joythruChrist ~ the Archives

I've Moved

2007-04-02T00:38:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided to grab a web address with my blog name, which is what I really wish I had done in the beginning. When I started this blog, joythruChrist was my user name, and Toby's Thoughts was the name of my blog. Over time things changed around, and I thought that joythruChrist was a much better name for the blog. So I'm taking the plunge and hoping I don't lose any readers (friends) with this move. The new location is http://joythruchrist.blogspot.com so if you would please update your bookmarks, links, and feeds, I would really appreciate it. This will likely be my last post here.

I'm kicking off my second year of blogging (a week or two early) with a series on the book I'm studying by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones called The Life of Joy and Peace. I do hope you'll join me at my new online home!

There's a thief afoot...

2007-04-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

...or maybe it's just a borrower.

Confession time. I have a serious pet peeve. The work that I do requires me to use various tools. Seamripper, yardstick, square, flathead screwdriver, short ruler, sharp scissors... Anyway, I like these where I can get to them easily, so I keep them in certain places. Unfortunately, the men in my house like to take my implements and make off with them for various work/hobby related projects. But they rarely remember to return them. Then when I want to work, I have to spend an inordinate amount of time hunting down my tools! ARGH!

So the other day, I was getting geared up to work, and I couldn't find my short ruler. It's about 7 inches long, and I use it to measure the hems of the slings I'm sewing. So the search was on. Everyone in the house was working. Denny and Nik in the garage, and Zack and I upstairs. So I'm wandering and muttering, and Zack has no idea what happened to the ruler. Then he informs me that Nik (my almost 18 year old) was using it to draw. We go to Nik's room, and --walah!-- there it is.

I grabbed it and ran out to the garage to berate him with Zack at my heels anxious to see the show. I said, "If I have to go looking for this one more time and find it on your dresser... (at this point he's looking a little apprehensive) ... I'm gonna spank you with it!" At this point he explodes with laughter.

Denny says, "That's telling him!"

Well, what can you do when they're almost 18? :)

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

2007-04-01T02:33:00.000-04:00

This stirring hymn was written by Robert Robinson in 1758.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

She's Still Around Here Somewhere

2007-03-28T17:40:00.000-04:00

Updated below -- 3/30/07:
I just wanted to write a quick one to let my bloggy friends know I'm still here. I'm in the middle of some spring-cleaning before I'm overwhelmed with more slings to do. It's that time of year again -- the better the weather the more people realize they need their furniture done. Good in one way, time-consuming in another.

I've decided to study through the book of Philippians with The Life of Joy and Peace by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Here's a passage that has meant a lot to me in recent days:

Philippians 1:27-30
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

I may update this later if I find some time to add my thoughts...

Update -- 3/30/07:
The chapter in which Lloyd-Jones deals with these verses is called "Standing for the Truth". This should hit home with each of us, because as believers we are called to stand for the truth in one way or another each day. And as believers who are called not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, we should be ready to bear the same conflicts that Paul endured.

There are those who will challenge your faith everywhere you go. Maybe it's a neighbor, a co-worker, or a family member. Because we are His, His name should be on our lips often. And this will get noticed -- and will potentially cause conflicts. But these are worthy conflicts in which to be engaged.

Jesus promised that in this world, we would have troubles.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.

So we know the end of the story. He has overcome the world. And these things are doing something in us...
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

And don't forget this one:
Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

I hang on so tightly to these promises. It's the only comfort we can have in life's conflicts. I hope you're hanging on tightly too.

*All scripture references are from the NASB.

It Is Well With My Soul

2007-03-25T01:24:00.000-04:00

This hymn --born out of great sadness and tragedy-- is another favourite, and is often quite a comfort to me. We need to remember that whatever comes our way, our joy is in the Lord. It's not about the circumstances, it's about having joy through Christ.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

Takin' a breather...

2007-03-24T00:10:00.000-04:00

We're just tired. Please stay tuned.

Seriously

2007-03-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

I wish I could get in here and write some funny or inspiring post. But unfortunately, sometimes life is neither funny, nor inspiring. Sometimes it's downright difficult.

There is a very real thing in this world called spiritual warfare. And when you're in the middle of it, you can get weary. But we press on, because we know that our position in Christ is immutable, and this life is but a vapor. There are moments of joy, and there are moments of frustration.

