Coker Updates

Good Quote!

2010-09-12T14:01:00.001-07:00

"There's nothing more pathetic than a blog that's abandoned and left for years in stagnant loneliness."

That pretty much sums up my blog. : ) Thank you, Ashley, for those fitting words. : )

The thing I struggle with the most is the purpose of each post, each web log entry. The overall blog can have many purposes, but each post (I believe), needs to have its own purpose. If the purpose is to update family or friends about my life, or share an interesting thought or experience, I understand that. But if it's really an attempt to entertain the reader, then I have so much competition I might as well not bother. Who has time to read one more blog? There are so many things that compete for our attention. Time and attention. I don't have time to make an ongoing commitment to this blog (e.g., a 52 project; promising to post at least once per week), and I bet most people who might potentially read this blog do not really have time to read it. So my purpose is not to entertain. (That's what Netflix is for.)

I will attempt to post more often than previously, however, I will only do so if I feel the blog entry is worth sharing. If I have nothing to say or no time to organize my thoughts, then this blog may remain stagnant. However, if I make time to share a thought here and there, maybe a comment on a news article, or share an interesting quote, then so be it. For pictures, see my Facebook "mobile uploads." For Justin updates, he has a "baby book" blog online for family, and there is also a lot on Facebook. This blog is not intended to be a duplication of Facebook, so hopefully it won't be just that. I hope to post thoughts and impressions that I would not necessarily want everyone on Facebook to see in their newsfeed. Often I will post a link to an article, via Facebook, but apparently no one else finds it interesting or thought provoking enough to comment. Or maybe I post things that are too controversial so people don't want to fess up about their opinions on the matters. Well this blog is by design less interactive, so people don't have to share their thoughts, they can just read mine. Or not, that's fine too. : )

Final Spring 2010 Grades...

2010-06-09T14:55:00.001-07:00

I just found out that I got an A in Information Privacy Law. And I got B's in Business Associations and Constitutional Law. So my semester GPA was 3.222, and my cumulative GPA is now 3.182. I'm OK with it! : ) I would love to graduate law school with a B average if possible, anything over 3.0, but honestly; I just want to graduate! Only 5 more classes; only 3 after this summer! (Let us not speak of what comes after that...)

I'm really enjoying my Trial Advocacy class so far this summer. Real Estate Transactions is kinda boring but oh well. My professor is an attorney at Paul Hastings in downtown LA and represents banks like B of A in multi-million dollar development projects. So that's kinda cool.

My last semester (Fall 2010) will include Wills & Trusts (ugh, but bar tested), Informal Systems of Order (sounds cool), and ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution (cannot wait!). I'm really looking forward to finishing law school with ADR: "This course examines the various devices and procedures that have been developing for the resolution of legal disputes beyond and apart from the traditional judicial process. Basic topics include methods of negotiation,mediation, arbitration, plea bargaining, and pre-trial settlement, as well as legal documents concerning the status and interplay of those methods with the traditional and adjudicative devices." I know you're jealous, right? : )

Jason

Justin smiling.

2010-05-17T12:17:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite pictures! This was taken on 05/15/2010 at Laguna Beach, CA.

Great Grandma Coker 03-14-2010

2010-03-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

We visited Great Grandma Coker and Uncle Dale on 03/14/2010.

Here is a link to some of the pictures: Click here

Or, copy and paste this url into your web browser:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sirjason011000/GreatGrandmaCoker03142010?feat=directlink

Enjoy!

Baby Book Blog.

2010-03-03T13:39:00.001-08:00

Created a "baby book" (blog) online for Justin's baby book. Here's the link:
http://jdcbabybook.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Movie review.

2010-02-22T19:58:00.001-08:00

Just saw "Whip It" last night and really enjoyed that movie! Two thumbs up! I thought it was a lot of fun, and just enjoyed watching a movie as a family. Justin was such a good boy--we only had to pause the movie once I think (when he wet himself...while I was holding him, of course). It was a much-needed relaxing evening.

3 ways to lose limited liability.

2010-02-16T19:56:00.001-08:00

LLC limited liability will be lost if:

1. Failure to disclose the LLC.

2. Piercing the LLC veil.

3. Failure to follow formalities during dissolution / winding up process.

[Now you know what we covered in Business Associations this evening.]

Test image...

2009-12-31T07:59:00.001-08:00

This is just a test to see if I can upload an image from my phone (by email).
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

November Update.

