My Thanksgiving

We had a nice Thanksgiving.

We ate yummy food. All the usual suspects.
Turkey, mashed potatoes,
sweet potatoes in the brown sugar butter sauce,
the green bean casserole with the fried onion rings,
stuffing, cranberry sauce,
and pumpkin pie.Katie entertained Will with the singing sheep.Mark posed for a nice picture.Grandma got to hold Will.
Apparently Grandma likes to hold Will this way.
She seems to always talk into the top of his head.
But, he likes it, so she'll probably keep doing it.

The uncles had some bonding time.

Uncle Chris told Will a funny joke.

Auntie Beth fed Will his Thanksgiving dinner.

Great Auntie Carol held him for the first part
of his after dinner nap.

Great Grandma took her turn.

Finally, there was the trip down to Grandma's basement
to choose the retro game of the day.
The kids chose The Barbie Game.
Tim got Poindexter.
Chris got Bob.
Beth got Ken.
Katie got Tom.
Tim won.

And that's how we spent our Thanksgiving.
The end.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Message to Will

Hey Little Buddy.
Grandma here with a warning.
Grandma loves to hold you.

So does Grandpa.

So does Auntie Katie.

And, Auntie Beth.

But, seriously, watch out for your aunties.
They do this to you while you are sleeping.

Pray for Paul

Here is a photo of Paul and Reiko Sunde (seated in the front). He has been a pastor in Japan for over 30 years and they are dear friends of ours. Paul's colon cancer has returned and spread. He is starting his chemo this week. If you are reading this, please take a minute to pray for Paul and Reiko.

Also pictured is Paul's brother Dave (standing behind Reiko) and Jon and Hiromi Dugan (missionaries in Japan for over 20 years) and their family (Michael, Lydia, and Rebekah). Pray for them all, as well.

Be sure and read Paul's blog for his updates.

Peek-a-boo

Trees

By Joyce Kilmer

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

Isaiah 66:1,2

Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne,and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:1,2

Read This.

If you know Gary Miller (or even if you don't), you need to read this blog post.

Confidence

Confidence is an interesting thing. It seems that lately I have been running into people who are bursting with it and it's deadly partner assertiveness. It happened again yesterday.

I'm not a really confident person and you know how when you were in school there were people who had talent. Some were gifted in sports, or music, or writing, or science, or acting. Well, I had no gifts. Really, seriously, all I could do was bake cookies and chat with people.
That's what I was good at.

Those were the gifts I brought into my marriage and family.
Cookies and conversation.
That evolved into loving to have people over to my house to eat and talk.
Because of that, I have set many a table in my 53 years.

So, it came as a surprise to me yesterday when I was setting the brunch table for a mom's brunch of 11 guests when one of the mom's who had arrived early began to help me. I had planned a lovely Fall tablescape (that's the word that Sandra Lee always uses on the Food Network). The tablecloth was down, the fall paper plates from Target were in place, and I had brought silverware from home
to add a touch of class and save on the budget.

My 40 year old helper grabbed the bag of silverware and napkins and began putting them by the plates. I looked at the place setting and noted that the napkin was to the right of the plate with the knife (blade out) and the fork next to it. The spoon was at the top of the plate, nothing was to the left of the plate. Plus, the silverware was slightly askew
so I figured she was just
throwing the pieces next to each place for me to arrange.

So, I began. Napkin to the left or on top of the plate with the fork on it. Knife to the right of the plate with the blade facing in and the spoon to the right of that. My friend looked over at me and said, "Oh, is that how you want to do it? I was doing it the proper way,
but if that's how you want it, that's fine."

Now, keep in mind, I was in charge of this brunch. So, I said, "Oh, I thought you were just putting the pieces by the plates for me to arrange. The way I always was taught was to put the knife to the right of the plate with the blade facing in and the little gimmick
I taught my kids was to think
that the knife protects the plate from the spoon."

She said, "No, I taught etiquette plus I worked for a caterer for 5 years.
The fork always goes to the right of the plate
because most people are right handed."

Now my dilemma. I'm 53. Never, have I seen the fork to the right and the spoon above the plate when only three pieces of silverware are being use. It looked really goofy, but I thought, she must know, she taught etiquette, after all. So, goofy as it looked and intimidated by her assertiveness, we set the table her way.
Plus, you choose your battles in life
and silverware is not the mountain I am going to die on.