There are those out there who claim the name of Christ who want nothing more than to steal your joy. They desire to heap on condemnation, and accuse you of not even being in Christ. While I don't for one minute have any doubt that I am in Christ, at times I struggle with wishing that things could be simpler -- if only for a moment. But then I am recharged when I remember that it is a privilege to share in the fellowship of His suffering. And the perspective that anything I could go through in this life is nothing compared to what He endured for us keeps me afloat.

There are a lot of hurting people out there who have been spiritually abused in churches; by pastors and other spiritual leaders; and by cult leaders. I talk to them often, and my heart aches for them. I don't consider myself a counselor -- but then, in a way, we are all counselors to each other. For some reason I have been placed in a position to see some serious pain of the spiritually abused, and it is a tragedy to see people who are deceived, trained, and trapped in a system of legalism with no concept of the reality of God's amazing grace. But it is a beautiful thing to see them begin to accept His grace, and for me to be able to learn some beautiful truths from them as well.

Yes, the children of God do counsel one another. We all have been given gifts to offer the body of Christ. And so we press on.

Please read this chapter. It's good to be reminded of these things.
Romans 8

I hate the dentist.

2007-03-21T00:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, not the actual dentist, but the experience of going to the dentist. My dentist is actually a very nice guy.

I had to go in today for three fillings. I've needed them for a year or so, but getting me to go to the dentist is like getting Pat Robertson to admit one of his 'prophecies' are wrong. Not likely to happen without a lot of pain.

They took me back, and the hygenist x-rays the damage that had accumulated over the year that I had avoided coming in. Happily, not too much worse than before. And so, it began.

NiceDentistGuy shoots the needle into my gums, and takes off for parts unknown. I sit and wait for the stuff to take effect, and intense fear grows. I mentioned to the hygenist that I wanted all three done, just in case they were unaware, and it so happens they were. NiceDentistGuy comes back and shoots my gums again. And leaves again.

My anxiety is growing monumentally. I have endured intense pain in my life with my Crohn's disease and other various things, but somehow anything dental scares the wits out of me. My mother once told me that a dentist hit a nerve and she slapped him. Reflex. Plus, I have my own dentist horror story. Ran into one of those insensitive, not-so-gentle guys before.

So NiceDentistGuy comes back and begins to drill. Seconds into this, I wasn't liking the way this was feeling, so I let out a little grunt. NiceDentistGuy backs away, and again with the needle. Says he'll be back later.

Did I mention that fear was escalating? I decided that I had to go to the restroom. Yeah, that's it, I have to 'go'! I come back in feeling only slightly better, and the wait resumes. Hygenistgirl comes back and asks if I'd like a magazine, because NiceDentistGuy would be a few minutes. I said no thanks, I'm fine. And remembered the book I brought with me. The Attributes of God, by A.W. Pink.

I've been hearing a little about Pink from a couple of people. Carla mentioned how great The Sovereignty of God book is. And Diane is reading the Attributes book and blogging about it right now. (Incidentally, Diane, I can't load your blog lately, and therefore can't seem to leave comments either. Did you add something monstrous to your html lately? Of course, I am on dial-up.)

So I'm reading about God's sovereignty, and I'm suddenly struck at how ridiculous my fear is. Like I didn't already know this, but you know what I mean. God is in control of everything, and I'm quaking in my clogs about a little dental pain. My position in Him is immutable, and I am filled with fear over teeth. Hmpf.

NiceDentistGuy comes back and everything goes off without a hitch. And except for coming home and having Denny ask if I'd been drinking due to my inability to speak normally because of the incredible amount of Novacaine --and then proceeding to make fun of me for a while-- I'm feeling much better now. I promised his time was coming. He's due for some fillings too. *snicker*

Anyway, I think I'm going to enjoy this book.

The Gospel According to... Oprah?

2007-03-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

I found this clip rather interesting. I admire the courage of the two ladies who spoke up for the faith. It's a little discouraging to see how quickly they were shut down -- though not really surprising.

Interesting that we can't get into a "religious" argument in a discussion about spiritual matters.

