One hippie, at your service.

life, parenthood, Regi 1 Comment »

so this morning I to swing by target to get a few things, you know the deodorant, toilet paper, baby wipes trip.  I was in the baby section grabbing some puffs for Imogen and over heard a woman talking with her adult daughter with baby about babyfood.  they were talking about how they wanted organic babyfood, but were a bit overwhellmed with the choices, not understanding what all the additives in babyfood were.

Since I have been making all of Imogen’s food I thought I’d chime into their conversation and tell them about making their own food.  we talked for a good 15 minutes about making and storing food.   They were greatful for all the info I gave them stating that they wanted to try making food, but were nervous and didn’t know where to start.  We parted ways and they were headed for the fresh food section to pick out a few starter foods.

A couple minutes later I ran into them again and they asked what kind of baby wrap.  I went on for a few more minutes with them talking about the moby wrap and how much we loved it, I took them to the baby aisle and showed them what it was and how to use it.

As our conversation came to an end, they thanked me for my time with them and all the info I gave them.  As we parted ways the mom/grandma looked at me and said “I knew we just needed to find a hippie.”

I smiled and walked away.

 

Ultimate Fighting Baby

Danyen, Imogen, life, parenthood 2 Comments »

It amazes me how often caring for a baby is like being in an utlimate fighting match. Every day my knowledge of Judo comes in handy.

When I’m trying to change her diaper, she acts like I’m trying to break her guard. Once I get the diaper off, she moves to spin out and escape my hold. If I’m not careful, I’m bound to see an upkick. BJ Penn has nothing on her rubber guard.

When I’m trying to get her to go to sleep, It’s like a submission. I’m trying to maintain my hold so she knocks out, but she keeps squirming and trying to escape, throwing elbows and all.

When I’m playing with her on the couch, she sees my back against the cage and starts in with the dirty boxing. Head butts, eye gouges, fish hooks, etc. She could teach Couture a thing or two.

Don’t even get me started on the illegal nipple grabs, hair pulls, and nut shots…

Still, she’s the best sparring partner I’ve ever had.

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What a real man looks like

Danyen, life, parenthood 2 Comments »

Why yes, sir, Thank you for asking! That was me you saw walking out of Costco with a baby wrapped to my body, carefully balancing my pizza slice and diet soda upon my brand new Blu-Ray player as my daughter grabbed for my lunch from her perch on my chest! And yes, that was me you saw deftly changing my daughter’s poopy cloth diaper in the parking lot from the trunk of my car, singing songs and dancing for entertainment while shoving bio-waste into a wet bag.

What you may not know from the big smile I gave you as you looked me up and down was what I was thinking – “Take a good look buddy. This is what a real man looks like.”

 

IF you love me… you will obey my commands

Danyen, faith, quotes, thoughts Comments Off

I’m researching this weekend for a paper on liberation theology. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, liberation theology attempts to incorporate religious elements into the struggle of the poor and oppressed in this world to be liberated from oppressive forces. Many of these liberation theologians use scripture in inventive and unorthodox, sometimes even very questionable ways. However, this is not always the case. Martin Luther King Jr. made theology a central part of his campaign against racism without really being “unbiblical.”

 

What I am presenting here are the thoughts of Clark Pinnock, an author whose essay I really enjoyed. He intends, as a more “orthodox” Christian, to interact with the thoughts of liberation theology. At times he takes his thoughts too far, but our need to answer the thrust of his claim as “people of the Book” must not be ignored. In fact, even if you hold no faith or trust in the Bible, his argument ought to be met with repentance and action as a matter of human decency, mercy, and justice. With Easter on everyone’s mind, it is good today to think about what Jesus did in sacrificial example, and how we are to follow.

 

From Clark H. Pinnock, “A Call For the Liberation of North American Christians,” in Evangelicals and Liberation, edited by Carl E. Armerding (Grand Rapids, Mich., Baker, 1977).

 

We are summoned to enter into the same struggle, to hear the Word of God ourselves in a world of poverty and dire distress. Evangelicals have in recent years been rather more inclined to defend the gospel than to practice it. Yet a defending of the gospel which is not matched by a living of it is hollow and ungenuine. (128)

 

The general shape of our discipleship also is made unmistakably clear as an orientation to the cross of Jesus, a life patterned in accordance to the normative event of the gospel. In the cross, as Peter says, Christ has left us an example that we should follow in his steps (1 Pet 2:21). Because He was among us as one who serves, we are to be present in the world after the manner of servanthood.  (129)

