I. Introduction – The Temple In our class last week, Tommy taught us that we should be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Well, He’s here. And here in Luke 2, we get our only inspired snapshot of Jesus between infancy and adulthood. And we’ll see in just a few short verses something … Continue reading The Temple
I. Introduction: How Did the Magi Know? Back in 2015, I traveled a lot more than I do today, and in December 2015, I found myself in the grand metropolis of Otley, UK. Now in the UK, I don’t know if they know what a warm sunny day is, but that weekend, the rain had … Continue reading The Gifts of the Magi, the Gift of Our Savior
How did the magi know to go look for the Savior? More importantly,, how do *you* know to go looking for the Savior? Christmas has already brought us the greatest gift.
I. Introduction We are continuing our special series of bible studies on Advent, and this week we are going to study Hope. I sort of felt like I made a mistake this week studying. I loved Chris’ lesson on Joy last week. Chris told us he relied heavily on Brad’s lesson, and he was teaching a … Continue reading Hope
I. Introduction We’ve been studying the book of Galatians and the truth of how God loves us, to free us from our bondage to sin. So that no one may boast by works, our salvation is secure through faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. And I also know we’re supposed to study Galatians … Continue reading True Freedom
I. Introduction Let’s start our lesson today in the book of Joshua, book 10. We actually have to start at Joshua 1 to find our place in history, so let’s have a little background. Moses has led the Israelites out of the land of bondage with the Egyptians. For several reasons, Moses was not … Continue reading I Believe in Miracles
I. Introduction I have missed a few weeks due to travel again. I was fortunate enough that the weekend wasn’t too windy or cold or rainy, so I got out to see a Victorian Festival in Otley UK. The very first thing I saw was a brass band – I love brass bands, I … Continue reading Gifts of the Magi
I. Introduction History and prophecy. God uses both throughout time to display to all creation that He alone is in control. There is prophecy that tells what God will do, then, when God fulfills His promise, the prophecy becomes history. And then there is new prophecy. Some prophecies have already come true; others are … Continue reading Revelation 12, Jesus Defeats Satan
First, some background about the way I select my clothes in the morning. I generally put the freshly laundered clothes on the left side of the closet, and select clothes to wear from the right side. I suspect women select their clothes based on mood, impression, temperature, moon phase, and other factors I can't deduce, … Continue reading Pink and Green
The best way to give wings to the Christmas Spirit is to give gifts to people who need them. My wife and I exchanged few gifts this year, opting instead to give to charities instead. Instead of giving somebody a trinket they didn't need, we'd ask them what their favorite charity was. Then we'd give … Continue reading How to Gain the Christmas Spirit
The message of Christmas is simple: God loved us, so He sent His son to us. We're celebrating His birthday. Ways to celebrate this gift to us are many, and bring peace and joy to us, knowing that God loves us. We can spend time with those we love. We can spend time with those … Continue reading How to Kill the Christmas Spirit
God bless Joellen Murphy for her ministry. Joellen Murphy is putting together a campaign to counter atheist messages at Christmastime. Atheists in the nation's capitol have been campaigning to get Americans to doubt God's existence this Christmas, but one Christian woman is standing up against their efforts. Joellen Murphy had been praying for a chance … Continue reading I Believe Too
I could call this the "Day After Trying to Recover From What Might Have Been a Minor Flu Edition," but I won't. Christmas Season and Flu Season accompany each other every year, like Hansel and Gretel, or Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. I had just enough aches and pains to baby myself to prevent a flu... heck, … Continue reading Christian Carnival CCLIV
Image via WikipediaWhen I was a child, I celebrated Halloween. I didn't care for the gory and gruesome stuff. I didn't even care for the scary stuff. I thought the costumes were fun, and I loved the candy. As an adult, I see more evil in the world thatn I'd like to admit. Today in … Continue reading Happy Halloween
