tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52195156023784461662024-03-21T12:45:33.109-05:00THAT'S ALL SHE WROTELynn DeShazo waxes eloquently, or maybe not so much.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-7871572412760172332018-08-29T13:30:00.000-05:002018-08-29T13:30:36.292-05:00I've Moved!Blog sites, that is. On my redesigned webpage, www.lynndeshazo.com, I have a new blog called "Words and Musings." Check it out sometime!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-38562269511685864282017-08-07T13:09:00.000-05:002017-08-07T14:07:11.577-05:00Don't Look A Gift Card In The Mouth<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> My wallet must weigh about seven pounds right now. You’re probably thinking, “You’ve sure got an awful lot of coins in there for it to weigh that much.” A logical thought, but it’s not coinage. No, the reason for the weight of my wallet is all the plastic that’s in it. Besides the usual bank cards, member cards, and insurance ID stuff, there is also an impressive stack of gift cards in my clutch wallet. I have enough right now to build a raft.<br /><br /> People just love to give gift cards these days for one thing or another. Win a door prize? Here’s a gift card. Sing at a funeral? Here’s a gift card. Your family has known you your entire life and they still can’t figure out what to give you for your birthday? “I know! I’ll get her a gift card!” Nothings says “I don’t have a clue about you” like a gift card.<br /><br /> Gift cards were fun for a while. Receiving one was a nice surprise, something out of the ordinary - “Oh boy, a gift card to Chili’s! Does anyone know where a Chili’s is?” But no more. Gift card giving and receiving happens so often that now we’re actually relieved when we don’t get one. Someone gives us an actual gift instead. Or better still, cash. <br /><br /> CASH! I love getting cash. I can pay bills with cash. I can eat at any place of my choosing with cash, not just the four restaurants where the gift card is accepted, and two of which don’t exist in my city. There are some restaurants I just don’t dine at unless I’m forced to by a gift card. The last time I went to an Olive Garden, I used five gift cards and a credit card to pay for my meal. I wanted to get rid of theses gift cards so badly that I even paid for my brother’s meal. Well, mostly - he had an Olive Garden gift card, too. My receipt was long enough to paper the dang bathroom. <br /><br /> After that dinner, I was almost completely free of the weighty wallet problem; only two gift cards remained. In less than a month, however, I received two more gift cards. I even found one in my glove compartment for Krispy Kreme Donuts just yesterday. There’s no telling how long it’s been there. <br /><br /> My burgeoning wallet is up to five gift cards and counting. I should be grateful, I suppose, and just eat out more. Revisiting an old adage, don't look a gift card in the mouth.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-51452649506678784892017-03-30T06:00:00.000-05:002017-03-30T10:41:35.084-05:00"Ancient Words" and the Canadian Grammar Police <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Canadian grammar police have struck again. I have received another letter fr<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m our neighbors t<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span> the north </span></span>complaining about a line from my hymn, “Ancient Words.” Another, I say, because this is not the first time I’ve received this criticism. <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most of the personal notes written to me through the years about my songs have been very encouraging<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">G</span></span>ratitude and appreciation<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for</span> min<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">istry received through a particular</span> song of mine were thoughtfully expressed. There are a couple of exceptions, however, and both of them involve Canadians and a kindly<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>worded<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> but</span> </span>unsolicited critique of a li<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ne from the chorus <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of </span>"Ancient Words</span></span>.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><br /><br /> I received one of the notes this month, in fact. Rather than try and explain, I’ll give you the complete text of the letter below. Here is the lyric in question<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i>We have come with open hearts/ </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i> O let the ancient words impart</i><br /><br /><br /> Dear Lynn,<br /><br /> This is just to let you know whenever I sing “Ancient Words.” I substitute “Hear what the ancient words impart” for “O let the ancient words impart.” I like the song except for that line; “impart" is a transitive verb and without an object it’s meaningless. I’m a writer myself and so it pains me to sing such a phrase,<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>especially in a song specifically about words.<br /><br /> I think you’ll agree that, in addition to providing a verb object, “Hear what” is more active and strong than the limp “O let.” I think it would do you credit to revise the song and re-release it; you are welcome to claim this fix as your own and I’ll never say a word.<br /><br /> Sincerely,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />There are two people in the entire English-speaking world who have taken the time to write to me about this one line of song lyric. They are both Canadians. So I have to assume that the problem is not with the lyric. Clearly, the issue is with Canadians.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Maybe Canadians suffer more deeply than we imagined from the long winters with their soul-numbing temperatures, mammoth snowfall and sunshine deficits. I certainly see how the rigors of surviving a Canadian winter could lead to such afflictions as seasonal depression, the delusion that <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">curling is a sport, </span>and even a heightened tendency to be critical of hymn writers who<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> unwittin<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">gly </span></span>violate the rules of <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">English </span>grammar. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Americans<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>don’t seem to mind a bit of grammar rule- bending or even outright bashing when it comes to <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">song lyrics</span>. If any do, they haven’t bothered to take me to task for that “transitive verb without an object” thing. (If we did care about stuff like that, a whole lot of American music would likely never have been written in the first place. Case in point<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">j</span>ust take a look at the grammar vi<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olations</span> in the songs your local worship team will sing this Sunday.) <br /><br />Are these Canadian hymn criti<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cs</span> wrong? No, they’re not wrong, at least not technically. But song lyrics aren’t just words to be read. Song lyrics are meant to be sung. And it really helps if they rhyme well. In my mind, “O let” sings more fluidly than “Hear what,” as suggested by the letter writer. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And what else might I have rhymed with <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"open h<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">earts" that would have conveyed the idea I<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> intended</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, a</span></span></span> certain importunity<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">? </span> Bottom line, I’m the <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">songwriter </span>and it sure seemed<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to be</span> a good choice of words at the time. <br /><br />Honestly, <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>t never entered my mind that I had created an obstacle for people to enjoy singing “Ancient Words” by leaving a verb hanging out there with no object. I hope my Canadian friends can find it in their chilly hearts to forgive the error, as they perceive it. <br /><br />Lastly, there will be no “grammatically correct” re-release of “Ancient Words,” as <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">suggested</span>. It's simply too late. The song is already published in a whole lot of hymn books and held dear in millions of hearts just the way it is. </span><br /><br /><br /><i>Want to know the story behind the song, “Ancient Words?” There’s a whole chapter on it in my book: <a href="http://www.lynndeshazo.com/store/index.php" target="_blank">MORE PRECIOUS THAN SILVER: The God Stories Behind the Songs of Lynn DeShazo.</a>In <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">soft cover</span> and e-book.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-21553137761150060202015-12-10T11:48:00.000-06:002017-03-26T14:48:03.058-05:00On the Horns of a Dilemma<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I am making an exception to the usual light-hearted tone of my blog with this <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">article</span>. It was just too long to be a Facebook post and too important not to say.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Americans are really on the horns of a dilemma when it comes to the question of how to treat Muslims coming into this country, whether by travel visa or refugee status. On the one hand, we are a nation of immigrants. We pride ourselves on our “melting pot” diversity, which includes ethnicities from the Muslim world. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All Americans</span> have been shaped to some degree by the Judeo-Christian ethic that teaches us to be welcoming and hospitable to foreigners. We may not all identify as Christians, but we truly are a Christian nation at our core. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The </span>God of the Bible is the God of love. Therefore, we know instinctively that there is something wrong with sweeping statements like “no more Muslims in America!” But we’re also a bit naive when it comes to how cultures different from the West actually think and conduct themselves. It’s also very hard for us to grasp that Islam is anything more than one of the world’s religions. If that’s all Islam is, however, then why does it have aspirations to dominate the world and force everyone to obey its laws? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Truth is, Islam is <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">more</span> government than religion (Islam means "submission"). And unlike Christianity, lying is considered a virtue in Islam in certain instances, especially when it comes to spreading Islam in the West:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>“The principle of sanctioning lying for the cause of Islam bears grave implications in matters relating to the spread of the religion of Islam in the West. Muslim activists employ deceptive tactics in their attempts to polish Islam’s image and make it more attractive to prospective converts.”</i> - Abdullah Al-Araby</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is why the public face of Islam in America <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">appears <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">very differently f<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ro</span>m the public f<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ace of Islam in countries like Pakistan, Iran, or <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saudi Arabia</span></span></span></span>. Very recently we heard representatives from CAIR (Center for American Islamic Relations) hold a press conference condemning the San Bernadino massacre and distancing themselves as Muslim Americans from the jihadists. But private audiences of Arabic-speaking Muslims often hear aggression towards the West. Here is an example from the first Muslim cleric to deliver prayers to the U.S. House of Representatives, speaking to a Muslim audience in New Jersey <i>(not sure of the date)</i>:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>“(Muslims should) take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we were united and strong, we’d elect our own emir (leader) and give allegiance to him. Take my word, if 6 to 8 million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us.”</i> Siraj Wahaj, </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Are there Muslim Americans who truly want nothing to do with waging violent jihad here? Of course. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/cair-director-calls-trump-a-bigot-and-a-liar-578744899878" target="_blank">CAIR Director Calls Trump a Bigot and a Liar</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m also sure that there are many Muslims who are already here or trying to come here for that very purpose; it’s foolishness to believe otherwise, considering what is plainly stated in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Oh, and then there's 9/11<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. And <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the Fort Hood <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">massacre<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, and the Chattanooga</span></span></span></span> Marine recruit<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ing</span> office<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> murders</span>, and so on<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span>Here’s the mission of Muslim Brotherhood, as stated by its<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>Egyptian founder, Hassan al-Banna:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>"Allah is our objective; the Qur'an is the Constitution; the Prophet is our leader; jihad is our way; death for the sake of Allah is our wish."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> CAIR is an arm of Muslim Brotherhood in North America. It is but one of many such organizations operating in this country since the 1960s and is waging the silent phase of jihad. It is take over by stealth, in other words. Muslim Brotherhood of North America actually has a 100-year plan for the takeover of America from within; the plan dates from May of 1991. Since Muslim Brotherhood has affiliates who fill positions in our Department of Homeland Security, and who regularly advise President Obama on Middle East policy, I’d say their plan is making alarming progress. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFxNPvns7nU" target="_blank">Brigitte Gabriel Reads From the Muslim Brotherhood Plan for America</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Almost every college campus in America has a Muslim Student Association, which is another arm of Muslim Brotherhood. Across the country, MSA students are more politically active than campus Democrats and Republicans combined, per Brigitte Gabriel of Act for America. In my home state of Alabama, Omar Hammami, a Daphne resident and former president of the University of South Alabama’s Muslim Students Association, actually became a terrorist in Somalia - recruited for jihad through MSA - and ended up on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. He is thought to have been killed in Somalia. The MSA at your local college is not exactly the Islamic version of a Baptist Student Center.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> It’s quite the pickle we Americans find ourselves in. “Keep them out!” “No! Let them in!” “But they want to kill us!” “Well, not all of them!” “How are we supposed to know the difference?” Indeed. How are we to know the difference, especially with the Muslim Brotherhood fox already in the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">federal</span> hen house? </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s recent call for at least a temporary shutdown of Muslims entering the country may go against our national grain, but it should at least be considere<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">d while <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">those in charge of our national security regroup the<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">mselves</span>. <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even the Congress is calling for a p<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ause in the Syrian refugee resettlem<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">en</span>t program. </span>And is it really</span> <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">surprising that Trump's popularity is ris<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ing with ordinary Americans<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">?