Knowing the Holy Spirit, Part I: Who is the Spirit?
2007-05-20 23:19:00
Editor's note: A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to teach a class on Sunday's this May on the Holy Spirit. I want to share this with you, my blog readers. I hope you learn something, and maybe can teach me something as well (there are some very thoughtful people who visit here). This is Part I of a series, that I will try to update twice weekly over the next few weeks (I currently foresee six or seven installments).What do you know about the Spirit? Honestly, what do you know? Many people, Christians included, know relatively little about the Spirit and how He acts in our lives. According to one study by George Barna, 68% of teens do not believe the Holy Spirit to be a real entity (Barna Research Group, "Third Millennium Teens", 1999, p. 51). I do not believe that adults vary greatly from this figure. When I posed this question to my Sunday morning class I got an honest answer from one man, describing the general knowledge most have of the Holy Spirit to be in terms of St
Ophthamologic Oddity
2007-05-24 23:32:00
I went in to the optometrist today. You may not realize it, but without glasses or contacts I could barely see a stop sign at ten feet. Blind as a bat is a phrase that comes to mind (especially since Mrs. E often uses of me). I like my optometrist. He's around my age. He keeps up no pretenses. No suit and tie for this guy, and no scrubs as many are fond of wearing these days. No, he normally wears jeans and a tee-shirt (at least it doesn't have holes in it) and, like me, is too lazy to shave daily despite the scruffy look that results. He takes time to chat with patients, and he takes time to do medical mission work. Today he told me his house burned down a month ago - chimney fire. Apparently, chimney sweeps are not relegated to a former era and should be hired if you burn wood in your fireplace.He also is new to the practice of optometry. His first job was as a polymer chemist doing research. As such, he understands rheology and is geeky enough to still find it interesting. He swit
Knowing the Holy Spirit, Part II: What does the Spirit do?
2007-05-23 12:30:00
In Part I, we talked a bit about who and what the Holy Spirit is - a taxonomy of the Spirit to help us understand who it is we speak of a little better. Now we are going to look a little bit at what the Spirit does. Since everything we read about the Holy Spirit is a couple of thousand years old, I think it important to go back and look at what would be expected of the Spirit's actions in a person's life to a first century denizen.Most of what we know of the Spirit's actions in our lives in found in the New Testament, which was written to a society that was either Hellenistic or heavily influenced by Hellenistic thoughts. (Indeed, our own society, today, is still heavily influenced by and permeated with the ideas and beliefs of the ancient Greeks.) And the Greeks had some definite ideas about spirit, divided into two basic groups. The Socratic and Platonic camps generally held to the ideas that Socrates and Plato espoused on spirit. In their minds they saw the spirit as that part of
Proof Read
2007-05-22 13:12:00
I always try to proof read whatever I write. For blogging, I will write it then wait a few hours and reread it. For the papers I write, I always have someone else give it a once-over to check for errors. This can be very important, as poor wording can change the meaning from one's original intent. Take these examples, from actual church newsletters, as case and point for the need of a proof reader.Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. there will be an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk, please come early. (Yes, while I am sure that would work for making ice cream, most adults prefer cow's milk. You might want to specify this.)Wednesday, the Ladies Literary Society will meet. Mrs. Johnson will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the Pastor. (A bit ambiguous in its interpretation. Exactly how will the Pastor accompany?)Thursday at 5:00 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become Little Mothers will please meet the minister in his study. (Wow! Okay, thi
Read more: Proof
Of (Animatronic) Mice and Men*
2007-05-27 12:15:00
Yesterday was the big day. Lil'E's 4th birthday party. So, I got to spend the day with half-pints and a band composed of an animatronic mouse, bird, dog, pizza chef, and purple thing. Yes, that's right folks - it was a date with Chuck E. Cheese!It started with a house full of family and a couple of boxes of doughnuts and kolaches. From there, the sugar high led us to a party with 17 kiddos and a man/mouse who simultaneously inspires awe, excitement, and utter terror in the hearts of pre-schoolers everywhere. The in-house celebrity is pictured on the right, in full animatronic action.As every super-star has his or her entourage, so does this man/mouse. They may be a little more "farm-fresh" than other back-up bands, but they sure play some mighty fine music. Here is Munch's Make-Believe Band!But what of the birthday girl? She had no fear of this behemoth of a rodent. No, she cozied right up to him. When the time came, she danced like a banshee as the celebrated mouse himself sang he
