tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324520712024-02-07T02:47:40.326-05:00Faith & FrivolityThings serious and frivolous and at times seriously frivolous! Faith, family and fun - the best parts of life.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-61315579622573555312020-04-18T09:24:00.000-05:002020-04-18T09:24:49.196-05:00Good Friday Musings During Confinement<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the worst things about being
confined to my home has been missing being with my church family. This Easter,
the warm hugs and handshakes on that blessed Sunday were verboten, so our
greeting and reply of “He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!” were said to faces on
a computer screen. Although I’m grateful for the technology that lets us
continue to worship with each other, maybe that’s why I was a little more
contemplative this year in the days leading up to Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At my
church, our Good Friday service consists of hymns and Scripture reading
arranged around a theme of “In the Shadows<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.”
</i></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-ligatures: none;">One of the last sections is The Shadow of Crucifixion: The Seven Last
Words compiled of readings from the four Gospels. One of the readings from
Luke’s account gives us the criminal’s repentance:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and
saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;">And
an inscription also was <sup>[<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-25974i" title="See footnote i"><span style="color: #b34b2c;">i</span></a>]</sup>written
over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;">THIS IS THE KING OF THE
JEWS.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;">Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him,
saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing
you are under the same condemnation?<b><sup> </sup></b>And we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has
done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me
when You come into Your kingdom.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt;">And
Jesus said to him, </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Assuredly, I say to you,
today you will be with Me in</span></i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt;">Paradise.”</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Luke
23:36-43 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve
been thinking about the penitent criminal’s words at lot this week and, having more
free time because of circumstances, I decided to do a little Bible study and see
what other, more learned, minds have said about this passage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While
I believe all Scripture is inspired, I also believe the Holy Spirit chose particular
men with specific personalities and perspectives to record the events so their accounts
vary. Luke, a Gentile, champions the outsider or underdog in his gospel. He may
very well have been a freed slave, considering being a physician didn’t carry
the social standing it does today. Luke has an eye for things outside a strictly
Jewish context and it is only Luke who records the penitent criminal’s words.
Matthew and Mark attribute the slurs to both criminals. John Calvin offers a
simple explanation for this. He says this attribution, “ought not to be
accounted harsh; for the two Evangelists had no other design than to show that
even the robbers who were fast dying, did not spare Him. . ..” Even with
omission of the penitent’s words, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“. . .
there is no inconsistency in the statement; that Christ was despised by all,
down to the very robbers; for they did not speak of particular individuals, but
of the class itself.” Perhaps Luke was inspired to include this because he was
more sensitive to the repentance of an outlier. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Another
item I wanted to study was the connection of Jesus’ crucifixion with Joseph, an
Old Testament <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">type </i>(or preview) of
Christ, and his imprisonment. Joseph was imprisoned with two others, the king’s
baker and cupbearer, each having troubling dreams, which he interprets. The
interpretation of the dreams is the baker is doomed, but the cupbearer will be restored
to his position:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And
Joseph said to him, “This <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">is</span> the
interpretation of it: The three branches <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">are</span> three days. Now within three days Pharaoh
will lift up your head and restore you to your place, and you will put
Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his
butler. But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness
to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For
indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I
have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unfortunately,
the Bible tells us, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yet the chief butler
did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”</i></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The interesting thing here is the way this passage
mirrors our passage in Luke. In Genesis, Joseph, who is in prison with the
cupbearer, prophesies the cupbearer’s release (salvation) and the baker’s doom.
The Joseph proclaims his innocence and asks to be remembered. The other
prisoner faces death. Compared to the crucifixion passage, two criminals don’t
ask for help, but rather one hurls insults and the other rebukes him. He proclaims
Jesus’ innocence and acknowledges Who He is when asking to be remembered, “<span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">when
You come into Your kingdom</i></span>.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As he’s
dying, the criminal makes a remarkable profession of faith! A passage in Amos came
to mind, “<i>And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning.” </i>(4:11)
Unlike the cupbearer and Joseph, Jesus will not forget him, <span class="woj"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Assuredly,
I say to you, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">today</b> you will be with
Me in</i></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span><span class="woj"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Paradise.”</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
more I looked into it, the more I realized there’s a lot in the brief exchange
between the two criminals and Jesus. Though it will gain him nothing, one hurls
attacks at Jesus. In his commentary, Calvin writes, “Thus desperate men are
wont to take obstinate revenge for the torments they can’t avoid. . .They
ought, indeed, to be tamed to humility by strokes; but this shows that the
wicked heart, which no punishments can bend, is hard like iron.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>His
penitent companion rebukes the insults with “</span></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Do you not even
fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?”. </span></i><span style="color: black;">Calvin continues, “…even when reduced to the lowest
straits, he doesn’t even begin to fear God.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
whole scene where two criminals flank Jesus at His crucifixion is a little
ironic considering some of the disciples had argued over who would have
prominence in His kingdom with the mother of James and John going so far as to
ask Jesus, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grant that these two sons of
mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your
kingdom.” </i>Jesus had warned, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You do
not know what you ask.” </i>Then said, “…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but
to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those
for whom it is prepared by My Father.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>N.
T. Wright writes of the disciples in <u>Jesus and the Victory of God</u>, “They
thought, as one might well imagine, they were going to Jerusalem to sit on
actual physical thrones, and they disputed as to who would get the most
important ones…[they] still cherished ambitions for the nation of Israel, and
for themselves within Israel, which showed that they had not grasped the
radical nature of Jesus’ agenda.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i></span></span><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">but it is for
those for whom it is prepared by My Father”</span></i><span style="color: black;">
– The two criminals were providentially designated to be there and at least one
was eternally elected unto salvation. The penitent criminal who would never
have asked to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there</i> at Jesus’ right
or left hand will nevertheless have a place in the kingdom because of what
happened at the cross. He calls on the Man hanging on a cross beside him with
faith in the Man’s ability to provide salvation. </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">As Matthew Henry puts it, a “dying sinner to
a dying Savior.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Calvin
writes, “For who would ever have thought that a robber, in the very article of
death, would become not only a devout worshipper of God, but a distinguished
teacher of faith and piety to the whole world. . .I know not that, since the
creation of the world there ever was a more remarkable and striking <u>example
of faith</u>…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll
never read that passage the same way again. For the probably the first time, I’m
grateful to be confined with time on my hands.</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-62500758882566903592018-05-17T09:18:00.002-05:002018-05-17T09:31:05.499-05:00The SBC & Paige Patterson & the Danger of Conflation<br />
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The upcoming Southern Baptist Convention is lighting up Twitter and the
rest of cyberspace for all the wrong reasons lately. Conservative stalwart
Paige Patterson is scheduled to give a key address at the convention and in
light of controversial comments regarding spouse abuse, many are calling for
him to resign.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I grew up a Baptist and remained in that denomination until I met my
husband, a soon-to-be Presbyterian pastor, and followed him to the denomination
of the late D. James Kennedy and R.C. Sproul, Presbyterian Church in America
(PCA). I still have a great many friends in the SBC, as well as a great deal of
love and appreciation for my former denomination. As a conservative, I also have
always held Rev. Patterson in high esteem for his courageous battle against
liberalism in the 70-80s, so it was distressing to read transcripts of some of
Patterson’s poor comments on spousal abuse. I honestly think this may be a
blindspot, a generational chauvinism, but most importantly, I think his
comments on marriage stems from a poor exegesis of Romans 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Most
Christians will agree divorce is a concession God made because sin entered the
world and biblically, there is no such thing as a <i>no-fault</i> divorce. Having
said that, I think the biblical grounds for divorce are actually much broader
than what is normally presented today by some of my fellow conservatives.
Contrary to popular opinion, Jesus did not say that 'adultery' was the only
biblical grounds for divorce in Matthew 5:31, 32.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Matthew
5:31, Jesus quotes the Pharisaical perversion of the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever
divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than divorcing on biblical grounds, the
Pharisees taught that men could divorce their wives for all sorts of reasons. Jesus,
on the other hand, reiterated the teaching of the Old Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In verse 32, He says, <i><u>But</u> I say to
you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality
causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced
commits adultery.</i> The key phrase there is translated in my Bible as 'sexual
immorality.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Your Bible may have
something like 'fornication,' 'marital unfaithfulness,' or some sort of
equivalent.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
word Jesus uses is <i>not</i> the word for 'adultery.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is <i>porneia,</i> from which we get
'pornography.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not the word used
for adultery, which is <i>moichao.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>If
Jesus wanted to say that the only ground for divorce is adultery, He could have
easily done so; He uses the word for that in the very next verse. However by
using the word <i>porneia</i>, which literally means 'indecent thing,' He was
making the grounds for divorce much broader than is usually admitted by most in
the conservative Christian community. While its focus is more often than not on
illicit sexual practices, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">porneia </i>is
also used to denote abhorrent behavior of a more general type including things
such as provoking the Lord to anger by distrust and murmuring, to an arrogant
way of life, to such things as rebellion, witchcraft, and idolatry. In summary,
the word essentially is used to classify the crimes that received the death
penalty under the old covenant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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What
this means, therefore, is anything classified as a capital offense in the Bible,
<i>may</i> be biblical grounds for divorce. (Notice, 'may be,' because the
capital offenses don't necessarily require divorce, they simply allow for it.)
