Monthly Archives: August 2009

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I've not read reading blogs with  much interest...but here are a few links for lunes.

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Back to the Bible.

I have Morning and Evening (Spurgeon) sent to my email box each day.  I also now subscribe to a monthly Bible study.  There are a few devotional choices and other things to pick from.

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Vibram Shoes.

weird but like walking barefoot.  There's a learning curve to getting them on.  But really, really comfy.

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The Road Not Chosen.  (I read this in google's blog feed...a blog well worth reading.)

from the dictionary

Ruthless (def) without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless. (That is the dictionary definition. I didn’t make it up to push a political point.)

Pragmatism (def) a philosophical movement or system having various forms, but generally stressing practical consequences as constituting the essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value.

From President Obama

(...)What I’ve been constantly searching for is a ruthless pragmatism when it comes to economic policy(...)

The author says,

When I read this today I thought of the Roman Christians in 165AD. When plague swept the country, the Roman’s, who thought illness was caused by evil spirits,  left the sick to fend for themselves, not wanting to risk the spirits attacking them. While this is an understandable human response during that time, the Christians had other ideas. They took care of the sick and dying. They were more concerned with treating people with dignity and compassion, risking death themselves, rather than going the “ruthlessly pragmatic” way of the Romans.

None of us, even the Congress or the President, really knows what the consequences of the Health Care bill will end up being. No one knows what form it will eventually take. No matter what happens we have to remember that as Christians we are called to follow the example of Christ in all we do. The Church today could do a much better job caring for today’s infirm and dying. Perhaps we should be practically showing compassion now so that if things get more dire, we will be experienced at meeting the needs of a sick and dying humanity.

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and a facebook app (a helpful one...really)

This is where you can upload a photo and they will send you a "virtual weightloss" photo to help you visualize what you'll look like when you weigh a few pounds less.

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This is the second perm Lindsey has done for me.  She's slow (OCD about rolling), but without a doubt, she's done the best perm in my memory.  I asked for her on Friday and I'll ask for her again.

Lindsey is a young woman who comes from a family with six children, (2 from her dad's previous marriage, the youngest 4 are adopted).

She's very open about her life so I asked her about being adopted (she's from Korea).  It's pretty obvious that her parents have a grasp on eternity - I asked and they are Reformed.

She said, "I have friends that have asked me if I want to find my "real" family.  I tell them [she used Scripture], I was thirsty and they gave me drink, I was hungry and they fed me.  I was homeless and they put me into a family.  What's not "real" about that?"

I think that Reformed people have a different view of adoption than other "flavors" of Christianity - the right definition of "covenant" counts.  (by the way...when I get back from  vacation - I just don't have time or desire right now - I'm ordering a new keyboard.  The keys are taking turns not working...a few days ago it was "x", now it's "v".  I need to reach for the laptop keyboard each time that letter comes up.  I had no idea how many words I use contain the letter "v")

Then she talked about all of her "guy buddies" and wanting to go back to college but not being able to get a loan because her dad's a business owner.

It took 2 hours to roll my hair - she's that thorough.

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I'm going to be going "away" for a while.  A combination of driving time, camping time and most likely a hotel or two.

How to do Atkins while camping?

This afternoon:

  • hard boil a dozen eggs
  • make a list

Breakfasts:  same as home

  1. Atkins shakes (add fiber)
  2. eggs (scrambled with veggies and cheese)
  3. full fat yogurt with berries and almonds/walnuts (add fiber)
  4. eggs fried in coconut oil, with salsa, guacamole and black soybeans

Lunches:

  1. packets of tuna with real mayo (not low fat), celery, onion and a little curry powder
  2. egg salad with avocado instead of mayo (sounds and looks terrible, but if you like avocado, it's good)
  3. hard boiled eggs, string cheese, fruit
  4. full fat yogurt with berries and almonds/walnuts (add fiber)

Dinners:

  1. chicken breast wrapped in bacon and topped with mushrooms.  Wrap it in tin foil and freeze.  Put in in the fire pit (in the coals).  When done, open and top with colby cheese.
  2. cubed steak, carrots, rutabaga, onions, celery, butter (if you added potato and flour, this would be the filling for a pasty).  Wrap in tin foil and freeze.  Cook in the coals.
  3. Kosher (and low sodium) hot dogs (no nitrites).  Slit open and fill with colby cheese.
  4. on skewers over the fire:  any combination of:  steak, lamb, pork, chicken, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, pineapple chunks, broccoli

There will be one night on the road and one night in "town" - so restaurants.

