Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Natale

English translation found in the comment section

La mia mamma, sul suo blog, ha cominciato una serie di articoli sul metodo Tomatis. Nella sua introduzione scrive, a proposito di un libro di Tomatis: "Si conclude con una frase che per me era ed è tuttora il massimo “affermerò che ciò che conta nell’esistenza dell’uomo, è la fortuna di scoprire Dio stesso.”"

In questa stagione di Natale, questo commento mi fa pensare alla ragione per la quale Dio si è incarnato. Dio ci insegna nella Bibbia: "Dio ha tanto amato il mondo, che ha dato il suo unigenito Figlio, affinché chiunque crede in lui non perisca, ma abbia vita eterna." (Giovanni 3:16) Questo figlio non era semplicemente un figlio di Dio, come insegna il mormonismo, o un'incarnazione dell'angelo Michele, come insegnano i testimoni di Jahova, o un profeta, come insegna l'Islam, ma Dio stesso. Nel quattordicesimo capitolo del vangelo di Giovanni:


Gesù gli disse: «Io sono la via, la verità e la vita; nessuno viene al Padre se non per mezzo di me. Se mi aveste conosciuto avreste conosciuto anche mio Padre; e fin da ora lo conoscete, e l'avete visto ... Chi ha visto me, ha visto il Padre; ... Le parole che io vi dico, non le dico di mio; ma il Padre che dimora in me, fa le opere sue. Credetemi: io sono nel Padre e il Padre è in me; se no, credete a causa di quelle opere stesse. (Giovanni 14:6-10)


Dunque "la fortuna di scoprire Dio stesso" è la fortuna di scoprire il Cristo della Bibbia: questo Gesù bambino che celebriamo a natale che ha vissuto 33 anni (Dio e uomo), che è stato crocifisso per i nostri peccati, che è risuscitato, e che adesso è seduto alla destra del padre (non perché sono due, ma perché il padre è solo spirito, ma il figlio è anche corpo risuscitato). L'avete scoperto voi il Cristo della Bibbia? No? Potreste cominciare con leggere il vangelo di Giovanni.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Our week-end off - part II: posting from afar

This second post actually has little to do with our weekend and all to do with technology. I thought it neat that I am posting this using my laptop and my cell phone. I have a Motorola Razor which I connected to my Toshiba laptop with a USB cable. I then dialed in to my regular ISP provider. Sure it's dial up, but I can access the web from anywhere Verizon has service. The computer claims that I have 115.4 Kbps connection, which is over twice what it claims to have with a regular land line, but it sure feels slower; one of these days I will do some research to find out why. Oh, well ... enough with technology.

Our week-end off - part I: Intro

We have come to the end of our "romantic gateway" given to us by our church. Several months ago, our church family approached the three pastors and told us that they had decided that they wanted to honor us by giving us a week-end away. They wanted us to take some time off and spend some time with our spouses. So after many hours of thinking and searching the internet, we decided that the best option for us was to stop by St. Simons Island, GA on our way down to see Cindy's mom for Christmas. We got here Thursday December 21st and spent our two nights here together. We also decided to extend our trip one more day so that Cindy's mom and grandmother could join us. They got here earlier today and we will all leave tomorrow, heading for Moultrie, GA.

I figured that I would slit this post in several parts ... so be looking for all of them!

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

temptation - Oscar Wilde

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

found on the wrapper of a Baci Perugina chocolate (I think ...)

I figured that if I was going to list good quotes, I should also list bad quotes. So here is an example of one. Now, I don't expect Wilde to reflect a Biblical world view, but just from an ethical point of view, this quote has quite the range of implications.

As a Christian, this quote makes me think of many Scripture. Here are two:

1 Cor 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
What a contrast: yielding vs. bearing!

Heb 4:15-16 - For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
What a Savior! What a comfort to know that we are not alone.

Monday, December 18, 2006

A new table saw

As some of you know, my old table saw gave me a great spark show and bit the dust, just before we moved in the new house. My friend BG, who fixes tools for a living, told me that it was not worth fixing it, so I've been in the market for a new saw for a couple of months.

I struggled for a while, as to whether to buy a small table top saw, as I had, or if to use this opportunity to upgrade to something of better quality. Apparently I had been pushing this saw too much with the house project, so maybe that was an indication that I needed to upgrade. Also, Cindy and I have a couple of furniture projects in the works, and a nicer saw could really help with those.

I did much research on saws, but everything kept on pointing to saws costing over $500. So I decided to wait and see what God would do. The first thing He did was that He used my lack of saw to help me build a relationship with my neighbor across the street, whose saw I have used several times. There is nothing like sharing tools and working together in the same shop for starting up conversation and getting to know people. So Don, if you ever read this, thanks for letting me use your saw and thanks for letting me get to know you a little better while I used your saw.

The second thing is that I believe He has finally led me to a good buy. So I was in Lowes the other day and I saw a nice saw on clearance (Delta TS350 shown in the picture), so I went home real quick, did some internet research and then bought it.

I had not done as much research as I had wanted, so I made sure that I could return it if it did not meet my requirements. So what were my requirements you ask? Well I wanted a 10" table saw with a cast iron top, possibly cast iron wings, stand, a nice solid fence, and a belt driven motor. Does the Delta TS350 meet those requirements? Nope. It turns out that it is a direct drive and not a belt drive.

