Catching up After 5 Days

 Wow!  Has it been 5 days already?

I'm still excited with my Purpose Driven Journal.  My friend Fritz was visiting a couple of nights ago and looked at the journal and found it interesting enough that he ordered one from Amazon on the spot.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours on OIT Campus reading and contemplating on some of the topics listed in the journal, as well as reading a little in Dante's Divine Comedy.  I also took a little walking tour around the campus just for the exercise and inspiration.  In fact I'm thinking visiting the campus on a regular basis, just for inspiration.  I'm also considering following OIT's Basketball team home games this season, fifteen years ago I was quite a fan for several seasons.

I found a secondhand junk store I had never noticed the other day, I went in and made a quick survey and found it very exciting with lots of useless goodies.  I plan to go back in tomorrow and give it a good going over.

I also have started the construction of a wooden model sailboat from a kit I bought sometime in the past, I hope I have the guts to finish it being the procrastinator that I am.

Well, this is all for now,

CUL8R

The Purpose Driven Life

 The Purpose-Driven Life Journal

Our local City Library has a used book store adjacent to the Library.  I went in there today to see if I might find something that interested me.  I found nothing of interest until just the last minute, it was a leather bound, gold gilded page edges, 6" X 9" Journal.  It is titled, "The Purpose-Driven Life Journal".  It's theme is, "What on Earth Am I Here For?".  It is a forty day long journal, with questions to answer relative to the theme each day.  I started it today with the question: "How can I remind myself today that life is really about living for GOD, not for myself?  I have contemplated the question and entered my answers in the journal.

Tomorrow, another question, my contemplation, my entry...

Rex

Nothing Important

 Nothing to report, I'm just filling in on what I have been doing.

The first thing I thing of is that somehow I got myself interested in collecting Doll House scale miniature books, along with the same scale Book Shelving.  They just look cute setting atop my monitor.

The other thing I have started collecting is, fake coinage.  I have accumulated some eighteen coins so far.  I'll keep collecting until something else catches my fancy.

Nancy is taking off tomorrow to go visit her friend in Roseberg Oregon.  She may not be back until after my upcoming birthday, September First.

I'm at the fifty percent point in my reading of Dante's Divine Comedy.  I have been procrastinating in my reading, I still trying hard to stop those behavers.

I have been doing, what is to me, a considerable amount of yard work this summer, mowing our front and back yards lawns, as well as collecting a lot of trash and junk to take to the City Dump.

Another activity I have started, that will please my Daughter, is taking an approximately half mile walk around my neighborhood three or four times a week.

Still another thing I have going, I'm CAD modeling the Tesla Pickup Truck.  I have a scale model of it that I am using for reference.  I'm about 90% complete with it, when finished I will post a copy of it on this blog.  Thinking of that, I have some older CAD models that I may post too.

Another thing I have been thinking about doing, to increase my reading motivation, is to go hangout an the OIT Campus commissary, to read in an invigorating atmosphere.  Maybe do some of my walking too.

Well, I guess this is all I have for now, so I'll say, so long,

RexPhilip

The Apostles After Jesus

 The Apostles After Jesus, Luke's Story of the Apostle Paul.

I just finished viewing this three hour long movie on Amazon Prime; it was a very good movie and very informative.  From this movie I learned many things about Paul, that I had not previously known.  Again, I strongly recommend this movie to anyone interested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Amen,

RexPhilip

Dali Lamma

 Oh, I forgot to mention, I got the opportunity to meet the Dali Lamma here in Klamath Falls.  Ben Kerns, the leader and founder of our Great Books Reading club that we had here in Klamath Falls, at some point in his life had met and become friends with the Dali Lamma.  The Dali, Lamma having been on tour in Northern California, gave Ben the opportunity to invite him to Klamath Falls.  Believe it or not, The Dali Lamma accepted to invitation and came here for a visit.

During his visit he delivered a conference at the Oregon Institute of Technology, for any and all that wished to attend.  Many attended, including all of our Reading Group.  The highlight of the conference was that anyone wishing to personally meet and greet the Dali Lamma could do so, and I did!

With good wishes for all,

RexPhilip

Seven Years in Tibet

 Seven Years in Tibet, a movie.

I just finished viewing this film, made in 1997, staring Brad Pitt.

It was v very interesting and enjoyable film, a little over two hours long.  The story is of an Austrian, Heinrich Harrer who in mid 1939 went on a mountain climbing adventure in Tibet, during which WW II broke out.  He was arrested in Tibet as a war prisoner.  After a year or so he broke out of the prison and escaped into the province of the Dali Lamma.  While there, for a considerable time. He and the Dali Lamma became life long friends.  He returned to Austria 1n 1951. The entire film is a story of compassion, love, and major life living wisdom.

I feel grateful and enlightened for just stumbling upon this story.

With worldly love,

RexPhilip

The Life and Faith of C. S. Lewis

 Another C. S. Lewis movie watched just after the previous posting.

This one about the life of Jack.  I enjoyed this one every bit as I did the previous one, maybe a little more.  I thought I knew quite a bit about Jack, but this movie had a few items previously unknown to me, and I am sure that there are many more for me to discover.

