MrsDrPoe: Sisters

Another week has come to a close, which means it's Foto Friday here on the blog!  Today I'd like to share with you some more pictures of our girls- last night Sascha actually laid down with Layla.  We were amazed that after almost three years, they're finally beginning to act a little more like sisters:

 

   

Did anything unexpected happen for you this week?

MrsDrPoe: When Is It Right to Do Wrong?

Another Theology Thursday has snuck up on us, and as always, I invite you to open your Bibles as we look at a portion of God's word.

Today we'll be looking at Mark 1:39-45.  In this passage, we see that as Jesus is going about the countryside teaching in synagogues, a leper comes to Him begging to be cleansed.  He realizes as we see in v. 40 that Jesus has the power to heal and if He is only willing, his disease will be cleansed.

Jesus reaches out and touches the man before cleansing him, showing His compassion through something that the leper hadn't experienced in a long time.  Then He speaks, and the man is healed.  Before He sends the man away, Jesus commands that the man not tell anyone.  Instead of listening to Jesus, the man "proclaims" the matter "freely" and "spreads" it.

It's been suggested that Jesus is using reverse psychology here, but there is no evidence for this conclusion- throughout scripture, God and Christ 'say what They mean and mean what They say.'  Thus, this man blatantly disobeyed the Lord.  We may think, "he was just tyring to spread the good news about Jesus."  Well, maybe, but he was doing it in a way that was in direct contrast to the command Jesus gave him.  This begs the question:

When is it EVER right to do wrong?

The answer, of course is never.  Not 'when it's in my best interest,' or 'when I don't understand why it's wrong' (Prov 14:12), or 'when I disagree' - NEVER.

So what does this mean for us?  First, we should strive to study the Bible in its entirety without bias, examining what God has given and not given authority for.  Then we must apply His teaching to our lives, even if it's difficult.

MrsDrPoe: Pasta Salad

It's time for our What's for Dinner Wednesday post.  Tonight's dish works well cold, hot, or room temperature...as a side or the main course: Pasta Salad.

Ingredients: 1 box of hearty pasta noodles (Rotini, Penne, etc.), 2 Roma tomatoes,  1/4 of a medium onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1-2 cups of Italian dressing.

Chop the tomatoes, pepper, and onion up finely and place in a gallon-sized zipper storage bag with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the dressing.  Seal the bag and shake it up to coat the veggies with the dressing.  Place the bag in the fridge while you make the pasta (or longer; I let mine marinade overnight):

Cook the pasta and allow to cool.  Put the pasta in the bag with the veggies and add the remaining desired amount of dressing (1/2 to 1 1/2 cups).  Seal the bag again and gently shake/massage to evenly distribute the veggies and coat the pasta with dressing.  Refrigerate, serve, or reheats as desired.  Enjoy!

 

The colors in this dish make it a great candidate for a holiday side-dish!

MrsDrPoe: The Rudes

It's time for another edition of Poes' Pals here on the blog!  This morning, I'd like to introduce you to another wonderful family from Starkville...the Rudes:

We've known the Rudes for approximately seven years, and we can attest to the fact that, contrary to what their last name might suggest, they are some of the most caring and friendly folks we know!

Dr. Rude is a professor in the Animal and Dairy Science at Mississippi State University (Mrs. Luke actually had him for a class; she and others have told us that Dr. Rude is a great teacher and his classes were enjoyable and informative).  He is also a great Bible teacher, presenting material in a way that encourages participation.   

Mrs. Rude often teaches French at East Mississippi Community College (we've heard great things about her and her teaching from friends too).  She is one of the most selfless people I've ever met, constantly being aware of the needs and desires of others and striving to help out in whatever way she can.

Ms. Rude may come across as shy when you first meet her, but she is a very spirited, fun-loving, and spiritually minded young woman.  One of my very fondest memories of her is when she went with Ms. K. Davis, Ms. M. Davis, and me to a ladies Bible study in Birmingham- oh what a great time we had!

As you're probably tired of hearing me say, we miss our Starkville family very much, and we hope that if you're ever in the area you'll have an opportunity to meet some of the fine people there!

MrsDrPoe: The First Law of Thermodynamics, Part 6

Hello and welcome to Thesis Tuesday on the blog!  As promised, today we will be finishing our look at the first law of thermodynamics by applying the differential form of the first law to an example problem.

Problem: A liquid is flowing downward along an inclined plane surface, as shown in the figure:

The free liquid surface (y = h) is maintained at temperature Th, and the solid surface (y = 0) is maintained at To.  Determine an expression for the temperature distribution in the film, recognizing that the viscous heating effects can be ignored.

