I'm ready to pack it in, essay-wise. I'm tired and I have no idea what to write. In fact, I'm wondering if honesty is the best policy: I don't know why Matthew leaves out a statement that Luke and Mark include! I bet I'd still get an okay mark if I admitted that.
Anyway...instead of working I'm watching YouTube and hoping inspiration will strike. Probably not, but until it does, I'll leave you with something to watch as well.
Well, I don't know about you, but I feel better now!
Sunday 30 October 2011
Thursday 27 October 2011
10 Things Married People Miss
I read an article about 10 things married people miss about being single. Here's my take on them, from the perspective of a single person.
1. Spontaneity. Absolutely. It is much easier for me to just do stuff, even little stuff like running errands, than it is for married people and especially if those who are married with children.
2. A good night's rest. Again, there is something to be said for not sharing the bed, and for not having children wake me up in the night.
3. Being selfish. Okay, here's where things are different. I get that it's fun to be selfish, but it's something I actually fight as a single person. I need to keep myself involved in the lives of others to avoid selfishness. Unlike the writer of the article, I don't think it's a good thing (but I agree that we all tend to lean that way).
4. Traveling solo. Yes. Although that may be just me; I know single people who want traveling companions.
5. The chase. Really? If it's just the admiration of men that you want, you'll still get it (assuming that you got it when you were single), so your need for affirmation is fulfilled. If it's the choice you miss... maybe you should be happy with your choice. At the very least, remember what it was really like: generally the ones who chase are not the ones you want to chase you. Trust me on this one.
6. Not checking in. There is something to be said for being able to change my plans last minute or stay out longer than I had planned (some of that comes under point 1). On the other hand, there is some bit of loneliness that comes from knowing that if I get home late -- or not at all -- no one will notice.
7. Random hook-ups. I have no experience with this one, nor do I ever plan to.
8. Shameless flirting. Yeah, like married people never indulge in this. The difference is that they shouldn't, and if they do, it shouldn't lead anywhere.
9. Not sharing the remote. I do like that I can watch what I want, when I want (well, movies and TV on-line, but the idea is the same).
10. Meeting new people. Do married people not do this? Really? Actually, I'm not big on meeting new people. I'd really like a way to go from strangers to friends (or at least acquaintances) without having the stress of meeting people, trying to remember names, and deciding if I really want to know this person.
So here's what I take from this: married people miss being selfish, being spontaneous, and other relationships (which often seem to link back to points 1 and 3). Interesting. As a single person, I will concede points 1, 2, 4, and 9 as being good things. Point 3 I try to fight. For points 5, 7, and 8, I have to say as I don't have enough experience (um, which means that even if you were single, you might not either; even if you did, it may not last). Point 6 has both pros and cons.
There: 4 good reasons to remain single. That's enough for me!
1. Spontaneity. Absolutely. It is much easier for me to just do stuff, even little stuff like running errands, than it is for married people and especially if those who are married with children.
2. A good night's rest. Again, there is something to be said for not sharing the bed, and for not having children wake me up in the night.
3. Being selfish. Okay, here's where things are different. I get that it's fun to be selfish, but it's something I actually fight as a single person. I need to keep myself involved in the lives of others to avoid selfishness. Unlike the writer of the article, I don't think it's a good thing (but I agree that we all tend to lean that way).
4. Traveling solo. Yes. Although that may be just me; I know single people who want traveling companions.
5. The chase. Really? If it's just the admiration of men that you want, you'll still get it (assuming that you got it when you were single), so your need for affirmation is fulfilled. If it's the choice you miss... maybe you should be happy with your choice. At the very least, remember what it was really like: generally the ones who chase are not the ones you want to chase you. Trust me on this one.
6. Not checking in. There is something to be said for being able to change my plans last minute or stay out longer than I had planned (some of that comes under point 1). On the other hand, there is some bit of loneliness that comes from knowing that if I get home late -- or not at all -- no one will notice.
7. Random hook-ups. I have no experience with this one, nor do I ever plan to.
8. Shameless flirting. Yeah, like married people never indulge in this. The difference is that they shouldn't, and if they do, it shouldn't lead anywhere.
9. Not sharing the remote. I do like that I can watch what I want, when I want (well, movies and TV on-line, but the idea is the same).
