Tried With Fire

We were discussing age appropriate clothing at the women's retreat. One sister shared a comment from her 28 year old son. They had seen a woman of a certain age wearing a camisole top. His comment afterwards was, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." Sounds like good advice to me.

Starting next week, the new Sunday school class will be a theological survey using Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. In the beginning of the 2nd chapter, Predestination and the Sovereignty of God , he gives a modern dictionary definition of predestination. Out of curiosity I looked up the word in the 1828 Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster. 1828 definition: predestination (n) - The act of decreeing or foreordaining events; the decree of God by which he hath, from eternity, unchangeably appointed or determined whatever comes to pass. It is particularly used in theology to denote the preordination of men to everlasting happiness or misery. Predestination is part of the unchangeable plan of divine government; or in other words, the unchangeable purpose of an unchangeable God. Contrast the above definition with the one from the 1979 Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. The second definition is the same as the one in the book. predestination (n) - 1. the act of predestinat...

Grieve for your sin. Run to Christ. Find rest there. (I caught a glimpse of this bumper sticker today. Interesting...)

and I don't want to think about dead raccoons. Artist: Kit Lane Title: Jabba the Hutt, the early days Medium: 99.99% Wool, Glass Eyes, Beads, and Cotton Floss Size: 7"x5" From the Stitch Wars craft exhibit (Disclaimer:I only looked through the craft pictures so I can't vouch for the pictures of the exhibit opening.) (Painting by Nick Jones) Hello Kitty has gone over to the dark side. "Emma, I am your father."

The raccoon saga has taken a strange turn. The wildlife control man put a trap over the hole in the roof on Tuesday. There were agitated sounds in the evening, but the mother raccoon did not come out of the house. The trap was tripped on Wednesday during the day, but there was no sign of any raccoon. I suspect the demolition work on the unfinished addition may have caused the house to shake, thus tripping the trap. I contacted the wildlife folks, and the trap was reset along with an additional trap early Wednesday evening. If the mom had gotten in the trap, there would have been much more damage if she managed to escape. Therefore, we assumed they were still in the house. In the middle of Wednesday night, the raccoons made a huge ruckus. I don't know what time it was. I was so tired, I didn't listen closely and fell back asleep. I haven't heard them since. No one was in the trap yesterday or this morning. Since that is the only way out of the house, either they foun...

We will be officially starting homeschooling again after Labor Day. Our intentions were good to continue Algebra through the summer, but it was not to be. This summer was hectic with longer visitations, getting sick, court proceedings, and the demolition of "the Shack". I finally placed orders for some curriculum last night. I normally don't wait until the last minute, but I wasn't certain whether legal issues would prevent me from homeschooling. Thank the Lord, it's not the case. Given the opposition we experienced to homeschooling, I am grateful to be able to continue. I'm not a "everyone who is a Christian must homeschool their children" militant. This is what works best for our family for now. I am looking forward to starting school again. We are starting Latin this year for our foreign language. I am also trying something new for history (my weakest subject) and tackling a survey course of literature. We will finish up Algebra I and move on to...

After reading Robert Schuller's interview, I needed to cleanse my spiritual palate by listening to this 1982 sermon by John Piper on Isaiah 41:14 "Fear Not, You Worm Jacob!". Here are excerpts (emphasis mine): What, then, shall we say about our own day and the dominance of the gospel of self-esteem—the teaching that traces our problems back to the fundamental cause that we don't regard ourselves highly enough? What can you say to the American church where by and large the ultimate sin is no longer failure to honor God but the failure to esteem oneself; where self-abasement not God-abasement is the ultimate evil; and the cry of deliverance from this evil is not, "O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me?" but rather, "O worthy man that I am, would that I could only see it better"? What shall we say? The first thing I would say is this: Jacob is a worm. And until God has completed the miraculous work of our sanctification and made us perfect, w...

