The latest three concept essays are all about how Yeshua's followers should serve God and each other.
The three concepts of bondslave, laboring, and waiting on someone are too often blended together as "serving" without carefully considering what scripture teaches about each.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Concept Study: Bowing Down
Here is a blog post to discuss the concept essay about bowing down in worship.
Concept Study: Fear of the Lord
Here is a blog post to discuss the concept essay about Fear of the Lord.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Concept Study: Yoke
Here is a blog post to discuss the concept study about a "yoke" (the system of teaching passed down from a master to a disciple).
Silver Falls Without Crawling
My wife, Smiley, and I went to Silver Falls State Park for three days, staying in one of the cabins Thursday through Saturday.
On Saturday Smiley turned five months old. (Today is his 22 week birthday.) He took his first real sequence of crawling steps with all four limbs. He also began eating rice cereal fairly well, as opposed to earlier when he only used it to blow bubbles. We plan to take one more family camping trip this month but it will be much different having a baby who does not stay put.
Sleeping bags are much softer than carpet. Our sleeping bags are a pair that can zip together to make one big one. They were a wedding gift from my Aunt Sue.
Smiley also discovered that he can "crawl" easier on the sleeping bags by gripping with his hands and pulling himself forward.
Here is the makeshift crib we made for him in the cabin's lower bunk bed.
The park has ten large waterfalls. Lower North Falls is one of the least dramatic, but we stopped to give Smiley a snack and so took a picture.
Than another family came along the trail, so we got a rare photograph with all three of us in it!
Smiley is a baby who normally loves water. We were surprised he did not like wading in the river above South Falls.
At a picnic he took his first real crawling step sequence, tucking legs up and then moving hands forward. He tried a second time but only managed to fall forward instead of advancing his hands again.
Grass is fun.
When we got home he was so happy to be in his gazebo again. This was the first time I have seen him really hugging and cuddling a toy (his plush otter) although I suppose it is really no different from his using his Taggies book as a pillow except that we adults anthropomorphize a plush animal more than the a plush book.
On Saturday Smiley turned five months old. (Today is his 22 week birthday.) He took his first real sequence of crawling steps with all four limbs. He also began eating rice cereal fairly well, as opposed to earlier when he only used it to blow bubbles. We plan to take one more family camping trip this month but it will be much different having a baby who does not stay put.
Sleeping bags are much softer than carpet. Our sleeping bags are a pair that can zip together to make one big one. They were a wedding gift from my Aunt Sue.
Smiley also discovered that he can "crawl" easier on the sleeping bags by gripping with his hands and pulling himself forward.
Here is the makeshift crib we made for him in the cabin's lower bunk bed.
The park has ten large waterfalls. Lower North Falls is one of the least dramatic, but we stopped to give Smiley a snack and so took a picture.
Than another family came along the trail, so we got a rare photograph with all three of us in it!
Smiley is a baby who normally loves water. We were surprised he did not like wading in the river above South Falls.
At a picnic he took his first real crawling step sequence, tucking legs up and then moving hands forward. He tried a second time but only managed to fall forward instead of advancing his hands again.
Grass is fun.
When we got home he was so happy to be in his gazebo again. This was the first time I have seen him really hugging and cuddling a toy (his plush otter) although I suppose it is really no different from his using his Taggies book as a pillow except that we adults anthropomorphize a plush animal more than the a plush book.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
The Ending of Summer Projects
This summer I had many projects to do while being a househusband.
I needed to update the LCC Math 25 Packet. Besides fixing some typos and improving the organization of two chapters, last Spring Term students requested that the packet include a partial answer key at the end, and two "before the midterms" sections with extra, optional study problems. Now it does! The new version is here.
I needed to get P'nei Adonai ready to work with churches. I now have enough concept essays ready. I also rewrote the worship essays and put together a prayer book to use.
I finished creating a pen-and-paper roleplaying game to play with my wife. Unlike other RPGs it is specifically designed to work well with a GM and one player character. I did not blog about this because I did not need to process my thoughts as I proceeded, and am waiting for a more finished product before sharing it with the world.
I finished the Tao of Yeshua translation. There are eighty-one chapters total; the blog has not caught up with my progress yet.
Fortunately, I only had a small contribution in getting the new synagogue furniture ready for Sar Shalom for the upcoming High Holy Days.
There are still a few remaining things that need to get done before the end of September, especially regarding yardwork and childproofing the house. But the biggest projects--also the ones that required me to be at the computer--are done. Whew!
I needed to update the LCC Math 25 Packet. Besides fixing some typos and improving the organization of two chapters, last Spring Term students requested that the packet include a partial answer key at the end, and two "before the midterms" sections with extra, optional study problems. Now it does! The new version is here.
I needed to get P'nei Adonai ready to work with churches. I now have enough concept essays ready. I also rewrote the worship essays and put together a prayer book to use.
I finished creating a pen-and-paper roleplaying game to play with my wife. Unlike other RPGs it is specifically designed to work well with a GM and one player character. I did not blog about this because I did not need to process my thoughts as I proceeded, and am waiting for a more finished product before sharing it with the world.
I finished the Tao of Yeshua translation. There are eighty-one chapters total; the blog has not caught up with my progress yet.
