Tried With Fire

Okay, you Northerners, go ahead and laugh at us… ht: Alex on FB

I am thankful for : - Another snow day to read, knit, and bake chocolate chip cookies. School and work are closed. There are approximately 6 inches right now and it's still coming down. - Heat, electricity, boots, and a snow shovel. - A working PC. After being snow bound and sick last week, the computer technician was finally able to fix my machine on Saturday. Thankfully I was caught up with my work by Sunday evening. - Theology conference this week-end. This will be my church's 6th annual theology conference. Dr. James Renihan of Westminster California will be teaching on Baptist history and doctrine. Praying his travel plans and the conference itself will not be hindered by the storm. - The practical nature of preaching the gospel to one's self. Yes it can become a buzz phrase, but declaring what God has done in Christ and its implications for my life is a lifeline in the midst of worry. The truth does set us free.

I had planned on writing a review of Second Forgetting: The Power of the Gospel During Alzheimer's Disease by Dr. Benjamin Mast at Out of the Ordinary today. But alas, circumstances took a different turn and you'll have to wait a couple weeks for that, Lord willing. Instead, I'm reposting a piece I wrote earlier this month - Standing on the Promises.

What is the just-world phenomena? Basically human beings believe or want to believe the world is just. Therefore, when something inexplicable happens to someone, we try to explain the event in a way that reconciles it with our understanding of the world. It may result in aid for and defense of the victim, but often this results in our perceiving the victim as having done something to deserve the suffering. Dr. Melvin J. Lerner , the psychologist who coined the phrase, describes it like this: A Just World is one in which people "get what they deserve." The judgment of "deserving" is based on the outcome that someone is entitled to receive. A Person "P" deserves outcome "X" if P has met the appropriate preconditions for obtaining X. What is implied, also, is that P desires X. If P does not get X, or receives something of less value than X, then P has not received all he or she deserves. Of course, the outcomes in question can be negative rat...

"He hath said."—Hebrews 13:5 If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God's covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of "He hath said"? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, "He hath said" must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of  searching  the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch w...

In honor of the recent snow… Continued…

I am thankful for: - Shelter, warmth, and food in the pantry. It may not seem that cold for you folks further North, but we aren't getting out the teens today. We will probably break a record tonight with single digit temps. Poor daffodils. It's only going to get colder…. - Snowy days. We got 6 inches of snow with a layer of sleet on Monday night, All the schools have been closed, and no one is venturing out unless they have to. It may sound wimpy, but the local communities are ill-prepared for this kind of weather. There isn't money in the budget to plow any of the side streets, so we have to wait for sun and warmer temps for the roads to be passable. We don't have snow tires or chains, so our vehicles aren't equipped either. It's much safer for everyone to stay warm inside. Someone looking for breakfast - God's providence over flaky computers. My work PC began acting strangely over the week-end. Looks like it's a memory issue, but ...