I just subscribed to WORLD magazine!

I just subscribed to WORLD magazine!

A great thanksgiving

more later

I'm not posting today…

I'm on the verge of losing my voice, and I have to finish the paperwork and planning for my class.

Yeah, more about my speech

I am adding a page to my website, giving gory details about my speech. :-) It is at
http://lmstapp.com/speaking/

As part of building this page, I am trying to upload an MP4 of the event. My computer is throwing a temper tantrum about that. It may never speak to me again! Worse yet, it may never LISTEN to me again! Oh no! Not THAT, again!

I've said it once and I will say it again:

SPEECH RECOGNITION DOES NOT WORK LIKE IT DOES ON STAR TREK

(Unless you are talking about episodes like this…)

I gave my speech to TOTA

Here I am, all perky and prepared to speak

Some of the people I spoke to…

Saturday was the big day. Leslie and Erica took me, and they seemed to have a good time. Erica made some contacts that will help her as she goes towards her own career.

But… This is my blog. I can tell you that I've learned some things during this experience. For starters, although it makes me nervous… I like speaking. The preparation is difficult. I can't tell you how often I changed everything. From beginning to end, through the whole thing down and start again.

I also learned again that somethings feel best in the rearview mirror.

I don't want to write a blog post today

It is rainy outside, perfect for snuggling under a blanket eating chocolate. Old movies are playing on TCM.

… And my TODO list is depressingly long. I'm tackling my list, like a good girl.

September Newsletter from Leif & Zhanya Camp



Several people have mentioned that they did not receive my August prayer letter—I did feel a little bit encouraged that my letter was missed, but also a little guilty, because I didn’t write one.   I had intended to, but things piled up at the end of August and beginning of September—kids starting school, moving English Worship, meetings etc. —so I ask for your understanding as I let the prayer letter slip.  Also, I have been having trouble sending them out—they are getting blocked as spam, so first, if you do not want to receive these, let me know.  Second, if you know someone who wanted to receive them but isn’t, pass them along as their server is probably blocking mine.  Anyway, below is my prayer letter for September with a printable version attached.  I must confess, the way I remember what I have done each month is by the pictures I have taken—and this month I seemed to forget my camera every where I went—so there are things that I have not written about.  To be honest, it is also not always so convenient to photograph meetings and other things (and I’m not so good at selfies when I am teaching or whatever).  This month just flew by. 

One other thing I wanted to say—this is off the prayer letter topic, but something that has been on my mind—sort of a meditation.  I was thinking the other day on Luke 15:4-7—the parable of the one lost sheep and rejoicing when it is found.  In my life I run across many lost sheep—some even in my own family. And, yes, as a missionary and as a pastor, it is my job to try to bring them into the fold.  But I don’t think this wonderful task is reserved only for pastors or missionaries.  As God has first loved each of us, and as out of that great love He came to seek and save us, each of us are called to be imitators of Christ. Now what if we each picked one lost sheep we know in our lives and made bringing them into the fold a priority in our prayers and our actions?   I am not saying we go looking for 10, or 100, or so many million Gospel touches, just finding that one lost sheep and leading them into the fold.  The idea that with God’s help we can do this and cause the angels to rejoice seems marvelous.  And there are so many lost sheep….

Blessings,

Leif

ЯБЛОКО YA-blah-kah—Apple

Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

OK, so why apple?  Well, it is the Trinity season, and one symbol for the Trinity is an apple; also, three times maybe four (I always liked those verses in Proverbs and Amos for the three/four construction!) the phrase is used, three times to refer to God’s chosen people (which in New Testament parlance means the Church), or it could just be that the apples have started to fall off the tree on our dacha so I have to pick them and sort them and dry them and wonder why would anyone want to be the apple of any one’s eye since apples are causing me so much extra work, and so apples are just on my mind at the moment—but you can decide the reason!  Still, an apple is an interesting fruit—especially the red, shiny ones—and to be the apple of God’s eye, to be His beloved, to know that when He sees you He smiles just because you exist and are His beloved child, that is something else entirely.  This is something good to know when we become overburdened by the cares of this world and feel as if we might be alone.

              September is always a big month here for the Ingrian Lutherans—summer is full of different mission trips or groups and camps, and that is time consuming in its own way, and people, including many of the pastors I work with take their vacations. But September means back to the regular schedule—confirmation classes begin, Bible studies that were interrupted by Summer vacation, Sunday school, and also the first session of our Bible school without walls.  This month English worship also has moved to St. Anne’s—even though the building still is not heated, for now we are holding services there every Sunday (and hope to have heat by winter), Russian services are also being held the 2^nd and 4^th Sundaysl (and I am helping with those).  The big news this month is the long awaited reprinting of Lutheran Heritage Foundation’s translation of the Book of Concord. 

Bible School WithOut Walls—WOW!

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

              If you recall, last December the St. Petersburg District decided to organize a Bible school without walls, and was quickly joined by two neighboring districts—Karelia and the Western Ingermanland (which is to say the Suburban and village Churches surrounding St. Petersburg—keep in mind that an Ingrian District might span a large territory, but consists of between 10 and 20 congregations).  The Bible school consists of 8 intensive weekends spread over 2 years (with readings and homework between sessions) and is designed to give laity a chance for deeper study of the Biblical and Confessional understandings of the Church and help the church identify potential leaders (Sunday school teachers, deacons, pastors, etc.).  Teachers are volunteer and each session is hosted by a different parish. 

