The Lost Tomb of Jesus
For those who have heard about the upcoming Discovery Channel special (asserting that Jesus’ remains have been found in a Jerusalem tomb), here are a few resources you may wish to read
Comment: Many good helps! This is one of the best: Josh McDowell: Evidence for the Resurrection
Handbook of Christian Pick-up lines
From the Wittenburgdoor - Here's my favorite:
"In Koine Greek you would be known as babelios-dynimo. I've studied the ancient language for three years just to be able to tell you that truth with confidence." (Do not attempt this line unless you have actually studied Koine Greek.)
I think that means "dynamite babe"!
Jesus: "‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7,8)
The words R+W+uH+a and pneuma are used in different senses, both literal and figurative, in the sacred Scriptures. They properly mean wind, as when our Lord says, "The pneuma bloweth where it listeth;" then any invisible power; then immaterial, invisible agents, as the soul and angels; then God himself, who is said to be a Spirit, to express his nature as an immaterial, intelligent being; and finally, the Third Person of the Trinity is called "The Spirit" by way of eminence, probably, for two reasons. First, because He is the power or efficiency of God, i.e., the person through whom the efficiency of God is directly exercised; and secondly, to express his relation to the other persons of the Trinity. As Father and Son are terms expressive of relation, it is natural to infer that the word Spirit is to be understood in the same way. The Son is called the Word, as the revealer or image of God, and the Third Person is called Spirit as his breath or power. He is also predominantly called the Holy Spirit, to indicate both his nature and operations. He is absolutely holy in his own nature, and the cause of holiness in all creatures. For the same reason He is called the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Wisdom, of Peace, of Love, and of Glory. (Hodge v 1 p. 522)
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Excerpt:
Yesterday afternoon, I logged on to the "Global War" blog (global-war.bloghi.com) of Associate Professor Julio Pino – a Muslim convert who teaches at Kent State University. The heading for the site used to read "The Worldwide Web of Jihad: Daily News from the Most Dangerous Muslim in America." Now it reads "Are You Prepared for Jihad?" IN THE NAME OF OBL. 2007: THE YEAR OF ISLAMIC VICTORY!"
Hardly able to believe what I was reading, I called Pino at his office in Ohio around 4 p.m. According to his secretary, he had not been at work that day (he only has office hours two days of the week). He was drawing a paycheck from the people of the State of Ohio while trying to launch a Jihad against people like me. In fact, just five minutes before I called he posted an entry under the title "Crusaders Can’t Take Anymore in Afghanistan!"
But, just in case you were curious about the purpose of this site, it is provided in the upper right corner: "We are a jihadist news service, and provide battle dispatches, training manuals, and jihad videos to our brothers worldwide. All we want is to get Allah’s pleasure. We will write ‘Jihad’ across our foreheads, and the stars. The angels will carry our message throughout the world."
Comment: You really need to read this entire article. It will make your blood boil!
The Royal pasty that's unhealthier than a Big Mac
Excerpt:
He's a tireless champion of organic farming and healthy eating.
So it was perhaps no surprise when Prince Charles launched an attack on the fast-food industry.
But when he went as far as suggesting that McDonald's should be banned, it seemed that the prince had bitten off far more than he could chew.
He immediately laid himself open to charges of hypocrisy after it was pointed out that the company's signature Big Mac contains fewer calories, fats and salt than some products in his own organic Duchy Originals food range.
Comment: I think the Big Mac is more like 500 calories.
11 inches of snow heading this way
Excerpt:
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Twin Cities metro area effective from 3 p.m. today until 6 p.m. Friday.
In that length of time, the Weather Service says the metro area likely will receive 11 to 13 inches of snow.
The forecast for today calls for snow beginning in the late afternoon or evening, more likely after midnight, accumulating 2 to 4 inches.
Thursday’s forecast includes areas of heavy snow, with accumulations of 7 or 8 inches. With highs around 30, the snow is likely to be wet and heavy.
Comment: I'm ready. The tractor has enough gas. I am taking my laptop home and will work from home tomorrow (and probably Friday). I'm not going to let 12" pile up and then have the problems I had on Sunday with my tractor not being able to handle that much snow at once.
Mall of America wants $234 million subsidy package
Excerpt:
This year, the megamall wants $181 million from state taxpayers to build an 8,000-space parking garage. That's the centerpiece of a package of state and local subsidies worth about $234 million, money the Mall of America says it needs for a $1.9 billion expansion that would double its size.
Comment: Bad policy! Wrong for Minneapolis! I've been to the Mall of America 5 times in 11 years. The last time was 2 years ago (my cousin was visiting from Michigan and had to see it).
