Incredible

Damage from Hurricane Katrina is incredible...catastrophic. It is such a blessing Katrina weakened and veered slightly east before landfall, otherwise it would have been much worse. It's great to see that answered prayer. New Orleans, however, has been hit hard. Not only is Katrina devastating in the lives she took and economically, but also environmentally. Toxic chemicals, human waste, and floating coffins are just a few of the deadly ingredients in the mix with stagnant water. Because New Orleans had such extensive build up in the marsh lands, water drainage was not allowed to occur like it naturally would. As more Americans gobble up the ocean front property and devour wetlands, damage from hurricanes--even small ones--will only be worse. Insurers predict Katrina will cost $26 billion. Incredible! Americans, indeed the world, must examine our use of the environment. Suburban sprawl is a huge problem that will only lead to an unbalanced environment. As servants of God entrusted with His creation, we must be much wiser about how we use His resources.

Now, who wants to buy me a hybrid?

This Weeks Sign That The Apocoplypse Is Upon Us

Category 5 Hurricane Katrina is about to hit New Orleans as of Sunday night. Not good. Not only will she bring destruction upon New Orleans, she is also driving up already high gas prices.

The Fruits of Evolutionary Thought

The London Zoo has a new exhibit: humans. Zoo spokesperson (or should I say spokesprimate?) explains the reasoning behind the exhibit: "Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals ... teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate." Yep, straight out of Darwin. This reminds me of a post Al Mohler has on his blog in which he addresses the fact that evolutionists deny the uniqueness of humans. He quotes Vernlyn Klinkenborg speaking about intelligent design, "It misses both the grace and the moral depth of knowing that humans have only the same stake, the same right, in the Earth as every other creature that has ever lived here." I disagree with Mr. Klinkenborg. I believe humans are created in the image of God: we are unique and we are special--the only ones chosen to worship God for His glory. It is really amazing that humans could stoop so low as to prepare an exhibit in which humans live and act like animals while being gawked at by their fellow species.

This Week's Sign That The Apocolypse Is Upon Us

Budapest has announced that they will spend $1 million to get rid of...DOG WASTE!! Of all things to spend $1 million dollars on, and they pick dog poop. In case you were wondering, the amount of waste produced by Belgium's dogs is more than the Eiffel Tower weighs.

If You Can't Say Anything Nice...

Pat Robertson has done it again! On his TV show, the 700 Club, Robertson suggested assasinating Venezualan president Hugo Chavez would be a good idea. What a ridiculous and irresponsible remark. Chavez has already used this to bolster his belief that the Bush Administration is plotting to assasinate him. I have grown weary of Robertson's asinine comments and even more weary of the mainstream media holding him up as a prominent leader of the "Christian Right." Robertson's influence is waining, and each time he speaks will only speed up the process. Let's hope that he doesn't do harm to the cause of Christ before his public profile fades. If you ask me, I think the guy is going senile. Keep the microphones away from him!

An Unlikely Revolutionary?

The Washington Post ran this story on Friday about Smithsonian scientist Richard Sternberg. Sternberg, while serving as the editor of a now defunct scientific journal, published a peer-reviewed article by scientist Stephen Mayer. Mayer's article, in a nutshell, argued for why the Cambrian explosion points to an intelligent designer. Instantaneously, Sternberg was ostracized by the scientific community. Calling him a "Bible-thumper" and a "Young Earth Creationist", highly regarded scientists trashed Sternberg. Several scientists also investigated whether Sternberg believed in God! The ironic thing is, Sternberg holds TWO Ph Ds in evolutionary biology and does not agree with Intelligent Design. Yet, because he allowed this article to be published he has been tarnished and the journal has died. Religion, according to evolutionists, is not compatible with scientific thought.

What this sordid tale illustrates is the extremes the scientific community will go to protect evolution from criticism. Evolutionists are scared and they're desperate. Do yourself a favor and read this story, it will open your eyes (BTW, free registration is required to view this article).

Congratulations!

