I have decided

I promised God that I will no longer knowingly or intentionally look at anything immodest or obscene. This would even include real people that I would happen to see out in public as well. Even if a very close friend should ask if we could view something together, I would say that the Lord has convicted me concerning this and I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I just can’t participate. This is a solemn vow that I have taken. If I should ever look at anything inappropriate, even so my vow remains in effect. Praise the Lord, who has called me to and virtue and purity. There is only one exception to this: Genesis 2:25 (and this only applies to people who are currently married to each other). What you do with your eyes is your own business, but I have decided to follow Jesus. Matthew 5:27-28 is my guide, as well as the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Happy Thanksgiving!

And I’m praying for you.

Circumlocutions I have heard

“I’m doing such-and-such” could mean “I’m planning to do it.” “I’m thinking of doing it” could mean “I’ve already done it, and now I’m thinking of it.” “My last spouse...next spouse” could mean “I’m not remarried yet, but I’ll let you think I am.” Who can tell? Only the speaker knows for sure.

Oh, well.

I tried, but I lost. He’s an old friend; how can an ex-husband compete with that?

Living as a Christian

Living the lifestyle of a believer in Jesus is a lot like a baby taking his first steps. I mean, you take a few steps and then fall flat on your face. But do you stay on the floor? No! you get back up again. This insight into repentance and obedience to God gives me hope that some time soon I will be where the Lord wants me to be, and on my way to greater success in my Christian walk. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Proverbs 24:16a)

Read this.

I thought I’d share this with you. It’s the Our Daily Bread devotional for today.

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/10/26/devotion.aspx

Learning to lean (on Jesus, that is)

Consider: The Lord has promised to supply all our needs. This means that if He does not give us something, we must not need it after all, and it would be a sin to take it for ourselves. This is especially important to me as I have been waiting for signs of His leading concerning Valerie, and then everything just fell apart, right when it appeared the most promising. Do not misunderstand me: I’m not saying I don’t want her anymore; But if it appears that the Lord will bring her back and he does not, I guess my person, identity, and character is not bound up in human companionship after all. But I’m still praying and seeking the Lord’s will for her and for me. I care very deeply about her. In the mean time, Jesus is teaching me how to lean on Him.

I thought so

If anyone checks this blog, please comment so I know it’s still getting read.

Cynical Ol’ Me

I bet no one reads this post. Prove me wrong.

Dirt is not a part of you

Sin, like dirt, can be washed away. It is not a permanent part of who you are. So if you find that you carry the dirt of the world around you, take heart; that dirt can be washed away and you can be clean. How often do I need to remind myself of that! Stay close to Jesus, and He will keep you clean.

Worth a reading, I think

Here is an article I came across today on the topic of cohabitation. Although it’s about ten years old and there are some statements in it to which I must take exception, I think on the whole it gives a balanced approach to the social data available at the time, and there may be much that we can still learn from it today. Please read the whole thing carefully before passing judgment. True, many of the statistics are undoubtedly out of date; but the vast majority of the conclusions drawn from them, even back then, are still relevant for today.

http://www.smartmarriages.com/cohabit.html

Πορνεία: What makes sex right?

Πορνεία (por NAY ah) is the word in our Greek New Testament commonly translated “fornication” or “sexual immorality.” So why am I writing about this topic? It’s because the moral relativism in our culture has led many to redefine the word to suit their own particular preferences.

My question is this: what makes sex between a man and a woman something that God intended, and even smiles upon? Is it mutual consent? Not at all. Sex without consent is just forced πορνεία, or rape. Well, then, is it love? Again, no. Sex without love is just consenting πορνεία. Is it commitment? No. Sex without commitment is promiscuity, and so with commitment would simply be πορνεία between only two people.

There’s only one thing that turns what otherwise would be πορνεία into something beautiful that God created to be mutually enjoyed: a marriage covenant. Without it, sex is reduced merely to a game we play with each other’s bodies. Stop settling for second best; do it God’s way.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

To all of you who read this, may you all have a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! And though it may be inappropriate, ot eht eno I ssim eht tsom, Yrrem Samtsirhc! Dna eht lanosrep golb si llits pu, dna I lliw eb gnitrats ot tsop ot ti niaga. Mu...

Tseuqer

Eirelav, dluoc I esaelp evah eht drowssap ot ruoy gniddew etisbew? I thguoht tuoba gnidnes a lamrof tseuqer, tub I t’ndid wonk woh Ttam dluow ekil eht aedi. No dnoces thguoht, ebyam eht elohw gniht si a dab aedi. M’i yrros I deksa...

Loneliness is Selfishness in Disguise

Hear me out. I’m not saying that lonely people are bad people. Good people suffer from loneliness, too; but I am saying that the focus of loneliness is self. Check it for yourself. The next time you get lonely, are you going to say, “__________ needs me; I suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to go do something nice for him/her”? No! The first thing that comes to mind will be something like: “I’m lonely. I miss __________. I wish he/she were here. I feel really good when we’re together!”

