tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64831782011-10-26T15:01:28.848-07:00The Desert Fathers left society to focus on God. <br> I'm just a father in a desert trying to focus on God.St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1577515691319699282011-10-19T00:02:00.000-07:002011-10-19T00:02:52.261-07:00

(I type everyday at 750words.com.  This was todays entry.  Straight and uncut.) I almost missed it today.  I was reading my Google Reader stuff.  If Faith had succeeded in sending me to Jack in the Box I would have blown my streak.  40 days today I think.that is how long Jesus was in the desert being tempted.  I haven't suffered anything like he did.  I don't really deserve to wear his name. 

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-16533350134380441682010-01-21T22:50:00.000-08:002010-01-21T23:21:17.706-08:00

I sat down while the kids were at school, and decided to work on my GM/DM/AM/referee skills a bit. That's Game/Dungeon/Adventure Master. I've been reading a lot of blogs about how to be better, tips for newbies, and general improvement. Most of them agree on the first rule: This is a game. Games are fun. If it isn't fun, do something about it.What makes it fun? Personal involvement for one

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-61869330567127138982010-01-16T21:57:00.000-08:002010-01-16T22:19:53.328-08:00

We're still hard at work. But not cleaning. Well, a little bit, I guess.The kids and I continue our fantasy role playing game. They were staying in the Inn of the Burning Heart, but got evicted by the owner/operator, Tusk. It seems they've been going out and slaying skeletons and zombies, and stirring up trouble. The more they kill, the more come out of the Woods and attack the town. They

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-70985249009485180122010-01-02T16:48:00.000-08:002010-01-02T17:10:48.061-08:00

So far, our family game time has been a mixed success. The kids love it. I love it. Faith won't play, but I'm not blaming her. Its just not her thing.Unfortunately, each game can from one hour, to four or more, and it takes a fair amount of prep time, which I'm not getting during Christmas Break. I'm not getting much free time period during "vacation." I'm sure most parents know what this

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-70964781015347628642009-12-14T17:36:00.000-08:002009-12-14T18:04:52.387-08:00

About a year ago, a friend told me about "Knights of the Dinner Table," a comic book about old-school table-top RPGer's. (That's "role playing game", for those who don't know.) The most (in)famous today would be World of Warcraft. Back in the day, it would have been Dungeons & Dragons.In one of the earliest issues of the comic, the gamers are told they enter a peaceful meadow, with butterflies

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-10396324221571094902009-12-01T10:56:00.000-08:002009-12-01T11:46:34.534-08:00

"On the big issues it was not enough to be right--passion was vital. Now that sense of intellectual urgency has dissipated. Tolerance, relativism, the postmodern refusal to commit, the cultural triumph of uncertainty--all these rule out a repeat of the pyrotechnics in H3."This is a quote from the end of the book Wittgenstein's Poker by David Edmonds & John Eidinow. It is "The story of a

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-18466862292725292462009-06-29T17:23:00.000-07:002009-06-29T18:07:40.941-07:00

Too many holidays, too few holy days.I went to church on Mothers Day. Not surprising there. I expected my wife to receive a flower, or a bookmark. Something cute, but inexpensive. She got a baggie of candy, with a smarmy poem explaining why she got a mint, a Starburst, and whatever else was in there. (The mint is for your commit'mint'.) And, of course, we can't leave anyone out, so the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-81900752682851322432009-05-08T14:37:00.001-07:002009-05-08T14:37:47.890-07:00

Obama tones down National Day of Prayer observance - CNN.com "I think the president understands, in his own life and in his family's life, the role that prayer plays."   Sweet.  I'm so glad he understands the role of prayer.  Um, I wonder what that role is?  Does it draw him closer to God?  Does he seek guidance for our country from the Creator of the Universe?  Or is prayer just a way of

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-56802372758479839892009-05-05T22:31:00.001-07:002009-05-05T22:31:07.757-07:00

“Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt” Origin This was a marketing term used to describe one competitor sowing distrust about a  competitor, so customers would stay with them instead of trying something new.  “They’re product is full of bugs.”  “They’re a start-up company.  They have no staying power, or tech support.”  “They’ll go out of business, and you’ll be left holding the bag.” These are all drawn

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-66556009094291387282009-04-11T12:45:00.000-07:002009-04-11T13:36:31.041-07:00

I've been reading a blog called "Someday Syndrome" that deals with procrastination. Sure enough, someday I will ... what? Write my novel? Finish my fish pond? Grow up? Ummm, no, that may be pushing it a bit.Alex Fayle asks a series of questions to get you started. Here are his questions.What is my "Someday"?When do I want to complete it?What are the big steps to get there?What am I doing

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-56762952256945816582009-04-02T05:00:00.000-07:002009-04-03T09:51:36.678-07:00

"Stop selling what you have, and start selling what they need. -- IBM"I found this quote on Twitter, posted by Adrian Warnock.  Okay, honestly, I assume he's quoting something IBM said at one point, although I couldn't find it.  I googled it a bit, and found someone else quoting it a while back, saying its from an ad he saw by IBM.  Even knowing that, I couldn't track it down.  Nevertheless, it

