Paper posted for Mum

Image is Cabonel's Roman Monk. Courtesy of the ARC. Below is the copy of the paper I just posted, please no plagiarism (like you'd wanta!). I really enjoyed the research part of it. Hope, hope, hope I get a decent grade. Mum wanted to see it, I wonder if she knows what she's letting herself in for.
Understand, dear reader, that I am not endorsing or defaming anything. I am merely trying to present enough facts for the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. History is rightly included in the humanities. And if this causes anyone to dig a little deeper, great! :-) I think our tendency to chuck history out the window is retarded. Like we Americans chucked all that was British, to our hurt, the church also chucked first all that was Jewish and then after the reformation, anything associated with the catholic phase of the church. Duh.
How we have robbed ourselves and how we maybe could have avoided repeating mistakes if we had known about them in the first place. It is so much my desire that all of His people be on the same sheet of music. We have different jobs, all of us- what's an orchestra with only flutes? There are those who put the music out, those who work the lights, those who do the melody, the harmony, and let us not forget the audience, the ticket-sellers, the ones who keep the stage cleaned... The world is watching, folks. Must we continue to nit-pick eachother and forget that the body of the Messiah should not be divided? Can we at least be civil to those who share belief in the Creed? And the funny thing is that most of our differences are things that nobody will know the truth of until we stand in His presence and are able to ask Him personally.
God bless all y'all. Happy Thanksgiving to all. The paper starts next paragraph, so if you don't wanta read it, skip it.
ttfn
Rose

J. Rose Snow
Rise of the Papacy
CHHI 301 November 209

The Rise of the Papacy: A Tapestry View

The rise of the Papacy as it is known today was a complex set of circumstances that spanned centuries and involved many distinct cultures. The predictability of human nature and surprisingly the hand of Providence are both evident in the development of the idea of the supremacy of one man over all the church. The beginnings can be traced to before the Republic, indeed farther back than Ancient Egypt, although Egypt is where we will begin our journey. The threads of a tapestry taken individually are a confusing mass, but when put in their proper places, they yield a complete and often beautiful picture.
To understand the concept of the Papacy, one must travel backwards to a time long before the church existed. The reader may liken Ancient Egypt to the ground of the tapestry: rich and brown; Ancient Greece as the sky: lofty and blue; and the Roman Republic/Empire as the mid-ground: mountainous, solid, in grays and greens. Ancient Egypt was an orderly and structured society, with a sense of stability that stemmed from everyone knowing their place.
The Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt was considered to be the mouthpiece of the gods, often being viewed as a god himself, marrying church and state in a way that suited the populace. He had priests to carry out the day to day religious functions, priests who did not pay taxes and who were recognizable by their attire and bearing. The ruler of Egypt also had a well-functioning bureaucracy that handled civil matters. Jobs were determined by gender and social status, and were all recognized as important in their own way to keep the kingdom running smoothly. Also of note was the fact that the Pharaoh answered to a higher law, his decrees and actions had to line up with the deities of the Egypt, especially the goddess of justice[1]. The Egyptians believed in “a natural law that embraced social justice and morality” and saw Pharaoh as “the guarantor for the divine laws”[2]. Here one can see clearly the grounding of the idea of one man, guiding the spiritual state of his people, answerable to divine justice and to the body of religious leaders with the full approval of the people.
Ancient Greece operated in such a close resemblance to the early church it is almost uncanny. The lofty ideals of democracy showed themselves in the confederacy of independent city-states, each with a supreme ruler who had full autonomy, yet answered to the other rulers in policy matters that affected the whole. This seems to be the backdrop against which the apostles and subsequent bishops would appear. The principle of voting on matters of doctrine in councils and synods had its roots in Solon’s practice in Ancient Athens of dividing the people into “four classes, all of which had the right to take part in the debates in the political Assembly”[3]. One can clearly see that in the synods, the Archbishops had the final say, but that all had a voice. Another glimmer of blue in the tapestry is that way the autonomous city-states of Greece banded together against an external threat. So, too the church; no matter how far flung the bishops, when one was threatened, all were concerned and looked after the congregations under his care.
Finally, one comes to the mid-ground of the tapestry: the Roman Republic and Empire. For centuries, the Romans influenced the thinking of the world that the church would develop in. There was a concept central to the thinking of the Romans called paterfamilias, which goes much deeper than the definition of “male head of household with no living father or grandfather.”[4] Paterfamilias extended through all of Roman life with the father of the family having the power of life and death over his children and their offspring, slaves, and freedmen. Romans expected the fathers of the families to act justly as they expected their conscripti patres[5], the name they called their Senators (conscripted fathers, literally, but with more of the overtone of adoption), to act justly on their behalf. Later, when the Empire replaced the Republic, the title pater patriae was added to this sense of “fatherness” and was bestowed upon the emperors as the fathers of the country or empire.
With this bedrock woven upon the grounds of spiritual leadership of one man for all from the Egyptians and beneath the air currents of democratic thinking bestowed by the Greeks, is there any wonder that the people of the early church were ready for a hierarchical structure in their leadership? Is it any wonder that as the Western Empire crumbled around them that the Romans increasingly looked to the Bishop of Rome as their father, pater, pope… eventually putting him on a pedestal as the mouthpiece of God?
But, how did the church get to the point of the elevation of one bishop over all others when initially she was run more like the old Grecian city-states? We have traced how it is understandable by filling in the background of our tapestry. Now let us look at some of the figures in the foreground. Bypassing the earliest days of the church when the Apostles still walked among men, and bypassing the hard days of persecution that followed, we run across the first figure on our tapestry: Constantine the Great. Constantine, who made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire and included the Bishops in his councils; this man would preside over the democratic synods and make laws and decisions for the church, like some long-forgotten Pharaoh. Constantine who as an intelligent politician would, as Justinian in the East after him[6], prefer the preeminence of his own city’s bishop to all others since the church would then be easier to control. Or so he thought; the church was not a body like the postal service or the merchant’s guild and while she was thankful to be out from under persecution, she balked at a mere earthly ruler vying for the position she felt the Lord Jesus held alone.
The next figure that is apparent on our tapestry is that of Pope Leo the Great of Rome. Leo did not use the term pope as it is thought of today; he considered himself merely an archbishop like all other archbishops, though he did at first begin to mention the authority passed to the Bishop of Rome from the Apostle Peter[7]. He was pope of Rome about an hundred years after Constantine passed off the scene and during a time when invaders were threatening Rome at every turn. The Emperor of the West was Valentinian III, a weak man who was ineffective against the invaders and tried to give the Bishop of Rome primacy above all others. Leo, however did not abuse this power, but used it to gain an audience with the Huns and Vandals, convincing them not to sack Rome in 452 and 455[8]. Above all, Leo sought unity for the church and gained impressive popularity both with the church and with the non-believers; here was a man who acted like the pater patriae that was idealized in the Roman mind, and indeed around the area that the Empire once covered.
Almost 200 years pass before we get to our next figure, during which time the people are almost needing that “father-of-country” figure so much that they are bestowing the title of “Universal Bishop” upon archbishops across the Eastern and Western Empires. The poor Western Empire, while falling victim to invaders, plagues, famines, and self-destruction[9], amazingly continued to have a strong Bishop and church. The Eastern Empire, under Justinian, was stable and secure, but the church was wavering, corrupt, and full of heresy. Justinian made it official that his bishop over Constantinople was the Bishop over All, yet it did not go over as smoothly as he would have hoped. His old friend Gregory was now Bishop, or Pope, of Rome and he felt it was heresy to promote any bishop over the others. Gregory felt this title undermined the authority of all other bishops and put this Bishop Universalis in a position vulnerable to the besetting sin of pride, as Christ alone is the one over all the church. It took Gregory many years to undo the damage; meanwhile he’d been put in a position to rally the armies of Rome to defend the city against the Lombards[10], defeating them and making peace with them. He gained enormous popularity in both the East and West, becoming what the Romans needed in the absence of an Emperor: the loving, strong, father figure. He was a great humanitarian, gave his wealth away in service of the church, and wrote much of the theology that is foundational to the church.[11] Through all that went on in Rome, he continued to protest the title Justinian had given his Bishop, John II. Even after most of the other Bishops decided it was a non-issue, Gregory kept on in his belief that no one bishop ought to hold authority over the others and finally had his way in it. Unfortunately, some of his impassioned pleading to Antioch and Alexandria had much about Petrine Authority and while not abused by himself, this led to the idea that those places where the Apostle and his disciple Mark had ordained Bishops had some preeminence above the others[12]. Gregory would have been appalled that in fighting against one man having absolute authority, he inadvertently gave the perfect excuse for it. The people in general had been ready for such a thing for aeons.
After Gregory passed away, it was not long before the idea of the Papacy was firmly integrated into the mind of the laity. It was only logical that the Roman Bishop be the one in charge, since he had authority from Peter as well as stability that the Bishops of Constantinople did not have. But, what Gregory feared would happen, did indeed happen. Any man in a position of such power, power only the Lord Jesus should have, would be subject to the worst sort of pride. Multiple Bishops now all using the title of Pope began to claim this power. Corruption and interference in the government began to happen more often than not, destabilizing Europe in awful ways. The councils of Bishops tried to keep a handle on things, but were often assassinated for their troubles.[13] But, one cannot un-spill milk, and in spite of the corruption, the people were convinced of the need for a central figure to rule spiritually. After all, many leaders are corrupt, but they are leaders and they are necessary. So, our tapestry’s foreground is filled with some kind men, some sinister, all wearing the robes of the Papal office.
The concept of the papacy did not happen overnight. It took millennia to weave that piece of art. From the sands of structured Egypt, to the democratic ideals of Greece, to the paternal structure of Rome, the minds of the people- indeed, their worldview- depended upon and looked toward a central figure who would govern spiritually and ensure that the civil government behaved in accordance to divine law. The early church was more democratic and fought against one man having the preeminence, but then began to lose interest in fighting it. Though the first popes of Rome were against the idea, the times were too unstable to resist what the people needed. Who else could step up and bring stability, leadership, a voice for the people, and the sense of a loving, strong father who would be comforting to and protective of the people? Who better than the Bishop, the Pope of Rome?
































