First cousins, twice removed

We have quite a few twins in the family now.



Happy 17th birthday to my first cousins, twice removed, Daniel and Phoebe, my cousin Gayle's beautiful grandchildren. 

Great nephew Caleb has twin daughters Hallie and Kali, two years old, granddaughters of our niece Joan and husband Dan, great granddaughter of Jeanne and Bob.


And niece Kari and husband Greg have twins Breeanne and Brody, also two. Sister Debbie is their grandmother.

St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 1

What, then, are You, O my God-what, I ask, but the Lord God ?
 For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God (Ps. 17:32) ? Most high,
most excellent,
most powerful,
most omnipotent ;
most piteous and most just;
most hidden and most near;
most beautiful and most strong, stable, yet contained by none;
unchangeable, yet changing all things;
never new, never old;
making all things new,
yet bringing old age upon the proud without their knowing it (Job 9:5);
always working, yet ever at rest;
gathering, yet needing nothing;
sustaining, pervading, and protecting ;
creating, nourishing, and developing;
seeking, and yet possessing all things.
You love, yet do not burn;
are jealous, yet free from care;
You repent, yet do not suffer;
are angry, yet serene;
You change Your ways, leaving Your plans unchanged;
You recover what You find, without ever having lost it;
You are never in want, while You rejoice in gain;
never covetous, though requiring interest.'
That You may owe, more than enough is given to You;
yet who has anything that is not Yours?
You pay debts while owing nothing;
and when You forgive debts,
You lose nothing.
Yet, O my God, my life, my holy joy, what is this that I have said ? And what does anyone say when He speaks of You? Yet woe to them that keep silence, seeing that even they who say most are like the dumb."

Translation 

My own translation (by Edward Bouverie Pusey, public domain) uses the thy and art and shouldest,  which isn't that difficult, but I looked for more current English.  Then I rearranged the spacing; looks like a nice poem or liturgy.

Science in the Bible

Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist, says there are 25 different creation accounts in the Bible. Job, for instance, has more scientific detail than the Genesis account. Job is likely the oldest book of the Bible and it predates the book of Genesis by 500-600 years. He also says there are 200 accurate scientific theories in the Bible some not developed until the 20th century. The chances of that are ten to the 300th power. I'm listening while riding my exercycIe. I love science.

                    

https://youtu.be/dsbj7EN1Uzs?list=PLp2gleJsbl1RlxpvUACxB59uxiMrZnFrw

http://www.reasons.org/

http://www.reasons.org/articles/lost-civilization-beneath-the-persian-gulf-confirms-genesis-history-of-humanity

Unfortunately, there's probably no area that causes more dissension among sincere Christians than creation and the Bible. Just scanning the list of articles by old earth and new earth advocates I see there are many who don't like Ross. But nowhere in the Bible do I see that Jesus told us to put our faith in the Bible, but in him. And it looks like all along that range of beliefs they believe in Jesus.

Looking at the older creeds

When a member of our church moved to the west coast a few years ago, she donated a lot of her books to the library, which then put most of them out for “free” to anyone who wanted them. Some were rather difficult or scholarly, but just perfect to sit on my shelves, unread. So I’ve been looking at “Creeds of the Churches; a reader in Christian Doctrine from the Bible to the Present,” ed. John H. Leith, Anchor Books, 1963.

At our Lutheran church, generally we say the Apostle's Creed every Sunday at the liturgical service, and on special times, like Christmas, we brush off the Nicene Creed; and occasionally the Athanasian Creed. The history of the creeds is really fascinating, and so far superior to some of the current, trendy “home made” statements of faith, or mission statements churches sometimes say today. Non-denominational, or "spiritual but not religious" Christians just have no ideas what they owe to these leaders of a thousand years ago who battled heresies, Muslims, and bad Popes.  Particularly impressive is the Fourth Lateran Council. Also it’s interesting that it took 1200 years to sanction the word transubstantiation even though the idea is clearly stated in Jesus’ words in John 6:53-58 and had been the practice for over a century.

