An ode to no one

Dale Robertson | Moral Leadership in the 21st Century | September 04, 2003 | BYU Broadcasting

2009-09-16T18:00:00.001-07:00

Here is one of my all time favorite talks from Dale Robertson. He delivered this address when I was in my junior year when I was at BYU-H.

Dale Robertson | Moral Leadership in the 21st Century | September 04, 2003 | BYU Broadcasting

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A bit of a break

2009-05-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy lately. I am sometimes amazed at how busy things are now that I am married. But it is all okay. At least I no longer have my BYU practicum hanging over my head. As a matter of fact, I passed the year-long ordeal with an A-. I was kind of doubtful after the first semester, but kicked things into high gear and came out on top.

My interest/borderline obsession with N.T. Wright is still going rather strong. I have read three of his books and am working on my fourth which happens to be the second part of a commentary on the Epistle to the Romans.

While I appreciate the NRSV and the REB, despite all it problems and arcane language, the King James Version remains the translation I like the most and spend the most time reading. Just the overall literary quality of the book makes it worthwhile and one reason why I support the Church in sticking with what should be considered the cornerstone of western thought and literature.

Tina is presenting her GT (gifted and talented) portfolio this afternoon. She most of the day working on it, revising her paper and moving things around in her binder. When she gets home, we are going to celebrate by going out to dinner with Matt and his friends for his birthday. We might do some more celebrating later ;-)

Well, that's it from me. Lots of random thoughts here but hey, that's how my life is going these days. Random, busy, and good. I have a great life!

Finally! A good night's sleep

2009-04-23T06:51:00.002-07:00

I must admit that ever since we got back from the honeymoon, neither of us have been sleeping well. Tuesday afternoon I was so tired after work that it was almost painful. I slept okay Wednesday night but still had that "I didn't get a good night's sleep feeling" which is something I do not like. That, and being hungry.

Well, for the first time since leaving for the wedding, I practice my sleep hygiene techniques and they made all the difference. Nothing could disturb me. Not even when Colby (who spent the night with us last night) came in to use the bathroom to get ready at 3:45 this morning in preparation for his trip to Jordan.

I feel great. I am doing my sleep hygiene from now on come hell or high water. I refuse to enjoy ill sleep.

Chris

Just married

2009-04-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that Sunday is a day of rest. Yesterday was exhausting. Tina and I spent all day, and well into the night, getting our lives and stuff settled from the wedding and honeymoon. The day began early early and we did not go to bed until well after midnight. Needless to say, or as I have said before, we were both very, very tired.

It was good. We got a lot done and were still able to do much of what we wanted to do as well. I suspect that future Saturday's will not be nearly as busy. I also think that right now neither of us have much motivation to move, but we will cross that bridge once we come to it.

Well, it is now a couple of hours later and we are sitting down to eat some wedding cake. We have decided that it is too good to save for later and that we have to eat it now....

Sitting down

2009-04-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Tina and I just got home. Well, not in the sense that we just walked through the door and this is the first thing I am doing, but you get the picture. We have been home for a relatively short period of time.

This morning I went through my temple clothes and realized I needed a new tie. So, we went to Deseret Book to see what they had in the way of temple ties. While we were there, Tina realized she needed some scripture marking pencils. So, I bought the tie and the pencils and then we went to lunch.

Lunch was less than stellar. It was just okay. We went to a soup and sandwich place. I thought my sandwich was good, but the soup was wanting. I mean you'd expect to find actual cauliflower in your cauliflower cheese soup. Alas there must have been the minimum amount of cauliflower the FDA will allow in order to claim cauliflower as one of the main attractions. Also, the texture of soup was something I had a hard time getting past. I am usually not a picky eater, but I just felt like I could not eat. I thankful Tina shared part of her sandwich with me.

My mom and dad should be here in a couple of hours. It will be good to have them around and spend some time with them before the big day on Saturday. We are going to have dinner and hang out with Tina's family tonight and then do who knows what tomorrow.

I shouldn't say who knows what. I know that Tina's mom, my mom, and other women in the Idaho Falls area will get their hair done. I suspect that my heart will continue beating and the process of oxygen exchange will continue to take place in my body and hopefully in yours.

With that said, Tina and are going to meet with her financial planner to combine our finances under one account which will be nice.

Well, that's it for now. I will be back later.

Busy but having a good time

2009-04-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

I was pretty busy yesterday afternoon. After the kids went downstairs, we had our weekly faculty meeting. I resolved myself to go back to my classroom and finish my lesson planning for when I am gone. Sadly, my resolve was not strong enough. Faculty meeting just took it out of me and I could not bring myself to go back there to work. Instead, I decided to go to my house and pack up more of my stuff.

I am surprised at how close I am to being totally packed up and moved out. It has been quite an undertaking. I have accumulated a lot of stuff over the last couple of years and am having a hard time with packing a lot of it up and putting it in storage.

Luke and Bonnie Starr came over last night to visit with Tina and me. We all went to Brick Oven and had a great time. I hope Tina and I will be able to keep doing things with them after we are married. They live in Salt Lake, but that really shouldn't stand in the way.

Last night was my last night in my apartment as a single person. I slept good. Perhaps a little too good considering I did not wake up until 7:15 this morning. I usually wake up around 6:45am, but forgot to switch my cell, which I use as my alarm clock, from vibrate to ring. That simple mistake shot holes in my desire to be to work on time this morning.

