Jason Locke's Blog

Here's one for your Christmas wish list. All your loved ones will want one. It's available for only $59.95 from dutchguard.com and other reputable (or not-so-reputable) sellers. It communicates the very essence of Christmas and says, "I care about you!"

Here's the latest update on baby Caleb Rodriguez, as reported by Marcus' sister Monica: Marcus, Julia, and baby Caleb arrived in Los Angeles safely. Julia and Caleb arrived at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital at 4:30 this morning (3 hrs earlier than expected) after completing a smooth ride on the Medivac. I was able to run by and meet my handsome nephew and Julia before picking Marcus up at LAX (his flight was 2 hrs delayed from Tokyo). I teared up when I first saw Julia coming out of the hospital room. We just held each other in tears and in relief. Caleb looks great. Even though he had an IV coming out of his head, he still looked good - it must be in the blood! :) After being reunited in California, we checked into the Ronald McDonald house, located literally around the corner from the hospital. Parking at the hospital is quite expensive so having a home base to walk from is super convenient. The staff at the Ronald McDonald (RMH) house is friendly and eager to help. ...

Marcus and Julia Rodriguez are experiencing every parent's worst nightmare. Three weeks ago, they celebrated the birth of their firstborn child in a Shanghai hospital. Within a short time, however, Caleb exhibited some major struggles, and they didn't know if he would survive. Praise be to God that the acute concerns now seem to be diminished, and they are more focused on the long-term developmental issues that may lie ahead. Caleb had been in the NICU unit of Shanghai's leading pediatric hospital, Children's Hospital of Fudan University . God has provided for them. Parental contact is almost always limited in NICU units, and they were initially desperate for more contact. This was especially traumatic when Caleb was transported from the birth hospital to this advanced facility, even though his mother was still recuperating at the birth hospital. God has since opened the way for them to spend massive amounts of time with Caleb. They are surrounded by our prayers and by ...

The College Church of Christ in Fresno has a rich history of supporting overseas missionary efforts. From the College Church's earliest days, it has supported missionary families like the Boltons in Australia, the Reeves in Germany and the Jacobos in Colombia. In more recent years, the College Church has provided oversight and support for the Repperts in Kenya, the Rodriguezes in Mexico and the Smiths in French-speaking Switzerland. Marcus and Martin Rodriguez are two brothers who grew up with a strong connection to the College Church. Their father, Daniel, grew up at College. Their mother, Janette, also grew up here. When Marcus & Martin finished university, they felt called into overseas missions work -- specifically to China. For several years, they taught English in Beijing and worked as part of a group of American Christians. Their goal was to introduce Chinese young professionals to Jesus. God blessed their efforts, and some of their Chinese friends have formed Christian...

We watched the movie Megamind last Thursday. I have to admit it wasn't the family's first choice. The boys seem to frown upon animated movies -- or more accurately, our high-schooler frowns upon, and younger brother hates to contradict these "grown-up" impulses. So Megamind wasn't the plan when we left for the movie theater. Since we arrived 15 minutes late for our first choice, I unilaterally chose tickets for Megamind which happened to be starting just as we walked up. I had heard a favorable review by Bob Mandela of the LA Times, and Julie was likewise interested in it. The sons were trapped with their parents. The film is a sort-of good vs evil saga, but with some interesting nuances. First, we see the making of the prototypical hero, Metroman, versus the making of the prototypical villain, Megamind. Both arrive on our planet as babies. Fate (if you will) casts the baby hero into the arms of wealthy, intelligent parents. Fate casts the child villain into t...

This is so good, I just have to share. Some works of art truly are inspired. Others are inspiring. See for yourself.

Regardless of your personal preference for President Obama, he is our president. And the New Testament tells us to pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2). We certainly have plenty to pray for. Someone forwarded a picture of the following t-shirt: It looks like a wonderful thing to wear, right? If you saw a random person wearing this shirt, you might think this is a godly person who is reminding Christians of their duty. You would be wrong. Psalm 109:8 reads, "May his days be few; may another seize his position." Is that funny? Perhaps at first blush, it is a bit comical. It may seem even harmless. If it were just a bit of PhotoShop humor, I might just smile at it. My fear, however, is that some are actually wearing this shirt out of a desire to "obey scripture" but in a perverted sense. I think this kind of thing is an affront to our faith. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see this as a ungodly interpretation of Paul's command in 1 Timothy. Just goes to s...