The most widely accepted scholarly view is that El-Shaddai means "El, the mountain one," relating the word to an Akkadian word $adum, meaning "mountain." Besides being a strong cognate, there are also several other historical factors that lead to this conclusion. For instance, F.M. Cross has noted a Hurrian hymn which specifically describes El as "the one of the mountain." It is also used to describe the Amorite deity (Ilu-)Amurru, and whose consort is A$ratum, the counterpart of the Canaanite high god El's consort Athirat (Asherah). Moreover, the Deir 'Alla instription uses $dyn in parallel with 'ihn in reference to the gods of the assembly. Finally, El and his divine assembly met on a mountain.

Given all of these factors then, El-Shaddai very plausibly means "El, the mountain one," and is most probably originally a divine title or epithet derived from the Canaanite high god 'El.

Notes

[1] I have relied heavily on John Day's section "El-Shaddai" in his book Yahweh and the gods and goddesses of Canaan. Journal for the study of the Old Testament, 265. (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000), 32-34.

I love surfing around and reading peoples' blogs.  It's exciting to me to read about all the goings on in the lives of my friends.

Somewhere along the line, I got off track with updating my own blog.

I'll be frank with you...I think it's cheesy and cliche to not blog for a really long time and then come back and write a blog about how bad of a blogger you are.  And yet, here I am doing that very thing.

It's amusing to me that people admit things like that.  People who read the blog are already aware that the person has not blogged in a long time.  So why talk about it?  Although, I also find it gratifying to read someone's web apology for a lack of blogging.  *shrug*

Moving on.  What have I learned lately?  Well, the biggest thing I've learned is that humility is a personal responsibility.  "What's that mean, Lindsay?"  It means that humility is something that always needs to be tended.  It always needs to be cultivated.  It always needs to be pursued.  It always needs to be monitored.  It always needs attention.

To me, responsibility means all those things I listed above.  Humility can't be apathetic because apathetic humility leads to pride.  A lack of care for humility leads to an excess growth of pride.

For all of my life as a commited follower of Christ, I've struggled with humility.  I would either be totally lacking in confidence, thinking of myself as totally unworthy of anything.  Or, I'd be completely overconfident and haughty.  Instead of finding balance in the middle, I'd teeter and fall from one side to the other.

After I moved to TN, I started attending New Song Christian Fellowship.  My pastor teaches that "humility is confidence properly placed in Christ."  So, with humility there can be confidence, but it needs to be placed in Christ.  Not in the flesh.

That makes it so simple.  It's not about shoving down confidence.  It's not about bolstering confidence.  It's about placing it in the right place.  When I fully realize that God is the One who will never fail and He is the only thing worthy of total faith and devotion, that brings me low.  Not low in a bad way.  But just lower in comparison to His awesome glory and splendor.  It elevates Him above me and puts me in my place.  A place of humble submission to His direction and plan.  It also takes the pressure off me to portray a flawless facade.

Back to personal responsibility.  My perspective of that has changed.  I used to be focused on keeping up appearances or scrambling to make myself not feel worthless.  Now I realize it's my responsibility to stay humbly submitted under God's hand. 

That pretty much sums it up.  I've learned other things, but that concept is resounding the loudest in my head.  Hopefully it will create a ping in your head, too.

I manage managers in the US, Europe, India and Malaysia.  My boss works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  As such, my work schedule gets quite interesting.  As compared to 3 years ago, my work schedule was mostly 8a-5p and the evening hours could be used for anything else.  Now, 2-4 nights of a given week, I will have meetings in the night (usually 8-10pm, sometimes later).

I have watched many of my friends and coworkers become complacent at work.  Whether it is because the direction of the company has not energized them or if it is for other reasons, there continue to be more and more people that are working 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday.

Now, the points above have been work related but I think that my issues stem from exactly that.  My family life, my church responsibilities and everything else suffer because I am not doing what God wants me to do in my job.  God doesn't want me to be of the world but only in the world.  I am starting to see that my disobedience to God at work is spilling over into my other areas of my life.  For those who might start down a weird path, I am NOT saying God is "responsible" fot this -- I am.  However, God disciplines those He loves and I know God loves me.