Well, I just have to make it through today and then I am home free. I think the kids will watch a movie this afternoon regardless of their behaviors. Stick a fork in me. I am done.

Great News

2009-04-07T19:18:00.001-07:00

This is too good to keep to myself. I have some wonderful news, almost as good as the news that I am getting married this Saturday.

Are you sitting down? If you are not, I suggest you find a chair and plant both pockets firmly on it. Here goes. Mom Davis just switched to Mac. This is big. Her life is about to change in meaningful ways.

I joined the The Church Apple about four years ago when I bought a twelve inch iBook G4 laptop. I love that computer. It has had absolutely no problems and has been, by far and wide, the best computer I have ever owned, period.

I must admit that I am kind of concerned about the future of Apple now that Steve Jobs has stepped aside for health reasons. Hopefully we do not see a repeat of what happened after Jobs was fired in the 80's and the company almost tanked.

Well, enough about Mom and her conversion. I am so excited to see it when we go up to Idaho Falls tomorrow evening.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-04-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

I got my hairs cut yesterday. It was quite an experience. I got to see firsthand what happens when women go to the salon. This is big. Perhaps what I am about to write will involve the revealing of secrets more secret than those kept by the Freemasons.

The secret I will uncover is how women get their hair colored. It involves much aluminum foil and a paste which looks a lot like poi. After the part of the hair is wrapped in aluminum foil, the stylist then dips a brush in the poi and puts it in the hair of your beloved (or at least that is what they did to my beloved).

After the poi treatment, the woman then has to wait. For what I am not sure, but it during that time, if she brought her fiance along to get a hair cut, the stylist works on him. This takes about twenty minutes.

Finally, the aluminum foil is removed and the stylist washes the woman's hair. This is called washing out.

After the wash out, the stylist then applies her secret arts of the scissors. These are carefully guarded secrets, so much so that I was forced to flee the Salon/Lodge. I left in such a hurry that I forgot to pick up the cheese we would be having for dinner. Once I arrived in the safety of my home, I hid under the covers, convulsed with tears.

My hair looks good. Well, it looks about as good as it can for man who is quickly loosing it. Will I go back? I feel duty bound to learn all the secret rituals and rites of the Salon and expose them to the world, bringing them out of murky darkness and into the light of day.

Magnivision

2009-04-06T11:58:00.001-07:00

Over the past year I have become quite a connoisseur of over-the-counter reading glasses. The reason why I don't get a prescription is because the last time I went to the eye-doctor I discovered I have close to 20/20 vision and slight astigmatism in one of my eyes. He explained to me that this might be the reason why I was experiencing slight fatigue while I was doing things like reading and looking at the computer screen.

I was glad that my eye-doctor was honest, at least with me, and said that 1.00 or 1.25 power reading glasses should solve the problem. Since then, I have been on a quest to find the perfect reading glasses.

The first pair I bought were a pair of 1.25s I bought after my eye appointment. They had more than enough magnification, but turned out to be too powerful. Next, I bought some glasses in the same power from Sam's Club. They did not fit very well but were great to have on hand. Eventually I decided to get rid of them and dropped down to 1.00 power glasses.

Two weekends ago I decided to look at what Wal-Mart had to offer. I found a great pair of reading glasses. I tried them and they had everything I look for in a good pair of reading glasses. They were light on my nose, fit well on the bridge, and were wide enough for my face. I liked them so much I liked two pairs and thinking about using my flex spending money to buy at least one more pair.

Someday I might need a perscription. But if you are experiencing minor eye-fatigue while reading or working at the computer, I high recommend Magnivision brand reading glasses. You can find them at any Wal-mart.

Still Sick

2009-04-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

I stayed home from work yesterday with a nasty virus. I am feeling better but am still under the weather a bit. Thankfully we have our afternoon meeting and the kids leave at 1:30pm.

Tina told me that during her first year of teaching she got sick a lot too, but has been much better since. I sure hope this is true because I have had some really nasty viruses this year.

The good news is I am feeling much better and am confident I will have made a total recovery in the next couple of days.

Where do I begin

2009-03-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

It's Friday. What's more, the kids leave at noon. Even though we will be spending time in a faculty training meeting, I am really good about keeping myself occupied during these meetings. I think I will print out some Margaret Barker and N.T. Wright papers to read during the two hour plus meeting.

This afternoon, I will work on my portfolio with Jesse and later this evening, go to dinner with Tina and her family.

Last night was really good. Tina and I had dinner and then went to Taylor and Katie's house where we hung out with Mom Davis, Carter and Casey (my brothers in-law), Anna and Max (my niece and nephew), and later on that evening Taylor and Katie (Taylor is my Brother in-law but Katie is not my sister in-law, I think).

We hung out upstairs until it was time for Anna and Max to go to bed. After that, we watched Twilight. I liked it the first time I saw it but was surprised how bad the acting was the second time around.

Tonight we are going to Macaroni Grill. I made up my mind what I am going to get because I looked at their online menu for the Riverwoods location. It should be good.

Chris out

Tina's Mom rocks!!!!

2009-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, after much blood, sweat, tears, and many prayers, the announcements arrived in Orem late last night. We picked them up and then dropped them off with Tina's mom on the way home. Tina and I were planning on working on the announcements this afternoon but as it turned out, her mother was able to get them finished by the time Tina talked to her this afternoon. This is awesome.

