But where would church be without all our rules?

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
- Galatians 5:6

Beef Shoutouts

Hey AVCLUB: this is what you get every Tuesday night, just two blocks away. Less than $20 bucks & all the salad you can eat [bring Joe Sangl]. Will Rodes, you're invited, too.

P.S. Shoot, everybody come. I miss ya'll a lot.

PPS. Tomorrow is Wings Night.

I gotta do something HUGE for God!

I've heard people say, "I don't know care what it is, I just wanna do something HUGE for God!" On my way to do laundry, that got me to thinking ... :-)

There's this dude who wakes up one morning and suddenly decides he wants to do something awesome for God. Something so HUGE its impact will be unmistakable and immediately felt around the world. He thinks about it for a few minutes, and decides to be a televangelist.

But an hour later, after calling the major networks and satellite channels, he's discovered all the slots for religious programming are full. Not to be defeated by disappointment, Dude calls his pastor on the phone (at home) and excitedly exclaims, "I've been called to preach this Sunday."

There's no record of how the pastor responds ... but the church's minister of music doesn't answer when Dude dials his number a few minutes later. Still eager to do something huge right away, Dude drives over to the church office only to find the door locked with a sign in the window reading, "Closed for Seniors' Day."

Fearful that his opportunity to do something HUGE for God is slipping away, Dude glances around and sees trash from cars on the highway blowing across the church parking lot ... and suddenly has a brainstorm of a HUGE idea.

Within the hour he's standing at the corner of the church property with a sign in each hand (one endorses blue laws and the other protests the latest Hollywood blockbuster), yelling "Is God your co-pilot?" and "When you're dying, you're frying!" to drivers cruising past.

But after about an hour of standing around in the heat without much result, Dude's ready to call it a day and go home. So Dude starts walking across the parking lot just in time to see the church van, full of seniors back from picking apples, pulling in ahead of him.

He waves, trying to get away before they stop, but then just as he's about to open his car door the wind blows a scrap of newspaper against the van's windshield ... which causes the driver to lose control and plow into dude at full speed.

The next instant in Heaven Dude opens his eyes, looks up at the pearly gates and shakes his head. "Lord, I don't get it. Here I was trying to do something awesome, something really BIG and earth-shattering for you ... and now just look what happened. Is that what you wanted from me?"

God shakes his head and sighs. "No Dude, what I wanted was for you to pick up trash from the church parking lot."

So what's wrong with a little sin?

What's the big deal? We can't be perfect all the time and God knows that. He loves us and he knows we're gonna mess up once in a while but he still loves us anyway.

So a little sin can't hurt, right?

Is there something wrong with that reasoning ... or does that kind of hostility go straight to the heart of the issue?


"The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
- Romans 8:7-8 (NIV)

For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”
- Mark 7:21-23 (NLT)

Dialoguing with rocks

While channel surfing the other night I heard a scientist remark, "We have 700,000 years of recorded history telling us that global warming is a reality."

And on another night, on another channel, another scientist admits, "The fossil record, dating billions of years back to the Archean Eon, is unambiguous and establishes evolution as a fact."

Ok fine. Rocks are our friends and clouds are our neighbors.

But when it comes to considering first-hand accounts of events that occurred a mere 2000 years ago, why do skeptics become so suddenly herd of hearing?

Now there's a new Knol

I love Wikipedia's convenience, although now my second-favorite online resource has some competition: Google Knol, from the same folks who brought you, uh ... Google.

Keep it like I like it (said the enemy)

Does this sound familiar?

The chairman of the deacons waits for his moment, then calmly takes the pastor aside and firmly let's him know, "We appreciate your ideas and enthusiasm, but our church doesn't do things that way.

"And besides, we don't have the money or any idea how we'd get it. So there's no point bringing up the subject again. If you know what I mean."

The pastor smiles and forces a nod ... then he doesn't get much sleep for the rest of the week ... because his vision just revealed the tumor that's sickening the body.

-- -- --

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
- Matthew 19:26

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
- Matthew 17:19-21

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
- John 14:12

Peacemakers

Until just a few minutes ago, I had no idea an organization like Peacemakers existed.

