HARMLESS THOUGHTS

I think that my blog is going to set a new record today. The record will be a new monthly high number of visits to this blog. The previous high was in October of 2008, when I had 1291 visits in one month. I think that I have already surpassed that for this month, but I want to really beat the record! So, if you are reading this through a feed reader, stop on by! Please say "hi" while you are here (via the comments).

Well, I just had to turn on the comment moderation . I don't like to do that because I like the comments to show up right away. Especially if I am not going to be by a computer for awhile. But yesterday I had several spam comments. Those are comments from people who really have no interest in your blog, but want to put up a link to their website so that they can get more publicity. So, when someone says "Hey love your blog." and then adds a link to Jordan Shoes... Yeah. So I am now going to start moderating the comments.

I just posted that last video that my wife showed me, and it got me to thinking about other videos that have been beneficial to me. This one I saw at church a few years ago. I have to be honest, I still cry every time I watch it.

Excellent video! [HT: my wife ]

I love reading to my two boys.  I read to them nearly every night, when I have the chance.  I try to go the whole nine yards too, including different voices for each character.   Peter and the Starcatchers has been a great book to read to them. It is the story behind the story of Peter Pan.  I know, I know, Peter Pan... But I am telling you it is a really good book!  It is written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and they do an amazing job of breathing new life into these well known characters and letting us get to know a little more about them.  I mean, who hasn't wondered about Captain Hook's history? It was fun going through the book as you see these different characters being revealed and the aspects of the traditional story begin falling into place.  I don't want to go into detail because I don't want to ruin the story for you. If you enjoy reading to your kids, then I want to recommend this book.  My boys loved it and immediately upo...

We are surrounded by fruit!   Evaluate it before you eat it! Yesterday I preached through the next part of the Sermon on the Mount.  In this section, Jesus warns His disciples of the reality of false prophets.  This warning is important because (1) as humans, we have the potential of being deceived and (2) there exists a being who is known as the deceiver. He is the great deceiver and we can be deceived. He is the father of lies and we can be lied to.  He is a trickster and we can be tricked.  This is not a good combination, therefore a warning. If you would like to download this sermon, right-click this link and choose save. Fruit Inspectors

I just posted last Sunday's message.  I titled it The Way, because, according to Jesus, there are only two ways and only one right way.  This teaching stands very much opposed to the teaching of today. If you would like to download this message, right click and choose save. The Way

H ow W ould J esus T each? That is what I am wondering today.  If Jesus was a public school teacher, how would He teach?  How would He respond to students that don't want to learn?  What sort of reaction would He have to disrespect? ...to profanity?  ...to disobedience?  ...to cell phones in class? He taught those who came to Him ( Matt 5:1 ).  It wasn't a captive audience.  When He taught something that was hard, many would leave and stop being His students ( John 6:60-66 ). Those who stayed and disagreed with Him were simply there to try to trip Him up.  When they couldn't frustrate His teachings, they simply plotted to kill Him.  When they finally carried out their plan; He did not fight back; He did not resist.  So, when I look at His life, it is hard to know what He would do, because the situation is so different. The question then remains, "How would Jesus teach?" Some days, I stray away from that question to a different qu...

This volume is the writing of the living God:  each letter was penned with an almighty finger; each word in it dropped from the everlasting lips; each sentence was dictated by the Holy Spirit. Albeit that Moses was employed to write his histories with his fiery pen, God guided that pen.  It may be that David touched his harp, and let sweet Psalms of melody drop from his fingers; but God moved his hands over the living strings of his golden harp.  It may be that Solomon sang canticles of love, or gave forth words of consumate wisdom, but God directed his lips, and made the preacher eloquent. I follow the thundering of Nahum, when his horses plough the waters, or Habakkuk, when he sees the tents of Cushan in affliction; if I read Malachi, when the earth is burning like an oven; if I turn to the smooth page of John, who tells of love, or the rugged fiery chapters of Peter who speaks of fire devouring God's enemies; if I turn to Jude who launches forth anathemas upon the foes...

I just left Direct TV last month.  I had one month left on my contract, I completed that month, paid the bill, and said, "good-bye."  It wasn't a harsh dismissal.  I wasn't angry.  I didn't berate anyone on the phone because of high bills or bad customer service.  I simply did not want to pay for something that I am not going to use.  (There are only 4 episodes of LOST remaining, so once that is over, there will no longer be any ties between me and the TV.) Truth is, I am just too busy to watch TV.  If I have a spare moment, I want to read.  I want to spend time with my wife and my children.  I want to study for the next sermon.  I want to accomplish some little unfinished project on my house.  These are the things that I want to do.  So, I broke up with Direct TV. That is when the calls started.  No voice-mail.  No messages of any kind.  Just silence.  I called it back once, and it was Direct TV! So, ...

I just read a good post over at the Guru's Handbook , called The Dirty Secret of Education . I would like to encourage you to read it, so I am going to give you a little taste: In most professions the practitioners can point to a product or an effect of their work. A better tool, a running program, a written document, satisfied clients, smoother operations. Yet there is no object produced in teaching and the teacher’s job is not to make people or institutions happy, but to draw the student to learn, to change. What is the product? It is not the curriculum, which is only one of many ways of organizing subject matter. It is not the student’s mind, which arrives mostly assembled. It is not an abstract ideal of knowledge which if it exists only exists inside this mostly assembled student’s mind. The teacher’s work is to lead the student to learn – perhaps the material, perhaps how to learn – but only the student can do the actual learning. So what is the product? Ok. That was a big...

