O Seasnain

Precious Moments

2010-06-17T19:14:00.001-07:00

It's odd... after looking back on my undergraduate college experience, I initially thought that I ddin't learn enough... The same thing was true during senior year of high schoool, the same was true when I graduated from middle school, and the same will be true when I complete my Masters Degree.

However, I think that we, as human beings, are very good at disregarding and downplaying incidents, even brief moments, of significance for the sake of allowing ourselves to move to the next season of life. We need, at times, to say the last wasn't that important so that we can let go of how much it really meant to us.

I want to get to the place where I do not have to look on the meaningful moments and say, "It wasn't that important." I want to be able to accept the loss of the moment and to move on, appreciating the moment for what it was, in all of its adequacy and inadequacy.

Ohio Charter Schools are a JOKE!

2008-03-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

If you are considering charter schools as an alternative school choice, make sure to do your research. Below are some posts on You Tube from a "well recognized" charter school in Clevleand, Toledo, and other cities. Please note that some of the content in the videos below is not appropriate for younger viewers/readers.

Above: This is what HSA and other Charter Schools would have you believe...
Below: This is the behavior that you can expect from students at HSA. Notice that there are sexual references (these kids are 11-14 years of age).

Above: You can see the sense of humor and the tolerance at the school for violent play-acting. As you can see, the children are in a classroom.
Below: This is a video at school (notice, no uniforms today). The students edited the video with software so that it appears that a boy is shooting a gun (his hand is the gun).

Above: The title of the video above are enough to suggest that there is a problem with authority.
Below: The title of the video below is "Horizon Whitey's Dance to Crank That" - if you do not find this insulting, imagine replacing "Whitey" with another derogatory racial term.

The lack of discipline evident in many of these videos is a great concern for any parent. It is evident that many of the children in the videos are behaving as they are during school sponsored programs or events.

चार्टर स्चूल्स अरे अ जोके! ಚರ್ತೆರ್ ಸ್ಚೂಲ್ಸ್ ಅರೆ ಅ ಜೋಕ್! ചര്റെര്‍ സ്കൂല്സ് ആരെ എ ജോകെ! சார்டேர் ஸ்கூல் ஆர் ஏ ஜோக்! చార్టర్ స్కూల్స్ అరె అ జోక్!
इफ यू अरे कांसिदेरिंग चार्टर स्चूल्स अस अन अल्तेर्नातिवे स्चूल चोइस, मके सुर टू दो यौर रिसर्च. बेलो अरे सोम पोस्ट्स ओं यू तुबे फ्रॉम अ "वेल्ल रेकोग्निजेद" चार्टर स्चूल इन क्लेव्लेंद, तोलेदो, एंड ओथेर सितिएस. प्लेस नोट ठाट सोम ऑफ़ थे कंटेंट इन थे विदोस बेलो इस नोट अप्प्रोप्रिअते फॉर यौन्गेर विएवेर्स/रेअदेर्स।
ಇಫ್ ಯೌ ಅರೆ ಕಾನ್ಸಿದೆರಿಂಗ್ ಚರ್ತೆರ್ ಸ್ಚೂಲ್ಸ್ ಅಸ್ ಅನ್ ಅಲ್ತೆರ್ನತಿವೆ ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಚೊಇಕೆ, ಮೇಕ್ ಸುರೆ ಟು ದೋ ಯೌರ್ ರಿಸರ್ಚ್. ಬೆಲೌ ಅರೆ ಸಂ ಪೋಸ್ತ್ಸ್ ಆನ್ ಯೌ ತುಬೆ ಫ್ರೊಂ ಅ "ವೆಲ್ ರೆಕೊಗ್ನಿೆದ್" ಚರ್ತೆರ್ ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಇನ್ ಕ್ಲೆವ್ಲೆಂದ್, ತೊಳೆದೋ, ಅಂಡ್ ಒಥೆರ್ ಕಿತಿಎಸ್. ಪ್ಲೀಸ್ ನೋಟ್ ದಟ್ ಸಂ ಆಫ್ ದಿ ಕಂಟೆಂಟ್ ಇನ್ ದಿ ವಿದೆಒಸ್ ಬೆಲೌ ಈಸ್ ನಾಟ್ ಅಪ್ಪ್ರೋಪ್ರಿತೆ ಫಾರ್ ಯೌಂಗೆರ್ ವಿಎವೆರ್ಸ್/ರೆದೇರ್ಸ್.
ഇഫ്‌ യു ആരെ കന്സിടെരിംഗ് ചര്റെര്‍ സ്കൂല്സ് ആസ് ആന്‍ അല്റെര്‍ണടിവേ സ്കൂള്‍ ചോയ്സ്, മാകെ സുരെ ടോ ഡോ യൌര്‍ റിസര്‍ച്ച്. ബെലൊവ് ആരെ സോമേ പോസ്റ്സ് ഓണ്‍ യു ട്യൂബ് ഫ്രം എ "വെല്‍ രേകഗ്നിഴെദ്" ചര്റെര്‍ സ്കൂള്‍ ഇന്‍ ക്ലെവ്ലീന്ദ്, ടോലെടോ, ആന്‍ഡ്‌ അദര്‍ സിറീസ്. പ്ലീസ് നോട്ട് ദാറ്റ് സോമേ ഓഫ് ദ കണ്ടന്റ് ഇന്‍ ദ വിടെപോസ് ബെലൊവ് ഈസ് നോട്ട് അപ്പ്രോപ്രയാറെ ഫോര്‍ യൌന്ങേര്‍ വിഎവെര്സ്/രീടെര്സ്.
இப் யு ஆர் காங்சிதேரிங் சார்டேர் ஸ்கூல் அச அன் அல்டேர்ணடிவே ஸ்கூல் சாய்ஸ், மேக் சுர் டு டூ யூர் ரேசேஅர்ச். பெலொவ் ஆர் சொமே போஸ்ட்ஸ் ஆன் யு துபே பிரோம் ஏ "வெள் ரேகோக்நிழேது" சார்டேர் ஸ்கூல் இன் க்லெவ்லெஅந்ட், டோலேடோ, அண்ட் அதர் சிடிஎஸ். ப்ளீஸ் நோட் தட் சொமே ஒப் தி காங்ட்டேன்ட் இன் தி விதேஒஸ் பெலொவ் இஸ் நாட் அப்ப்ரோப்ரியாடே போர் யூங்கேர் விஎவேர்ஸ்/ரேஅதேர்ஸ்.
ఈఫ్ యు అరె కాంసిదేరింగ్ చార్టర్ స్కూల్స్ అస్ అం అల్తెర్నతివే స్కూల్ చోఇస్, మాకే సరే తో డో యౌర్ రీసెర్చ్. బెలౌ అరె సం పోస్ట్స్ ఆన్ యు ట్యూబ్ ఫ్రం అ "వెల్ రేకగ్నిజేడ్" చార్టర్ స్కూల్ ఇన్ క్లేవ్లేఅండ్, తోలేదో, అండ్ ఒతేర్ సితీస్. ప్లీజ్ నోట్ తాత సం ఆప్ ది కంటెంట్ ఇన్ ది విదేఒస్ బెలౌ ఈజ్ నాట్ అప్ప్రోప్రిఅతే ఫర్ యౌంగేర్ విఎవేర్స్/రేఅదేర్స్.

