Wikipedia

So, while procrastinating the writing of my first (of three) paper for Jewish Messianisms class, I decided to look at the general repository of all information for my birthday. And apparently, my birthday is fairly destructive.

558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses.

1697 - Stockholm's royal castle is destroyed in a huge fire.

1840 - The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi, killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in U.S. history.

1915 - World War I: a German U-boat sinks the RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people. Note: If I remember correctly, this was one of the main instigators for US involvement in the war.

1964 - A Pacific Air Lines Fairchild F-27 airliner crashes near San Ramon, California, killing all 44 aboard; the FBI later reports that a cockpit recorder tape indicates that the pilot and co-pilot had been shot by a suicidal passenger.

1992 - Three employees at a McDonald's Restaurant in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, are brutally murdered and a fourth permanently disabled after a botched robbery. It is the first fast-food murder in Canada. Note: Why do you keep statistics like "First first-food murder in Canada"?

2002 - A China Southern Airlines MD-82 plunges into the Yellow Sea, killing 112 people.


So, on a more positive note, a couple of less deadly things that have happened:

1824 - World Premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

1847 - American Medical Association is founded.

1945 - Germany signs surrender papers to end their involvement in WWII, effective May 8.


Alright, maybe I'll finish my paper now. :(

Not enough time

I feel so bogged down with stuff going on right now. I'm trying to plan/organize/send out support letters for our Romania trip (I have to write and send support letters, and also apply to my church from growing up for funds), I'm trying to set up and go to interviews to get a job (two in the past 5 days, with another scheduled), I'm starting pretty much all the MS track meets in Bloomington, I'm trying to prepare my students for their final (including some extra office hours next Monday), and I'm trying to actually complete my final (three 3-page papers due on Wednesday). I think that's everything. Of course, I'm going to be out of town on Saturday and Sunday, and I lose some of Monday to track meets, Tuesday to giving and grading a final, and tonight to another track meet. So when exactly am I going to write these papers?

I'm just busy enough to have to stay focused (see me blogging and not working) and I should be able to get everything done, but also busy enough to make me not want to eat a lot and not be real upbeat. I did have some really good worship at small group last night, so that helped. Funny how thinking about God makes everything better...


On a lighter note, here is a fascinating result from my office today: Take three arbitrary natural numbers greater than one. Add them. This sum is less than or equal to six.

Who knew?

Random Thoughts

A few thoughts, not enough to make a whole post out of, but collectively maybe it will suffice.

1) My interview went well, I think. I am satisfied with my answers, and seemed to get good feedback. I was interview 5 of 7. They may decide by Wednesday, which is actually the date of my second interview (2:30pm at Mississinewa--maybe say hi to D and T sometime that day).

2) It is disturbingly easy to get out of child support payments. Granted, I rightfully shouldn't have to pay them, but it would have been real easy to make up four digits to end my SSN with, and then claim my middle initial wasn't P. If nothing else, it might buy me a couple months if I was the right person.

3) The curse of the billy-goat is alive and well. Take a promising start by a good Cubs team with only two of thier five starters healthy, and what do you do? Well, one of the starters who was about to return had to stop a bullpen session early because of pain, and then add a touch of two-month-injury-to-one-of-the-best-hitters-in-baseball. *sigh*

4) What is the etiquette for attending the birth of a friend's baby? I was there for Eric and Lisa, but I was the only non-family member present. I thought going was a no-brainer, but I was the only friend there. Was that just a fluke? I felt a little odd being there, even though Eric and Lisa both said many times they appreciated me coming and being there.

Peace out.

Revelation 21

So we were studying Revelation 21 last night, and verse 16 stuck out to me. It gives the dimensions of the New Jerusalem. In particular, it appears that it will be a cube. A very large cube. Does this sound like a Borg ship to anyone besides me? Maybe resistance really IS futile.

It's a boy!

Actually, I was slightly misleading last time. I knew it was going to be a boy, but it wasn't delivered yet. Now, we can all officially welcome Ian Eric Oglesbee into the world...all six pounds, 12 ounces of him. It was a rough birth, and apparently towards the end they needed some kind of vaccum to help get him out (no joke), but everything seems to be great now. Lisa is tired and sore, but overall very well. It's been a fun day so far.

And now, time for a nap. :)

It's a ....?

Those of you how know Eric and Lisa, two of my close friends from Bloomington, may know that they are expecting their first child. Well, she's currently in labor. I've been at the hospital since about 7am, and things seem to be preceding well. Recently she's started wanting to push, so I think that's a good thing. I'll keep you posted. Seeing as this is the first kid from either me or any of my close friends, it's kind of exciting. :)

Have you met my kid?

I haven't, but apparently I owe $7000 (per year) in child support for him/her (I don't actually know the sex, or even the name, of my kid). Yesterday I got a letter from the Traverse City (Michigan) Circuit Court explaining that I owe said amount to Christine Alspaugh. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, this does not effect any other rulings about our divorce.

