How I spent my morning
2007-07-03 11:19:00
Tags: Bill Cosby, Dentist
Prayer answered
2007-07-02 10:29:00
Our friends Connie and Joel write: We started working with a second adoption agency a couple of months ago. Almost as soon as our paperwork was in (not a small task!), they presented us with a birthmother in Las Vegas, Nevada. They told us she was due toward the end of July, then at the beginning of July. We were thinking about it and trying to get more information when we got a call last Monday saying the birthmother was in labor. If we were interested, we needed to get to Las Vegas ASAP. We hadn't yet committed, but in the three hours after we first discussed it, we decided to go, we packed us and Matthew for an unknown number of days, we drove to Connie's brother's house to drop off Matthew, and we got to the airport, where we sat around waiting to see if we could make it on a 10:30 flight as standbys (Thanks, Mom!). Finally, the 10:30 flight boarded a little after midnight, and we made it on as standbys #24 and 25. Then we arrived in LV, found a hotel, took a suicidal taxi ride,
Read more: Prayer
Do you recall . . .
2007-06-27 14:45:00
Apparently, companies that sell product made in China do. If you don't follow the news, there have been numerous recall
s of products this year that are traced back to poor quality control or deliberate malfeasance on the back of the Chinese manufacturer. The latest is a recall of tires missing a gum strip that helps prevent tread separation - the same problem that got Firestone into a lot of problems back in 2000.Hitting closer to home for parents with young children are some two dozen toys being recalled. One of the latest announced was the June 13th recall of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys because 'surface paints on the recalled products contain lead.' Lead paint? Good grief! I thought we got past this as a new problem 30 years ago, but it keeps coming back. Another is the recall of some butterfly necklaces whose clasp contains high amounts of lead.Other recalls include children's jackets whose zippers pose a choking hazard and earrings sold at Kmart which also contain high
Day 5
2007-06-26 12:35:00
Kristin fasts today, and talks about Health Education Africa Resource Team and about educating our children. Good thoughts. Pray for her today.I find today that I have a bit of guilt when I go to eat a meal. Knowing that someone else with whom I am collaborating is going without today makes me feel almost traitorous when I take a bite of food. But, ya know, that's the point of all this. We give up a day to remember and help those who don't have the basic things we are fasting from. So, I'll keep praying for Kristin today, and for Chaotic Hammer tomorrow, and Stephanie the day after that.
Day Two
2007-06-23 10:58:00
Two days. Two fasts. Two bloggers.One purpose. One love. One God.Pray for Kat, as she leads this effort, and for Brant today. Pray for SAM tomorrow.
The 40 Day Fast
2007-06-20 15:03:00
Who:40 bloggers who will each fast for 1 day.What:They will blog about the experience as well as an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need.They will also link to the blogger who is fasting on each day of the fast and encourage their readers to join the fast on the 40th day.Why:The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:Experience a bit of need.Learn about the need in the world.Do something about it.(Thanks to Kat for initiating this.)June 2007SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday22Kat23Brant Hansen24SAM25Shaun Groves26Kristen27Chaotic Hammer28Stephanie29Stephen30JeanineJuly 20071Truevyne2Ryan G.3Jeremy Thiessen4Steven5Susanne6Valerie7William Guice8Todd9Scott10Transition Pete11Marianne12Mark Jaffrey13Michelle14Lucas Parry15Tim Harm16Andrew Osenga17Shawn18Lorijo 19Euphrony20Brody Harper21Amy22Erin Mount 23Dray24Jessica 25Los26Mom27Ted 28Charla29Rick30Tressa31TobyTags: Fasting, Blogging, Commun
Boy, do I ever need this
2007-06-18 16:30:00
At long last, I made it back home Saturday night. I step out of the cab to see that Lil'E had been sitting in front of the door waiting on me for a good while. I loved the reunion and missed my family.Then came church time on Sunday morning. Ah, for me Sunday mornings get to be about the rush. Everyone has to get up, get moving, get fed and dressed, and get in the car. Punctuality is an obsession of mine. This Sunday was a bit more hectic than many, so I'm on edge. So, what follows this? Why, my dear sweet little girl who waited by the front door decides to push my buttons. During worship, she exhibits - no, flaunts - the fact that she has switched the caps on the markers we gave her to color with. The red cap is on the black, the blue on the brown, the brown on the green, etc. She giggles as she sees me, quite obviously, restraining myself from grabbing them all away from her and putting things right. You see, she knows at the age of four that her daddy is obsessive/compulsive and k
Miscellanea
2007-06-15 18:35:00
