Culture Shock:

This will be my final Live Journal entry. For a long time I have wanted to publish my blog on my own web site. Now that I have found a blog engine that will do this (LJ will not support FTP), I will blog from now on, begining immediately, through http://www.blogger.com. My blog will be viewable at http://www.singertenor.net. I also have a MySpace account at http://www.myspace/singertenor.

I am on day five of my journey through live without caffeine! Wednesday was an easy day, since it took my body 24 hours to use up the last molecule of caffeine from Tuesday. But Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were equally trying as I couldn't seem to come out of my cravings. I got to the point on Friday afternoon where every third window was reason my my mind to trick me into thinking that it was a coffee house! I even mistook a jewelry store for a Starbucks in downtown KC! Today, Sunday, however, I have finally begun to clear up from my 'downer.' About two hours into the Kansas City Brigade game that I attended with the church guys and boys I suddenly 'came out of it' and began to feel like I normally did the week pryor upon my second 12oz. cup of coffee.  Yay.  Now, I'm caffeine-free and more focused than I have been in nearly one week.

A historical moment happened for me this week. Someone who goes to my school whom I have noticed and have had the opportunity become slightly acquainted with has become a subject of focus. The right moment and place were apparent...and I got the impulse to ask her out. The day after I got her number we had a plan to meet up at a coffee place in the following week. Now passed, I had a pleasant time. I asked her to a second outing upon the end of the first, though I am yet to have gotten hold of her to figure out the details. Needless to say that this is a happy event for me; learning to be assertive has paid off.

Another big thing happened this week. I gave up caffeine for Lent. This means decaf only, nothing with chocolate, etc. So far I have been successful at avoiding the caffeinated coffee (the main object to stay away from). And, with difficulties in my studies with focusing as being related to the reason that I picked up coffee drinking in the first place, this brings for an interesting semester! I'll update on my progress here.

Your 1920's Name is:

Royce Dewayne

Your Ideal Relationship is Serious Dating

You're not ready to go walking down the aisle. But you may be ready in a couple of years. You prefer to date one on one, with a commitment. And while chemistry is important, so is compatibility.

Your Ideal Relationship is Serious Dating

You're not ready to go walking down the aisle. But you may be ready in a couple of years. You prefer to date one on one, with a commitment. And while chemistry is important, so is compatibility.

So, I'm relaxing after a second awesome Sunday morning service at church and watching football. I've been on school break for an entire month--have another two weeks to go! The sun came out just as I got home from church. I sat down after putting spaghetti noodles and ground turkey on the stove. Soon after eating my Italian yummies I conked-out on the couch to only wake for about two minutes of the game, for the entire first half of the game. My roommate traveled yesterday across the great-and-flat state of Kansas to Denver, CO, to see the game. My subtle-yet-present hope of seeing my roommie on TV has no effect on my need for slumber. And, it seems that the game is becoming more and more in favor of the Steelers. Last week I had hoped that the Steelers would have lost to the Colts, since, for my roommie, the Broncos are the preferred team, and the Colts are the un-preferred team. It seems that the Colts would have been a better match for the Broncos. The Broncos and the Colts have in common the fact that they failed poorly to conduct adequate defense against the Steelers in the first half, and waited until the second was well under way before achieving progress toward a comeback.

You opened it! You're going to have the WORST week of your life next week...unless you repost this within the next 5 minutes...calling it:

bicardi
[if you're single and love it]

vodka
[if you're single and like whatever happens, happens...]

smirnoff
[if you like someone but they dont know]

margarita
[if you're taken]

wine coolers
[if you like someone who doesn't like you back]

martini
[if u are confused about someone]

jack daniels
[if you feel like giving up on love]

mogen david
[you'd rather have the alcohol than anybody]

69 things you may have never known about me.

