Thinking Blogger Award?

Thinking Blogger, ME? Not really. I guess Silken was just in a hurry to post the blog to announce that she had won the award herself! But I have been tagged, so here are some bloggers that always make me think, though I refuse to tell you what they make me think!

Pinhole

Malcolm, the Mythrider

MaudConstance (aka CT or Betty Cotton)

djbtol

Hatrus



(*Should the bloggers choose to participate, please make sure to pass the rules on to the next Thinking Blogs you tag.)

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

This award was began by ilker yoldas at The Thinking Blog . I'd love to see this Award going to all the great bloggers out there who make us think.

That I'd like to see.






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Perspectives on Treasure

The front page of the Houston Chronicle today has a story and a picture of the recent discovery/recovery made by the Oddessey, with their deep sea vessels and robotics. They have retrieved over 17 tons of sunken gold and silver coins from the 1600's!

The details of what ship and where it is located were not released, as legal procedures are finalized. An archaelogist that was brought in to view a sampling of the coins said that the coins will bring from hundred to perhaps hundereds of thousands of dollars EACH, and there are hundreds of bins of coin in the photo. According to the stroy, the coins are in better condition than most from that time frame. The value of the treasure is sure to be astronomical!

When I showed my six year old grandson, who is really into pirates right now, his reaction was, "Wow, will they give that money to poor people?"





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Texas Marriage Licenses!

The governor is about to receive a bill that is stirring some discussion in the state. The cost of a marriage license is "proposed" to be "wed" to pre-marital counseling. If the couple has gone through an eight hour counseling course on how to be good mates, the license is free. If you reject the counseling, the cost will be $60, twice the current fee!

What do you think?






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Growing Pains

Our congregation has grown to the point that we are expanding the size of the auditorium. The construction project is to begin this week, so we had to move everything out of the auditorium yesterday. We set up our fellowship hall with chairs, song books, communion table and such. But the hall will not hold all of us in one assembly, so we are having a worship service at 8 and another at 10:15. In between we will have our Sunday School session, at 9:15. I will preach the same message twice each Sunday morning for the duration of the construction, projected to be four months.

The more work for me and the inconvenience for all of us could be a time of complaining and inactivity. Or it could be a time of anticipation and busy-ness. The ground breaking could, and I believe should, be life changing for the congregation. We should realize the potential for improved service and meaning in our community. We should be aware of the blessings we have been given.

I have made the decision to be upbeat and see the blessings and opportunities instead of letting the inconvenience making me grumpy and lazy.

(You can check with the congregation in a few weeks to see how I am doing in my commitment!)






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Missing Old Friends

I was just preparing for the funeral for my friend Chuck Burns. had known Chuck for about 35 years and really admired him. I want to say just the right words tomorrow at the memorial service. I'm satisfied that the things I will say will be meaningful, just disappointed that I can't say enough.

Just as I was finishing my thoughts for tomorrow, I came online to check out the village. To my great joy I saw that the free radical was one of the online users. I went over to his site and read his post titled, "Awesome". It was a fun read. It was fun just knowing he was back in the village.

But it caused me to began to think about Lisa Dreamer, Dekat, DivaJamaicana, Ethan Mawyer, Veenus and others we don't see around much any more. The old saying is "outta sight, outta mind." That is true, till something sparks a fond memory and longing for renewal.

I expect to see Chuck again, but not around blogville!





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Day Tight Compartments

A few weeks ago I heard a man speaking to a group of senior citizens, (yes I was attending a meeting of a group of senior citizens from our congregation -- -- I'm not actually old enough to be there, but some of my friends snuck me in). His presentation was about avoiding anxiety and stress. He was an entertaining speaker, and he used a phrase that I had never heard before that I liked. I told him on is going to use a phrase, maybe in a sermon, but surely as a blog title.

He told us that his dad had a philosophy that everything ought to be kept in Day Tight Compartments. The idea is that you only deal with today's problems today. You don't fret about the things are on the horizon; you don't worry about things that are in the past. It's a good philosophy, and very biblical

Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them, "and nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." And he told the Corinthians, "I would have you be free from cares."

. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 teaches addresses anxiety. After telling people not to worry about what to eat or what to drink or what to wear, Jesus finishes the thought with, "take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

That sounds like Day Tight Compartments to me!





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Book Discussion--Mists of Avalon

About a year ago one of my favorite bloggers began a Book Club Discussion group. She has moved to her blog and her discussions to blogspot and all of us who participate would like to have you come by and put in your two cents. The book in focus this month is The Mists of Avalon.





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Jenny and Frienspeak

I heard about Friendspeak. It is an outreach program that was using the Bible to teach English in foreign lands. In order to copy of their guidebook, as well as extra booklets, because we have a lot the Spanish speaking neighbors in the apartment next to the church building. I was seeking ways to open doors there.