Energy Efficiency - My Eye!

2007-05-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

I declare to the world that I WAS a buffoon. I truly thought that the purchase of energy efficient light bulbs was consumer savvy. I learned of my grave error today when I was changing the hallway light that burned out.

To my disgust, it was the energy "efficient" 10-year bulb that took a nose dive before the ordinary $0.10 light bulb that was next to it and still working! I didn't even know about these light bulbs 10 years ago; I was still in high school and I had no reason to buy a light bulb... obviously, it didn't last ten years. In fact, I estimate that it didn't even last two years. Keep in mind that this bulb was worth about $5.00 when I purchased it.

I purchased the stupid bulb in college about five years ago (generous estimate), and I didn't take it out of the package until I got married (about 3 years ago). I then placed it in a lamp that we never used. I took it out of the lamp at/around the first year we were married when I was arguing with my wife about how great these bulbs were, and how much money we would save by purchasing them... In any case, for the purpose of testing to see if our energy bill would fall in the slightest, I placed the bulb in the socket from where I just removed it. Our bill didn't change in the slightest, and the light is dead after 1/5 of the advertised life expectancy.

What a joke! Unfortunately it's on me.

Vote

2007-04-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I need your vote :)

Pursuit of a Relationship: Wineskins and Renewal

2007-04-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

It took a rude awakening for me to realize how easy it is to neglect those who you love the most. One night, after my girlfriend (now, my wife) and I went to the theater, she was very quiet. I could see the signs indicating that something was bothering her, so I persisted on asking her to tell me what was on her mind. Finally, she broke down and we talked for hours about the insecurity she had recently felt between us. After significant distress resulting, in part, from my prideful point of view, I began to realize that I had not been communicating well with her, and I had been lax in consideration of her emotions. After all was said and done, it was as though our relationship had been rejuvenated. We had reached a new level of honesty, and I was able to understand her so much better than ever before. This concludes this encounter, but it was not the first time that this happened between us. It has been a continuous theme, always with the same result. I realize more and more how much I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

Often the biblical relationship between Jesus and the church is compared to a marriage. Jesus is referred to as the bridegroom, and the church as the bride. The comparison, in spirit, would encompass much of what I went through with my wife during our courtship; however, this does not line up with the doctrine of many churches in our culture. Several different congregations have held to the same traditions and standards for years, implying that they believe themselves to have a right and adequate depiction of the relationship between God and the Church. These congregations hold fast to what was revealed to them, by God, at one period of time, and they refuse to allow flexibility in their doctrine.

