The Queen

Last week I watched The Queen, which is about what may have happened behind closed doors with the Queen of England when Diana was killed. I had heard the acting in it was well done, which is what prompted me to watch the movie. Overall, it was a good film. It was an outstanding character portrayal of the Queen that conveyed to the public why the film maker thought the Queen acted the way she did publically. It did not make Diana out to be a hero or the Queen out to be a villain. In fact, at the end of it, you almost sympathize with the Queen because of the position she is put into. I liked the fact that it did everything matter of factly. It didn't reveal the Diana that the royal family knew behind the palace walls, although it alluded to the fact that public Diana was very different. It wasn't an expose or anything like that. Very believable, and the acting was outstanding.

:-)

Well it has been a while since I last blogged, although, by a while is still less than a week. I think that is partly because I have been busy at work, and not used the blog as a break this week. Additionally, what I wanted to, and did, write about wasn't necessarily something that should be posted for public view.

So what is new with me? I have now entered the wonderful world of home ownership, meaning that I have had to call the air conditioner guy and the plumber to fix various things. Thank goodness I insisted on getting the 1-year home warranty insurance! Yesterday the air conditioner died, and today I found out it was only because of a fuse, which I now know where they are located and how to change one. Basically, I paid my little homeowner co-pay to have a lesson in fuse changing, but cold air is now coming out of the vents, which probably makes my furry, long-haired, over-active dog really happy! Speaking of Lil T, he is now spending the majority of the time in the kitchen after deciding he wanted to learn Greek by ingesting pages of my Greek dictionary. Since the kitchen seems to be the only place I don't have books lying around, it seemed the most logical place for him. Day two and he is a happier camper (until the air broke) and, from the sound of it, really enjoys running in circles on the linoleum.

I am continuing to study the minor prophets for Sunday School. This Sunday past was Habakkuk. Amazing stuff! I will have to blog about it later because it would make this a mini-book. Combine my studies of Ephesians with Jude and now Habakkuk, and I can feel myself becoming more grounded in doctrine and discernment than ever. Challenging lessons to learn!

Tazmanian T

If you have been following my blog, you all know how neurotic Lil T is. Now he has a new trick. He turns into the Tazmanian Devil any time that you blow the hairdryer on him. Just point while on, and he starts turning in circles growling like Taz in a tornado. The funny thing is he likes it. If it happens to be a morning when I am not blow drying my hair, he camps out in the bathroom sitting beside the hairdryer barking. I have to physically remove him from the bathroom. It's crazy!

This morning I woke up to a surprise. His breath smelled great ... because he found my pack of gum (all approximately 20-30 pieces of it) and given the state of his room, he must have played with the gum all night. As far as I can tell, he didn't eat any pieces but just licked some of them as he batted them around the room. So now I am out of gum, and have learned not to store my gum in the room he is in.

Tremendous Courage

I ran across this article today, and it is a reminder that around the world Christians are being called on to suffer for their faith in Christ.

http://www.reformation21.org/Reformation_21_Blog/Reformation_21_Blog/58/userId__14/vobId__6102/

Here is a link to the background article that provides more facts about what occurred:

http://www.reformation21.org/Reformation_21_Blog/Reformation_21_Blog/58/userId__14/vobId__5916/

We need to remember to pray for the grace of God to be provided to those who are called upon to make a stand for the faith. Only by His grace are we able to endure persecution for the sake of Christ.

Army Man

I realized that I haven't blogged much this week, and that may be, in part, due to the fact that I have not had as much time to read as usual. Books set my mind off down paths of thinking in a way that TV does not. Of course what I watched this week is the NBA Finals (Go Spurs!). Now that is over, and I can't wait for football season to start up again.

I received a letter yesterday from Malcolm, who is a kid of mine from New Orleans (and yes, I still call him my kid even though he is now 19). He is off at basic training in South Carolina in preparation for becoming a full member of the Louisiana National Guard. Needless to say, I am very proud of him. When many of his peers are making decisions that are destructive, he has realized that he should do something constructive. This time of discipline will be a positive thing in his life given the background he has come from. I am excited for him! He graduates from basic on July 20. Please be in prayer for him until that time.