2009-11-29T17:23:00.001-08:00

Random miscellaneous update: I'm wrapping up this semester of law school classes (International law, Insurance law, and Constitutional law), we had a great Thanksgiving meal and day after thanksgiving (smoked a turkey!), and we discovered that Monsters vs. Aliens is a really funny movie! We're now going to birthing class number 8 of 10, so that's pretty exciting that we're almost done! Brittany's baby shower went well, and we are certainly looking forward to baby Justin's arrival! Guess that's all for now; hopefully a more thought-provoking entry next time. (Guess we'll see...)

Jason

Animal slaughter for the World Cup?

2009-10-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

See Reuters article.

If Africans are ultimately allowed to sacrifice cows for the soccer games... would this make it any easier for Israel to bring back daily sacrifices?? [Just sayin']

Also funny to consider that we probably think of soccer sacrifices as totally pagan, but daily sacrifices as religious, and Biblical [at least OT Biblical].

Is there really any difference between soccer sacrifices and Jewish daily sacrifices?? Thoughts / comments??

Global Warming... or cooling... no, warming. Who knows?

2009-10-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Compare these two articles:

1. BBC 10/9/09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8299079.stm

2. Fox / Reuters 10/15/09

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,566601,00.html

Story #1 states "For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures."

And; "To confuse the issue even further, last month Mojib Latif, a member of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) says that we may indeed be in a period of cooling worldwide temperatures that could last another 10-20 years."

And "In the last few years [the Pacific Ocean] has been losing its warmth and has recently started to cool down"

BUT WAIT...

Compare to article #2:

"LONDON — Global warming will leave the Arctic Ocean ice-free during the summer within 20 years, raising sea levels and harming wildlife such as seals and polar bears, a leading British polar scientist said on Thursday."

But, I thought IPCC said next 10 to 20 years would be period of cooling?!! And Pacific Ocean is also cooling. So... Pacific will cool down while Arctic is heating up / melting??

"Scientists say evidence of melting Arctic ice is one of the clearest signs of global warming and it should send a warning to world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December for U.N. talks on a new climate treaty.

"The data supports the new consensus view — based on seasonal variation of ice extent and thickness, changes in temperatures, winds and especially ice composition — that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within about 20 years," Wadhams said in a statement. "Much of the decrease will be happening within 10 years.""

""This further strengthens the case for an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen," he added."

Yep. Exactly. All are pushing for a political deal; one way or the other.

From #1 again: "One thing is for sure. It seems the debate about what is causing global warming is far from over."

Comments??

Sons of God

2009-10-08T11:21:00.001-07:00

Nobody else will care about this. It is a simple point. But since this is my blog and I found it interesting, I will post it. (I am craving deeper analysis right now!)

Today I read Job 38:7 which states "...when the morning stars sang in chorus, and all the sons of God shouted for joy..." This has always been understood to refer to angels. So what? Well, my mind went to Hebrews 1:5. "For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my son! Today I have fathered you"?"

Isn't the answer Job 38:7? "...all the sons of God...", those angels were called sons of God, right? Well, sort of.

This apparent contradiction involves Hebrew and Greek, translated into English, and of course the context of both Job and the book of Hebrews.

First, back to Job 38. Using E-Sword, I found that the Strongs Hebrew for "sons" is H1121, bane, From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like H1, H251, etc.). I find this very helpful. The Hebrew word translated "sons" can mean "subjects", not just literal offspring, a male child.

Here is a study note from the NET Bible on "sons of God" from Job 1:6.

The "sons of God" in the OT is generally taken to refer to angels. They are not actually "sons" of Elohim; the idiom is a poetic way of describing their nature and relationship to God. The phrase indicates their supernatural nature, and their submission to God as the sovereign Lord. It may be classified as a genitive that expresses how individuals belong to a certain class or type, i.e., the supernatural...

Another quick NET Bible study note on "morning stars":

The expression "morning stars" (Heb "stars of the morning") is here placed in parallelism to the angels, "the sons of God." It may refer to the angels under the imagery of the stars, or, as some prefer, it may poetically include all creation.

