Merry Christmas!

Happy 2016 Christmas from the Riedls!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
Love, The Riedls

Why We Moved to East Portland

We used to live in Southwest Portland. Southwest is known for its hills, peaceful neighborhoods, and low crime rates. We now live in East Portland. The east side is known for its lack of sidewalks, cheaper housing, and higher crime rates. 

So, why did we choose to live in East Portland?

Many people we know seem to be a bit confused as to why we moved to a neighborhood that would definitely not be considered "family-friendly," especially when we are expecting our third child to be born anytime now. In fact, we really want to live here. There are a number of reasons why: God has called us to be here, we were priced out of our old apartment, and we have community here. 

First and foremost, God has made it clear to us that He wants us here. We are members of a great church in Portland, Imago Dei Community. We have loved what God is doing through this group ever since we have lived in the city. The church is located in inner Southeast Portland, within walking distance of the river. Imago decided to form an Eastside campus at about the same time we were thinking about moving out of our 2-bedroom apartment in Southwest. Jen and I both felt like the Holy Spirit was telling us that we were being called back to the east side. We used to live at Burnside and 143rd before we had kids and before my teaching jobs moved our family around to different locations in the state. God was apparently providing a path for us to return.

East Portland has been often regarded as "neglected" by city officials and is arguably one of the most needy areas of Multnomah County. As the diagram to the right shows, crime is relatively high in this area, and we moved smack dab into one of those red spots, which indicates that residential robberies is "well above average." The funny thing about this not seeming like a "family-friendly" area is that many young families actually live in East Portland. 28% of the city's total population lives here, but it is home to 37% of the city's school-age children (source). We have an opportunity to make a difference here. God is at work on the east side, and we want to be a part of it. James wrote that faith without works is dead. We believe that God love the people in this part of the city just as much as any other area. If there is a need for help, then my question is... why aren't more Christians coming to live here? We want to act in response to our faith, so to us, this is a no-brainer.

"East PDX is Getting Poorer and Angrier"

Secondly, we live in East Portland because we were priced out of Southwest. Our rent kept increasing more and more each year in the 2-bedroom apartment we lived in previously. Living in Multnomah Village was an ideal location because I was able to walk to work, it was equidistant between my parents and our friends, and we were a stone's throw from an I-5 on-ramp. However, with our third child due to be born this summer, we knew two bedrooms would be too cramped. We couldn't find any affordable 3-bedroom apartments in Southwest, so we knew we had to look elsewhere. East Portland is known for its cheaper housing, and since we already knew the area, it seemed natural to look there. The unfortunate reality that many struggling families find themselves in is that if they have to move to a particular area, then other costs increase. For example, now that we live on the east side, I have to commute to work. We needed to get another car and pay for the gas and insurance that goes with it (I would love to take TriMet, but three hours round trip each day would be suicide for Riedl family morale).

To be completely honest, we actually feel like we fit in here, financially speaking. Our neighbors on the east side drive crappy cars, are on food stamps, and have a hard time making ends meet. We are in the same boat. Like many low-income families, we are struggling to keep our heads above water. We feel like we can identify with a lot of the difficulties people face in our neighborhood. In Southwest Portland, we felt like outsiders.

The third reason we really want to be in East Portland is that we have community here. Living in the Glenfair Neighborhood before we had kids, we helped start the Glenfair Community Garden, which was a great way to meet our neighbors and help those who can benefit from fresh produce. We got to know people in the area from church, grew to be friends, and now hope to do more of the same, especially now that Imago has an Eastside campus. We now live in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood, just off 122nd and Division. Driving down Division in this area certainly isn't as welcoming as driving down Capitol Hwy in Multnomah Village. They are polar opposites.

