Did You Know? - Some Neat Facts About the Violin

•      Certain Certitude #18

 Here is a list of facts having to do with my absolute favorite instrument! Enjoy :)

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1) The violin was officially designed by Andrea Amati, an Italian lute maker. Amati was asked to build the violin as a lighter alternative to the lyre.

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• 2) Antonio Stradivarius is responsible for creating possibly the best violin in the world, aptly named the Stradivarius. Many professional violinists choose to play the Stradivarius violins, which can go for millions of dollars.

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• 3) The modern violin has been around for roughly 500 years. It was designed in the 1500s.

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• 4) The violin used to be known as the "kit" in Italy.

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• 5) The violin is part of the violin family which also includes the cello, the bass viol and the viola.
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• 6) The violin is the smallest member of the violin family.

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• 7) The violin is the most popular instrument among children.

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• 8) Playing the violin burns 170 calories an hour. (This is good news for me!)

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• 9) Violins can be electric or non-electric.

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• 10) Violins are generally either maple or spruce.

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• 11) Violins these days are constructed from over 70 pieces of wood.

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• 12) Violins range in size. The smallest being just 37 millimeters.

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• 13) Violin strings are generally tuned to G, D, A, and E.

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• 14) Violinists are able to use both sides of the brain better than most non-violinists.

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• 15) Though the violin used to be an instrument for the lower class, today it is highly regarded and respected as a difficult instrument to learn.

Where are you, Church?

                                                    Wondering Weekend #15

     Look at the people next to you. Think about all the people you’ve ever met and also the ones you’ve only seen and never spoken to. Could you imagine if all of those people were never born? All of them murdered before they had a chance to take a breath? Imagine if you were never allowed to have your chance at life. That would be cruel and unjust! But wait, that is happening every day. Children are being murdered in the safest place on earth: their mothers’ wombs. 

Yes, this is about abortion. Did you know that there have been more than 50 million abortions since Roe v. Wade? That is 50 million children. 50 million people who could have been politicians, actors / actresses, teachers, doctors, scientists, or great men or women of God. 
     Let’s get a picture of just how many people make up the number 50 million. The state of Massachusetts has a population of 6,587,536 as of 2011. Let’s round our numbers to the nearest million, so it has approximately 7 million occupants. The state of  New Hampshire has approximately 2 million people it it. Connecticut: 4, Maine: 2, Vermont: 1, Rhode Island: 1. Therefore the entire population of New England is approximately 17 million people. That is less than half than the number of abortions preformed since 1973. Let’s go further! New York has 20 million people in it and Pennsylvania has approximately 13. That gives us our total of 50 million, and all of those numbers are rounded up. All those states combined cover around 41 million acres! If those facts do not make you sad, I do not know what will.
     I want to be clear that this speech was not written to convince you that abortion is murder. I would hope that all the people I am addressing would believe that, being Christians. God’s word clearly forbids us to kill and there really is no difference between a baby inside or outside of their mother’s womb.

Here I am with other pro life missionaries pleading for the lives of the innocent at a Planned Parenthood facility.

     Moving on, I want to state what I think needs to be done about this epidemic. Is slavery legal? No! Why isn’t it? Because it was so morally wrong that it ended up dividing our nation and causing the most destructive war in its history up to that point. All Americans today believe it is wrong, but that’s not how it was just 200 years ago! In the 19th century, slavery was seen as a common thing, and until just this past century, blacks were not on an equal status with whites. We can clearly see that the Bible condemns such treatment of our fellow human beings. Yet, 200 years ago the people who opposed slavery were considered radicals. The word “abolition” was like a bad word. People got killed, and lots of them, before blacks could be as they are today.

What am I getting at? Abortion is something that is not only morally wrong, but it is Biblically wrong. It needs to be stopped, preferably not with a war. We need to be radical abolitionists for the children. It may seem like there are plenty of people working in this ministry, but all the Christians in America would not be enough. We need to band together and stand in front of abortion clinics, pleading with mothers not to kill their children. We need to be willing to open up our homes to the girls that have no where to go unless they kill their child. We need to beg our government to make this injustice illegal. We need to convince the general public that this thing is unconstitutional, immoral, and unbiblical. We need to truly care about the millions of children being murdered every year if we dare to call ourselves Christians. 

Praise the Lord that there already are courageous men and women standing in front of these clinics as well as drafting petitions. My family has recently be come a part of this growing ministry and are grieved to see how few Christians believe what we are doing is right. Most abortion clinics have many churches within 10 miles of them, yet the pastors of these churches cannot be bothered to stand with us. Many claim that it is not their calling, but it seems that they are just uncomfortable with what persecution they may face. I can assure you from personal experience that you will face persecution! Didn’t Paul rejoice over persecution? Should we not also?
My question today is, “Where are you, church?” Do you not see the holocaust that is happening in your backyard? The only difference between this and what happened in Nazi Germany is that you can do something about it! You may not see the problem with letting it continue, but if you googled an abortion, watched a video of it, and did not feel absolutely sick, I would question your humanity! 

