Our big, 18+ lb. cat, Stripey, has been nothing but trouble today. Somehow, sometime, he snuck his way out of the apartment without any of us knowing (except our other cat, Vivvy).
About 2:30 or so this afternoon, Vivvy began to yowl and whine about something. Elise put her on a leash and she went out for a few minutes, but came in and continued to yowl very loudly. After a few minutes, I understood what she was saying -- this was her "Stripey is outside the apartment" yowl. And so we began a frantic search inside to locate Stripey -- which, obviously was unsuccessful.
Then we expanded the search outside, but he was nowhere to be seen. And with his cute, dainty voice, it certainly would not be heard, even if he were to make noises rather than cowering in fear. We search all around the apartment grounds multiple times. We went across the road to see if we could spot cat-like movement along the beach rocks. I took my bike and rode around several blocks to see if he had made his way away from the apartment.
In my initial search around the grounds, I came across a handful of locations that could hold a hiding, cowering cat. I searched around them but didn't find anything. It was about an hour later, searching the same area for the fifth or sixth time that I saw a little kitty head poking out in a little hole underneath a pile of concrete slabs on the next property. And there he was. He had found a hole just big enough where a dog wouldn't be able to get in, and where even a team of Bald Eagles would have a difficult time pulling him out.
Elise came by, so I had her work on Stripey while I went to search for Shelley who had gone off in her own search. We were all safely united a few minutes later.
We then rushed off to the parade pictured in the earlier posting.
After the parade, we came home, and then headed almost right back out for a picnic supper on the west side of the city.
Upon returning from the picnic, Stripey used the litter box -- sort of. He somehow used it backwards, so that his business landed outside the container, onto the floor, the rug, and the door.
How much trouble can an 18 lb. cat get into in a single day? From the looks of it, quite a bit. I've had just about enough of it.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Little Norway Festival 2007 Part 1
The annual Little Norway festival is in full swing this weekend. Last night we attended the Mitkof Mummer's annual melodrama in their continuing saga of Halibut Harbor. It was an entertaining bit of theater, though I think quite a bit of the inside jokes went past us. But even so, we found it amusing and enjoyable.
This afternoon was the march of the festival parade down Main Street. You'd almost think you were walking down Disneyland's Main Street with the crowds and noise so thick. Click on this link or the collage image to view the photo gallery from this afternoon.
This afternoon was the march of the festival parade down Main Street. You'd almost think you were walking down Disneyland's Main Street with the crowds and noise so thick. Click on this link or the collage image to view the photo gallery from this afternoon.
Amy's Birthday Party
The theme of Amy's birthday party on Thursday was "chocolate chip cookies." So that's what she and seven other girls did -- make chocolate chip cookies. There were a few other activities besides that, including an unexpected Piñata from one of the guests.
Trying to find a place to hang the Piñata was a serious challenge. We discovered that throughout the entire church proprety, there are no naturally available locations to hang one. So we improvised by wrapping the rope around the roof of the church entry and making a makeshift crossbeam from rope from which we hung the Piñata.
Click on this link or the collage image to view the party photo gallery.
Trying to find a place to hang the Piñata was a serious challenge. We discovered that throughout the entire church proprety, there are no naturally available locations to hang one. So we improvised by wrapping the rope around the roof of the church entry and making a makeshift crossbeam from rope from which we hung the Piñata.
Click on this link or the collage image to view the party photo gallery.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Old phones, new phones, wasabi almonds
I cancelled our cell phone service with Verizon Wireless today. Our contract expired at the end of last month, and I discovered that our monthly usage was falling below 30 minutes/month. I picked up a couple of prepaid cell phones that are currently on special -- free phones and no activation fee when purchased with $50 or more in prepaid minutes. We'll use these for basically emergencies, for Elise to take on-call calls, and for the kids to take along when they're about town on their own.
Of the two numbers that were activated, one of them didn't work completely until today. I could call out from it, I could call into it from the local landline, from another cell phone on the ACS network, but NOT from a number on the Cellular One network (on which my T-Mobile service roams). After spending an hour this morning myself with technical support, I took the phone back to the office where I purchased it and let them fight with it. It finally got working after someone at ACS figured out there were additional ports that had to be opened... whatever that means in cell-phone network speak.
Cell phone service is notoriously unreliable here. I've experienced outages that went longer than a day. Sometimes it's both service providers, sometimes it one or the other. So a landline is a must, and if you have more than one cell phone, it kind of makes to have them on separate networks.
While my sister was here, she found that we are able to get Blue Diamond Bold Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds at the convenience store. So she purchased a can for us and I've been hooked...
We began our search for a house today. We went into and looked at three today. We'll look at a couple more on Friday. There just aren't that many homes to choose from here, and none meet all of our needs and desires. We'll see how things go during the next days and weeks.
Of the two numbers that were activated, one of them didn't work completely until today. I could call out from it, I could call into it from the local landline, from another cell phone on the ACS network, but NOT from a number on the Cellular One network (on which my T-Mobile service roams). After spending an hour this morning myself with technical support, I took the phone back to the office where I purchased it and let them fight with it. It finally got working after someone at ACS figured out there were additional ports that had to be opened... whatever that means in cell-phone network speak.
Cell phone service is notoriously unreliable here. I've experienced outages that went longer than a day. Sometimes it's both service providers, sometimes it one or the other. So a landline is a must, and if you have more than one cell phone, it kind of makes to have them on separate networks.
While my sister was here, she found that we are able to get Blue Diamond Bold Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds at the convenience store. So she purchased a can for us and I've been hooked...
We began our search for a house today. We went into and looked at three today. We'll look at a couple more on Friday. There just aren't that many homes to choose from here, and none meet all of our needs and desires. We'll see how things go during the next days and weeks.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Cruise ship runs aground
The paddlewheeler cruise ship, Empress of the North, whose photo I posted a few days back, has run aground according to the story on the Anchorage Daily News site.
This story has also made the front page of the MSN site via MSNBC.
This story has also made the front page of the MSN site via MSNBC.
Week back and week ahead
Last Tuesday we had our last children's choir get-together for this season. With May and summer upon us, schedules get busy, school lets out, travel occurs, and things just don't lend themselves too well for weekly meetings. I'd like to get together a few times so that we can sing at the Manor (assisted living) and perhaps at the long-term care (nursing home).
If you're looking for a vacation in which you are forced to relax... this may be the place. That's what my sister and husband discovered (and enjoyed) about their visit here. It was "vacation" in the way it should be, but so often when we go on "vacation" we discover that we need a rest from our "vacation." That just isn't so when you come here. You simply cannot get yourself too busy here. You can walk, see and visit the entire city in about half a day. You can drive from one end of the island to the other in about the same amount of time (including time to get out and walk). You can take a flight tour or a boat tour that takes half to a whole day. But once the end of the day comes around, you are back at your hotel. There really isn't much nightlife, unless you're into bars... So if you're looking for a few days in which to walk along the rocky beaches, or tromp through some muskeg, splash about the rivers and creeks, watch the eagles soaring in the air, watch the boats sailing past, watch the tide go in and out... this may be the place.
We begin our house hunting this week. Not that there is much to hunt from, mind you. There are a couple of for-sale-by-owner properties, and about three listed with the Realtor that we are sort of interested in looking at. None of them, just looking at them, have jumped out at us yelling, "Buy me, buy me!" So we'll see how things go. We're looking for a house that has 3 or more bedrooms, more than 1 bathroom, a large living area, and a respectable kitchen (since I've lately found myself spending 2-4 hours most days in it). We want a large living area so that we can open up our home to different gatherings. There are people who are reluctant to come to church, but may be open to a gathering in a home. We would like to make that option available, but would need a sufficiently open space to do that comfortably.
The Little Norway Festival occurs from this Thursday through Sunday. We'll be out and about at some of the events that occur. I'm sure the city streets will be the busiest we've ever seen since our arrival.
If you're looking for a vacation in which you are forced to relax... this may be the place. That's what my sister and husband discovered (and enjoyed) about their visit here. It was "vacation" in the way it should be, but so often when we go on "vacation" we discover that we need a rest from our "vacation." That just isn't so when you come here. You simply cannot get yourself too busy here. You can walk, see and visit the entire city in about half a day. You can drive from one end of the island to the other in about the same amount of time (including time to get out and walk). You can take a flight tour or a boat tour that takes half to a whole day. But once the end of the day comes around, you are back at your hotel. There really isn't much nightlife, unless you're into bars... So if you're looking for a few days in which to walk along the rocky beaches, or tromp through some muskeg, splash about the rivers and creeks, watch the eagles soaring in the air, watch the boats sailing past, watch the tide go in and out... this may be the place.
We begin our house hunting this week. Not that there is much to hunt from, mind you. There are a couple of for-sale-by-owner properties, and about three listed with the Realtor that we are sort of interested in looking at. None of them, just looking at them, have jumped out at us yelling, "Buy me, buy me!" So we'll see how things go. We're looking for a house that has 3 or more bedrooms, more than 1 bathroom, a large living area, and a respectable kitchen (since I've lately found myself spending 2-4 hours most days in it). We want a large living area so that we can open up our home to different gatherings. There are people who are reluctant to come to church, but may be open to a gathering in a home. We would like to make that option available, but would need a sufficiently open space to do that comfortably.
The Little Norway Festival occurs from this Thursday through Sunday. We'll be out and about at some of the events that occur. I'm sure the city streets will be the busiest we've ever seen since our arrival.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Wishing all mothers a happy Mother's Day
A happy Mother's Day to our mothers in Alaska, Oregon and Japan; and to all other mothers that happen to drop in and read this.It's Sunday so Elise is once again at work today. We'll see what, if anything, we do this evening.
Bible Reading 2007, Week 20
The Bible reading for this week is found in 1 Samuel 8-31 and Psalms 26, 27, 30, 44. The theme is once again Kings and Prophets. The readings focus on the rise and fall of King Saul, and David's stories during the time of Saul.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Sermon: A Chosen Disappointment
(Click on above link to listen to sermon audio.)
Today I spoke on the story of Samson and applied some of what is found to Mother's Day. Some might wonder how Samson's story could possibly be a source for Mother's Day.
I think that there are many mothers (and fathers, too) whose value and worth are inappropriately tied to their children. And when their children don't meet expectations, they might experience a letdown and a sense of failure. Samson's story is one where things should have turned out quite well -- godly, devout parents and God's Spirit working in Samson -- but it did not. It's a story with a warning that parents should not base their success as parents in how their children turn out.
Many mothers (and fathers) today have become known as "helicopter parents." They hover (and hover, and hover) over and around their children for fear that something might go wrong. I think that Samson's story is one that shows us that children must be allowed to drive their own lives.
Some mothers (and fathers) may have children who seem headed into ruin, or perhaps are already there. Samson's story is finally one of hope and encouragement, because God does not give up on anyone. Our God is a God who is able to rescue anyone who wants to be rescued.
Today I spoke on the story of Samson and applied some of what is found to Mother's Day. Some might wonder how Samson's story could possibly be a source for Mother's Day.
I think that there are many mothers (and fathers, too) whose value and worth are inappropriately tied to their children. And when their children don't meet expectations, they might experience a letdown and a sense of failure. Samson's story is one where things should have turned out quite well -- godly, devout parents and God's Spirit working in Samson -- but it did not. It's a story with a warning that parents should not base their success as parents in how their children turn out.
Many mothers (and fathers) today have become known as "helicopter parents." They hover (and hover, and hover) over and around their children for fear that something might go wrong. I think that Samson's story is one that shows us that children must be allowed to drive their own lives.
Some mothers (and fathers) may have children who seem headed into ruin, or perhaps are already there. Samson's story is finally one of hope and encouragement, because God does not give up on anyone. Our God is a God who is able to rescue anyone who wants to be rescued.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Children's Story: Chosen by God
Chosen by God
A long time ago, in a town called Zorah, there lived a man and his wife. The man's name was Manoah. We're not told what his wife's name was. For our story today, we'll just call her "Jaffa" (pronounced Ya-fah). For many, many years they prayed to God for a child to be given to them. But no child came for many years.
Then one day while Jaffa was working out in the fields, a handsome and beautiful young man came up to her and told her that God was going to answer their prayers for a child. This man told her that this child would be a special child, one dedicated to God and who would work for God.
The man gave Jaffa instructions about what she was to do. She was no longer to eat and drink certain categories of food and drink. For the child, the man gave instruction that this child's hair was to never be cut. The hair would be a sign of the child's specialness to God.
During this time, Manoah and Jaffa's people, the Israelites, were being treated badly by the Philistines. The Philistines were a neighboring nation who worshiped other gods. The Philistines were stronger than the Israelites. Many of the Israelites, because it looked like the Philistine gods were stronger than their God, began to worship the other gods instead of their true God. The man who came to Jaffa told her that God was going to use her child to show to the Israelites that their God really was the stronger God, and also to the Philistines that their gods were no match for Israel's God.
After the man left, Jaffa ran to her husband, Manoah, to tell him about the man and the news that he brought. "A man of God appeared to me," she said. "He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see," she continued. "I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he told me, 'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must refrain from wine and all alcoholic beverages, nor must you eat any forbidden foods. Your son will be set apart for God from the moment of pregnancy until the day of his death.'"
Manoah thought maybe his wife was confused and had seen and heard things that really weren't there. So he asked God that if his wife was really telling him what happened, that this man would come to them once again. God answered his prayer by sending the man again to Jaffa. She ran to tell her husband that the man had come. Manoah went to see the man and after speaking with him, was convinced that Jaffa wasn't confused and had heard correctly the first time.
