Rachel's Blog

Ten reasons I am not a Baptist

2011-11-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

10.) Doesn’t household mean household?

9.) How do children who are disallowed from the covenant make it a new and better covenant?

8.) Let me get this straight. Does the Baptist really expect me to believe that the Jews were absolutely incensed at the idea that Gentiles were now in the covenant without circumcision but accepted that their children were no longer in the covenant even with circumcision – and they accepted the latter without so much as a whimper recorded in the NT? You want me to believe that on one day Jewish children were included in the covenant and on the next day they had to wait until they were old enough to vote for Jesus on the matter. Hello?

7.) I didn’t wait for my children to ask me into their hearts before I named them and made them a part of my family. Why should I expect God to wait for His covenant seed to ask Jesus into their hearts before He names them in Baptism and makes them part of the family of God?

6.) I can’t get my mind around the fact that Pentecost amounted to the excommunication of children.

5.) “Forbid not the children to come unto me,” must mean something.

4.) If I were a Baptist and required explicit instructions from the New Testament before I baptized infants then I could not give communion to women? Imagine how that would go over.

3.) I read the Bible as one book … one story.

2.) I believe the children go with the parents. Call me old fashioned.

And the number one reason I am not a Baptist,

No one can tell me if I’ve reached the age of accountability yet.

From Bret McAtee

Tea-time

2011-08-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

"A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards." ~A.A. Milne

It is to this that we are heading...

2011-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Karl Marx's "10 Planks" to seize power and destroy freedom:

1. Abolition of Property in Land and Application of all Rents of Land to Public Purpose.

2. A Heavy Progressive or Graduated Income Tax.

3. Abolition of All Rights of Inheritance.

4. Confiscation of the Property of All Emigrants and Rebels.

5. Centralization of Credit in the Hands of the State, by Means of a National Bank with State Capital and an Exclusive Monopoly.

6. Centralization of the Means of Communication and Transport in the Hands of the State.

7. Extension of Factories and Instruments of Production Owned by the State, the Bringing Into Cultivation of Waste Lands, and the Improvement of the Soil Generally in Accordance with a Common Plan.

8. Equal Liability of All to Labor. Establishment of Industrial Armies, Especially for Agriculture.

9. Combination of Agriculture with Manufacturing Industries; Gradual Abolition of the Distinction Between Town and Country by a More Equable Distribution of the Population over the Country.

10. Free Education for All Children in Public Schools. Abolition of Children's Factory Labor in it's Present Form. Combination of Education with Industrial Production.

Pattern Giveaway

2011-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

A friend passed this along to me. Enter into the giveaway to win the pattern!

http://sensibility.com/blog/a-new-pattern-company-and-a-giveaway/

Holly and the Ivy

2010-12-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

Throughout the Celtic lands of Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, holly and ivy were symbols of victory won. Holly, representing masculine triumph, and ivy, representing feminine triumph, were often woven together as a sign that men and women need one another. Homes were decorated during Advent with both—often woven together—as a picture of the healthy family under God’s gracious providential hand.

(hat-tip to George Grant)

Sleigh Rides

2010-12-22T07:05:00.001-08:00

Mimicking the supposed pattern of pastoral care practiced by Nicholas of Myra, the sleigh ride—particularly on Christmas Eve—gradually was woven into the joyous celebration of Christmas. Beginning in Scandanavia, spreading to Germany, England, Scotland, and finally New England, the sounds of the jingling bells, the tramping of horses through the snow, and the brisk wind through the trees became essential elements in provoking the Yuletide Spirit.

(hat-tip to George Grant)

Never fear!

2010-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

I am in the middle of writing several posts in my new series. Unfortunately, my laptop is in the repair shop, so I have extremely limited internet access. Once I get it back, expect a flurry of posts (hopefully).

What have I gotten myself into?

2010-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

I am hesitantly going to start a series of posts. Hesitantly, because I've never done something like this before, and I don't know if I'll be able to stick to it. Really, my life isn't busy enough. I ought to be able to make time for this, right? We'll see....

So here's the theme; the life of Christ. I'm going to start with history leading up to Christ's birth, till he is finally born on Christmas day, then follow his life till his death on Easter. Scripture, quotes, and exegesis.

This first post is kind of a cheat actually. I didn't write this next part. It came from George Grant's blog. But I thought it was appropriate.

"The holiday season—what we generically just call Christmastime—is actually a long sequence of holy days, festal revelries, and liturgical rites stretching from the end of November through the beginning of January that are collectively known as Yuletide.

Beginning with Advent, a time of preparation and repentance, proceeding to Christmas, a time of celebration and generosity, and concluding with Epiphany, a time of remembrance and thanksgiving, Yuletide traditions enable us to see out the old year with faith and love while ushering in the new year with hope and joy.

It is a season fraught with meaning and significance. Unfortunately, it is also such a busy season that its meaning and significance can all too easily be obscured either by well-intended materialistic pursuits—frenzied shopping trips to the mall to find just the right Christmas gift—or by the less benign demands, desires, wants, and needs which are little more than grist for human greed. The traditions of Yuletide were intended to guard us against such things—and thus, are actually more relevant today than ever before."

God and Evil from Iron Ink

2010-11-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

"God is not the author of evil simply because whatever God sovereignly determines to come to pass, cannot, by definition, be evil. Since God is good, all that God does is good. If God has not declared that it is evil for himself to metaphysically cause evil, then man is evil to say that it is evil for God to do so. Joseph implicitly confessed that God caused the evil that was visited upon Joseph (Genesis 50:20) but Joseph was wise enough to see that the same action that God caused and that his Brothers caused was differentiated by the reality that God’s metaphysical causation of that evil was for good while the his Brother’s temporal causation of that same evil was for evil. The difference was motive. Do not miss here that God caused the “evil” but because God caused it, it was an evil that was intended for and resulted in good.

I would contend that this is why God is not the author of evil. God is not the author of evil because it is literally impossible for a divine being to do or cause anything that is evil. God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass and because God is good whatsoever that comes to pass, is a reality for which God cannot be charged as the author of sin."

--Pastor Bret McAtee on Iron Ink

Blessed beyond comparison

2010-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Just getting around to posting this. I hope to do one of these every month, sometime. Hopefully, they'll get longer and longer. :)

Good Things 10-28-10

1. Not having to rake the leaves because the wind blew them away

2. Friends who text you in the middle of the night

3. Getting woken in the middle of the night by a text that says you are loved

4. Finally getting that chord progression right on the guitar without looking

5. A family of believers who are united by one belief

6. Someone who agrees with you in the midst of a crowd who disagrees.

7. Someone who cares for you even when you screw up

8. Siblings not blood-related

9. The smell of fresh herbs on your hands

10. Music that says exactly what you’re trying to say

11. Dancing

12. The funniest sister in the world

Reformation Day 2010

2010-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little late, Reformation Day was October 31st. But I did want to post something anyways. Here's a bit from Wikipedia about the day.

"According to Philipp Melanchthon, writing in 1546, Luther "wrote theses on indulgences and posted them on the church of All Saints on 31 October 1517", an event now seen as sparking the Protestant Reformation."

Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone)
Sola Fide (through faith alone)
Sola Gratia (by Grace alone)
Solus Christus (in the finished work of Christ alone)
Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God alone)

"A Vagabond Song" by Bliss Carmen

2010-10-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood--
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
And my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets my gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Good quote

2010-10-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

"It is the love of God for the Christian which causes them to fear Him, while for the pagan it is their hate of God which drives them to fear Him. Undoubtedly, both these fears are born of the same thing; respect for his sovereignty, yet each of the fears are born of a different verb and therefore are totally different.
The first, the fear born of love, is not the fear of punishment but the understanding of His Sovereignty and His Awesomeness. It is a fear that finds its beginning in reverence and awe, causing the Christian to praise God daily for His loving-kindness and mercy. Pouring out into every aspect of life, this fear assists the Christian to be sanctified.
The second is a fear twisted and tortured by hatred, for fear is a Godly passion. It is the fear of punishment and the recognition of the eternal damnation to come. This hate-driven fear is what causes a man to fall farther and farther into the path of darkness. Constantly bringing death and mayhem wherever it goes, this fear can only be conquered through Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit."

Visionary

2010-10-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we miss the meaning of a song when we sing it, so try reading it.

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

So funny! This played before WALL-E in theaters

2010-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Pixar.Short.Presto.2008.BluRay FULLHD from SUNKO on Vimeo.