Reference List

Benton, Jeanette & DiYanni, Robert. Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the
Humanities. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 2005) 94-97.

Chamberlin, E.R. 1978. “The Death and Resurrection of Rome: From A.D. 400
imperial Rome was subject to pillage and plunder, but Popes in the
Renaissance destroyed in order to rebuild.” History Today 28, no.5:304-
313. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 17,
2009). http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdf?vid=6&hid=5&sid=7fbb9563-3c64-42e9-9a36-c670f151aeda%40sessionmgr13

Chamberlin, Russell. 2003. "The Ideal of Unity." History Today 53, no. 11: 56.
Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed November 17, 2009).
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=5&sid=7fbb9563-3c64-42e9-9a36-c670f151aeda%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=11293943

Demacopoulos, George E. 2009. "GREGORY THE GREAT AND THE SIXTH-
CENTURY DISPUTE OVER THE ECUMENICAL TITLE." Theological
Studies 70, no. 3: 600-621. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost
(accessed November 17, 2009). http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=9&sid=c2fbecaa-75ff-4e31-bcfb-fa1be79e3bfb%40sessionmgr12

Houghton, S.M. Sketches from Church History. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust;
Morrison & Gibb, Ltd. 1980). 31-32, 51-61.

Moyer, Elgin. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church. (Chicago: Moody
Press. 1982). 11,23,111,168-169,210-211,240,413.

Rodgers, Nigel. Ancient Rome.( London: Anness Publishing, Ltd. 2006).
468-469.

Strudwick, Helen. Ancient Egypt. (London: Amber Books. 2006)366-370,388-391.



[1] Strudwick, Helen. Ancient Egypt. (London: Amber Books. 2006) pp. 366-367.

[2] Ibid.
[3] Benton, Jeanette & DiYanni, Robert. Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the
Humanities. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. 2005) p.9
[4] Rodgers, Nigel. Ancient Rome.( London: Anness Publishing, Ltd. 2006. p. 468
[5] Ibid.
[6] Demacopoulos, George E. 2009. "Gregory the Great and the Sixth-Century dispute over the Ecumenical Title” Theological Studies 70, no. 3: p.601.
[7] Moyer, Elgin. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church. (Chicago: Moody Press. 1982).p. 240.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Chamberlin, E.R. 1978. “The Death and Resurrection of Rome.” History Today 28, no.5: p. 304.
[10] Moyer, Elgin. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church. (Chicago: Moody Press. 1982) p. 168.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Demacopoulos. p.619.
[13] Houghton, S.M. Sketches from Church History. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust; Morrison & Gibb, Ltd. 1980). p.51.

Passing thru

Y'all, I'll try to get better about posting after this miserable class is over. It's a good class, just has SO much work!! Anyway, only 4 more weeks and I'm DONE!!! Well, 'till January...
*
Something else, if you wouldn't mind helping us pray that God will provide for these poor kids- there are 50 of them currently. We'd like to send what we can, but we need God to provide that, too- especially the postage. I AM NOT ASKING FOR MONEY. Only that you'd help me pray that if God sees fit to let us help these children that He will provide the means to do so. We have some stuff to send for Christmas for some of them, but in our opinions it would stink for some kids to get stuff and others to not. We don't have enough for all of them. :-(
Our travelling people have slowed down to a trickle- it's too cold here, so we're mainly focusing on the Indian children at present. (travelling people are known around here as transients, but I just think the other title sounds less like a medical condition.) But, we still have our care packages put together for any we run across while out. DH laid the law down on me that I'm not to hand any out after dark, he doesn't think it's safe. If they're at Wal-mart or a gas station I usually walk up and give them the bag, but if they're on the road, I only put my window down far enough to hand the bag out, not far enough that the door can be opened. And the doors are locked- those are the precautions. I do not think they are criminals, mostly just folks that have caught bad breaks; but I'd not be allowed to do it at all if I wasn't careful. It's the times we're in and DH wants to make sure I'm safe, which is sweet of him.
Well, I reckon I'd best get back to studying about the Popes. I'd still like to interview the local priest- maybe I'll do that later today or tomorrow.
Staying outta the news. God knows all about what is going on much better than I ever could, so I'm just asking Him to take care of our poor country. To turn the hearts of our people to Him and show them the truth in a way that they'll get it.
God bless y'all!
Rose
PS the kids are making me take a computer break. They think I'll give all our stuff away if I'm not supervised. They've been checking behind me to make sure I haven't given their Christmas presents away- I wouldn't do that. Nor would I give away anything of theirs. They are caring kids and are wanting to help the Indian kids, too- just they want to send new stuff for them, not things that have sentimental value. They did say I could send "The Little Engine that Could" and "Black Beauty". The Indian children are learning English and books are requested. The address is in my last post if anyone wants to send things that are non food items. The list is on that page, too. They have no problem with hand-me-downs, either.
My kids have been doing the English Lit stuff this year and have really been loving it. See, I KNEW that the usual English teachers were ruining it. That if given a fair chance and not analyzed to death that British Literature really is a wonderful thing. We've been doing creative math, and humanities, science, history, and of course home ec and Bible. And God still is letting it be a blessed adventure that we can enjoy together. He is wonderful and so worthy of our praise.
ttfn again

Helping the less fortunate: Address at bottom

Thanks so much to those of you who expressed interest in helping the Indian orphans. I will post the mailing address in South India and more details the next time, but for now these are some of the things that are needed:

School Supplies (crayons, pencils, markers, paper, colouring books,children's books, etc)
Toys for babies through young teens
Clothing from babies through teens (conservative if possible for the girls over 8)
Shoes in various sizes for toddlers through teens

Our Lord has a special place in His heart for the little ones and it means so much to Him when we are kind to them.

Well, DH is wanting me off his computer now, so ttfn & God bless all of you!