The Love of God

2007-03-18T14:58:00.000-04:00

This is perhaps my favorite hymn. I love the poetic lyrics and the beautiful word pictures of God's love and grace -- and the history behind it is fascinating.

If you've never heard this hymn, then I suggest you get a copy of a CD from Pastor MacArthur's son-in-law, Kory Welch. He has a wonderful tenor voice. Pastor MacArthur, who also has a wonderful voice, joins him on two songs. Denny got me a copy of this CD for Christmas 2 years ago shortly before I contracted Crohn's, and I took it to the hospital with me. It was immensely comforting.

I also love the version done by 4HIM.

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Lyrics by: Frederick M. Lehman; Arranged by: Claudia L. Mays

Altar Calls 3: A Quote from the Doctor

2007-03-17T15:37:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent illustration sent to me by Kim at Hiraeth. Thanks so much, Kim!

"Or take another illustration out of my own experience. In the church where I ministered in South Wales I used to stand at the main door of the church at the close of the service on Sunday night, and shake hands with people as they went out. The incident to which I am referring concerns a man who used to come to our service every Sunday night. He was a tradesman but also a heavy drinker. He got drunk regularly every Saturday night, but he was also regularly seated in the gallery of our church every Sunday night.

On the particular night to which I am referring I happened to notice while preaching that this man was obviously being affected. I could see that he was weeping copiously, and I was anxious to know what was happening to him. At the end of the service I went and stood at the door. After a while I saw this man coming, and immediately I was in a real mental conflict. Should I, in view of what I had seen, say a word to him and ask him to make his decision that night, or should I not? Would I be interfering with the work of the Spirit if I did so? Hurriedly I decided that I would not ask him to stay behind, so I just greeted him as usual and he went out. His face revealed that he had been crying copiously, and he could scarcely look at me.

The following evening I was walking to the prayer-meeting in the church, and, going over a railway bridge, I saw this same man coming to meet me. He came across the road to me and said, 'You know, doctor, if you had asked me to stay behind last night I would have done so.' 'Well,' I said, 'I am asking you now, come with me now.' 'Oh no,' he replied, 'but if you had asked me last night I would have done so.' 'My dear friend,' I said, 'if what happened to you last night does not last for twenty-four hours I am not interested in it. If you are not as ready to come with me now as you were last night you have not got the right, the true thing. Whatever affected you last night was only temporary and passing, you still do not see your real need of Christ.'

"This is the kind of thing that may happen even when an appeal is not made. But when an appeal is made it is greatly exaggerated and so you get spurious conversions."

~ D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

Blog Meme

2007-03-16T23:20:00.001-04:00

Another meme! I love these. It's sort of like being interviewed. I saw this one at Hiraeth, but I guess Everyday Mommy started it.

What made you start blogging?

I honestly have no idea. It seemed like something to do. *snicker* I didn't start out with lofty ideals about sharing my faith -- I started blogging about my cat. (insert groans here)

What blogging host was your first?

Blogger. And we're still together after nearly a year. :)

How many different hosts have you tried?

Only Blogger for me.

How long did it take you to figure out how to install items in your sidebar?

It was a couple of months before I really started doing much with blogging, but once I started really spending some time on it, it didn't take long to play with the sidebar. Then for the longest time, I changed things on the sidebar more than I posted. It was the "Amazing Changing Sidebar". I think I'm pretty happy with it now, but check back next week -- there could be changes.

Do you blog on a desktop or a laptop?

Desktop.

PC or Mac?

What’s your biggest blogging “don’t”?

Don't post when you're upset about something. Get in prayer for a while, and if the issue still needs addressing, then do it when you're feeling more level-headed.

What’s your favorite blogging topic?

My faith and theological topics are my favorite things. But I love to post about my cat, too. (you may groan again)

What’s your biggest blogging frustration?

Coming up with something interesting to post about. Or putting topics that really, deeply interest me into words. Or the fact that I can't seem to get the cool graphic my son designed for my header into place. Or the fact that I can't seem to make my post titles link to the post. Or...

What’s been your biggest blessing from blogging?

The community and the friendships I've made. It's really a kick to me to have people I don't know locally come here and share their thoughts and opinions. And I have learned so much from other people's blogs and comments they leave. I feel truly blessed to be part of the blogging community.