In the end, I want to encourage you to make a sign, purchase some tracts, and go stand in front of a Planned Parenthood. Try and persuade every girl who is going in to stop. Shout the truth and pray for those who deny that life begins at conception. This is a monstrosity and needs to be stopped by the Church. Today!

Did You Know? - Some Neat Facts About Blue

                                                         Certain Certitude #17

     Ever wonder why God choose the colors He did? Most people know that green is soothing and that red can evoke passion or anger, but did you know these interesting facts about blue?

Studies show weight-lifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

In ancient Rome, blue was worn by the public servants, which marked the beginning of the idea for today's police uniforms.

In factories, blue often marks equipment to be repaired.

Blue is associated with air mail and the navy.

A survey has shown blue to be the best-selling color in women's sweaters because women think men like it.

It is the color most preferred by men.

The color blue has a Biblical meaning symbolizing heavenly grace. The Virgin Mary is often depicted wearing blue clothing.

In India, blue is thought to bring bad luck and is associated with mourning.

Blue was traditionally associated with pain in China.

Blue is a primary colour.

8% of the worlds population have blue eyes.

In the United States post office mailboxes are typically blue.

Blue is the favored color choice for toothbrushes.

The color blue is the least common color in the foods we eat.

Blueberries are the favourite of blue foods.

Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other colour.

Blue birds can’t see the color blue.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue!

Light blue was first recorded as a color term in English in 1915.

Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.

Blue skittles were not out until 15 years after the original skittles.

The phrase 'Feeling blue' means to feel sad or unhappy.

The phrase 'once in a blue moon' means an event that occurs infrequently.

Minuet No. 1 by J. S. Bach

                                                              Violoncello Lunedi #1

I took up cello a few months ago and decided to let you guys hear me, however squeaky I may be. ;-) Enjoy!

Romans and Hollywood

                                                         Wondering Weekend #14

     We all know and claim disgust at how the Romans lived. They watched people or animals murder each other for entertainment. Women were just for fun. The people ate like pigs. But is America really any different? We get our entertainment from Hollywood and probably eat more than the Romans, just with etiquette. Women may be liberated, but are still seen by American men just like Roman men saw them.

Rome and America started out with two very different religions. One had a belief in many unforgiving gods and the other had Christianity. Rome’s gods are gone. America’s God remains, but our view of Him has been altered. Rome’s gods were fake. America’s God is real, but has slowly been replaced with the god of pleasure by many. That is why our entertainment isn’t too far off from Rome’s. 

Psalm 119:37 says, “ Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
and revive me in Your way”. Also, Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” These two verses imply that Christians are supposed to keep their minds on holy and righteous things, not filth. This is very hard today because of the “entertainment” that we are surrounded by. It is almost impossible to watch a tv show that does not have cussing, sex, sexual references or jokes, immodesty, hatred, and other such vices. We should consider Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, and other such shows as no better than Roman entertainment. 

One clear example of America’s bad taste is the recent craze over a trilogy known as The Hunger Games. Simply put, Christians who reads the books or watches the movie is a hypocrite. The main character, Katniss, hates the “Capitol” for their enjoyment in watching the Hunger Games. These games make 24 teenagers battle to the death until there is only one left. We can all agree that the Capitol is similar to Rome because of this sick enjoyment of death, but doesn’t the reader enjoy when the “bad guy” dies? I made the mistake of watching the first movie and realized afterward that I was no better than the Capitol for watching 22 children get murdered! How was I keeping my mind on profitable things by watching those innocent kids die? I was no better than a Roman watching a Christian being mauled by a lion. 

Another example of the sad state of our country is its fascination with vampires, death, horror, wizards, and the like. The Bible clearly states in Galations, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Watching sorcery for enjoyment is no better than actually doing it yourself. Any Christian who watches Harry Potter or Twilight is no better than the Romans in their idea of what is entertaining. 

Eating has most definitely become a sad sense of entertainment. We eat huge amounts of food and the Bible clearly states, “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.” Romans ate with gluttony, but Americans are no better. We dare each other to eat large amounts of food and even have contests to see who’s stomach is bigger! Must we resort to such a sad state? Do we really need to eat more than God designed us to to be happy? Boredom is no excuse for gluttony. 