Two celebrity faces of Euphrony
2007-05-30 11:04:00
This had been making the rounds (Shaun Groves, Brody Harper). I thought I would present the two faces
of Euphrony
- the pre-weight loss (from 5-1/2 years ago) to post weight-loss (from 4 years ago). I am currently somewhere in between these pictures (post-children weight gain), which means I currently look like either a cross between George Peppard and Liberace or between Nikki Sixx and David Letterman.Scary.Tags: Goofy, Fat, Thin, Facial Comparison, Celebrity, George Peppard, Liberace, Nikki Sixx, David Letterman
Random Rambling
2007-06-05 15:30:00
It pretty well sucks to be sick. I've been feeling very odd for the last week - weak, poor vision, sensitive skin, some fever. The docs say I have a virus, and it is slow getting over it.I'm headed to Norway again this Sunday, so I sure hope I get over this sickness before hopping a transatlantic flight. I'll be gone for a week, giving a paper at a conference. For those interested, they have some strange ideas in Norway - one of the most environmentally conscious nations and they love their cetaceans (for dinner). They have a couple of slogans: "Whales: Intelligent food for intelligent people.""If we had dolphins, we'd kill them, too."Norway also includes portions of Lapland, whose people actually retain their own language. Lapland is known as a traditional home for reindeer (but they've not yet found Santa's workshop). While I'm there, I plan on eating me some Rudolph!The Norwegians eat a lot of fish - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will as well, while there. The Norwegians I
Read more: Random
, Rambling
Contrast: Neil Peart
2007-06-09 11:08:00
Buddy Rich was almost obstinate in his refusal to use two bass drums, which became increasingly popular during his life. With his speed, he didn't need two drums. However, it has become commonplace today, even among the great players of today.Here is Neil Peart, drummer for Rush and extraordinary musician (he write most of the lyrics for Rush's music). Where Buddy Rich exuded personality while he played, Peart is more focused. His playing, often, seems almost casual - like he is simply turning on a light switch. I don't think I can do anything as casually as Neil Pert plays the drums. Another obvious difference is in Peart's use of many drums, even on a rotating stage, while Buddy Rich kept things more basic.Two different men. Two different styles. Both great drummers. Notice the crossed-arm drumming that Peart does in this solo (about six minutes into the solo)? That is an homage to Buddy Rich, straight from his playbook.Tags: Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Rush, Drums, Solo, YouTube
Buddy Rich vs. Animal
2007-06-07 11:35:00
Some of you may be asking "Who is Buddy
Rich ?"Buddy Rich is well known among percussionists. He was a very good player, if not well liked for his mercurial personality, best known for his power, speed, and ability to improvise. He often would get into drum battles, competing head to head with some of the great players of the day. Here we see him meet his match, with Animal
sticking it to him in the end.Note, though, Buddy's minimalist equipment, especially by today's standards: a single bass drum, rather than two; no fancy rigging; no electronic cues for pre-recorded riffs. Just some serious beating of the skins. For those who could care less about drumming, or are not amazed at the speed and dexterity with which his hands fly over the drums, I give this alternative. A full page of Drummer Jokes! As a sampling, here is the first on the page:How do you tell if the stage is level?The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.Tags: Buddy Rich, Animal, Muppets, Drums, Drumming, Y
"Gated Community"
2007-06-12 20:07:00
It had to be done. This is a song that must be shared with the world. The truth, captured by digitally animated veggetables, cannot be denied. Truly a reflection of our world today. If this reaches just one person . . .Tags: VeggieTales, Silly Songs, Larry, Gated Community, Satire
God Dag fra Norge
2007-06-11 19:24:00
It was a close call, but I boarded that big jet plane yesterday and flew to Stavanger, Norway. It was, to say the least, a very long, very trying week. I was sick - sick enough, with a white blood cell count low enough, that we were not sure if it would be safe for me to travel. I contracted a virus, which made me feverish, weak, lethargic, and made my skin hyper-sensitive. Eventually, after three blood tests in one week, we saw on Saturday that my white cell count was coming back up into a normal range and the docs cleared me to fly. To go with my being sick and simultaneously preparing for a trip I was not sure I could make, Lil'E caught the same virus. Except her symptoms were very different - high fever, excess energy(to enable bouncing off walls while cooped up at home), and these strange blotches on here face. She called it "stickeritis".So, good day from Norway! (God dag fra Norge
!). This picture is from my hotel window, looking over a park in the center of Stavanger (at 5 pm).