</span> He's just saying <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">out loud what so many are already thinking. </span></span></span>C<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">AIR, of course, has compared <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mr. Trump</span> to the Nazis<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, which is entirely unfa<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ir;</span></span> Trump i<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">sn't calling for<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> the killing of M<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">uslims.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">prop<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">het</span></span> of Islam</span> calling for?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Quotes of Muslim clerics are taken from Walid Shoebat's book, <u>God's War on Terrorism</u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>: Islam, Prophecy, and the Bible</u>; © 2008 Top <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Executive Media.</span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brigitte Gabriel is a <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Arabic-speaking <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lebanese Christian and the founder of Act <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">for America</span>. She grew up in a bomb shelter in Lebanon <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">because of Muslim aggression in her country.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-18657869746551163112015-11-13T13:16:00.000-06:002015-11-13T13:23:16.113-06:00Pure Genius!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> I moved into a new house last May. It wasn’t new construction, just new to me. Since a house of any age is always in need of a bit of maintenance or repair, I’ve been steadily building a “to do” list. One item was to give the garbage disposer a good cleaning out, but I’ve been procrastinating. Who knows what bacterial dangers could be lurking down there? This week, however, I was startled into the realization that the job simply could not be put off any longer. <br /><br /> Anyone who owns a garbage disposer will tell you that a pretty good layer of muck can build up on the underside of the rubber collar. The collar is what keeps a food version of Mount St. Helens from happening in your kitchen. Fortunately, it is easy enough to pull it out and wash clean. It’s a disgusting task, but it’s not difficult. However, the underside of the garbage disposer is another story. A lot of finely chopped food residue can collect up there unless you clean it out every so often. If you don’t, a disposer will get really mucky. Super mucky, actually, given enough time and the inclination of food scraps to turn into compost.<br /><br /> Given that fact, I still don’t think too many people pay much attention to the underside of their garbage disposers. It if smells, grinding up a lemon rind in it will take care of the odor. Besides, you can’t see the underside of a disposer, so you have no idea what degree of muckiness is there unless you’re willing to reach in and scrape it with your fingers. <i>Gross.</i> But you can see the bottom of the disposer easily, especially if you take the collar out. That’s where the grinding blades are. Well, who wants to reach into the jaws of a machine that could grind your fingers to hamburger meat should some evil troll turn it on while your hand was down there? <i>Shudder!</i> The whole idea of putting my hand into something powerful enough to grind up chicken bones just gives me the creeps.<br /><br /> The previous owner must have felt the same way about reaching into the “jaws of death” as I do. I’ve deduced this because two days ago, as I was peering out of the kitchen window over the sink, I looked down to see quite a strange sight. A crop of small seedlings were growing out of my garbage disposer! In mild shock, I pulled out a couple of them. The roots on these little guys were about an inch wide and just as long. The super muck that had been collecting on the underside of the disposer for who knows how long was now thick enough to support plant life. <i>Egads!</i><br /><br /> Well, that did it. I could not postpone de-mucking the garbage disposer any longer. But how to do it? I really did not want to reach blindly into the compost pile that now lined the walls of the disposer. What tool could I used to hook up under there and scrape it clean without damaging it? Then I had a moment of genius. <i>Use Ice.</i> Of course, ice! Manufacturers recommend that you drop some ice cubes into your disposer every now and then to keep the blades sharp. So I removed the rubber collar and crammed the disposer full of ice cubes. I hit the “on” switch, and after a few seconds, I ran the water to help the cubes move around the disposer walls. The sights and sounds were a wonder to behold - <i>glooog, spurrrful, schliiiick, shuh, shuh, shuh, schloooosh!</i> A brown, soupy whirlpool erupted out of the disposer as who knows how many years worth of super muck was liberated by the ice scrub. Then the whirlpool turned clear again, to my great relief, drained away, and the dreadful job was done. <br /><br /> I wish I had taken a “before” picture. Then I could have posted it on Facebook with one of those captions designed to make you click against your better judgement. Like, “What she saw growing out of the garbage disposer was shocking. What she did next was pure genius!” Yes indeed - one clean garbage disposer later, I feel truly ingenious. And I still have all my fingers.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-5573923805806846432015-06-01T21:38:00.001-05:002015-06-01T21:46:08.082-05:00Damn the Torpedo Grass! Pull Weeds Ahead!<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I stopped mowing my own grass years ago because I got tired of pulling my back out on a near-weekly basis. I am not fond of yard work, anyway. I perform some yard work because I hate a messy yard worse than I hate doing yard work. But I don’t do the major upkeep myself. Instead, I hire a lawn service. They will, I discovered, cheerfully pull their equipment-laden trailer to your house and mow, edge, and blow off your driveway. Paying a lawn company and avoiding the doctor’s office is about a wash, in my estimation.<br /><br /> Having a lawn is a responsibility. If you own a house with a lawn, you should take care of it out of respect for the people living around you. You shouldn’t let debris pile up and become a critter-haven. You shouldn’t let your shrubs get out of hand, or trash trees sprout and take root just anywhere. And you should never let your weeds take over your lawn, because, in a neighborhood, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine when it comes to weeds.<br /><br /> The best defense against weeds in a lawn is a healthy carpet of grass. So when I made the decision years ago to put down grass sod, I also signed up with a lawn treatment service. The company has kept my lawn looking lush every since. They also keep an eye out for disease threats like fungus and pests like grubs. Armadillos really like grubs, and they will walk all the way from Texas to dig up your entire lawn looking for them. So Chad, my lawn treatment man, has regularly treated my Meyer’s zoysia lawn for fungus and grubs. He also treats other insidious problems like nutgrass and torpedo grass. I think nutgrass is called nutgrass because trying to get rid of it will drive you nuts. Torpedo grass, however, is in a class all by itself. <br /><br /> First of all, torpedo grass is devious. It is broad-bladed and at first examination, it looks a whole lot like centipede or St. Augustine grass. It’s easy enough to see in a fine-bladed grass lawn like zoysia. You look at it and think, “Hmmm...that looks like centipede. Well, it’s not zoysia, but at least it’s green grass.” And you forget about it for a while. Then you notice the stuff is showing up everywhere in your lawn, because it’s also very invasive. I know this because Chad told me, “Lynn, this stuff is called torpedo grass, and it’s very invasive.” He also said, “You need to stay on top of it, or it’ll take over your lawn and it’s very hard to get rid of it. Sometimes the only thing you can do is to cut out the infected sod and replace it.” Yikes! Well, that put me on red alert. I was on torpedo grass patrol from that day on.<br /><br /> I keep a bottle of Roundup on hand for spot control of weeds. You have to be very careful with Roundup because it will kill anything it comes in contact with. If your neighbor’s lawn looks like the sand trap area of a golf course, it’s probably because he got carried away with the Roundup. At any rate, I got pretty good at spot-treating a torpedo grass outbreak with RoundUp before it could establish a beach head. If I lost a little zoysia temporarily, I just counted it as an acceptable casualty in the war on torpedo grass.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> I recently sold the house with the Meyer’s zoysia lawn and moved. I now own another house with an emerald zoysia lawn. While walking the property with some family members one afternoon, I noticed a big patch of a broad-bladed grass that was obviously not zoysia. My uncle said, “That looks a lot like centipede.” Uh-oh.<br /><br /> I made a mental note to have Chad investigate this suspicious patch, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">since I had already arranged for him to evaluate my newly acquired lawn</span></span>. The day of the appointment arrived. He pulled up a sprig of the mystery grass and studied it. He furrowed his brow. He finally said, “Tell you what - I’ll treat this area with a product called Drive. If it turns a sickly yellow, we’ll know it’s torpedo grass.” He treated the patch, and in a few days the grass did indeed start turning the tell-tale sickly yellow hue. So it isn’t centipede, or St. Augustine, or any desirable southern grass. IT’S THE DREADED TORPEDO GRASS! ARGGHHH!! And there’s a whole bunch of it making a run for the neighbor’s bermuda lawn next to mine.<br /><br /> I don’t know who named this devilish weed “torpedo grass,” except they probably had to resort to firing a torpedo to get rid of the dang stuff. Well, I whipped it once, I believe I can do it again. To sort of quote Admiral David Farragut, “Damn the torpedo grass! Pull weeds ahead!”</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-24342670836746203062015-05-25T14:43:00.001-05:002015-05-25T14:43:18.890-05:00A Moving Experience<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">I recently sold the house that had been my home for the last nineteen years. I won’t go into the litany of reasons, it was just time to move on. My house was clean, mostly updated, and well-maintained - a realtor’s dream. I figured it would probably sell itself. Still, there’s a lot to do in getting a house ready for the real estate market. I de-cluttered rooms and listened to my realtor-brother’s suggestions as I prepared the house to be shown. I even listened to my friends who kept saying things like, “Are you sure you want to move? This house is perfect for you!” Or “But you just got through remodeling this one!” They were questions I kept asking myself as well, as I prayerfully considered this move. I certainly wasn’t going to give the house away, but I was committed to seeing the process through.<br /><br /> I spent most of February and March preparing to put the house on the market. “Spent” is exactly the right word, as my pile of paint and hardware receipts will attest. My house listed in early April and was shown a dozen times in the first week and a half. I soon had a contract with a buyer, and immediately commenced to packing up in time for a mid-May closing and consequent move. Thankfully, the same friends who questioned my sanity also brought me tons of great boxes to pack my things in. <br /><br /> “There’s no business like show business,” goes the popular song. And there’s no trauma like moving trauma, either. It’s such a royal pain to move that no one’s bothered to set the sentiment to music, as far as I know. Think about it - everything you own has to be wrapped, stuffed, bagged, boxed, padded, taped shut or otherwise secured, labeled in way you can actually find anything again, and finally carted out of your house and into a large truck by professional movers. At my age you hire professional movers because your friends are too decrepit to haul armoires and couches in and out of buildings. Besides, I’d rather be upset with the movers than my friends, should something go awry. I did all the packing myself - my preference - but I did get help from friends wrapping up cumbersome items with that extra-wide plastic wrap. It only clings to itself, which is great, but it is still no small feat to wrap couch cushions with a hand-held roll of plastic film, let me tell you. Imagine three people playing Twister with Glad Wrap and you get the idea.<br /><br /> I closed on two houses - the one I sold and the one I purchased - on a Wednesday, and moved on Thursday. At eight-fifteen in the morning, the movers arrived and got right to work. There were three young men - one linebacker-sized and two lean and wiry ones. After an hour’s work, my three-man hourly rate dropped to the two-man hourly rate because Linebacker suffered a nasty gash on his forearm when a bungee cord popped back on him. “Ma’am, do you have a band-aid or something?” Apparently, professional movers do not keep first aid supplies in their truck. “Uh...here, rinse that off in the sink, I’ll look.” Band-aids, band-aids....I have packed all my band-aids, naturally. Aha! I remembered the emergency first aid kit in the car, complete with sterile wipes, gauze, and tape. Narrow tape, however, so I wrapped his beefy arm again with blue painter’s tape. “Do you think I need stitches?” he asked me. “I don’t know, but you should definitely get it looked at. And here’s four Ibuprofen.” That was the last I saw of Linebacker, so I guess he took my advice. Wirey Men continued working. <br /><br /> After everything was in the truck, Wirey Men announced they were going to lunch and would meet me at the new address. “Ok. See you in a little while.” I looked around the empty house wistfully, taking a moment to appreciate the years of enjoyment it had given me. I ran my hands along the granite counters in the kitchen, admiring the way my remodeling plans had turned out. I surveyed the stone backsplash, the stainless steel appliances, th....DANG! The movers forgot to take the refrigerator! How did I overlook the refrigerator, for pete’s sake! I realized I had no cell phone number for Wirey Men, but I knew they were going to Firehouse Subs for lunch. So I off I rushed to find them before they were already in route to the new house. <br /><br /> No worries. Wirey Men were still parked, sitting in the cab, and having a post-lunch smoke. “Uh, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you forgot the refrigerator. I figured you’d want to come back and get it before you got all the way to the other house.” Wirey Men studied me quietly for a brief moment and replied, “Yes ma’am.” I don’t want to know what they were thinking.<br /> <br /> Moving other people’s stuff is about a thankless a task as there is, even if you are being paid for it. Wirey Men put in an honest day’s work, to be sure. I asked one of them, “So, do you see a chiropractor?” “No, ma’am,“ he said, “I just take Goody’s Powder and Monster drinks.” Right. At least Wirey Men didn’t have to reassemble beds and tables inside the house that afternoon. All my worldly goods went straight into the garage for storage at the new address, and I moved in temporarily with a good friend while some renovations are being done at my house. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Moving is about as much fun as having a root canal; it’s just exhausting in every way. There’s simply nothing enjoyable about moving except the part when you’re finally done with it all, and I’m not quite done with it all. In a few weeks the movers will be back to haul most of my stuff again - out of the garage and into the house. I can hardly wait.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-39009762498660663652014-09-19T10:30:00.000-05:002014-09-19T10:35:08.250-05:00The Demon Brew<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Has anyone besides me noticed that American Christians are growing increasingly lax in arriving at worship services on time? I’ve been part of local church life in one place or another long enough to notice this trend toward habitual tardiness. Now there have always been those few who would be late to their own funerals, but I’m not talking about those folks. I’m talking about what is more and more becoming the majority of people who consider themselves church members.