CatHouse Chat

I hope his words are heard

MEMRI TV has a video clip (look for #1363, "Bahraini Liberal Author Dhiyaa Al-Musawi" [link is to transcript]) that is a must-see. Now, I don't know a whole lot about Mr. Al-Musawi, but he looks a lot like a "moderate Muslim."

Why haven't we heard more from Muslims like him?

You ought to read the transcript (or watch the video) for yourself, but let me give you some quotes:

... We have not developed even to the point of admitting defeat. We [have to] admit our cultural defeat. In the past, we had a civilization in Andalusia and in many other places, but today we are regressing – we export violence, we terrorize whole countries, we threaten national security, and many other things. [...]

...This problem has political reasons, but who pays the price? The country, society, civil society, and the young man, who is being told that the black-eyed virgins await him at the gates of Paradise, and that all he has to do is kill himself, to slaughter himself. He might blow up his family and children to get the virgins of Paradise. This is the language and culture of death. We were not born into this world in order to die this way. The beauty of Man lies in his living for the sake of his homeland, not in dying while booby trapping others. [...]

In my home, I put up a picture of Jesus, because whenever I look at his picture, worlds of peace and love open up before me. It was Jesus who said: "Love thy enemies, bless them who curse thee." We need this beautiful language in our society. I also have a picture of Gandhi, whom I consider to be a very fine person, and whose [image] we should plant in the minds of our youth. [...]

Some of us say: "May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, the offspring of apes and pigs." Is this the language of progress? Is this the language of enlightenment and tolerance? If you had been born in Rome, you would have been Christian, if you had been born in Tehran, you would have been Shiite, and if you had been born in Saudi Arabia, you would have been Sunni, and so on. How wonderful it would be if all these people could gather in love around the table of humanity.

Wow. Incredible!

Perhaps there is some hope for the Islamic world - if they listen to voices of reason like Mr. Al-Musawi.

As I said, read the whole thing!

I know - "resoltions 2007" hasn't been going too well...

... but God is gracious and merciful, and He offers second, third, fourth - and ZILLIONTH! - chances! I am very greatful for that.

My last "proper" resolution post was back on the 19th, and we were in Genesis - but as of today, we've finished Genesis and have read all the way up to Exodus 11 and 12 for today. The last Psalm I mentioned was the 9^th, and now we're pondering Psalm 18:1-12. Proverbs 3 is complete, and today's selection is Proverb 6:1-5. Fortunately, we're not yet out of Matthew, but I'd stopped posting (BAD Kat!) back in chapter 13, and I'm reading Matthew 20:17-34 today. Matthew's account is getting closer and closer to the Cross, and I really need to start focusing again.

I apologize for my laziness to anyone who's been coming by and checking for these Biblical meditations.

Now, I'm going to go read my selections, and I'll update this post with my thoughts for today when I'm done. So... Be right back!

UPDATE: OK, so I wasn't right back... ;-)

The passage in Exodus which we are reading today deals with the final plague on Egypt: the death of the Firstborn. This is one of the plagues which had the possibility of affecting the Israelites, and so in verses 12 and 13, God tells them:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

The blood of the Passover Lamb painted on the door posts and the lintel: a foreshadowing of the Blood that would be shed on the Cross as the true sacrifice for sin. As it says in Hebrews,

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

...But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Each of the sacrifices and ceremonies Israel celebrated pointed forward to her Messiah, the Chosen One. Jesus was the one Perfect Man, who fulfilled the Law of God on our behalf, and then offered Himself up as a sacrifice to pay for our sins.

Now, look at this interesting verse later in Exodus 12:

And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

Ah-hah! This blessing - this protection and mercy - is offered only to God's chosen people... But God gives a way for even the stranger to come in to the family. Even today, on this side of the Cross, God shows us His gracious welcome to all who come:

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Even when we were enemies of God, God made a way:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. [emph. added]

Isn't it amazing how God is so forgiving and gracious? All the sin we have, and all our rebellion against God can be forgiven and wiped away, if only we will come to Him as He commands. If we will only take Him at His Word and trust Him with all our mind, heart and soul, He will welcome us into His family, and all of Heaven will rejoice that another lost sheep has been redeemed from the pit of Hell and come home.

       

I'd be tired, too

This goes along very well with my previous post.

Blackfive posts a letter from a Sergeant in Afghanistan, and you should go over and read it. Here's a quote:

I am tired of begging to be turned loose so that this war can be over.

Those of us who fight this war want to win it and go home to their families.  Prolonging it with attempts to do things like collect “evidence” or present whiz bang briefings on a new plasma screen TV is wasteful and ultimately, dulls the edge of our Infantry soldiers who are trained to kill people and break things, not necessarily in that order.

We are not in Iraq and Afghanistan to build nations. We are there to kill our enemies. We make the work of the State Department easier by the results we achieve.

It is only possible to defeat an enemy who kills indiscriminately by utterly destroying him. He cannot be made to yield or surrender. He will fight to the death by the hundreds to kill only one or two of us.

And so far, all of our “games” have been “away games,” and I don’t know about the ignorant, treasonous Democrats and the completely insane radical leftists and their thoughts on the matter, but I would like to keep our road game schedule.

So let’s get it done. Until the fight is won and there is no more fight left.

Like I said. Read it all.

Duncan Who? 2.0

One Wise Girl, over at Spark It Up!!!, asks Kilo the same question I would - who is Duncan Hunter? She links an excellent and fairly long interview at ABC News (is that with George Stephanopolis? [sp?]).

Wow! Quite impressive... He's certainly hitting the right notes on the issues I consider important, although I'll need to check out his website more carefully. I also need to double check his voting record (here as well), do that I can see if he does what he says.

The main stumbling block at the moment is, of course, *ka-ching!* MONEY.

But he's looking really good!

It's my fault...

... that the Darling Munchkin has issues - poor baby, she got a nosebleed this morning. She's handling it with good grace (perhaps because she will be delayed getting to school?), but what a pain!

Fortunately, her nose is fairly tame - I remember hour long "visits" with the sink - so I guess my weak-nasal-blood-vessel genes have been strengthened by the Beloved Husband's, LOL!

Well, time to go check to see if she gets to lounge at home all day... and then I've got to do my Bible reading!

The Father's Song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all

The Father's song
The Father's love
You've sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

CHORUS:
Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song
Heaven's perfect mystery
The King of love has sent for me
And now You're singing over me
The Father's song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
[Thank You, Lord]

The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

CHORUS

[Let us sing Your song over us tonight, O God
The song of Your grace, the song of Your love
Yes, Your song brings me joy]

Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song

The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart
[You've written it in love
You've written it in grace
Into the depths of our hearts
Father, thank You!]      (by Matt Redman, from his album Blessed Be Your Name)

Indeed, Father - thank You!

The LORD your God in your midst,   
      The Mighty One, will save; 
      He will rejoice over you with gladness, 
      He will quiet you with His love, 
      He will rejoice over you with singing.”   (Zephaniah 3:17, NKJV)

Goals for tomorrow

All right. Since today was so successful (see previous post), tomorrow I have GOT to get caught back up with my Bible reading, and my Resolutions 2007 commitment.

... I also need to fold laundry and put it away, but somehow that's not quite as thrilling and interesting, is it?

... Mm, I could also finish sewing my baby quilt strip sets, press them out, and then do the sub cuts.

... I could make a third soup (Potato Leek - should I add asparagus too?).

... I also could scrub bathrooms.... Naahhhh!

