At Just The Right Time

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:6



Humans are notoriously stupid.  We were given a simple rule: stay away from that tree; and we couldn’t even do that.  Adam and Eve made a grave mistake, literally.  They listened to the first lie, and committed the first act of rebellion.  And as punishment, God kicked them out of His garden.  He told them the consequences of their actions: pain, toilsome work, death.  They were no longer free to walk with Him.  Now they were slaves to their own sin.

But He didn’t leave them hopeless.  He gave them a promise: the promise of a savior.  A man would be born with the single purpose of defeating the Devil and Death.

But, humans are also very impatient.  Adam and Eve were certain that their first son, Cain, was the man.  But he wasn’t.  Neither was his brother, or their grandson, or their great-grandson.  Noah wasn’t.  Neither was Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob.  Or Moses, Joshua, Gideon, or Samson.  Even David, the man after God’s own heart, failed to be the fulfillment of God’s first promise of salvation.

So humans tried everything in their power to “help” God along.  Prayers, sacrifices, music, rituals, and more; all were worthless in the endeavor to save us from ourselves.  We were powerless.  We were doomed.  We were certain we had failed.

We were wrong.

At just the right time God sent “the Man.”  It wasn’t when we thought was best, but when God knew was best.

The temple had been destroyed, the Ark of the Covenant lost, the Children of Israel scattered.  The Presence of God had apparently abandoned His people.  All hope was lost.  It was at that moment that humanity was most ready for God’s perfect Hope.

We were powerless, so God sent His Son, who had the power to control the waves, to raise the dead, to command the demonic.

The Son of Man, who lived the perfect life we could not.  Who died the just death we deserve.  And who took Death with Him into the tomb, so that it might be buried there, unable to touch us.

We were powerless slaves, but now we, through Christ, we are free to be Children of God.



Father,
Sometimes we can be very impatient.  We come to you with prayers, expecting You to save us right now.  But sometimes you make us wait.  Help us to realize why we must wait, and to have the patience to endure, so that Your Will may be done in Your time.
Amen

Four down, 170 days to go.

Well, I survived my first week as a teacher.

And it was exhausting.  There's still some (okay, a lot) of things that still are "in progress," but for the most part this has been good.  I'm still trying to establish myself and figure out how best to teach these kids.  They're dragging their scholastic feet a little, especially regarding reading.  Of the 21 students I work with, five or six seem to really enjoy reading.  And it seems my best reader is one of the 5th graders.  I assign two chapters and she reads seven.  On Tuesday I gave my kids (the 7th and 8th graders) a simple assessment to see what they remember.  I've done this before.  On the quiz was a map of the US, which I had them label as best they could.  Well, like last time it didn't work too well.  Only one did better than 90%.  Yesterday I gave them another states quiz, but this time three got 100% and five got over 90%.  Maybe there's hope for them yet.  Despite realizing there is more to do than I expected, I think I can handle it.

Greeting from Little Egypt, on the banks of the lovely Mississippi River

Sorry it has been so long, but its finally here: the first Terminal Introvert post from outside Nebraska!  This means two things.  One) I have a teaching job.  And two) I'll need to buy some Husker shirts.

I've been really busy getting my classroom set up, so I won't be posting a lot for the rest of the month.  Sorry to tease.  But here's the gist: my first day teaching is August 20th.  The school is Trinity Lutheran School in a community known locally as Prairie, just outside Red Bud, Illinois.  The church was founded in 1847.  The class I will be in charge of is 7th and 8th grade in a combined semi-self-contained classroom.  That means I have them for most of the classes, trading only for music and math, which is fine.  There will be, according the the latest count, nine 8th graders and two 7th graders.  Oh, and when my kids go for math, I take the 5th and 6th and do English.  And I have to get ready to coordinate a science fair.  And lead a class trip to Washington D.C. at the end of the year.  And rebuild the literature selection for four grades.  And create curriculum for all of my classes from scratch, which this year includes theology, biology, early American history, vocabulary, Illinois government, art, and physical education.  And I may get to lead youth Bible studies a couple Sundays a month.  Its exhausting just writing all that.