<br /><br /> The demise of traditional Sunday school classes may have something to do with it. Families would come to church early enough to attend the pre-service Bible classes and then move on into the sanctuary during the break. Pretty much everybody was in their seats by the time the organist finished playing the prelude and the choir members filed in. Choir and organ music or not, every church body I’ve ever been a part of began Sunday services with some kind of call to worship. Styles and music certainly change with the years, but the basics remain more or less the same. Tardiness, however, is definitely a contemporary development. <br /><br /> I have given this matter considerable thought and I think I know the reason behind American Christianity’s downward spiral toward careless indifference about arriving to worship services on time. The secret lurks in almost every church without respect to sect, style, or denomination affiliation. Whereas my Sunday school theory may offer a partial explanation, I think the real culprit behind the growing pattern of “lateness as lifestyle” is of a much darker nature. How dark you ask? Very dark - as in breakfast blend, French roast or even Sumatran. Ladies and gentlemen, possibly the greatest hindrance to worship services starting on time with the congregation bodily present is that perennial favorite beverage of Americans, the cup of hot coffee.<br /><br /> Scoff if you must, but think about it for a moment. What is the one obstacle between you and the pew on any Sunday morning? It is not the the gleaming coffee urn with its tantalizing aroma? How about the siren call of brightly labeled specialty creamers with exotic names like French vanilla, creme brulee, or caramel machiatto? Perhaps it’s the skurrrkkkk of the k-cup machine that woos and then deludes you into thinking, “This won’t take but a minute and I haven’t heard the musicians start up yet anyway.” You look at the clock in the lobby and realize the service is about to begin, and yet there you stand at the coffee station, styrofoam cup in hand to collect the steaming brown elixir. You pump some creamer into your coffee and rifle the stir sticks. A quick whirl of a stick, a toss to the trash can, and back to the carry-out lids for one to top your hot beverage lest you should scald yourself or soak the upholstery. You manage to find your seat at last, somewhere in the middle of the second song. And so it goes. You were almost on time, but then you stopped for a cup of the demon brew!<br /> <br /> I jest, of course. If a church really didn’t want you to have coffee prior to a worship service (and even during it, in some places) they wouldn’t serve it to you in the first place. I know that my own church started offering coffee and a bit of food before services a few years ago because refreshments can really help people connect with one another face to face, even if it’s just for a few moments in front of the French vanilla creamer. Besides, most preachers I know would rather minister to people abuzz with a bit of caffeine then they would to a roomful of folks who can’t seem to keep their eyes open.<br /><br /> While I am kidding around about coffee being a tool of the devil, my observations about churches, coffee and the worship service do have some merit. I happen to lead the early worship service at my church. There’s a fifteen minute break at the conclusion of this service before the next one begins. During that time, I make my way out into the lobby, pour myself some coffee (hopefully there’s some left) and visit with friends. The vantage point from the cafe table that I normally retreat to gives me perspective on certain aspects of human behavior. I can tell you with all certainty that as long as the coffee is flowing, most church people these days will almost always choose to drink coffee and talk to their friends in the lobby over getting into the worship service on time. I have often seen people arrive very late and still choose to sit and drink coffee before going into the sanctuary, if it’s available. At our church the practice got so bad that we finally had to start clearing the coffee service by a certain time just to discourage it. <br /><br /> As a coffee drinker myself, I understand the attraction. What is more comforting and endorphin-producing that a fresh cup of Joe? As a worship leader, however, I am annoyed. The message to me is that what I’m doing, or at least a attempting to do - draw people into the presence of God - is not nearly as compelling as hot coffee. I fight the temptation to be annoyed about this constantly. I see visions of myself cleansing the lobby of coffee makers with my guitar strap, like Jesus took on the money changers: “This service shall be called a worship service, not a coffee bar!” It’s ridiculous, I know. <br /><br /> You may be thinking, “So I’m late to the service because I stop for coffee. What’s the big deal?” Addressing that would be another blog entry entirely. However, if you ever have to lead worship for a congregation that adds new participants every ninety seconds for fifteen minutes, you’ll know firsthand <i>what the frigging big deal is! </i>Uh, sorry for the outburst.... I think I need a cup of coffee.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-17524850571212818292014-04-23T10:58:00.005-05:002014-04-23T10:58:37.490-05:00Timing is Everything, or Has Anybody Seen the Bass Player?<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> There are any number of qualifications that the individual members of a local church praise team must have in order for them to function well together. In addition to all the spiritual requirements that may come to mind, there are also the natural ones. You know, like singers should be able to carry a tune, and I don’t mean in a bucket. Anyone who plays an instrument should demonstrate a certain level of skill before they’re allowed to join the band. And in my book, the one attribute that all singers and musicians on a church worship team must have is a good sense of timing. Especially the drummer. Let’s face it, drums rule. If the drummer can’t keep good time, that’s a pretty tough challenge to work through because, in music, timing is everything.<br /><br /> There’s another timing issue among musicians that concerns me on many a Sunday morning, and it has nothing to do with keeping the beat. It has to do with actually being bodily present for the the start of the worship service. You would be amazed at the disappearing act that sometimes goes on at my church right before a service is supposed to begin. One minute our keyboard player (and main worship leader/ audiophile) is on the platform ready to play, and seconds later he is up in the balcony, hanging like a monkey and tweaking some audio connection. Certain instruments I can start without, but the keyboard is not one of them. How does he move that fast, anyway?<br /><br /> I should tell you that our pre-service prep and rehearsal only runs an hour, and I must allow everyone time for a break before the service begins. People do what they gotta do in that brief time, and this seems to include breakfasting on coffee and a pastry for some of the non-singers. I’m pretty sure they find it on the premises, but it takes them so long to make it back that sometimes I wonder. Ever see that Family Circle cartoon of little Billy after being instructed by his mom to “come straight home?” If you can envision the rabbit trails that Billy takes between where he is and home, then you have a pretty good idea of what happens to some of our folks between 8:50 and 9:00 on a typical Sunday morning.<br /><br /> This past Sunday was not typical, however. It was Easter. Naturally, we planned some special music and programming for the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. The allotted time for praise and worship would be abbreviated, however, to allow for everything on the schedule. Aware of the extra time constraints, I had stressed the need to our team for starting on time, “with or without the congregation!” (Our nine o’clock folks can be a little slow to find their seats). Our normally tight schedule was actually running pretty smoothly. Everything and everyone was prepared by service time, and all systems were “go.” Until, that is, someone noticed that our bass player was missing. Well, it just went all Keystone Cops from there.<br /><br /> “Where’s Jacob?” “He’s getting coffee.” “Wow, it’s nine o’clock - I’ll go find him!” And before I can engage my brain quickly enough to say, “Don’t leave! We’ll start without him,” off dashes the keyboard player. While Jonathan is off to parts unknown looking for Jacob, in walks Jacob. Only he’s not really walking. Walking would look like a sprint compared to the stroll he’s doing. But at least he is back and getting ready to play. It’s now five minutes after nine, and no keyboard player. I look beyond the open doors of the rear of the sanctuary to see Jonathan quickly circle the foyer and head out again, not realizing that Jacob has returned. Seven after nine and counting. I’m now having visions of Second Service people impatiently waiting as First Service runs late and my pastor gives me the evil eye (he wouldn’t, by the way). Slight panic. Visitors are looking at me funny. At least I think they are - I may still be having visions. I apologize to our visitors for the housekeeping and try humorously explaining the disappearing musicians phenomenon that sometimes afflicts us. At last, I see Jonathan sprinting across the foyer and back into the sanctuary. He bounds up the platform steps to his station and we begin the opening song. <br /><br /> I wasn’t about to start our Resurrection Day celebration service without a keyboard player. That would be like eating a ham sandwich without the ham. Besides, the guy wears a lot of hats on Sunday mornings, so he deserves some slack. As a general rule, I don’t like starting any worship service without the entire team being in place. But if I have to, I’ll start without a disappearing bass player in a New York minute. You can count on it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lynn DeShazo</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> <br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-55879203074416036822014-03-03T10:59:00.000-06:002014-03-03T10:59:23.609-06:00"Son of God" the Movie - My Review<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Yesterday I watched the newly released and much-touted movie, “Son of God.” I watched it along with a crowd of folks from my church; we booked almost an entire theater for the Sunday afternoon matinee. The last time we did that was for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” which came out about ten years ago. That film, of course, raised the bar considerably for faith-themed movies. I was glad to see this newest addition to gospel genre films, but it was certainly nothing like the caliber of Gibson’s work. It seemed to me much more like a “made for TV” movie escaped to the big screen. Some of the early footage was, in fact, taken right out of the “The Bible” miniseries which was specifically produced for television. That said, I enjoyed the film for the most part, and I am truly appreciative of the effort taken by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett to tell yet again what is truly the greatest story every told.<br /><br /> If you’re looking for a movie that portrays every action of Jesus exactly as the Scriptures describe it, you’ll be disappointed (the only movie that does that successfully is the “Jesus” film, released in 1979 and still the all-time best evangelism tool ever produced). Bible purists will no doubt be troubled by some of the depictions. Familiar events are featured but perhaps not in the way you’d expect to see them presented, and some of them are combined in odd ways. For example, when Jesus declares to his disciples that not one stone of the temple in Jerusalem would be left upon another, he does it in a playful way with a small child. “Jesus loves the little children” meets “Jesus the prophet.” I honestly found that a little disturbing, given the gravity of what Jesus was referring to, but I guess I fall in the “purist” category. When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, the film shows him actually entering the tomb, definitely not how the Gospels record the event. Amazingly, Jesus is the only one not gagging from the stench. But Lazarus is raised, which is the point, and what we all love about the story. In the crucifixion scene, Jesus’ garment is torn from him by the Roman soldiers. The Gospels specifically tell us that whereas his outer garments where divided among four soldiers, the Lord’s seamless inner garment was <i>not</i> torn. Overall, scenes from the ministry of Jesus were not stretched beyond credibility, however. One of my favorite scenes was the calling of Matthew the tax collector to become Jesus’ disciple. I can’t say that it actually happened that way, but I can envision it happening that way; it sure seemed in keeping with the character of the biblical Jesus. The near-stoning of the woman caught in adultery was also very compelling. I won’t spoil those scenes for you, in case you want to see the movie for yourself.<br /><br /> To me, “Son of God” is sort of like what a child’s story Bible is to the King James Version. You can rely on it for the basic account, but not all the actual details or even the words of Jesus as the Bible records them are provided. Creative liberties were definitely taken by the film’s directors. But then they never intended for this movie to be a strictly by-the-book portrayal of the Gospel accounts, seeking instead to capture the spirit of Jesus’ life and ministry as they put his story to film. I’d say they accomplished their intentions. Honestly, I have yet to see a major studio movie on the life of Christ that was ever done to my complete satisfaction. <br /><br /> I genuinely liked several aspects about “Son of God.” For starters, someone finally cast an actor in the role of Jesus who looks like they could have grown up near the Mediterranean Sea instead of the Thames. The character of Jesus practically leaked compassion. The other principal roles seemed well cast, to me, and the actors’ performances were strong and believable. One of the better things accomplished in this film was the backdrop of the political tension of the times created by the Roman occupation of Israel and Jerusalem. I therefore understood Caiaphas, though I still despised him. I also thought the portrayal of Jesus’ arrest, beating, and crucifixion was sensitively done. The difficult scenes were realistic without trying to compete with “The Passion of the Christ,” which went way over the top in its depiction of Jesus’ suffering (I swear, I never in my life wanted a movie character to hurry up and die so badly as I did while watching “The Passion!”). I never enjoy this part of any film on the life of Christ, but I thought “Son of God” handled it well. I was moved afresh when the suffering and death of Jesus were recalled to me through this film. I also found the framing of the film’s beginning and end through the aging Apostle John both unexpected and refreshing.<br /><br /> “Son of God” is not the best film on the life of Jesus I’ve ever seen, but the good news still shines through, a testimony to the power of the Cross. The story of Jesus is still the greatest story ever told and manages to overcome the short-comings of this new film presentation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Lynn DeShazo </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /><br /> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-41016006860987331152014-02-06T22:21:00.001-06:002014-02-07T09:28:30.749-06:00Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up On Aspartame<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Every now and then I’ll see a testimonial on the dangers of aspartame that has been re-posted on Facebook, usually with an impassioned plea to “please share this!” An unsuspecting consumer of aspartame-laced food products begins to develop terrible symptoms of illnesses ranging from splitting headaches to MS-like neurological symptoms. No doctor seems to be able to help them in any significant way. The poor soul is bewildered, distressed, and absolutely at a loss to explain their health crisis until, finally, they stumble on some information about aspartame poisoning. “Eureka!” they cry. Understandably, they immediately cut out all aspartame from their diet and, wonder of wonders, miraculously begin to recover. End of story? No. They then begin a crusade to get all their friends and loved ones off the cursed stuff by posting aspartame poisoning stories on Facebook and other social media. Their friends, naturally, are all deeply appreciative. Or greatly annoyed.<br /><br /> I avoid aspartame for the most part, along with other artificial sweeteners. I’ve had the occasional swig of a diet drink if it was handy, but very little of the stuff has crossed my lips over the past twenty or so years. I’ve never been convinced that aspartame is perfectly safe for human consumption, but maybe you are. Perhaps you’re thinking, “Look, the FDA approved aspartame years ago. Just leave me and my diet cola alone, ok?”