Fri, Nov 23rd - 1:12PM

Mel's Thanksgiving List

Well, it is that time of year again.  Most people point out correctly that we should not only be thankful now, but always.  However, failing that, I allow this Holiday I would have a hard time ignoring be a blessing despite the commercialism that surrounds it.  (I'd be surprised if some of you are not shopping right now, with the great sales and all)  Just because it is a commercial endeavor does not mean it cannot be a good time.  BTW, if you are shopping today, don't let me be saying that you are wrong somehow simply because of that.  You can examine your own motives better than I and tell me if it is good or bad.  I think I can trust the judgement of you who would examine yourselves honestly.

I am letting myself wander.  It is a blessing to be able to do so.  I hope my ramblings are a blessing to you when I cannot stay on subject.  I am thankful for that opportunity, wasteful as it may be, and thoroughly enjoy myself in it.  If I wander this way, you'll get a laundry list of things to scratch your heads over.  I actually want to get to the point now.

I said on Lee's blog I'd consider what I was thankful for.  Like most of you, I started coming up with a massive list.  So, I wanted to share the essence without the massive typing required.  (You think I like typing?!?)  LOL!

OK, I put my list in my order.  Since we are so different, I expect many of yours would differ.  At least on the order of some points.  Here it is:

1. I am thankful for my sense of purpose that God has patiently revealed to me, even though it was known before I was born.  With this, He motivates me and keeps me alive.  Each of us has a purpose special to us beyond that general purpose we hang our hat on.
2. I am thankful for God's Grace, made clear in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, that clears away the consequences of the stumbling blocks of sin that try to keep me from fulfilling that purpose. (even a purpose in heaven that will probably be what this is only a reflection of...)
3. I am thankful that my needs are so abundantly supplied for.  Not everyone has this to the same extent.  And some have it better.  I am content.
4. I am thankful for the people God has chosen to put in my life.  I am not always as thankful here as I should be.  Forgive me.
5. I am thankful for the things I want, but do not need, and yet I get them anyways.  He loves to bless us.
6. I am thankful of my circumstances, which although I have some that I don't like as much, I can even see how they are making me into who I am supposed to be.  Without circumstances that challenge, I'd stagnate in a vacuum of quiet despair.  Pain tells me I yet live!
7. I am thankful for today.  For as long as there is today, there is something I can learn, something I can do better, something I can take joy in.

Blessings on all who read this, now and forever, AMEN!

Mel

Thu, Nov 15th - 9:44AM

Dumping an address fo Marsha and others

Well, I was writing more, but I think the address will do for now:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.  20307-5001

I'll get back later with more thoughts...

In Christ,

Mel

Sun, Nov 11th - 1:40AM

Science IS Faith!!!

A little extreme?  Maybe.  However, something to ponder is this:  Almost all that we hold as "hard" science has one key common ingredient.  That is, for the most part, they all tend to stand and fall on Mathimatics.

Math is Faith.  Huh?  Well, ask a mathimatician what he or she can prove without using any Axioms or Theorems that rely upon Axioms, and they will come up very thin.  I'd be suprised if they could come up with any significant thing they could prove without using an Axiom.  Now, you ask, what is an Axiom?  In plain terms, an axiom is something you choose to accept to be true without requiring proof that it is true.  In other words, it is something you rely upon in faith.  It is not to say that there are not any reasons for the axioms, simply that to accept them requires faith, because there can be no proof.

You are not going to win many arguements pointing this out, but the more advanced a person is in mathematics, where they become exposed to opposing mathimatical camps of thought, the more likely this is to cause such a person to truely consider what they put faith in in this world.

For most, this is an excercise in symantics.  Have fun with it, but don't hurt yourself... (or anyone else)

In Truth,

Mel

Fri, Nov 2nd - 1:20AM

Don't get wrapped up in the Grammar -- You'll miss the story...

Well, earlier this evening, when I wanted to come here to post something different (which will wait) my 9yo daughter had a project that had to be typed.  I set up Word for her, and made sure to save her work.  She typed it in, with me prodding and pushing to keep the project moving.  (She would annoy me by changing font colors, when I just wanted it done...  Yikes!)

"Would you rather have a dog or a cat" was the subject matter.  She likes dogs.  But her last phrase is: "But dogs can be stupid!!!"

I don't think I showed her that triple Exclamation Point.  She is so very like me it scares me.

I digress.  The point is not her story, but that we used the spelling and grammar checking functions of Word.  This one sentence jumped out:

"One reason is, dogs are cute."

Word thought that was alarming.  My daughter was respectful, but curious.  I explained it to her thusly: (this is not verbatim, despite the quotes)

"Technically, that is bad form.  However, you will learn that beyond the formal rules, commas can be used as 'breath marks' and using them properly that way, and ignoring silly grammar rules, can sometimes enhance the meaning and actually be better than observing petty grammar styles that are somewhat stuffy and stilted."

I read it to her with the breath mark in and the with it out and asked her which seemed more like it said what she wanted to say.  She was brave and kept the offensive comma in, thumbing her nose at stuffy rules.

So I came here.  But I looked around first, and lets just say another stuffy thing was popping up.  I am not wanting to argue this, but because it will become burdensome to some if I do not, I am compelled to say "NO"!

The root is all about Sabbath and observing it.  Let me put it shortly:

The day means NOTHING.  The reason means EVERYTHING.

Their scripture that is NOT supporting their point:

Galatians 4:8-11 (NLT) -- they used 9-11

 ⁸ Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. ⁹ So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? ¹⁰ You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. ¹¹ I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

This is talking about the obsevance of special days in Pagan Calandars, not days in general per se.  Look at the context, and see if you can understand what Paul addresses here.  It is because they are following the forms of worshiping the "Old Gods" that this is wrong.  It has nothing to do with the date itself, but rather the meaning of that date to them.

In contrast to be clearly understood:

 ⁵One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Again read the context and see what is meant.

If you observe the Sabbath as a day to meet together, and don't deny others the right to pick a different day, you are correct.  If you pick the Sabbath as in following Old Testament rules and judge others who do not, you are wrong.

Let me ask you this:  You live in Jordan, and Friday is the Muslim "Holy Day" that no one works on.

You meet together with other Christians on Friday, because that is the day you can all do so.  This you do in service to each other for the Lord.

or

You meet together on Fridays because it is what "The Prophet" says Allah demands you do.  You do this and condemn others meeting on different times.

Which is right and which is wrong and why?

Which seems to follow the "Two Greatest Commandments" according to Christ?

Peace,

Mel