After much consideration....

The only place you will find me blogging from now on is lifeofthelist.wordpress.com.

May sound hard to believe, but I just don't have the time to keep up with multiple sites.

There you have it, I'd like to welcome you to my new Wordpress home.

we've got mad skills...

At the "smoke shack" where I work, someone put graffiti on the window that said "smoking kills". The writing stayed there for nearly a week, when someone else added an "s".

Our smoke shack now reads, in large letters, "smoking skills". I like that. I really do.

the iron man cometh...

My buddy Chad at mythoughtworld.com recently blogged on the Iron Man movie. I saw this little video over at the Onion, and I decided that he needed to see this. I put it on my blog because I decided that YOU needed to see this, too.

not for the faint of heart...

As long as I'm coining definitions, I would like to make yet another that I came up with recently.

I moved into my apartment about a year ago, and last month my light bulbs started dying out. Being the procrastinator that I am, I began borrowing the least important light bulbs to place into the most important spots. As I was doing this, I thought "Light Bulb Triage" is a good term for my actions. This makes it sound so much better than "Lazy SOB won't go to the store to buy the bulbs"

The New Liberals...

I know, I know. Neoliberalism is already a term, defined on Wikipedia and all that, but as long as America's definitions about everything are changing, I would like to offer up an alternate meaning to the word neoliberal.

A neoliberal is anyone over 27 who still watches cartoons regularly. Anyone who knows everything about show business and nothing about politics. Anyone who hates the war and has no idea why. Anyone who hates our president and has no idea why. Anyone who is voting democrat and has no idea why.

A neoliberal is anyone who can change their political views like a chameleon depending on whom they are with (the change being so natural that they don't even know that it is occurring). Anyone who thinks Fox news is biased and right wing but has no idea why. Anyone who thinks that other news stations are fair and balanced. Anyone who forwards emails without checking the content on snopes.

Neoliberals are not known for their ideas, but for their adherence to any idea that sounds good. They would rather get on with the important things in life such as iPods and Brittney's crotch shot. These are things worth learning about. Time magazine is taking care of the other stuff without us, and if we want to find out what they are doing, we just have to buy a magazine. But oh, wait - that copy of Maxim looks a lot more interesting.

In short, I guess, neoliberalism is the philosophy that we can unquestioningly trust the media and trust the government because they know better than us, and who are we to question them. It is the idea that we need to fit in with the majority even if the majority are sheep blindly following anyone who calls himself a leader, because it's easier that way.



Besides, sometimes it's hard work to think. Most people don't have that kind of time...do you?

It's a Charlie Brown Christmas

This is how I decorated my house for the Christmas season. It's kind of a lazy job. A single Christmas tree with no ornaments. But I loved the instruction card that came with the tree:
1. Insert the three legs into tree stand one by one and make sure all parts stay steady.
2. Open all the tips, trim the tree, and make sure it looks natural.

Am I the only one who finds much humor in the very last instruction?

Make sure that it looks natural? Natural? THAT tree? I just don't have that kind of time.

It's also interesting that they say to trim the tree, and then make sure it looks natural. Like as you walk through the woods, you'll see trees with candy canes and Hallmark Spider-man ornaments hanging (or growing) on them. It's just not natural. So I left it as natural as I could. That's my story and you know the rest...

Onward and forward and all that...I will bring more soon, I just "decorated" my house today and needed to blog on it.

Here is something for fun while you are waiting for my next post.

On Government

Well, this is making me spend more time blogging than I have in a long time! :)

I think I understand the underlying point/argument you are trying to make, and I am going to try to state it fairly; please correct me if I get it wrong, ok?

Believers should be focused on carrying out our God-ordained mission of loving people and proclaiming the gospel; government should be faith neutral.

If this is an accurate statement, I don't disagree with you. I am not terribly disappointed that teachers are restricted from proselytizing in schools, because it prevents teachers who believe in false gods from converting our kids.

However, do you really think that people are forced to stop sinning by our government? People do need to understand that they are sinful, but there is no way our government could legislate anything that could possibly take that away. Do you think people who obey the laws think they don't sin? Romans 1 says we see the truth about God and we choose not to acknowledge him as God. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1.19-20).

I think Romans 13 also teaches us something very important about government. “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Rom 13.1-4).

God has established our government, and every government that has ever existed. I think our government is terribly corrupt, and I in no way “worship our government as a solution to the ills of humanity.” Yet God does use governments as a means to limit or curb sin.

While our government was established for freedom of religion, it was not designed for freedom from religion, despite what revisionists adhere to with the “wall of separation” argument. If we “the people” base our government on our collective convictions, the convictions of the majority will outweigh the convictions of the minority. The “oppressed minority” should not necessarily have the “right” to sin! If I am convinced that I should be able to marry my sister or my underage daughter, or both, and they are consenting, do you think society should be fine with that? Why should you, if you are convinced that that is evil or depraved, be compelled to agree and endorse my actions?

I just don’t believe the founders of this government intended the government to be divorced from God, including moral laws.

I humbly submit this, confessing that I have not thought through this issue thoroughly. I seek to submit to any and all scriptural truth; I will gladly receive any criticism of this view so that I may think rightly of God and his Word.

Thanks for listening bro.

By the way, I'm sorry to hear about Zack.

A Tribute to Zaccheus

Zack was my dog for a long, long time. Debbie and I got him shortly after we got married. So we had him almost 10 years. We had to put him to sleep today. I won't get into all the details, but he was a great dog. I kept crying, and I kept telling myself, I can't believe that I am crying over a dog. And then I cried some more. I know he can't hear me, and this is more for myself than anything.

Zack, I'm gonna miss you, boy.

RE: The AFA

Well, bro, I'm going to have to take a different point of view on this one.

I think you and I agree that believers are called to be salt and light in a world that is rotting and dark in its corruption and sin. Our nation is rotting because the vast majority of people who claim Christianity have no relationship with Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I think we agree that political action is not the mission that the Church is called to carry out. Matthew 28 tells us that we are to make disciples along our way through life. This is our mission. I don't believe reforming our country is nearly as important as reforming our hearts and minds and our churches. As believers, we love the truth, and we (should) desperately desire to lead others to the truth of the gospel; God is angry with all sinners and he is coming to judge us! But the good news is that he provided a way through Christ for us to not only be spared, but actually be adopted as sons of this righteous and holy God!

