The Great Separation

Refrigerator Poetry: Worry beats this porcelain son

Stickin' it to the.... - Here's this week's fridge poetry.

Click pick to enlarge if necessary for your reading pleasure.

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Technorati tags: Refrigerator, Poetry, Worry, Faith, Heart, Fridge Poetry.

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Quote for Today: Saying it right, right.

Chewing on this. - And careful not to spit it out:

Take the utmost trouble to find the right thing to say, and then say it with the utmost levity. - George Bernard Shaw.

Talent Show Last Friday: Solid, Man. Solid.

Who says Christians don't have fun?! - Last Friday night was the fifth annual Talent Show at my church. It was a blast! The theme was a high class night club atmosphere. Though one might argue there's nothing high class about us.

We had lip-sinkers, a clown, comedy acts, singers, photographic artists, and me.

Last year, I surprised everyone by walking in and doing a short skit as Strong Sad (character from Homestar Runner).

I think some expected a reprisal of that role. Which is why I didn't put the face paint back on.

No this year I settled on reciting some of my poems.

I did surprise them though with the last poem I did in beatnik fashion. I dawned a cool hat, sun glasses, and some beads. Then I broke into Solid, man. Solid, with a bongo drum I really can't play. Wish I had a recording for you. You'll have to settle for this picture and the poem which really pokes fun at us all.

I should note that going along with the night club theme Phil, who organizes and MC's the event, decided that a surprise twist of entertainment would be a slight Maffia lean. So in his best God Father accent he introduced himself as Phil "the Mouth," myself as Hal "the Hop," the club bouncer, and our friend Jim as Jimmy "the Squeak." Jimmy was the drink server, aka "bartender."

Don't faint. The strongest thing we had was Draft Root Beer.

I won't bother explaining to you how we got our names, leave it to say we've had them for some time.

Anyway here's the photo of me (click to enlarge) and the poem.

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Solid, man. Solid

Within these four walls
    We masticate cuisine again.
Solid, man. Solid.

Don's and Diva's feathered prance
    Don's and Diva's strutting croon.
Solid, man. Solid.

Clowns dance, clowns laugh.
    Squeeze in your car clowns.
Solid, man. Solid.

Dig the shabby-chic hicks
    A mountain bred lesson for us.
Solid, man. Solid.

Talent splayed, like
    Valentine's Day Massacre.
Solid, man. Solid.

Give your gratitude for your drink
    To Photo-dude Squeak.
Solid, man. Solid.

Pay the Mouth Man
    Or I'll bunny bounce you man.
Solid, man. Solid.

Solid, man. Solid.

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Gunpoint Conversions, Martyrdom, and the Mark of the Beast

Check this out. - La Shawn Barber has a post on her blog that Christians should be checking out. Though it may have become something more than she intended.

The post is titled: Gunpoint Conversions and Martyrdom.

In thinking about the recent release of the Fox news reporter and cameraman she ponders this question (note that she quite plainly makes known she is not judging the two men because she does not know their spiritual state but the incident spurred the question):

Christians, what would you do if some maniac held a gun to your head and asked you to deny Christ or die? Would you deny the Savior?

The comments to her post are very interesting because Christians and non-Christians are weighing in with answers.

Something that is sad to me is that there are those who say they are Christians but would deny Christ at gunpoint to live. Such statements are either because of spiritual immaturity or because they really don't know Christ.

Concerning the fact that unbelievers are having difficulty understanding why verbally deny the Lordship of Christ is a bad thing, I agree with one person, ZIPLA, who noted the following:

Without the Holy Spirit the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . .

At any rate, it is an interesting observation on the spiritual state of so-called Christians in the West. And perhaps evidence of the ever widening separation of true believers from those who are not.

I was talking with friends about this tonight and one mentioned that instead of the gun in La Shawn's questions, place the Mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation.

So Christians, what would you do if some maniac told you to take the Mark of the Beast or face punishment? Is this really all that different than being told at gun point to deny Christ as Savior or die?

Here's what Revelation says of the Mark of the Beast:

“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."” (Re 14:9-11 NIV)

And here is something Christ said:

“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Mt 10:33 AV)

Something to ponder as we strive more in our relationship with the Father.

The Great Separation continues.

Product Endorsement: Shave Secret!

Not a paid advertisement. - I love this stuff.

And so does my sensitive face!

The Shave Secret website describes the stuff thus:

Shave Secret shaving oil provides the most comfortable, smooth shave ever! It dramatically reduces dry skin, rashes, nicks, cuts, ingrown hairs and shaving bumps. Shave Secret takes the place of all shaving creams, soaps, gels, powders, after shave and moisturizing lotions. Shaving bikini lines is a breeze!

HERE'S THE SECRET: Shave Secret is a non foaming, highly absorbing, 100% natural blend of essential and base oils with a hint of menthol. Nothing artificial. It dramatically reduces razor drag allowing the razor to glide over your skin. At the same time it moisturizes and conditions the skin.

Okay, well, that bikini line stuff I can in no way confirm.

But I will say that one bottle gets me almost six months worth of use. I've been using the stuff for almost a year now. Which proves to be rather economical given the $3.71 I paid at WallyWorld today for my third bottle.

Quote for Today.

Chewing on this. - Of late I've had much need of the words and wisdom of others who chose to walk the path the Father laid out for them, be it friends in the Lord or those who left markers on their journeys.

So I've been reading daily from a number of devotionals.

A couple of days ago I picked up, "Daily Meditations." It's selected writings from D.L. Moody for each day.