Of course, what I did immediately upon arrival at home was google "How to set a table" and after that "How to set a formal table."
THE FORK NEVER GOES ON THE RIGHT.
If you have a 5 course dinner in the making and are using a dessert spoon and a seafood fork, they go on the top, but if you are only using 3 pieces of silverware,
the napkin goes on the left, with the fork on top
and the knife goes blade in on the right with the spoon on the outside.

So, now you know how to set a proper table. The thought that I am pondering is the idea of confidence and lack of knowledge.
I have no doubt that this person thought I was in the wrong
and she in the know.
The only issue was that she was confident and wrong.

It's been a theme of my life lately.
People who are confident and wrong.
I have tended to defer to them.
Sometimes it's a good thing to defer
(like when your dealing with silverware).
Sometimes it's a sin
(like when you're dealing with truth).

I want to have confidence to stand up for the things that matter
and grace to tolerate the things that don't.

And, always remember the knife protects the plate from the spoon.

City Church: Find God and a Hot Wife

Update:

The City Church Chicago You Tube video that was featured here has wisely been removed from You Tube.

It featured Carl telling us that most churches "suck", but not City Church where the pastor has a "hot wife".

Apostles

I'm not an apostle. Insofar as I open my mouth and am faithful to this [The Word], I speak God ordained truth. When I depart, I don't and your job is to be a Berean and to know the difference. When I'm off and when I'm on and God uses the Word.

John Piper says the obvious here. Perhaps this kind of leadership, God honoring leadership, explains why Bethlehem Baptist has grown from 1,234 in 1998 to 3,985 in 2007. Authoritarian leaders who demand devotion to themselves and not faithfulness to the Word frighten me. Believers always have the right and I might add the duty to challenge any teaching that is not consistent with The Word.

There are no apostles today (in the sense of NT apostles who were the guys who actually saw Jesus) and if anyone tells you they are, WATCH OUT!

Stop It!

This takes the Cake

Cakes are funny things.

You go to the bakery.
You tell them exactly what you want in a cake
and what you get is often interesting
and never quite what you want.

There was the time I ordered Terry a Telecaster cake
for his 40th birthday.
I even brought them a photo.
He said it looked more like a Les Paul.

But, then, they were cake decorators, not musicians.

The same bakery delivered Nikki and Mark's wedding cake.
There was a large divot in the bottom layer!
Vi, the florist worked wonders and hid the divot with roses.
So, it looked lovely when she got done with it and no one noticed.


Then, last July, the kids got us a lovely photo cake.
The bakery couldn't work with a disk, so Chris had a print made.
The print came two to a page and Chris didn't have any scissors with him.
He brought both photos and carefully explained that,
of course, he only wanted one photo on the cake.
He even wrote a note to make sure.
Well, you guessed it, there were two identical photos on the cake.
We enjoyed it all the more
and put it in the "What are people thinking?" category.



But, I have to say that what I found on the Girl Talk blog takes the cake!
The instructions were to write:
"Best Wishes Suzanne" and underneath that write "We will miss you."

Katie's Half Birthday is Coming Soon!

Aarghhh, Maytees, it's almost Katie's half birthday!
Let's celebrate because we love Katie!

Beth is a teenager!

Happy Birthday, Bethie Pooh!

Grandma's Little Punkin

Here's a photo of the cutest punkin in the entire punkin patch.

Down Memory Lane

I found this on Nikki's Facebook old photos page.
The Lilac Wedding.
Nikki was the bride (in the pink bathrobe?).
Erin was the groom (in the Newsies cap?).
Shannon, Ali, an Ashley were bridesmaids.
And, Chris was the cigar smoking priest, of course.

Tim is Sweet 16

It's your birthday,
it's your birthday,
it's your birthday...

Happy Birthday, Tim!

Vote for Al Franken

When we went to the State Fair last August, Al Franken was everywhere. I was able to capture Al in a variety of places and poses and thought I would give you an opportunity to vote for Al. That's right, which is your favorite Al?

Do you like the kinder, more attentive Al?

Do you like Al leaning left? Well, come to think of it,
I guess Al always leans left.

Perhaps this is your choice for Al's best side.