Miscellanea
2007-06-15 18:35:00
I've been in Norway for the last week. It is about 37oF cooler here than in my hometown, with a strong breeze.Stavanger is a lovely city, with many things within walking distance - up and down hills like this.Whenever I try to do any blogging, I have been having to translate the commands and buttons from Norwegian - Blogger knows I'm in Norway, and thinks I must be Norwegian.Being only eight days from the longest day/shortest night of the year, it does not get dark here. Seriously. Not dark, as in I can read a book on the street without the aid of any lights. I have seen neither moon nor stars this week.For a person who is not used to it, not getting any dark can really mess up your sleep patterns.I ate at a lovely island last night, with the rest of the conference attendees. The restaurant, Flor & Fjære (Flower and Beach), is a thirty minute boat ride from the city. They have palm trees, grapes, olives, and banana trees - among other tropical plants - growing there. Did I mention
Boy, do I ever need this
2007-06-18 16:30:00
At long last, I made it back home Saturday night. I step out of the cab to see that Lil'E had been sitting in front of the door waiting on me for a good while. I loved the reunion and missed my family.Then came church time on Sunday morning. Ah, for me Sunday mornings get to be about the rush. Everyone has to get up, get moving, get fed and dressed, and get in the car. Punctuality is an obsession of mine. This Sunday was a bit more hectic than many, so I'm on edge. So, what follows this? Why, my dear sweet little girl who waited by the front door decides to push my buttons. During worship, she exhibits - no, flaunts - the fact that she has switched the caps on the markers we gave her to color with. The red cap is on the black, the blue on the brown, the brown on the green, etc. She giggles as she sees me, quite obviously, restraining myself from grabbing them all away from her and putting things right. You see, she knows at the age of four that her daddy is obsessive/compulsive and k
Day Two
2007-06-23 10:58:00
Two days. Two fasts. Two bloggers.One purpose. One love. One God.Pray for Kat, as she leads this effort, and for Brant today. Pray for SAM tomorrow.
The 40 Day Fast
2007-06-20 15:03:00
Who:40 bloggers who will each fast for 1 day.What:They will blog about the experience as well as an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need.They will also link to the blogger who is fasting on each day of the fast and encourage their readers to join the fast on the 40th day.Why:The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:Experience a bit of need.Learn about the need in the world.Do something about it.(Thanks to Kat for initiating this.)June 2007SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday22Kat23Brant Hansen24SAM25Shaun Groves26Kristen27Chaotic Hammer28Stephanie29Stephen30JeanineJuly 20071Truevyne2Ryan G.3Jeremy Thiessen4Steven5Susanne6Valerie7William Guice8Todd9Scott10Transition Pete11Marianne12Mark Jaffrey13Michelle14Lucas Parry15Tim Harm16Andrew Osenga17Shawn18Lorijo 19Euphrony20Brody Harper21Amy22Erin Mount 23Dray24Jessica 25Los26Mom27Ted 28Charla29Rick30Tressa31TobyTags: Fasting, Blogging, Commun
Day 5
2007-06-26 12:35:00
Kristin fasts today, and talks about Health Education Africa Resource Team and about educating our children. Good thoughts. Pray for her today.I find today that I have a bit of guilt when I go to eat a meal. Knowing that someone else with whom I am collaborating is going without today makes me feel almost traitorous when I take a bite of food. But, ya know, that's the point of all this. We give up a day to remember and help those who don't have the basic things we are fasting from. So, I'll keep praying for Kristin today, and for Chaotic Hammer tomorrow, and Stephanie the day after that.
