Various

We have been packing up boxes in preparation to move to our new place. We have had volunteers of help from church--so gracious--and last week they helped move a bunch of furniture over. The new place has a large fenced-in garden that will be my mom's delight, but also a place for my sister and me to invest in and learn from...and perhaps I'll get to grow some butternut squash or something equally delightful. I have never done much gardening at all, but I think I will enjoy it once I get into the swing of things.

We know some people who are putting together a movie about Christian manhood, vengeance, and other themes. They hope to raise enough money to help with all the technical details before January 1. What is this movie? Jimmy Valiant: Scions of Danger. If you can spare even a dollar to give them, I'm sure they would appreciate it. Click here if you want to pledge your support.

Winter time is here, but in Texas there is hardly ever any snow. Soon "Christmas" will be here. Yet in our house there will be no gifts to wrap, no tree to decorate. Why? Well, for one, Jesus was not likely born in the winter. Then, the Bible says specifically to remember His death, though we are to remember His miraculous birth, as well. But most of all, I think my concern is the pagan origins of the holiday. Can something pagan be sanctified by Christians? Perhaps, but not if all the same elements are left in, such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus. The ties to the original meanings are too strong. Yet I struggle, because I like the look of twinkling lights and decorated trees, and in and of themselves I don't believe they are wrong. But on the same day as a pagan holiday first took place, and syncretized with Christian beliefs (first by Catholics, I think)....Can God be pleased with this? One may say the heart is the most important, and it is, but God always had His special ways of doing things, and was angry if it was not done in just the right way, and if holy was mixed with profane.

Anyway, for us, this holiday has always been off limits, and I think that is how it will stay for me. Let us rejoice daily that Jesus came, was born sinless, and died the spotless Lamb of God for sinful wretches!

In a similar vein, I have been thinking about books and movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. There are supposed to be Christian elements to them, and I can see them at least in TCON and have enjoyed the movies in part, but there are also pagan elements mixed in (such as fawns and other half-man half-animal beings). Is God pleased with this, even if I seem to get something good out of it? I have justified it, but seeing the correlation to Christmas has jarred my thoughts here....Does that mean I'll never, ever watch the movies? Not necessarily. I'm still mulling that one over.

Polls

Again, I'm late with updating the poll. We are busy this month with packing and moving (thus the theme of my next poll).

Here are the top answers for the last two polls....

How many books do you typically read in a year (take your best guess)?
10-20 came out first with 5 votes (23%)
30-50 and 50-70 came out second with 3 votes each (14%)
20-30, 70-100, 200-250, and 300-350 are all tied for third place! (9%)
One person each voted for 1-5 and 125-150.

The second poll (multiple answers for each person allowed) was:
Do you think having a television is a good idea?
Yes - 2 people (8%)
No - 4 " (17%)
I'm still thinking about it. - 3 " (13%)
Not for kids under the age of 5 - 1 (4%)
Only if it is carefully monitored and limited. - 19 (82%)

Thanks for participating in my polls!

Hymn

This is a lovely hymn, as are many on this site:
http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/lyrics/ah-holy-jesus-how-hast-thou-offended

An Open Pipe

I hope that title got your attention. ;) It has to do with the second quote I'm posting.

These are from the book Humility and How to Get It, by which I have been blessed. I've only just finished the first part (like a chapter, though there are only sections), and it was chock full of rich and encouraging thoughts!

Okay, on to the quotes:
'Let us contrast our love to God with His love to us. Dear brethren, we do love God, and we may well do so, since He is infinitely lovable. When the mind is once enlightened it sees everything that is lovable about God. He is so good, so gracious, so perfect that He commands our admiring affection. The spouse in the song, when she thought of her beloved, mentioned all manner of beauties, and then cried, "Yea, he is altogether lovely." It is natural, therefore, that one who sees God should love Him, But, now, think of God's love to us; is it not incomparably greater, since there was nothing lovely in us whatever, and yet He loved us? In us there is by nature nothing to attract the affection of a holy God, but quite the reverse; and yet He loved us. Herein, indeed, is love!' [p. 10]

'If you had to manage waterworks for the distribution of water all over this city, and there was a certain pipe into which you poured water, and none ever came out at the other end, do you know what you would do? You would take it out and say, "This does not suit my purpose: I want a pipe that will give out as well as receive." That is exactly what the Lord desires of us. Do not selfishly say, "I want to sit down and enjoy the love of God. I shall never say a word to anybody about Christ. I will never give a poor creature so much as a brass farthing; but I want to sit down and be solaced with the love of God." If you think thus, you are a pipe plugged up; you are of no use; you will have to be taken out of the system of the Church; for the system of love-supply for the world requires open pipes, through which love divine may freely flow. May the Lord clear you, and fill you, so that out of you there may continually flow rivers of living water. Amen.' [p. 15]