one tiny soapbox

Hong Kong STM -- The Remix!

2010-06-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

[10/18/10 UPDATE: We've been back for about 10 days now. Have to say this trip was too short and a bit surreal. Catch me on facebook for future musings on what the LORD's doings over there...]

Greetings Family ~

As a handful of you already know, in the summer of 1992 a clueless college kid took his first trip overseas to the city of Hong Kong with Oral Roberts University Summer Missions. The stated purpose of that trip was “evangelism."

As you may not know, some dramatic changes have occurred since then. Hong Kong —then under British rule— was released to mainland China. Likewise, that clueless college kid —then under Satan’s rule— was released into God's Kingdom! Whereas I formerly believed for years I was a Christian, in the summer of 2004 I discovered that I, like many others, sadly, had merely been self-deceived.

Today, I stand at the cusp of new ministry opportunity in Hong Kong —this time legitimate in every way— as an authentic disciple of our LORD! This is my attempt to share this with you & to afford you the opportunity to partner with our team as we prepare for what lies ahead.

This October, I will be part of a team traveling to Hong Kong. We will be serving our missionary family (many of you Grace folks affectionately know 'R' and 'E' by name) as they host a three day conference training pastors from the region. Our goal is to minister to the attendees’ children (ages 0 to 15 years), who will be staying at the training site.

It is a great privilege for us to demonstrate the love of Christ to Believers abroad in this tangible way, especially considering how uncommon children’s ministry is for the small house churches from which these families will be coming. Two of our main objectives are to encourage the local body by our service and to emphasize the importance of serving their younger generation. I am joyful for this opportunity!

We are well aware that the success of this trip is dependent on the Lord and your prayer support. Along with your prayers, if you would like to partner with us financially, please make a check payable to Grace Community Church with “For the team of lB. Carlos Whitfield” in the memo line. Then send it to the address below. Your tax-deductible donation will go toward covering the costs of the trip, which are about $2,700 per person.

In Spread of His Fame!

IB. Carlos Whitfield

Short-Term Ministries c/o Grace Community Church

13248 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91352

818-909-5704 | stm@gracechurch.org

my own scritch-scratch from the Ligonier West Coast Conference...

2010-03-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

12-yr-old voices oppostion to abortion

2009-08-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

hat a brave (& articulate) little girl, huh?

(Warning: watch out for those nasty little "other" videos that can pop up after this one finishes playing...)

the new BucketFree.com!

2009-08-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

ttention all network marketers...serious home-biz entrepreneurs...causal investigators...and skeptics: come one, come all to the new...

Where your questions, fears & doubts are sure to be answered!

for marriage prospects...

2009-07-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

or about ~~three~~ five years, now, I've been using a number of "Christian" web sites in my search for a spouse. To that end, I thought it a good idea to share my entire profile from the one site that I'd consider my favorite. (That is...I would consider it my favorite, if it weren't for the fact that it still has relatively few female members (shucks!)...which is kinda sad, because, the authenticity and intent of its owner seem superior to any I've encountered, so far.) Anyhoo... what follows has been posted "for your reading enjoyment."

(Those curious about why I am divorced will note that I address this question briefly, below. More insight can be had by visiting this post. Any & all questions are welcome, thereafter. Soli Deo Gloria!)

Gender:	Definitely male
Age:	30+
Country:	United States
State:	California
City:	Sun Valley
Zip Code:	91352
Title:	"Marriage-Minded"
My height is:	6' 3/4"
My build is:	Slender
My eyes are:	Brown
My hair is:	Fleeing Fast!
My view on smoking:	I don't smoke or prefer to be around smoke, much.
My view on drinking:	I rarely drink
My level of education is:	Bachelor's Degree
Marital Status:	Divorced
On the subject of children:	I've 1 boy, but prefer at least 1 more (a girl?).
My ideal place to live is:	Near a very large body of water. And some mountains.
Looking for:	Marriage & Children
Race (Select ALL that you would prefer to date.):	"Any"
Denomination:	Non-denominational
What type of work do you do?:	Sales and Marketing
My sense of humor is most like:	The Saturday Night Live skit that never aired! ---------------------------------------------------
Activities/Interests:	Amusement Parks, Bike, Boat Excursions , Bowling, Camping, Canoe/Kayaking, Cards, Puzzles, Board Games , Computers, Fitness, Go-Kart Racing , Hiking, Hot Springs, Miniature Golf , Museums, Music/Vocals, Photography, Pool, Scenic Drives, Softball, Theatre , Vacations, Retreats, Package Deals & Tours, Volleyball, Volunteering, Walking, Water Parks , Whitewater River Rafting ---------------------------------------------------
Age range desired?:	[My conception of this has been changing, lately.] ---------------------------------------------------
Additional Activities:	Open to new experiences. ---------------------------------------------------
How old were you when you were drawn to Christ and how is your Christian walk these days?:	Though I formerly believed I was saved in my teens, I'm now all but convinced the Lord regenerated me in mid-2004. I'm almost daily faced with the reality of my sinfulness and inherent unworthiness to be Elect unto salvation! This compels me to continually seek to lean on Him for all goodness in obeying His Word. Fortunately, I've been immeasurably blessed to be a part of an extremely sound church where we are continually taught the necessity of being both "hearers" and "doers" of the matchless Word of Christ. ---------------------------------------------------
How have the Doctrines of Grace changed or affected your life?:	Whereas once I was Arminian, foolishly believing man is able to "choose" righteousness by himself, I now see how utterly Sovereign our great and awesome God is! This important realization - along with the numerous ways in which Providence has illustrated it, since - has led me to an increasing trust in the Strength of His Omnipotent hand, which will continue to sustain and preserve me 'til the end! ---------------------------------------------------
Are you content being single? Why? If not, why?:	Yes...I know full well my marital status does not define my joy. At the same time, the desire I have to be married is strong and proper, and so compels me to be proactive in my search for a Godly, marriage-minded (attractive) Helper. ---------------------------------------------------
Do you have a “Quiet Time”? What are you studying?:	Yes. I haven't been using any study materials, simply praying, listening to and reading the Scriptures. Love my ESV Listener's Bible! (My intent is to eventually begin learning how to exegete, using Greek and Hebrew aids...but I'm not there, yet) ---------------------------------------------------
What are four qualities your friends would attribute to you?:	1) Comedic & playful 2) Smart 3) Good conversationalist (listening & articulating) 4) Loyal & true (I keep my word) ---------------------------------------------------
What are you most passionate about?:	Seeing people come into a clear understanding of the Scriptures. ---------------------------------------------------
Other than your parents, who has been the most influential person in your life and how?:	I'll list two: 1) My pastor, John F MacArthur, followed closely by... 2) My very good Friend Stephen ---------------------------------------------------
What are three things you are most thankful for?:	1) The Triune God 2) My Election 3) My Church family ---------------------------------------------------
Who is your favorite Biblical Character and why?:	Peter, because he confessed openly his foolish sinfulness, and often tangibly illustrated the truth of it. And yet, these things left Christ's Election of him unmitigated and he was even set as one of the founding pillars of our Glorious church heritage. ---------------------------------------------------
Describe the character and personality traits you enjoy in another person? What are yours?:	I'd appreciate most a woman who actively takes responsibility for her own sinfulness, and who is thoughtful, warm, affectionate and genuinely nice, as I, too, am widely regarded as a really "nice" guy and, as such, try to avert needless conflict or negative emotional flare-ups. Someone who can be assertive without being aggressive or forward, as I like to (mainly) be the "initiator." Yet, neither do I care much for elusiveness or "mystique," as I'm a fairly direct communicator, and appreciate at least some measure of the same. Someone who delights in being "low-maintenance" and living simply, as my vocational ambitions are not extravagant and so I may not be able to offer a life of increasing luxury. Someone who is committed to Biblical Womanhood, as pictured in Eph. 5; 1 Peter 3; Titus 2, & 1 Tim. 2 & 5 (see also: 'The Excellent Wife' by Martha Peace). Who is "family-minded" instead of career-minded, as I desire to be the primary, if not sole financial provider and to have children who are blessed with a home-school experience. Someone who has a high regard for healthy eating and physical fitness, mirroring my own. Last, but far from least, I would consider it a great honor to be fully entrusted by a woman with the (humbling) task of being her sole spiritual leader. I realize the issue of "submission" is often a tender one, especially in a world filled with men who are clueless about what it means to lead through sacrifice and service. However, one of my greatest desires is to absolutely contravene this wicked trend of society by imitating the self-less Love of Christ in a marriage relationship. This would take many forms, not the least of which would be leading my wife (& children) into the increasing Light of Scripture. I believe this would bring me joy like few other endeavors! ---------------------------------------------------
What contributed most to your previous relationship/marriage not continuing? How long have you been on your own since this relationship and what did you learn from the experience?:	Simply put: my ex-wife (how I dislike that term) chose to leave clearly out of disobedience to the Scriptures. Though I'm absolutely certain I was leaps and bounds from the ideal husband, she made it clear from the start that her choosing to leave was about her own choices, not mine. She started speaking of leaving in Dec. '03, physically left in July '04, and filed for divorce in Nov. '04. The divorce was final in June '06. Besides some specific ways in which to be and do better next time, I learned to be clear about what’s most important in a wife. I also learned that, no matter how careful one is, one simply can’t control nor always foresee all the "unfavorable" outcomes (consequently, my trust in Christ has grown immeasurably). More importantly, I learned that, just like my ex-wife, I'm a wretched sinner...prone to disobey at times ("prone to wander, Lord I feel it...prone to leave the One I love")! But, again, I love the fact that I am shored up by His Omnipotent Hand, which will preserve me 'til the end! ---------------------------------------------------
Do you have any favorite lines from movies, poems, songs, hymns or Scripture you would like to tell us about?:	Top 2 Favorite Songs: O Sacred Head Now Wounded, O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (and almost any classic hymn in a minor key). Of course, there are others. Why not ask me which ones? Favorite Bible passages: > Matthew 16:24-27 (ESV) Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." Boy, what a challenge to the unBeliever, and sobering call to the professing Believer who has failed to self-examine. This is the heart of the Gospel! Which stands in such stark contrast to the feel-good message passed off as the Gospel far too often. ---- > John 13:6-10 (ESV) He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you [here referring to Judas Iscariot]." Gotta love that Peter. And what sweet, blessed fellowship those who Believe have been granted by our merciful, gracious King...both with Him and with each other! --- > Luke 24:32 (ESV) "They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?'." This verse describes how I am, in part, and how I strive to be, in whole! I would love to meet an attractive woman who most deeply and thoroughly seeks to have her heart aflame with a passion for having the Word or Christ dwell richly within, guiding her at every turn and ever aiming her affections toward the Eternal Horizon. --- > Psalm 8:4 (ESV) "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, AND THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU CARE FOR HIM?” This passage so accurately reflects the profound, incredulous perplexity I experience whenever pondering the seeming “injustice” exhibited in the Lord’s Amazing Grace [!!!] ---------------------------------------------------
What type of work do/did you do? How long have you been/were you in that line of work? Do/you enjoy it?:	In March of '07, I started a new job working in sales support for a national tax advisory firm. Within 2-5 years, I'd like to succeed at establishing my budding home-based business so I can leave the work-force permanently. ---------------------------------------------------
Do you have any life-long goals? What are they?:	Possibly enter some form of full-time, vocational or volunteer ministry, if the Lord would have me do so...I can envision no more worthy vocation for myself than that of accurately learning and teaching the precious Word of God to others. I can even see myself one day working in a foreign mission field...with the invaluable support of a very willing Helper, of course! (Then there's the other, less important stuff, like: learn a few languages; drive an RV cross country; travel the world; etc, etc, etc.) ---------------------------------------------------
How do you enjoy your leisure time? What do you do for recreation?:	I enjoy singing, playfulness, spontaneity, leaving dishes in the sink sometimes (c; and having all manner of new experiences – heck, I’m open to trying virtually anything...once! I'm equally comfortable outdoors camping, hiking or cycling as I am cuddling (yes, cuddling!) on the couch with snacks and a good movie. (BUT, with two bad knees, going for a jog is out of the question!) ---------------------------------------------------
Where were you born and where have you traveled?:	Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Have since lived in: Tulsa, Oklahoma; Chicago, Illinois; Newark, Delaware; and, of course, Los Angeles, California (my favorite)! I've also spent a couple of months in both Hong Kong and several Städte in Germany. --------------------------------------------------
Tell us about your family. How do you feel about relocating?:	I have several siblings, but, am not close to any of them...something I wish could have been different. I can share more about that in personal conversation. As smoggy, congested and expensive as Los Angeles is, I really enjoy life here. By far, though, the greatest enjoyment with which I've been graced is, of course, being interwoven with my current local church family! Second to that is my intent to remain as geographically stable as possible for my son's benefit. Lastly is affection for the ocean, mountains and moderate clime. So, for these (mostly) important reasons, relocation is pretty much not do-able.) ---------------------------------------------------
Is there anything that the questionnaire didn’t cover?:	Coupla things: 1) I have a beautiful, bright, energetic little boy, who lives with me part-time. (And, I firmly believe in patient, loving discipline as Biblical imperative, per Proverbs 23:13-14; 22:15; 13:24; 29:15 & 17; 19:18.) 2) I'm convinced most minor theological differences can be easily tolerated or worked through in any loving, Christ-honoring relationship, and therefore need not be the hill on which a budding relationship must die. With that said -and this need not be a fatal disclaimer, but- on a certain few theological points, I humbly, cautiously take issue with several of our Reformation forebears. It's been my experience that not all "Reformed" women are okay with this, so kindly be advised. [And if you're Pentecostal or Charismatic, you might want to be advised, too...though for somewhat different reasons explained elsewhere on this blog. Go ahead...click around to find out what I'm all about. ] ---------------------------------------------------

[Dec. 2010 update: I recently had the idea of adding my profile data (worthless though it may be) from yet another of my choice "intro sites"...]

Describe the type of relationship you are looking for. What qualities would you like in this relationship or person? Are you seeking a particular age range?

Hey there, I'm IB. Carlos. (c:

"Marriage-Minded" is the most accurate term to describe my purpose for using this site. I’m seeking fun-filled, mutually edifying, painfully transparent, self-sacrificing relationship. (I prefer "courtship" over the more popular idea of "dating." But, I realize some consider that a matter of semantics, so...definitely a negotiable detail.)

Whom do I seek? ...a reasonably attractive (20s to 30s -ish) gal who literally would die for Christ. Gotta have a genuine love for Scripture and be actively battling her own sinfulness. Is teachable. A true "help-meet;" willing to work outside the home if/when necessary, but with a strong preference to focus on family & home. (In other words: doesn't scorn the fact that God's highest calling(s) for women are "wife" & "mother.") Content with simpler living. Open to virtually any cultural context -- from a mud hut in Beru Hagia, to a mansion in Beverly Hills. Mature enough to love my boy as her own. Values consistent, faithful church involvement(not merely attendance, but loyal, ongoing, service & inter-dependence...not using the Internet as a substitute). Health & fitness-oriented(!)

"…as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies…For no one ever hated his own flesh…" "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the LORD. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church…as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands."

By the way: I think real men prefer to take the lead -- at least I do. (c: It’s *perfectly* fine to help us notice you, in case we missed or rushed past your profile a bit too quickly. (Which I admit I sometimes do.) For this, I think a wink is cool, but not IM. (c: From that point on, though, I think it's best to simply let a guy respond --or not-- as he may be inclined.

(NOTE: Please forgive my bluntness, but, my life is already choc full o' "friends" (mine is a very large church, where I regularly enjoy the fellowship of numerous Godly folks)! Also, I usually pass over profiles without a few very clear pictures. Forgive me, but, this on-line thing is challenging enough as it is. Why make it any tougher?)

Describe a little of your personality and character traits. (Are you funny, laid back, more serious, open, shy, etc.?)

I just turned 39. And, like fine wine, feel I'm "bettering" with time. (By God's Grace!)

In a nutshell, I'm a *Biblical* Christian with a heart for sound doctrine. Guess you could say promoting an accurate understanding of Scripture is my greatest passion! Absolutely everything else --all Christian Love & Life-- is properly informed by & properly flows from that.

