the views of the 31(!) political parties running for seats in the Knesset (parliament). Elections here mean a public holiday and the kids are home.
While I Was Away
Yad HaShmonah was the subject of a 10-page article in the Orthodox magazine Yated Ne’eman. A summary is given in this week’s Caspari Media Review. Consider the source and don’t believe everything you read.
David Powlison also has prostate cancer and takes the opportunity to add to Piper’s recent essay, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.”
Craig Dunning shows the latest in Israeli political advertisements.
Eric Zeller gives a brief summation of an article on why Goliath was only 6’9″. I heard the paper read at a seminar a year ago and found it quite persuasive.
The Archaeological Study Bible arrived. I hear it’s available for 50% off at the Gordon Conwell bookstore until May 6. That’s $25 for hardback, $40 for bonded leather, $45 for top grain leather. For more info, contact David Shorey (dshorey at gcts.edu), phone, 978-646-4015. More on thae Bible later, I hope.
Sidewalk art photos – unbelievable!
Two People in Greece
The above photo will make three of my four friends jealous. That’s not my only reason for posting it. I want to comment on the two people in the picture that you probably don’t know.
Second from the right is Fotis, a Greek man who has devoted his life to reaching his people with the gospel. What? You thought that Greece was a Christian nation? 98% are Christians, according to sources like the CIA World Factbook. The reality, however, is that the 98% is Greek Orthodox. Which means that most are not religious at all, but are simply “born into the church.” Most of those who are religious are, unfortunately, following a man-made religion which has replaced gods with saints. We heard a number of testimonies from those who came to Christ when they read the Bible. The GO church persecutes those who believe the Bible. It’s actually similar to Israel in a number of ways.
The girl in the photo is Erin Buescher, a TMC grad and now a professional basketball player in Athens. I had Erin in a class in my year on the CA campus and it was great to see her again. The position that God has given her to share the gospel with her teammates and other foreign basketball players is amazing. But it is hard, and she would appreciate your prayers as she lives a rather lonely life on the other side of the world away from family and friends.
Atop Mars Hill
If you knew that I was in Greece, you’d probably guess that the above photo recalls Paul’s speech to the philosophers at Mars Hill in Athens (for another photo of the hill itself, see my other blog). Those who come from the best college in the world are probably jealous to realize who I got to spend the week with. In fact, though I saw numerous biblical sites and took about 3,000 photos, I’d say my favorite part of the week was getting to know these guys better. Two are VPs, one is department chair and the other Dean of Students. That makes me several notches below any of them. But they were still nice to me. Even more than nice. Gracious, humble, and helpful. There’s much that I would like to say about the trip, but time is too short. I’ll try to do another post before I leave the country again (not until Thursday).
Hero of the Month: March 2006
Some months ago I had the idea to post a short note here about some people who have greatly impressed me. These are individuals that aren’t (and will never be) in the news, but are the types of people that I want my kids to grow up to be.
Josh Watson has been teaching the Bible to children and adults in India for more than six years now. This he does in the most humble of circumstances. And in the humblest of ways. The sacrifices that Josh has made to teach those who otherwise would not hear are too many to mention. And Josh would prefer that they not be reported. He teaches a variety of Bible classes to children of all ages, and he also teaches adults in various Bible studies and church settings. He does this daily, faithfully, without earthly praise, and at great cost.
The last five or six months though have been very difficult for Josh. Some external situations have mingled with internal realities to create a time harder than he has known before. God can change this, but so far he hasn’t. I want to ask you to pray that God would change this. That Josh would feel God’s hand upon him. That he would trust Him when he doesn’t. I have asked Josh if I could seek prayer on his behalf, and so I ask you to pray. Or, if you’d like to offer encouragement, do so here and I’ll make sure he gets it. Thank you.
2 Cor 1:10-11 “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”