Commissioning and installation is this upcoming Sunday, August 11th.  Thank God He brought me this far.

Happy 237th Birthday America!

How about a little "This day in history?"
1776: The Declaration of Independence is approved by the Second Continental Congress, and signed by a few members.
1826: Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, former presidents, die on the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
1831: James Monore, an anti-federalist who created the "Monroe Doctrine," died, becoming the third president in a row to do so.
1872: Just shy of the Centennial, Calvin Coolidge, 30th President (and one of the best) was born.

However, if I want to be nit-picky (and I do), July 2 is when we officially declared independence from Great Britain.  You see, that's when Congress voted in favor of the Lee Resolution, which proposed that we declare independence and break away completely from Britain.  The document that would be signed by Congress was completed on July 4, and (possibly) signed by at least four members: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock.  The remainder of the signatures would be added by August 2.

The most well known and often quoted line is "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  And despite the insanity going on in our great nation, this core truth of America remains.  Have we strayed from what the Founding Fathers' intended?  Undeniable yes.  But we, as a nation, have not failed.

We just need to remember where we came from.    Our history, which is not yet long, is worth remembering.  Few know the reasons why the Revolutionary War started, or what Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation meant.  We are ashamed of our recent history.  We teach our children that America is not exceptional (which it is).  The idea of the "melting pot" is rejected, despite all the evidence to prove it is true.  The buzzwords are "political correctness," "democracy," and "social justice."  People are made to believe that our great nation is a "democracy."  We are not, thank God; we are a republic.  And because we are a republic, where the Constitution is the basis of our laws, I can thank God.  The Founders were wise men, creating a government were the key document has built-in flexibility, allowing the people (or their elected representatives) to made updates or adjustments.

We still are a great nation, in fact I believe we may be the greatest nation on Earth.  Just look at how we throw a birthday party.  Some are quite simple, while others are big affairs.  The celebration in "Nebraska's Fourth of July City," Seward, is particularly noteworthy.  I've lived with my family in this town of 6,000-some for six years now, and every Fourth of July is incredible.  Overnight, the population booms to close to 40,000.  This morning the boys and I walked down town to check out the crowd.  No doubt in my mind that at least 8,000 were in the square alone.  There were probably three dozen tents set up as small craft shops.  Fifty cars were parked on main street, ranging from new muscle cars to classics.  There was even a 1907 Ford.  Not to mention the food vendors, most especially the barbecue.  Probably the most fun, and in my mind the best example of why we are the greatest nation, was the game of tug-of-war we watched.  Two teams of three firemen lined up, each with a fire hose.  The goal: push a suspended patriotic painted barrel down a zip line.  Simple, if wet, fun.  Later tonight will be the fireworks, which are always impressive.  Don't believe me?  Check out the website for the event: http://www.julyfourthseward.com/.

So yeah, some patriotic rambling for you Independence Day reading.

Test Drive of a Work-In-Progress Novel

Sorry for the sporadicalness of my blogging.  Lots happening in life and not enough patience to be witty.  To keep occupied, I've been working on one of my many stories.  And since I'm bored, I'm gonna post the prologue.

How about some background first?  I get ideas for stories from all sorts of things: pictures, other stories, music, movies, real life, even mythology.  Compared to a few of my other ideas, this one is very "young."  The inspiration for it came in 2009 while borrowing a computer on campus. When working on papers I like to have background music playing.  And sometimes that leads to a short trip "down the rabbit hole" chasing links to other artists and songs.  That's how I found some very powerful and inspirational music, but that's for a later post.  What I stumbled upon this particular time was a fan-modified version of a commercial for the video game Halo 3.  I've played a little of the original Halo and its sequel, so I was interested.  On the sidebar were "suggested" videos, including a few cutscenes from the game.  So I watched them. That's when the journey began.

The end result was discovering how much the makers of the game like symbolism, especially the number 7.  However, the scene that inspired me lead to a research of Carolingian legend.  For those that don't know (scoff if you want, there there's a few of us out there who don't live for video games), the main character of the game of Halo is a super-soldier known as Master Chief.  He's assisted by an artificial intelligence computer program named Cortana.  Now, I really don't care for the reason the game designers came up with her character, I'm more interested in her name.  You see, Cortana, or Curtana, is the sword of Ogier the Dane, a paladin of Emperor Charlemagne.  His legend is somewhat interesting, including an appearance by none other than Morgan le Fey, the queen of Avalon in Arthurian legend.