Manoah asked for this man's name and the man just told Manoah that his name was too Wonderful for him to really understand. (Did you know that many years later, Jesus would be known as "Wonderful?") Manoah brought some sacrifices to offer to God. As the sacrifices burned upon the rock where Manoah had placed it, a wonder happened. The man that was talking with them entered the flames and rose up to heaven in it.
Both Manoah and Jaffa became scared and fell to the ground. They realized that this wasn't just a man -- it was God himself that had come to speak with them. Manoah thought he was going to die, but Jaffa pointed out to him that if God wanted to kill them, why would he have accepted their offering and showed them this wonderful miracle, and promised them a son?
They returned home and Jaffa followed the instructions of God carefully. About a year later a boy was born to Manoah and Jaffa. They named this boy Samson. He grew up strong, but he was not the most obedient child around. He wanted to do his own thing. Manoah and Jaffa tried to teach Samson about God and how to live life in a way that would please him, but it seemed that Samson didn't really listen nor want to do that.
I'm sure Manoah, and especially Jaffa, had many moments when they became discouraged and probably felt some disappointment with Samson. Here was a special child from God, but it didn't look like he wanted anything to do with getting to know God, to come to Him, to be with Him, and to walk with Him. Maybe there were times when they thought God had made a mistake about choosing Samson to be his special person.
Samson did eventually come back to God. In the book of Hebrews, we learn that Samson is listed as one of the heroes who had faith in God. But before that happened, Samson made lots of mistakes that eventually resulted in his enemies taking out both his eyes to make him blind. His parents never learned about Samson's return to God. His parents died wondering what would ever become of Samson.
Boys and girls, your parents, and especially your mother, are always concerned and worried about what kind of adults you'll become. It's always better to learn to please your mother, father, and God early in life instead of later. That can save you from a lot of troubles later in life. But remember that even if you choose not to love and please God, God still loves you. Even if you choose to ignore him, he won't ignore you. God will keep trying to get your attention and do everything he can in order to bring you to where you will want to choose to love and please him. [E.g., the story of Jacob and God's pursuit of him.]
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. You might have cards or flowers or gifts you are giving to your mother. I'm sure she'll appreciate these tokens and symbols of your love for her. But the very best gift of love you can give to your mother is a commitment to her that with God's help you'll train to become the kind of person that pleases both her and God.
A long time ago, in a town called Zorah, there lived a man and his wife. The man's name was Manoah. We're not told what his wife's name was. For our story today, we'll just call her "Jaffa" (pronounced Ya-fah). For many, many years they prayed to God for a child to be given to them. But no child came for many years.
Then one day while Jaffa was working out in the fields, a handsome and beautiful young man came up to her and told her that God was going to answer their prayers for a child. This man told her that this child would be a special child, one dedicated to God and who would work for God.
The man gave Jaffa instructions about what she was to do. She was no longer to eat and drink certain categories of food and drink. For the child, the man gave instruction that this child's hair was to never be cut. The hair would be a sign of the child's specialness to God.
During this time, Manoah and Jaffa's people, the Israelites, were being treated badly by the Philistines. The Philistines were a neighboring nation who worshiped other gods. The Philistines were stronger than the Israelites. Many of the Israelites, because it looked like the Philistine gods were stronger than their God, began to worship the other gods instead of their true God. The man who came to Jaffa told her that God was going to use her child to show to the Israelites that their God really was the stronger God, and also to the Philistines that their gods were no match for Israel's God.
After the man left, Jaffa ran to her husband, Manoah, to tell him about the man and the news that he brought. "A man of God appeared to me," she said. "He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see," she continued. "I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name. But he told me, 'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must refrain from wine and all alcoholic beverages, nor must you eat any forbidden foods. Your son will be set apart for God from the moment of pregnancy until the day of his death.'"
Manoah thought maybe his wife was confused and had seen and heard things that really weren't there. So he asked God that if his wife was really telling him what happened, that this man would come to them once again. God answered his prayer by sending the man again to Jaffa. She ran to tell her husband that the man had come. Manoah went to see the man and after speaking with him, was convinced that Jaffa wasn't confused and had heard correctly the first time.
Manoah asked for this man's name and the man just told Manoah that his name was too Wonderful for him to really understand. (Did you know that many years later, Jesus would be known as "Wonderful?") Manoah brought some sacrifices to offer to God. As the sacrifices burned upon the rock where Manoah had placed it, a wonder happened. The man that was talking with them entered the flames and rose up to heaven in it.
Both Manoah and Jaffa became scared and fell to the ground. They realized that this wasn't just a man -- it was God himself that had come to speak with them. Manoah thought he was going to die, but Jaffa pointed out to him that if God wanted to kill them, why would he have accepted their offering and showed them this wonderful miracle, and promised them a son?
They returned home and Jaffa followed the instructions of God carefully. About a year later a boy was born to Manoah and Jaffa. They named this boy Samson. He grew up strong, but he was not the most obedient child around. He wanted to do his own thing. Manoah and Jaffa tried to teach Samson about God and how to live life in a way that would please him, but it seemed that Samson didn't really listen nor want to do that.
I'm sure Manoah, and especially Jaffa, had many moments when they became discouraged and probably felt some disappointment with Samson. Here was a special child from God, but it didn't look like he wanted anything to do with getting to know God, to come to Him, to be with Him, and to walk with Him. Maybe there were times when they thought God had made a mistake about choosing Samson to be his special person.
Samson did eventually come back to God. In the book of Hebrews, we learn that Samson is listed as one of the heroes who had faith in God. But before that happened, Samson made lots of mistakes that eventually resulted in his enemies taking out both his eyes to make him blind. His parents never learned about Samson's return to God. His parents died wondering what would ever become of Samson.
Boys and girls, your parents, and especially your mother, are always concerned and worried about what kind of adults you'll become. It's always better to learn to please your mother, father, and God early in life instead of later. That can save you from a lot of troubles later in life. But remember that even if you choose not to love and please God, God still loves you. Even if you choose to ignore him, he won't ignore you. God will keep trying to get your attention and do everything he can in order to bring you to where you will want to choose to love and please him. [E.g., the story of Jacob and God's pursuit of him.]
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. You might have cards or flowers or gifts you are giving to your mother. I'm sure she'll appreciate these tokens and symbols of your love for her. But the very best gift of love you can give to your mother is a commitment to her that with God's help you'll train to become the kind of person that pleases both her and God.
Family Visit
(Updated Friday to fix photo link.)
My sister and husband are currently visiting us. While Elise worked today, we drove out to Blind River/Slough in the rain. We walked out on the boardwalk to the river and rapids which you see in this photo.
We headed back to town, then past it towards Frederick Point on Frederick Road. I've never been past the first mile on this road. I discovered that there are a number of homes out this way. The roads are not plowed during the winter, and I don't think they have city utilities. The road continues to go up and eventually comes to a number of places where it is possible to take in the view of Frederick Sound. Unfortunately the skies were rather cloudy. We'll have to come up here again when skies are not quite so heavy with mist.
On the way back down we stopped at City Creek, a location where we walked last summer. Shelley and Amy immediately went into the creek. Actually, Shelley started to, slipped, and got wet and muddy, water filling her boots. But that wasn't enough to faze her. Both girls splashed about in the water and the rain for a few more minutes before we headed back home to dry clothes and warmth.
I prepared a couple of Indian dishes - lentils with spinach, and dry cooked curried potatoes -- plus a salad.
Shelley received a small set of bonsai tools from her aunt. Tomorrow, we plan to go out and see if we can locate a good bonsai tree specimen for Shelley. We found quite a few that would have made good ones out in the muskeg at Blind River Rapids. But I don't think the Forest Service would have liked to have them dug up.
My sister and husband are currently visiting us. While Elise worked today, we drove out to Blind River/Slough in the rain. We walked out on the boardwalk to the river and rapids which you see in this photo.
We headed back to town, then past it towards Frederick Point on Frederick Road. I've never been past the first mile on this road. I discovered that there are a number of homes out this way. The roads are not plowed during the winter, and I don't think they have city utilities. The road continues to go up and eventually comes to a number of places where it is possible to take in the view of Frederick Sound. Unfortunately the skies were rather cloudy. We'll have to come up here again when skies are not quite so heavy with mist.
On the way back down we stopped at City Creek, a location where we walked last summer. Shelley and Amy immediately went into the creek. Actually, Shelley started to, slipped, and got wet and muddy, water filling her boots. But that wasn't enough to faze her. Both girls splashed about in the water and the rain for a few more minutes before we headed back home to dry clothes and warmth.
I prepared a couple of Indian dishes - lentils with spinach, and dry cooked curried potatoes -- plus a salad.
Shelley received a small set of bonsai tools from her aunt. Tomorrow, we plan to go out and see if we can locate a good bonsai tree specimen for Shelley. We found quite a few that would have made good ones out in the muskeg at Blind River Rapids. But I don't think the Forest Service would have liked to have them dug up.
Monday, May 07, 2007
May Photos
This was taken last week. The deer munch on the lawn, and then sit down to let it digest.
There are more than just fishing boats going by now. I've seen quite a few pleasure yachts and a few small cruise boats. Here's a sternwheeler cruise ship, Empress of the North, that went by today.
Petersburg Mountain is due SW from where I took this photo. During the summer the sun sets close to 90-degrees to the right, almost to the northwest. During the winter the sun sets off the left side of this photo. (As I'm writing this, a few minutes before actual sunset, the mist in the space between the foreground hill [that you see just on the right side] and Petersburg Mountain is glowing red.)
Here's looking out the other direction towards Frederick Sound. It was just an hour or so after high tide, so the current was fairly calm, and with no winds, the water was calm enough to reflect the clouds and mountains.
There are more than just fishing boats going by now. I've seen quite a few pleasure yachts and a few small cruise boats. Here's a sternwheeler cruise ship, Empress of the North, that went by today.
Petersburg Mountain is due SW from where I took this photo. During the summer the sun sets close to 90-degrees to the right, almost to the northwest. During the winter the sun sets off the left side of this photo. (As I'm writing this, a few minutes before actual sunset, the mist in the space between the foreground hill [that you see just on the right side] and Petersburg Mountain is glowing red.)
Here's looking out the other direction towards Frederick Sound. It was just an hour or so after high tide, so the current was fairly calm, and with no winds, the water was calm enough to reflect the clouds and mountains.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
A few happenings
Here's another summary of things that have happened since the last update.
Thursday was the National Day of Prayer. The evening service was at the Baptist church, in which I was to take part in leading a few songs, and the children's choir was asked to sing a song. The congregational singing was to the accompaniment of a digital hymnal. It was an interesting experience trying to sing along to a very mechanical accompaniment. It would hold notes unexpectedly, and then not hold notes where it would be expected. The kids sang quite well -- much better than what I thought was going to happen after going through the rehearsal on Tuesday. On Tuesday there just wasn't much volume in their voices, and I didn't think they would be heard beyond the first few rows. But on Thursday things were much better.
This afternoon was the annual Blessing of the Fleet in which anyone who wishes to have their boat and their fishing work prayed can have that done by the pastors of Petersburg. It was an interesting service. It was indoors this year because the rain and wind was pretty strong. It is normally held outside, even with rain. Afterward there were refreshments. This was my first time inside the Sons of Norway Hall, one of the landmark buildings in the city.
Sometime after returning home, I was startled by a knock on the door. It was the lady for whom I translated some school transcripts for her boys. She works at one of the canneries in town, and she had with her a bag full of "kazunoko" (herring roe), a Japanese delicacy. I'm pretty sure these are fresh from a recent catch that came through the cannery. My sister and husband are arriving in a few days, so I've set aside a few to soak out the salt.
A month after the Good Friday service in which I took part and gave a short message, there are still people coming up to me telling me how much they appreciated the message. I can only credit the Holy Spirit with bringing all the pieces together for what I said, and for how I delivered it. The Adventist congregation here is tiny, but it appears that the work I am doing is having an impact beyond the walls of the Adventist church. I don't really expect that the Adventist church here will ever be that large, but if, through some of these community events, I can share a new perspective of God that some people haven't seen before, then I would consider our work here a success.
Thursday was the National Day of Prayer. The evening service was at the Baptist church, in which I was to take part in leading a few songs, and the children's choir was asked to sing a song. The congregational singing was to the accompaniment of a digital hymnal. It was an interesting experience trying to sing along to a very mechanical accompaniment. It would hold notes unexpectedly, and then not hold notes where it would be expected. The kids sang quite well -- much better than what I thought was going to happen after going through the rehearsal on Tuesday. On Tuesday there just wasn't much volume in their voices, and I didn't think they would be heard beyond the first few rows. But on Thursday things were much better.
This afternoon was the annual Blessing of the Fleet in which anyone who wishes to have their boat and their fishing work prayed can have that done by the pastors of Petersburg. It was an interesting service. It was indoors this year because the rain and wind was pretty strong. It is normally held outside, even with rain. Afterward there were refreshments. This was my first time inside the Sons of Norway Hall, one of the landmark buildings in the city.
Sometime after returning home, I was startled by a knock on the door. It was the lady for whom I translated some school transcripts for her boys. She works at one of the canneries in town, and she had with her a bag full of "kazunoko" (herring roe), a Japanese delicacy. I'm pretty sure these are fresh from a recent catch that came through the cannery. My sister and husband are arriving in a few days, so I've set aside a few to soak out the salt.
A month after the Good Friday service in which I took part and gave a short message, there are still people coming up to me telling me how much they appreciated the message. I can only credit the Holy Spirit with bringing all the pieces together for what I said, and for how I delivered it. The Adventist congregation here is tiny, but it appears that the work I am doing is having an impact beyond the walls of the Adventist church. I don't really expect that the Adventist church here will ever be that large, but if, through some of these community events, I can share a new perspective of God that some people haven't seen before, then I would consider our work here a success.
