Session Notes

Transterrestrial Musings

“Now Sunera, let’s try this again. All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore…?”

Sunera frowns, and sweat appears on her forehead. Hesitantly, she ventures, “Therefore…Socrates is the basis of male-centered western patriarchal violence that continues to brutalize women and grind them under its bootheels…?”

“No, Sunera,” the therapist explains patiently. “We’re practicing logic here. Lo-gic. Remember what I told you about logic?”

I close the door quietly. It will indeed be a long and hard road.

As I leave, I see a general at the entrance with a doctor, staring at the row of beds.

“Where do they find people like this?,” he asks in amazement.

The doctor answers, quietly, “As long as there are schools of journalism, we will never run out…”

One of the most striking effects the advent of personal publishing platforms/blogging and other less then million-dollar mass market publishing strategies has created is the inability of mass media to any longer expect that they represent the only voice. No one has summed it up any better then this author.

The rest of the articles on this site are brilliant as well.

CBS News

For the first time since members of Westboro began protesting at military funerals, someone is using the courts to stop them. A distraught father has filed suit in Maryland against what he views as a gross violation of privacy and intentional emotional abuse.

And further down in the article:

At Arlington, Pastor David Foote of Franklin, Penn., saw the protest and attempted to engage the demonstrators. He told them that “God loves everyone,” prompting church members to descend upon him in a hail of insults.

“A lying, false prophet — that’s what this is,” Phelps-Roper told CBSNews.com, and dismissed him as a “dumb-ass” and a liar.

Though he will never win, all I can say is that it is about time someone at least tried to tie them up in court.

The ACLU has backed Phelps — correctly — arguing that this is an attempt to take away the right to protest. The law must fall on the side of this church (If I dare even call it that…)

However, I also hope that every single family thus treated sues them in civil court and eventually forces them into bankruptcy through legal bills. Freedom of speech laws were designed to control governments — not the actions of private individuals. A similar strategy was used against the KKK. They were and still are free to spread their crazed philosophy — but they were also free to be held liable in civil court for the deaths of the black people they incited.

It’s a bit more of a trick here but Phelps could easily be granted the freedom to speak that he wants — and then held liable for the direct psychological harm it caused. (In a general sense, His freedom to speak and cause harm in the public square is generally protected because those who wish not to hear him can walk away without suffering any further harm.) In this case, his freedom to speak is also protected but the people spoken to could not walk away — thus the harm was direct and intensified. Unlike with the KKK, it’s still probably not provable harm (unless they can prove slander — which is very possible) but it’s credible enough to create serial (And very expensive) court cases. Perhaps legal pressure will force him to come upon a new interpretation of Jesus’ words…

If these people ever actually read their Bibles, they would discover that while Jesus attacked legalistic religious institutions (Um, er, sorta like… THEM???) and leaders with a vengeance, He never once condemned sin in an individual. (The closest he ever came is with the woman caught in adultery — where He told her that He did not condemn her.)

Calling a fellow paster a “A lying, false prophet,” and a, “Dumb-ass.” Can’t you just feel the non-condemning love of Christ here???

Update:
Possibly one of the funniest videos I have ever watched. (Not Safe for Dial-up)

Iaaieeeaaieeeaaieee Will Always Love You (As Long As You Meet My Expectations) – TrueU.org : Men’s Hall:

“One more thing: remember that we weren’t put here alone. Christians need other Christians to function properly, just like the body needs all its parts in order to operate correctly. So, seek out counsel from those who are trying to adopt God’s heart and mind, too. I’m Starting With the Man in the Mirror Relationships are not supposed to be easy; that was never their purpose. (We’ll explore this purpose in future articles.) In our Western culture, relationships are abandoned so often because we have deceived ourselves into thinking that we are in control of them. When this delusion is exposed, however, we typically do not abandon our false perceptions of ourselves. Instead, we just move on to the next relationship, hoping that it will allow us more control than the last one. If we seek to have a biblical view of ourselves, of other people, and of God, our expectations will shift from hoping that others become like us to hoping that God (through others) will make us more like Him.”

This article offers some basic support and direction. I disagree with the striving part of the article rather than God’s revealing to us that we live in.