1. Initials:
RKN

2. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Rodney Dangerfield

3. Favorite fruit?
bananas

4.Favorite Vegtable?
corn

5. Are you allergic to anything?
not that I know of...

6. Are you bisexual?
no

7. Have you ever slept in someone elses clothes?
yes

8. How many U.S states have you been to?
28

9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in?
2 - California for 23.5 years, Missouri for 1.5 years

10. Have you ever lived outside the U.S?
yes, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico for a total of two months

11. Name something physical you like about yourself?
my fast-growing facial hair

12. Something non-physical?
singing

13. do you have any pets?
no

14. What is your dream car?
a fully restored 1972 Chevy Malibu--two door

15. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
Somewhere in Asia

16. Are you bipolar?
no, but it runs in my family

17. What dream car do you want your husband/wife to drive?
a blue toyota pickup ha ha ha

18. Where would you want to go on a first date?
Jazz club and/or a coffee place

19. Would you date the person who posted this before you?
Sure, except for that she's already taken

20. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
(no sure what qualifies for this one) other than an acompanist, no

21. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
no

22. Do you like president Bush?
no

23. Have you ever bungee jumped?
mo

24. Have you ever white water rafted?
no

25. Has anyone 10 or more years older than you ever hit on you?
yes

26. Are you racist?
no, but many people participate in forms of racism that are difficult to determine or prove

27. What song are you listening to right now?
none

28. What's your favorite song at the moment?
Feliz Navidad

29. What was the last movie you watched?
Sugar and Spice

30. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
A convinient store named "Kicks 66"

31. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property?
no

32. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
yes

33. What's the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
eyes and facial expression, leggs

34. What's ur fav. body part on the opposite sex?
eyes

35. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
Tall, Dark roast 'coffee of the day'

36. Say something totally random about yourself.
I once dreamed of living as a hermit

37. Do you have an iPod?
no

38. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
no

39. Do you have freckles?
no

40. Are you comfortable with your height?
besides the fact that my short leggs can fit into hatchbacks better than some, I allways wanted to get up to six feet tall

41. Do you love someone right now?
no

42. How tall are you?
5'7''

43. Do you speak any other language other than english?
yes, Spanish
si, Espanol; recomiendo que todas norteamericanos aprendan el espanol

44. Have you ever ridden in a limo
no

45. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
yes, Buay Tang last spring

46. Do you watch MTV?
rarely

48. What's something that really annoys you?
people who play music too loud

49. What are some things you really like?
Ice cream, traveling, singing, coffee, keeping in touch with people

50. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I do like his performance ability

51. Have you ever surfed?
no

52. Do you know how to pump gas?
yes--who doesn't???

53.do you drive?
yes

54. What's the latest you have ever stayed out?
all night--I have crashed on my friend's couch after concluding that it was too late to go home.

55. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die?
I have feared it once before when I was car jacked

56. Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
no

57. Have you ever been dared to do something you didn't want to do?
yes, of course

58. favorite state to live in?
Who wouldn't want to live in California?

59. What color is your hair?
Brown

60. What color are your eyes?
Hazel

61. Do you have any special talents?
Singing, growing things

62. Favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Coffee, orange juice

63. Favorite city?
Fresno, CA

64. Have you ever ridden a mechanical bull?
no

65. If you were working on a pirate ship, what would you most likely be?
The kitchen crew

66. Who do you live with?
Jeff P., Charlie P., Matt B., and Joseph R.

67. Last thing you watched on TV?
"The Office"

68. Do you wear glasses or contacts?
yes

69. Have you ever taken a roadtrip?
Yes, many

Your Birthdate: November 22

You tend to be understated and under appreciated. You have a hidden force to do amazing things, doing them your own way. People may see you as strange and shy, but they know little. Your unconventional ways have more power than they (and even you) know. Your strength: Standing up for what you know is true Your weakness: You tend to be picky and rigid Your power color: Silver Your power symbol: Square Your power month: April

You Know You're From Fresno When...
You have to explain to friends from out of town what animal a "Tri-tip" comes from.

You think salsa goes on everything

Drivers think a red light is just a suggestion.

Your out-of-town friends start to visit after October, but clear
out before the end of April.

The best restaurants in town start with "El" or "Los."

You think $400 a month rent is way too high.

You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.

People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.

The pool can be warmer than you are.


You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.

You still don't know your way around downtown.