Last year we managed to fit in the first two sessions—Christian Spiritual life and Overview of the Old Testament.  Pastor Ivan Laptev, who is the chair of the Ingrian Mission board returned from his vacation the first week of September, but we were not able to meet until the 9^th—at which time he told me the first session for this year on the New Testament was already scheduled for the 12-14^th.  As I was in the process of moving English Worship to St. Anne’s, I had hoped all my duties for this session would be simply logistic, delivering and distributing the Lutheran Heritage books and Good News Journals that we were using as textbooks.  On the morning of the 10^th, however, Ivan came to the office and told me that the pastor/professor who had been invited and was expected to teach on the Epistles and Revelation had just canceled.  Well, I had just gone over Revelation with my kids for summer devotions (so my Seminary notes from Dr. Brighton’s class were still fresh in my mind), so I was volunteered to teach that, and was also roped into teaching on the Catholic Epistles (that is to say all the ones not attributed to the Apostle Paul).  Ivan took the Pauline Epistles, Pastor Fedor Tulinin taught on the New Testament Canon and Pastor Mixail Ivanov taught on the Synoptics and the Gospel of John.

              The next session is on Biblical Interpretation and Hermeneutics scheduled for mid-November (then “the Lutheran Confessions” in February,  “Church History” in April and “Theology in Practice” and “Outreach and Mission” will finish the cycle by at the beginning of the next academic year).

House of Prayer-another day another project

Isaiah 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

In the village of Kuzmolovo, which is now more or less a suburb of St. Petersburg, there was a house—a house that had been being used as a house of prayer for many years by a group of Christians with no solid denominational affiliation (such were many protestant groups during Soviet times).  The house caught fire, and the owner decided it was not worth keeping—so donated it to the Church of Ingria.   The catch is this—if we can “repair” the house by March 1^st, which is to say “rebuild” the house by that time, we do not have to file a building plan and pay for all the engineers’ reports (which in Russia cost almost as much as the actual building)—as long as we build a house the existing foundation.  Now the race has begun to dismantle the building (carefully to save what building materials we can),  so we can then rebuild—I have spent three or four days there and have left a lot of my tools there for others to use. 

Prayer Requests (remember you may send me your prayer requests as well)

With all that is happening to Christians in Syria, with unrest in other places, there is plenty enough to pray about.  To all these and your other prayers I ask you pray with me about the following as well: This month we have a special prayer request for a little girl named Lydia.  My wife has been working as a nanny for this two and a half year old who is at this moment in Israel with her family facing a heart operation to repair a defect (they left Sunday)—prayers for Lydia, her parents and Zhanya as well.   Prayers of thanks for building of St. Anne’s and for the new house of prayer in the village, as well as prayers for the necessary funds to repair and build (and in this regard, continued prayers for funding the building project in Nizhniy Novgorod), also prayers for the Bible school and the students that have attended, that they might continue to grow in faith and leadership.  A big prayer of thanks for the printing of the Book of Concord.  Pray for Karl as he searches for scholarships and God’s will as far as college applications, choice of major and so forth, and keep Nastya in prayer as well as she continues to grow in faith.  Keep me in prayer as I take on more responsibility—not only is my work with the Ingrian Missionary committee expanding, but I have added helping out at two Russian services each month at St. Anne’s.  At the beginning of next month, I have been invited to speak at the joint district pastors’ conference to be held in Koltushe, and at the end of next month, God willing, I will travel to Nizhniy Novgorod.  Pray also for the continued partnership with LHF as we are already working on reprinting the Small Catechism, the Lutheran Prayer book, etc., all important for the work here.

St. Anne’s and English Worship

Although St. Anne’s is without its own electricity or heat (we are borrowing a little electricity from the school next door via a long extension cord), English language worship services have moved to the chapel we fixed up last year.  In addition to English Worship at 9:30 am each Sunday, I am assisting with Russian language services being held on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of each month, led by different Russian pastors—the idea is that I eventually take on the 1^st and 3^rd (and occasional 5^th) Sundays on my own.  I also want to begin a Russian language Bible study, but this is waiting until we can prepare a smaller room that can be more easily heated in the winter.  So much needs to be done—and the ultimate goal is to set up a Christian Youth center there, space for Prolife ministry and other related ministries seems such a long way off.

Lord, Keep us steadfast in Thy Word

Curb those who fain by craft or sword

Would wrest the Kingdom from Thy Son

And set at naught all He hath done.

TLH #261 verse 1

In Christ,         

Leif & Zhanya Camp

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

CONTACT ADDRESSES Feedback, questions, whatever are most welcome.