In the end, we must examine what we choose to entertain ourselves with. To claim the name “Christian”, we must attempt to follow the Bible’s outline for what is Christ-like. It is simply heretical to partake in much of the entertainment that Hollywood gives us today. In a moral sense, the words Hollywood and Rome are practically interchangeable! Don’t be a Roman. 

Did You Know? - 10 "Heart-Felt" Facts

                                                          Certain Certitude #16

     In honor of Valentine's Day I've found a list of 10 "heart-felt" facts that I find pretty interesting!

• 1. Your heart beats almost 100,000 times a day, feeding a 60,000-mile network of vessels
• 2. The heart weighs from 7 to 15 ounces. Male hearts, on average, are larger
• 3. The heart is a robust organ, pumping about 2,000 gallons of blood a day
• 4. If you could convert the energy produced by a pumping heart, it would be enough to power a truck for 20 miles
• 5. The symbol of the heart dates at least to 10,000 BC, when Cro-Magnon hunters painted heart-like symbols in caves (we all know this one is silly :-P)
• 6. Some people think the heart is on the left side of the chest. Others think it's on the right. Actually, it's in the middle
• 7. The pressure created by a single heart beat is enough to squirt blood 30 feet
• 8. More heart attacks occur on Mondays than any other day of the week. Doctors attribute that to stress levels
• 9. A heart can continue beating outside of the body if it has an adequate supply of oxygen. It is driven by electrical impulses
• 10. Not everyone lives to the same age. But, on average, the heart beats more than 2.5 billion times in a lifetime

War and Christians

                                                     Wondering Weekend #13

     Imagine: It’s two in the morning and you hear an emergency signal coming through your radio. You are told that Canada just declared war on America because of irrational border disputes. You live only 30 minutes from Canada and are told to either fight or find shelter. What do you do?

I realize this is an extreme scenario, and likely to never happen. But have you ever thought about war in a Christian perspective? Many people say it is respectful to join the service and that we should “support our troops.” What does the Bible have to say about war? Doesn’t Jesus command us to “turn the other cheek?” I hope to answer these questions and more.

In the Old Testament, God commanded Israel to go to war several times. He clearly revealed to them when He was on their side and when He wasn’t. I believe God showed His power this way because it suited the time period. Nations were measured by their wealth in gold and power in war. If a nation could not defend themselves, they were considered weak. Therefore, when Israel went to battles that seemed to be completely against them, God showed how amazingly powerful He was when He struck down the other armies without breaking a sweat. 

In the New Testament, we see a completely different command about war: “Turn the other cheek.” To some, this may seem like Jesus is directly contradicting how God would want it done. I would argue that this change is because of the time, the new covenant, and does not condemn all war.

When all factors are taken away, war is evil. You can sit there and point out all the reasons why it is ok, but I see only one reason to fight in war - self defense. If someone is being murdered as a punishment from an ungodly government or person, then they should glorify God by standing by His Word and dying. On the other hand, if someone is trying to kill another person simply because they hate them, I do not see anything wrong with defending yourself. Therefore, if some ungodly country was trying to murder the entire American race, I would call that a just war for the Americans. 

Wars that are political maneuvers or designed to show a country’s power and wealth are wrong. Killing to look good does not look good! What are Christians to do about serving in the military then?

In the Old Testament, God did not command Israel to station soldiers in other countries. He did not tell them to have boot camps or military stations. He simply commanded them to go to war in certain instances. I believe that Christians should follow this standard for war today. Our men should be at home, providing for and leading a family. The only time they should leave to fight is if our country is being attacked. In this circumstance, they should fight to protect their friends and families. 

I believe it is wrong for a young man to make a career out of the military. One should only serve in it under dire circumstances. 

Does that mean we are not to respect Christians who choose to serve in the military? Should we even look at serving in the military as a respectable thing? Is praying for our troops biblical? 

I once read in a book by C. S. Lewis that Christianity is like a house. There are many different rooms and hallways in this house. Some rooms have dividers in them, but all have the same basic layout. These rooms represent the different opinions and denominations within the Christian faith. All Christians should love each other equally no matter what they believe. Therefore we should still respect Christians who serve in the military even if it is wrong. 

But is serving in the military even a respectable occupation? Yes, it is. You may think that this is a contradictory statement to what I just said, but it is not. Many people who serve in the military do not do it just to kill. They truly want to protect their country and do something honorable. We should look at our military with respect and pray for their safety. We should pray that they do not have to kill unjustly. Also, we should pray for their souls. 

I want to add that it is wrong for women to serve in the military no matter the circumstances. Women are to be wives, mothers, and teachers to their children. No where in the Bible do you hear of women warriors. God does not condone women acting like men. Men and women have very different roles, but the same end result. They are equal, but not in the ways that the modern feminist would have you think. 

