Differences in Children

Noah and Mihaela are so very different from each other. Noah (at 7 months) already gets into more stuff than Mihaela (22 months) ever did. This morning I left Noah and Mihaela in the living room while I went to refill my coffee cup. While I was gone (less than 30 seconds) Noah had climbed up on the shelf underneath the end table. He was trying to get to the puzzles that were under there. It was so funny looking. Contrast that with Mihaela who, until very recently, wouldn't even get into her toy box. If something wasn't out on the floor, she would not even try to play with it. We "child-proofed" the cabinents more for the concern of the social worker than because Mihaela needed to be blocked from getting things out. Now, however, I am thinking we may need to start "child-proofing" even more stuff to keep Noah out of them.

There are many other differences as well. Mihaela was never really interested in playing with others, preferring to be alone. Noah, on the other hand, wants to be right in the middle of the action. If someone is playing with something or someone he is not, he immediately becomes interested in what everyone else is doing and seeks to join in.

Barna Group: The Five Most Important Religious Trends of 2005

Pews in the News - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com

By George, I think they hit the nail on the head.

Whose Ark is it anyway?

We have a toy that was purchased for Mihaela that we leave in Noah's room. It is a plastic Ark with animals and is a great toy. As Mihaela was playing with the Ark while I was getting Noah dressed for bed, I started thinking:

Does Mihaela understand that when I call it "Noah's Ark" that I am referring to the faithful man that built it and not her brother? Why do we call it "Noah's Ark" instead of "God's Ark?" After all, it was God who designed it, not Noah. He just followed the directions. We name buildings after the architecht, not the contractor. Of course, if we did call in "God's Ark," would we confuse it with the "Ark of the Covenant," which was also "God's Ark?"

"Noah's Ark" was just a box. The "Ark of Covenant" was just a box. I wonder how the two relate. If I weren't so lazy I would go pull up the dimensions and descriptions of each and compare and contrast them. There just might be an interesting sermon or illustration there. Perhaps some other time, when I have time, I will investigate.

Garbage Producers

As I took the trash out to the curb this evening for pickup in the morning, I gazed down the street to see that, as usual, I was the last one to take my trash out and, as usual, our trash bin is so full that the lid won't shut and I have to place trash bags by the trash bin. I realized that our family comsistently produces more trash than anyone else on the street.

I guess it shouldn't really be surprising since most of the people on our street are retired couples, single widows, or single professionals. We have a couple of young couples (no kids) and only one other house has kids. Those kids are about 5 and 8, so don't produce the amount of trash that babies do.

Instantly Transformed

Here are random thoughts on a passage of scripture (2 Corinthians 5:17) that will probably turn into a communion thought some day. I'm not sure why, but I feel compelled to post them just as they are. Usually, I would clean up my random thoughts and glue them together into a coherent thought...but, here you go: the raw, unrefined thoughts of Randy...read at your own risk.

We are new creation...

God Creates - instantly exists (the creation of the world), not a process

We build, manufacture, craft (a process) - but we do not create things out of nothing; except ideas. Ideas, though, are instantly created.

Sanctified vs. Being Sanctified... Is there a contradiction?

God works inside out. Think about it like this.

• Heat a stick of butter in a pan. The surface of the butter melts, bring the next layer of butter to touch the pan until it melts. The transformation of solid to liquid is outside working in.
• Heat a stick of butter up in the microwave. The center melts and the outside caves in on itself. The transformation of solid to liquid is inside working out.

God is microwave in that he changes you on the inside instantly, then the inside works to change the outside.

We are made up of three parts: Soul, mind, body. The Soul (which is the essence of who we are and the only part of us that is eternal) is instantly transformed (sanctified). It then exerts its influence to bring the other two parts into harmony with it (being sanctified).

All things

The Christian is not simply given a ticket to heaven

Not just a new set of religious rituals

Rather, every area of his life is targeted for renewal as the result of his participation in the new life

Like food is ingested and becomes part of our body, so as we partake the body, the life, of Christ, drink his blood, his life-force, so his life and his life force becomes part of our new life.

Religion, therefore, is not a separate sphere of our life, but a divine principle by which the entire man is to pervaded, refined and made complete. The relationship with Christ takes hold of the Christian in his undivided totality...in the very center of his being. It carries light into thinking. It relays holiness into his will. It transports heaven into his heart.

So, we come together to this sacred consecration of that new birth...the glorious liberation of the Child of God over his whole inward and outward life.

No form of existence can withstand the renovating power of God's Spirit. There is no rational element that may not be sanctified; no sphere of natural life that may not be glorified.