breakfast

I had a doughnut and some coffee for breakfast today.

And then I had the same thing for lunch.

Is this healthy?

I am thinking that it isn't all that healthy, but it sure brightened my day! It was like manna from heaven!

Blog Safari -- Tips

Here are some FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) about Blog Safari. Actually I have never had any questions asked about Blog Safari, but I have always wanted to have a FAQ post!



What is Blog Safari?
Start by reading this. I started Blog Safari to help in displaying blogs that I run across from time to time. There are alot of really good ones out there, and it is fun to share them with others. Blog Safari also serves in expanding readership of all of the blogs that are involved.

Where did you get the idea for Blog Safari?
Awhile ago Darren from Living Room ran something called Blogger Idol. I thought that it was alot of fun and I always wanted to do something like it. I have to give him the credit for the idea. I had also been bumping the idea around for awhile because of the blogger "next blog" button. I thought that was a great idea.

How do I go on a Blog Safari?
One possibility is to click on the Blogger "next blog" button. The problem with that one is that it will only take you to blogger blogs.

Another possibility is to check out some blog listings. Here are a few:
, , and

But my preferred method is to go to a blog that I enjoy reading and click on a link that they have listed. Most blogs have a section of blogs they enjoy reading. If you do that and then look at the links that those blogs have, you could go on indefinitely.

If you have any other Blog Safari tips that you would like to share, feel free to do so.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blog Safari -- Week 1

I have noticed that there are literally thousands upon thousands of blogs out there. And surfing through them can be both fun and dangerous. Almost like a Blog Safari!

Now, I have been on a few blog hunts myself from time to time, and have found some interesting blogs, blogs that I would like to share with other people. Blogs that I feel are a unique find. But I never had a way to share those blogs with other bloggers... Until Now!

If you would like to join in on the Blog Safari, Here is what you need to do:

• Go on a blog hunt.


• Write a post on your blog telling us about your exceptional blog find! (You might want to explain to your readers what you are doing and include a link to this page.)
  
• Include a link to your blog in the blogger input section of this post, by clicking blogger input at the bottom of this post. Even if you are not a "blogger" member, you can still leave a comment there. Make sure you leave (1)your name, (2)the link to your page, and (3)a short description of your blog find.


• Feel free to browse through the entries for each week and pick a top three to post on your blog.


• Please, only one entry per week. (I will try to do this every week and in the next few weeks will possibly include some theme hunts or something like that.)

If this works, I think that it will be a great way to network with other bloggers and to also get your own blog discovered.

If you have any suggestions on how to improve the Blog Safari, e-mail me at mattharmless@hotmail.com

Last, but not least, I need to acknowledge Darren of living room. His Blogger Idol series is what inspired me to try this.

none gross

When I came into my room this morning I noticed that on my white board one of my students wrote:

We luv U Mr. Harmless

*In a none gross way*

What does "none gross" mean? That is what I want to know!

Christian Education

Even though I am a Christian School Teacher, I don't think that I have ever blogged about Christian Education.

But yesterday, as I was waiting for my microwave meal to be nuked in the teacher's lounge, I picked up one of those teacher magazines. I don't remember which one it was, but there was the title of an article that really jumped off the page and grabbed my attention. It was, Why do Christian School students resent Christian Education?

It is an excellent question. It is a question that I have thought of myself. I went to a Christian School myself, and now, as many of my classmates have reached the age where their children are going to school, a majority of them speak so resentfully of their own Education. And refuse to send their kids to a Christian School.

It baffles me, it really does. In most of the cases, it wasn't because the school was all that bad, it was because they were bad! I know because so was I!

We were rebellion incarnate. It wouldn't have mattered what kind of school we were at, we were bent on doing evil. Unfortunately many of my old friends want to blame the school and blame their church and blame their parents, but they don't want to look deep to see what the real problem was. them.

When I decided to go into education, I chose Christian Education mostly because I knew that if I worked at a Public School, I would get fired. Plain and Simple. There is not a day that goes by that I don't refer to the relevance of God in everyday life. I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut in a Public School.

• Why is a line straight? God made it that way.


• Why do we have to do geometry? God tells us to be submissive to our authority, and your authority says to take geometry.


• Where did the number pi come from? God came up with it. Decided that would be the best number for the job. And even though it is a never ending and never repeating decimal, God knows the whole thing... He wrote it.


• Why does 2+2=4? God decided that.


• Why do we have to do our homework? To get good grades, so we can get into a good college? No! It is because God says to do all things to glorify Him.


• When are we ever going to use this? You might never use this particular thing again, but your whole life you will have to do things that you don't want to do or don't understand why you have to do them, so doing geometry to the best of your ability because God says that is the way we should do all things, is practice for real life.


• Why? Why? Why? God.

It all comes back to Him.

Why do Christian School kids sometimes resent Christian Education? They don't see it's value. Maybe they had teachers that weren't doing the job well, I don't know. But I want to restore that value. NO. I don't have delusions of grandeur. I don't think that I can change a whole system, but I do think... Hope... and pray that God might help me no use me to reveal God to a student.

Even if it is only one.

daddy

as I was growing up, I always thought that I would be the best dad. I don't know why I thought this, I just did.

I loved kids, and usually chose to play with them at family outings and such. I also had two younger sisters, and for the most part I enjoyed playing with them. I was almost 15 when my youngest sister was born, so I was very familiar with the whole thing... or so I thought.

I had a sobering moment a couple of days ago. I looked at my children and thought, "all of the bad things they do, they learned from me." It was depressing, but oh-so-true!