So, on Monday I get to call the court (which has a different phone number than what was listed on the sheet--the area card was wrong) and try to explain things. Do you think it will help if I tell them I've never been married? How about if I tell them I'm a virgin?

Actually, I called it today, and was able to work my way through the system, and apparently they have no record of my social security number. So, the problem must be they sent the stuff to the wrong Shawn Alspaugh. But seriously, how many of us are there? Google only lists me...

Romania

Do I want to go to Romania over the summer? ECC is organizing a trip there sometime this July, and Barbara (close friend in my small group) is organizing the whole thing. They are in desparate need of guys for the group, and I have no real plans for the summer. I'm sure there will be some kind of fundraising, but the money really isn't an issue. So once again, does this seem to be something God is directing me towards? I don't want it to be something that might be fun and a good way to spend time with Barbara and whoever else goes, but actually something God is directing me in...

On a positive note, there was all kinds of large hail and heavy wind and rain going on last night at swing dancing, to the extent that some sewage actually backed up into the theater. However, when I got back to my (completely exposed) car to leave, there was no damage whatsoever. Praise God!

My first interview

So, I finally have my first interview. At least, it will be my first unless someone schedules one before then. In 9 days, on Friday the 21st at 1pm, I will be back at my alma mater. Apparently this will be one of the last interviews they hold, and they will probably have a decision made by the middle of the following week. Of course, this lands right in the middle of a crazy week for me, and will result in me missing some swing dancing (in Bloomington, no less :( ) and driving all over the state in a very short period of time, but it's the second (and last?) step towards employment for next year. I wasn't in the least bit nervous or anxious about any of this...until the principal called today to set up the interview. But ultimately it's in God's hands, so I don't have to worry about it. So...any bets? Is God leading me back to Walkerton?

Freedom in Christ

...is a really cool thing. Over the past few days/weeks/months/(years?) God has been trying to teach me some humility. The Casting Crowns' song Who Am I comes to mind, and has been running through my head a lot recently. Basically, I am incompetent, messed up, useful, and a complete fool. And I have to say, that's a wonderful thing. Because God has also been teaching me to see me as He sees me. Which is a saint. I am His child. I am this powerful soldier in the battle against Satan.

It's an interesting counterposition with the idea of humility. But the humility aspect is that nothing I do has anything to do with that status and how God sees me. I can't do good to earn that, and I can't mess that up by sinning. And that's the point He's been drilling with me lately--goofing does not change my status in His eyes. God has already cleansed me. He has fundamentally changed me. I am free from sin.

That's not just a cliche--as a follower of Christ I have been freed from the bounds of sin. I don't have to sin. End of story. It's not who I am, and I don't have to do it. God has made the change in me. As such, if I do goof, if I do sin, if I do take a brief moment of lust because I see some coed walking by wearing effectively nothing (welcome to spring at IU), nothing changes. That's not who I am, that's not my nature. Falling doesn't change me. I have felt such a freedom in that respect in the past few weeks.

Now I don't propose sinning because I can. As Paul said, I don't use my freedom to indulge the sinful nature. But not worrying about "not sinning" has freed me up so much that I'm actually not sinning as much. I just don't have the desire. It's such an amazing transformation in attitude. It's such a basic thing, but it's all God. I can do nothing. I praise Him for everything He's doing in me.

I see so many of my friends who need this freedom in their lives, and I pray God does a work in their hearts as well. Because, once again, it's not something I can force on them or do for them. It's all God.

Prepare to Groan

A joke last night on Leno that I really appreciated, so I'm going to share it:

Apparently a casino in Canada purchased a toilet from Jerry Garcia (singer for the Grateful Dead) to add to a shrine for him they are making. But, the toilet got stolen from his driveway before the casino could pick it up.
After investigating the scene, the police decided they had nothing to go on.

Dark

So, when it's cloudy and rainy, and you're in your back bathroom, and most of the shades are drawn, and the electricity goes out, it gets dark. Really dark. And of course, there aren't many long, straight passages in my house. In case you wanted to...oh, I don't know...go downstairs and get candles to see. Anything.

That was more or less the highlight of my evening last night. I got home around 8 or so, and was going to unwind and relax a little, maybe even do a little work, but the power went out. In the middle of an email. So, what kind of activities can you do at Shawn's place with no power? Well, you play some guitar (songs you have the chords memorized to), and find ways to basically do nothing until you feel it's late enough to try to sleep. Fun times. :)

Now I begin a fairly busy week. There are a couple schools I need to take care of some application stuff with, and I am giving a test in my classes on Thursday (which means a review session on Tuesday). Plus, there's swing club elections and NCAA national championships being decided tonight (any guesses where Shawn will be? hint: not dancing). Of course, the two teams I *didn't* want to win the national championship are playing each other, so I can't win. *sigh*