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Our Daily Thread 3-21-14

Good Morning!

Today’s header photo is from me.

On this day in 1788 almost the entire city of New Orleans, LA, was destroyed by fire. 856 buildings were destroyed.

In 1790 Thomas Jefferson reported to President George Washington as the new secretary of state.

In 1851 Emperor Tu Duc ordered that Christian priests be put to death.

In 1905 sterilization legislation was passed in the State of Pennsylvania. The governor vetoed the measure.

And in 1928 President Calvin Coolidge gave the Congressional Medal of Honor to Charles Lindbergh for his first trans-Atlantic flight. 

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Quote of the Day

“Our fear of hypocrisy is forcing us to live in a world where gluttons are fine, so long as they champion gluttony.”

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Lot’s of choices today. We’ll start with the classics.

It’s Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday.

And in 1826, Beethoven debuted this in Vienna.  The Avalon Quartet, from NIU SoM Official

It’s Bob Bennett’s birthday too. From CollegeParkWC

And it’s Karl Messner’s birthday as well. So we have the Christian version of Weird Al. 🙂

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Anyone have a QoD?

62 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 3-21-14”

  1. Morning all. Just got back from our end of term band and choir concert. They even had a Sousa march and ended with a hymn. I have been here long enough that I am now seeing children I have taught in the band and choir.

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  3. Anyone know how to get in touch with a REAL, LIVE person at Yahoo?
    I had a mentally exhausting day yesterday and didn’t sleep well last night. I am up and back at it again.

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  5. Good Morning, Y’all!
    Sorry Kim…no clue how to find a real person. Said a little prayer for you to have a better day today.
    AJ, that reminds me of a fishing hole near here….

    The fire in New Orleans (1788) was probably Bush’s fault 🙂
    ..

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  7. Tax season drags on. These are the days of the sinking feelings. It is almost harder to view from the sidelines and not be able to help than it is to be in the thick of things.

    Bosley works well as an effective distraction. 🙂 😦 🙂

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  8. Good Friday Morning to you! Where is Chas today?

    The cartoons (click my greeting, Chas) have several about the missing plane. I imagine Obama is thankful for the wall-to-wall, nothing-new-to-say coverage since it takes attention away form all his failures.

    One cartoon shows Putin as a rough biker and a very skinny police officer blowing a whistle, representing the West. I think it looks like Barney Fife, but the uniform color is the wrong one.

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  9. the keyboard on Chas’ desktop doesn”t work.
    It did yesterday after I got home from the computer guy. I don’t know if it’s the keyboard or computer I should have kept the old keyboard. The reason I threw it out was that one of the letters didn’t work. So I threw it out. Makes sense, but it would be good to test this situation.
    I don’t have time for this. I have Lions today. I’ll have to read the comics later.
    the contrast on this laptop is terrible. I can hardly see what I’m writing.

    😦

    But it is Friday!

    🙂

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  11. Rushing water. Water. We need some.

    Kim, did you google the problem you’re having with Yahoo? (How funny we all sound when we talk now.) Are other people having it from what you can tell?

    I found this which has a helpline phone # you can call (probably to talk to someone in India): http://itechline.com/Yahoo_EMail_Support.html?gclid=CMiJ27Pzo70CFeMSOgodCAkAdA

    And this: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/mail/fixing-common-problems-yahoo-mail-sln3223.html?impressions=true

    Don’t know what to do about Chas’ keyboard. 😦 I adapted easily to a laptop keyboard years ago and that’s pretty much all I use at home (at work we have laptops but because of the desk heights and set up, most of us have hooked them into a regular keyboard that sits low on a tray so it’s more comfortable to type).

    I have an appointment to drop off my tax stuff Saturday afternoon, it always feels good to get that out of the way. I’m sure my tax guy is overwhelmed by now, too. It’s getting close to crunch time. I have to remember that when I drop my stuff off his work only just begins with that deadline looming. I did try to get in earlier (last weekend) but he didn’t call me back until this week to set up an appointment.

    I’ve been later in past years, though, I think. I’m a procrastinator.

