Some Music

I found this blog quite awhile ago, and have enjoyed reading it from time to time. The name of the blog is the emerging minister. I have downloaded most of his songs in his 52 songs in 52 weeks part of his blog. I have to say that he is really good. I really enjoy the one called "the end of you and me." Good stuff!

New Commenting System!

I have decided to switch to HaloScan for my commenting system. Unfortunately when I do this, I lose all of my old comments. I am actually very sad about this because I had several comments that I really enjoyed, and were very encouraging.

(So I would appreciate all of you to drop me an encouraging word to help me recover.)

Blogger Idol - Week 6 Movies

Movies

We are all currently attending the school of life. Everything that happens - teaches. Everything we watch - teaches. Everything that we listen to - teaches. The friends we have are our teachers. Our circumstances are our educators. Our environment is our head master. Each thing that we try to posses - possesses us. The real question is -- What is the curriculum that you are currently engaged in? What is your course of study? Where is your focus? What is your concentration? Where do you go for your electives?

What in the world does this have to do with movies?!? I mean, c'mon! Blogger Idol - week 6 is about movies!

Do you really think that you can just pour anything you want into your head and it won't affect you? Do you still have that juvenile thought that you are immune to the world?

Oh, well... I guess that some movies do have some bad stuff in it... But I have a foul language filter, and I fast forward through all of the bad scenes... And I know that there are some other topics that aren't quite appropriate...

When you stand before the throne, what will He say to that? Have you been a good steward of your ears by bleeping out the bad words? Did your "woops" reaction to the foul language fulfill His command, "Be Ye Holy, as I am Holy!"?? Was He content with the fast-forwarding of the sexual immorality, the adultery, and the fornication? (Or should I ask, do you even call it what it is? Is it just a "sex-scene" or is it still called sin?) Will He remind you of the many times that His name was spoken in an empty, vain fashion and you didn't even flinch?

But is that even the worst of it? Are your movies your teachers? Are there any ideas that movies promote, that have filtered into your thought? Is sex before marriage still a wicked thing in your mind? Is it entertainment to watch people shot and killed? Or has your view of all humans as image-bearers been slightly altered? Are rebellious children humorous to you? Is breaking the law and disobeying the authority that God has set over you sound like a good idea now, and something that is natural and mundane? Do you call adultery, a love-affair? Do you still think that sin has consequences? Do sinners still go to Hell? Is salvation something that everybody has, as long as they are good? Has is become good enough to simply acknowledge the existence of a god? Or in your little universe, is there a sovereign God that is still in control, working all things together for good, to make you more like His son, Jesus Christ?

Or has your universe changed? Maybe slightly over time... But now you view things different.

I don't know, when I watch that stuff, I know that isn't the way it really is...

You are pouring pictures and sounds and thoughts onto the palette of your mind, and it is painting your view of life! Don't be deceived! What you pour in, will come out.

Sometimes when we are young, we think that it is ok to just watch whatever our heart tells us to... But listen to the words of the Preacher - "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9

Everything in life teaches. Pick your school carefully!

Hey out there!

I have been looking at the "student links" section of my blog and I have noticed that there are several of those blogs that have been discontinued. So... If you are a student, and you would like to stay as a link or be added as a link on my blog, I need you to comment on this post and create a link on the comment so I can get everything in order.

If you are not a student, but frequent my blog occasionaly, and you would like to be a link on my blog, then I would appreciate a comment from you as well!

If you don't like my blog at all, and think that I am ridiculous... Well, feel free to drop me a comment! Cause, Golly! I Love you all!

The Hairless Money-Makers

The Cats are now listed at:

The Treasure in the Field...

When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the and lies our great woe. If we omit the and we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.
We need not fear that in seeking God only we may narrow our lives or restrict the motions of our expanding hearts. The opposite is true. We can well afford to make God our All, to concentrate, to sacrifice the many for the One.
......

