Name-storming

It's once again time to compile a list of potential names for our pending baby arrival (mid July). So, at breakfast we asked the kids which names they liked. Calle likes the name David. Conner suggested Joshua. Other names that were suggested were Salsa, and, my personal favorite, Sausage Gravy. I guess I should have known better than to bring up the topic while we were eating. Soon to be 3 year old Daniel, who's been on this kick where he says something not nice, and then when corrected, says something equally not nice, suggested that we name the child ... get this... Pope. Now, you must understand that "Pope" is his second response after being corrected for saying "Poop." Let me give you an example:

Daniel: "Stupid."
Me: "Daniel, don't say that, that's not nice."
Daniel: "How 'bout knuckle-head?"

In the Poop/Pope case, it went like this:

Daniel: "Poop."
Me: "Daniel, you shouldn't say that, that's not nice."
Daniel: "How 'bout Pope?"

I go back and forth in my own mind as to which one is better. Either way, I'm pretty sure we won't be asking for any more input from Daniel as far as suggested names for the baby!

But since Daniel brought it up, here's Martin Luther's woodcut entitled, "Birth and Origin of the Pope."

Poverty

So the bills are coming in from the excessive testing that was done on me to figure out what ailed me back in Dec/Jan, and from Calle's eye surgery -- and suddenly the weight of the world sits on my head. I have the kids digging in the yard to see if they can find oil or gold, and I'm doing some reading on the fabulous world of begging alms. Other options include white slavery, selling my blood, and getting a second job where I can finally get to use my skills as a... as um... uh... fooey! No skills. Plenty of blood though. Plenty of blood.

BLOG FOR AMERICA!!!

Welcome, F.B.I. officials, to our "whimsical blog," that deals with "soft subjects"!


U.S.A! U.S.A! Here we go, America, here we go!

We're blogging for AMERICA! What are ~you~ doing to help whip Al Qaeda?

"...for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee...."

Tonight for evening worship we read Hebrews 2. After pausing a bit to discuss Hebrews 2:9, Conner, who is soon to be six years old, commented, "But we should be the ones that die. Jesus didn't do any sin. We sinned. So we should die for our sins."

Yes, out of the mouths of babes.... Blessed art thou, Conner Waybright, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but the Father which is in Heaven.

Praise be to God.

Unity amongst Reformed Presbyterians

It puzzles me
how we
can be so close and yet worlds apart.
~ Kansas, "Journey From Mariabronn."

Fact is, we have the tools we need -- one Confession of Faith, one system of Catechizing, one system of Church Government, one Directory for Worship, one Hymnal, one common tradition and heritage, and an ecumenical Covenant to bind us together.

Yes, I must ponder this more. I must pray about this more. There needs to be at least an honest effort towards unity. Hear me? Let us not remain sinfully silent, as I, regretfully, have been. I have attempted to make initial contact with someone to discuss this, I await his reply.

"It is an evil which prevails everywhere among mankind, that every one sets himself above others, and especially that those who seem in anything to excel cannot well endure their inferiors to be on an equality with themselves. And then there is so much morosity almost in all, that individuals would gladly make churches for themselves if they could; for they find it so difficult to accommodate themselves to the ways and habits of others. The rich envy one another; and hardly one in a hundred can be found among the rich, who allows to the poor the name and rank of brethren. Unless similarity of habits or some allurements or advantages draw us together, it is very difficult even to maintain a continual concord among ourselves. Extremely needed, therefore, by us all is the admonition to be stimulated to love and not to envy, and not to separate from those whom God has joined to us, but to embrace with brotherly kindness all those who are united to us in faith. And surely it behaves us the more earnestly to cultivate unity, as the more eagerly watchful Satan is, either to tear us by any means from the Church, or stealthily to seduce us from it."
~ John Calvin.

Dig my hair!

You are Charles Ingalls. You are independent and pioneering, yet Presbyterian and friendly. You are a thrifty do-it-yourselfer and jack of all trades, yet you can't fix your toilet, or hammer a nail in straight. Practically tireless, yet always sleepy, you will stay up all night to protect your family from marauding indians, mostly because you enjoy shooting intruders, and spend all day plowing the fields (at your desk job). Your hair is fabulous, which goes without saying.


Which Little House Character Are You?
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(I altered the results, case you didn't know)

For anyone who's ever heard...