Fortunately, I only had a small contribution in getting the new synagogue furniture ready for Sar Shalom for the upcoming High Holy Days.
There are still a few remaining things that need to get done before the end of September, especially regarding yardwork and childproofing the house. But the biggest projects--also the ones that required me to be at the computer--are done. Whew!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Tao of Yeshua: Chapter 63
63
Do in Non-Ado.
Act by non-action.
Savor the tasteless.
Lift up the low.
Multiply the few.
Forgive offenses with Virtue.
Prune difficulties while they are still buds.
Plant great things while they are still seeds.
The most difficult things in the world start out easy to affect.
The greatest things in the world begin as something tiny.
Therefore the Saint never handles big things yet is able to achieve the great.
Now, he who takes promises lightly will have little faith.
He who thinks everything is easy will find everything is difficult.
Thus the Saint treats all things as difficult but to the end find nothing too difficult.
Do in Non-Ado.
Act by non-action.
Savor the tasteless.
Lift up the low.
Multiply the few.
Forgive offenses with Virtue.
Prune difficulties while they are still buds.
Plant great things while they are still seeds.
The most difficult things in the world start out easy to affect.
The greatest things in the world begin as something tiny.
Therefore the Saint never handles big things yet is able to achieve the great.
Now, he who takes promises lightly will have little faith.
He who thinks everything is easy will find everything is difficult.
Thus the Saint treats all things as difficult but to the end find nothing too difficult.
How do we practice stillness? Value timeliness.
All things oscillate, undulate, ebb and flow.
Tiny nudges affect things at a far extreme or just beginning.
The Spirit who knows where things are headed
will tell us the time and place for our actions to be fruitful.
All things oscillate, undulate, ebb and flow.
Tiny nudges affect things at a far extreme or just beginning.
The Spirit who knows where things are headed
will tell us the time and place for our actions to be fruitful.
Concept Study: Offense
Here is a post to discuss the concept essay on offense (sin).
With this essay done I will take a break for a couple weeks from writing more concept essays. Once my math class preparation is done I can resume preparing for the activity P'nei Adonai will begin in late September.
With this essay done I will take a break for a couple weeks from writing more concept essays. Once my math class preparation is done I can resume preparing for the activity P'nei Adonai will begin in late September.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Food Firsts
Smiley has become increasingly interested in food. He watches my wife and eat, staring at our faces or tracking the motion of our forks with his eyes. When hungry or soothing himself before sleep he now licks his lips besides sucking.
Yesterday Smiley was 21 weeks old. He tried a sippy cup for the first time. Getting milk out worked okay but he definitely prefers sucking on a bottle nipple.
Today my wife did not have to go to work, so we thought it was a good day to assemble Smiley's high chair and try feeding him rice cereal mixed with formula. He was definitely entertained. In his mind the purpose seemed to be to blow bubbles with what was put into the front of his mouth. A good enough start, I suppose.
Yesterday Smiley was 21 weeks old. He tried a sippy cup for the first time. Getting milk out worked okay but he definitely prefers sucking on a bottle nipple.
Today my wife did not have to go to work, so we thought it was a good day to assemble Smiley's high chair and try feeding him rice cereal mixed with formula. He was definitely entertained. In his mind the purpose seemed to be to blow bubbles with what was put into the front of his mouth. A good enough start, I suppose.
Tao of Yeshua: Chapter 62
62
The Way for the ten thousand things makes us a treasury and dwelling.
The good store all their treasure there.
The not-good only seek it as a refuge.
Skillful words bring honor.
Honorable conduct bring acceptance.
Even among the not-good, who will be rejected?
Therefore, when an emperor is inaugurated or the three ministers are installed let others offer jade disks and ride in the five chariots. It is better to offer the Way while sitting still.
Why did the ancients prize the Way so highly?
Did not they say, "He who seeks, finds. He who is guilty is forgiven."?
It is the most revered in All-under-heaven.
The Way for the ten thousand things makes us a treasury and dwelling.
The good store all their treasure there.
The not-good only seek it as a refuge.
Skillful words bring honor.
Honorable conduct bring acceptance.
Even among the not-good, who will be rejected?
Therefore, when an emperor is inaugurated or the three ministers are installed let others offer jade disks and ride in the five chariots. It is better to offer the Way while sitting still.
Why did the ancients prize the Way so highly?
Did not they say, "He who seeks, finds. He who is guilty is forgiven."?
It is the most revered in All-under-heaven.
Yeshua prepares a place for us in the world to come.
Into it righteous store up a treasure of good deeds.
The wicked only seek the Kingdom when in trouble,
and only seek its peace and safety.
Even the wicked can amass honor and friends in this world.
Better is finding Yeshua,
receiving forgiveness,
and storing up treasures for the world to come.
Into it righteous store up a treasure of good deeds.
The wicked only seek the Kingdom when in trouble,
and only seek its peace and safety.
Even the wicked can amass honor and friends in this world.
Better is finding Yeshua,
receiving forgiveness,
and storing up treasures for the world to come.
Concept Study: Holy
Here is a blog post for discussing the concept essay about being set apart for God ("holy").
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