A Little Bit Of Everything - 11/30/2012

I run across interesting things as I wander around on the Internet.  Granted, some of these may only be interesting to me.  Granted, there are many better uses of my time.

That's OK, this is my personal blog.  I'm free to post what I want to.

• *- From one of my favorite blogs, comes a discount on an annual subscription to Prey Pro.  I had been wondering how to protect devices like laptops from being… err…  "Permanently Borrowed." Anyhow, here is the link  http://lifehacker.com/5964028/get-an-annual-subscription-to-prey-pro-for-72-off-and-protect-up-to-10-devices-from-loss-and-theft     (Yes, I am protected…)
• *- Are you struggling as much with your writing as I am?  KM Weiland tells us "Tempted to Give up on Your Story?  Don't!" http://www.kmweiland.com/video-never.php
• *- From Pastor Harrison's "Mercy Journeys" blog is a reprise of Hermann Sasse's sermon, "All People Are Equal," based on Romans 10:1-13.  When you consider that this was written in NAZI Germany, it is even more powerful than it would be if it was written today.  http://mercyjourney.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-people-are-equal-interesting-sasse.html
• *- My friend, Donna, has a great way to send Christmas cards. You choose the card you want to send, or create a card using your own photo on the cover. Then personalize it with your message (and more photos if you wish!) and click SEND. SendOutCards does all the printing, stuffing, licking, stamping, addressing and mailing - all for about $1 per card! 

Talk about simplifying your life this holiday season. Try it and you'll see what I mean. Check it out at www.sendoutcards.com/kuper.  Your first two cards are on her!


•  
• That's all for this week…

Reading Weekend Ahead

:-) I am Excited and delighted.  If I can finish all my goals for the weekend, I've promised myself a "Reading Weekend." Well, at least a "Reading Sunday."

It started with an e-mail from Jayne Schaefer, Managing Editor of "The Life of the World." Apparently, Dr. Grime, one of my professors (Liturgics) at CTSFW.EDU noticed that I Expressed eagerness about a book that was only a "paper and ink" format.  They arranged for me to get a copy in a format that I can use!

So…  What book is this?  It is mentioned on the "Witness, Mercy, Life Together" blog, "Two Wars We Must Not Lose" by Mr. Bill Hecht.

Mr. Hecht tackles more radical forms of Secularism and Islam.  It also looks like he gives approaches to talk to people who are caught up in these worldviews.  Lots of references to check…  500-some-odd pages…

This is not "Fun With Dick and Jane"!

Anyhow, if I finish reading this book this weekend, I will abstract it here…

Pumpkin Bread

I'm having fits getting this recipe for Mother.  Can you give me at hand, please?

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Best-Pumpkin-Bread-Recipe/?ALLSTEPS

How do You Organize Yourself?

Happy Wednesday!  I am so behind today, that I don't know if I will ever catch up.  I'm going to Bible Study later, though.  Maybe if I didn't finish it, it wasn't worth doing.

;-) That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

It does have me wondering how to keep myself on track, though.  I am considering several options, some I've used off and on over the last few years.  For example:

• Pomodoro Technique  -  I like this.  Sometimes I have the attention span of a gerbil who drank too much caffeine.  Breaking a task into small, focused efforts helps me tackle those jobs that look overwhelming.  To do it right, though, took me a lot of paperwork.  I DO NOT NEED MORE PAPERWORK in my universe!
• Kanbanflow  -  I like this.  I think the idea is originally from Japan and was used by auto workers.  Minimal paperwork.  You can drag each item in your ToDo into different columns, depending on your level of the completion.  This is not particularly good for recurring jobs.
• Chains  -  I just started with this one today.  I think that this idea came from Jerry Seinfeld.  It takes 60 days (depending on who you talk to) to establish a habit.  He, apparently, would mark on a calendar each day that he did the desired behavior.  The goal was to create the chain of 60 days without forgetting.  This website lets you tackle several chains at once, and have built-in "skip days." This is perfect for the type of things that you want to do every Tuesday-Thursday, or whatever.  It looks good.

Criteria I used for choosing these techniques are: 1.  Not cell phone based.  I have to be able to use the computer.  2.  Free.  Maybe when I'm making 100,000 a year, I'll budget for this kind of thing.  Until then…  3.  Fairly simple and quick to do.

How do you organize yourself?

How did you choose this method?

How well does it work?

One of My Favorite Things about Thanksgiving

I probably enjoy almost everything about Thanksgiving, and the traditions that surround this holiday.