When Should We Defend Ourselves?

I have been thinking about times when we should defend ourselves when something wrong happens to us. It seems like we can all point to something that happens to us each day where we have been wronged personally. Sometimes it is intentional. Sometimes the person does not even realize that they are acting wrong. Sometimes I am the one in the wrong because I jump to assumptions. People do things acting selfishly, or spread lies because they do not know the truth, or just act mean for no good reason. So should we defend ourselves or just let things happen?

This is a hard question to answer, and I am still working out when I feel that I can defend myself. My automatic impulse is to fire off some words (usually resulting in a big fight) or to sit and sulk (which only hurts me worse). Neither of those solutions seems to be satisfying. One thing that I have noticed recently is that, when it comes to personality differences or times when people lie about what I say, it is better to sit back, let it happen, and only correct when confronted by someone who was lied to. Why do I find more satisfaction in this? I think that it is probably because I am forced to be patient. If I go to the person lying (even if I can prove I am right), it doesn't matter because that person already knows that they are lying. If I wait until I am confronted, I can correct those who were lied to because they are the ones wanting to hear the truth anyway. You would be surprised how much this happens when you are a boss and have those working under you! People want to play the blame game instead of owning up when they do something wrong. When I say people, I should probably put the word "I" in there as well. However, I am gradually learning that it is better when you own up when you make a mistake instead of blaming others. You do not have to compromise your honesty or integrity that way, and ultimately, those around you eventually have a higher view of you.

After chasing a bit of a rabbit trail (I am good at that), I have come to this conclusion. If someone is attacking Christ, I have the right and the duty to contend for the faith and come to Christ's defense if the Holy Spirit leads me to do so. It is when I am being attacked for the sake of Christ that I can defend not myself, but Christ. Other than that, I really don't think that I have much of a right to defend myself. I know this sounds odd, especially coming from someone who likes to defend her actions and decisions all the time, but I am realizing that when we defend ourself, it is usually (for me anyway) a matter of pride. I am allowed to speak the truth when confronted, but I do not think that I should go out and proclaim the truth just to make myself look better. Unfortunately, I have been choosing the latter here recently, which has resulted in a lack of humility on my part (which I already struggle with anyway). I need to remember that the judgments (as well as the praises) of men mean nothing since God is the one ultimately judging the heart. I think this attitude also makes forgiveness easier (something else I struggle with) and helps the will love.

I am still thinking all of this through, so please, if you have any comments or thoughts, let me know. This is such a difficult thing to think through.

Super T

As promised (to my mother who may be the only one reading this blog anyway!), I am posting pictures of one of Lil T's favorite pasttimes. When the youth/college are over at my house, he loves to be thrown back and forth across the couches.

In addition to the throwing fun, he loves to dance with the kids. Lil T has learned how I act when I am preparing for people to come over, so he will start running back and forth between the windows looking for people to show up. It is quite entertaining! He loves having guests!

Christian Biographies

I constantly read. My favorite books (right now) are books on Christian doctrine and theology. However, I am discovering the importance of reading about the lives of men that have lived over the years. Part of how we grow spiritually is by studying doctrine and comparing the words of men with the Word of God. However, another way that we grow spiritually is by looking at the lives of men. It is through studying these lives that we see "our common salvation" (Jude 3) and characteristics of that salvation lived out in lives. The Bible is a great example of this as we read of the lives of men such as Joseph, who came to an understanding of the sovereignty of God through his adversity, and Abraham, who came to a saving faith because God chose him. We see David, who struggled with sin and yet gives us an example of true Biblical repentance as he mourned over his sins. I could go on and on as the Bible portrays the lives of great men throughout redemptive history.

