Want a human?

I'm sure most of us have at one time or another wished we could just bypass those irritating automated menus when calling some company or another on the phone. Well, now there is an online database with instructions on how to do so, for myriad individual companies! That little picture at the top of the sidebar, the green hands, will take you there.
Enjoy your homogeneous communication!

Bauxite Ridge

You may find more pictures on my Facebook account.

I am happy

Few of you probably know, but last spring, I attempted to take Differential Equations, which is like Calculus IV (sort of), but had to drop it after the first two tests because I got D's on both of them. This class is the hardest math class that I have to take, unless I decide to become a math major... It is quite hard to understand how things work - as Barry suggested when I was talking to him about it, "It sounds like mathematical alchemy," and that's kind of what it feels like. This is because the methods we use to solve Differential Equations are methods that we are actually unable to understand - we would need to finish a major in math to fully understand some of these things. That is the biggest problem for me, because the way I learn, I have to understand how something works before I really know how to do it, unless I just do tons of repetitions.
Anyway, since I didn't finish the course last spring, I am trying again this semester, and I just got the results from my second test today. I got a 90 on the first test, and an 88 on the second one, giving me a solid B+ overall so far! I'll just say that this makes me very happy, and I thank God for giving me the ability to learn this, even if it takes two classes to get it! :)

Note: The picture at the top actually shows a problem involving Partial Differential Equations, which is a course that has Differential Equations as it's prerequisite. Fortunately I don't have to take that, because it's even harder then DE! (Come to think of it, neither of these classes are even required for a BS in Mathematics, probably because they apply more to engineering than they do to math in general)

Falling Water Falls

Last Sabbath we took a trek to Falling Water Falls, the first time we've been back there this year.

The first falls still had quite a glacier left around it's base.

After a rather steep hike, for which pictures cannot do justice, we came upon some icicles.


And some more ice...




Later on, Barry and I decided to try our hand at capturing matter in motion...


...then we froze the motion in place.


But never fear, we left plenty of untouched beauty for the other beholders.


Some of the other beholders.


Later on we had a rendezvous at Kelsey's house, with much music...


...and excellent smoothies! :)

An awesome Sabbath!

The Meeting

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said,

'We can't keep Christians from going to church.'

'We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.'

'We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour.'

'Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is
broken.'

'So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ..'

'This is what I want you to do,' said the devil:

'Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!'

'How shall we do this?' his demons shouted.

'Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered.

'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.'

'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.'

'Keep them from spending time with their children.'

'As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!'

'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.'

'Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.'

'This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.'

'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.'

'Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.'

'Invade their driving moments with billboards.'

'Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of
newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes..'

'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. '

'Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.'

'Give them headaches too! '

'If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.'

'That will fragment their families quickly!'

'Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.'

'Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.'

'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.'

'Have them return from their recreation exhausted.'

'Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.'

'Keep them busy, busy, busy!'

'And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.'

'Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.'


'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.'

'It will work!'

'It will work!'


It was quite a plan!


The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there...

having little time for their God or their families...

having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives...

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does 'BUSY' mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Here am I...

Send me.