<br /><br /> Honest to God, I wish I could, but this subject intrigues me. Is aspartame really a poison or not? Is everybody susceptible to aspartame toxicity, or just certain people? Is there anyone out there who can settle this issue for us with any certainty? Good news, people! Yes, there is.<br /><br /> Due to my keen interest in the subject, I recently purchased a copy of an audio lecture by Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD entitled, “The Truth About Aspartame.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/" target="_blank">Click here to go to Dr. Blaylock's web site</a><br /><br />I listened carefully and tell you now with great conviction that the best ten bucks you will spend all year is for a copy of Dr. Blaylock’s carefully researched presentation. As Dr. Blaylock states it, you will learn about “the deceit, the lies, and the flagrant abandonment of you and your family’s safety.” Among the many facts about aspartame you will discover are:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">the history of aspartame as developed by the G. D. Searle company. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">how poorly Searle’s lab experiments and testing for aspartame were conceived and carried out; Searle lab technicians were themselves poorly trained and supervised.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that the FDA approved aspartame for use in dry foods in 1974, but then quickly withdrew their approval because of <i>the high incidence of tumor formation</i> found in their very extensive investigation of the G.D. Searle studies.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that the FDA, under the direction of a new commissioner, later inexplicably approved aspartame for consumer use (in 1981 for dry foods, 1983 for beverages) based on the same flawed testing and over the objections of the neuroscientists and pathologists who sat on the public board of inquiry. <i>Their chief objection was the high number of brain tumors found in animals exposed to aspartame.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that FDA commissioner Authur Hull Hayes, left the FDA two months after he initiated aspartame approval to become the senior medical advisor to G. D. Searle’s public relations firm.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that all three components of aspartame - the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, and methanol, a toxic alcohol - are toxic to the brain, <i>especially the developing brain of a fetus, infant, or a young child.</i> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that aspartame in high enough doses can cause seizures in adults and exacerbate the symptoms of MS. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">how the methanol component of aspartame metabolizes in the body as <i>formaldehyde</i> (the chemical used to embalm corpses), a powerful toxin which then accumulates in the body because it is difficult to remove from cells. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">how formaldehyde damages human DNA, leading to cancer and other degenerative brain diseases, <i>especially in females.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that methanol (aka wood alcohol), which is highly toxic to humans, tends to accumulate in fat tissue; <i>the brain is 60% fat.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that phenylalanine, though naturally occurring, becomes a dangerous brain toxin at high levels. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that a pregnant woman should NEVER ingest aspartame. Her inability to normally metabolize phenylalanine puts her unborn child at risk for <i>mental retardation, seizures, and behavioral problems</i> due to the interference with proper brain development. If she is also a carrier of the PKU gene, ingesting aspartame puts her baby at enormous risk for these problems as well as<i> life-long immune system deficiencies related to aspartame toxicity in a developing thymus gland.</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">how one in fifty people in the U.S. carry the gene for phenylketonuria, whether they show signs of the disorder or not. Ingesting aspartame will cause their blood phenylalanine levels to rise at least twice as high as a normal person’s and often many times more. <i>These 20 million PKU gene carriers are therefore highly susceptible to the effects of aspartame toxicity and even death,</i> because they lack the critical enzyme needed to metabolize phenylalanine. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that by 1987 the food industry was adding 8,000 tons of aspartame to food products.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that the segment of our population most at risk for aspartame toxicity is the part that consumes the most of it: women, young children, babies and the unborn, through the mother’s consumption.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">how to de-toxify your body from aspartame after you stop consuming it. Dr. Blaylock provides specific recommendations.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /> The above-listed points should be enough to convince anyone that aspartame is indeed a deadly poison and should be avoided at all costs. But if you are still not persuaded, then please do yourself and your family a huge favor and spend the ten bucks for a copy of Dr. Blaylock’s lecture. He elaborates quite a bit more on the science of it all. I urge you to educate yourself and the people you love on the dangers of this widely used food additive. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <a href="http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/" target="_blank">Order Dr. Blaylock's lecture here.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Click on the Audio & Video tab; cd or mp3 download via iTunes.<br /><br /><br /><i>Article © 2014 by Lynn DeShazo. Please copy and share as often as you like!</i></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-26642233353129488332013-12-17T17:10:00.000-06:002013-12-17T17:25:54.594-06:00Repairing Santa <span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I am a notorious non-decorator at Christmas time. Almost all the neighbors around me put up respectable house decorations each year. I, however, usually contribute nothing to the outdoor Christmas-themed decor; it’s just not my thing. I keep promising myself to at least find a decent holiday wreath <span style="font-size: large;">for the <span style="font-size: large;">front</span></span> door, but the Christmases come and go and still no wreathe. Until this year, that is. <br /><br /> I found a couple of small Santa Claus wreathes at a clearance sale last year, along with the usual gift-wrapping supplies I pick up. So when I found the wreathes again last week, I realized, “HEY! I can put one of these on the front door!” My neighbors will finally believe that I’m not a total Scrooge when it comes to celebrating the Christmas holiday<span style="font-size: large;">s</span>.” My reputation was saved<span style="font-size: large;">!</span><br /><br /> Last night, however, I opened my front door to a disturbing sight. Lying at the threshold were two tiny arms and an assortment of tiny pine cones. Even that ball of fluff thingy from the end of Santa’s cap was lying among the carnage. “Oh, no!” I gasped. “A wild critter has attacked my Santa Claus wreathe!” I thought about that scenario for a minute, and realized that a marauding raccoon or a squirrel was probably not the reason my wreathe-Santa was now armless. I have a glass storm door in place, so the wreathe had plenty of protection from wildlife. Not from the sun, however. The exposure of my house assures plenty of afternoon sun bearing down on the front door. Even in December, the door handle can heat up hot enough to force you to turn it gingerly. Apparently, it can also melt the glue holding on fabric Santa arms and decorative pine cones to a wreathe.<br /><br /> I left the armless Santa wreathe on the door overnight, but brought him in this morning for repairs; he graced my door for two whole days. Both Santa and my Scrooge reputation are in desperate need of a glue gun!</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-5265624870208511292013-12-10T11:27:00.000-06:002013-12-10T11:27:33.747-06:00Dear Sally - Where Do I Start...! (5 of 7)<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> <i>I have been corresponding with a Florida inmate who <span style="font-size: large;">happens be a M<span style="font-size: large;">ormon. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I starting posting <span style="font-size: large;">excerpts from <span style="font-size: large;">my letters</span></span></span> with<span style="font-size: large;"> "Dear Sally (Pt. 1)" and it <span style="font-size: large;">has</span> turn<span style="font-size: large;">ed</span> into a<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> tempor<span style="font-size: large;">ary</span></span> ob<span style="font-size: large;">session o<span style="font-size: large;">f <span style="font-size: large;">sorts. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span>f you<span style="font-size: large;"> need a b<span style="font-size: large;">it of an education on Mormon belief, you might find these posts helpful. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span><i><br /></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Dear Sally: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> I kept your remarks on the Mormonism article to follow up on. If we both were on the same page about what is the final authority - the Bible or the Book or Mormon - it would be easier to have a conversation. But we aren’t. I simply cannot accept that the BofM is more reliable than the Bible. If the BofM it has any ring of truth to it, it is only because of what has been directly borrowed from the Bible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> There is no virtue in criticizing someone’s belief just for the sake of an argument. If you were raised in a Mormon family, it is only natural that you would have been brought up to believe in the teachings of Joseph Smith. They are, to Mormons at least, “true doctrine.” I also see that a doctrinal debate between two persons of opposing viewpoints is usually pretty futile. That’s because although our “lingo” is very similar (Mormons even call themselves the Church of <i>Jesus Christ</i> of LDS), Christian and Mormon doctrines don’t agree AT ALL on who God is <span style="font-size: large;">and</span> consequently who Jesus Christ is, for that matter. I do acknowledge, however, that there are many Mormons who sincerely love Jesus Christ. It is tragic to me how badly Joseph Smith has muddied the waters for his followers who truly want to serve the Lord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />
I am doing some reading on LDS.org and Mormon.org and the more I read the more incredulous I become. Joseph Smith claims to have restored the true faith. Yet even a limited examination of his teaching when compared to the Bible reveals not a restored faith, but <i>an entirely new belief system </i>based on a heavy amount of proof-texting from the Bible and his own very fertile imagination. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /> His “plan of salvation” begins with a belief in a pre-mortal existence, that “Heavenly Father” (referred to by me as Mormon-God) had spirit-children with a god-mother, and that everyone’s life began in heaven with God. Mormon-God, that is. Then Mormon-God thinks to himself, “Hmmm...these spirit-kids of mine are not making any spiritual progress up here at all in heaven with me. What they need is some experience. I know! I’ll give ‘em all bodies, starting with Adam and Eve, and I’ll even erase the memories of their pre-mortal lives. By the time they get through living an earthly life, they’ll have had enough experience with sin, suffering, he<span style="font-size: large;">artache, </span>and death to really improve a lot!” The following actually appears at Mormon.org:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>“If they hadn’t eaten the forbidden fruit, they would have lived like that forever and never had children. Mankind never would have been born or the world populated.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />Apparently, Eve’s good looks and God’s instruction to Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:27-28) wasn’t nearly enough. Succumbing to temptation and sin was also a requirement, according to Joseph Smith. Mormon.org goes on about Adam and Eve:
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> <br /><i>“They became mortal—just as we are—subject to sin, disease, all types of suffering, and ultimately death. But it wasn’t all bad because they could now feel great joy. ‘Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.’ (2 Nephi 2:25)”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />Wow. What a plan - Adam and Eve fell so I could have joy! Zippity doo DAH! There is so much wrong here, I don't know where to start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>To be continued...</i> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-21102614446761979702013-12-05T20:26:00.000-06:002013-12-10T17:37:59.621-06:00Oh, Them Golden Plates!<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>I've been corresponding with a prison inmate <span style="font-size: large;">who happens to be</span> a Mormon<span style="font-size: large;">. So</span> I've spent time investigating some of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Some of my findings turn into blog posts, and here's the latest one. </i><br /><br /> Anyone considering the claims of Mormonism needs to take a careful look at the account of the gold plates that were supposedly translated into the Book of Mormon. This book is the founding document on which the entire religion rests. Mormons believe the BofM and their other principle books of doctrine to be more reliable than the Bible.<br /><br /> Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, purported to have a number of visions in his youth that ultimately led to the formation of his new religion. One of them concerned the discovery of gold plates on the Hill Cumorah (near Palmyra, NY) that when translated contained the Book of Mormon. Here is his account, in part, of that vision:<br /><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>“While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than noonday, when immediately a Personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>"He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness..."<br /> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>"He called me by name and said unto me that he was a messenger of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do..."<br /><br /> "He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent...”</i><br /><br /> According to Smith, he was not permitted to dig up the gold plates immediately. He claimed to have received other messages over the next three years from this same “personage,” including instructions about the treasure he would find buried, and also about the woman he would marry. Smith, who was from western New York, dated Emma Hale of Pennsylvania against her father’s wishes. After returning to New York in the fall of 1826, he again visited the Hill Cumorah (known locally now as Mormon Hill) and was told he could go ahead and dig up the gold plates, as long as he “brot with him the right person.” That turned out to be Emma Hale, of course<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> <span style="font-size: large;">S</span>o back to Pennsylvania he went, where he proposed to Emma. They promptly eloped without the consent of her parents. Smith would have been 21 years old at the time of that “revelation.”<br /><br /> Back in New York, the Smiths proceeded to dig up the plates one night in the early autumn of 1827. <span style="font-size: large;">O</span>ne <i>night</i>, as in “the better to fool you, my dear<span style="font-size: large;">,</span>” in my opinion. Amazingly, Joseph also dug up a special pair of eye glasses by which he was able to read the inscriptions on the plates. He called these eye glasses the Urim and Thummim, which <span style="font-size: large;">should</span> not be confused with the biblical Urim and Thummim. <i>(See Exodus 28:30)</i> <br /><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">B</span>iogr<span style="font-size: large;">aphers report that a</span></span></span> great deal of the Smith’s early marriage revolved around getting the plates translated. Even with the special glasses and then later a small divining stone, the work of translation was a tedious affair. Smith was a poor writer, so Emma often sat for hours writing the messages Joseph dictated to her “with his face buried in his hat, which had the stone in it.” Who performs serious translation work with their face covered by a hat, for Pete’s sake? I think he buried his face in it to to hide how hard he was laughing to himself over the con job he was pulling off! Fawn Brodie writes, “Perhaps in the beginning Joseph never intended his stories of the golden plates to be taken so seriously, but once the masquerade had begun, there was no point at which he could call a halt. Since his own family believed him (with the possible exception of his cynical younger brother William), why should not the whole world?” <i>(Brodie, <u>No Man Knows My History</u>, 40). </i><br /><br /> Although Emma was with her husband the night he dug up the gold plates<span style="font-size: large;"> (</span>or whatever he previously buried in secret<span style="font-size: large;">)</span> Emma would relate that she never actually laid eyes on them. Even after they were brought back to their home she “never felt at liberty to look at them.” <i>Really?