Praying pastors

This is not a posed picture. It's a shot by a man who stumbled upon his pastor unawares.

"Contending" by Andrew Pond

As with most good pictures, drinking deep the images conveys what words cannot. I'll not describe it for you, but I'd like to share a few things that it drew from my soul.

How richly blessed are the people who have a praying pastor! Many a religious man will say "I'll pray for you." Scanty are the men who will wake when the sun comes level through the window or before it's broken the horizon to fall before the throne of grace and plead for his family, plead for his people, and worship the One who has lavished love upon his life.

On the flip-side, how poor the people whose pastor is not a man of prayer. There is comfort knowing that your pastor cares about you so much to intercede on your behalf. The relationship with your pastor deepens in that knowledge. Who is the charlatan who tries to lead the people God has entrusted to him if he does not spend time, much time, in the tent of his Commander? Such a one moves at his own whim. He leads from the places of his heart. What of God? What care does he have for his people if he will not lead where the King desires him to go?

If you have a praying pastor, give great praise to God.

And now for the hard part. How rich the pastor whose people pray daily and fervently for him! Paul ached to know that his churches prayed for him.

• To the church in Rome - I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. (Romans 15:31)
• To the church in Corinth - On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:10b-11)
• To the church in Ephesus - Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:19-20)
• To the church in Colosse - And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. (Colossians 4:3-4)

And very simply to the church at Thessalonica:

Brothers and sisters, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:25)

[Take a moment and search the word "pray" in the letters of God's word (done for you here). Read the passages in context.  Truly amazing how fervent Paul was in prayer for his people, and how he pleaded with them to be the same.]

On the flip-side of this coin, how bereft the pastor whose people do not lift his arms in prayer. I doubt that Satan and demons attack the church in any single location with more intensity than at the point of the pastor and his family. Why would we not shore up those defenses? Why would we not amass our forces to stand between our pastor and the darkness? Do we not understand the devastation to the body that ensues when the pastor is corrupted?

Pastor, if you're praying for your people, keep on! The victory is so very near.  If not, get into the tent of your commander, please.  Now.

People, are you defending the man of God who leads your church? If so, keep on! Enlist more to join you in the fight. Learn about areas where the lines must be reinforced and fire concerted prayer into those areas to the Commander of the hosts. If you are not in prayer, why not? How can a soldier not fight? Pick up your musket and march to the line to defend the man who leads with courage. For the glory of God alone.

A praying pastor. A praying people. In these last days, these are the people that we must be.

Thanks, Drew for such a picture of such a man!

What makes money in Hollywood? Who cares!

A buried article in The Hollywood Reporter yielded this ruby:

Movies with pro-atheism messages in 2010, for example, earned an average $6.6 million while movies portraying "very strong Biblical morality" earned $78 million. Movies with lots of profanity earned $23 million and movies without profanity earned $50 million. Movies with messages advocating a "Christian" worldview earned $105 million and those advocating "miscellaneous morality" earned $10 million, according to the study.

Imagine if Hollywood were a restaurant. Your menu earned raves in the middle 1900's and folks flocked to feast upon your fare. Your success made you proud. Rather than continue to crank out the food the masses liked and the food that made you famous, you began experimenting. From time to time you crafted a tasty morsel, but most of the trials were terrible.  You kept cramming the menu full of your culinary failures because you and a few of your cooks in the back room thought them sophisticated.  But the masses ignored them. They smelled putrid, looked worse, and left the diner cramping for days afterward. To pay the bills, you maintained a few old-style specialties on the menu buried in between the fried spiders and sea-horses-on-a-stick.

Still folks came.  Call it nostalgia. You kept raising prices to make it look like more folks enjoyed your product but the dwindling numbers coming through and walking past your doors told the true story.

Then you began to award yourself. The Best Plate of the Year goes to "Maggoty Meatloaf in the Shape of a Cross." Even with the award, nobody wanted it. When you put it on the to-go menu, still it languished.

How does such a corporation succeed? Any other business to use so ludicrous a model would have bankrupted itself.

What I wouldn't give for a love story that doesn't start with two individuals sleeping with someone else who ultimately sleep with one another, face a crisis and find "true love" in the end.  How about a love story about folks with moral fiber and about the consequences for folks who lack such?

What about a real-life tale of heroism like "Sergeant York." They're out there. A great movie and Gary Cooper doesn't drop a single f-bomb. Would it have been better if he had?