Now consider the context of Job 38. Why, and when, did the morning stars and sons of God sing together and shout for joy? Job 38:4 provides the context; "when I laid the foundation of the earth..." This appears to be when God created the earth and physical universe (or at least the "foundation" of the earth, if there is any distinction). I believe this tells us that the angels had already been created at that time, and shouted for joy when they witnessed the creation. Even if not, at the very least, they witnessed God setting the foundation of the earth. From a chronological view, we can see that the angles existed before the foundations of the earth, and that was obviously before humans were on the earth. At the time the morning stars sang together, humans had not yet come into existence. There were no other "sons of God" (so to speak). But the angels did already exist as God's "subjects" in heaven. "All creation" at that time would have been a limited concept; not yet fully developed.

So... why did the author of the book of Hebrews say "... to which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my son'..."?

This New Testament scripture was written in Greek, and the Greek word for "son" appears to mean just that. (G5207, kinship.) More helpful here, I think, is the context and purpose of this section of scripture. In my Bible, the caption says "The Son Is Superior to Angels." Interesting, since angels were previously called sons (loosely, as we saw). This is specifically contrasting God's Son from the angels. Hebrews 1:1-2 says God appointed a son heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. Verses 3 and 4 tell us that this Son, (distinct from the angels), sustains all things by his powerful word, and when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus he became far better than the angels... These verses lead up to our apparent problem verse. These verses can only refer to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and cannot refer to any angel. In this context; to which of the angels did God ever say "You are my son!", knowing what all that means in the context of this section of scripture? To which of the angels did God invite to sit at his right hand? (Hebrews 1:13.)

Although both Job 38 and Hebrews 1 use the same English word ("sons / son"), upon close examination, these scriptures ought to clarify, rather than confuse, our understanding of God's relationship with his "sons" / Son. Angels are his subjects, having a relationship with God in a general sense, as does all of creation. But they are not heirs, and are not part of his family, only part of his kingdom.

What started out as an apparent contradiction, actually clarifies and reveals more about God's family and creation.

Surrogates Movie Review.

2009-09-27T11:01:00.001-07:00

If you've seen the preview, you've seen the movie. Seriously. The whole story is in the trailer, even the ending. You don't realize the trailer was a spoiler until you see the whole movie, and then realize that you already knew the ending from the preview. So, don't waste your time.

Good Point / Quote.

2009-09-23T19:43:00.001-07:00

"Those who would read the Treaty Clause out of the Constitution by appealing to past congressional practice (no matter how questionable that practice) essentially suggest that a period of disregard for constitutional text and structure may suffice in large part to erase the disregarded constitutional text or structure from the Constitution."

Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe (1994)

Consider how this concept may apply to other text / Law, and whether a "period of disregard" justifies continued disregard.

International Law

2009-09-20T20:47:00.001-07:00

I am currently taking an International Law class at Southwestern this semester, and as such, I found these links very interesting and on point. I realize they are all from the same source, and I don't have time to really research this issue; but I wanted to share these links:

UN Gaza report / Will U.S. now let Goldstone into Afghanistan?

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1114914.html

Lieberman: Goldstone set out to charge Israel with Gaza war crimes

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115268.html

UN must hold Obama to same standard as Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115242.html

Disgrace in The Hague

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115240.html

Goldstone: Punish commanders who broke laws in Gaza

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115355.html

Amira Hass / The one thing worse than denying the Gaza report

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1115232.html

I can't wait to see what the ICC does with this issue.

What a nice Sunday!