The interesting question now is... what does God want me to do?  Should I look for a new "position" at my company to spark new interest?  Should I stay in the current role and get energized again through the Spirit?  Should I look for a new job completely out of the company?  Discerning God's will has always been a struggling for me.  A good friend of mine told me that I should pray 30 minutes a day for 30 days on the topic.  I have failed miserably at trying this, but it might be just what I need to do.  I also need to search my heart for unconfessed sin to see if there is something wrong in my relationship with God.

All of this to say... my work life sure does drag down the rest of my life's priorities.  I need to change that.

Why is it so hard to do things for the right reasons?  Good things, I mean.  It's hard to face the fact that I almost always get in the way, pushing myself front and center the way I did when I was five and Dad was shooting home movies.  But this is Your movie, Lord.  I know it, but here I am, still vying for center stage.

A few years back, Clint Black sang this song about how wherever you go, there you are.  Well, wherever I go, there I am, and I'm sick of it.  Paul said, "Who will free me from this body of death?"  I guess he found himself wherever he went, too.

You know me.  I never cease to be amazed by the fact that You know me in all my pride and love me anyway.  You give me the gift of Yourself every single day.  Every morning, You--the Maker and Sustainer of everything that exists, the Thrice-Holy, Most-High God--are waiting when I wake up.  You gladly, patiently tutor me in Your Word--have You even once refused to explain a verse to me?  You're unfailingly kind, generous, and gentle, and You teach me the most wonderful things.

You change me.  Please, change me now.

Teach me to do this, Lord.  Teach me to do what You've called me to do, to love doing what You've called me to do, but for the right reasons and self-forgetfully.  Code "I'm nothing special" into my DNA.  Help me remember that You could raise up someone just like me--or better--from the stones littering the construction site down the street.  Let me live and breathe that truth and rejoice in it, because then I'll be free to give You the glory You deserve.

Thank You.

All my love,

Your daughter

Some of the questions involve times when she felt fear or inferiority, countless times.

Does she blame God? Why did He allow her to experience those pains?

Can things that are harsh and difficult really be for good?

Verily. Verily I say unto thee, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. I hold a grain of wheat in my hand. It is small and hard and narrow and self-contained; and yet at its heart, there sleeps the mystery of life. And that is a parable. (from Michael Card's "For F.F.B.")

Sometimes I find it difficult to understand why Jesus had to die such a terrible death, how or why that would be what was required for the redemption of man. Maybe I don't understand the laws of harvest. Unless the kernel die . . . but why such torture for a beloved Son? I sometimes see it as God's fault that He allowed Jesus to go through that--why couldn't there be another way? I associate my own pains in life in some way, and I think about the ways that I have questioned God's goodness--for things much less horrendous than crucifixion.

This is not a simple question. This is not a new question. I am not the first to ask.

Tonight, L. and I went to the mall. We bought a few clearance items, walked, talked, then sat with a cup of coffee (actually, I had the seasonal Caramel Chai Tea Latte). It was nice to be able to share a little bit with her of how things have been going and to see her enthusiasm for God and for serving Him and learning about Him. In a way, I was also reminded of how you can never really know someone. You can't ever even fully know yourself, as some things get locked away by forgetfulness and some things maybe by mercy. I wonder if there is mingled comfort and fear in the concept that maybe the only One who really knows all about you is both the One who has a right to mete out judgment for your rebellions and the One who has offered enough grace to cover all of them.

I confess.

I have (only while waitressing, to endear the dining natives and cull tips during rough economic times, as in, 'Would y'all like to start out with an appetizer for the table this evening?') said "y'all."

Thank God, though. I have never said "yinz."

That just hurts my ears, still.

But something happened over Shabbat this week. Something in me was sparked.

Jason was reading me some Biblical stories last night. The first, the story of Moses, was one I am quite familiar with. I love the story of Moses. Moses is maybe my favourite Biblical person. Then Jason read me some Chasidic Jewish stories, which I absolutely loved. We talked about the Ten Commandments for a while, and about what we thought they meant.

Somewhere along the line, something in my gut was tugged. It felt right to be hearing these stories and discussing the meaning of religious laws. Somewhere in those stories lived the God I want to know. The one who interracts with His people, listens to them. I was raised in a very liberal church and still it always felt to me like God was some old dude who sat atop Mt. Everest and was far too busy to spend time worrying about little ol' me. But these Jewish stories taught something different. God is there. Right now, He's sitting up there in His big ol' throne kind of wishing I'd talk to Him because He hasn't heard from me in a while and He's starting to get concerned, because that's what friends do -- they look out for each other.

