Your Light?

For about the 10th time in the last few weeks, I've once again come across the term 'friendship evangelism'. It seems that things like this have a cycle life of sorts, and once you hear about them in one place, before you long you hear them mentioned in another, and so on. For whatever reason, that's the case with this phrase, lately.

To the best of my understanding, friendship evangelism basically works this way; you make friends with someone based on common interests or hobbies, then once a firm friendship is established and a trust is built, you then proceed to minister the gospel to them, from the vantage point of a trusted friendship. You play your Christianity very low key, if in fact you ever bring it up at all. Not offending the potential friend is the key here.

I don't know about anyone else, but I sat here for a few minutes this morning considering how I might feel, were I unsaved, and someone formed a friendship with me on that basis. Yes we shared common interests, yes this friend is nice or funny or smart or what have you, but the real reason the friendship was forged, was not because the person genuinely liked me, but for an ulterior motive to convert me to her religion. It would feel deceitful to me, and would in fact cause me to put that trust relationship into question, and most likely cringe if they ever did bring up Christian topics, once they reached that level of their mission.

Now that's me, that's the way I'd think - you might feel differently about it.

There are a few things that don't ring genuine about this idea, and again, this is just me - and I could be completely wrong here, but I don't think I am.

First of all, if you're doing this, you're pragmatically immersing yourselves in the things of the world, in some fashion. Maybe it's sports, or a craft or hobby. Maybe it's a talent that you have that you find a common interest with others in your community. It could be anything, but the point is, it's a worldly pursuit that you're involving yourself in. Whatever this is that you're involved in may be completely harmless (such as birdwatching or coaching little league), or it might even be something that isn't so harmless, but you're doing it because in your "the ends justify the means" justification-mode, your ultimate goal is to see lost sinners come to Christ. While that goal is a noble and good thing, the pragmatic virus infecting countless numbers of Christians is not a good thing, it's a flat out lie. If the means cause you to wallow in sinful situations, and/or ever make any attempt to justify being in sinful situations, you're already on dangerous ground.

Of course the first response to this is "oh come on, Jesus dined with/hung out with the dregs of society!". Yes He went where they were, yes He dined with them. NO, you're not Jesus. There is a world of difference between going where the lost are and serving them with the gospel as Jesus did, and hanging out with them and living/mimicing their lifestyle in order to win their trust. There is also a great danger for an immature Christian to be adversely affected by such things, and instead of you influencing your new found friends for Christ, their lifestyle influencing you, and dragging you back into the things of the world. It happens, and it happens far more often than I care to think about.

Secondly, I have to wonder where the Scriptures ever support a Christian laying his Christianity aside, in order to make friends with unbelievers? Since you don't want to offend anyone with your Christianity, you must by necessity set that on the back burner and make your common interest the center of the friendship. To me, that just seems all wrong, for a Christian to be actively persuing.

While I certainly don't advocate 'in your face' Christian conduct (and we all know what I mean by that), and while I certainly don't have any issue with having aquaintances that are unbelievers (we all should, if we're making an effort to reach them for Christ), I do have to wonder what the Bible means when it speaks of placing your candle under a basket & hiding it, and what it means when it says that whatever we do, we're to do it all for the glory of God.

Back in the mid 90's I believe it was, there was a popular song by the Newsboys called Shine. While I was definitely not a fan of most of the fluff on Christian radio in that day (nor in this day) I used to listen to it because I love music, and there was only 1 Christian radio station in the greater Seattle area. A snippet of that song:

Shine
make em wonder whatcha got
make em wish that they were not
on the outside looking bored
shine
let it shine before all men
let em see good works and then
let em glorify the lord

This of course is taken from Matthew 5:

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (14-16)

When I listen to music I listen very closely to the lyrics, and when I first heard this song back in that day, I was a brand new Christian. The song was a big hit, and somewhat of a catchy tune, so the radio station played it often, and I heard it often. I wasn't a big fan of the style of the song itself, but the message there (in that lyric anyway) was a purely Biblical one and I had already heard sermons preached from Matthew and read these verses, to know this.

I tend to think in pictures, for whatever reason. What would happen, if you took a candle and lit it, then set a basket over the top of it? Bearing in mind the candle is your Christian faith, and the basket is your job, your friendships, hobbies, gifts... whatever it is you're doing with your life that your using to hide your light. If you placed the basket over the candle for short periods of time (like Monday through Friday), then removed it (Sunday mornings), over time you'd have a burnt spot on the inside of the basket, and eventually it would be destroyed and worthless as the hole burnt all the way through. If you placed the basket there for an extended period of time (while you persue time consuming hobbies or interests), it would catch fire and be completely reduced to a pile of ashes. Either way, short periods of time or extended periods, your basket (career, hobbies, relationships, etc.) is toast.

As I sort of see that picture come together in my head, it didn't escape me that the basket was destroyed by the flame, from the inside out. It also doesn't escape my thoughts that God does this quite frequently in the life of a believer who has made other persuits more important than service to Him. He is faithful to remove things from our lives that aren't good for us, no matter how many excuses we can come up with, to justify them being there.

If you're a Christian being busy with the things that bring glory to God (1Cor.10:31) it is unthinkable for you to be hauling around baskets to hide your light. Whatever you do, wherever you work, whatever hobbies and leisure time activities you enjoy, whether there are saved people or lost people involved as well, God is glorified when you testify of Him and His grace in your life. He's not receiving any glory when the work He's done and is doing in you and through you, is being hidden in favor of some pragmatic idea that you can make friends first, then bring out the light, later, after a while, when it seems right, or you feel like you've made headway, somehow.

While I do not discount God's timing in witnessing your faith, and I know that His timing is perfect, I can't see how a real relationship is forged with anyone, when it's done from a deceptive method to begin with and where the testimony of Christ takes a backseat.

Don't burn your baskets, let your light shine that God be glorified.

Bible Promises: Salvation

(From the Bible Promises series found here)

It may be only my worldview, but it seems to me that we're living in a time when the word promise doesn't really mean much of anything, anymore. In what has been described as a post-Christian, post-evangelical society/culture, the very definition of a promise [the declaration of an assurance] would appear to fall in the category of so many other certainties and absolutes. That category being the postmodernist thought process of there not really being anything that is absolute, or assured.

If you wanted to demolish a house, you could tear down the walls and consider the job done. It's not really complete though until you also destroy the foundation and ensure that there is no longer anything left to build or rebuild on. I liken this type of thinking of 'lack of absolutes' or assurances, to such an act of demolishing the foundation of a house. If we entertain postmodernist thinking long enough, we begin to see the foundation of truth in Christianity (the infallible, inerrant, inspired word of God) slowly erode away until we're left with the one question that cannot ever be answered. that question being: "If there are no certain absolutes, how can I believe this?". That question cannot be answered because to answer would offer an absolute, which must be rejected! In a nutshell, this entire thought process is an intellectual/spiritual/psychological disaster area to be avoided at all costs. It will lead an individual straight down the garden path into error, every single time.

A promise then, being a declaration of an assurance - means something, and should mean something. While the promises of fallible men can and often do leave us disappointed when those promises are broken, the promises of God through His word should strengthen us and give us hope. They should instill a sense of peace and assurance in our hearts in the worst of times, and a sense of joy and thankfulness in the best of times. There is nothing else in this world or a combination of 10,000 worlds that could be more sure, and give us more hope, than the written word of God.

I have personally experienced living for a time under the false teaching that one can lose their salvation. While my experience is certainly subjective, it's not an uncommon experience among believers. There are a great many number of churches that teach this, and a great many number of believers that for a time, walk through this lonely place of doctrine, hoping against what they have been told, that it might not be true and that it might not apply to them, somehow. It is a brutal and destructive teaching that leaves the believer in a perpetual state of anxiety and lack of hope, wrestling with the fact that they know themselves so well, and know that at any moment they might lose the promise of salvation and be cast outside the faith. So they do the only thing they can do, and focus on their works, and make every effort to busy themselves with good works - to assure themselves of their salvation. Hope is no longer in God's written word, but in their own good works. The inner battle rages on because these believers know how inclined to sin they really are. It is a lonely place indeed, to place your eternal destiny into your own hands, rather than simply trust the word of God that it is in His hands.

A few verses to place your trust in:

• That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9,10)

• For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

• Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

• He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1John 5:10-13)

I do hope this has blessed you today. As an added bonus, I've included today in my RolfeCast (see the sidebar) Steve Camp's Blogcast from yesterday, on the topic of propitiation. Do give that a listen, it will bless you and encourage you.

Blah

What is that old saying about the best laid plans? Oh sure I could google it but I don't feel like it. Anyway, whatever that is they say about the best laid plans, that's what's going on with me today.

It started with a messy house. I'm sorry, but I can't function in a mess. Messes confuse me, distract me and make me scatterbrained and that wont do for a boot camp drill seargent homeschooling mom of 5 kids still at home. I require order and neatness, or I turn into... well, someone not very pleasant to be around. Fine, I'm a control freak. I've admitted it, I hope you're all happy now!

I'm not really a control freak, I just can't stand a messy house. I told a friend recently I'm a Felix Unger living with a houseful of Oscar Madisons. If you're old enough to get that, you know what I mean. If you're not, suffice it to say I'm a neatnick living with people from the far away village of Slobovia.

Anyway - we did some lessons this morning (Bible, phonics, spelling, handwriting) I ran some errands then did laundry, then launched into Mr Clean mode up in the loft, while I barked orders gently instructed which kid to take on which corner of which bedroom. After that, I sat down to write but read something instead that genuinely annoyed me to no end.

Someone, for some reason, used the word "dialogical". Why they did this, I do not know. It must be very exciting to be among the first people to latch onto a new lingo-ish type of word & use it in abundance. I can imagine that it makes them feel authentic and relational, and all that good stuff. Not that the word itself is new or anything, my dictionary tells me it comes from the root Greek word of dialog (as in, duh... hello?), but the fact of the matter is NO ONE uses this word. Have you ever heard this word? Have you ever used this word? Why would anyone want to use this word? Oh I have issues with trendy-latch-on-words.

So, dialogical gave me a headache that lasted until... well... now. See? I told you I have issues.

Then, after Jack Bauer blank blank bleep bleep no spoilers blank blank bleep bleep in Los Angeles, I fought with some software that didn't want to cooperate, for about an hour. It apparently didn't want to be dialogical. Finally got it to work, more or less, but by the time that was all done, I'd just as soon toss this beastie out the window. Sure technology is cool. At whatever time in human history could you talk to a friend 1,000 miles away, for free, and have the audio SO clear, it sounded eerily like they were sitting a foot away? Yeah, that part is very cool. Making it all work, is not always very cool.

So I dialogicaled all of that to say this: Nothing of any real substance on this blog today except the ravings of a tired mom with a headache. Now... I still have to get my newsletter finished & sent, so I'll go do that, and hope to offer up some useful bloggage tomorrow. Hey, look at me using a trendy-lingo word. I must be out of my mind.

Monday Musings & Miscellanious Meanderings

It's official. My blog readers are the greatest, ever! Your votes have shot my store's banner link from #17 to #2, with only 75 more votes needed (as of today at 7am) to bump the pagan site out of the #1 spot.

I appreciate your votes and ask you to please keep voting (only one vote per day, per person, we have to do this fairly, kids!) to get my store to #1!

In other Monday morning news:

In The Meadow We Can Build a Snowman

The snow is falling like dream-snow, great big fluffy flakes, softly falling from the sky. The same storm that caused such a mess in the states, found it's way up here yesterday afternoon, and it hasn't stopped snowing since. This is the pretty snow, and while I love to watch it fall, I've about had it with winter. 'Sides, we're almost out of wood again & that doesn't work out with it being winter and all.

On Stage

Last night, our 16yr old Jessica returned from SnoCamp. Just a weekend away with her youth group and various other youth groups for a weekend retreat in the snow. This was her first time attending something like this, and she had a blast. She was Chatty-Cathy when she got home, telling me all about the late night cabin talks, the speakers, games & food.

On Saturday, they had a Talent Show and she entered with a group (from her youth group). For the very first time (ever!) she sang (and had a solo) in front of an audience (she estimated there were about 100 other kids there) and the group she sang with, WON the talent show! I am so proud of her I could just burst. Sister #2 called last night and I told her about it & she yelled into the phone "oh MAN that is so cool, I'm so proud of her!!" If I can talk her into it, I'd like to RolfeCast her solo & pop it up here. We'll see.

Store Stuff

If you're among the 400+ Reflections store newsletter subscribers, my apologies for the lack of a newsletter this past week. It was just nutty-hectic and the newsletter never made it out. That should be remedied today & arrive in your inbox tomorrow. For those that read it on the web, last edition is still up here. You can have this delivered to your email inbox via subscription - just sign up in the sidebar here, or on the sidebar at the store.