Anywhere "and 99" is too far away.

You think you're better than people from Clovis.

Someone mentions the Fair and your thoughts immediately turn to
Cinnamon Rolls.

You drive just as fast on a sunny day in June as a foggy day in
December.

You have to explain to someone about "G Street."

The whole town shuts down at 11:00.

You complain about how boring Fresno is, but still make fun of
people from Sanger, Selma, Reedley, etc.

You hadn't been to Manchester Center in 10 years until the movie
theater opened.

You never knew how you managed before River Park.

Someone from out-of-town talks about how foggy it is and tell
them, "Just wait."

You know not to take Shaw at 8, 12, or 5.

You swear there was an orchard there last week, where now there are houses.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Fresno.

Source: http://los.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/08/freno_fresyes.html

                                                                               

I have begun as recently as last week to sense a moving of the Holy Spirit me.  I am affirmed that my decision after my short questioning of my educational direction last spring to remain in the Master of Divinity degree was a right one.  I have already learned a lot about God's call for my life in the few short months since my decision.  

This affirmation, thus, has brought me to this perspective: that I have long since my teenage years desired a sense of true spirituality.  What I mean by this is that God by no means is a source of mere 'feelings' of holiness.  Pastor Roberta has in this area been a huge influence on me as she has been the way by which I have regained permission from myself to allow some sense of awe toward the hugeness of God.  In other words, I am finding that I had to completely rebuild a foundation upon which the existential communion with God would thrive.  This is still coming to me and is very complex; I will have to think further on this before I can give a full and accurate picture of what is going on in my mind right now.

What I am seeing, though, is a sense that God has been very much reduced to a rational subject to me.  In other words, God has been someone to talk 'about' as opposed to someone to talk 'to'.  What do we loose by forgetting that God yearns to 'know' us to the inasmuch as God made God's self known through 'Jesus', God's full revelation?  I am feeling the urge to focus a little more effort in 'knowing' God than I do in 'knowing about God'.  

You Are 19 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

Today, I went to two different places for Thanksgiving. The first was my pastor's house. There were a lot of people who I did not know. One was a girl a little younger than me who was going to a college in central Kansas, yet being from Temecula, Calif., may transfer to Point Loma next year. Another couple had lived previously in San Francisco. One man was originally from Michigan, and was the employer until recently of my pastor's second job. He is legally (yet not completely) blind. Another lady was someone who is originally from Columbia who is about to finish her MBA. Thus, we had a very interesting group.

The second place I went to was a much more familiar house--only down the street from mine. There were mostly seminarians. I found out that one girl who I have long since wanted to pursue recently acquired a boyfriend, thus, she is now outside the 'prospect' list. But this narrows me down to another girl who lives over there, named Kimberly, who I really can't decide if I have sparks for or not. We both have tried small talk to each other in recent months, yet have failed miserably to get any conversation going. Yet, the future will hopefully provide some sureness for me, as we today finally opened ourselves up to each other just a little more. I understand now that we each have an equal tendency to hold back our true selves until we find the security to do so.

Besides the interest in female prospects, I had a nice time visiting with people and roomates of mine in a context of common mealtime. I called my sister and my mom tonight--all of whom seemed to have a good time in their respective places. Recently my immediate family has dwindled from traditional thanksgiving practice. But, I have been ready for a change. I don't know why, yet, though. Yet, I miss the times in Bakersfield. Hopefully in two years, after I will have finished my MDiv, I will be able once again join my family there, or at least acquire some of the recipes.

So, to all who are alone tonight, I hope God's grace will keep you as warm as much as friends and family have done the same to me over the years...

Today is a milestone for me. I can hardly stand to say it... I'm 25 today. Besides the fact that it is a nice, square number, I also am aware of the calculations I can make from this number:

25 is one quarter century
25 is half-way to 50
25 is half way between 20 and 30
25 is quater-way to 100
25 is divisible by 5=4
or by 4=5
25 means that I've likely been out of high school for almost 7 years
25 means that almost two entire classes have passed through my alma mater.
25 means that junior high was more than 1 decade ago

Enough negativity... how 'bout this...