Bill would mandate nicer term for illegals
Excerpt:
A state legislator whose district is home to thousands of Caribbean immigrants wants to ban the term "illegal alien" from the state's official documents.
"I personally find the word 'alien' offensive when applied to individuals, especially to children," said Sen. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. "An alien to me is someone from out of space."
She has introduced a bill providing that: "A state agency or official may not use the term 'illegal alien' in an official document of the state." There would be no penalty for using the words.
In Miami-Dade County, Wilson said, "we don't say 'alien,' we say 'immigrant.'"
She said she encountered the situation when trying to pass a bill allowing children of foreigners to get in-state tuition at colleges and universities. Wilson, who directs a dropout prevention and education program in Miami, said she politely asks witnesses at public hearings on such issues not to use the term.
Charles: Ban the Big Mac
Excerpt:
Prince Charles today said banning McDonald's fast food was the key to a healthy lifestyle.
...
He asked nutritionist Nadine Tayara: "Have you got anywhere with McDonald's, have you tried getting it banned? That's the key."
Comment: I've had a lot of food pictures recently on my blog and I'm not sure if this is some subliminal response to my dieting or just a coincidence. But this posting is not really about food ... and not about the Big Mac.
I do like the Big Mac, but truth be told I might only have one several times a year. The last time I had one was on vacation, when Kathee and I stopped at a McDonald's in Tennessee (or Kentucky) because it was raining so hard the wipers could not keep up. We stopped just to rest really, and to wait for the rain to subside. I had a Big Mac and a cup of coffee. As far as I recollect, that was the first Big Mac I had had in a year. That being back in October, I haven't even been in a McDonalds for 4 months!
Would we really want the government to ban a food item? I don't even think the Brits would warm to that idea! Prince Charles comments are another illustration of pompous elitists seeking to limit choice and control society for their own self-aggrandizement.
Isn't it best if we just let people choose or not choose to have that Big Mac?! This is what economists call a "free market"!
Speaking of free markets, perhaps you have heard of the WIKI: Big Mac Index which is an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies. Read the WIKI and then consider these links:
Two trucks through the ice - Medicine Lake <--- Kare11 video
2 trucks in the Lake (see earlier post on Friday): 2nd truck went in 16 hours later - in the same hole that the first one made!
Dog saves man from charging bear
Jason was at his rural Cataract, Wisconsin home last Thursday night when he heard Dude barking off in the distance. Jason walked into the woods to see what the fuss was about. He quickly found out. "As I leaned over I saw this black thing coming straight for me."
As Jason fell backward, Dude growled and pounced at the bear. It was no contest. "He grabbed my dog, and kind of rolled him right back down in the den with him," says Jason.
When Jason returned with his brother, a friend, a lantern and firearms, the bear charged again. They fired and the bear ran off. They then found Dude bleeding in the bear's den. The vet would count 28 puncture wounds. Dude died a few hours later.
Dude the hound sacrifices life by intervening when black bear rushes owner
Jason Schindler says he wouldn't be alive if it were not for his dog, Dude. The 27-year-old rural Cataract man said the 8-year-old mixed-breed hound jumped between him and an attacking black bear Thursday night, saving his life but giving up his own. The animal sustained at least 28 puncture wounds to his chest and neck, he said.
"I'd hate for someone else's dog to go through what mine did," he said.
Schindler and his wife, Kimberly, buried the dog with a blanket and pillow the next day, using a rented jackhammer to dig the grave in the frozen soil.
Comment: a heart-warming story from Cataract, WI
Ten Reasons Why the Jesus Tomb Claim is Bogus
Be sure to read the entire article! The conclusion:
"In light of all the incredible number of problems with the recent claim that Jesus' grave has been found, the time-honored, multi-faceted evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus is more convincing than ever," said Dr. Gary Habermas, an expert on the resurrection of Jesus and author of The Case for the Resurrection. "Even the early opponents of the Christian message acknowledged that Jesus' tomb was empty. And the evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection appearances has never been refuted."
Scripture consideration (I Corinthians 15):
An important reminder of the dangers of adultery from Proverbs 6!
20 My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.
21 Bind them continually upon your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you roam, they will lead you;
When you sleep, they will keep you;
And when you awake, they will speak with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
And an adulteress will prey upon
his precious life.
27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself
when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance
of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks
understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day
of vengeance.
35 He will accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though
you give many gifts.
