Kieryk/Augustine

I have been debated whether to post this or not on this blog since it's not my typical content, but since it's only one of the most life-changing things that's happened to me, I thought I might as well. My wife is officially pregnant. If it's a girl she will be named Kieryk Eileen (Yeah, that's after Kierkegaard, isn't my wife so sweet for letting me get away with it?) and if it's a boy he'll be named Augustine Fredryck (Yeah, that's after St. Augustine...see above). Here is our little blob at 7 weeks:

The Winds of Change

You can ask most people that know me...I am not one for change. I have only eaten one flavor of snowcone since like 5th grade. I don't write in blue pen. I only eat vanilla flavored ice cream. If it's been part of my routine for a while, why mess with it? Plus, when you're OCD, things like this tend to happen.

Anyway, about a week ago, I got a new Mac. I have never owned a Mac but have always wanted one. It took me a few days before I even opened the box when it came in because I started to realize how much I'd have to learn and change with a new laptop. All my Hebrew & Greek shortcuts and fonts would have to be redone, all my favorites would have to be re-entered. I have to admit that a few hours after booting up, I was ready to send it back and just go get a Vaio. Everything's just so different. Why can't you just 'right click' on it? Why do you have to go up to "Quit" on everything instead of just hitting the x? These were my frustrations. But alas, after another few days on here and in anticipation for getting an interface so that I can record my own music (a major reason I opted for the Mac in the first place), I have finally warmed up to the Mac as of today. I am still not a Mac-head but if any of my Mac-owning friends are a vision of what's to come, then I am soon to be a PC basher as well.


*By the way, major props to my wife. She actually got my friends and family to send money for my birthday so I could get a new laptop since mine had major issues. Thanks love.

Things I've Learned This Summer

As I trek back to that "other world" of Westminster tomorrow, I have thought tonight about some things I have learned this summer. The summer is always my time to process everything I've learned at Westminster and translate it all into my own language. But it's also a time for me to grow in other areas since it's really the only time I have for "other areas".

1. I love the Church. For many, this is obvious, but I really struggled with connecting with the Church. Growing up in Texas, I wasn't really ever taught that you were supposed to connect to a body of believers. It was always a place where I went to meet God and then go home. In college I learned that Church was actually a place to serve and help. But it wasn't until this summer that I really began to grasp what it means to love the Body. It's been an exhausting and exhilarating experience.

2. Through my "Summer of Religious Diversity" (which I am not done with by the way), I have learned to appreciate people. It's easy to demonize people's belief systems when they aren't actually attached to a person. Which is okay, until you start to treat the person the same way. It was such a great experience to see people practicing their beliefs in a simple and communal way. I learned to respect people's beliefs and people who believe differently than me.

3. I am pretty much a postmodern at heart. Of course, this may get me into some trouble, but I just can't help myself. I do find that authors like Derrida have important things to say about texts and we shouldn't as evangelicals throw the baby out with the bath water. It does in fact seem to me that there is "nothing outside the text." My questions now are "What does this mean for Scripture" and "How do we filter this idea through a Christian worldview?"

I am sure there are others, but that's all I have for now...