Well... that's it for me this morning. Look for Bible Promises to resume this week as well, maybe even today, if I have the time for that after school. Have a great Monday, and don't forget to tune in this evening as everyone's favorite hero Agent Jack Bauer once again saves the US from utter destruction, at the hands of deluded terrorists. Saving the country is hard work, and Jack appreciates out support. (yeah yeah, it's just a show... we all knew this!)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas!

When I was a little girl, my mom had this very strange novelty toy, that us kids just loved, and were never ever ever (under any circumstances!) allowed to touch. Naturally, every chance we got, we picked this thing up and turned it on. Hoping to never get caught.

It's sort of hard to explain what this thing looked like, but I'll give it a shot. It was an Indian, sitting cross-legged and dressed in real suede clothing with a real feather headdress. He had great BIG crazy looking eyes. In his hands he held two drumsticks, and when you turned him on, he made this weird sound, and began pounding on the drum sitting in his lap. He'd rock back and forth making this sound, and pounding his drum. He was THE coolest thing in the world, and as soon as mom would leave (outside, running to the store or whatever) that was our chance to turn the Indian on. Not that you heard that from me, or anything. Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure it was G. or L. that always turned him on, while I was sitting angelic-like on the couch, polishing my halo or something. Ahem...

ANYWAY... today I found the perfect replacement gift for mom's Indian. Thanks to Phil's Where I Am Right Now sidebar links, I have found the ultimate, unique gift for Mother's Day:

Now, the page is in German, so I used google's translator to help you. The translation is almost as fun as Freddy:

This errs type looks like the crossing of a Trolls and a Mick Hucknall and sounds themselves like a human form of the Crazy Frogs. The rothaarige, glubschäugige running driver, who holds on fanatisch to its steering wheel, is really for its environment something irritating and so naturally also more genuinly good mood Bringer. Switch the ignition on and the engine starts. The travel goes loosely. Then change in four courses and running drivers races in komischster way over roadway, makes funny circling and brake sounds, which become ever madder, the switch more highly one the courses. In addition it moves and puts also into the curves. The moved running driver with human voice copies all driving noises, which is genuinly totally amusing. Whether you are located in the back-up or straight is not motorized, this mad Autoraser has what you need, in order to discharge mark correctly steam.

So... if you REALLY want to be unique this Mother's Day, get her a Freddy Road Rage. Just be sure you're not actually THERE, when she opens it. Oh, and make sure the batteries are included.

Just tell her Phil sent you. :-)

Did you know...

POLLS UPDATED BELOW

That if you click this link, then click the link at that page that says "Click to VOTE for Reflections Apparel & Giftware" you'll shoot my store site straight to the top of the "The best selection of fun t-shirts on the web! Find fun t-shirts and unique gifts for everyone from infants to adults!". Yep, it's true. The more votes, the higher my banner goes.

Right now, I'm at #17 with just 9 votes. Top spot has 126 votes. The goal is to bump the top site, down to #2, and pop Reflections into #1. (That's right, I need a grand total of at least 117 unique votes, to make this happen).

Now, why would you want to do this? Simple, to make a CHRISTIAN online merchant, the #1 voted in store, selling FUN t-shirts and unique gifts (well, according to this site, anyway). Because right now... as it stands... the #1 voted in store there advertises itself as thus:

Heavy Metal Hailz! Witches & Pagans & Zombies, Oh My!

Now, how about we see if we can bump this pagan site OFF the #1 spot, shall we? This should be oodles of fun. Make popcorn and call the neighbors! Okay, just make popcorn.
--------------------------------------
UPDATED 2/24:

You people are the ABSOLUTE coolest people out there. Yes indeed, my blog readers simply rock, and there's no two ways about it. When I posted this yesterday, my banner/link was down at #17 with only 9 votes. As of this morning at 9:20 am, the banner/link is at #4 with 29 votes! So thanks to YOU, I've jumped 13 spots in 24 hours!

I still need 98 unique (that means you can only vote once per day, per computer, to make it fair) votes to bump the #1 merchant out of the top spot... and I'm convinced we can do this by Monday morning. So, you know what to do!! Just click the vote button to shoot me to the top!

I wasn't planning another Reflections Giveaway until near Mother's Day, but that might change in the next couple of weeks. Being sent to the top of this list will convert to more hits to the store, which converts to more sales. The sooner I get there, the sooner that happens, and the sooner the next giveaway happens. Therefore...

GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!

They call me Mom

I had a rather disturbing thought last night. I try to avoid frightening myself with such things, but from time to time these thoughts pop into my head and before I can wrestle them to the ground, they just bloom into full fledged personal revelations. Pesky, those.

Things that I've been doing for over half of my life:

• driving a vehicle
• baking cookies
• reading
• folding laundry
• mothering

When this thought occured to me, I wondered how bizarre it would be to say to the Dept. of Driver's Licensing clerk "I know I've been doing this for years and I'm sorry but sometimes I just have no idea what I'm doing and I run stop lights and drive on the sidewalk!!" (no, I don't do that, unless there's a bee in the car with me, or maybe a giant hairy spider on me... which is another post alltogether) How fast do you think they'd process my license renewal application?

Or how about sitting in your living room with a basket of laundry waiting to be folded and you suddenly burst into tears because you know sometimes you just can't fold those fitted sheets nice and neat, and it just breaks your heart that they fit so sloppily (that's a word, yes?) on the linen closet shelf?

Let's say you pick up a book and open to page you left off with, the last time you read this book. You read the first sentence and begin to second guess yourself if you really read it correctly, or if you should have gone back and read the previous page first, or if you're even qualified to read that book at all. You close the book, put it down and walk away and ask friends if they ever feel like they're qualified to read anything above Dr. Suess level. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with Sam I Am, I'm just saying...

No doubt by now most of you know where I'm going with this. Those things up yonder on the list are things that many of you have also been doing for over half your life, or maybe very close to it. All but the last one are things that you never really give a second thought to, you just do them. The first few times you did these things you needed help, and from time to time (in the beginning) you had questions, but after a while you learned them, and just did them, and now do them, all by yourself without any real thought given to the task at hand. It's just that simple. That last one though... oh yeah, you know where I'm going with this!

Mothering. Who's brilliant idea was this!? Okay, yes of course it was a brilliant idea, a beautiful thing, a genuine blessing. It's also one of the most difficult, painful, confusing, wonderful, tender, frightening, beautiful things a woman will ever do in her lifetime.

As this pesky thought invaded my sacred brain space last night on my way to bed, it dawned on me that at 42, after being a mom for 24 years (24 years 1 month and 1 day, to be precise) that you would think experience would count for something. If you had 24 years on the job, you'd have earned seniority. 24 years perfecting your artistic craft, your work would be something rather stunning and lovely to behold. 24 years of mothering though... that's something alltogether different.

After 24 years here are some completely random things, in no particular order, that I have come to realize:

1. Grandmothers have more parenting wisdom in the pockets of those housecoats hanging in the backs of their closets, that they've received for birthdays, Mother's Day and Christmas gifts in the last 30 years (that they've still never worn), than you do. Seek her wisdom, and if she is no longer on this earth, find a grandmother at church and seek hers. She'll be honored to help you, and you'll be blessed in the process.

2. Don't be afraid to admit to your closest friend, that you have doubts about your parenting decisions. Most likely, she's a mom too, and most likely, she's also a Christian (anyway I would hope your closest girl-friend is a Christian) and most likely, she's been or is AT where you are with parenting. Ask her what she'd do, what worked for her, what doesn't work, and most importantly, ask her to pray for you. She'll be happy to, you mark my words. She'll also be coming to you soon, to ask for the same thing! Rely on each other, and remember iron sharpens iron.

3. Don't pretend you have it all together when the truth is, you haven't had it all together since 1986 when you moved the couch and found the broken egg under there, along side the empty can of Ajax, the few pebbles of cat food and that missing picture from the photo album you'd been looking for over the last 6 months. In fact, you rarely have it all together, and often find parts of it buried in the backyard, or under the passenger seat in the minivan. No one expects you to be Stepford Mom, and if they do, they probably have a broken egg under their couch, or a Barbie head in the microwave. Oh yes, it happens.

4. Be real with your kids. By that what I mean to say is, if you blew it (lost your temper, raised your voice, layed down a punishment that was too harsh and done from raw, frustrated emotion rather than reason) go to them and admit your shortcomings, apologize to them and talk to them. It has been said that the most precious gift a father can give to his daughter, is to love her mother. By a lifetime of demonstration he's giving her an example of what to look for in a future husband (when she's 50 and allowed to date, that is). By the same token, being a genuine example of humility to your kids, is also very important. Children mimic what they see, we all know this. Let us be examples to them in the right ways.

5. Spill your heart to our Heavenly Father, each and every day, and as many times throughout the day, as needed. Pour it completely out! If you end up in tears hiding away in your room, on your knees, that's probably the very best place you can be. Sometimes being a mother is so overwhelming, so difficult and seemingly an impossible thing to do, that you feel like you've run into brick walls and stepping on broken glass at every turn. Seek His wisdom, seek His grace, tenderness, mercy, guidance and strength. Humble yourself before Him, and allow Him to refresh & refill you. You're going to need it for that Barbie head in the microwave, the boy with the saggy pants, and the Hot Wheels in the toilet. Remember, this too shall pass. If it doesn't, call the plumber and keep your cool. Make a note to yourself to buy an auger the next time you're near the hardware store. You will need it sooner or later. Not only will they grant freedom of flush, they work really well for scraping the dried wad of toilet paper off the bathroom ceiling.

6. Watch/listen to your kids. This sounds so obvious, doesn't it? How often have you just quietly observed your kids while they're playing, or talking with their siblings? Being a mom of seven kids, it's easy to dismiss them (or more accurately, order them out of the room and to take their entire collection of dried up playdoh pieces/legos/cars/dolls with them!) for a much desired 5 minutes of quiet. Moms need this, to be sure. Otherwise our brains fall out and we can't remember anything and make some nasty/bland hamburger dish for the second night in a row. Moms however also need to enjoy their children while they are children. I used to honestly hate hearing that, because it seemed like an accusation that I didn't already enjoy my children. The old cliche that they grow up too fast is something that older parents realize all too well, is so true. Take some time each day to enjoy your children, no matter how frustrating your day might seem, or how many colors of crayon are on the wallpaper in the hall. It may not be funny now, but when they grow up and move out, show up at their house one day with a box of crayons and a Chesire Cat grin. You'll both have a good laugh. It will be funny later, I assure you. (Bring the washable kind and when they're not looking, draw a smiley face in a most obvious place in the house, then scrawl your name under it in your very best 5 yr old printing. When they call, and they will, repeat "It wasn't me" and "I dunno" often. Eventually, let them know it's washable.).

7. Play with your kids. Snow angels, board games, hide and seek, or whatever they like to play. Enjoy them, and enjoy your life with them. Even with the HotWheel in the toilet, the melted Barbie head that blew up the microwave, the obnoxious boy friend with the saggy pants, the egg under the couch and all the other mini-disasters that WILL come, these are your blessings from God (chant this in robotic fashion, if that's what it takes to remind you of this!) and before you know it, they're all grown up and only chatting with you a few times a week on instant messaging, before they have to leave for work, with a mashed thumb that you didn't know anything about. Or, they're calling you to ask for your much loved banana bread recipe.

There is a really good reason that folks say being a parent is the hardest thing you will ever do. I'm convinced that part of that reason is so that you'll realize you do NOT have all the answers, and will seek God's wisdom for them. That's the very best advice I'd ever be able to give anyone, as it pertains to parenting the right way. Seeking Him in prayer WITH your children, is the ultimate gift you'll ever give your children as they grow up. Show them the way, don't just tell them.

Well, that... plus this:

Never use wallpaper, they will destroy it. Always buy the name brand Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, the cheap brands do not work as well. Simple Green removes almost everything, even bad attitudes, and gum will come out of hair if you're patient, and use butter. Wash, rinse, repeat. If that doesn't work, it was time for a haircut anyway. It will grow back, I promise.

Time for school! Have a great weekend. :-)

Friday BlogFodder 02/23

Why look, it's Friday again. Amazing how that happens every week, isn't it? Well, here we go with the fodder:

This is just beyond words. A sign of the times? Crazy people? It's hard to figure this one out, except to say that it's clear they're lost and in need of God's grace.

More than likely, you've already read this, but for the 3 people who haven't, Tim gives his take on AI, and AI viewers. Your mileage will vary, to be sure.

