Confessions of a Raging Calvinist

A Lump on a Blog

2009-11-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

Oh, this thing! What do that call this again? A blog, is it? Yes, I remember. I also remember having way more time to do things like this. Not so much anymore. Work, family life, things to do around the house, trying to stay healthy, reading things I need to read, etc., there just isn't much time left after doing things that need to be done. Oh, well. Neglecting one's blog isn't the worst thing in the world, I suppose. Maybe one of these days, I'll get back to making this place an interesting place for readers. Yeah... maybe one of these days.

Of God's Love

2009-05-09T12:51:00.002-04:00

There is much confusion concerning God's love, what it is, what it isn't, upon whom does it rest, etc. The Hyper-Calvinist denies that God loves the reprobate in any way whatsoever, while the Pelagian and the Semi-Pelagian Arminian applies God's love equally to all mankind. One error they seem to hold in common, is that they do not understand what God's love is, and often consider God's love to be a passion, a feeling, like we men have. As a result, the Hyper-Calvinist cannot understand how God can be said to love, and not love, the same person. The Pelagian, and the Semi-Pelagian Arminian, likewise, cannot understand how God can love all mankind, and yet not love all mankind.

I have recently been reading James Ussher's Body of Divinity, and found this lovely section on the topic of God's love. It was so good, I needed to type it up and share it. To avoid copyright issues, I went and found an old copy of it and typed this up out of that, with a bit of my own formatting, including the way the Scripture references are typed).

Ussher will show that God's love is not a passion, that God loves all his creation in a way, and loves mankind especially in a way, and loves the elect especially in a way, and that from hence we have some things to think about and some things to apply in our life.

I hope this is edifying and enjoyable to the reader.

James Ussher, on the Love of God, excerpted from A Body of Divinity, or the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion:

What is the Love of God?
It is an Essential Property in God, whereby he loveth himself above all, and others for himself, 1 John 4:16; Rom. 5:8; John 3:16; Titus 3:4; Mal. 1:2, 3.

What learn you from hence?
That we should love him dearly, and other things for him.

That we may the better know what the Love of God is, declare first, What Love is in our selves?
It is a passion of the Mind, whereby we are so affected towards the Party whom we love, that we are rather his than our own, forgetting ourselves to do him good whom we so love.

And is love such a thing in God?
No: the true Love of God is not such as our Love is.

What difference is there?
There is great difference two ways. First, In time: for Love was in God before it was in us, or in anything created; for he loved himself and us also before the World was, John 17:23. Secondly, They differ in nature and quality: for that Love which is in God is most perfect and pure, without passion; but in us it is imperfect, and matched with Passions, with impure Affections, and grief of the mind.

After what manner doth the Scripture express the Love of God?
In the Scriptures God doth compare himself to a Father and to a Mother loving their Children; to a Hen gathering her Chickens together under her Wings; to a good Shepherd seeking up his Sheep, and to divers other things.

And wherefore serve these Comparisons?
They are for our profit two ways. First, To shew us that God's Love towards us, is most vehement and sincere. Secondly, To make us bold in coming to him, and calling upon him. So for this Love Christ Jesus calleth us by all the Names of Love: as his Servants, his Kinsmen, His Friends, his Spouse, his Brethren, and by many names more: to shew, that he loveth us with all loves, the Father's Love, the Mother's Love, the Masters Love, the Husbands Love, the Brothers Love, &c. and if all Loves were put together, yet his Love exceedeth them all: for all could not do so much for us as he alone hath done.

If Love doth not signifie any Affection or Passion in God, as it doth in us: What then doth it signifie?
In God it signifieth three things most perfect. First, The eternal good Will of God towards some Body: for the Love of God (suppose towards the Elect) is his everlasting good Will, or his purpose and determination to shew them Mercy, to do them Good, and to save them, as in Rom. 9:11, 13. Secondly, The effects themselves of this Love or good Will; whether they be temporal concerning this Life, or eternal concerning the Life to come, as in 1 John 3:1. Thirdly, The pleasure and delight which he taketh in that which he loveth: and so it is taken in Psalm 45:7.

That things doth God love besides himself?
Besides himself, God loveth all things else whatsoever he made: but he loveth not sin and iniquity; for he never made it, as St. John saith, 1 John 2:16. Again, he loveth his Son, being manifested in the flesh; and he loveth his chosen Children for his Sons sake, with whom he is well pleased, Matt. 3:17.

Object. 1. The Scripture saith, That God doth hate all that work Iniquity: How then can God both hate and love one and the same Man?
In every wicked Man we must consider two things. First, His Nature. Secondly, His Sin. His Nature is the Work of God, and that he loveth: but his iniquity is not of God, and that he hateth.

Object. 2. God doth afflict his Children; therefore he doth not love them.
Whom he loveth he correcteth, (Prov. 3:12) and therefore he correcteth them because he loveth them; even as a Gold-smith tryeth his Gold in the fire, because he loveth it.

Whether doth God love all alike, or no?
No: he preferreth Mankind before all his other Creatures; for which cause God is called Philanthropos, that is, a Lover of Men. And this appeareth by three effects of his Love.
First, He made him according to his own Image; that is, in Righteousness and true Holiness, Gen. 1:26; Eph. 4:24.
Secondly, He made him Lord over all his Creatures, Psalm 8:5, 6.
Thirdly, He gave his own Son to death for his ransom.

Doth God love all men alike?
No: for he loveth his Elect better than the Reprobate. For the Elect he calleth effectually by his Spirit in their Hearts, when he calleth others but by the outward Voice of the Gospel, &c.
Again, amongst the Elect themselves, some are actually Wicked, and not yet reconciled nor called; as was Paul before his Conversion. But the rest are called and already made holy by Faith in Christ, as Paul was after his Conversion. And of these, he loveth the latter sort with a greater measure of love than the former, as the Scripture testifieth, Prov. 8:17.

What manner of Love doth God bear to his Elect?
It hath three adjuncts or properties. First, It is free without desert.
Secondly, It is great without comparison.
Thirdly, It is constant without any end.

How is the Love of God said to be free?
It is free two ways. First, Because nothing caused God to love us, but his own Goodness and Grace: and therefore St. John saith, that his Love was before ours, 1 John 4:10.
Secondly, It is free, because God in loving us, did not regard any thing that belonged to his own Commodity: for, as David saith, Psalm 16:2, he hath no need of our Goods; but only to our own Salvation he loved us.

Wherein doth the Greatness of God's Love appear to his Elect?
It appeareth two ways. 1. By the means which God used to save us by, that is, the death of his Son: and so St. John setteth forth his Love, John 3:16; 1 John 3:16, when he saith ου'τω, that is, So, (as if he should say, so vehemently, so ardently, so earnestly, so wonderfully) did he love us, that for our Salvation he spared not his own only begotten Son, but gave him to the death of the Cross for our Salvation.

What else doth set forth the greatness of God's Love unto us?
The consideration of our own selves. For he did not only give his only Son to death for us, but it was for us being his Enemies. And this Circumstance is used by the Apostle to express the same, Rom. 5:7, 8.

Where find you it written, that God's Love is constant and perpetual?
That is manifestly shewed in these Scriptures following, Hos. 11:9; John 13:1; Rom. 11:29. For as God is unchangeable in His Essence and Nature; so is he unchangeable in his Love, which is his Essence and Nature: and therefore is God called Love in the Scriptures, 1 John 4:8.

What use must we make of God's Love?
First, It filleth our hearts with gladness, when we understand that our God is so loving, and Love itself: and what is this but the beginning of eternal Life? if eternal Life consists in the true knowledge of God, as our Saviour Christ saith, John 17:3.

Secondly, Out of knowledge of this Love, as out of a Fountain, springeth the Love of God and our Neighbor. For St. John saith, He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love, 1 John 4:8.

Thirdly, When we consider that God loveth all his Creatures which he made, it should teach us not to abuse any of the Creatures, to serve our Lusts and beastly Affections. For God will punish them which abuse his beloved; as he punished the rich Glutton, which abused the Creatures of God, Luke 16.

Fourthly, We are taught to love all the Creatures, even the basest of all, seeing that God loveth them, and for the love he beareth to us he made them: and we must (if we love them for God's sake) use them sparingly, moderately, and equally or justly. To this end we are commanded to let our Cattle rest upon the Sabbath day, as well as our selves: to this end we are forbidden to kill the Dam upon her Nest; and to this end we are forbidden to muzzle the Mouth of the Ox which treadeth out the Corn, Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:9.

Fifthly We are taught from hence to love Mankind better than all other Creatures, because God doth so: and therefore we must not spare any thing that we have, that may make for the safety of his Body, and the salvation of his Soul. And for this cause, we are commanded to love our Enemies, and to do them good; because our good God doth so.

Sixthly, From God's Love, we learn to prefer the Godly Brethren, and those that profess sincerely the same Religion that we profess before other Men: because God's Love is greater to the Elect, than to the Reprobate: and this doth the Apostle teach us, Gal. 6:10.

Seventhly, Whereas God's Love is freely bestowed upon us, this teacheth us to be humble, and to attribute no part of our Salvation to our selves, but only to the free Love of God.

Eighthly, From hence ariseth the certainty of our Salvation. For if God's Love was so free and great when we were his Enemies, much more will it be so, and constant also to us, being reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:10.

Free Wyclife

2009-04-24T22:02:00.001-04:00

Free Wyclife... Enjoy!

An Intervention for Christopher

2009-04-23T23:46:00.003-04:00

Below is an attempted intervention for delusional atheist Christopher Hitchens, held by William Lane Craig, Douglas Wilson, Lee Strobel, and Jim Dennison. Not all of the arguments from the theists on the panel were wholesome or helpful, for example -- the appeal to man's free will, and God's need to have it so. But overall, this intervention for Christopher is a good indicator of where the debate lies between today's theists and the "new atheism." If you don't have the time to listen to the whole thing, you wouldn't miss much by skipping ahead to about minute 115:35 and listen to Dr. Craig sum up the whole discussion.

This Just In: Cuthbertson Serves Communion

2009-04-22T21:55:00.001-04:00

"On August 23, 1752, the country's first Covenanter minister, John Cuthbertson, presided over the first communion in the New World at Junkin Tent -- a few rough benches in the shade of a tree -- in New Kingstown.

"Hundreds in horse-drawn wagons came from miles away to attend the service."

Yes, this is in the news.

I ordered mine

2009-04-17T23:57:00.003-04:00

Get 'em while they're hot: James Ussher's Body of Divinity for $12.50

Today 3/19

2009-03-19T09:46:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday, and I have off of work today. That usually never happens. My co-worker needed a switch, and I'm always happy to oblige. It's nice having a day off in the middle of the week. However, it does mean that I have to work the next two days. Work has been pretty stressful lately, as the downturn in the economy has meant that the mental health treatment business if booming. It's fascinating to me how it can be that so many can be struggling while others seem to thrive. I guess this is one of those Ecclesiastes type "under the sun" mysteries of life. I spent some time last night chatting with a friend about spiritual things. I enjoy that. I really enjoy that. It's satisfying to me to know that some of the things I've learned about God and life and sorrow and marriage and everything can be of some use to others. The Lord be glorified.

This post sounds like a diary entry. I guess that's ok to blog like that, right?

Wherein Does Blessedness Consist? Part 2 -- Wherein it DOES consist.

2009-03-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

Wherein Does Blessedness Consist? Part 1 -- Wherein it does NOT consist.

2009-03-08T09:41:00.001-04:00

An excerpt from Thomas Watson:

Wherein does blessedness consist? Millions of men mistake both the nature of blessedness and the way thither. Some of the learned have set down two hundred and eighty eight several opinions about blessedness, and all have shot wide of the mark. I shall show wherein it does not consist, and then wherein it does consist.

