Hosanna!

Mark 11:1-10

When Jesus and his disciples drew near to Jerusalem,
to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives,
he sent two of his disciples and said to them,
"Go into the village opposite you,
and immediately on entering it,
you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat.
Untie it and bring it here.
If anyone should say to you,
'Why are you doing this?' reply,
'The Master has need of it
and will send it back here at once.'"
So they went off
and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street,
and they untied it.
Some of the bystanders said to them,
"What are you doing, untying the colt?"
They answered them just as Jesus had told them to,
and they permitted them to do it.
So they brought the colt to Jesus
and put their cloaks over it.
And he sat on it.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road,
and others spread leafy branches
that they had cut from the fields.
Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out:
"Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
Hosanna in the highest!"

Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah

Couldn't resist.  Here's another version that is beautiful....

Hallelujah, sung by Jeff Buckley

HALLELUJAH...Hannah Trigwell

"Hallelujah" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984).

Hannah Trigwell sings this beautifully.  Listen as scenes from Old Testament stories of David and Samson intertwine through the lyrics.  

You might recognize this from the movie Shrek.  If you are like me, you didn't listen to the words very carefully when you watched the movie.  Listen now.  

Koji Kondo: "The Father of Nintendo Music"

Did you ever wonder who composes the music to the video games that you play?  Well, I've learned about the Japanese composer Koji Kondo from reading the blogs of one of my 6th grade students!  He is best known for his scores in the Mario and Legend of Zelda series.  He has been employed at Nintendo since 1984.  Here is an interview with him...

Peter and the Wolf

Peter and the Wolf is a favorite Sergei Prokofiev score, written in 1936.  This classic Russian folktale captures the personality of each character in the orchestral instrumentation.  Kindergarteners and First Graders are viewing this performance and learning about the instruments of the orchestra.  There are several versions that are available - Jim Gamble's puppet show is always a favorite, as well as the Russian film by Susie Templeton (available on Netflix!)  We watch and compare/contrast the two versions.  Another version that is excellent is this one, by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.  Conductor Bramwell Tovey also serves as the narrator in this performance.  He is EXCELLENT!!  Besides being thoroughly entertained with the narration and music, what I find so wonderful is that we can see precisely the instruments playing as the story progresses.  Enjoy!  Does this bring back some childhood memories for anyone?

There Was An Old Lady.....

 Students in 2nd and 3rd grades have been reading a variety of "There Was An Old Lady" books lately.  We have created our own version of the story, using musical instruments.  Click here to see videos of each classes creations! Look at all of those instruments!

Mental Floss

John Green debunks 50 common misconceptions that most people have about topics such as vikings, exploding birds and peanut butter. Enjoy and floss out all those misconceptions!

Who Am I/Casting Crowns

"Not because of who I am but because of what You've done; not because of what I've done, but because of who YOU are!"

I love this song!  I AM YOUR CHILD!  I AM LOVED!  

I AM YOURS!

Saturday morning humor!

Paper is not dead!!

(click on the photo below)

What ARE my kids doing when they are online?

As parents, we often wonder just WHAT our kids are doing online...always texting, playing games, they are never without a mobile device! Here's an insight from ikeepsafe.org. Ikeepsafe is an excellent source for online safety information. We've used several things in class from this source!

Les Paul's House of Sound

One out of every seven people is creative? Are you the one? This interactive experience that showcases the innovative and creative spirit of Les Paul is the only one of its kind in the world.
Travel along Les’ timeline to see his humble beginnings in Wisconsin to his travels around the world, innovating and experimenting at every stop along the way. Creativity, experimentation, historic guitars, inventions, songs, and the future – we invite you to explore all of these to find the Les Paul in you. -- taken from Discovery World

A new Keyboard - SEABOARD!

It allows you to bend the pitch, volume and timbre of each key you touch.  It is very intuitive to the touch, sensing the slightest movement.  Developed by London tech start-up Roli, "The Seaboard" has the shape of a familiar keyboard, but the keys are made from a flexible, soft material. for intuitive, fine control, as opposed to blunt instruments like the mouse, or joystick.
This technology has implications for medicine, gaming, anything associated with gestures and wanting to have that physical connection with the technology.
I'm not sure if I'd like the feel of the keyboard after so many years of playing on a traditional keyboard!  It sure would be fun to experiment with though!!