Rose

PS Here is the address, I think you have to put the mobile # with it so they can reach him to retrieve the packages. Make sure you insure your package. Also, airmail gets there quicker and is only a few dollars more, it would be to them by Christmas if sent by airmail- the overseas freight way takes up to 6 months.
Again, thank all of you and may God BLESS you for helping the fatherless.-Rose

Pastor Raja Sekhar
P.O.Box-39, Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh India.
Mobile No:+91-9885146217.

:-) hi, folks!

Peter and the Benedictine Monk are both by Van Dyck, images courtesy of the ARC. :-)

Whininess went away after I'd eaten a decent meal. Thanks for bearing with me. I don't have prejudice per say against people of certain persuasions- I'd take it wrong for anyone to be ogling my children- no matter what their lifestyle choice. I'm a Mom, waddaya want? ;-)

So, we had oodles of fun playing football and basketball (sortof) with one of the sweet kids across the way. It was a nice afternoon. I'd be doing my DQ's, but ya can't respond when nobody's posted yet! And DH has the TV, so I can't watch my lectures in comfort- this chair is, ok- but not for a 2.5hr lecture!

If you've not checked out the new blog on my list, you oughtta. it's beautiful and fun. I reckon I'm off to check it and the others while I have a few minutes to myself.

have a happy day, all!

A Quick Drop By

I thought I'd take time out from the ridiculous amount of studying and put up this lovely painting from 1904 by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Courtesy of the ARC- link at the side.

Well, I'm praying that God will do something for me that is a little unusual, but it'd be a wonderful thing. We'll call it a special request. Please help me pray that God'll answer it in the affirmative.

God Bless Y'all!

Rose

Kudos to USA Network for White Collar

image courtesy of USA Network's White Collar page

At last! A great show, great pilot- intelligent, wittty with action and none of the things that so often take away from an otherwise great plot. That's right- no smut and no cussing. I had to say THANKS to USA Network for giving us more memorable characters and keeping it clean. And I do hope that the style of the main character is emulated- it's great style- classic- and I LOVE the hat.

I wonder- are the networks finally figuring out that there are more viewers out there than just the Neilsen folks? Viewers that actually like plot and substance? Viewers that think that smut is an unnecessary prop and that cussing doesn't enhance the show at all? USA's been doing a pretty good job lately. Keep up the good work, fellas! You are appreciated!

White Collar enjoyed by the following demographic groups in our home:

11-17

29-40

50-65

Scifi or Syfy as you are now called- get the same message! Your shows are NOT made better for the himbos you keep throwing at us. Battlestar Galactica was great, but I couldn't recommend it to many folks who would have LOVED the plot because of the smutty parts being offensive. And Stargate Universe would lose NOTHING in greatness if you left the smut scenes out of it. Your pilot's broomcloset made it so my young teens are not allowed to watch the show at all- which is sad, because they really like the Stargate franchise. It's just unnecessary to an otherwise great show.

Anyway, not like they'll be reading this blog. But, on the offhand chance... Families like to watch more things than cartoons and horse movies. Families like plots and action, too. Great Job USA and thanks Syfy for putting out another BSG DVD. :-)

ttfn

Rose

A Way to Help

Hi, folks :-)

I know that it is hard for any of us to put together any money to send to people in need. But, most of us have clothes and old toys and other things we are not using. I have the address of the ministry center in India if anyone is interested in helping them out. They have need of pencils and what we'd think of school supplies, clothes, and toys for the orphaned kids. Candles are also appreciated since there are a lot of power outages and the kids are having to eat in the dark often.

Now, we jaded Americans are always on the skepticism because we've had so many con-men prey on us falsely in the name of charity, but this minister and his family have been faithful to correspond and pray for us in spite of the fact that over the last 10 years all I've been able to send them is a total of $20. Con-men are not going to waste time that way, and especially are not going to bother to have pictures of themsleves with the lepers and kids and the tribal peoples consistently over the years. And I have watched the ministry team through pictures age and get thinner as the times have hardened.

So, if anyone is interested, send me a note in my comments with your email or another way to contact you and I will get you the address where you can send any supplies you have just gathering dust in storage. If anyone would like to send financial support, I have that info, too. And if nothing else, please just pray for these people as you would want to be prayed for if you were in the same situation.

If you are not a Christian, consider that in the parts of India that JCIM ministers to the government does not take care of the sick and orphaned; it is the Christians who are taking care of them- for free. A gift to the orphans would go to help the orphans, and likewise a gift to the lepers or the other sick folks. It is a tragedy to be burned out of your home no matter what your religion and even more of a tragedy when those who are trying to help you are being hunted down. An outfit for a child costs maybe $8.00 at Walmart and you can get a teddy bear at the Dollar Tree, so what's ten bucks or so? Or get the clothes from a thrift shop and the entire donation including postage should be under $10.

Anyone who has followed my blog knows that this is not something I do often. Follow the links to the side if you'd like, (JCIM, A Ministry to India) and get in touch with them yourself. God will bless you for even a cup of cool water that you give in Jesus' Name, so please at least pray for these poor folks.

Thanks BUNCHES!!!!

Rose

Argh. Why do I not check my email more often?!

So, I am really, really SLACK. This pastor friend of mine in India, Brother Raja, and his people have been having a really hard time lately. I checked my email finally and found several over the months of my slackness that had been sent asking for prayer. The Hindu terrorists have been burning Christians out and they've been without food and shelter. Now, sure, we've been praying for the folks over there quite often, but had no idea about this. Please help me pray for our brothers and sisters in India.

It's this big --**kapow**-- when we see the trials that Christians in other parts of the world are going through. All our penny-ante problems that get us all upset are just that- nothing much at all. Brother Raja and his church have a ministry to the orphaned and to the lepers. They have few preachers to reach many villages, but are so hopeful and diligent to try to get to everybody regularly with the Word of God. The places where the services happen often are in the woods with the congregation sitting on the ground. Just take a minute to think about that. These folks gladly sit on the ground in the woods for a church service.

Why does money always have to be a hinderance? It'd be so nice if a bunch of us could just hop on a plane and go and minister to these folks for a bit. You know? And there are so many people like this in our world- hungry for the Word of God- and with so few available to reach them. And even if we don't have anything we consider useful by way of talent, we could just be used by God as He would like to use us. I can't think of much else better and more worthwhile.

And I think about Christmas as it is coming. This will be the first Christmas that the leper village has lights in their huts. And that is a blessed thing- what would we do without our lights? I just hope the snake problem has cleared up for them by then.

Well, God please bless and help your people in India. Please give them more preachers and resources to reach the lost and to help the poor and fatherless. In Jesus' Name, please encourage them and lift them up, protecting them from those who would harm them. Please keep them warm and provide them with the food they need, both spiritual and physical.

r

Night School

So, we took time out from the regular routine to watch the meteor shower for an hour and a half. It centers around Orion and is supposedly debris from Haley's Comet. Since it's going on all night, we're hoping to go back out in a while. A cup of coffee sure gets cold out there. ;-) The fog was light and kept coming and going right above our heads, which looked really cool in between us and the stars. The constellations are so bright tonight. The only downside is that I don't have beach chairs (heehee). My son's making cocoa for our warm-up break.

School's been busy and great lately- many in depth discussions and discoveries on the path of knowledge. And we are very aware that the road of knowledge best not be traveled without God- it's fake and pointless without him. But, he's really been blessing in that department.

I highly recommend going up to the Britannica shop online and ordering one of their WONDERFUL encyclopedia packages. They have a reasonable down payment and easy payment plan. And, if an EMP happens from the sun or some bored hacker, you still have access to information. So nice- gilded pages- purrr...

We've been blessed to visit with many friends and family lately. I had to make a decision between Christmas and homeschool materials or travel and the former won out. But, God blessed us to be able to see many of our dear ones anyway. Maybe next time I get a little ahead, I'll be able to make the trip to Kentucky and Indiana. And I am going to pray like crazy that I can put things together to get to NJ for that reunion Aunt Judi was talking about. Maybe I'll be able to see my NJ kinfolks then, too. :-)

And how wacky is this? We all thought Ghandi had starved himself to death and it turns out he was assasinated. Huh. We thought maybe it was a history revision just to make him look cooler (yea, I know) but even in the 1954 encyclopedia it had him assasinated in January in the '40s. I also thought he was a little closer to our timeframe. Was there some relative of his that starved himself in the '80s?