The Angry Child: Managing Anger:

“Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” The goal is not to ignore or suppress anger but to manage it. Teaching your child to recognize and control anger will greatly help him in his relationships now and as an adult. Here are ways to manage anger:

Acknowledge it. Many times people wrongly assume if they ignore anger it will go away. Some generations were taught to ignore emotions because expressing them (especially anger, sadness or fear) was deemed as “giving in” to negative feelings. Producing a stoic automaton is not the goal of anger management. It’s okay to admit when you’re angry. The problem comes in giving “full vent” to anger. Proverbs calls this person a fool. Defuse it. The best way to defuse anger is to talk about it. Encourage your child to discuss with you the things that make him angry. Often these feelings result from real or perceived injustice. Sometimes disappointment mushrooms into anger. Help him distinguish between feeling angry and acting angrily. Acting out anger in the form of aggressive or destructive behavior only accelerates it.”

This article gives a double message. I have found it helpful with my daughter to have her picture Jesus and tell him about the anger, what caused it, what ideas He has to manage it.Saying I would like to do it this way but I want Your way, God.

Husbands and Wives: If Your Spouse Is Having an Affair:

“Cling to the promise that — with God’s help — even the most broken marriage can be saved.

Remember, nobody wakes up one day and suddenly decides to have an extramarital affair. A person has been unfaithful in heart and mind long before he or she begins an affair.

Be patient. It takes time to begin to rebuild trust, love and commitment.”

These are some good prayer points. However the “Why” needs to be directed to God.

Husbands and Wives: Rebuilding Trust in the Aftermath of an Affair:

“Prior to my infidelity, I had ministered at a conservative seminary for nine years, and had been intimately involved in my church. This background made the healing process more difficult for my wife in some ways, because the things I pursued spiritually appeard to be the same things I had done in the past. In my wife’s words, ‘They didn’t work then to keep you from sin why should I trust them now?’ Being an ‘isolationist,’ I had to force myself to seek solid male Christian fellowship. Daily I am in the Word. Prayer has become paramount in my life, both as a weapon of war and an oasis. Wednesday night prayer group at our church has been a healing balm. The last thing I do before I sleep at night is take my wife in my arms and pray.”

This is a good article on steps to reconciliation after infidelity.

Focus on the Family Magazine: Ending the Divorce Cycle:

“the strong relationship of the Barrams, eventually developed a positive expectation in me. I went from hoping that I could be more successful than my parents at marriage to firmly believing that this would be the case. Despite living with the negative model of parental divorce, I could and would have a solid marriage. Third, my models gave me examples of healthy ways and habits to build a marriage. Relationships often flounder because the people in them simply stop doing the positive actions that keep the relationship strong things like helping each other; saying I love you; putting an encouraging arm around a discouraged loved one’s shoulder; and deferring often to the other’s desires.”

This is a good article on suggestions to have a thriving marriages. It is important to discuss and seriously consider each other’s point of view and give up each other’s will to God’s, especially through prayer or mutual submission. Both partners need to feel they are not being controlled by another’s attitude.

So What Are You?:

“A Piece of Clay.We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8). As a child did you ever play with clay? Not Play-Doh but real clay. Being a lump of clay doesn’t sound very appealing, but it can be formed to make beautiful vases, bowls, plates and other fine pottery. A potter takes a piece of clay and spins it on a wheel, molding and adding water, molding and adding water. Sometimes as the potter is working, he has to cut off pieces. Sometimes he has to add a lot of pressure in order for the clay to shape correctly. But he never leaves. He never gives up. The clay relaxes in his hands, and he shapes and molds until he’s made a unique and beautiful work of art. And what are God’s works of art? You and me!”

This is a great analogy of the Holy Spirit and the surrender of our will to God revealing who were are truly in Christ by faith.

Stop Test-Driving Your Girlfriend :

“So your goal should not be to date her long enough until you’re confident marriage won’t be hard, but to date her just long enough to discern if you’re willing to love her sacrificially, and if she’s willing to respond to that kind of love.

Remember that to commit does not mean to settle

Does this mean you should just ’settle’ for the first Christian woman who comes along? No, not at all. You should be making this decision in light of the qualities held out in Scripture for a godly wife, and you should marry the godliest, most fruitful, most spiritually beautiful woman you can convince to have you.

But you also need to be aware that you live in a culture that says the ultimate good in life is to always keep your options open, and that any commitment is inevitably ’settling’ for less than you could have tomorrow. You must reject that kind of thinking for the worldly garbage that it is. Did Jesus Christ settle for the church? No, he loved the church, and gave his life as a ransom for her (Mark 10:45).”

