another week .............of fun

well I'm feeling healthier. but i've been having a lot of fun doing other things that don't involve typing. or putting my thought into a coherent form. when i said once a week i did not think it would be this much work but. it is not bad when i have nothing else going on, but since it is getting warmer and friends are being freed from school for the summer; i may just start doing this every other week

no post

sorry no post this week. because I'm ill. and not gangsta ill, unhealthy ill

spiders

this week i have a poem and a partial poem. first the partial poem is from the book"A Book for Boys and Girls or Temporal Things Spritualized" by John Bunyan (the pilgrims progress author) the section i have is from the poem "the sinner and the spider" and i'm amazed that some one could get so much from looking at a spider. i guess that when you are locked in a 17th century prison for not conforming to the Church of England you have time to think of higher things.

so when your not locked in a prison your thoughts are distracted by the stupid vanity of the world. so not all my poems are serious affairs about God; some are just plane whimsical in nature. at lest i think that my poem is funny. not so much Rofl or even lol but more like Nelson (the Simpsons bully) ha ha funny. and since theses are both about spiders i thought i put them together in this post to show the difference between a good God centered poet and me an idiot.

sinner and the spider

Sinner.

Thou venomed thing, I know not what to call thee,
The dregs of nature surely did befall thee,
Thou wast made of the dross and scum of all,
Man hates thee; doth, in scorn, thee spider call.

Spider.

My venom's good for something, 'cause God made it,
Thy sin hath spoiled thy nature, doth degrade it.
Of human virtues, therefore, though I fear thee,
I will not, though I might, despise and jeer thee.
Thou say'st I am the very dregs of nature,
Thy sin's the spawn of devils, 'tis no creature.
Thou say'st man hates me 'cause I am a spider,
Poor man, thou at thy God art a derider;
My venom tendeth to my preservation,
Thy pleasing follies work out thy damnation.
Poor man, I keep the rules of my creation,
Thy sin has cast thee headlong from thy station.
I hurt nobody willingly, but thou
Art a self-murderer; thou know'st not how
To do what good is; no, thou lovest evil;
Thou fliest God's law, adherest to the devil.

by John Bunyan 1688

The Tap Dancing Spider

This is a poem about a tap dancing spider
Whose stage was set on my typewriter
the rhythm he got from the songs in his head
He would dance all night without being fed
He was the best tapping spider you ever did see
Even better than that Michael flatly
He would jump and spin all in his dance
he only stopped to fix a split in his pants
I knew the news of this spider had to be said
But to my dismay he is now dead
It seems I forgot his stage was my typewriter
And the first letter of this poem was the end of our dear spider

the poem "Tap dancing spider” is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

Ps

John Bunyan's complete poem can be read here

the Law

Today most Christian don’t care much for the law. They tend to look at a select passage and twist them; “we are not under the law but under grace” “judge not lest you be judged”. But to take these out of context do a great disservice to the Lord. If you read all of Romans chapter 6 you’ll see that just because we are in grace does not mean we live in sin. In fact as Christian we should follow the law more closely than any other, because we are dead to sin. Since sin is in the breaking of the law and we are no longer sinner we should always be following the law. Not as a form of legalism, not because we fear that if we transgress God will crush us. No, this is the grace that we are under; that we need not fear the effects of the law (God’s wrath) because of the work of the cross. But it should be a strong overwhelming desire to be Christ like and He fulfilled the law perfectly. So our desire should be to keep the law also.

The second verse listed above about judging has many problems in that most people will equate judging to reproof or telling someone they are wrong. This is what Matt Henry (1714) commentary on Matt 7:1-6 says “Some cautions about reproving. Because we must not judge others, which is a great sin, it does not therefore follow that we must not reprove others, which is a great duty, and may be a means of saving a soul from death;” but since reproof is based on fact and judging is an opinion people that don’t have absolutes will see any reproof as judging. That is why the law is so important it has already been written on their hearts so everyone is angry if some lies to or steals from them. It is something they know is true from their very conscience. So the law and reproof must be used in evangelism.

