I ran across this site today and thought it may be of interest to my readers. I don't know anything about the quality of the contributors so you'll have to do your own research and decide what to think.
Comice
Do you like comics? Then you may be interested in Comic Alert. They will allow you to build a favorites list of comics and then subscribe to is as an RSS feed. I just signed up today…I'll let everyone know how it is going after a few days.
DC
Cyndi and I went to DC today (I'll post pics later on…). We rode the metro–of course–to the Smithsonian station. We went to the WWII memorial, the Lincoln memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, we ate lunch at the Ronald Reagan building, tried to go to the National Aquarium, and spent some time in the Museum of American History. Here is the story of today.
Neither of us has been sleeping well, so we slept in (Cyndi later than me). We got ready and went into town. It was so so hot. I have never sweat so much doing nothing before. If you had seen me, you would have thought that I was running a marathon or something.
WWII Memorial
First, Cyndi wanted to go see the WWII memorial so we did that first. It was ok. I don't get exactly what the designers were going for, but who knows. The liberals have their influence here too. These two quotes are present on the memorial:
THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR SONS TO THE MILITARY SERVICES. THEY HAVE STOKED THE FURNACES AND HURRIED THE FACTORY WHEELS. THEY HAVE MADE THE PLANES AND WELDED THE TANKS, RIVETED THE SHIPS AND ROLLED THE SHELLS. — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
WOMEN WHO STEPPED UP WERE MEASURED AS CITIZENS OF THE NATION, NOT AS WOMEN…THIS WAS A PEOPLE’S WAR, AND EVERYONE WAS IN IT. — Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby
Now, don't get me wrong…women made contributions in WWII, but so did everyone left behind. Why single women out seperate? Everything was rationed…what about including a quote about the kids who collected tires, grease, scrap metal, and everything else. What about a quote for the Japanese in the country who were put in "internment" camps. There is only one reason to include these quotes in a memorial for those who died serving in WWII and that is liberals trying too hard to be all inclusive. For me, it was simply distracting.
One thing that I really thought was really cool was the field of stars representing those who died. I'll post my own picture in a bit; however, the link above will give you an ok idea about what I'm talking about.
Lincoln Monument
Next, we went to the Lincoln Monument. I don't ever remember being here before, and I really enjoyed it. Pres. Lincoln has to be my favorite president ever. He saught God when he made decisions, he led the nation through the Civil War, and was the first Republican.
I admit it…I'm a Civil War buff. Contrary to what people are taught in schools, the Civil War was not about slavery or emancipation. The Civil War was fought by Lincolin to preserve the Union (Don't get me wrong…slavery was wrong; however, it wasn't THE reason for the Civil War). The south saw their rights being violated. If you want proof of what Lincoln thought, make sure you visit the "basement" of the Lincoln Monument (down where the restrooms are). There you will find many of Lincoln's quotes (I think I have pics that I'll post later) where he details that he is fighting the Civil War to preserve the Union.
Jefferson Monument
After visiting Lincoln, we walked over to the Jefferson Monument. This was another place I had never been before. If you are in DC, go here. Jefferson was the main person responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence. This document says (among other things):
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Ronald Reagan Building
After we left the Jefferson Monument, we went to the Ronald Reagan building. We were actually headed to the National Aquarium but we were looking for a place to eat. We asked a very nice security guard who mentioned that there was a food court in the basement of the building. We ate lunch there (typical fast food/food court fare). This isn't a memorial/monument…it is just named after Reagan (who, in my mind was probably the second best president behind Lincoln).
The signs indicated there was a metro stop here, but we couldn't figure out which one it was. Our best guess was the Federal Triangle stop. Use this information at your own risk….
As an aside, going in, we had to show some picture ID and go through metal detectors. The experience was very thorough and uneventful. I set of the metal detector. What happened? Was I treated like a criminal (like we are at airports in the US now)? Nope. The guy asked me to stand to the side and he wanded me. Once he was satisfied, I was allowed in. This is how airport security should be!
National Aquarium
Once we finished lunch (and cooled down in the AC), we continued on to the National Aquarium. We didn't actually get past the front door. Unlike the National Zoo and the various Smithsonian Museums, you have to pay to get in. I wasn't interested in paying to get in, so we turned around and left.
Museum of American History
To get back to the metro stop we wanted, we had to walk by the Museum of American History. I have to say…I think this was the biggest let-down of the day. First off, they don't have the pendulum that knocks over cones as the earth rotates anymore. They don't have the dragster, Fonz's jacket, or any of the really cool stuff that used to exist on the bottom floor. Most of the exibits were loaded with AMAZING MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS (videos). In and of itself, this was only mildly annoying; however, these videos were produced by the History Chanel. This isn't necessarily bad…it just added to the annoyance factor. On top of that, the videos are copyrighted! This was unbelieveable. These videos were produced to be shown in a government institution. As such, they should be in the public domain (just like everything else the goverment does). If not the public domain, the information should be free.
