The Fischbowl: Calculus: The Musical!

The Fischbowl: Calculus: The Musical!

For all you math lovers out there (Jason). 

The link above is just for another blog about it.  To get to the site directly click here.

They have audio and video clips.  Check it out.  This would be good for high school age students.

Blogged with Flock

To Blog or to Live Blog

Technology Summit Day 2 Part 2

    If you are reading this you know what a Blog is.  In case you don't know, this is a Blog.  There are many different reasons to Blog.  I Blog to tell family and friends what is going on in our world.  I also use it to spew my nonsense mind. That is if you like it or not.  Yesterday I got to participate in a new thing, at least new to me.  It is called Live Blogging.  You can use Cover it Live.

    So what is the big deal?  Well during this technology summit (use link at top of this post) A fellow Lutheran Teacher and CUW grad was in a meeting.  They were talking about their Technology issues at their school.  He would type the main points or questions.  Us the viewers, even though we were not there, we could interact.  We posted our own comments and asked questions, and even answered some questions.  The person can relay what we are saying to those in the room with him.  Even if you just watched it was interesting.  When the session is done, you can end it and it is archived for anyone to view.  You can go back through the semi transcript.  It was sweet.  Please tell me other ways this can be used.  A pastor is going to try have their confirmation class do a live blog each service.  What else is there?

Blogged with Flock

playing around with some new cool toys out there.

I will be using this one for educated purposes in the future... but for now just saying hi


Get a Voki now!

You must check this site out.

Athanatos Christian Ministries, Inc, is a ministry committed to applying the Christian world view in creative contexts that range from Christian apologetics to education to the edification of the church to literature and the arts.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith;

be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

From the Director:

Naturally, you want to know what Athanatos means. Athanatos is Greek for 'immortality' or, 'not dying.' If Christianity is true, that's what we are: immortal. We are adventurers unleashed for glory, freed from the burden of sin and fearless in the face of death. That's what we are, but that's not how we feel when we think of Christianity only in terms of our butt sitting on a pew.

This ministry is the outgrowth of my apologetics ministries over the last decade. No longer do I believe that the best, exclusive use of my time is to reach out to and contend with atheists. Today I believe that the Church needs to expand its vision and methods in order to keep people from falling away in the first place. To that end, argument is still useful, but it needs to be packaged in a way that our society can receive it. More than that, I believe we should present Christianity as the inspiring story that it is: with each of us as important 'characters' as we really are.

This does not mean that the packaging is more important then the message. Things are still true whether we like them to be or not. When a missionary goes to a foreign country there are some aspects of the culture that he can accommodate himself to but there are some things he simply cannot abide. The things he can accommodate himself to are things that he can use in order to communicate. The United States is a mission field. There are some things that matter to people today (like stories, movies, etc) that we can use but in reality should have never been left by Christians in the first place to be rediscovered by secularists. It is partly the aim of this ministry to re-capture and re-employ what was properly within the domain of Christian thought in the first place.

That means that Athanatos Christian Ministries will strive to produce thoughtful educational programs that are consistent with historic, orthodox, creedal Christianity, but also seek to connect through literature, through music, through story, among other methods we might imagine. Athanatos Christian Ministries is a big picture organization. Anyone interested in joining us or learning more is invited to contact us to see just what can be done.

Sincerely,

Anthony Horvath

Executive Director

Athanatos Christian Ministries

There is no other news here than I wanted everyone to check this site out. As a Christian we should be honoring that someone like Anthony Horvath would dedicate his life to this line of work. If you would like to support This organization there are multiple things you can do, besides filling out the donate form on the main page you can get something back by buying a book that Anthony wrote, Birth Pangs.

Please leave comments here or send them directly to Anthony on how you can help and think.

