Jon A. Delamarter

Our Sovereign Savior

2011-11-22T07:01:00.000-05:00

Push

2011-07-28T11:17:00.007-04:00

"I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

(John 1:31 ESV)

John the Baptist did not recognize his own cousin as the Christ - until He was revealed by the Holy Spirit. The sinless Christ was an anonymous carpenter from a hick town - until He returned from the wilderness temptations "in the power of the Holy Spirit" and began teaching in the synagogues, boldly announcing His ministry, declaring that He was the one of whom Isaiah spoke, saying:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

(Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

If our Lord Himself had no ministry prior to the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and if He had no open door to tell the Good News of Himself and His coming kingdom until He boldly stood up and publicly proclaimed it, why do we as Believers fall into the trap of evangelistic laziness, thinking that it is acceptable for us to avoid the hard work of seeking the continual infilling of the Holy Spirit and the hard work of pushing the envelope in our quest for souls?

"Holy Father God, fill me today with the sweetness of Christ, with the power of Your Holy Spirit. Pour gasoline on the flame you have already ignited in my heart. Cause my heart to explode with love for You and for my fellow man. Forgive my indifference. Destroy my penchant for self comfort. Crush my pride. Murder my selfishness. Conform me to the image of Your Perfect Son. Open doors for the Good News - even if that means that they have to be kicked in sometimes. Let me speak Your Truth into the life of an unbeliever today - and then rescue that sinner, Lord. Do this today, Father - because of the sacrifice of Your Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory and honor of Your Great Name. Amen

To Speak Declaratively - Ya know?

2011-07-03T13:04:00.002-04:00

This guy nailed me. I can't believe I've been sucked into talking like a 13 yr old girl from California, hanging out with the rest of her peeps at the mall. Before you judge that statement, watch this clip. If you're under 40, I betcha hear yourself. Unless you're so immune to it that you don't hear it at all.

As Christ Loved...

2011-06-18T16:29:00.003-04:00

Just came home from a beautiful, Christ-honoring wedding. The pastor's exhortation and the groom's vows reminded me again of just how impossible this thing is, this loving our wives as Christ loved the church. It was a strange mixture of gratitude and guilt that filtered through my soul as I sat there. Gratitude for almost 20 years of marriage - a marriage that gets better and better - and guilt for how often my sinful selfishness and pride does it harm. Lately, I've been reading Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven". On page 121, he says "We will be revealed at our resurrection, when our adoption will be finalized and our bodies redeemed. We will be fully human, with righteous spirits and incorruptible bodies." To which I say, "Bring it on!".

2011-04-22T08:58:00.001-04:00

Why God Created the Universe—For Good Friday

April 22, 2011 | by: John Piper | Category: Commentary

On the panel at The Gospel Coalition I was asked how my preaching may have become more Christocentric over the years. Here’s the summary of my answer.

My devotion to the truth that God magnifies himself in all that he does has been increasingly refined in a Christ-centered direction. I have been driven in this direction by a cluster of insights.

1. The apex of the God’s display of his own glory is the display of his grace.

“God predestined . . . according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:5–6). Grace is the endpoint in the revelation of God’s glory.
This is seen in the way wrath serves to make God more glorious for the vessels of mercy. “Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, God has endured with much patience vessels of wrath . . . in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy” (Romans 9:22–23).

2. God’s glorification of his grace was planned before creation.

“God chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:4–6).

3. God’s glorification of his grace was to happen through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

“He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ . . . to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:5–6).
“God called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

4. From eternity the apex of God’s glorification of his grace was designed to beChrist’s crucifixion for sinners.

Before there was any human sin to die for, God planned that his Son be slain for sinners. We know this because of the name given to the book of life before creation. “Everyone [will worship the beast] whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 13:8).

5. God’s glorification of his grace in the crucifixion of his Son for sinners was theultimate purpose for creating the universe.

“All things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). For all eternity we will sing “the song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3). We will say, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain” (Revelation 5:9).

6. Therefore God planned from eternity that the revelation of his glory would be the ultimate reason for creating the universe.

This glory would be supremely displayed in God’s grace. This grace would be supremely glorified in Jesus. And the apex of that glorification in Jesus would be reached when he was slain to save a people who would spend eternity magnifying the greatness of that grace.
In other words the universe was created for the glorification of God’s grace at Calvary, echoing through eternity in the Christ-exalting joys of the redeemed.

Topic The Supremacy of Christ

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Knowing Jesus Through His Word

2011-04-20T06:51:00.001-04:00

Church of England

2011-04-18T06:47:00.001-04:00

This is very funny and very sad - both because of it's truthfulness.

The Greener Grass Conspiracy

2011-04-08T08:05:00.001-04:00

"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.

Christ's Promise To Every Believer

2011-04-07T06:26:00.000-04:00

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

(2 Timothy 3:12 ESV)

The Gospel in 5 Minutes

2011-04-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Awake!

2011-04-03T07:19:00.003-04:00

As the morning sun of April 3rd chases it's night shadow from the face of the planet, millions of Believers are awakening with joy in their hearts, in eager anticipation of what today will hold. Today, in hundreds of thousands of gatherings across the globe, we will celebrate the events of another Sunday, 2 millenia ago, when our King, the Lord of the Universe, walked out of His grave, triumphing over Satan and death. Together, as His Redeemed People, we will sing His eternal praises and we will read from His Book and we will speak of His Grace and we will offer Him the sweet smelling sacrifices of our joy and our unity. We will not do this perfectly. Some of us will come to His house, to His gathered Body, with pain, with fear and with unconfessed sins in our heart. But we will come. And in His presence, we will hear again the sweetness of His voice. We will catch a glimpse of the sweetness of His face. We will know the joy of His forgiveness. And in millions of places, His story will be told - not just in the sermons that will be preached, but also in the telling of His unending story of love that can only be seen through the lives of His children for whom He shows His infinite care. And as the time of our gathering ends, we will begin again to anticipate April 10 and every Lord's Day that follows until that Great Day of the Lord, when He finally returns to gather us to Himself - forever. We know that our pain, our fears, and our sin will then be gone - forever. And we will live with our King.

Until that day, we say "Maranatha" - "Our Lord, Come!".

Taken

2011-04-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.

(Acts 15:14 ESV)

2011-03-12T13:25:00.002-05:00

"Do the Jessica Hop!"

2011-01-08T19:05:00.002-05:00

Matt Chandler: Preaching the Gospel to the De-Churched

2010-11-25T07:47:00.000-05:00

Living Radically for the Global Glory of Christ

2010-11-14T08:09:00.000-05:00

David Platt Radical Book from Life Bible Study on Vimeo.

The Latest "Jessica'ism"

2010-10-25T19:30:00.003-04:00

Jessica was eating pork barbecue for supper tonight. Here's a transcript of our actual conversation:

Jessica: "Daddy, there's chunks in my meat."

Daddy: "Chunks of what?"

Jessica: "Meat"

Daddy: "Well, yeah."

Jessica: "What should I do?"

Daddy: "Chew"

Jessica: "The whole time?"

Daddy: "No, just until the chunks are gone."

Jessica: (brightly) "Okay!"

True story.

Influence is Forever

2010-08-31T06:54:00.002-04:00

In the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, began to reign. He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. (2 Kings 8:16-18 ESV)

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah; she was a granddaughter of Omri king of Israel. He also walked in the way of the house of Ahab and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was son-in-law to the house of Ahab. (2 Kings 8:26-27 ESV)

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. (2 Kings 12:1-2 ESV)

It would seem that who we keep in our inner circle of friends and who we pick for a spouse has eternal consequences. I know this may seem obvious, but I thought it was stunning how II Kings draws this out.

An Unexpected Blessing

2010-08-26T06:14:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Margaret finally received her diagnosis. It's amazing really. A little over a month ago, we had no suspicions of MS (Multiple Sclerosis) or any other disease. We had discounted her bouts of dizziness, her loss of balance, and her vision problems as side-effects of her bipolar medications. In July, she went to her first appointment with a new psychiatrist in Greensboro. She explained some of her difficulties and was told that these were symptoms, not side-effects, and that she needed to see her doctor immediately.

The morning of August 4th, she had a pretty serious episode of loss of vision. A nurse friend advised her to see her MD as soon as possible. As usual, Crissman Family Practice got us right in and the next day we went to see Dr. Mark. He was incredibly thorough and, after eliminating some more basic possibilities (such as pregnancy or diabetes), he ordered a brain MRI for the following Monday, the 9th, and got her an appointment with a neurologist in Greensboro. The Monday after that, the 16th, we went back to Greensboro to see the neurologist, Dr. Penumalli. He was new to the practice, having just started there the first of August. He also was very thorough and spent over an hour talking with us and putting Margaret through various reflex tests and checking her eye response. After reviewing the MRI images and putting her through his tests, he said that he was leaning strongly towards an MS diagnosis but needed to run a few more tests first. Since I was burning my last vacation day already, I asked him if he would be able to run any of the tests that day. He graciously assented and, 5 1/2 hours later, we finally left Guilford Neurologic Associates. Yesterday, we finally got the results of the Visual Evoked Potentials Test, Lumbar Puncture, and blood work. Dr. Penumalli made his official diagnosis of MS and treatment will begin soon. Margaret gave up driving a few weeks ago and is getting used to walking with a cane.

You may find the title of this post somewhat strange. You may wonder how MS could possibly be a blessing. I confess I don't know the entire answer to that question yet. But I do know this. I know that our God is good and perfect. I know He makes no mistakes. I know that He does all things well. I know that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-29 ESV) Some people get hung up on the whole predestination thing. And yes, if you're wondering, I am absolutely convinced of the truth of God's sovereignty in salvation. But I am also convinced of the fullness of the meaning of predestination, as expressed in this passage. God does not elect sinners to salvation, regenerate their dead hearts, give them the gift of believing faith, save them, and then dump them on the curb until death or rapture overtakes them. In the fullness of His plan, He has predestined not only the salvation of every believer, but the sanctification as well. He brings every single event into our lives that He knows will best bring about our spiritual growth, conforming us to the image of Christ. This is the foundation of personal holiness. But the good news doesn't end there. The point of all of this is not to merely make us more like Christ, to make us more holy. The point of it all is that we may be brought into deeper, fuller fellowship with the Father. This utterly blows me away. His word makes it clear that He has absolutely no need for any of us. He did not create us to compensate for any deficiency in Himself, including fellowship; there was already perfect love, harmony, and fellowship among the members of the Triune Godhead. Now here's the crazy part: He doesn't need us, but He wants us. Doesn't just want us in some abstract sense like a little boy collecting Matchbox cars. He wants us as a father wants His children. And He is so committed to bringing us into this fellowship with Him, that He sacrificed, slaughtered if you will, His only Son to not only make it possible, but to guarantee it. In His death and resurrection, Jesus Christ actually guaranteed the new birth, the salvation of all who would believe. And he guaranteed something else. He guaranteed this conforming to His image, this sanctification whereby we are brought into closer and closer fellowship with the Father, eventually culminating in perfection of heart and fellowship in Heaven. Now there's something worth living and dying for.

So I've moved a long way from where this discussion started, namely Margaret's MS. I know that some of our friends and family members are deeply distressed by this diagnosis. Please don't be. Know that we are resting in the perfection of our Father's wisdom and love for us. Know that the Holy Spirit has already used this disease to open previously closed doors to witness to unbelievers. Know that, through this trial, He has revitalized our family's love and commitment for each other. Know that it has been a door through which we have been repeatedly humbled and blown away by the genuine, sacrificial love of our brothers and sisters at our church. We realize that difficult, maybe dark days are ahead of us. We realize that our faith will be deeply tested. But faith is His gift and He has proven again and again that His grace is sufficient, that He is enough. And if through all of this we are driven to our knees, that's okay too. Actually, I think maybe that's the point.