North Americans – and Christians are not an outstanding exception – are continuing to consume the products of earth at indefensively high rates and appear to be firmly set on reaching even higher levels, at the very time when it is a matter of public record that unaccounted millions are seriously malnourished and even starving. To put it most mildly, we are insensitive to the cries of the world’s poor. Like the rich man with Lazarus at his gate, we are largely indifferent to the distress of the needy. Like ancient Sodom, we “have surfeit of the food and prosperous ease, but do not aid the poor and needy” (Ezek. 16:49). Of course humanitarian aid has not been wholly lacking. Mission and relief agencies in particular have faithfully tried to channel funds to needy situations. Even the U.S. and Canada have been active in aid to the poor countries. But it should be recognized that, although these gestures are good, the effort hitherto  has been meager and half-hearted. A serious attempt to assist the world’s poor has not been made except by a very few, and we stand condemned as pretty largely indifferent to the problem. How then do we suppose we shall escape the wrath of God, we who hold down the truth in unrighteousness? God’s Word warns us: “He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard” (Prov. 21:13). How can we deny that the attitude of North Americans in general is callous, pleasure seeking, and hardhearted in the face of the world situation? Are we not behaving in a merciless manner that is both globally irresponsible and morally depraved? (130-131)

 

We, the wealthy six percent of the earth’s population, cluster around the well of the earth’s resources and drink deeply from it, while the vast majority of peoples are shunted aside lapping up the trickles that spill from our cups. (131)

 

Although God’s word is unequivocally clear in such matters it would seem that “the cares of the world, the delight in riches, and the desire for other things have entered in, and choked the Word so that it proves unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). The Word of God is choked in the churches of North America. Our comfortable life and culture have blinded our eyes to the scriptural teaching about tenderheartedness, stewardship, and justice. I see no way to deny, though I wish it were not so, that the context in which the Bible is to be responsibly read and applied today is that of a suffering and poor world, containing a small pocket of affluence, in which the privileged, among whom are to be counted most North American Christians, are largely indifferent to the hungry millions at their gate. If the Bible is to be believed, and if this situation is not changed by the costly repentance of these favored few, all we can expect is the wrath and indignation of the God who regards the needy and hears their cry. Where is there mercy and  justice amongst us? 131-132)

 

As we have become successful and established, we have come to identify with the interests of the ruling classes and the established order, producing bourgeois Christianity, a church no longer willing to care for the needy and hear their cry. (134)

 

God is calling for political obedience. For the first time in history, the necessities of the situation and the obligations of the gospel practically coincide. (136)

…only one-half of the world’s annual expenditures on armaments would fund all the works of mercy and peace for an entire decade and result in significantly alleviating all of the major problems presently obstructing the prospect of a decent kind of life for the world’s peoples. (135-136)

Feeling the stress

Danyen, life, parenthood 3 Comments »

I just got back from the doctor. Apparently, the following can lead to stress: moving across country, becoming a parent, quitting your job, a dwindling savings account, not having any friends, the gloom of the Pacific Northwest, becoming a stay at home parent, and going to graduate school. Who knew? I think the doctor felt bad for me. He spent an hour sitting and talking with me about all the factors in my life and what I can do to relieve the stress. I’m supposed to cut out caffeine and start working out regularly again. He said that my heart palpitations, fatigue, and headaches are all probably due to the stress. This is nice to hear, because I walked in convinced I was on the verge of either a heart attack or diabetic coma.

I’m in the home stretch for school. I only have about four more weeks of lecture and then finals. After that, I get to recuperate and relax until the end of August. Please pray that I would be able to deal with these stresses in my life so that the physical strain of this stress goes away. I am going away for the weekend to visit family. Hopefully the drive, and the time in a crowded house with family, will be peaceful rather than stressful.

Have a happy Easter everyone!

A pasty white American gospel rapper in Japan

Danyen, faith, life, thoughts 1 Comment »

I have a great story today.

Earlier this week I had a great conversation with a missionary that was visiting my school.

Chuck is a white, middle aged American that lived for many years in Japan helping nationals start churches. While he was there, black gospel choirs became all the rage in Japan, on account of their love for Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Act becoming a huge hit.

Sister Act Poster

The Japanese started flying in whole gospel choirs from America to tour the country. But, if you know anything about Japanese culture, they don’t half step anything. Gospel choir clubs started sprouting up all over the country. The church Chuck worked for looked at this growing trend and decided they needed to get in on the action by forming their own gospel choir. They would travel all around singing about the gospel. However, only four of the people in the choir were actually Christian’s. The rest  just wanted to be part of a gospel choir. Each week after practice Chuck would start to share with the others what the words of the songs meant. Many people came to believe in God through the choir.

Most of the choir members were Japanese women. So, more often than not, Chuck got tapped to take on the male lead parts. Now, I don’t have a picture of Chuck for reference. But, trust me, Chuck looks nothing like Chuck D of Public Enemy. Chuck has as much street cred as a polka dot bowtie. But God put him in the place and gave him that opportunity, so he followed. In fact, from what I understand Chuck became kinda famous as a gospel rapper in Japan. I gotta say, hearing Chuck say that he was “big in Japan” gave me a bit of a chuckle. But, in all honesty, he spoke of what he had done with as much embarrassment as pride. I gather becoming a famous rapper in Japan was nowhere on his radar when he decided to live for God.

So, what does this mean for you life? Ask yourself, how far out of your comfort zone are you willing to go to be the person God has called you to be? How about a pasty white gospel rapper in an Japanese girls choir? Where is your comfort zone today, and where is God leading you to outside of that?

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