“The fourth Lateran Council, the 12th ecumenical council (1215), generally considered the greatest council before Trent, was years in preparation. Pope Innocent III desired the widest possible representation, and more than 400 bishops, 800 abbots and priors, envoys of many European kings, and personal representatives of Frederick II (confirmed by the council as emperor of the West) took part. The purpose of the council was twofold: reform of the church and the recovery of the Holy Land. Many of the conciliar decrees touching on church reform and organization remained in effect for centuries. The council ruled on such vexing problems as the use of church property, tithes, judicial procedures, and patriarchal precedence. It ordered Jews and Saracens to wear distinctive dress and obliged Catholics to make a yearly confession and to receive Communion during the Easter season. The council sanctioned the word transubstantiation as a correct expression of eucharistic doctrine. The teachings of the Cathari and Waldenses were condemned. Innocent also ordered a four-year truce among Christian rulers so that a new crusade could be launched.”

There were some excellent rules for the church/clergy in 1215--could be used today, like providing for the education of the poor, especially future priests, modest dress and behavior for clerics, priests couldn't be judges (separation of church and state), all Christians had to confess their sins at least once a year and take communion at least once, if a priest revealed a confession he would be banished to a monastery,  incompetent people couldn't be appointed, a cathedral or church couldn't be without a pastor for more than 3 months, (compared to a widow and ravenous wolves attacking the people), and for some reason were not to hunt or fowl or keep dogs for that purpose.

Long form journalism and wordy blogs

are a thing of the past.

Now that I've tried blogging and posting to Facebook using my i-pad mini, I can see why people are using shortcuts and no sentence structure.  Today I learned how to turn it on and off and upload a photo to Facebook.  But I'm back at the computer so my fingers can stretch a bit.  Increasingly, the ordinary person is dumping their computers when using social media.
 

This is the photo I posted on FB a few minutes ago.  First I took a photo of myself in the mirror, or maybe it was my finger.  I'm a little awkward at this. I had to delete that one and the 6 "burst" behind it--can't hold the finger down too long.

This is our replacement Lazzy Bear from Christmas 1986.  Our first one was stolen in a home break-in--imagine someone stealing a stuffed bear--but they were very popular that year.  My friend Nancy got me a new one.  We still put him out every Christmas.

First try on my I-pad mini

This is not comfortable. It's creepy, like typing with bandaged fingers.

The church of climate change

Some of my friend, particularly on Facebook, are atheists. I just deleted their names from this post, even though they are proud of it. That's how I am about "human caused climate change." We atheists (on that religion) are called "deniers." Yes, indeed. I live where there used to be a glacier. There are beautiful homes and walls in Ohio built with stones brought here from Canada long before people or equipment burning fossil fuel. I don't know exactly what to call their theology and ecclesiology, or if Algore is still high priest, but politicians have their hands in the collection plates. And they are so phony in their concern.  Hundreds will waste millions of gallons of jet fuel just to get to the communion rail at the same time. Neither party is safe from proselitizing, and they like to sing those happy clappy 7/11 songs and raise their hands and swing and sway for non-existent gods.

The media are the holy scribes. 

They will demonize you as heretics.

Don't expect a debate, you're a non-persons.

And boy, can they whine!

The Ferguson effect--violence is on the increase

Murders and shootings have spiked in many American cities—and so have efforts to ignore or deny the crime increase.

The Brennan Center’s report, “Crime in 2015: A Preliminary Analysis” confirms the Ferguson effect, while also showing how clueless the media are about crime and policing.

"St. Louis Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, at a news conference in July after his nephew was slain, made a poignant plea: “We march every time the police shoot and kill somebody. But we’re not marching when we’re killing each other in the streets. Let’s march for that.”

Trying to hide the rise of crime

Holly she bears a berry

          

Someone asked me about the pre-Christian images in many of our Christmas traditions--holly, mistletoe, trees, the timing with the Winter Solstice.  To simplify, I said the early church used them as evangelism tools to explain the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord, and the people instead of having their heads chopped off the way the Muslims evangelized Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe as warnings for infidels, got to keep their favorite traditions and their heads.  Don't fear them, embrace.

The voice squad

Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk,
And Mary she bore Jesus, who was wrapped up in silk:

And Mary she bore Jesus our Saviour for to be,
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly.
Holly! Holly! Holly!
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly!

Now the holly bears a berry as green as the grass,
And Mary she bore Jesus, who died on the cross:

And Mary she bore Jesus our Saviour for to be,
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly.
Holly! Holly! Holly!
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly!

Now the holly bears a berry as black as the coal,
And Mary she bore Jesus, who died for us all:

And Mary she bore Jesus our Saviour for to be,
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly.
Holly! Holly! Holly!
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly!

