Enjoying Tchaikovsky

I have been listening to a lot of music recently... Big surprise, huh?! :) Some of you know that I love to listen to the same song played by many different artists... Preferably three at the very least. I'd much rather have ten or more options. Anyway, my song recently has been Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto. It is a beautifully intricate piece. I have listened to many different artists playing it, including Martha Argerich, Peter Toperczer, Ayako Uehara, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Cecile Licad, Van Cliburn (The Chopin competition recording and the newer recordings), Monty Python :), Dimitris Sgouros, Evgeny Kissin, and some others. It's amazing to me how differently a song can be portrayed. I just wanted to share a little bit of my Tchaikovsky enjoyment with you... So, enjoy!!!

Here is Martha playing the famous octaves:



In order, Vladimir Horowitz (1943)
Van Cliburn (1962)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (1962)
Arthur Rubinstein
Arturo Beneditti Michelangeli
Sviatoslav Richter
Emil Gilels (1979)
Martha Argerich (1980)
Mikhail Pletnev
Dimitris Sgouros (1984)
Alexei Sultanov (1989)
Evgeny Kissin (1988)
Sergio Tiempo
Dong-Heyk Lim (2003)
Boris Berezovsky (2004)
Lang Lang (2004)

(When you see Martha's face, it's Emil playing, and visa versa)

Details!

Okay, so I was asked for more details about college. Okay!!! First, I'll give you a list of classes I'm taking.
Composition 1 (Mr. Burdick)
Public Speaking (Mr. Burdick)
Algebra 1 (Mr. Paris)
Voice Lessons (Tim Pahel)
CSC Choir (Tim Pahel)
CSC Chamber Choir (Tim Pahel)
Music Theory 1 (Tim Pahel)
Ear Training and Sight Reading (Tim Pahel)
Organ Lessons (Mary Harlan)
Piano Lessons (Kurt Killam)

Fun, huh! You probably noticed right away that I don't have many teachers for all those classes. The piano lessons aren't actually credited classes, but I count them anyway :) So, four teachers, excluding piano. I have Mr. Paris for one, Mr, Burdick for two, Tim Pahel for five, and Mary Harlan for one. Algebra is definitely not my strongest subject, so don't have much to say about that.
Speech and Comp. are going pretty well. I get along well with Mr. Burdick; partly because he reminds me of myself. (Don't get scared, people!) His assignments are fun and challenging, and you all know that I enjoy a challenge. The biggest mistake he made was assigning me a journal to write. Just by seeing this blog you would find it apparent that I write a whole lot more than I talk. He is reading some long journal entries :)
All the lessons with Tim are going pretty well. I've known him since I was ten, so I already knew what to expect from him. In Voice he is teaching me selections from Handel's Messiah. (The Soprano solos, for those of you who aren't familiar with that) Ear and Sight stuff is going pretty well. Theory wasn't so great at first, but I got 100% on the last quiz. Study definitely helps :)
Organ lessons are going a bit slow. I still have to get organ shoes (Yes, they exist), and I don't have an organ to practice on yet. But Mary Harlan in very nice, and she gives me the impression of a good teacher.
Piano is exciting, as always. Kurt is always supportive, and we spend most of the lesson talking, which is just fine with me. He calms my nerves. It's almost freaky how well he reads me. I'm usually the one doing that :) I'm eager to learn something challenging, but we've been on break for several months, so it will take a while to get back into the swing of things.
I really wish I could take some history, but hopefully there will be time for that later. God has really blessed me. Hope that's enough detail ya'll!
Love,
Branded by Christ's Seal

Zephaniah 3:17
"The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

It has been so long! College has been great, and a wonderful opportunity to observe the world. I have always been very aware of my surroundings; especially people; and have found more, and yet less, than I expected.

But enough of that! It is time for me to write something to make you think! Hmm....
Here is a new poem I have written. I would love to hear thoughts on it. I rarely write this sort of poetry, so it's more of an experiment than anything else. Enjoy!

High above me sits the pale Moon,
Her beauty unwavering; her song a ray of bliss.
Unattainable is her purity to those who would use it for ill.

Her Gift is highly treasured. She guards it with her eyes.
It cannot be captured by fear.
Those who would attain it are shocked by unswerving zealousness.

