Baptists, Lent and Peanut Butter

Is there something you really like? Think about it for a minute. How about a favorite beverage. Some people drink Dr. Pepper everyday, not because they're addicted, but because they like Dr. Pepper. For some it's that morning cup of coffee. Maybe it's not a beverage. It could be a favorite TV show or, gasp, emailing or something at work.

For me it's peanut butter. Life seems to revolve around peanut butter. I'm not addicted but if it's in the house it must be eaten. I'll eat it on just about anything. Toast, potato chips, cold pizza or a bake potato. It doesn't matter. Peanut butter makes everything taste better. It's a life enhancer. Some friends would say that coffee is my thing. Coffee is great and is imbibed from morning until late at night. But peanut butter... that's a different story.

Since our pastor, Rick Thompson, arrived a few years ago he's challenged us to participate in Lent. For most people being Southern Baptist means you don't participate in Lent. Nobody really knows why. The Catholics have had that corner of the market since anyone can remember. But for Baptists it's rarely, if ever, done.

Lent is that period of time that begins 40 days before Easter, Resurrection Sunday. In a nutshell Lent is a period of fasting, praying and alms giving. For many Lent has been the the tail end of a joke. But the purpose Lent is to give up something that's important to us so when we think about it we're reminded of what Jesus gave up for us, His life.

Prayer is naturally of utmost importance. How else can you communicate with Him? Oh sure, you can say you can pray while you're on the golf course, but you don't go to the golf course to pray. Prayer should be something you come to a complete stop to do. Yes, you can pray while walking but when you're quiet before the throne of grace your mind can focus on God. During Lent we it would do us all good to find a time of quiet and focused prayer and Bible reading that's different than normal.

Alms giving is giving of your time or money to those in need. It doesn't have to be someone you don't know. You have neighbors and relatives. Think about being kind toward people for 40 days and you'll be better for it. What are you like in traffic? That would be a good start wouldn't it.

Lent is good and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Correction...

I made a slight mistake in the last post about "God the Father" being translated "God the Parent" in the Holman Christian Standard Bible. 1 John 5:1 (HCSB) says, "and everyone who loves the parent also loves his child." Well, the word translated as parent is literally, "he who begats". Parent is a legitimate translation.

I should have translated the verse before making the remark.

Don

Church and Sermons

I had a gig at a local church this last week end. The music was a lot of fun and the musicians were very good. I've always enjoyed being asked to sub for my bass friend, who is an excellent player.

There were 2 services. After the first service I did my usual thing and sat up front to listen to the sermon. I don't know about you but I like being close to the front. There's a sense of involvement or participation up close that I don't get when sitting in the back. I'm not the type to sit and soak.

At any rate, the pastor did something I hadn't heard in a long time. He preached from the Bible and the Bible only. He didn't quote one single man. I was refreshed. Wow, I thought, this is great.

The Bible I took was the Holman translation. I don't like it and am going to put it back on the shelf for reference. One phrase was "God the parent". ACCK! It's supposed to be "God the Father". That's what the Greek says, I know I read Greek.

Back to the sermon. The pastor wasn't fiery or flamboyant. He just preached from the Bible. I hope the word gets out. If there's one thing we don't need it's sermons filled with what man has to say. That's why we're in deep trouble. God's Word is what we need to hear.

Quiet Please ... and Remove Your Hat

I like going places. It doesn't matter where. A nice restaurant where the food is good and puts a smile on my face or just a drive. Long trips are the best. When I was a kid it was like going on an adventure.

One thing I remember is that everybody would dress up when they went somewhere. Men would wear a coat and tie and women would wear a dress and jewelery. Even if you went to a baseball game the men dressed nice. And you never saw a man with a hat on his head if he was inside. It just wasn't done. If there was a rude chart then wearing a hat indoors would have been near the top. That's something that bugs me. No matter how nice the restaurant is half the men are wearing a stupid cap. I want to go over to them and yank it off and throw it on the floor. What's the big deal about wearing a hat anyway? If you're reading this and you wear a hat indoors then stop it right now. And don't let your kids do it either.

