Should I Take Greek Online?

"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Henry Ford. 

Recently a student asked me if he should take Greek online or in person. A few years ago that wasn't even an option. Not today. Every class I've ever taught is now online. I'm told it's the law of supply and demand. It's what people want. 

I'm not anti-online learning. But teachers should be more than dispensers of facts. An education requires more than information. Ideally, it involves the transformation that comes through the touch of a mentor. 

Taking Greek online is fine. But it's not optimal. Take it in person if you can. I think you'll be glad you did. 😉

Stop Being So Lazy!

One day I'm going to teach a Greek class with an alarm that sounds when someone hasn't done their homework. 

Weird But True

Who else can vividly remember the moment you learned that the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be in Barcelona? 

Fitness Defined

Fitness isn't about living longer. It's about being able to enjoy those extra years the Lord gives you. 

Lasting Lessons from General Colin Powell

Gen. Colin Powell once published his "18 Leadership Secrets." 

Friends, there are 3 of them I'd like you to remember:

#3. "Don't be buffaloed by experts and elites. Experts often possess more data than judgments."

#4. "Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard."

#11. "Fit no stereotypes."

I love it!

Don't blindly follow the latest fad in biblical scholarship. Scholarship requires you to have your own convictions. Learn from the pros, but even pros can plateau in terms of their learning. So think for yourself.

Genuine scholarship is alway vigilant!

Embracing Our Failures

We all know we fail. We are human. We will fail. We will fail in things we were once good at. Today I shot baskets at the Y. I hit maybe 25 percent of my shots. At best. That's it. 

I used to hit a whole lot more. I feel like a partial failure. But I'm learning to embrace my failures and shortcomings. Failure drives me. It gives me fuel. In fact, it's when we embrace our failings that we begin to carve out our true character on this earth. I want to keep improving as a basketball player and I won't give up. Failure must not be a habitual rut in our lives, but little failures along the path will someday lead to great successes. 

I will never get sick of watching people chase down their athletic goals even when they suck at it. 

If You're New to Lifting (12)

Strength training can be the greatest thing in the world. It works best, however, if you can avoid certain traps. These include:

1. Lack of focus. Don't just wing it. Have concrete plans every time you lift. 

2. Poor form. How you lift is just as important as what you lift. Never compromise form.

3. Too much weight. This is the beginner's greatest sin. Don't fall for the "heavier is better" approach to lifting.

4. Too little weight. Your muscles need oveload to stimulate new growth. Try to lift weights on a progressive basis.

5. Overtraining. A typical training session should last no more than an hour and a half. If you're doing more than, you're probably overtraining.

6. Too many sets and reps. Ideally, you should give each body part between 3-6 sets total. And if you're doing 25-30 reps for each exercise, you're probably lifting too light.

7. Not getting enough rest and sleep. For your muscles to grow, you need time to recover. This means sleep -- and rest days between workouts. 

8. Failing to warm up. A warmed up muscle is a more flexible muscle, able to lift heavier weights. Warming up will greatly reduce your chances of injury. 

Beware of these dangers! 

Working Hard

Working hard behind the scenes to make my Philippians class the best one I've ever taught. It starts in 3 weeks. To equip and send students into a lifetime of service for Christ and their fellow believers is one of the most treasured privileges that has ever come my way. 

My Greek Textbook to Appear in Hebrew

Today I received the final page proofs of my beginning Greek grammar in modern Hebrew. 

Here's the title page. 

Thanks to all for your prayers. May the Prince of Peace use this book to equip many in Israel to read, teach, and preach the Good News of the Messiah until he returns. The book is scheduled for release this summer. 

How I praise God for his love for Israel. Please continue to pray for that nation as the Good News goes forth. "There's nothing more Jewish than believing that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel" (quote from the following testimony). 

Anticipation

Just heard from my mountain guide. He's agreed to guide me on the ascent of the Riffelhorn. So it looks like I'll be scratching the sky one more time. 