Think of this.  Had Ford stuck with the Edsel and continued gagging up modifications of the same unwanted clunker year after year, Henry's company would have faced fiscal finality long before George Bush took office.

Hey, Hollywood! Serve us up a hamburger and fries.  From time to time, we'll even order a filet with some unpronounceable vegetable side, but you can take the spiders, sea-horses and "Black Swans" off the menu. Yesterday.

Madison's meltdown revisited

I posted a lament Saturday over what's happening in Wisconsin's capitol here. Just a few more thoughts if I might.

1.  Self-destruction. Perhaps the single saddest part of this whole nightmare is the inability of the selfish to see that they are burning the house down around them. It's from such folks we get the term "cutting off your nose to spite your face." In this case, they seem bent on cutting off their entire head.  

2. Friends. An old proverb suggests that you can tell the quality of a man by noting the quality of his friends. If you knew nothing about what's happening in Madison, you could pick your side just by knowing that Jesse Jackson and Nancy Pelosi yoked up on behalf of the strikers. An aside: I'm always amazed and disgusted at the things that bring Jesse Jackson out from under his rock.

3. Cowardice. Nobody likes the boy who takes his ball and goes home because he does not get his way. "Weenie" comes to mind. Back in 2003, Texas' democrats left the state rather than vote on redistricting. "If we cannot get our way, we'll take the vote away. Damn the constitutional process!" Wisconsin democrats borrowed from that same playbook. In hopes to thwart Governor Scott Walker's plan to balance his state's budget, they beat feet. (The Texans had to go to Oklahoma. Let's hope the Cheeseheads had the good sense to go to Minnesota over Illinois.)

Much like the teachers leaving their post, I would consider my congressman AWOL. While I don't advocate their being shot as would happen in the old school military, there must be some recompense for deserting your duty. You might not like the outcome, but that's your job as an elected REPRESENTATIVE! You vote. You work within your constitutional boundaries. You don't like it? Resign!

By the way, if you're giggling about what's happening under Madison's rotunda, you obviously haven't been peeking in on your government lately.

Cheddarheads aflame

Ah, unions.

I will concede that there was a time when unions did great things for American workers, but from where I sit, I don't recall a good thing that American unions have done during my adult life. I'm willing to have my position corrected if you'd like to share. I'll listen. Really

But you'll then have to explain Madison.

The beautiful facade of Madison, Wisconsin

I've spent a lot of time in Madison, Wisconsin. During my many visits I've read the Capitol Times and Wisconsin State Journal with raised eyebrows wondering how the general populace could stomach newspapers with a bigger slant than an Augusta National green.

I understood the leftist history of the U-Dub--"Berkley Central" if you will. When things get going on State Street, though, Badgerland makes Berkley look down right Limbaughesque.

Two weeks ago they hoisted the Super Bowl trophy. Now Wisconsin looks like Cairo. What's happening up nort' is the same thing that happened to Ford and Chevy, the same thing that's been happening to the airlines, the same thing that's happening to California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. The money going out is a whole lot less than the money coming in.

I'm no Alan Greenspan, I'm not anywhere close to Adam Smith or F.A. Hayek, but I do know how to balance a checkbook. One of the most important things I learned in college and during premarriage counseling was that money-out could not exceed money-in. It's true for individuals and couples.  It's true for Wal-Mart and Wyoming.  It's true for the Mets and it's true for Mozambique. So why should Madison, Chevy, and the United States be exempt from such principles?

Wisconsin's in the hole. Over the next two years, what they are budgeting to spend based upon what they hope to bring in equates to a $3.6 billion with a "B" shortfall. That's a lot to overdraw your account. In small companies, that means belt-tightening. Pay cuts for all my friends. In fact, some of my friends might be on the street. Laid off. Looking for work.

One of the biggest fund-sucks to any government/corporation any more is retirement and medical. Here are the "draconian" measures suggested by Governor Scott Walker:

• Government employees would now have to pay half of their pension costs.  They currently pay zero.
• They are also being asked to pay 12.6% of their health-care costs, up from 6%.
• And, oh yes, collective bargaining would be done away with.

While keeping all of those things would be nice, it would also be nice if Muslims and Jews held hands around a Coke bottle swaying back and forth while they harmonized on "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." Not gonna happen. When unions lock their feet into their unreasonable demands while their company sinks around them, it would be like the arrogant Titanic passenger demanding a medium-rare filet mignon because the center was just not pink enough while icy water lapped at his ankles. Dude, you are so without a clue.