The Jewish stories made me think about my relationship with God (or lack thereof) and how I wish it was. I've always wished God was more like a friend than a father. I don't need another authority figure in my life making me feel guilty about every decision I've made and telling me how to live my life. I need a friend who will just be there for me, and guide me gently in the direction I should be headed in. Someone who accepts me for who I am because He knows He created me and thus I am perfect just as I am, faults and all. I'm reminded of that old humour poem:

A friend is not a fellow who is taken in by sham,
A friend is one who knows your faults and doesn't give a damn.

This is what I need from God, so why has it been taken away from me? Why was I always taught that God was someone you only went to with praise or big problems. Why can't I be pals with God? Why can't we just love each other and believe in each other?

If anything, my look into Judaism is teaching me that I am allowed to have my own special kind of relationship with God, that God is what I need Him to be, and only He and I can know exactly what goes on between the two of us? It's taught me that I am allowed to have my own ideas about God and His teachings, and that not everything is as cut and dried as my previous religious learning experiences have taught me.

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Have you ever heard a great love story? Most are like the Cinderella stories; Prince Charming falls for Cinderella and rescues her from a life of misery, living happily ever after. Some are the war love stories; where we have a Soldier, Marine, Pilot, or Sailor, go off to war, having time and distance be no boundary for this couple, they surpass the impossible and finally have each other, never letting go. The stories go on and on, melting our hearts, taking us back to our personal love stories, and once again (possibly) igniting that first love.

Though I am a sucker for such love stories, I have never heard a greater love story than the one where God plays the main character in. Which one is that one?

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Let me break it down.

For God so loved YOU (you create part of the world)

That He gave His ONLY son- To die for your sins

Giving you the chance for an EVERLASTING LIFE

With one condition- If YOU believe in Him.

How can God possibly love you so much when at times you don’t even love yourself at all? Don’t you ever wonder what God see’s in you when all you happen to see are traces of overabundant flaws?

I know that at times all I see as a reflection of me are memories of the past that I allow to define me. Though what I see is what I think, but what God see’s is beyond you and me.

Let me give you an example… We see a couple walking together down the street and they seem to be just the complete opposite and you ask yourself “What did they possibly see in each in other?”. Obviously they must have been attracted to each other, though on the surface they are complete opposites. Sometimes ethnicity, height, weight, even economic class, along with social life all differs but they saw something in each other that others didn’t see. They might have seen the personality that others didn’t notice or your morals that others didn’t stand for. Whatever it was, they looked beyond the skin and into their heart… and that is exactly what God does. God looks right beyond the skin and looks into our hearts.

Like on my last post, I wrote about the love story that God wrote for us. His overflowing love for us is so amazing, yet we seize to acknowledge it. He wrote a book for us to be guided; he gave His only son for our salvation. It’s beautiful; it’s amazing how much our God has gone through for love.

How many times have I not stumbled, fell, broke, fell in the pig pen, and the list goes on and on of my failures… yet God never let go of me. How many times did I promise Him that I would never let go, that He was my everything but my actions spoke louder than those promises, they were just broken promises. Yet God knew I was going to fall, He knew I was bound to go through that road again and still held on.

This is what I call UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Regardless of my situation, regardless of my condition, He loved me the same. He took me in, cared for me, held me tight and comforted me with promising words that would not be broken. To me, there cannot be any greater love story than this. Not only is it beautiful but it is true and real.

]]> http://themasterstable.wordpress.com/?p=454 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:48:39 +0000 Clark Bunch http://themasterstable.ru.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/a-scriptural-perspective-on-economic-collapse-and-financial-bailout/ We live in the richest nation on earth.  It may be borrowed money, and we may be about to pay the piper for it, but Americans are simply the wealthiest society ever in history.  We currently consume over half of the world's natural resources.  The poverty line in the United States is higher than the per capita income of many nations.  My dog drinks cleaner water than about half of the world's children.  We spent more money last year on ice cream than NASA spent in the entire space program.  That is the beauty of capitalism.  The revenues generated go back into fueling the system.  Carl Marx predicted capitalism would destroy itself, but you see, greed makes it work.  Our greed drives us to work harder, put in more hours, educate ourselves to get higher positions, etc.  And what do we do with all of that additional hard-earned cash?  WE SPEND IT, creating jobs and providing increasing salaries for our friends and neighbors.  So what went wrong?