This is a really good article on discussing the importance of grace being revealaed in your partners as the days pass. I don’t agree with the sin paragraph.

What Girls Wish You Knew :

“After getting to know Anna for a semester his freshman year of college, my brother began experiencing feelings for her. She was my best friend, so the three of us naturally hung out and they connected easily. Matt decided he wanted to pursue Anna, so one evening he invited her to a coffee shop to talk.

Anna recalls that the music was loud, so my brother practically yelled as he began to tell her all the qualities he appreciated in her. Just as Matt was building momentum, a song suddenly ended. At that moment, every person in that coffee shop heard him say loudly, ‘I really like you.’ Anna, now Matt’s wife, fondly recalls the embarrassment of that moment. That night she was taken by surprise and unable to reciprocate Matt’s feelings, but she was impressed by his directness. Within two months, she had gone from seeing him as my little brother to being enamored with his bold leadership and corny jokes.

Joe may feel like throwing in the towel, but he may be closer than he thinks to a breakthrough. The women in his life aren’t looking for perfection. They are watching for consistent kindness, unflinching respect and honest initiative.

As Joe cultivates these characteristics, women will notice. And Joe may realize they’re not looking for J. Crew Jesus after all they’re looking for Jesus in him.”

Aside from the section about sin/accoubntability rarely produces desire for God which makes sin a non-issue, this article is inspiring because offers “Seeking God’s face” guidelines to seriously consider a potenital martial relationship. The power of prayerful intentionality was the drawing card of me to my husband.

Pure Freedom (Massive PDF locker poster download — must be seen to be believed…)

About ten years ago (& in another province) I had the opportunity to work with a convicted sex offender. He had been convicted of fondling young girls in shopping malls — a career of sexual assault that had spanned 19.5yrs. Initially, I didn’t even believe him as he claimed to have been doing so nearly daily for that entire time and had not been caught. However, over time and research, I came to realize that he was telling me the truth. It was a glimpse into the life of an incredibly sophisticated and TOTALLY unrepentant sexual predator that I value to this day.

I can clearly remember one conversation I had with him as he described how he selected his victims. He stated:

I’d walk the length of the mall a few times — maybe even eight or ten times. Just looking. It was easiest in the summer when all the girls were wearing skimpy clothing. The marks stood out like sore thumbs — they were wearing track pants and sweat shirts. (Anything to hide their bodies.)

I’d look to see which of the girls were alone. Not alone and doing something — just alone and hanging out there. The ones who are alone usually have no one to tell. I’d watch her for a long time too — to make sure she was not looking and waiting for someone…

Then I’d bump into her — not hard — just enough so she would know they were bumped. Then I’d pause and look right at her. I’d wait and see if she would apologize to me for running into her. (The easy one always blame themselves.)

If she apologized, I’d give her a big compliment and very carefully watch her eyes to see if she would look down. (If a woman thinks she’s garbage, she will never be able to maintain eye contact.) Then I’d wander off again.

I’d come back in a few minutes though — this time I’d make another comment. It would be a double entendre — something that sounded innocent but the way I’d be looking at her would remove all doubt. Something suggestive enough to see how she would react. The easy ones would just look away and turn red or stammer something.

I’d walk away again — I’d watch to see how she carried herself after that. Most of the time, she would kinda turn in on her self and slump over. She wouldn’t leave — she thought she deserved it.

That’s when I knew I had one who would never tell. Eventually, she would have to go to the bathroom or something where she was out of sight — you know the rest.

The only reason this man had been convicted was that he got cocky and didn’t wait to find out that there was indeed a friend present. It was, however, the last victim’s friend who essentially forced her into the security office where a hidden camera had caught the whole thing. She truly would have never told on her own.

As I listened to this man’s chilling boast, I suddenly realized something: His victim was the perfect Christian girl. We tell our young girls:

“Don’t wear that, it makes you look slutty.”
“Don’t you let your friends run your life — you must serve Jesus only — not friends.”
“It doesn’t matter if it was X person’s fault — you be the bigger person and apologize.”
“Good girls don’t make a fuss.”
“Don’t you be arrogant — pride is a sin you know — and God hates the proud.”
“Always think the best of people — he couldn’t possibly have meant that.”
“Turn the other cheek anyway.”
“Dressing like that will get you raped — you cause men to lust after you and it will be all your fault.”