Back to the game, though.  In the third game Cortana is captured.  And the mission is to rescue her.  What I watched was the cutscene following the mission.  It was a conversation between the two main characters.  What got me intrigued, and inspired, was the last line before fade-to-black.  You see, Cortana has a special "flash drive" that plugs into the Master Chief's armor.  After being connected, she says he should be careful because "there's two of us in here now."

Now, I grew up on Star Wars, so having robots helping people wasn't anything new to me.  But this was one of the most humanlike partnerships I had encountered.  And it got me wondering: what would happen if a super-advanced artificial intelligence computer program wanted to be a real person?  (As I type this I realize that this is somewhat parallel to Pinocchio, but that story really didn't inspire my idea at all.)

Here's where I took off running.  So, I want to make a story where the computer program becomes human.  But first, what makes us human, and how do I get a computer program into a human body?  The path to solving those issues included things that I hope never actually happen, since there would be significant ethical and theological repercussions.  In my searching for possible solutions to these, I stumbled upon a Greek myth about a sculptor who's creation comes to life.  Basically, that's what's going on in this story.  I knew how it started and how it would end.

Now I needed a plot, and characters.  And being a fan of aircraft, and Star Wars, it was logical that my main character be a pilot.  The fun, and frustrating, part of creating a story like this is inventing all sorts of new things.  I have a list of at least a hundred aircraft that could be seen in the story, but probably won't be.  That's one of the fun things about working on the background for stories.  I have the opportunity to discover an entire new world and it is my duty to decide what to show everyone else.  Some stuff will never make it into the story, and that's okay.

Anyway, I've rambled for a while and still haven't gotten to what I'm posting.  So here it is.  First is the "back of the book" blurb that everyone reads to see if the book is interesting.  I would include cover art, if it existed.  And I'd tell you the title, but I don't have one picked yet.  I have some ideas, but nothing more than a name to place on the folder all the documents are stored in: Galatea.  If anyone thinks of one, let me know.

So, check out the back of the book.  If you like it, read the first few pages.  Maybe some day soon it will be on a book store shelf near you.

-

Captain Christopher Adamson, USAF, is assigned a new AI: an advanced Galatea series unit.

Like a child, this AI learns from him, though some “quirks” in ‘her’ personality lead him, and others, to wonder if ‘she’ could be considered human. Together, Adamson and his AI must fight prejudices, as well as continuing to function as members of the USAF.

When a crisis arises, they are put to the test. They are asked not only to defend the nation, but to take sides on a controversial issue: whether or not AI are human.

The question is… what makes us human?

-

Novitatem AI Systems

AI Core Programing Facility

Inglewood, California

- - -

Program: Galatea

Version: 1

Series: 272

Unit: 7X

Date: 18 August 2117

Daily General Report:

Galatea unit G1-272-7X has successfully passed all preliminary tests.  As with all other successful units of the program, Unit 7X has done so without failing a single task.  The unit is ready for Air Force testing at the joint DOD/Novitatem facility at Groom Lake.

It is still not known what happened on 12 August, but the core of Unit 7X does not appear to be damaged beyond superficially, nor is the programming showing any adverse effects.  The technician who was found following prompt reporting by the unit is recovering at the local hospital with only minor injuries.  A report will be submitted following review of the events leading up to 12 August.

Transfer of AI programing to processor core is scheduled to begin tomorrow.  Unit 7X will be ready to deliver within 6 days.

It should be noted that like all other units of the series, 7X has begun showing personality “quirks.”  Some of these are the desired characteristics requested by the Air Force, but a few are considered extraneous.  None yet appear to be detrimental to the primary functions of the unit.  It is quite possible that the events of 12 August are a “side effect” of these extraneous characteristics.  If that is the case it is suggested that program technicians do regular followup checks during Air Force testing.