As simple as I've made capitalism seem, there is also a law about diminishing returns.  The economy cannot really go on growing at a geometric rate forever.  The "American Dream" has been running on borrowed money increasingly since the 1980's.  The national debt has grown from $1 trillion in 1981, to over $10 trillion today.  Each year our government operates in deficit adds to the national debt.  We can't even begin to think about paying it off until we slow down its growth rate.  This same problem of spending beyond our means also applies to individual Americans, as well as banks and other financial institutions.  So, when the government bailed out Wallstreet with a $700 billion loan, the government itself was already in the hole $10 trillion.  And why not loan money to the very institutions that have failed to handle money correctly?  Okay, so where's the Scriptural perspective on all this you ask.

We have been blessed with material possession and prosperity for the past 200 years or so, increasingly for the past couple of generations.  To whom much is given, much will be required.  For the believer, the question becomes "Have we honored God with what we have?"  Jesus pointed out the widow who gave her two mites, because that was all she had.  If our American system of capitalism goes belly up, we can only say that God is good.  As Job sat in sackcloth and ashes, he proclaim that the Lord gives, he also takes away, finally "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  We have been richly, richly blessed, and in many cases have used that prosperity to bless others.  But if next week your American dollars are good for nothing but starting a campfire, we will still have so much.  If the economy fails and the government collapses, for instance, we still have millions of acres of forest, oil and natural gas in the ground, clean rivers, lakes, and streams.  Japan has no natural resources (unless you count fish) but they seem to do alright.  Oh yeah, and we still have a God that knows our every need even before we ask, and has provided - and will continue to provide - for his people.  Not even just for his people; the rain falls on the just and the unjust.  God provides for humanity in general, a facet of his character known as common grace.  What a good God.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, Americans found out there was more to our way of life than spending tons of cash and partying like it's 1929.  When the money was gone, many found out things like being alive, being with family, working hard for whatever is yours, those are important also.  Perhaps more than money.  I think we will get through this, and the greed machine will once again fed itself like the monster it is.  But if not, we know from the first century Jews, Daniel and his contemporaries, Job, Jacob and his twelve sons, the Prophet Elijah, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus Christ himself that God provides.  Has God provided for us well beyond what we need and deserve?  Very much so.  Will God provide for us in the future, even if it's not economic blessing that he provides?  Absolutely.  And whether we are rich or have no possessions at all, we are to honor God with all that we have.  God decides how and when to bless us; what we do next is our responsibility.

 The Voice of the Blood of Christ by C.H. Spurgeon

Dinners and lunches for  my husband next week are going to be Bulgogi, Lasagna, and meatballs. I actually still have to buy some extra ready-made mashed potatoes (buy-one-get-one-free) tomorrow. I have some veggies (cauliflower, brocolli, and carrots) I am going to blanch or roast to accompany the main dishes I am making. I bought some canned soups to eat for lunch next week. Some days I don't feel like eating much so these canned soups come in real handy.

I stopped by at Petsmart today before I went grocery shopping. I bought 2 boxes of cat litter and 1 big bag of cat food. I have a $15 off coupon so I ended up spending $38 only for everything.

The handyman (from Handyman Connection) came by this morning for a free estimate for fence installation. Labor was estimated to be $3000. The materials should be between $1000 - $2000. So worst case scenario, to fence the whole house, we might need to spend $5000. We're going to ask for several other bids within 2 weeks for comparison. We're looking to fence the house this month.

This afternoon, my little sister (from Big Brothers Big Sisters) and I went to volunteer at a homeless center in downtown. We helped them to bag lunches for the homeless. We also did a tour around the facility. The whole thing truly was an eye opener for us. I thought I had it bad; I was wrong. These people who live in the facility had it worse. Some of these people hit the bottom of the bottom. They had no money, no job, no place to go, and some don't even have families. Thank Godness for homeless center like the one we visited today. They help men, women, and children. The facility is now at its full capacity with more than 100 people on the waiting list. They did say the turnover is high--which could be good or bad. It broke my heart to see the little kids at the facility. Sure, it's better than being homeless on the streets but in a perfect world, kids are suppose to live in a place where troubles are non existent. Apparently what I saw was a dose of the reality and it wasn't pretty. The whole experience makes me so so so so so thankful for everything I have in my life--my little money+saving, my families, my husband, my house, my pets, my job. My life is beautiful the way it is now. I am truly thankful for it.

