oh...that was scary watching...

I think it's luge.

Canada One overturned.

They are apparently okay.

But oh my....just scary to see because the sleds are heavy and they go so very fast.

Perkiness is good!

So almost a week on the acid reducer.

I have ENERGY AGAIN!!!! :)

so nice to not be in pain ALL THE TIME.

I don't have heaps of energy all day long, but today it lasted until about 3 p.m. when I just petered out.

BUT I got ALOT done today.
1. laundry ALL OF IT!
2. vaccuumed the entire upstairs. Jim helped by picking stuff off the floor in our bedroom.
3. cleaned the boy's room.
4. organized the book room
5. carried a chair up to the book room
6. played with the boy - trains, chase, tickle me, pounce, read books together
7. worked through a work book with the boy .. he now knows what the letter "H" is and is very proud of himself knowing how to spell an "F". :) he is intrigued that there are big letters and little letters.
8. read a chapter in a book just for myself :)

AND I didn't sit in front of the computer for most of the day. YIPPEE!!! I have energy again!!!!

I do still have some pain in my throat constantly.
I do occasionally feel pain in my mid-chest...particularly today as I forgot two days in a row to take the acid reducer.

BUT I FEEL PERKY!!!!!!

Tonights Supper

Low salt tacho chips (blue menu)
2 % cheddar cheese shredded.
1.25 lbs of extra lean ground beef, cooked with some onion, fresh ground black pepper, worchestershire sauce and mexican chili powder.

YUM!

Fairly healthy.
Tasted good!

Jim helped make it (he does a better scrambled fried ground beef than I do).

I think we'll do this meal again sometime. It was a hit with Justin as well (sans the ground beef). :)

At some point once my stomach issues have settled down I'd like to try it with salsa or diced tomatoe. But I'm not ready to try that at this point.

I suspect people think we're crazy

That would be Justin and I on a walk

Danglers - like to strangle you so they can eat you, but they really like snow so they are easy to bribe
Grimoles - live in holes so you can fall into them, but you can dig out with a handy shovel
Knockers - like to throw stones at you, all you have to do is say SORRY, and they stop.
Dwellers - sleep ALL The time but are pretty slow so you can usually out run them, and if they do catch you they'll make you a dweller too UNLESS you drink motion berry juice which causes you to start dancing on the spot and sends the dwellers away from you fast!
Mineikins - like to eat your toes so you HAVE to wear boots and stomp a lot
Farthers - little monkey creatures that sit on your head and make you giggle and dance
Nimbles - tiny mice like creatures that you have to tiptoe around
Conies - big and small. The big ones are mean, the small ones are friendly but they slobber you and that makes tabby cats(Aka TAGU) not like you until you roll around in the snow and get it off you again.

We don't have ordinary walks.
We do LOTS of exercise type things on our walks.
It's simply amazing!

And oodles of fun for a creative four year old. :) The things we see! :)

it seems to be working!!!!

So the acid blocker that I am taking seems to be working.

I'm still feeling sore in my upper GI, but it's not as intense as it was. I expect I have some healing to do. :)

not having that constant ache in the middle of my chest is a boon.

Still fighting some exhaustion, but today I feel sorta perky! :)

Jim slept well.
Today I go to pick up Justin from oma and papa's. we're meeting half way for lunch.

Another health update

Jim is frustrated.
He is chomping at the bit to go back to work and the doctor has said "No".
He is to take another month off.
He doesn't want to.

I expect he'll not preach for the month of February, but that he will start doing some work related things, such as the picky stuff of orders of worship. He might try to get starts on sermons done and what not. He will also, I'm thinking, do some phone visits, write emails/letters to people, and such like. He still needs to be alert to catching illness from people until he's all better so I imagine he'll be limiting his visits in person for a bit yet.

I'm not surprised that she said no work yet, when I see how easily tired he gets at this point, I think he needs more time to get back into things. I wasn't expecting a month, I was expecting two weeks, but hey...I'm not the doc. I don't get paid the big bucks. It's just a difficult thing for him right now.