25 means I can rent cars for cheaper than ever!
25 means I only need to wait 10 more years to run for president
25 means that I might not be confused for an immature college student for the first time in ten years
25 means that I might be confused for an immature graduate student instead
25 means that my car insurance begins to go down
25 means that one more year from today I'll be deleted from the U.S. draft

Best of all, turning 25 two days before Thanksgiving means that I have a holiday season that is two days longer than anyone else's!

My friend, chuckp3, got an idea: Google "'you name' needs'" then cut/paste the findings. Here were my results...


Robert needs money.
Robert needs a sanctuary, periodic retreat from the world and long luxurious baths.
Robert needs a family who will participate with Robert in his interests.
Robert needs. (emphacizing that my list is endless)
Pierre Robert needs to postpone visit.
Pierre Robert has been called out of the country on business and will postpone his visit to (my parents never told me that I had a French name!)
Robert needs fashion work experience!!! Hi, can I suggest that first Robert needs
to know who he wants do do work experience with!!! then collect some ...(...thrift store goodies?)
Robert needs fashion work experience!!!
Robert needs to know who he wants do do work experience with!!! then collect some ...
Robert needs very attentive supervision in situations where strangers or ...
Robert needs very attentive supervision in situations where strangers or ...
Robert needs very attentive supervision in situations where strangers or ...(Are we trying to say that my ADD is really THAT bad?)
Robert needs a sanctuary, periodic retreat from the world and long luxurious baths (I need a vacation?)
Robert needs Simone and Wendy Robert needs a family who will participate ...
What Robert needs now is PR - not public relations but Perspective ...
Robert needs to arms length himself from his business ... ... to travel for the work...(Cool! I just woke up from my coma and found out that I have a dachshund breeder business!)

You are a Social Liberal (61% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (18% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:30

2. Diamonds or pearls?
Pearls

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Last October I saw with some friends “Los Diarios de la Bicicleta” (“The
Motorcycle Diaries”) [Seminary students don’t get out much.]

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Boy Meets World

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Stir Fry (I cooked my own rice for the first time ever; the directions were
wrong, prescribing me way less water than I really needed)

6. What is your middle name?
Kenneth (A hand-me-down from my father, I would not care to ever be called by
this name)

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican – Tacos carne asada

8. What foods do you dislike?
Beats, Brussel Sprouts

9. What is your favorite chips flavor?
Anything with lime and/or lots of spice (NO 'salt and vinegar,' though)

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
WOW Worship Blue (has been my favorite for five years, or since 2000 when
I lived in Oakdale, Ca)

( Read more... )

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:30

2. Diamonds or pearls?
Pearls

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Last October I saw with some friends “Los Diarios de la Bicicleta” (“The
Motorcycle Diaries”) [Seminary students don’t get out much.]

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Boy Meets World

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Stir Fry (I cooked my own rice for the first time ever; the directions were
wrong, prescribing me way less water than I really needed)

6. What is your middle name?
Kenneth (A hand-me-down from my father, I would not care to ever be called by
this name)

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican – Tacos carne asada

8. What foods do you dislike?
Beats, Brussel Sprouts

9. What is your favorite chips flavor?
Anything with lime and/or lots of spice (NO 'salt and vinegar,' though)

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
WOW Worship Blue (has been my favorite for five years, or since 2000 when
I lived in Oakdale, Ca)

11. What kind of car do you drive?
Toyota Pickup ES-15 (1986), and only has 140,000 miles on it.

12. Favorite sandwich?
Anything with Bar-B-Q and/or chicken

13. What characteristics do you despise in a person?
Arrogance (especially when based propaganda that fuels ignorance, or
when it is used to disguise racism); Over-domineering or insensitiveness

14. Favorite item of clothing?
Big, poofy jacket (in Missouri it is called a “winter coat,” but in Calif.
it is called a “big jacket” or “heavy coat”.); it feels like you are taking your
bed covers wherever you go.

15. What color is your bathroom?
It was just remodeled from pink and bright-yellow 1960’s tile to
2000’s earth tones (light brown, brown, and darker brown!)