Our Russian home address: Leif and Zhanya Camp 18 line V. O. dom 43 Kv. 7 St. Petersburg, Russia, 199178

Stateside contact address: Leif and Zhanya Camp, C/O Marli Camp 902 N. 12th Melrose Park, IL, 60160

Russian Lutheran Church Address: Ev. Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia Bolshaya Konyushennaya dom 8a St. Peterburg, Russia, 191186

Telephone: +7-911-294-8754 (my cell number). Home 7-812-356-8457  Russian Prolife Website lutheransforlife.ru

Note—Between St. Petersburg and central US time, the difference is 9 hours.  Stateside contact telephone: 708-344-4472

E-MAIL:  lzkcamp@mail.ru & leif.camp@elci.ru.  Please feel free to share this prayerletter with your Church, friends, or enemies if it might help (just please do not quote things out of context or edit my words in such a way as to change their intent).  If you would like to receive a copy via e-mail, simply email me directly and ask!

Let the Games Begin?

, Annabella Armstrong,

Sometimes I feel like being someone else. I've noticed that I am intensely focused at the computer. I think it might be useful to take a break.

So… I found something fun. I hope that it will help my writing, too. Forcing me to write something daily, even if it isn't "useful" is a discipline that I can use.

So… I found Starbase 118. Yes, it is Star Trek related. Here is a picture of my character, Annabella Armstrong, at her family home. She made it through Starfleet Academy and is a newly-minted Ensign aboard the USS Gemini-working in engineering. Once I locate my luggage, it will be time to put on the uniform and get to work!

Vintage Disneyland Tickets: A visit to Monsanto's Adventure Thru Inner Space

Vintage Disneyland Tickets: A visit to Monsanto's Adventure Thru Inner Space





Apparently, I was not the only person entranced with this ride.

This DisneyLand ride broke my heart in the 1960s…

It was when I first realized in my core that having a disability MIGHT close some options To me.

I'm trying to get myself organized again…

The inside of my head is not a pretty sight! I've got pieces of ideas and projects scattered all over the place. Stuff has connections to other stuff in ways that only makes sense to me, except when it doesn't make sense to me.

The simplest thing would be to delete projects and other stuff, but where's the fun in that? I'd like my projects and ideas. There are reasons I start them all.

I think I will try organizing them like this:

Trello.com is FREE, but can be upgraded. If you think you may want to try this CLICK HERE and I will get brownie points.

Decorative Bags for Mobility Devices

I usually like functional bags to carry my stuff on my wheelchair. My emphasis is on PRACTICAL, attractive has been a much lower priority.

The bags that I've been using for about five years are neither functional nor attractive. I did not like them. They were difficult to use, stuff occasionally fell out.

I have replaced them. I went shopping at HDS MEDALLION® and got myself a couple of feminine, roomy, and PRACTICAL bags. On one side is a bright blue and lime. On the other is a blue paisley. I purposely picked different patterns so I could direct people to grab things like business cards or straws or emergency tracheostomy stuff. My suction machine is still in back. No money, no technology… Even I know that not everyone is to be trusted.

Now my wheelchair looks better than the rest of my wardrobe. Except for a couple of pairs of shoes that are new. Oh yes, and some new clothing.

I guess that am I need to be responsible and get a job worthy of my new bags.

Pruning My Closets, Dressers, And Armoires :-)

I don't enjoy shopping for clothing as much as I used to. I do not particularly enjoy the popular styles right now. Of course, dressing like it was 1910 isn't practical with my brace and wheelchair. I would not feel comfortable wearing a starfleet uniform to church, so there you have it.

When I find something I like, I keep it. In fact, I keep it until it is beyond serviceable and then keep it to "knock around" in.

Then, I started hearing about "capsule dressing." Places like <http://theproject333.com/> REALLY appeal to me! Saving brain space, closet space, and money on clothing would free me up for other things. Hoarding books comes to mind immediately. Hiding Christmas gifts might be fun. Giving to those in need appeals to me GREATLY.

Those plans will have to wait for a little while, though. Several friends have taken it upon themselves to bless me with updated wardrobe items. My closets, dressers, and armoires are stuffed to the gills! My "capsule wardrobe" plans will have to wait.

Studying Spanish and reading Matthew 16

Today was my weekly "conversational Spanish" practice lesson. My teacher, "Teresa Paz," thinks that I am learning at a good pace. She suggested daily practice in reading out loud. It would build my confidence and pronunciation.

She thinks that I have good understanding to build on. I have a couple of books in Spanish on my Kindle, they will work well. I understand about 80% of what I'm reading without looking anything up. At least I think I do. There were a couple of places where I understood individual words, but had to ask what the entire concept within a phrase or sentence was. The book I'm reading is "Cristo, mi Salvador" by Herman W Gockel. It is challenging, but I'm enjoying it.

After she left, I ran across this cartoon that made me laugh. It is too true to be funny, but there you have it.

From www.AgnusDay.org

 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Music

Yeah, it's kind of interesting… Music is an excellent tool for various needs.

• The rhythm and melody make an excellent mnemonic device. (THE ALPHABET SONG comes to mind…)
• Hymnody has been used as a catechetical tool like this  
• Part of my "Spanish-learning" includes learning songs like 

And now I hear that the LCMS is sponsoring a hymn-writing contest. <http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/contest-starts>. Part of me wants to think about thinking about entering. First, I will have to get over my fear of writing poetry.

