Nashville with Matt for CSC

Last week I took at trip to Nashville for the Christian Scholars Conference.  I wasn’t planning on going since I have so many other travels this summer.  However, when Provost Tippens called with an opportunity to respond to a paper by David Miller, I knew it was an opportunity I shouldn’t pass up.

David Miller is on the faculty at Princeton University where he directs the Faith & Work Initiative.  David’s paper was a summary of his book God at Work along with an announcement of a new phase in his research where he is further refining “The Integration Box” model with an instrument development study.  I will be paying attention to his work over the next few months and would be interested in joining in the conversation.  If you are interested in the topics of faith/spirituality and work/life balance from an academic perspective, you should check out his blog…http://faithandworkblog.com/.  It’s not updated often enough, but it’s a good start.

The conference was engaging and enjoyable.  I always enjoy my visits to Lipscomb University.  It’s a beautiful campus in a lush, green, pastoral quarter of Nashville.  There are many things about Nashville that are appealing.  One of the highlights of the trip was seeing so many old friends.  I had lunch with Ted Thomas (formerly minister of the Silver Spring CoC in Silver Spring, MD) and Gayle Crowe (former minister of the Chatham CoC in Chatham, NJ…and father of one of my best friends DMC). 

 

These two guys are so special to me because it was in conversation with them many years ago that convinced me it was time for a career change.  I’m so grateful for their influence in my life.  Without them I would be Lord knows where… but almost certainly not here.

But the big highlight, was that Son #1 was able to come along for the trip.  We had a blast.  We spent the first night on the plane at DFW… and didn’t arrive in Nashville until nearly 1am.  But the second night we did a double-feature… Iron Man 2, followed by Prince of Persia.  What fun.  I preferred IM2, but he liked PoP better.  Both were fun. (Ironically, last time I attended CSC I took in a Double Feature at the same theater!)

We also made a stop by the Parthenon…

And then had the most amazing burgers at Five Guys…

Day 3 we had to fly back to LA.  But before leaving, we made a few stops.  Like at Krispy Kreme for some hot, fresh donuts.

 

On Legends Corner in downtown Nashville… 

I think Matt only recognized Johnny Cash from the guitar face.

Then we stopped by the Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole’ Opry…

And finally, we wondered by GameStops, Targets, Best Buys, and Walmarts looking for a PSP Bundle Pack.  With the bundle you save about $30, but Matt really wanted to buy a PSP for the plane ride home.  So, we finally picked up a new PSP and the Prince of Persia game and headed to the airport.  It was a terrific trip for both of us.  I really enjoyed having Matt with me.  I look forward to having him with me again.

A good step forward on a very long journey

One of my pet peaves is bottled water. I simply don't understand why people spend $1.50 for a plastic bottle that they will throw away in ten-minutes. The environmental impact of this trend is truly astounding.

Recently, several municipalities have demonstrated long-term wisdom by deciding to support their existing tap-water infrastructure and refusing to purchase bottled-water. San Francisco did this a few weeks ago, and Seattle followed suit today.

Hopefully, many others will pass similar laws and before long we'll return to a more rational, sustainable practice.

The weight of false positives

This story from the AP is so disturbing. It tells of a TX man who spent 26 years in prison for rape and was released yesterday when DNA evidence proved he was not guilty. Amazingly, Charles Chatman consistently denied the rape of a neighbor girl for 26 years, even during three different parole hearings. He went to prison at age 20, and is now 46 with a clean record. Apparently "Texas Justice" is more swift than just.

I just finished listening to an interesting but provocative interview with Barbara Kingsolver, author of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. In this book, Kingsolver reports of a one-year journey with her family to understand more clearly the impact of their family-dining on the global economy and environment. Her experience is wonderful, enriching, and deeply disturbing. I recommend the book (I'm getting it from the library), and an excellent interview on NPR's Speaking of Faith.


It is not a "granola Bible" as some might expect, but an encouragement to personal sacrifice, responsibility, and individual accountability.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Putting a face on "made in China"...

Last night while I was making dinner I noticed that the can of Albertson's brand Black Beans I was using was obviously stamped "Made In China" on the top of the can. I was amazed. I haven't seen many "Made In China" logos at the grocery store, but obviously from the recent related food recalls, they are present.


With the pervasiveness of Chinese production on my mind, I couldn't help but notice and be touched by this gripping story in today's LAT that puts a human face on the Chinese side of the current export quality issues. The story tells of one of the owners of Lee Der Toy company which had millions of dollars worth of toys recalled. It turns out, that the problem wasn't theirs, but a criminal supplier who forged quality documents and sold lead-based paint pigment to Lee Der. Ultimately this bankrupted Lee Der after 10-years of production and the founder hung himself in the factory. Reminds me of the recent documentary The High Cost of Low Prices". Enjoy.


Safety problems bear down on Chinese manufacturer - Los Angeles Times

Powered by ScribeFire.