I'm going with the 50-60 grams of carb per day, so fruit is on the menu for snacks.

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The Book of Revelation is also known as "the Revelation of John".

That's not what the book says.

v.1 The revelation of Jesus Christ (...) to his servant John

Is this important?  Maybe not...but we begin to think of it as "the Revelation of Christ, to John", we have a greater understanding of who the message is from.

It is for us...from Christ...through John.

I just got a study guide from Back to the Bible.

If Christ is the One who gave this revelation about Himself - how many ways does He describe Himself...in verses 4-8?

  • Him who is, who was, and who is to come
  • faithful witness
  • firstborn from the dead
  • ruler of the kings of the earth
  • Him who loves us
  • Him who freed us from our sins by His blood
  • Him who made us to be a kingdom and priests
  • the Alpha and Omega
  • the Almighty

And yet...if someone were to ask me today who Christ is to me...

  • Savior
  • lifter of my heart
  • the Son that the Father sacrificed so that He could adopt me

I think that the important lessons from the book of Revelation:

not...what can we learn about the future?

it IS...what can we learn about Christ?

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Satan takes God's Word...

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. (Psalm 91:11-13)

and then He uses it...

...and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
"'He will command his angels concerning you,'
"'On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

It is when we hear the words..."Did God REALLY say..." that we need to put our guard up.  Perhaps Satan didn't realize at the time that the passage he was using to tempt our Lord was part of a prophecy about himself.

You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

When Satan was tempting Christ...he was reminding Jesus (not that He didn't already know) that the tempter would be defeated.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel." (Gen 3:15)

And Christ (outside of time and space, knowing what would be written in Scripture)

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Satan is an expert at deception...we need to be sober-minded and watchful.  That doesn't mean "don't have fun"...it means that we should be aware that Satan will use whatever he can to draw us away from the Strong Tower

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Of all I would wish to say this is the sum; my brethren, PREACH CHRIST, always and evermore. He is the whole gospel. His person, offices, and work must be our great, all-comprehending theme. The world needs to be told of its Savior, and of the way to reach him . . . Blessed is the ministry of which CHRIST IS ALL . . . No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.

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frickin lovely. (update, by the way)

there is no "visual editor" - it says visual, but it's html. If I click on HTML, the editor box closes. And it STINKING DOESN'T COME BACK.

If I follow the upgrade directions, it screws my blog (I'd love to use stronger language...here in my office, I am.)

I don't even know if THIS will work

I'm just going to put ALL of the files back and see what happens then

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Ok...I backed up MzEllen using WinSCP to my desktop.  Then I updated wordpress.  It screwed my website.  REALLY BAD.

So I backgraded to the old version, got my website back.

Downloaded PHPmyadmin for wordpress (it's a plugin), installed it and tried to run it.

I don't know where the backup goes. Ok...got the backup sql file on my desktop.

What happens if the upgrade loses my posts?  Can I just use the same backup that I grabbed this morning and put the old version of wordpress up?  Or just replace the .sql (which does not have the same name as the one in the WinSCP window.

I think I read that the new wordpress version has automatic backups and upgrades.  That would be a good thing.

SCREW IT.  I'm leaving it for now.

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11 - What church do you belong to? - Why?

At this time, I do not have a church membership. I attend a Christian Reformed Church that I'm fairly comfortable at, who will let me work in the limited number of ministries that they have - and the music worship is all I could hope for.

I do not have a membership because I'm complementarian and this church has a co-pastorship that is a husband and wife team. I do not feel comfortable at this time, taking an official membership in a church that I disagree with on a core doctrine.

I have visited many churches and this is the one that I like - other than this one issue. In the fall, I plan to talk to the pastors about the issue. My pledge will be that I will not undermine Pastor Amy and that I will not be the one to bring up the issue with another congregant. If they can live with that, I can live with membership there.

12- * Discover how you form your views. What is the reasoning-believing process? How do you handle the Bible?

I'm Reformed.  Sola Scriptura...and "come, let us reason".  Part of the "reasoning" is digging through both sides of the issue and discovering which side has not only the best "pro", but the fewest weak points.

I have radically changed views at least once in my life, leaving a Nazarene Church for a Reformed Church.  This was done after two years of studying and debate and not done lightly.  I've never looked back.