Today’s viewing entertainment has been brought to you by Novell. I’m not a huge fan of SUSE Linux (Novell’s product) but we’re all on the same team, right? (I’ve been happily using edubuntu Linux for almost two months now).
| But those are just for fun. If you really want to see some cool Linux moves: | ||
So I’m sitting here in the middle of our church’s annual Session Retreat. For those of you who aren’t true blue Presbyterians, the session is the elected governing body of the church (kind of like a board of directors). As a staff member, I’m here to participate, but mostly observe and give input when requested. Right now, the session members are “visioning” and re-examining our church’s core values. This got me to thinking…
I’m going to seminary. Someday I hope to be an ordained Presbyterian minister. I don’t really want a traditional “church” (with walls and membership and doctrine and such). What I really want is to be part of a spiritual community. So, if this ideal community in my head had core values (which it might or might not) what would they be? Here’s a stab at my first two:
That’s what I’ve got so far. You’re welcome to add your own…
Two years after my departure from full-time public school teaching, my name and “reputation” seem to have lingered on after me. Someone pointed this website out to me, and lo and behold — I’ve been rated! Looks like three out of four reviews are positive, but I sure did make one person mad. Of course, all I could think about when reading the critique of myself as an “uptight loser” who doesn’t realize there’s “more to life than teaching” was the fact that my reviewer made about three grammatical mistakes in one short, poorly constructed sentence. So, I have to agree with his or her negative assessment — especially because, as a high school English teacher, I apparently failed to do my job and teach the proper writing skills necessary for intelligent discourse in a public forum.
Anyhow, if any of my former students would like to add your two cents to the mix (positive or negative), please feel free to exercise your right of free speech!
I had a long talk with a friend today about traditional security vs. “soft security” (the kind of security practiced by Wikipedia, among others). It’s time to start practicing what I preach.
This is my blog. It will always be, first and foremost, my blog. But as of today, it is your blog, too. I’ve set the permissions up so that anyone who registers (see side panel to the right and down) as a user of this blog can publish posts here. Obviously, there are limits to this and (since it’s my blog) I still reserve the right to hit the “delete” button on any article or change my mind about this whole thing tomorrow. If you’re a spammer, don’t even think about it. But consider it a bold experiment — success or failure will become evident over time, and either one is a worthy pursuit.
My only requests are that if/when you post an article, please use your real name (not anonymously or with your “screen name”) and make sure it’s actually an article — something with depth, or something funny, or something interesting (although I realize my own posts don’t always rise to that level) — as opposed to just “saying hello,” asking me a question, dropping a link, or replying to someone (those things belong in comments). You can post something you know I’m passionate about, or interested in, or you can post something that you’re passionate about or interested in. Either way, consider yourself my “guest blogger.”
And welcome…
Yesterday was one of those milestones in parenting that seems kind of silly when you talk about it, and yet means everything in the world when it happens.
We’ve been talking to Grady about getting a “big boy bed” for quite some time now, and even reading a few books about it. He was super excited when we all went to the store yesterday to pick it up, and after we got home, he even “helped” assemble it with the tools he got from his Grandparents and his Aunt Emily. Then came the best part — snuggling in for bedtime stories!
He only fell out once during the night, and we had placed pillows all around it (it’s pretty low to the ground anyhow) so he didn’t seem that bothered. And he loved getting up this morning and making an unobstructed beeline for his bookshelf. And then, of course, he came bursting into our room to get us out of bed, instead of the other way around.
Here are the rest of the pictures.
His room looks so grown-up now.
Time is flying quickly by.
Sniff.
It’s been a good weekend, and it’s winding down, now. We saw old friends and made some new ones. Grady got to go to chapel (his favorite — he’ll make a good PK). I thought visiting Columbia Theological Seminary (in Decatur, GA) would make the decision easier. I think I came with my mind pretty much made up (in favor of Princeton), and now it is less so.
Of the three seminaries we decided to visit (and apply to), this is the last. Incidentally, if you want to see how family friendly a school is, bring your wife and two-year-old son along for their “preview weekend.” You’ll probably be the only ones with a child there, but you’ll learn quickly who’s for real, and who just talks about “community.”
Anyhow, when we visited Austin seminary, it didn’t seem right. It’s a good school, and so many pastors I know speak highly of it, but it just wasn’t what we were looking for in a seminary.
Which leaves Princeton Theological Seminary (to which I’ve been accepted) and Columbia (for which I’ll be staying up late tonight and completing my application). We like both, and for different reasons. Many things seem about equal between the two, but there are three critical areas that are shaping up to be deciding factors:
| (factors) | Princeton | Columbia |
| Intellectual Atmosphere | Definitely a place where academia and intellectual pursuit are valued, even cherished. Good groundwork for eventual PhD. To me, this is favorable. | Less emphasis placed on cultivating an intellectual & academic atmosphere and more on pragmatism — Education seems to be more a means to an end rather than a valid pursuit in its own right. To me, this is unfavorable. |
| Administration | Tradition is important here, almost too much so. Institution seems somewhat hierarchical in nature, and possibly resistant to student input, change and/or new direction. To me, this is unfavorable. | Administration seems very accessible, and cultivates an atmosphere of openness to change and new direction. Student input seems welcomed and even encouraged. To me, this is favorable. |
| Dual Degree Program | Dual degree in Education is offered here, completely in-house and integrated with M.Div — but I might not be accepted into it. As such, this is still an undetermined factor. | Not much of a dual degree program. Public Policy is the only option offered, and it seems somewhat disorganized. To me, this is unfavorable. |
The first two kind of cancel each other out (or at least I don’t see much likelihood of either school shifting in the opposite direction), so it’s looking like things may eventually hinge on the dual degree program. If I’m accepted into it, Princeton gains a definite edge. If not, we’re back to square one and all things being more or less equal between the two. I won’t know until March, so…that means more waiting.
We’re on the road again, headed to Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It’s the last of the three Seminaries I’m applying to that we have yet to visit. I’m blogging from our hotel room in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child, I lived here once, but that’s a really long story from a completely different life.
So far, this has been the best road trip with Grady ever. He spent most of the drive today reading books, listening to music with us, and playing with a few toys (my favorite is his leap-pad junior). We also have his “Video Now” player (plays Blues Clues, Clifford, & Bob the Builder) that his grandparents bought for him, but in accordance with our philosophy on limited TV/video, he can only watch it after dark, which today accounted for about one hour out of our seven-hour drive.
I’m amazed at how long he’ll sit still reading these days. I hope it carries over into adolescence. I was a total book-worm (no surprise there) so perhaps it’s in his genes. Around the time Grady was born, I made a promise to read to him every single night, until he was able to read by himself–and even then to continue reading together as long as he would be willing. With a few exceptions (when I’m away on lock-ins & youth retreats), I’ve managed to keep that promise, and even on those few occasions when I haven’t, Amy has covered for me.
As I watch him sleeping peacefully in our hotel room tonight, it’s a promise I don’t regret. Tonight we read “Danny Dozer Hits a Home Run” and “Arthur’s Birthday.” Not exactly the high literature we started out with when he was born, but he picks them out more than I do these days. And someday soon we’ll get back to Tolkien and Beowulf.
