More about the mines

My cousin, Rod Ice, has blogged about Sago and his experience of growing up in the Ohio-Pennsylvania-West Virginia cultural triangle. His comments are well-put. I'm glad that he's online, as I have enjoyed his writing for several years now.

I'm glad to pass on to you his blog (thanks to RD for the heads-up).

I didn't know this until just very recently but there was a mining connection to the Ice family. My grandfather's (Dr. McGarvey C. Ice, now deceased) first wife's father (did you catch all that?), Buell Webb, (RD's maternal grandfather...sure you caught all that? makes perfect sense to me), lived and worked in Eastern Kentucky. Now that's not a tremendous connection by any stretch, but it does touch me.

Sometime I'll blog about the Ice family. RD has some great fiction on his blog, as well as poetry, about the family and his experiences growing up. Maybe I can add a few pieces of my own.

Grace and peace.

Snow Day!

Yesterday I lamented that middle TN would never see snow again.

Today we are out for (1/2 inch of) snow. That's all it takes in Nashville to shut the city down (sad, I know). But I'll take a snow day every time I can get one. And with a daughter this excited about snow who wouldn't?

in no particular order

Luke: My students are taking the first test of the grading period today. The rest of the week will see them hitting the books in the library for research papers. Here's my standard list of New Testament Topics from which they may choose. If past years are any indication, I'll have a few brave students who will tackle the more difficult topics such as Neoplatonism or Proto-Gnosticism, gender issues in Corinthians or Timothy, spiritual gifts (as in tongues or prophecy), the antichrist, and such like; one or two have explored C. S. Lewis' use of allegory and Biblical imagery, Harry Potter, and related stuff like that; however, most will stay with the more traditional topics. All is fine by me, as long as they do their research well and follow their interests in a responsible and relevant-to-the-course manner.

Genesis: Mike is speaking at Hendersonville Wednesdays in January and in Cookeville Wednesdays in February, so we have swapped. He is teaching Romans on Sunday and I am staying with Genesis on Wednesday nights until March. I'm in Genesis 14 and enjoying the prep and teaching.

Practicum: This spring semester will see me chip away another three hours at the Hazelip School of Theology, this time in a practicum. More later as things firm up.

Snow: Laura and I have agreed that it will never snow again in Middle Tennessee.

Christmas Pics: stay tuned, we've got some to post, but with dial-up at home I need a block of free time to sit down and do it, a looong block of free time. So far that hasn't happened yet.

Darby: She can't wait to take swimming lessons in the Summer. She can write a D and an A, having a hard time with her R's and B's. We'll get to Y all in due time. She is articulate, full of zeal for life, curious and inquisitive and loves being a big sister.

Ella: She rolls over, she giggles, she smiles, she eats cereal and fruits and can sit up with assistance. Life is good when you're six months old.

Newest addition to my library: The Abraham Malherbe Festschrift edited by John Fitzgerald, Michael White and Tom Olbricht. I am pleased to have had the privilege of meeting Dr. Malherbe in Atlanta a few years ago when he (among others: Everett Ferguson, J. J. M. Roberts, David Edwin Harrell, and Thomas Olbricht) was honored for his scholarship by the Stone-Campbell group of the SBL.

El Camino: will soon turn over 375,000 miles. 1986, built before the entire student body at Ezell was born. In fact, it had 100,000 miles before most of my students were born. We Ices don't turn over vehicles very often.

Sago Mine: My uncle, R. D. Ice, has lived and minstered in Philippi, WVa, since 1986. Be sure to see his blog for more. Below is only an excerpt:

A PRAYER OF LIFE AND HOPE
R.D.Ice 1-11-06
Oh Lord our God, You are Holy,
and holy beings praise You daily.
Because loved ones were taken from us,
we come to You with sadness of heart.
Life seems short and unfair.
Yet You are Life and Hope and Love.

We join with others across our Nation
in remembering the Sago mine disaster
and the families who mourn this tragedy.
We look to You, our Lord and our Savior.

You spoke to us in Jesus the Christ -
in His life, His suffering, His death -
and in the power of His Resurrection.
We have hope in Him whom You sent
into our world to save us.
Give us victory, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Well said, uncle.

Grace and peace.

Take a moment to breathe

I hit the ground running last week and haven't slowed since. Today I'll be finishing up a survey of the varieties of religious expressions in Judaism and tackling a general survey of Graeco-Roman socio-cultural life. In 45 minutes.

By next week the majority of this introduction/foundation will be laid and we can move into some interpretive issues pertinent to the gospels. From there I'll go into some special studies in Luke's gospel and by the end of the six-weeks we will be in the text of Luke to stay until May.

Things are moving along nicely, and quickly.

I'll come up for air next week. Blog you then.

Grace and peace.

Spring Semester 2006

starts later this morning. I am teaching Luke's gospel.

I'm looking forward to it; this is probably my favorite course to teach.

I think I'm ready to begin: copies made, new syllabus printed, presentations ready, room 152 is clean and ready to go. I can even see the top of my desk in my office. (We'll see how long that lasts.)

Grace and peace.