I guess this needs a summary, as it is a bit scattered brained. First don’t judge using your opinion but reprove based on the fact of the law. Second Romans 6 we need to keep the plank out of our eye. (this is done by grace freeing us from sin and grace holding us to the law). Third we must reprove to save souls and the law is a fact they already know.A poem on how I view(ed) the Law of God in my Life

Loving Law

Harsh words that grate, like steel against a flint.
Sparks light that causes my soul to squint.
Unpleasant mirror, refection of my spirit.
Brings sorrow and fear, for what my deeds do merit.
Unbending ten, my flesh does appall.
What shame, for I have broke them all.
Vile cures, of unattainable perfection
Horrid Decalogue, I owe you affection.
Despised teacher, from when I was young,
Passing years brings your praise to my tongue.
Faultless map, to a lost sinner points the way,
To a blood stained cross where my debt was paid.
Glorious love that for a sinner like I,
Christ would bear my dishonor and die.
Amazing Grace, I would’ve never known
but at first the law, my sins had shown.

the poem "Loving Law” is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

waiting on the Lord

When I look at heroes of faith and the effort they put forth to honor God, I often feel ashamed and ask myself why I don’t seek God like they do. The only answer I can think of is that I just don’t esteem God high enough to go a weekend without eating; or I like videogames more than God so I’ll spend three hours playing them and only a couple of minutes praying. Neither of which is true in my mind but if you looked at my actions I don’t think that would be a far of a conclusion to jump to. My actions are exactly it Moses and Elijah each spent forty days fasting Daniel spent twenty-one, Jacob spent all night wrestling with God. Surely I could spend all night with God. I mean in college I pulled a couple of all nighters wrestling with term papers.Well it must have been the Lord that gave them the power and will to do those things so that they would have the power and will to do the other things that made them heroes.

“There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Roman 3:11

Twenty one
(Daniel 10)

Twenty one days Daniel, Fasted and prayed
Waited on the Lord, while an angle was delayed
And there in the river while his men all fled the place
Stood a Chrystal-like man with a flash of lightning face
He sought understanding, was humble before the Lord
His heart was pure and righteous his prayers were not ignored

For twenty one minutes, I Fasted and prayed
I waited on the Lord, got board and walked away
And In this concrete river as I flee from place to place
I don’t enjoy green pastures; I’m running like I’m chased
Understanding I did not seek and humility abhorred
Then I sit and wonder why all my prayers have been ignored

This is what I want, patients to endure
Push through the darkness, not quit premature
Lord teach me to wait, I want to be still
Let me lay beside your waters, and drink until I’m filled
I need to find myself, A Secret hiding place
Away from the world, In the presence of your grace

The poem "21" is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

Sovereignty

In joy and sorrow, in peace and pain
The Lord is sovereign above all He reigns
Two sparrows in trees and neither does fall
Apart from the will, of the Father of all
What man is this, the winds obey
And causes fig tree to wither away
In heaven, and earth, He reigns supreme
With power, controls all rivers and streams

In joy and sorrow, in peace and pain
The righteous the wicked on both it rains
through beatings and prison, Paul withstood
what was meant for evil, God meant for good
A man makes plans, his path selects
But God each step does direct
Omnipotent God, deserves our acclaim
Before our birth He knew our name

In joy and sorrow, in peace in pain
The thoughts of God, too high to obtain

the poem "sovereignty" is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

misc.

Well this week I have a lot on my mind, but I can’t seem to be able to focus enough to write them down in any coherent form. So this is going to be a short hodgepodge of miscellaneous and random things that may at some point be turned in a full post at some time

People are less violent to street preachers over history

The Apostle Paul and other church founders were beaten, stoned, burned, or/and killed in some other way, for preaching the gospel of Christ crucified. Stories of many soldiers of the Salvation Army (back when they were Christ’s army and not just some social do-gooders army) every week they would have street meetings. These soldiers would have to wear old clothes because they would be pelted by eggs, chamber pots would be dumped on them, and tent cables would be cut collapsing the tent on them. Today street preachers get yelled at, verbally abused, people "in the" church questioning them (Rob Bell and his bullhorn guy) and the police called to ask them to leave. See it’s getting less violent, it’s still not easy but it is less violent.