I've been in Norway for the last week. It is about 37oF cooler here than in my hometown, with a strong breeze.Stavanger is a lovely city, with many things within walking distance - up and down hills like this.Whenever I try to do any blogging, I have been having to translate the commands and buttons from Norwegian - Blogger knows I'm in Norway, and thinks I must be Norwegian.Being only eight days from the longest day/shortest night of the year, it does not get dark here. Seriously. Not dark, as in I can read a book on the street without the aid of any lights. I have seen neither moon nor stars this week.For a person who is not used to it, not getting any dark can really mess up your sleep patterns.I ate at a lovely island last night, with the rest of the conference attendees. The restaurant, Flor & Fjære (Flower and Beach), is a thirty minute boat ride from the city. They have palm trees, grapes, olives, and banana trees - among other tropical plants - growing there. Did I mention
"Gated Community"
2007-06-12 20:07:00
It had to be done. This is a song that must be shared with the world. The truth, captured by digitally animated veggetables, cannot be denied. Truly a reflection of our world today. If this reaches just one person . . .Tags: VeggieTales, Silly Songs, Larry, Gated Community, Satire
God Dag fra Norge
2007-06-11 19:24:00
It was a close call, but I boarded that big jet plane yesterday and flew to Stavanger, Norway. It was, to say the least, a very long, very trying week. I was sick - sick enough, with a white blood cell count low enough, that we were not sure if it would be safe for me to travel. I contracted a virus, which made me feverish, weak, lethargic, and made my skin hyper-sensitive. Eventually, after three blood tests in one week, we saw on Saturday that my white cell count was coming back up into a normal range and the docs cleared me to fly. To go with my being sick and simultaneously preparing for a trip I was not sure I could make, Lil'E caught the same virus. Except her symptoms were very different - high fever, excess energy(to enable bouncing off walls while cooped up at home), and these strange blotches on here face. She called it "stickeritis".So, good day from Norway! (God dag fra Norge
!). This picture is from my hotel window, looking over a park in the center of Stavanger (at 5 pm).
Contrast: Neil Peart
2007-06-09 11:08:00
Buddy Rich was almost obstinate in his refusal to use two bass drums, which became increasingly popular during his life. With his speed, he didn't need two drums. However, it has become commonplace today, even among the great players of today.Here is Neil Peart, drummer for Rush and extraordinary musician (he write most of the lyrics for Rush's music). Where Buddy Rich exuded personality while he played, Peart is more focused. His playing, often, seems almost casual - like he is simply turning on a light switch. I don't think I can do anything as casually as Neil Pert plays the drums. Another obvious difference is in Peart's use of many drums, even on a rotating stage, while Buddy Rich kept things more basic.Two different men. Two different styles. Both great drummers. Notice the crossed-arm drumming that Peart does in this solo (about six minutes into the solo)? That is an homage to Buddy Rich, straight from his playbook.Tags: Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Rush, Drums, Solo, YouTube
Buddy Rich vs. Animal
2007-06-07 11:35:00
Some of you may be asking "Who is Buddy
Rich ?"Buddy Rich is well known among percussionists. He was a very good player, if not well liked for his mercurial personality, best known for his power, speed, and ability to improvise. He often would get into drum battles, competing head to head with some of the great players of the day. Here we see him meet his match, with Animal
sticking it to him in the end.Note, though, Buddy's minimalist equipment, especially by today's standards: a single bass drum, rather than two; no fancy rigging; no electronic cues for pre-recorded riffs. Just some serious beating of the skins. For those who could care less about drumming, or are not amazed at the speed and dexterity with which his hands fly over the drums, I give this alternative. A full page of Drummer Jokes! As a sampling, here is the first on the page:How do you tell if the stage is level?The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.Tags: Buddy Rich, Animal, Muppets, Drums, Drumming, Y
Random Rambling
2007-06-05 15:30:00
It pretty well sucks to be sick. I've been feeling very odd for the last week - weak, poor vision, sensitive skin, some fever. The docs say I have a virus, and it is slow getting over it.I'm headed to Norway again this Sunday, so I sure hope I get over this sickness before hopping a transatlantic flight. I'll be gone for a week, giving a paper at a conference. For those interested, they have some strange ideas in Norway - one of the most environmentally conscious nations and they love their cetaceans (for dinner). They have a couple of slogans: "Whales: Intelligent food for intelligent people.""If we had dolphins, we'd kill them, too."Norway also includes portions of Lapland, whose people actually retain their own language. Lapland is known as a traditional home for reindeer (but they've not yet found Santa's workshop). While I'm there, I plan on eating me some Rudolph!The Norwegians eat a lot of fish - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will as well, while there. The Norwegians I