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-8213343871327270282009-03-27T09:12:00.000-07:002009-03-27T09:59:05.091-07:00

If its too loud, well, then you must be too old.Doesn't this just sound like some young punk making excuses to play his music as loud as he wants?  He's laying the blame on those he's offending, instead of taking the blame for being the offender.  After all, this is America, the land of the free ... free to do whatever I want.  Even if it means inconviencing someone else.  "I can listen to what I

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-62707916850783248802009-03-25T15:47:00.000-07:002009-03-26T00:31:11.191-07:00

My son and I went for a walk the other day to the corner market, to get a couple drinks.  He talked as we walked through a parking lot, heading for a narrow gap in a chain link fence.  At one point I had to grab his shoulder to point him in the right direction, because he kept drifting into me.  It was a bit annoying, since there was only one obvious exit.  But, he's only 10, and was talking at

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-59347584868860264832009-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:002009-03-14T10:51:55.299-07:00

In The Way of Aikido, by George Leonard, he writes of waking up listening to an orchestra outside his window, surrounding him.  Beautiful music all around.  Why was there an orchestra outside?  Especially at this time of night?  Then he reached up and touched headphones.  He'd fallen asleep listening to a CD, and woken to a musical interlude.  Instead of an orchestra, it was a CD.  Big

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-27063990740850345392009-03-12T10:01:00.000-07:002009-03-12T10:09:14.351-07:00

My daughter announced two days ago she's decided what she wants to be for Halloween:  a pirate.  A splendid, romantic idea, except for the fact that pirates are foul thieves and murderers.  Historically speaking, they terrorized the Caribbean and coastal waters of the southern United States.  Go a bit further back in history, and you'll see they were employed by the English, French, and Spanish

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-8109298528409195782009-02-24T16:04:00.000-08:002009-02-24T16:18:15.656-08:00

There's a cartoon about a man going door to door, witnessing, but he's having problems with his language.Christian: Are you lost?Homeowner: No, I'm standing on my front door step.Christian: No, I mean, are you blind?Homeowner: No, I can see just fine.Christian: No, I mean, do you need to be saved?Homeowner: I don't think so. I feel just fine.It would be funny if it weren't so true. We

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-41875631898516944972009-02-15T00:11:00.000-08:002009-02-15T00:36:57.523-08:00

Leonard was training for his black belt, but something was wrong. His teacher told him to "own the mat." When he changed his viewpoint, things got easier. "This is my mat, and I welcome my attackers. They are on my mat, my home territory. I own this place." He moved with greater confidence and grace, easily achieving his black belt.According to his teachings, we need to approach life like

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-34267432757797256532009-02-13T17:32:00.000-08:002009-02-13T18:01:34.522-08:00

Empowerment. A buzzword of today's business establishment. The employees are empowered to make decisions. This gives them the power to make decisions without having to seek out management approval for every move they make. Its a good feeling, knowing that I am in charge, and I can do what I need to get the job done. However, there are still rules. There are boundaries I can't cross. In

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1598595116700515782009-02-05T21:25:00.000-08:002009-02-05T22:23:33.146-08:00

Once again, mind mapping "centering" the other day brought up another rich word: defragmenting.Fragmentation makes me think of a computer process whereby packets of information are randomly stored on the hard drive. It isn't intentional. Nobody actually programmed the computer to scatter information all over the hard drive. It just sort of happened. And, from my limited knowledge, it isn't

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-57296312940446255802009-02-05T00:23:00.001-08:002009-02-05T00:23:24.202-08:00

I was mindmapping centering again, because of The Art of Aikido I've been reading.  One of the words that popped out to me was "dualism" so I took off with that to see where I would end up.Dualism, as I remember it, was part of Zoroastrianism, and expressed the belief that there are two eternal forces in the world facing off against each other.  God and Satan, good and evil, light and dark. 

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-29158085662807589672009-02-01T23:56:00.001-08:002009-02-01T23:56:31.613-08:00

I was mindmapping the word "centering," which came up in The Art of Aikido.  After a few minutes, I had several different paths to follow:  physical, spiritual, emotional.  There is also personal as well as corporate and family, and probably a dozen other types and styles of centering.  There is also centering prayer, although I can't find my book by Richard Foster right now.In aikido, you center

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-34540110571388348562009-01-22T23:51:00.000-08:002009-01-23T00:17:21.730-08:00

When confronted by any attack or problematic incoming energy, the aikidoist doesn't strike, push back, pull or dodge, but rather enters and blends.Yeah, that sounds kind of different, the kind of thing you'd expect to hear from a martial artist philospher, I guess.  The author, George Leonard, talks about moving towards your attacker, just slightly off the line of attack, and turning, seeing the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-45919309827418584482009-01-22T15:54:00.000-08:002009-01-22T16:58:00.709-08:00

As a Christian, I see God's wisdom all around me, even in this book.  Aikido, as most people already know, is a martial art.  It has deep spiritual applications that are coupled with the physical practice.  Aikido can probably be practiced for self-defence, without necessarily submerging yourself into the spirituality of it.  However, this little book is all about the spiritual and/or practical