Unions have driven most American auto manufacturers to the point of collapse. "It's the MAN's fault! He's bringing us down. There's more money. We can get more. We deserve more." And they are always so polite and courteous in their presentations.

The bailouts should never have happened. Let the ship sink into the inky and frigid abyss and take the sick-outs with it, those who would abandon the kids in the schools and torpedo their own boat.

Considering the gajillion dollar debt the nation has racked up, think of Madison as a microcosm of things to come for our nation. The answer is NOT more taxes. We, rich, poor, and middle income alike, cannot afford it. The answer is cutting our spending and paying our debts.  Guess what, boys and girls? That might mean that some of us will be looking for work. That might mean me.

That would be a far better place than to be than residing alongside Davy Jones' locker.

Husbands, can I have a minute?

Gents, we're Valentine's Day plus one. Three hundred sixty-four more until the next flower-chocolate requirement. But I tell you, if we look upon that opportunity to bless our bride as a requirement we are missing out on one of the most remarkable aspects of this life, the joy of relationship that surpasses all others (again, I'll caveat for those who need it, "apart from God").

Here's a great read to chew upon regarding your role as husband (For Husbands Only). What does God call you to be for your woman?  Take a moment. Think on it. Let God's word sink deep into your roots, and let it flourish to bear fruit in your relationship with your wife.

Popcorn

No political critiques today. No venting over the sludge oozing from Hollywood studios. No biblical admonitions.  Just a recipe.

My family loves Turner Classic Movies. Last night, my bride, my youngest son, and I enjoyed 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. Not an objectionable scene in the flick. What's a movie without popcorn? So I went and made some.

You want some great tasting, low-cal, good-for-you popcorn?  Try this:

• Put 1/3 cup of popcorn (unpopped; I know that's obvious, but it's the government worker in me) into a paper lunch bag, the kind you may have used in elementary school when kids still took their own lunches.  Leave the bag in it's folded state; don't fluff it out. 
• After tossing in the 1/3 cup of popcorn, fold the top over twice and put in two staples (they'll spark a bit but don't worry about it). 
• Toss the bag into the microwave and hit the "Popcorn" setting (or three minutes on high). DON'T LEAVE THE ROOM (that's another prod from the government that thinks you're an idiot)!! 
• When the pops slow to one or two every five seconds, stop the microwave.
• Dole out into bowls and sprinkle liberally with freshly grated parmesan cheese (or the like).
• Salt to taste!

Fun. Cheap. Tastes great. Good for you. What's not to like?

And now, back to the movie.

How do I love thee? If you don't think it matters...

And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. (Exodus 25:18-20)

That's how God said he wanted to top the Ark of the Covenant.  Imagine for a moment if Moses brought this specification to Israel and went to the guy who specialized in the tops to Arks of the Covenant, and the guy retorts, "Well, that's just stupid! I can make one cherub for less than half the cost and if I keep the wings close to the body, it'll be a far cry easier to craft."

A bit later we find this tidbit.

And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. (Exodus 26:31)

This time Moses approaches the veil-making section of the Tabernacle artisan's shop. Same response. "What's with the cherubim! We've got some leftover goatskins in the backroom from the Tabernacle's outer curtains (26:7), and not one cherubim would have to be woven.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to weave a single pudgy angel into the cloth?"

No, I don't think Moses received that response. Imagine the honor it would be to ply your craft at God's request. You'd be throwing in extra cherubim. And how about a few pomegranates? What an honor!

Think about it. You may have no idea why God wants a veil of blue and purple yarn instead of the usual red or green or why he wants angelic hosts replicated therein, but it doesn't matter. You do it because you know it pleases him. When you love someone, you are delighted to serve them even when you don't understand why a particular thing makes them so giddy.

Why do we have such a hard time applying that to marriage?

Lorraine likes to have her hands rubbed.  Leroy has nothing for it. He can't fathom what she sees in a handrub so he doesn't rub Lorraine's hands. Do you know what it would mean to Lorraine to have her hands rubbed?

Bob loves broccoli. Barb hates it. Nothing more loathesome in the world to her. As such they never have broccoli for dinner. Barb won't make it. Do you know how much it would bless Bob if Barb would learn to cook broccoli how Bob likes it?

If I truly love my wife, I will want to scratch her itch the way she wants it scratched. Applying my itch to my wife and trying to scratch the itch she doesn't even have is stupid!