Somewhat by contrast, my personality is naturally comedic. Friends say I can be a real clown, am smart, a good listener & conversationalist. And they recognize my passion for Biblical fidelity (something many of them share).

So, you might say I’m an eclectic mix of laugh-out-loud comedy and deadly-serious theology. (Man ...sure hope that doesn't sound intimidating!)

A partial list of things I enjoy include: singing, spontaneous playfulness, leaving dishes in the sink, sometimes (c; and having virtually all manner of new experiences, both indoors & out. Heck, I’m open to trying virtually anything...once! I'm equally comfortable camping, hiking or cycling as I am cuddling (yep, I said it) on the couch with snacks and a good movie. (Not before the proper time, of course!)

Professionally, I'm not your typical "driven-to-succeed" or extremely ambitious type. (I'd be sure to disappoint those seeking a "Type-A/CEO" guy). I am fully aware of my financial responsibilities and strive to over-deliver on them. But, climbing social/professional ladders and aggressive business networking is far less important to me than focusing on my family.

The chief goal I have for my loved ones is to build up their spiritual health -- along with that of the larger Body of Christ. In light of that, I seek to live simply -though not necessarily spartanly- choosing not to pursue ever-increasing luxury, but rather a life that honors Christ down to the very details.

Describe your Christian faith. Where are you at and what are your goals? What Scripture verses are important to you?

Aaahh...now we get down to what matters most. (This section should be listed first, IMHO.)

This vaporous life would be literally, absolutely worthless without the humbling, awe-inspiring Mercy and Grace of The Astounding YHWH!

Having been born dead in my trespasses & sins, I could not --of my own volition-- respond to God’s urgent call to repentance & exercise Saving Faith, much like a cadaver cannot respond to a bugle call...

I now can and do Love Christ only because He first Loved me - and chose me before laying the foundations of the universe! And so, due to the Supreme, Irrevocable Gift of Saving Faith He has Sovereignly granted me, my Faith in Christ now defines me. Without Him, I am absolutely nothing!

Now, since being Graciously regenerated unto Salvation, my life has begun to produce works of righteousness (aka: "obedience," albeit imperfect) to His Revealed Will. This affords me the assurance of a genuine Work of God wrought in the heart. Oh, the sweet & blessed work of Believers' sanctification! (Philip. 1:6)

Consequently, His command --the Great Commission-- is one I take seriously. I delight in pointing others toward this life-saving Gospel Truth. Primarily in word, secondarily in deed.

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ~Romans 10:14 (ESV)

~ ~ ~
Speaking of Fav verses...let's see, now, um...:

[REDACTED; see above post for this info...]

What would be the perfect setting for a first meeting with a new friend or date? Describe it :-)

Okay, so...I'm pretty open with this one. I could certainly take the lead, but...perhaps dinner, a simple cup o’ java, or even some exploratory adventure. Either would suffice for a first encounter.

'Course I fully expect it to be laced with scintillating conversation - both delightfully trivial and deeply profound - and hopefully filled with mutually memorable, Christ-honoring moments!

What are your favorite activities? (Including sports, leisure, artistic/musical, etc.)

Reading/studying; singing; watching films; listening to classic hymns, jazz, euro-classical, "world," & techno-pop music...even a lil' Redeemed Hip-Hop; spending quality time with loved ones; cycling; camping; doing volunteer ministry; learning the Truth of Scripture!

Describe your current occupation. Do you like what you do? What is your dream job?

I’ve been working in corporate administration for several years, most recently in sales support for a leading national tax advisory firm. I’m also slowly building a home-based business, which I hope will one day enable me to devote much more time to serving my immediate family & The Church at large.

Where did you go to school (i.e. high school or college/university, etc.)? What did you study? Did you like it? Would you like to do more?

Attended grade-school in Minnesota.

Went on to earn a BS in Mass Media Communications at a "Christian" University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My alma matter is widely-known for its Word of Faith / Hyper-Charismatic associations. It's important to note that I no longer associate with the decidedly aberrant “brand” of theology largely represented there.

As yet, I have no set plans for further education, but am *considering* the possibility of such. If anything, it would be seminary...though I doubt I'm really cut out for it, frankly. I ain't gots da best studyin' skilz. )c:

What are some of your personal goals in life?

- Engaged in the life-long instruction and leadership of my family - by precept and by example - in the Ways of the LORD
- Hopefully remarried and with 1 or more new chit'lins. (A baby girl would be nice!)
- Hopefully having succeeded at building my own home-based business and transitioning from the work-force to possible vocational or volunteer ministry
- Gettin' some travel in there would be a nice bonus, too...

How did your previous relationship end and what positive lessons have you learned which will help you succeed in future relationships?

As for exactly how it ended; that would be best saved for more personal communication. (Definitely not an answer for such a "public" space.) I will say this, though: according to Scripture, divorce is only a valid option under two circumstances - hard-hearted adultery, and unBeliever abandonment; mine included both.

As for what I learned:

1) To be clear about what’s most important to me in a wife & helper.
2) More importantly, that:
- the LORD is truly, Absolutely Sovereign in all things
- no matter how careful one is, one simply cannot control nor always foresee the "unfavorable" outcomes (consequently, my trust in Him has grown immeasurably)
- just like my ex-wife – who left out of disobedience to the Will of God (clearly revealed in His Word) – I, too, am prone to disobey at times. But I'm grateful to be shored up by His is Omnipotent Hand, which will preserve me 'til the end!

Where were you born? Have you ever traveled? If so, where? What is your ideal adventure?

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (I know, pretty cold up there...brrrr, gives me chills just thinkin’ of it) I’ve since lived in Delaware, Illinois, Oklahoma (and of course, California), and have spent some time in Hong Kong and about 5 different towns in Germany.

I’d REALLY like to spend at least one or two weeks of my life (perhaps every few years, even) on a warm, calm beach in the Cayman Islands before I leave this earth. Without a computer or a phone. Or shoes. (c:

It would also be great to do things like travel the US by RV (hit all those famous landmarks I’ve often sped past), and ultimately visit my mother’s home town in Italy. (A thousand cool-points if you can guess the city. (c:)

Is there anything else you would like to add? This is your chance to get in that last (but not least:-) bit of important info that you would like others to know.

Wow! If you've read this far...you're exceptional! So, a coupla closing thoughts:

As you can see, I'm divorced. But, as someone who endeavors to live according to the clear teaching of God's Word, I wouldn't be if it had not clearly fallen within Biblical guidelines. According to this, and the Godly pastoral & peer counsel from my church, my conscience is clear. (If, however, you're divorced and cannot confidently say the same, then I would personally consider you unavailable.)

Though wife & husband are charged in Scripture to be mutually loving, respectful & supportive, I think it important to note that the Biblical concept of "help meet" (as the KJV poetically renders it) primarily describes what a woman is to her man. Not vice-versa. I'd love to discuss this further with interested persons. (c:

Thanks for reading my tome...and may our LORD continue to bless you!

PS.: I'm a paying subscriber through 1/11/11. (Beyond that, you might Providentially stumble across my name on the web somewhere...(c:)

Parting food for thought & a book recommendation:

"A diminished God and an enlarged man often results in a re-calibrated Gospel that seeks to save man not so much from the causeof the fall [sin against God] as the effects of the fall [hard labor & pain]..." ~Jonathan Leeman

Found: God's Will (Find the Direction and Purpose God Wants for Your Life) Author: John F. MacArthur; Publisher: David C. Cook
[This is one 64-page book that could very well change your life!]

[Final note: if I don't respond to a msg you send me, or at least view your profile, please accept my apologies, as, it simply means my time has expired...]

For Trade: '09 Kymco Agility125

2009-03-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

[November 2010 UPDATE: Sorry folks, this bike has been sold. But, I'm leaving this post up to keep up the traffic-trickle to this blog...]

- Individuals willing to trade an older Japanese bike in daily driver condition please read on...

About this peppy lil' scoot:

- Kymco Agility 125cc
- I bought it new for $2,000 (plus dealer's fees)
- Silver on Black
- Very good condition
- Daily commuter & pleasure to ride -- sips gas at +/- 75 mpg!
- Registered through 9/09
- Been covered nightly
- No mechanical repair issues
- Had its 1st problem-free service visit
- Purchased from a solid local dealer (NoHo Scooters)
- Manufacturer's warranty good through August 2010 (dealer has confirmed the warranty is transferable)

- Comes with the rear hard splash flap, which I removed 'cuz I rarely ride in the rain
- She was laid down on a slick road after a month of ownership, but was un-affected mechanically. (What can I say...it was my first bike!)
------ The only non-superficial damage was to the kick-stand assembly, which got shifted a bit...but is still fully functional, as you can see below
------ The left turn signal has always worked fine, but I do plan to replace it

What I Seek:

- Mid-90's or newer Japanese bike, minimum 180cc engine in solid, daily driver condition(must be ready to hit the road today, without any refurb expense)

- Why? ...I'm over 6 feet and need a daily commuter replacement better suited to my height

Here are some helpful links (same ones I reviewed before deciding to buy):

- A pretty comprehensive review: http://www.justgottascoot.com/agility125.htm

Cheers! ...and thanks for your time!

John MacArthur sermons to be free at gty.org

2008-11-02T22:27:00.001-08:00

am so excited to help publicize the fact that Grace to You, the teaching ministry of John MacArthur (my beloved pastor) will be releasing the entire archive of MP3 sermons to the public for free!

That's right, unlimited downloading, starting Wednesday November 5th.

I love how the rationale he shared during worship services today included wanting to make it easier than ever to combat error with the Truth.

S'what I'm talkin' 'bout!

a critical mistake to be made Nov. 4th?

2008-10-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

ollowing is an excerpt from a poignant, extremely well-voiced article on the Witherspoon Institute's blog, Public Discourse: Ethics, Law, and the Common Good.

"Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress.

Yet there are Catholics and Evangelicals-even self-identified pro-life Catholics and Evangelicals - who aggressively promote Obama's candidacy and even declare him the preferred candidate from the pro-life point of view.

What is going on here?"

(Read on...)

keep Hope alive?!

2008-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

-Set up low-income families with a false sense of security ("affordable housing")
-Stand idly by while their dreams get stripped away by Fundamental Economic Realities
-Watch the nation's economy spiral into deep recession as a result of such efforts
-Blame the outcome on the very ones who seeks to clean up the mess
-Enrich your friends & yourself in the process

Is this a recipe for 'Hope'?

No more 'Bride' & 'Groom'?!?!

2008-10-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

rankly, I'm appalled.

Read below (from The Pacific Justice Institue's web site) and I trust you'll see precisely why:

What's in a name? A lot, according to the California Supreme Court, which recently decided that marriage must be made available to gay couples, and "civil unions" were inadequate. Now, a Northern California couple is going to court to preserve their legal status as "bride" and "groom," after the state rejected their marriage license.

Gideon Codding and Rachel Bird were recently married in Placer County, near Sacramento. Surprised by newly-revised state forms that now designate marriage applicants as "Party A" and "Party B," Gideon and Rachel jotted an explanatory "Groom" and "Bride" next to the party names. They were stunned when, weeks later, the form was returned to Pastor Doug Bird, who officiated at the ceremony. The County's letter states that the license "does not comply with California State registration laws" - even though the official forms in use just prior to the gay marriage ruling called the marrying couple "Bride" and "Groom." Because the County refused to process their form, the Coddings are not legally married and have been prevented from accessing the many benefits available to married couples...

Just. Plain. Asinine. (Read the rest of the story.)

when men take a B.A.T.H.

2008-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

ere's some video of my good Friend Jesse Cook, as we take time out to celebrate his soon-coming man-child.

The way we men like ta do it: with guns.

Incidentally, as far as I know, the B.A.T.H. concept ("Barbeque At The House," or in this case, it was a Breakfast, due to a last-minute schedule change) was conceived by our good Friends, Jonathan & Katie Goodman (of The Master's Seminary).

on Christians & political agendas...

2008-09-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

inked here is an excellent post discussing what Biblical Christianity looks like in, say, matters of homosexuality & politics...

I seriously could not have expressed this better, myself!

2 minutes on Cali's 'Prop 8'

2008-08-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

I'll let you, Dear Reader, guess which way I roll.

!

another post from the (dating) field

2008-07-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

rom a Christian dating web site: "I'd like to meet someone and become friends and then maybe more someday." Written by a 37 year old woman who might perhaps someday be interested in having children.

Perhaps. Someday.

What is so all-fired wrong with a person making it clear up front that he or she is primarily interested in marriage, instead of beating around the proverbial bush?

I say: Absaludamente Nada!

And why do some folks seem to be afraid to admit that, outright?

I say: Rediculoso!

Frankly, I'm tired of all this indirect, tip-toeing, kinda-sorta-maybe, let's-see-if-maybe-we-can-be-friends-indefinitely-first sorta nonsense. I honestly don't see why anyone with a Biblical view of marriage and who has a strong desire for it would hold such a perspective. There is nothing wrong (and arguably everything right) with striking up a dialog with the mutual, clearly expressed intent and purpose of it being marriage-bound.

It just escapes me how so many have a problem with this!

Okay that was almost pure rant. But it is this marriage-minded man's Scripture-informed opinion, which won't be changin' anytime soon.

Anywho...Enjoy the following excerpts from my latest travels along the ven-artian landscape...

I'm a chick preacher in the Church of God...just looking to make some new friends. I am 23 and single. I currently work as the children's and youth pastor in my local church and have been recently doing some evangelistic work around the country.

To me, being a Christian means...
It means being like Christ...in every way. In means having the opportunity and honor to minister to people who don't know Him like I do. It also means and extraordinary life jam-packed with the best spiritual experiences you could fathom.

---
Please be honest with who you really are and do not try to be someone you are not to impress me. I will respect you more for being a MAN and standing up for what you believe in. I have NO time for FAKE people and if you waste my time I WILL guarantee you WON'T be happy with the results.

Dating a man with faith is very important to me. Please do not contact me unless you have some sort of faith and are sincere about this. GOD loving men need only apply! Also, if you enjoy going to crazy bars, clubs partying to all hours in the morning with your friends you should skip over my profile and move on to the next. I prefer to meet someone who is past that point in their life, thanks:)

---
Hi. My name is D______. I am very laid back and easygoing. I am looking for someone who is not a wild child and can hang out without having to drink.

---
DO NOT CONTACT ME IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SEX!!!

---
I'm a big dreamer - always want to be doing more and becoming more in this short life I've been given as a gift. In the future, I would like to become a Life Coach on the side so I can help people overcome obstacles that stand in the way of achieving their biggest goals and dreams because we were all put on this earth to do something great...we all have a big purpose that stems from our passions.

It's no surprise she references the oft-mishandled Jeremiah 29:11 as a favored verse. But then, why not? ...since God has an awesome, wonderful plan of increasing self-actualization in store for each of us!

Self-description: Cyincal Sarcastic Bratty and God fearing ;o)

---
I'd rather hire someone to clean than do it myself and I'm not the least bit ashamed of it.

When I was a little girl I had a shirt that said "Anything a boy can do, I can do better" and that was my motto in life...and often still is...but any man that's meant for me better still be able to pull his own and lead me. I'm not looking for someone to tell me how to live my life, just someone who can set a great example and who I can partner with long term.

---
Hello, my name is A_______, I'm 25 years old, and I am a dentist. I would love to find a person who loves God above all things. That person must be a professional, courteous, kind, and I would love him to know how to dance.

---
I am a full-time student that also works full time. I would like to meet a good guy that's cute.

global warming? - 2

2008-07-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

his is a re-posting of an assertion I made a few weeks ago...with further external commentary. This time, from a former 'consultant to the Australian Greenhouse Office'.

Click here to read an even clearer idea of exactly why I utterly reject the spurious deceit kown as 'Global Warming'.

Forget about that new hybrid vehicle. It makes absolutely no financial sense, whatsoever.

Unless, of course, you live & work in Hollywood.

a man & his son

2008-07-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

he Rifleman. A widowed father with a will to strive for right-living.

