Passionate Patience

Loved this Romans 5:3-5 passage from The Message.

We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Isn't "passionate patience" a great concept? I also loved the idea that God's generosity can be about the non-material.
Cindy

Next Breakfast July 22nd

Hello, I've confirmed July 22nd with Pastor Brian and hope you can make it. I'll begin posting summaries for chapters 3 & 4 to this blog in a few days. Feel free to comment.

Since we had no volunteers to cook on July 22nd, we decided that each of us will bring our own breakfast this time.

As always, if there is anything we can do to help you attend, please contact Brian or me. Even if you haven't been to the previous two breakfast, you're always welcome. Copies of the book are available for $15 from the church.

Generally the feedback regarding the study has been great. Although the book is pretty different, most really like it so far.

Consecutive Numbers Day

I supposed this reflects an oddity in me, but I love weird patterns and numerical novelties. Did you know it is Consecutive Numbers Day? About now, all of the number markers we use to keep time are consecutive.

At 1:02 AM and 3 seconds today, the time will be 1:02:03 on 04/05/06. It won't happen again for a hundred years. In case anybody reading this is still alive then, look for it on it on April 5th of 2106. I don't know why this title is only given when the consecutive numbers start with "1." Next year, for example, why isn't May 6, 2007 at 2:03 AM and 4 seconds or 2:03:04 on 05/06/07 a consecutive numbers holiday?

I also like days like September 9, 1999 when it was 09/09/99. This year the day will be (Yikes!) 06/06/06. I don't think this is related to the apocalypse or the mark of the beast, but please don't tell "the end of the world" people. I already have too much tuna stored up for the possibly pending pandemic of Bird Flu. (Saying this makes me feel like Batman's sidekick. Holy Possibly Pending Pandemic, Batman!) 6/6/06 is the 62nd anniversary of D-Day.

Anyway, I wanted you to know about Consecutive Numbers Day, in case you didn't already. Happy CND or is it Merry CND?

Software Security Rant

I can no longer contain myself. A stock expert on one of the finance channels touted Microsoft products as one of his picks for secure software. In other words, buy the stock because they have really secure products.

Don't ever listen to a man who labels himself as an "expert," and thinks Microsoft has secure software. Some Microsoft products might be a little more secure than nothing. Not only has this giant been historically loose in security matters, their prominence in the industry often makes them a giant target for hackers, spies, as well as other forces of evil in the universe.

While UNIX-based and Mac systems rarely contract anything like worms, viruses, or spyware, several entire industries have been spawned from Microsoft's inability to protect its end users and servers from invasions! (Perhaps I should write that book for lay people. Be very afraid!)

I'd like to get another laptop, but am already paying $50+ a year for each of my other three computers in an attempt to make myself safer.

Microsoft might be a good stock pick, but I don't know any geeks types who would pick them as a security leader. I use some of their products because I don't have other viable options. The world, especially America, has already been indoctrinated. MS has marketed themselves into being the software of choice for many industries. Please note the fact that they became industry leaders because of excellent marketing, not quality or security.

"Secure" Microsoft products might be just as big a threat to our national security as open borders.

Blowing Through Heaters Like, uh, Microwaves?

As we complete some fairly major renovation of our Colorado mountain home, my husband and I are heating a couple of small areas with space heaters. The good news is space heaters, thanks to many foreign countries, have gotten a lot cheaper. The bad news is they hardly last a season. Previous heaters have remained functioning members of our family for about 20 years.

Are heaters intended to be disposable now? They're cheap. If you use them a lot, they break, but they're cheap, so you buy another one. This logic is enough to turn me into a rabid environmentalist! Is there a local chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Plastics I can join? Aren't we supposed to be worried about our garbage? Heaters can occupy a lot of land fill space. . .almost as much as microwaves.

In 1981, I saved up to purchase a microwave, which was on sale for $300. Years later, the electronic panel went out so I took it in for repair. The estimate was $150. A new unit was $100. Okay, this bothered me a little, but my old microwave was out-of-date and I could make good use of the new product's features. I bought the new one and since have had to buy at least three more.

Recently, I saw a microwave on sale for $27.99 at a major discount chain and realized that microwaves had gone the way of ink pens and cigarette lighters before them. They're "throw away" items, also known as disposables.

In the 70's, brightly colored plastic cigarette lighters were cool and cheap. After watching my father fumble for years, drizzling lighter fluid on the cotton guts of his old stainless steel lighter, this seemed like a great concept to me and it even cost less. Eventually, even Daddy gave in to the idea.

In those days, pen manufacturers also introduced disposable ink pens. A dozen of Bic's new pens were the same price as only a few refillable pens. How could we have known we were on the beginning of a downward spiral?

What's next? I haven't a clue and although there's probably no stopping this wasteful practice in the near term, we need to make sure we keep this philosophy in the realm of things. Contrary to what some would have you believe, people are not and will never be disposable.

I Give Up. . .

News Programs have generally been biased in reporting the Terri Schiavo story. So much disinformation to wade through. Many stories being labeled as the "truth." Reporters telling us the "facts," which are based on the expert they preferred or the probable misunderstanding of Terri's condition by the courts. (Evidence might have been based on restricted information or fabrications due to the questioned-by-many actions of Michael Schiavo.) For many of us, the story which needs investigation is the husband.

I realize this is an emotionally charged story with many "experts" in disagreement about Terri's diagnosis. However, if both sides simply reported the facts as they believe them, we could draw our own conclusions, thank-you-very-much. I feel as if I'm trapped in a gossip factory. Facts, Biblical and medical, are scarce.

Although Living Wills are probably a good idea, the news media has given the documents way more emphasis than they deserve, often labeling them as the "simple solution." Folks, nothing about dying is simple, nor should it be.

I finally decided to avoid all news until after Easter except for the headlines. Why? A reporter just announced she is trying to find out if the Pope has a Living Will. I give up!

Interesting Perspective

I read an interesting report that questions the court's findings that Schiavo is in a "Persistent Vegetative State."

The story by Kevin McCullogh sites a physician who points out a fact we can all understand. The body produces up to two liters a day of. . .saliva. If Terri has a liquid cortex, as some doctors have guessed, then she could not swallow, or so the "doctor expert" says. Really interesting piece: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43486