Been Awhile

2010-08-12T20:42:00.001-04:00

Wow, so like I haven't posted or updated my blog in a long time. I should do that.

Edwards and Emotions

2010-06-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

This morning, I started reading 'The Religious Affections" by Jonathan Edwards. Originally published in 1746, it was Edwards' treatise of the then recent Great Awakening that had begun in New England and boiled over the rest of the colonies and then to Europe. Apparently, there had been much false emotion and demonstration displayed in the midst of genuine revival. Edwards was equally distressed by emotional hypocrisy and the subsequent dismissal by many of all emotional demonstration as false.

I can totally relate to this idea.

I have long been concerned by false emotionalism and by the many who claim Christ but who substitute constant emotional demonstration for genuine fruit. I have seen the dangers of both lurking in my own heart. And yet, it is impossible to read the Word without seeing the legitimacy of emotional outburst in private and public worship; indeed, my own heart confirms this. My constant prayer in worship is that my emotional response will be rooted in the truth of the Word and that my everyday life will reflect the same obedience and reckless abandon to my King.

When You...

2010-03-28T07:29:00.004-04:00

When you...

greet me at day's end at home's door or better yet, at my car, awash in the smells of home.
sparkle as you show me the creations of your hands, little dresses sewn for nieces far away.
wait with girlish anticipation for my approval of each little triumph.
laugh at my embellished stories of the day's misadventures.
pretend to be appalled at my silly repartees with the children at the table.
steal me away at supper's end for a simple game of Boggle in our room before bedtime.
rise earlier and happier than any weekday because I am here.
look at me with that smile that still always "gets me" as I walk across the gas station parking lot.
share passionate kisses on an abandoned grocery aisle.
look into my eyes and hear the agonies and ecstasies of my heart as I talk about the things of God.
do a hundred little things to love my parents and my sister's family in ways I'd never think of.
find my hand and hold onto my fingers on a long van ride home, giving me that smile again.
make much of the beautiful supper prepared by our amazing, tentative 14 year old daughter.
embrace me at day's end with a love that youth cannot know.

It is then, and at a thousand other times and in a thousand other ways that I know you love me.

And I am undone.

I love you, Baby. You're one in a billion.

There's a New Sheriff in Town!

2010-02-03T18:44:00.004-05:00

This morning, I took Jessica to Bojangles for a 99 cent steak biscuit. While I was ordering, a couple of State Troopers came in and greeted her. When I came to our table with our food, she was all aglow. "Daddy!", she said. "That's the fowst time a powiceman evew talked to me!" After we ate, I stepped over to the troopers' table and told them that they had made a little girl's day. One of them got up and came over to our table and gave Jessica a shiny badge sticker that said "Junior Trooper North Carolina State Highway Patrol". She was ecstatic! This evening, she attached her badge sticker to a piece of paper, cut it out and pinned it to her dress. She then asked to borrow one of my belts so she'd "look mo official". It was all downhill from there. By the time we got done digging through my paraphernalia, she was wearing my belt (twice around), cellphone and holster, a shoulder holster for my Glock .40 cal pistol, a leather pancake holster for the same gun, a Gerber multi-tool and holster, two flashlights, a carabiner (for pretend handcuffs), walkie-talkie, my black Stetson (she's a Sheriff, ya know!), and last but not least a sho-nuff, gen-u-wine handcuff key on a lanyard around her neck. She is deadly serious about her new job as you can see. She's decided that her "gear" is pretty heavy!

By Your Side

2010-01-11T06:19:00.000-05:00

By Your Side
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn graceWhy are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fallIn the dead of night
Whenever you callAnd please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you lifeI want to give you life

(Chorus 2x)

Cause I, I love you
I want you to knowThat I, I love you
I'll never let you go.

And Now I Pant For You

2009-11-23T06:59:00.001-05:00

Shamelessly stolen from Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience". Too good not to propagate.

'Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!...
Created things kept me from you;
yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all.
You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness.
You flashed, You shone, and You dispelled my blindness.
You breathed Your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for You."
~St. Augustine, Confessions

The World's Last Night

2009-11-09T06:57:00.001-05:00

"Perfect love, we know, casteth out fear. But so do several other things - ignorance, alcohol, passion, presumption, and stupidity. It is very desirable that we should all advance to that perfection of love in which we shall fear no longer; but it is very undesirable, until we have reached that stage, that we should allow any inferior agent to cast out our fear."

C.S. Lewis - The World's Last Night

The Church, Continued

2009-11-06T12:32:00.004-05:00

4. The Church
The Standard Hairdo & The Secret Handshake - It is perhaps in this phrase that I created the most alarm among some. This was not intended and I now realize that it was probably a poor choice of words. I will attempt to amend and complete my thoughts.

The Standard Hairdo & The Secret Handshake are both idiomatic expressions of the same phenomenon which was alluded to in a former post under the section titled "Exclusive, Ingrown, & Inoculated". The point I was trying to make there and which I reiterate here is that many churches have become hotels for saints instead of hospitals for sinners. At the root of most of our isolationism is fear. Fear of God, fear of others, fear of the unknown. I'm not talking about an appropriate Godly fear. I'm talking about the kind that debilitates us. I'm talking about the same kind of fear that causes kids on a playground to pick on anyone that doesn't fit in, that looks a bit different. I'm talking about the kind of fear that perfect love casts out. At it's root, I truly believe that most of this fear is the direct result of doctrinal ignorance and/or error. I say ignorance because many of us do not know what we believe or why we believe it. This is largely because we don't know God's Word. (Which points back to the earlier point about the absolute necessity of easily understood, modern translation(s) of the Bible. It is obviously less simple and academic than this, but the point remains.) Especially in light of all that has transpired here this week, I am loathe to interject a personal example, but I think it is probably appropriate here.
For most of my teen and adult life, I read the Bible sporadically if at all. When I did read, it was seldom out of a sense of love or excitement. I wanted to love the Word, but I seldom felt that I did. This brought a great deal of shame and an endless cycle of commitment to read followed by failure. Each cycle brought me a bit lower. In retrospect, I can see God's hand in all of this. I am inquisitive and investigative by nature. I am also, however, impatient. This fault is not helpful when it comes to rightly dividing the Word of God. When I did read, I often found many of my long-held dogmas to be challenged. This frightened me and I would put the Word down again. A little over a year ago, the Holy Spirit sent some people and some books into my life that forced me to face my hypocrisy. It was time to either walk away for good, or pursue God for real. In fear and trepidation, I opened the Word again. As I began to read, the same old questions and confusions stepped in. But this time, my response was different. I remember the day (though not the date) that I finally said to God, "Lord, make me willing to pursue Your truth, no matter where it takes me." From that moment on, the Word has never been the same. It is truly alive to me now! I can't put it down. As I began to open my heart to the Spirit's leading, He began to strip away my fears, doubts, and error. Please do not misunderstand me. I am NOT saying that I have this doctrine thing figured out. I am not saying that I'll ever get it 100% right. What I am saying is that He has blessed my pursuit of Him. In fact, I have learned that He was actually pursuing me. He was using every failure to draw me closer - to make me see my complete inadequacy to please Him in my own strength and understanding. I still fail. A lot. Obviously. But! I have discovered the sweetness of life. I have learned the great value of honesty with God. I have learned that He loves it when I tell Him the truth about my feelings, even when they're wrong. He has answered numerous prayers in recent months. He has given me a love for His Word that I never expected to have. And He has given me a love for people that I always flattered myself I already had. It is truly marvelous to step into His light and let go of my mask.
What I am trying to say is that even a rudimentary understanding of true doctrine in the light of God's Word is truly liberating. Not knowing what or why we believe causes us to surround ourselves with others who share our views. There is a false sense of security in knowing that our stated beliefs and standard of living will not be challenged. We develop a sense of "insiderness" if I may coin a term. Anyone who doesn't fit in is to be feared, ignored, rejected, and condemned. Hence the "Standard Hairdo & Secret Handshake". This simply cannot be God's plan for His church.

Once again, lunch is over and duty calls. There is so much more that needs to be said, though I am not now certain that I am the one who should say it. I love my Lord. I love His Church - my sisters and brothers. And, by His grace, I love those around me who are dying for His love.

The Church

2009-11-06T05:53:00.005-05:00

I will attempt to pick up where I left off yesterday. After an extended conversation with my mother last night, it became painfully obvious that I still have not succeeded in providing an open window into my heart on these matters. I am a proud man. I am often an arrogant man. I hate this about myself. By the grace of God, I am making war on my pride. His Word tells me that He opposes the proud, something I want never to be said of me.Please give grace and forgiveness as I try again. Please hear my heart.

4. The Church - Everything I have said so far has been in the context of my experiences with, desires for, and love of Christ's church, His followers, and His Word. Please note that I have drawn what may seem an artificial distinctive between Christ's Church and His followers. I realize that they are one and the same. However, my concerns are best understood (at least to my mind) by considering them separately.

Christ's Church is comprised of millions of believers around the globe from many diverse cultures having varying degrees of biblical understanding and Christian maturity. Sometimes, the cultural, educational, and maturity differences create artificial "red zones" between us. It is a normal human condition that we consider our world view and even our God view to be the accurate view. Often, this snobbery is not even something we are cognitive of. I am absolutely convinced that there are many, many of us who are ignorantly guilty of this. The Holy Spirit has pointed this out in my own life. It is a sin I constantly have to fight - this urge to put people into neat little boxes, relegating them to the position that seems best to me. Recently, the Lord really opened my eyes to my own hypocrisy. There were several people with whom I had recently become acquainted about whom I had subconsciously formed opinions and "filed". In God's Providence, I had opportunity to learn of each of these individual's personal testimonies. As I heard what God had brought them from and where He was leading them, I was utterly humiliated by the apparition of my own arrogance.

In an earlier post, I said "If we are going to get beyond our pathetic existence as an exclusive, ingrown, joyless, impotent, inoculated social club, we are going to have to let go of the Elizabethan language, the standard hairdo, and the secret handshake." In talking to my mother last night, I realized that I may have caused unnecessary offense by this statement. First, I have certainly been guilty at times of being outrageous simply for the sake of being outrageous. I could blame this tendency to speak in superlatives on my ADHD but it's likely more a function of my pride. Second, I also believe that we need to be shaken from our comfort zones. My hyperbole was intended to this end. By no means do I group all Christians, local churches, or even denominations in this treatment. If the net effect was to appear disrespectful, I am truly sorry. Please allow me to attempt to "decode" my statement.

Exclusive, Ingrown, & Inoculated - The natural effect of not knowing what you believe and/or why you believe it is a need to create boundaries around yourself, allowing only those inside who you can trust to share your beliefs. This exclusivity often results in small churches made up of an ever aging and shrinking demographic. (I am NOT saying that every small church falls into this category! Please don't go there!)

Elizabethan Language - This has already been addressed, though perhaps not satisfactorily. This, of course, makes reference to our speaking and praying in King James English. Let's ask ourselves why we address our Father in this way. I have often been told by individuals that they feel it is more reverent to address and refer to God in this way. Why? The Bible does not. Allow me to quote here from the preface of the NIV Bible.