...who lived in the days before Hollywood completely turned.

an open apology to my Sister from SGS

2008-07-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

ecently, while in a first-time (and likely last-time) IM exchange with a young lady (who I've never met in person) from my very own Grace Community Church, I made a comment that completely "freaked her out." Knowing that meeting an axe-murderer is the archetypal fear when encountering potential courtiers over the Internet, I jokingly described myself as such to her. (Though not in the first line or two.)

Despite privately getting a hearty guffaw out of the "clever" wording of my [stupid] joke, I soon realized I'd done a very foolish thing. (I believe the word she used is 'vile'.)

I wish I could say it was the immediate conviction of my Spirit-empowered conscience that brought this realization upon me. But, alas, it was not. It was provided, rather, by a harsh (and just) rebuke from the young lady herself. Whereas she could have simply cut me off right then and there, leaving me to foolishly think I'd scored some goofy "cool points" with my "quirky, engaging sense of humor," she instead hit me where I needed to be hit...right in the spiritual solar plexus.

I owe that lady a debt of gratitude for slapping me back to the reality of human interaction, and all the sensitive Grace it requires!

I doubt you're even reading this, "M_______," but if you are:

Though you're still prolly sore at me for carelessly touching on a topic in a way that came off as needlessly offensive, please accept my sincere thanks for showing me the Grace of a slap across my Sinful face.

And yes, I am very very sorry. Very.

Indebted & humbled,

Greek Orthodoxy

2008-06-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

kay, so, I don't post but every-so-often these days.

Perhaps this neat new pic of the dome inside a Greek Orthodox church (visited today in Downey) will partially "atone" for that...

(You students of Greek might get a kick out of the lettering inscribed thereupon. Click on the pic to see it up close and personal.)

global warming?

2008-05-26T01:44:00.000-07:00

or the record: I consider the highly-politicized issue of "global warming" a ginormous hoax.

Read this for a clear idea of exactly why I utterly reject this spurious deceit.

'A Tale of Two Sons' ...and on the parables of Christ

2008-05-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

or various reasons, my "reading flow" has slowed to a virtual trickle in recent months. But, despite this recent (sad) trend, I was determined to pick up and read a copy of my beloved John's most recent book: A Tale of Two Sons. Boy was I ever satisfied with that choice. This book is choc full of good readin'!

My eyes welled up with tears more than once as I eagerly consumed this brief tome. Christ's brilliant parable explained in this book evokes strong imagery that resonates of a Mercy and Grace far outweighing the sad counterfeits we often observe -- and personally demonstrate -- in our sin-sick world.

Given the current prevailing theological climate, I found particularly poignant the following words of wisdom in the appendix...

Whether the true meaning of this or that symbol is patently obvious or one that requires a little detective work, the point is still the same: Jesus' parables were all illustrative of Gospel facts. The stories were not (as some people nowadays like to suggest) creative alternatives to propositional truth statements, designed to supplant certainty...

Above all, He was not inviting His hearers to interpret the stories any way they liked and thus let each one's own personal opinions be the final arbiter of what is true for that person...

...on the question of whether each parable actually has a single divinely inspired sense and therefore a proper interpretation -- an objectively true sense -- there has never been any serious dispute among people who take the authority of Scripture seriously...

Jesus was a master story teller, but He never told a story merely for the story's sake. His parables weren't word games or do-it-yourself mysteries where each hearer was invited to provide his or her own meaning...

...one central lesson is always the most important feature of every parable and we should focus on that, rather than seeking hidden meaning in all the peripheral details of the story. When you see the key point of the parable, you have the essence of whatever truth the story aims to convey...there's no need to look for multiple layers of meaning or suppose that some deeper symbolism or different dimension of truth has been hidden in the incidental features of the tale...parables aren't allegories, full of symbols from top to bottom. They highlight one important truth -- just like the moral of a well-told story.

Hmph.

protector.

2008-04-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

Aaah...the feeling of power under control.

Get your own Flash slideshow.

Feel free to ask and I will tell!

president Barak Obama?

2008-04-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

irst black man to be president?

At one point during a recent town hall meeting in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Mr. Obama said in response to the idea of abstinence-only education:

"Look, I got two daughters -- nine years old and six years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16."

STD is to Punishment
::
Punishment is to Unplanned Pregnancy ???

Do I welcome the prospect of this brotha being appointed to the presidency?

No. I do not.

easily build your own WORKING website

2008-04-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

s some of you know, I'm currently building my own "from scratch" web site, one with content for a highly targeted audience...a special "niche" of folks with certain common business interests.

The tool I'm using for this is called SiteBuildIt! This software is nice! If you have even the remotest interest in creating a well-visited, profitable web site - for personal or professional use - then I urge you to keep the money you'd pay some fancy-pants web designer and get SiteBuildIt!

"But I got no web design skills," you might say. No worries there, homey! These folks really do take the technical sting out of building a fully functioning web site...one you can profit from. And they guarantee it. You'll simply have to click one of the links above or watch the following video to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

You can click here to see actual Alexa ranking results for many of their satisfied customers.

Silver Lake Reservoir...an historic moment?

2008-03-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

y Bible study meets in a very lovely home, perched half-way up a steep hillside overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir of Los Angeles. Well, I'm told that about every 20 years, they drain this reservoir for maintenance.

For the first time since purchasing it, I used the panoramic function of my (semi-)trusty Kodak Easyshare to capture this significant moment in time...to share easily.

Who knows where I'll be in another twenty years? ...enjoy the breathtaking spectacularity! (Click the pic to go "full-size.")

just. plain. asinine.

2008-03-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

seriously thought this was a joke, until I realized: it's not.

In case you can't read it, the text says that if you visit the church this Easter Sunday, you can get a free 'Jesus Mii' for your Nintendo Wii. (An additional character you can use in your various Wii games.)

Clicking further through the web site led me to conclude this is a Presbyterian (PCA) church that seems to play fast and loose with the reverence of corporate worship and the purity of Biblical doctrine. No surprise there.

Click the image above to see whether or not that seems as clear to you as it does to me.

the Best Friday of all 52

2008-03-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

...marks the day His hands were pierced.
Happy Good Friday to all!!!

n much, much, much lesser news...this week marked the 1st anniversary of my current employment. I'm very thankful for the job I have and think very highly of both my immediate boss and the company-at-large. Despite working from a small satellite office (with only 2 other people), I've experienced tons of grace, generosity & a fair amount of friendly cooperation. It really is a great place to work.

Spiritually, though, it has seemed un-surprisingly like parched earth.

Of course, I have wondered about whether or not there are any other Believers. My boss is agnostic and the other gent is a non-practicing Jew. From my own very limited standpoint, it's hard to sift through all the emails to ascertain who else might actually be in The Way.

Well, today, I had a somewhat gratifying email exchange with a co-worker housed in our Texas HQ. She had included a Passion-related passage of Scripture in a public email, to which I responded with an inquiry about her Faith. Following is part of her response:

Yes, I am a Christian. There are NONE in HQ, which I know of...I just try and do my best, when I move around, to find a good solid group of Christians to fellowship with, but it’s not always easy. The lack of them in the Houston office is very hard on me. VERY hard. Their perceptions of what’s “important” in life is very different from what God says is important. The people here make me sad, honestly, when you realize how unhappy most of them are, but they aren’t that interested in chatting with me about anything. Most people in the office know that I’m a Christian. What they don’t know is that most all of them are in my daily prayers.

I later quipped that she seemed unlikely to be attending Osteen's church. That set her off on a bit of a rant:

From what I’ve seen of Osteen, he’s about telling people what makes them feel good, and being non-offensive for the sake of furthering along his church (business) and popularity. My boss...says that he likes Osteen for that reason; he makes you feel good about yourself.

While it’s always nice to feel good about yourself that is NOT what Christ is about. Osteen was asked in an interview a few months ago why he chooses not to have a cross in his church building, he responded with some answer about how it could “offend” some people, and that’s not what he was about.

Do you think Christ cared about being non offensive when he picked a fight, twice, in the temple, or called the religious authorities a brood of vipers? I don’t think so. Joel is all about Joel, and anyone with half a brain that drives by his stadium church should be able to see that. His name is literally in huge lettering all over it. No mention of Christ. Just Osteen.

Yep...seems like we might have a live one, here. I guess time will tell if the true bond of Christian fellowship can grow with this fellow employee...sure hope so.

And so, I've been granted yet another (albeit far lesser) reason to rejoice over the Sovereign work of a Risen Saviour. I trust this weekend we will all contemplate the Richness of Grace Mercifully poured out upon those who Truly Love Him.

You Need A Budget!

2008-03-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

orget that old envelope system, enough with the "I keep it all in my head" excuse. If you sincerely want to be faithful to manage the funds the Lord has entrusted you with, then you do need a budget.

What exactly is a budget, you may be wondering? Well, it certainly doesn't have to be some laborious, time-intensive compilation of books and ledgers. No, a budget is merely a tool whereby all the funds under your direct stewardship are effectively monitored. This tool should also be flexible enough to enable you to forecast where you'll be 6, 12 or even 42 months from now, if you desire.

Some of my friends resist the whole notion of keeping a (written) budget by denouncing it as a needlessly cumbersome practice. They say things like: "oh, I know about how much goes in and out of my accounts," or "yeah, we have a pretty good idea of where our money goes." Sadly, many of these dear folks fit the classic "paycheck-to-paycheck" profile. It's hard enough to track funds with the necessary tools, why make it an even more precarious situation by using only your head (or the occasional loose piece of paper).

Again, as stewards of the funds with which we've been entrusted (remember, it's not our money), I truly believe it behooves us to be a bit more organized than we generally want to be. After all, would you handle your boss's money that way?

If any of this makes sense to you, then I urge you to follow the link below to the YouNeedABudget web site. I doubt you'll regret it.

Said my piece on it. Now I'm done.

an obvious example of moral decline!

2008-02-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

lick here, and prepare to be shocked. (If you don't already know about it.)

...and, if you live in California and have kids in public school, you might want to finally consider that home school alternative. Or a good, solid Christian school.

and a child shall shoot them

2008-02-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

ollowing is an email from my son's mother:

This past Saturday was Career Day at R_________ Church and I was on the planning committee. I________ went with me. During the luncheon he pulled out the camera you bought him and charged people $1 to take their picture and show it to them. I did not have anything to do with it, in fact I wasn't in the room when he started working the room. At the end of the day he earned $8. He put it in his piggy bank and will make a deposit into his [bank] account this month.

The career day committee will use some of I________'s photos on their website.

Wow...wonder where he got that from! (c;

...men no longer needed?!

2008-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

o, this is what the world is coming to.

Egads! ...Total Depravity, indeed.

on the draconian evils of corporeal discipline

2008-01-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

Daddy, can I tell you something that happened yesterday?

Sure son.

Elijah and I were playing in his room, and he suddenly got angry and started crying and pushing me.

I'm sorry he chose to do that to you, son. Did you happen to do anything to cause him to want to become angry with you?

No.

Are you telling the truth?

Yes. I went into his room to get something I wanted to play with [we were playing in there earlier] and then he got angry and started crying and pushing me, forcing me out of the room. I found out he was trying to hide some toys that he didn't want me to see him playing with.

I see.

But you know what else?

What's that?

When he did that to me I really wanted to knock his block off! But then, I thought about the pain I feel on my butt when you discipline me, and so I stopped myself and just let it go.

Gentle Reader, whatever your regard for the use of the rod...one simply cannot deny this small victory in the war against the foolishnesses bound up in the heart of a child.

This is especially poignant in light of the fact that some see my son as having a classic case of ADHD. In fact, just last summer a social worker expressed those very words, claiming that, based on his own observation (of less than ten minutes), my son simply didn't have the ability to focus on anything (let alone remember and follow instruction) for more than '6 seconds'. He quite confidently asserted the only effective remedy for this is pharmaceutical intervention. I believe 'drugs' was the term he used.

Consequently, he expressed grave concern over my use of corporeal discipline as a means of correction in the home, citing that his personal observation made it clear any form of physical correction was futile, given the fact that such children simply cannot substantially exercise self-control.

Drugs considered by the psychiatric community as effective at mitigating the "symptoms" of ADHD/ADD have proven detrimental to long-term health. There are even parents vigorously campaigning against their widespread use, due to having lost children to fatal side-effects after several years of sustained use.

Frankly - and far more importantly - there's little evidence better typifying the desire of finite man to trump the infinite wisdom of the Lord's commands than the response of this particular social worker (and, sadly, that of a growing number of his collegues).

Ultimately, this brief but instructive conversation with my son is raw, unsurprising proof of the astonishing superiority of Biblical wisdom over man's. Later, as my son's reasoning continues to develop, he'll better understand what I touched upon later in our talk that day...namely, that my goal for him is not simply wooden obedience to a set of rules, but rather the development of a conscience that is more tuned to the needs of others than to his own sinful cravings; and that is rightly responsive to the righteous demands of an infinitely Holy God.

Selah.

another smart chat with the boy...

2008-01-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

So, my son whips out another thought-provoking question the other day as we're riding along in the ol' bug. He asks (and I paraphrase slightly, partly for your sake and partly due to the rather swift corruption of my internal "memory files"):

Daddy, why do people celebrate others when they die?

Loaded question? Could be. I answered by explaining how that sometimes when a person dies, people like to show their appreciation for the life that person lived and the things he accomplished. But of course that wasn't enough.

But what if the person never did anything [worth celebrating]?

(Aahh...feel the brain matter begin to stretch.) "Well, son," I say, "that's a good question, and you're right by recognizing that a lot of people don't really accomplish things that might be considered "great" by others. However, sometimes the people who knew them still want to express their thankfulness for the blessing of having known them by celebrating their lives."

At this point, of course, I'm internally exulting in the thoroughness of my answer. And, of course, my exultation typically came too soon...

But daddy, that seems like worship, and only God should be worshiped.

Huh. Needless to say I had to bring my 'A' game on that one, as I certainly want to foster a strong sense of the unique right God has to be worshiped above all things, without needlessly downplaying the appropriateness of certain human celebratory traditions. Accordingly, I did my best to explain the difference between worship and the simple honor and appreciation we express for the earthly things with which He's blessed us...like the enjoyment and wonder incited by the life of another human being.

Finally, after a bit more explanation, this seemed to satisfy him...for now. We'll see if this line of questioning ever re-surfaces. I'm sure nearly every subject unfolded for my son will need thorough "re-unfolding," once he's reached the "next level."

Well...my days in single-daddy mode are certainly never boring. And what a very great privilege (and weighty responsibility) I have to guide my young son into a sound and ever-widening understanding of all the Lord's handiwork!

looking for a trade...

2007-12-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: No longer seeking a trade! ...found out I can get what I'm seeking at Best Buy, of all places. So there you have it. But thanks for considering.

Gentle Reader:

I've got $75 in gift card value from a MAJOR electronics retailer (just the first letter would give it away) which I'm willing to trade any honest, trustworthy citizen for the equivalent value from a certain MAJOR department store (signified by a Bull's Eye).

If you got what I'm lookin' for, and are open to a quick and honest trade, please let me know, ASAP. (Tryin' to make that MAJOR Holiday deadline. (c:)

Thanks!

End of advertisement.

Glendale/Silverlake Bible Study trip to Joshua Tree National Park

2007-12-02T23:06:00.000-08:00

(November 2007.) For all my rock-climbin' homies!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

first fourteen in fourteen

2007-11-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Promise fulfilled. Simply use the embedded controls to tweak your viewing experience.

Enjoy!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

to school or not to school?

2007-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, ladies and gents, prepare yourself for a bit of a challenge to (your, our) conventional thinking. Not of the theological variety, though it could certainly accord with good theology (depending on your level of critical thinking). This one's about the education of our children...one subject on which I've done a fair amount of difficult reflection.

You home school moms may find this especially poignant (certainly if you're like my friend Angela, the army private-turned-eager home school mom who now teaches Latin to at least one of her four sons).

Following is a brief excerpt (followed by a link to the full article) of something written by a 30-year veteran of several public schools on the isle of Manhattan in New York.

I taught for thirty years in some of the worst schools in Manhattan, and in some of the best, and during that time I became an expert in boredom. Boredom was everywhere in my world, and if you asked the kids, as I often did, why they felt so bored, they always gave the same answers: They said the work was stupid, that it made no sense, that they already knew it. They said they wanted to be doing something real, not just sitting around. They said teachers didn't seem to know much about their subjects and clearly weren't interested in learning more. And the kids were right: their teachers were every bit as bored as they were.