Polycarp - A Father of the Christian Church

2010-09-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

We learned a little about Polycarp in our Christendom class this morning, so I looked up more about him and this is what I found.

"Polycarp is a celebrated figure in the history of Christianity. A direct pupil of the apostle John, Polycarp lived between 70 and 155 A.D., connecting him to both the biblical apostles and the age of the early church fathers. Several ancient sources document the contributions of Polycarp to Christianity, including his letters written to the church at Philippi, in which he encourages the members to remain strong in their faith and to flee from materialism. He also instructs the members in the proper handling of financial dishonesty that was creeping into the church. Polycarp served as the bishop of the church at Smyrna (modern day Izmir), and was recognized as one of the early combatants of Christian heresies. He rejected the teachings of Marcion, an influential heretic who tried to create a "new brand" of Christianity by redefining God and rejecting Old Testament teachings. In his well-known thesis, Polycarp combats Gnostic heresies that were beginning to spread throughout the Christian church.

Polycarp's greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most well documented events of antiquity. The emperors of Rome had unleashed bitter attacks against the Christians during this period, and members of the early church recorded many of the persecutions and deaths. Polycarp was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake.

2010-09-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a portion from the book Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle. She can be a little strange at times, but also brilliant, as in these two paragraphs.

Robert Lindner, author of Rebel Without a Cause, The 50 Minute Hour, etc. Concludes in Must We Conform? That society today shows all the clinical symptoms of psychosis. This isn’t the first time that a civilization has suffered from collective insanity, but one of the gravest dangers is the loss of the distinction between vision and delusion. Far too often today children are taught, both in school and at home, to equate truth with fact. If we can’t understand something and dissect it with our conscious minds then it isn’t true. In our anxiety to limit ourselves to that which we can comprehend definitively, we are losing all that is above, beyond, below, through, past, over that small area encompassed by our conscious minds.

The result of this artificial limitation is rebellion. The destructive rebellion is the most apparent—the alarming rise in the number of juvenile delinquents, the school dropouts, the continuing dependence on drugs. But there is also constructive rebellion on the part of our kids, as in their rediscovery of fairy tale, fantasy, myth; needle-work, and stained glass and ceramics; dancing and singing and baroque music; surely their passion for the Pachelbel canon is a passion for order in a disordered world. And they love the combination of order and delight in a Bach fugue.

Good Advice.

2010-09-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say no to projects that won't fit into your schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and declutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in you every day.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

2010-09-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some pictures from around our place.

Here's Sarah with her 'I'll-smile-and-let-you-take-my-picture-if-you-really-want' face.

Magnificent basil plant in our front flower garden.

Row of fall lettuces my mom put in, also in the front yard.

Chickens in the front yard, right where they don't belong.

"Moving along..."

Peaches with her chicks

Part of our overrun garden, which my mom has been clearing out.

My garden! Tomatoes and Basil.

Some of my beautiful tomatoes, which need to start turning red now!

Red on the maples already?! :-)

This one always turns early.

Peach tree.

Peach...yum...

Walnut tree

You would think we were gearing up for a bonfire? ;-)

And the blueberry farm across the street.

FIXED!

2010-08-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yay! I figured out how to fix the design of my blog!!! Like???

Blog design?

2010-08-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

My blog design seems to be messing up, and I was wondering what you guys saw. When I view my blog in Firefox, the design is a dark gray. When I view it in Internet Explorer, it's the flower design that I'm trying to apply. Just wondering if its the same for my readers?

Parisian Love

2010-08-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Just found this gorgeous song...

2010-08-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Love
by John Denver

Perhaps love is like a resting place
A shelter from the storm
It exists to give you comfort
It is there to keep you warm
And in those times of trouble
When you are most alone
The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window
Perhaps an open door
It invites you to come closer
It wants to show you more
And even if you lose yourself
And don't know what to do
The memory of love will see you through

Oh, Love to some is like a cloud
To some as strong as steel

For some a way of living
For some a way to feel

And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go
And some say love is everything
And some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

And some say love is holding on
And some say letting go

And some say love is everything
Some say they don't know

Perhaps love is like the ocean
Full of conflict, full of change
Like a fire when it's cold outside
Or thunder when it rains
If I should live forever
And all my dreams come true
My memories of love will be of you

8-3-10

2010-08-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sitting under the stars, cool night, all still.
Looking up, at ten thousand stars reminds me of going to the planetarium, seeing the world as God sees it.
Now, looking up, I see it all again but smaller.
Big Dipper, Orion's Belt - I remember you.
And the Milky Way - a white streak across a black sky.
And look there...lightning in the West, though the sky is clear.

John Calvin quotes

2010-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice."

"True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self."

"However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts."

"A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers."

“Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day; set him on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.”

“You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy”

“God tolerates even our stammering, and pardons our ignorance whenever something inadvertently escapes us - as, indeed, without this mercy there would be no freedom to pray”

>:P

2010-07-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

Hormones...yuck.

Blah

2010-07-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

I feel a really strange urge to post something. Perhaps something about myself. I never post anything about myself. Perhaps it's because I don't think people will be interested. Perhaps it's because I don't want this blog to turn into a diary.

Just a bit moody (again) today. Just want an easy fix, like Motrin. I know better than that, though. And I'm tired too. But it will all pass, as it always does. Low to high, high to low.

What else is there? I love my life, but it feels like there's something waiting for me. I hate it when that happens, because I'm not good at all at figuring stuff like that out. I can be a bit dense sometimes.

Maybe it's just the weather. Bright warm sun would be nice.

I feel like going out and taking pictures. Somehow that is becoming part of me. Capturing moments. Capturing pieces of joy. I took that picture of myself at the top. Did a bit of editing with Picnik. I think it turned out pretty well.

Well, that's all I have to say right now. At least it's another blog post. Updating give me a feeling of accomplishment.

2010-07-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

1. The Ten Indians by Agatha Christy (finished) : My second Agatha Christy, really good.

2. The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer : My second time with this book, is about how to be creative in everyday life.

3. Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis : One should always be reading Lewis

4. Cross of Christ by John Stott : Recommended by a friend, have yet to begin it.

5. Living for God's Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism by Joel Beeke : VERY good book

6. The Everything Guide to Herbal Remedies by Martha Connors : Have yet to begin

7. Healing with the Herbs of Life by Lesley Tierra : My second time with this book, has some really good information

8. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Balch : Book for school, very long and detailed.

Hard Words, Necessary Words

2010-07-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, I read the book Easy Chairs, Hard Words by Doug Wilson. This blog-post is mostly my notes which I took while reading, organized in an orderly fashion. If the content of this post interest you, I would highly suggest the book. It was very easy to read and understand.

God knows all and has predestined all. (Isaiah 46: 9-10) He has even decided who is elect for salvation and who are not. (Ephesians 1: 5) But the accusation here is, "If I am elect, then my sins won't damn me, and if I am not, then all the good works in the world won't save me." (From Easy Chairs, Hard Words) How is this fair? And how can we still be held responsible for our actions? Or as Romans 9: 12-14a says, "It was said to her, 'The older shall serve the younger.' As it is written, 'Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.' What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?"

But Romans 9:14b- goes on to say, "Certainly not! For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."

So obviously, it is not up to us who God elects and who God damns. It is "according to his good pleasure" (Eph. 1:5 again) that he has decided. So, how can sinners be held responsible and punished for their sins when it is God who foreordained it all? (1 Peter 2: 8) As Romans 9: 19 says, "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?'"

Paul answers in the next few verses, "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory..."

As another example; Acts 4: 27-28, "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done." And Luke 22: 21-23, "But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

Christ's betrayal and death were predetermined by God, for God's glory and our justification. But killing an innocent man was still sin. The people of Israel were still guilty for Christ's death. Just as we are still guilty for sin we commit, even when God has foreordained it.

Now it might seem here that we have no choice (free will) at all. Here I would like to quote Easy Chairs, Hard Words again. "We have come to that subset of God's eternal decree which we call election. It is here that we most desperately want to reconcile God's choices with man's freedom. But it is also here that the task becomes impossible, for the simple reason that at this point man has no freedom....How can we reconcile a non-existent attribute of man (the freedom to make a moral choice) with the sovereignty of God? There is nothing to reconcile. When God calls a man, He creates freedom. When we become Christians, God is not violating our moral freedom--He is creating it. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

We are the characters in God's story, and He is the author. Another quote from Easy Chairs, Hard Words; "'If the finite Shakespeare can produce, by his will, fictional characters who have all the freedom necessary for their 'level of existence,' then why cannot the infinite God create real individuals, with real free agency, without surrendering His control? Because God's resources are infinitely greater than Shakespeare's, He has the power to write history and create characters who have true freedom.....without having His characters write the play."