I deeply appreciate the religious focus.  Starting the celebration by going to church and thanking The Trinitarian God of the Bible sets the tone.  I get to remember what God has done and continues to do in the lives of His People.  While the panorama of salvation (displayed from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22: 21) is still the most astonishing thing I'm privileged to enjoy, many other simpler gifts have touched my life.

One of these simpler gifts is leftovers.  Mother does astonishing things with these dibs and dabs.  Don't get me wrong, some of the Thanksgiving Dinner went immediately into the freezer.  We've had replications of the Thanksgiving Dinner for several meals, without the football and conversation.  (Especially, without MOM'S EGGNOG!)

Tonight, we had one of my favorite things about THANKSGIVING: Turkey Carcass soup.  Yes, I know, the name is less than appealing.  I don't care!  This is good stuff!

When that Turkey is originally carved, you don't need to worry about pulling each tiny bit off the bone.  The bones and extra meat are going into a broth and get boiled for about 300 years.  (More Or Less) Then The Bones and bone slivers get taken out, leaving the extraordinary flavor…  And probably dissolved calcium.  Carrots, Celery, Onions, leftover gravy, leftover dressing/stuffing and anything else that you want to toss into the mix gets tossed into the mix.

It may never taste the same way twice in a row, but it is always a treat.  And frugal.  And I can claim that it is Paleo, until I add Parmesan Toast.

I highly recommend this.  Something vaguely similar shows up in the Wise Bread blog when they discuss out to eat for a full week on one chicken.  Check it out here

So…  What are your favorite things to do with leftovers?

I HATE MY PRINTER!

Some people absolutely love the HP OfficeJet 4500.  One morning helper, for example.  My brother-in-law, for another example.  For these folks, it does what they want when they want it done.

On the other hand, there are people like me.  Every single time we want to use this pathetic example of technology, we have to have about three HOURS.  We wind up resetting the network…  Installing cartridges…  Unplugging the printer for about 30 seconds so it can have another lobotomy.

Again, I hate my printer.  It is possessed.  I would gladly pick it up and throw it through the window…  Except that I can't move my arms that well.  (OK, I can't move my arms at all.  Don't quibble when I'm angry at my printer.)

It makes me wonder whether Hewlett Packard is capable of doing anything decently.  Customer service is almost as horrid as this stupid printer.

Did I mention that I hate my computer?

You can read my rant about how much I hate the HP OfficeJet 4500 at my Amazon review… (most worthless printer since that dot matrix for the Apple ] [+…)

I guess it's just time to quote a Latin animal proverb…  From http://bestlatin.blogspot.com/

Dum fugans canis mingit, fugiens lepus evadit (English: When the dog in pursuit stops to pee, the fleeing rabbit gets away).  

Thank You, Pastor McCain! "When You Do Not Go to Church"

Sometimes my inbox contains treasures!  On this extraordinarily beautiful, Texas Thanksgiving Morning I found a wonderful short article.  Pastor Paul McCain, son of my classmate, Deaconess Mccain, joined me in my discussion of why people want to be in church, whether they know it or not.

…  "Each Sunday is a gathering of the family – and when a beloved family member doesn’t show up for the family gathering and meal at Christmas or Easter or Thanksgiving, there’s a hole, a gap, a pain that everyone feels. We’re all the less for that person not being with us to revel in the celebration of that day. Their absence diminishes the joy of the family…"

See the whole article here.

So…  The discussion.  I am still a little bit shy when it comes to talking to people about church attendance.  I know what a life line being in church has been for me.  Regular hearing of God's Word, receiving forgiveness on my tongue and in my ears in the Sacrament, and encouragement from God's People helped me through a depression that I never sought help for in any other way.  (I didn't really think it, or I, was worth that kind of effort.) Sermons, bible classes, Communion, and Christian friends helped me when I was well on my way to losing my faith.  They sometimes challenged me to think things through again.  They sometimes made me angry or frustrated, they often invited me to try and do things, they listened. The gifts that God gives through church are so important to me that I almost cannot talk about it.

Enter Real Life.  I have a cluster of cherished friends and a few beloved family members who see "going to church" as a major waste of time.  They feel it is like a third grade English class, the direction of learned it by now - after all, it is only ONE book.

So…  I firmly stuck both feet in my mouth and talked about it.  I listened.  I talked some more.  In some cases, I have been talking a couple of months.  In some cases, several years.  In three cases, over a decade.

I have tried "Law." Verses like Hebrews 10:24-25 (And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.) became part of my repertoire.

Granted, I knew that polishing a pew with your seat isn't the point.  I just know that God's Word is powerful and active, working changes in heart and life.  In church, God's Word is directly delivered in the preaching, teaching, and sacraments.  I want to be there when good things are handed out.