Mom Davis doesn't know how much of a burden she has lifted off my shoulders. Now I can devote the needed time to finishing up my portfolio which is nearly done. Just one more lesson plan to write and teach, followed by some other things which should not take too much time. Hopefully I will be able to turn the blasted thing in Monday or Tuesday after work.

What do these light switches go to?

2009-03-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Do you have a lot of light switches in you house, so many that you don't know what they all go to? My future in-laws do. Approaching the bank of light switches on the kitchen wall to turn on the lights is a daunting task, one that I am not about take lightly.

I mean something bad could happen if I threw the wrong switch. For instance, let's say one of those switches is wired to turn on the lights in someone's bedroom and that light happens to turn on while they are sound asleep? Or, what if I throw one of those switches and somewhere the wings of 747 fall off sending it plummeting back towards good old Terra Firma? Both situations are very bad.

So, for the sake air travelers everywhere, I will not be turning the lights on and off at my in-laws house.

Chic Gamine Thumbs Downs

2009-03-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

I went and saw the French Canadian singing group Chic Gamine. Don't get me wrong(this means something bad is coming) as far as their singing goes, this group has pipes. When it comes to showmanship, you would rather be someplace else. Being that was the case, we went someplace else during intermission. Cold Stone helped to wash the boredom of Chic Gamine.

Saving Money

2009-03-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I bought a new pair of shoes. It is nothing to get excited about. Really it was a need born out of expediency.

I have one pair of black dress shoes. They are pair of two toned, black and white, Doc Marten's Oxfords. I love these shoes and have had them for about a decade. However, Tina said she did not want me to wear them at our reception luncheon and I don't blame her. However, I am never getting rid of them, and she's fine with that.

So, I needed a pair of black dress shoes. We went to a couple of stores a few nights ago but were unable to find anything I liked enough to really want to spend a bunch of money on. So I decided to check out Payless. Sure enough, I found a pair of reasonably comfortable black dress shoes, and here's the good part, I spent less than thirty dollars for them.

As we were walking victoriously from Payless, we decided to stop in the shoe stores on the way out of the mall to check out stuff. We stopped by Mr. Mac. As it turned out, they were having a sale. One pair of shoes were on clearance for $195.00 marked down from $450.00. I was shocked and amazed. Who spends $450.00 on a pair of shoes other than the filthy stinking rich? Probably the poor who seek to increase their "status" by wearing flashy and expensive clothes even though they work at Taco Bell, though I seriously doubt they would by the shoes, or anything else for that matter, from Mr. Mac. Even if I were wealthy enough to drop $450.00 on a new pair of kicks, I wouldn't. I think I would buy all my clothes from K-Mart.

Someday I would like to get another pair of black dress shoes. I am interested in Ecco shoes (my brother swears by them) but it all depends on my darned orthotic supports I wear in my shoes. They make buying shoes, how shall we say, problematic.

Well, enough about shoes, I am going back to work.

Reading with Tina

2009-03-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Tina and I reading Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews). We are going to be reading it in what I think to be quite an interesting way. One night, we will read about two or three chapters from the King James Version. The following night, we read the same chapters from the NRSV.

I like this approach, and think it will be good, because we will get the literary experience from reading the KJV and will get the accuracy from the NRSV.

Someday, I am going to read the NRSV all the way through but until then, I am going to enjoy reading Hebrews with Tina.

Back on Blogger

2009-03-19T07:54:00.001-07:00

For a couple of years I was a Wordpress kind of guy. I left Blogger for Wordpress because Wordpress had what I considered to be better templates. From time to time, I would come back to the Blogger only to return to Wordpress because of the templates.

Well, templates are no longer an issue. After spending about five minutes on Google, I found thousands of ready made templates for Blogger. This has convinced me to switch back to blogger for good. At least, for now.

I love N.T. Wright

2009-03-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

I've become a big fan of Bishop of Durham, Nicholas Thomas Wright. In my opinion, his knowledge of the New Testament combined with his adept literary prowess surpasses C.S. Lewis and I have read a lot of Lewis.

If you would like to know more about Bishop Tom, here's a website link to a bunch of mp3s and sermons he has given. I have really enjoyed it and hope you will too.

INTASC 10

2009-03-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

For the past year the acronym INTASC has been part of my life. I won't explain what it means, but I will say that I am ready to be rid of it. There are ten assignments that I have to complete. I just finished number ten and am almost done. It will be great to be done with this and then move on.

Getting Married

2009-03-16T08:15:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe it is just a few weeks away. I am so excited.

Monday Monday

2009-03-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

I hate Monday. Of all the days of the week, Monday is by far the worst of them all. Wednesday is pretty bad too. But nothing compares to Monday. Thankfully, I have next Monday off. Well, not really. It's a teacher quality day so that means no kids. I will be here, but will be able to get so much stuff done for my class.

Neat things happened today

2009-03-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well, to start off, I slept in this morning which was nice. I love doing that on the weekends. Sadly, I have to get up kind of early tomorrow morning to go the Church, only because we are visiting Tina's parents.

Tina had her Idaho Falls bridal shower. Lots of nice people gave her lots of nice things. So many things, that in fact, we don't know where we are go to put them all. We need a storage unit as soon as possible because in all likelihood we are going to get tons of stuff.

Casey had a piano recital. He is really good. It didn't last too long. In fact it was the perfect time. His teacher is really nice too.