The Houston Chronicle has a story about the "tradition" of regifting Christmas presents - Scrambling to find the perfect, last-minute Christmas gift? Then put down that bottle of wine. And please — back away from the blender. Chances are the person you give them to will slap new bows on the boxes and pass them … Continue reading The Tradition of Regifting
It turns out blogging is hard when you don't have access to a computer. Oh sure, there's the carrier pigeon, but that can be messy. I skipped many, many days. I was away for much of the last two months. Since July, I've been to France, Italy, Poland, France, Germany, Poland, France, Germany, France, San … Continue reading Slow Return
Beliefnet has setup a "Holiday Culture Wars Blog" that makes for some interesting reading. From a Christian perspective, they've highlighted television shows with sexually-explicit lyrics set to Christmas music, obscene art that is "rife with Christmas-themed debauchery," and how Christmas has become so secularized to the point where atheists "unhesitatingly wish everyone a Merry Christmas." … Continue reading Holiday Culture Wars
This was a good month again for Mechanical Investing; I'm catching up to the market, though still lagging behind. Let's check the numbers - Last 4 weeks: +4.3% Last 3 months: +3.2% Year to date: +1.0% (Dow is +14.7% ytd from 10,718) Last 12 months:+0.9% Holding for another month: Ticker Bought Now Months Return … Continue reading Mechanical Investing for December 2006
A manger scene without baby Jesus? ST. ALBANS, W.Va. - Christ is missing from Christmas in this small town. The community's holiday display has a manger with shepherds, a guiding star, camels and a palm tree, but no baby Jesus, Mary or Joseph. The parks superintendent said Jesus was left out because of concerns about … Continue reading Christ is Missing
I'm boycotting "Winter Holiday" again. If you want to celebrate some sort of pagan winter thingy, you just go right ahead. But if a retailer can't acknowledge that I'm celebrating Christmas, then I'm not going to shop there. I did this last year, too. Some changes from last year, though - Wal-Mart firmly has the … Continue reading Boycotting "Winter Holiday" Again
If you ever shower, expect to be sued. Many people find the sound of running water soothing and peaceful. Not Marvin and Goldie Smith, who have sued their neighbor over her 5 a.m. baths. The couple, 83 and 78 respectively, live on the eighth floor of the Polo Club Condominiums near the Cherry Creek Shopping … Continue reading Do You Ever Shower?
... I don’t ride for the politics of it. I ride because it’s fun...
I wish you and yours the merriest Christmas ever. The birth of our savior is indeed cause for celebration, and I hope that the time you spend with family and friends is a joyous time.
Amy Wellborn reminds us all of the dark side of Christmas. A must read. Here's a snippet: The really traditional Christian remembrance of the Nativity is not about sweetness. It is about awe, fear, and trembling, and it is shot through with hints of suffering to come. Mary, with a scandalous pregnancy. Joseph, courageous enough … Continue reading A Sword Will Pierce Your Heart
For some, decorating for Christmas doesn't come easily. I refer, of course, to color blind engineers like myself. Here are some handy Christmas plans for Engineers and Drafters to make sure your Christmas decorations are prepared properly according to specifications.
Here's an early Christmas present; thanks to CADRE Comments for the tip. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Mercer County's right to display in a court house the Ten Commandments along with the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta, and the National Motto ("In God We Trust"). American Civil Liberties Union … Continue reading Separation of Church and State
An administrator, Patricia Sonntag, at California State University, has banned Christmas. "Time has come to recognize that religious discrimination, as well as ethnic insensitivity to certain holidays, is forbidden," Patricia Sonntag, director of the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities, stated in the directive she e-mailed to members of her staff on Dec. 9. … Continue reading Banning Christmas
I'm still boycotting the neopagan Winter Holiday, whatever that is. For this next year, I'm taking it one step further. Listen up schools, businesses, and retail stores: Christmas is a federal holiday, an official United States holiday. If you can't acknowledge that it's Christmas, I want nothing to do with you. I will assume that … Continue reading Still Boycotting Winter Holiday
Like an artist’s brushstrokes, music can be very revealing, and each note can be a signature of the musician.