Isn’t it nice how we paint bull’s eyes on our kids — we are teaching them to display the shame based sense of personal, gender and sexual identity that the highly sophisticated predator knows exactly how to spot.

Whatever that is, it’s not modesty…

Reality is, if that young girl had turned, glared at the man and snapped, “Hey!” at him, he would have quietly vanished knowing that this young lady would not be silent. He would have never even noticed her if she had solid friends and had been dressed in a revealing manner. If she had slapped him silly after he made that sexual comment, he would have fled into the afternoon sun. But, she was too well trained… We as a society and a church will someday answer for her sexual assault.

The above ministry is a well funded organization capable of paid Goggle ad placement running conferences and seminars all over the place. Apparently, having the misguided little old ladies of the church heap guilt and body shame on our little girls was not good enough — we need to put a marketing engine behind it and sell books while convincing young girls to judge themselves every time they open their locker door.

Perfect humility dispenses with modesty.

C.S. Lewis: The Weight of Glory (1949)

Think that’s a weird statement? Think again. Mother Teresa once stated that, “Humility is that which remains when all illusions have been stripped away.” In other words, humility is all about standing in nothing more and nothing less then the truth. By the time a woman has come to the place where she is deciding what to hide and what to reveal on a given day with respect to her body or any other part of her, she has already lost the war.

A woman who knows who she truly is in Christ will reflect the incredible beauty, the sensuality, the sexuality, the innocence, the purity, the passion, the power, the intelligence, the vision and the welcoming nurture that God created her to convey. She will do so through a stance of active and passionate engagement with and a moment by moment listening to the Living Word of God in her heart (No, not the past Words of God in Scripture) that will guide her into the fullness of who God created her to be.

You know, that’s just got to be jaw droopingly devastating and sexy in a divinely innocent way. Anything less is an insult to our Creator who made her that way — and placed her naked in the garden (sans Burqa.)

BTW: God gave women clothing later as a concession — to her…

Agape Press

Williamson says the “crazy” goings-on at the General Assembly did not end there. “Someone had made a resolution to declare suicide bombing a crime against humanity,” he notes.

“Now, you’d think that would be approved rather quickly, wouldn’t you? I mean, suicide bombing is not exactly a godly act,” the Lay Committee spokesman says. But against all expectation, he observes, the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, one of the denomination’s official agencies — along with its Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns — lobbied against approval of the resolution.

Committee members “came in and recommended that that thing not be passed because it might offend the Muslims,” Williamson says.

At the same convention, PC(USA) commissioners voted to allow the denomination’s churches to use the phrase, “compassionate mother, beloved child, and life-giving womb” (Yes, all lower case…) instead of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” when referring to the Trinity (One delegate greeted this news by suggesting that, “Huey, Dewey, and Louie,” would also do…) and approved the ordination of practicing Homosexuals.

At some level, this is totally irrelevant — it’s not like your average member of Hamas really cares what the Presbyterians have to say for themselves. On the other hand, it’s a great example of what happens when a denomination looses their focus on grace (And by default on what it means to be fully human and fully alive) and instead focuses their attention upon tolerance.

Legitimate grace has its foundation in our anthropology. In other words, Grace was offered to us by God because His righteous judgment was separating us from Him. That judgment was keeping us in fear, preventing us from really living and drowning us with shame — the status quo was unacceptable to God so He took radical action so we could be free to be what we were created to be.

Tolerance isn’t concerned with anthropology — it’s obsessed with feelings. The highest good is not a full life — it’s keeping the feelings of others from being hurt (Even if they are destroying everything else about their own or other’s lives.) Tolerance is at war with the good on grounds of momentary happiness.

We were released from Judgment such that nothing we could ever do would separate us from our intimate relationship with God. But, just because we were released from judgment, the absence of judgment does not automatically assert the wisdom of a given set of behaviors. Actually, the absence of judgment throws the insanity of many behaviors into sharp contrast because it removes the reason for such — numbing the pain of rejection.

