Archive for July, 2009
Filling the Freezer
There are some great benefits to being an Alaskan resident. One of them is the subsistence lifestyle. Residents are able to hunt and fish and are allotted so much per family to support their food needs throughout the year. Our family went fishing this year for salmon. When you fish for subsistence, you do so with a dip net verses rod and reel. Our family had a great time dip netting. It was a fun experience! We ended up with 75 salmon. We are still allotted 50 more but I do not think we are going to make it out again before the season ends. My deep freezer is almost half full so that is good. There is nothing like fresh Alaskan salmon, especially if you had a great time as a family catching it. Here are a few photos……
dip netters at the mouth of the Kasilof River
Yeah, yeah, I know the waders are way too big! They are my hubby’s but hey they work! *grin*
Wednesday Hero
This Week’s Hero Was Suggested By Deb
86 years old from Dickerson County, Virginia
E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
June 17, 2009
The world lost one of it’s true heroes a couple of weeks ago. Darrell “Shifty” Powers passed away on June 17 of cancer. “Shifty” was part of the famed E Co/2/506 of the 101st Airborne Division. Easy Company. The Band Of Brothers.
“I loved everything about my daddy,” said Margo Johnson, daughter of SSgt. Powers. “He never bragged about what he did in the war. And for a lot of years, he never even talked much about what he did – unless someone asked him about it. But he truly was a hero to me. Just like he’d been to the people who know him as a soldier in a [mini-series].”
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Reformed Theology Basics
I just finished a great book. I am one who likes to underline things in the books I read so that I can go back and ponder them or even just for quick reference. I underline the things I had not thought of before or things that I just really agreed with and liked the way it was worded. It is hard when you find a book and want to underline every other sentence!
There is much confusion today in Christian circles about what Reformed Theology really is. There is misunderstanding in what it really means. In Reformed circles it is what we distinguish between little r reformed and big R Reformed. Many think that Reformed Theology means merely being Calvinistic, this is little r reformed. Calvinism is most definitely a central part but it is by no means an all encompassing definition. There is more to the big R Reformed. This book covers the other aspects of Reformed Theology as well as those of Calvinism. It explains using scriptural support for the all or nothing nature of the doctrines of grace. One cannot be a 3 or 4 point Calvinist, it simply does not work. All points work together and cannot be separated.
I find it also important that those who seek to know more about Reformed Theology look to those who truly understand it as well as believe it. There are many authors who write on Reformed Theology from a disagreeing and often not fully comprehending point of view and therefore do not adequately explain or try to discredit. This benefits only the dissenting view.
One of my favorite authors has written a book on Reformed Theology just to explain the basics. It is a book I would recommend to anyone, not just those looking to know more about Reformed Theology. It is a great book!
Here is the book blurb from Ligonier Ministries:
In What is Reformed Theology? (formerly titled Grace Unknown), Dr. Sproul explores the depth and richness of God’s grace in saving sinners. Through it you can enrich your understanding of key biblical teaching about the nature of God, man, and salvation as it was recovered and defended by the Reformers.
“We believers must ask ourselves why we have come to faith while many of our friends have not. Did we exercise faith in Christ because we are more intelligent than they are?” asks R.C. Sproul in this book. “Did we respond to the gospel positively because we are better or more virtuous?
“We all know the answers to these questions,” continues Dr. Sproul “I cannot adequately explain why I came to faith in Christ and some of my friends did not. I can only look to the glory of God’s grace toward me, a grace I did not deserve then and do not deserve now.”
This book can help believers become more firmly anchored to the important theological truths that remind us we are saved by grace alone through faith alone and not by our works.
If you have read this book already, I would love to hear your thoughts. Or maybe you could share a favorite quote. I may be sharing quotes from this book from time to time, there are just a lot of good ones in there!
If you have not read this book, I would highly recommend it!
Persecution From Within
“What “world” hated Christ and hounded Him to death? The religious world, those who pretended to be most zealous for God’s glory. So it is now. Let the Christian turn his back upon a Christ—dishonouring Christendom, and his fiercest foes and most relentless and unscrupulous enemies will be those who claim to be Christians themselves! But “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you … for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad” (Matt. 5:11,12). Ah, my brother, it is a healthy sign, a sure mark that you are profiting from the Word, when the religious world hates you. But if, on the other hand, you still have a “good standing” in the “churches” or “assemblies” there is grave reason to fear that you love the praise of men more than that of God!” —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Excerpt taken from “Profiting From The Word” by A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Thanks to The Bororean for the quote and something to Ponder today! I have been in this place of persecution from within the church before and do indeed find it a grievous thing. I am not talking about a good debate but those times when things become slanderous, gossip filled, and completely un-Christlike. Scripture is not silent, it speaks to even this situation.
What are your thoughts today on this quote?
The Latest Remodel
Many months ago we started on a remodel of our office area. We took quite a bit of time on the office and it has been slow getting the photos on here but I have finally decided to do just that. We were going to add built in book shelves but we decided the money could be better spent else where for now. We opted to just put book shelves in the room. It was a difference of about $1700 so I think it was a good choice!!! That is a lot of money to save. Maybe someday in the future we will add built ins after all of the other projects have been tackled!
Here are the BEFORE photos:
Entering the Office
Breaking into the alcove/closet area
ugly light
Nasty floor & walls
Now for the AFTER photos:
Entering the Office
bookshelves
Alcove/closet--a bit messy--eventually we will have a desk under the lights
New wood floor
Pretty Light
Sooooo, what do you think? Improved??????
Watered Down Worship??
The other day at the service my hubby was preaching at we had a visitor. After the service this particular visitor shared their view of the service.
“It was watered-down and Christian-light. I am used to rocking out. The preaching was good but the service was watered down and christian light. Like I said I am used to rocking out.”
Thankfully, this individual did not think my hubby’s preaching was watered down. He is not one to do such a thing! Praise God! He has even been asked before to “tickle some ears” because they didn’t want to hear it, even though they admitted that it was the Lord’s will for him to pastor them.
It was hard to smile, listen, and bite my tongue. There was more that was said. This individual proceeded to tell us where they typically worship. It is a place hubby and I are familiar with. My children have even visited there with friends once and one felt as if they were at a séance and one felt the need to flee and read their Bible.
This individual kept referring to items of musical style even singing for us the kind of music they were used to. They went as far as to suggest we go to the church’s website and use their create your own worship experience so that we knew how things should be done. Everything that was so called “watered down and christian light” was about style and not anything about substance.
It used to be that being watered down was not preaching the fullness of scripture but rather tickling ears. We have now come to the point where even that is not important. Now watered down has to do with whether or not we have the exhilarating experience we want.
It is sad that even among so many so-called Christians that worship is not about Christ. It seems it is all about us. Who are we really worshiping then?