As for traditional pronouns "thou," "thee," and "thine" in reference to the Deity, the translators judged that to use these archaisms (along with the old verb forms such as "doest," "wouldest," and "hadst") would violate accuracy in translation. Neither Hebrew, Aramaic, nor Greek uses special pronoun for the persons of the Godhead. A present-day translation is not enhanced by forms that in the time of the King James Version were used in everyday speech, whether referring to God or man.

This statement makes my point. In 1611, everybody was a thee and a thou. We are instructed by Jesus Himself to call on God as "Abba", a word that is most closely associated with our English word "Daddy". How do you get there using thee's and thou's? I cannot speak for every believer, but I discovered that the use of this archaic language actually serves my sinful tendency to create my own "red zone" between my heart and the Father's. Yes, yes, yes, we are to approach the throne of grace with all reverence and awe. But - we are also instructed to boldly enter the throne room. The most blessed doctrine of the Bible is that of adoption. This is precisely the context in which Paul says in Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba!" "Father!" I believe the writers of the Bible completely avoided the use of special pronouns in reference to God because they create a barrier to intimacy! Yes, we are to respect the Father. Of course! But - He desires a truly intimate relationship with us. Consider Zephaniah 3:17 NIV-

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

I'm not sure I'm making myself plain. I pray that you understand my heart. I do understand that many of us have a deep love for the KJV. I am not saying that we should not. I am simply saying that God's purposes are best served when His Word is clearly understood and when He is personally addressed. For many of us, the language of 1611 does not accomplish this. However, it often serves to unnecessarily intimidate and alienate seekers both within and without the church.

I understand the concerns expressed with regard to my call for frequent translational revisions. I realize that this could potentially cause difficulties with memorization. I don't think the changes would have to be nearly so extreme if we kept up with the job. With regard to the question about separate translations for the North and the South, this is actually not that far-fetched. You may not be aware that there is actually a slightly modified version of the NIV for the United Kingdom. (Strangely enough, it's called the NIVUK!) Check out this LINK. I think we should prayerfully consider any and all options to make the Word of God more accessible to the masses. With regard to the concern over making hasty changes, I would say that I agree - to a point. I think, though I cannot be sure I am right, that this concern is primarily grounded in ensuring that the translators have a right understanding of the original words of the Bible and a right understanding of the current words of our culture. I envision a group of Bible scholars who are wholly and constantly devoted to this work, living in the Word - constantly. To attempt to translate the Bible is to introduce the likelihood of human error. To refuse to keep it culturally understandable is to ensure human error.

The Standard Hairdo & The Secret Handshake - I am completely out of time. I've been writing for an hour and a half and now it's time to go to work. More later.

Keepin' it Realer (Is that a word?)

2009-11-05T12:19:00.003-05:00

As of 12:21 today, I have received three comments re: the post below. In different ways and to varying degrees, each commenter illuminated the gap between my thoughts and my words. Once again, my reasonably decent command of the English language has done little to keep me out of trouble. Argh!!!

Alright, I'm going to attempt to clarify my rationale and position(s). I pray that I will not just muddy the waters more.

Here goes. Again.

I think my first mistake was trying to cover too many issues in one post, connected though they be. In mixing them, I apparently implied unintended conclusions. Most glaring is that it might in any way be acceptable for a mature believer to express that God is "kicking my ***". The individual who actually made this comment to me was not a Christian but was becoming interested in the things of God. He had begun attending church and was asking a lot of questions. The point I had been trying to make was that it is silly to ask someone accustomed to this kind of vernacular to read, let alone understand, the KJV. I'll stop clarifying this mix before I just make the situation worse.

My points are that there is much to be desired with the way we handle:

"The World"
Fellow Believers
The Bible
Church

1. "The World" - Much has been made over the years of the need for Christians to separate themselves from "The World". I fear that we have taken Christ's prayer that we be protected from the world rather than removed from it to polar extremes. The traditionalists have built walls of isolationism. The antinomians have removed all distinctives. Neither are right. Perhaps the song "What This World Needs" by Casting Crowns says it best.

What this world needs
Is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can't see
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt
What this world needs
Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can't see the difference
And it's the difference that sets the world free

This song illustrates the error of the church's extremes. We are not to view the unsaved as the enemy. We are not to fear them. We are not to disrespect them. They are far more sick of our hypocrisy than we are of their licentiousness. By the way - Both of these extremes are hypocritical. The isolationist is behaving hypocritically by claiming to be a partaker of the love of God while sharing none of it. The antinomian is hypocritically claiming the power of God while denying the holiness thereof. (Yeah, I know. I went Elizabethan for a moment there.)

2. Fellow Believers - I will have to severely limit my comments here due to time. (I'm on my lunch break.) I would love to see all of us as believers extending to each other the grace which we desire, even demand, for ourselves. This means that we will overlook certain sins without ignoring them. We will stop playing God. How many of us respond rightly when we are sinned against by a brother? Or when we observe a brother living up to less than our level of personal holiness? How often do we breathe a prayer to the Father asking for grace to love the one who is hurting us or offending our sensibilities? How often do we examine our own hearts in response to the sin of another? How often do we say "Father, my sin is no better. Thank you for forgiving me. I need your divine love right now."? I know that I routinely fail miserably in this area. Guess what? That's called sin. If I ignore it or excuse it, I am walking willfully against grace. And that has far reaching implications.

3. The Bible - Let me make this clear. The Bible, in it's original form, is the complete, inerrant, perfect word of God. It is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" II Timothy 3:16 NIV It was also intended to be understood by the common man, hence the writing of the New Testament primarily in Koine Greek, the trade language of the time. While it is likely true that the King James Version was and is one of the most reliable translations of all time, it is also true that is archaic and nearly impossible to comprehend for the majority of our culture. Pick up an NIV and read through the entire Bible. I promise you you'll be shocked by what you read, especially if you've read the KJV your whole life. Just ask my mother. The soaring literary beauty of the KJV is little reason to insist upon it's exclusive use either. There's a reason we don't make modern plays with Elizabethan English. These principles are clearly understood by Wycliffe Bible Translators and other groups whose mission it is to translate the Bible into the unreached languages of the world. The most difficult part of Bible translation is perhaps the necessity to faithfully address idioms and vernacular - in the Bible and in the new language. We seem to understand this with other cultures. Why is there so much exlusivism and protectionism around the KJV?

4. The Church - I'm out of time. Gotta go to work. More on this later.

Keepin' It Real

2009-11-05T06:15:00.003-05:00

Two years ago, I posted a brief list of verses from Proverbs entitled:

“From Proverbs 27 (NIV) - random verses that kick my butt.”

I figured this title might raise a few eyebrows among my elders. I received a single objection which was presented in a very kind and non-judgmental email. I responded by email as well. I commented to the recipient that I was going to share the core content of my response in a follow-up blog post. 25 months later, here it is with minor revision. Please understand that I share this prayerfully and not with the intent of being outrageous for the sake of being outrageous, though I am certainly guilty of that from time to time.

Here goes...

Obviously, my intention is not to in any way be sacrilegious. Rather, it's my way of trying to move the discussion from sanctimonious to reality. My generation feels strongly the need to close the gap between the language of the KJV and the way we really talk. I don't see the term "took me to the woodshed" in the Bible either, but I've sure heard it from the pulpit.

I've always been one to live on the edge, to push the envelope. I don't think that will ever change. I hope I have gained a bit of wisdom along the way. But it seems to me that life on the edge means you're always finding that delicate balance between being outrageous and being disrespectful; I'm certain I fall over the edge from time to time. I'm glad God knows my heart. Those close to me know that I consider reverence for Him to be non-negotiable. However, the older I get, the more I understand that the life and message of Jesus is radical, outrageous, and exo-establishment. I believe He's appalled at the way we play church. You've got to understand that many of my colleagues and friends who read my blog aren't the least perturbed by the phrase "kicked my butt". However, they're a lot more likely to sit up and take notice than if I said that I was "challenged" or used some other vanilla word. When I talk about Christ to them, some of them in complete sincerity have described the Holy Spirit's pursuit as "God's been kicking my *** (donkey)." They mean no disrespect either. They are merely speaking the language they know. I don't think God is particularly honored by our couching everything in genteel terms. I have the impression that most traditional Christians are less than comfortable with the NIV and other "literal" translations because it "dumbs down" the Bible. I would contest that this is precisely what God intends. Otherwise, why would the NT have been written in Koine Greek, the commoners trade language of the time? Perhaps the biggest disservice the church has done the world is to not continually revise the Bible to reflect current, meaningful language. I'm talking like annually. I realize this is very difficult, but I think it's necessary. I mean come on, we sit in church week after week and read a translation that was common language 400 years ago. I think it's ridiculous. If we truly believe that the KJV is the only authentic translation, then we should surely realize the immediate need for a massive translation effort to develop a modern Bible. Sometimes I think Christians subconsciously take pride in their ability to "interpret" the KJV for those lesser beings who haven't been raised in the church. I mean come on, we even use thee and thou in our prayer, both private and public. God's got to be sitting up there going, "Come on, you're killin' me. I asked you to call me ‘Daddy’. Who are you talking to, me or Shakespeare? In case you missed the memo, King James is dead." If we are going to get beyond our pathetic existence as an exclusive, ingrown, joyless, impotent, inoculated social club, we are going to have to let go of the Elizabethan language, the standard hairdo, and the secret handshake. God never called us to this. I am the lowliest of the low when it comes to Christ's followers. I've muddled along for years trying to figure out not only what a Christian looks like, but what this Christian is supposed to look like. I'm sick of cookie-cutter religion. I am in pursuit of a relationship that pushes my faith to the edge every day. Yeah, I know that's a really stupid thing to say. I know because God has a really "unique" sense of humor when He starts answering that prayer. Believe me, I get it. But it's got to be better than being one of the walking dead. I think there are many genuine Christians in the church who truly love God but are oblivious to His expectations. Kind of like a newly-wed husband that brings his wife flowers but leaves the toilet seat up.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I'm determined to keep asking the questions.

The Circle Unbroken

2009-10-12T06:45:00.002-04:00

How full my heart this morning! God's presence has been so real this weekend. He is truly moving on hearts and minds in these days. Where shall I begin?

Saturday, we went down to Thomasville as usual to look after Daddy & Mama. On the trip down, we popped one of the kids' VeggieTales cd's into the player - a kid's worship album. Who'd have thought that the Lord would come and minister through the singing of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber? But that's precisely what happened. As the 6 of us sang along, His Presence filled our van. It was a time of simple, sweet fellowship. Later in the day, Margaret and I were on facebook, looking up old friends. Wound up bumping into Priscilla Smith, the mother of one of my very best friends from high school, Joseph Smith. Long story short, I went over to the old home place after morning service yesterday for a "quick" visit with Joe; I hadn't seen him in 10 or 11 years. At that time, he had been really searching for God. I didn't know it at the time, but so was I. What a thrilling time as we shared our journeys and spoke of the goodness of the Father that has led us every step of the way right back to the foot of the cross.

Last night, we attended evening service at our "other church" here in Mebane. Grace Reformed Baptist Church (www.grbc.net) is right across the interstate from our apartment, a 3 minute drive. Margaret and I were SOOO exhausted and neither of us felt like leaving home. But we have determined to be in church on the Lord's Day if at all possible. So we went. Thanks to the Father that we did. Our youngest minister, Nick Gaines preached a beautiful sermon about the cross. As always, he had obviously spent a tremendous amount of time preparing for the sermon as it was rich with scripture. (When Nick preaches, I just put my Bible down; he uses so much scripture, that it wears me out trying to keep up.) Following the sermon, we entered immediately into our monthly communion service. This is the second time we have taken communion at Grace. As before, Pastor Johnston presented the service with much reverence and joy; God's presence was SOOOO real. Unlike last time, however, Pastor Johnston asked the congregation to share how Christ's death on the cross blessed them specifically - what they were most grateful for. As person after person shared their unique perspective, it was though I could feel the hearts of the people drawing into closer and closer fellowship, the fellowship of the cross.