Altar Calls 2

2007-03-16T18:00:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to expound a little more on this subject. I grew up in churches that did the standard 'altar call', and it was a time to:

A) 'get saved' or 'make a profession of faith'
or
B) 'bring your burdens and sins to the altar'

I think the main problem with option A is that the 'profession' is often made out of stark emotionalism -- for example, guilt and regret minus true repentance. Picture soft music, heads bowed, eyes closed, pastor pleads softly to 'make a decision'. I read here (though I've heard this before) that they did a follow-up on Finney's 'perhaps thousands" of converts and found a that real converts were comparatively few.

I believe it's better to let the Spirit move in His way and His time. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, "There is a danger in bringing people to a "birth," as it were, before they are ready for it."

And as far as option B, I really don't believe it necessarily takes a public 'service' to confess our sins one to another and bear one another's burdens. Another call to the altar that I have seen is to confess your sins and lay your burdens down. I don't believe that it is required to reveal every sin to the entire body of believers you are involved with. In fact, I think that can be quite damaging.

Confession should be first to God.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

If it's something you've done that hurt one person, go to that person and confess your fault. If someone has offended you, here's what Jesus said about that:
Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15

But if the one who has sinned against you will not listen:
But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. Matthew 18:16

Only after this is a public thing mentioned:
And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:17

If it's a public sin that hurt or affected many, then by all means, a public confession would be in order. But I personally have witnessed two cases of sins that should never have been revealed to the entire church.

The first was when I was a junior in high school. Two of my classmates who were dating were brought before the church --heads bowed in shame-- and their sin of premarital sex was announced to the church. I was horrified for them. I believe they were repentant, but this public humiliation was completely unnecessary.

Another case happened several years later. A married couple was brought before the church --his head was bowed in shame and she was crying-- and the sin was not exactly announced. However, it was stated that she 'had decided to forgive him', and that he was removed from his teaching position in the school affiliated with the church. My mother and I looked at each other and both of us shrugged. After the service, people were talking. We left rather quickly --I hate gossip-- and all I remember is that my mother and I both expressed that this was not handled in the right way. I left that church very soon after that.

All I'm saying is that I believe that these situations do not always have to be publicized. If the sinner is truly repentant, then handle it with as little publicity as possible. Matthew 18 says that if they are unrepentant, then you bring it to the church. Otherwise, if repentance has occurred:

Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
Proverbs 10:12

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

I don't take these verses to mean that if someone has sinned that we 'nod, nod, wink, wink' as though nothing happened. True repentance is needed in every case of sin. Paul said:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Galations 6:1

If the sin committed is not a public one, what good can come from making it public if the sinner has already repented? People gossip. Could the part of the above verse about "considering yourself lest you also be tempted" apply to gossip? Why report a sin that has been repented of to the entire congregation which is full of people at all stages of spiritual development? There may be people in the congregation that struggle with a wagging tongue. Or perhaps others struggle with a judgmental, condemning attitude. Why promote more sin in these individuals?

Of course I believe in accountability to our brothers and sisters, but I think the altar call does a little more harm than good in these cases. Accountability should be a little more personal. By all means let's have those around us that disciple us and those whom we disciple. And I'm not saying that no one can be saved through an altar call either, but...

Anyway, these are my thoughts after examining scripture and remembering some of my own experiences. Feel free to challenge my thinking. I appreciate that. Iron sharpens iron.

Altar Calls

2007-03-16T03:31:00.001-04:00

I was having a conversation a few days ago with a dear friend I'm getting to know a little better. We were talking about theological matters, and discovered that we both believed the same way about the issue of the 'sinner's prayer', or altar calls. I was looking up some stuff tonight and found this link of a Q&A with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Here's an excerpt of his answer:
I can sum it up by putting it like this: I feel that this pressure which is put upon people to come forward in decision ultimately is due to a lack of faith in the work and operation of the Holy Spirit. We are to preach the Word, and if we do it properly, there will be a call to a decision that comes in the message, and then we leave it to the Spirit to act upon people. And of course He does.

Well, that pretty much sums it up for me, too.