This is not to say that the churches are completely incorrect in their doctrine, but, as John Milton said:

…If we look not wisely on the sun itself, it smites us into darkness… The light which we have gained was given us, not to be ever staring on, but by it to discover onward things more remote from our knowledge.
(Areopagitica 608)

Many churches have received true revelation from God, but they overindulge themselves in the truth that they have found, blinding themselves by pride and arrogance. However, a proper and correct attitude toward revelation and “revival” is to seek it with truth already revealed and embrace new truths offered by God.

Milton did not go out on a limb to say this; there is significant scriptural backing. In two of the synoptic gospels Christ is quoted in telling a parable about wine skins (in the King James translation, the word “wine skins” is inappropriately interpreted as “bottles” thus destroying its intended meaning):

17. Neither do men put new wine into
old [wine skins]: else the [wine skins] break, and
the wine runneth out, and the [wine skins]
perish: but they put new wine into new
[wine skins], and both are preserved
(Matthew 9: 17)

In this verse, it is important to take into consideration both the cultural situation in which it was told and the symbolism represented. It is told twice, with the same cultural situation: other religious leaders are questioning Jesus’s doctrine. Jesus responds to them by telling this parable. As in other cases with Jesus, he told parables to indirectly and more completely respond to questions. This implies that the parable will answer to the discrepancy between two doctrines that originate from the same source (in this instance, the Jewish tradition). We then must look to the imagery to find out what the actual message is.

On a literal level, in Jesus’ culture this parable contained common knowledge. It is mandatory to prepare wine skins before you use them; the parable is actually referring to worn out wine skins. The word “old” in this parable is derived from the Greek word “Palaioo” (“antique, i.e. not recent, worn out: - old”) (Strong’s). However, wine skins were not only good for one use; they were meant to be recyclable, but it required preparation. The process of preparation entailed, first, soaking the old wine skin in a river for days, allowing the flow of the swell to saturate the skin and, then, beating the skin mercilessly until limber. When the skin was finally filled with wine, they would then be set-aside for years to ferment, until the wine was finally ready to be consumed. This was a stretching process for the skin, as the gasses from the fermenting wine expanded the wine skin. It was a practice that required patience and exertion, and Jesus was using good common sense to say that pouring new wine in an “old” skin, without applying the effort, wastefully risks losing both the skin and the new pressed wine, when a little work will maintain both. However, this parable cannot be read on a sole literal level for it to be understood in its proper context.

The underlying message that Jesus conveys is that we must expand our understanding of religion, and in order to do so it is necessary to become pliable with our set belief traditions, lest the new ideas (revelation) be lost. This message is clarified in the gospel of Luke, where the same story appears with an additional verse: “No man also having drunk old wine / straightway desireth new: for he saith, / The old is better” (Luke 5: 39). This verse develops the message more, so that it appears to be a call for those people who comfortably rely on established traditions to be like the wine skins: to prepare themselves for new wine, new doctrine. If the people continue to refuse the new wine, their old wine will finally dry up, and they will be forced to do one of two things, either die of thirst or, at some time, take in the newer wine.

It is necessary, also, to clearly identify the symbolic process implied by this parable. First, we need to be submerged in something different until we are changed, finally, we can accept that which is new. This resembles baptism. This process can also be found in the Hebrew Scriptures, exhibited by King David, after the prophet Nathan came to him in regard to his adulterous affair with Bath-sheba:

2. Wash me thoroughly from mine in-
iquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
…
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salva-
tion; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13. Then will I teach transgressors thy
ways; and sinners shall be converted
unto thee.
(Psalm 51: 2, 10-13)

Here, we see David ask God for the same treatment as the wine skins, a baptism of sorts. He realized that his pride corrupted what doctrine he once held onto, and he asks God to first cleanse him, and then he asks for a renewal that would eventually become a blessing to others. The word used for “renew” is the Hebrew word “Chadash” (“to be new; to rebuild: - renew, repair.”) (Strong’s). This clarifies that David is speaking of a significantly similar process to that of the parable of Jesus. We can venture to say that the process David is going through matches that of the parable. However, here David makes a significant statement that is not in any way present in the parable of Jesus: “take not thy holy spirit from me.” Jesus does not specifically state that an individual is in danger of losing the guidance of the Holy Spirit when they fail to follow this process. However, it seems to be something that David fears.