Justin is at Oma and Papa's today. Jim has a funeral today, I have work, and I couldn't find a way around either for providing child care for him. He wasn't happy about it, but I know that he is safe and he is loved where he is. I HATE leaving a crying boy behind.

Me... I have an appointment at the hospital for a barium swallow. The doc wants to see if we can figure out why my wonky valve is being wonkier lately. Who knows... maybe it's turned into acid reflux disease (with it's issues), maybe I've gotten myself an ulcer or ???? I don't know. I know that since getting the acid blocker that I'm feeling that my pain levels are a lessened a bit though my tiredness continues all day until about 9 p.m. when suddenly I feel perky! I am hopeful that eventually I can eat fruit, drink hot lemonade and such like again. Would be nice. Time will tell.

Milk in bags makes sense to me.....

This Video



Spawned this article.

It is made me do was say...but milk in bags is neater, cleaner and doesn't go bad as fast. AND it takes up less space in the fridge than those big jugs do!

Why doesn't everyone convert to bags?

Email - Daniel's Gloves

Daniel's Gloves

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.

As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back.. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.

I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.

We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response.. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.

Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square..'

Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.

I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.

'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.

'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'

'Have you eaten today?'>

'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'

'Would you like to have lunch with me?'

'Do you have some work I could do for you?'

'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'

'Sure,' he replied with a smile.

As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'

' St. Louis '

'Where you from?'

'Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..'

'How long you been walking?'

'Fourteen years,' came the reply.

I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'

Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences.. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona.. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.

He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God.

'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'

'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.

'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'

I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'

'What?'

'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'

'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me..'

My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'

I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.

He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.

'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see' I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.


'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.

'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'

'Are you hoping to hire on there for a while?'

'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'

He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.

'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked.. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'

I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'

'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'

'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'

'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.

A long time,' he replied

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'

'I'll be there!' was my reply.

He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'

'God bless.' And that was the last I saw of him.

Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.

Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'

Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office.. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...

'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.'

Me and the doctor today

Went to see the doctor today for myself.

She has a tag-a-long today...a 3 year med student. So I got to do everything twice.

I still retain my cough. I don't worry about that too much. I figure in time it will go away. Since it is now a productive cough, the doctor isn't too concerned either.

She gave me a script for an acid blocker because I'm in constant pain lately and she's concerned that I might be working on an ulcer. (oh fun). To be taken once a day unless it's not working by day three and then I get to double the dose.

She took blood because I'm constantly tired and she'd like to know why. I suspect pain has something to do with that and she agreed but added that I might also have a bleeding ulcer that might be causing the problem as well. (I felt mildly put in my place) LOL

I'll get the joy of doing a barium swallow at some point.

So it's just a case of never ending joy at our house lately. :)

On a positive note:

Justin seems more himself lately as daddy continues to get a bit better.

Jim's BP seems to be pretty good at this point. He continues to monitor it closely. He continues to get tired easily. He's happy that we have dad's exercise bike to use for the winter. 5 minute stretches biking work well at this point. :) And since it's in the living room, I'll use it for a while at night as well.

Dangerous Duty of Delight

As mentioned yesterday, I've started a new book. It's just a small book some 91 pages. It's called "The dangerous Duty of Delight". It is written by John Piper.

In Chapter One I learned the people don't like hearing that it is our DUTY to delight in God.

So if Christian Hedonism is old-fashioned, why is it so controversial? One reason is that it insists that joy is not just a the spin-off of obedience to God, but part of obedience. It seems as though people are willing to let joy be a by-product of our relationship to God, but not an essential part of it. People are uncomfortable saying that we are duty-bound to pursue joy. (p.13)

Joy is part of our obedience to God. :) Isn't that good to hear? We don't have to worry about just enjoying God and his creation and well.....everything about him. We can just enjoy him because we enjoy him.

We can enjoy "doing good" because when we are 'doing good' we are doing it with the purview of God are we not? We, as Christians, do good to others because God wants us to. AND if we enjoy doing it, we are delighting in God.