Included for review are the daily progress reports.

Signed: Dr. Abraham Potter

- - -

Prologue

Despite being in a sealed room at the other end of a climate-controlled corridor, she knew what was going on in the doctor’s office.

There was no reason for her not to know; she had presented her opinions to Dr. Potter earlier this morning.  She knew he was writing up what would likely be his last daily report on her progress.

Glancing about her room, she sighs.  Despite hating the feel of this place, it is, in a sense, home.  Vital sign monitors softly beep in dark corners, their almost mournful tune echoing endlessly and emotionlessly.  It is a sad reminder of what she is.

Silently, she turns back to her work, and away from the tangled and distorted mirror image that has started to haunt her dreams.  On the monitor she quickly reviews her notes thus far before restarting the video.

The image on screen is of a field.  As the camera pans left, a large howitzer comes into view; its crew scurrying about like ants.

“The United States military had been using advanced computer for nearly two hundred years.  Most of these were simple tools that took the guess work out of targeting.”

As the narrator finishes speaking, the camera zooms in on one of the soldiers, who is using a simple, somewhat chunky looking, handheld computer.  After pressing the touchscreen a few times, he stepped over to the gun and adjusted a few knobs.  In less than two seconds he steps away and shouts an order.  The gun crew flies into action, loading their weapon and launching a shining projectile into the sky.

“About fifty years ago that changed with the advent of true ‘full immersion’ artificial intelligence.”  The image changes to that of a laboratory filled with computer banks and monitors.  Slowly, the camera moves through the rows of processors past workers diligently typing codes.  “While there had been many attempts to accomplish a functioning artificial intelligence unit for quite some time, this method was a breakthrough.”  The camera finally stops at a table.  On it is a simple opaque glass cylinder with cables attached to the top.  “The reason had to do with the original programming circuitry.  These new, true, AI units used actual cloned neurons as the basis for the circuits and programs.  This allowed for a computer that could actually and fully emulate a living brain.”

The image cuts to a man, who looks to be about 50, sitting in a chair in front of a large bookshelf.  A caption at the bottom reads: Dr. Philip R. Martin, PhD.

“One issue that scientist had to deal with was the ethics of using a partial cloned organ as, essentially, a computer circuit board.  It was this dilemma rather than the mechanics of it that kept the development of true artificial intelligence from happening.”

Pausing the video, she pulls up her notes document.  Is it unethical to use clones as computers?

The video restarts with an image of a scientist at a monitor, watching some sort of readout.

“The first experiments were simple ones.  Often times cloned chimpanzee neurons were the most successful, due to their ability to create unique solutions.  It did not take long for someone to suggest trying human neurons.”

The video now shows a hospital corridor.  The camera follows a doctor from a room to the nurse’s station.

“The problem was it was difficult to get cloned human neurons.  The few that were made were needed in high priority medical cases.”

The video image changes again, now with an MRI machine as the focal point.  It is obvious being used, since a pair of feet stick out of the end.  The focus on the image changes to show the scanner monitor in the MRI control room.

“In the mean time, the experiments with other neurons proved very successful, leading to the first AI units.  These were very simple machines, able to perform one or two tasks.  It did not take long for industry to find uses for them.  Often they were used in mundane jobs where human lives were at risk, such as assembly lines.”

The video switches back to Dr. Martin.

“These first AI units were what we call ‘human analogs.’  This means that they function at human levels of intelligence in a single distinct area.  Some of the most advanced analog AI can even be programmed to ‘think,’ so long as it is within their specific task area.”

As soon as the doctor finishes speaking the video cuts to show the entrance to a very utilitarian looking building.  The sign in front reads: United Engineering Corp.

“However, the quest for a true human emulating AI continued.  A number of companies tried to get a hold of human neurons, but access was limited.  Then, in 2082, a technician at United Engineering Corporation got a brilliant idea: why not use donated neurons.  All they had to do was acquire a brain donated to science and there would be plenty of neurons.”

The video pauses again.  This time she doesn’t write anything.  “How then were they allowed to make the jump from simple neurons to this?”

For a second she is tempted to turn around and face the thing haunting her.  Instead she goes back to the video.