What gives you the biggest sense of anticipation? There are a lot of things I enjoy anticipating. Right now I am anticipating waking up in the morning and grabbing a cup of coffee at Bo's. With that in my system I will rise from the dead and a new day will commence. But there's no anticipation quite like the anticipation of climbing a peak in the Alps. 

By the way, my guide's name is Walter. Here he is preparing to guide me up a 3,000-foot vertical rock face near Zermatt. 

It was one of the most exhilarating things I'd ever done to that point in my life. 

The Riffelhorn has a similar rock face. It will be an easy climb for Walter but a real challenge for me. 

Will I be ready? 

Lots to anticipate! 

Don't Give Up on Traveling

Vacations are as important as fresh air to your lungs and music to your ears. Traveling can change your entire outlook on life and the world. Your travels can be as ambitious as a safari in Africa or as mundane as a trek in a state park. The world beckons. Heed its call. 

Learning Spanish? Then Speak it!

Had Mexican for dinner again tonight. As per usual, I spoke Spanish with my server. Well, my version of Spanish I guess. But it's a good way to practice the language. 

If you're learning a foreign language, try to speak it. Not just in your head. When you speak with your head, everything sounds pretty good. You feel like you're fluent. However, you need to make sure that you are actually able to communicate with others. So speak, speak, speak. As often as you can. As much as you can. 

If You're New to Lifting (11)

To get bigger arms, the dumbbell biceps curl is often a go-to exercise. Here are the steps involved:

1. Start by standing erect with great posture. 

2. Hinge forward slightly with your hips.

3. Squeeze the dumbbell as hard as possible.

4. Curl the dumbbell up, gradually twisting (supinating) your pinky finger towards your face.

5. At the top of the movement, contract your biceps as much as possible.

6. Lower your hand back down to the starting point, making sure your arm is straight.

7. Repeat these steps for your other arm. 

Remember that squeezing the dumbbell is vital in a biceps curl. Try it and you will really feel all your arm muscles activating.

Have a wonderful day! 

Don't Complicate Things

15 or 22?

I've got two numbers for you today. 

The first one, 15, is called quitter's day in January. That's the day when everyone stops trying to pursue the resolutions they set for themselves on day 1. On the other hand, 22 is the number of days if you do something consistently that you could actually begin to establish a lifelong habit. 

Just two numbers, but there's a world of difference between them. 

God bless you! 

49 Years!

Happy 49th anniversary to my career as a Greek teacher! I began this journey at Biola nearly 5 decades ago at the age of 24. Bec and I had just gotten married and moved into our apartment in La Mirada. 

Four years later would see us graduating from Talbot and leaving for Basel to begin the next phase of our married life together. 

Now, in 2025, the good work continues, though one of us is already in the glorious presence of the Lord. 

I did not want to begin my teaching career without Becky by my side. Who would have imagined that this beautiful person would have said "yes" to me! Given the opportunity, I'd ask her again in a heartbeat. 

I'm still in awe. 

If You're New to Lifting (10)

If you want your muscles to grow and become strong, you need to overload them with progressively heavier weights. This is called progressive overload. 

Take a little time to find the right weights for your exercise. Let's say you're doing a barbell bench press. Begin with the bar all by itself. Press it up and down. Is it easy? Then take two 10-pound weights and place one on each end of the bar. Again, press the weight up and down. Still easy? Try adding a 2.5 pound plate on each side. Continue this process of adding weight until the exercise becomes challenging to complete in, say, 8-10 reps. 

Don't forget to perform the exercise correctly. Never sacrifice proper form for the sale of lifting heavier. Making sure your muscles work hard with proper form is what progressive overload is all about. 

Let's All Rest in the Father's Will in 2025

There is nothing God cannot do.

Nothing stands in his way.

Nothing hinders his work.

Nothing restrains his will.

It is impossible to frustrate his program.

Even suffering is not for nothing.

God is sovereign. 

He has a purpose for you this year that is beyond your comprehension.

It may not be on your agenda but it's on his.

God is in full control.

And you are in the midst of his purposes.

So rest in the Father's will.

Then wake up every morning and say, "Today is a gift to me from God. I will live it enthusiastically for him."

Happy New Year to all of my readers!