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-54694063737187499322009-01-14T10:07:00.000-08:002009-01-14T10:26:23.540-08:00

I was reading First Samuel, the stories of King David.  He sinned in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheeba and God's punishment was discension in his own household.  Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar.  Absalom killed Amnon and fled.  Joab brought in a wise woman from Tekoa to speak to King David, and these were her words.God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one may not be

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-20890324271599493652009-01-13T23:37:00.001-08:002009-01-13T23:37:13.908-08:00

I'm unsure of the timing of this thing ... so I'm trying it again. Lets see how this works out.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-14348440815102789242009-01-13T23:17:00.001-08:002009-01-13T23:17:15.969-08:00

I'm trying out some new widgets, and this is a test run to see if it works. I've got a widget on my iGoogle home page that allows me to post to my Blogger account. Now, I have a twitterfeed that should pull from my Blogger and posts to my Twitter. So, lets see how this works.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-20490904118053338272009-01-13T16:30:00.000-08:002009-01-13T16:42:22.922-08:00

Its been quite a while, but I'm back.  Maybe for good, maybe just for a little while.I picked up a book called "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller.  It is sub-titled "Nonreligious thoughts on Christian Spirituality."  It was the quote on the back of the book that attracted me to it. I never liked jazz music ... But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-80644893168415212372008-11-20T09:57:00.001-08:002008-11-20T09:57:28.500-08:00

We, the people of California, voted to approve Prop 8, defining marriage as one man, one woman. We did this a few years ago, but the Supreme Court overturned the will of the people, saying it was unconstitutional.Now, we have amended our constitution, and the same group is challenging it. Their argument is that this is not an amendment, but a fundamental change. If this is the case, then our

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-39089201370062834402008-11-09T12:20:00.001-08:002008-11-09T12:20:07.366-08:00

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.We have so much to be thankful for, yet we take most of it for granted. Christians around the world are persecuted horribly for their faith. The fighting in Sudan, north vs south, is also Arab Muslim vs African Christians. The Christians now have oil, and the Muslims want it.In India, in the last 60 days, 60 Christians have died, 18,000

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-89446472184201277222008-11-08T15:27:00.001-08:002008-11-08T15:27:13.724-08:00

I just added another gadget to my igoogle page, that allows me to post to my blogs from right here.This is a test to see if it works.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-85304708436420345212008-11-05T16:21:00.001-08:002008-11-05T16:21:06.713-08:00

I was going to call it " First Day of Prayer for Obama" but I detest that name.  "Barack" means "blessings" and I can live with that.I signed up for the 77 Days of Prayer, which is for the 77 days between the election and the inauguration.  This first day focuses on God's sovereignty.  This is something I needed to hear.We put our trust in You to use the President-Elect—and every personchosen

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-7523770686028479092008-06-16T21:32:00.000-07:002008-06-16T21:33:33.294-07:00

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Romeo and Juliet. Lovers, their love condemned by their families., doomed to separation. A union never to be realized.Most of us know this line, and the sentiment behind behind. Though we part today, we know that we shall be reunited. Tomorrow, Next week. Next year.But what about those who pass beyond those limits where reunion is a feasible possibility.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-36577186478239793212008-06-13T22:25:00.000-07:002008-06-13T22:36:21.138-07:00

This is another writing exercise from the book "Writing the Natural Way."Lust is an absence of knowledge of our desires. What is it I want? I want this bauble. That toy. Another woman. More money. A better job. But there is no fulfillment in attaining these empty goals. They do not meet the basic criteria our hearts truly desire.We struggle and strive to climb the ladder, to reach the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-89366530657518284862008-04-29T23:55:00.000-07:002008-04-30T00:35:14.592-07:00

Life is good. God is good. His essence pervades our life like the scent of roses. Everywhere I turn His fulfilled promises stand out like roses in full bloom. He has given us each other. We have grown closer, intertwining, our lives becoming entangled, inseparably one.Now, we have children, the fruit of our love for one another. Even in this desert we live in, God has blessed us. For the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-14927640774339343482008-04-24T20:24:00.000-07:002008-04-24T23:13:59.239-07:00

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-54520556434835236712008-04-24T19:56:00.000-07:002008-04-24T19:59:42.534-07:00

This is a poem to my wife, Faith.You are everything I am not, everything I can never be.Mother, Daughter, Wife, My lover.There are times I don't love myself, and I don't see how anyone could.Yet, you do, and you convince me that I am lovable.You complete me. You make me who I am, You drive me to be more than I am.We all need someone like you: a goad, a thorn, a rose, a sweet

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-48277893931419927712008-04-20T23:21:00.000-07:002008-04-20T23:23:42.584-07:00

Well, the poem that I just posted, which probably appears below this one, is screwed up.The words are there, and the line breaks, but the spacing is ALL wrong. If I ever figure out how to fix it, I'll repost it.I'll probably post some of my other writing exercises here, too.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-48757527090823807942008-04-20T23:06:00.000-07:002008-04-29T14:28:37.778-07:00