It's like I enjoy doing the newsletter up for Church. I'm not always the greatest one at it, but it's one of my pleasures each month. And it's a way for me to tangibly serve the body of Christ here. :)

Chapter Two is entitled "Glorify God by Enjoying Him Forever".

In this chapter Piper quoted Lewis

If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of rewards and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Boy that made me think.
What am I too easily settling for?
What more could I desire of God?
What more should I aim for?
What joys in the Lord am I missing?

And the thing is...I don't know. Like that child who doesn't understand what pleasures await him at a theme park...I don't know what all pleasures await me with God. I just know that God has a way of making me smile at times.

Last week when I went to visit Jim, I had forgotten a picture that Justin had made for him in the car. When I went back to get it I noticed two things. 1. my lights were on and 2. my keys were locked in the ignition. Fortunately God had planned this out. I had Jim's keys in my pocket so I was able to unlock the door, retrieve the keys and get Justin's picture. The timing of all that just made me smile and say Thanks God. :) These things I see easily. I can enjoy nature and the wonderful variety of all that God has made, but what other joys do I miss?

Started a new book

I'll have to bring it down to get the proper title but it's called something like the duty of delight. I think, but am not sure, that it's a Piper book.

it's just a small book.

it is interesting.

I think it's this one, but I'll double check later. :) oh...and it's the actual book not the audiobook that I'm going through. :)

The first chapter has some interesting lines in it that I'm still mulling over in my head.

But we as Christians are to DELIGHT in our God. it's a duty for us to do so. But not a thing we do because we have to kind of notion, but just like a hug Jim because it's my duty, it's also my delight to do so. Hope that makes sense. :)

Anyways, I have a busy day so I'll have to come back later with quotes and what not. But so far, good read.

The weekend here

So as you know, Jim is home again.

His blood pressure seems to be fairly stable at this point.

He is still easily tired out.

He is managing a brisk walk around the block.

He went to church on Sunday but was exhausted afterwards.

He is hopeful to preach the morning service next Sunday. Just the morning service, not the evening one. We have communion then so it would be important for him to lead that service.

God is gracious to us. :)

Jim is home!

so jim is home with a whack of meds to take.

Justin is pleased.
gramma is pleased.
i'm thrilled! :)

he's still not himself yet.

We'll have rounds of doctor/specialist appointments to keep.

but he's home.

This caught my eye

How to Make Plarn

Don't know that I'll ever do it, but it definitely intrigued me. :)

Today's Health report

Jim had an MRI, an echo gram, and a bubble test all done today.

The bubble test is for making sure the valves of the heart work.
The echo gram showed he has no holes in his heart.
The MRI - they didn't have the results for yet.

The doctors are thinking he might be home tomorrow.

I found him tired today, but he didn't much sleep last night due to post-operative care for his room-mate. AND today they kept him very busy.

He's had ONE normal blood pressure, and a few within normal parameters. He's had a couple odd ball ones. He's on about six different medications. In time it is hoped that they can get that down to one or two, but it will take some time.

He was more coherent in his speech though he still has some facial paralysis.

He was more energetic in our walk about the place and even went down to Tim Horton's with me to get a drink (I was parched).

He still slurs his words a bit, but mostly when he talks to fast or can't quite get certain word combinations out right.

He has a bit of a road to travel yet ahead of him...weight loss, change in diet, change in exercise levels and such like.

I am feeling more hopeful. :)

Justin is having a hard time with dad being away so long. He cries easily yet but insists he is NOT worried about dad. He really didn't want me leaving today to go visit Dad and that about broke my heart....but I knew he was safe with Gramma. He was simply delighted to have me home again and we had a good time playing, having supper and then going to bed. :)

Me: I woke up feeling completely horrible, had a bad time at the vets office, and kinda fell apart today for a while. Other than that, I'm doing okay. I'm hoping tonight I sleep well and that I"ll be feeling less icky tomorrow. Cheers!

Wednesday afternoon update

Okay, went to visit Jim today.