Biblically, generally the only offense that <i>required</i> capital punishment,
in all cases, was the act of murder. In all other instances in which there was
a victim, the victim decided the punishment within the biblical perimeters - Again,
the capital offenses in the Bible are the allowed divorceable offenses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This
is where Romans 7 comes into play and settles the dispute. Paul says in verse 1
that he's speaking to people who know the law. The law being referenced is the
Mosiac law. From the law, he derives an analogy between the believer in
relationship to the law, based on the permissibility of remarriage in the case
of the death of a spouse. He says in verses 2 and 3, </div>
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<i>For the woman who has a
husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the
husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while
her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress;
but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no
adulteress, though she has married another man.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
important thing for us to note, is the type of death Paul is referring to here
is not <i>physical</i> death, but rather he refers in his analogy to <i>covenantal</i>
death.<i> </i>Death is not primarily physical; it is primarily covenantal. When
God told Adam and Eve that the day they eat of the forbidden fruit they would
die, He was not mistaken: They did in fact die. They died covenantally to God
by being excluded from His presence. Physical death came later as a result. The
important thing for us to note, is that marriage is a covenant - a covenant
that can be dissolved, not only through physical death, but through covenantal
death as well, thereby allowing the surviving spouse to remarry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Now,
let's apply this principle to the doctrine of marriage, divorce, and
remarriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1 Corinthians 5, there is
the famous case of incest within the Corinthian church. Paul says in verse 1,</div>
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<i>It
is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual
immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles - that a man has his
father's wife!</i> </blockquote>
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Note the phrase
'sexual immorality.' The word there once
again is the same as used by our Lord Jesus; the word again is <i>porneia, </i>from
which we get the word 'fornication.'
Here it is applied in the case of incest. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now
notice what Paul says to do to the offender. He says in verses 4 and 5, </div>
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<i>In
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with
my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan
for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of
the Lord Jesus.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In other words,
excommunicate him. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What's especially significant is the phrase Paul uses at the end of
verse 13 to describe the excommunication. It is <u>very</u> important. Paul
says at the end of 13, <i>Therefore, 'put away from yourselves the evil
person.'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>If you have a reference
Bible, you'll notice immediately that the phrase Paul uses is a quotation from
the book of Deuteronomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Those
who advocate an 'adultery only' position as being the only acceptable grounds
for divorce, fail to recognize that the laws of divorce and remarriage in the
Old Testament were given alongside of a whole host of other laws stipulating
the death penalty. What this means then, is that in ancient Israel there were a
whole lot of laws that would have rendered the marriage bond broken as the
result of the death of a spouse for committing a capital crime. Therefore,
according to the apostle Paul in Romans 7, in the event of the death of a
marriage partner, the spouse was free to remarry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Look at Deuteronomy 17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
phrase is used there on numerous occasions and notice what it's used in
reference to beginning with verse 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Whoever
is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three
witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. The
hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and
afterward the hands of all the people. <u>So you shall put away the evil from
among you</u>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
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Next look at verse
12. </div>
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<i>Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who
stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall
die. <u>So you shall put away the evil from Israel</u>.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Do you see how in both instances the phrase
is used in regard to capital punishment? What this means then, is that the
apostle Paul, in making the analogy, <u>was equating the church's
excommunication to be the judicial equivalent to execution by the state</u>. The
abused spouse has protection from the church. If her abuser will not repent of
his sin, the church may excommunicate him, thus rendering him <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">covenentally</i> dead and freeing her to
divorce and remarry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The above is an all-too-brief summation of this position. For a more
thorough exegesis on biblical grounds for divorce, I highly recommend Ray Sutton’s
<i>Sec<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Principles-Remarriage-Blueprints/dp/0930462491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526565972&sr=8-1&keywords=second+chance+sutton">ond Chance: Biblical Principles of Divorce and Remarriage. </a><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paige Patterson has
issued an <a href="https://swbts.edu/news/releases/apology-gods-people/">apology </a>for the pain his comments may have caused:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: white;">To all people I offer my apology, but
especially to women, to the family of Southern Baptists, my friends and the
churches. I sincerely pray that somehow this apology will show my heart and may
strengthen you in the love and graciousness of Christ.</span></blockquote>
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There is a secondary issue in
this controversy. Some of the more vocal critics of Patterson are conflating
Patterson’s comments with his position on complementarianism, which <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-created-man-male-and-female-what-does-it-mean-to-be-complementarian">John Piper summed up as:</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The intention with the word “complementarian” is to locate our way of
life between two kinds error: on the one side would be the abuses of women
under male domination, and on the other side would be the negation of gender
differences where they have beautiful significance. This means that, on the one
hand, complementarians acknowledge and lament the history of abuses of women
personally and systemically, and the present evils globally and locally in the
exploitation and diminishing of women and girls. And, on the other hand,
complementarians lament the feminist and egalitarian impulses that minimize
God-given differences between men and women and dismantle the order God has
designed for the flourishing of our life together.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
So complementarians resist the impulses of a chauvinistic,
dominating, and abusive culture, on the one side, and the impulses of a
sex-blind, gender-leveling, unisex culture, on the other side. And we take our
stand between these two ways of life not because the middle ground is a safe
place (which it is emphatically not), but because we think this is the good
plan of God in the Bible for men and women. “Very good,” as he said in Genesis 1.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wholeheartedly agree that
Patterson’s comments were tone-deaf and I believe exegetically wrong. However,
that doesn’t mean that <i>everything</i> Patterson teaches is wrong. Patterson
also believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Immaculate Conception, and
(more to the point of this issue) complementarianism. Several critics are
attributing his poor comments to his support of complementarianism. To make
that leap is to indulge in a logical fallacy sometimes referred to as
“Affirming the Consequent”. Here’s how
it works:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">Fallacy Ex:
</span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">
Premise: Ducks are birds. </span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">
Premise: Ducks swim in the water.</span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">
Premise: Chickens are birds.</span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">
False Conclusion: <b><i>Chickens swim in the water</i></b>. </span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , "serif";">
(Affirming The Consequent Fallacy: not <i>all</i> birds swim in
water; swimming is neither a necessary or sufficient condition to be the thing
"bird")</span></blockquote>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/1846/is-if-a-then-b-b-therefore-a-a-subset-of-the-post-hoc-fallacy">Another way to put it</a>: A
occurred, then B occurred, therefore A caused B.</div>
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<br />
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Or in the matter at hand:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paige Patterson is a
complementarian.<br />
Paige Patterson made
insensitive remarks about women.<br />
Pastor So&So is a
complementarian.<br />
<i>Pastor So&So is insensitive to women.</i></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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Complementarianism cannot be
shown to be the cause of insensitive remarks, especially as other
complementarian pastors have denounced Patterson’s statements.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This conflation of the two
issues is seen in NPR’s reporting on the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/07/609255051/southern-baptist-women-say-they-are-shocked-by-a-church-leader-s-comments?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180508">matter</a>. And in a myriad of posts in the Twitterverse. Here are just a few samples:</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background: #F5F8FA;">“Matthew 7:16.The fruit of <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">complementarianism</span></strong>
has been a generation of oppressed & abused women in the church. Piper, <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Patterson</span></strong>,
Grudem, have all said horrible things to or about women. The rest aren’t public
figures. Women deserve equal say, rights, & opportunities in the world.”</span><span style="background: #F5F8FA;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">“If you are defending Paige <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Patterson</span></strong>
or applauding his "apology," you are part of the problem known as </span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HowToEvangelical?src=hash"><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">#HowToEvangelical</span></a><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">. His horrific attitudes towards women go back decades & he hasn't
changed. We will </span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmptyThePews?src=hash"><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">#EmptyThePews</span></a><span style="background: #F5F8FA;"> of sexist <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">complementarianism</span></strong>.”<br /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="background: #F5F8FA;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">“For some of us the bad ending had a
bad beginning. But the problem is not limited to <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Patterson</span></strong>.