Bible Reading 2007, Week 19
The readings this week are found in 1 Samuel 1-7; Psalms 14-17; Proverbs 16-20; and 1 Chronicles 1-9.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Sermon: When Right Isn't
(Click on above title to listen to sermon audio.)
Based on Matthew 18:1-6, 10; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 15.
It is so easy to do or say something that results in children or someone new to the faith ("little ones," according to Jesus) receiving the wrong impression of God. The longer believers spend with other believers, the more calloused they become to insensitivities that could cause a huge wound in someone more inexperienced in faith. It might even result in spiritual death for someone.
The responsibility of watching and weighing to make sure that doesn't happen falls upon the more experienced believers -- those who are more mature in faith. But it seems that so often, those that have been Christians, supposedly walking with Jesus, for the longest time have become the most insensitive towards children and new believers. Some of Jesus' harshest words are directed against those that wound and kill, intentionally or not, his "little ones." We take a look at a couple of these admonitions from Jesus in this sermon.
(The responsive reading that is mentioned is Matthew 18:1-6, 10 and Mark 10:13-16.)
We need to remind ourselves that the more experienced disciples of Jesus must carefully watch their words and actions so that we do not become obstacles to God's children, his little ones, as they make their walk towards Jesus.
Based on Matthew 18:1-6, 10; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 15.
It is so easy to do or say something that results in children or someone new to the faith ("little ones," according to Jesus) receiving the wrong impression of God. The longer believers spend with other believers, the more calloused they become to insensitivities that could cause a huge wound in someone more inexperienced in faith. It might even result in spiritual death for someone.
The responsibility of watching and weighing to make sure that doesn't happen falls upon the more experienced believers -- those who are more mature in faith. But it seems that so often, those that have been Christians, supposedly walking with Jesus, for the longest time have become the most insensitive towards children and new believers. Some of Jesus' harshest words are directed against those that wound and kill, intentionally or not, his "little ones." We take a look at a couple of these admonitions from Jesus in this sermon.
(The responsive reading that is mentioned is Matthew 18:1-6, 10 and Mark 10:13-16.)
We need to remind ourselves that the more experienced disciples of Jesus must carefully watch their words and actions so that we do not become obstacles to God's children, his little ones, as they make their walk towards Jesus.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Children's Story: The Brothers
This story is meant to accompany tomorrow's sermon. Tomorrow, I'll be focusing on the value God places upon his children.
The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 doesn't give any reasons why the younger son got tired of living at home, tired of his father, and therefore chose to leave. As I was thinking about it this week, the attitude of the older son at the end of the story triggered the speculation that led to the following story.
Children's Story - The Brothers
Once upon a time, in a land quite different from ours, there were two brothers, Gary and Ken. Gary was older than Ken by five years.
They lived with their father and mother on a large estate. This estate was surrounded by orchards, vineyards, gardens and trees. A river ran through the property on one of its boundaries. There were numerous animals and livestock as well. The estate was cared for by the numerous hired servants.
Although the servants took care of all necessary tasks, the father believed it best for the boys, Gary and Ken, to learn the tasks and duties associated with running the estate and caring for it. As each became old enough to handle certain tasks, the father assigned to each appropriate responsibilities. These tasks involved such things as feeding and cleaning their animals, weeding and caring for the garden, sprucing up the landscape, trimming the vines, and so on.
The boys, being typical kids, did not particularly enjoy these daily responsibilities. They would have rather spent all their time running through the fields in spring, swimming in the river during the hot summer days, climbing through the golden trees of autumn, and having snowball fights with their friends in the winter.
During one of these times when the boys were working alongside one another, Ken began to complain particularly vociferously about the work. Ken was about seven and Gary, twelve.
Gary glared at Ken and in a loud whisper admonished, "Shush! Don't let dad hear you."
"Why not?" asked Ken.
"Because if you continue to whine like that, you'll get dad angry, and who knows what'll happen then! Just do what dad tells us, and everything will be okay."
Gary and Ken were adopted. They both knew that. What Ken didn't know, because he was still an infant at the time of the adoption, was that their birth parents were short-tempered, demanding, alcoholics, and abusive. It was up to Gary to keep Ken quiet, for when baby Ken started to cry and scream, Gary would inevitably be on the receiving end of some kind of vicious beating. Gary learned that in order to keep from being beaten, from being yelled at, and just to survive, he had to control Ken and to meticulously obey every command of his parents, however illogical and ludicrous they might be.
Even after arriving at his new home, Gary never got over the fear that his new parents might somehow explode in anger if he or Ken did something wrong. So Gary made sure that he would always do exactly what his father and mother asked of him, and he took it upon himself to make sure that Ken did so, too.
As the years went by, Ken entered his teen years. His resentment of his brother, Gary, grew stronger with each passing day. His fear and disdain for his father also grew. It seemed to Ken that Gary actually enjoyed being so "perfect" and enjoyed telling Ken what to do.
"Is Gary right about our dad?" wondered Ken at times. Ken wasn't as "perfect" as Gary seemed to be, and every now and then his father would have words of correction for Ken. Each time it happened, Ken would cringe inwardly, wondering if this was time he crossed the line and his father would finally explode into rage. That never happened, however. But that didn't seem to make any difference in Ken's mind about whether or not his father might someday.
A number of years passed by. Ken was now in his late teens. Gary was a young adult, responsible for helping run part of the estate, which he did exceptionally well. Ken, however, had become tired of living in fear and resentment, of both his brother and father. He determined that he could no longer live with them. His only choice, he believed, was to leave his family and home. For once, he wanted to live life as he pleased, outside the control of others.
One afternoon, Ken approached his father with trepidation and trembling. He demanded, "Father, I want my share of your estate now before you die." Ken stood with his arms crossed across his chest and looked defiantly towards his father, awaiting the lightning and thunder from his father to strike. But there was none.
If Ken had been more observant, he would have seen an expression of sadness and dismay in his father's face. But Ken was too obsessed with himself, his fear, and his desires.
"Ken," his father said softly. "Are you sure about this? It will take a few days to divide up the estate between you and your brother. If you're determined to go, I can't stop you. But think about what you're doing, for my sake, okay?"
Ken was surprised that there was so little reaction from his father. There was no way he would reconsider, however. His mind was made up. As soon as he had the title to his portion of the estate, he would be on his way.
The rest of this story is in the Bible, Luke 15:13-32:
[Read Luke 15:13-32 in a modern, dynamic-equivalence translation, e.g., ICB, NLT, TMSG.]
Children [or kids, or boys and girls], don't ever believe it when someone tells you that God only loves and accepts you when you are good and behaving well. The truth is that God loves all of you, all of the time. We are told in the Bible that Jesus had to scold some people, who like the older brother, Gary in this story, gave a false picture of God to the children and got in their way. I'm going to talk more about this in just a few minutes.
Children, always remember that just as Jesus loved to have children come to him when he walked on this earth, God loves to have all his children come to him today. It doesn't matter if you've been good or bad, whether you're clean or dirty, or whether you think you're acceptable to him or not. God wants you to come to him. Don't let anyone, whether it's someone else your age, an older youth, or even an adult tell you that you're not welcome to come to God to be with him. Don't allow anyone or anything to come between you and God. You are just as much a part of God's family as anyone else. In fact, as far as God and Jesus are concerned, you are more precious to them than me and all the other adults here.
The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 doesn't give any reasons why the younger son got tired of living at home, tired of his father, and therefore chose to leave. As I was thinking about it this week, the attitude of the older son at the end of the story triggered the speculation that led to the following story.
Children's Story - The Brothers
Once upon a time, in a land quite different from ours, there were two brothers, Gary and Ken. Gary was older than Ken by five years.
They lived with their father and mother on a large estate. This estate was surrounded by orchards, vineyards, gardens and trees. A river ran through the property on one of its boundaries. There were numerous animals and livestock as well. The estate was cared for by the numerous hired servants.
Although the servants took care of all necessary tasks, the father believed it best for the boys, Gary and Ken, to learn the tasks and duties associated with running the estate and caring for it. As each became old enough to handle certain tasks, the father assigned to each appropriate responsibilities. These tasks involved such things as feeding and cleaning their animals, weeding and caring for the garden, sprucing up the landscape, trimming the vines, and so on.
The boys, being typical kids, did not particularly enjoy these daily responsibilities. They would have rather spent all their time running through the fields in spring, swimming in the river during the hot summer days, climbing through the golden trees of autumn, and having snowball fights with their friends in the winter.
During one of these times when the boys were working alongside one another, Ken began to complain particularly vociferously about the work. Ken was about seven and Gary, twelve.
Gary glared at Ken and in a loud whisper admonished, "Shush! Don't let dad hear you."
"Why not?" asked Ken.
"Because if you continue to whine like that, you'll get dad angry, and who knows what'll happen then! Just do what dad tells us, and everything will be okay."
Gary and Ken were adopted. They both knew that. What Ken didn't know, because he was still an infant at the time of the adoption, was that their birth parents were short-tempered, demanding, alcoholics, and abusive. It was up to Gary to keep Ken quiet, for when baby Ken started to cry and scream, Gary would inevitably be on the receiving end of some kind of vicious beating. Gary learned that in order to keep from being beaten, from being yelled at, and just to survive, he had to control Ken and to meticulously obey every command of his parents, however illogical and ludicrous they might be.
Even after arriving at his new home, Gary never got over the fear that his new parents might somehow explode in anger if he or Ken did something wrong. So Gary made sure that he would always do exactly what his father and mother asked of him, and he took it upon himself to make sure that Ken did so, too.
As the years went by, Ken entered his teen years. His resentment of his brother, Gary, grew stronger with each passing day. His fear and disdain for his father also grew. It seemed to Ken that Gary actually enjoyed being so "perfect" and enjoyed telling Ken what to do.
"Is Gary right about our dad?" wondered Ken at times. Ken wasn't as "perfect" as Gary seemed to be, and every now and then his father would have words of correction for Ken. Each time it happened, Ken would cringe inwardly, wondering if this was time he crossed the line and his father would finally explode into rage. That never happened, however. But that didn't seem to make any difference in Ken's mind about whether or not his father might someday.
A number of years passed by. Ken was now in his late teens. Gary was a young adult, responsible for helping run part of the estate, which he did exceptionally well. Ken, however, had become tired of living in fear and resentment, of both his brother and father. He determined that he could no longer live with them. His only choice, he believed, was to leave his family and home. For once, he wanted to live life as he pleased, outside the control of others.
One afternoon, Ken approached his father with trepidation and trembling. He demanded, "Father, I want my share of your estate now before you die." Ken stood with his arms crossed across his chest and looked defiantly towards his father, awaiting the lightning and thunder from his father to strike. But there was none.
If Ken had been more observant, he would have seen an expression of sadness and dismay in his father's face. But Ken was too obsessed with himself, his fear, and his desires.
"Ken," his father said softly. "Are you sure about this? It will take a few days to divide up the estate between you and your brother. If you're determined to go, I can't stop you. But think about what you're doing, for my sake, okay?"
Ken was surprised that there was so little reaction from his father. There was no way he would reconsider, however. His mind was made up. As soon as he had the title to his portion of the estate, he would be on his way.
The rest of this story is in the Bible, Luke 15:13-32:
[Read Luke 15:13-32 in a modern, dynamic-equivalence translation, e.g., ICB, NLT, TMSG.]
Children [or kids, or boys and girls], don't ever believe it when someone tells you that God only loves and accepts you when you are good and behaving well. The truth is that God loves all of you, all of the time. We are told in the Bible that Jesus had to scold some people, who like the older brother, Gary in this story, gave a false picture of God to the children and got in their way. I'm going to talk more about this in just a few minutes.
Children, always remember that just as Jesus loved to have children come to him when he walked on this earth, God loves to have all his children come to him today. It doesn't matter if you've been good or bad, whether you're clean or dirty, or whether you think you're acceptable to him or not. God wants you to come to him. Don't let anyone, whether it's someone else your age, an older youth, or even an adult tell you that you're not welcome to come to God to be with him. Don't allow anyone or anything to come between you and God. You are just as much a part of God's family as anyone else. In fact, as far as God and Jesus are concerned, you are more precious to them than me and all the other adults here.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Locks of Love
Shelley had her hair cut short today. She is donating her locks to Locks of Love. Word got around about this event to the city newspaper earlier this week. We got a call from them yesterday asking if we'd be okay if a reporter came out and wrote up a story for the paper about Shelley and Locks of Love. So this afternoon, at the salon (I wasn't there so I'm going on what I've been told), the Pilot reporter came to observe and write a story for the paper.
Here are the before and after photos.
Here are the before and after photos.
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Tuesday, May 01, 2007
A Sea Angel
Amy got a brine shrimp kit for her science experiment. With that set up, she proceeded to go down to the Narrows to see what else she could find. She came back with some snails and a sand flea.
And then Shelley got into the act and discovered an interesting creature. I thought it looked like a little translucent angel swimming around in the water. After a bit of Googling and such going from one article to another trying to figure out just this creature is, I came across an entry for (drum roll...) Sea Angel.
Here is a close-up photo. The actual size is somewhere around 2 cm.
And then Shelley got into the act and discovered an interesting creature. I thought it looked like a little translucent angel swimming around in the water. After a bit of Googling and such going from one article to another trying to figure out just this creature is, I came across an entry for (drum roll...) Sea Angel.
Here is a close-up photo. The actual size is somewhere around 2 cm.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Foreigners are invading
Okay, so they're not really foreigners. Just tourists and those passing through, or cannery and fishing workers for the summer.
I'm sure there must have been some, but I can't recall any non-Alaska license plates during the winter months. Just in the last few days though, I've seen Washington, Idaho, and California plates. The vehicle from California was stopped at a turnout on North Nordic Ave. with who I assume to be the driver was admiring the Narrows, Frederick Sound, and the hills.
