GroshLink

I can't stop laughing, thanks Karen  

This is for all you moms who try not to "look like a mom".  Shayna, you'll especially get a kick out of this.  It's funny because it's so true!

Faith, Learning and Practice in Natural Language Processing (Peter Venable 10/01) 

Note: written for the Graduate Christian Fellowship's (GCF) vocation project (VP).  Now that the GCF site has been taken down, over time I'll post the pieces for your blessing.  Thank-you to all the alum who participated in this work.  Alumni friends, I would love to have to hear your current thoughts on your vocation.  Maybe we can have that conversation at the alumni reunion on April 21.  We'll have a 9am breakfast at the Seigfrieds, a 1pm reception most probably at the Adamson Wing, and an evening opportunity yet to be confirmed.  Email me for more details.  Current GCF activities can be found at http://www.u-connectpgh.org  

I work in the subfield of Computer Science called Natural Language Processing, which deals with human languages such as English, French, or Mandarin, whether written or spoken. While I could argue that my work is science, I really see it as more technological: pushing the limits of what computer technology can accomplish. Can we get a computer to understand English? How about translating a document, or a conversation, between English and Chinese? In this paper I'll examine how my faith in the truine God motivates and informs my work.

The Role of the Christian Artist in the World (Christy Sanborn 01/02)

Note: written for the Graduate Christian Fellowship's (GCF) vocation project (VP).  Now that the GCF site has been taken down, over time I'll post the pieces for your blessing.  Thank-you to all the alum who participated in this work.  Alumni friends, I would love to have to hear your current thoughts on your vocation.  Maybe we can have that conversation at the alumni reunion on April 21.  We'll have a 9am breakfast at the Seigfrieds, a 1pm reception most probably at the Adamson Wing, and an evening opportunity yet to be confirmed.  Email me for more details.  Current GCF activities can be found at http://www.u-connectpgh.org

In both the Church and the world, the Christian artist invites the kingdom of God, his presence, to govern by praising God to the audience through song, dance, drama, etc. For the Church, the artist participates in constructing a building. For the world, she constructs a bridge.

Integration of Faith and Parenting (Theresa Grosh, 10/01)

Note: written for the Graduate Christian Fellowship's (GCF) vocation project (VP).  Now that the GCF site has been taken down, over time I'll post the pieces for your blessing.  Thank-you to all the alum (and in this case my wife Theresa) who participated in this work.  Would love to have to hear your current thoughts on the topic, time for an interview with Theresa  Hope to see some of you at the alumni reunion on April 21.  We'll have a 9am breakfast at the Seigfrieds, a 1pm reception most probably at the Adamson Wing, and an evening opportunity yet to be confirmed.  Email me for more details.  Current GCF activities can be found at http://www.u-connectpgh.org  

How does my faith impact my parenting? I ask myself that question every day. As a parent of one-and-a-half-year-old twin girls I face the awesome challenge of modeling Christ to them and laying the foundation for their future understanding of God. It is important for me to reflect on this responsibility daily.

The first time I saw the movie Seabiscuit, I wept so hard that I had to leave my seat and go to the back of the theater so I wouldn’t annoy the people around me . . . why did I weep? . . . I’ve known so many talented people who have led lives full of defeat. I’ve known many fine artists who were designed by God to be racers but were turned into plow horses by our often hostile arts world. They were told that they didn’t “measure up” to the world’s expectations. As a result, their careers, their hearts and even their lives were often thrown into the trash. This is why I wept! Does life have to be this way?

I wept because God gives His children beautiful gifts with a plan attached—a good plan that shows each of us how God wants these gifts to be used. But many artists miss out on this plan of God. Jeremiah recorded the Lord as declaring, "For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to give you hope and a future" (29:11). I believe with all my heart God’s promise is true. Why, then, do so few artists “walk” in these truths?

You've probably been thinking, either Wow!  You've grown in touch with your deeper emotions or Give me a break.  You're telling quite a story.  I know that's not you.  Although I haven't grown in touch with my deeper emotions in this helpful manner, my friend Dick Ryan who wrote this piece has been a blessing to many in the arts across the country.  It has been a joy to see the seeds he's planted and watered continue to grow through his work with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  Take a few minutes to read the rest of Why throw away a life because it's a little banged up? and pray for Sheila's continued ministry among artists in 'da Burgh, particularly through Art Parties she hosts at her house.