On top of that, it is hard to find your way around the museum. It isn't well laid out. I think you should be able to walk through the museum in an orderly fashion and see everything. You shouldn't have to make u turns, walk over the same display twice, or meet dead ends. This museum has them all.
Several of the displays in the museum have a left-leaning slant. For example, the display on The Price of Freedom mentions major eras of war the US has gone through. They mention expansion, self-preservation, WWI, and WWII; however, they don't have a seperate category for the various wars that have been fought this century to provide freedom to various peoples (Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Afghanastan, Iraq, etc…). Now, they mention the wars; however, a visitor is left with the idea that the US never fights wars without wanting to expand colonies, etc…. There was also an exhibit on the role of the First Lady in politics. I couldn't even go in this one. I'll give you one guess as to what this is about. Hillary Rodham Rodham. Have you ever heard of First Lady Lincoln being involved in politics? How about First Lady Hayes?
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, we plan on going to Capitol Hill Baptist Church and–ta da–the Air and Space Museum. We are also going to visit the Museum of Natural History (although I plan on observing how left-leaning this museum is and writing on it tomorrow). Of these, the Air and Space museum is always the best. I have read they may have Spaceship 1 there.
Ecumenical Council and Fundamentalism?
Dr. Mohler is reporting that Bishop Mark Hansen is calling for an ecumenical council to resolve the question of biblical interpretation.
I had to hear this one for myself. Presiding Bishop Mark Hansen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has called for an ecumenical council to convene in order to resolve the question of biblical interpretation in the church. Calling for the global council, Bishop Hansen called upon Pope Benedict XVI, leaders of the Eastern Orthodox churches, and mainline Protestant leaders to convene the council in order to stem the tide of what he called "fundamentalist" readings of Scripture.
"Christianity is in the midst of a global identity crisis because we have not addressed ecumenically the questions of authority and interpretation of scripture," Hanson told the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly last week. Religion News Service reported that the bishop also "called for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches to come together to combat a 'fundamentalist-millennialist-apocalypticist reading of Scripture.'"
Christianity certainly is "in the midst of a global identity crisis," but that crisis is the result of theological accommodation and confusion — not biblical literalism. In this context, biblical literalism is code language for any assertion of biblical authority or biblical inerrancy.
There once was a time when the great councils of the church defended theological orthodoxy. Whatever happened to Nicaea, Chalcedon, and Ephesus? We can only imagine where this bizarre council might meet. The Council of Greenwich Village? Harvard Yard? Riverside Drive? I suggest the Council of Laodicea. The possibilities are endless.
Perhaps "fundamentalists" should hold a council on why NOT holding to biblical authority, inerrancy, infailability, etc… is harmful to the church.
BTK
Dr. Mohler had a blog entry about the BTK killer and his pastor. He says, among other things:
Rev. Michael G. Clark is a deeply committed man. I know this because The New York Times reports that he was at the sentencing hearing yesterday for Dennis L. Rader, the infamous B.T.K. killer in Wichita, Kansas. Rader, now one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, was sentenced to ten life terms in prison for a brutal series of slayings that terrorized Wichita for years. He avoided the death penalty, but will not be eligible for parole for 175 years.
Pastor Clark comes into the story because he serves as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Wichita. When arrested earlier this year, Rader had just taken over as president of the church's congregational council. He had actually taken one of his victims to the church and had hidden torture tools in the church's shed. He was caught when police traced him through a church computer he had carelessly used.
The paper reports that Pastor Clark sat in the courtroom reading Psalm 51, even as the grieving family members of the victims poured out their sorrow and testified of their loss. When Rader addressed the court, he pointed to Pastor Clark as his "main man," adding, "If there's anybody I was dishonest to, it's that man right there."
So, why was he at the courtroom? In an interview with the paper, Pastor Clark explained, "I just tell people . . . would you want me to stop coming to see you if I were your pastor?"
All I know is that in this very public moment of national attention — with every reason to run and hide — this pastor sat in the courtroom and read Psalm 51. That was a demonstration of rare pastoral courage, given by a man who must surely bear a broken heart. It should not go unnoticed.
Along these lines, I was watching the news several days ago (This hotel only has CNN, so I don't have it on all the time) and saw Dennis Rader on TV. It was a report in response to his sentencing. The families of his victims–at least the ones shown on the report–were full of hate. They really hated this man. Dennis was then able to speak.
I don't have the exact quote, but the jist of what I heard was him saying that he hoped by turning himself in he would get some favor with God. What went through my mind was that he was worried about his salvation…about going to heaven.
The Bible tells us that the only way to be forgiven for our sins is through the blood of Christ (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39). We cannot "work" our way to salvation. Now, being forgiven by God doesn't mean that we don't have to put up with the consequences (for an example of this, see how God dealt with Israel after they refused to go into the promised land and what God told them when they wanted to go after they heard what would happen.).