Do you recall . . .
2007-06-27 14:45:00
Apparently, companies that sell product made in China do. If you don't follow the news, there have been numerous recall
s of products this year that are traced back to poor quality control or deliberate malfeasance on the back of the Chinese manufacturer. The latest is a recall of tires missing a gum strip that helps prevent tread separation - the same problem that got Firestone into a lot of problems back in 2000.Hitting closer to home for parents with young children are some two dozen toys being recalled. One of the latest announced was the June 13th recall of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Toys because 'surface paints on the recalled products contain lead.' Lead paint? Good grief! I thought we got past this as a new problem 30 years ago, but it keeps coming back. Another is the recall of some butterfly necklaces whose clasp contains high amounts of lead.Other recalls include children's jackets whose zippers pose a choking hazard and earrings sold at Kmart which also contain high
How I spent my morning
2007-07-03 11:19:00
Tags: Bill Cosby, Dentist
Prayer answered
2007-07-02 10:29:00
Our friends Connie and Joel write: We started working with a second adoption agency a couple of months ago. Almost as soon as our paperwork was in (not a small task!), they presented us with a birthmother in Las Vegas, Nevada. They told us she was due toward the end of July, then at the beginning of July. We were thinking about it and trying to get more information when we got a call last Monday saying the birthmother was in labor. If we were interested, we needed to get to Las Vegas ASAP. We hadn't yet committed, but in the three hours after we first discussed it, we decided to go, we packed us and Matthew for an unknown number of days, we drove to Connie's brother's house to drop off Matthew, and we got to the airport, where we sat around waiting to see if we could make it on a 10:30 flight as standbys (Thanks, Mom!). Finally, the 10:30 flight boarded a little after midnight, and we made it on as standbys #24 and 25. Then we arrived in LV, found a hotel, took a suicidal taxi ride,
Read more: Prayer
Part III: What is a Spirited life, and why do we have the Spirit?
2007-07-06 08:25:00
(After long delay, I am returning to this series on the Holy Spirit. I had hoped to post about two a week for about a month. Instead, I haven't published one in over a month. Oops.)How has the Spirit moved in your life? I'm not asking for generalities, but can you name specifics of when the Spirit has lead you to (or away from) an action, or given you specific insights, or comfort. Where have you actively considered the action of God's Spirit in your life?I know there have been very tangible times when I have known the Spirit to be with me, guiding me. We know and are assured that God has freely given us His Spirit, a promise extending back to before Christ spoke of this gift. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it Ezekiel 37:14 (
Promise Kept
2007-07-11 11:13:00
One of the things I love so much about the Bible is its vibrancy - how it truly speaks to and relates to people today, two or three millenia after the words were first put down on paper, or even spoken to man. Jehovah has given us promises, words with power because of the faithfulness of He who spoke them. Promises full of hope, guiding us on into the steps ahead. Promises full of despair, with destruction for those who deny the Creator and Savior of all mankind. Promises, that tell us that the Word of God to man is not a rulebook, to be kept and checked off, modified when expedient or discarded as irrelevant. Promises that the Word of God is written on our hearts, alive in each of us.One promise that I hold dear is in Psalms 139: 1O LORD, You have searched me and known me.2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;You understand my thought from afar.3You scrutinize my path and my lying down,And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.4Even before there is a word on my tongue,Beho
Abandon hope, all ye who ride with the Euphrony's
2007-07-09 20:45:00
