Monday, December 15, 2008

Systems Check

End of semesters are kind of like birthdays for older people.

Sure there is the excitement that comes with breaking free of a year's (or semester's) worth of work and beginning anew (not to mention getting a well earned break). But there also is the rather boggling and numbing realization that you don't have too many of them left.

I'm finishing the first semester of my junior year. I've crossed the halfway point. I have only three semesters left.

So what have I got to show for the five semester I've already completed?

Well, here's a list (in no particular order):


--I can tell you what inaugurated eschatology means.
--I've worked for The Washington Times.
--My hair has sat on top of my head an average of a half an inch longer than when I lived in Oregon.
--I say say things like "sick," "legit" and "the 5."
--Flip flops have become an essential piece of footwear.
--I now sit in the desk of the editors I worked under my first two years.
--I have tattoos on both my calves.
--I've lived on the east coast.
--Six GYRADS, multiple coffee/lunch demi-dates, no girlfriend.
--Two broken computers.
--Appreciation of the hyperstatic union :)
--Six roommates, three different dorm rooms and my first apartment (yay).
--A heck of a lot of bylines.
--My first flat tire (in the middle of nowhere, mind you).
--A couple legit friends that better not leave my life.
--Realized the inspiration behind the Beach Boys' California Girls song.
--Dreams that aren't defined by state lines.
--Too many memories to remember; too many people that have made their mark on my life; and a realization that life lived now is the best kind.


:)

--mjf

Monday, December 08, 2008

Shoutout

Dr. Corey (president of Biola) spoke at our Friday chapel about how the university is responding to the rough financial times. Listen to the 10th minute of this video...

http://offices.biola.edu/president/economy/chapel/

Sunday, November 16, 2008

All smoked out

If you've been watching the news lately I'm sure you've noticed that the LA area is (again) on fire.

The fires are a lot closer to Biola than last year, actually. The major one they're fighting is only 15 miles away. The sky is definitely nasty, and it hurts a little to breathe. Unfortunately I've been battling a bit of a throat cold this past week, so this fire situation is not helping. Also, it was raining ash today when I got up, and my car was covered--wild.

But I'm okay. Biola's pretty safe because we're not near any large areas of vegetation. It tends to be the outlying areas of LA and Orange counties that get hit.

It's been pretty exciting to cover the situation, though. I've spent many hours in the Chimes office these past few days writing an article and getting information (go to The Chimes Online to see our coverage).

There really has been a lot of devastation. Nearly a thousand homes have burned down, including an entire mobile home park. Tomorrow I'll be following through with Campus Safety and the Health Center to see what they have to say about the situation.


Smelling like smoke,

Michael


P.S. The picture I put at the top is one I took while going through Anaheim. If you look closely you can see the famous Crystal Cathedral church in the background. This picture is gross, but it's much worse in person--especially since you can smell the smoke as well as see it.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

What I've been up to

Keeping busy as always. Here are some highlights:

--Covered Sara Palin rally for The Chimes. Pretty crazy event. Had a press pass and everything, so it was the real deal

--Found out I'll be getting to go to Kansas City at the end of this month. Yup, it's for a college journalism conference. Way excited about that. And everything is paid for except $100!!

--Went to Switchfoot/Third Day/ Jars of Clay concert. Got a few amigos together and headed to Irvine for an amazing concert. Was really sweet--I saw more of Jon Foreman's faith at this concert than ever before. It really was the first time in a long time that Switchfoot has performed with Christian label bands.

--Covered California Republican Convention for The Chimes. Saw Mitt Romney speak, got to walk around with a press pass. Wrote an article.


Mid-terms are sneaking up on me, and homework really is starting to pile on. I have two sizable tests this next week, so keep me in your prayers about that. I also have to do a writing test next week (have to take it to graduate from Biola).

I would post some pictures, but my computer is officially broken...yeah, bummer.

Also, if you want to read some of my articles before my parents get the print edition, you can go to http://chimes.biola.edu.

It gets updated everyday.


See ya.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Belated Blog

I'm writing this blog post from The Chimes office, at 3:00 a.m.

This is truly a summary commentary on why you have not seen a new post from me since the beginning of the school year.

Yes, my friends, it is true: The Chimes has claimed my life.

