Timbuktu and Kalamazoo

Father in Heaven, as I survey this confussing plethora of names, which one fits me? Should I be a 41/2 point calvinist? Or perhaps a monergistic aminian? A scholistic pietist? A gracious fundamentalist? Or perhaps a conservitive neo-evangelical... Oh Father.....no matter what others may lable me, no matter what theological whims come and go, may I by your grace be known as a little Christ.

Tip #1 When one is washing clothes, do it the way your mom told you and check all the pockets rather than washing and drying the pen with the clothes. Tip #2 When one does not heed tip #1, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works well at cleaning the marks left in the landlords dryer. (Suggested time for such activities is between the hours of 11pm and 6:15am thus bypassing the need to explain why ones upper body was in the dryer for the better part of an hour.) Tip #3 When avoiding the wisdom of Tip #1, a person would do well to take care in using a hand towel that was dried with the aforementioned pen. This is done to avoid very bold ink marks on ones face caused by residual ink on said towel. Tip #4 If one should have the misfortune of arriving at the conclusion of Tip #3 due to trial and error , have no fear, because such marks can be removed by the application of a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (which may be conveniently within reach..."I mean, hey, if it worked on the dryer..."). Note: C...

I have been thinking of sharing this for a little while now. And I share it not as an accusation but as food for reflection. We know from the book of Revelation that Satan is call the "Accuser of the Brethren ." And we also find from Job that it is not just a title but also something in which he actively engages. The thing that was giving me food for thought (and in reality I have not finished thinking about) is that there was a very tangible aspect to Job's life that made Satan take up the challenge that God handed out. It was that Job was a righteous man. Not completely righteous but righteousness characterized his life. This led me to the question, "If I could choose the reason for which Satan took up the challenge to test me,what what would that reason be? Would it be because I was by God's grace winning many souls to the Kingdom? Or perhaps it was because I was a fervent preacher of God's word. It could be that I was just living a life pleasing to Go...

Wow, its done. After three plus months of brutal, grueling work, it's done. Why did I do it? Why all those nights of 1-4 hours of sleep? Why all the anguish and hard work? Why don't I just give in and go the easy route? Was it for the grade? Was it for the praise of someone saying, "Well done on that paper"? Looking at what my grades will be, if that was the reason, I have failed. But what if it were for a different standard? What if the mere acquisition of knowledge were not my end goal? What if there was something else that drove me in this pursuit. A reality of a greater reward far beyond anything that can be grasped here on earth? Not a reward for achieving some tangible accolade from a mere human, but rather the words of the Almighty Creator of the universe telling one, "Well done thou good and FAITHFUL servant." That is why. That is the reason to endure. Then if comes into focus. The the long nights of work, the struggle, it is not because I want to ...

I never knew saying bye could be so tiring. I mean all I really did today was teach Sunday School, sit in a service and then eat and say bye to people. But after it was done I just sat in my chair and said, "Whew!" This coupled with the fact that I have to be up early tomorrow to go to camp leaves me unable to post as many of my little sayings and poems. So I shall just have to leave you with perhaps my favorite of them all. Start light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might.... Oh nuts....it's a satellite.

A little over a year ago I got a goat. This goat has been the source of entertainment and controversy since I first decided to own one. I even lost it for awhile this past spring much to the disappointment of some and the delight of others. But regardless of one's thoughts on the matter, it has generated interesting conversations. Conversation #1 New Youth Group Girl: Hey, He's got a beard! YG Girl #2: You mean you just noticed?! G #1: Yeah! G #2: You've just noticed after an hour? G #1: Yeah....it kinda makes him look like a goat. G #2: Huh?.....Oh, I guess it does.......but the ones on goat's chins are usually white. G #1: Yeah.... G #2: So we'll just let him get old and gray before we tease him. YG Girl #3: That should only be a few years!!! Conversation #2 Avido: OK....what are you guys laughing about? Youth #'s 1,2,3,4: Oh, nothing. Avido: Yeah, right. Y #1: We were just talking about what you look like. Avido: Oh....that again. Youth #1: I think you look l...

Mona Lisa's Mother: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that's the biggest smile you can give us?" Columbus's Mother: "I don't care what you've discovered, you still could have written!" Michelangelo's Mother: "Can't you paint on the walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?" Mary's Mother: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got better grades than you." Albert Einstein's Mother: "But it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?" Thomas Edison's Mother: "Of course I'm proud of you for inventing the electric light bulb. now turn it off and get to bed!" Paul Revere's Mother: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young man, midnight is past your curfew." Napoleon's ...