I would like to close with Deuteronomy 32: 4. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” Whatever charges we might have against Him, we must remember that He is the ultimate Good.

HER PLEA

2010-06-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

HER PLEA.
by Ethelwyn Wetherald

Tread lightly, lightly, eager feet,
For every footfall when we part,
And every footfall when we meet,
Awakes my heart, awakes my heart.

Speak shyly, shyly, pleading eyes,
The yearning message you impart,
For all your questions and replies
Are in my heart, are in my heart.

Steal softly, softly, sweetest tone,
The tender springs from which you start
To flow into mine ear alone
O'errun my heart, o'errun my heart.

Love gently, gently, Love of mine,
Through all the years where'er thou art,
For every quick'ning thought of thine
Doth stir my heart, doth stir my heart.

Quotation

2010-06-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." - Edward Abbey

"A Christian must always be ready to defend his God against his church." - Rachel Bacon

Time to Say Goodbye

2010-06-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Time to Say Goodbye
(it's the song that started playing on my blog)

When I'm alone
I dream on the horizon
And words fail
Yes, I know there is no light
In a room where the sun is absent
If you are not with me
At the windows
Show everone my heart
Which you set alight
Enclose within me
The light you
Encountered on the street

I'll go with you
To countries I newer
Saw and shared with you
Now, yes, I shall experience them
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them

When you are far away
I dream on the horizon
And words fail
And yes, I know
That you are with me
You, my moon, are here with me
My sun, you are here with me

I'll go with you
To countries I never
Saw and shared with you
Now, yes, I shall experience them
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them again
I'll go with you
On ships across seas
Which, I know,
No, no, exist no longer
With you I shall experience them again
I'll go with you

I with you

Napoleon

2010-05-18T17:12:00.001-07:00

One French Republican, by writing and analyzing, has produced the following:–

Which, being arranged in the form of a sentence, gives, ‘Napoleon on o leon leon eon apoleon poleon‘–which is the Greek for ‘Napoleon, being the lion of the people, was marching on, destroying the cities!‘

– Appleton Morgan, Macaronic Poetry, 1872

I made it!!!!!

2010-05-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hey! I'm doing fine! The worst part was the IV in the arm, but I was only aware of that for a minute or so before drifting off. I remember waking up and walking out and trying to send a text message to my friends to tell them I was ok, and having a hard time doing that. After that, I don't remember the drive home, which consisted of stopping by the store, stopping by McDonalds, and picking my brother up from the library. Got home, lay down on the couch, and slept for about two hours. Woke up and felt pretty good, just a bit woozy. Can remember everything after that. :) Watched "You've Got Mail" and "Rear Window" last night. I'm mostly up and about today, but probably will do a lot of resting on the couch. Plan to go to L'Abri tonight! And, I'm very thankful to have avoided the "chipmunk" look! (:P to Christian *hehe*) Thank you all so much for all the prayers!

Prayers please.

2010-05-04T08:55:00.001-07:00

I'm having my wisdom teeth removed Thursday at 2 pm. This is my first surgery, and I'm pretty scared of needles. Here's the rundown--laughing gas, then an IV in my arm, then shots in the mouth. I just hope that I'll be "out" by the time they get to my mouth.... I'm planning on being up and around by Friday, as we have L'Abri that night. Then Saturday we have an open house and I'm thinking of going to Titanic again. So I'd appreciate prayers! Thanks!

Wonderings???

2010-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

If you had to lose either your voice, your hearing, or your sight, which one would you choose? And why?

Quote for today...

2010-04-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

"Raining all night; sometimes soft, sometimes loud; like a choir's song"

- Anonymous

Follow me...

2010-04-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

I was totally excited the other day, when I got on Blogger to find that I now have 4 followers! Last time I had checked, I only had one. Thanks, people!

Sharing my lunch with you...

2010-04-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today, for a late lunch, I made myself a green smoothie and a cup of rosehip tea. I thought I would share them with fellow Bloggers as some friends have expressed curiosity in the green drinks I have started making.

For the green smoothie, my first ingredient was lettuce. Spinach will work just as well, and actually does not affect the taste at all in my opinion. But lettuce was all we had in the house today. I usually just put a cup or so of water in the blender first, so that it does not end up really chunky, but we had orange juice in the house so I used that instead. Water is just fine if you have that. The juice did add a very nice fruity flavor.

We are stocked up on frozen bananas and blueberries in our freezer, so those are what I usually use. I also found a couple frozen strawberries too, which I threw in. I found that they changed the color to a deep red, instead of a very muddy green. Also, one thing I have found with frozen bananas is that the flavor does deteriorate in the freezer over time. I think we have cycled through all our old ones now and I have been enjoying the taste of the fresh ones.

Next, I throw in a teaspoon of kelp powder, which is especially good for females who tend to need the iodine that most seaweeds contain. I get mine from a small health food store in Grand Ledge called Wild Oats. I got 0.46 lb and it was only $1.61, but it will last me quite a while. One teaspoon a day is fine. The powder has a strong seaweed smell, but you can’t taste it at all in the drink.

Then, I went outside to collect greens from the yard. Dandelion leaves are good for cleaning out your body. I picked 3-4 smallish ones to use. They do add a very distinct bitter flavor, so be sure to pick the smaller ones, and only use a few. Last Sunday, I tried making a green drink with dandelion as the main green, and it turned out so nasty, that I had to throw it all out. So do be careful how much you put in. The orange juice did blend really nice with the dandelion taste. If there is a chance that the leaves could have gotten sprayed with pesticide from neighboring fields or they grow close to the road, I wouldn’t use them.

Last, I picked a couple peppermint shoots that were coming up in the flower bed. Peppermint is overall good for just about anything!

I also got dried rosehips from Wild Oats on my trip there today. I have been struggling with a cold due to stress and lack of sleep from Seussical show week. Rose hips have a TON of Vitamin C in them. I found that they actually taste like dried tomatoes! The tea had a slight tomato soup flavor to it, but not nasty at all. I didn’t add honey, it didn’t really seem appropriate with the tomato. ;) Drank it all down, and so hopefully I will be feeling better soon!

Hope you enjoyed this descriptive narrative of my lunch!

Fall and Spring

2010-04-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

by Ethelywn Wetherald

From the time the wind wakes
To the time of snowflakes,
That's the time the heart aches
Every cloudy day;
That's the time the heart takes
Thought of all its heart-breaks,
That's the time the heart makes
Life a cloudy way.

From the time the grass creeps
To the time the wind sleeps,
That's the time the heart leaps
To the golden ray;
That's the time the joy sweeps
Through the depths of heart-deeps
That's the time the heart keeps
Happy holiday.

The Human Touch

2010-04-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

by Spencer Michael Free

’Tis the human touch
in this world that counts,
The touch of your hand and mine,
Which means far more
to the fainting heart
Than shelter and bread and wine.
For shelter is gone
when the night is o’er,
And bread lasts only a day.
But the touch of the hand
And the sound of the voice
Sing on in the soul always.

Resurrection Day

2010-04-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

“And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air. And the Shadow departed, and the Sun was unveiled, and light leaped forth; and the waters of Anduin shone like silver, and in all the Houses of the City men sang for the joy that welled up in their hearts from what source they could not tell.” Pg. 941 LotR

and -
“’Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?’ ‘A great Shadow has departed,’ said Gandalf, and then he laughed, and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count. It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears. Then, as a sweet rain will pass down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased, and his laughter welled up, and laughing he wprang from his bed. ‘How do I feel?’ he cried. ‘Well, I don’t know how to say it. I feel, I feel’ – he waved his arms in the air – ‘I feel like spring after winter, and sun on the leaves; and like trumpets and harps and all the songs I have ever heard!’ Pg 930 LotR

and -
“The days that followed were golden, and Spring and Summer joined and made revel together in the fields of Gondor. And tidings now came by swift riders from Cair Andros of all that was done, and the City made ready for the coming of the King.” Pg. 942 LotR

Compare to Matthew 28: 5-8
“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.”

