Radical

Einstein's E = mc2 is an extraordinary concept. So radical: matter and energy are two phases of the same sort of general stuff. There's only one other idea that radical: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

~Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)

Simple Wisdom

You can have a plain

hot dog if you want,

he said, but until you've

had a real polish

sausage you're only

half alive. I decided

there were worse things

& I was only ten &

could correct the

serious mistakes later

& the plain dog tasted

just fine, even being

half alive and all.

Last summer I discovered writer/artist Brian Andreas - am really enjoying his simple wisdom (and his artwork) and wanted to share some. If you're interested you can find out more about him and his work at Story People.

Announcement

I am happy to announce that

- pending chancellor and board of trustees approval -

I have been offered and have accepted a tenure-track position on the math faculty.

It is absolutely clear to me that this is God's leading in my life and where He wants me to be. Now I need another miracle. My schedule in the fall includes an 8am calculus class. Those of you who know me well know about my sleep disorder, but I fully trust that, "If He leads you to it, He will lead you through it."

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Plans and Prayers and Peace

When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird.

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf.

Wendell Berry (b. 1934)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jer 29:11 (NIV)

Outcomes

Prediction is difficult -- especially about the future.

As I continue tonight to prepare for my interview tomorrow I am feeling in a special way something that is always the case. There is an outcome, and with time I will know it, but right now all I can do is to prepare my best and walk into the unknown future. I do realize that all of us walk each moment of every day into an unknown future, but right now I'm just more aware of it than usual. What is bringing a smile to my face right now as I do so is the wonderful quote above from quantum physicist Neils Bohr (1885-1962).

Running the Race

Well, although it's Anthony who's on the track team, I sure feel like I'm running a race of my own. All my boys (including David) are on spring break this week, but my college did away with spring break a few years back. (Isn't that an oxymoron, a college without a spring break?) Things are kind of crazy, as not only would I like to spend time with them while they are on break, but the time I am used to having totally to myself during the day to plan and putter and process is not available to me this week.

This is some kind of crazy race - not just for me but with all of us going different directions. Of course there was Easter with its services and celebrations. Jacob is at a youth group camp right now. David and Anthony are leaving tomorrow for southern California to check out colleges (Harvey Mudd and Cal Tech) - taking advantage of this time while Anthony is on spring break. (They'll get to sit in on one of mathemagician Arthur Benjamin's classes while at Harvey Mudd. I'm so jealous!) It's a good thing Anthony is a quick healer. He had all 4 wisdom teeth removed Monday. He is still in some amount of pain and looks like a chipmunk at the moment, but he's being a very good sport about it all.

Poor Caleb is kind of being left in the dust - feeling rather bored and lonely on his spring break as David, Anthony and Jacob are all jetting around, and I'm working, revising a thesis and preparing for an interview - not much time right now for Mom to play!

My interview is Friday and is for a tenure-track position. I need to prepare 2 presentations. I do that sort of thing all the time, whether for lecturing to my class or for speaking at a conference, but when it's for an interview there's just a little different level of processing. There's a lot on the line. It's in a different category too than presentations I normally give; in this case I've been given the topics I need to speak on, but I will also be given specific examples to use in my presentations but won't have those until half an hour before the interview, which gives it kind of a twist. I usually plan very thoroughly, so I'm trying to figure out how to plan lessons with holes in them that examples I'm given later will fit into. Anyway, I'm pretty distracted away from family this week.

Sometimes Anthony has to run two races pretty much in a row, for instance the 800 meters and then the 2 mile. That's hard to do. When you give a finishing kick in one race you give it your all, and it's hard to recover to take on a new race. That's kind of what I feel like right now. Anything I do I give it my all, and I've got quite a few things I'm trying to give my all to right now.

It's all good stuff. Actually it's all kind of an interesting challenge, but I am eager for some down time. It's been a busy few years with my graduate program and teaching and with big family issues such as David's stroke and recovery. I'm eager for some time to just focus on my family in a relaxed setting for a while, and I sure hope we'll get that chance soon. Hopefully some of that can happen this summer! For now we'll all keep running the race as best we can!

Good Friday

Bulletin art by Caleb Good Friday 2009.

I am NOT Resigned

DIRGE WITHOUT MUSIC

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains, --- but the best is lost.

The answers quick & keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,
They are gone. They have gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

Super Power!

On movies I have at times heard characters asked what super power they would want if they could choose one: invisibility, flying, being able to breathe underwater, mind-reading, a lasso of truth like Wonder Woman had, ability to talk with animals, the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, bullet-proof flesh, x-ray vision . . .

Today it dawned on me what I want my super power to be!

I want to be gifted with the ability to always say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time.

If YOU could choose any super power, what would it be?

Don't Even Go There!

Reliving Childhood

Another of my favorites that is bringing me joy right now. I can't resist the classics and am so glad YouTube provides a place for reliving these memories!

Escapism

They sure don't make 'em like they used to!
I needed some healthy escape today, and this did the trick!
I hope you'll enjoy it too!