The same testimony to the divinity of our Lord is borne by the Apostles James and Peter. The former calls Him the Lord of glory, the latter in his First Epistle represents Him as the proper object of supreme love. Faith in Him secures salvation. His spirit dwelt in the ancient prophets. He is the foundation of the Church. (ii. 6.) Having suffered the just for the unjust to bring us unto God, He is now exalted at the right hand of God, the whole universe of intelligent creatures being subject to Him. (iii. 18.) In his Second Epistle he speaks of the knowledge of Christ as the source of grace and peace (i. 2.), and of holiness (ver. 8). At death believers enter into his everlasting kingdom (ver. 11). Peter was an eyewitness of his divine majesty when he was with Him in the holy mount. Lord and Saviour, equivalent in the lips of a Jew, to Jehovah Saviour, is his common designation of Christ. True religion, according to this Apostle, consists in the knowledge of Christ as the Son of God, to whom, therefore, he ascribes eternal glory. (Hodge v 1 p 520)
Al Gore’s Personal Energy Use Is His Own “Inconvenient Truth”
Excerpt:
Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.
Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Comment:
hypocrite: "a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings"
Updated: Opinion Journal on Gore's "carbon footprint"
Excerpt:
Is it possible that George Bush is a secret Green? Evidently his Crawford Winter White House has 25,000 gallons of rainwater storage, gray water collection from sinks and showers for irrigation, passive solar, geothermal heating and cooling. "By marketplace standards, the house is startlingly small," says David Heymann, the architect of the 4,000-square-foot home. "Clients of similar ilk are building 16-to-20,000-square-foot houses." Furthermore for thermal mass the walls are clad in "discards of a local stone called Leuders limestone, which is quarried in the area.
Of course we don't begrudge Gore his life of luxury--only his sanctimonious insistence that the rest of us sacrifice our comforts to the dubious god of global warming
On some menus, one plate packs 2,000 calories
Excerpt:
The examples included Ruby Tuesday’s Colossal Burger, which weighs in at around 1,940 calories and includes 141 grams of fat. That doesn't even include the fries on the side. Another entree from Ruby Tuesday, the Fresh Chicken and Broccoli Pasta, has 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat, thanks in part to a parmesan cream sauce and layer of melted cheese.
Comment: Oh God help me to eat right!
"extreme eating"
Excerpt:
Ruby Tuesday's offers an entree called Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta so loaded with cheese and other stuff that it tipped the scales at 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat, he said. Jacobson dubbed it "Angioplasta," alluding to angioplasty, a medical procedure to open clogged arteries.
The average daily calorie requirement is about 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.
Contrast with ... Subway
Inconvenient Truths
Excerpt:
Nowhere in the traditionally refereed scientific literature do we find any support for Gore’s hypothesis. Instead, there’s an unrefereed editorial by NASA climate firebrand James E. Hansen, in the journal Climate Change — edited by Steven Schneider, of Stanford University, who said in 1989 that scientists had to choose “the right balance between being effective and honest” about global warming — and a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that was only reviewed by one person, chosen by the author, again Dr. Hansen.
Chaska man found frozen to the pavement dies
Sad story! Man dies on his 19th birthday!
Excerpt:
Humphrey died Sunday afternoon at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Police estimate that he had been out on the street with no coat, hat or gloves for a couple of hours. By the time Humphrey was taken to a hospital, his core body temperature was 77 degrees
Update: 'I thought to myself, that's Sean,' frozen teen's dad says
The doctrines of the Bible are generally stated with authority; announced as facts to be received on the testimony of God. It is seldom that the sacred writers undertake to prove what they teach. The first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews is an exception to this general rule. The divinity of Christ is here formally proved. As the design of the Apostle was to persuade the Hebrew Christians to adhere to the gospel, and to guard them from the fatal sin of apostatizing to Judaism, he sets before them the immeasurable superiority of the gospel to the Mosaic economy. The first point of that superiority, and that on which all the others depend, is the superior dignity of Christ as a divine person, to Moses and all the prophets. To set forth that superiority, he first asserts that Christ, the Son of God, is the possessor of all things; that through Him God made the world; that He is the brightness of God's glory, the express image of his nature, upholding all things by the word of his power; and that because He has by Himself made purification for sin, He is now, as the Theanthropos, set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. The true divinity of Christ being thus asserted, the Apostle proceeds to prove that this is the doctrine of the Scriptures.