Despite receiving the below email from a friend after our Sunday afternoon 3-3, Etown BIC's basketball team lost on Monday and is out of the playoffs.  The end of the basketball season (and our early departure from the Messiah College Tournament) didn't upset Theresa too much as over the past several weeks, basketball has started to take up significant blocks of time. I wish the season and the tournament didn't climax at the same time. Now, especially with the 70 degree weather, its time to turn some of that energy and attention to family matters, although I still will have ball on Tuesday nights and Thursday mid-day.

Participated in my first Atlantic Conference Annual Meeting/Celebration (note: this was their 50th Anniversary). What a joy to gather with brothers and sisters from the Brethren-in-Christ (BIC) at the home of Harrisburg BIC in order to learn more about how the Atlantic Conference seeks to be an expanding team of healthy and mission oriented congregations. A few highlights included:

1. traveling with my neighbors, Carl and Eunice -- Theresa's parents ;-) and delegates from their local assembly, one of the sponsors our work (Manheim BIC)
2. worshipping with so many newly met brothers and sisters in Christ from the local assembly of which we recently joined, Elizabethtown BIC
3. learning more about the work of God through Harrisburg BIC through the picture of ministry given by Cedra Washington (Pastor of Outreach), the Acts 18 challenge of Woody Dalton (Lead Pastor) for local congregations to be incarnational (i.e., to eqiup and send their members out into marketplace/tentmaking ministry in which evangelism is not an artifical encounter but God's love naturally flowing out of us), and taking part in worship led by their Gospel choir. 
4. receiving affirmation in the messiness of ministry given by the Robert Gilenas, lead pastor of Colorado Community Church
5. And I must confess, seeing Questioning Evangelism, the book which I led an Adult Elective on last term, on Bishop Craig Sider's suggested books was way cool.

I'm on CMU Wireless at Chris and John's in D.C., staying overnight before an IVCF team mtg at the Offners, and just came across India Attracts Universities From the U.S. which opens:

It was an unusual university entrance interview. Late one recent evening here in steamy southern India, Vijay Muddana sat in a mercilessly air-conditioned room, leaning forward in his chair and talking to the wall. There, projected on a screen via videoconferencing equipment, were administrators from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where an early morning snowstorm had caused a power failure, delaying the interviews by an hour. The Indians found it funny that even in Pittsburgh, there were power failures.

We've had some of the students from the programs described in the article part of the Graduate Christian Fellowship (GCF), e.g., pic of Varun chatting with Jason at the Moore's Christmas 2005 party, at which we had a focus on Narnia. What a small world!

Note:  CMU has work in other places, e.g. Qatar is also menionted in the article.  Take a moment to pray for followers of Christ at CMU to be Christ as they have opportunity to share their life and story as the world comes to CMU and CMU goes to the world.

The other day, I received a link to Discovering the Psalms during Holy Week. Upon review, I'll use these devotions during Holy Week, alongside our family Lenten devotional. Some of you may also find this a helpful resource.

This morning, In the Shadow of the Cross we reviewed Segment 2: Old Testament Perspectives on Evil (N.T. Wright's DVD on Evil) and viewed Segment 3: New Testament Perspectives on Evil. Three questions from Segment 2 became the focus of our brief time for conversation:

1. Why is it significant that the Bible doesn't give us a theory of evil, but rather tells us the story of evil and the actions God undertakes to deal with it?

2.  The people of Israel bore tremendous suffering throughout their existence as God's chosen ones.  How is the suffering of God's people related to God's way of overcoming evil in the world?

3.  In the midst of their many years of oppression, the people of Israel began hoping for God to send a Messiah who would finally rescue them from evil and set the world right.  In what ways did the prophet Isaiah transform this vision of a coming Messiah (see especially Isaiah 53)?

Praise God! Press on. A counter to [t]hese days, when anyone can run a virtual media empire out of a dorm room, student-generated sex magazines, some with the imprimatur of university financing and faculty advisers, are becoming a fact of campus life as covered by the NY Times article Campus Exposure.  Set aside time today to pray for followers of Christ to receive the strength of the Holy Spirit to live another way and for the lost to receive the embrace of the Father's countercultural word and life of the Gospel this Easter.

Let's get to 21st century apologetics! Not sure what to read? I appreciated Catherine H. Crouch's recently posted review of Collins' Language of God and Wright's Simply Christian. Although I'm appreciative of her thoughts on Collins, I'm more in agreement with Ric Machuga's assessment of Wright's audience being those in danger of becoming what Christian Smith calls "moralistic, therapeutic deists" [tapioca pudding Christians].