As some of you know, I'm boycotting "Winter Holiday" again this year. I'm not even sure what that holiday is, but I'm pretty sure it's some sort of pagan / atheist thing. Whatever it is, I want none of it. For me, it's Christmas. And for many, it's Christmas. Why is so terrible to acknowledge … Continue reading More "Christmas," Less "Holiday"
"In all of this haste, all of this shopping, all of this worrying about budgets and finding the right thing for that difficult-to-shop-for friend, amidst the travel and houses full of family, the grumpy uncles and the weepy aunts, it’s hard to remember this time of year offers some beautiful opportunities."
The politically correct Handel's Messiah, right here in my hometown: Both an awe-inspiring holiday tradition and a memorable religious experience, Handel's Messiah returns this holiday season. Guest conductor Christopher Seaman leads Houston’s premier performance of Handel’s choral masterwork, which includes the timeless Hallelujah Chorus. Would it be so bad to actually say that the music's … Continue reading Hallelujah!
I saw a copy of this last week, but now Snopes has the details. See the most amazing Christmas Light show set to Wizards of Winter and Jingle Bells. * Tip from Res Ipsa Loquitur.
Kevin McCullough at Crosswalk is organizing a Christmas Card campaign to cheer up those folks at the ACLU: Go get as "Christmas" a Christmas card as you can find... something that says.. "Joy To The World", "For Unto Us A Child Is Born", but at least "Merry Christmas", put some of your own thoughts into … Continue reading Wishing the ACLU a Merry Christmas
Some time in the 1990s, the annual spruce placed on the Washington Capitol grounds started being called the "Holiday Tree" instead of "Christmas Tree." Nobody seems to know why it was changed, but it was at about the same time Bill Clinton was in the same city and struggling to keep his pants up. Coincidence? … Continue reading Oh Christmas Tree
Yeah, yeah, I know I said I'd be trading next Monday, not today. Next week though I'll be busy in meetings through lunchtime and I won't have access, so I moved it up a week. So solly cholly. The Dow surged ahead this month and some problem stocks had the hiccups, so the Dow beat … Continue reading Mechanical Investing for December 2005
The Alliance Defense Fund wants you to know that it's ok to say, "Merry Christmas." Christmas is a cherished time of year when Americans come together and celebrate something bigger than ourselves, something that has united us for generations. An event that is the center of all history—the birth of Jesus Christ. Surveys show that … Continue reading Merry Christmas. It's Okay to Say It.â„¢
Guitarist Brian Welch, has parted ways with Korn, the band he helped start. Guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, a founding member of Korn, has left the band and has rededicated his life to Christianity, according to the group's management. "Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, … Continue reading Korn Guitarist Finds God
I really dislike the rebate system that a lot of companies are using. I bought a gift this Christmas that was a little over my price range, but it came with a rebate coupon for $50. I cut the UPC symbol off the box, filled out the paperwork, and waited. Eight weeks later, I get … Continue reading Rant Against Rebates
I am not a brownshirt, although it's certainly starting to look like it. After buying the Firefly DVD series last August, I watched an episode with Sean. Well... ok, more than one. After the first episode, he said he could stay for another. And then another. I think we watched 5 in a row before … Continue reading Where Oh Where Has My Firefly Gone?
I'd appreciate your prayers today. I'll be having Lasik surgery this afternoon. Having your eyeballs lasered sounds like some "B" movie science fiction torture method, but I'm assured this surgery is a positive thing. I'll try to post an update when my vision recovers.