Valentine's Day is approaching with the speed of a muzzle-velocity .45-caliber bullet. What do I do? If my wife likes flowers, I get her flowers. If she likes daisies but detests daffodils, I don't buy her daffodils. If she likes chocolate, I buy her chocolate. If she likes Hershey Kisses but doesn't dig Ghirardelli, what do I do? Sweat. Anxiety. Is it really that hard? No. I buy her Kisses. By the wheelbarrow.

God crafted you specially to be an artisan. The fancy he wants you to tickle belongs to your spouse. Figure it out. Your spouse has a deep desire. Find it. I don't care how silly you think it is, love her by finding out what that desire is and fulfill it with lavish, slobbering, over-the-top love, all because you really want to even though you don't get it.

And then throw in a few pomegranates.

The undercover marital defense

Defense is for the doomed. Consider the Confederates. By the time they'd reached Petersburg, their shriveled forces could only muster a defense. They hoped to run the war to a stalemate, by making the North lose heart. They ended up getting themselves crushed just up the river at Appamattox.

The old proverb declares that the best defense is a good offense.  Consider the meager Confederate forces when they still had a bit of muscle. Rather than try and hold ground in The Wilderness, the Gray caught the Blue lolling on their confidence.  Led by Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the Confederates routed a Union force twice their size at Chancellorsville by going on the attack. 

The apostle Paul provides married couples one of the best defenses for their marriage by llikewise spurring them to go on the offensive.  His advice?  Slip between the sheets.

"Whoa! Hey--whoa!" you stammer. "You can't talk abou that!" Why not? God does. Hang with me a bit.

Particle-board furniture lasts longer than most marriages in America. Christian marriages fare little better.  I've heard the argument that those aren't "real" Christian marriages. Considering I've seen a half-dozen "real" Christian marriages destroyed in the last year or so, I don't buy that argument.

Consider this.  Satan wants to destroy you. If you don't believe it, look up what Jesus and Peter said (John 8:44, 1 Peter 5:8).  What better way to destroy you than by destroying your marriage? Paul warns the Corinthian church about not giving themselves over to physical intimacy outside of marriage (1 Corinthians 6:12-20) and warns the married that Satan will use their God-given sexual appetites to drive their marriages over a cliff (7:5b).

To be clear, my sin is my sin. The devil cannot make me do it, but he can sure make the way look mighty interesting. Men finding younger models. Women finding more compassionate models.  Men hungry for adventure. Women convinced there has to be more to life than marital monotony. Three ... two ... one ... BOOM!

This shouldn't be so for the Christian marriage. We're supposed to know that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, to know that greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends (and his spouse), and to know that God hates divorce. ‘Til death do us part. Richer, poorer, sickness, health, etc, etc. That’s why they used to be called (and still are in fewer and fewer circles) wedding vows.

It shouldn't be so, but it is so. The whys and where-fors are manifold, but Paul highlights one area in his letter to the Corinthians that Christians don't want to talk about but need to talk about. Many marriages fail because of sex.

Go back to 1 Corinthians 7. Paul explains that marriage is good for avoiding sexual sin, it gives us a proper outlet for the ache God has cultivated within us. He explains how that relationship should flesh out (sorry). I am for my wife (7:4b). What's that mean? My responsibility to my woman is to please her and to delight in so doing!.  She is for me (7:4a). What's that mean? Her responsibility to her man is to please her man and to delight in so doing!

Marital sexual dysfunction is rampant within the church. Toting pre-marital baggage doesn't help. Improper prudery within marriage doesn't help either. God meant for physical intimacy to be a delight. Frollick through the pages of the Song of Solomon. Consider the imagery and the plain language of Proverbs 5:15-23. Um, is it getting warm in here?

Know your husband. Know your wife. What do they like? (No, I'm not talking about dinner or what color to paint the ceiling.) Don't know? Ask! Talk about it. Become a PhD on the subject of your spouse.

Sadly, many couples forsake coupling because of a difficult day when, really, that may be just the ticket to turn such a day into a sweet blessing.

Paul does give a reason for not enjoying one another: prayer. A time of hardship may face the couple where they agree to channel their intimacy toward petition (1 Corinthians 7:5), but that must be for a brief season.  What's brief? That's between you two. After that, find your way into the other's arms.

What if that part of your relationship has begun to wither on the vine? Time to tend the vine! Rekindle the diminished flame. Why? So Satan doesn't tempt your lack of self-control or your spouses.  Do you think you're immune to self-control problems? Let me ask you, how many Christian spouses who committed adultery planned on committing adultery six-months earlier? If you think you stand, beware (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Who knows? We might actually start talking about this in the church, and we'll see that we're not the only ones struggling with this issue. That might actually lead to frank discussions about what we can do to till up the soil that has grown hard and weed-infested.

