It's still too cold here...

I'm sorry I'm a little behind on my blogging. I just returned from a short trip to Brazil. It was between 65 and 70 degrees warm. :) Part of the reason I was there was a conference about abortion. There were representatives of all viewpoints. While I have sympathy for women and ultimately think it should be her decision, I also think life begins at conception. While the Bible does not discuss abortion per se, it is not entirely silent on the subject. The scriptures say that God knew Esau in the womb. They say that John the Baptist stirred in his mother's womb when he heard about the impending birth of Jesus. Life is precious, whenever it starts. Ending a life at any time should be a very serious decision. I take a lot of flak for my position, and it's not an easy one for me. Some things cause deep emotional feelings in me. Abortion is one of them, so is the death penalty to which I'm opposed and homosexuality because I feel they have little or no choice about their preferences.

Having faith in God does not mean I have all the answers, and I do not wish to speak for or on behalf of others on any of these subjects. I take a stand when I can take a stand, when I am sure about something.

John McCain, Republican running for President, has changed his stance. He's gone from pro-choice to pro-life and now says Roe vs. Wade should be overturned. Mitt Romney, Mormon candidate, seems to have gone the opposite route. Because no one can know for certain, 100%, in many of these areas, I don't think the Presidency should be chosen based on their beliefs in those areas. Those are personal areas of life and faith. I will be very surprised if Roe vs. Wade is ever overturned. If it it, women will abort each other. There are many websites giving directions on the procedure.

Jg 13:7 "But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death."

Happy birthday, precious...

Our Juleane is one year old today. The picture was taken the first month of her little life. The joy this child has brought into our lives cannot be measured.

We take pleasure in our children, as we should. Except for salvation, they are our most precious gifts, in my opinion. I cannot imagine life without them but, frankly, could lose them in a heartbeat. We live in very perilous times.

I have been reading Stephen Flynn's 'Edge of Disaster.' The possible scenarios of terrorism, storms like Katrina, flu epidemics and all kinds of dangers exist. We can prepare for some, lesson the effects of some, but we cannot avoid all. We can, however, have faith in God.

"Wherever God's finer points, His hand will clear a way."

God, through ways we cannot know, leads his own. I am convinced of this. When the way is not clear, there is no need yet of action. When the time comes, God will reveal what you need to know and/or do. People say to me, "John, that is naive thinking." I answer, "this is how I live." Where should I put my trust? .. in the hands of men, scientists, psychics, even ministers? No, I should put my trust in God and trust him to do what is best for us.

But for today, let us eat cake and make merry. Juleane is a year old today!

Call me skeptical...

From recent news: "after Ted Haggard, the evangelical leader who resigned as the result of a three-year-affair with a male prostitute, emerged from just three weeks of intensive counseling to declare himself now 'completely heterosexual."

I am a Christian, a minister and a therapist, and I don't believe a word of it. Not that I don't believe in 'miracles.' My God is a God of miracles. But mircales are usually observable by others, are not 'self serving' blurbs for the evening news. In addition, I believe although I cannot prove that homosexuality is a 'genetic' condition or, at the least, the predisposition to be so is born in one. My reasons for believing this are many but the major reason is the consistent, solid number of homosexuals in the population as long as such things have been recorded. Even if I'm wrong, and it is a 'sinful choice,' one either seems to go one way or the other and doesn't suddenly change direction because he got caught in the media eye. We'll be watching Brother Haggard, and if I'm wrong, I'll apologize. Don't hold your breath. He and his kind of Christianity makes it so difficult on the solid believer who obeys God every day, not just when he's on the hot seat.

Discouraging news: "A survey of 1,000 American women found that they most valued their clothing, more than sex, and would gladly abstain from sex for 15 months (gladly....) in exchange for a new wardrobe. " Nothing to rejoice about here, husbands. Get out the VISA card. Goodbye more privacy.... If there's any space in labs left after testing for the daddy of Anna Nicole's baby, make room for new laws. The Jusice Dept. is preparing for a large-scale expansion of DNAesting of people detained by federal authorities (New York Times). Under current rules, only convicted felons are required to give a DNA sample.

My advice? Keep on keeping on. "When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble." Proverbs 4:12

How cold is it?

Me and my little Valentine...

It is too cold, but supposedly going to warm up later this week. I am ready for some sunshine without the wind. But, it has been a lovely week, all in all. I enjoyed Valentine's day with my lovely wife. We got a sitter and went out 'on the town,' not something we've done much since the baby was born. I had to do my 'Puttin` On the Ritz` routine for her, a long story. She rubbed my back. ;) The simple pleasures of life are the best.