I'm currently reading a book about writing, and its filled with exercises. This is the result of one of them. March 20Images of the sky reflected in melting icicles (unseen by unseeing eyes)moving by rote rocking a newborn boyBlack hat Black veil

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-90225649339754058492008-03-29T18:28:00.000-07:002008-03-29T18:36:13.807-07:00

I picked up a book about writing. This is the product of an exercise from the first chapter. Write about the word "Afraid."As people, we fear many things. We fear pain and loss. But, we only fear for those things we care about. We fear for our lives. We fear the loss of our loved ones and our prized possessions. We fear failure.We only fear for those things we care for. But, if we care

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-55144376109135414432008-03-01T18:01:00.000-08:002008-03-01T18:01:15.260-08:00

Well now, all I can say is "Its about time."At first I was offended at the idea of a "mystery worshiper." Of course, I assumed it was some humanist/atheist/government group sending in the "mystery worshiper" in order to discredit that church, or the Church, as a whole.Instead, it was a church organization who wanted to check on its friendliness and accessibility to the unchurched. They hired an

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-28739574025800228562008-02-18T14:25:00.000-08:002008-02-18T14:58:38.637-08:00

Honestly, I haven't really looked at the candidates yet. Why bother? Its either in the hands of God, or the media. I trust one, but not the other.There are roughly 300 million people in America. I'm not sure how many can vote, or how many will. Lets say .... one in ten? I'm probably over-estimating. That's 30 million voters.Unfortunately, the way I understand things, I'm not voting for the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-48955701512050948992008-01-01T16:13:00.000-08:002008-01-01T20:59:13.132-08:00

I've been re-reading a set of books I really enjoy, "The Chronicles of Amber" by Roger Zelazny. Book Five is called The Hand of Oberon. In this set of books, there is a black highway leading from the Courts of Chaos straight to the Amber. (If this doesn't make sense, don't worry.)The current king is making plans with his family and friends on how to defeat the hordes that are marching up the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-55284132843895036412007-12-04T21:43:00.000-08:002007-12-04T22:34:37.624-08:00

Well, its been a while. Things got busy, and I lost my place in my little book, which is rather embarrassing considering its an abridgment. I have the full thing somewhere else, and perhaps I'll take a shot at it next.Since my last blog, which is a looooong time ago, our pastor asked me to take over as Sunday School Director, which really surprised me, considering I'd only been to Sunday School

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-10513046580207657522007-09-29T22:19:00.001-07:002007-09-29T22:19:33.111-07:00

I picked up this little book several years ago in an airport bookstore. I've tried reading it several times, and always stall out, and start over later. Not that its a bad book. But, since this is an abridgment of the actual text, its sort of choppy reading.There are certain lessons in it that are still applicable today, much like the Bible.So,it is said that if you know others and know

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-6696999037098650892007-09-28T18:44:00.001-07:002007-09-28T18:44:52.492-07:00

Well, the Episcopal church has gone and done it. Well, not really. They issued a statement in repair the rift between them and the wider Anglican church, but it didn't really help. (For those who don't know, the Episcopals ordained a gay bishop, and are blessing gay marriages. For obvious reasons, the Anglican church is just a tab bit upset about this.)They promised to "exercise restraint by

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-55900415401786386072007-09-02T12:25:00.001-07:002007-09-02T12:25:33.475-07:00

... any expectation that politicians will be moral leaders is naïve. “There is always a taint of, if not corruption, then compromise about them,” he said. “This idea that they are moral leaders is moronic.”This article was about things that everybody seems to know, but no one talks about. They started talking about Senator Craig's recent escapades. It seems those close to him already knew, or

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-5704540710007039312007-08-23T21:16:00.001-07:002007-08-23T21:18:28.112-07:00

Armenians urge Jews to take moral high ground | Jerusalem PostHistorians estimate that as many as 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed by Muslim Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923, an event widely viewed by scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century.Hrm ... this made me wonder ....I pay attention to words. Word order. Specific usage. This struck me and I had to think about it.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-45394446305774726972007-07-15T11:08:00.000-07:002007-07-15T11:09:05.917-07:00

"The nature of the crisis in the Anglican Communion has often been identified as the issue over homosexuality, but Archbishop Henry Orombi of the Church of Uganda stressed that the heart of the crisis is the 'risk of losing our biblical foundation.'"Well, here it is again. We need to stand on our foundation. As Martin Luther said, "Here I stand." For the Anglicans, it isn't really an issue of

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-25829664363853647842007-07-14T11:12:00.000-07:002007-07-14T11:35:57.044-07:00

“But, as you know, it is fundamental to any kind of dialogue that the participants are clear about their own identity. That is, dialogue cannot be an occasion to accommodate or soften what you actually understand yourself to be.”Well, I can't say I agree with Pope Benedict XVI on alot of things, but this is one point we share. I can't dialogue with you unless I know where I stand. There was a

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-33443197271886721862007-05-26T20:31:00.000-07:002007-05-26T20:33:20.784-07:00