Love never judges others — but it can tell them the truth about how their choices are making them less human and more dead. Love sometimes has to tell people that God loves them regardless of anything they have ever done or failed to do — with tears running down His face as He sees them wreaking their lives and abandoning what they were created to enjoy. C.S. Lewis said it well when he commented:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

The Weight of Glory (1949)

How to Organize Your Chores – eHow.com:

“FREQUENCYCHORESDailyLoad and unload the dishwasher or wash dishes.Nuke the sponge for 30 seconds to kill germs.Wipe down and disinfect countertops and stovetop.Move newspapers and magazines to recycling area.Put toys and games away.Return clothes to closets and throw dirty clothes in the laundry baskets.Make the beds.”

Husbands and Wives: Life Insurance Mistakes (Part 2 of 2):

“I have compiled, for your life insurance reading pleasure, 10 easy-to-understand life insurance mistakes and how to avoid them. Mistake 1: Buying life insurance as an investment. Life insurance is designed to replace your income stream if you die so that your dependents will be able to maintain a normal standard of living in your absence for a reasonable period of time until they can change their lives to fit their new economic circumstances. Life insurance is not designed to fund your retirement or pay for your kids’ college educations. The single worst reason to buy life insurance is as an investment or a forced savings plan. Insurance companies have a great reputation as insurers but as investors they are anything but sterling. That means the only kind of life insurance you should consider is term. Forget about anything with whole, universal, or variable life in the title. It makes for great marketing brochures and fancy graphs but cannot measure up as a great investment when put to the test.”

Salon

Her name is Christina Silvas, a 24-year-old single mother of a 5-year-old in Rancho Cordova, Calif. And as is often the case with vessels of divine intervention, these last few days have not been easy for her. Less than a month before the end of school, Silvas was told by her pastor — Rick Cole of the Capital Christian Center — that her daughter could no longer attend the church kindergarten and that she and her daughter were no longer welcome at the Assembly of God church where they have been loyal parishioners. The problem? Silvas’ job as a dancer at Gold Club Centerfolds.

“If you choose to do the wrong thing willfully, then God’s word instructs me as to what my responsibility is,” Cole told the Sacramento Bee newspaper. “I need to be faithful to my calling.”

Stories like this make my blood boil. The heart of a man who could judge a single mother trying to pay for Christian School for her daughter, throw her out of the only place where her heart could change, offer no other solutions and then toss her little girl out of kindergarten (cutting her off from her little friends) over her mother’s violation of his code of ethics is a heart that is so far from the heart of Jesus I wonder if he ever met the Guy. It’s like throwing someone out of Chemotherapy because they speed on the way to the hospital to get their next treatment — and we don’t want our hospital to be associated with speeders.

But hey — we gotta keep up our image after all… We wouldn’t want any real sinners to mess up our velvet pews now would we? After all, don’t we wanna have our Church be holy — just like Jesus???

Matt. 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Think about it — under every nasty rumor lies a kernel of truth. I’m thinking there is a distinct possibility that Jesus went to a LOT of really wild parties with some pretty rough people — and fit in rather nicely. They needed love — and he went in to love them. Oh ya, and he probably tossed back a few too…

He didn’t ask whether they would be getting drunk, whether there would be peelers present, whether the town hookers would be recruiting, whether gluttony would be practiced or whether he could say a flowery prayer before dinner. He came, partied and wrapped his arms of love around them equally — no strings attached.

The religious leaders were convinced: somehow Jesus just didn’t get it. After all, we have to avoid even the appearance of evil. 2000 years later, we’re just as sure they were right as we fix Jesus’ methods and toss the sinners out of our pews. He’s pretty clear on his assessment of His methods too when he states, “Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” Translation: Entering people’s worlds and just loving them works.

And you know, Paul clearly records that people’s hearts changed. (Cor 6:11) Their hearts changed because of love — not a good stiff threat of excommunication…

Oh yes, and the Rev. Cole? I’d suggest that if he doesn’t haul his sorry excuse for a ministry down to JC’s Girls and learn how to really love the broken, then his parishioners should make sure he is run out of that church on a rail — tared and feathered.

It’s the only way they will ever get Christina (Read Jesus Himself) back into that church. (Matt. 25:35)

ManyBooks.net

But see, there is our friend of the dancing academy just entering on the arm of her devoted father. Three months have passed since we first met her. She is much changed, yet one can scarcely see in what the change consists. The face is the same, yet not the same. There is just the shadow of coarseness in it, a little less of frank innocence and true refinement, and a trace, not exactly of ill-health, but a want of freshness. This last is, however, well concealed by the use of cosmetics, and she is still a very beautiful girl, and the fond father’s heart swells with pride as he sees the handsomest and most fashionable gentlemen of the ball-room press eagerly forward to ask her hand for the different dances of the evening.

