Something Light - Just asking

If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in", but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going?

What disease did "cured ham" actually have?

Quote - Happiness

"The happiness promised us in Christ does not consist in outward advantages-such as leading a joyous and peaceful life, having rich possessions, being safe from all harm, and abounding with delights such as the flesh commonly longs after. No, our happiness belongs to the heavenly life.

Christ enriches his people with all things necessary for the eternal salvation of souls and fortifies them with courage to stand unconquerable against all the assaults of spiritual enemies. From this we infer that he rules-inwardly and outwardly-more for our own sake than his.

Thus it is that we may patiently pass through this life with its misery, hunger, cold, contempt, reproaches, and other troubles-content with this one thing: that our King will never leave us destitute, but will provide for our needs until, our warfare ended, we are called to triumph."

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.15.4

Something Light - Have a Laugh

Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love, and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was superb.

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other, "Does this taste funny to you?"

I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day...but couldn't find any.

What’s on my iPod this week - Cary Grant

"On a Country Road", radio broadcast from "Suspense" (a radio drama series broadcast on CBS from 1942 through 1962) starring Cary Grant (29:13 in length)

Quote - Understanding as an Idol

"The mystery of providence defies our attempt to tame it by reason. I do not mean it is illogical; I mean that we do not know enough to be able to unpack it and domesticate it. Perhaps we may gauge how content we are to live with our limitations by assessing whether we are comfortable in joining the biblical writers in utterances that mock our frankly idolatrous devotion to our own capacity to understand."

D.A. Carson, from How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1990), p. 226.

First Prayer of the Continental Congress (1774)

Another prayer for a Saturday that truly shows how far we have fallen away from the source of truth and blessing in this country. Imagine this prayer being said today at the opening of Congress? From the Office of the Chaplain, United States House of Representatives.

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.

Amen.

Reverend Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

Something Light - Gene Kelly and Donald O' Connor

What’s on my iPod this week - Mark Earley

"Who was the most influential man NEVER to have lived?", radio broadcast from "The Point Radio" by Mark Earley, (1:00 in length)

Book Review - Through the Storm

Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World
Lynne Spears and Lorilee Craker
Thomas Nelson (September 16, 2008)

In short: A memoir of celebrity with lessons to be learned, especially by parents, however, it ultimately feels as if this book is a part of the tabloid “gossip” culture that it explicitly decries.

Lynne Spears describes herself as a

“…simple Southern woman whose family got caught in a tornado called fame…”

As the mother of Jamie Lynn, Bryan and Britney Spears she says she wrote this book,

“…to hand something permanent down to my children and grandchildren, a record of our lives together…”

This is not the sort of book I would ever pick up to read on my own, but the offer by Thomas Nelson intrigued me. I went in with low expectations, that were indeed met, but I did enjoy a few insights that are worth noting. In the end I’m glad I read the book. Although I can’t recommend it, I can offer the following thoughts after reading Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World.

Moderate our judgements – When you first think of Britney Spears mother what do you think? I confess, before reading this book, my first thoughts were harsh and simplistic. “Surely anybody that would allow their daughter to end up there has to be a “shameless self promoter” who is in it for herself or a “stage mom to the tenth power” or perhaps she is totally absent from her daughter’s life.”

The reality of who Lynne Spears is, and anybody, for that matter, is more complex than that. As she says,

“Often you don’t know a person’s story, and if you did, you might very well understand his or her actions better…there [is] a flesh-and-blood woman behind the mythological monster the tabloids [have] created.”

As Christians, let’s not be so quick to judge character or, especially, motives.

The depravity of man is obviously, and demonstrably, true – Lynne offers up many examples of this, although obviously not described in those terms. Consider Sam Lutfi,

“Sam came into my daughter’s life at a time when she was at her most vulnerable.”

A manipulative “manager” for Britney, Sam exerted such a level of control over Britney at one point that her family had to go to court to remove him from her presence. From mixing prescription drugs with her food and drink (without her knowledge) to attempting to get Britney committed to a psychiatric ward to maintain his control over her, Sam was a perfect example of the depravity of man.