Boredom is the common condition of schoolteachers, and anyone who has spent time in a teachers' lounge can vouch for the low energy, the whining, the dispirited attitudes, to be found there. When asked why they feel bored, the teachers tend to blame the kids, as you might expect. Who wouldn't get bored teaching students who are rude and interested only in grades? If even that. Of course, teachers are themselves products of the same twelve-year compulsory school programs that so thoroughly bore their students, and as school personnel they are trapped inside structures even more rigid than those imposed upon the children. Who, then, is to blame?

(Read the rest here.)

This post is dedicated to my ex-wife, a co-laborer in "project Immanuel Dean."

K ~ I am listening. I do feel what you feel.

random (not so reformed) citation

2007-10-31T14:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, so, I'm going to just post some words here that you may or may not agree with. I certainly don't agree with everything expressed. But, I do confess that it this moment in time, it has a certain appeal which I simply chose not to resist. Perhaps I'll take it down if I get enough protests from my more conservative Siblings. (If you feel the need to Rebuke me, be my guest...my contact info is to the right...)

This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining...about what *%@#$!*s guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on...who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny...their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style...

...for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends...

...I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can’t. From what I have observed...and what I have learned from talking to friends...the only conclusion I can form is that many girls...claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as “oh, he’s too nice to date” or “he would be a good boyfriend but he’s not for me”...But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy-finishes-last phenomenon doesn’t last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single.

So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys...the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society...

(Here's the author's entire rant. WARNING! This guy's decidedly un-Saved, which means the excerpt posted here is significantly cleaner than what awaits you at the above link. Read at your own risk...)

good art (like good coffee) is hard to find...

2007-10-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

~ 11/7/07 UPDATE: 'If it's on your heart to do so, please pray that the Lord will provide Erin with an opportunity for a job interview for a contract position and that the Children's Hunger Fund may even consider sponsoring her. Time is of the essence for Erin to get employer sponsorship and/or some work ASAP. Thank you, saints!' -Friend of Erin's, Julie Cha ~

Harder still at affordable prices!

As you can see from the images, my friend, Erin "Wooyeon" Park, is a talented artist. She's also going through some seriously hard times, financially.

So, if you feel at all inclined, please let a brotha know you might be interested in purchasing (or commissioning) any of her art. She assures me she's affordable, and doesn't price her work "pretentiously." And because of her tentative immigrant status, she's also in need of a corporate sponsor of her green card 'ASAP'.

Here's a link to more of her work. It includes her resume with contact info. (Please tell her I sent you.)

Thanks for considering!

on finding a good church...Part 2

2007-10-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this "addendum" to my earlier post. It's an excerpt from another related sermon, in which the pastor further describes what a solid church looks like. I admit that at one point, I nearly cried.

The Truth is so beautiful to those who - by God's Power - love and embrace it...

Some people today think the church is a...is a place for unbelievers to come. I don’t believe that. There’s not one word in the New Testament that says a church service is to be designed for an unbeliever...not one word. That’s right. We don’t design church services for unbelievers. We don’t gather together for evangelism, we gather together for edification and worship and we scatter for evangelism. We don’t collect to preach over and over and over and over the simple gospel to figure out a way how to entertain unbelievers. That is not the purpose of the church gathering. The church gathers in order that it might corporately worship God and stimulate each other to love and good works. And it might be edified and accountable for the truth that it’s hearing and then it scatters to touch the world.

In 1 Corinthians there’s a very interesting comment the Apostle Paul says. And I think most people don’t even know it’s in there, you just kind of look past it. He’s looking at the Corinthian church which is just total chaos. He says, “Look...verse 23...if you’re whole church gets together and everybody speaks in tongues, what will happen if an unbeliever comes in?” Now isn’t that an interesting statement? He says, look...if you’re having church and everybody is speaking in tongues, what’s going to happen if an unbeliever comes in? You know what first hits me about that? The whole point of church isn’t for unbelievers. But imagine, one of them might even come...an unbeliever might come. It’s possible. I mean, it’s not as if it was the plan, right? You say, “What are you going to do if an unbeliever shows up?” Like what an odd thing, but it might happen. We don’t meet for unbelievers. If the unbeliever comes in and you’re all doing that, he’s going to say the people are out of their minds, everybody speaking in tongues. But if all are prophesying... What does that mean? That doesn’t mean some esoteric ecstatic experience, that means if you are declaring the truth of God, if they come in and someone is teaching the Word and declaring the Word, then an unbeliever is going to come in and he’s going to be convicted by the devotion of everybody to the Word of God and he’s going to be called to account by everybody, the secrets of his heart are disclosed and he falls on his face and worships God and says, “Wow, God is here.” You don’t...you don’t have to create some kind of a comfort zone for unbelievers and try to attract them to the church. But if they come and they eavesdrop on your worship, and they eavesdrop and they hear the Word being powerfully taught and there’s no power like the Word, sharper than any two-edged sword, and they see that you all submit to the Word and you’re all worshiping God, he’s going to fall on his face and say, “God is here. This is incredible.”

A few Sundays ago, some of you were there on Sunday night, I think it was before school started, a young man came into the baptistry, he was homosexual, dying of AIDS and said, “I wandered in the back of this church all alone.” And he said, “John, the first thing you did was stand up and you read the Psalm...a Psalm I never heard in my life.” And then he rattled off ten verses verbatim which he had memorized out of that Psalm. And it was about the chains being broken and the prisoners being set free and those who are on the edge of death being given new life. And he said the tears began to race down my face and I sat through that service and I watched a people who worshiped God and I heard that God was a delivering, healing, restoring, freeing God. And at the end of that service I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Three weeks ago. He said, “I not only have not had a homosexual encounter,” and they have sometimes as many as five a day, “but I have no desire for that and never had since the moment I gave my life to Christ.” We didn’t create a service for homosexuals to make homosexuals feel loved and comfortable. A homosexual eavesdropped on the power of the Word of God and the corporate worship of God’s people and he fell on his face to worship God.

(Click here for the entire sermon.)
~ ~ ~

on finding a good church...

2007-10-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been doing a lot of original posting, lately. Oh well...I will sometime (dadgummit)!

But, in the mean-and-in-between, I have no problem sharing excerpts of some lucid Bible exposition. This one's on the matter of choosing a solid church. (There's been quite a profitable discussion on the subject - mostly back in August & September - over at the Pyromaniacs' blog. I urge you to check it out, though you'll have to do a bit of key-word searching to find all the related posts. Start with 'church', and work from there.)

It seems to me many people think they've got this area "covered," but, I'd invite us all to revisit the issue and examine it a bit more closely...

...how do you pick a church? Look, you come from a church, we all come from some church, you go to a church. The rest of your life you’re going to be involved in a church. The church is going to be the center of your life. It’s going to be...some of you are actually going to get married and have children. You’re going to raise them in a church. The church scene is frankly frightening. In the tens of thousands of letters that we get at Grace To You every...well every week, thousands a day, I would say that the commonest complaint that we receive is from people who cannot find a church where they feel the truth of God is honored and ministry is done in a biblical way. This is no small frustration.

It’s not that there are many...there aren’t many churches, there are lots of churches. It’s trying to discern what is a good church, what is a right church. And I want to help you with that. I want to talk about what a church should be. Now when I talk about this, you know you’re getting down to the core of where I live because as a pastor I have a great love for the church. I’ve always loved the church. Even as a kid growing up I loved the church. And Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” It’s the only institution Jesus ever promised to build, the only one that He is building. And so we have to be committed to the church. But obviously not all churches are committed to what they should be. So let me give you some principles, okay? What you want to look for in a church. Not just now but certainly now and for the rest of your life. These are not unrealistic expectations. These are not methods, nothing to do with that. These are not formats. These have nothing to do with style. I’ve been all over the world, I’ve been in church from the high mountains of the Andes in South America, to a church...house church in China, to churches in the Middle East, to churches in Europe, to churches in South Africa. I’ve been all over the world. Everywhere I’ve gone I’ve been in churches and I’ve seen every imaginable kind of style of church. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about substance. Don’t look at style, it’s seductive. It’s, at best, style can only appeal to the flesh. Substance is what you’re after.

The first thing you look for in a church is a high view of God....a high view of God. And this one could spend his entire life discussing...a high view of God. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Everything starts with fearing God. That’s the beginning of everything. And that’s...that’s crystal clear in Scripture. The holiness of God is the first and central element in the church. The glory of God, the exaltation of God.

(Click here for the entire sermon.)
~ ~ ~

a thorn from the Gospel rose

2007-10-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Many seem to think Jesus is like a cosmic bellhop. If you do, too...please have a read (watch your fingers & toes)...

How did you come to Christ? Did you come just saying 'Hey Jesus, if You can give me a happy life I'll take it.' How would you like to have a happy life? How would you like to have an abundant life? I have a wonderful plan for your life. Want to know something? God has a terrible, wretched, ghastly plan for your life, apart from Christ, and you only come to Him on His terms, not yours. So you come broken and contrite, shattered over your sinfulness, and He changes you immediately and gives you a new heart and you are different, you're salt and you're light and you're on a hill and the world can see, and you're distinguishable if you are really a Christian. And your life is characterized by righteousness which means you are going to want to obey [His commands] more than you want anything else and that's going to result in right thinking and right talking and right acting and right kind of worship, and right kind of relationships and you know immediately somebody is going to say 'Who can ever live like that?' Good I'm glad you got to that point. Because you can't, you want to know something, that's all impossible.

I can illustrate to you by looking at Matthew 19, verse 23, Jesus had just talked to the rich man, the rich young ruler, told him to go sell everything he had and give it to the poor, and then come and follow Him, and the rich young ruler loved his money more than he loved Jesus so he took his money and walked away.

Now watch what Jesus says. "Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall with difficulty enter into the kingdom of heaven, (24) And again I say to you [now listen to this statement] it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Now let me ask you something: can a camel go through the eye of a needle? You say 'well you don't understand, that's the Needle Gate,' that's not the Needle Gate, that is exactly what it means: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to be saved. You say that's impossible! That's exactly what the Lord wanted you to conclude. Verse 25, "When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, (now if He would have been talking about some needle gate they would not have been amazed) and they said, who, then can be saved?" They knew He was saying a rich man can't be saved! That's what He was saying. Jesus beheld them and said unto them, I think you got the message boys, with men this is impossible. With God all things are possible. What was He saying? Just this: the standard is impossible, nobody, no time could ever be saved, but with God, it's possible. Do you see what He's trying to say, we don't have the resources on our own. We can't do it. And that's why you've got to be ready to strip that baggage off and cast yourself on the mercy of God and the rich man wasn’t willing to do it. He was willing to climb on the religious band wagon carrying his luggage of materialism and he couldn't get on with it. It was like trying to go through the eye of a needle with a hump-backed camel...impossible, that's the whole point.

The only way anybody ever enters the kingdom is when he realizes he can't and strips himself naked and arrives back at Matthew 5:3 broken in spirit and mourning and hungering and thirsting for a righteousness which is absolutely impossible for him to ever attain. You say but most people don't want to meet those conditions. You're right, most people want to go to heaven their way, that's right. They want to get on with all their crud; they are like a guy going on a trip with four bags. Here's worldliness, sin, Satan, and self, and they’re going to get on. And they are saying Jesus, I want the happiness you are going to give me I want to stay out of hell, here I come! There's a road for them by the way, go back to Matthew 7:13 and let me show you.

(Click here to read this sermon in its entirety.)

good coffee is hard to find

2007-09-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, good Friends even harder still.

Speaking of which...one of mine now manages a 'groundwork coffee company' coffee shop in Hollywood. I'm told the java there is exceptional (heard this from a faithful Starbucks employee). One "coffee-hating" person I know told me, "They have good shakes!"

You should check it out if you live in LA or ever plan to visit. When you do, ask for Whitney (the former seminary student). Click on the picture for the location.

Bottoms up!

the single life

2007-09-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

In my web-based search for a spouse over the past year, I've encountered some pretty, er...interesting reading. Following are actual quotes from "Christian" dating web sites...

Im tired of the fakeness that comes with the dating game these days. I just want to meet a nice guy who can make me smile and doesnt feel the need to impress me with things that just dont matter.

I did say "Christian" sites, right?

I cannot seem to find any good guys my age out here. I find these guys who say they are Christian, but who's lives don't reflect that of one. I have been lied to sooo much.

Not to be facetious, but, I hope this isn't a classic case of "looking for love in all the wrong places."

I am out of a 4 year relationship with someone who doesn't have a relationship with Christ. I have finally figured out that it's to hard to be with someone who doesn't really want the same thing in life, "a relationship with the BIG man upstairs himself... aka "God"!

I suppose the Scriptures don't make that clear enough.

MEN ARE LIKE PARKING SPACES...THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN AND THE REST ARE HANDICAP...Women are like apples on trees: the best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don`t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground, which aren`t as good, but easy...so the apples at the top think something is wrong with them when, in reality, they`re amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along - the one who`s brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree!!!

Brilliant. Really. I sincerely hope that quote didn't come from a pulpit, somewhere. Though I'm tempted to think it might have.

i think they're are too many normal/boring people on here. everyone says on they're profile "I'm just a normal person"...well, I'm not, I'm not normal at all, and honestly, I'm having my doubts about the kinda people that are on here, so please prove me wrong.

Wow, what an invitation.

i love my sleeping bag and my snowboard and my fishing rod. IM me! I am looking for someone 30-35 who is up for adventures, a good decision maker, honest and loyal. I am not into spectator sports and I like to spend my Sundays outside! You need not be a comedian 24 hours a day but a good sense of humor is a plus. I would love to find someone that is willing to try new things, go new places...at the drop of a hat. I have had a lack of adventure in the past few years and I am willing to make up for lost time. I love a guy who smiles a lot, always has upbeat things to say and can point out the good things in life as well as discuss the not so wonderful situations that may come up.

We all enjoy having fun (...duh!). But, is it the first thing we want someone to know about us? Seems that way with more than a few.

I am 24years old with two little girls...I was once married when I was 19 but the marriage ended after about 3years. It was no ones fault just to young to make that type of commit[tment].

Hm...and here I was thinking willful divorce is an affront to a Holy God. (Guess it's a good thing you can get 'em cheap, huh?) ...Grrrr!

proud to be a slave!

2007-09-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

Following is an excerpt from an exceptionally poignant message I heard recently preached:

We’re going to turn to a subject in the New Testament that as I think about it is largely ignored and overlooked. And I’ve been made aware of that in recent months. It was not too many months ago that I was flying on one of those jumbo jets from Los Angeles to London, in the process reading a book that dealt with the issue of slavery in the New Testament time and in the New Testament text. It set me thinking in all kinds of directions. I actually finished the book on the flight I was so rapt in my attention to this particular theme.

Being a slave of Christ may be the best way to define a Christian. We are, as believers, slaves of Christ. You would never suspect that, however, from the language of Christianity. In contemporary Christianity the language is anything but slave language. It is about freedom. It is about liberation. It is about health, wealth, prosperity, finding your own fulfillment, fulfilling your own dream, finding your own purpose. We often hear that God loves you unconditionally and wants you to be all you want to be. He wants to fulfill every ambition, every desire, every hope, every dream. In fact, there are books being written about dreams as if they are gifts from God which God then having given them is bound to fulfill. Personal fulfillment, personal liberation, personal satisfaction, all bound up in an old term in evangelical Christianity, a personal relationship. How many times have we heard that the gospel offers people a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

What exactly does that mean? Satan has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and it’s not a very good one. Every living being has a personal relationship with the living God of one kind or another, leading to one end or another.

But what exactly is our relationship to God? What is our relationship to Christ? How are we best to understand it?

Click here to read the rest of this eye-opening sermon...

~ ~ ~

should I have laughed or cried?

2007-08-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

So, my son initiates a most peculiar conversation, today, while riding home in the car.

It starts with:

Daddy, I don't learn the Word of God in New York.

