Maybe she got bored…

Pre-ride:

Post-ride:

I’m a lame blogger…

That’s about all I have to say.

Phenomenal Skills

I grew up on bikes and have always loved anything that has two wheels. It’s UNREAL what this guy is able to do with his bike and body. Great camera work and editing as well. (Credit to Lance Armstrong, who linked this video on his twitter.)

Happy Birthday Max!

Our little Max turned three years old today. We’re so thankful for him and can’t imagine life without his curly hair, big smile, and excitable personality. I put together a short photo history to celebrate his first three years of life. One picture for each month, so in 36 pictures you’ll get to see a little of the progression we’ve experienced and enjoyed. I’d have to say the development and transformation that we get to experience is one of the most amazing parts of being a parent.

We love you Max!

Bizkit the “Sleep Running” Dog

I just saw this today. Hilarious. I think I find this extra funny because I used to have my own episodes of sleep walking/talking etc. My friends have some pretty funny stories—one is not too far off from what you’ll see below…except I was snowboarding instead of running.

The Crisis of Credit

I’m probably being generous with myself in saying that I thought I had at least a loose grip on what has happened with the credit crisis. Well, after watching this video on YouTube, I realized that my “grip” was elementary, at best. A graduate student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA created this presentation to explain the credit crisis, as part of his thesis project. Hope you enjoy it—it’s highly educational and an ingenious way to illustrate some very complex ideas.

 

Is your state religious?

The majority (65%) of Americans view religion as important to their daily lives, according to this Gallup poll. But it certainly isn’t an equal distribution across the country.  I’m curious, what’s with the Northern coasts? Is the balmy/cold weather affecting their religious appetite? If temperature is a factor, Mississippi sweats out their religion at 85% importance and Vermont shivers it away at 42%.

Obviously, this can’t be a real reason, as the Northeast was the original hotbed of religious freedom for our country. They’ve certainly changed their tune. Either way, I’m still at a loss with why these two coastal regions are the coldest towards religion.

And save Utah, the West has clearly drawn their own line with religion. I imagine church historians have some good answers/theories for these distinct and regionalized areas. Anyone know any?

Costco Hot Dogs

Costco has to be one of my favorite stores/businesses around. My good-old American consumerism and natural thriftiness just thrive as I wander the aisles. When I was single, I often committed to enter without a cart, so I could only buy what I could carry. (I had enough self-control to not buy a $300 set of kitchen knives, so it was a pretty good strategy.) Now, married with kids, I’ve got both kiddy seats occupied, unending graham crackers, juice, and a quick hand to break up any fights—how come they don’t have an electric fence between the seats on the cart? Not to mention my cart is fully loaded down with multiple gallons of apple juice, dozens of eggs, cheese by the pounds, and enormous diaper boxes down below which are strategically placed at shin level for anyone who gets too close. Throw on a couple of cases of soda and I’m like a Sherman tank—unstoppable. But I digress…

Back to my original post—those Costco Hot Dogs. I could eat one a day. And I’m not really a hot dog eater. That whole business about Hebrew National answering to a “Higher Authority” thing must be for real. But to be fair, it’s also got to be connected to the Costco business model—how much can we lower the price for our customers? A buck fifty for a hot dog and soda? I’d eat most anything (well, if it tastes good) for $1.50.

But the other day, I had this inkling that $1.50 was a little too good to be true and I should look up the nutritional content on those little guys. To say the least, I’ve had to cut back! My aspirations to live a long and healthy life don’t agree with this (includes bun, ketchup, mustard, onion, and relish):

32 grams of fat and 75% of my daily sodium intake!

Maybe once a month…

The Myth of Certainty

Some of you may know the name Ben Witherington III. He's a New Testament scholar at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. I discovered and started reading his blog a number of months ago. I actually had a book of his from a Early Christian History class at UCLA, but I recently sold it on Amazon because I knew I'd never read it again! (I may not have read it or much of it for my class either...oops.) Most of his blogs are far too long to read (in my opinion), but every so often the time needed to read a long entry is very worthwhile.

