Blogging Events

It just happened...after posting daily (really) I lost my grip on it and took a couple of weeks off...and it felt good but very, very lazy.  I feel almost as though the daily blogging has become a discipline of sorts - especially when I blog my way through articles and books.

What has happened...this past Monday was my "anniversary of single-hood".  We past Memorial Day and the kids and I put flowers on their dad's grave.

Amanda (finally) got her learner's permit...the down side is that I am now the one who will "teach" her how to drive.

Tomorrow is the last day of school.

I discovered "Lost".  And the past episodes (including the most recent season) are available on line.

I'm making jewelry again.

And that is about it for the online update.  Hopefully I'll get back on track, but right now life is busy with "stuff".

Organizations of the week (a list of sites)

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Dr. Robert Morey - Truth About Black Liberal Theology

All racist theologies have the same basic core ideas and methodology. Thus it does not really matter if we are talking about the KKK, the Nation of Islam or Black liberal theology, their focus is always on skin and not sin; race and not grace; gossip and not gospel. Racism is always focused on the outward instead of the inward because it cannot deal with the root problem of sin. Hatred and violence feed on bitterness and racist rage. Class envy does not help anyone in this life or in the next. Blaming others for one’s own sin and guilt will not solve the problem. We must take responsibility for what we do in life instead of blaming “the man” for our failures and woe. This is why we need to break the shackle of black liberal theology which enslave the black man and keeps him poor and angry. May God use this study to liberate black men and women from the lie of Black Liberal Theology.

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The Jolly Blogger - The Gospel in Ephesians 2

I found this helpful and expansive in thinking about the gospel.  Sin is defined more broadly than mere action - it is our nature.  The work of Christ pays not only the penalty but crushes the power of sin, thus it has day to day relevance to Christian practice.  And the benefits of the gospel are so much more than just forgiveness of sin or eternal life.

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Front Page Mag - The Truth About Oil

A recent survey on the environment found that seventy percent of people worldwide think that the planet is running out oil. Only less than one quarter believe that there is enough of it to keep it as a primary source of energy. Petro pessimism runs especially high in the United States where a full two thirds think that the point of depletion is within sight.

For every opinion and study, there is an equal and opposite opinion and study (at least sometimes it seems so)

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Timmy Brister links to "Blue Collar Theology" TBI TULIP Seminar

Unfortunately, the majority of what lay people in churches hear these days regarding Calvinism is by those who are vehemently against it, and rarely if ever are the truths accurately and fairly presented.  As a result, those who disagree with the doctrines of grace are not so much disagreeing with the truths so much as they are disagreeing with the caricatures wherein they have been so poorly packaged.  If you want to know what Calvinists believe, listen and read from the Calvinists, such as this seminar by John Piper.  You still might not agree, but at least you will know that your disagreements are with the facts and not with a false representation of them.  For those of you who do believe in the doctrines of grace, you will find this seminar incredibly enriching and encouraging as scores of Scriptures are unfolded for you.  Calvinist and non-Calvinist alike should appreciate the balanced, humble, and accurate approach Piper takes on TULIP.

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The Reformed Mafia on Paedobaptism

By the power vested in me as a founding Don of the Reformed Mafia, I hereby dub R.C. Sproul Jr. an honorary member of the Reformed Mafia for the duration of this post. With that, I want to share an article Sproul Jr. has written. It was sent out via email from the Highlands Study Center last month. I hope it is edifying as well as thought provoking. [Edit: the article was written in response to a question from which the title cof the piece also comes.]

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Daughter Fails math test...Dad goes to jail...

A northern Kentucky man is in jail today – serving a 180-day sentence – because his 18-year-old daughter failed a math test and didn't get her General Equivalency Diploma, or GED, as a previous court order required.

HT: My Domestic Church

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Organization of the Week: Snowflakes Adoption:

When a family has been successful in having a child through in vitro fertilization, remaining embryos are often cryo-preserved. This results in the question of what to do with the remaining embryos. These frozen embryos can be the hope of a child for an infertile couple.