East Portland is also known for being more culturally diverse. According to the image to the right, the black, Asian, and Hispanic populations have been increasing while the white population is decreasing. Imago Eastside seeks to also be intentionally diverse--not just another white church in a diverse neighborhood--rather, a body representing the area it is located. There are already more races and ethnicities represented than the typical Portland church, which is something I am proud to say I'm a part of. With all the racial issues surrounding our country at a time like this with Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston, we want to be a part of what is going on. We don't want to just look from afar and spit out our opinion from time to time, thinking that words are enough to make a difference. No. It takes more than just words. It takes action.

Since action is what makes a difference rather than just talking about it, that is where I begin to wrap this up. We know that we want to be where the problems are so we can help make a difference. However, we are not done by just moving here. This is only the beginning. We need to step outside of our apartment and meet people. We need to remember their names and get to know them. Our goal in life is to love God and love our neighbors. We need to find a place or a way to volunteer regularly. There are other churches and non-profits who are already here following God's call to help their neighbors and we need to find them and work together. There is so much pain in this world and it's so much more apparent here than it is in Southwest. Christ has led us into a place that is uncomfortable, and that's a good thing.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the Riedl family!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Riedls!

Getting Ready for Christmas

About a week ago, someone asked us, "So, is your family ready for Christmas?"

Naturally, we responded with a socially acceptable answer, "Yep," and don't think much of it. However, after thinking about it for a while, we thought there might be a better answer. We have been anticipating and preparing for Christmas for the entire length of the season of Advent. We have used our advent calendar each day to discover which Bible verses/stories to read, share little fun treats with our kids, and remind ourselves of the gift of Jesus by doing family activities together.

The word "advent" means "coming" or "arrival" of our Lord, God, into our world in human form. He came humbly as a baby to an unwed teenage girl in a stable in a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, we are ready for Christmas. We have been anticipating and celebrating for the whole month! I hope the original question wasn't in regards to presents or anything materialistic like that... :-/

In The News!

Jen and I were both in a recent article done by East PDX News, regarding the Glenfair Community Garden!

Check it out:

New Glenfair Garden grows both relationships...and crops

The Portland Plan

This morning I got a chance to go to a Portland Plan workshop at Mt. Scott Community Center in SE Portland. It was awesome. Unfortunately, there were mostly white middle- to upper-class citizens there, which didn't accurately represent the diversity of the city, but there were still great comments and opinions shared.

Mayor Sam Adams led the event by taking us through a PowerPoint regarding the city. The Portland Plan is a city-wide plan to think about the city's future and where we want to be 25 years from now. There is actually no draft plan as of now. The workshops are just to build awareness and invite opinions and feedback from the citizens to let the city planners to know what to focus on before writing the plan.

There was a good amount of discussion among table groups at the workshop. In our particular group, we talked a lot about education, transportation (biking specifically), and housing issues. I brought up the fact that in my neighborhood, in East Portland, there is a large population of poor and uneducated communities that lack the basic skills to thrive. Basic education is one of many topics mentioned at the workshop that the Portland Plan needs to spend time reviewing. And not just educating our youth, but adults as well.

Overall, it was a great time to meet people from other parts of the city and talk about something that we all have common ground on: where we live. Nobody disagrees with the fact that we want our city to be the best that it can be, so it is a great way to find unity and cooperation together.

I'm planning on attending our neighborhood association's monthly meetings and possibly contributing my thoughts on the board meetings. Would be a great way to contribute to the city and make a difference!

More information:

Portland Plan website: pdxplan.com

Health Care Debate

I have not picked a side and I do not expect to any time soon. My mind is split between two things: 1) I want to help people who do not have health insurance, but 2) I do not want the government to be the one using my money to help them. I want to be the one to give my money to people who need it.

Maybe the video below will help explain my dilemma. On President Obama's twitter page, he wrote, "Our Health Reform Video Challenge finalists showcase the creativity and passion you bring to this debate. Watch and vote: [link]." So I guess he's trying to get people involved by creating witty videos to support health care reform, calling it the Health Reform Video Challenge. I found this video in the mix, and after watching it, I shook my head.

"It took our neighborhood to come together to save us," she said on the video. What bothers me about that statement is that instead of praising the support of the neighbors, it uses this beautiful example of community support to criticize the government.