Given: non-isothermal film flow, T(0) = T0 and T(h) = Th
Find: An expression for the temperature distribution in the fluid film
Assumptions: steady, laminar, incompressible, Newtonian fluid, ignore viscous heating effects, constant thermal conductivity, assume T = f(y), constant properties
Solution: 


Starting with the general form of the differential energy equation for an incompressible Newtonian fluid:

rho*cp*(d/dt(T) + u*d/dx(T) + v*d/dy(T) + w*d/dz(T)) = -(d/dx(qx) + d/dy(qy) + d/dz(qz)) + mu*Phiv

Steady flow eliminates the first term on the left side; the last term on the right side is eliminated because we are ignoring viscous heating effects.

rho*cp*(u*d/dx(T) + v*d/dy(T) + w*d/dz(T)) = -(d/dx(qx) + d/dy(qy) + d/dz(qz))

Our assumption of laminar flow means that v = w = 0; the first term on the left side is also zero since T is in not a function of x:

0 = (d/dx(qx) + d/dy(qy) + d/dz(qz))

The flux terms can be related to the temperature gradient using Fourier's law:

qx = k*d/dx(T), qy = k*d/dy(T), and qz = k*d/dz(T)

Furthermore, since the thermal conductivity (k) is constant, our energy equation becomes:

0 = k*(d/dx(d/dx(T)) + d/dy(d/dy(T)) + d/dz(d/dz(T)))

We can divide both sides by k; the first and third terms cancel since T is not a function of x or z:

0 = d/dy(d/dy(T))

If we separate and integrate this equation twice, we end up with the expression:

T(y) = c1*y + c2

We can solve for c1 and c2 by applying the given boundary conditions at 0 and h:

c2 = T0 and c1 = (Th - T0)/h

So we now know the expression that shows us the temperature distribution in the fluid film:

T(y) = (Th - T0)/h*y + T0

Not so bad, huh?  Next week we'll begin anew with a fresh subject, but until then, happy studying!

MrsDrPoe: Oil Rebate

Happy Money Monday to you all!  There are some great deals going on this week all over the place, but I'd like to start you off with a deal on oil and filters at Autozone...for those of you you change your own or have a do-it-yourselfer on your Christmas list:

Through November 14th, buy any 5 quart jug or 5 single quarts of Castrol and get $7 back with a mail in rebate.

Currently there are 5 quarts + filter combos on sale starting at $12.99.

MrsDrPoe: Highlights from the Week's Beginning

Happy Foto Friday to you all!  The past seven days have been filled to the brim...here are the highlights from the beginning of the week:

I went to Ikea for the first time with Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Clark.  It was a grand trip with fantastic company!  I got all sorts of decoration and storage ideas and had the tastiest (and cheapest) Swedish Meatball meal I may have ever eaten:

And as you know, Monday was October 31 AKA...

1) Halloween.  We celebrated by giving out some candy (to the three trick-or-treaters we had before Bible study) and with hot cocoa from our cauldron mugs Mama Wolgemuth gave us:

2) the Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Brodrecht.  The day marked three years of marital bliss for Mr. Poe's sister and hubs.  Yay!

What adventures did you have this week? 

MrsDrPoe: Our Lord and Savior

Today marks another Theology Thursday here on the blog.  As usual, please open you Bibles with me as we look at a portion of God's word.

There are several passages in the New Testament that refer to Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior (Lk 2:11, Ph 3:20, Tts 1:4, 2 Pet 1:11, 2:20, 3:2, 3:18, etc.), but what does that mean to us?

Savior 

This word in the Greek is soter (root word: sozo, meaning "to save"), and it's defined by Thayer as "savior, deliverer; preserver."

It's very easy to see how Jesus is our Savior- He sacrificed Himself on the cross, bearing our sins, so that we may have forgiveness from them...something the blood of bulls and goats could not take away (Heb 10:4).

The thought of having a savior of some kind is pleasing to most if not all people.  We don't want to be hurt; we want to be comfortable, and if someone can give that to us, we gladly welcome him.  As Christians, however, we must not forget that the salvation Jesus provides us is not necessarily from the physical pains of this world- we will see trials and persecutions.  He has saved us from the tyranny of sin and spiritual death.

Lord 

This word in the Greek is kyrios (root word: kuros, meaning "supremacy"), and it's defined by Thayer as "he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has the power of deciding; master, lord.

Throughout the gospels, we find examples of Jesus' supremacy over all things in both the physical and spiritual realms: storms (Mark 4:35-41), leprosy (Mark 1:40-45), paralysis (Mark 2:1-12), demons (Mark 5:1-20), death (Mark 5:21-43), etc.  

