The Alan Zone

What this article suggests wouldn’t be so sad if it wasn’t so true: The point of Mefferd’s article is that when big name evangelical leaders fall, they (through multiple machinations) are not truly held accountable and often stay in the pulpit (or return quickly). God can forgive anything. However, if you are a minister (or Christian… Read

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18, ESV)

I just posted this on my sister blog, AI: Alan Intelligence: “Why We Love the Church” Slides with verses from a recent sermon by Steve Camp.

A friend of mine (who is also a pastor in Florida), Steve Camp, posted six images of “Why We Love the Church.” I asked permission to repost them, and he said yes. So, here are the slides along with the Scripture references as a bonus. 🙂 (All Bible quotations from the English Standard Version.) Firstly,...

As I suggest in “And It Begins…,” you and I can do anything for 30 days. Although I’ve already missed a couple days (once because I forgot on a day I just couldn’t get a Mastodon server set-up…and once ’cause I was staying up late already making sure I didn’t fail again :-)), back on Saturday,...

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)

Although I would put this “happiness formula” first… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33, NIV). …this one from Scott Adams (in How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big) seems pretty good: Recapping the happiness formula: Eat right....

Short version… In my group circuit class, Wednesdays used to be recover day. They stopped that last week. So, as a result, I now wear Protest Pink each Wednesday. 🙂 The owners of The Athlete District took this photo of me this morning: (Cross-posted on my Nibbles Ninja blog.)

I completed The Athlete District‘s 6 Week Challenge, ending up 7.7 pounds down, and in better shape. These before and after pictures don’t do justice to what their challenge accomplished (especially since the side shot wasn’t at the same angle): It may not be obvious, but the belly is smaller. 🙂 (And, my muscles are...

I started a weight loss program with The Athlete District today. Six weeks of exercise, macro-focused dieting, and ample rest. Sadly, I am at 251.1 lbs to start. We’ll see where we are in six weeks. Oh, and I have to say their example recipes are pretty darn good. 🙂 Finally, these are my “before”...

UPDATE: 30 Day Quest was originally a separate web site, now merged into AI: Alan Intelligence. Why “30 Day Quest?” Where do I start? In May of last year (2021), I snapped the Patellar Tendon on my left knee, clumsily falling down some stairs while traveling. After surgery, my recovery was delayed by some massive...

Note: This post appears to have been stuck in draft mode…not sure when I originally composed it. The article below is worth a read. Mentally, I think we tie “religion” to systems of belief hinging on the supernatural, but the Merriam-Webster definition shows it is far more inclusive: “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs… Read

This is day 2 of “30 Days of Cycling,” and I headed north on Strasburg Road to record my though for today. Just after I got off my bicycle, this neat thing came along: And today’s thought for today will give a bit more of an idea of what it is like north of the… Read

I am a minister, with a small congregation (the Strasburg Church of Christ). We are part of the Churches of Christ, an affiliation of churches with similar beliefs, versus a denomination. God blessed my family and me by first introducing us to them at the Antrim Church of Christ in Antrim, New Hampshire. Either way,… Read

Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. I don’t exactly know why, but he is. And that’s why I am looking forward to this: And, “Top Gun: Maverick” is coming out this week: I only saw the first movie recently, because… 🙂

(This is a cross-post of an article from 2012 on Traditores.org. It is one of my most regularly viewed posts on that site. The kindness that the Texas Hippie Coalitiion showed me reminded me of it.) Although I can appreciate almost any style of music that includes a melody, I am especially drawn to tunes… Read

Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting, and listening to, the Texas Hippie Coalition. All I can tell you is that they were the nicest bunch of guys (band and their supporting cast), and that Big Dad Rich provided a prayer before the concert that was an incredible testimony to Jesus. Big Dad Rich’s brother,… Read

Who did it better, Sean Feucht or the Texas Hippie Coalition? By “it,” I mean: Give God credit. Exhibit A, a screenshot of the “About” page on seanfeucht.com, searching for all references to “God”: Exhibit B, the liner notes from the Texas Hippy Coalition’s latest album, “High in the Saddle”: So, who did it better?… Read

A little while back Augie and I had a hankerin’ for pizza, but wanted to try something new. We drove a bit, only to discover our destination was take out only. So, we went next door to Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. It. Was. Great! As I put in the Google review: Although a bit more expensive… Read

This is a repost of a Traditores.org article from about a decade ago. As Jeremy passed the deteriorating wood-tiled church on North Main Street, he tried to remember just how long ago its large doors had been locked for the last time. Was it ten years? Longer? Shorter? However far back it was, the doors… Read

Great video. You should also grab “The Brave” by MacDonald and Calhoun, released digitally today. (This song is on it.)

