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When people hear "Reformed", what pops into their head is "TULIP"...well, a lot of times what pops in it "predestination" and that can end the conversation right there.

And it is true that when I first started looking at Reformed theology, TULIP is the first thing that I found and the first thing I looked at.  Who can argue with the "total depravity of man"?

But just beyond "TULIP" are the Solas.  The Solas are the "love of my Reformed life".  They have become much more central to my "state of being" than TULIP ever was.

Soli Deo Gloria...for the Glory of God alone.  The God that I belong to is so great, so vast, so everything that is...is there anything or anybody else that deserves glory?  Is there anything that tries to get into the limelight of glory?  It is this understanding of the Glory and centrality of God that should drive all other theology.

When looking at a theology, ask:  does it glorify God, or does it glorify man, or does it glorify creation?

Solus Christus...Christ alone.   It is only through Christ - and Christ on the cross - that we can be saved.

Here's something I wrote when my tatoo a while ago...

My tattoo is a week old today! I recently took stock of where I am, what I've done and how I've changed and/or grown. And something that might seem out of character underscores the change. This tattoo is a celtic-style cross, only instead of knot work on the crossbar, there are Greek letters, Christos - Christ on the cross. For me, in my Reformation from Arminianism, Christ alone on the cross means that there is no room there for my works, my filthy rags (righteousness). It's all Christ on there. My son designed it (so it's not exactly professional, but I'll probably end up going back to have it shaded later) and the letters are in Greek because Manda and I are taking a Greek class together. So both my kids are "in" the design.

Sola Fide/Sola Gratia...by grace alone, through faith alone.   The gift of grace, by the gift of faith.  The knowledge that there is nothing that I can do that will make me worth being "saved".  There is no despair at not being able to measure up; no pride in the thought that I can do it myself.

That freedom to believe...

Sola Scriptura...The authority of Scripture as the only infallible guide of faith and conduct.   Not SOLO, but Sola...Scripture is the "rule" (measuring stick) by which all other authoriy is examined and either submitted to or rejected.

To me, the "Solas" are the beautiful expression of our attitudes toward God.

TULIP is sotierological.  How God saves.

The Solas are about how God IS.

If we look at our teaching and ask, how does this reflect Christ?  Does it reflect how we (either as the church or as individuals) relate to the Prince of Peace?

Does it point to the glory of Christ?  The glory of God?  Does it pull the rug of self-righteousness out from under us, leaving us with only Christ on the cross for our salvation?

Important questions...

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Two books:

  1. The Five Love Languages
  2. How to Get Your Husband to Talk To You

My reading is rather scattered right now - I've been attempting to discuss gender differences in communication in a generally healthy relationship...but decided to bring it here.

"The Five Love Languages" (Gary Chapman) is based on the idea that everybody as at least a "primary" love language.  (Take the 30 second quiz here.)

  • Words of Affirmation
  • Quality Time
  • Receiving Gifts
  • Acts of Service
  • Physical Touch

If a wife's "language" is receiving gifts, verbal compliments may not make her "feel" loved.  If her spouse's language is "Words of affirmation", he may very well believe that his praise will make her feel loved, when a single long stem rose would mean the world.

If a husband's language is "quality time", a good home cooked meal (act of service) may not mean as much to him as a long dinner talking.

It helps to not only know your own love language, but your loved one's as well.  Even if your mate's language is not as "natural" to you...if "physical touch" is the language, make a point to touch him/her in a way that you know he/she likes.  This is one that I need to focus on -

These languages are not gender specific - but they are helpful in avoiding "communication pitfalls".  The book has two quizzes (his and hers) that reflect each other.  The questions are not mutually exclusive, but you do have to choose one over the other.

samples:

  • I love having my husband's undivided attention
  • I love that my husband helps clean the house

or

  • I love when my wife tells me she's proud of me
  • When my wife cooks a meal for me, I know that she loves me

Most people have a primary and at least one secondary love language.

And it not only matters how we "speak" the love language, it matters what language the partner "hears" best.

And then...there are also the gender differences...

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I've had these tabs opened for a while...instead of summarizing, I'll just let you read...

"Speaking in Tongues" is a blog with contributors from  "both sides of the aisle"

These articles all reference the same study (brain imaging of people speaking in tongues)

Slate

The Neurocritic (an "anti") - with graphics of the brain scans.

And Penn Medicine (the university where the test took place)

I found these very interesting...the tests seem to bear out what the speakers describe as happening to them.  But (on the other hand), we can find our brains to be very suggestible.

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I "maintained".  I did the exercise, I earned 28 AP points, I had FLEX points left over.