Kell- congrats on your marriage! God bless you, sweetie. We're praying you and Cyndi both feel better soon. (opposite sides of the family, but both are feeling poorly, so...)

The drama of the heavens. When you get out there just stargazing for more than the usual short span, it's like the imagination really starts to bloom. I can't get over how many stars show up more clearly the longer you watch. And how very many pictures one sees. Funny how some of the Orientals see Orion as Nimrod- that for his hubris, God did indeed let him reach the heavens- separated from the humanity he was seeking to rule over, chained there as a sign of bad weather and bad luck. But, God named him Orion (though he looks very Roman to me) long before Rome and I'd love to know the story behind him and the Pleiades.
I couldn't find it online to my satisfaction, but the Oriental info was new to me and was pretty cool.

We're in Proverbs right now and they are so much fun. Full of object lessons and wacky examples to make them come alive. Sure, the poetic forms in them are really cool, but the sheer enjoyment of going through God's word together and laughing, learning, and contemplating is another thing- a wonderful thing. :-)

So, the kids are teens. It is disturbing to us all. Mostly we don't think about it, just try to grow together in God's grace and love. Do you reckon the Lord's coming soon? I figure there are a lot of things that point to it, not the least of which this sudden reappearance of amillenialism. And the times of the Gentiles... now there's a subject worth hours upon hours of discussion.

Mama gave my youngest girl a copy of Luther's Psalms in German and she is learning quickly. Our theory that sign language helps while learning a language has proven itself as well as the one that the Bible is still the best way to learn a language. But, the experiment is not completely conclusive since we are only one family... ahh...Nerdspeak... gotta love it! (Garden Gnomes cackling with glee in the background. Ok, for the uninitiated, Garden Gnomes are the nerds of the faerie realm. They impersonate Leprachauns and took over the Lucky Charms- it's terrible, really.)

And yes, I know. Things like that are why I'll never make my mark on the Blogosphere. But I don't really care, cause ya know- dorks are people too.

Ok, so I've got to get to my cocoa now and get a thicker pair of socks for our next foray into the starry night. God bless y'all.
Rose

Just Passing Through

I was just passing through and wanted to say hey to all of y'all. God is so good!
Thanks, Lori :-)
The kids and I are really praying that we'll be able to see y'all. My son especially is anxious to meet his fellow club members. ;-) And thanks for passing it along.
As far as Grampa's notes being crazy- I can relate. I have often told my daughter that her job will probably be a lot like Christopher Tolkien's was if I pass on before she does. Stories in many different books, research all scattered in with notes from church and Bible college, to do lists mixed with journal entries and partially written letters... I can imagine quite well, from the way his stuff used to be scattered out that his notes were all a jumble, too.
It wouldn't matter to us if we couldn't figure them out- if we could just spend some time going through them, it would be like being near him again. After all, he was rather quiet when he was researching or studying. ;-) We'll bring my son in or call my brother when we need some corny jokes for a break.
If they can be found, as I said, I'd be more than willing to pay for a copy so if uncle or cousin has them, please pass my request along.
Thanks, ladies! You're the BEST!!! And may God BLESS you for it!! :-)
Well, I'd better get back to what I'm supposed to be doing just now.
ttfn
Rose
PS thanks, Aunt J for calling me Rosie, that was so sweet and it meant a lot to me. I'm weird, I know- but it's the little things...
xoxox
PPS
If any of you have Netflix, you can watch the movie online. It's called Jodhaa Akbar and it is a really great movie, made in India & takes place in the 1500s. If I taught humanities in college, I'd assign this movie. It would have fit right in with my last class on the subject. ;-) Just passing it along. And if anyone ever makes a movie from Eddings' Mallorean, the lead actor would be perfect for Kal Zakath.
R

A Request of Aunt J and Uncle M

(image of the Louvre from Yahoo! Images, 2009)

Hee hee. Since I do not know anyone's email addresses and my FB acct has been shut down b/c of a persistant stalker-type (ick, and shudder), I will make my request here in the BLOG. Cool, hu?

Ok, Aunt J and Uncle M, if y'all have Grampa's old research notes, notebooks, etc, can you please make a copy of them for me and my daughter? We will be happy to pay any expenses it takes, (you just have to let me know how much) I should have enough sometime in the middle of October.
We went out to his grave today and planted some ivy like y'all used to have around the big tree in the front yard. My daughter read Psalm 2, which he requested I read to him several times the last time I saw him in hospital. And we cleaned the stone up where the birds have been at it. I thought Gramma would smile that the birds have been hanging out with Grampa. I had the opportunity to share all I knew about her with someone who thought very highly of Grampa and wanted to know about "his Rose". Lemme tell ya, that blessed me so much! And it blessed the person I was talking with, too.
Anyway, I know we would really appreciate it and would use the materials happily and with all our hearts. We want to make them proud and since we were able to spend so little time with them, this way we can get to know Grampa at least some better.
**
Well, we've been traveling all about on various field trips. We went to one wedding and I got to take the pictures for it :-). I love that look the bride and groom get- they hear the preacher, but only have eyes for eachother- that sweet tenderness that is so the picture of Christ and His bride. He will look at us that way one day! :-) We still haven't made it back to the Wolf Creek Indian Village, but we are really looking forward to going back there to experience all of the seasons on their beautiful trails.
It's been really rainy lately. I'm still waiting for the ground to dry out enough to dig my taters up. Well, the Irish used to do it in October, so maybe I shall as well. :-)
Pray for Mama. She's kinda down lately. She's too precious to feel bad like this.
And, joy of joys! We were able to visit the old church I wrote about (it's where Grampa is resting). And it was truly wonderful! What a blessing that old place is. I'm hoping that Mama and my sister in law will go with me to a gospel singing on Saturday. It ought to be fun.
God help us all to get on the same sheet of music. All His people in harmony: voices and instruments together for His glory with Him leading the symphony and choir. Let us shine a clear, true light for Him in these dark days.
Again I recommend http://www.livingwaters.com for every single Christian. Listen to "Hell's Best Kept Secret". You will not regret it. And God please protect and keep your people Israel, wherever in the world they are.
Apparently some Turkish Muslim is helping the Sanhedrin try to get the Temple built along on the mount with the Mosque. The Muslims are supposed to have a prophecy that their Great Caliph will make himself known from the Jewish Temple. And this well respected Turkish author is trying to show the naysayers that it's necessary to build the temple. Interesting. I do want the Israelis to be able to have their temple again. I do not understand what the problem is- it's their country! Let the "international community" go pound sand.
Well, God bless you, dear readers. And Aunt J and Uncle M, (or Lori- can you pass it along?) thanks ahead of time. And Uncle M- congrats on your great big church!! Praise God!!!! I'm so glad for you, my dear one. Please give Aunt S a big hug from us. The kids still have their beanie babies and still love them. God willing we'll be able to take a trip and see all of y'all. Pray for us because we miss you a great deal. Cool beans- maybe we can see Lori and her adorable young'uns, too- and Beck, and... Oh, Lord- make it possible!!
God is so unbelievably good! May He use us to share the good news with others every day. How can we keep it to ourselves? God bless all of His preachers and faithful ones, and draw back to Himself those who have strayed. In Jesus' Name.
ttfn
:-)

Not Leaving at Present

(Image sent to me in an email. I have no idea where it is, but it sure is purty!)