This renewal process also seemed to be a popular theme with Paul. He speaks of the process in several of his epistles. However, it is important to first consider the meaning of “renewal” in the Greek language in which Paul was writing:

Anakainosis – “renovation, renewing”
from anakainoo – “to renovate, renew”
(anakainoo is derived from “ana” – “repetition, intensity, reversal, etc.”
and “kainos” – “new” ~with respect to freshness)
(Strong’s)

Simply by looking at this definition, we can identify two key characteristics of the message Paul is conveying by using this word. First, Paul is implying that this is not a one-time exploit; the prefix “ana” implies repetition. This may indicate that this “renewal” is a continuous process. Second, the overall meaning implies an overhaul of something, incorporating both parting with something old and replacing it with something new. So, altogether, we are looking at a process that is a continuous overhaul, which is exactly how Paul refers to it in his second letter to the Corinthians: “though our outward man perish, yet the / inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). This process, again, fits into the same theme as the process outlined in Jesus’ parable and David’s psalm.

Later in his writings, Paul takes this concept of renewal past self-purification/cleansing; he states that this renewal will exhibit the will of God:

And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
(Romans 12:2)

It becomes evident that this is not just a procedure for reconciliation, but that it is the process of becoming in tune with the will of God. The reality, if we follow these scriptural passages, is that God is calling us to a continual state of change: continual revival. This process outlines for us the measures we must take to first find and then follow God’s will,

9. For we know in part and we pro-
phesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect is
come, then that which is in part shall be
done away.
(1 Corinthians 13:9-10)

And, judging by the present state of the church, today, it will be some time before perfection comes (if by natural means). But, until this time is come, we are instructed to seek God’s will to be renewed, or die to the will, to burst as a wine skin by ignoring the necessary course of action. To neglect the new movements of God is to say we are immortal, and to deny the very heart of the parable of the wine skins. Last time I checked I still had not met a person of Olympian decent, so I venture to say we are all very mortal. It is just a question of obedience:

To be still searching for what we know not by what we know, still closing up truth to truth as we find it (for all her body is homogeneal and proportional), this is the golden rule in theology as well as in arithmetic, and makes up the best harmony in a church; not the forced and outward union of cold and neutral, and inwardly divided minds.
(Areopagitica 608)

The golden question, then, is how much do we desire that perfect union between Jesus and the church? It is all matter of how much we want that relationship, because it is always much easier to sulk in pride. It scares me to think of what would happen to my relationship with my wife, all those years ago, if I would obstinately maintain my point of view, regardless of its credibility. The same principle can be applied to the church, and it explains more so why we have had so many divisions amongst the body. It is said that the leaders of every great revival are persecuted by the church that underwent revival prior. It is a lack of adherence to this process, obstinacy. But, there is great hope, still. The simple words, “I’m sorry” can move mountains of pride when they are sincere.

RJay ~ Conservative American: HamNation: Better Living Through Lefty Activism#links#links#links#links#links#links#links#links

2007-04-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a worthwhile look at the typical conservationist in America.

RJay ~ Conservative American: HamNation: Better Living Through Lefty Activism#links#links#links#links#links#links#links#links

I win!

2007-02-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

This is a fun little quiz. You have about a 50/50 chance on any given question, because they have very creative choices.

Money, Money, Money!

2007-02-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

We are starting to realize that we have a good method of managing money... So, I think it's worth a post. In a few recent conversations, we found that people were very interested in our money management. So, I'm telling all.

First, we listened to the Dave Ramsey show (I imagine it's still on the radio, but I don't know when or what station). He has a very simple philosophy: credit is bad, no matter how you look at it. Do not buy now and pay later, at all. Lay-away should be the primary ethic of any large purchase (i.e. you don't get it until you can afford it).

Second, my wife is an unbelievably good bargain shopper - so cupons are a way of life.

Third, we looked at our own budget, realistically. We placed our finances into three categories: (1) income, (2) debt, (3) house (i.e. money-making investments)

1. First, we determined what our income is, in total, every month. This is obviously the starting point, and by no means should you ever live (spend money) above it. Ideally, you should live on about 50-60% of your income, and budget to save and intelligently invest much of the remainder of the income. Ideally you will save an emergency fund that is equal to a full year's salary, so that you can afford to have bad things happen without returning to credit/credit cards... You can easily find more about it by picking up the guy's book or tuning into his show.

The: In a nutshell, we were living above that 50-60% mark, simply because we treated our paychecks with a "spend-it-all" mentality. We aimed for a $0 balance in our accounts for that "balanced" budget. If we did not hit the red in the bank account (no matter what credit cards said), we were not bankrupt (WRONG!).

