What I learned in my classes...

Heading to church at our wonderful little Presbyterian Church here in Pasadena - Knox Presbyterian.

Being a dad of daughters demands some compromises.

Happy Birthday Jesus!  With our new friend Caleb and his parents.

Christmas day was a wonderful time for us as a family!

I love Minny Mouse and my new Minny shirt!

Reading the story of Jesus' birth at breakfast.  We read from our children's Bibles most mornings and if I forget, Bella always reminds me - "Dadda, Bible!!"

"Look Dadda!  Baby!"

 Merry Christmas! 

We are still in Pasadena!  Although it was strange and sad not to be near family and friends for Christmas, there has been a sweet gift in a more relaxed Christmas season and in a very special Christmas day together.  We had great gluten-free french toast, went to church, played outside (in 65 degree weather!), opened presents, and had our own turkey dinner.  The highlight of the night was when we watched our family video from the last year and a half that Janelle put together for the girls.  Bella was doing non-stop commentary for 45 minutes straight.  It went something like this:
"Bella and Esther!"  "Bella!"  "Bella and Dadda!"  "Esther!"  "Esther and Bella!"  "There's Bella!"
"Dadda, what's that?"
"I'm not sure."
"Mama, what's that?"
"I think it is one of your toys"
"Dadda, it's one of my toys" (in the most serious tone you can imagine a 2 year-old having)
"Bella!"  "Bella and Esther!"...
Janelle and I couldn't stop laughing!  Bella is getting more verbally expressive every day, and she and Esther continue to grow in playing together and enjoying each other.  It is a sweet gift to watch.  I'm thanking Jesus for a great Christmas time so far.

Now, to what was advertised!  In previous posts, I have talked about some of the big-picture things I have been learning from my time here, but today I'm focusing on my actual classes.  I decided it would be helpful to me to write down a few sentences describing what I got out of each of my classes, learning both about myself and about the subject.  Each sentence is a key takeaway for me.  I thought I'd share them with you...
Wealth and Poverty in the New Testament:
There is no single New Testament dictum about possessions.  The Bible does say clearly that we must not obtain goods through unjust means, we must share, and we must discern, in community, God's leading about the use of our possessions.  Possessions and wealth are issues that are significantly addressed in the Bible and should be talked about in our Christian communities!  Our Christian journey and ethics need to be addressed in community!  It isn't just about me and Jesus!
Biblical Theology of Mission:
The Mission is God's mission (in Christ by the Spirit).  The question for us is, "How do I get to participate in God's mission?"  Gods mission runs through the whole Bible!  God is a missionary God; if you (individually and corporately) want to grow with God,  join God in his mission!  Mission is living on the boundary between the people of God and the "nations" - all those who are not yet the people of God.
Communication:
I need to use humor in my communication; taking myself lightly is very helpful for me! (I tend to take myself too seriously).  Becoming a good communicator is a long process.  Basic organizational templates can be really helpful for me as a communicator because they set me free to actually communicate instead of getting stuck in the organization of ideas.
Exegetical Methods:
When studying Scripture, "Context is queen" and try to withhold judgment on the meaning of a passage as long as possible.  Asking questions (lots of them, about everything) can be a great way to study the Bible.  Letting go of my prior conclusions allows me to really engage with the text.  There is a two-way conversation when reading the Bible; there is always the text and the receiver, so no two readings are the same.  Allow others to wrestle with tough questions about the Scripture before jumping to tell my "answers" or conclusions.  This is the course I had the hardest time appreciating for a variety of reasons, the most significant was that it introduced many different ways of looking at Scripture that were new and foreign to me.  I'm glad I was exposed to them; I'm not sure how much I will utilize the different points of view, but I'm glad to be aware of them within the Church.
Hebrew:
I really enjoy languages because for me success is directly linked to hard work, which is not the case in some of my other courses.  Teaching languages well is truly a gift (that my teacher has); he somehow teaches us what we need to know to learn without getting stuck in unnecessary details.  "Jehovah" as a name for God is an invention of Europeans in the late 19th century that came about because they were trying to pronounce the word "Yahweh" (LORD in Hebrew) with different vowels.  Maybe the purity laws are based primarily on what God does - God doesn't have sex or touch dead things or eat - those things are all restricted for people in interacting with God.