16. Favorite brand of clothing?
Like mom, and mom’s mom, whatever is on sale! (Thrift stores are the
place to be!)

17. Where would you retire to?
Arizona, probably Flagstaff or Prescott, which is actually where my
Grandma Velma Nowlin recently retired

18. Favorite time of the day?
Depending on the mood I am in, it could be any time of the day. But I
do love to wake up fresh at 8am to drink a pot of coffee and have some cereal
and toast. Then reality sets in when there is nothing interesting to watch, as
I end up watching the Weather Channel to find that the Georgia-based weather
reporters who don’t know that some places in the country do not get rain
year-round, hence, bothering to mention in mid-August that Fresno, Ca has been
in a very long three-month dry spell.

19.. What was your most memorable birthday?
My 13th. Nothing happened. But I can say that I did usually have a
party within the week of my birthday. (My 4th, 10th, and 21st birthdays fell on
Thanksgiving day, which might mark these as more memorable. In fact, on my
tenth I was still little enough to get birthday presents from 10-or-so extended
family members, complete with a birthday cake that had a turkey decoration on it
[I still have the coins from Uncle Gene and Aunt Wanda!])

20. Where were you born?
Bakersfield, California (the famous scene of the Joad family's first
settleing place after arriving in Calif. in 'Grapes of Wrath')

21. Favorite sport to watch?
Football; baseball (better live as compared to on TV); and basketball
(better live, too)

22. Who do you least expect to send this back to you?
My dog, Lazy Bones?

23. Person you expect to send it back first?
Mom

24. What fabric detergent do you use?
Whatever is cheapest, but liquid only

25. Coke or Pepsi?
Coke (I took on my dad’s preference, not to mention the preference of
the bulk of the Mexican population)

26. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Depends on the mood, but I tend to naturally drift toward night
owl-ness. I think this may come from many nights in the car as my dad has
always preferred driving all night to sleeping.

27. What is your shoe size?
10

28. Do you have any pets?
Can I have a pet tomato? How about the wiener dog named Oliver that my
fellow seminarians have down the street? I guess my answer to this question is
no… sadly, no. But I want to get one… but KC is too cold for a sausage dog. Oh
well.

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your family &
friends?
I will pick my first home grown tomato this week.
And… I found some fellow seminarians with whom I plan to attend operas on a
regular basis starting in September.

30. What did you want to be when you were little?
A carpenter, then a police officer. After that… well… …a missionary. The
third has been lurking around since age 8 or 10.

31. What will you be doing today?
If by ‘today’ you mean the legal time, then at 1:48am CDT, you mean
tomorrow (after I eventually go to bed and get up). Then ‘today’ I will get up
whenever I feel like it, turn on the Weather Channel to see if they are still
surprised that it has not rained in Calif. since May. During this time I will
be brewing my usual 6 cups of Fair Trade-Organic Sumatra coffee and warming my
toast. Then, I will type another 5 or so pages of my paper that will eventually
be 20+ pages in length (for those who may not know this is the average length of
a chapter in most books). Then, I will go to work at the usual UPS center in
Kansas City, KS, which is actually in a different state from where my legal
residence and school are. After work I will make the usual spaghetti and watch
the daily re-run of ‘7th Heaven’ which will be saved on the house’s DVR (Digital
Video Recorder) and the nightly episode of the Daily Show (which is unofficially
called ‘fake news’). Finally, I will check my e-mail to see if my mom has
responded to this exam.

I'm finally beginning to use some of my Summer free time for some religious contemplation, as should be regular (and vigorous) practice for a minister in any setting:

Fri 3 Jun 2005 Luke 7:36-50; Ps 51

Luke accounts of an interesting correlation here. The One who is pardoned of more iniquity is prone to return more love back to the pardoner. When the woman who was a social outcast showed more love than an average (not-so-outcast) mainstreamer, Jesus pointed out his correlation between forgiveness and love-returned.