"That's the OLD Testament!" I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone object to a biblical doctrine simply because it is predominant in the Old Testament. I came across this yesterday while doing some reading:

---

Objection: That’s the Old Testament.

Solution: What, are the Damned Manichees again raised from Hell? Shall we again be haunted with the Ghosts of the old Heresies, sentenced to the bottomless Pit, one thousand four hundred years ago, for rejecting the Old Testament?

2. Do you hold the New Testament to be in force? You must then receive the Old. The New Testament is not to be received but as it agrees with the Old. Christ bids, Search the Scripture, John 5:39, 46, meaning the Old Testament, which then was only written; he saith, Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me. He that refuses the Old Testament, where his lust serves him, will do as much for the New. The Evangelists writing of Christ that we might believe on him, runs thus; this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was written. The Apostles in their Epistles confirm all they say in matters of faith, and holy life out of the Old Testament: as to instance two or three places for all, the great point of faith, in 1 Peter 2: 4, 5, 6, 7, the great point of holiness of life, in 1 Peter 1:15, 16, the great duty of obedience to parents, in Ephesians 6:1, 2, 3, read the texts. The Scripture of the Old Testament will furnish a Minister of the New Testament, the man of God, and make him absolute, 2 Timothy 3:15, 16, 17. It is for every Christian a more sure word, 2 Peter 1:19, 21, than voices from Heaven; it is a light that shineth in the dark, until Christ the Daystar dawn in the heart of him that takes heed to it.

-- Richard Byfield, A Short Treatise Describing the True Church of Christ and the Evils of Schism, Anabaptism, and Libertinism, etc. (1653), Page 22.

Well, Duh!!!

I went to a used bookstore the other day, and I bought several copies of Luther's Small Catechism, each of them having also various additions appended to them -- whether it be supplemental explanatory questions and answers, or a copy of the Augsburg Confession. I also picked up a few things for the kids. All items were placed in the same bag. When we got home, the bag was promptly lost. Oh, the kids had their stuff... but the bag, with the books, sans the kids' stuff, was missing for a day and a half. We looked all over the place, to no avail. When we finally did find the bag with the books... hah.... boy, did we feel foolish for not being able to find it. I mean, I can't believe we didn't look in this place if not first, perhaps second or third. But, the books were ultimately found, and that's what's important. Where were they found?

In the stand-up freezer down in the basement, of course, next to the frozen spiral cut ham!

Friends

It's good to catch up with friends. For various reasons, over the past 2-3 years, I've had diminishing contact with almost all of my friends. Some were living far far away, others were separated by other factors. At any rate, it seems that 2004 has been the year that I get to reconnect with some good friends. The other night the Waybrights loaded into our giant blue bus and hauled over to the home of a "famouse author," her rotton-avocado buying husband, and their extended crew, for some Mexican food and chocolate. What we're we thinking to let the baby eat Mexican food ~AND~ chocolate? "Two powerful forces converge -- in Elisabeth's pants!" Oh well, at least we didn't have to drink that lime-soda stuff called Tequiza. It's also been good to see our friends from the Great White North -- come to think of it, we had Mexican food there too. Hmm... I notice a pattern developing.

Today, after I recover my vehicle (don't ask!), I'm heading to Lancaster (pronounced LANC-uh-ster, not LANG-CAST-er!) to meet up with Brother John. I told him to not bring weapons, but you never know with him. I'm thinking that maybe we should have lunch at Chi-Chi's. You know... the Mexican thing.

Wallpapering is all done (at least until next year, when my wife decides she doesn't like it anymore... again [Awk! Smile Rachel, I'm chust chokin' naw vonst]). The ultrasound last night revealed only one little blessing swimming around in there. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to settle for just one this time. ;-)

I ran spel-chequer on this post, and it suggested that I change "Waybrights" to "abrogates." Yes, well, I'll consider the name change. But for now, I'll stick with my given name.

Still Wallpapering.

And it's driving me nuts. I keep staring at the wall... I can see the seams... I CAN SEE THE SEEMS.... I CAN SEE THE SEAMS!!!! Deep breaths. In.... huuuhh..... out... wheeew. Ok. I can do this. It doesn't have to be perfect. I'm not a professional. People will still like me even though my wallpaper STINKS! LOOK AT THE SEAMS!!!! Calm down... deep breaths. Go get some coffee. Mmm.... coffee.