Today was supposed to have some rain, but I didn't see any at all. I was even able to get out my road bicycle for a quick trip to the Post Office. The road I took by the airport has a short stretch that is no longer paved. It contains a combination of dirt and gravel. I was imagining myself on one of the stretches of roads in Belgium, racing in the dirt and cobbles... (sort of...)
Shelley seems to be coming down with a cold. So she is skipping her swimming lesson this evening.
We had some curried red kidney beans and cauliflower (rajma masala) for dinner. I found it in the February issue of Sunset (p. 106). I finally found a way to make cauliflower palatable! It has plenty of potent spices, so maybe this will help blow away Shelley's cold. Amy made the observation that it looked a lot like minestrone soup. Maybe because I added some zucchinis to it...
I'm sure there must have been some, but I can't recall any non-Alaska license plates during the winter months. Just in the last few days though, I've seen Washington, Idaho, and California plates. The vehicle from California was stopped at a turnout on North Nordic Ave. with who I assume to be the driver was admiring the Narrows, Frederick Sound, and the hills.
Today was supposed to have some rain, but I didn't see any at all. I was even able to get out my road bicycle for a quick trip to the Post Office. The road I took by the airport has a short stretch that is no longer paved. It contains a combination of dirt and gravel. I was imagining myself on one of the stretches of roads in Belgium, racing in the dirt and cobbles... (sort of...)
Shelley seems to be coming down with a cold. So she is skipping her swimming lesson this evening.
We had some curried red kidney beans and cauliflower (rajma masala) for dinner. I found it in the February issue of Sunset (p. 106). I finally found a way to make cauliflower palatable! It has plenty of potent spices, so maybe this will help blow away Shelley's cold. Amy made the observation that it looked a lot like minestrone soup. Maybe because I added some zucchinis to it...
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Bible Reading 2007, Week 18
This week's readings are in Judges and Ruth.
When I read the first few chapters of Judges, some of the topics being discussed in our current Sabbath School study guide came to mind. Is Judges about historical facts and accuracy, or something else? If the former, then there are some real problems because Judges 1 contains very similar material to Joshua 15, but one appears to occur prior to Joshua's death while the other could have occurred after Joshua's death. Then again, his death is mentioned twice in the opening chapters of Judges.
And what about the reason God didn't drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan in one single pass? The original reason is found in Deuteronomy 7:20-24. But Judges 2:20-23 provide a different reason. Did God change his plans based on the peoples' response? Did the author of Judges interpret God's actions based on actual experience of his people? Both?
Of how about the ending chapters of Judges? Most scholars believe that chronogically, this fits in somewhere in the middle of chapter 3. But the author makes no attempt to clarify that point. As far as the book is concerned, it very well could have occurred at the end.
The book of Judges seems to be a pretty good example of Bible literature that is based on historical experiences, but is not about history. I think that it's primarily about God's interactions with people; how the people kept wandering away from God, yet God kept rescuing them from the holes they dug themselves -- many times without being asked first. I suppose we might call it the story of God's grace in the Old Testament.
When I read the first few chapters of Judges, some of the topics being discussed in our current Sabbath School study guide came to mind. Is Judges about historical facts and accuracy, or something else? If the former, then there are some real problems because Judges 1 contains very similar material to Joshua 15, but one appears to occur prior to Joshua's death while the other could have occurred after Joshua's death. Then again, his death is mentioned twice in the opening chapters of Judges.
And what about the reason God didn't drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan in one single pass? The original reason is found in Deuteronomy 7:20-24. But Judges 2:20-23 provide a different reason. Did God change his plans based on the peoples' response? Did the author of Judges interpret God's actions based on actual experience of his people? Both?
Of how about the ending chapters of Judges? Most scholars believe that chronogically, this fits in somewhere in the middle of chapter 3. But the author makes no attempt to clarify that point. As far as the book is concerned, it very well could have occurred at the end.
The book of Judges seems to be a pretty good example of Bible literature that is based on historical experiences, but is not about history. I think that it's primarily about God's interactions with people; how the people kept wandering away from God, yet God kept rescuing them from the holes they dug themselves -- many times without being asked first. I suppose we might call it the story of God's grace in the Old Testament.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Weekly note - April 28
I suppose this week just ending is about as routine a week as I've seen in some time. That's not to say everything was completely routine and ordinary.
One of our church members, who last attended before even our visit last June, passed away on Monday. She did not have any family members that go to our church, nor any immediate family in the area. She has quite a few in-laws, so it's really up to them how they want to proceed. I gave them my card, and if they want me to have a service or something, I'm prepared to do that. If not, that's fine.
Elise received her first real paycheck this week. Now we have a better idea of how things might move forward.
For the last few weeks we've had a couple of additional girls attend both our Sabbath services and the choir rehearsal. They need to be picked up for all these things and that is somewhat of an extra burden. We had them over for lunch, some games, and a bit of cookie baking this afternoon. It is extra work as they do require more hand-holding (so to speak) than would be those of more mature ages. But we need to remind ourselves that trees and forests don't grow instantly. Seeds have to be planted, the seedlings and shoots have to be nurtured and gently guided towards maturity. So I guess we are planting a few seeds right now. We hope that our efforts at seed planting will lead to germination, but that is not in our hands. We'll do what we can to water and nurture, to pull up the weeds and allow the sunlight to reach the ground. But we have to keep in mind that germination and growth is God's work.
As far as weather, it's back to rain this week. It looks like the latter part of next week might dry up again.
Oh, and one last thing: My desktop PC is finally back to its pre-crash state. I've been working with a Microsoft tech over the last couple weeks trying to get the Media Center Rollup 2 to install. It finally succeeded this evening.
One of our church members, who last attended before even our visit last June, passed away on Monday. She did not have any family members that go to our church, nor any immediate family in the area. She has quite a few in-laws, so it's really up to them how they want to proceed. I gave them my card, and if they want me to have a service or something, I'm prepared to do that. If not, that's fine.
Elise received her first real paycheck this week. Now we have a better idea of how things might move forward.
For the last few weeks we've had a couple of additional girls attend both our Sabbath services and the choir rehearsal. They need to be picked up for all these things and that is somewhat of an extra burden. We had them over for lunch, some games, and a bit of cookie baking this afternoon. It is extra work as they do require more hand-holding (so to speak) than would be those of more mature ages. But we need to remind ourselves that trees and forests don't grow instantly. Seeds have to be planted, the seedlings and shoots have to be nurtured and gently guided towards maturity. So I guess we are planting a few seeds right now. We hope that our efforts at seed planting will lead to germination, but that is not in our hands. We'll do what we can to water and nurture, to pull up the weeds and allow the sunlight to reach the ground. But we have to keep in mind that germination and growth is God's work.
As far as weather, it's back to rain this week. It looks like the latter part of next week might dry up again.
Oh, and one last thing: My desktop PC is finally back to its pre-crash state. I've been working with a Microsoft tech over the last couple weeks trying to get the Media Center Rollup 2 to install. It finally succeeded this evening.
Sermon: Traveling with Light
(Click on above title link to listen to the sermon audio.)
Today's sermon is based on John 3:14-21. I discuss John's comments regarding light and darkness, salvation and judgment, which follow the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus.
I make reference to items that were used in the children's story, so you may want to read that before listening to the sermon.
Today's sermon is based on John 3:14-21. I discuss John's comments regarding light and darkness, salvation and judgment, which follow the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus.
I make reference to items that were used in the children's story, so you may want to read that before listening to the sermon.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Children's Story: Inside a Cave
This is tomorrow's children's story to go along with the sermon.
Inside a Cave
Props: Flashlights or other lights of varying intensities, 3 or 4 types; a camera flash that can be triggered on demand.
Preparation: Have a child prepared to read or recite John 1:4-5 at the appropriate point in the story.
Story:
Have you ever been inside a cave? One that goes for hundreds and even thousands of feet underground, and you can walk and crawl inside for miles? Where there are rooms larger than several football stadiums put together?
Many years ago, when I was close to Amy's age, our family went to a place called Carlsbad Caverns. It's located in the state of New Mexico, near its southeast corner, where it meets Texas.
I don't remember a whole lot about it other than that we went down into the cave and walked around in a huge room. Because this was the main area for tourists like us to see, the path was well lit and well marked, and the interesting stalactite and stalagmite structures were also lit. (Ask: What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?) There were chasms and pits and pools along sections of the path.
We took some pictures inside, but I don't recall them coming out that well. Even with all the lights, it was quite dark inside. Because the room was so big, the camera flash (trigger the camera flash), as bright as it is, didn't give enough light to light up the formations sufficiently.
In addition to this big room, there were others parts of the cave that people could go into if they were prepared and had the time. We didn't, so we just went through the big room and then back out. To get to and go through some of these other areas might involve crawling through narrow spaces, climbing and descending steep slopes, and unlike the big room, they weren't lit up, which meant you had to carry your own light sources.
If you were to go into one of these caves where you had to take your own light, what would you want to have with you? A little light like this? (Demonstrate weakest light.) Or perhaps something like this? (Demonstrate brighter light. Repeat with any other lights left, except brightest one.) How about this one? (Demonstrate brightest light.) Or would you rather have a camera flash? (Trigger it again.)
A camera flash is bright, but it wouldn't be very useful in a cave because it doesn't stay lit for very long. You'd have to keep flashing and flashing, but then the batteries will die very quickly. A dim, but steady light (show dim light again) is more useful inside a cave. This will at least show you where you might take your next step. But it's nice to be able to see more than just a step ahead. It's helpful to be able to see farther ahead so that we can tell if we're heading on a path that leads somewhere instead of into a wall or a precipice. So a bright light like this (show brightest light again) is what we want.
John writes about a bright light in chapter 1, vv. 4-5. (Have a child read or recite it.) What is the light that John wrote about?
All these flashlights and flashes, they'll eventually stop working when the batteries get too weak. People can't live in a cave. Food doesn't grow in the dark, and all our light sources will eventually go out. We have to make our way out of the cave sooner or later.
John tells us that this world is like a cave. All the bad things that people do to each other, all the bad things that seem to happen to us without explanation are a result of the darkness called sin. We need to get out. But how can we if we can't see a path leading out?
That's where Jesus comes in. He's the light that God sent to us to help us see ourselves and a path leading out. In fact, the book of Hebrews in the Bible tells us that Jesus has gone ahead of us to mark the path so that we can know exactly how to leave the cave. All we have to do is keep to the path that is shown by the light of Jesus.
The one thing we need is this light. We need Jesus. And Jesus makes it incredibly easy to have him. All we have to do is ask him to bring his light into our hearts, let him stay with us, and trust that his light will always remain bright in us. Would you like to have Jesus shine in you today? (Say short prayer with kids and dismiss.)
Inside a Cave
Props: Flashlights or other lights of varying intensities, 3 or 4 types; a camera flash that can be triggered on demand.
Preparation: Have a child prepared to read or recite John 1:4-5 at the appropriate point in the story.
Story:
Have you ever been inside a cave? One that goes for hundreds and even thousands of feet underground, and you can walk and crawl inside for miles? Where there are rooms larger than several football stadiums put together?
Many years ago, when I was close to Amy's age, our family went to a place called Carlsbad Caverns. It's located in the state of New Mexico, near its southeast corner, where it meets Texas.
I don't remember a whole lot about it other than that we went down into the cave and walked around in a huge room. Because this was the main area for tourists like us to see, the path was well lit and well marked, and the interesting stalactite and stalagmite structures were also lit. (Ask: What is the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite?) There were chasms and pits and pools along sections of the path.
We took some pictures inside, but I don't recall them coming out that well. Even with all the lights, it was quite dark inside. Because the room was so big, the camera flash (trigger the camera flash), as bright as it is, didn't give enough light to light up the formations sufficiently.
In addition to this big room, there were others parts of the cave that people could go into if they were prepared and had the time. We didn't, so we just went through the big room and then back out. To get to and go through some of these other areas might involve crawling through narrow spaces, climbing and descending steep slopes, and unlike the big room, they weren't lit up, which meant you had to carry your own light sources.
If you were to go into one of these caves where you had to take your own light, what would you want to have with you? A little light like this? (Demonstrate weakest light.) Or perhaps something like this? (Demonstrate brighter light. Repeat with any other lights left, except brightest one.) How about this one? (Demonstrate brightest light.) Or would you rather have a camera flash? (Trigger it again.)
A camera flash is bright, but it wouldn't be very useful in a cave because it doesn't stay lit for very long. You'd have to keep flashing and flashing, but then the batteries will die very quickly. A dim, but steady light (show dim light again) is more useful inside a cave. This will at least show you where you might take your next step. But it's nice to be able to see more than just a step ahead. It's helpful to be able to see farther ahead so that we can tell if we're heading on a path that leads somewhere instead of into a wall or a precipice. So a bright light like this (show brightest light again) is what we want.
John writes about a bright light in chapter 1, vv. 4-5. (Have a child read or recite it.) What is the light that John wrote about?
All these flashlights and flashes, they'll eventually stop working when the batteries get too weak. People can't live in a cave. Food doesn't grow in the dark, and all our light sources will eventually go out. We have to make our way out of the cave sooner or later.
John tells us that this world is like a cave. All the bad things that people do to each other, all the bad things that seem to happen to us without explanation are a result of the darkness called sin. We need to get out. But how can we if we can't see a path leading out?
That's where Jesus comes in. He's the light that God sent to us to help us see ourselves and a path leading out. In fact, the book of Hebrews in the Bible tells us that Jesus has gone ahead of us to mark the path so that we can know exactly how to leave the cave. All we have to do is keep to the path that is shown by the light of Jesus.