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Issues Ect.

I have never listened to it while it was on the radio, but I have downloaded a couple of hours that I’m currently listening to. From what I’ve heard so far this was a great show and I can’t believe that it was cancelled. But what really concerns me is that is that a solid gospel preaching church is falling away. They are giving up Christ so they can have a bigger church. That just ain’t cool.

Sentimentalism and Christianity

This week at work I was talking to a co worker about books that we like to read. I told him that I would classify most books I read as Christian theology, and went on to name St. Augustine, John Bunyan, C.S. Lewis, John MacArthur, ect. He then went on to say he has read a book like that. He went on to say something about only having one minute so make it count (I really don’t know much more about what he said because once I determined that was just so sappy sentimentalism I tuned out.) this is why I hate stupid “christian” forwards that are nothing more than idiotic love with no rules or just some good rules to live by. It is infecting our culture so much that people are thinking that that is all there is to Christian theology. But there is so many more and deeper things. (and now as I start to get in a grove I have run out of time)

sin blinds

So just less than 10 minutes ago, I was in a yelling match with my little brother. It was over something stupid. During the course of a conversation he asked where jack (not the real name) has been. To which I said “Jack kind of did what you did. Go to church for a couple of months, get involved, get baptized, than just stopped showing up. (short pause) which is bad”. My brother responded “why do you have to be such and (beep), all the time” it escalated from there since I don’t much like being called names and my brother doesn’t like being told what he should do.

On The whole this doesn’t bother me, we are brothers we been in many fights with each other over lesser thing and it has all worked out in the end. What does bother me, however, is that since Sunday I have also upset two other friends. Had this been just one incident I don’t think that I would have bothered me. But being three it perks my interest. I know from firsthand experience that sin blinds and changes us. Also I would add that it causes us to project our sin on to others, seeing our own fault in them. But then again it may be them that are in sin and I just am, by pointing out there wrongs, chafing their spirit to the point of anger. So I am wondering and trying to search my soul for some un-repented sin. And here is a poem about it.

Fractional Love

You’re a pompous stuck –up arrogant fool,
But somehow you think you’re cool.
You say you’re friendly and want people around
But you only treat them like a dirty hound
You’re their friend till you get bored.
Shoo them away you medieval lord

You must not realize your attitude
The ideal Christian you think you exude
But being blind to your own actions
Is no excuse for love in fractions

You strut around like you’re the best
You don’t even care about the rest.
Your discipline is something you flaunt
But your gifts of love man their gaunt
You’re never wrong and always right
You just make me want to fight

You must not realize your attitude
The ideal Christian you think you exude
But being blind to your own actions
Is no excuse for love in fractions

Of your friendship some people want part,
But all you do is break their heart.
Your exclusionary tactics you try to hide
It’s a poor excuse, a thin disguise
You know friendship is a two way street,
But at your end we all must meet.

You must not realize your attitude
The ideal Christian you think you exude
But being blind to your own actions
Is no excuse for love in fractions

All your sins I’ve tried to show
But your pride you won’t let go
and as I see things now much clearer
it is not you but I in mirror
it was I who did these loveless deeds
it was always me choked with weeds

I did not realize my attitude
The ideal Christian I think I exude
But being blind to my own actions
Is no excuse for love in fractions

the poem "Fractional love" is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

Easter, Passover Sacrifice

With Easter this week and Passover coming soon (a shame that our calendar and the Jewish calendar don’t match well this year), I would like to talk about the Cross. I have heard that some people professing to be Christians are not taking it seriously. Especially, I have heard the so called pastor of Brian McLeran has call it “cosmic child abuse”; also the guy that claims to have found Christ’s tomb says that having a dead body of Christ would not affect his Christianity. I’m sure there are many more that don’t realize the power and necessity of the cross, and it is a shame.

This poem I think explains why the Cross was not child abuse and one of many ways that the bible is unified as one book and yet separate in many books. As for the Jesus tomb guy the poem doesn’t answer his heresy; so I’ll attempt s short answer here. If your god cannot conquer the grave, through a bodily resurrection and never die again and ascend to on a cloud, then what hope is there for you to conquer the grave? For me my God died for a purpose (the substitutionary atonement of my sins) and defeated death by raising from the dead; so first my sins are paid for second I can count myself dead to sin but alive in Christ, and third I do not have to fear death since I’ll live forever in the presence of my King.