(1) Wherein blessedness does not consist. It does not lie in the acquisition of worldly things. Happiness cannot by any art of chemistry be extracted here. Christ does not say, ‘Blessed are the rich’, or ‘Blessed are the noble’, yet too many idolise these things. Man, by the fall, has not only lost his crown, but his headpiece. How ready is he to terminate his happiness in externals! Which makes me call to mind that definition which some of the heathen philosophers give of blessedness, that it was to have a sufficiency of subsistence and to thrive well in the world. And are there not many who pass for Christians, that seem to be of this philosophical opinion? If they have but worldly accommodations, they are ready to sing a requiem to their souls and say with that brutish fool in the gospel, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease . . .’ (Luke 12:19). ‘What is more shameful’, says Seneca, ‘than to equate the rational soul’s good with that which is irrational.’ Alas, the tree of blessedness does not grow in an earthly paradise. Has not God ‘cursed the ground’ for sin? (Genesis 3:17). Yet many are digging for felicity here, as if they would fetch a blessing out of a curse. A man may as well think to extract oil out of a flint, or fire out of water, as blessedness out of these terrestrial things.

King Solomon arrived at more than any man. He was the most magnificent prince that ever held the sceptre. For his parentage: he sprang from the royal line, not only that line from which many kings came, but of which Christ himself came. Jesus Christ was of Solomon’s line and race, so that for heraldry and nobility none could show a fairer coat of arms. For the situation of his palace: it was in Jerusalem, the princess and paragon of the earth. Jerusalem, for its renown, was called ‘the city of God’. It was the most famous metropolis in the world. ‘Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord’ (Psalms 122:4). For wealth: his crown was hung full of jewels. He had treasures of gold and of pearl and ‘made silver to be as stones’ (1 Kings 10:27). For worldly joy: he had the flower and quintessence of all delights — sumptuous fare, stately edifices, vineyards, fishponds, all sorts of music to enchant and ravish the senses with joy. If there were any rarity, it was a present for king Solomon’s court. Thus did he bathe himself in the perfumed waters of pleasure.

For wisdom: he was the oracle of his time. When the queen of Sheba came to pose him with hard questions, he gave a solution to all her doubts (1 Kings 10:3). He had a key of knowledge to unlock nature’s dark cabinet, so that if wisdom had been lost, it might have been found here, and the whole world might have lighted their understanding at Solomon’s lamp. He was an earthly angel, so that a carnal eye surveying his glory would have been ready to imagine that Solomon had entered into that paradise out of which Adam was once driven, or that he had found another as good. Never did the world cast a more smiling aspect upon any man; yet when he comes to give in his impartial verdict, he tells us that the world has vanity written upon its frontispiece, and all those golden delights he enjoyed were but a painted felicity, a glorious misery. ‘And behold all was vanity’ (Ecclesiastes 2:8). Blessedness is too noble and delicate a plant to dwell in nature’s soil.

That blessedness does not lie in externals, I shall prove by these five demonstrations.

(i) Those things which are not commensurate to the desires of the soul can never make a man blessed; but transitory things are not commensurate to the desires of the soul; therefore they cannot render him blessed. Nothing on earth can satisfy.

‘He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver’ (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Riches are unsatisfying:

Because they are not real. The world is called a ‘fashion’ (1 Corinthians 7:31). The word in the Greek signifies a mathematical figure, sometimes a show or apparition. Riches are but tinned over. They are like alchemy, which glisters a little in our eyes, but at death all this alchemy will be worn off. Riches are but sugared lies, pleasant impostures, like a gilded cover which has not one leaf of true comfort bound up in it.

Because they are not suitable. The soul is a spiritual thing; riches are of an earthly extract, and how can these fill a spiritual substance? A man may as well fill his treasure chest with grace, as his heart with gold. If a man were crowned with all the delights of the world, nay, if God should build him an house among the stars, yet the restless eye of his unsatisfied mind would be looking still higher. He would be prying beyond the heavens for some hidden rarities which he thinks he has not yet attained to; so unquenchable is the thirst of the soul till it come to bathe in the river of life and to centre upon true blessedness.

(ii) That which cannot quiet the heart in a storm cannot entitle a man to blessedness; but earthly things accumulated cannot rock the troubled heart quiet; therefore they cannot make one blessed. If the spirit be wounded, can the creature pour wine and oil into these wounds? If God sets conscience to work, and it flies in a man’s face, can worldly comforts take off this angry fury? Is there any harp to drive away the ‘evil spirit’? Outward things can no more cure the agony of conscience than a silken stocking can cure a gouty leg. When Saul was sore distressed (1 Samuel 28:15), could all the jewels of his crown comfort him? If God be angry, whose ‘fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him’ (Nahum 1:6), can a wedge of gold be a screen to keep off this fire? ‘They shall cast their silver in the streets; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord’ (Ezekiel 7:19). King Belshazzar was carousing and ranting it. ‘He drank wine in the golden vessels of the temple’ (Daniel 5:3), but when the fingers of a man’s hand appeared, ‘his countenance was changed’ (verse 6), his wine grew sour, his feast was spoiled with that dish which was served in upon the wall. The things of the world will no more keep out trouble of spirit, than a paper sconce will keep out a bullet.

(iii) That which is but for a season cannot make one blessed; but all things under the sun are but ‘for a season’, therefore they cannot enrich with blessedness. Sublunary delights are like those meats which we say are a while in season, and then presently grow stale and are out of request. ‘The world passeth away’ (1 John 2:17). Worldly delights are winged. They may be compared to a flock of birds in the garden, that stay a little while, but when you come near to them they take their flight and are gone. So ‘riches make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven’ (Proverbs 23:5). They are like a meteor that blazes, but spends and annihilates. They are like a castle made of snow, lying under the torrid beams of the sun. Augustine says of himself, that when any preferment smiled upon him, he was afraid to accept of it lest it should on a sudden give him the slip. Outward comforts are, as Plato says, like tennis balls which are bandied up and down from one to another. Had we the longest lease of worldly comforts, it would soon be run out. Riches and honour are constantly in flight; they pass away like a swift stream, or like a ship that is going full sail. While they are with us they are going away from us. They are like a posy of flowers which withers while you are smelling it; like ice, which melts away while it is in your hand. The world, says Bernard,’ cries out, ‘I will leave you’, and be gone. It takes its salute and farewell together.

(iv) Those things which do more vex than comfort cannot make a man blessed; but such are all things under the sun, therefore they cannot have blessedness affixed to them. As riches are compared to wind (Hosea 12:1) to show their vanity, so to thorns (Matthew 13:17) to show their vexation. Thorns are not more apt to tear our garments, than riches to tear our hearts. They are thorns in the gathering, they prick with care; and as they pierce the head with care of getting, so they wound the heart with fear of losing. God will have our sweetest wine run dregs, yea, and taste of a musty cask too, that we may not think this is the wine of paradise.

(v) Those things which (if we have nothing else) will make us cursed, cannot make us blessed; but the sole enjoyment of worldly things will make us cursed, therefore it is far from making us blessed. ‘Riches are kept for the hurt of the owner’ (Ecclesiastes 5:13). Riches to the wicked are fuel for pride: ‘Thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches’ (Ezekiel 28:5); and fuel for lust: ‘when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery’ (Jeremiah 5:7). Riches are a snare: ‘But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition’ (1 Timothy 6:9). How many have pulled down their souls to build up an estate! A ship may be so laden with gold that it sinks; many a man’s gold has sunk him to hell. The rich sinner seals up money in his bag, and God seals up a curse with it. ‘Woe to him that ladeth himself with thick clay’ (Habakkuk 2:6). Augustine says that Judas for money sold his salvation, and the Pharisees bought their damnation; so that happiness is not to be fetched out of the earth. They who go to the creature for blessedness go to the wrong box.

If blessedness does not consist in externals, then let us not place our blessedness here. This is to seek the living among the dead. As the angel told Mary concerning Christ, ‘He is not here, he is risen’ (Matthew 28:6), so I may say of blessedness, It is not here, it is risen; it is in a higher region. How do men thirst after the world, as if the pearl of blessedness hung upon an earthly crown! O, says one, if I had but such an estate, then I should be happy! Had I but such a comfort, then I should sit down satisfied! Well, God gives him that comfort and lets him suck out the very juice and spirits of it, but, alas, it falls short of his expectation. It cannot fill the hiatus and longing of his soul which still cries ‘Give, give’ (Proverbs 30:15); just like a sick man. If, says he, I had but such a meat, I could eat it; and when he has it, his stomach is bad, and he can hardly endure to taste it. God has put not only an emptiness, but bitterness into the creature, and it is good for us that there is no perfection here, that we may raise our thoughts higher to more noble and generous delights. Could we distil and draw out the quintessence of the creature, we should say as once the emperor Severus said, who grew from a mean estate to be head of the greatest empire in the world: I have, says he, run through all conditions, yet could never find full contentment.

To such as are cut short in their allowance, whose cup does not overflow, but their tears be not too much troubled; remember that these outward comforts cannot make you blessed. You might live rich and die cursed. You might treasure up an estate, and God might treasure up wrath. Be not perplexed about those things the lack of which cannot make you miserable, nor the enjoyment make you blessed.

Update!

2009-03-03T09:10:00.003-05:00

"It's getting to the point where I'm no fun anymore... I am sorry." -- Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Noticed that I don't blog anymore? Yeah, me too. It's not that I don't want to blog -- I like blogging. It's not that I don't have anything to say -- ask anyone around me, I have a lot to say. There are several factors, which I won't bore you with. Suffice it to say that I'm going to make and effort... wait, let's back that up a bit... I'm going to try to make an effort... or, uh... I'm going to make an effort to try to make an effort to blog more. How's that for commitment?

At the risk of being awfully random, here's a quote from Matthew Henry that I wanted to share:

Corrupt nature is impatient of restraint. It is a foolish, pevish thing for men to abandon the comforts of this life, because of the crosses that are commonly woven in with them. No, whatever our condition is, we must bring our minds to it, be thankful for its comforts, submissive to its crosses, and make the best of that which is.

Playing the Pharisee Card

2009-01-20T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here's an article for those of us who have been called Pharisees because we take our (confessional and scriptural) faith very seriously.

Something else I found....

2009-01-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

Thomas Shephard's Theses Sabbaticae is online. Read it.

Looky what I found...

2009-01-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

Samuel Rutherford's Lex Rex in a nifty looking PDF file.

This book was once burned by tyrants. How do you burn electronic text?

A Good Lord's Day to you, friends.

2008-12-28T10:04:00.004-05:00

We visited some friends yesterday, and the Lord blessed our fellowship, which fellowship itself was a blessing.

Due to some objections presented to me (rather, to my wife, who in turn brought the material to me), I've been studying a bit on the topic of the moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, as a rule of life for the Christian. In my research, I bumped into Samuel Bolton, who served on the Westminster Assembly. I pass this along, hoping that it will prove profitable to others too.

Indeed, the law, as it is considered as a rule, can no more be abolished or changed than the nature of good and evil can be abolished and changed. The substance of the law is the sum of doctrine concerning piety towards God, charity towards our neighbours, temperance and sobriety towards ourselves. And for the substance of it, it is moral and eternal, and cannot be abrogated. We grant that the circumstances under which the moral law was originally given were temporary and changeable, and we have now nothing to do with the promulgator, Moses, nor with the place where it was given, Mount Sinai, nor with the time when it was given, fifty days after the people came out of Egypt, nor yet as it was written in tables of stone, delivered with thunderings and lightnings. We look not to Sinai, the hill of bondage, but to Zion, the mountain of grace. We take the law as the image of the will of God which we desire to obey, but from which we do not expect life and favour, neither do we fear death and rigour. This, I conceive, is the concurrent opinion of all divines. For believers, the law is abrogated in respect of its power to justify or condemn; but it remains full of force to direct us in our lives. It condemns sin in the faithful, though it cannot condemn the faithful for sin. Says Zanchius: 'The observance of the law is necessary for a Christian man, and it is not possible to separate such observance from faith.' And as Calvin says: 'Let us put far from us the ungodly notion that the law is not to be our rule, for it is our changeless rule of life.' The moral law, by its teaching, admonishing, chiding, and reproving, prepares us for every good work. The law is void in respect of its power to condemn us, but it still has power to direct us; we are not under its curse, but yet under its commands.

You can read the rest, and I recommend that you do that, here.

May the Lord bless His day to you, and you in His day.

