Woman Saved by Firefighters

Posted by Michael on July 2nd, 2009 filed in News
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A heroic story that will bring tears to your eyes. Swiss firefighters save a woman who said her television was on fire.

ZURICH (AP) — It must rank among the easiest fires ever to put out.

Zurich authorities say police and firefighters were called to the house of an elderly woman early Thursday after she reported her television set was burning.

When they arrived, they discovered no signs of fire or smoke.

They found instead that the TV was tuned into a German station that in the early morning hours aired the constant image of a fireplace.

“The fire was extinguished with the press of a button,” police said in a statement.

Texans versus Steelers

Posted by Michael on June 30th, 2009 filed in Fun Stuff
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My wife is a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I don’t mean *she* is huge, she’s actually quite thin. But her enthusiasm is huge.

And it’s contagious, so I’ve been a Steelers fan for several years. I admire the work ethic, the faith, the character of the men playing. And the Steelers are awesome.

But secretly I’ve been a Texans fan. I admire the owner and the team has caught several bad breaks since their opening season. Last year, the latter half of the year, the Texans were incredible, especially knocking off the undefeated Titans.

I really think this is their year. Matt Schaub looks healthy, he’s a skilled quarterback, and the Texans defense has made some changes so that if they’re just average, the team as a whole will be great.

When (not if, but when) the Texans get to the playoffs, they’ll meet the Steelers. That will be an interesting day around the house.

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Disqus

Posted by Michael on June 29th, 2009 filed in The Blog
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Disqus. Pronounced “Discuss.” It’s a new feature I’m trying out, and I’d love your comments.

Really. The whole idea is to encourage better comments. You can see replies to your comments, there’s a discussion page, you can better see other people’s comments. It even links to social sites like Twitter and Facebook.

And for Jo, a long awaited feature. If you “claim” your comments by creating your own Disqus account, you can even edit your comments. Finally.

So drop me a comment. Tell me yay or nay, keep it or junk it?

Stimulating Toads

Posted by Michael on June 24th, 2009 filed in Finances, News, Politics
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A plague of frogs is coming, funded by the US Government: the Wyoming Toad Recovery Program.

I’m hoping for a Locusts Recovery Program next.

Living by the Gospel

Posted by Michael on June 23rd, 2009 filed in Bible Study
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Usually when I post a bible study lesson, it’s all formatted nice and neat. The new bible class is an interactive format, and I thought that preparing a full lesson might inhibit discussion. So instead, I’m just posting my outline and thoughts; this week’s lesson explores the balance between legalism and freedom.
————–
Introduction

Story: Cockayne’s Syndrome

Ralph Dury was all smiles when he celebrated his first birthday with a very special party yesterday. The youngster suffers from Cockayne Syndrome, but his parents, Melanie and David, are determined he should enjoy his life to the full.

Thanks to the generosity of Wearsiders, Ralph has been celebrating after receiving the £4,000 needed to turn his Seaburn bedroom into a specialised sensory room.

Melanie, 38, said: “Everyone has been so generous, we are absolutely delighted. It is amazing and the room will be a huge benefit to Ralph.” Ralph’s condition means he will probably never walk or talk, but Melanie and David, 40, who are also parents to Annie, 11, say their son is a beautiful, happy youngster who is always smiling.

Ralph is one of just a handful of children – about 15 in the UK – who have the congenital type of the disorder, which is so rare it took doctors months to give the family, of Alston Crescent, a diagnosis.

When Ralph was 24-hours old doctors noticed he had cataracts on both eyes and started to find the underlying problems. The youngster soon became ill with a viral infection and hospital staff
discovered his feed was going into his lungs, leading to him now being tube fed.

Doctors carried out exhaustive tests on the baby, but it was only when Melanie mentioned to the family geneticist that Ralph had become sunburnt, despite being in the shade, that a skin biopsy was sent to a specialist and the diagnosis of Cockayne Syndrome was confirmed.

Cockayne Syndrome is a rare disorder characterised by failure to grow, impaired development of the nervous system, abnormal sensitivity to sunlight and premature aging.

The condition can cause hearing loss, eye abnormalities, severe tooth decay and problems with internal organs.

Knowing her son’s time will be limited, Melanie has quit her job as a college lecturer to care for him and is looking forward to playing with him in his new sensory room, which should be ready in a couple of months.