Bringing Fairy Tales To Life

The is a pretty cool video explaining some of the special effects behind the scenes of the TV series Once Upon A Time.  From the IGN website.

Trains and Time

As we are trying to get used to the time change this week, going to work in the dark, here's a short lesson from TED-Ed on how trains standardized time throughout the US and Canada in 1883.  A few years behind Britain...

The Prodigal Son

We can all relate, on some level, to the Prodigal Son.  We may have been (are) one, have known one, have forgiven one, have one of our own.  God's mercy and forgiveness is vast.  Something to ponder as we hear the parable of the prodigal son in today's Gospel reading.

More Amazing Harp melodies...

This amazing young harpist, Alisa Sadikova, performs A. Hasselman's Hasselmans - Fileuse at the age of 9 years old.  She has already been performing several years developing her awesome talent!  Alisa has several videos on You Tube, so check it out!  

The growing Phenomenon of the INTERNET!

How has technology changed your life in the past 20 years?  Think about the things that many of use daily - a cell phone, an ipad, tablet, or computer, Blue Ray, Bluetooth...the list goes on and on.  Much of my shopping is done online, from Christmas gifts to toilet paper.  If I have a question about ANYTHING, the first place I will research is the Internet.

Technology classes are now MUCH more than what I experienced in school as office skills classes...keyboarding, running an adding machine, stenography!  Now, we include things like how to find reliable online information, blogging, good online manners, cyberbulling, online presentations, video and photo editing, iPad skills to only name a few of the ever evolving forms of technology that are in use today.

As with anything new, technology, i.e. the Internet, has not always been seen in a favorable light!  Fears of losing our writing skills or becoming a generation of people who cannot connect to another person unless it's via text or Face Book are common.  What's your experience?  Has the internet made you MORE social, EXPANDED your circle of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues?  Or have you become a techie hermit, only separating yourself from your laptop when absolutely necessary?

Here is a first news report about the Internet from CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Prime Time News.  "It's a REVOLUTION!"

First Report On The Internet - CBC Prime Time News from Ivan Riol on Vimeo.

Singing Faces!

Second and Third Graders had fun drawing their singing faces!

FUN! FUN! FUN!

YES!  I'd like one of these!  Sold at MYO.  The MYO armband lets you use the electrical activity in your muscles to wirelessly control your computer, phone, and other favorite digital technologies.You can pre-order one for $149 plus $10 shipping.  Ships late 2013.  

Anniversary of the adoption of the Star-Spangled Banner as our national anthem.

The bill designating "The Star-Spangled Banner" as our national anthem was adopted by the US Senate and went to President Herbert Hoover for signature on March 3, 1931. The President signed it the same day. The words were first written by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, as a poem titled, "The Defense of Fort McHenry."

The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills,
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.

---From Psalm 103

The message today is a call to REPENT!  Today can be a turning point!  What do I need to change, to turn around in my life?  I want to focus on serving God, show me the splinter in my eye that prevents me from doing this with my whole heart!

Fight the Fade is an alternative Christian rock group from Shawnee, OK, formed in 2009.  They can be followed on Facebook too!  Listen with an open heart of repentance.

From Vinyl to Cassette to CD to TV to Mobile to Internet

This animation from Make Use Of shows the evolution of how music has been shared from 1980 to 2010.  Pretty cool!

Music In Our Schools Month

Since 1985, March has been filled with the sound as music in our schools thanks to this month being designated "Music In Our Schools Month." Sponsored by the National Association for Music Education, the event focuses the nation's attention on the need for and the benefits of quality music education programs.

Locally, MGS has a tradition of decorating grocery sacks so watch for some artwork with your purchases in March!  Students and educators appreciate the support they receive from their families year-round!  Thank you for supporting the arts in your child’s school by attending concerts, encouraging him/her to practice an instrument and sing in the choir!