Read more: Random
, Rambling
Two celebrity faces of Euphrony
2007-05-30 11:04:00
This had been making the rounds (Shaun Groves, Brody Harper). I thought I would present the two faces
of Euphrony
- the pre-weight loss (from 5-1/2 years ago) to post weight-loss (from 4 years ago). I am currently somewhere in between these pictures (post-children weight gain), which means I currently look like either a cross between George Peppard and Liberace or between Nikki Sixx and David Letterman.Scary.Tags: Goofy, Fat, Thin, Facial Comparison, Celebrity, George Peppard, Liberace, Nikki Sixx, David Letterman
Of (Animatronic) Mice and Men*
2007-05-27 12:15:00
Yesterday was the big day. Lil'E's 4th birthday party. So, I got to spend the day with half-pints and a band composed of an animatronic mouse, bird, dog, pizza chef, and purple thing. Yes, that's right folks - it was a date with Chuck E. Cheese!It started with a house full of family and a couple of boxes of doughnuts and kolaches. From there, the sugar high led us to a party with 17 kiddos and a man/mouse who simultaneously inspires awe, excitement, and utter terror in the hearts of pre-schoolers everywhere. The in-house celebrity is pictured on the right, in full animatronic action.As every super-star has his or her entourage, so does this man/mouse. They may be a little more "farm-fresh" than other back-up bands, but they sure play some mighty fine music. Here is Munch's Make-Believe Band!But what of the birthday girl? She had no fear of this behemoth of a rodent. No, she cozied right up to him. When the time came, she danced like a banshee as the celebrated mouse himself sang he
Ophthamologic Oddity
2007-05-24 23:32:00
I went in to the optometrist today. You may not realize it, but without glasses or contacts I could barely see a stop sign at ten feet. Blind as a bat is a phrase that comes to mind (especially since Mrs. E often uses of me). I like my optometrist. He's around my age. He keeps up no pretenses. No suit and tie for this guy, and no scrubs as many are fond of wearing these days. No, he normally wears jeans and a tee-shirt (at least it doesn't have holes in it) and, like me, is too lazy to shave daily despite the scruffy look that results. He takes time to chat with patients, and he takes time to do medical mission work. Today he told me his house burned down a month ago - chimney fire. Apparently, chimney sweeps are not relegated to a former era and should be hired if you burn wood in your fireplace.He also is new to the practice of optometry. His first job was as a polymer chemist doing research. As such, he understands rheology and is geeky enough to still find it interesting. He swit
Knowing the Holy Spirit, Part II: What does the Spirit do?
2007-05-23 12:30:00
In Part I, we talked a bit about who and what the Holy Spirit is - a taxonomy of the Spirit to help us understand who it is we speak of a little better. Now we are going to look a little bit at what the Spirit does. Since everything we read about the Holy Spirit is a couple of thousand years old, I think it important to go back and look at what would be expected of the Spirit's actions in a person's life to a first century denizen.Most of what we know of the Spirit's actions in our lives in found in the New Testament, which was written to a society that was either Hellenistic or heavily influenced by Hellenistic thoughts. (Indeed, our own society, today, is still heavily influenced by and permeated with the ideas and beliefs of the ancient Greeks.) And the Greeks had some definite ideas about spirit, divided into two basic groups. The Socratic and Platonic camps generally held to the ideas that Socrates and Plato espoused on spirit. In their minds they saw the spirit as that part of
Proof Read
2007-05-22 13:12:00
I always try to proof read whatever I write. For blogging, I will write it then wait a few hours and reread it. For the papers I write, I always have someone else give it a once-over to check for errors. This can be very important, as poor wording can change the meaning from one's original intent. Take these examples, from actual church newsletters, as case and point for the need of a proof reader.Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk, please come early. (Yes, while I am sure that would work for making ice cream, most adults prefer cow's milk. You might want to specify this.)Wednesday, the Ladies Literary Society will meet. Mrs. Johnson will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the Pastor. (A bit ambiguous in its interpretation. Exactly how will the Pastor accompany?)Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become Little Mothers will please meet the minister in his study. (Wow! Okay, thi
Read more: Proof
Knowing the Holy Spirit, Part I: Who is the Spirit?