I made enchiladas tonight. They turned out a little bit too spicy. Next time I am going to lay off of the chipolte peppers. even with the seeds removed, they are still pretty spicy.

I also finished reading Adventures of a Church Historian. This book was really good. I amazed that Leonard Arrington did not bear loads of animosity for people who made his job difficult when he was Church historian.

Chris, over and out.

Less than thirty minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I am so stoked. Only about twenty-three more minutes before the kiddies leave and I am free. I am going to go straight home and then to BYU to put the final touches on my presentation I have been putting together for tonight. After that, let the weekend begin.

Movies

2009-03-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Tina and I watched A league of their own the other night. It had been over ten years since I last saw it, so it was kind of like seeing it for the second time again. I say second time, because I remembered the storyline and some of the characters. What things even better was we watched it on VHS which kind of cool because the first I saw this movie was on a VHS player.

My favorite parts of the movie are when Tom Hanks character, Jimmy Dougan, tells one of his players there's no crying in baseball, and, while in the midst of a drunken stuppor, kisses the team chaperon. After realizing what he has done, he tells her,"I thought you were great in the Wizard of Oz."

Overall the story is good. This is not your typical "chick flick". It is a good movie and worth watching. So if it has been ten years or more since the last time you watched it, or haven't ever seen it, I highly recommend A league of their own.

Steve Jobs is Mad

2009-03-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

I am not happy about the new iPod Shuffle.

I heard a review about it last night on the Night Side Project and was surprised to find that the reviewer had nothing good to say about it. I went online to see for myself and think that this is one of the dumbest products Apple products ever produced and this is coming from someone who uses a Mac at work, owns and uses one at home, and has both the iPod Nano and last year's iPod shuffle.

Jobs is a visionary. However with his brilliance comes a streak of madness and this is an obvious case case of that. I hope this shuffle tanks so the engineers will go back to the drawing boards to come up with a shuffle worthy of the Apple brand.

The Epsitle to the Hebrews

2009-03-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the New Testament lately. The more I read the KJV, the more I like it. Right now I am reading Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews) and am loving it. As I have been reading I have applied a method of symbolic interpretation I learned from David Peck, a professor of history at BYU-Idaho.

Before I go any further, I must say that David Peck has made a huge difference in religious life. His method of exegesis has helped keep the scriptures alive for me and I am so thankful that, perhaps by accident, I stumbled across his presentation A Stranger and Pilgrim.

Hebrews is full of temple imagery and symbolism. Margaret Barker, a non-Mormon researcher a theologian, wrote about it in her book Temple Symbolism in Early Christianity. After having read that book, and listening to Peck's presentation, I am starting to get it. Hebrews is all about the temple and the role Christ plays in it for us.

Early Christians saw the temple as an important part of their religion. Barker's book makes this evident. I should really reread it sometime.

So far today

2009-03-11T10:10:00.001-07:00

Things are much better today than they were yesterday. Everyone is here and things are, for the most part, going well.

I am a happy man.

This Friday

2009-03-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

It's official. I am not going to work this Friday. I am in desperate need of a mental health day and might kill the kids (I'm a teacher) if I don't leave the state.

Tina and I will leave Provo when my class gets out and then drive up to Idaho. After sleeping in Friday morning, we will get our marriage license and spend the day playing. We might even have lunch with some of my friends up at BYU Idaho.

I like blogger now that my work has unblocked it. I probably should not be blogging at work, but I think it is a great stress reliever and helps me get on with the day once I have expressed myself. I was able to use Wordpress via Google docs until it freaked out on me and would not let me post that way anymore.

Lots of random thoughts here.

Chris out.

All time favorites

2009-03-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a partial list of my all time favorites

Books:
The Book of Mormon
The Bible (This includes KJV, REB, NRSV, and Jewish Publication Society's translation of the Hebrew Bible)
Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling

Music:
Led Zepellin I, II, IV, BBC Sessions
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream

Places/Regions:
Portland Oregon
The Pacific Northwest
Northern California
Atlanta
Southern Virginia
Utah
Idaho

Things to do:
Trying out new recipes no matter how hard or involved they might seem.
Going to the library with Tina
Reading LDS Church history and Mormon Studies
Sleeping

People I'm going to Marry:
Tina Davis

I did not want to get up

2009-03-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

I don't like daylight savings. I think that Arizona and Hawaii have right idea by not giving into peer pressure and keeping their time the same all the year round. I mean why is daylight savings time so important? It seems completely arbitrary to me and makes one Monday a year about one hundred times worse than every other Monday of the year.

I thought about calling in sick, but then decided against it. I'll take a mental health day sometime soon. Not sure when, but soon.

You might think it's boring but.......

2009-03-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

The other night I checked out a book by Leonard Arrington entitled Adventures of a Church Historian. This book is Arrington's memoir about his work as a college professor, LDS Church Historian, and later as the director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute at BYU.

I have enjoyed the first seventy five pages and am about to start on why I wanted to read this book in the first place. I wanted to read Arrington's account of what it was like to work as Church Historian and his interactions with Church general authorities.

When I read Church history, I must admit, I have bias towards the more human stuff. I really enjoyed Ed Kimball's books about his Dad (Spencer W. Kimball), Richard Bushman's biography of Joseph Smith, and what I have read of Arrington's bio of Brigham Young. I doubt that I will ever read Mark McConkie's books about Joseph Smith or much of what his brother has written either. They are too parochial for me.

