When in a relationship, a lot of people come to a point when they have to ask themselves: "Is this love or lust?"

Well by asking this question you're already on the right track, examining your life, examining your decisions.  But first, what is different between love and lust?  Isn't it all really similar?  Well the answer to that is NO!  Then you might ask, 'Then why do people confuse the two so often?'  Because they don't really have an understanding of what love is.  Love is an emotion that is very much alive... very complex.  Love desires love.  Love is fulfilling despite adversity.  Lust on the other hand is a dead emotion.  Lust is simply desire.  Fulfilling lust doesn't lead to anything but emptiness.

Think about it.  Every person in this world is looking for fulfillment.  There is SOMETHING empty in their life.  They chase after what they think will fulfill their emptiness.  When they get it... they have nothing left, they have no purpose.  Then they chase after a new lust, and the horrible cycle continues.  Like scratching a mosquito bite:  It feels good while you scratch it, all the while doing yourself harm, but the more you scratch the worse it gets, and the only way to stop the itch is to keep scratching, but if you keep scratching you break the skin and cause a wound. 

Like I said, everyone is looking for fulfillment in this life.  I tell you I have mine in the LORD.  He is all-sufficient for me... and He can be for you.  Let go of the world, forsake it, and follow Him.  No, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy life.  I promise, with God, there is joy that will never die.  Do you rather to chase lusts all your life? Or would you rather to have the ultimate fulfillment?  Think about it long and hard.

James Mungall 

I'm in college at LSU majoring in Environmental Management.  Here though, I have a problem.  I really actually don't care too terribly much about protecting the environment.  I figured this out today for sure as I wrote a paper on the Endangered Species Act: those for it and against it.  I realize now that I'm a person who stands on the middle ground here.  I really don't care as much as I should for someone in my major.  I'm considering the Christian ministry.  Currently am awaiting an answer from God on that.  The reason I mainly did not want to join the ministry is that I felt it'd be either too hard, or take too much time.  I'm afraid to change my plans for the future.  I want to go to college for 4 years get a good job, get married and be happy.  Would I be truly happy?  Well my biggest goal is to get married to this one special person... she's already around so it's not some fantasy or anything... she's already a dream-come-true.  But am I putting God first in my life?  I dare say that I haven't.  I'm putting her first.  I still want to marry her, but I feel God is leading me to the ministry.  That requires a change in my plans... but I must be willing to forsake all and follow Him.  No, you don't have to go into the ministry to follow God.  I just feel that I'm being led there now.  There's no definate yes or no from God yet.  But I shouldn't be where I am... that much is for sure.  Your comments will be welcome.

Go with God,

James Mungall

The awaited day arrives…

And another sunset faded…

Bringing on the Night…

A love so deep, so jaded…

No depth can tell this love…

Or to myself I lie…

Honesty fails this deepest test…

And from truth I shy…

A wound that burns my very soul…

Pains that shall never flee…

This wound, this very deepest scar…

Is worn a millstone around me…

What a test; a single night…

Bringing laughter, bringing tears…

Biting tongues, deepest thought…

Arousing deeper fears…

Left hand holding hope…

Right hand in despair…

Left hand holding greatest pain…

Right hand free from care…

To see those very eyes…

There is the loving fire…

And in again, I see my friend…

And another, burning ire…

Again, a night half-perfect…

Spoiled by thoughtless sighs…

Ended with an empty “I love you.”

And swallowed by hollow goodbyes…

I wrote this for my girlfriend Emily for Valentine's day...

Emily’s Valentine of 2004

In the tangles of life’s weary web

I never dared myself to dream

That where reality’s border ebbs

I should find sewn life’s seams

And ever so subtly was it sewn

But fitting it was all the more

Should it be that love unshone

Closes an unopened door?

But quietly they began to fit

The pieces of God’s perfect plan

That in His books it was writ

You and I to be hand in hand

God has wrought a passion in me

That I must be yours alone

And ever my life will be

Yours and His, and not my own

I walked the dream I dreamt one time

Walked in my old misty wood

Humid air and lichen with every breath

Where those old trees stood

A fine morning for a walk I thought

In my old misty wood

Where moss grows on ground and limb

And everywhere it should

I had walked my walk many times

The dream of my old misty wood

But never had I noticed before

All things there, which were good

I speak of morning one-seventeen

The last walk I didn’t once recall

When the mist was thinner then

And summer had succumbed to fall

Then and there I saw it

Beneath the thin curling mists

Atop the earthen mulches

Something I almost missed

The green of it had faded

It’s ridges cracked and worn

Death around it shaded

From mother-father shorn

Riddled with savage tears

The life of it gone—faded

When once it sailed in the airs

Where the ground it had shaded

And when I took another step

Again I saw the sight

And wherever I looked upon the ground

Sights darker than fallen night

Never before had I walking there

Noticed the silence—death

Now the smell made sense

Decay with every breath

But as I walked, I further saw

What death had made grow tall

And up to the top of my old misty wood

The sky shown nothing save leaves—all

The old must pass one day or next

There must be room for new leaves

But when those that hear do fall

That is not the wind crying, but the trees

-James Edward Buchanan Mungall

Left here alone…

And here, time to think

The sand long fallen

With it my soul sinks

Left here without…

Listening, not breathing

Through the darkness peering

What my soul feared most

Crying heart pains…

No single sight of hope

Timeless darkness passed

And helpless through it grope

Severed,

Alone and without

The branch cut

And cast away

No heart, no home, no hope, no life

But even in the blinding darkness I can see…

-James Mungall

What do I have here in this world?

I hold on for the better place.

Nothing here is greater compare

Than what I have in grace.

Darkness abounds

Nothing holds fast

Left alone and without

Holding on to the past

Shameful desire left.

I earn nothing given.

Earnest sorrows confess.

By The Unseen driven.

Held here in promise,

Undeserving, but nonetheless.

Beloved cradle perfect,

Held by His faithfulness.

-James Mungall

Has something slipped away?

Has something been forgotten?

When I opened this letter…

I knew…

We’ve grown up—

We’re not twelve anymore

But is there something gone that you recall

That we had before?

And I opened this letter…

Sealed with a kiss

And when I opened it I felt the touch

And the warmth of your lips…

But what has slipped away?

Of that I can’t recall…

I loved you then and I love you now…

Does that matter to you at all?

We’ve grown up—

We’re not sixteen anymore

But is there something gone that you recall

That we had before?

Warming in the sun…

Letters in my mailbox…

What will await me

On my arrival home?

A kiss…?

Or a curse…?

We’ve grown up—

We’re not twelve anymore

Is there something gone that you recall

That we had before?

What is it that you recall that we had before?

A kiss?

Or a curse?

Sometimes in love

You’ve got to hide what you feel

Hold in the agony,

Hold back the tears…

All the while holding on

To what is still real

Sometimes in love

Things fall apart

Held by illusion

Held by the past

Let it all fly to the wind

Let it cry out in God’s name

Let it all bleed through your heart

But don’t let it die in vain

Sometimes in love

You’ve got to hold on to hope

Holding forth the agony

Weeping deeper tears…

What are we holding on to?

Agony…or Hope?

Where Are The Heroes?

Dark clouds encircle the sky above me
And lightning strikes at the heels of my steed
In the plain my foes surround me
Where are the heroes of which I'm in need?

Where for once there was a green open plain
Is now all but gone like a shadow in the presence of God
Where to He only do I open my shame
I brace my heart and cast my lot

And through the mist and darkness comes
My foes toward me in the haze
And through the wind's whispering hums
Tears... in the darkest of days

-James Edward Buchanan Mungall

The sea: vast and deep blue

Always steadfast and changing

Deceptive yet ever true

Like shifting sands rearranging

A perilous voyage is the sea

The edge of all the world

This the ancient mystery

Upon which no curtain has unfurled

There dawn calls; a glorious morn

The sky is blue without a cloud

But by night the sails are torn

Lightning and thunder calls aloud

And in the morning, the sky is clear

The ship is damaged but stands fast

The sea that shook it, cradles it near

As is true love, as it is vast

James Mungall

Just wanted to thank everyone who posted either their first date or first kiss stories.  If you haven't posted one you're still welcome and encouraged to.  I'm about to go take a math final (which I'm not prepared for).  If I fail it... I may lose my scholarship... if I at least pull a D it will come down to my Chemistry final.  If I pull a C, I will believe that the escaton is going to start within the week.  Bytheway escaton=the end times or the last days... IE: Apocalypse, Second Coming, etc.  Okay... wish me Godspeed!  I'll probably post later tonight.

-James

I was walking my friend to the student union after working on a paper in class.  When we got there I saw two of my friends from high school... We didn't hang out in high school... but we always talk when we see eachother.  So anyway, we get to talking and I mention wanting to become a minister.  So the subject, as it would tend to, drifts towards religion.  Well Phillip says to me, that he didn't believe Jews or Muslims would go to Hell because we all believe in the same God.  By the look on my face... everyone knew he had opened the WRONG can of worms.  This kind of thinking is very UN-Christian.  However, in this day and age of our corrupt, liberal, and compromising society things like this tend to slip in.  People claiming to be Christians want to be friends with everyone and by doing so they lose what being a Christian is.  We are set apart from the world.  And the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ.  How do I know this you may ask?  Some will say faith... yes... that and more...

Consider this.  If you believe in God, a perfect, almighty, benevolent God, with a perfect sense of justice, you can actually look and even analyse the character of God.  Before you call me arrogant and foolish... let me say that I do not understand God, nor understand all of His purposes... but from the Bible and the world we can understand His character. 

My argument has to do with justice.  God is perfect.  All the major three monotheistic religions believe that.  However, only Christianity has a God with a perfect justice.  As I said before... God is perfect.  He is without sin, and cannot abide with sin, nor can He allow sin to go unpunished.  However, because He is a loving God, He sent His Son, AKA Himself, to face that punishment as our substitute.  No other sacrifice would have been pure or sufficient enough to cleanse sin.  Now some may ask, well what about the Old Testiment... what about the Jews before Christ?  All sin was dealt with at the crucifixion... the sin you may commit tomorrow is dealt with at the crucifixion.  The sin David commited with Bethsheba was dealt with at the crucifixion.  Yam Kippur or the Day of Atonement in the Old Testiment only held off God's wrath (so to speak).  A perfect God, cannot allow sin to go unpunished.  He cannot just forgive it and forget it.  It is against the very nature of a perfect God.  However, it has always been in God's plan that He be the sacrifice, and face the punishment for sin.  That is why Christians call Jesus' sacrifice the ultimate sacrifice.  There is no need of another for our sin... there is no improving upon that.  We cannot earn God's favor... We can only look to Jesus Christ to be our subtitution in punishment.  Yam Kippur is not good enough to atone for sin.  And belief that Allah is merciful if you say your prayers and go to Mecca is definately not good enough. 

I already known I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this post.  I encourage you to respond.  But here's the basic, crude differences between the Christian God and that of other religions... (My main argument is above)... Mormons deny the Holy Trinity, and that God was the beginning.  They believe that He was once a man, and had a father etc.  Obviously this has no Biblical base... and it denies everything we DO know about God.   Jehovah's Witnesses also deny the Holy Trinity.  They do not belive Jesus Christ is God... If He was not God, His sacrifice wasn't good enough.  Islam believes that Jesus wasn't God... so again His sacrifice wouldn't have atoned for sin if this is correct.  They say that He was a prophet... well here's a news flash everyone... prophets... THEY DO NOT LIE!!!  He said He was the Son of God, AND He said that He and the Father were One.  The Jews... This is the group that I have the hardest time with.  They believe that a messiah will come to save them... They pray for it... they yearn for it... But it's like they had their heads in the dirt!  He came, He taught, He conquered!  He's coming back too!  We believe in the same God the Father... however they too also deny the Holy Trinity.  It just blows me away though that they wait for a Messiah... and they don't believe. 

Now... there's a lot of things I haven't been able to say... or forgot to I'm sure.  If you decided to read all of this... please post a reply.  Give some thought to it.  Can God be perfect if He doesn't have perfect justice?  The answer is no.  But we know however, that God is perfect.  His justice is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.  He will lead us home.

-James Mungall

Hey can anyone tell me how to get a picture up here without it as a background... doesn't it have something to do with HTML?  but here's is my photobucket link anyway...

http://photobucket.com/albums/v611/semiomniscient/

Such confidence misplaced

Towards the fallible

When it fails

The finger points

The fool says that there is no God

He sits alone and worships his numbers

The fool pays no mind to death

Ignoring the undying thunders

Who can make the blind man see?

Should sight come at a dead man’s return?

No, not even He

Will choose all be saved from everlasting burn

Chemicals shall bring a change of heart

The empirical shall show thee thy ways

Everlasting to everlasting science, your god

Will bring you nothing at the end of your days

-James Mungall

Calling crow on my windowpane.

A hoarse reminder of my shame.

Falling deeper into despair,

Where I go, no one cares.

I lament for the lost,

I lament for those like me.

Listen well, all you kings,

For someday you will see…

That it bends

And it folds

And it breaks

All the molds

Ring the tone

Hear it sing

Listen well

All you kings

And the time draws ever nearer,

And it will be so much clearer,

When hoarse reminders fade away,

And tolling bells will boldly say…

That kings will fall down,

And nations come asunder.

The molten gold of their crowns,

Will feed the fiery thunder.

So it bends

And it folds

And it breaks

All the molds

Listen well

All you kings

Hear the bell

Here it rings

Listen well

The bell tolls

For the young

And for the old

So hearken ear

To the sound

Hear it echo

All around

Dare you ask for whom it tolls?

You already know the truth.

Hoarse reminders in the halls,

Claim that it tolls for you!

-James Mungall

Okay there was much build-up to this for it was a very long dream. 

A small group of fictitious characters and myself were working on a special type of rocket for some kind of mission, that wasn’t into space, but somewhere else… not really quite sure.  However, it is made from and old 1920’s car I believe… now it is time to test the mission before the mission, so myself and a female and a male colleague shoot off to wherever this place is… only the enemies seem to be a simulation.  I remember shooting glowing diamonds out of a very mid-90’s graphic base thingy (very reminiscent of the first Star Fox.)  After knocking these large diamonds out, there were other enemies to fend off with limited ammo.  Now that they were gone there were three little [?hexagonal] things coming at us.  They hit us and we failed the mission.  Going back to earth… or the place which served as our headquarters, there is talk in which I learn that though we were testing this mission, we’re not the ones to go on it.  I question the sanity in that: and my female colleague says that that’s just how it is.  Later it’s time for the real mission, and there are people who are practically being forced to go.  One person who’s already on the [?ship] I never see.  But then there’s a black guy who is doubtful about going but gets on anyway. Then there is this older kind of weasel/nerd white male who is almost in tears about it, and as he’s about to get on, he turns around on the slick ice-covered very very rough concrete walkway.  So I volunteer to take his place but as I make my way to take his place I’m stopped and he gets in…the [?ship]  Now later we’re getting ready to watch the car/ship blast off.  Okay you can’t see anyone inside and from this yard by and old dead but beautiful tree I watch on.  The car goes off… takes a second or two to get going fast, then it leaves the ground following the curve of the yard just beyond the stone fence.  Then turning once more over or beyond the house it seems to start losing air… then it regains its stability.  Now we see an empty hot air balloon, and of course we know that it is for the ship to get into and fly off slowly.  But it’s flight is erratic… there’s no way the car/ship can make it into something moving that awfully fast fickle as the wind.  Now a gasp with the crowd… especially myself… the car/ship flies by and right into the basket of the hot air balloon.  Now I look away or something maybe to my dad and Catherine who are taking pictures like mad.  But now there is no top to the car/ship now that it’s in the basket… and who’s in there but Miranda driving, Charlotte in the middle, and Emily in the back doing something of which I wasn’t then sure of.  But now the car seems gone… but all my attention is focused on Emily because she is barely holding on to the whatever, and she’s out of the basket all-together.  Then she does some gymnastics with the [?parachute,] and seems to be working her way back into the basket.  But the first couple times she missed the basket but just did some really neat acrobatics… (All of course to my dismay.)  Though she finally did one into the basket, which seems to have been floating by itself… for there’s not a hot air balloon anywhere… I can’t remember seeing one either… anyway when they land… (after Emily gets in)  I run up to her and give her the biggest hug and the biggest kiss.   And then there’s something about vendors giving them free food… but then after Charlotte comes up with her [?icecream-gumbo] in a Styrofoam bowl… I awoke.

This is from Dr. Walt Brown, not myself.  Just thought it was interesting.  I'd like to see what everyone thinks about it.

Twenty Questions for Evolutionists

To answer a question satisfactorily, one must first understand facts related to that question. When you click on the page numbers following each question, you will be taken to a brief section within the online book, In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood. There you will see why knowledgeable evolutionists have great difficulty answering these questions. If you find evolutionists who feel they or others can answer these questions, then ask one more question: “Why won’t evolutionists enter a strictly scientific, written debate on the creation-evolution issue?”; After you read the entire book, the answer will be evident. For details on this written debate offer, see pages 336-338.

1. Where has macroevolution ever been observed? (See page 6.) What’s the mechanism for getting new complexity, such as new vital organs? (See pages 6–8.) If any of the thousands of vital organs evolved, how could the organism live before getting the vital organ? (Without a vital organ, the organism is dead—by definition.) If a reptile’s leg evolved into a bird’s wing, wouldn’t it become a bad leg long before it became a good wing? How could metamorphosis evolve? (See page 16.)

2. Do you realize how complex living things are? (See page 13.) How could organs as complicated as the eye or the ear or the brain of even a tiny bird ever come about by chance or natural processes? (See page 8.) How could a bacterial motor evolve? How could such motors work until all components evolved completely and were precisely in place? (See page 18.)

3. If macroevolution happened, where are the billions of transitional fossils that should be there? Billions! Not a handful of questionable transitions. Why don’t we see a reasonably smooth continuum among all living creatures, or in the fossil record, or both? (See page 10.)

4. Textbooks show an evolutionary tree, but where is its trunk and where are its branches? For example, what are the evolutionary ancestors of the insects? (See page 11.)

5. How could the first living cell begin? That’s a greater miracle than for bacteria to evolve into man. How could that first cell reproduce? (See page 13.) Just before life appeared, did the atmosphere have oxygen or did it not have oxygen? Whichever choice you make creates a terrible problem for evolution. Both must come into existence at about the same time. (See page 13.)

6. Please point to a strictly natural process that creates information. What evidence is there that information, such as that in DNA, could ever assemble itself? What about the 4,000 books of coded information that are in a tiny part of each of your 100 trillion cells? If astronomers received an intelligent signal from some distant galaxy, most people would conclude that it came from an intelligent source. Why then doesn’t the vast information sequence in the DNA molecule of just a bacterium also imply an intelligent source? (See pages 9 and 14.)

7. Which came first, DNA or the proteins needed by DNA, which can only be produced by DNA? (See page 16.)

8. How could sexual reproduction evolve? (See page 17.) How could immune systems evolve? (See page 18.)

9. If it takes intelligence to make an arrowhead, why doesn’t it take vastly more intelligence to create a human? Do you really believe that hydrogen will turn into people if you wait long enough?

10. If the solar system evolved, why do three planets spin backwards? Why do at least 30 moons revolve backwards? (See page 24.)

11. Can you name one reasonable hypothesis on how the moon got there—any hypothesis that is consistent with all the data? Why aren’t students told the scientific reasons for rejecting all the evolutionary theories for the moon’s origin? What about the other 138+ moons in the solar system? (See page 26.)

12. Where did matter, space, time, energy, or even the laws of physics come from? (See page 27.) What about water? (See page 25.)

13. How could stars evolve? (See pages 27–31.)

14. Are you aware of all the unreasonable assumptions and contradictory evidence used by those who say the earth is billions of years old? (See pages 33–37 and 256–261.)

15. Why are living bacteria found inside rocks that you say are hundreds of millions of years old and in meteorites that you say are billions of years old? Clean-room techniques and great care were used to rule out contamination. (See page 33.)

16. Did you know that most scientific dating techniques indicate that the earth, solar system, and universe are young? (See pages 31–37.)

17. Why do so many ancient cultures have flood legends? (See page 43.)

18. Have you heard about the mitochondrial Eve and the genetic Adam? Scientists know that the mitochondrial Eve was the common female ancestor of every living person, and she appears to have lived only about 6,000–7,000 years ago. (See pages 253–255.)

19. Careful researchers have found the following inside meteorites: living bacteria, salt crystals, limestone, water, sugars, terrestrial-like brines, and earthlike isotopic patterns. Doesn’t this implicate Earth as their source—and a powerful launcher, “the fountains of the great deep?” (See 242.)

20. Would you explain the origin of any of the following 25 features of the earth:

In a broad overview, pages 97–125 explain some obvious problems with evolutionists’ explanations for each of these 25 features and show how all are consequences of a global flood. (Additional page numbers above refer to chapters devoted entirely to a single feature.)

I hope the subject line has drawn you in... Sorry ya'll, nothing about kissing tonight.  I'm just referring to the back and forth arguments between people concerning religious vs. nonreligious views... Red States vs. Blue States...  And then there are the other topics of debate... but at least those get less emotional than the Evolution vs. Creation argument that I seem to find myself caught up in half of the time.  It's not a silly thing to argue about really.  Just frustrating... It's not like anyone is going to change their views on the matter until we can go back in time to see it, or go talk to God about it... well... I suppose an angel would more than suffice for myself.  But I digress. 

