just for fun...
1863...this is fun!
Wordcountat least we beat bush...
a little bit of shingling this afternoon, but Marnie threw out her back yesterday, and we spent a couple of hours at the chiropractor today. she's moving around a bit better now, but it will be several days before things are back to normal. there's always something...
hope you have a great weekend.
Interesting Juxtaposition
The day you posted your sermon...this was part of the entry in the daily devotional book I read nightly:
The glorious message of Scripture is that we do not have to be perfect for our Maker to love us. All through the great stories, heavenly love is lavished on visibly imperfect people. Scripture asks us to look at Jacob as he really is, to look at ourselves as we really are, and then realize that this is who God loves. God did not love Jacob because he was a cheat, but because he was Jacob. God loves us in our complex isness, and when we get stuck on the image of the totally virtuous and morally perfect person we will never be, we are unable to accept this unqualified love, or to love other people in their rich complexity.
The immediate source of this quotation is the July 24 entry in GLIMPSES OF GRACE: DAILY THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS, by Madeleine L'Engle (ed. Carole F. Chase). The original source is p. 46 of L'Engle's A STONE FOR A PILLOW: JOURNEYS WITH JACOB.
I haven't had as much time as I'd like to fully consider your sermon, Rog, but I have three immediate reactions: (1) it was thought-provoking and well-done!; (2) as a belief system, what you describe does not fully explain life as I've experienced it, particularly my own inability to make even simple changes in my own life (the spirit is willing...the flesh, oh so weak!) and the existence of genuine evil; and (3) taking into account sensitive dependence on initial conditions, I think it makes a great deal of difference whether creation (including self-similarity) is the product of a loving Person desiring to share that love, or the result of a "challenge" sought by a (bored?) Unity.
Too bad we didn't have the time/occasion for this discussion in person!
coincidence?
you never know...from this article:
The Elusive Butterflywhich I got when I happened to read a forum that I visit rarely. here's a quote:
Haj Ross puts this argument beautifully: "the concept/image of butterfly is a uniquely powerful one in the group minds of the world's cultures, with its somewhat unpromising start as a caterpillar followed by its dazzling finish of visual symmetry, coupled with the motional unforgettability of the butterfly's flipzagging path through our consciousnesses. Butterflies are such perfect symbols of transformation that almost no culture is content to accept another's poetry for this mythic creature. Each language finds its own verbal beauty to celebrate the stunning salience of the butterfly's being."flipzagging. I like that.
didn't quite finish the west side shingling; I ran out of ladder... got the extension ladder back from a neighbor late afternoon, but with the weather turning to rain for the next several days, not sure when I'll get back to it... oh well. plenty to do anyway. have a great tomorrow!
Sunday after...
glad that's done...I'll write more later, but I wanted to let you know that it went well this morning. people said it was "thought-provoking". I'm going to take that as a compliment...
we got the scaffolding set up yesterday, so I'm off to work on the siding... have a great day!
evening update:
well, I got a few rows of shingles up. I decided to stop when I realized I was going to need to get out the table saw, for trim, and I was waiting for the batteries to charge on the hand saw, too, so... I should be able to finish the west side tomorrow, weather permitting. Marnie was painting window trim, and Chellis mowed the lawn! he even did the lower part of the lawn, which sits on quite a slope. nice to have him be able to do that job!
I said I would give a bit more report on the "sermon" tonight. well, it did go very well, and as I said, people seemed to get something from it, at least the half-dozen or so that spoke to me about it afterwards. there were probably about 25 in church, so that's not too bad. mostly regulars, but one new family, and they liked it. so I hope they'll be back.
it flowed pretty well, as did the whole service. I read some Wendell Berry poems during the Focusing(a pre-sermon section of the service, that introduces the day's topic. it happens about a quarter of the way in), and probably could have done that the rest of the service! his writing is really something. so connected and real. the hymns I picked went well, though I realized very quickly that I haven't done any singing for quite awhile! I'm going to need to sing every day this week to be ready for the AH! Cappella gig on Wednesday. and Counterpoint rehearsal on Thursday... I will be glad to get back in shape.
as you can see from the sermon, if you've read it, it gave me several other things to think about. I'll have to see about spending some time actually putting some of those thoughts down on paper. it was a good exercise to write and think about what I believe. or think I believe... though I kick myself once again for never taking a typing class...
anyway, I'm quite pleased. it came off well, and that's all I can ask for.
have a great tomorrow.
searching for the butterfly...
let me know what you think...Here's the text of my "sermon" for Sunday. give it a read, if you'd like, and let me know what you think. start a discussion either here in the comments, or on the forums. I'm interested to hear what you might get from it, and more importantly, whether it makes any sense at all...
Searching for the Butterfly
the view from space
this is cool!Solar System Simulatorcan't afford a ride on the Space Shuttle? try this.
summertime...
back at itgetting back into the swing of being at home. feels good. trying to get a few things out of the way before we start the major projects: we need to finish the siding on the west and south sides of the house(and a little bit on the north), and then on the 31st, we can start building the new deck on the east and north. we have to wait for the two-week permit appeal before we can begin, but that will give us time to get the siding done! looking forward to it as long as the weather will cooperate a little bit, and only rain at night.... Camelot...
spent a bit of time at school today, ordering music, and thinking about the upcoming year. it's time for some new materials for my general music classes, and I need to look at how I'd like to do things this year. the kids are starting to know what I want them to know, so by the time they're in 7th and 8th grade, I can do more things with them. I can't really get into digital audio yet, as my computer lab is quite old(the 7 year old macs are still chuggin along, but they're tired!), but after next year, I think I get an upgrade, which will be great. it's still good though, having enough machines for every student in a class. anyway, I don't want to think too much about school yet!
