Sorry I have not been blogging as regularly as one should in recent days. Three quick things to check-in on today.
1) The main reason I have not blogged in a while is because I am in the midst of teaching Introduction to Biblical Interpretation to 17 students, all female, enrolled in the new Prairie College of Applied Arts & Technology, specifically the Practical Nurse and Early Childhood Education programs. Feel free to look at the course website.
2) Tiger Woods was simply amazing in winning the 88th PGA Championship last weekend. It was too bad that Mike Weir (the good Canadian boy) faded at the end to finish sixth. It appears Tiger is back "in the zone" and "on his game." An interesting life and leadership lesson that as great a golfer as he was 4-7 years ago, he had to adjust some things technically in terms of his golf game and adjust to some new life situations (eg. marriage, the recent passing away of his father). Some critics that he was done and that he was foolish to mess with his golf game when he was already such a good/great player. Yet to go from good/great to truly be the greatest golfer of all time - something that seems almost certain having just won his 12th major tournament - Tiger had to go through some criticism and difficult days of transition in order to get to where he is today.
3) The Toronto Blue Jays - Just when you think they may be coming out of a slump and ready to make one last push, another "gong show" happens and you know that this team cannot get to the top until the internal "whatever" is settled. Whatever happened last night between pitcher Ted Lilly and manager John Gibbons, both on the mound and afterwards down the hallway of the dugout, was another incident where the Jays clubhouse is significantly hindering a talented team from giving the Yankees and Red Sox a serious run. The Vernon Wells "will he stay in Toronto?" situation has also been simmering for a few weeks and will likely blow soon. My opinion is that the problem goes higher up than the players and manager and goes right to JP Riccardi, the GM. You gotta have the whole team pulling together or it will pull everything apart - even the good stuff!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Friday, August 11, 2006
Interesting Research Report
An interesting report from the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University Bloomington recently released and noted in the Chronicle of Higher Education. One of the key findings is that "historically underserved students benefit more from engaging in these activities [activities related to the National Survey of Student Engagement] than white students in terms of earning higher grades and persisting to the second year of college."
Although diversity is not nearly as "hot" a topic in Canadian post-secondary institutions as it is in our sister schools in the USA (let's not get into a discussion of those reasons), student engagement activities influence on college persistence in general and ways of improving success for students of diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, specifically, are both areas of interest. Even more specifically, Bible colleges and other Christian colleges and universities are often further behind in recognizing and addressing issues of diversity - something that simply should not be. (Don't get me started on this rant!) And so are most of our evangelical churches in North America.
But... its less hard work and less time consuming to keep the 95% majority of Caucasians happy than to really make significant change that actual reflects what we teach/preach. And after all, leadership is supposed to be easy and relaxing, right?
Although diversity is not nearly as "hot" a topic in Canadian post-secondary institutions as it is in our sister schools in the USA (let's not get into a discussion of those reasons), student engagement activities influence on college persistence in general and ways of improving success for students of diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, specifically, are both areas of interest. Even more specifically, Bible colleges and other Christian colleges and universities are often further behind in recognizing and addressing issues of diversity - something that simply should not be. (Don't get me started on this rant!) And so are most of our evangelical churches in North America.
But... its less hard work and less time consuming to keep the 95% majority of Caucasians happy than to really make significant change that actual reflects what we teach/preach. And after all, leadership is supposed to be easy and relaxing, right?
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Almost Ready to Go
After a nice long weekend - Monday was "Heritage Day" here in Alberta - I am starting to get excited about the first class beginning next Monday, August 14th. I will have the great pleasure of teaching the PCAAT students Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, a course I've taught about five times and really enjoy.
And it is such an important course, if I do say so myself. Over the summer one gets to visit other congregations and observe different styles of worship, including music, sermon, etc. Without mentioning the name of the church, there was one community of believers I visited twice and I would suggest that the "sermons" were quite lacking in Biblical interpretation and/or exposition. Not that I'm perfect in my preaching/exposition or that I believe a sermon has to have the proverbial "three points and a poem," but some of the messages I've heard in the past few weeks were certainly unique and interesting explanations of the passages/principles. Its one thing to use Scripture as a jumping off point for a sermon/topic - and that's still pretty weak - but these well-meaning servants of God read the Scripture but the topic of their homily really didn't connect at all to the passage allegedly being explored.