I’m not going to diminish the tragic medical problems that this family is facing. But spiritually, many also fail to grow. And while we recognize a physical growth problem is cause for serious concern, we have come to accept a lack of spiritual growth as normal.

• What are some signs that let us know there is something physically wrong with a child’s development?
• What are some signs of healthy spiritual growth and development?
• Does spiritual growth “just happen,” or must we do something to promote it?
• Which is more important to spiritual growth: learning God’s Word, or applying God’s Word?
Galatians 3:26-29

Aside: Galatians 3:26. NIV uses “sons”, TNIV uses “children.” KJV uses “children”.

Who are the children of God? Does it include non-Christians? Does it *exclude* non-Christians? Paul is talking to Jews here, so it’s important to realize that both Jews and Gentiles enter God’s family the same way, by faith in Christ.

Last week, Debra taught us that we are no longer under the law, but the law was necessary as part of the old covenant. Now, as believers, we are no longer under the law’s supervision.

Verse 27, is baptism required? Is it fulfillment of law? Does it save?

What do you think it means by “put on Christ?” The Greek word is ????? (endy?) and means to put on clothes, but it also means “to sink into.” What image does this give you of baptism? What image does this give God of us?

Verse 28. Proud Jewish men thanked God that they were not Gentiles, slaves or women. Gentiles thanked God for not making them animals, barbarians or slaves. Are some of God’s children “better” than other children? What’s a word for this attitude? (Pride or prejudice). How does this manifest itself today?

The distinctions between God’s children are evil distortions. In reality, we have nothing of our own to offer Christ that Christ did not already give us. Our self-righteousness appear in heaven as filthy rags unless we put on Christ. There is a phrase attributed to Martin Luther that we are “snow covered dung heaps.” Should we be proud of the dung, or of the snow given to us by Christ?

Galatians 4:1-7
Verse 1. Heirs are underage; the Old Testament was our guardian. When we grow up, we will inherit Salvation when we accept Christ.

Verse 3, “elemental Spiritual forces” or “basic principles.” Like ABC’s, elementary school.

Verse 7. Slaves to what? The Old Testament law. Does this abolish the law?

So then does legalism, a strict adherence to the law, show spiritual growth or spiritual bondage?

Paul’s admonition to the Galatians was to stop behaving like slaves to the law, but as sons of the law.

Are we completely free of the law? How, then do we interpret John 14:15, where Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Here are some differences between slaves and sons:
Sons Slaves
Same nature as the Father Does not
Has a father Has a master
Obeys out of love Obeys out of fear
Rich Poor
Has a future Does not

What are we?

Galatians 4:8-11

Free from our old ways.
What are some ways we place ourselves back in bondage?

Verse 9: Why does Paul add “or rather known by God” to his message? As believers, do we find God? Or does God reach out and draw us? If we credit to ourselves that we find God, is it a sin?

Verse 10: Is it wrong, then, to celebrate Christmas or Easter?
If we observe special days in order to gain some spiritual favor, then we are sinning. We are relying on our own works, we are relying on the law, but we are free from the law. But if we observe special days as worship, as service, as an expression of our liberty and freedom in Christ, it can be a blessing.

Romans 14:4-13 says we are not to mandate religious observances. Romans 4:5-6a, “Some consider one day more sacred than another; others consider every day alike. Everyone should be fully convinced in their own mind. Those who regard one day as special do so to the Lord.” In other words, we do not praise people for celebration, nor condemn people for not celebrating. But if a man believes he is saving his soul or growing in grace because of his religious observances, then he is guilty of legalism.

How can we apply this information to observances at Second? What about how we feel about other churches, such as the Catholic church or Joel Olsteen or pentacostal or Church of Christ?

Galatians 4:12-16
Verse 12: Become like me, for I became like you. Paul adjusted to the culture of the Galatians without compromising his Christian convictions. How can we adjust our behavior to influence our culture and society for Christ? At work, at play? What is the risk? (We risk compromising our convictions).

Verse 15: “Torn out your eyes” lead some scholars to believe that Paul has a vision problem, his thorn.

Verse 16: Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? This is difficult for me. Why should we tell people the truth? Should we tell people what Jesus says, or what we think He means? How can we know whether what we’re saying is the truth? The Judaizers believed they were telling the truth by preaching adherence to the law.

I recently saw a quote I liked that went something like, “This is a witness: live your life in the Spirit. People will want what you have. When they ask, don’t tell them what they have to do; tell them what happened to you.”

