Forget the spots on my apples, use the DDT

Just a quick note, the World Health Organization (WHO) has finally lifted its 30 year ban on DDT. Was there new evidence that DDT is now safe? No, the evidence has been there for over 30 years. Was there proof that DDT will not kill people? DDT has never been proven harmful to humans. However, tens of millions of people have died from malaria from the 30 year ban of DDT particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The banning of DDT was one more case of junk science and politics trumping common sense and the evidence. I wish it weren't the case. I wish we could look back on the evidence and say that we can logically understand the ban. Some have argued that it is better to err on the side of caution if we don't know for sure something is safe. That is a reasonable position. However, there was never conclusive evidence that DDT was anything but safe. However, we knew that malaria would kill people if we didn't find an effective way to combat it. With the removal of DDT from the insecticide arsenal we were left to lesser means such as mosquito netting.

Why comment on something as controversial as the use of DDT? It reminds me that ideas have consequences. We can argue issues like global warming, the use of pesticides, or other "controversial" issues. In the midst of the debate we must remember that there are practical consequences to thousands or millions of people. We need to balance the importance of the environment with the human cost of a contrary decision. Further, it is important to wait until the evidence is in and it is dispassionately evaluated before making policy decisions.

Let me comment on a related issue. Personally I am not convinced of the science of global warming. Partially from practical experience. I grew up in Wisconsin with the constant message that we were on the verge of another ice age and that we would soon be frozen under tons of ice. They also told me that by 1995 we would have to wear SPF 5000 if we wanted to go outside. When you grow up under the fear of impending doom only to hear the opposite arguments later you tend to become a skeptic.

I don't claim to have the answer. What I do know is that it is impossible to let politicians and scientists who are paid by Exxon or the Sierra Club evaluate and interpret the evidence. In any other area of science we would allow an open debate, double blind studies, and other practical steps to remove science from politics. I don't think we will make wise or informed decisions on these important issues until we do. If Global Warming is true we need to do everything in our power to stop it. If it is not true we need to not use fear to promote a political agenda.

A Bit of Irony-The Pope and Islam

I have been watching the latest controversy unfold between the larger Islamic community and Western Civilization particularly the growing hostility that has been caused by the pope in his comments last week and the call for his apology.

Here is the opening paragraph from the Reuters article dated September 18, 2006:

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Al Qaeda militants in Iraq vowed war on "worshippers of the cross" and protesters burned a papal effigy on Monday over Pope Benedict's comments on Islam, while Western churchmen and statesmen tried to calm passions.

Let me sum up the situation for those who haven't been following. The pope was in Germany last week giving a speech to a group of academics among which he formerly belonged. He was talking about the relationship between faith and reason and discussing the deficiencies of western culture. During the speech he used an illustration from a dialog between a 14th-century Byzantine emperor and a Persian scholar.

His quote from Emperor Manuel II Paleologus - "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached"

What is ironic here is the fact that his comments concerning the muslim faith about it being inherently violent generates a violent response by muslims! If I tell you that you have a problem with your temper and you slap me across the face and curse me out might not that actually prove my point? To date churches have been firebombed, a nun in Somalia has been killed, the pope burned in effigy and there have been violent demonstrations around the world.

One other question that has been raised is how a quote from a stayed academic speech was dissected and disseminated to the muslim world almost overnight? It would seem that the news services would not intentionally put out this quote (out of context of the speech I might add) knowing it would inflame tensions between muslims and Christians, would they? It strikes me that however this was leaked to the muslim world and media sources that it must have been known the violent and vitriolic responses would result.

Obviously I do believe there are great and irreconcilable differences between Islam and Christianity. They teach differing ideas about God, Jesus, man, sin, salvation, the future and judgment. Beside being both monotheistic there are great divergences in thoughts and beliefs. As I have read this weekend on this issue many have argued that these two groups should begin a dialog to minimize their differences and focus on their shared beliefs.

Although I do not think that violence is the way to resolve these deep differences neither do I think minimizing them is the right approach either. Further, I do think that studying the history of religion can shed some light on belief systems. Interestingly neither the Catholic church nor Islam are innocent when it comes to the use of violence to promote their faith. However, there is a fundamental difference between the two. When the Catholic church attempted to convert people through the use of force it was going against the teachings of their leader Jesus, whom they claimed to follow. When Islam has attempted to convert people by force they are staying in line with the teachings of Muhammad and the Koran.