And now the best part. Miss Jessica, my 7 yr old, had payed very close attention to all of this. She heard the pastor say that communion was only for Christians. On the way home, she asked me, "Daddy, am I a Christian?". My heart leapt within me! I told her that if she believed that there was one God, that Jesus was His Son, that Jesus was God, that He had died for her sins, and if she had asked forgiveness for all of her sins, she was a Christian. I asked her if she had done this. She said she had, all but that last part. I asked her if she wanted to pray to Jesus when she got home. She said she did. When we got home, we went to my room and I explained the salvation story to her as carefully and as simply as I knew how. I told her of God's creation of a world without sin, of Adam's sin, of the curse of sin which fell on us all - demanding death, of the coming of the Christ - his death and resurrection, of the hope that is ours as a result. I tried to tell it simply and unemotionally; I didn't want to create any false emotion within her in response to my emotion. I needn't have worried. The Holy Spirit, perfect messenger of the Father, opened her little heart to His truth. I truly believe she understood. We prayed together. She opened her eyes and immediately announced she was ready to be baptized - tonight if at all possible! How shall I describe the joy that filled this Daddy's breast?

There is more to say, but it's time to go to work.

"I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I." Isaiah 65:1 NIV

God's Masterpiece

2009-09-05T12:34:00.001-04:00

Feline Debussy

2009-08-13T19:32:00.003-04:00

Can you imagine hearing music in the middle of the night and walking into your living room to this?

MSNBC Responds to "A Case For Early Marriage"

2009-08-12T06:52:00.003-04:00

Here is a fairly balanced response to the Chrisitianity Today article I blogged below.

Charlie Bit Me!

2009-08-10T20:03:00.001-04:00

Age of Accountability

2009-08-08T16:23:00.002-04:00

If anybody out there knows the scriptural basis for the "Age of Accountability", help me out and leave me some references. It's a very logical doctrine to my mind but I'd like to ground it in the Bible.

The Case For Early Marriage

2009-08-04T06:36:00.003-04:00

Here is an incredibly thought-provoking article. Having married at 19, I found a great deal of personal interest in the subject. I will admit, reading the article caused me to begin rethinking some things with regard to my own daughters and my advice to them regarding marriage.

ABC News Video of Yesterday's Pileup(s)

2009-07-30T19:05:00.000-04:00

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Providence

2009-07-29T21:05:00.004-04:00

Today, Barack Obama came to NC. His helicopter, Marine One, has been in our hangar all week along with a full compliment of Marines and Air Force personnel, support equipment, and support aircraft (think two (2) C-17 Globemasters).

Here's a pic of one of them leaving RDU this afternoon. I stayed about 5 minutes longer than usual to watch them leave. That five minutes proved to be Providential.

Here's a video of what I saw on my two hour ride home (normally 40 minutes). Had I left on time, I likely would have been in the middle of this.

Fridge Snores

2009-07-27T19:54:00.003-04:00

Long-time friends David and Jen Kougher came to see us the weekend of July 4th. David was exhausted from the all-night drive down. Had to blog this.

On This Day - The Martyrs of Scilli

2009-07-17T06:31:00.001-04:00

An excerpt from the book "On This Day".

The Martyrs of Scilli

July 17

The northern shores of Africa teemed with Christians during the second century, but all were at risk. In 180 seven men and five women were captured carrying “the sacred books, and the letters of Paul, a just man.” On July 17, 180 they appeared before the Roman proconsul Saturninus in Carthage. Charges against them were read: “Whereas Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda, and the rest have confessed they live in accordance with the religious rites of the Christians, and when an opportunity was given them of returning to the usage of the Romans they persevered in their obstinacy, it is our pleasure they should suffer the sword.”

Speratus, hearing the charges, shouted, “Thanks be to God!”

Nartzalus said, “Today we are martyrs in heaven. Thanks be to God!”

The proconsul was bewildered by their reaction and by their claim that Christianity was the only true religion. “We too have a religion,” he said, “and ours is a simple one. We swear by the fortune of the emperor. You should do the same.”

Speratus replied, “I do not recognize an empire in this world. I serve that God whom no man has seen or can see. The Lord I acknowledge is the Emperor of all kings and all nations.”

Donata added, “Honor to Caesar, but reverence to God alone.”

“We reverence no one except our God in heaven,” said another.

Saturninus, still perplexed, asked, “Would you like time to think it over?”

“What is the use?” replied Speratus. “The matter is as plain as can be.”

And it was. The early Christians expected persecution. The Savior had died on the cross, the Twelve had suffered for their faith, and no generation since had escaped pain and bloodshed. In 95 Domitian executed his own family members who espoused Christianity. In 107 Simeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, was killed. In 110 Ignatius died. Polycarp was martyred in 155. In 165 Justin Martyr was scourged and killed. In 177, 48 Christians perished in France.

And in 180 the twelve from Scilli were marched out and beheaded.

It is exactly as the Scriptures say, “For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.” In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. Romans 8:36,37

Morgan, Robert J.: On This Day : 265 Amazing and Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs & Heroes. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000, c1997, S. July 17

Me and Peter

2009-06-25T20:43:00.001-04:00

Sometimes our English language is very limiting when it comes to accurately translating the Bible. Many languages use a different word for the singular and plural versions of the word "you". For instance, Spanish uses "usted" to mean you singular but "ustedes" for you plural. I guess the closest thing we have to a plural form of the word you is "ya'll", though I understand that in certain parts ofTexas "ya'll" can also be singular. Argh! Anyway, I never realized that Christ used both versions of the word in the passage below. Having just discovered this, I do not purport to understand the significance of this yet. It would seem that Satan had demanded all of the disciples or at least the apostles and that Jesus had prayed for Peter specifically.

Luke 22:31-32 (English Standard Version)

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

³¹"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³²but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Footnotes:

Luke 22:31 The Greek word for you (twice in this verse) is plural; in verse 32, all four instances are singular

I believe that, in foretelling Peter's denial, Christ was also indicating that the experience would be useful to Peter in the building up of other believers - after he had repented and been reconciled. Perhaps, in his Sovereign mercy, the Father predestined Peter to deny Christ that he might know the limitations of his human resolve and be enabled to build up the strength of the church with humility.

You have no idea how many times I thank God for Peter. I totally relate to him. Brash, impetuous, big-hearted and big-mouthed. And yet - he was the one Jesus selected to be the rock upon which he would build His church! This gives me great hope. Perhaps my great struggle with sin has been His way of humbling me for His service. I'm telling you, every time I begin to allow myself to anticipate serving God in an intentional, tangible, sacrificial manner, I find myself very quickly thinking about all the stupid things I might unintentionally do to actually hurt the very work of Christ I am trying to accomplish! This fear is very nearly disabling. And yet - I have to believe that it is His way of humbling me and readying me for service. I have often questioned God for the way He made me, the personality with which he saddled me. I still don't understand why it is so easy for me to offend others and to be offended by them and why it is so hard for me to fit in. Perhaps my ADHD and its attendant social ineptitude are my "thorn in the flesh". I am learning to accept this. By that I do not mean that I accept the idea of being offensive to others. I mean that I accept that this is the way my Father made me and that I will have to be constantly working, constantly on guard to properly understand and be understood by others. Agape love is making a big difference. I have asked Him to pour this love into my heart and He is doing it.

Planning For Retirement

2009-06-24T21:23:00.002-04:00

Father's Day, 2009

2009-06-21T09:21:00.004-04:00

Today I write this post from the home of our dear friends, David & Kay Smith. My parents, wife, and children are celebrating Father's Day with my paternal grandparents in Florida. Needless to say, I am missing them all this Father's Day. However, I rejoice that my children and wife can spend the day with our patriarchs. At 85 years old, none of us know how much longer it will be until Grandpa D goes to his reward.

As I write this, I cannot keep tears from flowing as I consider Grandpa's inevitable crossing. They are not tears of grief. They are tears of envy. This Father's Day, I am overwhelmed with the desire to see my heavenly Father face to face.

Oh, Father, how I long to see you. How I long to be done with this body of death and to know and worship You as you are. I am a stranger here and I long for home. I know that you will to keep me here a bit longer and I submit to your will, but I need You to know that I prefer You and home to this place. How I praise You for salvation and the insane, crazy love shown by Your son, my elder brother, Jesus Christ at Calvary.

And so, this Father's Day, I am of all men most blessed. Blessed by my Fathers. My earthly father and grandfather, my Heavenly Father. I pray that I may be counted among them. I pray that someday my children will say to the sons of the earth: "I serve the God of my Fathers, the God of Robert, Jonathan, and Jon."

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea:

A great High Priest, whose name is Love,

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,

My name is written on his heart;

I know that while in heaven he stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look, and see him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect, spotless righteousness,

The great unchangeable I Am,

The King of glory and of grace!

One with himself, I cannot die

My soul is purchased by his blood

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, my Savior and my God

With Christ, my Savior and my God.

Before the Throne!

2009-06-20T19:16:00.005-04:00

This is one of my all-time favorite songs by probably my favorite group, Selah. The truth of the words of this song are gripping. All our hope as Christians is wrapped up in this truth. Please watch and read the words as the song plays. If you are a believer, I pray it will remind you of your place in Christ. If you are not, I pray it will help you understand the reconciliation with God the Father that is availalble to you because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

"The Question that Changed My Life"

2009-06-18T07:04:00.002-04:00

The Question that Changed My Life
(by David Ryser)

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry.
My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways
to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for
revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to
Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity,
and it goes like this:

"Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece
and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution;
it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and
became an enterprise."

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old--barely out of
diapers--and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import
of the last line, so I clarified it by adding, "An enterprise. That's a
business." After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the
class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be.
I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had
performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha's raised
hand, "Yes, Martha." She asked such a simple question, "A business?
But isn't it supposed to be a body?" I could not envision where this
line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think
of was, "Yes." She continued, "But when a body becomes a business,
isn't that a prostitute?"

The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or
spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the
Presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were
on Holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was,
"Wow, I wish I'd thought of that." I didn't dare express that thought
aloud. God had taken over the class.

Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about
her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a
business, isn't that a prostitute?" There is only one answer to her
question. The answer is "Yes." The American Church, tragically,
is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we
love Him? We don't even know Him; and I mean really know Him.

... I stand by my statement that most American Christians do not
know God--much less love Him. The ROOT of this condition
originates in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because
of what we were told He would DO for us. We were promised that
He would bless us in life and take us to Heaven after death. We
married Him for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as
long as we can GET His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God
into a business, merchandising His anointing. This should not be.
We are commanded to love God, and are called to be the Bride of
Christ--that's pretty intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers.
How can we love someone we don't even know? And even if we do
know someone, is that a guarantee that we truly love them? Are we
lovers or prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha's question again one day, and considered
the question, "What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?"
I realized that both do many of the same things, BUT a lover does
what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love,
but only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, "What would
happen if God stopped paying me?"

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover
my motives for loving and serving Him. Was I really a TRUE lover
of God? What would happen if He stopped blessing me? What if He
never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him? Please
understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The
issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is the
condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings in my
life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have earned
or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any conditions?
It took several months to work through these questions. Even now
I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by my attitude
and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed with God and
angry that He has not met some perceived need in my life. I suspect
this is something which is never fully resolved, but I want more than
anything else to be a TRUE lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we, lover or prostitute? There
are no prostitutes in Heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for that
matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both places.
Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no substitute
for unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I mean there
is no palatable substitute available to us (take another look at
Matthew 7:21-23 sometime). We must choose!