More tools to help me study Spanish

Here are some more tools that I have discovered:

• BBC Languages Spanish http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca/
• Destinos  http://www.learner.org/series/destinos/
• Telemundo http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/videos
• Univision http://videos.univision.com/novelas
• BookBox Spanish Stories https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCE1049BCC2C78B97
• Euro-News Spanish  http://es.euronews.com/
• United Nations Multimedia, Spanish  http://www.un.org/es/multimedia/videos.shtml
• TED Talks Spanish http://tedxtalks.ted.com/browse/talks-by-language/spanish
• Spanish Proficiency Exercises from UT Austin  http://www.laits.utexas.edu/spe/siteindex.php   (THIS is an extraordinary website!)
• Catecismo Menor (Prefacio de Martín Lutero al Catecismo Menor)  http://sites.cph.org/catechism/es/index.asp  (What More could I ask?)

The last one set off a brainstorm. If I find books that I am familiar with and interested in, I might pick up something. Maybe. I hope.

Kathy S says that I spend way more time talking and thinking about theology than anyone else she knows. I don't know, maybe it is true. At the very least, it is an interest.

That is why I got these books.

• Cristo, ten piedad (Christ, Have Mercy) (Spanish Edition)
• Cristo, mi Salvador (Spanish Edition)

Learning… Spanish… AGAIN!

Once upon a time, there may have been a woman that I will call Teresa Paz. (I generated that name at <http://www.behindthename.com/random/>.)

Anyhow, Teresa may be a real person. She may be a friend that I met through Mother. She may, on the other hand, be an alter ego for myself while I learn Spanish.

Anyhow, I have set some goals for myself in re-learning the Spanish that I took in high school and college, only learning it to be able to speak it. I MIGHT try to find someone to talk to. I probably ought to also try to reconnect with some of my classmates from high school… Or not. Irregardless, I have, as Teresa Paz set some goals for myself for the next two weeks:

• Go to <http://www.grimmstories.com/es/grimm_cuentos/el_tambor> and read that story aloud for five minutes daily. Yes, I still read Grimms fairytales, especially when I'm trying to learn something else while I'm doing the reading!
• Listen to <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VniS1NXAurU> daily until I can sing along.  (No comments about how I don't watch chick flicks and romantic movies! I will do it to learn Spanish, especially when it is attached to music. Besides, THE NOTEBOOK was not the most hideous thing I've seen… It just isn't Apollo 13.)
• Watch TV in Spanish for a minimum of five minutes daily, just to get my ears accustomed to the sound of real speakers speaking. Maybe <http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b6434-RTVE-1.htm> will work.
• Come up with questions that I would ask a person IN SPANISH, IF A NATIVE-SPEAKER WAS SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ME.
• Another song to learn <http://www.albumcancionyletra.com/el-pescador-de-hombres_de_jose-guadalupe-esparza___84733.aspx>.  
• … And another one <http://youtu.be/xxe-8Iw9OW0>, and I don't even care that it is for children.

And another romantic one <http://lyricstranslate.com/en/echame-mi-la-culpa-blame-it-me.html>

• Yet another <http://lyricstranslate.com/en/el-tiempo-que-te-quede-libre-free-time-you-have-left.html>. I know that I've heard this one. I just never knew what it meant. If I need it with a male voice, it is also here <http://letras.mus.br/luis-miguel/26152/>
• 
  

It WASN'T a tutorial on training your voice recognition devices!

I get it! Sometimes my prejudices about books and movies gets in my way. Even though all of my nieces and nephews said that I would enjoy, "How to Train Your Dragon," I just had this mental blockage against it.

Every time I hear the words "training" and "Dragon" in the same sentence, I envisioned the myriad of ways voice recognition software has gone awry for me.

… Like "the Wheelchair from Hell." It really wanted to kill me! I would say, "stop," and it sometimes stopped. Or sped up. Or turned left. Or turned right. It would listen to horns honking & dash into traffic. It tried to throw me into water fountains.

Worst of all, IT HAD THE AUDACITY TO IGNORE ME!

… Or the time that I was using an early version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. (Back when Dragon Systems made the software and they had the coolest logo…)

But… I'm not going to tell that story. It makes my face turned red, STILL.

Anyhow!

"How to Train Your Dragon" is a cute movie that I will probably watch again.

Missionaries

:-) I'm surprised that I know so many of these folks! :-)

Wish I was one of them…

Tentative schedule for reading CHRIST HAVE MERCY

Tentative Schedule

Date                                         Chapter to Discuss

8/9/2014           Week 01           Introducing Ourselves; Reading the Preface and Forward; Finding the                                                           Study Questions        

8/16/2014         Week 02           1. Lord, Have Mercy;Christ, Have Mercy; Lord,Have Mercy

8/23/2014         Week 03           2. Father, Son, and Spirit

8/30/2014         Week 04           3. Mercy Incarnate      

9/6/2014           Week 05           4. The Heart of Mercy's             Heart   

9/13/2014         Week 06           5. Baptized for This  Moment    

9/20/2014         Week 07           6. Spoken Free and Living Mercifully                 

9/27/2014         Week 08           7. Christ's Body and Blood

10/4/2014         Week 09           8. Christ Cares for the Needy, Body and Soul           

10/11/2014       Week 10           9 . The Church: Holy and Whole

10/18/2014       Week 11           10. God against God

10/25/2014       Week 12           11. Mercy, Money, and Missing the Stewardship Boat         

11/1/2014         Week 13           12. Mercy and the Church's Confession 

11/8/2014         Week 14           13. Mercy and Office    

11/15/2014       Week 15           14. What is Lutheran Leadership?                     