Now: Immediately, we tithe (at least 10%, no matter what, goes back to God). Then, we sorted out exactly how much money we had to pay ("da bills"), and we organized our finances so that we could generate savings in addition to paying off debts (2). Nothing changes from month to month except savings (that can increase). We went to the envelope plan: we only withdraw a pre-determined amount of money monthly, and we spend cash only, once the envelope of cash (metaphor) is empty, too bad, we wait until the next month comes around.

2. Most of our debt was from purchasing things for a "deal." But, we were still paying for the "deal"... (and better "deals" came out even after our "once-in-a-lifetime-deals" were no longer available). So, we learned quickly that there really is no such thing as a "deal." Thus, we stopped purchasing anything that we didn't need. We literally even discuss $1.00 purchases, because that purchase could make the difference in groceries or an oil change because it comes from our "envelope. "

Every financial expert (not just Dave R.) recommends the snowball method of paying for debts. It's simple: focus on one debt at a time, from smallest to largest. Pay the minimum payment on the large debts. Pay as much as you have budgeted on the smallest debt until it is wiped out. Once you wipe out a debt, you don't decrease payments. You simply add the amount you were paying for that debt to the next smallest debt. This works as a little chain, until you're left with just one debt that you funnel all of your available debt money into. You never increase or decrease the amount of money you pay on debts; you simply change the channels of the funds.

This method has been very good for us: we will be debt free by September (that's after we took a huge cut in our regular income).

3. Even Dave R. agrees that owning a home is always better than renting (you pay the money to yourself in the long run), so we were, by no means, going to give up the investment of our home. Instead, once our debts are gone, and our emergency fund is well on its way to becoming a reality, we will then direct funds to various other envelopes (home repairs/renovations, wardrobe, wish lists, etc.). However, we will work to make 1-2 extra mortgage payments every year, until our mortgage is a thing of the past. It just makes sense - why would you wait to pay 3 times what your house is worth? Some people would argue that it makes more sense to hold onto a mortgage for tax purposes, but, no matter how you slice it, it is always better to have the money and pay 25% in tax on the money instead of paying 100% of the money to a bank.

Now Dave is a supporter of various other investments that I don't clearly understand, and frankly, I'll worry about it when I get there. Currently, I'm just happy to have debt nearly gone and to have financial freedom for myself and my family in the near future.

Praise God!

A Long Time Coming… and a LOT to Say

2007-02-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

It’s time for an update, and what an update it is… God is good (not that you didn’t know that already). Let me tell you some things that would turn an atheist into a believer.

1. This story starts before the drama began... Last winter (2006), I learned that friends of mine were traveling overseas to play football for a missionary organization. I wanted very much to go and re-live my high school years, or something of that nature. In any case, my wife was against it, and we decided to ask God for a definite answer ("yes" or "no"). Well, it is never the answer that you want to hear, if you're a guy.

You may have heard about some health problems that I have been experiencing. In short, I get pain in my chest that feels as though I have a bone that is continuously breaking. It’s triggered by odd things, and I have a hard time explaining it. I thought I had a cracked rib, but I was wrong. In February 2006, my wife convinced me to ask the doctor about the issue. So I did, and I got an answer that I didn’t want to hear. “It may be a problem with your heart; we better do some tests…”

Well, between medical incompetence on the part of doctors and issues with my insurance company, I didn’t “finish” getting tests or getting an actual prognosis until January 2007. Around October, I was told that it was a problem with my heart. This, of course, scared the life out of me because my family has a history of heart related problems that prove fatal. I saw a heart specialist, and it turned out that the guy who read my KAT scan is a lunatic who is synonymous with Chicken Little in Cleveland. My heart was ruled out as a problem in December, and my lungs were ruled out in January.

So, I asked them what in the world was left as a cause of my problem. The $1000.00 answer: “I don’t know.” So, the medical theory is that I have arthritis in my rib cage as a result of high school football. That’s it in a nutshell. No cure, no real solid answers. But, one doctor did assure me it was not serious by saying, “Well, I know it can’t be a real serious problem, because you would have died before now if it was any of the other possibilities.” So, I suppose that it is a good thing that I don’t have something curable, since the delays from my insurance company would have resulted in my death otherwise…lol.

But the thing that really gets me is that it only took a month for God to give me a very convincing reason to abstain from football for the rest of my days. It's bittersweet, but now I can focus on kids.

2. God moved us to fast in January. We had many reasons for doing so.
(i) We initially intended to start a family this year, and, with the loss of my wife’s job, that plan was placed on the back burner. We had to learn to budget money more responsibly, and now we see that we might not even need for her to have a job for us to be able to have children. God is that good, and we are standing in faith that he will provide for us the means to start a family.
(ii) Although she is not in need of a job, we do like the idea of living above the poverty line, so we are in faith for my wife to find a job, even though that particular field is so narrow (about 250-300 “qualified” people to every 1 job).
(iii) We are in faith for the salvation of our family. We always have been, and we always will be. We feel that this year is going to be a turning point in many areas.
(iv) My health (see above).