A tad surprised, I ask why he'd say that, given that he routinely attends church with his mother (and which she claims teaches sound doctrine to the little ones, despite it's overtly liberal theology). In response to that question, my dear, six year old unRegenerate little boy says:

oh, yeah, I do go to church there, but, they don't have the Gospel...someone preaches, but the person doesn't preach the Gospel (like at your church).

Oops.

All I'll say here is that I certainly hope and pray my precious little man is one day saved through the power of the very Gospel he has come to acknowledge!

'Beatbox Fame Game'

2007-08-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay...now, I have to take back everything I (might have) ever thought about white guys being inept at "makin' music wit'yah mouth."

This guy is superb! Please do enjoy the aural pleasure of this...

(Click here to discover the source of this video.)

featured: StumbleUpon

2007-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Okay...so, I've been roaming the Internet quite a lot, lately, searching for new and effective tools to help me promote this blog & what not. By God's Grace, I've met with a measure of success, thanks largely to StumbleUpon, an ingenious tool I've come to rely on quite heavily.

Simply put, StumbleUpon is the simplest, most helpful (and gratifying) way to randomly browse web sites of your particular areas of interest. You simply select from a very complete list of categories, and then "stumble" across the Internet, viewing hundreds, if not thousands of related web sites. As you stumble, you can give each site you find either a "thumbs up," or "thumbs down," which helps to make your "journey" an increasingly enjoyable one. (Sorta like Pandora.)

Have fun with this one; there's much to be had!

(NOTE: Be sure to select your categories thoughtfully, so as to decrease the likelihood of stumbling across sites you may not want to see. Also, you'll need to download the tool bar to fully utilize the service. Fear not, though...I've now had it for over a year and can attest to there not being any spyware or malware. It's totally unobtrusive.)

To see some of my stumbles, click the following "thumbs up": .

Amway, Quixtar and the 'ol pyramid schemes?

2007-08-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

My apologies to my dear friends who are building Quixtar businesses or are employed directly by Alticor, but, the following news is far too significant not to pass on.

Apparently, a dozen or so power distributors have been fired and have gone public with a scathing assessment of the company. They're doing so by suing them in order to get out of the non-compete clause they agreed to when becoming distributors.

All I'll say here is that for any well-organized, ethically structured entity, this sort of thing may arise, but should have no real adverse effect on its business, or ultimately its reputation.

I can't help but wonder, though, if this can be said of Alticor's Amway/Quixtar business...

(Click here to learn about the solid route to financial independence I personally recommend.)

Spock...social networking 2.0?

2007-08-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

It seems my wait to jump completely onto the whole social networking bandwagon may finally have come to an end. There's a "new guy" in town; call him Mr. Spock.

A recent rant on the official WIRED blog bemoans the fact that all the major social networking sites - the myspaces and LinkedIns - share one critical limitation: they all have "walls." That is to say, they're not interconnected...there's no sharing or cross-access to profiles between them. For that matter, one can't even access one's own profiles universally (without adding yet another piece of pesky software). Some, like Facebook, even prevent one from viewing a single profile until after joining.

For those of us interested in acquiring new contacts - and reconnecting with old ones - it means having to join and track these numerous profiles. Don't know if you've tried this, but, I can testify to the fact that this can be downright burdensome. It's the primary reason I've been holding back from going full bore on the social networking tip.

Spock appears to have eliminated this problem - or at least minimized it - by combining the two most common web-based activities into one: searching & socializing. In their own words, they're:

...the online leader in personal search, helping users find and discover people. With over one hundred million people already indexed and millions added every day, Spock is building the broadest and deepest people specific search engine.

Do I hear another eBay (or Google) purchase preparing to be rung up? The interface is wiki-esque, only much simpler, and may well spell the beginning of the end for those other, cumbersome social networking sites.

My advice to you, Dear Reader, is to put up your own profile, and get all the facts straight, before-hand, so as to prevent someone less trustworthy from doing just the opposite. Like is common on certain wiki- sites. Why not get started now? And hey, while you're at it, search my name and drop a couple of descriptive tags on it. Or vote on the tags I've already used (which promotes accuracy).

Careful, though...I just got subscribed to Pre-Paid Legal, so yah best get it right! (smile.)

Minneapolis

2007-08-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm from Minneapolis - born and raised - though I haven't been there in years. In fact, I've planned a return trip for this Labor Day. Lord willing, My son and I will be spending the week visiting with my dad and mom, after more than 4 years of being away. (I know, I know...how "terrible!")

During my youth, I've crossed the Interstate 35W bridge countless times, and would likely have done so at least once or twice during my upcoming visit.

Well, after doing a bit of reflecting (only a little bit, honestly), I though I'd post on the city's recent newsworthy 'tragedy'. But, instead of pontificating, I thought I'd defer to someone a lot more capable...someone who pastors in the heart of "ground zero"...

This man is totally "on-point." What better response could there possibly be?

There is none.

BTW: I'll be visiting the church pastored by this guy in a few weeks. I am looking forward to it.

Biblical artist spotlight

2007-07-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today's Biblical artist comes to us in the form of Seeds Family Worship, a great bunch of musicians and singers whose goal is to edify the whole family...from the kids, up.

I first encountered their music at a family worship event held at my church, and have since found myself singing a couple of their songs to myself, on occasion. And it's not because of annoyingly catchy melodies.

Particularly, one song clings to my recall (or perhaps I to it) most often; it's based on Romans 6:23. At one point, recently, I found myself moved to tears while listening, and, it hit me pretty hard just how true it is that these folks mean business, when it comes to instilling The Scripture into little (and big) hearts and minds.

While remaining faithful to Scripture, they've managed to also remain true to a standard of musical excellence.

I think you'll like it...I know you and your little ones will profit from it!

a Whitfield family first

2007-07-21T21:39:00.001-07:00

Today, my son started riding his first bike. It ain't Coppola, but it's thrilling, nonetheless!

Again, I just can't help myself! You daddies out there know what I'm talkin' 'bout.

sex by design!

2007-07-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend Sex and The Supremacy of Christ by John Piper. Here's an excerpt:

We were made to know Christ as he really is. (Which is why biblical doctrine is so important.) We were created to comprehend—as much as a creature can—the supremacy of Christ. And the knowing we were made to experience is not the knowing of disinterested awareness—like knowing that Caesar crossed the Rubicon, or ancient Gaul was divided into three parts—but the knowing of admiration and wonder and awe and intimacy and ecstasy and embrace. Not the knowing of Hurricane Jeanne by watching TV but by flying in the eye of the storm—sometimes even hang-gliding!

Excellent stuff! You can listen to and read both parts here, for free (along with other sermons preached at the 2004 conference of the same name).

bust a move?

2007-06-30T23:40:00.001-07:00

So, there's a very prominent pastor who essentially asked for his wife's hand in marriage in an extremely non-traditional way.

Seems he knew her back when she was the fiancée of another. The invitations were in the trunk of her car, but (curiously) had not yet been mailed. He apparently communicated to her his disagreement with her impending choice of husband and made it clear that he wanted her as his bride. (This is no rumor, but, publicly proclaimed, historical fact.)

He seems to have done something right...they've since been happily married for decades (with 14 grandbabies, at last count).

Wow! ...I wonder if I could ever muster the nerve to bust that type of move?! Recently, I've begun to consider that I may, indeed. Perhaps more on that later.

And with that, I leave you with a great article on the essentials of marriage.

just like that!

2007-06-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

E'ry now and again, something hits me hard. Really hard. Following is a quote I found at WholesomeWords.org that hit me like...well, how do they say it? Like a Mack Truck. If it doesn't hit you...then you're the perfect Christian. Literally.

Or, you need Jesus. Really.

"Heart-work is hard work indeed. To shuffle over religious duties with a loose and careless spirit, will cost no great difficulties; but to set yourself before the Lord, and to tie up your loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon him, this will cost you something.

"To attain ease and dexterity of language in prayer and to be able to put your meaning into appropriate and fitting expressions is easy; but to get your heart broken for sin while you are actually confessing it; melted with free grace even while you are blessing God for it; to be really ashamed and humbled through the awareness of God's infinite holiness, and to keep your heart in this state not only in, but after these duties, will surely cost you some groans and travailing pain of soul."

~ John Flavel (1628-1691)

Oooff! 'scuse me, while I go recover from the collision...

story time, again...

2007-06-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Well...it's been quite a while since I last posted an excerpt from the world's greatest (and my personal favorite) allegory. So, without further "a-do," here you have it (remember, you can click the title of this post to enjoy the full version of it, immediately) ...

~ ~ ~

....Now he had not run far from his own door, but his Wife and Children, perceiving it, began to cry after him to return; but the Man out his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying Life! Life! Eternal Life! So he looked not behind him, but fled towards the middle of the Plain.

The Neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and among those that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now by this time the Man was got a good distance from them; but however they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said the Man, Neighbors, wherefore are you come? They said, To persuade you to go back with us. But he said, That can by no means be; you dwell, said he, in the City of Destruction, the place also where I was born, I see it to be so; and dying there, sooner or later, you will sink lower than the Grave, into a place that burns with Fire and Brimstone: be content, good Neighbors, and go along with me.

Obstinate ~ What, said Obstinate, and leave our friends and our comforts behind us!

Christian ~ Yes, said Christian, for that was his name, because that all which you shall forsake is not worthy to be compared with a little of that that I am seeking to enjoy; and if you will go along with me and hold it, you shall fare as I myself; for there where I go, is enough and to spare: Come away, and prove my words.

Obstinate ~ What are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to find them?

Christian ~ I seek an Inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, and it is laid up in Heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed at the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you will, in my Book.

Obstinate ~ Tush, said Obstinate, away with your Book; will you go back with us or no?

Christian ~ No, not I, said the other, because I have laid my hand to the Plow.

Obstinate ~ Come then, Neighbor Pliable, let us turn again, and go home without him; there is a company of these craz'd-headed coxcombs, that, when they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than seven men that can render a reason.

Pliable ~ Then said Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Christian says is true, the things he looks after are better than ours; my heart inclines to go with my Neighbor.

Obstinate ~ What! more fools still? Be ruled by me, and go back; who knows whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be wise.

Christian ~ Come with me, Neighbor Pliable; there are such things to be had which I spoke of, and many more Glories besides. If you believe not me, read here in this Book; and for the truth of what is exprest therein, behold, all is confirmed by the blood of Him that made it.

Pliable ~ Well, Neighbor Obstinate, said Pliable, I begin to come to a point: I intend to go along with this good man, and to cast in my lot with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way to this desired place?

Christian ~ I am directed by a man, whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to a little Gate that is before us, where we shall receive instructions about the way.

Pliable ~ Come then, good Neighbor, let us be going. Then they went both together.

Obstinate ~ And I will go back to my place, said Obstinate; I will be no companion of such mis-led, fantastical fellows.

Now I saw in my Dream, that when Obstinate was gone back, Christian and Pliable went talking over the Plain; and thus they began their discourse.

Christian ~ Come Neighbor Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are persuaded to go along with me: Had even Obstinate himself but felt what I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unseen, he would not thus lightly have given us the back.

Pliable ~ Come, Neighbor Christian, since there are none but us two here, tell me now further what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither we are going?

Christian ~ I can better conceive of them with my Mind, than speak of them with my Tongue: but yet, since you are desirous to know, I will read of them in my Book.

Pliable ~ And do you think that the words of your Book are certainly true?

Christian ~ Yes, verily; for it was made by him that cannot lye.

Pliable ~ Well said; what things are they?

Christian ~ There is an endless Kingdom to be inhabited, and everlasting Life to be given us, that may inhabit that Kingdom for ever.

Pliable ~ Well said; and what else?

Christian ~ There are Crowns of glory to be given us, and Garments that will make us shine like the Sun in the firmament of Heaven.

Pliable ~ This is excellent; and what else?

Christian ~ There shall be no more crying, nor sorrow, for He that is owner of the place will wipe all tears from our eyes.

Pliable ~ And what company shall we have there?

Christian ~ There we shall be with Seraphims and Cherubims, creatures that will dazzle your eyes to look on them: There also you shall meet with thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that place; none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the sight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance for ever. In a word, there we shall see the Elders with their golden Crowns, there we shall see the Holy Virgins with their golden Harps, there we shall see men that by the World were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, eaten of beasts, drowned in the seas, for the love that they bare to the Lord of the place, all well, and cloathed with Immortality as with a garment.

Pliable ~ The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart; but are these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be sharers hereof?

Christian ~ The Lord, the Governor of the country, hath recorded that in this Book; the substance of which is, If we be truly willing to have it, he will bestow it upon us freely.

Pliable ~ Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things; come on, let us mend our pace.

Christian ~ I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this Burden that is upon my back.

Now I saw in my Dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew near to a very miry Slough, that was in the midst of the plain; and they, being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the slough was Dispond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; and Christian, because of the Burden that was on his back, began to sink in the mire.

Pliable ~ Then said Pliable, Ah Neighbor Christian, where are you now?

Pliable ~ Truly, said Christian, I do not know.

Pliable ~ At that Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect 'twixt this and our Journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave Country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the Slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more.

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Dispond alone; but still he endeavoured to struggle to that side of the Slough that was still further from his own house, and next to the Wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out, because of the Burden that was upon his back: But I beheld in my Dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him, What he did there?

Christian ~ Sir, said Christian, I was bid go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder Gate, that I might escape the wrath to come; and as I was going thither, I fell in here.

Help ~ But why did you not look for the steps?

Christian ~ Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in.

Help ~ Then said he, Give me thy hand: so he gave him his hand, and he drew him out, and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his way.

Then I stepped to him that pluckt him out, and said, Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder Gate, is it that this plat is not mended, that poor travelers might go thither with more security? And he said unto me, This miry Slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Dispond; for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place: And this is the reason of the badness of this ground.

It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad. His labourers also have, by the direction of His Majesties Surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge, said he, here hath been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart-loads, yea, millions of wholesome instructions, that have at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions (and they that can tell say they are the best materials to make good ground of the place), if so be it might have been mended, but it is the Slough of Dispond still, and so will be when they have done what they can.

True, there are by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this Slough; but at such time as this place doth much spue out its filth, as it doth against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or if they be, men through the dizziness of their heads, step besides; and then they are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the ground is good when they are once got in at the Gate.

~ ~ ~

ATT Yahoo's bad call

2007-06-06T09:38:00.001-07:00

While I certainly do not agree with most anti-establishment belly-achers over the perceived worsening moral plight of corporate America "Fat Cats," I do, now and again, see a clear need to express one's opinions with respect to some tactless or ill-advised policy that is forced upon the consuming masses.

One such action is that of ATT Yahoo's very recent decision to implement a policy of rather heavy advertising across the board of email account holders. This means that now all users - regardless of whether paid or free - are forced to endure both text and graphic advertising while using their email. (My premium account interface is surrounded by ads on almost all sides.)

This simply will not do, for me.

If you're also an ATT Yahoo customer and feel the same as I, then by all means contact them here and let your voice be heard.

God as an afterthought

2007-06-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

I greatly enjoy watching films.

Yet, while watching a movie recently, it occurred to me how there's such an overwhelming tendency in film-making - and film-watching - to place the viewer in a God-like perspective (minus, of course, what the director prevents one from seeing & knowing).

There's also a tendency - in most cases - towards merely vague references to the Deity's existence, rendering Him, in the imagined world of the character (and temporarily the viewer), a virtual afterthought, with no real substance, worth or impact on the events of the character, as detailed within the story.

These two by-products of humanist film-making serve as poignant reminders of just how godless our society is.

I was blessed to engage in a profitable discussion regarding the "secularization of the painted arts" with two Believing friends of mine, a husband and wife who are both classically trained artists. I learned from them that the rise of surrealistic art, such as impressionism and other modern forms, actually has its Genesis in the departure from a foundational emphasis on the creature as product of a Creator's intelligent design.

Am I making a case for some strong dichotomization between the secular and the sacred, as do some? No. In fact, modern media are clearly no more inherently secular than the paint or clay or pen or computer.

Take classic orchestral composers. Many throughout the early days of history actually created their greatest works by commission of some church body. Consequently, their works were often used extensively in church worship throughout several European countries. More recently, radio actually served heavily during its infancy in the propagation of the Gospel message across both US and foreign soil.