I think the urge is to tell people what they have to do. We tell new believers, we tell old believers. We talk about believers. Speaking the truth, I think, involves trying to understand scripture for ourselves, but too often we try to understand it for somebody else.

Galatians 4:17-20

Is enthusiasm always good? Enthusiasm, by itself, is neutral. On the other hand, to be enthusiastic about good is always good.

We are enthusiastic about new believers. We also discussed the importance of baptism and a recognition to be free of the law, yet to obey it out of love, not fear.

Knowing this, what advice do we give new Christians? What changes are necessary to become a Christian? What changes are necessary to grow as a Christian? Are these changes mandatory?

The Galatians had embraced a false doctrine of works, and verse 20 shows Paul had become perplexed about what to do. Paul’s letter to the Galatians implores us to put on the clothes of Christ, to become more and more like Him, not out of fear, but out of love. That’s why we have bible study – it essential for spiritual grown, not stagnation. It helps us take on His character.

What steps can we take to make sure we are not misled by false doctrine?

Growth in Christ implies life in Christ. If we do not grow, we do not live. What steps can we take to become more spiritually mature?

What holds us back:
• Spiritual warfare
• Ways of the world
• Pride, war against self
• Lack of knowledge
• Lack of understanding
• Drifting away
• Rebellion
• Distraction

What grows us:
• Prayer
• Quiet time
• Attending church
• Attending bible study
• Fellowship with other believers
• Reading the bible on our own
• Serving – evangelizing, donating, hosting. Practice makes perfect.

In the story of David and Goliath, we focus as children on the fact that David slew Goliath with a mere stone. As spiritually young, we learn that we can do all things through Christ. But David did not slay Goliath on the spur of a moment. There was a lifetime of preparation, of training, prayer, and obedience. At the moment David was challenged, he was ready. Paul reminds the Galatians – and us – that we are to continue to grow in the freedom Christ has given us so that we may fully recognize the inheritance given to us as children of the Living God.

Galatians 4:21-28

We are children of the free, not children of slaves

Conviction versus Tolerance

Posted by Michael on June 17th, 2009 filed in Faith
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My wife showed me an article this week; I *think* it was from the Museum of Natural History, but I can’t be sure. The article was mostly well-written and talked about how by a very early age, 6 months, humans begin rational thinking. Babies know that hidden objects haven’t disappeared but are still there, that sort of thing.

Then the author went into how some knowledge is influenced by our environment and is wrong, though it takes critical thinking to see the flaws. Children know that object fall down, but trying to picture us on a spherical planet is harder, and children want to know why people on the other side of the planet don’t fall off.

Then the author discussed how also at a very early age we learn to trust adults over other children and some adults more than others, and how we trust our parents over scientists.

Then came the twist. Most Americans believe Darwinism has flaws, and God created the world. Children believe God created animals, even if they are the children of atheists.

The conclusion was that humans that doubt Darwin must be flat-earthers and must be trained to trust scientists over their parents. Obviously I have a problem with that.

Dr. Young has a wonderful essay today in the Houston Chronicle about the intolerance of the psuedo-tolerant and how we can stand by our convictions and yet be tolerant of those intolerant toward us. But part of his essay lists scientists who doubt Darwin.

Darwinian evolution is a major doctrine in the humanist religion at whose altars so many of America’s supplicants of political correctness bow. The keepers of the high PC religion apparently don’t want students to know that scientists like Henry Schaefer (nominated five times for the Nobel Prize), Fred Sigworth, Robert Kaita, Dean Kenyon, Carl Koval, William Dembski, Siegfried Scherer, David DeWitt, Theodore Liss, William Pelletier, Muzaffar Iqbal, Walter Bradley, Theodore Saito, Marvin Fritzler, Keith Delaplane, Clarence Fouche, Hugh Nutley, Fazal Rana, and 82 others signed a statement reading, “I am skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”

I would suppose, if the museum article had read this, that the author would then suggests that not all scientists are trustworthy and must be vetted against Political Correctness first. Which is also Dr. Young’s point, that those with convictions are systematically being excluded from the secular debate because people with convictions infuriate those that call themselves “tolerant.”

This is why I am not only against government intrusion in my life but I also want a realistic alternative to government funded public schooling. The government will choose what our children are taught, regardless of whether the parents care for that teaching. *And* we’re forced to pay for it through our taxes. I want to redirect my taxes toward schools that reflect the morals and values I hold.