UNFAITHFUL PREACHER

2008-12-21T10:08:00.003-05:00

Rick Warren explains why it's ok for him to do Obama's inauguration invocation:

The 54-year-old pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California told the crowd of 500 that it's unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time.

"You don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand," said Warren.

Thus he throws aside his mandate, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Mat 28:19-20).

It's sure ain't easy

2008-11-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

I'm very much impressed with the fact that it is quite the struggle for me to be good at everything I want to be good at -- some things are of course more important than others, but there remains a frustration related with each goal not achieved proportionate to the value of the goal. I find great difficulty in being a good Christian, a good husband, a good father, a good son, a good brother, a good friend, a good worker, a good neighbor, a good home-owner, a good karate practitioner, a good blogger, etc. May the Lord give me grace. I sure need it.

Prayer for a reconciling heart.

2008-11-16T15:04:00.002-05:00

"My God, heal the breaches of cordiality and mutual regard which now bear heavy upon my heart; and may I know what it is to be on terms of reconciliation and amity with all, even to the worst of my enemies."

-- Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Acts 7).

Hurts so good

2008-11-12T07:59:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I'm sore all over. But I'm happy about it. You see, it was about two months ago that my left hamstring went *pop* during deadlifts. Since then I backed off the weights considerably, got plenty of rest, and slowly worked my way back up. Yesterday, I got back to the weight at which I injured myself, and did it 5x5 (when I was injured, it was only on the first rep of the second set). So, while I'm nowhere near my personal best, I am quite pleased to have come back from what at the time seemed like a scary injury that could have been really really bad).

It could be worse, but...

2008-11-08T16:53:00.001-05:00

I feel sad today. I guess I'm mourning some loses -- past, and pending.

That's all I have to say right now.

Meet the New Boss...

2008-11-05T19:01:00.006-05:00

It's a magical day. All of our hopes and dreams will come true, because the American people have chosen the man who promises to fix it all, to change everything, and to give us all hope.

Blah!

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psalm 146:3).

Now, don't go supposing I'm bitter because my man was not elected yesterday. The fact is, I didn't have a man yesterday. My issues go deeper than the issue of which man we should vote for.

There are moral evils essential to the constitution of the United States, which render it necessary to refuse allegiance to the whole system. In this remarkable instrument [the U.S. Constitution], there is contained no acknowledgment of the being or authority of God -- there is no acknowledgment of the Christian religion, or professed submission to the kingdom of Messiah. It gives support to the enemies of the Redeemer, and admits to its honours and emoluments Jews, Mahometans, deists, and atheists -- It establishes that system of robbery, by which men are held in slavery, despoiled of liberty, and property, and protection. It violates the principles of representation, by bestowing upon the domestic tyrant who holds hundreds of his fellow creatures in bondage, an influence in making laws for freemen proportioned to the number of his own slaves. This constitution is, notwithstanding its numerous excellencies, in many instances inconsistent, oppressive, and impious.

Since the adoption of the constitution in the year 1789, the members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church have maintained a constant Testimony against these evils. They have refused to serve in any office which implies an approbation of the constitution, or which is placed under the direction of an immoral law. They have abstained from giving their votes at elections for legislators or officers who must be qualified to act by an oath of allegiance to this immoral system. They could not themselves consistently swear allegiance to that government, in the constitution of which there is contained so much immorality. In all these instances their practice has been uniform.

--Reformation Principles Exhibited (What the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America used to believe and practice).

Yet there is something to be said for the truly awful choice that was made yesterday. Comrades, did the People's Republic of the United States of America just place over them a man who's policies are virtually indistinguishable from Socialism, who had the support of such defenders of freedom as Fidel Castro and Communist Party USA? Did this nation just pick a leader that had the backing of the Nation of Islam's voice, Louis Farrakhan? Did Americans elect for themselves a man who, if he did convert from Islam, converted to a poisonous mixture of black radicalist marxism called Black Liberation Theology, which teaches "God damn America!"? Yes, I do believe this is what happened. The good news (or is it the bad news, I forget?) is that all the promised change will not take place, at least not as promised. Because liars promise us the moon, and deliver nothing but a puff of smoke.

Well, meet the new boss: Barrack Hussein Obama. Same as the old boss?

There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

Big date

2008-11-04T17:28:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a big date with two beautiful girls. I met someone yesterday who reminded me of how important it is for little girls to have an affectionate dad. So, I came home an told my two daughters that daddy wanted to take them out and spend some time together. We went out to eat at Friendly's (btw, there is NOTHING cheap on their menu!). We had a good time together.

In other news: It's election day, and I have no dog in this fight. I am particularly disgusted with the thoroughly secularist idea of the government delivering us from all of our troubles. It's like America is electing their messiah today -- "Vote for me, and I'll set you free." What an empty and hopeless promise!

Someone had to do it.

2008-11-03T07:59:00.001-05:00

Repeat Rapist Shot by ~~Intended Victim~~ Brave Defender of Her Life and Chastity.

Something New

2008-10-29T20:06:00.004-04:00

Here's something new...

I got to take my wife out, just the two of us, to a restaurant, for dinner last night! It was really nice.

We dropped the kids off at Gampy's for a birthday bash for Cole. As we pulled our van to the curb, and opened the side doors, two spanish girls started climbing into the van, even pushing through my kids to get in. I noticed a van pull in behind me, and said to the girls, "Whoa whoa whoa! I think you have the wrong van, honey." And they quickly left our van and got into the other. So that's something funny right there.

Then out to eat we went. I had a succulent prime rib sandwich and a Guinness. Rachel got a crab melt sandwich (yum). Then we came home and just hung out and chilled in a quiet house.

Who knows when this will happen again?

What's new?

2008-10-27T22:27:00.004-04:00

"What's new?" This is a question that friends and family seem to ask me a lot. I never really have a good answer for it. "Not much," is all I usually can think of saying most of the time. And I guess that's fine by me. I'm not really about "what's new." I'm more about "what's the same." I work, I come home and do the family thing. When I have time, I do some other things like read, or practice karate, or something else I enjoy. That's pretty much what I do, and it's not really new. I suppose this is one of the reasons I'm so poor on the phone, or with coming up with things to blog about. I'm content with that though. I like when things are the steady, consistent, normal. New? Well, that could be good, but that could be bad too.

Now, having said that, here's something new: My baby niece is back home from the hospital after having heart surgery, and then a staph infection, and then a minor surgery in install some kind of a port thingy. But she's home now, and that's new, and we're all happy about that.

Prayer Against Vile Affections

2008-10-19T09:39:00.003-04:00

"Thou knowest, O God, the sin which doth most easily beset me; enable me to cast it aside, that I may ever breathe in the clear element of purity and a safe conscience. O bless me by turning me from mine iniquities; and save me from that most damning and idolatrous of all iniquities -- the iniquity of a heart charged with vile affections, and setting them on the things which are beneath; and having no affections to set on the things which are above, as to supplant or subordinate all the evil desires of an evil and accursed nature. In me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing."

-- Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Acts 3).

Budweiser American Ale

2008-10-17T16:43:00.005-04:00

I broke down and bought a case of Budweiser American Ale, on a co-worker's recommendation. As you can see from the picture, it pours a nice amber color, with a nice, thick, white head, and decent lacing. It smells of... of... well, no, I can't really pick anything up to distinguish it. It just smells like beer. First taste, hmm... not too bad. I can taste some hops, though it's more of a second billing hops rather than a star of the show hops. Something of a slight frutiness, I do believe. Sometimes I like to swallow some beer, keep my mouth closed for a bit, and just breathe through my nose and see if I pick up some subtlety in the finish -- yes, there's something there. Something a little bit nutty, maybe? I had to have a second one just to make sure. Yes, I do believe I like it. One negative is that this beer made me remember some past heartache, or was that the music I was listening to? Well, I'm going to blame it on the beer. Overall, I give it a Not Too Shabby. Budweiser American Ale reminds me of Killian's Irish Red (by Coors), and I'd be interested in a side by side taste test at some point.

By no means does Samuel Adams have anything to worry about, as this will not dethrone the real king of American beers. But this is a welcomed attempt at crafting something better than the average American beer, and I'm glad to say that I will actually drink it and not just use it to rinse my beer glass.

(this is cross-posted @ the Puritan Pub)

Atheism Remix

2008-10-02T09:30:00.003-04:00

I recently ordered Atheism Remix by Al Mohler. and I finished reading it in a couple days. It's a surprisingly short book given the subject matter -- it's less than 100 pages of text. If you're looking for a detailed refutation of the New Atheists, this isn't the book. But, if you are looking for an excellent introduction into the subject of the New Atheism, the characters involved, the cultural and philosophical shifts that got us from there to here, as well as a review (and critique) of some of the responses from the Christian community to the New Atheism, then you should really consider purchasing this book. I learned a lot myself, and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be educated about this theater of battle in Satan's war against all things good.

As for a detailed refutation of the New Atheism, last night I started reading The Irrational Atheist, by Vox Day. It's available for free, or for whatever donation you feel is appropriate, here: http://irrationalatheist.com/freedl.html

From what I've read so far, the Irrational Atheist seems to be a defensive sort of apologetic, as the author is making no positive argument for the Christian God, but the defense can be likened to the 1985 Chicago Bears defense... hard hitting and attacking defense. I can't say I agree with all the author's sentiments, but I'm kind of getting a feeling of "I probably wouldn't say that, but I'm glad someone else did." I need to spend some more time in this book, and I would like to write a review of it if God permits me the time to do so.

Back to Al Mohler... Atheism Remix is a good little book. I ordered mine from Solid Ground Books, and Mr. Gaydosh got the book to me straight away without delay (and for a couple bucks less than other folks are selling it for). Give it a read if you are so inclined.

What I did on Summer Vacation

2008-09-22T17:25:00.008-04:00

Welp, Summer's gone. Here's a post about stuff we did this Summer (the pictures aren't great, and I don't have time to write a compelling story, but you should get the drift) --

We went camping:

We caught crayfish in the creek:

And then we ate them!
(Jesse ate them whole... head first... CRUNCH!)

We decided to "go green" by figuring out a way to save energy:

We got a bunny:
And we buried her two days later :(

We shoved kids into a dog house:

And, umm...

There's some other stuff too. For example we have a new family member (my sister-in-law, my wife's sister had a baby girl. She's still in the hospital recovering from open heart surgery. We're praying for her). But I can't sit at the computer and put pictures up all day!

No sir, I don't like it.

2008-09-20T08:57:00.003-04:00

You know what I don't like? I don't like this "New Atheism." This is not to say that I approve of the old atheism either, it's just that this latest mutation of the old godlessness is particularly ugly. The New Atheism is lead by the likes of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, and of course by the peanut gallery that buys their books, cheers them on, and assumes that the intellectual abilities of these men also belong to themselves by proxy. Christianity has always seemed irrational to the atheist, but now there is more of an edge it seems. Christianity is not only painted as stupid, but also as dangerous, threatening, detrimental, standing in the way of knowledge and progress.

Yesterday as I was driving in the car here and there, I caught bits and pieces of a local talk radio show that gave a platform to a couple of atheists who were arguing that Christians, indeed all religious people, were ultimately kooks, and basically should not be allowed to have a public face at all -- and religion should DEFINITELY have nothing to do with education and civil government.

Listeners were calling in and opposing the atheist guests. Sadly, the callers that were allowed to speak lacked the capacity and the preparation it takes to answer them. The basic "This country was founded on the Bible" arguments were trotted out and quickly stomped into a mud hole. The few times that I heard a promising argument from callers, they were quickly interrupted by the host and were not allowed to continue to build any substantial argument, the partial argument was then handed over to the atheists to dispatch in short order, much like my dog does when I drop him some of the fat from the meat being prepared for supper. For example, one caller began by pointing out the atheists that all law is an imposition of morality of some sort, and then the host cut him off and shouted, "What the hell are you talking about?" as if to pretend "I didn't understand a word you just said," and the man was not allowed to continue. The atheists then just laughed at the idea that Christians think morality should be legislated.

By the end of the show, the atheists were defending such basic human rights as sexual perversion, killing the unborn who are unwanted, and suicide. "If an adult who is suffering in pain wants to end it, who are we to say he shouldn't be able to do that?"