Take today for instance. And last night. I did so much crying. I just don't feel like we *must* move, because Rob is effective in his ministry. Some say that's a perfect reason to move on to the next church. But my heart is really sad. I began to doubt that we were supposed to follow through on this move (in January).

My post from earlier says it all. I was frustrated and angry at so many things, and it came out in ugliness toward my sweet and amazing husband. But check out what happened:

We went on a drive to a little candle store near here. We roamed around the store. Then we went for a drive. We talked a lot, we prayed a little, and grabbed lunch. We talked some more, and then just lost motivation to do any more shopping. We will be in that area tomorrow after church and decided to do our shopping then.

We came home and Rob got the mail. In it was a note she'd written yesterday, before noon, then popped in the post office (they live across the street from it!) and it got here today. The note talked about hearing a verse on a Christian Radio station, and that she wanted to share it with us both.

Here's what was written on the enclosed business card (which happened to be one that had the name and occupation of Rob's dad who passed away when he was 12):

Words inspired by God, written down by Moses and spoken by Moses,

Be strong... for the Lord your God is with you; He will never leave you...

Read it in Deuteronomy 31:1-6

And on the back it said

From mom to CJ (she wrote the name of Rob's brother by accident!) on Oct 10, 2008

Mind you, in the past when we'd gotten anything in the mail from his Mom, Bebe, it was horrible. Like the time when she accused me of not being faithful to my husband, or the time that she accused Rob of drinking a beer while driving, when it was a rootbeer in a brown bottle. Or the time that he actually (gasp!) shared a can of beer with her husband, his step-father. On and on. Whenever we've gotten a piece of mail from her, it hasn't been good.

But today was different. And I am glad all the way to my toes. God is so awesome. I totally count this as answered prayer!

I know all of you who are reading this are thinking that I'm just a guy who thinks his life sucks and I'm going through a "rough patch." well let me show you how bad it is: Friday night I went home and cried with my mom for at least 30 minutes. After she realized what I am dealing with she looked at me and said, "son, I had no idea that you were going through this. I had no idea it was this bad."

Well the fact is: IT IS THAT BAD.

I'm a freak.

Tied to the Stone belongs to the Neil Young school of Americana, built on a foundation of country and folk but given a classic-rock kick. Based in California, Tied to the Stone more closely resembles the roots-oriented acts of the late '60s and early '70s (I could imagine them opening up for the Band or Poco) than much of what passes for Americana today. Lead singer Dan Worley discusses the meanings and origins of the group.

Carson James: The name of the band: Tied to the Stone. It can have two meanings, one positive, one negative. The positive being that the stone is a solid foundation, such as spiritual faith that you're devoted to; the negative being that it's something that is holding you in place, preventing you from moving forward. Which side of the coin is it on?

Dan Worley: I named the band after the song. I wrote "Tied To The Stone" on one of the worst days of my life. I wanted to give up on everything. I didn't know what else to do so I sat down at the piano to try and sort it all out; that's when the song came out. I could feel God giving me that song as a blessing to help remind me what was important and to hang onto Jesus and not let go. He's the Stone I'm tied to. I decided to name the band Tied To The Stone to keep reminding me. I need a lot of reminders or I take over and screw everything up.

James: Your songs strike me as being quite personal. Were any of them uncomfortable to write?

Worley: Extremely so. For the most part, I enjoy writing songs, but for me it's always a journey into uncomfortable territory because I end up having to wrestle with feelings and issues and aspects about myself and the world that I'd rather ignore. I'd love to just write about how hot and sexy and wonderful I am (like so many songs I'm hearing on the airwaves), but for some reason that never seems to come out. I wonder why? Even the happier more positive-sounding songs can be uncomfortable to write because it takes me a lot of internal processing to get to that point. I cop out once in a while, for sure. Out of fear, I may not go the entire distance to explore what it is the song is trying to reveal to me, or I just don't have the talent or patience to get there artistically, so I end up taking short cuts and missing some of the scenery. Many of the songs for the album were specifically uncomfortable to write because they deal with pain I've carried with me since my youth, self-inflicted and otherwise.