2009-08-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

One thing I failed to mention in the last blog entry is that everyone has been so nice and helpful in Bermuda. When my scooter died random people offered to help us, for the most part the cars have been very accommodating to the tourist scooters by sharing the road etc., and it's just been very nice. Except for the few cars that do tail-gate my scooter and drive right on my...tail light. But anyway. Today was an excellent day. First, we stayed in bed for like 12 hours. : ) Didn't get up until after 9 AM, had another awesome brunch omelet from Dr. Dad, then decided to hit the road. We drove to Hamilton and took pictures of the scenic water front on Front Street. (Oddly enough there was a Canadian ship there. Who knows who was protecting the motherland since their fleet was in Bermuda?!) Anyway, from Hamilton we drove along the North Shore to St. George's, stopping along the way to take pictures because it was just so beautiful! Saw Fort St. Catherine (so I'm told; we saw a lot!), and then had lunch at the Carriage House in St. George's. Lunch was excellent!! We sat outside overlooking the water, had a several course meal with excellent food; just a wonderful time except for the killer umbrellas that kept attacking Dr. Dad! (twice!) : ) And herring juice ended up on his foot (don't ask). Got some nice pictures and it was such a relaxing break. Then we hopped back on the scooters and scooted back down to our accommodation. And took a nap! We were all so tired we just fell asleep. After a nice rest we got into our swim suits and scooted over to Shelly Bay. Such a beautiful little bay!! The water was so nice, and so warm, and so turquoise, and so salty (just saying). It was really easy to float, and it was so enjoyable to just float and relax and see the nice homes on the coast line and beautiful sky... ah, just wonderful. We headed back home, saw Tiger win another tour, had some dinner and updated the blog. I almost forgot to mention the rum drinks! Brittany had a virgin, I had the real deal. Nice end to a very nice Sunday! Tomorrow we're going to head up to Tobacco bay for snorkeling, hopefully before all the tourists invade. (There are supposed to be something like 4 cruise ships coming in this week!) This has been such a nice vacation already; if we had to go home tomorrow, it would have been worth it. But we still need to do some snorkeling, some crystal cave exploring, and... I think a few other things, I don't know. Rick and Brittany are competing to see who can get a better tan. Dr. Dad is clearly winning, and will be the winner. As such, Brittany is trying to change the rules by saying she has more of a consistent tan on more of her skin, since more has been exposed so far. (we've all been wearing shirts on our scooters, so forearms are darker than upper arms or shoulders, but B wore more like a tank top, so her shoulders are darker.) Since this approach is clearly her only hope of winning, she threatened to get sun naked if she has to! Now might be a good time to mention that we'll try to post pictures to picasa or facebook once we get home. That's all I have for now; so adios por favor!

Bermuda so far...

2009-08-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

Friday July 31, 2009 was a long day. We got up at 4:30 AM local time (CA), departed LAX around 7:30 AM, flew to Miami, and then got stuck. Our flight from Miami to Bermuda was delayed because the plane coming from New York had bad weather and was late. So we were also late... by over an hour. We arrive in Bermuda about an hour and a half late, 9:40 PM. Got through customs with no problem, but then had to wait almost an hour for a taxi cab! Turns out it was a national holiday in Bermuda, so most taxi driver's were not working that day. So they only had a handful, and there was a line of over 50 people waiting. We got to our accomodation at Grandiosa Casitas (which is translated "small dingy apartment"), around 11 PM. Had a good enough sleep, then got up the next morning and had awesome omlets courtesy Dr. Dad. Rental scooters arrived, then we drove West to the end of the island, to The Dockyard. (We are staying in Smith's Parish.) Went about 16 or 17 kilometres, one way. Two of the scooters were fine but one was so wimpy it could hardly make it up a hill! So we called and got a new one. This is after mine actually completely died in mid-intersection, and had to guid it into a parking lot and have that one replaced before our treck. So apparently I'm not so good at chronological orders, but I have an excuse: rum drinks! : ) Drive back was good and uneventful. Replaced the dud scooter, Dr. Dad tested out the new one, seems to be okay. Now after 6 PM, so I need to get going. Lunch was good. Realized that I twisted my ankel worse than I realized. [rum drink!] Again, not chronological order. : ) When I first tested out my scooter, I tried to drive up our steep drive way, and kinda twisted my ankle. No big deal at the time, drove for over 1 hour, sat down for lunch for probably 1 hour, then tried to stand up and it hurt really bad. Drive home was fine whem immobilized, but now ankel on ice. Feels better [rum drinks]. Gotta go. [run drink!] Hopefully more to come later. Adios for now por favor.

Vacation.

2009-07-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

Probably no blog updates next week; we're going to Bermuda, from 07/31/2009 to 08/09/2009. Will take lots of pictures, and hopefully upload them to [http://picasaweb.google.com/sirjason011000]. Keep an eye out for them... (but don't hold your breath!) : ) Adios por favor!

PS no, I'm not concerned about telling everyone on "the Internet" that I'll be out of the country next week, because we've hired a full-time security guard to monitor the house [and pet-sit] while we're gone. [Enjoy the pool, Blu-Ray and plasma HDTV Emily!!]

It's [going to be] a Boy!

2009-07-26T22:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Family & Friends:

Today we did a scan to determine the gender of our baby. Brittany is almost 16 weeks pregnant and... it turns out he's a Boy! So we're going to name him Justin Derrick Coker. His estimated delivery due date is mid-January 2010.

Brittany has already posted photos to Facebook. (If you are not on Facebook let me know and I can e-mail you some pictures!)

Also, please feel free to spread the news to anyone who might want to know!

Jason

News articles: People are idiots!

