HARMLESS THOUGHTS

Who needs video games?!? I have a fuel system to play with! I had to replace the corroded parts. This just didn't look safe to me. Looks good to me. Now it is time to stick it in the tank. I hope this part goes well!

It's out!

I could summarize the entire day in one sentence: "I spent 2 hours and 15 minutes trying to loosen 2 bolts." Yeah, that about says it all, but here are a few pictures of the first day. I am currently waiting for the dew on the ground to be sufficiently dried up before I go out there. I will try to post some more pictures later. I have a fear of the vehicle falling on me, so I make sure that it is securely jacked up. Taking off the clamp on the big hose where you fill the tank. This is at the beginning of the 2hr.15minute brawl that ensued between me and the tag-team bolts! Say hello to my little friend! Lowering the tank down with a jack. The tank is now lowered, but now I have to disconnect everything from the top of the tank. In case anyone might want to search this out,I will put in a few key words: this fuel pump replacement is for a 1995 Chevy Astro Van .

My first official day that I am not in school. Normally this would result in heading off to work... my other work. In the summer I am a mover. (If you didn't already know this... they you haven't really been reading my blog.) And usually the very first day after school I am headed off to my summer job. This year is different though. This year I have a ton of work to do right away, because I am getting ready to move. It looks like everything is going well on the house selling, so I need to get to work fixing the things that I agreed to fix. I need to replace a glass window pane . I need to put in soffit vents . And there is some electrical work to be done. (I can't do that last one myself. So, here I am, all ready to get to work on this lovely Monday morning, and guess what... Big Red won't start. My wife's parents were here, so they took her to work on their way out of town, but that still leaves me with a big red, big pain! I think that it is the fuel pum...

My view of Mark Driscoll just jumped up about 100 notches. It is his response to a question about stay-at-home dads. [HT: fingertoe.com ]

This picture came from this link ! [HT: Straight Up !]

Today is the last day of school. Yay.

Ok. I saw this a week or so ago, but I was re-visiting it in my mind today, and just had to share it with all of you. The post is titled, Soul-Winning Made Easy . It is from Challies.com , one of my new favorite blogs. It is completely worth a few moments of your time.

This is why I don't normally give students my phone number. When I do, I usually get some weird, random voice mails, like this one.

In just a few days I am going to be computerless . The laptop that I have been using for the last two years belongs to the school. I lugged that thing home every single school day. I have accomplished alot of work on it: tests have been typed, curriculum overviews have been written, grades have been entered, rubrics created, school calendars, teacher web pages, on and on... In my spare time I have done a little blogging, twittering, and have even made my own website . But now it is all coming to an end. The computer must be returned to the school permanently and I must move on. It will be an emotional day for me. Oh sure, I have an old-cracked-screen laptop and I have a couple of outdated computer towers that take 10 minutes to load the operating system, but I am going to miss this particular laptop. It has been good to me. I would love to be able to go out and purchase a replacement, but lets face it... I am a school teacher. If you don't know anything else about school te...

One more picture

Here is a poem from Garrison Keillor's: The Writer's Almanac that is a nice little reminder of one thing I love about Summer The Ordinary by Kirsten Dierking (from Northern Oracle ) It's summer, so the pink gingham shorts, the red mower, the neat rows of clean smelling grass unspooling behind the sweeping blades. A dragonfly, black body big as a finger, will not leave the mower alone, loving the sparkle of scarlet metal, seeing in even a rusting paint the shade of a flower. But I wave him off, conscious he is wasting his time, conscious I am filling my time with such small details, distracting colors, like pink checks, like this, then that, like a dragonfly wing in the sun reflecting the color of opals, like all the hours we leave behind, so ordinary, but not unloved. "The Ordinary" by Kirsten Dierking, from Northern Oracle . © Spout Press, 2007.

Here are a few links from this recent news story. I just think that it is so cool that we can hop on the internet and hear the thoughts from the "Preachers of our age". When current issues come up, we can get current Biblical thoughts to go along with those issues. To Kill and Abortionist by James MacDonald I like this one. James MacDonald's blog is called Straight Up, which is a fitting name. He always seems to get right to the point. He really nails this one quite well. I appreciated his words. A Wicked Deed in Wichita -- A Test for the Pro-Life Movement by Albert Mohler This one is worth a read. He brings in the similar case of John Brown from American History. Some thoughts on the Killing of Abortionist George Tiller by Randy Alcorn Randy Alcorn always has a great eternal perspective. His blog post includes some other links that you might find interesting, including a "horribly misguided" one from Frank Schaeffer (Francis Schaeffer's son). To gi...

Here is an interesting little video from James MacDonald. It is about the common mistakes made by young pastors. ( original post ) As many of you know, I am planning on moving back to my homeland . In the years I have been away from home, I have filled pulpit, taught youth groups, and taught an introductory Biblical Counseling class. So, even though I am not a pastor, I am hoping to be in a leadership-type role at the church in my hometown. They do not have a pastor right now, and because of the size of the church, it may be some time before they get one. Therefore, I am hoping to have some opportunities to fill pulpit (when needed) and to teach the adult School class. (I would like to share more of my heart on this opportunity in the coming days...) I really appreciated the points that he was making in the video. I have often noticed that there are good speakers and... well... not-so-good speakers. We all know it, and we don't want to be overly critical or judgmental, bu...

(from the Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett) When clouds of darkness, atheism, and unbelief come to me,       I see thy purpose in love            in withdrawing the Spirit that I might prize him more.            in chastening me for my confidence in past successes,            that my wound of secret godlessness might be cured. Help me to humble myself before thee       by seeing the vanity of honor as a conceit of men's minds,            as seeing between me and thee;       by seeing that thy will must alone be done,            as much in denying as in giving spiritual enjoyments;    ...