*as a side note what I think is cool about this poem is that the first letter of each line corresponds with the first letter of the books of the bible in order G-Genesis E-Exodus L-Leviticus

the Sacrificial Plan

God spoke and all was created
Expressly from the words he stated
Lead, over creation, Adam presided
Needing a helper, Eve, God provided
Days, it took, less than seven
Judging it good, both earth and heaven
Joyous to walk forever and free
Required not to eat of but one tree
Surely, eating it would bring death
Serpent, deceiving with every breath
Knowing the wrath that they would incur
Keenly made Eve, question God’s word
Choosing to eat from the forbidden tree
Causing man to enter sin’s slavery
Eyes being open they did perceive
Nakedness they tried to hide with leaves
Evading God, ashamed of their sin
Jehovah, covered them with animal skin
Prophesying that the snake would make Him bleed
Permanent redemption comes from women’s seed
Eden was closed with flaming swords
Several generations passed, the Bible records
Israel’s sons, one brother despised
Joseph, sold to slavery but pharaoh advised
Living in Egypt four hundred years
Egyptian rulers stared to fear
Depopulation is what pharaoh decides
Hebrew children would face genocide
Jeopardized by what pharaoh decreed
A Levite woman built an ark of reed
Out of the river saved from the slaughter
Joined like a son to pharaoh’s daughter
Moses got angry, Egyptian blood he shed
Next day, to the land of Midian he fled
Hearing, I AM, from a bush that burned
Zealous for God, to Egypt returned
Heroically proclaiming, let my people go
Zero tolerance for this, pharaoh said no
Moses continued to preach God’s plan
Many plagues, would befall the land
Many times, pharaoh’s heart was made stone
Legendary power of God, made Known
Jehovah stretched out his mighty hand
An angel of death flew across the land
Red blood from a perfect lamb
Covered the doors, post and jamb
Continuing what God did in the Garden
Giving an animal for sins to be pardoned
Even the law had that at its root
Passing for now it was not absolute
Christ the messiah the prophets foretold
The one that would come, the law to up hold
The Baptist named John did proceed
The way he made straight for the women’s seed
The virgin gave birth in Bethlehem
To the Lord Jesus, fully God, fully man
Preaching that He was the way truth and light
Healing the lame and giving blind back their sight
Jesus Christ the only sinless man
Perfect sacrifice, the spotless lamb
Punished for sinners, He hung on the cross
Justice was served and death had lost
Just by one man sin entered the world
Joyously by one grace was unfurled
Justification for those who believe
Repentance and faith eternal life to achieve

the poem "the Sacrificial Plan" is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

Psalm 8:3:4

When I consider thy heavens,

the work of thy fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalms 8:3-4

I love this passage. It’s Job and Luke in a neat tidy short package. Job in God’s power and majesty. Luke in that God Came to seek and save the lost. I love it for this, it comes so quickly on the heels of Job. So you have all this majesty of God coming out of the whirlwind

Can you control the weather?

Can you control the seasons?

Can you control the stars?

God asks that in a way to say you can’t I can. And I can do more.

I make mountains.

I make lakes and streams and rivers and oceans

I make the horses and lions.

All of the power and sovereignty of God just a mere 8 chapters away; only 3 pages separate them, in my bible. So, if you read the bible straight through its still fresh in your mind. God is powerful! God is powerful is the perfect set up for these questions.

It’s like David is saying look, look at the heaven. That is power. That is beauty. That is awesomeness, that can’t be denied. Now look at me I’m a horrible, dirty, sin filled, sinful man. There is nothing good in me. I can do nothing but evil. So Why, Why does God even bother with us. There is so much beauty out there, there is so much good out there. Why does he care about what’s in here. When I find a torn, dirty, soiled rag I toss it in the garbage fire. And yet here God is to pick us up clean us and mend us. WHY? I guess it doesn’t matter, because the fact that he cares makes him even more powerful even more great even more excellent.