The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.
-- A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God

The Pursuit of God
by A.W. Tozer

Check it out on Amazon.com

Blogger Idol -- Week 5

"Picture This... " Hairless Cats




This one is a female. It is our favorite. (or was our favorite...)
It is a really nice color, and I am really hoping that it will sell as a breeder.


This one is a male. It was the runt of the group.
But it has really fought for its life, and now it is doing fine.
In fact, I think that being the runt has helped it.


This one is a male. I love its coloring with the blue eyes.
And I have to thank my brother and sister in law for the good pics.


This one is a male as well. It used to look a little
more like the one by the fire truck, but now
it seems like it has a little more of a gray tint to it.


We still own the other female,
but it has already sold.
So I don't have it pictured here.
Go to Yahoo Classifieds and type in
"Sphynx" if you want to inquire on purchasing
one of these fine specimens of the hairless catdom!

ooops again!

The irony of the oops poem...

I guess that I was supposed to read through and rank who I thought were the top 5 of the blogger idols. Oops, I didn't do that! I know that week 5 is out now, so I will try to do a better job next time.

The really weird thing, (especially if you actually know me) is that there were at least three other people that noticed my blog. I mean, I never thought that would happen!

Tim Samoff ranked me in his top 5. Thanks Tim! I have been reading his blog for awhile, and I really enjoy it. It is a really nice blog, definitely in a rank above mine! And I love his whole theme, and the look, and etc. etc. Of all of the top 5 blog lists in the world... It is really an honor to make it on his!

I was also noticed by Tim Miller (something about Tim's ??). I have never seen this blog before, Thanks Tim #2! I will try to check out your blog from time to time. I appreciate the encouragement.

And then there is Bryan McAnally with the blog: Clarity amidst Chaos who included me in his list.

And...
Debi, from the Scriptorium, has added me to her top 5 list! I never thought that I could make it on even my own top 5, and here I am on Several People's top 5!

I feel so privileged!

OOPS!

Blogger Idol Week 4!




OOPS!
Oops, I didn't mean to do that
don't you understand?
It wasn't my fault
I couldn't help it
It was genetics predisposed plan.

Oops, I didn't mean to do that
how can you hold me to blame?
That's how I was raised
my dad was that way
how could I possibly feel any shame?

Oops, I didn't mean to do that,
can't you see that's just how I feel?
I follow my heart
to find all real truth
If I have these feelings, then it must be real!

Oops, I didn't mean to do that,
can't you see I feel so sorry, and look so sad?
I'd like to change
but I just don't want to
did I say I was sorry ... and feel real bad?

Oops, I didn't mean to do that,
I know my actions caused such pain
I'd ask forgiveness
but "I'm sorry" will do
cause if I had the chance, I'd do it again.

Oops, I didn't mean to do that,
I'll cry a tear, I might even weep
when I whip your back
and crown your head
and drive those nails in so deep.

We live in an "oops, I'm sorry!" society. The Church needs to move away from that into an "I confess my sin to you, will you forgive me?" type of community. A people that are called out, that are different. A people that say the same thing about their actions that God says. A people that claim personal responsibility for those actions. A people that then turn from those actions regardless of what they "feel" like, because their decisions are based on principle. A people that call themselves, "the people of God!" and mean it... and prove it!

Coming soon...

Very soon my very cute, friendly, loveable, harmless, hairless cats will be listed on



My brother-in-law was here yesterday, and he took some pictures of the cats. Once they are posted I will try to post them on here too! They are getting bigger, cuter, and are looking more like little sacks of money to me! The current going rate for a harmless-hairless cat is $1200 for a breeder and $700 for a pet. Pretty cool, eh?

Once they are posted, I will let you all know because I know that all of you are just dying to see one of my little gollums...

A day in the life of...

...an attendee of the Biblical Counseling Training Conference.

Two words for you... Brain Fried. I have been attending this thing for about a half of a day, and already I am brain fried. I just finished the session on Building Spiritual Maturity in Your Men. And it was great. Gave me several ideas about what I could be doing in my Bible Class, but more importantly it gave me some ideas for my own life.

