Never Too Old To Learn

I took up a new hobby this summer.

It is scary sometimes. I am getting better all the time, but I still don't like going up and down the driveway.

A Tribute to Liver and Onions

In February of 2007, I discovered the Liver and Onions blog. I posted about it then.
Wow, I remember I was so surprised at all the comments I got in response to my recognizing such a blog and linking to it. I had an local anonymous commenter sniping at me about belonging to a "Calvinist" church and saying that I was a Calvinist (imagine that!!!!) I ended the post with a long comment to Colin Maxwell which he never responded to. Hmmmm.... maybe I will just have to make a post out of that.

Anyways, it became clear right away that the Liver and Onions blog was a hotbed of controversy. Some of my readers pointed out some things that they thought were less-than-loving over there. I kept reading. I came to really appreciate TJP's posts. His humor really cracked me up. I think I sort of "got" him. He is an edgy fellow. My favorite thing about interacting with him in his comments was that for a time he would say goodbye with a lil' quip like this: "Well, carry on in free grace and don't let the doldrums of determinism get you down." He came up with several more employments of alliteration that would just cause me to chuckle all day when I read them.

ANYWAY: TJP has removed the L&O blog. I will miss him! I emailed him and asked him about it and he said he just doesn't have enough time right now and he was a little less than pleased with Google. He also told me in an email that he may get back to blogging sometime around the end of this year. We can only hope!!!! [;~) for my Calvinist readers]

Saved from what?

10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. (Romans 5)

What is the "saved" that Paul is speaking of in verse 10? Saved from what?

...we have gained access by faith into this grace?

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Romans 5)

This makes sense to me - but to those who say that the grace of God first comes upon a person, giving them new life and then gifting them with faith - I wonder what they do with a verse like this? Was Paul teaching MERITED GRACE? Was Paul saying that these people merited the grace of God because they had faith? Well, if we view faith as meritorious, I can see how that charge could be made against Paul - as I read yesterday where it is made against non-Calvinists. However, Paul seems to view faith as a non-meritorious tunnel through which God choses to bestow grace, just as he explain in Ephesians:

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2)

YouTube - Almost Famous - I'm Glad We Spoke

YouTube - Almost Famous - I'm Glad We Spoke

"It's not too late for you to become a person of substance."

One of my favorite movie quotes. You have to watch the clip to see the context. (Or ask me if you can't get youtube)

Going Away

We are leaving on a 6 day vacation this morning.
(We have left a gargoyle in our house for protection it so if you are local and reading this: don't think about robbing us.)

We would appreciate your prayers as we ae going to a cottage on a lake and we have a very active 18 month old. It will be fun for the older kids but it may be a challenge for mom and dad.

Thanks!

God bless you and have a good week.

Unashamed of Grace

My posting has been sparse and I posted on my group blog today so I thought I better tell people who only visit this blog that I posted over there. :~)

Affirming Words

Kids thrive on them.

Tell them "You're a pretty little girl" or "You are such a strong boy" or "I am glad you are my daughter" and it is just good for their soul.

Teenagers need them.

They need them from their parents and their friends.

"I value your friendsip" does wonders... or "I care about you" or "It is nice to know you" are all mild ways of afffirming that people in your circle of family or friends are different to you than just any old people driving past in a car.

Something teenagers (and other people who may be insecure in their interaction with you for whatever reason) sometimes do to get affirmation that they may need (so they don't feel like just a fly buzzing around your head) is to say something like this: "I don't want to bother you" or "You don't care about me" (Actually my daughter does this when I scold her.) I think you call this a slow pitch... or maybe fishing. She could just as easily ask me straight out "Do you care about me?" But slow pitches and fishing are OK. She is revealing to me a vulnerability that she has about my affection for her. What kind of cruelty would I be inadvertantly displaying to her if I did not answer such a plea for my reassurance that she is someone worthy of my time?

Adults aren't any different.

TODAY

We are going to the Creation Museum today. John and I and our four kids: 1, 8, 10 and 12 will be leaving for the three hour drive in just a little while. I am pretty excited. John has been there twice but I haven't seen it yet. Two of the kids went wth him last summer. I hope the baby is manageable!

AWOL

Our power was out for over two days. It is amazing how much can pile up in your inbox over such a brief period. Now I feel behind on what is going on in the blogosphere, but this might be a good thing?