I hope that makes some sense to you!  Don't hesitate to ask if anything there sparks your interest and you'd like to talk about it more. 

One more minor development in our world...after lots of deliberation and prayer, we have decided to apply to Duke Divinity School in the ThD program (essentially the same as a PhD) for next year along with the two schools in Scotland.  It is a super-longshot to get in, but I am going to give it my best shot and see where God takes us. 

I hope you are well.  May you know the blessing of "God with Us" in this Christmas time and in the year to come.

Forrest.Janelle
Esther, Bella, and Baby Boy (due April 11)

What do Fresh Cut Christmas Trees, "Snow Day," and Term Complete have in common?

Our two princesses on our way to Disneyland for the special Jesus Christmas celebration.

Knott's Berry Farm on Thanksgiving with the Sweeneys - a great day for Thankfulness.

Our "personal swimming pool" at Malibu beach with the Sweeneys!

My two little Christmas Tree helpers!

That is a real saw!  We got to choose our tree and cut it down - so fun!

Decorating the tree was a delight.  True to form, our tree touches our ceiling (only 8 feet high here!)

What do Fresh Cut Christmas Trees, "Snow Day," and Term Complete have in common?
They all happened in Pasadena in the last 3 weeks!

The pictures tell the story of an awesome Dadda-Daughters adventure to Nancy's Tree Farm where we got to choose and cut down our tree for the year.  We had a great time, and Nancy herself gave us each a candy cane.  Having a decorated Christmas tree has made our apartment feel more like a home than ever - we are very grateful for that.

Snow Day!  You may have heard about the crazy winds a few weeks ago in and around Pasadena that caused multiple closures and forced Pasadena to declare a state of emergency.  Well, that is where we live!!  I was on my way back from the library at 11pm the night the winds hit, and I was reminded of some of the pounding winds we experienced in the winter in Superior the past 6 years.  I don't think the winds were significantly stronger here than we experience in Boulder a few times a winter, but apparently they don't make trees as strong out here because trees were down everywhere!  Lots of huge trees were uprooted and laying across roads.  Over a week later, there are still trees laying in major roads because they haven't been able to clean them up yet.  So, last Thursday, the last day of regular classes, Fuller canceled school - Pasadena's version of a Snow Day! 

As of 11:30pm last night (Dec. 9), the quarter is over.  I might throw out some more serious reflections soon, but the overall take on the quarter:

• Great courses - challenging academically; profs who love Jesus; assignments and reading that helped me grow and learn; little to no busy-work.  Although studying about Jesus is definitely NOT the same as connecting with and serving Jesus, my courses stretched me to see God in new ways that I think will continue to bear fruit as I grow with Him by his Spirit.
• A lot of work - Wanting to get the most out of our time out here and taking a very full course load (18 hours compared to the normal full time 12 hours), I worked very hard at school!  Although life is definitely simpler out here with only two real foci (family and school - under the umbrella of Jesus), I definitely got less sleep through the Fall than I have in previous Falls while working at First Pres.
• Writing - I am growing as a writer, and I have a long way to go.  My engineering education didn't prepare me for writing 20 page papers that are logically structured and are properly footnoted!
• Community - I have awesome classmates.  it has been fun to get to know some of them more closely as new friendships develop.

I have lots more reflections, but that is all for now!

Other great stuff going on:

• We had a wonderful Thanksgiving visit from Janelle's parents and sister!  (Pics above)
• My sister, Arnica, just got engaged - so we are super excited for two Buckner family weddings coming up and we are delighted for Kevin to become "Uncle Kevin!"
• We had a bit of a scare with some ultrasound feedback from the Baby, but after some discussions with the docs, it looks like all is well with Buckner Baby Boy.