In our times, the media struggles to be used for so High a Purpose. In fact, as I survey the moonscape of advertiser-funded television's prime-time lineup, I hold little faith that particular medium will ever serve nearly so usefully as it once had promise to do. Of course, subscription derivatives, like digital satellite may still have hope. One illustration of such hope is the fairly recent commencement of Grace to You sermon broadcasts, which can also be seen via the Internet (thank God for Al Gore's Internet....Laugh-Out-Loud!) My guess is there's at least a smattering of other worthy offerings amongst the hundreds of channels to be surfed via satellite and cable.

Like that branch of television which stands largely independent of substantial studio and advertiser control, perhaps the medium of film - independently funded - may well have a chance at stemming the tide of neglect and inaccurate portrayal of the Truth of Christ.

Biblical artist spotlight

2007-05-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

About a pint of my tears have flowed during the playing of the album, What Language Shall I Borrow, recorded by Darby Hughes, a Brother from my church. After publishing two albums, he's recently taken the bold step of relocating to the Lone Star state to attend a graduate music program. (Kudos to you, Darby, for pursuing excellence to the nth degree!)

Like me, Darby has a great appreciation for the theological writings of the Puritans...particularly their hymnody. And so, this latest album was his attempt to get at the heart of some of these deep, rich lyrics by composing music to several of them.

You can purchase this little gem for only $12.75 at GBI Books (linked in the 'vendors' section of this blog). Indeed, I trust it will profit you, richly!

for the beauty of words...

2007-05-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Aaahhh...the inherent richness of words! Yes, the human tongue can serve as quite the impetus for praise and glory to God, when used properly. Further, language can certainly promote a deep appreciation for the profundities of both earthly and heavenly life, when wielded by a skilled and reverent penman. The Scriptures say that both life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).

On that note, I commend to you the following site - recently added to my the 'profitable' section of my blog - which I trust you will find profitable in your pursuit of Holy thought:

Quotes from WholesomeWords.org.

Christ & sinners: who's the seeker, who's the sought?

2007-05-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

Are there people who genuinely seek after Truth, and is it the preacher's responsibility to facilitate their quest in the most effective and culturally relevant way possible?

Is it true that techniques and methodologies play a significant role in reaching such seekers, and that if we fail to regard and employ them rightly, there may be souls in hell who should, instead, have gone to heaven?

What of churches that have a greater concern for seeker-friendly evangelism than for maturing Believers? Are they being wise stewards of influence for the Kingdom?

Read this link for some very thorough answers to these compelling questions: The Gospel According to...

what was i thinking?!

2007-05-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try offering some insight into how my thinking has changed in the time since my mind was Redeemed. We'll see just how diligent I can be with this, in light of the challenges of life "off-line."

More to come; perhaps even soon...

outlaw spanking?

2007-04-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Ah, hem!

'Assembly Member Sally Lieber's first proposal to address all spanking of children ages three and under was never introduced as a bill, apparently due to much opposition. However, contrary to claims originating from her office, (1) she has not "fixed" her no-spank proposal; she has only adopted a different strategy; (2) AB 755 is an anti-spanking bill "in disguise" and would have the effect of abolishing most spanking without using language directly outlawing spanking; (3) Lieber believes that all "good parents" never spank their children; that only "bad parents" do, and therefore "good parents" do not need to be worried about her bill; and (4) when Lieber claims that her bill only deals with child abuse, remember that she believes that all spanking, by definition, is child abuse. Her strategy in AB 755 is to treat all spanking with an object as criminal child abuse. She has deliberately failed to make any distinction between spanking as a method of discipline and true child abuse.'

Looks like somebody's being pretty persistent in her efforts to ratchet up municipal mitigation of parental rights and responsibilities in California. For those of us who care enough to do so, following is a link to how to react:

ChildandFamilyProtection.org.

Though I am, indeed, convinced the government cannot save us, I am greatly inclined to action on this one...

end of an era...

2007-03-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

As some of you have known, I've spent much of the last year serving in the custodial department at Grace Community Church, my spiritual family and home. Though I'm not planning to go anywhere any time soon, I did recently resign my post there, in order to take advantage of my new full time job.

My departure was truly bitter-sweet. Gonna miss you guys...and serving our local Body in so tangible a way!

by His inimitable grace!

2007-03-17T00:56:00.000-07:00

As if there wasn't already more than enough proof of having absolutely no reason to worry or complain...

Today, after only 3 1/2 months of seeking, I was offered the very type of position I desired (with ample compensation). It was truly a situation that was obviously orchestrated by the Lord's own Sovereign Hand.

Wow...I think I may just faint. But, before I do that, lemme break out one of my favorite hymns:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the vile from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,
Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.

my account of Sovereign Grace...

2007-03-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

God is intrinsically Holy. Man is intrinsically unholy. To reconcile these to --and to avoid the Just & Righteous Wrath of the The Intrinsically, Infinitely Holy God-- man must Believe the Gospel & repent of His unholiness. To read a fuller explanation of this reality, please click here.

What follows is a brief story of how I personally was brought to face these Profound Truths. I trust you'll profit from reading. Feel absolutely free to question anything you read in the comment section below; I would love your feedback!

~ ~ ~ [UPDATED: 6/24/10]

I spent ages 5 to 18 at a small, Pentecostal church in Minneapolis, and upon graduating from high school, I headed off to university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Can you guess where? ...why, Oral Roberts University, of course! (Where "all" good Pentecostal & Charismatic teens want to go.) ORU, if you don't know, has been a bastion of the modern-day "Prosperity gospel," and is closely related to what is known as the "Word of Faith" movement. ('Course, I didn't know all this then, and probably wouldn't have cared, much, either. But it's far more important to me now, after having been drawn through the narrow gate and seeing much more clearly from this side.)

In my 4 years there, I experienced some pretty, uh, "interesting" happenings, for sure. But most importantly, the theology often proved loose and scattered (though I have to admit some good stuff likely was taught, I can't think of much, now). Here's a taste of its fruit. It's a video of the guy who formerly pastored the church I attended in Tulsa, himself an ORU alumn, who now fully - and defensively - espouses Universalism. Of course, this particular heresy was denounced by Oral himself as utterly "damning." Yet, I can't help but deduce, and rather forcefully, that it is yet another by-product of the bad hermeneutic employed by a community of (largely) un-Regenerate, self-appointed false prophets of -and associated with- Oral Roberts Ministries. It was so bad, I'm beginning to suspect of myself that I now selectively overlook (consciously or not) whatever amount of good was present in that place.

Further, I'm reasonably sure I never once heard a convicting, rightly exposited Gospel proclamation in all my years there, or prior at that small, independent Pentecostal church.

Why? Well, firstly, is the topical preaching prevalent in such circles. Back at my old church, theology and doctrine were basically disdained as man-made and unprofitable. So not one minister since its founding ever had seminary training and I believe have never learned how to truly exposit the Scriptures -- methodically, consistently explaining the intended meaning of each book or epistle verse-by-verse-- thoroughly examining its historic, cultural and literary contexts (You know, like the Bible is supposed to be taught: Acts 18:26; 2 Timothy 2:15).

Secondly, the Gospel presentation was flawed. At the small Pentecostal church there was plenty of "conviction" preached (our little church had a reputation for "preachin' the Word"). Basic calls to "get right" with the Lord and earnestly seek forgiveness were the gist of it. Repentance was called for, without a full and accurate explanation of exactly what it entails. Since most are Arminian, many Pentecostals and Charismatics over-emphasize man's action, making it more about his response and less about the Lord's Sovereign work in the heart. Man becomes the primary determiner of outcomes; God becomes handicapped by the will of man. There was also no solid understanding of the importance of the law to drive depraved man to Christ. Thus the "piercing needle" of the law, behind which the thread of the Gospel necessarily follows was replaced with the blunted match-stick of general guilt-loading. (Perhaps a bit of brimstone without the actual fire?)

The Gospel preaching at ORU and sister ministries was just plain weak, being mostly a "come on, let God fill your heart with happiness and help you fulfill your potential," kinda message. I can only recall a single, solitary appeal that even came close to describing Biblical repentance, and that from a fellow student who still left the matter of the Law's demands on the sinner under-addressed. Other than that, gospel appeals were largely a "come hither-ism" with splashes of theater to attract a "sight and sound generation."

In these contexts I'm convinced I only encountered a not-so-fully-orbed Gospel message, which I believe was devoid of the "power of God for Salvation" which Paul described in Romans 1:16. So ... how did I come to be Regenerated? You ask great questions!

I moved here to Cali in '96 (following a "call" to fulfill my "purpose" as an entertainer, of all things!). In 2000, a friend loaned me Hank Hanegraaff's book, ‘Christianity in Crisis’. That one small event set me off on a period of total disillusionment with the whole Pentecostal/Charismatic way of belief. I had begun to wonder about it years earlier, but at that point I really began to question in earnest.

In '03, I was exposed for the first time, by God's Grace, to the sound, expository preaching & teaching at my beloved Grace Community Church. But it wasn't until the following summer, within days after my son’s mother left our home for the East coast, that I heard a 24 year old recording that changed my life! It was a sermon by John MacArthur, in which he very thoroughly explained the Gospel (with all its rough, offensive elements). It was the one thing I needed more than anything! Only then did the Lord open my eyes to fully perceive my own total wretchedness before His infinite Holiness.

You see, I had professed faith in Christ at 16, and had even lived in such a way that real evidence seemed to result. I was a respectable kid, a leader among my church peers, yada, yada, yada... But, though I didn’t (of course) see it then, I later saw in hindsight that I had never really demonstrated a genuine reverence for the Lord, or hunger for His Word, or any pattern of obedience to the Biblical Text. I had no real hatred for my sin, and had never honestly, thoroughly examined myself in the light of the Bible's Truths (something I'm still learning to do). I could see that I had been proud and arrogant in my puny religiosity...and in the days following my Conversion I began to perceive, with increasing clarity, patterns of sin and self-deception that had been present in me for years. (Heck, I'm still discovering these layers of sin...and assuredly will through the moment of my death.)

Sadly, I had lived like a Pharisee, displaying only external obedience to God's law & modifying it at will to reflect my own idea of what a "committed Christian" looked like.

But upon hearing that very sound exposition of the Gospel, I felt an almost palpable conviction over my sins and a desperate need to repent of them. And, for the first time in my entire life, I spent time in humble, repentant, tearful prayer begging forgiveness for my sins. Because only then had I come to realize my utter wretchedness before an infinitely holy and justly wrathful God!

How I thank Him for His matchless Mercy & Grace!!!

Anyhow...that’s it in the proverbial nutshell. If you'd like me to fill in any gaps you find, feel free to leave a comment below, and I'll be sure to respond.

Funny Thing...

2007-02-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Recent funny quote:

So, how do deaf people speak in "tongues?"

~ Allan, a current TMS Student.

¡sbgtfa!

Biracial: All Mixed Up?

2007-02-16T03:45:00.001-08:00

Here it is, nearly 4 AM, and I've decided to break my 2 month blog silence with some seriously personal musings from the ol' gray matter's "south 4o."

[What follows is a revelation, or "outing" of certain private thoughts that may elicit both positive and negative reactions among people who've known me for years. Don't worry, though, it's "rated PG".]

It's about being 'biracial' and being attracted to people who aren't "all black."

As some of you may know, my father's Black and my mother's from Italy, which makes me 'mixed' or 'mulatto' or 'biracial' or what have you. And you know what? Because the Lord made me this way, I like being so. Fortunately, I never had a rough time with it - you know, undue pressure one way or the other from friends and family - mainly because several members of my dad's family married white women, providing me with ample and tacit "moral support" to help me to see being "mixed" as nothing too special.

Be that as it may, I was still cognizant of the several trends that swept across the Black community in America's 80s and 90s. Media influences - fueled, no doubt by the recording artist flavor of the day - caused several "shifts" in what we thought was cool with respect to tones of skin. Earlier on in my life, "light-skinned" (or "high yellah," as my dad and his peers called it) was supposedly most attractive. I suppose The DeBarge family had something to do with that. Later, when Gangsta Rap and sleek, dark-skinned models came on the scene, "we" decided dark was in, and the mulatto crowd got less attention.

Though being light of complexion has seen its hey day come and go several times, one thing I've always noticed about myself is my own tendency to be drawn to the aesthetics of others like me, biracial people with some "Euro" features (and even to people who aren't Black at all). Particularly women. I say this in light of my recent foray into wife-searching, which has obviously led me across the virtual paths of numerous prospects. Upon recently coming across the face of an unquestionably gorgeous biracial woman, my mind began to revert to that somewhat latent tendency. I had already been leaning toward women of other ethnicities, mainly white and Latina. (At my church, where the bulk of desirable marriage prospects exist, this is the predominate "demographic," anyway.) But, when encountering this particular lady's picture, it was like something clicked, and I realized (or remembered) just how much I'd always been attracted to this "type." It was as though I was just then acknowledging to myself, "aloud," that this was my preference, for good or for ill!

I don't know if I can explain it well enough for you non-black folks, but, among a great many blacks, this can be a pretty volatile subject.

Why? Because there are many of us black folk who are literally enslaved to our cultural "allegiances." This bondage manifests itself in a most insidious way: we think we need to preserve the "purity" and thus the "dignity" of our ethnic heritage by committing many of the same segregative errors our former white slave owners did. We feel a necessity to preserve and protect our "blackness" by marrying our own, buying from and selling to our own, living among our own, etc, etc, etc. There are so many burdensome consequences to this type of thinking - obvious and not-so-obvious - that I couldn't possibly enumerate them all here, in this one sitting. I will say, though, that when it comes to dating and marriage, a lot of Blacks - especially women - are almost fiercely protective of the ideal of preserving the Black family. They'd like nothing more than to see Black men remain faithful to this ideal by preferring and choosing Black wives.

Many would castigate me for having the preferences I have, claiming they're solely the result of media programming. They'd say my likes and dislikes were basically handed to me by the little white man on TV, and in the magazines, and on the movie screens. Further, they decry this as bad, because I, as a member of the Black Community, need to have an equal, if not greater appreciation for "my own" than for the "other." Consequently, the prescribed anecdote to such "jungle fever" has, in part, been counter-programming, using those same media outlets to reverse the affects of "self-hate" instilled in me by The Man.

Heil, Hitler?!

I never really bought the logic, completely. But, in an effort to tow the "party line," I tacitly accepted this thinking - at least never overtly challenged it - until recently. The one thing that made me see ever so clearly the error in such a rationale was my acquiring a Biblical perspective. Now that I see this earth as temporal, and its people groups as the single race the Lord made them at Creation, I'm no longer compelled to strive to "preserve" anything so shallow or inconsequential. Simply put: it's not "Kingdom" thinking. It's not Biblical thinking.

Political liberals, especially Black ones, would argue that in that last statement I revealed myself to have an insufficient appreciation for the far-reaching impact of slavery on the condition of today's "Black community." To that I'd say they're right. I recognize today's problems among Blacks and other so-called disenfranchised ethnic groups not merely as obvious indicators of the long-term effects of slavery and "race" hatred; that's far too narrow a view. Instead, I see it from a Biblical perspective, being the direct consequence of the presence of sin - past and present - in the heart of (every) man. It's remedy is not the preservation of superficial ethnic line-drawing, but an accurate teaching of - and ardent obeying of - the Word of Christ.

Period.

With that said, be it known from this day forth that, I will no longer offer any apologies for being inclined toward marriage prospects with the physical characteristics of "biracial," Latin, Mediterranean and European ethnicities.

Now that I've said my piece, I'm going to bed.

¡sbgtfa!

drop me a line...

2006-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

...I will write you back.

Honestly

2006-12-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

I heard these lines while waiting on hold just now and thought I'd share:

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.
~ Billy Joel

...for some reason, that got lodged in the grey matter. It is true, you now...generally speaking. Unfortunately, it can be so even among us "churched" folk.

¡sbgtfa!

Cover Your Mouth (#3)

2006-12-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

At this, I cover my mouth, yet again (and should more often, methinks).

¡sbgtfa!