Honey Dew, Honey Don't!

To borrow a quote from "Apocalypse Now," though slightly altered, "I love the smell of crying children in the morning. It smells like.... victory." Another beautiful day in Central PA... check my weather report in my sidebar if you don't believe me. And another day off, a "honey dew" day. You know, "honey dew" this, and "honey dew" that. Yes, and the smell of crying children! When you have 5 little ones and a house that needs a fixin', having a full-time job to give you a break sure is nice. But today, I have off, so it's back to the real work. Today, we'll be tearing down wallpaper, and putting up wallpaper. Which reminds me of what a friend once told me, "Puritans don't use wallpaper." When that was said, my wife responded "But we're not Puritans... we're Presbyterians." Now, I know the state has laws against spouse beating, but I'm sure you will all see why this particular case was the exception to the rule. That was then, this is now. Down with the old, up with the new. That's what we Waybrights are all about, ya know.

Stay tuned: We'll soon be getting an ultra-sound to "rule out" the possibility of twins. We already have a fraternal set, and they say that for those who already had fraternal twins each pregnancy is a 50-50 chance of being two pregnancies and not just one. I can't wait to find out myself, as I do feel a bit heavy, and I'm "showing" more than normal.

Here's a weird one.

You will swallow some tacks. You are a little
weird, maybe not so much in a good way. Buy a
yellow tie and wear it on your head.


What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
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Swallowed some tacks, huh? I've sat on a tack before. Also, I hate when they get stuck in the bottom of my shoe. Ever get a tack stuck on the bottom of your shoe? It feels odd, like something's wrong, and then you look and go, "Hey! That explains it! There is a tack stuck in the bottom of my shoe! No wonder I've had unsteady footing and have been so irritable throughout the day!" I should go now, as all this talk of tacks is making me hungry, and I didn't break fast yet. When I first woke up, I was thinking about eating me a bag of broken glass, but now I've got a hankerin' for some thumbtacks. YUMMY!

Why He is called Christ ... and I, a Christian.

(From the Heidelberg Catechism)

Q31: Why is He called "Christ," that is, Anointed?

A31: Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost [1] to be our chief Prophet and Teacher,[2] who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption;[3] and our only High Priest,[4] who by the one sacrifice of His body has redeemed us, and ever lives to make intercession for us with the Father;[5] and our eternal King, who governs us by His Word and Spirit, and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us.[6]

1. Heb. 1:9
2. Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:22
3. John 1:18; 15:15
4. Psa. 110:4; Heb. 7:21
5. Rom. 5:9-10
6. Psa. 2:6; Luke 1:33; Matt. 28:18; Isa. 61:1-2; I Peter 2:24; Rev. 19:16


Q32: But why are you called a Christian?

A32: Because by faith I am a member of Christ [1] and thus a partaker of His anointing,[2] in order that I also may confess His Name,[3] may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him,[4] and with a free conscience may fight against sin and the devil in this life,[5] and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures.[6]

1. Acts 11:26; I John 2:20, 27
2. Acts 2:17
3. Mark 8:38
4. Rom. 12:1; Rev. 5:8, 10; I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6
5. I Tim. 1:18-19
6. II Tim. 2:12; Eph. 6:12; Rev. 3:21

Oh my aching blog

It's time for the annual digging of the hole in our yard. This time it was pulling up the steel pole, smashing up all the concrete around it, and resetting it in fresh concrete so it's straight. I took my sledge hammer and beat that concrete like it stole something. I earned my Guinness today, guys. Anybody notice Blogspot has been acting up a bit today? I've visited several blogs that either did not come up, or came up looking like what Robert Johnson says in one song, "You got your hair all tangled, and you ain't talkin' right." The Blogspot status report confirms that they were having problems today. Boy, am I tired. I bet the average haus frau doesn't get this worn out! (ducking to avoid the pots and pans being thrown my way by angry haus fraus)

No Crusades = I'm a girl???

Are you a Crusade kind of person? Voice of Reason I don't support Crusades, but I think that people should wake up and smell the truth!

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

So just because I don't spread my faith with the sword means I'm some kind of fem? What's up with that?

