marcwelding

T. Mark Bartley local artist musician sculptor christian

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Change your password to the number 3

Posted by tmark on February 15, 2016
Posted in: the blog, Uncategorized. Tagged: 3, password, password hint, the magic number. Leave a comment

Simplify your life! -yes, sure- BUT WHY the number 3?20160215_104910-1

because its right next to the enter button (in that right corner, down there) just think of it- one button and hit enter and your in! -boom.

my computer at work- is on some kind of automatic sleep cycle and if I step away from it, goes into hibernation (or something) and demands a password before I can do anything-  Our tech guy set it up with a 10 character password requiring a capital letter and a number….. which I had posted on the wall above the computer in plain sight, noting that this is the password for this computer.

I work at a Farm and all I only have a computer so that I can have email and sign in to payroll- I have no top secret files or info and the password thing was driving me crazy-Dilbert-20050910

so I changed  the password to …… 3

I also made the password hint: ‘the password is the number 3’

When our tech guy came by to update something…. and found that I had changed it……!

(it was the end of the world)

(kind of a -how dare you/how did you even know how to do this/you are dangerous and must be stopped/made an example of/public flogging) all through email, cc’d to higher ranking party officials accordingly.

(who, thankfully, said ‘sheesh’)

I had to change it back and I am not allowed to change it again.

But just because I got in trouble, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some freedom! (think, William Wallace: ‘FREEDOM!’)Dilbert 1782.strip_

its easy to do- but I’m not putting it here- just google away! I want to empower you, but it will take some effort on your part- the point is, Don’t Give in to Fear-! it’s not a secret/hidden thing that only a select few are allowed to know, a PC* is supposed to be personal –its yours- set it the way you want to.

Just like your cell phone- use your vocabulary skills to figure out what your looking for- because of Copyright Laws, some companies have Copyrights on certain words. Like: ‘Settings’ -so that means other companies have to use other words like: Appearance, Display, Personalize, My Settings, Options, Toolbox, Access, etc -use your synonym skills- another way around this is by using symbols that are very similar (but not exact) like a ‘Gear’ for ‘settings’ and on, and on. And its not just the phone you have- its all your next phones! (whoa) Some things will continue but others will change completely.

Technology is booking along and by the time we are comfy, its long, long past us. So be brave! (and grab the youngest kid you know and have them do it for you- you almost do not even need to know ‘how’ they did it- just have them do it and make them feel smart- all wise Grandparents know this) Dilbert 4053122475_f234389688

when I looked up some Dilbert password Jokes and noticed that, because they are from like ‘the turn of the century’, -the passwords are only 5 to 6 characters long! (raise your hand if you remember those good old days!)It was shortly after I did this whole password thing (and while I was taking a college course on Existentialism) that my wife and I bought one way tickets to Portland Oregon, bought a 30ft RV, went to the Olympic National Park, the HOH rainforest and then drove all the way back to Cape Cod (I flew home from Albuquerque New Mexico- our friend Julie flew in and drove with my wife) I did miss a few classes but my Professor loved it!

-but that’s another story- just know that changing something small like your password is REALLY empowering and there may be no end to the fun you will have!

*PC stands for personal computer

PS: while writing this I had to set up a wireless printer and some things can be frustrating- like you become William Wallace (the Braveheart guy) in like a millisecond and want to take giant sword to your computer! (all I could do was laugh)  ….freedom?

PPS: bonus track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0

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while you’re here, do the dishes..

Posted by tmark on January 18, 2016
Posted in: the blog, Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Generally, it’s easier to do someone else’s dishes. It’s easier to help someone clean out their garage, than to clean your own.20160118_112627

This universal condition shows that we need each other and that we were made for each other. We enjoy helping and fixing and cleaning and problem solving.

Some of us have even put “enjoys problem solving” on our resume’s. (I did) -BUT my intentions were good, -really.

The danger with this is that you just might be a ‘know-it-all’ so, watch yourself.

We do enjoy solving things and there is a legitimate sense of accomplishment, but- puzzles, riddles and strategy games are a lot different than people problems. People problems are different and not all of them are WE meant to solve.

That’s where Jesus comes in. Because Jesus knows peoples hearts and He knows ALL of the circumstances -only He is qualified to solve and answer those type of things.

However- you can be a big ‘help’ by just doing something simple like the dishes. It is an action that shows love and it makes both parties feel happy. It’s the kind of thing that does not feel like there are strings attached-

So, do the dishes for someone and show God’s love. -maybe someone will do your dishes sometime- **

If you have to do you own dishes- pretend its for someone else!

* I would have wrote this post sooner, but I needed to do some dishes for someone- and do them more than once- (it’s like there are always dishes to wash! -so that means plenty of opportunity)

** Jesus washed the disciples feet- dishes are easier. (it’s the same principal)(..and most people don’t mind if you just offer to do some dishes – just seeing some peoples feet can be really….. well, you can imagine.