Or consider the Rolling Stone photographer, an “eccentric, artistic guy”, who photographed Britney wearing nothing but a bra and hot pants, then seventeen, in her bedroom...alone. This is a child for crying out loud! Is there no decency in this “artistic guy”? More on the obvious question of parental supervision later.

Never trust the tabloid media (or the MSM for that matter) – Arguably an extension of the previous point, the paparazzi, however, deserve their own dishonorable mention. Chapter 24 should be required reading for everyone that even remotely longs for the fame of the world. Pray for those who prey on others. The parasitic nature of this despicable industry is appalling. We’ve all heard the weak arguments, “There is a price to pay for fame”, “I’m just doing my job”, and “She is a public figure”. As Lynne says however, “…where are the lines?”

Lynne tells of the boisterous airplane passenger who, disingenuously, tried to befriend her to obtain information about her daughter. She tells of striking up conversations while in line at the grocery store, “…only to find out a few days later that I have given an “exclusive” to a tabloid magazine.”

According to Lynne, Britney has seventeen full-time paparazzi assigned to her, night and day. Any industry that has to go that far to get “the dirt”, can’t be trusted. Don’t buy the tabloid papers or magazines. Don’t participate in their manufactured, and salacious, gossip.

Parents make mistakes – As Michael Hyatt notes, it is tough to be hard on parents because we have all made our share of mistakes. To her credit, Lynne admits her mistakes honestly. Therefore, I am not going to point fingers but we can learn from her.

In describing the Rolling Stone incident, Lynne says,

“For some reason, the photographer wanted to shoot some pictures in Britney’s bedroom…When that bedroom door suddenly shut tight, though, alarm bells started ringing…”

With all due respect, the alarm bells should have been ringing long before that.

“I trusted in the professionals surrounding my daughter to make the right decisions…but by deferring to experts, I gave up far too much influence.”

She describes Britney’s first extended trip from home,

“When Britney left home [at fifteen] for the first time, I felt a deep pit in my stomach.”

She was right to feel that way…fifteen year olds still need their parents around.

We all make mistakes, but don’t abdicate your kids to the “professionals”, whether they are school teachers, youth ministers, the media or the kid’s peers.

Children, ultimately, are responsible for their own decisions – Children, especially teenagers, will make their own decisions. The best parents in the world may lose their children to the world. Only God has sovereign control over the heart and affections of another (Proverbs 21:1). Everyone will die for their own sin (Ezekiel 18:1-4, Jeremiah 31:29-30, Ezekiel 3:17-21).

When Jamie Lynn got pregnant, Lynne says,

“…Jamie Lynn had never done a solitary thing to raise even an eyebrow, and she certainly had left not one miniscule clue as to what they were obviously doing. She had always been responsible…”

Assuming that is true, Jamie Lynn made a bad choice contrary to what she, apparently, had been taught. This doesn’t abdicate the parents responsibility to teach our children, but it should make us realize that (I’m paraphrasing Dan Phillips here) we can’t place blame on any person for another’s sin.

Did I gain from reading this book? Yes, but there was nothing here I couldn’t have gained elsewhere in a “meatier” fashion. Upon finishing I felt I had contributed to the tabloid, celebrity, gossip culture that the book implicitly, and explicitly, criticizes. I felt I had invaded another family’s privacy. Lynne says she wrote the book for her children as something to pass down. If that is truly the case then why make this book public? How about just writing it down and have it bound and passed out to her family only? I appreciate the insights from her life but in the final analysis it made me feel like a voyeur of the Spears hidden moments.

Book Brief - 100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards

N.D. Wilson

Random House Books for Young Readers (December 26, 2007)

Henry York is confused. His parents have been kidnapped. He’s living in a brand new town with his aunt and uncle. Most strange, however, are the doors that have opened up in the walls of his new bedroom. 99 of them to be exact. As he finds out, these portals to other worlds can be intriguing or dangerous to all involved.