This was fun, I'm 96% John Calvin. While you're visiting Chez Kneel, you need to watch this, it's funny.

Daniel takes on a very important and very delicate subject that affects any Christian family.

Darrin helps the Christian blogging community discover the Almost Christian Discovered. The timing was interesting since Kev just loaned this book out last Friday. (I confess I haven't read it, but after reading Darrin's post, I really want to!)

Howard Fisher, fellow #pros chatter, posted a really good sermon that I enjoyed. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Connie is stirring up trouble over at Practicing Theology! Okay I'm just kidding, but she does have a standing invitation for 'charismatic calvinists' to come and join the discussion. If you are one, go see Connie.

A rather timid, quiet brother in the blogging community, has finally found his voice. I think this brother has a promising future in this field.

Jen's idolatry. It's not what you think...

Lisa's got a little story about the world's smartest woman. I laughed. You prolly will too.

Not only does the header graphic at this blog look exactly like the church I went to as a little girl, the content is spot on. Be sure to add this one to your blogrolls, kids.

TeamPyro is back in action, including the Weekly Dose of Spurgeon that we all love. If one weekly dose of Spurgeon is good, then 2 must be great! Check out this little know blogger for your Double Shot of Spurgeon for the week.

You wouldn't believe it if I told you. You may not even believe it after seeing it. This is irrefutable proof that Pulpit Crimes was a much needed book.

I'm not a big fan of sweet tea. I like tea, but I don't like it real sweet. The thing is, I don't care who you are or what you drink, this header graphic will make you anxious for summer.

Last but certainly not least (because we have all the chocolate and therefore we simply rock!), I'm honored to be a part of this group of ladies who take theology seriously, know what they believe and strive to grow in grace, according to His word. Some of them you know, some of them I know (one of them has been in my home several times, and me in hers - and hers is cleaner, I assure you!), all of them I'm looking forward to getting to know. The logo is in the sidebar, and I've mentioned them earlier this week, but here you are again, for your BlogFodderousness:

Everyday Mommy - Seasonings of the Heart - Lisa Writes
Sweet Tea With Lemon - The Hutch - This One's For the Girls
A Complete Thought - Hiraeth - Rebecca Writes

Kim, who's house is cleaner than mine, and who also loves chips as much as I do, wrote a real nice expression of gratitude for sisters in the Lord who share our love for theology.

And there you have it. It's Friday, so that means it's pizza/movie night in the game room. Oh yes, there will be chips as well. It's not movie night, without chips!

ROLFECAST update

A cool feature of my new tech-toy is that I can add other people's blogcasts to my own little player there in the sidebar. Today I've added Campi's Blogcast, and if you haven't heard it yet, you really should give it a listen. If you listen here, be sure to head over there and leave your comments on it.

Back to the plan

Fooling around and trying to clean up/streamline my sidebar last night (no, I'm not done yet), it occured to me that I've unintentionally placed something on hold that should have never been placed on hold. I'm referring to the Bible Promises series that I began last fall. I'm not really sure why that happened, but it shall resume asap.

A dear friend asked me recently what I thought was one of the most important things about Christian blogging. For me, building up others by the truth of Scripture, is as good as it gets. So, Bible Promises will resume (although I might be diverting a bit from the list at the above link - there's another topic that I'd like to look at from a promised Biblical perspective, first).

I hope the series blesses you and encourages your heart.

Got it all BOX'd up

Well, after several days of looking for just the right "fit" for my blog, I found what I wanted. If you're also a regular reader of Campi's blog, you'll notice he's got the same BOX up today (only, his is not a cool dark pink like mine!), that you'll see at the bottom of this post. I like it much better than the one I put up yesterday.

So, what am I doing with a BOX? That's easy... audio files for when I want to audioblog. Or sing happy birthday to someone, or whatever I feel like using it for. I like goofing around with audio, always have. Don't expect anything as cool as Campi's Blogcast, but when I do upload an audio file you'll see the new one there in the BOX. I'll be popping this into the sidebar as soon as I'm done messing around over there and cleaning it up.

Grab A Box!Hey, how cool is this?

This is good stuff

You know... life is funny. Not funny 'ha-ha', per se, but funny ironic. I know, this is not big news to anyone, but here's why life is funny:

Day before yesterday I had no less than 3 conversations with 3 different people, on the critically important topic of Sola Scriptura. The last of these conversations was a 2+ hour telephone conversation with a dear friend, going over numerous verses on the topic. Those are the kinds of phone conversations 2 hours (and coffee) were made for.

So then yesterday I received an email invitation to join with fellow lady bloggers, who also uphold the 5 solas - hence the new sidebar graphic you may have already noticed, Sola Moms. Take a peek at it, it's a nice graphic.

More important than the graphic, is the purpose:

"The Christian corner of the blogosphere can be a confusing place. In this postmodern age, many forms of faith are claiming the name of Christ. It can often be difficult to discern where an author stands on the essentials of the faith. The purpose of SolaMoms is to aid in identifying for the reader those Christian blogs which embrace, affirm and apply the Five Solas of the historic Christian faith in their lives, in the doctrine and teachings they embrace and in what they publish on their blog."

I think this is a GREAT thing. SolaMoms affirm the Cambridge Declaration, which you can read right here. I fully intend to clean up my sidebar a bit in the coming days and add the SolaMoms blogroll, but for now:

The SolaMoms are:
• Seasonings of the Heart
• Rebecca Writes
• Hiraeth
• A Complete Thought
• Lisa Writes...
• Sweet Tea With Lemon
• The Hutch
• Everyday Mommy
• This One's for the Girls
• The Upward Call
• Reflections of the Times

I would encourage you to pay these ladies a visit, if you're not already familiar with their blogs.

Audio test

I'm pretending I know what I'm doing with high-tech gadgetry. I assure you, it is only an illusion, but IF you can press play, what you're SUPPOSED to hear, is Ruth singing (from about a year ago).

I did this expirement to see how easy/hard it was to use this gizmo.

At a most opportune moment

I was reading this morning before school, and came across a passage I've read countless times before. For some reason it stopped me in my tracks as I saw something there I never really noticed before, or maybe more accurately I never noticed how much it applies to me. This happens to me quite a bit actually. I've only been a Christian for 13 years, so I suppose this is part of the reason this happens. The following 'commentary' of sorts is in no way intented to be comprehensive, it's just what occured to me this morning as I read. Your results will vary, to be sure.

The passage:

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9,10)

The first thing I see when I read verse 9 is that doing the right thing can often leave us feeling exhausted emotionally and spiritually. Why is that? Well, there are a number of reasons, and the first one that comes to mind is because our flesh battles against the spirit. Doing the right thing is sometimes very hard to do, and might even leave us in tears pleading before God for mercy and wisdom to do that very thing we find so difficult to do. If you're a Christian that has ever struggled with the right thing in this way, you know how this will leave you feeling so torn apart and grieved in your heart. I could easily write about this all day, however...

Another reason doing the right thing might leave us feeling this way, could be a lack of support from those closest to us. Maybe they don't understand our reasons, or maybe they have an agenda of their own and our convictions are a threat to that in some way (as in convicting them of their own sin, which they don't want to deal with), and so the support doesn't come at all, but conflicting messages trying to maybe change our minds about doing the right thing?

The longer you're a Christian the more of both of these situations will come about. It's easy to become weary (feeling empty or exhausted), and easy to feel like giving up (becoming despondent, discouraged, weakened, tired), but the message here is that we're not to feel this way because our reward is coming!

So how are we supposed to get from feeling this way, to feeling encouraged and hopeful again? Well, the one important thing is to not focus on the temporary, but the eternal. Our reward is coming. Not only is it coming (and yes dear reader what a most glorious day that will be!), but there is always a present sense of peace within our hearts when we do the right thing no matter the opposition.

It's verse 10 that really stood out to me though. It's a continuation of thought that sort of turns things around from how *I* feel, to how *I* can help others not feel this despondent or exhausted feeling:

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Due to this being a continued thought, the ointment that soothes an exhausted heart, is the good that others of likeminded faith, will be busy doing, for the benefit of the one exhausted. Coming along side them, praying with them & praying for them. Encouraging, exhorting, and being a genuine friend. Simple things like a telephone call, a card, a shoulder to cry on, or a lunch date to laugh together. Just being there, being available and showing that you care and want to help in whatever way you can, as we have therefore opportunity, doing good. Stop and think for a moment, the last time you felt incredibly discouraged, or frustrated, alone or misunderstood - and that fellow believer you know called you, or stopped by, or said "I thought of you today, and just wanted you to know you've blessed me". Remember how it blessed your heart to hear those words or receive that visitor?

Now stop and think for a moment about the Christians you know. Of the ones you thought of, how many of them did you think of that fit the description I just wrote about in the preceding paragraph, that almost always seem to show up at just the right moment when you need them the most? I know several that stood out in my mind as I wrote that, and I love them dearly. They're the ones I count on to always make me smile, make me think, and that I know beyond all doubt will always pray if I say I need it. They posses a genuine servant's heart, and make it their business to be a blessing to those around them.

The thing is, we're all supposed to be that way. Yep, every single one of us, as we have therefore the opportunity. In addition to this, if we're genuinely busy serving the needs of others, how much time do we really have to dwell on our own circumstances, whatever they may be? This is not to say that it will be easy, or that our own circumstances might not be very painful or difficult. It is to say however, that this shift in our focus will only serve to bless others, and in turn bless us as well.

Just something to think about today. And tomorrow, and the next day.

How come...

I wonder what it is about the words "please don't take this the wrong way" that immediately causes the hearer to take the message following, in the wrong way?

Is it because the person who said those words is incapable of communicating themselves in such a way that the point gets across exactly as intended?

- or -

Is it because we're so weak minded that as soon as we hear those words our brains immediately begin to play out the scenario of the worst possible way the message could be intended?

I thought about this yesterday and wondered what others thought.

Please don't take that the wrong way.

If I Were a Blogger...

I'm not sure how many times I've begun to write this, and then deleted the whole thing. Sometimes, you know exactly what you want to write, but you're not sure how you want to write it. When that happens I just scrap the whole thing until it's clear to me.

Something that has been bothering me for a very long time, several years I suppose, sort of reared it's ugly head once again recently and made me think of it all over again. In a nutshell, the thing that bothers me is the way some Christians act. Lest anyone think this post is about pointing fingers, I assure you I'm speaking about myself here as well as anyone else it may apply to. I've written about this before and probably even said some of the very same things then, that I'm about to say now. Some things just bear repeating until they stop happening. Besides, I'm a mother, I'm highly qualified to repeat myself.

Many years ago when I first started helping others moderate their Christian chat rooms, is when I first began to notice this particular kind of attitude that disturbs me. Often times when someone would come along and ask a question (about Christianity, the Bible or different denominations, just as examples), other Christians in the chat room would laugh at them and crack jokes at the person's expense, rather than just answer them. Sometimes they'd insult them for asking such a "stupid" question, or a question that to them had an obvious answer. It wasn't always like this, and of course not all the Christians in these chat rooms would act like this, but enough of them did, enough of the time that it truly grieved me and a few others. What was worse than that even, is when I'd catch myself joining in with them.

It is a truth worth hanging onto that bad company will corrupt good morals. It's so easy to go along with the crowd, and laugh at something you really had no business laughing at. It's much harder to take the high road and not join in - because the moment you do you know you're going to get the "oh, you must think you're better than us" attitude. Sadly, while this kind of "peer pressure" is common among the unsaved, it is also in fact present even among some of those professing Christ. I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know.

During my time moderating chats for other people, I got so fed up with this I decided to move on. Since that time I've had my own chat room (that was open for several years), my own forum (at one time with over 700 members), participated in countless other forums, email discussion lists, etc. Problem is, not only is this type of conduct present in some Christian chats, it's also at Christian forums, websites and blogs. It's there because we're there, and among us are those that condescend to others, make them the butt of jokes, cause them to feel "stupid" or worse. One brother online saw this for the first time several years ago and so incredibly grieved he said "these things simply must not be allowed among us!". He's absolutely right.

Now before anyone assumes I'm writing about a particular blog, or certain blogger, let me just assure you right off the bat, that I am not. This is a general observation I'm making from the vantage point of being online and in Christian circles online for the last fourteen years. In that fourteen years I've seen A LOT, and while much of it has been good, there's also all that other stuff.

I know how easy it is to have a bad day & answer someone with a less than gracious attitude. I get that. I've done it, I do it, and not that I'm proud of it but I say that only to say I know how quickly it can happen. Sometimes even before you realize you've said something in a snarky or less than gracious way, it's already out and you're feeling like a heel for having said it that way. The thing is, we all do that from time to time and that's not really the sort of thing I'm so bothered by. It's in a completely different league, actually.