I wake up in the morning at 7:30, and the first thing I do once I leave the apartment is head to the office. Between classes, I head to the office. At night (and at wee hours of the morning) I'm at the office.

Homework has become a sort of sideshow.

However, I have found that this crunch has forced me to be a bit more intentional with my life. I have to intentionally set aside time to do my various tasks. I have a time for homework, a time for Chimes stuff and a time for reading the Word of God. Though I have to admit the last one has been too often sacrificed in the name of the first two.

But I've made improvements even from the beginning of the year till now. I find I am thoroughly enjoying my theology and New Testament classes, even though my mind could be wandering all over the place. I've been going to chapel regularly, and spend a good amount of time in prayer.

But all is not totally well yet. Though I have made improvements, I still am feeling overworked. I still walk around in a somewhat daze sometimes because of all that needs to be done, and my complete inability to process it all at the same time.

And it is very frustrating that, despite my best efforts, I still am one of the last editors done with my pages (and I'm working way more than my allotted hours).

Now, a lot of that has to do with the nature of my section -- people are a little less enthusiastic to write news than they are about their own opinion, or about some new movie. So, I usually end up with people who think they know a lot but can't write news, or people who can write but don't want to because it's too time consuming.

So I'm looking for ways to make this better -- like being more selective in whom I allow to write articles, even going to far as to email people individually. This has worked out good this week, as I am ahead of where I usually am already.


Anywho, aside from all the goo.

I have been getting to hang out more with people, though. Even with all the work I've had, I've somehow managed to fit a lot more social activities into my life.

For the first time in a long time, I actually feel like I have a group of friends that I regularly am around. For me that's really cool, because I've for a very long time felt that my friends are all spread around, with only a few of them being incredibly deep. Thus, though, I'm well known, I never really had much to do on the weekends because I wasn't the first person on anyone's call list -- just maybe the fourth or fifth on everyone's

Apartment life is good. Not home much, as you can imagine, but have been getting along just fine with my roomies. We're gradually accumulating more stuff and food, and I'm feeling pretty comfortable right now. It's kind of a cool feeling, you know? Living comfortably in the L.A. area on my own income -- making myself meals, paying the bills. Kind of empowering :)

Well, it's nearly 5 a.m. now, and we're finally finishing up for the night here. It's a good thing I don't have class Thursday mornings, haha.

Good night--err, Morning everyone.

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Long-Awaited First Post

Alright, I know you all have been hopefully awaiting my next post :p. So here it is. I got a video of my new apartment posted on Facebook now http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=517813406307
Sorry I couldn't post it here---Blogger was being very uncooperative with me. I might try it later.

Been keeping myself busy with moving in furniture and such. Basically every day since I have goten here I've been going out to the store to get something.

Chimes stuff starts tomorrow (Tuesday) with a meeeting and some training; getting pumped about that. The first day of school is Wednesday, and I should be starting my catering job this week as well.

Was able to play some soccer on Sunday in the blistering heat--it's been in the mid-80s since I have gotten here. Also have been doing a lot of late-night swimming in my apartment complex's pool.

Just for your information, my address is 5300 Falls Way Apt C, Buena Park, CA 90621. Either this address or my Biola box number will do for anything you happen to mail.

Alright, that'll conclude this post. Keep me in your prayers.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Departure

It's hard to believe it, but I'm leaving D.C. in under seven hours. I'm writing this blog at 2:40 a.m., just as I finished packing. I know, got to be up early. But hey, I'll get some sleep on the plane, and I have two energy drinks that'll help me get there.

This post won't be too profound; it is after all late and I would like to get some sleep. But I would like to say how strange it is that I am leaving. A person can't help but get attached to a place, or to people, when being there and with them for four months.

I've learned a lot here, not doubt. I've learned a lot about myself, a bit about God and a heck of a lot about public transportation. All in all, I'm am so glad I came. Thank you to everyone, my family, friends, who support me in everything I do. Without you, it would be impossible.

And I would like to thank my God, of who made possible those very people, and who continues to defy the odds in my life. Thank you, Father.

I will try to get some rest now. I never have much to say right after a trip ends--I need a week or so. Be patient, please, if when I see you I don't have a ton to say. It'll come out eventually; in bits and pieces.

