Gerald Ford's testimony

... as cited by World; originally appearing in Christianity Today, July 29, 1977.

An anti-cell phone rant

Is your cell phone changing how you think about time? Is its care and feeding supplanting your prayer life? Lauren Winner makes a pretty good case.

Mere tolerance has never been their goal

Here's a piece that does a good job with why "toleration" of gay marriage will never be enough for gay-marriage activists.

Our Internet-Safe Christmas ... er, "Seasonal" ... Letter

Dear Indeterminate Number of (in no particular order) Loved Ones and/or Friends and/or Acquaintances:

Well, here it is! It's that time of year again, and no Seasonal Letter would be complete without a first paragraph full of remarks about how it's, you know, that time of year again, and isn't it incredible how time has flown since that time last year when we last sent out a letter beginning with remarks about how it's that time of year again. Where has the time gone!?

Of course, this being a last-minute letter via Internet, certain precautions must be taken to protect the privacy of my household, assuming of course that I have one. Remarks may be offered about the progress of certain home-improvement projects, children's school activities and interests, pets, travels, conspiracy theories, work, participation in a spiritual community of freely-associated like-minded individuals, etc., but in the interests of privacy some details may be disguised and/or entire subject areas fabricated from whole cloth. Enjoy the following seasonal good cheer at the risk of your own mistaken inferences.

My Long-Term Life Companion and Procreation Partner (LTLCPP) continues to be professionally challenged by his/her/its duties as the financial data facilitator of the spiritual community of freely-associated like-minded individuals of which one or more the members of our household participates. In her/his/its sparetime hours, LTLCPP continues the non-vocational enjoyment of the fabrication of aesthetically heightened values-affirming communication devices, late-autumn harvest festival attire for pre-majority household member(s), and decorative non-garment personal accessories.

One or more of the sub-adult household members participates in an organization sometimes known as the Gender-Restricted Reconnaissance Participants of a Constitutional Republic Occupying Some of the Land Mass of North America, where he/she/it has achieved one or more of the ranks designated by furry woodland mammals. Oh, and he/she/it really likes it.

Other sub-adult household member(s) have begun participation in an entirely separate Gender-Restricted Reconnaissance Participants of a Constitutional Republic Occupying Some of the Land Mass of North America organization, where he/she/it has/have attained a rank designated by a common but delicious baked confection.

Other sub-adult household member(s) have expressed the desire to become involved in one or more of the above-mentioned voluntary organizations at a more chronologically advantageous time.

Each of those sub-adult household members who in fact exist has performed academically at a level including but limited to "satisfactory."

Our household truly enjoyed a leisuretime excursion over the summer to a coastal community located at a distance from our permanent residence of not greater than 10,000 miles.

My work with a federal, state or local government unit continues as before, and I have been nominated to a leadership role within the spiritual community of freely-associated like-minded individuals with which one or more members of our household participates.

Our pet bison had to be euthanized after contracting Dutch Elm Disease.

Well, that's about it! And what a year it's been!

With warm generic feelings,

Reluctantly Reforming

Andree Seu Rocks

In her latest column, Andree offers evidences that the endless Narnian winter indeed shall end, and everlasting Christmas shall triumph. In other words, if you're not exactly seeing much progress in your sanctification, consider:

You're still short-tempered -- but a couple of times last month you said you were sorry.

Your marriage has had its peaks and valleys, but you are still together.

You sin every day, but you don't find it pleasant anymore; you're not blase about it anymore. You wish you could change.

One thought in 10 in your head is a thought of gratitude -- but that's way up from zero.

You recently wrecked a relationship, big time. But you went back and tried to make it right. Feebly, timidly, awkwardly. But in the old days you wouldn't have even done that.

The first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning is still "&*%$#, it's Monday." But at least the ninth or 10th thing on your mind nowadays is the goodness of God.

You used to spend 15 minutes obsessing to every one minute praying, but now the proportions are beginning to reverse.[Reluctantly Reforming hasn't seen much improvement in his obsessing/praying ratio yet, but he's glad others have]

As time goes by, the things of earth seem thinner and the things of heaven seem more concrete.

Sorrows abound, but comforts more abound. And these are less and less the comforts of escapism but those of reality -- the soon and certain return of the King.

For Christ has come indeed. But you live in the in-between time, where old age and new age overlap, and things are messy. The Lion is come -- yea, is sacrificed on the stone table -- but the book has several chapters in it yet. This is a mop-up operation but not a chimera; the skirmishes are real. Let us lay hold of Christmas, then, seizing the day and its power "until the day dawns and the morning star rises" with all the confidence of spring.

You go, girl.

Now, can someone tell me how to add special characters, such as the little squiggle/apostrophe thingy that's missing from "blase" and Andree's first name?

My son the encourager

LittleMister, who is 9 and will probably resist the "little" part of his nickname very soon, wrote this to me:

I love you Dad because when ever there is a fire God lets you have the strength to say to me don't be afraid I and the Lord will help you.

We haven't been directly affected by any fires, but I love this note anyway. I'm glad my son feels reassured by me as he faces his fears, and I'm even more glad that his theology is so sound.

Where is the lamb?

I was just pointed to something in Genesis 22 that I'd never noticed before (thanks to Tabletalk). As Abraham leads Isaac to Mt. Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice, Isaac asks the obvious question, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

Abraham of course answers that God himself will provide the lamb. Indeed, just as the angel intervenes to stop the sacrifice, Abraham lifts up his eyes (v. 13) and sees ... wait for it ... a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. The ram is offered, and Tabletalk writer Warren A. Gage suggests that Moses intentionally leaves Isaac's question hanging in the air. Where is the lamb that God will provide?

The question is never directly answered in Moses' writings, nor in the prophets nor the Psalms. It hangs in suspense for 1,400 years or so, until John the Baptist cries, "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."

Gage notes striking parallels between the almost-sacrifice of Isaac and the completed sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When Abraham leaves the young men behind with the donkey (v.5), he lays the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac's shoulders. 1,400 years later, Jesus will carry the wood for his. And from Abraham having Isaac carry the wood, we can reasonably infer that Isaac is the stronger of the two. Surely Isaac could have resisted his father, but he doesn't. He willingly offers himself to bound and laid on the altar -- on Mt. Moriah, in what would become Jerusalem (2 Chron. 3:1).

Unlike Isaac, however, Jesus' life was not spared. And what a gift -- our substitute!

Merry Christmas, friends!

While many dither ...

some stand against encroaching apostasy. Thank God for men like these two earnest Christ-followers.

Organs for Sale

Challenging, provocative ... but not the utilitarian outrage I expected when I clicked on its link.