The only thing I am concerned about is that Lavina Fielding Anderson assisted Arrington in writing this book and, according to some, wrote some sections herself in behalf of Arrington. So the problem is to figure out when Leonard is telling the story and when is Lavina telling the story.

This book is out of print. You can buy it on Amazon.com for over one hundred dollars. A better option would be to check it out from the Provo or Orem public libraries for free.

Books I am reading

2009-03-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

This week has been full of fun and excitement. On Wednesday night, Tina took me to the Provo City Library where I got a library card. For an admitted Barnes and Noble/Amazon.com book junkie desperately wanting to overcome his addiction, this is an important step on the road to recovery. Last night, we went to the Orem library where I signed up to check out books from them. Exciting stuff.

I have been facing quite the dilemma. Books take up space. I have lots of books and therefore they occupy lots of space. Also, I am getting married and am movie into fiance's small but very nice condo. Books are expensive, especially when you buy them brand new and they are usually more than ten dollars when you buy them in paperback. As I look at starting a family, I am growing more and more concerned about every penny. Not really, but you get the picture.

So,with that in mind, I am going to be a frequent patron of the Provo and Orem libraries respectively.

The REB

2009-03-05T11:58:00.001-08:00

Last night I read a good chunk of Paul's Epistle to the Romans from the Revised English Bible (REB). As advertised, this version stands up as a translation for reading. It is probably inaccurate and unreliable in places (what Bible isn't?) but it is one that I enjoy immensely and will continue us to supplement my reading of the KJV.

In a big country

2007-04-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Okay. After searching Youtube for the past few minutes, I found it. One of my all time favorite songs by Big Country. Conviently, the song is called In a Big Country. While they may have underachieved with their song's title, they more then made up for it with the fact that they were able to make a Fender sound like bagpipes. Yes, they have risen to new levels of achievment.

Enjoy In a big country, by Big Country.

Relaxing

2007-03-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend was exactly what I needed.

Saturday morning was nothing special. At eleven thirty I went to the Church to meet up with some people and then drove down to the Allred’s farm in Zebulon, about and hour and a half south from here.

Traffic was terrible. If I had not known that it was Saturday, I would have thought that it was just another day of the week on I75 south. Fortunately I was not in it that long and made it to my exit with no problems. We got to the Allred’s at about 1:30pm.

I spent the next couple of hours shooting skeet before I went back to the house to help grill lunch, which turned out really good. After lunch I decided to hang out in the cool of the living room and catch up on some reading.

At about 7:00pm we packed up and fought traffic all the way back but it was not so bad. I was totally relaxed, the weather was really nice, and the classic rock station was playing a lot of my favorites. In my opinion it only got better.

Well after I got home I went up to my room and then fell asleep around ten.

Thankfully Sunday was rather low key.

I woke this morning actually feeling refreshed which means it was a good weekend.

Waiting

2007-03-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday. One week to the day since my interview with Special Education and ESL program at BYU. During the interview I was told that I could expect hearing from them in two to four weeks meaning that I have to wait.

This morning I was kind of stressed out about it. This is definitely my first choice when it comes to where I want to go to school this coming fall. But as the day went on, things got much better and by the end of the day I was doing very well and am now looking forward to celebrating my sister in law’s birthday this evening with the family and then hopefully going out with Lisa tomorrow night.

Well, until something interesting happens that is worth writing about I am going to go read the Old Testament. I am now in the third book of Moses aka Leviticus. I will let you know how it turns out.

A happy day

2007-03-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had an interview with the Special Education and ESL department at BYU. I feel as though it went very well. They asked me some questions to which I gave lengthy and detailed responses that they appreciated. Of all the things that they said, what they said made me stand out was my experience and determination. I felt really good about this.

Along time ago my mother said that she thought that I should go to BYU. At the time I did not think much of it, but now, perhaps she was being prophetic. There are so many things about going to BYU that make sense to me in both my heart and mind. But of all the reasons that I could list here, the most important one is that I want to go there. Sure, I have been accepted to programs here, but attending BYU would also allow me take part in other things that are just not available around here.

So now that the interview is done, I have another two to four weeks before I get either the thumbs up or the thumbs down.

But let us rejoice in this victory with the greatest German Disco group with the name of a medieval Mongolian warlord ever.

I give you Dschingis Kahn, anglicized Genghis Kahn.

The Journal

2007-03-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we are one month and three days in waiting for a response from BYU. A response could come from them tomorrow, or as late as sometime this summer. My attempts to find out when I will get answer either yea or nay have been ineffective and what they have said has not helped. Of the three times that I have contacted them, they have told me that in about a month I would have their answer. Unfortunately that month has come and gone and the mailbox has yielded nothing.

Lately I have found some things to pass the time. Of those things, writing a reflective journal of my mission in Northern California has been the most enjoyable. This has been a really good thing. I am finding that more good things took place on my mission then I remember. So far the journal is over twenty-two, single spaced, type written pages long. There is so much to be said, not simply in terms of recording events, but how I felt about those events then, and my thoughts on how they affect the missionary experience overall.

As I was writing this, I got a call from BYU. They wanted to have a phone interview with me this Thursday at 6pm EST. So this is a step in the right direction. I am going to do all that I can do to prepare for this interview. Hopefully it will go well.

Let's celebrate this development with some Arrested Development.