That isn't a sufficient reason…

I have tried "Gospel."  When Jesus said that HE would be president when "two or three" of us gather in His Name, that sounds like the most jaw-dropping celebration on the planet.

That doesn't seem to be a sufficient reason…

I don't know, any more.  At this point, if I bring up the subject anymore, I will drive these people that I Care so much about.  I think I will just shut up until THEY bring the topic up again.  Yes, I will continue praying and reading and learning…  But nobody gave me the role of the Holy Spirit.  Maybe the best thing to do is to rest and let HIM work.

Higher Things Advent & Christmas REFLECTIONS

Dear Reflections readers,

O Come, O Come, Immanuel

Higher Things announces the 2012-13 Advent and Christmas Reflections. These daily devotions take us through the season of Advent as we wait in eager expectation of the coming of Christ and the celebration of His birth at Christmas and for the days following the festival of His nativity.

Reflections can be downloaded in the following formats:

Printable Booklet (PDF)
"In Line" PDF
Nook and other readers (ePub format)
Kindle (Please note that depending on your device, you may have to manually sync the file to your Kindle)

Thanks for your support of Higher Things!

In Christ,
Pastor Mark Buetow
buetowmt@higherthings.org
HT Media Services

What's going on with "Families of SMA"

Advancing Research:
The SMA Drug Pipeline
-We now have 13 new SMA drug programs in development, including 3 clinical trials.
-This pipeline has expanded from just 4 programs 5 years ago.
-Families of SMA has funded half of all the ongoing drug programs for SMA.

Supporting Families:
The FSMA Equipment Pool
-In the last year Families of SMA provided direct services to over 3,600 patients and families.
-We supply critical resources specially designed for SMA patients to live a healthy and comfortable life.
-Recently added medical equipment ranges from adaptive bathing systems to positioning strollers.

 
Giving Hope:
The Annual SMA Conference
-1,500 attendees, 3 times as many families and patients as 5 years ago.
-New specialized programs for newly diagnosed families and for professional care providers.
-Participation has grown to 14 companies, including 3 major pharmaceutical partners.

___________________________________________________
1 in 40 people, or 8 million Americans, are genetic carriers.
SMA is the #1 genetic killer of infants.

 Families of SMA --Research, Support, Hope

I'm wondering how I can get my favorites here

 

At least I could put ridiculous pictures of myself here…

 

 

UNICORN does exist!

No, I'm not talking about the mythological, single-horned horse.  I still want one of those, but…
I'm talking about a text editor and dictionary program.  It isn't your ordinary text editor, dictionary, spell checker.  It is for the student of ancient languages: Latin, classical Greek, Hebrew.

Unicorn is free.  Information on requirements can be found here.

While you are there, check out:
The Latin and Greek Study Groups    They are open, volunteer-run email lists dedicated to the study of (major shock, NOT) Latin and Greek.

I just joined the Vesuvius group.  It will get going in January.  The most important textbook will be Wheelock's Latin 7th Edition (The Wheelock's Latin Series)  They will spend two weeks on each chapter.

Group: Wheelock Beginners (Vesuvius)
Coordinator: Pete Caloger <pcaloger at ptd dot net>
First Assignment will be due January 6
If you want to join in, drop Pete an e-mail with "Vesuvius" as the subject.  He will give you the rest of the gory details…

The other text book is not in Kindle format, but I'm sure there is a way to work around that.

I wish I could've been there to hear this!

Matthew Harrison's paper on Lutheran Diakonia Today

Man, I wish I had been there to hear the presentation of this paper!  Pastor Harrison opens up "Mercy Work," unpacking the concept in a way that makes accessible to every member of the congregation.

Is this working?

This is a test.  This is only a test.  If this was for real blog posting, I would have something useful to say…

Happy Monday!

I hope that everything is going well with you.  The kitchen is emitting wonderful fragrances in preparation for Thursday.  Other stuff is going on…

Today at church

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012 | PENTECOST
PROPER 28
YEAR B

Old Testament       Daniel 12:1–3
Psalm       Psalm 16
Epistle       Hebrews 10:11–25
Gospel       Mark 13:1–13


Index of Readings


OLD TESTAMENT
Daniel 12:1–3

12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


PSALM
Psalm 16

16 A MIKTAM OF DAVID.

1       Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2       I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

3       As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

4       The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

5       The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6       The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7       I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8       I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9       Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10       For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

11       You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


EPISTLE
Hebrews 10:11–25

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16       “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”

17 then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.


GOSPEL
Mark 13:1–13

13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.


Lutheran Service Book Three Year Lectionary (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009).


Exported from Logos Bible Software 4, 3:18 PM November 18, 2012.

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