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  13. I guess I haven’t been keeping up with evangelical news lately. (Church is in North Carolina)

    http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/why-is-steve-furtick-acting-like-a-cult-leader.html

    “Reformation 21’s Todd Pruitt and Matthew Paul Turner both share a page from Elevation’s Sunday school coloring book that’s been circulating around. The image depicts the Elevation congregation looking up at Furtick in the pulpit. The text reads, ‘We are united under the visionary,’ and ‘Elevation Church is built on the vision God gave Pastor Steven. We will protect our Unity in Supporting His Vision.’

    “Of this, Matthew Paul Turner writes, ‘While the grownups are listening to Pastor Steven preach, the little ones are in Sunday school learning about ‘unity.’ I actually cringed when I saw this. Not even the fundamentalist church I was raised in featured coloring pictures of our pastor. …’ “

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  14. Donna, I heard about him a few days ago. I suspect in the World article he was also thinking of Gothard (it looked like some strong hints that way), but without any allegations being proven legally, he’s not in a position to add his name to the list. The allegations are proven well enough that he would be under church discipline in any church that practiced such (if he was a member of a church), but legally not. But it’s scary how many wolves are getting free passes at sheep these days.

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  17. Flying high today with a half chapter left to go. I’ll finish it this afternoon after work. I’m giddy!

    Google, however, sent me a message that I’ve worn out my welcome!

    (Not)

    Later,

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  18. Updates on Stuff Going On:

    Re: Custody. Well, it turns out that the custody arrangement the mediator suggested (splitting time with parents almost 50/50) is the current norm. So this arrangement will probably stay in effect as long as R is unemployed, unless he messes up. At this point, it looks like he will be unemployed for quite a while. (He told Emily he has no current prospects.)

    The lawyer said she should drop any request for child support, since what she’d get would be minimal anyway, & she could use that as leverage for maybe getting changes to the custody arrangement to be more favorable to her wishes.

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  19. Re: The McKs moving out. They are still working on it. They were supposed to finish up last weekend, but that didn’t happen. Close friends of theirs from South Caroline came up, almost unannounced (they called them when they were ten hours away), to help them clear out the rest of the stuff. No word yet on when they’ll actually be all finished.

    I am so tired of this, & so very much need it all to be over, Emily’s move upstairs included.

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  20. Re: Chrissy. Since telling us her plans to move in with the McKs, she has been a delight! She has not been grumpy, as she had been, she’s been extra-good with Forrest, she’s happy & sweet with the rest of us, & has been extra-helpful. 🙂 She has also been packing her stuff. 😦

    I am going to miss her so bad. Although I know that this move can end up being a good learning & maturing experience for her, I am praying that maybe as she has been getting along better with us, that her eyes will be open, she’ll see how good she has had it here, & she’ll change her heart & mind, & decide to stay.

    ~~~~~End of Updates~~~~~

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  22. Well that’s another bracket buster.

    That’s probably the worst final 8 minutes of basketball I’ve ever seen a Duke team play. You won’t win many when you don’t score for 5 and a half of the last 7 minutes.

    Oh well….. Time to change the ol’ gravatar. 😦

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  26. Slow Friday on here.

    After two or three loads of laundry Bosley finally stayed out of my way and I got the article finished. 🙂

    She wants to be in the room with me wherever I am for her every waking moment. When my son was little he was never this clingy! Since husband is so backed up at work, he is gone for many hours and I get no relief. It is tempting to open the door and say, “Go outside and play,” like children use to be told. 🙂

    I know this is trivial considering what others like Karen are going through. I am keeping you all in my prayers.

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  29. Just stopped in to say “hi” to Aj. It’s been over an hour.
    My keyboard is working now. I don’t know why, but changing ports for the plug on my computer did it. But I lost my Chrome browser. It asks me to download it, but when I try, nothing happens.
    I haven’t heard of that pastor, nor megachurch in Richmond. When I was in Virginia, I kept up with the goings on. That surprises me.
    I haven’t been keeping up with the news today. When I turned on Fox, I saw a picture of an airplane.
    So much for that. I don’t even know what it was about. I didn’t feel a need to find out.

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  30. Hi all. Becca’s at her weekly homeschool pottery class. I’m trying to decide what to make for dinner. Pretty sure it’ll be fish…

    Karen: hang in there! We’ll all be praying for you and yours.