Response to Focus on the Family Bulletin February 2008 Article in the Real Life Section; The Love That Matters by Carl Lindskoog

The Love That Matters

I'm thinking of two lines. The first line is that of middle-school boys standing on their numbers for the start of another gym class. Two popular jocks are choosing up teams, and when there's no one left in line but you, the message is clear. In the words of a popular song, "You're no good. You're no good. You're no good. Baby, you're no good!"
The other line, coming earlier in life, is formed by paper sacks taped along the bottom of the blackboard in Mrs. Snarkley's fifth-grade class. It's Valentine's Day, and kids are asked to drop pretty little valentines into other people's sacks. Reaching into yours, you find one from the teacher. And then there's ... nothing. Meanwhile, you watch Beautiful Barb and Dashing Dan pour out their many valentines for all to see.
If I were a parent again, would I try to spare my kids from such pain? Of course. But we can't always succeed. And there's a prized rose among these thorns. Ultimately, we all have to learn that only One Person's love matters. And He keeps singing to each of our hearts, "You're so good. You're so good. You're so good. Child, you're so good!"
~ Carl Lindskoog

So what is the big point? The final line is spot on. It was actually one line that ticked me off. "...try to spare my kids from such pain? Of Course." That one little line make me stick my nose up to this whole article. I am so tired that we need to be walking on egg shells for every person in the world. We need to make sure their feelings are not hurt. We are destroying our youth. Rejection is the building block of succeeding. There is something into telling someone they are not good enough to be on a team. There is nothing wrong saying someone has to work harder. The person than has two choices, work harder or give up.

I have been rejected many times, and have been told I would not be good enough or that I would make it. I could have given up and cried to my mommy, but I didn't. I set out to prove the people wrong that said I could not do it. People said I couldn't graduate from college and now I am on my path to a master degree. People said I couldn't teach in a self-contain classroom and now I have taught every grade level 3-8th. Don't let other people say you can't do anything, but when they do, don't cry not fair. Work Harder.

The main point is still the same, God's love for us will never falter, and even though we are not GOOD Enough to be on God's team, he picks us first. God Bless...

The Will to Live from a Dying Man: Thoughts and Feelings about My Recent Lost

My grandfather recently passed away after days of holding on. Being 2,000 miles away I kept asking how he was doing and everyday I was told this could be the night. After a few nights of thoughts, Becky and I decided to just go to Detroit. We flew in and visited my grandfather in the
hospital, the smell of death was in the room, but he kept on fighting. A few hours later my older brother got into town and visited, and a few more hours after that, as my mom witnessed the room turned chilly cold, and he took his last breath. Two things come to my mind; 1) He waited until my brother and I got to see him, or I should say God didn't take him home until... and 2) The Angel of Death is cold. I have heard many times that rooms got cold before someone has died.
Thinking back as I write this it feels weird that my grandpa is dead. Memories have hit me in the strangest places and the most unique times. It makes me miss him just so much more. As a human we are so selfish. It is so hard to let go. Even though I know he is not suffering and is in Heaven. I guess we just need faith to get through all of this. I guess I just been so lucky, up to this point, I had all of my grandparents and even a great grandparent. The last time I had a death in my immediate blood line (not counting Becky's side) was in 2001. That was when I was a fourth year student. The death before that I was a Junior in High School. The first funeral I can remember going to was when I was a fourth grader. This is all to the best of my memory can recall.


During the funeral I held it together pretty good, that is until the Army Color Guard presented the Flag to my grandma and "Taps" was playing. "Taps" is an interesting story how it came around and how it means so much. Maybe because that gesture made it real or because what that meant? My grandfather was a draftee in WWII. He saw a lot of action, was in active combat for more than 100 days without relief. He received the Purple Heart for being shot by a sniper. He saw a lot of his friends die. The strangest thing to think about is that he took lives. Something that is unbearable to think he was able to do that. Maybe it is the respect, that three men part of the Army who never knew my grandpa, that was shown. Or how they stood in Salute in the parking lot as the Flag was carried past them. The memories that come back.


In the Bible Jesus experienced a lost a few times, but, after he found out that John the Baptist was beheaded he (Matthew 14:13) withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. John was a friend and a family member. Jesus needed to get away (even though the crowds followed). So I got away also. Ok, I was going to get away no matter what for last weekend, but this lost justified it all. Our Youth Ski retreat is what I needed. Although Becky and Trevor were not there, other people were. I was able to get my mind off of my grandfather and the pain that was in my heart. I was in the presence of God's beauty, how can you be sad? I got to meet new people, which is always a cool thing. The main question for our Bible Study was what does Retreat mean. To me retreat means withdraw and heal. I am lifted up to know I do not need to worry and that I am happy that my grandfather withdrew to God and he is healed.