AND, because we love the truth, we also must not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers (Ps 1.1). We are called to do justice and to love mercy/kindness (Micah 6:8). So, I guess I would like to apply some of these principles to the topics addressed by the AFA email...

1.) Amnesty for 12,000,000 illegal immigrants.

Should we, or should we not uphold the law? I love the United States, and I cannot imagine our borders being closed to immigrants. But I do not think we should abandon the legal process for immigration. Just because I care about the homeless guy on the street, I cannot help him break into someone's house who I know is on vacation and let him stay there. That would be against the law. If we disagree with the law, we should pursue the legal means of changing the law, either by court or by legislation.

2.) A push to make homosexual marriage and polygamy legal in all 50 states.

I agree with you; homosexuality is a sin. Government "of the people, by the people, for the people" should absolutely have a say in what constitutes marriage. Homosexuality is not the problem, it is the judgement of God. Romans 1 says that "the wrath of God" (v. 18) is pronounced against those who reject or suppress the truth (v. 18-23), and God thus gives them up to "dishonorable passions" that includes homosexuality (v. 24-31), among many other evil thoughts and deeds. The truth is that Romans 1:32 tells us that these evil thoughts and deeds, including homosexuality, deserve death.

Obviously, I do not believe our government should be putting to death gossips and slanderers, the haughty or the boastful, etc., because there wouldn't be any of us left! But I do believe the government should take action against murderers. We don't live in a theocracy like the Jews did, but do we really want a truly "secular" (meaning void of God or synonymously evil) government? How can a believer not side with God against the corruption of the earliest of social institutions?

3.) Liberals will make the killing of the unborn more difficult to stop.

I'm glad we agree; but aren't we as Christians just legislating morality here?

4.) Liberals will continue to try to rid our society of Christian influence, including any reference to God in our Pledge and on our currency.

Again, do any believers out there really want a government that is truly divorced from God and all that reflects him? If so, why should we legislate against slavery, then? (Just playing devil's advocate; I can't believe how deceived Christians were.) Also, what ungodliness and crimes result from these sins? Why should we not legislate against drugs when so many people will kill and steal for the next high?

We should do all we can to uphold the values of God, not the values of individuals. If we uphold individual rights, we will fall into anarchy. If we uphold the values of God, we will honor him and live with respect for our neighbor. We are not legislating morality, we are legislating TRUTH.

I know, I know, that's truth for us in this post-modern world, but we do uphold the truth, right? I think Paul would agree, the truth is more imporant that my freedom.

4.) The "Fairness Doctrine"

Again, what are we upholding? Do we uphold the truth of the gospel and the values of God, or do we uphold our own rights? I personally have no rights, being a slave to the one who purchased my life; and I find joy in the service to my King. We are first of all citizens of heaven, and that kingdom must hold our allegience. I do not care if the world is offended at the preaching of the Word, and I will seek to honor God with my voice and my ballot.

All that to say, if we do not stand for what is right, we stand for what is not right. We are not the cause of the work of Satan in the world. We may be the scape goats.

5.) An increase in taxes to push new social programs.

Why not promote social programs if we really care about our poor and needy? Just kidding; I would much rather give my money to further the gospel or the local church ministries, but what determines what we choose to support and what we choose not to support?

6.) Liberals will give terrorists from other countries who try to kill Americans the same rights American citizens enjoy under our constitution.

I think everyone should have a fair trial. But I do not think that terrorists have the "unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" when they commit war crimes against humanity. In a war, we do not prosecute prisoners; we detain them. I think the AFA did a very poor job of communicating the issue at hand. Does anyone judge a nation for detaining prisoners of war? Should we release them back to the fighting? Prisoners should be treated well, and I abhor the circumstances surrounding the Abu Graib scandal, but why should prisoners of war receive the same legal treatment as those "presumed innocent until proven guilty"?

I hope I didn't offend you ... I only hope to challenge you and sharpen myself.

Todd

More from the AFA

In the AFA's October 11th Action Alert, they said


How important are the upcoming elections? Extremely important! Below is a list of what we can expect if the liberals win. These elections are crucial. It is vitally important that you vote. Please vote and encourage others to do the same. As bad as things are, they will be infinitely worse if the liberals win.

The strategy of the liberals is to get Values Voters so disgusted and discouraged that they will not vote. If that happens, the liberals will have achieved their goal and they will be running our country.

Here is what we can expect if the liberals win:

* Amnesty for 12,000,000 illegal immigrants.
* A push to make homosexual marriage and polygamy legal in all 50 states.
* Only liberal judges will be appointed. They will create laws to implement the social agenda liberals cannot get passed through the legislative process.
* Liberals will make the killing of the unborn more difficult to stop.
* Liberals will continue to try to rid our society of Christian influence, including any reference to God in our Pledge and on our currency.
* A return to the "Fairness Doctrine" in broadcasting where opposing views must be given equal time. Every conservative talk show host will be forced to give a liberal equal time on every issue. The purpose of this rule will be to shut down conservative talk shows.
* An increase in taxes to push new social programs.
* Passing a new "hate crimes" law making it illegal to refer to homosexuality in a negative manner.
*Liberals will give terrorists from other countries who try to kill Americans the same rights American citizens enjoy under our constitution.
* We will withdraw from Iraq, sending the message to the terrorists that if they will just be patient they can win and bring their terrorist acts to the U.S.

I want to examine a few of these.
* Amnesty for 12,000,000 illegal immigrants.
As for me, I think we should let them all in. That is what this country was built upon. And I know that these immigrants work much harder than many americans. It is what they deserve. We NEED more Americans, and people in America, who value the freedom of this country.

* A push to make homosexual marriage and polygamy legal in all 50 states. I take issue with this, and I have for a long time. I know that homosexuality is a sin, but the government should have absolutely no position, and they have no responsibility in this whatsoever. It's not up to the government to decide. (I mean, it shouldn't be!) Look, I will put it bluntly: If the government has the power to make homosexual marriage illegal, then they also have to power to make heterosexual marriage illegal. This power does not belong in the hands of the irresponsible and fallible government.

* Liberals will make the killing of the unborn more difficult to stop. This is probably the only issue that I agree with.