I liked the question asked today:

"Did you ever notice all but the heart of man obeys God?"

That drew me up short and I had to think on that. Of course it's true.

Moody goes on to give examples where the Father and Christ have commanded and creation immediately obeys. But when He has spoken to man, man has not always obeyed.

Moody goes on to conclude,

"That is why man is out of harmony with God, and it will never be different until men learn to obey God. God wants obedience, and He will have it, else there can be no harmony."

I believe that's worth thinking about today. We are a selfish lot, we humans. We want what we want no matter who we hurt in the process, to look better to ourselves, to feed our lusts, to fill the emptiness we create when we choose our will and not God's for ourselves.

Pride. Selfishness. They feed our independence from the Father. The create the disharmony in our lives.

And yet the Father still looks down the road waiting expectantly for our return. Though we reek of our own filth, He awaits arms open.

Christian Culture Terminology: Christian Moths.

Colorful Language. - Here's a phrase my dad, the pastor, spit out the other day.

Christian Moths.

Don't be one!

He was referring to those Christians who flit from bright light to bright light. Never constant in their walk. Be it some fabulous Christian preacher or some other thing they see as a bright star in their life.

You might say they are easily dissatisfied.

I imagine that eventually - if you take the metaphor to it's conclusion - they hit a bright light that turns out not to be a light bulb but a flame and they get their wings burned off, if not worse.

Man Arrested for Reading Bible & Praying in Canada.

They hate you because of me - Christian persecution just doesn't happen in some far third world country. Here's proof out of Calgary, Canada.

Licia Corbella, Editor for The Calgary Sun begins:

Maybe if Artur Pawlowski had been holding a flag of the outlawed terrorist organization Hezbollah, Calgary Police would have left him alone.

Perhaps had they seen him on a street corner smoking crack cocaine -- or selling it -- they would have turned the other cheek, as is so often the case.

But Pawlowski was clearly doing something much more provocative Wednesday afternoon on the corner of 17 Ave. and 8 St. S.W. He -- along with about six other people -- were [sic] praying and reading the Bible.

I highly recommend reading the full article.

The gist is that he was within eyesight but not earshot of vendors of things in the sorcery realm like Tarot cards and such. The incident is apparently on video tape too.

I am not overly surprised as Canada, at least some parts of it, has been on a downward spiritual spiral for some time. I can't help but wonder just how long it will be before such incidents become common place in America as well if repentance and surrender isn't sought at the feet of Christ instead of the feet of self.

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For further information on Christian persecution around the globe the Persecution Blog is a good source.

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Hat tip to Slice of Laodicea.

At Rest in Christ.

Best without me. - There are many things we struggle with in our Christian walk; unsaved people, fellow Christians, the flesh, the world, etc. In it all though, we can have peace. That's a promise from Christ.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27.

The difficulty that I have is finding that peace in the midst of the tempests which wage without me and within me.

Perhaps at the heart of it is the flesh within which I am trapped for the moment and how the world manipulates and plays upon my particular weaknesses.

It certainly makes finding peace difficult.

But finding, searching, scrounging around in the howling wind for a solid object to hold on to is not what Christ said we need do to find peace.

No, my Lord and my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, said that he gives it to me. So don't go focusing on the worry of your heart, the trouble without, the pain that stirs up fear, because it just isn't necessary. Christ gives to me his Holy Spirit and peace is the fruit of that Spirit.

But the difficulty I, and I'm certain some of my fellow brothers and sisters face, is that I go off in all directions trying to find that peace under my power. And therein lies the problem: my power.

The me, the stubborn I, gets in the way. We become conscious of our self and not Christ. That peace that we need in Christ only comes when we completely surrender to God the Father. It's when we come to God as children, submitted to Him who is Might and Love, Life and Grace, not seeking our self but seeking Him only, that the peace, the rest of Christ, wells up like the living water it is and relieves us of our burdens.

It's then that we know peace in spite of the raging storms. It's then that we can say with joy, "Not my will, Father, but yours be done in my life."

You are holy and righteous, Lord God. There is none above you. I pray, Father, to be filled with your Holy Spirit. Manifest the rest of Christ in my life today. Make me cognizant only of your will.

What do you think? Parsley, Almonds, Pepper, Cream Cheese.

Eat up. - Okay. So, I'm supposed to be attending a game night tomorrow night. I've been asked to bring a snack. One suggestion was for my Habanero dip as that's one of the few things I can safely make.

Sure, okay. I can go with that, after all, I love hot stuff.

But you know what, not everyone does.

Shocker, I know.

So, I'm thinking to myself as I stroll by my lonesome through grocery store isles that I probably ought to make a separate dip for those not so able to handle the spicy food.

Only, I'm not a cook. Heck, I'm typically banned from most kitchens, unless of course it's a backyard grill and then I'm adequate.

Of course, if you give me a smoker, than we're talking.

I diverge.

The dip.

My Habanero dip is my own creation. I don't remember from where the idea was birthed.

So I figure, why can't I use the similar base ingredient of whipped cream cheese and do a herb dip that won't release a pleasurable fire upon the palate but instead a mild joy from the garden? Of course the only thing in any of this that comes from the garden is in fact my Habaneros - Thank you Caleb and Sara.

So here's my thought and feel free to tell me what you think.

Whipped Cream Cheese.
Dried Parsley.
Thin Sliced Parmesan Almonds.
Fresh Ground Black Pepper.
And maybe some Chives or Green Onion.