</i> What normal woman is <i>not </i>going to at least take a peak at a mysterious set of gold plates stored in her home? That just doesn’t seem likely, to me. Not only that, these plates were treated rather casually by Joseph Smith in light of their supernatural origin. According to Emma, “they lay in a box under our bed for months” and sometimes were kept on a living room table “wrapped in a small linen table cloth,” which she had to move each time she dusted the table. Try and imagine Moses’ wife moving the Ten Commandments around so she can straighten up the tent, and you see the absurdity <span style="font-size: large;">here</span>!<br /><br /> Joseph even lent his only copy of the initial translation to a friend and benefactor, Martin Harris, who proceeded to lose it. So poor ol’ Joseph had to start his translation all over again, only this time the angel Moroni explained <i>“he was not to re-translate the same material but use a second account to avoid being trapped by inconsistencies.”</i> Right. This is clearly how Joseph Smith covered his backside about coming up with a different version of his translation, since he probably couldn’t remember what he fabricated the first time around. <br /><br /> Predictably, Joseph Smith’s closest associates (Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, aka the Three Witnesses) began to press him for the privilege of actually seeing the fabulous gold plates for themselves. What’s a false prophet to do? Smith actually needed confirming witnesses to corroborate his story, so he conveniently receive<span style="font-size: large;">d</span> a new revelation for them: <br /><br /> <i>“You shall testify that you have seen them, even as my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., has seen them, for it is by my power that he has seen them, and it is because he had faith.”</i><br /><br />Needless to say, Smith never showed them any plates. The testimony of the Three Witnesses became that while they were <i>“in the woods,”</i> the usual location for early Mormon visions, the plates were shown to them <i>“by the power of God and not of man.”</i> Also that <i>“an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon.”</i> (This is rather like the spiel given to adventurers who travel to Ethiopia in hopes of seeing the Ark of the Covenant. They pay their money only to be told by its custodians, “if you’re suppose to see it, you’ll see it.”) I can imagine what probably went through the minds of these three men. They were all told by their prophet buddy that God was about to privilege them with a supernatural vision of the plates and they were expected to testify to it. Who among them was ever going to admit to the others, “I don’t see a dang thing!” A certain fairy tale comes to mind. Altogether now: “The Emperor has no clothes!” <br /><br /> So whatever became of these famous gold plates? Surely something so important to “the restored Gospel” would be safely secured as proof to Joseph Smith’s critics. Not surprisingly, they are nowhere to be found. The official Mormon position is that some time after the Three Witnesses claimed to have also seen them, Joseph Smith returned the plates to the custody of the angel Baloney... uh, Moroni. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"> The ruse <span style="font-size: large;">is</span> pretty obvious<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> Jos<span style="font-size: large;">eph </span>Smith's <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">gold plates</span></span> only existed in his very fertile imagination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>Source: <u>Another Gospel</u>, © 1989 Ruth A. Tucker, Academie Books (Zondervan).</i><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-14841869307162207352013-12-03T16:48:00.000-06:002013-12-03T16:48:01.277-06:00The Post-Iron Bowl Worship Service<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Leading worship was a tough assignment for me last Sunday. In addition to the early service which I normally lead, I also had the main service. Our pastor and staff worship leader left town for the holidays and only “the remnant” remained to carry on. Leading the second service is, for me, a lot like being a substitute teacher - it has it challenges. This week had more challenges than usual, however. Not only was it the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day - that American holiday typically given to eating way too much of everything in sight - it was also the day after the state’s much anticipated annual Iron Bowl. The Iron Bowl, in case you don’t know, is the name given to one of the best and longest rivalries in college football between the University of Alabama and my alma mater, Auburn University. <br /><br /> Unless you’re living in another galaxy, you’ve probably heard by now about the Auburn Tigers’ astonishing 34-28 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in what was truly one of most amazing finishes to a football game every witnessed. I estimate that the last play of that nail-biter has been re-broadcast on some type of media about a gazillion times since Saturday night. Auburn’s Chris Davis returned Alabama’s missed field goal attempt for 109 yards to win the game in <i>literally</i> the last second. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>Wat<span style="font-size: large;">ch here:</span></i> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GKmkD1pUG0" target="_blank">Auburn's Chris Davis returns 109 yards for the win</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Thus the 2013 Iron Bowl has been duly chronicled in Auburn football history as one of the greatest moments ever for Auburn fans everywhere. War Eagle! But it also goes down as one of the toughest losses ever for Alabama fans, and in a state that practically worships at the altar of college football, what happens on a Saturday in late November can put a real damper on Sunday’s worship service.<br /><br /> “Awww, Christians don’t let footballs games affect their praise, do they?” The heck they don’t! And the more emotional investment we put in the game’s outcome, the more difference it seems to make. I observed this phenomena first-hand some years ago as a worship leader for a campus ministry based at the University of Michigan. On the Sundays following a win for the Wolverines, the praise <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">arose</span> easily and enthusiastically</span>. Our congregation, which consisted mostly of college students and young professionals, needed little exhortation to “make a joyful noise.” The Sunday after a loss, however, was another story. Our folks had worn themselves out whooping and hollering for the maize and blue, and the “agony of defeat” had exhausted their energy. They just didn’t have much “oomph” left the next day for their sacrifice of praise.<br /><br /> I don’t fault anyone for this ten<span style="font-size: large;">dency</span>, by the way. We Christian sports lovers are, after all, just as human as any other fans. We all tend to crash and burn emotionally in the aftermath of a defeat or loss of any kind, and especially if we’re immature spiritually and/or emotionally. As we grow in Christ, we learn how to separate our emotional ups and downs from our service of worship more readily. As a worship leader I’ve had to learn to recognize where people are as a congregation, emotionally speaking. Hopefully I have the wisdom these days to <span style="font-size: large;">help people <span style="font-size: large;">stir themselves spiritually but </span></span>not to “pump the praise” beyond authenticity. You simply can’t take people where they don’t want to go. So sometimes you exhort and and other times you abort, because if it ain’t flowing, it just ain’t flowing! <br /><br /> So what happened in our local house of worship last Sunday? Mostly we worshiped genuinely, I think, though there did seem to be that “too much food and football” cloud hovering about. I’m sure it helped that I didn’t wear orange and blue, nor open the service with “Well, praise the Lord and War Eagle! In fact, I didn’t say a word about Auburn’s win, because you never know who is going to take offense at even good-natured kidding over an Iron Bowl loss in these here parts! <br /> <br /> It’s probably a good thing our pastor is from Ohio. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-79391818591541873992013-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:002013-12-10T11:28:00.032-06:00Dear Sally - A Critical Difference (7 of 7)<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i><span style="font-size: large;">Continued from t<span style="font-size: large;">he previous post, "Man <span style="font-size: large;">With the S<span style="font-size: large;">ketchy Plan<span style="font-size: large;">."</span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span><i><br /></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dear Sally:</span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
I see a critical difference - in Mormonism, a man was exalted to become
a god. Supposedly, that god had a son called Jesus, who became our
savior. But Christian faith has always taught that God humbled Himself
to become a man. We know that Man as Jesus Christ, and that’s whom we
trust as our Savior and follow as our Lord.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
The Jesus of the Bible is God Himself, in human form. He was conceived
in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit in a miracle known in Christian
tradition as the Incarnation. None of us comprehend it, but all of us
marvel at the thought that a holy God would humble Himself to become one
of us and thereby qualify to become our Redeemer. The Bible calls Him <i>Immanuel </i>- “God with us:”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />From Matthew 1:<br /><i>18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, <u>before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit</u>.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make
her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while
he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take
to you Mary your wife, for <u>that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit</u>. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name
Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”<br />22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “<u>Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son</u>, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i><br />The prophet referred to by Matthew’s Gospel is the prophet Isaiah, whose book is found in the Old Testament:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><i>14 Therefore
the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Is. 7:14)</i><br /><br />So
Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and truly human. He is God’s “only
begotten Son,” meaning unique in essence. There will never be another
son like God the Son because....drum roll please.... <span style="font-size: large;">THE</span> SON IS GOD!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> Why is that an important distinction? Because the Son of God was, unlike the rest of us, the only One who ever pre-existed <u><i>with </i>and <i>as</i> God</u> -<i> if Joseph Smith had actually had a visitation from God as he claims, he would have seen ONE person, not two. </i>The
Jesus of the Bible was completely without sin, and therefore uniquely
qualified to offer His life on the Cross for our sins. That is why John
the Baptist said of Him, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world.” It was the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the Cross
that atones for our sins, something which anyone may appropriate by
genuine repentance and faith. I realize that Mormons believe in the
atoning work of Jesus Christ, but he cannot be the same Jesus that
Christians follow, if he was “begotten” of an exalted man! <i>A savior who came from a man who claims to be God is not the biblical Savior. </i></span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-35501332845825143442013-11-08T06:00:00.000-06:002013-12-10T11:27:44.583-06:00Dear Sally - The Man With the Sketchy Plan (6 of 7)<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>Continued from t<span style="font-size: large;">he previous post, "Where Do I S<span style="font-size: large;">tart...!"</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dear Sally:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">We could wrangle over the differences between Christianity and Mormonism for a long, long time - there’s a lot of them. The point that really matters, however, boils down to this one: Joseph Smith taught his followers that Jesus was a son of God, just as anybody else (including angels) is a son of God. They do point out, however, that they believe Jesus is “the literal, only begotten son in the flesh.” <span style="font-size: large;">Since Smith taught that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man,” that can only mean one thing: Mormon-God (aka “Elohim”) had physical, sexual relations with Mary. Mormon-Jesus is “only begotten” because apparently that’s the only son Mormon-God produced that way. That would make Mormon-God <i>an adulter</i><i>er</i>, by the way, since he is supposedly already has a spirit-wife in heaven. If LDS teaching is “true doctrine,” as you claim it is, then the Jesus of the Book of Mormon is clearly not the Jesus of the Bible - <i>he’s the product of an alien abduction!</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> </i><br /> This heretical teaching is directly contrary to the Bible which states that the Holy Spirit would overshadow Mary: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /><i>35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />Jesus Christ was not conceived by a physical union! Mormon doctrine reduces Jesus to being just a son of God (“HF”), like Brigham Young or Donnie Osmond or even Satan, whom Mormons maintain is the spirit-brother of Mormon-Jesus. Again, here’s how Joseph Smith stated his “revelation:”
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
God used to be a man on another planet, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, vol. 5, p. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 345; Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333).</span></span></i><br />
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So it would appear that Mormon-God (“HF”) was once a man on some other planet who managed to reach an exalted state that qualified him to be god (an exalted man) of planet earth. Right. Where do I <span style="font-size: large;">even begin to un<span style="font-size: large;">tangle</span> t<span style="font-size: large;">his rat's nest of error!</span></span> Actually,<i> blasphemy</i> would be a good place to start because for a man - "exalted" or not - to take for himself the titles reserved for the God of the Bible is to <i>blaspheme</i>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> The way I see it, if Mormon-God was once a man, “as we are now,” then he is under the same curse of sin that Adam and Eve came under when they sinned in the Garden of Eden. That means Mormon-God is a sinner and incapable of doing anything at all to help me spiritually. Yet Joseph Smith would have me believe that Mormon-God reached some type of “exalted state” to become a god and rule his own planet, which I assume is our earth. Somehow Mormon-God pulled himself up by his bootstraps to overcome his sinful state and redeem himself, since he’s a god and all. Or maybe Mormon-Jesus died for the sins of “Heavenly Father” since, as Smith claims, “he was once a man as we are now?” Maybe Mormon-Jesus has been engaging in interplanetary travel and was crucified for sins on each planet, including HF’s old planet. Maybe Mormon-God was from a planet with no sin problem. That would have put him on the fast-track to "exaltation," no question! And now in his “exalted man/god-ness” Mormon-God (HF) is supposed to be able to help me. <i>How?</i> And to do <i>what -</i> work, work, work toward god-ness of my own? How utterly exhausting, not to mention impossible!
