Indulgences and Blog Awards November 29, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Spiritual Growth.add a comment
I seem to have been granted an indulgence from Marc over at Purgatorio. If one were to ask me why I should be granted such a thing, I really couldn’t say. I write what’s on my mind, and when I don’t have anything going on, I either go to one of my standby topics or take a day off. Then again, since I have gone into a busy season at work and in life, it could be that an indulgence may be just what I need. To be a God Blogger, you need to be 1. a Christian, and 2. a blogger. A Christian is one who is being conformed to the image of Christ through the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So far so good. But a blogger is one who blogs. If you want to call your self a God Blogger, I feel that a plurality of your posts ought to be related to your Christianity. Sometimes it seems that all I have to blog about is how I don’t have time to blog!
What’s up with that?
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Jerry November 28, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Spiritual Growth.comments closed
There is a man who works in the building where I work whose job is to do standard maintenance and basic grounds keeping. Whenever I am in the parking lot during the day, I need only scan the area and I can spot him. I believe his name is Jerry, though I have never been formally introduced. He appears to be past the traditional retirement age and always has a smile on his face. Whether he is picking up cigarette butts, tending to the plants around the flagpole or sweeping fallen leaves from the steps, he comes across as a man who is both approachable and intent on performing a thorough job.
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Lord’s Day 48 November 27, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Heidelberg Catechism.add a comment
Question 123: What is the second petition?
Answer: Thy kingdom come. That is: So rule us by Thy Word and Spirit that more and more we submit to Thee. Preserve and increase Thy church. Destroy the works of the devil, every power that raises itself against Thee, and every conspiracy against Thy holy Word. Do all this until the fullness of Thy kingdom comes, wherein Thou shalt be all in all.
Busyness November 26, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Journal.add a comment
Things have gotten busy in my life lately. No, this isn’t a “it’s been great but I’m outta here” post or anything. I’m just saying that I won’t be updating the blog as daily as I had been. The holidays are the most obvious reason for this, but there’s also mandatory overtime at work, AWANA, cleaning at Ben’s school and I am also on a committee to find a new youth pastor.
When I look at the load, I really don’t have a whole lot of time to spare, so I am taking a Dan Edelen cue for the time being. If I have something to say, I’ll say it. If I haven’t had time to digest my thoughts, I’ll remain silent. After all, I am becoming more and more convinced that this concept should be the golden rule of the blogosphere. Are we so eager that we want to spout our opinions on matters that we don’t understand, just because “everybody” else is doing it? Are 90% of us willing to pass judgment on a matter based solely on what someone else thinks?
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WordPress.com is Open to the Public November 22, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Techie Stuff.add a comment
WordPress.com, an alternative to blogger, is now open to anyone who wants to sign up. And why would you want to do such a thing? Well, let’s see here. If you already have a WordPress blog and are tired of spam, you can use the API key from a WP.Com blog to get Akismet. If you are looking to begin a blog of your own and don’t want to hassle with designing your own template, WP.Com comes with nine to choose from. You can’t change the template yet, but that is something that I foresee changing in the near future.
I don’t have any inside information about template changes or additions, but my premature boastings in WordPress have not failed yet. Sign up while the name you want to use is still around! If you don’t have a blog, and have something to say, give it a try! If your cheap and can’t think of a Christmas present for your sweetie, sign her up! Just don’t tell her I gave you that marvelous idea, m-kay?
Psalm 11 November 21, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Walking the Psalms.add a comment
The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
This psalm was likely written during the time that David was being persecuted from Saul and had been advised to flee for his life. As we see from the opening verse, David finds such strategy to be preposterous. If the Lord is our refuge in a time of trial, how can we run to the hills whenever we are in danger? If we want to display the peace of Christ, how can we run from the first signs of trial? It is this thought that brings me to Psalm 11.
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Lord’s Day 47 November 20, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Heidelberg Catechism.add a comment
Question 122 What is the first petition?
Answer: Hallowed be Thy Name. That is: Grant us first of all that we may rightly know Thee, and sanctify, glorify, and praise Thee in all Thy works, in which shine forth Thy almighty power, wisdom, goodness, righteousness, mercy, and truth. Grant us also that we may so direct our whole life– our thoughts, words, and actions– that Thy Name is not blasphemed because of us but always honoured and praised.
From the Inbox November 18, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Spiritual Growth.add a comment
I received this e-mail from my mother yesterday, and though this is hardly a new issue, I thought I’d share an excerpt of the e-mail today:
Two particular books, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neil D. Walsh, sound harmless enough by their titles alone. These books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and these publications make truth of the statement, “Don’t judge a book by its cover/title.”
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Ubuntu November 17, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Techie Stuff.6 comments
I learned a valuable lesson from my recent computer crash, that being the need to be able to retrieve the files on a corrupted hard disc. The common mantra is to back up your work, but this will not help you with any changes to your files since your last backup. In response, I have ordered a copy of Ubuntu. This free Linux distro (I think that’s the term) came today with both a “live” and an “install” CD. The live CD allows you to use the Ubuntu operating system on a windows machine without changing anything while the install CD lets you… um… install Ubuntu on a PC for either standalone use or in a partition.
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On Cessationism and Continuationism November 16, 2005
Posted by Doug McHone in Spiritual Growth.add a comment
I usually don’t enter into many of the debates that come into the Christian blogosphere, but Adrian Warnock and Phil “PYROMANIAC” Johnson have been in a friendly debate regarding whether or not charismatic gifts are continued in the same way today as they were given during the time of the early NT church. Usually, I either try to avoid unnecessary controversies and remain silent on topics that would expose just how little I know in regards to the subject matter. Well, I’m not feeling too intelligent right now, so I’d like to pose a few questions regarding spiritual gifts in the present times.
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