The benefits of a musical education are numerous.  Here are a few:

Twelve Benefits of Music Education
Music Education Advocacy Resources

1. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds.

2. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.

3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.

4. Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.

5. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a "me first" attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age.

6. Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources.

7. In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.

8. Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.

9. Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what he is and what he feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression.

10. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on "doing," as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the sort of flexible and supple intellects that music education helps to create as described above. In the music classroom, students can also learn to better communicate and cooperate with one another.

11. Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential. Music contributes to mental health and can help prevent risky behavior.

12. An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

Words up in the Sky....:)

A word cloud is a beautiful, informative image that communicates much in a single glance.

Some possible educationa (and not-so-educational!) uses include:

• as topic summaries for speeches and written works
• as blog tool or website analysis for search engine optimization (SEO)
• for visual analysis of qualitative data
• as brand clouds that let companies see how they are perceived by the world
• for data mining a text corpus
• for helping writers and students reflect on their work
• as name tags for conferences, cocktail parties or wherever new collaborations start
• as resumes in a single glance
• as visual poetry
• as a visual representation of a written biography
• as a visual representation of a page in a website

I find that my students LOVE to create word clouds.  I have most often used Wordl, but there are MANY options available!  To find even more, explore Pinterest boards for "Word Cloud" as well!  Here are several that you should give a try!

 ABCYa has a very simple-to-use word cloud!

THIS IS WAAAAAY Cool!
Tag Galaxy is a word cloud unlike any other. It is a innovative site that visually represents words in a galaxy style format. Submit a word and it will give you related words also!  The 4th graders had a blast with this yesterday!

Tag Cloud Generator goes to a website that is entered by the user. The effects are impressive since the results are a moving flash file that can be downloaded. It also provides an HTML tag cloud.


Make Word Mosaic by Image Chef It allows for different shapes, colors, and fonts.

Tagul is a free word cloud generator that offers the option to link every word in your word cloud to a Google search. Click on any word in your word cloud to be taken directly to a Google search results page for that word. Tagul creates a word cloud from text you copy into your Tagul account. Tagul will also generate a word cloud from any url you specify. Just as you can with other word cloud generators, Tagul allows you to specify words to ignore in creating your word clouds. Once your word cloud is created Tagul provides you with an embed code to put your cloud on your blog or website.
USERNAME: annelyon
PASSWORD: mgs

Word It Out creates word clouds out of any text that you paste into the word cloud generator. Once the word cloud is created you can customize the size and color scheme of the cloud. You can also customize the font used in your word cloud. The feature of Word It Out that I like the best is that you can choose to have Word It Out ignore any word or words you choose. Ignoring words keeps them out of the word cloud.
Tagxedo makes it very easy to customize the design of your word clouds. You can select from a variety of shapes in which to display words or you can design your shape for your word cloud. You can enter text into the word cloud generator manually or simply enter a url from which Tagxedowill generate a word cloud. As with other word cloud generators you also have options for excluding words from your word clouds.

Amongst educators Wordle is probably the most famous word cloud generator. Wordle provides many options for color, shapes, and fonts for displaying your word clouds.

Beethoven's Fifth...

What would Beethoven say if he experienced his composition in this format?  Can you imagine how much fun he would have creating with the technology we have now?  Here's Beethoven's Fifth, performed by Salt Lake Pops Orchestra...and lots of technology!

Take A Seat...

I wonder how this would work in Martin, SD?  Check out SoulPancake for more intriguing videos:)

Chopin...an emotional fellow!

We are studying Chopin in music this month.  Students will be using QR codes today to learn more about him, and listen to the Minute Waltz.  We are also reading a book about Chopin a little each class period as we experience listening to his music.

.Frederic Francois Chopin was a composer of the Romantic Era.  He was born March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa, Poland and died October 17, 1849 in Paris, France (from tuberculosis).  Chopin was an emotional musician, perfect for the musical era in which he was born!  As a small child he would sit under the piano as his sister practiced and become very emotional, even to the point of crying, as he listened to her play.  