Her father remains for a few of the square dances, but soon retires, knowing that his fair daughter will not want for attention from–gentlemen whose attentions he is sure muster desirable, certainly desirable, why not? Are these admirers not rich and handsome, and do they not move in the highest society. Ah, foolish father, how little he knows of the ways of ball-room society.

But let us turn our attention again to the dancers, at two o’clock next morning. This is the favorite waltz, and the last and most furious of the night, as well as the most disgusting. Let us notice, as an example, our fair friend once more.

She is now in the vile embrace of the Apollo of the evening. Her head rests upon his shoulder, her face is upturned to his, her bare arm is almost around his neck, her partly nude swelling breast heaves tumultuously against his, face to face they whirl on, his limbs interwoven with hers, his strong right arm around her yielding form, he presses her to him until every curve in the contour of her body thrills with the amorous contact. Her eyes look into his, but she sees nothing; the soft music fills the room, but she hears it not; he bends her body to and fro, but she knows it not; his hot breath, tainted with strong drink, is on her hair and cheek, his lips almost touch her forehead, yet she does not shrink; his eyes, gleaming with a fierce, intolerable lust, gloat over her, yet she does not quail. She is filled with the rapture of sin in its intensity; her spirit is inflamed with passion and lust is gratified in thought. With a last low wail the music ceases, and the dance for the night is ended, but not the evil work of the night.

T.A. Faulkner, former owner of the Los Angeles Dancing Academy and ex-President of Dancing Masters’ Association of the Pacific Coast, in his anti-dance crusade from 1892 wrote a 40 page tract (From the Ball-Room to Hell) filled with a rather amusing and obsessive relish for describing the carnal urges that get stirred up in people when they dance. If you are a dancer, be warned: Your life is spiraling down into a twisted pit of sin and perversion.

Welcome to the heart of the legalist. It’s a heart of shame that sees it’s own human desires and despises them. It’s a heart that sees it’s needs and takes pride in suppressing them. It’s a heart that sees the joy of others, and in it’s own loveless state, seeks to crush them. It’s a heart that sees beauty and passionate romantic desire in another and longs to profane it. It’s a heart that longs for such control over another that the death of the other is better then the other’s freedom. It is a heart of death.

In 2006, many Churches have actually hosted dancing classes and dancing only remains an issue in the most aggressively fundamentalist churches — thankfully a dying breed. While this is no longer an issue, the pattern still remains — now simply focused around other areas of life such as clothing or video games. We label these areas, define the evil present within them and then vilify the participants in such as a precursor to attempting to save them from their sin…

Those who would dispute the obvious accuracy of our judgments are subjected to our withering stare and a the rather rhetorical question: “If we do everything they [the world] do, how will they ever know we are different???” Apparently the world will know we are Christians if, as the old saying goes,

“We don’t drink, smoke, dance or screw and won’t go out with girls who do…”

Somehow, we have deluded ourselves into believing that, if we avoid the issue du jour, our society will fall to their knees in repentance. Where in the world did we get the idea that telling people how we plan to put them in bondage (Much less doing it) will make them long for Jesus???

It seems to me that somewhere back in the time of the early Church, believers were known for having all of their possessions in common and displaying such an intense love for one another that thousands joined up daily.

It’s been a long time since that happened — I wonder why???

How to Make a Model Volcano and Other Fun Kids Party Special Effects:

“upting Volcano Start by lining a box lid (edges should be about 2 inches high) with foil or use a large metal pan. Fill with wet sand. Place an empty soup can in the center and press the sand around the can to form your volcano mountain. For the best effect, completely conceal the can. Spoon 1/4 cup baking soda into the can and place the box on a surface protected with a plastic tablecloth or newspapers. To erupt the volcano, pour a portion of the activation solution into the can. When this is added to the baking soda, it will make flowing ‘lava’. Let your party guests take turns adding a bit of solution to the can to cause further eruptions. Activation Solution – 1 cup water, 3/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid, 10 drops of red food coloring and 10 drops of yellow food coloring. Volcano Cake “