*snicker*

Sorry, folks - just late-night-what-do-I-need-to-do-tomorrow babbling... Have a good evening, and I'll "see" you tomorrow!

Oh, I was a busy girl today!

I was just dying to cook, and I've been needing to bake bread for the longest time, so let me show you the numminess which now inhabits my kitchen:

I didn't think to take pictures until the Gingered Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup was done. Maybe next time, I'll finally get around to doing another Café del Gata Roméo episode (*snicker*) and show you how it's done, as well as giving you the recipe. It's the easiest thing, and very VERY tasty!

(Oh, and that Ziploc bag? It's full of carrot and potato peelings for my friend's chickens. She says they slurp up carrot peelings like spaghetti, and I can't wait to see it! I'm lucky, 'cause my friend keeps me well supplied with really good eggs, too.)

There's 8 pounds total of carrots and sweet potatoes in there, but I share this soup out, and what stays at home quickly disappears into some ravenous tummies...

I also made some whole wheat potato bread -

There it is, all tucked up and cozy for its first rise. The book in the picture is Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, and it uses only whole flours - no processed white "bread flour." I like that, because I mill my own 100% whole wheat flour (thanks to a grain mill Mom gave me awhile back). There are lots of very good recipes in there - one of these days, I'm going to try one which uses egg in the dough, because they look very good, too.

While the bread was rising, I had my second soup simmering on the stove top: Chicken Vegetable, which is easily turned into Chicken Noodle, simply by adding... NOODLES! I have decided not to make the soup with noodles, though. They tend to get soggy and pasty if I put them in now, so if I want noodles, I'll add them as I heat up the soup later.

I went to get the Munchkin from school and drop her off at her riding lesson (4H tonight, as well), and then came rushing back here to put the dough to the second rise. Then I shaped it and put it in the loaf pans for their final proof -

And there - all ready to be shoved into the oven

Put them in the oven, pulled the chicken out of the soup to cool (turned the heat off, too), and buzzed back down to pick up my darling child, and zoomed right back.

The bread came out of the oven looking luscious, and as it cooled off, I  prepared the chicken meat and returned it to the soup

I'll pop the soup in the fridge and then skim the fat - of which there really wont be much, amazingly enough - in the morning. I'm going to share out this soup, too. The Munchkin's riding teacher is a wonderful lady and has a fun husband (and they're both conservative, woo-hoo, LOL), so I thought I'd treat them since I like them so much.

I also had a fan by my side -

Tasha, the co-dependent wonder dog. See those front feet on the Pergo floor? She hates the Pergo; she won't even come inside if that carpet isn't there by the kitchen door. But, since I was tossing her the chicken skin and a couple small pieces of gristle (no bones - I was careful, I promise), she risked the floor. Silly dog...

Oh, hey, look! The bread's ready:

After it cooled for a bit, I sliced it up

Now, something that looks so delicious simply must be sampled - purely for quality control, right?

So, do you think it passed?

YES!!!!

You Are Most Like Ronald Reagan

People tend to think you're a god - or that you almost ruined the country. But even if people do disagree with you, they still fall victim to your charms!

What Modern US President Are You Most Like?

YES YES YES YES!!!

Oh, happy dance!

(HT and a big thank you to Tidewater Musings)

Farewell, Gallant Heart

[photo courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com]

Today, Barbaro, the winner of last year's Kentucky Derby has been put down. It's been almost a year since his terrible injury, and it was a roller coaster of ups and downs. Yesterday he took a turn for the worse after battling laminitis in his left rear and an abscess in his right rear.

You can see the 2006 Derby here (click the "Kentucky Derby 132" link), as well as the 2006 Preakness, where Barbaro shattered his leg.

It's a Carnival! (Well, the Virginia Blog Carnival...)

Southwest by Southeast has this week's Virginia Blog Carnival up (wow, early!) and it's filled with bloggy goodness...

So go check it out!

Well, which is it?

My blog brother, DJ over at Right Wing Liberal, posts about a lovely flip-flop by our darling new junior senator. DJ mentions two articles, the first quoting Sen. Webb’s response to the State of the Union speech

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq. [emph. added]

and the second a transcript from CBS’s Face the Nation (.pdf file, page four, about 2/3 of the way down)

... I don’t believe that there is any politician who has the right to say that he or she is speaking for the troops, for the military.

Note in the first quote that there’s an interesting little thing Webb says: he doesn’t want a “precipitous withdrawal,” and yet he quickly talks about an “immediate shift” and “in short order.” Now, I understand that the nuances of the word “precipitous” can imply disorganization and confusion (”done with very great haste and without due deliberation” [Link]), nevertheless it appears the Democrats’ position still focuses on haste.

Then of course, combined with the second quote, it appears that Sen. Webb speaks for the military (and for a beautiful fisk of that, see McQ’s Saturday post, “Fact Checking Jim Webb”)... except that he doesn’t think politicians can speak for the military.

Ooooooo-kay, well, which is it?

Ah! I see! Politicians can’t speak for the military, except if they’re Democrats proposing a cut ‘n’ run strategy. If you’re a Republican politician (and not a RINO), you can’t speak for the military, ever.

Gotcha.

"Hillary is Electable"

But we need a name for the fanclub.

*snicker*

A warning to Sen. John Warner

I just sent this to Sen. Warner's office:

Senator, have you read about this pledge?

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

I've signed it.

Should you support such a resolution, please be aware that I *will* remember, and I *will* do what  I can to see that you are not re-elected. If you vote in favor of such a cowardly and despicable resolution, you are effectively spitting in the face of our brave troops, and giving aid and comfort to our enemy.

As a conservative Republican, I am disgusted with my party in general for falling away from the founding principles of our party. I abhor the pandering and the kowtowing to the enemies of America and the slavish adherence to political correctness. Please find a moral compass AND a spine, and stand for these principals with honor and courage.

Sincerely,
Kat
www.CatHouseChat.com

Admittedly, I am simply a small fry - a concerned citizen. Nevertheless, I am voicing my opinion. If enough of America voices their outrage at such cowardly and dastardly "resolutions," perhaps our so-called "leaders" will actually remember who they work for...

(UPDATE: Crossposted to TWC, and WAR)

Oh, how true!

They've got me pegged exactly!

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Thanks, Vivian!

To damn with faint praise

I mean, c'mon:

Plus, Markos doesn't like her.

Oh, that's cold...!

(Nevertheless, I'm still in the "No way in hell!" camp.)

Calling all Republicans

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

Sign it.

NOW.

And then call your Senator (hello, Senator Warner!) and 'splain the situation...

First Annual Bloggers' Day, Richmond, VA

As you know, I was up in Richmond yesterday along with more than a dozen other bloggers, at the invitation of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Mr. Bolling's Chief of Staff, Randy Marcus, had set up the event, and it was an excellent mix of conversation with the Lieutenant Governor, and an opportunity to see how Virginia's government works.

I got into the city early - just in case I got lost, you know! LOL - and wandered around Capitol Square before meeting at Mr. Bolling's office at 102 Governor St.

The AARP was holding a rally which focused on long term medical care. It was just getting started, and I didn't stay long - but I will say that their Virginia leader's speech sounded like it was straight off the teleprompter. He needs a bit of help being "human" in his speeches,I think.

As I walked back up the hill (to the right in the photograph), I stopped to admire and take pictures of the monument to Virginia's greatest son, and our first president, George Washington.