My Irish Name

2007-03-12T23:18:00.000-04:00

I know next to nothing about Ireland, so I feel I have little to offer the theme month at Rebecca Writes. I looked up some poetry and found one I liked by Yeats, but when I found out his spirituality, I couldn't post it in good conscience. I have been enjoying what others are offering up though. So anyway, I suppose I'll have to settle with showing you all my Irish name.

Your Irish Name Is...

Fiona Gallagher

What's your Irish Name?

I had to do it about ten times before I found one I could pronounce. :)
Fiona is the name of the lead character --played by Cyd Charisse-- in a favorite old movie of mine, Brigadoon. The movie was not set in Ireland though, but in Scotland.

Ok, so it's a little hokey
--and unrelated to all things Irish--
but I do love some of the old musicals.

So, it's finally come to this...

2007-03-11T18:17:00.000-04:00

Background info:

We have 6 cats.
Toby -- allows us to live with him in the house.
Moby -- outdoor stray who adopted us last summer.
Pinos, Wisper, Jasper, Li'l Jen (Denny named this last one. I know, it's pathetic and embarassing.) -- all these live in the basement, because they are not well behaved and like my kitchen counters.

For a few months now, Wisper, who is the oldest cat, has been incessantly scratching at the basement door to be let up. We let her up sometimes, but when anyone opens the door, she dashes back downstairs -- only to scratch to come back in seconds later. What can I say? She's a woman. She can't make up her mind. But let me say that it can be very disturbing when this is happening constantly.

We've tried everything to get her to stop. Aluminum foil taped to door -- didn't work. There is a serious amount of duct tape taped to the bottom of the door -- didn't work. Scaring her -- works only for a few minutes. Spray bottle -- only a few minutes. She's nothing if not persistent.

So today, Denny pulled out the big guns. It's been a while now and things are quiet...

Please pray for us. Our sanity is at stake.

*No cats were harmed. They're just really, really wet.*

The Book's the Thing

2007-03-09T22:48:00.000-05:00

Kim has another meme going, and since it's about books, I couldn't resist! Be sure to visit her new site, Bookworm Bookmarks -- really nice stuff there!

~Bookworm Meme~

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?

Depends on the book. If it's just a fictional novel, I don't care. But for theology books, I'll search till I find it in a hardback.

Online purchase or brick and mortar?

Both. I've bought books from Amazon, but I prefer eBay because you can contact the seller and ask questions, and there are usually better descriptions. But I have found most of my books at second hand stores. I rarely purchase new books.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?

Neither.

Bookmark or dog-ear?

Depends on the book. With a fictional paperback, dog-ear is not a problem. With my cherished theology books, never dog-ear!

Mark or not mark?

Not usually.

Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?

When we moved into the house we are in now, we made an entire room into my library. It started out sort of neat, but it's the biggest mess in the house now with books stacked every which way, in boxes and in stacks on the floor. And I seriously need to weed out some of the stuff I'll never read again, like some Lucados, etc. I have some books that I don't endorse to anyone, such as the Mess-age and the Purpose(lessness) Driven Church and Purpose(lessness) Driven Life. These were only for research purposes.

Keep, throw away, or sell?

Usually keep, but I'd love to know what to do with the lousy pop-Christianity books. I feel guilty giving them away, and even guiltier selling them. Any suggestions?

(Update - my very wise 17-year old son just suggested that they would be good for kindling)

Keep dustjacket or toss it?

Keep, unless it's in terrible shape, and then I toss.

Read with dustjacket or remove it?

Depends on the shape it's in. If it's in good shape, I use it as a bookmark.

Short story or novel?

Most often novels, but occasional short story, depending on the author. Some authors don't write good short stories, and you end up feeling like a lot is missing.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?

Either way, but again, I prefer novels.

Lord of the Rings or Narnia

I've read most of the Narnia books when I was a kid, but I don't remember them all that well.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?

Usually read till the book falls and hits me in the nose. But I try to make it to the end of the chapter.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?

“It was a dark and stormy night” ...sounds ominous, eh?

Buy or Borrow?

Buy.

New or used?

Definitely used.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?

Book reviews and recommendations. Or browse.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

If it's one in a series, I can handle a cliffhanger. If it's a stand alone, I must have closure!!!

Morning reading, afternoon reading or night time reading?

Whenever I can. But the bedtime ritual is to read till I nod off.