10. Meeting new people. Do married people not do this? Really? Actually, I'm not big on meeting new people. I'd really like a way to go from strangers to friends (or at least acquaintances) without having the stress of meeting people, trying to remember names, and deciding if I really want to know this person.
So here's what I take from this: married people miss being selfish, being spontaneous, and other relationships (which often seem to link back to points 1 and 3). Interesting. As a single person, I will concede points 1, 2, 4, and 9 as being good things. Point 3 I try to fight. For points 5, 7, and 8, I have to say as I don't have enough experience (um, which means that even if you were single, you might not either; even if you did, it may not last). Point 6 has both pros and cons.
There: 4 good reasons to remain single. That's enough for me!
Saturday 22 October 2011
Almost Done
I have one major paper and one small paper to write. They're due in 10 days. Then the semester is over and I'm done until March.
I've started the major paper and fully intend to write the small one in a day (or a couple hours, depending on how things go). I'm still feeling very unmotivated to actually write. Which is probably why I went to Calgary with friends yesterday instead of working on the paper. The official reason is that there is a used Christian bookstore in Calgary that's closing down and all their books are half price. We picked up 22 books for the church library for $50. We also got a few books for ourselves. And I actually did some work on the drive down (not so much on the drive back because it was dark) and have a very detailed outline of the first 3 sections of the major paper (including notes for which source to use when). I suppose it will get done on time...somehow.
In more amusing news: I have a new cell phone and it has a voicemail-to-text feature. It doesn't always get the voicemail right though.
What my friend said: I feel touched to have such lovely ladies talking to me (or something like that).
What was transcribed: I touch a lovely lady.
I've started the major paper and fully intend to write the small one in a day (or a couple hours, depending on how things go). I'm still feeling very unmotivated to actually write. Which is probably why I went to Calgary with friends yesterday instead of working on the paper. The official reason is that there is a used Christian bookstore in Calgary that's closing down and all their books are half price. We picked up 22 books for the church library for $50. We also got a few books for ourselves. And I actually did some work on the drive down (not so much on the drive back because it was dark) and have a very detailed outline of the first 3 sections of the major paper (including notes for which source to use when). I suppose it will get done on time...somehow.
In more amusing news: I have a new cell phone and it has a voicemail-to-text feature. It doesn't always get the voicemail right though.
What my friend said: I feel touched to have such lovely ladies talking to me (or something like that).
What was transcribed: I touch a lovely lady.
Sunday 16 October 2011
Church Notes
Today's sermon was about the sending of the 12 and the death of John the Baptist (Mark 6:6-30: John's death comes between the 12 going and then coming back).
My small elf draws pictures of the sermon passage. Today she had John in jail off to the side. Then there was a line down the page to indicate the next scene in the story. I'm going to do my best to describe the scene for you.
At the top of the page was a banner. Then there were 2 people sitting on chairs at a table holding forks and knives with plates of salad in front of them. They were happy and enjoying their food. There were balloons all around the page. At the bottom of the page was a similar scene with a slight difference: under the table a balloon had popped which startled one person at the table; the person jumped and hit the table, causing his salad to fly off the table into his face. These people looked startled.
Got that? It's a happy, banquet scene for Herod's birthday. And right in the middle of the picture, with a table of happy people above and startled people below, were two people with a platter between them. And on the platter was John the Baptist's head. These were also happy people, except John, who was definitely not happy!
And on that note....
The line that struck me most was "all that borrows life from Thee." Think about it; if I have time, I'll write some of my thoughts later this week.
My small elf draws pictures of the sermon passage. Today she had John in jail off to the side. Then there was a line down the page to indicate the next scene in the story. I'm going to do my best to describe the scene for you.
At the top of the page was a banner. Then there were 2 people sitting on chairs at a table holding forks and knives with plates of salad in front of them. They were happy and enjoying their food. There were balloons all around the page. At the bottom of the page was a similar scene with a slight difference: under the table a balloon had popped which startled one person at the table; the person jumped and hit the table, causing his salad to fly off the table into his face. These people looked startled.
Got that? It's a happy, banquet scene for Herod's birthday. And right in the middle of the picture, with a table of happy people above and startled people below, were two people with a platter between them. And on the platter was John the Baptist's head. These were also happy people, except John, who was definitely not happy!