This is the first book of a new fantasy series by N.D. Wilson. With classic themes of good vs. evil and adventures in other worlds, this book is reminiscent of the Narnia series. The characters are superbly drawn but the plot was not as linear as I would have liked, thus a tad bit confusing for me. The book does leave you wanting to know more of the creepy new worlds discovered along the way.

“Outside, the black cat, which had been scratching at the mudroom door, relaxed. Cats do not yearn for freedom. Most of them just have it – even when they are pampered, owned, and cared for. This cat did not know that it had been a slave. It did know that it needed a drink…It did not know that it had been possessed. It did not know that the inside of its head had never been its own, that there was a woman who had seen the world through its eyes. The cat, which had no name, knew none of this. But something had changed.”

Rating: Borrow

We surf...so you don't have to - October 14

A Big Name or a Big Person?
Choose a true hero to emulate.

To infinity and beyond: A sparkling survival story
12 hours in the open ocean

Proverbs and Parenting
Teach your children well.

The Beating Heart
What makes the heart beat?

10 Resolutions for Mental Health
Interesting thoughts.

Quote - Living a Life of Holiness

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."

Susannah Wesley, found in Adam Clarke, Memoirs of the Wesley Family Collected Principally from Original Documents, ed. George Peck, 2nd ed. (New York: Lane & Tippett, 1848), 332.

Something Light - On Predictions

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

Yogi Berra

What’s on my iPod this week - Albert Mohler

"Raising Children in an Affluent Society", radio broadcast from Albert Mohler (38:10 in length)

Book Brief - The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Jeanne Birdsall

Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 8, 2008)

The Penderwick sisters are back home on Gardam Street. When Aunt Claire comes to visit she sets in motion a crisis for the sisters who call an emergency meeting. They must decide what to do about the revelation that their deceased mother and Aunt Claire had agreed to encourage their father to date after her death. The four sisters hatch the “Save Daddy” plan to set him up with abysmal dates and thus stave off the dreaded “stepmother”.

With various amusing subplots for each sister this book is humorous, warm and engaging. This is one those “old fashioned”, nostalgic, small town books that just don’t get written much anymore. With a classic feel and without being overly sentimental this is one of the best of the “family adventure” genre for children.

“She went back to the cookbook, humming again, and then noticed a suspicious lack of noise in the backyard. With a glance out the door, she understood why. Batty and Hound were crouched in the forsythia border, peeping into the next-door neighbors’ backyard. And not the neighbors to the right, the Tuttles, who’d lived there forever and wouldn’t have cared if Batty and Hound watched through the kitchen window while they ate. No, they were spying on the neighbors to the left, the Aaronsons, who’d just moved in. There had been great hope for these new neighbors. A large family would have been perfect, for there can never be too many children in a neighborhood.”

Rating: Hardback

We surf...so you don't have to - October 7

Why Are We in the "Greater Depression"?
This is not making light of depression but is a very good question.

Confession at Sunrise
Everyone knows there is a God. (Psalm 19:1-2, Romans 1:20)

God's Sovereignty Gives Us Joy
ALL of our circumstances are in His control

A Private Conviction About Murder?
So…even though he thinks it is murder…he will let it continue?

Whatever Happened to Modesty?
Comments and a few simple guidelines.

Quote - Saving Faith

"We can't work our way to saving faith, but if we have saving faith, it must be evident in how we live and act - or its not saving faith...What we believe must manifest in what we do. There's nothing in our intellect that will substitute for our obedience."

Robert Wolgemuth, from 7 Things You Better Have Nailed Down

Book Brief - Chosen

Chosen
Ted Dekker
Thomas Nelson (January 1, 2008)

Elyon’s beautiful creation has been overtaken and destroyed by the Horde. The Forest Guard now has to recruit older teenagers to fight and defend the remnant. Four new recruits have been sent on a quest to prove their worth. They are intercepted by the Horde along the way and find that their quest has been forcibly turned into a mission to save the remnant by finding the seven lost Books of History.

