I've always maintained that people who get a jump on Christmas before Thanksgiving are committing a cardinal sin. ;) So as you watch this video (which happens to be as old as Joel), bear in mind that I'm not posting it because it has anything to with Christmas. I just think it's incredibly funny! And while Tennessee Ernie Ford's son steals the show, the boy in front, the "enforcer," really gets me going. He reminds me of some people I know. ;) Enjoy!
Thanks to Ben for sharing this video of how one man's childhood dream became reality. The next time I'm in Los Angeles, I would love to visit his store and experience the freedom of soda pop choice! Isn't the free market wonderful? I'm not sure the cucumber soda would be my selection though. Notice the plug for cane (same as beet) sugar as the preferred sweetener. : )
I don't recall reading anything about the life of Charles Darwin in either my high school or college biology classes, other than his five year trip around the world on the HMS Beagle. I knew he was a great naturalist and proponent of evolution, but I didn't know much else. So when I saw this month's feature article in Tabletalk magazine on the life of Charles Darwin, my curiosity was piqued. Not only was Darwin a naturalist, he was also a philosopher and theologian. He even held a degree in theology from Cambridge, although his motives for that degree were rather suspect. The possibility of church ministry in a rural pastorate was seen as an opportunity "to wander the fields for his love of nature." But what I really found interesting in the article were the facts about his marriage, which he embraced because "a woman provides better companionship than a dog." He married his cousin, Emma Wedgewood, from the wealthy Wedgewood pottery family. I guess they did things differently back then. Charles and Emma had a mixed marriage - he being an agnostic and she a believer in Christ - but they were lovingly devoted to one another. Naturally, Emma was burdened for her husband's soul. The author of the article wrote, "Charles kept some [agnostic] doubts to himself and shared others, and Emma was troubled, asking him to read John 13. They settled down in London, later moving to a country estate." How can the author drop that line about John 13 and move on without further explanation? What is in John 13 that Emma wanted Charles to read? Was it the account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, providing the example of humble service? Was it the identification of Judas as Jesus' betrayer at the Last Supper? Or was it Jesus' instruction to his disciples about his imminent death and glorification on the cross? One can only speculate, but the article does indicate that Emma longed for Charles to realize "that there was more to life than what he could observe empirically." As his agnosticism and life struggles continued, Emma remained faithful to live out her Christian witness by ministering to him and praying for him. She truly was a gift to him from the God he refused to acknowledge.
~quotes taken from "On the Origin and Descent of Charles Darwin" by Russ Pulliam
Julian and Dorothy (seated) are special people in our church family. A few of us gathered at their house this afternoon to celebrate Julian's 68th birthday. Good times! 
As I was listening to R. C. Sproul on "Renewing Your Mind," I heard him say that the most personally rewarding book he has written is The Glory of Christ. Ironically, that book absolutely flopped in sales, which probably explains why I had never heard of it. Dr. Sproul asked his publisher about the possible reasons for the dismal interest in the book. The publisher explained that Christian books written specifically about Christ don't sell...they can't even give them away. Surprised? I was. So, I tried to think of books that I've read about Christ...nothing immediately came to mind. I went to one bookshelf, where I found The Murder of Jesus by John MacArthur. Does that count? Then I went to another bookshelf, where I was relieved to find The Suffering Savior by F. W. Krummacher (thanks to Mike for taking us through that book last spring). The next stop was my basket of books in progress...nothing there. Finally, I went to my stack of new books waiting to be read...success! We just received The Jesus You Can't Ignore by John MacArthur. That book might just move to the top of the pecking order, and I'd like to get a copy of Sproul's book. Why aren't books about our Lord and Savior, the Lover of our souls, in demand? Is it a reflection of our sinful hearts, preoccupation with other topics, lackluster love for Jesus, or some other reason? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Also, have you read a book about Christ that you would highly recommend?
Tim Challies is my blogging "hero." When I grow up, I want to be a blogger just like him. ;) I appreciate his topics, his writing style, and especially his spiritual insight. And on Fridays, there is a drawing for free stuff, though I haven't won anything yet.
This week, Tim is writing a series of articles, initially aimed at young men, entitled "Sexual Detox." So far he has covered "Pornifying the Marriage Bed," "Breaking Free," and "A Theology of Sex." It's taken me three days to muster the nerve to reference these topics on my blog, but because Tim's articles are so full of wisdom for all Christians, they are worth sharing. I could elaborate, but I'd feel more comfortable allowing the articles to speak for themselves...www.challies.com.