Now, sometimes, I look at my kids and I wonder if I am any good at this daddy thing at all. If they survive this earth it won't be because of me, that is for sure. It will be because of the grace of God.

politics...ugh!

This is definitely not a political blog.

I think that if you have read this blog at any time in the past, you will notice that I have not at anytime tried to express my own political opinions. I have chosen to keep silent about it, but with the upcoming election, I think that I am going to take a poke at it.

First of all, I am not a political person. I just isn't my cup-o-tea. I can't help it, I just don't find politics to be an overly interesting topic.

Secondly, it doesn't matter that much to me. I enjoy my freedoms in this country and appreciate them, but that has no bearing on how I am going to live my life or make my decisions. If tomorrow I lost all of my freedoms, I would still be free in Christ, because "... if the Son has set you free, then you will be free indeed!"

Thirdly, my citizenship is in heaven. And even though some would consider this to be figurative, I take it to be a reality. I am just passing through this country.

So politics just aren't a regular topic of my conversation.

But one of my favorite blogs, that I read on a daily basis, inadvertently motivated me to consider my own political stand with this post. If you go there you can read my comments and the comments of some others who were also motivated to speak on the subject.

Since I talked about it there, I thought that I would throw out my comments here and see what everybody thinks.

I almost hesitate saying this, because people on the web seem to be the most critical people, but here goes...

I simply can't vote for someone who is pro-choice. I know that most people think that is such a minor issue, but to me it is the most important of the issues. There aren't many things on this earth that are worse than abortion.

What I really find amazing is the number of people who would claim the Christian Faith as their own, yet still say that it is OK to kill an unborn child. Amazing.

Like I said, I know that most people will say that this is not the main issue, but I consider this a defining issue. Most of us are fools if we think that we know as much as Bush or Kerry when it comes to running the govt. I have never tried to run a govt., so on some of the issues, I have opinions, but I do know that it is wrong to kill innocent children. I know that there are thousands of women across this nation that have listened to the lie that it was OK, and now they are trying to survive the aftermath of such a decision. AND if I have to chose which man is going to be responsible for the govt. that I am under, that I have to Biblically submit to, I hope to get a man that will stand firm on an issue, no ...on a moral principle.

I am sure that I am going to get comments about how wrong I am to say such a thing, and quite frankly, that's OK. (this isn't my blog anyway...Just thought that I would put in my two cents)

The first response back said:

Thanks for standing by your convictions, always an admirable attribute. I to cannot fathom the act of abortion and could never support such thing. However, politically speaking, it's a moot point. Here is why. . . just as many abortions can and do occur during a "pro-life" administration as that of a "pro-choice" administration.

It has always baffled me and angered me (this is not directed to you Matt) that "Christians" stand on the abortion issue alone when exercising political rights. We are called to be our brothers' keeper; to care for those that are in need. Is this limited to unborn children, absolutely not. Many "pro-life" Christians could care less about the well being of pregnant woman, just that her fetus lives. They don't offer her any solutions, compassion, or help. They could care less about the homeless guy they rush past and ignore his pleas for help, or the black kid that is actually more depressed than violent, or the homosexual that really does not "deserve" to die. In a nutshell, Republicans oppose abortion and social support for those in need. Democrats support abortion and social support for those in need. Pick a side. It's not fair, but it is what it is. Since this issue is a moot point politically speaking, wouldn't it would make more since to focus on actual modern day Biblical issues and needs ?

Let me leave on this note. This is how I judge our current president and the gentleman wanting replace him:

Mathew 7

15"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character:

·Love
·Joy
·Peace
·Patience
·Kindness
·Goodness
·Faithfulness
·Gentleness
·Self-control

21"Knowing the correct password saying 'Master, Master,' for instance isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience, doing what my Father wills. 22I can see it now at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' 23And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

And since I wasn't for sure if he had actually understood my point, I responded again by saying:

Actually the point that I was trying to make is that I can't trust that a politician can make good decisions in other "issues" if he can't see (and state openly) that abortion is wrong.

As far as offering help and solutions, that is the responsibility of the church not the duty of the government. In fact, if you want my opinion (which you probably don't), I don't want a government of godless men offering solutions to mothers.

And I can't speak for the "Christians" that you know, (I know that this world is full of hypocritical people) but most of the Christians that I am around on a weekly basis work very hard at offering as much help, support, and Biblical counsel as they can. And it doesn't come in the form of an organization or committee, it comes in the form of people helping and loving other people.

But like I said before, my only point is that, if a man doesn't say that it is wrong to kill, then I don't want him making decisions about war or economics or anything else for that matter. And NO, I am not foolish enough to think that America will ever get to the point where abortions aren't taking place, and NO I don't think that they will even get any less just because of a president, that wasn't what I was saying. My point is just that the issue of abortion, for me, is a sign of some level of morality.

If all of the other levels of morality are gone, at least he knows that it is wrong to kill.

Now, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Everybody and their brother has something to say about what the president should do or be like, but I am not foolish enough to think that I could know all of the ins and outs of public office. So this isn't about whether or not abortion will be banned or not, because let's face it, abortions will continue to take place in this country no matter what law is passed.

So I am not saying vote for Bush because I think that abortion laws are going to get changed (though I hope that they do). I am saying vote for a man who is going to say that it is wrong to kill. And will continue to say that even if it is unpopular. I am saying don't vote for Kerry because he says that even though life begins at conception, abortion should still be allowed.

I guess that the really hard thing to believe is that any Christian would place this issue second to any of the others. Not out of a desire to change the law, but out of a desire to support morality.