I always get shivers of awe up and down my spine when I'm reminded of these giants - human, fallible giants, yes, but still GIANTS - who founded our country. Truthfully, I think if I were to point to one thing as evidence of God's Providential hand on this country, I would point to the life of George Washington. The grace, humility, self-control, and sheer determination this man displayed throughout his life astound and inspire me.

We need another man or woman - heck, we need a battalion of men and women - of his level of character to lead this country. *sigh* I'm sorry to say I don't think we'll get them (not in politics, anyway). I think we're getting exactly what we deserve, mostly.

At any rate, I went to the Lieutenant Governor's office (I am just going to give up and abbreviate that to LG) down around the corner. I was early, but Flora McDonald (and Flora has her summary of yesterday up already, along with a roster and links to related posts - I'm in awe!) and her co-blogger, F22Strike, got there soon after, and we had a great chat. I am continually grateful for the kindness and talent I encounter in most Virginia bloggers; it's definitely something for me to emulate!

Let me see, who else? Leslie Carbone and Jim Young, of course, and it was a great pleasure meeting them! Jim Hoeft and Brian Kirwin of Bearing Drift... Shaun Kenney (finally I got to see pictures of my beautiful blog niece on her quilt!)... Virginia Virtucon, Republitarian and his better half (*grinz!*), Vivian Paige, Ben Tribbit, SWAC Girl, STD, and several others I was unable to greet and chat with (DJ, of Right Wing Liberal comes to mind...)

(OK, Randy - first suggestion for the next Bloggers' Day: see about bringing bloggers in the night before and hosting a breakfast meet-n-greet... But then, that's Madame Social-Butterfly speaking here... )

Now, for those of you expecting a detailed run down like I did at Martinsville, I've got three words: Ain't. Gonna. Happen. I really need to commit to going up to Richmond twice a year or more, just to see how our people do all this; it can be a little confusing when you're not familiar with the process.

Anyway, the LG met us in his reception area, and introduced us to some of his staff, who were all professional and gracious. We then went into his conference room for an overview of the day, and were treated to a wonderful conversation piece: the safe door.

Now, I should note that the LG said he did not have the combination to the safe, and that there was - to his knowledge - nothing ("no one"? LOL) in there... But I still think it has great Geraldo-Rivera-Special potential...

We trooped over to the General Assembly building - which has wireless access! - and watched some of the Senate session, and some of the House of Delegates' session as well, and then broke for lunch. It was interesting to note the formality of procedure - and quite comforting as well. I'm assuming that the protocols are from Robert's Rules of Order, or something similar, and from the tiny glimpse I had, these protocols really do seem to make things work smoothly for the forum.

I need to note that the actual Capitol building is undergoing renovations, so the Senate and House were not meeting there as is usual. When the renovation is complete - which should be soon this year - I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to sit in the gallery and observe in person, and not over closed circuit video.... Which reminds me: Flora mentioned that Washington State has a wonderful system (I think that's the link) where ALL sessions and committee meetings are televised and archived in some way. She asked why Virginia doesn't do that, and I think it's an excellent idea, too.

When we gathered together at 3 p.m., LG Bolling spoke and took questions for a while, and then introduced Boyd Marcus, who gave an overview of the upcoming elections. His talk was heavy on strategy, and referred to several areas and people with which I was unfamiliar (goodness, I have GOT to get up to speed), so I'm embarassed to admit that quite a bit of it went over my head.

Mr. Marcus was followed by Del. Hugo, who was also at Martinsville last year. Del. Hugo flattered me greatly by recognizing me and remembering my humble blog (thank you, sir!). He spoke and took some questions, as did Senator Obenshain, who rounded out the discussion. I'm not going to recap what they said - Chris over at the Mason Conservative did a much better job than I could do. Chris, were you sitting next to me in that conference room? We never were properly introduced....

At any rate, the LG was a gracious and engaging host. I was very impressed by him in Martinsville, and one this "second look," he's still my choice for a front runner. He strolled along with Jim Young, Leslie Carbone and me after we left the General Assembly Building, and chatted in a very natural and informed manner. I very much appreciated that he never even hinted at talking down to me, even though I am not - and never will be - one of Viginia's powerhouse political bloggers. LG Bolling strikes me as a man of good character and poise, honest and solid in his convictions, yet retaining his genial demeanor.

Oh, and just so he has something to look forward to... Mr. Bolling, here's the quilt I'll be sending up to you and your Lady Wife:

I need advice on Kender's quilt

I have the center all done, and am pretty pleased with how it's turned out. However, I'm not sure which fabric to use for the red, inner border, so I'm asking for input. The blue fabric that's on the outer edge is not the actual fabric I'm going to use (I've had to order the fabric I want), but it gives an idea of what the quilt will look like. Here's the center:

So, here's the first fabric. It's a little more casual and less geometric than the other choice -

And then here's the second option. It's a little difficult to see, but it's very geometric, and has gold metallic highlights. It's slightly smaller scale as well...

So, what do you think?

Playing catch-up

OK, I've been AWOL, I know... I've been quilting up storm, and went up to Richmond yesterday for a Bloggers' Day at the Capitol, and have just returned. So, to catch up a bit:

Not surprising. Neither is this. Don't count on my vote. On the company's side. VERY scary! Also scary - in a rather disgusted way.

And that's all I feel like commenting on, with one notable exception. As I said, I was up in Richmond yesterday, and I met several bloggers who are wonderfully impressive in their intelligence, grace, and solid writing. Leslie Carbone is even better in person than she is on her blog, and she also writes at Breakpoint, a ministry of Prison Fellowship.

I strongly urge you to go over and read today's article, "The Cost of Abandoning 'Great Things'." Here's a snippit:

Twenty years removed from the Reagan administration, too many Republicans have squandered the legacy of clearly communicated great things bequeathed to them. They have failed to communicate great things, and they have failed to do the right things. And that's why they suffered such an enormous defeat in November's elections.

Squandering the opportunity to promote and pass market-based Social Security reform, they increased the size and scope of the welfare state by expanding Medicare. Failing to make real progress toward stopping abortion, they split the baby by allowing limited federally funded stem cell research. And their profligate spending is enough to make choosing between the two major parties like choosing between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell. This federal expansionism was a betrayal of the conservative principle that civil government should remain small, leaving much of the responsibility for social welfare with individuals, families, churches, and community associations.

Just a snippit - you really MUST read the whole thing!

Brava, Leslie!

Bagpipes Crying...

There's something about bagpipes - that haunting, mournful wail which can somehow transform itself into a paean of perseverance and victory never fails to grab my heart, tear it open, and wring emotion out of me. Ah, but perhaps that's the Scottish blood my ancestors bequeathed to me...

Nevertheless, when the pipes play "Amazing Grace," everything stops. My head turns toward the dirge, and my eyes search for pristine uniforms standing at attention. My body straightens, my hand comes over my heart, and my head bows in prayer.

Another hero has come home.

Another saint has entered the kingdom.

Another family endures the terrible loss, and looks forward to the triumphant reunion with their beloved. Another family remembers the promises of God:

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations...

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels...

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name...

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne...

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

I just found this video by a country group - Rushlow Harris - that I'd never heard of:

But thanks to Blackfive, I also see another version of the video. He also talks about the Navy SEAL Commander who pretty much wrote the lyrics, and links to an article in That's Country magazine which tells a little more of the story.

Never, EVER!, forget the sacrifice our men and women in uniform have offered up so courageously. Honor them, respect them, support them, and pray for their honorable victory!

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation."

Amen. May God continue to guide, protect, and strengthen the Armed Forces of the United States of America!

