Ryan + Amanda + Sophia + Samuel = Bush
In case you’ve been wondering who the King of Breastfeeding is and where he lives:
[the caption reads:]
After winning the King of Breastfeeding contest, 4-month-old Raul Montoya wears a crown, sash and scepter in Lima, Peru on Tuesday, August 26. Peru’s health minister celebrates breastfeeding week August 25-29.
He certainly does look healthy. I just regret never having met his majesty while I lived there.
Oh wait, he wasn’t born yet. Nevermind.
The girls are in Arkansas. So, I have an unparalleled opportunity to get ahead on some assignments. My main focus: History of Christianity historical figure paper. Irenaeus and I are becoming fast friends.
I’m reading/writing at Bookstar, an old movie theater converted into a bookstore. It helps me focus. Mainly because watching college football isn’t an option here. Swing by and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. If you type while I dictate, I’ll buy you two cups of coffee.
Go Hogs!
Have I posted this photo? I took this at the Big Dam Bridge back in June. This poor girl got a little to close. I ended up having to grab her arm and shake the tarantula off.
[Every once and I while we'll hear our upstairs neighbors sliding a chair or something.]
Sophia: (eyes wide) What is it?
Me: (eyes equally wide) It’s a Dinosaur!
Sophia: (half scared, half intrigued) I want to go see it.
There’s no telling what God will do with you if you’ll sell out to him.
Dr. Allison
Anyone ever used this text? I’m teaching chapter 2 in about 48 minutes. Swing on by if you’re in the neighborhood. We’ll be in room B98.
Wednesday is my long day. Class at MABTS from 8 until 1. Class at Crichton from 4 to 5:15. Then I teach at a Hispanic home group from 7:30 to 8:30.
Compassion isn’t just releasing children from poverty. It is releasing Americans from their burden of wealth.
Find out more here.
Christian History fact of the day:
Most of the first and second century churches were not started by the Apostles, but by unnamed commoners who heard the gospel, believed, and then returned to their homes sharing the good news. They were merchants, slaves, and soldiers. They were regular people who had been transformed by Jesus of Nazareth. It was through them that the Gospel spread.
[source: "History of Christianity" by Justo Gonzalez]
Remember a ways back when I introduced you to a real live college professor? Hannah Johnson works at Crichton College and put in a good word for me when a few classes came open. A week later, I’m about to walk into “Critical Reading” as adjunct professor at Crichton University.
I’ve been job-hunting since July with very little progress, so on the we-need-money-to-buy-groceries level we’re relieved. But, on top of God gave me something that I love to do, namely teach. I mean, I was looking at stocking shelves at Target, which I would have gladly done. Instead I get to walk into a classroom and help undergraduate students succeed.
I’m teaching two classes: Critical Reading and Grammar and Writing. Listen to the course goal on the syllabus I inherited:
Our goal through this class is to understand the importance of God’s sovereignty over all aspects of life that include grammar and written communication and to develop our skills as critical readers in order to prepare for study in a specific academic major.
God invited into every aspect of life, even grammar. I like that.
Ok. I’ve got my dry erase marker! I’m off to class!
Thanks Hannah!
Unbelievable. Seriously. A gym packed to the brim with anything and everything you could possibly need or want for a home. All free. Yup. Free.
Every year Bellevue sponsors the “Shopping Spree” for MABTS families. It was amazing.
I got an awe-inspiring office chair. My former chair was not conducive to study. This one is. And, it’s gorgeous (don’t believe Amanda if she says any different).
Sophia got some blocks. They rock.
Amanda picked up some bushes that look like real bushes but really aren’t.
Yes. Of course I took pictures!
Systematic theology at its best will result in praise.
- Grudem
Yup. I wear a tie to class. That might come as a bit of a surprise to some of you. I’ve never been much of a formal-wear type of guy.
So, why do I wear at tie to class? Well, because students are required to do so.
Hold on! Before you jump to any conclusions, let me say my piece.
I really did not like the idea of having to wear a tie to class when we were considering seminaries. In fact, I would often say “I would love to go to Mid-America, if I just didn’t have to wear a tie.”
And then I realized something: It’s just a piece of cloth. They’re just clothes. What’s the big deal?
Turns out I was making the tie thing a big deal.
The motto of MABTS is “. . . that in all things he might have the preeminence.” That’s from Colossians. Through the few weeks that I’ve been here, I see that motto manifesting itself in the lives of my professors and fellow students. For real. I wasn’t looking for it. But I see it.
I want Christ to have the preeminence in my life. Full sway over my heart and mind. I believe without a doubt that Jesus led us to MABTS. I believe we were being obedient to him by coming here.
I’m pretty sure Jesus knew about the tie thing before he asked me to bring my family here to study. So, for me, wearing a tie is a part of my obedience to Jesus.
And, really, it’s just a piece of cloth anyway. No big deal.
Sophia and I made a trip out to the zoo this afternoon. No people + Tons of polar bear action = Sweetness.
I just got out of Hebrew I. Systematic Theology is up next.
I have a few minutes, so I thought I’d share with you what I’ve termed “Hebriety”. That’s shorthand for Hebrew Anxiety. Just look at that alphabet! I never saw anything like that on Sesame Street!
Oh yeah, due to some unforeseen circumstances this morning, I managed to make it to school with a black belt and brown shoes on. Yay for a stylish first day!
Today is my first day of class at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Booya!