Check out my notes on Wright's fall presentation on Simply Christian I've also posted some other pieces for equipping and framing witness.  As you know, Collins has been of interest as the CMU faculty group discussed over the past several months.  I have a number of posts relating to his work, check out Language of God for a number of links to helpful sources.

You sometimes forget how idomatic the English language can be, until you speak to a 2 year old.  Today duing physical therapy, Eden's PT was helping her to walk and said "pick up your feet."  So Eden bent over and tried to pick up her foot.  Obviously!!!

Also today Eden picked up the "M" letter magnet and said "mmmm".  What a smart cookie

I'll be in Carisle to get-to-know Bob Ives, the interim teaching pastor of Elizabethtown Brethren-in-Christ and Stephen Hague, the director of the John Newton International Center for Christian Studies right next to Dickinson College. I may also take the opportunity to visit a few bookstores in Carisle: Banner of Truth, Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service, Whistle Stop Book Store.

But the girls day will be made by free Rita's Ice after a hair trim. I became familiar with real Pennsylvanian Italian water ice in 'da Burgh. Hope there's one near you. While I'm at it, I'll pick-up a free one to top off a stimulating day of conversation before joining the family for a meal at Elizabethtown Brethren-in-Christ.

Last night I had the opportunity to preview The Power of Forgiveness at Elizabethtown College. Wow! Still processing through my response, particularly as to how I would introduce the concept of evil and critique self-help/positive thinking, when I schedule a discussion of this quite provoking piece after it shows on PBS this fall.

The evening began with some jokes to warm-up the audience, Don Kraybill declared E-town a major city due to it's hosting one of the 25 prescreenings of the film and Martin Doblmeier commented that his mom knew he was successful when Oprah expressed interest in the piece.   Through 7 short stories of personal and collective forgiveness, Doblmeier intends to make the point that forgiveness in itself runs counter to our culture and there is not conformity of thought by those who think about forgiveness. Some highlights of the material presented included:

1. U. of Wisconsin Madison's Bob Enright's educational material which seeks to plant forgiveness beginning in primary education and workings way up through Irish schooling, a long-term approach hard to imagine in the U.S., but after the film we learned there was interest in Milwaukee!

Does Richard Dawkins Exist? A parable has been hot, but a friend pointed me to the below You Tube spin-off, thanks Dwight! Not the way I'd make my point, but really hard not to laugh at certain segments which take the hyper-scepticism of our Age of Science off the deep end.

If this topic is of interest, check out a number of previous posts:

don't miss Alvin's Plantiga's recent critique of The Dawkins Delusion

Bonus feature: Check out this morning's NY Times piece: Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior, The original call to battle was sounded by the biologist Edward O. Wilson more than 30 years ago, when he suggested in his 1975 book Sociobiology that the time has come for ethics to be removed temporarily from the hands of the philosophers and biologicized. He may have jumped the gun about the time having come, but in the intervening decades biologists have made considerable progress.

I was just looking for an address, when suddenly I was confronted by Darth Vader chasing my important snail mail communications. I'll need more than Forever Stamps to get away from the dark side as I must confess that it's hard for me not to associate Vader and the stormtroopers with government forces putting a different spin on the announcement of On March 28: Two Powerful Forces Will Unite. Is R2-D2 or the Rebel Alliance as a whole ever a powerful force? I heard Harrisburg has an R2-D2 which hit the street this morning.  Any near you?  Maybe I'll stick to email and the web for sure, direct communication 

But the Postal Service promises to tell me why on March 28 . . . staying tuned, by email.

Check out some mid-March snowstorm fun and St. Patrick's day breakfast at the Carl & Eunice's . . .

Bonus feature: football moves from Theresa's nephew Adam from quite a different climate!

Recently somebody asked me to describe the idea of mentoring and I responded with the first image that popped into my mind: washing dirty feet, an image that drew raised eyebrows from the questioner. Academics live and move and have their being in a culture that generally does not include Bible literacy, and so I needed to explain myself.

As we move toward footwashing on Maundy Thursday, check out how one faculty conceives of his vocation as Helping Students Love God by Washing Their Feet.  What a powerful image and incarnation of this reality.  For faculty seeking to grow in this area, IVCF's providing a faculty conference In Thy Light We See Light Theological Acuity and Academic Vocation. Would love to have you join us June 16-22 on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at IVCF's Cedar Campus for a time to receive teaching and rest as an individual or a family (note: children programming available during the sessions).