* Liberals will continue to try to rid our society of Christian influence, including any reference to God in our Pledge and on our currency. Liberals trying to do this is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the religious right trying to tell them how to live by "legislating morality." If we force people not to sin, they are going to fight against it. Very few are trying to get rid of Christians in society, most are trying to get rid of Christian influence in government. And I can see why. Because Christians are stealing the rights of an individual. Gambling, drugs, prostitution...they are all sins. But it is not our responsibility as Christians to force people not to sin. God doesn't even force people not to sin. If they can take these rights away from the people of the United States, then they can take more rights away. If you think it's a sin, don't do it. But we can't force society to act like Christians. Because maybe 20 years from now, the main of society could decide that going to church is a sin. But we shouldn't have to worry, because it is still our right as Christians to go to church. If we don't protect individual rights AT THIS MOMENT, even though we are against those actions, then we will not be afforded those protections later on when we need them.

*A return to the "Fairness Doctrine" in broadcasting where opposing views must be given equal time. Every conservative talk show host will be forced to give a liberal equal time on every issue. The purpose of this rule will be to shut down conservative talk shows. A case in point: we conservatives are the ones who started restricting free speech. We make it against the law to say certain thing on the radio or TV. We started taking peoples rights away. So now those same laws may be used against us. All because we decided to "legislate morality." IF there were no restrictions at all right now as to what people could say on the radio, then the Fairness Doctrine would sound absolutely ridiculous to EVERYONE. We are the cause of this.

*An increase in taxes to push new social programs.Ok. So there is another reason I am opposed to liberal politics.


*Passing a new "hate crimes" law making it illegal to refer to homosexuality in a negative manner. Once again, conservatives started taking away free speech, the liberals are just perpetuating it.

*Liberals will give terrorists from other countries who try to kill Americans the same rights American citizens enjoy under our constitution.
I can't believe that anyone who calls himself a Christian wouldn't think that they should. Why are Americans more important than anyone else? That is awfully un-Christian. Do we agree with the Declaration of Independence?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men."

It doesn't say that the US gets to decide who has these rights and who doesn't. It says that ALL men have these rights. This may be the scariest thing that I read in the AFA alert, and this is the one that caused me to stay up late responding. How arrogant of them to even think that they could get away with writing this.

The American Family Association is so stuck on keeping a conservative congress, that they leave common sense and values behind to try to win. Win or lose, the means is not justified.

I shouldn't be doing this!

I really need to be writing an article, and making some money, but I have been writing for others so much lately that I haven't been getting personal thoughts off my chest, and onto paper, or screen, or whatever.

I have just made the decision that everyone needs to read this blog. Everyone. Maybe the following only makes sense to me, but I don't think so.

I recently received a newsletter "Action Alert" from the American Family Association(AFA). Let me show you a little bit of what it says:

"Despite 740,811 emails asking the network to cancel Madonna's mocking of the crucifixion of Christ in an up-coming November special, NBC still plans to air the crucifixion mockery scene.

NBC said they found nothing wrong with the scene mocking the crucifixion of Christ. Such was not the case when NBC refused to show Danish newspaper cartoons depicting Muhammad in a negative light. NBC's message? Show respect for Muslims, but it is ok to bash Christians.

In the special, Madonna, wearing a fake crown of thorns, descends on a suspended mirrored, disco ball-type cross. Click here to see photos of Madonna's crucifixion scene.

Madonna has mocked Christ for many years. In 1989 she released a video for the song "Like A Prayer." The video featured burning crosses, statues crying blood and Madonna--representing Jesus--freeing a saint from his sexual repression by seducing him."

I don't even know where to begin with this, but I will give it my best shot. I got the action alert, and then I went to the website. I was absolutely stunned. First of all, in the alert, there is a link that shows pictures of this. And then, on the website, there is a youtube link showing a part of the video.

Now, I am always opposed to Jesus being mocked. Always. But isn't the AFA doing exactly what they are protesting against? They are just proliferating exactly what they are fighting against. "We don't think anyone should see this," says the AFA, "So were going to send links to thousands of people showing it to them, in pictures and video." (that is of course quoted VERY loosely, and sarcastically to boot.)

I can't believe that they are in such a cloud that they don't see this. It makes us look like elitist hypocrites. "We can see this stuff among ourselves, but we have to hide it from the masses."

LOOK: Our job as christians is not to block bad stuff so that non-christians don't see it. Our job is to assist God in MAKING MORE CHRISTIANS. I for one am looking forward to using this as a topic of conversation to spark off a chance to evangelize to people. Because trying to "clean up" society in this way will not work. Are we trying to get people to stop sinning, without the work of the Spirit in their lives?

This misguided attempt by the AFA to purge society will only accomplish two things. It will cause people to see Christians and Christianity as weak and scared of their God being mocked. We need not be scared. God will be mocked as long as humans walk on this side of judgement. If the AFA were to accomplish its purpose, and have victory over NBC, and the network relents and does not show this concert, what will we have gained? Nothing. Sinners will be sinners regardless of what the network shows.

This is just another instance proving that we are trying to use the wrong tools, the world's tools, to make people obey God. And that is not what pleases God. We will just end up being like the Pharisees and cause unbelievers to be whitewashed tombs, pretty and moral on the outside, with their souls rotting with sin on the inside. I don't think that is what God wants. Christ came to seek and save the lost, and that is what we should be doing.

More of my conversation with Chad...

It is somewhat the fault of Christians and those who call themselves Christians that things have fallen so far. As our society lowers its standards, we also lower ours. There is nothing wrong with meeting the culture we are in, but we need to maintain the standards of the Word. Our culturally relevant pop-psychology sermons today are there to please people. Many messages you hear are topically oriented (no problem) but they read like a self-help book instead of reading like the Word of God. This is just a recent example (last 10 years or so) of how we degenerate in our churches to meet the Oprah culture. And in striving to make our messages relevant, they actually become less relevant, because what can be more relevant to our lives than the living Word?

Another way we have let down this country is by sharing a watered down Gospel message. I have been told by several pastors that I need to be able to share my testimony in order to become an effective witness. This seems to be a present requirement of Christians. But I believe when the Bible says "always be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have", it means KNOW THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. I could give my testimony to a hundred people a day. What effect is that going to have on them? I can only see a negative one.

"Try Jesus, you'll like him." "Look what he did for me. He'll do it for you, too." So people just say a quick recited prayer, and when Jesus doesn't help them with their current money problem, or whatever, then they just move on to something else. Now they are worse off then when they started, because they won't listen to the Gospel again. They will think they tried that Jesus thing, and it didn't work for them.