Mmmm, Tasty Chemicals
Excerpt:
If you've ever puzzled over why packaged foods contain "polysorbate 60" or "mono and diglycerides," Ettlinger's new book, "Twinkie, Deconstructed," is a treat you'll want to try. Chapter by chapter, Ettlinger—the author of previous food books like "Beer for Dummies"—decodes all 39 ingredients in the little crème-filled cakes. He explains their uses and the processes by which raw materials are "crushed, baked, fermented, refined and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder with a strange name," which then appears on a label full of other incomprehensible and barely pronounceable ingredients. Unraveling it all was a major undertaking—and Ettlinger received no help from Hostess and its parent company, Interstate Brands Corp., despite appealing directly to the Vice President of Cake
Order the book here: Twinkie, Deconstructed
I'm looking forward to reading this book.
Snowbound
We had a good storm with at least 12" of snow (probably more like 15").
Kathee and I got out at 8:00 and worked on the driveway. I did the plowing and she did the "trim" areas. My tractor got stuck twice. Paul from across the street came and got me unstuck both times. The John Deere (w snow plow) is at (and beyond) its limits with this snow depth. I started my neighbors (Mrs Finke's) but I could not cut into her driveway from the street. A pickup with a plow came by and Paul and I gave him $ 30 to do her driveway.
Church was excellent today. We had light attendance (to be expected) but a great worship service. Pastor concluded his message from last week on 1 Tim 6:17-19
Pastor referenced the Ezekiel 16:49-50 pertaining to the dangers of pride (not to be haughty): "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me"
Back home from church. Kathee picked my up at the portico because the N. side of the church was so icy (where we came in).
Uncharted shipwreck near Duluth remains a puzzle
Excerpt:
Scuba diver Yan Saillard on Thursday explored the wreck, which sits in about 10 feet of water, 150 feet from the Duluth shore.
"It looks like a tugboat, about 50 to 60 feet long, with a 3- to 4-foot diameter propeller," Saillard said, adding that he didn't see any markings that would help identify the former craft
NOT my car!
We stopped at Subway on Hennepin for dinner. On the way home, we were on the W side of Medicine Lake and near the Hazelton facility there was a hubbub of activity: 2 Plymouth Police cars and Hardy's F350 pickup. Out on the lake, probably 100 yards out a car was half way sunk in the ice. Its back end in and it's front end angled up in the air.
(Just last Saturday Roger and I had my pickup truck out on the lake!)
UPDATE: We watched Kare11 news last night and the latest is that the truck went through the ice. It was a Chevy full size .. extended cab pickup
Kathee is making French pressed coffee. About ready for Bible time!
From the perspective of the "man in the pew", this is what people are looking for in Pastors:
Here are two good articles on Ministry Integrity. I commend them to my readers' attention!
Excerpt:
The process found at Quickie Lube is remarkably similar to the one that will build the integrity you desire into your life. The process at the oil changers is simple: remove the old oil, replace the filter, add the new oil. That is the process, outlined in Ephesians 4:22 – 24, we will follow as well. The first step in becoming a person of integrity is to remove that which is destroying your integrity. Secondly, and most importantly, is to replace the filter. Too often we charge ahead and try to force the new oil through a clogged filter. It doesn’t work well for cars, and is even less effective on a person’s life. The significant transformation of integrity takes place in this second step, as it involves a transformation of the mind and thought processes. Finally, new oil can be added. Think of this as the practices of a transformed life.
Excerpt:
Psalm 51 offers an unparalleled glimpse into the life of Israel’s most popular leader to date. King David – the darling of the nation, the slayer of ten thousands, the giant killer, the singing shepherd, the humble hero – had a problem of integrity. He had a problem no amount of ‘spin’ could remedy. To make matters worse, others knew of his failures. His spiritual advisor made it quite clear that not everyone had been fooled by his boyish charms, devastating good looks and position of power. David’s problem was sin, namely pride, covetousness, adultery, lying, murder, and selfishness to name just a few. Brought face to face with the reality of his sin, David cries out to God. You are provided the opportunity of reading the transcript of his prayers. In them are principles to guide your own search for integrity.
David describes his process of repentance in the first 9 verses. This involved a detailed record of what had transpired. David did not confess generally, but very specifically. He then pleads for mercy to be the overriding principle in his correction. He requests a thorough clearing of his record, asking for his offenses to be expunged from the official records. He does this with a simple, yet profound acknowledgment of his guilt, a unvarnished representation of his depravity, and a heart-wrenching cry for some solution to be reached
What the new movie covers up about William Wilberforce
Excerpt: Thanks to Wilberforce, the movement's most visible champion, Britain ended slavery well before America, but the abolitionist cause in America, too, was driven by Christian churches more than is often acknowledged. Steven Spielberg's 1997 "Amistad," about the fate of blacks on a mutinous slave ship, also obscured the Christian zeal of the abolitionists
Amazing Grace: The Story of John Newton
Comment: I would like to see this movie! But there is a lot more to the story (Christian activism!) than the movie portrays!