What is sad in today's cultural situation is you cannot state your observations without the fear of violent reprisal which only buttresses the initial argument but often at great personal consequence. Please don't misunderstand my reason for writing these observations. I am not saying that I support all that the pope stands for and believes. I am not Catholic and I am not writing to defend the belief system of the Catholic church. Even as I write this there are some within the Catholic church that want the pope to recant of what he has said and embrace a more egalitarian view of Islam and Christianity. That may momentarily calm the storm but it will be at the expense of faith and reason, the very topic the pope was trying to address.

(For a decent article on the controversy click on the title above. Also, the quote from Emperor Manuel II Paleologus is taken from this article.)

Happy Birthday Grace Rose Monreal

September 15, 2006

Dear Grace,

Your mom and I walked into your room this morning after you woke up and sang “Happy Birthday” to you. It may have been slightly off key but I don’t think it could have been sung with any more love. When I picked you up and held you in my arms my eyes welled up with tears. I began to think of the day of your birth just one year ago today.

It’s hard to imagine all that you have gone through in your young life. Just six weeks after you were born you had to have surgery to take care of your heart problem. We cradled you in our arms and tried not to imagine you having to go through that at barely over six pounds. If I could have taken your place I would have in an instant. But that is just one of the many memories I have of you.

You were so precious when you were born, I remember giving you a bottle and watching you fall asleep in my arms. I would look into your face and wonder all of the things you are going to do in your life. Will you like to fly kites or chase butterflies? Will you want to go fishing or will you think that worms are gross? Will you want to grow up to be a doctor, lawyer or musician?

This may seem so silly to you but I remember the first time you rolled over. It was upstairs in our bedroom. Your mom and I were cheering you on telling you that you could do it. You were struggling so much and you were so frustrated but you kept trying. When you finally made it over I was so happy that I screamed for joy. That scared you so much that you started crying, but that’s okay because tears of joy were streaming down my face too.

I’ve been so amazed watching you grow up this past year: seeing your first tooth start to poke through your little gums; watching you go from a bottle to baby food and starting to feed yourself; looking at you roll over, crawl and start to stand up all on your own; hearing you say your first word, “Oh, oh”; and seeing the childlike wonder when you find something new to experience.

I want you to know that I love you. I love you more now than ever. You will never stop hearing me say that as long as there is breath in my lungs. You are my precious little girl, you are my princess, you are the apple off my eye, you are my pride and joy. Of all the little girls in the world you are most precious to me. I never want you to wonder if your daddy loves you or if other things are more important to him. When you cry I want to be there to pick you up and hold you. It doesn’t matter if it is next week or in 20 years. I will always be there for you.

I want you to know now and forever that you are still Daddy’s little girl. I pray for you every day and I know that God has His strong and tender hands holding you. Good night Grace Rose Monreal. Sweet dreams my princess. When you wake up I’ll be there for you.

Love,

Your Daddy

Look who's 11 months old!!! (Also, Packer's Game)

As you can see by this first picture, Grace has a toothy grin that just won't stop. She is one of the happiest babies I've ever seen. She loves to smile, giggle and laugh her little head off. Right now she just loves to clap and scream at the top of her lungs (and I do mean scream!).


Her other favorite pastime is saying Uh oh! I don't know exactly when it started but when she gets going she can say it clear as a bell. She knows we get a kick out of it so then she smiles and claps for herself. I think she's got my "shy gene."


Here's a shot of her munching away at a cookie. Already posing for the camera. I think we've taken so many pictures of her already I need another hard drive to store them.


This was taken a few weeks ago at Grace's cousins' birthday parties. Also known as Christmas in July (or early August, I forget). This is Grace with her Great-Grandmother! There is a special bond between these two.

Jenn and I attended the Green Bay Packer Game here in San Diego. Or as I refer to it, "Behind Enemy Lines!" The game wasn't much of one but it was Pre-season and the first one at that. It was cool seeing Favre on his "farewell tour part 2." He's almost as bad as The Who.

This was obviously early in the game before Favre was taken out for his own protection. All I can say is that if he doesn't get a better front line it is going to be a long, long season.