Sad Cows

2007-03-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

For some reason this video is really sad. I know that they are just paper cows, but it gets me. My favorite line is "warm light, on a winter's day." Poetic and profound in a way that I cannot express nor describe.

Enjoy Pink Bullets by the Shins

Indie Rock continued

2007-03-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

I discovered this band while watching Current t.v., a station "dedicted to today's current lifestyle". Whatever that means. But the band is Minus the Bear. Their music is pretty complex, but something that I find relaxing and cool. This song is called Pachuca Sunrise. Enjoy them, please, as much as I do.

Indie Rock

2007-03-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last year I got into independent music and have been into it ever since. I would describe indie music as stuff that's out of the mainstream, will recieve limited, if any air time on MTV and other music channels. It is not a definite thing and is more of a fluid then static genre. I give you Bloc party. Their album Silent Alarm is really, really good. If you like it, show your support of indie music by purchasing it. Keep music and creativity alive and put "The Man" down :-)

Teachers that matter

2007-03-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday night was my first class in what will be a ten session, fifty hour, professional learning class entitled Teacher is a verb.

The first activity was the class was to divided into four groups and, as groups, collaborated to come up with as many verbs as possible that describe everything we do as professional educators in any given day. None of the groups came up with less then one hundred and twenty verbs.

One thing that stood out was that a new kind of teacher is needed now more then ever.

We went over some statistics from a recent journal study. If they are accurate then they are alarming. For example one out of six girls is likely to be sexually abused by the time she is eighteen years old. One in eight boys by the time they are eighteen will have sexually abused as well. Right now the percentage escapes me, but most kids, especially girls, will be sexually active or engaged in sexual activity by their eighteenth birthday.

Another sad fact is the homes that many of our students are coming from. In some houses children have been hit with empty liquor bottles, or spend the night cowering in a corner or closet out of fear that someone will either physically or sexually abuse them. But it does not end there. Many children, even in wealthier areas, are neglected by parents who are so career oriented that they forget about those who they suppose that their long hours at the office are supporting.

We also took a brief look into what foster children, an ever-growing population, face as they are shifted from home to home and having little normalcy or stability other then , “In a few weeks, I will be someplace else”.

Is it any wonder why the some of the disadvantaged struggle in school?

In short, it is a sad, grotesque, perverted, and violent world that is reality for many young men and women.

Alarmingly, many of the typical role models are no longer the standard that many youth look too. Everyone that I had as an example of success and productive living has been discredited as they are involved in scandals which then become fodder for the twenty four hour cable news channels, who count on sensational journalism to keep ratings high and keep the coffers of corporate sponsors full if not running over.

So what does all this have to do with teachers? Here are things that I have observed.

• The roles of teachers have dramatically changed in the past ten years.
Veteran teachers, these are not the same kids you taught when you started.

• Saying I don’t get paid to do this is not an option.

• Your students will not brook hypocrisy.

• Those that are in it for summer vacations need to get out because they will
not be the kind of teacher that today’s kids need.

• Most importantly, students need teachers that are will to offer, humanity,
mind, heart, and spirit to them if a difference is to be made.

This will be the first in a series of posts about what is needed in those who are going to be teachers today and in the future. I say in the future because it will probably get far worse before it gets better, if it gets better at all.

Happy Monsters

2007-03-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my mission and thought it was both cool and funny at the same time. I was over at a member's waiting for a my new companion to arrive when this came on the tube. I guess that it was lost on the four year old watching it, but I thought it was great. Enjoy R.E.M. and the Muppets (My favorite part is when Michael says,"come on monsters, we don't have to be sad, we can be happy).

Finnish Disco Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-02-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

This has got to be the worst music video of all time. It is so bad that I just had to share it with the whole internet.

Ehrman and apostasy

2007-02-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

I found this interview with Bart Ehrman online today. Ehrman is a biblicial scholar and Dean of the religious studies department at UNC Chapel Hill. While I don't agree with his agnosticism, I appreciate his candor about issues about how the bible actually came to be. If anything, the issues Ehrman presents indicate to me the need for Latter-day scriptures and a restoration. Not for the faint of heart. You may not like this.

Death Cab

2007-02-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

The song Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie is one of my favorites. I heard this song on the radio and have loved it ever since. Here is an acoustic version that I am sharing with you. I hope that it moves you the same way it moves me.

A side project by the lead singer is calle the Postal Service. This song, Such great heights, was in the Garden State soundtrack and is pretty cool too. You might also learn something about how micro processors are made too !!!!!!!:-)

Season of Change

2007-02-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

I had a sad thought today. I thought about what will happen to our students when we leave. Who will teach them? Will the new people be as dedicated as we are? Will they work as hard as we do to help them reach higher levels of independence?

We have accomplished so much with the two students that are here that one cannot help to think about these things. People, like us, who are dedicated to making the world a better place by helping the disadvantaged and disabled cannot help but feel this way about our kids.

From what I can see is that this transition will be much like a dear loved one passing away. It will be very painful at first, but I am sure that as time passes, and new people and experiences fill the void, it will get better until the departed loved one becomes a fond memory.

I was in Helen Georgia during October to see the magnificent autumn foliage of the North Georgia Mountains. Some friends and I hiked to Anna Ruby Falls. While leaning up against some rocks at the falls the wind picked up filling the air with swirls of bright reds, deep browns, and brilliant dark oranges set against a clear blue sky. It was then that I had the thought that while life is fluid and transitory, each phase is to be enjoyed and appreciated because that is why they are given us. Simultaneously though, a happy and productive life requires one to not only appreciate fall, but to move with seasons as they move and appreciate the good that comes with the winters, springs, and summers.