Chopin began his musical career at a very early age.  He once played for the czar of Russia and was given a diamond ring in appreciation!  This piece below, entitled the "Revolutionary Etude Opus 10 No. 12" is not the gentle music of his Nocturnes.  Instead, you can imagine the emotions of anger and frustration in this piece of music.  It is said that he wrote it as a response to Poland's failed revolution against Russia.  "All this has caused me much pain. Who could have foreseen it!" (Niecks, Frederick (1945), Frederic Chopin as a Man and Musician, p. 98.)

The pianist performing is Russian Stanislav Stanislavovich Bunin.  He is fantastic.  I think that I would like to challenge myself to begin learning this piece of music.  It would be a challenge for sure!

Only A Shadow

Another Carey Landry favorite of mine...Only A Shadow.  It's hard to imagine the vastness of God's LOVE for each one of us!  If I can only Love HIM a fraction of His Love for me!

We Behold The Splendor of God

This weekend we will hear the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus.  Our home, our citizenship is in heaven.  As we await our Savior, Jesus Christ, we also know that he will change our earthly body into a glorified body.  Listen as Ness Sings this song by Carey Landry as you reflect.

Livin' On A Prayer

Alex Goot performs this Bon Jovi favorite.  Check out his You Tube and Facebook pages too!

Begin Again...vocal version today

Here's the vocal version of yesterday's instrumental piece by The Piano Guys.  Megan Nicole and Alex Goot lend their voices to compliment the beauty of the cello and piano.

Some Wednesday Piano Music

Here's a gentle piece by The Piano Guys to awaken your senses this Wednesday in February.  Enjoy Taylor Swift's Begin Again.  

The Hawaii Chair!

Saw this on the Anderson Cooper show yesterday.  FUNNY!
Hey, who knows, it might add a bunch of activity points on to my ActiveLink!!  

 Last week, a group of musicians from Afghan performed in Carnegie Hall.  This is no ordinary group - it is a group of young people ages 10-21, mostly orphans, who have been educated at the only music school in Afghanistan.  Music was once forbidden by the Taliban.  Can you imagine your life without music?  There are places in our world where this is the norm.  

The group is supported by the US Department of State, the World Bank and other sponsors.  There are nearly 50 musicians in the group.  

The Afghan Youth Orchestra, featured in this news article from the Today Show, has been in operation for only 2 years.  It is led by William Harvey,  an American violinist, conductor and composer who lives and teaches in Kabul. 

Traditional Afghan instruments such as the  rubab, the national instrument of Afghanistan,  and the long-necked sitar, an ancient instrument of Indo-Afghan musical traditions, and the  sarod, another plucked Afghan instrument, like a rubab but fretless were some of the featured native instruments.  

I wish I could have been there!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What is Your Desert

Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, facing temptation.  What is my desert?  When have I been tempted, and had to fight to retain my integrity, my faith?  When we journey through our deserts, we face our enemy one on one.  Our true self is exposed.  Our desires are exploited.  Yet, we have the power of Jesus Christ and His Word as a sword and shield.  He is always there beside us, arming us against the temptations of the desert.

Here is a song entitled Desert Voice by composer Eric Becker. Imagine yourself in this desert, alone, thirsty, exhausted, afraid.  Embrace the love, protection and nourishment that God provides you.

Who needs drums when you've got ICE!?

There are instruments all around us in our everyday life.  Often I will have students drumming on coffee cans, buckets, plastic containers, but I've got to admit, I haven't had them drumming on ICE!  This is a video from the IRKUTSK ethnik percussion group ETHNOBEAT.  They are playing on frozen water of deepest and oldest Lake Baikal with pleasure and delight in the soul:)  The video wascreated by Natalia Vlasevskaia for BAIKALSTORY 

Coffee or Tea?

Are you a coffe or tea drinker?  Seems like we are always hearing news of how "good" or how "bad" one or the other is for our health.  Here's an interesting infographic detailing some information about coffee and tea.  Enjoy!

Happy Valentines Day!

First, Happy Valentines Day to my sweet husband, Jerry!  I have been blessed so much in the years we have been together.  He is my best friend, my partner, my lover.  Love you Dear!