The Wheat and the Tares

Hey-ho! I'm actually starting this before noon (barely - it'll be AFTER noon before it's finished, LOL), but I am determined to keep up with my resolution!

So, for today's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible, we have Genesis 37 and 38, Psalm 9:11-20, Proverbs 3:31-35, and Matthew 13:1-30.

As you see from the title, the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares jumped out at me:

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Just because you're in a garage, doesn't mean you're a car"? If you have, I bet it was in the context of discussing what a "real" Christian is.

Many people accuse the church of hypocrisy these days, and in many ways, they're correct. The American church has grown fat and lazy, and European churches have grown marginalized and heretical. Scandals abound, the Gospel is ignored, and God's Word is dismissed. It's tragic, yes, but worse than that, it's sinful. It blasphemes the Name of God and drives people away from His saving grace.

However, in one way it is incorrect to accuse the Church of hypocrisy.

Ah, you noticed that I capitalized "Church" this time, didn't you? Whenever I capitalize "church," I am referring specifically to the true Church - the real believers who are sanctified by the Blood of Christ and trust Him alone for their salvation from sin. The true Church crosses denominations, cultures, ethnicities, gender, age - God has called His children out from every tribe and tongue and nation. Every culture, every "race" will be represented at the Throne when God draws time to a close and ushers in Eternity, and the triumphant roar of worship will be given in every tongue this earth has ever heard.

So, what does that have to do with the false charge of hypocrisy? Well, the people who make up the true Church have honestly faced their sin and helplessness, and gone to the only Healer who could cure them. We aren't denying the truth of what we are: sinners. Those who are in the garage and calling themselves cars are the hypocrites - the tares. God will eventually root them out and cast them away, but not before His timing is complete.

Thus, the wheat and the tares grow side by side, and it can be very difficult to discern between the two. However, God knows His own -

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

But we who think we're Christians must be very careful. Although we cannot lose our salvation, if it is true salvation, some may be deceived that they are saved when they are not. Thus, we must be careful to work out our own salvation, we must constantly evaluate ourselves to see that we are in the faith and following our Lord and Savior.

And so, the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares is also a cautionary note - don't assume. Walk humbly before your God, and if you're not sure, then get on your knees and into the Word. Have a long, honest talk with your Father in Heaven.

Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

God is a good God: He is generous, loving and faithful. But He is also holy and cannot look upon sin, and so you must be washed clean before you come into His presence. He has provided the way through the death of His Son; the offer is open to all who hear His voice and obey... GO TO HIM!

"...and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."

(Crossposted to Third World County)

Gratitude for a spelling list

Thanks to the Darling Munchkin's spelling list this week, I have come across the American's Creed. I don't know why I've never heard of it before: it's been around for a while.

Nevertheless, I present it here for your edification - we would ALL do well to memorize it and keep it in the forefront of our thoughts every day.

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. [emph. mine]

Amen! THAT is what every American should pledge! (Of course, I would end it "... to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic," but that's just me...)

Oh, and speaking of spelling lists, all her words this week are taken from founding and important American documents and speeches: The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the American's Creed, and the Gettysburg Address. I am very thankful, because this gives me an opening to discuss the meaning of these words, and explain how critically important they are to our country and our culture. Every opportunity I'm given, I try to use to train the Munchkin in being a good citizen and a thinking, independent patriot.

God bless America - or, more importantly,

AMERICA, BLESS GOD!!!

WAY *cool!*

"Spray paint artist from Portorož, Slovenia doing sci-fi paintings in less then 10 min. You can find more about artist and his art on www.sprej.com"

One of the Ladies of the Cotillion (yeah, they're at it again) posted this link/video on-list, and I just had to pass it along....

(UPDATE - It was Wild Thing... I've gotta figure out a way to, um, repay her... Yeah... "Repay her" that's it... LOL... And what the heck is up with all the HTML garbage that Google Video threw into the post?! BLECH! Geeze, guys, haven't you ever hear of "KISS"? Well, hopefully it's fixed now.... [grumble, grumble, spit, hiss..])
               

 

Catch up time...

Yes, I didn't post the Bible readings yesterday, and I'm running a little late today (had to get the oil changed in the big truck and run other errands...). It actually worked out well, because the Darling Munchkin only had a half day of school today due to possible bad weather. It turns out that the weather isn't too bad, so I think she'll performing a very devout rendition of the "Dear Lord, Give Us a Snow Day Dance" tonight [big grin].

I wouldn't mind that: a nice, warm, snuggly cuddle would be a very nice way to ease into the day tomorrow!

At any rate, yesterday's selections from the MacArthur Daily Bible were Genesis 33 and 34, Psalm 9:1-5, Proverbs 3:21-26, and Matthew 12:1-21. Today's selections are Genesis 35 and 36, Psalm 9:6-10, Proverbs 3:27-30, and Matthew 12:22-50.

Frankly, today has been rather busy, so - while I was able to work on memorizing Romans 5 (thought I'd forgotten abou that, didn't you? Nope...) - I haven't got much on these passages today. The main verses which struck me were

Psalm 9:7-9 -

But the LORD shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.

God is unchanging. He is always there, always perfect, always holy. He is always ready to receive His children into His arms to shelter and cherish them, and to lend them His strength.

Proverbs 3:27, 29-30 -

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
...
Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety's sake.
Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

Live as generously and kindly as possible. "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Don't look for trouble, and don't invent it, either.

Finally, Jesus said something which really makes me think (as everything He says ought to) -

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

"Idle words." How often do we all say something without thinking first? How often to we say something in anger that we didn't really mean? How often have we gossiped or speculated or slandered?

Each and every word we speak is remembered - and we will have to attempt to justify them all one day. The final defense will be all or nothing: either your sinful words have been paid for and punished - or they haven't. Either you are cleansed by the Blood, or you are condemned by your own words...

Heh. Thanks, Mom!

Mom just sent me this link... Cute!

UPDATE: Heh 2.0 - she also sent this little funny!

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, very much in favor of increasing taxes on the wealthy to help the poor and destitute.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking her how she was doing in school. Taken back, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Aubrey doing?"

She replied, "Aubrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1 .0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Aubrey - she played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently,"Welcome to the Republican Party"

Swear to tell the truth

... but on the Koran?!

I heard this on the radio this morning:

The ACLU filed the lawsuit in July 2005 in Superior Court in Wake County on behalf of the organization's statewide membership of approximately 8,000 individuals of many different faiths, including Islam and Judaism. In November 2005, the ACLU added another plaintiff to the case, Syidah Mateen, a Muslim woman who was denied the option of using the Quran when she was being sworn in as a witness in a court proceeding in Guilford County. She was told that the only holy text used in the courtroom is the King James Version of the Bible.

I cannot understand why this is a problem. Why should one swear to tell the "truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth" on a book which permits - nay, encourages! - its followers to lie?

At the moment, I can think of only one instance in the Bible where a lie is affirmed by God:

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?"

19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them."

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

Everywhere else, the truth is held in high regard, and God's people are called to follow the Ninth Commandment diligently; after all, Jesus calls Himself the Truth, God is the God of Truth (see also here and here), and believers are called to

• buy truth
• rejoice in truth
• speak the truth
• meditate on the truth
• give truthful testimony
• sanctify themselves in truth
• obey the truth

... just to give a few examples.

However, the Koran and Islamic traditions allow and encourage deceit - and not to save lives, but to delude "infidels."

