Carrying the Torch for Truth

I am really enjoying the book I am reading now, Christianity's Dangerous Idea. It is about the protestant reformation, which was essentially a quest for truth and for the permission to share that truth. As much as I am enjoying the book, I am looking forward to finishing it so that I can start to read Why We Love the Church, co-written by Kevin DeYoung (the same excellent author of The Good News We Almost Forgot, a commentary on the Heidelberg catechism, a book I highly recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the Catechism, especially if they live in Washington.) Some may want to know why I want to read a book about why Kevin DeYoung loves the Church. It is because I love the Church. The Church exists in part to guard and protect the truth. Jesus loved the Church and gave His life for her. Should not, then, all Christians love the Church? I believe that, apart from loving God, the most important thing to pass on to upcoming generations is a deep and sincere love for the Church, and a desire to be personally involved with it. Loving the Church is really tantamount to loving the truth,which Christians are commanded to do. (2 Thess.2:10.)

For My Medical Friends

I just got back from the neurologist. My neurologist is rad. She is really excited about upcoming trials and experimental drugs that I am a candidate for. I'm not so excited. I do look forward to the scientific tests she wants me to participate in. These are just tests of my skills . . . you know, bow-fighting skills, nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills . . . Seriously, the tests my doctor wants me to participate in are evaluations of manual dexterity-typing on the keyboard, writing, etc.
It seems that the hub of ataxia research is in Florida. There are also experimental drugs being developed in China. The idea is to make the enlarged protein that is an offshoot of my enlarged RNA, which is a result of a mutation on the 32nd gene of my DNA, disappear. So the drugs are genetic experiments. I'm so thankful for a neurologist who's very well-known in her field, and truly cares about her patients.

A Soft Spot

I enjoy kids, and I've worked with them in one way or another ever since I can remember. Even before I could legally work at all, my mom always used to bring me into her classroom to let me see what she did all day. I recently spent some time with a dear friend and her 6 children, the youngest of whom had a rough start in life. She had some odd illness early on, but she is fine now. After months of praying for this little girl and getting updated on her, I found that I was especially anxious to meet her and talk with her. She made us all laugh when she requested to see a picture of Mr. M. so that she could "see what his hair looks like." I also have a soft spot for another kid, the son of a friend, who has ataxia. My mom always used to tell me that there were things I said and did that she "treasured in her heart", just as Mary the mother of Jesus treasured His doings and words in her heart. So I treasure in my heart my friends' kids, and the fun times I have with them.

Thoughts for Wedding Shopping

I am glad to have bought a gift for my friend's upcoming marriage. In this day when shacking up is so in vogue, I am proud to stand for good, old fashioned marriage, one woman to one man for a lifetime. As earthly marriage is a picture of God's sacrificial and eternal love for His bride the Church, Mr. M. has committed to love me in the same way-sacrificially, until death separates us. I will one day be separated from Mr. M's love, when death separates us. I will never be separated from God's love, as is very clear from Romans 8. The idea that God may stop loving me is so blasphemous that God says He "hates divorce". (Malachi 2:16.) So, the idea is this: God loves His Church as a man loves his wife. God will never stop loving His church, so a man shouldn't stop loving his wife.

C.G.R.-Computer Generated Relationships

Wed. July 14 I like to give my computer a day or two off when I can. Since I see no need to use it today or tomorrow, I will give it a rest. What will I miss? Social networking, which consists mostly of making witty comments in response to my friends. I'll also be without e-mail, which I think is wholly unnecessary inside of the U.S., where we have a perfectly good postal service. I'll miss the comments I (all to infrequently) get on my blog. I'll spend more time looking at people's faces, and less time looking at their computer activity. Do I take my friends and family for granted when they're all in a box on my desk? Will I have to "man up" and call that person I'm more comfortable writing to?

Part spiritual exercise, part social experiment, part saving electricity, I do enjoy a computer-free day now and then. (Although the fact that I am writing this on paper now, knowing that I will post it on my blog later, makes me question just how computer-free today really is. In fact, now that I think of it, our lives are completely inundated with computers. We can replace all our cookbooks with the internet or with phone applications. We can read almost any book, magazine, or newspaper on a digital screen. We can just throw out--I mean, recycle--our phone books, and we can get rid of our home phones while we're at it! I suppose Mr. M. could even get rid of his drumset in favor of a devise that plugs directly into his laptop and is capable of replicating an entire drumset perfectly. We could throw away our T.V., and our books and atlases, our photo albums and our file cabinets. We could even trade Rufus in for a virtual pet! Too bad you can't sit on a computer, or we could throw away the couch, too!

Awesometown

Embarrassing as it is, the town I live in is billing itself as Awesometown. Funny how awesome we are here. There was a free disco concert at the mall, with the band members in flamboyant costumes, a couple ballroom dancing behind the stage, and a group of ladies line-dancing to "Staying Alive".

Bottled Drinks Too Boring?

I was driving in the big city the other day, and I kept seeing ads for a new type of bottle that is twisty and swirly inside. Cute, and not done before, but maybe there is a reason it hasn't been done before. Will one drop of the drink end up in the glass? The simple laws of physics tell me the drink will be thrust upward into the air. I guess I'll never know, but it seems like an absolutely ridiculous marketing ploy to me! (I told you I'm more opinionated than Rufus!)