 

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Running away with the Circus….

Posted by tmark on August 9, 2015
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: #playswellwithothers, Jo Petty Band, Soul Fest 2015, soulfest2015. 1 Comment

#playswellwithothersimagejpeg_0

I just returned from a big christian event in New Hampshire called SoulFest, (http://www.thesoulfest.com/home.html) where I got to perform with The Jo Petty Band. (http://jopettyband.com/) I had recorded some lead guitar parts on one of Jo Petty’s previous cd’s (Skywatch) back in 2012 (before I broke my back) and she called me in April because her guitar player had a serious injury that went from numbness in his hand to some paralysis and he was not able to play- heartbreaking for a guitar player…(He’s a great guy, a great player and a great christian and has been trying physical therapy.. but may need surgery- we are all praying for him)imagejpeg_2

Me, Emelio and Jo PettyJo Petty’s songs are all original with a nice mix of rock and funk and are all wall-to-wall Jesus – Jo Ann is a bundle of energy with a great stage presence and the band is really just guitar, bass, drums and a tiny bit of keys so without guitar they would be sunk- I was very honored to be considered and I was thrilled when I passed the audititon!

full Band photo- Emelio, Eric, Jo and me

full Band photo- Emelio, Eric, Jo and me

We arrived early thursday with a car full of guitars and equipment- (its a 3 day event and we were only playing fri and sat) and I got this wrist band that says ARTIST which gets you into everything- (well, a lot of things) Next thing I know I’m meeting the other ‘big name’ artists and (spoiler alert) they’re just regular folks like you, dear reader, and me. (although this definitely ups the list of ‘famous people I’ve met’)

When you meet ‘famous’ people (you will someday) and they are gracious and nice it totally makes you feel awesome- so when people wanted to meet me(!) I was totally nice and gracious and thankful- Not an act- I was really thankful- and christians know its all a miracle that any of us are here and even allowed to get to do stuff.

Dave from D'Addario Strings (its all I use)

Dave from D’Addario Strings (its all I use)

Some highlights included the wonderful honest ministry of these ‘big bands’ as they got to tell some of the stories behind their songs- like live ‘liner-notes’ which add so much to a performance. The coolest thing was the guy from Third Day said that people from the south are raised in church and being a christian is very common- but “up here, when you guys say your a christian it really means something because you are a minority” And it was really encouraging to see all the folks there… like a few thousand at least- all saved and believing God to do powerful things.

the Jo Petty Band played on a huge stage with all kind of stage hands and lighting and equipment and we absolutely rocked out with big smiles on our faces! (side note: its like a real band with a manager and merch and everything! we even had a ‘green room’ tent with bowls of healthy snacks and stuff)(this is the bigtime) One of Jo Pettys fans even made an awesome cake- (thanks Judy Jay Cakes) -which we shared with Casting Crowns later that day!

Mark Hall from Casting Crowns gets cake (Pauline knows how to cut cake!)

Mark Hall from Casting Crowns gets cake (Pauline knows how to cut cake!)

Jo Petty Band Cake

When we finished playing- Sarah (Soulfest staffer) came up and asked me if I had a guitar Paul Colman could borrow- right now- on the main stage (guitar players all over the place and they asked me!) – and I’m like, of course!

Paul Colman borrows my guitar #stillfriendstho

Paul Colman borrows my guitar #stillfriendstho

My friend Ben Laine got to go up on stage with Paul Colman (that ‘famous’ ordinary person) who was doing a songwriting circle/clinic thingy. Paul was so impressed with Ben’s performance that he had him join him at another performance that night- It was probably one of the coolest thing I’ve ever been to- Ben has written lots of songs(even though he is only 15 now)(he is taller than me) and I have played both guitar and bass with Ben whenever he is visiting/performing here on the cape (he lives in NH and his dad is both a pastor and a drummer and another one of my dear friends who I’ve played with lots of times) So it looks like I will be helping Ben get a demo CD together and we might even be playing soulfest 2016.

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#playswellwithothers

I’ve been so blessed to play with so many people in my life- I’ve been in lots of bands and played with dozens of other groups but only really with people from my church- people from the same fellowship of ministry. Somehow in my christian upbringing I developed a prejudice about other christians– (a common disease for believers- even Jesus’ disciples- “don’t stop him, he who is not against us is for us” Mark 9:40, Luke 9:50) Because we are often critical of ourselves and are overly aware of our own shortcomings and are measuring our own performance -this all leads to us forgetting that we are all saved by Grace and Grace alone. We believe that salvation is precious because it can be lost- and we tell people that God can forgive them no matter what they have done. Both statements are true. But there is this thing called Grace…. and God is probably not tearing up your birth certificate every hour like you think He might be.