Please don’t get me wrong. I get lonely myself. But it’s important to understand where the loneliness comes from. A’ight?

ot eirelav

mi ton erus fi i dluohs neve yas gnihtyna tuoba siht tub i tnod kniht ti dluow krow rof a tcefrep regnarts hcus sa flesym ot klat ot ttam tuoba taht eussi ti thgim neve erifkcab knaht uoy rof gniulav ym evitcepsrep no eht tcejbus tub i leef retfa hcum reyarp dna noitaredisnoc taht uoy dluow eb retteb devres fi i tndid erefretni dna tel uoy krow siht tuo neewteb uoy i lliw eunitnoc ot yarp

Creative Signage Options

(Or, How to Annoy Passing Motorists)

1. Upside-down “A” in place of “V”
2. Backwards “B” in place of “8”
3. Backwards “D” in place of “O” or Zero
   
4. Backwards “E” in place of “3”
5. Flipped upside-down “F” in place of “L”
6. Flipped upside-down “G” in place of “E”
   
7. “I” in place of “L”
8. Rotated upside-down “J” in place of “F”
9. Flipped upside-down “L” in place of “F”
10. Rotated upside-down “L” in place of “7”
    
11. Upside-down “M” in place of “W”
12. “O” in place of Zero
13. Flipped upside-down “P” in place of “B”
14. Rotated upside-down “P” in place of “D”
15. Upside-down or backwards “Q” in place of “O” or Zero
16. Backwards “R” in place of “A”
    
17. “S” in place of “5”
18. Backwards “S” in place of “2”
19. Upside-down “T” in place of “1”
    
20. Upside-down “V” in place of “A”
21. Upside-down “W” in place of “M”
22. “Z” in place of “2”
23. Zero in place of “O”
24. “1” in place of “I” or “L”
25. “2” in place of “Z”
26. Backwards “2” in place of “S”
27. Flipped upside-down “2” in place of “5”
28. Backwards “3” in place of “E”
29. Backwards “2” over backwards “3” in place of “&”
    
30. “4” (the open kind) in place of “Y”
31. “5” in place of “S”
32. Flipped upside-down “5” in place of “2”
33. “6” in place of “G”
    
34. Flipped upside-down “6” in place of “E”
35. Backwards “6” in place of “A”
36. Rotated upside-down “6” in place of “9”
37. Rotated upside-down “7” in place of “L”
38. “8” in place of “B”
39. “9” in place of “G” (yes 6 and 9 both work, sort of)
40. Upside-down “!” in place of “I”
41. Upside-down comma in place of apostrophe
42. Upside-down apostrophe in place of comma
    

Of course, I certainly don’t recommend these, except for a few that won’t look bad. For instance, upside-down W for an M looks pretty good, though the reverse is not true.

Prayer

Dear God, it is all in your hands. You deal with it. Let come what may, still I will trust you. Give me grace to pray once more, and I will believe for the answer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Making Right Choices

Making right choices often means no one realizes that we did! It often involves refraining from certain types of behavior, or from talking about someone or something we used to. But if we point out that we’re making the right decision, we miss the point: Right actions are right by virtue of what they are, not whether other people know. Well, that’s my thought for the day. Stay with it, folks!

Morality

Let me begin this post with a caveat: I am not speaking to or about anyone in particular, but I believe these things so strongly that I feel a certain obligation to share them. My comments are about the world in general, and are not to be construed as directed at specific individuals.

Now that we’ve come to the 21st Century, it appears that many people are abandoning the strong morals that were prevalent when our nation was founded. In short, we no longer understand the full import of the sanctity of marriage. Couples are enjoying the trappings of marriage without the marriage covenant itself. And these live-in relationships are on the rise. It seems people would rather have the benefits of the marriage relationship without all that difficult responsibility.

But boyfriends and girlfriends who “play house” invite for themselves a host of problems which, although also present among traditional marriages, exist in to a greater extent among couples who either cohabit or were married after having cohabited. What has happened to us? I see that we’ve lost our way, and the problem is that we fail to take the Bible seriously.

The Bible says, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help[er suitable] for him.” (Genesis 2:18) As the story unfolds, God proceeds to form Eve out of one of Adam's ribs, presents her to him, and officiates at the first wedding ceremony. What, you don’t believe me? Verse 24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

That the becoming one flesh comes after the cleaving to the wife is evident from this New Testament passage: “Honorable be marriage among all people, and the bed unsullied; but immoral persons and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4, my own translation) The message is very clear: Ring before fling. God doesn’t want us to have trouble; because He loves us, He wants our ultimate marriage to succeed.

Some of you may be in this identical situation. My advice to you is to separate from each other physically until you’re ready to be married. Even if you’ve done it with no one else but your partner, this have long-term benefits for you: it will build trust, character, respect, and purity. But above all, God is able to forgive past failures if we commit to doing it the right way.