Now the holly bears a berry, as blood is it red,
Then trust we our Saviour, who rose from the dead:

And Mary she bore Jesus our Saviour for to be,
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly.
Holly! Holly! Holly!
And the first tree that’s in the greenwood, it was the holly!

Humility is the queen of virtues

“. . . no one seems to know what just happened [decision of Supreme Court on same sex marriage in June 2015]. This wasn’t the legalization of a behavior—for the legal barriers to homosexual conduct were torn down decades ago. The rights to cohabitate, to share insurance benefits, tax status, and even call each other spouse—without discrimination—are hard fought gains that were achieved before last Friday. A new right has not been created, rather the Constitutional right for the rest of us to think and speak our minds, and to hold our own counsel has been severely curtailed. The right to do something impossible can’t be achieved, not by any court, only the right to demand everyone else be supportive of this masked ball, with legal penalties for refusing to join the dance. We’ve only lost the right to object.”

“. . . Christians shouting the word “sin” at something out there have failed to use this most powerful weapon we have by the Holy Spirit to counter forces beyond our human skill or strength. When an obstacle is too high, too strong, too wide for you to go over it, it is best to adopt humility and go under it. If language against a sin that’s been called a blessing can only draw fire and fill you full of verbal bullet holes, then use the stance that saints have long used in more trying circumstances and under worse governments: the language of humility. When saying, “You are sinners!” just won’t do—and I think this is one of those times—then freely speak the truth and say, “We are sinners and have failed God, but we’ve been found by Him and are happy to be new creatures in Christ.”
Humility: Queen of  Virtues

It's possible I'll still be here for the next full moon on Christmas Day--2034

"The Metonic cycle is the lunar cycle in question. After 19 years, the lunar phases are repeated on nearly the same calendar dates. It was discovered around 432 B.C. by the Greek astronomer Meton (although some believe that the Babylonians knew about it before he did). After 19 years, the lunar phases are usually repeated on the same calendar dates. 

According to the cycle, a Christmas Day full moon should have happened 19 years ago, in 1996, but it didn't because the Metonic cycle is only approximate and the number of leap days (four or five) in a period of 19 years can give rise to a discrepancy of one day.

In 1996, the full moon fell not on Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve. And in this particular case, adding 19 years to 1996 saw a jump of one day, moving the full moon to Christmas Day in 2015.

Interestingly, if we use the Metonic cycle going backward from 1996, we also jump forward one day to Christmas Day in 1977, which was the last time we had a full moon on Christmas Day.

Now, if we add 19 years to 2015, we find that the Metonic cycle will work perfectly with no one-day jumps — so the next time a full moon will occur on Christmas Day will be in 2034. But that will work only for the 48 contiguous states, because for those living in Alaska and Hawaii, the moon will officially turn full before the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve.
 http://www.space.com/31471-rare-christmas-full-moon-guide.html



Unfortunately, although I saw the moon last night, it's either too cloudy or too early to see it now.
Update:  We went out later, saw the moon, and took a few photos. See you in 2034!

A politically correct Christmas

Jay Leno once made this comment about politically-correct Christmases: "The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin."

Things are festive at our son's home.  He says "the fat man" (Santa) brought him new floors and living room suite.  Until recently, he had 3 cars.  One caught on fire when he was on the way to work and he was miraculously warned by a passing angel to get out of the car; the other he sold to someone driving by his home who just happened to like that model BMW.  So he decided to spruce up his place.  Our daughter and son-in-law have also made some recent investments in their lovely home with repainting the first level, new windows, doors and blinds.  But I don't have a photo of that (I think she sent them, but probably are on my other computer).

We had a lovely Christmas Eve dinner here and then went to Lytham Road UALC for the 7:30 service (traveling by full moon), earlier than we usually do  because we're all getting older.  Music wasn't quite the same (Celebration service style instead of traditional), but still had some traditional carols with a more upbeat chorus group and less organ.  But my goodness, that pianist is good.  Plays like my sister, and you just don't get better than that.

And it's back to church on Christmas day for 10 a.m. service at which we will serve Communion, and then out to our son's home in Canal Winchester for dinner and opening gifts.

Friday Family Photo--Christmas 1965

We were living at 911 W. Charles in Champaign, Illinois. It was a brick Dutch Colonial.  I'm wearing a blazer that my mother made for me for college--I still have it.  Bob probably still has that cardigan.  And we still have some of the furniture. This was our second home.  We kept the house on White Street and rented both apartments.  One apartment paid that mortgage, and the other paid the mortgage for Charles Street.  Both houses had nice hardwood floors, because 100 years ago, that's what houses had.  We didn't install wall to wall carpet, but bought carpeting made to fit the rooms on White St., then took them with us when we moved.