Well, what do you know? All of our fuzzy lines are bleeding over into our math now.No boundaries. No rules. No right and wrong. Whose to say that I can't do this or that. Who are you to make rules for my life.And guess what? It's bringing down scores on tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind act. Test scores? Down? No wonder. When we can make up our own rules, we can't meet the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-79471466026788306342007-05-20T10:31:00.000-07:002007-05-20T11:01:29.099-07:00

Well.Um.I was planning on going to church this morning, but it didn't work out.I got up and took a shower. Not so quick, because I brush my teeth and shave in the shower. Ryan needs about 5 minutes to take his shower. Hope wanted a bath. "Make it quick, so we can go to church." Yeah, right.First, she had to drain the water because something was floating in the water. Then, she had to fill

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-71729556471035147542007-05-12T11:56:00.000-07:002007-05-12T12:17:09.183-07:00

Wow. What a day its been.I got up at 4:45, and was at work by 6:15, or so. I grabbed a vanilla bean frappucino with caramel drizzle on the way in, and enjoyed that for a while.My co-worker called in saying she was going to be late. Thats okay, I thought. Saturday mornings aren't usually that bad. Boy oh boy. I went to bed around 11, my normal time, but I was so tired this morning. The only

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-14506908155600183862007-05-10T19:53:00.000-07:002007-05-10T20:13:50.846-07:00

Wow. I came here to write for a bit, and my Dashboard said my last post was Jan 20th. Thats a lot longer than I ever anticipated.What have I been up to? A little of this. A little of that. Not much of anything in particular.I put in a new fish pond earlier this year. Probably in March sometime, just before my parents came out for a visit. Its doing okay. There's been a bloom of somekind:

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-17255840017621336992007-01-20T20:51:00.000-08:002007-01-20T21:54:23.442-08:00

Last Saturday I was required to take a class on sexual harassment. We make all the usual jokes about it being "how-to" class. Mostly out of frustration. We have so much to do at work, and then they add in mandatory training for something that so rarely occurs. *sigh* At least, not here, it doesn't. Not much.At least, I don't feel sexually harassed. And I don't know any one in my department

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-74428612317277366602006-12-02T21:55:00.000-08:002006-12-02T22:19:10.767-08:00

Last month, I went to church. Surprise, surprise. It was the first Sunday of the month, which meant, we had Communion. I suppose we'll do it again tomorrow.That sounds really .... tedious. Its supposed to be a celebration. A time to remember. "This do in rememberance of Me," thus saith the Lord. Amen and amen.Instead, quite often, we are told that we need to examine ourselves. Look

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1155486376154012302006-08-13T09:26:00.000-07:002006-08-13T09:26:16.183-07:00

The dogs were barking this morning, and I got up to yell at them. Of course, they were quiet by the time I got out there, but, since I was up....I decided to take care of a few things around the house. I get a lot more done in the mornings, and everything is easier when the kids are asleep.I started off sweeping and mopping. I wanted to move the fish tank to the other side of the dining area,

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1154476832236835922006-08-01T17:00:00.000-07:002006-08-01T17:00:32.316-07:00

"'This war can't be won in a conventional way, it can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, more fair than the alternatives,' he said."Thats gonna be real hard, convincing the world that American Values are better than those of the rest of the world. Ordaining gays, condoning violence, ignoring our own poor.Sure, we need to reach out and help the rest of the

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1153268541090015792006-07-18T17:22:00.000-07:002006-07-18T17:22:21.130-07:00

Wired News: Senate Says Yes to Stem Cells The Senate passed a bill that would increase federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. It sounds okay, but stem cells come from dead babies. Okay, fetus is politically correct, but 'dead baby' is more accurate.There are other sources now. We can explore and improve our understanding of these alternates, and not have to resort to embryonic stem

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1152453206554384892006-07-09T06:53:00.000-07:002006-07-09T06:53:26.676-07:00

"'The Chinese government protects the freedom of religious beliefs of citizens in accordance with the law,' Jiang said. 'After reform and opening up ... we have made great progress in our human rights and people's livelihoods. This is obvious for all to see.'"Yes, it is obvious for all to see. Thats why we can condemn their actions, because finally they're obvious to even the blindest lawmaker.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1152330897706578402006-07-07T20:54:00.000-07:002006-07-07T20:54:58.463-07:00

Christian Today > Christian News, Updated Daily > The Prison Service has ditched a groundbreaking discipleship course for inmates at Dartmoor prison on the grounds that it failed to comply with “diversity policies”.There were two reasons for the closure of this program. They teach the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, for one. Which upsets anyone who doesn't fall into that category. And if

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1152059103497631952006-07-04T17:25:00.000-07:002006-07-04T17:25:03.510-07:00

Christian News, Updated Daily - Christian Today >In an attempt to keep some degree of unity within the worldwide Church the Archbishop of Canterbury last month called for a two-tiered system of membership. The “covenant system” proposes that Churches should be asked to sign a formal covenant, which would allow some to be fuller members of the Anglican Communion than others.A dual system is

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1147321564307178512006-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:002006-05-10T21:26:04.320-07:00