Hey, wait a minute... I have some questions. First, forget about suffering in pain. What if the guy's having a bad day? And why limit this to adults? Why shouldn't a 14 year old be able to off himself if he wants to? Who do you think you are to put your own limits on suicide, while denying others the option of limiting it? Second, where do you get the idea that humans have rights in the first place? Even our Christ-less Declaration of Independence founded human rights upon the Creator. Remove the Creator, and what right do you have to have the rights He has bestowed? Who granted you rights if not the Creator? Natural Selection? Marx? The government? Third, given your worldview, why should I care about a word you are saying? You yourself believe you are an accidental, purposeless, complex bio-chemical reaction whose "mind" is not a mind at all, but a secretion of what is essentially an ape-brain. I, in your worldview, am likewise. So, why call a radio show at all? Why try to share your ideas (read brain secretions) at all?

Of course, I don't believe that's what you are, and I don't believe that's what I am. So, in my worldview, your ideas are important. They are important because they are dangerous, and threatening to human life, and human dignity, and human freedom, and are criminally blasphemous against the very God that gave you the ability to think and communicate at all.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Readers, please be aware of this New Atheism, and have a ready answer (to sure up your own faith, to help others who may be shaken, to tear down every imagination that dares to stand against the knowledge of Christ). In the past, such a nasty atheism would have been socially unacceptable and would not have gained popularity. But things have changed, and the New Atheism books are best-sellers, and their ideas are being taught in universities, and the groundwork is being laid in the minds of children in the government schools. One does not have to spend too much time finding the effects of atheistic social Darwinism in the 20th century, and I wonder if this is not the direction we are heading towards. After all, you Christians are stupid, dangerous, and you're getting in the way.

A very cool video

2008-09-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

The life and times of the 17 year Cicada.

Whew!

2008-09-08T08:28:00.002-04:00

I'm very thankful to God that my hamstring is very sore... but that's all. Sore like an intense workout sore, not sore like "tore the thing in two" sore. I realize that I'm going to have to drop the weight more, and warm up more. It occurred to me that it's been only a short time I've been doing 5 reps times 5 sets, and I should have dropped the weight back more before starting such a scheme. We live and we learn, now don't we?

Oh THAT can't be good!

2008-09-06T19:29:00.002-04:00

So much like my blogging, I've been really slacking with my weight training. I took most of August off from the weights, and purposed to hit them again (at a twice a week pace) come September. Well, it's September. Monday I did squats and chin ups (5x5). I was severely sore for four days. Today I attempted deadlifts. As I did with squats, I dropped back the weight, realizing that I would not likely be able to pick up exactly where I left off. I failed at four reps my first working set. I want to do five sets of five, so I dropped 20 lbs off the bar and tried to reach five in my next set. One rep... and *~POP~*. My left hamstring. I said something I shouldn't think, repented and asked God's forgiveness, and then prayed that this wasn't as bad as it sounded. I'm sitting on an ice pack while I type this, hoping that I get another chance to deadlift again. I promise I will warm up better next time.

I'll keep you posted.

Tonfa/Tuifa

2008-09-06T09:12:00.003-04:00

An introduction to the Tonfa, and how to choose your Tonfa:

Where to order your Tonfa (it's where I ordered mine -- I went with the tapered square style):

Martial Arts Supplies

I've ordered bag gloves from Karate Depot in the past, and their product and service is top drawer.

So, what are you reading?

2008-08-29T21:27:00.003-04:00

I tend to read in spurts, and when I'm in a spurt, I tend to read a whole bunch of stuff at once. Below is what I've been reading (or recently finished reading):

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks.

Sabbath Scripture Readings by Thomas Chalmers (reading it on Lord's Days)

Faith and Reason by Ronald Nash.

Turretin's Institutes (the section against the so-called "Middle Knowledge").

A Humble Attempt in Defense of Reformation Principals by John Fairly.

Lion of the Covenant: The Story of Richard Cameron, by Maurice Grant.

What are you reading?

1 John 2:29

2008-07-30T21:51:00.002-04:00

If you know that the Lord is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of Him.

Rx: Cameron

2008-07-22T18:35:00.003-04:00

The wait was longer than I expected, but I did bring a book that made the wait more tolerable. I spent over an hour reading The Lion of the Covenant: The Story of Richard Cameron, in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

When I was finally called back to see the doctor, I tucked the book under my arm, and walked back to the room, sat down, and put the book next to me. I went there to talk about my blood work and what it tells us about my cholesterol, and we did indeed discuss that. But after the doctor noticed my book and said it looked interesting, we spent far more time talking about Cameron, the Solemn League and Covenant, the Scottish Reformation, the Killing Times, the Westminster Assembly and the documents they produced, early American history!

My cholesterol is not all that awful, but I could stand to take some Red Yeast Rice as a supplement. The doctor expressed much interest in supplementing her reading with The Lion of the Covenant, and wrote down the title and author.

It was a good visit.

Will someone please listen to this man?

2008-06-27T21:42:00.001-04:00

Worse things could happen...

2008-06-27T08:52:00.002-04:00

And worse things ~have~ happened, but I'm still a bit bummed.

My angel fish died... the jewel of my aquarium is gone! Now I don't have any mid to high level swimmers in my tank. It looks empty. The angel fish taught all the other fish who's boss, and they all swim near the bottom.

Surviving are: 1 Pictus catfish, 1 Ruby/Rainbow shark, 1 Pleco, 1 black molly, 3 blood fin tetra, 2 black skirt tetra, 1 siamese algae eater, and a tiny little cory that's cute and has a mustache.

Now what should I do?

DON'T YOU QUIT!!!

2008-06-11T07:38:00.004-04:00

This is the sign that hangs on the wall of my garage at my squat rack. I hung it up as a reminder to... well... not quit!

I need the reminder because of something I've been experimenting with -- 20 rep squats, aka "breathing squats," aka "man-makers," aka "super squats," aka "squats and milk" (named for the drink that helps pack on the muscle).

Here's the concept: Take a weight with which you can squat about 10 times (not 11 or 12), and stand there until you're done with 20. It just may be the hardest exercise you'll ever do. It's physically and psychologically brutal. It makes you feel like you might pass out, throw up, cry, shout things you shouldn't, and QUIT.

Reps #1 through #10, simple enough, just like an ordinary set of squats. Rep #11 can only be done after pausing a bit to get some air into you. Stand there with the weight on your back... breathe... deep and slow... and squat... #12, stand there and breathe, squat #13... etc. Somewhere around #15 to #17, your body starts getting to your mind... "What in the world are you doing? Rack that weight and be done with this nonsense! Just quit!" Then I look at my sign. DON'T YOU QUIT. It's my reminder to keep going, now matter how bad I want to give up.

It's a simple and short phrase, because at the time of the greatest struggle, long or detailed arguments are not going to register very well. Breathe... huff, huff, huff, inhale BIG and... squat... back up again... #18. "I can't do this anymore, I'm going to quit before I pass out or puke."

At this point, it is nearly impossible to reason thusly, "Jerry, if you intend to get the maximum benefit of this very difficult exercise, you need to complete the set. It is precisely these moments of great struggle that provoke the physiological response that you seek. If you continue and finish the set, your body will release growth hormones and testosterone, and your muscles will grow bigger and stronger. Also, Jerry, before you put that barbell down, you may want to consider that your heart is also getting quite a good workout from these breathing squats. I urge you to continue until reaching your original goal of 20 squats with your 10 rep max."

No, no. That's not how your brain is working right then. It's more like, "oh.... huff, huff, huff, I can't do this... huff, huff, huff, I think I'm going to die...I quit, I quit." Then, I look at my sign again... DON'T YOU QUIT. Short and sweet. Very effective. "Why shouldn't I quit? I don't understand... this hurts!!! I should quit." DON'T YOU QUIT. Ok, ok, keep going. Yes, keep going. You'll understand it later, just obey it now.

After finishing the squats, some people collapse on the floor, others go the bench and do pullovers to help breathe and expand the chest. Me, I just head towards the door on my wobbly legs and try to get as much air as I can, knowing that I just finished a very difficult thing, and I didn't quit. Now I can go have some milk and enjoy the benefits of my workout (well, after the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness becomes tolerable).

Ok, what's the point of this post? DON'T YOU QUIT!!! That's the point. Consider this workout story to be some sort of metaphor for life. Times get tough. Our patience is tried, our energy gets zapped, our faith gets shaky, and sometimes we want to quit. DON'T YOU QUIT.

Need a sign telling you not to quit? Here it is. Post it up in your memory:

"If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small" -- Proverbs 24:10.

Note, 1. In the day of adversity we are apt to faint, to droop and be discouraged, to desist from our work, and to despair of relief. Our spirits sink, and then our hands hang down and our knees grow feeble, and we become unfit for anything. And often those that are most cheerful when they are well droop most, and are most dejected, when any thing ails them. 2. This is an evidence that our strength is small, and is a means of weakening it more. “It is a sign that thou art not a man of any resolution, any firmness of thought, any consideration, any faith (for that is the strength of a soul), if thou canst not bear up under an afflictive change of thy condition.” Some are so feeble that they can bear nothing; if a trouble does but touch them (Job_4:5), nay, if it does but threaten them, they faint immediately and are ready to give up all for gone; and by this means they render themselves unfit to grapple with their trouble and unable to help themselves. Be of good courage therefore, and God shall strengthen thy heart.

--Matthew Henry.

Psalm 71:20

2008-06-08T18:49:00.000-04:00

Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

Note, [1.] The best of God's saints and servants are sometimes exercised with great and sore troubles in this world. [2.] God's hand is to be eyed in all the troubles of the saints, and that will help to extenuate them and make them seem light. He does not say, “Thou hast burdened me with those troubles,” but “shown them to me,” as the tender father shows the child the rod to keep him in awe. [3.] Though God's people be brought ever so low he can revive them and raise them up. Are they dead? he can quicken them again. See 2Co_1:9. Are they buried, as dead men out of mind? he can bring them up again from the depths of the earth, can cheer the most drooping spirit and raise the most sinking interest. [4.] If we have a due regard to the hand of God in our troubles, we may promise ourselves, in due time, a deliverance out of them. Our present troubles, though great and sore, shall be no hindrance to our joyful resurrection from the depths of the earth, witness our great Master, to whom this may have some reference; his Father showed him great and sore troubles, but quickened him and brought him up from the grave.

--Matthew Henry.

Inter arma silent leges

2008-06-01T13:28:00.002-04:00

(Amidst the din of arms the voice of law is unheard).

Peace is a gift from God (Psalm 29:11). It is also something we are required to search for and chase down like a hunter pursuing his prey (Psalm 34:14). What are some practical ways to pursue peace?

In the case of Asa (2 Chron. 14), we see that God granted him peace and quiet for a period of ten years. What did he do during that time of peace? He reformed that overwhich he had dominion -- in this case, his kingdom -- removing all idolatry, requiring all his subjects to obey the Law of God and to seek the Lord. A heart for reformation may be a good pre-requisite for peace. Who would not seek peace who seeks to honor the Lord?

We also find in Asa a good example of how to maintain peace in the face of conflict. Ethiopa rose up to fight with Judah. Asa called on the Lord His God, and presented the battle to the Lord as being a matter of the Lord's glory -- "O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." To Asa, the battle he faced was not a personal issue; it had to do with the glory of the Lord God. Viewing our conflicts as being a matter of God's glory is a good way to deal with them, and an excellent way to present them before God in prayer. Will God not act upon matters of His own glory?

Thusfar, we have two general principles to facilitate peace. 1. Have a heart for reformation, seeking peace because it is during peace that reformation can be accoplished. 2. Frame any conflicts as being matters of God's glory, and not matters simply of personal interest, and present it to God in prayer as such.