Have you ever wondered where our traditions come from for Valentines Day, and how it actually became a holiday?  Here's a video from the History Channel that might help explain!

Change My Heart, Lord!

It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a time of reflection, penance, forgiveness.  Here's another tender video form Sidewalk Prophets.  Listen as you begin this holy season.  Listen to the words, ask God to change your heart again.  Life is about change.  God is about always being there and Loving us!

 

Lent Challenge 2013

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow.  It is a time to think about ourselves as a whole -  mind, body and soul.  Father Jonathan Morris has some good thoughts on this process.  Think about what you would like to focus on during the next 46 days to make your life more pleasing to God!

How Strong Is Your Password?

We have been doing a unit about Online Safety in technology class.  One of the most important things to consider for all of us is our passwords.  We use passwords for everything in our lives these days - banking, gaming, checking our children's grades, Google Calendar, the list is endless.  

Are you using passwords that are easy to crack?  As a rule of thumb, you should change your password every 6 months.  Did you know that when you hit 9 characters (upper case password), it will take a computer approximately 178 years to crack it?  Here are a few other tips:

• Protect your information by creating a secure password that makes sense to you, but not to others.
• Avoid consecutive keyboard combinations— such as “qwerty” or “asdfg.”
• Don’t use dictionary words, slang terms, common misspellings, or words spelled backward. These cracks rely on software that automatically plugs common words into password fields. Password cracking becomes almost effortless with a tool like John the Ripper or similar programs.
• Don’t use personal information such as your name, age, birth date, child’s name, pet’s name, or favorite color or song.
• Reusing passwords for email, banking, and social media accounts can lead to identity theft. Two recent breaches – HBGary and rootkit.com – showed a password reuse rate of 31% among victims.
• Make sure you use different passwords for each of your accounts.
• Be sure no one watches when you enter your password.
• Always log off if you leave your device and anyone is around — it only takes a moment for someone to steal or change the password.
• Use comprehensive security software and keep it up to date to avoid (keystroke loggers) and other malware.
• Avoid entering passwords on computers you don’t control (like computers at an Internet café or library)—they may have malware that steals your passwords.
• Avoid entering passwords when using unsecured Wi-Fi connections (like at the airport or coffee shop)—hackers can intercept your passwords and data over this unsecured connection.
• Don’t tell anyone your password. Your trusted friend now might not be your friend in the future. Keep your passwords safe by keeping them to yourself.
• Depending on the sensitivity of the information being protected, you should change your passwords periodically, and avoid reusing a password for at least one year.
• Use at least eight characters of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols in your password. The more, the merrier.
• Strong passwords are easy to remember but hard to guess. Iam:)2b29! — This has 10 characters and says “I am happy to be 29!”
• Use the keyboard as a palate to create shapes. %tgbHU8*- Follow that on the keyboard. It’s a V. The letter V starting with any of the top keys. To change these periodically, you can slide them across the keyboard.
• Have fun with known short codes or sentences or phrases, like 2B-or-Not_2b?
• It’s OK to write down your passwords, just keep them away from your computer and mixed in with other numbers and letters so it’s not apparent that it’s a password.
• You can also write a tip sheet that will give you a clue to remember your password, but doesn’t actually contain your password on it. For example, in the example aforementioned, your tip sheet might read “Shakespeare’s question"
• (taken from http://www.backgroundcheck.org/build-a-better-password-secrets-to-protecting-your-identity/)

If you are more of a visual person, check out the infographic below by SecurityCoverage.

How Strong is Your Password? infographic by spacechimpmedia.

That's My King, Do You Know Him?

HE IS INDESCRIBABLE!  MY KING!

"Official Video "That's My King" sermon by Dr. S.M. Lockridge

Visuals set to the audio of the famous sermon "Seven Way King" as spoken by Dr. S.M. Lockridge. The audio is slightly edited for a better flow in the video.