We can't appeal to people's current problems as a reason for placing their faith in Christ. People need Jesus because God's wrath is on them. They may never have their temporal problems solved. They may be poor, sick, oppressed...until they die. That is not the point of the Gospel. Although they seem important to the individual, those really are small, tiny problems. God's wrath is a HUGE problem, that needs solved, and God, in His wisdom and his love, provided us with a free answer to that problem, in Jesus Christ. Repent, and believe in the Gospel. Trust in Christ, focus on Christ, cling to Christ.

People need to know where they stand with God, where they will stand in judgment, and they need to understand how to resolve this problem. Until they do that, nothing else matters.

The way things are

My editor called me tonight, and we had a long conversation about why things are the way they are. We talked about the fact that the US public school system is indoctrinating our children to be moral relativists, and about how our country is heading towards communism, and how we should be able to turn it around.

Here is my response, in a more thought-out form:

The United States is not a Christian country. We are heading in the direction that we are heading because everything in this fallen world degenerates. We are all on a downhill slope until Christ makes the world new again. Until the effect of our sin is erased. "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time...", "The creation waits with eager expectation for the revealing of the sons of God..."(Romans Chapter 8 - I won't give a verse because I want you to read the whole thing)

Our job is simple. Be a beacon of the Truth. Share the Gospel. God has blessed us in this country, but it's falling just like everything else in this world. The longer it goes, the worse it gets. God can use us to bring this country back to it's feet, and that being the case, it is worth all of the effort we put into to it. So go on trying to effect social change, try to "make this country a better place to live in". And God may make that happen. But He may not.

As I told Chad, My job doesn't change, no matter what the circumstances. If we stay the way we are as a country, my job is to be a beacon of the Truth (the real truth, whether it be Jesus, or simply telling the truth about things in the Capitol News), and my job is to teach the Gospel. This job is the same if this country becomes communist, stays the same as it is, or EVEN if this country gets healed and becomes an even more amazing place to live.

The Smoking Gun

I found the gun of my dreams. The Beretta 92. Interestingly enough, a Beretta was the first semi-auto I ever fired. My brother-in-law owns one and he let me shoot it years ago. I have finally come full circle. I had been looking, and checking out guns, and every time, the gun would jam. Sometime a little, sometimes a lot. So I decided that it was worth more money to go with something I could trust. Hence the Beretta. I fed it over 300 rounds of different ammo, the good stuff, the cheap stuff. No jam. So I fed it even more. I tried to make it jam. 15 rounds as fast as I can shoot. Upside down shooting. I couldn't make it jam. That makes me very happy.

It's Been Awhile...

So it's been more than two months since I have posted. There has been a lot going on with me lately. Most importantly, I am now a freelance writer for the Capitol News in Corydon, Indiana. I left UPS about three weeks ago. I kind of miss it, but mostly not.

Since February, I have been doing my best to lose weight. I am happy to say that I have lost almost 50 pounds, so I only have about 60 pounds to go. The last two months, I have lost very, very slowly. I just kind of dropped out of the pattern. But now I am back into it and (hopefully) going strong.

I have been on the search for the perfect concealed firearm, too. I have not found it yet. In fact, I have not even found a handgun that I can trust to carry at all. The search continues, I will let everyone know what I decide on.

Most importantly, I have learned more about who God is, and how he works in our lives. I will elaborate on that soon, but I am running out of time for now.

I plan on writing a lot more often now, if even just to "keep up my chops". That being said, I will write more soon.

In Reply...

First of all, thanks for inviting me to post on your blog. I'm honored!

Now, on to the theology! Regarding the three points you made:

1.) We must establish some ground rules for discussing God's attributes. Firstly, we know that God may do all his holy will. We describe God's omnipotence this way because there are some things that God cannot do without ceasing to be God, like deciding not to be God, or lying, or being unjust. If we are simply thinking about God in the abstract, we cannot view God's mercy, or more accurately His withholding of mercy, the same way. If God decided not to be merciful to humans (remember, in the abstract), he would not necessarily cease to be God in the same way that he would cease to be God if he were unjust to humans.

However, we know from Scripture that God planned history from the beginning (Ephesians 1:3-4), and we know that once God put his plan in motion Jesus of Nazareth must die on the cross.

But he could have planned it differently; he could have sent Jesus the angel to save the angels, and we could have been thier demons.

2.) I think I answered points two and three in point one. I think we probably agree on this subject, but we are just looking at it from different perspectives. My only caution is that we have to be careful to clarify when we say God must do something.

Love you bro; keep digging!

More of the Same...

Todd, let me tell you now that you are probably correct. I am not completely comfortable with my exposition.

However, there are still these three arguments that I have thought through, and I am interested in your response:

1. You wrote "And, while God's mercy is perfect, it does not require action like God's perfect justice." First, why does God's mercy not require action? If it was God's will and part of the same sovereignty as his justice, then it would require action. I understand that his justice requires action because there is another influence acting against His justice (that is, humans acting in sin) that would require action. But in the same way, the influence (on mercy) of God wanting to show his mercy, would necessarily require him to act in some way to show it. His "wanting" is so perfect and right and sovereign, that it necessitates His action. If this were not so, then his infinite justice would be more infinite than his infinite mercy, and that is impossible.

2. You wrote If God is bound by mercy in the same way that he is bound by justice, he is not free to be merciful. . If Christ did not suffer the penalty for our sin, God would not be free to be merciful, that is why God had to send Christ.

3.You quoted "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Romans 9:15) If Christ had not borne the penalty of sin, God could not have made this statement. Because he is bound by justice, he couldn't show any mercy to me at all, he could show me no compassion. Because I couldn't meet the requirements needed for him to show compassion. So he sent Christ to fulfill these requirements, and God is, because of Christ, free to show mercy to whomever He wishes to show mercy to, and so free to make the statement of Romans 9:15.

Thanks for your comments, and please continue to send them. Thank you also for spurring me on to think about these things.

RE: Yesterday's Post

Not everyone reads comments, so I wanted to make sure this was seen. A friend disagrees with my position yesterday, which, as I said, is not really a position, just a thought that I have to work out according to the Word.

In response to yesterdays post:

Todd Young said...