I was sitting in Starbucks this morning, just before work. It was about 6:10, and I had ordered a Grande Mocha Frappucino, and sat down to wait. I needed to be at work, clocked in, by 6:30. Fortunately, I was only two blocks away.I had my headphones on, listening to Adonai Dub. "Dub" is a style of music descended from regga/rasta, slowed down and remixed one night when it was too hot to play

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1144295508018549092006-04-05T20:51:00.000-07:002006-04-05T20:51:48.063-07:00

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury was very disturbing to me.The basis of the book is that the Templar's were founded by a group of men whose sole mission was to uncover the gospel of Jesus, written in his own hand. It detailed his teachings and decision to proclaim himself the Son of God. It has fairly long dialogues between a true believer and those who are disillusioned by "the truth." The

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1142740841887558672006-03-18T19:54:00.000-08:002006-03-18T20:01:51.873-08:00

Well, these are a few pictures of our little Rose Garden. We have two or three bushes, three climbers, and three rose bushes. Plus dozens of daffodils, irises, and, um, something else. But I can't remember what they all are.The house is coming along nicely. We're just about ready to tackle the backyard. We even bought a little "fire bowl" for the backyard. 12 inches deep and 3 feet across,

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1139382314928800452006-02-07T22:33:00.000-08:002006-02-07T23:05:14.966-08:00

Set up for yourselves roadmarks, Place for yourself guidposts, Direct your mind to the highway.I was actually looking for something different when I stumbled on these verses. I'm sure I've read them before, but something jumped out at me this time. Maybe it was the symmetry, or the balance. Or maybe it was just time for me to see, really see, this message at this time.Set up

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1137678005508468912006-01-19T05:40:00.000-08:002006-01-19T05:40:05.560-08:00

"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul."This is a quote from Judge Cashman of Vermont. Mark Hulett began raping a 7 year old girl, and continued for four years. The judge knew he needed treatment, but wouldn't get it in prison, so he ordered him to 60 days, then to seek immediate treatment, or risk going back to jail or face

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1135948273748629102005-12-30T04:35:00.000-08:002005-12-30T05:11:13.813-08:00

It's amazing how things all dove-tail together at once. I got off track concerning Lamentations 2.14, then I pick up a book titled The New Tolerance. I read a few chapters, when I got this email from a friend.GOD TOLD ME TO TELL YOU...It shall be well with you this year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1135085355859883122005-12-20T05:29:00.000-08:002005-12-20T05:29:15.916-08:00

"'The American people expect me to do everything in my power, under our laws and Constitution, to protect them and our civil liberties,' he said." So, President Bush thinks he can spy on the American people? He thinks we want him to this? Sure, I say, I've got nothing to hide. If someone spies on me, what are they going to find? I read too much, and spend too much time online. I'm a good

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1135060652127975112005-12-19T22:07:00.000-08:002005-12-19T22:37:32.160-08:00

There is a commercial I saw a few times for a new diet Coke. Coke Zero, or something like that. "Tastes just like real Coke!" the actor exulted.Really? And he's proud of that? Ewww. There are lots of people proud of their low status, too. "Gay/Lesbian Pride" for example. How about a high tolerance for alcohol? How about 'tolerance' for just about anything?I remember reading a verse in

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1134785042672719192005-12-16T18:04:00.000-08:002005-12-17T11:42:34.596-08:00

"While the public expression of Christmas is being debated in heated cases across the states, millions of Christians around the world and their religious freedom are literally under attack." I'm sorry. Did I miss something here? Since when does Christmas equal Christian? Don't get me wrong. The birth of my Saviour is very important to me. I believe He is human, born of a Virgin. I believe

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1133932439457928292005-12-06T21:04:00.000-08:002005-12-06T21:13:59.466-08:00

“O people, remember that Ghorban is a Christian martyr who laid down his life for the sake of Christ,” she said, according to VOM.“I now have realized how real Jesus and the Christian life was for Ghorban, that he was willing to give his life for His sake.”This was his wife speaking. Someone called, asking to meet him at the park, to seek knowledge of Jesus. The anonymous man never showed up,

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1133838588863314682005-12-05T19:09:00.000-08:002005-12-05T19:09:48.900-08:00

Indian Surprisingly, eight Christians from the village have been arrested by the police and are being held in custody. Surprised? This happened in India. So I'm not really surprised. India is a repressive nation where this happens alot. You know what is surprising? Hindu extremists burned 15 homes down while they were at church. When they got out of church, the Christians were beaten, and

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1133113616956852732005-11-27T09:46:00.000-08:002005-11-27T09:46:56.996-08:00

The Vikings, winners of three straight thanks to some very unlikely late rallies, were just issued a 77-page manual on proper behavior, covering everything from lewd and lascivious conduct to smoking. ''Basically everything was, 'Be smart,' '' Marcus Robinson said. ''Just be smart about everything you do, on and off the field.'' It took 77 pages for that? Must be a really big font. Funny thing,

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132880765303634792005-11-24T17:06:00.000-08:002005-11-25T17:20:32.276-08:00

Thanksgiving Dinner was really good. Both of them. I brought rolls and sugar cookies to work for our potluck. Afterwards, I went to my in-laws for our family dinner. More turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans, and pie. I am so full right now. This is a picture of Hope putting whipped cream on the chocolate pie. I hurt. I have eaten chocolate, cherry, and pumpkin pie, as well as my sugar cookies