But what further may we do to find peace, especially between ourselves and others? Matthew Henry provides some good advise in his comments on Psalm 34:13, 14 -- " Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." He writes,

Would we pass comfortably through this world, and out of the world, our constant care must be to keep a good conscience; and, in order to that, 1. We must learn to bridle our tongues, and be careful what we say, that we never speak amiss, to God's dishonour or our neighbours prejudice: Keep thy tongue from evil speaking, lying, and slandering. So great a way does this go in religion that, if any offend not in word, the same is a perfect man; and so little a way does religion go without this that of him who bridles not his tongue it is declared, His religion is vain. 2. We must be upright and sincere in every thing we say, and not double-tongued. Our words must be the indications of our minds; our lips must be kept from speaking guild either to God or man. 3. We must leave all our sins, and resolve we will have no more to do with them. We must depart from evil, from evil works and evil workers; from the sins others commit and which we have formerly allowed ourselves in. 4. It is not enough not to do hurt in the world, but we must study to be useful, and live to some purpose. We must not only depart from evil, but we must do good, good for ourselves, especially for our own souls, employing them well, furnishing them with a good treasure, and fitting them for another world; and, as we have ability and opportunity, we must do good to others also. 5. Since nothing is more contrary to that love which never fails (which is the summary both of law and gospel, both of grace and glory) than strife and contention, which bring confusion and every evil work, we must seek peace and pursue it; we must show a peaceable disposition, study the things that make for peace, do nothing to break the peace and to make mischief. If peace seem to flee from us, we must pursue it; follow peace with all men, spare no pains, no expense, to preserve and recover peace; be willing to deny ourselves a great deal, both in honour and interest, for peace' sake. These excellent directions in a way to life and good are transcribed into the New Testament and made part of our gospel duty, 1Peter 3:10, 11.

Peace -- let us seek it, and pursue after it. It is a matter of God's glory. We now have some practical things to work on in order to pursue peace. May God bless us by granting us the grace to pursue peace, and to obtain it.

Has it really been?

2008-05-24T23:13:00.001-04:00

Since mid-April since I posted here? Wow...

Antichrist read Calvin's Institutes!

2008-04-14T22:51:00.002-04:00

"During a coffee break, the Roman Catholic cardinal picked up on a point Wells had made, launching into a detailed discussion of the 'Institutes of the Christian Religion,' the seminal theological book by John Calvin and a key work on the Reformation."

Thou in Faithfulness Hast Afflicted Me

2008-04-06T14:10:00.003-04:00

"I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me." -- Psalm 119:75.

Still David is in affliction, and being so he owns,

1. That his sin was justly corrected: I know, O Lord! that thy judgments are right, are righteousness itself. However God is pleased to afflict us, he does us no wrong, nor can we charge him with any iniquity, but most acknowledge that it is less than we have deserved. We know that God is holy in his nature and wise and just in all the acts of his government, and therefore we cannot but know, in the general, that his judgments are right, though, in some particular instances, there may be difficulties which we cannot easily resolve.

2. That God's promise was graciously performed. The former may silence us under our afflictions, and forbid us to repine, but this may satisfy us, and enable us to rejoice; for afflictions are in the covenant, and therefore they are not only not meant for our hurt, but they are really intended for our good: “In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me, pursuant to the great design of my salvation.” It is easier to own, in general, that God's judgments are right, than to own it when it comes to be our own case; but David subscribes to it with application, “Even my afflictions are just and kind.”

-- Matthew Henry.

See also Making Sense of Suffering, a sermon by Gary Milne.

Score! (Needle in a hay stack)

2008-03-29T08:37:00.005-04:00

I have the algae problem in my freshwater aquarium. Not the green algae that you just put a couple drops of chemicals in to kill it, but this "black" algae, which is actually a tenacious form of red algae. It's hard to get rid of.

Enter the Siamese Algae Eater -- one of the only fish known to munch on "black [red] algae." So I go to the pet store, and I find the tank where the algae eaters are held... well, let me explain something here first.

It's apparently quite rare to find actual Siamese Algae Eaters [SAE's] in pet stores, as they more frequently stock "false SAE's" and pawn them off as SAE's. The differences may be hard to pick up on at first glance (Images snagged from http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/saes.htm):

<--False SAE

True SAE!-->

It's a good thing I usually read a little about things before I just dive in. Anyway, so here I am at the tank simply labeled "Algae Eaters." They all look the same... kinda dirty yellowish with a black stripe, all swimming around in an undifferentiated cloud of fishies -- except for one, sitting alone, on a rock.

"I'll take that one with the black stripe that goes from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail," I told the shop keep, as I remembered that as one of the distinguishing features of a genuine SAE, the kind that eats the algae blooming in my tank.

He's in his new home now, and sure 'nuff, he's eating that black junk like Pac-man. Wacka-wacka!

YES! I found the one genuine SAE in a field of imposters. I'm sure there's some life lesson here for us all, but I'll leave it up to you to ponder what it is.

Maybe I'm a terrorist...

2008-03-14T07:34:00.003-04:00

Maybe you're one too?

All those laws that get passed under the guise of protecting U.S. citizens from the vague enemy called "terror," have resulted in there being so many people on the government's terrorist list to make the list meaningless to target any real terrorist threats. One of every few hundred American citizens are on the terrorist watch list? What a great argument to let me KEEP MY GUNS, because you know and I know that the government cannot protect us from so many of... well... us.

Sleep soundly, though. At least we know Osama Bin Laden (who's been dead for years) will NEVER be able to board that train from Philadelphia to New York.

teh r34l krotty

2008-03-12T18:45:00.001-04:00

I’m sore all over due to the supreme beating I got in karate class last night.

At the beginning of class, all the black belts were removed from the regular class and taken into “the back room.”

There I was shown some things I never saw before, and was hit, kicked, bent, twisted, and mangled. The simple self-defense moves we’ve been taught thus far were now supplemented with wicked and vicious finishing techniques.

I was kicked in the groin, swept clear to the floor, chopped on the neck causing a brief but scary flash of “nothingness,” had a thumb shoved up under my zygomatic process (a friendly though painful substitution for sticking the thumb in the eye socket), and was placed in several arm locks that I’m still not sure what they were as it’s hard to see with my face planted on the floor.

I felt like a white belt again – getting beat up by smaller dudes with greater skill, knowing there is something cool here to be learned, but feeling embarrassed at my inability to keep up with what was being taught.

Driving home I noticed my neck was slightly swollen on the right side, and when I touched my neck near where my jaw is connected, it shot pain through my jaw similar to that caused by super sour candy. Today might right arm feels bruised on the tricep (???from what exactly???), a bruise on the back of my right hand (there are a couple things that may have caused that, and my jaw and neck are sore.

I pay good money to get beatings like this, and it was fun.

Sirmon, Josh's Arkansas Cousin

2008-03-10T07:46:00.002-04:00

I have to say a big fat thank you to Josh for providing my children with a song to sing every minute of the day all day long until I can barely take it anymore.

Here's Josh putting on a ~slightly~ thicker southern drawl as Sirmon, Josh's cousin he didn't know about:

Psalm 147:1-11 - Scottish Psalter 1650

2008-03-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

Possessing your soul

2008-02-24T12:12:00.002-05:00

"In your patience possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19).

Note, First, It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous trying times, to secure the possession of our own souls; not only that they be not destroyed and lost for ever, but that they be not distempered now, nor our possession of them disturbed and interrupted. “Possess your souls, be your own men, keep up the authority and dominion of reason, and keep under the tumults of passion, that neither grief nor fear may tyrannize over you, nor turn you out of the possession and enjoyment of yourselves.” In difficult times, when we can keep possession of nothing else, then let us make that sure which may be made sure, and keep possession of our souls. Secondly, It is by patience, Christian patience, that we keep possession of our own souls. “In suffering times, set patience upon the guard for the preserving of your souls; by it keep your souls composed and in a good frame, and keep out all those impressions which would ruffle you and put you out of temper.”

--Matthew Henry.

"Though you are surrounded on all sides with many miseries, yet nonetheless be valiant and courageous, and bear out these things bravely." -- the note from the Geneva Bible on Luke 21:19.

(Opens creeky door)

2008-02-22T09:48:00.002-05:00

(and blows the cobwebs off my blog)

It's still here, and looks like it still works. Looks like it could use some maintenance though. Let's try this...

It's now Friday, and the week of my birthday is coming to an end. This year I decided that instead of just celebrating my birthday, we were going to celebrate the whole family. So, we had "Family Day," and we exchanged gifts, ate our favorite foods, and just hung out together enjoying each other. It was fun, and I think we'll be adopting it as a new family tradition.

Yesterday we painted our dining room. We painted two of the walls a color called "Burnt Clay" or something like that. It's kinda like a terra cotta ("baked earth"). It looks nice. Please let me know when you're coming over for dinner, so we can put it on the calendar.

Looks like a little bit of a winter storm hit us over night. Nothing too brutal, maybe 3 or 4 inches of snow, but it looks like it's now a mixture of stuff that floats to the ground softly, and stuff that bounces off the street when it hits. Maybe I'll just stay inside today.

Ok, that's all for now... back to Facebook. :)

(closes creeky door)

'Tis Monday

2008-02-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

This cold/flu thing is quite pesky and lingering. Some of the kids are now going through another round of it. It seems at some time some one in this home has been sick, for like a month or two. Yuck.

But in case your feeling like you're having a bad day, here's one of those stories that makes you think, "Well, I might have had a rough day, but at least my bride didn't die in my arms on my wedding day."

It'll be my 37th birthday coming up here on the 20th. My Pops gifted me with this baby:

That's a squat cage! I can squat and bench in there without a spotter, do pull-ups on the front bar, and dips on the side dip-handles. I've been experimenting with squatting recently, as it along with the deadlift are one of those total-body stressing exercises that increases testosterone levels, and makes your whole body grow big and strong. But I was doing it in a not so safe manner, thus not piling on as much weight as is necessary to really do the job. Ah, but now... I can't wait to hit those squats! For now, I have to finish my coffee and get to work. ~sigh~

Good day, all!

Prescription: A couple beers and a weight set

2008-02-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, you don't have to tell me twice.

Physical activity and moderate consumption of alcohol are a healthy combination!

So, go ahead and have a Troegenator after karate class, or a weight lifting session, or whatever it is you enjoy doing to keep moving. It's good for you.

Faith to Victory

2008-01-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

Teach me how to rule my own spirit, O God, and to bridle my own tongue. Give me, O Lord, that faith which giveth the victory, that overcometh all things. And let me never think that I have done enough for Christ, but forget the things that are behind, and press onward.

-- Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings, on Luke 17.

Baseball Burglar

2008-01-16T21:59:00.000-05:00

Kid hits a double on a dude, protects his home. Should've gone yard on him.

Spurgeon not a Calvinist?

2008-01-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

"If you have read much of Spurgeon, you know that you will read a thousand pages and not come across anything that is exclusively Calvinistic. He teaches the same gospel that is taught by so-called Arminians, like Wesley and Finney." -- Michael Pearl, No Greater Joy Ministries.

Huh? He must not read very much, or very well.

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again." -- C.H. Spurgeon.

"What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer? Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor." -- C.H. Spurgeon.

"The doctrines of original sin, election, effectual calling, final perseverance, and all those great truths which are called Calvinism—though Calvin was not the author of them, but simply an able writer and preacher upon the subject—are, I believe, the essential doctrines of the Gospel that is in Jesus Christ." -- C.H. Spurgeon.

See also Free Will: A Slave, and Are You Sure You Like Spurgeon?

Say you don't agree with his Calvinism, say he wasn't the best example of Calvinism, but don't say he wasn't a Calvinist. That just makes you look ignorant or dishonest.

The Duty of Social Covenanting

2008-01-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

by G.H. Milne.

At the time of the Westminster Assembly the people of Scotland , England and Ireland solemnly engaged in an event we can term social covenanting. Jointly they signed their names to a document known as the Solemn League and Covenant; and it was this SL&C which was at the heart of attempts to bring about a uniformity of religion in the three kingdoms. We are familiar with the religious documents that come down to us from the Westminster Assembly, but most Presbyterians forget that these important statements of biblical truth were intended to be the basis of a religious uniformity guaranteed by the subscription of all classes of society to the Solemn League and Covenant.