Make a Fairy Garden For Your Kids Party:

“turn a colorful plant pot on its side and submerge it halfway in the soil to serve as a proper fairy dwelling. Add dollhouse sized furniture to set in the garden, popsicle sticks to construct a fairy fence, or small flat rocks to make a wonderful stepping stone path. A small mirror symbolizing water making a faux gazing pool. The round flat glass beads used in vases make nice accent pieces too. Tiny garden accessories like terra cotta pots and shovels give your garden a ‘lived-in’ look. “

Kaboose – Fun Zone: Activities for Backyard Play Dates and Parties:

“Create a superior sandbox. Scooping sand with shovels and building sandcastles is always a fun way to spend an afternoon. Make the sandbox even more enticing by giving the kids colorful glitter dust from a craft store to mix into the sand or tiny paper umbrellas to create beach scenes (try blue glitter dust to make water!). Or buy small plastic dinosaurs and cover them with baker’s dough, shaping them into eggs, suggests Penny Warner, author of Splish Splash: Water Fun for Kids (Chicago Review Press). Then hide the dino eggs in the sandbox and have your budding archaeologists dig them up and crack them open to find the surprise inside. Get more fun sand ideas. Pitch a tent. A campout under the stars is the perfect summer night activity. Set up a tent in the backyard and create a backyard “campfire” by putting a few small chairs around a hibachi to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, suggests Warner. (Make sure kids keep a safe distance from the barbecue.) Sing campfire songs, tell spooky ghost stories and bring along flashlights so the kids can read comic books in their sleeping bags. Get more fun ideas including best camping crafts in our camping guide. Make a splash with sprinkler games. Play Snake in the Grass: lay a flat sprinkler on the lawn and have kids run in and out of the sprinkler area. “One player is in charge of turning it off and on intermittently,” says Warner.” The fun is getting wet and trying not to get wet” The kids will also have a blast playing water limbo: using a hose with a nozzle and a moderate spray, mom or dad sprays water about waist high and the kids limbo under it while trying not to get soaked.”

Medical News Today

The word soon got around of a nursing mother with a similar problem at another Victoria’s Secret store in Massachusetts.

Nursing mothers began to protest. 15 mothers breast-fed their babies outside a store in Westlake, Cleveland, Ohio. Breast-feeding in public places has been legal in Ohio since last year.

The mothers’ message is a simple one – breast-feeding is not dirty, it is not something that has to be done in a toilet.

The company said posters will be placed in all stores reminding employees of a nursing mother’s right to breast-feed her child at the store.

It is ironic that a company that promotes many of its products using posters of scantily-clad women with large breasts should squirm at the thought of the breast’s natural function – feeding a child.

I find it rather interesting how the thought process of North America is so bound up within its own Puritan roots that it is unable to see itself.

There are two protests really being waged here: (Both of these protests are founded upon idiocy — to say the least. )

The first is a protest by a group of activist mothers who demand the right to breast feed their children anywhere — in spite of the fact that there’s probably a sign at the front of that store that says the adults can’t have food or drink in that store either… (Yes Sherlock, newly fed infants do vomit…)

It is some sort of crusade for the rights of a woman, mothers and the appropriateness of breasts. The claim seems to be that a woman who is not permitted to feed her child in a particular location is being discriminated against for being a mother and a woman when it is really no different then the women herself being told to leave her soft-drink outside the store to protect the merchandise.

The second is over the exposure of breasts (Which the authors obviously regard as sexual/taboo) and a demand that a place where they are regularly, “Featured,” as sexual accept the exposure of those breasts under other, feared similar, terms if that store is to be consistent. The logic is then that we should accept one taboo behavior because we tolerate another taboo one.

Why are breasts sexual/taboo exactly? Well, we as a society decided to cover them up — though nearly all of the rest of the non-Islamo-fascist world is already topless or at least gets topless at the beach. (Many get totally naked with no real harm done to the society…) In other words, we created a sexual fetish by hiding something that isn’t sexual in the first place. It almost goes without saying that often the least sexual attention gets paid to genitalia proper anyway — and those other parts are usually freely exposed in our society anyway. Complete nudity on clothing optional beaches is usually also completely de-sexualized for all present in only a few minutes.