I am learning it is important not just to read about the men in the Bible, but to read Christian biographies of those who have lived since the Bible was written. The first biography I have decided to pick up is by Jonathan Edwards concerning the life of David Brainerd using David Brainerd's own journals to provide most of the content. As Edwards points out in his introduction, we need to see the lives of these men so that we can understand our own faith and salvation. As I read through portions of Brainerd's journal entries, I am seeing things that are similar to my own experiences, and other things that I strive to incorporate into my own life (such as more dedication to prayer). It is a rare glimpse into the mind of a person who lived long ago, but yet received the same saving grace of God that I have received. You see days of victory and defeat that remind us that we are constantly in a struggle between flesh and the Holy Spirit within us. I haven't read very far into the book, but I am captivated by the spiritual walk and growth that seems to mirror my own even though our life experiences are so different. God, in His grace, allows us to look at others to see the common salvation.

On a side note, I have not tried to be politically correct nor do I have a desire to be (in case someone other than those who know me sees this and jumps to all sorts of conclusions). Many of the great Christian biographies are of men because men are the leaders in the church. However, many of these great biographies also contain women who supported the men, such as mothers and wives and sisters and spiritual support within the Christian community.

OCD Dog Update

I thought I would let everyone know that Lil T has a favorite commercial -- some high powered vaccuum cleaner. It is the one that shows all the other vacuums squeaking because they do not have suction power. I think he likes it because it sounds like his squeaky toys. Anyway, I find it funny that no matter where he is at in the house, when he hears that commercial, he comes running and stares at the TV. And, of course, it has to be a commercial for a cleaning product. He is mental!

My Dog Has OCD

I have a confession to make. My hyperactive, fluffy, froo-froo dog has OCD. Usually it is not a problem. It can be quite funny at times. For instance, when I have people over at the house, there is usually trash left on the floor in the form of cups or plates or napkins. If I let Lil T in the room, he barks like crazy until all of the trash is picked up. The only mess on the floor that he will allow is one that he made. It is strange. One afternoon I dropped a pillow on the floor accidentally while he was sitting on the couch with me, and he barked until I picked it up. It took me a while to figure out what he was barking at. As soon as I picked up the pillow, he stopped barking. Weird! The strange thing is that he is nothing like me in this respect. I mean, I thought dogs were supposed to be like their owners. However, I am the furthest thing from a neat freak and have to force myself to clean (unless, of course, the dog is barking out orders!).

Yesterday I was cleaning up the kitchen, doing dishes, randomly baking some peanut butter bars, and I accidentally knocked a plastic cup off the counter. Thinking I would pick it up when I finished that sink full of dishes since my hands were soapy and wet, I kept washing dishes. Lil T ran into the room, and went crazy. He turned into the Tazmanian devil barking and growling and turning in circles until I picked up the cup. Then he looked towards the living room, saw the blinking light of my laptop on the couch and went insane again. I had to close the door of the kitchen so that he could no longer see the blinking light.

This disorder even bleeds over into his hygeine habits. Because of the mean dogs next door, Lil T uses puppy pads inside the house. If he poops, he barks until it gets cleaned up. He doesn't want anything smelly in his area! He also demands baths. The past few Saturdays I have been pretty busy, and his baths have been spread out more instead of weekly. This is not acceptable to him. He has learned how to jump into the bathtub (which is a pretty impressive because I have a pedestal tub with high sides), and he will sit there until you give him a bath or physically remove him from the tub while he scratches and tries to bite you. It is really odd! I am glad he enjoys his bath so much though because it does make him easier to bathe.

I guess I may have contributed to his weirdness by naming him Quintus Septimus Florens Tertullianus, aka Tertullian, aka Lil T. And he does have more nicknames than most dogs his size (the youth and college at FBC WV, and even their parents and my parents have contributed the majority of these nicknames). And I did teach him how to "be a ballerina" as one of his tricks (after receiving this command he proceeds to stand on his two back feet and twirl in a circle, sometimes). At least his strangeness provides entertainment (and motivation to clean) for me!