It's the misogynist culture fostered by <strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">complementarianism</span></strong>. Women have
separate but equal status? Where have we heard that before? </span><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TimesUpSBC?src=hash"><span style="background: #F5F8FA;">#TimesUpSBC</span></a>”</blockquote>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This conflation of Patterson’s
remarks with the battle between the Complementarian and Egalitarian camps is
fallacious and, I fear, purposely so as to advance a particular agenda. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-86131830377078307822018-05-04T09:56:00.000-05:002018-05-05T10:06:33.824-05:00Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill ( Book Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir51vqkmixkfxtzXDFs2JcfBr0CCzO6a_I2t9VrXyoP3ba4PjVWFmDAAqqYzRA6gAviSWMMGuer84nKSpSxfRS8ncV3NLEbnhi0p7Lm0KM-SK14U8eBM1tCfDL4Lz4rWVkohcA8Q/s1600/Churchill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir51vqkmixkfxtzXDFs2JcfBr0CCzO6a_I2t9VrXyoP3ba4PjVWFmDAAqqYzRA6gAviSWMMGuer84nKSpSxfRS8ncV3NLEbnhi0p7Lm0KM-SK14U8eBM1tCfDL4Lz4rWVkohcA8Q/s320/Churchill.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
1940 set the cinematic stage for 2017 with "Dunkirk" and "Darkest Hour" together garnering five Oscars. Both of these films were outstanding in their ability to transport the viewer to this climatic moment in World War II. Gary Oldham's portrayal of Winston Churchill was masterful! In fact, Mr. Oldham's portrayal, which humanized this larger-than-life personality, created in me a desire to learn more about Winston Churchill. My hubby and I watched two outstanding BBC productions, "The Gathering Storm" and "Into the Storm"about the rise of Winston Churchill and his post-WW2 electoral defeat.<br />
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Now it was time to hit the books. It is quite appropriate that Churchill, the prodigious writer, would himself have a myriad of books written on his life, work, and witticisms. Unfortunately in many secular biographies, Churchill's brief agnosticism/atheism is portrayed as being the theme of his life when, in fact, Churchill's deep and abiding belief and desire for Christendom is what shape and molded the man who had such a profound impact on the 20th century and beyond.</div>
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Born into an affluent but cold family, Winston found an anchor in a faithful Christian nanny, Mrs. Everest, who brought affection and faith to the small, neglected boy. This childhood faith would be tested and for awhile rejected during his Army days when he pursued self-education and read religious rationalism; however, his Army experience would also renew his faith as he saw Divine Providence in his escape from prison during the Boer War.</div>
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In Stephen Mansfield's "Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill" the reader is shown how the rejection, slights, challenges, and hurts Churchill faced during his formative years and beyond were crucial to creating who many have dubbed, the Greatest Man of the 20th Century. Mansfield surveys Churchill's life in regard to that of his leadership. Included at the end of the book is a list of "Lessons of Leadership" from this remarkable man. Below are a few of these lessons, I highly recommend reading this book for the remainder.</div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>Leadership is the power to shape the future.</li>
<li>Bitterness erodeds strong leadership; it anchors a leader to the past, distracting him from the promise of the future.</li>
<li>Biology need not be destiny.</li>
<li>A leader is often his own best teacher.</li>
<li>Overwhelming moral and physical courage is at the foundation of all great leadership.</li>
<li>To offer a people hope is to acquire a position of leadship in their lives.</li>
<li>Religious faith elevates leaders by freeing them from the cult of the contemporary.</li>
<li>The quality of a leader is often reflected in the quality of his marriage.</li>
<li>Leadership is not a popularity contest; criticism is part of the job.</li>
</ul>
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Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-4417020867350301332018-02-22T07:53:00.002-05:002018-02-22T08:03:06.545-05:00After Billy GrahamWhen news of Billy Graham's death spread, my Facebook feed became filled with friends asking the same question: "Who will be the <i>next</i> Billy Graham?" I've been thinking about this question too, but I keep having this nagging thought that perhaps we're all asking the wrong question.<br />
<br />
I dearly loved Rev. Graham, partly because my Mom made a profession of faith under his preaching. I read his books, and admired and respected so very much about the man. In its coverage of his death, USA Today included this pretty dead-on descriptive quote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"He was so real, he made Christianity come true," said Susan Harding, an anthropologist at the University of California-Santa Cruz. "He was homespun, historical and newsworthy all at once. He could span the times from Christ to today, from the globe to you, all in one sentence."</blockquote>
<br />
Billy Graham was a product of his time. He came to Christ in a tent revival and it was a natural progression for his ministry to find its expression in revivalist form. He could speak of God and Jesus and people understood to Whom he was referring. This is what gives me pause about the "next" Billy Graham. In 2018, does our world need a celebrity preacher? I wonder about this. We have plenty of "celebrity preachers" out there, I know, but none have achieved Graham's preeminence. I wonder if any really can. Today, can we still speak of Jesus and be universally understood as to Whom we are referring or do we need to define our terms? Is it the Jesus who preached love and acceptance without judgment as presented by many popular authors and preachers today? Or, it is the Jesus of Scripture who declares exclusivity ("I am <u style="font-style: italic;">the Way</u>") and requires followers submit to Biblical parameters in their lives?<br />
<br />
In this post-Christian age, I honestly wonder if a revivalist is what is needed today. We no longer have a shared national experience that synthesizes us. It is really possible for one person to represent Christianity? Maybe in 2018 evangelism is better done in the trenches - person to person, neighbor to neighbor, coworker to coworker, and student to student. It may be that the way forward is not found in the successes of the past. Perhaps this is a moment when we need to reevaluate and be like the children of Issachar "<i>who had an understanding of their times and knew what Israel ought to do" </i><br />
(1 Chronicles 12:32).Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-26518257815189374302018-01-29T08:29:00.000-05:002018-01-29T08:29:00.273-05:00"The Way" to a Great Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYkuYp3GQ6zq830URSVSeFQSeJi-Hda1wl6u8MhboUTLEcHUfO__AzI_9if0zeMMrpeGeDuyaEZiI9xdO405sELl0LJHweSC4iIFR4gPbNWg9PcMTiY9BWKbNoB1HoW6uzSc6cw/s1600/The+Way.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYkuYp3GQ6zq830URSVSeFQSeJi-Hda1wl6u8MhboUTLEcHUfO__AzI_9if0zeMMrpeGeDuyaEZiI9xdO405sELl0LJHweSC4iIFR4gPbNWg9PcMTiY9BWKbNoB1HoW6uzSc6cw/s1600/The+Way.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My husband and I unwind at the end of each day with a glass
of wine and half a movie, finishing it the next evening. Our cinematic preferences encompass a wide
range of genres from the latest blockbuster to the small-budget independent
films. It is often the small-budget films that stay with us the longest. These
movies are story driven with characters and dialogue that require thoughtful
consideration. <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441912/?ref_=nv_sr_4">The Way</a></i>, written by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin
Sheen, is precisely that kind of movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The premise, as described by IMDB, is simple and poignant: “A
father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while
traveling the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago">El camino de Santiago</a>,” and decides to take the pilgrimage
himself.” The father [Tom] travels with his son Daniel’s ashes. It is a deeply
moving movie interspersed with thoughtful dialogue and generously sprinkled
comedic moments. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Along the way, the lapsed Catholic Tom unwillingly acquires
traveling companions Dutchman Joost, Canadian Sarah, and Irishman Jack. This
unlikely foursome travel the El camino de Santiago, hurting and helping to heal
one another along the way. Martin Sheen said of the movie, "<i>Pilgrimage is structured so it takes you out of your comfort zone. You pack all the things you need and soon you realize it's too heavy and have to start unpacking. Then the transcendence starts on stuff you've packed in your interior life, and you begin opening those closets and cells and dungeons and letting all the people out you've been punishing all your life</i>."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a Protestant and was unfamiliar with this pilgrimage. I’m
a conservative and thought I’d have little use for a movie written by the more
liberal Estevez or his father. However, the movie presented to me an ecumenical
window into the larger Christian community. Activist Sheen and I are
diametrically opposed on most political issues, but we share an opposition to
abortion and reverence for life. Politics aside, because of this movie I now
see these men as fellow believers.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We return to <i>The Way</i>
time and time again because the story is moving, the relationships real, and
the community welcoming. It speaks of healing, forgiveness, acceptance, and
love. <o:p></o:p></div>
Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-86194932512899520452017-10-17T13:49:00.000-05:002017-10-17T13:49:32.255-05:00Some Thoughts on #MeToo<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">“Curious
about your take on the #MeToo movement.” </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">A friend sent me this question and below is my answer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Conflicted. Forgive
the long answer forthcoming: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By personal
experience, I can use the #MeToo hashtag (as can most of my friends, young and
old). For my generation, it was usually seen as the cost of operating in a
man's world. I admire the courage of those putting careers at risk. I DO NOT
admire actresses who glom on now after the fact, who stood by and allowed other
women to be victimized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The blame is
not easily assigned. My home Baptist church was benignly misogynistic, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">interpreting "wives submit to husbands" as women submit to men in a
dismissive and disrespectful manner. This is why I, as a conservative lady,
fell into feminism in college - because of the disrespect I received in my
"conservative" circle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Good
Christian men are often truly unaware of the abuse women receive in society
because it is foreign to their character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Feminism itself is culpable because it has debased the
concept of womanhood. If a woman is as immoral and common as any man, why
should they be held in esteem?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, I don't consider a man whistling or cat-calling
a woman abuse. Is it irritating? Sure (but if women are honest also weirdly flattering).