The whole evolution argument has a lot to do with our children in the public schools.  One of the main reasons why everyone is either anti-creationism or anti-darwinism is because of what they want their children taught.  And from the looks of it, the country is very similarly divided on the matter.  Although we may not see this close to even divide among the population because of where we live in the country.  You have some who go bonkers over the matter of what the teachers are teaching.  Some who prefer pure science being taught ofcourse yell, "Seperation of church and state!"  Too bad no such thing is EVER stated in the constitution.  But alas that defense seems to get by.  But it really shouldn't matter.  I was taught in a Southern Louisiana public school.  And I was taught that the only permissible theory at present was the big bang and evolution theory.  Because that was all that they were allowed to teach because it was the only thing that had scientific basis.  (Although the big bang theory still implies there would have to be a God even according to Stephen Hawkings.)  Anyway, when I was taught this, it didn't matter to me... I knew what I had been taught, what my PARENTS had taught me.  Which is my true gripe tonight.  Since when did the PARENTS stop teaching their children things and rely solely on the education system, which I might add is not that terribly great (especially where I'm from).  We're lucky though to have a "free" education system. (Yes, we pay taxes...)  But that system does not meet the requirements for knowledge.  It's up to PARENTS to teach their children things too!  We all pay for schools, but that's not to say: "We pay for our schools, so they can teach our children and we won't have to."  That's just dumb.  I'm not an advocate of homeschooling... my friend is homeschooled, but luckily she not one of the weird ones.  I truly am an advocate of the public school system... but that school system is not enough.  PARENTS must teach their children what's right and wrong, what they believe religiously (or nonreligiously.)  You must understand, my parents weren't worried about me forsaking my faith being taught Darwinism, because they taught me how to deal with differing opinions.  Likewise someone who believes in Darwinism shouldn't worry if their children are being taught the Creation theory, because they will afterward or had beforehand gone over that sort of thing with their children at the proper age.

So, no this isn't about Evolution vs. Creation... It's merely about educating your own children.

What's the appeal of atheism?  When you die you die.  You just cease as if you never were... oh excuse me... you're fulfilling your part in evolution presuming you pass on your genes.  But you, yourself, your consciousness, your soul, however they choose to see it, ceases to be.  Believing in anything supernatural is pointless.  Then again, I can't speak for atheists, and I don't think one atheist can speak for all of them either.  But what's the appeal of it?  I mean... come on... there is no meaning to your life?  We're just animals.  Just part of a bigillion year cycle.  That's pretty silly to me... at least it holds no appeal.  Well now that I think about it... assuming you buy into that sort of thing, you wouldn't have to follow any sort of morality assuming it didn't interfere with the functionality of society.  But most of mankind has a similar morality... also known as a conscience.  So where does that come from?  I mean... there are what you call altruistic atheists... who don't believe in God or anything but think they should do good.  Well then if you have no authority but yourself, what is 'good'?  The conscience could explain where altruism comes from... but can you explain where the conscience comes from?  I can... but it has to do directly with God... so ofcourse my answer isn't going to make an atheist happy.  But for any Christian who cares, all men are given a conscience by the Holy Spirit.  At least it is so according to St. Paul.  Anyway... I digress... I just don't see the point in atheism.  If they are in fact right, it doesn't make any difference in my life.  My God gives me comfort here, not just some promise after I die.  But, if the Christian faith is right, then a great many people have everything to lose.  Then there are religions (like Unitarianism) that says all religions are correct...  which is more pointless than atheism.  Think about it like this... if nothing's ever wrong... then nothing can ever be right.

She walks in my dreams

She haunts every step

And her eyes upon me

Halting my very breath

In my dark watches

I see far away

The queen in her tower

And silently I wait

The Queen of Ash is coming

She rides her great white steed

And we who look upon her striking beauty

Chant our creed:

The Queen of Ash is calling!

The battle cries ascend

The Queen of Ash is coming!

Now stand ye and defend

Where the moon culls the night

At daylight’s fair end

Her eyes; burning embers

In a dark silhouette

Quick her eyes upon me

Burns the heart of night

Like daeth frozen over

These tears fall

On foreign ground

And I long to see your face…

I am where the wind blows colder

In a harsh, forbidding place

Look to the sky each night

As the moon passes over

Remember it will return…

As I am to you.

I will see my love again

When I come upon that hill

And in that awaited moment…

Time will stand so still…

Time will stand so still…

Among Christians there has long been the debate concerning the Lord's Supper, also called, the Holy Eucherest, and Holy Communion.  There are to my knowledge 4 major views concerning Holy Communion:  Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, (Both of which believe in the physical presence of Christ at communion.) Then there is the belief in Spiritual Presence of Christ at communion, and then there is the idea of pure symbolism, also called an ordinance.  Transubstantiation is practiced in the Roman Catholic church.  Consubstantiation is practiced within most parts of the Lutherin church.  Belief in Christ's Spiritual Presence is practiced by most of the Calvinist churches.  Pure symbolic/remembrance communion is practiced predominantly throughout the Baptist churches.

Transubstantiation is the belief that the elements of bread and wine actually become the very body and e of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  The terminology used when explained to me, is that the elements of the supper are Christ's e and flesh under the of bread and wine.  Not that this occuring is an .  The term is used in Greek philosophy, and I am not qualified to explain that to you at all.

Consubstantiation is the belief taught by Martin Luther, that the elements of Holy Communion contain somewhere within them the actual physical body and e of our Lord Christ.  During a 'discussion' with the theologan Zwingly (sp) (who believed that the Lord's Supper was pure symbolism) it was said the Luther ended up carving in the table "This is my body..."

Spiritual Presence is the belief taught by John Calvin, that the elements of Holy Communion are indeed bread and wine, but we however in the partaking of the elements commune with Jesus Christ.  Two views are either:  we are taken spiritually into Heaven and commune with Christ, or that Christ descends upon us and communes with us here.

Symbolism or Pure Ordinance is the belief taught by Zwingly (sp), that the Lord's Supper is only for remembrance of Christ's .  They believe neither in actual communion with Christ or actual partaking of Christ.

I believe in Spiritual Presence of Christ at Holy Communion personally.  My problems with Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation are the same.  I do not believe that we are to continually feed on Christ's body and e.  His first sacrifice on the cross was completely sufficient.  However, most Roman Catholics and Lutherins deny that they are re-sacrificing Jesus Christ.  I'll accept that argument as well.  I do not believe that a true Christian wants to continually sacrifice Jesus in the least.  They cite the passage where Jesus says: "This is my body.... this is my e...."  What they fail to realize is that scripture also says "He took the bread..." etc.  You get the picture.  However, if you believe that Christ's body is actually present within the elements of Holy Communion, did our Lord's sacrifice begin at the Last Supper, before He prayed at Gethsemane.  Keep in mind that he prayed there that this cup be passed from Him.  (Not that Jesus had any intention of backing down mind you.)  But my reasoning is that if the cup could be passed from Him, His sacrifice had not yet begun.  Thus the Last Supper could not have been the actual partaking of Christ's flesh and e.

Now my problem with the idea that the Lord's supper is pure symbolism, set as an ordinance by Christ for remembrance of His sacrifice only.  Those who ascribe to this belief cite where Jesus says, "As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me..."  While this is all well and good, we must also go futher into scripture to see how the Apostle Paul expounds on the Lord's Supper.  He gives a warning to all those who would partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner eat and drink condemnation to themselves.  This also defends Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation, in that how can something that is mere symbolism and remembrance bring condemnation upon you?  Believing that this Holy Sacrament is really only symbolism, it comes no where near the sanctity of prayer. 

Which brings me to my belief in Spiritual Communion with Christ.  I've explained why I do not acribe to the other beliefs in Holy Communion, and I've defined this belief already.  So I am at sort of a loss on what to say here.  However, prayer itself is a communion with our God.  Communion IS and has since the church was founded been a sacrament.  This cannot be brought to the level of mere symbolism.  For prayer isn't even symbolic, it is communion with God... Why then would the Lord's Supper be any different? 

In closing... I want to know what other Christians view on this matter.  Non-Christians are welcome to respond (as always), but keep in mind, this is a post for Christians to ponder upon.  I don't expect a creation vs. evolution debate to arise out of this.  Also, as for the major denominations I listed.  I apologize if I left yours out.  However, I am in south Louisiana where it is predominatly Roman Catholic, and Baptist.  I'm however Prebyterian (IE: Calvinist) and the only group I know of to believe in consubstantiation are the Lutherins.  If you've got a view you might want to include your denomination for reference as well.  That's always a good place to start when debating this sort of thing, so we know where the other is coming from.

I made a Quiz on Christian denominations on QuizYourFriends.com

CLICK on the link below or PASTE it into your browser.
http://www.quizyourfriends.com/yourquiz.php?quizname=050205202131-185491

So what's with the mentality that if you're against George W. you're obviously unpatriotic and unChristian?  What is this?!  I hate his policies for the most part.  No Child left behind is a crock!  Preemptive war is BEGGING for more trouble!  Iraq is a quagmire enough, now we're wanting Iran as well.  We can't handle North Korea with nukes.  Social Security is iffy at best, but Medicare will go backrupted Looooong before Social Security does!  So George Bush is a Christian... I don't know his heart though... for all I know he's playing to the religious right!  There isn't anything I've seen that makes me just know he's oh so morally good.  He's never mentioned Jesus... (that's not good policy)  But he's mentioned Allah... (appealing to Islam).... So it makes me a baaaad Christian to think he's a loser.  Oh that's right... because he's against gay marriage and abortion.  Well so am I... so?  Those are things that aren't REALLY dictable by the law.  I think abortion should be outlawed because I think it's murder (from both a religious AND scientific standpoint.)  I don't think gays should marry because of the way I define marriage.  Sure, give them civil unions and let God deal with them when He sees fit.  But all the rest of G.W's policies absolutely suck!  So why do I get labeled liberal and unChristian for thinking he's one of the most crappy presidents ever?! 

Thanks for reading my rant! ;)

I've posted the Nicene creed on this blog before... but I didn't really explain what it all meant and why it was written.  It was written at the Council of Nicea in 325A.D. I think.  Its purpose was to quell the false belief which was arising within the church that denied the Holy Trinity.  I believe that one of the major violators were the Gnostics.  There were two major sects of Gnosticism, one where matter was bad... and only spirit was good.  And the other where matter didn't matter... you could live a life of debauchery etc. and it made no difference.  These cultist also denied the doctrine of the Holy Trinity... and in fact call Jehovah, the creator, God the Father, of the old testiment the evil lesser god trying to trap humanity with matter.  And that Jesus a benevolent god made a sacrifice to attempt to free mankind of matter.  Obviously... this does not match up with Christian views at all.  Here's the text...

in italics I'm going to point out what and why they're making this a point.

We believe in one God, (only one!)
     the Father, the Almighty,(Same one as in the O.T.)
     maker of heaven and earth,(Matter is GOOD)
     of all that is, seen and unseen.(We mean it!)

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,(only one!)
     the only Son of God,
     eternally begotten of the Father,(Not created)
     God from God, Light from Light,(He's definately God)
     true God from true God,(No, really we mean it... without a doubt!)
     begotten, not made,(We REALLY mean He's not created!  Take that J.Wits!)
     of one Being with the Father. (YES, still definately one God!)
     Through Him all things were made. (Yes, He created us just as the Father!)
     For us and for our salvation (Why He's seperate!)
          He came down from heaven:(tells What.)
     by the power of the Holy Spirit(tells How.)
          He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, (Yup!)
          and was made man. (Fully man, AND God!)
     For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 
     He suffered and was buried.
     On the third day He rose again(Conquered !)
          in accordance with the Scriptures;(Just like the Bible said it did!)
     He ascended into heaven
          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.(Seperate and same!)
     He will come again in glory to judge the living and the ,
          and His kingdom will have no end.(That's a promise!)

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,(Giver of life!)
     who proceeds from the Father and the Son.(proceeds doesn't mean time here)
     With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.(Still God)
     He has spoken through the Prophets.(He was around in the O.T. too!)
     We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.(Church is good!)
     We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.(Jesus said so!)
     We look for the resurrection of the ,(Jesus Said so too!)
          and the life of the world to come. AMEN. (Jesus SAID SO!!!)

Now if the Trinity isn't hard to understand you're not of this earth.  in our minds 3=1 doesn't add up correctly.  But it does work once you escape our 3 dimensional cosmos.  We can't imagine that... there is no concept of time... no space... just and only God...  But then why do we believe in the Holy Trinity... well because the Bible doesn't work any other way.  No, the word is never found there... It was made for convienience.  The nature of the Holy Trinity is found.  And the Holy Scriptures backs up what the creed says.  But cultists still deny the Holy Trinity.  The Jehovah's witnesses only recognize Jehovah as God... not Jesus or the Holy Spirit... where if that were the case Christ's sacrifice means NOTHING because He was not God.  Now the Mormons believe some crazy things about the nature of God.  That God was once a man and transcended to a God state after some stuff... which denies His being eternal etc.  Not to mention that they believe that God copulated with the virgin Mary to bring forth Jesus.... Which if that were so... it denies the prophecy of Jesus's virgin birth.  How silly they are to make these things up!  How very detrimental to their souls and spirits!  People who deny Christ's deity, deny His sacrifice... if He was not God, His sacrifice could not atone for all sin.  People who deny Christ's humanity deny the nature of God and angels laid up by the scriptures.  If He was not man, then He could not die.  For angels cannot even die... much less God Himself.  Muslims say that Jesus was a prophet, but was not God, and never claimed to be.  But any good Muslim knows that no prophet is worthy of worship... and supposedly prophets should be sinless (in Muslim eyes) why then would Jesus allow so many to worship Him after they had been healed etc.  Why would He have said that He and the Father are One?  They read and quote Bible verses where it suits their needs... but they convieniently leave things out such as the transfiguration!  How very sorrowful.  Sometimes I want to ask why things are allowed to happen.  But I know there must be a choice.  We are here for the glory of the One True and Holy, Holy, Holy God.  If we had nothing to choose between there would be no purpose for us at all.

Jealousy is such an odd emotion... it can come up for what seems like no reason at all.  Just diverted attention can cause a little envy... It's like...  You just want to be like... well just who IS this guy?  When you know good and well there's nothing to be jealous of...  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!  It just burns me up! 

You know what I'm talking about!

            The brights of my ’97 Mitsubishi Gallant were the only lights seemingly for miles.  My gurlfriend was sitting next to me.  She seemed to be enjoying the fact that I was creeped out by the narrowing curves, encroaching trees, and utter darkness. 

            As we rounded a corner, I saw the back half of some nocturnal creature scurry into the trees just off of the road.  I slowed the car to satisfy my curiosity.  What I found was a very large opossum, eyes glowing in the darkness.  I accelerated onward. 

            Emily fiddled with the tuner, and kicked off her shoes.  There wasn’t much choice in music out this far.  So we settled for some country station, just to break the silence and ease the mood.  We rounded another curve, and crossed over a short concrete bridge.  I couldn’t see any river, stream, or ditch, just some black void, in which we were crossing.  Emily jumped suddenly, “Did you see that?”

            “See what?”  I replied with hesitation. 

            “That man …on the bridge,” She told me with alarm in her voice.

            I sped up, “I wouldn’t worry about it.”  I reassured her, “It was probably nothing anyway.” 

            “You’re probably right.”  She responded in a softer voice.

She seemed to feel better.  The alarm had completely left her voice, like my reassurance comforted her.  She was holding my hand now, her index finger tapping my palm to the rhythm of the music.  I however, was not so easily comforted.  I was already uneasy about this bumpy, winding stretch of so called road, and now Emily, who is always levelheaded, is seeing things.  Anxiety coursed through my veins into my muscles, like a burning fire using my energy and strength as its fuel.

My eyes were heavy, it was eleven-thirty.  We’d been on the road since seven in the morning.  I had wanted to get to Emily’s uncle’s before ten, but we had taken a wrong turn just after nightfall around eight, and had been lost ever since.

Ten minutes down the road, we came to an intersection.  I came to a stop.  “Do you think we should turn here?”  I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said coolly, “what ever you think is best.”

“I think we should keep going straight,” I sighed, “hopefully we’ll tee into a major highway or something.”

“Okay,” she said.  Her mood was reassuring for me; it eased my anxiety...a little.

We went on for fifteen minutes or so, the road seemed to narrow more and more the further we went.  The shoulder was now almost nonexistent, and where it should have been, there were only trees and fallen braches. Until out of the utter darkness an overpass appeared.  It unfolded out of the darkness as though it were coming out of a deep fog. There was graffiti of all sorts on it, obscenities, pictures of s, symbols, and what I suppose were names, (obviously not on the author’s birth certificate.)   “What the hell?” I inquired of the air. 

I slammed on my brakes before we got any closer.  Our path was blocked.  Orange barricades, tree matter, and all other sorts of garbage blockaded the road.  I looked over at Emily whose eyes were already pinned on me.  “We’re outta here!” I kicked the car into reverse, and turned it about face, carefully avoiding the trees on either side.  It took me too long for comfort.  As I made sure that the doors were locked, headlights popped into my mirrors.  I floored the accelerator.  “What’s going on?”  Emily said, her voice trembling with alarm and fright.

I didn’t respond immediately, I was too frightened and focused on driving.  My anxiety had left me, and adrenaline had taken over.  My hands shook.  I gripped the wheel.  “We’ve gotta get out of here!” 

We left the headlights behind some trees after a curve along the road.  The road wasn’t made for traveling 60 mile per hour on; I could barely handle the curves as they snuck up on us in the dark.  Emily turned around to see if she could make out any lights following us.  I glanced in my rearview mirror, but I could see nothing; no trees, no road, no lights, nothing.  “Do you see anything?”  I asked. 

“No,” Emily said, “I think they turned off somewhere.  We’re probably running from nothing.  Maybe you should slow down.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”  I let off of the accelerator, and waited till the speedometer’s needle got to around forty-five. 

“Okay so now how are we ever gonna get to your uncle’s?”

Emily responded, “I don’t think that we’ll get there tonight.  We don’t have any idea where we are.  We aren’t even sure how to get back to the highway.  And to top that there’s no one around to ask for directions, except some creepy headlights by some satanic overpass.”  

This semester I'm taking Philosophy 1000... which is pretty much an introduction to philosophy.  Right now we're discussing arguments which claim to rationally prove the existence of God.  The three major arguments we've gone over, the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, and the design argument, present good points, but are nevertheless flawed in complete rationality.  In all arguments claiming to rationally prove the existence of God, the rational part of it falls short.  You cannot explain in rational terms that which is not capable of rational thought.  This is why no one entirely understands the Holy Trinity, (God=1=3=Infinity).  The very concept of God is a being beyond the bounds of time and space.  Our minds can't comprehend non-time and non-space... and since all rational thought (for all mankind) is within the bounds of time and space we cannot explain anything, according to our rational, outside of it.  Rationalism and religion do not match up... and cannot match up.  There are many things which through God's will we know only by faith.  We do not need the rational arguments to convince us or anyone else of our God.  We are to witness and give defense of the faith... not prove beyond all scientific doubt His existence to an atheist.  Only God can convert a man... only God can convince him of His being.  You can't prove with an absolute irrefutable rational argument His existence.  Remember the rich man in Hell who wanted to go back and tell his family that God was real.  Remember what he was told by father Abraham, 'Not even a man risen from the would convince them.' 

As you may know, I'm a presbyterian Christian... and a pretty conservative one at that.  My older brother has a phrase for people like ourselves, "God's Frozen Chosen."  We have what some of my friends call, "...one of those boring worship services."  I prefer to call it reverent... but if that's what you mean... then sure... we're boring.  We only sing traditional hymns to either a piano or an organ or both... there is no dancing or claping or raising hands... and there is no choir.  We have responsive reading and we recite the creeds.  We have a full chapter of scripture read by an elder, and then we have our long sermon.  Yes, it can sometimes run 45 minutes.  But we enjoy it that way... because we are the 'Frozen Chosen'... (it's also nice to add that our sanctuary is usually freezing in the mornings.)  But is our worship boring?  I really do take offense to the remark!  I mean how can a Christian insult the worship of their own God?  Now, you may have heard me speak about contemporary music in the service, and how I don't like it.  I have a problem with it when it is used as a means to reach the younger crowd and make worship entertaining.  ( It's no surprise the friend who called my church boring was used to rock-n-roll on Sunday mornings. )  I don't have a problem with the music itself, but when it's used to make Jesus acceptable for this day and age it makes me burn inside.  It's the whole "Jesus is my homeboy" thing... Our Lord Christ is NO ONE'S 'homeboy'... He is your Christ, your Savior, your King, your God, and your Creator!  He is due all honor and glory and REVERENCE!  He is due a great many other things as well... but I digress... My point about the 'contemporary' services is that if they float your boat, that's great!  I prefer a different mode of worship.  Both are completely valid and good!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-contemporary service church goer... but I'm against making worship a rock concert, where Jesus is your 'homeboy'.  But I'm also against the snake charming services too!  but THAT'S a different story...  And just FYI I'm not against enjoying your worship services... you should take a GREAT joy in worshipping God Almighty!

Coming soon:  Daniel's Church Report Card!

God's name is revealed to us as YHWH (Yahweh) or "I AM".  Also Jesus Christ's name is the same name as Joshua or in the aramaic Yeshua.  But I just wanted to look at something interesting... Jesus looks very similar to the French, Je'suis which translates to 'I am.'  At least I think that's what it translates to... I just thought it was cool... I'm sure I'm not the first person to have seen it either... :)

My brother Daniel... when he moved to Austin, TX for a job, started attending the local churches to find a church home.  He didn't find any church that really suited him except for an OPC (Orthodox Presbyterian Church) a couple hours away... so he didn't really attend there often.  In his frustration and cynical sense of humor, he made a little palm sized church report card with a checklist of things he expected to see in the service and also outside of the service.  I am currently formulating one of my own, and it will be very similar to his... but I want some other input as to what needs to be found inside a good and true church.  (All of these things are not required and can be preference... but somethings NEED to be within the service.)  I'm not entirely sure what my format will be yet... but I will let you know as soon as I have it.

Things I'm currently including are: 

Mood.  (Of the congregation, of the clergy, (elders, deacons, and ushers if applicable.)) 

Participation of the people... (This may be a subfield under every applicable entry.)

Sacraments-

a. Communion- (How often?  How reverent?  Which view?  Is there Paul's warning?!)

b. Baptism- (Infant, or believer?  Part of worship service?  Any speech of God's Covenant?)

Scriptures. (Are the scriptures read?  How much?  Are they cited throughout the service?)

Sermon.  (How long?  How educational?  How convicting?  Does it mention sin, Christ, and God's Grace?)