When these seventeenth-century citizens of the British Isles jointly and publicly committed themselves to the sentiments expressed in the SL&C they were engaging in the duty of social covenanting. A covenant is a mutual engagement by two parties agreeing to take certain actions and receiving certain promises. Such social human covenants are both civil and religious. They are concerned with a man’s duty as a citizen and his duty as a member of the visible church. While an individual can engage in a personal covenant with God, when a society does so, this is called a social covenant.

One writer has defined social covenanting: It is a solemn religious transaction in which men, with joint concurrence, avouch the Lord to be their God, and engage, in all the relations of life, to serve him by obedience to his law, in the performance of all civil and religious duties in the confidence of his favour and blessing in the fulfilment to them of his gracious promises. [1]

* But is social covenanting a duty Christians, nations and churches should engage in today?

i. This practice has seemed obvious or natural even to pagan societies. The sailors of Tarshish in Jonah’s day engaged in a public vow or covenant to the Lord: “Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows” Jon 1: 16 .

ii. The Bible also teaches the duty of social covenanting by precept. It is biblical to vow to the Lord. “Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God” Ps 76:11; God’s people are to swear to the Lord: “And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness” Jer 4:2.

iii. The Bible also teaches the imperative of social covenanting by example. “Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments” Deut 26:17-18; “So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem” Jos 24:25; “And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and the people” 2 Kings 11:17.
Covenanting is a moral imperative and is a duty which has not been abrogated under the New Testament.

iv. There are also prophecies in the Old Testament which predict social covenanting in the New Testament era. “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts” Is 19:18; “They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten” Jer 50:5.

v. The New Testament is not silent about public covenanting. Paul urges New Testament believers to give themselves to God: “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God…”Rom 6:13 . In his letter to the Corinthians Paul says of the Macedonian Christians that they “first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God”. This “giving their own selves to the Lord” is language consistent with the practice of social covenanting.

vi. Covenant breaking which Paul denounces in his catalogue of sins presupposes a public covenanting in New Testament times: Rom 1:31 .

vii. God described His covenant relationship with His people by the imagery of marriage. Compare Hosea 2:18-20 where the covenant relationship is expressed in marriage terms; and Eph 5:30.

An objection that these covenant references are only about an individual’s relationship with God in the Covenant of Grace is countered by the insight that the Holy Spirit envisages a covenanting of a nation in New Testament times. Isa 62:4 prophesies: “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married”. A marriage of the land implies a national betrothal of the inhabitants of the nation. That a nation formally honours God implies a public owning of the Christian faith. Psalm 144:15 affirms: “happy is that people, whose God is the LORD”.

* Social covenanting binds a person to his obligations to God

While social covenants do not add anything to the Word of God, they bind a person more strongly to commitment to that Word. An oath brings an individual under a greater obligation to keep the Law of God.

* Social covenants obligate future generations as well as the generation who first swore the covenant. Social covenants are binding on posterity or until the aim of the covenant has been fulfilled.

i. The Bible affords ample evidence of the binding nature of a social covenant upon posterity. Compare Gen 28:13 with Hosea 12:4-5: “he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; Even the LORD God of hosts”. Or, Deut 5:2-3: 2 “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire”. Forty years after covenanting with God at Sinai, Moses declares that those who were not even born at the giving of the Law were still embraced by the covenant their fathers had entered into. See also Deut 29:10-15, where the posterity is explicitly mentioned as being included in the covenant: “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day”.

ii. Neither is this covenant continuity only seen in the Mosaic administration of the covenant of grace. A covenant was made between the children of Israel and the Gibeonites as it is recorded in Joshua 9:15. Over four hundred years later in 2 Sam. 21:1 God states that a famine occured because of the broken covenant, which he alludes directly to in verse 2: “Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites”.

iii. The descendents of covenanters are also held responsible for violating earlier covenants.: Jer 11:10: “…the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers”.

iv. Infant baptism, of course, is an example of holding to this same principle of the continuity of covenant privilege and obligation.

v. The world even acknowledges that we are bound by treaties or covenants made with other nations by an earlier generation.

* The principle behind covenant obligations of posterity is that of the federal right of parents to take on obligations for their children. This is also a divinely sanctioned process.

i. This is seen in the case of Levi’s association with the actions of Abraham: “Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him” Heb 7:9-10.

* What, therefore, is the reason for this continuing obligation to be faithful to the covenants entered into by our fathers?

i. As we have seen, God requires it in His Word.

ii. Nations are moral persons which take on the obligations in each generation entered into by an earlier generation. While generations pass away, God who is a party to covenants remains in existence, and the nation as a moral person continues to exist.

iii. Nations as moral persons always remain obligated to obey God.

iv. Covenanting is a means to grow in holiness, and each generation needs to be sanctified and therefore rightly should use the covenants for this purpose also.

* There is great value for a society to remain faithful to past covenants.

i. Covenanting by generations succeeding the original covenanters helps to engender a greater sense of thankfulness for God’s care for a nation and society. Acts 3:28 .

ii. It increases confidence in the gracious promises of God, because a covenanter recognisers that God’s grace does not die with an earlier generation. Moses can therefore encourage the people “he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them” Deut 4:31 .

iii. Covenanting is a dynamic motive for prayer: Jer 14:21: “Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us”.

iv. Covenanting is a protective shield around the Lord’s people. Lev 26:44-45.

v. It assures a unity in the church throughout the generations if the modern church is faithful to the attainments of their fathers.

* Covenanting is an extraordinary and an occasional duty.

1. The Bible gives us various times and circumstances when social covenanting can take place.

i. When the church is apostate or apostatising: Jer 50:4-5

ii. In times of suffering: Neh 9:1,38; 2 Chr 34:29-32.

iii. In times of public reformation: 2 Kings 23:1-3.

iv. In Times of thankfulness for special deliverances: 2 Kings 11:17-20; Ps 76:11.

v. When the church and nation are lukewarm towards God: Deut 29:10-15.

vi. To strengthen the Lord’s people when they are engaging in a dangerous enterprise: Ps 44:3; Heb. 11:32-35.

vii. When the Lord is blessing us: Is 44:3-5.

viii. In times of schism and when unity in the truth needs to be asserted.

* Covenanting has a long history in New Testament times; and can be found in the times of Irenaeus, Justin Martyr and Tertullian; among the Waldenses and Bohemian brethren; in Germany, France , Switzerland, tthe Netherlands , in the early days of the American colonies ; and most notably in Scotland; England and Ireland at the time of the Second Reformation.

* In the nations planted by the United Kingdom, there is a continuing obligation to keep the National Covenant of Scotland and the Solemn League and Covenant in our present generation.

i. These covenants contain laudable and biblical ambitions which have not yet been realised. Their central focus is the complete reformation of church and society, including the absence of false religion of any sort; and the uniformity of religion in doctrine, discipline and presbyterian government throughout Britain, and by implication former colonies of Britain, like the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

ii. The parties of these covenants remain; namely the nations and their offspring as moral persons; and God before whom these covenants were sworn.

iii. These covenants were sworn officially sanctioned by acts of parliaments and solemnly entered into by our forefathers. If we would not lightly renege on a treaty entered into with another nation; how much more should we be jealous of a covenant entered into with God Himself?

iv. If we love our nation and its inhabitants as we are bound to do according to the inviolable Law of God, we will want to subscribe these covenants especially in the light of God’s own view of what should happen to covenant breakers: “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy” Lev. 26:21-25.

Andrew Symington has written of the Second Reformation Reformers: ‘The reformers of those days acted upon the principle of holding fast past attainments, advancing in reformation, and extending its blessings to others. They appreciated the privileges which were transmitted to them from their fathers, and, when threatened with deprivation of them, they stood forth in their defence, and held fast what they had. Nor did they stand still, as though they were already perfect. They mediated and planned the union of the kingdom in one happy uniformity and peace; and casting their eye abroad, they contemplated the enlargement of the kingdom of the Saviour. They were animated with a spirit of enlarged love to God, and benevolence to men upon religious principles’. These should be the sentiments of today’s believers also.

[1] William Roberts, The Reformed Presbyterian Catechism (New York: R. Craighead, 1853), 135-136.

(posted with permission from the author)

105!

2008-01-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

Conner (9 years old, 70 lbs), pulling 105 lbs on his deadlift:

Rated PG-13

2008-01-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

This morning I looked in my aquarium, and noticed that my old snail (a golden mystery snail) found the new snail (a black mystery snail). Now, I'm no expert, but it appears they... love... one another. The golden snail appeared to be the instigating, dominating, zealous one... he must be the male. The black snail looked disinterested, bored, and anxious to leave... must be the Mrs. I guess we'll have to wait and see if we end up hearing the pitter patter of little snails. This is exciting.

The Sabbath Was Made for Man

2008-01-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Enable me, O God, to rightly divide the word of truth. The Sabbath was made for man, and therefore not made to suspend the exercise of his mercy and compassion -- thus steeling [hardening] his heart against the sufferings of others, and conflicting with the authority of the second great law. This were an abuse of the Sabbath, because fitted to injure the progress of our moral and spiritual education; but while we guard against this abuse, let us remember that the Sabbath has its use, and on the same principle of its being made for man, we should avail ourselves to the uttermost of all its possible subservience to the growth of our divine life, and our progress in faith and holiness.

--Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Luke 13).

The Hidden Potential of Friends

2008-01-03T21:48:00.001-05:00

I got an unexpected phone call the other day, from an old friend that I haven't heard from in a long time. Wow, this is nice, I thought to myself. But, it soon became clear that something was... odd. He sounded like he was reading to me. He unnaturally, with pauses and restarts, told me how excited he was about 2008, asked me if I was making all the money I wanted to, and told me of a unique business opportunity that was so amazing that there was no way he could go over it with me on the phone, so he had to schedule a meeting with me to discuss it in detail.

Sigh.

I told him that I was not interested in his new business thing, but that I would like for our families to get together again and catch up on old times. He said he would make a note of that and get back to me.

Had I said I was interested in the business thing, I'd have an appointment scheduled. But since I just wanted to be friends, he'll get back to me sometime later.

Maybe it's just me, but I would be ashamed to go through my list of friends, past and present, and make contact with them only because I view them each as a unique money-making opportunity. Come to think of it, he's not the first guy to call me with something like this, so yeah, maybe it's just me.

So the new year begins...

2008-01-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

With a head cold? I woke up this morning with pain in my nasal passages, and the beginnings of a sore throat. Yuck. So, I'm sipping some hot tea and taking Tylenol. Hopefully that's as far as it goes.

Having totally recovered from this past Friday's workout, last night I started playing around with a few things I haven't worked on much before:

The clean, and the overhead squat. The effects and benefits of the overhead squat are highly touted. Well, I tried it with a meager weight on the bar (we'll not talk about how very little), and failed after about 4 reps. Upon further research, first attempts at overhead squats will apparently make you look like a sissy. This is a personal goal for me this year, to get closer to overhead squatting my bodyweight (yeah right!)

Spot the tune...

2007-12-26T10:15:00.000-05:00

Wow.

This Day In History

2007-12-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

Today, December 25th, marks an important world-changing event in history. Times were dark, and hopes were dim, and then...

This Day In History.

A Cat Man is Getting a Dog

2007-12-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

Let's get this straight -- I'm a cat guy. I'm not a dog guy. Cats play it cool, never letting their emotions get the best of them. Well... almost never. I mean, there are those times when the cat is suddenly overcome by it's catness, and is forced by nature to stalk and attack something. But other than that, they just kind of hang around and chill with me. Dogs, on the other hand, are always shaking their tails and slobbering like drunken fool. And they always want to play. Dogs just aren't my speed, I guess.

My dear wife and kids have wanted a dog for a while now. Well, today's the day. We're getting a cockapoo puppy. He's being gifted to us by some friends of ours, so there's no money being spent up front. So that's a plus in my decision to go ahead and get a dog. Another factor is that as cool as my cat is, he's not real good and waking me up so I can get my gun. A dog will do that.

Ok, ok, I'll confess. The dog is cute. There, I said it. Now leave me alone.

I'll post pics when we get some.

So, are you a cat person or a dog person? Post a comment and let me know.

No Little Sin

2007-12-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

"In a strict sense, there is no sin little, because no little God to sin against." -- Thomas Brooks.