So, I decided not to drop out of the blog for now. I may start a new one, and Lori- I will let you know for sure if I do, but I'll probably keep this generic one going all the same ;-)

So, it's been really CRAZY days this month. We have run into all sorts of people we haven't seen in absolute years and it's been wonderful. September and May always fly by, but this has been faster than usual. But, back to the undisclosed people we've been running into- it has been amazing to see what the Lord has done in the lives of these people. Please keep praying for Virginia. The people are waking up and finding that they need God and have no idea where to find Him. And some are finding Him anyway, through a tract that someone gave them or a Bible that was given to them. We need good churches planted here, or real, dedicated pastors to fill the empty pulpits (so many of our churches are on a circuit with only one meeting or two a month)- not exactly good ground for seekers. But, God is faithful and all who seek Him will find Him if they search with all their hearts. If I could find Him, anyone can.

We've not gotten on the trail very often so far, there's been a shortage of time. But, we hope to go again soon- it's so beautiful! I'll try to post some pics of it when I get my film developed. (I still can't find my digital camera, but it stinks in quality anyway. Any little movement and it's blurry- no good for me, that.)

About the comeuppance people.
I know the best thing is for them to be saved. Believe me, I do pray for all the badguys to get saved. It's just better. But if they will not let go of their pride long enough to get saved, I pray that their schemes will at least be thwarted. Sometimes they just get to me- I despise people who prey on others and injustice really sticks in my craw (heehee), and I have to comfort myself by remembering that God did promise a payday for all those who do such things. Perhaps this blog was not the place to do said comforting, but hey- maybe they get to y'all sometimes, too. Maybe you needed to know that evil will not always win, it's already lost- just hasn't hit the sentencing date yet. I'll try to keep those types of posts to a minimum (and I really need to stay out of the news as much as is feasible).

Well, I reckon I'd best get back to studying. I still have much to do to finish up my papers for the class I'm in before the next two begin (I have a 3 week overlap, eesh!). God bless His people with protection and grace to make it through as unscathed as possible, and may He draw us all closer to Him and to eachother.
Blessings!!

Nasty little men like you...

(Image from Yahoo! Images, 2009).

"Nasty little men like you always get their comeuppance."
"Always?"
"Always."

(From The Mummy)

This is a message for the Christians. You know those folks who like to go on and on about how pious they are while they hunt down all the people that Jesus called blessed in the Sermon on the Mount? Well, Jesus had words for those people. See, they are not content to live their lives, they have this insatiable lust to control and destroy the lives of others. Dickens was good at writing characters like that. Back to Jesus. He said that these oh so righteous people (righteous in their own eyes) would one day stand before Him in judgement. Righteous judgement. Where the judge cannot be bought off or bribed in any way. These "great leaders" will stand before Him demanding entrance to Heaven. Their pride is so immense that they question the Lord's response and are still thinking to pull one over on their Creator. You know what He will say to every last one of them?

"Depart from me, ye worker of iniquity. I know you not."

So, be comforted. That person/people who seem to have nothing better to do than slander others and tear people down; that person who seeks out the meek and poor in spirit to ruin their lives; that person who looks at people like they are playthings to be abused and cast aside- even if in this world they seem to prosper-

ONE DAY THEY WILL GET THEIR COMEUPPANCE.

Tonight I pray, dearest Lord, that you will protect your people from the evil in this world. That you will cause all the evil schemes of the enemies of your people to backfire and be exposed. I pray that you will catch them in the snares they have laid and pits they have dug for your people. There is so much trouble in the world right now, please be a refuge to your people in these times of trouble. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

ttfn

This may be Farewell

Well, I really, really hate to do this. But it might just be farewell. I may begin a new blog somewhere else in the blogosphere. (Oh, the pic is courtesy of Project Gutenberg, 2009). I wish I had this piece of music!

Anyway, while I'm undecided, I won't take it offline. I reckon I need to pray about it a bit more.

In the meanwhile, I wish all of our readers well. God can. Never forget that.

j

One of Reagan's Speeches

This one is all his. Courtesy of Glen Beck's site. It's a great one from Former President Ronald Reagan. Have a great day, y'all. ;-)

REAGAN: Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program.
There are many ways in which our government has invaded the precincts of private citizens, the method of earning a living. But at the moment I'd like to talk about another way because this trip is with us and at the moment is more imminent. One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can't afford it.
Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.
So with the American people on record as not wanting socialized medicine, Congressman Ferrand said, if we can only break through and get our foot inside the door, they can we can expand the program after that.
Well, let's see what the socialists themselves had to say about it.
They say once the Ferrand bill is passed, this nation will be provided with a mechanism for socialized medicine capable of indefinite expansion in every direction until it includes the entire population. Well, we can't say we haven't been warned.
James Madison in 1788, speaking to the Virginia Convention said: “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

Now in our country under our free enterprise system, we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to the other.
But let’s also look from the other side, at the freedom the doctor loses. A doctor would be reluctant to say this. Well, like you, I am only a patient, so I can say it in his behalf. The doctor begins to lose freedoms; it’s like telling a lie, and one leads to another. First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government.
But then the doctors aren’t equally divided geographically, so a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him you can’t live in that town, they already have enough doctors. You have to go someplace else. And from here it is only a short step to dictating where he will go.
This is a freedom that I wonder whether any of us have the right to take from any human being.

In this country of ours, took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in world’s history. The only true revolution. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another.
But here for the first time in all the thousands of years of man’s relation to man, a little group of the men, the founding fathers for the first time – established the idea that you and I had within ourselves the God given right and ability to determine our own destiny. This freedom was built into our government with safeguards.
We talk democracy today. And strangely we let democracy begin to assume the aspect of majority rule is all that is needed. Well, majority rule is a fine aspect of democracy, provided there are guarantees written in to our government concerning the rights of the individual and of the minorities.
What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms and that you demand the continuation of our traditional free enterprise system.
You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen, even if we believe that he's on our side to begin with, write to strengthen his hand. Write those letters now. Call your friends and tell them to write. If you don't, this program, I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow.
And behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country... until one day as Norman Thomas said, we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don't do this and if I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.

Just a real quick suggestion

(Picture is Delauney's Plague of Rome courtesy of the ARC)


Ok, I seriously think that when Australians, British, New Zealanders, etc. do movies and shows that they should keep their accents! I mean really, I noticed that in one of the Beowulf movies that the folks were all talking like they were from the Middle Atlantic region of the US- um, that accent didn't exist back then. Also in fantasy it really wrecks the illusion of long ago and far away to hear everyone talking like they're from Delaware. Guys, we like different accents. What's this all about? Is there some nerd in the entertainment industry dictating that one, tired accent for all the world? Can you imagine how lame Zorro would have been had Banderas spoken like he was from Pennslyvania?


Why does everyone have to sound like they bought the same cloned accent from the local Walmart? Is it some weird conspiracy to make Pennsylvanians and Southern Californians feel unity? Individuality, dialects, accents- they are wonderful things! Can you imagine Gimli talking like he was from South Jersey? Or Gandalf from Upstate NY?


I first noticed this trend in the 90s with Hercules and Zena (I know..) This was supposed to be ancient Greece, the actors were from Australia or New Zealand, yet they spoke like they were from my uncle's neighborhood in South Jersey. Old British sounding accents would have been so much better. Again with the LOTR references, going by this theory, would the orcs sound like they were from the Bronx or would they be southerners (since they were bad-guys and kinda stupid- the acceptable American stereotypes)? Hiss.


The Legend of the Seeker- another absolutely GREAT show- but only the bad guy shows his accent. The show would just seem more at home with the British rather than the Mid-Atlantic accents. It's medieval times, for pity's sake! There was no Pennsylvania back then!


I remember reading a BLOG a year or so ago- a British one. This person was fussing about the same thing- that over there it seemed like there was only the London accent in shows and movies. We've been told to "celebrate our diversity" but it seems the only one taking this seriously is the Disney Channel. And with them it's the "Pass the Plate" and the other one with the kids and their parents during commercial breaks- all their shows have the same tired accent, too, except maybe Hannah Montana (no comment).


And hearing people of color sound like white guys from Dover, Del. is just disturbing. Am I just weird? (don't answer that) I just can't figure out why anyone would want everyone to sound exactly the same. A common language is nice and easy to follow, but people are not so stupid to not be able to figure out what "mate" and "y'all" mean. Or to be able to figure out a different pronunciation- if so, they just really need to get out more.


