The English-speaking folk won for the first time in three years, which was quite exciting. Although it was a lot of fun, he still prefers football to futbol:
As a Christian, wife, mother of a little girl and two fur-babies, Mississippi State Bulldog, and PhD, I lead a very busy life. If you add on top of that my obsession for organization and loves for couponing, sewing, knitting, cooking, reading, gardening, and a host of other random hobbies, you've got the recipe for...well...variety. And variety is the spice of life!
Friday, October 7, 2011
MrsDrPoe: My Hubby the Athlete
Last weekend some of the English-speaking brethren played the Spanish-speaking brethren in a rousing game of soccer. Mr. Poe joined in the fun, and did very well even though he only started playing in college:
The English-speaking folk won for the first time in three years, which was quite exciting. Although it was a lot of fun, he still prefers football to futbol:
The English-speaking folk won for the first time in three years, which was quite exciting. Although it was a lot of fun, he still prefers football to futbol:
Thursday, October 6, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Blind Faith?
Once again Theology Thursday has arrived, and as always, I invite you to open your Bibles with me as we look at some portions of God's word.
Most of us have heard said at some point that Christianity is based on "blind" faith and that this faith is used by Christians as a simple and clean way to explain away things that otherwise cannot be explained by their worldview. It is true that there are several topics in the Bible that we are not given all the answers to all the questions we may have about them, and so we must accept some Biblical truths with the faith that God has given us what we need to know. However, it is important to realize that: 1) no matter what each of us believes, faith in something/someone is required due to the fact that no human who has ever lived (save One) is omniscient and 2) the Christianity preached by Jesus is based on obedient faith obtained from careful consideration of evidence. It is this second point that we'll briefly examine today.
When we think of Jesus' time spent on this earth, we typically think about His perfect life, His teaching, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. Without His death and resurrection, our "faith is futile" (1 Cor 15:17), but without His teaching and miracles, our faith would be unfounded. In Mark 1:38, Jesus said, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." In Mark 2:10-11, Jesus said to a paralytic, "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." In these two passages, we are given the insight that Jesus came to teach, and His miracles were affirmation of His power and authority.
Later, in Luke 14:26-33, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship, saying that we must leave all to follow Him. But we must note that He doesn't ask us to give up everything on a whim; this is a serious decision that requires serious deliberation. Verses 28-32 provide examples of a man intending to build a tower and a king intending to go to war against another king- each man considers the costs of his endeavor before he engages in it! Sometimes we forget because of the immediacy with which they left everything (Mark 1:16-20), but even the apostles followed Jesus based on evidence that He was the Messiah (Luke 5:1-11, John 1:35-42).
Throughout the New Testament, the writers indicate that their recorded teachings of Jesus are eye-witness accounts, witnesses could still be found to attest to their writings, and even the prophets of the Old Testament assert that Jesus is the Christ, the Holy One of God. Those in Berea were commended as being "more fair-minded (noble) than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11)
Furthermore, in 1 Thess 5:21 we are told, "Test all things; hold fast what is good;" similarly in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Thus we should be "finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Eph 5:10).
From this multitude of passages, we should be able to see that Jesus does not expect our faith in Him to be based on a whim. He expects us to look at the evidence for the truth of His teachings, miracles, life, and resurrection and to consider what He asks of His disciples before we become His followers. And even after we believe in Him, we are to grow in our faith, obedience, and love through testing the teachings we hear and read against what is taught in the Bible. If instead we're content to simply believe what a preacher, teacher, friend, or even Charles Darwin says without further investigation our faith in whatever we believe in is indeed blind.
Most of us have heard said at some point that Christianity is based on "blind" faith and that this faith is used by Christians as a simple and clean way to explain away things that otherwise cannot be explained by their worldview. It is true that there are several topics in the Bible that we are not given all the answers to all the questions we may have about them, and so we must accept some Biblical truths with the faith that God has given us what we need to know. However, it is important to realize that: 1) no matter what each of us believes, faith in something/someone is required due to the fact that no human who has ever lived (save One) is omniscient and 2) the Christianity preached by Jesus is based on obedient faith obtained from careful consideration of evidence. It is this second point that we'll briefly examine today.
When we think of Jesus' time spent on this earth, we typically think about His perfect life, His teaching, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. Without His death and resurrection, our "faith is futile" (1 Cor 15:17), but without His teaching and miracles, our faith would be unfounded. In Mark 1:38, Jesus said, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." In Mark 2:10-11, Jesus said to a paralytic, "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." In these two passages, we are given the insight that Jesus came to teach, and His miracles were affirmation of His power and authority.