I strongly encourage to anyone who does know very much about Jack to view this movie, you will be richly rewarded if you do.

Again, the movie was well made with many beautiful landscapes and local architectures.

Jack was a wonderful man and made many contributions to Society and Mankind, he was a man that anyone should know, who he was, and that he existed; just to feel better about the world we live in.

Adoringly,

RexPhilip

The Most Reluctant Convert

 The Most Reluctant Convert.

I just finished viewing the movie version of C. S. Lewis' book of the same title.  As a fan of Jack, Lewis' nickname, and the fact it is a well made movie, I enjoyed the movie very much.  Jack's story is quite inspiring to me, and I believe would be to almost anyone else.  Give it a try and see for yourself.  It is available on most on-line venues.

With love for all,

RexPhilip

What is Theology?

 What is Theology?

I have just finished a DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) online course on Biblical and Systematic Theology.  It was very interesting and informative, as any of the courses have been that I have taken from DTS.

CUL8R

RexPhilip

John Lennox Interview

 Professor John Lennox Interview on Practical Wisdom Podcast.

I just finished watching this Podcast on YouTube.  The title of the interview was, "What is Truth", which is misleading if one does not watch the podcast.  The truth implied in the title is the truth of GOD'S existence.  And the simplest answer to that question, used in this interview is, "Jesus".  It was stated, by John Lennox, that Jesus said, quote, "I am the truth".

Another note: John made a very favorable reference to C. S. Lewis during the interview.  Jack is one of my favorite Theologians/authors/philosophers.

The podcast is one hour long and is very interesting.  I recommend it to anyone interested in this topic.

With faith,

RexPhilip

Dante's Divine Comedy Ongoing

 Dant'e's Divine Comedy Ongoing

Still reading. The book contains all three of the segments of Dante's journey to Paradiso; The Inferno, The Purgatorio, & The Paradiso.  I am at the beginning of the Paradiso right now which is one-third of the way through the book.  It is still interesting, and the author's notes between the Cantos are very helpful in making the dialogue understandable.

One thing one must understand about this book/poem is that it was not written as fact, it was written as an estimation of what the author dreams/imagines, to represent the quest and environments required to go through to gain admission into Paradiso (Heaven).  The primary, and only, benefit of reading this book is the inspiration to think about one's own feelings about sanctification.

All of the above dialogs are just one man's opinion, mine., as all opinions, they must always remain changeable.

Respectfully,

RexPhilip

Still Reading

 Still Reading,

I still have my attention centered on Dante's Divine Comedy but, I have two other books I'm just as interested in: Knowing GOD by J. I. Packer, and Biblical Theology of the New Testament by Charles C. Ryrie.  I finished reading Knowing GOD but there is a Study Guide in the back of the book that looks so interesting I'm going to go through it too.  The other book, Biblical Theology, I was just into reading when I got the Dante bug.  I think it will take me the rest of the year to get through all three unless I give up through procrastination.  I hope I will have the guts to get through all three though.

I do not know why I keep getting myself into these situations, I did not do it in my pre-retirement life.  Well, I can thank GOD that I am happy and worry-free, and have been since my retirement in late 2000.

More to come,

RexPhilip

Dante

 Just an hour later from the last posting: Having read the preface, How to Read Dante, I find that the reason for the differences in the various publications I mentioned in my previous posting was/are primarily due to, language, time-related cultural differences, and Dante's style of writing.  With this in mind, onward I go.

Bye for now,

RexPhilip

Starting over With Dante

Well, I'm starting over with my reading of Dante's, Divine Comedy.  I just received my copy of the paperback version of the book, and as I compared it to the Kindle and Audio versions; I found that they were somewhat different than the printed version, they left out some of the words and lines, and the introduction and preface were much longer.

I also discovered, in viewing another Hillsdale College lecture, that even more information was missing from the Kindle and audio versions.

CUL8R

RexPhilip 

Back again just 20 from some hours ago.

Got off on a new tangent, I got interested in reading Dante's Comedy.

Reading I should say listening to an Audible recital.  My hearing is poor, not only in volume but also fidelity.  Therefore I am missing very much of the dialog.  From what I listened to though seemed very interesting.  I am going to switch over to Kindle and read all over from the beginning.

I also have a book coming from Amazon that will be here next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Additionally, I am taking an online course on Dante's Comedy at Hillsdale College's Course series'.

This is all for now, goodnight,

RexPhilip

Well...Back Again

Well, back again and feeling very good, physically and mentally.

I have made a couple of visits to my Daughter in Portland. I am becoming very fond of Portland, the City, and the Suburbs, especially Lake  Oswego.  I love going to Powell's bookstore and just prowling around through the many floors and book sections.

Another place I like to visit is the Campus of, Louis and Clarke College.  It is a beautiful environment of rolling hills, forests, ponds, and architecture.  It is located just a couple of miles from my Daughter's home.

I got to meet Kim's fellow members of the Stoic study group she belongs to.  The members are very bright, friendly, and well-read.  They meet at a local Pub, out on their secluded garden patio.

My next trip to visit Kim will be on my birthday, Sept. 1St. 2023.  I will turn 84 years old, wow!

Well, this is all I have for now, so I will close.

Warmest regards,

RexPhilip