All too often, however, we simply think of "Lord" as a synonym for "Jesus."  While the two can be used interchangeably, we must realize that the nuances of this terminology.  Jesus is to be our Master, which makes us His servants.  As servants, we must strive to do the will of our Master always- servitude isn't an 8-5 job.


As Mr. Holley always says- everyone wants a "Savior," but most don't want a "Lord."  It is imperative that we, as Christians, keep in mind that Jesus is both our Lord and Savior...we have been saved from sin to serve the Master of all things (Rom 6:1-7)- the True and Living God!

MrsDrPoe: Lemon Pepper Tilapia

It's What's for Dinner Wednesday again, and I'm hungry! Tonight I'll be sharing another one of Mr. Poe's favorite dishes, Lemon Pepper Tilapia.

Ingredients (per person): 1 Tilapia fillet, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning.

Place fillet on a piece of aluminum foil, and sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning over it. Bring the left and right sides of the foil together over the fish and fold or roll up. Then seal the far end of the foil pocket by rolling or folding up that end:

Carefully pour the lemon juice in through the open end of the foil, and fully seal the pouch by rolling or folding up this end. Place on a cookie sheet (in case the juice leaks), and bake the fish at 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until the fillet transforms from transparent to white and flaky:



Mr. Poe and I love to also put sliced bell pepper and cherry tomatoes in our Tilapia pouches, and we serve it over rice (the juice makes a great "gravy"). Enjoy!

MrsDrPoe: The Love and Respect Experience

It's time for another Reading Review here on the blog.  Today I present to you another book that I received free from BookSneeze: "The Love and Respect Experience: A Husband-friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

As the subtitle suggests, this book is comprised of 52 devotionals geared toward helping couples improve their marriages through growing together in Christ.  Each devotional is about three pages long and focuses on applying a verse or two from a particular Bible passage to marriage.  There are discussion questions for each devotional in the appendices, as well as contact information for counselors and a summary of Dr. Eggerichs' "Three Cycles of Love and Respect."

I enjoyed reading through this work and would recommend it to anyone even considering marriage.  The idea of husbands growing in love for their wives and wives in respect for their husbands is an often difficult-to-implement command of God, but it's one that the prayer and activity suggestions presented in the book will help with tremendously.  I did not, however, care for the thirtieth devotional, which essentially said, "tell everyone to buy my book."  Also, most of the ideas presented are directly from scripture, but as with any spiritual book, I recommend reading with an open Bible, since there is no substitute for the Word itself.

Since this is a couple's devotional, I asked Mr. Poe to examine the book too.  He thought that this work was well-written and that it contained useful activities and information throughout the book and its appendices.  He found it to connect real-life application to Biblical principals very well, but he did not appreciate Dr. Eggerichs' constant use of his own marriage as an example.

MrsDrPoe: The First Law of Thermodynamics, Part 5

Happy Thesis Tuesday to you all!  Today we'll be continuing our discussion of the First Law of Thermodynamics by examining its final form- the differential form.  For an incompressible, Newtonian fluid in Cartesian coordinates, this is:

rho*cp*(d/dt(T) + u*d/dx(T) + v*d/dy(T) + w*d/dz(T)) = -(d/dx(qx) + d/dy(qy) + d/dz(qz)) + mu*Phiv

where

qx = d/dx(k*T), etc.

Phiv = 2*((d/dx(u))*(d/dx(u)) + (d/dy(v))*(d/dy(v)) + (d/dz(w))*(d/dz(w))) + (d/dx(v) + d/dy(u))*(d/dx(v) + d/dy(u)) + (d/dy(w) + d/dz(v))*(d/dy(w) + d/dz(v)) + (d/dx(w) + d/dz(u))*(d/dx(w) + d/dz(u)) - (2/3)*(d/dx(u) + d/dy(v) + d/dz(w))*(d/dx(u) + d/dy(v) + d/dz(w))

Typically, Phiv is neglected.  It is only important for flows with large velocity gradients or very large viscosities.  Furthermore, it should be noted that if the fluid has a constant thermal conductivity, the first term on the right-hand side of the equation becomes:

(d/dx(qx) + d/dy(qy) + d/dz(qz)) = k*(d/dx(d/dx(T)) + d/dy(d/dy(T)) + d/dz(d/dz(T)))

So the final equation that we will be dealing with is:

 

rho*cp*(d/dt(T) + u*d/dx(T) + v*d/dy(T) + w*d/dz(T)) = -k*(d/dx(d/dx(T)) + d/dy(d/dy(T)) + d/dz(d/dz(T)))

In these equations, T is the temperature of the fluid and q is the heat flux.  Next week we'll conclude our look at the first law with an example employing this differential equation. 