Excerpt:
Paul Douglas’ forecast said, “This could be the Big One, the first 12"+ snowfall since March 8-9, 1999, when 16" fell on the metro…”
Comment: I remember the March 1999 snowfall. I was scheduled to take a "Facilitation Skills" class and my boss canceled my attendance at the last minute (the day before). I was so irritated at him. Then we had the snowfall - the class was postponed and I was able to take it the following week. We parked on the street in downtown Minneapolis then, and getting my Impala out of the parking space (parallel parking) was quite a chore! We did not miss work!
(Seems so long ago! My Dad was still alive ... and it was pre-9/11).
I hope for an easy drive home from work tonight. I hope that I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow (I know we need to go grocery shopping. We are invited to a church member's home tomorrow night for dinner and I pray that this gets postponed!). I'm sure getting to church shouldn't be an issue. I can get plowed out Sunday morning and church is just a couple of miles from the house.
I do hope for a heavy snowfall! My John Deere has done very little to earn its keep this winter!
Proverbs 5:20-23
For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,
And He ponders all his paths.
His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
Appropriate Scripture verses:
We read chapters 8 and 9 tonight. What we found interesting:
Excerpt: Can I interest you in a cool foot of snow topped off with a nice icy glaze? If you're a snow lover, you're probably jumping out of your pants right about now. "A real storm? In the metro? Are you kidding me? No, that's not possible. It doesn't snow here anymore. Storms swerve south, or head east, or hook to the west ... they never actually HIT the Twin Cities, do they?"
Excerpts:
Although many observers predicted that religion would enter a pattern of terminal decline in the 20th century, events took a different course. Religion not only revived but found expression in unexpected forms. The theologian Paul Tillich noted the way in which people invested worldly things, especially politics, with transcendent meaning. In a 1937 speech, Winston Churchill described communism and Nazism as "non-God religions" that aimed to reignite old religious wars. In "Sacred Causes," Michael Burleigh tracks the fate of religious and secular forces in the 20th century, registering their collisions and their effects on the culture we live in today.
By undermining European stability, Mr. Burleigh notes, World War I created a space for radical alternatives to the bourgeois norms that had gone before. He shows how the Protestant middle classes in Germany, for instance, distanced themselves from their churches, viewing traditional religious observance as the remnant of a discredited past. Science and culture, along with militant nationalism, filled the role that churches had once played, and the pattern replicated itself beyond Germany. A traditional outlook gave way to cultural pessimism, intensifying throughout the 1920s.
In such a cultural atmosphere, Adolf Hitler emerged as a prophet of neo-paganism. Mr. Burleigh highlights the sheer weirdness of dropouts in Germany who seized upon social disruption to make their fortunes, playing to an apocalyptic mood and crying for a purifying upheaval. Once Hitler took power, the Nazi Party became a new civil religion.
Comment: You can pre-order "Sacred Causes" from Amazon!
More on the shipwreck found under the ice in Lake Superior:
Ice skater discovers shipwreck in Duluth
Excerpt:
Some neighbors believe Williams may have located the City of Winnipeg, a wooden passenger ship that, according to Minnesota Historical Society records, caught fire in 1881 and was later scuttled in the Park Point area. The ship's exact location has remained a mystery since.
"It may turn out to be something that is really significant," said Thom Holden, a shipwreck historian who is the director of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center. On the other hand Holden says the boat could be nothing more significant than a fishing tug that was scuttled by its owners after it was taken out of service.
Equally mysterious is how the boat could go undiscovered in such shallow water so close to shore for so many years. Holden says it could have been carried there in recent years by storms or emerged because of lake levels that are now more than a foot below average.
Holden says a team of trained divers from the Twin Cities will go down to take a closer look at the boat this weekend, hoping to learn more about its history.
Comment: Oh to be on that dive team!!!
Our cat Emily loves to get on my lap (under a throw blanket) at night.
After dinner, Blue always gets on my lap. When Kathee brings out the coffee, he moves over on her lap. We like to say that Blue joins us for Bible time.
I drank a lot of fluids today - I think almost 100 oz.: juice, diet Pepsi, 2 diet Mountain Dews, 1 large water, 1 V-8, large water with dinner, 2 cups of coffee, and another glass of water. I am treating my cold with fluids, sleep, and time.
Kathee and I read Numbers 7 tonight. This has to be one of the longest chapters of the Bible (Psalm 119 is longer) at 89 verses. Here's verse 89:
Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.