I ask her why her light is hidden.
The white lady does not answer.
Instead, she draws a picture, writ clearly in the stars.

Then I see the answer! My heart fills with hope.
There is a Moon for every sky, it's light for only one.
And so I wait for my Moon.

I would love to hear what you think this is about! I'll give you one hint, and a sub hint :) : It is the sky speaking, and it is a man speaking.

In The Quiet of the Night

Sitting here in my room, listening to a Scottish lullaby, I am considering the reminiscence of another post I made, commenting on the affect a kind gesture can have on a person. I consider this yet again, as I consider another spur of the moment gesture I made. God continues to show me how to bless people through random acts of kindness. I've also had a great hymn going through my head all week, that might be unfamiliar to many, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah. Perhaps this was my theme this week.

As I am preparing for my first week of college I consider this weeks theme. I will need God's hand on me as I enter "hostile" territory. Surprisingly I am not that nervous about this upcoming adventure. Actually, I am excited. It reminds me of the quote I used for my graduation letters. "The world is round, and that which seems like the end may also be the beginning." Powerful thought, and an interesting observation.

I have prayed a lot about this new beginning that is upcoming, and have decided on a theme. My verse will be Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you in gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah is my favorite minor prophet. I love the way he puts things. So clear, and yet with very subtle and mind blowing truths. This verse especially touches me, because of the thought that God rejoices over me with singing. It is humbling and lifting, and makes me want to serve God all the more. What blessing He is to me.

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more;

feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through.

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield;

Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death and hell's destruction, land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee;

I will ever give to thee.

And my song for this week

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Be A Hero

Today I got back from work exhausted! I was so tired I felt dead on my feet. Unfortunately, my church had a work day planned. I was ready to go, but no one showed up. Yes! I thought. I can relax! But it was not meant to be. I asked my mother, like I believe every dutiful child should, if she needed anything done, since she decided to clean the church anyway.
"You could clean the kitchen." She said it with a smile, that showed she was teasing. But I could see in her eyes that she was half serious, and really dreading when she would have to do it herself, when I was at work the next day. We had just torn our house up so that the carpet could be stretched, and the kitchen hadn't been cleaned for days. Needless to say, it looked like a tycoon had just celebrated it's birthday in there! Groaning to myself I decided that I would surprise her and clean it up.
For two hours I scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom, washed the dishes, put things away, rearranged... It was crazy. She wasn't upstairs at all until I was almost finished, just starting to mop the floor.
When I was finally done, I sat with a satisfied, "Done!" Mom looked at me with relief.
"You're my hero."

If going out of my way just a little bit, despite my aversion to the task, I made someone's life so much easier, I can only imagine the impact it would have if everyone did. I was my Mom's hero today, and I want to be someone elses tomorrow. Go be a hero! Make someone's load lighter. Pass on a smile!

David Phelps' Funny Side :)

This is first shows Mark Lowry's very "original" humor :) You can tell that David and Guy had no idea what was going on because of the surprised looks on their faces and the fact that they couldn't control their laughter :)




Apparently the rumor is spreading that Mark Lowry rubbed of on David Phelps when they were in the GVB together. Enjoy!

My Favorite Contemporary Singer

Admittedly, he's the only one I listen to :) David Phelps, ladies and gentlemen. I'm not sure what to say about this great man of faith, except that you can see his faith in his singing, and you can hear it in his CD's. Enjoy!

My Bad Poetry :)

Ah, the subtle influence of a touch, a look, a word.

Even though I consider my own poetry nonsensical I'm going to post some lines from one of them. I just like the thought of this one...

Look up into the heavens.
Hear the whispers of the angels.
"Holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

Rolling, tumbling over one another
The clouds go their separate ways.
See! See! Make way for the King!

Only the pure are left.
All unrighteousness fades away.
But even the clean tremble: IN PRESENCE OF THE ALMIGHTY!

Just Do It!

Tomorrow I celebrate my 19th birthday. It's hard to believe that I have lived so long! If not for the love of Christ I would not be here today, nor do I think I would want to be.