I'm having a weird feeling dizzy feeling. For my brother-in-law, I found a geeky gift. I want to turn him into a true geek someday so our bonding will be complete, but he's not there yet. He's too intellectual still and can recite poems and Homer's Iliad by heart. Stop it; let me find you … Continue reading Defend Yourself Against Hobbits
A houseful of dogs for Christmas was most amusing. Patch is used to having the house by himself most of the time, and most of the time he's very well behaved. He leaves the occasional brown surprise behind the sofa, I suppose, but what dog doesn't? Patch doesn't usually chew slippers or possess other destructive … Continue reading Go Dogs, Go!
They looked at me like I was crazy. I had a larger family gathering planned for Christmas this year, but those plans got derailed this year. My stepfather went into the hospital for a whole laundry list of problems (thank you for your prayers, by the way - he's home and doing much better!), and … Continue reading Christmas Packages
Coming back after the Christmas holidays, I've shocked by the news from Asia, where a tsunami has killed thousands - 22,000 at the last estimate I've seen. A huge, catastrophic number. Some of the pictures are personal - I vacationed once in Phuket, Thailand when my mom and sister came to visit me in Singapore. … Continue reading Tsunami Catastrophe
This was a special, blessed Christmas for me in so many ways this year. My son came home to visit from college, my step-father got to come home from the hospital, I spent Christmas Eve with my beautiful sweetheart for the first time in years, and wonders of wonders it snowed on Christmas Eve in … Continue reading Blessed Christmas to All
Wee Fish Ewe a Mare Egrets Moose Panda Hippo Gnu Deer
Let me tell you of a story about a man named Frank; he almost got his girl arrested, he's going to get a spank. Then one day he was looking so cool, and then the next he was looking like a fool. Time, that is. Incarceration. Camp Cupcake. Er, sorry for the bad Beverly Hillbillies … Continue reading His and Hers, But She's Going to Jail
Don't we often complain that the news gives us only the bad news? When the news gives us a story of faith, hope, and love, let's celebrate it. Brian Holman, former pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, has a family full of trials, from his own rehab to a child falling off a snow resort chairlift … Continue reading Faith and Love – Brian Holman's Story
I went to visit my step-father in the hospital today; I hope to visit him tomorrow if he's up for company. I had trouble finding a parking spot because they had torn up the road for construction. At home, I met with a contractor to install a new dryer vent. He was here for 4 … Continue reading Saturday Stress Relief
Eight Days till Christmas. Are you ready? Most of my family will be here for Christmas *SUNDAY* and I think I'm barely going to be ready in time. The rest of you lucky squirrels have another week to get ready. I've been occupied and forgetful, and I'm going to get all caught up in a … Continue reading These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
This cartoon will appeal to only a very few people. I happen to be one of them. 🙂
Peggy Noonan has a great article about how the faith and politics today. It's too bad she only writes on Thursdays. The first example she had was when reporters questioned President Bush's speechwriter, Michael Gerson. The reporters wanted to know when the president refers to his "belief" whether he is speaking in "code" to evangelicals. … Continue reading As Long as Democrats Think That, Republicans Will Win
I don't know if they called it a Holiday Tree or a Christmas Tree, but either way, it's gone. Since it was decorated with non-religious ornaments, I'm guessing it was a Holiday Tree. Here's a picture of the actual tree so you can see for yourself. In any event, it's been removed to "make sure … Continue reading Removing the Tree
I wouldn't normally post this except I'm amused. 😛 Coming home from church last night (the 2nd of four Advent studies), I stopped to fill up with gas. Swipe my card, fill up, swap the windows, hang up the nozzle, get back in the car... And a young woman interrupts just before I close the … Continue reading No Good Deed Unpunished
I hit the gym on the way home, and on the Bally's entry door is a poster I've not seen before, something about a sweepstakes and I need to get a card punched. All I have to do is exercise 12 times between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I'm probably halfway there already. All the service … Continue reading Customer Service Humbugs