And if we are going to create a clone accent that everyone must needs speak like, could it not be London's? It sounds so much classier than the flat, bland American Northeast (and California, apparently).


Along these same lines, since when was Colorado pronounced with a yucky short a instead of the ah? Ditto for Nevada. And while I'm at it, I think that the East Indians sound much nicer when the Brits have taught them English, the M-A American sounds wrong with them somehow. And speaking of Indians, first, I will say that I wrote my congresspeople about not passing any bills that would hurt them, since well, duh- all that National Forest land that nobody can access, ought to be theirs, not the UN's. And also, things really ought to be made right with them, not breaking treaties by the US Gov again. But, how did these Native Americans from out West end up speaking like they were from Delaware? Did the gov insist that as well as speaking English that they had to speak it like they were from the Mid-Atlantic?


Again, I'll say, things need to be made right with the Native Americans, or Indians (as the ones I've met here prefer to be called). The Aussies did it with the Aboriginals, they put it to a vote and 90% od the people voted to make it right. We ought to do the same, really. Give them back their tribal lands, since NOBODY's on them anyway!!! How lame is it to keep it from them and just let it be waste?


If there is something that needs to be righted that was wrong, make it right. We did reparations for slavery, but the Amerindians are still being treated like the skeleton in the closet, the shameful secret that nobody wants to talk about or admit. Seriously, maybe if we write our congresspeople, it would happen. Then they wouldn't have to be on reservations or running casinos. It's gone on too long- did you know that even in the 1960s the Indians were being run off their land? That they were denied their traditions (and I ain't talkin 'bout peyote) and were not allowed to speak their language? How retarded is that? And they were actually being sterilized! Is this America or Red China? Well... now, there's a question these days. But, anyway, whether wrongs were done on whatever side of whatever issues, those folks who did the wrongs are long in the ground (except for the more recent issues of cultural prejudice), so let's just make things right and be a great nation once again.
If in our personal lives we need to make something right, we really should. It starts at home. And finally, if you have an accent, speak with it! There's nothing to be ashamed of. They preached diversity to us in the media for years, let's give it to 'em! Speak proudly. Break those pesky stereotypes. (All Itallians are not in the Mob, nor are all Russian men). And, yes, even you flat, nasal mid-atlantic-ers. Let's just be who we are and enjoy the uniqueness of our world and her cultures. Let's just say no to being clones!!! No need to feel threatened by an accent, is there? C'mon, now- really.
God Save America :-)
Rose

There's a lot that could be said

Image courtesy of Yahoo! Image Search.

Well, there's a lot that could be said. Really. But as I've pondered these last few days, it all comes back to one thread that just won't go away.
America Needs to Repent
Oh, now I'm not saying that we need to follow Israel's civil law as laid out in the Bible (any more than they should follow ours). I'm just saying that a good place to start is the ten commandments. Gee, is it such a bad and contemptible thing to forgo stealing and murder? (Sorry, but the video of the man who lives in the White House having so much sneer toward the Bible has me a little annoyed.) But, him aside- we ought to have some respect for God. Gee, I thought "tolerance" was the big thing in the USA these days. Argh, it's so hard not to get snarky. And as angry as the religion of peace gets when God is insulted, I'm really surprised they didn't at least make a statement like they usually do.

Ok, back to repentance. I know, it's nearly reached cuss-word status in our society, but if we really want change for the better of all Americans, we've got to do some soul searching. Yes, all the calls and letters to the congress are nice- that's what we're supposed to do; but the main thing does not need to be neglected. Until we as a nation get over our foolish pride and take some responsibility before the Allmighty, we cannot expect things to get better for the everyday people. I've blogged about the need for salvation before and what it means, you can refer to previous posts for a more in-depth look. It boils down to we've broken God's laws (see the 10 Commandments) and stand guilty before Him. The only thing we deserve or can earn is death and hell. God loved us anyway and made a way that we would not have to collect the wages of our sins- Jesus the Messiah. Without Jesus we are all doomed- lost- but with his holy, sinless blood he paid the price for all the times we've sinned against God. When He rose from the dead He proved to us that He had conquored death for us. But, while this gift is available for EACH ONE OF US, we must individually accept it. Then we become accepted by God. That simple. But, if we come before Him anything less than humble, it does not work: "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble". We have to turn ourselves over to His hands. Till we do that, we're still just slaves and have no true freedom. In turning ourselves over to Him in accepting the free gift of grace, we are free, never to be enslaved again.

If we seek to "change" things without a true relationship with God, we'll end up as Rome did. The founders of this nation succeeded because of faith in God (aka Providence)- don't believe it? Look at the founding documents and take a moment to compare the American "Revolution" to the French Revolution.

For all the snideness of the guy who lives in the White House, there is some pretty important prophecy in Deuteronomy. In fact, every single thing that is happening in our nation today can be found there. (I suggest you use a King James Bible, since it used not two manuscripts that did not even agree with eachother, but it used hundreds of manuscripts that all agreed. Age is irrelevant, it's the content. But, whatever Bible you use, it's between you and God and none of my beeswax.) Anyway, we Christians are getting a very bad name these last years (like steadily since 1993). We do not help that false perception when we bicker amongst ourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FCNKwHRCQM
And, yea, I'm waaaaay behind the curve here apparently. I had no idea he had made these comments this far back. And I'm just wondering why on all these things like country of origin and educational records mean so little. Is it because things are happening so fast? Is congress terrified? Is the Supreme Court? This is after all, only one person. Y'all all swore to uphold the constitution.

Yes, I'm like every other person right now, no matter which side of the political view- I am really distracted by the things happening in DC. I was only out of the news for short stretches at a time, but I completely missed these mysteriously unaccountable to anyone czars. You know, Caesar Augustus pulled the same kind of whirlwind change in Rome. And the Senators were terrified to stand against him, too. But, to be fair, he had the support of the military. He just kept things moving so fast that nobody could keep up, and it was danged hard to see past all the red herrings.

And as for my picture up top. Yea, I'm a Star Wars person (I think we're called dorks nowadays). I wonder if Senator Palpatine was even from Naboo. He did the create-a-crisis thing and could care less whether every single person (or Gungan) on the planet was killed, so long as it won him sympathy and the vote he needed to become chancellor. From there, it was just a matter of manipulating crises and making the only guys who could actually help out to be villains. And then, total dominion. Easy peasy, just like playing Risk or chess. It was change, to be sure. But, then, I'm seeing phantoms of our political situation in Wolverine and the X-Men, too. Heehee. Oh, and the first season of BSG (DVD- I miss that show. Adama was one of the greatest TV characters ev-er.)

A source of news:
http://www.drudgereport.com/

And what???? How in the heck did Momar Khadaffi end up living in NJ? And why is it really, really hard to find stuff on the internet these days? Some really strange earthquake locations lately, too. I can't find a straight story on the Momar thing, some say he's just visiting, some say he's moving here... Nonetheless, he's not exactly the guy I figured would be um, welcome in the US. And why would he want to come here? Strange.

But, for all of it, I think the only thing I can do is study up on my Constitutional law and the Declaration ;-) and especially my Bible. In my whole life I have never heard of the kinds of attacks on churches that are happening around the US today. And all the meanness to the priests- the media/entertainment industry has used the church as the acceptable "bad guy" for so long, that I reckon folks think they're doing a good thing by busting into communion services and being nasty. But, you know what? I think that deep in their hearts, they know good and well they're mocking God and they just don't care. Guess what, "guys", I'm praying for your salvation anyway. Y'all wanted tolerance, but are unwilling to be tolerant toward others. Who're the hypocrites now? And for all y'all who are assaulting and now murdering people who have different faiths than your S/G brand- God knows. And He is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind- it's true, too. I've seen it in my own life.

Dang, I don't seem to have done a very good job with this. All I really wanted to do was express the need for repentance in our land. Mr. Man said folks aren't reading their Bibles; well, we ought to start. Freedom for every person is in there. And the God of freedom is in there, too. It's His letter to you. Instead of taking man's word for it, how 'bout we take God's Word for it for a change.