Finally, who likes "Crop Art Al"?

Little Buddy and Grandpa

Little Buddy liked it last week when Grandpa played "Freight Train".

Bemidji

We went to Bemidji this weekend.
We've done this for the past three years.
This was the view from our hotel window.
That's Lake Bemidji, a stop off point for the Mississippi River.

We do lots of things in Bemidji.
We put our feet up and eat.

We play games and one of them is usually Monopoly.

Tim always wins.
This is Tim with his corner of the board.
Perhaps you can see why he wins.
Missing from this photo is the secret of his success.
He never purchases a house or hotel unless he has set aside a separate stash to cover those Chance and Community Chest cards that require you to pay taxes on your houses and hotels.

We like the Arcade there.
I like it because it has Ms. Pacman.
Beth won this cheerleader bear in the crane machine and it only cost her $100. (JK)

We swam in the pool.
The kids practiced their synchronized swimming routine.
The sauna and hot tub were a relaxing treat, as well.

We did a puzzle.
We always try to do a puzzle when we stay someplace for at least 3 days.
550 pieces in one day.
It had a Fall theme since I couldn't find a puzzle of Bemidji at the Walmart where we always go after some "fine dining" at Applebees.

Note the Fall theme.

We watched two movies.
One was The Simpsons Movie (purchased through the hotel).
The other one was Elf.
We had ginormous fun watching both of them.
Here's one of my favorite scenes from Elf.
It's the "World's Best Cup of Coffee" scene.

In addition, we drank gallons of hot chocolate, herbal tea,
regular tea, and coffee.
And, we read and read.
I read three books.
Okay, really I only read two books
and finished one that Terry and I had started.
I read Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox.
It's his autobiography and it's pretty good.
That was my Friday book.
My Saturday book was Prince Caspian.
That's always a good read.
On the drive home, Terry and I finished reading The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie. We had started it on the drive on the way home from Crosslake for Erin and David's wedding on Labor Day weekend, but still had 150 pages to go when we pulled in the driveway and September got away from us. It's a fun read and I think would make a great movie. There is a 1989 TV movie of it I learned,
but I think it should be on the big screen.

And that was our fun weekend.
The end.

One More Reason to Dislike the NEA

Every year around this time, the MEA has a convention and school children all over the state get a couple days off.

As far as I can tell, that is the best thing the teacher's union does.

It seems their national counterpart met this summer and decided they needed to get involved in homeschooling. Here's what they resolved:

B-75. Home Schooling

The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress.

Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.

The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.

The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting. (1988, 2006)

Now, my rant.

It used to be that parents were responsible for the education of their children. They either taught their children themselves, or a bunch of parents got together and hired a teacher...you know, Ma and Pa Ingalls style. Then, somehow in the 1900's this duty got switched to the local, state, and national government. And, now the teacher's union is trying to get the government involved in detailed regulation of homeschools.

The NEA should have NO SAY at all about private or homeschools. It's none of their business. Homeschooling parents pay taxes (lots and lots of taxes) to build new schools, and improve bands and sports programs, hire grief counselors, buy computers, and give birth control to 12 year olds. Besides paying taxes, they give up their personal time and money to homeschool their children and what does the teacher's union think about it?

They think, "We wish every parent invested as much in their children as homeschoolers do and will not stand in your way as you parent your child."

Oh, no, wait, that's not it. They say, "You bad bad people. You have chosen to distance yourselves from our union members and so we want to make your life miserable. Yeah, go ahead and homeschool, but only the mom and dad can do it. Grandpa and Grandma can't help you, ever. And, if your older son helps his sister with a math problem, it should be against the law. Oh, and yeah, you have to get a license and use state approved curriculum. Also, your local school district gets to decide what grade your kids are in. And, you do have to keep paying your taxes, but little Johnny can't play the tuba in the band anymore."

Cue the song "It's the End of the World"...

Will

Fire's Out!

FYI, I am removing Pyromaniacs from my links.

Youthful zeal on the part of pastors can be really good. Or, it can be really stupid. They have been leaning stupid lately, so they are no longer linked!

"You, are no longer linked. Good-bye!"

Also, the abortion counter dealie is no longer active. I clicked there and couldn't figure out why. So, I should probably remove that, as well. I guess I was hoping it would magically start up again, so maybe I'll wait.

