Linda, Jessica, and Caleb at the Blue Dot

http://jesscaldwell.blogspot.com/2009/10/glimpse-of-goodness-of-god-in-blue-dot.html

The following is a John Macarthur sermon I heard and saw a couple of years ago

http://sgm.edgeboss.net/download/sgm/events/t4g08/t4g08-session3.mp3

Grab your Bible and follow along.

Augustine's City of God probably will not make Oprah's list this year, however...

So this seems to be a major reason why the good are chastised along with the evil, when God decides to punish moral corruption with temporal calamities. Good and bad are chastised together, not because both alike live evil lives, but because both alike, though not in the same degree, love this temporal life. But the good ought to have despised it, so that the others might be reformed and corrected and might aim at life eternal; or, if they refused to be partners in this enterprise, so that they might be borne with, and loved as Christians should love their enemies, since in this life it is always uncertain whether or not they are likely to experience a change of heart.

Augustine in City of God Book 1 Page 16

Children and salvation

Ht: John Bracken
http://www.ccwonline.org/cconv.html

Discipline with Faith

http://harmonyridge.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/discipline-with-faith/

I like Mat Kearney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkX_i3eYR3o

Re-think Education

The recent court ruling that favors the ACLU’s viewpoint regarding public schools has created much talk. As I understand it, the view is that the absence of God should be the norm in public schools. The end result is nothing short of atheistic worldview indoctrination and therefore has gone too far. For example: no teacher may discuss their views of God in the classroom, and no adult is permitted to thank God out loud at banquets. Evidently, the court’s ruling was so severe that the ACLU thinks the district was in violation because someone prayed at a banquet that was done after school hours, for non-instructional employees, and in which no students were present. How come our government officials pray before special events and banquets? Where was the ACLU when President Obama had Rick Warren pray at the inauguration? It is a good thing the inauguration wasn’t held in Santa Rosa County and God forbid, at Pace High School. Furthermore, teachers may not participate in student-led Christian clubs that meet prior to the school day. We are not even allowed to be supportive of our young people’s faith by reading the Bible with them before school. If a person has read the Pensacola News Journal they would be inclined to believe that prior to Judge Casey’s ruling, teachers were frequently using class time to indoctrinate students in their particular religious viewpoints. As things presently stand, teachers may not discuss various viewpoints about religion (Christianity in particular) in the classroom, and then give their personal opinion. Discussion and free thinking have been outlawed, because of the rights of a few.
We have reached the point in Santa Rosa County where it is illegal for school leaders to speak of Christ in a positive manner. Why would we want to educate our kids in such an atheistic environment? Even now zealots are calling for Mr. Lay’s resignation. Mr. Lay does not live in isolation, so you can not mess with Mr. Lay without messing with a bunch of us. Maybe it is time for the Church to a make a massive exodus from the public schools. Yet sadly, I think that most Christians don’t really care enough about all of this to do much of anything. I have been a public school teacher in Santa Rosa County for twenty years. My observation is that though we are home to so many great people, few public school parents have raised their kids with a solid Christian worldview. Even good ole Pace High School didn’t help much in that area. The extent of most people’s Christianity is this - frequent church attendance and a solid youth group. We want our teens to be entertained in a wholesome environment. Our biggest concerns are: making a good living, sports, keeping our kids off drugs, protecting our kids from tough teachers/ensuring our kids have high GPA’s, and helping our children avoid teen pregnancy. The fact that everything has been created through Christ and for him is not on the radar.

To the Dentist and Beyond

The following is from Josh Patterson at the Village Church.

I have a good friend who just went to the dentist and has nine cavities. At one time? Nine? I asked my friend, “Do you brush with sugar?” How is this possible? I thought it had to be some kind of record. But, my friend informed me that we have another mutual friend who had 13 cavities in one visit. This was not as shocking to me because this friend is from Louisiana and, well, just the fact that there are 13 teeth in the first place is something noteworthy.

The cavity scandal generated a lot of questions for me. I began polling people to better understand this mystery, and, hopefully to find the key to cavity free teeth. Did you have your teeth sealed at the dentist? Most had. I asked if people brushed. Most do (at least once a day). Do you floss? Most don’t (count me in the “no” category). In general most people had their teeth sealed, brushed daily and flossed intermittently. Isn’t this the formula we are supposed to follow? Close. The last piece of the puzzle is a regular trip to the dentist. And, interestingly enough, an infrequent visit to the dentist was the common denominator in my lackluster research.

What does this have to do with anything? Apparently, a lot. A visit to the dentist is a preventative measure. It gives us the opportunity to catch something early. It allows us the chance to have someone else assess the situation and help. My friends who are cavity laden have waited years between a visit to the dentist (they had dental insurance the whole time). This has led me to think about the parallel to my own life. Neglecting checkups from others is costly.

If I live in isolation, never open up and let someone else check out what’s going on, then I run the risk of rotting out. I might be doing some of the “prescribed” measures, but I can’t do these alone. They are insufficient in isolation and are most effective in community. Cavities are one thing, but rotting your heart is a whole new issue. Who knew that cavities and community had some parallels?