I love electronic devices. Laptops, Pocket PC's, MP3 players and cell phones are too good to believe. The Internet is tremendous. Hooray for the guy that invented it. He was a genius. Since he was a genius we know algore couldn't have anything to do with it.

There's one thing about them. No matter where you go someone is being rude with their electronic device. There's something about them that impair the senses. I think it's because you can't do two things at once unless one of those things is natural, like breathing.

It'd be a great thrill if the world would discover etiquette. Over the past few years I've tried to imagine going to a restaurant and not hearing someones phone conversation from across the room or listen to somebody trying to sing while listening to their MP3 player. How come only the people who can't sing always sing in public? And why do people have to talk so loud when they're on a cell phone?

HELLO. I'M HAVING A QUIET DINNER...

Think about how rude is it to have your phone go off in the restaurant. There ought to be voluntary electronic device free zones. I don't think the government should get involved.

The next time you go out anywhere remember to turn off the phone and take off your hat.

More on the Global Warming Hoax...

If you're like me there are occasions when the discussion of global warming comes to the point when the frustrated supporter asks you to name just one scientist that thinks global warming isn't the fault of humans.

Enter the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM). If you need the name of a scientist you can go to the link (located in the title of this blog) and access one of, get ready, over 17,000 scientists who know global warming is a lie. You can even access them by state.

Another fact that has been making the news is that most who say they believe in global warming receive funding. If you don't believe then you don't get paid.

Does that mean "follow the money trail?"

Idiots to Vote?

Idiots from New Jersey may soon have the right to vote, Reuters reports:

State Senate President Richard Codey introduced a bill on Monday that would remove language from the New Jersey constitution that was designed more than 150 years ago to prevent people suffering from mental illness or handicap from casting their vote in national, state or local elections.

Codey wants to eliminate a section that says "no idiot or insane person should enjoy the right of suffrage" and substitute with a reference to "a person who has been adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to lack the capacity to understand the act of voting."

Codey, a Democrat who was previously acting governor of New Jersey, said in a statement the term "idiot" is "outdated, vague, offensive to many and may be subject to misinterpretation."

He said individuals with cognitive or emotional disabilities may be capable of making decisions in a voting booth, and those people should not be discriminated against.

Idiot was actually once a clinical term that referred to someone on the FAR LEFT (of the bell curve). It was the lowest grade of "mental deficiency," as a table we found on this page shows the IQ range Classification:

• 70-80 Borderline deficiency
• 50-69 Moron
• 20-49 Imbecile
• Below 20 Idiot

Today "deficiency" is called "retardation," and the IQ range Classification are as follows:

• 50-69 Mild
• 35-49 Moderate
• 20-34 Severe
• Below 20 Profound

So once the law is brought up to date, the only New Jerseyites who will be ineligible to vote are those who are profound.

The Language Barrier

Happy New Year!

I'm sitting here in front of the computer thinking about things that bug me. Do you have things that bug you? I have a few things, if you count several thousand as a few things.

Have you ever noticed that the next generation doesn't talk like the previous generation. The English classes of today are very similar to those that were used several generations ago. For some reason the next generation has always found it necessary to create a code language.

Call it rebellion.

Since the 1920's each generation has created it's own code speak. Does anybody really know what "23 skidoo" means? How about, "beat me daddy 8 to the bar"? I've yet to find anybody explain, "it's like, you know, like yeah!" to me.

One of the catch phrases of the past 60 years has been, "Nobody understands me". Have you ever wondered why?

Saddam's Execution a Crime?

According to Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, the head of the Vatican's Justice and Peace department, executing former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would be "avenging a crime with another crime".

This is ludicrous. It's called justice not crime. Mass murder is a crime. Saddam, unfortunately, lived to go through a justice system that could have proved him innocent. He is going to be put to death in a quick and humane method. Something his hundreds of thousands of victims never enjoyed.

The execution of saddam is justice. He will never murder again.

Jesus is Born!

Merry Christmas!

Christ Born of Mary

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.



Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.



So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.