We are really going to miss being home for the holidays and seeing all of our wonderful community. 

May you know God's rich love expressed in the coming of the King as a baby,
Forrest

Ultrasound says...It's a Boy!!

Fun at Disneyland...we love the Christmas decorations! (Above is the CU-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl)

Bella's favorite - Minnie Mouse - her prize for consistently going #2 in the potty!

Esther's best friend at Preschool - with the blonde hair

Sorry about the distance between posts - school got really crazy for the past two weeks!  We still have classes this week of Thanksgiving, but it feels a little lighter.  It is really the calm before the storm of the last two weeks. So I'll probably be posting again after December 9 when finals are done.

The biggest news for us...Janelle had the ultrasound and we got the news that we are going to have some more testosterone in the Buckner family after all!  I am SO thankful for two amazing little girls, AND I'm not going to mind having some colors besides pink in the mix!  Janelle is doing well, she is feeling much better now that the 1st Trimester is firmly in the rear-view mirror.  She also started working a seasonal job at Lululemon (an athletic clothing store) a couple days a week.  It has been good so far (especially the awesome discount), and she has been an amazing hard worker adding a couple 8 hour days on her feet into the week.

Money is an interesting thing when you don't have a job.  We are so thankful that we have savings to get through the year, but finances become another challenging area to walk in real relationship with God.  When is it ok to spend?  When is it not?  How do I handle myself when I start getting overwhelmed with all of the monetary flow going out?  I guess those are questions we should always be asking but usually aren't forced to ask.  I'm taking a Wealth and Poverty in the New Testament course this quarter.  It has been a great class.  The simple answer to wealth and poverty is...there is no simple answer.  The only handholds we have found in looking at the New Testament as a whole are:  don't get anything through unjust means, share your stuff (because it is really all God's stuff), money issues should be discerned alongside others (in community).  I don't know how those three actually happen in real life, so if you do know...let me know!! As are a lot of things in our lives with God, maybe it comes down to walking with God.  I hope to grow in trusting God and honoring God with finances this year. 

The other wonderful news in the Buckner family is that my brother, Sage, just got engaged to Whitney Hight!  We are so thrilled that Sage and Whitney are taking this step of commitment, and we are super-excited to share life with Sage and Whitney!  Esther and Bella did a "Whitney is going to be our Aunt"-Dance last night to celebrate.

Hopefully you could see the video at the top of the page - CU-UCLA football at the Rose Bowl.  Lame game for the Buffs but awesome experience for Dadda and his girls!  We live about 1.5 miles from the Rose Bowl, so we just walked out our front door in the running stroller and were there about 15 minutes later.  A lifelong dream of seeing a game at the Rose Bowl - check!  And the general admission seats we got allowed us to sit about 20 rows up from the field - how awesome is that!

We hope you are well.  As we enter this week of Thanksgiving, we are truly thankful for the community of people in our live whom we love and love us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,
The Buckners

Seminary Can Be Hazardous to Your Spiritual Health

Lombardi Pumpkin Patch

That's some good dancing!!

Two little princesses off to the Harvest Festival at Fuller

Belle and Sleeping Beauty!

 God is so good to us!  The girls continue to do great, and Janelle seems to be past the early-pregnancy nausea.  School is a lot of work, and I am learning some really wonderful things (like what does the Bible really say about wealth and poverty?  I'll give you a hint - there isn't a super-simple answer to that question).

Here are a couple early thoughts about seminary:
During Orientation week, one of the professors told us, "Seminary can be hazardous to your spiritual health."  I can see that.  It is a strange deal because all of my professors seem to really love Jesus; they desire for our classes to help us grow with Jesus; we pray at the beginning of most classes; the classes are full of wonderful people; the seminary offers many options for spiritual health - chapel, spiritual direction, service opportunities, a prayer garden, and more.  Yet, it is not  easy to be growing with God.

