Somebody Had to Do It

SugarPlum was up for the task.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.  ~Philippians 1:9-11

A Woman Rides the Beast

It's been discouraging to me for many years to hear Christians being accused in the media and elsewhere of torturing and murdering people in the name of religion, when Bible-believing people (Christians) were actually the victims of the heinous crimes committed.  I don't know how the historical truth has been draped with a web of deceit, but that has happened.  Maybe all which has been required is enough people, with loud enough voices, saying repeatedly, "Well Christians...."  No, Christians did not do those things.

I like to keep things simple:  Telling people I'm a monkey 47,834,656 times will not make me a monkey.  I may physically resemble a monkey.  I may act like a monkey sometimes.  I eat some of the foods monkeys eat.  I can make monkey noises.  The informed, though, will know and note the differences between me and a monkey.  I'm not a monkey.

Conversely, a female monkey with brown hair, wearing a skirt, sitting in a chair, eating grapes or a banana, and pecking on a computer keyboard is not a woman.  No matter how many times someone tells you she's a woman, don't you believe it.  She's not a woman.  She's a monkey.

A Christian is someone who is saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ — the Jesus of the Bible — who paid the penalty for sin on the cross of Calvary (once, for all) and three days later, rose from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father — the God of the Bible, whose name is Yahweh.  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."  (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ~II Timothy 2:15

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:3-7

From SugarPlum's Place

Daddy:  SugarPlum, please go play with your instruments in your bedroom with the door shut, so the dogs will stop barking.

SugarPlum:  Well I don't have no instruments.

Daddy:  Yes you do.  That's what you're playing with, and it's, "I don't have any instruments."

SugarPlum:  Well, do you wanna play with mine?

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.  ~Jeremiah 17:7-8

Education

“I am as sure as I am of Christ’s reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen.”  ~A. A. Hodge, (1823-1886)

"If we think we can keep our children in a secular school system and escape the dumbed-down, amoral, and immoral results of secular humanism in schools, we are sorely mistaken."  ~David Alan Black, 2004

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  ~Deuteronomy 6:6, 7

Scared Me

An article title at World Net Daily.  Thought I better read it, because the title quite unpleasantly surprised me, given the source.  Smart author.  His ruse worked.

Now heads up here.  Don't get scared.  I'M not saying this — this is the article title.  Great article.  Give it a read, if you've a moment:

I Agree with Rick Warren!

For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus,... And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.  And when they were come to him, he said unto them,... For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.   Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.  ~Acts 20:16, 17, 18, 27-31

Chitter

"Look what a mess my place is now."

"Well, do another post to clean things up."

"Oh.  I was thinking of making a new background.  I can't stand this clutter."

"Ack!  You can't do that!  You just made a new background."

Egh, I have nothing to say.  Not like that's ever stopped me from posting.

I don't actually know (confession: or care) what Twitter is, but I think it has something to do with people posting inane interesting little tidbits from their lives.  Since I'm not going to twitter, and I tend to chatter — both of which fall into the same category in my mind — I decided to chitter here, which may mean I'm kinda-sorta making a rebellious stab at keeping up with the times.

Whatever it'll take to move the recent smattering of images out of my line of vision, so I don't have to make a new background today.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  ~I John 2:16

July 4

We Gather Together
by Adrianus Valerius

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.  ~Ephesians 1:3

Independence Day - CuteNot

I'd invested about 2½ hours in creating a blog background and header in celebration of Independence Day, when my graphics software said in response to a command, "I'm not gonna do 'that', and furthermore, I'm quitting."  It slammed the door in my face and ate every stiiiinking bit of my work.  Actually, and more accurately, as it threw its fit, it told me it was going to save my work before it left, but since said work hasn't shown up in any of a gazillion files I've checked, I'm sure it just ate it after it slammed the door.  Pig.

So here are a few of the elements I was using, and you can just imagine how very cute it would have been, if the program wasn't piggish.



It isn't all bad, because now I can use larger images of a few of the letters, and I'm really likin' them in this size larger than I was able to use for their original purpose.  I'm gonna have a cute Independence Day background.  Oh yeah, it's gonna be great.  Oh boy, I'm likin' this...*slam*


It could have been cute.

Enjoy the holiday.
Eat something red, white, and blue.

Thank the Lord for the unmerited blessing
of living in the land this once was.