news from Ryan

I've been substitute teaching the past two months and it has been excellent. That is, bad pay, but great experience. It has given me an overview of how Christian education is done in Tyler and particularly how it is done differently by baptists, anglicans, and catholics.

It has been easy to see theologies in action...very easy.

But I am postponing this survey of pedagogues. I am going to become a full-time ESL teacher at one of the schools. Incredibly (to me), there are about 30 international boarding students here and there is even one student from Japan. Most of the others are from Korea or Taiwan and otherwise, 2 Croatians, and 2 Mexicans.

My job will be to help them out of any and all English-related difficulties in their life in America.
It's going to be good. I start Monday.

As a bonus, the school has some connections to Wheaton. The headmaster is from Wheaton. The Wheaton college orchestra visited there recently. And, tell me if you don't think so too, it even looks like Wheaton: http://www.brookhill.org/

Snoop Dog's translation

click here

Confucius

Tzu-chang asked whether we can know what is to be ten generations hence.

Ryan said, "Whoa. I like that question."

The Master said: "The Yin inherited the manners of the Hsia; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. The Chou inherited the manners of the Yin; the harm and the good that they wrought them is known. And we may know what is to be, even an hundred generations hence, when others follow Chou."

Ryan said, "That's right--where can I learn more from you ancient Chinese wisemen?"

The Master said: "Learn from my book of sayings and also from Sun-Tzu. Also, ask your friends if they know anything about me or other ancient Chinese wisemen."

respectfully submitted,

-Ryan

Old Man Steve

Happy Birthday, Stephen! I hope your cold has improved enough to facilitate a little celebration. (Is this the quarter-century mark for you?) Your aging like a fine wine, I'm sure: a little better every year. [at this point, you have to imagine the guitar riff from the Beatles' "You say it's your birthday" starting up in the background] Happy birthday and "sake o onegai shemas" (I know it isn't a proper transliteration, but sound it out and see if you can get it)!

Global Warming and Wheaton

Litfin got quoted on the matter of global warming.

link

Should the college be taking a stance on this issue? Personally, I'm cool with it, but I don't have any better defense for it than I am for reducing man's impact on climate shifts.

I live in a great house. My room is on the second floor and it is like forest tree house. Since moving in here last October I have been putting birdseed on the ledge outside my window and throwing it down to the ground and I have even payed $40 for a hanging bird feeder. Today I added two more species to a list of birds I have patronized. Here is my list:

cardinal
sparrow
titmouse
bluejay
house finch
grackle
chickadee
flicker
downy woodpecker
carolina wren
goldfinch
mourning dove

isn't THAT interesting? heh :) To me, it is delightful.

More than 2 will be interested

Well, here in Japan (not India, not America) I have been cut off from most English language manifestations of one of the means of grace: the preaching of the Word. BUT there is the internet, which can feed me streams of audio from any preacher I can think of (including my home church pastor) and at any time I want. I have been especially drawn to internet sermons and lectures since getting an iPod for my birthday.

One of my favorites is Ravi Zacharias (though he does go a bit heavy on quotes I think). Anyway, I went to his site just now (www.rzim.org) and something near the top-left corner of the page caught my eye. Is that? Yes, that is a name I know. Could it be the same one that I knew from Wheaton? A little investigation...wow it IS the same! And now she's working for Ravi Zacharias? That's cool!

(in case they've changed the front page, here)

Maybe some of you already knew this, but it was news to me.