Medicine of Immortality "It's a cold, and it's a broken, 'Hallelujah!'"

School StuffPosted by Rachel on January 19th, 2005

Yikes, it’s been a while since I posted. I guess I’ve been busy getting pregnant. Hehe.

This is Day Two of ULM. Yesterday I had a math class, biology, and FRYS (a really stupid class about becoming acquainted to ULM. Hello, my husband teaches here. I think I’m good, thanks.) Anyway, it was pretty fun. Math was boring because it hasn’t gotten into anything challenging yet. Biology was kind of interesting, but when the guy started talking about evolution and about how my baby is no better than a piece of bacteria, I felt a bit frustrated. All in all, it was no worse than I expected, for being a pagan school. Hehe, just kidding. For the most part, ULM is not really “pagan” – I mean hello, we’re in the South. The biology teacher’s from Wisconsin. Go figure.

Today I had a great start with my history teacher. He came in wearing this cheap purple robe and a monster mask, hobbling in with a walker. A sign draped over his shoulders read, “Two bullets in the heart and he still lives. 4th hip replacement.” I have NO idea what that was supposed to mean. After that grand entrance, he chuckled, took off the mask, and said, “Okay, enough of that.” He is perhaps the most interesting guy to listen to. He REALLY likes maps. He makes history sound real. His syllabus was so original. It was handwritten. Here’s an excerpt:

“DO NOT MISS TESTS. People who miss tests have suicidal tendencies. Do not schedule a routine Dr.’s appointment on Test Day. You already have a Dr.’s appointment with Dr. Jones.”

And another:

“On short ans. tests, misspelled words count 1/3 off (ex. Loother = -1/3)”

Being Lutheran, I loved that example. Hehe.

Well, I’m done for now. And hungry. Mmmm, watermelon and olives and stuffing and mashed potatoes and ice cream sound really good.

We ask for your prayers…Posted by Rick on January 17th, 2005

not April Fools!”>

Posted by Rick on January 15th, 2005

Well, school starts Tuesday.

I found out yesterday that my courseload will be lightened by one class, til March at least. I expect I will begin teaching a half semester Trailer course then.

I also heard an interesting story about our university president from the local PCUSA minister we had over on Thursday (Kinda odd…I don’t think I’ve ever had a PCA minister over my house). He told me that he was visiting a person at a local hospital at 1 am, and the first person to this person’s side was the university president. A little later, the president asked Rev. Rux to lead all the visitor’s in prayer.

I’m not really sure where the president goes to church, but I know he doesn’t go to the liberal baptist church where most of my colleagues go. Not only is he an awesome university president, he could possibly be a man of God.

Being an ingratePosted by Rick on January 14th, 2005

I really enjoy the employee match at work, but one thing I really hate is how limited I am in mutual funds for my 414(H). I’ve contributed about $700 from three paychecks, and it’s worth about $2000, so I shouldn’t be complaining. However, the actual growth (not just the employer contribution) is pathetic. It’s on pace to get about 14% on the year.

Meanwhile, the accounts I’m playing with in stocks are looking like they’re going at about 30%. And I’m being quite emotional about the account. They could be hitting 45 or 50%.

I don’t understand why they limit our funds. Is it because people are too lazy to learn how to invest? Sure, there’s a huge learning curve, but it’s worth your time. They just put our money in this moderate growth plan (though they call it aggressive), and just match our money.

Okay, I’m being an ingrate. It could be worse. It could be growing as slow as my FICA Alternative Plan from Florida. (Invest in Janus! It’s the best! cough cough)

Any other people out there who don’t like the limitedness of their work retirement plans? No, you’re probably grateful.

Hey, I’m not greedy. I just hate stupidity. Heh, that just reminded me of a high school friend named Antonio. He worked for my dad’s restaurant, and everytime someone ordered something stupid or made a dumb complaint, he would just say, “I hate stupid people.”

Okay, I have a job…maybe I should quit blogging. Well, school doesn’t start for another five days…

Reading as of latePosted by Rick on January 13th, 2005

I just finished (well, like a week ago) Wright’s book The Meal Jesus Gave Us, and he made some interesting insights into transubstantiation. I’d like to ponder the doctrine some more. Personally, my own views run somewhere close to transsignification. Anyway, it’s a quick read, and there are a few insights worth building upon if you have the time and desire.

Wright is quite enjoyable, and I’m also going through his For Everyone series. I have all of those except the Hebrews volume (which I’ll get next month). The series isn’t really deep theologically speaking, but it serves as a great devotional, and if you’re a pastor that preaches homilies instead of lectures, Wright gives you many examples, analogies, and parables to steal for your sermon.

I started reading James K.A. Smith’s Introducing Radical Orthodoxy: Mapping the Post-secular. I’m only a few chapters in, but I’ve really enjoyed it. It has a lot of philosophical langauge (well, a lot for someone who isn’t accustomed to reading philosophy), so I’ve had to brush up on my terms. I’ve also had to brush up on Foucault, Derrida, and all those names I hated reading in grad school.

BUT, like I said, it’s a really good book so far.

I’ve been thumbing through Milgrom’s tome on Leviticus. A snoozer, but it seems to be a pretty standard work.

I’ve been reading a lot of Church Fathers lately as I see more and more how postmodernism is bringing us back to the Fathers.

I don’t know why I bother blogging about reading. It will be a whole new list of books next week. That’s why I’ve never kept a “What I’m Reading” list. Everything is so fleeting.