John Wesley and the Law

I'm no fan of John Wesley. His character and his doctrines have done very little to win me over. However, as is the case with many churches today, the years and years and years of backsliding, deformation, and defection has left many modern adherents to be virtually unrecognizable when compared to the positions originally held by the denominations they belong to. Example: Last night a Methodist minister was arguing to me that the 10 Commandments are no longer our rule, but merely our "guide." Guide? Ok, is that a guide to be followed, or a guide that is not to be followed? Are Christians now permitted to worship other gods, commit adultery, steal, murder, etc? Or is it just the commands regarding image worship and Sabbath honoring that are reduced from "Law" to mere "guide"? I asked him, "What is sin?" He responded, "Sin is anything that misses 'the mark.'" Ahh yes... "the mark!" And what mark is that? Obviously this "mark" shares in the same ambiguity and vagueness as our "guide." I commented that his position is against the position of even John Wesley. Minutes after he left my house, I sat down at the computer, and almost immediately pulled up a sermon by John Wesley. The following quotes are from that sermon:

“But the moral law, contained in the Ten Commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away. It was not the design of His coming to revoke any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken, which stands fast as the faithful witness in heaven. The moral stands on an entirely different foundation from the ceremonial or ritual law, which was only designed for a temporary restraint upon a disobedient and stiff-necked people; whereas this was from the beginning of the world, being 'written not on tables of stone,' but on the hearts of all the children of men, when they came out of the hands of the Creator. And, however the letters once wrote by the finger of God are now in a great measure defaced by sin, yet can they not wholly be blotted out, while we have any consciousness of good and evil. Every part of this law must remain in force, upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change, but on the nature of God and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other.”

...

“But above all these, in the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of Christ, are they who openly and explicitly 'judge the law' itself, and 'speak evil of the law;' who teach men to break (lysai, to dissolve, to loose, to untie the obligation of) not one only, whether of the least, or of the greatest, but all the commandments at a stroke; who teach, without any cover, in so many words, -- 'What did our Lord do with the law? He abolished it. There is but one duty, which is that of believing. All commands are unfit for our times. From any demand of the law, no man is obliged now to go one step, to give away one farthing, to eat or omit one morsel.' This is, indeed, carrying matters with a high hand; this is withstanding our Lord to the face, and telling him that he understood not how to deliver the message on which He was sent. O Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!

“The most surprising of all the circumstances that attend this strong delusion, is, that they who are given up to it, really believe that they honour Christ by overthrowing his law, and that they are magnifying his office, while they are destroying his doctrine! Yea, they honour him just as Judas did, when he said, 'Hail, Master!' and kissed him. And he may as justly say to every one of them, 'Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?' It is no other than betraying him with a kiss, to talk of his blood, and take away his crown; to set light by any part of his law, under pretence of advancing his gospel. Nor, indeed, can anyone escape this charge, who preaches faith in any such manner as either directly or indirectly tends to set aside any branch of obedience; who preaches Christ so as to disannul, or weaken, in anywise, the least of the commandments of God."

Thus end the quotes by John Wesley.

My, my... how far things have fallen. It can be frustrating and discouraging sometimes for those who still hold to those old Reformation principles, to look around and see that the enemies of the Reformation have so devolved and deformed that we would gladly have them return to their past positions (as insufficient or as contrary to Reformation principles as their former positions might have been). John Wesley was wrong about some very important things, but he was far better off than many of those who now claim to follow in his tradition. Would I be fully satisfied if this minister would be in 100% agreement with the doctrines of John Wesley? Of course not! But this trend of holding on to what is wrong, and casting off what is right, is quite disturbing. Wesley, with his denial of predestination and the doctrines of grace, and his doctrine of sinless perfection, was bad enough, but when someone holds on to those Wesleyan things, and lets go of that which was good, what a monstrosity of religion remains! For another example of this phenomenon, but within the Reformed realm, see Reformation Principles Exhibited, which stands as a reminder of how far the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America has fallen from their own former standards. As much as the "Reformation Principles Exhibited" leaves to be desired, a return to even these former principles of the RPCNA would be a good thing to see, a step in the right direction. Compare Lutherans with Luther, Calvinists with Calvin, Neo-Presbyterians with Paleo-Presbyterianism, and one wonders why some folks insist on keeping the names when they bear so little resemblance to their namesakes. But I digress...

Back to the Law.

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Mathew 5:17-19).

"And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail" (Luke 16:17).

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Romans 3:31).

"To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law" (1 Corinthians 9:21).