"Peacemaker Ministries was founded in 1982 by a group of pastors, lawyers, and business people who wanted to encourage and assist Christians to respond to conflict biblically.

"Since then we have developed educational resources, seminars, and conciliation training to help Christians learn how to serve God as peacemakers in the conflicts they encounter in everyday life.

"We also provide conflict coaching, mediation, and arbitration services to help resolve personal conflicts, business disputes, church and ministry divisions, and even complicated lawsuits.

"The good news is that because God is in control, it is possible to view conflict as an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and grow to be more like Christ."

The page titled "Get Help With A Conflict" is particularly worth checking out.

Reaching for The God Switch

You know the feeling.

Suddenly, no matter how honest your hopes and expectations, the world seems about to fall apart and come crashing down in boulder-sized chunks. Never mind how it happened. You just need a way out because Life is coming from every direction ... and it's too late to do anything but reach for The God Switch.

It usually goes something like this: Oh Dear Lord I'm so sorry, I've learned my lesson this time. I promise. If you'll just help me out this one time I promise I'll turn myself around and do exactly what you want me to do with my life. I really mean it this time and, and ... and ... well God, how about it? Aren't you listening!

We reach for The God Switch to ask him to turn off all our problems, and make what's wrong go away.

Wow. Since we're all about being fair, wonder what life would be like if God had a [insert your name here] Switch?

-- -- --

You're in the middle of something important, when suddenly the [insert your name here] Switch turns on. It's God again ... and there's something only you can do. He wants you to invite your neighbor to church. Or forgive your co-worker. Or admit an error of judgment you've made about a friend. Or witness to your spouse, and share what Christ means in your life.

What's your response?

Oh no, God. Please not now. Things are going along so good and I don't want to cause trouble or make anyone uncomfortable by bringing you into the situation. What would people think? Can't it wait? Can't you just handle this one on your own? Dear Lord, I mean, what have you done for me lately?

-- -- --

Seems like so long as Christ's sacrifice on the cross doesn't interfere with our hopes/plans/expectations for our relationships/career/sinful habits, we tend to forget that salvation creates a permanent and eternal relationship.

At least until our plans fall apart, and we find ourselves reaching for The God Switch one more time.

The 3D God Box - pt. 3

Ever wondered how "The Big Bang" got its name?

I mean, everything that blew out of The Big Bang ... the stuff that would eventually slow down and cool off to become stars, galaxies and planets, all of it ... came from a single point scientists estimate was no larger than one molecule across. So why isn't it called The Itsy-Bitsy Bang?

Regardless, people sometimes have a hard time grasping that not just matter but space, billions of light years' worth of emptiness for the universe to expand into, also came flying out of The Big Bang.

But folks have an even harder time grasping that time itself came blasting out from The Big Bang, too.

-- -- --

Some of us visualize Time as a river: the past flows off behind us as we're paddling to keep up with the present, while the future is somewhere "up ahead," about to come smashing into our lives like a runaway train if we don't carefully plan and provide for its arrival. (It's time I stopped mixing metaphors :-)

The paradox is that Time is a quantity, a man-made concept, "a capacity for change" we've created to help our puny brains sequence events. We'd stay confused, for example, if we couldn't determine the chronological order of non-casually related events (imagine if the correct answer to "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" was Always).

That's one reason we have a hard time (sorry) imagining how God can exist independent of what's familiar (our space and our time) to us.

So, mistakenly believing Time's on their side, the last step for folks trying to fit God into a box is to make him stay in there ... by folding all the corners, squeezing down the Time lid and wrapping the box with man-made rules and theologies.

(concludes next time)

But how BIG is it really?

-source here

The 3D God Box - pt. 2

Imagine if you lived your life inside a painting.

Imagine if the painting where you live is 25,000 miles from the bottom to the top and 15,000 miles wide. It's a beautiful painting, full of colors ... and because you have imagination and curiosity, for as long as you live you're entirely free to walk, drive or swim from one end of the canvas to the other, or from the top to the bottom if you choose, as many times as you like.

But because you live inside a painting you live in a 2D world, and cannot ever leave its surface.

-- -- --

Flying is out: not only is it impossible for you to move even one brush stroke up from the canvas surface, it's also impossible for you to imagine, much less explain, what a 3D world might be like.

Your brain simply isn't wired to think in three dimensions

Scientists living alongside you in the painting are no better off, because their perceptions are also limited by what they can see, test and explain around them ... in two dimensions. They'll argue that three dimensions cannot exist ... because no experiment can be conceived, much less performed, in 2D that will prove three dimensions exist.

Three dimensions can't fit inside a 2D world. Or be described by 2D brainpans.

-- -- --

If you lived inside a painting would you argue that God, the creator of the painting and the universe, had to live within two dimensions as well ... the two you're familiar with ... restrained by the same physical limits as you, otherwise he couldn't possibly exist?

Or could God simply be too awesome and big ... that's what infinite means ... to fit inside our 3D box?

The 3D God Box - pt. 1

Will science ever prove God exists? Or, Can science prove God exists?

For believers the answer might be, Who cares?

-- -- --

Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
- Isaiah 52:1 (52:1-3)

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
- John 20:28

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
- John 20:29

A brief history of sunglasses

Ever wondered where sunglasses came from, who invented them and how they got here?


"It is said that the Roman emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator fights with emeralds. These, however, appear to have worked rather like mirrors. Flat panes of smoky quartz which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare were used in China in the 12th century or possibly earlier. Contemporary documents describe the use of such crystals by judges in Chinese courts to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses.

"James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles in the mid-18th century. These were not "sunglasses" as such; Ayscough believed blue- or green-tinted glass could correct for specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun's rays was not a concern of his.

"Yellow/Amber and brown-tinted spectacles were also a commonly-prescribed item for people with syphilis in the 19th and early 20th centuries because of the sensitivity to light that was one of the symptoms of the disease.

"Modern developments

"In the early 1900s, the use of sunglasses started to become more widespread, especially among the pioneering stars of silent movies. It is commonly believed that this was to avoid recognition by fans, but the real reason was they often had perennially sore eyes from the powerful arc lights that were needed due to the extremely slow speed film stocks used." [emphasis added]

-from Wikipedia

fear is a lie

Fear preaches, You're going to hell ... unless you get hold of yourself and stop sinning.

But Christ proclaims, You are loved ... and born again without sin.


No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
- 1 John 3:9

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
-Romans 6:11

Pastor Reginald

Up with insomnia, I e-mailed this observation to a friend:

"I think it would be difficult for any man named "Reginald" to be a preacher.

"Because any time someone came up to him after a service and said, "Way to preach one outta the park, Reginald" or "You really have a way of bringing the congregation together, Reginald" the poor guy couldn't tell if the comment was sarcastic, or meant as a compliment."

:-)

Have an awesome Monday!

All my ducks in a row

Still, the morning cleanup is a chore.

totALy pUre inNerGy

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:31

I hate sinners and wouldn't lift a hand to help them

Are you better than Christ ... who lifted both hands to nail sin to the cross?


When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
-Colossians 2:13-15

I'm going to straighten my life out and get myself turned around

No, you're not.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
- Ephesians 2:14-16 (NIV)

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
- John 15:19 (NIV)

But it's more fun during the week pointing fingers at sinners!

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a human being,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

-Philippians 2:1-8 (TNIV)

Is religion the answer?

No. But a Relationship is.


Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
- Romans 5:18 (NLT)

Time to Rededicate?

Rededicate is a great word, isn't it? Trouble is, I couldn't find "rededicate" in Webster's Dictionary. Or anywhere in scripture (NIV). Not even in the KJV.

John the Baptist did not say, "Rededicate, for the kingdom of God is near." Christ never said, "The kingdom of God is near. Rededicate and believe the good news!"

Nor did Jesus say, "For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not rededicate and believe him."

Instead, the word was Repent.

-- -- --

Repent means to turn away from sin. Repent means to become dedicated, or set apart, to changing one's life ... permanently.

Repenting doesn't mean looking the other way when it's convenient ... trusting that salvation is permanent but the wages of sin are not ... then going forth to sin some more.

-- -- --
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

- John 8:10-11

Who's the happiest with a stagnant church?

-The folks who've been members for 4 generations, and have their names splashed across the stained glass windows?

-The folks who like being recognized for their financial contributions?

-The folks who expect the pastor to notice their absence and drop by the house "just to make sure they're OK"?

- The elders who expect to be consulted on every decision?

-The folks who expect everyone else to know their names?

-The folks who like "Doing things the same way we've always done things"?

-The folks who insist "Let those other people go to their own churches"?

-The members who're afraid "We'll lose control if a bunch of new people start traipsing through the door"?

Or is it the enemy who's happiest when a church becomes stagnant, loses its vision and stops reaching people for Christ?


The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
-Matthew 13:38-29

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
-Luke 10:19

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
-2 Corintians 9:13

Am I A Moron?

Recently mentioned that I'm reading Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel C. Dennett. On Tuesday I came to this:

"According to a recent survey, only about a quarter of the population of the United States understands that evolution is about as well established as the fact that water is H20."

"What about the Scientific Creationists and Intelligent Deign proponents who are so vocal and visible in well-publicized campaigns? They have all been carefully and patiently rebutted by conscientious scientists who have taken the trouble to penetrate their smoke screens of propaganda and expose their shifty arguments and their apparently deliberate misrepresentations and evasions."

In other words, you're a dope unless you think like a "bright."

-- -- --

Here's an example of "scientific evidence" that human beings are descended, via evolution, from apes:

"Chromosome 2 is widely accepted to be a result of an end-to-end fusion of two ancestral chromosomes. ^[3][4] The evidence for this includes:

• The correspondence of chromosome 2 to two ape chromosomes. The closest human relative, the chimpanzee, has near-identical DNA sequences to human chromosome 2, but they are found in two separate chromosomes. The same is true of the more distant gorilla and orangutan. ^[5][6]
• The presence of a vestigial centromere. Normally a chromosome has just one centromere, but in chromosome 2 we see remnants of a second. ^[7]
• The presence of vestigial telomeres. These are normally found only at the ends of a chromosome, but in chromosome 2 we see additional telomere sequences in the middle. ^[8]
• Chromosome 2 is thus strong evidence in favour of the common descent of humans and other apes. According to researcher J. W. IJdo, "We conclude that the locus cloned in cosmids c8.1 and c29B is the relic of an ancient telomere-telomere fusion and marks the point at which two ancestral ape chromosomes fused to give rise to human chromosome."
  

-Wiki source

Do I understand one iota of what that means? Nope ... and I can't responsibly comment on this article either.

But it does sound to me like genomic instability is more likely to create runaway cell divisions (like cancer) than to cause apes to evolve into human beings.

Post Hoc is the logical fallacy "If X follows Y, then X was caused by Y." In other words, it's false to assume that the sequence of events proves cause.

-- -- --

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts."
-Albert Einstein

It's ironic that astro-physicists peer through their telescopes across the vastness of the universe and have little trouble admitting, "We don't know all the answers." As their knowledge increases, physicists are constantly exploring and developing new theories about how the universe began.

But evolutionists can point to fossils and angrily claim "We do know all the answers ... since 1859! You're descended from apes --- and dumb as dirt if you don't believe it."

Big Sin Round-Up

What sins are the worst sins? The sins so bad that everyone can agree, "Now that's a big sin" ... the sins that are likely to get you noticed, or even kicked out of church?

Should we include Dancing? Drinking alcohol? What about going to movies or football games on Sunday, listening to country music ... or wearing jeans to church?

Some denominations (proudly) define themselves by prohibiting those behaviors, and committing those activities might violate their covenants and earn you a stern warning, but reasonable folks could argue whether they're even sins in the first place.

I Define Myself As A Christian By Condemning Others For Their Sins

What about swearing? Lying? Stealing? Gossiping ... or speeding? Now there's some real sins- 4 of them are specifically enjoined in scripture- but the only transgression likely to get you booted through the church door is stealing (and that's if you're caught stealing from them).

Sin's Not A Sin Unless I Say So

Then there's the red-letter sins, like lust, adultery and coveting. No argument that those are some of the "worst" sins, right? Thing is, none of them will get you kicked out of church either ... not unless you're caught or found out.

If It Walks Like A Deacon, Talks Like A Deacon, And Prays Using Thee and Thou

What's happening here? Man-made rules are created to prohibit public behaviors, acts that might not even be sins in the first place, ostensibly to define what makes Christians different from sinners ... while public behaviors that are clearly sinful, like wrath, arrogance, pride, gossip and coveting- fly by without once raising an eyebrow.

Going To God Looking Our Best ... but keeping the rest in the closet

Traditionally, churches have been preoccupied with outward appearances as a measure of righteousness or "spiritual success":

Teen-aged girls wearing dresses, ribbons, long sleeves (and flat heels) to church are "nice girls" who obviously aren't having sex. Teen-aged boys who show up on Sunday mornings with a tie and neatly-combed hair aren't doing drugs, getting fall-down drunk the night before or cheating in school.

"Family men" who drag their kids to church three times a week can't possibly be addicted to gambling or porn. Mothers who volunteer in the church nursery and serve on the Benevolence committee can't be having affairs, struggling with alcohol or suffering with a dependence on prescription drugs.

Appearance Counts For Lots

It's just, lots of Not Too Much.

Why did Christ die on the cross? (updated)

Not to teach us to wear a suit and tie to church on Sundays, or to wear choir robes or sing cantatas at Easter.

Not to define church as a building with a steeple.

Not so believers could embrace candidates or political action committees.

Not to allow his followers to pursue retribution, personal agendas or vengeance.

Not so Christians can feel superior, ridicule the less fortunate ... or point fingers at sinners.

Not to put God "on my side," do us supernatural favors, or make our lives happy and comfortable.

Not so you could act like a big shot at your church.

-- -- --


For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
- John 3:17

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
- Galatians 2:20

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
- Galatians 6:14

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:7

Van Rooyen's Lion Dog

Rhodesian Ridgeback a/ka/ "the African Lion Hound or African Lion Dog—Simba Inja in Ndebele, Shumba Imbwa in Shona." -wiki

Nothing greater

I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.

-Psalm 135:5

why?

Lukundo is a short story written in 1927 by Edward Lucas White. Like several of White's stories, Lukundo is based on one of the author's nightmares.

This afternoon while surfing I found out that Edward Lucas White lived, and wrote Lukundo, in Baltimore.

In a generation of iPods, CG special-FX popcorn movies and presidential elections driven by sound bites, you might read Lukundo ... just to try your hand at figuring out what's really going on. Underneath the veil and disguise of words.

I also learned that White committed suicide seven years to the day after the death of his wife, Agnes.

-- -- --

While trying to learn more about the author, a Google search spat out the name of Carl H. Meyers. I have no idea who he was; all I know is that he's buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The on-line record indicates, "First Lieutenant, Air Service, 1 1923 Suicide Victim In Hawaii."

-- -- --

1923 was 85 years ago. Such a long, long time in the past. So?

So what was happening in Meyers' life that made suicide seem the best solution? What series of circumstances combined to make his life seem unbearable? What was the final lever that broke his grip ... and ultimately pushed Myers over the edge?

85 years later, do any of the problems he faced still seem so painfully insurmountable?

We don't know, and Myers isn't here to tell us.

The tragedy is a life lost to itself.

-- -- --

There are approximately 750,000 suicide attempts each year.

An estimated 5 million living Americans have attempted suicide.

- On average, one suicide occurs every 17 minutes.
- On average, a young person (age 15-24) dies by suicide every 2 hours and 12 minutes.

- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.

- More people die from suicide than from homicide.

Each suicide intimately affects at least 6 other people. (estimate)

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-statistics.html

Like my leftovers?

I got a friend who's looking for boat speakers. I just happen to have a pair I'm willing to part with ... at no charge.

I was just about to apply the screwdriver to the grilles when my real motivation became apparent ... and much uglier.

I was killing two birds with one stone: by graciously donating my 23 year old speakers to someone in need, I was depicting myself as a generous, unselfish friend. But by giving up my ancient speakers I was subconsciously giving myself a self-righteous reason to buy what I actually wanted ... a brand new pair ... for myself.

Giving away my leftovers or anything else that's second best, and then buying something much nicer & better for myself, says something about misunderstanding what Generosity means.