I worked on my database project and added the function that Chuck M. requested. I used the <cfif> <cfesleif> construct. Not sure if I have used this before (I had to look it up in one of my reference books).
Ever heard of "Burts Bees"? This is about the best hand cream I have ever used. I've been using all week trying to get my chapped hands healed up. One day this week, I had so much on my hands, that when I got up to walk (with my crutches) that my crutch grips were slippery!
Duluth News Tribune: Mystery from the deep
Excerpt:
Ice anglers walking off the sand beach of Duluth’s Park Point have found what may be an uncharted wreckage of a Lake Superior vessel.
The outline of the wreckage was first spotted Sunday through the 10 inches of crystal-clear ice that now covers much of Lake Superior off Duluth. It sits about 300 feet out from the shoreline off the 2600 block of Minnesota Avenue, in water 10 feet deep.
Other anglers have drilled holes in the ice and lowered an underwater video camera to take a closer look.
Star Tribune: Shipwreck discovered near Duluth
Excerpt:
It's not clear if it's an uncharted wreck or a documented wreck that was moved by currents. Or it's possible that low water levels on Lake Superior made the wreck easier to see.
Underwater photos show the outline of a large wooden vessel and a driveshaft.
Director Thom Holden of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center in Duluth says he knows of no wreck in that area.
Comment: This story has all the elements that interest me: a shipwreck, ice, water, a mystery, local news!
The Earth was warming before global warming was cool
Excerpt:
When Eric the Red led the Norwegian Vikings to Greenland in the late 900s, it was an ice-free farm country--grass for sheep and cattle, open water for fishing, a livable climate--so good a colony that by 1100 there were 3,000 people living there. Then came the Ice Age. By 1400, average temperatures had declined by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, the glaciers had crushed southward across the farmlands and harbors, and the Vikings did not survive.
Such global temperature fluctuations are not surprising, for looking back in history we see a regular pattern of warming and cooling. From 200 B.C. to A.D. 600 saw the Roman Warming period; from 600 to 900, the cold period of the Dark Ages; from 900 to 1300 was the Medieval warming period; and 1300 to 1850, the Little Ice Age.
Many things are contributing to such global temperature changes. Solar radiation is one. Sunspot activity has reached a thousand-year high, according to European astronomy institutions. Solar radiation is reducing Mars's southern icecap, which has been shrinking for three summers despite the absence of SUVS and coal-fired electrical plants anywhere on the Red Planet.
Comment: a helpful view of the so-called "global warming" crisis. Puts it into perspective!
John Edwards on Israel
Edwards:
There are other emerging fissures, as well. The aggressively photogenic John Edwards was cruising along, detailing his litany of liberal causes last week until, during question time, he invoked the "I" word — Israel. Perhaps the greatest short-term threat to world peace, Edwards remarked, was the possibility that Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. As a chill descended on the gathering, the Edwards event was brought to a polite close.
Commentary by former Senator (TX) Phil Gramm
Why John McCain
Excerpts:
I believe the man we need to meet the mortal need today is here. He is experienced, but has not lost his common sense or his ability to be outraged. His conservatism is not the result of a studied philosophy, but of common sense and personal observation. His name is John McCain. He might not be the right president for all times, but he is the right president for these times.
Which candidate is best equipped to lead an America at war, with battle lines raging in far away places and on Main Street, where you live? It is in meeting this mortal need more than any other that John McCain stands head and shoulders above the alternatives. Only he has the life experience to know what is really entailed in sending young men and women into combat. With a son at Annapolis and a son in the Marine Corps, he still has plenty of "skin in the game." His life experience and intimate knowledge of defense and foreign policy give Sen. McCain moral authority.
Gore may get doctorate
The University of Minnesota is planning on giving Al Gore an honorary Doctorate.
Excerpts:
Ingrid Scantlebury, a first-year political science student, agrees with Gore's work but doesn't feel the University should award him a degree for it.
"It's mainly a publicity thing," she said.
Comment: Well said, Ingrid! Be sure to read the comments on the bottom of the article!
Upcoming Al Gore awards (potentially):
This section is from Hodge v 1 p 517. Its a little technical but worth reading. It pertains to I Timothy 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope"
Humans' beef with livestock: a warmer planet
Excerpts:
As Congress begins to tackle the causes and cures of global warming, the action focuses on gas-guzzling vehicles and coal-fired power plants, not on lowly bovines.
Yet livestock are a major emitter of greenhouse gases that cause climate change. And as meat becomes a growing mainstay of human diet around the world, changing what we eat may prove as hard as changing what we drive.