I watched, for the first time, Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ." I didn't watch it when it first came out because I felt unready for it. I can't explain this, but it is simply truth. But for several weeks I have yearned to watch it. I wanted to remember. Sometimes I think the story of Jesus' sacrifice becomes simply that; a story. I never want Christ's sacrifice to become unimportant to me. You might say I never want to be a fake Christian. So many Christian's seem afraid to realize the great reality of the crucifixion. When I was not even ten years old my church, as a group, delved into the crucifixion itself, to see how it worked. I was fascinated by what I learned. I found it more horrific than I had even imagined.

A common mistake in films and portrayal of the crucifixion show the nails through the hands of Jesus, when in reality the nail would have had little purpose there. They were actually driven in directly below the wrist, so that the bones of the arm would hold the nail into place. In the hand, the nail would have slit through the skin and in between the fingers, eventually releasing a badly misshapen hand.

The position of the body, with the arms held out and the feet nailed to a block, allows the person hanging to breath in, but not to exhale. If you want to breath out you have to push up with your feet (Which have nails in them! I can only imagine the pain of this simple task). Then you can exhale. But just try to imagine the pain. Your bones have probably come disjointed because of the loose hanging, and your muscles clench and tighten as you struggle for breath. Your body is pressed against unfinished wood that splinters into your already ravaged back. As you weaken you can no longer push yourself up for breath, and you eventually die of suffocation. If you, however, live too long for your torturers taste, your legs can be broken, to shorten the time spent in dying.

In Jesus' case, he died before the soldiers started breaking legs, to fulfill the prophesies of the Old Testament. But just to make sure he was dead the soldiers, "Pierced His side." Or His heart. Blood and water gushed out. This shows that He did not die of suffocation, but of heart failure, due to shock and constriction of the heart because of fluid in the pericardium (The sack that contains the heart and beginnings of major blood vessels). What a terrible way to die! And yet, our Savior did that.

I do not understand how someone could hear this story and not be touched! And I did not even mention his torture beforehand! The horrible whipping that tore his flesh until he was unrecognizable! (Isaiah 52:14 and Isaiah 53) The mocking and beating of the soldiers! The humiliation of his mock robing and crowning, and the eventual carrying of the cross for over 600 yards, while still bleeding and bruised.

Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder;
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art. How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art. How great Thou art!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sins!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art. How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art. How great Thou art!


This story fills me with love for my Savior. I challenge you to spread it! Tell people that nothing they have suffered even compares to what Jesus did for them; out of Love! We are so blessed!

Heavenly Father, I Magnify Thee.
Heavenly Father, I Magnify Thee.
I love Thee, adore Thee,
I bow down before Thee.
Heavenly Father, I Magnify Thee.

25 Most Influential Men - Part 2

This post will have to be relatively short, because I have to go to work shortly... Let's start where I left off.

Derek Miller ~ This is my second of five older brothers. Quite naturally he has had a great influence on me, as a brother in blood and as a brother in Christ. He was always partial to me, and we are very close.

Jason Miller ~ This is the oldest of my five brothers. His influence has been on many levels, including the way I take a test! He is probably the one I've had the least contact with, but still a lot compared to some relationships.

Matthew Miller ~ This is the youngest of my five older brothers. When I was little he was the one brother I wanted to be friends with, and I am still like that in many ways. His influence has been astoundingly great in ways I can't explain. I was always partial to him, despite our many differences, probably because of our closeness in age.

Nathan Miller ~ This is the third of my five brothers. We are alike in many subtle ways that most wouldn't notice. His influence has been more on that level than anything. He was gone most of my teenage years, in the military, so I haven't had as much contact with him as I would like. But his influence is still marked in my mind.

Rodney Miller ~ This is my father. His influence has been one of the greatest and most pronounced. He has always been a loving and gentle father. Sometimes a little annoying :) But always my Daddy.

Stephen Miller ~ This is my fourth brother of five. He is probably the brother that's personality is closest to mine. This being so, his influence was probably more so than some of the other brothers. We have always been pretty close.

Allen Patterson ~ This man I have known personally much of my life. I mostly saw him as the man who looked a lot like one of my brothers before I actually got to know him. His influence has also been of a more subtle kind that many fail to notice.

Paul the Apostle ~ This man in dead, and I do not know him personally. He was also known as Saul when he persecuted Christians. His influence has been that of his walk and ministry.

Donnie Plemons ~ This man I have known, all my life, as Brother Plemons. His influence has been through his Christian walk and ministry. He shows God's love in the most loving and hardworking ways. God has greatly blessed me through him.