Dear Father,

How I long to know You and love You as You are, not as I vainly imagine and desire You to be. Purge me of my selfishness and prideful demands. Thank You that, as my Father, You love me enough to rebuke my sin and teach me truth.

- Jon

8 Year Old Trumpet Prodigy

2009-06-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

A Father's Love

2009-06-13T18:44:00.001-04:00

Get your hankie out before you pull the trigger on this one.

Rep. Forbes Takes on President Obama

2009-06-13T08:21:00.003-04:00

Representative Randy Forbes from the 4t District of Virginia. See his YouTube channel HERE.

Learn To Fly, 1953!

2009-06-12T18:45:00.002-04:00

This is a really cool video. If only the prices were still the same!

Operation Tiger: D-Day Training Exercise Gone Wrong

2009-06-07T18:44:00.001-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Oh, Praise Him!

2009-06-03T06:06:00.000-04:00

Ah, The Things You Can Do With Goggles!

2009-05-21T18:19:00.001-04:00

I'm Amazed!

2009-05-20T06:18:00.001-04:00

This Is How It Feels To Be Free!

2009-05-17T18:22:00.001-04:00

Just Move On

2009-04-28T06:37:00.000-04:00

Exodus 14:13-15 (New International Version)

¹³ Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

¹⁵ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

You know, sometimes I think we allow our worries to drive us back to our knees when what we really need to do is to just "move on" in faith. Although our trials are intended to draw us closer to God, this is accomplished by more than just moaning to Him in fear. He also desires to draw us by building our faith. Children never learn to ride a bicycle if they're constantly turning around to make sure that Dad or Mom is still running alongside, holding onto the bike. "You got me? You won't let go will you?"

When I first read verse 14, I highlighted it in my Bible. Then I read verse 15 and realized that Moses had given the children of Israel some bad advice for this particular situation! Can't you just see the look on Moses' face? "But Lord, I just told them to be still. Now if I tell them to move on, they'll think I'm scared or out of touch with You." I don't know, maybe I'm taking way too much license here, but it seems feasible to me. Actually sounds pretty familiar to me. Reminds me of many times when I've been faced with making a touch decision for the family. Being the designated spiritual leader doesn't guarantee your infallibility, even if your name is Moses. Oh, for the wisdom to know when to "be still" and when to just "move on".

A Paradigm Shift

2009-04-23T05:56:00.005-04:00

In recent months, our Father has used a number of events in my life to cause a radical, life-altering paradigm shift in my view of Him, myself, and the world around me. Most notably, I have been greatly influenced by the reading of a number of books, four of which I want to share here. (Some of this will be sheer plagiarism of a 3/05/09 post from my Unapologetically Conservative blog.)

The first of these books was the gift of a dear friend, Mark Sherman. On a recent visit, Mark gave me a copy of C.J. Mahaney's wonderful book, Living The Cross Centered Life.

I would encourage you to get your hands on a copy and read it for yourself. I have just this week finished reading it for the second time. Right after starting to read the book the first time, I found another book by the same author entitled simply Humility.

The two books could easily have been chapters in the same volume. Between the pages of both books, I found the beautiful, simple truths of the love of our Heavenly Father and the unfathomable gift of His Son, Jesus. Don't misunderstand me; I was already a Believer. These books, however, brought so many elements of my confusion into the sharpest of focus. In short, I discovered that I have been trapped by a form of legalism, trying to impress God with how good I could be. You may imagine the devestating effects of my sinful failures upon such a relationship. How incredibly liberating to discover that He wasn't really that impressed by my "goodness" and that what He really wanted me to discover was that I have no goodness or strength outside of Him. I have discovered the Christ of the cross, a man of great sorrow, acquainted with grief. For too long I have hid my face from Him. I have thought in my sinful confusion that I was not good enough for Him, that I must somehow "get better" before my repentance could be believable and genuine. But that's not what I hear the Father saying to me now. I hear Him saying "My Son died so that you can be one of My own. Don't fear me." (I am told that in His word, God tells us not to be afraid 365 times; that's one for every day of my year!) I have discovered a freedom I have never known. In that freedom, I have discovered a new passion. My overwhelming desire, seeemingly day and night, is to know Him better, to seek His perfect will for my life. His Word tells me that before He slung the stars into the galaxies, before He spoke light into existence, He knew my name and he knew the plans He had for me. Do you realize how humbling that simple thought is? How could I not desire to spend the best of my time with a Father such as this?

Next, I read the book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan.

About the same time I bought the book, I bought my first iPod. After reading the book and subsequently listening to dozens of pastor Chan's sermon podcasts, I cannot begin to tell you the impact it has had on my life. His church and ministry are extremely untraditional and yet appear to me to be more biblically correct than any I've ever seen. They teach and live the teachings of Jesus quite literally. In addition to making a concerted effort to reach every individual in their community, they are reaching out to "Judaea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth". Since the church's beginning 13 years ago, they have planted churches in multiple states across America, have sent missionaries to multiple countries, have started a bible college, and are avid supporters of foreign missions. They believe that "loving others as we love ourselves" extends to their church budget, 50% of which is given away. Last year, they gave several million dollars to world missions. In order to allow more funds to be given away, they abandoned their plans to build a new multi-million dollar church facility in their southern California neighborhood and are trying to build an outdoor amphitheatre for worship instead. Pastor Chan sold his house and moved into a much smaller, less expensive home to free up his own income for the kingdom. His car went the same route. After subsequently buying a $3800 dollar "beater", he wound up giving it away to a Mexican pastor during a missions trip there. He now drives another $3000 dollar beater. He finally convinced the church last year to eliminate his salary. He has given the entire half million dollar proceeds from his book to the kingdom work. I agree with Pastor Chan when he says that he tends to pay more attention to people who are doing rather than just talking. But - the influence on my heart is about far more than just giving and missions which, if taken alone, would amount to merely a social gospel. The clear Bible teaching of Pastor Chan brings the truths of scripture into a real world perspective. Don't misunderstand me; he doesn't water down the truth. In fact, he preaches it straight and with the bark on, just the way I like it.

The last book I want to profile here has been in print for some time. It is Revolution in World Missions by the founder of Gospel For Asia, K.P. Yohannon. It's author, an Indian native missionary from a christian family, makes a compelling case for our prayerful monetary support of the work of native missionaries in lieu of the traditional pattern of foreign missions. In short, he very gently and humbly explains why the native missionary is many times more effective than the foreign missionary. Before you sneer at this concept, consider the results. Among other staggering statistics, I learned just last night in a phone conversation with GFA's local volunteer, that GFA sponsored churches and missionaries lead to Christ and baptized over a half million new christians in 2008 alone! Before you scoff at these conversions, please understand that the implication of conversion in Asia is of much greater significance than here in the United States. Many of these new brothers and sisters in Christ become believers knowing at the outset that they are opening the door for severe persecution, often from their family. In some cases, especially in Muslim cultures, they are almost certainly signing their own death certificate by coming to Christ. This inspires me and stirs me from my complacency!

In addition to these excellent books, I have been blessed by the clear Bible teaching of Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of In Touch Ministries.

Having said all of this, let me stress that I do not believe that I am becoming a "man follower". I do my best to vet the words of all of these men against the teachings of scripture. I am reading the Bible in great volume and many times a day at this point in my life. I do not say that to be prideful, but to help you understand that I am not just latching on to the teachings of man or the slightest "wind of doctrine" that passes my way. All of this follows and culminates over ten years of God chasing which has included much Bible study, sessions with multiple professional Christian counselors (I know I just lost some of you right there), and study at two theologically opposed Bible colleges. I don't have all the answers yet. I probably won't until I get to heaven. But I am, for the first time in my life, running the race with confidence.

I commend you to Christ.

In His Grip,

Jon

A Rwandan Man's Confession

2009-03-15T20:53:00.000-04:00

by Dr. Bob Moorehead

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

What a Wonderful World!

2009-03-12T21:09:00.001-04:00

Bizkit The Sleepwalking Dog

2009-03-10T21:01:00.000-04:00

Little Sung Verses of Amazing Grace

2009-03-10T06:11:00.002-04:00

In evil long I took delight,

Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.

I saw One hanging on a tree,

In agonies and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me,
As near His cross I stood.

Sure, never till my latest breath,

Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

My conscience felt and owned the guilt,

And plunged me in despair,
I saw my sins His blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.

Alas, I knew not what I did

But now my tears are vain;

Whare shall my trembling soul be hid?

For I the Lord have slain.

A second look He gave, which said,

“I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayest live.”

Thus, while His death my sin displays

In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is filled;
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by him I killed.

— John Newton

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

2009-02-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

Catch The Bug

2009-02-20T05:51:00.001-05:00

One Amazing Mom!

2009-02-05T19:27:00.001-05:00

Redneck Resort

2009-01-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

Artistic Ballistics

2009-01-10T12:20:00.001-05:00

Philippians 2:1-18 (New International Version)

2009-01-09T06:50:00.001-05:00

Imitating Christ's Humility

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
      taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
      being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
      he humbled himself
      and became obedient to death—
         even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
      and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
      to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out^[c] the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Dear God, let it be so in me.

Family Pictures

2008-12-10T06:56:00.003-05:00

Well, after an 8 year hiatus, we decided it was about time for a family picture. I mean, hey, we've had another kid in the meantime. Jessica Mae is 6 now and had never been in a professional family portrait! I know, I know, I'm terrible. I could give all the usual and a few unusual excuses, but I'll spare you the drivel. Anyway, I'll post a link to an online album shortly; Margaret and I have to sit down and figure out which of the 77 shots to post. In the meantime, here's my favorite. It's called "Group Hug", though our photographer referred to it as that "crazy shot". It happened spontaneously at the end of our session. I love it because it's so typical of our family.

The Last Christmas

2008-12-05T05:48:00.001-05:00

Familyman Todd Wilson writes...

Hey Dad,
I’m not sure what your feelings are about Christmas, but what if I were to tell you---this is your LAST Christmas?
Let me tell you a story.
Just about every Tuesday morning I have breakfast with an old guy at McDonald’s. For years now, we walk in and he greets all the other old guys who are gathered in the old guy section solving world problems. We order and then take our favorite seat near the kids’ playland.
As we talk, you can hear the hum of old guys and the occasional bigger-than-life laugh of Terry, a local cop, who has been adopted into the old guy crowd. I’m telling you, his laugh fills the restaurant and is infectious.
Well, about two years ago Terry had a bout with cancer. Usually, before he left McD’s, he’d walk over to our table and share how God takes good care of him and how he just takes one day at a time. The good news was, that after some heavy-duty chemo treatment, the cancer disappeared. I can vividly remember the smile on his face as he stood beside us with the good news.
Then it came back. This last time, the chemo was hard on him. I knew he was not feeling well, not because he looked any different, but because his laugh was gone. Last Tuesday, he sat quietly with the old guys. As he left, he smiled and nodded in our direction and walked to his van.
Now, only a few days later, he’s in heaven---pain-free and laughing as only he can laugh. But I’ll tell you, he left a big hole in his family and at McDonald’s.
Here’s the thing that I can’t shake. What if an angel had appeared to him a year ago and said, “Terry, this is your last Christmas---make it a good one”?
As I think about it, this may be my---last Christmas. Next year, I may not get to sleep under the Christmas tree with my children, buy a gift that shows my wife how much I love her, or point out the twinkling lights as we travel the snowy Indiana roads.
It’s really an awesome thought to think, “This might be my last Christmas.” But it’s a thought I think I should think---and so should you.
Dad, I know this is a busy time of year, the economy has tanked, and you have a lot on your mind. But allow me to put on my angel costume and whisper in your ear, “This might be your last Christmas---make it a good one.”