In the end, we can see that war is clearly evil. Almost every war that has ever happened in human history was not just. Boys should not grow up wanting to be soldiers for their country, but for Christ. Killing is only acceptable when it is done in self defense. We should pray for our soldiers and their souls. Women have no place in the front lines. God desires peace and we must do everything we can to make it a peaceful world - not in a humanist way, but one that promotes Christ. Pray for our soldiers, peace, and God’s will to be done today. 

Did You Know? - 8 Facts About Facebook

                                                       Certain Certitude #15

Please enjoy these facts about facebook!

1. Al Pacino's Face Was on the Original Facebook Homepage

Prior to a major homepage redesign back in 2007, Facebook's front page used to feature a man's face partly obscured behind a cloud of binary code.

Dubbed the "Facebook guy," it was not known who the mystery man was — until recently. David Kirkpatrick has revealed in his book The Facebook Effect that the image is a manipulated photo of Al Pacino created by a friend and classmate of Mark Zuckerberg.

2. One Early Facebook Function Was a File Sharing Service

You won't find this in the official Facebook timeline, but one of Facebook's early add-ons was a peer-to-peer, or more technically friend-to-friend, file sharing service called Wirehog, developed alongside Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and three others.

It launched in 2004 and is reported to have been planned as an integral FB feature. In 2005 Facebook was actively promoting the service and Zuckerberg told The Harvard Crimson "I think Wirehog will probably spread in the same way that the facebook did."

However, likely due to piracy concerns, Wirehog was axed in 2006 before Facebook got really big, although its photo-sharing functionality lives on in spirit.

3. The First "Work Networks" Included Apple and Microsoft

Many of you may know about Facebook's initial staggered rollout, where they started with Ivy League colleges before encompassing other educational institutions. But do you know who Facebook first went corporate with in terms of official work places?

In May 2006, Apple and Microsoft were among the first, as was Intel, EA and Amazon. Others in the first round also included Accenture, Gap, Intuit, Pepsi, PricewaterhouseCoopers and the non-profit organization Teach for America. It wasn't until September 2006 that everyone, regardless of school or company affiliation, could join Facebook — and just over a year later the site hit 50 million active users.

4. Facebook's Hidden Easter Eggs

Facebook is no stranger to Easter eggs. Early on, mysterious movie-related references (apparently Zuckerberg is a big film buff) could be found littering the site.

The references could be found in the footer of the old "Friends Page" in 2007, and one of the first was a quail-themed quote from the film The Wedding Crashers. Later dubbed "quails," other quotes with the avian theme continued to appear in the footer text, including “Only the craftiest of quails survive hunting season,” and “What doesn’t kill a quail only makes it stronger."

In addition, Facebook once boasted a Konami Code (you know — up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter) that changed the background of the site to display colorful circles and light flares.

Finally, there's the "Chris Putnam," a Facebook Chat Easter egg that still works today. To test it out, when in chat type in :putnam: and hit enter — ta da!

5. The Average Facebook User Has 130 Friends

How many Facebook friends do you have? To put your friend count in perspective, the average user has 130. Facebook's official stats page is full of little gems like this, and more staggering stats, such as the fact that people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook, while the current active official user count now stands at over 500 million.

As far as Facebook the platform goes, over a million websites have integrated with Facebook, and more than 150 million people engage with Facebook on external websites every month.

6. There's an App to See What's on the Facebook Cafe Menu

Like at Google, Facebook staffers get three free meals a day (as well as free drinks and snackage) served up by the "Facebook Culinary Team" at Cafe X or Cafe 6.

If the staff want to know what's on the menu, they don't need to leave their seats. In fact, they don't even need to leave their Facebook profiles — the "Lunchtime" Facebook app offers a weekly view of what's being offered. And it looks real good.

7. California is Huge on Facebook

As far as Facebook goes, California (home of Silicon Valley) is the most social state, with an amazing 15,267,160 users in the region, according to Facebakers. This amounts to a 41% penetration rate — pretty astounding that nearly half the state is connected via Facebook.

The next biggest user-base can be found in Texas with 9 million users, but it's nowhere close to California. New York comes in third with 8 million, and rounding off the very bottom of the list is ... Delaware. Of course, actual state population size is a factor here, but you get the point.

8. A Facebook Employee Hoodie Sold for $4,000 on eBay

If Facebook merchandise is collectible now, imagine what it will be worth in years to come. A Facebook employee standard-issue hoodie recently sold on eBay for a whopping $4,050 with nearly 50 bidders battling it out to win the auction.

The fact that Mark Zuckerberg had just been seen sporting the same garment at the D8 Conference and revealed its mysterious insignia to the world certainly helped up the bids, but considering the one that sold had not touched Zuckerberg skin, it's an astonishing amount.