Jealous of my Dog

I love my dog, there's no doubt about that. Other people love my dog, that's for sure. I've tried to be mature about it and admit that he is less opinionated than I, friendlier, less skeptical and cynical, and also cuter than I. However, I got not one, but two calls today to see how Rufus is, and no less than one e-mail regarding Rufus. Please don't misunderstand me, I love that my friends and family love my dog, and I love that after I made plans to go to a friend's house with Rufus, I saw on her calendar the reminder, "Rufus is coming to visit!" I just wonder if he's going to start getting fan mail.

Good Find

I was looking through my books this morning, and I came across the used book I found in a bookshop in Alexandria, VA. The title is Great Voices of the Reformation. The book contains writings of many of the reformers, but it also explains that to protest, when the term was first used to describe those who disagreed with the Roman Catholic church, simply meant to proclaim and affirm. The reformers all proclaimed the Bible as the only religious authority. That is what modern protestants still do-affirm the Bible as the only religious authority.

The Bible is so precious that I have read of a man in a poor country with limited resources riding his bike 50 miles just to be able to spend a few hours reading a Bible. I cherish my Bible, and the access we have in this country to the Bible, the revealed Truth of God. May we never take that for granted.

Noontime Thoughts---Drug/Pain Balance

Rufus has been much better since his pain shot Sunday. He's been steadily recovering, and looking more and more like the picture of health he is. However, since we were given (no, not "given" at all-we practically had to take out a 2nd mortgage on the house), but we were sent home with doggy aspirin, I felt compelled to give him a little. So I did. A small dose, only a fourth of the recommended amount. The possible side effects are, in my opinion, worse than any pain he is in now. I wish Rufus could give me his thoughts on the subject. This dilemma is all too familiar. I have to make a definative decision daily whether I should take enough drugs to make me just like everyone else, or if I should take less drugs, thereby lowering the risk of harmful side effects, and live with some uncertainty and discomfort. I choose the latter. I take just enough drugs to be able to live normally, about 23 hours a day, 6 days a week. I suppose I could choose to be normal 24/7, but the increased risk isn't worth it to me.

Rufus the Recoverer

Mr. M and I returned home from a lovely outdoor BBQ with friends yesterday and found our little dog dirty and leafy, scared and in obvious pain. I called the vet to see if we should bring him in right away. The cost of the visit would be half if we were willing to wait 'til Monday. We decided to clean him off as best as we could and keep him comfortable, and we put a movie on for him ("Office Space.") We also had two human friends over to enjoy the movie.

This morning, Rufus still couldn't walk comfortably, so we decided to take him to the vet. Now, to say that Rufus hates going to the vet would be an understatement. We drove to the vet, and Rufus hopped out of the car, and hobbled happily over to the strip mall. I think he thought we were going to the bagel place where we go a lot. As soon as we stopped at the door of the vet, Rufus made a miraculous and instantaneous recovery, as if to say, "Ta da, look at me!! I'm all better! No need to go in there!" He practically put on a top hat and got out a cane and did a dance to prove his fine physical state. Well, we did go in there, and he got a pain shot and some doggy aspirin to take home.

Stories For Life

I am reading a book about communicating important truths via stories. George Barna wrote, "Experience is permitted where theology or philosophy is rejected." I have found this over and over to be true. Everyone can relate to a good story, and the ability to personally relate to something said is the key to remembering it. That ability to relate to the story builds a bridge between you and the storyteller, and creates a bond. The author of my book, Carol Kent, says, "Sometimes the benefit of the story is more in the warmth of human connection than in the message of the story itself." Putting it even more simply, Max McLean says, "Passion communicates."
This chapter in the book, the chapter about storytelling, is the reason I bought the book. The book is written for women who want to make a lasting impact on others for their spiritual benefit. This is something I greatly desire; to share what I've learned about Jesus with others. I've always enjoyed sharing facts, but I really enjoy sharing stories, so being able to share facts through stories is definately something I want to learn more about. A great friend of mine from college who helped me to learn so much about Jesus and the Bible was also a great storyteller. While I loved the truths she taught me, I really loved the stories she told me, too. Those stories built a bridge between us, and made it that much more easy to believe the facts she shared, because I knew from her stories that she believed them,too.

Later that morning

I am schooling myself in church history, with an emphasis on the Reformation. Remember the conference I went to a couple weeks ago with the panel of speakers discussing reading and Christianity and culture? It was said (accurately, I think), that whereas the church used to try and be accepted by the intellectual elite, the church is now seeking to be accepted by the culture. Like so many others, I am saddened by this trend, as I know that God meant for His church to stand apart from the world, and not become part of it. In ordering my history books, my heart was gladdened to see that there is no lack of educated men and women who will stand up uncompromisingly for the truths of the Bible.

Summer Soirees

Already this summer, Mr. M and I have had several opportunities to be in great social situations. Last night was no exception. We had a special guest with us from Washington, D.C, so we pulled out all the stops. Mr. M made ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce, and I (with considerable moral support) made chocolate chip cookies. We had 7 adults in all, and two children. We enjoyed our friendship, and some good conversation, the nice summer evening air, and our desserts under the stars. We are almost booked already for this coming week, but we have a lot of leftover cookies and sauce, and ice cream is always a joy to make.