I love good quotes. I have a folder on my laptop reserved for my favorite quotes. Here are some quotes that have inspired and challenged me. (Spoiler Warning: Be prepared for a healthy dose of Richard Rohr, one of my favorite authors)
“Real grace is simply inexplicable, inappropriate, out of the box, out
of bounds, offensive, excessive, too much, (and) given to the wrong
people.”
“…at the heart of true Christian experience is this inexplicable,
annoyingly inappropriate, wondrously superlative experience of Jesus
saying, “I don’t condemn you. Go and live your life.” He says it to the divorced. To the expelled. To the unemployed. He says it to criminals. To perverts. To the damaged and the worthless. He says it to cutters, to whores, to greedy businessmen, to unfaithful husbands, to porn addicts and thieves. He says it to the lazy, the unholy, the confused and even the religious. He says it to you and to me. It’s how he changes lives, and it’s as dangerous as ever.”
-Michael Spencer (InternetMonk)
“Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity; Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God.” -Richard Rohr (RR)
“This historic Christian doctrine of the divinity of Christ does not simply mean that Jesus is like God. It is far more radical than that. It means that God is like Jesus.”
-Elton Trueblood
"You can take it as a general rule that when you don't transform your pain you will always transmit it." -RR
"True transformation always demands that we pay the price for the other's growth. We would rather punish and coerce a response. God is much more patient." -RR
"Jesus receives our hatred and does not return it. He suffers and does not make the other suffer. He does not first look at changing others, but pays the price of change within Himself. He absorbs the mystery of human sin rather than passing it on. He does not use His suffering and death as power over others to punish them, but as power for others to transform them." -RR
"In the Divine Economy nothing is wasted, not even sin, evil or death." -RR
"Jesus is, in some ways, the only true revolutionary. Most revolutions merely rearrange the furniture on the deck of the Titanic. Jesus built a new boat." -RR
"You cannot think yourself into a new way of living, but you must live yourself into a new way of thinking" -RR
"God uses all of us as instruments. Christians just have the advantage of knowing they are indeed instruments - and living in that joy now." -RR
"Until the present falls apart, we will never look for Something More." -RR
“We do know that no man can be saved except through Christ; we do not know that only those who know Him can be saved through Him.” -C.S. Lewis
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” – the Apostle Paul
"The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better." -RR
“I think that the deepest challenge of the spiritual quest is not to defend the answers of our spiritual ancestors but to do as they did—to dig and scrape and take ourselves into that uncomfortable space where growth happens.”
-From Dr. Valerie Tarico- Non-theists and
Evangelicals: The IM Interview July 31, 2009
What are some quotes that have impacted you?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sodom's Sin (It's not what you think)
It’s definitely not what I think of when I hear the word Sodom. I think if you ask the average person what Sodom is remembered for one thing comes to mind: perverted sexuality. Jason Boyett humorously captures the typical story of Sodom that gets passed on from Genesis 19:
“An angry mob tries to break down Lot’s door so they can get it on with Lot’s two angelic visitors. Out of loyalty to his guests, Lot refuses, and offers his two virgin daughters instead. Ah…family values.”
And, like Paul Harvey, you know the rest of the story. Now rest assured that I am no bible scholar. I do not know much about the Greek or Hebrew languages and I certainly do not know much about the Aramaic dialect that Jesus spoke. I have a hard enough time understanding translated Scripture as it is. But something has come to my attention lately that seems to always get overlooked with Sodom: fasting.
Yes. I said fasting. The destruction of Sodom had more to do with…wait for it…fasting than it did with sexual immorality. SaY WhaT?!? Stay with me. Before you write this off as ridiculous finish this paragraph. Did you know that the prophet Ezekiel identifies the “sin of Sodom” as the fact that they were “arrogant and overfed” and that they “did not care about the poor and the oppressed?” (Ezekiel 16:48-50). Read it for yourself. I know…what does helping the poor and needy have to do with fasting? Glad you asked. Check out Isaiah 58…One of the most beautiful and stunning definitions of fasting in all of Scripture:
Isaiah 58
True Fasting
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
I don’t know about you but the story of Sodom just hit really close to home…
Thoughts?
“An angry mob tries to break down Lot’s door so they can get it on with Lot’s two angelic visitors. Out of loyalty to his guests, Lot refuses, and offers his two virgin daughters instead. Ah…family values.”
And, like Paul Harvey, you know the rest of the story. Now rest assured that I am no bible scholar. I do not know much about the Greek or Hebrew languages and I certainly do not know much about the Aramaic dialect that Jesus spoke. I have a hard enough time understanding translated Scripture as it is. But something has come to my attention lately that seems to always get overlooked with Sodom: fasting.
Yes. I said fasting. The destruction of Sodom had more to do with…wait for it…fasting than it did with sexual immorality. SaY WhaT?!? Stay with me. Before you write this off as ridiculous finish this paragraph. Did you know that the prophet Ezekiel identifies the “sin of Sodom” as the fact that they were “arrogant and overfed” and that they “did not care about the poor and the oppressed?” (Ezekiel 16:48-50). Read it for yourself. I know…what does helping the poor and needy have to do with fasting? Glad you asked. Check out Isaiah 58…One of the most beautiful and stunning definitions of fasting in all of Scripture:
Isaiah 58
True Fasting
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
I don’t know about you but the story of Sodom just hit really close to home…
Thoughts?