11/22/2014       Week 16           15. Mercy in the City

11/29/2014       Week 17           16. Repentance, Word, Vocation, and the Courage to Be Lutheran  and Merciful   

12/6/2014         Week 18           Conclusion: It's Time to Dare Something for Mercy's Sake                                    

Broken People… And how to Serve Them

On Facebook, the other day, I ran across this picture. It caught my attention. It moved me. It is still rattling around in my head.

Not bad for something on the black role of time that Facebook is!

I understand that this is not a complete approach to people in a world of hurt. Believe me, part of the reason I went for my masters in deaconess studies is expressed on that t-shirt.

I still don't know what I can and should be doing.

So… I pulled out one of my textbooks:

Christ Have Mercy: How to Put Your Faith in Action Paperback– July 1, 2008

by Matthew C. Harrison  (Author)

(I am using the one for Kindle…)

Okay, the other reason is that our church's online book club is reading this book. Regardless, I'm going through it again.

Well, it is an excellent book! It is worth re-reading. It is also a challenge to my comfort zone.

A more detailed review is here…

I'm backwards… Again!

I may not have finished my book yet, but http://lmstapp.com/   is open for business?

Finding a favorite old tool again: PaintShop

I did not know that PaintShop still exists! I used the Jasc versions in Windows 95 and XP.  Granted, I didn't use it particularly well. Using speech recognition to draw is… INTERESTING. Still, I could do what I wanted to do for the most part.

Then Jasc was sold to Corel. I could not afford the next upgrades, so I made-do. It worked. I could still do what I wanted to do for the most part. It was really getting clunky to use software that was designed for Windows Xp on a Windows 7 machine, but I've always been the slowest part of my computer.

I've tried installing on Windows 8. Yeah… It was time to find ANYTHING Else. I knew that Photoshop prices were way out of my league and I want all legal software. Besides, my niece showed me her copy. It didn't do anything that PaintShop used to do at well under $100, it just was slicker…

I tried GIMP, and did not like it. It was well worth the price. Other people swear by it, but I would wind up swearing at it.

Aviary had some interesting online editors for a while. SUMO Paint is really good for what it does and has an inexpensive desktop thingy. It just doesn't quite work with my brain.

My nieces and nephews still think that PHOTOSHOP is the gold standard. Next time I win two or three lifetimes worth of Publishers Clearing House, I will think about thinking about trying that overpriced bit of fluff.

For now, this fits my budget:

Help and Kudos for Caregivers

From the gentleman who invented "Granny Pods" so we can keep our elders out of nursing homes comes another Tool. It is an app called MyPart. For the most part, one or two members of the family tend to have most of the caregiving duties when there is a need. This seems to be true whether we are talking about Elder Care or a family member with a long-term disability or a catastrophic illness.

MYPART tries to spread the caregiving among a greater number of families and friends. This is a KICKSTARTER project that I would love to see funded.

Finding Old Treasures… ONLINE

Back before I started my Masters in Deaconess Studies, I was very active in some of the online Lutheran social media-type thingies. One of them that I thoroughly enjoyed was The Wittenberg Trail. Yesterday and today I wandered by there. I'm so glad I did! I renewed a few acquaintances and got involved in several discussions. You really might want to come by and look for yourself!


Look me up!

Two Old Movies, and a New One

I have been on something of a "movie binge" recently. Yes, I'm usually juggling three other things while the movie is on, but still… It counts. I think. Maybe…

I'm not going to tell you that I watched COWBOYS VERSUS ALIENS. It was every bit as bad as it sounds. I do not have any idea how Harrison Ford got roped into that one.

For that matter, I'm not entirely sure how I got roped into watching that one…

I will admit to watching the 1950s flick "Last of the Buccaneers" with Paul Henreid. 79 min. or so… Then lost my attention. When the jungle-covered mountains of Galveston seemed to have cannibals. Maybe if I had watched longer I would see that they were really Native Americans in league with the Aliens and thought that the pirate Jean Lafitte and his men were really Cowboys. Or not.

Then I saw that in 1935 then made the movie that was remade in 1982 with Julie Andrews. I thought that a woman playing a man playing a woman was a recent plot! In "FIRST A GIRL" the main characters were so similar to the ones in "Victor/Victoria," that it was quite disappointing. Even the female impersonator was Victor/Victoria! They did not play up the "gay theme" in the 1935 version. It was quite refreshing.

Today, I saw DINESH D'SOUZA's "America: Imagine the World without Her." It was well done. I enjoyed it. I particularly appreciated the fact that he can talk AND LISTEN to people that he may not always agree with. When he presents what they say, he does so fairly and accurately.

Even if you disagree with everything he says, I think you may want to see the movie.

When I grow up I want to be more like him.

Field Trip: Lanier theological Library & Clementine's Restaurant

With all my delight about being able to use my TetraMouse, I forgot to tell you about my field trip!