The one thing we need is this light. We need Jesus. And Jesus makes it incredibly easy to have him. All we have to do is ask him to bring his light into our hearts, let him stay with us, and trust that his light will always remain bright in us. Would you like to have Jesus shine in you today? (Say short prayer with kids and dismiss.)
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Choir notes
With a new performance target less than two weeks away, we did some serious rehearsing tonight of "It Is Well With My Soul." We had seven kids this evening, one which was a first-timer. We have some work to do to get this song ready. I may end up recording the accompaniment for this one because with the choir sings the refrain section in two-part antiphonal style in the second half of the arrangement, and this really needs direction up front. I'm still doing both the directing and the accopmanying, and well, it's hard (nigh impossible) to do both simultaneously. To create a recording, I've got to make sure I have the correct audio cables for our piano to go to my computer (which is still working with the new motherboard).
Last week I received the Kodaly-based instruction book that I ordered. When I was reviewing the lessons earlier, I wondered how well they would be received, but I had nothing to worry about. I used one of the lessons this evening to great success. It was just a simple, short rhyme used to help experience and learn steady-beat. In beat, we all tapped our hands on our knees, formed our hands into wings to flutter away, varied our voice pitches, etc. Just simple things but there was plenty of excitement and laughs.
Last week I received the Kodaly-based instruction book that I ordered. When I was reviewing the lessons earlier, I wondered how well they would be received, but I had nothing to worry about. I used one of the lessons this evening to great success. It was just a simple, short rhyme used to help experience and learn steady-beat. In beat, we all tapped our hands on our knees, formed our hands into wings to flutter away, varied our voice pitches, etc. Just simple things but there was plenty of excitement and laughs.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Ramen recipe redux - now with vegetable broth adaptation
Yes, strict vegetarians and vegans can now use my Ramen Noodle Soup recipe (changes noted directly on the original posting). I tried it today with vegetable broth instead of dashi and chicken bouillon. I still came out pretty good. I think it lacks the tastiness that the other ingredients bring, but I think it still works.
I've never been happy with the flavor/taste of commercially prepared vegetable broth, so I also tried my hand at making my own. Most vegetable stock recipes say just chop up the vegetables, throw into a pot, then let cook for a long time. To me anyway, the result is stock that tastes too much like raw vegetables.
What I tried was to first roast and fry the vegetables before simmering them in water. I don't know if that ultimately makes any difference, but to my tastebuds, the result was more pleasing.
For anyone that is interested, here is my Roasted Vegetable Stock recipe.
Roasted Vegetable Stock
Makes: 3-4 quarts
Total Cooking Time: Approx 2 hrs.
Ingredients:
Part A --
I've never been happy with the flavor/taste of commercially prepared vegetable broth, so I also tried my hand at making my own. Most vegetable stock recipes say just chop up the vegetables, throw into a pot, then let cook for a long time. To me anyway, the result is stock that tastes too much like raw vegetables.
What I tried was to first roast and fry the vegetables before simmering them in water. I don't know if that ultimately makes any difference, but to my tastebuds, the result was more pleasing.
For anyone that is interested, here is my Roasted Vegetable Stock recipe.
Roasted Vegetable Stock
Makes: 3-4 quarts
Total Cooking Time: Approx 2 hrs.
Ingredients:
Part A --
- 1 Bell Pepper, cut into six pieces
- 3 stalks Celery, cut into 2 in. lengths
- 1 or 2 Carrots, cut into 2 x ½ in. lengths
- 1 Leek, cut into 2 in. lengths
- 1 medium Onion, quartered and sliced into ¼ in. widths
- 3 cloves Garlic, sliced thin
- Olive oil, enough to coat vegetables
- Water to fill large kettle or pot (approx. 1 gallon)
- 1 – 2 tbsp. Salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Wash and prepare vegetables.
- On baking pan or dish (may need more than one), drizzle some olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Arrange vegetables in Part A, single layer onto pan or dish, then drizzle more olive oil on top of vegetables. Spread the oil around to ensure vegetables are well coated.
- Place pan with vegetables in oven and roast for approx. 30 minutes.
- When vegetables are aromatic and the surface of the leeks and peppers have started to brown, remove vegetables from oven.
- While vegetables are roasting per step 4, in a large kettle, heat about 1 tbsp. of oil on medium to medium high. When hot, fry the garlic until it starts to turn golden. Add onions and continue to fry until the onions become translucent.
- Add the vegetables (with any remaining oil) from step 5 into the kettle and fill it full with water. Add salt.
- Bring to boil, and then simmer for about an hour.
- Let cool, strain, and pour into containers. This should be good in the refrigerator for several days and up to 3 months in a freezer.
- It’s a shame to let perfectly good vegetables go to waste. You may want to use the cooked vegetables and some of the stock as base for a soup. (E.g., add some potatoes, more seasonings, and then blend it into a cream-style vegetable soup.)
Note: There is relatively little salt in this stock, so you will likely need to add more salt than is called for in recipes that use commercially made soup stock. You can add other vegetables, herbs and spices (such as black peppercorn) to give the stock its own, unique flavor. Avoid strongly flavored vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage.
Notes from last week
I thought I should note a few things from last week that haven't been mentioned already.
Elise worked her first full week -- which is to say 12-1/2 hrs. x 3 shifts. She says she is enjoying it. What all this means for me is that I now have to adjust my weekly schedule to accommodate the children's activities throughout the week. This includes things like swimming, music lessons, field trips, and visits to the library. It means that I don't have quite as much uninterrupted time as I used to have. The fortunate thing is that because the distance from one end of town to the other is around a mile, everyone pretty much knows everyone else in town, and because our children are old enough to be quite self-sufficient, I'm able to leave them home for a while, or let them go about town on their own.
Much of last week was sunny, dry, and warm. That last one might depend on what you think is warm. We've had temperatures that have hit 55F. For people acclimated here, this is apparently shorts and swimsuit temps. We've seen quite a few people out and about in shorts and swimsuits in what Southern Californians might consider jacket or even coat weather...
With the roads fairly free of dirt and sand that was spread out during the winter ice and snow, I've been able to take out my road bike a few times. Here it's pretty much an out-and-back ride on Sandy Beach Rd., South and North Nordic Drives, and Mitkof Highway. I suppose in a couple of months I can take my mt. bike out on the Forest Service roads.
The clouds are increasing today, and the rest of this weeks looks like a return to rain.
In about 1-1/2 weeks, we are observing the National Day of Prayer. The evening service will be held at the Baptist church, in which I've agreed to function as the chorister for the congregational singing, and to have the children sing one song.
Elise worked her first full week -- which is to say 12-1/2 hrs. x 3 shifts. She says she is enjoying it. What all this means for me is that I now have to adjust my weekly schedule to accommodate the children's activities throughout the week. This includes things like swimming, music lessons, field trips, and visits to the library. It means that I don't have quite as much uninterrupted time as I used to have. The fortunate thing is that because the distance from one end of town to the other is around a mile, everyone pretty much knows everyone else in town, and because our children are old enough to be quite self-sufficient, I'm able to leave them home for a while, or let them go about town on their own.
Much of last week was sunny, dry, and warm. That last one might depend on what you think is warm. We've had temperatures that have hit 55F. For people acclimated here, this is apparently shorts and swimsuit temps. We've seen quite a few people out and about in shorts and swimsuits in what Southern Californians might consider jacket or even coat weather...
With the roads fairly free of dirt and sand that was spread out during the winter ice and snow, I've been able to take out my road bike a few times. Here it's pretty much an out-and-back ride on Sandy Beach Rd., South and North Nordic Drives, and Mitkof Highway. I suppose in a couple of months I can take my mt. bike out on the Forest Service roads.
The clouds are increasing today, and the rest of this weeks looks like a return to rain.
In about 1-1/2 weeks, we are observing the National Day of Prayer. The evening service will be held at the Baptist church, in which I've agreed to function as the chorister for the congregational singing, and to have the children sing one song.
Bible Reading 2007, Week 17
The Bible reading for this week is in Joshua 20-24 and Psalms 18, 50, 53, and 94. We are coming to the close of Joshua and the conclusion of the Exodus story.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Sermon, April 21: A Camouflaged Idol
(Click on above title link to listen to sermon audio.)
Today's sermon is based on John 3:1-15 as I continue our journey through the Gospel of John.
The modern world, including many churches and Christians, I fear may have fallen to a type of idolatry, that on the surface looks perfectly acceptable. It seems, too, that the ancient Jewish religious leaders had the same problem.Through the story of Jesus and Nicodemus, John exposes this idolatry that had ensnared Nicodemus and perhaps us today. John tells us Jesus' response to Nicodemus, and also to us, in regards to what is most important in getting to know the Father.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Children's Story: The Tripod
The following is a story I'll be using tomorrow. I refer to the story at the end of the sermon, so it's also a part of the sermon.
The Tripod
Materials: Tripod and Camera
Preparation: Have one of the children be prepared read Mark 12:29-30.
Boys and girls [or Children], what is this?
Show collapsed tripod. (Italic text indicate demonstration actions.)
Yes, it's a tripod. What is it used for?
Extend legs and demonstrate mounting a camera onto the tripod. Look through viewfinder.
It's used by photographers to hold a camera and keep it steady so that when a picture is taken, the picture comes out clear and sharp.
For the tripod to remain steady, it needs to be balanced. All the legs need to be the same length. Otherwise it might tip over and allow the camera to fall onto the ground.
Remove Camera from Tripod! Then demonstrate what happens when the legs are unbalanced.
There's another important thing we need to remember when using a tripod. What happens if we forget to tighten the legs?
Extend the legs, then tighten some but leave some of the sections loose.
That's right. If the all the leg sections aren't tightened properly, we still end up with an unstable tripod. The tripod is of no use to us that way.
Jesus was once asked by one of the religious leaders what the most important commandment was. Jesus' answer is our scripture reading today. It is Mark 12:29-30.
Ask the prepared child to read the text.
Jesus said that the most important thing we can do is to love God with all of our heart and soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.
What does it mean to love God with all our heart and soul? I think it means we're to enjoy being with Him, to choose to trust Him with everything, not just a few things, that happens in our lives. I think it also means we are to learn what God is like by letting Him live in us and change us to be like Him. I think we do this by talking to God through prayer. I think it means being passionate about Him, and being completely honest about ourselves with Him.
What does it mean to love God with all our mind? I think it means that we get to know what God is like by studying what people have written about Him in the Bible. I think it also means that we're to think about the things God wants us to think about, not just when we feel like it, but all the time.
What does it mean to love God with all our strength? I think it means that we're to do the things God wants us to do, and to not do things that would make God sad. I think it also means that when God asks us to do something, even if it isn't something we want to do, we're to do completely, not just halfheartedly, what God asks.
Our heart and soul, mind, and strength -- these are like the legs of a tripod. Imagine that each of us has a tripod inside of us. We can focus too much on one of the legs, and when that happens our view of God and our walk with God become unstable:
Maybe we spend all our time in prayer, but forget to study the Bible and do things for God. Or maybe we spend all our time studying about God, but forget to talk to Him about what we're learning. Or maybe we get so focused on doing just the right things and avoiding the bad, that we forget to learn what the Bible says about good and bad. Or because we forget to let God live in us, we begin to resent doing good things and start to wish we can do the bad things that begin to look like more fun.
Extend legs of tripod, lock them, then mount camera. Look through the camera viewfinder.
If we want to have a good, clear and steady view of God so that we can have a steady walk with Him, we need to make sure that our tripod legs are balanced and locked tight. We need to talk with God and learn to trust Him. We need to learn in the Bible what He is like. And we need to do what God asks of us. We need all of them in just the right balance.
Leave tripod and camera standing for sermon.
The Tripod
Materials: Tripod and Camera
Preparation: Have one of the children be prepared read Mark 12:29-30.
Boys and girls [or Children], what is this?
Show collapsed tripod. (Italic text indicate demonstration actions.)
Yes, it's a tripod. What is it used for?
Extend legs and demonstrate mounting a camera onto the tripod. Look through viewfinder.
It's used by photographers to hold a camera and keep it steady so that when a picture is taken, the picture comes out clear and sharp.
For the tripod to remain steady, it needs to be balanced. All the legs need to be the same length. Otherwise it might tip over and allow the camera to fall onto the ground.
Remove Camera from Tripod! Then demonstrate what happens when the legs are unbalanced.
There's another important thing we need to remember when using a tripod. What happens if we forget to tighten the legs?
Extend the legs, then tighten some but leave some of the sections loose.
That's right. If the all the leg sections aren't tightened properly, we still end up with an unstable tripod. The tripod is of no use to us that way.
Jesus was once asked by one of the religious leaders what the most important commandment was. Jesus' answer is our scripture reading today. It is Mark 12:29-30.
Ask the prepared child to read the text.
Jesus said that the most important thing we can do is to love God with all of our heart and soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.
What does it mean to love God with all our heart and soul? I think it means we're to enjoy being with Him, to choose to trust Him with everything, not just a few things, that happens in our lives. I think it also means we are to learn what God is like by letting Him live in us and change us to be like Him. I think we do this by talking to God through prayer. I think it means being passionate about Him, and being completely honest about ourselves with Him.
What does it mean to love God with all our mind? I think it means that we get to know what God is like by studying what people have written about Him in the Bible. I think it also means that we're to think about the things God wants us to think about, not just when we feel like it, but all the time.
What does it mean to love God with all our strength? I think it means that we're to do the things God wants us to do, and to not do things that would make God sad. I think it also means that when God asks us to do something, even if it isn't something we want to do, we're to do completely, not just halfheartedly, what God asks.