Later, in Luke 14:26-33, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship, saying that we must leave all to follow Him. But we must note that He doesn't ask us to give up everything on a whim; this is a serious decision that requires serious deliberation. Verses 28-32 provide examples of a man intending to build a tower and a king intending to go to war against another king- each man considers the costs of his endeavor before he engages in it! Sometimes we forget because of the immediacy with which they left everything (Mark 1:16-20), but even the apostles followed Jesus based on evidence that He was the Messiah (Luke 5:1-11, John 1:35-42).
Throughout the New Testament, the writers indicate that their recorded teachings of Jesus are eye-witness accounts, witnesses could still be found to attest to their writings, and even the prophets of the Old Testament assert that Jesus is the Christ, the Holy One of God. Those in Berea were commended as being "more fair-minded (noble) than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11)
Furthermore, in 1 Thess 5:21 we are told, "Test all things; hold fast what is good;" similarly in 1 John 4:1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Thus we should be "finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." (Eph 5:10).
From this multitude of passages, we should be able to see that Jesus does not expect our faith in Him to be based on a whim. He expects us to look at the evidence for the truth of His teachings, miracles, life, and resurrection and to consider what He asks of His disciples before we become His followers. And even after we believe in Him, we are to grow in our faith, obedience, and love through testing the teachings we hear and read against what is taught in the Bible. If instead we're content to simply believe what a preacher, teacher, friend, or even Charles Darwin says without further investigation our faith in whatever we believe in is indeed blind.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Tiramisu
What's for Dinner Wednesday is all about what's after dinner this week. During my trip to Starkville, Mr. S. Holley was kind enough to make me some of his favorite dessert- tiramisu.
Ingredients: 2 cups espresso or strong coffee (he uses instant), 2 8 oz packages of Marscarpone cheese (softened), 5 large eggs (separated), 1.5 cups sugar (divided), 2-3 packages of lady fingers, 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
First make the coffee in a small bowl and allow it to cool. Beat egg whites on med-high speed with an electric mixer till soft peaks form, then add 3/4 cups of sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, cheese, and the remaining sugar until thoroughly combined and smooth:
Gently fold the whites into the egg and cheese mixture. Dip the lady fingers by twos quickly into the cooled coffee and place in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (Note: the lady fingers are like sponges, and if they soak up too much coffee, they'll fall apart):
Spoon half of the cheese mixture onto the lady fingers, spreading it evenly. Top that with another layer of coffee-dipped lady fingers and then the remaining cheese mixture. Cover the top completely with dusting of cocoa powder, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Then cut, serve, and enjoy!
Ingredients: 2 cups espresso or strong coffee (he uses instant), 2 8 oz packages of Marscarpone cheese (softened), 5 large eggs (separated), 1.5 cups sugar (divided), 2-3 packages of lady fingers, 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
First make the coffee in a small bowl and allow it to cool. Beat egg whites on med-high speed with an electric mixer till soft peaks form, then add 3/4 cups of sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks, cheese, and the remaining sugar until thoroughly combined and smooth:
Gently fold the whites into the egg and cheese mixture. Dip the lady fingers by twos quickly into the cooled coffee and place in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (Note: the lady fingers are like sponges, and if they soak up too much coffee, they'll fall apart):
Spoon half of the cheese mixture onto the lady fingers, spreading it evenly. Top that with another layer of coffee-dipped lady fingers and then the remaining cheese mixture. Cover the top completely with dusting of cocoa powder, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Then cut, serve, and enjoy!
MrsDrPoe: The Gospel According to Mark
For this week's Reading Review, I present to you part of The Pillar New Testament Commentary, "The Gospel According to Mark" by James R. Edwards:
As I mentioned several weeks ago, Mr. Poe adopted the book of Mark; this commentary was given to him indirectly by our friend Mr. Ellis to start his Mark library. Since we have recently found ourselves in several studies on this gospel, I thought it would be in my best interest to read this commentary as well. (If you're considering adopting Mark, this is definitely a reference book you should add to your library.)
Although you could probably guess from the length of this commentary, it is very detailed and contains a plethora of information from a wide variety of sources. Mr. Edwards has done quite a bit of research and provides essentially a very comprehensive verse-by-verse investigation of this gospel. Also to his credit, the book is very well organized, and the footnotes contain a wealth of additional information related to the commentary.
Mr. Edwards draws the reader's attention to the themes and unique literary devices Mark employed in his gospel, such as the "sandwich" where a story is placed in a story to help draw connections between them. One of my favorite topics discussed in the commentary is the way Mark contrasts faith and fear and shows us what true faith in God should look like.
While I have not extensively researched the available material on the topic of Mark's gospel, there are a few comments made in the book that appear to be contrary to scripture, such as those on repentance in reference to Mark 2. While commentaries are often helpful in increasing our understanding of the scriptures, they should never replace the Bible itself; thus, as always, I would advise you to read this book with an open Bible, testing every comment made against the whole Word of God.