Keep in mind as you read the Bible: the Holy Spirit will help you along, compare scripture with scripture, the Church and Israel are different- the church did not replace Israel, there are special things in there for Israel only, the Bible records what men said and did- the men did not always say and do the right things- keep reading and you will see what God thought about it, consider the context and the audience, a good commentary is nice- but do not let man's words usurp God's words. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
As I said earlier, the KJV is the one I use- mainly for the reasons above listed. But, also because I read the other versions for years and they did not help me really find the truth.
To answer the "it's outdated" arguement: is Shakespeare outdated? Is Poe? Is Milton? C'mon, the "I just can't understand it" thing is a cop-out. The KJV is on a 4th grade reading level- do you see how the folks who hold the copyrights to the "new" versions are insulting your intelligence? Think about it.

If we return to God with our whole hearts it WILL make a difference. One family and community at a time, no joke- and that's a real grassroots movement. :-) to use a popular phrase from a few months ago, "Yes We Can!" heehee. Really. Be strong and of a good courage...the LORD your God will fight for you this day...fear not, neither be afraid.

God Save America

Please Don't Boycot Britain

I just wanted to say real quick-

Please do not boycot Britain.

Just because they have some nutter(s) in politics, that does not mean that all the people should suffer.

After all, we've got some real doosies in office over here, too.

Unity, folks.

Pray for them.

God bless y'all!

We're off to watch Doctor Who on Netflix ;-)

God save the Queen (she's sooooo classy!)

And help us remember that we're all brothers and sisters in this boat together.

ttfn

Summertime

Bougureau's la vierge aux agnes courtesy of The Art Renewal Center Online. I really like most of this artist's material. :-)

Well, sorry it's been so long. After I was done with classes for the summer I just turned my computer off. Glitches with the phone lines? No problem! But, I've been remiss in my posting.
I'm going to put livingwaters.org's address in my links bar. They're a great resource and they are a ministry that is not in it for the money. All their CDs are reproducable with their blessing.

So, what all have we been doing? Well, I've been feeling a little lost without classes hanging over my head, if you can believe that! After a year and a half of online school with no real breaks to speak of, I feel like I'm missing something. I have really enjoyed playing with the kids more. Most of the stuff on TV these days is either full of blasphemy (what's up with all the cussing on the regular channels?!) or smut- which I think really ruins good shows rather than making them more appealing. So, we're watching less TV, too. Two big time suckers gone for awhile. I was thinking about canceling cable after the next season of LOST. I may just before hand and just watch it online. You know, even the kids' stuff has overload of crudeness and that just isn't comedy. Who do they have writing this stuff? Maybe the guys at the top need to get out of the city/office every once in a while and see what people really want to watch. But, enough of the rant. ;-)

Does anyone else feel like there's this pervading sense of urgency? Sometimes it feels like there's this silent war going on all around us and it's getting ready to be settled for good or ill- once and for all.

I reckon I'll try to live each day as if they were numbered. Not to gratify my flesh, but to draw near to my Saviour and to those He's given me to love. To try to reach out as best I can to those in need, even if I'm not very good at it. What would I do if I knew there were only three days left? What would you do? I always thought those movies where people went crazy and started looting were stupid. If the earth is getting ready to be blown up by a meteor, what need has anyone of a stolen big-screen TV? People aren't that ridiculous. Yea, some would go violent, but I think that a great deal of people would want to know more about God since they were getting ready to face Him. Would the Christians try to help them? I think so. I think that even the most backslidden among us would step up and try to help as many people be ready to face God as possible.

So, why aren't we doing that anyway? Why does some big disaster have to be looming for us to step up and do one of the few things our Saviour asked us to do? We live in a free country; it isn't like our neighbors are going to behead us for sharing the gospel like in some other countries. Our neighbors might die tomorrow on the way to work. Have we helped them be ready? Are they even aware that they can be ready?

And, on the other hand, we ourselves might not live to see another day. Have we done all we can for our Lord? Have we shared the Good News with anyone lately? Will we stand before Him ashamed? Sometimes we just need to look at the coming storm and think of the mighty holiness of God. We will be facing Him someday soon. Really, life goes by so quickly that it really will seem soon to us, even if we live another 50 years. Just ask any elderly person.

So, how will we stand? Are we "christians" in name only? Have we ever really humbled ourselves before a Holy God and repented in sorrow for our sinfulness? Have we accepted the free gift of Salvation that cost Jesus everything in His sacrifice for us? Or will He say to us in that day, "Depart from me- I know you not!"? Will we stand there saved but ashamed for the way we squandered the time and resources He has given us? Will we stand before Him in tears because we were too afraid to upset a family member who is now in Hell for eternity- suffering- when we could have made a difference? Or will we rejoice with our whole hearts because from this day we did all we could for Him?

God help me! I know I've been slack. Even though I have been redeemed, I know that I have not, not, not! done all I could for Him. I have not made myself available for His service as I should. When I think about standing in His presence, it terrifies the flesh part of me. The spiritual side looks forward to giving Jesus the biggest hug ever, but in my humanity, when I am outside at night and look at the vastness of the universe He has made, I feel so small. I understand for a moment how anyone in this flesh would be burned to a cinder in the presence of God. I understand why the Hebrews asked Moses to be the one who talked with Him from now on. Imagine how they must've felt seeing His glory! Imagine for a moment how you, dear reader, will feel.

Please pray for all Christians everywhere. It's hard times for God's people. And please always remember to pray for the Jewish people. They are still God's chosen people and they are having a really hard time of it right now. And please, dear reader- if you do not know the Saviour- if you have not faced the moment when you realize that you will stand before a Holy God someday and give an account of every single one of God's laws you have broken; if you have not fallen upon His mercy and grace- I beg of you, accept the blood of Jesus as the covering for your sins before it is eternally too late. He was the once and for all sacrifice- perfect, sinless- and He paid the price for our sins.

Praise the Lord!
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Rose

Golden Years

This is Bouguereau's Admiration Maternelle from ARC (link to side). I just really like this painting. His work is very nice if you've the time to check it out.

I found a video from my old church from I reckon 10 years ago. It can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzdSETw9VKA
I have no idea why our family left early. Husband must've been sick again or something. That caused us to have to leave early a few times. And, the platinum blonde hair was his idea. My Grandfather Carl Drexler is buried at that church.

Man, I miss that place! I was going through one of my old hymnbooks and highlighting the songs we sang there. There was this song that really drove me crazy for some reason: Honey in the Rock. I was thinking what I'd give to just be able to hear everyone singing it together again. But, alas. We are scattered, moved away. One day in heaven, we'll all sing in joy and worship together once more. But, you know- in these dark times I really, really wish I had that stability again. It's mur-der being without a church family. I am thankful for the Christians God has blessed us to know and fellowship with, but it's not the same. Most of them are disenfranchised, too. However, the need is not enough for any of them to do more than talk about maybe having a Bible study someday. I reckon I just need to pray harder.

I think that tonight I'll put a list of the good old hymns up. You can probably find midis of any of them on http://www.cyberhymnal.com
A Child of the King.......................All I Need.................Amazing Grace.............An Old Account Settled.............Are You Washed in the Blood.............At Calvary..........At the Cross........Glory to His Name...............He Leadeth Me (the ladies used to sing this one).......He Set Me Free.........Heavenly Sunlight............I Feel like Traveling On...........I Know my Name is There........I Love to tell the Story...........I Shall not be Moved.........I Want to Know more About my Lord..........I'll Fly Away.........I'm Going that Way.........I'm Living in Canaan Now........It's a Grand and Glorious Feeling.............I've Never been Sorry............Jesus Hold my Hand..........Jesus Paid it All.........Just over in the Glory Land........Keep on the Firing Line........Leaning on the Everlasting Arms..........Lift me up above the Shadows............Living by Faith...........My Hope is Built
I may list the rest of the songs tomorrow, but lest this become tedious, I'll tell a little about why this place meant so much to us.