Around here the phrase, "...growing and changing..." is heard more than you want to admit. But it is true. We all need to be growing and changing. None of us has arrived, and none of us will arrive on this side of eternity.

Last night Doc Smith, one of the speakers for the conference, taught the session on the superiority of Biblical Answers. (Which, by the way, was really good!) During that session he commented on the word normal. And to sum up, none of us is normal. Because of the curse of sin, we are all abnormal. The only one who is normal is Jesus Christ. I have always thought of that the other way around, like Christ was abnormal, and we were the ones who are normal, but that contradicts the Word of God. We were created to be pleasing to God, and that is our very purpose of existence... The very reason why those certain genetics came together, those very genetics that God before time preordained to come into existence, was for you to please God. And to not do that is going against our very purpose of existence!

Maybe I should write about "a day in the life of a human being." It would be short, and the only things of value would be those things done for eternity.

Blog-a-rama

If harmless thoughts has brought you any small amount of enjoyment, then would you mind giving me a site review?

review harmless thoughts at blogarama!

Bumped...

"Faith in a person is like water in a bucket -- you find out how much is inside when you bump it. When circumstances bump you, you spill what you're full of."
- James MacDonald

Have you ever been bumped? You know, you are floating through life and then... Wham! something hits you. Sometimes it is simply hard times. Sometimes it is a true trial. There is also the possibility of a temptation.

I am always telling my Bible class that if you really want to know what kind of person you are, just ask yourself, "what do I do when I know I can get away with it?" or "What do I do when nobody is watching?" or "How do I react to adversity?" or "What is my reaction to hard times?" You see, anybody can act right when things are going good, or when there is high accountability. Even the most selfish people will do what is right when they don't like the consequences of doing wrong. (In reality, it is still selfishness when you only do right because of what you get out of it.)

So this week if you get bumped, look for what spills out. As James MacDonald said in his book,
"God doesn't test your faith so He can know how much is there -- He already knows. He tests your faith so that you can know how much is there and see it grow."

Lord, Change my Attitude, before its too late.
by James MacDonald

Check his book out. Very challenging.

Isn't that nice

One of my students, Emily R., blogged something very encouraging about me! Weird, huh?

I almost hate to admit it, but I love hearing things like this. It is so encrouraging! You know, I try to act like I don't care what people think, but I really do. And as a teacher it is just as easy to get discouraged as anybody else. And even when I am just mentioned or quoted, it is very encouraging!

I think that Faith Christian School has about the best student body in the world. They have their rough edges, but I am every day impressed at their desire to learn and do what is right. I have never met a group of highschoolers that is so dedicated to Christ! I love all of you students, and I have great respect for you. Keep doing what is right and keep growing! We live in a crooked and perverse world, and you need to stand firm!

Blogger Idol?!?

Blogger Idol... Interesting.

One of the blogs that I visit on a regular basis has joined the ranks of something called "blogger idol" It is supposed to be like American Idol, except with blogs, and there is no competition, and there is no prize or recording deal. And as far as I know, there is no fame included in this. So really it is not like american idol at all. (Except for the name, which is actually quite similar.)



Each week the main website gives a new posted topic, and you are supposed to write about the topic. Which sounds extremely similar to Miss Wiebe's extra credit blog assignments.

This week's topic is "a day in the life of..."

I think that I am going to give it a whirl, so sometime this week I will try to write a post about "a day in the life of..." Not really for sure what it is going to be about, but what the hey! (At least I can't get voted off, but there will probably be some guy named simon out there that will read my post and say something like, "I know I have said it before, but this has got to be the worst blog in North America!!"

I just wanted to give you a brief explanation, so you would be prepared for my blogger idol-ness. Keep checking for updates. (By the way, if you want to see some blogger idol posts, then click on the blogger idol icon!)