Changing one's diet can lower greenhouse gas emissions quicker than shifts away from fossil fuel burning technologies, Mr. Mohr writes, because the turnover rate for farm animals is shorter than that for cars and power plants.
"It doesn't have to be all the way to the extreme end of vegan," says Dr. Eshel, whose family raised beef cattle in Israel. "If you simply cut down from two burgers a week to one, you've already made a substantial difference."
Comments:
Sent to me by my daughter who is a Barista at Caribou Coffee:
She says: "What I do at Work"!
"Scalping" doesn't sound very politically correct and the word origin dates back to prehistoric times - "To cut or tear the scalp from" (Reference)
What reselling tickets really is is a "Secondary market".
Senate passes bill to make scalping legal
Excerpt:
Ticket scalping has been a crime in Minnesota since 1963, but a bill to legalize it sailed through the state Senate on Monday.
The burgeoning cybermarket in sports and entertainment admissions has already eclipsed most scalping laws, said Sen. Chris Gerlach, R-Apple Valley.
Gerlach said his bill, which passed without debate on a 48-15 vote, simply acknowledges "a legitimate secondary market. We don't regulate secondary markets for baseball cards or art or mortgages, but we push ticket resales into a black market."
Comment: Secondary markets are legal all over free markets. Secondary markets for sporting events (or theater events) should be legal, accessible, and taxed (as income for the seller).
U.N. urged to take action on asteroid threat
Excerpts:
An asteroid may come uncomfortably close to Earth in 2036 and the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space mission to deflect it, a group of astronauts, engineers and scientists said on Saturday.
Astronomers are monitoring an asteroid named Apophis, which has a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking Earth on April 13, 2036.
Schweickart, a member of the Apollo 9 crew that orbited the earth in March 1969, wants to see the United Nations adopt procedures for assessing asteroid threats and deciding if and when to take action.
Mission costs are estimated at $300 million.
Comments:
A Study of Godliness and Contentment from the Pastoral Epistles
Excerpt:
Benjamin Franklin said, “Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor.” The apostle Paul was a rich man because he mastered contentment by the grace of God. Because he was content, Paul was able to highly commend and appreciate God’s people. In Philippians 4:10-14, Paul rejoiced because God’s people had given to a need in his life. Paul made it clear in this passage that he appreciated their concern for his needs regardless of whether they could actually give. Isn’t it refreshing when a ministry leader can appreciate God’s people regardless of whether they can send a check? Isn’t it discouraging when a ministry leader makes God’s people feel like they can never do enough?
Comment:
This article was posted on Sharper Iron this morning and it dovetails nicely with Pastor McLachlan's message yesterday on the same text and subject.
Pastor McLachlan's message was from 1 Tim 6:6-10, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
His message was particularly impassioned today and very challenging.
After church we took Mark S out to dinner at "The Big Bowl"
Iraqi insurgents using Austrian rifles from Iran
Excerpt:
Austrian sniper rifles that were exported to Iran have been discovered in the hands of Iraqi terrorists, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
More than 100 of the.50 calibre weapons, capable of penetrating body armour, have been discovered by American troops during raids.
A Steyr HS50 rifle, Austrian supplied rifles, arms trade, Iran equipping Iraq insurgents. The Steyr HS50 is a long range, high precision rifle
The guns were part of a shipment of 800 rifles that the Austrian company, Steyr-Mannlicher, exported legally to Iran last year.
Planning Seen in Iraqi Attacks on U.S. Copters
Excerpt:
The American military has said that seven helicopters have been downed since Jan. 20, a figure that exceeds the total number of coalition aircraft shot down in 2006.
After downing the helicopters, the insurgents often laid ambushes for the American ground troops they expected to come to the rescue, sometimes using roadside bombs that they placed in advance. American troops were attacked in five instances in which they rushed to the scene of aircraft that had been shot down, military officials said.
Comment:
This reinforces the need to pray for our troops! Additionally the "cut and run" philosophy of politicians is, in my mind, counter-productive to success in the region!
Roger and I took my truck out on the ice on Medicine Lake and basically drove around the circumference of Medicine Lake (Plymouth) on the ice.
Medicine Lake
It was a bright sunny day and warmer (about 22 degrees). We "put in" at the boat launch in French Park (N side of the Lake) and went counter-clockwise around the shoreline, staying between 50' & 100' off shore.
What we saw:
How important is the church?
My observations:
I was asked this week about worldliness and what follows is my response:
Basically the the Christian is to please One Person and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sounds simple doesn't it? Glorify God! Do not love the world!