Congratulations are in order to newlyweds Saul and Kendra! What a great couple! I'm excited to see how God will be glorified in their marriage. During the lighting of the unity candle Trav and Edith sang "How Great Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin. Excellent choice! Congratulations Gonzalez's!!!

New

I found out today that I will be soon changing jobs! I will be working at the Social Security Administration office in Moore! This is much more along the lines of my interests. Praise the Lord for this provision!

I Survived!

I made it through the Green Day concert. Though I'm no fan of their political stances or moral choices, the show was excellent! Very entertaining. Jimmy Eat World was great as well. Now, I'm exhausted!

This Week's Sign That The Apocolypse Is Upon Us

Okay, this is the real sign:

I'm going to the Green Day concert tomorrow.

Decline Of News

Hope four posts isn't too overwhelming...

Circulation is down for newsweeklies (like Time and Newsweek) and up for celebrity gossip magazines (like Us and People). I don't know about you, but it really says something negative about the state of our culture when people would rather read the latest gossip on celebrities rather than becoming informed and educated about events around the world (how can we be effective prayer warriors if we don't know what's going on in the world? how can we effectively reach the nations with the Gospel if we don't know what people are facing throughout the world? for Americans in general: how can we be the informed citizens our Constitution requires if we don't have a clue of events happening not only in America but throughout the world?). Lest you think my britches need to be loosened (which, granted, they may need to be), I do read People. However, I also enjoy reading the newsweeklies and newspapers. I think one can have both, it need not be an either/or thing.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

For the first time in as long as I can remember I am not starting classes in August. A nice feeling! But it reminds me that my time on earth is quickly fading. My life needs to be lived with more intentionality and urgency.

My current employment is not where I would ideally like to be. I must trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding as He leads me through these new waters. He will use me and will provide for me accordingly--no matter what the job may look like. All for His Glory!

I'm not living in the dorms for the first time in four years. Kinda weird. Life and ministry in the dorms were so familiar. Now I'm in the unfamiliar. Things seem much harder. Certainly this too will become normal, but right now I feel like a fish out of water. What a blessing it is to have a group of Christians my age in similar life situations to meet with and be encouraged by! Thank you Lord for iMPACT.

Should We Be Surprised?

The idea of a book on the undergraduate life written by a professor posing as an undergraduate student is certainly an interesting notion...maybe even a book I would read. A professor did this very thing. Some of her "fascinating" and "interesting" findings are really more like "no duh" finidings if you ask me. For instance, she finally understands why students don't do the readings for class. C'mon, professors were undergrads once, don't they remember what it is like? I have no doubt, though, that this book will focus on the stereotypical college student (drinking beer, having sex) rather than than paying a little bit of respect to those students who don't fit that mold. That being said, it's neat to get a sneak peak at her book by clicking here. Many of us who lived in the dorms can identify with her experiences.

(HT: Internet Monk)

Persecution And The Church

Missionary "Nik Ripken" who has profiled persecution throughout the world, has said that those under persecution do not want others to pray that the persecution would stop. James Draper writes an article on this in Baptist Press, and it's worth a read.

He quotes a Chinese house church leader: "'Stop praying for persecution in China to end,for it is through persecution that the church has grown.'"

The leader also stated: "'We, in fact, are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution,so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China.'" Ripken believes that persecution will not come to America because it will awaken the American church, and Satan doesn't want that. The chief deceiver would rather have us as we are, consumed with anything but Christ. Because as the Chinese leader said, persecution grows the church.

I think this is really interesting. Is the American church dysfunctional and lukewarm? Is persecution the only hope of waking up the church?

Mercy Part I

I am currently employed at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City. This faith-based hospital is operated by the Catholic order, the Sisters of Mercy--originally established by Sister Catherine McAuley. The mission statement of Mercy is "to provide personalized quality health services based on Christian value." I am extremely impressed by this hopsital. Even the top management is committed to providing care based upon the values of Jesus Christ (and the CEO explicitly states this). James tells us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). Well, the faith of the Sisters and Mercy's top management is alive and well.

