Be Mine

Happy St.Valentine's Day today. With a quick search on Catholic.org and wikipedia I can safely say that little is known about who (or how many) Saint Valentine is or what he did. He's supposed to be the patron saint of young people, love and happy marriage. So with that, bless your other today, or everyday really, and though flowers and chocolates are nice, the more specific you can be with your other, the better the response.

If you're feeling particularly sappy, I encourage you to look at http://kissssing.blogspot.com It's got cool old pictures and quotes from people, movies and songs dealing with love. For example:

"When you're in love you never really know whether your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love, or if it attributes them to her; whether the light which surrounds her like a halo comes from you, from her, or from the meeting of your sparks." - Natalie Clifford Barney

And for any of you sans boyfriend/girlfriend, try this hilarious website out: www.pickuphelp.com

A Grander Scheme

**Author's Note: I don't claim to know much about any sort of physics and I juuust know enough math to be dangerous - and this post touches on both. Which is to say that there's a pretty good chance I'll have said something inaccurate before it's all said and done. You'll find it amusing or incredibly boring. I don't mean to "high-brow" anyone and I'm not speaking just to sound smart. I really like stuff like this.

I was visiting with another math teacher (RR) the other day after school and we shared some things that we’ve heard over the years dealing with math/science and spirituality. Stuff like that really intrigues me. I get geeked out over it. I’m easily impressed with how intelligent people can be and the insights they posses. RR was telling me how a pastor friend of his (who is also a chemical engineer) was explaining why it was so hard for people to understand what Jesus was saying to them (parables, or like when he told Nicodemus he had to be “born again” - Nicodemus took a literal meaning, while Jesus meant it in a Spiritual context). When Jesus spoke, it was usually on a completely different plane, or level, than people were used to hearing so many didn’t grasp the initial or true meaning. This made sense to me because there are examples in the Bible where people didn’t understand, or took an incorrect meaning away from what was said. The friend went on to say that when Jesus spoke it was from a Quantum level of understanding (or Einsteinian) whereas we’re thinking more on a Classical (or Newtonian/Galilean) level.

• {A brief explanation of the two: Classical Mechanics, as best as I know, are the studies of how “parts” move and work together - thermodynamics, astrophysics, energy conservation, gravitational laws, electricity, hydraulics, hydrodynamic pressure, electromagnetic induction, biomechanics, accoustics, etc. Think Leonardo DaVinci, Isaac Newton, Galileo, Michael Faraday, Daniel Bernoulli, Rudolf Clausius.... Quantum Mechanics are, again as best as I know, are how the parts of the “parts” move and work together - special relativity, particle physics, nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, quantum statistical mechanics, string theory, - even nanotechnology. Think Albert Einstein, Steven Hawking, John Dalton. To dumb-it waaaay down it’s like comparing the Industrial Age of 100 years ago with the Technological Age of today: though one is more advanced than the other, you still need the industrial to explain the technological.}

Both ways are used to explain the world we live in, but take very different approaches. There is currently little, if anything, that connects the two approaches into a Grand Unified Theory, but both have their place in the world and are necessary. For the sake of the analogy, Quantum Mechanics takes Classical Mechanics to another completely different level. It’s like the difference between being able to explain what happens on Earth vs. being able to explain what happens with anything anywhere. If there happens to be a particle physicist reading this, I apologize for my simplistic take to complex things....all that to say that it’s probably typical for us not to “get” God. My little brain is not capable of understanding all that God is about. When He tells me to do something, he sees what that will lead to 1,000 decisions later, whereas I have difficulty seeing the second outcome, if I’m lucky! The good news is that I don’t have to know everything about God to know that He loves me and made me for a reason.

• {If I knew anything about physics I’d break into how Light can behave as though it’s made up of particles, but can also behave as though it’s made up of waves - though they seem to conflict each other, both can be used to describe what Light is. Make your own analogy here: }
  

To put it yet another way (in more familiar terms to me) God is theoretical probability and I’m experimental (actual) probability. If I toss a coin 100 times, I should, in theory, get “tails” 50 times. Now if I actually take a coin and toss it 100 times, I’m likely to get other amounts of tails like 46, 51, 39, 59 or 48. Even if I try this experiment 10 more times, it’s a lot more likely that I’ll get amounts other than 50. But even if once and awhile I actually get 50 tails, the total sum of my coin tosses probably isn’t 50% tails. But here’s the really cool part: theoretical probablilty and experimental probability can only be related to each other if you do something abstract that is mathematically impossible!. . . .(excited yet?) Meaning, the experimental probability and the theoretical probability will end up agreeing (or being the same) if you toss the coin infinity times! (You can try it, but...) It’s called the Law of Large Numbers. The only way God and I are going to be on the same page is if a miracle happens - and that miracle is Jesus. He is that abstract idea (both God and man) that did the impossible (died for MY sins for Love’s sake) and tied together two things that were never going to meet (me and God). There. I just casually proved that Jesus = infinity. Haha!