Day before Resurrection Day

2010-04-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

“And so they stood so, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it. And still they waited for they knew not what. Then presently it seemed to them that above the ridges of the distant mountains another vast mountain of darkness rose, towering up like a wave that should engulf the world, and about it lightnings flickered; and then a tremor ran through the earth, and they felt the walls of the City quiver. A sound like a sigh went up from all the lands about them; and their hearts beat suddenly again.” Pg 941 LotR

Good Friday

2010-04-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

“Over the city of Gondor doubt and great dread had hung. Fair weather and clear sun had seemed but a mockery to men whose days held little hope, and who looked each morning for news of doom. Their lord was dead and burned, dead lay the King of Rohan in their citadel, and the new king that had come to them in the night was gone again to a war with powers too dark and terrible for any might or valour to conquer.” Pg. 937 LotR

“’Well, this is the end, Sam Gamgee,’ said a voice by his side……’For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.’” Pg. 926 LotR

Compare to Luke 23: 46-48
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, 'Certainly this was a righteous man.' And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.”

Palm Sunday

2010-04-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

“Thus came Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur’s heir, out of the Paths of the Dead, borne upon a wind from the Sea to the kingdom of Gondor; and the mirth of the Rohirrim was a torrent of laughter and a flashing of swords, and the joy and wonder of the City was a music of trumpets and a ringing of bells…..But before all went Aragorn with the Flame of the West, Anduril like a new fire kindled, Narsil re-forged as deadly as of old, and upon his brow was the Star of Elendil.” Pg 829 LotR

Compare to Matthew 21: 8-11 -
“And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.”

“When he had looked on the faces of the sick and seen their hurts he sighed. ‘Here I must put forth all such power and skill as is given to me,’ he said." Pg 845 LotR

and -
“As he followed Gandalf and shut the door Pippin heard Ioreth exclaim; ‘King! Did you hear that? What did I say? The hands of a healer, I said.’ And soon the word had gone out from the House that the king was indeed come among them, and after war he brought healing; and the news ran through the City.” Pg 848 LotR

and -
“At the doors of the Houses many were already gathered to see Aragorn, and they followed after him; and when at last he had supped, men came and prayed that he would heal their kinsmen or their friends whose lives were in peril through hurt or wound, or who lay under the Black Shadow. And Aragorn arose and went out, and he sent for the sons of Elrond, and together they laboured far into the night. And word went through the City; ‘The King has come again indeed.” Pg. 852 LotR

Compare to Matthew 21:15 -
“And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.”

and Luke 7: 20-22-
“When the men were come unto him, they said, ‘John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?’ And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, ‘Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.’”

Youtube channel

2010-03-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

I now have a Youtube channel! My user name is Rakie1991. I uploaded a very funny video which my mom and I made last Sunday. We had so much fun! And I think it turned out pretty funny! :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRdT7x4n9KU

Courtesy of Dr. George Grant

2010-03-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Post-Health Care Reform Resolves
1. Pray more. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
2. Listen first. James 1:19
3. Work harder. Colossians 3:23
4. Serve others. Galatians 6:9
5. Defend life. Proverbs 24:11-12
6. Grumble less. James 5:9
7. Do justice. Amos 5:24
8. Love mercy. Micah 6:8
9. Walk humbly. Proverbs 15:33
10. Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
11. Trust Jesus. Revelation 19:6

In light of our nation's situation....

2010-03-25T07:31:00.001-07:00

MY ORDERS.

My orders are to fight.

Then if I bleed, or fail,
Or strongly win, what matters it?

God only doth prevail.

The servant craveth naught
Except to serve with might.

I was not told to win or lose,—
My orders are to fight.

Lenten prayer

2010-03-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

by Me

Die, die to yourself,
And to everyone else;
Die to the life you've been given.
Give yourself up
To the pain and the death
In the journey that leads to the Cross.

Look, look at yourself
And give up all hope
of courage and strength within.
Turn outward your gaze to the Christ of the Cross,
For life with abundant joy.

March 16th, 2010

2010-03-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

March 16th, 2010

Sitting outside, with my back against the house,
Sipping warm, creamy chai; the spice
Of winter lingers in my mouth,
While the sun warms my bones.

Gentle breeze lifts my paper
Blackbird calls from the edge of the pond,
Which has no ice on it now, well,
A little bit far down there.

The sun tingles on my skin
So white, could I get a tan
Sitting here five minutes more?
Not yet, I have to thaw first.

A hen and rooster are scratching in the dirt
He tries to tackle her and she runs off
Fluffing her feathers in disgust,
But perhaps she likes him just the same.

"Poem"

2010-03-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

Poem
by Wendell Berry

Willing to die
you give up
your will. Keep still
until, moved
by what moves all else, you move.

Pictures for a Librophiliac

2010-02-16T07:03:00.000-08:00

http://curiousexpeditions.org/?p=78

So, so beautiful!

R.J. Rushdoony

2010-02-06T10:54:00.000-08:00

"History has never been dominated by majorities, but only by dedicated minorities who stand unconditionally on their faith"

Elinor Dashwood....of course :)

2010-02-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.

Take the Quiz here!

Early Winter

2009-12-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Winter Snow
by Antonio

Night has conquered, days are shortening.
Leaves have fallen, frost is whitening.

Then lightly falling on the forest,
Softly floating o’er the fields,
Fiercely masking mountains steep
Slowly freezing mighty lakes.

Out of the gray and cloud-filled heavens
From the powerful Lord afar
Pure clean whiteness glaring bright
Blinding men with a glorious sight.

Swirling and whirling while floating and coating,
Dancing round then drifting down.
Quickly covering every dwelling,
A blanket white laid on the realm.

Each flake lovely by itself,
Skillfully harmonizing to create
The earth so strikingly radiant
The earth so dazzlingly brilliant.

Soaring intricacies, marvelous complexities,
Glinting and gleaming, frosting and freezing.
Swiftly snowing o'er the world,
Dancing to a song unsung.

Hate and Love

2009-11-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

There are those among us who hate instead of love. There are those who hold on to grudges, and who make themselves to be better than others. The temptation is to hate these people. And yet, while it is just to hate what they do, it is not right to hate them. We are not any better than they, for all have sinned and fallen short. God calls us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and to do good to those who hate us. The only way to overcome hate is through love.

Thoughts on John Calvin’s “Institutes of the Christian Religion”

2009-09-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

“Of His wonderful wisdom, both heaven and earth contain innumerable proofs; not only those more abstruse things, which are the subjects of astronomy, medicine, and the whole science of physics, but those things which force themselves on the view of the most illiterate of mankind, so that they cannot open their eyes without being constrained to witness them…….In disquisitions concerning the motions of the stars, in fixing their situations, measuring their distances, and distinguishing their peculiar properties, there is need of skill, exactness, and industry; and the providence of God being more clearly revealed by these discoveries, the mind ought to rise to a sublimer elevation for the contemplation of His glory.”

“Thus it belongs to a man of preeminent ingenuity to examine, with the critical exactness of Galen, the connection, the symmetry, the beauty, and the use of the various parts of the human body. But the composition of the human body is universally acknowledged to be so ingenious, as to render its Maker the object of deserved admiration.”

“The manifold agility of the soul, which enables it to take a survey of heaven and earth; to join the past and the present; to retain the memory of things heard long ago; to conceive of whatever it chooses by the help of imagination; its ingenuity also in the invention of such admirable arts,--are certain proofs of the divinity in man.”

It is important to keep in mind that Calvin published his Institutes in 1559. Today, in our scientific world, we know so much more about the heavens, the earth, and the human body than men in Calvin’s day did. And yet, even then, Calvin was able to say with the psalmist; “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” How much more evidence for God is there today? And yet, men still refuse to believe.

2009-09-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

Dear God,

Thank you for children. Thank you for knowledge, even though sometimes those children don’t care about it. Thank you for questions and also for their answers. Thank you for the future.

Thank you for unanswered prayers, so that I may trust You with my life.

Thank you for Fall; for apples, for red and yellow and orange, for crisp weather, for hazy light.

Thank you for family, and friends who are family. Thank you for wise friends who always say the right thing.

Thank you for happiness and small joys. Thank you for the beautiful little things. Thank you for laughing. Thank you for tears. Thank you for love.

Amen.

'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee

2009-08-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

'Tis not that I did choose Thee,
For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst Thou not chosen me.

Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old Thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to Thee.

'Twas sovereign mercy called me
And taught my opening mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heavenly glories blind.

My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first.

--385 in the Psalter Hymnal

HUMOR FOR LEXOPHILES (Lover of words)

2009-07-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U.C.L.A.

The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

A will is a dead giveaway.

With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulting in linoleum blownapart.

He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: a jab well done.

More on Predestination and Election from Me

2009-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Acts 2:22-24

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6

“And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.” Deuteronomy 29:2-4

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44

“Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” John 17:1-2

“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God…” 1 Corinthians 1:1

“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.” James 1:18

In this post, I am not going to specifically answer questions, because they have hopefully already been answered. However, I am still going to write more on predestination. I hope what has already been written has answered your questions and that this post will make sense in light of the answers given to your questions.

If man is actually able to choose God, then he’s obviously not totally depraved, as the Bible says. As Martin Luther said, "It is not in your power to turn to God. If you think that it is in your power to turn to God you have missed the whole Reformation and don't understand total depravity. It is not in your power to turn to God. You are a sinner, you're dead, you're eaten up with corruption. Every free choice of yours is evil and not good. So how can we turn to Him who is light, righteousness, holy and good?" Also consider Romans 3:10-11, “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” How can one who is “dead in their trespasses and sins” choose God? Therefore, the doctrine of human ultimate free will rejects that man is totally depraved. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the garden, they died spiritually. If they were only sick, they could choose salvation or not, but God said that they would “surely die”. Without God choosing us, we would all be damned.

Comments are welcome (as always). I wish I could write more, but a lot has already been written here on this subject.

Response to Josh from Bret McAtee

2009-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is unfortunately not my writing, but my pastor's. It was too long to publish in the comments section, so I'm posting it here. My own defense of predestination and election will be coming soon.

Josh asked,

First, what glory does God gain by forcing us to choose Him? (or not to choose Him)

Response,

1.) We are not forced to choose God. We choose God freely in light of the Holy Spirit’s work of releasing us from the thralldom of our sinful nature. Once one is released from the bondage of sin they freely choose Christ every time. So, until we are born again we cannot close with Christ but once we have been born again by the Spirit through the Word we choose Christ freely every time. This is not an opinion but rather a truth that is clearly taught many places in Scripture – one prominent place being Ephesians 2:1-10.

2.) Second, God gains glory by being the sole author of our salvation. Were we to be necessary and instrumental to our salvation then God would have to share the glory, but Scripture clearly teaches that God does not share His glory with another. Salvation, from beginning to end is all God’s work and it being all God’s work this brings Him glory. What great glory accrues to God that He would provide complete reconciliation to repentance given sinners who deserved nothing but His opposition and wrath.

3.) The idea of irresistible grace (God choosing us) is everywhere taught in Scripture. One of the most prominent places being John 1:10-13. Even were we, for some strange reason not like the idea of God’s sovereign choosing, we are hardly in a position to argue with God’s word.

Josh asked,

Second, what is the reason for the Great Commission, and what hope can we show the world, if no one has any choice?

Response,

The reasons for the great commission are

1.) Obedience – God commands us to be witnesses. The command does not require my understanding as to how God’s ends comport to His means.

2.) The necessity to have someone who proclaims the Gospel (Romans 10:9). God has not only predestined ends but He has also predestined means to ends. The means to the end of people being gathered to Christ is the proclamation of Christ crucified.

3.) The hope that we can have is that God chooses. Since sinners are dead in their trespasses and sins (totally depraved) they are totally unable to convert themselves or contribute to their conversion. But the great hope that we have is that God will send forth the Spirit of the living Christ to cause His elect to hear our stammering Gospel presentation. Part of the Gospel is that God, because of the work of Christ on the Cross that accomplished salvation, has given sinners such as us hope. He has not left us where we deserved.

Josh writes,

Third, If free will is not what we think it is, and God predestines all of our actions, like an author writing a story, how is it possible for God's people to sin? And why would He punish them for an action over which they had no control?

Response,

If free will is what you appear to think it is then God is not free to do what God wants. What God is limited by is the freedoms of humans choosing contrary to what God would have them choose were God really sovereign. Fortunately passages like Romans 9 and Ephesians 1 clearly teach the understanding of predestination that Rachel has begun to hint at in her post.

Secondly, predestination does not negate human responsibility. It is possible for God’s people to sin because we still contend with the sinful nature.

Let’s take David for example. David was one of God’s people and yet we know all about his sin against God in the affair w/ Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Now, certainly God predestined this but David, Scripture teaches, sinned because He gave into His own desires (James 1:13f). Further Scripture teaches in Acts 2:23 (Also Acts 3:18, 4:28) that God predestined the crucifixion of the Son and yet in that same passage Peter is holding them responsible for the death of Christ.

As to your question as to why God punishes them when they have no control, we must first examine Romans 9:19-21 where we find the same objection you’ve raised here raised there and the answer is given that the creature is in no place to find fault with God. But were we to examine this a bit closer we would say that people have a natural ability to control themselves even if they do not have a moral ability and it is for the natural ability refusal to obey God that God punishes them.

But let’s reverse engineer this a moment. If God is not absolutely sovereign to the degree that the Scriptures clearly teach then why do you bother praying to Him? After all, a non-sovereign God can’t be trusted to have the control necessary to answer prayer. And if God is not absolutely sovereign then why bother worshiping Him? After all, is a non-sovereign God that is limited by the Free will of humans really worth worshiping? And if God is not absolutely sovereign then how do we know that whatever is said in Scripture will come to pass? After all, a God limited by the free will of humans may end up getting his promises and purposes thwarted in the end. These are issues you must really come to terms with before you jettison the absolute sovereignty of God.

Josh asks,

I have no problem with the idea that whatever actions we take, God is able to bring good (and with that good, glory to Himself) from the results of those actions. Thus predestining us for His glory. (none of what I have said is meant to suggest that God is not sovereign, and I don't think that God's sovereignty and humanity's free will are at odds).

Response,

Now, let’s be honest. Your seeming embrace of libertarian free will does indeed mean that God is not sovereign. For every bit of absolute free will you give to humans you take that much away from God.

Second, I quite agree that God’s sovereignty and humanity’s free will are not at odds. Humanity’s free will is what is called a contingent secondary freedom. Our free will is secondary to and contingent upon God’s free will. Were we to give humans libertarian free will we would invest them with the freedom of God’s will and of course Scripture doesn’t teach that and so it will never do.

Josh,

I also believe that God is humble, not proud, it seems to me to be the course of a proud and unjust tyrant to force a people to worship him against their will.

Response,

That is a very unfortunate way of phrasing things Josh. To suggest that the God of the Bible is a unjust tyrant makes my eyes hurt just to read it. I trust you’ve learned by now from what I’ve written that people never worship God against their will. It is only when the Benevolent God releases people from Satan’s tyranny that for the first time they willingly and gladly desire to worship God.

Josh,

God is not willing that any should persish,

Response,

You’ve taken this snippet of scripture out of context. In context the verse is teaching that God is not willing that any of His people should perish.

Josh,

but if someone truly wants nothing to do with Him, He will, eventually, give that person what they desire. This is what C.S. Lewis believed really sent people to hell, their desire to seperated from God.

Response,

This is not what Scripture teaches, despite what C. S. Lewis taught. Scripture teaches that we should fear only Him who can cast body and soul into Hell. God is the one who casts people into Hell, though certainly they are cast there because they do desire to be separated from God. Indeed, so deep is their hatred of God that if they were to be in heaven it would probably be as Hell to them. (Consider Lewis’ “Great Divorce.”)