I was there for about 3.5 hours. Would have stayed longer but had promised Justin I'd be home before supper.

John and Art stopped in. Good of them to visit. Jim TIRED when they left and they were only there for five minutes.

Met his Doctor. Seems like a good competent fellow.

He talked a bit about diet and exercise. To avoid processed foods, to follow a diet of some sort , to eat homemade, and to exercise for 45 minutes every single day. Whether that is done all at once or throughout the day matters not, it's just a matter of doing it every day.

Jim had his CAT scan. Seems he's had two TIA's in the past that have gone unnoticed.
His most recent has been upgraded to a minor stroke.

He is going to have a MRI done at some point.

He had a blood pressure done before I left that had the second number at 89! woot woot! :)

He'll be sent home IF they can keep the numbers down consistently. It's remained a battle to keep the numbers down. they go down, they pop right up again. So they need to figure it out a bit more yet.

Thanks Jen! What TIA stands for.

Thanks to Jen I now know what a TIA is.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

What is a TIA or transient ischemic attack?

A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke.

Most strokes aren't preceded by TIAs. However, of the people who've had one or more TIAs, more than a third will later have a stroke. In fact, a person who's had one or more TIAs is more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't.

TIAs are important in predicting if a stroke will occur rather than when one will happen. They can occur days, weeks or even months before a major stroke. In about half the cases, the stroke occurs within one year of the TIA.

What causes a transient ischemic attack?

TIAs occur when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, and part of the brain doesn't get the blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short time. Most TIAs last less than five minutes. The average is about a minute. Unlike stroke, when a TIA is over, there's no injury to the brain.

What are the symptoms of a TIA?

It's very important to recognize the warning signs of a TIA or stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

The short duration of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference between TIA and stroke.

TIAs are extremely important predictors of stroke. Don't ignore them! If symptoms appear, CALL 9-1-1 TO GET MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY. A doctor should determine if a TIA or stroke has occurred, or if it's another medical problem with similar symptoms. Some examples are seizure, fainting, migraine headache, or general medical or cardiac condition. Prompt medical or surgical attention to these symptoms could prevent a fatal or disabling stroke from occurring.

Update on my Jim

He's had a TIA (not sure what that stands for, can anyone fill me in?)
anyways, jim says that means he had a micro stroke.
it's a warning to manage his blood pressure.

Doctors continue to fight his very high blood pressure. the second number in blood pressure hovers at the 135 mark (NOT good).

they are doing tests to see what is causing the blood pressure.
They aren't having a lot of success in the battle thus far. They can bring it down for a couple hours and then it goes up again. So it's a worry.

Me: I'm alive. :) Health still has it's battles. But my focus is Jim and Justin right now.

Justin: seems to be over his health battles, now to manage his stress levels. he's a worried little boy and needs to just play and have fun and not worry about daddy.

Gramma: worried for her "little boy" (that being Jim) and being a support with Justin and myself. She's staying 'in house' for a bit.

I covet prayers for my son, my hubby and the doctors.

Jim is Hospital

for the few of you that read my blog.

took Jim to hospital last night.

he has a partial paralysis of his face (Like when novocained by dentist).

Has VERY high blood pressure, heart beating too fast. Being medicated for that.

also....CAT scan planned on his head to check for small brain bleeds.


Please pray. Much thanks.

Christian Carnival (some number) :)

Welcome to the Christian carnival for this week.
It's been a horrid week around here so if I missed anything well...sorry, just let me know and I'll add it. Doing this with a headache, extreme tiredness, on a day of a funeral and a sick hubby beside me. :) Life fun! NOT! (at least this week). God does sustain us. In no particular order I've listed all the submissions. I have to admit to being too tired this week to read through ALL the MANY submissions. My apologies...

First off we have.. Stepping out in Faith giving us In other words.

“Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.”
~ Malcolm Muggeridge

What a great quote!

Participatory Bible Study Blog presents Jubilee and Care for the poor.