As I mentioned several weeks ago, Mr. Poe adopted the book of Mark; this commentary was given to him indirectly by our friend Mr. Ellis to start his Mark library. Since we have recently found ourselves in several studies on this gospel, I thought it would be in my best interest to read this commentary as well. (If you're considering adopting Mark, this is definitely a reference book you should add to your library.)
Although you could probably guess from the length of this commentary, it is very detailed and contains a plethora of information from a wide variety of sources. Mr. Edwards has done quite a bit of research and provides essentially a very comprehensive verse-by-verse investigation of this gospel. Also to his credit, the book is very well organized, and the footnotes contain a wealth of additional information related to the commentary.
Mr. Edwards draws the reader's attention to the themes and unique literary devices Mark employed in his gospel, such as the "sandwich" where a story is placed in a story to help draw connections between them. One of my favorite topics discussed in the commentary is the way Mark contrasts faith and fear and shows us what true faith in God should look like.
While I have not extensively researched the available material on the topic of Mark's gospel, there are a few comments made in the book that appear to be contrary to scripture, such as those on repentance in reference to Mark 2. While commentaries are often helpful in increasing our understanding of the scriptures, they should never replace the Bible itself; thus, as always, I would advise you to read this book with an open Bible, testing every comment made against the whole Word of God.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
MrsDrPoe: The First Law of Thermodynamics, Part I
It's another Thesis Tuesday here at the blog, and today we begin discussion of the third governing equation of fluid mechanics- the first law of thermodynamics. (In case you've forgotten, the other governing equations are the conservation of mass equation and the conservation of momentum equation.)
The first law of thermodynamics (also called the first law and the conservation of energy equation) simply tracks the energy in a system- just like mass and momentum, energy is conserved and every bit of it in every system/process can be accounted for at any instant in time. In mathematical speak, the first law states that, "the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the system is equal to the sum of the net time rate of energy addition by heat transfer into the system, and the net time rate of energy addition by work transfer into the system" or:
This form of the equation is useful for Lagrangian viewpoints; recall that in order to transform it into a form useful for Eulerian viewpoints, we must employ the Reynolds Transport Theorem to the term on the left side:
meaning, "the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the system is equal to the sum of the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the contents of the control volume and the net rate of flow of the total stored energy out of the control volume across the control surface. Our first law equation then becomes:
In general, we will denote both work and heat coming into a system as positive and going out of a system as negative.
In the equations above, e is the sum of the potential, kinetic, and internal energies in the fluid (e = u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z). The heat transfer rate, Qdot, denotes all the ways energy is exchanged between the control volume and its surroundings due to a temperature difference. You may recall from other classes that making the adiabatic assumption means that there is no heat transfer to or from the system. This net rate of heat transfer is also zero if the heat transfer into the control volume is equal to the heat transfer out of the control volume.
The work rate (or power), Wdot, denotes the work done on the control volume by the surroundings (when positive). This work can be done by a shaft at the control surface, such as in a piston/cylinder arrangement, which calculated by multiplying the torque of the shaft by the shaft's angular velocity. The work also occurs due to the normal stresses present on the surfaces of the control volume due to pressure and tangential stresses due to shearing. Typically, the control volume is chosen in such a way that the tangential stress work is zero; the normal stress work is calculated by:
If we put our expanded work terms into the energy equation derived earlier, we are left with:
or:
And that's the integral form of the first law. Next week we'll look at a brief example of its use, but until then, happy studying!
The first law of thermodynamics (also called the first law and the conservation of energy equation) simply tracks the energy in a system- just like mass and momentum, energy is conserved and every bit of it in every system/process can be accounted for at any instant in time. In mathematical speak, the first law states that, "the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the system is equal to the sum of the net time rate of energy addition by heat transfer into the system, and the net time rate of energy addition by work transfer into the system" or:
D/Dt(int(E*rho)dVsys) = (sum(Qdot)in - sum(Qdot)out)sys + (sum(Wdot)in - sum(Wdot)out)sys
This form of the equation is useful for Lagrangian viewpoints; recall that in order to transform it into a form useful for Eulerian viewpoints, we must employ the Reynolds Transport Theorem to the term on the left side:
D/Dt(int(E*rho)dVsys) = d/dt(int(e*rho)dV) + int(e*rho*(V.n))dA
meaning, "the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the system is equal to the sum of the time rate of increase of the total stored energy of the contents of the control volume and the net rate of flow of the total stored energy out of the control volume across the control surface. Our first law equation then becomes:
d/dt(int(e*rho)dV) + int(e*rho*(V.n))dA = Qdot,net in + Wdot, net in
In general, we will denote both work and heat coming into a system as positive and going out of a system as negative.