 

MrsDrPoe: Spooky Drug Store Deals, 10/31

Happy Halloween and merry Money Monday to you all!  There are some great deals going on at the drug stores this week-

CVS

American Greetings Cards ($0.99) - get back $3 in ECBs wyb 3
Illy Coffee Drink ($2.00) - free with CVS kiosk coupon


Purchase $30 worth of selected items, get a $10 giftcard deal:
Gain Detergent ($5.94) - $2/1 SS 9/11
AirWick Refill ($4.99) - $1/1 SS 9/18
Pantene Shampoo ($3.49) - $3/2 RP 9/25
CoverGirl Powder ($5.99) - B1G1 50% off, $8/2 PG 10/02
(I bought 2 detergents, 1 scented oil refill, 2 shampoos, and 2 powders)


Total Regular Price: $53.66
Total Coupons and Sales: $30.79
Total ECBs Used: $9.00
Total OOP: $13.87
Total ECBs Back: $3, plus $10 Applebee's giftcard


Wags

Ricola Dual Action Cough Drops ($2) - get back $2 in RR, get a second pack of your choice of Ricola drops SS 10/02
Crest ProHealth Toothpaste ($3.50) - get $5 back in RR wyb 2, $1/1 in PG 10/02 and 10/30
Magnetic picture frames ($1.69) - on clearance for $0.84!


Total Regular Price: $20.65
Total Coupons and Sales: $11.06
Total RR Used: $4.00
Total OOP: $5.59
Total RR Back: $7.00

MrsDrPoe: New Friends

This Foto Friday on the blog, I'd like to show you a cute picture of the new friendships that were made this weekend:

Lou Grantham met Layla and Sascha.  They got along pretty well- as long as Penny wasn't in the room.  How exciting for the girls to have a new doggie friend!

MrsDrPoe: Teaching Children

Once again it's Theology Thursday on the blog, and as always, I invite you to open your Bibles as we look at another portion of God's word.

A few years ago in Starkville, the theme of the ladies' summer Bible class was 'teaching more difficult Bible passages to children.'  Many of us younger ladies learned a lot from those who have had much experience in this area through teaching both their own children and others'.  After much waiting, learning, and praying, last Sunday I had my first experience in a children's Bible class.  It went well, and I'm very excited to learn more about teaching young minds what God has revealed to us through His word from the lead teacher.

While some people may view teaching Biblical truths to children in a negative light, preferring instead to 'let them make their own spiritual decisions,' this idea is contrary to the Biblical model.  In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, the Israelites are commanded, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  This passage points out the great effort with which they were to strive to continually teach their children through both word and example.

Although this command was given as part of the Old Law, passages in the New Testament clearly demonstrate that it applies to Christians under the New Law too.  For instance, Ephesians 6:4 says, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."  Clearly, teaching our children things of a spiritual nature is important to God, and as such, it should be important to us as well.

Suppose someone wanted his/her (young) children to make their own academic decisions.  How many kids would choose recess or staying home over learning how to count or multiply or work with fractions?  Obviously not everyone will enter a math-intensive field, but we teach our kids basic math because we see that these skills are important.  And math is important...but the word of God is so much more so!

Ultimately, our children will make their own decisions about whether or not they will follow the Lord, just as they will make their own decisions about pursuing a career in engineering or public relations.  However, this fact does not negate our responsibility to teach our children the Bible.  Our refusal to do so is not just 'allowing our children to make their own spiritual decisions' or even 'taking the easy way out'- it's blatantly choosing to disobey a command from God.  I encourage you all whether you're a parent or not to join me and help teach our children about Jesus and what He did for us all!

MrsDrPoe: Garden's Bounty Pasta

It's Wednesday once again, and tonight I'd like to share with you my Garden's Bounty Pasta.  This dish is a quick vegetarian meal that works well with whatever veggies you have on-hand.

Ingredients: pasta (go healthy with wheat!), 1 zucchini, a handful of green beans, 1/4 of a medium onion, 1/2 - 1 cup of pasta sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil (not pictured), 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (not pictured), mozzarella cheese (not pictured), and salt and pepper (not pictured).

While the pasta is cooking, chop up the veggies and toss them in a large skillet with the oil and seasonings:

Cook the veggies until just tender, then add the pasta sauce.  Serve the veggie sauce over the noodles with some mozzarella cheese:

Enjoy!