So, in conclusion…what Dennis did was wrong. He must suffer the consequences. However, God still desires that no one–you, me, and Dennis–would go to hell (see the verses above). God sent His son to die on the cross while we were still in our sin. God loved us then knowing what our lives would be like. The only way to restor our fellowship and relationship with Him is to accept His gift. I wish I knew how I could communicate this to Dennis.
Urgent vs Important
Seth Godin has an article on his blog about urgent vs. important. For the most part, I think he is right on the money. Below are some excerpts:
There are two ways to catch a plane. The first, which happens to be the most common, is to leave on time, do your best to park nearby, repeatedly glance at your watch, and then start moving faster and faster. By the time you get to security, you realize that you're quite late, so you cut the line ("My plane leaves in 10 minutes!" you shout). You walk fast. As you get closer to your gate, you realize that walking fast isn't going to work, so you start to jog. Three gates away, you break into a run, and if you're lucky, you barely make the flight.
The second way is to leave for the airport 10 minutes early.
How can you tell if you're too obsessed with urgent?
Do senior people at your company refuse to involve themselves in decisions until the last minute?
Do meetings regularly get canceled because something else came up?
Is waiting until the last minute the easiest way to get a final decision from your
I don't know about you, but I can answer those questions in the afirmative.
Church Missionary Detachment
I was reading this blog entry today on the church/missionary detachment. It gives me a chance to tell part of the reason I am a Southern Baptist. From the article:
Lately, I had a chance to think about a problem that most churches face relating to the missionaries they support: most missionaries feel distant from the churches that support them. The problem is made worse by the fact that most missionaries are supported by dozens or even hundreds of churches and often must spend the little time they have away from the mission field traveling from church to church in the hope of increasing their support. In response to this problem some churches such as Park Street Church in Boston have committed themselves to providing most or all of the support for a smaller number of missionaries.
Clearly, a situation in which missionaries must spend the better part of their furlough visiting church after church, thus depriving them of the ability to rest during their short time away from the mission field is far from ideal. If for no other reason than this, the model embraced by Park Street Church, in which a smaller number of missionaries receive all or nearly all of their support from a single church, seems a far better option.
Southern Baptist missionaries supported by the International Mission Board are fully supported. They don't have to worry about raising money. The Cooperative Program (combined with the Lottie Moon offering) provide 100% of the support SBC missionaries need in the field. When they are home on furlow (not really a vacation), they spend time with churches talking about the IMB, what is happening on the field, etc… When they are on vacation–yes, they get vacation too–they are on vacation.
This means that the missionaries don't have to worry about funding for next year, next month, or tomorrow. Southern Baptists cooperate together to support them.
Gmail Invites
Just wanted to let everyone know that I have some gmail invites I'll give out. If you are interested, send me an e-mail. My contact information can be found here. Don't post in comments to this post…send me an e-mail. Oh, I'm going to be a bit selctive, so tell me what you want one for.
AM Ride
Well, I think my riding is catching up with me. I rode this morning and had a rough time of it (I think the stats reflect that too). I'm going to ride tomorrow morning then I'll take a break till Monday. I'm going to ride the Metro into DC and look at the US' capitol tomorrow. Sunday, I plan on attending Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
Ride Stats:
Distance: 18.4 mi
Time: 1 hr 12 min
Avg. Speed: 15.3 mph
Cal. Expended: 1457 (apx)
Black Conservative Christian Plans to Challenge Liberal Incumbent for Mich. Senate Seat
Agape Press is reporting that a black conservative pastor is planning on running for US senate.
(AgapePress) – A black conservative pastor from Michigan feels the U.S. senator from his state is on the wrong side of several important social issues. Because of this, he believes God has called him to challenge the single-term legislator for her Senate seat next year.
Keith Butler pastors the 21,000-member Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, Michigan. The former Detroit City Council member says he believes God is urging him to take on Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow as she seeks re-election for the first time.
Butler, a Republican, believes he can win as a black conservative, despite the traditional tendency of many in black America to align themselves with the Democratic Party or to think of that party as representing its interests. "The Republican Party actually has a good record on issues dealing with African Americans and urban people that they don't tell the story of, and I'm going to tell that story," he says.
Also, the Detroit-area pastor says he intends to run on a pro-family platform that stands in stark contrast to the liberal values of his opponent. "I'm strongly pro-life, and she's strongly pro-abortion," he points out, "and life is the biggest issue of all." And second to that issue, he says, is the protection of the traditional American family.
"I strongly believe that marriage should only be between one man and one woman," Butler notes. Meanwhile, he says the incumbent Stabenow, is "endorsed by and supports the gay rights movement."
With his emphasis on Judeo-Christian values and doing what is best for families in American society, Butler believes he has a good chance at taking Stabenow's Senate seat next year. In fact, he says his camp is convinced that he can be the Republican with the highest vote total among minorities in Michigan's history.
If this is what God wants, it will happen. Let's pray for the strength of Pastor Butler and his family as they go through this riggorous process.