The preacher (the book of Ecclesiastes) said that for everything there is a time and season under heaven. How true this is, and how happy and sad it makes me at the same time.

Change for sure

2007-02-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

It is for sure that things are changing. Today our department head informed our lead and another of our team that they are moving to the mild classroom that will open this fall. What was once something we only thought was going to happen is now a reality and come fall, things will be changing.

I am really okay with this. They have dealing with the challenges of a severe autism classroom and want a new to take on a new situation with the good and bad that will come with that. I don’t blame them because seeing what we have been through during the past two years, and knowing about what has happened in the past, their decision to move seems very wise. When it comes the safety of staff and the kids, there are some things that are just flat wrong no matter how others try to justify them.

It will not hit me that something great is coming to an end until the last day of school in May and we all have to go our separate ways, my friends to new work opportunities and me to wherever my graduate studies carry me. There are some people I know who have said that it would drive them crazy not knowing exactly what I will be doing six to eight months from now in terms of school and work. I don’t blame them.

On the other hand I have always been adventurous, always wanting to explore new places, meet new people, and have new experiences. For instance summer vacations were filled with wonder as my friends and I would ride our bicycles to the edges of our known world, exploring every vacant lot, wooded area, or local wetland that was in the Garden Home community of Portland Oregon.

After two very dismal and depressing years at BYU-Idaho, on a whim I filled out an application to BYU-Hawaii. I remember my mother thinking that I was joking around in filling out an application to attend school in Hawaii. Going to Hawaii was not just transferring to another school, but moving into a whole new world of cultures, possibilities and experiences that I would not have but when August of the following year rolled around and I got on that plane to Honolulu. It became apparent to everyone that I was totally serious about moving thousands of miles from Lawrenceville to a remote island in the middle of the Pacific.

The thing in life that I have learned is this; when I go with these impulses to have new experiences, to learn and see new things, it always turns out for the best. On the other hand when I stick with the status quo, misery generally follows. My happiness is in adventure. That’s part of who I am. I don’t think that I will ever be able to give it up. I also think that life does not end at thirty. It only ends when either you are dead, or loose that sense of wonder that drives you to see what’s in that stand of trees, or down the road.

I am definitely more of a Liahona Mormon. That’s who I am.

Keepin it together?

2007-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Something really funny just happened.

I signed for a professional learning class that was being offered through the school district that I work for. So today after school I went to Radliff Middle School, the announced location for the course.

After parking my car, I made my way to the media center where the class was going to be held and found a place to sit down. Seeing that no one else had arrived and that the class might be starting later then advertised, I decided to take advantage of the extra time to do some scripture study.

Forty minutes, a chapter from the Book of Mormon, and several sections from the Doctrine and Covenants later, I began to wonder what was going on. Were they running really late? Had they cancelled the class? With this in mind I checked my work email. Between the time I had left Brookwood and arrived at Radliff there was the possibility that the class had been canceled and everyone was informed by email of the cancellation. Sadly there were no new emails indicating a cancelation.

I remembered after registering for the class a few weeks ago I sent myself a message to my Gmail account with the class schedule. I pulled it up and to my pleasant surprise I was early for class, a whole week early. The first class does not begin until the 28th at 4:30pm at Radliff Middle, not the 21st at the afore mentioned time.

Stress must be getting to me. I usually don’t do this sort of thing unless there is a lot going on that is mentally taxing. Oh, well. I will just enjoy the night off and spend it at Institute class at the Mt. Park building.

A definite must see

2007-02-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

I love Youtube. It has taken the place that Mtv2 and FUSE had when it comes to music videos. Here are some of my top picks.

This is Interpol. Their album, Antics, was my soundtrack up until a few months ago. This song, Evil, is awesome.

Radiohead is another favorite. I saw this video for the first time, at Craigos, a small pizza place that used to be located just off of Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) campus in Rexburg. The song is called karma Police. I don't listen to them as much as I used to. Mostly when I feel nostalgic for the days right before my mission.

I almost went through the roof of of my car on the way home from work when I heard this song. I sat in my driveway until it was done to find who sang it and what it was called. The video is cool. Imagine Joan of Arc, meets Cortez or Columbus, meets the Donner party in an elaborate community or high school theatre production. I give you Phantom Limb from The Shins.

You have to take the time to watch these.

Dr. Who

2007-02-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am big fan of Dr. Who. For those unaware, Dr. Who is a science fiction television series that has been in the public consciousness for over forty years. Best known for its' bad special effects, low budget sets and costumes, there is something endearing about this show that keeps me interested and entertained by the idea of an immortal who travels around the universe and through time, in a spaceship that is forever stuck looking like a British police call box.

It probably has to do with the fact that it keeps me young. Somehow it reminds of the sense of wonder I had as a child that oftend dies as we age and enter adulthood.

So sit back for a few minutes and enjoy the wonder that is Dr. Who.

More Change

2007-02-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

So after having a good long weekend there is nothing like showing up Monday morning and finding that your student, who you were told would be starting at their new school, is still here. I have nothing personal against the kid, I understand the level of his disability and that he is largely unaccountable for what he does, but for crying out loud, can't people get their stuff together and just do their job? Honestly.

