tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172705792024-03-13T13:23:25.196-05:00Metallic PeaReligion and Politics--I'm told not to discuss them in public, so I reckon I'll discuss them here.ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-58272037713159188812007-09-26T11:36:00.000-05:002007-09-26T11:39:01.962-05:00I Have MOVED!!Due to some of the idisyncricies of this blog that aggravate me, I have moved over to another blogging home. (Be sure to update your links to my blog.)<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;"></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">You can go there by </span><a href="http://metallicpea.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">clicking here</span></a><span style="font-size:180%;">.</span></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-28508772792882097702007-09-24T16:40:00.001-05:002007-09-25T14:11:37.833-05:00Look At Me Being Serious!<div><strong><em>'The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives.' ~ Exodus 30:15 </em></strong> <span><br /><br /><br /></span>God’s providence is an amazing thing. Pastors Anderson and Coleman both addressed issues I had been dealing with recently in Sunday School and the worship service sermon, respectively. Jon, in our discussion on the Westminster Confession of Faith, lectured about the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s illumination to our understanding of the message(s) of Scripture while Pastor Coleman treated us to an expository treatment of predestination, with Ephesians 1:5 as the primary text.<br /><br />I wrestled with both aspects of truth a great deal throughout my own long journey down the Reformed path that led me to Westminster Presbyterian Church; neither topic, though plainly stated in and/ or deduced from Scripture, are easily understood absent the work of the Holy Spirit. So, I should not be surprised (<em>should</em> not be) when others do not immediately embrace the doctrinal truths we see so clearly before us. Still, the remaining corruption in my flesh erupts just enough to arouse my frustration nearly every time I discuss predestination (or God’s eternal decree) with others—primarily family members for some reason or another.<br /><br />Just over two weeks ago my mama and step-father came out to the friendly confines of Covenanter Ranch in Iola to visit us. Actually, to be accurate, I should admit that they came to see Gracie Mae; Ashlee and I were incidental to the trip. Near the end of the visit, we began discussing eschatology which eventually led to God’s eternal decree, providence, and predestination. I am fairly certain I performed admirably as it relates to the degree of animation I exhibited—or lack there of, really. I kept my cool (for once) and simply referred to Scripture. I admitted that I can’t understand the concepts fully; however, I explained that I believe very strongly that the Bible is the Word of God and, as it states both <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202:13;&version=31;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">God’s direction of all things</span></a> and man’s <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202:23;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">responsibility for his actions</span></a>, it must be true.<br /><br />As I mentioned above, Jon’s discussion of the WCF touched upon the work of the Holy Spirit as an integral part of understanding—and accepting—the truths of Scripture. In addition, the Confession makes it clear that some parts of scripture, no matter how long or arduously we wrestle with them, may never been clearly revealed or understood.<br /><br />‘<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203:16&version=31"><span style="color:#3333ff;">All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all</span></a>: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.’ (WCF 1.7)<br /><br />Pastor Coleman’s discourse spoke directly to the arguments my mama and step-father raised regarding predestination—primarily that it doesn’t seem fair nor loving. (Rest assured, they’ll soon have their own shiny new copy of the sermon on CD as soon as it is made available to me.) Yet, for all of my protestations that God is in fact loving—<em>especially</em> in His act of predestination—I missed the crucial evidence in the passage I cited until Pastor Coleman pointed it out in his sermon. You need only retrace your steps backward two words from verse 5 of Ephesians 1 and the proof is right there: ‘In love…’<br /><br />All of this is to say that I find the combination of the two truths discussed above quite comforting and extremely liberating. There is no need for me to get frustrated nor agitated by another’s failure (or unwillingness) to understand certain passages of Scripture or similarly ‘difficult’ doctrinal positions. God’s Word <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055:11;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">will not return to Him void</span></a> nor will the effective call of the Spirit be ultimately resisted. ‘All’ I am commanded to do is share the truth.<br /><br />God does all of the heavy lifting.<span><br /></span>--------------------------------------------<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Those who know me well--and those who have only met me once, really--know that I love playing practical jokes on folks. <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3005938922843755894&q=college+prank+site%3Agoogle.com&total=47&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=7"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Here is an example of how you should NOT react</span></a> when a joke is played on you. (Take a look at his shirt if you want to be even more embarrassed!)<span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div>Mrs. Wiggins, please put this in the 'Hyprocrisy File': 'NASA scientist James E. Hansen, who has publicly criticized the Bush administration for dragging its feet on climate change and labeled skeptics of man-made global warming as distracting "court jesters," appears in a 1971 Washington Post article that <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070919/NATION02/109190067"><span style="color:#3333ff;">warns of an impending ice age within 50 years</span></a>.' <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><strong>Ron Paul 2nd in Palmetto Family Straw Poll , Columbia, SC</strong> <span><br /><br /></span>539 total ballots cast:<br /><span><br /></span>1st: 206 votes - Mike Huckabee<span><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2nd: 179 votes - Ron Paul</span><br /></strong>3rd: 43 votes - Fred Thompson<br />4th: 29 votes - Sam Brownback<br />5th: 25 votes - Duncan Hunter<br />6th: 14 votes - Mitt Romney<br />7th: 12 votes - Daniel Gilbert<br />8th: 10 votes - John McCain<br />9th: 7 votes - Hugh Cort<br />10th: 5 votes - Rudy Giuliani<span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Beware <a href="http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/09/21/Opinion/Ron-Pauls.Sticky.Revolution-2983667.shtml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Sticky Revolution</span></a>!! <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'The income tax is bad because it has robbed you and me of the guarantee of privacy and the respect for our property that were given to us in Article IV of the Bill of Rights. This invasion is absolute and complete as far as the amount of tax that can be assessed is concerned. Please remember that under the Sixteenth Amendment, Congress can take 100% of our income anytime it wants to. As a matter of fact, right now it is imposing a tax as high as 91%. This is downright confiscation and cannot be defended on any other grounds.' ~ T. Coleman Andrews, former Commissioner of Infernal Revenue Service <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'A Christian advocacy group is encouraging military families, and other concerned citizens, to write letters to the Defense Department expressing concern over the recent decision by the Pentagon that allows <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/pentagon_okays_sale_of_certain.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the sale of certain adult [sic] magazines at military exchanges</span></a>.' <span><br /><br /><br /></span>In reference to the article cited above, I can attest to the prevalence of pornography in the military (at least in the Army). I was exposed to more illicit and profane materials during my hitch in the Army than I ever was before or have been since. Oddly enough, the best thing that happened to protect my eyes and my spirit was being deployed during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, where the Saudi government did not allow such materials into the country. Interestingly, when we were occupying southern Iraq near the town of An-Nasiriyah, a local man named Hussein offered--unsolicited--to bring us pornography (and booze, and pills, and cigarettes) for the right price. (We declined.)<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Due to the intricacies of U.S. Copyright Law, which is rivaled only by the IRS tax code, there is presently underway a tooth-and-nail fight over the rights to <a href="http://thegolddiggers.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/whose-show-is-it-anyway/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Dean Martin Show</span></a>. My grandmother LOVED that show; my mama said that nobody was allowed to talk during the programme at the risk of being pummeled by Nonnie. (And she would do it, too!)<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>As the campaign to cook up a pretense for war with Iran gathers steam, please keep in mind that you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mScWWtRfGQ"><span style="color:#3333ff;">should not believe everything</span></a> you read or hear. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Reason 1,094,322 that women <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RS1M2O1&show_article=1&catnum=0"><span style="color:#3333ff;">should not be law enforcement officers</span></a>. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Rather than a Just War, it seems that we have <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/brownback_paul_spar_over_just.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>just</em> <em>war</em></span></a>.<span><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div align="center"><span></span><strong>This is just too funny for words.</strong> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/279892382_3a171a2bdd.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>'Beyond its entertainment value, <em>Baywatch</em> has enriched and, in many cases, helped save lives. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to continue with a project which has such a significance for so many.' ~ David Hasselhoff, Actor</div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-37074400252334072562007-09-20T07:27:00.001-05:002007-09-23T20:00:13.967-05:00I'll Have the Kriegshund Burger and a Cup of Hot Fat, Please<div align="left"><strong><em>'"But now bring me a musician." And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him.' ~ II Kings 3:15</em></strong><br /></div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">A prevalent accusation levelled against those of us in the Reformed tradition--and, more often than not, deservedly so--is that of being too cerebral or having an overemphasis on the intellectual aspects of theology and doctrine. I must admit to having a hand in perpetuating that perception and, although I could 'name names' regarding my confederates at WPC, I'll leave that up to the reader to identify those who bear the blame alongside me.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">However, though I readily admit the intellectual approach to our faith can be overemphasised, I would also assert with great confidence that it does have its place. Our intellect and capacity for critical thought are gifts from God; after all, He is the author of logic.</div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Yet, it has been my experience that an all too prevalent approach to our supplications focuses almost exclusively upon the emotional aspects of the faith--at least as much as it concerns those prayers in which we seek guidance or wisdom in specific circumstances, such as job searches, child-bearing or rearing, dating or marriage relationships, etc. By this I mean that the answer we seek--and I am including myself in this discussion--is one of the 'Road to Damascus' variety in which we desire God to provide His answer in some unmistakably overt manner, via anything from an immediate telephone call to His voice emanating from a pillar of smoke hovering just above our house. (Oh, that life's important decisions could always be made <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%201:26;&version=31;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">by the casting of lots</span></a>!)</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">To be clear, I am not denying that God can--and does--<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%205:5-9;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">use such methods in his Providence</span> </a>to direct and interact with His people to accomplish His purposes. I have often heard those who have said that God 'led' them to such and such decision or they 'felt His call' to make a certain decision. I cannot recall a time in my life in which God has so recognisably dealt with me and my petitions to Him, still, I have no method or authority to discount those types of accounts described above in the lives of others and it is not my intention to here cast doubt upon them.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">My point is that I think we sell ourselves short too often when we seek God's counsel as it relates to our ability to act with wisdom. He has given us a tremendous faculty for reason, deduction, and logic. In short, He has, in varying degrees depending upon the individual, given us wisdom--which He intends for us to utilise. I am not advocating that we eschew approaching the bar of Heaven and asking for intercession or guidance; what I am advocating is that we not be so fearful in using the wisdom that God has given us, coupling it with what He has revealed to us as His will in His word, and drawing conclusions or making decisions with confidence.</div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">I have ruminated on this subject for quite some time but my thoughts on this subject re-emerged the other day during my lunchtime men's Bible study on the Book of Judges. In our discussion about God's revelation to Sampson's parents regarding their son's purpose for Israel, it was noticed that the father, Manoah, reacted with a great deal of fear and trepidation while Sampson's mother based her reaction upon her faith--and what she could deduce about the situation based upon what she knew about God. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2013:15-25;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">She used the faculties God had given her to assess the situation while Manoah required supernatural authentication to validate God's message</span></a>. D. M. Lloyd Jones discusses the difference in their reactions thus in 'Facing the Unexpected': </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">'We must consider what this woman did, and the answer is a startling and surprising one--that <em>she just thought and reasoned</em>. How simple! And yet how we tend to fail at this point ... There is an anti-intellectual spirit with regard to religion. ... The whole emphasis has been placed upon religion as a power which can do things for us and which can make us happy. ... Seeing and observing her husband's collapse ... she doesn't cry or shout ... <strong>she thinks, she reasons, she ponders the matter, and with magnificent logic</strong> she arrives at the only conclusion that is really valid.' [Emphasis mine.]</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">All of this is to say that I don't think we should have so little confidence in our God-given abilities to reason and in the wisdom He grants us. Certainly, we should prayerfully seek His guidance and direction; but rather than in a burning bush or an angel from Heaven seizing our knife-clasping hand (which God can and may use at His good pleasure), His answer can often be seen in our ordinary and deliberative attempts to weigh the benefits or deficits of our situtation based upon the gifts He has already bestowed upon us in conjuction with those heavenward petitions.</div><div align="left">-----------------------------------<br /><br /><br /><em>Tabula rasa</em>? I don’t think so. I KNEW Gracie Mae <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/09/18/scibaby118.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox"><span style="color:#3333ff;">had something going on up there</span></a>!<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left">I was telling some of the folks at church last week about the book on levitation that Ashlee bought me the other day. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/06/nlevitate106.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox"><span style="color:#3333ff;">I haven't been able to put it down</span></a>.<span><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div align="left"><span></span>For quite some time now I have been itchin' to start a bluegrass band. And I've got the perfect name already picked out: Treble Yell! (Can you dig it?)</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Speaking of bluegrass bands, one of my old high school buddies was asked to sit in on bass with some of his fellow troops in Iraq and--poof--<a href="http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/articles/2007/09/20/news/leisure/leisure05.txt"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the Taji Mountain Boys</span></a> were born.<span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/015455.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The following statement</span></a> has been issued by Michael Anthony Peroutka, the Presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in 2004. He is also co-founder, with his brother Steve, of “Institute On The Constitution.” And he is co-host, with John Lofton, of “The American View” radio show.<br /><strong><em>I endorse Rep. Ron Paul for President. And I endorse him not because he is the lesser of two evils. A Christian can never endorse any kind of evil. I endorse Rep. Paul because — from a Christian/Biblical and Constitutional perspective – he is, by far, the best candidate running for President.<br />— Rep. Paul believes, correctly, that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God and thus it is not the role of God-ordained civil government, at any level, to feed, house, clothe or educate anybody.<br />— Rep. Paul takes his oath to God as a Congressman seriously and believes, correctly, that the Constitution is the highest man-made law in our land, that it severely restricts what the Federal Government can legally do, and it must be obeyed. This is why, as he states on his campaign web site, he has: never voted to raise taxes; never voted for an unbalanced budget; never voted for a Federal restriction on gun ownership; never voted to raise Congressional pay; never taken a government-paid junket; and has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.<br />In addition, Rep. Paul has voted against: the Patriot Act; regulating the Internet; and he voted against the Iraq war. He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program. He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.<br />— Rep. Paul, again correctly, is truly pro-life and believes that there are no circumstances under which it is OK to murder by abortion any innocent unborn babies.</em><br /></strong>(The CP is the third-largest political party in the US (366,000 members, more than the LP's 235,000), with almost all of them in California and Nevada.)<br /><br /><br /><br />'Today, with all of the curriculum that's been developed, [homeschooling is] really quite easy. Not only is it quite easy, one of the biggest problems I have is selecting what I want to do from <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/home_schooling_a_viable_option.