“Needless to say, the test results were phenomenal.  The new AI, dubbed the Proteus, was leaps and bounds ahead of the competitors.  It was still a limited design, and only able to function well at a handful of tasks.”

The image changes to that of  submarine bridge.  Standing on the chart table is an eight inch tall metallic robot.  Using a grease pencil half as tall as itself, it traces a route, which the captain glances at before nodding.

“The military saw use for them, as advanced computers in vehicles such as submarines and aircraft.  The Proteus units proved a success.  They were competent and accurate.”

Dr. Martin appears on screen again.

“However, these AI were still only analogs.  The industry has yet to create a functional ‘human imitator.’  These more advanced AI actually function as a human would.  They can learn and be creative on a level that would rival any human.  There are a few experiments, but due to the complexity of the human thought process, duplicating it is, as of yet, impossible.”

She pauses the video one last time.  The time-stamp on it is July of 2094.  A year before the program started.  After closing down the video, document, and monitor, she wonders if the makers of that documentary know how much things have changed.

Under the unsleeping eyes of her imperfect reflection, she wonders how much of that is because of her.

Despite knowing it will likely haunt her dreams, she focuses on the only truly comforting sound in the room, in the whole world.

The only lullaby she’d ever known: the heartbeat of her own reflection.

Νίκη!

Been paying attention to "March Madness?"  I really haven't.  But there was a pretty big upset last Friday.  I wonder if you caught it?  It wasn't a big game, and it wasn't televised.  Actually, it didn't happen this year.  Or century.  Or even this millennium.  And to be honest, "game" is the wrong word. More like a "one-on-one" match, only the stakes were pretty high.  I doubt there's ever been a basketball game with even a tenth riding on it.

Two opponents in a winner-take-all battle to the death.  Except only one was in danger of death, and they both knew who it would be.  There were two ways it could go: the good guy decides to ignore the set rules and simply defeat the bad guy before starting; or the good guy dies, allowing the bad guy to win.  I was rooting for the good guy.

The good guy died.

WARNING- Incoming Greek Lesson: Νίκη (roughly transliterated: nikae) = victory.  Also name of Greek goddess of victory.  Shoe company "Nike" took this as their name.  "E" at the end much longer in sound, like the "Ei" in Eight.

For those who know, the "good guy" is Christ, and the "bad guy" is Satan.  "But wait," you say, "He won, didn't He?  Isn't that the whole reason for Easter?"  Yeah, it is.  But it wasn't so obvious that first Good Friday.

Everyone was dead sure He had lost.  (Pun intended.)  The Disciples were positive the reason Christ came was to drive out the Romans and restore the Davidic line and kingdom.  The Jewish leaders were positive He was a blasphemer.  The Romans thought He might be part of a new rebellious movement in an already rebellious province.  For the rest of the world, it seemed it was better that Christ had died.

Satan knew the truth.  He would have liked nothing better than to have killed Christ, permanently.  But he knew that wasn't possible.  He knew the very moment Christ stopped breathing that he lost.

Everyone else figured it out Sunday morning.

Χριστός ἀνέστη!  (Christ is Risen!)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.
1 John 4:9

Tomorrow is a big day for the Church.  In most churches around the world, we’re going to be celebrating and remembering Christ’s last meal with his disciples before His death.
This day tends to get overshadowed by Good Friday, which often is almost lost in the excitement of Easter.  Just a few days ago we heard of Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem, which was celebrated by hundreds, if not thousands.  A few weeks from now will be Pentecost.  A few months ago we were all excited about the birth of a new King.  I don’t care what anyone says, Christianity is not dull.

What do we have to be so excited about?  All this stuff happened thousands of years ago.  None of it matters today, right?

John and the other New Testament writers say it does matter.  The ‘Disciple Whom Jesus Loved’ simplifies the reason.  God sent Christ, His only Son “that we might live through Him.”

Yes, Christ came as a human.  Yes, He lived the perfect life we can’t.  Yes, He died as a sacrifice for us.  But what difference does that make.  Unless He rose again it means nothing.  There’s two important reasons why He had to come back to life.  One is to defeat Death.  Two is so that we might live.  Unless He lives, we can’t.