This term I am taking Hebrew 1, Systematic Theology, History of Christianity, and Personal Evangelism.
I’m excited. I’m also a little nervous because I forgot which classes I have when. Not to mention, I don’t have the room numbers. But, that just makes for a more exciting first day!
Most deeply, I feel grateful to be here. God, without doubt, has given us some things we asked of him. Although we do have some things that we are trying not to worry about, at the end of the day, it’s Him. It’s all Him, and we’re all His.
. . . is to them.
Here are a few shots from the golf tournament.
JJ Heller is giving this album away. Sounds pretty good so far. Give it a try.
[I took this shot during one of the Promise House swim days. It's weird how it feels to see it now that we're gone.]
Speaking of photography. I got my first gig today. I’ll be assisting Brad Johnson (the Mid-South’s premier photographer as well as prolific blues player) in a shoot of the MABTS Founder’s Golf Tournament. I’m pretty pumped about learning how this whole taking-photographs-for-money thing works. I’ll mainly be getting him Diet Pepsi and holding his camera bag, but he said he’d let me take a few shots too.
Sophia has got the whining thing down. One of her best whines comes when her mom is putting her hair up in pig tails.
Oftentimes, I’ll hear Amanda gently say to her: “Sophia, this is just part of being a girl.”
She stops whining.
[I set up the tripod and took this shot one of the last days at the Promise House.]
To the zoo we went! Members we became! Animals we saw! Enjoyed it we did!
Photographs I took!
Sophia found her Martin Luther Day (also known as All Hallows Eve) costume during the unpacking. And, despite the 100 degree heat index, she rocked it for about an hour. She’s going to wear it to the zoo when it cools down.
Following up on this yesterdays’s post, I thought I would share more on Sophia’s playroom.
Our vision for Sophia’s playroom was this: More than a place to house Sophia’s toys, we wanted a space that was conducive to and even invited creativity, learning, cooperation, and play. Sophia is our daughter. She’s been entrusted to us for a few short years and we want to make the most of them. Her playroom is an overflow of our desire to create a home environment in which she can reach her full potential as an awesome creation of God.
Also, we fully realize that, at the most basic level, a playroom is NOT the thing that will truly help Sophia grow and learn, human interaction and relationship is. Namely, our interaction and relationship with her. No toy or space can replace touch and communication and affirmation from another human being. We wanted to create a context in which that type of human interaction could take place between our daughter and ourselves in her world, doing the things that interest her and help her learn and grow.
Less Toys. We got rid of a bunch of stuff that she never played with and was cluttering up her space. We decided space to move and create was more important than tons of stuff.
Quality Toys. We also made sure that the toys we kept for her were conducive to growing, learning, and creating. Things like puzzles, books, and Mr. Potato Head made the cut.
Artwork Clothesline. We put a clothesline around the room on which to hang Sophia’s work. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s a great way to show Sophia how much we value what she creates, thus showing how much we value her.
Cieling Letters. We took foam letters and hung them from the cieling using fishing line. For two reasons. One, it looks really cool. Two, they intrigue Sophia, thus teaching her letters. Since putting them up she has now learned the letters ‘S’, ‘J’, ‘L’, and ‘H’. I made the mistake of laying on my back with her and blowing them around. Now, everytime she notices them, she says, “Blow it, Daddy! Blow it!”
Craft Table. For several months I’ve said I wanted to get a table for the play room. The idea occurred to me in Barnes and Noble when I saw kids playing like crazy around a table with a train set on it in the kids’ section. The table really helps tranform Sophia’s playroom from just a place to keep toys into a space of learning, creativity, and imagination. It truly invites constructive play. The problem: a similar table can cost up to $150. My solution: build your own for about $30.
Play Kitchen.This was a gift from Gingy and Poppie for Sophia’s second birthday. It’s the perfect thing for pretend play. As much as Sophia uses it leads me to believe that she might just be the next Rachel Ray.
Craft Shelves. The red shelves on the wall are strategic. They are out of Sophia’s reach but keep things like paints, colors, markers, glue, glitter, yarn, scissors, construction paper, et al in plain sight. Sophia sees something and says “I want that, Daddy.” It spurs her on to constructive, learning activities, while at the same time keeping us accountable to do them with her.
Posters. They cost about a dollar each at any teacher supply store. These things are great learning tools. We put them around the room at toddler level. We will sit in front of them and talk about colors or numbers or whatever. We also had them laminated so they would last longer.
Cubicles. The original idea for the cubicles was to put milk crates in each one to use as storage. After we put the shelf in the room, we realized that it looked much better without the crates. We used the crates to store some extra toys in her closet and use the cubicles like shelves for her smaller toys. Cublicles like that cost about $80. Again, I built these myself. The total cost was about $25.
Reading Corner. I love to read. Sophia is already learning to love books, too. It was only natural for us to make reading area in her playroom. It consists of a small pre-fab bookshelf from wal-mart that we painted yellow and a comfy red bean bag. Oh yeah, and lots of books of course!
Cieling Letters. We took foam letters and hung them from the cieling using fishing line. For two reasons: One, it looks really cool. Two, they intrigue Sophia, thus teaching her letters. Since putting them up she has now learned the letters ‘S’, ‘J’, ‘L’, and ‘H’. I made the mistake of laying on my back with her and blowing them around. Now, everytime she notices them, she says, “Blow it, Daddy! Blow it!”
Thoughts? Ideas? Additions? I’d love to hear some input!
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