Well... I will have to disagree with you, my friend. God was not required to send Christ to us to prove his perfect mercy, because he could have proven his mercy by redeeming angels. But he did not. And, while God's mercy is perfect, it does not require action like God's perfect justice. If God is bound by mercy in the same way that he is bound by justice, he is not free to be merciful. And he says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (Romans 9:15) So, I understand how you arrived at that tentative conclusion, we must not make God's mercy demand a savior. In Christ...

Mercy AND Justice

I am reading a small book by Thomas Brooks (1608-1680) called Nine Strong Consolations That Flow from Christ's Imputed Righteousness. A thought occured to me while reading this. I don't know if I am right or not, maybe one of my readers will have some insight into this. I don't think that Brooks specifically said this, but here is my thought:

If God is infinitely just and infinitely merciful (which he must be) then along with the well known principle that He must judge and punish sin, then he also had to send Christ. He must punish sin according to His perfect justice, he also had to provide a way to save sinners, according to His perfect mercy. I believe that this has to be true, although I also need to clarify one thing. He didn't "have to save some sinners" for OUR benefit. Not at all. He did it for HIS GLORY to be perfect, for HIS MERCY to be infinite, and for HIS JUSTICE TO BE SATISFIED. I explain this so that some may not misunderstand me and believe that I am limiting God. BUT: Would God have sent his Only Begotten to die if it did not have to be so? I don't think so. But had he not sent Christ to bear our penalty, then he could not have displayed his infinite mercy to the world, because how could He be merciful to us sinners who had so offended him? He couldn't. So there was a "dilemma" (although I am sure that God did not see it as one!) How could he be merciful if there was none that his divine justice would allow mercy to be shown to? The answer is Christ. Christ satisfied the justice, and allowed the mercy.

So being perfect in both, he MUST SEND CHRIST TO DIE FOR US.

Just so everyone knows, I am not searching for any "new thing" that nobody has ever seen, I am just trying to learn what is written.

(Romans 3:23 ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(Romans 3:24 ESV) and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

(Romans 3:25 ESV) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

(Romans 3:26 ESV) It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(emphasis mine)

I'm gonna miss you!

I have deleted my clean joke blog. In searching the internet for clean jokes, I have run across way too many dirty jokes. I don't really want to do that to my mind. I hate reading an exceptionally twisted joke, and then laughing at it, and then feeling guilty about it. So, no more blog. I apologize the the two people who were excited about it.

To Go or not To Go, that is the question!

I am trying to decide right now whether or not to further my education, formally. As it stands right now, I really like being able to study what I want in the Bible, when I want to do it. I like to study theology, the Puritans, the Reformation, the history of the church, and most of all, the Bible.

I would probably be better off going to Southern Seminary, because it would be more disciplined, and I am sure the professors there know how to teach me better than I know how to teach myself. But it would be at the expense of the freedom I have right now to let my explorations take me wherever I want to go, to learn whatever I want to learn next.

I have to decide if the trade-off is worth it.

From my Journal, Part two

I made a statement in yesterday's blog that once you accept that none of us deserve salvation, you can truly understand God's sovereignty. Now when I wrote that, I was copying from my journal. So I had the thoughts in my head, and still do, but I wasn't planning on anyone ever reading it, so I didn't feel the need to explain further. Now I am so I do and so I will!

Once you have made the decision that the Bible teaches that all are truly lost without God, and that God is right to punish all, you can use it as a springboard to jump to this next thought process: God does love us, and knew that a provision had to be made so that some of us would be saved. He knew that none would come to him of our own volition (total depravity), so just as he chose the nation of Israel, he chose some people out of this world, not for anything good he saw in them, but just of his own arbitrary pleasure (unconditional election) and he died for those people so that he would accomplish their salvation (limited atonement), and he subsequently calls those people to come to him (irresistible grace), and saves them for eternity (perseverance of the saints).

The part of this that is hard to believe isn't that God would be right in sending all to hell, the hard part to believe is that He would choose some of us to be saved, and for that, we should be forever grateful to Him.

From My Journal

In order to accept the doctrine we currently call Calvinism, you have to accept on major fact that taught in the Bible. If you deny this fact, you will never be able to embrace the sovereignty of God.

You have to believe that all men, without God's intervention, are destined for hell. You have to believe that this is the truth and that God would be just and right for sending all men to hell for our crimes against Him.

A problem that we have with this is that we see what we would call "good men" who are not Christians (such as Gandhi) and we think that God would be wrong to send such a good man to hell for eternity. When we allow for this kind of philosophy, we open ourselves too all kinds of unbiblical rationalizations. What we call good is not what God calls good.

For me to think that God would be wrong for sending someone to hell because I think that such person is good is extreme arrogance. That is saying that my standards are correct and that God's standards are wrong.

If you accept the fact that none of us deserves salvation (and I mean really accept it - I suspect there are people who say these words every day but don't really believe it) then you can truly understand God's sovereignty.

I am willing to admit that this is all just speculation and suspicion, so I could be wrong. I am just quoting a thought from my journal.

Back in the Saddle Again!

It's been a little while since I posted last. Everytime I think of this blog, it reminds me that all of the news articles from Yahoo! News only last so long, so all of my news links were dead. Every time I wanted to post, I knew I should clean up the dead links first, so I just blew the whole thing off. Then a friend of mine read this stuff and he said I should keep it up, so here I am again. I fixed the important links, but I didn't (and won't) fix everything. I consider from here up a clean slate! It's good to be back.

Too Interesting to pass up

This was supposed to be a joke for my joke blog but it's not funny, it's scary. Its the kind of thing that makes you think. I don't see humor in it.


The two thousand member Baptist church was filled to overflowing capacity one Sunday morning. The preacher was ready to start the sermon when two men, dressed in long black coats and black hats entered thru the rear of the church.

One of the two men walked to the middle of the church while the other stayed at the back of the church. They both then reached under their coats and withdrew automatic weapons.

The one in the middle announced, "Everyone willing to take a bullet for Jesus stay in your seats!"

Naturally, the pews emptied, followed by the choir. The deacons ran out the door, followed by the choir director and the assistant pastor.

After a few moments, there were about twenty people left sitting in the church. The preacher was holding steady in the pulpit.

The men put their weapons away and said, gently, to the preacher, "All right, pastor, the hypocrites are gone now. You may begin the service."

Realms of Faith

I like the truth. I love the truth. It is hard for me to describe my passion for the truth, but anything, inside or outside the bible, I love to/am compelled to find the truth.