I've revised my Prairie instructor web page so if anyone would like to check out the course info, it will be regularly updated in the next few days.
And it is such an important course, if I do say so myself. Over the summer one gets to visit other congregations and observe different styles of worship, including music, sermon, etc. Without mentioning the name of the church, there was one community of believers I visited twice and I would suggest that the "sermons" were quite lacking in Biblical interpretation and/or exposition. Not that I'm perfect in my preaching/exposition or that I believe a sermon has to have the proverbial "three points and a poem," but some of the messages I've heard in the past few weeks were certainly unique and interesting explanations of the passages/principles. Its one thing to use Scripture as a jumping off point for a sermon/topic - and that's still pretty weak - but these well-meaning servants of God read the Scripture but the topic of their homily really didn't connect at all to the passage allegedly being explored.
I've revised my Prairie instructor web page so if anyone would like to check out the course info, it will be regularly updated in the next few days.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Enjoying incredible gifts from God
Borrowed a John Piper book ("Don't Waste Your Life") from Pastor Tim and have started to read through it over the past week. So far, not much new in the book if one has already read Piper's classic "Desiring God" book. Talks about "the purpose of a human life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever." However, that theme's been on my mind a lot the last few days since my girlfriend and I were out last weekend on a trip to see her grandparents.
Note: Thanks to twinkiefann on the Prairie Geek's xanga blogring for "breaking the news" for the Prairie communmity in his July 24/06 posting! And thanks to various ones who also reported an "I saw them too". The beautiful woman I am dating is Sarah Hunt. She is a PBC class of 2000 alumnus, but she doesn't recognize many of the Prairie Geek's bloggers (and you may not recognize her) as she was serving as a teacher and dorm-parent in India the past four years.
Anyway, back to the topic of today's blog. As we were driving through the mountains, listening to various CD's - Casting Crowns, Worship Together, Bebo Norman, etc - there were just an incredible number of those "moments." Moments when all I can do is praise God for His amazing grace and kindness that allows me to sing praise to Him in the midst of His marvellous creation, with an incredible woman I deeply appreciate and care for - who also is enjoying the incredibleness of the moment.
PS For those of you wondering if someone has hacked through blogspot and somehow typed this mushy-gushy stuff and posted it as Dr Steve's (Ibbotson), it REALLY IS ME! A whole new part of life is opening up... and its scary and wonderful all at the same time! Thanks to the Prairie community, in Three Hills and online, for your incredible encouragement and enthusiasm for us. Its actually a real blessing to have sooo many people "excited" about us dating.
Note: Thanks to twinkiefann on the Prairie Geek's xanga blogring for "breaking the news" for the Prairie communmity in his July 24/06 posting! And thanks to various ones who also reported an "I saw them too". The beautiful woman I am dating is Sarah Hunt. She is a PBC class of 2000 alumnus, but she doesn't recognize many of the Prairie Geek's bloggers (and you may not recognize her) as she was serving as a teacher and dorm-parent in India the past four years.
Anyway, back to the topic of today's blog. As we were driving through the mountains, listening to various CD's - Casting Crowns, Worship Together, Bebo Norman, etc - there were just an incredible number of those "moments." Moments when all I can do is praise God for His amazing grace and kindness that allows me to sing praise to Him in the midst of His marvellous creation, with an incredible woman I deeply appreciate and care for - who also is enjoying the incredibleness of the moment.
PS For those of you wondering if someone has hacked through blogspot and somehow typed this mushy-gushy stuff and posted it as Dr Steve's (Ibbotson), it REALLY IS ME! A whole new part of life is opening up... and its scary and wonderful all at the same time! Thanks to the Prairie community, in Three Hills and online, for your incredible encouragement and enthusiasm for us. Its actually a real blessing to have sooo many people "excited" about us dating.
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