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> So just how did Mormon-God became “an exalted man,” anyway? And if somehow reaching an “exalted state” is the pinnacle of Mormon-God’s plan of salvation, what does that mean for the folks who don't quite cut the mustard? What if you die before you get married or before accumulating enough merit to reach an “exalted state?” Will you be assigned to parking cars or waiting on tables on some other spiritually successful Mormon’s planet? And just how are you supposed to know when your “exalted state” is secured? Joseph Smith’s “plan of salvation” seems awfully sketchy to me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>To be continued...</i></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-48451345497083376262013-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:002013-12-10T11:27:18.650-06:00Dear Sally - "I Ain't Got No Body:" Pre-mortal Existence (4 of 7)<i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">An excerpt from my pen-pal correspondence with a <span style="font-size: large;">prison </span>in<span style="font-size: large;">mate<span style="font-size: large;">, who <span style="font-size: large;">happens to be</span> Morm<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">o</span>n. LDS stands for Latter Day Saints. This is a continuation from the previous<span style="font-size: large;"> post.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> </span></span></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>LDS references (at LDS.org) from the Bible regarding Pre-mortal Existence</u>:<br /><br />1. When God laid the foundations of the earth, all the sons of God shouted for joy: Job 38:4–7</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the context:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?<br />Tell Me, if you have understanding.<br />5 Who determined its measurements?<br />Surely you know!<br />Or who stretched the line upon it?<br />6 To what were its foundations fastened?<br />Or who laid its cornerstone,<br />7 When the morning stars sang together,<br />And all the sons of God shouted for joy?</i><br /><br />God is actually rebuking Job: “OK wise-guy, if you know so much, then <i>where were you</i> when I created the earth you’re living on? The obvious answer is, Job didn’t exist yet. So this verse is has been taken out of context by Joseph Smith. <br /><br />The reference to “sons of God” is widely understood by Jews and Christians to mean the angels in heaven who, being created beings themselves, were present with God at the Creation. Genesis 6 even recounts how the “sons of God” co-habited with the “daughters of men.” Again, these “sons of God” are not disembodied human spirits, but are fallen (in this case) angelic beings.<br /><br />2. The spirit shall return unto God who gave it: Ecclesiastes 12:7</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the context:<br /><i>6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,<br />Or the golden bowl is broken,<br />Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,<br />Or the wheel broken at the well.<br />7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,<br />And the spirit will return to God who gave it.</i><br /><br />Yes, God is the creator of the human spirit. Upon death, our bodies return to the earth without our spirits - they go home to God, because, as believers, we belong to Him and heaven is where He is. The spirits of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to redeem them from the power and penalty of sin will go home to the Father, for “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (II Cor. 5:8). I don’t see how LDS can use this text as the basis of a pre-mortal existence, however.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />In heaven, we will not be disembodied spirits floating around on a cloud. We will have glorified bodies just like our Lord Jesus. Bodies are pretty special to God - when Jesus came to earth the first time, through the womb of Mary, He came in a BODY. Christians believe in the<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>resurrection of the physical body, which will have been glorified, as is Christ’s physical body. That is a component of our ultimate victory over death. (I Cor. 15:52-54)<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee: Jeremiah 1:5</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the context:<i><br />5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i><br />God is speaking to the ministry He had determined for the young prophet, even before Jeremiah was born. God is not bound by time or space. But we <i>are</i> - no body, no existence. Jeremiah would never have fulfilled his purpose without a BODY, and neither will you nor I. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. </span>We are all his offspring: Acts 17:28; <br /><br /><u>Look at the entire verse:</u><br /><i>28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’</i><br /><br />It was actually the pagan Greek poets who said, “for we are also His offspring.” This verse is from Paul’s sermon to the idol-worshiping Greeks. He quoted their poets because in every person there is the awareness that we exist because God created us. It is not, however, a supporting text that we had a pre-mortal existence. You can read the entire sermon in Acts 17:22-32. Verse 26 is revealing:<br /><br /> <i>And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />5. God chose us before the foundation of the world: Eph<span style="font-size: large;">. </span>1:3–4; <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's the context:<i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as <u>He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world</u>, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.</i><br /><br />True. We are chosen before the foundation of the world, but we are chosen IN HIM, that is, in Christ. <i>CHRIST is the point of this verse, not pre-mortal existence!</i> Again, God is not bound by time or space; He is omniscient (all-knowing). He has foreknowledge of everything and everyone. There is simply no support for a pre-mortal existence in this verse. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />6. We are to be in subjection to the Father of spirits: Hebrews 12:9</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Look at the context:<br /><i>6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”<br />7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?</i><br /><br />The context is, we should give God our heavenly Father at least the same obedience we gave our human fathers. A person who is not obedient is not a “son,” be they male or female. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is yet a</span>nother example of pr<span style="font-size: large;">oof-texting in support of pre-mortal existence.</span></span><br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">7. The Devil and his angels were cast out: Rev. 12:9; </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">H<span style="font-size: large;">ere's the <span style="font-size: large;">context:</span></span></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text Rev-12-7">And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, </span> <span class="text Rev-12-8" id="en-NKJV-30900"><sup class="versenum">8 </sup>but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. </span> <span class="text Rev-12-9" id="en-NKJV-30901"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>So
the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil
and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him.</span> </span></span></span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">First <span style="font-size: large;">of all....YEAH BABY! HALLELUJAH<span style="font-size: large;">!</span> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now back to the disc<span style="font-size: large;">ussion<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">P</span>eople are not fallen <i>angels</i><span style="font-size: large;"> (fallen, yes, but<span style="font-size: large;"> as human<span style="font-size: large;">kind, not </span></span>as angelic beings)<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>hey were never cast out of heaven <i>as spirits</i><span style="font-size: large;">. </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">So how</span> is this verse a support for the <i>pre-mortal</i> existence of humans?</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-21405821681210586722013-10-18T14:34:00.000-05:002013-12-10T11:27:02.505-06:00Dear Sally - About that Joseph Smith Guy...(3 of 7)<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <i>An exce<span style="font-size: large;">rpt from <span style="font-size: large;">my letter to <span style="font-size: large;">an incarcerated pen-pal<span style="font-size: large;">, modif<span style="font-size: large;">ied for this post.</span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear S<span style="font-size: large;">ally,</span> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Thank you for the “rebuttal” on the “What Mormons Teach” article. I think I have ten years worth of correspondence from your LDS materials. I realized, by the way, that <span style="font-size: large;">the arti<span style="font-size: large;">cle</span></span> would probably be offensive. I didn’t send it for the purpose of offending you, but sometimes <span style="font-size: large;">offenses</span> can’t be helped. (Can you accept that I care enough about you to speak about it? ) I think that Mormons will always have this challenge of being offen<span style="font-size: large;">ded </span>because Joseph Smith himself seems to have assured continual offenses to Mormon sensibilities right from the start of his new religion. His testimony states that he:<br /><br /> “retired to the woods...on a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty.” His purpose was to “inquire of the Lord... which of all the sects was right.” He “kneeled down” and “was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame” him. “Thick darkness gathered around” and then a “pillar of light” appeared over his head “above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon” him. It<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>was then that he saw “two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description.” One of the “personages” then called him “by name and said, pointing to the other - This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him!” <i>(source: Another Gos<span style="font-size: large;">pel, <span style="font-size: large;">© 1989 </span>Ruth A. <span style="font-size: large;">Tucker, Academie Books, <span style="font-size: large;">Zondervan.)</span></span></span></i><br /><br />At any rate, when he asked the question on his mind, “which of all the sects was right” and “which should I join?” The answer came back, “they were all wrong.” Interesting. His own father and grandfather used to say the same thing quite frequently, being both opposed and disdainful of “organized religion,” according to his biographers. I imagine Joseph Smith heard “they’re all wrong” a lot as he grew up. It’s really too bad Dale Carnegie wasn’t around yet - young Joseph could have<span style="font-size: large;"> used</span> one of those classes in “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” I’m pretty sure that announcing, <i>“Hey! Jesus <span style="font-size: large;">h</span>imself told me that you guys got it all wrong!”</i> is not exactly the best way to win people to your spiritual viewpoint.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">S</span>ince you quoted from Psalm 139 in regard to the Mormon doctrine of pre-mortal existence, I thought I would investigate. So here is what that <span style="font-size: large;">Bible</span> says:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><i>Psalm 139:13-16 NKJV <br />13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>When as yet there were none of them.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />There is no mention here of a heavenly pre-existence for the psalmist; the references are to being formed in the womb, a very earthly process. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Christians believe Jesus Christ was pre-existent, but not human beings. Some Christian churches have a doctrinal position on it and some don’t. Is there a problem with believing in a pre-mortal existence? Perhaps not<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>(<span style="font-size: large;">it's not c<span style="font-size: large;">lear to me</span></span> why Joseph Smith made such a big deal out of it). But it sure leads to some strange doctrinal positions by the LDS - like the reason we ended up on earth with bodies was to accomplish the growth we couldn’t attain to as disembodied spirits in heaven. This is something apparently required by the LDS for “exalted god-ness.” More on that later. <span style="font-size: large;">Evidently, </span>Joseph Smith was great at proof-texting, but <i>terrible</i> as a<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Bible scholar.<br /><br /><i>Next insta<span style="font-size: large;">llment: </span><br />LDS references </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>(from LDS.org)</i></span></span> from the Bible supposedly supporting Pre-mortal Existence<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></i></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-73799132455366852872013-09-27T18:18:00.000-05:002013-12-10T11:26:41.588-06:00Dear Sally... (2 of 7)<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Picks up where Part 1 left off:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">8. “The fact
that there is no reference to a mother in heaven either in the Bible,
Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants, is not sufficient proof that
no such thing as a mother did not exist there” (Answers to Gospel
Questions, Joseph Smith, Jr., p. 143).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally,
Jesus always referred to God as “the Father.” There is no separate
god-mother in heaven. God Himself knows how to bring forth life and how
to nurture His children. One of His names is El-Shaddai, which means
“many-breasted, or all sufficient One.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />9.
Jesus was the “Firstborn” of the Sovereign’s offsprings. Lucifer, his
brother, was the second born in the morning of pre-existence, and the
rest of human beings followed in this pre-mortal existence. “We are all
the spiritual children of heavenly parents.” (Eternal Marriage Student
Manual, p. 259).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Again,
Satan is not equal to Jesus in any way. He is NOT the spirit brother of
Jesus Christ. The only heavenly parents any of us have is God the
Father. Although, I will say that anyone’s parents who died as believers
in Christ are certainly in heaven now.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />10. “The child to be born to Mary was begotten by Elohim (God).”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Specifically, the Holy Spirit:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>18 This
is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was
pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was
found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 1:18 NIV)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />11. This is called “celestial Sireship.” (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 23)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />12.
The Church teaches there is an after life when righteous spirits carry
the message of salvation to wicked spirits in hell and co-mingle. At
this point those wicked spirits can repent and be freed. (Preparation
for Exaltation, p. 36).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally,
there is no chance for repentance in hell, nor will there be any
“co-mingling” of the righteous and the wicked in hell. Jesus told the
story of a rich man who died and ended up in hell. He begged for Abraham
to send the poor beggar Lazarus to him to comfort him in hell, but God
would not allow it:</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>22 “The time came when the beggar died and
the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and
was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and
saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him,
‘Father<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of
his finger in water and cool<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>my tongue, because I am in agony in
this fire.’</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your
lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad
things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And
besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in
place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can
anyone cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:19-31)</i><br /><br />13.
The Church teaches the Father in heaven was once a man as we are now,
capable of physical death. He progressed through stages to reach the
stage of “exaltation of godhood.” Humans have the power to reach
godhood. When we become gods we will have jurisdiction over worlds that
will be peopled by our offsprings. (Achieving a Celestial Marriage, p.
132).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally,
the Bible does not teach that. Again, God the Father is not a man. He
is not a created being. In the miracle of Incarnation, God took on human
flesh in the person of Jesus, the Son of God, and as a man did
experience physical death for the purpose of our salvation. And He was
raised from the dead so that we, too, might have resurrection life.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i> <br />Since
God has always been God, He never progressed through any stages to
reach “exaltation of godhood.” And men will never become gods. Men and
women who follow Christ in this life will, however, reign with Christ
for 1,000 years when He comes again, and for eternity. That is is great
hope of redemption - what was lost to Adam and Eve in the garden has
been redeemed by Jesus Christ, and He will make all things new! Does
this involve getting your own planet? I can’t say. But it absolutely
refers to taking dominion once again over a restored earth, the place
God put mankind to begin with.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />14.