Update (and this belongs at the top, so you read it first): Hi Alan. We don't have any way to block images based on their content, so no, we're not doing this. If an image on your site isn't loading via the CDN, please contact our support team at https://t.co/ANGtVS4PDJ with more details so they… Read

Update (video from earlier today):

Listening to Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life this morning (while exercising), I was hit by the punchline of an experience he shared. As a teenager, he convinced small-town friends to travel with him to Edmonton, 800 miles away. We spent the weekend drinking in the hotel room. Although we had travelled a long distance, we… Read

I’m a member of the Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus? launch team. Nothin’ special other than me preordering the book by Ray Comfort and then asking to join. 🙂 As part of it it, I get access through NetGallery to a pre-release version. Great stuff already, and this really jumped out at me: Here’s the … Continue reading The Problem with Intellectual Arguments for Jesus

Okay, what I really should have said is, “I paid somebody to publish me, and it’s only a tract…” But I am still pretty excited that this arrived from the printer today!: You can read essentially the same text as a single web page on the front page of Gospel.Claims. I don’t have a ton… Read

This blog is of my musings…my “nibbles and bits.” As such, it’ll sometimes touch on “third rail” topics. I ask for your charity and forgiveness if ever I offend you (or worse). No matter what subjects inspire my posts, in the end, you matter more to me…and love matters most: 1 Corinthians 13:4–8, 13 (NIV):… Read

A Twitter thread about perspectives (sorry, I don’t know a good way not to have it show the previous tweet in the thread each time): A short thread about perspectives and charity. Recently, @seanonolennon showed me some kindness in replying to my tweet. It made me feel a connection, like he suddenly became a friend.… Read

Politicians, police officers, and soldier take an oath to uphold the Constitution. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath to stay true to certain ethics (e.g. “do no harm”). Christians, at baptism, implicitly take an oath to follow Jesus as Lord. How are we doing? Cursed with human nature, I believe we all fail to varying degrees.… Read

Just posted this review on Google Maps Reviews: We were a hike from home, and wanted to grab lunch before returning. From the moment we walked in, we knew we made the right decision choosing Rosie’s Diner. Awesome food, atmosphere, and prices! Not to mention, our server, Mimi, was the icing on the cake. It’s… Read

Credit to Ace of Spades HQ for pointing to this beautiful, thoughtful blessing in SQLite’s GitHub repository’s main.c: ** The author disclaims copyright to this source code. In place of ** a legal notice, here is a blessing: ** ** May you do good and not evil. ** May you find forgiveness for yourself and… Read

As I pondered the incivility the pandemic has brought to on-line dialogue, Romans 12:18 came to mind today: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (NIV) As Christians, I would argue that probably includes “giving in” more than our natures might desire. Not giving into sin…but not being… Read

I am not prude, but I would argue the image in this Twitter ad was inappropriate: No, what popped up on my timeline did not include the blurring. It’s a beautiful painting, but they could have chosen plenty of other famous pieces of artwork. There was only one reason they chose this one. And, yes, it… Read

I’m reading through the Bible again this year, and am in Genesis. Previously, I’ve seen Abraham, to protect himself, pretend his wife is his sister. (Clearly, “courting” back then could involve murdering your competition, the existing husband.) You can find those instances in Genesis 12:14-20 and Genesis 20. This morning (and I was a day … Continue reading Are Generational Curses […]

Okay, first a disclaimer: the Bible is not exhaustive, so you have to be careful about making an argument from silence. Having said that, please consider how the prohibition against eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is given in Genesis 2:15-17 (NIV): The LORD God took the man and put … Continue reading Do Embellished Rules Encourage Sin?

Was 2021 a hard year for you? I suspect for most, even if it wasn’t “hard,” it at least had a downward slope. Thus, why I like this humorous graphic from Clipart.com: 🙂 Personally, other than the sense of malaise that COVID-19, politics, and the economy provided, I cannot complain. I remained employed in a … Continue reading New Year’s Resolutions (2022)

What did I learn (again) this year? Don’t treat people as instrumental means to my predetermined end. This is particularly true of people with whom I may think I disagree. It’s highly probable that I don’t understand where they are coming from, what they mean, or anything about the particulars of our disagreement. If I… Read

The Socratic method doesn’t replace your current opinions with better ones. It changes your relationship to your opinions. It replaces the love of holding them with the love of testing them. – Ward Farnsworth, The Socratic Method: A Practitioner’s Handbook

This day marks three weeks of being on Nutrisystem and applying Strong Advice: Zuby’s Guide to Fitness for Everybody. Result: 10.4 lbs lost (now at 242 lbs). I should note that’s with the second week including Thanksgiving, resulting in a 0.2 lb gain. My hope is to lose 2 lbs a week…and it sure seems doable… Read

This is a great video, not only because of delving into this: Only by abandoning math’s connection to realty, could we discover reality’s true nature. But, because it discusses some really intriguing history (e.g. math duels, with you job on the line) and how folks went about certain problems totally differently than we do today

Why Jesus? Less than Half News came out this week that, per Gallup, fewer than half of Americans belong to a congregation (and that's not just counting Christian churches). Only 47% do. Now, it can be claimed that one can be "spiritual" without being "religious" and "spiritual" and/or "religious" without attending church. However, I would … Continue reading Why Jesus?