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3, 4).

And I guess that's all I have to say about that.

The Beans

It appears that Coleman has let the cat out of the bag ~and~ has spilled the beans about our top secret meal. "Exactly what does the cat know about about the beans?" is in need of further investigation.

Last Search?

What was your last internet search before reading this? Mine was "Creole Mustard Recipe" (don't ask... our crack kitchen crew is working on a secret meal as I type this... if the Feds found out what we were doing, they'd over-tax us, disenfranchise us, and seek to take away our right to own and bear arms.... wait a minute! Ahh!!! How'd they find out?!?!? Shh... say nothing, act casual).

Wanted

Nice public school kid with chicken pox willing to infect my children. Applicant will need to smell good, must be willing to travel, to eat very little, and to spread his illness to multiple intrusive and sometimes violent victims, for free, without infecting them with any of your own nasty habits. Serious inquiries only. Apply within.

Easter?

"By the contrary doctrine [i.e. contrary to Sola Scriptura ], we understand whatsoever men, by laws, councils, or constitutions have imposed upon the consciences of men, without the expressed commandment of God's word: such as be vows of chastity, forswearing of marriage, binding of men and women to several and disguised apparels, to the superstitious observation of fasting days, difference of meat for conscience sake, prayer for the dead; and keeping of holy days of certain saints commanded by man, such as be all those that the Papists have invented, as the feasts (as they term them) of apostles, martyrs, virgins, of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Purification, and other fond feasts of our lady. Which things, because in God's scriptures they neither have commandment nor assurance, we judge them utterly to be abolished from this realm; affirming further, that the obstinate maintainers and teachers of such abominations ought not to escape the punishment of the civil magistrate." -- First Book of Discipline, 1560.

"The kirk under the Gospel has past the rudiments, and therefore the observation of anniversary days does not beseem her. To substitute other days in place of the Jewish, a Christian Pasche and Pentecost for the Jewish, is but to substitute rudiments and elements to the Jewish, and not to chase away, but to change the Jewish holy days.... The Jewish frankincense was perfume: the Popish is a simple frankincense without any other ingredient. The Jewish lights were of oil: the popish of wax, and yet we charge them with Judaizing. The Jews had no anniversary days, but such as were abrogated; they were abrogated not only as shadows of things to come, but also as memorials of bygone benefits. Even as they were days of remembrance they belonged to the pedagogy of the law. Converted Jews may not lawfully observe the Jewish festivities, even as remembrances of bygone benefits. In every respect all their anniversary days are abolished, and they had none other, but such as were abolished. Therefore in every respect they belonged to the ceremonial law. The observation therefore of anniversary days even in respect of remembrance was to the Jew's pedagogical, rudimentary and elementary, and consequently ceremonial." -- David Calderwood, Perth Assembly, 1619.

"THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued." -- The Westminster Assembly's Directory for the Public Worship of God, approved 1645.

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." -- The Apostle Paul, Epistle to the Galatians 4:9-11.

One cool thing about being a dad is...

Playing baseball with the kids, at the park, in the springtime.

Because I Care...

Pour a Guinness, wait for it to settle, and click on the pic for the article. Click here when you're ready for a second glass.

Too Sore to Blog?

To some, "too sore to blog" is akin to "Too drunk to fish." But yesterday I was sore, and I'm still sore today. We helped some friends unload their 26 feet worth of moving truck into their new home. By the end of the day (and no, I don't mean the annoying cliche "at the end of the day"... I mean it literally, at the end of the day) I was quite exhausted. In fact, I was sick. Light things began to feel heavy, I started getting stomach cramps, my lips were chapped, asthma attack, but it beats the Bear Mountain Picnic. Anyway, today I'm still sore, but my friends are moved in and that's what counts.

I must go now... above the din I hear a distant call... 'tis coffee... Yes, I must go. Fear not, my beloved coffee! You will not be neglected, for though I may be too sore to blog, yet am not too sore to drink you!

1% Normal

OK, I took a Multiphasic Personality Test, which is scoring me as "1% Normal." THANK YOU. Finally someone realizes what's going on here. I'm the 1% that's normal, all you other 99% freaks need to recognize!