2009-07-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

1. Link. This makes me so mad! A well known, well respected black man is accused of burglary when trying to get into his own home, because his idiot neighbor doesn't know he lives there! After police arrive and confirm he is the owner of his home, they enter without his permission, convince him to walk out onto the porch, and publicly arrest him there, because of his over-reacting. Really?! He should have stayed in his living room and told them to get out of the house and yelled at them from there! And since when is it not okay to yell at police who enter without probable cause from inside your own home! Ridiculous.

2. Link. Quote: "After negotiating a deal that will close the gap on California's jaw-dropping $26 billion deficit, Schwarzenegger posted a puzzling video message on his Twitter page. In it, the governor is wielding a huge knife, talking about selling state cars signed by the "celebrity governor." Even the governor's press secretary couldn't explain the knife" Really? You can't explain why he would be holding a knife when the whole point of the news story is budget CUTS? This is not a complicated analogy here people!! Big knife for big cuts. Seriously.

3. Link. This one is just interesting that such practies still go on today... ["They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote BankeBazaar town.

"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."]. Clearly there is not yet a balance between science and religion.

Mobile blog.

2009-07-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Just a test entry to see if I can blog from my phone.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

13 weeks and 6.52 cm

2009-07-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

To see our 6.52 cm long baby; click this LINK.

God's Love.

2009-06-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Some say the ultimate expression of God's love is giving eternal life. Without further comment regarding that statement, I will ask: What about the opposite? Eternal death. [Not eternal torture in hell, but an eternal grave.] Is that not also an expression of love? [Think about this.]

Might God's last expression of love for someone that unequivolcally and knowingly rejects Him, be a merciful (but everlasting) death? If we trust that God IS love [1 John 4:8], and believe that He will do this [Rev. 20:15], can there be any other conclusion?

Romans 8:38-39. Will anything remove us from God's love? Let us hope that His expression of love to us never has to be the above!

Nevertheless, if we trust God's wisdom and love, that any such decision would be made in love, why should we fear it? Is there any non-selfish reason to fear it?

If we trust God with our life, including our spiritual life, and trust His discretion, since He is the only One that can make this decision; shouldn't we have a sense of peace, knowing that He will make the right decision?

I have a sense of peace knowing that God will not allow any of us to be miserable for eternity. All who are turned into spirit will be a perfect fit into His family. And all who are not, have nothing to fear but the last expression of love.

For those who do fear this possibility; I encourage you to read 1 John 4:18.

That's my perspective. Please comment.

Numbers 35:33.

2009-06-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

Quote: "You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it." [35:34; Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the LORD live among the Israelites.]

Given all of the ongoing bloodshed in the land of Israel over the generations; I wonder if the land has been "polluted" and cannot be "cleansed" until every murderer is wiped out?

Notice Rev 14:20 says "Then the winepress was stomped outside the city, and blood poured out of the winepress up to the height of horses' bridles for a distance of almost two hundred miles."

I had never made a connection before, and maybe I am now taking this scripture in Revelation out of context. Perhaps. Or, is it possible that this massive river of blood is also necessary to cleanse the land? Just thinking out loud...

In any case, I think it's fair to say the land has been polluted with murder. When it is eventually cleansed, it will be horrible, but the story has a happy ending: Rev. 20, et seq.

Been a while...

2009-06-08T00:45:00.000-07:00

Oops. I really should update this more than once every 6 months. I guess I've been experimenting with different forms of technology; this blog, facebook, and most recently twitter. I finally created a twitter account; not sure why, but I did, so we'll see how that goes. Maybe for the "one-liner" type updates I'll use twitter, and for bigger stuff I'll put it here. Facebook seems a little too public, even though I have control over who is added as a "Friend". This blog is probably more public, and I probably have less control over it, and yet it seems much more private to me, because one must actively choose to view this; it doesn't automatically show up in your news feed or home page on facebook. If I can get myself to use this blog occasionally, even once a month, then I may ask Ben Orchard how to get the twitter updates on here too; he calls it a "micro-blog" on his blog side bar. I think that's kinda neat. So I may try that. I keep going back and forth on whether I want to share my thoughts at all. I suppose if they seem too boring (like this rambling) or in any way too offensive or controversial, the reader can always stop reading. But if the reader enjoys the updates, or hopefully occasional thought provoking comments, then that's fine.