Look for the Union Label

Al has a Nobel Peace Prize. Peace prize? What does global warming have to do with peace?

The plus side of it is that there are a couple of great commentaries that have been written as a result.

The Telegraph weighed in with a commentary that amused me. Lot's of good lines, but perhaps my favorite is:

But my favourite Gore memory lapse is his account of being sung to sleep with the lullaby Look for the Union Label, written in 1975. How sweet: being sung to sleep by your parents at the age of 27.

The Bayly Blog offers a good commentary on the Gore Nobel Peace Prize.

Here's a piece of it:

Yes, I'm completely disgusted. To think of this man who hired a consultant to help him shore up his virility index sharing the lectern with real men like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Mother Teresa is utterly revolting.

We have Darfur. We have seventy-five million or so unborn children slaughtered each year while nestled in their mothers' wombs...

We have malaria and AIDS creating many millions of widows and orphans each year across sub-Saharan Africa. We have the Middle East. We have nuclear weapons proliferating in an increasingly cowardly age of terrorism. But of course, Mr. Gore chose to be a prophet in behalf of the sky and the atmosphere and the climate.

None of their Beeswax!

I was reading Ben's blog and came upon a Q & A with Miranda Lambert. When asked how many guns she owned, her answer was, "Enough."

That got me to thinking about the time the doctor had one of our children (about 10 at the time) in tears after the interrogation that was supposed to be a camp physical.

Do you wear a helmet every time you bike?

Does your family own guns?

Do you know where they are kept?

Are you ever sad?

At the time, said child, didn't know that the rifle that we kept in our front closet was a prop rifle that had been used to tape a Dugan family Super 8 version of "The Magnificent Seven". (Do all families have boxes full of costumes and props in their garages, or is that just a Dugan thing?) Anyway, on some permanent record in some doctors office it is noted that we keep a very long rifle in our front closet with the winter coats!

All of that reminded me of what I heard Michael Graham say on Fox News yesterday afternoon. Here is his Boston Herald article. It's worth the read.

What Was "The Prez" Thinking?

You know me. I love the Prez. I voted for him twice. The last time I worked mucho phone banks on his behalf where I heard lots of interesting words when I called people who were Kerry supporters. I even touched him and Terry took the photo to prove it.

So, perhaps you can understand my dismay when I read that he said this:

See, I believe there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham. I believe in that universality.

Please, George, say it ain't so, take back, or clarify your comments that appear on the White House web page.

Sigh.

And, thank you Cal Thomas for speaking some truth into this.

Bad PR Move?

Anyone know if Matt Drudge found some funny photoshop work or if this is just a bad PR move on the part of the Clinton campaign?

Bad Day

I found this on the Friday Funnies on the Girl Talk blog.

A Church With Sax Appeal

In response to my post a couple days ago about church, my friend Holly put this link in a comment. I thought it was worthy of a post (well, worthy might not be the correct word, but you know what I mean.)

I was reminded of a postcard advertising piece that we got once inviting us to a church with "sax" appeal. The talking points used by the church to defend this nonsense were that this particular piece of advertising had the most response of all the advertising pieces they had ever sent. What kind of logic is that for a church to be using? Is it the Holy Spirit or advertising that bring people to God? Furthermore, if you follow the logic of the "pastor" on the linked video, why not go all out and advertise that you have scantily clad worship singer babes. That'll really get people to come. Sigh.

All of this reminded me of something Mr. D mentioned last night as we had been discussing why churches use gimmicks to attract people to church events and then spring the Gospel on them. It seems deceptive to not tell people in advance that an activity is going to involve a Gospel presentation. But, that's for another blog post. Anyway, what Mr. D mentioned was 2 Corinthians 4:2.

Here it is:

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

Starbuck's free downloads

Hey, everybody, don't forget to go to Starbucks everyday for the next month (hmmmm, whoever thought up this promotion should get a promotion!) and pick up your song of the day. (Then, of course, after you have your free song, head over to Caribou to see Katie and purchase a tasty warm coffee beverage!) Today's featured artist was Keith Urban. Here's part of the linked article that mentions some of the artists featured:

"Song of the Day" will offer hand-picked songs from top artists including Bob Dylan, Joss Stone, Dave Matthews, Bebel Gilberto, John Mayer, KT Tunstall, John Legend, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, Keith Urban and Paul McCartney plus great music from up-and-coming artists such as Sia, Band of Horses, Hilary McRae, Frederico Aubele and Sara Bareilles.