Many years ago, there was a monk who needed olive oil, so he planted an olive tree sapling. After he finished planting it, he prayed "Lord, my tree needs rain." Later, his tree needed sun, and you can guess how it went. The tree did not thrive, and it soon died. He told a brother monk about his experience. This monk said, "I also planted a little tree. I entrust my tree to God. He who made it knows better than me what it needs. I just prayed, "Lord, send what it needs."

Sometimes, we need to relax and let God take care of things ... like the lilies of the field, which need little attention yet they thrive.

"Matthew 6:28: ... See how the lilies of the field grow..."

Holy banana!

Before we get onto anything serious, let me show you the dog that won in the Westminster dog show - the 'working dog,' Springer Spaniel. Charles was so happy, being the proud owner of three such dogs.

It is a gorgeous dog although I'm more into Labs, and my wife likes 'lap' dogs We really enjoyed the show, though.



One of my patients, seen today, is convinced that she is more perceptive than most other people and that her 'instincts' will never fail her (although she admits she needs a little therapy). When a person's thinking is so perverted that he/she thinks her thoughts or perceptions are affecting the external world, she is doing what is called 'magical thinking' or, in very serious cases, it is paranoid-like thinking. Magical thinking can get one into trouble. It is similar to 'positive thinking' at times. Positive thinking is a good thing, but it is not mixed with delusional or illusional ideation.

When President Bush says 'stay the course' or 'we shall prevail' when all the odds are against him, what kind of thinking is he doing? Is he seeing something we don't see or is he just more 'positive.' Is it natural to be positive when the signs are so negative?

Should we trust him or investigate more or just knock on wood?

I do not know the answers. I do not know God's ultimate plan for our country or for the mideast except what is written in Revelation -- I do not know the 'in between stuff.' I do know this:

Chance has not brought this ill to me;

It's God's own hand so let it be.

For He sees what I cannot see.

-- selected

An Update on American marriages:

72 % of mothers work outside the home, at least part time, down from 77% in 2000. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

My wife, Carolyn, worked as children's book editor before we married. We both prefer she be at home with our young children, but she sometimes gets 'bored' with housework (face it, a lot of it IS boring :) One of her many hobbies is ceramics. I bought her a kiln of her own for Christmas last year, and she now makes and sells beautiful pieces, without leaving home except to market the work. We are both satisfied. There are answers to most problems. It takes some communication and planning and compromise.

Later.... :)

Believe it or not...

A friend of Carolyn's came to dinner tonight. She then had to leave to go to class. At the ripe old age of 35, she has returned to get her bachelor's degree in an accelerated program. Attending a Christian college, she is required to take a few 'religion' classes which she says she hates for she claims to be an agnostic. No, I didn't ask why she chose a Christian college. Anyway, she said the classes remind her of all the reasons she hates 'all that bible stuff.'

Her feelings seem to be: There is no God. People just made him up because they need someone, and they are afraid to die. No one can prove He exists. While I think there is proof, there isn't the kind she wants. You know.... God to walk in, introduce himself as such and whish her off to a heavenly home, sending a videocast back to prove it to her friends. She admits to disliking authority, conformity, being thought of as a 'sheep' or follower. She prides herself on her independence and being different.





Faith is belief without seeing. I have it as millions do. I admit I occasionally need someone, and dying is a frightening thing to the unbeliever. I can't give her the reassurance (proof) she wants, but God can. However, He's the last person she will return turn to. At least, I hope she does someday. Right now, I mostly wonder why she is so angry about someone she doesn't believe in.





As for me, I have living grace now and will have dying grace when the time comes.





Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters... they will not sweep over you."

Hello... We're back...

My best 'latest news' -- this is my new baby, Juleane. She will be one year old in a few days.


It has been a year since I had to abandon the blog for a while, but things have changed and I plan to continue.





While some things have changed, some never do. Sin still abounds.





A pilfering preacher actually stole a church and parsonage, a guy named Radic, in California. "When Radic pleaded guilty to betraying his flock and secretly selling the church and its rectory out from under them. He used the money to buy himself a brand-new black BMW and a laptop - exploits he later chronicled in a cheeky, almost gleeful blog about his double life as a sinner.

"We didn't know anything until we got a call from the bank that he had bought a BMW," said David Prater, who led the church board during Radic's tenure. "He drove that car right down Main Street."

Irate parishioners had been rooting for a long prison term of up to 16 months at his sentencing, set for Thursday.

But Radic's lawyer said last week that the 54-year-old former pastor, who spent six months in jail awaiting trial, will not have to serve any more time behind bars because he agreed to testify about the alleged murder confession of a jailmate. "





There is no man more vilified and hell bound than one chosen to lead other people who turns sour and takes advantage of them for his own benefit.

Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."