the other thing I'm working on is my "sermon" for Sunday's service. Daddy, I don't know how you did that every week. I suppose you get in the habit of writing like that, but sheesh, what a lot of work! I'm going to speak about Chaos Theory, and music, and the crazy path that's gotten me to what I believe now. I'm reading a great book of essays by the late Richard Feynman, and they are giving me lots to think about. quite a smart man. anyway, if I get it actually written out, as opposed to extemporaneously contrived, maybe I'll post it... someday...
okay, have a great day!
from Iowa
air conditioning...though I should write a long and involved blog, since this is the first in quite a while, I'll spare you... we had a great trip out; very easy as 24 hour drives go, and arrived a bit ahead of schedule. toasted-cheese sandwiches started the week off right! we have had a great time visiting, and sitting around, playing games, and catching up. Yahtzee, and 7-up, and Gin, and basically continuous eating... much fun. all of the original six(and most of the rest of us: Hi, Elissa, and Kelly, and Tim!) were together on Saturday for a terrific barbecue, complete with a fan blowing outside! thanks, Keith! lots of pictures, and some video, and a night of singing(?) followed all the good food. it was hard to say good-bye to Kathy and Lea Ann today as they headed home, but it was great to have them here. we'll see Susan again, I hope, and her new friend Thom, and of course, Carol, and Keith.
the boys have been watching a lot of cable TV, and playing video games, and taking advantage of the smooth concrete sidewalks and streets, and little traffic, and wearing down their scooter wheels. today it's over 90°, and we're enjoying the central air...
okay, long enough. I hope that you're enjoying where you are, be it sand and surf, or comfy recliner, or a desk... talk with you soon.
getting ready
westward ho!we spent the day packing, so we can get on the road early tomorrow. Marnie is hoping by 8 am... I don't think so... ;) I'll be happy if we're out of here by 9, which will still get us to Iowa City before noon on Wednesday. maybe grilled-cheese sandwiches, Mother? when the boys were younger, we'd leave in the evening, so they would sleep all night, and we'd be half-way there by the time morning rolled around. now, we can leave anytime. we'll probably catch a couple of hours sleep in a rest area in Indiana, but it's mostly just drive... I doubt I'll blog in the morning, but I'll let you know how the trip goes, most likely on Thursday.
I know our house-sitter is going to have a great time here. it'll be quiet with just the two cats around for company!
have a great week!
happy July 4th!
much to be glad about...I'll keep this short, but I wanted to wish you all a happy Fourth of July! it was an absolutely perfect day here, weather-wise, and with good food and good company, and the incredible surroundings of Lake Groton(Groton Pond to them that knows...), there was not much else to wish for. Marnie and Judy and others decorated the pontoon boat for the boat parade, and we put the sailboat in the water, and we mostly ate...
we got home and the boys immediately crashed into bed, with Marnie following soon after. I, of course, am in training for the 24 hour drive to Iowa on Tuesday... that's why I'm still up...
have a great tomorrow!
Saturday
during the summer...a great day. spent a lot of time outside, puttering, playing, walking. got the boys' bikes out, cleaned them up, and they rode around a bit. you should understand that where we live is not the best place for bike riding, especially to learn, and so it has been a long time coming for these guys to even think about bike riding. for me, it was nearly second nature. getting grounded at age five or six because I was out across the highway on my bike... can't imagine what my childhood would have been like without my bike.
spent some time just sitting around telling the boys stories. Lincoln really rode for the first time today. very cool. I wish we could take the bikes to Iowa with us; now that's a place to ride! but they'll have their scooters and roller-blades. later we played a little football, and the never-ending game of fetch with Indigo. we got the old tent-trailer finally put up on blocks, someday we'll get that all repaired so we can use it. the boys and Marnie did a bit of swimming at a neighbors whose dog Marnie is looking after. (don't even think about the grammar in that last sentence. just deal with it...) laughs at dinner, and the boys started a game of Risk®. I did an update of the church site, and now I'm surfing... read some blogs, tried not to think about the idiots in the White House, the usual.
tomorrow we're out at Camp for the 4th. weather is supposed to be good, and I know the food will be, so things are great! hope your day is, too.
gets me thinking
so many paths to take...from this article: Personal Publication and Public Attention comes this quoted paragraph:
In the past, the masses did not have access to art; music, painting, and even books, were pleasures reserved for the rich. It might even have been supposed that the poor, the "common people," would have enjoyed them equally, if they had had the chance. But now that everyone can read, go to museums, listen to great music, at least on the radio, the judgement of the masses about these things has become a reality and through this it has become clear that great art is not a direct sensuous pleasure. Otherwise, like cookies and cocktails, it would flatter uneducated taste as much as cultured taste. (Bourdieu, 1984, p. 31)huh. not a direct sensuous pleasure. you have to work for it. know something about it to appreciate it, to reveal that pleasure. this is so hard to teach to those who are satisfied with the easy sensuous pleasures. I try to get kids to understand that learning about music will help them to appreciate, to like, to feel lots of different styles of music. very interesting article, by the way. just one of many places that I travelled tonight. too many to list.
the weather has changed for the better, the weekend looks great! hope yours is like-wise.
Go Mr. Cosby
not said enoughI hope that kids and parents of all shades of human were listening:
Bill Cosby
amazing!
new images from Cassinigreat new images of Saturn from Cassini:
Saturn up-close...incredible.