Of course I was wearing my Favre jersey also known as a TARGET. I've never been heckled so much in my entire life, okay there was that one sermon... Seriously you would think that because the Chargers were winning that they would cut me some slack but I had a whole section mocking me because I was sitting in the front row of our section. About one-third of the people were Packer fans but I took the brunt of it. It must be my kindly face.

The most intense part was the guy who tried to start a fight with me in the bathroom during half-time. He lived. He was in a drunken tirade and was about to spit on me when I gave him a stare of death (for you Christians reading this I mean, I was about to introduce him to Jesus face-to-face). He walked away and was arrested moments later for starting a fight with a guy just outside the bathroom.

Speaking of arrests this guy gut arrested right in front of us. i was a little slow to get the camera out. At least this guy wasn't driving a Hyundai in L.A., but I digress. I don't know how it started but I saw beer flying and fists swinging then the cops swarmed in. If you look closely it was a female cop that is escorting him out. The saddest part was that a six-foot-two, two hundred pound "security guard" sat around doing nothing until she and others came to break it up. I think his name was Barak. The comedy came a few seconds later when a couple came up confused saying, "What do we do, he's our ride?" My thought, get his keys.

Random 4th of July Week Pictures

This is a picture taking at Grace's friend Jake's 1st birthday party. As you can see she is having a blast!


This next shot was taking at the Padres' Game when the Giants were in town. After a night of heckling Barry Bonds we had the chance to see him go 0 for 4 and the Padres win it in the bottom of the 9th. It couldn't have been a better night!

The following three pictures were taken on the 4th of July at the San Diego Bay. Two friends of ours, Shawn and Sara Bawulski were out for the week and joined us for the holiday festivities. We parked a few miles a way and took the trolley bus. However, the bus broke down on the way back and we had to walk it back to our car. It made for a memorable night!




This next two shots were taken when we took the Ferry Boat from San Diego to Coronado. On the San Diego dock are a number of historic vessels you can tour and explore. This first picture shows The Star of India which was the main ship used in the movie, Master and Commander.



These last three pictures are taken at the Wild Animal Park, part of the San Diego Zoo. We were joined by a great friend, Tim Rollins, who lives in the area and is presently serving the United States in the US Navy. We are blessed to have him living in the area for the next year. It was an incredible time topped off with some excellent food at a local restaurant.

Summer Vacation

This is a picture of my best friend from Indiana Jon Dingeldein. He grew up in Lombard, Illinois and he and his family attended the Alliance Church there while I was youth pastor. They moved to Indiana and we lost touch for several years but managed to bump into each other online and reestablish the friendship. He married his high school sweetheart less than two months after Jenn and I were married back in 2004 and have become even closer friends since.

This is a picture of Jon and three of his four brothers.

This next picture is of Grace, Jenn and I standing out by the fields by Jon's house. We were not only in the middle of Indiana farm country we were also in Amish Country!!! Slightly different from Southern California!

On June 17th I had my high school reunion. It is hard to believe that 20 years has come and gone. This first picture is actually from the afternoon tour that they gave at our old high school. Amazingly, other than wireless internet connection and a few additions to the fieldhouse, it is almost exactly how it was when I graduated.

The next two pictures are from the actual reunion that night. I am standing by some of the students that I went to grade school with. I am a survivor of St. Joseph's Catholic school. At the time the nuns could still administer corporal punishment and they gave it out in spades. We had a lot of laughs thinking back on some of those crazy times!

These next two are of my parents with baby Grace. Nothing more needs to be said.

We also had an opportunity while in Chicago to visit the Field Museum where they were hosting the King Tut exhibit. It was amazing to see items that were 3,000 years old and still well preserved. Some of the items date immediately after the Exodus with Moses! There was one minor disappointment with the exhibit, no King Tut! I guess they don't tour him or tombs he was buried in anymore. It lasted 3,000 years but they are afraid of it not making the journey around the world. I guess I can understand.

One of the biggest joys of being in ministry is pouring out your life into the lives of others and watching them grow in Christ. As a youth pastor I not only had the opportunity to see these kids become godly men but many of them have become dear friends. These are friends that I will have for life and eternity!

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. I happened to bump into President Bush and he wanted to take a picture with me. How can you turn down the President when he wants a picture with you? Of course he wasn't very talkative and he seemed a bit thinner than I imagined...