I found these glasses- just checking

I found these glasses- just checking

I have always kind-of avoided big ‘christian’ thingys and even a lot of ‘christian’ music because I allowed my brain to get crowded with my own high ‘standards’. We need standards but we measure ourselves the wrong way. Like children measuring their height from the ground up and noticing who is taller and who is growing- God measures from Jesus down to us- the more Jesus you need- the more there is available. In John’s gospel he refers to himself as “the disciple who Jesus loved” because he understood that the immeasurable love comes to us from Jesus. He is the source. Think about that.

Abundant Grace pouring down.jo petty sal soul fest 222 2015

The band is made up of christians from 4 different churches in the area- and all members are active in their churches music ministries. We start each practice with prayer and we have a great time in Jesus. It is our life-long struggle to let Jesus love and forgive us and try not to get in the way of God using us- trying to let Jesus really be Lord. But its only a this-life struggle.jo petty sal soul fest 2015

I did buy a bunch of new Christian Music CD’s but- it may be a while before I hear them because I can’t get through the CD wrapping to open them. (no-one can) Check out Big Daddy Weave’s song “Neighborhoods” it is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b39JojjftBc

I have come a long way since august 2012 when I was coming home from the hospital with 35 staples holding me together- I’ve traded my FALL RISK bracelet for the ARTIST one but..now that’s over and my days with the circus are over for now and I have to go back to work -but you can visit me and you don’t need a backstage pass- I promise to be thankful and gracious to you.

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its just a wristband

its just a wristband

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God’s Biography

Posted by tmark on February 24, 2015
Posted in: the blog. Tagged: 10 Commandments, Christian Musician, marcwelding, s, T Mark Bartley. 2 Comments

Buy Art Tsunami Hazard Zone

February, we are all freezing. Great time to stay cozy and think about God – because only God can get you through February.

Here are some thoughts on the 10 Commandments….

You are probably picturing: Roman Numerals and all caps… THOU SHALL NOT..etc But, wait…

what if they were God’s Bio- …..a way that He could explain Himself to His people-

1: I am God- I made everything and I also make all the rules- all other rules will refer back to this.. “simply because I am God, that’s why” and that is the way it is.

2: No idols or graven images*… God doesn’t need some kind of symbol or marketable entity to represent Him- God is a Spirit that can change people on the inside- like the wind..” you don’t see the wind, you see the effects of it”. And… you can’t make God into something that He is not- like if you say “I don’t think God would…or I think God is more like… or if I was God I wouldn’t…” etc. You are trying to change who God is- and He is not changing- “I am who I am”, without apology- (see rule #1)…

3: Don’t take God’s name in vain- it’s not just the swearing thing… it’s when people go on TV and say stuff like “send me your money and God will bless you-” (God doesn’t want your money! He wants your heart) Taking God’s name in vain means: Don’t misrepresent Him- Don’t go around saying you are a christian and then do things that everyone knows a christian would not do- God does not do background checks on people who want to follow Him (in fact- He erases your background so you can follow Him!) So anyone can become a believer- BUT- there is real responsibility- Now that you are a Christian- you have to act accordingly. God is willing to help you- simply Ask- for help. (you would be surprised how many people become christians and then never talk to God again….) (whats up with that?) maybe they should check out #4…

4: the sabbath… take a day off…God knows that life is tough- and we are constantly running around- it’s crazy- and you just need time to think and breathe- So let’s get together- like every six days – and we can be together- just us. -lets talk about stuff, about you, about Me- Our plans… you know, -stuff. You can probably imagine how upset Jesus was when he saw first-hand what the sabbath had turned into- He probably said…”this day was supposed to be about US- like a date- do you think I am some kind of nut who gets upset about whether you used stairs or an elevator or carried something outside of your home, when you have missed the big picture- it is supposed to be a time we just spent together… so, push aside all the other stuff and let’s get together- we do need to talk. (just you and God)

There are 6 more- but these first ones are about God and you (us). They asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment and He said- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strenght- and then love your neighbor as yourself” perhaps, greatest “commandment” is misleading- because being commanded to love someone is like when your Mom says..”kiss aunt So-and-so”… and you HAVE to -yuck. that’s not love. So maybe it should be translated… best thing someone could do… anyway it would fix a lot of stuff.

5: Honor your Mother and Father- this is an amazing statement- it could have kept the human race in good shape because everyone would have kept themselves in line- so as not to give the family a bad name- Even from a secular social veiwpoint- it is an amazing revelation as to how to keep a society together.

6: Thou shall do no murder- (literal translation) Murder is different from killing- murder involves your heart and Jesus said “if you hate someone- it is the same as murder…”

7: No adultery- Again it is a heart issue- Jesus said “if you lust…. you have already commited adultery in your heart” And this also goes for ALL such lust-in-your-heart issues. (God is not going to let you slide on some technicallity)(you are busted!) Our hearts are desperately wicked.. So give it over to Jesus- surrender. (as often as you have to- God is not going to feel as though you are bothering Him!)

8: Thou shall not steal- anything, at any time- no exceptions. This one gets us all. I mean….’anything’? ! (man- we need help) People will always say “I never robbed a bank…” But that’s not what it says. It says stealing. Size or dollar amount do not matter. So, go and sin no more… and God will give you favor.

9: No lying. Another one that gets everybody. and we all know where liars go…. Washington.

10: No coveting. Basically, just be happy with what you have and stop wanting what everyone else has- stop listening to the voices that are trying to make you discontent with your life- Jesus loves you. (you- the bum) So trust in Jesus- seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you… and then you will realize you probably did not need them in the first place, simply because having God is better.

6,7,8,9 & 10 all good stuff that kinda should go without having to be said- common sense stuff -breaking any of these will just screw up your life as well as everyone else- so- Have some common sense. Take responsibility for yourself and behave.

(*these comments come from a guy who makes sculpture! -believe me , I know my graven images! and mine are kosher… just don’t worship them)

*this is a re-post but you might have missed it earlier…

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Risk

Posted by tmark on November 21, 2014
Posted in: the blog. Tagged: Control, Freewill, God, Love, Risk, Risk Management. 2 Comments

Risk. Photo172

(not the board game)

I met someone at the Hospital whose job description (on the door of the office) was ‘Risk Manager’ (sadly they did not have a sense of humor and would not engage in any funny topics I tried to introduce to the conversation. Like, gambling, the weather, the stock market, relationships, should I open and IRA? I wanted them to at least say in a big superhero voice- ‘Be Careful Out There’)

Think about Risk….. some may say they ‘love it’ some may hate it. Some think its fun and others avoid it at all costs.

-it’s dangerous, it could be foolish, someone could get hurt, think of all the things that could go wrong…what will people say?Photo343

It’s the opposite of Control.

Have you ever seen people in their cars at an intersection and they are telling other drivers “Go ahead- you first… no, I insist- you first..”  They have to tell everyone what to do. When they tell me to go, I say “ok, Mr. Control Freak!”

we definitely like Control. It feels like….. control. Measured, metered, safe, structured. Boring, perhaps, but safe and sure.

It could seem like those who have Control, don’t have to Risk…. and those who don’t have Control will have to Risk to get Control (so that they don’t have to Risk anymore)

But Risk is the one thing that makes us alive. We do things, we try things, we go places and most importantly, we Love. It’s risky stuff. there are no guarantees and people do get hurt. But because we take these chances, we accomplish things, we learn, we grow, we Live.

Risk is where we actually live, even when we think we are safe. It’s all Risk and even when we think we have Control- we really don’t- and we really are vulnerable and at greater Risk. The tighter we hold on the greater the damage can be sometimes… but that’s a risk we take.

Risk can seem like an option or choice, and sometimes we choose the Risks we take and that is about all the Control we have.

Think about Control…. (I know I just said we don’t have much of it)

There is someone who is the epitome of Control. Total Control- and yet, with all the Control that there ever could be- He chose Risk. GOD, The Holy One, The Father, The Almighty, Beginning and End, The Creator…created Risk- He created Freewill.

Freewill is the greatest Risk you could give and He gave it to us because He is Love, and Love is Risk.

Risk has a price. It can be very costly- there may be a lot to lose. Just like Love. But what can be gained from Love is impossible to measure- and it is well worth the Risk.

You did not evolve- God made you and you are Loved. God is willing to Love you (-very one-sided) so that you will Risk getting to know Him. Jesus came to earth and hung around with flawed people like you and me, because we are worth the Risk. He did not use His Control to make us robots- and He did not just Love us one-time (on the Cross) He continues to Love us as we age and go through things. He allows us to get mad at Him and be upset and sometimes change our opinion of Him- but, He does not take away our Freewill. He continues to Risk and Love- and that is how He draws us back and closer.

The next question has to be: How close are you to God? How much closer could you get if you weren’t afraid?

it’s probably time to take a Risk and let God have some of the Control.

with great risk- Love, T Mark

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#jeep project

Posted by tmark on June 10, 2014
Posted in: the blog, Uncategorized. Tagged: #jeepproject, 1997 Jeep wrangler, Fathers Day, Five Guys. Leave a comment

Building a Jeep and Character. (total success)

that's my boy

that’s my boy

like many lucky father and sons- we do work on cars together in the garage. Oh, the fun we’ve had.

Most stuff ends up working- not all ends up the way we expect- at one point I decided our garage motto should be “Not Fixed, – Just Different”

Then there is the funny Dad/Son thing where the dad does all the work (there is a movie called ‘Down and Derby’  (trailer) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutDTlmq5ZM about a ‘pine wood derby’ and 3 Dads and the dads don’t let the kids build the cars- if you watch it you probably won’t think you are as bad as the Dads in the movie are- after all its a family-comedy… So when I asked my kids, ‘do I do that?’ They were like, ‘THIS IS TOTALLY YOU’) (sheesh)

So- my son has this Jeep and it is like a fathers dream come true- we both have Jeeps and we do stuff together, like last Columbus Day we got up and kinda spontaneously drove from our house (on Cape Cod) up to New Hampshire and summited Mount Washington and back (we stopped at Five Guys of course) all in one day and we got back before midnight, with both Jeeps- My son did it without doors or a roof. We froze a little, got rained on a little, broke down a little and ate a lot!

Photo759

look under the jeep

look under the jeep

Photo765

at the top 32 degrees

at the top 32 degrees

Photo771

 

 

 

Photo796

Since he has had the Jeep it has needed quite a bit of welding (not his fault, Jeeps do rust)(everything does) So the last time the frame needed welding- He was like, “you have to teach me how to weld….” (reality check. -GUILT. Why hadn’t I already taught him..? Fear. Fear of being replaced- of not being needed?     -probably gets a lot of us.   It’s not good. When you realize this, try to teach- do your best, make this opportunity count-     fight that fear- and you will be happy. It’s not easy- but its worth it.)

This last repair was not really the one that I could show him how to weld (it was too extensive) BUT this was the perfect time to take the body off the Jeep and teach him how to weld and fix the frame right- we had $200 and one month… how hard could it be?

a quick google search said that there were only ten bolts holding the body to the frame and five for each fender. We started on a saturday afternoon at about 4. Roof, Seats, Carpet, Hood, fenders. Then Sunday it was steering, wiring harness, brake and clutch linkage, gearbox linkage and body bolts.. but we only found 8 of them. Monday night we made some phone calls and 4 strong dudes later.. we found the 2 other bolts that hold the body on and … then the body was off.

ready? begin,

ready? begin,

20140318_184309

whoops.

whoops.

20140331_232835

 

 

 

 

 

 

we spent about $100 on two 20 foot pieces of  4 and 3 inch 3/16″s steel and I was teaching my son to weld (I learned from a guy who had learned in prison… but got out on good behavior and did not complete the course… so I am more of a guy with a welder… than a real welder, but I have gotten better) (we did learn a few things* see bottom of post)

The floor also needed repair and the motor needed a harmonic balancer- so that stuff was all my sons part. I made some replacement brackets for the rear control arms and the whole thing went so well that we started to think we could do this each winter…. buy a jeep, fix it… you know- dreams.

there he is, welding.

there he is, welding.

 

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20140401_18124520140405_153820

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Most importantly we wanted to fix it a right as we could so that we could sell it with a good conscience. We did everything right, we painted everything withrustoleum and made sure it would be safe on the road or in a crash. And in less than our 1 month goal, we were done! Once it was back together, we got some new jeep t-shirts and had our picture on Instagram with more than 1700 likes (fame!)

Instagram Fame!

Instagram Fame!

My son is planning to go to college and will need a car to commute- so selling his Jeep became an option… he had been driving it and all was working fine- so he decide to sell it. He made sure ALL was working before he sold it. -and that was him, not me telling him- and it sold. He was happy. (and I was proud)

this one was “Fixed, not just different” and somebody got a great little Jeep. (and I got the tire cover!)

sold.

sold.

I made this!

I made this!

I am very proud of my son and I tell him often- we all want our kids to do more and greater things with their lives than we did- The hard part is letting them begin….

p.s. I have two wonderful daughters- and I am also very proud of them. (but they don’t read my blog!) (ask them!) (ha ha!)

*stuff we learned: 1. Do not turn the steering wheel when you have it disconnected from the steeringbox- it has a little spring that connects the horn and airbag wires and it will break if you turn the wheel more than 3 turns in either direction. ($180) 2. the new fangled welding helmets with thesolar powered auto darkening do not work below 40 degrees fahrenheit and you will go blind. Keep your trusty analog helmet handy for those cold nights. 3. you can weld a drill bit backtogether- it won’t last long but it is possible.

 

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(parenthetically)

Posted by tmark on April 16, 2014
Posted in: the blog, Uncategorized. Tagged: marcwelding, parenthesis, talking with your hands. 7 Comments

parenthetically (speaking) (ok, writing…. or reading?)check1

parenthesis- (I love them)

I even speak with them (we all probably do) (admit it)

why? (well, its like obvious subtext or like listening in on a conversation) (while reading) the subtext thing is like when you put your hand up the side of your mouth (like this) and then talk out of the side of our mouth (ok- that is a totally made up definition) maybe its more like letting you in on what is really going on (are you getting this?)(no pressure, and no test will be given later)

but it is one of the fun ways to add expression to what is being said (or written- like that little underline)(the word ‘but’) -don’t pretend like you did not see it. (go back and check) the underline part adds emphasis(and the parenthesis add.. well, more words?)(they add something- maybe its a comment on how that part did not come out right)

parenthesis is like talking with you hands while you type (seriously) (ok, not seriously)

Italics are used differently- (and we know why- )(sarcasm) its sarcasm-(not the ‘we know why’ part) Sarcasm. if I was being sarcastic I would have said “and we know why…”  or ‘and we know why-‘ (is that clear?) like if I say ‘really intelligent people’ the intelligent part is the sarcastic part (right?) and the part with the parenthesis is just for clarification (hello?)

(heads up- this next part is unrelated, but I(the author) chose to include it (for your enjoyment))(just more parenthetical stuff- within other parenthesis)

My son came up with a great name for a heavy metal band that has that ‘cookie monster’ style singer who screams all the time….(wait for it…) CAPS LOCK (actually- caps lock would be the name- but in lower case- like it is on your keyboard)

we all should understand that writing in all caps looks angry. (like you are yelling) (right?) but bold is totally different still. (I had some reason for writing this part but I forgot it.) Bold is not angry and I don’t think it means ‘with gritted teeth’ (but it could-) maybe bold italics means gritted teeth? (?) (lets try it…) I wish I could remember… (nope) Well, maybe not. (shouldn’t that last part be in parenthesis?) <that part was- (this is not going to be about symbols)(ok, ok… sheesh) (IS THAT CLEAR?) Bold italics (or should that be italicese, or italicene?) just seems to look more sensitive. (opinion)(if you were writing this you could put in your own parenthetical thought)(feel free you use this blank space)( ___________________ )

Air quotes: (like air guitar)

air quotes

(ok, air quotes have nothing to do with talking in parentheses)(and they have nothing to do with writing either- but maybe my overuse of the hyphen- is something that needs addressing- –nah!)

Air quotes was only included because I drew this picture (and it came out good)(opinion?)

(this was just an idea I had- and it needed an outlet- hope you liked it)(its all made up-)(there was no real point-)(ok?)

 

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Famous People I have met

Posted by tmark on February 11, 2014
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Dr. Who, famous people, T.A.R.D.I.S., Tom Baker. 1 Comment

the Governor came to visit the place where I work, Bobby Orr passed through another place I worked and I did some tree work at Senator Kennedy’s house once….

Dr Who, Tom Baker

but, the coolest thing was- when I met Dr. Who.

it was 1984 and I was a senior in High School -we had gone to a science fiction convention in Boston, and Tom Baker was going to be the special guest. the actual Tom Baker.

as it turned out, his plane was delayed and an announcement was made that he was running late. The announcer said that there would be no time for him to talk or to answer any questions, and the tiny convention* (this was way before Comic-Con)  was ending at like 9:30 and we would have to leave the room. (there were a lot of sad geeks)

* it was just one room.

ironically Dr Who is a Time Lord and the fact that he had to travel on an airplane was silly enough- but Tom Baker’s character did lend itself to him being late.. so it kinda worked. ok- Not really, we were sad. 😦

and then, another  announcement was made: ‘Although it was almost 9:30 and we were going to have to leave…. Tom Baker was going to arrive shortly and we would be able to shake hands with him as we were all leaving!’

next thing you know- we all get in a big line and he appears at the door wearing the scarf and big coat! then we start going out past him- he is smiling and saying he’s sorry his plane was late but – it’s so cool to see him and as I got closer I could hear his voice, and then….. it was my turn.

He stretched out his big hand and gave me a great hearty handshake and ……I will never forget what he said to me.

He looked at me with those big Tom Baker eyes and said, (in a very english accent) “Good bye”

it was awesome. it was quite profound actually.

I had just recently become a Christian and I was (strangely) growing up, I was moving out of my parents house and starting my life- I had a girlfriend and I planned on getting married. (I did marry her and we are still happy) It was time to say goodbye to a few things.

When Tom Baker said ‘goodbye’ it was like he was telling me, “we had fun, now you can go on and, thank you”

These ‘famous’ people I met are just people- like you always hear, “I met so-and-so and they are totally normal, they’re just like regular folks”.  We are all just people, we are unique, special, different and yet there is something that puts us all on the same playing field: ‘all have sinned’

this creates the possibility of help for all. the possibility of love for all. the possibility of forgiveness for all. a new beginning for all. and heaven for all, because “all who call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved” Romans, 10:13

The most important person I ever met is Jesus. I did not have to wait in line, or buy tickets or ‘be the right caller…’ I simply called and said I was sorry and believed that He had paid the price for me and ….bam, there He was- to pick me up and set me on a new path with Him.

the rest is – just make sure you stay on the path, it is narrow but it is the path to Life.

Join me, I would love to introduce someone famous to you- He actually wants to meet you!

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Lightspeed vs. Godspeed

Posted by tmark on January 10, 2014
Posted in: the blog. Tagged: godspeed, speed of light. 2 Comments

Godspeed is not actually a measurable speed at which something travels AND Lightspeed is this totally weird thing.

But (as usual)(hopefully) let’s talk about something interesting….the idea that God is Light.

In the book of 1 John 1:5 it says, “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

This was written long before any technology or explanation of science type stuff- but it is an amazing thought. John’s world did not have electricity, just fire and sunlight. Which means he also had amazing stars each night (but that’s another post..) Light itself shows God’s nature. It makes you feel good when you stand in sunshine -even if you are indoors. And the way a beam of light will shine into a room- yet you never see a beam of darkness “darking” into a room. (I made up ‘darking’)

As we attend school, we learn that light travels at 300,000,000 meters per second, or 186,000 miles per second, store it in our memory banks until a DJ on the radio asks or it’s in the trivia part of the newspaper.  Galileo made an attempt to find the speed of light in 1630 but could only prove that it was ‘very fast’. (I love that)  He had noticed that light was not ‘instantaneous’. That has got to be hard to notice. The things you can do when you don’t sit in front of the TV- like… think!

Sound is wicked slow by comparison, you can hear a ‘slapback’ echo in a room with no carpet even if its only 12′ wide. The speed of smell- well, it depends. But who would have guessed that light had a speed ? In 1748 James Bradley calculated the speed from the direction that light fell from a star to earth, about 176,000 miles per second. In 1849 another scientist, Fizeau, improved on Galileo’s method and came up with a new figure—196,000 miles per second. In 1927 Albert Michaelson changed the figure for the speed of light. He said it was 186,295 miles per second. In 1972 the official speed of light was said to be 186,282.3959 miles per second. (btw that’s 671 million mph) Then Albert Einstein came along and made this the speed limit that no one could break.

But it gets weirder. Light does have a speed and a speed limit, and if not a limit -then something else… The big deal with ‘c’ (symbol for speed of light)(made famous in E=mc²) I heard a guy explaining a small part of it and it has to do with how objects appear when they are coming at you. Like if I am approaching you at 50 mph and you are going 50 mph, it will look like I am going 100 mph to you. But not so with c. -and if you are watching c from a parallel viewpoint you will notice that it bends time. (picture dribbling a basketball standing still and then while walking- while you are still it goes just up and down in a straight line, but when you walk it moves in diagonal directions- but it does not change speed.) There is this whole big thing about how time moves slower for those in motion and space travel-

But- you are not in space travel and your time here on earth is going by (quicker than we think -or want it to) and while its fun to learn science… it’s much more fun when you have already made peace with God and been forgiven. (so take care of that part right now if you have not already done so) (I will wait.) ( – ) (ok, are we good?)

The speed of light does not change and Malachi 3v.6 says that God does not change. God made all kinds of stuff that show Him. Nature and Science are full of evidence of God’s hand. Malachi did not know that the speed of light does not change- he just said what God told him. 1 John 1v7 says ‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.’ 

Light exposes stuff and bad stuff is synonymous with darkness and shadows. I actually think I look good in black but I want my heart and my eyes and my life to shine brightly for Jesus. (note: it is January right now, and it is cold- but I would love to be tanned!)(but having a tan does not automatically equal salvation)(just saying)

In Heaven there is ‘no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.’ Rev 21v23

and when God spoke everything into existence, the first thing He said was ‘Let there be light’. (pretty cool) amen.

*godspeed is an expression of good wishes to a person starting a journey. (that’s about it)

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Mary did you…no?

Posted by tmark on December 7, 2013
Posted in: the blog. Tagged: Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey, mary did you know?, Woman what do I have to do with thee.

apologies for the title- I mean no disrespect to Mary or anyone named Mary!

2004_1225christmis040050

this is a quick little post about the humanity of Mary the mother of Jesus.

The big question for me has always been, Did Mary tell Jesus he was the messiah- or did she just let him figure that out on his own?

She sees an angel, gets pregnant miraculously, has wise men and shepherds visit her after the birth and tell her about more angels and signs and then goes to get Jesus circumcised and has two separate people prophesy about the amazing things that are going to happen.

Great. Thank you for all the nice gifts and kind words, now if you will excuse me, I have to flee for my life because some King is very upset about this whole messiah thing. (I did not see that coming!)

Then, (note, it is years later) one of the first times that scripture records Jesus speaking (and it’s in red!) John 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. (this is at the famous ‘tuning water into wine’ incident)

ouch.
Mary has been made out to be much more than she ever was- certainly by some religions- But put yourself in her shoes, what would you do? If you had to raise Jesus, would you tell him that He is God’s son, the Messiah or say nothing. Here are your options:

A. tell him -Jesus is God’s son and He must know this, so if I tell Him- that is just redundant and no big deal. –or– If I tell Him, will it set me on this course and I will never be able to talk normally to Him and I will never be able to correct Him (as a child) and it might cause Him to become this jerk with this gigantic ego, who did not have the normal childhood He was suppose to have – and then fulfill the mission- but someone spilled the beans and now He is too young to handle the responsibility, and telling Him will reveal my own doubts about how this whole thing got started- and how Joseph had to leave the community to save our reputation and no one believed us and then we had to travel right when I was really pregnant- and we got into town late – and had to barge in on strangers-and totally invade them and have a baby in the living room*- while they had company staying over- if I had not screwed things up- it would not be like this…..