Paul says that through baptism we died with Christ.  Unless He came back to life, we cannot either.

But out God is not dead, He’s alive!  And because of that we live too.  We are called now to live through Him.  That means we are to go out into the world and teach people, with out words and actions, about Christ.

So start living.


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending your only Son to die for us do that we may live.  Help us to live for You in all we say and do.
Amen

(I wrote this devotion for the Emmanuel Lutheran Youth group on Wednesday, a half hour before the kids showed up.  So, that's why I claim tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, instead of it being yesterday.  Or today.  Or whenever it was in relation to when you're reading this.)

Why do you care?

John 21:22

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?  You must follow me.”

Before leaving for Home, Jesus took the time to help His friends fish one last time.  After that He treated them to a picnic breakfast.

As had been His method, Jesus took the time to teach the Disciples.  Since time was short, He wanted them to have every bit of important information possible.  He needed them to be ready for the upcoming hardships.

He singles out Peter, who is the unofficial leader of the crew.  The fisherman is loud and has a temper, so Jesus want to be sure he’s in the right spot.  After getting the answer, Jesus moves on.

But Peter has a question.  Jesus said that he’d suffer the same kind of fate that his LORD did.  But what about John?  John was Jesus’ best friend on while on Earth.  What about him?

Peter is genuinely curious, and perhaps a little jealous.  Why does John get the easy way out?  Is John really that well liked, or is he “not good enough” for the ultimate showing of devotion?

Jesus’ response, as usual, is to the point.  “If I wanted him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”  Basically, He calls the stubborn fisherman out.  He acknowledges the frustration Peter feels, but makes sure he understands that it is not important to him.  What does it matter if John lives longer than Peter?  Should it effect Peter’s relationship with Christ?

No.  Now, what if we replace Peter’s name with your name?  And perhaps the issue isn’t who Jesus leaves alive, but a calling He has for you, but not someone else.  Our job is not to worry about what God has for someone else.  Our task is simply to follow Him.

LORD Jesus,

Sometimes we lose sight of our purpose.  We get so concerned with what other’s are doing that we forget to focus on Your plan for us.  Help us to follow You and not be bothered by Your plans for others.

Amen

The war has been won.

I know.  It's been a long time since I've tended the blog.  Busy with life, job searching, not having internet at home, and amateur walrus riding.  Regarding the second, I've sent my name to a number of schools, and even got to speak with a few administrators.  Please prayer that God gives me patience in this, and that I get some interviews.
In the meantime, here's an old devo that's been waiting for the right moment.  Seems like the right one to me.

Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

There are some verses that people really like to quote.  They end up on book marks, tee shirts, bumper stickers, posters, even as tattoos.  One of my favorites, my confirmation verse actually, is Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Now, why didn’t I use that verse today?  Well, because I like this one too.  And it seems more appropriate.  Especially when paired with verse 38.  See, verse 38 is the more quoted one.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life,” blah, blah, blah.  We’ve heard it a lot.  And it is great to be reminded that there is nothing on earth that can keep us from God.  Or more importantly, there is nothing that can keep God from us.

But we are not passive in this spiritual struggle.  “We are more than conquerors...”  Chapter 8 of Romans is all about hardships and struggles.  In some Bibles it is even titled “More Than Conquerors.”

A conqueror is someone who overcomes or takes over something.  But we are told that we are more than that.  Through “Him who loved us,” Christ, we are more than just able to overcome. Try to wrap your head around the idea for a moment.

God doesn’t just give us the strength to barely get by and “overcome.”  No, we are given the most powerful weapons in spiritual warfare, including faith, hope, and love.  When used correctly nothing can stand in our way.  Can we do “everything,” as Philippians suggests?  Yes, and more.  By serving God through serving our neighbor, by putting our faith in Christ only we can “do everything” that has been asked of us.

No matter how hard it looks, because Christ has already won the battle for us.

Savior,

Through Your death on the cross You conquered sin and death.  Your victory is our victory.  Grant us the strength to go out into the world and be victorious in all You have us do.

Amen