The Pumpkin is Dead

If you scroll down a few blogs you will read about the Eternal Pumpkin. Contrary to popular belief there is not a "made in China" stamp on the bottom of it. That picture was taken on Easter weekend. Well, over the last few weeks the pumpkin's health has taken a grave turn, and I believe it is terminal.

I would post a picture but it is a sad sight and I want you to remember the pumpkin as it was.

I think that this trash day will bring an end to our dear friend. It has been a fun time, but all good things must come to an end. I guess seven months is a good run for any pumpkin. But alas, I must bid a fond farewell.

We will now have to wait until October to adopt its replacement. The Pumpkin is dead, long live the pumpkin!

The Da Vinci Code Debate, Why Bother?

This coming month a new movie is coming out and Hollywood is pulling out all the stops in its promotion machine. So what else is new? It isn’t surprising that Hollywood would do a movie that isn’t favorable to Christianity. It seems that every so often there is a movie that comes out that takes a swipe at our cherished beliefs. Why should we bother even saying anything or doing anything about it? Isn’t this just a tempest in a teapot? Isn’t this just much ado about nothing?

Honestly, I would like to say yes but unfortunately I can’t. It was well over two years ago that a friend gave me a copy of the book, The Da Vinci Code, and asked me to read and comment about it. At the time the book was just gaining popularity and become an international bestseller. My reaction was mixed. Mass market fiction books come out by the hundreds each week, what would make this one any different? But I was wrong about my assessment. This book has become a runaway bestseller and an international hit. Additionally Hollywood is making a big-budget movie based on the book with A-list actors such as Tom Hanks.

Here’s my honest take on the book: the history, church history, art history, theology and philosophy are so amazingly inaccurate that it is laughable. His facts are unbelievably wrong whether he is citing church history or secular history. His claims about famous people and places are spectacularly off. It comes across to anyone who knows these topics as a poorly researched fiction novel. Anyway, it IS just a fiction novel so let's not get bent out of shape!

However, there are two issues that lead me to speak up. First, in the preface to the book the author Dan Brown states, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” (Da Vinci Code page 1) Brown argues in this book and on his website that what he is saying is absolute fact! The second issue is related to this. We could just ignore all of this if the people reading this book were biblically and historically literate but many people are not! Many will read this book and wonder or perhaps believe that what he is saying is in fact true.

Brown recklessly redefines Christianity based on his inaccurate view of history and his reading of second and third century heretical documents. He goes so far as to assert that these documents actually predate the New Testament and are a more reliable presentation of “true” Christianity! Why must we as Christians respond to this? Let me give you three reasons:

1. God’s glory is at stake. If we are to be faithful to God and give Him the honor He deserves then we must not shrink away from addressing the pressing questions of the day. We are only faithful if we are willing to fight where the battle is raging. If we leave the questions of the day unanswered we allow the confusion to remain in people’s minds and the knowledge of the glory of God becomes obscured.

2. We have a mandate to reach the lost. 1 Peter 3:15 states, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” We can turn people’s questions around and use those questions to lead people to the cross. But we can only do this if we are prepared.

3. We have a responsibility to protect the Church. God has given the church pastors and teachers to build us up in our faith and answer the questions we may have. God wants there to be a stability and confidence in our faith. “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14) Many believers may be confused by the assertions of this book or the questions it raises. As a church we have a responsibility to address these issues so other believers do not stumble.

In the final analysis I am not concerned about this book or the coming movie. Although it may put doubts in some people’s minds it will also raise questions that we can answer with the truth. One encouraging note is that this book gets it so wrong that none of his assertions are able to stand under close scrutiny. It will enable the church to point people to the Jesus of history and the cross of grace.

The Eternal Pumpkin

No, I haven't dropped out of the ministry and joined the Charlie Brown Cult. This photo was taken in front of our house four days before Easter. Before Easter!!! We bought this pumpkin sometime back in mid-October. We decided to have a fall harvest theme back then (That's Christian for Halloween) and it seemed okay so we decided to leave it through Thanksgiving.

After that it seemed a shame to just throw it out since it was still rock solid and not rotting at all. It looked a little strange with the Christmas tree but we decided to live with it. This week, with fear and trembling I decided to pick it up and see if it was ready for the trash heap. I gingerly lifted it off the ground with trepidation and to my absolute amazement it was still solid!

Is this common or has my pumpkin petrified? If any of you have had a similar experience let me know. For now I'm considering it our second pet. I'll keep you posted on its survival.