It’s difficult sometimes to find just how a scripture applies to me and not to all the other people I’d like it to apply for. That underlines the importance of prayerful study of scripture. Prayerful study does not merely involved praying before you study. It is also the prayerful attitude, i.e. the attitude of listening to and depending on God throughout.

Weary in Doing Good comes our way by Homeward Bound.

The Indian Ocean earthquake started off a very troubled year including terrorist attacks, train derailments, and a record number of hurricanes, Katrina among them, plus more local issues. And we, as Americans and especially the American church, had to respond.

After a while I became emotionally numb. I simply couldn't care anymore. I had no more sympathy to give.

Thinking Christian gives us Stephen C. Meyer Interview/Podcast.

I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Stephen C. Meyer by phone on Monday, January 11, about his powerful recent book Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design.

The Faughn Family of Four shows up with A picture of Sacrifice.

True sacrifice puts others first,

MandM comes out with Sunday Study: Inerrancy and Biblical Authority.

Recently Glenn Peoples and Dominic Bnonn Tennant had an interesting exchange over the issue of biblical inerrancy, the doctrine, that the bible contains no errors. In his post, Errantly Assuming Inerrancy in History, Peoples makes this interesting comment,

Still Up is given to us by The Life I Now Live.

Thinking of how I have cared for my own children, I began to think of how Christ has and continues to care for us. I thought of my own areas of sickness that have come in the form of sin, in which He has been there to care for me. There have been so many times that Christ has cared for me in His arms helping me to heal from the aches and pains of life that I have encountered that sought to keep me discouraged, blind, and burdened. No matter how damaged I was, Christ has always been there for me with open arms for me to come as I was.

The Lyndons shares A risk worth taking (pt 2) with us.

Earlier we looked at making the decision, I want to live a life of risk for God. When you make this decision, this choice, you have done the hard part, you have resolved in yourself that you want to be courageous in this area and push forward in God given steps.

Biblically Driven lets us view The Real Definition of Faith (1 John) .

I've often struggled with what it truly means to have faith in Jesus Christ. Without the true definition, how can I be sure I've been saved? Fortunately, the Word contains a book that clearly defines the characteristics of faith: 1 John. Simply believing in Christ's life and death in the academic or historical sense is not enough. After studying 1 John for a few nights, here are some of the key points I learned.

Biblical Learning Blog hands us 25 Open Courseware Classes About Early Christianity.

Some Open Courseware classes are older than you might think — many courses reach back into antiquity to show how Christianity has affected society throughout time and place (and how some social and cultural aspects affected religion as well). Some courses teach the Bible as spiritual text and as literature, some courses touch on social and political histories and other courses focus on cultural aspects of religion and society. Each course listed below falls into one of those three categories.

Prosper and Be In Health offers Adornment and The Holy Spirit. Have to admit, I liked this post.

My point is, we so easily make VWs out of mosquitoes. And we try so hard to make things black and white. At its core, Christianity is about accepting Jesus as your Savior. Everything else is secondary. And frankly, I find nearly everything else to be a little gray.

Doctor Living Stone, I presume is given to us by Say Hello to my Little Friend.

I’ve heard it said plenty of times by evangelicals that we, each of us as individual Christian people, are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God literally lives in each of our bodies. As a way of encouraging us to show respect for our bodies I suppose the idea might have a positive spin off. But theologically it really misses the mark, and it prevents us from seeing something important in the New Testament.

Who I'm Meant To Be posts Faith.

Something happened a few days ago that I’d like to share.

keyboard theologians puts forward this post First Loyalties.

So I'm starting to think that patriotism is overrated. I'm not actually saying it's bad. It isn't bad to like one's country and want it to succeed. But it seems like it gets put higher on the lists of some than is actually healthy. I tried today to write out a list of where my actual loyalties lie, or at least if not, where they should lie if I were practicing virtuously the Christian ethic:

First loyalty: Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, and with him the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Second loyalty: His pilgrim Church on Earth--when it functions as it ought, as the Christian church most fully revealed. (Which churches this applies to in my mind, and in what degree, depends on the degree to which they are one, holy, catholic and apostolic.)
Third loyalty: Family and friends. Except in rare circumstances, this loyalty ultimately goes in that order.
Fourth loyalty: Humanity in general.
Fifth loyalty: United States of America.