You ‘da dad,
Todd

PS - Hey Dad, if you’ve never bought a You ‘da Dad Daily Calendar, you’re missing out on one of the greatest tools known to modern dads. Imagine having me sit on your desk 365 days a year to remind you how great it is to be a dad, to share tips for being a better dad, or to remind you of what you’d do anyway---if only someone would remind you. We even have a special bulk price, so you can order them for all the dads in your office, men’s group, or family. Rush over and order yours right now at http://www.familymanweb.com/christmas#calendar Operators are standing by.

PPS – There’s still time to get your entry into the Familyman Big Buck Contest. Send your story or a picture to Familyman@bnin.net You can view some honking big deer and a few pathetic hunting stories at http://www.familymanweb.com/big-buck-contest

This newsletter may be freely copied and distributed in whole or in part. If you would like to receive the "Familyman Weekly", sign up at www.familymanweb.com

copyright 2008

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-17T06:04:00.002-05:00

Change the World this Christmas. www.adventconspiracy.org

The Rich Family In Church

2008-11-17T05:53:00.000-05:00

The Rich Family In Church
By Eddie Ogan

I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1.

We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.

Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.

The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change.

We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before.

That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.

We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.

But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.

When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.

Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.

We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor.

That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed—I didn't even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!

I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way.

Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.

When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church."

Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100."

We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!

Jiffer Said it Best!

2008-10-28T05:55:00.008-04:00

Melody recently finished reading War and Peace. I was considering how best to blog this momentous event. This morning, I discovered a Word document on my computer that apparently Jennifer had written. The only "editing" I can add is that, much to her chagrin, Melody is not technically a NC native. Ah, but we all wish we were.

Native NC Girl is Declared World’s Most Avid Reader!

How many 13 year olds do you know that have read War and Peace? Not many, huh? But that’s just what Melody Delamarter from Mebane, North Carolina did in three weeks.

When asked why she chose to read a 1,215 page book, Melody stated, “It was a classic; I like classics.”

Melody’s father’s response to this move was, “There’s gonna be a blog on this.”

Of course, when Jennifer was asked how she felt about her sister’s accomplishment, she replied, “Melody is also doing a book report voluntarily; I’ve learned to expect strange things.”

Let’s hear it for Melody Delamarter! Hip, hip, hurrah!!!

Translators Needed!

2008-10-27T06:46:00.001-04:00

Do you speak a second language? If so, you're needed! Check it out.

Family Man

2008-10-27T05:31:00.001-04:00

This video comes courtesy of my buddy Mark Sherman. It requires no commentary. Enjoy.

Incredible

2008-10-12T11:09:00.001-04:00

Lorenzo : the Flying French Man...
by alatebo

You Know You're Getting Old When...

2008-10-10T05:59:00.004-04:00

From www.familymanweb.com:

- When your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you’re barefoot.
- When your doctor doesn’t give you x-rays anymore but just holds you up to the light.
- When you remember when the Dead Sea was only sick.
- When you don’t care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don’t have to go along.
- You and your teeth don’t sleep together.
- Your back goes out, but you stay home.
- You wake up, looking like your driver’s license picture.
- It takes two tries to get up from the couch.
- Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
- Happy hour is a nap.
- When you step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure that the street is still there.
- Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.
- It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
- Your memory is shorter and your complaining is longer.
- The pharmacist has become your new best friend.
- It takes twice as long to look half as good.
- The twinkle in your eye is only the reflection of the sun on your bifocals.
- You look for your glasses for a half an hour, and then find that they were on your head all the time.
- You get two invitations to go out on the same night, and you pick the one that gets you home the earliest.
- You give up all your bad habits and you still don’t feel good.
- You have more patience but, actually, it’s just that you don’t care anymore.
- You sit in a rocking chair and can’t get it going.
- You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don’t even remember being on top of it.
- You don’t know real embarrassment until your hip sets off a metal detector.
- Let’s face it, traveling just isn’t as much fun when all the historical sites are younger than you are.
- Every time you suck in your gut, your ankles swell.
- You’re suffering from Mallzheimer’s disease. You go to the mall and forget where you parked the car.
- Age always corresponds inversely to the size of your multi-vitamin.
- Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
- If you’ve never smoked, you can start now and it won’t have time to hurt you.
- People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
- Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.
- Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
- Your eyes won’t get much worse.
- Adult diapers are actually kind of convenient.
- Things you buy now won’t wear out.
- There’s nothing left to learn the hard way.
- Your joints are more accurate than the National Weather Service.
- In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
- You light the candles on your birthday cake, and a group of campers form a circle and start singing “Kumbaya.”
- You start videotaping daytime game shows.
- You wonder why you waited so long to take up macramé.
- At cafeterias, you complain that the gelatin is too tough.
- Your new easy chair has more options than your car.
- Conversations with people your own age often turn into “dueling ailments.”
- It takes a couple of tries to get over a speed bump.
- You’re on a TV game show and you decide to risk it all and go for the rocker.
- You find yourself beginning to like accordion music.
- You begin every other sentence with, “Nowadays…”
- You run out of breath walking DOWN a flight of stairs.
- You look both ways before crossing a room.
- You come to the conclusion that your worst enemy is gravity.
- You frequently find yourself telling people what a loaf of bread USED to cost.
- You realize that a stamp today costs more than a picture show did when you were growing up.
- Your childhood toys are now in a museum.
- Many of your co-workers were born the same year that you got your last promotion.
- The clothes you’ve put away until they come back in style… came back in style.
- All of your favorite movies are now re-released in color.
- The car that you bought brand new is now a classic.
- You’re asleep, but others worry that you’re dead.
- Your back goes out more than you do.
- You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.
- You buy a compass for the dash of your car.
- You are proud of your lawn mower.
- Your best friend is dating someone half their age and isn’t breaking any laws.
- Your arms are almost too short to read the newspaper.
- You sing along with the elevator music.
- You would rather go to work than stay home sick.
- You constantly talk about the price of gasoline.
- You enjoy hearing about other people’s operations.
- You consider coffee one of the most important things in life.
- You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
- Neighbors borrow your tools.
- People call at 9 p.m. and ask, “Did I wake you?”
- You have a dream about prunes.
- You send money to PBS.
- The end of your tie doesn’t come anywhere near the top of your pants.
- You take a metal detector to the beach.
- You wear black socks with sandals.
- You know what the word “equity” means.
- You can’t remember the last time you laid on the floor to watch television.
- Your ears are hairier than your head.
- You talk about “good grass” and you’re referring to someone’s lawn.
- You get into a heated argument about pension plans.
- You got cable for the weather channel.
- You have a party and the neighbors don’t even realize it.
- Everything that works hurts, and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work.
- You feel like the morning after, and you haven’t been anywhere.
- Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D.
- Your children are beginning to look middle-aged.
- Your mind makes contracts your body can’t keep.
- You look forward to a dull evening.
- Your knees buckle and your belt won’t.
- You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.
- You know all the answers, but nobody asks the questions.
- You don’t remember when your wild oats turned to prunes and all bran.
- You finally got your head together, now your body is falling apart.
- You don’t remember being absent minded.
- Tying one on means fastening your Medic Alert bracelet.

Hmm, Maybe That's It

2008-10-02T20:36:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my cousin Dee-Dee for this snippet. Click HERE to read the 1999 New York Times article that may help explain our current economic dilemma.

This Is For You, Baby.

2008-09-20T18:09:00.001-04:00

North Carolina General Assembly

2008-09-07T18:12:00.001-04:00

Here's something cool I just discovered. Click on THIS LINK to listen to live audio from the North Carolina General Assembly, when in session. The North Carolina General Assembly broadcasts live, real-time audio of the daily House and Senate sessions, press conferences in the Press Conference Room, and meetings held in the Appropriations and Finance Committee Rooms.

Gearheads Unite!

2008-09-04T19:59:00.003-04:00

Check this junk out! This guy has built an incredible 1/16th scale version of the legendary Chevy 327 V-8. Read the details HERE.

Watch it run.

Birthday Quilt

2008-09-01T18:38:00.003-04:00

For my 34th birthday, my sister, Amy, made me an awesome quilt. If you read my blog, you know I'm a certifiable aviation freak. She somehow managed to find fabric printed with actual, sho-nuff real airplanes. Check out the P-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair, Curtiss Jenny, Beech Staggerwing, GeeBee, etc. She paired it with some fabric that's masculine enough to give to a guy while still looking good on our restored bed. I think it turned out pretty awesome; what do you think?

See? Told you my sister was cooler than yours.

Labor Day 08

2008-09-01T17:55:00.005-04:00

We had a great Labor Day! Margaret let me "sleep in" til 7:00. After breakfast, Melody and I reorganized our books for the hundredth time, trying to squeeze a few more volumes on our shelves. The annual Alamance County Library sale starts this week; gotta get ready! (Besides, Melody will reorganize books with little or no provocation; neat and orderly, that's my girl!) Of course, looking at our books inspired us to check Amazon for some of the missing volumes we REALLY need. (Not sure how many books you can really NEED when you have several thousand already.)

We had a snack instead of lunch, due to the fabulous supper Margaret had planned (more on that later!). About 1:30, we headed out the door to visit Lake Michael Park, part of the Mebane City Parks system. What a great park! We'll definitely be back to try out boating, fishing, and picnicing. The city has obviously spent a lot of money recently on infrastructure at the park. Mebane residents fish free (with live bait)! One patron I observed had 6 catfish on his stringer.

We took a hike on the Mason Hall Trail. It turned out to be a bit messier and more arduous than we had anticipated, due to the recent heavy rains. There were some pretty cool "microcosmic" stuff along the trail such as this dead tree stump which is dutifully playing it's role in the cycle of life on the forest floor. (Must be dat' dere eb-o-lution.)

We got good and muddy and Margaret took a tumble jumping a creekbed; she tore skin off of her knee and bruised it good, twisting her left ankle in the process. We were about a half mile back in the woods at that point and I was worried about her making it out; I needn't have worried. She may not be able to walk tomorrow, but she certainly hiked out of the woods under her own steam today! Here's a link to the Picasa web album of our hike.

Back in the van and on our way home. A quick run through the Sonic drive-thru for Margaret's favorite: a 44 oz. Southern style sweet-tea at 1/2 price (Happy Hour is from 2-4 PM daily)!

After cleaning up from our muddy hike, Margaret started supper. She had prepped Spinach/Cheese Phyllo Squares last night. They were followed into the oven by homemade meatloaves and a perennial family favorite, Balsamic Red Potatoes! Yumm!

Supper's over now. Jiffer's doing dishes, Margaret's sewing, Melody's reading, Jessica's playing on the other computer, and Melinda's getting ready to take a bath, something she loves to do. It was time to clean the tub so it wasn't quite ready for use. I told Melinda she could take a bath, but the tub would need scrubbing first. In typical Melinda fashion, she immediately grabbed the scrubbrush and cleanser and went to work. She's a worker, that one! I'm telling you, if I had a business and a few employess with Melinda's love for work, I could retire a millionaire in about 10 years! She'd rather work than read, watch a movie, or play.

As soon as I get done here and Jiffer's done with dishes, we're going to watch Bringing Up Baby with the older girls. It's a hilarious 1938 film starring Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Hope you spent the day with family and that your day was as great as ours.