As a follow-up to yesterday's "Boycotting 'Winter Holidays,'" Michelle Malkin describes this as a "persecution." She's starting a "Lump of Coal" campaign for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for eliminating all references to Christmas: Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper recently announced that next year the phrase "Merry Christmas" will be removed from the city building and replaced … Continue reading Lump of Coal Campaign
Yep, I'm boycotting "Winter Holidays" as a completely useless and meaningless psuedo-pagan holiday. I'm celebrating Christmas. The birth of Christ, a reminder He came to die for our sins, the loving and giving we share with each other as we remember the loving and giving Jesus gave to us. I'll happily pile on the odd … Continue reading Boycotting "Winter Holidays"
See if you can find the "Christ" in this Christmas movie: Santa v. the Snowman Santa vs. the Snowman follows a lonely snowman on his quest for friendship. Mesmerized by the magic of Santa’s village, the Snowman devises a plan to take over Santa’s job and win the adoration of children around the world. What … Continue reading Santa Versus the Snowman
If my train of thought leaves Chicago at 35 miles per hour.... What am I doing? Oh, nothing. Thanks for asking. I was just reflecting on how much I enjoy having this website and all the visitors that leave comments, but some days I just don't feel like diving into the topic du juor. Al … Continue reading Stream of Consciousness
I never intended to blog politically, but that's sort of the way it turned out over the last few months. I guess that's normal, given the elections. As I get older, I get more opinionated. I read many of my favorite blogs the last couple of days; some are gloating, others are purposefully not gloating. … Continue reading One Day at a Time
Here's something I don't want for Christmas: Tortilla Art. Here's a picture of Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Revolutionary war hero. "The preparation of the tortilla for painting is as important as the actual painting itself. I first bake several tortillas to get the right texture, shape and coloration for the image I want to paint."
That was my first 3-day weekend since June. I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed my 3-day weekends every other week. Friday was a day of nothing; puttered around the house, read blogs, played some Ultima Online, and waited for Alex to show up so we could catch "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." … Continue reading Relaxing Weekend, Back to Work
Everywhere I look, it's "National Guard" this and "National Guard" that. The media appears to be coordinating a worldwide "Attack Bush" day. Odd, they didn't give the Swift Boat Vets this kind of attention; they waited a couple of days, buried the info on page A17 and hoped it would blow over. The media is … Continue reading Bush Proudly Completed National Guard Service
One of the cries from the left is that George Bush lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction, then took us into war with Iraq. That's the foundation of the "Anybody But Bush" movement. Michael Moore's movie is based on this premise that Bush lied. I find it funny that these are the same people who … Continue reading Looking for an Honest Candidate
This is such a neat idea. I hardly ever mail real letters anymore; I used to order 100-stamp rolls at a time, but now I still have a whole bunch of 33 cent stamps. I bought a bunch of 1 cent stamps, used them all up, and now have some 4 cent stamps. It'll be … Continue reading Personalized Stamps
I spent the weekend scanning and scanning and scanning; this time, the slides I converted cover 1963-1965. As you can see, my sister was a *lot* more enthusiastic about having her picture taken than I was. Here's the new slides this weekend: 1963 4th Qtr - Kittery Maine 1964 1st Qtr 1964 2nd Qtr - … Continue reading Family Photos: 1963-1965
'Twas the night before graduationand all through the housenot a creature was stirringwell except my son on the computerand Patch the wonder dog with his red, white, and blue bandanaYeah, yeah, I know the cadence isn't right, I'm bushed. It feels sort of like Christmas around here. The refrigerator is stuffed with deli hams and … Continue reading High School Graduation Eve
"I'm on top of the world, Ma!And I wanna get down!"These photos start in late 1971 while still living in Tucker, Georgia and bring us through our move to Houston in early 1972, and then our visit to Arizona and Mexico in late summer. 1970 3rd Qtr - TuckerStone Mountain. They were still working on … Continue reading New Family Photos (1971 -1972)
Chasing the Wind 
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