So it should come as no suprise to you that when I find a website that is devoted to the truth, it gets bookmarked on my computer. Sites like Snopes (Urban Legends Reference) get an A+. I recently stumbled across another site, Realms of Faith, that I find amazing and will probably refer to it as long as it exists. (I do hate it, though, when people who are younger than me are smarter than me)

Realms of Faith is a great site to check out. Of particular interest to me is the Christian Authors Database he has compiled. It is a completely unbiased list, simply stating what the authors believe and what they have written. I found this site less than a week ago and have used it several times a day. Check it out, you may be suprised.

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the LORD has helped us."
(1Sa 7:12)

I have been considering lately the act of "marking" our salvation and certain events in our Christian life. It seems to be the contention among reformed theologians (of which I am) that this practice is sinful and would lead us to trust in something other than Christ for our salvation (for example, a day, a card that you keep in your wallet, etc...) But I see several examples of marking such events in the Old Testament (many times done with stones). I have to conclude that there is nothing wrong with this, and that it can be good if done with wisdom.

With wisdom, if a Christian knows that he is saved by Christ, and Christ alone, completely by grace, and it's not anything the Christian is or does, then this practice can be helpful. Petra sings a song called The Road to Zion, in which you hear these words "Sometimes it's good to look back down, we've come so far we've gained such ground. But joy is not in where we've been, joy is Who's waiting at the end" - Of course, it's not scripture, but those are good words to ponder.

The danger I see in this practice of "marking" is when you hear things like this "If you said that prayer ("sinner's prayer") and meant it, you have passed from death to life", come to the altar, fill out your prayer card, etc... and these people will leave the church thinking that they are saved, but their life changes not even a little bit. These people, when confronted with the question of what happens when they die, will look back to THAT DAY, and THAT ACTION, and believe that because of that they are saved.

I would submit to you that Christians are Christians because of a continuing reliance on Christ alone for their salvation. But I will also say that God wants us to put "stones of remembrance" there to remind us that God did what he did. A reminder that only God has worked in us, and not ourselves.

God Bless You,

Matthew Bennett

A favor for a good friend

My friend Scott, who in the California underground goes by "J", owner of the now extinct "BRAVE NEW BLOG", has started a new blog. You really should check it out. His blog description is one of the coolest ones out there. "The One Spot Where the Bible, the President, and Pink Floyd Collide"

It's definitely worth a look!

Just a little "Time Off"

Ok. So I took a little time off. Almost a month, actually. I gave up reading the news for a while, I got tired of politics for a while. I was actually going to give up blogging. That's right. I was going to give it up and get on with my life. I got on my computer, and started reading the news, and I realized how much I have missed.

Here is what happened: A Florida official announced that the tomato shortage is near the end. Now that's news. I can't tell you how worried I have been.

How about this one. I can understand how it is possible to throw one of your legs at a cop. But two prosthetic legs? The story didn't say if the guy was in a wheelchair or not. If not, he must be able to levitate. I like how the district attorney said "It got to be quite a dangerous situation" - dangerous? What is the guy gonna do after he has thrown his second leg? I have pictures in my head of Monty Python's black knight saying "Just a flesh wound"

One last thing...It's a good thing stuff like this never happens in the United States.

Ok. I've pretty much covered all the important stuff that has happened since I last graced the blogosphere with my presence. That's the news and I am outta here!

A Brave New Year

Well, it's January 2nd, and I am in one of those "blah" kind of moods right now. The excitement and activity of the holiday season is over. All my Christmas decorations are still up, and it's time to take them down. And I don't really have anything of interest to write about. I haven't even followed the news for the last week or so. But it's now time to get back to it. So "Happy New Year" to everyone who reads this. I'll be back soon with something of interest.

For the love of.....

In my last post, I jokingly said "parents should be sued" - of course that was tongue-in-cheek, and I thought it was kind of funny. Upon further research, i found that this has actually been suggested as an answer to the obesity problem in America. I'm gonna go scream now. Goodnight.

Coke Is IT!

Remember that commercial?

This article caught my attention. Let's sue the soda companies because they are making kids fat. This is the kind of thing that makes me think that lawyers are running this country. Anything they may be able to get their grimy little paws on, they go for. For money. The LOVE of money is ruining our freedom.

COME ON! Kids don't get fat because they drink soda. They get fat because they don't do anything that burns calories. But liberal parents are going to fall for this stupid little ploy. Because they don't want to accept responsibility. They can blame something besides themselves. Let's blame Coca-Cola. Or McDonalds. Anyone but themselves. Parents should be sued. When their 15 year old is tipping the scales at 250 lbs, maybe they should yank the chicken leg out of his hand and tie it to the front of the lawn mower.

We're getting fat because we are a self-indulgent society. Parents don't want to tell kids "NO!", and kids don't want to be denied anything.

So don't sue soda companies. This is a retarded lawsuit from the beginning. The lawsuit is because they put soda in the vending machines at school. If they really felt so stronly about it, they should try to get the schools to remove the vending machines. I wouldn't argue with that. But don't blame Coke and Pepsi for doing their job and trying to sell as much of their product as they can.

The elite lawyers want us to believe that they care about issues like this. They want us to believe that they are doing this for the good of humanity. But that is crap. They want money money money $$$, and that's all. Even if it harms society. They truly are treating the symptoms, not the disease. And all the while, the disease is getting worse.

If you even slightly agree with me about any of this, I found a cool, informative website that you may want to check out.

Hugh's Blog

This is Hugh Hewitt's blog, and he urged bloggers to link to a MudvilleGazette article. So I am linking.
SGT Michael "Mike" James Stokely
by Hugh Hewitt
December 19, 2005 08:00 PM PST
Sgt. Stokely was killed in action in Iraq on August 16 of this year. He is honored by his father, Robert Stokely, in an e-mail to MudvilleGazette which I urge you to read, and if you are a blogger, to link to.


Thank you, Mr. Stokely. You and your family, and all the families who have lost men and women in the war, are in our prayers.

Attack of the Killer ONION

Ok, so I went read THE ONION before I went to sleep. This is the headline for the week. I found this extrememly funny. You probably will not. I suppose you have to work at UPS AND be as tired as I am for this to make you laugh out loud. But I couldn't let it go without posting.

Desperate Housewives, STD's, and Britney Spears

How do they all relate? Well, the obvious thing is that they are all contributing to society's decline. But to me they relate at the moment because they are all in today's "Odd News" sections from AP and Reuters. And it makes me sad.