This post is one of those gems. He communicates much of what I've thought (and so much more) about Calvinism and even more importantly, our tendency to avoid the uncomfortable tension between faith and intellect. More specifically, this post is centered on John Piper’s defense of Calvinism and also how Calvinists tend to relate to people and their view the world. Of course, Piper is a “poster-boy” for Calvinism and has many committed followers around the world. I’ve seen him speak and have repeatedly been impressed with his depth, passion, and ability to mobilize Christians for reaching the lost. But also, I’ve had regular negative experiences with followers of his who have tendencies to do things such as: dismiss contrary views as weak or even wrong, adopt his view on most any matter, and gobble up every book he’s ever written. I’ll come back to this after giving the Prof some props on some well written thoughts.

After you’re given a chance to hear an audio clip of Piper, Witherington makes his case. Here’s a sampling of his take on Piper and Calvinism/Calvinists:

What he does not add, that could have been added, is that, for whatever reason, Calvinism seems to feed a deep seated need in many persons for a kind of intellectual certainty about why the world is as it is, and what God is exactly like, and how his will is worked out in the world, and most particularly how salvation works and whether or not one is a saved person.
And all too often, the apparent intellectual coherency of a theological system is taken as absolute and compelling proof that this view of God, salvation,the world must be true and all others be heresy, to one degree or another. But it is perfectly possible to argue logically and coherency in a hermeneutical or theological circle with all parts connected, and unfortunately be dead wrong-- because one drew the circle much too small and left out all the inconvenient contrary evidence. This sort of fault is inevitable with theological systems constructed by finite human beings.

I don’t know about you, but I find that compelling, effective, and even comforting. My natural tendency for certainty doesn’t have to always be satisfied. Living with uncertainty is reality and even a necessity for authentic faith. I believe our human nature (and living in a fallen world) longs for certainty and clarity. Certainty is a great thing to have. But the gray areas of life are many and there is great danger in turning a gray area into something black and white, or even the appearance of it.

So, back to my thoughts on leadership that struggles with ambiguity…

Something I've experienced over the years is how consistent people respond to pastors, teachers, professors, or any leader-types who tend to hold controversial views that are heavy on the "certainty spectrum”. What I've seen is that the listener/follower tends to put (whether they intend to or not) this person or doctrine on a pedestal and can't quite seem to muster up real openness to other views. Not only have I seen it with Piper, but with other prominent leaders as well. I’ll refrain from naming names, but I bet you can come up with a few yourself. I don’t doubt the hearts of these leaders at all. What I do doubt is their ability to grasp how their teaching, teaching style, and even delivery is received and integrated into the hearts and minds of their listeners. For example, I don’t mind when Piper gets excited, emphatic, and dramatic…but when that crosses over into areas that deserve a little more reservation, he doesn’t seem to self-adjust. And if a mature leader doesn’t do that, should we expect their follower to do any different?

The tragic part is that this white-knuckle grip on "truth" seems to guarantee that you'll eventually prove to only have half-truths or all-out errors in your hands. And the fallout bleeds into far more than theology—relational and personal dynamics produce impasses, tension, and frustration. All of which are sadly unnecessary.

So, my thanks to Professor Witherington III for a courageous evaluation and confidence to keep the “theological circle” appropriately wide.

My continued learning points are: (1) let gray areas be gray and (2) remember that twisting inherent uncertainty into certainty will produce a culture that becomes rigid, uninviting, and even destructive.

Interested in your thoughts…

YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED

I just received this email. Gotta love it. The scammers are getting creative, but still as stupid as ever. Of course, these scammers must still be in business because of common gullibility and ignorance, but come on, do you really think “contactbritishhighcommission03@gmail.com” is a legit email address?? Here’s to reverse psychology and innovation…

 

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION 
Metro Plaza, Plot 991/992 
Zakari Maimalari Street 
Cadastral Zone AO, Abuja. 
TEL: +234 8057550284
E-MAIL:   contactbritishhighcommission03@gmail.com

Attention,
The BRITISH High Commission in Nigeria,Benin Republic,Ghana and Bokinafaso received a report of scam against you and other British/US citizens and Malaysia Etc. The countries of Nigeria Benin Republic, Bokinafaso and Ghana have recompensed you following the meeting held with the Four countries' Government and various countries' high commission for the fraudulent activities carried out by the Four countries' Citizens. Your name was among those scammed as listed by the Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit (NFIU).A Compensation has been issued out to all the affected victims and has been already in endorsement to all the victims. Yours was among those that was reported unpaid as at on Friday and we wish to advise you to see to the instructions of the Committee to make sure you receive your compensation immediately.
We advise that you do the needful to make sure the NFIU endorse your payment on Monday. Contact the office of the consular for an advise on how your recompense will be effected to you  contactbritishhighcommission03@gmail.com . Be advised that you should stop further contacts with all the fake lawyers and security companies who in collaboration scammed you. Contact immediately to check if the endorsement date suits you.
Yours in Service,
Robert Scott Dewar

Doris Kearns Goodwin on TED

If you haven’t heard of the Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) conference, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Here’s the idea: The speaker has 18 minutes to share the best of their field that they can offer. The talks are recorded and uploading to their website and anyone can watch them for free. It’s really brilliant. It’s like going to a world-class conference for free.