In the equations above, e is the sum of the potential, kinetic, and internal energies in the fluid (e = u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z). The heat transfer rate, Qdot, denotes all the ways energy is exchanged between the control volume and its surroundings due to a temperature difference. You may recall from other classes that making the adiabatic assumption means that there is no heat transfer to or from the system. This net rate of heat transfer is also zero if the heat transfer into the control volume is equal to the heat transfer out of the control volume.
The work rate (or power), Wdot, denotes the work done on the control volume by the surroundings (when positive). This work can be done by a shaft at the control surface, such as in a piston/cylinder arrangement, which calculated by multiplying the torque of the shaft by the shaft's angular velocity. The work also occurs due to the normal stresses present on the surfaces of the control volume due to pressure and tangential stresses due to shearing. Typically, the control volume is chosen in such a way that the tangential stress work is zero; the normal stress work is calculated by:
Wdot, norm = int(-p*(V.n))dA
If we put our expanded work terms into the energy equation derived earlier, we are left with:
d/dt(int((u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z)*rho)dV) + int((u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z)*rho*(V.n))dA = Qdot,net in + Wdot, net in - int(p*(V.n))dA
or:
d/dt(int((u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z)*rho)dV) + int((u + (|V|*|V|)/2 + g*z)*rho*(V.n))dA = Qdot,net in + Wdot, shaft in
And that's the integral form of the first law. Next week we'll look at a brief example of its use, but until then, happy studying!
Monday, October 3, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Back in the Saddle Again
Happy Money Monday to all! Sorry about the late post today...I had an unusually long errand list to go through after being gone for two weeks. Here are some good deals I was glad to come back to this week:
PetSmart
Iams Dog food 35-40 lb bags $34.99 (regularly $38.99) plus certain bags have additional coupons inside
Wags
Cepacol 16ct cherry lozenges $2.99 get $2.99 back in RR
Fun-sized candy 2/$4 with store coupon in Wags October booklet
CVS
Bengay 2-4 oz $5.49 get $5/1 in SS 9/11 and $2 back in ECBs (you make $1.50)
$5 in ECBs back wyb $15 in selected Pepsi Co. products coupons in 10/2 insert
PetSmart
Iams Dog food 35-40 lb bags $34.99 (regularly $38.99) plus certain bags have additional coupons inside
Wags
Cepacol 16ct cherry lozenges $2.99 get $2.99 back in RR
Fun-sized candy 2/$4 with store coupon in Wags October booklet
CVS
Bengay 2-4 oz $5.49 get $5/1 in SS 9/11 and $2 back in ECBs (you make $1.50)
$5 in ECBs back wyb $15 in selected Pepsi Co. products coupons in 10/2 insert
What's on your shopping list this week?
Friday, September 30, 2011
MrsDrPoe: I Promise I'm Leaving This Time...
Many days have come and gone, and once again Foto Friday has arrived. Last week, I posted about my home away from home, Starkville, Mississippi...this week I'll share some more pictures from my trip because I'm still here (oh the joys of research).
My simulations and I have had a love-hate relationship this week, as in they've loved to hate me:
Every time I thought some progress has been made, the results look terrible- I've planned to leave town every day this week (literally). But thankfully I've had good company despite my difficulties. My good friend Ms. K. Davis was kind enough to come to the HPC2 so I wouldn't be working alone at night:
One day I saw this car on campus, and it reminded me of Mr. Poe:
I wanted to run home immediately, but I couldn't. One day soon I'll make it back to my home, my husband, and my dogs...but until then, you can just call me...Brett Favre.
My simulations and I have had a love-hate relationship this week, as in they've loved to hate me:
Every time I thought some progress has been made, the results look terrible- I've planned to leave town every day this week (literally). But thankfully I've had good company despite my difficulties. My good friend Ms. K. Davis was kind enough to come to the HPC2 so I wouldn't be working alone at night:
One day I saw this car on campus, and it reminded me of Mr. Poe:
I wanted to run home immediately, but I couldn't. One day soon I'll make it back to my home, my husband, and my dogs...but until then, you can just call me...Brett Favre.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
MrsDrPoe: The Second Law of Thermodynamics as It Applies to Christianity
This Theology Thursday, I invite you to open up your Bibles with me as we take a look at a portion of God's word. Today we'll be taking a bit of a different approach to some passages, examining how the second law of thermodynamics applies to Christianity.
The second law essentially states that the total amount of entropy in the universe is always increasing or every existing process is irreversible. This wording may not mean much to you if you're not in some type of science or engineering field, but it definitely effects you. This law in layman's terms tells us that no process is 100% efficient i.e. you put in more energy than you get out in useful energy or work.