You may remember that I've written about the joys of car ownership before. You may also remember that I became a small-time celebrity to some local rednecks after a recent accident. Well, it is time for full disclosure (you can't handle the truth, but you can handle some of it) on these accidents. What prompts this revelation, you may ask? Well, of course, it is yet another accident.Just the facts, ma'amThis is the city: Houston, Texas. I work here. I'm a rheologist. It was the evening of July 9th, a Monday, at about 6:20. Mrs. Euphrony
had just picked up Little Euphrony from swim lessons; Littler Euphrony accompanied the two older family members in the family mini-van. The driver (Mrs. Euphrony) was attempting a right turn on red, yielding to cross traffic, when their vehicle was struck from behind. The second vehicle was driven by a girl - college age - who was as shook up about this as were the Little E's: Mrs. Euphrony was calm with the experience of someone who had been there
Read more: Abandon
Pseudonymity
2007-07-13 02:13:00
So, I'm coming clean here: my real name is not Euphrony. I do not sign that on checks or IRS forms, nor is it even listed in my profile on my resume. Whew! Glad that's off my chest.Okay, I've talked about where Euphrony came from in the past. I want to know about the secret origins of your pseudonym. How did you choose your on-line identity? Or, was it chosen for you? For example: did Kat get her name from a love of Krazy Kat; or did FancyPants take her name from a Bob Hope / Lucille Ball comedy?And while you are at it, you can take a stab at this question: Which of the following nicknames have I not carried at some point in my life? Orenthal P. WisenheimerMr. Fix-ItBlond Jewish WhalePopoFunny GuyReady? Set? GO!Tags: Quiz, Trivia, Personal Information, Pseudonym, Online Identity, Nicknames
Preparing my thoughts: Inertia
2007-07-12 08:39:00
Today is Day 21 of the 40 Day Fast. They say 21 days of doing something forms a habit; in this case a good thing. Mark Jaffery blogs today about the work he and others are doing in Cairo to help the Sudanese, and asks us to pray for South Sudan in particular.In preparation for my day of fasting next week, I have been thinking a great deal about inertia. Not the physical inertia which Isaac Newton layed out in his laws of motion. No, I'm thinking about psychological inertia: that thing which we allow to hold us back when we know we must move.Marianne, in her fasting post yesterday, talked about having known about Blood:Water Mission for a year or more before finally really doing something in response. How true is this for many (if not most) of us? An object at rest tends to stay at rest, Newton posed, and this can be equally true for physical and mental movement. But the opposite is also true, as Newton observed, that once you start it is hard to stop. Getting a taste for action can
Read more: thoughts
, Inertia
End Of The Line
2007-07-16 13:25:00
What happens when you put five good friends in a room together, to write and record album, with a 10-day deadline? It the five happen to be George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty, well then you get some might fine music. In 1988, Harrison was having dinner with Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison when he asked the two to join him in writing a filler song for the B-side of his latest single. They agreed, and thought about recording it that night at a little studio Bob Dylan had - a phone call later (and actually getting Dylan on the first try) they were set. Except for Harrison had left his guitar at Tom Petty's house; so they drop by and invite him along, as well. Five great musicians from three eras of rock, good friends all, record a song on a lark: "Handle with Care".The record company wisely refused to let "Handle with Care" be hidden on a B-side and encouraged the friends to fill out an album. Dylan was heading out on tour in ten days, so that was their timelin
Pseudonymity
2007-07-13 02:13:00
So, I'm coming clean here: my real name is not Euphrony. I do not sign that on checks or IRS forms, nor is it even listed in my profile on my resume. Whew! Glad that's off my chest.Okay, I've talked about where Euphrony came from in the past. I want to know about the secret origins of your pseudonym. How did you choose your on-line identity? Or, was it chosen for you? For example: did Kat get her name from a love of Krazy Kat; or did FancyPants take her name from a Bob Hope / Lucille Ball comedy?And while you are at it, you can take a stab at this question: Which of the following nicknames have I not carried at some point in my life? Orenthal P. WisenheimerMr. Fix-ItBlond Jewish WhalePopoFunny GuyReady? Set? GO!UPDATED: No winners were found. I guess everyone thought I have been called Mr. Fit-It. Alas, no, I have never held that nickname. Read the comments for full disclosure.Tags: Quiz, Trivia, Personal Information, Pseudonym, Online Identity, Nicknames