--mjf


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

New York

So last weekend I went to New York.

Fun adventure that was. Took a bus at 3:00 a.m. in the morning because we wanted a full day, and didn't want to stay overnight and spend a fortune on New York hotel prices.

I stayed up till three, hoping I'd be able to fall asleep on the bus. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. So beginning my day I was already wiped. But yeah, New York is an awesome city!

I was able to see so much: Ground Zero, Wall Street, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Madison Square Garden--all very overwhelming.

Navigating the New York subways was quite a trip. I'm glad I had been getting experience with public transit here in D.C., because New York's metro was a lot more complicated--and less user friendly, I'd have to say.

I also went to Coney Island, which is an island south of Brooklyn (Google map it). That's not a spot a lot of tourists go to, but I was determined to go, since it would allow me to see the Atlantic Ocean. It was a pretty long subway ride--nearly an hour out of Manhattan and all the way through Brooklyn. Definitely worth it, though.

One of the coolest moments came near the end, though, when we went up to Columbia University and got an amazing view of the city. The school is seated on a hill above Harlem--you can see almost everything. I got a picture of the view, but it doesn't nearly do it justice.

Still can't believe I'm getting to do all this--it really feels like a dream. I mean, while I'm doing everything it is all so fast and I don't realize it, but after the fact it's really quite awe inspiring. I almost feel like I'm some kind of impostor. But no, this is my life, and I'm really doing it. I'm living in D.C., I'm seeing New York City, I'm working in a professional news room.

Wow, how much more could God want to do?

Anyways, catching the bus at 11:00 p.m. that night, I was exhausted. Needless to say I had no problem falling asleep on that bus ride. And the funny thing is, coming back to D.C., it felt like coming back home.


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Winding Down

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been, well, caught up in a 12 page research paper and a 10 page letter about my internship that are both due Friday.

Internship finished off well. Both of the editors I worked for gave me very good reviews. They both offered to be recommendations for me whenever I needed them. It was kind of sad, I must admit, leaving that newsroom. I grew a lot in there, now that I think about it. I took huge steps in my life in there. You don't realize it while you're caught in the middle of the work, but just thinking about it right now, it's quite amazing how far I've come. This has been an amazing experience.

But no more sentimental stuff, I don't want to start crying...

In case you haven't heard, I having a fun little trip back home. May 2 I am flying to Utah to stay with relatives for about a week, and then am flying to LA to visit Biola (SOOO excited to see my friends). I'll be at Biola during the journalism department's awards banquet, so that'll be fun. After that, I flying back to good ole' Oregon, arriving May 13.

The weather is doing a lot better here--it'll be in the 70s all week, almost reaching 80 on Friday. A great change from the 10 degrees that D.C. greeted me with.

The pope arrived in D.C. yesterday, and will be driving around tomorrow. Will be pretty crazy, I can imagine. I wrote an article about how much police work the pope's visit requires--it's insane. If I can, I'd like to maybe catch a glance of him.

This weekend I am going to New York for a day. Got a great deal on bus tickets ($5 each way)! I will be catching a bus on Saturday at 3 a.m. (yeah, I know), and will arrive in Manhattan around 7:30 am or so. We'll get as much done as we can, before catching a bus back to D.C. at 11:00 p.m. Didn't really want to pay Manhattan hotel prices, so we figured this was the best way to do it.

Keep me in your prayers. This is crunch week. This is the last push to the end. I also am still without plans for a job. Despite 4-5 calls and several emails to the editor I had been in contact with at a paper in Washington (state), I have yet to hear back from him. I really don't get it. I've left messages with him twice, and once with the woman who answers the phone (who said she'd deliver him a message). Annoying.

Anyways, here are some fun pictures from the last couple weeks.







Thursday, March 27, 2008

Slow but content week

I think I've finally settled into things--just in time for me to leave, right? Got to love it.

But really, I've gotten past the major jitters of D.C. life, I've made my couple mistakes, I've shown the boss what I can do--I feel more and more like I can just be myself. Relieving to say the least.

I'm not a workaholic. I'm not obsessed with success. These are things that I sometimes emulate because of outside converted into internal pressure, but they aren't me.