Things I've Learned

I was just thinking about a few of the things I've learned in life. Here are some of them in no particular order.

-When someone tells you something is a win-win situation. It's probably not.

-The Big Dipper is lovely.

-Stay away from a church where the philosophy is: "We want to be just like the church in the New Testament. We also just want to do everything the Bible tells us." (Noble thoughts, but lacking theological discernment)

-If you ever have to preach a sermon, don't use the word "naked" unless you are reading from the Bible.

-When the guy on TV tells you the Lord told him you should send him some "seed" money. Don't.

-Old Navy flip flops get slippery on wet Sam's Club floors.

-Don't mix ammonia and bleach.

-If you wash your cell phone in the washing machine, it doesn't help to leave it in a vat of rice.

-Also, if you hang your shirt over the railing on your entryway stairs and your phone falls out of the pocket and lands in the basement and the screen goes fuzzy and you go to Boy Scout camp while your wife is at the pool learning how to text message you and sends you a message that says, "I love 'yot'," you won't be able to read it.

-After you turn 40, you notice that those new soy inks make type faint and blurry.

-The Dairy Queen on Sanibel Island is the best DQ in the world.

-On a different food note, the McDonald's in Garrison is the best McDonald's in MN.

-Rachel Ray is all over the place.

-So is Paula Deen.

-If you are up in the middle of the night and turn on the TV you will hear lots of people tell you how to make lots of money (Real estate, day trading), how to remove the toxins from your colon, or how to get a guaranteed blessing from God (which usually involves sending in some money). The best thing to do is go right back to sleep as fast as you can.

What have you learned?

I'm Scared

Read this.

Church

Having been to a large, evangelical church in the past year where the visiting pastor was preaching on marriage and trying to be clever and contemporary at the same time and to accomplish that had props that involved large signs that said what men wanted in a marriage was "SEX" (in large red letters) and how the wife could fulfill that desire (new red sign that said "GET NAKED"), I understand and appreciate this post on Pyromaniacs.

In case you don't have time to read the whole thing (but it's worth taking the time), here's the conclusion:

But how hard can it be, really? How complicated? "Feed my lambs," the Lord Jesus says. "Tend my sheep," "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). Not entertain them, not whip them into a frenzy, not lead them in a cheer, or use cheap show-biz manipulations to get them to clap their hooves together. Feed them! Tend them!

"Preach the Word" the apostle says (1 Timothy 4:2). Herald it, proclaim it, sound it out with authority and truth. Not dance about it, not sideline it, not bury it, not use it to say what you want to say. Preach the Word. Preach the Word. Preach the Word!

William Tell Overture for Moms

My friend Jean Miller sent me this. Enjoy.

2005 Miami U. Cheezies a cappella: Facebook Song

I have a facebook.

I started it about a year ago, but wasn't sure what a facebook was so I didn't use my name. I used my favorite alias name...Henry Baxter Williams.

I have 5 friends. They are people who found out I have a facebook and asked me to be their friend.

I am too afraid to ask anyone to be my friend because I am afraid they will say "No." Of course, anyone I would ask would probably say no anyway since they have no idea who Henry Baxter Williams is in the first place.

So, if you have a facebook and want to be my friend, just go to that name and if I know you, I will be your friend.

Of course, the dilemma is that I really don't know what to do with a facebook. I took the Back to the Future test and scored 80%. I poked Jeremy once, but that gets a little old.

In conclusion, if you have a facebook, this song is for you and if you want to be my friend, just ask.

Old Friends

There's nothing like old friends. Paul and Reiko Sunde are old friends.

Paul was Terry's roommate in college. I met them at our wedding in 1977 when they had just arrived from Japan for a few months in the states. Paul was raised in Japan as the son of missionaries. He has pastored a church there for many years. They are wonderful people.

I have added Paul's blog link. His cancer has returned and he has gone to Tennessee, near his parents for treatment. He and Reiko have been on our hearts and minds a lot lately. So, if you are reading this, please pray for Paul and Reiko.