The pastor of the PCUSA church is coming over tonight. Wonder what we’ll talk about. Hm.

CNNPosted by Rick on January 11th, 2005

Looks like the Jack Arnold story made the first page of CNN.com

ThreePosted by Rick on January 11th, 2005

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:
1. Rick
2. Mr. Capezza
3. RC

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1. Ramrick51
2. RickCapezza
3. Uh, is my memory that bad?

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. I’m in Christ.
2. My wife
3. The joy I have fellowshipping with others.

THREE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1. My obsession with death.
2. My constant list making.
3. My scatterbrain.

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE:
1. Liturgical upbringing.
2. My Italian family.
3. Coming to existence in Colombia.

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1. Not reaching the goals I’ve set.
2. Terminal illnesses.
3. Finding out my paranoia isn’t really paranoia.

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1. Flossing with new Johnson and Johnson Clean Burst
2. Paranoia.
3. Watching Rachel sleep in the morning.

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1. Light blue button up.
2. Khakis.
3. My heart on my sleeve.

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS OR ARTISTS AT THE MOMENT:
1. The Unicorns.
2. Mars Volta.
3. Damien Rice.

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1. Tuff Ghost (The Unicorns)
2. Volcano (Damien Rice)
3. Ghost of a Good Thing (Dashboard Confessional)

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1. A distance learning course
2. Gardening (well, mostly, just having a garden).
3. A trip to Hot Springs, AR.

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP (love is a given):
1. Spontaneity
2. Working together on projects
3. Sacrifice

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
1. My wife is better at grammar than I am.
2. I miss friends and family in Spokane already
3. I hate pina coladas.

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1. My wife’s abs.
2. The color of Rachel’s skin.
3. How Rachel sometimes has that puppy dog look when she’s staring at me.

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN’T DO:
1. Have a complete sense of fulfillment in my job.
2. Quit being a kid.
3. Stop traveling even though I hate planes.

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Traveling
2. Having friends over.
3. Thinking of a million different possibilities to any given situation.

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1. Play with more stocks.
2. Open up an HSA eventhough I can’t because I have LDHP.
3. Take classes part-time.

THREE CAREERS YOU’RE CONSIDERING:
1. I’m not really considering.
2. Whatever will be will be.
3. I’d like to know soon though.

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1. Positano
2. Hot Springs
3. The beach.

THREE KIDS NAMES YOU LIKE:
1. I try
2. not to
3. talk about that.

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1. Help transform a community.
2. Write a a full communion setting.
3. Have kids.

Sweet.Posted by Rick on January 11th, 2005

I found out a couple of days ago that Lousiana was rated #1 in the country in student improvement.

I found out today that ULM instructors were rated #1 in the state in “productivity.”

Aw yeah.

To live is Christ; To die is gainPosted by Rick on January 10th, 2005

On a few email lists I’ve been hearing the story of Rev. Jack Arnold, who passed away yesterday morning while preaching at Covenant PCA in Orlando. I’ll paste the following from one of the email lists:

As he neared the end of the sermon, he spoke of his favorite verse “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” He quoted Wesley saying, “Until my work on this earth is done, I am immortal. But when my work for Christ is done,” and he slapped his hands together toward the sky saying, “I am outa here! I don’t know about you, but when my work is done, I go to be with Jesus. And that will be gain! And when I go to heaven, . . .” At this point, Jack paused briefly, looked up, swayed slightly and grabbed the podium before falling back to the floor. And he was gone.

Several members of the congregation worked on him until EMTs arrived, but
all appearances were that the Lord took him quickly and completely.

The congregation remained in their seats until the EMTs entered the building
then moved to the fellowship Hall to continue to pray before dismissing the
people with prayer and benediction.

Please pray for his wife, Carol Arnold, who is strong in faith but missing
her husband already. Her testimony was that Jack was singing hymns around
the house yesterday morning as he prepared to preach.

Please pray also for the 4 Arnold sons as they travel to Orlando for the
funeral.

Please pray for Covenant Presbyterian Church Oviedo as the elders minister
to the people who heard a great sermon but then saw this dear saint die in
their midst.

And please pray for the continuing work of the mission organization that
Jack founded: Equipping Pastors International
(http://equippingpastors.com/).

Give God all the glory.

Stuck in my headPosted by Rick on January 10th, 2005

tuff ghost, tuff crowd, tuff love
sit down, sit down, sit down

tuff ghost, tuff crowd, tuff love
sit down, sit down, sit down

say something now, say something now

the tuff ghost disappears for 3 days
the tuff ghost is set in his ways
i don’t want to hurt you

GHOST
well you can’t, ‘cuz i’m already dead

the tuff ghost is invincible
no guts came out when he bled

GHOST
well i lift weights, but i don’t sweat.
i go for a swim, but i don’t get wet
i don’t care about anyone else
i’m a strong dead man, looking out for himself

i think you’re suffering, that’s why you’re so mean
you’re already dead
i can’t see right through you

say something now

the tuff ghost disappears for 3 days
the tuff ghost is set in his ways
i don’t want to hurt you

GHOST
well you can’t, ‘cuz i’m already dead

the tuff ghost is invincible
no guts came out when he bled

GHOST
well i lift weights, but i don’t sweat.
i go for a swim, but i don’t get wet
i don’t care about anyone else
i’m a strong dead man, looking out for himself

i think you’re suffering, that’s why you’re so mean
you’re already dead
i can’t see right through you