Prayer-  (Formality?  How much?  Lord's Prayer?  Prepared reading of confession or pastor led?)

a. Adoration?

b. Confession?

c. Intercession?

Music.  (Traditional, contemporary, Gospel, mixed?  Is there a choir?  DOES THE CONGREGATION SING?!)

People.  (Are they friendly?  Do you get the feeling they are really believers and act accordingly?  Is ther an obligated greeting, or do they actually want to meet you? again... do they participate in service?)

Offertory.  (Do you feel guilted into giving?  Do they pass the plate or have it behind the sanctuary for private tithes?)

Okay... I'm heading outta work... so I'll have to finish this later... I want your ideas!  I'm trying not to limit this to one particular denomination... so you can make a few adjustments and use one for your own benefit... mostly for humor...

Absolutely not! 

I got off work at 12:30 today, and I walked from the library towards the union where we have 'free speech alley.'  Today, there was a sandwich sign, hell-fire and brimstone, street preacher there.  He was at his normal proclaimations, which were essentially true, but doing what they do best, making the gospel's offense more offensive.  Anyway, there was a muslim man... pretty old guy pretty much try to shout over him... it was pretty interesting to watch... but I will give Rezeke, the muslim, credit for being able to at least talk in a civilized manner about what his message was.  The street-preachers aren't really interested in talking one on one while they're in the middle of a sermon. 

Anyway, I started talking to the guy, and ofcourse I know we're going to very much dissagree.  But I had never really talked to a muslim about religion before... He kept trying to get me to say that we did infact believe in the same God.  That Allah of the Koran, and Jehovah of the Bible, were infact the same.  I tried explaining that we could not believe in the same God... I believe that Jesus Christ is God, I believe in the Holy Trinity... How is that the same as Allah?  He kept harping on the fact that if I believed in the One God of creation... then I must believe in Allah, because neither of us dispute the fact there is one God... and since Allah means 'God' in Arabic it must be the same... I tried explaining what I believe concerning the Holy Trinity... but ofcourse, Christians can hardly explain it to eachother... So that was pretty much fruitless... I tried explaining what the nature of sin was, and that there must be justice for it, there must be punishment, God's wrath must be saited... But no... In Islam you must do good works in the hope that Allah will have mercy on you when you go to judgement.  I tried explaining that since we both believe that God is perfect and cannot abide with or in sin, there is no way any works can make us 'good enough' for Heaven (which is in the presence of God).  But in Islam, there is no atoning for sin... you only need repent to Allah and do enough good works and await judgement.. which is pretty shakey if you ask me.  Allah is a god without a promise... who has no rules of anything... his character is 'unknowable'  So you have to guess at your salvation.  We ran around and around in circles... He wanted to have us pray silently together... I would pray to my God, and he would pray to Allah... but silently so we would not have dissagreement... so we could have peace.  He wanted "to have peace on earth, and leave heavenly matters to heaven..." because he kept saying "Only God knows..."  (Sometimes he said it in Arabic as well.)  But heavenly matters are the important ones!  Why do you think we have religion here at all?  It's not like God reveals Himself to us just to say 'hi, and be good!'.  No, earthly matters and heavenly matters are directly related.  What we do here, matters in heaven...  He seemed to know that as well (work-based salvation)... but he kept saying otherwise when we came to a dissagreement where I told him Allah of the Koran, is not my One true God.  The disscussion went on for four hours!  And we drew a crowd of our own long after the street preacher was done.  The problem in drawing crowds is you normally draw the people who are soooo very opposed to Christianity that they will say anything... I am never so glad to see a brother or sister I never met before in those moments.  I made some new friends today though... Rezeke being one of them.  He was a kind old muslim... misguided... but not mean-spirited... I'll leave my mean-spirited prayers for the crowd that gathered... They're always awful though... and they always want you to show them exactly where in the Bible God said this or where God said that... and they want it RIGHT NOW!   Not to mention I don't always have my 'sword' on me... it makes it difficult... But anyway... don't ever let anyone tell you that Allah of the Koran, and Jehovah of the Bible are the same... They are completely different beings with completely different characters and revelation.  Even if creation is attributed to both beings it does not make them the same. 

Any who will, I ask you to pray for Rezeke whenever you pray.  I promised him I would pray for him, and he promised likewise.  Pray for God to reveal Himself to Rezeke that he may know the Truth of His saving mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thank ya'll. 

As I left work, I walked past the union, and I saw Rezeke again!  So I went over to say 'hi.'  I learned that he was a physicist professor... now retired.  And I better understand why he was so intent on having me believe that Allah and Jehovah or who ever you call him is still the One true God.  (Although I dissagree with him still, I will present what he said.)

He explained that he was a physics professor, a scientist.  And he met many many atheists who were opposed to religion completely.  He is more concerned with having people understand that there IS a God, rather than have them worship that God the way Islam teaches.  He said that that should come later often repeated by "En'shallah"  ('If God wills' in Arabic).  He believes still that the way of Islam is right, but that Christians are 'included' because we still worship one creator God.  When I told him that I dissagreed, he explained it like this.  "We are the observers, you see God in shades of green, and I see him in shades of blue.  We still see God, but differently."  He explained that any monotheist is within the fold, and has the chance of heaven... but any polytheist such as a Hindu or Buddist was out of the fold.  He explained that he was more interested in spreading monotheism to those who didn't believe it, and only then have them seek and decide which religion is right under that category.  He said that Christians were 'included' within the children of God as were Muslims and Jews... But Christians are 'exclusive.'  A Christian believes that only a Christian can go to heaven.  (I was pretty sure Islam is exclusive though... but I'm relating what he told me... He may be a liberal Muslim as there are liberals in any religion.)  I also gave him a written form concerning the doctrine of the Holy Trinity... I wonder after he reads it if he won't call me a heathen and blasphemer.  We'll see...

He related some stories to me that were very good... (Although I don't remember them how he told it but I will do my best.)

A shepard boy was watching his sheep one day, but later, as some priests were passing by, they saw the boy throwing his staff at the ground.  They asked him what he was doing.  He said he was praying to God.  They were dismayed because this was not the correct way to pray... so they taught him how to pray correctly.  But after they left, he soon forgot what they had told him... So dismayed he ran and ran after them... and he saw them in the distance and ran on the water to the boat they were on and told them that he forgot how to pray... they told him to go pray any way he wanted. 

Now I don't know where that was found... (probably the Koran but I've no idea.)  But it makes a good point about faith versus worship style.  The shepard had such faith and desire to pray to God the right way he literally ran on water to find out how.  But the priests realized that it didn't matter how he prayed but that he prayed with such faith and desire to please God... they told him to pray how he wished.

Now I don't advocate praying any way you want to... Jesus taught us how to pray very clearly, and we should follow that guideline...  But the point I received from the story is that it is much more important to have the FAITH and DESIRE, rather than just going through the motions...

Rezeke and I may forever dissagree... But as he said, "It is important to have these discussions to strengthen our faiths, and do our homework and learn all the different colors of the spectrum." 

P.S.  The papers I gave Rezeke about the Holy Trinity is from the link on this blog.

For Philosophy, we had the option to write a paper about one of the arguments for the existence of God, then either argue for or against it.  It's a very informal paper, and it had to be short, so here it is... I'm attempting to post a picture with this as well... if it does not come out for you, please tell me...

The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God

            The basic idea of the cosmological argument is that our universe throughout time is all based on cause and effect.  Events throughout time are connected through a chain system of cause and effect.  (IE: I was caused by my parents, they were caused by theirs, etc.)  Although it is far more detailed than that. However, if we conceive of going back to that chain we can assume by our reasoning, that there had to be a first cause, or something that is self-causing (IE: God [see fig1].  We cannot assume however that time just goes back into infinity (see fig2).  However, some attempt to debunk this argument by saying that there may be no first cause or necessary being outside of the universe but rather that the universe is the necessary being itself (fig3). 

I personally believe in the existence of God.  I believe that this argument is one of the better arguments for His existence.  However, when we attempt to reason about things we cannot prove with physical evidence we must theorize.  We must jump from the realm of what we can know and touch if we are to theorize about something supposedly outside of time and space.  We have no other reference point but time and space.  So something beyond it would be incomprehensible to our minds. 

We obviously cannot have what figure 2 represents.  If we take an event A, and look at its cause B, and then look at B’s cause, C, and then D, etc. to infinity, we never have a rational reason for any of the causes at all.  We must assume a necessary being as explained in either fig.1 or 3. 

Now we can compare and contrast our remaining options.  Either there is an independent being on which the chain of dependent beings relies, or the chain of dependent beings are together, the independent being.  I cannot understand how dependency becomes independency.  If you have a dependent event, and then add another and another, I do not see how you can achieve independency.  Nothing rests by itself.  For instance you could not have a physical chain that is stable unless it rests on the floor, or is hung by something like a hook.  We cannot have a physical chain that rests on nothing but itself, why then can we have a cosmological chain that rests on nothing but itself?  This is one reason I reject the argument for what is represented in figure 3.

Now some question, “If all things need a cause, what then caused God?”  For this answer we may look not only to our minds, but myself, coming from a Christian point of view I could answer this question by looking at the Bible.  (Although this would not satisfy an atheist, it would satisfy my own curiosity.)  In the Bible, when Moses asks God who He is, God replies, “I AM that I AM.”  To me, this implies that the Judeo-Christian God is one who is self-causing.  I do not believe that the wording used in the text of Exodus is phrased by .  This theory of a self-causing first cause makes perfect sense if we leave the realm of what we have observed in this universe.  However, we assume that God exists APART from the dimensions of time and space.  If God is that which is outside our universe, we no longer have any reference point in which we could comprehend any events or causation concerning Him. 

So even in the cosmological argument we do not and probable cannot come to an irrefutable conclusion for the existence of God.  This is because we leave the realm of all reference points, which are needed for human comprehension.  No one can prove something of that nature irrefutably, with our common logic.  This is why I believe the Bible says that no man believes in God except by God revealing Himself to him.  (Again, I realize that Bible references don’t prove anything to an atheist.  But it further confirms my belief that the argument is satisfactory when taken from a Christian point of view.)

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help
Falling in love with you

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can’t help
Falling in love with you

Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can’t help
Falling in love with you

As a river flows
Gently to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things were meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
Cause I can’t help
Falling in love with you

As a river flows
Gently to the sea
Darling so we go
Some things were meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
Cause I can’t help
Falling in love with you

Oh I can’t help
Falling in love with you

Elvis Presley - 1962 -

In Philosophy class... we've been talking about the 'problem of evil.'  And supposedly it is a good logical argument against the existence of God.  The thing is... even a Christian has this difficulty: "the problem of PAIN"  I do not say problem of 'evil' because that is not possible with God.  Evil or sin by the definition a Christian uses is that which is in disobedience to God.  However, pain is not.  A Christian knows that after the final judgement God will finally redeem ALL of creation.  Thus evil or sin must be TOTALLY eradicated.  This is where some people claiming to be Christians, deny Hell in its entirety.  Rather they believe in the annhilation of the soul... and some believe that everyone will go to Heaven.  However, that is incorrect according to the authority from which Christianity is derived:  The Holy Scriptures.  I'm not here to debate on why Hell was made, but rather why God is justified in sending some there.  Some say that "If a man lived only 60 years then he should only be punished for 60 years if he never came to repentance.  Otherwise God is not being just."  Here's the flaw with that...  If you offend an ETERNAL being, how can that debt ever be repaid?  He is eternal, so then the offense is eternal, which leads thus to eternal punishment.  Then some ask, "If God is to redeem creation how does Hell fall into the picture?"  Hell (of the final judgement) is not a place where sin and wrong doing abound.  On the contrary, it is a place of God's wrath, God's punishment for man's eternal offense.  Even in the final Hell all of its denizens will confess the name of God.  Yes, there is pain.  But is there evil?  Can we make pain and evil synonomous?  Absolutely not.  God does inflict pain, but not evil.  We should never accuse God of doing evil, because it is one of those things that God CANNOT do. 

I'm writing this because I'm trying to get it all down before it falls out my head.  There may be much that I've left unanswered or ambiguous.  I hope to hear from some people if I got something wrong, or if you have an argument for some different idea.  Anyway... I will say that Hell is very real.  But Heaven is too.  If you don't know Christ or don't know what He taught, or just want to get to know Him better, I suggest reading the book of John, or anyone of the Gospels for that matter (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John), but I'm a particular fan of John.  

I again had a run-in with the infamous street preachers on campus the other day.  We're on better terms, more or less, as best as Calvinists and Arminians can be... But alas we got on the topic of infant baptism.  This man tried to tell me that infant baptism isn't a valid baptism, saying that it's not a Biblical baptism.  He was very adamant about that.  He denied that infants were baptised in various passages in which entire houses were baptised after the head of the house believed and repented.  He says that the belief in infant baptism was the teaching of men... not of God.  I however dissagree... and that the practice compares with circumcision.  I believe in covenant theology, and I compare the Jews of the O.T. with the Church of the present age.  For both in their respective times were the chosen people of God.  Circumcision is a visible and outward sign of those children being born into the covenant of God.  That is their mark to denote that they belong to God and no other thing or nation.  Such is the same with baptism.  It is the outward sign of entrance into God's covenant.  Some say that the infant didn't get to choose to be in that covenant... Using that same logic, did any Hebrew baby choose to be in that covenant?  No, because it was a rite of birth.  Such is the same with the babies of Christian parents.  They are born into the covenant of Jesus Christ... and as Christians it is our responsibility to raise our children to know God's Truth.  It is by no choice of anyone's own that they come to God.  But rather it is God's choice who shall come unto Him...

I'd like to hear what everyone thinks about baptism...  Oh and bytheway... all Christians should be baptised... I don't understand really calling yourself a Christian if you aren't.  If you weren't baptised as an infant be baptised as a believer.  This is a defense for infant baptism, not an opposition to believer baptism.

I'm talking about the Terry Shiavo situation...  I'm not going to go over the entire case... but she is brain damaged, (NOT braindead).  Her husband (now living with another woman and two children by her) wants to pull the feeding tube on his wife because he says that she said she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means.  The court has agreed to let him do it!  But they have granted various stays on that action... He will be allowed to pull the feeding tube in about 3 weeks, unless something else comes up.  This is being labelled as MERCY KILLING!  Now, mercy killing is not something that I'm entirely against... but this is NOT mercy killing!  She isn't being kept alive by artificial respirators etc.  Her body is completely functional, (she is brain damaged, but can respond to stimuli) But she is unable to chew and swallow, so she requires a feeding tube.  The courts however say that the only way she can be killed is by removing the feeding tube... no other way...  So they would subject her to the horrors of starving to death... where she will face all the pains of dehydration and eventually her body digesting itself.  And they label it MERCY KILLING!!!  Her parents want to take care of her, and they are capable.  But her husband refuses to divorce her... even though he lives currently with another woman with children.  And since the husband is the guardian, the parents cannot do anything...  This is not euthenasia...  It's torture and murder! 

Original Trinity Hymnal, #393

Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity joined with pow'r:
He is able,
He is able,
He is able,
He is willing; doubt no more.

Come, ye needy, come and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Ev'ry grace that brings you nigh,
Without money,
Without money,
Without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and broken by the fall;
If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all:
Not the righteous,
Not the righteous,
Not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of him;
This he gives you,
This he gives you,
This he gives you;
'Tis the Spirit's rising beam.

Lo! th'incarnate God, ascended,
Pleads the merit of his blood;
Venture on him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude:
None but Jesus,
None but Jesus,
None but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.

As a student at LSU I've read many letters and opinion articles in the school newpaper The Reveille concerning Christians being intolerant of other people's religion or worldviews.  My question is where is the line of tolerance?  In some places, Canada I think, the Christian churches there are not allowed to preach against homosexuality or reject practicing homosexuals from the congregation.  So who is being intolerant now?  Christians are not called to accept and be tolerant of ungodliness.  God surely does not tolerate sin.  Non-Christians say that "Jesus went around preaching upon the basis of love..." Yes... well He preached love... but He preached more upon repentance from sin.  These same people will say that "Jesus accepted prostitutes and tax-collecters as His disciples, and that He was tolerant and we should follow His example."  Actually when those people became His disciples they stopped being prostitutes and tax collecters... They could not have been Jesus's disciples had they not repented. 

Christianity is not a tolerant religion.  It however, is not a violent one...  People in this country do NOT know what imposing your religion on someone is.  Preaching the Gospel in the street, witnessing to someone of the Gospel, telling someone in sin that they are wrong, is NOT imposing Christianity.  The Spanish Inquisition was imposing a religion on someone.  Torturing or coercing someone to convert is imposing.  Calling someone a sinner and telling them they are damned without Christ isn't imposing Christianity... it's offensive sure... And I think there are better ways to witness the Gospel.  But it's not the same as forcing it upon others.   

These people who call Christians intolerant, are intolerant themselves.  They don't believe in one truth... or that any religious truth can be absolute.  The truth is that Christians are not to be tolerant of all views opposing the Bible. 

II Timothy 2:23-26...

23 But refuse the foolish and uninstructed questionings, knowing that they generate quarrels.
24 But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,
25 in meekness teaching those who have opposed, if perhaps God may give them repentance for a full knowledge of the truth,
26 and they having regained senses out of the snare of the devil, being captured by him to do the will of that One.

I've decided that I'm going to give the 50 word fiction a shot... tell me what you guys think!

Cold air pierced his body as he stood upon the rocky shore.  Across the lake, he perceived strange creatures atop the cliff face.  An uneasy feeling came upon him.  The creatures became frantic as something disturbed the lake from beneath.  It rose out from the water, yet Oren stood fast.

Ever get to that point where your emotions are ragining between anger and sadness or maybe dissappointment?  And it's the next thing that happens to you is going to decide what happens... either you're going to blow up and lose your temper in anger, or break down in tears; Or you are brought up in spirits.  The getting brought up seems to be the less likely candidate from my experience.  For me, I'm more likely to explode into anger.  And being in this position right now... it's NOT a good things that I'm going to go discipline little inner-city children some of which are absolute brats.  But sometimes they're good... I'm praying they're good today...

I'm sick of mediocrity.  Days aren't really bad anymore... but they don't seem to be particularly good either.  I've been waiting for something to happen that might have some kind of emotional bearing on me.  I need friends... people that actually might give a damn about me.  I have a few... but I hardly ever see them.  Essentially, what I need is good fellowship...  There are people that I care about, and they likewise care about me... but there is something missing in each relationship.  It seems superficial to me sometimes. 

There are many so called Christians that will tell you their hope in salvation is doing enough good deeds and works so that they will outweigh the sin in their lives and ultimately make it into heaven.  Ofcourse they will say that they trust in Jesus and His sacrifice... but do they really?

Work based salvation is an issue between many protestants and Roman Catholics.  At least that is where the brunt of the argument lies... (We musn't forget our Arminian brethren either...)  So what's the deal?  What's the problem with believing your works can help you get into Heaven?

Well first off... they can't.  Your good works cannot atone or outweigh your sin...  A Christian believes that God is infinitely Holy and Perfect...  We also know that God cannot and does not allow or abide with sin.  If you depend on your goodness to outweigh your badness... you may have more goodness... but you still have the badness...  It's that badness that will keep you away from God.  One little sin makes you completely guilty before the eyes of God... and the punishment for sin is to be completely apart from God.  Think about it like this... You have a glass of chocolate milk... You want all the chocolate gone... ALL of it... So you add white milk into the glass to dilute the chocolate... but... no matter how much white milk you add, you still have the chocolate in there... somewhere... even if it isn't visible, it's still there.  That chocolate in the milk is the sin in the man.  That's what's wrong with the idea of a work-based salvation... (also known as "Infusion").

So how then does one receive salvation from Jesus Christ if sin cannot abide with God? 

The problem with the philosophy with "Infusion" is that it denies the all-sufficient atoning work of Christ's sacrifice.  Through our faith in Christ, by His grace, our sins are accounted 'paid for' at the cross.  We are "Imputed" the righteousness of Christ at our judgement.  Sin deserves punishment... and it cannot go unpunished.  That punishment however was, is, and will be, fulfilled in the punishment of Christ, God Himself on the cross.  Those who put their faith in Christ will benefit from His sacrifice and will have their debts paid.  But for those poor souls who do not trust in Christ's sacrifice, they will not have their debts paid.

One of the reasons the reformation began was because of the idea of a work-based salvation.  It refused the all-sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice... Thus, one of the mottos for the reformers became, "Christ Alone" or "Sola Christo." 

The complete motto: "Sola Scriptura, Sola Christo, Sola Gratia."  "Scripture alone, Christ alone, Grace alone."

Before I close... I must address an accusation one faces when they reject a work-based salvation.  Many will quote the book of James, "Faith without works is ."  This is so... BUT faith comes first.  Good works are the fruits of faith...  You do good works because you are thankful of God's Grace...  You do good works to outwardly express your faith... Because YES, we should do good works.  But the are an effect of your salvation, they are not the cause.

There is much more concerning this topic... but I tried to condense it as best I could... Hope to hear from you!

Is my love like a rose?

Surely it is not so…

That it may only survive June,

But not in the cold December snow?

And should our love suffer

At distance, pain, or trial?

I say no and never

Shall that purity be defiled!

Roses die, their petals fall.

But our love will stand fast.

Even though hardships come, and pains ensue…

Our love will forever last.

For my love is like a December rose…

Bearing whatever trials come

Whether it be cold winter storms

Or the unforgiving summer sun.

Calvinism is often misunderstood, and often despised by other Christians even when understood.  Calvinism is named for John Calvin, who clear-cut defined the doctrines of grace in the Gospel.  It shouldn't be called Calvinism, because it only defines what scripture teaches, but alas it is infact called Calvinism, after a theologian. *heavy sigh*

Calvinism is a 5 point system of belief that defines the grace of God.  It is best known by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P.  I'll only go through each one very briefly because I know if this is too long you won't read further...

1. Total Depravity:  Man is fallen in sin from Adam, and is totally unable to save himself or bring himself to God.  A key term often used describing this doctrine is Original Sin.

2. Unconditional Election:  God elects (chooses) who will and will not be saved by coming to Christ.  This election has no bearing on works or anything in and of the person chosen.