Preparing my thoughts: Inertia
2007-07-12 08:39:00
Today is Day 21 of the 40 Day Fast. They say 21 days of doing something forms a habit; in this case a good thing. Mark Jaffery blogs today about the work he and others are doing in Cairo to help the Sudanese, and asks us to pray for South Sudan in particular.In preparation for my day of fasting next week, I have been thinking a great deal about inertia. Not the physical inertia which Isaac Newton layed out in his laws of motion. No, I'm thinking about psychological inertia: that thing which we allow to hold us back when we know we must move.Marianne, in her fasting post yesterday, talked about having known about Blood:Water Mission for a year or more before finally really doing something in response. How true is this for many (if not most) of us? An object at rest tends to stay at rest, Newton posed, and this can be equally true for physical and mental movement. But the opposite is also true, as Newton observed, that once you start it is hard to stop. Getting a taste for action can
Read more: thoughts
, Inertia
Promise Kept
2007-07-11 11:13:00
One of the things I love so much about the Bible is its vibrancy - how it truly speaks to and relates to people today, two or three millenia after the words were first put down on paper, or even spoken to man. Jehovah has given us promises, words with power because of the faithfulness of He who spoke them. Promises full of hope, guiding us on into the steps ahead. Promises full of despair, with destruction for those who deny the Creator and Savior of all mankind. Promises, that tell us that the Word of God to man is not a rulebook, to be kept and checked off, modified when expedient or discarded as irrelevant. Promises that the Word of God is written on our hearts, alive in each of us.One promise that I hold dear is in Psalms 139: 1O LORD, You have searched me and known me.2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;You understand my thought from afar.3You scrutinize my path and my lying down,And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.4Even before there is a word on my tongue,Beho
Abandon hope, all ye who ride with the Euphrony's
2007-07-09 20:45:00
You may remember that I've written about the joys of car ownership before. You may also remember that I became a small-time celebrity to some local rednecks after a recent accident. Well, it is time for full disclosure (you can't handle the truth, but you can handle some of it) on these accidents. What prompts this revelation, you may ask? Well, of course, it is yet another accident.Just the facts, ma'amThis is the city: Houston, Texas. I work here. I'm a rheologist. It was the evening of July 9th, a Monday, at about 6:20. Mrs. Euphrony
had just picked up Little Euphrony from swim lessons; Littler Euphrony accompanied the two older family members in the family mini-van. The driver (Mrs. Euphrony) was attempting a right turn on red, yielding to cross traffic, when their vehicle was struck from behind. The second vehicle was driven by a girl - college age - who was as shook up about this as were the Little E's: Mrs. Euphrony was calm with the experience of someone who had been there
Read more: Abandon
Part III: What is a Spirited life, and why do we have the Spirit?
2007-07-06 08:25:00
(After long delay, I am returning to this series on the Holy Spirit. I had hoped to post about two a week for about a month. Instead, I haven't published one in over a month. Oops.)How has the Spirit moved in your life? I'm not asking for generalities, but can you name specifics of when the Spirit has lead you to (or away from) an action, or given you specific insights, or comfort. Where have you actively considered the action of God's Spirit in your life?I know there have been very tangible times when I have known the Spirit to be with me, guiding me. We know and are assured that God has freely given us His Spirit, a promise extending back to before Christ spoke of this gift. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it Ezekiel 37:14 (
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