Can it be abuse in some cases? Absolutely, if the woman feels threatened in the
circumstance. I fear <i>some</i> women are
categorizing insignificant instances as abuse and thus my conflict and why - <i>at this point</i>- I haven't added my #MeToo
to the conversation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">One last thing, it obviously boils down to a lack of
Christian teaching. Christ was the great emancipator of women. However, when
every element of masculinity is attacked, even the good and noble elements,
there will of course be a backlash.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-24374381140963835822016-08-16T10:35:00.006-05:002016-08-16T10:39:25.579-05:00Movie Review: The Intern - Everything Old Is New Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ70UUuH98bOKem4Zcm750em1u3FEfjS_jGq9kWzPuGripUGpT6kreWsK6VU0p-ef8ftV1TbNy0mEy6rbE907AgMNd9AJneoNlbU9I_Hy5OWz6v-61oQ2E_5UzRLlNGc84CAIXg/s1600/The+Intern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ70UUuH98bOKem4Zcm750em1u3FEfjS_jGq9kWzPuGripUGpT6kreWsK6VU0p-ef8ftV1TbNy0mEy6rbE907AgMNd9AJneoNlbU9I_Hy5OWz6v-61oQ2E_5UzRLlNGc84CAIXg/s1600/The+Intern.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
My hubby and I finally got around to watching a movie released in 2015, <i>The Intern</i>, starring Robert DeNiro as Ben, a 70-year-old widower finding retirement unsatisfying and Anne Hathaway as Jules, the hard-charging founder of an online clothing site. Through a senior internship program, Ben is assigned to Jules, who is not at all interested in this social experiment.<br />
<br />
What I enjoyed most about this movie is the depiction of class, dignity, and old-school work ethic aiding the Fish-out-of water to swim elegantly in his new ocean. Ben's ignorance of technology is more than compensated for by his work and life experiences. We see a group of millenials being mentored as well as the baby-boomer happily embracing lifelong learning.<br />
<br />
My husband noted how much we need wise older men/women and , regrettably, how often age does not equal wisdom. As I'm in my 50s, the comment prompted me to pause and assess what wisdom I could bring to my younger friends and what foolish tendencies I need to purge. I was reminded of Paul's exhortation to young pastor Titus:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things - that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.<br /> Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you</i>. [Titus 2:2-8 NKJV]</blockquote>
The movie has a definite feminist sensibility (which made the resolution rather puzzling to me). DeNiro plays an old-school gentleman that current generations of emales would love to see reemerge. What's particularly interesting is Jules scornful evaluation of the men of her generation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Nobody calls men "men" anymore. Have you noticed? Women went from "girls" to "women." Men went from "Men" to "boys"? This is a problem in the big picture. Do you know what I mean?...How, in one generation, have men gone from guys like Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford to...</i>[looks at her male friends]<i>...take Ben here. A dying breed. You know? Look and learn, boys. Because if you ask me, this is what cool is.</i></blockquote>
Our protagonist finds herself longing for the very old-school masculinity her feminism has helped to erode. The Law of Unintended Consequences. The character of Ben really is charming; he is a true gentleman. [Note: Masculinity should never be confused with its cheap imitator <i>machismo</i>.]<br />
<br />
Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway have wonderful chemistry. The secondary characters are believable and actually somewhat developed considering their limited screen tie.<br />
<br />
Writer/director Nancy Meyer's <i>The Holiday </i>is watched every December in our house. With <i>The Intern, </i>Meyers has added another movie to my favorites list.<br />
<br />
<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-53825766217444898782016-05-11T08:50:00.000-05:002016-05-11T09:01:15.281-05:00Crazy for Cozy MysteriesWhen it comes to fiction, my hubby says I don't read books as much as I <i>devour</i> them! With my current job, I often have an hour or two to read, albeit with lots of background noise. Thankfully, I discovered the Cozy Mystery genre.<br />
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Usually written as a series, in a <a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Definition-of-a-Cozy-Mystery.html">cozy mystery</a> the sleuth is typically an intelligent, observant woman whose business finds her in various locations where a mysterious death occurs. The cast of characters are family, neighbors, friends, and other business owners in a small town and recur in each of the books. [Think: <i>Murder, She Wrote</i> or <i>Nancy Drew] </i>These are fun books I can usually finish off in two to three hours. Cozy mysteries typically also feature a romance and very little, if any, objectionable material. When purchased as an eBook, they are also very affordable. I have gotten books on eBook promotional sites for free or under $1, but usually they are under $10 and often under $5.<br />
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Nancy Drew's <i>The Mysterious Mansion</i> taught me about Persian rugs. I was introduced to falconry in the Hardy Boys' <i>The Hooded Hawk Mystery.</i><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Cozy mysteries continue this education by offering up tidbits pertaining to the heroine's line or work or interest and sometimes offer recipes as well. Here are some of my favorite series:<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Smoky-Mountain-Tracks-Stockton-Mystery/dp/0977329674/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462974392&sr=1-1&keywords=smoky+mountain+tracks">Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries</a></i> by Donna Ball<br />
The first cozy series I read and probably still my favorite. Raine Stockton, formerly with Search and Rescue, finds herself investigating mysteries in her small North Carolina community located in the heart of the Smoky Mountains while navigating a complicated love life.<br />
I'm a dog lover and what I appreciate the most about Ball's writing is the way she captures the personality of animals. Cisco and the other canines are characters, while never being more than dogs. Another plus: Balls writes like she has actually been to North Carolina and knows Southerners! Her books don't pile on southern stereotype. As a southerner myself, I recognize the traits and tendencies of her characters. As a side benefit, each book contains within the story helpful dog training tips.<br />
[While not mysteries, another charming series by Ms. Ball is the <i>Lady Bug Farm</i> books and the accompanying <i>Hummingbird House</i> books. These books feature well-developed characters and uplifting stories.]<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guidebook-Murder-Tourist-Trap-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00FY54N72?ie=UTF8&keywords=lynn%20cahoon%20kindle&qid=1462974441&ref_=sr_1_11&s=books&sr=1-11">Tourist Trap Mysteries</a></i> by Lynn Cahoon<br />
Jill Gardner relocates to South Cove, California and opens <i>Coffee, Books, and More.</i> She is the business community liaison to the city council, which often puts her at odds with her nemesis, the major. Along with this and selling books, Jill gets involved in solving murders much to the dismay of her police officer boyfriend.<br />
This is a very close second to the <i>Raine Stockton</i> series. I read these books as much to catch up on the goings on in South Cove as for the mysteries.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Staged-Death-Caprice-Luca-Mystery/dp/0758284845?ie=UTF8&keywords=karen%20rose%20smith%20caprice%20de%20luca&qid=1462974481&ref_=sr_1_2&s=books&sr=1-2">Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mysteries</a></i> by Karen Rose Smith<br />
Caprice De Luca is an aficionada of all things vintage and the owner of a home-staging business. The De Lucas are a tight-knit family and Caprice's siblings and other family members always play a role in the stories. This series is set in Pennsylvania.<br />
I'm not as big a fan of the author's writing style as I am of the above authors, but Smith's stories have a wonderful sweetness to them. I have come to care about the De Lucas and look forward to a return visit with them in each book. As an added bonus, each book features recipes.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sign-Caught-Dead-Wyoming-Book-ebook/dp/B010W3GM9W?ie=UTF8&keywords=patricia%20mclinn%20kindle%20books&qid=1462974526&ref_=sr_1_5&s=books&sr=1-5">Caught Dead in Wyoming</a> </i>by Patricia McLinn<br />
Former big-time TV journalist Elizabeth "E.M." Danniher finds herself doing consumer protection stories for podunk KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming after a messy breakup with her vindictive ex-husband, a powerful news executive. In between her "Helping Out!" segments, she finds herself investigating murders and juggling love interests while learning the ways of the West.<br />
After I finished the first book of the series, I quickly downloaded the other three and had read all four books within a week. This series caught my imagination and the characters won me over quickly. I am rooting for E. M. Danniher to get the best of her station's pompous anchor (a written version of Ted Baxter from the old <i>Mary Tyler Moore </i>series).<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Threads-Mainely-Needlepoint-Book-ebook/dp/B00LCDSPQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462974565&sr=1-1&keywords=Lea+Wait+kindle">Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries</a></i> by Lea Wait<br />
Angie Curtis returns to her hometown after her long-vanished mother's body is found.Another murder is tied to her mother's case and soon Angie is stitching together clues while working with the Mainely Needlepointers in her needlework business. Set in the fictional mid-coastal town of Haven Harbor, Maine, the books' location is very picturesque. Plenty of needlework history and tidbits are woven into each story.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Corpses-Hamptons-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00QH831XM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462974599&sr=1-2&keywords=Kathleen+Bridge+kindle">Hampton Home & Gardens Mysteries</a> </i>by Kathleen Bridge<br />
After a rough breakup with her fiance, Meg Barrett flees glamorous Manhattan and her job at a top home and garden magazine to the small to the small town of Montauk on the outskirts of the tony communities of the Hamptons where she begins Cottages by the Sea, an interior design business. She soon finds herself in the middle of murder mysteries among the rich and famous.<br />
This new series (two books as of this writing) captured my attention quickly and I finished both books in short order, which means I now must twiddle my thumbs impatiently while waiting for the next entry. Meg Barrett and her cohorts are fun characters and the location is intriguing. The books include interior design tips and recipes.<br />
<br />
These are my favorite cozy series, but I'm always open to suggestions for new ones!<br />
<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-26157117402114578392016-05-04T10:25:00.003-05:002016-05-04T10:29:22.859-05:00The Subtle Danger of Me Before YouHer text read something like this: "Please read this book! I'm dying for someone to discuss it with." So at my friend <a href="http://rosietheboo.blogspot.com/">Rose's </a>urging, I was off to obtain a copy of the wildly popular <i>Me Before You</i> by Jojo Moyes. Because the film version is opening this summer, I moved it to the top of my long, long, long to-read stack of books.<br />
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If you haven't read the book: READ NO FURTHER. SPOILERS AHEAD.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The book opens like a typical romance novel. We are introduced to Will Trayner, a strong virile man with implied serious wealth, enjoying the morning after with his equal female specimen of perfection. However as the Prologue ends, we know this is no typical romance novel.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
We next make the acquaintance of Louisa "Lou" Clark, she of eccentric fashion sense and newly joined to the ranks of the unemployed. Lou's family is somewhat dependent upon her wages, although curiously not all that supportive or edifying of her. It is this need for money and her limited job prospects that sends Lou to Granta House, the stately home of Will, who is now a quadriplegic requiring constant care following an accident. We discover Will lives in the home's annex, a visual picture of his diminished life. With no discernible skills pertinent to the job (or so the reader thinks), Lou is hired.</div>
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An unlikely friendship develops between these two disparate characters and one might assume a new spin on the Romeo and Juliet story is about to unfold until the plot twist is revealed. Will has attempted suicide in the past and still has this intention. Lou's contract is for six months, not as a trial basis, but because that's the delay Will promised his parents before carrying out his plans. Upon learning of this, Lou first resigns before being begged to stay by Will's mom. Mrs. Trayner has seen the difference Lou is making in Will and pleads with her to find a way to change his mind. Thus begins Louisa Clark's mission to give Will a reason to live. Along the way, as we already suspected, the friendship deepens and Lou falls in love.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