For instance: A tank of gasoline has x amount of chemical energy. Engines use the gas to power your vehicle, but they only 'see' y amount of the energy available- the rest (x-y = z) is 'lost' to friction, heat dissipation, etc. The fact that there is a lot of chemical energy that does not go directly into running your car means that the process is much less than 100% efficient.
While we know that energy can never be created or destroyed (the first law), we should now also know that not all of the energy we put into something produces useful results. They key in much of engineering is to design processes which eliminate as much of this 'wasted energy' as we can, ensuring that these processes use energy as efficiently as possible.
So what in the WORLD does this have to do with Christianity? Look at these verses from the new testament:
The word dissipation in these verses is actually the Greek word asotia, which means prodigality. In Luke 15, we read of Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, so most of us are probably familiar with the word 'prodigal'...but do we truly know what it means? Prodigal is defined most frequently as 'excessive wastefulness.' Thus in the above passages, these sinful acts are called wasteful, which means that in committing them we are being tremendously inefficient with the energy given to us by God.
But if we say to ourselves, "well this doesn't apply to me, because I don't do any of these things," we need to realize that "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom 3:23). Like the car engine, much of the energy and things we have are wasted in that they do not serve a useful purpose to the Lord by glorifying His name. While we can never be perfect as Christ was, His model of life on this earth should be what we're striving to match every day- we should all be 'engineers' trying through the grace of God to make our lives as 'efficient' as possible by ridding them of sin.
The second law essentially states that the total amount of entropy in the universe is always increasing or every existing process is irreversible. This wording may not mean much to you if you're not in some type of science or engineering field, but it definitely effects you. This law in layman's terms tells us that no process is 100% efficient i.e. you put in more energy than you get out in useful energy or work.
For instance: A tank of gasoline has x amount of chemical energy. Engines use the gas to power your vehicle, but they only 'see' y amount of the energy available- the rest (x-y = z) is 'lost' to friction, heat dissipation, etc. The fact that there is a lot of chemical energy that does not go directly into running your car means that the process is much less than 100% efficient.
While we know that energy can never be created or destroyed (the first law), we should now also know that not all of the energy we put into something produces useful results. They key in much of engineering is to design processes which eliminate as much of this 'wasted energy' as we can, ensuring that these processes use energy as efficiently as possible.
So what in the WORLD does this have to do with Christianity? Look at these verses from the new testament:
"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph 5:18)
"For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you." (1 Pet 4:3-4)
The word dissipation in these verses is actually the Greek word asotia, which means prodigality. In Luke 15, we read of Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, so most of us are probably familiar with the word 'prodigal'...but do we truly know what it means? Prodigal is defined most frequently as 'excessive wastefulness.' Thus in the above passages, these sinful acts are called wasteful, which means that in committing them we are being tremendously inefficient with the energy given to us by God.
But if we say to ourselves, "well this doesn't apply to me, because I don't do any of these things," we need to realize that "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom 3:23). Like the car engine, much of the energy and things we have are wasted in that they do not serve a useful purpose to the Lord by glorifying His name. While we can never be perfect as Christ was, His model of life on this earth should be what we're striving to match every day- we should all be 'engineers' trying through the grace of God to make our lives as 'efficient' as possible by ridding them of sin.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Mrs. Holley's Cabbage Salad
It's What's for Dinner Wednesday tonight on the blog! In honor of the Holleys, I'd like to share with you an easy, tasty salad introduced to us by Mrs. Holley.
Ingredients: cabbage, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper (not pictured).
Slice the cabbage thinly using a knife or food processor (about 1/5 of the cabbage*). Put the cabbage in a bowl, pour on olive oil (about 1 tablespoon*), lemon juice (about 1 1/2 tablespoons*), and salt and pepper to taste, and toss to coat:
We particularly enjoy eating it alongside my special green beans and chicken casserole:
What are you having for dinner tonight?
*for two people
Ingredients: cabbage, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper (not pictured).
We particularly enjoy eating it alongside my special green beans and chicken casserole:
What are you having for dinner tonight?
*for two people
MrsDrPoe: The Holleys
If you're a frequent reader, you may recall the name "Holley" used quite often in my Theology Thursday posts. This week's Poe's Pals will reveal for you the face that goes along with the name. Meet the Holleys:
Although we've only known these folks for over three years, it feels like we've known them our whole lives. We first met Mr. T. and Mrs. Holley when they came back from Argentina to visit family; shortly after that, they decided to make Starkville their home. It has been such a blessing to get to know this wonderful family during the time we were in school!
Mr. T. Holley is the preacher here and one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated Bible students I know. Mr. Poe and I have learned so much from him- both directly about the Bible and about good Bible study habits. Mrs. Holley is his fantastic counterpart. She is so friendly and hospitable to everyone she comes across, welcoming them into her home and cooking them wonderfully delicious food. Mr. S. Holley is a great, puzzle-loving friend to us as well- he helped us move, sledded with us on our birthdays, and has given us his bed on more than one occasion. Ms. Holley is also one of our firends who always loves having us over for visits- when we leave, she sees us to the door with a big "thank you for coming!"