2009-07-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am starting to write this blog post and wondering how it will turn out. I have an idea to start with, but I’ll probably end up straying far off topic into new topics. So I have no clue whether this will be a really long post or a pretty short one.
First of all, I want to say that I hope what I have to say does not offend any of my readership. I don’t want to give any wrong impressions here—I am not out to criticize or condemn any one who reads here. Having said that, I will continue without holding back.
The only word I can think of to begin my rant with is sorry; or maybe distressed or saddened. Sorry for the decisions that my friends are making. Not all are friends, some are merely acquaintances, and some are people who I’ve never really liked. But it’s all the same; poor decisions, bad decisions.
The first thing in specific that saddens me is good relatively-strong Christians (or at least to all appearances) who go to churches that teach mostly fluff and half-truths. Churches that do not teach a person to defend their faith against attacks. Churches that teach that we have to do something to get salvation. [Side note: This includes churches that teach that it is up to Us to reject or accept Christ and His Grace. This doctrine does not give God all his proper power, instead, it give Us power over God to reject or accept Him if we want.] Churches that do not take firm stands on issues in the culture such as evolution, abortion, homosexuality, politics, economics, education, etc. [Side note: Religion includes all of these issues and more; religion creates culture.] Churches whose worship looks more like a “youth group” than a time to worship and learn of God. It is so sad to see good friends and well-meaning Christians going to these kinds of churches. Sometimes I wonder why they can’t see why these people, people who you would think are rational enough to think through things, just going along with whatever everybody else believes, or just believing what they are told. What is the solution to this? Well, of course I would say everybody should come to my church. But then, everybody else could say this too. Of course I’m biased. But I have to say, my family and I are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful church body with such a wonderful pastor. [Side note: Wonderful is not a sufficient adjective to describe how wonderful our pastor actually is. Shameless plug here for his blog – www.ironink.org ] I was talking to one of my best friends the other day whom I haven’t seen in quite a while and she told me that they were going to a new church. She said that she was going through a time of “making her faith her own” and that the church that they had been going to was not “relevant” enough for them. She said this new church was just so wonderful, all their friends went there, and there was a huge emphasis on prayer. Now I have no problem with a huge emphasis on prayer, but the way she put it, they were looking for something that met Their needs. Church shouldn’t be about meeting Our needs. Church isn’t supposed to make us feel all spiritual and good. And this new church sounds non-denominational too; which basically means to me that they can pick and choose which doctrines they wish to believe instead of having to affirm all the doctrines their denomination approves. But anyhow, back to more or less on topic, I wish everybody could go to our church. I know that’s very subjective, but I truly wish it. When we moved to Michigan, we were “converted” from Baptist to Calvinist; a huge change. It is amazing to look back on it all and see God’s hand guiding us. We could have so easily became one of those families who went to a huge mega-church with a youth group and fluffy doctrine. [Side note: I will not elaborate here on why I don’t like youth groups—another blog post, another day.] I am so thankful to God for what He’s done to us in these past 6 years or so.
The second thing which saddens me is people who go to fairly strong churches (not ours, unfortunately) and make huge mistakes. One example that weighs heavy on my mind is an acquaintance of mine who I just found out is courting someone. The problem is that she’s 15-16 and has been “courting” for about 9 months now. Wait a minute! Isn’t courtship supposed to not happen until you’re ready for marriage? Who of us is ready to get married at 14-15? Clearly, this relationship is recreational only and therefore should be classified as dating and not courtship. [Side note: I will not here go into all the “evils of dating.” Suffice it to say that dating is preparation for divorce.] I also have two other sets of friends/acquaintances who are “courting” and although they are older, they are obviously not ready for marriage. It is so sad to see dating under the guise of courtship enter and become the norm for Christians. One has to be strong to go against the flow and have Biblical relationships. [Side note: I love these side notes! Ok, that was all......]
That’s all I have on my mind at this moment. My post has ended up longer than expected by myself, so I’m happy. I hope my writings have not offended or insulted anyone who has read this. If they have, please feel free to comment and complain. If they haven’t, please feel free to comment, ask questions, point something out you think I have missed, or compliment. I absolutely love getting responses from people. Adieu until next blog post.

Yours truly.

Question for ALL readers

2009-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, you must comment...

First, I'd like to see how many people are reading my blog. Even if this is your first time reading my blog, please comment.

Second, as to the content of my blog, would you rather I start posting stuff I have written, or are the quotes and poems fine, or would you like a mix of both? Just wondering what people are thinking out there!

Rachel

Poem

2009-06-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

During his Courtship...

by Charles Wesley

Christ, my Life, my Only Treasure,
Thou alone
Mould thine own,
After thy Good pleasure.

Thou, who paidst my Price, direct me!
Thine I am,
Holy Lamb,
Save, and always save me.

Order Thou my whole Condition,
Chuse my State,
Fix my Fate
By thy wise Decision.

From all Earthly Expectation
Set me free,
Seize for Thee
All my Strength of Passion.

Into absolute Subjection
Be it brought,
Every Thought,
Every fond Affection.

That which most my Soul requires
For thy sake
Hold it back
Purge my Best Desires.

Keep from me thy loveliest Creature,
Till I prove
JESUS' Love
Infinitely sweeter;

Till with purest Passion panting
Cries my Heart
'Where Thou art
Nothing more is wanting.'

Blest with thine Abiding Spirit,
Fully blest
Now I rest,
All in Thee inherit.

Heaven is now with Jesus given;
Christ in me,
Thou shalt be
Mine Eternal Heaven.

So true....

2009-06-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”

--Martin Luther

Our dreams are never first; God's always are. If we forget this, God will never satisfy any dreams we have. It is only when we give our dreams to Him and put Him first, that He begins to bless us abundantly.

2009-06-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, this isn't mine either, but if it wasn't good, I wouldn't be posting it!

I asked the Lord, that I might grow

(John Newton)

I asked the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know;
And seek more earnestly His face.

Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust has answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair!

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He'd answer my request;
And by His love's constraining power,
Subdue my sins--and give me rest!

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part!

Yes more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe!
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds--and laid me low!

"Lord, why is this!" I trembling cried,
"Will you pursue your worm to death?"
"This is the way," the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith."

"These inward trials I employ,
From self and pride to set you free;
And break your schemes of earthly joy,
That you may seek your all in Me!"

:)

2009-06-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

PINK!!!!

Poem by Me

2009-06-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is homework, but at least it's my own.

How do you know?

It is vain to trust your emotions,
Do not put your hope in intuition,
For as the heart is deceitful,
So are feelings—above all things.

Faith and love will guide your path;
Faith and love of God.
Love Him perfectly—
You can do; anything you please.

Look for God’s guidance in your life,
Search for wisdom as rare gold
God will give to those who seek
All in good timing.

Poem by Bradstreet

2009-06-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a new post, even if it's not my own.

Meditations When My Soul hath been Refreshed with the Consolations which the World Knows Not

By Anne Bradstreet

Lord, why should I doubt any more when Thou hast given me such assured pledges of Thy love? First, Thou art my Creator, I Thy creature, Thou my master, I Thy servant. But hence arises not my comfort, Thou art my Father, I Thy child; "Ye shall be My sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty. Christ is my brother, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, unto my God and your God; but lest this should not be enough, thy maker is thy husband. Nay more, I am a member of His body, He my head. Such privileges had not the Word of Truth made them known, who or where is the man that durst in his heart have presumed to have thought it? So wonderful are these thoughts that my spirit fails in me at the consideration thereof. and I am confounded to think that God, who hath done so much for me, should have so little from me. But this is my comfort, when I come to Heaven, I shall understand perfectly what He hath done for me, and then shall I be able to praise Him as I ought. Lord, having this hope, let me purify myself as Thou art pure, and let me be no more afraid of death, but even desire to be dissolved and be with Thee, which is best of all.

May 8th - Quote

2009-05-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

"If Christianity is really true, then it involves the whole man, including his intellect and creativeness. Christianity is not just "dogmatically" true or "doctrinally" true. Rather, it is true to what is there, true to the whole area of the whole man in all of life."

Francis Schaeffer

Quote for 3rd week of April

2009-04-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

“Men must choose to be governed by God or they will condemn themselves to be ruled by tyrants.”

--William Penn

New Quote

2009-04-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."

--Prov. 27:9 KJV

I've been too busy to write up a nice sized post lately, or even (probably you already noticed) to do quotes every week. But I'll do my best and try to have one out by the end of this week.

Rachel

And why do we like FDR?

2009-03-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

“I should like to have it said of my first administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I would like to have it said of my second administration that in it these forces met their master." ---FDR

Quote of the Week

2009-03-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

"Dead fish go with the stream, living ones against it." --William Tiptaft

"Submission or Insurrection?" written by Bret L McAtee

2009-02-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

“It is the submission only of the body, not of the soul. Humbled before the God who chastises him, the Calvinist remains the relentless judge of the despot who oppresses him. There are submissions more deadly to tyranny than insurrections would be.”

Emil Doumergue--Calvin la fondateur des libertes modernes – pg. 14

This may be the best quote I’ve read in a very very long time.

Christians in America submit with their bodies to the pagan state but their spirits burn hot against the state for its grasping at the prerogatives of God, for its effeminate attempt to provide temporal salvation, and for its ongoing purposeful attempt to reduce the citizenry to abject slavery. We may submit with our bodies but but such submission does not communicate that the wicked state rules us or sits in judgment of us. No – a thousand times no – we as Calvinists, sit in relentless judgment of the Despot and Usurper. The Calvinist knows that it is only a matter of time until God sets things rights and the Calvinist can patiently wait until that time arrives. Because this is so the Calvinist can laugh at the Despots usurpations and tyranny because the Calvinist knows that payday someday is coming down on the Despotic state. It is these kind of submissions that are more deadly to tyranny then a thousand insurrections would be. This kind of submission is the wind of behavior that will reap the whirlwind of certain coming insurrection.