The 2009 was just hosted in Long Beach, CA this month and the biggest name this year was Bill Gates. I watched his talk a couple weeks ago and he spoke on malaria and education, if I remember correctly. In addition to this year speakers, you can access videos from any previous year.

I just discovered that Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke last year. She wrote a book on Lincoln that I recently read in my book club. Her book is a long read, but very worth it. This was really the first book I’ve read on Lincoln and now I understand the fascination, respect, and significance of his leadership for our country. I was thrilled to learn she was at TED and I couldn’t wait to hear her speak. I wasn’t disappointed.

This video is Goodwin speaking about two of her presidential books, one being the Lincoln book and the other on Lyndon Johnson. She contrasts the difference between the two and how one (Lincoln) finds great success due to his ability to engage “work, love, and play”, and how the other (Johnson) is so captured by work, his post-presidential life crumbles in sadness, loss of direction, and weakness. Lincoln’s ability to combine his passion for work, humor, family, and theater gave him a life-giving strength, will, and perseverance that changed our country and even the world forever. Hope you have a chance to watch it…it’s 18 minutes well used.

An atheist who believes

This is one of the more fascinating articles I've read in some time. The title alone is enough to perk new interest--"As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God."

The author's story is a great example of when actions speak louder than words. Not that words don't have their equally valuable place, but this is a unique example of an opponent of God who is honest enough to let his own "beliefs" take a back seat and objectively assess the impact of missionaries in Africa. Try this quote for starters, and then read the whole article here:

"Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good."

I think the author may have some confusion on his self-label, as he seems more agnostic than true atheist. Who knows from this article what he actually believes. But nevertheless, a great read and a great testimony to the difference that Christians have made in Africa and I also believe, around the world.

To give credit, my good friend Brad Fulton sent me this link. He's currently a doctoral student in sociology at Duke. Good stuff, Brad!

2009 West Coast Epic Conference

Here's a slide show of some pictures from our West Coast Conference. You'll catch a photo of me sharing with the crowd about the unique opportunities they have as Asian Americans to reach their peers here in the states and also internationally. I have to confess, it was a new experience for me (as a white guy) to cast vision to these (non-white) students to reach Asians and Asian Americans. But they seemed to respond well and also seemed to catch the simple fact that I can't do what they can do. They are automatically insiders in circles that would never be immediately accepted as someone safe and friendly. I really enjoyed the conference and was thankful to get to be a part of this ministry. And I was especially thankful that I felt very welcome as an outsider...you could find me almost instantaneously if you needed to!

"Honey, our kids are blockheads."

Boxes are the cheapest childcare around!

Hot Pot and BBQ Brisket and Chinese Texans

I recently was in Austin, Texas for some planning meetings with my teammates, Dennis and Carita Chen. We serve together by leading the domestic and international missions efforts for the Epic Movement. The Chens live in Austin and I made the trip this time, as they usually have to travel to So Cal for Epic meetings.

First of all, it was COLD. The night before I arrived, it lightly snowed!

In addition to some good planning times, the Chen's were great hosts. Within only two days, I had experienced a 13-piece big band at an underground Austin jazz club, Chinese hot pot, Texas-style BBQ, and breakfast tacos (think breakfast burrito in a soft taco shell). Austin is like the Berkeley of Texas, so most of the time, it never felt like "Texas". Very few people with accents, no cow wrangling, or 10-gallon hats. I was told if I left the city I'd need a gun in my truck window to feel at home. Don't mess with Texas.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to hand Lance Armstrong an extra water bottle while he was riding the Austin hills. Thanks to Twitter, I knew he was there, but I'm not a stalker, right?