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Liquid
I am parched. I find myself thirsty for Something. Somewhere in the core of my being I have a longing that this world cannot satisfy. My thirst for Life has intensified over the past few years.
I am stained. I find myself rebelling against Something. Somewhere in the core of my being I have an illness that this world cannot cure. My decisions reek of selfishness.
I am excited. I find myself being drawn by Something. Somewhere in the core of my being I’ve experienced an injection of grace that’s not of this world. It continues to bring healing, forgiveness, joy, and freedom.
I am ricky. I am an undeserving, blessed man on a journey of transformation. I am an average guy who married my high school sweetheart (I love you Ambo!) who loves to have fun in life.
Ok…enough of the vague attempted poetry. The bottom line is I am a guy who is trying to follow Jesus with my life. The Something is actually Someone. Most of the time I fall flat on my face trying to live like Jesus. The truth is I really stink at trying to live like Jesus. My journey in life to this point has been a humbling experience of learning, unlearning, and relearning. I successfully gift-wrapped many…uh…let’s call them “projections” of God in my mind that have since been obliterated by Grace. He is bigger than the limits I place on Him. Liquid ThinkTank is simply a conversation space for learning, unlearning, and relearning. It’s a place for anyone on life’s journey seeking Something. It’s a place where we can ask, seek, and knock together.
Thirsty anyone?
I am stained. I find myself rebelling against Something. Somewhere in the core of my being I have an illness that this world cannot cure. My decisions reek of selfishness.
I am excited. I find myself being drawn by Something. Somewhere in the core of my being I’ve experienced an injection of grace that’s not of this world. It continues to bring healing, forgiveness, joy, and freedom.
I am ricky. I am an undeserving, blessed man on a journey of transformation. I am an average guy who married my high school sweetheart (I love you Ambo!) who loves to have fun in life.
Ok…enough of the vague attempted poetry. The bottom line is I am a guy who is trying to follow Jesus with my life. The Something is actually Someone. Most of the time I fall flat on my face trying to live like Jesus. The truth is I really stink at trying to live like Jesus. My journey in life to this point has been a humbling experience of learning, unlearning, and relearning. I successfully gift-wrapped many…uh…let’s call them “projections” of God in my mind that have since been obliterated by Grace. He is bigger than the limits I place on Him. Liquid ThinkTank is simply a conversation space for learning, unlearning, and relearning. It’s a place for anyone on life’s journey seeking Something. It’s a place where we can ask, seek, and knock together.
Thirsty anyone?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Coming Soon!
Ok...Finally...I am almost through with all my coursework for Lamar University...The boring school assignment topics are a thing of the past...The "New" Liquid ThinkTank is coming soon. Stay tuned...
Monday, December 14, 2009
Week 5 Reflections
(1) As I began this course, I did not realize how much I would learn about technology through using technology to complete course assignments. I expected to learn about state technology standards and how to incorporate technology into the classroom. These expectations were met and the course exceeded my expectations in many ways. By requiring us to utilize technology to complete assignments, I learned how to use current technology tools to enhance the learning environment. This course succeeded in getting me out of my technology comfort zone by requiring me to try new things in cyberspace. I’m glad we had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with new technology in this course.
(2) One of the best rewards of taking this course is its relevancy. The learning outcomes achieved during this course will help me now at my current teaching position. They also better prepare me for future school leadership roles. Technology is very relevant to education. As a teacher I try to incorporate technology during instruction every opportunity I get. Today’s students are multi-taskers who are accustomed to processing large amounts of information. The outcomes in this course will definitely help me teach students how to sift through information and how to make wise decisions in cyberspace. I can immediately use some of the information form this course in my classroom to better educate students on Internet safety and using technology wisely.
(3) Although this course was a lot of work, I feel better prepared to encounter new technologies and address technology safety. I feel like I achieved all outcomes for this course. As I stated earlier, this course exceeded my expectations. I got more hands-on experience than I thought I was going to get and encountered several new technology tools that I was unfamiliar with, including setting up blogs and embedding Power Points online. I feel like the assignments and readings required me to invest time learning new skills and applying knowledge. I don’t believe anything prevented me from achieving the course outcomes.
(4) I feel that the course assignments were time consuming but it was time well spent. I was successful in carrying out the course assignments because adequate information was given to complete the assignments and a detailed rubric helped guide my efforts. I like the clear expectations and the structure of the assignments. At times, I felt some parts of the assignments were vague, but the rubric helped me determine the requirements. I liked he hands-on experience with blogs and embedding Power Points the most. Overall, I feel the assignments helped me learn valuable skills that I can continue to build throughout the year.
(5) This course gave me more confidence with technology. I didn’t realize how little I knew about new technologies until taking this course. I feel very positive about the relationship between technology and education. I know now after completing this course that part of my responsibility as a school leader is to teach our students about Internet safety and cyber ethics. I have completely underestimated the importance of these areas until now and will begin immediately incorporating them into the classroom. I also really like the collaborative potential of school blogs. I have much to learn but this course has given me the confidence to press on in learning about new technologies and using them in the classroom.