Wrapping Up ? Intro to Biblical Counseling is given to us by who am i?

This course was challenging for me not just at an academic level, but at the level of my heart and my own worldview. One of the things I take away from the course is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful thing we have to change lives. It has the power to reach anyone, no matter what their life looks like. I also leave the course with a much needed renewal of understanding of the sufficiency of Scripture. Here we have what is needed to live life with excellence. It’s not a last resort and it does not need any supplement to give it power.

Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet shows up with The Robertson Haiti Fiasco.

Well, Pat Robertson seems to have put his foot into his mouth again. Or has he? When Pat Robertson makes his "pronouncements" we have to remember that he is basically talking to those he considers Charismatics/Pentecostals who are used to hearing about the effect the spiritual realm has on the physical realm.

Theology: finding the blind spots is bestowed upon us by Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength.

So how do you find a blind spot in your theology? We have to ask ourselves, "What kinds of things would be impossible to see in a certain framework?" And, "If we look for them, do those things exist?"

This post uses strong language. Be forewarned. Pat Robertson and Haiti given to us by Welcome to our Kingdom. I wasn't up to reading it tonight, so if you want to, go for it.

True Repentance is shown to us by He Leads The Way.

When you hear the word Repent, what thoughts come to mind? Perhaps you envision a stern preacher, standing behind a pulpit, pointing his finger at the congregation, appealing to them to beg for God’s forgiveness. Maybe the preacher had been reminding his listener’s of how unworthy and sinful they are, and how badly they need to get their lives right with God. In my own experiences, the only time the word Repent is brought up in church is during a “salvation message”, and it seems to be directed predominately towards either the unsaved or the backslidden. So in our modern day church repentance has become synonymous with asking for forgiveness. And although that is certainly part of it, as we will see, that is far from the end of the process.

John Frame on Homeschooling put forward to us by The Bible Archive.

I was listening to John Frame a while ago and he made a case for homeschooling that I’ve heard some variations of but not with the undergirding that makes Frame’s view understandable (maybe even plausible).

The Simplicity of Jesus' Miracles by C. Orthodoxy.

I’ve read a lot of miracle stories–Christian, Jewish, Buddhist; ancient and modern, in the Bible and outside it–and these are the sort that strike me as plausible. The “miracle-worker” who puts on a show, lifts up his hands and knocks people to the floor (then asks for a tithe); he’s nothing but a con-man. But the cancer that just isn’t there anymore, the infant who wasn’t expected to survive, the brain-dead patient who suddenly wakes up, these are the ones that ring true. Yet they are so subtle, you could never even prove a miracle happened. Was there ever cancer to begin with? Was the test wrong? Was the girl really dead at all?

Biblically Driven kicks in with How to Worship God With Your Job.

Most of us, myself included, differentiate between our careers and our Christian lifestyles. Although we may be active in church, volunteer in the community, attend small groups, and generally be vocal about our faith, the workplace tends to be separated. We go to work, talk to co-workers about the weather, sports, TV shows, and perform our duties, but leave our faith in the parking lot. However, the Word teaches that all aspects of our lives are to be glorifying Him in unison. Your job is not an exception; it should be another active part in your ministry.

Free Inductive Study Guide, Topics & Tools entrusts us with The Doctrine of Man in the Bible – Biblical Anthropology. Looked interesting, but it was beyond me tonight. Maybe tomorrow will be better. If so, I'll pull a clip out. :) (sorry).

Jesus killed my political apathy posted at damascusmoments.

Politics. The mere presence of the header was enough. My right forefinger twitched: “click”. Previous page, please. I don’t want to read political garbage. Life’s too short. I’m not interested in stupid games.

That’s how I used to approach things: apathetic.

Biblical Learning blog gives us the Top 50 Evangelical Christian Blogs.

