Author Archives: Seth

Sushi Night

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Some pictures of our first time trying sushi.
 Matt did a great job at introducing us to a new food.
I would definitely eat it again. (although the Wasabi was a little much!)
Note: We are looking for someone to provide chopstick training. It was brutal.

Report On The Geology Of The Henry Mountains by Grove Karl Gilbert

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Before you read anything below, I want to ask you a question.
Can you describe a mountain for me?
If your description culminated with “big” or “rocky” than you should take a few tips from this book.

Report On The Geology Of The Henry Mountains
by Grove Karl Gilbert
Product Details
Hardcover: 152 pages
Publisher: Arno Press (reprint 1978)
Date Published: 1877

Point: Though isolated and relatively useless for monetary value, the Henry Mountains in Southern Utah have geological significance
Path: Following an extensive evaluation of the Henry Mountains, Gilbert submitted a report to the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region. The main portions of the book include and introduction to the location of the mountains, their structure, a detailed description of the mountains themselves, land structures explained, and the general worth of the mountains.
Sources: Intensive study and observation
Agreement: Chapter three, the detailed description of the mountains, was very interesting. It captured my attention not because of something inherently exciting about the mountains themselves, such as majestic waterfalls, sheer cliffs, or deep caves, but because they were interesting to the author. His description of the Henry Mountains made me want to visit them. He described the peaks and the valleys, the cliffs and the plateaus, as though they were special. They were special, not because they were extraordinary, but because they were there.
Disagreement: I disagree with the general presupposition of the age of the mountains, and that the past has been uniform in erosion.
Personal App: I want to see the Henry Mountains. I want to sit and contemplate a feature of the geography which I have so quickly passed over. I want to imagine what workings are going on below the surface of this angry, shaking earth as it pushes lava upward to stain the surface.
Favorite Quote: “Coal, building sone, gypsum, and timber have no value for lack of a market, either present or prospective; gold and silver are not found; and there is little or no land that can be successfully farmed. Only for grazing have the mountains a money value” (152). But yet he spends 152 pages describing the mountains – because they are there!
Stars: 3 out of 5 – this is tough, because taken for the purposes written, I am sure this is valuable. But for the average reader, is this a must read? I doubt it.

Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte

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Slide:ology
by Nancy Duarte
Product Details
Paperback: 261 pages
Publisher: O’Reilly
Date Published: 2008

Point: Simple slides displaying clear ideas lead to effective communication.
Path:  
Duarte walks through the art of slide presentations from the conception of ideas to the delivery of a presentation. Chapters clarify color use, templates, fonts, and diagrams.
The Five Theses of the Power of a Presentation:
Treat your audience as King – how can you help them.
Spread Ideas and move people: People should see how they can live our your idea.
Help them see what you’re saying: don’t just settle for a speech.
Practice Design, not decoration: be clear.
Cultivate Healthy Relationships: in order to accept your message, they must accept you.
Sources: Personal experience with boring and exciting presentations.
Agreement: Slide shows can kill an idea, or spread an idea. This is a helpful manual for putting together a presentation that ignites the imagination of your audience, not their tempers.
Disagreement: A little dull at times, but if viewed as a manual it is understandable.
Personal App: Work at simplicity in style, slides, and speech.
Stars: 4 out of 5
It would be worth having and consulting when putting together a major presentation.