Puns sent by my son

How does Moses make tea? Hebrews it. 

Venison for dinner again? Oh deer! 

A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crêpes.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Typo.
I changed my iPod's name to Titanic. It's syncing now.
I know a guy who's addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop any time.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
This girl said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I'd never met herbivore.
When chemists die, they barium.
I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
Why were the Indians here first? They had reservations.
I didn't like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn't control her pupils?
When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
Broken pencils are pointless.
What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A theasaurus.
I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
All the toilets in New York's police stations have been stolen. The police have nothing to go on.
I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
Velcro - what a rip off!

WHAT I LEARNED FROM WATCHING THE DEMOCRATS' DEBATE, Steve Fyten, guest blogger

* Black Lives Matter, All Lives Don't Matter.
* College should be free and all student loans cancelled.
* Medical treatment should be free.
* To become an American Citizen just show up here.
* The economy sucks and after 7 years in office, it's not Obama's fault.
* The Middle Class is shrinking and after 7 years in office, it's not Obama's fault.
* The Average Family income is dropping and after 7 years in office, it's not Obama's fault.
* Black youths have over a 50% unemployment rate and after 7 years in office it's not Obama's fault.
* Hispanic youth unemployment is over 35% and after 7 years in office, it's not Obama's fault.
* 50% of the Population is paying 100% of all the taxes and they are still not paying their fair share.
* Everyone who votes Democrat will work less, make more, get more time off, spend more time with family, pay less taxes, and get more government subsidies.
* Everyone else does it, so should we, regardless of the results other places.
* Government wants more money to squander on promises already broken.
* The word "Progressive" is less cringe worthy than saying you're a Liberal.
* When America grows up, we want to be Norway, Sweden or the Netherlands.
* There's a quagmire in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East and Obama's retreating from the area has nothing to do with the situation.
* Republicans want dirty air, dirty water, oil spills, trash on the streets, polluted oceans, old people without medical treatment and dead, young people without educations being paid the lowest wages possible, starving children, don't believe in equal rights, were responsible for Jim Crow Laws and not Affirmative action.
* Snowden and General Petraeus broke laws for releasing and not securing secret documents but Hillary Clinton shares no responsibility.
* Marijuana cures all diseases.
* Marijuana smokers are being imprisoned for smoking a joint.
* If elected, everything will be rainbows and Unicorns - just like with Obama.
* Hillary Clinton does walk on water.
* Cheaters do prosper.
* People often cheer stupidity.
* There are only two candidates given a voice in the Democrat Race.
* Hillary and Bill Clinton were born poor Black Children.
* All the qualifications needed to be President is to be a woman.
* Evil looks like anything white, rich, successful and productive.
* You will receive a participation trophy in life.
* Agreements of any kind should be signed and committed to even if the other agreeing party doesn't live up to its obligations.
* Everything is still Bush's fault.

And this is the best woman for the job?

Hillary said in an Iowa Townhall, 'I Wouldn't Keep Any School Open That Wasn't Doing A Better Than Average Job'. How does that work? Once she had a new number of schools, tested those kids and teachers, wouldn't she have a new mean to work with, and then have a bunch of schools not performing better than average? Wouldn't she be closing schools in primarily minority and poor neighborhoods or schools with a lot of special needs kids whose children haven't had the advantage of 2 parents, or educated parents or have had physical and mental challenges? I know we have a Department of Education (b. 1979, Jimmy Carter) which funnels tax money through its bureaucracies, but isn't education a responsibility given to the states and local governments?
 http://www.weeklystandard.com/clinton-i-wouldnt-keep-any-school-open-that-wasnt-doing-a-better-than-average-job/article/2000327 

Really, folks. You want her in the White House telling your school to close?

Down the rabbit hole with musician Eric Wyse

The other day I purchased at Marc's for $1.50 a Christmas CD, "Log Cabin Christmas; 20 songs of the season performed in simple folk styles."  It's really lovely, and quite relaxing.

So in deciding to mention it on my blog, I needed to do a little research.  I chose the name of one of the producers, Eric Wyse, because the rest of the production, musicians, and location stuff didn't look too promising-- Barbour publishing, licensed from Classic Fox Records, made in the USA (in Uhrichsville, Ohio).