Here are some pictures of the trip. Some amazing Texas BBQ brisket, sausage, and ribs from Rudy's BBQ and hot pot with some Austin Epic Movement staff. A great group of people. And that brisket was so good. My director, Tommy Dyo will vouch for it...he ordered 2 lbs of extra-moist and I brought it home on the plane!

I like Obama and all...

...but does he really have the necessary skills for being our next President?

Ninjas can do anything!

Twitter and the Tour.

If you don't "get" Twitter, I can identify. I didn't understand it and thought, "Why do I want to spend even more time on my computer?". Well, I decided I'd try it and I'm hooked. Here's a few things I like:

• It's quick and simple--not like Facebook, which always seems to want more and more of my time and has more and more content.
  
• In our increasingly disconnected society (not that I prefer the disconnection, but it is a growing reality) that spends hours on the computer, it's a good way to track with friends (or whomever) and hear about what's been going on in their day, what they're thinking about, where they are, what they're reading, etc.
• I get to follow celebrities, corporations, business, etc--and these people/groups would never be my "friend" on Facebook.
• It creates a sense of inclusion and sharing.

And my favorite Twitterer....Lance Armstrong. I'm a fan in general, but his tweets (yep, that's what there called) are great. It's been fun following him because he shares all kinds of very current info and pictures. He knows people follow him and is intentional about making people feel involved in his day.

And for you cycling fans...I had a moment of Twitter contact with the 2007 Tour de France winner the other day. I was looking on Armstrong's Twitter and who he was following. I noticed Alberto Contador (Spanish rider who won the 2007 Tour) was on his list. I clicked on Contador's Twitter page and noticed he was new to Twitter (maybe had 8-10 followers) and I decided to follow him.

Well, only moments later, I get an email saying that Alberto Contador is following ME. Here's what I received:

Hi, Rocky Waters.

ALBERTOCONTADOR (ALBERTOCONTADOR) is now following your updates on Twitter.

Check out ALBERTOCONTADOR's profile here:

http://twitter.com/ALBERTOCONTADOR

Best,
Twitter

I couldn't believe it! He obviously noticed that I was following him and he was checking out who I was. Well, he's a Twitter flirt because he stopped following me momentarily...and I just recently noticed that he BLOCKED me from following him.

What a punk.

Well, Alberto...I'm now rooting for Lance for this year's tour. How come you blocked me? Blocking your fans? Great idea.

(To fill you in a little on the situation, Lance and Alberto are on the same team (Astana). Alberto was not too happy to see Lance return as this means Alberto may no longer be the top dog on the team and the one who gets supported by all the other team members. Currently it's up in the air who will be the team leader and will be determined by who's the strongest rider. Lance is supposedly in the top 3 on the team right now.)

Here's my Twitter if you're interested. Don't worry, I won't block you.

And for even more info, here's an exhaustive link on the benefits of Twitter.

John Ortberg on evangelicals in politics

Just read a good post by John Ortberg titled, "The seven deadly sins of evangelicals in politics." Can't get Friedman off the brain and some of Ortberg's comments reminded me of his writings.

All of his "deadly sins" are good, but I especially liked:

• One Issue-ism. Justifying our intolerance of complexity and nuance by collapsing a decision into a simplistic and superficial framework.
• Messianism. The sin of believing that a merely human person or system can usher in the eschaton. This is often tipped off by phrases like: “The most important election of our lifetime” (which one wasn’t?); or “God’s man for the hour.”
• Alarmism. A friend of mine used to work for an organization that claimed both Christian identity and a particular political orientation. They actually liked it when a president was elected of the opposite persuasion, because it meant they could raise a lot more money. It is in their financial interests to convince their constituents that the president is less sane than Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Alarmists on both sides of the spectrum make it sound like we’re electing a Bogeyman-in-Chief every four years. I sometimes think we should move the election up a few days to October 31.

It's so easy to identify the anxiety-driven forces behind each of these. Also identifiable are sabotage (another topic of Friedman's that I didn't address in my summary) and the need for certainty.

What a lively mess of religion, politics, and immaturity...enjoy!

Practical application of "A Failure of Nerve"

My good friend Brian Virtue just posted a generous review of my last post on A Failure of Nerve. Thanks BV! And while reading his blog I noticed a new post of his with some great application of the book's thesis on reactivity within society. Some really insightful thoughts on the current political environment and more reason to read this book. It's worth your time!

A Failure of Nerve