And on that note....
The line that struck me most was "all that borrows life from Thee." Think about it; if I have time, I'll write some of my thoughts later this week.
Friday 14 October 2011
Kids and Personal Space
Most kids have no understanding of personal space. I have a girl at work who is always right in my face. Yesterday...
Me (moving back and extending my arms enough that she can't come forward): Personal space! This is my space!
She always laughs and complies when I outline my personal space...until the next time! But this time there was a third voice.
Younger girl: That's right, everyone has a bubble and her bubble is bigger than yours. My bubble popped!
At least now I understand why they have no thought for personal space!
Me (moving back and extending my arms enough that she can't come forward): Personal space! This is my space!
She always laughs and complies when I outline my personal space...until the next time! But this time there was a third voice.
Younger girl: That's right, everyone has a bubble and her bubble is bigger than yours. My bubble popped!
At least now I understand why they have no thought for personal space!
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Disobedience and Blessings
I know, all the time, that I don't deserve God's love and forgiveness and blessings. Sometimes, though, it seems extra clear that what I deserve has nothing to do with what I get.
Today....was a very bad day (or at least a bad morning). In fact, it's been a rough week or so. I'm so busy with work and school and stuff and I've been overwhelmed and overloaded. And, in the midst of it all, I've been pushing aside prayer and time spent in the Word (yes, while I've been writing a paper on the epistles of John....go figure). And, eventually, it affected my attitude hugely.
So today was not a day to be proud of. And then, at the end of it, He handed me a little, unexpected break and blessing. And it was enough to stop me in my tracks and lead me to repentance.
I makes me wonder, too. Here I was ignoring God and walking straight into a sinful attitude, and He very gently and kindly reminded me that He is here and He loves me no matter what and nudged me back where I belonged. There have been other times, though, when He's pulled out the big guns and knocked me back in line and it was very painful. I wonder, though, if He tried gentleness then too and I ignored Him, or took the blessings for granted.
I think that I need to pay attention to all of God's blessings and to always remember that I don't deserve them, and be thankful.
Today....was a very bad day (or at least a bad morning). In fact, it's been a rough week or so. I'm so busy with work and school and stuff and I've been overwhelmed and overloaded. And, in the midst of it all, I've been pushing aside prayer and time spent in the Word (yes, while I've been writing a paper on the epistles of John....go figure). And, eventually, it affected my attitude hugely.
So today was not a day to be proud of. And then, at the end of it, He handed me a little, unexpected break and blessing. And it was enough to stop me in my tracks and lead me to repentance.
I makes me wonder, too. Here I was ignoring God and walking straight into a sinful attitude, and He very gently and kindly reminded me that He is here and He loves me no matter what and nudged me back where I belonged. There have been other times, though, when He's pulled out the big guns and knocked me back in line and it was very painful. I wonder, though, if He tried gentleness then too and I ignored Him, or took the blessings for granted.
I think that I need to pay attention to all of God's blessings and to always remember that I don't deserve them, and be thankful.
Sunday 9 October 2011
Unbelief
Today Pastor James preached from Mark 6:1-6, on the wonder of unbelief. He said some things that resonated with me; I've seen them over and over when I've been speaking with people. Here are my notes:
Unbelief makes anything but the truth more believable than the truth, no matter how unbelievable it is.
Unbelief is a state; it is not an intellectual problem but a spiritual problem; it is a problem of inability apart from divine intervention.
Unbelief fails to recognize the obvious, gets entangled in the inconsequential, and takes offence at the messenger.
Here are my thoughts:
He's absolutely right. I have spoken with enough people who will believe the oddest things but will not believe the Bible. Moreover, nothing will change their minds. And as Pastor James said, the people around Jesus saw miracles, knew that what Jesus was doing was amazing and had never been done before...and still rejected Him. If proof was all people really needed, there would have been no unbelievers in Israel when Christ was alive.
Beyond that, I have had enough people argue irrelevant points when I speak with them about God. They get stuck on things that Christians (and professed Christians who likely were not really Christians) have done in the past and refuse to care about what Christ has done.
But Pastor James didn't leave us there. He pointed us to John 6:65 and reminded us that unbelief can be overcome through God.
Unbelief makes anything but the truth more believable than the truth, no matter how unbelievable it is.