We look forwarding to visiting the Holleys every time we come to Starkville, and I suggest that you stop by when you're in the area too!
Although we've only known these folks for over three years, it feels like we've known them our whole lives. We first met Mr. T. and Mrs. Holley when they came back from Argentina to visit family; shortly after that, they decided to make Starkville their home. It has been such a blessing to get to know this wonderful family during the time we were in school!
Mr. T. Holley is the preacher here and one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated Bible students I know. Mr. Poe and I have learned so much from him- both directly about the Bible and about good Bible study habits. Mrs. Holley is his fantastic counterpart. She is so friendly and hospitable to everyone she comes across, welcoming them into her home and cooking them wonderfully delicious food. Mr. S. Holley is a great, puzzle-loving friend to us as well- he helped us move, sledded with us on our birthdays, and has given us his bed on more than one occasion. Ms. Holley is also one of our firends who always loves having us over for visits- when we leave, she sees us to the door with a big "thank you for coming!"
We look forwarding to visiting the Holleys every time we come to Starkville, and I suggest that you stop by when you're in the area too!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Potential Flow, Part III
Once again Thesis Tuesday is upon us! Today we'll be concluding our investigation into Potential Flow by examining combinations of the flows we've looked at so far in both Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates. This is possible because potential flows obey the superposition principle.
Doublet
A doublet is the combination of a source and a sink of equal strenghts (+/- m) located 2a apart, as we can see in the figure below:
To find the potential function and streamfunction for the doublet (in relation to point P), we simply add the two potential functions and the two stream functions respectively:
If we allow the distance between the source and sink shrink (a goes to 0, theta1 goes to theta 2, r1 goes to r2), we arrive at:
Flow Over a Cylinder
To examine flow over a cylinder, we will combine a doublet and uniform flow. Before we can combine these flows, however, we must first translate uniform flow into cylindrical coordinates (remember- you can never mix coordinate systems) using:
Next we simply combine the potential function and streamfunction from each flow to find these functions for the combination:
If we let (m*a)/pi = U*R*R where R is the radius of a cylinder we're interested in:
Note the streamline where PSI = 0, r = R is taken as the surface of a cylinder of radius R. We can do this because streamlines run parallel to the flow, meaning no flow crosses the streamline, just like no fluid can cross a solid (non-permeable) boundary; therefore, any streamline in an invisicd flow field can be considered a solid boundary. All streamlines for PSI > 0 give the inviscid flowfield over the cylinder.
Streamlines exist inside the cylinder (from the doublet) as seen below, but we neglect these. We can also determine the stagnation point for the flow by finding the velocity from the potential function and streamfunction and noting where it equals zero. By combining other potential flows in a similar manner, we can examine inviscid flow around other objects.
And that's potential flow. Tune in next week when we'll look into the third major governing equation of fluid mechanics - the energy equation.
Doublet
A doublet is the combination of a source and a sink of equal strenghts (+/- m) located 2a apart, as we can see in the figure below:
To find the potential function and streamfunction for the doublet (in relation to point P), we simply add the two potential functions and the two stream functions respectively:
PHI = PHIsource + PHIsink = 0.5*(m/pi)*ln(r1) - 0.5*(m/pi)*ln(r2)
PHI = 0.5*(m/pi)*ln(r1/r2)
PSI = PSIsource + PSIsink = 0.5*(m/pi)*theta1 - 0.5*(m/pi)*theta2
PSI = 0.5*(m/pi)*(theta1 - theta2)
If we allow the distance between the source and sink shrink (a goes to 0, theta1 goes to theta 2, r1 goes to r2), we arrive at:
PHI = ((m*a)/(pi*r))*cos(theta)
PSI = -((m*a)/(pi*r))*sin(theta)
Flow Over a Cylinder
To examine flow over a cylinder, we will combine a doublet and uniform flow. Before we can combine these flows, however, we must first translate uniform flow into cylindrical coordinates (remember- you can never mix coordinate systems) using:
x = r*cos(theta), y = r*sin(theta)
Next we simply combine the potential function and streamfunction from each flow to find these functions for the combination:
PHI = PHIdoublet + PHIuniform = ((m*a)/(pi*r))*cos(theta) - U*r*cos(theta)
PSI = PSIdoublet + PSIuniform = -((m*a)/(pi*r))*sin(theta) + U*r*sin(theta)
If we let (m*a)/pi = U*R*R where R is the radius of a cylinder we're interested in:
PHI = -U*cos(theta)*(r - (R*R)/r)
PSI = U*sin(theta)*(r - (R*R)/r)
Note the streamline where PSI = 0, r = R is taken as the surface of a cylinder of radius R. We can do this because streamlines run parallel to the flow, meaning no flow crosses the streamline, just like no fluid can cross a solid (non-permeable) boundary; therefore, any streamline in an invisicd flow field can be considered a solid boundary. All streamlines for PSI > 0 give the inviscid flowfield over the cylinder.