You can read the testimony of how God healed him over 20 years ago. You can also get updates on his health on the blog's main page so that you will know how to pray.

Updates

So, here's the deal. Mr. D and I started watching the new TV show with Patricia Heaton, Fred Willard, and Kelsey Grammer. We watched about 2 minutes of it and 7 out of 9 jokes were really crude, so we turned it off. Too bad, I thought it had potential to be really funny.

Next point. I am removing Pam's Myspace from my link. Again, I like "The Office" (most of the time), but now that she is divorcing her husband, I don't really want to link her anymore. So, adios Pam (but I do think the cupcake courier is a nifty device).

Finally, I was sorry to see that through some odd mishap all of Slice of Laodicea had been lost. I didn't always agree with Ingrid, but I found her ideas thought provoking and agreed most of the time. She has a personal blog that I have been reading instead of Slice. There, she offers a link to Team Pyro. I am adding the Team Pyro link because it looks promising.

I plan on spending some time on their "Different Gospels" post this weekend. Thought I'd check more into the Pagitt-MacArthur Yoga debate. Looks like Todd Friel from Way of the Master has weighed in and think that might be interesting to listen to.

Mike Gundy Lectures the Oklahoma Media

I saw part of this clip last night when we remembered that Cousin Jeff's Titans were playing on Monday night football. Go Titans!

All they showed was the little bit where he says he's a man, he's 40. No context. Now that I see the context, I kind of like the guy.

There's a lot I don't know

One thing I am learning with age is, the older you get, the less you know. One thing I know for sure is God is always worthy of our trust.

Sometimes there are no quick solutions and no pat answers. All we can do is trust in God who is always loving, merciful, gracious, kind, faithful, and worthy.

This article by John Piper is a reminder of that.

Michael W. Smith Africa Video

Mr. D and I went to see Michael W. Smith at Grace Church last Saturday night. They showed this video. It's hard to forget.

Gotta Love Patricia Heaton

Found a link to this quote in a reference Truth v. the Machine had to a Michelle Malkin column.

Patricia said in response to the crazy Sally Field Emmy acceptance speech:

“I’ve actually become a more violent person since I became a mother, If someone came between me and my kids, they’d be dead meat. So I didn’t agree with that particular statement.”

Cuteness Personified

Eyes open and he's ready to have some fun...or maybe just fall back asleep again.
At any rate, this is cuteness personified.

Tuckered Out

Warm milk and adoring visitors gets you all tuckered out.

We Interrupt Baby Week...

This just in...

Barry Manilow and Sally Field are nuts.

Baby Week Continues

The precious family.

Auntie Bethie

Auntie Katie

Uncle Tim (aka Uncle Joey)

Uncle Chris (aka Uncle Jesse)

The proud (and very cool) grandpa.

My Grandma Thinks I'm Special!

Will Benjamin Wallace

Will Benjamin Wallace was born at 1:57 pm this afternoon. He weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long. Oh, and yeah, he is the cutest baby in the world!

Two Weddings and a Funeral

In the last 10 days, I have attended two weddings and a funeral.

I prefer weddings.

Happy Birthday, Mr. D!

Happy Birthday, Mr. D!

In the Bath?

How cute is this?

Henri Nouwen Quote

I keep seeing pithy quotes from this Henri Nouwen fellow.

Anyone know more about the guy than Wiki has to offer, or why he would say this in a book he wrote, or why Christian blogs I read are quoting him? Am I missing something?

"Today I personally believe that while Jesus came to open the door to God's house, all human beings can walk through that door, whether they know about Jesus or not. Today I see it as my call to help every person claim his or her own way to God."

—From Sabbatical Journey, Henri Nouwen's last book
page 51, 1998 Hardcover Edition

Iain Murray Quote

Divisions and separations are most objectionable in religion. They weaken the cause of true Christianity. But before we blame people for them, we must be careful that we lay the blame where it is deserved. False doctrine and heresy are even worse than schism. If people separate themselves from teaching which is positively false and unscriptural, they ought to be praised rather than reproved.

In such cases separation is a virtue and not a sin.The old saying must never be forgotten, "He is the schismatic who causes the schism"... Controversy in religion is a hateful thing... But there is one thing which is even worse than controversy, and that is false doctrine, allowed, and permitted without protest or molestation.
--Iain Murray