When the book arrived, I spent a couple of days reading them. On the afternoon I finished reading the books, and young lady stuck her head and said my office and asked, "do you have any classes to help people improve their English?" My response was, "We're about to start one".

I got her name, and told her what I wanted to accomplish. I also found that are scheduled. The ladies name was Ginny, and she is from Quito, Ecuador. I called a friend to see if she would be my co-teacher with Jenny. She agreed, and we began to meet once a week with Jenny.

Jenny was staying in the home of her sister. She she was a bright student from a college graduate with a degree in international business. When divided her to worship, and she began to come; even bringing her sister and her niece.

11 weeks later, Jimmy was about to return to her native Ecuador. We talked with her about her need for salvation three days before she left, she was baptized into Christ. Three days after Ginny had returned home, we were able to begin a home Bible study with Jenny sister, Monica, and her brother-in-law, Jimmy. Monica and Jimmy continued to come to worship services, and eventually Monica was baptized also. Monica has become my co-teacher in other studies with our Spanish-speaking neighbors who want to learn to speak English better.






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Bathyspheres

I was the speaker at a men’s retreat for a congregation on the northwest side of Houston. We went to a retreat center outside Brenham, which is where Blue Bell Ice Cream is made. A tv ad for Blue Bell says that cows believe Brenham is heaven. It was nice, but I am looking for a little more in heaven. Of course the bluebonnets were not in bloom yet.

One of he illustrations I used for the need for God’s power in your life is a bathysphere. A bathysphere is a diving device that can be lowered into the depths of the sea up to 3000 feet. The walls of a bathysphere are reinforced with thick steel so the pressures of the depths will not crush the vessel. Standard submarines cannot go to such depths.
But when they get to the deep parts of the ocean and turn on the lights, they are able to observe marine life that functions normally in that environment. It has been determined that they have an equal and opposite pressure on the inside, allowing them to withstand the pressure of the deep.

Christians live in environment that exerts pressure on them, moral and social pressure, and such. It is sufficient to crush. One of the ways some try to withstand is by putting on a thick impenetrable shell that makes them completely unattractive and uncaring about those outside. It is no wonder some find the faithful so rigid.

I suggested to the guys today that it is much better to fill up with the power of God on the inside, enabling us to function under the pressures of the world and be more able to let the world see His power at work in us.






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Keen Sense of Observation

I just started rereading one of my Louis L”Amour novels, Fallon. The character is described on page six as having “a keen sense of observation.” L’Amour then says , “Rarely did people…recognize what they were seeing.”

I am not sure why, but it caused me to think of a funny moment of recognition on the part of my granddaughter. When she was three, we were sitting in her living room, having a big family time. I was sitting on the floor, and she was dancing around me singing and squealing and laughing.

All of a sudden she stopped and said, “GrandDad, you have hair in the back!”

I wonder why we do not always see and recognize things about us.






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Writing Down

Writing Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been blogging on Writingup.com for more than a year. I have enjoyed it immensely, and made some good virtual friends in that blog community. The site has had all sorts of difficulties in the past few weeks, causing a migration away from the site by a number of the writers. One of them, known as Keywoman 1, has begun a new group on Myspace to try to recapture the magic of our community. It is called WritingDown! Here is a link to check it out. WritingDown





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Mary Winkler Verdict

Mary Winkler was sentenced for no more than six years for killing her minister husband whom she said been mistreating her. I did not follow the case closely, and I did not review the evidence after the verdict. But I was surprised that she was given such a life sentence.

If she was mistreated and justified in her actions, she should have been set free. But the fact that she shot him in the back indicates to me that she was not in any imminent danger. With a gun in her hand she could have covered him as she left the house.

I am not trying to justify any missed treatments that the preacher may have inflicted upon his wife. But there are other remedies than killing someone. So to me the sentence sent a message that if you don't like what's gone on just shoot somebody in the back and point out how mistreated you been in the past, you will in effect, be told, "it's okay!"





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Photo ID to Vote!

Texas State Representative Betty mildly has just offered and passed legislation requiring a photo identification in order to vote in Texas. In these days when everybody is concerned about voter fraud it seems to me that this will be a positive safeguard for the electoral process. I'm sure there'll be some who will object for one reason or another, but it still seems to make sense to me.





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Will You Remarry After I Die?

Sitting at the table one morning, reading the paper Bob appeared not to have a care in the world. Suzy, his wife of 12 years, was humming as she fixed their breakfast. Seemingly out of no where, Suzy asked, "Sweetheart, if I die before you, will you remarry?"

Bob never looked up from the sports page, and replied, "I don't know, Honey, probably so."