The thing that bothers me is the high fiving that goes on at times, the one-upmanship sort of crowd mentality that I see.

• How stupid can we make this person feel?
• How can we accuse them of being a heretic?
• How much fault can we find with them?
• How mean can we be and do it under the guise of defending the faith?
• How can we effectively eliminate them from our fellowship because they don't tie their shoes the same way, like the same foods we like, or read the same books we read?

Okay that last one was an exagerration, but that's exactly what it looks like sometimes.

I completely understand that at times certain questions are needed to figure out if the person asking the questions or leaving the comments is truly someone of the household of faith. Said in another way, we do have to draw lines over certain issues because the Bible draws those lines. But I guess what troubles me so much is when the lines are drawn PLUS the insults levelled and the condescencion that results. To me, and according to my Bible, that isn't being an example of Christian love, at all.

As I wrote up yonder, this absolutely and without question applies to myself as well. I don't want to be a snark to anyone. I don't want to make anyone feel stupid for asking a question that to me, has an obvious answer. What may be obvious to me is only obvious because God was gracious to open my eyes to it. I have nothing to boast in or feel superior about.

Back when I had my own chat room open, this kind of conduct was expected in my room, by all admins and visitors. It was my "die on a hill" issue, and everyone knew it. I used to always say that there are a million and one ways you can say things to people, but the most important way is with grace & truth. I also used to always say that if we are to dare preach & proclaim the precious grace of God to those that may not know it yet, then we'd better be busy about examining our own conduct and be sure that we're striving to be examples of that very grace we're preaching. Otherwise, the word for that is hypocrite.

I still believe that. I still believe it applies to Christians no matter where we are. Online, offline, at the store, ballgame, bank, zoo, gas station or wherever we go. Being sarcastic to someone is only okay if they KNOW we're joking and not doing it to talk down to them. If there's any chance that they might not know, what business do we have doing it? Being rude is never Godly, and being condescending is also never Godly or any kind of example of seasoning our words with grace, which the Scriptures exhort us to do.

I hope all that made some sense to someone, and honestly hope I didn't needlessly offend anyone with it. A dear friend of mine said something to me today that I think we all do too little of, and that's assume the BEST of our brothers and sisters, rather than assume the worst. I realize we all have the potential of being misread, misunderstood or what have you, but I also know that at times when we come off as rude or insulting, that IS what we meant to convey. Even if it was just a moment of anger or lack of discernment, we said it and at that second, we meant it exactly as it was received. It shouldn't be this way. It might be a little harder in chats where the pace is quicker, but on blogs & forums we have the option of taking our time & proofing what we've written (even leaving the pc for a time need be to reconsider & pray) before we ever click the publish button.

I think if that happened more often, it would only be a great blessing and encouragement clear across the Christian online community.

I realize I'm not even close to being the most eloquent communicator, so knowing that, I consulted a friend who is a very gifted communicator. One suggestion my friend had in regards to this topic was to lay out some suggestions to strive for when blogging. It doesn't take but a few seconds on google looking for blog etiquette to come up with well over a million hits, so it's a topic that has been well addressed. It's also a topic that should really be a simple matter of common courtesy, and good manners, befitting a believer.

Someone once told me that there is no longer any such critter as common courtesy. I don't believe that, and at the risk of being redundant and adding yet another "list" of blogging etiquette tips, I'm just going to go ahead and repeat in paraphrase form what I've read elsewhere, what I make every effort at doing myself, and what works when put into practice:

• When writing about a high-voltage issue, be careful. Be honest but be extremely particular with the words you use, the way you use them, and ask yourself (repeatedly, if need be) why you're writing about it in the first place. Is it to inform, tear down, let off a little steam? Make sure your motives are in check, especially if you're writing about someone, rather than something. Stay on point with the issue, rather than get carried off down a rabbit trail on the character of the person.

• If you tend to pepper your blog posts, blog coments or forum posts with humor, make sure those reading know it was said in jest. What may be incredibly witty & clever to one person, may be painfully insulting or degrading to the next person. Obviously you're never going to please everyone doing this, but you run less of a risk of offending folks, if they know ahead of time that you're only trying to inject a bit of comic relief. Don't just assume all your readers "get" your sense of humor. Not all of them will, and that's just the way it is.

• Along the lines of humor, there are some topics that really ought not be "joked" about. This gets tricky because that list of off-topic-topics WILL be different for everyone. This is one of those case-by-case things, that has to be weighed out in the hearts and minds of every writer.

• Keep your personal insults to yourself. I don't know who to credit for saying this (rumor has it that it might have been Mark Twain) but it was genius: 'Tis better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt". This is especially handy if you're emotionally charged and tempted to respond to something that is very dear to your heart. Just recently someone told me about a radio show where the host responded to a caller on a live show, by asking him if he was retarded. The question wasn't intended to compassionately inquire about the man's mental health or intellectual capabilities, it was a personal insult levelled at him out of frustration. We can all understand frustration, but there is great wisdom in biting one's tongue, or sitting on your fingers, and letting that moment pass.

• Take advantage of using the "draft" feature, or compose your posts offline to save and look at again later, before publishing. I realize how blogging is sometimes time-sensitive and you might want to write on a certain topic immediately - but a general rule of thumb stands that if it's true, if it's God-honoring and edifying, it's worth saying and it's good no matter when you post it. By saving before publishing, you have the opportunity to proofread what you've said and edit where edits should be. This can make all the difference in a hot-topic post.

These are not meant to be exhaustive when it comes to blogging, or any other avenue of publishing online. Just a few suggestions to aid you in directing your writing toward ministering grace to the reader. After all, that's what we're supposed to be doing.

Just a thought.

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Please don't lose me

Some of you may recall reading in the news a few weeks ago that a man in Russia who'd been missing for several years, was found mummified in his apartment, at his kitchen table. Some of you may also recall reading recently about the Hurricane Rita victim, also recently found in his house, after all this time. Then just yesterday, yet another "mummy" news item hit the papers when a man in NY was found after a year of no contact with anyone, sitting on his couch with his tv still on.

I don't know about anyone else, but when I first read stories like this, I immediately think to myself "where are the kids, the grandkids, the neighbors, the friends, the pastor, the church???" It's hard for me to imagine how a human being can become so isolated in our times, that they can go missing for so long right in their own homes, and no one even notices.

Then I think of generations past and how families stuck together, oftentimes with grandparents, in-laws and immediate family all under one roof, or at least all on the same property. How the elderly family members were well-respected and provided for when they became unable to get around & care for themselves.

I've probably had countless conversations with friends about this over the years, and it's striking to me how this is a foreign concept to people in my generation. In our day, the kids grow up and move away to another city or another state, then the grandparents retire and move away too. You might not even know your cousins, or maybe the last time you saw them was back in 1974 at a family reunion. My own immediate family (the one I grew up in) is a perfect example of this. There are only 4 of us, and between the 4 of us there are 4 cities, 2 states, 1 province and 2 countries represented. We all did what we all do, and when the time came to make those life decisions, we moved away & went where opportunity seemed to lead. In and of itself that's not a bad thing, and I'm pretty sure none of us regret those decisions, but at the same time we're a family split far apart. (And I miss my mommy, and that's the worst part!)

It seems in my own situation it would be impossible, for me to ever hit the news headlines as a "lost mummy". Between my family, friends and church, how could I ever go missing & no one notice? Trust me, there are times I'd like to go missing, at least for a few hours, and no one notice, but that's not the point.

I just wonder, what if... someday when my kids all grow up and move out, will I lose contact with all of them and all of my future grandkids? Will I someday be an old lady living alone that could easily go missing in my own home, and no one ever realize I was here the whole time? What an absolutely horrifying and lonely thought, that is.

I know it happens, I just don't see why it should ever happen. Please, if you don't hear from me in say... a week's time, come looking for me. Please don't lose me like a keychain or an old picture that you can't recall very clearly. These things should just never happen, among people who are supposed to care for one another.

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John Owen - Prince of Puritans by request

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Woops...

My apologies if anyone was hoping for friday BlogFodder yesterday. I got busy doing 'round the house stuff, and just completely forgot. Then we had company last night, and after they left I did some reading & writing and still forgot about Friday BF.

So... I guess next week's will just be twice as long.

Blogging killed the radio star?

I guess I was around 10 years old when I decided I was going into radio. I used to listen to the DJs on the Seattle rock station, and thought they had THE coolest job in the world, next to Rich Little. They got to sit there and talk to people all morning, joke around with each other, and play music. What an incredible job! Oh yes, that's what I was going to do.

So I practiced my radio voice. With my mom's handy-dandy old black tape deck with the record feature, I interviewed cats, kids, my mom (who'd see me coming and call me by my Irish name "O'Carla" with a heavy sigh), my sister (who said stuff like "you're NOT going into radio, go away!", but that didn't stop me!), and anyone/thing else I could interview. I figured by the time I was ready to go to Radio School, I'd have the voice down. In retrospect, I don't think I ever interviewed my brother. There was that whole thing about boys and cooties and all that, so I don't think he ever had the priveledge of being on The Carla Show.

Well of course by the time I was old enough to go to Radio School, life did what life does and that was just a silly kid-pipe dream. But oh how fun it would have been to really do it! I can't tell you how bummed out I was when in high school, a classmate of mine got a job at the local news radio station and was on the radio! That was my job, how dare she!? She had a perfect radio voice though.

That was at least 100 years ago, and the radio dream has long since passed. In lieu of that, however, I have added a Reflections Sound Bite to my profile, which you can hear by simply clicking that play button.

It was late, I was tired, didn't have nearly enough chocolate, but that's me, and that's that. Nothing fancy, just a simple .wav file.

Stay tuned for a Friday BlogFodder, sometime later today, Lord willing!

I told ya so!

Yesterday I mentioned how much I love February 15th. That has to do with discounted chocolate, so it's a given that there is much to love there.

Then this morning I got up and Kev told me he received his T4 (the Canadian version of W2), so that's even better, because now I can do our tax return & call it in over the TeleTax line. Call me weird (and many of you do, I'm sure) but I love doing tax forms. There's something strangely comforting about working with numbers and having them all come together in neat little columns. I have no idea yet how much our return will be, especially since the new (rotten) shift they stuck him on last year equals out to a cut in 3 grand for the year. I do know however, that it means stuff like new shoes for kids, a space heater for the mud room (where the wall heater died months ago, and it now feels like a walk in freezer) and dental & eye doctor visits.

Not only is the T4 good news, but I checked the weather forecast and it says a high of 43F for Monday. We haven't seen 43F in a good while, so that's almost shorts weather! Well okay not quite, but it'll sure feel a lot warmer than today's high 12F. The extended 14 day forecast says the uber-cold snap is about to come to an end, with the temps just going up and up a little more over the next 14 days. Global warming... bring it ON, and start with my part of the globe, thank you very much. I have a garden to work in, and I much prefer to do that without freezing to death.

Chocolate, a tax refund, and warmer weather. See? I told you February 15th was a good day.

:-)

Just a quick note..

For whatever mysterious reason, my hotmail account will not let me enter. If you've sent me email there and I didn't answer you, that's why. Please do change over to the gmail account if it's critical stuff, like if you have yummy chocolate you want to donate to me, or something really important like that.

Oh, and the store's weekly newsletter is online, for those that don't receive it via email.

Not a Fan

Once upon a time in the land of pagan lore, every year on February 13th the men would take large clubs and perform fertility rituals. They would beat the ground to please the pagan gods (although I'm not sure why a bunch of men clubbing the dirt pleased the pagan gods), in hopes of being rewarded with a bountiful crop.

They would then turn on their women and beat the tar out of them (not sure if they used the same clubs, but whatever), for the same purpose - in hopes of pleasing some lunatic god into rewarding them with large families.

On February 14th, in a lame attempt to get back into the good graces of the bloody stump formerly know as "the wife", they'd bring her gifts and delicacies and probably some other junk that no one cares about, like a case of pork and beans, a ratchet set and the head of a one eyed goat. Apparently she'd be totally okay with the fact that he beat the snot out of her the day before (after all, she worshipped the same sadistic gods he did) and she'd receive the goodies and all would be peachy keen in pagan land.

Thus us your history of Valentine's Day, more accurately known as

HAPPY BEAT YOUR WIFE WITH A STICK DAY

I'm just waiting for tomorrow when all the boxed chocolates go on sale for a whopping 75% off. I LOVE February 15th.

Weird Meme

Fellow channel rat from #prosapologian (CalvinDude) tagged me with weirdness. Here's the deal:

"Each player of this game starts with the 6 weird things about you. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says you are tagged in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

This'll be a snap, glad it wasn't a tag to list 6 normal things, or I'd be in trouble!

1. When I was about 8 years old, I was up in the attic where I wasn't supposed to be. My mom wasn't home so I figured I'd never get caught. Mom came home and I was still up there, so I tried to sneak out. I stepped in the wrong place and suddenly mom saw a kid coming through the kitchen ceiling. I don't recall how much trouble I got in, but I think it was lots.

2. I cannot let anyone else dish up my bacon for me. I have to choose my own bacon, because if it's not perfectly crisped all the way through and on both sides, I cannot eat it.

3. I once got up at 4 am to sit in a swamp, covered in mosquitos, just to take pictures of great blue herons at sunrise over a misty swamp. It was totally worth it and I'd do it again!

4. I spent my 31st birthday in New York City. That might not seem so weird, except for the part that it was my first time ever on an airplane (Seattle to NY) and that at 3 am in NY city I ate authentic NY Cheesecake with my friend Laurie, in a 5 star hotel. The next morning we were chauffered to the Maury Povich studios to tape (before a live audience) a show on the lack of federal laws pertaining to internet stalking/harassment. After the show, we walked around the corner & had lunch at a swanky Irish pub, then back to the airport to fly home. I wouldn't do it again, but it was a most surreal experience. The show aired a couple of weeks later, and several times since then.

5. I have to have super-thick socks & slippers for the winter, and can't stand socks at all, in the summer.

6. Every 10 years I get my hair cut REALLY short (roughly a few inches all the way around) then grow it out to my waist. The last buzz cut was 2.5 years ago.

There ya go, there's 6 weird things about me. Now it's my turn to tag 6 people. Ugh... allright, I'll tag:

Jack Bauer
Chloe O'Brien
Bill Buchanan
Wayne Palmer
Marilyn Bauer
Simon Cowell

Do we need a reformation for girls?

As most of my readers know, I'm one of the voices behind ENo. Since the fall of 2004 I've been reading, studying, researching, writing and talking about the emerging church in all it's various 'streams'. For the last few months or so, however, I've taken somewhat of a break from such diligent study because quite frankly, the whole thing leaves me disgusted. There is so much rotten theology to go around among the various ECM proponents, that it would (and should) make just about anyone mentally & spiritually exhausted.

I still get email though, and I still get questions about the ECM. While I'm no expert on this mess, by any stretch of the imagination, folks do know that I've done my homework so I get questions. That's fine, I have no problem with that at all.

A few days ago I received one such email from a sister in Christ who was understandably concerned with a website for "emerging women". The emailer likened it to a coven, and wondered what I might think of the material presented there. I thought it interesting that the emailer used the word coven, since I've had that same impression from time to time while researching the more 'feminine' side of the ECM.

I wont link to the site, nor will I be specific in regards to the vulgar and graphic language used at the sites it promotes, because to be honest with you it violates my conscience 100% to do so.

While reading through the site however, and clicking on a few of the links being promoted as helpful and thoughtful, I couldn't help but wonder where this kind of thinking comes from. The material presented was in no way, shape or form, representative of Biblical Christianity. In many cases, the material I was reading was a wholesale endorsement and embracing of some of the most vile and abhorrent language and attitudes, that even non-Christian women would find offensive and insulting. One site in particular (pretending to be a Christian site, and promoted by the first site as "thoughtful") was so vulgar that I honestly do not know a single non-Christian woman that wouldn't be disgusted and insulted by the language, and it wasn't because they were promoting Christian truth. Since we're being brutally honest here, I felt somewhat filthy myself, after just skimming the first few paragraphs of one of the articles.

I couldn't help but wonder, is this the same kind of thinking that convinces a pedophile to pose as a child himself, to lure children into his world? Is this the same thinking that told Jeffrey Dahmer that what he was doing was okay? Is this the same thinking that comforts a rapist or a mother who kills her own children?

In all of those above examples, everything pure and good and right, is turned upside down to embrace what is vile and repugnant and offensive to both God and man. Those things which are offensive, degrading and exploitive are "unpacked", "redefined". Such things are then rationalized and excused away and shoved in your face and justified for all the world to see. Many buy it, and many fall into great deception as a result.

I don't pretend to undersand it but the fact is, somewhere in the minds of these people who participate in such acts, they have convinced themselves or comforted themselves that what they're doing is somehow okay. Obviously there is rampant sin in their lives, and obviously there's a process of thought involved that takes them from one destructive level to another one even worse, that tells them who they are, what they do, think and say, is perfectly acceptable.

So how then, does that very same type of thinking make it's way into a community of people calling themselves Christians?

I don't want to unfairly dump the whole group of folks among the ECM into the same bucket and write them all off as comparable to the way rapists and pedophiles justify their sinful actions, but the truth of the matter is, the "emerging women" sites I visited the other day, are indeed a fruit of this movement. They've done and are doing the very same unpacking, redefining and intentionally welcoming in all manner of unGodly thought, to call it simply another "expression of faith" among the Christian community. It can be whitewashed or excused away all we like, but it doesn't change where it came from. (This may be the extreme end of the most liberal-thinking "emerging" crowd and they may indeed NOT BE accepted among various emerging groups - so I want to be fair in that aspect).

Of course this leads me to wonder where are the real MEN in this movement that have tolerated such blatant insubordination and unBiblical role-stealing by their women? Why do they put up with this, and why are they not standing in their pulpits or gatherings or whatever they're calling their weekly meetings these days, and soundly rebuke this trend? Maybe they're out there, but if they are I haven't heard from one of them yet. Maybe to take such a strong stand against what some of the women are doing, would effectually render themselves hypocrites, since they're doing the very same thing, themselves? Maybe it's a rock and a hard place situation, and they simply can't stand up lest they be forced to re-examine their own actions? (I'm speculating, not accusing here, just to be clear.)

I suppose it's in part due to the fact that I'm currently reading John MacArthur's Twelve Extraordinary Women, but even someone who's only vaguely heard about Ruth, Sarah or Hannah would find it impossible to see that kind of Christian character in some of these sites I've referred to. Instead, what came to my mind as I read, was a strong similarity to unGodliness and self-centeredness of the of the "women's lib" movement, peppered with some of the most disgusting language known to the English speaking world.

I believe God is sovereign of course, and can and will lead His people out of and away from such unGodly things. At the same time I grieve for the women who are genuine sisters in Christ who are conned by such things as I've described. Such things are a blatant contradiction to the purity and holiness of Godly women.

I just cant help but wonder what "Christianity" will look like in another 10 years.

Did you know...

... if you reorder the letters in PyroManiacs, you're left with a deep theological question?

Y CRANIO SPAM?

Why indeed.

Tulips and snow... huh??

For those of you not reading through a blog subscription like bloglines, you'll notice the new header pic. I created that last night because

1. I can't leave well enough alone
2. I'm never satisfied with the way the blog looks
3. I love tulips, and I'm already getting sick of winter

Even though it's been a mostly mild winter, we've had some pretty extreme temps the last few weeks, lots of snow, LOTS of winter-illness (all the kids are sick again this morning) and we're running out of firewood. I'm convinced the ONLY reason God made February, is so that you'd appreciate April all the much more.

So the ironic thing is, I get up this morning to see this on my weather page

Apparently there's a storm system in Oklahoma that has decided to immigrate to Ontario beginning tomorrow morning. Now don't get me wrong, I love the freedom to move to another country (after all, I did it, so how could I say anything less?), but there are just some kinds of immigrants that should NEVER be allowed to cross the border, in either direction. At least the weather people were kind enough to use perky yellow on those storm watch boxes, to at least give you the illusion/false hope that the coming storm MIGHT not actually plunge you into frigid temps and 900 feet of snow. It was very kind of them to do that, don't you think?

Later today, or maybe by morning, gone will be the perky-yellow-false-hope watch box, only to be replaced with a jump-up-and-slap-you-in-the-head RED box which will read

Which will link to a page that will instruct you in the basic "get out your shovel and make a pot of stew" instructions on just how deep we're going to be buried, and for how long.

Don't get me wrong, I love snow. Love, love, love snow. I love to watch it fall, I love the way it blankets the landscape and makes everything look so clean, and provides a sound barrier that makes noises softer. I love that part. The part I don't love is being cold, and being stuck. Missing church or missing one of the kid's church meetings through the week, or Kev missing work because the driveway has ceased to exist.

Oh yes... I will appreciate April this year, like a big hairy dog.

CLASSIFIEDS: Help Wanted - Supermodels

Kev agreed, against his better non-Irish-heritage-judgement today, to be a supermodel for my storefront.

I need more supermodels for seasonal ads for the store. If you're interested in being a supermodel, send me a pic of yourself either wearing something from the store - or - in a plain white T-shirt (to be edited with my choice of design). We offer no pay, and the only benefit will be telling all your friends and family that you're a glamorous super-model for a Christian t-shirt shop. It'll be cool.

:-)

The Master of Change

You may or may not recall being a young child in school, learning your times tables. Or maybe when you learned to tie your shoes. For the women, learning to braid hair, that first batch of cookies that came out perfectly, or sew. For the men, learning how to change your first bike tire, or using hand tools for the first time.

Growing up we learn all kinds of new things. Some of them we struggle with or try to avoid because we think they're too hard, but eventually we do learn these things (or most of them, anyway). These things can seem insurmountable, impossible, or even ridiculous at times. We might even try to find ways to reason with ourselves as to why we shouldn't learn them because they might seem too hard or worse, too scary. Change is something most of us just don't like to go through. It's the unknown, and most of us are fearful of it regardless of how unreasonable that might seem. For most of us, it's just the way we're wired and it can be hard to push ourselves out of it.

A couple of years ago I went through a crossroads of sorts. Several things (seemingly independant of all else) came together all at once and the result was a new direction for me, in my spiritual life. It was good, good for me, and unsettling all at the same time. I knew that not everyone who knew me would understand, and not everyone did. I had to make some decisions that I knew wouldn't be too popular and indeed they weren't, once made. Again, it was something I had to do, and I don't regret it one bit.

I've notice (picked up on the signs?) that I'm in a similar place again now. For the last few months things have been said, circumstances set up in certain ways, events coming together, that all point to the same thing for me in my spiritual life. I don't really know what any of that means, but I do know something, somewhere, somehow is going to change for me. It might not even be something obvious to anyone but me, but it's coming all the same.

I know all of that sounds awful vague and while I don't mean it to, really, I wanted to mention in in light of some of the circumstances and conversations I've had with friends lately. They all seem to revolve around change, growing in grace, and trusting the Lord to provide. Just like when we were little kids and desperately wanted to learn how to ride a bike or rollerkate on our own - but were secretly afraid of falling - these kinds of spiritual growth spurts can be something we are a little trepiditious about, even though we desire them so much (because they mean a maturity in Christ, and that's such a blessed place to be!).

It's rather interesting that the Lord has been orchestrating things in my own life to the degree that the advice I've so freely and genuinely giving to others, is the very advice I need to be preaching to myself, in these specific areas of growth, trust, and change.

Last night, yet another one of these circumstances took place that led me to listening to a song I'd never heard before. Here are the words:

The Potter and the clay
he does just as He please
as such is God and such are we
subject of His high decrees

Before the world began
He fashioned all my days
Fear not any man
rest alone in His perfect way

(chorus)

O the Lord is in control
He brings peace
to our troubled soul
nothing can shake His sovereign hand
He's the beginning, and He's the end

May not the Lord on high
give favor as He wills
True some to life while others die
and yet be just and loving still

Oh how foolish I've become, thinking
I control my destiny
questioning God in what He's done
rather than trust His sovereignty

(repeat chorus)

There is actually more to this song, but it's the beginning that actually grabbed my attention (although the rest of the song is just as powerfully convicting with Biblical truth of God's majesty in men's lives) and caused me to remember something that I knew, and had forgotten even if only for a moment. That thing that I tend to forget (consistantly) is that no matter what happens, no matter how scary or painful, tragic or unjust, confusing or shocking, none of it is outside of God's sovereign hand. Not only that, but as impossible as it can often be to see, God orchestrates things for His glory, and for our benefit. Yes, our benefit! Sometimes it might be to strengthen our faith or bring us to a place where we crave nothing else but to rest in His mercy, other times it might be that He has to take something away, to replace it or restore it to something better. Many times, we can't see where we're going, but He always knows, and literally directs our steps.

I know all this, and I believe all this, and it's what I tell others when I know they need to hear it. When change is coming or change has occured and they're afraid, or discouraged. It's the very thing we need to be reminded of, and the very thing that is so easy to forget applies to our own lives, as well as those we counsel. I wish it weren't so easy to forget, and so hard to take our own advice so much of the time.

As I sat late last night and listened to this song, several times, tears welled in my eyes and my heart bubbled up with a gratitude that words really wont do justice to. If it were possible to live every moment of every day with that feeling, that sensation, what a joy that would truly be.

Wherever this latest 'crossroads' is going, I'm at peace with it.

(For those that don't already know, this song is The Sovereign Hand, found on our brother Campi's Desiring God album, and can be heard here.)

Blogger Review

To begin on this side of 1500, I think I'd like to do a little review here. Sort of like the reviews the kids have after every chapter in their school books, to see if they're up to snuff on the skills they've learned.

Jen had this posted yesterday at her blog, and even though she didn't tag anyone, I thought it was a good list of questions for consideration, so I'm going to share my own answers. I wont tag anyone either, but if you feel like chiming in at your blog, go right ahead:

Blogger's Questions

1. Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?

Well, yes and no. The look or the layout of my blog is something that I've never been quite satisfied with. Like a comfy journal you pick up each night to write in, you want it to feel at home in your hands and be so familiar with it you could write in it, in the dark. I've never been that impressed with the layout, and will likely be scrapping the whole thing very soon to start over from scratch. I love a fresh coat of paint and new furniture.

As for the content, yes I'm good with that. These are my thoughts, this is me, and this is my world. I write about what matters to me, and hope somewhere along the way it blesses someone else. Or at the very least makes you laugh, think, or pray.

2-Does your family know about your blog?

I'll just assume that they do, since my blog url is at the bottom of every email I send out, and my mom comments here on a regular basis. :-)

3-Can you tell your friends about your blog?

Well, if I had friends, I suppose I could tell them about my blog.

4-Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog?

No, not at all. Once again my bloglines list is too long and it's time to pare it down again. If all of the people that I read, actually commented here, I'd never have much time at all to read any blogs.

5-Did your blog positively affect your mind?

Yes it does, and here's why:

Blogging for me is simply journaling. It's a way to get 'out' what's going on in ThoughtLand and try to weave it all together to make some sense, or get a deeper understanding of it. Writing has always helped me in that area, from the very first journal entry I ever wrote, when I was 11 years old and in love with Bobby Baker. Turns out I wasn't really in love with him at all, I just thought he had the prettiest smile on a boy that I'd ever seen. He was also very nice to me, when most boys just wanted to fight me or jump bikes with me. I figured out through journaling that I was glad I wasn't really in love with Bobby, because my classmate Jamie was, and she could have wiped the floor with me if that's what it took for her to get me out of her way. (If Bobby or Jamie ever read that, I hope they laugh and have fond thoughts of 5th grade like I do).

6-What does the number of visitors to your blog mean?

I'm not really sure what it means, what it should mean, or if it really means much of anything at all. It's so easy to get *influenced by "blog traffic" and think you're all kinds of special because umpteen amount of hits to your blog each day. On average I get about 100 hits a day. In the grand-blog-scheme that's really nothing, but to me it means 100 people are stopping by here looking for something. I hope they find what they came for. (*I removed the link to the Ecosystem traffic ranking thing-a-ma-widget about a year ago because it was too tempting all the time to find out how "popular" my blog was. I didn't start blogging to get popular, and I didn't want that pesky ranking to influence me anymore).

7-Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?

Not usually, since most of them have profile pics. I will express however that the pics that really annoy me are the ones where only part of the face is showing and the rest is out of the frame. I realize this is very hip and cool and all that, but if you're going to have a profile pic, have one of your whole face for crying out loud, so folks can get a look at you, and not just half of your face. Enough with the artsy-clever profile pics.

8-Do you think blogging has any real benefit?

Oh absolutely without question it does. There are some brilliant minds out there blogging away, and if we miss what they've got to say, it's a real shame. Brilliant people, funny people, deep-thinkers & go-getters. They challenge us, inspire us, encourage us, make us remember priorities when we forget, and laugh at ourselves at least once a day. Not to mention, the friendships that come from blogging. This wee little blog has been here for 3 years in June, and as a result of blogging I've met some of the most incredibly wonderful people (online and offline) that I could have ever hoped to meet. Just last night when my head was pounding and I couldn't sleep, one of those very people I just described was also online for similar reasons and we enjoyed a good live-chat for about an hour. We lol'd at each other, chatted about the gospel, ice cream (always important!), kids, blogs, chat and life in general. So you see, for all the snarking & sniping going on about how awful blogs can be (and truth be told, they can be), there's also much benefit & great fellowship.

9-Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?

I like this question, and I hate this question. It reminds me of my years spent in chats & forums where people would say "it's JUST a computer" or "it's JUST chat". Well, it's JUST blogging, right? WRONG. Who do you think is writing the blogs you're reading? Newsflash - they're people. Like you and like me. People with kids, bills to pay, struggling with their faith, having relationship issues, losing jobs, getting promotions, announcing the births of babies, diagnosis of terminal illness, and every other life-related issue you can think of. Sure you can turn the computer off at any time and all those people go away, and sure they're not all a part of your every day life (although some are, if they're friends you see in person and chat with on the phone and not just bloggers you read), but the bottom line is, the people in the blogosphere ARE the real world.

10-Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?

They don't scare me nor do I read them. I have very little interest in political posturing. I have more pressing issues on the top of my thought list every day.

11-Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?

It depends on who's doing it, and why. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but when it's someone who doesn't like you anyway, all they're hoping to achieve is a notch in their cut-down belt. If a friend emailed me and said "oh, you shouldn't have posted that!!" I'd be all ears. Iron sharpens iron.

12-Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog in case you died?

Yes I have, only because I read a blog post about that a couple of years ago. Unless I make provisions for Kev to login here and announce my death, my blog would come to a standstill at the last post I hit "publish" on. I suppose it would be a good thing to make sure Kev has my login data, just for that reason.

13-Which blogger had the greatest impression on you?

This is impossible to answer, because there isn't just one person that has influenced me the most. One of the people that has had a great influence on me, isn't even the blogger himself, but his wife, who I began corresponding with in email just about a year ago. She doesn't even blog herself, but we've spent the last year getting to know each other through email and have had several really great phone conversations. I don't want to embarass her but she knows who she is and I'm really glad she's a part of my life.

I'll name some of the other bloggers that have had influences on me, and if they get embarassed, too bad. LOL!

The Women: Rebecca, Marla (I so miss her!), Kim, Libbie, Jen, Lisa & Denise. This list is short beause I don't connect so well with other women for some reason, and never have. I think it all stems from the Bobby/Jamie thing in the 5th grade. The ladies on this list however, write about things that matter to me, inspire me and make me laugh. I've probably read everything they've ever blogged, and read them every time they post. Some I've been reading for a long time, some for a short time. Some I've talked to offline, some I've met, some I haven't but sure hope to one day. (Hey, a Reformed Blogger Get Together sounds like a really cool idea, doesn't it? Someone should take the initiative and plan one, maybe around a great conference in a central location in the states somewhere. Just a thought...)

The Men: James, Phil, Steve, Darrin, David, David & Neil. I could have easily made this list much longer, but these are the brothers that have honestly had the most influence on me over the years. James, Darrin, David and Neil, I've met or know in person, and they're just solid, down to earth folks who love the Lord and love to write & talk about their faith. Some of them I've been reading for years and years (long before they ever started blogging), David was my pastor (although I never officially joined his church) and the other David writes in such a profound way that it makes you think whether you wanted to or not. Steve I talk to on the phone quite a bit and has been a great influence in my life for the last 15 years or so. All have a great sense of humor, and most are fellow "24" fans. That matters. :-)

14-Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?

Well, I hope she doesn't mind my saying this, but of all the bloggers I read and/or know, Kim Shay takes that honor. Poor Kim. From the very first time I read her blog, the very first blog entry I read of hers, in fact, I knew I'd click with her immediately, since she wrote something that I could have sworn came from my own head. She does this quite often, and quite often she writes about things I'm thinking but haven't written yet - and she writes about them in ways I only wish I could have.

We first met in person almost 2 years ago, over coffee and donuts (blogger fuel) and for nearly 3 hours sat and talked about everything you can think of. Before we knew it, time had gotten away from us and it was time for us to depart and return to our families. Our families have gotten together several times since then, and it's always tons of fun when we do that.

So, there you have it. My blogger-review after 1500 posts, and 2.5 years of officially blogging (regardless of what that messed up profile says).

Time to go grocery shopping & pay bills. Just like a real person in the "real world". Go figure.

And here we are at 1500...

I sure wish my 1500th post on blogger would have been a humdinger/knockout/fantastical blog post that folks remember for years. Nope, aint gonna happen.

To commemorate my 1500th post here, I'm going to detail for you just what a klutz I really am, as I suffer the consequences of being almost killed by my vaccuum cleaner today. Yes, you heard that right, a household cleaning appliance nearly took me out today.

While cleaning the stairs, I had the vaccuum sitting on the landing and I was using the hose to clean the stairs a few steps down. Evidently I tugged a little too hard on the hose, and when I did that, the vaccuum flew down the stairs and the clasp that sticks out to hold the hose in place, stabbed me in the back of the head, right behind my right ear. In case you're wondering, YES it hurt, and a lot. Still does.

So the moral of this story is this:

Never set the vaccuum on the landing and step too far away from it, or you too will get stabbed in the head.

Or

Whoever said housework is boring, never vaccuumed stairs.

Friday BlogFodder 02/09

Lookie here kids, it's Friday again! A fine day for pizza and a good movie. But before we can get to that, let's do BlogFodder!

Before we even get to that...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

happy birrrrrrrrrthday dear Marie the Uber-Librarian & dear, sweet, wonderful friend,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU !!!!

(while you're visiting Marie's blog and leaving her a happy birthday greeting like I know you will, take the Bible Version quiz!)

There, now let's see about that BlogFoddering, shall we?

• This list of 9 Marks of a healthy church has been around a while, but it's always a good read.

• Our friend the Gadfly is rendering his blog inactive, as he begins his postgraduate studies.

• Libbie, everyone's favorite English Muffin, has finally had her little Mini-Muffin. Welcome to the world, young Master Rueben-Muffin, sir!

• In other baby news: Rebecca has an update on a baby she's asked us to pray for.

• In cool graphics tools for free: paint.net This looks very cool. If you've got it, get it, or use it, I'd be interested in hearing from you.

• In cool website/blogsite managment: The googleblog tells you how to do nifty stuff with your site to make it even better.

• Can't make the trip out to California this year for the Shepherd's Conference? No problem, live stream it this year!

• This isn't new, but it still makes me snort every time I see a link to it. If it doesn't make you laugh, you've got issues. That Pecadillo is one seriously funny young man. If that whole "being a cop thing" doesn't work out, he could always do stand-up comedy. Or, he could do it sitting down, however he's more comfortable.

• Great fonts, and they're free! Free is the best price, afterall.

• David's fed up and he's talking about YOU! (okay, maybe he was talking about me? Either way, STOP SAYING THAT!)

• Lisa wonders if disclaimers are really enough. This is a good topic for all Christian bloggers to consider.

• If this blog isn't on your blogger-riffic subscription lines, it oughta be. James Swan has some good stuff to say. He was nice enough to link to me a couple of months ago, and I didn't even have to pay him.

• Looking for a Calvinist t-shirt? (I mean really, who isn't?) Then add this blog to your list. I'll be listing the best of the best of Reformer Wear & Gifts.

• Have you followed the Frank Vance/Tim Dick/Ligonier Controversy? Did you just read that and wonder to yourself "huh"? Well, Frank Vance says farewell.

• If you've never heard this message from Paul Washer, you need to hear it. If you've got teenagers, they need to hear it too.

• Blogger Profile Quote:

"Should you be an internet wierd-o of some kind, know that I am quite adept with the handling and application of the Remington .308, loaded with 168 grain BTHP Federal Match load at up to (but not necessarily not beyond) 400 yards bullseye, thanks to FBI Sniper School some five or six years ago. No, I'm not kidding."

I like this lady. I think you will too.

• Brother Paul would like your attention regarding a Christian book ministry in Mozambique.

• What happens when you mix a PyroManiac with snow? Go here and find out. :-)

• And finally, last but certainly not least, THIS looks like a top-notch endeavor, and if you DON'T add it to your favorites & blog subscriptions today, you need intense therapy.

I hope those links prove to be useful, helpful, make you laugh, make you think, and generally bless you sockless today.

One last, shameless self-promotion-type-link.

Have a GREAT Friday!!

Let's go swimming?

Okay girls, this one is just for you. I would like to ask the men readers to please excuse yourself from the room so us girls can discuss something that you will find NO interest in. I'll wait while the men go find something to repair, re-build or replace or something. Really, you wont care one bit about this topic.