Why not?  I'm not sure.  Maybe it is the fact that studying the Bible and theology and other Christian writers is homework, so it is hard to do that on your own.  Maybe it's because "everyone" is a Christian so people just get complacent and are not challenged by being around people with different views.  Maybe it is because people come to seminary to prove themselves to God or others.  Maybe it's because school is a lot of work and people get tired.

It could be all those things, but here is my top theory - people come to seminary for the wrong reasons.  I wonder if people come to seminary to figure things out with God and end up with more questions than they when they began.  I also have found that many people don't seem to get connected to a local church, which can't be good if God made us to live in community and worship him in community (especially in my opinion, an intergenerational community - the Body of Christ!).

Here is my current summary:
If you want to figure things out with God, Go to church.
If you want to get equipped and challenged academically and theologically, Go to seminary.

I'll let you know how my analysis progresses as the year goes on.  For now, you could pray for me, that I (and our family) would keep growing in our relationships with God in our time here.  While you're at it, you could also pray that I could get my PhD applications done for Scotland and we would trust and follow God with this PhD process.  Thanks!

May you know God's abiding presence in Christ by His Spirit today!

Ordination Exams...CHECK!

Wearing an almond box and hiding from the camera...future barrel woman?

Disneyland Thursdays! 

Special In N Out treat at one of our favorite parks nearby!

Esther is getting awesome at riding her bike!

Sorry that I haven't written in so long!  Maybe you can tell that the pace of school has really picked up, so blog-update time has been squeezed out.  Here are a couple brief highlights...

*Esther and Bella continue to do really well out here.  They love preschool and love having Dadda around more than he used to be. 

*Janelle is starting to feel a little better - we are hoping the first trimester sickness will really halt in the next week or so.

*I am working hard at school.  I'm really enjoying my classes.  I have learned that one of the lessons from this quarter (or maybe year) will be how to study in the Humanities - reading and writing all the time isn't exactly what they taught us at old Colorado School of Mines!  (Go Orediggers!)

*I recently received the news that I passed all 4 of my Presbyterian Ordination Exams!  Most people don't pass all 4 on the first try, so I am very thankful to have successfully completed the biggest hurdle to ordination left for me (besides graduating with my MDiv from Fuller).  It looks like I'll be ready for ordination when I graduate in June; it will be interesting to see where God takes us!

*We are open to pastor jobs, but we are currently pursuing PhD studies starting next Fall to dive further into the amazing reality of who God is as Father-Son-Holy Spirit (Trinity) and how we can share in the life of God through Jesus.  We'll see.  Somehow I have to find time to actually do the applying in the midst of a very full school load.  I trust You God.

I hope you are well!  If you are reading this, it would be great to hear how you are doing too! 

God's blessing and joy in Christ to you today!

We're Pregnant!

These are actually pictures from Esther's 4th Birthday party (clearly a princess party!)  in Louisville before we left, but they are too good to leave out!

This is our living room, complete with a new painting from our Nana and family pics from Chautauqua.

We are actually pregnant in two ways...
1)  We are having a baby!  Janelle is about 12 weeks pregnant.  We are due sometime in mid-April.  Janelle is doing an awesome job of loving on two active little girls and having a great attitude while feeling sick.  With Esther and Bella, the sickness faded about week 16, so we are hoping and praying for the same timeline.  We are very grateful and excited for the gift of life that God has given us as our family grows.  We'll keep you posted...

2)  I am pregnant too!  I have officially completed one week of my nine-month journey at the main campus of Fuller Seminary!  Here are some highlights:

• I have great classes - Hebrew 1, Exegetical Methods (how to get use your Greek and other tools to understand the meaning of the Greek text of the Bible), Communications, Wealth and Poverty in the New Testament, and Biblical Theology of Mission.  
• I am really enjoying my professors - They are awesome people.  I think one of the great gifts of being in Pasadena is the privilege of learning from the full-time profs here.  For example, my Wealth and Poverty prof is very young (32?) and brilliant, spends half of his year in Africa researching infectious diseases in villages with his MD wife and 13 month-old daughter.  
• I have a lot of classes!  Most folks here take 12 hours (3 classes) or fewer per quarter.  To meet the goal of graduating in June, I am taking 18 hours (4.5 classes).  After a week of class, I'm sure that I am going to be busy and pulling some late nights, but I think the workload will be possible.  My goal to not to just "get through" the classes, but to really engage with them as much as possible.  How much I can engage will be a dance with my family and my overall course load.  I'm going try to seek God first and ask him to lead and provide as we step forward each day.  
• The students here are great!  The stories I have gotten to hear already of how people have come here and where they see God leading them are wonderful.  There are a lot of really faithful followers of Jesus here from all ages and all walks of life.  

Side note - remember that if you want to get e-mails when we post here, you can put your e-mail in to "Follow" on the right side of this page. 

I hope this finds you well, whenever it finds you!  We miss you and wish that we could hear how you are doing as well. 

Today may you know the blessing of Immanuel, the God who is with us,

Forrest.Janelle
Esther, Bella, and ???

California!

I am thankful for a great week together as a family.  This week included Disneyland twice (someone gave us a pass so we can visit whenever we want and just go for a couple hours so the girls don't melt down), our first beach visit, a sweet visit from Gigi (Sandy - Forrest's mom - who spent one day a week with the girls over the past 4 years), and getting to know more great people. As you can see in the pictures, we are trying to make the most of this time in California!!

Favorite story of the week:
Esther and I were going to do laundry and found our across the courtyard neighbor working really hard trying to saw a 1" diameter wooden peg in half long-ways.  He is Korean, and I hadn't met him yet.  Esther, who is always up for a project, said, "Dad, can't we help him?"  In my head, I immediately thought "no" but on second thought realized that we had a clamp, a better saw, a hammer, and a screwdriver that could all really help!  So we got our tools and offered to help.  Our conversation was less than fluid, but he understood what I was offering and we made quick work of that peg.  He was very pleased and explained to me that the 4 inch-long pegs were for a special Korean game - "Nuut Games" that they were to play that day because it was Korea's version of Thanksgiving Day.  I asked a couple of questions about the game, and next thing you know, we are playing - he and his 8 year old son vs. me and Esther.  We get the hang of the game and start playing.  We won the first game, they won the second.  The kids lost interest, so we didn't get to finish the rubber match, but a new relationship has begun.  He is a great guy who is in the Korean Doctor of Ministry program at Fuller.  Fuller has a whole Korean school and many Korean families are around.  I have also officially learned my first Korean words - "Hello" is On Yiong Hi Sai Oh (sic), or something like that! 

Orientation starts this week, so the privilege of so much time as a family is going to be changing.  I'm not excited about that.

I hope all is well for you!

Watermelon preschool girl!

Walking with the fam to preschool - so fun!

Disneyland parade time!

Waving to the princesses on the float - so exciting!

Mickey Mouse Roller Coaster with Gigi!  Bella and Esther rode in a car alone before this!  Bella makes the height requirement by about 1 inch.

Manhattan Beach - all to ourselves!

Time...

First trip to Disneyland!  Thanks to the amazing gift of an annual pass, we are hoping to go often!

Disneyland with Tangled - Esther wasn't happy that a boy was there too!

First Day of Preschool!  Esther and Bella both love their preschool so far, and we can walk there!

Dress up time for Bella!

Ready to ride bikes at the Park with some new friends!

It's amazing what a gift time is.  I have seen that firsthand this last week as I have been the recipient of the gift of time with Janelle, Esther and Bella.  Because classes don't start until the 26th (with orientation the week before), we have been able to enjoy some great time together as a family.  From sitting down to meals together to heading to Disneyland to playing games to going to the playground, we have been having great time together.  I am so thankful for that. 

