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Showing posts from January, 2009

Brain Itch Songs

aka Earworms...

The weather outside is frightful

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...but I have my Digital fireplace on the TV and the fire is so delightful! And since I am working from home, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Christian Reality shows

Interesting . Would Jesus say "Huh?"

Thoughts on the Sovereign hand of God in time and space

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I was thinking about my father today- how an army dentist somewhere in the early 1950’s encountered this young man with horrible teeth- the result of poverty, non-chlorinated well and spring water and no dental care- and determined he should have all his teeth pulled and be sent to Newfoundland rather than Korea. Thus my sensitive father was spared the horrors of war and a relatively smooth ride in his army career, which also taught him his trade. He returned to his home unscarred, unlike many who were sent to war. I attribute this to the hand of a sovereign God who wanted to bless me with a father who didn’t have to overcome the emotional trauma, or worse, that might have resulted in a theater of war. He used that unknown dentist to change the path of Dad’s life. Now just multiply that simple encounter with the “series of intersecting incidents beyond our control” Benjamin Button speaks eloquently, if mysteriously of. This will drive one to worship. A God who is in control is g...

Movie Review

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Just saw the Curious Case of Benjamin Button this evening. The first thing I note is the liberties the screenwriters took with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. The infant Benjamin bears no resemblance to the bearded articulate old man of the story. The results are an appropriately lush embellishment of the original which it bears little other resemblance to than its title. Jonathan Edwards wrote in his Resolutions this ninth entry: "Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death." Chances are this didn't make the top ten of your New Year's resolutions, right? This film will force you to think about the meaning of life. That holy place is where this movie took me. In spite of its failure to rise to the greatness it held potential for, I believe it is important in the fact that it highlighted the impermanence of real life in a cosmetic world dominated by youth culture. It raised important questions which ...

Another installment

So far we've come up with 429 old sayings our parents were known to use on a consistent basis. I have a theory that this is in part the reason why Earnie and I are very strong analogical thinkers. Anyway it's just a theory... I also note that I cannot think of many of these idiomatic/axiomatic sayings that have been created in the past fifty years. They all seem to have emerged over the mid 19th to early 20th century. Other than "jump the shark" I cannot think of many new ones out there. Or am I just getting old? 200. Like a bull in a china shop 201. Tippecanoe and Tyler too 202. They are as thick as thieves 203. He’d rob you blind 204. My get up and go just got up and went 205. Don’t make promises you can’t keep 206. That thunder is just God’s tater wagons turning over 207. He’s drumming up trouble 208. Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care 209. About as useful as a screendoor on a submarine 210. That and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee 211. What this country nee...

The sayings we grew up with...

This is a work in progress, as we keep thinking of new ones. Earnie's folks, especially her Mom, had a saying for everything, and sometimes she even pulled the old switcheroo and combined sayings in funny ways, We called those Jennyisms. Here is the first installment, as the list grows longer... 1. Don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your mother’s back. 2. He is true blue. 3. A man’s word is his bond. 4. He has more ….than Carter has liver pills 5. He has more ….than Carter has oats. 6. Lord, have murder. 7. He is as good as gold. 8. Good gravy! 9. No grass grows under my feet, big boy. 10. For Pete’s sake! 11. Crooked as a barrel of snakes. 12. She looks like a million bucks. 13. More fun than a barrel of monkeys. 14. Me and Old Willie will get er done. 15. See you later, alligator, after while, crocodile. 16. He is the salt of the earth. 17. Once in a blue moon. 18. He was deader than a doornail. 19. I’m going to hit the hay. 20. Glad you got to talk to me. 21. We’re on an ev...

Vast Lefty Conspiracy

I knew something like this would happen...

It Thrills my Soul

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For the past dozen-plus years since we left Dallas, we have been the beneficiary of prayer support from a group of ladies and other friends from our former church. I cannot express (but I'll try) my appreciation when we get a prayer letter from the Mary Lou's. These are now ten ladies who meet weekly for prayer. This is the sort of prayer that avails much- persevering prayers of the righteous sustain us and our life. We stay in contact with these folks and take encouragement that they have not forgotten us though we labored in their midst so many years ago. I also hear on a regular basis from dear friends the Gotts who are ever in our corner. I don't know where we would be without the prayers of our friends. We need all the help we can get!

On the Downside

FInished Comprehensive exams and now it's up to the evaluators... I actually had a weekend (remember those?) before making contact on my prospectus. Back to work and creating a learning portal as of today! Thanks to all who have been praying for the process!