I'm quitting Weight Watchers (meetings).  It's not worth it to pay $40  a month for 1/2 a week (average).  Maybe after my endo appt, if we can figure out what is wrong chemically, I'll pick it up again...in the meantime, I'll do "WW" at home, on my own (with private support).

And maybe take a "zumba" class.
This is my weekly "steps" chart.  You can see that I got happy faces (only in the categories that I asked for them)  Below the fold is my weekly Weight Watchers chart (I earned 29 Activity Points and used 26.5 (so I earned 2.5 AP's that I didn't use).  I also had 9 of my 35 FLEX points left over.

...continue reading →

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This is weird...I don't know what this post will look like (the margin is in the middle of the page)

Anyway...Mitt Romney "had to" apologize for using the "racial" term "tar baby"  and now John Kerry has used it to describe tactics of John McCain.  So...racial term or not?

Only because we have made it so.

It started out not:

(per wiki)
Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he became. In contemporary usage, "tar baby" refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by additional contact. The only way to solve such a situation is by separation.[1]

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Just a collection of links concerning "alternative energy"

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Microbial (dang it, I closed the tab before catching the link)

The microbial energy solution for biofuels and solar power The Biodesign team, in their Nature Review Microbiology perspective article, outlines the prospects for bioenergy. They believe the future of microbial bioenergy is brightened by recent advancements in genome technologies and other molecular-biology techniques. One species of bacteria, the human gut bacterium E. coli, has become the workhorse of the multi-trillion dollar global biotech industry.

E. coli?

LiveFuels uses open ponds to grow algae that are indigenous to the local environment, hoping that this will avoid the invasion problem. Since algae need nutrients to grow, including nitrogen and phosphorous, the company plans to feed agricultural runoff water - polluted with nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers - into its ponds, combining energy production with water treatment.

Another company, Bionavitas, of Redmond, Washington, also grows native algae, but in deep, narrow canals, with a special optical system to bring light to the algae beneath the surface. It too hopes to harness nutrients from polluted wastewater; and because intense carbon dioxide inputs can speed growth, it envisages setting up sites next to a factory that could funnel smokestack emissions directly into its canals. Michael Weaver, the chief executive, said that Bionavitas aimed to use "the whole algae" to produce biodiesel, ethanol, nutriceuticals and products currently derived from petroleum.

Use "bad stuff" to grow "good stuff"...

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Shale Oil:

In the post immediately below, Senator John Cornyn talks about the need to get serious about solving our energy problems by developing our own domestic resources. One good example is shale oil, of which the U.S. has more than any other country. In fact, Rocky Mountain shale is believed to contain the equivalent of 2 trillion barrels of oil. Is that a lot? The entire world has used around 1 trillion barrels since oil was discovered in Pennsylvania in 1859.

Not exactly "alternative", except in the "it's an alternative to importing our oil" sort of way.  Lots of oil, hard to get and we need more refining capability.

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Picken's Wind Power...

Studies from around the world show that the Great Plains states are home to the greatest wind energy potential in the world — by far.

The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. North Dakota alone has the potential to provide power for more than a quarter of the country.

Okay...bit start up cost.  If we deal with that, what are the long term benefits?

Or, we could just hook the generators up to the chambers of congress...

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On a link from Picken's site:  A car that runs on natural gas (which we have quite a bit of).

But wait!  We don't have very many fuel stations for natural gas...but wait!  I heat my house with natural gas - and there are ways to add a fuel station right at my house.

There are drawbacks, of course...let's work them out.

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Starting with the appropriate links:

Sean Morey (comedian)

See it on YouTube.
The Man Song

Ladies and gentleman, The Man Song!

He's the man. He's the man.

I don't take no crap from anybody else...
but you
I wear the pants around here...
when I finish with your laundry

Cos I'm a guy you don't wanna fight...
when I say "jump", you say "yeah right"
Cos I'm the man of this house...
until you get home

He's the man. He's the man.

When I say goes around here...
right out the window
But I don't wanna hear a lot of whining...
so I'll shut up

The sooner you learn who's boss around here...
the sooner you can give me my orders, dear
Cos I'm head honcho around here...
but it's all in my head

He's the man. He's the man.

And I can have sex anytime...
that you want
Cos I'm a man who has needs...
but they're not that important

And don't expect any flowers from me...
cos if I'm not mistaken, you prefer jewelry
I'm the king of my castle...
when you're not around

He's the man. He's the man.

And I'll drink and watch sports...
whenever I wanna get in trouble
And I'll come home, when I'm good and ready...
to sleep on the couch

Cos a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do...
and I'm gonna do what you tell me to
Because I'm top dog around here...
but I've been neutered

He's the man. He's the man!

You the man!