A group of us from Zion, Tomball went on a delightful exploration on Friday, June 20, 2014. We started off at Lanier Theological Library, a new feature of the greater Houston area.  I don't think it has been around a long time, maybe four or five years. It's quite a little complex! There's a nifty replica of a Byzantine chapel that was my favorite part. I particularly like the fact that it has electricity and air conditioning! Those Byzantine dead folk were really ahead of their time, particularly in light of Houston heat and humidity.

Seriously, I really enjoy that stone chapel. I like the way the images create an opportunity for catechesis. It is kind of like little icons on your computer desktop or cell phone giving clues to the possibilities, once you open the software.

The library is equally impressive. From the floor to the very high ceiling, wall to wall, room to room… Books! Are! EVERYWHERE! Since I can't hold books anymore, I will have to be content with my own digital theological library from LOGOS, with additions from Kindle for PC and Nook for PC.

The next stop was Clementine's Restaurant. It has decor that resembles a street scene. At that time, it was not very busy. The food was generous, appropriately priced, and GOOD. I had the Blackened Tilapia.

Then, a large part of the group went to Our Savior Lutheran Church. This congregation is always a treat to visit. The architecture and art, again, serve as a teaching tool for explaining THE FAITH. Pastor Lawrence White office is another theological library with books in English, German, Greek, and Hebrew. There may be some Latin thrown in for fun and profit…

Some of us went to Adaptive Driving Access in Houston. Who knew that wheelchair-accessible vans could be interesting to look at?!? They even have ramps that slide in under the floor…

You still would not want to share a freeway way for me if I could drive…

I don't mean to go for an adventure for a while. I am still recovering. :-)

This is it! My quest was successful!

I am busily clicking around my desktop and the Internet. Yes, I found the mouse that works for me! I am excited and delighted, and will enjoy fine tuning my abilities as I learn to use the TetraMouse.

 Yes, I need to figure out this scaffolding-thing to mount this to my desk top. Tape allowed me to test whether I can use this tool. It is allowing me to try to figure out the best setup for me…

And…

It allows me the freedom to try my beloved TetraMouse in other situations. For example, I discovered that I can use this in bed. Nice and handy for many situations. If I'm sick, being able to fall into the computer will certainly speed my recovery.

I haven't figured out how to use the lights yet, but I've only been trying since Saturday. I know that there are four speeds to the mouse: blue is slowest, green is default, yellow is dangerously fast, and red is Warp Speed 9.5. I accidentally got to red, and I like it…… I probably need to stay at green for a little bit longer.

I also am thinking about thinking about thinking about thinking about getting a second TetraMouse to take with me…

I really LOVE this tool! I wonder how many other people could use it…

Update to My Previous Post-TetraMouse

All right! I admit it, I wasn't getting anywhere just wondering about whether TetraMouse could be used with my fingertips instead of my lips or tongue. I took a novel approach: I ASKED! Here is the reply:

To: Lisa Stapp
Subject: Re: Your Mouse MAY be the answer to my quest!

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for writing and thanks for your interest in the TetraMouse.

The TetraMouse can be operated with a finger and the optional cup-shaped knobs are ideal for fingertip operation as well as what they were originally designed for, i.e., using the tongue (for people with no head movement).

The dual joysticks on the TetraMouse are 1 inch apart. To operate the joysticks they need to be moved between approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch in all directions. Therefore, to use all the functions of the dual joysticks, the user needs to be able to move a finger (or tongue, or lips or chin) within a maximum rectangular area of approximately 1-1/4 inches wide (for side-to-side movement) and 1/4 inch high (for up and down movement) around the two joysticks. I don't know if that qualifies as "micro-movements", but it is not a large amount of movement. If the user can move a finger to any point within a rectangle 1-1/4 inches (32mm) wide by 1/4 inch (7mm) high, they should be able to move the pointer and access all the TetraMouse functions. A universal mounting system, like the TetraMouse Mounting System, can be used to position the TetraMouse for best use.

Re voice recognition: Many of my customers use the TetraMouse to supplement their use of Dragon Naturally Speaking. Because the TetraMouse is a true mouse (the computer sees it as a standard USB mouse), it is compatible with any computer applications, just like any other true mouse. No software or drivers need to be installed because the TetraMouse uses the computer's mouse driver that comes with the operating system. Therefore, there are no software conflicts with any applications.

Although I originally designed the first TetraMouse model for a friend with ALS, it is now used by many people with many various conditions that don't allow them to use their hands.

If you haven't already, be sure to read about the money-back guarantee and lifetime warranty that comes with the TetraMouse on the page at http://tetramouse.com/support.html.

Thanks for the mention on your Pinterest board!

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Best Regards,

Mark

Mark Snyder
TetraLite Products
2200 NE 88th St Spc 11A
Seattle WA 98115-8308
USA
1-206-362-3139
www.tetramouse.com

On 6/14/2014 12:48 PM, Lisa Stapp wrote:

Happy Monday!

I wonder if your mouse is the answer to my quest. I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is related to the ALS that you designed for. Currently, I am using Windows 8.1 and Dragon NaturallySpeaking to get around.

It works reasonably well, except that all speech recognition "gets stuck." When that happens, I'm stuck until someone can come around and help me out of the situation.

So… I decided to find or build a mouse that I can use. (By "build," I mean, "find someone to be my fingers and help me create this thing that I have in my head…" TetraMouse looks pretty close to the concept between my ears, and may be what I'm looking for.