5 degrees of seperation

This may not be as unusual as I think, but the distances over which it takes place, make my mind ponder the enormity of this feet. It goes something like this (names have been changed so as to protect those 18 years and younger) Christian is friends with Evangelist and Faith, Evangelist is friends with Hope, Faith is friends with Mercy, Evangelist does not know Faith and Faith does not know Evangelist, but Faith’s friend Mercy is friends With Evangelist’s friend Hope, and Christian, knows of, but is not friends with Hope or Mercy. Like I said it is nothing unique just a basic five degrees of separation. A circle with 5 points, were the adjacent points are friends.

Now the unique part; first step, Christian is from a town that is almost a suburb of Cleveland Ohio. He leaves there to attend a private university in northern Indiana that is 151 miles away from home. While there he becomes best friends with Evangelist. Evangelist is from a small town in between Muncie and Richmond Indiana that is 189 miles from Christian’s home town. Next, Christian good friends with Faith through a small church they both attend in Christian’s home town. Second step, Evangelist knows and is friends with Hope though his church. Faith is friends with Mercy through high school. Now for the real crazy part step three. Mercy became friends with Hope in Africa (>1K miles from their respective hometowns), where they were on the same mission trip, through TeenMania Global Expeditions.

Is it not Astounding that 5 people, that live about 200 miles apart, share a common friendship? It is, especially, since this recent news article from the New your times that calls the “six degrees of separation theory” an academic myth. So what do I make of this? Why do I write of this coincidence? Mostly, I think that this is another display of God’s providence. Why would God cause this to happen? I really don’t know. Other than, in the bible most miracles are done so that “All might know that I Am God” (Ex 6:7, Lev 23:43, Deut 4:35, Josh 4:24, 1 Sam 17:46, 1 King 18:47, ect).

But then again it has been my experience that people of a solid Christian faith tend to be friends with other solid Christian faith. For as much as “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Cor. 15:33 NIV) so also that iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens his friend (Prov. 27:17) and “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed,” (Prov. 13:20) So that, Evangelist and Hope would be friends and that Christian and Faith would be friends through church is no surprise. So it is no surprise, since they all share the common bond of Christ, and still a great surprise because of the distance. God is awesome.

(if you were wondering were I got the names from Read “Pilgrims Progress” by John Bunyan. you can get it free at Google here or also free in audio book form here)

My Friends

On this blue sphere where charity’s forgone
My friends eclipse the heartless throng
With compassion that flows like a mountain stream
And joy that radiates like the sun’s summer beams
Their love is rooted in God’s holy grace
An unblemished mirror they reflect His face
On tough journey to the heavenly gates
Their presence helps ease the grueling gait
Correcting, encouraging, patience and kind
I’m forever thankful our lives intertwined

the poem "My friends” is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

The Man form George Street

I just watched a thing about the man from George Street. I am awed by what this guy did and I have 2 or 3 observations about him.

First, he is truly an amazing person, to work so hard and so long without any know results to hang his hat on. But perhaps it had to be that way to keep him from being prideful. I know from my own experience that I get prideful real easily. If you give me a little bit of power, and I turn in to a monster. So I hope I can get that pride under control so I don’t go my whole life without seeing the effect that I had on others. And if the Lord deems otherwise I pray that he also gives me the strength to keep going despite how fruitless it looks.

Second, after I watched this I said to myself if I could do just a tenth of what he did that would be awesome. Why do we (I) settle for so much less then what God wants. We should be like Elisha and ask for a double portion of what he did.

Third, everyone here should want to do this. But feels in some way unsure or scared of how to go about it. The thing is we (I) should just go out there and open our mouths. The whole while praying that god will give us the words.

whys are wise

Awhile back I heard a clip on Way of the Master Radio. This clip was a montage of witness encounters, where people professed to know Christ as a savior, but could not explain what they were saved from. this worries me; that we church goers and pastors care more about how to life a more Christian life, than about the setting a solid foundation. Ok, yes, we do need to know the how. But what good is a how if we don’t know the why. I firmly believe that one good why is as good as 20 good hows. E.g. ideal gas law is a why, from that we can understand how refrigeration work, how 4 stroke, 2 stroke, and diesel engines work, how planes fly, how the weather works, and many more things. So, why is it that so many churches only teach sermons like “how to live a faith full life”, “how to be a better you”, “how to have peace in your life”, and ect. Alright, so that is the problem as I see it.

