HARMLESS THOUGHTS

Sent to you by mattharmless via Google Reader: Oh, you have GOT to be KIDDING me via Pyromaniacs by DJP on 3/19/08 by Dan Phillips In the meta to my previous post , Mike Hall pointed me ultimately to something that had me literally slack-jawed. Step away from sharp objects, sit down, have your heart-medicine at hand, take a few deep and slow breaths... ...and read this . You'll see "A Special Note About Easter" which, according to pastor Blake Hickman , came from the First Look Sunday School publishers. In the letter they explain how — you are sitting down, right? I wasn't kidding. They explain why they are leaving Easter out of their Easter materials . They've decided that the story of the Cross is too violent and disturbing for young children, and the Resurrection wouldn't make any sense without it, so they "are focusing on the Last Supper, when Jesus shared a meal and spent time with the people He loved." I just... is this Scrapple...

I also stole this one from Paul. Sent to you by mattharmless via Google Reader: Petition for California Homeschoolers via approaching North by Paul Fuller on 3/7/08 Please read these 2 articles which describe a California Court of Appeals recently published opinion which baldly states that parents do not have a constitutional right to teach their children at home: San Francisco Chronicle Article Los Angeles Times Article After reading that, please consider signing this petition which is requesting that "the Supreme Court of California depublish the Court of Appeal opinion". More information on this ruling can be found at the Focus on the Family website. Things you can do from here: Subscribe to approaching North using Google Reader Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

I wanted to post about this myself, but my wife did such an amazing post about it, I just decided to re-direct you to her blog. " Be With God "

I stole this from Paul Sent to you by mattharmless via Google Reader: What Is Eaten In One Week Around The World via approaching North by Paul Fuller on 2/25/08 Update since original post: Some friends have asked me where I got these pictures. A good friend of mine, Cory Rintala , emailed them to me. When I was queried about their origins, a little googling unearthed this info: The photos are from a book called "Hungry Planet" by Pete Menzel . You can find out more about his photo essays on his website and through this article from NPR's Michele Norris. Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07 United States: The Revis family of North Carolina (note the nutritional content on this table!) Food expenditure for one week $341.98 Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11 Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican...

In case you were still wondering about π... Here is π to 1 million digits .

In case you didn't know, π day is coming up. (It is 3/14... get it?) To lead into π day I thought I would throw in some random mentions of π. The first one is from an identity called Euler's Identity. It is an equation that involves π and a few other prominent numbers. Maybe even the most prominent and important numbers. Here is that equation: Here is a clip from Wikipedia that does a pretty good explanation of this amazing equation: Euler's identity is considered by many to be remarkable for its mathematical beauty . Three basic arithmetic operations occur exactly once each: addition , multiplication , and exponentiation . The identity also links five fundamental mathematical constants : The number 0 . The number 1 . The number π , which is ubiquitous in trigonometry , geometry of Euclidean space , and mathematical analysis . The number e , the base of natural logarithms , which occurs widely in mathematical analysis (e ≈ 2.71828). The number i , imaginary unit of t...

The taste test is a great idea with food, but it isn't always the best idea in the rest of life. I saw the following quote and thought it was really true. "Don't taste what you don't want to hunger after." Ravi Zacharias

I received this as a comment, but I wanted to move it up to the "post" level. Dear Son-in-law, I was reading your blog and my heart was touched when you were talking to the boys about abortion. I do not recall sharing this with you...It was back when I was nursing at the hospital...I went into a room to care for the lady in the second bed...I was in the room for a good hour. I was not aware that the lady in the first bed has received a radium insertion that AM. There should have been a warning posted on the door...but there was not. It was being posted as I left. My heart immediately filled with fear. Just days before I had been informed, I was with child. I was well aware of the deformities and health problems this meant for the little person growing inside me. I immediately went to the OB Doctor, who advised me to get an abortion and the sooner the better. Needless to say, for the next 7 months Dad and I spent many hours on our knees asking God to please give us a healthy b...