Howard Russell ~ This man I have known for at least eight years, but have had personal contact with for six years, because of his music ministry. His funny yet insightful way of using his music ministry has been a great influence on the way I minister.

William Sillings ~ This man I have known of most of my life, but have been in personal contact with for four or more years. His influence has been in his Christian walk, his ministry, and the conversations we've had together. His wise insight has been a great help and witness to me.

Aaron Ward ~ This man is an adoptive brother. I have probably known him for four or five years, and his influence has been of a brotherly kind.

Richard Wurmbrand ~ This man I have never met, even though he died during my lifetime (2001). His influence was in his Christian walk and him ministry through Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that I personally support as much as possible.


Well, there you go. One man that isn't on the list, but would have been the 26th is Amos Hann. A man who shows his faith in the most interesting ways. :) Those of you that know him understand best.

25 Most Influential Men

I was thinking that people might wonder about the list I did about the 25 most influential men in my life... So I'll start from the top; even though It may take several posts to finish.

First though, I will note that not all of the people in my list are living, nor do I know them all personally. Most I do know personally, and I believe that only one is dead. The list was heavily considered... So, here goes!

Andy Andrews ~ This man I do not know personally. He is actually a writer of historical fiction. I chose him for my list because of one of his books that greatly influenced my views on life. The book is in my top 100 books list "The Lost Choice." It talks much about how every decision that someone makes affects the course of not only their own life, but of others lives.

Frank Baldwin ~ This man I do know personally, and have known of him all my life. He was known to me as a great preacher, and his influence on me has been mostly because of His Christian walk. I have not seen him in many years, but my memories of him are special.

Randall Clark ~ This man is my godfather. I have known him for almost ten years (About half of my life). He was not a Christian when I first met him, but has been for most of the years I've known him. His great wisdom and quiet talks with me have greatly influenced me. He and I are alike in many ways, and he has taught me so much.

Douglas Crossman ~ This man I have known all my life, but do not see often. He is Welsh, and travels a lot because of his ministry (As well as his wife's ministry). He is the kind of person you always remember because of his funny personality. His influence on me has been most noted in his Christian walk and ministry.

Mark Horton ~ This man I know personally and have known him for at least six years. He gave me my most touching compliment, and his encouragement of my ministry has greatly influenced the way that I minister.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson ~ This man is not living, nor do I know him personally. His life has greatly influenced the way I live. He once said "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave"

Jesus the Christ ~ This Man, who is also God, I have known of all my life, but have truly known for eight or nine years. His influence is the greatest of any man, and it is given through His life, ministry, and others of His choosing. To try to explain would be pointless, because there are no words beautiful or wise enough.

Richard Kenny ~ This man I know personally, and have known all my life. His influence on me was noted during a time of personal suffering, when he gave me comfort. He knew my pain when others didn't, and because of his love I am influenced.

Kurt Killam ~ This man I have known for four or five years, even though I have had other brief contact with him, several times, over nine years. His influence was one of a peculiar kind... He was one of few who would talk with me about anything, and seemed to read my feelings. He gave me much comfort and laughter when I felt sad.

Steven Knaack ~ This "man" is actually a boy, and will always be a boy. He has Down Syndrome, and I care for him during the summer. He has given me much laughter and love in his influence. He is a great blessing to me.

Gerald Mershimer ~ This man I have known personally for four or more years. Even though I haven't been in much personal contact, his ministry and Christian walk have greatly affected my personal walk. His caring ways made me feel appreciated and wanted when I needed that badly.

Loy Mershimer ~ This man I have known personally for six or more years. I have corresponded with him often in those years, and his quiet ways of showing God's love in his ministry greatly influenced my own Walk.

That's all I have time for now. God bless!

~Branded with God's seal.

Do It With A Prayer

I just did another concert today... For those who don't know, I sing. It is a gift; not something I worked to get or bought from someone. Saying this I also say, most humbly, I sing pretty well. I boast of nothing I do not have in Christ, and this is true to the greatest extent.
I have to admit that I was not always humble about it. God had to show me that it was a gift, not something I won, in a way that humbled me greatly. I won't give any details, but suffice it to say I was greatly embarrassed at my big-headedness. God has shown me much since then, and though I can't say I showcase very well, He has shown Himself through me in the most amazing ways.