Conservative, Moderate, or Liberal?

Posted by Michael on June 15th, 2009 filed in Politics
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I’m amazed by two things -
1) Conservatives outnumber liberals by 2:1 (the newsmedia implies otherwise)
2) We have a very liberal President.

I remain convinced the reasons the Republicans lost is because because they tried to appeal to liberals.

I am a conservative. Who can I vote for that will represent my values? Reagan won 58% of the vote because he was unashamed to be conservative.

More here.

Bad Start. Reset, Begin Again.

Posted by Michael on June 15th, 2009 filed in Personal Stuff
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So, the dog steps on a bee during the mandatory walk.

Last night, the mighty dog hunter slayed a cockroach. Knowing the propensity of the wife to scream upon spying cockroaches, dead or alive, it behooves me to remove the carcas from the middle of the dining room.

A water, swirling grave is called for. But as the water recedes, taking the evil and suddenly very much alive cockroach with it, my auditory sensory receptors detect an anomoly. The toilet is not refilling. The toilet contraption, which I call “the contraption,” is stuck in the off position and must be replaced.

I leave a most un-romantic note for the wife, detailing dead bugs and broken toilets.

I also have a voicemail from General Electric who says they’re coming today to repair the oven. Since I didn’t schedule this appointment, I wonder why it now becomes my responsibility to cancel it. Attempts to do so, however, are met with further automated voices telling me to call back later.

Not as bad as last week when a machine called me and asked if I wanted to speak to the DSL phone technician, and when I pressed “1″ for yes, proceeded to place me on hold and tell me in a patient but automated and uncompromising way that my wait time would be 12 minutes. But still.

I have to wait till 8 to cancel the oven repair. I have to use my lunch our to buy a toilet contraption. Pulling into the work parking garage, I nearly hit a large turtle. I put on the emergency blinkers, moved the turtle to the lake to the side. Parked the car and walked into a giant spider web manned by a maneating spider that’s probably still in my hair as we speak, who is understandably upset that his web was not strong enough to catch this morning’s meal of the humanoid biped.

That’s the first hour today. How’s your day going?

How Would You Introduce Christ?

Posted by Michael on June 11th, 2009 filed in Faith
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How would you introduce Christ to a room full of people?

Christian Carnival CCLXXVIII

Posted by Michael on May 30th, 2009 filed in Christian Carnival
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Late for Work

Posted by Michael on May 6th, 2009 filed in Personal Stuff
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I was late for work this morning with a new and unusual excuse. First, let me setup the scenario.

It’s a little stressful around the house right now. Last Tuesday we received nearly 10 inches of rain in about 5 hours. I woke up that morning to find an inch of water in the study. Fortunately, the floor isn’t completely level and the computer gear was on a tiny island. Unfortunately, the closet absorbed a lot of water and all the boxes on the floor. And we’re sure the walls have absorbed water and will have to be replaced.

There was eighteen inches of water in the garage. Shop vac, camping stove, other minor stuff was ruined, but the water was high enough to cover the floorboards of both cars.

So I’ve been talking to the insurance company a lot this week. Homeowner’s insurance, flood insurance, townhome group insurance, and two separate auto insurance claims come into play. Last night, a remedial company drilled holes in the water and sprayed anit-mold chemicals and set up two noisy air dryers. The house is noisy and smells funny.

I dropped my car off last week to be repaired; my wife’s car is still pending because the rental car company only seems to make a car available for an hour before saying “oops, sorry, it’s rented already.” And I’m driving a smelly, beatup rental car that reinforces my believe that Enterprise Rent a Car supplies only trashy vehicles.

On top of that, I’m working 65 hours a week, trying to hit an important, expensive deadline.

So this morning, I’m up a little early. I’m going to de-stress and pick up a latte on the way to work and count it as my protein for the morning. And I chill, relaxing in the car, listening to AM 700 talk radio.

After a while, I glance at the clock. It’s 7:00 on the nose.

After a while longer, I glance at the clock. It’s still 7:00 on the nose.

And I realize it’s not 7:00am. It’s 700AM. What I thought was a digital clock was actually the radio station readout. It’s likely to be 700AM all morning.

And that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.

The iBible

Posted by Michael on May 3rd, 2009 filed in Faith, Fun Stuff
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