Question: Do I have to use mouth, lips, or chin with this tool? How does that work when using voice recognition? Can I use fingertip micro-movements?

I invited you to look at my Pinterest board dedicated to my quest… Follow Lisa's board My Quest to find a mouse that I can actually USE! on Pinterest.

73 de Lisa S. KE5RSA
Skype: lmstapp or 281-378-3225
SMS: (281) 406-1749 | Fax: 866-256-1731
http://lmstapp.com/
      (Shaping words for work and play…)
http://joyfullyrollingalong.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/ConfessionalGal
*******************************************
"The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any

human accomplishment and incredible miracle," Col. John Paul Stapp

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More on "My Quest to Find a Mouse I Can Use"…

Nope, I'm not going to give up on this! I KNOW that there is a mouse that I can use!

At the moment, I'm interrogating the makers of the TetraMouse products, hoping that I do not need to use my mouth to use it. Dragon NaturallySpeaking sometimes has trouble understanding me as it is. Can you imagine the difficulties if I had to talk around a mouse in my mouth?

(That sounds like the beginnings of a weird sort story…)

Anyhow, this is what I'm looking at looking at:   http://tetramouse.com/tmxa.html

I am MOST DEFINITELY in the wrong line of work!

In November, I will be speaking to Texas Occupational Therapy Association. While I am a little bit nervous, it is a good kind of nervous-the kind that is exciting and makes you try to do a good job.

Of course, I turned to the Internet to find more information and sharpening my speech. I went down all sorts of rabbit trails, because it was fun. My sense of self-discipline took the back seat and everything.

Then I accidentally ran into this website.

The pitch is absolutely irresistible. It makes me want to plunk down $2600 instantaneously. I would love to make speeches for $3000 a pop!

For now, it simply isn't in my budget.

  I will have to make do with:
http://www.learningforlife.org/exploring-resources/99-720/y10.pdf

http://www.speechtips.com/how-to-write-a-speech.html

http://www.fastcompany.com/3026982/work-smart/10-lessons-every-presenter-should-learn-from-americas-most-iconic-speech

and

http://www.toastmasters.org/

Sheila's birthday luncheon…

Mom and I were stumped about what to get this dear lady for her birthday. She has most of the things she wants right now, at least that things within our budget. Granted, winning the lottery would've made her birthday perfect, but I'm not sure how to arrange that for certain.

We decided to take her for lunch. She thought she might like shrimp fried rice. Although we don't normally enjoy going out, this sounded like fun. We're finally decided to go to Main Moon Asian Bistro. It was fairly close. It was clean and welcoming. The food was quite reasonable and quite tasty.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Mom liked it. Best of all, Sheila was pleased.

Email addresses, the Klingon language, and other random stuff…

Yes, I have done it again. I have yet another email address, this time it is at "Starfleet.com." I do not intend I'm giving this email address out here, but if you know me… You can probably guess what it is.

It is moving some of my silly and fun things out of my main email area so I can do what I need to do instead of getting distracted. Hey, at least I'm pretending to pretend to be an adult…But…My identity here means "language-learner." My signature here Means "always learning…" If I ever wanted to look like a part of the warrior race, you might see resembling Warrior Stokkar <<http://www.hotink.com/warriorgallery/33.html>> since they modified a photo of me… I think you might get a grin from <<http://wiki.qephom.de/En/EmailDiscussionForum>>, which explains about an email list dedicated to learning Klingon. That's short version is To subscribe, send email to tlhIngan-Hol-subscribe@kli.org <mailto:tlhIngan-Hol-subscribe@kli.org> It is not unlike the Latin and Greek study groups online at <<http://www.quasillum.com/study/index.php>> I'm not really good at learning languages, I have the attention span of a gnat on crack cocaine, but I enjoy them. I would like to learn Latin so I can read "the old dead guys," and Koine Greek. It is hard to do any of them when you dedicate about 5 minutes per week… ;-) I also use this to play games. I am planning on signing up for Starbase 118 when things settle down a little bit. <<http://www.starbase118.net/>> So now you know my dark secrets… -- reH jIghojtaH

Colonoscopy is in the rearview mirror, so to speak…

I'm fine. I'd guess that I could show you the pictures, but I won't.

Some days are planned well, and then…

I may not have moved quickly enough. We may have lost the domain name "ziontomball.org". I'd say there is a 60-80% chance that this is true. On May 15, this website may temporarily disappear.

However, I have managed to get "ziontomballtx.org" and will order and setup hosting for that later this week.

Onward and upward?

It was a good visit… We are in recovery mode

I need to do this more often. I created a video that was right here, but I don't see it now. That's OK, it was hidious! I did not know that I could stick the utterance, "uhm" so often within a 1 minute video!
Trying again…

Camelot - Lusty Month of May - Rachel York

Church & Voters Meeting

Second Sunday of Easter was excellent, as expected.
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 | EASTER
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
YEAR A
             First Reading       Acts 5:29–42
             Psalm       Psalm 148
             Epistle       1 Peter 1:3–9
             Gospel       John 20:19–31

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


After that, we had Voters Meeting. It was highly productive and fast. If I timed it correctly, it lasted 27.5 minutes.

shoe shopping

I'm not particularly fond of shopping for shoes. My feet are sensitive, I suppose it could be part of my Spinal Muscular Atrophy. They are also floppy, wide, and short. Did I mention that I'm also flat-footed? Did I also mention that they are so thick that it looks like I have ridiculously high arches?