Standalone or series?

Either.

Favorite series?

I have no idea. Maybe the O'Malley series by Dee Henderson, or the Cape Refuge series by Terri Blackstock. Or perhaps Anne of Green Gables, by LM Montgomery. Or maybe...

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

Claude. *snicker*

Favorite books read last year?

I usually fly through numerous works of fiction in a year, but not as many theology books. I usually take a great deal of time getting through a theology book because I chew on it, cross reference things in my Bible, research on the internet, reread chapters... so it takes a little while to get through one book. And I often have several going at once.

I can say that a favorite theology book I got last year, but haven't finished yet, is Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Another theology book I started last year was Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. And yet another nonfiction? Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias.

A few favorite fictional works were Last Light and Night Light by Terri Blackstock, and a few books from the O'Malley series by Dee Henderson.

Favorite book of all time?

The Bible. Hands down. God's love letter to His people...

Crucified with Christ

2007-03-08T02:50:00.000-05:00

I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galations 2:20 KJV

When I was a little girl, my father asked if I'd like to memorize this verse. It was a daunting task to me at the time, but I did, and it has been ingrained in my memory perhaps longer than any other verse. I had no clue when a child as to the depths of its meaning.

In context, Paul was speaking to the Galations about the legalism and hypocrisy of attempting to add anything to the finished work of the cross. He rebuked Peter because he had left the ways of legalism and was living out his freedom in Christ by fellowshipping with the Gentiles, but then he turned away from them when a group of Jewish Christians came around -- who were perhaps young in the faith and still clinging to legalism. Barnabas, too, was taken with this hypocrisy.

Paul went on to explain that the work was finished on the cross. We have been crucified with Him. Christ lives through us. We live our mortal lives in these bodies in dependance upon Him. We no longer live by the law, but through grace. And living by the Spirit will cause us to walk in obedience to Him. We can't do this on our own.

How often do we try to live by a set of rules instead of by faith in our Saviour? How often do we strive to do good works in an attempt --consciously or not-- to curry favour with the Almighty?

Beloved, this should not be! His work was finished on the cross. And I believe that it demeans this holy work to think that we can add anything to it.

My son, My son, why are you striving,
You can't add one thing to what's been done for you,
I did it all while I was dying,
Rest in your faith, my peace will come to you.*

I have seen first-hand the pain that comes from trying to live by a set of rules that is so stringent that none could follow. How blessed we are when we realize that the saving work of Christ is finished, and we do what we do out of love for the Saviour of our souls and not out of an urgency to prove something that we could never prove anyway! And how we need to pray for those under the bondage of legalism so they would know the freedom and grace through faith in Christ which negates the need for the tutor of the law!

*When I Hear the Praises Start ~ Keith Green

Still More...

2007-03-04T01:37:00.000-05:00

...cat idolatry?

He did this all by himself. I figure this has to be one of the most uncomfortable positions I've ever seen him in. And here's another for your amusement. Denny got creative with the perspective.
This is the 'up the nose' shot.
I do not advise looking too closely...And yes, I sometimes wear orange. Got a problem with that? :)

Aha!

2007-03-02T22:32:00.001-05:00

Updated below...
Last night, following some links led me to a page that gave me a serious "Aha!" moment. First, I'll delve into some background.

I grew up in a Baptist church, and as a child, I think I was given good, basic Biblical training. I was taught to memorize scripture and the books of the Bible. I went through Awanas. But I left in rebellion at the age of 18 before I had really absorbed any doctrine.

I floated along in the world for a number of years, picking up knowledge of this and that in college and elsewhere. I voraciously studied many things --psychology, advertising, law, science, English grammar-- but never theology. I had an unregenerate heart, so what did I care? But still I believe the Father was calling... I was simply spiritually deafened to His voice.

At one point, He broke through my hardened heart, and cleansed me. I'll leave the details of that for another post, because that's not what this one is about.

Fast forward to last year. We were attending a small church, and some of the doctrine taught was difficult to accept. I had never really studied theology, remember? So Calvinism, though not a new concept, was something I didn't know inside and out. I had been reading numerous Christian books for a number of years, but hadn't really gone in depth with that doctrine yet.