Our heart and soul, mind, and strength -- these are like the legs of a tripod. Imagine that each of us has a tripod inside of us. We can focus too much on one of the legs, and when that happens our view of God and our walk with God become unstable:
Maybe we spend all our time in prayer, but forget to study the Bible and do things for God. Or maybe we spend all our time studying about God, but forget to talk to Him about what we're learning. Or maybe we get so focused on doing just the right things and avoiding the bad, that we forget to learn what the Bible says about good and bad. Or because we forget to let God live in us, we begin to resent doing good things and start to wish we can do the bad things that begin to look like more fun.
Extend legs of tripod, lock them, then mount camera. Look through the camera viewfinder.
If we want to have a good, clear and steady view of God so that we can have a steady walk with Him, we need to make sure that our tripod legs are balanced and locked tight. We need to talk with God and learn to trust Him. We need to learn in the Bible what He is like. And we need to do what God asks of us. We need all of them in just the right balance.
Leave tripod and camera standing for sermon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
More marine life images
I left for the weekly minister's gathering a bit early to take advantage of the sun and low tide. Here are a few more marine life images from this morning.
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Low Tide Science Lesson
Today, tomorrow, and Thursday mornings offer this spring's lowest tides. The tide table says it was -3.5 ft. today and -4.2 ft. tomorrow. What this means in practical terms is that we are able to walk out 30-50 feet beyond what we normally get to see. All of that sea floor is exposed for our viewing, as well as for the gulls to pick off. Here are a few sea floor (and other) images from this morning. (Click on image for larger view and image titles.)
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Monday, April 16, 2007
Motherboard replaced - PC works
The replacement Dell motherboard arrived today. With some doubt and trepidation I swapped out the old one and installed the new one, moving the CPU from the old to the new. I installed the memory, then plugged in the front panel connector and all of the power connectors. After switching it on, the fan no longer went into hyperdrive -- it spun up, and then slowed down to where it is supposed to be.
With basic operation verified, I plugged in all the drives and internal cards, closed up the case, plugged all the external cables back in, and then powered up. I first had to adjust the BIOS settings to my configuration and then restarted. Boom! The dreaded Windows Blue Screen.
Fortunately, from past experience swapping out motherboards under Windows XP, I suspected that a Repair Install from the original CD would reset whatever hardware configuration information had caused the blue screen to occur. Did I have the CD handy? The answer was yes, and went about the repair process. (BTW, many of the stock PC setups at computer retailers no longer include this crucial Operating System reinstall CD. A custom built one from a local PC store will include one.)
The repair install takes about 45 minutes to complete. During the process, there were numerous errors regarding .NET Framework 2.0 DLLs. I figured I could reinstall the .NET Framework later (a correct guess, I discovered). After it completed, the PC restarted as it was supposed to, but it was back to the original OS files, meaning all of the updates for it had to be redownloaded and installed (which is still happening as I write this, some 2 hours later).
As I was starting out that process I discovered another issue -- Windows Installer 3.1 is required for the new updates, but that wouldn't install because of files-in-use issues after the Repair Install. After a little Live search, I discovered a page that explained how to correct this problem. I followed all the instructions and Windows Installer did get installed, but somehow the DLLs in the Windows\System32 directory didn't get added... Another problem...
Whatever the case, I ended up doing some other things, including restoring the old DLL files. But the updater didn't like that, so I renamed the files again and reinstalled Windows Installer 3.1. This time the new files appeared. I really don't know what happened or why.
With that accomlished it was now a matter of reinstalling .NET Framework 2.0, Internet Explorer 7.0, and all the other OS updates -- which I think is mostly done now.
I still don't know if all of my other applications will work or not. They typically do after a Repair Install, but occasionally there are apps that have problems and might need a repiar or reinstall.
With basic operation verified, I plugged in all the drives and internal cards, closed up the case, plugged all the external cables back in, and then powered up. I first had to adjust the BIOS settings to my configuration and then restarted. Boom! The dreaded Windows Blue Screen.
Fortunately, from past experience swapping out motherboards under Windows XP, I suspected that a Repair Install from the original CD would reset whatever hardware configuration information had caused the blue screen to occur. Did I have the CD handy? The answer was yes, and went about the repair process. (BTW, many of the stock PC setups at computer retailers no longer include this crucial Operating System reinstall CD. A custom built one from a local PC store will include one.)
The repair install takes about 45 minutes to complete. During the process, there were numerous errors regarding .NET Framework 2.0 DLLs. I figured I could reinstall the .NET Framework later (a correct guess, I discovered). After it completed, the PC restarted as it was supposed to, but it was back to the original OS files, meaning all of the updates for it had to be redownloaded and installed (which is still happening as I write this, some 2 hours later).
As I was starting out that process I discovered another issue -- Windows Installer 3.1 is required for the new updates, but that wouldn't install because of files-in-use issues after the Repair Install. After a little Live search, I discovered a page that explained how to correct this problem. I followed all the instructions and Windows Installer did get installed, but somehow the DLLs in the Windows\System32 directory didn't get added... Another problem...
Whatever the case, I ended up doing some other things, including restoring the old DLL files. But the updater didn't like that, so I renamed the files again and reinstalled Windows Installer 3.1. This time the new files appeared. I really don't know what happened or why.
With that accomlished it was now a matter of reinstalling .NET Framework 2.0, Internet Explorer 7.0, and all the other OS updates -- which I think is mostly done now.
I still don't know if all of my other applications will work or not. They typically do after a Repair Install, but occasionally there are apps that have problems and might need a repiar or reinstall.
Bible Reading 2007, Week 16
The reading for this week is in Joshua 13:8-19:51 and Psalms 35, 47, 83, 116, and 124.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Ramen Noodle Soup Recipe
My parents sent a box of Japanese food back in December. One of the items was Ramen -- not Top Ramen or the instant kinds typically found in most American grocery stores. This was closer to the freshly made, authentic ramen noodle soups one would find at ramen restaurants.
Once Shelley tasted a package, all other definitions and incarnations of ramen became rather deficient. She wanted to have some real ramen.
Thus began my quest for trying to see if it could be done here in Petersburg. I first looked up and down both grocery stores to see if there were any pre-packaged, genuine, good ramen. But my search was met with futility. My next stop was Google where I found some English recipe sites. The problem? They all told me to use the regular ramen noodle packages and the enclosed seasoning packet -- the very thing I was trying to improve upon.
I finally went to one recipe page for Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) Ramen. This turned out to be from the English subset side of a larger Japanese recipe web site. I promptly changed over to the Japanese site and switching over my input to Japanese, searched for "ra-menn" (the IME version) and came up with a number of promising leads.
There was one that looked more simple that the others. Most involve creating an original soup base from chicken or pork. I'm not willing to work that much. The recipe I found uses a package of Chinese soup mix, something I consider a great improvement over the pre-packaged ramen seasoning.
Things looked doable, so I went out to purchase some of the grocery items. Alas, the store I went to did not have regular Chinese soup mix. The closest thing I could find was a wonton soup mix. Reading the ingredients list it looked like imitating it was feasible.
Returning home I set to work in preparing the soup. I wasn't too sure if it would turn out sufficiently well on the first try, but I needn't have worried because once I gave the completed soup a try and gave some to Shelley to try, we knew it was a go. I quickly cooked the noodles and some mushrooms (for me, not the children), put all of them together in a bowl, and discovered it was quite excellent. Even Amy, who frequently refuses to even try some Asian cooking, discovered this one was quite acceptable to her palate.
So here is my Peterburg-friendly adaptation of the ramen noodle soup recipe.If you are strict vegetarian or vegan, further adaptations will be required.
Shoyu Ramen Noodle Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Once Shelley tasted a package, all other definitions and incarnations of ramen became rather deficient. She wanted to have some real ramen.
Thus began my quest for trying to see if it could be done here in Petersburg. I first looked up and down both grocery stores to see if there were any pre-packaged, genuine, good ramen. But my search was met with futility. My next stop was Google where I found some English recipe sites. The problem? They all told me to use the regular ramen noodle packages and the enclosed seasoning packet -- the very thing I was trying to improve upon.
I finally went to one recipe page for Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) Ramen. This turned out to be from the English subset side of a larger Japanese recipe web site. I promptly changed over to the Japanese site and switching over my input to Japanese, searched for "ra-menn" (the IME version) and came up with a number of promising leads.
There was one that looked more simple that the others. Most involve creating an original soup base from chicken or pork. I'm not willing to work that much. The recipe I found uses a package of Chinese soup mix, something I consider a great improvement over the pre-packaged ramen seasoning.
Things looked doable, so I went out to purchase some of the grocery items. Alas, the store I went to did not have regular Chinese soup mix. The closest thing I could find was a wonton soup mix. Reading the ingredients list it looked like imitating it was feasible.
Returning home I set to work in preparing the soup. I wasn't too sure if it would turn out sufficiently well on the first try, but I needn't have worried because once I gave the completed soup a try and gave some to Shelley to try, we knew it was a go. I quickly cooked the noodles and some mushrooms (for me, not the children), put all of them together in a bowl, and discovered it was quite excellent. Even Amy, who frequently refuses to even try some Asian cooking, discovered this one was quite acceptable to her palate.
So here is my Peterburg-friendly adaptation of the ramen noodle soup recipe.
Shoyu Ramen Noodle Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Chinese Egg Noodles
- ¼-½ lb. Chicken, Beef, or Mushrooms (Meat may be ground or chopped into bit-sized portions)
- 2 tbsp. Cooking wine or sake
- 1 tbsp. Cooking oil, if using mushrooms only (no meat)
- 2 Green Onions
- 6 c. Water
- 6 tbsp. Soy Sauce (or Golden Mountain Sauce, or combination of two)
- 2 tbsp. Ground White Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 4 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 ½ tbsp. Powder Chinese Soup Mix
- 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. Asian Chili Oil
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Cilantro for garnish
Soup mix substitution
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Grated Ginger
- 1 tbsp. Cooking Oil
- 1 pkg. Japanese Dashi
- 3 chicken bouillon cubes
- Or, substitute 3 c. vegetable broth for the dashi and bouillon
- (You'll also need to reduce the added water to 3 c.)
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
Cooking Directions:
- Sauté meat and/or mushrooms with cooking wine or sake until cooked and tender. If using mushrooms only, add cooking oil.
Julienne white onions into 2 in. lengths.If using green onions, slice thinly across.- Fully cook egg noodles according to package directions.
- Bring 3 c. water to boil, and then combine soy sauce, ground sesame, toasted sesame, and soup mix (if no soup mix, see below) into the water. Bring back to boil.
- Divide noodles (3) into serving (ramen) bowls, cover with soup (4), add in chili oil, sprinkle some ground black pepper, then place onions (2) and cilantro atop the noodles.
Directions for Soup Mix Substitution
- On medium-high, heat cooking oil in pot that you will use to cook the soup.
- When hot, add crushed garlic and fry for about a minute. Add grated ginger and continue to fry for another minute or so until garlic begins to brown.
- Pour in the 6 cups of water and bring to boil. (Vegetable broth substitution: Reduce water to 3 c. and add the vegetable broth. Return to step 4 of main directions.)
- Add dashi package and boil for 3 minutes. Then remove used dashi package.
- Add the chicken bouillon cubes.
- Continue with step 4 in main directions.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Sermon, Apr. 14: Walking on Ice
(Click on above title link to listen to sermon audio.)
This week's sermon is taken from John 2:23-3:2, a transition passage following the cleansing of the temple, and the introduction into Nicodemus' interview with Jesus.
In preparing to preach on the Nicodemus interview passage, I discovered that there is simply too much in there to adequately work through it in just one Sabbath. Rather than trying to go wide and shallow, I plan to take a few weeks to go a little deeper.
The sermon today was about different types of faith that John describes and some of the examples he has already given in his account so far. I explore what it means to really believe in something or someone.
This week's sermon is taken from John 2:23-3:2, a transition passage following the cleansing of the temple, and the introduction into Nicodemus' interview with Jesus.
In preparing to preach on the Nicodemus interview passage, I discovered that there is simply too much in there to adequately work through it in just one Sabbath. Rather than trying to go wide and shallow, I plan to take a few weeks to go a little deeper.
The sermon today was about different types of faith that John describes and some of the examples he has already given in his account so far. I explore what it means to really believe in something or someone.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Another "Good" Friday
Last Friday was Good Friday, and today is Friday the 13th. So what is so good about today?
The reason is that for the first time in seven or so months, it seems like the dark clouds that were hanging over our lives are starting to break apart and let some light in. It's a lot like the weather we've been seeing -- period of clouds and some downpours, but lately there also been quite a bit of sunbreaks and clearing. It feels like spring is here, both literally and figuratively.
Elise spent seventeen+ hours yesterday at work. She thought she might be able to be present during a birth, but that wasn't to be and she returned home about 1 a.m.
Elise also discovered that in the absence of a vet in town, the hospital also acts in that capacity when necessary.
One of the two Realtors in town also works at the hospital. From her, Elise learned that one of the houses for sale by owner was going to be listed at around $200K. This property is located in the center of town, next to the high school. There are quite obvious advantages and disadvantages to the location. It is a "classic Norwegian" house, meaning it's well aged, though from what I hear it's been remodeled.
From another hospital employee Elise learned that her property is also for sale around $200K, but is currently not advertised or listed. This one is fairly close to the church. It's also an older proprety with parts of the house remodeled within the last decade or so.
The summer fishing season is approaching, and that means that seasonal workers are starting to come in to town. Our apartment complex will soon be filled.
The reason is that for the first time in seven or so months, it seems like the dark clouds that were hanging over our lives are starting to break apart and let some light in. It's a lot like the weather we've been seeing -- period of clouds and some downpours, but lately there also been quite a bit of sunbreaks and clearing. It feels like spring is here, both literally and figuratively.
Elise spent seventeen+ hours yesterday at work. She thought she might be able to be present during a birth, but that wasn't to be and she returned home about 1 a.m.