There will be no happily ever after ending. Will Trayner flies to Switzerland to a hospital that provides assisted suicide services. After initially walking away from Will devastated, Lou comes to terms with his decision and at the last minute joins him there to say goodbye. When Lou's mother learns of this, she is appalled by her daughter's decision:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>It is not my decision, Mum. It's Will's. The whole point is to support Will.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Support Will? I've never heard such rubbish. You're a child, Louisa. You've seen nothing, done nothing. And you have no idea what this is going to do to you. How in God's name will you ever be able to sleep at night? You'd be helping a man to die. Do you really understand that? You'd be helping Will, that lovely, clever young man, to die.</i></blockquote>
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When Louisa doesn't change her mind, the scene continues with:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>If you go, Louisa, you needn't come back.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The words fell out of her mouth like pebbles. I looked at my mother in shock. Her gaze was unyielding. It tensed as she watched for my reaction. It was as if a wall I had never known was there had sprung up between us.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I mean it. This is no better than murder.</i></blockquote>
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Louisa's father and sister try to intervene and plead Lou's case, but her mother is unmoved. This is the exact moment Moyes lost me.</div>
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Don't misunderstand - I finished the book, going through a box of tissues in the process. This is a well-written, page turner with characters you grow to care about. And there's the problem.</div>
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Assisted suicide sounds so noble. Choosing how to end one's life in light of suffering or, in the case of this fictional character, life-altering injuries. We are heartless if we stand opposed to this choice. Or are we?</div>
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Will Trayner, a man with seemingly unlimited means and a high degree of intelligence, chooses to die rather than live a life disabled. His disability has rendered his life meaningless. He can't handle being dependent on others, not scaling mountaintops, or the inability to do all the other things in his previous active life. Louisa's mother opposes Will's choice, so of course, she's wrong. The whole second half of the book builds to the reader's coming to acceptance (and endorsement?) of his suicide. Why can't Louisa's mother see this? Heck, Louisa is going to travel and be wealthy as a result of his death! Even Will's mother comes to terms with it. By opposing the book's hero and heroine, it is implicit we are to see Louisa's mother as wrong. But she's not wrong; she's principled. And she sees Will as he is - a selfish coward.</div>
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Murder is wrong, including self murder. One reviewer called this "tragedy porn," which I found to be very insightful. The book subtly tries to persuade you Will's disabled life is not worth living. His life had setbacks, serious setbacks, and so now he doesn't want it. He has an attractive woman in love with him, a supportive family, means to accommodate his limitations so he can still be active in different ways, but that's not enough. He can't have the life he had, the life he wants, so he's going to end the life he does have.</div>
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As a Christian, I believe when the Lord's providence for our life is hard and painful, we still must cling to the promise it is for our good and His glory. We must insist the disabled person has worth. We must insist suffering has worth. Caregivers bless and are blessed. If we still draw breath, we still have purpose. My husband and I have each cared for a dying parent. It is painful, frustrating, exhausting, and emotionally wrenching, but after their deaths we each were richer. The experience taught us things we wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, have learned otherwise. Our parents' suffering had purpose.</div>
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The book's ending sends the wrong message about how to measure a person's quality of life, a life's worth, what love is, and the possibility of overcoming obstacles and challenges to live a fulfilled, if altered, life. The ending didn't just make me sad; it made me angry. </div>
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Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-31998412964078771112016-02-20T15:15:00.002-05:002016-02-20T15:15:58.252-05:00Honest ConfessionsI've<a href="http://faithandfrivolity.blogspot.com/2012/08/liturgy-in-life.html"> written before</a> about how every church has a liturgy, a pattern, for worship. In my church, part of this liturgy is a corporate confession of sin. It is a responsive, that is participatory, part of worship. It looks something like this:<br />
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<i>Leader: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.</i><br />
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<b>Silence for reflection and self-examination.</b><br />
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<i>Leader: Let us pray.</i><br />
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<i><b>All: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we have sinned against You and against our fellow men, in thought and word and deed, in the evil we have done and in the good we have not done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve You in newness of life in the glory of Your Name. Amen.</b></i><br />
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I did not grow up reciting written prayers and when I first encountered them in a worship service, I was somewhat taken aback. It was pointed out to me that were I to speak with the President, visiting royalty, or some other notable figure of great importance, I would probably have a speech prepared or at least a series of talking points to ensure my part of the encounter was coherent. Why then shouldn't we prepare our words for the Almighty God in the same manner? That explanation resonated with me to the point that I now often write out prayers in a journal as a means of truly shaping my words so they express properly my praise, thanksgiving, and requests. <br />
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Another benefit of having a prepared corporate prayer of confession is I am confronted about sinful habits or tendencies I might, if left on my own, gloss over or even ignore. Such is the case with the above confession: ". . . through our own <i>deliberate fault.</i>" Ouch. If we're honest, don't we all like to excuse away our sin? It was a mistake, a misunderstanding, the result of incorrect information or some other reason that gives us an out from some or all the responsibility for our failings. A written confession makes us admit there were times when we sinned <u>deliberately.</u> It is very reminiscent of David's confession written in the psalms. The gut-level honest confession and the familial tone of a son to his Father of this psalm makes it precious to Christians:<br />
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<i>Have mercy upon me, O God,</i><i>According to Your lovingkindess;</i><i>According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,</i><i>Blot out my transgressions.</i><i>Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,</i><i>And cleanse me from my sin.</i><i>For I acknowledge my transgressions,</i><i>And my sin is always before me.</i><i>Against You, You only, have I sinned,</i><i>And done this evil in Your sight - </i><i>That You may be found just when You speak,</i><i>And blameless when You judge.</i><i>~ Psalm 51:1-4</i></blockquote>
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David was far from perfect, but he didn't let sin remain between him and God. We know from Scripture God affirms David as a man after His own heart. Our corporate confession also ends with an affirmation:<br />
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<i>Leader: Lift up your hearts and receive the sure promise of the gospel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and great in mercy. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." To all who believe and repent, this promise is most surely given. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."</i><br />
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That's the beauty of confession; through Jesus we have been made clean and affirmed as loved by our Heavenly Father.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-87452065750507617532015-09-14T12:59:00.000-05:002015-09-14T13:03:24.561-05:00Crafting Sunday School (or God Bless Pinterest!)My church is small and as such we have only one children's Sunday School class with ages ranging from Preschool to I'm-old-enough-for-the-grownup-class. It's a challenge to develop a lesson appropriate for such a wide age range, but it is one homeschool moms are very familiar with. Not having kids of my own, I enjoy this weekly interaction and watching the one-room schoolhouse experience come to life before my eyes. The older kids are wonderful in helping out the younger ones.<br />
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Currently, the class has a majority of females; in the past, we've had mostly boys. The gender difference has had a big influence on occasion in determining crafts and activities. One activity for which I'm rather infamous happened in October. We were studying through the Book of Judges and the next lesson would be in Judges 4 where we find the story of Jael and Sisera.<br />
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Inspiration struck in the produce section of Walmart! There was a sale on pie pumpkins and I loaded up my cart with these pumpkins and a package of plastic tent pegs. The following Sunday, I hauled the pumpkins, tent pegs, a couple of rubber mallets, and box of markers down to our classroom. We read our story about our heroine Jael's ending of Israel's enemy Sisera. Then we drew a face on our pumpkins and the kiddos pounded tent pegs into the them! That year several families had "Sisera" jack-o-lanterns! One dad remarked, "Only at our church." I'm not sure it was a compliment.<br />
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We recently finished a series of lessons on The Fruits of the Spirit. I tried to bring in unusual fruit for the kids to sample from time to time. I am so grateful to various Pinterest users for the great ideas I used in this series. The biggest hit was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e47FnjKaT3Q">this song</a> which helped the kids learn all the Fruits of the Spirit. My boys and girls both love it!.<br />
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We just started a new series on The Armor of God. I found this great <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Product/wall-chart-the-armor-of-god-laminated-P001153753">poster </a>at Lifeway. This great <a href="http://handsonbibleteacher.blogspot.com/search/label/new%20testament?updated-max=2010-11-21T20:28:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=6&by-date=false">web site</a> has some wonderful lesson ideas and <a href="http://craftingthewordofgod.com/2013/06/01/armor-of-god/">this site</a> had templates for wearable armor that I modified slightly. The generosity of these ladies in sharing for free their hard work and creativity is just incredible! Here's a picture of some of the kids wearing their Belt of Truth.<br />
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I'm hoping the kiddos will have the complete armor completed by the time Harvest Parties or Trick-or-Treating comes around. There is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dITBAdCdOVU">great song</a> I downloaded for these lessons. It has a good "hook" which should help the kids memorize the armor pieces. </div>
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I have a board on Pinterest for Sunday School crafts, so if you're a teacher who has drawn a blank please check it out. </div>
Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-62097140999617889972014-12-09T14:48:00.000-05:002014-12-09T18:38:54.500-05:00Christmas Trees and MemoriesOur Christmas tree tells our story. The ornaments are an eclectic collection gathered over 23 years of marriage. For the last few years, we have been blessed to have Mom with us and her story ornaments are also placed on the tree.<br />
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When we first married, we were unsure what directions our tree should take, so we opted to play it safe and stick to ornaments which had a decidedly biblical theme (music, angels, nativity, etc). When I stretched plausibility with a cuckoo clock to commemorate our honeymoon in Germany ("to everything there is a time and a purpose under heaven..."), we had to acknowledge our tree theme had significantly broadened.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDpXajRvoiJkNPjBY6hpm1VKFLGJhQKAjMfsEo0MWUTCwVXqc_an26tQWicxsaF4TZaBCQIhW_Zasvx7F0DBv3WEWwErLZcC9iV3Coa0HkgWEwLp5ITHCWDVI4d2fXM-BD0YQDw/s1600/Pine+cone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDpXajRvoiJkNPjBY6hpm1VKFLGJhQKAjMfsEo0MWUTCwVXqc_an26tQWicxsaF4TZaBCQIhW_Zasvx7F0DBv3WEWwErLZcC9iV3Coa0HkgWEwLp5ITHCWDVI4d2fXM-BD0YQDw/s1600/Pine+cone.JPG" height="200" width="169" /></a>Each year, as we take out our carefully wrapped ornaments, we are reminded of moments in time,special trips,pets, friends, and loved ones long passed. I smile through tears as I hang the ornaments Dad patiently helped his "three girls" (Mom, my sister and me) make. These simple pine cones mean so very much to me.<br />