As we were taught "Calvinism", I had more and more questions that couldn't be satisfied. So eventually, I did what I often do at those points, which is stop striving so hard, rest in the Lord, and study other things. Our experience at that church ended abruptly, and I had found that when I started blogging, I was bothered by the many sites I saw speaking of Calvinism. To me this was a harsh, unloving and uncertain doctrine that I absolutely could not wrap my mind around. I knew from the limited study I had done that Arminianism was seriously flawed, but IMO so was Calvinism. So even though I have found sweet fellowship with so many of you who believe this doctrine, I kept it at arm's length because it seemed deeply flawed to me. And I didn't want to even address it. So in a way, I felt like I didn't fit in.* I absolutely affirmed the five solas --have for years-- and many other things I read on your blogs, but Calvinism? No, thank you.

Fast forward to last night's "Aha!" moment. I ran across this site. I can't even remember what I was originally looking for, because when I read this, it was like a weight was lifted off of me, and things made sense! I believe that I had not been taught Calvinism, but a form of hyper-Calvinism!

This part in particular hit me hard:

Third, mark the fact that hyper-Calvinism "encourages introspection in the search to know whether or not one is elect." Assurance tends to be elusive for people under the influence of hyper-Calvinist teaching. Therefore, hyper-Calvinism soon degenerates into a cold, lifeless dogma.

At no time since I had been saved had I questioned my life in Christ until being immersed in this doctrine. Then I doubted constantly! Was I one of the elect? Would I be truly saved? And I later heard from others in the church who also struggled with this. No one told us to do this introspection, but some of the teachings ultimately promoted it.

At one point we were given a scenario much like this in class:

Joe and Fred are in the same church service. Both hear the same gospel message. Both go forward and repent of their sin, and profess belief in Christ. Joe is saved, but Fred, even though he really thinks he is saved, is not one of the elect. Therefore, even though he continues in a lifetime of serving the Lord, he is doomed to outer darkness.

This is the point at which I began to doubt if I was one of the elect. I began to question everything. I cried out to God --with literal tears-- that if He was going to allow me to think that I was His, only to reject me at the end, what point was there in following Him? Denny and I talked about it, and though he was not suffering doubts of his salvation, he was also questioning what we were being taught. The twistings were subtle, with the possible exception of the above illustration. This is the point at which I decided to stop striving and to rest in Him. I believe this is when God gave me assurance that I was His, and that what I was being taught was wrong.

But until last night, I didn't have a name for it. Thank you for taking the time to put out this article, Mr. Johnson. This takes a load off my mind, and I believe that I'm ready to delve into this doctrine again.

*I felt like I didn't fit in. ~ I wanted to clarify what I meant by this phrase. I didn't mean it in a sense of there being some "club" I felt left out of, but in the sense that though I was interacting on various blogs there was a sense of a wall that I didn't know how to --or if I wanted to-- scale. I don't know exactly where I'll end up after studying Calvinism more deeply, but at least now I know what it isn't, and it's not so forboding to me anymore. :)

Contest

2007-02-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

I've been following the career of an up-and-coming new artist that I first heard about through The Thirsty Theologian. Aaron Job is a young talent on the rise who has his own personal blog, Aaron Job Draws. Recently, he held a contest to match 8 moods with 8 drawings depicting them. I jumped right in, and I won! Woohoo! The prize was a personalized Aaron Job original, shown below:
It was so cool of him to draw something for my blog, and color me impressed! Isn't this a fabulous picture? Of course, I can take no credit whatsoever for having guessed the moods correctly, because the truth is that Aaron Job drew them so well, it wasn't difficult at all!

I urge you to go check out his other work. And while you're over there, you might take a look at his two works of fiction, The Haunted House and The Snow Monster.

Thanks so much, Aaron Job! And God bless you as you use your talent for Him!

Interesting Post

2007-02-26T17:14:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting post at Pop-Christianity. It's about Christian music groups who don't want to be called Christian.

Children's Poetry: The Daisy Follows Soft the Sun

2007-02-26T14:48:00.000-05:00

A sweet little poem for theme month at Rebecca Writes:

THE DAISY FOLLOWS SOFT THE SUN
by: Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

THE daisy follows soft the sun,
And when his golden walk is done,
Sits shyly at his feet.
He, waking, finds the flower near.
"Wherefore, marauder, art thou here?"
"Because, sir, love is sweet!"