Elise also discovered that in the absence of a vet in town, the hospital also acts in that capacity when necessary.
One of the two Realtors in town also works at the hospital. From her, Elise learned that one of the houses for sale by owner was going to be listed at around $200K. This property is located in the center of town, next to the high school. There are quite obvious advantages and disadvantages to the location. It is a "classic Norwegian" house, meaning it's well aged, though from what I hear it's been remodeled.
From another hospital employee Elise learned that her property is also for sale around $200K, but is currently not advertised or listed. This one is fairly close to the church. It's also an older proprety with parts of the house remodeled within the last decade or so.
The summer fishing season is approaching, and that means that seasonal workers are starting to come in to town. Our apartment complex will soon be filled.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Spring is Here
I think it might finally be relatively (notice how I'm still hedging my bets...) safe to say that Spring has arrived in Petersburg. Here are just a few images from my walk this afternoon.
Spring shoots coming up out of the muskeg
Springtime Muskeg
Petersburg Mountain
Knurly Muskeg Tree
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Elise can start working
Elise received a call from the AK BRN informing her that her license was mailed out today. The hospital can verify the license online, so she can begin working now. She is scheduled to start on Thursday.
It's been a long delay... We're not quite sure yet, and really don't think we'll ever find out, why all the things have happened in the way they have. Maybe one reason was so Elise could accompany Lorean to help her visit her family. Maybe earlier there were homes that we might have chosen to purchase that we simply were not supposed to get. I really don't know.
When we made the move, now almost seven months ago, our plan was for one or both of us to find some simple job, part-time if needed, to be able to cover our living expenses. That didn't seem to work out too well. When the hospital expressed interest in having Elise be re-licensed as an RN, that's the route we took. We expected things to be done and over by January. Obviously that did not happen. Then we thought, February or March at the latest. But those months, too, went by. So here it is now, in the month of April when the second of our big, open questions finally has revealed an answer.
The next big question to be answered is: Where are we to live for the next unknown number of years? When we first moved, there was a plan for the apartments in which we now live, to be torn down around this time. It appears that won't happen at least for the good part of this summer, and perhaps won't happen until next year. So even though our house didn't sell until a month ago, and we have not had the necessary income to support the purchase of a house here, we aren't in a crisis mode today like we thought we might be some months back.
The interesting thing is that over the last couple of months, inventory of houses in the price range, with the features, and in locations that we'd like have dwindled to almost nothing. At the moment we know of exactly three. If it dwindles even further when the time comes for us to purchase, I guess we'll take it as providential leading...
In other news, I went back to the hardware store to check up on replacement parts for our dehumidifier. It's a good thing I did, because nothing had been done. The manager wasn't too pleased that the company makes it so difficult to obtain warranty parts. I hope that the parts are able to be ordered and will arrive, even if I have to pay for it. For the time being, we obtained a unit on loan from another family.
We had two new girls for choir this evening. It looks like we will need to do more work with pitch and rhythm. The instructor on one of the instructional videos I have says that anyone can be taught how to sing and stay on pitch. One of the techniques to help students learn pitch is to do simple interval exercises. At Pacific Union College, while taking music theory, I was introduced to Kodaly exercises. I found a set of Kodaly instruction books for kids, so I ordered the first one in hopes that this can be used to help some of the kids learn about pitch.
The weather here this week has been rain with sunbreaks. The snow is melting away. I could be wrong, but I think it's been sometimes since December since we've seen so much lawn out of the front window.
It's been a long delay... We're not quite sure yet, and really don't think we'll ever find out, why all the things have happened in the way they have. Maybe one reason was so Elise could accompany Lorean to help her visit her family. Maybe earlier there were homes that we might have chosen to purchase that we simply were not supposed to get. I really don't know.
When we made the move, now almost seven months ago, our plan was for one or both of us to find some simple job, part-time if needed, to be able to cover our living expenses. That didn't seem to work out too well. When the hospital expressed interest in having Elise be re-licensed as an RN, that's the route we took. We expected things to be done and over by January. Obviously that did not happen. Then we thought, February or March at the latest. But those months, too, went by. So here it is now, in the month of April when the second of our big, open questions finally has revealed an answer.
The next big question to be answered is: Where are we to live for the next unknown number of years? When we first moved, there was a plan for the apartments in which we now live, to be torn down around this time. It appears that won't happen at least for the good part of this summer, and perhaps won't happen until next year. So even though our house didn't sell until a month ago, and we have not had the necessary income to support the purchase of a house here, we aren't in a crisis mode today like we thought we might be some months back.
The interesting thing is that over the last couple of months, inventory of houses in the price range, with the features, and in locations that we'd like have dwindled to almost nothing. At the moment we know of exactly three. If it dwindles even further when the time comes for us to purchase, I guess we'll take it as providential leading...
In other news, I went back to the hardware store to check up on replacement parts for our dehumidifier. It's a good thing I did, because nothing had been done. The manager wasn't too pleased that the company makes it so difficult to obtain warranty parts. I hope that the parts are able to be ordered and will arrive, even if I have to pay for it. For the time being, we obtained a unit on loan from another family.
We had two new girls for choir this evening. It looks like we will need to do more work with pitch and rhythm. The instructor on one of the instructional videos I have says that anyone can be taught how to sing and stay on pitch. One of the techniques to help students learn pitch is to do simple interval exercises. At Pacific Union College, while taking music theory, I was introduced to Kodaly exercises. I found a set of Kodaly instruction books for kids, so I ordered the first one in hopes that this can be used to help some of the kids learn about pitch.
The weather here this week has been rain with sunbreaks. The snow is melting away. I could be wrong, but I think it's been sometimes since December since we've seen so much lawn out of the front window.
New Music: I Cry Out based on Psalm 142
Here is a new song and composition. The music was created by the children's choir a few weeks back, but due to all that was going on I didn't have the time to work on arranging it into a singable melody and putting it to a song until today.
The Psalm appears to be from one of the times when David was pressured by trials and difficulties, where there seemed to be no escape from his enemies. The only thing he could do was to turn to God and cry out, "Help!" It's an apt song for our family at this time, and I'm sure for many others who are going through difficult times.
The Psalm appears to be from one of the times when David was pressured by trials and difficulties, where there seemed to be no escape from his enemies. The only thing he could do was to turn to God and cry out, "Help!" It's an apt song for our family at this time, and I'm sure for many others who are going through difficult times.
 |  |
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Sermon, Apr. 7: What Upsets God?
(Click on post title to listen to sermon audio.)
Today we looked into the story of Jesus cleansing the temple as recorded in John 2:12-22. This is a story of one of the few instances in Jesus' life where he visibly and audibly expresses anger and fury.
In this sermon I explore why Jesus got angry, and in turn explore the sorts of things that cause God to become angry. These are also the things for which Christians today rightly ought to become angry and upset over when they are encountered. These are probably not the typical things for which many Christians in recent years have been known to express their displeasure and anger.
Today we looked into the story of Jesus cleansing the temple as recorded in John 2:12-22. This is a story of one of the few instances in Jesus' life where he visibly and audibly expresses anger and fury.
In this sermon I explore why Jesus got angry, and in turn explore the sorts of things that cause God to become angry. These are also the things for which Christians today rightly ought to become angry and upset over when they are encountered. These are probably not the typical things for which many Christians in recent years have been known to express their displeasure and anger.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Good Friday Service
We just returned from the Good Friday service at the Lutheran church. My assigned word was the sixth word of Jesus on the cross, "It is finished." The text of the message is at the end of this posting. The pastor immediately preceding me spoke on "I thirst" and talked about how Jesus was given vinegar in response.
The four girls in our little choir sang When I Survey the Wondrous Cross right after my message. The two younger girls may have been a little intimidated about singing in front of a crowd of perhaps 130 or 150. They sang well in any case, and they were the only ones to get an applause!
We've seen quite a bit of rain over the last couple of days. The sunny spring has gone the way of rainy spring. The temperatures this afternoon rose all the way up into the mid-50's.
I sat at my laptop PC for much of the day, working on this evening's message, tomorrow's sermon, and putting together the program for tomorrow. I still need to do some studying of the Sabbath School lesson as our only teacher is away in Florida right now, leaving me to pick it up.
The four girls in our little choir sang When I Survey the Wondrous Cross right after my message. The two younger girls may have been a little intimidated about singing in front of a crowd of perhaps 130 or 150. They sang well in any case, and they were the only ones to get an applause!
We've seen quite a bit of rain over the last couple of days. The sunny spring has gone the way of rainy spring. The temperatures this afternoon rose all the way up into the mid-50's.
I sat at my laptop PC for much of the day, working on this evening's message, tomorrow's sermon, and putting together the program for tomorrow. I still need to do some studying of the Sabbath School lesson as our only teacher is away in Florida right now, leaving me to pick it up.
Message Text John 19:29-30a (ESV) 29A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished…” What was finished, and what does the sour wine, or vinegar, have anything to do with it? In John's Gospel, one of the themes is the timing of Jesus' mission. In chapter 2, at the wedding in Cana, Jesus tells his mother that his "hour has not yet come." In chapter 7, when Jesus' brothers try to get Jesus to do better PR for himself, Jesus replies, "My time has not yet come." Shortly thereafter when the Jewish authorities try to arrest Jesus, John records that Jesus could not be arrested because "his hour had not yet come." But as Jesus enters his final week, His message changes. John records that "Jesus knew that his hour had come." During this final week and final hours, Jesus himself says: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." "For this purpose I have come to this hour." “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…" What was finished? According to John, Jesus' mission of glorifying his Father was completed at the cross. Jesus' work of revealing the true character of God to the world was finished. What is God's character, His glory? Moses asked to see God's glory on Mt. Sinai, and this is what he saw: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands [of generations], forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…" Jesus came to reveal this truth about God to the world. Through the cross, Jesus revealed and offered God's grace, patience, mercy, love, and forgiveness for every man, woman, and child. Through the cross, Jesus also revealed that God is just, that he takes sin seriously. Paul records in 2 Cor. 5:21: 21For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Through the cross Jesus became sin itself, the antithesis of love, to guarantee the destruction of sin itself, and to offer us His righteousness in its place. On the cross, God, in Jesus, finished the work of saving us from the clutches of sin. Right before Jesus declares, "It is finished", he asks for a drink and is given wine that had soured -- vinegar. At the wedding in Cana that opens Jesus' ministry in John's Gospel, Jesus gave a miraculous sign of changing water to wine, and offered it to the wedding guests. On the cross, Jesus chose to take upon himself all that had gone sour and bad in the world, and in its place offered us all the best that he has. Brothers and sisters, boys and girls, will you give to Jesus all that is sour and bad in your life? Will you accept from him his grace, forgiveness and salvation? The work of salvation was finished at the cross, will you accept it? |
The NET Bible
I learned of a new online Bible translation this week at our Ministerial meeting. It's called the NET Bible and is available at www.bible.org. The main feature is the extensive footnotes that are provided by the worldwide, online community of experts in Bible translation and interpretation.
If you are interested in alternate translations and interpretations that can be made for Bible texts, this is a place to look.
If you are interested in alternate translations and interpretations that can be made for Bible texts, this is a place to look.
"As pressure and stress bear down on me..." Psalm 119:143
Last week was comparatively a resful week. It seems as if the dam holding back stress and pressure broke this week, and it feels as if I might drown...
Just now I came across the verse quoted in the article title while reading part of today's Bible passage (Psalm 119:137-144). "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." (v. 143).
That is an interesting thought -- that when pressure and stress of life come upon me, I should go back to God's commands, that I should find joy in them.
What does that mean? Does it mean that when life seems to be falling apart, I should examine my life and make sure it is still in alignment with God's principles? Perhaps in light of some of the principles given by Jesus in the New Testament, I should take to heart commands to trust in Him, to not worry about life, to find rest in Him.
Just now I came across the verse quoted in the article title while reading part of today's Bible passage (Psalm 119:137-144). "As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." (v. 143).
That is an interesting thought -- that when pressure and stress of life come upon me, I should go back to God's commands, that I should find joy in them.
What does that mean? Does it mean that when life seems to be falling apart, I should examine my life and make sure it is still in alignment with God's principles? Perhaps in light of some of the principles given by Jesus in the New Testament, I should take to heart commands to trust in Him, to not worry about life, to find rest in Him.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Turns out the motherboard and/or CPU is bad
I brought back a known good power supply unit today, but discovered that the problem with my PC still exists. The PSU tester that I have is apparently not good either. Sigh...
So it's down to either the motherboard or the CPU that is bad (and perhaps both...). I found a supplier that sells Dell motherboards, so I ordered one. I first started looking around for a complete replacement barebones system that I could plug in my current hard drive and other parts into, but it soon added up to $500 and so I decided to look a little harder for an OEM replacement motherboard (the reason I can't use any motherboard is that the Dell front panel connector and the Dell heatsink attachment are proprietary). The vendor doesn't ship to PO Boxes, so I'm having to have it shipped to the Lower 48, and then relayed up here.
That pretty much sums up my day -- not a whole lot of progress and plenty of frustration.
Oh, by the way, the PSU that I ordered hadn't shipped yet, so I successfully cancelled that order -- at least one sort of positive thing in an otherwise mediocre day.
So it's down to either the motherboard or the CPU that is bad (and perhaps both...). I found a supplier that sells Dell motherboards, so I ordered one. I first started looking around for a complete replacement barebones system that I could plug in my current hard drive and other parts into, but it soon added up to $500 and so I decided to look a little harder for an OEM replacement motherboard (the reason I can't use any motherboard is that the Dell front panel connector and the Dell heatsink attachment are proprietary). The vendor doesn't ship to PO Boxes, so I'm having to have it shipped to the Lower 48, and then relayed up here.