Update January 9, 2020 I have left Facebook and Twitter. Please see Staying in Touch below for how to contact me and the social media accounts I may still be on. I am likely to leave YouTube relatively soon, and will be reducing my Amazon footprint, although probably not completely deleting my account. A Hypothetical Situation

If your trig course was like mine, at some point you’ll be asked to prove one side of an equation equals another side, simplify a trig forumula, etc., using identities. Of course, this is true outside of trig too…so my recommended approaches work beyond just this one subset of mathematics. Now, I used the word

I have never enjoyed a walk with my wife as much as I did today’s… 🙂

Riding by their irrigation on my bicycle a couple times, I asked for and got permission from Burchfield Farms to fly over their land. Although the water wasn’t on high, I think it’s still a pretty cool video. But first, a 180 degree panorama across the street from them: Okay, now for the video 🙂

First use of my DJI Mavic Air 2 to follow me on the bicycle…thus why I stop a couple times to make sure it wouldn’t crash into wires, telephone poles, etc. 🙂 Also, the batteries usually last 20-30 minutes, so I have to check on why they don’t appear to have been fully charged. Hmmm…

Here is your chance to join me on a complete bicycle ride, along with my usual near-the-end-of-ride Strasburg Convenience Store visit. Recorded with a GoPro HERO8 Black, and originally live streamed. Kudos to GoPro (for the camera and their app that streamed it so long) and Restream.io (which allowed me to stream to multiple places

I was busy with a bunch ‘o other stuff today, but wanted to get the drone out at least for a quick flight. I wanted to go all the way to the church in the distance, but when a car went down the back road, I figured it best to wait until I got a

It always feels good to get out on the bicycle, even if the temperature is 90+ degrees. 🙂 Taken with a GoPro HERO8 Black using 15x Time Warp. Music: “All Together” by More Like Georgia from the audiio music service. The video was uploaded at 4K, which means I could also grab cool images like

Growing up (and living half my life) in New England, I was not used to water towers (they were infrequent, at best). Now they are one of my favorite parts of living on the high plains. I may always be most partial to Strasburg’s, but Deer Trail’s is also a beauty: A huge thanks to

I love the Unit Circle…so much I have a Unit Circle clock! If you want to see how easy it is to memorize, here you go!: Short version: All you have to do is memorize five values… Warning: Unscripted!

Strasburg won’t let the Coronavirus get in the way of us celebrating our awesome 2020 graduates! Congratulations Strasburg Seniors! Pat yourselves on the back! We were lucky enough to have this start in our neighborhood. Some cool cars were involved in the parade. 🙂 To all the 2020 graduates…in Strasburg and elsewhere…I know this was

Our third excursion in the “Video Safari of Euclid’s Elements”! We have two straight lines, one bigger than the other. How do we cut a piece out of the longer one equal to the length of the shorter one? (Or as Euclid’s Elements: All Thirteen Books Complete in One Volume puts it: “Given two unequal

Bad news: I wasn’t looking right in the second flight tonight. Crash. Boom. Bang. Good news: After popping a couple pieces back and getting the gimbal unstuck, it flew again (as proven from the last flight). Even better news: I purchased DJI Care Refresh, so I’ll send it in and get a replacement. 🙂 The

Okay, I’m sold. Well, I was sold before, since I already bought the DJI Mavic Air 2. 🙂 I never flew a drone before today, and this is like the second or third flight…once I got to play with it after work and dinner. Initially I just wanted to record the sundown (since we have

Our second trek in the “Video Safari of Euclid’s Elements”! We have a point and we have a line segment apart from that point. How do we draw a line segment from that point that is exactly the same length as the original line segment? (Or as Euclid’s Elements: All Thirteen Books Complete in One

Our first video in the “Video Safari of Euclid’s Elements”! If we have a line, how do we create a true, equilateral triangle? (Or as Euclid’s Elements: All Thirteen Books Complete in One Volume puts it: “On a given finite straight line to construct an equilateral triangle.” With no ruler! ‘Cause a ruler wouldn’t be

Perhaps the three most important words in the Bible: “He has risen.” On this Easter, may you also be able say, “I have seen the Lord.” Happy Easter everyone. Know that you are loved by the One who the grave had no power over.

It is, indeed, important to notice that my argument so far supposes no evil intentions on the part of the Humanitarian and considers only what is involved in the logic of his position. My contention is that good men (not bad men) consistently acting upon that position would act as cruelly and unjustly as the