This statement (among many) really bothered me in Robert Schuller's interview: "And I'll tell you what God thinks of you: if you were the only person that didn't have this wonderful relationship with him, why he would take his son and crucify him as your saviour." I was thinking about Schuller's statement because we've all heard, "If you were the only person on earth, Jesus would die for you because He loves you that much." On first hearing, it doesn't sound all that wrong to our 21st century self-esteem indoctrinated ears. Maybe what bugs me is that it is only half of the truth. Maybe the whole truth is "If you were the only person on earth, your sin would still need to be atoned before a holy God. Yes, God loves you but He is still just and holy. Yes, the cross is a demonstration of the love of God , but it is also a demonstration of His holiness and how much He hates sin." Just thinking out loud. In writing.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7 I just listened again to Sunday's sermon on the above text. Here are some statements that stood out to me. - In a world that is facing the wrath of God and judgment, our only hope is if, by God's divine work, we flee towards Christ. - Very often, fear can cause us to turn inward, looking to my own resources to make it through. That's not the kind of fear that Noah had. - The church is those who by faith cling to the ark that is Jesus Christ and consistently proclaim and herald that message to an unbelieving world. - Condemning the world means that Christ is my singular affection and I want so much a dying world to have it that I am overflowing with my desire to tell the world of the love of Jesus Christ. - Christian, if you have re...

I just read about a project called Iraqi Bundles of Love (IBOL). This project was started by a U.S. soldier, Art La Flamme, currently stationed in Iraq. He heard of local families and sewing co-ops in need of fabric and sewing supplies so they could clothe their families. Growing up in a family of quilters and as a husband of a quilter, he knew quilters usually have more fabric than they really need. Thus the project was born. Art is collecting bundles of fabric, sewing supplies, yarn, and knitting supplies. Details about the bundles are available at the IBOL blog . So far, he has received 106 bundles which his unit will distribute to Iraqi families. However, the deadline for sending the bundles is September 7. I raided my fabric and yarn stash and have at least one bundle, possibly more depending on how much will fit in a box. Even though it seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the needs of the Iraqi citizens, I am glad for this opportunity to give a cup of cold water, or in t...

The raccoons have not vacated despite the repellent. They have been making happy cooing sounds every night, so they must be very content with their accommodations. The wildlife remover said this was only the third time in three years that the repellent has not worked. So the next step is a trap. It's rigged over the hole, so the mama has no way out but straight into the trap. Once the mom is caught, then it gets tricky. He'll set up a smaller trap in the hopes that the kits will come out on their own. If not, he may have to release her back into the house to get out her babies. When the raccoons heard the sounds of the trap being set up, there were sounds of agitated chattering and rustling, so we will see what happens by morning.

or lack thereof. The White Horse Inn has posted highlights from Michael Horton's 1992 interview with Robert Schuller. (ht: Cal.vini.st ) Dr. Horton included a brief excerpt from this interview in Christless Christianity which was very eye opening. It was hard to read the entire transcript. I think I was cringing with every statement by Dr. Schuller. I was torn between anger (hopefully righteous anger) and sadness at the disregard for what is clearly taught in the Word of God - our sin and depravity before a loving and righteous and holy God. It is grievous to think of all the people who have swallowed the self-esteem "gospel" hook, line, and sinker which is no gospel at all. But my guess is this view is not just confined to Dr. Schuller's self-esteem-ology. I wonder if the belief that there is something in us that is worthy apart from Christ and enables us to stand before God apart from Christ is as old as the fall. After all, the lie from the beginning was ...

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; In every change, He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake To guide the future, as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below. Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart, And all is darkened in the vale of tears, Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears. Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay From His own fullness all He takes away. Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on When we shall be forever with the Lord. When disappointment, grief and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when chan...

We had our first women's retreat this week-end. A family from the church graciously opened their home on the Outer Banks. The Lord has brought new people to the church in the last year, so it was a time for the sisters to get to know one another. We spent part of yesterday afternoon at the beach. There was a ban on swimming because of the high waves caused by Hurricane Bill. Surfers were still trying to catch the waves which were increasing in size and force as the day wore on. My daughter was knocked down by a wave fairly close to shore while wading. It was fascinating watching the waves roll in. The ocean is definitely a force to be reckoned with especially with a hurricane stirring things up. My daughter wrote this in the sand. We wanted to spell out "Don't Waste Your Life" using shells, but there weren't enough to be found. It was a fun time. There was a lot of talking which is to be expected when you get 16 women together. There was a lot of laughter as well....

Here's some music to end another exciting week. Have you ever listened to music that immediately brought a smile to your face? Well this one did it for me. The piece is Sadepisara (which means raindrop in Finnish) by acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Alex Kabasser from his album Dawning . For any one inclined to give it a try, the composer has the tabs available here . For your listening pleasure, here are two videos of Sadepisara . The first is by Alex Kabasser; however, the quality of the audio/video doesn't do justice to the piece. The second is a live performance by guitarist, Sungha Jung. Ignore the folks in the audience who start chatting midway. Have a blessed week-end!