Still working at the stove, Suzy hummed again for a few minutes. Then she askd, "Bob, will she live in my house?" He replied indifferently, "I don't know, Suzy, probably so."

As Suzy placed the plate of bacon and eggs before Bob, she asked, "Do you think she will cook in my kitchen?" Bob put the paper aside and picked up his fork, and said, "I don't know, probably so."

After another short interlude, Suzy again addressed her hubby, "Will she sleep in my bed?" Bob still was not really engaged in the conversation, but responded, "I don't know, Sweetie, probably so."

Suzy had grown a bit agitated as she asked, "Bob, will she use my golf clubs?"

Bob quickly replied, "Oh no honey, she's left-handed!"

Do you thnk you would remarry if your mate were to die?







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Parental Guidance Required

Our children will never know how to act as Christians unless they have good role models to follow. And the greatest influence they should ever have is their parents. If we do not practice our religion, we are not training up our children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Our children will have a hard time accepting our beliefs if they are not shown to be valid.

Do you want your children to care for those in need? Do you want your children to be charitable? Then be so before them. Do you want your children to be morally pure? Then be so before them. Do you want your children to be prayerful and studious? If so, be a living example to them.

We cannot afford spiritually to leave our children with the babysitter while we do our church work. They must be part of the fellowship, our visitation, our giving and sharing, our prayer life and our study of Scripture. If not, we should not expect them to embrace these things as important.

Proverbs22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."






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Curious Poet!

I like the poem, Prayer To The Omnipotent FSM, and I love the willingness to express thoughts that address the relationship we have with Divinity. I am of the opinion that the Divine One loves it when His creation acknowledges His presence, AND when the creature uses his God-given abilities, including when he questions the Creator!




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At A Loss For Words!

I have been trying to think of what to say about the slaughter at Virginia Tech. But the whole thing is so incomprehensible that I do not know what to say. In my junior high Bible Class tonight the kids needed to talk about the situation, just to express their heartfelt sympathy for the family and the university community. Mostly, though, I just listened.






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Think Magazine on The Theory of Evolution!

THINK magazine is new, having only published 4 issues. I had just begun bloggin when I received my first copy. I was impressed with the thrust with the magazine. Its intent is to delve into current and hot topics, encouraging Christians to think and engage in the public debate rather than ignoring issues we don't like or don't understand. And it is much easier to enter the debate if you know something of what the issues are, and how they affect us, one and all.

The April issue has several articles that would make great grist for the writingup community to grind. There were the monthly submissions about budgeting and personal finances, alleged Bible contradictions, as well as a daily devotional guide. There was a personal interest story, one about the entertainment industry, and one on women's issues.

One article gave some information about the University of California refusing to give credit to students in private high schools whose courses had a Christian viewpoint. Another blogger wrote a blog about the matter as well. The article in THINK presented some possible ramifications of the decision, specifically the loss of freedom for private schools to determine a curriculum that acknowledges biblical principles or morals.

One little "in the News" item caught my attention. It was the results of a Zogby International poll conducted from Feb. 27 to March 2. The poll certainly did not get a big run in the major media outlets. It indicates that Americans overwhelmingly support teaching scientific challenges to Darwinian evolution. Sixty nine percent of those polled showed they wanted biology teachers to teach the theory of evolution, but also the evidence against evolution. And 77% agreed with the statement, "When Darwin's theory of evolution is taught in school, students should also be able to learn about scientific evidence that points to an intelligent design for life." That is more than three quarters of the population.

Whatever happened to government of, by and for the people?

If you would like to know more about the magazine, or to subscribe, go to focuspress.org.








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Late Term Abortion Ban Upheld

Today the Supreme Court allowed the legislation banning late term or partial birth abortions to stand as COnstitutional. The vote was 5-4 and will no doubt start a firestorm around whether this is a first step to the reversal of the Roe vs Wade decision.

I do not know want to expect in that regard, though I am sure both sides of the issue will gear up to fight the next steps by the other side. But I am glad that the gruesome practice of exterminating a human child that is fully developed and simply being carried to term is now prohibited. It is a procedure that no civilised society should allow.






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Last Will & Testament!

Writing one's last will and testament is a rather sobering occasion. It must have something to do with the fact that one is drawn face to face with the truth of one's own mortality. We all like to think it will happen to someone else, but not to me. Contemplating one's own demise is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.

Reading a will is all so cold and matter-of-fact. You read through the "legaleze" and you realize that the situation is beyond your power to change it. There are the reflections of what your real value is, and have you succeeded in your ambitions. But that does not feel very redeeming.

Conversely, good stewardship demands that we take care of those we love the most. There is a satisfaction in knowing that you have fulfilled that obligation, and you will not be a party to the tragedy of leaving this world intestate.

Have you written your will?

James 4:14 "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."






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