So, I then asked myself why I came up with these requirements, and how hard these requirements were. That will be the topic of another entry ... BTW I'm keeping the saw and will also be reviewing it as I get to use it next year.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Joy in the midst of persecution

Yesterday I was reading a comment from a friend of mine oversees, E. He was talking about persecution of believers with a local pastor. This is part of what E. shared about this pastor's experience on persecution:

"We then talked about what it was like to be beaten. We did not talk about the physical pain, but rather the experience of joy that God provides in the midst of persecution. He did feel honored to experience pain for the Lord. I did not see or hear any regret on his part. His experience reminded me of Peter and John's joyful reaction in the Book of Acts after they were beaten. At a personal level, I found it exhilarating to meet someone who had experienced this because it is so foreign to life in the USA. My friend is not hoping for more persecution, but I believe he is ready to face it if it happens. His trust is in the Lord, whose grace is sufficient (II Corinthians chapter 12)."

What a testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was such an encouragement that I wanted to share it with y'all. Keep on praying for believers all over the world who are being persecuted.

Friday, December 15, 2006

pecuniary reward - Dargan

... the caution in 1 Peter 5:2 where the Apostle urges the elders that they should not take the oversight 'for filthy lucre but of a ready mind,' indicates that there was sufficient pecuniary reward in the office to attract the cupidity of the selfish and the sordid. - Edwin C. Dargan


found in Edwin C. Dargan, Ecclesiology: a Study of the Churches (Louisville: Dearing, 1897), 59.

I've always enjoyed this quote .. must be the language ...

BTW - Dargan goes on to state that he does not believe salaries existed back in New Testament time, but that there is room for such a concept, if found advantageous. I'll write more on that sometime in the future.

For a great conversation on "Honoring Elders" see Theron's blog's Wednesday, December 13, 2006 11:17 AM entry.

For great conversation on "Should Pastors be Paid?" see Theron's blog's Wednesday, August 02, 2006 3:15 PM entry.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Finals

Yesterday I gave my college Intro to Computer Class at SECWF their final. It is not really a final, but the presentation of their MS PowerPoint project. To make it interesting, I stipulate only technical requirements and I let them pick whatever topic they will. This semester the topics ranged from reports on mission trips to the history of the toilet; from how to take over the world (BTW - for those tyrant business cards I suggest Altair19) to learning about money; from church services to a presentation on parking enforcement here on campus; from an artist's collection to a great presentation on abortion. I'm always very pleased with my students' presentations and they always make me think about a lot of interesting topics. Good job class!

And for you believers out there, let me encourage you, as I do my students, to use technology to glorify God and to further His Kingdom.

Updates on the house

So I started to do some before and after pictures of our progress.


Here you see the guest bathroom (the only functioning bathroom in the house). We tiled the floor (it used to be linoleum), painted the walls, painted the vanity, and changed the countertop, sink, and faucets. We are still in the process of painting the molding and the vanity doors. We look forward to my having time in January to make our mirror frame so we can finally have a mirror in this bathroom.


Here you see the progress on one of our guest bedrooms. This room required a lot of attention to the walls, new shelves in the closet, and the addition of the fan/light. Since the last picture, the junk is gone, the closet shelves are installed, the bed has been set up so Mama (Cindy's mom could stay there during Thanksgiving), and I started on the wood floors.

Family ...

I just got off the phone (well actually Skype) with a sister in Christ, R., who lives on the other side of the world. I had not talked to her since before she and her roommate left several months ago. It was great to be able to talk to her and share in the life with her, even if our conversation had to be guarded.

This conversation, and the fact that I miss them so much that I almost cried, made me think of the family of God. In theology we spend much time distinguishing between the "local" church and the "universal" church, but the more I study Scripture, the less I see this distinction as being beneficial (see discussion on membership link mentioned earlier for some food-for-thought on the matter). For me, R. is not just my sister at large (part of some esoteric "universal" church), but she is also still a member of Messiah Baptist Church. She might not be on the roll, but the impact on our spiritual family is still felt and will continue to be felt. Also, I see her work for Jesus oversees as being an extension of our family's work in Wake Forest. The link that we have through the Holy Spirit and through the time that we shared in the life (1 John 1:3) face to face is not breakable by great distances.

Finally, this conversation makes me praise God for technology which allows us to continue to share in the life, even if it is in a different way than when she was here.

Membership in the Church

Alan has been having a great discussion on membership in the church. Check it out.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

... so what are we going to talk about?

I figured we'd talk about everything. Because of who I am in Christ I love to talk theology, Scripture, textual criticism, and anything having to do with the body of Christ: the church. Because of my training (aerospace engineering) I love technology (Brandi, you can stop singing now ... ;-). Which brings us to the next topic: great quotes. As I run across some, I'll post them. Also, Cindy and I have just bought a house that we are remodeling so I'll put updates and related links. Cindy and I have two beloved dogs, thus dogs have to be included in this list. Finally, I reserve the right to talk about anything else, after all this is my blog.


BTW - I'm multilingual, so I figured this blog should be also ... dunque se vuolete scrivere qualcosa in Italiano ou si vous voulez écrire en Français, be my guest. As for me, I'll try to translate for our anglophonic friends.

Mae:l

I'm diving in ...

Well, I've been wanting to do this for quite some time ... but time has always been an issue. In the mid 90's I published a rudimentary website with the purpose of "blogging" even though I did not know it as that back then. Like many other website it remained stale ... didn't have time to keep it up. For this reason, I have delayed starting up something else, but now is the time, so I'm diving in ...

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