It has been confirmed. We are the happy hosts to Mrs. Raccoon and an unknown number of kits. The wildlife control gentleman found evidence of the raccoon (paw prints, fur, and scratch marks) around a small hole just below the sun room roof inadvertently caused by the construction/deconstruction. This explains why I heard noises in the ceiling of the sun room that I use as a home office. Mrs. Raccoon then moved her kits to the opposite side of the house underneath my bedroom and above the kitchen. I wonder if the smell of food attracted her? The wildlife remover put some raccoon repellent near the entrance hole. This substance should generate a fear response in the mom which should encourage her to find another place for her babies. I hope she'll take the hint. I'll be glad to hear sounds of scurrying back and forth as she takes the kits to someone else's house. We have had other wild animals make their way into our home. It's funny because with each new occurrence, the ...

About a month ago, I heard noises in the house. It was hard to pinpoint where they were coming from. Since I had no desire to be Nancy Drew, I called the police. Twice. They checked the perimeter of the house and inside as well. They walked through a partially finished addition attached to the house. They found nothing. Last night, I heard the same sounds. This time I was determined to find out what it was even if it kept me up all night. Rather than coming from outside, it was the sound of running between the ceiling of the first floor and the second story floor.  A scurrying rodent wouldn't make that much noise, and it was accompanied by a squeaky sound, lower in pitch than a mouse. At this point, my daughter woke up because she found her mother kneeling outside her bedroom with her ear to the hallway floor. We followed the sound until it stopped under a spot near the foot of my bed. It also sounded like it was coming from multiple animals. As we were sitting in the dark the ...

I've been mulling over these verses: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 I used to take these verses to mean if I need to know what to do in a given situation I should ask God and He will give the answer. However, there was always the catch that if I did not ask in faith, my lack of faith would prevent God from giving me the wisdom I sought. More often than not, the "wisdom" I was seeking was more on the lines of "God, please tell me what to do in this situation. " Not that it's wrong to pray for guidance, but often my motive was, "Tell me what to do because I don't want to make a mistake and I don...

We had a church fellowship time on Sunday evening. The family who opened their home live right off an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay. There were crabs to pick, for those who eat crustaceans, and other food to satisfy the noncrab eaters. It was a fun time to be together. For some reason, it didn't dawn on me to put on bug repellant until it was too late. A humid August evening, water all around us, and people make a perfect mosquito buffet. Needless to say, the gnats and mosquitoes had their dinner as well of which I am living, itchy proof. I wonder what these insects ate before the fall?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:19-21 We will be finishing the first chapter of James tomorrow in the ladies' study. One of the questions to be discussed is "How crucial is it that we bridle or control our tongues?" There were several passages in the New Testament for us to consider. Some other passages in the Old Testament came to mind as I was preparing for the study. Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:1-2 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips en...

This is transcribed* from the Q&A after John Piper's talk on Charles Simeon: 'The question is would I comment on the teachings of self esteem in the church today especially the comment that before you can love God and others you must love yourself? I think it is extremely wrong headed, and I would treat it much the way Dr. Nicole treated all those inadequate views of the atonement and say there is of course a seed of truth in it. Namely, we must not deny that we are created in God's image, and we must not deny that God in His grace has a great purpose for every person and can use us significantly no matter who we are. But it is wrong headed. I mean, I would have answered Steve Roy's question differently than Dr. Nicole did the other night, and that may just have to do with our relative positions. Steve said "What do you feel about the view that says Christ died to rescue valuable humanity and thus we see a reflection of our diamond-like quality in the price pa...

The guitarist is Sungha Jung. More on him here . HT: Between Two Worlds Addendum: Waterfall , an original composition

I listened to John Piper's talk , Brothers We Must Not Mind a Little Suffering , on Charles Simeon yesterday and again today. Charles Simeon (1759-1836) endured decades of hostility from his own church and did not give up. This kind of spiritual backbone seems to be a rare thing today. In the light of that, Piper had some very astute comments about 20th century America. "I think we live in a very emotionally fragile time, and I am a child of my times much more than I wish I were. When I am honest with myself, the things I hate about about my culture, I see evidences of in myself." "By emotionally fragile, I mean that we are easily hurt. We pout easily. We mope easily. When I say we, I mean the American culture today, inside and outside of church. We break easily. Our marriages break easily. Our faith breaks easily. Our happiness breaks easily. Our commitment to the ministry and to the church breaks easily. We are easily disheartened and discouraged. We seem to ha...

Or in this case, a pan of muffins. I just baked some muffins for my neighbors. They're an elderly couple. The husband has Alzheimer's and will probably be moved to a nursing home as soon as an opening comes up. The wife is doing the best she can to take care of him without any additional help. The wife could be the stereotype of the nosy, complaining, elderly woman. She is meticulous about her yard and her house. She will even move yard waste onto her neighbors' properties (mine) so she won't see it when she looks out her window. She's paranoid about trees near her house, probably because we sometimes get the occasional hurricane now and then. This used to bug me, but I think I have an inkling why she does this now. The last time I was over at their house, my neighbor wanted to show me around her home. They saved all they could from their retirement and built this lovely home. There's a bay window on the first floor bedroom that looks out on their lawn (real gra...

and it's only Friday. Sunday - In which I had the blessing of celebrating the Lord's table with the saints, hearing the preaching of God's Word, and having to hold my tongue at a bridal shower. Monday - In which we discover certain species of ants like to eat glass namely, fiber optic cable. Tuesday - In which I am summoned to Federal Court jury duty involving long periods of sitting and waiting while trying to hide behind the tall people seated in front of me so I wouldn't get picked. However, it was a nice change to be in a courtroom and not be part of the case. Wednesday - In which demolition began on the house-sized albatross known as "The Addition" which my daughter affectionately nicknamed"The Shack". This resulted in an accidentally broken power meter which, in a moment of fear mongering, I thought caused a fire down the street. Bible study and prayer meeting book-ends. Thursday - In which I wasn't arrested by the fire marshal! No emergenc...

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:28-30, 33 December 2006 August 2009

I was not picked to sit on the jury to my great relief. However, it was a very eye opening experience to be summoned for federal court. It's sobering to think of a person's fate resting in your hands. It was a criminal case. Therefore, the verdict rested entirely on the jury of peers. The decision needed to be unanimous as well. Once we were free to go, I began to wonder how would I have been as a juror? But my thoughts began to take a more theological turn. Namely, how am I when it comes to the internal verdicts I make everyday about situations and particularly people? Today the judge charged the jury to make their decision based on evidence alone , not on personal history or bias. So I ask myself, on what basis do I mentally weigh my brothers and sisters and unbelievers as well? Is my basis the Word of God or my own personal history, bias, or preference? Am I willing to hold myself to the same scrutiny and severity that I would apply to others? Am I quick to render a verdict...

I was summoned for jury duty today for the U.S. Federal District Court. As I was sitting and waiting (we certainly had to wait a lot today!) for the final jury selection this little poem by Lewis Carroll kept running through my head. ‘Fury said to a     mouse, That he    met in the   house,  “Let us   both go to    law: I will     prosecute      you.—Come,       I’ll take no        denial; We       must have a      trial: For     really this      morning I’ve       nothing        to do.”        Said the      mouse to the     cur, “Such      a trial,       dear Sir,        With         no jury        or judge,       would be      wasting     our      breath.”       “I’ll be        judge, I’ll         be jury,”          Said            cunning            old Fury:           “I’ll            try the             whole              cause,               and              condemn             you            to           death.”’

This sounds like the badly translated title of a Japanese B movie, but this is what happened to my fiber optic internet service today. I lost internet mid-morning. Everything had been fine until then. I checked the outside unit and it seemed to be in order. Then I noticed that the "Internet" light on the router was red. I called Verizon. They diagnosed what they could remotely and then sent some technicians to check it out. The router had been replaced before so I figured that was the most likely solution. It turns out that very, very large black ants had infiltrated the fiber optic cable box on the telephone pole. The technician said when he opened the box, "Really big, black ants started pouring out." Ewwwwww! He then said they had eaten through the cable. Thinking it was only one spot, he thought they could splice it. As they began to pull the cable out of the box, it came out in little bits and pieces. Who knows how long they've been dining on the cable? I g...

We went to a bridal shower this afternoon. The bride is the daughter of one of my closest friends. Although we've only known each other nine years, we've been through some deep trials together, and I love the whole family dearly. The shower was very nice. Scripture was shared. There was prayer for the couple. The food was good. A good time was had by all. I am certainly no prophetess, but I fully anticipated the bride to be asked this question. "When/How did you know he was the one ?" I don't mean to be cynical, but I think the one and soul mate need to be stricken from the English language. I can't help but think of Anakin Skywalker and Mark Sandford when I hear those phrases. My daughter did remind me later about Neo. I don't mean to fault the person who asked the question at all. My problem is with the mindset of the one . That expression of he's the one or she's the one has so many expectations riding on it. It implies there is only one...