So why do we need to fix it. So people can have a solid foundation; so they can answer the question “what did Christ save you from?”. I know, it’s hard to understand, it’s boring, people have heard it before, it doesn’t pull people in off the street. I’ll answer these one at a time. First, “it doesn’t pull people in”, well what good does it do them if they don’t hear the gospel in church. They can just as easily not hear the gospel on the street, and without the all the hypocrisies and impositions. Next, “people have heard it before”, well we are people and we forget. We need to be told over and over. Vince Lombardi in the training can after winning a super bowl the previous year to his professional player “we need to get back to the basics. Gentlemen, this is a football”. Re-hearing the basics is good for the people that have heard it before, but it is even better for the countless number of first time visitors. Thirdly “it’s boring”; boring how can you say that! If it’s boring, you may need to check you conversion. Because, for a Christian there should be nothing more exciting and heart wrenching than to hear that, while we were filthy, rotten, evil, bad, sinful men, that have nothing of any worth and no desire to follow Christ, He died for us. Lastly “it’s hard to understand”, yes, God’s sovereignty and mans responsibility is hard. So is explaining the Trinity in such a way that everyone understands and at the same time no gets confused and believes a heresy. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we should not do it.

Hopefully if we all can get back to the basics then we won’t have people like the one in the way of the master montage

“Know your Savior”

How can you have a savior,
When you don’t know what you’re saved from?
You don’t know where you came from.
You don’t know all His names done.

What you lack in wisdom,
You make up in rebellion.
You live a life that’s loathsome.
Read the word and grow some.

All your, good and righteous works,
Are nothing but cow dung
In the nostrils of God’s son.
A stench filling his lungs.

If you want to change this,
You need to be undone.
Realize your sin’s sum.
Get on your knees and pray some.

Repentance is the only way,
So turn your back on where you came from.
This is what His names done.
Bought your salvation.

the poem "Know your savior” is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

Authorship and Authority

There is an anime I like called “Bleach”; in it the characters have special spirit powers. They use these powers to send souls to soul society (heaven) and hollows (demons) to hell. Their weapon of choice is a sword called a soul slayer. I think that this is a good allegory for the Christian life. As Christians we have special spirit power, some heal, some teach, some prophesy, and the rest( 1 Cor. 12:7-10). We fight against the powers of hell, and win souls to Christ (Eph 6:12, Mat. 28:19-20). And the final point that are weapon is a sword called the word of God that we use to slay souls (make them dead to sin)(Eph 6:17,Romans 6:1-8). While this is a good thought I sincerely doubt that this is what the author had intended. So, who is right? Am I the one with the final say, since I’m the final user of it before it enters my brain? Or does the one who wrote it have the final say since he made it? who has the right to say what something means? As you can tell by the title of this post, I think that the author of the work has the sole authority. So, my way of looking at Bleach is most likely wrong. The only way I can find what the meaning of the anime, is to ask the author.

Many people today, seem to take opposite view, especially in the area of religion. They want to say that they make their own reality. That they to say that, since I’m the end user, I’m the final authority on what is true in my life. This is post modernism and for a long time now it has invaded the church, in the form of the emergent movement. The thing is they can no more change truth, morality, or God by the way they think, than I can change the meaning of Bleach by the way I think. God is the creator, the author of all things so to find absolute truth or morality we need to ask God what he means by all this. And he will answer us thru prayer and meditating on his word. As in all things it always comes back to his word. Read it, study it, meditate on it, and believe it. Sola scripture

Meaning?

What does this poem mean to you?
When you read this thru and thru,
Does it warm your heart or make you blue?
What does this poem mean to you?

What do you see in the stars?
When you gaze at them afar,
Do you see a big bang or God’s pow’r?
What do you see in the stars?