Ted Dekker’s books are always well written with “movie-like” pacing. This book is no exception with action, adventure and suspense abundant. His books, however, are always, to me at least, on the cusp of bizarre. They tend to be a little violent, with weird scenes of “almost” torture, hallucinations, and evil creatures throughout. I hesitate to recommend this for all, but, his themes are moral and, for the right person, this is an exciting beginning to the Books of History series.

“Lovely things, these daughters and sons of Elyon, but so pigheaded at times. Thought they knew everything. Even after changing their minds five times on the same matter, they didn’t pause to consider the fact that they might be wrong this sixth time as well. Heaven forbid! They would fight for the sixth opinion with as much conviction as the first.”

“Now you listen to me, human. You were dead already. Your life isn’t yours to decide any longer. You were saved by Johnis, for Elyon’s love! Are you so thickheaded?”

Rating: Borrow

Book ratings explained

Explanation of ratings:

Avoid – not worth your time or money.
Borrow – go to the library and check it out but don’t spend any money.
Paperback – worth buying but don’t spend too much.
Hardback – good enough to buy and keep in your personal library.

Prayer - Contentment

Inspired by Challies, once again, a prayer for Saturday, which I hope to make a regular feature. This is a Puritan prayer from the book, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. This prayer is titled "Contentment"and is a great cry to be satisfied in Jesus.

Heavenly Father,

If I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings.

It is thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them.

Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of thy love.

When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin he became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; his kindly rule replaced sin’s tyranny.

Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and he must become to me more than vile lust had been; that his sweetness, power, life may be there.

Thus I must seek a grace from him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from himself.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things.

Though now I have his graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where thou wilt show thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished.

O Lord, hasten that day.

Hovering Verses

Often all you need are a few key words to remember the full text of a Bible verse. A recent addition to the site here makes it easy to get those “few key words” for any Bible reference on this blog. As an example, hold your cursor over the text of the following Bible reference, Romans 3:28. A window pops up instantly when your cursor hovers over the reference. If you want more verses, or more context for the verse, you can click on the “more” hyperlink and it will take you to http://www.biblegateway.com/ for more verses or the complete chapter. It works automatically for any Bible reference posted on the blog.

This is a free tool called RefTagger provided by http://www.logos.com/. You can find out more information here and here if you would like to add this helpful tool to your site.

Temporary Insanity (on my part)

What have I gotten myself into? I read this article a few weeks back and then found this response shortly thereafter. This is not a comment on Lynne Spears, I'm sure she is a very nice lady, but I abhor our culture’s obsession with celebrity. I couldn’t tell you who the latest “American Idol” winner is and, frankly, just don’t care. I suppose that sounds very elitist and arrogant. It probably is but truly, all of us, including me, are “followers at heart” so I shouldn't be surprised with our celebrity obsession. Challies notes:

"We, as humans, are naturally followers. There is something in us, and something that I think precedes the Fall, that precedes our sinful natures. Whatever this is causes us to want to follow others. Foster writes, "we are all followers at heart. We praise and preach leadership, but we practice followership. Consciously or not, we constantly seek someone beyond ourselves to tell us when and how high to jump. Better that we relinquish ourselves to someone worthy of adulation and veneration than to the many charlatans and demagogues who prey on us." Christians are not exempt from this and constantly seek others to emulate. The Bible does not appear to frown on this, but anticipates it, expects it. I think of the admonition of Solomon that "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." I think of Paul exhorting the Corinthians to "be imitators of me." I think of the lofty moral requirements of those who are to be leaders in the church. Truly we all seek to follow, even those who also seek to lead."

So maybe that explains why, after reading the article, and response, about the new book from Britney Spears' mother I decided to take the bait. In order to get the free book a commitment to post a review on my blog was required. I requested the book. I don’t know what got into me but here I am. The book arrived yesterday and a quick perusal has me thinking that there must be something to temporary insanity. Nevertheless, I have made a commitment and will follow through. Look for the review in a week or so. I know you can hardly wait.

Something Light - Brad at the Ranger's Game