    L. has been diagnosed with migraines. We found a good pediatric neurologist who increased the strength of her Imitrex prescription, so hopefully it’ll knock it out the next time she’s plagued with one. She only gets about four a month, but I so wish I hadn’t passed them along to her…

    Just confirmed plans to attend my 25th high school reunion this May. I attended an all girls boarding school in San Antonio and am looking forward to seeing old friends. Eight of us got together last April and had a ball! I can’t believe 25 years have elapsed since high school–and now I have a daughter about to embark on her own high school career! We found out yesterday she was admitted to Concordia Lutheran for next fall. She is so excited!

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  33. I forgot a couple things!

    I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but Emily would like to homeschool Forrest at least until he goes to high school. She believes that in the early years, public school puts too much pressure on little kids to learn at a certain pace, & she doesn’t like the “sit still & learn” approach for younger children, especially for boys.

    Last night she told me that R wants Forrest to go to preschool. She’s going to fight this, & is stepping up the preschool lessons she’s already been doing with him. Now we are concerned that he may fight her on homeschooling altogether.

    (Prayer request – Please pray that any future mediators or judges they come before will be favorable to homeschooling, or at the very least, not opposed to it.)

    Also, last night (when R had Forrest), Emily knew he was going to cut Forrest’s hair. She asked him to please use scissors, & leave some of the curls (his hair can be short enough but still curly). Instead, he used his electric hair trimmer, & gave him a near-buzz cut. Now Forrest’s hair looks almost exactly like R’s, & is not nearly as cute as it could be.

    Fortunately, Forrest has an adorable face to overcome the haircut. 🙂

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  34. Mumsee – Forrest has been referring to various people as “stupid a__hole” sometimes. No, he didn’t learn that in this house.

    How do you deal with profanity in a young child? Some say that if you make a big deal out of it, that will increase their desire to use the word/s, seeing it get a rise out of their parents. But something has to be said about it, somehow, don’t you think?

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  35. Mumsee said she is so done. Nice to know she isn’t half-baked!

    I might tell Forrest he sounds like a Parrot when he says that. Then maybe say, “We like people talk in our house. We respect people and don”t talk like Parrots about people.” I know it is silly but it will get his attention. Then you can explain how parrots only know how to say what someone else says. He will like the little science lesson, too.

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  37. Praise God I got the article sent today, the deadline day. I had to put it on a thumb drive and take it to the library to use the internet to send it since I don’t have the web on my laptop.

    Bosley is in my lap asleep. No surprise there. I brought back a chargrilled chicken sandwich and broke off a piece of chicken for her. She would have nothing to do with it. That was a surprise. I had to break it into tiny little tasty bits for her to eat out of my hand. Then she decided she liked it. She is getting bigger but still acts like such a baby. I got a book on cats at the library. Maybe there will be some helpful advice. I need it!

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  38. I hear one of the young children next door singing, “You Are My Sunshine.” It is so very sweet. I love to hear children happily at play (outdoors, of course!).

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  39. If the dad wants to pay for preschool, he will have to come up with the money. I wouldn’t argue with him. Let him face the consequences of his choice not to work . . .

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  40. Karen O, I think a three day a week preschool program in a Christian church setting is good for young children assuming there are loving teachers and a good mix of children. I would prefer Forrest to be in a good preschool rather than spend that time only with his dad.

    My son homeschooled for first through twelfth grade, but he also did church preschool and kindergarten. He has said it was a good thing for him. I think it is important especially for an only child.

    Maybe Emily can at least see what is available and compare programs so she will be informed and hopefully be able to help make a good decision.

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  41. I just told my children that certain words were not acceptable. WE don’t talk that way in our home. I would not make a big deal out of it, but also say it is not a way you ever want to hear him talk around you. Then if he continues you will have to have a consequence ready to tell him. If he still continues, the consequence will have to be used. At that age, it can be as little as being put in a corner facing the wall etc. It is YOUR home.

    That is also what I have told any children who would talk that way. I never had one do it, but I have when I have been watching grandchildren and they had neighborhood children over. I have never had a child do it, once I told them that. Of course, it may be different with your own or if it becomes a power struggle. Just a ‘matter of fact’ attitude goes a long way. Children have no way of knowing what is acceptable or not, unless they are told.

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  42. Some preschool can be a lot of fun for a young child. There are so many variations. I did one with my two older children and did not with my youngest. I think, in hind sight, it may have been good for her.