What does this poem mean to me?
That’s what the question should be,
Since I’m the Author it’s authority.
What does this poem mean to me?

What does this world mean to God?
That question shouldn't seem odd.
since the world he made un-flawed.
What does this world mean to God?

the poem "meaning?" is copyrighted by Chris Carey 2008

PS if you want to read more and better arguments about post modernism of the emergent church go to the pyromaniacs blog (click here) team pyro is the only blog I read on a daily basis. Also listen to some of the archives of “let my people think” (click here) radio broadcast in particular “Absolute Truth in Relative Terms” is a very good place to start

First post and rules for commenting

This blog is going to be, most likely, a boring place for anyone not me. I don’t think my I have anything important to say. I don’t think I write with any great style. In fact, I think that my grammar and spelling are sub-high school level. I don’t have any ideas of grander. I do think that I have learned a lot from many people and places, and I plan to regurgitate it here. My reason for writing a blog is twofold; first I heard it said that you never know something until you can explain it and never understand it until you experience it. Second reason for writing is just to express myself. I have ideas that pop into my head and have nowhere to go.

My plan is to write once a week. By not writing more than once a week should keep me from being too shallow. Not saying that I won’t have shallow posts; just minimizing the likelihood of shallowness. Also, anymore than this would be too much work. I want this to be fun ( a pleasure)not work. I have come to an understanding, after reading many of C.S Lewis books, that true pleasure is derived from God and points to God. Pleasure can be perverted by us humans. This perversion comes by desiring the pleasure more than the pleasure giver (lust) or by turning the pleasure in to work. I have seen in my life pleasure being turned into work many times. As an example that is relevant to most people is reading books. all through school, up till my last English class in college, reading was work. But now, and since my sophomore year in college, I have enjoyed reading. A second example from my life was with football. I have always loved football. Some of my earliest memories were crying after the browns lost to the infamous drive. I would play imaginary games in my back yard when I was 7. Then when I was in college because of the amount of effort needed for practice and weights and film study I lost the pleasure of it. Thankfully I never lost the love so the pleasure of it came back in short time. Tangent, in my mind love and pleasure are like a logic problem; all things John finds pleasure in, he also loves: some things John loves he also finds pleasure in. If John loves snow does he find pleasure in it? Nope because of the word “some”. I’m sure there is a good marriage example but since I’m not married, nor have I ever been, I’ll refrain. The point is I want to enjoy this.

What my reader, if there are any, can do for me, is help with this horrible thing we call a langue. I have had just one college level writing class. I guess that engineering students don’t need to know how to write well. Several things that I’m really bad with are homophones, grammar (by grammar I mean when to use commas, semi colons, parenthetical remarks), knowing when to start a new paragraph, and spelling. If you wish at any time to correct these things I would sincerely appreciate it. However, please be constructive in the correction. Tell me why what I did was wrong, how to correct it, and how to stop from doing it again. Also keep the corrections on a normal level, 80% of the world doesn’t know what a split infinitive is nor do they care.

And to close out my first post; some rules on how to comment.

1. No profanity. (no swear word, don’t use God’s name in vain, acronyms and symbols are the same as the word, when quoting the KJV ass is ok when referring to donkeys)

2. Keep threads on topic ( exceptions will be made for English lessons just make sure it gets right back on track)

3. Be civil. (Insult me if you must not my friends, family, or church. In reality there is no reason to insult anyone. If your argument is so weak that you feel the need to insult perhaps you should change your view or hold your peace)

4. Minimize sarcasm ( it can be a useful tool to make a point but it is hard to pick it up on in written form, also it can be insulting)

5. I will not responded to all comments (if I want to I will, but I don’t get upset. And I for sure will not respond to arguments that will end in a stale mate. Such as if the gifts of the spirit are still in use or not)

6. No trolling

7. I run this blog my thought opinions and rules are subject to change with my whim but I don’t like change

(in the “Screwtape Letters” C. S. Lewis talks about pleasure being God’s territory, and the older devil tells the younger devil to turn the pleasure in to work. Since, he is worried that the pleasure will lead the soul to God. And the part about desiring pleasure more than the giver of pleasure I’m sure I heard that or something like that from someone else)