Me. I'm a laid back guy. I don't get stressed out too easily, and I enjoy playing a good video game. I like the work I do, always seek excellence, but it does not take over my life.

Who I was at the beginning of the semester was a bugged out version of myself. And, honestly, I'm not sure how it could have been any other way. New town, new job, new friends, freezing weather. I was totally out of my element, and was expecting myself to astoud everyone with my journalistic prowesss. I like to think I'm good, but I'm not Superman!

It's been nice to be okay with having a slow couple weeks. These past two weeks for me have been relatively slow, but I'm not too worried. I've been working on some quality feature pieces that I'm quite proud of, and they all will be running within the next two weeks.

I hate comparing myself to my peers. I want to just be okay with my own progress and my own niche. I've felt like I have settled into that more, though I still am fighting it to some extent--which is good, I admit, as a journalist needs a competitve edge.

A story I worked on today was a clear display from God, I think, that this career won't be a total waste for my spiritual life. I got to interview an 88 year old woman who has been attending a Catholic church right next to the new staduim where the pope will be speaking in two weeks. Hearing from her was encouraging, even in a kind of formal interview setting. I didn't flat out tell the woman and her priest I was a Christian, but I think enough of my questions and responses indicated as much.

I'm discovering more and more those are the types of stories I like to tell. Stories about people. Hard news is helpful, I can write a good hard news story. But I am an even better writer of feature pieces, which really capture the essence of a human being. And they are much funner for me to write.

Keep me in your prayer. I got a big ole' term paper to write in the next two weeks, on top of my internship. I also am still clueless on where I am going to be for the summer. Let me know if you hear anything about jobs, too. I'm looking at an internship in Washington (state), but haven't heard back from them since they said a month ago that they were "keeping me in mind." I also am trying to see if Catering at Biola will hire me for the summer. If I was able to do that, I could also look into doing some freelance for the Orange County Register.

I don't knows....

--mjf

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Lessons for the week

Just a few things I've learned/realized since my depressing post last week:

-- Physical exertion is good for the mind. And a good stress reliever to boot!

-- Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them, don't dwell on them.

-- People are more important than numbers. Tell their story.

-- The world is temporary; the spirit is eternal.

-- Truth is not necessarily in the middle of two sides; independent verification is key.

-- A good, strong meal is good every now and again; even if it is from a box or two.

-- Pray. Study. Meditate. Rinse. Repeat. If one thing doesn't change, it's Scripture.

-- Miles don't matter. Friends are only a phone call away.



-mjf

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Just an update

I'm doing a lot better now. Thanks for everyone who has been praying for me and supporting me.

This Sunday mornings service helped me put a lot of things in perspective. Plus, my editor was in a much better mood at the end of the week--that helps.

Don't have many updates right now. Just wanted to put somthing up, so people who haven't read my last post yet would know I'm not still feeling the way I was when I wrote that.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Hard week

So this has been one of the hardest weeks on me so far. To be quite honest I'm pretty discouraged right now.

Last Friday I had a small attribution error in my article, where I said some guy presented some stats, when in fact someone else at the same event had presented them. I've had to deal with this, frantically trying to find out what went wrong, contact the right people, write up a correction, apologize the guy who wrote in to complain about it and face a bit of chiding from my editor.

Today I just really felt like my editor was laying it on thick. Now, it could have been that I was just ultra sensitive, since I was still getting over the error, but it really felt like he was pretty hard on me today. He harassed me about a feature article I have been working on for weeks now, telling my my lede wasn't what he wanted. He harassed me about forgetting to sign my name at the end of my blog post. He sounded exasperated when I asked him questions. It just hasn't been a good day.

To top it all off, I nearly made a huge disaster today. I was working on an article about a bill that is being voted on tomorrow, so I called like five or six congressmen, but had to leave messages for all of them.

As soon as I had turned in the article, I got a call. I picked up the phone and the person introduced themselves quickly, so didn't quite get their name. But since it sounded a lot like the name of one of the congressmen I called, I assumed I was talking to him. He gave me a great quote and I added it into my post as an update.