The Church holds that “Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee,
that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat
children” (Orson Hyde (apostle) The Judgments of God on the United
States, (March 15, 1855) in Journal of Discourses, p. 210).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally,
the Bible does not teach that Jesus was ever married on earth. He
attended a wedding at Cana, but it wasn’t His own. And He never begat
children. There are Gnostic gospels (false) that have taught that for
centuries, but it is a complete falsehood. Christ will marry His Bride,
the Church, at the culmination of history, at His 2nd appearing.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i> 6 Then
I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing
waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah!
For
our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give
him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has
made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to
wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
(Revelation 19:6-8 NIV)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />15.
Joseph Smith, Jr. taught The Book of Mormon is more reliable than the
Bible, (History of the Church, p. 4:461). It advocates that if it had
not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no
salvation. There is no salvation outside the church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, (Mormon Doctrine, p.670).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally,
this is just a ridiculous statement and a chief reason that Christians
reject Mormonism. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the sole author
of our salvation. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> 12 Salvation
is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NIV)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>So
you see, Sally, “Joseph Smith” cannot offer anyone salvation; only
Jesus Christ can do that. He has not “restored”any truth at all. To
the contrary, he has perverted it.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />16.
Mormonism teaches persons can be baptized for the dead. This is
required for the persons ultimate salvation. If it is man’s part in
salvation that means that what Jesus did on the cross is incomplete and
has to be completed by man, and is completed by baptism. Again I say
that indicates what Jesus did on the cross was incomplete. The Bible
teaches contrary to that. Salvation is by the blood of Jesus not the
water of man.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />"Bottom
line: they believe Jesus is the son of God, but they do not believe
Jesus is God the Son. They believe Jesus was <span style="font-size: large;">'</span>a<span style="font-size: large;">'</span> son of God just as they
conceive all human beings to be."</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>Dr.
Nelson is Pastor Emeritus, Roswell Street Baptist Church · Former
Pastor, Oak Park Baptist Church New Orleans, Louisiana. You can find Dr.
Price’s complete article here:<a href="http://www.nelsonprice.com/what-does-the-mormon-church-church-of-latter-day-saints-church-teach/" target="_blank">http://www.nelsonprice.com/what-does-the-mormon-church-church-of-latter-day-saints-church-teach/</a></i></span> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-16124015668271289752013-09-27T15:36:00.001-05:002013-12-10T11:26:31.675-06:00Dear Sally... (1 of 7)<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I’ve been corresponding with a incarcerated woman for almost a year now. She read one of my books compliments of the prison library, found my address, and wrote to me. She asked if I might be willing to write back, and I said I would. So we’ve been trading letters since last fall. When I hear from Sally (not her real name) I usually get an update on her latest round of legal filings, her frustrations and troubles with other prisoners and staffers, and her hopes for the future. She would like to write a book one day about her experiences. I hope she does. If only half of what she says is true, her experience with the State of Florida’s justice system would make a great script for one of those Lifetime Channel movies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /> When I write to Sally, it’s usually about ordinary things, and hopefully something she is actually interested in hearing about. If I have an interesting newsletter or some really good jokes, I send them along, too, always being careful to limit my pages to the restricted amount. I try to include an encouraging Scripture or two in my letters, also. And I never staple or paper-clip anything together when I mail a letter to Sally. It is harder to get things into prison than you might think - I had an envelope returned to me once because of the metal clasp attached to it. Apparently, inmates can do extraordinary things with tiny metal envelope clasps. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /> I discovered early on that Sally is committed to her faith, drawing what encouragement she can from her Mormon church while she serves her time. She even sacrificed a good bit of postage to send me copy of an LDS magazine. It’s impressive to receive a gift of any kind from someone with so little. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /> Since Mormonism is quite different theologically from traditional Christianity, I wondered how I might respond. While searching out ideas on the internet, I found a very respectfully written blog article from a retired Baptist preacher, Dr. Nelson L. Price. I copied Dr. Nelson’s article to send along to my pen-pal, and included some notes of my own. Then I thought perhaps the readers of my own blog might appreciate a having a little knowledge of what Mormon doctrine teaches. So here follows a few items from Dr. Price’s research and article, along with my commentary to Sally, which appears in italics:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />"Members of the Church say they believe Jesus Christ is the Firstborn of God the Father. By that, what do they mean?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />1. They believe “We are sons and daughters of God, and we lived in a pre-mortal existence as His spirit children” (Doctrine and Covenants and Church History, [hereafter noted as “D&C”], p. 106).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally, the Bible teaches that God created man on the sixth day of creation. There was no pre-mortal existence: </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 2:27)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i> </i><br />2. “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).<br />God used to be a man on another planet, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, vol. 5, p. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 345; Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally, the Bible teaches that God the Father (YHWH) is not a man:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">19 God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill? (Nu. 23:19 NIV)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />It also teaches that Jesus, THE Son of God was fully human - the incarnation of God Himself, in human flesh: </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 1:18 NIV)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (I John 1:14 NIV)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />3. God the Father had a Father, (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 476; Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p. 19; Milton Hunter, First Council of the Seventy, Gospel through the Ages, p. 104-105).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally, the Bible does not teach that. God has always been and will always be. There was no one before Him, for He is the beginning and source of all good things. God as Father is not “begotten” of anyone. Jesus the Son is begotten of the Father, that is, Jesus is God’s unique Son. Through the new birth that Jesus offers, people become sons and daughters of God:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /> 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (I John 1:35-36 NIV)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. (I John 2:29 NIV)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (I John 3:1-3 NIV)</i><br /><br />4. There is a mother god, (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443). God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Again, the Bible does not teach that. The children of God are quite human, because we all descended from Adam and Eve, who are God’s creation. Adam received God’s breath of life (spirit) only after he had a body. Man never existed as merely a spirit prior to receiving a body.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />5. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 129). Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163; Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15). “Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones,” (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />6. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus “in the morning of pre-existence,” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 192). Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally: Satan, which means “adversary,” was a created angelic being once known as Lucifer. Jesus the Son is part of the Godhead and is not a spirit brother to a fallen angelic creature! It is blasphemy to give Satan the same stature as Jesus Christ.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br />7. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the Father. Jesus’ plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to “deny men their agency in order to dethrone God,” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /><i>Sally: Satan was the reason a plan of salvation was needed in the first place. He tempted Eve in the garden, she and Adam sinned, and it all went downhill from there. The idea that God would entertain a plan of salvation from the devil is just ridiculous! Satan is a thief, a liar, a deceiver, and a destroyer. This is what Jesus had to say about it:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">(continued in part 2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><i>Dr. Nelson is Pastor Emeritus, Roswell Street Baptist Church · Former Pastor, Oak Park Baptist Church New Orleans, Louisiana. You can find Dr. Price’s complete article here:<br /><a href="http://www.nelsonprice.com/what-does-the-mormon-church-church-of-latter-day-saints-church-teach/" target="_blank">http://www.nelsonprice.com/what-does-the-mormon-church-church-of-latter-day-saints-church-teach/</a></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-44318868932650892642013-06-27T18:14:00.001-05:002013-08-02T22:21:12.096-05:00Monk Was Right - It's A Jungle Out There!<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> One of my all-time favorite television programs is “Monk.” Adrian Monk, the character played by actor Tony Shalhoub, is a brilliant police detective who has been sidelined from the San Francisco Police Department over the issue of his obsessive-compulsive disorder. His psychiatric problems developed in the wake of the tragic loss of his beloved wife, Trudy. His whole world disintegrated with her death, and now he copes by trying to keep everything around him as clean and orderly as possible. Beyond possible, actually, which makes for some pretty hilarious antics as he consults on puzzling crimes for the SFPD.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Monk is very gifted as a crime-solver, but he is also a major hypochondriac and almost completely self-absorbed. He requires a full-time assistant to help him safely engage the contaminated and disorderly world around him. One of her main jobs is to keep him supplied with sanitary wipes because, as that great Randy Newman theme song declares, “it’s a jungle out there!” <br /><br />Newman sings, <br /> <i>People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time<br /> If you paid attention, you'd be worried too.<br /> You better pay attention or this world we love so much <br /> Might just kill you</i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=7j5Be5a86uA" target="_blank">Monk theme song, "It's A Jungle Out There" </a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /> Truthfully, I think Mr. Monk may be on to something, OCD or not. I’ve suspected for some time now that I really could no longer eat with the same reckless disregard for nutritional content and calories that I did when I was younger. So I started reading up on nutrition and healthy eating. I also found lots of interesting lectures and documentaries to watch on Youtube. And you know what? <span style="font-size: large;">Mr. </span>Monk was right - it’s a jungle out there!<br /><br /> Did you know, for example, that modern wheat is the crack cocaine of food? According to Dr. William Davis, author of <u>Wheat Belly</u>, we’re not eating the same wheat our grandparents did. Today’s version of wheat - which is found i<span style="font-size: large;">n</span> practically all processed foods now - is actually an appetite stimulant. Two slices of whole wheat bread, like the ones in your low-fat turkey sandwich, will raise your blood sugar higher than a Snickers bar. A SNICKERS BAR, FOR PETE’S SAKE! Come on! Like me, you’ve been eating whole wheat bread trying to be healthy. Only it turns out that this so-called “healthy whole wheat” is not so good for you. In fact, it’s probably the reason you’ve been packing on the pounds, no matter how much you exercise and pay attention to your diet. <br /><br /> Dr. Davis, a cardiologist, advised his diabetic-prone patients to try eliminating wheat from their diet. Those who complied began to report significant weight loss of 20 and 30 pounds or more in the first few months. Patients experienced plenty of other health benefits, too. Symptoms of acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome disappeared. Energy and focus improved. They slept better. Skin rashes cleared up. Rheumatoid arthritis pain improved. Asthma improved or disappeared entirely. His diabetic patients became non-diabetics primarily by eliminating a “healthy food,” namely wheat, from their diet. <br /><br /> Well, if we can't trust the wheat, <span style="font-size: large;">a</span>t least we can count on clean drinking water, right? Most American cities add fluoride to the public drinking water because it’s supposed to prevent tooth decay. However, according to research done by Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board certified neurosurgeon and wellness advocate, the early evidence did not show that adding fluoride to drinking water made any difference. In 1945, social engineers selected two Michigan test cities, Grand Rapids and Muskegon, to promote the idea of fluoridating the public’s drinking water. Grand Rapids got the fluoridation, Muskegon did not. Even before the testing was completed, it was gleefully announced that the amount of dental cavities in Grand Rapids had dropped 30 to 60%. What they didn’t bother to tell anyone, however, was that the results were similar in Muskegon, which did not get the fluoridated water. The decrease in cavities should have been attributed to the improved diet being enjoyed throughout the world at that time, not to water fluoridation. In fact, later testing has shown that fluoride is more likely to weaken dental enamel than to harden it. Not to mention that it accumulates in the body as a toxin. You know, like arsenic. <br /><br /> What we know today about about fluoridating water, per Dr. Blaylock, is that it <i>increases the cancer risk</i>. His estimate is that cancer rates are up by 10% since we started fluoridating water. Yet, incredibly, U.S. policy makers and governing bodies continue to insist that the public’s water must be fluoridated. Why? So our corpses won’t have any cavities? <br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=OiV45l4SBC4" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=OiV45l4SBC4" target="_blank">Fluoride’s Deadly Secret</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /> Cancer treatment options are yet another mine field <span style="font-size: large;">to be navigated by <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">too many of</span> us</span></span></span></span></span>.