Something I've never told anyone about my singing is that I always pray and give my song to God before I sing. I do it several times, actually, depending on the amount of preparation I have. I just let God sing through me. I know this may sound very superficial and silly, but I've never felt like it was me singing after I started praying about it beforehand. Before I would struggle to show off, but now I leave it completely up to God what my performance will sound like. If I sound terrible, I can say it's His fault :)
After I started praying beforehand I noticed a difference in my singing that was probably unnoticed by others. If I forget to pray, it is noticed by others, whether they say so or not.

Tonight I prayed so hard. My music was out of place for the concert, because my style was very different... But I gave it to God, and He gave me His Spirit, just like I knew He would. The result? I believe Mom said, "They were transfixed as soon as you started."

All the glory and the honor belongs to my Father.

When Your Choice Affects the World

I have recently been observing and thinking about the profound difference it makes in the life of a person when they except Christ. Most of my siblings have made this choice, which is a great blessing, and in one, particularly, I have noticed a great change.

One was my second brother. I was always attached to him because he was partial to me, but I didn't like how he would get upset over silly things; Like me leaving a towel on the bathroom floor, or taking my shoes off and not putting them away. Once I remember doing just that, and he got so mad at me. "Why can't you put your own stuff away? Do you think other people want to pick up after you?!"
Then one summer I noticed a drastic change in him. He was less likely to get angry with me for silly things, and when things turned out bad he took it with grace. I especially noticed it when I went with him to a house he was building. He dropped one of those guns that can be used to fill up cracks, with a white sort of glue in it. The glue sprayed all over the room, and I expected him to blow. I waited for it, and it never happened. Instead, he laughed! Not because he thought it was funny, but because he was disgusted. I knew then that my brother had changed. He reacted to things differently, and now I never feel nervous that I'll do something wrong when I'm around him.

If I was affected this much by one persons choice, how many others did my brothers choice affect? And if his choice makes such a difference in the lives of others, how many more are affected by others that have changed. It makes me wonder why there aren't more Christian's, if this is so....
There is something profound! This tells me that Christian's are messing up! If people can't tell the difference between a Christian and a non Christian they will never know what a Christian is. If they never know what a Christian is they can never make that choice. God says that we know a Christian by their fruit. In other-words, I'm not a Christian unless people can tell that I am different than the average Joe. So what does that tell you?

Dancing In The Rain

Today my Grandma, who died last year, was on my mind. Particularly memories of the day before she died. There was a thunderstorm outside, and my sisters and I were running around. We were changing into dry clothes when Mom told us to start packing.
I remember how hard it was not to cry, trying to be strong for my sisters and Mother. The night she died I managed to hide my tears, and then didn't cry until after the funeral. My other Grandma hugged me, and I remember thinking, "I'll never hug Grandma Halligan like this again." That was when I broke.

It has always amazed me how people so often hide their tears. It seems a very unhealthy practice, and no matter how hard I try to let myself cry my mind won't allow it. I am the kind of person that cries easily, but prefer not to show it. My disposition is naturally cheerful, so I simply let that show more predominantly. I don't exactly hide my emotions; I just don't let them effect my mood.
The last time I cried was just this morning. I had just finished singing a song for camp, and I was so moved by the Holy Spirit I had to walk to the back of the chapel and let it out. Tears flowed, and I couldn't help it. Sister Mershimer saw me standing there, trying to compose myself to no avail, and just took me in her arms. How blessed I felt!
I'm not so sure there won't be tears in Heaven, because I will be weeping for joy. How can I not weep when I am so blessed?

Special Abilities Children

There are many terms used for people/children who are mentally unbalanced... Strait retarded, which is considered unkind; Special Needs, which could be seen as insensitive; Special, which I see as something someone says when they really think the person in question really isn't that special... Slow... "Not all there"... It seems endless. I prefer to call them Special Abilities children. I'm not saying that all of them are prodigies; but they have a way of communicating that I find different from anyone else. There is an innocence in it; a love; a thirst to prove themselves; a forcefulness that others, who don't have experience with them, might find frightening.

The boy I care for is a very "in your face" child. Despite his awkwardness he has a sense of fluency in the way he moves. And when he gets in my face, just to annoy me, I can feel the aura of affection and love in everything he does to drive me crazy. This ability is amazing to me. The pure genuine way he communicates is part of what I love about him. Sometimes I wish everyone I knew was so straightforward!