But, at the request of my editor (who I am sure was being extra careful with me since I made an error last week), I fact checked my article just to be sure. As I was verifying all the names, something didn't sit well with me about the quote I had just got from the phone conversation. Needless to say, after a couple minutes of research I had enough doubt to tell one of the Web desk people to take down the quote I just gave them (this is about 10 minutes after the update went up online).

Making a phone call, my fear was confirmed. The guy I had talked to earlier was not the congressman I thought, but rather someone who I had called earlier about their opposition to the bill, but had to leave a message for. I had misquoted a congressman, and for 10 minutes the whole world could have seen it.

Ugh.

I suppose I am just feeling rather down on myself. I had been feeling so good about the work I was doing, but now I just feel like crap--thinking of all the reasons why I should just quit this journalism stuff.

I know my emotions right now are temporary. And I know by my next good article I'll be feeling much better. But still, I feel like I just want to go home right now, where I don't have to deal with the pressure of deadlines, 100 percent accuracy and impressing the boss.

....

This is probably what I asked for. You know, at the beginning of this semester I asked God to keep me humble. Wow, do I feel pretty humbled right now. I'm a long way from the undying praise and encouragement I get at Biola from my journalism professors.

The question now is, what do I do? This internship has definitely revealed to me more about myself. It definitely has shown me that what I thought I wanted from journalism is not what actually will fulfill me.

At Biola I am the news guy. I won news writer of the year last year, and have been responsible for many of the hard breaking pieces with The Chimes. I'm starting to realize now that, though I still am good at hard news, I much prefer writing about peoples' lives. Their hobbies, their passions, their faith. One of the funnest articles I wrote this semester was about two guys who do wingsuit skydiving. It was also the article that got edited the least, and received the most compliments. Maybe that's telling me something.

But I also have been questioning whether I even want to be in this field, with all the stress and responsibility that comes with it. I mainly think this when I am at home, as I tend to really get into my articles while I'm writing them (something I call the journalistic rush). I don't really think my doubts about journalism are that honest, as I know God has done so much to get me where I am--and I know I am good at reporting. But, it's a feeling I have, nonetheless. Probably a good thing to think about.
___

Well, this post has been long. I just needed to vent a little bit. I will admit that a lot of this has to do a bit with homesickness--for Biola and Oregon. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit lonely and wanting the program to end so I can come back. I never really feel like this at Biola because there always are so many awesome friends around me. Plus chapel services during the week that keep me connected with God.

Here in D.C., work has served as a very poor replacement for both those aspects. I increasingly find myself calling people at for Biola or home, just to talk to someone. And I'm oftern quite guilty for spending such little time in the Word.

Never before have I realized how important the church community is to me as I do now.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

In case you're wondering

That picture up top was taken during one of the nicest days we've had here in D.C. in a while (hence the jovial elation). I actually was wearing shorts and playing frisbee at a park (Stanton Park, look it up).

Anyways, it's kind of an inside joke. You see, David Eldridge is my editor at the Times, and he is just a character. Kinda one of those guys that belongs on a TV show--fun to quote, fun to poke fun at. He's a very stereotypical editor. Has kind of a false crankiness about him; you know, acts cranky but really has a soft heart inside.

Just thought I'd explain.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Editor hands over the keys

Michael Farr
The Washington Times

WASHINGTON,D.C.--In a monumental display of trust, David Eldridge, managing editor of The Washington Times Web site, gave the keys of his car to an intern who joined the paper early this month.

"Don't complain about the mess in there," he told the intern, Michael Farr, a student at Biola University who is currently studying in D.C.

Eldridge gave the keys to Farr so that he could drive another intern, who doesn't have a license, to an event in downtown D.C. The drive proved difficult for Farr, who has only walked the D.C. streets before, never driven them.

"Getting there was a lot easier than coming back, he said. "I passed Union Station like two times. Finally I just found the route that our shuttle usually takes to The Times."

Though it took him two hours, entering into nearly every quadrant of the District, Farr arrived safely at The Washington Times building, delivering the keys to his editor, who then sent Farr immediately to another event.

"The life of a journalist, you know...Got to love it," Farr said.

Farr's article on special types of skydivers in Virgina, called "wingsuit pilots," will be appearing in Friday's Metro section of The Washington Times.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Another Article

Whoo! Got an article in print on Sunday. Volunteered for a Saturday shift, and it worked out real nice. I got to hang out with firefighters!

Check it out.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080217/METRO/168009577/1004/METRO

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

LIVE Blogging for The Washington Times

I got the chance to live blog today for The Times. I was covering Roger Clemens' hearing in front of Congressional Committee.

It actually kind of funny how the day went.

The event ended up being so crowded, and there was no wireless signal in the building, that I just watched the event from a live CSPAN feed online, at home--just blogged from there. From what my intern partner tells me, everyone on our desk really was impressed by what I was sending in. It was a long, long event--about five hours.

This link is the first of like 5-6 posts they ended up putting up. Just find the other ones by looking at the right bar.

http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2008/02/oath_hormones_pt_1_1.html

Friday, February 08, 2008

CPAC 2008

Yesterday I got the assignment of my lifetime: go to CPAC and send back some stuff.

In case you're unfamiliar, CPAC stands for the Conservative Political Action Conference. It's the biggest gathering of conservatives in the nation. Speakers this year included George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul--along with many other congressmen.

I had press creds, so I could basically go anywhere I wanted.

It was so cool to be with all the other press people--writing stuff up, getting quotes and snapping shots. I saw some pretty well known journalists. And you know what, I held my own. I could do it.

I was able to be right in front of the stage with all the press photographers when John McCain was speaking. I was able to get first responses from attendees when Romney, at the conference, surprisingly announced he was dropping out of the presidential race.

I'm not sure if any of the quotes or pics I sent back to The Times will be used, but regardless, it was an amazing experience. One I know I am incredibly lucky to have had.

One thing you can pray for me, though. I'm so hard on myself, and extremely impatient. I'm so ambitious to impress people that it has become difficult to just go with the flow. I want to write an article. I want to get my name in print. Not just blog posts and updates. And every time my editor calls the other intern over instead of me, I start mentally bashing myself. I actually had a dream last night that my editor was completely ignoring me.

I know, I'm crazy.

Just pray I find rest and take it all in, that I would not implode on myself and that when the time does come to perform, I would have focus and deliver something that'll be impressive. Also, that I would be humble.



--mjf.





I was right up there.

It was a pretty good speech.
He definitely is going to be the nominee. McCain fans owned the conference. Maybe he'll still pick Huckabee for VP.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

One Day. One Byline.

So I completed my first day at The Washington Times. Starting on Super Tuesday was a trial-by-fire to say the least, but the fact that I got through unscathed makes me more confident than ever. Best part is, I got to write something!

My editor assigned the other intern and I an article about how youth are using the internet to get involved in politics. We were crunched for time, definitely. But we pulled it off.

Not to brag, but I did most of the work on the article. The other intern was preoccupied for a long time with another task before he came to work with me. When he did come in, he just contributed with some additional information, which was helpful, but I did 98 percent of the writing.

I'm definitely drained. But it was worth it at the end of the day to hear my editor say we did a good job. Sweet.

So totally, check it out.
http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2008/02/how_big_will_the_impact_1.html


--mjf

Sunday, February 03, 2008

WJCers

This post is not so much about things I am experiencing, but rather the people I am experiencing them with.

We are a rather mis-matched group over here at WJC.

Granted, we all have grown quite close over the past three weeks, but that has almost exposed our differences even more.

Geographically, we're all over the place. We have two people from the South, three Californians, a girl from Florida, a Minnesotan and a guy from Illinois. One of the constant things to laugh about is how everyone talks. Most everyone has commented on how fast I talk. The Minnesotan has that distinguishable "o" sound. You know, like a Canadian. Our Southern girl has got the twang (though of course she doesn't notice it) and the mid-west, Illinois guy talks very slow and methodical.

But beyond that, and our various different slang words, our personalities are way different. I really don't think any of us would be friends if we all went to the same school. We got some partyers, some academics, our token liberal (who I ironically get along with the best, haha) and some just, well, strange people.

While I appreciate the diversity of the group, I feel like other members may be a little less tolerant than me. Lately there has been a little bit too much talking behind peoples' back and making fun of them. Granted, its usually in "good humor," but "good humor," when it becomes a pattern can really start causing strife and divisions within groups.

Ultimately, though, I think this is just part of the experience. I'm in a new environment, I might as well meet new kinds of people. And this has also given me the chance to kind of play the peacemaker in the group--defending people and not letting gossip go too far. But it hasn't been easy. One of our members got themselves in a bit of trouble yesterday, and I'm kind of waiting how it will play out with the group.

Ughh. I just want to study journalism.

By the way, I start my internship with The Washington Times on Tuesday.

Peace.

--mjf

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Control

Watched the Democratic Debate in LA tonight.


This one question caught my attention:


Wow, imagine if that question was turned around: "Mr. Clinton, could you control your wife?" That'd create a riot.

Man oh man. Silly double-standards.

News Blog Site

Just wanted to make you all aware of WJC's news blog, which is maintained by the students in the program. The posts tend to be personal reflections on either the program or current events.

I should have a post up soon, and will continue to contribute throughout the semester.

Here it is.
http://wjcblog.typepad.com/ink_tank/

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Figuring out DC.

Since I last posted I've chopped cucumbers, onions and celery, seen pictures of the some of the worst crimes committed against humanity and experienced my first professional hockey game.

Getting the whole package here in D.C.

So I'll explain. The chopping business was part of my service project that students in the WJC are required to participate in. Required, yes, but I was quite happy and excited to do it. I served at the "DC Central Kitchen," which prepares and distributes 5,000 meals a day for various homeless shelters in the D.C. area. I met some pretty interesting people, including a woman named "Mrs. Dot," who, despite her drill-sergeant of the kitchen like ways and almost undecipherable accent, was all too lovable.

Today I went to the Holocaust Museum, which was simply amazing. A very powerful place that definitely will affect anyone who visits it (maybe the Iranian president should visit it). There were thousands of pictures, hundreds of artifacts and many videos in the museum that served to show the incredible plight of European Jews under the Nazi regime during World War II. I wouldn't do it justice trying to describe it in words, so I won't.

On Thursday I went to see the Washington Capitals play the Toronto Maple Leafs. (yes, Leafs.) One of the students here is from Minnesota, where hockey is like the state sport. I had a good time, even though we definitely got the nose-bleeder seats. (Hey, it was $10.)

Classes have been going pretty well. Our last session gave me a lot to think about. We had our director, who is an Orthodox Christian, explain to us how Catholic and Orthodox believers view the world in comparison to Wesleyan Christians (of which many evangelicals can be described as). Our popular Protestant culture in America has tended to encourage people to make Christian versions of whatever it is they do in life (eg. Christian music, Christian books, Christian radio stations).

Our director said this is very different from the typical ancient church view, which simply said you should just be the best at what you do--that is how you honor God. I definitely have been thinking about that the past few years, but the way he presented it was even more powerful.

There has been other stuff lectured on that has shaken my mind up a bit, but I'll just leave it at that; a lot of it is still processing.

Tomorrow we're visiting a new church: Capitol Baptist Church, which apparently is pretty well-known even outside D.C.

You all can be praying that I stay resolute in the midst of difficulties and doubt. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of frustration and stress when I enter my internship, and I don't want to get into a stage of self-pity. Rather, I want to push myself all the harder--learn and grow from my mistakes and short-comings. Also pray that I not draw back from the people around me. I've been really happy with how part of this WJC group I feel. For all you who know me and read my blogs, you know I have a lot of inner-turmoil around my social life and where I fit in sometimes. So it has been good that I feel so accepted and liked here. I just don't want to unintentionally lose that because I got lazy.

Love. Faith.

--mjf.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Weather!

Wow. So today was the coldest day I have experienced in a long time. Currently, at 2:00 pm, it is a steaming 23 degrees. Walking to church today I felt like my ears were going to freeze and fall off. Right now I'm wearing like four layers of shirts just to get my body warm again. The sky, however, is quite clear.

I've been told the weather has been acting up a bit lately: snowed two times in the past week, weather in the upper 50s, then two days later in the lower 20s. So yeah, seem to be getting a quick tour of the weather diversity here in D.C..

Church this morning was pretty nice. I went to a place called Christ Our Shepherd with many of the other WJC students. It definitely was different than I am used to, but very good. The pastor had quite an academic sermon (sounded like a professor), and there was a dance team that performed. There also was another pastor who had a stout British accent. It just so happens that relatives of my pastor in La Mirada go to this church--small, small world.

As it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day tomorrow, there's nothing really going on. So I'll probably be doing some sightseeing around town. Need to get all the tourist out of me before I actually have to start working.

One of my roommates did a video tour of our house. Here is the link (you may need Facebook to view this): http://biola.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=508346632776 .



A bunch of us at a place called Cosi, in downtown D.C.. It was sort of a coffee/sandwich place with a twist: you could order smores! But that was a fun day. We all jumped on the metro to go shopping, and then just cruised downtown for a while. Cool city I am in. Also, last night, after playing games at our house, all the WJCers went to a nifty little pizza place for dinner. Delicious!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

DC--Days 1 and 2

So, I have officially arrived at the nation's capitol. The land of the most powerful people in the world. And behind the scenes, also home the country's most impoverished people. What a city.

The plane flight was, as you might expect, tiring. I flew from Portland at 11:30 PM and landed in Houston at 5:30 their time. After a two hour layover, I proceeded on a plane to Baltimore, arriving at 11:20 EST.

Then I had a long day of orientation and settling in. I met all my fellow WJCers, got a crash course in DC public transportation, and heard a great message from a local pastor who is affiliated with the program.

Needless to say, I passed out as soon as I hit the pillow last night.

Today began with a walk to Union station--a rather large hub for DC public transportation. There we ate some delightful breakfast at a restaurant right in the center of this impressive and elaborate complex.


(Union Station--you can see the statues which go around the entire perimeter of the complex. It's hard to capture the immensity of this place on camera)


Oh yeah, did I mentioned it snowed today? That's a minor detail. Yeah, it dumped. Big ole southern flakes is what they said it looked like. Basically that means big and wet flakes. And given that you walk everywhere, we got the pleasure of enjoying it in all it's glory. Least I got to test out my new "Weatherproof" jacket.
From there commenced several more orientation type deals, with a lunch break at a quaint little seafood restaurant.


(Us at the seafood place)


The house I am staying at is fantastic. It's a four story house in the typical DC row-house style (tall, but very skinny, and cramed like a tuna in-between two other houses). We're pretty much in the backyard of the Supreme Court building. I know, it's crazy. I've seen this place in pictures, on TV--but now I am living just a couple blocks away from it. It literally would just be 3 minute walk to get there.

I haven't got to cruise the city too much (that'll come this weekend), but it already has been quite a mouthful portion for this west-coast boy. I'm just paranoid about getting lost. I've used public transportation, like what? Twice in my whole life? And that's basically our only mode of transportation other than walking. It's a little nerve-wracking to think that I will have to be relying on public transit to get me everywhere I need to go on time. Driving a car you have so much...control. But our director says we'll be experts in a couple weeks--so we'll see.

I'll be keeping you all updated as I go along. I'll try to post at least once a week--probably more in these first couple weeks. Once it kicks up, though, it'll be a little more difficult.


Cheers


(Door of WJC's Green House)

Friday, January 11, 2008

Almost there

So, in less than four days I will be flying to the other coast of the United States; to a place where this country has made all its laws; to a place where some of the most powerful people in the world go to work--Washington DC.

It has been a wonderful break. Been good to see my family again. But I'm ready to get back into my element--back to pushing myself and discovering where God is going to take me. I think this next semester is going to be pretty defining for me. If I do well enough here, I could be opening up job opportunities for after I graduate. I also will be seeing a place that I have never seen before--only widening my already expanding borders.

I want to thank all those people--especially my family--who have made this trip possible. All the support, the money, the gifts that'll make my DC trip a little warmer, heh. And for just allowing to do this--for believing that I can, even if is a little hard to see me so out there.

So, in case you haven't heard, I most likely will be working for the Washington Times when I am over there--you'll be able to read some of the stuff I write for them on their website, I'm sure. If it's not with the Times, then it will be with a place called Market News International. But, I'm pretty confident of the Times position.

This will be my first real, working internship. It's a little nerve wracking, but I'm going to stay in prayer and do my best. I guess if my professors didn't think I could do it they wouldn't have recommended me
for the program.

Keep me in your prayers. This is new terrain for me...but I am very excited.