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There is an ornament on the tree from my childhood and a green bell from Mom's. Many ornaments were given as gifts by students, friends, and loved ones and they always bring warmth to us when we placed them on the evergreen. I have a few that remind me of the precious children I teach in Sunday School.<br />
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Our Christmas tree helps me remember. I think I understand a Christmas standard better now than I did in my younger days. At Christmas, I find myself going home, but it is to the home of yesteryear. I relieve treasured memories and revisit scenes from a time long ago:<br />
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<i>I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love</i></div>
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<i>Even more than I usually do.</i></div>
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<i>And although I know it's a long road back,</i></div>
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<i>I promise you</i></div>
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<i>I'll be home for Christmas.</i></div>
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<i>You can count on me.</i></div>
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<i>Please have snow and mistletoe</i></div>
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<i>And presents by the tree.</i></div>
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<i>Christmas Eve will find me</i></div>
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<i>Where the love light gleams.</i></div>
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<i>I'll be home for Christmas,</i></div>
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<i>If only in my dreams.</i></div>
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Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-368636489350519222014-10-09T07:52:00.001-05:002014-10-09T07:52:12.420-05:00What's Doctrine Got To Do With Me? Some Thoughts for Women Married to Christian Leaders, Teachers or Pastors<i>Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine . . .Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.</i><br />
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For any endeavor undertaken by two or more people to be successful, there will need to be a division of labor. Each person works within their strengths - the salesman sells, the accountant manages the books, and the organizer structures. However, while your husband may be the theologian of the family, this does not mean theology is something at which only he needs to work. <br />
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In his second book to Pastor Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes, "<i>Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."</i> I am fairly certain we have all heard many Sunday School lessons or sermons where that verse was used to motivate <i>all</i> Christians to be diligent in Bible Study - and rightly so. While the epistle was originally written to Timothy, its message is applicable to us all, in a secondary way, even if we are not pastors.<br />
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Tom Wright has some interesting comments on this verse as it relates to pastors and teachers:<br />
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In particular, [Paul] wants preachers and teachers to 'carve out a straight path for the word of truth.' Some translations say things like 'rightly dividing the word,' and it's possible Paul means something like that (in other words, 'being able to show how the sentences work, what each part means, and how they all relate to each other'). But it's more likely that the picture he has in mind is of a pioneer hacking out a path through the jungle so that people can walk safely through it. Part of the job of the teacher is to do what Paul himself is doing in this passage: to see where there are brambles, creepers, and dead trees blocking the path which the word should be following to people's hearts and minds, and to shift them out of the way." ~<i> Paul for Everyone: Pastoral Epistles</i></blockquote>
If we take a quick walk through the Psalms and Proverbs, we will see the theme of a straight path comes up over and over again and the admonition to keep to it is not directed at pastors and teachers alone:<br />
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<i>The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. </i>Proverbs 11:5<br />
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<i>Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.</i> Psalm 119:105<br />
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<i>In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. </i>Proverbs 12:28<br />
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<i>So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness. </i>Proverbs 2:20<br />
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<i>Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.</i> Psalm 119:35-37<br />
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<i>Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.</i> Proverbs 17:4,5<br />
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So we have established as a Christian, we are responsible for being diligent in the Word and thereby staying on the straight or righteous path. This path theme is of particular importance to you as the wife of a Christian leader. If you are not traveling along the same path as your husband, your path could become rocky.<br />
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Notice in several of the verses above, the word "path" is in the plural, "paths." On a personal level, we are all on our own Pilgrim's Progress journey, going down our individual Christian paths. While people from different denominations are able to stand together and in agreement recite The Apostles' Creed, they do so while traveling different theological paths. This became of particular importance to me when my future husband switched paths after we became engaged.<br />
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<i>Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.</i><br />
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My husband and I met in my childhood Southern Baptist church. He also attended a Baptist church, but not of the Southern Baptist tradition with which I was familiar at the time. He used words like "Reformed" and "Calvinism." Back then, I had no idea what a difference these new words would make in my life! During our engagement, my fiance presented me with a required reading list. (Whenever I tell people this, he indignantly says, "Oh, I did not!" but the list was real.) Here I am planning a wedding, my mind consumed with hearts and flowers, and my sweetheart is giving me Calvin's <i>Institutes</i>, Lorraine Boettner's <i>Reformed Doctrine of Predestination</i>, and other tomes. Our engagement was full of theological discussions and debates. I read the books and found myself drifting more and more over to his path. This would happen again after we married when he found himself in closer alignment with the Presbyterian church. In short order, this born, bred, and burped Baptist found herself leaving that denomination and becoming a congregant in the Presbyterian Church in America. It is a good thing my hubby had taken heed to himself and to doctrine, because I confess when first presented with these changes, he did not encounter a quiet and gentle spirit. I rebelled! Fortunately, the more I read and the more we discussed doctrines, the more I found myself agreeing with his new direction. Now I remind him if he can persuade me, he can persuade anyone.<br />
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Lest there be any confusion about it, let me state clearly my purpose in sharing this is not to convince you to explore Presbyterianism. Pastors are to be students. It was because of his studies that my husband changed denominations. Over the course of our marriage, I have seen him not necessarily change, but refine his theological views from time to time. These matters are the topics of our conversations and as he shares what he is learning, I can see the way his mind is working and get a good feeling for where he is going. I have learned it is important that I take heed to myself and to doctrine to be able to be the helper my husband needs and walk in unison down the same theological path. The book of Amos sums it up nicely, <i>"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"</i> Billy Graham and his wife Ruth, who was a lifelong Presbyterian, may just be the exception that proves the rule.<br />
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<i>Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.</i><br />
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There are other reasons for staying sharp theologically. Church members and others will pose theological questions to you. Again, church members and others <i>will pose theological questions </i><u style="font-style: italic;">to you</u>. The biggies you can easily defer with a sweet smile and, "You'll have to talk to my hubby about that." However, there will be situations, conversations at church get-togethers or casual parties, where in the midst of a general discussion a theological issue will be raised. This is true for all Christians, but remember <u style="font-style: italic;">your</u> opinion will reflect upon your husband. You represent him...always. An off-the-cuff remark can cause him headaches. [Trust me - I have personal experience here.] That is why it is so important that we are that workman who needs not be ashamed, the woman who is striving to bring <i>every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.</i><br />
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Another reason to stay theologically sharp is the opportunities your spouse's vocation will present to you. Whether it is standing in line at Wal-Mart or making chit-chat in a waiting room, when people find out I am married to a pastor, I am continually surprised by how often the conversation will take a decidedly personal turn. A complete stranger will share an intimate situation with me and seek counsel as if I were the one wearing the clerical collar! When faced with a hurting person, I silently pray that I will not be an ashamed workman and ask the Lord to bring to my remembrance His Word.<br />
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As husband and wife, we are to be <i>one flesh</i> and I think within that is an exhortation for a theological oneness. We have a biblical example of this in the pages of Acts:<br />
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<i>Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.</i></blockquote>
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Notice: Scripture says, ". . .<i>When Aquilla <u>and</u> Priscilla heard him, <u>they</u> took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." </i>Priscilla was being a helper to her husband in this circumstance as well. <br />
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You are not just married to a theologian, ladies; you are expected to be one.<br />
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[Ladies, if counseling opportunities keep finding you, here is a very good resource: <i>Women Helping Women: A Biblical Guide to the Major Issues Women Face</i> by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Carol Cornish, published by <a href="http://www.ccef.org/">Christian Counseling & Education Foundation</a>. Kindle edition <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Helping-Biblical-Guide-Issues-ebook/dp/B001TOCXOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412858557&sr=8-1&keywords=women+helping+women+elyse+fitzpatrick">here</a>.] <br />
<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-66453464100217639162014-09-26T20:19:00.001-05:002014-09-26T20:46:27.104-05:00A Discussion of Zombies & the Movie, "Warm Bodies"I could actually <i>hear</i> her skepticism coming out of my computer screen as I read her reply, "You're recommending a <u>zombie</u> movie? Really? Zombies?"<br />
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I understand my friend's surprise at my recommendation of <i>Warm Bodies</i>, the Romeo and Juliet meets Walking Dead film which prompted me to break my vow of no zombies EVER! As I assured my friend Amy, this movie is about so much more than zombies. It's about dead hearts being made alive, kindness building bridges, the isolation we often feel in crowds, and maybe even a little about what it means to be human.<br />
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And did I mention it's funny? "R," the Zombie of our story, narrates much of the film. In the opening scenes he says, "<i>I don't wanna be this way. I'm lonely. I'm totally lost. I mean, I'm literally lost. I've never been in this part of the airport before..."</i><br />
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[Required caveat: The film has zombie-esque violence and gore and the F-bomb is dropped a couple of times, which is very unfortunate as it is an otherwise charming movie.]<br />
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This review actually touches on a bigger question: Why have zombies become <i>de rigueur</i> of entertainment of late? What does this fascination with the the walking dead say about our culture. Screenwriter Brian Godawa <i>(To End All Wars)</i> has written a very interesting piece on this. He makes a case for zombie movies:<br />
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"What? You may ask. Is there anything BUT a shallow zombie movie? Oh yes indeed. If you don't know this, you are obviously not educated on the benefits of zombie movies for cultural enhancement and spiritual values. And I am NOT being facetious. . .<br />