Okay, the men are gone now - we can talk.

Since Valentine's day is just around the corner, you girls know what that means. That's right, BATHING SUIT sales. You've already seen them whisking away the winter coat racks at the stores and bringing out the bathing suit manequins & displays. Happens every year right around this time. It's annoying when you want to buy a coat and all you can find are neon pink thongs, isn't it?

Now, most of us Christian women find ourselves in a dilema of sorts, when it comes to bathing suits. Sure we love to go swimming, surfing, water-skiing, and all that sort of thing. Lots of us love to be in/on the water all summer long. But the question is, dressed in what?? The kind of bathing suits at the malls are honestly something that no one should ever wear, anywhere, let alone out in public. We're athletic and/or just enjoy the water, but modesty is something we take seriously. So how to address this?

Sure there are all kinds of choices ranging from the Extreme Jezebel line (you know the ones, those are the kind you hold up on the hanger and go "there is NO WAY anyone actually wears this!) to the opposite end of extremes - the Great Aunt Bertha Line. The ones worn in that old black and white picture you've seen of that distant relative back in the 40's. You know the one, she had on those giant sunglasses and floppy straw hat? Yeah, that one.

Well, with all those choices out there, you'd think there might be something appropriate for a Christian woman, wouldn't you? You'd be wrong. Unless of course you've come up with a brilliant idea of your own (that I assure you we'd all love to know about!).

Let's be brutally honest here. Most of us do not look like a magazine cover model, nor do we want to. Most of us have had kids, and that along with time and gravity, things just don't look the same way they did when we were 20. They're not suppose to, but that's besides the point. The point is, is that there are a lot of us that would love to find a good bathing suit that fits well, doesn't leave things hanging out for all the world to see, and is a reasonable price. Thongs & Aunt Bertha suits aren't going to fit this category.

Here's where we'll all benefit from each other:

Share your swimwear idea/style/thoughts, and maybe by doing that we'll be able to bless one another before it's time to go buy a new suit?

I'll go first:

I had the idea a few days ago, that instead of a cover up skirt that you have to put on as soon as you get out of the water, why not find a pair of swim shorts that you can just wear IN the water, and not have to change as soon as you come out? Women's swim shorts are sort of a new "trend" but all they really are, are men's swim trunks cut down to size and made with prettier patterns. I think it's a great idea (the women's swim shorts) and I do plan to buy a pair before summer. I love to swim (and it's great exercise) and love the idea of swim shorts for girls!

Okay - now it's your turn. What do YOU do for swimwear, and what are your thoughts on it?

For all the men that read this anyway - your thoughts would actually be appreciated on this subject. It's a sensitive one to be sure, but it's one that we all deal with every summer, so we might as well discuss it, right?

Just for mom

Okay fine, are you happy now Mom, I changed the profile pic so people won't think I was sulking. Now they'll just think I walk around grinning all the time.

:-)

!

If you go over to Libbie's you can meet the newest member of the Christian Blogging community/family. :-)

Be glad

Last night I noticed a comment here on the "I don't want a boyfriend" post, that referenced SDAism (Seventh Day Adventistism). Briefly recalling that I have essentially ZERO working knowledge of what an SDA adherrent believes, I commented in #pros about this, and was directed to this very enlightening audio file of an older DL, in which an SDA calls in with some insights on that religion.

That was the original reason I listened to the audio this morning. It's good, and if you want to know a little bit about SDA, give the file a listen, starting at about 24 minutes into the program when Dr. White takes his first call from the man in Hawaii.

The funny thing is though, it struck me while listening to the opening 23 minutes of the show, that we (evangelicals) are so blessed with preachers and teachers that stand firmly and unapologetically on the truths of Scripture! For all the junk out there (and we all know how much junk there is), and for all the rotten doctrine, useless books, junk ministries, blithering websites and all else - we certainly DO have among us those men (and women) who stand on truth and proclaim it just as it should be proclaimed.

We should be more grateful than we are. I'm just feeling incredibly humbled and thankful this morning. Pretty good way to start a Wednesday.

Now, off with you. Go to Kim's and get your Wednesday Dose of Dead Theologian. You'll be glad you did, because it's this guy and he's talking about YOU. And me.

Yes, I know I'm boring - how about a slide show?

Due to the lack of comments at this ole blog I've come to a split conclusion about blogging.

Either, this is THE most boring blog in the Christian blogging community
- or -
The only reason sitemeter is tabulating hits, is because of that *next blog* button.

2 comments in 2 days, is depressing. *sniff, sniff*

In any case, I'm posting pics because I know someone in Australia that likes to see my snow pics in the winter:

You can see more here, if you wanted to do that.

Calvin

For those who like dead theologians on their clothing.

This is our newest design, and since the store blog no longer exists, new designs will be updated here, and periodically at the Witness Wear link, below.

Have a great Tuesday, and don't forget to tune into the Dividing Line at 1pm eastern. You'll be glad you did.

Long distance praying

Tonight I received some really disturbing news. The son of a friend of mine (that I first met online and lives in the states) was attacked last night and suffered some pretty serious injuries. The news isn't all bad, as the young man is expected to recover okay, but the initial shock of the news left me feeling so helpless.

I said to my friend that the fellowship and friendships we make online are really great, but at times like this you really feel so removed from the situation to offer any kind of practical, hands on-help.

Of course we can offer our prayers. We can petition the Lord to show His mercy and comfort, by sending His people to those who need that comfort. We can ask the Lord to provide a peace and assurance in the hearts and minds of those who need it the most. We can pray for all those things and more, and we can do it with assurance that He hears our prayers and will indeed comfort those who need it, and provide for them in His way (which is in fact the best way).

We can do all that, and yet still for some reason, feel like we haven't been able to 'do' enough. For some reason we're still left with a sense of lacking, as if our physical presence in the person's life is going to be somehow more effective for them, than the supernatural power of our Heavenly Father.

Not pointing fingers at anyone else here, except myself. I feel helpless this way when I hear of news like this (or like when I heard about Libbie's situation, and when my friend Michael recently passed away, and so many other situations I've dealt with over the years), and then I have to remind myself that while prayer is really all I have, prayer is an incredibly powerful thing.

It's a needed reminder.

Snow & stuff

My blogging time was replaced this morning by creating this design. Requested of me, by none other than my husband, Kev. He informed me he needed this shirt, and even told me exactly what it should look like. He picked the theologians, and the verse. He then went on to tell me that every reformed believer in the world, would want this shirt. Personally, I think he's insane, but it's the good kind of insane, so it's okay.

Normally, I post store-related stuff to the store's blog. I'm spread too thin these days so the store blog is going to be discontinued. Whenever I create something new or have store-related news to share, I'm just going to do that here. Feel free to click on by, if that's not your cup of mocha.

In fact, because I'm spread too thin right now, I'm going to downsize in several areas. Not exactly sure right now what that's going to look like just yet, but it's something I really need to do, to get all my priorities back in place in a nice orderly fashion.

Day 2 of being snowed in here - but it's looking up. The snowplow came down the laneway at 8 am and cleared a good path for us. By 10 am, you'd never know we had a plow in here, but it's the thought that counts, right? I had 37 trillion errands to run, groceries to buy, banking, and all sorts of other things but I can't do any of them since the last I checked, the highway is no longer there. Well, I suppose it's there, but you can't see it from here. You can't even see the yard. General driving rule of thumb basically goes like this:

If you look out the window and can't find the yard, you stay home.

Kev had to take another day off, so if you'd all dash on over to the store and buy a t-shirt, it'd help make up for his weather-induced time off. :-)

Please check the directory

Do you remember when you'd dial a number and get the recording that told you, you were in error? I don't know if that recording is still in use. It's been so long since I've heard it, that I've either quit dialing wrong numbers, or they just don't use it any longer.

I remember on more than a few occasions how annoyed I'd get. Especially if I knew I was dialing the right number - a number I might have dialed for years - a number that should have never crossed paths with that pesky recording. Being quite full of myself and absolutely certain I was punching in the right keys on the number pad, I'd dial again and much to my chagrin, I'd realize that I had in fact been dialing it incorrectly. I knew I was right, only to be proven I was wrong. Its times like that, that really make you feel like a knot-head.

I thought about that yesterday after a conversation with a friend on doctrinal error. Specifically, we discussed the kinds of circumstances with a new believer where all they really know is that they've been saved by His grace. Indeed they trust Him fully for their salvation, they know, understand and believe His death, burial and resurrection as payment for their sin, but they might be (and often are) under a great deal of various false teachings about salvation, the attributes of God, (or any number of things) and might even think or profess that they believe some of those things. There is a world of difference between someone who has not been taught, and professes certain things in error, and someone who has been taught, has been shown from the Scripture, and still flatly rejects such things and holds even tighter to their own man-made religion.

That was really the meat of the conversation with my friend yesterday. That, plus both of us pondering outloud, how much doctrinal error is too much doctrinal error, for someone to still be considered (according to the Scripture) a genuine follower of Christ. The very fact that there are so many people calling themselves Christians these days and yet living a lifestyle or holding to doctrines that contradict what the Bible teaches, is enough for anyone to be concerned about this. For others, as well as for ourselves.

It reminds me of the story I once heard about the man who talked a good talk, but had no idea who Jesus really was. This was a man who affirmed every doctrine that we call "the essentials", a man who could carry on a good theological conversation with anyone, and sound quite well studied. Most people listening to him would have no reason at all to doubt his salvation and his sincerity in what he said he believed. That is, until they discovered that the Jesus he spoke of was a carrot in his fridge, that he'd named Jesus. He had all the right arguments, affirmed all the right truths, believed himself to be certain and correct in his faith, but in his mind and his heart, he had the wrong Jesus all along. Unfortunately, quite often when people like this come across this kind of message, similar to that old phone company recording, they just mentally hang up in anger and refuse to admit how wrong they are. Sadly and filled with pride & arrogance, they do this to their own eternal peril. The pride in men simply detests being told "you are wrong". (And we all battle it, whether we admit it or not).

Some folks seem to think it's their spiritual gift to judge others saved or not. Most of the time, they don't seem to come across as doing this out of love and compassion and genuine evangelistic concern for the eternal destiny of the person, but instead from a harsh, angry or self-important type of attitude. While it is not our "job" to sit in judgement and/or condemn folks that we think don't measure up doctrinally, it is an important part of being a Christian, to be diserning when it comes to what's being taught. Discernment has received a bad rap over the last few years, and that's an unfortunate thing.

Over the last 2-3 years I've found myself in countless conversations with fellow believers that are feeling discouraged, disappointed and disheartened, that there are so many unBiblical teachings out there being embraced as Biblical Christianity. For various reasons, those who do profess sound doctrine turning and with the same breath declaring some variety of bad doctrine (and those who hold to it), acceptable and included among the household of faith. It sounds incredible, but that's exactly what's being done and why so many fellow believers are left shaking their heads, dumbfounded, wondering what is going on. I've seen this done with those who hold to Roman Catholicism, Open View Theism, Universalism (in all its various flavors), and a wide variety of other isms over the years. Even Mormonism and Islam, as stunning as that may sound.

The argument is almost always the same. The one professing complete and absolute sovereignty of God in all things, and affirming what we know to be the essentials of the faith, will then turn and say "but it's possible for some to sincerely believe/confess the essentials of the faith, and to still be a practicing [insert ism] and still be a genuine Christian." The argument always hinges on whether or not the person in a false religion will verbally affirm the essentials of the Christian faith. To which I say "remember the carrot named Jesus?".

While I certainly do agree that it's possible to be in very serious doctrinal error at conversion, or even remain for a time (generally in confusion) a member of a false religion/church after conversion, it's just impossible for me to reconcile the idea that a man or woman can be a practicing member of a false religion, while at the same time being a truly regenerated child of God. As hard as I try to understand all the arguments I've heard, the one thing that it comes down to for me is the very idea of praying to a false god (whoever it happens to be, in various false religions), knowing it's a false god (because a genuinely regenerated child of God knows there is only one way, one truth and one life), and somehow this being ushered into the household of faith as such things as being "secret disciples" or "hidden missionaries" of Christ.

1John 2:19 seems to make this awfully clear to me:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

I've highlighted the section of this verse that stands out to me. True believers reject every false way and confess Christ as Lord. True believers cannot remain (for long) where they once were, doing the things they once did, worshipping false gods or idols. The Spirit that now resides in them, is at odds with the person they once were, and there will be no peace, no rest, and no ending of conviction in that person's heart, until they DO reject the false ways they were formally familiar with. If they don't end up rejecting those false ways and contend that they are still a Christian, all the while practicing some form of other religion, the second part of that verse seems to define them very well: "they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us".