Streamlines exist inside the cylinder (from the doublet) as seen below, but we neglect these. We can also determine the stagnation point for the flow by finding the velocity from the potential function and streamfunction and noting where it equals zero. By combining other potential flows in a similar manner, we can examine inviscid flow around other objects.
And that's potential flow. Tune in next week when we'll look into the third major governing equation of fluid mechanics - the energy equation.
Monday, September 26, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Being a Responsible Receiver
It's another Money Monday here at the blog and the final installment of "Giving Gifts without Going Broke." So far in this series we've talked about some gift-giving basics, as well as cost-effective purchased and homemade gift ideas. Today, we'll be examining the other side of the coin- how we can be responsible receivers.
While we may not be in a position that requires us to find most cost-effective ways to give, we must be consious of the fact that others may be. There are two major aspects to being a "responsible receiver":
Being PROACTIVE
The proactive receiver realizes ahead of gift-giving-time the financial situation of those on his/her list. To help the giver avoid the awkward conversation of, "I can't afford to buy you x, y, or z this year," the receiver develops a gift list for the giver that falls well within his/her budget limitations, noting possible cost-effective solutions, such as specifying whether or not a used product is acceptable. If the giver is particularly strapped for cash, a proactive receiver also may suggest having a homemade holiday or "alternative" gift ideas.
For instance:
"I really want some of the Manheim Steamroller Christmas CDs...I usually find used - good condition ones on Amazon for a decent price."
"I would love a night out with Mr. Poe...the best gift ever would be a few nights of free dog-sitting."
Being RETROACTIVE
The retroactive receiver may not realize a financial situation until after gifts have been exchanged. He/she gratefully accepts whatever token is presented, keeping in mind that it's the thought that counts and, as Paul told the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20:35, "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
For instance:
Gifts often given to parents by their small children (like small porcelain figurines from the dollar tree) are accepted readily and thankfully...we should simulate this behavior.
While we're discussing that this attitude is important for the recipient of an obvious "giving without going broke" gift, the role of the retroactive receiver is surely not limited to this group of individuals. We should all be thankful for everything we have been given, realizing that love and service to/from those around us (and to/from God) are so much more important than stuff.
While we may not be in a position that requires us to find most cost-effective ways to give, we must be consious of the fact that others may be. There are two major aspects to being a "responsible receiver":
Being PROACTIVE
The proactive receiver realizes ahead of gift-giving-time the financial situation of those on his/her list. To help the giver avoid the awkward conversation of, "I can't afford to buy you x, y, or z this year," the receiver develops a gift list for the giver that falls well within his/her budget limitations, noting possible cost-effective solutions, such as specifying whether or not a used product is acceptable. If the giver is particularly strapped for cash, a proactive receiver also may suggest having a homemade holiday or "alternative" gift ideas.
For instance:
"I really want some of the Manheim Steamroller Christmas CDs...I usually find used - good condition ones on Amazon for a decent price."
"I would love a night out with Mr. Poe...the best gift ever would be a few nights of free dog-sitting."
Being RETROACTIVE
The retroactive receiver may not realize a financial situation until after gifts have been exchanged. He/she gratefully accepts whatever token is presented, keeping in mind that it's the thought that counts and, as Paul told the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20:35, "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
For instance:
Gifts often given to parents by their small children (like small porcelain figurines from the dollar tree) are accepted readily and thankfully...we should simulate this behavior.
While we're discussing that this attitude is important for the recipient of an obvious "giving without going broke" gift, the role of the retroactive receiver is surely not limited to this group of individuals. We should all be thankful for everything we have been given, realizing that love and service to/from those around us (and to/from God) are so much more important than stuff.
Friday, September 23, 2011
MrsDrPoe: My Home Away from Home
Once again Foto Friday is upon us! This week I traveled to the wonderful town of Starkville to present my dissertation proposal. Thankfully, I obtained my committee's approval for my presentation; then I spent the rest of this week researching, relaxing, and reminiscing.
Tuesday night I attended the weekly meeting of the Campus Bible Students
where we heard a great lesson on the beginning of James from Mr. Bethea. If you're in the Starkville area on a Tuesday evening, be sure to stop by the Union:
at 7pm to hear a portion of God's word...all are welcome- college student or otherwise. After the study, Ms. K. Davis and Ms. M. Davis walked with me over to the Chapel of Memories:
and allowed me to recount Mr. Poe's proposal oh so many years ago.