Zombie movies are a powerful genre to explore some rather penetrating ideas about our humanity and out ethics as a society. . . What makes human exceptionalism? How are we different from mere animals? The ethic of survival versus self-sacrifice is played out in a tale of survival against those who have lost their humanity."</blockquote>
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You can read the whole article <a href="http://godawa.com/movieblog/world-war-z-zombies-prove-the-existence-of-god/">here</a>.<br />
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Ethan Cordray has also written a piece, "<i>Zombies Are Us"</i><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>on the blog <i>First Things</i> where he discusses why we've become fascinated with the brain-eating, slow-moving dead:<br />
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"What if this fascination is about more than just gross-out gore and action thrills? What if it represents a subtle, subconscious understanding that something is wrong - <i>spiritually</i> wrong - with our culture. . . Zombies represent the appetite divorced from everything else. They are incapable of judgment, self-awareness or self preservation. Though they still move and act, they are not really alive. They hunger and are never filled. And they aren't just hungry for anything - they specifically want to eat the living, and even more specifically the brain, seat of rationality and self control. In Pauline terms, they are the <i>sarx </i>[flesh] in its purest form. Without a soul to control it, the flesh is slave to its own desires."</blockquote>
You can read this article <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2011/08/zombies-are-us">here</a>. <br />
<br />
So, yes. I <i>really</i> am recommending a zombie movie.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-27232339556965386282014-06-19T12:17:00.000-05:002014-06-19T12:17:01.023-05:00Skunks and SanctificationWhen I drive home at night, I usually go slower than I normally drive. Living out in the country, I know at any time some critter can pop up out of the brush and onto the road in front of me. So it wasn't too surprising the other night when I rounded a curve to see a skunk in the middle of the road right in front of me.<br />
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The little fur ball was in no hurry to get out of my way, so I honked my horn. The skunk bared its teeth and sprayed! Thankfully, I was out of range. He was still on the road, so I revved my engine. He walked a little further, snarled and sprayed again, We repeat this process twice more.<br />
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By now, I'm irritated! "You little silly thing! I'm trying to protect you! You'll get hit if you stay on the road," I yell at the insolent skunk.<br />
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Then....it hit me. The Lord had just presented me with an object lesson. How many times have I growled and snarled when my plans were thwarted? I'm sure the Lord looks at me and marvels, "You silly little thing. I'm trying to protect you."<br />
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<i>"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." </i>~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)<i> </i>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-86058316695457234402014-05-31T14:40:00.000-05:002014-05-31T14:40:10.670-05:00Daydreams of Being WealthyWe recently watched the remake of one of my favorite classic movies, <i>The Secret Life of Walter Mitty</i>. Ben Stiller's version was thoughtful and fun, but I still prefer the whimsy and comedic touch of Danny Kaye as he played the mild-mannered man who daydreams himself into exciting situations and opportunities.<br />
<br />
I relate to Walter. I often daydream about writing the great American novel or finally making an edible roast beef (don't ask!). I guess my most frequent daydream is of being extraordinarily wealthy and the opportunities that would afford: Unlimited travel, treating my friends to things, paying for a great kid's college, buying a boat...the list goes on and on.<br />
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I once read a quote by Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, about his multibillion dollar charitable contributions, "There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way."<br />
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I realized then and there that I was already extraordinarily wealthy. I have the "pearl of great price" that all of Mr. Buffett's billions couldn't purchase. I have a guarantee of heaven that was given to me because "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)<br />
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<i>"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26</i>Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-5236112591771407932014-05-26T08:31:00.001-05:002014-10-13T09:23:18.123-05:00A Week of Devotions: #1 "Can You Hear Me Now?"A few years ago, I had the opportunity to contribute some devotions to a friend's discipleship ministry. Over the next week or so, I'm sharing a few of them on my blog. Here's the first:<br />
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I heard the woman's voice long before I reached the terminal gate. The nasal, strident tone was distinctive above the din of the other conversations in this area of the airport. At the designated Southwest gate, I felt a frown of consternation forming as I realized the only seat available in "B" section was by <i>her</i>.<br />
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She was obviously a businesswoman: well-tailored suit, laptop, cell phone fused to her ear. It was via the phone that this one-sided conversation was being held. Ignoring was not an option due to her volume and distinctive voice. She droned on for the 30 minutes prior to boarding - a continuous stream of coworker criticisms, boasts, and self promotions, continually denigration of others' accomplishments with praise always followed by a "but...". <br />
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I wondered how one person could be so unpleasant! I wondered if she had a clue how much about her personality was being revealed to the strangers around her. As my opinion of the woman diminished, a troubling thought drifted in:<br />
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How much do my words reveal about my heart? Would strangers hear my conversations and marvel at how unpleasant I was?<br />
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<i>Let no corrupt communication proceedeth out of your mouth except that which is good for the use of edifying that it might administer grace to the hearers.</i><b><i> </i>~ </b>Ephesians 4:29Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-10784186792521999112014-05-01T09:47:00.002-05:002014-05-01T09:47:20.580-05:00The Black Genocide of AbortionMartin Luther King's niece has called <a href="http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/17277/">abortion the Black Genocide.</a> For the record, I made this point eight years ago <a href="http://www.faithandfrivolity.blogspot.com/2006/10/baby-love.html">here</a>. <br />
<br />
Dr. Alveda King is throwing a spotlight on the dirty little secret that racism and population control efforts were the genesis of today's abortion industry by promoting two films meant to educate the public on this, <i>Mafia 21</i> and <i>Blood Money</i>. I became aware of this through Dr. Benjamin Wiker's book, <i>10 Books That Screwed Up The World (and 5 Others That Didn't Help). </i>From <a href="http://www.faithandfrivolity.blogspot.com/2008/06/infectious-ideas.html">my review</a>: <i> </i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
What is clear as you read Wiker's book is how [Darwin's <i>Descent of Man</i>] influenced future generations. Margaret Sanger's <i>The Pivot of Civalization </i>took Darwin's eugenics and made it palatable, to a degree. She wasn't as direct as Hitler would be a few decades later, but she had her own way of ridding the world of undesirables - not just genetics, but the vague "unfit" of society. Sanger's mechanism was birth control, abortion, and forced sterilization. She is the founder of Planned Parenthood and she thought the intelligentsia should be the ones doing the planning. For her, a low IQ was original sin.</blockquote>
Abortion proponents like to hide behind the banners of "choice" and "freedom," but as Proverbs teachers us, "...the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-28574063603470463632014-04-29T15:31:00.000-05:002014-04-29T15:31:11.975-05:00Clipping Free SpeechLA Clippers owner Donald Sterling is an idiot. I think most of us can agree on that. The days of shock and dismay over biracial couples and friendships are remnants of another time. There may be a few pockets of ignorance remaining, but that mindset is drawing its dying breath.<br />
<br />
NBA Commissioner Adam Si<a href="http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/LA-Clippers-owner-Donald-Sterling-banned-for-life-by-NBA-257197631.html">lver said he would try to force Sterling to sell the Clippers</a>. The cry to "do something" about Sterling's ownership of the team troubles me. The fact is in our nation, people have the right to be idiots. They have the right to make idiotic statements. (Anyone old enough to remember Jesse Jackson's "<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hymietown">Hymietown" remark</a>?). The NBA shouldn't do a thing about Sterling's ownership. Let the African-American players on the Clippers team and other NBA franchises take action - be it a sick-out on game day, public shaming or other avenues of making their disgust known. Let the marketplace make its feelings known by fans refusing to attend Clippers games, buy Clippers merchandise or demand refunds on season tickets. <br />
<br />
There are ways in which pressure can be brought to bear on Sterling without interference with his right to do business. The marketplace is perfectly capable of handling these issues without the involvement of the thought police or the infringement of a person's property rights (the Clippers) or freedom of speech - even if the speech reveals him to be a jackass. Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-83870187414746935932014-03-06T08:45:00.000-05:002014-03-06T08:45:07.168-05:00Creation's Music<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it. . ." </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
~From <i>The Magician's Nephew</i> by C. S. Lewis</div>
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No other passage from fiction brings me to tears quite as quickly as the above. There is something sublime in Lewis' description of creation. Lewis had cause to associate the earth with voices. In Luke's description of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we read:<br />
<br />
<i>Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:</i><br />
<i> " 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'</i><br />
<i> Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"</i><br />
<i> And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."</i><br />
<i> But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." </i>[Luke 19:37-40 NKJV]<br />
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What is more wondrous than Lewis' description is the possibility that creation is still singing to us, still making music that speaks of its Creator. Jarbas Agnelli has shown that is entirely possible. The winner of The YouTube Play Guggenheim Biennial Festival describes his entry:<br />
<br />
<i>"Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Here I've posted a<a href="http://vimeo.com/6428069"> short video</a> made with the photo, the music, and the score (composed by the birds)."</i><br />
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Next, I came across <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/record-play-adapted-play-music-tree-rings.html">this video</a> of a modified turntable reading tree rings as music.<br />
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Henry Van Dyke's "<i>Joyful, Joyful</i>" (especially when sung to the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony) expresses this beautifully:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All Thy works with joy surround Thee.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Stars and angels sing around Thee,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Center of unbroken praise.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Field and forest, vale and mountain,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Singing bird and flowing fountain</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Call us to rejoice in Thee.</i></div>
<br />Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-15138487243954841872014-01-06T21:28:00.003-05:002014-01-06T21:28:49.325-05:00This Year is NOWMy dear friend Rose often acts as a delightful muse who prompts me to write. She's done it again. This time it was the challenge of claiming one word for the year of 2014. True to her spirit, <a href="http://rosietheboo.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-be-intentional.html">Rose chose one phrase</a> instead of one word. I am sticking to the one-word framework and have selected "NOW" as my word for 2014.<br />
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How often I have said, "Someday I..." It has finally occurred to me that, as I am in the midst of my 51st year, my somedays are fewer than they once were and I'd better get to doing!<br />