God - the real God, the Holy and Perfect God of creation - calls His children to live in peace and obey the laws of their land. His Word, the Bible, calls itself the Truth over and over again. Although swearing (or affirming) on the Bible will not necessarily make a liar tell the truth, there is an warning element of the righteous judgment awaiting you if you swear to tell the truth on the Book of Truth - and then lie.

I don't see the parallel in the Koran.

No apologies

My Virginia blog brother, Jerry Fuhrman, and my WAR blog brother (mm, "blog Liege"?) Misha are both all over this story -

A resolution that would have the General Assembly apologize for Virginia's role in slavery has aroused passions in the legislature even before the measure gets its first hearing from committees in the Senate and House of Delegates.

A Hanover County lawmaker's published comments that blacks should "get over" slavery were denounced on the House floor Tuesday by two black delegates who are supporting a resolution of apology. The comments by Republican Del. Frank Hargrove lit the first spark in what figures to be an emotional debate in coming weeks.

Jerry's remark is to the point:

I've decided that I have no problem with the state legislature apologizing for an institution that brought about the enslavement of people we don't know by people we don't know in an age we know nothing about. If it keeps the legislators distracted, and blocks their attempts at confiscating more of my hard-earned income, then I say: Let's apologize once a day. Every day.

And, of course, Misha takes the outrage and shreds it to pieces -

Listen, and listen really carefully: I have had it way past my back teeth with this PC crap, particularly from schlemiels and schmekels who obviously don't know what the meaning of the word "analogy" is.

As a Christian, I believe that I'd qualify as a member of the Aggrieved Party™ in re: Jesus Christ, the killing of.

Yet, for some reason obviously known only to me, I don't feel particularly Aggrieved™ at all. As a matter of fact, I have absolutely no grievance against my Jewish brothers and sisters regarding something that took place long before any of us were born. Imagine that. I guess that I, unlike a lot of people, have actually been infected with that vile disease known as "cognitive abilities."

You see, theological observations regarding G-d's Plan™ aside and, assuming for the moment that the death of Jesus wasn't Meant to Be™ as those of us who believe KNOW that it was, even SO I can't possibly find it in myself to believe that the Jews of today owe me a damn thing, least of all an apology, for something that happened centuries before they and I were even a lustful glint in our parents' eyes.

And, with these two guys all over this topic, all I can really add is my

BRAVO!!!!!

Heard on the radio

I am blessed that I can listen to KLOVE in my car (but you can listen online, too!), and this morning they played a beautiful song by Bebo Norman, off of his Between the Dreaming and the Coming True album:

I Will Lift My Eyes

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

'Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
'Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

Now, HERE'S a movie I must see!

Thanks to my friend, Always on Watch, I have a wonderful movie to look forward to next month:

AMAZING GRACE

This is a movie based on the life of William Wilberforce, a dedicated Christian in the British Parliament, who dedicated his life to stopping the British slave trade. His life inspired many of the abolitionists here in the United States, and it is a shining example of a faith that is so Heavenly minded that it cannot help but do earthly good.

It looks absolutely awesome, and I can't wait until it's in theaters! Make sure you go check out the trailers; I'm sure you'll be intrigued as well.

A Heavenly Destiny

This morning's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible are Genesis 31 and 32, Psalm 8:6-9, Proverbs 3:19-20, and Matthew 11. I'd like to quote from Psalm 8, and then link it with today's study in Tabletalk magazine which focuses on Revelation 21:1 through 22:5...

Times change

This morning while driving the Darling Munchkin to school, I had my iPod playing, and an old song by Styx, from their Grand Illusion album, started playing... and I was taken back to when I wasn't much older than ten (I was 14), and Styx was one of my favorite groups!

I remember having the radio on all the time. I remember stacking six albums on my record player, and turning it on low as I went to sleep. I remember going to the record store and flipping through album after album, looking for Manfred Mann's the Roaring Silence so I could have "Blinded by the Light" in my collection.

I remember not worrying about seatbelts. I remember going trick-or-treating in my neighborhood and not even needing to worry about being kidnapped. I remember riding my bike to and from the club pool, and sneaking in after dark (after I had my license) to go skinny-dipping. I remember walking from my school to the Avenue (after school - I was a good girl, LOL), and being picked up by one of my teachers and given a lift.

I remember paying $1.95 for a nice, thick paperback novel. I remember Daddy bringing home a calculator that added, subtracted, divided and multiplied, and had one memory... And was the size of a typewriter. Hey, I remember typewriters!

As I talked to the Munchkin about all this, I realized all the things she's growing up with that I had no clue were coming: computers, the Internet, cable TV, stalkers, terrorism...

And I told her that I now understood (yeah, just NOW) how much my parents worried about me as I was growing up - their childhoods were very different from mine, too. Just as I look back on all the freedoms I had that I don't dare give to the Munchkin today, they must have looked at all the changes that happened in their lifetimes and been deeply concerned about my welfare.

The Munchkin's fenced areas are now both narrower and broader than my restrictions were. The Beloved Husband and I want our child to grow up secure but aware, confident but careful, and loved but disciplined. Today, I got smacked in the face (again) with how hard that is.

Don't worry, Mom and Dad. We'll take care of your favorite (only!) granddaughter. We'll watch over her, love her, guide and teach her to the best of our ability. God willing, in twenty or thirty years, she'll be talking to her own children and remember our conversation this morning... And will have the same fierce, protective desire to love, cherish and guide her children into the future as her parents did before her.

(Crossposted to Third World County)

I'm holding the Ladies of the Cotillion responsible!

'Cause they got me Stumbling around the 'Net again... and I found this:

It's their fault... HONEST!!!

The Obligation of Fidelity

You absolutely *must* go on over to the Evangelical Outpost and read what Joe has posted about pre-marital adultery -

My recycling bin is a symbol of the obligation I feel I owe future generations. Unfortunately, I have no such token to give my wife that shows the obligation I owed her. Instead, I had only a string of sexual sins that showed that before we met I treated the concept of "soul mate" as a useful fiction. I offer this confession to young people who have not yet lost one of the most valuable gifts God gives man: the ability to give oneself completely to the person you love. If you want to show true love to your future spouse, then start now by keeping the Seventh Commandment.

Read the whole thing!

And, you should have bookmarked EO, and be reading every day!

(UPDATE: Crossposted over at Third World County, since my poor blog brother is out of power!)

Welcome to Monday, 15 January, 2007 -...

Welcome to Monday, 15 January, 2007 - Martin Luther King, Jr., Day... Today's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible are Genesis 29 and 30, Psalm 8:1-5, Proverbs 3:13-18, and Matthew 10:21-42.

First, I'd like to focus on Matthew 10:34-39, where Jesus says:

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Just so you know, the quotes from the Old Testament in italics above are from the prophet Micah, who said

Do not trust in a friend;
Do not put your confidence in a companion;
Guard the doors of your mouth
From her who lies in your bosom.
For son dishonors father,
Daughter rises against her mother,
Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
Therefore I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.

Jesus naturally divides. He has called His people out from the world, and they are no longer citizens of the kingdom of darkness: they are now citizens of Heaven. They do not follow the dictates of sin, they obey the Spirit who lives within them. In John 3, right after the famous "For God so loved the world" verse, Jesus continues on with something most people have never heard:

... For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. [emph. mine]

And so, we live in a world that *is* sharply divided: the condemned and perishing vs. the saved and living.

Therefore, as Christians, our first loyalty is to be to our God: we are to love and serve Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. He is first in our lives, we are to have no other Gods before Him: not our family, not our friends, not our country... Nothing is to come before God!

And how, you ask, is this different than the total submission Islam calls for?