Quote of the Week

2009-02-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

"A people who would trade freedom for security are a people who have abandoned Jesus Christ, who, because he makes us free keeps us secure. When we look for security – which is a form of salvation – in human agencies we turn our back on Christ and embrace idols, and the result is that God turns us over to be enslaved by those idols we have turned to in lieu of the Lord Jesus Christ." --Bret L McAtee

Quote of the Week

2009-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

"Those who will not exhibit self-control or self-government often find themselves being governed by harsher means. Better to control yourself than to loose your freedoms at the control of others." --Gary DeMar, God and Government

Should Lincoln really be our hero???

2009-02-05T10:22:00.001-08:00

PLEASE READ THIS! YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT HOW LITTLE YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT A. LINCOLN.

Eager to proceed with his black resettlement project, on August 14, 1862, Lincoln met with five free black ministers, the first time a delegation of their race was invited to the White House on a matter of public policy. The President made no effort to engage in conversation with the visitors, who were bluntly informed that they had been invited to listen. Lincoln did not mince words, but candidly told the group:

“You and we are different races. We have between us a broader difference than exists between almost any other two races. Whether it is right or wrong I need not discuss, but this physical difference is a great disadvantage to us both, as I think your race suffers very greatly, many of them, by living among us, while ours suffers from your presence. In a word, we suffer on each side. If this is admitted, it affords a reason at least why we should be separated.

... Even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race ... The aspiration of men is to enjoy equality with the best when free, but on this broad continent, not a single man of your race is made the equal of a single man of ours. Go where you are treated the best, and the ban is still upon you.

... We look to our condition, owing to the existence of the two races on this continent. I need not recount to you the effects upon white men growing out of the institution of slavery. I believe in its general evil effects on the white race.

See our present condition -- the country engaged in war! -- our white men cutting one another's throats, none knowing how far it will extend; and then consider what we know to be the truth. But for your race among us there could not be war, although many men engaged on either side do not care for you one way or the other. Nevertheless, I repeat, without the institution of slavery, and the colored race as a basis, the war would not have an existence.

It is better for us both, therefore, to be separated.”

An excellent site for black resettlement, Lincoln went on, was available in Central America. It had good harbors and an abundance of coal that would permit the colony to be quickly put on a firm financial footing. The President concluded by asking the delegation to determine if a number of freedmen with their families would be willing to go as soon as arrangements could be made.

Horace Greeley, editor of the influential New York Tribune, called upon the President to immediately and totally abolish slavery in an emphatic and prominently displayed editorial published August 20, 1862. Lincoln responded in a widely-quoted letter:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union ..."

It amazes me that we think of Lincoln as our hero. If you want more information about Lincoln and the issue of race, read this site: http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v13/v13n5p-4_Morgan.html -which is where I got all my information for this note.

Ps. Don't be afraid to comment and disagree with me, this note was written to be controversial.

Quote of the Week

2009-02-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --John Adams.

Question for my Esteemed Readers

2009-01-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

If you read or follow my blog at all, could you please comment on this post? I would like to see how many people read what I write.

Also, I'm thinking of changing the way I do "Quote of the Week." Instead of putting it on the side, I would put it as a post, that way people who visit less than once a week can see quotes from past weeks.

Any imput?

Time

2008-12-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

I wish I had time to just write and write....but I don't. I did have something half written out yesterday, but after reading it again today, I trashed the whole thing. So maybe I'll start writing in the middle of the night, like Anna. :)

Poem

2008-12-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Lord, I am hungry
I will fill My servant
Lord, I am ignorant
I will teach him My Word

Father, I am tired
I will lift you up, My child
Father, I am lonely
I will never leave you, My child

Why does the Lord hide His face?
That you would seek Me, My child
Why has He emptied me?
That I may fill you, My child

"The White Rose" leaflet

2008-11-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

This is a leaflet which was circulated during World War I in Germany by an anti-socialist group called The White Rose. I have copied it out to post it here. It should be an inspiration to our young people today as our own government seeks to take away our freedoms.

Fellow Fighters in the Resistance!

Shaken and broken, our people behold the loss of the men of Stalingrad. Three hundred and thirty thousand German men have been senselessly and irresponsibly driven to death and destruction by the inspired strategy of our World War I Private First Class. Fuhrer, we thank you!

The German people are in ferment. Will we continue to entrust the fate of our armies to a dilettante? Do we want to sacrifice the rest of German youth to the base ambitions of a Party clique? No, never! The day of reckoning has come – the reckoning of German youth with the most abominable tyrant our people have ever been forced to endure. In the name of German youth we demand restitution by Adolf Hitler’s state of our personal freedom, the most precious treasure we have, out of which he has swindled us in the most miserable way.

We grew up in a state in which all free expression of opinion is unscrupulously suppressed. The Hitler Youth, the SA< the SS have tried to drug us, to revolutionize us, to regiment us in the most promising young years of our lives. “Philosophical training” is the name given to the despicable method by which our budding intellectual development is muffled in a fog of empty phrases. A system of selection of leaders at once unimaginably devilish and narrow-minded trains up its future party bigwigs in the “Castles of the Knightly Order” to become Godless, impudent, and conscienceless exploiters and executioners – blind, stupid hangers-on of the Fuhrer. We “Intellectual Workers” are the ones who should put obstacles in the path of this caste of overlords.

Soldiers at the front are regimented like schoolboys by student leaders and trainees for the post of Gauleiter, and the lewd jokes of the Gauleiters insult the honor of the women students. German women students at the university in Munich have given a dignified reply to the besmirching of their honor, and German students have defended the women in the universities and have stood firm…. That is the beginning of the struggle for our free self-determination – without which intellectual and spiritual values cannot be created. We thank the brave comrades, both men and women, who have set us brilliant examples.

For us there is but one slogan: fight against the party! Get out of the party organization, which are used to keep our mouths sealed and hold us in political bondage! Get out of the lecture rooms of the SS corporals and sergeants and the party bootlickers! We want genuine learning and real freedom of opinion. No threat can terrorize us, not even the shutting down of the institutions of higher learning. This is the struggle of each and every one of us for our future, our freedom, and our honor under a regime conscious of its moral responsibility.

Freedom and honor! For ten long years Hitler and his coadjutor have manhandled, squeezed, twisted, and debased these two splendid German words to the point of nausea, as only diletttantes can, casting the highest values of a nation before swine. They have sufficiently demonstrated in the ten years of destruction of all material and intellectual freedom, of all moral substance among the German people, what they understand by freedom and honor. The frightful bloodbath has opened they eyes of even the stupidest German – it is a slaughter which they arranged in the name of “freedom and honor of the German nation” throughout Europe, and which they daily start anew.

The name of Germany is dishonored for all time if German youth does not finally rise, take revenge, and atone, smash its tormentors, and set up a new Europe of the spirit. Students! The German people look to us. As in 1813 the people expected us to shake off the Napoleonic yoke, so in 1943 they look to us to break the National Socialist terror through the power of the spirit. Beresina and Stalingrad are burning in the East. The dead of Stalingrad implore us take action. “Up, up, my people, let smoke and flame be our sign!” Our people stand ready to rebel against the National Socialist enslavement of Europe in a fervent new breakthrough of freedom and honor.

The Form and Content of Poems

2008-11-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

Right now, I am reading a book which my ancient literature teacher recommended called “Realms of Glory,” by Leland Ryken. The book is about how literature is to be understood in light of a Christian worldview. And while I do intend to write more on the Rushdoony book (which I still need to continue reading), I wanted to share my notes on the chapter on Poetry. The first section of the chapter is called “The Form and Content of Poems.”

The Form and Content of Poems
In the field of classical literature, poetry is often forgotten. However, it should be read and enjoyed just as much as stories. The greatest mistake in reading a poem is to read it like a story. Poems, however, are radically different from stories. The first obvious difference is that they are shorter. Poets have less time in which to describe the human experience, as all literature does to some extent. While a story gives more of a comprehensive picture of life, poetry gives more of an idea or a feeling. It can be meditative or assertive, reflective or emotive.
The basic pattern for poetry is “theme-and-variation.” The theme is the dominant idea or feeling that unifies the poem. The variation is where the poet develops the theme by different means. In Psalm 23, one of the most well-known poems ever, the poet’s theme is providence and God’s provision for his creatures. The variations are the “progression of images that picture a shepherd’s daily activities.” In the variations, it is shown “how” the shepherd provides. So the variations then are examples that support the theme.