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Who is Ali Jawad?

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I still can't embed youtube on the site.

But here...

The Michigan Republican Party blog says:

But if John McCain said this -- if he mistakenly said he'd visited 57 states..and had 1 more to go...while still missing Alaska and Hawaii???? -- the media would be all up in his grill, accusing him of a senior moment. A double standard???

Clinton and Obama are getting tired.

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What would you do if your pastor was in error?

I'd go to the pastorate. And to the board...and to the denomination. And eventually I'd leave, but stay in contact with a pastor in the same classis.

HT: Think Christian

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"Organization" of the week:

The Elisha Foundation.

The Elisha Foundation was founded to provide refreshment and encouragement to families caring for people with special needs. Through programs such as family retreats, we seek to provide access to resource professionals, educational specialists and other valuable resources while spending refreshing quality time as a family.

We recognize the need to encourage families who are caring for these special people. Our family retreats provide a balanced schedule of workshops and activities for the family, as well as for each individual, while providing a refreshing and fun environment for the entire family.

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J.I. Packer leaves the Anglican Church.

Some say that the homosexual issue is the breaking point, but the problem is liberalism

Packer urged Anglicans who are adamantly opposed to liberal developments in the Anglican church in Canada and the U.S. to remain "tough" as they re-align themselves under Archbishop Venables into a new non-geographically-based form of Anglicanism.

HT: Denny Burk

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John Piper on TULIP (mp3's)

Nine sessions and notes.

HT: Between Two Worlds

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Morbid, yet...interesting...

chocolate skulls. Made from a cast of a real human skull.

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And another photo from one of my favorite photo sites: Dark Roasted Blend.

okay...just one more.

1 Comment

(click here for more info)

The objective of the RSS Awareness Day is to get as many people as possible talking about RSS and its benefits on May 1st. Bloggers and blog readers are already aware of the RSS format, but if enough of them talk about it perhaps the mainstream media will cover it as well, and the general public will get exposed to it.

If people start reading about RSS and how it can help them everywhere, I am sure that some will get curious at least to try it out. Over the time the usage of the format should pick up, and all the Internet users (including content publishers) gain from it.

I use Google Reader to keep up with blog reading. It makes life easier and faster (I don't have to browse through "favorites" to read and try to keep up with folks who don't post often.)

The down side is that they may not catch my reading (it doesn't show up on sitemeter) and I don't catch folks who use reader to read my blog. So numbers may be different than indicated.

I'm sure there's a way to find out how many people subscribe through RSS - I just don't know what it is.

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"Organization" of the week: Making Great Waves for Kids.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Less than two months before the start of the swimming season, organizers say they need private donations to ensure six outdoor pools stay open for a full eight-week run.

But a businessman who has helped make sure Grand Rapids kids can enjoy a summer splash says it's time for the city to step up.

So far, the Making Great Waves for Kids campaign has raised almost $167,000 toward its goal of $300,000. That's probably enough to open the pools but not enough to make sure they all stay open through August, organizers said.

Click on the first link for contact numbers for more information on how to donate money to keep the pools open, or gently used swim suits.
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"Narrowing the Risk of Mate Selection" - a short review at "Voice of Vision"

A seasoned marriage counselor has observed how couples wound one another in their marriage. He gave the following:

What Wounds A Woman

  • An awareness that she is not first in her husband’s life
  • Her husband’s failure to recognize her attempts to please him
  • Unfavorable comparison to other women
  • Her husband’s lack of spiritual leadership
  • Rejection of her opinion as important
  • Inconsistency in the discipline of the children
  • Attempts to correct her in public

What Wounds A Man

  • Resistance to his will
  • Lack of confidence in his opinion or decisions
  • Resentments for past failures
  • Failure to build loyalty in the children
  • Lack of a grateful spirit
  • Inconsistency in the discipline of the children
  • Criticism in public

OF COURSE these are not all-encompassing. OF COURSE there are more things that wound a person. OF COURSE there are exceptions to every "rule".