Things You Don't Say To Your Wife!

2008-08-28T06:43:00.001-04:00

Pictures of Home

2008-08-03T17:28:00.009-04:00

Today, my bride turned 34. For a few days she'll be "older" than me, a fact which I take great delight in tormenting her with. Only 13 days separate us. Interestingly, she was born under the Nixon Administration and I the Ford Administration. Two weeks can make a lot of difference, it would seem.

After church this morning, we went to Amy's house for a wonderul birthday meal. Amy had prepared two of Mama's best dishes from when we were growing up: Chicken Casserole and Peach Cobbler. Wow! (Thanks, Sis!)

Margaret drove us the hour's trip back home as we both struggled to stay awake. I don't get it. I never get more sleep than on the weekend, yet I can't seem to stay away between exits 153 and 103!

Here are a few pics from home this week.

Miss Jessica "reads" to Maggie. Jessica starts Kindergarten on Monday. She can't wait to learn how to "weally wead wike the big giwls"!

Maggie loves to pin me down and "kiss" me whenever I sit on the floor.

I walked out of the bedroom this morning to find Jessica and Maggie "playing" Go Fish".

I win! I win!

Miss Jessica loves to look at Mommy's old readers.

The birthday girl spent a good part of the afternoon playing the piano for us. We love it when she does; it adds an incredible sense of peacefullness to the home.

Jiffer scrapbooks the Native American prints I bring her home from the New York Times art section.

2008-08-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

Mackenzie Wells Update

2008-07-31T06:23:00.003-04:00

Some of you may recall that back in December, I posted a Blog about a young lady named Mackenzie Wells. (Click here to read the post.) I was absolutely delighted to hear from Miss Wells last evening. It came in the form of a comment to the December post. Here it is in it's entirety:

Hi Jon.This is Mackenzie Wells. My friend and I were just playing around on Google typing our names in when we came across this site. I was shocked for the most part because I didn't think that somebody would write a whole blog about me. I think this is so sweet that you have me in your prayers and thought about me. Your blog is very uplifting. My dad has still not came back, but this whole experience has brought me closer to God.

And to you, Mackenzie. I'm incredibly happy to hear that you've allowed God to use your experience to draw you to Him. Will you permit a Dad to try to encourage you a bit? I hope and pray the my words will do just that and not sound as if I'm lecturing. Here goes, okay?

I know in your situation that the easiest thing to do would be to blame God and become bitter. It sounds like you've done well in overcoming that temptation. Don't be shocked that someone would care enough to write a blog about you. You are worth more to our Father than all the jewels and gold of heaven and earth combined. Knowing this, is it so surprising that His children should care about one another? The beauty of God's love is that it fills the heart of the believer so that it cannot be contained. This is especially true when it comes to other believers and/or children. I am sure that your experiences of the past year have taken their toll on your self-esteem. When you're tempted to think less of yourself, just remember who you are: Mackenzie, Beloved Daughter of God. Last year, I was struggling with some things in my own life and had sought the guidance of a Godly counselor. The most important thing I took away from our time together was the importance of separating feeling from truth. Your feelings about yourself, your Daddy, and your current circumstances may change from day to day. (In fact, if you're anything like my eldest daughter who just turned 13, your feelings about just about everything change pretty frequently. It's an emotionally charged age for young women, it would seem, even under the best of circumstances.) But - truth never changes. When you're in the midst of some pretty tough feelings, do try to remind yourself of the truths that matter most. Remind yourself that, regardless of how low you may be feeling, you are still Mackenzie, Beloved Daughter of God. That you were created in His image. That our Father had plans for you before you were born. That, regardless of the behavior of the adults in your life, God's Perfect Plan for your life cannot be hindered unless you allow it. That the family of God, your family, surrounds you constantly with their prayers. I am excited for you, Mackenzie. You have your life ahead of you. You have already learned some incredibly valuable lessons, albeit at an incredibly difficult cost. You seem to have the "stuff" that great people are made of. I know that, if you allow Him to fulfill His purpose, God has incredible plans for you. Know also that you and your family will continue in my prayers and in the prayers of other believers who read this blog. You really do have a very large family (in Christ) you know.

Jon

Kinda Weirds You Out

2008-07-28T22:06:00.004-04:00

So, I'm doing what 75% of other people my age do, Googling myself, and I suddenly discover that I'm in a book! Okay, so I'm already in Uncle Phil's geneology book, but this is different. I'm referenced in a Sho' Nuff Bidness book, titled (are you ready for this?)
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to use news releases, blogs, podcasts, viral marketing and online media to reach your buyers directly.
Check out this link. On page 107, I get my 15 minutes of fame. (If you've purchased from Amazon before, you can log in and read the page.) Kinda cool - I think. In the penultimate blow to my ego, however, the author misspelled my first name. Argh!

Takin' Out The Trash / Rabid Readers

2008-07-27T18:59:00.007-04:00

Miss Jessica loves to help Daddy and Mommy out around the house. Well, for that matter, all my girls love to help. Today, Jessica announced that she was going to take the trash to the "dumpstow". Daddy chaperoned, but Jessica Mae did all the work!

Down the sidewalk...

Up the ramp...

And in the "Dumpstow"!

Here is one day's worth of reading for Melinda and Jennifer. Seven of the books were read by both girls! Is it any wonder we live at the library?

War Diaries

2008-07-26T18:37:00.005-04:00

I've added a new item in the left column titled "War Diaries". I will attempt to keep it updated daily. If all goes as planned, each day I'll post a new quote from a war-time diary. It will be from the current date, though in an earlier year. For example, today's post is from July 26, 1940.

These quotes are not intended to make any particular political point. Specifically, they are by no means intended to be a protest of war. They are offered for what they are - the musings of individuals in the midst of war. We'll hear from generals, nurses, sailors, soldiers, civilians, the young and the old, the good and the evil. From Davy Crockett to Florence Nightingale to the monstrous Josef Goebbels.

My primary source will be the book entitled "The War Diaries", edited by Irene and Alan Taylor and published by Canongate.

Library Lovers

2008-07-26T18:24:00.002-04:00

For the first time since we moved back, we took the girls to May Memorial Library in downtown Burlington this morning. As you can see, they enjoyed themselves.

And Then...

2008-07-26T18:22:00.002-04:00

Margaret has wanted to take Miss Maggie back to the shelter to show her off for some time now. Three years ago, we got her here at the Animal Adoption Center in Burlington.

As you can see, $5 rabies vaccination Saturday brought out the crowds! We came back later!

View from 13,700 Feet Above The Earth

2008-07-26T08:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I went on another test flight, this time a high altitude power check on a turbocharged Cirrus SR22. It was a very smooth flight. We leveled at 12,000 feet, took measurements, and then climbed to 13,700 feet where this picture was taken.By the way. I took this picture on my cellphone and then emailed it to myself before uploading it to Blogger. Ain't electrons cool?

Diverted for Weather

2008-07-24T06:56:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, about noon thirty, I left KRDU with a friend to fly down to Beaufort, NC to install an autopilot in a customer's new Cirrus SR20. We vectored around massive building cumulonimbus formations all the way out. It's amazing how dwarfed you can feel when you look out your left window at a 40,000 plus foot cloud formation and realize that it's over a hundred miles away. One column to our south was so powerful we could actually watch it grow. From our vantage point at 9500 feet, we could watch the top boil and grow some 20,000 feet above us. Yet it looked like it was inches away from us. As we banked our way through the corridors of clear air, we were surrounded by these incredibly beuatiful pillars of white. Once clear of the line, we descended into Beaufort for an anticlimactic landing. We rolled out down the runway past a dead seabird laying just off the centerline. Departing this same airport on Monday, we had nearly struck a seabird just after rotation. Fortunately, we'd had enough runway to abort. Gotta keep an eye out for "B-1-RD traffic at the coast!

After installing the autopilot head in the SR20, we hopped in for a "short" calibration flight. Due to cloud cover, we bumped along about 1500 feet above the ground for about 45 minutes while we fine-tuned the autopilot Heading and NAV modes. No a/c in this bird so we landed soaked in our own juices.

Back into the FBO to check weather. Not lookin' good for the home team! A line of heavy rain and storms had moved in between us and Raleigh that strung from South Carolina to Virginia. While we could have filed an IFR flight plan and plowed on through, we chose to recall that some things which are legal are also profoundly stupid. We decided to try to fly around the weather. The Cirrus SR22 G3 we were flying has the latest glass panel cockpit with XM Nexrad weather, Highway In The Sky (HITS), synthetic vision, three-axis autopilot, air-conditioning (yeah!), and the works. Oh - and dual turbochargers and dual intercoolers.

Here's a picture of the weather and a track of what we had to do to get home. The thin green line is us.

Note that we flew all the way down the North Carolina coast, into South Carolina, then West, and up through Lauringburg back to KBUY, Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport, 10 miles from my house. Once down, I called my bride and was home shortly thereafter. A relatively uneventful trip, but a blast nonetheless.

I love my job.

The Wisdom and Wonder of a Five Year Old

2008-07-23T06:18:00.002-04:00

I've added a new list on the left column of the blog titled "Jessica' isms". Our 5 year old is constantly riffing these one-liners that keep us in stitches and are just too good not to share. Check it frequently. I'll try to keep it up to date.

Her latest disguise. She did all this on her own, I kid you not. We're never safe.

What He Said...

2008-07-22T06:26:00.002-04:00

This editorial is excerpted from a monthly newsletter from Rich Davidson over at Lee Bottom Flying Field. Good stuff.

I was on an overnight in DC on Memorial Day and had just hiked Arlington to see all the flags honoring those lost that once served our country, and was hiking to see the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial along a great pedestrian and bike path. There I came upon a lady riding her bike. She, like most, was wearing a helmet and cruising at a speed that barely allows someone to remain upright when two non-helmet wearing people on bikes came around me and by her at a speed that made the tires sing. As they went by the lady cruiser, she yelled out in a scowl “Get a helmet, wouldya”!

These words would stay with me the rest of the night and into the next day. Here I was in the Capitol of the free world and around me was a society so obsessed with safety that not wearing a bike helmet tempted others to yell out in contempt. Meanwhile running along with and often passing the two wheeled cruisers were runners with no helmets. Now I’m not sure if I missed something in physics class but I’m pretty sure a falling runner has the same energy as a falling bike rider. For you runners, I apologize as I have just surely (by accident) created the next ribbon campaign; Ribbons for Running Helmets. Soon you will be forced to wear some stupid helmet because some mother’s kid scratched his head when running and now it should be a law that all runners wear protection. More importantly though is the fact this movement will come from people who should be able to understand that what you do is none of their (deleted) business.

I was watching Glenn Beck, and had watched Lou Dobbs and came away with one amazing observation. These two guys, despite claims to conservatism or libertarianism, at some point made comments about politicians not doing their jobs and wondering when or if ever they would ever get off their butts and fix things. Lou Dobbs even spoke in favor of regulation. There’s the problem.

Everyone knows the liberals believe the government is the ultimate solution to all problems but now, even the most staunch conservatives are wired into the idea of politicians fixing problems despite what their words may say. You have to listen carefully and to every word from these guys but if you do, you’ll be surprised how many times you hear that idea ingrained in their thoughts. This is extremely alarming. Whether or not you believe what most of these guys do, one thing you should believe is that it is not up to politicians to do our work. It is up to us; each and every one of us to do the fixing. You voted these people in, you made the decisions based on what you saw on TV instead of what you learned on your own, and you (and me) screwed this up.