I have seen these on other blogs before, but I decided to find them and put them into a presentation...

One of my favorite things about Google Docs is the fact that it is nearly constantly getting better. Plus, you don't have to download and update anything. It simply changes. From the Official Google Docs Blog: A new Google Docs . Or, check out the video:

I decided on Monday that I have neglected my Bible blog, titled Let Me Not Wander , for too long.  This morning I started it back up. I spruced it up with Blogger's new template designer, I burned a feed for it with feedburner, and I posted the next passage of scripture. I made the decision to go back to the book of James and continue my meanderings through that amazing book.  I have written commentary on over 500 passages of scripture, simply by posting one a day.  I wish I hadn't stopped that blog, because I could probably have doubled that number by now. If you have never been to that blog, then I am asking you to check it out and add some of your own commentary to the passages that I am wandering through and become a fellow "wanderer."

I just added the option to get Harmless Thoughts in your e-mail! So, if you can't get enough of me, and you want to make sure you don't miss anything, then look to the left hand column and you will see a place to get e-mail updates.

Earthquakes January 12, 2010 - 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti February 27, 2010 - 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Maule, Chile April 4, 2010 - 7.2 magnitude earthquake in California/Mexico April 13, 2010 - 6.9 magnitude earthquake in China and more Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places." (ESV) I know that nobody wants to jump the gun, but you can't help but think...  ( list of famines ) ( list of on-going conflicts )

he said it, she fought with no care he spoke again "you're beautiful!"

This last Sunday I was speaking on "The Golden Rule" as quoted in The Sermon on the Mount. Before I spoke on it I gave some thoughts on who is the speaker of the Sermon on the Mount. I have thought many times that the intended audience of this particular sermon are disciples (follower os the teachings and life of Jesus), but I forget who the speaker is at times. Consider for a moment a conversation involving the computer industry. If, in the middle of a conversation, you realized that the person you were speaking with was Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, you might quiet yourself and listen up! The speaker of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus, the Christ! He is the same person did the talking at the creation of the universe. He spoke the animal kingdom into existence, galaxies filled the empty space He had created and by His voice mitochondria were formed and began to function. Here is an mp3 of the message: Simply Marvelous (Right-click and choose download so you can lis...

Unfortunately they won't allow me to go one day without shoes in the school... some nonsense about regulations or codes... but as soon as the day is over, I am dropping the shoes! Why would I do this?  April the 8th is One Day Without Shoes Day.  I would fill you in on all of the details, but there is a website that does a much better job.

I usually come back from Spring Break with my head in the game.  I am all set for the last several weeks of school.  I am trying to get everything done that I can get done, but not this time.  I am suffering from MDD (Motivation Deficit Disorder). I am already suffering from ADD, with the occasional bout of OCD, but with this new onset of MDD I am just not sure what to do. I think that I need an exquisite, thoughtful, meaning-filled quote to get through these next few weeks.  Anybody have any amazing quotes to inspire me on to teaching greatness?!?

I wanted to put something up about John Piper inviting Rick Warren to the Desiring God conference, but I am not really all that good of a blogger, and the really good bloggers beat me to it. One of those really good bloggers made some really good points. Here is an excerpt from Tim Challies thoughts on the topic that might whet your appetite: Having said all of this, I still believe it would have been best for Piper not to invite Warren. In inviting Warren, Piper is implicitly downplaying the reasons that many Reformed Christians have expressed concern about Warren and his ministry and have separated themselves from both. Yet these are good reasons based around sound biblical concerns. Let me look at this under two headings. Read the rest of the post here and let me know what you think about Piper inviting Warren.

If it is true... an actual historical fact... then what? The reality of the resurrection should mean something. If there was a man who rose from the dead, you would want to know that guy and how He did it. Here are some more thoughts on Easter . (Click to listen or right-click to download.)

The sonnet is a form of poetry made famous by Shakespeare. The typical sonnet consists of 14 lines. The marriage dance requires only two. So dare I talk of love in such a way? The man is me, the woman must me be you, But love is here and now this love must stay. It entered in when we did least expect, Though embodied in a man so long ago. That love in us He seeks now to reflect So I see you when I see him still more. Now from above its given hands and feet, It has a heart and breathes with its own lungs. It moves and grips us when our eyes do meet, And fills with wordless songs our souls have sung. This marriage is enveloped all around, When love has now become a proper noun. (Written for my wife in honor of our 14th anniversary.)

After a short debate over light or dark, we settled on dark and the floors were stained yesterday.  They still need varnished, but these pictures can give you an idea of what they will look like. All thanks to my Father-In-Law!

Pastor John Piper is taking a sabbatical. Here is an excerpt from a letter on the Desiring God website: I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem. But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to ...

Photo Friday Topic This Week: Blurred I haven't done Photo Friday in a while, but I just so happened to have the perfect picture for this week's topic.

They aren't as pretty as normal...

A few of the rooms at our house are finished. The Master Bedroom The TV Room / Study The Bathroom  The Kitchen The upstairs and the boys rooms are also finished, but I don't have pictures of those yet.  The trim (around the doors of the two rooms and the bathroom isn't done yet, but here is a picture of the trim.