You might think that evangelical Christian blogs would be filled with doom and gloom. While some of those blogs do exist, most of the best blogs today — or, at least the most popular evangelical Christian blogs today — focus on teaching, humor, news from a Christian perspective and daily living. Those tops blogs are listed below in categories that range from education to ministries and from personal blogs to a couple blogs with off-beat perspectives

CHRISTIAN BLOGGING CORNER puts forth IS THE HAITI TRAGEDY A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD?

I am writing about this because I recently read an article that blasted Pat Roberts for comments he made regarding this tragedy. I will not start judging people as to whether they were right or wrong. However, what I will tell you is that the Haitian people need support, love, prayers, encouragement and compassion in their hour of need. God has from time to time punished cities, i.e., Sodom & Gomorrah, people and even nations, i.e., Israel. However, this is God and only He can judge and pass out judgment.

Pastoral Musings offers Why Study Theology?

Thus it is that Christians should study theology to know God in Christ as well as for the purpose of growing to be the person that God would have us to be.

Pastor Matt gives us How Much Weight Do We Grant To Experience?

I’m not trying to backdoor an argument for churches to become right-wing Calvinists, but honestly asking the question, “how much weight do we grant experience when shifting through the confusing modern theological landscape?”

Free Money Finance shows us the Biblical Perspective on Taxes.

Christians must be marked with the highest form of honesty because we are submitting “for the Lord’s sake…that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” It is not the IRS the believer should be worrying about, but rather the impact that a lack of integrity on our part could have on the cause of Christ. When we make light of the moral implications of dishonesty on our tax return, our accountant makes light of Christianity.

Hurt by the Church? What are you doing about it? grants us Stephen Ministries.

In December 2009, 100 Huntley Street aired a special on Stephen Ministries, a program that has been nothing short of a miracle to my family, and no doubt countless others.

I say “miracle” because at our time of greatest need–when most of our lifelong Christian “friends” and fellow church members went into hiding–our Stephen Minister stayed close by our side, encouraging us in our grief.

nothing really shouted out at me that this was a Christian blog, but since I'm tired/ill I might have missed it, so Here's the Anxiety bible presented by The Anxiety Support Network.

So what happens when a person first identifies that he or she suffers from an anxiety disorder? For all of us, thousands of thoughts are pouring through our brain at the same moment. I’m a freak! What do I do? What’s wrong with me? Is there any cure? To further worsen the situation, many of us have lives that are full of all sorts of other drama such as addiction, other mental illness like bipolar disorder, or chaotic or nonexistent interpersonal relationships! This is indeed difficult to overcome! What should a person do in order to turn a complete 180 and live a happy and healthy life rather than a sad and miserable one?

William Klein on David Peterson on Acts is presented to us by Parableman.

I was reading William Klein's review of David Peterson's Acts commentary. It included this strange argument:

In a startling example of eisegesis Peterson states, "... we may assume that wherever resistance to the message is recorded, Luke believed the Lord had not yet acted in grace and power to enable belief" (p. 404). May we? In fact Luke explains that the Jews rejected the word of God and judged themselves unfit for eternal life (13:46). I guess this shows how we all see what we want to see in texts and may wish to ignore other ways of seeing things.

The following two claims are at issue, and Klein seems to think the second claim is supposed to undermine the first. I'm not sure how.

1. Resistance to the gospel only occurs when God hasn't led someone to believe.
2. Jews rejected God and thus became unfit for eternal life.

Other Food: daily devo's gives us Kitchen glory.

Like all the things Jesus does, it was quality workmanship – wine of such high grade the master asked the bridegroom why he had kept the best for the feast’s end. This miracle also blended into everyday life – like miracles often do. The wine didn’t glow or in any way distinguish itself from ordinary wine – except that it was better – so that the onlookers probably later asked themselves, did I really see what I thought I saw?

I thought I'm the odd one out by Fish and Cans.

So there are various things floating around facebook lately that say "they are for women only and not to tell the men".