HARMLESS THOUGHTS

(poor quality, shot with camera phone...) a bit of the song from son #2 a bit of the verse from son #2 (posted for grandparents)

I am not sure I really understand "creative movement" class, but I am sure the grandmas will want to see this video.

[ From the Tennessean ] Just feet away from her sister Maria's tiny white coffin, Shaohannah Chapman stood with her parents and listened as her daddy read a letter she wrote. It was addressed to two people up above: her sister and Jesus. "Maria's stuffed animals are going to be packed away and put into the attic," Steven Curtis Chapman, a well-known Christian singer/songwriter, read in a steady voice that sometimes trailed off into a whisper. "Enjoy heaven," he continued, addressing some 2,000 mourners Saturday at his 5-year-old daughter's funeral at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. "I will see you soon, but not too soon. I hear the roads are made of solid gold and God waits for everyone. When you see that I'm coming, wait for me at the gate," he continued as Maria's pictures — smiling in huge sunglasses or sitting next to her birthday cake — flashed on two screens behind him. 'Snuggle bunny' loved to draw Shaohannah...

I would like to direct you to Rodney Olsen's blog . He has a great write-up concerning the Chapman family. Also check here .

It’s time for letting go All of our “if onlys” ‘Cause we don’t have a time machine And even if we did Would we really want to use it Would we really want to go change everything ‘Cause we are who and where and what we are for now And this is the only moment we can do anything about So breathe it in and breathe it out And listen to your heartbeat There’s a wonder in the here and now It’s right there in front of you And I don’t want you to miss the miracle of the moment There’s only One who knows What’s really out there waiting And all the moments yet to be And all we need to know Is He’s out there waiting To Him the future’s history And He has given us a treasure called right now And this is the only moment we can do anything about So breathe it in and breathe it out And listen to your heartbeat There’s a wonder in the here and now It’s right there in front of you And I don’t want you to miss the miracle of the moment And if it brings you tears Then taste them as they fall Let them soft...

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays, Without a care in the world. And I’m sittin’ here wearin’ the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s been a long day and there’s still work to do, She’s pulling at me saying “Dad I need you! There’s a ball at the castle and I’ve been invited and I need to practice my dancin’ “Oh please, daddy, please!” So I will dance with Cinderella While she is here in my arms ‘Cause I know something the prince never knew Oh I will dance with Cinderella I don’t wanna miss even one song, Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight And she’ll be gone She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed She wants to know if I’d approve of a dress She says “Dad, the prom is just one week away, And I need to practice my dancin’” “Oh please, daddy, please!” So I will dance with Cinderella While she is here in my arms ‘Cause I know something the prince never knew Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella I don’t wanna miss even one song, ‘Cuz all too soon th...

I know that I am not the first to mention this, please pray for the Chapman Family. My wife and I have been thinking about them and praying for them all day. My heart especially goes out to the son. If you haven't read yet, please stop by StevenCurtisChapman.com to read what happened. I would also like to suggest that you stop by the blog, In Memory of Maria , as well. Here is a video from that site.

The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied . To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. [These] are but shadows; but God is the substance . These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun . These are but streams; but God is the ocean . Edwards

This was a gift from a student, I thought I would pass it along to you.

Our school has its new site up and running! I can't tell you what a relief this is. The old one was embarrassingly out of date. We didn't want to send people to the site because it didn't represent our school very well. The new one is much better, and I added it here so that a few people might click on it to help boost our Google rating... So... Click on it already. Thanks!

Here is the code for my all new chalkboard looking <blockquote> ! (Of course this is through Blogger...) .post blockquote { margin:1em 20px; border: solid 4px #D2691E; padding: 10px; color: #FFFFFF; font-family: 'Bradley Hand ITC'; font-size: 1.5em; border-style: inset; background: url(http://www.harmlessonline.net-a.googlepages.com/chalkboard2.JPG); } (I also had to re-teach myself how to show code in a post.)