2007-05-20 23:19:00
Editor's note: A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to teach a class on Sunday's this May on the Holy Spirit. I want to share this with you, my blog readers. I hope you learn something, and maybe can teach me something as well (there are some very thoughtful people who visit here). This is Part I of a series, that I will try to update twice weekly over the next few weeks (I currently foresee six or seven installments).What do you know about the Spirit? Honestly, what do you know? Many people, Christians included, know relatively little about the Spirit and how He acts in our lives. According to one study by George Barna, 68% of teens do not believe the Holy Spirit to be a real entity (Barna Research Group, "Third Millennium Teens", 1999, p. 51). I do not believe that adults vary greatly from this figure. When I posed this question to my Sunday morning class I got an honest answer from one man, describing the general knowledge most have of the Holy Spirit to be in terms of St
Day 28: Monsters in the Land
2007-07-19 08:26:00
"Long sleeves or short sleeves?"This has not been a question of fashion; this has been a threat intermingled with a terrible choice. Do you want your hand cut off at the wrist or at the elbow?There are, indeed, monsters in the land. Man's cruelty to his brother has proven boundless over the millennia. The Assyrians were feared and hated for their atrocities, just as surely as Nazi Germany still is today. A man or group of men seek to control their country, funded by control of diamonds or oil or whatever, and those innocent villagers in their way are given the above choice of "fashion". A peasantry is afeared of bathing, simple sanitary bathing, because they might be mistaken as affluent Jews and seized by the Inquisition. Nearly a million countrymen die in a hundred days, slaughtered by friends and neighbors for being of the Tutsi tribe and not the Hutu. A man compels a thousand men, women, and children to drink poisoned koolade because he would rather see them dead than out of his c
Compare and Contrast: Counting Songs
2007-07-18 11:30:00
THEN NOWSorry, no video on this. Now, vote!Tags: Sesame Street, Choo Choo Soul, Counting
Songs, YouTube, iJigg
Read more: Compare
Day 30: Amy
2007-07-21 07:28:00
Amy gives a sobering reminder today of the problems the sex slave and human trafficking industry. Please read it and pray for the women and children trapped in this horrifying situation.
What we got to do last night
2007-07-24 15:36:00
Some Monday nights are crazy. Some are lazy. Some times we just want to crash as we get back into the normal week after a weekend together as a family. Last night, Monday night, was a little different for us. We had a chance to live out what has been talked about so much in the posts of the 40 Day Fast.Last night, we went shopping - not for ourselves, but for two sisters who needed school supplies. And not by ourselves, but with these two sweet girls. And not just us: around 200 kids were blessed in this event, besides the two we shopped with. It was "Back to School" night. Our church, partnered with the Impact church in inner-city Houston, managed to bus these kids (in around six buses) up here to the 'burbs. Impact does a great job of ministering in the inner-city areas (they do a lot more than preach, though, and were profiled in The Wall Street Journal for their efforts after Hurricane Katrina), picking up these kids to bring them to church every week, and every day this week for
Monday musical mash
2007-07-23 12:08:00
Go check out FreeCCM.com if you like free music. They are currently offering downloads from Todd Agnew - "Don't Say A Word" from his new album Better QuestionsChris Rice - "What A Heart Is Beating For" from his new album What A Heart Is Beating ForDecyfer Down - "No Longer" from the album End Of GreyMike Farris - "The Lonely Road" from his new album Salvation In LightsThe Afters - "Love Will Make You Beautiful" from the album I Wish We All Could WinIf you didn't catch the theme, these are mostly new songs from new albums from artists on the INO label. All they ask is registration, and they will only send you e-mails when new music is offered. Check them out; they've given some good music.On a side note, another INO artist is celebrating the birth of her third child. Ruby Cate Groves was born to Sara Groves a couple of weeks ago. Congratulations to Sara and Troy, and the big brothers. And be looking for her new album this fall - I'm sure it'll be as good as her other offerings.(Dis
Read more: Monday
Because Mrs. E had never heard of this
2007-07-22 14:56:00