This week, the Occupational Therapist (OT) was enthusiastic about Eden's continued progress with using her 2 hands together, particularly during motion songs such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and Where is Thumbkin.  This is no doubt enhanced by the weekly Miracles in Motion class. She is also reaching with and hugging with her right and left hand together.  We're working on stretching her right forearm to enable her to turn her palm up, increasing her right wrist & forearm control.

The PT worked with Eden in order to help her push up to a standing position via a small stool and a therapy ball. Then she worked with Eden in help her learn how to maintain balance once standing and when cruising between parallel supports. We'll continue usuing the therapy ball to develop her standing skills. We're continuing to press on with the walker to introduce backward and movement side to side-to-side, Eden prefers to get around by what she knows best . . . crawling.

As mentioned in Dr. Seuss treatment plan and Eden's words, speech therapy has been moving along as her words are becoming more clear, e.g., Eden used to say mimi now she clearly says mommy and da-dee. She's recently added a number of words to her vocabularly, including: T.J. (Jen Brandt's younger one), ahyo (hello), goo (good), coot (cute), and uck (stuck).

Swing by for a Leapfrog Fridge Phonics concert, the other day she sat on the bench Shayna made for Hayley and Ellen in front of the fridge and repeated a number of letters again and again u, s, h, p, l, w, m, k, t, e, i, z, d, b

To develop her facial muscles, we're going beyond trying to blow out birthday candles (on the real cake and then in books) to blowing cotton balls.  We'll also try straws with thin liquids.  We'll continue to try to work in letter sounds through various ways, the speech therapist recommended letters on cookies and taking advantage of the spelling games the twins bring home from first grade.  Theresa's reading an article on Ways to Encourage Language to explore other possibilities.

This morning I was one of many to receive an inquiry regarding:

First, was there any particular philosophical or scientific movement or figurehead that Lewis personified as the evil physicist Weston? Or did Lewis just want to battle the popular notion of the times that Science would eventually be able to solve all human problems?

And second, since an eldil is an angel/spirit, and mal means bad in Latin (which Lewis knew), why on earth would he choose the name Maleldil for God?

Here are a few ramblings, maybe its time to get out my Lewis notebook from Hoffecker's class. Now where did I put that in my office? I think its unpacked.

The trilogy was not intended to be sci-fi (one could probably use the term space fantasy), for a helpful piece by David Downing on-line, check-out Planets in Peril: A Critical Study of C.S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy On p.45, David argues for the series being an attempt to promote the imaginative beauty of the medieval worldview (earlier he discusses the challenge between Lewis and Tolkien in writing fiction), on p.41 he addresses the Maleldil question as the best hypothesis being first among the gods or God of gods, also see similar question posted on a forum group . . . But original language has been corrupted and the name just flowed well for Lewis.

There is also material on the Wellsian/Orwellian influence on the Weston character which represents the evils of Evolutionism (p.36). I came across an interesting National Review piece by John Derbyshire, which argues that these fears of progress have been unfounded as our freedoms still remain.

FYI: I agree and disagree. The prophetic critiques have led us to better decisions and if we don't keep them before us, there is much to fear in our age of continuing technological advancement. E.g. I went to a fascinating presentation on the ethical character of cyborg technology at Carnegie Mellon U. What were the ethics? If it can be done, someone will do it. If you don't do it, someone else will. Let's be careful in our applications, but let's keep exploring what can be done. Yes, there will be bad uses of implanting technology into our bodies for various uses (originally researched for health purposes) and having the ability to control such technology remotely. But that is the way the world is. All that to say, it would be even better to develop a foundational moral decision making perspective (wisdom) as we relate to all aspects of reality, we're not just critics BUT we're proposing an alternative approach . . . e.g., Francis Collins who attributes to Lewis a lot of to his perspective, has tried to advance some material in this area in The Language of God's Appendix. Take us back to the medieval worldview, maybe I already live there but call it the Biblical narrative/story ;-) 

Bonus: See The Discarded Mage: Lewis the Scholar-Novelist on Merlin's Moral Taint for a contribution regarding the Orwellian nature of the That Hideous Strength, the 3rd piece in the triology, and its contribution to tradition of Arthurian legend.

As you have opportunity among family, friends, colleagues, share about how The Real St. Patrick followed Christ! During adult education on Sunday, I drew attention to St. Patrick's Day Resources.  A Poem by St. Patrick, St. Patrick's Breastplate (thank-you to Sursum Corda), and The Confession of St. Patrick are choice pieces for Lenten prayer and reflective consideration.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

I'm unpacking so much good stuff as I take some office time this afternoon. For example, I just finished reading an August 14, 2006 article entitled Pilgrim's Progress in which we are given a glimpse of the last days of Billy Graham. Graham testifies, All my life I've been taught how to die, but no one ever taught me how to grow old. But praise God, this has been a time when the primary thing becomes primary again -- and for Daddy, the primary thing is, as Jesus said, to try to love God totally, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Ann Graham Lotz).