The Art of Receiving.

2007-12-22T09:27:00.001-05:00

"A manner of drinking and spitting is either hard or soft." -- from the Code of Isshinryu Karate.

An action, and indeed it's opposite action, can be done in either a hard manner or a soft manner. One can swallow softly, or gulp. One can spit softly, and one can spit in a forceful manner. The same goes for breathing: One can inhale softly, or in a sudden gasp, and one can exhale softly, or force the air out in a hard manner. Amazing, huh?

The word used in Okinawan/Japanese martial arts to describe a block (as in blocking a punch) is "uke." "Block" sounds quite hard, doesn't it. Here comes an attack... get that arm up there to meet it and BAM! Funny thing is, the word uke actually means to receive, as in receiving a gift. The attack comes, and with step to the side, or a circular motion, the defender says "thank you for this gift!" (or as the kids say today, "You just got pwnd.").

So...
One can block an attack in a hard manner, meeting force with force:

Or, one can receive the attack softly:

Or even softlier!

There's a time for both hard and soft receiving. The art of receiving is knowing when our response ought to be hard or soft. Despite what one may think, this post today is not about martial arts.

Consider, how do we receive insults? Compliments? Handshakes? A smile? The "evil eye"? A kiss on the cheek? A smite on the cheek? A hand gesture? A hug? A gift? Words of encouragement? Words of correction? God's good providence? God's dark providence? Ought we to receive all of these things hard, resisting with all of our might, returning force against force? A slap to meet the smile? Or, can we sometimes receive with a "thank you," with non-resistance and passivity, with softness?

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).

Hard or soft -- the art of receiving.

Dark Providence

2007-12-20T21:16:00.001-05:00

Did I say dark providence? I mean DARK providence. I previously mentioned an "ice storm" that was very pretty, but not very menacing. Well, late Saturday night we had another ice storm... this time it was also pretty, but VERY menacing.

It was about 5am on Lord's Day morning when the explosion lit up our bedroom and woke us up with a BOOM...CRACK... fitz...fizz...crackle...ffffttt. The transformer across the street blew up, and our power was gone. Darkness. Silence. Oh well, nothing you can do about it. Back to sleep. The power company will have it fixed by the time we wake up.

Problem... we were one of about 100,000 people in Pennsylvania that lost power from that storm, though we had no idea. It was Lord's Day, and we did our regular Lord's Day stuff, just with a kerosene heater and candles. By 5pm, it was quite dark, and we did Catechism and sang Psalms in the dark. We spotted a crew at the power line where the transformer blew, so I walked over to ask if we might get power back that night. "Umm... who knows? We have a lot of people with no power today, and this transformer only serves this small neighborhood." In other words, there were other priorities, and we had no guarantee that we would have power that night. So, we went to bed a little early, with hopes of having electricity the next day.

Monday... no power.

Tuesday... no power.

Wednesday... no power.

Each morning we woke up and immediately started the kerosene heater and the propane grill. We made coffee and scrambled eggs on the grill every morning. And we ate by candle light by night.

Then, Wednesday evening, the power came back on, and I'm told my wife did a joyful dance. I was at work, so I didn't get to see it. But we have our power back after about 4 days and 3 nights, and we are quite grateful for things we will certainly be more careful to give thanks for from now on.

In all of this I learned some things. Amongst those things --

1. Although my house was cold, I'm thankful our home was warm, with love.
2. Although my house was dark, I'm thankful for the light in our home, the light of the God's Word.
3. Although we had no power, we still had power, from above.

I understand there are still more than a thousand people in my county without power even today. If you are inclined to pray for them, I'm sure they have a little dance of joy awaiting them when their power is eventually restored too.

Hitting the weights

2007-12-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

Well, after almost a full year of laying off the weights to dedicate my time and energy to getting my black belt, I did my first all-out workout on Wednesday evening. I did two workouts prior to this, but they were light -- a kind of gradual getting used to lifting again. Wednesday, I decided to go for it, and friends, I AM SORE. It didn't help that the very next day I went to Karate class and did a bunch of grueling pushups ("press ups" for my English friends!) and squat variations. It's a good sore though. My plan is to lift heavy (for me anyway), lower reps (6-8), for one working set only (after a warm-up), with profoundly compound exercises, and rest about one full week. Yep, I'm going for strength. Here's the current routine I came up with:

Deadlifts

Dumbbell Bench Press (well, a variation of it where I hold both dumbbells up, and then alternate lowering one down and pushing it up... kind of simulating a punch).

Dumbbell Bent-over Rows

Military Press

Dumbbell Curls (an isolated movement, rather than compound)

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Standing Calve Raises

And some weighted cruches.

I plan on doing that for a few weeks, and then switch things up a bit.

This may speak to some precious hearts out there...

2007-12-13T22:03:00.001-05:00

A little inspiration (LOL @ the guy on the left!):

I have to say...

2007-12-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

This may be the nicest "ice storm" I've experienced. The icicles on the trees look so beautiful, but there's virtually no ice on the roads!

I understand that this storm isn't so nice elsewhere, but right here where I am, it's pretty cool.

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground

2007-12-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

A fine blues moan, with some of the best bottleneck guitar ever recorded, Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" was deemed worthy to be one of the recordings placed on Voyager and launched into space! Ry Cooder once called this song, "the most soulful, transcendent piece in all American music."

Our time with a real life Covenanter minister

2007-12-12T08:07:00.000-05:00

I dropped (Covenanter) Pastor Derek Edwards off at the Philadelphia International Airport yesterday, thus ending his visit with us. The visit was just over a fortnight long, covering three consecutive Lord's Days. The last week of his visit was spent in my home. Having an Englishman as my guest was fascinating. We were often serving up tea, and stopping the car to look at every Jaguar we happened to pass by! He's a delightful man, and was a perfect guest. My children took to him instantly, and it appeared this was mutual.

If only more Covenanters were like him, we'd be seen as a pleasant and loving bunch, and not as if "being a jerk" was our 7th Term of Communion.

This past Lord's Day, Pastor Derek Edwards baptized all of my seven children!

Below is a picture of the most recent Covenanter minister to visit Pennsylvania, standing at the grave of the very first Covenanter minister to visit Pennsylvania (John Cuthbertson):

Please forgive the fact that this post was written like a junior high kid trying to get a paper done quick before he hands it is this morning. Even though our time spent with Pastor Edwards was refreshing, encouraging, and exciting, there were also some things going in over the past couple weeks that were draining, agitating, and wearifying (I made that word up), and now I must take my burdened mind to work at the "Nervous Hospital" where I will no doubt be unloaded upon with various troubling tales and ugly stories. And I see that it's soon time for me to leave for work.

Banner of Truth Visit

2007-12-06T22:54:00.000-05:00

Today, visiting pastor Derek and I took a trip over to Banner of Truth in Carlisle. What a nice bunch of people over there! Steve, the manager, gave us a short tour of the place, and spent a good bit of time talking to us about a wide range of things. He's a gracious and wise man. We also got to spend some time at the secret bookshelves. Did I say spend time? I meant spend money. Amongst my purchases:

Jonathan Edwards On Knowing Christ.

Ralph Venning's The Sinfulness of Sin, and Learning in Christ's School.

Thomas Brooks' Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices.

Thomas Watson's Doctrine of Repentance.

And, Sinclair Ferguson's A Heart for God.

All for half-off the regular price!

If you're ever in the area, make sure you stop by and meet the nice people and buy some great books at Banner of Truth.

Some quotes I found online, by Bruce Lee

2007-12-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes wise words come from an unexpected source:

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."

"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at."

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

"If you don't want to slip up tomorrow, speak the truth today."

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of."

"If you make an ass out of yourself, there will always be someone to ride you."

"If you think a thing is impossible, you'll make it impossible."

"If you want to do your duty properly, you should do just a little more than that."

"If you want to learn to swim, jump into the water. On dry land, no frame of mind is ever going to help you."

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

"It's not what you give, it's the way you give it."

"Out of chaos, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony."

"Real living is living for others."

"Showing off is the fool's idea of glory."

"The mind is like a fertile garden in which anything that is planted, flowers or weeds, will grow."

Evel dead

2007-11-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

The shock is not that Evel Knievel died today at the age of 69. No, no. The shock is that this dude ever lived that long!

Pop tarts

2007-11-28T08:17:00.000-05:00

I want to talk about Pop Tarts, or any brand of toaster pastries. I like them. I like having one or two for breakfast. The blueberry is very good. The strawberry is yummy. The S'mores might be my favorite right now. But the cinnamon... it's just too cinnamony. I don't like them.

Ok, that's all I got to say about Pop Tarts today.

Call off the search...

2007-11-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

We found him. He's in the pantry!

Amerika

2007-11-22T08:34:00.000-05:00

Tasered for not understanding why you were pulled over:

Gung-ho security tasering you for asking the wrong questions:

Tasered while ON THE GROUND IN A RESTRAINT:

Brutalized for skateboarding. SKATEBOARDING!!!:

My schedule today

2007-11-21T07:06:00.000-05:00

Here's my work schedule today...

8am to midnight.

I know, it's a little much. But I could use some more scratch to pay the oil bill.

Someone please begin drilling in Alaska. Thanks.

Seeking God in Due Order

2007-11-18T10:22:00.000-05:00

"...the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order." -1 Chronicles 15:13.

"Note, It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well - not enough that we seek God in a due ordinance, but we must seek after him, in a due order. Note, also, When we have suffered for our irregularities we must learn thereby to be more regular; then we answer the end of chastisement."

--Matthew Henry.

The way things are heading...

2007-11-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Here they come.

Bears at the Playground

2007-10-26T22:26:00.000-04:00

Oh, it's true!

Oh, how time flies...

2007-10-24T09:48:00.001-04:00

Life's been very busy. But that's good, now isn't it? When we're about our duties, it leaves little time for us to be involved in nonsense and wickedness. You know the saying about the idle mind and the devil's playground, right?

Blink, and another week went by without updating my blog. I'm worried sometimes that both my readers will get too upset to check back again!

It's time for the lightning round --

1. What has been growing in Jerry's front yard (having already grown in the back yard), which although it will bring more work to take care of, is yet a welcomed addition?

Answer: Lawn.

2. What unnecessary product, that almost everyone uses, has still has not touched Jerry's hair since late March 2007?

Answer: Shampoo.

3. What did Jerry get last night which he plans on wearing on ocassion for a long long time?

Answer: His Shureido black belt (obi), made in and shipped from Okinawa, the birthplace of Karate. It is of much better quality of most belts one wears as one is going through the ranks. This is the kind of belt that will get old and tattered with use, because it lasts so long.

4. What upcoming event is having the Waybrights very excited?

Answer: A visit from a Covenanter minister!

Ok, enough of that. In other news:

My wife may want to hold burglars at gunpoint on a regular basis, if you can make them clean up the house!

Sermon Recommendation

2007-10-14T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Success of Faithfulness, a sermon by Rev. Garnet Milne.

The Importance of Gentleness and Kindness Towards the Wife

2007-10-09T20:02:00.001-04:00

In the last post, I pointed out some helpful things from Calvin on anger in general. Continuing with adding to my thoughts (typing this stuff out helps me get it straight in my own head), I hope now to share some helpful material specifically addressing anger from a man towards his wife.

Sometimes your wife makes you angry, right? (crickets chirping)

It's ok, guys. This is a safe place. You just read, I'll take the heat for writing it.

It seems to me that women are somewhat like delicate flowers, which do not easily rebound once trampled upon. Now, no man would trample on flowers and expect them to bounce back to the same state in which they formerly were. And shall we emotionally trample our wives, and expect them to recover from that to their undamaged state, and be all lovey-dovey with us again? Sir, you might have more success bringing back those flowers you crushed!

I Peter 3:7 --

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Husbands must have a degree of knowledge to rightly dwell with their wives. Part of that knowledge is how to deal with those weaknesses that are of a womanly nature. I won't get into them specifically, so as to not provoke my female readers to anger! You think to yourselves what those weaknesses might be. In the meantime, let me quote some stuff I didn't write, so that I have an out. Well, let me quote it because I think it's good.