In response, I see this not as a statement about how the poor/outcast are somehow more sinful than mainstream society (it is problematic to correlate wealth/popularity with sainthood), but that the poor may require more justice than does the mainstreamer. Hence, the person who owed 500 verses the person who owes 50, as per my studies in sociology, in some ways, is a result of the inequity and lackings of the system. If the system tends to favor the benefit of the wealthy, and suddenly the poor is heard out of nowhere by God with a favorable reply, then there is a means through which the recipient is ever more grateful than the mainstreamer ever could be.

Hence, I wonder if, since Psalm 51 is a cry from a wealthy and popular king-David-that we might find that plea from the opposite end--> a plea for forgiveness FROM THE WEALTHY, that repents of the systematic and behavioral oppressions that exist among the rich/poor. Thus, David's prayer in Psalm 51 is a response to his own realized misuse of power. With instruction from prophet Nathan, he realized that he had misused his power to push a less-powerful person out of the way with regard only for, and in pursuit of, his personal pleasure. Therefore, David's prayer may be arguably a plea from the wealthy and strong, that God would forgive them (us) for their (our) oppressive behavior as fueled by ignorance. In this sense we get an amazing picture of how God loves the poor, who, when seen by the rich (or the few rich people who pray for God to open their eyes) can only cause the oppressors who thought they had or had known it ALL, all turn and bow as the woman did. Yet, only with grace and mercy from God can either class--rich or poor--learn to love God in the way as does the woman in Luke 7.

1. What did you like best/worst about working for DPS?

BEST: George Hickman was the best of a million great things about working for DPS. He was compassionate toward everyone--giving me foodd, emcouragement when I had to rat on my peers, etc.

WORST: People expected me to give them an exception to the law. I had to rat on my roomate once. I do not know to this day if I did the right thing.

2. Do you find that your friendships at NTS are significantly different than they were at PLNU?

Since Jeff P. is my landlord (I live in the house he bought), I have experienced a difference in matter of relationships. Also, since I have gotten to know more closely people from PLNU who I did not know as well before, I have gotten closer to fellow ministers-to-be unlike I did at PLNU. Thirdly, I have been able to theologize among fellow PLNU-ians upon the classes @ NTS in reflection on common undergrad proffs.

3. Is there anything that you have done since leaving PLNU from which you abstained while you were under their rules?

I went out for a drink in the Tower District in Fresno last May a week or two after graduation. I havn't had another one since (yet I do have a taste for Smirnof Ice).

4. Who have been the most influential people in your life, and why?

A) Carolyn L. French
Besides the fact that she gave me birth, my mom was an instrumental mentor for me in high school and college. To this day I can allways call mom to gripe about stuff about which I do not have anyone else to gripe to. Also, she was very instrumental in my personal formation, i.e., self esteem, my faith, value of family, etc. She gave me the idea to journal my thoughts on paper to help process emotion, ideas, concepts, goals, etc. This practice I still do to thins day.

B) Charles N. Brodhead, III
Charles was my high school youth pastor, to whom I looked as a male figure. Many of the ways that I have learned to relate to people come from my observance of him. He was the person to whom I could talk about family issues at the time immediately after the divorce of my parents. Also, I credit much of my aspirations of devotional practice after him, as it is an important life of the active minister. I strive to model the unconditional love for others as he did for me. Charles also convinced me that if I did not aim for Point Loma as a potential college for me, I may not have ever met Doug Harrison, or even attended seminary in KCMO.

C) J. Doug Harrison
I knew Doug for the shortest period of time of all those most influential to me. He related to me in many ways--musical ability, desire to be a saint, considered singleness as a lifestyle, love for the poor, embracing my second language-Spanish, and near insanity at times :), among others. Yet, most importantly, my knowing Doug (I took 'New Testament', 'Old Testament', and 'Life of Holiness' with him--8 units of classwork), and having him as the RD for the 2002 Urban Term in City Hieghts, I became fond of him as a person. Perhaps Doug's strongest point of influence for me was that he taught me not to run from my personal inadequacies, but to embrace them as vulnerabilities through which I can learn to love others. In this, he taught me to pay attention to my strenghts as the points where I should seek further development.


5. What would you tell me about your seminary experience to prepare me for what I might run into if I were to study there?