3. The current results of the fast:

(i) Recently, checks have been sent back to us for various medical things. They say that insurance already covered the cost (a miracle in and of itself).
(ii) We have had multiple situations where something that we purchased was discounted at a ridiculously low price, when we had no clue that it was that low (one book was marked at $5.00 and it rang up as $0.54 – no error).
(iii) See the Florida tornado story.
(iv) We have begun to seek out a healthier style of living.
(v) Things have been opening up while my wife has been subbing for area public schools, and she has discovered potential job openings in the near future and the sub callers love her! We're still praying about this.
(vi) I’m fine, no “[treatable] health problems.”
(vii) Based on projections from our current budget (between 2/3 and 1/2 of our original income), the only debt we will have by September will be our house. This will allow us to start a family.

4. My Parents are in Florida right now. You may have seen something on the news about Lake County, Florida and The Villages. This is the retirement community where my parents purchased a home, and where they currently reside in the winter and periodically throughout the year.

Well, they described the tornados that ripped through the community as “a freight train at 3:00 AM.” So, yes, they are in the thick of it. But, their house had nearly no damage and they are 100% safe and unharmed. The other side of the street is another story… Their neighborhood and their county was declared a national disaster area, and people describe the area as being worse than the hurricane that hit Florida in 2004.

Two things about this:

(i) God moved me to fast for an additional 24 hours on the day that we were scheduled to break our fast (2/1/2007), but God did not tell me why. So I did the fast, and I prayed for many things in that time, but I had no idea as to why I should be fasting. I had no food or water, but I went on with my regular routine… I questioned myself, as to whether or not I was just being strange and over-spiritual, and now I would gladly swallow glass to have the same results;

(ii) My parent’s home, and the homes around them, were safe, but 100 yards around that little cushion was another story. Please pray for that community.

So Praise God in all things, He is good!

A Story of Interest - reprinted

2006-12-01T22:34:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while, but I thought this story was worth printing. No, Bek, it's not a praise of my wife, but it is about a lady... and it's quite the opposite of how wonderful my wife is.

Of all tales of the supernatural, this one is perhaps the best documented, the most disturbing and the most difficult to explain ...

The Princess of Amen-Ra lived in 1050 B.C. When she died, she was laid in an ornate wooden coffin and buried deep in a vault at Luxor, on the banks of the Nile.

In the 1880s, four rich young Englishmen visiting the excavations at Luxor were invited to buy an exquisitely fashioned mummy case containing the remains of the Princess of Amen-Ra. They drew lots. The man who won paid several thousand pounds and had the coffin taken to his hotel. A few hours later, he was seen walking out towards the desert. He never returned.

The next day, one of the remaining three men was shot by an Egyptian servant accidentally. His arm was so severely wounded it had to be amputated. The third man in the foursome found on his return home that the bank holding his entire savings had failed. The fourth man suffered a severe illness, lost his job and was reduced to selling matches in the street.

Nevertheless, the coffin reached England (causing other misfortunes along the way), where it was bought by a London businessman. After three of his family members had been injured in a road accident and his house damaged by fire, the businessman donated it to the British Museum. As the coffin was being unloaded from a wagon in the museum courtyard, the wagon suddenly went into reverse and trapped a passer-by. Then as the casket was being lifted up the stairs by two workmen, one fell and broke his leg. The other, apparently in perfect health, died unaccountably two days later.

Once the Princess was installed in the Egyptian Room, trouble really started. Museum's night watchmen frequently heard frantic hammering and sobbing from the coffin. Other exhibits in the room were also often hurled about at night. One watchman died on duty; causing the other watchmen wanting to quit. Cleaners refused to go near the Princess, too. When a visitor derisively flicked a dust cloth at the face painted on the coffin, his child died of measles soon afterwards.

Finally, the authorities had the mummy carried down to the basement, figuring it could not do any harm down there, while leaving the lid of the coffin on display. (The lid of the coffin (Exhibit No. 22542) is still there!) Within a week, one of the helpers was seriously ill, and the supervisor of the move was found dead on his desk.

By now, the papers had heard of it. A journalist photographer took a picture of the mummy case and when he developed it, the painting on the coffin was of a horrifying, human face. The photographer was said to have gone home then, locked his bedroom door and shot himself. Soon afterwards, the museum sold the mummy to a private collector. After continual misfortune (and deaths), the owner banished it to the attic. A well known authority on the occult, Madame Helena Blavatsky, visited the premises. Upon entry, she was sized with a shivering fit and searched the house for the source of "an evil influence of incredible intensity". She finally came to the attic and found the mummy case. "Can you exorcise this evil spirit?" asked the owner. "There is no such thing as exorcism. Evil remains evil forever. Nothing can be done about it. I implore you to get rid of this evil as soon as possible." But no British museum would take the mummy; the fact that almost 20 people had met with misfortune, disaster or death from handling the casket, in barely 10 years, was now well known.