I had a long night at work, discussing politics, and I came home this morning with some McDonald's Sausage Egg and Cheese Buscuits and a coke. I was ready for some humor. Instead of going to The Onion, where I usually go for a laugh, I went to the Odd News section on Yahoo! News.

Yes, there is usually some light article in there that makes you laugh, or makes you feel good, or just suprises you. And that's the kind of stuff that I like to read.

It didn't work out for me this morning. The first article will tell you what to do if you have an STD, and you want to tell your sexual partners by anonymous email that they have it too. It's easy. You just go here if you live in LA, or here if you live in San Francisco. The cards were enough to make me blush, and I began to mourn the United States of America for having and using sites like these. That is "so many levels of wrong" that I don't even want to get into it.

What has society come to? This article made things even worse.

LONDON (Reuters) - The TV sensation "Desperate Housewives" will be shown in China starting Monday in a departure for a country where the government typically keeps racy and politically sensitive material off the air.

While some people may be applauding the Chinese Government for allowing this to be shown, my thought is that maybe our TV shows are finally communistic and Godless enough for China to be comfortable with their people watching.

And finally. THIS! We live in an amazing technolgical society. We can communicate with hundreds of people instantly. We have access to massive amounts of information. And, as a society, what do we choose to look for? Britney Spears. Un-crapping-believable. The last two paragraphs of the article make it even worse.

Erik Gunther, who compiles the list for Yahoo as its "Buzz Index list guru, said this year's top 10 were all show-business figures and showed people were fixated on pop culture icons.

In second place was 50 Cent, followed by Cartoon Network, which produces a series of risqu cartoons aimed at adults, comeback singer Mariah Carey, grunge rock group Green Day, singer and tabloid star Jessica Simpson, heiress and reality TV star Paris Hilton, rapper Eminem, singer Ciara and actress/singer Lindsay Lohan.

Curious, I checked today's top 20 searches. This may change by the time you click on it, but as of 9:00 a.m., 17 out of 20 were show-business and sports related. Christmas was #1, Tookie was #7, and NYC Transit Strike was #15.

Yes, we are fixated on pop culture icons. Housewives, STDs and Britney, oh my! It's enough to make me ill. I'm going to go try to sleep

Well, it seems that I have broken an airplane

I don't know for sure that I put a big hole inside an airplane. I don't remember doing it. But the hole wasn't there when I was loading it. Then, the plane broke down and my crew had to unload the plane.

When the plane was being unloaded, someone noticed that there was a hole inside. I was the only person near the damage. So, it had to be me. And that is exactly what I told my supervisor, and his supervisor. And that is exactly what I wrote in the "incident report" that I had to fill out.

I still feel like maybe they thought I was lying, though. Like I knew i did it, but just wasn't owning up to it. I told them that I was the only person who possibly could have done the damage, I told them there was only one package in the aircraft that was able to do that kind of damage. And I told them that I didn't notice causing the hole. They kept everyone in my crew late to fill out a report.

I may get fired. To those who care, I'll keep you updated. To those who don't care, I'll keep you updated anyways, whether you like it or not!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Death Penalty is alive and well in America

I guess it's time for me to jump on the death penalty bandwagon. I am always saddened by it, but I also realize the necessity of it. I don't think the Stanley Tookie William's supporters understand the issue, as evidenced by the following quote:

"If they think they succeeded by killing him in getting people to forget about him, they have done just the opposite," said Barbara Becnel, his collaborator and most vocal supporter.

Barbara Becnel seems to think that the government executed Stanley Williams in order to get people to forget about him. Well, of course that is the liberal media trying to warp the people's perceptions about what happened. But this quote was extrememly shallow (and not to mention the awful sentence structure). The truth is exactly the opposite. We, the government (remember, the people...), want people to remember this, we want people to remember Stanley Williams, and all the executed killers out there. Remember them all. Remember that if you kill someone, you stand a good chance of being killed yourself. It wasn't as if Williams was some kind of prophet that we wanted to silence. But that is what Becnel is making this out to be.

One more thing - If liberals are so adamant for "civil rights" - then why was Joan Baez singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot prior to Williams execution? THAT qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.

(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

iPod Technical Problems

I don't know about this. Necessary Vandalism? I admire the guys spirit, though! And his creativity.

I found the link here, on Wills, um...Awesome Links

I'll have a grasshopper, please.

This grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender walks over to him and says, "Hey! We've got a drink named after you!", and the grasshopper says, "You have a drink named STEVE?!?"

ba-dump dum.

Ummm....

Ok, that "Batbelt" reference in my last post was supposed to get people thinking about how to stop it. Prayer, action, those things were supposed to come to mind. When I reread it, that idea didn't come out as clearly in the post as it did in my head. So there you go...

Defence of the innocent

I've been humbled. Why am I complaining about gun grabbers and Wal-Mart haters when there is a large scale holocaust going on under our noses in the US? How can we continue to allow this mass scale child-murdering continue? Because half(not really) the country thinks it's OK, even a good thing. Not half the country. But most of the media. And it's all connected. This disgusting decline in society has created so many evils, I don't even want to count. Abortion is the worst of it, but there are more and more examples everyday. But J is right. It needs to be stopped. But how? If...I...could...just...reach... my...Batbelt.

Always People Complaining. Always.

There seem to be a lot of people in this great country opposed to Wal-Mart. Groups like this one and this one are all over the Internet. People speaking out against the "evils" of the huge retailer.

I love Wal-Mart. Prices really are low. Most that I have seen are open 24 hours. And they are non-union, which gives me even more reason to shop there. This hatred is 85% union related (there was no study, the 85% is completely my perception). The other 15% is from people who seem to be jealous that Wal-Mart makes so much money.

The unions are pissed off because they can't get a piece of the pie. They have been trying to get their fingers into Wal-Mart for a long time, and they are powerless to do so. And they don't like being powerless. (Believe me, the unions are all out to make as much money as they can, too. No matter what they tell you)

Check out WakeUpWalMart.com's "Worker's Stories." Wow it's impressive, isn't it. They were able to find FOUR WHOLE PEOPLE to complain about the working conditions at Wal-Mart.