Pink Slipped? or The Incredible Lightness of Being Laid Off

2006-11-29T01:25:00.000-08:00

o one really knows the precise origin of the phrase. Nevertheless, it has enjoyed a long run as the premier way to convey the idea of having a sudden job loss. 9 hours ago, I had the distinct privilege of learning, first hand, just what it feels like to do so.

I was laid off; my position within the company was eliminated. And my copy of the slip was, in fact, yellow.

I do, however, know all too well what it's like to be "between projects," and so am no stranger to the full-time job of finding a full-time job. To The Sovereign Lord, I give thanks for His un-ending generosity. And to you Dear Reader, I give thanks for your prayers.

¡ovwssbgtfa!

Sovereignty & Injustice

2006-11-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving dinner for me was delightful, as usual. It is always a real Blessing being able to luxuriate at the table of a savory, well-prepared meal amidst the sanctifying company of Biblical Christians! But, my idyllic state of thankfulness was (thankfully) mitigated by a sobering conversation...

One of the dinner guests - a trustworthy Brother who is currently preparing for ministry in Asia - shared from his heart about a fellow member of our church who is presently incarcerated. He walked closely together with this prison-bound Brother throughout both the legal proceedings and the time of ungodly drama preceding them.

For some time, David's desire had been to use his formal theological training (from Dallas Theological Seminary) to serve as a missionary in Southeast Asia. His wife seemed to be enthused and in full support of this.

However, this dream was surprisingly dashed upon the rocks of a wife's sentiment turned completely against her husband. She falsely accused him of sexually abusing their three young children. Consequently, he now sits in prison, unjustly sentenced to spend what could be the rest of his life there. This at the hands of a woman who has shown all evidence of an Empty Profession of Faith in Christ.

There's more to the story, of course; a string of dramatic elements, including things like an accusatory testimony riddled with inconsistencies from the first; a distracted attorney who by witness accounts gave paltry attention to the construction of David's defense (highly favorable evidence from a prior civil trial went unused, witnesses went uncalled...outright lies were given to excuse such "oversights"); and most sadly, the forced turning of the childrens' own sentiments against their father, despite his innocence.

Indeed, this sort of "mockery of justice" can hamper one's trust in the American judicial system, and perhaps even one's view of the sacred bond of trust between a husband and wife. Nevertheless, God is in absolute control in David's situation, and in His Sovereign exercise has seen fit to bless him with a ministry to fellow inmates.

Meantime, he's seeking a re-trial.

My request of you, Dear Reader: despite the distance and lack of personal familiarity with these circumstances, please join me in praying for David, that he would be continually encouraged and strengthened, that his ministry would yield a harvest of souls for Christ's Kingdom, that his wife and children would be Regenerated unto Salvation, and that his case would soon be retried, to his vindication!

¡sbgtfa!

I admit it

2006-11-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

...I nearly cried when I read this brief post at a blog called titus2talk.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

¡sbgtfa!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

2006-11-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

Awesome! Amazing! Totally radical! Absolutely Fantastic!

Ever wonder if the use of words like these is overdone? What about: love...hate...adore...never?

I think these superlatives are frequently abused, and quite often given poor context. "Exactly how do you mean?" you may be wondering.

Well, consider that the only One to whom can literally be ascribed such descriptors as "awesome," "amazing," "absolutely fantastic," and the like is God, alone. Further, what more accurate definition of love can be found than was penned by Paul's own Inspired mind in his first epistle to the Corinthian assembly (many of whom were utterly guilty of losing sight of what it actually is - much like we have in the contemporary church).

I know, I know, it sounds like I'm trying to negate the cultural context of popular expressions. But really I'm not. Think about it: over 1 million words strong, and the English language has little more to offer than dizzyingly rehashed variations of the same old hyperbole? I think not. This is a call to not only consider the enslavement of these poor phrases, but also to remember (or learn) the vast richness that is the most common Tongue on Earth!

(Come, now...I know you can remember a few of those 2 dollar words ($.50, adjusted for inflation) from your high school English class...)

technorati tags: English mastery, superlatives, hyperbole, God, English abuse

¡sbgtfa!

Love...

2006-11-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

quietly perseveres;

is affectionate;

sincerely congratulates others, with no concern for its own lack;

thinks little of itself;

is respectful, considerate;

insists not on its own way;

is not irritable, keeps no tally of offenses;

is gladdened by Truthfulness, saddened by sinfulness;

muffles others’ unpleasantness;

trusts in Providence, is ever Optimistic;

is absolutely tenacious;

I declare this, with welled eyes, that to which I failingly aspire

technorati tags: love, truth

¡sbgtfa!

Today's Featured Blogger...

2006-11-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

Her writing speaks for itself (if I tried, I'd only mess it up. Really.)...

¡sbgtfa!

...In Dust and Ashes!

2006-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it...I'm a blog bandit. I say so because the following scintillating reading was provided, not by some lashing, Biblically astute wit inside my own head, but by some gifted bloggers down the road. I guess you can call it extended "blog-spotting."

First, this excerpt:

...no Christian transitions instantly from holiness to impurity. For instance, when a church reels from the scandal of an adulterous pastor, you can be sure that spiritual appeasement is responsible. When a root of bitterness sprang up, it was allowed to push roots deeply into the soil and leach vitality from the soul (Heb. 12:15). When circumstances pressured a weak conscience, they were allowed to press the conscience to the side (1 Cor. 8:7). When the right action was apparent, it was replaced with inaction (Jas. 4:17).

Step by step, a mosaic of sin began to form. Rather than declaring war on sin, the pastor sued for peace. After all, the wandering imagination is only natural. The flattery of attention is powerful, but not deadly as long as you know it's happening. Implementing God's commands are time-consuming, and there will be more time tomorrow (or the day after). Gradually, tiny acres of the soul were ceded to Satan with the understanding that this would be the final allowance. The pastor willfully ignored the fact that the Devil is a predatory dictator who will be satisfied with nothing less than total control of both body and soul. But Satan is also a wily diplomat; like Hitler, he will agree to partial control, knowing that a foothold today is a firm grip tomorrow...

Then, there's this great gem from the comments section:

The consuming, self-destructive nature of sin is like the technique used by Eskimos to kill wolves. First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed in a block of frozen blood. Next the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he realize that his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his own blood. He just craves more and more until he drops dead in the snow. We are consumed, the Bible warns, by our own lusts. [Emphasis mine.]

(For attributions and full reads, go here...)

Ouch! May we all be bereaved over the exceeding sinfulness of our sins...and fight hard against it in our selves, our homes, and our Churches!

technorati tags: christ, sin

¡sbgtfa!

Ted Haggard & I...

2006-11-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Surely by now, you've heard. If not, go here, and here to read about it.

I encountered Ted Haggard while attending Oral Roberts University. He was one of the favored speakers there. My most prominent memory is of his address to a men's conference one year, at which he admonished us to show patient consideration with respect to our (prospective) wives' differing libidos.

I have to agree completely with Tim Challies, on this one. Truly, I am inwardly no better than this, or any other man. I am a chief, self-deceiving Sinner. My own heart is as wicked, vile, totally sinful and untrustworthy as Ted Haggard's has shown itself to be.

With Peter, I acknowledge this sinfulness in me and supplicate: please, please, please, Lord, have Mercy on me, preserve me and do not drop me from the Blessed Grasp of your Grace!

And so, what now? I say the most appropriate responses to the Ted Haggard failing, are to: 1) Pray for New Life Church in Colorado Springs; 2) pray for our own hearts, lest we think ourselves beyond the reach of the Heinous; and 3) continue to call all men to repentance, humbly using even this sad thing as an opportunity to do so.

AFTERNOON UPDATE:

To be true, I must confess in the aftermath of this - another highly publicized moral failing of an Evangelical church leader - my thoughts have been somewhat mixed (ultimately for the good, I trust). On the one hand, though I abhor the tendency of many to grossly over-indulge in a dependence upon God's attribute of Love, I equally detest the ugly, compassion-less tendency to over-emphasize God's attribute of Holiness (or Wrath). Both these attributes of our Lord are very real and very, very relevant to each one of us. (As one expressed it, recently: 'It is the holiness of God that requires man's repentance/redemption and the love of God that makes man's repentance/redemption possible.')

I admit, I have tended to lean toward the latter, in an endeavor to compensate for the former, of which I was plainly guilty in my "BC" days. I'm still grappling with the balancing act between the two. Yet, I don't think I'll ever quite leave off the belief that the two must go hand-in-hand in any well-rounded presentation of Gospel Truth...

technorati tags: ted haggard, immorality, sin, moral failing, evangelical leaders

¡sbgtfa!

¡John Bunyan is my HomeBoy!

2006-10-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks...you've asked for it, so now you have it...a new post! ('Bout time after 30 days, huh?)

Anyway, I believe you'll dig this one...it's essentially an invitation to a most worthy contest...

Enjoy!

¡sbgtfa!

Story Time, Boys & Girls...

2006-09-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

hilst I recuperate from the countless hours spent revamping this blog, allow me to serve up the following scrumptious fare; an excerpt from one of my most favored works of "fiction"...

¡sbgtfa!
~

The Pilgrim's Progress, In The Similitude Of A Dream

As I walk'd through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a Dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a Man cloathed with Rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a Book in his hand, and a great Burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the Book, and read therein; and as he read, he wept and trembled; and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying What shall I do?

In this plight therefore he went home, and refrained himself as long as he could, that his Wife and Children should not perceive his distress, but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble increased: Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his Wife and Children; and thus he began to talk to them: O my dear Wife, said he, and you the Children of my bowels, I your dear friend, am in myself undone by reason of a Burden that lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am for certain informed that this our City will be burned with fire from Heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my Wife, and you my sweet Babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which yet I see not) some way of escape can be found, whereby we may be delivered. At this his Relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that what he had said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing towards night, and they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got him to bed: But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So, when the morning was come, they would know-how he did; He told them Worse and worse: he also set to talking to them again, but they began to be hardened: they also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly carriages to him; sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him: Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber, to pray for and pity them, and also to condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, sometimes reading, and sometimes praying: and thus for some days he spent his time.

Now, I saw upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was, as he was wont, reading in his Book, and greatly distressed in his mind; and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, What shall I do to be saved?

I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run; yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist, coming to him, and asked, Wherefore dost thou cry?

He answered, Sir, I perceive by the Book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to Judgment, and I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second.

Christian no sooner leaves the World but meets Evangelist, who lovingly him greets With tidings of another: and doth shew Him how to mount to that from this below.

Then said Evangelist, Why not willing to die, since this life is attended with so many evils? The Man answered, Because I fear that this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the Grave, and I shall fall into Tophet. And, Sir, if I be not fit to go to Prison, I am not fit to go to Judgment, and from thence to Execution; and the thoughts of these things make me cry.

Then said Evangelist, If this be thy condition, why standest thou still? He answered, Because I know not whither to go. Then he gave him a Parchment - roll, and there was written within, Fly from the wrath to come.

The Man therefore read it, and looking upon Evangelist very carefully, said, Whither must I fly? Then said Evangelist, pointing with his finger over a very wide field, Do you see yonder Wicket-gate? The Man said, No. Then said the other, Do you see yonder shining Light? He said, I think I do. Then said Evangelist, Keep that Light in your eye, and go up directly thereto: so shalt thou see the Gate; at which, when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do.

So I saw in my Dream that the Man began to run.

'Cause I Just Can't Help Myself!

2006-09-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

elcome to the new 'soapbox!' To inaugurate this occasion, here's a little slideshow of assorted pix!

Get your own Flash slideshow.

Re-Vamped Blog Launch Almost Upon Us!

2006-09-16T22:11:00.001-07:00

or those of you paying attention, and as the timer above indicates, this blog is very soon to be reborn!

As they say, 'Stay tuned'...(and for those of you who think I've focused a wee bit much on marital things, don't worry, that strand has about run its course, for now).

¡sbgtfa!

Let Me Break It Down

2006-09-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

y future wife does not regard herself as "the perfect mate," but, her life can be accurately characterized as one of progressive obedience to the Revealed Will of God (namely, The Scriptures).

She is a lover of historic, Biblical Christianity and is convinced of the Doctrines of Grace. She's a student of the Scriptures, absolutely convinced of their inerrancy and their sufficiency for every facet of the Believer's life. She's an anti-fan of "Purpose Driven"-ism, "Wild-at-Heart"-ism, "Prayer-of-Jabez"-ism, "Chicken-Soup"-ism or any other fad of "church-ianity."

She knows God's Word opposes the sinful concepts of self-esteem and self-fulfillment (unlike the message flowing from the pulpits of most modern evangelical churches); instead she majors in the practice of self-denial taught by Christ and His Apostles.

She's eager and striving to conform to the Biblical pattern of true womanhood (ie.: being service-oriented, giving top priority to family and home, being modest in expression, etc., as per Eph. 5; 1 Peter 3; Titus 2, & 1 Tim. 2 & 5 (see also: 'The Excellent Wife' by Martha Peace).

She’s a bit old-fashioned, yet is not married to “nostalgic traditionalism” for its own sake; rather, she’s acutely aware of and grieves over the general state of moral decline in our society and its attendant trappings and consciously seeks to counter them in the routines of her daily activity and dress. She's smart (not necessarily a “Brainiac”), warm, affectionate, genuinely nice, and is a strong proponent of healthy eating and healthy living.

Finally, she expects – yet does not demand – her future husband be like-minded in these things.

Oh, and someone to whom I am physically attracted, bearing in mind that, among other things, physical attraction (which, of course, is relative) is one of the safeguards established in nature by God to help eliminate the temptation of infidelity (though obviously not exclusively).

¡sbgtfa!

Sought: A Wife

2006-08-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

he non-negotiables:

1) Absolutely, Verifiably & Unashamedly Redeemed

2) Already married...to the Biblical principles of Womanhood (like this young co-Electress so well wrote)

3) Has Biblical Christians in her life who can vouch for her strength of character

4) Is Mature enough to receive as her own my young son

5) Is committed to the practice of healthy eating & healthy living

For elaborations, go here...

...And for more on me, personally, go here.

¡sbgtfa!

.Boy-oh-Boy.

2006-08-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

oday, an old school-mate sent me the following MSNBC on-line article about Carlton Pearson, a man under whose preaching I sat during most of my years in Tulsa: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14337492/from/ET/.

Now, Universalism is bad enough, but his being made into a poster child for underdogs...that just saddens me.

¡sbgtfa!

I like this face.

2006-08-13T23:42:00.000-07:00

So call me "off," but, I just like this face.

"Char," whoever you are, sista, 3-color relief is your look.

Okay...I'm through.

¡sbgtfa!

.Fun at 7500 Feet!

2006-08-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

y son and I spent a glorious tent-sleeping, hike-taking, fire-warming (and dirt-diving), time camping at Los Padres National Park. It was a bona fide father-son First. Now the visuals...

Aaah, Mount Pino...home of the drive-thru
camp-site!

...tent-maker, tent-maker...make me a tent!

Now, look, son: you gotta stay on the trail
with the group, ya' hear?

Stay on the trail...stay on the...
Oooh, a squirrel!

This mouth full of teeth courtesy of
The Junior Rock Climber Association!

Careful, boys...that's a 40 inch drop to the
forest floor!

...and the funny thing is: the tree was
only 4 cents/min. for all calls over 20 minutes.

Aaaww...what a haimish group of outdoorsmen.

Ain't no campin' without a campfire and s'mores
(...unless, of course, you go camp in the Sierras
during a high fire alert).

¡sbgtfa!

.8 Years Ago Today.

2006-08-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

n this day, 8 years ago, I took a young woman to be my wife.

Today, 8 years later, here I stand, divorced by that same young woman.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away (may he never take away my love for Him).

Blessed be the name of The Lord!

Timely are the following thorough expositions of what God has said about divorce and remarriage.

Jesus' Teaching on Divorce:
one
two
three
four
five
six

Divorce & Remarriage:
one
two
three

~ ~ ~
Bonus Q&A with John MacArthur

¡ovwssbgtfa!

[UPDATE: For those of you who've mentioned it, the links have been fixed.]

.Backwards or Opposite?