What a find.  Wyse is a song writer and pianist, and I'm not sure about how much production he does on the side, but I've enjoyed listening to his Christian music.  These are called "rabbit holes" when you get an idea and it takes you to places you didn't know you needed to go.

http://www.ericwyse.com/ericwyse/Home.html  From his home page:

An accomplished keyboardist, songwriter, church musician, and record and video producer, Eric Wyse will complete 19 years of service as Organist/Choirmaster (1994-2001) and Director of Music/Organist (2001-2013) at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee June 2013. In September,  he will begin a new position as Director of Music/Organist at St. Michael’s Church in Charleston, SC.

As a pianist, Eric has recorded the best-selling  "Reflections" series of solo piano music with sales in excess of 200,000 units. His organ work was featured on the worship project "City on a Hill - Sing Alleluia".

He is best known, perhaps, as the co-writer of the modern hymn, "Wonderful, Merciful Savior," written in 1989 with his wife, Dawn Rodgers. Recorded by numerous Christian artists including Selah, Phillips Craig & Dean, Kari Jobe, Anthony Evans, Kathy Troccoli, Travis Cottrell, and Clay Cross, the song received a 2002 Gospel Music Association Dove Award nomination for “Inspirational Song of the Year”. It appears in many new hymnals, including Rejoice Hymns (Majesty Music, 2011), Songs for Worship and Praise (2010, Taylor Publications), The Baptist Hymnal (2008, LifeWay Worship), Hymns for a Pilgrim People (GIA/NAACC, 2007), and The Christian Life Hymnal (Hendrickson, 2006). Other songs written by Eric include "Lamb of God (Angus Dei)" recorded by BeBo Norman and Mark Hall & Megan Garrett (Casting Crowns) and his setting of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father in Heaven", which is gaining acceptance in churches across the country.

An award-winning producer and consultant in recording and video production, Eric has worked with a variety of artists, including Keith & Kristyn Getty, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, CeCe Winans, Amy Grant, Donnie McClurkin, and Hee Haw’s LuLu Roman. In 2007, he produced a critically acclaimed full-length London recording of Handel's Messiah with British conductor John Rutter, featuring The Cambridge Singers & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

 And even after researching it, I still have no idea who the musicians are for this CD.  I do think that is an oversight. They are good. So, after wandering around that rabbit hole, I decided to look at Uhrichsville, Ohio, a town I'd never heard of.  What I found was a wonderful Christian publishing company, named Barbour.

Faithfulness to the Bible and Jesus Christ are the bedrock values behind every book Barbour's staff produces from its 115,000-square foot facilities in Uhrichsville, Ohio. When the company's unit sales reached fourteen million in a fiscal year, Martins commented, "I'm really excited about that figure. That's fourteen million Christian books - not fourteen million hamburgers, or fourteen million cars, or fourteen million computers. It's fourteen million books sharing the message of Christ!"

What a fun search. And all for $1.50 from a remaindered supply at Marc's.

Back to the drawing board

About 8 years ago I was in a writing group with an adorable, really precocious kid about 11. Years go by and we friend each other on Facebook and more years go by and it turns out he's now in college and an active protester at his university saying the same dumb things we all did at that age. I don't know if he's a "snowflake," yet but he's definitely listing to the left.  He shared a poster of demands on his Facebook page. I had to correct the spelling of two words, one of which was "proffesors." Couldn't resist.

Music theory song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF074CL5vjI

Hoping for some new books for Christmas--on my Nook

I recharged my Nook the other day and handed it to my daughter with some suggestions for Christmas of multi-volume books I'd like to have around, but not on my bookshelves due to space, like the early church fathers. I'm not a digital book fan, and probably only have 5 or 6 loaded. But I've also found some good audio on YouTube. "A large video collection of classic hymns, contemporary Praise and Worship songs, and the works (audio books, devotional readings, and sermons) of men greatly used of God, such as: Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, A.W. Pink, John Owen, Oswald Chambers, Andrew Murray, E.M. Bounds, John Bunyan, George Whitefield, and many more, covering topics on many aspects of the Christian life." Listening to Eusebius History of the Church this morning. Sponsored by a group called "Christian Praise and Worship in Songs, Sermons and Audio Books." 

Despite all the crap and dirt, the internet is also full of treasures.

 http://sermonsandsongsdotorg.com/category/audiobooks/