I think we have always had good family time together, but this feels much more spacious, like there is nothing else to get to, no e-mails to check.  I know that life will get moving again once school kicks in.  I know that the rhythm will change then.  But I want to keep this time-together thing going.  As I have prayed about this year, I feel like the goal for the year is to do two things well (under the Big umbrella of walking closely with God in Christ by the Spirit) - School and Family.  That's what I'm here for.  School and Family.  I have already started to feel the pull to try to start doing stuff in a ministry here to feel like I'm valuable because I am producing.  I have been trying to fight those urges and seeking to trust God for my value as His son.  You could pray for me in that!

We connected with a great church, Knox Presbyterian Church, that we are getting more familiar with and more excited about.  There are a lot of folks from Fuller who go there (including profs - very fun!), a ton of families with young kids, and all generations.  We are thankful for having a local church to start calling home. 

Since we are in a break between quarters here, there is still a sleepy feel around the school and apartment complex, but more and more life is stirring.  We have begun to get to know some people here - wonderful people.  It will be fun to see how God leads in regard to community here.  I have been letting go of my expectations and seeking to gratefully trust God for however it works out. 

Some Pasadena - Boulder/Louisville comparisons for you:

1. They both have mountains in the backyard, but Boulder's are a lot higher and greener.
2. They both claim to be fit, but somehow there are burger joints on about every corner (remember how McDonald's couldn't stay in business in South Boulder?)
3. They both claim to be way into biking, but I'm not sure if I have seen a real bike lane yet. 
4. They both have every hip chain store you could think of (pottery barn, anthropologie, etc)
5. It's a 90 minute drive to Winter Park, but it is only a 45 minute drive to Disneyland and the beach.
6. They both have great libraries with great stuff for kids, but Pasadena seems to have much more.
7. Boulder's demographics of 95% caucasian are quite different than the huge diversity of Pasadena (especially at Fuller where there is a huge Korean population, and especially in certain neighborhoods that I am still learning about).  
8. They both have awesome playgrounds for kids (that we have been enjoying!).

Overall, we are getting used to living in a city, which is an adjustment for us.  We have realized that most of America isn't like Boulder/Louisville!  The open space and beauty and infrastructure and active lifestyle and healthy eating elements of Boulder are apparently not normal everywhere!  :-)  I also know that Boulder is not the promised land, and I am excited to learn from and appreciate this community and this experience of living in a (very nice) city that is part of a really big city (LA). 

Love to you from the Buckners!

We're Here!

Pink!
If this page seems really pink to you, that makes two of us.  Pink has become a theme of my world with two daughters and a wife who all seem to love pink and purple (and most things girly).

Pink is also the theme of Esther and Bella's new room that Janelle and her mom put together this week.  They flew out on Wednesday (with Janelle's Dad coming on Thursday) and turned our apartment into our "home."  Esther, Bella, my dad, and I drove out from Boulder in a packed 4Runner on Friday and Saturday.  It was a solid Father-Son adventure that included fun times with the girls, our share of screaming, one pee-by-the-side-of-the-road stop, some amazing Palisade peaches, good dad-son talk time, no accidents for our potty-training Bella, and a night in a Vegas hotel with a pool for morning fun.  Fortunately, our only big delay was an hour traffic jam outside of LA.

Now we are here, all the grandparents are gone, and the real adjusting begins.  I have realized already that adjustment to a move like this will come in stages and hit all of us in different ways.  Right now Bella is adjusting to the freedom of a big girl bed, and Esther is so looking forward to having little girls to be friends with.  Janelle is adjusting to the fact that everything "normal" and comfortable is back in Colorado.  It is hard for me to believe that I am not starting another year of high school ministry in Boulder right now, and I am trying to look to God for my value instead of the "relevancy" or usefulness of my job. 

What will the next days and weeks hold?  Our hope is that we trust our Father God who has shown His love to us in Jesus and comes to us by His Spirit.

The Adventure Officially Begins!

Here we go!!

We are hoping this will be a fun tool for people we know and love to keep up with the Buckner family as we head to Pasadena, California, for the year and head wherever God takes us after that! 

Please subscribe on the right hand side of this page if you want to get e-mails when we post updates.

Let the Adventure begin!