Now that I have my <blockquote> fixed, I want to share a good quote with you. "I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." ~A.W. Tozer~ I love A. W. Tozer's quotes. I pulled this one off of the wall in my room. I have printed out quotes and stuck them all over my room. Most of the time they don't get noticed, but every once in awhile I will see a student browsing my quotes. I have found this particular one to be particularly confrontational. It is sort of in-your-face. Especially if you are one who isn't so fond of your church's worship services. (I know there are other issues to be dealt with in different church situations, but the principle is true none the less...)

I am going to try out a new blockquote style. I don't really know what I am doing, so ignore this post. Here is my blockquote. I hope it is ok... I am not really sure what to type for my practice blockquote, but maybe I should throw in some Lorem Ipsum... Well, there it is.

My wife and I will use this phrase from time to time, "The Way of the Cross..." We will use it in sentences like, "The best way to go is the way of the cross..." or "I have just decided that I am going to go the way of the cross..." But what are we really saying? We asked ourselves this question the other day when things weren't turning out quite right in a situation. Was this way of the cross really what we were hoping it would be? Now that we are thinking about it, did the way of the cross end up all that well? We know that ultimately it does, but what about in the here and now? Doesn't the way of the cross lead to ... a ... well to a cross? Isn't there a certain amount of sacrifice and death associated with His way? Maybe that is why Jesus said, "...take up your cross daily, die to self, and follow me..." Well, this isn't meant to be a long drawn out post, full of in-depth explanations, so I will get right to it: Following...

Have you seen this Dunkin Commercial?

I just bought Keith Green the live experience CD/DVD Combo. I went into the store to buy my wife a CD for Mother's day. While I was back browsing the CD's I noticed this one out of the corner of my eye. I am recommending it because I absolutely love it. I have always loved Keith Green. And even though I didn't start listening to him until after he had died, he was still a major influence in my life. His music opened my eyes to a much different perspective of Christianity than I was completely familiar with. His message is still impacting me. So, I heartily recommend this CD and DVD. Especially if you are already a Keith Green fan, you will really enjoy this. There should be some clips on the right hand column of this blog. If there aren't, please drop me an e-mail.

The first dog I can remember was named Smokey. I am not sure what happened to Smokey. He simply faded out of my most ancient memories. I don't recall anything specific about him, other than the fact that I owned him and now I don't. The second dog I owned was named Smokey (Or Smokey II, if you will...). He ran away more times than I can remember, but always came back. At least he came back everytime but the last time. The last time he got away was the last I ever saw him. The third dog I owned was named Norman. I picked him out of the pound, all on my own, while my parents were away on vacation. More than once a day he would knock over my little sisters and make them cry. Then he chewed a piece of siding off of the garage and made my dad cry. (Actually, he didn't really cry. It was sort of like a pot of water coming to a boil.) We got rid of Norman, which is a funny story on its own, but I don't have time for it here. The fourth dog was named Sophie. I am ...

I saw this on TV somewhere. Then I heard it on the radio the other day, but Greg Adkins found it on YouTube. [ht: Greg Adkins ]

Here are a few web sites that I use regularly, that you may or may not have heard of. Remember the Milk Remember the Milk is great for those of you who like the to-do lists and also like quippy little names for websites. It is a great organizer and it also coordinates with your Gmail and Google Galendar. There is also an offline feature that comes in handy. I highly recommend this site. Jott Jott is awesome. I cannot tell you just how awesome it is. It is a phone service where you can call in and it will transcribe your voice into text, but that isn't even the half of it. You can also send jotts. I can call and it will send a text message to my wife. OR... I can call and send a jott to myself. It will send me an e-mail of my words. But before you hang up, it will ask you if you want a reminder. If you say yes, then you can pick the date and time for that reminder. It will then send you a text message at that time. Cool. Jott also coordinates with services like Google Cale...

  While on a field trip, you must maintain control of students at all time. This is an absolute imperative. Control must be maintained! Losing this control can be dangerous for the students and also for the teachers. This is why you cannot give them an inch. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. And you might end up in a situation like this...