Politicians are not killing us, we are killing us. What you have in Washington is a reflection of ourselves. If you would rather have tax dollars coming to your area for the short term instead of a balanced budget, then you are to blame. If you yell “bring them home” when each soldier dies but want something done about terrorists, then you are to blame. When you want a law instead of social pressure to restrict a behavior that you for some reason don’t like, then you are to blame. You just can’t put all the blame on politicians. You let them act this way, vote the way they do, and in fact you voted them in either by voting for them or not working to stop them. Clearly we all made these mistakes but clearly we too have the power to fix them…..no more excuses. (PS: the solution does not include voting for the other party, this has been tried many times before without success).

Does it make you uneasy to raise your hand and complain? Has it been years or never since you phoned a politician and made them wonder in the back of their mind if they should add extra security in their office? Have you complained about a branch of our government to friends and then went about drinking your beer after getting it off your chest? Yeah I know you know what I am talking about. Why do we continue to allow garbage to control the compactor?

America has become a civilization of dumbed down, whining bed-wetters, who want rules to replace morals, comfort to replace freedom, security instead of life, politicians to do their work, and something for nothing. Therefore, if we really want to fix aviation, we are going to have to fix ourselves. If you want a better country, be a better person. If you want justice, be fair to those around you. If you want logic to rule the day, then add logic to all you do. And if you want aviation to once again be an exciting cherished freedom, then do something to remove those that are against life and freedom in this country from office. With that said, we have a lot of work to do.

A Snake Story

2008-07-21T06:07:00.002-04:00

One fine NC spring day in 2001, my neighbor lady got pretty upset because there was a snake in our driveway. I went out and, contrary to everything I believe in, shot a perfectly harmless blacksnake. 135 grain Federal HydraShoks in .40 cal are pretty effective! About a week later, I was going home from work and spied a huge blacksnake in the road. Still feeling terrible about shooting his cousin, I jumped out of the car and grabbed him, holding him behind the head. I wrapped him around my arm; he was so long he covered my entire arm from my wrist to my elbow! I got back in my '82 Corolla and began a 25 mile trip home, driving with my right hand and holding the snake with the other. I was feeling pretty good about the idea of "repopulating" my neighborhood with a really big snake! Well, after about 5 minutes, Mr. Big decided to start unwrapping himself from my arm. One coil at a time, he flopped his very heavy body in my lap and began sliding down onto the floor. He then proceeded to wrap his tail around the base of my car seat and began pulling against my hand with more force than I could have imagined a snake could possess. My hand quickly got very tired and I was sweating bullets! I didn't dare let go because he was obviously a little perturbed with me! After about 15 miles, I came to a Sears store where I would occasionally stop for tools. I got out of the car and began unwrapping the snake from the base of my seat. You should have seen the eyes bug out of all the people going past. Don't you hate a snake that hates to shop? The front doors were propped open to take in the nice spring afternoon. As I walked up, I called in to the clerk and asked for a box for my "friend". He very quickly complied, seeming a little nervous for some reason. After dropping the snake in the box and quickly closing the flaps, I walked into the store, plopped my box on the counter and asked the clerk, "Got any tape?". Again, he was all too helpful. What customer service! I put the box in the passenger seat of the "Rolla" and headed home the last 10 miles. As I was riding down the road, I began imagining that this very angry snake and all his relatives were coming to visit me. I was already a little unnerved by my earlier struggle. Just as I was having these thoughts, out of my peripheral I saw the head of one very large, very angry snake coming from between the box flaps and coming towards me with less than friendly intent! I had never caught a snake without pinning it with a board or stick first. Until that day. I realized it was now or never. I poised, took a deep breath, and grabbed him just behind the head. He immediately began boiling out of the box. In a stroke of genius, I realized that Mr. Big's instinct would be to resist any pressure I applied. I immediately tugged as to pull him out of the box and he began pulling back inside. Cool! Now what? We finished our ride with me pulling and then him pulling back every few seconds. Longest 10 miles of my life! By the time I got home, I didn't care if I NEVER caught another snake! I turned him loose in the woods by my house. I haven't touched a snake since!

A Month Behind...

2008-07-20T17:16:00.025-04:00

So it's been a month today since my last post. A lot's happened in that time. I've had plenty to write about and really can't tell you why I haven't. Like most things, I think I just get bored with the blog occasionally. Course, the down side of that is that there's so much catching up to do when I come back. Well, here goes.

On June 28th, we were spending the day at Daddy & Mama's with Amy and her crew. I made my World-Famous Homemade Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Okay, it's not world-famous - yet! But that's only because you haven't tried it yet! During clean up, I took the ice bucket to the back fence (read hedge; nobody's actually seen the fence) to dump the remaining ice and rock salt. When I went to tip it over, I lost my grip and the whole bucket went sailing over the hedge. Great. Now what? After noodling this predicament over for a bit, I grabbed a weight-lifting bench from the carport, laid it over the hedge, and crawled out until I could just reach the bucket. No harm, no foul, right? Wrong!!! Here's what my right leg looked like a week later!
Chiggers! My word, I had no idea the little critters could drive a body so completely insane. It got a lot worse before it got better. These pics don't show it at it's worst. For a few days there, I would paint my entire lower leg about 4 times a day with Caladryl. Each painting session was invariably predicated by hours of disciplined ignoring of the itching ending abruptly in a frenzied clawing of my skin until... Well, you get the point; I won't gross you out further. By the time it was over, I had repeatedly doused my leg in everything from peroxide to isopropyl alcohol. The only real relief I got - hold onto your hat - was when Miss Maggie, our ever-faithful pooch, would come and sit beside me and wash my leg for about 30 minutes at a time. If that freaks you out, I'm sorry. All I can say is that when you've got microscopic critters crawling around down inside your skin, driving you quite literally insane, you'll do anything for relief. Thankfully, the critters are gone/dead/whatever. Now I'm just trying to recover the leg skin I decimated with all those solvents! Okay, nuff o' that. I'm starting to itch again.

The weekend of the 4th, we were at Daddy & Mama's again. Surprise. Good times, nothing spectacular. Works for me.

On July 5th, I took Margaret and the girls to the Alamance County Historical Museum and to the Alamance Battleground. Both were excellent, free, and were thoroughly enjoyed. (One disclaimer - If you go to the battleground, be aware that the movie they show you is not, in my opinion, appropriate for pre-teen children due to violent content and a couple of mild words considered acceptable in the 18th century.) The museum features a lot of great artifacts from our county's early history and is housed in the Michael Holt home, ca. 1790. It was a great window into the textile history of early NC. The battleground facility is somewhat in disrepair on the outside, though this scarcely detracts from the overall experience. The battle was brought to life for us as much by the enthusiastic docent (a descendent of Regulators) as much as by any of the artifacts or displays. The Battle of Alamance was fought just below Alamance creek in 1771 between the Regulators and the state militia under Governor Tryon. The battle effectively ended the "War of the Regulation", a pre-revolutionary rebellion fought in colonial North Carolina over the issues of taxation and representation. It's kind of cool to think that, by some accounts, the opening shots of the Revolutionary War were actually fired in our backyard! North Carolina has such a wealth of history.

This is a very sad but significant piece of NC history. This is E.M. Holt's tax statement. You'll note that slaves are listed along with acreage. Individual slaves are assigned monetary value based on their age, skills, etc. These types of exhibits are sobering and very difficult to absorb.

Here's an interesting item. The Holt family's mills were the first to dye textiles in the South. These patterns are what are known as "Alamance Plaid". Kinda makes you proud!

The girls examine a case of Civil War artifacts. We're all a bunch of history nuts!

Outside the John Allen House (ca. 1780) at the Alamance Battleground. This home has been relocated to it's battleground site from it's original site a few miles away in Snow Camp, NC.

July the 8th was the "Big One" for our baby girl. Miss Melody turned 13! I'm getting soooo old.

Don't think so? Okay, let's do the math. If she were to get married and have her first child at the same age as her parents (though I discourage such notions), Margaret and I would be grandparents in less than 8 years! And don't forget - Jiffer-Tigger's only 14 months behind her! Yeah, that'll blow your mind! Melody's seemed like a teenager for awhile now. She's taller than her mother for cryin' out loud! But Jennifer? That's a tough one to imagine. Having said all that, she's taken a real growth spurt in the last 6 months and is really getting tall. It's impossible to keep her fed! (Seriously - Margaret's making supper right now; Jennifer was in here moments ago asking for a sandwich!)

Okay, back to the birthday girl. Melody continues to amaze us with her maturity and with her love for Christ and for others. I'm so proud of her!

Yesterday, I took Margaret and the girls to the Greensboro Historical Museum (also free!). Wow! What an awesome museum. We're going to go back some Saturday soon to check out the "Richardson Park" buildings, outside the museum proper. There are some amazing things to be taken in at this museum. Great history, artifacts, and exhibits. If you want to learn more about Dolly Madison or the writer O'Henry, here's the place to be. If you want to learn more about the varied cultural influences which make up the amalgamation that is North Carolina, you'll love this museum. If you're a Civil War weaponry buff, you're gonna be in heaven! The Murphy Confederate firearm collection on the top floor of the museum has, by my count, 141 longarms, 14 handguns, 15 swords, and case after case of accompanying items. I'd been taking pictures of guns as we progressed through the museum but when we got to this exhibit, I just put my camera away. There's just no way to capture it. It's a must see!

This morning, we visited Crosslink Community Church with my best friend Jeremy Greene and his family. While we will certainly continue to attend our home church in Thomasville, it was a blessing to worship with friends in their church. Crosslink has been an awesome influence in their lives over the last couple of years. I've been thrilled and humbled by the growth Jeremy has experienced since joining this church. He's now the Greeting Team Leader and a church deacon. By the way, Jeremy recently had an NDE (Near Death Experience) when he was partially ingested by a Cirrus SR22. Glad you're still with us, Buddy.

We came home today to a lunch of snook and corn-on-the-cob. Don't know what snook is? Well let's just say that it is to most born Floridians what pulled pork is to a Tarheel. Sabe?

Well, I smell the delectable aromas of Margaret's Chicken Lima Bean Soup, homemade cornbread, and made-from-scratch brownies coming from the kitchen so I guess I'll wrap this up.

Daddy and Mama are in Hobe Sound, Florida this week, visiting with my precious grandparents, Robert and Verna Delamarter. Pray for their safe trip home tomorrow.

Peace my peeps,

Jon

Anybody Know Who This Is?

2008-06-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

Daisy

2008-06-20T19:18:00.004-04:00

My sister, Amy, has a new addition to her family - Miss Daisy. Isn't she a doll? Maggie thinks she's pretty cool, too!

Dubya's Airport Entourage

2008-06-20T19:04:00.007-04:00

Today G.W. was due to arrive at our airport (Raleigh/Durham International) about 5 PM. My carpool buddy Shawn and I went in early and took a short lunch so we could duck out about 3:30 before traffic ground to a halt due to the heightened security. Mind you, having El Presidente come to your town is cool and all but I think whoever scheduled his visit for 5 PM on a Friday afternoon should have their head examined! At any rate, we've had his helicopter, Marine One, in our hangar for a few days. It's on standby for emergency egress. That means leavin' in a hurry. Nice ride!Along with Marine One, additional "support aircraft" hit the ramp. President Bush travels with quite a crew! He flies his cars and support equipment in pretty much everywhere he goes, apparently. I had no idea it was so expensive just to move one man around! Here we have a C-17 GlobeMaster and a C-130 Hercules.

No wonder they call this type of aircraft a "BUFF" (Big Ugly Fat Fella')! Though I must say I don't see the ugly part.