2006-06-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

concise post today at TeamPyro got me in the mind to drop something today about perceptions versus reality. Or put another way: Truth vs. Fiction. Many, many, many people ~ including many professing Christians ~ take offense when the real meat of Scripture, fundamental Truths, are taken at their purported values.

For instance: as mentioned in the last post, a fellow church member was graciously taken by Christ to heaven several days ago. Now, was this really Grace? and was it really best that she be taken home, as opposed to being allowed to live many more years on earth, luxuriating in the short-term benefits of the Christian life on earth?

The Apostle Paul wrote in the Scriptures that for him to live was Christ, and to die was gain. What did that mean, really? Well, among other things, he was acknolwedging that, though life on earth is a blessing to be enjoyed (at that time, his life in prison was more a blessing to others) it is, by comparison to life in heaven with Christ, of lesser benefit. Yet another inspired author identified man (and thus, his life) as just a vapor.

By contrast, the view of the avowed atheist, as Frank Turk so succintly observed in his post, sees this life as all there is, and so he would disagree wholeheartedly with this sort of "backwards" thinking, perceiving it as a contradiction of logic. Since there can perhaps be nothing better than to live this one to it's "fullest."

There are certainly a myriad of other examples I could describe, like that of true gain versus temporary gain; true riches versus man's idea of wealth, true wisdom versus human wisdom, true success versus temporal accomplishments, etc, etc, etc.

No, we're not backwards at all, merely right side up in our thinking, if we think in an accurately Biblical manner. And on that note, let me just say I might just be a tad jealous of my sister Tracey, right about now.

¡sbgtfa!

.For Christ's Sake! #2 (for Tracey)

2006-06-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

esterday, I recieved news of the passing of a fellow church member, Mrs. Tracey Price. We had only just learned of her having an aneurism the morning of the previous day. We prayed for deliverance from this ordeal, and, by God's Sovereign, merciful Grace, she was granted it.

Whether in trials of health, or persecution, whether in time or in Eternity, The Lord of Mercy ultimately grants the Grace of deliverance to all his Believing own!

I offer the following account of the Martyrdon of another famed missus in honor of our dear sister Tracey. The two, though previously unacquainted, now have the occasion for a joyous meeting!

Mrs. Cicely Ormes
This young martyr, aged twenty-two, was the wife of Mr. Edmund Ormes, worsted weaver of St. Lawrence, Norwich. At the death of Miller and Elizabeth Cooper, before mentioned, she had said that she would pledge them of the same cup they drank of. For these words she was brought to the chanellor, who would have discharged her upon promising to go to church, and to keep her belief to herself. As she would not consent to this, the chancellor urged that he had shown more lenity to her than any other person, and was unwilling to condemn her, because she was an ignorant foolish woman; to this she replied, (perhaps with more shrewdness than he expected,) that however great his desire might be to spare her sinful flesh, it could not equal her inclination to surrender it up in so great a quarrel. The chancellor then pronounced the fiery sentence, and September 23, 1557, she was brought to the stake, at eight o'clock in the morning.

After declaring her faith to the people, she laid her hand on the stake, and said, "Welcome, thou cross of Christ." Her hand was sooted in doing this, (for it was the same stake at which Miller and Cooper were burnt,) and she at first wiped it; but directly after again welcomed and embraced it as the "sweet cross of Christ." After the tormentors had kindled the fire, she said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit doth rejoice in God my Savior." Then crossing her hands upon her breast, and looking upwards with the utmost serenity, she stood the fiery furnace. Her hands continued gradually to rise until the sinews were dried, and then they fell. She uttered no sigh of pain, but yielded her life, an emblem of that celestial paradise in which is the presence of God, blessed forever.

It might be contended that this martyr voluntarily sought her own death, as the chancellor scarcely exacted any other penance of her than to keep her belief to herself; yet it should seem in this instance as if God had chosen her to be a shining light, for a twelve-month before she was taken, she had recanted; but she was wretched until the chancellor was informed, by letter, that she repented of her recantation from the bottom of her heart. As if to compensate for her former apostasy, and to convince the Catholics that she meant to more to compromise for her personal security, she boldly refused his friendly offer of permitting her to temporize. Her courage in such a cause deserves commendation - the cause of Him who has said, "Whoever is ashamed of me on earth, of such will I be ashamed in heaven."
~

¡sbgtfa!

.i do.

2006-06-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

o the marriage officially ended last Monday. And, lest you judge me as particularly uncouth for putting such things uncaringly "on display," understand there's a bunch of context being intentionally left out at this juncture. Perhaps in one or more future posts I'll fill some or all of it in for the interested to read. Meantime, feel free to contact me directly for more of said context.

Anyway, here's pretty much a brief summary of events:

Marriage commenced ~ August 1998
First hint of the end dropped ~ April 2002
Beginning-of-the-end boom lowered ~ December 2003
Physical (and decidedly unBiblical) separation ~ July 2004
Divorce filed ~ November 2004
Divorce finalized ~ June 2006

And you may wonder if I mourn.

I do, though not so much over the loss of a marital relationship. For, believe it or not, after so Providential a Journey as this one, my days of mourning are well past.

No, I'm not grieved nearly as much for the death of the marriage as I am for the soul of she who professes faith in Christ, but who, I fear, does so rather emptily. Clearly, the life bears precious little resemblance to the claim.

Yes, I prayed for her many times throughout this ordeal; mainly a prayer for her soul's salvation, and hardly ever for the preservation of the marriage. For I knew that when once the heart was regenerated, all would eventually be restored. However, at this point, that's now pretty much rendered moot, Biblically.

Yet it's the unresolved Issue of salvation which saddens me far more than does the prospect of a new marriage, which actually...well, we'll just leave that for another post.

¡sbgtfa!

.For Anybody Interested...

2006-06-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is what a divorce looks like...on paper, anyway:

CASE SUMMARY

Case Number: BD415798
K L W vs IB. CARLOS W
Filing Date: 11/02/2004
Case Type: Dissolution of Marriage
(General Jurisdiction)
Status: Stipulated Judgment 06/19/2006

Parties

SPILLER WILLIAM - FORMER Attorney for Petitioner
W________ IB. CARLOS - Respondent
W________ IB. CARLOS - Respondent In Pro Per
W________ K___ L____ - Petitioner

Documents Filed (Filing dates listed in descending order)

06/19/2006 Notice-Entry-Judgment
06/19/2006 Judgment
06/19/2006 Declaration-Default
06/19/2006 Declaration-Income & Expense
06/19/2006 Stipulation-Estab or Mod.Child/Fam
06/19/2006 Agreement-Marital Settlement
06/19/2006 Declaration-Serv Final Decl of Dis
06/19/2006 Substitution of Attorney
04/17/2006 Judgment-Package Received-STIP (Judgment Package Approved)
11/03/2005 ResponseFiled by Respondent
03/11/2005 Agreement-Conciliation Crt-& Order
11/22/2004 Notice-Ruling Filed by Petitioner
11/17/2004 Stipulation-Judge Pro Tem
11/17/2004 Declaration-Income & Expense (by Respondent)
11/15/2004 Response-Decl-OSC/Ntc of Motion (by Respondent)
11/11/2004 Declaration-Income & Expense (by Respondent)
11/02/2004 PetitionFiled by Petitioner
11/02/2004 Declaration-Uniform Custody Minor'Filed by Petitioner
11/02/2004 MiscellaneousFiled by Petitioner
11/02/2004 Summons-Family LawFiled by Petitioner
11/02/2004 Order (by Petitioner)
11/02/2004 Application-Ex-Parte-and Order (by Petitioner)

~
Proceedings Held (Proceeding dates listed in descending order)

- 03/14/2005 at 08:30 AM in Department CE87, Dobbs, Ann, Presiding OSC - Order to Show Cause (O/CAL M/P) - Off calendar-Moving party
- 11/17/2004 at 08:30 AM in Department CE87, Dobbs, Ann, Presiding OSC - Order to Show Cause - Continued-Court's own motion

¡sbgtfa!

.Cover Your Mouth! (CYM #2)

2006-06-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

n deference to those much more learned and articulate than I, today's post will be another CYM post. Read it and raise the hand to the lips.

¡sbgtfa!

.Take Back Your Telephone!

2006-06-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

any of you were rather happy to hear of the recently added government service called the "National Do Not Call" phone registry. I certainly was; I eagerly registered both home & mobile telephones!

However, I had an idea strike me rather hard in the noggin after recently fielding yet another telemarketer's call (that's right, months after having eagerly registered my phones with the aforementioned registry...grrr):

Why not put those telemarketing calls to work for you?!?!

I mean, really...why not? Just moments after telling (not the first caller from) the Daily News, 'no, I'm not interested in a free subscription to your publication,' I realized I'd just let go of an opportunity to find out if he was interested in considering what I had to offer him. Which, I hasten to add, is of far greater worth than a half dozen "newspapers" I'd hardly make time to read.

Since that idea struck me, I've removed my home phone number from the "Do Not Call" registry and have already begun responding to those eager beaver phone sellers with a wee bit of selling of own...something along these lines:

'Hey there, "Josh!" You know what, man, I spent 2 years in telemarketing myself and I was miserable at the end of that time. Now, I enjoy what I do, because I spend my time helping regular folk like you rid themselves of less-than-desirable jobs. If you're anything like me, you're probably open to something like that. Now, if I could show you a way to replace this job with a legitimate, legal, ethical, simple, potentially lucrative home-business, would that be worth about an hour of your time?

Listen...you called me, right? I could simply have done what many do and rudely hung up ~ BUT ~ I decided to offer you the chance to learn about something that could literally change your life for the better.

Now, tell me ~ 'Yes' or 'No' ~ if I could show you a way to replace this job with a legitimate, legal, ethical, simple, and potentially lucrative home-business, would that be worth about an hour of your time?

[If 'Yes'] Then take down my web address: Be.BucketFree.com. Go there when you're not on the clock and find out a little more about what I do. My contact info's on there, just call or drop me a line and I'll set you up with the full "411."

[If 'No'] Well, if you happen to change your mind, why not take down my web address: Be.BucketFree.com, and when you do become interested in a change for the better, you can just call or drop me a line and I'll set you up with the full "411."

Eventually, either I'll stop getting telemarketing calls altogether, or I'll start earning some eager business partners. Either way, I win...and so do they!

Incidentally, if the appeal above rings your bell, dear reader, then why not take my advice and visit the above link to find out how you, too, can be well on your way to improving your financial circumstances...

¡sbgtfa!

.Overwhelmed!

2006-05-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

s what I am at this moment as I tearfully revel in the immense practical blessing I've just been given!

A friend has just now forgiven me a rather large monetary debt (count: thousands) that was owed.

...speechless, except to say that I am literally and absolutely unworthy...both that of the gift and of that relationship.

¡ovwssbgtfa!

.Indeed.

2006-05-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

ust got an email from a good friend, James Chung. I won't tell you what he said; it's none of your business, of course. But, appended at the very end of his message, beneath even his business contact info, is this phrase: 'Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.'

Aaahh, the glory of this world is truly fading.

Thanks for the reminder, James, and for praying for me.

¡sbgtfa!

.For Christ's Sake! #1.

2006-05-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

th century American historian, Douglas Campbell, wrote of Foxe's Book of Martyrs:

"When one recollects that until the appearance of the Pilgrim's Progress the common people had almost no other reading matter except the Bible and Foxe's Book of Martyrs, we can understand the deep impression that this book produced; and how it served to mold the national character. Those who could read for themselves learned the full details of all the atrocities performed on the Protestant reformers; the illiterate could see the rude illustrations of the various instruments of torture, the rack, the gridiron, the boiling oil, and then the holy ones breathing out their souls amid the flames. Take a people just awakening to a new intellectual and religious life; let several generations of them, from childhood to old age, pore over such a book, and its stories become traditions as individual and almost as potent as songs and customs on a nation's life."

I toss my hat in on that one. And to that end, allow me to initiate a series of selections from this blessed tome, which I trust will encourage the Believer, admonish the athiest, and provide profitable reading for all...

~ ~ ~

Mr. John Philpot
This martyr was the son of a knight, born in Hampshire, and brought up at New College, Oxford, where for several years he studied the civil law, and became eminent in the Hebrew tongue. He was a scholar and a gentleman, zealous in religion, fearless in disposition, and a detester of flattery. After visiting Italy, he returned to England, affairs in King Edward's days wearing a more promising aspect. During this reign he continued to be archdeacon of Winchester under Dr. Poinet, who succeeded Gardiner. Upon the accession of Mary, a convocation was summoned, in which Mr. Philpot defended the Reformation against his ordinary, Gardiner, again made bishop of Winchester, and soon was conducted to Bonner and other commissioners for examination, October 2, 1555, after being eighteen months' imprisoned. Upon his demanding to see the commission, Dr. Story cruelly observed, "I will spend both my gown and my coat, but I will burn thee! Let him be in Lollard's tower, (a wretched prison,) for I will sweep the king's Bench and all other prisons of these heretics!"

Upon Mr. Philpot's second examination, it was intimated to him that Dr. Story had said that the lord chancellor had commanded that he should be made away with. It is easy to foretell the result of this inquiry. He was committed to Bonner's coal house, where he joined company with a zealous minister of Essex, who had been induced to sign a bill of recantation; but afterward, stung by his conscience, he asked the bishop to let him see the instrument again, when he tore it to pieces; which induced Bonner in a fury to strike him repeatedly, and tear away part of his beard. Mr. Philpot had a private interview with Bonner the same night, and was then remanded to his bed of straw like other prisoners, in the coal house. After seven examinations, Bonner ordered him to be set in the stocks, and on the following Sunday separated him from his fellow-prisoners as a sower of heresy, and ordered him up to a room near the battlements of St. Paul's, eight feet by thirteen, on the other side of Lollard's tower, and which could be overlooked by any one in the bishop's outer gallery. Here Mr. Philpot was searched, but happily he was successful in secreting some letters containing his examinations.

In the eleventh investigation before various bishops, and Mr. Morgan, of Oxford, the latter was so driven into a corner by the close pressure of Mr. Philpot's arguments, that he said to him, "Instead of the spirit of the Gospel which you boast to possess, I think it is the spirit of the buttery, which your fellows have had, who were drunk before their death, and went, I believe, drunken to it." To this unfounded and brutish remark, Mr. Philpot indignantly replied, "It appeareth by your communication that you are better acquainted with that spirit than the Spirit of God; wherefore I tell thee, thou painted wall and hypocrite, in the name of the living God, whose truth I have told thee, that God shall rain fire and brimstone upon such blasphemers as thou art!" He was then remanded by Bonner, with an order not to allow him his Bible nor candlelight.

On December 4, Mr. Philpot had his next hearing, and this was followed by two more, making in all, fourteen conferences, previous to the final examination in which he was condemned; such were the perseverance and anxiety of the Catholics, aided by rthe argumentative abilities of the most distinguished of the papal bishops, to bring him into the pale of their Church. Those examinations, which were very long and learned, were all written down by Mr. Philpot, and a stronger proof of the imbecility of the Catholic doctors, cannot, to an unbiased mind, be exhibited.

On December 16, in the consistory of St. Paul's Bishop Bonner, after laying some trifling accusations to his charge, such as secreting powder to make ink, writing some private letters, etc., proceeded to pass the awful sentence upon him, after he and the other bishops had urged him by every inducement to recant. He was afterward conducted to Newgate, where the avaricious Catholic keeper loaded him with heavy irons, which by the humanity of Mr. Macham were ordered to be taken off. On December 17, Mr. Philpot received intimation that he was to die next day, and the next morning about eight o'clock, he joyfully met the sheriffs, who were to attend him to the place of execution.

Upon entering Smithfield, the ground was so muddy that two officers offered to carry him to the stake, but he replied:

"Would you make me a pope? I am content to finish my journey on foot." Arriving at the stake, he said, "Shall I disdain to suffer at the stake, when my Redeemer did not refuse to suffer the most vile death upon the cross for me?" He then meekly recited the One hundred and seventh and One hundred and eighth Psalms, and when he had finished his prayers, was bound to the post, and fire applied to the pile. On December 18, 1555, perished this illustrious martyr, reverenced by man, and glorified in heaven!
~

¡sbgtfa!