I won't be posting the place to take the test here, as I don't recommend going there.... they ask for WAY TOO MUCH information before they let you take the test, and then they try to sell you the complete results. So, forget about it. Point is that I'm normal, but there's only 1% of people that are normal like me. I'm sure this is relevant to something... somewhere.... somehow. Hopefully the "experts" can "figure out" how to "factor in" these results before "jumping" to their "conclusions" about... why am I putting everything in "quotes?"

I think I got it!

I think I finally got the permalink thing working, and my sidebar is back to normal. This site was VERY helpful, and I recommend it for my fellow bloggers.



In other knews.... Calle wrecked her bike and knocked her head something terrible. Her head and nose and chin are swollen. Between this accident and the recent surgery, right now my daughter doesn't look like the same little girl!

Raging

I chose the name Raging Calvinist a while ago, back when I started going into chat rooms full of flaming Arminians spewing forth a false gospel with great zeal. My handle was an indicator that I was there to equal their zeal with an opposing, and I believe, the Biblical, alternative to their freewillism. When I entered the room, inevitably I would get one or all of four reactions:

1. What's a Calvinist?

2. Why do you follow the teachings of Calvin instead of Christ?

3. Calvin killed people becaue they disagreed with him.

4. Predestination is wrong, we all have a choice.

Now, I'm not here today to talk about any of those things. But rather, to honestly approach a subject that hits close to home for me. I titled this blog, Confessions of a Raging Calvinist, and so it is here that I now confess. I confess, that in a sense different than the meaning described above, that I am a raging Calvinist, and I confess that it is sinful to be such.

I can be downright scary to be around. I have a short temper, which has grown much much shorter over the past 2 years or so. When I become agitated, which sometimes seems to be quite easily, I tend to get loud and threatening... ugly and nasty. What do the Scriptures say?

"A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame" (Prov. 12:16).

"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly" (Prov. 14:29).

"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth" (Col. 3:8).

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:19, 20).

I've been told that I avoid discussing personal sins. Perhaps to some extent this is true, my sinful flesh despises such an activity. But here goes.... I have a sinful problem with anger and wrath. The Bible says this is foolish, shameful, something to be "put off" (repented of and mortified), and something that does not work the righteousness of God. In my raging, I show myself a sinful and shameful fool, who works my own wrath and not the righteous works of God our Righteousness.

The thing about being a "raging Calvinist" is that the kind of raging I am talking about has nothing to do with true Calvinism, but is contrary to it. Raging Calvinist is an oxymoron, in this sense. If I'm gauging myself correctly, my anger seems to stem from a lack of peace. I am not at peace within, and when that matches up with a lack of peace without, look out. My anger, then, is from a lack of faith. It is a wicked lashing out at the sovereignty of God. If I truly believed that the Lord has brought an event to pass, then I would learn to keep my mouth shut, and say with David, "I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it" (Psalm 39:9).

The words of a true Calvinist, on Psalm 39:9:

"Here David blames himself, because he had not preserved that silence which, as we have already seen, the violence of his grief forced him to break. When he says then that he was dumb, he does not mean this as a commendation of the uniform and persevering restraint which he had exercised over himself. It is rather a correction of his error, as if reproving his own impatience, he had spoken within himself in this way: What doest thou? thou hadst enjoined upon thyself silence, and now thou murmurest proudly against God; what wilt thou gain by this presumption? We have here a very profitable and instructive lesson; for nothing is better fitted to restrain the violent paroxysms of grief, than the recollection that we have to do, not with a mortal man, but with God, who will always maintain his own righteousness in opposition to all that men may say against it in their murmuring complaints, and even in their outrageous accusations. What is the reason why the great majority of men run to such excess in their impatience, but because they forget that, in doing so, they dare to plead a controversy with God? Thus, while some impute all their miseries to fortune, and others to men, and others account for them from a variety of causes which their own fancy suggests, while scarcely one in a hundred recognises in them the hand of God, they allow themselves to indulge in bitter complaint, without ever thinking that in so doing they offend God. David, on the contrary, in order to subdue every unholy desire and sinful excess, returns to God, and resolves to keep silence, because the affliction which he is now suffering proceeded from God. As David, who was thus afflicted with the severest trials, resolved nevertheless to keep silence, let us learn from this, that it is one of the chief exercises of our faith to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and to submit to his judgments without murmuring or complaint. It is to be observed, that men humbly and calmly submit themselves to God only when they are persuaded, not only that he does by his almighty power whatever he pleases, but that he is also a righteous Judge; for although the wicked feel that the hand of God is upon them, yet as they charge him with cruelty and tyranny, they cease not to pour forth horrible blasphemies against him. In the meantime, David regards the secret judgments of God with such reverence and wonder, that, satisfied with his will alone, he considers it sinful to open his mouth to utter a single word against him." -- John Calvin.