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132633367541381242005-11-21T20:22:00.000-08:002005-11-21T20:47:12.320-08:00

Cool tats My children, the rebels! My parents gave them some tatoos, and my son just found them in the clutter of his room. So, he needed them now. And what he has, she wants too. At least they have good taste.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132593669779776172005-11-21T09:20:00.000-08:002005-11-21T09:21:09.790-08:00

"They have not discovered thine iniquity." The word 'discovered,' in the King James Version, has a multitude of meanings.We think of discovered as finding something that was hidden or lost. Finding treasure, lost keys, or true love.But a more modern rendering of this word would be "to reveal." To make known that which was unknown.And that was a big failing of these prophets.We tend to think of

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132470258982236962005-11-19T22:39:00.000-08:002005-11-19T23:04:18.993-08:00

False & Foolish Visions--What is false? Webster's Dictionary says it is 'not comformable to fact.' It communicates what is not true. It could be intentional, with the purpose of deceiving, or unintentional, being based on flawed knowledge.What is foolish? It means to be void of understanding or sound judgement. Void, empty. Useless, possibly dangerous.I live in a desert. Last year we had two

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132099038342948012005-11-15T15:57:00.000-08:002005-11-27T13:32:40.116-08:00

Woohoo! Ryan is student of the day. That means he gets to lead the class when they leave the room. He was excited, and I'm excited for him. BTW, I'm not sure what happened to the picture. I'm gonna try re-sending it, and see what happens. Maybe it'll turn out better.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132036620853896662005-11-14T22:37:00.000-08:002005-11-27T14:06:04.213-08:00

On the surface, this sounds like good news. It sounds like flame to the oil to me."The bishop in charge of Aghapy TV says the channel will not carry anything that could upset Muslims." But here is another statement, three paragraphs later: "Last month three people were killed when Muslims tried to storm a church in Alexandria because a play had been performed there two years earlier (emphasis

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1132011078256558172005-11-14T15:31:00.000-08:002005-11-14T22:19:14.760-08:00

I'm sick of all this. Bush mislead us? He lied to us? I think I'm missing something here.My wife and I both remember 9/11. (Our daughter was born shortly after.) Buildings. Planes. Burning. Death. Massive homicides. Al Qaeda. "Let's go get them!" With me so far?Where was Al Qaeda, and Osama bin Laden? In Afghanistan. That's why we invaded this little country. What did we do? We declared war on

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1131510342121844372005-11-08T20:25:00.000-08:002005-11-08T20:25:44.046-08:00

BBC NEWS ran an article about the Kansas state Board of Education. They voted 6-4 in favor of throwing some doubt on the "facts" of evolution. Finally. We can't teach creationism, because we can't teach religion. (But safe sex is okay.) Creationism has been redefined as 'Intelligent Design.' Can't these people get it through their thick heads. Intelligent Design does not presuppose Deity,

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1131504868830356662005-11-08T18:39:00.000-08:002005-11-08T18:54:28.840-08:00

Something here seemed off to me, until I read a little blurb in one of my commentaries. Why are these "things" they saw called visions. False, misleading, vain, and foolish. Read different translations and you'll see even more descriptive terms. But they are all called visions. Why?Because ... they really were visions. Jeremiah wasn't the only prophet God had. He tried moving through many

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1131402992129138522005-11-07T14:23:00.000-08:002005-11-07T14:36:32.153-08:00

"The visions which your prophets have seen for you."It sounds to me like they had a specific target audience in mind. That's not a bad thing, if the message isn't affected. You have to change the format of your message to fit the crowd you are speaking to. Children learn differently than adults. Groups of adults learn differently from other groups. Lecture vs. multimedia vs. Veggie Tales. Put it

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1131260085128887822005-11-05T22:15:00.000-08:002005-11-05T22:54:45.166-08:00

The visions of your prophetswere false and worthless;they did not expose your sinto ward off your captivity.The oracles they gave youwere false and misleading.I read Lamentations a few weeks ago, and this verse stuck in my mind. The more I look at it, the more pieces I see. I hope to take the time here to break it down into individual components, and eventually rebuild it into one mosaic. I was

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1129430366873498692005-10-15T19:39:00.000-07:002005-10-15T21:34:15.663-07:00

I am Batman!Isn't he just adorable. Thats my little boy. He got a mask, and I found our barber's cape, and he's all set.Of course, since he's in school, he has to raise his hand to do anything. He wants us to follow suit.It seems a bit unwieldly to me, but its his imagination. Who am I to wake the dreamer?