Boy, that was a mouthful. My head hurts a little.

Kind of on the same lines, RR also shared with me something he read relating the importance of balancing Works and Faith. Works without Faith is lacking meaning and is empty. Faith without Works is shallow and is also empty. Only when the two are working together do they greatly increase the significance of the Faith and the Works. The same is true with our words and our deeds - for us to be believed, or to be reliable, or to be trustworthy, we aught to “walk the walk and talk the talk”. Much like when you strike a tuning fork, you hear a single, pure, note because the two prongs are vibrating together (or working together) for the purpose for which it was made. Take one of the prongs away and do you know what you hear? Well...I don’t really know because I’ve never done it, but I know it’s not a single, pure note. Actually, I do know - there’s no noise. One prong, without the other, does not give the desired affect. Faith without Works and words without action will not give the desired affect.

I never stop being amazed how God reveals himself to people - even using science and math!

Finally, for you hoops lovers, youtube "Larry Bird Greatest passer of all time" and enjoy.

Winter Break (my heart)

First, let me get the sad part out of the way. I've been dreading typing this post for almost two weeks now. You see, my dog Murdok passed away a few days before Christmas. So indulge me for a minute as I write his Obituary and recall fonder times with my dog.

Murdok Lemiere died Tuesday Dec. 21st. His only known surviving relative is his (fraternal) twin brother Buster "Ace" Lemiere. There was no service, but was buried in the forrests of Mt. Brynion under a stone displaying his name and paw prints from when he was a pup. Murdok accepted Christ as a young puppy and is probably laying at the foot of a family member who has gone ahead like Oscar or Maurice. He is a cancer survivor. He liked to play "chase". He loved peanut butter. He was not a good dog, he was the best dog.

Ok, that was lame. Murdok had a stroke (we think) and was only moving his head for a few days - didn't get up to eat or go to the bathroom or anything. So the decision was made to have him put to sleep. It really was the right thing to do, but man was it hard. I knew it would be, but it was harder than I expected. Eric went with me. Murdy (as Dash calls him) was almost 10 years old and really engrained himself into my family - as any good pet will. He's been in family Christmas photos, was my roomate for 6 years, retired up to Mt Bryinion with my parents when Leah got pregnant and made himself a fixture up on the hill. Needless to say, I miss him. I was petting his head as they gave him his shot, and crying about as uncontrollably as I get. Eric cried too. Anyone who has ever had to do that knows it's really sad. Almost unreal. He looked good and was soft, and I imagine that if I dug him back up, he'd still be soft. I love that dog and I may not get another one for a very, very long time. Eric did a nice job memorializing him on his blog and you should check it out.

I currently have a letter to the Pope requesting Murdok be considered for Saint-hood. From what I hear, to be a saint you have to perform 3 miracles. Murd is well beyond 3. First off, being born all white makes him very likely to be born deaf or blind or both. He was healthy and the largest of the litter. Second, he warmed the heart of my mom - to the point of sharing a bed (not in the Biblical sense) with her. This has never been done before. Mom has a history of sending all the dogs we've ever gotten (as kids) to the Pound. Yes, that's a miracle. Thirdly, I completely ran over him with my back tire going 30mph down MtBrynion and he ran off with only a few little cuts. Later I would learn that he tore his ACL in his back left leg, but still, I ran over him! Fourthly, he was about to turn 10 years old. There's no way a white Boxer should live that long. I give you: St. Murdok of Brynion!

I have a lot of stories about the dogs, but I'll only share one. Whenever Murdok slept with me, he wouldn't settle in until his head was on some part of me. My arm, leg, torso, face, whatever. Snuggler. Dash has been telling people Murdok died ever since I told him. My boys miss him, and so do I. The dog who talked like Homestar, was my ace-in-the-hole, my captain of the team and had the heart of a champion, will not be replaced. Buster is doing ok, thanks for asking.


Christmas with two boys who love guns and Legos will always be fun. Both boys are spoiled and get many gifts. But when people ask Dash what he got for Christmas, his most common response is "orange Tick-Tacks". To say he loves them would understate how quickly he dispatched an oversized Tick-Tack Pack.

Dash went to the dentist over the break and got a cavity filled. He did so well! Didn't cry at all until the very end when they painted on some flouride on his teeth (didn't like the taste).


I'm very blessed to have the family I have. Experience has taught me that a family who is flawed, but will tell you truth and act on it (instead of hoping for the best), is perfect. I love them.

Why do people say "horsesh*t"? Like a horse's poo is so foul?

And one more time, just for fun, Magnum, Rick and Higgins.

It's real, and it's fabulous.