Lord, help my unbelief.

I must go pray now, for the remedy to my sinful rage is found in Christ, who alone can grant me that peace that I require. And the way to lay hold of Christ and the peace He has, is through prayer.

"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:5-7).

Pray for me, brothers and sisters, if you would be so kind towards so raging a Calvinist.

After hours of wasted time....

The answer is a /div. When I take out the /div, the permalinks work but it makes my side bar go to the bottom of the blog. When I put it in, the permalinks don't work. Hmm....

Permalinks!!!!!

I think I got my permalinks working. Try making some of your own bbq sauce, and see if it works.

Drat... looks like I ruined my side bar. I'm html-ally challenged. Hey, DeeJay, fix my sidebar!

This is a test

This completes the test.....

How did you do?

Daylight Savings Time

All the fun of jet lag, without the travel!

Pray for Little Alex.

It was a difficult night at work. I received a phone call from a woman, wanting to know how to tell her 9 year old daughter that her dad died today. He hung himself on the swing set in the yard, while his daughter was away visiting a friend. I grieved with this new widow, and tried to provide some small comfort. Sometimes I wonder how I've lasted so long in this line of work. Sometimes I wonder how long I can last. Pray for little Alex tonight, for she's about to have her little heart broken.

Just so we're clear

That last post, was not meant to mock anyone's problems. Death is real, and it is ugly and burdensome. My intent was not to be insensative or to minimize anyone's pains and struggles. The post was my way of dealing with the same struggles and pains, and the confusion that goes along with those struggles and pains. Things make sense, and things don't make sense, and sometimes it seems that they make sense and don't make sense at the same time -- like conspiracy theories. That someone was bombed, or assassinated, or the like, is not funny, but troubling and burdensome.... and so we search for answers with the data we have, and it can get even more confusing and yet credible, or more clear and incredible. I've felt depressed for a while now, and one of my coping mechanisms is to give myself a chuckle. I tend to laugh on the outside while I'm dying on the inside...."Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness" (Proverbs 14:13). If there's one thing Smokey taught us, it's that "there's some sad things known to man, but ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown, when there's no one around." I was telling the truth about the strawberries, in case you were wondering.

Conspiracy

If Dylan taught us one thing, it's "something is happening here, but you don't know what it is." Item #1 -- death. Surrounded by death. The other day I did a psychiatric admission with a guy who grew up in the funeral parlor business.... death, death, dead, killed, dead and more death. Over the past year, my buddy has lost at least one great friend, and several others he's cared for in their final days. Another friend of mine from across the pond is struggling with her own mortality. Death is item #1. Item #2 is the song that's playing right now, unplanned, as I type this... "tick tock tick tock tick tock people... time's ticking away." Item #3, bell peppers from Israel. My wife buys these peppers from a local store, not a franchised supermarket, just a local store. The label says, "Grown in Israel." What's that about? Unless there's an Israel, New Jersey that these peppers are from, I may just have proof of the U.S. and Israel connection in the Middle East. Peppers. This means something. I will be pouring through tons of information at the following websites to uncover the mystery of the "Israeli Peppers":

What really happened?

Infowars

Information Clearing House

The Atkins Diet Myth

The Mysterious Death of Bruce Lee

Alien Abduction (has it happened to you?)

I will get to the bottom this, friends.

In other news: I put some sliced strawberries in my coffee today, and I liked it.

I feel your pain

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Look, I've met a few Bill Clinton's in my life, and I tell you, by the grace of God, I am NOT Bill Clinton. Now, I don't know the angle this "test" is coming from, so maybe they mean this in some weird complimentory way... but when I think Bill Clinton, I think of a womanizing pig that carries a big Bible and engages in much verbage in order to cover up and/or justify his adulterous affairs. At the very least, I'm offended at the idea that I am a social chameleon. Uh-huh, with my views on Psalmody, Calvinism, Public Social Covenanting, holidays, Lord's Day observance, birth control, and home-schooling, I just blend right into my social environment!