3. Limited Atonement:  Christ's sacrifice was sufficient to atone for all men's sin, but was only efficient for only the elect.

4. Irresistable Grace:  That the gift of faith in Jesus Christ cannot be rejected by one of the elect.

5. Perseverence of the Saints:  Those who are truly regenerate in the faith will persevere unto the end and not fall away.

Misinterpretations of Calvinism runs rampant throughout the church and outside of the church.  They will say that Calvinists believe that God authored sin, and that Calvinism makes excuses for so-called Christians to sin.  These accusations just aren't so.  The idea of Perseverence of the Saints is not "Once saved always saved."  Where someone can have a regenerating experience and then go sin all they want and still go to heaven... rather it teaches that the TRUE saints will persevere in the faith unto the end.

I'd like to hear what you folks have to say...  Calvinism is often misunderstood or misrepresented and I wanted to try and clear up some of the confusion. 

Go in God's Peace.

Well by Friday I have to write a paper on being the victim of a steriotype.  The examples we were offered seemed so shallow for my liking.  (Being in a frat, your major, etc.)  So this is to be written from personal experience...  But... I couldn't think of something by which I'm often steriotyped.  In fact... it seems to be that I don't often recall many conversations with strangers... except when it comes to religious conversations.

AHA!  I've got it!  I run to my computer to email my instructor to find out if being steriotyped as a Calvinist would be fair.  He agreed... (surprisingly)...  So I posted the topic on Calvinism yesterday... to see what people would say.  I got some results from some people whom I know are well-educated...  Those comments are going to help me write my paper.  But now I'm going to be blunt, instead of serupticious...

When you hear someone say that they are a Calvinist, what do you immediately assume about that person?  Jedediah so helpfully noted that many "Christian Reconstructionist" are Calvinists and he questioned me about it.  So help a guy out here... Thanks!

The battles between the creationists and the evolutionists rages on...  but there are some major problems I find on the side of creationist arguments.  These problems don't prove the creation theory wrong, but they cause major problems when trying to debate the evolutionist.  (The evolutionists have their own problems as well, but I'm dealing with creationists here.) 

To start, I am tired of seeing basking shark carcasses on creationist websites claiming them to be plesiosaurs.  I have studied cryptozoology for far longer than I've been a 6-day creationist, and I can say that basking sharks DO decay into a plesiosaur-like form.  This is not to say that some strange carcasses could not be plesiosaurs.  But there are too many well documented basking shark carcass photos showing up on creationist and "dinos alive today" websites.  There are some photos that may infact show some validity to living dinosaurs and water reptiles, but no more basking sharks please!

Another problem when presenting an argument to atheists is quoting the Bible incessantly.  (Bet you'd never thought you'd hear me say that did you?)  The problem with quoting the Bible in a creation v. evolution debate is that an atheist isn't going to accept that as any sort of proof, and you only further hinder your own cause by doing so.  Besides that, they already know good and well that you believe the Bible.  If you're going to witness the Gospel to them, yes, quote the Bible.  But if you're going to prove creation with science, use science to support recent creation, or attack the evolutionist methods of science. 

Another problem I find is that some creationists are too argumentative.  I understand it's an emotional issue for many people on both sides, and even I myself am guilty of getting over-emotional, but we all have to remember that we're debating something based on fact, if we let all our emotions bleed in we lose something in that argument.  Be passionate, but don't be a freak.

Another problem would be that too few creationists actually understand evolutionist claims... although there is some variation amongst scientists.  Too few tend to grasp the basic concepts of the science techniques evolutionists use to back themselves up.  You don't have to be an evolution expert, but to have a basic grasp of it would be a good idea.  You should discuss it if you are unaware, but I don't recommend you go jump into a debate with a college proffessor because you read a website.  Do some reading!  Evolution has many of its own "heretics," and oftentimes creationists will confuse the "heresy" of evolution with what the theory actually teaches. (I think one evolution "heresy" would be "ontology recapitulates phylogeny" thankyou Whispertales).

Yeah... there are probably some more...  But those are some problems that many creationists need to address.  I support creationism, but I don't support ignorance... Even though many evolutionist claim by believing in recent creation I am myself ignorant, but whatever... that starts something completely different than what I was addressing. 

A little backstory... Dr. Rezik Agbaria, a muslim and I have been going back and forth over Islam and Christianity.  He is all about letting people worship the one creator, and it doesn't matter what you call him... yackity schmakity... Anyway I finally got fed up with his usual arguments... (Especially the silent prayers he promotes between Muslims, Jews, and Christians, to the one creator)...  So I wrote him a scathing reply... I suppose it will seem more harsh here... but this has been going on for months... and I have been courteous...  I just got fed up with Islam.

To be fair, I am including the last emails we sent to eachother...

Rezik emailed me back today... and I replied... I thought some of you might be interested in what was said.

Is Christianity irrational?  Is believing in God come in flesh crazy?  ...perhaps.  But I know it happened.  Why?  Because I already believe...  I'm not trying to make a rational argument to believe in Jesus Christ, GOD IN FLESH!  Why?  Because I don't know that I can.  Are people converted because they see proof?  ...sometimes.  But not all of the time... and BLESSED are those who believe who have not seen!  The atheist calls such people foolish... But we in turn call them the same...

It's so interesting when someone wants for you to prove the Bible to them.  They always want all the answers in the instant they ask it.  They never seem to like the answer that you give them either.  Anything taken on Faith is not going to convince them.  So thus they want for you to give them the entire history of the Bible and explain how it could not possibly be corrupted etc. etc.  For Heaven's sake, if you want all of that stuff read Josh McDowell's "Evidence that Demands a Verdict."  If you want to know what the Christian faith is go ahead and ask me... but don't start freaking out because I can't 'prove' it to you rationally.  It's like you want me to take you up to heaven so you can see for yourself that it's all true and you're not 'wasting your time'  ... Do you think I've seen Heaven or Jesus?  I haven't physically... 

The only way you find out that God is there is by Him revealing Himself and working within you.  That is the only way possible.  How does He reveal Himself?  It's unlikely you are going to get an angelic visitation... If you've never heard of Jesus Christ before... guess what!  He just revealed Himself!  He hasn't necessarily 'worked in you' yet.  But God reveals Himself through His people.  It's always so interesting to hear someone say... "I'm looking for God, but I haven't found Him yet."  And you offer up the Bible and say "Here here!  I can tell you about Him!"  But they don't realize that was God offering Himself up to them.  That might have been their only chance... and they may go on forever searching for their god who doesn't exist... which is probably why so many are searching for God and don't have Him... because they expect something different.  What a shame! 

Yes... I know this was a rant... it was poorly organized and lacked direction... I'll try to do better next time!

Something I've noticed the more and more I grow in knowledge and understanding is how much the heresy of gnosticism plagues our country.  Most people consider gnositcism to be a heretical religion left in the past... but I tell you no!  It invades and perverses American culture and thus the Christian faith.  Many people of the Christian faith only know about life after death.  (IE: When we die, we go either to Heaven or Hell.)  But what most of those don't realize is that there is a life after life after death.  Yes, a physical resurrection after death.  Just as Jesus raised Himself from the dead, so He will likewise raise us from the dead.  Believe it or not, this teaching has been greatly lost in many modern-day churches.  Why?  It's because of gnostic influence.  Gnosticism was a Greek philosophy-psuedo-Judeo-Christian hybrid, that was very emphatic on matter being bad.  So everything was about the personal spirit... it's a religion based upon 'self' rather than upon God and Church.  There are even people calling themselves Christians who say that Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead, but that it was a metaphor for redemption.  But I say to you that this thinking is heresy!  If Jesus did not conquer death... if He did not rise literally from the grave, then Christianity is the greatest failure there ever was. 

Another way gnosticism pervades the faith is in the idea that Christianity is just about you and God.  It is not!  Christianity is about God and Church!  You are a part of that church, and you are part of the body of Christ, not some seperate entity connected with God by your lonesome.  That is one reason I get so ticked off when people say that they don't need church and they're not going to go, and they'll just be fine reading their Bible by their lonesome.  Have ever heard of John Donne's sermon about "No man is an island?"  (You might have read it in your English classes... )  To understand better, perhaps some commentary or sermons on the book of Ephesians would help as well.  Remember that the church is the Body of Christ... how can a member of the body be seperate from the rest and not wither and die?  That is not to say seperate denominations are apart from the body of Christ, surely no.  But we as Christians must fellowship and be with one another for our own sakes. 

Fighting against gnosticism is difficult.  The ideas invade our minds without us ever knowing it... we've been raised in a culture that embraces the concepts and it's been far too long for anyone to realize it.  It's not a popular concept to bring up... Many believers don't want you telling them that they should go to church... But why are they so opposed to it?  Is it because God is actually telling them not to fellowship with His own people?  Surely not... for it is commanded us that we do so.  So is it their own selfishness and the reminiscence of gnosticism keeping them in that state of mind?  Perhaps the lies of the devil invade much more than anyone realizes...

AS virtuous men pass mildly away, 
    And whisper to their souls to go, 
Whilst some of their sad friends do say,
    "Now his breath goes," and some say, "No."                     

So let us melt, and make no noise,  
    No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move ;
'Twere profanation of our joys 
    To tell the laity our love. 

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears ;
    Men reckon what it did, and meant ;                              
But trepidation of the spheres, 
    Though greater far, is . 

Dull sublunary lovers' love 
    —Whose soul is sense—cannot admit 
Of absence, 'cause it doth remove                                     
    The thing which elemented it. 

But we by a love so much refined,
    That ourselves know not what it is, 
Inter-assurèd of the mind, 
    Care less, eyes, lips and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one, 
    Though I must go, endure not yet 
A breach, but an expansion, 
    Like gold to aery thinness beat. 

If they be two, they are two so
    As stiff twin compasses are two ; 
Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no show 
    To move, but doth, if th' other do. 

And though it in the centre sit, 
    Yet, when the other far doth roam, 
It leans, and hearkens after it, 
    And grows erect, as that comes home. 

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
    Like th' other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just, 
    And makes me end where I begun. 

A subject that often comes up when choosing or critiquing a church service is the music.  Music, according to the Bible, is a very important part of Godly worship, and should be taken very seriously and reverently.  The question often comes up then, 'what is, and is not appropriate for Godly worship?'  The answer I believe is this:  Any music with the primary purpose to glorify God, and give Him all due praise is appropriate.  Many will say that only psalms are to be sung... and it is true that we should sing psalms.  But I find no evidence that any songs sung to God apart from the psalms are inappropriate. 

I have said now, that any songs sung to God with the right intentions set up by the scriptures are appropriate for worship.  But it doesn't change the fact that I prefer hymns to sing to God.  For singing is not for God's benefit alone... we know surely that He does not need us... Singing praises benefits us as well.  One of the problems I have with much contemporary Christian music is its lack of content.  I will not say that they contain fallacy, (Although songs in any 'Christian' genre do).  Rather I find that these contemporary songs just often lack much of the "textual goodness" that can be found within the majority of the hymns.  The hymns just tend to say more than the recently composed pieces...  Now many of the old hymns have been adapted to a more contemporary tune, which I think is great!  Although I much prefer the original tunes, I think it's preference for what moves you... what brings you closer to God...  If singing one of the 'newer' tunes with recent lyrics moves you to God, that's great!  I'm more interested in God's glory than that of Bach and his works.  But there is a problem I seem to find on occasion with the contemporary mode... 

Oftentimes the reason the contemporary mode of worship is adapted is to reach out to a younger crowd, and sometimes to make worship entertainment.  Now this is where I start having a problem:  where the worship service of God becomes a roudy ruckis, and/or is more like a rock concert than worship.  Now again, do not mistake me.  I will not preach against someone who is really singing to God with real joy and hope and repentence.  I am against those who sing, but sing in vain, with motives outside that of worship.  I know you may say, "But James, you can't presume to know those people's hearts."  I tell you that in and of myself you are right.  But I can say what it appears to me as... I can surely see the fruits (or lack thereof) of people's work.  I've spoken with people who prefer that mode of worship and why they do.  I'm not going on mere speculation here. 

But now to be fair, I will admit that some people sing hymns in vain as well.  There are some who sing to God in every musical genre in vain.  That's not the point I'm trying to make.  I'm just stating I've seen an erroneous trend in mainly the mega "feel good" churches.  That the worship service has become a rock concert; The house of blues, rather than the House of God.

In closing, I'm not here to denounce your mode of worship.  If you sing with the true zeal indicative of Christians then may God's Blessing be upon you.  But there is a irreverent trend about, that to me, is an indicator of a bigger problem with the hearts of the congregation and clergy alike.  There's much more to this topic... but this entry has gotten pretty long... so I'm going to cut it short here.  Just remember who you are singing to and sing whatever right praises with true zealous passion.

 I've continued correspondence with Rezik... but it has pretty much degraded into a nice little typing match...

Him:  Islam brings peace... Evil crusaders... Richard MOUSE HEART... Great Mighty Saladin... Evil Roman persecuters...  Poor Muslims minding their own business... Islam will cover the world and bring peace!  Evil present day Bush Crusaders... Evil Zionists... Islam is so peaceful and cuddly but all we get is persecution... blah blah blah...

Me:  Since when is Islam peaceful?  The missionaries working there sure know better... Christ is Judge...  Richard the LION HEART... Eastern Christians pay Muslim army tribute of one son!  Islam brings peace?  Christ... Christ!  CHRIST!!  CHRIST!!!  p.s.  The Jews are the best allies the Americans ever had...blah blah blah

And you know which thing will be the most offensive to him?  That the Jews were the best buddies America ever had.  And it's the truth... no kidding why the Middle East s our guts...

*sigh*  It's really gotten almost that bad... no really... I'm glad in the last email i toned it down... kinda...  I'm trying to keep my cool... but it's not there anymore... This Rezik guy spreads lies to so many people on campus... it's sickening.  I had been talking with someone about Mystery Babylon being possibly the Church of Rome gone bonkers... but I'm really starting to agree with them that it is probably Islam.  Or maybe a combination of the two... The pope already decreed that the Catholics and the Muslims worship the same God of Abraham... (but to borrow a phrase)  BAH!  BAH I say!  What rubbish! 

I'm extremely angry now... I'm going to go try and cool off or something... But I'm still glad I put in the comment about the Jews.  (Or according to Rezik "Evil Zionists").  That always seems to get the Arabic boiling...  So weird it doesn't make the Christians as mad as Jesus was crucified at the request of the Jews... (Maybe that has something to do with forgiveness...)  Hey... maybe I'm trying to teach myself a lesson here... ;) 

Okay... Now I've heard the question maybe one time too many... "Why do you believe that little sins send you to Hell?"  I guess I take it for granted because I've been preached to for alot longer than the person asking it...  I often have a problem getting far too deep into a subject before the other person(s) are ready for it.  It obviously has a negative effect... But here on my blog I can delve into something as shallow or as deep as I like... (Shoot first, ask questions later...)  So now let's address the topic tonight... "sin."

Okay, just FYI, as with almost things I discuss here I use the Bible as my final authority.  Now sin is really defined as that which is apart (or disobedient) to God's Law.  It is corruption of good.  When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they had committed sin, because they broke the one commandment given them.  Because of that action, sin entered creation.  We call this event "The Fall of Man."  from thence forward all men and women are born in sin, we call this "Original Sin."  That is, that none are pure, not even little babies.  (They are , but are not without sin.)  Some want to debate as to who really authored sin.  Some say Eve... some Adam... some Satan... and some say God... Actually, Adam even accused God of authoring sin when he told God, "It was this woman you gave me who gave me the fruit."  Adam was very wrong... and God dealt out some wrath after that mistake.  The New Testament says that all creation suffers because of Adam's sin.  And Jesus says that Satan is the father of lies.  So it appears that Satan authored sin, but creation fell because Adam sinned because he had dominion over it. 

"So why is sin so bad?"  Well obviously it's bad... but what most people mean when they ask that is, "Why will it send me to Hell for eternal punishment?"  Okay, if you accept that God is who He says He is, you must know that He is perfection of perfection beyond measure.  He is holy, holy, holy... total pureness incarnate.  I cannot stress with any mortal or angelic tongue how holy, perfect, and great, God is.  Now, from the Bible we know that God cannot abide with sin... Sin is corruption as we've learned...  God cannot abide with sin because of His Holy nature.  Corruption cannot be within the presence of God... thus to be in the presence God, there cannot be any sort of corruption in you.  Not only that, because God is eternally just, He must, by His nature exercise that Holy justice.  (Just like it is law enforcement's duty to catch criminals, charge them, bring them before the court, then the court judges them, and then exercises justice according to the law.)  God fulfills all those parts.  Sin provokes God's wrath, because you've broken the law, and the penalty for breaking the law is deth... that is, to be apart from God... thus Hell. 

Eventhough we know that all deserve God's judgement, God provides a way to make atonement for sin.  He allows a means by which His wrath may be stayed.  This requirement has always been blod sacrifice.  Sounds pretty morbid eh?  Well it's not...   The sacrifices that the Jews made to atone for their sins before Christ was enough to 'hold-off' in a sense God's wrath.  Ofcourse these sacrifices were things that were considered 'pure'.  Like a 'perfect' little lamb... something considered clean and .  But these sacrifices did not completely atone for sin.  Even the 'perfect' little lamb wasn't perfect enough.  This is why Jesus Christ is so important.  His sacrifice is sufficient to atone for sin completely.  He is only the perfect sacrifice because He Himself is the embodiment of perfection... that is God in flesh.  Those who deny His atoning work do not benefit from it.  Thus those who do not embrace and love Jesus will die in their sins and face the wrath and judgement of God.  That judgement is Hell...  Even one little white lie is enough to put you there... even if we weren't born with sin... but as it is, all have committed sin, full well knowing it. 

Sin is in our nature... think about it... Do you have to teach a child to lie?  Do you have to teach a child to hit?  No!  They know how to do that by nature... no one teaches them those things.  Parents have to teach their children to do that which is right... not the other way around.  (Although some wrong-doing is assuredly learned behavior.) 

Now another problem with sin is that most people define it by deeds.  But I tell you assuredly that it is not deeds only.. but sin manifests itself in you by your deeds, your words, and your thoughts!  We are all burdened with sinful desires...  even if we abstain from committing them we have committed it in our hearts.  It is part of the nature of sin... Sin has taken such a hold upon mankind because of the fall, it requires Jesus to lift it.  Because of His perfect life, God imputes His righteousness to us.  Take this analogy... You sit on row... waiting for the chair...  But the Judge who convicted you and sent you to row comes and says to you... "Let me take your place... that you may go free and live a good life."  What would you say?  "No, I'll be fine on my own..."  I wouldn't... I'd be eternally grateful...  That is essentially what Christ has done for us... Taken our punishment, so we won't have to...

If you want to accept that sacrifice, you must recognize that you are a sinner and you need it.  You need to call upon Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and ask Him to save you from the eternal punishment that you deserve.  There after, if you have true repentence and faith you will learn and grow in the faith, following Christ's teachings... as He spoke "If you love me, why do you not do what I say?"  Thus it is important for all who love Christ to do what He taught, and thus His Disciples as well (for He gave them authority.) 

Sin condemns us... and all are guilty of it...  there is but one escape, and that is Jesus Christ.  God is just, but He is loving as well.  He offers Himself to die in your place... He goes to face the very judgement He does not deserve.  Do you accept the offer?  Or throw it in His face? 

I hope that clears up why I believe anyone who doesn't accept Jesus Christ will go to Hell.  I don't mean it to be offensive... but it is something I shouldn't beat around the bush about.  I must be blunt... if that offends you... oh well... Think... What if I'm right?

I saw a movie last weekend called "To End All Wars".  I think it was one of the best movies I've ever seen... If you've seen it I'd like to hear what you thought about it... If you haven't seen it I suggest you go out and rent it.  It's rated R for a reason though... kinda gory and there is some foul language.  It takes place in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WWII...  (But just FYI it's not one of those movies that just tries to show you how horrible being a POW was...  It is a movie with a message.) 

Hope to hear what you think!

Athanasian Creed
(fifth century)

     This creed is attributed to Athanasius, the fourth century bishop of Alexandria who was the strongest defender of the doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. It defines the doctrines of the Trinity and the nature of Christ in very concise language. 

______________________

We worship one God in trinity, and trinity in unity, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. For the person of the Father is one; of the Son, another; of the Holy Spirit, another. But the divinity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, the glory equal, the majesty equal. Such as is the Father, such also is the Son, and such the Holy Spirit.

The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the Holy Spirit is uncreated. The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, the Holy Spirit is infinite. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal. And yet there are not three eternal Beings, but one eternal Being. So also there are not three uncreated Beings, nor three infinite Beings, but one uncreated and one infinite Being.

In like manner, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent. And yet there are not three omnipotent Beings, but one omnipotent Being. Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God only. The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord. And yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord only.

For as we are compelled by Christian truth to confess each person distinctively to be both God and Lord, we are prohibited by the Catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords. The Father is made by none, nor created, nor begotten. The Son is from the Father alone, not made, not created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is not created by the Father and the Son, nor begotten, but proceeds. Therefore, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

And in this Trinity there is nothing prior or posterior, nothing greater or less, but all three persons are coeternal and coequal to themselves. So that through all, as was said above, both unity in trinity and trinity in unity is to be adored. Whoever would be saved, let him thus think concerning the Trinity.

Interesting that MSN's headline is "St. Paddy's Day, Where to Party."  Hmm... Now wasn't St. Patrick a saint?  I mean he was a hero of the church... But we celebrate him by drinking ourselves stupid... how ironic is that?  Hey I've got a joke for you... 

A Catholic, an Anglican, and a Presbyterian walk into a bar... Well DUH!

(Yeah it's cheesy...)

In the replies within the entry concerning sin, a baptismal debate has arisen between, myself, farfromhome1987 and johnalism...  I've posted an entry about infant baptism before... and this concerns that topic, but this also concerns whether or not baptism is a requirement for salvation.  Neither myself, farfromhome1987, johnalism, nor any other Christian denies that it is right and good to be baptised because Jesus commanded it.  However some views take the idea that it is for believers only not ascribing to the covenant theology of the more 'liturgical' denominations which baptise infants.  Some of the infant baptising and believer-only baptising churches hold that baptism is necessary for salvation.  And other infant and believer-only baptising churches hold that it is not so connected with salvation as the other group maintains. 