Unbelief is a state; it is not an intellectual problem but a spiritual problem; it is a problem of inability apart from divine intervention.
Unbelief fails to recognize the obvious, gets entangled in the inconsequential, and takes offence at the messenger.
Here are my thoughts:
He's absolutely right. I have spoken with enough people who will believe the oddest things but will not believe the Bible. Moreover, nothing will change their minds. And as Pastor James said, the people around Jesus saw miracles, knew that what Jesus was doing was amazing and had never been done before...and still rejected Him. If proof was all people really needed, there would have been no unbelievers in Israel when Christ was alive.
Beyond that, I have had enough people argue irrelevant points when I speak with them about God. They get stuck on things that Christians (and professed Christians who likely were not really Christians) have done in the past and refuse to care about what Christ has done.
But Pastor James didn't leave us there. He pointed us to John 6:65 and reminded us that unbelief can be overcome through God.
Friday 7 October 2011
Lyrics
I was listening to "Clayton Erb: Unceasing Worship." Clayton Erb is the music minister (or some such title) at Grace Community Church in California (John MacArthur's church, the one I attend when I go down for school) and the CD is from his 30th anniversary in that role (and it was free). On of the hymns is "It Is Well..." and listening to it (and singing it) always makes me smile. There's a line "My sin, o the bliss of this glorious thought,...." When I was very young, I didn't understand the use of dashes and commas and could not understand why we were singing about being happy about sin!
The full lyrics, though, are:
My sin -- O, 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!
I also have trouble not giggling whenever we sing the fifth line of the second verse of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
I know it's "which" and not "witch" but I still think it sounds like you're calling Mary a witch. I used to think I was the only one until one Christmas. I was standing with some friends in church, singing the hymn, and when we came to that line I made the mistake of catching someone's eye. We started the fight against giggles which spread to the rest of our little group.
I know these are great hymns of the faith (well, the first one is anyway) and I don't want to detract from that. I just find certain lines very funny, and I wonder why no one else laughs. Either everyone else is more mature than I (possible, but not probable; not everyone I know is that mature) or they are also trying not to laugh (more likely in some cases, which is why I don't look at anyone at these lines) or they don't see/hear things the same way I do (rather likely, in my experience) or they don't think about what they are singing (and in some cases, I think that's very likely).
The full lyrics, though, are:
My sin -- O, 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!
I also have trouble not giggling whenever we sing the fifth line of the second verse of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
I know it's "which" and not "witch" but I still think it sounds like you're calling Mary a witch. I used to think I was the only one until one Christmas. I was standing with some friends in church, singing the hymn, and when we came to that line I made the mistake of catching someone's eye. We started the fight against giggles which spread to the rest of our little group.
I know these are great hymns of the faith (well, the first one is anyway) and I don't want to detract from that. I just find certain lines very funny, and I wonder why no one else laughs. Either everyone else is more mature than I (possible, but not probable; not everyone I know is that mature) or they are also trying not to laugh (more likely in some cases, which is why I don't look at anyone at these lines) or they don't see/hear things the same way I do (rather likely, in my experience) or they don't think about what they are singing (and in some cases, I think that's very likely).
Sunday 2 October 2011
Church Notes
Today I started teaching my class about the Reformation. We are going to take one Sunday a month to learn about different characters and events of the Reformation. Today we talked about some of the problems with the Roman Catholic church by the 1100s: they only wanted the Bible in Latin so the common people couldn't read it, they preached about purgatory and penance, and they equated the teachings of the church with the Bible. We also learned about Peter Waldo, one of the pre-reformation characters, who lived in France in the 1100s (we won't actually get to the actual Reformation until December). I think it's important for the children to start learning some church history now so they know not only the truth but what people are willing to sacrifice for the truth and so that they could all have nice English Bibles (and that they should know their Bibles).
In the lesson we learned that at one time 35 of Peter Waldo's followers were burned in one fire by the Church. To which one student replied, "Well, at least they weren't tarred and feathered." I guess....
Today's hymn is one from my childhood, a version of the 23rd Psalm.
In the lesson we learned that at one time 35 of Peter Waldo's followers were burned in one fire by the Church. To which one student replied, "Well, at least they weren't tarred and feathered." I guess....
Today's hymn is one from my childhood, a version of the 23rd Psalm.
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