It has been so nice to get out of the city for a little while. I mean look at this:
How beautiful is this place? Coming back here to my "home away from home" to all my "family away from family" reminds me of Mark 10:29-30:
So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time-- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions-- and in the age to come, eternal life."
Amen.
Tuesday night I attended the weekly meeting of the Campus Bible Students
where we heard a great lesson on the beginning of James from Mr. Bethea. If you're in the Starkville area on a Tuesday evening, be sure to stop by the Union:
at 7pm to hear a portion of God's word...all are welcome- college student or otherwise. After the study, Ms. K. Davis and Ms. M. Davis walked with me over to the Chapel of Memories:
and allowed me to recount Mr. Poe's proposal oh so many years ago.
It has been so nice to get out of the city for a little while. I mean look at this:
How beautiful is this place? Coming back here to my "home away from home" to all my "family away from family" reminds me of Mark 10:29-30:
So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time-- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions-- and in the age to come, eternal life."
Amen.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Causing Others to Stumble
Today is Theology Thursday, so as always, I'm inviting you to open up your Bibles as we look at some passages of God's word.
Last week I was in a ladies study where our friend Mr. Holley guided a us through Luke 17. Since that study, I've been thinking a lot about the first four verses of the chapter:
Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, that that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.
In this passage, Jesus acknowledges the fact that men are not perfect and that they will occasionally stumble; however, He also notes that if this offense or stumbling was caused by a person, it would've been better that person would be dead than that to cause this offense. This may seem a bit odd and extreme, but it definitely shows us just how great our responsibility is to those around us.
We should always try to be aware of our brethren and their weaknesses so that we don't cause another to sin because of something we did. This requires us to really get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ- on a much deeper level that we often do, but it also requires us to be willing to give up our 'rights.' Paul shows us this in 1 Cor 8 where he declares in verse 13, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."
If we continue in the Luke passage however, Jesus commands His disciples to rebuke those who stumble and forgive those who repent...essentially as many times as they come to us in repentance. If we compare these commands to what Jesus said immediately before them, we can see that by not rebuking a brother and allowing him to continue in sin or by not forgiving a brother who has repented we are causing him to stumble!
We can see both sides of the coin by examining Paul's letters to the Corinthians. In 1 Cor 5, Paul scolds the Christians there for allowing sin to continue in the church in regard to the man who was with his father's wife. Many believe that in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is again scolding the church there for not forgiving this same man after they had rebuked him and he repented (2 Cor 2). In both cases, the church at Corinth was causing the/a man to stumble instead of caring for his soul as they should have been; as do we when we fail to rebuke and forgive.
Last week I was in a ladies study where our friend Mr. Holley guided a us through Luke 17. Since that study, I've been thinking a lot about the first four verses of the chapter:
Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, that that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.
In this passage, Jesus acknowledges the fact that men are not perfect and that they will occasionally stumble; however, He also notes that if this offense or stumbling was caused by a person, it would've been better that person would be dead than that to cause this offense. This may seem a bit odd and extreme, but it definitely shows us just how great our responsibility is to those around us.
We should always try to be aware of our brethren and their weaknesses so that we don't cause another to sin because of something we did. This requires us to really get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ- on a much deeper level that we often do, but it also requires us to be willing to give up our 'rights.' Paul shows us this in 1 Cor 8 where he declares in verse 13, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."
If we continue in the Luke passage however, Jesus commands His disciples to rebuke those who stumble and forgive those who repent...essentially as many times as they come to us in repentance. If we compare these commands to what Jesus said immediately before them, we can see that by not rebuking a brother and allowing him to continue in sin or by not forgiving a brother who has repented we are causing him to stumble!
We can see both sides of the coin by examining Paul's letters to the Corinthians. In 1 Cor 5, Paul scolds the Christians there for allowing sin to continue in the church in regard to the man who was with his father's wife. Many believe that in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is again scolding the church there for not forgiving this same man after they had rebuked him and he repented (2 Cor 2). In both cases, the church at Corinth was causing the/a man to stumble instead of caring for his soul as they should have been; as do we when we fail to rebuke and forgive.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
MrsDrPoe: Green Beans with Tomato and Onion
It's that time again folks- What's for Dinner Wednesday. On tonight's menu is a side dish that uses up some of the last of the summer's bounty*: green beans with tomato and onion.
Ingredients: 1 medium tomato, 2 handfuls of green beans, 1/8th of a medium onion, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (not pictured), salt and pepper (not pictured):
Serve alongside your favorite main dish.
*You could also substitute canned beans for a healthier alternative to green bean casserole during the holidays.
What are you having for supper tonight?
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