The music in the background was performed live by the GCC band while the video played on the screens. It then led directly into the worship song "Here is Our King" (To see the performance in it's entirety go here: http://gccwired.com/​mediaplayer/​playeropener.asp?id=478 )

Created entirely using After Effects with footage from the movie "The Passion of the Christ". The video took 30 hours to create plus around 6 hours of rendering. The final After Effects project file totaled well over 600 layers."

The Arts ARE Important!

There are so many schools who do not have art/dance/music/theater instruction as part of their curriculum, or have these crucial classes offered sporadically to their students.  The arts ARE important!  So often, art educators are told to justify their subject because we cover math or reading standards.  Yes, we have ALWAYS incorporated these skills!  BUT, our subject areas are vital and essential because of THEIR OWN value!!!  From creativity, to self-confidence, to collaboration, to problem-solving, the arts not only instill a love for the arts in children, but develop within them many other  traits that will serve them well throughout life! Character, self-discipline, a sense of accomplishment, are all part of a students' development as they grow.  The arts provide an opportunity for students to develop and flourish as they mature. 

A recent article by Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post sums this up well.  Take a moment to read and share with your school board!  

The Top 10 Skills Children Learn From The Arts

Was I LOVE when no one else would show up?

What is my legacy?  Does my life point to my source of life, JESUS?  Do I live my live so that my convictions are evident to anyone looking?  Do I give life all I have?  Do I sing, dance, celebrate the awesomeness of my God in all I do?

Sidewalk Prophet's new song 'Live Like That'.

Tropical Vibes

Another video from Moving Art.  Time to relax and get away with TROPICAL VIBES!  (watch full screen if you can!!)

We are many parts...

As a human being, I am dependent upon my God for sustenance, guidance, love.  Of course, He never fails me!  

We are all dependent on each other as well, one human being to another, in so many ways.  Children are dependent on their parents for love and nourishment to their minds, bodies and souls.  Adults are dependent upon spouses, families, friends for love and support.  We are dependent upon our employers to pay us our wages.  We are dependent upon the farmers to have the skills and knowledge to raise healthy food for us.  We are dependent upon engineers and mechanics to keep our cars, computers, everything mechanical in good working order.  Our elders are dependent upon us to care for them as they age.  


So, too, we as humans are dependent upon the rest of creation to fulfill their role in our ecosystem.  Each animal, insect, has a role to play.  We humans don't do this thing called life "alone."  God created quite an intricate system that is a wondrous thing to behold.  

This video is just a peek into one tiny part of our planet.. "The Beauty of Pollination" by Louie Schwartzberg.  Find more of his videos at the Moving Art Channel.  Of no surprise, my favorite part is at the end :) 

The Butterfly Circus

This is an AWESOME short film.  22 minutes long, so take some time, enjoy a cup of coffee, and keep the kleenex nearby.

 "At the height of the Great Depression, the showman of a renowned circus discovers a man without limbs being exploited at a carnival sideshow, but after an intriguing encounter with the showman he becomes driven to hope against everything he has ever believed. "

I thought this was pretty cute!  Do you think "the cloud" will ever become a bit crowded with all of that information up there?

Source: unknown, via: webdiscover

The post Storage Evolution appeared first on MakeUseOf Geeky Fun.

1 Cor. 13....what is LOVE??

From the movie A.D.

Do you remember reading and singing nursery rhymes with your parents?  Do you know that it is crucial that children have these experiences to lay the foundation for literacy later in life?  Even rocking your baby in a steady beat will develop that inner beat within your child, which will lead to the development of literacy skills as they mature into readers.  PLEASE read nursery rhymes with your children, no matter how old they are!  And as they get older, don't stop!  Older children will reap benefits in their own development if you continue to read TO and WITH them at home!!

What's your DREAM?

My dream is of a world of harmony, peace, love.  Of course, that all begins with myself.  My attitude matters.  I can add to a more peaceful world, or add to it's dissonance.  Some in our family, as in many, are not on speaking terms.  My dream is that they can put aside their differences, and see beyond our humanness and see God dwelling in others.  What is your dream?

Here's the 3rd in a series of  3 videos by Sam Fathallah, a Linn-Mar (IA) High School student.