Another question is also what the proper administration of baptism is, and as to whether or not such administration invalidates the holy sacrament (or ordinance).  (The administration being dunking/immersing or sprinkling/pouring water upon the one coming into the covenant.)

I'm going to leave my position to the replies... I think this is a good debate to have... but we must remember guys... (and it's something I struggle with...)  We must be cordial here... those who will be debating baptism are presumably brothers and sisters in Christ.  Let's remember that as we discuss and debate our positions...

Okay, so I don't post very much pursonal stuff... but I've got something on my chest.

Some guy Emily (my gf) has gotten to know, has decided that he's fallen in love with her, and being a guy (irrational in the matters of love) he decides to profess his love to her... (Yes, he knows about me, but I haven't met him.)  Emily laid down the law for him... (it's not going to happen.)  But it doesn't change the fact that I'm jealous.  It's not that I don't trust Emily... that's not my worry at all.  I just don't trust "ole boy"... and I'm really angry... I mean... the fool knows that she's taken... (we've been nigh on 2 years). I just can't fathom the nerve of the guy!  I think I'm handling it well though... *sigh*  It's not like I'm going to go beat the guy up... (Although that would make me feel better for the moment...)  I just don't know... Emily and I talked about it... and we're fine... we worked everything out and stuff... I just still feel pretty dern angry at "ole boy"...

hahaha... I feel pretty silly for putting this up here... but oh well...

So today as I sat at my computer typing a response to one of the baptismal debate replies, I hear my little brother and mom walk in the door.  Why is mom bringing Ian home?  Well as it turns out... Ian got into a fight at school today... (he's 15 and a freshman in highschool bytheway).  So anyway I can see clearly he got a nice one on the cheek... So ofcourse being the big brother, I wanna know who, why, and if he won...  Then I recall the Zero Tolerance Policy Broadmoor High (and the rest of East Baton Rouge Parish public schools) had when I was there only last year.  So after finding out that he did not start the fight, and didn't throw the first punch... I asked if he got suspended... he was... I asked if it was 10 days... well I was wrong... it's only 9... (apparently their showing mercy??)  So yes... my little brother (who's not a bad kid) gets suspended for charging the punk after he's been decked, fallen, and hit his head on the ground.  It's all because of the "zero tolerance" policy... That states that if you throw any punch for any reason whether in self defense or not, you get suspended...

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!  I know it sounds good in theory... and is supposed to be equal and blah blah blah... I know all the 'reasons' and arguments... and they're rubbish for the most part.  They must not know the mind of a teenager... They must not realize that the concept of "flight" doesn't apply to every one...  Excuse me... you CANNOT expect a 15 year old boy to be a pacifist!  If someone decks me to the ground you can bet your breeches that I'm either coming up swinging or knocking the SOB down to my same level.  I mean come on!  This is stupid... maybe i'm just a little ticked because it's my brother.  But I would apply it to any kid of that age...

I'm sorry... running to the teacher when you're being beat up isn't exactly what's on your mind... (not a capable 15 year old boy's at least...)  And it's not just a issue of pride with these kids... These kids cannot practice what these teachers and administrators are trying to indoctrine them with... It's not natural!  I mean... everyone has a fight or flight instinct... but young capable boys... raging hormones, etc, etc... I think the 'fight' is the more likely of the two.  Besides all that... with the adrenalene pumping like that... you can't necessarily make that type of rational decision...

Anyway... I have a horrible headache so I'm stopping this here...  goodnight!

-Hi all, my pastor, Eric is getting married today!  I'm so excited and happy for him!  Ya'll keep he and Katie in your prayers this week as they travel and start a new life together.  Just remember we don't always pray because we fear something bad will happen... but we pray also to give thanks and praise to the God who does infinite good for us without our dessert of it.  Since this is going on tonight I'm not going to be making any entries for your consumption and discussion, so I'm letting John Donne give you the food for thought.  This is his famous sermon  "Meditation 17" it is a most wonderful read, and it is also important for British Literature classes.  But I'm posting it as a sermon, not literature... anyway enjoy and post a reply if you feel moved to...

-James

XVII. MEDITATION.

PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is Catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness. There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety and dignity, religion and estimation, were mingled), which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is. The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee. Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current money, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to , and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.

-John Donne

Oh my goodness!!!  I juuust got back from Pastor Eric's wedding!  It was soooooo much fun... The wedding service was beautiful, and the sermon was good, but thankfully short... Katie was GORGEOUS!  And Eric had the biggest smile on his face, (and I think he cried a little as he gave his vows...)  Then at the reception... there food was WONDERFUL... there were THREE open bars... (meaning I didn't get carded...)  There was dancing!  Lots of dancing!  I think I danced with almost everyone!  Hahaha!  Yeah... and you know what was REALLY funny?!  Emily caught the bouquet!  AND I caught the garter!  Her mom freaked out, and her dad almost fainted!  Hahaha!  It was great though... Pastor Eric said it was definately the providence of God... Haha!  Anyway... I just got home... Many many people had a wee bit too much to drink... There were quite a few highschoolers driving their rents home... lol... anyway... The wedding was wonderful, and Eric and Katie are off to the Carribean!  Keep them in your prayers as they start their new life together! 

Goodnight! 

Napoleon Bonapart, in his exile asked Count Montholon, "Can you tell me who Jesus Christ was?"  The Count declined a response... but Napoleon spoke thus...

 "Well then, I will tell you. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him. . . . I think I understand something of human nature; and I tell you, all these were men, and I am a man; none else is like Him: Jesus Christ was more than a man. . . . I have inspired multitudes with such an enthusiastic devotion that they would have died for me . . . but to do this is was necessary that I should be visibly present with the electric influence of my looks, my words, of my voice. When I saw men and spoke to them, I lightened up the flame of self-devotion in their hearts. . . . Christ alone has succeeded in so raising the mind of man toward the unseen, that it becomes insensible to the barriers of time and space. Across a chasm of eighteen hundred years, Jesus Christ makes a demand which is beyond all others difficult to satisfy; He asks for that which a philosopher may often seek in vain at the hands of his friends, or a father of his children, or a bride of her spouse, or a man of his brother. He asks for the human heart; He will have it entirely to Himself. He demands it unconditionally; and forthwith His demand is granted. Wonderful! In defiance of time and space, the soul of man, with all its powers and faculties, becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him, experience that remarkable, supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyound the sope of man's creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish this sacred flame; time can neither exhaust its strength nor put a limit to its range. This is it, which strikes me most; I have often thought of it. This it is which proves to me quite convincingly the Divinity of Jesus Christ. "

I just thought this was very interesting... especially coming from Napoleon (definately not someone we think of when we think of in association with Christianity.)  Just some food for thought.

1)     Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. What's it say?
”…everywhere, and focus on the one and only Truth. ‘Fear…”

2)Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?

My matress

3) What is the last thing you watched on TV?

The beginning of some sci-fi show…

4) WITHOUT LOOKING,what time do you think it is?
1:44 pm

5) Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

1:43 pm

6) With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The vibration of Ian bouncing the basketball on the other side of the house

7) When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

1:30, to pick up Ian from Detention Center

8) Before you came to this website, what did you look at?

My Yahoo Email Account

9) What are you wearing?

Jeans, My LSU Ag T-shirt, Tennis Shoes

10) Did you dream last night?

Yes… I dreamed I had a dream… and I don’t remember much else…

11) When did you last laugh?

Just now when Ian came in here…

12) What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Paintings, Posters, Flags, Cross, Clock, Calendar, Bulletin board, Papers

13) Last movie you saw?

I think it was “To End all Wars”  …If it is, I haven’t seen a movie in a long time!

14) If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?

I’d buy Emily a newly refurbished and refitted 1960’s-70’s Mustang

16) Tell me something about you that I don't know.

 I LOVE to sing even though I’m not so great at it…

17) If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would it be?

One thing?  I’d convert the holders of Islam to Christianity.  (And if anyone wants to give me flak over this they can bite ME!)

18) Do you like to dance?

Yes, I love to dance… But I’m not that great at it… But I rather swing-dance or slow-dance than just boogy on down…
19) George Bush:

I hold a cynical view about him and his intentions… however, I do not bear the ill-will many others do…

20) Imagine your first child is a , what do you call her?

Madeleine Grace  

21) [Same question for a boy]

Jonathan Ian

22) What was the last thing you ate?

Hey everyone...  as you might know if you frequent my blog, I like to address religious issues (pertaining mainly to Christianity.)  I was just curious if some people had some ideas for a topic or two... or maybe some questions or objections they have to a particular denomination or faith.  The issues don't have to be broad or popular... I've addressed things already such as Infant Baptism (definately an on-going debate), the Nicene Creed, The Holy Trinity, Problem of Hell, Nature and penalty of sin, why the Christian God is the God, the Lord's Supper, Calvinism, Hymns vs. Contemporary Music, and others. 

I'm not promising to address everyone's questions or topics... (I have to admit my own lack of knowledge in some cases... but I will attempt to at least direct you to a source to where you can find your answer.)  Anyway... let's try to keep it religious... You could ask me something about politics... but I am pretty cynical about most if not all politicians. 

So come on!  Cry me a river! 

*sigh*  It's springbreak!  *yawn*  and it really sucks... No body I hang out with is off... Emily's busy... always busy... I don't feel motivated to do anything... I can't write...so I can't work on my books or my stories... I can't even write a good article for this blasted blog... Believe me I tried... I started one on Eternal Security... couldn't get anywhere... I will do it sometime though... Maybe I should just go read.  Occupy myself... forget how lonely I really am...  Sometimes I just want to start a whole new life... I kid myself thinking that maybe I could be happier.  I know it doesn't work that way...  and I wouldn't trade this life for anything.  I just feel like BLAH!  Okay... so mom is making me do something tomorrow... like I have to get out of the house... (this is really weird for her to do...)  So I don't know what to do... I'm thinking I may just go to school and try to get a few hours in... maybe I'll go look for a second job to save up for an engagement ring... (heck I figure I'll have to pay for it sometime...)  Oh well... at least I'm not babysitting again...

http://www.koreus.com/files/200407/lego-zone.html

GET UP AND DANCE!!! YES, EVEN IF YOU'RE BAPTIST!

I hope these come out right...

Amen, amen, He is Risen!

Our Lord Christ came into this world in a lowly manger.  He came born into the stench of a stable, with livestock...  God came down and took on a body of flesh for our sake.  He came and taught us that He was the Way for salvation.  He came to fulfill what is written in the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.  God Himself did this for our sake.  For our sake He was betrayed and beaten and crucified until ded.  And for our sake He, on the third day conquered deth.  We now commemorate that day.  Christ, our passover:  has died in our place and has conquered eternal deth for our sake!  All glory, laud, and honor to Him who has redeemed us; taken our sins and tossed them away and remembers them no more.  All glory, laud, and honor to Him who is Risen from the grave!  Now go forth and proclaim Christ crucified and RISEN!  Amen!

I find now in these days of endless technological improvement that many people, mainly children, no longer seem to have any sort of imagination and thus a lack of creativity and inventiveness.  People buried in their super-duper realistic graphic video games seem to be the most boring people I know.  Don't get me wrong, video games aren't the devil... Just the same as money isn't the devil...  It's the attachment to them.  But alas, I'm not here this evening to preach against video games... No, I'm here to preach for creativity and inventiveness! 

People these days (at least Americans) aren't as easily amused as reality TV would suggest.  Just look at the progression of television programming and video games and you'll see what I mean.  My grandfather (who from hence forth will be referred to as Pawpaw because supposedly we're hicks) has countless stories of his exploits of his being inventive.  Ofcourse he has had more than one close brush with deth in his efforts to be creative... but many of them were just fun and really harmless.  Just the other day my mother and I were looking at old photographs from the 30's that he and his brothers had taken.  What they had done was stage the photos so that for instance my uncle Larry seemed to be trapped under a log... or my Pawpaw was missing both legs.  Ofcourse this is children's sort of games right?  But you have to start somewhere don't you?  Baby steps my dears... baby steps...  Master the basics, then you may go ahead and get banned from the Chemistry lab for nittro-glycerrin ... (yes he did that.) 

But I am not my Pawpaw... and I would not expect anyone to be as reckless as he often was.  Yes, never use dynamite to blow mud out of a metal pipe when people are making boats for the war...  flying shrapnel is looked down upon in the Navy...  But you have to get out of the technology and do something creative!  This Good Friday my brother and I, as the children put together their balsa wood airplanes gathered the scraps and the packaging and took to making our own little glider.  All we added was some scotch tape and we had a little bi-plane of paper packages and balsa scraps.  The fact that when you threw it it was obliterated wasn't really a concern to us.  We had had so much fun in making it, it really didn't matter.  And we learned something out of the event about aerodynamics:  balsa wood doesn't weigh anything!

The point of this pseudo-sermon isn't to have you build little gliders from garbage... It's to make you consider just how fun it might be to be a little inventive and/or creative sometimes.  It won't kill you to put down the controller, and flip off the power switch every once in a while to associate with others in something that requires critical thinking and creativity!  And don't work alone!  Get your friends in on the action!  Two minds work better than one... (as long as your not both complete idiots...)  Besides, you might need someone around to call the ambulance.

Here's the glider and myself...

And here's my big brother Daniel and I musing over the failed flight and broken wreckage...

I was outside sitting on the porch the other day like all good hicks do... and I was looking at the over grown grass, and the patches of clover, and the protruding weeds...  and I started wondering what my yard must be like to an ant... or maybe what it would be like if a human was the size of an ant (or something close).  It's hard to imagine how big the backyard becomes when you shrink yourself down times a thousand...  The grass is like a forest that doesn't block out the sun... but the patches of clover must be something like Mirkwood forest in The Hobbit.  So I grabbed momma's camera and went ground level to explore the world we tend to overlook...

Mmm a feast! 

I wonder what happens when it rains...

Hey everyone!  First off thanks for nominating me!  I was real excited to see my post got numero uno on top blogs... But anyway...  I just thought I'd share an email with everyone concerning death... not dealing with Hell yet... just death...   It's from my Dad, and it here it is.

*UPDATE*  The heresy posts have been deleted... Hope you enjoyed my fit of insanity...

I want to thank all those who put up with my insanity today... Misterghoulie has been ex'cuted... But I have pardoned Hosking of my court of justice...(hey, her own sister turned her in...)

  Anyway, this was all a parody of the Roman Cat'lic inquisition...  The real thing was too horrible to describe... Katryn began to get into it but I had her stop... it was just too awful... It's not a Christian's place to tortur and ex'cute non-Christians... no matter how awful they are...  Justice is God's!  It is a sin to take that justice into your own hands and out of God's...  I will be deleting the previous "heresy entries" very soon... so if you want to look at them you don't have very long... 

Next Entry:  Playing War!!!  (Co-Starring Troy, my nephew!)

Alright... Every young boy knows that one of the most fun games to play is war.  Actually even old men feel this way... that's why they invented paintball...  Alas anyway... I thought it would be fun and interesting to show how this game is played... For this I'm going to be using lots of pictures...

This is Troy, my nephew... He is playing a soldier (a Green Beret in this case)...  You should always try to dress up in camoflauge or green drab and have some sort of tool to use as a weapon... You can use toyguns, sticks, baseball bats, or a broom... But NEVER use a real weapon... 

In this case, Troy is our enemy!  Look at him and know him well... You will be hunting him... and he will be hunting you!  (notice his 'rifle' is a baseball bat... it's good for imagination...)

Now let's begin!!!

Oh look!  We've spotted the enemy already!!!  You can either choose to charge or to take cover... fleeing is not an option... It seems that he's seen you, you'd better get back and make a stand...

Oh no!  The enemy is charging you!  You have to make a stand...

Okay you've drawn a bead on him!  That's the way!  Now fire...

You missed!  He's dodging your shots!  You'd better do something quick... He's coming up fast!

OH NO!  He's asking for your surrender!

You have to give him your weapon... but there's still a chance... everyone knows in the game of war that a prisoner always tries to escape and kill his captor... Now... just remember... when he lets his guard down... get back your weapn and take him out!

That's it!  He's let his guard down just enough... you've got your gun... now do it quick!!!

You've done it!  You win!  (It's always more fun to play with someone who's willing to act it out and actually fall down when you shoots them...)

THE END!!!

:::Credits:::

Green Beret:  Troy

Camera Man:  Uncle JJ

The Hero:  YOU!

Back in December or January, Dr. Colten, my geography professor announced to the class that we might get to participate in a reality TV show.... but the word wasn't final yet... so we weren't supposed to say anything else they might decide to go elsewhere.  As time went on, we didn't hear much else about it.  Then, in late February some strange looking ladies came and sat in on our class... they looked like they went to flim school I guessed... kinda strange looking... wore all black...  I don't know, I'm a hick, what do I know?  Anyway, then in early March they came back!  And THIS time... they got up in front of the class and told us that we are candidates for a reality TV show...  JUST like Dr. Colten had said!  But it still wasn't final... and we were again told not to blab about it.  And then they passed out sheets of paper that were release forms, so they could show our faces on TV.  They were adamant that we sign them... Hollywood types... sucha pain...

Yes, anyway... so this past week Dr. Colten was told that he had to wear a tie to class...  He seemed to be really excited even though he had to wear a tie.  He told us that maaybe sometime this week or next they'd come... but it would be kind of a surprise, and he wouldn't even know until the day of.  So this Friday, as we get to class, the ladies are back!  And there's a limo outside!  Oh yeah, and it said Ms. Hilton on it!  And they're putting up a powerpoint on what is going to happen, and what we shouldn't and should do.  Things like... don't look at the cameras... DO NOT touch Paris and Nicole... interact with them... just be casual and be yourselves... etc... they had some other things to say... but I'm not putting their whole speech up here.  There were handheld cameras around the room... (That's what they said they were filming with...)  I always thought they had those big honker things to carry around... with those huge furry microphones...  But they said to watch what you say, because Paris, and Nicole have on microphones and everything will be recorded.  So yeah... then she went over the sequence of events...  first, they were going to introduce Paris and Nicole... then they were going to leave, and Dr. Colten would start the lecture.  (but first we had to all sign the release...)  Paris and Nicole would arrive "late" and have a confrontation with Dr. Colten... then they were going to take their seats and interact with us, and maybe take some calls during class.  (Which I thought was great because Colten can't stand cell phones in class...)  Then they started playing some music... and put on this goofy announcer who was being really cheesy introducing the ladies...  And then the door opened... OMG!  You would not believe... *sigh*... okay yeah you might... the ladies walked through the door... well sorta jumped and stumbled...  but it wasn't ladies!  It was Colten and and accomplice dressed like women!!!  I was clapping and laughing so hard!  Now you have to imagine a fifty-year-old beared man... in a low cut dress... (stuffed bra with a hairy chest...yum..)  He went around and danced... and danced... and got up on the desk (amphitheater classroom now seating 200 or so) and he danced!  OH MY GOODNESS!  We'd been had!  That was the best April fools ever!  I've never been had soooo bad... I mean... okay... you never think that someone starts April fools in December or January.. but oh yes!  Dr. Colten does!  What a goober!  He's the coolest ever!  I'm voting for him for professor of the year!

 Okay well you've all seen my nephew Troy... but this is he and his little sister Elise.  I need to get a better photo of her... but this is what I have for now...

It's just something about them that makes me all mushy inside...

Excommunication to a Christian:  Being kicked out of the Church...

Excommunication to a non-Christian:  When you get sued after your divorce...

An unassuming day arrives…

And another noon is risen…

All the earth is bright…

But this darker thing is driven…

No depth can tell this love…

Or to myself I lie…

Trust is put to the very test…

And the truest love is tried…

A knife meant for my very soul…

Greatest pains meant for me…

A failed attempt at breaking heart…

The fools in darkness flee…

What a trial; a single day…

Bringing laughter, bringing tears…

Trying love, threatening trust…

Arousing deepest fears…

Left hand holding hope…

Right hand in despair…

Left hand holding greatest pain…

Right hand free from care…

To look into her eyes…

I see the loving fire…

And in them, I see my life…

But behind me burning ire…

And yet a night but perfect…

Cradled with a goodly cry…

Ended with the truest “I love you.”

And sealed with the strongest goodbye…

All that I am has come undone

And all sense of reparation a sham

There is nothing now under the sun

And now none can say who I am

I do not mourn for the slain

Nor weep for those in the ground

I mourn the day I became

Whatever it is I am now

No dreams, No wish, No true delight

No love which can be stolen

No place, No fit, No peace, No life

And nothing to make me whole

From whence comes this monstrous slide

To the black pit of despair

There was no aid, there was no guide

And none save me where there

But that is a pathetic lie

Borne of cowardly shame

By mine own hand did I die

Slaughtered by what I became

Gone now are halcyon days

Of laughter and of mirth

All the world is full of grays

And for me no joy on Earth

Can this deed be undone

Reweave the strands of fate

Of miracles I have none

And the hour is getting late

So I’d best find out how...

-Daniel Ball

This is my brother's poem.  It's one of my favorites that he's done.  I hope you enjoy it...

Just to let everyone know... Everything is back to normal... I'm not depressed anymore, I'm looking to make an actual post soon as well... not just some filler post to let you know I'm alive... lol... Everyone have a wonderful evening!  You should all be in bed about now anyway...

A question that poses trouble for many people whether they are Christians or looking at Christianity is: "What about those who never had the chance to hear the gospel?  Are they damned to Hell too?" 

Looking at the Book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that creation itself is enough to convince a man that there is a God.  Every culture, whether it has heard of Jesus Christ or not, believes in some higher power as creator.  But man, being fallen in sin and seperated from God, does not have a correct view of God.  We are told they will be judged according to what they know, according to the law of their conscience.  But we know as Christians, that no one keeps the law, and without Christ's atonement, there can be no salvation. 