He loves to sleep on his Mommy's body pillow, although it is three times the size of him.






Another difference between me and Lil T -- he loves feet. Strange dog!!

Jesus Camp

I watched a movie last night that was interesting and disturbing on so many different levels all at the same time. Would I recommend watching the movie? To some, but I would be careful how I recommend it. Here are some of my thoughts.

To non-believers: Of course you do not understand the language of warrior or being in an army because you do not understand the concept of spiritual warfare. Don't worry -- we are not going to take up guns, blow ourselves up, etc. for the cause of Christ. If we do that, then we are not following the Bible. As for the radio guy that quotes the Sermon on the Mount where we are called to be peacemakers, you do not understand that type of peace either. It is a peace brought about by reconciliation in your relationship with God. It comes through preaching the Gospel, which you find offensive and accuse us of not being peacemakers for sharing. There is a context to all things, so don't take things out of our Bible out of context. As for me, I don't speak in tongues, I do not "prophesy", I do not believe that these gifts are necessary to show the validity of my salvation, and I really do not think that these gifts have a place in America. Also, I did not know who Ted Haggard is until his scandal last fall. He is not my leader. God is.

To believers who think America is "God's Chosen Nation": Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is not. God's chosen nation, in this stage of redemptive history, is the Church (as in the Body of Christ, not the Catholic church), which is made up of believers. We are called to live with our eyes set on heaven where our true citizenship lies. We do not need a theocracy in this nation. I have no problem voting for Christian leaders because they support the values that I hold dear (yes, I am against abortion, gay marriage, etc.). I think that we should be praying hard for our leaders. However, I think that praying for our government to do the work of the church is wrong -- it is our job to bring the Gospel to the nation, minister to the poor, etc. In fact, if the church really understood the love of God that it is supposed to be sharing with the world, the government would not need to do a lot of things. Continue praying for our leaders and for godly men to be elected, but do not give politicians the temptation to portray themselves as "godly men" when they aren't just so that they can get elected. Government is already filled with enough hypocrisy. Also, remember that our true citizenship is not of this world, and that we do not need to become more American than God's.

To those of you who now fear to send your children to church camp: Not all children camps teach abortion to children under 10, try to get them to speak in tongues, have 12 year olds preaching, or encourage children to take up a political cause. In fact, I had not heard of any camps that did this until I saw this movie. All the camps I attended as a child had crafts, mission projects, nature walks, sports, swimming, worship service at night (that was about the Gospel instead of politics), and your normal not-so-great camp food. We were taught we could (and should) be missionaries instead of politicians. We were taught the Bible.

To the directors of the movie: Wow, you managed to give a completely one-sided view of the evangelicals in America today. You mocked kids, who, although may be misguided in some of their beliefs, have a genuine belief in God and His salvation that is admirable. You chose to follow Pentecostals, who are going to be the most frightening to a nation that is already fearful of evangelicals because of the way that they are portrayed in the media. Although I may base my vote on morality (because valuing life is a moral choice), that does not mean that I vote based on religion. All it means is that for me to vote for a political candidate, they must value human life. That does not mean that I think a candidate has to be a Christian for me to vote for them, so long as they value human life. I think that the most interesting part of the movie was the commentary on the DVD. Your words that you speak seem to try to minimalize the mockery that you produced. Try reading "The Divided States of America" for a more neutral view of the influence of religion in politics.

So do I think people should watch this movie? Well, I still haven't decided. I think that evangelicals who are more conservative than the Pentecostals in the movie may need to see it in order to defend ourselves and to see what the world thinks we look like. We must remember that the world finds Christ and the Gospel offensive. We also must remember that our actions are not understood by the world. I am also bothered by the fact that there are churches out there that are more concerned about entertainment, an emotional experience, and teaching our kids that certain spiritual gifts are necessary to show our "salvation". If you listen closely, the adults are speaking the same phrases over and over again when they are speaking in "tongues," and there is no one interpretting, making the speaking of the "tongues" un-Biblical. But that is another blog!