Quick recap of the last few months; Brittany and I saw Edwin McCain at House of Blues on 1/17/09 [which was great!], I got a used chevy on 2/20/09 with 44k miles on it... okay it's actually my dream car: a 2001 navy blue corvette!, finished up Spring 2009 semester at Southwestern Law School and passed all my classes (horay!), gave another speech at club on 5/9/09 ["complete speech"] called "Be a Pro!", saw the new Star Trek that night--excellent!!, then on 5/17/09 we had a big day: went to the beach with B's parents, took them to see Star Trek (again, awesome!), had a great sushi dinner in Pasadena, went home, [went to Wal-Mart], and found out Brittany is pregnant! : ) But since we had already purchased some concert tickets before we found out; our unborn child's first rock concert was The Offspring at San Diego State University on 6/3/09, which was an awesome concert!, totally worth the drive (~2 hrs each way), and the embryo's second rock concert was Gavin Rossdale at the House of Blues in Anaheim on 6/7/09, which was also an awesome concert! We don't have any other concerts planned until 8/23/09 when we'll see Aerosmith and ZZ Top in Irvine. We're really excited about having a child, although Brittany is actually hoping to have twins; specifically, a boy and a girl. So we'll see what happens. I honestly have no preference at this point; I intend to have just as much fun with a Son or Daughter! But since it takes them a while to get to the point where they can have fun, and it will take me a little bit longer to finish up law school, I'm hoping that will turn out to be good timing. While the infant is too young to do anything other than cry and poop, I'll focus on Constitutional Law. When they can cry and poop and giggle, then I'll finish up with Wills & Trusts, and by the time they can do anything fun, I'll be preparing for the bar exam and I'm sure I'll need a break here and there! Once the bar is over and behind me, hopefully I can really focus more on family and less on work and school, which seems to be very consuming at the moment.

Well this is quite enough for now! You stay classy San Diego. And thanks for stopping by.

Commitment to community.

2009-01-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

On January 10, 2009 I gave a Lesson Six: “Stir to Action” speech at Leadership Club. Here is the summary:
--

Today I'd like to talk about our commitment to this community. We want to believe that we're one big happy family. We want to believe that we would do anything for each other. And maybe we would... If someone here really needed your help, and asked you for help; would you shun them? (Probably not.) But how comfortable are we with each other, to even ask, in the first place? Do we trust that EACH member of our congregation would respond in LOVE? Would WE respond in love?

My purpose today is to really focus on our commitment to loving each other. [To encourage each, and every one of us, to individually renew, our commitment to this community.]

Why are we sometimes shy, or timid, or embarrassed to ask others for what we need, even if that's only some simple encouragement to keep going? Do we FEAR the response? Do we hate to even admit that we sometimes struggle? Have we ever DOUBTED that someone in particular would even want to help us if we asked? Is it possible that others wonder whether we care about them?

Please allow me to share a personal example... As most of you probably know, I am in Law School. I have been for 2 years, which means I am now HALF way through the 4 year program. I go to class in downtown L.A. FOUR nights per week, Monday through Thursday, and work full time during the day, for The Law Offices of Stephen Krutzsch, in-house staff counsel for The Hartford Insurance Company. I have my own case load of 70 files, and I go to hearings and take depositions of injured workers. I joke that this keeps me too busy to even realize that I'm stressed. : ) But the reality is, it is very hard, on me, and my family. [Friday night is usually the first dinner we've had together all week.] I appreciate the encouragement that others give, when they understand what we're going through.

But I have to admit... sometimes, I let fears and doubts get in my way when it comes to my relationships in the church. FIRST, I feel like most people will have NO CLUE. They won't know...what I do during the day, or what is required to get through law school, or how hard it is on us! SECOND, I feel like I can't say anything about it, for two reasons: (1), I don't want to complain. It is an amazing blessing and opportunity for me to be in my position and study program. And (2), I fear that people, (rather than empathizing) will just think I'm crazy and that it's all my fault for doing this to myself, and taking on too much! And so, I can see myself allowing these perceptions and doubts to get in the way. I fear. People won't understand. and Like everyone, I don't enjoy admitting that I struggle.

But I can overcome these, by focusing on the fact that we are all committed each other in this community!

You know, There's a saying: “The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it's not without doubt, but in spite of doubt.” Dr. Rollo May.