It's not simple because God the Spirit has left it with us to wrestle with this in our own hearts. Some build a list (and this is one legitimate approach) and then avoid things on the list. Others let others build that list for them (it strikes me that that works well with children but not with adults). Others start with the heart and "guard the heart".
I don't have it resolved in my own life whether I am glorifying God and not loving the world. I'm sure I have had some successes and I am sure I have had many failures.
This I have resolved ... that I want to glorify Christ and I do love my Savior! The "accept a list" approach, in my mind, would put the focus on pleases somebody else. And I am to please Him!
I'm sure this doesn't help much. It is important to read your Bible, worship Christ and fellowship with other believers.
Chief Illiniwek killed by PC (Political Correctness)!
U. of Illinois bars Indian mascot
Excerpt:
Last year, the NCAA deemed Illiniwek -- portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events -- an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the university from hosting postseason events.
Comment:
The University of North Dakota is still battling to keep the "Fighting Sioux"!
I've used my John Deere tractor w. snow plow 4 or 5 times!
| City | 2006-07snowfall | Avg. |
| Twin Cities | 12.1 | 38.3 |
| Chicago | 23.7 | 26.3 |
| Des Moines | 18.4 | 25.6 |
| Indianapolis | 20.5 | 20.8 |
| St. Louis | 11.7 | 16.6 |
| Tulsa, Okla. | 15.1 | 9.7 |
The Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights is needed because the Airline industry has become so insenstive to customer needs that only legislation will change this situation.
Read about it here
Excerpt:
More than 1,000 passengers on nine different JetBlue flights were stranded on the tarmac for what must have seemed an eternity at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York during Wednesday’s snow storm. One flight, bound for Aruba, sat for nearly 11 hours, according to some reports.
The air and toilets on the plane went foul, and the passengers, who well understood the impact of the snow, were given little or no information about why they couldn’t just be set free in the terminal. Roll a stairway over? Bring a bus? Allow them to walk? No? Why not?
Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights
The proposed "Bill of Rights" (below the top four ... see above link for the complete list!):
Sign the Petition
Here is a great website with more than 400 pages of answers to questions about Christianity: Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM)
I found it today via Googling for information contrasting Christianity and Islam.
Interested in that topic (Islam)? CARM has a plethora of helpful articles on Islam!
Other main topics:
Kathee was late at work (came home on the 7:10 bus). I arrived home at about 5:15 and fed the cats and then started dinner.
Dinner was a mix that you boil water, stir in the mix, put on simmer, and wait 25 min.
After I turned the burner to simmer, I changed into sweat pants, and then worked in the den (I fired up the Linux desktop and worked on personal finances.) Along the way I turned towards the kitchen and saw smoke.
Turns out that the pot (a 1 1/2 quart sauce pan) was on the left front burner, but I had put the right front burner on simmer (leaving the left front burner on high)
I opened wide two kitchen windows (it's 4 degrees out) and aired out the house the best I could. I picked up Kathee at the bus stop at 7:35 and told her the whole story. I had put the burnt pan in the sink soaking in water.
While I was getting Kathee at the bus stop, Roger cleaned up the kitchen. The Calphalon 1 1/2 quart saucepan is ruined. I just ordered a replacement for $ 81.00. A costly evening.
I demo'd my database system to Chad H. and that went well. He did have two suggestions but they are minor. Next Monday I demo to Chad's boss Chuck M. We need his buy-in.
All-star global concerts planned on climate
Excerpts:
Environmental activists led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore announced plans on Thursday for a worldwide string of pop concerts in July featuring Sheryl Crow, Red Hot Chili Peppers and scores of others to mobilize action to stop global warming.
The Live Earth concerts on July 7 will take place in Shanghai, Sydney, Johannesburg, London and cities to be decided in Brazil, Japan and the United States.
The shows will feature more than 100 of the world's top musical acts, organizers said. In addition to Crow and the Chili Peppers, U.S. artists who have signed up include Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and rapper Snoop Dogg.
Organizers of the concerts and the new campaign Save Our Selves (SOS) hope to reach a global audience of some 2 billion people through concert attendance, radio, television and Internet broadcasts.
"In order to solve the climate crisis, we have to reach billions of people," Gore said in a statement. "We are launching SOS and Live Earth to begin a process of communication that will mobilize people all over the world to take action.
"The climate crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement. We hope to jump-start that movement right here, right now, and take it to a new level on July 7, 2007," Gore said.
Shades of "We are the World". Let's sing along together!
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we make a better day
GAG!