………Then I ask a simple thing – at a wedding. Jesus is thirty. I did not complain that it is not His wedding. But I mentioned that there was a problem with the wine. Maybe I overstepped my bounds, but … He is thirty, I mean come on, its been 30 years- 30 years and there have been no angels. Next thing I know- there is all this talk about how great the wine is! Should I have said something sooner? Then we have a whole year of healing and helping people – which was great, my faith has been restored. But He keeps saying awkward things about the religious leaders and making waves, I am embarrassed. People are treating me differently – So I get the family together, His brothers and sisters, and we go to find Him and give Him a talking to. Maybe He has gone too far and I need to tell Him that this is not how Messiah should act…- Matthew 12:46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Well, I am not going to lie, that hurt a lot. Was this my fault? I wish I had never said anything.

B. don’t tell him Jesus is God’s son, Messiah, He knows it- and that’s that. –or– I never talk about it- but because I remember how this all started, I can’t help but look at Him differently and I try to treat Him like my other kids – but even they notice I treat Him different. I don’t know how to explain it- maybe I am afraid of what He might say or do?- Can He read my mind? If He is messiah- oh, no- now I have unbelief- it’s not unbelief, I tell myself- I am just thinking through the possibilities – can He read my mind when I a
should be able too – why doesn’t He just talk to me and let me off the hook- after the way this whole thing began, I never imagined the rollercoaster ride would slow down, much less stop. It has been years. The world we live in- that He made- is not getting any better. Did I do something wrong- have I messed up the whole thing- I did not mean to have the baby in those nice people’s house – we were supposed to get our own place and have some real help – I made us late and then there was nothing I could do, I had never had a baby before – was I supposed to stay with Elizabeth and have her help me?……

……He must know who He is.- He studies the scriptures with the older men….. like when He was a boy, but now He is a grown man. His grades in school were always very ordinary- He was probably trying not to show off, but why not show off? Should something have happened? If I was supposed to do something, I don’t know what it is. Then that day at the wedding- I just made a statement about the wine, honest- and the way He looked at me. I didn’t say anything about Him being Messiah – I know now that He was kind of sensitive about it, because many of the people He healed, He told them not to say anything about who He was – He never showed off. But that first year of Him being the Messiah was wonderful – He did so many miracles – any mother would be proud. But then, He started to confront the Pharisees and He really rocked the boat – it was very difficult for me, and all my neighbors were talking about me, so I knew I needed to talk to Him and when I got His brothers and sisters together …. well, you know how that went. I was so embarrassed, maybe I should have told Him .

What did she really do? We may have to ask her in heaven.
When Luke was putting together his gospel, he interviewed everyone he could, including Mary and that is why we have the whole Christmas/nativity story. He records that when Mary and Joseph had heard what the shepherds said and after they had lost Jesus and found Him in the temple, she: “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 & 2:51) But this could just be referring to the angels or the details of misplacing Jesus – she still had to raise the baby Jesus into an adult – and He was the oldest child – (all you ‘oldest’ kids know what that’s like) imagine if Jesus had been the youngest!

Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted in all ways, like us, but did not sin. I don’t think that Jesus and his family sat around at the dinner table and did not talk. They were a real family and there must have been moments when Jesus wanted to say something extremely sarcastic to his little brother the jerk. These temptations are not one-time-things that we face and move on to the next level. It was probably a steady drip, and you can just imagine how the creator of the universe could really put you in your place!

When we read the bible and hear about the people in it, we sometimes forget that they were only people, just like us. Not special amazing people from the pages of fiction, but real people with real doubts and fears and hang-ups and baggage and unbelief and imperfections and huge lapses in judgement and a great capacity for failure, but all loved the same by God. Just like us.

When we live our lives, our future and how things turn out are not known. In the Bible, we have the whole story, but the people in the story had to live it in real time- like we do. As opportunities present themselves, act as though it was going to be written down and people will base their lives on how you did. Will it be like the window that gave her two mites or the woman who broke open the alabaster box- we are Epistles (books/story’s) known and read of all men.. 2Cor 3:2 So serve God with all your heart.

Merry Christmas, much love, TMark & family

*this stuff about having the baby in the living room is loosely taken from a great book by Kenneth Bailey called Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, and the author explains some of the cool cultural things that are included in scripture- but we miss- because our culture interprets them differently. The author says he is not trying to ruin little kids Christmas plays, but instead provide insight and revelation to us westerners. It’s a great book.

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