Much can be written here. There are definately caring professors here, who invite people over to their houses for Thanksgiving dinner, e-mail you back just to be friendly, yet who are professional enough to expect you to take learning seriously.

NTS is not as conservative as some have portrayed it to be. Like, PLNU, NTS has its conservative professors, and its 'liberal' or 'progressive' professors. NTS even has one female as a full-time staffperson, yet I do believe NTS can and should do a better job at providing better gender relations.

Academically, you should expect to read 1000-1500 pages per 3 unit class. Many professors do not give much mercy on deadlines, yet some will let you negotiate a late turn-in date if you ask ahead of time and give a reasonable excuse.

The concepts that we learned at PLNU are-but-are-not unique to PLNUians. In class I have been able to use new knowledge to better back the theological perspective that influenced me most at PLNU, yet I am driven much farther than to regergitate what I already know. I have realized that much of the stuff that mainline Nazarenes might consider borderline contreverial are actually very close to mainline belief amongst students and facualty. I truely belive that NTS is doing a decent job in provinding me a rounded education.

Also, chapel is still three times per week, yet is optional. NTS chapel is the only place I know of where the preacher and staff still sit on the platform during the entire service! How awkward this seems to me now, even though it was custumary of my home church until the mid-late 1990's. Yet, chapel is nice to attend once or twice per week, but not three times.

Finally, Kansas City itself is a great town--except for the fact that the weather gets a little crazy from time to time. Expect one ice storm per year where icecycles two to four inches long develop on your vehicle, a couple good snows (4-6 inches each), and some severe thunderstorms capable of tornadic activity in the spring and summer. Yet, spring and fall are GORGEOUS! I've been here for nearly a year and have tremendously more to discovor. In comparing the town to a California city, it is slightly larger than the Sacramento area, yet small-towny like Fresno-Clovis.



All right, now it's your turn:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions (or in the comments here, if you want).
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

I flew from KC to San Diego this last weekend to see friends and fellow alumni. Even though it had been a year since I had been in San Diego last year (2004) when I graduated and moved away, it felt like I had hardly left. I saw people of many associations--music, church, work, dormmates, and other random acquaintances. I arrived in San Diego Friday noonish--just in time to spend a full afternoon walking around PLNU campus to see who I would run into. I saw my voice teacher and choir director and some others in the music building. Then, I went to the Roher Religion building to see the newly constructed business building and the new lobby entrance of Roher Religion, while sitting in on a class taught by Bob Smith. In the evening I saw the PLNU jazz band play some cool tunes, including a very well-done rendition of a Cubana Jazz tune. I then went to a Mediterranean dance night club where my sheltered self saw my first ever belly dancer (honestly, I was scared out of my mind at first before relaxing a little to observe the new environment).

Saturday, I had brunch in the caf' in time to sing with Rocky some songs in a Copper Music practice room that we would sing in the lobby for passing students in the caf' lobby Monday night. I ate Adalberto's AND Chipotle on the same day. The evening was characterized with a concert by the student-run group 'Pointless'- now finishing its second year of existence.

Sunday, I caught a shuttle to Mid City Church--they finally remodeled the bathrooms. Leigh is moving to Montana just for the heck of it; I really thing Kansas City would be an ideal place for her AND Kelly to move, and go to NTS. After church my uncle Chris and aunt Ann picked me up. I spent the remainder of Sunday at their house, hanging out with my cousins Jeff, Jonathan, and Desere. I just found out that Jeff is going to Azusa Pacific in the Fall to major in Music Theory--how fun! I also met my Aunt Ann's parents and her little sister, who weirdly enough is near my age.

Monday was a day of taking last minute pictures off many of the places that were important sites of memories, yet still much more could be taken. I took some 400 pictures during the whole weekend. I saw Jenny Stein, Tim Gaines, and Sonja Benson.

I came back to KC on Tuesday just in time to make it to work; the flights were right on time and went smoothly. I was exhausted at the end of the day, however, since I worked on the same day that I had traveled 1700 miles.

That is all for now, since I should acostarme (go to bed).