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<u>This year</u>, as much as I am able, I intend to make <i>now</i> my <i>someday</i> and to set in motion plans to achieve those nebulous goals, to act instead of making vague plans. This has been percolating in the back of my mind for a while. A friend wrote a blog post on her love/hate of Pinterest and it made me assess my pinning activities. I realized I was spending more time pinning ideas, crafts, and recipes than I was acting upon those ideas or making those crafts and recipes. That changes in 2014.<br />
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<u>This year</u>, when I think of an old friend or a family member I haven't seen or spoken to in a while, I will stop and write that note or send that email.<br />
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<u>This year</u>, I will set aside one supper a month (should be a week, but I'm realistic about my schedule) to make a new recipe.<br />
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<u>This year</u>, I will finish any project I start before starting another one. This is a big deal for this over-committed person.<br />
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<u>This year</u>, I will heed my Dad's wisdom that every ten years your priorities are up-ended. I will clean out the cobwebs of unrealistic goals, useless plans, and false guilt.<br />
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<u>This year</u>, I will read 50 books - thanks to my Kindle and regular sessions on the treadmill!<br />
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When I ran this by my hubby, he suggested an ending that was perfect:<br />
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DV - <i>Deo Volente</i> - God willing.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-51996127883042698102013-11-29T10:29:00.000-05:002013-11-29T10:29:41.176-05:00On Sunday School, Bleach, and Green Food DyeI have the privilege of teaching the Children's Sunday School class at my church. Notice I said <u>the</u> Children's Sunday School class. One of the challenges of being a small congregation is the combining of a variety of ages in this class; however, it is also one of the blessings. I've loved seeing the older kids help the younger ones in games or crafts, explain a story element that went over the young ones' heads or encourage them in recalling a story or verse. It is very much a harkening back to the one-room schoolhouse days (or what homeschooling parents do every day).<br />
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I strongly believe that Sunday School should be fun. I want that hour on Sunday morning to be something the kids look forward to each week; it helps to create their first impressions of fellowship in the body. To that end, I try to have a craft, object lesson or game of some kind each week. Sometimes these elements are hits and sometimes they are strikeouts! Even when I've struck out, the oldest of my group will invariably give me an understanding look and a weak, "It was kinda fun." (This boy has a very kind heart.)<br />
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The class that has been the most memorable one for me this year is one that could have quickly become a fiery crash and burn! We were discussing clean and unclean and the transition that occurs with Jesus. In the Old Testament, if a person came in contact with something/someone unclean (dead, diseased, etc.), then the uncleanness would spread to them. We were studying a particular passage in Ezra where the men had married pagan wives and were told to put them away. This was a hard lesson for the kids to understand, so it was wonderful to show in the New Testament that cleanness conquers uncleanness in regards to marriage (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%207:10-16&version=NKJV">1 Corinthians 7:10-16</a>). <br />
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We then saw how Jesus conquers all uncleanness in the story of an ill woman:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour." ~ Matthew 9:20-22</blockquote>
To make this clear to the class, I brought in water bottles filled with bleach and a box of food dyes. We would put a drop or two in the bleach, shake, and watch the color disappear. This was a hit! The kids loved it! We tried all the dye colors I had brought. In my enthusiasm, I pushed the process a little and put several drops of green dye in with a "no matter how dark our sins..." Shake and.... the green remained! My fellow teacher (and mom of some of the kiddos) looked a me with widened eyes and a <i>barely</i> suppressed grin and began thinking of ways to bail me out! Thankfully, with more vigorous shaking, even the heavy green dye was no match for the bleach.<br />
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What had begun as a lesson for kids became lessons for the teacher. First, <i>always</i> try experiments first at home! Second, sanctification seldom occurs quickly. Like that green dye, some sin takes work to eradicate. I'm fairly certain the teacher learned more than the children that morning.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-33481861368562262432013-11-27T10:42:00.000-05:002013-11-27T10:42:09.111-05:00"Catechisms for the Imagination" N.D. Wilson on the Importance of StoryDo you read for fun? N. D. Wilson explains it could be the actual reason is a lot more involved:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But the word <i>fun</i> is a simplistic label for what is actually a remarkable and complex experience. Stories make people feel. Stories (particularly novels) take control of and govern the imagination, causing readers to feel things on command. Stories create empathetic and sympathetic bonds between readers and fictional characters, and those bonds are truly real.</blockquote>
Amen, Mr. Wilson! Amen. My husband and I have movies we return to again and again because we long to spend time with the characters: <i>Return to Me, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Casablanca, Rio Bravo, Cinderella Man</i> and several more. There are books whose characters I consider friends (the Harry Potter series and <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i> immediately come to mind). There are movies we revisit because they make us think such as <i>TransSiberian </i>and <i>Forest Gump</i> (which uses comedy to explore serious topics).<br />
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Wilson speaks of the power of books to shape us:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Let a faithful author guide a child's imagination, and that child will learn (and feel) what it is like to be courageous, to stand against evil, to love what is lovely and honor what is honorable. Hand them the wrong book, and they could learn to numb their own conscience, to gratify and feed darker impulses. The wrong stories catechize imaginations with sickness.</blockquote>
I love Wilson's nonfiction books as I've stated over and over. He is a best-selling children's fiction author and I am looking forward to reading those books as well. Even in his nonfiction books, Wilson is a storyteller, creating characters and scenes vividly. He and I are in disagreement over a couple of characters he mentions in the article. I understand the best-selling <i>50 Shades of Grey</i> began as <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2012/05/the-origins-of-50-shades-of-grey-go-missing.html">fan fiction on a <i>Twilight </i>board</a> and those issues are why I've always been Team Jacob, but I can see some redeeming elements in Edward Cullen, along with the horrid aspects Wilson points out. I truly disagree with his characterization of <i>The Hunger Games</i> heroine Katniss, but I may be in the minority in Christian circles.<br />
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For fellow readers, enjoy <a href="http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/catechisms-imagination/">this article </a>and over Thanksgiving add one more thing to your list to thank the Lord for - the gift of story.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-4550685345006702292013-11-19T08:58:00.002-05:002013-11-19T08:58:16.543-05:002013 Word of the Year : SelfieSomething finally moved <i>twerk</i> off the top of the buzzword list. Thank God. The problem is the conquering hero is <i>selfie</i>, the smartphone self portrait, recently named by Oxford Dictionaries as the <a href="http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Oxford-Dictionaries-crowns-selfie-word-of-the-year-for-2013-beating-twerk-Bitcoin-232481681.html">Word of the Year for 2013. </a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Selfie</i>'s vocab victory isn't all that surprising considering the year began with Dr. Keith Ablow calling out millenials for being a "<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/08/are-raising-generation-deluded-narcissists/">generation of deluded narcissists</a>." Dr. Ablow credited this self absorption, in large part, to social media:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of "friends." They can delete unflattering comments. They can block anyone who disagrees with them or pokes holes in their inflated self-esteem. They can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves (dozens of albums full, by the way), "speak" in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they "like."<br /> Using Twitter, young people can pretend they are worth "following," as though they have real-life fans, when all that is really happening is the mutual fanning of false love and false fame."</blockquote>
This inflated self-esteem slapdown was quickly countered with articles such as <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/15/are-millennials-deluded-narcissists/">this one</a> (which received one of my all-time favorite comments: <i>"I am NOT narcissistic. In fact, I would say that I am the last narcissistic person I know. If everyone were as altruistic and humble as me, the world would be a much better place with much better people. Don't believe me? Check my Instagram. I only post pics of my feet like once a week."</i>]<br />
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Social media does enable all of us - my generation and before all the way to the millenials - to do what comes naturally: be self-absorbed, self-centered twits. We may need to make Romans 12:3 our Memory Verse of the Year for 2014:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>For I say to every man that is among you, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."</i></blockquote>
Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32452071.post-53749851819517018162013-10-28T09:20:00.000-05:002013-10-28T09:20:27.075-05:00Dad & the Belted Galloway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcONSFR7ts06dhGkGbI24IycP9wCiJ6VbtdVe0AGuDVQjJ8afRfySPFkSVUfBxFp_hMScMB9C-TYqqpKC7_FYRe70Rbg14McyLiO_q9oJ42o3Ihw5IUmXHlBDf0fMpzTwNE6NaA/s1600/Cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcONSFR7ts06dhGkGbI24IycP9wCiJ6VbtdVe0AGuDVQjJ8afRfySPFkSVUfBxFp_hMScMB9C-TYqqpKC7_FYRe70Rbg14McyLiO_q9oJ42o3Ihw5IUmXHlBDf0fMpzTwNE6NaA/s320/Cows.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Every time I drive into Lexington, I pass a field of cows and they always make me smile. Well actually, not all of them make me smile, just one of them. This one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkxZphtru4WPpPEn9Y72z2HcaYGC77Vb1O2gRXjG6OTu1Dk7HxtrBCggXnpZ1z44Sz0Najptx0hgv7yqac-5ZpGzysVac4UEZDm6n7xN0nmePtXP1nbLHX4jGbel_6KmzyETc1Q/s1600/belted+cow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkxZphtru4WPpPEn9Y72z2HcaYGC77Vb1O2gRXjG6OTu1Dk7HxtrBCggXnpZ1z44Sz0Najptx0hgv7yqac-5ZpGzysVac4UEZDm6n7xN0nmePtXP1nbLHX4jGbel_6KmzyETc1Q/s320/belted+cow.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a <a href="http://www.beltie.org/history.html">Belted Galloway</a>. How I know this is a Belted Galloway is why it makes me smile. And now...the rest of the story.<br />
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My Dad was determined that while his daughters may have grown up in a more urban location than he did, they would have a knowledge of and appreciation for farm life. Growing up, we had over an acre of a garden every summer and my parents did their best to teach my sister and me about planting, fertilizing, and caring for crops. Some of my favorite memories from the month of August is going to the State Fair and walking through the animal barns with Dad while he explained the differences of each breed of cow, pig, etc.<br />
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After Bobby and I were married, we rented a cabin with both sets of our parents on the outskirts of Gatlinburg. On the way home from this trip, I was in the car with my folks. After we passed a field of cows (that were now out of sight), I said, "Dad, what kind of cow has a white stripe around its belly like one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Saddleback">those pigs</a>?" Dad replied he had never heard of a cow like that followed by, "I never thought one of my daughters wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a cow and a pig!" He continued to tease me about this all the way home. Everyone was convinced I was mistaken about my white-striped cow.<br />
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Several weeks later, Dad and his best friend were driving in a more rural part of Jefferson County. As they approached an exit on the Gene Snyder Freeway, off to his right Dad saw a whole field of cattle with a white-stripe around their bellies! He and his friend found the farm and asked what breed this was. When he arrived home, Dad prepared himself a plate of crow and called his eldest. That mea culpa phone call was worth all the teasing I had endured!<br />
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That's how I know what a Belted Galloway cow looks like. . . and why they always make me smile.Alisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04993147040847047106noreply@blogger.com0