Eventually, a hard-headed American archaeologist (who dismissed the happenings as quirks of circumstance), paid a handsome price for the mummy and arranged for its removal to New York. In April of 1912, the new owner escorted its treasure aboard a sparkling, new White Star liner about to make its maiden voyage to New York.

Because the reputation of the mummy was well known, the owner, who was a chess player named William T. Stead, was afraid that his cargo would not be loaded. Therefore, he secretly arranged for the mummy to be hidden under the body of a new Renault automobile which was being transported to America on the ship. Stead did not reveal the truth about his cargo to the other passengers until the night before the next disaster.

On the night of April 14, amid scenes of unprecedented horror, the Princess of Amen-Ra accompanied 1,500 passengers to their deaths at the bottom of the Atlantic.

The name of the ship was Titanic.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So... is there any doubt about spiritual reality? You can read more about this on http://www.samsloan.com/amen-ra.htm

Happy Birthday!

2006-09-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I have hacked into this account in order to wish my husband a happy birthday! : )

This is his 9th birthday that I have been blessed to share with him. It seems with every passing year, I get a broader picture of who this man is that I dearly love.

He has a generous heart; a heart like God's own. A good heart. He is always giving above and beyond. He never tires of serving others and always wants to know what else he can do. He is a true servant: self-sacrificing, giving freely of his time and talents. He understands that it's all God's anyway and the glory is His alone.

He has an intelligent mind; writing, reading, debating, and teaching all come naturally to him. He really knows his stuff! He has a unique gift of seeing the potential in others and drawing it out in a gentle, yet challenging, way.

He has a fun, enjoyable personality. He will be a GREAT father someday. He loves games of all kinds (with the exception of Pounce), camping, sports, rollerblading, playing with the dog, movies, and just spending time with family and friends.

He has a creative spirit. Not everyone knows that he can draw! And paint! And sculpt! He has a love for plants and gardening. Did i mention that he can sew?! He has a way with words that turn an ordinary piece of paper into a picture for your mind. He has an eye for detail and is quite a perfectionist.

I could go on! This is a man of God! He is truly in love with the Lord and is reflecting Him more clearly everyday.

I love you, Shmo!
Happy Birthday!

I'm Still Kickin'

2006-08-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see it has been a while (standard intro. for many blogs). I can give a few sordid details of life:

1. we renovated the bathroom - now it's not just livable, it's fab (thanks A.B.)
2. we are now working with the youth group again (it's so odd being the "old" couple helping - lol... J and K used to be).
3. we now have a new driveway - our tires don't go on the grass anymore
4. we have a new garage door to boot (the price was right! ask if you need the number of this guy, because he does the job for the right (cheap) price)
5. we went WWI and dug ditches that we filled up with limestone to create neat little paths (still in progress)
6. many holes in our ceiling for vents and lighting.
7. working again - loving it but wishing for that vacation all over again
8. Found the pooping deer candy dispenser - very excited for this successful find
9. cleaning out office and extra room (for future use)
10. busy, but still making time to build into our marriage. Life is good. God is great. Amen.

Shalome!

...The City Gate...

2006-04-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31:10-31 was something we vaguely addressed in our meeting last night, but I wanted to take time to say something about it now. I want to talk about my wife, in reference to the Proverbs.

"Giver her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" (Proverbs 31:31).

I felt convicted for the lack of encouragement I give my wife, because she is simply amazing. So, as the verse above suggests, I am giving my beautiful wife what she deserves. I just want to broadcast, to the world, the qualities of my bride. In a lot of ways, blogs are the city gates for our friends from church. So I think this is appropriate.

My bride is, undoubtedly, a wife of noble character (10). She is true to God, faithful and loving to me, forgiving and unjudgmental, honest and kind hearted, slow to anger and quick to encouragement, and she is undoubtedly the person who I can count on to be in my corner when times are rough. Her life was not always easy - as Paul suggests, this proven character is the result of endurance through afflictions (Romans 5). However, she spurns me on to righteousness with her faith, hope, and love. I have full confidence in this woman of God (11)!

In terms of her work ethic, her dedication, and her eagerness to bring these Godly characteristics to her workplace, I would argue that none can compare to my bride. She cares for the children in her charge with her whole heart. She rejoices when a child can recognize a letter; even things we might see as insignificant are celebrated by my wife, because it is something important in a child's life. She is a woman who is fully involved with edifying children, prospering our household, and creating a home atmosphere of solace (12-19).