Their concern for the poor, sick, weak, and oppressed is absolutely amazing. Mercy does not conduct abortions. Mercy does not turn any person needing care away.

Though Catholics have a differing view of Salvation than what is presented in the Bible, I cannot help but notice the genuine faith of the Sisters manifested through their self-sacrificial giving.


The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.'

Ann Coulter And Nice

Read this brief thought from World Magazine:

"These days, being a South Park conservative is in, and the working definition seems to be: Hit hard and don't worry about hitting below the belt, because there is no belt. If you counter the left's sputum with your own, talk-show appearances and book contracts will follow."

"Amy reports that the first question to Ms. Coulter was, in essence, "couldn't she be a little nicer? Ms. Coulter said people don't respond to subtle reasoning; one has to 'bop them over the head' and use humor to make people see the light." She's probably right: Earnestness on TV shows and during after-dinner speeches doesn't turn people on, and Ms. Coulter's rapid-fire attacks do.

But Amy also noted a rare, slow-motion answer: "When a young, conservative woman asked how Coulter could stand the awful things people said about her because of her stand on abortion, she hesitated, messed with her hair, and said: 'Well, it's the same way I don't care about anything else: Christ died for my sins and nothing else matters.' I think my jaw hit the floor.'"

See my previous post on compassion and politics. This is a good piece. Michael Savage conservatism (and Savage IS savage) is crude and ought not to be normal in conservatism.

Fidelity

From Baptist Press:

"Perhaps in all our talk of romance and candlelight, we should re-emphasize that sometimes the romance is deferred, sometimes the fireworks are postponed. Perhaps rather than always pointing to the example of a sexy young married couple, we should point our older teenagers and young married couples to the 87-year-old man who has been wheeling his wife into the congregation every Sunday for 30 years, since she lost the use of her arms and legs in a stroke, or to the 60-year-old woman who faithfully shaves the face of her Alzheimer's-riddled husband, even as he curses and swats at a woman he doesn't remember."

Reminds me of my grandparents. They love each other and you can see it in the way they care for each other. Grandpa had a stroke about three years ago, and Grandma has faithfully and selflessly taken care of him. Amazing! Their relationship is an example of a relationship I want to follow.

Bono And The Gospel

Came across this interview with Bono. He has some interesting stuff to say, and testifies to the Truth.

This Week's Sign That The Apocolypse Is Upon Us

My Church Model

You scored as Herald Model. Your model of the church is Herald. The organization of the church is much less important than the urgency of announcing the Good News of salvation to all the world. The Holy Spirit moves the individual to belief in Jesus Christ and to do the will of the Father by sharing this message with others. As with other models, the narrowness of this model could be supplemented by drawing on other models. Herald Model 95% Mystical Communion Model 67% Sacrament model 56% Servant Model 50% Institutional Model 22% What is your model of the church? [Dulles] created with QuizFarm.com

Inspiring

“Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
--General Dwight Eisenhower on the eve of D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Water, Water Everywhere

From the New York Times:

$46 billion - Amount spent per year globally on bottled water
$1.7 billion - Amount needed per year beyond current spending to provide clean drinking water to everyone on earth
More than one billion - Number of people worldwide who lack reliable access to safe drinking water
80 - Percentage of world illnesses due to water-borne diseases

Bottled water is no more clean than tap water (in America, at least).
Bottled water is worse for the environment (think of all of the energy and plastic bottles consumed...wowza!).

Countries Of Particular Concern

Ever wonder what countries top the US Government's list of egregious violators of religous freedom? If so, here they are:

Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

None of these countries are democratic, none are dominated by Christians, 7 are dominated by Muslims, 3 encourage emperor worship and/or atheism, and none have a capitalist economy. Hmmmm....coincidence?

This Week's Sign That The Apocolypse Is Upon Us

Al "The Bore" Gore has launched a new television network: Current. This network is supposed to be hip and aimed at the "Pod generation" or twenty-somethings. Don't believe I'll be tuning in.