My pastor, who served as a missionary in Malaysia for over twenty years, shared this with me concerning the native pagan beliefs.  He told me that they believed in a divine creator, but they viewed him as being so high above them, he was unconcerned and unattainable.  Who they worshiped were the evil spirits who plagued them on earth.  They worshipped them so that they could appease them...  They would offer blod sacrifices to "cool" the spirits.  These sacrifices offered were most often for things like incest, fornication, adultery... and the sacrifices were the people who committed them, and any children that came out of them.  The chief of these evil spirits they called in the Tuminua language was "Sah-EE-tuhn" (Satan)... Although this term is borrowed from the neighboring Muslims you get the picture.  These people are practicing their religion to the letter (that is if they had writing)... but they are worshipping Satan and offering human sacrifices... 

How can these people be saved if they have never heard? 

They cannot...  There is no salvation outside of Christ Jesus.  If there was salvation outside of Christ the worst possible thing we could do was tell someone about Him.  But the fact of the matter is that all men are born into this world damned.  The only way to salvation is Christ, it is because of this that we should never ever hide the good news from anyone.  We are to be living witnesses of Christ and His atoning work...  This idea of the "noble savage" is bunk... there is no noble savage... there is nothing noble but Christ.

So this Sunday afternoon I was a little bit stressed out.  But I find that you can channel that negative energy into something productive like oh... say... beating up your brothers!  I started fighting my little brother Ian (16) until he got tired and then I went a round with my older brother Daniel (26) in his church clothes. 

He's definately not the fighting type... But neither am I for that matter...

Just learn how your opponent moves... just defend his attacks... and then...

Okay... dodge a little... you don't want to hurt your big brother... he has an image to keep...

Then take a few pot shots... you're just relieving stress here... not winning a belt...

OUCH!  Then take a few hits yourself... Lol... it keeps you from becoming too arrogant...

Yeah, although that's where the pictures stop, I really did win that fight... You really have no idea how silly we looked...

Supposedly this picture is of a living pterosaur...  I was wondering if anyone knows for sure as to its validity or not.  I'm open to suggestions as well... Cryptozoology is a big thing of mine... Lake monsters, Sasquatches, living dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals... It's just one of those things... I don't really give alien life much thought, that's why in the previous post I wanted to see what everyone else believed.  But I do give earth-bound life a great deal of thought.  I don't know whether or not bigfoot or nessie is real... or if they are but aren't as extraordinary as people make them sound... (IE:  Nessie might be a big ole sturgeon for all we know...)  But anyway... here's the photo... tell me what you think of it... true or hoaxed... and what it might be if not a pterosaur... maybe a funny birdy or possibly a bat?  Look at the wings... leathery rather than feathery... I'm going to have to track down the article that went with this...

I love to snack on V8 and Cheez-its in the middle of the night...   what do you like to snack on?  I'm dilerious... I finished my SPEEEECH!  Finally... now I just have to GIVE IT TOMORROW!!!  Yay.... okay... now for my proposal paper tomorrow... due Friday!  YESSSS!

I'm listening to the local morning talk show...  It seems that there are some looking to change a mascot at one of the local high schools here in Baton Rouge.  Take a wild guess at what the mascot is... the Rebels of Robert E. Lee High School.  It doesn't surprise me...  But it ticks me off a little... The argument is that we should be trying to get past this idea of the "Old South".  That we shouldn't be promoting "anti-black" ideals.  It goes with the same argument against the Confederate flag (which I've previously brought up in past posts...) Except this argument is far more hypocritical rather than just ignorant or emotional...  Okay... Now if the "Rebel" mascot is offensive... why isn't the "Devils" or "Demons" changed because it might be offensive to Muslims and Christians... What about my highschool mascot the "Buccaneers"?  Pirates were some of the worst, most offensive creatures ever to walk (ahem... sail) this earth.  What about our highschool's rivals the "Trojans"?  They weren't great folks despite what the movie would have you believe.  What about all the Indian/Native American mascots?  They've tried to change those too... But come on people... The fact of the matter is that almost ALL mascots can be found offensive if you really want to dig down deep for it.  Even my LSU "Tigers"  or the Miami "Hurricanes".  What if I had a relative killed by a tiger, or more likely a hurricane?  Wouldn't that bring up harsh memories for me?  I could go on forever listing mascots and groups to find it offensive...  If you think I'm being silly, you're right!  We don't have the right in this country to not be offended.  But it's not about being offensive in my opinion... it's the sentiment against the nostalgia of the "Old South." 

I mean crap... the school is ROBERT E. LEE HIGH!  But yes, now they're going to be the "Patriots".  There's nothing wrong with the "Patriots" ofcourse...  Yes, the north won their unjust war... but the south and its culture is STILL HERE... and we're not going anywhere... 

I'm really curious where they're gonna bury the old man... hmm... under the church maybe?

1. speech outline
2. mardi gras cup
3. pencils
4. pens
5. highlighters
6. 64 count crayola box
7. alarm clock
8. micromachine
9. starburst
10. spiderman bobblehead
11. webcam
12. CDs
13. Necklace
14. Bracelets
15. Bayonette
16. My pastor's wife's garter
17. various pictures of Emily
18. microphone
19. cup of coke
20. glue
21. Q-tips
22. bank statements
23. moneybox
24. lego bricks
25. various ticket stubs
26. calculator
27. police whistle
28. Bible tract that says Jesus only drank grapejuice (psht!)
29. Evidence that demands a verdict vol.2
30. plastic grapes from prom
31. candle
32. floppy discs
33. light globe thingy
34. speakers
35. AAA bumper sticker
36. game cases
37. other various assundry papers...

I definately need to tidy up...

http://semiomniscient.mindsay.com/?date=2005-04-02 Go here to read the entire story...

Colten is such a hottie isn't he? 

Dreamers' first dream has been elected... Please go check it out... and if you feel up to it, leave your interpretation!  Thanks everyone! 

http://dreamers.mindsay.com/?entry=7

-James

http://ybooksignatures.mindsay.com/?entry=31 sign mine!

http://ybooksignatures.mindsay.com sign others!

Video code provided by MusicVideoCodes.com

I've removed the video... the song was "Helena" by My Chemical Romance...

Every one knows that when it rains, it pours... and when it rains, for a child it can just ruin the day.  But that shouldn't stop a child from having fun!  On our last episode (April 1st, 2005) we played in the backyard military style... But this time, the backyard being unavailible, we made our fun inside!  This time we played super heroes!

This is the famous super hero, Super Troy!

He is the local super hero of the Greater Baton Rouge area, fighting thugs and keeping the peace.  Super Troy is endowed with cool super abilities... such as excellent fighting skills and super strength (for a 5 year old).

Oh no!  It's a hoodlum!  I bet he's up to no good for sure! 

OH NO! 

 He's kidnapped a baby !  Where is Super Troy?!

Here he is to save the day!  And just in time too!

The hoodlum has spotted him!  But he has a hostage!  What will Super Troy do?

Apparently, Super Troy negotiated the thug into putting down the baby... now this is where Super Troy works his magic!

Super Troy is an excellent fighter!

Let's see if the thug can handle the incredible five-year-old!

Apparently not...  Ooof!!!

The hoodlum really is getting it from Super Troy!  What's going to happen?

Uh oh!

The hoodlum has got our hero by the throat!  What's he going to do?

OH NO!

He's running out of air!  He's got to do something quick!!!

WOW!

It looks like the hoodlum has had it!

But just to make sure....

Super Troy never likes to leave any doubt...

YIKES!!!

That hoodlum won't ever forget this stupendous five-year-old!

Now our hero can rescue the baby and return her to her mother...

And finally... as all good Super Heroes do...

He strikes a pose!!!

~THE END~

:::Cast:::

Super Troy:  Troy

Kidnapped Baby:  Elise

Hoodlum:  Uncle JJ

Being in south Louisiana, food is a very important part of life... Let me rephrase that, good food is a very important part of life.  But I'm kinda curious as to what you mindsayers being from all around the globe (although mainly in the US) eat and how that correlates to where you're from.  I know that with TV and the technology these days the cultures have become far more blended than they used to be.  For instance, this evening, my mother made Mousaka, a Mediterrainean dish.  (Although I doused it with hot sauce).  But for lunch I ate some spicy pork roast and spaghetti squash... (again, doused in hot sauce.) 

 So what did you eat today?  And where are you from?

Somebody's nominate button must be broken... Have you seen the top blogs for today?  I mean... no offense to Fyreph or anything... but what the hell is wrong with mindsay?  I wonder... does hitting nominate under one screen-name multiple times count for multiple nominations?  Or are there just a bunch of people who can't read more than one sentence?  Someone please enlighten me as to how this nomination thing actually works... because either there's a problem with the system, or there's a problem with the people... (or both).  *yawn*  I want to go back to bed...

:::Now nominate me a bagillion times!:::

DON'T YOU DARE!

It's TROY!!!  And He's coming back with a vengeance, in his newest action hit:  Clash of Three Blades!!!

In this semi-epic, the noble Sir Troy will do battle with the ruffians of Gallavant Forest...

Costarring Uncle JJ... and in his Mindsay debut Uncle Ian...

Stay tuned to the blog of Semiomniscient for further details!!!

The noble Sir Troy the Young on errand for the king, decided to take the road that passes through Gallivant forest.  This forest is said to be patrolled by great malevolent rangers.  But Sir Troy, being the greatest hero on the continent, ignored the warnings of his fellows in arms, and entered into the forest alone.

It was not too long before Sir Troy felt a presence in the forest, and he quickly drew his blade.

Sir Troy thus spoke, "Who goes there?"

Then from behind the greatest tree in the forest, a ranger came forth with blade drawn.   “Who trespasses in our forest?”

I saw my Emily tonight... She's in so much pain... she can't really move.  She can move her right arm without too too much pain.  She can't sit up without extreme pain and nausea...  I got to hold her fingers and feed her pound cake.  Tomorrow I'm going to go to work and find her some old story books and read them to her... Hopefully they'll be able to get her to a doctor to get her checked out... I can't believe we even pay insurance premiums for the ER... She was in there 5 effing hours before they even thought about cleaning her wounds... and then at midnight when they started cleanign her up... they didn't even finish... she's still got some pebbles and maybe some glass in her back... I know the poor thing had to squeeze a rock from her leg in the shower this afternoon. 

Anyway... continue to pray for her.  And don't forget Catherine either... She's really having it out emotionally... I'll try to keep you posted... and whenever I get more than half a minute I'll try to post what happened down here.  Goodnight.

Please visit Emily's sister Charlotte... She needs some support from people... and I know you don't know her... but that doesn't matter.  Just leave her some encouragement alright?

http://cloudqueen2189.mindsay.com/

So I'm going to hope I open a can of worms here... This could be a good theological discussion...  What I want to discuss is Justification and Sanctification.  This is the difference that really splits the Methodist and Presbyterian churches.  The Methodist (Arminian theology) suggests that one must have faith and repentance to be "born again" and thus gain "entire sanctification."  The idea is that one who is born again, and is entirely sanctified will be perfect and no longer sin.  The Presbyterian (Calvinist theology) would say that one is first "born again" and by the Holy Spirit, have faith and repentance.  There is no such thing as "entire sanctification" until we are brought to God.

The Arminian would say the trigger is faith and repentance and the bullet is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Where the Calvinist would say the trigger is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the bullet is faith and repentance.   

The Arminian theologian lumps Justification and Sanctification together in one big scoop.  Where the Calvinist theologian has Justification tightly leashed to Sanctification, but not lumped in one big scoop.

I don't have anymore time... class is getting ready to start... I want to see what your ideas are about this theological issue... Maybe I'd have to explain it better... possibly too much jargon? 

Anyway, keep praying for Emily and Catherine... thank ya'll so much already.  You've been encouraging to myself and Em's sister here at Mindsay.

In His Peace,

James

Sorry about the unorganized, jargon-filled mess that was my last post... I'll have to re-do it when my mind clears up a little... My mind has just been elsewhere obviously... I thought maybe I could get into a theology discussion and try to busy myself.  Definately not...

I went and saw Emily today.  I read her "O' ye Jigs and Julips" a most wonderful collection of essays written by a ten-year-old Episcopalian lass, in the South in the early 1900's.  Emily seemed to drift in and out... I think she was awake... But she's just so weak and in so much pain... it's just kind of hard to tell anything but she's in horrible pain.  It hurts me... (I know it hurts her worse...)  but it just hurts so awful to watch her... But it feels so good to be able to look at her... And for her to look at me back... I almost lost her... almost... but I didn't... You just don't really know exactly how much you love someone until you almost lose them.

I'm glad I was able to help out around the Murphy's place... Ofcourse it's just so daggum hectic around there... Shoot... it's normally crazy over there... now it's just worse... But I took her little bro to his baseball game.  They won, however barely...  (Watching 7-8 year old kid's pitch is such a trip sometimes... and a real bore at others...)  Anyway... I've yet to post the entire story of what happened... I guess I've told it so many times I can't bear to write it all out...  I'll try to bring myself to do it soon... so there can be a written document besides the police report... Everyone knows how stories told orally get garbled in translation...

Anyway, thank you all for your prayers, but keep praying!  Goodnight.

In Christ's Peace,

James

This excerpt is from O' Ye Jigs and Juleps, the book I read to Emily yesterday.  I suggest you all go out and buy it or get it from the library.  It is a wonderful little complilation of essays written by a ten-year-old Episcopalian lass, Virginia Cary Hudson.  Anyway, read it!

                                                          ~Sacraments~

Sacraments are what you do in church. What you do at home is something else. Cooking and sewing and running the Bissels sweeper and eating and sleeping and praying and scrubbing yourself are not sacraments.

When you are little and ugly somebody carries you in church on a pillow, and you come out a child of God and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven. They pour water on your head and that's a sacrament. When you are twelve you walk back in yourself with your best dress and shoes on, and your new prayer book your mother buys you, and you walk up to the Bishop, and he stands up, and you kneel down, and he mashes on your head, and you are an Episcopal. Then you are supposed to increase in the spirit. Then everybody kisses you and that's a sacrament. Only I left out the bread and the wine. That's a sacrament too. I tasted some of that bread in the choir room and it tasted just like my gold fish wafers.

Then when you are married, you go back to church dressed up like you never were before in all your days. Somebody sings "Oh Promise Me" and your sweetheart is waiting up by the preacher, if he doesn't forget to come, and you get a new shiny gold band on your finger and leave town. And that's a sacrament.

Miss Molly Anderson got all ready to get married and she let me see all of her lovely clothes all spread out on the bed in the spare room. Only she didn't get married. The bridegroom forgot to come back. He traveled. And I guess he took the wrong train or something. Mrs. Anderson shut the shutters, and nobody would come to the door, and when I went around to the kitchen door to take Miss Molly some cinnamon drops, the cook says to me, she said, "Go away, scat." But Miss Molly didn't care if he did forget to come. She bought her a new bath suit with a big sailor collar, and ruffles around the knees, and she married Dr. Thomwood, and I like him. He is handsome. That old absent-minded bridegroom was always saying to me, "Little girl, isn't it time you were going home?" And I had only just got, I mean gotten there. And I barely had sat myself down in the parlor.

And then you get carried back in the Church again. But you are dead and it takes six people to lift you. And everybody cries and that's the last sacrament you are going to get. Mrs. Park was old and so sick she didn't even know her own children. Maybe she was tired fooling with them all those years and just acted like she didn't know them. When Mrs. Park died I sure didn't cry because I bet when she waked up and found she was dead she was just tickled to death.

One day we got tired of playing hop-scotch and skin the cat, so Edna Briggs said, "Let's play Baptizing." I said to Mrs. Williams, "Can we, I mean may we play Baptizing in your rain barrel?" And she said to me, she said "Yes, indeed" and she just went on tatting. So I put on my father's hunting breeches and got Judge Williams' hat off the moose horn rack, and I dressed up like the Baptist preacher. That was when Edna ran to get all the kids. And I said to them, I said, "The Lord is in his Holy Temple, keep silent and shut up." And then I said, "All you sinners come forward and hence." And nobody came but Melvin Dawson. He is just two years old. Poor little Melvin. He is so unlucky. I got him by the back of his diaper and dipped him in the rain barrel once for the Father, and once for the Son, and when it came time for the Holy Ghost, poor little Melvin's safety pin broke and he dropped in the bottom of the rain barrel, and everybody ran, and nobody would help me, and I had to turn the rain barrel over to get him out, and then I galloped him on his stomach on my pony to get the water out of him, and then I sat him inside his house, and then I went out to Mrs. Harris' house and got under her bed, and when she looked under there and saw me, all soaking wet, Mrs. Harris said, she said, "Rain and hail in Beulah land, what has happened now?" And when I told her what had happened she just patted her foot and sat, and sat, and then she said, "You know what?" and I said, "What" and Mrs. Harris said, "The Bishop sure needs just such a barrel in the church yard to give some members I know just what little Melvin got." And then Mrs. Harris said, "Let's talk about fishing." And we did.

Thank God for fishing. Thank God for Mrs. Harris and God bless poor little Melvin. Amen.

Cardinal Josef Ratzinger of Germany.

So supposedly he's one of the very conservative candidates... He's chosen the name Benedict XVI...

I'll try to post how Emily is as often as I can... but I'm trying my darndest to finish this term paper... so go see Charlotte's blog.

http://cloudqueen2189.mindsay.com/

I didn't think I'd finish in one night...  I thought that maybe I'd have to work on it tomorrow... (I guess maybe then I'll review it or something...)But YAY!  Finished the 5 page (okay 4 and a half...) BS report in three hours... Nor bad considering I made it up...  *sigh* 

I really want to discuss theology... hmm... Ben and I were wondering if  universalism would be appropriate...

I ofcourse, went again to see my Emily today.  She's still in a great deal of pain... but she's getting a little bit better.  We watched a yesterday's taped episode of American Idol while I fed her cake.  It was nice to get her to smile then...  It was easier too as she was much more comfortable..  Then, her mom made her get up out of the bed and sit outside (because it was such a beautiful day, and she needs to get up and get fresh air...)  I think she was glad to be out of bed... but only because she's been there so long... she was in a great deal of pain obviously... and getting her to smile outside was a challenge... I didn't  spend all my time try to get her to smile or something... that's just silly... I know she's in tremendous pain and she doesn't need or deserve to be teased or annoyed with assinine behavior.  So I tried to just visit with her... keep her company you know?  It often ends up with us just staring at eachother.  Which is just too funny for either of us... because I can't win a staring contest with an infant... AND my eyebrow twitches... and I'm pretty sure it bothers the heck out of her... but in the funny sort of way... So Charlotte and I played on that a little bit... gosh...  It was nice to see her really smile... (even though she said she was only faking.. ;))  We had to be careful though... making her smile is one thing... whenever we make her laugh it's another... it hurts her to laugh... makes me wonder if there's bruised, misplaced, or broken ribs or something...  But anyway... I'm always asking her if there's something I can get her... But she never really wants anything... (but I know better)... So Charlotte and I started listing off things she likes... Well... we did it... Chocolate Malt!  So Charlotte and I went down to the locally owned coffee shop and got her one (after going to the Walmart for Neosporin and Medical Tape for sensitive skin.)  When she tasted it she seemed very happy... I actually got a full "I love you" before I left... Now that made me feel good.

Keep her in your prayers... She thanks you all for the prayers you've sent already... (I did tell her that Mindsay's community is praying for her and she got a chuckle out of that.)

You can also go see cloudqueen2189's blog for other details... (This is Charlotte bytheway)...

Thank you all... Goodnight and God's Peace.

Okay, it was the day of Emily's recital... It begins promptly at 2 in the afternoon... she looks beautiful, she plays beautiful, all is right with the world

. 

We go out to eat with some friends at the Great Wall, one of the best Chinese restaurants in town.  Afterward, we go for a Sunday ride on Saturday in Sean's rented Jaguar.  We have a good time just riding around... Then we get back to the restaurant to get our respective vehicles and we decide to meet later for a movie at 7:40pm at the Grand Cinema...

I went home to change out of my dress clothes (because it is proper to dress up for piano recitals.)  So I have my shirt off and shoes off... sitting at my computer thinking of a good response to one of Misterghoulie's entries that I happened to dissagree with... and then I get the call... It's Catherine's sister Elizabeth sounding frantic asking me for Emily's mom's phone number.  I give it to her, and ask her what's wrong...

"Emily and Catherine were in a wreck, Emily's hurt and they're taking her to the hospital..."

Blood leaves fingers and face... heart jumps in throat... I manage to ask what hospital and after some confusion I find out which one... I tell my parents what happened and my mom drives me to the hospital... I will not go into detail of what was going through my head in those 15 minutes... although we did come within a quarter mile of the wreck scene, (we saw the police lights).  Anyway, we get there and Miss Kitty (Em's mom) and another lady from our church are already there...  "Emily's okay...."  THANK GOD!!!!  But she's still in bad shape...  In a little while it seemed our whole entire church showed up... We joked that we should just have service in the ER and skip Sunday morning...

Over that day, and in the few days following, we learned how the happened.  Apparently, Catherine made a perfectly legal U-turn on the highway, and some jerk speeding something insane in a brand new Mustang plowed into them from behind... (there were 200 feet of skid marks bytheway...)  The passenger side door was thrown open and Emily's seatbelt failed and broke (or something) and she was thrown from the vehicle... In the hospital all she said she could remember were black ladies in choir robes praying over her... (We thought at the time that she had been halucinating or had had one of those "pseudo-death" experiences.) 

Miss Kitty:  She says all she remembers was a big black lady in a choir robe praying over her.

Older Sister:  What, did she die and go to heaven or something?

Miss Kitty:  If she did, why would she come back?

Emily:  I forgot my purse... there's money in there that needs to go to the bank...

(Actually there was a choir in a van that had witnessed the and stopped and prayed over her... I don't know who they are but God knows and I thank them through Him.)

We waited in the waiting room quite a while... It thinned out after a while though... Sean (the guy with the rented Jag) and Miranda (her older sister) and myself ran various errands for Miss Kitty...  But Sean, in all his wisdom sends a message to Emily...