(6) I believe there is tremendous educational value in using blogs if the resources are available. Blogs are great tools for teachers to use for collaboration and the sharing of ideas, illustrations, and curriculum tools. Blogs open up a 24/7 collaboration opportunity. Teachers who are limited in time at school could access a blog and collaborate anytime. There is also great potential to collaborate with the 21st century learner. Students access technology everyday and blogging would be a great way to enter their world. One major drawback to blogging with students in a classroom setting is the digital divide. Some students do not have access outside of school to online resources. If available, I believe blogging is a great communication toll for educational use.
(7) As I mentioned above, there are some drawbacks and concerns with using blogs in education. One concern is the current digital divide that keeps getting wider. Many students do not have online resources available to them outside of school. This creates a problem when trying to use blogs with students at school. Another concern is monitoring the content in blogs. Blogging could create potential unwanted and inappropriate content from students. Teachers must ensure a safe learning environment online just as they are expected to ensure a safe learning environment in the physical classroom. Although there are concerns with blogging, I believe the potential benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks if schools have the resources in place to utilize blogging.
(8) Blogging could be used as a great communication tool. School leaders could take advantage of blogging to communicate with all stakeholders including parents, students, the community, administrators, and teachers. I believe by setting up a campus blog principals could post upcoming events, important dates to remember, and school information for stakeholders to access. Blogging would also open up the communication lines between parents and teachers and the possibility of having online conferences. A major benefit of blogging would be the potential of immediate feedback from all stakeholders. Blogging is also a quick way to communicate with a large audience.
(2) One of the best rewards of taking this course is its relevancy. The learning outcomes achieved during this course will help me now at my current teaching position. They also better prepare me for future school leadership roles. Technology is very relevant to education. As a teacher I try to incorporate technology during instruction every opportunity I get. Today’s students are multi-taskers who are accustomed to processing large amounts of information. The outcomes in this course will definitely help me teach students how to sift through information and how to make wise decisions in cyberspace. I can immediately use some of the information form this course in my classroom to better educate students on Internet safety and using technology wisely.
(3) Although this course was a lot of work, I feel better prepared to encounter new technologies and address technology safety. I feel like I achieved all outcomes for this course. As I stated earlier, this course exceeded my expectations. I got more hands-on experience than I thought I was going to get and encountered several new technology tools that I was unfamiliar with, including setting up blogs and embedding Power Points online. I feel like the assignments and readings required me to invest time learning new skills and applying knowledge. I don’t believe anything prevented me from achieving the course outcomes.
(4) I feel that the course assignments were time consuming but it was time well spent. I was successful in carrying out the course assignments because adequate information was given to complete the assignments and a detailed rubric helped guide my efforts. I like the clear expectations and the structure of the assignments. At times, I felt some parts of the assignments were vague, but the rubric helped me determine the requirements. I liked he hands-on experience with blogs and embedding Power Points the most. Overall, I feel the assignments helped me learn valuable skills that I can continue to build throughout the year.
(5) This course gave me more confidence with technology. I didn’t realize how little I knew about new technologies until taking this course. I feel very positive about the relationship between technology and education. I know now after completing this course that part of my responsibility as a school leader is to teach our students about Internet safety and cyber ethics. I have completely underestimated the importance of these areas until now and will begin immediately incorporating them into the classroom. I also really like the collaborative potential of school blogs. I have much to learn but this course has given me the confidence to press on in learning about new technologies and using them in the classroom.
(6) I believe there is tremendous educational value in using blogs if the resources are available. Blogs are great tools for teachers to use for collaboration and the sharing of ideas, illustrations, and curriculum tools. Blogs open up a 24/7 collaboration opportunity. Teachers who are limited in time at school could access a blog and collaborate anytime. There is also great potential to collaborate with the 21st century learner. Students access technology everyday and blogging would be a great way to enter their world. One major drawback to blogging with students in a classroom setting is the digital divide. Some students do not have access outside of school to online resources. If available, I believe blogging is a great communication toll for educational use.
(7) As I mentioned above, there are some drawbacks and concerns with using blogs in education. One concern is the current digital divide that keeps getting wider. Many students do not have online resources available to them outside of school. This creates a problem when trying to use blogs with students at school. Another concern is monitoring the content in blogs. Blogging could create potential unwanted and inappropriate content from students. Teachers must ensure a safe learning environment online just as they are expected to ensure a safe learning environment in the physical classroom. Although there are concerns with blogging, I believe the potential benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks if schools have the resources in place to utilize blogging.
(8) Blogging could be used as a great communication tool. School leaders could take advantage of blogging to communicate with all stakeholders including parents, students, the community, administrators, and teachers. I believe by setting up a campus blog principals could post upcoming events, important dates to remember, and school information for stakeholders to access. Blogging would also open up the communication lines between parents and teachers and the possibility of having online conferences. A major benefit of blogging would be the potential of immediate feedback from all stakeholders. Blogging is also a quick way to communicate with a large audience.
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