Monday Morning Ponderisms, Founding fathers edition

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." - Thomas Jefferson

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus." - Thomas Jefferson

"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity." - James Madison

"Every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience." - George Washington

“The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.” - John Quincy Adams.

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” - Patrick Henry

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from the Perfect Governor, as he read Isaiah 33:22;
“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;

I realize and apologize

I haven't been posting, but for good reason.

My friend Christy (whom you'll see listed in blogs I visit...yeah, over to the right a bit) had her lil babe! I have been so enchanted with Miss Emma that I was there for a full 24 hours whilst my dearest worked from home with our seven. We brought Aden over to play the next day, and then I spent Friday catching up on all the housework I skipped. Teehee.

This weekend started Thursday night with one friend spending the night, then Friday night another, and then Saturday another. Thankfully the girls are staying at a friends house tonight so we can recover ;-) J/K. We are so blessed that all of their friends fit in so well in our household, not only in the fun but they always help with chores and such. Makes me raise an eyebrow...how did we get so lucky??? Of course, with seven kids already running around, what's one...two...three...wow. I think we have five extra on Saturday! Heather was over with her three so I guess that doesn't quite count. I'll have to upload pictures. I would do it now but I'm far to lazy...uh, resourceful, to waste energy going downstairs. Not just personal energy, but like, uh...electricity to turn on the stair lights and um....plug in the camera. Yeah. that's it. I only have 240 pics on the machine to upload. Sigh.

Another personal post, in a place I hopefully won't lose it

"Treaty of Tripoli, treaty signed to ensure that we were not "at war" with the Barbary nations that were controlling mediteranian trade routes, Article 11 is as follows:"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." take from that what you will..."

Need to verify, look up later.

Ah, the stuff I never learned in school.

Easy place to store info....

Just for me..."These aren't the posts you're looking for....(repeat) these aren't the posts we're looking for. You can go about your business....move along"

Romans AD 57
2 Tim: during the reign of Nero 54-68 Paul was martyred after the big fire of Rome in 64.
2 Peter: Peter was martyred during reign of Nero < 68
James: 50s or early 60's
Hebrews: before the destruction of the temple in AD 70.
Acts: AD 63.
Luke: AD 59-63 or 70's or 80's
Mark: AD 50's or 60's or before AD 70.
Matthew: AD 50's to 70's
John: Late in first century

Found a new fav website

http://stupidfilter.org/

Following are a few quotes from their FAQ that made my Friday:

"Isn't filtering stupidity elitist?"
"Yes. Yes, it is. That's sort of the whole point."

"Won't people just try to defeat the filter, the way spammers try to get around spam filtering?"
"we think it's reasonable to count on the laziness of the stupidest commenters not to do this."

"Do you really expect to be able to detect and filter anything that's conceivably stupid?"
"a sufficiently advanced AI would probably filter out the whole of human discourse, which isn't the idea."

"What about ironic uses of "stupid" diction?"
"However, we consider the StupidFilter's irony-ignorance to be a feature, insofar as even if an allegedly smart person makes a short, stupid comment, their smartness doesn't make the comment any less stupid. If your mom had designed the StupidFilter, she might say "If you can't say anything smart, don't say anything at all.""

Monday Morning Ponderisms, Thoreau edition

'If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them.'


'Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.'


'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler.'


'Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.'


and then, why I'm not posting so much right now
'How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live

Lil rides....

Started off with the littler rides....Sam on the bumper cars. Everyone was smirked at his T hat while Zane wore his OU hat.

Dan is so excited, he and Sam had major plans for wrecking each other.

Ava really wanted to drive but she just wasn't big enough. Poor gal. Rachel was nice enough to share with her and let her tag along.

And Emily sat around and puffed and quietly stewed about waiting for the bigger rides.

She did get on the truckers ride..

her and Rachel and Dan joking about being off to see the wizard.

and Sam rode with a cute red headed girl lol!

Ava and Bre tagged along with some other new kids...

and then rode the train. Do you see Bre with her fingers in her ears on every ride?

This is a noisy section...

especially with Sam on the bell.