Random Grace Shots

As you can see by this first photo, Grace is just thrilled to be dressed up in one of her new outfits. Funny, I think Jenn is having much more fun at the moment than Grace. Hmm.


These next three photos are a few of the first times we started consistently feeding food to Grace. honestly she loves eating and is a natural at it. I guess she gets that from her dad!




This is one of those odd shots that what she is wearing blends into her little floor play mat. At first I thought it was unintentional but now I'm not so sure. Anyway, it was cute in my opinion.


I don't know how she picked up this habit but a few months ago now she just started sucking her fingers. I guess all kids do it at some point but if she can't find her pacifier in the middle of the night she will start sucking her fingers. In 2017 as I am paying the orthodontist I will remember this picture.


This last picture is just one more of Jenn's torture shots. I have this fundamental sense of human decency and dignity. Although Grace is too young to defend herself she should still be afforded basic human rights such as life, liberty and the ability not to be embarrassed by her mom. So much for the Geneva Convention.

The Best Question Ever?

I finally bought it. What am I talking about? I finally bought the book that I saw several months back. Oh, you probably don’t remember me even mentioning it but I have made a few references to it. The book is written by Andy Stanley and it is titled, “The Best Question Ever.” (Andy Stanley. The Best Question Ever. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2004) Being a book-lover (bibliophile) I was intrigued by what could possibly be the best question ever.

He argues that asking yourself this question will help you in making decisions, avoiding financial ruin, saving your marriage, sparing yourself from painful emotional scars, help you to never get caught up in addictive sin, and guide you toward the fulfillment of your dreams. Pretty impressive claims! But could the book deliver? I finally broke down and bought the book to find out.

It took until the third chapter for Stanley to actually get to the question and it took three more chapters to develop the question to its final form. So, to save you from spending $16.99 (plus tax) I will share with you what the best question ever is. Are you ready for it? (No, that wasn’t it!) Here it is, the best question ever is, “What is the wise thing for me to do?” (32)

Huh? That’s it?!? You probably expect me to tell you that I return the book after reading that. Actually, it intrigued me and I kept reading. Not because it is so profound but because it is so obvious yet most of the time we miss it. We never ask ourselves this question when it matters most. The author looks at this question from three angles.

First, “In light of your past experience, what is the wise thing to do?” (43) He then explores our past to see what unique struggles and temptations we have. A quick point here, we are not talking about obvious moral issues. Clearly you should NEVER leave your wife and marry your mistress. But even there the question is appropriate because that would not be wise. Here we apply the question to our unique background. If we have struggled with internet pornography should we not have internet access at home? If we struggle with debt in the past should we get rid of our credit cards? Is it wrong to have a credit card? No. Is it wrong to have internet access? No, but if these things are in your past then it potentially is not wise for you.

The second angle is this, “In light of my current circumstances, what is the wise thing to do?” (47) We know that there is an ebb and flow to life. Sometimes we are up and other times we are down. It is important that we take into account our current emotional situation and state of mind when we make a decision. (47-48) Otherwise we can make rash emotional decisions that will cause ourselves and others pain. I think of some emails that I am glad I took 24 hours before sending (I can also think of the ones I didn’t wait to send and have regretted doing that).

The final angle is this, “In light of my future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do.” (52) The decisions we make now rob ourselves of our desired future. We may want to have children who love and adore us when they are older. However, we don’t give them the time of day right now. We want to have a happy, healthy marriage but we are unwilling to call off the friendships with others of the opposite sex. If we made our present decisions in light of our desired future many decisions would be made differently. If we want to have money in the bank and money for retirement that means we can’t always buy the newest car, the nicest house, the biggest TV nor have the most extravagant vacations. These nice things may not be wrong in themselves but if you have limited income you can’t afford filet minion on a ground beef salary.

Okay, all of this is obvious. I know, this is pretty simple stuff. But I have one question for you, why do so many people not do this? Most of us know enough about the Bible and life to know what we ought to do. But so often we do otherwise. I wish this wasn’t the case but I know that it often is. You can debate if this truly is the best question ever. However, I think it is a pretty good question to ask yourself. If you consistently apply this to your life you will avoid many pitfalls and personal pain.

Baby Grace's Dedication in Pictures

A special thank you goes to Jim and Ruth Larson who were so kind to open their home to us following the dedication for a time of celebration with special friends and family.