I know that there are all sorts of variables & circumstances that I haven't addressed here. I don't mean to overlook anything or unfairly "judge" anyone, but at the same time I remain convinced that there is a high and holy standard that seperates true Christianity from everything else. I also believe that blending Christianity with anything else is simply unthinkable, and cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would ever attempt it - especially someone who (on the surface anyway) affirms the very things true Christianity is really all about.

There are a lot of things I've tried and just can't understand. This is one of them.

Rendered useless

A few things rattling around in the ole bean today...

1. We apparently have, floating around in this house, a virus. Maybe more than one virus, I'm not sure but I am just about fed up with it. Symptoms seem to come and go and have so far affected every one of us, to one degree or another. Runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, headaches, coughing, sneezing, ear infections, watery eyes, so on and so forth. For Jessica and myself, we seem to get better for a few days then get nailed again. Her and I currently armed with tissues & Advil.

2. We are officially snowed in. You'd never think it to look outside now, as it's clear & sunny, but last night the snow blew and the wind howled all night long leaving us snow drifts in the laneway that range from just a few inches to at least 4 feet, in some places. Our high today is minus 16 (that's 3 farenheit) with a windchill of minus 31 (that's -23.8 degrees Fahrenheit), and we are under severe windchill warning more snow in the forecast for the rest of the day. I know it gets colder in other places, but to me, when it's this cold, it's just plain INSANE to go outside anyway.

3. I noticed while windowshopping at cafepress, that there are quite a few nifty Calvinistic designs there. I have a few myself, but there are LOTS more. Apparently Kev and I and all of you who've bought 5 solas T's aren't the only ones who like these styles. So, I decided to begin a blog that lists as many of these various designs as I can find. If you're a 5 pointer shopkeeper at cafepress, or know one, or just want to see some of the cool stuff (well, besides my cool stuff), then head over to Christian Witness Gear. It's my plan to update the site frequently with new designs from various shopkeepers.

I'm going to make a whack (which is just a little more than a tad) of fried chicken, and then I'm going to sit and do absolutely nothing for the remainder of the day. Well, maybe read my book, as long as I don't have to move.

I hope your Sunday is WAY better than mine, and you found yourself in church with the Lord's people.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

CALLING ALL BLOGGERS

Folks, it's happened again. Our brother James has had his office broken into yet again, and had costly items stolen. Even with the security measures put in place after last summer's break in. This time, security cameras installed captured some very good pictures of the theif, but unfortunately (for various reasons) law enforcement in the Phoenix area aren't giving much hope in apprehending this man, or seeing the stolen items returned to Alpha and Omega Ministries.

I know many of you who read this blog also read A&O and already know about this. Some of you however, might not, and I'm asking you to 1. pray, 2. post this at your blog as well and 3. prayerfully consider a financial donation for our brother and the ministry, that the items might be quickly replaced and even further security measures might be taken in hopes of preventing this from happening again.

This is a valuable ministry to many of us, so now is the time to step up and give back, if the Lord has placed you in a position to do so.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

And... it's a wrap

Well then... blogger made me switch today to the new and improved blogger. After all these months of WANTING to switch and the thing saying "no, we're sorry, YOUR blog can't switch yet" or something to that affect, when I login today it just switched me right on over without ever so much as asking me. I guess that's okay. Goodbye old blogger, it was a good ride. Advance apologies for the 80 zillion older posts that will be force fed through the bloglines when I hit publish on this. I have no idea why it does that, but it does.

In any event, since this is Saturday, and the day that anyone except my closest friends are likely to read this blog, I can pretty much say whatever I want and get away with it. You know, stuff like Steve Camp wears a dress. Or... Kim Shay used to be a punk rocker. With green hair. Or... Frank Turk is the Christian version of Jack Black. Yeah, stuff like that. Not that I would ever actually say stuff like that, but I could. If I wanted to.

Okay, time to wrap a few things up from the week. Obviously, Friday Blog Fodder never happened, as Friday was consumed with a wide variety of offline things that took up my time. Hopefully that'll be back next week (and bigger than usual since I'll add this week's gems to next week's).

Jesus is my Boyfriend music...

Here's what I really want to say about this:

Bad Theology
+ catchy tune
+ talented singer
-------------------
negatively influenced Christian

It's basic math. You add all those things up, and the result is unBiblical theology in the minds of those who love music & love the Lord. We all know how powerful music is. The producers of countless commercial jingles know, the creators of SchoolHouse Rock know (see, you just thought of at least 2 songs from that series that you probably haven't actually heard in 30 years or more), and the minds behind television series know too. Grade school teachers know it, and you know it. Music, and music done well, sticks in our brains and it never goes away. It's a powerful thing, and because it's a powerful thing, we should take it seriously when choosing "Christian" music for ourselves, and those we care about.

That's the night that the lights went out in... Ontario?

Okay see, I just proved my music point. Music is so powerful that you can even attach a song title that you last heard at LEAST 30 years ago, to something going on in your world, today. Alas... I digress.

When we lost power the other night, as inconvenient as it usually is, I wanted to let you all know that it happened at the cost of a man in critical condition at a local hospital. Driving home this man became disoriented due to icy roads, falling snow and oncoming headlights from a pork transport. An accident occured, taking out a power pole, and landing him in the hospital. Please remember this man in your prayers. Our family being forced to read & talk by candle light is nothing compared to what his family is going through.

Well, I know there was something else I wanted to mention, but I forget what it was. I need to go out today and dread doing it, since our temp right now is minus 11, and will be minus 30, later on. That's the kind of cold that if you're outside and have to inhale (which is generally not optional), your lungs instantly freeze, and then fall out. So to avoid that, you take wee little breaths and get back inside as fast as you can. Tomorrow morning, the HIGH is minus 16, so it'll be even worse, then.

Oh yes, winter has finally arrived in Ontario, regardless of what the groundhog had to say.

Have a great Saturday, I'm off to fiddle with my new set up here and hope I don't mess it all up too bad.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging...

I'LL LEAVE THIS AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG JUST FOR THE DAY... then let it slip off into the sunset where it belongs...

Sitemeter tells me interest is up again regarding my alleged misrepresentation of a particular internet apologist. For those of you surfing in from the "misrepresentation" page, I believe what you're looking for is here. While this was written over a year ago, it is indeed an accurate accounting of what transpired.

Reflections will resume it's regularly scheduled Friday Blog Fodder, later today. Lord willing.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

The Best Husband

Why look, another unscheduled blog post. I was so touched and inspired by Kim's posting about Buggy, I decided to do one myself, for Kev. Our anniversary is coming up in just a few weeks, and I was actually planning on doing something like this for his Christmas stocking, but time got away from me and it never happened. Kev reads my blog nearly every day, and even though he doesn't comment publicly, I know he's read it because he always comments to me at home. This is for you, baby:

Why Kevin is the Best Husband Ever

My spiritual health (and that of our kids) is his top priority and he takes it very seriously.

He listens to my recounting of very weird dreams, without brushing me off.

He brings me dark chocolate for no other reason than he knows how much I love it.

He compromises in areas where I know he really doesn't want to, but does it because he knows it's the right and fair thing to do.

He never comes home in a bad mood - always leaves his work, at work.

When I'm in bad mood, he tries everything he can think of to make it better, and make me laugh. 99.99% of the time, it works.

He says "thank you" every single night, for dinner. Even if it's something he didn't really enjoy.

He understands my creative side, and encourages me in the way I use it.

He actually read my book.

He never tells me what I want to hear, but what I need to hear, and always makes sure I understand that this is what he's doing.

We don't fight, we discuss things and pray about them.

He's more emotional than I am, (somehow that emotional/analytical thing got mixed up with us) and he evens me out when I'm being analytical and rational, leaving out the emotional & heart issues of any particular topic).

I buy generic potato chips for myself. When he buys them for me, he only buys Lays because he knows I like them better.

He reads books on how to be a Godly father, and Godly husband - and takes them seriously.

He supports my convictions of being a stay at home mom, and helps with homeschooling.

He prays with me and for me when I'm having a bout with IBS or when my neck injury flares up. He also rubs my neck when I need it, even if his fingers are full of cuts from work.

He's always changed poopy diapers, taken turns getting up at 3 am with babies, and brought me fast food greasy cheeseburgers in the hospital when they were born - rather than letting me suffer through hospital food.

He loves my mom and enjoys her company.

He seeks my opinions on all sorts of things, and takes me seriously when I offer it.

I could sit here for an extraordinary long time and list many more reasons why he's the best husband ever, but I need to put more wood on the fire. It's funny, and maybe this is supposed to work out this way, but listing his best traits compels me to strive a bit harder to be the best wife, ever. I think that's a very good thing.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

These warnings are real, the uncle of my sister's dog's vet's brother actually had all these things happen to his neighbor!

I received the following yesterday in email, and it's SO good, I couldn't not post it. Please be advised, these are all TRUE!

SUMMARY OF THE PAST YEAR ON MY COMPUTER

• I must send my thanks to whoever sent me the email about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now use a wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing.

• Also, now I scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

• I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.

• I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

• I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

• I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

• I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

• I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

• I no longer drink Coca Cola because I've learned that it can remove toilet stains.

• I no longer buy gasoline without taking a man along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.

• I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

• I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

• I now know that I can't boil a cup water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life.

• I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

• I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

• I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

• I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army.

• I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

• I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

• I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

• Thanks to my many internet friends, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

• And thanks to the great advice, I will never pick up $5.00 I dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a pervert waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician...

Have a wonderful day....

PS: A South American scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

I will send my mouse along with this e-mail so I don't get caught again........ The moral of the story is always check out forwarded emails before sending them to other people because they could be urban legends. Just plug a phrase from it (type it or copy & paste) into Google or go to truthorfiction.com.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts

Three Extraordinary Women

Last night as I was busily typing away on a background history article for my church's website, suddenly I was plunged into darkness and silence, as the power went out. *POOF* no lights, no sermon audio to keep me company, no pc.

I don't know what it is about the power going out that makes me feel like I'm 6 years old, but it happens every time. It's like a sudden & surprise school vacation, or when mom used to come home from work early. Normal routine is put on hold and no one expects "normal routine" because everyone understands the circumstances have changed. It's the weirdest thing.

After lighting so many candles our kitchen table looked like a scene out of a scary movie, I lit the kerosene lamp and headed to the basement to flip the breaker box to generator status. We had the old fuse box replaced several months ago with a breaker box, and our fridge, well pump & furnace fan are spliced into the barn's automatic generator. So at least if we lose power, we've still got the fridge, heat and water. Quite handy! It was the first time we've had to use it and it was a pretty simple process. I was planning on finishing my church history article and shutting things down by 11 to go read my book anyway, so the timing was all well & good.

Sitting alone in the kitchen reading about Eve, Sarah, then Rahab, I was so engrossed in John MacArthur's writing that I really didn't want to quit, even when the clock said 1am. Transported back in time and into the lives of women that we've all read about 100 times before, it was just a blessing to go back there and visit them again.

The thing that always strikes me about the people we read about and talk about from Scripture, is that we seem to have this tendency to think of them as Super-People. No question at all that they were specially chosen by God to be vessels of His gracy and mercy, and we should look at their lives for that reason - but I think (for me anyway) we tend to forget that by and large these were just regular folks, like you or like me. They laughed, cried, scolded their kids, had trouble with their animals, swept their floors, washed dirty clothes and had favorite foods. While their lives were in many ways so different from ours (different cultures and different times) I've often wondered if we could somehow travel back in time and speak their language, how much we'd find that we really had in common with them?

In reading about Rahab last night it struck me that if she could say anything about herself, would she be grieved that she is remembered first and foremost as a harlot, or would she be okay with that?

Maybe it's just being self-centered, but I'm not so sure I'd be okay with being remembered for who/what I was before God's saving grace entered my life. I don't like who that person was, and because she had no redeeming qualities to be exalted whatsoever, I don't even want anyone to know her.

Just a bit of thinking outloud this morning. This is a great book, and only after 3 chapters I'm already certain I'm going to be greatly blessed by it. I hope to be able to share more personal reflections as I read through it.

Also - I do appreciate the comments about the Jesus is my boyfriend post. I was going to respond to some of them last night but time got away from me then the power went out. I'll try to get back to that today - some of you had some really good things to say and I'd like to look at this a little closer. Since music is so incredibly influential, I think it's important to look closer at it, and be discriminating and discerning in our musical choices.

Related Tags: sovereign grace, baptist, the 5 solas, Christian homeschooling, Christian t-shirts and gifts