Sean:  Tell Emily that if she hurries up we can still make the late show...

My mom:  Emily said to tell you... let me quote this right... she says "to stick your big bald head in a toilet."

She must not have realized that she was being funny... as I learned today when we talked about it later... that was meant to be a serious insult... it nevertheless lightened our spirits at the time...

Anyway... Catherine, was released from the scene of the wreck after a while and arrived at the hospital... before too long.. her nose was bleeding and she had a headache... she tried to hide it bless her heart... but her sister did what she should have and told her dad, who took her to a Lake Afterhours (which is like a hospital run emergency check up center type-thing).  She failed a balance test... and with the headache they worried she had a concussion and sent her to the other hospital (the one Emily wasn't at.)  She had to stay there until 5:30 in the morning... but thank Christ there was no concussion.

I stayed at the hospital in the waiting room until Em got to leave at 1:00 am.  She was so ged up she didn't even remember that I was there.  (I don't think she actually remembers it at all...)  It was definately a hard night to deal with... and there is a good bit of story I don't have room for here... but I think I hit the major details and remembered the comic relief...

Please continue to pray for both Emily and Catherine... they both need healing... Emily more physical and Catherine more emotional... 

Praise be to God!  For His mercy endures forever!

It's baaaack! The newest episode in the Troy adventure series:  INDIAN AMBUSH!

Starring Troy as a cowboy!  &  Starring Elise as his wife!

And costarring Uncle JJ and Uncle Ian as Indians!

Stay tuned to the blog of Semiomniscient for further details!!!

Back a long time ago, people started to go live out west on the western frontier… The western frontier was dangerous for many reasons… one of those reasons was the Indians!

Cowboy Troy and his wife Elise decided that they’d go out west and make a new life for themselves… so Cowboy Troy and Elise began their journey through the wilderness…

And it was not before too long...

That suddenly an Indian appeared before them!

Cowboy Troy and the Indian didn’t trust each other and a fight broke out…

And the two struggled for Cowboy Troy’s rifle…

But when Cowboy Troy broke free…

He shot the native!

And the Indian there died…

And Cowboy Troy tried to comfort his wife...

But lurking behind some trees was another Indian…

And he was armed with a bow and arrow…

The Indian crept out from the trees, but Cowboy Troy noticed him…

But the Indian shot his arrow first!

And the arrow hit Cowboy Troy right in the chest!

And to Elise’s horror… he died…

And the Indian danced joyously in victory!

But Elise did not mourn for her husband yet.  Being the quick thinking lass that she was…

She took the rifle…

And shot the Indian…dead…

And the poor widow returned to the city where she spent the rest of her days…

THE END

:::CAST:::

Cowboy Troy:  Troy

Elise:  Elise

Indian #1: Uncle Ian

Indian #2: Uncle JJ

The canal behind my house...

Another picture of the canal behind my house...

Two pretty azaelia flowers...

A different view of the huge Spanish Oak in the backyard...

*sigh*  For Louisiana spring is almost over...

You did ask for a sign... this is it...

What did you expect, a lightning bolt?

Ripped off Misterghoulie... who ripped it from someone else...

A - Age you got your first kiss: 13

B - Band listening to right now: n/a

C - Crush: Emily... she's my gf of two years though... but she still gives me goosebumps...

D - Dad's Name: Tom

E - Easiest person to talk to:  Christine

F - Favorite bands at the moment: My Chemical Romance, Greenday, Jimmy Eat World

G - Gummy worms or gummy bears?: gummy worms
H - Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA

I - Instruments: Clarinets RULE!!!
J- Junior High: Sherwood
K - Kids: However many God wills... I prefer more than zero...

L - Longest car ride ever: um... probably from B.R. to Paduka, Kentucky

M - Mom's name: Eileen

N - Nicknames: Jamie, Uncle JJ, JJ, Jamesie

O - One wish: Abolish all false religions... (So I guess I'm wishing for Christ's return... but that's imminent anyway...)

P - Phobia[s]: Arachniphobia

Q - Quote: "What is Truth?"  -Pontius Pilate

R - Reason to smile: Emily

S- Last song you heard: The Coast to Coast theme song...

T - Time you woke up [today]: 8:15am

U - Unknown fact about me: Sharing this would invalidate the question...

V - Vegetable you : cabbage

W - Worst habit(s):  I quit biting my nails... but I drum on things a good bit...

X - X-rays you've had: chest, elbow, knee, and teeth

Y - Yummy food: MEAT!

Z - Zodiac sign: Cancer

I shaved off my "beard".  I guess it's okay to call it that... my mom said it looked like my chin was dirty or something... But I shaved it off today... Emily wasn't too happy about that... She said she didn't like my chin anymore... I was not so happy about that... I even told her I was going to do it!  She must've been all high on the meds or something... oooh well...

I actually heard a good Episcopalian sermon today... shocking from a Presbyterian I know!

I was thinking that I should list all the mainline denominations and give their stereotypical fault...  like Presbyterians being procrastinators... and Episcopalians loving their wine even more than Catholics... lol... just something to do in good fun... but I think I should leave that up to the youngins...

anyway... to bed with me!

My clean clothes you hold,
While the others are fold.
In the closet you sit,
Hanging clothes that don't fit.

When you're bare,
You're thrown on the floor.
Then somehow,
You get stuck behind the door.

I bend you out of shape,
And marvel at how mom goes ape.
I say "But it's only a hanger you see."
But secretly you're more to me.

As Captain Hook, I fight Peter Pan.
And you stand in for my missing hand.
As Robin Hood, you are my bow.
You're just more things than mom could know.

Just so many things you can be,
Sometimes I wish that others could see.
That a hanger is not just for hanging clothes,
It's for all of the above, even for hanging from your nose.

-J.E.B. Mungall

This is just a picture I found surfing around photobucket...

Tomorrow should be the Consuming Fire Fellowship's visit to campus.  I'm going to try and remember to bring the camera... But just by this photograph you get the picture of the kind of folks I deal with.  Whether it's true or not isn't the point... for in truth ALL mankind deserves hellfire... Only because Christ's righteousness is accounted to us are we saved.  But this is just a preview of the post I'm hoping to make...  I think you see where it's going... 

In Christ's Peace,

James

it's almost noon... and I'm still tired... I should be awake already!  WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!

I keep hitting refresh on my inbox... then I bounce back to my email... then my mindsay inbox... ugh... how silly I am...

I've been trying to come up with some entry ideas... (Of course they are mostly religious in nature.)  But I wanted to maybe give everyone a sneak preview of what I was thinking... and maybe take some input and suggestions for the listed topics and suggestions for some not listed. 

• Christian Denominational Compare-Contrast (Series)
• Cult vs. Christian Compare-Contrast (Series)
• Church Scorecard
• The Authority of the Church
• Hellfire and Brimstone:  Right but "Wrong"? (possible series)
• Predestination
• N.T. Wright:  The Resurrection
• The Presbyterian Church in America
• General Thoughts on the Naturalist Worldview
• Attempting to Publish a Picturebook:  A Frog Story  (A Series of Failures)  (Series)
• Eschotology (Series)
• Premillenialism, Postmillenialism, Preterism, and other views
• Tribulation and Rapture (or rather NO Rapture.)
• Symbolism
• Antichrist:  Pope/antipope, U.S. President, Islamic Leader, Jewish Leader?  (Theories)
• Temple Mount:  Rebuilding the Temple.  "When the dome goes... start praying!"
• 666:  Theories
• and others...

So... what does everyone think?  The eschotology series is going to be a real trip... 

This is the first installment of a new series concerning Christian denominations.  I think it is important to have at least a grasp on what other Christians believe whether you agree with it or not.  I am only generally summarizing the beliefs of the denominations as to save space and time (and because I don’t know everything about each.)  I also want to note that there are different movements within each denomination that differ from the other but the basic doctrine is the same.  (Such as some Presbyterian movements allowing women clergy and others disallowing it.)  I must give credit to Robert M. Bowman Jr. who is the author of a pamphlet which is the main source for this series  (it’s surprising how much I’ve actually plagiarized here…at least I’m crediting the source right?)  So now without further ado…

~THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH~

Founded:  Catholics believe Jesus’ disciple Peter to be the first pope who died circa 66 A.D.  Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 A.D.) was the first pope who was considered the ruling earthly authority over the entire church.

Adherents:  About 1 billion worldwide; 62 million, USA

How Scripture is Viewed:  The Scriptures teach without error the truth needed for our salvation.  Scripture must be interpreted within the Tradition of the Church.  The apocrypha is included with the Old Testament.

Who is God:  The One Creator and Lord of all, existing eternally as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Who is Jesus:  The eternal Son incarnate, fully God and fully man, conceived and born of the virgin Mary, died on the Cross for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will come in glory to judge us all.

How are we saved:  Christ died as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins; God by grace infuses a supernatural gift of faith in Christ to those who are baptized, which is maintained by doing good works and receiving Penance and Eucharist. 

Afterlife:  The souls of Christians go to heaven, or if having died with unrepented sin, go to purgatory where they are purified and then admitted to heaven.  The souls of the wicked are eternally punished in hell.

The Church:  The church is the Body of Christ, established by Christ with the Bishop of Rome (the pope) who may pronounce dogma (infallible doctrine by which Catholics must abide.)  The pope is the church’s earthy head, which has been passed by apostolic succession all the way back to St. Peter.  Christians not in communion with the Roman Catholic church are called “Separated Brethren.”

Sacraments:  Baptism removes original sin (usually in infants).  In the Eucharist, the substance (but not properties) of bread and wine are changed into Jesus’ body and blod.  (Transubstantiation.)

Other Beliefs on Note:  Mary was conceived sinless (Immaculate conception), remained a virgin perpetually, and was assumed bodily into heaven.  She is considered the mother of the church and is considered an object of devotion and veneration (a show of honor that stops short of worship.) 

There are some (not Catholics) who worship the Virgin Mary, but they would be considered cultists and are rejected by the Church and its teachings.  (This is a usual accusation against Roman Catholicism that I thought I’d address.)

Priests may not marry.

Trends: About ¼ of Catholics are doctrinally conservative.  Some priests and parishioners accept liberal, pluralist, beliefs that are contrary to church teaching.

~EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH~

Founded:  The “Great Schism” in 1054 caused the Greek speaking church to break away from the Latin speaking church and the Eastern Orthodox church was founded.

Adherents:  About 225 million worldwide; 3-5 million, USA

Scripture:  The Scriptures are without error in matters of faith only.  Scripture must be interpreted within the Sacred Tradition of the Church (especially in seven Ecumenical councils (325-787 A.D.)  (The Catholic Bible plus three additional books.)

Who is God:  The One Creator and Lord of all, existing eternally as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Who is Jesus:  The eternal Son incarnate, fully God and fully man, conceived and born of the virgin Mary, died on the Cross for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will come in glory to judge us all.

Salvation:  Christ became human and perished so that humans might be deified (theosis) that is to say that they may have the energy of God’s life in them (not become gods as it may sound).  Through the sacraments and participation in the church God’s people receive the benefits of Christ’s redeeming work as they persevere.

Afterlife:  The souls of Christians are purified as needed (a process of growth rather than punishment) then get a foretaste of eternal blessing in heaven.  The souls of the wicked get a foretaste of eternal punishment in hell.

The Church:  The Body of Christ in unbroken lineage to the apostles, changelessly maintaining the faith of the undivided church as expressed in the creeds.  It is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.  Organized nationally (Armenian, Greek, Russian, etc.)  with its bishops under the leadership of the patriarchs of which the bishop of Constantinople is “first among equals”.

Sacraments:  Baptism initiates God’s life within the one baptized (usually infants).  In the Eucharist, bread and wine are changed into Christ’s physical elements (a mystery left to be unexplained).

Other Beliefs of Note:  Mary was cleansed of sin when Gabriel appeared to her.  She remained a virgin perpetually, and (in tradition not dogma) was assumed bodily into heaven.  Icons (pictures of Christ or saints) are objects of veneration through which Christ is to be worshiped.  Iconography was in contrast to Roman Catholic statues by which the Easter Church thought was in violation of the commandment to not make graven images.  Some see icons as “windows into heaven”.

Trends:  About 1/3 are doctrinally conservative.  Most Orthodox bodies are members of the National Council of Churches, whose liberal direction is causing some concern.

~THE LUTHERAN CHURCH~

Founded:  1517 Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” (challenges to Roman Catholic teaching) usually is the mark of the beginning of the protestant reformation.  1530:  The Augsburg Confession is written: (The first formal Lutheran Confession of Faith).

Adherents:  About 60 million worldwide (all branches) over 8 million USA.

Scripture:  Sole authoritative witness to the Gospel.  Conservatives view scripture as inerrant.  (Standard protestant cannon accepted.)

Who is God:  The One Creator and Lord of all, existing eternally as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Who is Jesus:  The eternal Son incarnate, fully God and fully man, conceived and born of the virgin Mary, died on the Cross for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will come in glory to judge us all.

Salvation:  Saved by grace alone (sola gratia) when God imputes to us the Righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ.  This is achieved solely by faith (sola fide). Good works are the consequential result of true faith, but in no way justify us before God.

Afterlife:  Upon dying, souls of Christians go immediately to be with Christ, and at His return are raised bodily to immortal and eternal life.  The souls of the wicked immediately begin eternal suffering in hell.

The Church:  The congregation of believers (mixed with the lost) in which the Gospel is taught and the sacraments rightly administered.  All believers are considered “priests” as in they have direct access to God.  (This seems to be in reaction to Roman Catholic priest intercession.)  All ministers are pastors, and some serve as bishops.  In the end of the 20th century, the ECLA was considered in ministerial unity with the Episcopal church.

Sacraments:  Baptism is necessary for salvation; in it both s and infants receive God’s grace.  The Lord’s Supper remains truly bread and wine but ALSO Jesus’ physical elements (consubstantiation).

Other Beliefs of Note:  Some members accept Mary’s immaculate conception, but not other Marian doctrines.  The church’s liturgy is very similar to Episcopalian.  The church also accepts the doctrine of predestination.

~ANGLICAN CHURCH~

(Episcopalian)

Founded:  1534:  King Henry VIII was declared head of the Church of England.  1549:  Thomas Cranmer produces first “Book of Common Prayer”.

Adherents:  45-75? Million worldwide; 2.3 million USA.

Scripture:  The Scriptures teach without error the truth needed for our salvation and is primary norm for faith.  Scripture must be interpreted in light of tradition and reason. 

Who is God:  The One Creator and Lord of all, existing eternally as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Who is Jesus:  The eternal Son incarnate, fully God and fully man, conceived and born of the virgin Mary, died on the Cross for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will come in glory to judge us all.

Salvation:  Christ suffered and died as an offering for sin, freeing us from sin and reconciling us to God; we share is Christ’s victory when in baptism we become living members of the church, believing on Him and keeping His commandments.

Afterlife:  Souls of believers are purified as needed to enjoy full communion with God, and at Christ’s return they are raised to the fullness of eternal life.  Those who reject God face eternal deth. 

Church:  The Body of Christ whose unity is based on “apostolic succession” of which the Bishop of Rome (the pope) is one of many.  It is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.  The Anglican Church is represented by the Archbishop of Canterbury but he is not an Anglican equivalent to the Roman Catholic pope.  The Anglican Church in the USA is known as the Episcopal Church.  

Sacraments:  “Outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace.”  Infants and converts are baptized.  Christ’s elements are really present in communion (whether physically or spiritually).

Other beliefs of note:  Members are free to accept Roman Catholic doctrines of Mary.  The Book of Common Prayer is the norm for liturgy.  Priests may marry.  In 1976 the Episcopalian Church approved the ordination of women.  Same-sex marriage and ordination of s are matters of debate within the Episcopalian church.

Trends:  In the USA, most belong to the Episcopal Church.  About one-fifth are doctrinally conservative.  The 39 Articles (1571) are the doctrinal basis for the Reformed Episcopal Church and other conservative splinter groups.

I do not like the threads:

I do not like them very well

I do not like them even with html

I do not like them without themes

I do not like them from the seams

I do not want another livejournal

Threads are dull, boring, and infernal

If you feel the same distaste as I

Please oh please leave a threaded reply!

I noticed this on farfromhome1987's "reply page"  This is a glitch... maybe something is wrong with threads!  Maybe they'll just have to rethink the whole plan!  Mwahahaha!  (I don't really mean to be a butt... I know our admins. work hard for mindsay.  I'm just giving them good appropriate feedback!)

As some of you may recall, I was planning on writing a story about a frog.  I intended this story to be read (and shown) to Emily when she got her wisdom teeth out.  I've since finished it and I want to thank the WONDERFUL SANDY who gave me the wonderful premise for the book.

The story is about Hubert the frog.  Hubert lives in a swamp where there are flies everywhere!  Where it's every frog's paradise.  The problem is that Hubert can't stand flies!  So the story is about Hubert's short adventure trying to find some tasty food and his encounters with other animals that want to make Hubert their food!  Here are just two pictures that I colored that gives the general jist of the story...

Here Hubert makes his escape from a bird that wants him as lunch... and in the next Hubert finds that dragonflies don't taste any better than flies...

Tell me what you think! 

~The Gecko Eulogy~

We come here today to mourn the passing and recall the memory of The Gecko, better known as the Geico Gecko.

The Gecko is not survived by any known relatives, but I would like to acknowledge the presence of representatives from the Geico Insurance company, especially Mr. Tony Nicely, Chairman President and CEO of Geico Insurance. 

Gecko came to us from Chattanooga, Tennessee from parents of British descent.  He was discovered by the Geico Insurance company ad agency in 1999.   He made his debut in the 1999-2000 television season.  From there he developed a fan base from which would spring the most successful ad campaign since the Oscar Mayer jingle!  Throughout the years he has entertained us by always keeping his cool in tight and stressful situations.  Through his efforts, in 2004, The Geico Insurance company had 97% customer satisfaction.  But to the Gecko that wasn’t enough… he embarked on a campaign to get that final 3% to have perfect customer satisfaction.  However sadly, on this brave and ambitious campaign, our friend the Gecko died from complications of an oversized heart… But nevertheless he got that final 3%…

From the Gecko we can learn to be cool in tight situations… to always maintain that cool British accent.  To never settle for 97%… but to always go for the full 100%.  (glance at professor here)  

Our beloved Gecko is gone from this world.  We will miss him dearly… but there’s good news in all of this…

Name in band names: 

Jimmy Eat World

Alman Brothers

My Chemical Romance

Ellington, Duke

Sea Level

2) Have you ever had a song written about you? Not to my knowledge... 
3) What song makes you cry?  Depending on the situation but "It is well" as achieved such status...

4) What song makes you happy? Hands Down, Dashboard Confessional
5) What do you like to listen to before bed? Helena, My Chemical Romance or Saints and Sailors, Dashboard Confessional
a p p e a r a n c e
HEIGHT: 6'2''
HAIR COLOR: dirty  
SKIN COLOR: light

EYE COLOR: hazel.
PIERCINGS: hmm... let's not...

TATTOOS: ditto
r i g h t . n o w
WHAT COLOR PANTS ARE YOU WEARING?: blue... how boring of me!

WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO?: none

WHAT TASTE IS IN YOUR MOUTH?: milk...souring...

WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE?: quite nice... hey... why ain't I out there?
HOW ARE YOU? stressed about speech tomorrow...

d o. y o u
GET MOTION SICKNESS?: not really
HAVE A BAD HABIT?: sure... quit biting my nails though!

GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS?: great!
LIKE TO DRIVE?: Enough that I don't mind going places... not so much where I just cruise... 

f a v o r i t e s
TV SHOW: Star Trek: TNG and DSN
CONDITIONER: don't use it! 

BOOK: LOTR... duh...
NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINK: orange juice

ALCOHOLIC DRINK: I like a good port wine...  and I like whatever liquor in coke as well... that's just too easy... I also like black bush...

THING TO DO ON THE WEEKEND: See Emily... rest... do something interesting perhaps?
BAND OR GROUP or SINGER: Anything from Frank Sinatra to My Chemical Romance to Bach...

h a v e . y o u
BROKEN THE LAW: yes..
RAN AWAY FROM HOME: nope
SNUCK OUT OF THE HOUSE: only for a few minutes... SHHH!!!

EVER GONE SKINNY DIPPING: ahaha... no... but under those trunks... I'm completely void of garmenture
MADE A PRANK PHONE CALL: I thought I had... but I don't recall it...

EVER TIPPED OVER A PORTA POTTY: No... but someone very close to me did!
USED YOUR PARENTS' CREDIT CARD BEFORE: yeah... but silly me... I had permission...

SKIPPED SCHOOL BEFORE: SHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

FELL ASLEEP IN THE SHOWER/BATH: sure have... it's comfy in there...

BEEN IN A SCHOOL PLAY: Yeah!  It was a musical and I was Johnny be good...!

LET A FRIEND CRY ON YOUR SHOULDER: yeah...

l o v e
GURLFRIEND: Obfuscationator  (Emily)
CHILDREN: Haha... aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?

CURRENT CRUSH: see above...
YOUR GREATEST REGRET: hmmm.... now why would I share such information?

GONE OUT WITH A SOMEONE YOU ONLY KNEW FOR THREE DAYS: umm... wow... that's Taya to a T... dang... that was stupid... dumb highschool freshmen...


r a n d o m
DO YOU HAVE A JOB: LSU Library

YOUR CD PLAYER HAS IN IT RIGHT NOW: My Chemical Romance
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?: Scripture, Emily, family... (especially Troy and Elise)
WHAT'S THE NEXT CD YOU'RE GONNA GET?: Not a clue...