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the wealth of resources that are available</span></a>," says Shortt.<br /><br /><br /><br />'Of course, there is a one in ten-thousand chance that, when I push this button, it will be the end of the world.' ~ Manhattan Project physicist Enrico Fermi.<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><em>Come you masters of war</em></div><div align="left"><em>You that build all the guns</em></div><div align="left"><em>You that build the death planes</em></div><div align="left"><em>You that build the big bombs</em></div><div align="left"><em>You that hide behind walls</em></div><div align="left"><em>You that hide behind desks</em></div><div align="left"><em>I just want you to know</em></div><div align="left"><em>I can see through your masks</em> </div><br /><div align="left">~ Bob Dylan, <em>Masters of War<br /><br /><br /></em><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong>'Ahhh. The sunshine, the flowers, the birds, the ...</strong><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o3QdoBhmt0gzuIliLr7AuU08SjyTrxBOT0Pr2KjusI4c4jQbc2CM8gPq7JFKBj8LXwmoI2ObBPoYnDwK_28wJNV3Me5zGQBVBWxmPCs3rAQhMlVeZdmBPBQi7DpJfN_Z27IX/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112387977203733026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o3QdoBhmt0gzuIliLr7AuU08SjyTrxBOT0Pr2KjusI4c4jQbc2CM8gPq7JFKBj8LXwmoI2ObBPoYnDwK_28wJNV3Me5zGQBVBWxmPCs3rAQhMlVeZdmBPBQi7DpJfN_Z27IX/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>... Mama, wake up!! I want to nurse NOW!!!</strong><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0hyTue7g1TgPcH0sShHgHfO6NpFFCKD2nNAlSjzfqDU_jFglfEd8_aeNxFPpG8KMAZWEDshsLmr4JC8L0wM4ygUmAzg-ZOxR7pZmvuFpyQUb1mFA1GmYYC1Tfoy7xr-E3d0L/s1600-h/GMfit.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112387573476807186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0hyTue7g1TgPcH0sShHgHfO6NpFFCKD2nNAlSjzfqDU_jFglfEd8_aeNxFPpG8KMAZWEDshsLmr4JC8L0wM4ygUmAzg-ZOxR7pZmvuFpyQUb1mFA1GmYYC1Tfoy7xr-E3d0L/s320/GMfit.JPG" border="0" /></a>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-8308427119170285782007-09-19T07:02:00.001-05:002007-09-19T23:01:32.500-05:00Bouquets, Torque Wrenches, and Mushroom Clouds<em><strong>'For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: ... a time for war, and a time for peace.' ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8</strong></em><br /><br /><br />I should begin by stating emphatically that I am not a pacifist by any understanding of the word. Although I agree that the Lord calls us to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:39;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">turn the other cheek</span></a> in our personal dealings and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:17;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">not to repay evil for evil</span></a>, nowhere is it stated clearer in the Word of God that there <em>is</em> a time for war. The <em>Westminster Confession</em> speaks to this issue clearly, as well: '[S]o, for that end, [the Christian magistrate] may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion' (WCF 23.2). Yet again, the Divines' position is in accordance with Scripture, as evidenced by <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:9-13;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the Messiah's interaction with the Roman centurion</span></a>. As one can imagine, this then raises the question: What is meant by 'just and necessary occasion'?<br /><br />The historical Christian understanding of the Biblical position was delineated by Augustine in <em>The City of God</em>. In that work, Augustine argued that absolute pacifism is not mandated in the Word of God; still, there are certain prerequisites which must be met in order to justify waging war upon another: 1) it must be defensive, declared and carried out by the proper authority, 2) waged as a last resort, 3) proportionate to the threat, and 4) discriminate between combatants and non-combatants.<br /><br />It is my deeply held view that the current war in Iraq has met none of these criteria (in varying degrees). Iraq had not attacked us (in fact, Saddam was in no position to do so even had it been his intention), there was no imperative to do so, it is obvious that we used a great deal more power than necessary to meet even the purported 'threat', and there have been innumerable instances of failures to discriminate between combatants and non-combatants (admittedly, not all of them deliberate). The last has, sadly, been the most-oft broken of the parameters for Just War. Sherman's March to the Sea inaugurated the practise which was continued as a matter of course. The firebombings of Dresden and Tokyo were horrific enough even without the vaporising of thousands of women, children, and elderly in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. How would you feel if your wife or children were considered 'collateral damage'?<br /><br />Why do I raise such a tinderbox issue? Is it because I hate America? Of course not! But, as a Christian, I think it is my duty to speak the truth in love when I feel we are going astray. What concerns me even more than the government's application of unjust military action is that a significant portion of the Church (apparently) unabashedly supports that action. We are called to be peacemakers; yet, what I hear increasingly echoing from the halls of our places of worship is the beating of the war drums.<br /><br />At the Faith2Action 'Values Voters Debate' in South Florida Monday night, only ONE Christian candidate for President of the U.S. stood against the war as unjust--Ron Paul. When he stated his opposition and invoked the name of Jesus--as the Prince of Peace--<em>he was soundly booed</em> by the admittedly evangelical audience! Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas--a Baptist minister, no less--openly calls for NUKING Iran! (How exactly does one distinguish between combatants and women and children in such an action, sir?) The sponsor of the event chided Dr Paul for 'cherrypicking' the peace passages out of Scripture! The bloodlust rampant among many in the Church is horrifying to me.<br /><br />Let me be clear, I know that not every Christian supports the war and I am also not accusing anyone specifically of seeking the deaths of innocent people. There are many well-meaning Christians who feel just as deeply that the war is just as I do that it is not. I am speaking in generalities merely for the sake of brevity and to form a clear and concise argument. I hope that no one feels personally insulted or attacked, that certainly is not my intention.<br /><br />Again, I am not advocating that we allow ourselves to be attacked with impunity; turning the other cheek does not require that we do not protect ourselves or the weak and innocent. I would just urge Christians to search the Scriptures for guidance as to <em>when and how</em> we should take such serious action as making war. The Bible tells us there is a time for war. And a time for peace.<br />------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br />And so it appears that wine snobs <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/09/17/scibuff117.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">are full of cheese</span></a> (as it were).<br /><br /><br />‘[The] criteria for a just war do not match what we have been doing in Iraq. Nor are they in harmony with the concept of a preemptive nuclear war against Iran. Yet the Republican presidential candidates who support the concept of preemptive nuclear war also claim to be Christians and men of faith. How can that be? Have they studied Christian just-war theory? Are they even familiar with it? Ron Paul made a very astute observation when he commented: “I have been reading from a different Bible."’” ~ Gary Benoit<br /><br /><br />Here are 25 skills <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/technology_news/4221635.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">every man should know</span></a>. (I've only got about 12 or 13 under my belt.)<br /><br /><br />Jeffrey Tucker eulogises his father: ‘On occasion I've visited the church I grew up in. No one there today remembers my Father. <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker83.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">But they are still singing the songs he wrote</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br />'In short, Ron Paul is the only Republican whose positions on the two primary issues are different than Hillary Clinton's stance on them, and, more importantly, are more credible and more popular than Hillary Clinton's. He is the only Republican whose nomination can realistically be considered a potential impediment to <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57545"><span style="color:#3333ff;">what otherwise looks like a Democratic landslide</span></a>.'<br /><br /><br />As Christians, we should be ever mindful of how and where we spend our money. This list, in alphabetical order, consists of companies scoring a perfect 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Corporate Equality Index, <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57683"><span style="color:#3333ff;">with policies beneficial toward homosexuals</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><em>My youngest son came home to-day</em><br /><em>His friends marched with him all the way</em><br /><em>The pipes and drums beat all the time</em><br /><em>As in his box of polished pine</em><br /><em>Like dead meat on a butcher's tray</em><br /><em>My youngest son came home to-day. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em>And this time he is home to stay...</em><br /><br />~ Eric Bogle, <em>My Youngest Son Came Home To-day</em><br /><br /><br />The Episcopal Church has fallen <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57655"><span style="color:#3333ff;">and it can't get up</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />‘I tried to walk a fine line between acting lawfully and testifying falsely but I now recognize that I did not fully accomplish that goal.’ ~ Former President Bill Clinton<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/x/M/iraq_checklist.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/x/M/iraq_checklist.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-85711573879293587152007-09-18T07:19:00.000-05:002007-09-18T13:13:36.050-05:00Instant Man. (Just Add Beer.)<em><strong>'Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you.' ~ Deuteronomy 1:13</em></strong> <div><div><br /><br /><div align="left">I wrote the following poem following a conversation I had with a co-worker after she remarked about my abnormally large Robert E. Lee coffee mug. I mentioned to her that family legend suggests that I am a descendant of the great general (from his brother's line I believe). Her reply, influenced no doubt by her Yankee roots in Michigan and dripping with blue-belly cynicism, came sharply: '<em>Everyone</em> in the South says they are related to him.' Hence, my inspiration to compose the following missive. I should employ the following caveat: my intent was not to be snide nor prideful. I hope y'all enjoy it. </div><div align="left"><br /><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong>EVERYONE'S A LEE</strong><br />by R. Matthew Lee<br /><br /><br /><em>From the Texas Hill Country to the Virginia sea<br />Dwell scores of relations to Robert E. Lee<br />Singing high in proud tones, in insistent refrains<br />"'Tis the General's blood that runs through our veins!"<br />Through mother or father, most cannot recall<br />But certain, they are--he's the root of them all!<br />'Twas their aunt who first told them (or another relation)<br />Though few can produce the documentation<br />They revel and boast of the General's fame<br />And attach themselves fiercely to the Patriarch's name<br />Should any dare question Marse Robert's reputation<br />They bristle and spit with high indignation<br />"History can boast of few men of such worth!"<br />Speaks one of the millions of his kinsmen by birth<br />Another nearby replies, "It is true!<br />("The Old Grey Fox is my ancestor, too!")<br />One cannot--one should not--accuse or lay blame<br />To one for desiring to lay claim to the name<br />Good Sons of the South all seek but to shine<br />By boasting aloud that they come from his line<br />Yet if all who lay claim to his family tree<br />Indeed were aright, we'd all be a Lee!</em><br /><br /></div><div align="left">--------------------------------<span><br /><br /><br /></span>CROC ALERT!! Your shoes could be <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297143,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">dangerous to your health</span></a>! <span><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left">In a related story--they now have <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6918023"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Crocs for Docs</span></a>!<br /><span><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left">‘True Christians," [Ron Paul] said, "believe that marriage is a church function. It's not a state function. <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57701"><span style="color:#3333ff;">I don't think you need a license to get married</span></a>.’ <span><br /><br /></span>I couldn’t agree more. That’s why Ashlee and I did not apply for nor obtain a marriage license. <span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><strong></strong><div align="center"><strong>A WEENIE ROAST AT THE DABNEY FAMILY REUNION.</strong><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mikeleejohnson.com/weinerroasting.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><span><br /></span><p></p><p> </p><p>Check out this HILARIOUS video of an interviewer who can't stop laughing at a man’s <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6941149478610511078&q=man%27s+high+voice+site%3Agoogle.com&total=190&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0"><span style="color:#3333ff;">(unexpectedly) high pitched voice</span></a>. (It's in a foreign language but still very funny!)<br /><span><br /></span></p><p> </p><p>‘The message is, "Don’t Serve Alcohol to Teens. It’s unsafe. It’s illegal. It’s irresponsible." We Don't Serve Teens is a <a href="http://www.dontserveteens.gov/about.html">national campaign </a>on the part of the Federal Trade Commission.</p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.karendecoster.com/blog/archives/teens%20drink.gif" border="0" /><br /><p></p><p>'So 18-year-olds and 19-year-olds (and even 20-year-olds) are teens, correct? According to <a href="http://www.dontserveteens.gov/">this government campaign</a> they are. But what about this government campaign known as <a href="http://www.sss.gov/FSwho.htm">Selective Service</a>? According to the Imperial Branch of government, teens are "men." Under the "Who must register?" guidelines, everywhere it mentions those who must register, they are referred to as "men." Disabled men. Hospitalized men. Men who would be classified as Conscientious Objectors. Men, men, men, men, men. Men from 18 to 25 years of age. An 18-year-old is a teen if he drinks a beer, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/015379.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">and he is a man if he puts on the conqueror's camouflage and learns to kill for the state</span></a>.<br />And it's apparently not irresponsible or unsafe to yank these same teens men from their homes against their will (draft anyone?) and send them off to foreign lands to conquer, be conquered, and kill the enemies of the United Imperial States.<br />It's irresponsible to give those same men teens a Budweiser, however.'</p><p> </p><p><span></span>‘Changing the definition of what chocolate is <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MARS_CHOCOLATE?SITE=CODER&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-09-17-13-50-26;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">would be a mistake</span></a>.’<span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div><div><p>'I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.' ~ David Dinkins, Former New York City Mayor, answering accusations that he failed to pay his taxes. <span><br /></span></p><p><span> </p></span><p align="center"><strong>If men made clothing.</strong> </p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mikeleejohnson.com/wifewash.jpg" border="0" /></p></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-56046183744674273402007-09-14T19:33:00.000-05:002007-09-14T20:21:27.951-05:00'I Study Nuclear Science, I Love My Classes; I've Got a Crazy Teacher Who Wears Dark Glasses...'<em><strong>'A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.' Proverbs 13:22</em></strong> <span><div><br /><br /></div></span><div>I have written and spoken <em>ad nauseum</em> regarding the danger of debt and living beyond our means. Besides being unwise--and making us slaves to our debtors--our economic consumption (perhaps <em>over</em> consumption is more accurate) can send the wrong message to the world. The problem arises when our lives reflect a sense of opulance to the world rather than modesty and biblical stewardship of the resources given us by God.<span><br /></span>With that in mind, it is important to stress that saving--while also fiscally wise--is a biblical mandate, as well. More importantly is for what--and whom--we are saving. In our house, we have two savings accounts; we have one designated as the 'General Fund' and another that we keep for our child(ren). Those who know me know that I place a great deal of importance on the wisdom of our forefathers. They utilised the accumulated the wisdom of the ages (improving upon it as necessity and experience dictated) to their and their families' advantage. In that vein, we have decided to lay aside a portion of our earnings each month so that our daughter(s) will have a dowry and our (Lord willing) sons will have seed money to assist them as they begin their families.<span><br /></span>While we place a great deal of emphasis on self-reliance (within reason) and self-sufficiency (see I Thess. 4:11,12), we also hold dear the biblical mandate to care for the generations that follow us. Teaching our children the wisdom of biblical financial stewardship coupled with a gift upon their wedding days will, Lord willing, bless them and serve them well all of their days.<span><br /></span>---------------------------<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>‘British scientists are using a giant instrument - in essence an extremely powerful torch and microscope combined - <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/09/12/sciscroll112.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">to read [the Dead Sea Scroll] parchments that are too brittle to unroll or unfold</span></a>.’<span><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div><span></span>Ok, pencils? Check. Notepads? Check. <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jBt2VB3MmkenuR6VjvdBgFG8-3Tg"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Plutonium? Uh-oh</span></a>. <span><span><br /><br /><br /> </span></span></div><div><span><span></span></span> </div><div><span><span></span></span>Well, what would you do if <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7800475055733958827&q=snake+attack+site%3Agoogle.com&total=63&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">a lizard jumped on you suddenly</span></a>?<span><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span></span>'In short, Ron Paul is the only Republican whose positions on the two primary issues are different than Hillary Clinton's stance on them, and, more importantly, <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57545"><span style="color:#3333ff;">are more credible and more popular than Hillary Clinton's</span></a>. He is the only Republican whose nomination can realistically be considered a potential impediment to what otherwise looks like a Democratic landslide.' <span><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span></span>A home schooling expert says that <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/home_schooling_expert_says_chu.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">churches are Missing in Action</span></a> in the education of our children. (He has obviously never visited Westminster Presbyterian!.) <span></span></div><div><span></span> </div><div><span></span> </div><div align="center"><span><span><br /></span></span><strong>You'd never see a kid doing this in a home school!</strong> <span><br /></span></div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mikeleejohnson.com/kidchair.jpg" border="0" /><span><br /><br /><br /></span>“Dishonest Abe invested in land in Council Bluffs, Iowa, of all places, in 1857. To this day this piece of land is known as ‘Lincoln’s Hill.’ When he became president one of his first official acts was to call a special session of Congress to begin work on the Pacific Railway Act that would shower railroad corporations with government subsidies while they built a transcontinental railroad line. When Congress finally passed the bill in 1862 it gave the president the right to decide the eastern terminus of the line. And guess what? Dishonest Abe chose Council Bluffs, Iowa. What a coincidence, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo127.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">and what a good example of political insider trading</span></a>.” <span><br /><br /></span><br /><br />'All you have to do is go down to the bottom of your swimming pool and hold your breath.' ~David Miller, U.S. Department of Energy spokesman, on protecting yourself from nuclear radiation.<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3088605151190792370&q=george+bush+bloopers+site%3Agoogle.com&total=9&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">This video of George W. Bush bloopers</span></a> is especially for Marian. (But others may feel free to look, too.)<span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://www.moviemistakes.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Here is a really neat web site</span> </a>that keeps track of mistakes and errors in movies and tv shows. It is fun getting out your 'Gladiator' DVD and looking for the camera crewman wearing a t-shirt and jeans in the big battle scene at the beginning! <span><br /><br /><br /></span></div><span><div align="center"><br /></span><strong>Husband of the Year giving his wife and mother-in-law a ride to work:</strong> <span> </span></div><p align="center"><span></span> </p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mikeleejohnson.com/wifecage.jpg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-24663249771509581432007-09-12T06:31:00.001-05:002007-09-12T11:59:48.681-05:00You're Gonna Be Free and You're Gonna LIKE IT!!!<strong><em>'If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.' ~ Hebrews 12:8</em></strong> <span><br /><br /><br /></span>We had a really enjoyable and sanctifying small group meeting last evening at the Kimballs' house (along with the Ayers family). The gist of the study was regarding our tendency as sinners to justify ourselves before God by our good works or our (perceived) adherence to the Law. On the one hand, our good works cannot earn us salvation; that is a gift from God and has nothing to do our abilities (Ephesians 2:8,9). In addition, although our good works should be a response to God's grace and an demonstrative sign of our faith (see the Book of James), even they are, more often than we would like to admit, done with the improper motive, i.e., self-aggrandisement or reputation-building. Pride is an evil taskmaster.<span><br /></span>As C. H. Spurgeon wrote, 'Had not Jesus interposed and wrought out a wealth of merit, our tears of repentance would have been so much water spilled upon the ground.' <span><br /></span>------------------------------<span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'Religious radicals <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57524"><span style="color:#3333ff;">have threatened to burn a Christian church's pastor and his family</span></a>, and the church building was vandalized with a Hindu "Om" symbol, according to the Voice of the Martyrs, the worldwide ministry to persecuted Christians.' <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Here is somethign for Rachel, Marian, and Hannah. <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2776250493566058015"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Y'all should be able to get the family laundry done in no time</span></a>!! <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><div>“Forget about <em>Indiana Jones and the City of Gods</em> or even <em>Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds</em>, two of the potential names registered by producers Lucasfilm Ltd. The next movie featuring the two-fisted adventurer will be called <em><a href="http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22398625-5005961,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</span></a></em>.” <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>‘Democracy is not a quality that can be imposed by war. The attempt to do so has always met with failure. Democracy can spring only from within a nation itself, only from the hearts and minds of the people. It can be spread abroad by example, but never by force. The strength of a democracy lies in the satisfaction of its own people. Its influence lies in making others wish to copy our American system of government, we cannot force them to copy it by going to war …' ~ Charles Lindbergh (1941)<span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>They say that sports are a metaphor for life. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296556,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Let's hope not</span></a>. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'Malaysia’s government ordered a Tamil-language daily to immediately halt publication for a month as punishment for <a href="http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=201&page=9"><span style="color:#3333ff;">printing an image of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette</span></a>, an official with the newspaper said.' <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Here is the video clip that had everybody laughing. Remember: <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6077326441742307086&q=are+you+sinking+about&total=765&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Language is important</span></a>! <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>I fully expected to see Kevin Ayers' name <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYCD4Gu5sgpDRm3qzPcAyhDNNLDQ"><span style="color:#3333ff;">in this story</span></a>. (Just kidding, Kev!)<span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'The result of [Mike] Huckabee's imprudent decision to take on Dr [Ron] Paul was as predictable as a clash between a ring bologna and a freshly sharpened slicer.' ~ William N. Grigg <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div align="left">When will <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296450,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the madness end</span></a>?<span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it.' ~ Dan Quayle, former U.S. Vice President <span><br /><br /></span></div><span><div align="center"><br /></span></div><strong>'OK, can you pull forward just a little … wait, wait, WAIT!!'</strong><br /><div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.brownsmarina.com/images/oops.jpg" border="0" /></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-41254492960671454512007-09-08T09:32:00.000-05:002007-09-10T13:29:42.794-05:00I Imagine It's a Series of Tubes...<div><strong><em>'A man of many companions may come to ruin, but</em></strong><strong><em> there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' ~ Proverbs 18:24</em></strong> <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>The WPC Men's Ministry Pseudo-Semi-Bi-Annual-Yearly Steak & Game Night was held Friday evening and was quite the good time. We had reckoned that somewhere around 30 men would attend; in fact, we had over 50 sign up, of which a bit more than 40 showed up. Praise the Lord!Building the Men's Ministry continues to progress nicely. Our aim, with God's grace, is to build relationships between the men of the church through formal activities which then foster closer, personal relationships among the men with the result of friendship, fellowship, Christian education, mentoring/ discipleship, and accountability--all to the glory of God.<span> </span></div><div><span></span>The greatest challenge has been to integrate the college-age men with the Old Fogies. We had a great showing of about 15 or 20 of the former last night and we all appeared to have a great time of food (Pat Wells and Uncle Norvie CAN GRILL SOME STEAK, Y'ALL!), devotional (Jon brought yet again a great message biblical application), games, and conversation. There was a slight delay with the presentation of dessert due to my inability to distinguish between directions for a convection oven vs. conventional oven on the back of the cobbler boxes, but all's well that end's well!<span> </span></div><div><span></span>--------------------------------------- <span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Apparently, the Secular Establishment in certain Indoctrination Camps--I mean universities--believe that the centuries old Christian practise of foot washing is a <em>health hazard</em>? Sometimes I just shake my head in wonderment at <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/poll_is_footwashing_a_health_h.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">how stupid they think we are</span></a>. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>The Reverend R. L. Dabney wrote: 'When you elevate a bad man [to public office], you give to him a hundred-fold more power of example to corrupt your sons, and your neighbour's sons by his evil acts. Those acts are a hundred-fold more conspicuous and more weighty to attract notice and imitation than if you had left him in his deserved obscurity. When you delegate your money, influence or civic power to a bad man, <strong>you make his wicked official acts and influences your own</strong>; he is your chosen agent, and acts for you, and be assured a jealous God will not forget to visit the people for the guilt thus contracted.' <span><br /><br /><br /></span>Still, Rev. Dabney's advice notwithstanding, half of those polled recently <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57512"><span style="color:#3333ff;">would support a God-denier</span></a> for President of the United States. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Here is a story about shopping from home via computer--<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4796674762025998102"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>made in 1967</strong></span></a>!! <span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div><span></span>David vs. Goliath? NO! <a href="http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=11570"><span style="color:#3333ff;">It's Ron vs. the Huckster</span></a>!! <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>"When you have the [U2] music there, the church becomes more personal. It's music they like," said Edwin Morlu, 16, one of the church's members. "They can hear it while still being able to hear the message and spread it in a <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpu2charistpnsep09,0,3915376.story"><span style="color:#3333ff;">more fun and enjoyable way</span></a>."<span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><strong>Patriotism</strong>--Origin, Greek <em>patrios</em>: <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/fedako3.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">of one's fathers</span></a>. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>"[Edward] Gamble says the major fallacy is that there is any such thing as <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/christians_admonished_to_take_.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">an education that can be secular</span></a>. 'Scripture doesn't know anything about any part of our lives being secular,' he states. 'Everything's sacred.'" <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'[God] has not given you your children and the means to support them simply so that you may do with them as you please, or train them just to get ahead in the world. You have been earnestly commanded to raise them for God's service.' ~ Martin Luther <span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>'What the [Texas Supreme] court said, 8-to-0, is I think true -- which is that really the state has no business, no competence, no authority to come in and try to tell churches and seminaries how to train pastors for the ministry," says Shackelford. "This is an area <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/texas_seminaries_victorious_in.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">where the state has zero authority to intervene</span></a>, and if they do so they violate the free exercise of religion." <span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span></div><div><span></span> </div><div align="center"><span></span>Well, they have to be told <em>something</em>!! <span> <span> <br /></span></span><span><span> </span></span><span></span></div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.airsideshop.com/images/news/dead-santa-701411.jpg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-53095326186429695262007-09-05T21:17:00.001-05:002007-09-07T13:15:01.661-05:00Why Don't You Just Make 10 Louder?<strong><em>'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.' ~ Ephesians 4:29</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />I don't know whether to be saddened or maddened by the idea of what passes for 'poverty' to-day. <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg1713.cfm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">A recent study indicates </span></a>that folks in the United States who live below the so-called 'Poverty Line' own their own homes with air conditioning, a car, cable television, and cell phone (among other luxury items)--and the vast majority report that <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/09/researcher_poor_not_really_poor.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">they never worry about from where their next meal will come</span></a>. I have a difficult time acknowleging that as 'poverty.'<br />As Brian Franklin can attest from his mission trips to Peru and especially India, there are folks who truly fit the definition of POOR in the world--if you dare look for (or at) them. During the 1930's Charles Lindbergh travelled the world--more so out of desperation to escape the American tabloid media than out of a sense of adventure, though the latter played its part--and his descriptions of what he saw would prick even the most hardened of hearts:<br /><br /><em>Calcutta struck us with the full force of the poverty of India's masses. Human life had here sunk to levels we had never seen before. Ragged, hungry people milled back and forth on filthy streets. Cripples sat on curbstones. Scabby, thin-legged children followed us with outstretched hands. At night, we stepped around stretched-out sleeping bodies on the sidewalks close to our luxurious European-style hotel. "You never know the difference," we were told, "but sometimes one of them is dead."</em><br /><br />THAT, my friends, is poverty--poverty in body and spirit.<br /><br /><em>I pray, Lord, that my people never know such poverty; but above all, I pray that we would continually praise Your name for the blessings you have bestowed upon us--blessings we do not deserve--and that we will find joy, contentment, and thanksgiving in all circumstances, whether in plenty or in want.</em><br />---------------------------------<br /><br /><br />Ron Paul won the <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/ronpaulwinsdebate/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Fox News Debate Poll hands down</span></a>!!<br /><br /><br /><br />Oh, they tell me that He smiles on His children there,<br />And His smile drives their sorrows all away;<br />And they tell me that no tears ever come again<br />In that lovely land of uncloudy day.<br /><br />Oh, the land of cloudless day,<br />Oh, the land of an unclouded sky,<br />Oh, they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,<br />Oh they tell me of an uncloudy day.<br />~ Willie Nelson, Uncloudy Day<br /><br /><br /><br />“We’re kicking a** in Iraq.” ~ Our <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/by-george-now-its-all-the-way-with-howard-j/2007/09/05/1188783320123.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Christian</span></a> President<br /><br /><br /><br />But these <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhVWJgIzftE"><span style="color:#3333ff;">go to ELEVEN</span></a>!!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><br /><strong>I TOLD you I had a giant head as a child!!</strong></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107211302063874338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie48tAnt8zICZee7vCRvVVZthcyqIwGjyyoUtfCpmW0wLi9-gofCakk8PTxHglYy-iBg9-QUGX-KmyagMh4mrtYxneCeZ7karxefNAACZeh1CHMdXkg4R-wRzBAcUHEib1cjWV/s320/rmltot.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The <a href="http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ladies Against Feminism</span></a> offer sage advice to the men of the Church: 'Patriarchy has been dubbed a movement, primarily by opponents within the Church. I'm not sure why they object to the idea that a wife ought to submit to her husband, since the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church. The idea is not exactly a new one and Paul, being inspired, said some pretty smart stuff. Apparently they see dangers in Paul's position. Do they think God took a break from inspiration here and Paul kept right on talking?'<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left">For the hunters out there, here are some photos of Craig Biggio's deerstand in South Texas. (He is second baseman for the Houston Astros for those who don't recognise his name.)<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107212358625829170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFUpCtDJ07xN-zY26_r3QupOkX_jQcj-eddCW27N9g4xp-qfv9rkDvMQ3P4SLVkIm1yssXbKHDoBgyW2FO_PHqdrQyKrqRPATwvezrWsDbSrCCpHBBOnWgjglPmq8_BnU_LR3/s320/194_1941.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107212560489292098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ar-S1ZTMZ1p4367rhdb1tV7qQP-tNgTmkJE5Qu8zKkblwBJFoOP0ZpmRSNGo4zHBZWSwepte6-XfCrCaJ6xFdFzUqi-R9YZo7YtuCh7cpXZJj9kPbs2KvQUn8U0BASQnr9r/s320/156_1561.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107212770942689618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSin0ZA_qnQLPdWvojR-dwTYXs3hoJL3DNXjDa7qaRVBCoe2DmPpZTYEYEFYzV1nLKjnCQ1XLPHcTlCIG39ATfOm0qDYehQ-lqeHLgkWdAZRf-6wZqxLoPeX5CW7FIbbclbTuX/s320/167_1671.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />I don't know how he gets any hunting done in the midst of all that luxury!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />'No man is fit for the care of souls, except he is deeply imbued with scriptural piety and grace. He must have a faith firm as a rock, and humble as strong, with profound submission to the divine will, which will calm him amidst all delays and all discouragements that God will bless his own word in his own chosen time. He must have that self-abnegation which will make him willing to bear the evil repute of an unfruitful ministry, if the Lord so ordains, and unblenchingly refuse to resort to any unauthorised means to escape this cross. He must have the moral courage to withstand that demand of ill-considered zeal in his brethren, parallel to the ardor purus civium juvenium in politics. He must have the unflagging diligence and love for souls which will make him persevere in preaching the gospel publicly, and from house to house, under the delay of fruit. Nothing can give these except large measures of grace and prayer.' ~ Rev. R. L. Dabney, <em>Spurious Religious Excitements</em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Will you <em>look</em> at that 1989 Hair?</strong> </div><div align="center">(Still, I make no apologies for the teal bowtie!)</div><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGQFw7SQEGatM6oHlFBY4_N0apC7kvAM4GN-tm51L3MAyBgJwp_ZDRin9WfMcC1SXFUjaZ7rZFgU_JgUBqlqpmzIcoLDJv6cpWYiH-mjHM8wwYgLy74bkxbfx_wAGvgSqoAk2/s1600-h/matt952.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106909898438910226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGQFw7SQEGatM6oHlFBY4_N0apC7kvAM4GN-tm51L3MAyBgJwp_ZDRin9WfMcC1SXFUjaZ7rZFgU_JgUBqlqpmzIcoLDJv6cpWYiH-mjHM8wwYgLy74bkxbfx_wAGvgSqoAk2/s320/matt952.jpg" border="0" /></a>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-34930712276318005512007-09-05T11:17:00.001-05:002007-09-05T11:57:48.805-05:00When Our Sons Turn 18...<div><div><em><strong>'Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from</strong></em><em><strong> violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and</strong></em><em><strong> stir up wars continually.' ~ Psalm 140:1,2</strong></em> <span><br /><br /> </span>I am continually amazed at how much personality Gracie Mae has at such a young age. Although it is still emerging and shows similarities in varying degrees with ours, her personality is distinct and intense. </div><div>Detectable--alas, all too often--are my qualities of hammy-ness (is that a word?) and a stubborn streak bigger than Dallas. Couple that with my tendency to find trouble and she's in for a tough row to hoe. From her mother she gets her tenderness and general inability to awaken without some degree of crankiness and difficult-to-shake lethargy. And let's not forget those eyes; those are DEFINATELY from her mama. (They are the first things that attracted me to her years ago.)</div><div>That ebullient personality, replete with zany-ness (again, is that a word?), was on prominent display yesterday evening. I will sometimes, for no particular reason, pick up my guitar and play while sitting on Ashlee's cedar hope chest in our bedroom. Ashlee came in with Gracie Mae in tow and both of them sat on the bed as I played. (That may not be the best term; I was making noise, at least.) Gracie Mae will often 'dance' while I play (this usually entails holding her hands up and swaying at the hips VIOLENTLY); but when I burst into the bluegrass classic 'Rocky Top' (insert shout-out here to Pastor Coleman) she went bananas! She took to dancing like she had ants in her pants, laughing hysterically the entire time. Was it just 'Rocky Top? No--same result with 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' and 'Seven Bridges Road.' We've got a genuine hick on our hands! (And her daddy couldn't be prouder.)</div><div>We just might have to take that show on the road...</div><div>-----------------------------------------<span><br /><br /><br /> </span>‘There are currently 40,213 Ron Paul Meetup members while Barack Obama, the candidate with the second best Meetup organization, has [only] <a href="http://blog.ronpaul2008.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/09/press-release-1.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">5,801 members</span></a>.’ <span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span>All of these ‘scientific studies’ are driving me mad. Eggs good. Eggs bad. Coffee good. Coffee bad. Now they tell us that <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295761,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">microwave popcorn can give you cancer</span></a>. <span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span>‘Three dozen members of one Christian church in Iraq disappeared over the course of a week, and only one returned, according to a minister <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57416"><span style="color:#3333ff;">who is warning of the increase of persecution of Christians in that violence-ridden nation</span></a>.’ <span><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span>The U.S. Constitution is an amazing document—<a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57484"><span style="color:#3333ff;">it even protects U.S. Senators against arrest for public abominations</span></a>! <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/images2/homo.gif" border="0" /></div></div><br /><p></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span></span>'But why aren't the seekers coming? They like pop music, so we give them pop music. They like stories so we give them dramas. They like anonymity, so we let them have it. They like convenience, so we'll change their oil while they're here (this by the way is being done). The problem is that we can do none of these things as well as the world can. Why get up on a Sunday morning and drive somewhere to listen to pop music, when it’s as close as my stereo? Why settle for cheesy scripts and sets when the television does it so much better? <a href="http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/questions/RickWarren_growth.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Why spend an hour getting an oil change when the pros can do it in ten minutes?</span></a>' ~ R. C. Sproul </p><br /><p></p><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/images2/honorstudentsticker.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p><span> </span></p><p><span></span> </p><p><span></span>‘If this war continues much longer, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8REQ2D00&show_article=1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">there will be people in this audience</span> </a> [or reading this blog] who will serve in the military, who also may be going over there (in Iraq) or to Afghanistan," McCain told the high school students.’ </p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-69617748041419728352007-09-04T12:35:00.000-05:002007-09-04T12:53:37.750-05:00Hey, Laaaaaady!!<strong>'We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.' ~ John 9:31</strong><br /><br /><br />Another Labour Day has come and gone and with it another Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. When I was young, I remember that my grandmother would watch the telethon religiously every year, watching nearly every minute of the 24-hour long programme. Those days are long gone and I haven’t watched more than a few minutes of it total in the past 20 years or so due to other priorities coupled with the fact that most of the ‘entertainers’ on the show haven’t been popular since Carter was president. Yet, I found myself watching a few minutes of it yesterday—due in no small part to the fact that we receive only one channel on our television and it happens to be the one that carries the telethon.<br />Those who know me well will understand when I say that show such as that sadden me and for obvious reasons. It breaks my heart to see people suffer from debilitating diseases and my pity and sorrow is only compounded when it is children who are suffering. It is difficult for me to watch the stories without a wrenching of my heart. I thank God that Gracie Mae is healthy and I pray for those kids and their parents, that God will grant them grace, comfort, hope, and stamina as they deal with the hardships of everyday life caused by muscular dystrophy.<br />And I am sad for another reason. It is undeniable that Jerry Lewis has done an immense amount of good for those struggling with MD. He has given countless hours of his time and raised millions upon millions of dollars over the past 42 years in the search for a cure those stricken. In addition, his compassion and genuine care for the children is obvious; even the casual observer can immediately recognise that his love for them and his zeal for a cure is no act. It is, indeed, admirable.<br />Yet, all of the money he has raised and the thousands of hours he has given are as filthy rags to God. Though, to the human eye, Mr Lewis has toiled unselfishly in his work for the MDA, to God, even such actions that we would laud are wicked when done in the absence of the proper motivation: to honour God through Jesus Christ. Jerry Lewis, though well intentioned, is not a Christian and, therefore, his good works are not acceptable to our holy and righteous God.<br />The Westminster Confession of Faith states it better than I ever could: <em>Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.</em><br />To be sure, there are innumerable people in the world who give enormous amounts of time and treasure in helping others. From a Christian perspective, I can certainly understand why God would reject such things—it goes against His character—and I am very thankful to Him that His common grace to all of us allows even the wicked to do us and others worldly good. But, from a human perspective, it saddens me to know that they labour in vain. And that is perhaps the primary reason I no longer watch the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It’s just too sad.<br />----------------------------<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.thoseshirts.com/images/square-large-roe.gif" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p>"Contrary to what many Christians have been led to believe, there is no such thing as a 'neutral' education," Shortt writes. "All education is religious and conveys a worldview, and there is no more important decision that we make as parents <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42704"><span style="color:#3333ff;">than how we educate our children</span></a>." </p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p>I have a delivery for a Mr Harry Potter. <a href="http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=5159"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Sign here please</span></a>. </p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p><em>And the king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57465"><span style="color:#3333ff;">as he who takes it off</span></a>.’”<strong> ~ I Kings 20:11 </strong></em></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p>'Dear Dave, I'm the pastor of a Midwest church. Do you think it's morally OK for someone in my position to want to become a millionaire as long <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57458"><span style="color:#3333ff;">as the desire isn't motivated by greed</span></a>?' </p><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/EPH/8135~Make-this-Pledge-Posters.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><br /></p><p>'Confident of victory this fall on the Hill, Bush is now moving into Phase III in his War on Terror: First, Afghanistan, then Iraq, <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57454"><span style="color:#3333ff;">then Iran</span></a>.' </p><br /><p></p><br /><p>‘Well, I’m-a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona; <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0822/p14s01-litr.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">such a fine sight to see</span></a>…’ </p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-88691190715873788602007-08-31T16:14:00.000-05:002007-09-03T09:01:44.649-05:00Eee-Yow, Brute!!<strong><em>May his days be few; may another take his office! ~ Psalm 109:8</em></strong><br /><br /><br />Last evening I taught the 10 & 11 year-olds Covenant Kids class in Mr Gustafson's stead while he was away dropping Paul off at Princeton. (As an aside, I am very impressed with Paul and wish him Godspeed in his collegiate career.) The class is somewhat small; present were Anne Michal, the Austins (Ayers and Coats), Colin Lee, and Joshua Coleman.<br />I cannot express enough how impressed I am with those kids. Not only were they able to recite one of the longer passages from the Westminster Shorter Catechism (<em>What is the Second Commandment?</em>) but they understood and, more importantly, could vocalise, the concepts behind it and the applications and implications in their lives. I was very impressed but I was also filled with a sense of hope in the future of our church body.<br />--------------------------<br /><br /><br />Yeah! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Become-Better-You-Joel-Osteen/dp/0743296885/ref=bxgy_cc_b_img_a/103-0242836-4183851"><span style="color:#3333ff;">It’s FINALLY here</span></a>!!<br /><br /><br />Hello, I have a collect call from a Mr Potter. <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57403"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Will you accept the charges</span></a>?<br /><br /><br />PRAISE THE LORD for our <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RC0U1G4&show_article=1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">freed Korean Christian brothers and sisters</span></a>!! <br /><br /><br />You know we're living in strange times when James Hoffa starts making sense: 'This is a conspiracy of big business. <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57412"><span style="color:#3333ff;">They want to erase the borders</span></a>.' <br /><br /><br />‘As Christians we believe that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/31/nyoga131.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">this philosophy is false and not something we wish to encourage</span></a>. Yoga is encouraging people to think that there is a way to wholeness of body and mind through human techniques - whereas the only true way to wholeness is by faith in God through Jesus Christ.’ <br /><br /><br />Hey, Kiersten—at least the spiders at your house <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/30/tech/main3220288.shtml?source=mostpop_story"><span style="color:#3333ff;">don’t do this</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />Take a look at <em><a href="https://www.conservativebookclub.com/Join/SingleBookJoin.asp?sour_cd=sb378az&prod_cd=c7065"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Politically Incorrect Guide to the U.S. Constitution</span></a></em>.<br /><br /><br />This is what happens when we don’t take the Second Commandment seriously. The result is that man reduces (if such a thing were actually possible) <a href="http://www.dailymail.com/story/Life/2007083079/Jesus-action-figure-is-coming/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the Creator of the Universe to a child’s play toy</span></a>. It’s very sad indeed.<br /><br /><br />‘We have asked the Justice Department to enforce the partial-birth abortion ban since the Supreme Court ruled that the law was constitutional," she explains. "But so far our requests for enforcement of that law have been met with a deafening silence by Alberto Gonzales. And so we believe if he's not willing to enforce the law of the land, <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/pro-life_group_not_sad_to_see_.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">he shouldn't be attorney general anyway</span></a>.’ <br /><br /><br />‘Julius Caesar lay dead and Brutus was talking to his co-conspirators [sic] about swords and blood when he paused and excused himself, saying "<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070831/ap_on_fe_st/odd_et_tu_brutus_1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">I seem to have stabbed myself</span></a>."’ <br /><br /><br />The world is not such a complicated place. Lew Rockwell has a <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/next-30-days.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Thirty-Day Plan to Fix the Country</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />I know I’m near the holy ranks<br />Of friends and kindred dear—<br />I hear the waves on Jordan’s banks,<br />The crossing must be near.<br /><br />I’ve almost reached my heav’nly home,<br />My spirit loudly sings;<br />Thy holy ones, behold, they come!<br />I hear the noise of wings. <br /><br />Oh, come, angel band<br />Come and around me stand.<br />Oh, bear we away on your snow white wings<br />To my immortal home.<br />~ The Stanley Brothers, <em>Angel Band</em> <br /><br /><br />'In the next place, the distinction betwixt the doctrines of justification and sanctification turns upon the distinction betwixt pollution and guilt. Sanctification is an inward subjective change, removing the stain or filth of sin, and restoring the image of God in knowledge, righteousness and holiness. Justification is an external change, touching our relations to the law, and removes the guilt and condemnation under which we lie. Sanctification infuses habits of grace - justification cancels the necessity of punishment. Sanctification conforms us with the precept - justification delivers us form the penalty of the law. One deals with the stain - the other with the guilt of sin.' ~ Rev. James Henley Thornwell<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Here's a picture of my mama when she was a year old. I think Gracie Mae bears a striking resemblance. What think thee?</strong> <br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104976351406891250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDF-qSNaaMrEqc9A2ui7HmBN4ILy6SnWJW9NmjFNGnEGHfYBVf0cFIVpRqqDCwZQjophZ3gYIQhQOjvxgJDuc8YMjDJLJbsUEZZzYi4gsiA6CNlh2pC9bcHU5tZqdL-BlpivU/s320/Kathie-White-at-1-year-old.jpg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-20143029442719906252007-08-30T11:13:00.000-05:002007-08-30T15:42:47.767-05:00Can I Give You a Reich?<strong><em>'In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.' ~ I Corinthians 9:14</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A buddy of mine at work told me a funny story yesterday that I thought I would share in the hopes of providing some 'chuckle time.'It seems that he asked his girlfriend to go to his house and take some fish out of the freezer to thaw and then he would grill it for them to eat when he got home from work. Now, my buddy is quite the sportsman, so I can only imagine the amount of venison and fish she had to wade through in his freezer. When she called him later at work he asked her if she had taken out the fish. She replied that she had and that she hoped she had taken out the right kind. When he asked her what she meant, she replied that she was pretty sure he didn't want her to take out the 'crappy' fish. After he stopped laughing, he told her that 'crappie' (pronounced <em>croppy</em>) is a type of fish--not how it tastes!<br />--------------------------<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And now, this report from the Department of Legalism: ‘Most of the 56 owners in Berkshire E are Orthodox Jews <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbbutton0829nbaug29,0,6036521.story"><span style="color:#3333ff;">barred for religious reasons from pushing the buttons on their elevator during the Sabbath</span></a>, which runs from Friday evening to Saturday evening.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Score one for modesty! ‘”I’m tired (of) looking at behinds,” Shreveport Councilwoman Joyce Bowman said after Tuesday’s 4-3 vote <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20500607/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">to ban fanny-flaunting trousers</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘Western sections of the Great Wall of China are being reduced to "mounds of dirt" by sandstorms and may <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/08/29/china-wall.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">disappear entirely in 20 years</span></a>, a report said Wednesday.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, knock me over with a feather! This sure is news to me!!--‘Ole Anthony, president of the Dallas-based Trinity Foundation, believes the Whites’ situation has “something to do with this ‘<a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/tv_ministry_watchdog_calls_tel.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">prosperity gospel</span></a>,’” which he says results in many televangelists being treated like superstars and, as a result, losing their focus.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Well, with gas prices as high as they are:</strong> </div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/posters2/usa08.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p>This article may make a lot of people angry. So, if you read it, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/tennant/tennant25.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">don’t say I didn’t warn you</span></a>. </p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-61844407076526003132007-08-29T12:21:00.001-05:002007-08-29T14:12:59.671-05:00You Can't Hide Your Lion Eyes<strong><em>'Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.'</em></strong> <strong><em>~ Job 36:30</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Brian Franklin posted on <a href="http://www.jcbondservant.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">his blog</span></a> that he was struck by lightning yesterday! Praise the Lord he is alright and none-worse-for-the-wear. (I have often wondered why they use <em>metal</em> in umbrellas.) Although we understand (and have great hope in the fact) that God sovereignly controls everything, it is still somewhat rattling when something like that happens. We're glad that you're OK, Mr Franklin!! (And we're also grateful your fender-bender wasn't very serious either!)<br /><br />Since he is unscathed, I don't think Brian would mind if I posted the dialogue from a scene from one of my favourite movies that relates to the topic:<br /><br /><br /><strong>Bartender</strong>: He's been struck by lightning... how many times has it been now, Reg?<br /><strong>Reg</strong>: S-s-s-s-s-s-s-six...<br /><strong>Chet</strong>: Wow! Six times?<br /><strong>Reg</strong>: S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-six…sixty…sixty-six times. In-n-n-n-n-n-n-In-n-n-n-n-n-n-In-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n the head!!<br />~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Outdoors-Dan-Aykroyd/dp/0783227884/ref=sr_1_2/103-0242836-4183851?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1188413408&sr=8-2"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Great Outdoors</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br />'Drinking sweet tea is one of the oldest and most exceptional Southern traditions. As Dolly Parton's character in Steel Magnolias puts it, it's the "<a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2171917/fr/flyout"><span style="color:#3333ff;">house wine of the South</span></a>”.’<br /><br /><br /><br />I KNEW IT--I TOLD YOU SO!! <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-847826804021776182"><span style="color:#3333ff;">I TOLD YOU SO!!</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br />‘But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do. I know, as you do, that our freedoms come not from man, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/baldwin3.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">but from God</span></a>.’ ~ Ron Paul (Republican candidate for President)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Have you ever seen a liger (part lion, part tiger)?</strong></div><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.vet.upenn.edu/schoolresources/communications/publications/bellwether/62/images/liger.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><br /><p>‘It is the key that had the potential <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/29/ntitanic129.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">to save the Titanic</span></a>.’ </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>"It's clear what happened. CAIR pressured CBS in New York to take us off. I have always dealt with the issues of the day from a biblical worldview on my program," Keller told WND. "[The Bible] calls Islam a false religion. <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57310"><span style="color:#3333ff;">They took great offense. CBS caved</span></a>." </p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>‘Borders and landmarks are not merely man-made, humanistic ideas. Borders and landmarks are theological in nature and have reference to the fact that God is the sovereign owner of heaven and earth and God divides it to the nations, God divides it to the people as He wills.’ ~ Pastor John Weaver </p><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p align="center"><strong>To-day's Piece of Good Advice:</strong> <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/images/pp_us_03.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p><a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/clergy_forum_to_discuss_can_yo.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Can you be [homosexual] and Christian</span></a>? </p><p></p><p></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Top Ten Country Song Titles</strong><br /><br />10. <em>How Can A Whiskey That's 6 Years Old Whup A Man That's 33?</em><br />9. <em>Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure</em><br />8. <em>My Every Day Silver Is Plastic</em><br />7. <em>I Changed Her Oil, She Changed My Life<br /></em>6. <em>How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?<br /></em>5. <em>I Still Miss You, Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Better</em><br />4. <em>If I Had Shot You When I Wanted To, I'd Be Out by Now</em><br />3. <em>She Got the Gold Mine And I Got The Shaft</em><br />2. <em>I'm So Miserable Without You, It's Like Having You Here</em><br />1. <em>You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly </em></p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-11151656952408282932007-08-27T17:07:00.000-05:002007-08-27T17:44:19.252-05:00The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Oft Go Awry<em><strong>'Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."' ~James 4:15</strong></em><br /><br /><br />I used to work with a lady at Rother's Bookstore when I was in college at A&M (as was she) and now I work with her mama (who is a volunteer at the Bush Library). When I told her that Ashlee was pregnant a couple of years ago, her reaction was greatly tempered and not nearly as joyful as I had expected. She mentioned the sleepless nights, the worrying, etc., and generally gave the impression that we were in for a tough row to hoe. I asked her about grandchildren and she mentioned that she didn't have any; her older daughter is not married and the younger (with whom I once worked) was adamant that she and her husband desired no children.<br /><br />Flash forward six months.<br /><br />The lady who currently volunteers at the Library approached me one morning looking shell shocked and generally disoriented. I asked her how it was going (as would anyone, I would imagine) and, in a hushed voice, she informed me that her daughter--who had sworn off children--was pregnant. With triplets. Now, I didn't say what I was thinking, which was that God has a way humbling us when we are adamant about certain things but I did give her a hearty congratulations. I knew it was going to be tough on the parents but, as the Bible tells us, children are a blessing--and they are getting to start off with a quiver full!<br /><br />Flash forward two weeks.<br /><br />I asked my volunteer friend how her daughter was doing carrying those triplets. I was not prepared for the answer: She's not having triplets. She's have quadruplets!<br />Long story short, the mama and babies all survived the birth and they have overcome a great deal. They still have a few minor health issues to tackle but they are doing well.<br /><br />You may visit their web page at <a href="http://www.blairquads.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">www.blairquads.com</span></a> if you would like to take a gander at the Fearsome Foursome.<br />----------------------------<br /><br /><br /><br />'Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has announced <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/dr_d_james_kennedy_retires.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the retirement of its long-time senior pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy</span></a>. The announcement was made at the church's Sunday morning worship service.'<br /><br /><br /><br />'Opening a conservative, <a href="http://www.abpnews.com/2706.article"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Christian law school </span></a>will fill a niche in the state of Louisiana, and also the nation.'<br /><br /><br /><br />What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start. (Sorry, Chris Peterson!)<br /><br /><br /><br />‘There's no question that there exists a measure of discrimination. People feel they have to shave before a job interview. We view ourselves as the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=?xml=/news/2007/08/26/wtache126.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">American Civil Liberties Union for the moustache</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br />With all apologies to Pastor Coleman, I believe a ‘Bless her heart’ <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdhMSEqhfg"><span style="color:#3333ff;">is called for in this situation</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />'The clergy are being advised to use Romans 13 to encourage parishioners to submit to the sudden and massive expansion of government control <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57251"><span style="color:#3333ff;">that takes place during martial law</span></a>," the writer said.'<br /><br /><br /><br />Did you know that there is actually an annual Air Guitar World Championship? I got curious and looked it up--they take it strangely seriously. What really got me laughing was a specific line in the rules: A contestant's air guitar <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_guitar"><span style="color:#3333ff;">'can be acoustic, electric or both</span></a>.' My question is: HOW DO YOU TELL?<br /><br /><br /><br />‘Now, I ain't tryin to put down no big city<br />But the things they write about us is just a bore<br />Well, you can take a boy out of ol' Dixieland<br />But you'll never take ol' Dixie from a boy.’ ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd, <em>All I Can Do Is Write About It</em><br /><br /><br /><br />‘The movie <em>September Dawn</em>, which opened in U.S. theaters on Friday, stars Academy Award winner Jon Voight . The film gives an account of the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_massacre"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Mountain Meadows Massacre</span></a>, which took place on September 11, 1857. The film depicts that on that day 120 men and women, who were part of a pioneer wagon train from Arkansas passing through Utah on the way to California, were <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/new_film_critical_of_mormonism.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">brutally slaughtered by a group of Mormons</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br />'It seems to me that the peculiar personality of God should have been distinctly and prominently announced. He is not only Spirit, but Personal Spirit, and not Personal barely, but Tri-personal—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. To describe Him as a Spirit subsisting in three Persons, and then as infinite, eternal, and unchageable in all the perfections which are proper to Spirit, is to make as near an approximation to an accurate definition as it is possible for our faculties to compass.' ~ Rev. James Henley Thornwell<br /><br /><br /><br />‘While the National Socialist enthusiasm for evolution-inspired eugenics is too well known to be credibly disputed, the <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57321"><span style="color:#3333ff;">direct link between Darwin and communism </span></a>is less well understood.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>The sweetest little cowgirl in Texas. Yee-haw!</strong> </div><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103512935790059746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXuL51coS3NIR_YFAnN5ksvJZsKoKaKfUWvuoE3JAa3H83KyEqp_1pyd3SGKUJOrcgsTPBd7mgJIbi0WUzf60s2Hk2QRbbfNcpbMh5qKbEdnKe03U5_ulfkhPEU0FTvXzqXlZ/s320/GMcowgirl2.JPG" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-86424024237612819302007-08-24T12:30:00.000-05:002007-08-24T14:20:44.835-05:00Paging Mr Frizzell, Mr Lefty Frizzell<div><div><div><strong><em>'Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.' ~ II Corinthians 6:2b</em></strong><br /><br /></div><br /><div>‘Let the people assemble at the appointed time, <strong>that all being present at the beginning</strong> they may unite with one heart in all the parts of public worship. Let none unnecessarily depart until after the blessing be pronounced.’ ~ Presbyterian Church in America <em>Book of Church Order</em> (49-2).<br /><br /></div><br /><div>I have to admit that punctuality is very important to me. My daddy raised me with the understanding that being ten minutes early is being on time and being on time is being late. In fact, it's preferable to be 20 minutes early if at all possible. Jorja likes to joke with me about this; I'm usually at least half-an-hour early to our small group meetings.</div><div>Of course, marriage and parenthood have ways of thwarting the best of my intentions. Although not what one would describe as serially tardy, Ashlee has never been one to obsess over being early. (It is a running joke that, if her family says they are leaving at a certain time, you can add 20 minutes to it.) Still, I have had to adjust my peculiarities regarding time to meet her more in the middle and, thank the Lord, it has been a pretty easy endeavour--with the result that we are usually on time. (Which, I'm told, is surprisingly agreeable to most people in our society.)</div><div></div><br /><div>Enter Gracie Mae. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102346207924101314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehIeMnTUnuI5G0DvUyJ0SZ9OmErpkNSXMJck8Irs7xtJPFEE4Td_oeH2oobQeNkOKUK4tbKxj3ZH5XZopDoXK4rYDdu5LYuzKcZYcXUUCZyLGL39rEMDrKc0xi9Sf0NNB6PiV/s320/GMhollywood.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Having a child increases the chances of tardiness exponentially; still, we have managed to maintain an acceptable amount semi-punctuality, in no small part due to my phobia I am sure. I have already begun to steel myself for Covenant Children 2, 3, 4, 5 (and 6?) and the attendant time issues that I have no doubt will accompany their arrivals. </div><div>Still, when it comes to worship, I think that we should make whatever herculean efforts that may be required to arrive at church on time--by my daddy's definition, which means early. In that vein, we do our best to leave the house 45 minutes before Sunday School is scheduled to begin. Because it is usually a 35-minute drive, such provides for a 10-minute cushion in case we should (in God's Providence) run into any unforeseen circumstances. </div><div>It just seems to me that the standard in our society is to shoot for getting somewhere right on time but, should we arrive a few minutes late, it is acceptable and they'll wait for us. But, although I have failed several times recently in that regard, I don't want that for me and my family.</div><div>With God's help, I'm going to make an increased effort to get the Lees to church on time. Early.</div><div>------------------------<br /><br /></div><div>"Major, why did you not run when you saw your command was thus disabled?” Stonewall Jackson replied, “I was not ordered to do so. If I had been ordered to run, I should have done so. But I was directed to hold my position, <a href="http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/essaycontests/stonewall2003/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">and I had no right to abandon it</span></a>."<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>‘Michael Vick made the mistake of killing and maiming dogs, and PETA in turn organized marches and protests and generally made his life miserable. However, had Vick been financing an abortion clinic, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/014834.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">no doubt he would be a hero in the media</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br />‘Here, then, is a prominent duty, if we would save our country, that we shall carry our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven everywhere, and make it dominate over every public act. We must obey the law of God rather than the unrighteous behests of party, to “choose out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers,” or God will assuredly avenge Himself for our violated allegiance to him. The Christians of this country must sternly claim that wicked or reckless men shall no longer hold the helm of state; that political orthodoxy shall no longer atone for the worst offense against citizenship, a wicked life.’ ~<strong> Rev. R. L. Dabney</strong> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>‘Freedom brings us all together. We can all agree on leaving people alone to plan and live their own lives, rather than trying to force them to obey at the point of a gun, <a href="http://blog.ronpaul2008.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/08/message-from--2.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">as runaway government does</span></a>.’ ~ Presidential Candidate Ron Paul of Texas<br /><br /><br />'Some folks are born with star-spangled eyes</div><div>Ooh, they'll send you down to war.</div><div>But when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?"</div><div>Ooh, they only answer, "<a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/higgs/higgs65.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">More--more--more</span></a>."'</div><div>~ Creedence Clearwater Revival, <em>Fortunate Son</em><br /><br /><br />Mr Potter, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/23/witches.feud.ap/index.html?eref=ib_us"><span style="color:#3333ff;">your table is ready</span></a>. </div><div><br /><br /> </div><div align="center"><strong>There's no crying in the Happy Hat!!!</strong><br /></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102338528522576034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj1rGfBsTvE1ui7WvJ63OPFjNulbkagdVvfBOpf9jrRFB1qZedvABH-dXMPTxhQsQvZZ5B9AkFvalbnl3E9biDv8zQxh0ljP1KhdxHF2_wkWUM_r1SIvz5KJIchyXp2Lv9chW/s320/GMcry2.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><div></div><div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div>A Massachusetts man handcuffed and hauled to jail <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57298"><span style="color:#3333ff;">after he objected to a public school teaching his kindergarten-age son about homosexuality</span></a> has gone to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking justice.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>‘I don't want young people thinking that <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8R6OSS00&show_article=1&catnum=0"><span style="color:#3333ff;">half-dressing is the way to go</span></a>. I want them to think about their future.’<br /><br /><br />‘When we consider the possibility that God used evolutionary processes to create over millions of years, we are faced with serious consequences: the Word of God is no longer authoritative, and <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/couldnt-god-have-used-evolution"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the character of our loving God is questioned</span></a>.’ </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /> </div><div align="center"><strong><em>I'm a lumberjack and I'm o.k. ...</em></strong> </div><div><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102345263031296178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-Q2eIc-7Cpz8ce_EJsDfvEVzbxseLC4CKChJzJQ4KjfLxKq-lFjPsfkNyWB2VITsjIY_gYxyLa7s29kJPB9eTRZOKsyZHgpkY5mSkxmtmYeq402faQRp48eNzojs3VSJRGjH/s320/lumberjack.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div>'He said the measure sought "<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2328980320070824?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;rpc=22&sp=true">a more fair distribution of the sunrise</a>," which would particularly help poor children who wake up before dawn to go to school.'<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>Here's just a little something for the ladies!</strong></em><br /></div><div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.beonkey.com/uploaded_images/ken-769796.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-64550757919568697512007-08-23T07:11:00.000-05:002007-08-23T12:57:13.145-05:00No Mugwumps Allowed--Yet!<div><div><div><div><div><div><strong><em>'He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed."' ~ Genesis 5:29</em></strong><br /><br /></div><div>I completed a long-held goal for myself yesterday when I put the last of the fence posts/ H-braces in along the front property line on my place. I had intended to plant most of them during the milder months of the winter and spring but events conspired against me--and the unending rain was no help at all--with the result that I have found myself digging holes in the 'heatidity.' Still, it is a rewarding feeling when a small goal is met; I currently have ten posts in place with a scant 25 or 30 remaining. (At the current rate of exertion, I should weigh in at a trim 135 pounds in no time.)<br /><br /></div><div>First, the hole must be dug. I have 8-foot treated posts (6 inches in diameter) that I plant three feet in the groung, leaving (you guessed it!) five feet above the surface. (This is in order to gain maximum sturdiness while leaving enough space for the 4-foot wide fencing which will be hung later...much later.)<br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101951367285612610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLqJkElGgXGRYHP4Yx0nvttnlqbjGRkHOUogSle2mWtRg-3zO6FaDHVlsdM30qitwerkY6sIhuY1BJ8vPGXgW3CaD_jqEvuf6Zs-HDewXCdVhRVaZO4tDx36uLL76ZYexLM9n/s320/fencebuild1.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><br /><p></p><p>Depending upon the amount of moisture in the soil, it can take up to 45 minutes to complete the 3-foot hole; a blessing of the great rains of late has meant a digging time of 'only' about 20 to 30 minutes.<br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101951771012538450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKjOSm0efiAZ1Qjr8F5use6ON1c51qGVs4yKaom1hGrypW7qyP1WF35h5l0cyyGuJjwe_fnqtLzQINN-dg37J3UYJflVgNYXvA1q4slEAQfX3cJlHyxulUjF2Pm_Vg8g8g1hR/s320/fencebuild2.JPG" border="0" /></p></div><br /><p></p><p>Once the hole is complete and the pole is thrown down the hole, it is necessary to ensure that it is in alignment with the others. To do this, I string up some bailing twine from one corner post to the other as a line-of-sight gauge.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101952243458941026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLWejxV6e58uyX7NA7zTxfLvd9Qc9H3jL51il9rZw76NOvpEeIsZSe9zMUxiJDJHexEbJQh7a_cIdl8YnCDXbQGD9AOgUvQqvYiCm7d-U6LbCZ0sqOrZ6TB5zKpr5UXrL2yxm/s320/fencebuild3.JPG" border="0" /></p></div><p></p><br /><p>Once the post is aligned properly, filling the hole commences. Some folks prefer to use concrete or pea gravel to add strength and sturdiness. However, a buddy of mine who has strung up about 2,000 miles of fence across Oklahoma and Texas clued me in to a better system. I slowly add back layers of the fill dirt and tamp it down with a 25-pound spud bar. (As you can imagine, this is where patience and stamina really come in to play.) However, once all of the dirt is pounded back in (this takes about an hour on a hot day), the post is SET and isn't going anywhere. In fact, if feels as if it is set in concrete, only without the expense--and without knowing that I'll have to dig all of it out if I need to replace or remove the post in the future!</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101953338675601522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCkJgdizm84I2eBzNg8K3y62SWG16JIXBR36VONHSKjlh_DLQjOshbqkK3jZkqit0w3ldZv1jwb59vvsvFVfLD7inflDFvggW1CPrJZja3oSxmwatMw3zoVhYkNrhQzj6fkj2/s320/fencebuild4.JPG" border="0" /></p></div><p></p><br /><p>The other trick to keep in mind is the H-brace. This is done to conserve the tension on the fence and prevent the posts from leaning over time. I used a couple of nails and hung 1" conduit on them between the posts and I'll soon add some diagonal barbed wire or brace wire (from the bottom of one post to the top of the other) and twist it until both of them are snug against the pipe.<br /></p><p>The finished product! I know it ain't pretty--it may not even be straight--but it's mine! (Of course, the milk jug is not part of the fence; I'll remove that at some point.)</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101954640050692226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3yCU1FSid83vR-EArstpFUhx5J7MaMiAwzKZRx_Vg2Ge9nN-_YntaoBOvMXS9Aj7jEnK67F5JYlaS95moj8bqLGy_zlzaN9aBHZLhh6VVhr9PjqoEICSVP-9Bq5AMdqLFcOD/s320/fencebuild5.JPG" border="0" /></p></div><p></p><br /><p>Well, I reckon that is about all for to-day. BUT DON'T CRY--I'll post some more soon!</p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101955086727291026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9de9TONRAiEyoU1KA1AV4RBRd4BblXjcocvRgbZ1cOLdVc5mGLASwPgVws-pSpiG3_2zQcZkwy7YQmPjNn7wd38E55R-vEx-mSEvbXlHITdbeuiKImM6KqJ0ZooVVZPXOVk2c/s320/GMcry.JPG" border="0" /></p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-52114821750644618522007-08-22T11:12:00.000-05:002007-08-22T11:54:49.047-05:00Get Rich Slowly<em><strong>‘Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.’ ~ Proverbs 13:11</strong></em><br /><br /><br /><br />If you paid the monthly minimum each month on a 30-year mortgage at 5% interest (a generous rate these days), after your last payment, your $90,000 home will have cost you $173,930.40!! That is an additional $83,930.40—<strong>almost double the original asking price</strong>! <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/brm/mortgage-calculator.asp"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Usury is an evil taskmaster</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Since I resumed blogging, many folks have inquired as to my handle, 'ninepoundhammer.' I assure you there is nothing sinister nor fad-ish about it. The story behind it is simple. The day I created my blog I was listening to some bluegrass music and when the time came to create an I.D. for myself, the song 'Nine Pound Hammer' just happened to be playing. Mystery solved.<br />-------------<br /><br /><br /><br />Nearly every morning I rise at 5:45am and, although she has nowhere to be that early, Ashlee soon--and sometimes not-so-soon--follows me from bed in order to make the morning coffee and pack my lunch. I appreciate that and just thought I would write about it.<br />---------------<br /><br /><br /><br />A few years ago I appointed myself Pope-President-Dictator of my own organisation, The Naked Emperor Society. I took the name, as one might imagine, from the Hans Christian Anderson fable, '<a href="http://deoxy.org/emperors.htm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Emperor’s New Clothes</span></a>.' (As an aside, I discovered last night that Curtis is unfamiliar with the tale, thus I have provided the link above.) The reason behind my organisation is to call attention to the many things which are popular or held in high regard for no other reason than that many other people say they deserve to be.<br />Take, for example, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' by the Beatles. It is a fine album, to be sure, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_500_Greatest_Albums_of_All_Time"><span style="color:#3333ff;">it is NOT the best album of all time</span></a>! What's more, I would wager a week's pay that most folks who attribute such acclaim have never once heard it in its entirety. Other declarations by the NES:<br />- 'Casablanca' is not the best move of all time. I won't divulge what is, but it rhymes with 'Bashunal Manfoons Takashun'. (Just kidding.)<br /><br />- Hemingway's novels are pedestrian at best--I find them quite boring and poorly written.<br /><br />- 'The Honeymooners'--a good show, somewhat funny, but not the best. That title belongs to 'Seinfeld.'<br /><br />- New York City is not--I repeat, is NOT--the centre of the universe.<br /><br />The list continues to grow and is not, obviously, exhaustive. I am open to suggestions.<br /><br />This topic reminds me of something my thesis advisor, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Battle-Armys-Way-War/dp/0674026519/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/105-0699498-1782864?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187800451&sr=8-2"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dr Brian Linn</span></a>, told me in graduate school some years ago: 'There are two kinds of people: those who read Nitsche and those who say they do.'<br />-----------------<br /><br /><br /><br />‘A church whose pastor is a leader in the local pro-life efforts has earned an Internal Revenue Service demand for an audit of the organization's books <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57269"><span style="color:#3333ff;">by posting its biblically mandated support for life on its marquee</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br />This one is especially for Charles Ackerman: <a href="http://gotoquiz.com/the_new_improved_texas_trivia"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The New and Improved Texas Trivia</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />‘The war had ended—the most futile and ferocious of human follies. When it shall cease on earth at last, then, and not until then, will the soul of men leap to its final triumph, for the energy of the universe will flow through the fingers of the workmen, artists, authors, inventors and healers. On this issue the saving of a world awaits the word of the mothers of men.’ ~ Thomas Dixon, Jr., <em>The Man in Grey</em> (1921).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘With the start of football season just weeks away, millions of Americans are purchasing tickets and T-shirts to support their favorite teams. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars have given their fans one less reason to support the team, <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/state2432.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">because its foundation has given a grant to the nation's largest abortion business</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvd3kaupZ60"><span style="color:#3333ff;">‘When Will Then Be Now?’</span></a><br /><br /><br /><br />‘One in four adults say <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070821/ap_on_re_us/reading_habits_ap_poll_1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">they read no books at all in the past year</span></a>, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday.’<br /><br /><br /><br />So, let me get this straight. You're telling me that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/08/21/scipink121.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">boys and girls are...different</span></a>?!<br /><br /><br /><br />‘Levi’s has done some limited marketing to the gay community since the late 1990s. Still, Robert Cameron, the jeans maker’s vice president of marketing, said he’s actually struck by the fact that the apparel company <a href="http://adblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/08/21/318670.aspx"><span style="color:#3333ff;">didn’t make a bigger effort, like this one, sooner</span></a>.’ (Editor's note: Buy Wranglers.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>HEY, WHO INVITED THE OLD MAN?</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101567959850065970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFc5xw4KzNPGHww4kwsedeNnABkDqiMIv8Mzj7vzKC20c-e5O8F3ZAtdhliaqJ1uPcO0oySsz5lOTJGVKpYGwhPqt1zYs39Wb7aRg1UyLhBIpwzOaoJtujjrzYfkZtM2utIFo/s320/tjpicnic.jpeg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-12828887165189539752007-08-20T17:33:00.000-05:002007-08-21T12:54:18.288-05:00Danger! Presbyterians AheadThe Westminster men's softball scrimmage against the Best Buy Mudcats went well last night--we all had a blast. We (Westminster) got beaten pretty handily when the Mudcats came on strong somewhere around the 13th inning. (Those boys could really CRUSH the ball!) We had a substantial number of fans in the stands again--which always makes for a fun time. In addition, Uncle Norvie umpired the game, doing a fantastic job as well as encourage all of us--on both teams.<br />On a frustrating note, this is the third time IN A ROW I have lost a contest against Keven Lee Ayers and, as penance, must buy him lunch. Oh, well, I enjoy hanging out with the dude and he won't be my friend unless I pay. ;)<br />-------------------------<br /><br />Misperception can be a peculiar thing. Ashlee and I have often wondered in amazement at how some folks perceive me. I must admit that, much of the time (if not most), I am at fault; many folks do not understand my brand of humour and often think I am being serious while I assume they know that I am joking. In addition, I sometimes don't make my self clear while I am pontificating on one subject or another--which is not aided by the fact that folks rarely interrupt to let me know that I am not making myself clear, leading to misunderstanding. Other times, well, I don't know where they come up with some of the things they do.<br />This topic arose again last night at the softball game. As it turns out (to be filed in the It's a Small World category), Andrew Brunone's colleague is a lady with whom I attended high school. In fact, I was roommates with her husband in college and was a groomsman in their wedding. Bearing in mind that I was not a Christian in those days, you can imagine my trepidation when Andrew told me he had 'heard some things' from Brenda about me. (YIKES!) The strange thing, however, was that she had told him I was at one time a ... 'hard core Darwinist.' Whaaa?!! Even in my darkest of pre-conversion days, I never doubted for one minute the literal Six 24-hour Day Creation. I was never fooled into buying the 'Goo-to-You' mechanics behind Evolution, so I don't know where she came up with that. It makes me wonder what else is 'out there' about me. Brrrrrrrr. Frightening.<br />-----------------------------<br /><br />Pretend for the moment that you are attending a sporting event in which your child is participating. Would you root for and cheer him on only if you were confident that he would win the contest? Would you withhold your support and approbation if the outcome were in doubt?Imagine again that the coming college football season is merely eleven days away (and so it is). I reckon one would be hard pressed--in our area at least--to find a body who has delayed their decision to support the Aggies until they conclude with some degree of certainty that the Boys in Maroon will prevail over their conference rivals, finishing in first place. For those fair weather fans in Aggieland there is a name: Two-Percenters. (It is not a term of endearment.)<br />Why, then, is it that many well-informed folks, even those with some degree of political acumen, hold as perhaps the most important criterion for supporting a presidential (or gubernatorial for that matter) candidate whether they believe that candidate can win the election? What appears to matter most is neither principle nor agenda--but electability.<br />The mantra for the current and exhaustively prolonged presidential campaign appears to be, 'Can he beat Hillary!©?' rather than 'Does he share my values?'<br />Of course, the composite candidate at the centre of my frustration and confusion is Rudy McRomney. One (Rudy Giuliani) is a serial adulterer who supports the homosexual agenda, rejects the right to bear arms, and has historically practised a very heavy-handed (some have posited oppressive) form of prosecutorial zeal in his days with the New York District Attorney's Office. Mitt Romney, who currently appears to be courting the Conservative Base, has apparently had a Road to Damascus conversion since his recent days as a liberal governor of a liberal State (Taxachusetts)--though his fidelity to the Mormon cult remains ironclad. McCain, while he has his well-deserved reputation as a war hero going for him, has proven himself no friend of Conservatives; he has, in fact, ridiculed Christian Republicans and pushed hard for the ill-fated amnesty bill for invaders--I mean, 'illegal aliens.'<br />All that being said, the one man who Christian Conservatives should be supporting, <a href="http://www.ronpaul2008.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Congressman Ron Paul of Texas</span></a>--is being forced to convert those who should instead be flocking to him. Thankfully, those who hear him speak his message of Peace and Freedom usually become enthusiastic supporters. He is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, favours low taxation (he would abolish the IRS), and is a firm believer in States Rights and truly following--TRULY following--the U.S. Constitution.<br />He appears to be the last Jeffersonian on the horizon. Any of the other candidates--Democan or Republicrat--will be more of the same. As George Wallace said about the two major parties: 'There ain't a dime's worth of difference between them.'<br />-------------------------<br /><br />'The term "democracy," as I have said again and again, does not contain enough positive content to stand alone against the forces you dislike--it can easily be transformed by them. If you will not have God (and He is a jealous God), you should pay your respects to Hitler and Stalin.' ~ T. S. Eliot<br /><br /><br />'For in spite of its anguish in Vietnam, the Army has learned little of value. Yet the nation's policymakers have endorsed the service's misperceptions derived from the war while contemplating an increased U.S. role in Third World low-intensity conflicts. This represents a very dangerous mixture that <strong><em>in the end may see the Army again attempting to fight a conventional war against a very unconventional enemy</em></strong>.' ~ Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., <em>The Army and Vietnam (</em>1986).<br /><br /><br />Among the glaring problems with those who argue against the 5-Points of Calvinism is their misunderstanding and misstatement of the tenents themselves. Nobody this side of Heaven (at least in the post-Apostolic age) has a complete and infallible understanding of Scripture. Nobody. However, did you know that, according to some of our Arminian friends, we Reformed Christians are <a href="http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/doctrine/dangerso.htm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">DANGEROUS</span></a>?!! (Insert maniacle laughter here.)<br /><br /><br />‘I saw not a single bumper sticker for any 2008 candidate <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/woods/woods80.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">other than Ron Paul</span></a>.'<br /><br /><br />Pastor Danny, <a href="http://www.newsmaxstore.com/nms/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=484&s=al&promo_code=38B9-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">please call your office</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />This just in: A recent poll found that kids cited family ties as <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293760,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the primary ingredient </span></a>to making them happy. In other news, the sun is hot.<br /><br /><br />'Hitler listened to [Rommel's assessment of the war effort] with downcast eyes ... Suddenly he looked up and said that he, too, was aware that there was very little chance left of winning the war. But the West would conclude no peace with him--certainly not the people who were then at the helm. And the people who would have been prepared to negotiate with him had no power. He had never wanted war with the West. But now the West would have their war--have it to the end.' General Erwin Rommel, <em>The Rommel Papers</em>, ed. B. H. Liddell Hart (1953).<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p><strong>One word: CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPY!!</strong> </p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.crystalpro.com/worst/images/cover5.jpg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-35318904655507190502007-08-19T17:31:00.000-05:002007-08-20T12:02:04.352-05:00You Mean the Bible is Reliable?!<span style="font-family:georgia;"><em><strong>'Children, obey your parents</strong></em><em><strong> in everything, for this pleases the Lord.' ~ Colossians 3:20</strong></em> </span><br /><br /><br />'[T]he education of children for God is the most important business done on earth. It is the one business for which the earth exists. To it all politics, all war, all literature, all money-making, ought to be subordinated; and every parent especially ought to feel, every hour of the day, that, next to making his own calling and election sure, this is the end for which he is kept alive by God--this is his task on earth.' ~ Rev. R. L. Dabney, <em>Parental Responsibilities</em><br /><br /><br />‘If we have not taught our students a Biblical approach to ethics, and given them the knowledge and skill to make wise moral decisions in every area of life, <a href="http://www.chalcedon.edu/articles/article.php?ArticleID=2746"><span style="color:#3333ff;">we have failed to give them a thorough Christian education</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br />'Some would place Jesus on a pedestal. What He seeks is that Christ may be placed on the throne of the heart.' ~ Rev. Henry H. Sweets, 'What Is It to Be a Christian?', <em>The Southern Presbyterian Pulpit</em><br /><br /><br />Mrs Warren G. Harding's (wife of the 29th U.S. President) Chicken Pot Pie Recipe<br />This is one of my favourite recipes. I made this numerous times as a batchelor for several reasons: it is very tasty, healthful, and (depending on the size of your family) it can last quite a while. I have modified it a bit to suit my taste but it remains largely faithful to the original recipe.<br />Ingredients: Chicken, potatoes, onions, peas, baby carrots (or sliced), corn, rice, salt, pepper, biscuit dough.<br />Cooking Instructions: The amount of each ingredient used should be suited to your taste and the number of folks you are feeding. I never measure, opting instead to 'eyeball' the ingredients until I think it looks right.<br />- Bake (or boil) boneless, skinless chicken breast until done. Separate into small pieces with a fork.<br />- Boil rice and potatoes (separately) until cooked.<br />- Add chicken, potatoes, rice, carrots, onions, and corn in large cassarole dish along with one cup of chicken broth.<br />- Salt and pepper to taste.<br />- Cover ingredients completely with layer of biscuit dough. Bake at 350 degrees until dough is brown on top.<br />- Serve with a nice, tall glass of iced tea.<br /><br /><br />A rare Biblical masterpiece <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52746"><span style="color:#3333ff;">makes a comeback</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />'You will take possession by military force, of the printing establishments of the New York World and Journal of Commerce ... and prohibit any further publication thereof ... you are therefore commanded forthwith to arrest and imprison ... the editors, proprietors and publishers of the aforesaid newspapers.' ~ Order from Abraham Lincoln to General John Dix, 18 May 1864.<br /><br /><br />Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary has a new ‘New course offering: a BA in humanities with a concentration in homemaking. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1443091920070820?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Strictly for women only</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br />Well shut my mouth!—<a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/08/16/tablet_his.html?category=history"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Jeremiah was right</span></a>!<br /><br /><br />Once, during the war, a Winchester church saw its worship service digressing into a war rally--much to the pastor's dismay--then [Stonewall] Jackson strode in and took seat near the door. '[Pastor] Graham called on the general to lead in prayer. The request caught Jackson by surprise. A long moment of silence followed, then Jackson stood and closed his eyes. According to Graham, "he led us at once into the presence of God, and to the throne of grace." Jackson confessed the unworthiness of everyone as sinners and their absolute dependence on divine mercy. He begged God to help their afflicted [Conferacy] and to bring success to the armies defending it. Graham suddenly beheld not a stern soldier but a humble disciple. "Not a single word [in Jackson's prayer] did he utter inconsistent with the command to love your enemies. Not once did he venture to tell God what he ought to be in that great crisis." The remainder of the service passed in an air of newfound reverence.' ~ James I. Robertson, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stonewall-Jackson-Man-Soldier-Legend/dp/0028650646/ref=sr_1_1/102-1129493-4509753?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187574886&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Stone Wall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend</em></span></a><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Are you ready for some rock without the roll?</strong>: </p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://smcgrath.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/66.jpg?w=320&h=317" border="0" /></p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-72015154869036357542007-08-18T14:45:00.000-05:002007-08-19T20:35:31.808-05:00Opulent ZebrasI had a strange dream last night that I am at great pains to explain. I dreamt that Jon was sermonising one morning, approaching the crux of his discussion:<br /><div>'We know that zebras are a sign of opulence and immodest wealth in our society. Now, listen to me Saints: I see a lot of Christians to-day walking around with zebras. And that is something that we ought not to be doing!'</div><div>I don't know what it means (if anything) but I looked it up in my Dream to English Dictionary and it has something to do with being weighed in the balance and found wanting. Either way, I won't be making a trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo any time soon.<br /><br /></div><div>Speaking of the zoo, the other day I had a flashback to my childhood (during which injuries were the <em>status quo</em>). Did anyone else's parents or grandparents use iodine on their wounds--and call it Monkey Blood? It sounds very macabre but we thought nothing of it when I was young. I remember the time a donkey bit me at the zoo and I kept screaming at the top of my lungs, 'Are you gonna put monkey blood on it, Nonnie?!!' I can only imagine what the other visitors must have thought. (They probably were thinking they were getting their first glimpse at practitioners of Santaria.) I know one thing for certain, though--as much as it hurt, I would rather put Monkey Blood on a wound a thousand times than get one small squirt of Bactine. (MAN, that stuff burnt!)<br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><div>Ron Paul received 216 votes for <a href="http://ronpaul2008.com/"><span style="color:#000099;">a commanding first-place finish in a straw poll</span> </a>today sponsored by the West Alabama Republican Assembly. Mitt Romney came in [a distant] second with 14 votes [that's a 202-vote difference!].<br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><div>I cannot stress enough how much I HATE to shop. I reckon it is a necessary evil; still, there is no reason to make it more of an ordeal than necessary. Ashlee has often had me accompany her while shopping. However, after the letter she recently received from the manager at Target, I think she may be rethinking: </div><blockquote><div align="left">Dear Mrs Lee:<br /></div><br /><div align="left">Over the past six months, your husband has been<br />causing quite a commotion in our store. We can no longer tolerate this<br />behaviour and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. </div><div align="left">Our complaints against Mr Lee are listed below and are<br />documented by our video surveillance cameras (a copy of which can be provided at<br />your request.)<br /></div><div align="left">1. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals. </div><br /><div align="left">2. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official-sounding voice, ‘Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away!’ </div><br /><div align="left">3. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.<br /></div><div align="left">4. September 14: Moved a ‘CAUTION - WET FLOOR’ sign to a carpeted area. </div><br /><div align="left">5. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department. </div><br /><div align="left">6. September 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, ‘Why can't you people just leave me alone?’ </div><br /><div align="left">7. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were. </div><br /><div align="left">8. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme. </div><br /><div align="left">9. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled ‘PICK ME! PICK ME!’ </div><div align="left"><br />10. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed ‘OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!’ </div></blockquote><br /><div><br /><strong>When you're really good, one name is all you need: Madonna. Cher. Prince. JOYCE!</strong></div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://johnporcaro.typepad.com/blog/album9e1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />'[T]he basic error of many non-Christian religions, systems of philosophy, and human plans for world betterment ... [is that they] all try to find a way to relieve the sufferings of humanity, without first providing a way of deliverance from sin, which is the cause of suffering. All human schemes of betterment which are not founded on redemption from sin through Christ are foredoomed to failure. Permanent relief cannot be obtained by treating symptoms only, while igonoring the cause of the trouble.' ~ Johannes G. Vos, <em>The Westminster Larger Catechism: A Commentary</em><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p>'The drunken [Yankee] devils roamed about, setting fire to every house the flames seemed likely to spare. They were fully equipped for the noble work they had on hand. Each soldier was furnished with combustibles compactly put up. They would enter houses and in the presence of helpless women and children, pour turpentine on the beds and set them on fire. Guards were rarely of any assistance--most generally they assisted in the pillaging and firing.' ~ <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-World-Ended-Diary-LeConte/dp/080328151X/ref=sr_1_1/102-1129493-4509753?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186967855&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">When the World Ended</span></a></em>, The Diary of Emma LeConte </p><br /><br /><br /><p>‘If you can’t stop waste in 6 federal programs after 17 years, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul403.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">how exactly will you improve local schools or foreign nations</span></a>?’ </p><br /><p><br />'If I ever get to Heaven<br />Which I hope I'm gonna do<br />And they ask me, "How did you know?"<br />I'll say, "I just knew."<br />Because I always believed in You.'<br />~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arc-Angels/dp/B000003TA6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1129493-4509753?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1187467316&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Arc Angels, Always Believed in You</span></a></p><br /><p><strong></strong></p><br /><p><strong>I think I was playing one of Bach's more famous fugues in this picture. (Can you dig the red jeans?!)</strong><br /></p><br /><p></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100141712880214034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySlHUFakazJIAaY62Bbtsoj9VEbk9NurHJVmOHGGJEJD75bLc8Zodn9nGkKogYH1ncHym4KBXn1pA9yjuCwKFARjnRKuPPySvGC6K8em1aN5SlffiQG8TKbOpLwl6_sqSIOcr/s320/rehearsal36.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><br /><br /><p>'The gospels are free, but the means of delivering the gospels is really expensive.' ~ Huckster Extraordinaire Benny Hinn<br /></p><p>'A bottle of champagne reputed to have come from <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/17/nhitler117.xml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Adolf Hitler's personal wine cellar</span> </a>fetched nearly £2,000 at auction today.'</p><br /><p></p><br /><p><strong>ARE DINOSAURS MENTIONED IN ANCIENT LITERATURE?</strong></p><p>'Interestingly, the word "dragon" is used a number of times in the Old Testament. In most instances, the word dinosaur could substitute for dragon and it would fit very nicely. Creation scientists believe that dinosaurs were called dragons before the word dinosaur was invented in the 1800s. We would not expect to find the word dinosaur in Bibles like the Authorised Version (1611), as it was translated well before the word dinosaur was ever used.'</p><p>Also, there are many very old history books in various libraries around the world that have detailed records of dragons and their encounters with people. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly for creationists), many of these descriptions of dragons fit with how modern scientists would describe dinosaurs, even Tyrannosaurus. Unfortunately, this evidence is not considered valid by evolutionists. Why? Only because their belief is that man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time!' ~ Ken Ham, <a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Donosaurs and the Bible?</span></a> </p><p></p><p><strong>Ashlee and her older brother, Joshua. (She's the one on the right.)</strong></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100151256297545762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu1U_pAK7NotWNsOeVO-CNhZKIlrdQ-jR6CwMB_2IU1hcVRdwNCIa767G5gbgV0Vb34diLqsJKSv7XxPE8RXyZXV_YnA2DsNFiYvKZBEBPAodcHnZZ3HQFeLumW_tePZhvNI4/s320/rehearsal33.jpg" border="0" /></p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-85079026984087700662007-08-16T21:44:00.000-05:002007-08-17T11:44:51.696-05:00Does U-Haul Rent Horses and Buggies?<strong><em>'... the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail; for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.' ~ Isaiah 9:15, 16</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/08/16/mitt-romney-wins-illinois-straw-poll/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ron Paul takes third</span></a> in the Illinois Republican Straw Poll!!<br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Gracie Mae is A LOT like her mama:</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuuE5ZdZMAGLpkUGf1ZBa8-BKCzsgEg6r7tCOhGUs7zSaFJ4NsTF7f3Jep4g9i-NDpHfmdB-YUOUBpaiNHtRGMbpIiYN7QaX-sE9v8qFzvWiBuDBKA8GRbA9lxFL5x52SCilo/s1600-h/rehearsal31.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099496471353401346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuuE5ZdZMAGLpkUGf1ZBa8-BKCzsgEg6r7tCOhGUs7zSaFJ4NsTF7f3Jep4g9i-NDpHfmdB-YUOUBpaiNHtRGMbpIiYN7QaX-sE9v8qFzvWiBuDBKA8GRbA9lxFL5x52SCilo/s320/rehearsal31.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘Bishop John Shelby Spong, a retired priest and long-time supporter of female and gay priests, was reportedly being snubbed by Anglicans in Sydney who have accused him of <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070815/28914_Sydney_Anglicans_Close_Doors_to_Episcopal_Author_for_"><span style="color:#3333ff;">"gutting" the Christian faith</span></a> in his latest book, entitled “Jesus for the Non-Religious.”’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘Infrared video showed that California ground squirrels' tails <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanId=sa013&articleID=611BD788-E7F2-99DF-3997E1F762684A26&modsrc=most_popular"><span style="color:#3333ff;">warmed by several degrees</span></a>, up to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), when threatened by northern Pacific rattlesnakes.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘Fifteen Christian families from a tiny community of only about 1,300 people are making plans to leave their homes and work behind so that their children will not be forced by the Canadian government to attend <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57199"><span style="color:#3333ff;">"sanctioned" schools where evolution is taught</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘Jones said he found the name Jesus used as an adjective with the F-word in one book. He found it ironic that schools allow such books, but not school prayer. "<a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-booksaug15,0,4214992.story"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Guess you can only use God's name in a profane way</span></a>," he said.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘An Estonian man who was caught driving a car even though he is blind has been at it again, police said on Monday, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070813/od_nm/estonia_blind1_dc"><span style="color:#3333ff;">and this time he faces jail</span></a>.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>OK--just try and guess which one is me:</strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoNRtwZHpOty0GnOyfrSM6BgRW7A_8EEVHrq_OUmoZcrFiP6ORKv5Jlr_zjKFLE2m7in7BzEcuiU49vVIIf4Q7b1kZ3rlQnGWgrhQhRTGJZi2o-lmaJjE7ST-ouj4VTDKE4D_/s1600-h/matt18.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099495578000203762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoNRtwZHpOty0GnOyfrSM6BgRW7A_8EEVHrq_OUmoZcrFiP6ORKv5Jlr_zjKFLE2m7in7BzEcuiU49vVIIf4Q7b1kZ3rlQnGWgrhQhRTGJZi2o-lmaJjE7ST-ouj4VTDKE4D_/s320/matt18.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>All aboard the <a href="http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/paulites-online.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ron Paul Juggernaut</span></a>!! </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>‘…[W]ith one accord we turn to Almighty God, through Christ his Son, in humble petition for the forgiveness of whatever measure of corporate guilt may be ours with regard to the present international conflict, and, that our nation [sic], through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may be so yielded to the Divine Plan, that we may be effectively used in helping to bring to the nations of the world a just and righteous peace. ~ <em>Social Service Committee Recommendation</em>, <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance117.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">1941 Southern Baptist Convention</span></a> </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><br /><div>‘Thursday was the first day of school for those who have paid NOK 12,000 in the hopes Princess Martha Louise can <a href="http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1940836.ece"><span style="color:#3333ff;">help teach them to contact angels</span></a>.’ </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><br /><div>‘Church council member Bruno Deleau said the mural isn’t intended to be offensive.’ (Is this other than the fact that it <a href="http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2007/08/15/4420724.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">violates the Second Commandment</span></a>?)<br /></div><div></div><br /><div>‘Archeologists have discovered <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=893560"><span style="color:#3333ff;">a footprint made by the sandal of a Roman soldier </span></a>- one of the few such finds in the world - in a wall surrounding the Hellenistic-Roman city of Sussita, east of Lake Kinneret.’ </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><br /><div>I simply can’t understand how Rudy Giuliani continues to ride a wave of popularity among Republican/ conservative voters. He is pro-abortion, pro-homosexual rights, and anti-gun to say the least. This is not to mention that his current wife—his third—was his partner in the adulterous affair that ended his second marriage. Yet, he enjoys a great deal of support <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/13/opinion/polls/main3162457.shtml"><span style="color:#3333ff;">among evangelical Christians</span></a>! Why is this when there is <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/sabrin6.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the perfect candidate </span></a>in the race?! </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><br /><div><strong>Just in case you weren't certain:</strong><br /></div><div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://blogs.tunetribe.com/VirtualContent/84984/satan_is_real_album_cover.jpg" border="0" /></div>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-87849461408479981412007-08-16T17:04:00.000-05:002007-08-16T17:31:38.372-05:00It'll Never Bear Up In Court<strong><em>'They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees.' ~ Psalm 74:5</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I was telling Ashlee the other day about a funny--no, a WEIRD--story about my cousin's ex-husband. Let's call him ... Mike (that is his name, after all). Mike and my cousin were eating lunch in the park one day; soon thereafter, Mike made his way to his favourite part of the meal (easily deduced by his somewhat large girth), dessert, which happened to exist in the form of a <a href="http://archives.zinester.com/19800/87254/127812_22.jpg"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ding-Dong </span></a>on that particularly lovely day.<br />As Mike dived into his pet confection--and completely undetected by him--a bird overhead, shall we say, 'tagged' him in a manner in which birds are famous. Now, Mike is a smart man--he's not very observant--but he is smart. That being said, he confused the bird's 'deposit' for the creamy filling of his Ding-Dong. (Let the reader understand.)<br />To make a long story short, Mike soon put two-and-two together and commenced to pitching a wall-eyed fit because--and I still don't understand to this day how he concocted such a scenario--he was convinced that eating the bird's 'dispensables' was going to give him ... <a href="http://children.webmd.com/tc/Spina-Bifida-Topic-Overview"><span style="color:#3333ff;">spina bifida </span></a>of all things.<br />The story of the spina bifida-inducing Ding-Dong is legend in our family. (But, then again, you may need to know Mike to think it's funny.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What would happen when eight ordinary teens set out on a mission <a href="http://etools.780net.com/a/vomso/bg_vomso_wdbm_295.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">to meet the underground church in Vietnam</span></a>?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘If I had a thousand heads, I would rather see them cut off one by one rather than give a recantation.’ ~ Martin Luther<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program "Network" Monday night he believes <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57178"><span style="color:#3333ff;">God doesn't mind what he is called</span></a>, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Harry Potter, <a href="http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/9157701.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">please call your office</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘And when the rash representatives in our halls of legislation and our newspapers shall have sown the wind, who will reap the whirlwind? When they have scattered the dragon’s teeth, who must meet the horrent crop which they will produce? Not they alone, but you, your sons, your friends and their sons. So that these misleaders of people, while you so weakly connive at their indiscretion may indirectly be preparing the weapon which is to pierce the bosom of your fair-haired boy, and summoning the birds of prey, which are to pick out those eyes whose joy is now the light of your happy homes. For your own sakes, for your children’s sake, arise, declare that from this day no money, no vote, no influence of yours shall go to the maintenance of any other counsels than those of <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/murphy/murphy118.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">moderation, righteousness and manly forbearance</span></a>.’ ~ Rev. R. L. Dabney<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The World Congress of Families says it's pleased the British Broadcasting Company has finally realized Europe is experiencing demographic winter and acknowledged that there's a <a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/bbc_recognizes_european_birth.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">"birth dearth"</span></a> taking place on the continent.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />‘I know Edith Shain was the woman I kissed because <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2246597.ece"><span style="color:#3333ff;">she had the biggest mouth of anybody I’ve ever kissed in my life</span></a> – it went from ear to ear. I’ll never forget it.’<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=948"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Raising Maidens of Virtue</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />With hugs and cheers Sunday, members of Atlanta's oldest Lutheran church celebrated the pastor at the center of a battle over the treatment of gay clergy in the <a href="http://search.breitbart.com/q?s=%22Evangelical+Lutheran%20Church%22&sid=breitbart.com"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Evangelical Lutheran Church</span></a> in America.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />'I have often thought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darwins-Black-Box-Biochemical-Challenge/dp/0743290313/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0699498-1782864?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187302357&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">how little I should like to have to prove organic evolution</span></a> in a court of law.' ~ Errol White, <em>A Little on Lungfishes</em>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Have you ever wondered which version of the Bible [the Pilgrims] brought to America on the Mayflower? There was the King James Version of 1611, but there was an earlier version – one not sanctioned by the government – the 1599 Geneva Bible, <a href="http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2014"><span style="color:#3333ff;">a forgotten yet priceless treasure</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wow!! Talk about EFFECTUAL calling! (I wonder what happens if you reject their message?!)<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099428606575157218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_2HRLUYhQCtL-sIV51CWEHySQFvDQFQY6opvuDGtvPAz0jaoXMI016uT_EvEeemB2pXyykIIYepT953gTxoLHXq8xoI3ORLtau5hvseQu0yFZ6QRdnv0rNkyTTFOKrytsWT9/s320/gospelaxe.jpeg" border="0" />ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-88687395062609137592007-08-14T21:27:00.000-05:002007-08-15T11:29:29.652-05:00A New Perspective on Matt<strong>'For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.' ~ Galatians 1:10</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-clintondocs14aug14,1,1086895.story?track=rss&ctrack=2&cset=true"><span style="color:#3333ff;">This is a complaint we deal with quite a bit</span></a> at the George Bush Presidential Library. Folks just don’t understand the mechanics of the Freedom of Information Act regarding presidential libraries nor the enormous amount of man hours required to meet the request. For example, the request I am currently working on (I’m almost finished!) is 38,500 pages—and I have to review each one of them. I am closing in on 11 months on this one project. Now, imagine how long it would take you to read 38,500 pages of something you read for pleasure, something that you do not have to carefully review for protected information (which must then be input into a computer database)--something that is not a government record. How long do you think it would take you to complete that task?<br /><br /><br />Sure, I'm wearing geeky glasses in the photograph below; but the house behind me is where Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up in Tal, Austria:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAXjAflp89JiWJL3sUNOKCkB21VQFzKmJtx2SixGmjyPhrUJukFeT8N2zHZs1Oze5jXCo-alOY8Hfq9u6lar4OvxQ_PBy6ZBOONO4STfwTzhpNkRZCGjvPISvJQFua8MNjBKc/s1600-h/matt963.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098749301225946130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAXjAflp89JiWJL3sUNOKCkB21VQFzKmJtx2SixGmjyPhrUJukFeT8N2zHZs1Oze5jXCo-alOY8Hfq9u6lar4OvxQ_PBy6ZBOONO4STfwTzhpNkRZCGjvPISvJQFua8MNjBKc/s320/matt963.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />'It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create or make of nothing the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, <strong>in the space of six days</strong>, and all very good.' ~ <a href="http://www.reformed.org/documents/westminster_conf_of_faith.html#chap4"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Westminster Confession of Faith</span> </a>(IV.1)<br /><br /><br />It would have done <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan"><span style="color:#3333ff;">William Jennings Bryan </span></a>good to hold fast to the truth of God's Word regarding the Creation during his cross-examination in the Scopes Monkey Trial. Bryan, described as a devout Presbyterian, fell victim to a malady that afflicts many sincere Christians to-day; in their attempts (as they see it) to reconcile scientific discovery--<a href="http://www.bible.ca/tracks/textbook-fraud-pepper-moth-biston-betularia.htm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">which is ever-changing</span></a>, unlike <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040:8;&version=47;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">God's Word</span></a>--with the Bible, they unwittingly deal a self-inflicted (and mortal) wound to their argument. Bryan provided the opening by which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Darrow"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Clarence Darrow</span></a> rushed in and pierced his argument at its heart.<br />At its essence, the argument goes thus: <a href="http://answersingenesis.org/creation/v19/i1/days.asp"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Does God's Word mean what it says</span></a>? and, should science and the Bible <em><strong>appear</strong></em> at odds with one another (true science, by definition, would reflect the truth of God's created order), to which do you assign the pre-eminent position?<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions to consider:</strong><br />1) What does Science have to say about a man walking on water?<br />2) Can resurrection from the dead be replicated under laboratory conditions?<br />3) Is it possible to empirically demonstrate how to feed 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish?<br /><br />The Bible tells us that the above all happened. 'Science' tells us they did not--they cannot--happen. Which will we believe?<br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://answersingenesis.org/aftereden/cartoons/20040726.gif" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.faithfulineveryseason.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Taking the Fifth Commandment seriously</span></a> requires a great deal of attention and sacrifice.<br /><br /><br /><br />I have never been able to determine whether the story about <a href="http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Mike the Headless Chicken</span></a> is apocryphal or not. Either way, it's enthralling--and a little bit creepy.<br /><br /><br /><br />'My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian.' ~ Robert E. Lee<br /><br /><br />Rick Saenz on <a href="http://cumberlandbooks.com/blog/?p=949"><span style="color:#3333ff;">the simple life</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Jack Bull Chiles</strong>: 'The foundin' of that town was truly the beginnin' of the Yankee invasion.' <strong>Mr. Evans</strong>: 'I'm not speakin' of numbers, nor even abolitionist trouble makin'. <em>It was the schoolhouse</em>. Before they built their church, even, they built that schoolhouse. And they let in every tailor's son... and every farmer's daughter in that country.'<br /><strong>Jack Bull Chiles</strong>: 'Spellin' won't help you hold a plow any firmer. Or a gun either.'<br /><strong>Mr. Evans</strong>: 'No, it won't, Mr. Chiles. But my point is merely that they rounded every pup up into that schoolhouse because they fancied that everyone should think and talk the same free-thinkin' way they do with no regard to station, custom, propriety. And that is why they will win. Because they believe everyone should live and think just like them. And we shall lose because we don't care one way or another how they live. We just worry about ourselves.'<br /><strong>Jack Bull Chiles</strong>: 'Are you sayin', sir, that we fight for nothin'?'<br /><strong>Mr. Evans</strong>: 'Far from it, Mr. Chiles. You fight for everything that we ever had--as did my son. It's just that... we don't have it anymore.' ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Devil-Tobey-Maguire/dp/0783241909/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1129493-4509753?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1187148582&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ride With the Devil</span></a><br /><br /><br />'In addition to important and interesting historical work, the [<em>Confessional Presbyterian</em>] journal has published important articles critical of recent movements such as the Federal Vision and New Perspectives on Paul, ground breaking work on the manuscripts and documents of the Westminster Assembly, as well as <a href="http://www.cpjournal.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">substantial and illuminating material </span></a>on Presbyterian polity and worship.'<br /><br /><br />'Are we going to take the hands of the federal government completely off any effort to adjust the growing of national crops, and go right straight back to the old principle that every farmer is a lord of his own farm and can do anything he wants, raise anything, any old time, in any quantity, and sell any time he wants?' ~ <em>President Franklin Delano Roosevelt</em><br /><br /><br />'<a href="http://www.puritanboard.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">We hope this site</span></a> sharpens and renews your mind and creates a desire to study and obey the Word of God. <em>Soli Deo Gloria</em>!'<br /><br /><br />So, you want to rob a liquor store but can't afford a ski mask? Do the next best thing--<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293208,00.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">wrap your head in duct tape</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />'Supposedly intelligent talk becomes the emotionally-based regurgitations <a href="http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">one hears on Oprah or the rude shoutfests of AM talk radio</span></a>. It’s no wonder that mainstream media look upon the intelligent, thoughtful, calm, and rational Ron Paul as a dinosaur. The argumentative logic of Aristotle has been replaced by the emotional pleas of a Britney Spears song.'<br /><br /><br />'Although not all reunions are happy ones, our reunion is going very well. Even though my mother and I have spent 34 years apart I am amazed by how comfortable I am with her, how much we are alike. There is almost a psychic connection that I can only explain as being in the magic of genes, <a href="http://www.comicmom.com/whenadoptionisforeign.htm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">in the mystery of our DNA</span></a>.'<br /><br /><br />'During this process, I discovered a concept, if allowed to be widely used, that has the potential to <a href="http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/griffus2.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">change the auto insurance industry as we know it</span></a>.'ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17270579.post-4690292947472268992007-08-14T11:21:00.000-05:002007-08-14T11:51:59.402-05:00Giving Birth at Mach Speed<strong><em>‘My people— infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your<br />paths.’ ~ Isaiah 3:12</em></strong><br /><br /><br />‘The minister shall admonish [the dying person] also (as there shall be cause) to set his house in order, thereby to prevent inconveniences; <a href="http://www.covenanter.org/Westminster/directoryforpublicworship.htm"><span style="color:#3333ff;">to take care for payment of his debts</span></a>, and to make restitution or satisfaction where he hath done any wrong; to be reconciled to those with whom he hath been at variance, and fully to forgive all men their trespasses against him, as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God.’ ~ Westminster Directory for the Publick Worship of God<br /><br /><br />Christians should <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57150"><span style="color:#3333ff;">shoot back</span></a>.<br /><br /><br />I have an idea for how Pastor Coleman can keep the attention of any snoozers in the congregation:<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098593771870223346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHDURZp2ujAJQ6oUcBzlhz5y00aae4F2-KSzgpmnv2Myr0LM2MdcNcbG4qFfmcOwPmu5QEblAOKjjcqZ3Mx_AA9UwAA8FjLfY0Fvq_VQyAs9bMQVMUlC-nKIGTuZhqZ6zSqIk/s320/karatepreacher.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p></p><p>Would you like ketchup <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=bizarre&id=5563034"><span style="color:#3333ff;">with your idolatry</span></a>? </p><p><br /> </p><p><a href="http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/08/answers_in_genesis_announces_r.php"><span style="color:#3333ff;">A former home-school student</span></a> from the Kansas City area has been awarded a $50,000 scholarship to Liberty University after winning a research paper contest sponsored by an apologetics ministry. </p><p></p><br /><br /><p>'The attackers barged into the church and abused the Christians, using filthy language and began hitting and stabbing them. They destroyed the pulpit, chairs, musical instruments, furniture, and window panes and damaged the church walls. <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57115"><span style="color:#3333ff;">The pastor was also severely beaten</span> </a>with a cricket bat and his body was swollen," the sources reported.'</p><p></p><br /><br /><p>'The great object is that every man be armed ... Every one who is able may have a gun. But have we not learned by experience that, necessary as it is to have arms, ... it is still far from being the case?' ~ Patrick Henry</p><p></p><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.badmovieplanet.com/unknownmovies/pictures/rustlers2.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Bob Barber: ‘Everyone knows that a Good Guy has to be a confident heterosexual.’<br />Rex O’Herlihan: ‘Confident heterosexual? Are you sure? I thought it was just heterosexual.’ ~ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rustlers-Rhapsody-Thomas-Abbott/dp/B0001JXPW0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-0699498-1782864?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1187109395&sr=8-1"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Rustler’s Rhapsody</span></a> </p><p> </p><p></p><p>This is a dangerous time for all we believe in. Now, above all, we must spread the truths of the Constitution, of the rule of law, of life, of peace, of freedom, of <a href="http://blog.ronpaul2008.com/ron_paul_2008/2007/08/message-from--1.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">an America that will truly be a city on the hill</span></a>.’ </p><p></p><br /><p>‘A Japanese biker <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKT13970120070814"><span style="color:#3333ff;">failed to notice his leg had been severed </span></a>below the knee when he hit a safety barrier, and rode on for 2 km (1.2 miles), leaving a friend to pick up the missing limb.’ </p><br /><p></p><p>Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. <a href="http://news.aol.com/story/ar/_a/church-cancels-memorial-for-gay-vet/20070811110009990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001"><span style="color:#3333ff;">But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors</span></a>, she said, it was called off. </p><p></p><br /><p>‘Having a baby's more important. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/11/AR2007081101352_pf.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Of course I'm going to speed</span></a>.’ </p><br /><p></p><br /><p>I Thess. 5: 20,21: ‘Do not despise prophecies, <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0814exorcism0814.html"><span style="color:#3333ff;">but test everything</span></a> …’ </p><br /><p></p><br /><p><strong>Imagine my surprise when I was driving to work the other day and saw a SEAHORSE!!</strong> </p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size:0;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098598367485230082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKEVyHcmg0djjZvDbR05K6Y1bWO4kyq-sWwD9iz9WanD76ZHlgkkR5IjaDpTPh7ftt2lWoKbY4YTOnj8TjqWJJfJSY9SXaAIOVFJ_qnySKFss_BLQMopAt96NORVY2KrUwibD/s320/seahorse.bmp" border="0" /></span></p>ninepoundhammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17707280866515217924noreply@blogger.com1