Glory in the Highest



Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another,

“Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.



But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.



PRAISE BE TO GOD!

The History of Christmas - Part V

Birth of John the Baptist

Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.

Circumcision of John the Baptist

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.

His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”

But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”

So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.

Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying,

“What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Zacharias’ Prophecy

Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

“ Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited[e] us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

The History of Christmas - Part IV

The Song of Mary

And Mary said:

My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him

From generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones,

And exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. -Luke 1:46-56

The History of Christmas - Part III

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said,

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

-Luke 1:39:45 (NKJV)

The History of Christmas - Part II

Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

Then Mary said to the angel,

“How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her,

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said,

“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

-Luke 1:34-38 (NKJV)

The History of Christmas - Part I

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her,




‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’




Then the angel said to her,




‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

—Luke 1:26-33 (NKJV)

Get the Picture?

Stop Her Now!

A web site has been created to help rescue America from the radical ideas of Hillary Clinton.

http://www.stophernow.com/site/PageServer

Give it a look and spread the word.

Three Words for PETA

CHICKEN

FRIED

STEAK

Do You Start Your Christmas* Shopping Tomorrow?

Here are some interesting things about "Black Friday". The source is Wikipedia so you can take it with a grain of salt.

Black Friday

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. Many consider it the "official" beginning to the Christmas season.

The first use of this term to describe the day after Thanksgiving is not exactly known. There are two popular theories as to its origin.

One theory is that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss for most of the year (January through November) and made their profit during the Christmas season. When this would be recorded in the financial records, common accounting practices use red ink to show negative amounts and black ink would show positive amounts. Black Friday is the beginning of the period where they would no longer have losses (the red) and instead take in the year's profits (the black).

Another theory comes from the fact that shopping experience on this day can be extremely stressful. Employees of retail stores have for years referred to Black Friday in a satirical way, to note the extremely stressful and hectic nature of the day. Heavy traffic and customer demands added to the long hours make it a difficult day.

Notice that Christmas is used instead of the offensive P.C. holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve?

I'm baking pies. I've been baking bourbon pecan and mince meat with bourbon for the past few years. I believe I've found the missing ingredient my aunts used to use but never told anyone.

At any rate, I didn't have a crust for the mince meat. Crust is something to be mastered next year. So off to the store. It was packed! One thing crossed my mind like it does every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve:

DOESN'T ANYBODY DO THEIR THANKSGIVING SHOPPING BEFORE THANKSGIVING EVE?

There we were. 200 men, obviously husbands, standing in line and each with a can of green beans, a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk and a can of cranberry sauce. In other words the things you'd think were impossible to forget since they've all been staples all of our lives.

Since men don't use shopping carts you heard the clank of green beans and cranberry sauce hitting the floor. Naturally they'd stoop to help each other and then you'd hear more cans clanking on the floor. Not me. No sir. I was dropping pie crusts while helping these guys with their cans. I went back 3 times to insure the crusts weren't broken.

THEN

After checking out all of the above for the past hour the clerk has the nerve to get on the intercom and say "need a price check on milk". You hear 200 men in unison cry out:

$2.99 for whole, $3.19 for 2%, $1.49 for bread, green beans are 2 for $0.99 and cranberry sauce is $0.89.

They've been checking this stuff out and they need a price check? What have they been doing all day? Doesn't anything sink in?

Oh good grief... I need a can of green beans... here we go again...

Republicans Don't Need a Big Tent!

There's been some talk on other blogs about the Republicans need a Big Tent. I've only seen the Big Tent as a problem. Different versions of a similar theme is one thing but so far the Big Tent means allowing members to have opposing views. Having different ways to accomplish the same goal is good but not agreeing on the same goal isn't.

Conservatives need unity.
A party can't have it both ways.

To make another point, we voted for our representatives and senators based on what they said they would do. They broke their promises and did the liberal thing. We can't have it. The Conservatives need to get back to the basics.

Vote against big government.
Vote for permanent tax cuts for everybody, including the so-called rich.

Don

Democratic is a process.
Democrat is what they are.