In this story, it seems to me that providing health care for this boy would have been even worse. If the government just paid for the boy's medical expenses, then the neighborhood would never have come together to help them. This joyful miracle of a group of people coming together would not have happened.

Isn't the community in this story the ideal? Aren't these the type of people that should be surrounding those that need help? This reminds me of what Jesus set up the church to be. He wants us to help others in need. There are many good organizations out there, helping people as we speak. I certainly want to be a part of that, and I am trying to do my part right now. However, when the government attempts to solve all of our problems, it is difficult for me to see as many situations that would require communities to unify for a purpose. We are able to solve our problems together, as we serve and share our resources with each other.

Why Sam Adams Should Resign

If you are uninformed about the issue regarding the newly appointed Portland mayor, Sam Adams, read this CNN article for a quick summary.

I believe that Sam Adams should resign. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is homosexual. It has nothing to do with what goes on in his private life. What it is about is how he dealt with the issue.

When he was first questioned about his relationship with then-17-year-old Beau Breedlove, he had 3 choices of how to answer the questions: 1) Tell the truth, 2) Lie, or 3) Say "That's none of your business." I would say that the best choice for him would have been to tell reporters that it was none of their business. After all, a person's sexual behavior in their private home doesn't necessarily influence how they do their job. If he wasn't having sex with a minor, then he didn't have anything to hide if a criminal investigation was launched. If he was having sex with a minor, then he broke the law and should obviously lose his job.

But he didn't just say "that's none of your business." He chose to lie. And even worse than that, he continued to lie. And even worse than that, he asked that the teenager to lie about it too.

So here are three reasons I believe he should resign:

Honesty should be at or near the top of the list of characteristics we expect from our public officials. Just think of the most important things you want in a mayor. Is it possible to leave out "honesty"? For me, that's the first thing that comes to mind. Honesty influences his integrity and his ability to represent the citizens of Portland. If we can't trust him to represent us truthfully, then we need someone else.

If we had a re-vote today I doubt he'd get elected again. As of now, The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, and Just Out (Portland's gay publication) have all called him out to resign. Whenever people in Portland hear his name or see him on a ballot from now on, they are going to wonder if they can trust him. Would you vote for someone that you aren't sure you can trust?

A public official who repeatedly lies as well as asking others to lie should be given a consequence. If he isn't disciplined for his actions, then that's setting an example for all others in public service that you shouldn't get a consequence if you did something wrong. Adams even admitted, "I should have told the truth at the time and taken the consequences." Well that was then, and this is now. Now he made it worse and should expect greater consequences because he didn't stop his deception.

If you lied repeatedly at your workplace (even if it's something as trivial as your private life) and also asked others to lie for you so that you'd get a promotion, would you expect to keep your job? I wouldn't.

Sure, everyone lies. It's one thing if he lied once and then apologized. If he was really sorry. But he actually admitted that in a way he lied to get elected. When the leader of our city says something like that, then I just don't think his head or his heart is in the right place. We need a leader who has respect, has integrity, and brings forth good judgment.

Photo from wikipedia.com

UPDATE: Well, Sam Adams did not resign. He's just gonna keep on working without getting a consequence. I'm not surprised, especially after reading this interesting article on lying: You’re a Liar! (But aren’t we all?)

Are Kids a Big Deal?

Question: What's wrong with this Toys R Us commercial?


youtube link

Answer: "Where Kids Are a Big Deal"

Based on this tag line for the popular children's toy store, it says that at Toys R Us, kids are important. The problem with this is it infers kids are not important outside of the store.

Obviously, this advertisement is targeting kids, because it would likely be played in between cartoon episodes or something. This tag line is used to persuade kids: It tells them that when they visit the store, it is then that they are important. Because when they are just at home with their parents, they aren't important.

When I heard this commercial on tv, my ears perked up and I was immediately saddened. It's sad because it's so true. Many kids are not valued by their parents. I see it every day at work. Jen sees it every day with her kids as well. Parents are much more focused on other things. To be a parent should be such a joy, yet a serious responsibility. Parents should be enveloped in their kids' lives by teaching, interacting, disciplining, and loving them so they will grow up to be responsible and self-sufficient. They are a big deal.

Unfortunately, it took a subtle advertisement to remind me how selfish parents can be sometimes. It encourages me to be much more loving and caring when I interact with them every day.

View of Russia From Alaska

I thought this was an interesting article on the island of Little Diomede in Alaska, which is only two miles away from the island of Big Diomede in Russia. Tonight there will be a program of a visit to this little island of about 150 residents.

UPDATE: Here a link to the AC360 video story.

AC360 Blog Article

Photos of the island




View Larger Map

Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin on the Issues

There are few things in this world that I hate more than uneducated voters. So many people in this world vote for an individual candidate for ridiculous reasons.

Just because someone is a Christian who loves Jesus, that doesn't mean they'll make a good president. Likewise, just because I am a Christian who loves Jesus, that doesn't mean that I would make a good quantum physics professor. In order to be good at your job, you need to be well-qualified and deserved of the position.

According to the Exit Polls in New Hampshire in January, the Republican's most common response for a top reason for voting for a particular candidate was, "personality." What the...!?

We must be more educated by looking deeper into the candidates' lives as well as their beliefs and stances on the issues.

I try hard to be an independent voter and not be swayed by the media or public opinion. That's why I am going directly to the sources of the candidates when looking up information: their own websites.  

BarackObama.com

JohnMcCain.com

My hope is that YOU will be better educated when it comes to the ISSUES we are voting on come this November. Add that to a good dose of conversation with friends and family.  I had great conversations last weekend with three generations of family members.  It was very educational.

P.S.- Be loving when talking about politics. Not critical. It's much more fruitful.

Baseball's Steroid Issue with Christians

For those of you fascinated with high-profile Christian baseball players (like Andy Pettitte) and the Major League Baseball steroid controversy, read this article by C.J. Mahaney. Good stuff to think about.

Photo from mlb.com

The Mark Driscoll Debate

So many Christians debate about Mark Driscoll's work in the church. Some love him, some hate him. Even I have joined in by expressing my opinion.

Tim Challies has encountered this dilemma after his latest review of Mark's book, Vintage Jesus on challies.com. Tim addressed this with a wonderfully balanced response post, called "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Mark Driscoll?" It is a great read. Take a look at it.

Hopefully Christians will be encouraged by Tim's post. That we can be more unified, less divisive, and to see Mark as a man sold out for Jesus despite our own personal convictions.

Image from Mark's Facebook profile.

Video Games, Alcohol, or Something Else?

This story is so sad... click to read the CNN article.

It is about a 17-year old male and a 16-year old female who were babysitting her 7-year old sister while their mom was at work. The older one was drunk playing video games and the two girls were wrestling. Eventually the teens starting attempting moves from Mortal Kombat on the little girl. They kept beating her until she stopped breathing. The two unsuccessfully attempted to revive her themselves until they eventually called the mother and 911. The girl died at the hospital.

This could have been prevented.

Sometimes we must look at sad stories like this and learn from them. We must look at our own lives and figure out what we are doing that may cause pain like this in our future. We must think about our legacy. We must plan ahead.

I am excited to be a daddy some day. I am looking forward to spending time with my kids, watching them grow and develop into adults. However, I must remember that these kids won't grow up on their own. I will need to love, discipline, teach, and encourage my kids. I will need to be involved.

I don't know all the details of this particular family's issues, but I am pretty sure that the fault shouldn't be put on the video games or the alcohol. The problems lie in the heart of the family.

All families deal with sin problems in their lives. Thankfully, we are not expected to be the solution to the problem. Jesus has already come to the earth, lived the perfect life that we could not live, and has died for us as a sacrifice. God has given us saving grace through Jesus, but also empowering grace through the Holy Spirit. We have God's power to make the necessary changes in our lives to better glorify Him. We must stop being selfish. We must stop ignoring that which is obviously our fault. We must begin to own up to our problems and seek the solution for our hearts.