Rosetta Brown: Health Insurance is too high. And it's Wal-Mart's fault.
Diane Muthig: Never got breaks on time. Oh my GOD, Wal-Mart is evil.
Lance Hindman: (this guy is my favorite one, watch:) A meat cutter at Wal-Mart, he said that there was a lot of pressure on him to sell meat. Oh, and when they were standing around doing nothing in the back, they were told to go cut some meat. Yeah, that's horrible working conditions all right. I wouldn't want ANYONE to EXPECT me to do my job.
Kristen Bonardi Rapp:This might be the strongest case. The managers locked the workers inside, and told her she couldn't leave until the work was done. She did EXACTLY the right thing. She called the police. They came, popped the lock on the store, and let her out. I don't know that this reflects on Wal-Mart as much as it does the idiot manager. I can't find it anywhere, but I would guess that the manager received disciplinary action from the corporation. Oh, and Kristen quit, she wasn't fired. And she says "I never regretted it"

Wal-Mart is not evil, it is a company that has worked hard to realize the "American Dream"
If you don't like the place, don't shop there.
If you don't like the place, don't work there. Nobody is forcing you.
If you really, really hate Wal-Mart, and the working conditions, then I have an amazing solution for you: Build a bigger and better store that would drive Wal-Mart out of business. Treat your employees how YOU think employees should be treated. Higher pay, better benefits. Then nobody will want to work for Wal-Mart, they will want to work for you. Then your enemy corporation will have to either "shape up or ship out". Good luck on your capitalistic adventures. Just watch out for those unions. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Capitalism is OK, I guess.

I work at UPS, out in the cold, loading planes all night. It gets to be pretty hard work sometimes. About twice a month, I take a magic job. I compare the checks. Two magic jobs (gigs) a month get me as much as working at UPS all month. I asks* myself**, why don't I work at getting more magic jobs. It's probably laziness. I wait for the work to come to me. I guess that's going to change now. I am a college dropout, but because of the way capitalism works, I can make $150+ an hour. But I don't do it because of laziness? I must be crazy. So my new goal is by the end of 2006 to be working about 10 hours a week, doing magic, and be making enough to leave UPS, buy my own benefits, and still have a lot more money. Of course, I will always keep my church job, where my true calling is. It's still a great country. Let's pray it stays a great country. If this post isn't making any sense, it's because I am tired, and I just got home from a long night of work. Read it fast, I may wake up and delete it.

*intended
**Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.

Preparation H

Oh, sorry. Proposition H.

I looked for a view that I am in agreement with, and I found it here.

BANNING GUNS DOESN'T WORK!

I would never, ever, EVER suggest that they should take Proposition H and stick it where Preparation H goes. Ever.

I want to take a look at this from a different viewpoint;

I am a criminal in San Francisco. I have a gun. I break the law. I rob service stations, mug people, break into houses, steal cars. I get along fine for the most part. In a city like this, there is a good chance that the red and blues are busy elsewhere. And even if I get caught, I'll be free to continue my chosen profession in a week or so anyways. I'm never in jail long. But I do have one fear. Citizens. With GUNS. If my prey is as well armed as I am, I could be in trouble. Big trouble. Dead trouble. And I don't know who has a gun, but most people don't. But I'm cautious anyway. But hey, I heard about this Propostion H thing from a friend. San Francisco is going to disarm the citizens. That is really, really cool. I finally found something worth voting for. Remember, every vote counts. I'm gonna tell my friends.

Beer and Guns - not just for rednecks anymore...

It is still infuriating to me when I hear stories like this one. So a drunk rap artist kills himself with a pen gun. And the mother says:

"Steven had a career and his dreams all ahead of him," said Zorn's mother, Lisa McCoy-Horn. She said she wants lawmakers to outlaw pen guns, which are small-caliber, single-shot weapons that resemble pens."

I know that today in America this kind of thinking permeates our society, but it still irks me when I see it. Any bad thing that happens, people say we need to make a law, so that it can never happen again. It's like we think of the government as the GREAT PARENT who will keep us from harm. I have some shocking news. If you do something stupid, like get drunk and put a gun to your head because you think it is jammed, you will probably die. We don't need another law.

This may sound cold. My sympathies do go out to his family, and it is a tragedy, made worse because something promising just happened in his life. But there really is only one Comforter, and it is not the government.

Why I am posting so much in one day?

I'll tell you. It's because I cleaned my desk up. And now I feel all professional, I feel all organized. You know what I'm talking about!

A Brave New Friend...(well, he's not really a new friend)

I found a new definition for a good friend

Good Friend - one who will pick you up for work, stop a the gas station and wait outside for 5 minutes while you get four Little Debbie Fudge Rounds, some Mocha Frappucchino, and a carton of Swisher Sweet Little Cigars. Then you get to work, and leave the cigars in his car, and he gets out of work about an hour earlier than you, and he knows you have a ride home, so he leaves work, and he sneaks into your house at 5:45 am so he doesn't wake up your family, and he leaves your carton of cigars on your desk. That's a good friend, even if I did give him two of the Fudge Rounds.

Oh, and he blogs [UPDATED]!

[UPDATE] If the title of this blog is confusing, let it be known that the title to his previous, deleted blog, was A BRAVE NEW BLOG

Spending Myself in a Worthy Cause

"I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...to put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Thoreau

It is almost painful to me to say that there is a quote OUTSIDE OF THE BIBLE that changed my thinking, and therefore, my direction in life. But there it is.

In April, 2005 my uncle killed my aunt and then killed himself. She was in late stage Alzheimer's, and he had chronic pain problems. This was his solution. I didn't really mourn as I should have, and so the "incident" devastated my mind. I felt hopeless. It didn't help that I had quit my job 6 months before that, and hadn't found employment yet. I took the 8 hour trip to PA, and spent a week with my parents. I read this book and found the above quote. And I decided that I wanted to live deliberately.

I asked God to help me find what makes me come alive, and He did. What makes me come alive? Leading worship and entertaining people with magic and music. Those are the things that make me come alive. I got a job at UPS so I could support my family until these other things become lucrative.

Somewhere between October 2004 (when I quit my job) and October 2005 (when I performed a magic show that I wrote) I came alive. I went from being a depressed "loser" to being a motivated, happy person. I got a job as a worship leader, I wrote my first magic show (I now have three more written, and I am actively seeking venues to test them out in), and I am enjoying my job at UPS.

Why am I writing this? To tell you this: Find out what makes YOU come alive and do that thing. Whatever it takes

(I would like to note here that my wife was a "lifeline" for me during these major decision-making times of my life, and my biggest supporter)

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt