"SITTING IN THE GATE"

RETIREMENT, a wonderful thing.

2011-08-29T22:05:00.001-05:00

I admit, I'm enjoying retirement. Letting it all go, the lapsing of responsibilities and upkeep.

SUNRISE COMMUNITY CHURCH - Fellowship & Teaching

2011-07-18T15:25:00.002-05:00

At Sunrise Community Church in Atlantic Beach, (Jacksonville, Fl) God has truly blessed us with excellent teaching and true spiritual fellowship. It's been my home church for 25 years, God has truly blessed us with a great church.

Kindle

2011-07-18T15:13:00.004-05:00

Got a Kindle about a month ago. I've been able to load a number of older books on it, such as Tom Sawyer and the Count of Monte Cristo, for free. Then I've been able to add a few more books that I really like for 1 or 2 dollars.

One of the great advantages of a Kindle (or similar product) is STORAGE. You don't have to worry what to do about old books.

Tom Noir: From Prussia With Love

2010-11-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

Tom Noir: From Prussia With Love

Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947 [Paperback]

2010-11-16T19:36:00.001-05:00

Tom Noir's post on the Rise and Fall of Prussia make me want to go out and read the book. So much to read, so little time.

Christopher Clark is the author of this Tome.

RUSSIAN SPIES

2010-06-30T20:02:00.004-05:00

TOM NOIR has the story: Living the Life of a Spy

WHY CAN'T WE ALL SPEAK ENGLISH

2010-04-07T15:06:00.001-05:00

Thought provoking article on the English language; Will English be the universal language.

www.tomnoir.com ROCKS

Following Tom Noir

2010-02-22T18:35:00.001-05:00

Excellent blog: TOMNOIR

Read it at your own risk.

IMPERIUM - Robert Harris

2010-01-30T20:43:00.002-05:00

TOM NOIR piqued my interest about a historical novel, IMPERIUM by Robert Harris. It's set in the old Roman Empire and it is excellent.

For Tom's review see: http://www.facebook.com/tom.braun?ref=ts#/notes/tom-braun/imperium-a-book-review/273102143421

2010-01-23T09:43:00.001-05:00

THE GOD OF POPULAR RELIGION IS NOT HOLY

JERRY HOPKINS R.I.P

2010-01-21T10:46:00.002-05:00

My good friend and fellow follower of Jesus Christ died this morning - 1-21-2010.

JERRY HOPKINS, one of the truly "good guys" is gone; on to a much better situation, Heaven.

I honor his family: Wife Ellen, Daughters Shannon & Elizabeth, Son Scott.

JERRY will be deeply missed.

TOMNOIR: ESCAPE FROM JAIL

2010-01-18T12:42:00.001-05:00

Are you in jail but you want out?

TOM NOIR has a reference

HEARING LOSS

2010-01-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

TOM NOIR says it might not be rock and roll.

TOM NOIR

2010-01-17T07:15:00.000-05:00

INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY on timely topics by TOM NOIR.

Fun Stuff.

www.tomnoir.com

If you don't know this, you should

2009-12-14T17:48:00.001-05:00

On his deathbed, Martin Luther offered these last words: "We are sinners, it is true."

PAULETTE BROWN

2009-11-27T16:46:00.002-05:00

PAULETTE BROWN, my cousin Tom's wife, passed away this week. She and Tom were married 45 years and had two children: Scott and Lisa.

PAULETTE will be much missed. She was a very fine lady.

MUPPETS BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

2009-11-27T07:32:00.001-05:00

MUPPETS BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. Doesn't get any better than this.

The Willster

2009-10-24T18:04:00.003-05:00

Person of interest:/ amateur philosopher, commenter, and floor installer -- The Willster

Students

2009-10-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

Joanne Nesbitt, Deborah Nutt, Rander Rice, Jimmy Bellamy, John Karanja, Sherrie Hobbs. ATLANTA GEORGIA

The wisdom of Solomon

2009-08-30T19:51:00.002-05:00

I consider the Scripture book of Ecclesiastes to be the finest book of wisdom ever.

A new blog

2009-08-30T19:48:00.002-05:00

I continue to simply love my congregation and my staff; Andrew Rogers, Dan Burleson and the elders, worship team and small group leaders. Sunrise Community Evangelical Free Church.

Starting out in Life

2009-08-24T04:43:00.002-05:00

Isaiah Bennett Newkirk - my grand-nephew born to Zack and Kristen Newkirk. May he thrive and become a great and Godly man. May he and his cousin, Ethan William Alan Newkirk, be the best of friends.

The Loss of Friends

2009-08-09T16:08:00.002-05:00

One of our favorite couples is moving away leaving a hole in our congregation. They will be missed by so many. The "Goodbye" party we had for them was so moving and then prayers at the end of the service offering God's blessing in their new home. Our congregation truly attempts to practice "loving one another." Family, we all need one.

I LOVE MY CHURCH

2009-06-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

My church, Sunrise Community Evangelical Free Church, is certainly not large ( at this time) so there are a lot of "extras" that are not available, such as a gymnasium and athletic teams.
My church has one primary focus. It is Scripture. During the service a significant portion of Scripture will be read and then the messages are focused on what Scripture actually is saying and how that can be applied to our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. There's actually not a whole lot of stories during the messages. It really is about what the Scripture is saying and the context thereof.
I love it.

And then we must have the friendliest church in Jacksonville. It is always exciting to meet visitors who are eagerly welcomed. Great people visit our church.

JOSH H - Radio Producer

2009-02-21T22:10:00.002-05:00

JOSH H - Radio Producer extraordinair for Pete 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays.

Stephen Fowler; Good Guy? Surely unwise however.

2009-02-12T19:53:00.002-05:00

World's worst husband - maybe

I've never seen TV's reality show WIFE SWAP. ( It's about swapping cultural mores by swapping wives from one household to the other to direct the family activities for a week. No "hanky-panky" involved.) Well, Gayla, a somewhat heavy-set patriot from Missouri was sent to a San Francisco suburb to play mother to the Fowler family while Renee Stephens went to Missouri. Stephen Fowler, a fairly wealthy venture capitalist, did not take kindly to Gayla and was ultimately quite verbally cruel. Very cruel. His performance on the show and the accompanying youtube videos created a major firestorm for the Fowlers/Stephens. He is currently the most hated and despised man in the USA (exceptions would be the whole of our Congress - but that's another post). His wife who is a Life Coach and Diet Therapist apologized on her website and he has too. He has since resigned from a couple of boards he served on and is probably in hiding - literally. His wife says she has requested he go to therapy and get help.

His apology on his wife's website was quite well done, but...... In the course of the TV show he offended military personnel, mid-westerners, people with weight problems, people without college diplomas and the vast majority of Americans in general. The avalanche of angry/enraged comments by people who either saw the show or have seen the youtube videos has been astounding. Several thousand people have posted their hatred and vitriol on various sites. It's quite interesting, if you're not the Fowlers/Stephens or their two young kids. Who knows how genuine his written apology was.

Mrs. Stephens, in her apology, insisted that her husband is not like that and also indicated he had done the show to please her. There maybe some truth that Stephen Fowler is not actually satan incarnate. Surely televisions editors live to highlight conflicts and paint portraits of people that are shallow, superficial and often inaccurate. But on the show the "milk of human kindness" is totally missing from Stephen Fowler.

REGARDLESS of what happens in the remaining 20 to 30 years of Stephen Fowler's life, he will NEVER live down his brief stint on television. There is no mea culpa available on this earth that will convince a majority of the angry citizenry that he is anything but a total, "limey scumball" (he's British).

And that's bad. He acted horribly, he may or may not be horrible. We don't actually know. He has ruined his reputation FOREVER and his marriage and family may or may not survive. His performance was that terrible. That is sad.

FINAL THOUGHTS. I realized a few years ago that it is basically NOT in your best interest to go on T.V. I used to be periodically interviewed by local television stations regarding mental health issues. But I no longer do that. I finally recognized that nothing particularly good could come of being on TV, and possibly something negative would. The best I could hope for was a "wash." So I no longer expose my vulnerabilities and stupidities willingly to the camera. Nothing to gain, much to lose.

OBAMA and BIN LADEN

2008-12-08T11:46:00.001-05:00

If John McCain would have been elected, he would NOT have had the political support to enter Pakistan and go directly after Bin Laden. The anti-war left and progressive wing of the Democratic Party would have raised a "hue and a cry." Hearing and threats of impeachment would have headlined the pages of the newspapers and been the topic of cries of alarm via NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN etc.

BUT, Obama could. While we conservatives would bemoan the double standard that allows a Democrat to enter Pakistan but not a Republican; we would certainly support Obama sending the troops in. I would think we wouldn't announce our incursion into Pakistan but he would have the national political backing to do it. No Republicans would demand a hearing. And the Democrat left would probably turn a blind-eye with the exception of Cindy Sheehan. The main-stream media would refuse to cover her dissent.

I say, "President Obama; on Jan. 22 send the special ops teams in and lever that Islamic murderer out of his cave. I won't have a word of criticism."

Renee Banks LPN Jacksonville, Florida R.I.P.

2008-10-21T19:38:00.003-05:00

RENEE BANKS a really wonderful and Godly lady died unexpectedly yesterday. She was loved by all who knew her including residents and staff at the nursing home she served for many years. She will be so missed; especially by me. She was the first nurse to greet me and we became great friends. Our worlds were different but we shared our age, our love for God and our compassion for others. She was only 59 and she had four adult children of whom she was immensely proud.

I will miss her.

Chinese Apples in Amsterdam

2008-10-06T12:15:00.003-05:00

This should be fun. Tom's upcoming language and culture adventures.

Disaster preparation

2008-09-20T20:48:00.000-05:00

Tom Braun gives pithy advice on surviving the next FLORIDA HURRICANE.

Men of Purity conference Sept. 19, 20 - Jacksonville

2008-09-08T18:19:00.002-05:00

My husband is addicted to porn?

Encourage men in JACKSONVILLE to attend Friday night and Saturday morning meeting at Sunrise Community Church in Atlantic Beach.

Are you tired of porn controlling you?

(904) 249-3030

Ya'll Come

Lloy Ball wins Gold

2008-08-24T13:56:00.002-05:00

Sadly, we don't see men's volleyball in my part of the world but I love competitive volleyball. Turns out the USA has a setter, 36 year old Lloy Ball who led our team to its first gold medal in 20 years. The thing that blows my mind is: a setter is 6'8". You always think of setters as kinda short guys. But even the setters are tall.
Our victory against a huge Russian team was historic. Their blockers were taller than our hitters. We had 2 "short" spikers; Priddy and Salmon, both about 6'5". But they were fast to the ball and their speed enabled them to make a good percentage of their spikes.

Then we beat the Brazilians but that battle has not yet been posted on nbcolympics.com. I look forward to seeing it.

Congrats to Lloy who has apparently taken considerable heat in the past for our losses, deserved or not. He got his and in doing so the USA got ours.

Way to go Lloy. May your tribe increase.

Obama vs McCain; the probability scales

2008-08-23T13:46:00.002-05:00

Obama will CERTAINLY raise taxes
McCain MIGHT raise taxes

Obama will CERTAINLY NOT save social security
McCain will CERTAINLY NOT save social security

Obama’s judges will CERTAINLY move the USA towards European socialism
McCain’s judges will ??????????????

Obama will CERTAINLY help legalize homosexual marriages
McCain MIGHT help legalize homosexual marriages

Obama MIGHT persecute Bush/Cheney and Rove after the fact
McCain WILL NOT persecute Bush/Cheney and Rove after the fact

Obama will CERTAINLY grow big government
McCain will PROBABLY grow big government

Obama will CERTAINLY increase the national debt
McCain will CERTAINLY increase the national debt

Obama will CERTAINLY work for no limits to abortion
McCain will PROBABLY maintain current limitations.
( Neither will reverse Roe v Wade )

Obama will CERTAINLY work to shut down conservative talk radio
McCain PROBABLY won’t work to shut down conservative talk radio

Obama will CERTAINLY allow “hate speech” to be used against Conservative Christians
McCain MIGHT allow “hate speech” to be used against Conservative Christians

Obama will CERTAINLY pursue amnesty and benefits for illegal immigrants
McCain will PROBABLY pursue amnesty and benefits for illegal immigrants

Obama will CERTAINLY make small business more difficult
McCain will PROBABLY make small business more difficult

Obama will CERTAINLY withdraw troops from Iraq
McCain will CERTAINLY withdraw troops from Iraq

Obama will CERTAINLY NOT interfere with the U.S. Slouching towards Gomorrah
McCain will PROBABLY NOT interfere with the U.S. Slouching towards Gomorrah

Obama will NOT be a new and different politician
McCain will NOT be a new and different politician

Obama will CERTAINLY make us wish for a return of Bush/Cheney
McCain will CERTAINLY make us wish for a return of Bush/Cheney - grin

NEITHER of them will save the country from itself.

A LOT of money goes a long ways

2008-08-09T20:16:00.002-05:00

WASHINGTON - The ex-mistress of former presidential candidate John Edwards said Saturday she will not participate in DNA testing to establish the paternity of her daughter.

Rielle Hunter's lawyer, Robert Gordon, says his client is a private individual who is not running for public office and that she wishes to maintain the privacy of her and her daughter.

YA HAVE to wonder how much Rielle's desire for privacy is costing John Edwards Inc.
A pretty penny no doubt. Rielle will never have to work again and the baby, of course, is totally taken care of.

It's all about the money here.

JOHN EDWARDS CONFESSES; PARTIALLY

2008-08-08T20:15:00.002-05:00

The National Enquirer has certainly nailed some of it. John Edwards DID have an affair with Rielle Hunter. He says the baby isn't his but says there's been no paternity test. (There may actually have been a paternity test for all we know.) He says he never loved her (Rielle). He says he told wife about it in 2006 but when Bob Schieffer reported talking on the phone with Elizabeth Edwards this evening, Schieffer said she seemed to be very upset. Old news generally doesn't make one that upset.

Here's the deal; John Edwards is in the incomplete repentance stage. As Jim Rome ( L.A. sports talk jock ) would put it, Edwards "needs to come correct."

But that's hard to do; seems to me the truth comes out incrementally.

Reading the blogs; defenders of John Edwards are all over John McCain for his divorce from his wife - THIRTY YEARS AGO. I read that McCain has long since taken responsibility for his divorce but who knows. I think the 30 year gap is going to make the "moral equivalence" a little hard to pull off.

My advice to John Edwards - if he wants to stop the bleeding.

Send out a press notice admitting:
" The baby is mine."
" I screwed up beyond belief."
" I'll support the child in all ways."
" I'm praying my wife won't divorce me."
" I'm thru with being in the public eye for the foreseeable future."

"Goodbye"

Jim Rome is right of course; you got to "come correct."

EXCELLENT EXPOSITORY PREACHING AND TEACHING IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

2008-07-26T19:59:00.003-05:00

Wonderful, loving people and if you want to "dive deeper" into Scripture and you live in Jacksonville, Florida; by all means come visit.

Worship service and teaching starts at 10 a.m.

(904) 249-3030

LIV TYLER vs ZACK NEWKIRK

2008-07-22T22:02:00.002-05:00

"Where this “Hulk” begins to sag is around the time Liv Tyler appears on screen, which is coincidentally the same spot all films starring Liv Tyler begin to sag....." more

Not sure Zack HATES LIV TYLER; but possibly he's not her biggest fan.

If he could talk to her he'd probably change his mind.

"Liv; have your girl call Zack's girl."

A wedding

2008-06-25T20:33:00.001-05:00

What I live for

2008-06-25T20:24:00.002-05:00

ETHANOL EQUALS BAD GAS FUEL PUMP PROBLEMS

2008-06-21T07:59:00.002-05:00

I drive a '94 Maxima with a lot of miles on it but it has just rocked along until this last month. It started to drive like it was running out of gas. I checked, it wasn't. Called my long time mechanic, Fern Bienvenue, who is actually a teaching mechanic for a major Japanese auto maker. He asked if maybe I'd gotten some bad gas. He suggested I buy a pint/quart of rubbing alcohol and pour it into the tank in case there was a water build up. I did; car continued to stop unexpectedly; act like it was starving for fuel. Then the "check engine" light went on and stayed on. It was now obvious that even when I had those "good fuel moments" that my 6 cylinder was running on 5. I took it to Fern, who analyzed the problem and informed me that a fuel injector had failed. He mentioned that they almost never fail. Failure is so rare he had to order the part out of N.Y. and I live in a big southern city. The part is about the size of a spark plug. Unluckily it cost $150.00. Fern said we would have to fix that before we did anything else. A few hundred dollars later the fuel injector was fixed.

This morning the Maxima AGAIN was having fuel problems. Fern told me to pick up a fuel filter. (He says, do the inexpensive repairs first. Did I mention I love my mechanic?)

I realized that less than a month ago ( JUNE 2008 )signs began to appear on the fueling pumps where I buy my gas. The signs say "10% Ethanol.

ETHANOL; BIG PROBLEM, particularly for older cars.

When I bought my car filter this a.m. at ADVANCED AUTO, I asked one of the guys if fuel pump sales were up. Garett replied: "THRU THE ROOF."

ETHANOL manufacturers are claiming; "No Problemo."

THEY LIE! "BIG PROBLEMO."

So the gov. has forced us to buy BAD GAS which will be very expensive due to automobile repairs of fueling systems plus the price of corn is thru the roof. Did I mention that Ethanol is BAD GAS? Did I mention that Ethanol is actually more expensive to manufacture than gasoline?

You're gonna find out on your own but I'll warn you; fueling system repairs in your old car may well exceed the VALUE of your older vehicle.

THAT SUCKS. But we "the people" keep insisting we save the planet. Somehow 10% Ethanol saves the planet? Don't think so but it will force everybody to buy much newer cars.

The problem isn't "them." It is "US."

ABORTION CHANGES YOU

2008-06-13T14:21:00.002-05:00

For some woman, abortion is the ticking time bomb waiting to go off 20 years after the fact. Some women can't stop crying.

If you're hurting here's a place to start. http://www.abortionchangesyou.com/

LUCY

2008-05-27T13:33:00.001-05:00

LUCY! Coolest librarian evah!

DAN BURLESON and MARIA BURLESON

2008-05-26T04:13:00.001-05:00

Wonderful welcomes to our new assistant pastor and his family; Dan and Maria Burleson.

They're now officially a long ways from Southern California.

We're thrilled they are here.

TOM BRAUN WRITER EXTRAORDINAIRE

2008-04-29T12:33:00.001-05:00

Moving to the Front

PASTOR ANDREW ROGERS EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH

2008-04-29T06:53:00.001-05:00

Excellent Bible Teaching; Gifted leadership for today's church

TOM BRAUN - MAN OF LETTERS

2008-04-29T06:47:00.002-05:00

Writer, Opinion, Editorial

He does it all

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH JACKSONVILLE BEACHES

2008-04-28T17:22:00.001-05:00

PLEASE COME VISIT WITH US.

We delve deeply into Scripture and we are a ferociously loving congregation. You will be warmly welcomed.

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH JACKSONVILLE

2008-04-27T13:12:00.001-05:00

I LOVE my church. Simply excellent Bible teaching in the last couple of years and the people are very loving and friendly.

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH in JACKSONVILLE

SUNRISE COMMUNITY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH

Sunrise Community Church - Jacksonville, FL

2008-04-15T16:33:00.005-05:00

My Church for the last 22 years has been SUNRISE COMMUNITY EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH located in Atlantic Beach (Jacksonville) Florida.

We are a part of the EVANGELICAL FREE denomination. We are an autonomous congregation but hold to the 12 doctrines of the E.V. Free.

It is a terrific church. If you are ever in Jacksonville, please visit.

Pretty Maids all in a row

2008-03-31T18:15:00.003-05:00

The Eagles; one of my favorite songs. Joe Walsh seems to be an interesting guy. I think he's been pretty addictive but he plays a nice guitar and sings with his heart.

My Baby Girl Marries 3-17-08

2008-03-19T18:14:00.000-05:00

Tom Noir

2008-02-26T15:13:00.001-05:00

Amazingly catholic in his posts.

tomnoir.livejournal.com

Dr. Patrick Devlin M.I.A.

2008-01-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

Pat Devlin, I wish you'd call me sometime. I've missed seeing you for the last many years. I'll buy the lunch.

A counselor needs a counselor.

My Hero

2007-12-06T19:25:00.000-05:00

My late grandfather, Seneca Lowell Griggs

The Boys; now Men

2007-11-13T12:02:00.001-05:00

Happy Fun Car or R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2007-09-22T16:23:00.001-05:00

THEY LIKE IT

2007-07-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

(From Nationalreview.com - the corner

"Because They Like It, That's Why [Michael Ledeen]

From an email, clear thinking for what lies ahead:

The real question remains “Why at all?” and the status of these would-be murderers as privileged post-graduates debunks the usual Lefty nostrums about terrorism arising inexorably from the poverty, oppression and “disenfranchisement” of the globe’s Darwinian short-bus. The answer lies more plainly in a memorable line of a memorable character. In 1971’s “Dirty Harry” the city of San Francisco is being terrorized by the rampant Scorpio serial killer. Clint Eastwood is in classic formulaic dialogue with the big shots down at City Hall who just don't understand what they’re dealing with. Eastwood says “You're crazy if you think you've heard the last of this guy. He's gonna kill again” and the archetypal skeptical D.A. character responds “How do you know?” (A little imagination here to invoke the Eastwood signature voice enhances the flavor of the closing fastball). “Because he likes it” answers Dirty Harry.

It doesn't matter a whit if these manqué human bonfires are doctors, shepherds, bureaucrats or street vendors – this is what they do, and they do it because they like it. They are fanatics, subsumed in a crippling theology that fosters self-hatred and murder. Their economic conditions are irrelevant. The Left doesn't get this of course because Marxist materialism denies belief systems altogether, so they therefore must assume that all human behavior is derived from economic determinism. Tell that to Dr. Kill-dare.

These monsters wish to inflict as much pain and death on as many innocents as they can because… because they’re evil and they’re crazy. And it’s not pretty to say so, but the only reasonable and effective defense is to kill them first. "

2007 Mustang GT

2007-06-14T04:20:00.000-05:00

My son drove up last night in his brand-new, jet-black, Mustang GT - the classic "throaty purr" indicating the presence of 8 honkin' cyclinders creating 300 horses at 6000 rpm. Oh, it's nice.

He didn't listen to his old Dad. I said, light colors last longer and 6 cylinders will be all the horsepower you'll need.

I was WRONG. I'm glad he got the real thing. At this stage he can afford the gas (he's single) and every guy should have a hot car at least once in his life. It's good to be young when you're young. He bought like a 27 year old, not like a 57 year old and that's good.

Enjoy it Tom. You made the right choice.

Life and death of Judy Garland (Francis Gumm)

2007-06-10T08:33:00.000-05:00

(Found on James Lilek's blog in response to his post on Judy Garland Days in Grand Rapids)

The Case of Frances Gumm vs. Judy Garland
Submitted by CivilDefense on Sun, 06/10/2007 - 7:39am.

Do you really "...have to wonder how her life would have unfolded if she’d stayed" home in small-town middle America"?

With respect, I don't think so. Her life would have been better, far happier, and almost certainly much longer. (Her daughter, too, wouldn't have been a bundle of second-generation neuroses and inherited pathologies.)

Google the sad end in summary of Garland's story and you learn that she was just 47, full of sleeping pills, and that "everybody loved her" ... everybody but Frances Gumm, apparently. (As I recall, "everyone loved" Marilyn Monroe, too --- not to mention Elvis, Jim Morrison, etc. ad nauseum)

When you're very, very young, deeply impressed by what you see and unaware of what you don't yet know, Garland's meteoric life story has great appeal. Young people don't see those brassy, rouged twin whores, Glamour and Fame, as the flattering, life-sapping, withering harpies they truly are.

As you age, have a family, enjoy the profound pleasures of a modest life and the peaceful retreat of relative obscurity, I think most of us come to regard a life like that lived by Gumm/Garland as a curse and a tragedy ... even if it's set to music and recorded in Technicolor.

"Kakes" graduates

2007-06-09T19:56:00.000-05:00

My youngest, "Kakes," graduated from college a month ago. She ended up with a triple major; English, Psych & Linguistics. Through-out her 4 years she received all A's except for one B+. I'm quite proud of my two children. Having graduated from college they should be able to find gainful employment and support my early retirement. That's my plan; not necessarily their's.

Anywho, congrats to Kakes for a job terrifically done.

Sitting quietly

2007-06-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

This morning while I was unloading my Motobecane racing bicycle, I "twinged" my back. Well I completed the 24 miles with my friend Ron but my back is warning me that I need to be very careful in the next couple of days. Such is life right?

Live while you can

2007-04-22T18:25:00.000-05:00

A D.J. Drummond posted the following on Wizbangblog.com. It is very perceptive.

On Death

Yesterday, I went to the funeral of my old church choir director, the sort of man who achieved greatness the old-fashioned way; he changed the lives of countless people around him by helping them find character strengths and skills they did not know they possessed, and he helped them grow from uncertain youth to a more confident adulthood. Today also happens to be the one-year anniversary of the death of my father. Also, in the past year I have been diagnosed with Cancer, been to several other funerals, and had some unpleasantly direct experience with how the present media culture treats the families of violent crime, so I am a bit more aware of death in my thoughts and ponderings than normal.

We live, we die. These are immutable facts in the human condition. I could make some profound religious or philosophical observation on what happens after we die, I suppose, but it would likely not be original, even if it was worth the effort. And it would be poor, cold comfort to the people left behind to mourn the loss. It's nice to be told that our loved ones are happy and doing well on the other side of the grave, and we might even take some comfort in the hope that we can believe in something more after the death of the body, but in the present we all have to face that death is right here, everywhere all the time. Dying means pain, the grotesque internment of the body as garbage, and the undesired change in reality for everyone connected to the deceased. C.S. Lewis, the Oxford Don and famous as a great apologist for Christianity in the modern age, wrote about the pain he endured when his wife Joy died from Cancer. It was, he felt, grossly unfair and painful to everyone, and it also seemed that everything someone said to him showed how little they understood the situation. If so great an optimist as Lewis felt this way during the passing of his wife, we should not be surprised that anyone else would feel the same suffering.

Yet for all of that, I cannot accept the notion that death should be the focus of a person's life. We are born and we must die, yes, but all that happens in between those events is of tremendous importance. Indeed, all of History comes down to men and women choosing ways to use their opportunities to act in ways that change Reality. Even when they sometimes had to die to do so. And many times, the people who changed the world the most, were far more than they seemed on the outside.

It's no great wisdom to say it, but I think it's a good idea to repeat the fact that living matters more than dying. Anyone can die, and we all get there eventually. Living, and living to a good end, is much much harder and significant. People mourn a person's death, specifically because the way they lived mattered.

By: DJ Drummond

The insanity of feminism

2007-04-20T04:03:00.000-05:00

Al Mohler and Kathleen Parker clarify our insanity:

"Tragically, the most damaging element of Ahmadinejad's media triumph was handed to him by the Royal Navy in the person of Leading Seaman Faye Turney, the only woman among the captives and the mother of a 3-year-old daughter.

Her presence among the captives taken from the British patrol vessel gave Ahmadinejad the opportunity to make this observation:

"You will know that among the detainees there is one lady who is a mother of a child. Why is it that the most difficult work like patrolling at sea should be given to a woman?

"Why is there no respect for motherhood? Why does the West not value its women?"

Ahmadinejad's questions still reverberate around the Muslim world. Nothing could more effectively demonstrate the immorality of Western values before Muslim eyes than this -- a mother of a little girl sent as a warrior.

As Kathleen Parker remarked in The Washington Post:

On any given day, one isn't likely to find common cause with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He's a dangerous, lying, Holocaust- denying, Jew-hating cutthroat thug -- not to put too fine a point on it.

But he was dead-on when he wondered why a once-great power such as Britain sends mothers of toddlers to fight its battles.

Driven by a fanatical ideology of feminism, the West has turned its back on a reality as basic as motherhood. We have adopted a new morality that insists -- nature's obstinacy notwithstanding -- that there is no difference between men and women. This produces mothers of babies and toddlers in uniform and in the killing zones."

V Tech hero

2007-04-17T10:27:00.000-05:00

"Virginia Tech University Prof. Liviu Librescu, described as a family man who once did research for NASA, sacrificed his life to save his students in the shooting rampage yesterday.

"When he heard the gunfire, he blocked the entrance and got shot through the door," his daughter-in-law Ayala Schmulevich said.

"He realized he had to save the students," she said. "That was the kind of man he was."

The hero educator was beginning a class on solid mechanics when all hell broke loose on the second floor of Norris Hall.

First came the terrifying gunshots from a classroom next door.

"It wasn't like an automatic weapon, but it was a steady 'pow,' 'pow,' 'pow,' 'pow,'" student Richard Mallalieu, 23, told The Washington Post. "We didn't know what to do at first."

The students in the class dropped to the floor and started overturning desks to hide behind as about a dozen shots rang out, he said.

Then the gunfire started coming closer. Librescu, 77, fearlessly braced himself against the door, holding it shut against the gunman in the hall, while students darted to the windows of the second-floor classroom to escape the slaughter, survivors said.

Mallalieu and most of his classmates hung out of the windows and dropped about 10 feet to bushes and grass below - but Librescu stayed behind to hold off the crazed gunman.

Alec Calhoun, 20, said the last thing he saw before he jumped from the window was Librescu, blocking the door against the madman in the hallway.

He died trying to protect the students."

INCREDIBLE! GOD BLESS HIM

20 plus people murdered at Va. Tech

2007-04-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

There is great evil loosened in our world. Nobody yet knows the final tally; the shooter is dead.

Waiting to find out who it is; if there is any explanation to the insanity.

Finnerty, Seligman & Evans Innocent

2007-04-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

I admit to attempting to read EVERYTHING about the Duke Lacrosse Non-rape Case that has fascinated the blogosphere in the last year.

It shoulda gone away the day after it was announced there was NO DNA evidence. But too many people desperately needed it to be true to serve their agenda.

If you were following the case in the blogosphere, it was oh so evident that there was nothing there. Yet Nifong and his MANY enablers toiled on.

I would love to interview Mike. It would take a week before you might actually get to the bottom of his motivations.

Oh well, what's next?

Pyromaniacs: Glad you asked...

2007-04-02T04:55:00.000-05:00

Pyromaniacs: Glad you asked...

Roger Bennett R.I.P.

2007-03-18T20:15:00.000-05:00

Roger Bennett, southern gospel pianist, gentleman and follower of Jesus Christ passed away yesterday. He was 48 years young and leaves behind his wife and 3 children.

He died from Leukemia; first battled the disease in the 90's. But it came back last year and took his life. I like what some poster said:

" The one thing I will never forget was when Roger made the statement "No matter what happens to me, I win". This morning he won the best prize of all. I know heaven is better today with Roger there, but we here or earth will miss him. My prayers are for all of his family and Legacy 5 that are left on this earth. God be with them."

Roger was correct. If you're a believer you simply can't lose. You win!

I went to hear Legacy Five, the group he founded with Scott Fowler, hoping to see him a bout 3 weeks ago. Sadly he was not there and now he's gone from this life.
I didn't know him but his reputation was that of a fine, fine man.

Let's talk about sex, baby - Columns

2007-03-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

An insightful article about the "hook-up" culture at an elite University. It's actually sad.

Let's talk about sex, baby - Columns

Pyromaniacs: How to be a pathetic leader

2007-02-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

Pyromaniacs: How to be a pathetic leader

Stealing the Church

2007-02-19T06:57:00.000-05:00

California Pastor Stole the Whole Church
Click here to find out more!
By GARANCE BURKE
Associated Press Writer

February 13 2007, 7:45 AM EST

RIPON, Calif. -- For nearly a decade, members of Ripon's First Congregational Church bared their souls to Pastor Randall Radic. But clearly it didn't work both ways. There were certain things he wasn't telling them.

That became obvious a year ago, when Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop -- exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful blog about his double life as a sinner.

"We didn't know anything until we got a call from the bank that he had bought a BMW," said David Prater, who led the church board during Radic's tenure. "He drove that car right down Main Street." MORE

Presidential candidates

2007-02-19T06:46:00.000-05:00

(Anon Quote)
Once I asked a political professional if he'd come to like and care about the candidates he'd worked with, and he barked the old Cynical Strategist's line, "Rule one: Never fall in love with the meat!"

(That's so good. By the time we finally get to the presidential election of November 2008 I will be So hating the candidates; heck I don't like them now! But two years of this garbage? We're going to have people jumping off of tall buildings before this cycle is over.)

If you have questions about God read this

2007-02-06T06:19:00.000-05:00

What is NOT an attribute of God?

A. He is Loving
B. He is Righteous
C. He is Merciful
D. He is compromising

Answer: D. It is always polite to let each other speak for ourselves and God is no different. He has explained clearly why He is not willing to compromise, while at the same time remaining loving and forgiving. See below for an understandable explanation…

::God-the object of all worship::

Being eternally perfect, just and loving, God is worthy to receive the worship of all. His supremacy demands the worship of His creation (Psalm 96).

::Humanity-united in rebellion::

The world is clearly not perfect. This is because we have all rejected the authority of God in favor of our own (Rom. 1.21-26). Independence from God is sin. It is rooted in a heart that refuses to submit to the authority of God and therefore rebels against Him. From God’s perspective, rebellion is offensive because it seeks a human or self authority (Rom. 3.10-12, 23).

::God will not let us continue rebelling::

This anger evoking rebellion has brought about God’s judgment; expressed now in terms of death, sickness, and inability to earn His favor, and ultimately in terms of eternal condemnation (John 3.18; Rev. 21.8). God’s perfect character & perfect standard require that He deal justly with us as rebels (Ps. 9.8; Acts 17.30).

::Jesus-the only substitute for rebels::

God’s justice will only be satisfied by perfection (Matt. 5.48). God demonstrates His love for us by sending the only suitable substitute (2 Cor. 5.21).

::Jesus-the God who became a man::

Jesus, Himself being God (Col. 2.9), put on humanity & became a man (John 1.14). In His life Jesus showed dependence upon God through perfect obedience to God & remained without sin (1 Jn. 3.5). Jesus fully satisfied the just requirements of God by offering Himself as the sacrifice for rebels through His death on the cross (Rom. 3.25)

::Jesus-the only means of restoration::

God calls every person to receive His gift of salvation by believing in Him: turning from rebellion & depending upon Jesus’ perfection for forgiveness. God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross as the exclusive basis for restoration. God demonstrated this acceptance through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (Acts 17.30-31).

::Jesus-the believer’s perfection::

On the cross, Jesus died in the sinner’s place. God charged the rebel’s sin to Jesus (though He never sinned), so that through the believer’s full dependence upon the merit of Jesus, God would declare the rebel perfect, based upon the sacrifice of Jesus (Rom. 3.26). Here God is proven to be just, holy, forgiving, & loving of the one who submits to & depends on Jesus.

::There are only two ways to respond::

-1- continue rejecting God’s authority (sin)…result: guilt & judgment

-2- submit to & depend upon Jesus (faith)…result: forgiveness

"Good News:" simple but profound

2007-02-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Tom Ascol - Founders Blog

"The Gospel is all about Jesus Christ. I teach the people I serve to think of it simply like this: It is the message or Who Christ is, What He has done, and Why it matters."

And that is it!

Millennial Postmodernity

2007-02-01T17:27:00.000-05:00

Anything to pick up the cheap hit!

(See KC Johnson's) Durham-in-wonderland which follows the Duke non-rape case.

It has been great reading and offers rich insight into the insanity of feminist studies.

Trying to read the tea leaves instead of Scripture

2007-01-30T05:12:00.000-05:00

Misreading God
by Dan Phillips

Reading providence is a fool's game, yet it never lacks players.

Discontented with Scripture, yearning for something God never promises, countless Christians read feelings, circumstances, events, hoping to discern God's personal coded messages in them. They may not use tea-leaves and chicken gizzards, but they no less are acting as diviners rather than divines. The results can be devastating and enslaving.

Dan Phillips of teampyro.blogspot.com has called it. We are not satisfied with God's Word; we want uber magic. (I think God's telling me I need to run to Denny's and have a "Grand Slam" before I go to work today. On that basis I'm over - and - out)

The Joy of Sensitivity Training

2007-01-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

Sensitivity Training only goes one way!

ASU student objects to sensitivity exercise
By David Discobing, For the Tribune
January 21, 2007

Arizona State University senior Ryan Visconti was told “his kind” wasn’t welcome — that he was an abomination and an unforgiveable sinner. He pleaded to join the “church,” which was set up Jan. 10 as part of diversity training for ASU dormitory employees.

The role-play training took place Jan. 11, one week before the start of the spring semester.

Assigned the identity of a gay Hispanic, Visconti’s persistence during the training got him nowhere. A woman with a Southern accent told him there was nothing he could do. She said he was going to hell, and that even Jesus said so in the Bible.

Visconti, a 22-year-old political science major from Mesa, called the role-play an “ultra-clear example” of the victim mentality and liberal bias that permeate ASU.

“It crossed the line,” Visconti said. “All it did was reinforce the most disgusting, hateful and ugly stereotypes in our society.”

Visconti said he was required to participate in the role-play for his job as a resident assistant. It was an activity that Visconti, other dorm employees and a Valley religious leader said went too far.

Even an ASU associate professor who specializes in minority relations has raised concerns about the activity.

ASU Residential Life spokeswoman Diana Medina said the role-play was designed to examine the effects of racism, classism and “homophobia” on different cultural and economic groups.

But Visconti said the students who designed the roleplay overlooked their own stereotypes, such as the notion that white men don’t have to work for wealth because society gives them a free ride. Or the idea that Christian churches are filled with bigots, and people who support traditional family values such as heterosexual marriage are hateful and narrow-minded.

“They were basically saying that if you don’t feel the same way, you’re wrong,” Visconti said. “It got to the point that if you weren’t a minority or gay, you were supposed to feel guilty and that everything was given to you in life.”

Apocalypse inching this way

2007-01-29T12:04:00.000-05:00

(coming ever closer - the apocalypse)

LONDON (Reuters) - For Anglicans who still haven't found what they're looking for, the Church of England is staging its first "U2-charist" communion service -- replacing hymns with hit songs by the Irish supergroup.
ADVERTISEMENT

"Rock music can be a vehicle of immense spirituality," said Bishop of Grantham Timothy Ellis, announcing plans for the unique service in the central English town of Lincoln in May.

A live band is to play U2 classics like "Beautiful Day" and "Mysterious Ways" with special singalong lyrics displayed on a giant screen. Seating for the 500-strong congregation is to be re-arranged so everyone can dance and wave their hands.

Just what we need; replace A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD with a Bono tune. sigh

God kicks our What?

2007-01-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

( From John Piper of all people. Hey, I'm beginning to like him!)

John Piper January 10, 2007

I regret saying it. I am sitting here trying to figure out why I say things like that every now and then. I think it is a mixture of (sinful) audience titillation and (holy) scorn against my own flesh and against the devil, along with the desire to make the battle with Satan and my flesh feel gutsy and real and not middle-class pious. There is a significant difference between saying that God disciplines his children and saying that he “kicks our ass” (the phrase used at Passion)—the effect of the first can produce a yawn and leave students with no sense of how real I mean it. I think “He kicks our backside” would have sufficed. And even better might have been some concrete illustrations of the Lord's firm spanks.

If I wanted to take the time, and I felt more defensive than I do, I could probably go to the Bible and find language as offensive as that in the mouth of prophets, and even God when dealing with the grossness of evil. But I doubt that the moment in the breakout session called for something that extreme. Sometimes maybe. I hope the Lord turns it for good.

Me too!
BTW, I certainly believe that God does EXACTLY what Piper said.

Gender ambiguity and your pastor

2007-01-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

( If the apocalypse is not upon us it's surely getting closer.)

Wednesday, January 24th, 2007
by Jeff Robinson

When the apostle Paul prayed that the false teachers troubling the church at Galatia would emasculate themselves, he surely did not envision the disturbing fulfillment of such an entreaty as reported in the latest edition of Newsweek.

Under the headline "Gender and the Pulpit," the newsweekly bemoans the "workplace quandary" facing ministers who have surgically altered their gender. The article examines the obvious and even ironic difficulties facing a minister who suffers from "permanent gender ambiguity." MORE

The increasing societal chaos

2007-01-16T14:18:00.000-05:00

This is truly a disturbing trend. More and more women now live without "nets."

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse
By SAM ROBERTS - New York Times

For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results.

In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.

Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits.

Several factors are driving the statistical shift. At one end of the age spectrum, women are marrying later or living with unmarried partners more often and for longer periods. At the other end, women are living longer as widows and, after a divorce, are more likely than men to delay remarriage, sometimes delighting in their newfound freedom.

In addition, marriage rates among black women remain low. Only about 30 percent of black women are living with a spouse, according to the Census Bureau, compared with about 49 percent of Hispanic women, 55 percent of non-Hispanic white women and more than 60 percent of Asian women.

In a relatively small number of cases, the living arrangement is temporary, because the husbands are working out of town, are in the military or are institutionalized. But while most women eventually marry, the larger trend is unmistakable.

“This is yet another of the inexorable signs that there is no going back to a world where we can assume that marriage is the main institution that organizes people’s lives,” said Prof. Stephanie Coontz, director of public education for the Council on Contemporary Families, a nonprofit research group. “Most of these women will marry, or have married. But on average, Americans now spend half their adult lives outside marriage.”

Professor Coontz said this was probably unprecedented with the possible exception of major wartime mobilizations and when black couples were separated during slavery.

William H. Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution, a research group in Washington, described the shift as “a clear tipping point, reflecting the culmination of post-1960 trends associated with greater independence and more flexible lifestyles for women.”

“For better or worse, women are less dependent on men or the institution of marriage,” Dr. Frey said. “Younger women understand this better, and are preparing to live longer parts of their lives alone or with nonmarried partners. For many older boomer and senior women, the institution of marriage did not hold the promise they might have hoped for, growing up in an ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ era.”

This bodes poorly for the future of society. Women need men, and men need women.

Scion xB out of production Dec. 2006

2007-01-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here's a brief note!
"scion xb

The demand for the Toyota Scion is up, so Toyota is doing the only sensible thing and cutting back on the supply, reports Gina Chon in The Wall Street Journal (11/10/06). Say again? You heard right: Scion could easily sell another 25,000 cars above the 150,000 it already sells each year, but has decided to cap supply at 150,000. It’s even taking its popular xB model (a.k.a. The Toaster) out of production for a while, just for fun. It’s a scarcity strategy, of course, and even Lyly Lao, who sells Scions in West Covina, California, thinks it’s a good idea: "Everybody is trying to be different, so it’s important for Scion to not put too many cars out there, or they will be everywhere," she says. The strategy extends to the Scion’s media choices as well."

I wish I really understood what was going on. Toyota dealerships absolutely couldn't keep a Scion xB on their lot. My wife and I bought one in 2005. We have loved it. It is an extremely ROOMY little car. 108 horsepower engine guarantees excellent mileage and it's classic Toyota quality actually being built in Japan - where the quality is highest. Now Toyota has ceased production of this very popular little car. Here's my suspicions - I could be Way Off!

The Scion xB was strategized to be a popular introductory model for generation X. If they could introduce Gen X to the Scion, they would ultimately move up to bigger, more expensive Toyota models.

Well I don't know how popular the xB was with Gen. X but it's been extremely popular with the Baby Boomers (me 'n my wife). Lots of elderly people running around in xB's probably guaranteeing it's unpopularity with younger generations. I believe that the profit margin on the xB is probably not all that good; that's generally true of stuff in general. The less expensive, the less profit margin. I wonder if Toyota/Scion didn't decide they were actually losing money on the Scion xB. Of course they were selling it for more than it costs to be manufactured but if they believed they were stealing clients from themselves; then they were going to have to stick a fork in the xB.

Now there is a new model Scion coming out sometime 2007. It will have a bigger, more powerful engine, probably be heavier and definitely be more expensive. Some wags have suggested, from preliminary models, that it looks like a PT Cruiser on steroids.

So my little TOASTER/MILK WAGON is starting down the road to planned obsolesence. Apparently Scion was selling 150,000 of these A YEAR after only 3 years. And then they stop production. sigh

BUT, Scion does not KNOW the Rabbi Philosopher. I'll get 20 years out of this vehicle. Even more likely it will simply out live me. I'm not going to let it go; I'll drive it until it comes to an absolute stop no longer repairable. NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER QUIT.

I'm counting on Scion having actually built a terrific car that will, with good proper maintenance, outlast its projected life. That would be good.

Unfeigned Repentance

2007-01-08T10:48:00.000-05:00

Joan Foster of liestoppers.blogspot.com has a terrific post on the rightness of true repentance versus false repentance.

" Gone to the Dogs
When my son was around seven, he was told to apologize to his sister for some transgression.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I was wrong, but it was your fault."

With that early potential, and without a lot of parental intervention . . . who knows . . . he may have grown up to be a reporter for the NYT, a talking head with his own "legal issues" show, the editor of The Durham Herald-Sun, or the President of Duke University. I guess my husband and I didn't realize he was on track to greatness, when we stifled his first instincts to "quibble" (as my husband calls it), and required that he be accountable for how his words and actions affected others. When you are wrong, you say you are wrong . . . simple as that. It used to be called "accountability" . . . a quality not much in vogue these days. Obfuscation or better yet, avoidance . . . represent the current "Repentance du Jour."
My own father had an additional take on "accountability." He believed that true contrition carried its own power. When I once complained . . . in words similar to those I would hear from my child many years later, . . . he explained, "You're not apologizing for her. You're apologizing for YOU." It took me years and some maturity to understand that. A true, sincere, and unencumbered apology not only embraces the recipient, but also enhances the giver. It conveys a kind of moral stature - that this individual, flawed as we all are, has the courage to make a public and ethical course correction. This kind to courage . . . to self-monitor, to self-examine, and to reveal one's strength by admitting one's weakness . . . is rare. Sadly, the Art of the Apology is not in much evidence today. Maybe, we need to add it to our children's general curriculum, or at the very least, insist it be a required class in every journalism or law school.
My father believed the venue for an apology needed to match the venue of the offense. No private apology was acceptable for some transgression witnessed by others. Instead, you offered your Mea Culpa over the meat and potatoes, while the rest of the family looked on. Once learned, this technique had its own absolution. I always left the dinner table feeling, not demeaned, but delighted that my parents were now proud of me once more. To this day, a mistake I make in a meeting, I feel obligated to correct in a meeting. I will apologize to my children in front of their friends. The Art of the Apology has served me well. I am rarely burdened with old regrets. M. R. Vincent sums the concept up in this quote:

"Mere sorrow, which weeps and sits still, is not repentance. Repentance is sorrow converted into action; into a movement toward a new and better life. ""

That is so very excellent

A New Year

2007-01-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

We draw ever closer to the end of times; but God hides the future from our eyes. Should we be afraid this year? There are many, many reasons to be afraid and yet Scripture makes it plain that God has called us to live unfraid. To paraphrase an old hymn, I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future.

2007! Ready or not you are here. May I more closely serve God's purposes this year.

Internet; Life-long shame opportunity?

2007-01-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Saw this post regarding some cheerleader (maybe or maybe not) who let it all hang out apparently. No, I didn't look.

"Ladies, here's a tip: someday, you might want to get married to a guy you really love. This guy may surf the internet tubes, and may run across that embarassing little video you did a few years ago when you still did "that kind of stuff". (Or your new guy's friends might help him out and just mail him the link or give him the DVD. 'Cause that's what friends do -- crush each other's hopes and dreams, and then laugh about it.) Your beau may not like the fact that his fiancee was famous for dancing naked and drunk on a balcony while a group of guys groped her. I'm just saying. It's not the kind of thing that promotes the trust and matrimonial bond that makes for a long and happy marriage.

Everybody has a history; you don't get to be an adult without having made one or two (or a hundred) dumb mistakes on your way up. But for sanity's sake don't film it. The internet has a long, long memory, and those youthful indiscretions can and will cause you misery later in life. (Plus any doctor can tell you that genital warts, herpes, and chlamydia are more than just annoyances, and AIDS will simply effing kill you.)

Fair? No. But (ahem): Life Is Not Fair.
Posted by Monty at January 4, 2007 05:40 PM

Virgin Mary vs Angelina Jolie

2007-01-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

Just a little confusion in the culture? HERE for the picture

Artist Kate Kretz has this beauty on display at the Chelsea Galleria booth at the Art Miami Fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center, January 5-8th. Kate will be at the fair Friday & Saturday.

From her site:

This painting addresses the celebrity worship cycle. The title, "Blessed Art Thou", is taken from a line in the Catholic prayer "Hail Mary": "...blessed art thou among women". Our culture is deifying celebrities, but in the bible, it is the meek who are blessed, so the title presents a question for the viewer to ponder.

Hattip: Wizbangblog.com/pop

2006-12-29T07:29:00.000-05:00

Some thoughts on the dreaded "s" word; SIN

["Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive." - C.S. Lewis

I can relate to this quote very well. On this topic of sin, as far as the secular culture is concerned, it is pretty apparent why it is not a popular word or concept to think about. Our autonomous nature rejects the idea that there is a supernatural power outside of ourselves that effects our actions and behavior. The unbeliever wants to believe that they are in control and that as long as they try hard enough, they are able to morally perfect lives. Under this ideal, when they do sin, they do not take ownership of it completely, they internally find an excuse for their misbehavior.

As far as the "S" word in regards to the Church, I have found that is seems that the prevailing or predominant attitude that exists in the God's covenant community in our culture today is that of self-esteem, self-reliance and being positive and energetic. "It won't do anyone any good, to point out or focus on our mistakes." "Instead we need to act like we're perfect, happy people." "We are capable of leading positive, happy lives as long as we put our mind to it."

The problem with this is that we are effected by sin. Our thoughts and our actions are constantly effected by sin. Even though, we are able to fight our sinful nature and we are able to do good and behave ourselves for the most part in the presence of our family and friends in the Church, we are still prone to and inevitably will sin and make mistakes and say or do things that will offend and or harm the people around us.

This of course is reality and it is often a hard fact. It is hard to deal with our own and others sin. It is hard to forgive people and continue loving them even though they might be "imperfect," and it is hard for them to do the same when you sin against them.

So as far as the Church is concerned, it seems that it has been easier to try to ignore or hide our sin instead of confront it and deal with it. I have found that another reality that seems to exist in the Church today is the lack of exhortation coming from each other and the pulpit. Again this has to do with an over all attitude of self-esteem/positiveness. People don't want to be told how they are sinful and what they need to do to walk straighter paths for God. They don't want to be made to feel that they are morally bankrupt and that they need Christ. So instead, they have decided to ignore this essential part of the Gospel.

While I do agree that too much of a focus on sin and exhortation every week can be unedifying; not to focus on it at all is equally unedifying. Exhortation is necessary because as I've pointed out, the body consists of believers and non-believers. There are those who are not being sanctified in the spirit that need to be reminded to check themselves. Exhortation is just as necessary in the Church today as it was in the New Testament church. Learning about sin and being exhorted to turn from it leads to repentance which is what we do when we admit to our own inability to have a right relationship with God and our need to rely on Jesus as our mediator. Without guilt, self examination and asking God for forgiveness then we truly aren't understanding the gospel.

So therefore "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9

"8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:8-9

and "16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." James 5:16

In His grace,

Dave]

"Dave" was a commenter on Tim Challies' blog. Excellent comment!

He came to Earth for us

2006-12-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

God humbled Himself to come to Earth in the form of a man that we, the weak-piteous-sinful, might be reconciled with him The Perfect-Righteous-Holy.

It doesn't make sense to me Lord, but thank you for doing this.

Brodhead calls for Nifong to step down

2006-12-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

It's about time.

BRODHEAD CALLS FOR NIFONG TO STEP DOWN AS PROSECUTOR
Online Update: 12/22
Staff Reports

In response to Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong's decision Friday to drop charges of rape in the Duke lacrosse case, President Richard Brodhead questioned Nifong's conduct and called for the district attorney to relieve himself of his duties in the case.

Brodhead said Nifong's decisive public statements about the rape allegations and subsequent decision to drop the charge call into question of the validity of the remaining charges that have been brought against three members of the 2005-2006 men's lacrosse team-kidnapping and sexual offense.

"The district attorney should now put this case in the hands of an independent party, who can restore confidence in the fairness of the process," Brodhead said in a statement. "Further, Mr. Nifong has an obligation to explain to all of us his conduct in this matter."

Brodhead added that he was relieved for the players and their families.

The Bible; forever a best seller?

2006-12-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

"The familiar observation that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time obscures a more startling fact: the Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year. Calculating how many Bibles are sold in the United States is a virtually impossible task, but a conservative estimate is that in 2005 Americans purchased some twenty-five million Bibles—twice as many as the most recent Harry Potter book. The amount spent annually on Bibles has been put at more than half a billion dollars." MORE

My mother died

2006-12-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

My mother died today; 8 months after my father passed away. She was 84, they were married 63 years.
She was having trouble catching her breath this morning, a chronic problem. My sister had an ambulance pick her up and take her to the hospital. The doctors were instructed to do nothing extraordinary. Since my Dad died, Mom had been waiting to go and be with him in Heaven.
They were devout followers of Jesus Christ. Almost 1 year ago my Mom had an incident where she almost died and described it as "being at the gate." We brought her back that time but this time; with her missing Dad so much, we let her go. She was at the hospital a little less than 4 hours when she died. The last two hours she spent asking God to take her.
She was a great and Godly lady. I'll miss Mom. We shared each other's sense of humor.
Go in peace Mom! Your son

The Crisis in Faith

2006-12-06T04:37:00.000-05:00

THE WITTENBURG HALL has an article on the Crisis in Faith. Here

Motherhood before Matrimony

2006-12-02T19:59:00.001-05:00

This is NOT good news.

“New data released by the Centers for Disease Control show that nearly four in 10 U.S. babies were born outside of marriage in 2005—a new high.”

Legalism & You

2006-12-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

(Great Stuff here; Martha Pearce excerpted on sharperiron.com)

What Legalism Does

There are many problems with legalism. Consider the following list:

1. Legalism takes our attention off Jesus Christ by focusing on our own efforts rather than what He has done for us.
2. Legalism takes away the believer’s freedom by substituting conformity for control by the Spirit.
3. Legalism attempts to put God in the position of being a debtor. It thinks God owes us something when we do good.
4. Legalism results in regression in the Christian life.
5. Legalism is performance-oriented. It focuses more on what one does than on who one is.
6. Legalism brings about harshness and conflict in one’s relationships. The reason for this is because legalism creates an elitist attitude in which conformity is demanded and failure is not tolerated.
7. Legalism will rob a Christian of joy, for he will never know the “rest” that faith brings. A legalist is so intent on doing that he does not know how to enjoy God’s acceptance.
8. Legalists are very zealous. This is why legalism brings results, but the results are counterfeits.
9. Legalism is selective in the matters it chooses and promotes. It will take parts of God’s Law but ignore the rest. It is never consistent. An interesting aspect is not what legalism forbids but what it overlooks.
10. Legalism will affect everything if unchecked. Given time it will control everything—individual churches, schools, and denominations.
11. Legalism attacks grace. Legalists will accuse those who preach grace of being antinomian (lawless). But this cannot be true because what grace really does is strip away any pretense of spiritual achievement. Grace promotes obedience to God because of His blessings to us. Grace is a license to serve, not a license to sin.
12. Legalism is inflexible and condemnatory. It refuses to see many, if any, gray areas in the Christian life. Legalists have rules for almost every area of life and have a negative judgmental attitude toward those who do not comply with their standards. This can result in a very tense environment.
13. Legalism promotes pride and self-righteousness. Of course the legalist denies this, but it is true nevertheless.
14. Legalism opts for a lower standard than God’s. The kind of legalism that emphasizes many man-made rules becomes satisfied with what is really an inferior standard. Consider the following vivid contrast between man-made rules and God’s high and holy law. Man-made rules: don’t wear jewelry or makeup or denim clothing, burn your secular music because it has demons in it, don’t practice any birth control, insist that men’s hair must be above their ears. God’s Law: love God and love others.

The Pastor's Burden

2006-11-29T04:12:00.000-05:00

One must always be careful of stats but.... from Focus on the Family research

* 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, contention in churches, or spiritual burnout.
* 50 percent of pastors will be divorced by the time they leave the ministry.
* 80 percent of pastors and 84 percent of spouses feel discouraged or unqualified in their roles as pastors.
* 50 percent are so discouraged they would leave if they could but have no other way to make a living.
* our out of five seminary and Bible school grads who enter the ministry will leave it in the first five years after graduation.
* 80 percent of spouses feel their spouse is over-worked. 80 percent wish their husbands would leave the ministry.
* 80 percent of pastor’s wives say the most destructive event that ever occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered ministry.
* 70 percent of pastors fight depression.
* 40 percent have had an extramarital affair since starting ministry.
* 70 percent of pastors say that the only time studying the Word is when they are preparing a sermon.

That is troubling to say the least.

If You're Depressed & Hopeless

2006-11-25T08:54:00.000-05:00

If your depressed and hopeless there's some good stuff HERE

It'll only get worse

2006-11-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

Found on Breitbart.com

Out-of-wedlock births in the United States have climbed to an all-time high, accounting for nearly four in 10 babies born last year, government health officials said Tuesday.

While out-of-wedlock births have long been associated with teen mothers, the teen birth rate actually dropped last year to the lowest level on record. Instead, births among unwed mothers rose most dramatically among women in their 20s.

The overall rise reflects the burgeoning number of people who are putting off marriage or living together without getting married.

Children without a Daddy. It guarantees a burgeoning society of sociopaths.

Not the Democrats but God

2006-11-10T05:36:00.000-05:00

from Russell Moore

"The news networks tell us that the new majority in the United States House and Senate is the result of a "wave" of Democratic Party voters. From a human and historical vantage point, that's true. But as those who believe in the providence of God, it is also true that "there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God" (Rom 13:1 HCSB). For whatever reason, this past Tuesday God decided that Nancy Pelosi will be sitting behind President Bush at next year's State of the Union address. And God decided that outgoing Speaker Denny Hastert would not be seated there."

God's purposes were served by this weeks election. He has not lost control of the Congress of the United States. From God, it could be punishment or it could also be preparation.

The Power of Francis Schaeffer

2006-11-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

( He had immeasurable impact on evangelical Christianity) Challies.com

"Francis Schaeffer was given many gifts by God to bring blessing on the Church, but I think that most of those who worked with him would agree that his two greatest gifts were the way he led discussions and answered people’s questions and his preaching. I will never forget some of the sermons I heard him preach. The fact that his voice was high and often would crack as he emphasized a point, the reality that no-one could describe him as ‘charismatic’ or ‘strikingly handsome’ in appearance - these things were completely unimportant. I would listen to a message, often for well over an hour, and be captivated by the truth from God’s Word that was communicated with such clarity and power and with such relevance to our own moment of history and such immediate application to my life. One sermon on Rahab often comes back to me: ‘we are all harlots’ Francis declared, ‘we have all prostituted ourselves constantly to other gods.’ There are many others of his sermons that have left this same indelible impression on my mind."

Maintaining the hedges for a pastor

2006-11-04T06:16:00.000-05:00

(From Pastor Mark Driscoll's blog)

Evangelical Leader Quits Amid Allegations of Gay Sex and Drug Use

The news has been abuzz with controversy surrounding the allegations that Ted Haggard had a three-year homosexual relationship with a male prostitute that included drug use. Haggard is pastor of a 14,000-member church in Colorado, president of the National Association of Evangelicals that has some 30 million members, friend of men like George Bush, and outspoken opponent of homosexuality and gay marriage.

The news broke in a television interview with the homosexual prostitute.

Pastor Haggard answers questions about allegations. 9NEWS.com November 3, 2006

A follow-up article by the Associated Press said that Haggard purchased methamphetamines from the gay prostitute but claims he never used them. He also admitted to getting a massage from the gay prostitute but denies any sexual activity between the two.

Of course the media is having a field day with the scandal, particularly since Haggard’s home state of Colorado is on the brink of a highly charged political vote regarding homosexual rights. It will likely take weeks to untangle the truth in all of this very devastating news. In the meantime, let us pray that his wife and five children will be loved and supported through this incredibly difficult time. The horror they must be experiencing is likely unbearable.

As every pastor knows, we are always at risk from the sin in us and the sinful temptations around us. Pastoring in one of America’s least churched cities to a large number of single, young people has been an eye-opening experience for me. I started the church ten years ago when I was twenty-five years of age. Thankfully, I was married to a beautiful woman. I met my lovely wife Grace when we were seventeen, married her at twenty-one, and by God’s grace have been faithful to her in every way since the day we met. I have, however, seen some very overt opportunities for sin. On one occasion I actually had a young woman put a note into my shirt pocket while I was serving communion with my wife, asking me to have dinner, a massage, and sex with her. On another occasion a young woman emailed me a photo of herself topless and wanted to know if I liked her body. Thankfully, that email was intercepted by an assistant and never got to me.

My suspicion is that as our culture becomes more sexually rebellious, things will only get worse. Therefore, as a means of encouragement, I would like to share some practical suggestions for fellow Christian leaders, especially young men:

* The only way to stay away from sin is to stay close to Jesus. Colossians says that we are prone to making a lot of rules but that if we don’t deal with the issues in our heart, we are fooling ourselves; holiness cannot be obtained by the sheer force of white-knuckled will power. More than anyone, a Christian leader needs time with Jesus in repentance, for their own soul and not just to make them a better leader or teacher. Death comes to every Christian leader who goes to Jesus and Scripture for purely functional and not relational purposes.

* Most pastors I know do not have satisfying, free, sexual conversations and liberties with their wives. At the risk of being even more widely despised than I currently am, I will lean over the plate and take one for the team on this. It is not uncommon to meet pastors’ wives who really let themselves go; they sometimes feel that because their husband is a pastor, he is therefore trapped into fidelity, which gives them cause for laziness. A wife who lets herself go and is not sexually available to her husband in the ways that the Song of Songs is so frank about is not responsible for her husband’s sin, but she may not be helping him either.
* Every pastor needs a pastor. Too often the pastor is seen as a sort of little God and his wife as some glorified First Lady. Every pastor needs a pastor with whom he can regularly have accountability and the confession of sin. Every pastor’s wife also needs a godly woman chosen for her maturity and trustworthiness.

* No church should tolerate sexual sin among its leaders. Christians cannot be guilty of playing plank-speck with non-Christians on matters of pornography and homosexuality and be guilty of going soft on sin in their own leadership. As Paul says, nothing can be done out of partiality or favoritism.

Pastors should have their office at the church and their study at home. There is no reason a pastor should be sitting alone at the church at odd hours (e.g., early morning and late evening) to study when anyone can drop in for any reason and have access to him. Instead, a pastor should come into the office for scheduled meetings and work from home on tasks such as emails, planning, studying, sermon preparation, etc. I spend the vast majority of my time working from home. Some years ago when I did not, I found that lonely people, some of them hurting single moms wanting a strong man to speak into their life, would show up to hang out and catch time with me. It was shortly thereafter that I brought my books home and purchased a laptop and cell phone so that I was not tied to the church office.

* Pastors have the right to protect their own home. This means that if someone keeps dropping by unannounced and is unwelcome, or a flirtatious woman shows up to a Bible study at the pastor’s home, the pastor and his family have the right to request that they never return. The pastor’s home simply cannot be viewed as yet another piece of church property that is accessible to anyone who desires it. Rather, the pastor’s home must be a safe place for the pastor and his family without the wrong people rudely calling and dropping by.

* Churches should consider returning to heterosexual male assistants who are like Timothy and Titus to serve alongside pastors. Too often the pastor’s assistant is a woman who, if not sexually involved, becomes too emotionally involved with the pastor as a sort of emotional and practical second wife. I have been blessed with a trustworthy heterosexual male assistant who can travel with me, meet with me, etc., without the fear of any temptations or even false allegations since we have beautiful wives and eight children between us.

* Pastors need to protect their email and have it screened for accountability. For me, this means that no email but an email from one of our pastors comes directly to me. This also means that I leave my email account open at home and my wife regularly checks it to get schedule information, etc., because I have nothing to hide. I also do not have a secondary email account from which to build a secret identity.

* Pastors need to carefully protect their cell phone number. If that private number gets out, too many of the wrong people have access to the pastor. Not only should the cell phone number of a pastor be given out to only a few people, he should also consider eliminating his voicemail and simply have calls forwarded to his assistant. In this way people will not become too informal with the pastor and if the pastor knows someone is trouble (e.g., a flirtatious woman), he can see that on his caller ID and simply refuse to answer the call or have to deal with a voicemail.

* Pastors must speak freely and frankly with their wives about their temptations. Without this there really can be no walking in the light and sin always grows in darkness.

* Pastors must not travel alone; the anonymity and fatigue of the road is too great a temptation for many men. A pastor should take his wife, an older child, an assistant, or fellow leader with him. If this cannot be afforded then travel should not be undertaken.

* Any pastor who is drifting toward serious sexual sin should have the courage, love for God, devotion to his family, and respect for his church to simply fall on his sword and resign before he goes down in flames. He must get the professional help he needs without fear of losing his position as a pastor. It is much better to be an honest Christian than a wicked pastor.

* Lastly, the big issue is a love and fear of God. Only a man really knows his heart and whether or not he loves and fears God above all else. Without this a man will fail to live for God’s glory, and it is only a matter of time.

In conclusion, I say none of this as moralism. Indeed, this is a deeply rooted gospel issue. How can we proclaim that our God is a faithful Trinitarian community if we are not faithful to our marriage covenant and family? How can we say that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us if we have no holiness in our life? How can we proclaim that we are new creations in Christ if we continually return to lap up the vomit of our old way of life? How can we preach that sin is to be repented of if we fail to model that ongoing repentance? How can we say that God is our highest treasure and greatest joy when we trade Him for sin that defiles our hands and defames His name?

I do not know the guilt or innocence of Haggard. But I do know that this is a sobering reminder to take heed of, lest we fall.
Mark Driscoll