First of all, Islam calls for world domination by force: if you do not convert (or die), you are (according to Shari'a law) to pay a tax so you may live and you have no legal standing - frankly, you are nothing and no one. Christianity - biblical Christianity - teaches that ALL men are created in God's image, and that conversion is not accomplished by the sword, but by the Holy Spirit. Secondly, Islamic law demands supremacy at the cost of the existing laws of the nation. Free women would be forced into burkahs, they would have no legal standing, every action a person might take would be subjected to the scrutiny of immams and their interpretation of Shari'a. The Bible, however, calls for -

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. [emph. mine]

When God permits - or commands - us to disobey the government, it is only when it is critical and blatantly against His Word: a government may not demand that we murder, steal, commit adultery, etc. for instance. But, except for those specific types of circumstances, God commands His children to live as law-abiding citizens of their country.

Does Islam teach tolerance of others like the Bible does?

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore

" If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [emph. mine]

Show me where Islam teaches this - and applies it to everyone, even those who are not Muslims.

Christ came to call His own. He came to give new life, abundant life, to corpses. Is it any wonder that those who are still dead in sin, those who are still slaves of the prince of this world (that's Satan, in case you were confused), hate those who no longer belong here?

As Jesus said:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'

The world hates Jesus, our Lord and King. We are no longer citizens of this world, but subjects in His Kingdom. The darkness does not comprehend the Light, and we are children of the light: therefore the darkness hates us and Him.

It's no wonder that Jesus said He came to bring a sword... The question is, which sword will we wield? The Sword of the Spirit? Or the sword of darkness and hate and ungodliness?

Your choice.

It's Raven's fault...

'Cause she posted these two blogthings, and I got sucked right in...

Mocha Frappuccino

Hyper and driven, you'll take your caffeine any way you can get it. Frappuccinos are good, but you'd probably chew coffee beans in a crunch!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

You Are a Skin Deep Sweetheart

You may be supermodel gorgeous or a plain Jane. It really doesn't matter, because you're confident and secure. You don't go out looking like a slob, but you are low maintenance. You have better things to worry about than whether your nails are the right shade!

Are You Obsessed With Your Looks?

Ah, well... At least I'm in good company... LOLOLOL!

MLK Day Virginia Blog Carnival

Shaun Kenney has this week's Virginia Blog Carnival up. He's rounded up a lot of excellent posts, so make sure you go on over and read all the "bloggy goodness" right now!

Next week the Carnival will be hosted by Charlie, over at Good Sense, so make sure you submit an article for next week's Virginia Blog Carnival for him to include!

God bless you, AP (no, not the press)

I'd like you to meet someone. He's a Marine. His name is Faoa Apineru, and he should be dead - but he's not. Instead Apineru, or "AP" as they call him, is learning to live with PTSD, and the aftermath of his terrible injuries.

The VA hospital in Palo Alto has a lot of people like AP. Mostly men and some women who were injured while in uniform, most of them from Iraq or Afghanistan. The VA has a polytrauma center, so troops with more than one injury can get help for all their problems, and a brain injury rehabilitation unit, called BIRU, for the guys who took one to the head.

He hangs out with other wounded Marines. Cpl. Jason Poole, who also had a severe head wound and nearly died, is his best friend.

"I don't have much family around here, so the Marines are my family," AP said. "That's what attracted me to them in the first place. It reminds me of my culture."

AP is from Samoa - but he doesn't remember his childhood, because the injury to his brain destroyed a lot of his memory.

In 2005, AP was in Anbar Province when his unit was attacked. Being a true Marine, his first concern was for his men - but he was the one who was terribly injured:

"The first thing I remember is screaming. I remember trying to stop screaming. You know, that Marine Corps crap about not showing your feelings. Then I heard my Marines. They were doing the same thing. They were screaming, too. So I let go and it went blank. Then I heard my Marines yelling, 'AP! AP!' and they were trying to pull me out of the vehicle. Then I went blank again."

AP went in and out of consciousness. He remembers someone trying to cut off his bloody uniform, and saying that he didn't appear to be hurt.

He thought he was shaken but physically fine. He took off his protective glasses and looked in what was left of the humvee's side mirror. Blood sprayed from his nose and a big gash close to his ear.

"I just thought, 'Oh my God. I'm f -- ed,' " he said.

He thought maybe the gash was just a deep scratch. He tried to stem the flow of blood with his finger. His finger sunk in deep.

"I remember getting cold, real cold, even though it was hot outside as hell," he said. "I remember my lance corporal talking to me, saying, 'Come on, AP, the chopper is coming. It won't be much longer.' But I couldn't really hear anything. My hearing was blocked. I saw everything in black and white."

AP wasn't listening to the medic or the other Marines. But his training kicked in when his lieutenant came over and told him to stay awake.

"I kept thinking, 'This is a lieutenant in the Marine Corps, I better do what he says. Thank God he did that."

Thank God that AP is a Marine - thank God he listened to and obeyed his lieutenant!

You need to go read the whole article and see how bravely our troops face the consequences of their choices. They may demur, but when it gets right down to it, each and every one of them is a hero. **OUR** job is to give them the respect and honor they so richly deserve, and to make sure that America finishes the job with dedication and determination.

Do not let their sacrifices be in vain. Do not let America drop the ball because of cowardice or boredom. Do not let America ignore their service and tarnish their honor.

Do not let America become unworthy of her sons and daughters who stand on the front lines and fight for freedom.

(Thanks, Raven.)

The Curse and the Gift

Romans 5:12-19 discusses the contrast between the consequences of Adam's sin and the blessings of Christ's obedience... This is my meditation on it for Sunday Thoughts with Kat, broadcast on Wide Awakes Radio on 14 January, 2007...

Catching up on Bible reading

Sorry that I didn't post on this yesterday, but I was traveling back from Orlando, and pretty much fell into bed to catch up on all my lost sleep. But, yesterday's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible (UPDATE: oops, forgot the Amazon link) were: Genesis 25 and 26, Psalm 7:6-8, Proverbs 3:9-10, and Matthew 9:18-38.

Today's readings are Genesis 27 and 28, Psalm 7:9-17, Proverbs 3:11-12, and Matthew 10:1-20.

Again, today is Sunday, so I'll be doing my Sunday Thoughts with Kat show at 4:30pm, ET (that's 1:30pm PT), on Wide Awakes Radio. You can click on the microphone down in my right hand column, or listen with the WinAmp application (which seems to work better for me).

I am going to be returning to Romans 5, which I was working through before Thanksgiving, and the focus today will be on verses 12-19... So, I'm not going to put up a meditation on the daily readings today, although I will bring to your particular attention to today's selection from Proverbs:

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor detest His correction;
For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Are you a Christian under trial at the moment? Have you considered that God may be using this discipline to call you back to Himself, or perhaps that He is burning out your impurities to prepare you for a greater work? Trust Him. Cast yourself upon His mercy and grace, and ask for His strength to help you through this. Remember, as the Apostle Paul said,

And [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And as the Apostle Peter said,

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Trust Him. His purposes will be made clear in due time. He is conforming you to the image of His Son, and your reward will be great in Heaven - if you will only trust in His love, and obey His commands.

... and a prayer for my heart...

From the wonderful group, MercyMe - "Here With Me" from their album Undone...