I have been reading Psalm 119 very slowly. I've been thinking about why the psalmist says he loves, delights, and cherishes the law. What is it about the law of God that draws this love from the psalmist? I've had exposure to the laws governing homeschooling and more recently the laws governing divorce. I can't imagine my attorney or the presiding judge saying, "I love the legal code of Virginia." Maybe I don't understand this sentiment (for lack of a better word because it's not sentimental) because I am basically lawless at heart. I have viewed the law as nothing more than rules and regulations stipulating what I can and cannot do. But what if the law of God is really about God Himself and not merely a set of rules and regulations? Maybe the psalmist loved God's law because he saw the law as the revelation of God's holiness and character?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 The ladies Bible study started the book of James yesterday. James' style is interesting because he gives a really short intro and then BANG! You're plunged immediately into rubber meets the road Christian living. I am so glad that God is sovereign. The things that take us by surprise are ordained by His just and loving hand. One such thing took me completely off guard tonight. I thought things were settling down, but they may be heating up again. I guess I have need of more steadfastness.

I received this offer in the mail from a local card store. Not only do I get 20% off my purchase, but I get a free gift - this wonderful birthday angel pin. Apparently this "angel" has the ability to grant my birthday wishes and make them all come true. Four things came to mind: 1. Aren't we supposed to worship and trust God, not angels? 2. Do people really like and believe this stuff? It seems like there's a whole industry cranking out tacky, cutesy, unbiblical angel paraphernalia. 3. This post by Dan Phillips - "Artists' angels look as if they're about to say "Please, may I have another chocolate?" Real angels usually have to start out with saying, "Dude, dude — try not to die!" 4. This line from Angelz from Shai Linne's Solus Christus Project - "and I don't resemble chubby babies with wings That's a lying replica" Maybe I'll use the 20% off coupon, but I think I'll pass on the "angel".

Pastor Ryan's message was on Hebrews 10:32-39, titled Remembering as We Endure . Those early Christians knew that taking a stand for their faith meant immediate persecution. They joyfully accepted the loss of property, possessions, and lives because they found One who was the better possession and abiding one. Yet, the writer of Hebrews needed to remind them. They needed to remember this so that they would endure and not throw away their confidence. These statements stood out to me: They lost the things we cherish in our comfortable Christianity - comfort and security, being liked, material goods - three things that plague 21st century Christianity. We take perseverance lightly. We believe that it is by faith alone in Christ alone but in the back of our minds is it with the thought that I get to keep my comfort and security, too? This message was so timely because on Friday evening, I was shaken by something. It really wasn't that much, but it was enough. Almost immediately,...

Words by John Newton, Music by Laura Taylor, sung by Emily DeLoach From Beams of Heaven , Indelible Grace IV

This is a recipe for wonderful yeast rolls. These are a snap to make because the bread machine does all the work. I made some rolls for my neighbors, so I thought I would share the recipe. Buttery Bread Machine Rolls (from Quick Cooking magazine via recipezaar.com) 1 cup warm milk (70-80 degrees F) 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine (1 stick) 1/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups bread flour 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1. Put all ingredients in the bread pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. 2. Select dough setting. 3. When cycle is complete, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. 4. Divide dough into 24 portions. 5. Shape dough into balls. 6. Place in a greased 13 X 9 baking pan or 2- round cake pans. 7. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes. 8. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown. 9. Serve warm and enjoy!

And this... Incidentally, Maru has his own blog and is coming out with his first book in September. You can read more it about here , that is if you can read Japanese.

His obedience was not for himself but for us. We were obliged to obey and could not. He was not obliged to obey, but by an act of his own will, did. God gave him this honour, that he should obey for the whole church, so that by 'his obedience many should be made righteous '(Rom 5:19). The reason why I say that God gave him this honour and glory is because his obedience was to stand in stead of our obedience in the matter of justification. His obedience, being absolutely perfect, revealed the holiness of God in the law. The ten commandments written on tablets of stone were glorious. But how much more glorious they became when written in the hearts of believers. But only in the holiness and obedience of Christ was this full glory seen. And this obedience is no small part of his glory. Through his human nature the glory of God's holiness was revealed by his perfect obedience. Glory of Christ ~ John Owen pg. 58 This is something worth pondering.