Words of Wisdom...

A famous apologist once wrote, "If you treat something like an animal long enough it will eventually become one." I use this theory when doing child care. This may seem odd to some, but I've observed that children learn what you expect of them, and then do exactly that and often nothing more. If you don't expect a child to respect and obey you, the child will often do just what you expect.



I take care of a Down boy, and he is very special to me... I do my best to treat him like I would any other child. I expect him to behave, help me with jobs around the house, to be kind, etc. He knows this, and as a result I have gotten a lot of joy in the job. We have made some advances too! He will eat anything I put in front of him, which is something he won't do for anybody else, including his parents. He tests me sometimes, to see if he can get away with disobedience, but being firm is something that I am very serious about.


What you expect of people says something about you... It's an interesting thought.

Assumptions and Psychology

I recently talked to a friend about Psychology, and she claimed that Psychology is a lot of trash... I tend to not agree with this assumption. This is something I will have to study in great depth to be an Occupational Therapist, and I think it's wrong to roll everyone in a profession into one group. That's like saying that every doctor is brilliant, or every truck driver is bad news (that is not to say that every doctor is stupid or every truck driver is kind). There might be some groups of people that are all the same, but often there are different sides to each group. For example, there are three types of Muslim's. There are the average Muslim's (The majority of them) who claim to be Muslim's, but don't actually follow the teachings of Mohammed. (Jihad). Then there are the Traditional Muslim's, who want to follow Mohammad, but are either unable or afraid to. The last group are the Fundamentalist Muslim's, who actually follow the Jihad teachings. (If you know anything about the teachings of Muslim's, and the way that they decide which laws to follow, you will realize that those who are Jihad Muslim's are actually the real Muslim's)

In many ways, everyone is a Psychologist. Basically you are like a Profiler. You make assumptions of people based on what you observe about them... You might see someone wearing clothes with paint and stains on them and assume that the person is a house painter. Maybe you see someone shopping, and observe that in their shopping cart they have diapers and baby powder, so you assume they have a baby at home. People make assumptions based on so little all the time... Isn't that akin to Psychology? I think so... Just a thought.

J. S. Bach

Bach was an amazing guy! I've been doing a lot of research on Classical composers, and I found his life one of the most interesting.
He had a temper, like most composers. Once, he called a fellow musician "Kippelfagottist," and, "Nanny-goat Bassoonist!" The man that Bach was speaking to picked up a stick, Bach drew his sword, and they would have dueled if Bach’s friends had not prevented it!
But he was a devoted family man. He had 20 children! He was unlike composers in the fact that he prefered to compose in the middle of daily life, and not in solitude. He wrote his music in the kitchen of his home, while his wife was cooking, and his children running through. His children were allowed to bother him at any time, and he didn't scold them for it. He also enjoyed transcribing Vivaldi's compositions, which made Vivaldi famous.
He was also a godly man. His son, C. P. E. Bach, was said that the family, "Were in the habit of beginning everything with religion." Bach even wrote a godly poem about his tobacco smoking!

"On land, on sea, and home, abroad,
I smoke my pipe and worship God."

Bach loved listening to music so much that he traveled 200 miles, on foot, only to attend a worship service for Advent. He went because he knew that the renowned organist, Dietrich Buxtehude, would be playing. Bach himself sang, played the organ, and violin, and numerous other instruments.

Mastiff's

I saw an add the other day that said English Mastiff's are smart and loving. The person who wrote it must have never met a Mastiff, or has never had experience with the smarter breeds. The loving part is true. My families mastiff is probably the most affectionate dog my family has ever had. But smart? No way. Lady chases her shadow on the wall, snorfs her food... She has the most distinct facial expressions I've ever seen on a dog. Whoever wrote the article must not have looked at the statistics either. The three smartest dogs are Collies, Poodles, and German Shepherds. English Mastiffs are number 73 on the smart list. My family jumped 70 dogs going from one dog to the next. (The dog before this one was a Shepherd.) But her affection makes up for her stupidity. She was worth the buy.

BTW! The article forgot to mention that big dogs are not easy to have... Especially if they weigh over 100 pounds, like mine.