I'm sure we can all think of times when we didn't quite feel comfortable with someone in our community, for whatever reason. Maybe we used the age excuse; They're too old, or too young and immature; they wouldn't understand... Maybe we let other physical things get in the way: Well they are in a different stage in life...they won't identify with me because...[fill in the blank]. Maybe people don't have our same interests, likes and dislikes, taste in entertainment or dining. There's probably an infinite number of reasons for us to think that MAYBE others won't quite identify with US, and therefore, may not have any interest in... what we DO, who we ARE, how we FEEL, what we need, and may not be able to HELP us, or encourage us. This is how people can feel lonely, even in a big congregation. But it doesn't have to happen!

If each of us are COMMITTED to LOVING each other, and we ALL trust each other to be loving, and encouraging; we will see this community in an entirely different perspective. It is incredibly comforting to know that there are other people who pray that they can be of help; that God would use them in some small way to serve His people.

[Conclusion:] By individually renewing our commitment to this community, and knowing that others do the same; we can have confidence that we are part of a LOVING spiritual family! When we FOCUS on the true basis and foundation of our relationships, which has nothing to do with food or drink or music and movies and TV or video games or sports or books or gardening or hobbies or ANY other physical thing... We can transcend and overcome any fears and doubts in the back of our minds, and stride confidently into church, knowing that we are loved in this community, and we have also made a commitment, to be loving to others!

We're not here because we're mildly interested, and Saturday is a convenient day to get together.

PLEASE; Meditate and Focus on the commitment we have made; and the implications that has for the community! [and there are many...] We can DO this! If we EACH do this, there is no need to be shy, or timid, or embarrassed about whatever we are going through; because WE ARE one family, One loving, godly community!
--

1,000 words.

2008-12-22T09:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm too lazy and busy to write about our trip right now, but a picture is worth 1,000 words. So here are some pictures, with brief captions:

http://picasaweb.google.com/sirjason011000/5YearAnniversary#

Enjoy!!

Foreshadowing / pre-entry.

2008-12-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

This is just to let you (the reader) know that my next blog entry might have something to do with our 5 year anniversary trip that we just got back from!! I'll give you a hint: It rhymes with "CATALINA ISLAND" and "BY HELICOPTER"!! : ) We had an excellent time, and I can't wait to tell you all about it! But, this is just a teaser entry, to wet your appetite...

Too busy...

2008-12-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

So this seemed like a really good idea at the time; resurrecting this blog. But I've realized that my life right now is just too stinking busy! I will still try to use this thing occasionally, when I have something to say or share, but for now, just know that I'm in the middle of final exam week at law school, I have 2 deposition reports to catch up on, and 3 more depositions next week to prepare for! I will truly try not to let this blog turn into a journal of how busy I am with work and school, because that would be very boring. But, that is the reason why there's nothing more interesting on here for now! Thank you for your patience, and interest if you've read this far! : )

Documenting.

2008-11-23T11:09:00.001-08:00

Why I'm interested in documenting my thoughts on this blog: After a while, I'd like to look back on these entries to get a general feeling of what thoughts I've felt like sharing with others. I have nothing against movies and gadgets. But if that's all I end up talking about, I'm going to be pretty disappointed with myself. Sometimes I wonder if we keep our thoughts/conversations/friendships a little on the shallow side because we believe that is more fun. After all, it's generally more fun to talk about movies and technology than, say, the direction the world is heading. Who wants to hear an analysis of the current global financial crisis when you could just be happy and excited about the new Blackberry Storm? : ) [for example.] ; ) I really enjoy movies and TV. But I also enjoy thinking about, and taking a close look at, which scriptures best address our understanding of a particular biblical principle or spiritual / religious concept. When I hear a speech or sermon on a particular topic, that I agree with in principle but don't honestly believe that the scriptures cited actually support the speaker's point, I feel compelled to go prove it for myself! But, I'm not sure if that's worth sharing with anyone, because it's not as fun as thinking about Elle blasting Sylar with a bolt of lightning. [The TV show Heroes, in case anyone is wondering.]

New phone soon.

2008-11-22T10:40:00.001-08:00

So I've decided that I might actually start using this blog soon, since we're getting new phones (BB storm), so that might make it easier to update the blog from anywhere. When I'm actually in front of the computer, I'm usually supposed to be doing something else. But with the new phone, I can update this anywhere, whenever I'm bored or have the opportunity. Please use the poll on the right to let me know how often you'd like to see updates!

Brunch with Oma & Opa.

2007-10-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today we are having a lovely brunch with Oma & Opa.

Testing 1, 2, 3 ...

2007-10-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is a test.