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1128929003154037562005-10-10T00:23:00.000-07:002005-10-10T00:23:24.303-07:00

"That we ought to quicken, i.e., to enliven, our faith. " This book is broken up into a couple different sections: Conversations, and Letters. The first part appears to be a recollection of, well, conversations, that the author had with Brother Lawrence. The first conversation lists several basic tenets of Christian life. Nourish ourselves with God. Spend time with God. Give up the world.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1128832204832194572005-10-08T21:13:00.000-07:002005-10-08T21:55:41.796-07:00

I was reading a book, a particularly gruesome book, Journey into Darkness. A nineteen year old girl is brutally raped and murdered. A few years later, her father has a root canal, but refuses to take the painkillers afterwards. He explained that he had asked God to take his pain, that he voluntarily suffered, and subtract it from the pain his daughter had suffered. He continued to that, and may

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1128774907434848652005-10-08T05:35:00.000-07:002005-10-08T05:35:08.626-07:00

I can't help thinking this is a bad idea. What is New Orleans known for? Mardi Gras, the last big hurrah before we enter the lent season, just before Easter. Although I've never been there, it sounds like one huge debauchery. Wine, women, and song. And lots more that probably isn't even legal. Two Level 5 hurricanes demolish the city and put most of it underwater. Its nearly destroyed

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1128571127199565322005-10-05T20:58:00.000-07:002005-10-05T21:25:00.916-07:00

2002 Kia SedonaWell, here it is. Our new-ish vehicle. I've been wanting a mini-van, but I didn't expect it under these circumstances.My wife's car didn't pass its smog test, and we really need two. I go to work several hours earlier than she does, before she or the kids are even out of bed. She needs a car to take them to drop them off before she goes to work, and I need one to get them after

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1127651866785278402005-09-25T05:37:00.000-07:002005-09-25T05:47:38.540-07:00

"That this view had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such a love for GOD..." Isn't that wonderful.Yes, its something I desire for myself, and my family. I want us to be wholly devoted to, and sacrificed to, God. I can, theoretically, spend the whole day in prayer. As I meet people at the hospital, I can say a silent prayer for their ills, or their personal/family

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1127620686691926262005-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:002005-09-24T20:58:06.723-07:00

The Practice of the Presence of God is a favorite of mine. I'm glad I found it online here. I'm hoping to read through it in the mornings and comment on it. Reading is good, but having to think deeply enough about a topic in order to talk knowledgebly about it requires true understanding. Read slow, read deep.

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1127539979364556222005-09-23T22:32:00.000-07:002005-09-23T22:32:59.396-07:00

WOW! Isn't my son incredible?! I know, they're simple words, but he's only in first grade. He's had three or four tests now, and hasn't missed a single word yet. 

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1127478726805907552005-09-23T05:32:00.000-07:002005-09-23T05:32:06.840-07:00

The American Spectator has an article about a man who can't read anymore. Not that he's illiterate, or blind. He's just burnt out on it for a while, which really is too bad. I know how he feels. He stuck watching tv. A lot of sports, from baseball and football to tennis and golf. I'd have to be pretty desparate before I watched tennis or golf. Its hard navigating through the channels

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1127179473934636342005-09-19T18:24:00.000-07:002005-09-19T18:24:33.940-07:00

My daughter just turned 4. And she is all girl. She loves clothes. She loves shoes. She loves pretty outfits, purses, ponies, Barbie, Bratz, and princesses of all shapes and sizes. Happy Birthday to her. 

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1106539569877546782005-01-23T20:06:00.000-08:002005-01-23T20:06:09.876-08:00

"Children, draw near to your Father, and He will embrace you in the arms of love! Come, ye poor, stray, wandering sheep, return to your Shepherd! Come, sinners, to your Saviour! Come, ye dull, ignorant, and illiterate, ye who think yourselves the most incapable of prayer! ye are more peculiarly called and adapted thereto. Let all without exception come, for Jesus Christ hath called all." This

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1105934083094042092005-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:002005-01-16T19:54:43.096-08:00

When you've found the best move there is, look for a better one. I was given this list of chess "commandments" while on the high school chess team. I remember such things as "knights on the rim are grim" and no doubled pawns. Don't bring your queen out too early. Things like that. Somebody had sribbled a 65th commandment on the bottom of the photocopied sheet I had. "Always look for a

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1104674872091888572005-01-02T06:07:00.000-08:002005-01-02T06:07:52.090-08:00

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. This puts me in mind of James 1.5. If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. (Yes, I know there is more to the verse, but this is the part it makes me think of.) The first four or five chapters of Proverbs reiterate over and

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1095770764358266082004-09-21T05:46:00.000-07:002004-09-21T05:46:04.360-07:00

Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old," declares the LORD. Jer 46.26 Thats comforting. This whole chapter was about the downfall and destruction of Egypt. One soldier tripping over another, and mercenaries fleeing. Strong men running like cowards, and cities burned to the ground. And then this one little sentence. How wonderful to know that God will restore. This

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1092004671479709992004-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:002004-08-08T15:37:51.480-07:00

Jer 45:1 {T{his} {is} the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written down these words in a book at Jeremiah's dictation, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying: Jer 45:2 "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel to you, O Baruch: Jer 45:3 'You said, "Ah, woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6483178.post-1091882442607151442004-08-07T05:40:00.000-07:002004-08-07T05:40:42.606-07:00

Jer 44:25 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: 'As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled {it} with your hands, saying, "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!' Wow. This chapter

St Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16993534717556041293noreply@blogger.com0