The Geneva Bible notes on this passage point out four arguments made here.

He also teaches husbands their duties, that is, that the more understanding and wisdom they have, the more wisely and circumspectly they behave themselves.... The more wisdom the husband has, the more circumspectly he must behave himself in bearing those inconveniences, which through the woman's weakness often cause trouble both to the husband and the wife.

The second argument: because the wife nonetheless is weaker by nature than the man, she is an excellent instrument of the man, made for far more excellent uses: upon which it follows that she is not therefore to be neglected, because she is weak, but on the contrary she ought to be so much more cared for.

...

The third argument: for that they are equal in that which is the most important (that is to say, in the benefit of eternal life) who otherwise are unequal concerning the leadership and conduct at home, and therefore they are not to be despised although they are weak.

...

The fourth argument: All fighting and rebuking must be avoided, because they hinder prayers and the whole service of God, to which both the husband and wife are equally called.

Ok, fellas. Argument #1 says that the more wisdom we have, the more careful we must be with our wives. As Calvin notes that husbands must "remember that they need prudence to do rightly their duty. And doubtless many foolish things must be endured by them, many unpleasant things must be borne with." Knowledge, wisdom, prudence, to walk circumspectly, carefully, to be understanding towards our wives. When they make us angry, even if we are right that the behavior which our wives are doing is squirrelly, or even outright bad, we must remember that they have weaknesses. They may not look like your weaknesses, men. But she's a woman and not a man, and that's to be expected. Don't get haughty, you have your own weaknesses and your own set of problems that come with those weaknesses. Just remember that you're dealing with a delicate creature in your wife.

Argument #2 says that those same weaknesses that may make us mad sometimes, stem from her feminine nature, THE DIFFERENCES OF WHICH YOU CERTAINLY MUST APPRECIATE! Those "weaknesses" of a woman (when compared to a man) are beautiful, wonderful, ravishing, and are to be cherished, protected, honored, and cared for. No, a woman is not a man, but I don't want to be married to a man either. A flower is not a hammer, and is comparatively weak, but it's much prettier to look at, softer to touch, and smells much better. Verschte?

Argument #3 lets us know that though in regards to their feminine nature, and in regards to the subordinate nature of their duties, they are "weak," yet in the most important issue of salvation in Christ, we are equal. Shall we despise our equals in Christ for their weaknesses in this life? Shame on us.

Argument #4 tells us that all fighting with and yelling at our wives needs to STOP. It serves no purpose but to hinder our spiritual duties.

So let's be more careful to have this knowledge, this prudence, that Scripture would have us have concerning our wives. Let's learn to be gentle with them, and caring towards them, rather than harsh, loud, angry, nasty and unloving.

"Nothing destroys the friendship of life more than contempt; nor can we really love any but those whom we esteem; for love must be connected with respect." -- John Calvin.

Something on Anger

2007-10-08T17:11:00.000-04:00

I KNOW I'm not the only man on earth who has ever struggled with episodes of sinful anger. Especially when I'm tired, or I have other things on my mind, or I feel overwhelmed by life, I can find myself being too too quick to anger -- especially with the kids. Anger with kids can be especially dangerous, as the boys could potentially learn to act in the same angry fashion as the father, and the girls can be emotionally crushed and damaged by a father's anger.

As a reminder to myself, and hopefully as a help to others, I'm going to post a section from John Calvin's Commentary on Ephesians 4:26. He writes,

There are three faults by which we offend God in being angry. The first is, when our anger arises from slight causes, and often from no cause whatever, or at least from private injuries or offenses. The second is, when we go beyond the proper bounds, and are hurried into intemperate excesses. The third is, when our anger, which ought to have been directed against ourselves or against sins, is turned against our brethren. Most appropriately, therefore, did Paul, when he wished to describe the proper limitation of anger, employ the well-known passage, Be ye angry, and sin not. We comply with this injunction, if the objects of our anger are sought, not in others, but in ourselves, -- if we pour out our indignation against our own faults. With respect to others, we ought to be angry, not at their persons, but at their faults; nor ought we to be excited to anger by private offenses, but by zeal for the glory of the Lord. Lastly, our anger, after a reasonable time, ought to be allowed to subside, without mixing itself with the violence of carnal passions.

So, to review... we sin in our anger when --

1). We are angered easily, by slight things. When we are too easily offended by a cross look, a smirk, a poorly chosen phrase, a sloppy job, an accident, a personal insult, and all these kinds of little things that ultimately are meaningless, and are only offensive to us if we think too highly of ourselves.

2). Our anger, even if justified, goes beyond proper limits. When we are inappropriately and disproportionately angry. When we are furious and explosive.

3). The anger is directed at the wrong target. Anger should be directed at a problem, not at a person. Sin is the problem. OUR OWN sin is the primary problem.

We are not sinfully angry when --

1). Our anger is directed at our own sin, and not at other people.

2). Our anger, when appropriately aroused with respect to others, is aimed at the sin of others, and not at their persons.

3). Our anger is aroused not due to personal offense, but by zeal for the Lord and His glory.

4). Our anger is allowed to subside without mixing it with sinful violence.

I thought this quote was helpful in understanding and controlling anger. I hope others find it helpful too.

Our songs

2007-10-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

Some people just know how to write our songs. That's a good songwriter, one that makes you go, "Hey, that's MY song!" Not that everything in the song matches something in our lives, but the whole gist is just so familiar.

Mom's song:

Dad's song:

The bedtime song:

Before and After

2007-10-02T22:51:00.000-04:00

I'm looking through my pictures, and it seems that I failed to capture in a photograph the way the yard looked when we bought the house. That being the case, the "before" picture below, is still sort of an "after" picture, as it is after I chainsawed two rows of Burning Bushes, a few trees, had some people come and take all the stuff they wanted to take, and moved a whole bunch of rocks and cement pavers. Nevertheless, Behold!

Before

After

Now we need to get the front yard done!

Black

2007-09-24T20:50:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it.

It took me around twenty years to reach this goal (I took about 17 years off!), but I finally reached Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Karate. Getting my black belt means something to me. Part of what it means is very personal, and I don't expect everyone to understand it all, so I will not share that here. What I will share is that to me it means that I kept at something and didn't quit. And that feels GOOD.

The 2nd part of the test was harder than the 1st part. The 1st part was just an ordeal that I had to get through. But the 2nd part involved having to stay sharp, focussed, strong, alert, etc., even when I was exhausted and under much scrutiny.

And as I was presented with the symbol of my rank and accomplishment... I was reminded by those conferring it upon me the black belt meant that I have a box of tools, and that I really don't know how to use them yet. That is the aspect of training that lies ahead.

Still, I was feeling pretty good about it all until I got home and checked my email to find in my inbox something that made my stomach hurt. I don't care to go into any detail. But I will say that one thing that seems to me to be prevalent in Reformed circles, and perhaps especially in Reformed Presbyterian circles, is the tendency to shoot (the wounded) first and ask questions... alot of questions... grilling, relentless questions... later.

Why is it so hard for some people to just be friendly? Kind? Nice? Why do some have to be so jaggedly formal, cold, unfriendly?

Black... on my belt, makes me smile.

Black... on our hearts, makes me sad.

In other news: I had a migraine earlier today, and after it passed (as usual) I felt like I was dreaming for the rest of the day... in a fog. I feel much better now, thanks for asking.

Please pray that my friends don't move to Texas.

Standing before God, clothed in Christ's Righteouness

2007-09-16T08:54:00.000-04:00

May I by faith be enabled to enter within the veil, even through the rent veil of a Saviour's flesh. Give me to have full liberty of access through the Son to the Father. Clothed upon with His righteousness may I stand with all the security of my conscious acceptance before God. O may I delight myself in this abundance of peace, and be enabled to lead others, more especially those of my own household, to delight along with me.

~Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Mark 15).

Part one, tomorrow

2007-09-14T17:38:00.000-04:00

Part one of my Shodan (1st degree black belt) test that I've been spending so much time preparing for is tomorrow. At 8am tomorrow morning I expect I shall be doing the following (the Good Lord willing):

100 pushups

100 situps

75 tricep dips

5:00 minutes sitting at the wall like I'm on a chair, but I'm not on a chair, with my knees together.

5:00 minutes at the wall with the legs apart.

2 mile run.

That might seem easy to some of you, and that might seem impossible to some of you. For me, it is neither easy, nor impossible. It'll be very difficult, and I'll be in pain. But I aim on getting it all done. I've done too much work end up failing this test.

Part two (actually demonstrating my stuff) is next Saturday.

I'm having some serious test anxiety today, and feel a bit funny in the stomach. I'm also very excited.

Thank you for your support.

"You've only got ten."

2007-09-12T18:59:00.000-04:00

Something I was playing around with today....

Dylan message about jerry.

Sometimes people use it

2007-09-12T18:32:00.000-04:00

Poor blind man attacked for his cigarettes.

Chainsaw intruder.

Michael Jackson is dead!

2007-08-31T14:56:00.000-04:00

Sad news.

Michael Jackson is dead -- No, not the Michael Jackson with four famous brothers and two famous sisters.... I mean the BEER HUNTER is dead at 65.

Like such as and.

2007-08-31T10:45:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've done the deadlift. Somewhere around January of this year, I laid the weights aside to work on calisthenic stuff (pushups, situps, dips, etc.) to prepare for my shodan test, part one of which is only about two weeks away now. Well, I was deadlifting today, in the yard, pulling up 2'x2'x2" concrete pavers, that I'm guessing weigh about 100 lbs each... 28 of them (just a small sampling of the kind of stuff that filled my new yard leaving no room for... oh... I don't know... maybe... GRASS!!!). A nice morning workout. We're paying a guy to come into our yard with machines to tear it up and level it down, and get it ready for a lawn. We're all very excited about having a nice yard for the kids to play in, blow stuff up in, throw a ball, set things on fire, or whatever.

In other news: We're gonna spend a few days at the seashore soon. I love the smell of the ocean air. I hope I can smell it, because I have a cold.

Oh, in case you missed it... recorded for posterity, an excellent example of the dim, shallow, empty generation that "U.S. Americans," is, along with "the Iraq," and "like such as and." --

Feeling good, feeling anxious

2007-08-20T08:10:00.000-04:00

I had a good Lord's Day yesterday. I feel refreshed spiritually, which is just what I needed. I also had some good private worship this morning, reading some Proverbs which I will be trying to recall to mind and think about throughout the day.

I pray that the Lord will help me to be a better dad than I have been so far.

In other news: It's getting down to it. I have a few weeks left to get whipped into enough shape to pass my Shodan (black belt) test. I'm getting older, for sure. I'm sore all over today from the things I did Friday and Saturday. You know what though? I appreciate that I go to a school that requires hard work to earn Shodan, rather than a school that hands it out to just anybody. I get such test anxiety, and I'll be glad when this part of my training is done.

August 15th

2007-08-14T22:49:00.000-04:00

August 15th is our 15th Wedding "University" (Daniel said that). I think what I'm going to do for my wife is haul all the yard trash to the local green waste drop off. Then have some champagne.

Look what I found!

2007-07-23T08:28:00.001-04:00

In other news: Who else is really jazzed about the New Executive Order that had to be made due to the state of emergency in the U.S., which wisely gives the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to take all our stuff if we do, or may do in the future, anything that undermines the Iraq War?

I know I'm certainly excited about it.

Still busy

2007-07-21T12:24:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

We remain quite busy at our new house, making it our own. Cutting down trees and bushes (no bustles in my hedgerows), digging out stumps, getting down and dirty.

Besides that, I've been trying to concentrate more on my upcoming black belt test (September). My body is very tired of the high rep work (pushups, situps tricep dips, etc.), and I'll be glad when this is done.

I've been reading John Fairly's Humble Attempt in Defense of Reformation Principles; Particularly on the Head of the Civil Magistrate, but it's going slow, as I seem to have less and less time for reading nowadays.

Here's a pic of all the kids in our old kitchen, just a little before we moved:

Well, it looks like the folder on my computer that had the last pics we took at the old house, including the pics of our friends helping us move, is empty. So, now I'm sad that my pictures are lost.

I'm done posting now.