But on another and not completely unrelated note, a rather big development has been thrown into this process of deciding on a career and graduate school.

Our team has been together for over a year and has had wonderful success with the kids in our classroom. But after what we have gone through with two students this year, and at least five others in the past, we have all been forced and weigh our options. A very significant factor that we have to consider is safety. When our kids loose their temper it is intense, and the potential for serious injury is great even when you are a 6'3" male (me), who weighs 260, who also has received assault, training and has extensive experience in how to deal violently aggressive behavior. Does anyone want to deal with the possibility of being seriously and even permanently hurt, while being an educator, on a daily basis especially when you are on your own at times? Collectively and individually we decided no.

Individually and collectively we are thankful for the wonderful opportunity we have had to work together, but are aware that malevolent forces beyond our control are putting all of us at serious risk, namely delusional parents and negligent behavior support specialists who are responsible for putting the extremely violent kids in the public schools. We are also thankful for all the experiences that we have had, both the good and the bad that collectively is the wonderful year and a half we have all had.

Our lead was waiting for a sign what to do next year, and then it came. A position opened up in the form of a new mild classroom in our department. For her, it was the pillar of light in the grove. She took this as the sign. Because I was going back to school and another our team members will be student teaching next year, the remaining member of our team and our lead decided to put in for a transfer and move to the new classroom.

I am at peace with this. It is never realistic to believe that things will never change, that our best efforts, by themselves, can stop the relentless march of time or even change the world. If anything this has opened up new possibilities and has turned me on to things that I have wanted to do for years but never had the necessary confidence to even try. If anything it is for me a sign that it is time to moveon.org.

From all of this I have learned the importance of listening to promptings, responding to the almost imperceptible tugs and nudges, that many call providence. I never would have taken this job in the first place had I not listened to some profound prompting I had a year ago.

As Joseph Campbell put it:

It is miraculous. I even have a superstition that has grown on me as a result of invisible hands coming all the time - namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. My general formula for my students is "Follow your bliss." Find where it is, and don't be afraid to follow it.

Good things

2007-02-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

A good thing might be coming to an end. After two years of working together our classroom might be splitting up during the fall of next year.

Gwinnett County Public Schools is having serious issues with its’ severe Autism program. Over the years teachers, administrators, and behavior specialists have given in to parent’s demands to keep their kids in regular schools instead of taking a stand and sending them to schools specifically designed to deal with sever behavior problems among the intellectually disabled. As a result some people have gotten seriously hurt, including me. Because of all this, the special education coordinator for the county, along with other teachers and administrators are going to look into the placement of every child with Autism and the appropriateness of their placement.

I guess that there is only so much that anyone can take. After seriously hurting my back in August of last year I have had to think about what my options are.

On the one hand I love my job. I get a great amount of satisfaction working where I am and really do enjoy my kids. On the other hand I don’t know who is floating around in the system, or what crazy parent is going to fight the system, and who is going to give in and allow their kid to be placed in a school where they could really hurt themselves or others. There are just too many unknowns right now and until things get sorted out, my coworkers are thinking that they should move on.

I don’t want to get carried out on a stretcher. And after seeing the size of some of the kids that could be place in my room, and considering the violent nature of some of them, perhaps now is a good time to move on and work on improving my employment in terms of how much I am making while doing what I enjoy.

It is clichéd to say that where one door closes, another one opens and so forth, but if accepted to grad school out west, I could also pursue my dream of becoming a Seminary or Institute teacher for the Church. In fact this week I am going to call my local coordinator to set up some student teaching and observations that could lead to a part time position in the fall. That would be great to go to school full time, teach seminary on the side and then have another part time job to pay for my car and other things.

Even though I will be sad if and when the work situation comes to an end, working with the people I have been with for the past two years and all the experiences I have had, both good and bad, have been worth it. The growth that I have experienced over the past two years is something that I would not trade. If given the opportunity to do it all over again, I would do nothing different.

It will be interesting to see what options I have come March.

Where oh where

2007-02-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

After months of various stages of completion, all of my grad school applications are in and now the worst period of all has begun, the waiting period.

So far I have heard back from Piedmont College, where I was accepted, and need to schedule an interview with Brenau. Both are colleges in North Georgia and are relatively close to the Atlanta area. Then there are the Utah schools. BYU has just begun to review and process applications for both programs that I applied to and Utah State will not begin reviewing applications until March.

I figure that BYU will be the next school to send a response and then, last of all, USU will let me know whether they will accept my tuition money into their coffers or not.

So what will all this mean? It will mean moving somewhere. If I decide to attend Piedmont, I will probably have to move to Athens Georgia. This will mean finding a place to live, getting a new job, attending a new ward and so forth because commuting forty miles to go to school is not my idea of cost efficiency considering the high price of gas.

With Brenau I could keep living at home, but I feel that is not healthy. Most likely if I decide to attend Brenau I would move in with my friend from BYU Hawaii, Matt, and live somewhere down by Emory University in Atlanta.

Any of the Utah schools would mean a major move. Provo, if I decide to attend BYU, and living in Logan or close to districts that participate in USU’s distance learning program.

I am someone who likes change and enjoy new adventures and new places. I am also someone who can be happy pretty much everywhere though, and because I know what makes me happy location is somewhat irrelevant, just a real added bonus.

So check back in mid March to find out where Chris Rusch will end up this fall.