The YouTube link tells the name of the church, and the recording does not do it justice. There were a lot of talented musicians there during the Golden Years. Pastor Garry and his wife Denise used to sing The Lamb's Book, sometimes my dad would join them (tenor) on Lighthouse and Love Lifted Me. Services that were dedicated to praise could last long into the night and nobody would mind. It didn't seem like any time at all. But, it was like that for all the services.
Well, let me correct- on days when meals were brought, we did like a time out for the food. ;-) But, it was no bother if the service continued after. Most Sundays, it was the evening service that lasted a long time- Wednesdays, too- and it was okay.
Why? Because it was a seeking church. Those folks could not get enough of God. Praying for others, learning about God, praising God, and testifying. It was not for show- it was real, genuine love. We used a real river for baptisms. And all the guys who were called to preach had an opportunity to do so. Other guys would lead Bible studies. And there were other studies that would be held on different nights for those who desired to attend. The kids stayed in the services, special kids things were held on different days because it was important for all of us to hear God's word.
I am not doing a very good job of explaining. They also had a Bible college that was free for all who wanted to learn all they could about the Bible. How great is that? Also, after services were over, it was nothing to have folks talking and fellowshipping together until the wee hours of the morning. It was really like a first century church. Sure, some people came and went. Sure, some sneaky sowers of discord got in- BUT the church folks had such a real relationship with their Saviour that they weathered all the storms with patience, joy, faith, hope, and love.

Some of the Folks:
Brother Garry was an amazing musician. He was the pastor there and he had a true Southern style of preaching. But you could bank on his doctrine being straight from the Bible. He always told us to check any preacher's words against God's Word, with God's Word being the standard. All men make mistakes, so be Bereans and see if these things be so.

Brother Ernie was the Associate Pastor. He had an expository style very much like my Grandfather's. He actually was a lot like my Grampa. He taught in the Bible college and was very thorough in all he presented. He was fond of rabbit trails, but would always get back to the main point. We didn't mind, the rabbit trails were really interesting! He was a gentle soul, for all the guys picked on him for being a buzzard. (The church had a lively sense of humour. There was a great deal of smiling and laughing there). His brothers Mike and Slim were great guys. Slim used to do the Sunday School intro message and Mike had the most amazing singing voice and a heart as big as Texas.

Brother Don'L was one of the Deacons. He played guitar and had a very sweet preaching style. It was Honest. And he would bring a message that would bless one all week long. His sermons were among the shortest, but they were packed full of useful things to draw one closer to Jesus. His family was and still is a real blessing. They have 5 precious children.

Brother Terry W. was also one of the Deacons and the song leader. He and his wife have four beautiful daughters. His wife, along with Brother Garry's wife, and Brother Ernie mentored me when I was coming to the Messiah and while I was a young Christian. Brother Terry reminded me of the Apostle Paul. He mentored my younger brother. His lessons and workshops were very thorough and he used no special materials- just the Bible. He had a great amount of faith. I hope he and his family are doing well.

Well, that's just a little bit. My Gramma Betty never understood the attachment we had for that place. She wasn't saved there, nurtured there, or discipled there but, she was loved there. So was my Grampa Carl. They truly loved them as if they were their own grandparents.
I don't know where they all are now. I don't know even how to find most of them. But, God knows just where they are and tonight I pray that He will send a special blessing to all of the families that grew in Him at the old Church.

An addendum: God is so good, folks. Never give up on Him. Never stop praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ. He hears our prayers and He is working on our behalf all the time.

Broccoli Wars. Is there such a thing as Neutrality?

(picture is Aramanth, Princess of Shadows from deviantart.com. They have some nice stuff over there, just be careful.)

Ok, first of all to answer comments- Amy, you are brave and appreciated. God bless you and your little ones and your sweetie.
"J", I do not think that remaining neutral puts me in the "lying lips" category.

Ok, I do like broccoli. Sometimes I even crave it. My son tried to block the freezer case at Sam's tonight so I wouldn't buy any, but I muscled him out of the way and bought it anyway (he's bigger than me). I put 7 sprigs of it in the fried rice, large enough so the two BMBD members in the house would not accidentally get any. And they were okay with that once I explained.

When my husband had cancer, I used to blend up the broccoli and sneak it in things like very spicy chili and spaghetti sauce. When he found out, he did not eat my cooking unless it was obviously meat or potatoes (fried or baked, he didn't trust the mashed since he busted me putting a turnip in the blender). BUT, I did not tell him about it until the cancer was gone. And it did go away. Did God use the broccoli to help heal him? Does it need hot spices, oregano and garlic to work? I know not, but for that reason I'll eat it and keep it around.
It did not come up in the garden, or if it did, the bunnies ate it. So, I'll stick with the frozen kind.

So, I have a very special prayer request. Please help me pray about it. And it has nothing to do with broccoli, though if it works, I'll be trying to eat more of it for health reasons.

So, am I now like the Princess of Shadows at the top of the page? Outcast? I reckon it's the nature of broccoli to demand one take sides. It apparently will not abide indifference. But, as a mom with children split into two camps, I feel like I must remain neutral. Would I cry if there was no broccoli? Probably not. Would I eat it in rebellion if it was made illegal? Probably so; I don't like dumb laws very much. (Smart laws= good. Dumb laws= unnecessary and often bad.)

Now, on to other things. Ray Comfort Ministries http://www.livingwaters.com has some really good stuff. You should check it out. Also, if you're curious about the Bible, here's another good site: http://www.carm.org/christianity/bible
I don't know why, but links don't underline in blue anymore. It's annoying.

Well, the church search goes on. We attended a really nice little one nestled in the mountains the other day. It's worth a second go. We're just looking for a church that resembles the first century churches. Fine if it's in a house or if it's in a building. But, we seek one that is Bible believing, loving, seeking God, learning, mentoring/discipling, full of the fruit of the Spirit (faith, hope, love, joy, temperance, longsuffering, etc.). That sort of thing is what I mean by 1st century. And I'll be honest, I think those churches were so great because of the Jewish believers there. We really messed up on that deal. I am not looking for sign gifts or wacky stuff, and I know it's out there. I hope I'll find it and be able to be a part of it again. Yes, once before I found a church like that, but the devil destroyed it to smithereens. It took awhile to find, so I know to be patient and diligent. Even if I have to wait for God to build one, no problem. He has no trouble bringing believers together when they are praying and seeking His face.

Now, I know, all believers are the Church. It doesn't take a special building or denomination. We're to let God shine through us whether or not we have a building to meet in. Bloom where we're planted and remember that every day is a mission field. Remember why we're saved. Gee, why would that be? Well, because if we've broken just one of God's laws (lying, cheating, stealing, dishonouring our parents, taken God's name in vain, to name a bare few) then we have a crime against our record. we're guilty before a holy God and guess what the sentence is? Yep, eternity in Hell. ETERNITY. FOREVER. Torment, suffering, blackness, alone, no escape. It's justice. And since God is not willing that ANY should perish, He sent His only begotten Son to bear our punishment- and He (Yeshua or Jesus) bore it willingly out of love for us. Then He rose from the dead to show us that we, too will have glorified bodies and can live forever (that's right- immortals! how cool is that?) if we accept that payment He made in our behalf.
That's what Christ means- Messiah- SAVIOUR. Not a cuss word. Not a mean thing to shout at someone. That is what we need to remember. We're not better than anyone. We are ALL sinners. We have ALL broken God's laws. We ALL deserve hell for breaking God's laws. Jesus' death and resurrection put us in a saveable position. If ANYONE seeks Him, He will give you the faith to accept that gift of salvation. Salvation= SAVED from eternity in Hell as just punishment for breaking God's laws.
And does keeping the law save you? NO. Because none of us DO. But, if we are saved, we should do our best to follow His rules if for no other reason than that of GRATITUDE.

Ok, that part's done. Here are the Ten Commandments that are so controversial these days.

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

(These are out of Deuteronomy, the restatement of those in Exodus.)

They seem to make a lot of sense, and really our consciences let us know the same things.

Well, I'm off. Going to spend some time with the kids.

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