I long for your embrace
Every single day
To meet you in this place
And see you face to face Will you show me?
Reveal yourself to me
Because of your mercy
I fall down on my knees And I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your love You're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known You are holy
And I fall down on my knees I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your love I surrender to your grace
I surrender to the one who took my place I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender: I can feel your presence here with me
Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty
Caught up in the wonder of your touch
Here in this moment I surrender to your love

Father, I want to get lost in the beauty and love You have showered upon me. Let me always remember Your blessings so that I may live in Your grace. Help me to sing songs of joy and awe to Your mercy and righteousness. Conform me to the image of Your Son, so that when I stand before You, I may see Your face and worship You in holiness!

A Prayer from a Parent's Heart

"Find Your Wings," by Mark Harris

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

Chorus:

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

Chorus

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

Chorus

To my Darling Munchkin - I do hope that God fills your heart with dreams and faith and courage. He has given your Father and me such a blessing in you, and yet He loves you far more than we ever could. Don't ever be afraid to throw yourself and your goals into His arms, because He is faithful. If you are true to Him, He will give you the desires of your heart. I pray you grow strong in your confidence in your Heavenly Father. Your Dad and I make mistakes, and we fail, but God never will.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your path.

The son of the Covenant - and the son of the bondwoman

This morning's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible are Genesis 21 through 22:24, Psalm 6:6-10, Proverbs 3:5-6, and Matthew 8:18-34.

In Genesis 21, we read of the birth of Isaac - the son of God's Promise to Abraham - a miracle birth. Isaac was born when Abraham was 100, and Sarah 90 years old; she was far past menopause, and they had been waiting for God to fulfill His promise to them for over 20 years. Abraham and Sarah had even tried to hasten God's timing when Sarah offered her bondservant, Hagar, to Abraham. Ishmael, the father of the Arab nations, came from that liaison, and the consequences are still echoing throughout the world today (remember what I talked of yesterday?).

Now, when Isaac is born, Ishmael scoffs at him and Sarah tells Abraham:

"Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac."

God tells Abraham to listen to Sarah, and yet still He shows His mercy and grace to Ishmael:

But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed." [emph. mine]

Note that God's covenant is with Isaac, NOT Ishmael, and yet He still blessed Ishmael. The nations and religion which claim God's promises though Ishmael are terribly misguided, because they are claming those promises through the slave's son, and not the covenant son.

The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament book of Galatians uses this picture to explain the Christian's position before God through the covenant promises made through Christ. He starts out

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you[b] as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?-- just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed."So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. [emph. mine]

And then, Paul brings in the contrast between Ishmael and Isaac:

But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar-- for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children-- but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written:

" Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband."

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

If you want to claim God's promises to Ishmael, you are claiming slavery and the crushing weight of the Law. Under the Law, you are required to keep every part and portion, for if you do not:

Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.

"ALL the words of this law..." My goodness, I couldn't keep all the Law for one minute, much less all my life! Far better to become a child of the King, through the shed blood of His Son -

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

... and thus we become sons and daughters of Abraham because of faith. By believing in the Seed promised to him, by believing in Jesus who is Abraham's greater Son - through Isaac (not Ishmael!) - we share in his blessing:

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

I am a child of the Promise, and no longer a slave to the Law and to sin. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Captain of my salvation, the lover of my soul, my older brother, and my dearest and closest friend. And so I say with Sarah,

"Cast out this bondwoman and her son!"

Cast out the curse of the Law, with its pain and punishment, accept the perfect work of Christ, and let Him rule you life in love and righteousness and peace. Let the Law assume its proper place as a guide, and not a taskmaster, and follow the Lord of the Law. Trust in Him, obey Him, confess to Him, love Him, and indeed

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow [us]
All the days of [our lives];
And [we] will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

Mobile-Bible-blogging!

Well, hello! Here I am at the Greensboro, NC, airport - nice and early, too - and I decided to splurge and buy some wireless time. So, I'm actually going to keep up with my posted readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible. How cool is that?! I really like how wireless is becoming ubiquitous!

Today's readings are Genesis 19 and 20, Psalm 6:1-5, Proverbs 3:1-4, and Matthew 8:1-17. Genesis 19 describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the rescue of Abraham's nephew Lot and his two daughters.

What a terrible chapter of the Bible! Many years previous to the destruction, Abraham and his nephew Lot lived next to each other. When this proved too much for the grazing land and caused conflict between their workers, Abraham told Lot to choose what land he wanted, and Abraham would go to another area. And so Lot chose the plains near Sodom and Gomorrah, because they were so fertile. Yet now, he's not living near the cities, but inside Sodom itself!

Many people say that when the angels came to Lot's house and

...the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally."

... that these people were not wanting sexual relations with the angels. Do you see how the word "carnally" is in italics? In the NKJV, that means that the word is not in the original text, but is strongly implied. Look at Lot's response to this sinful demand:

So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof."

Why else would he offer his virgin daughters? Why would Lot's plea be against a "wicked" act? Certainly, if the townfolk wanted only to meet the angels because they wanted to learn more about them, their demand would not have been an evil one.

So you see, the depravity of Sodom and its sister city was terrible!

Lot, unfortunately, had brought his family under the influence of this corruption. Because of that, his married daughters perished, since his sons-in-law thought he was joking when he told them of the destruction that was coming. I suspect that Lot's own life must have been an imitation of his neighbors', because when he proclaimed that dire warning, it was dismissed easily. They had no evidence of godly leadership or a godly call on his life, which might have given them pause.

He was no holy influence on his wife, for she looked back in disobedience as they fled, and was turned into a pillar of salt. And his remaining daughters committed incest with their own father, each bearing a son and brother. The sons were named Moab and Ben-Ammi, the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites, who plagued Israel in later days by fighting against them and leading them into sin.

Do you see now why God is so insistent about leading holy, righteous lives and consistently turning away from sinful behavior? When we turn away from sin, we must not look back - we are called to flee from sin and let it have no part in our lives. Why is that so important? Sin has a way of weaseling its way into your life, and its taint then spreads throughout your sphere of influence. The sinful decisions we make today do not have consequences ONLY in our lives: the repercussions ripple out to our families, our communities, our nation, and to the world. Your sin - my sin - can have terrible results, far beyond what we may imagine

We are called to be "salt and light" to the world - both preservers and leaders. Therefore, we must be on our knees before our God and Savior, asking Him for wisdom and strength and courage to be His people. We are "in" the world, but we are not to be "of" it. We are citizens of another land, we are servants and friends of the Lord Most High.

Let's raise His standard and start acting like it!

Live Blog with LG Bolling - TODAY!

Make sure you go on over to NoVA TownHall and submit a question for LG Bolling. He will be answering these questions - live! - today at 3pm.

I must give major kudos to Mr. Bolling; he has really done a lot to reach out to bloggers and engage them in conversation and discussion. He attended both Virginia Blog Conferences last year, and I think this is at least the third live-blog he's done. I know that he's held several teleconferences as well.

He also very graciously allowed me a fluff interview back in August in Martinsville - he's very gracious and well-spoken, and I was impressed with his poise and demeanor.

I'm going to be packing tonight, so I won't join in, but I will try to keep tabs on the conversation.

Separation and Punishment

This morning's readings from the MacArthur Daily Bible are Genesis 17 and 18, Psalm 5:8-12, Proverbs 2:10-22, and Matthew 7. (I'm going to stop putting that Amazon "Buy This!" link, because the book has a text link, and the prittified link is over there ----> in my right hand side bar, under "Resolution Reading")

Today and yesterday, Tabletalk has been discussing Matthew 25:31-46 and Romans 2:1-11 in the context of the final judgement. These two passages discuss the final fate of the unrighteous when Jesus sits in judgment at the Great White Throne at the end of time.