We are the flower, Thou the sun!
Forgive us, if as days decline,
We nearer steal to Thee,--
Enamoured of the parting west,
The peace, the flight, the amethyst,
Night's possibility!

Cat Idolatry

2007-02-22T01:40:00.000-05:00

Our internet connection was out on the 20'th, so I managed to get a few extra things done around the house. I also took a little time in the evening while Denny was typing some stuff and half-watched an old movie while glancing through some second-hand copies of Cat Fancy magazine that I picked up. Many of you are aware that I have somewhat of a thing for cats. Don't worry, Denny knows, and he's ok with it. Sorta. :)

I really love my cat. We have 6 cats, but Toby is the one I've really bonded with the most. He's cute- he's fuzzy- he loves me. But some of the things I saw in this magazine seriously shocked me. There's loving your cat, and then there's idolatry.

The magazine is chock full of beautiful photos of every kind of cat you can imagine -- from house cats to wild cats. That's A-ok with me, and why I got the mags in the first place. But some of the articles and advertising are amazing. Did you know there is health insurance for cats? Sad, but true. Many people cannot afford health insurance for themselves or their families, yet there is at least one insurance company for cats. And many of the ads and articles made me feel like PETA was looking over my shoulder! Because I refuse to mortgage my house to feed my cats Hill's Science Diet and instead buy a Wal-Mart brand, I am probably considered a pet abuser.

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a wee bit with that last comment, but what about cat astrology? Did you know that there's a book about it? I have no idea if the author was serious, or if this book is tongue in cheek, but either way, it's more than a little weird! Here's a quote:

Get a cosmic glimpse into your cat
Unlock the mysteries of your pet, including why Aries cats are adrenaline junkies prone to love at first sight, why Gemini kitties are intelligent goofballs, and why Leo cats need to be the center of attention.

Uh, every cat I've ever known exhibits all these traits... And there's no such thing as love at first sight for a cat. It's called heat.

So if all that isn't weird enough, there's an article on --get this-- feline plastic surgery! I am not joking. The article is entitled (Cat) Nip/Tuck. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, your kitty can get:

a tummy tuck
a nose job
skin grafts
tail implants
cosmetic dentistry
eye implants
testicular implants

That last one is a vanity implant for the male cat who is suffering gender issues after surgery... I can't even believe I'm telling you that, but try to remember that the truth is often stranger than fiction. There's no way I could have made this up.

And not that I noticed in the magazines, but a related issue... Pet resorts? We pass one occasionally in Pittsburgh, and when I think of the money that people spend on their pets so that said pet can be treated better than any human I know when the owner goes on vacation... I could just hiss and spit.

They're pets people. Love 'em, play with 'em, feed 'em right. But don't worship them. I mean, they don't even have souls for pete's sake. So if you ever hear me say anything goofy about Toby, understand that I do have it all in perspective.

I'm glad I didn't subscribe. Oh! and no, Toby will not be getting the implants.

It Came! It Came!

2007-02-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

The USPS brought me a treasure indeed today. My 1968 hardback copy of Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has arrived! I couldn't believe the excellent condition of this book! If you read my former post on this subject, you'll remember that my paperback copy was falling apart page by page. This hardback copy was printed in my birthyear and I do believe that it's in better shape than I am...

We went out to visit Denny's mom today, and on the long drive over I spent some time pondering why I have come to appreciate this author so much. I think it's because I can read his compassion on every page. I believe this man deeply loved the truth of God's Word and pulled no punches in conveying it, yet he also truly loved the body of Christ and spoke that truth in love. I have the sense that even though he is no longer traveling this earth with us, he left behind a legacy of care for God's sheep.

This means so much to me personally after having had an extremely painful experience with an abusive pastor last year. A pastor can "speak with the tongues of men and of angels", but if he doesn't love, his words are nothing but a clanging gong. "...Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." 1Cor. 8:1b

I think this is why my heart resonates so deeply with all I'm reading from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I think this man must have spent much time at the feet of Christ to learn the honesty and compassion he clearly conveys through his writings. Oh, that more pastors would follow this example!