She is adorned "with strength and dignity" (25), and she extends this to others (20-24). We sponsor a child, and plan to welcome many children into our home through adoption. My wife is a woman who wants to save the world one person at a time. She wants to raise missionaries, to build into the future of others so that they can continue the same aim. All-the-while, we lack nothing. I feel as though I am a millionaire, because she takes care to cover our table with food, fill our closets with clothing, and keep our closets stocked by means of bargain shopping mastery (27).

She is a woman of wisdom beyond her years (26). I will always call her blessed, sharing in the qualities and LIFE of God, for all of the days of my life (28). My wife has a reverence for God, but she is no hypocrite that loves the spotlight - she is a woman who stands in awe of the Lord (30). Other women can win marathons or go to the moon or win the lottery to impress people, but I believe that few, a select few, have qualities like my bride. She is rare like pink pearls, like ten carat diamonds, like honest lawyers, or respectable politicians... she is one in a million (29).

So, she deserves some credit, credit I rarely give to her. And I just want to invite others to do the same. Please note, this is not to be cute - I do not give my bride enough encouragement. This was my conviction in walking away from our men's group.

A Rant About God's Faithfulness

2006-04-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

As pastors in the area have brought up the topic of spiritual attack and warfare, and as many close friends and relations have undergone significant attack on body, mind, and spirit, it is time that we seriously discuss the enemy and his/her schemes.

Let's first look at God (based on our "limited understanding"). God is real. History, archeology, physics, and various other things have proven the fact that there is a God. The Hebrew and Christian scriptures are real and valid - beside personal experience, historians acknowledge that this text (the Bible that we know and love) is THE MOST HISTORICALLY ACCURATE TEXT; this statement is based on the process of deeming a historical text as accurate. No other religion than Christianity has more fulfilled prophecies and historical evidence of veracity. No other religion has as many historical accounts to verify its claims from sources not within the bounds of the religion (see Josephus, Pliny the Younger, etc.). No other religion has a deity that was historically proven to live, to perform inexplicable miracles, and to die and raise Himself from the dead.

So maybe we should trust Jesus. No matter how many lies from the enemy, or the level of persecution, Jesus is in control. The thing about spiritual attack is that God created the thing that has turned away from Him and is now attacking another one of God's creation. God obviously, then, can take care of the creation, because he can certainly take care of Himself. Otherwise Jesus would not have been able to raise Himself from the dead (remember - historically proven).

Although true Christianity is neither comfortable, nor convenient, nor safe, it is full of joy and life. To see God protect you, to see him heal you, to hear him speak to you in various ways... Why should we be afraid of something his hand created to be good? It can not harm us! Not eternally. God is in complete control. The number of miracles I have seen, my friends have experienced, and our church has enjoyed is a statistical anomaly. I firmly believe that any prayer that we lift to God will be accomplished according to his will. He gives us the desires of our hearts, and He can conform our hearts to His if we let Him. No one, NOT ONE, is turned away from his love; but those who accept His love also accept His cross (something we often overlook). It is a joy to suffer for God, although I am first in line for comfort.

So praise God! Since the enemy has not, can not, and will never be able to overcome The Creator, praise God! As I come to understand that the only strength the enemy has is convincing us to turn from the One who loves us, I proclame that God's words, "you will not be shaken," are true for the Church that Jesus built.

Evolution is Impossible

2006-03-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

Question: If evolution is mathematically impossible, why does science accept it as a prominent theory?

http://www.pathlights.com/ce_encyclopedia/10mut06.htm

I am eager to hear any educated responses to this :)

Billy's Captures

2006-03-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

Billy's Captures :

DO THE MATH!!!

:)

Tickets

2006-03-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

These are two very special tickets. In 1997 I met my wife at an Indians game. Several years later (2003), after moving around quite a bit, we found ourselves back in the same section of seats. This was to throw her off so that she would not suspect the time/place that I was planning to propose. We have now enjoyed two years of marriage and a seven-year courtship. In all of this, we have learned that Jesus, the Christ, is faithful. We have learned that we can always put our trust in the Lord. And we have learned that even when we feel like nothing makes sense, God is in control.

Praise God!!!

Book Cover

2006-03-22T03:01:00.000-08:00

Well, this will be the cover for my book of poetry. You might recognize it. The yellow is the same cover I used when I created my wife's engagement book (I made a book of poems for my wife and cut out a section for the ring). The yellow is actually the inverse of the blue. I wanted to post these so that I could use the pictures for my profile.

What's in a Name?

2006-03-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Irony: My ancestors are from Limerick and we have no family motto. I don't know why this matters, but it seems to me that somehow words passed down, over the ages, contain something that helps us understand ourselves. Maybe that is why I find such solace in the Hebrew Scriptures... who knows? Maybe I'm just crazy.