That pretty much sums up my day -- not a whole lot of progress and plenty of frustration.
Oh, by the way, the PSU that I ordered hadn't shipped yet, so I successfully cancelled that order -- at least one sort of positive thing in an otherwise mediocre day.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Quick update before I have to dash off
This week is quite busy with a multitude of events and activities going on. That's the reason why I haven't posted much in the way of updates the last few days.
The weather here is finally spring-like. We've had clear skies since Sunday. I've even seen a few kids about town in shorts (in low-40 degrees). The Narrows outside our window, which has for most of the winter looked rather gray, is now a deep blue as it reflects the blue sky overhead.
A few of the leaders from the Alaska Conference are in town for a couple of days. According to the Conference calendar, Petersburg was only listed for them to be here one day, but upon their arrival, I discovered that they were here for two days. We had planned on them being here Tuesday, and then we would hold and Agape Supper and Communion on Thursday. But with them here tonight also, I decided to move the Agape Supper to tonight. That meant calling around to make sure people were aware of the change in plans.
Last night we had our children's choir sing a few songs. The two non-Adventist families came with a number of their other children, so our supper and the singing portion of the program was quite well attended. Because it was getting late in the evening, they had to return after our song service portion. The choir sounded great, despite our 4-strong size, and alleviated some of the concern I had about them performing for the (virtually) whole town at the Good Friday service. I had a video of the singing made, so once I find a bit of breathing room, I may be able to get it uploaded for your viewing.
I've been on the bicycle regulary this week going back and forth between home, church, and post office. The roads are now dry, but dusty.
The power supply unit (PSU) for my Dell desktop PC went out last night. I had just installed one of Microsoft's infamous security updates, I told it to restart, but it seemed to get stuck shutting down. So I forced the power off, and then when I turned it back on it wouldn't start up properly. Rather, the case fan near the CPU went into hyperdrive, as if the temperature sensor had gone bad. Since the last major change I made was the security update, I thought that perhaps it had somehow corrupted the BIOS settings. I shorted the CMOS, and tried all sorts of combinations with cards and such, but it simply would not come on.
In hindsight, I should have suspected that when the POST beep didn't happen, that it was something way early on in the power-up cycle -- say the power supply. I dug out the PSU tester that I purchased in my previous life and after I plugged it in, discovered that the -5 volt line was dead.
After spending a sleepless night (yes, I still worry about these little things that go wrong), I went out this morning to see if I could find a PSU in this town. As I was afraid of and suspected, it is another of those "not stocked here" items. I ordered a new unit which will be arriving hopefully sometime next week.
In the meantime, I realized that the PSU in the computer I use at church is a newer unit that would work in the Dell. But the compuer at church is also needed. So I spent part of this morning going through a number of boxes in order to locate an extra PSU that originally came with the kit that was used to build the church PC. Hopefully after swapping the extra PSU into the church PC, and the PSU from the church PC into the Dell, all two PCs will work. If not, I will have a much more serious problem on my hands.
I'll still want a new, spare PSU around for the next time one of them goes out.
I guess the "good" to come out of all this is that I might be able to build a whole sermon around the issue of bad PSUs, replacing them, etc. That was another reason why I had difficulties getting to and remaining asleep last night -- I was trying to work out the different angles, as well as see if there was something in the event that could be tied to this Easter weekend. We'll see.
Tomorrow I really must settle on the topic as well as most of the outline for this Sabbath's sermon. I also need to craft my 3-minute message for the Good Friday service.
I also need to get things started with a Stop Smoking series that we would like to hold later this month. Again, after I get past this week, I should have the time needed to organize the materials that I purchased.
I meant this to be a quick update, but it looks like it ended up being a complete update.
The weather here is finally spring-like. We've had clear skies since Sunday. I've even seen a few kids about town in shorts (in low-40 degrees). The Narrows outside our window, which has for most of the winter looked rather gray, is now a deep blue as it reflects the blue sky overhead.
A few of the leaders from the Alaska Conference are in town for a couple of days. According to the Conference calendar, Petersburg was only listed for them to be here one day, but upon their arrival, I discovered that they were here for two days. We had planned on them being here Tuesday, and then we would hold and Agape Supper and Communion on Thursday. But with them here tonight also, I decided to move the Agape Supper to tonight. That meant calling around to make sure people were aware of the change in plans.
Last night we had our children's choir sing a few songs. The two non-Adventist families came with a number of their other children, so our supper and the singing portion of the program was quite well attended. Because it was getting late in the evening, they had to return after our song service portion. The choir sounded great, despite our 4-strong size, and alleviated some of the concern I had about them performing for the (virtually) whole town at the Good Friday service. I had a video of the singing made, so once I find a bit of breathing room, I may be able to get it uploaded for your viewing.
I've been on the bicycle regulary this week going back and forth between home, church, and post office. The roads are now dry, but dusty.
The power supply unit (PSU) for my Dell desktop PC went out last night. I had just installed one of Microsoft's infamous security updates, I told it to restart, but it seemed to get stuck shutting down. So I forced the power off, and then when I turned it back on it wouldn't start up properly. Rather, the case fan near the CPU went into hyperdrive, as if the temperature sensor had gone bad. Since the last major change I made was the security update, I thought that perhaps it had somehow corrupted the BIOS settings. I shorted the CMOS, and tried all sorts of combinations with cards and such, but it simply would not come on.
In hindsight, I should have suspected that when the POST beep didn't happen, that it was something way early on in the power-up cycle -- say the power supply. I dug out the PSU tester that I purchased in my previous life and after I plugged it in, discovered that the -5 volt line was dead.
After spending a sleepless night (yes, I still worry about these little things that go wrong), I went out this morning to see if I could find a PSU in this town. As I was afraid of and suspected, it is another of those "not stocked here" items. I ordered a new unit which will be arriving hopefully sometime next week.
In the meantime, I realized that the PSU in the computer I use at church is a newer unit that would work in the Dell. But the compuer at church is also needed. So I spent part of this morning going through a number of boxes in order to locate an extra PSU that originally came with the kit that was used to build the church PC. Hopefully after swapping the extra PSU into the church PC, and the PSU from the church PC into the Dell, all two PCs will work. If not, I will have a much more serious problem on my hands.
I'll still want a new, spare PSU around for the next time one of them goes out.
I guess the "good" to come out of all this is that I might be able to build a whole sermon around the issue of bad PSUs, replacing them, etc. That was another reason why I had difficulties getting to and remaining asleep last night -- I was trying to work out the different angles, as well as see if there was something in the event that could be tied to this Easter weekend. We'll see.
Tomorrow I really must settle on the topic as well as most of the outline for this Sabbath's sermon. I also need to craft my 3-minute message for the Good Friday service.
I also need to get things started with a Stop Smoking series that we would like to hold later this month. Again, after I get past this week, I should have the time needed to organize the materials that I purchased.
I meant this to be a quick update, but it looks like it ended up being a complete update.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Saving Video Files from Difficult Sites
The web has lots of videos, but some of the sites make it difficult to download and save the video files on your local PC. The web page at http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php can help you there. The page has a field where you can enter the video URL and it will give you a button to press to allow you to download and save. If you use Mozilla Firefox, there is an extension available from the same page that will let you do the same thing.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Recording Hope Channel Internet Broadcasts
Hope Channel is the Adventist church's global television network. It offers its programs over satellite and also as streamed video on the Internet.
Given where we live, it doesn't make sense right now for us to purchase satellite equipment. But there are occasional programs on the Hope Channel that are of interest to us. The other problem is the time difference. Alaska is simply not a large enough market for convenient broadcast times for major programs, so we have to accommodate our schedule, or have to record it first.
Therein lies the problem. The regular PC media players don't include features to record, let alone schedule, Internet streamed videos. So that began my search for some other program to allow me to record the stream as a file, and hopefully to schedule recordings so they would get recorded without me having to start and stop it.
I found a free one that did allow recording to file, but it was complicated and did not do well with Akamai caching and load-balanced media servers. It also did not include scheduling capabilities.
So I continued my search and found WM Recorder, a $49.95 program that does everything I need. It's actually an ingenious little program in that it uses existing media players to actually play the media, then sniffs the network packets and stores the data as it arrives. That means it doesn't need its own codecs to decode or encode the video and audio. All this program needs to know is to recognize media streams, and then repackage the data as a local file that looks good to a media player application.
I've used WM Recorder a few times now, and it's done what I needed. I'd eventually like to get a satellite dish installed (I'll be trading static for dropped frames, I guess), but for now this solution will be sufficient.
Given where we live, it doesn't make sense right now for us to purchase satellite equipment. But there are occasional programs on the Hope Channel that are of interest to us. The other problem is the time difference. Alaska is simply not a large enough market for convenient broadcast times for major programs, so we have to accommodate our schedule, or have to record it first.
Therein lies the problem. The regular PC media players don't include features to record, let alone schedule, Internet streamed videos. So that began my search for some other program to allow me to record the stream as a file, and hopefully to schedule recordings so they would get recorded without me having to start and stop it.
I found a free one that did allow recording to file, but it was complicated and did not do well with Akamai caching and load-balanced media servers. It also did not include scheduling capabilities.
So I continued my search and found WM Recorder, a $49.95 program that does everything I need. It's actually an ingenious little program in that it uses existing media players to actually play the media, then sniffs the network packets and stores the data as it arrives. That means it doesn't need its own codecs to decode or encode the video and audio. All this program needs to know is to recognize media streams, and then repackage the data as a local file that looks good to a media player application.
I've used WM Recorder a few times now, and it's done what I needed. I'd eventually like to get a satellite dish installed (I'll be trading static for dropped frames, I guess), but for now this solution will be sufficient.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Bible Reading 2007, Week 14
In our readings this week we conclude the Exodus stories. Our readings are in Deuteronomy 31-34; Jude; and Psalm 119:81-176.
Sermon, March 31: Old vs. New
(Click on above title link for sermon audio.)
This is the third and final look into the story of the wedding at Cana recorded in John 2:1-11. This sermon examines more closely how Jesus came to get rid of all the old, bad stuff and replace them with new and better things.
This is the third and final look into the story of the wedding at Cana recorded in John 2:1-11. This sermon examines more closely how Jesus came to get rid of all the old, bad stuff and replace them with new and better things.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Book: So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
I was perusing another blog earlier this week and came across an entry about an interesting book. I downloaded the book (you can purchase a regular printed book, or download it as free PDFs) at the time, but didn't get to reading it until yesterday and I finished it this evening.
This is from the book's web site:
As I read the story, I couldn't help but identify with Jake, the main character. The spiritual journey, the struggles, and the faith and wisdom that he learns, is in so many ways the journey that I am presently on. I would place myself around the middle of the book -- the rest of the story is still to be written.
All who fit into the stereotypical "good Christian" mold needs to read this, because it will raise very uncomfortable questions about what it really means to be a follower of Christ, and questions about motivations behind "doing church."
All who don't fit into that mold, who at times may feel marginalized, can find a loving heavenly Father within these pages. For any who have ever wondered if they are really Christians if they don't carefully follow church-prescribed patterns of what a Christian looks like and acts like, the answer within these pages is a reassuring, "Yes."
For me, the big question that it raises is this: As a leader of a group of believers in Petersburg, am I helping those under my care to draw closer to and look more closely at Jesus, or am I just helping them fulfill what are believed to be religious obligations? Am I simply being a part of their religious To-Do list, or am I helping them to experience and know Jesus for themselves?
As I plan and run activities, as I prepare and deliver sermons, as I interact with church members, these are the questions I believe I need to ask myself. If something I'm thinking about doing or saying isn't bringing people closer to Jesus and to experience Jesus for themselves, then perhaps it really isn't that necessary.
This is from the book's web site:
| What would you do if you met someone you thought just might be one of Jesus’ original disciples still living in the 21st Century? That’s Jake’s dilemma as he meets a man who talks of Jesus as if he had known him, and whose way of living challenges everything Jake had previously known. So You Don’t Want to Go To Church Anymore is Jake’s compelling journal that chronicles thirteen conversations with his newfound friend over a four-year period and how those exchanges turn Jake’s world upside-down. With his help, Jake faces his darkest fears, struggles through brutal circumstances and comes out on the other side in the joy and freedom he always dreamed was possible. If you’re tired of just going through the motions of Christianity and want to mine the depths of what it really means to live deeply in Christ, you’ll find Jake’s story will give you hope for your own. This book probes the difficult questions and offers some far-reaching answers. It just might turn your world upside-down as well! |
As I read the story, I couldn't help but identify with Jake, the main character. The spiritual journey, the struggles, and the faith and wisdom that he learns, is in so many ways the journey that I am presently on. I would place myself around the middle of the book -- the rest of the story is still to be written.
All who fit into the stereotypical "good Christian" mold needs to read this, because it will raise very uncomfortable questions about what it really means to be a follower of Christ, and questions about motivations behind "doing church."
All who don't fit into that mold, who at times may feel marginalized, can find a loving heavenly Father within these pages. For any who have ever wondered if they are really Christians if they don't carefully follow church-prescribed patterns of what a Christian looks like and acts like, the answer within these pages is a reassuring, "Yes."
For me, the big question that it raises is this: As a leader of a group of believers in Petersburg, am I helping those under my care to draw closer to and look more closely at Jesus, or am I just helping them fulfill what are believed to be religious obligations? Am I simply being a part of their religious To-Do list, or am I helping them to experience and know Jesus for themselves?
As I plan and run activities, as I prepare and deliver sermons, as I interact with church members, these are the questions I believe I need to ask myself. If something I'm thinking about doing or saying isn't bringing people closer to Jesus and to experience Jesus for themselves, then perhaps it really isn't that necessary.
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