    Also, one thing to consider is how the child will GET to and from the preschool. R cannot just expect you to do it.

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  43. Mine was a sixteen year old. For little folk, what others have said. We don’t say it and don’t expect you to. A little older and we made them look up the definitions and asked if that was really what they meant. I see what they say and I don’t want to see a lot of that stuff.

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  44. Donna, @5:03. Greg Gutfeld on “The Five” said it best, “The more we talk about this, the less we know.” If you had been out of contact and suddenly arrived here. You could watch the news for thirty minutes and know everything that has been learned in the last two weeks.
    There is conjecture everywhere. Mine is that the plane has landed somewhere. Our intelligence agencies likely know where, but they can’t tell because the second question would be “How do you know that?” And they don’t want that question.
    My guess is as good as theirs, and much better than “the black hole” scenario.

    It has been said that there was a time when everyone in America knew the first verse of “You Are My Sunshine”.

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  45. I remember driving along with my Dad singing “You are my Sunshine” such a sweet memory

    We need to have a giant blog party for Michelle finishing her book!! Who will make the cake?? This calls for a celebration.
    Michelle, if you need a proof reader, I would love to help. 🙂

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  47. Mumsee makes good cakes, but you have to be careful because she might insert an onion in the middle.
    Greta Sustern has a copy of the cockpit recorder. You aren’t going to learn anything from it.

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  48. The preschool matter:

    Good points that R wouldn’t be able to pay for it, & how would Forrest get there.

    I agree that a good preschool would be better than being with his dad, but one of the three days R has him is Saturday, & on Monday he doesn’t get him till 10 (a.m.), so the timing wouldn’t quite work.

    Sadly, a Christian preschool is absolutely out of the question. R is rabidly anti-Christian & anti-church, & Emily wouldn’t want that, either. 😦

    Emily does take Forrest to StoryTime every Tuesday morning at the library. (Part of the agreement of R having Forrest overnight on Monday is that he has to drop him off at the library, where Emily will be waiting, in time for StoryTime.) He has a friend or two there that he plays with. There are a couple other places she takes him periodically where he can play with other children.

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  51. Aj, you are so funny with your new gravatar or whatever you call it. Because once you replaced it, it showed up with all your posts. So.. when you began making comments about it and waiting for it to show, we had already seen it above. Or, at least those of us who were catching up on comments

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  52. Here’s what I’ve just posted on FB:

    I’m done.

    Here’s the last line I wrote after nearly 15 months of being immersed in WWI: ““God walks with you, Claire. He always will. You can count on him.”

    Google tells me I’ve worn out my welcome; I’ve spent too much time searching with their help. (Joke)

    I’m humbled, awed, amazed, and blessed to have been God’s hands and mind in this amazing story. I’ve learned so much and pray only that God will be glorified by this tale that spans the war from the day it began to the day it ended. I’ve learned so much and have been so stretched.

    It’s been a privilege.

    And now? I’m going to Hawai’i.

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  54. Well done Michelle. Let me know when and where I can purchase this. I am so glad that God entrusted this story to you. Enjoy a rest in Hawaii.

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  55. But before I go . . .

    (Send me an email, Jo).

    I want to thank all of you for your support, encourage and help with the writing of this book. From Chas’ discussions of the Shiefflin line (or however you spell it, Google is tired of me), to Kim’s posting all those WWI songs (listened to them again yesterday), too all my comments, it has been so wonderful to know you guys were here rooting me on.

    I read the France section this afternoon before I finished writing the book (note: I wrote nearly 22,000 words on the France section since LAST Saturday), and I’m so honored and awed by the way God has worked in this book. My prayer is that God will be glorified and people will want to read Oswald Chambers after they read this novel (if they haven’t before). It truly has been a stunning feat to be involved in this story.

    I just hope God feels the same way. Blessings to you all, and thanks..

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  57. Michelle- Since you do so much searching of information, try Bing. It now has a rewards program where you build up points for things like Amazon gift cards.

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  59. So, the one who used the profanity came up to me this evening and said he finally realized what was wrong. Dad is gone. He does more than just drive them all over the country, it is a lot more than the physical provision. The boy is right and I am glad to see he misses dad and understands that there is a connection.

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