Luther in His Own Words

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Luther In His Own Words
by Martin Luther
Product Details
Audio: Read by David Cochran Heath 
Publisher: Hovel Audio, 2006
    Point: Martin Luther is known for his 95 Theses. He is also known for the religious body which bears his name. But is Luther really known? This audio book seeks to acquaint the hearer with some of the important works of Luther.
    Path:  This work is a compilation of Luther’s 95 Theses, his Tower Experience, Small Catechism of Martin Luther, and the Last Written Words of Luther. It also includes some important sermons such as “On the office of preaching”, a sermon on confession and the Lord’s Supper, and “On Faith and Coming to Christ”.
    Agreement: One either loves Luther or hates Luther. He is honored for his 95 theses and hated for his persecution of Baptists. He is venerated for his courageous stand and criticized for his faulty views of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But what do we do with someone who God used greatly, but still was wrong in other points? I suppose we ought to thank God that He can use men – in spite of their weakness. That gives me hope.
    Personal App: It is not enough to talk about Luther, or any other men throughout history, we must listen to him. Only then may we agree or disagree. I must hear before I understand, and I must understand before I may disagree.
    Stars: 4 out of 5
    It would be worth another read and I would recommend it for anyone interested in knowing Luther.

    Recipe: Baked iPhone

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    This is a new recipe that I tried last night. Hope you find it as “tasty” as I did.

    Ingredients:
    Pan of Lasagna
    iPhone
    Phone call from brother

    Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350
    Take call from brotherTry to hold iPhone between shoulder and ear while placing pan of lasagna in hot oven
    Drop iPhone and watch as it slides to the back of the oven under heating coils
    Contemplate reaching in with bare hand
    Desperately try to scrape iPhone around the bottom of the oven with large wooden spoon
    (Make sure you are yelling to your brother as well during the whole process, it adds to the excitement)
    Clean oven gunk off of iPhone and call brother back

    Serve with salt

    Metro Women’s Center

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    Liberty Baptist financially supports Metro Women’s Center, an organization which seeks “to actively promote and maintain the sanctity of human life through educating women and the community at large about pregnancy alternatives so that informed decisions concerning the outcome of pregnancy may be made. We desire to do this by respecting the lives of both the mother and the child equally. We believe that the answer to a problem or unplanned pregnancy is not to abort the child, but to seek alternatives which allow both parties to live.”

     Another way in which we support the center is through community service projects. In September the Youth Group and College and Career helped put together a mailing for the upcoming fundraiser.

    I think everyone’s fingers were a little sore the next day, but Haley holds the title for the most envelopes licked. I believe it was over 400. (I think she will have regained her ability to speak by the time of this post)

    Has Christianity Failed You by Ravi Zacharias

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    Has Christianity Failed You
    by Ravi Zacharias
    Product Details
    Paperback: 240 pages
    Publisher: Zondervan
    Date Published: 2010
    Point: God has failed no one. People fail us. Religious institutions and leaders fail us. But God does not fail anyone.
    Path: The key questions which Zacharias answers are “Who is Jesus?” “What does it mean to be a Christian?” “Purpose driven or reason driven?” “Does prayer make a difference?” and “What difference does Christianity make?” He also takes a look at common points of tension (ch. 3) and incoherence (ch. 4).
    This book is not laid out in a question/answer format. Rather, Ravi begins by asking a question, tells several stories, includes a philosophical idea from an eastern religion, and then looks at a Bible passage.
    Sources: Conversations with skeptics, personal anecdotes, eastern thought, and examples of famous believers line the pages.
    Agreement: Ravi asks some important and relevant questions in his book and concludes with the right idea, “Christianity has not failed you; God has not failed you. It may be that the church has failed you, since it is comprised of human beings just like you, people who often fall short of their own standards and do not always live up to the beauty of their faith and of their Savior. Perhaps your expectations of Jesus and of Christianity were false” (ch. 7).
    Disagreement: The format of this book was very difficult for me to appreciate. I felt as though we were getting nowhere. I initially bought this book with the intention of using it with some of my unbelieving friends, but I am afraid it would be too confusing. If you love Zacharias’ form of speaking, this is the book for you. If you are looking for clearly defined answers to tough questions, you won’t be satisfied.
    Personal App: When dealing with disillusioned people, don’t try to fix the wrongs in the past, point to the Savior.
    Stars: 3 out of 5
    I might consult this for ideas if I were to be asked one of these questions.