We felt a little sheepish about this evening's rendezvous, but I don't think Beatrice and Phoebe suspected a thing regarding our whereabouts. Joel and I had the pleasure of walking a friend's dogs - two greyhounds and a terrier - and we were careful not to come home with any tell-tale signs of "the other animal." ;)
Aren't Marsha and Hudson beautiful! Teddy didn't make it in the picture, but he's adorable, too!
The extended weekend in Kansas seemed to fly by. We spent some time at my sister's lake home with most of my family, attended the K-State football game, and visited Joel's parents. We also made a trip to see my uncle in the nursing home...haven't seen him for several years. Our time with Tyler was too short for my liking...he's a busy guy!
One of the highlights of my trip to Kansas was the opportunity to watch Tyler in the honor guard at the football game. Ashlea and I made our way to the front row of the bleachers, so we could get the best view possible of the pre-game ceremony. Then we climbed to our rightful seats in the "birds-eye view" section. Tyler is carrying the Kansas flag. : )
I thought I had seen just about everything at the mission, but this morning I witnessed a situation that really tugged at my heart. I happened to be in the reception area when a middle-aged woman who was "dressed to the nines" came through the door with her twenty-something son. Because of his lifestyle choices, the son was no longer welcome in her home. The mom wasn't angry; quite the contrary. She displayed genuine concern for her son and wanted to make sure he would be in a clean, safe environment. I couldn't help but put myself in that woman's shoes. What would cause me to deliver my child to a rescue mission, in essence declaring him homeless? Obviously, in this case, it wasn't a matter of financial lack; it was a matter of "tough love," and I'm sure the decision wasn't an easy one. There is a danger of raising our children in affluence that can be so much more damaging than the trials of poverty. Because we can provide, we often do provide. It's when we provide excuses or easy remedies for their "messes" that we really do our children a disservice. My heart went out to that mother this morning, because I could see a faint reflection of myself standing there. All I could do was pray that God will work to accomplish his purposes in each of their lives. I'm not sure the mom realized it, but her son really is in good hands.
Long before Captain Jack Sparrow or the grunge look, Ashlea knew what it meant to be cool. : ) The other picture proves that there were glimpses of normalcy in her childhood.
Happy 25th birthday Ashlea! We love you!
It was nothing to write home about as you can see, but I discovered something cool. If you don't like the placement of the arrows, it's very easy to pull them out and stick them in the center of the target...tada!
You know the old adage "Cheaters never prosper." It's true...I didn't win an archery award. ;)
What happens when ladies who are native of Kansas, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Ireland go on a weekend retreat together? There's a lot of "What was that you said?" ;) But despite the accent/vocabulary differences, we had a wonderful time. Susan was such a dear to me. Knowing I didn't feel really well due to my cold, she kept me supplied with Kleenex, hot tea, and chocolate. And it was so nice to get to know Janice better since she's new to our church. We found many common interests, including our love for comedian Brian Regan. Don't get us started! I hope more ladies can join us next year!
Last September, when Rhonda and I stood atop the zip line tower at Camp Barakel, we made a pact (Rhonda says it wasn't exactly a pact) that we would be back this year to ride the newly-completed zip line. We had twelve months to muster our courage to follow through, and I thought I was in good shape until we were back atop the tower yesterday. I related it to going to the gallows. After getting fitted with the harness, we had to carry our own rope to the top where we were instructed to stand on the green line facing the edge of the platform. Once everyone was in place and the signal was given, the gates opened and we were told to step to the edge. On the count of three, we had to step off and drop until our rope became taut...very freaky feeling! The ride was 950 feet long - extreme fun! This might be the closest thing to sky diving or base jumping I'll ever get. ;) (I'm in the blue. You have to turn your head sideways to see it correctly.)
"Everyone is a recovering legalist." I heard that statement recently... I don't remember who said it, but I like it. So often, the word "legalist" is used in a disparaging manner toward someone else who holds convictions different from our own. That statement drew me back to the reality that we all are legalistic by nature; that is, we innately think our performance or our goodness earns us favor with God. As Christians, we should know better, but it's a continual battle to "recover" from that way of thinking. We freely acknowledge that our salvation is based solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross, but we lose sight of the fact that the the blessings of our daily lives were also purchased there. As Jerry Bridges wrote, "Jesus paid it all. I mean all. He not only purchased your forgiveness of sins and your ticket to heaven, He purchased every blessing and every answer to prayer you will ever receive. Every one of them - no exceptions." That's why it is so important to preach the gospel to ourselves every day, remembering where we would be, and who we would be, without the cross as the price of experiencing God's grace in our lives.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1:5