In reality, this entire story is about control. One side is defending what they see as their divine right to do whatever they want with their children wherever they want to do it — really it’s more about baby vomit on lingerie (though in our civil rights based fervor few will ever be capable of grasping that.) The other is trying to control the public display of those nasty breasts — those twin evil paragons of sexuality that will defile all viewers — out of their strange fetishistic North American world view that has decided which parts of the body are more sexual then others.

It would all be harmlessly stupid except that it’s this sort of insanity that is keeping people locked up in belief systems that teach them that their physical bodies and their sexualities (as well as their status as mothers) are shameful. Both sides do equal damage — ironically one side does it in the name of fixing that same damage. One side teaches women that their rights and status as women depend on where they can feed their children while the other simply teaches them that their bodies are sexual and, therefore, bad. Is this supposed to make us holy???

In some strange way, there’s something refreshing about clothing optional countries like Jamaica — at least people there can just live instead of continually struggling under the shame generated by both those who would repress as well as the misguided efforts of those who would rescue from that repression. At least there you can just forget about the whole absurd game…

Col. 2:20-23 ¶ If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using) — in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

“New American Standard Bible®, by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.”

Blogcritics.org

On Easter Sunday 2005, ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition aired an especially poignant episode. Five children, ages 14-21, from the Higgins family were orphaned. A couple from their church, with three children of their own, took them in. The result was 10 people living in cramped quarters….

The ending segment is designed to be as heart-tugging as the first. The rebuilt home is always astonishingly beautiful and completely furnished. In the Easter Sunday special, the rebuilt home had nine bedrooms, including one for each child. The show also paid off the mortgage.

The Higgins’ happy ending did not last. The family that took them in asked them to leave the beautiful nine-bedroom home because it did not belong to the Higgins.

I wonder why the Government had to take over charity and make it into welfare — seeing as we’re doing such a great job and all… Wouldn’t Jesus be proud???

Effective Co-Parenting: Guidelines for Cooperation:

“When children have confusing or angry feelings toward your ex, don’t capitalize on their hurt and berate the other parent. Listen and help them to explore their feelings without trying to sway their opinions with your own. If you can’t make positive statements about the other parent, strive for neutral ones. Children should have everything they need in each home. Don’t make them bring basic necessities back and forth. Special items, like clothes or a comforting teddy bear, can move back and forth as needed. Try to release your hostility toward the other parent so that the children can’t take advantage of your hard feelings. Manipulation is much easier when ex spouses don’t cooperate. Do not disappoint your children with broken promises or by being unreliable. Do what you say, keep your visitation schedule as agreed, and stay active in their life. Make your custody structure work for your children even if you don’t like the details of the arrangement. Update the other when changes need to be made to the visitation schedule. Also, inform the other parent of any change in job, living arrangements, etc. which may require an adjustment by the children.”

Family.org – Focus Over Fifty – Family Therapist Cites Scars Of Divorce:

“His adult clients who were children when their parents divorced commonly express one or more of four effects divorce has had on their lives, which may not be articulated or even recognized until the victim reaches adulthood: First, they’re likely to say, ‘I feel as if I lost my childhood.’ Looking back, the victim of divorce realizes he experienced a sudden loss of innocence and security. He thinks, I was a kid, and then suddenly I had to start dealing with grownup things. Second, he is likely to blame himself. He wonders, If I had been a better kid, would Mom and Dad have stayed married? He feels guilty until maturity helps him see that Mom and Dad’s problems had nothing to do with him. Third, he often struggles with loyalty, asking himself Who do I support? He doesn’t know how to cope when one parent or the other shows bitterness and anger. Finally, he wonders, What do I tell my friends? Dr. Crankshaw says today’s divorcing parents rarely realize they are embarrassing their children, but embarrassment is still a prevalent emotion.”

Time to Slumber?:

“Here are movie suggestions from the Brio staff. Ask your parents first to make sure the choices are OK. Then check with your friends to see if they own any of these. Then you’ll save money by not renting a flick. Anne of Green Gables
The Count of Monte Cristo
Because of Winn Dixie
Spider-Man 2
Ever After
Freaky Friday
Finding Nemo
Little Women
Napoleon Dynamite
The Truman Show
The Incredibles
The Princess Bride
The Princess Diaries
Tuck Everlasting
What a Girl Wants
Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken


Snacks
Cookie Candy Pizza
Cupcake Creations
Diplicious!
Chocolate Candy”