In Matthew, Jesus says:

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. [...]

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

And in Romans, the Apostle Paul writes,

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. [emph mine]

We must be very careful who we judge, and how we judge them. We must look into our own hearts and root out our sin first, and we must be gentle and humble when we point out sin in other people. Yet, we also must proclaim the coming judgment of God and how to escape it. Those who are perishing are, by sinning continually and without repentance, adding to their burden of punishment in eternity. We would be unloving and disobedient to our Lord if we neglected to warn people of Hell.

Nevertheless, a word from Galatians is in order:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

We must not get so puffed up with our supposed righteousness that we become arrogant and look down on others. Don't forget: "There, but for the grace of God, go I!" It is not our strength or our righteousness that has saved us or that keeps us in a state of grace: it is God's strength, and God's alone. We are helpless, and we must cast all our cares on Him, and then walk in obedience using His power. And so we must walk and proclaim His Truth with humble hearts, even as we may speak firmly and with conviction.

Each day, we must cast ourselves on His mercy, and He will lift us up and sustain us.

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Let us wait on the LORD, let us follow where He leads us, and let us do the tasks and duties He sets before us each day. Just as the man without God can add to the burden of his punishment, so the Christian may add to the treasures of reward in Heaven by his faithful obedience to his Savior.

Now, just a "programming note:" I'm not sure I will post a Bible meditation tomorrow. I will be travelling down to Florida for a few days, and am not sure if I'll be able to have the time to post everyday (though I will try). I know I'll be able to toss up the odd comment on current events, or some silliness that friends have shown me - but these meditations take much more thought and consideration, and I want to do them properly or not at all. So if I miss the next couple of days, that's why.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this gave you some Scripture to meditate upon today!

Good lord... Are there brains holding those ears apart?

zombie (y'all DO keep an eye on zombietime, right?) went to a lovely "Impeach Bush" event out in San Francisco, America's moonbat capital. The pictures are wonderful, and the commentary is, er, pointed.

Go read!

HT to lgf - speaking of whom ("which"?)... Charles has a great snip from a CNN interview with Joe Kaufman of Americans Against Hate, and CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper... Now, isn't CAIR a wonderful organization? Its representative cannot even muster the moral fortitude to condemn Hamas or Hezbollah.

What's that lovely phrase? "Religion of peace.. my A**!!!"

Tales from the iPod

After dropping the Munchkin off at school this morning, I fired up the ol' iPod and told it to play songs from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I love the BTC - it's a huge and very talented group of people who love the Lord and sing their hearts out in praise and worship. I had the opportunity a few years ago to go to New York with my old choir and premiere a worship musical there at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and it was a wonderful experience!

While we were there, they were working on songs from their (then) newest album, Live... This Is Your House, and the song that just gave me GOOSEBUMPS of joy and anticipation was "Days of Elijah."

And that's what came on my iPod this morning...

The song opens with a strong, vibrant soprano singing the clarion call of the chorus:

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

Behold, He comes!!! As 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says,

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

And the Apostle John in the book of Revelation writes of the triumphant Return of Christ:

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

What a hope that is! I do not use the word "hope" like we do today (i.e. hoping for something that may or may not happen), but as the New Testament writers use it: I have the Promise of God Himself that this will happen, so I know it will happen - I just hope it's soon!

Therefore, with that positive hope, I can proclaim the triumphant anticipation of the song:

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord:
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
'Prepare ye the way of the Lord!'

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the labourers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

There's no God like Jehovah.
There's no God like Jehovah!

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes.

The First Virginia Blog Carnival of 2007!

Welcome to the January 8, 2007 edition of Virginia Blog Carnival. I'm sorry that it's rather generic this week, but I am unfortunately pressed for time, since I'm going down to Orlando on Wednesday to help out my parents for a couple of days.

Kilo reminds us that it has been one year since the Sago mine disaster... does anyone know how Mr. McCloy, the only survivor, is doing?

Alton presents Beannachtaí an tSéasúir - Greetings Of The Season posted at I'm Not Emeril, which was supposed to be in for the Christmas carnival, but was a little late.

The gracious Leslie Carbone sent in three entries: "It Takes a Hotel Manager?" about parental discipline; "Please... The Man is Being Executed" about the ... lack of professionalism in Saddam's execution; and "So Much for Bipartisianship" which criticizes Congressional Democrats for elbowing Republicans out of the legislative process.

HDW presents Racism as defined by WSU posted at High Desert Wanderer, saying, "seems that the quality of education at Washington State University hasn't changed since I attended." HDW also submitted Design Review - Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. HDW has a series where he's been reviewing the CSS/HTML of various blogs, and it's a good nuts-n-bolts look at blog design.

Douglas T presents On writing posted at Thoughts on Design. Douglas also sent in Setting graphic design free posted at Thoughts on Design, saying, "My most recent thoughts on design." I like Doug's blog - it's very informative!

Adam presents The Dawn of a New Era of Scholarship posted at Sophistpundit.

Jon Swift presents Who Needs Books? posted at Jon Swift, saying, "For a long time I have been saying that actually reading books is overrated. Now I have an unlikely ally: librarians in Fairfax County."

Nina Smith presents Do second-parents have legal rights? Let's ask Heather Poe posted at Queercents, saying, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but even he can't make Heather Poe the legal parent of Mary Cheney's baby in this commonwealth."

Charlie Fugate presents 2008 Ruminations posted at Good Sense. Charlie also adds GOP in 21st Century: Back to The Future saying, "First in a series of "planks" for a renewed GOP conservatism." For a third entry, Charlie evaluates the GOP with State of the GOP-As I See It.

Michael Oliver presents Dogwood Pundit: The Media And The Macabre. posted at Dogwood Pundit.

Xyba presents The Impass in Richmond posted at Once More Into the Breach, saying, "Rather that find some workable solution or accept that throwing money at it will be insufficient to remedy the problem, he wants to combine the two houses of the General Assembly to grease the grooves of the legislative process."

J.C. Wilmore presents Why Republicans will be excluded from power in the 110th Congress posted at The Richmond Democrat.

Thanks so much to everyone who sent in entries. Please let me know if you'd like to host a future Carnival!

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Virginia Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: virginia blog carnival, blog carnival.

I lift up my voice in the morning!

This morning's selections from the Daily Bible are Genesis 15 and 16, Psalm 5:1-7, Proverbs 2:6-9, and Matthew 6:19-34.

In the selection from Matthew, Jesus is giving the Sermon on the Mount. He reminds us to store up our treasures in heaven where they are safe and eternal, rather than being too concerned with earthly riches... Which, it suddenly strikes me, can include personal fame. As I was walking on the treadmill this morning, I was watching the news which had a story about one famous person criticizing another, and I thought, "How... petty!"

One of the famous people had made a wonderful gesture of kindness and hospitality by adoptiong a child - of course, it was done very publicly and with great fanfare, so one might wonder just how altruistic this gesture really was. But then, it may also have been done in deep sincerity, I don't know.

Nevertheless, the little scuffle reminded me that there is nothing on earth which cannot be tarnished by our intentions, actions, and impressions. I may do something out of an earnest desire to please God, yet someone or something will happen to make it imperfect. Therefore, I shouldn't focus exclusively on what happens "down here." I should fix my eyes on my Lord and Savior and live to please Him. Then I can store up real treasure, eternal treasure, which cannot be marred by earthly influences.

I must remember Who I serve, and Who is in charge:

Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.