<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> If you should develop cancer, God forbid, you will only be advised in the United States about surgery, radiation and chemotherapy - and two of the three are carcinogenic, i.e. “cancer causing,” therapies. Does that seem to any one like the best approach? Cancer research fund raisers are all based on the appeal that if we pump enough money into research, scientists will eventually find a drug that will cure cancer once and for all. That would be outstanding, to be sure. Yet documented cancer cures have been available for over seventy-five years. If you don’t believe me, read about people like Dr. Max Gerson, who was healing terminal cancer and other diseases in Germany prior to Hitler’s rise to power and World War II. There’s Dr. Tullio Simoncini, an Italian oncologist who more recently observed that all cancer seems to originate from fungii (candida albicans). He had great success in the 1980s treating cancer by introducing a solution of inexpensive sodium bicarbonate (aka “baking soda”) directly into the area of a cancerous tumor. When he presented his findings, however, they were ignored by the Italian medical establishment. They even disbarred Dr. Simoncini from practicing medicine at that time, and he was practically laughed out of Italy. Why? For using “a therapy that hadn’t been approved by the authorities.” I bet he cured cancer on the sabbath, too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://cancerfungus.com/" target="_blank">Read about Dr. Simoncini’s work</a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Unfortunately, at least for drug companies, these inexpensive, natural cancer treatments can’t be patented and sold for huge profits. Let’s face it, treating cancer is a huge business. Where is any incentive, then, for conventional medical practitioners caught up in the machinations of the cancer industry to acknowledge and further develop the pioneering work of successful cancer healers? I’m afraid there is much more zeal in the corporate world to protect financial interests than there is to actually cure cancer.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=BTGye7kA6rM" target="_blank">Watch the documentary, "Cancer: The Forbidden Cures" </a></span><br /><br /> Wh<span style="font-size: large;">at a fine mess we're i<span style="font-size: large;">n<span style="font-size: large;">!</span> </span></span>Our wheat is addictive, our water is poisonous, and accepted cancer treatments are cancer causing. Just how is the average person supposed to navigate the treacherous path to a healthy lifestyle, given all the obstacles? Well, if you’re trying to lose weight, try losing the wheat. If you want safe drinking water, write your congressman - and switch to carrot juice. Pray that you and your loved ones never develop a life-threatening cancer. And do your level best to take good care of your earth suit, because Monk was right the whole time - it IS a jungle out there!<br /><br />Lynn DeShazo<br /> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-81522962286062599112013-03-21T13:17:00.001-05:002013-03-21T13:20:45.478-05:00Dust Flies When You're Having Fun<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I’m remodeling my kitchen. Well, it would be more accurate to say that I’m having my kitchen remodeled, meaning someone else is doing the heavy lifting. I am, however, doing plenty of work myself in the midst of the work being done. My task list includes:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Stuff Assessment</u> - Do I really need to keep all the stuff that I just moved out of the kitchen and family room? I mean, when is the last time I actually used the Tupperware orange rind scorer, and why am I hanging onto that Coca Cola bottle with the Chinese writing? It is kinda cool though. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Dust Duty</u> - Workmen come, do their work, and create a lot of dust in the process. Workmen leave at the end of the day, but the dust remains. I do my best to keep other rooms closed off while the crew is here, but the dust goes pretty much everywhere in the house. So when the last worker heads out, my shift begins. I sweep up a bit, vacuum, and otherwise trying to keep the chaos corralled as much as possible because I don’t leave at the end of the day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Stress Management</u> - I’m not into stress eating yet, but there are two bags of potato chips on standby. On a more healthful note, my friends and family have given me dining privileges in their homes or the pleasure of their company out somewhere. What a blessing it is to break bread in calmer, cleaner surroundings. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Comptroller</u> - A comptroller is the person who keeps tabs on income and expenditures for a business. I’ve got a great handle on the outgo part of this remodel, let me tell you. This American is doing her part to stimulate the local economy. It’s the income I’m a little concerned about. I may have to give serious thought to the “Kitchen Remodel Tour.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Despite all the dust, aggravation and expense that goes along with a house remodeling project, I truly love it. I don’t enjoy living in the midst of it so much, but I love watching the transformation as vision becomes reality. I find it very soul-satisfying to see the old and worn become new and beautiful again. Surely my personal sense of enjoyment must be a small reflection of the nature of God the Creator within me, His created one. The Lord Jesus was a builder by trade while He walked among us, you know. I imagine He enjoys a good remodeling project, especially one that makes a worn and sin-weary life new again through the miracle of the new birth. And then there’s those ongoing sanctification “updates” the Holy Spirit oversees in the lives of believers. We are His workmanship in more ways than one (see Ephesians 2:10).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> Proverbs 14:4 says, “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” Where there’s a good work going on, you can count on some dust being raised. After all, dust flies when you’re having fun.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-44754768931961853912013-01-16T22:06:00.000-06:002013-01-17T08:05:15.054-06:00Methane Rising<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Welcome to January - that hopeful month in which untold numbers across the nation make resolutions to put off their bad habits and take up good ones. We’re only two weeks or so into the new year and already a plethora of ads for gyms memberships and weight loss programs have flooded everyone’s mailboxes - both e-mail and “snail mail” versions. The turning over of a new year also marks the time when many evangelical Christians will begin a 21-day spiritual exercise known as the “Daniel fast.” Thousands of normally indiscriminate diners will purposely give up their usual devil-may-care dietary fare for all the vegetables, fruit, legumes and water they can stand. It’s all for the purpose of drawing closer to God in prayer - with the added perk of dropping some unwanted pounds.<br /><br /> “So who is this Daniel guy and why is there a fast named after him?” you ask. If you’ve read much of the Old Testament you’re not asking that question at all. But in case you haven’t, here goes. Daniel was a young Jewish man who had the misfortune of being carried off into exile when the Babylonians invaded Israel around <span style="font-size: large;">605</span> BC. However, the Lord gave Daniel much favor in the eyes of his captors and he soon found himself selected to receive training to be in the personal service of King Nebuchadnezzar. So were three of his Hebrew buddies. They even got new Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - or, as the late comic Richard Pryor used to say, “A Bad Negro.” But I digress. <br /><br /> As trainees for imperial service, Daniel and his friends were privileged with a meal plan from the king’s own commissary. This presented the young men with a serious dilemma, however, as the food wasn’t exactly kosher. The Bible describes the king’s food as “choice,” which sounds to me like it wasn’t very heart-healthy, either. More to the point, the meat had been sacrificed to the gods of the Babylonians. What’s a good Hebrew to do? In Daniel’s case, he made a very wise appeal to the man responsible for his training. “Sir, I’m a little concerned about the royal food and wine the king has so graciously provided us, so I’d like to propose a test. How about letting us Hebrews eat only vegetables and drink only water for the next ten days? If we don’t look healthier than these other guys in our recruiting class, we’ll eat the king’s food from then on. Otherwise, we’d like permission to “keep kosher” while we’re here in Babylonia. What do you say?” Amazingly, Daniel’s appeal was granted and the test was on. While the rest of the trainees chowed down on Baby-lonia-back ribs, Chaldean cheese fries and all the king’s vino they could drink, it was only veggies galore and water for the God Squad. Sure enough, at the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends looked much healthier than their peers. That’s because they actually <i>were</i> healthier. <br /><br /> You see, Daniel and company were used to eating lots of vegetables and whole grains back in Israel. Oh, and lamb, of course. The point is, they were accustomed to ingesting lots of roughage; most Americans are not. Why, there’s probably more fiber in the cardboard box that our overly-processed food comes in than in our actual food. A typical American “Daniel-faster” is introduced to much more fiber in his daily meals than he’s probably eaten over the previous 11 months put together. This presents a dilemma of the kind the ancients rarely faced; I like to refer to it as “methane rising.” This could be the title of one of those battle action video games, now that I think about it. After a few days of eating more beans, peas, and cruciferous vegetables in one sitting than they’ve see in a year, people are blowing up all over the place.<br /><br /> Gastronomic difficulties aside, the story of Daniel’s attempt to remain faithful to God in the midst of Babylon is how eating lots of fruits and vegetables, otherwise known as “food,” became associated with fasting in the contemporary American church. I’ve explained the grocery list for a Daniel fast, but where does the 21-day period come from? Well, that’s also found in the Book of Daniel, chapter 10 verse 1-4:<br /><br /> “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. ‘At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.’” (NIV Bible)<br /><br /><br />Daniel was now much older and had survived multiple adminis-trations. He was so burdened by the nature of God’s revelation to him, that he began to pray with unusual fervency, even for him. He returned to the spartan fare of his youth and didn’t bother much about his external appearance. His focus was to humble himself and pray until God answered him on behalf of the destiny of the Jews. It took 21 days, but finally the answer came. The Book of Daniel chapters 10, 11 and 12 record one of the most stunning revelations of prophecy ever given to a servant of God. Daniel’s willingness to fast and pray with focus and determination brought the break- through he needed.<br /><br /> I’ve poked a little fun at the way I and my fellow believers carry out the “Daniel fast,” but the reality is that fasting, even a partial fast such as the one taken from Daniel’s example, is a powerful spiritual discipline when accompanied by prayer. Sometimes the only way to get the answers you need from heaven is to fast earthly things as you pray.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5219515602378446166.post-38501275456777364092012-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:002012-12-21T06:00:17.358-06:00In the Interest of the Public Good<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"> Back in July I posted an entry (“Weighing In On Weighing In”) about my attempt to lose a bit of real estate around my middle-aged middle. I was pretty good about posting regular updates in the beginning, but that fell by the wayside after about eight weeks or so. I hate leaving projects unfinished, so here’s the final report on how my attempt at taking on the Vemma 12-Week Bod-e Transformation Challenge ended up.<br /><br /> The plan calls for a carb-cycling meal program, regular exercise, and the Vemma product supplementation. I dutifully followed the program for the first 8 or 9 weeks, and saw a weight loss of about 3 to 4 pounds and little less belly. During this time, I also kept up my already-established exercise regimen of 2 hours per week of weight training and some walking. The biggest change for me was adhering to the meal schedule, even more than portion size and food choices recommended for this program.<br /><br /> I actually enjoyed the taste of the Vemma Bod-e Burn drinks, and found it easy to drink one shortly after rising, along with the prescribed small carbohydrate-rich breakfast. That was usually a whole grain English muffin, a toaster-style waffle, or a bowl of instant oatmeal with a few sprays of liquid butter and some sugar-free syrup. This meal is designed to get your metabolic furnace heated up for the day. It worked for me; maybe a little too well. I was as ravenous as a termite within 2 hours. In fact, I stayed pretty hungry on this plan, as in almost all the time. Three hours to the next meal seemed like an eternity to me on some days.<br /><br /> What gave me the most difficulty, however, was trying to eat the other four small meals per day, spaced 3 hours apart. I found that in order to get the five meals actually eaten, I had to start reasonably early, like by no later than 7 a.m.. Otherwise, I would be eating the last meal of the day well after 7 p.m.. Since I’m a night owl by nature, I don’t do “reasonably early” very well, truth be told. So I often ended up eating four smaller meals more often than the called for five meals. You would think that missing a meal would not be a problem on a weight-loss plan, but it actually runs counter to the Vemma program. The Bod-e Challenge is designed to help you get a hefty amount of protein into your diet day in order to help you build lean muscle. A missing meal equals less protein consumed for the day, and one less log thrown on the ol’ metabolic fire.<br /><br /> About two-thirds of the way down the road to “body transform-ation,” I hit a major pothole. Issues with my lower back sent me back to my doctor and the physical therapist. Walking usually helps me with stiffness and pain, but not this time. Walking began to aggravate my condition, so I had to cut that out of for a while. When I did venture out - on days the weather was just too wonderful to stay indoors - I kept my route along flat areas in the neighborhood, and avoided chugging up inclines. All this to say, my activity (hence calorie-burning) level dropped off.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /> My enthusiasm for carb-cycling took a major dive, as well. I realized there was no way I was going to adhere to this meal strategy on a permanent basis. Around the 9-week mark, I didn’t think I could look another cup of low-fat cottage cheese in the face, and I didn’t want to see anymore turkey until Thanksgiving. I grew distracted. I began lingering too long in the snack aisle of my local Publix. “Oh look, Cape Cod potato chips are on sale, two bags for $5! I could get the reduced fat ones....but then the regular ones have an extra ounce of chips in the bag. Hmmm.....” I'm afraid I never met a potato chip I didn't like. Discipline began to give way to the siren call of the salty snack.<br /><br /> In short, I staggered to the end of the 12-week Bod-e Trans-formation Challenge not exactly transformed. By Thanksgiving my “after” photo, if I’d bothered to take one, looked almost like my “before” photo. But my experience only gives credence to the policy of weight loss companies of printing somewhere on their glowing promotional material, in tiny print, “Results not typical.” This statement always appears on a photo of Big Bertha Schmitt after she drops the equivalent weight of a grand piano. I suspect that my results are actually <i>very</i> typical. <br /><br /> I like the Vemma product, for the most part. Each Bod-e burn drink has 20 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, and their proprietary blend of vitamins. I thought seriously about repeating the Bod-e Challenge. However, after considering the additional expense, I balked. Bod-e product is almost 4 bucks per serving (2-3 daily) by the time you figure in shipping. Vemma would not be my path to renewed sveltness.<br /><br /> So there it is. I give you my final report in the interest of the public good, as promised. I have no amazing Bod-e Challenge testimonial to give you. They do exist; I’m just not one of them. Then again, I wasn’t in need of a major transformation to start with. The Vemma Bod-e Plan wasn’t the best fit for me, but a lot of their customers swear by it.<br /><br /> Healthy lifestyle changes are like pairs of shoes. Sometimes you have to try on a few different styles to find the one that truly fits you. In fact, I'm trying on another one now. There's a copy of Dr. Joel Furhman’s book, <u>Eat to Live</u>, on my iPad and a very large container of organic baby spinach in the refrigerator. Large plate of greens, anyone?</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04921692032360602446noreply@blogger.com2