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER GOOD FRIENDS?: Emily (duh), Jonathan, Charlotte, Chris, and ofcourse my brothers, and some others... then the select few mindsayers... you know who you are... Holla at the crowd in SC!!!

w h e n / w h a t . w a s . t h e . l a s t
TIME YOU CRIED?: On the way to see Em is the hospital...
YOU GOT E-MAIL: today
THING YOU PURCHASED:  Pie ingredients... 
TV PROGRAM YOU WATCHED: REAL TV (on SpikeTV)

MOVIE YOU SAW AT THE THEATER: The Ring 2... BLECH!!!  (It's only saving grace was that Emily was hanging on my arm the entire time... )

I was thinking the other day after reading O' Ye Jigs and Juleps about how denominations could have their own theme hymn.  I thought it was funny how the little Episcopalian lass thought the Baptists odd that they sang about a Fountain of Blood... where they (the Episcopalians) sang about Crowning with many Crowns... (She thought that crowning was better than being plunged in a fountain of blood... ;))  I have a few ideas for denominational theme hymns... but I wanted to get your take on it.   (I'm trying to go for a traditional hymn theme for a denomination... For instance, I don't want to consider "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" for the Roman Catholics [whether they sing it or not.]  Because it was written by Martin Luther [who is credited with beginning the Protestant Reformation].  I'm thinking you get the drift...  ) 

So let me know what you think your denomination theme hymn (or praise song if you're charismatic or the like {don't want to disclude any brethren here}.)  Or let me know what hymn you think another denomination should be.  Try to keep in mind the author of the hymn and where it's taken from.  

In His Peace,

James

P.S.  SOURCES to look at!

These are not necessarily denomination specific hymns.... as many denominations share hymns between hymnals...  This is just the general source of information...

  http://www.hymnsite.com/  (Methodist Hymns)

http://www.cyberhymnal.org (inter-denominational hymns)

http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/ (Lutheran Hymns) 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/ (Anglican {Episcopalian} Hymns) 

http://www.shrineofsaintjude.net/home1681.html (a few Roman Catholic Hymns)

http://www.stjameschicago.org/hymnal/ (Presbyterian Hymns)

http://members.aol.com/jweaver303/hymn/ (Baptist Hymns)

AMENDUM:  You are not limited in denomination by the links I have posted here... feel free to post any theme hymns for whatever denomination you wish... 

Sooo I went to see Emily tonight.  She is doing somewhat better.  She still has glass in her foot and it is infected.  So she went to the doctor today and is having surgery on Monday.  I've been worried about her (for obvious reasons)...  But tonight really lifted my spirits (and I think her's too).  We watched American Idol... (because it's her favorite show...;))  Then I painted her fingernails... silver... I'm a first-timer (surprise!)  She said I did good for it being my first time... *shrugs*  It was fun anyway... kinda like a mini-powertrip for some reason... We talked and what not and hung out with her little brother Kevin.  Then we played Mario Kart 64...  She's not so hott at videogames...  but she's definately hott...  (I had to put that in somewhere!  Because you wouldn't expect someone who's spent the majority of their time inside for weeks to look gorgeous... but she tends to defy all odds anyway... ;))  Yeah... she just makes me all mushy inside.  I was so glad to see her... She's the lass I'm gonna marry...  Godwilling that is...

On another note, please read the previous entry and leave a response/nomination if you feel so inclined. 

In His Peace,

James

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/f/tfountfb.htm

There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
lose all their guilty stains;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.

2. The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
and there may I, though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.
Wash all my sins away,
wash all my sins away;
and there may I, though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.

3. Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
shall never lose its power
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more,
be saved, to sin no more;
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.

4. E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream
thy flowing wounds supply,
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die,
and shall be till I die;
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.

5. Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I'll sing thy power to save,
when this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave,
lies silent in the grave;
when this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.

(This is for the non-demonationals just so you won't be discluded).

1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
was blind, but now I see.

2. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed.

3. Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

4. The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.

5. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

6. When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise
than when we first begun.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/holygod.htm

Holy God, we praise Thy Name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee!
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in Heaven above adore Thee;
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark! the loud celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising,
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising;
Fill the heavens with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord.

Lo! the apostolic train
Join the sacred Name to hallow;
Prophets swell the loud refrain,
And the white robed martyrs follow;
And from morn to set of sun,
Through the Church the song goes on.

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/f/o/ofor1000.htm

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

He speaks, and, listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive,
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

In Christ your Head, you then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

Glory to God, and praise and love
Be ever, ever given,
By saints below and saints above,
The church in earth and heaven.

On this glad day the glorious Sun
Of Righteousness arose;
On my benighted soul He shone
And filled it with repose.

Sudden expired the legal strife,
’Twas then I ceased to grieve;
My second, real, living life
I then began to live.

Then with my heart I first believed,
Believed with faith divine,
Power with the Holy Ghost received
To call the Savior mine.

I felt my Lord’s atoning blood
Close to my soul applied;
Me, me He loved, the Son of God,
For me, for me He died!

I found and owned His promise true,
Ascertained of my part,
My pardon passed in heaven I knew
When written on my heart.

Look unto Him, ye nations, own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.

See all your sins on Jesus laid:
The Lamb of God was slain,
His soul was once an offering made
For every soul of man.

Awake from guilty nature’s sleep,
And Christ shall give you light,
Cast all your sins into the deep,
And wash the Æthiop white.

Harlots and publicans and thieves
In holy triumph join!
Saved is the sinner that believes
From crimes as great as mine.

Murderers and all ye hellish crew
In holy triumph join!
Believe the Savior died for you;
For me the Savior died.

With me, your chief, ye then shall know,
Shall feel your sins forgiven;
Anticipate your heaven below,
And own that love is heaven.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/gotitotm.htm

We are people of God's peace as a new creation.
Love unites and strengthens us at this celebration.
Sons and daughters of the Lord, serving one another,
a new covenant of peace binds us all together.

We are children of God's peace in this new creation,
spreading joy and happiness, through God's great salvation.
Hope we bring in spirit meek, in our daily living.
Peace with ev'ryone we seek, good for evil giving.

We are servants of God's peace, of the new creation.
Choosing peace, we faithfully serve with heart's devotion.
Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, confidence will give us.
Christ the Lord is our defense; Christ will never leave us.

I know there are more denominations... but many of them aren't exactly known for their hymnology...  If I've left you out (like I did the Pentecostals)  please speak up and suggest a hymn that best themes your denomination.  (I've been looking closely at the authors of hymns if you'll notice.)  I'll do a post explaining why I chose what in the near future... it will be a hymn finale!  Hurry up and suggest your favorite! 

In His Peace,

James

This is the basic church scorecard created by my brother Daniel.  I will post entries explaining each category and how my brother deems they be ranked. 

~Music~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)
Music – the prelude, congregational singing, canter, band, choir, offertory, postlude, etc
Significant levels
10 – Bach is at the organ, Handel leads the choir (or it feels that way)
6-7 – A good selection of hymns from a hymnal (no praise music)
3 – Cheesy, insipid contemporary music – but good presentation
This is modified by:
~ the text of the music
~style of presentation/performance (is the offertory someone singing to a back-up tape?)
~congregational involvement
~balance of contemporary v. traditional

~Prayer~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)
Prayer – all communication with God that involves the closing of eyes, bowing of heads
Significant levels
10 – The perfect prayer – balancing intercession, confession, praise, humility and good word choice 
6-7 – A nice balance of respectful praying using most of the list for the perfect prayer
3 – Bland, vague prayer
This is modified by
~Are they lacking an aspect from the above list? (usually confession of sin)
~Do they use a word (Lord, Jesus, Father, something else) when they should be using “Um”
~Do they name the people who are sick? Or do they say “we pray for our list”

~Dogma~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)
Dogma – Do they believe in the right things?
Significant levels
10 – The mind of God (good luck proving it!)
6-7 – They appear to believe pretty much like you do
3 – Severe questions of the holiness of this place
1 – Unitarian (anything goes!)
This is modified by
~Beliefs on Communion
~Subtle phrasing in prayer or preaching that drop clues
~Altar call (I saw a lesbo couple admitted to an American Baptist church)

~Readings~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Readings – Do they read enough?
Significant levels
9 – Significant reading for the sermon, supplemental reading and Psalms/Proverbs 40+ verses
6-7 – Average reading during the service 15-40 verses
 3 – Poor reading during the service 3-15 verses
1 – What’s a book?

This is modified by
 The appropriateness of the readings
 Does it have a theme?

~Message~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Message – Do they have something to say?
Significant levels
9 – It grabs you and convicts you of the need for correction.  You can remember it.  Scripturally based
6-7 – This message has a significant use in your life
 3 – Predictable and bland – of no use to you
1 – I’m supposed to say something?

This is modified by
 Memorableness
 Usefulness
 Scripturally sound?

~Obligatory Greeting~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Obligatory Greeting – Do they make you greet your pew neighbor?
Significant levels
10 - None
6-7 – It is technically before worship begins
 3 – It is in the middle of worship and people “pass the peace” or some such – no major interruption
1 – Service essentially dismisses while people greet

This is modified by
 Does anyone speak personally to you during this ceremony?
 How badly does it interrupt the worship?
 What are you supposed to say?

~Non-Obligatory Greeting~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Non Obligatory Greeting – Does your pew neighbor greet you?
Significant levels
10 – You’ve found your new best friend at church
6-7 – People engage in meaningful conversation with you – even though you don’t know them
 3 – None
 

This is modified by
 Does anyone speak personally to you after/before worship?

~Atmosphere~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Atmosphere – How do you feel about your surroundings during worship?
Significant levels
10 – You don’t want to leave this holy place
6-7 – You feel very comfortable with the surroundings
 3 – You feel significantly uncomfortable in the surroundings
1 – You bolted for the door in the middle of the service
 

This is modified by
 Architecture
 Lighting (is it track lighting, are you at a rock concert?)
 Furniture & arrangement
 Noise Level (is there chatter?)
 Clergy & attire of same (I’m not fond of women clergy)
 Projectors and Powerpoint slides
 Sales pitches
 Cameras in obtrusive places

~Intangibles~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Intangibles – Everything else
Significant levels
10 – Can’t put your finger on why it is perfect
6-7 – Acceptable
 3 – Unacceptable

Some things in here
 They had interpretive dance
 Sheriffs were directing traffic in the parking lot (they should go inside too!)
 Something about the congregation was off

~OVERALL~
Explanation
Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (perfect)

Overall – Do the things that matter most score in the acceptable range
Significant levels
10 – Perfect – you’ve found heaven!
 7 – Acceptable
 6 – Mildly Unacceptable – could have been a bad day
 3 – Unacceptable – never again
 1 – You need a new set of tires from the rubber left in the parking lot  

Would you return?

Could it have been a bad day?
Was the regular preacher there?
You are looking for a date and/or they have a good “x” program
 where “x” is something you are looking for

From time to time Dad checks my blog and he threw his two-cents in on the hymn entries that I thought I'd share with you.  (I won't post the entire email but I'll give the jist of it.)

"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"

The following is a sermon by Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright.  For those of you who cannot attend church tomorrow, I suggest you read his sermon here and sing the hymn I've linked as well.  I'm sorry I can't give you communion too...

Pilgrims of Hope Isaiah 55.1-13; Mark 8.34-9.1

N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham

on the occasion of his enthronement in Durham Cathedral October 12th 2003

'You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.' The majestic central section of Isaiah concludes dramatically with this song, the song of God's pilgrim people coming back from exile to the promised land. It is a song of new creation; of a sick world not abandoned to its fate but healed and renewed by the sovereign power of God himself. It's a song for our time. It's a song for our world. It's a song for our church. (Turn back a page in your service booklet and you'll see how it works.)

The final sentence contains a promise we desperately need. Our world has been confronted again in the last century by the fact of radical evil. From the Flanders mud to the stench of Auschwitz, from genocide in Rwanda to the living hell of 9/11, from current wars and rumours of wars - and their aftermath - to current global policies of exploitation and pollution, we face what some have called the new problem of evil. The old fantasy that the world would get better if only we tried a little harder has turned sour. Something is wrong at a structural level with the world, and with human inclination and imagination.

Today's culture has largely recognised that the arrogant dreams of secular modernity are built on sand. In Christian language, the good creation of the gracious God has somehow acquired a twist. If we don't see this, we are not just behind the times culturally, not just naive theologically, but worryingly unobservant. If you doubt what I say, walk around the housing estates with 50% unemployment in parts of South Shields; or talk to the farmers in Upper Weardale, facing debts just as unpayable as those of Zambia. These aren't minor glitches in a society that's steadily improving; they are the tell-tale signs that, despite all our cultural and scientific advances, evil is still a four-letter word. And the biblical symbol for evil, structural evil, affecting earth and trees and animals, evil coiling its poisonous way around human hearts and lives - the biblical symbol for evil is the garden gone wrong, thorns and briers where there should have been fruitful shrubs and trees. And now here's the promise: instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle. This is the song of new creation: new creation in which the horrid entail of evil and has been done away with, so that God's project of life and light and delight can go forward at last.

This is the song of the pilgrims of hope.

How does new creation happen? The previous sentence, at the end of the middle paragraph, explains strikingly. God's energy, God's operating power for this new creation, is his Word. God speaks, as in Genesis itself, and things happen, new things, like fresh plants after rain or snow. And the new plants give human beings new and fruitful tasks: seed for the sower, bread for the eater. God's word will be like that. The early Christians applied the idea of God's Word to Jesus himself, God's living self-expression, and to the gospel message about Jesus, the message finally set out in the New Testament. The living word, the written word, the preached word, the prayed word - always elusive, never in our control, precisely because it is God's own word; but for the same reason always powerful, always fruitful, always unexpectedly bringing new creation. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand for ever. And with that word there will grow myrtle instead of briar, cypress instead of thorn.

Part of the point about God's word is that it's always initially hard to comprehend. God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are his ways our ways. We want the wrong things, we hunt for the wrong things: why spend money for something that isn't bread? Why work for things that aren't satisfying? - a challenge which might have been written yesterday. We can't assume, as many do today, that our unaided thoughts will lead us to the life-giving truth about God, or that our task is simply to discover how the world currently is and assume that all it needs is acceptance, with perhaps a little improvement here and there. We have to learn to think differently, to hear a fresh word and order our thoughts and aspirations accordingly. Of course grace fulfils nature; the God of new creation is the same God who made the world in the first place; but in Christian theology grace fulfils nature by putting it to and bringing it to new life. That's why the prophet's invitation to the thirsty to come and drink (don't you like that, God saying, 'Come and have a drink - no money? don't worry, it's all on me') that's why the invitation runs into the urgent summons: seek the Lord while you can find him, abandon your old way and take up a different one. We can all get trapped in the downward spiral of evil. What we need is not tolerance but mercy, not inclusion, but pardon. And that's what's on offer as we are summoned to the pilgrim way, to the pilgrim song. We are going up to Jerusalem; not a disembodied heaven, but heaven on earth, the kingdom of God come with power. Don't get me wrong (I'm not, of course, getting at any newspapers or television stations in particular); of course there's a life after ; the good news, the Christian news, is that there's a life after 'life after ', a newly embodied resurrection life, myrtle instead of briar, the new creation that forms the climax of Isaiah's pilgrim song, the song of hope.

And now turn back to St Mark, at the top of page 18 in the booklet. Here is the same pilgrim song in a new key. This time, the mountains around Jerusalem, and the hills of Judea, will sing for joy when the Messiah appears - but he will be rejected and killed. If anyone is thirsty, said Isaiah, come to the water; if anyone wants to come after me, said Jesus, they must deny themselves, and take up the cross, and follow me. Losing your life is the way to find it. If you're ashamed of Jesus and his words, surrounded as you are by an immoral and corrupt generation, he'll be ashamed of you. But there are some standing here who won't taste until they see God's kingdom come with power. That didn't and doesn't mean the end of the world. We still get so muddled about all that. It means God's powerful, healing, recreating love breaking in on earth as in heaven. It means the decisive defeat of the powers of evil and the decisive inauguration of God's new creation. It means, in other words, Calvary and Easter. Bonhoeffer said that when Christ calls someone, he bids them come and die. The paradox of the Christian pilgrimage, the pilgrimage of hope, is that we are called to bring our hopes, as indeed our loves and beliefs, into the presence of God, and allow them to be broken and remade.

My brothers and sisters, we are here today because we're in the kingdom business. This service, and the pilgrimage which has led up to it, are not really about one person and his calling, though I value your prayers and support more than I can possibly say. They are about the calling we share together: the calling of this diocese, this Cathedral, your parish, your deanery, your locality, your house group - the calling, first, to come to the waters and drink freely from the love of God; the calling, secondly, to take up your cross and follow Jesus into the unknown.

We shall shortly be singing John Bunyan's pilgrim hymn. We sing it as our own song of hope, for ourselves and this diocese as we celebrate the history of our community, both the distant history of Aidan, Cuthbert, Bede, Hilda and the rest, and the more recent history of Lightfoot and Westcott, of the Ramseys, of intellectual and industrial life and the way in which the church has stitched it all together. We sing it as we think of the new ventures we must make in ecumenical work (how exciting it was to celebrate the Eucharist one day last week in a church shared by Anglicans and Roman Catholics). We sing it as we think of the risks we must take in evangelism and mission, of the securities we must leave behind. We sing it as we pray about the scary intellectual journeys we must make in schools and universities. And we sing it as we go forwards into a week fraught with significance for the Anglican communion worldwide.

We don't know where we are called to go. That's part of the point. We depend moment by moment on God's guidance. During the last week, while we were on our pilgrimage, we had a printed sheet that told us where to go and who would be there to meet us. It isn't like that in the pilgrimage of hope. We know what our starting point was: it was the resurrection of Jesus, the bursting in of new creation into our world. We know what our goal is: it is the completed kingdom of God, on earth as in heaven, which remains a mysterious gift of grace even though we are called to work for it in the present. But we have no exact blueprint for how to take the next step from the one to the other, in our parishes and localities, our cities and industries, our evangelism and mission, our countryside and seashore. So that's what we have to work on together, in prayer and study and faith.

This brings us back one last time to the question of nature and grace, of creation and new creation. We sometimes talk of the whole world as a sacrament of God's presence and love, and there is deep truth in that. But the world as it is, the world of cancer and child abuse as well as of sunsets and starlight, leaves us with puzzles. The Christian sacraments do something different. They tell the story of God's powerful redemption from evil- the Israel-story, the Jesus-story - not simply God's hidden presence in the world as it is. And that redeeming, new creation love is what they make present. The sacraments don't simply point to something happening by itself; they involve human actions, which are taken up into divine actions - plunging someone in water, breaking bread, pouring wine. What we are called to in our generation - and to this task I invite you as fellow pilgrims, pilgrims of hope - is to the larger sacramental life of working to bring the powerful word of God to birth in acts through which Easter will come rushing forwards into tomorrow's world, acts through which God's final new creation will come rushing back to meet us in advance.

I've seen some of those acts this last week: a troubled school dramatically turned around; a lively community-building project created with hard work and patience on a tough estate; and many more. That's what happens when people hear the invitation to take up the cross and follow Jesus. We are called, together, to plant flags of hope along the pilgrim way: signs that speak of the powerful word of God challenging the way we normally think and live and bringing new life and hope to communities as well as to individual hearts and lives. Myrtle instead of briar; cypress instead of thorn. We are called to sow the word, to plant the shrubs, to call the world to slake its thirst in the love of God, and to join us in taking up our cross to follow Jesus into his Father's kingdom. My friends, travelling this pilgrim way costs us everything. That's what taking up the cross is all about. Many of you are already living like that, as I've seen this last week. But by the mercy of God we will go out in joy, and come again in peace; the mountains and the hills before us shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Pilgrims of Hope

+Tom Wright, 12th. October 2003

Written to be sung to the tune “Aurelia”

Meter: 76.76 D

He is our firm foundation, Christ Jesus Lord of all

He is the hope we’ve sought for, our savior from the fall

In a lowly manger came, incarnate God on earth

For love, He gave Himself, the lamb of perfect worth

Lord be our rock and helper when we must face the world

Christ be our friend, redeemer and teach us thy good word

Though we may ourselves falter, we know we rest in thee

Lord, hold us to your bosom, in blessed security

The Lord we know is faithful, His children to defend

He is the good good shepherd; God with us to the end

And by His hand protected, we’ll rise again that day

And march with Christ victorious, along His glorious way

O’ Holy Name and Holy, we call thee Lord our God

And falling down before thee, our faces in the sod

Before your glorious presence we cast our gifted crowns

Hey everyone, I have a prayer request.  Emily is having surgery tomorrow morning to remove glass (and other matter) from her infected foot.  It's out-patient surgery, but infection is still pretty serious.  Just remember her as you pray... Thanks everyone!

In His Peace,

James

Ode to Flying Cow

In the sky, there is a cow.

And all the people see.

In their minds they ask how?

Can this marvel be?

Let me take you back,

To a land far from the sea.

In a barn by a shack,

Where this thing came to be.

A mother cow was giving birth,

On a dark and stormy night.

And all the farm was full of mirth.

To see the calf, black and white.

Though black and white it was,

It was not its main feature.

It had wings covered in fuzz.

This was a very odd creature.

The farmer’s wife pitched a fit,

And ran out from the shed.

But the farmer, he had a sit,

Ran his hand over his head.

This beast, he named it Cow,

Because that was what it was.

He bothered not, asking how.

It had these wings of fuzz.

As long years past,

Cow grew wide and tall,

All his life was harassed,

For his big wings and all.

So one day, all fed up,

He made a hasty choice.

Took to the skies up and up,

Mooing his bovine voice.

Across the nation he flew.

Made many stops along the way.

He was seen by more than a few,

As he flew day by day.

To the statue of green copper,

He made his way to see.

Flew to her torch, like a chopper,

Made him so full of glee.

Around the apple flew,

This little country cow.

All this to him was new.

He was finally happy now.

He decided he’d like to stay,

In this city that never sleeps.

He was glad he went away,

From those country bumpkin creeps.

So he flew down to a place,

Where he asked to spend the night,

Pallid was the desk clerk’s face,

When he saw this abnormal sight.

Cow asked again if he could lodge,

And promised not to be loud.

The desk clerk this time did not dodge,

“Sorry, cows are not allowed.”

So he flew off to many places,

And got the same reaction.

Discouraged and full of disgraces,

His hopes had lost all traction.

Cow, upset, and weary,

Left New York, New York behind,

Of miles and miles he grew leery,

Missing the old everyday grind.

So back to the fields he flew,

To the folks who drove him off.