Paul wants us to defend our marriages by making our marriages strong. Sometimes he provides us a sound theological foundation (Ephesians 5:21ff), but his letter to the Corinthian church gives us nuts-and-bolts practicality for securing our marriage.  Rather than twiddling our thumbs hoping upon hope that our marriages will survive the year, the apostle steers our attention toward the eyes of our spouse, the one God has specially given to us.

Light a candle and enjoy!

150 years of Blue & Gray

I am a Yankee.  No, I am NOT a fan of the boys in pinstripes.  I grew up in the north.  Though I've not lived in Minnesota far longer than I had lived in it, I still refer to myself as a Minnesotan when asked from whence I came.

Had you asked me ten years ago what I believed the cause of the Civil War to be, I would have answered slavery faster than you could say John Brown.  In fact, I would only have known John Brown as an epithet uttered by Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans.  Perhaps it had something to do with race.

Yes, I was Civil War ignorant.  Many would suggest I still am.

While far from a scholar, the last half-dozen years have opened my eyes to that enormous five-year scar on American history.  I can't even say that I'm widely read on the topic.  What I have seen and heard has dismantled my stereotypes.

America once again stands divided.  Many issues have us tearing at the fabric of our national foundations as we tear at one another.  No longer Blue and Gray, we are now Red and Blue (no association intended between the two pairings).  While the Blue/Gray ideological line divided us geographically North and South, no such geographical boundary divides Red and Blue (though some may argue that the coasts drift one direction and the heartland (aka "fly-over states") drift another).  At such a time as this and on the 150th anniversary, the sesquicentennial, of the Civil War, we would do well to familiarize ourselves with what Southerners refer to as the War of Northern Aggression.

Two good friends helped me to that end.  They introduced me to Jeff Shaara and his father Michael.  What his dad started with The Killer Angels, Jeff precluded with God's and Generals and concluded with The Last Full Measure.  They are historical novels.  From Killer Angels came the acclaimed film Gettysburg and from God's and Generals came the eponymous film, also widely acclaimed.  While the Shaara's write the stories in a novel format, the events are historically accurate.  The immense research for each book has given them insight into the individuals to thereby flesh them out for us in conversation and in action.  The books are riveting.

The second thing that has helped me to clear a bit of my ignorance and arrogance was Ken Burns' video documentary titled of all things The Civil War.  Burns did masterful work in research and story-telling.  The interviews with historians, especially the late Shelby Foote, are gripping.  I often wondered as I watched why I had never before seen the multitude of photographs that Burns brought to the screen.  Breathtaking.

So during this sesquicentennial, take some time to get to know the Civil War.  I recommend the Burns' documentary and the Shaara trilogy (and the Hollywood movies though long are well worth your time, too, whether you are North or South, Red or Blue).

American abortion law

Steven Brigham

When pro-life and pro-choice forces stood nose to nose, the PL'ers pleaded for the life of the child and the PC'ers called for the autonomy of the mother.  The horrifying practice of Kermit Gosnell has forced the grisly reality of abortion into the limelight.

Many want to believe that Gosnell is an aberration.  He is not.  Back in September, when I first heard of Gosnell, I couldn't believe my ears.  Babies in jars?!  He wasn't the only one.  Steven Chase Brigham had a similar nightmare going on in his clinic.  His chastisement?  He should not have been transporting patients across state lines.  Ah.  Shame, shame.

When you and I can simply banter pro-life and pro-choice over coffee, we banter words.  The conversation may grow as heated as a Steelers-Packers argument, but when we leave the coffee shop, nothing in our lives has changed.  The idea of babies in jars changes the discussion because it is not just an idea.  It is a reality.  Babies delivered live only to have their spinal cord clipped at the base of the skull.  No, it's not just discussion.  Men and women are doing this around the country, most quite comfortable under the blanket of the law.

We stand at a crossroads.  Matthew J. Franck argues,

Kermit Gosnell

It is difficult to locate the moral difference between the deaths Gosnell brought about in utero and those he accomplished post-natally. Does an unborn child at 26 weeks of fetal development have less moral standing than a born child at 25 weeks of fetal development? Does the latter’s living and breathing outside the womb for ten minutes, or ten seconds, confer a status that the former lacks? How can that be?

Most of those who are pro-life have never wavered on this point.  Life begins at conception and thereby has the same right to life that any have outside the womb.