You remember our old friend, the Flowbee©! Well, come to find out that Mrs. E had somehow never heard of this. We were chatting about cutting the Lil'E's hair (Lil'E recently cut her own hair! without permission! beaut!) and I mentioned the good ol' Flowbee. Ah, the memories of the commercials for this when it first came out. How can you not make fun of this (even if you use it, it begs mocking).I never realized until recently that Flowbee has a competitor. The Robocut! In form, it seems similar to the Flowbee. Who do you think looks happier to be vacuuming their hair away? Personally, I think the Rococut man looks happier (in a digitally whitened, buck-toothed sort of way).I really don't have anything else to say about these products. It's too easy, but I'm too tired to try. Okay, what to you think about the Flowbee and Robocut? Do you use them, or something similar at home? Do you secretly mock your own use of such products?Tags: Flowbee, Robocut, Vacuum, Mocking, Haircut
Pray, and pray
2007-07-26 15:04:00
I've nothing pithy to share today. Instead, I'm asking for prayer from you, as I pray for friends.Tonight Mrs. E and I are going to spend some time with a dear friend, praying over her. She's had hard times these last two years, as her husband first distanced himself, them moved out and divorced her. The divorce is final, but legal action continues over the settlement and custody rights/care for their little girl. She still loves him, I believe, but needs encouragement. Lots of it. She can neither continue the life she had with him nor really move on with a new life as long as the legal action persists. Frustration, fear and hurt are a big part of this limbo, and tonight we want to pray specifically for God to encourage her, to strengthen her, to let her know the love of her friends, and to find joy in the darkness and to give her patience as she learns His plan through this troubled time.I ask you, my friends, to please pray for us, as her friends, to be a part of that encouragemen
Little epiphanies
2007-07-25 12:29:00
I had a couple of little epiphanies last night. First, I decided that hearing loss is not a natural process of old age. It is, instead, a natural process of parenthood. From infants who scream in your ear as you try to sooth them to kiddos who scream for no reason at all, parents seem doomed to deafness.The second epiphany came late last night. It is, in my humble opinion, the secret to exercise and weight loss for the chubby parent.Step 1: Pick up the aforementioned screaming infant (or toddler, as the case may be).Step 2: Find an open area or trail through the toys on the floor, preferably a circuit of between 30 and 50 yards.Step 3: Walk the circuit, while simultaneously swaying and rocking the loud child and singing/cooing in a futile attempt to calm them.Step 4: Repeat Step 3 ad infinitum.I have great expectations for this potentially next great exercise fad, both personally and in the arena of infomercials. Look for the programs on your TV, coming soon!Tags: Parenting Tips, Deafn
As if you haven't seen enought family pics
2007-07-27 13:35:00
Lil'E with some flowersLil'E with her Build-a-Bear cat "Innie"Lil'er E showing his disco movesOur laughing boyTags: Photos, Pictures, Playtime, Build-a-Bear
What I got to do today
2007-08-01 00:52:00
Today, I got to present some of my research to the top corporate executives for my company. The CEO was called away to chat with investors, but the COO and others were there. Mine was a part of the technology review of the status of recent projects. We each had about ten minutes, including questions from the big boys, and needed to include a demonstration.Here is my demonstration. Now, I know this may look like glitter settling in a tube - okay, it is just glitter settling in a tube - but it really demonstrates the way in which particles settling in an angled hole will evacuate the fluid more quickly. They first only have to travel to the edge of the tube, instead of the bottom, and then they slide down to the bottom (called the Boycott effect). This is a critical problem in drilling fluids called "sag".Watch the whole video - it's worth it. There's a big payoff near the end.Okay, I lied. There's no payoff. It's just glitter settling in a tube. If you're still awake, get up and mo
40-Day Fast: In conclusion . . .
2007-07-31 13:37:00
Wow, has it been forty days? Indeed, today is the final day, and Toby writes about his wife and remembering the soldiers. Anyone reading this is also encouraged to join in fasting as a collective today, or if not fasting then be filled with prayer. (I, myself, am not fasting today for a couple of reasons. But my thoughts are with Toby and also with Jim, who fasts today and prays over the Samaritan Center, and with anyone else who fasts today.)There is still time to get another goat, as one has already been provided for and another is on the way.How has this period of devotion effected me? In some ways, the change is small. The focus on touching lives for God with both spiritual and physical blessings has been something the Spirit has been molding my life to for several years, now. So, to me, praying over groups like Compassion International, Blood:Water Mission, the Dalit, International Justice Mission, Big Brothers, Big Sisters - this is natural, a normal part of my life.But, in other
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