Amen!  I'm only 33.  But health issues, raising children to follow Christ, serving God on campus, sharing the Word of God with Tom and Tom from the Jehovah Witnesses this morning, and leading an adult education class at our local assembly, bring me back again and again to what Scot McKnight has termed the Jesus Creed . . . loving God, loving others is the foundation upon which the actions of my heart, soul, mind, and strength receive proper direction.  May such be the case as I go to the park with the family in the amazing 76 degree F weather before heading to a time of prayer (Tom), fellowship (Theresa, Eden), and choir (Hayley, Ellen) at our local assembly.

Last week was IVCF's Graduate and Faculty Ministry's National Staff Conference. I arrived early (on Monday) for a track and I attended a seminar series during the main part of the conference to provide direction and training as I push forward with identifying, encouraging, and equipping Christian faculty to be redeeming influences in higher education. Also, I had several important conversations regarding the development of material for the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). I will begin working on material to address the first of ESN's 4 questions when I'm over my cold.  Note: Please email me if you have suggestions for material to be covered/addressed as we ask academically gifted/interested college juniors and seniors to consider Why should I consider pursing an academic vocation?

During the main sessions of the conference, our staff team had the opportunity to hear and interact with Scot McKnight. For some of his thoughts on his time with our team and my enthusiasm for what he shared, check out his posting and my comment.  When I assemble my notes, I'll post them . . . falling behind in this area as I've had the opportunity to God's people share too much good stuff!  May it continue to be so.  Praise be to God and the work of His Spirit!   

Here's some thoughts from Miller, inspired by A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, as to a long view of teaching . . . students can see progress just by the fact that each term they have more courses and credits on their transcript . . . a writer can see certain works completed . . . my cousin was pastor of a conservative baptist church in wyoming . . . now he does ministry on the side and does cabinet making in his shop in las vegas . . . so each day he can see visible results . . .

teaching math is a long term situation . . . presently i have the same students for two terms back to back . . . i can see gradual changes in some students . . . for that i'm thankful . . . with others i'm not sure what's happening...that takes a long obedience in the same direction . . .

On February 28, God provided me (Tom) the opportunity to be visited by a Jehovah Witness missionary pair. They came back again this morning to follow-up with my challenge on their opening line of reasoning which focused on the world being under the dominion of Satan.  Note:  The other week, we had extensive conversation Jesus being the first created son of God and his taking a human form through the infusion of his lifeforce in the virgin Mary.  The Sr. partner was willing to give me the prehuman (but not God incarnate Jesus) as eternally eminating from God.  Didn't get to Jesus as being equivalent to the ArchAngel Michael.

I didn't let them in the door this time as Theresa was out shopping and I had charge of Hayley, Ellen, and Eden. But I've set-up an appointment for Wednesday to share more fully the true Gospel, my intention is to focus upon Philippians 4, returning to Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1. Nothing like spending the past several months leading an Adult Education class on Questioning Evangelism, preparing for such a time as this!

I assume the Sr. partner will attempt to begin a study of the New World Translation, but I'll return the focus to the Person of Jesus. Will it be our last meeting? Lord willing, no! May the Word of God go forth with power. My prayers particular go out to the Jr. partner who reminded me that he was 2 years behind me at Donegal high school and we had some overlapping relationships.

What does one share? I've been reviewing Enroth's A Guide to New Religious Movements to remind myself of key 'talking points.'  Thank-you to Miller who sent me a link to TowerWatch and Dylan who passed along Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.

If you have a recommendation of a website or article to add to the mix, let me know ASAP so I may be as prepared as possible. I haven't had the opportunity to share Christ with Jehovah Witnesses for about a decade, when we had a pair that visited our apartment in Sewickly just after we graduated college.

After the missionaries left this morning, I took the opportunity to discuss with Hayley and Ellen the difference between following Christ and being a Jehovah Witness. Yes, they are committed, think they're doing the right thing, and work so hard, make some good points, BUT let's open the Word of God.  I have enjoyed our family's time in Lenten devotions so much, may the seeds be planted and watered as they are sent for as His witnesses.  Please remember my 10am Wednesday conversation in your prayers.