The evils perpetrated by Gosnell and Brigham put the pro-choice advocates in a difficult corner.  Franck continues,

Do (abortion rights advocates) continue to agitate for the regime of abortion on demand that they’ve been defending for 38 years? Do they fold this particular hand, and concede that some abortions occur too late to be permitted at all? There is danger for them in this. If a viable unborn child has a right to life, what about the one just a week or a day shy of viability? And the one just a bit younger than that?

A child is a child, within or without.  Perhaps a better argument for the coffee shops would be how can we best care for those who find themselves "unexpectedly pregnant?"  Better still, how can we slow the rate of "unexpected pregnancies?" A comical question because any child with a modicum of biological studies under his belt could answer that question.

For us to concede that would be to concede a position long advocated by God in his word.  Now we can't be guided by so antiquated a book as that, can we?  Pass the cream.

Just another day: Frozen

I haven't jotted an installment of "Just another day" in quite awhile.  History coupled with current events has us hurtling toward some destination.  Do we know?  Do we care?

Here's some cud to chew:

• The muddled Middle East:  Lebanon fell.  Tunisia turned over.  Egypt's in a tizzy.  Jordan's next in line.  Everything from Iraq east remains a cauldron of chaos.  Israel tries to deal with its inflation while trying to keep a Marty Feldman focus on the nations along its borders.  What's going down?  Here's Jay Nordlinger's take:
  

  "Those who know the most about the Middle East are saying the least, when it comes to the turmoil in Egypt. Or they are speaking most cautiously. They’re quickest to say, “I really don’t know. I don’t know the exact nature of this, or how it will turn out”... Those who know less speak in far more confident tones. They are even cocksure. I’m not sure we should trust anyone who speaks in those tones, just now."

  An interesting take, for sure. Jesus Christ himself gave a "no man knows" warning to his followers.  At the same time, he told them that they would know the seasons.  Day and hour, no.  Seasons, yes (Matthew 24:29-39).
  
  
• The Muslim Brotherhood.  Since the MB wants to destroy Israel, shouldn't it be illegal to use such a Kumbaya sentiment in their name?  Unless of course it merely means brotherhood amongst Muslims.  If that is the case, let us not be deceived.
  
  
• The King's Speech.  I stuck my thou-shalt-not finger into the eye of Hollywood last month (here, if you must).  I lamented the use of profanity in movies today.  My lament still stands.  Far too many movies use far too much profanity and they lose far too much money because far too many people will not take their families to see such.  While television and film can't bear all of the blame, the prevalence of profanity in day-to-day life can be attributed to its normalization in our entertainment.
  
  But my earlier diatribe indicted The King's Speech, a film raking awards left and right from those deemed worthy to dispense awards.  I began to hear great things about the movie from those whose opinion I held dear, so I took my bride and off we went to the movie-plex.  Great movie.  Great movie.  And the language, in two scenes, was not gratuitous nor unnecessary.  While I don't think foul language was common in that milieu, neither do the characters in the film.  And it led to one of the many laughs the film had to offer.
  
  A great love story, too.  What this has to do with "Just another day," I'm not certain.  Had to recant my previous glance down the nose.
  
  
• Ice.  Hurricanes battering Australia.  Critters dying in localized, plague-like proportions.  And snow.  And cold.  Over the last few months, the groanings of the earth seem as chronic as the aches in my back.  No respite.  Here in north Texas, our local Air Force Base has been closed for three consecutive days due to a snow and icing received on Monday night.  While the country lamented the fading and quieting of Joe DiMaggio, I don't think too many miss Al Gore.  It does seem that the earth is trying to tell us something, but I don't believe that it's that we caused it to toasty up a bit (Matthew 24:7-8)
  
  
• Persecution.  Penn State hates Chick-fil-A.  Sweet.  Let's see, if the nation's most elite universities roundly loathe a particular institution, then there must be a lot to love about that institution.  ROTC.  The Church.  Chick-fil-A.  Really, though, it's a tip of the iceberg thing.  Seems more and more that large entities have little tolerance for things of Christ. In the past as Christians faced persecution, they often ended up going to their death for their convictions.  In recent days, the Muslim response to persecution has also been to die for their convictions--but in their case it is self-inflicted and designed to take as many infidels with them as possible.  A bit of a difference.
  

  "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake."  ~ Jesus (Matthew 24:9)

Until next time, it's not just another day.

"They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.""

~ Peter (2 Peter 3:4)