Random Thought

2008-10-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

God is the basis for all things because he created all things. Since God is the basis of rationality (because he created it), then without God, we have no justification for rationality. If we believe that God is God, then we live that way and become more like true humans; rational and moral. However, if we believe that man is God, then we can have no justification for rationality and become more like beasts; irrational and immoral.

God's Glory

2008-10-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Why does the sun rise every morning? –For God’s glory

Why do the seasons change? –For God’s glory

Why are we on this earth in this time and place? –For God’s glory

Why did Christ come? –For God’s glory

Why do bad things happen? –Ultimately for God’s glory

Why did God create the world? –For God’s glory

Why are you alive? –For God’s glory

Why is America turning her back on God? –Ultimately for God’s glory

Even in dark times, we always need to remember that in the end, everything is to God's glory. God is in control at all times and he works everything out for His glory.

Rachel

Clarification

2008-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to clarify why I chose the current quote of the week. I chose it because it's not the truth.
The way that Victor Hugo is using it is to say that people who pray are proving that they believe that there is a God, which Hugo says is ignorance. No matter how majestic or august the prayer, it is still ignorance in Hugo's eyes.
The truth is, prayer is an humble avowal of insufficiency; our insufficiency to take care of ourselves all on our own. It is also at the same time an avowal of God's sufficiency and his omniscience.

I will continue once in a while to chose quotes that aren't true so that I can critique them. If I forget again to write something on one of them, just email me and remind me.

Rachel

Quotes

2008-10-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

One sees qualities at a distance and defects at close range.
Victor Hugo

Qualities seen at a distance are more beautiful at close range.
Rachel Bacon

Housekeeping ain't no joke.
Louisa May Alcott

Housekeeping isn’t any joke.
Rachel Bacon

An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.
Ernest Hemingway

An intelligent man is sometimes forced to pretend to be drunk so that the fools don’t kill him.
Rachel Bacon

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.
Ronald Reagan

All great change in America begins at the school desk.
Rachel Bacon

Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough, you can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.
J.M. Barry

Dreams do come true, if we only work hard enough.
Rachel Bacon

A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it.
George W. Bush

A dictatorship might seem easier at first, but in the long run, it’s much harder.
Rachel Bacon

Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.
Madeleine L’Engle

Inspiration usually comes after work, rather than before or during it.
Rachel Bacon

There is another old poet whose name I do not now remember who said, "Truth is the daughter of Time."
Abraham Lincoln

There is an old book which says, “Truth is the Son of God.”
Rachel Bacon

Sorry

2008-10-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,
sorry that I haven't posted anything lately. I will continue to post on the Rushdoony book I'm reading, but I haven't read the next chapter yet. However, when I do get it read, I'll write something.

Quote

2008-10-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

I like this quote regarding evolution.

"There are so many "missing links" that the chain itself is missing"

This quote is from my World History syllabus written by Greg Uttinger.

The Apostles' Creed

2008-10-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Lately, I’ve run out of things to talk about besides what I’ve been doing, which I’m sure can get just a bit boring. So I’ve decided to write a bit on what I’ve been reading for my Systematic Theology online class. I have just started reading “The Foundations of Social Order” by R.J. Rushdoony. The first chapter is called “The Apostles’ Creed and Creedalism”.

The word creed comes from the Latin “credo”—I believe. Therefore, a creed is any confession of faith by the members of a church. As there is no church that does not require some sort of assent as condition of membership, there is no church that does not have a creed. Even those people who say “No Creed but Christ” do not realize that this statement is actually a creed; a statement of belief.

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary;
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried
He descended into Hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy Catholic Church
The communion of saints;
The forgiveness of sins;
The resurrection of the body;
And the life everlasting.

The Apostles’ Creed is different from other creeds of other religions in that it offers a synopsis of history. As Rushdoony said, “The whole creed therefore is a declaration concerning history.” The creed immediately establishes that God is the creator of all things. This means that God is the source of all ethics, morality, law, etc. If God is the true and only source of everything, then the Word of God must be applied to not only the church, but the school, state, family, etc. Here we must notice as Biblical creedalism has declined, so has the Biblical canon of law.
“Biblical creedalism…is passive because it affirms an act of redemption by the triune God of which man is simply the recipient by grace” Man, under God, lives his life in terms of true law. Thus, Christian creedalism is basic to Christian (and till of late Western) society.

I hope I have made sense to everyone. If you have any comments, questions, critique, please feel free.

Jon's deer

2008-09-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

Most of you probably know already, but my brother, Jonathan, got two deer this year in the early doe season. I can't upload pictures of them onto my blog however, the computer's too slow. But I thought I'd let everyone know. If you must have pictures, email me or my mom and we can send them that way.

Quote of the Week

2008-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed yet, there's a new quote of the week. I hope to get a new one up every Monday morning. Enjoy!

Assignment for everyone

2008-09-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

ok, so I really love when people post comments. :) so, can everybody post comments, please? lol. thanks ahead of time!
all you need is a google account (go to google.com and sign up for a free account if you don't have one already) and then go to the bottom of my post and click where it says how many comments there are. After that it's really easy. But if you still can't figure it out, email me.

Rachel :)

CAST LIST!!!!!!!

2008-09-18T06:27:00.000-07:00

THE CAST LIST IS IN!!! I'M SOOO EXCITED!! I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I GOT, I'LL SEND YOU TO THE HPA SITE. HERE'S THE DIRECT LINK TO THE LIST--http://www.hpami.org/index.php?pr=Lansing__Cast_List

Wow, I can't believe I actually got that part. I've heard from my theatre friends that it's a really big singing part. Now I can't wait till rehearsals start up. ----October 10. Wow again. :)

Rach

Piano

2008-09-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today is our third piano lesson. And I'm really not prepared. Some people may find it hard to believe, but I really have a hard time practicing for a long time. And when my piano teacher tells me that I should be practicing at least an hour a day, I start stressing out. I have enough music that if I practiced hard on each piece, I would be able to practice for probably longer than an hour. But as I said, I really don't like it. Don't lecture me either, I know it's wrong but I haven't found a way to fix my problem. However, if you have ideas on how to fix the problem, I would be grateful. :)

Rachel

Orchestra tonight

2008-09-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the second night this year of orchestra through HSMA (home school music association). This year, I'm in the first violin section, which means that I'm sitting closer to the front and playing the melody as opposed to harmony most of the time. Which is very nice. But the music is still a little easy. At the first practice, I was reminded (again:)) how different playing in an orchestra is compared to playing solo and taking private lessons. Not only do you have to think about how you sound, but how you sound compared to everyone else. Even if you are hitting the note perfectly on tune, if everybody else is different from that than that means that you have to adjust your tuning, not them. Plus, you can't watch your music all the time or let your eyes wander or whatever, you have to watch both the conducter and the violinists in front of you. I really enjoy playing in an orchestra, however. After I graduate, I'm hoping on getting into a community orchestra or a symphonic orchestra. However, my last violin teacher was in the Battle Creek orchestra and she was near the back of the orchestra (meaning that there were quite a lot of people who are better than her in the orchestra). So my point is, I don't know how easy it will be to get into one. We'll see, however. Got to go, my brother is pestering me for the computer.

Rachel

Results

2008-09-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

hey everybody, sorry it took so long to get back about auditions, but I did try to post and my computer just sort of fizzled out on me. Can't write much now, but I wanted to at least say that they went pretty well. I'm not sure if I have a chance at Liesl, but hopefully I'll get at least a nun. The auditions were actually a lot of fun, but they took about three hours because it was sort of a group audition. Anyhow, suffice to say that we find out the cast list this next week. Probably not before Friday. I can't wait!

Rachel

HPA auditions today!

2008-09-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I'm not very nervous. Whenever I'm not nervous, something usually goes terribly wrong. I hope it goes well.

By the way, if you want to leave a comment, click the button right below the post that says how many comments there are. I've been asked several times how to leave a comment so I thought I'd better just make it clear. :)

Now, on to weightier subjects... I said that I would tell you what I'm planning for post-high school, so I think I'll do that now. I am not planning on going to college next year. Instead, I'm going to study CLEP (college level examination program) tests. With CLEP tests, you study the subject (such as Government, Biology, Algebra) with the recommended reading material and then take a CLEP test at a testing center. If you pass (passing grade is only 50) then you get counted as taking that subject in college. Some colleges don't accept any CLEP tests, some take only some of them, and some take any of them. This summer, I've been studying for the Biology CLEP because last year I did biology. I'm hoping on taking the test sometime in the next couple weeks.

Anyway, I'll write more later. If you have any questions or comments, feel free.

Rachel