But it gets even worse. Giving others second best - and then expecting them to sing praises of gratitude and act indebted to me for my generosity - reveals lots about my selfishness. Putting my material greed first also points to a shameful condescension and arrogance toward folks less fortunate than me.

When did God ever give us less than his best?

-- -- --

A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
- Proverbs 11:25

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
- Matthew 7:12

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
- Luke 14:11

corte diagonal

"Miami Vice" movie review

Christianity Today reviews Miami Vice here.

Oye, Chicos y Chicas: an easy home-made Cuban sandwich - actualizado

So this morning I went to the grocery store and bought a pork loin. Then covered it with olive oil and spice, and stuck it in the oven. About 100 minutes later, it came out looking like this:


Then I slapped some mustard on both sides of a day-old French loaf. I was so excited to be having a Cuban sandwich, I forgot to cut the bread diagonally:


Next came a slice of Swiss cheese, some ham, the roast pork ... and a slice of dill pickle:


I don't have a Cuban sandwich press, so I used two skillets. The one on bottom was set to medium heat:


The second skillet was used to press down each side for about a minute:


This is what a Cubano Joe tastes like:


Not bad indeed.

Maybe tomorrow I'll cook up some plaintanos, or frijoles negros y arroz blanco.

Two more of life's biggest dilemmas solved

Now that I've found a place that actually sells fresh Cuban bread on-line, I'd love having this Cuban sandwich press, really I would.

But it's commercial/restaurant quality and costs $489. Wonder if a brick wrapped in aluminum foil could really work as well?

Do It Yourself Cubanos

What's a Cuban sandwich anyway?

What's a Medianoche?

Knowing God's will and purpose

Ever noticed that so long as "things are exciting" and "going according to plan"; when the money's rolling in and we're "confident" or "happy" with our lives ... that we also feel "in touch with God" and confident of his will ... and stimulated by our purpose and effectiveness?

We feel like God's right there at our shoulder ... so long as the future appears bright and unfettered on the horizon.

Tithing? The way things are now? Are you kidding me?

"Aw man, last year I was making way too much money to even think about tithing. But now that the economy is slowing down and gas prices are outta control, well, we're having real trouble just trying to make ends meet!"

Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
- Deuteronomy 28-47-48


God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
- Numbers 23:19

Independence Day

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
- Romans 6:18

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
- Romans 6:22

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
- Galatians 5:13

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
- Romans 6:7

Whatcha reading right now?

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
by Daniel C. Dennett

"Until now few books have tried to investigate [religion] in a scientific manner." (from the cover)

I'm just 27 pages in; more as it develops.

-- -- --


Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?
- Job 38:33

These two come first

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself."

-Matthew 22:35-39

Who is your God?

"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."
- 1 Kings 8:23

"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul"
- Deuteronomy 10:12

"You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul."
-Deuteronomy 13:3

"Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said:
"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way."
-1 Kings 8:22-23

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
- Micah 6:8

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
- 1 John 3:1

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him."
- 1 John 4:9

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
- 1 John 4:8

just in time for the 4th - Grilled Pizza!

I'm gonna have to give this a try ...

-entire recipe here

Totally Exposed!

-from Tuesday's "Grin and Bear It" Department:

Remember the "men's" magazines that featured glossy centerfold photos? Usually the flip-side included an "About Me" section wherein the model inevitably admitted, "I'll try anything once."

I always wanted to blurt out, "Oh, really? Would ya?"

Would ya try grabbing the wrong bottle from the back of your pickup ... and washing your clothes in motor oil?

(hint: you can skip the Rinse cycle ... forever)

Would ya try buying a frozen pizza because it looks delicious in the grocery freezer, knowing there's No Way it's gonna fit inside your fridge?



Would ya try positioning $50 worth of groceries on your boat, knowing the boat leans mightily to that side soon as you start climbing on board?


Shoot, I'd try all those things ... and did.

Guess you could say I'm also willing to try anything once ... I just don't always know what I'm about to try for the first time ... before it happens.

Be Nice to someone who's "trying something once" today ... life's little aggravations will likely seem outrageously funny once they've passed.

Have an awesome Tuesday!