In all, trying to find shoes that fit my feet is less than a joyous experience. Style? For my feet? Well… Maybe in SecondLife.

I will say that the folks at Famous Footwear in Tomball Texas    made the process easier yesterday. They were friendly, understanding, and willing to take a little extra time.

By the way, I now know my shoe sizes. I haven't checked that in a while… That answer doesn't make things any easier. If we go by length, my left foot is size four and my right foot is size three. If we go by width, probably size seven would do.

Yeah, you can call me Quasimodo…

But… I found something reasonably cute that fits well enough. It's not like I'm going to be running around enough so they will fall off or anything.

I wonder if this will work

This is a test message.  If it was a real message, I would be saying something wonderfully witty.

 73 de Lisa S. KE5RSA
Skype: lmstapp or 281-378-3225
SMS: (281) 406-1749 | Fax: 866-256-1731
http://lmstapp.com/
      (Shaping words for work and play…)
http://joyfullyrollingalong.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/ConfessionalGal
*******************************************
Faith is nothing more than simply receiving all
    the treasures of Jesus. Faith is having.

• Preus, Klemet I. (2013-05-14). What They Need To Hear (p. 90). Concordia Publishing. Kindle Edition.        

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My Quest for a mouse continues…

I am sad to say that that Tobii PCEye did not work for me.  Not only do I have 50-year-old eyes, I have a bad astigmatism and am so nearsighted that someone had to tell me that the top letter of a eye chart in the office is a giant letter E.  I think that the Crizal lenses are what did me in, though.  Those lenses are wonderful!  I think that the glare-prevention properties prevented Tobii be able to see what my eyes were doing.
And, YES, I tried working with Tobii without any glasses.  I could not see this screen…
So… My Quest to find a mouse that I can actually use has moved to Pinterest.
At this point, it is moving into the DIY factor.  :-) You know that I approve of that!

Happy 17th…

Today my sister and brother-in-law celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary. Coincidentally, it is also his mother's birthday. Other folks are wearing green for one reason or another…

If I had to pick a hymn for today, I would probably choose LSB#604

The best laid plans still sometimes go awry…

[sigh] Apparently, Tobii PCEyeGo does not work with me. We are coming to the conclusion that the thickness of my eye glasses, Crizal lenses, and my astigmatism confuse this software. When I took my glasses off, it got a better reading…

But I could not begin to see the monitor, no matter how much larger we made everything.

I told them that I would love to help beta-test the next version. I tried to make useful and practical suggestions to try to make it work. It didn't. Naturally, I'm disappointed.

However, this may have earned me a speaking gig at the state convention for occupational therapists… <http://www.tota.org/>. Scary, and I think it would be an excellent thing to do.

We shall see… Whether I go live or Teleport my presence via the Internet. NARS grant us

Now are things in your part of the universe?

How are things with you?

I am OK, maybe feeling a little bit of stress. We are still looking to replace my weekday morning attendant. Getting adapted to my new computer seems harder this time than usual. I also think that I'm developing a mild case of shingles. It's uncomfortable, but not one 100th as bad as I have heard it described. I will bring it up to the Dr. next week when I have my colonoscopy.

And yet… I feel at peace. The Trinitarian God of the bible is at work through this. At the moment, I do not see how it can be for my benefit. I Trust that it is…

  
   2       Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3       for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). . Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

 

trials. Gk peirasmos. Any challenging circumstances that befall Christians. Does not refer to being tempted, as in vv 13–14.

 testing. Same as “trials” in v 2 (cf Lk 8:13; 22:28). steadfastness. Translated “patience” in Lk 8:15. Cf Jas 1:12.

Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible (p. 2135). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

 

It's not like I am the first person to face frustrations or difficulties. When you look at history, most of what I am facing today can almost be considered "trivial." I'm annoyed, not endangered.

Maybe it's time to consider a favorite quote from my all time favorite movie:
WORK THE PROBLEM

Apparently, I am not the only person to get encouragement from that quote…

Can you say frustrated?

You Know Those Times When the Computer Works Smoothly, and Every Task Gets Accomplished Quickly?
 Me Either…

My Week by confessionalgal

I suspect that the book is better

In 1972, SOUNDER came out. It probably comes as little surprise to find out that I did not see it in the theater. ;-) Even back then, I made it a point to see movies at least once every seven years or so.

Anyhow, I saw it a few years later. Some of it is incredibly powerful and emotionally rich. Still, I was a little disappointed. It felt like something was missing.

SOUNDER was on TCM this afternoon. I decided to tape it and watch it again. After all, the first time I saw the movie, commercials were embedded.

Besides, I was young and shallow back then. It was entirely possible that the things that everyone else saw in the movie would mean more to me now.

I am still not as impressed as I want to be with it. I suspect that the book is better. There are jumps in the movie that just don't make sense. Pieces are missing. Peoples' motivations aren't there. We just don't see a three dimensional universe.