When was the last time we thought about our family legacy? How often do we think about how we will raise our kids? If we continue focusing only on ourselves instead of others, especially our kids, then why would we expect anything but another sad story?

Image from askmen.com.

Big Surprise, Research Shows Women Are Better Suited for Pregnancy than Men

I just read a CNN article about the differences between women and men. The article cites new research that shows how women's backs are better suited for carrying and balancing weight during pregnancy than men's backs.

From the article:

Scientists think they have figured out why pregnant women don't lose their balance and topple over despite ever-growing weight upfront.

Evolution provided slight differences from men in women's lower back and hip joints, allowing them to adjust their center of gravity, new research shows.

When the researchers looked back at fossil records of human ancestors, including the oldest spines that go back 2 million years to our predecessor, Australopithecus, they found a male without the lower-back changes and a female with them.

Now, maybe the article just happened to leave out the scientists' actual reasons for basing this new discovery on evolution. But if not, then this is ridiculous because the researchers could have just found a slight difference between the anatomy of men and women and then point to evolution as the cause.

We all know that God could have easily created women with a differently shaped lower lumbar vertebra than men's. We all know that God could have easily created women with a key hip joint 14% larger than men's. We all know that God would have put some thought into the fact that women would be carrying a baby.

I like to think that an amazing discovery such as this points to God's power and ingenuity rather than "survival of the fittest."

Related article: Original Nature news article

Photo from cnn.com

Bonds Indicted

Three months after Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron's career home run record, and after a 4-year investigation into steroid use by elite athletes, Bonds was indicted of perjury and obstruction of justice on Thursday. The charge is for telling a federal grand jury that he didn't knowingly take performance-enhancing drugs.

I also heard on the radio this morning that he faces 30 years in prison! For just lying about it! This is a much harsher penalty that if he would just have told the truth (Assuming that he did lie, of course. Court date is Dec. 7th).

This goes to show that lying to cover up sin is much worse that just repenting and asking for forgiveness in the first place.

Photo from si.com

A Non-Christian "Living Biblically"

I don't know very many agnostics who know the Bible well, but in this case, this guy really knows it well. Or does he? Can an agnostic learn something by doing his best to "live biblically?"

Author A.J. Jacobs just recently published his new book, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. He carried around a list of 700 rules he read out of the Bible, and for a whole year, did his best to obey them. He admits that he didn't do that great of a job by saying, "I was able to cut down on my coveting maybe 40 percent, but I was still a coveter. Flat-screen TVs...a better cell phone...not to mention coveting my neighbor's wife." Other obscure rules included not cutting his hair, wearing white, not cursing, and stoning adulterers.

Of course, he missed one rule that Jesus instructed in Matthew 18:8, "If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire." Hmm... I seriously doubt that rule was on his list.

What Jacobs (along with many non-Christians and Christians too) fails to see is that the Bible is not just a rulebook. It is God's word to us. Just like when we talk to each other. Sometimes we summarize, sometimes we are specific. Sometimes we are very literal, sometimes figurative. Sometimes using similes, sometimes metaphors. Sometimes we are angry, and sometimes we are gentle. God speaks to us through the Bible in the same ways.

This is kind of a funny experiment that Jacobs does and I'd definitely be interested to read his reflections on it. However, he completely misses the main point that Jesus highlights in Mark 12 about what it means to live biblically. Jesus said that the most important command that He gives us is to love God more than anything else. And that means that if you obey all the rules in the Bible except that one, then it's all pretty much worthless. So sad.

Image from the article.

Huge Spider Web

Last week I read an article about a huge spider web in northern Texas. It covers about 200 yards of trees, bushes, and ground along a trail. The spider experts in the article say that the web "may have been constructed by social cobweb spiders, which work together..."

I found it interesting that some spiders actually work together to better their community.

How much more impactful would Christians be if we worked together instead of being critical and divisive?