Archive for December, 2006
living in Southern California
What would it be like to live in Southern California? … I’ve got friends with family who live in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Cerritos, Long Beach, Buena Park, Santa Ana, and the like, so it’s not like they’re unconcerned about their children’s education. It may be more affordable to live in one of those places than expensiver suburbs like Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Huntington Beach or Laguna Nigel. I’d like to think a child’s educational formation is not irreversibly determined by a school district’s ratings and where a family lives. (Where would I find credible info about a school district rating anyways?)
Personally, I’d love to live in an urban setting …
basic human needs
I need. You need. We all need.
Bobb Biehl’s sagely wisdom about our human needs was succinct and insightful.
There are 8 reasons why people do what they do. These are insatiable needs. They are the need to be:
- Loved
- Accepted
- Appreciated
- Secure
- Recognized
- Respected
- Significant
- Admired
We all need all of these, but different individuals rate them very differently on a 1-10 scale.
I had re-ordered the list above to reflect my own priority of needs. This list rings so true for me, and affirmed to me that I’m not so unusual for feeling needy, even when I’ve got a very good life by almost any standard. After all, these are insatiable needs. And, most (if not all) of these are met by relationships and friendships.
Kyle’s Film
Christmas time is the time for family memories and traditions, along with the year-end rituals of reminiscing. I’ve had a low-key kinda deal here in Southern California with my wife’s extended family.
One family that undoubtedly has many mixed emotions is the Lake family, who had lost their beloved father, and their church lost their beloved pastor, Kyle Lake, back in October 2005. I’d never met Kyle in person, but my friend Gideon Tsang did. Some filmmaking friends put together a tribute to him, an artistic film titled Kyle’s Film, which serves as a memorial to Kyle Lake, his family, and his life. It explores the very words of Kyle, “Love God, Embrace Beauty, and Live Life to the Fullest.” I’d get the DVD, which has the 6-minute film, plus 2 trailers, home video footage, and UBC footage. All profits from Kyle’s Film are going to the Kyle Lake Memorial Fund- a fund that provides for family needs and his three children’s college fund.
Just found out a new cut of the film was made for SXSW and will be made available soon — stay tuned at their blog.
Merry Christmas via e-Card
I’ve just finished sending out our Christmas cards (handmade e-cards) to friends and family. I scrolled through our haphazard address book in Gmail Contacts and bcc’d probably 200 or 300 people. Dozens of hard bounces, so have a lot of updating to do in the new year. The thing about Christmas e-cards is you can hang them with the other Christmas cards on the Christmas tree or along the mantle. But, you’re welcome to print it out. 
As much as I’m into networking and relating across the country and a little around the world, I don’t have a good way to organize my contacts and emails. Time in California has been great so far, met up with lots of great people, including Aaron “thevoiz” Flores and Keith (of Keith and Dave and RenCom) Page. Meeting up with Ray Chang for lunch today. My son Jeremiah wants to come along to meet the pastor who dedicated him. Might even drop in on Rudy if he’s around.
the ever radical Pastor Ken Fong
Had a good chat with Ken Fong today, pastor of Evergreen-LA (or its more formal name, Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles.) He’s grown wiser in his years, being a dozen years further down the road of life, and has some great people around him, including the ever teddy-like Keith Matthews. Lots of radical things going on at that church along the lines of spiritual transformation, reconciliation, and incarnational community. Some of them were alluded to in this brilliant video created by Hollywood-type filmmaking magic to commemorate Ken’s 25 years of ministry — good to hear the back stories. He blogs over at www.xanga.com/sedaqah