James: Do you consciously write songs with the goal of longevity or are you not even conscious of that during the process of penning them?

Worley: Longevity, no. Integrity (hopefully), yes. When writing, I never think about if a song's sounding like a hit or if it's current or if it will have staying power, or anything like that. I want to write what's truthful and meaningful to me at the time I write it, and it has to have the right feel and sound and fit. Songs are not commodities to me; they are a form of therapy and a way of communicating with myself and others.
I do want people to listen, and I do want them to get something out of them and like them, and I try to do the best I can so that will happen, but I can't write specifically for a market or for posterity's sake.

James: Is Tied to the Stone a real group or is it just you and session musicians? How did everyone get together?

Worley: We're all friends who have played music together in one way or another throughout the years.

James: When did you start your musical career? Let us hear your story.

Worley: I've been writing songs for 40 years, since I was 12. In and out of bands and work for a lot of that time. Gave it up and tried "regular" jobs so I could raise a family. Bored me to tears (the jobs, not my
family). I always kept writing. Went to work for my producer Carolyn Wing Greenlee at her studio. She took a liking to my songs and encouraged me to do something with them, and she supported that effort.

http://www.tiedtothestone.com

God, the omniscient, omnipresent, Creator of the universe God! I realised how mindblowing that is.

How can we treat God's Word with such little respect at times, how did we become so complacent, why aren't we excited to read it at every opportunity? 

God has so much to say, to each of us individually. He has actually spoken. To US! To ME. To YOU. And it's sitting there, in that book you've got lying around somewhere. Wow.

First, let me identify a few common identities of a person.
1. You could be an American. You could be a Singaporean. This speaks of your Nationality.
2. You could be well-to-do or wealthy. This speaks of your Social Status.
3. You could be a son or daughter of someone. This speaks of Relationships.
4. You could be a student, working adult, retiree. This speaks of the Phase of life.

This list is not exhaustive, I could go on a few pages with it.

So what is our Identity in God?
He is our Loving, Heavenly Father and we are His children.

The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 speaks of God's love for us even we have forsaken Him for our own worldly pleasure. He yearns for our return.

Know your identity in Christ will bring to places where you have never thought of.

And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND . . . "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

Love is at the core of the gospel. But we often try to replace love with good deeds. We want to perform for God. We understand that love in the NT is an action word; it requires deeds. But these should be done out of a motivation that leads us to commit our will to the benefit of another; not out of a desire perform for, or buy God's good will.  We can never put God in our debt.  Jesus also said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15).   Action!

If fact, He equated love for Him with obedience to Him 7 times in the passage that runs from John 14:15 to 15:14.  And, as we saw above, He makes love of your neighbor a requirement, too.  As Christians we would do well to examine our love of Christ in light of how we demonstrate that love.

Commit this definition of agape (love) to memory:  Agape, the commitment of one's will to the benefit of another.

My family has had high hopes of being in the cabin for Thanksgiving.  My boys have never deer hunted in West Virginia, and this would be the first time for them.  I have not deer hunted in West Virginia since the early 70's.  We have not spent Thanksgiving in West Virginia since about 1985.  You can hardly imagine our disappointment.

We also intended by this fall to start building another cabin on the same lot, which will be much larger.  We wanted to have the foundation done this month so that we would be up out of all the soft ground and mud we encountered this spring in the construction of this cabin.  We would have framed it during the winter and been ready to go by summer.  Does anyone have past experiences with proceeding with shell construction of cabins during the winter months in West Virginia?

Regardless of our plans and what in our minds seems to be a setback we look toward our God, King and Savior for guidance.  We trust that God has a better plan than ours, and we will be content with his pace.

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/101208.shtml

Apologies for being a day late.
Isaias 25:6-10a
Douay-Rheims Challoner

And the Lord of hosts shall make unto all people in this mountain, a feast of fat things, a feast of wine, of fat things full of marrow, of wine purified from the lees. And he shall destroy in this mountain the face of the bond with which all people were tied, and the web that he began over all nations. He shall cast death down headlong for ever: and the Lord God shall wipe away tears from every face, and the reproach of his people he shall take away from off the whole earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And they shall say in that day: Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have patiently waited for him, we shall rejoice and be joyful in his salvation. For the hand of the Lord shall rest in this mountain.

Responsorial Psalm 22:1-6 (Ps 23 NAB/Hebrew)
DR Challoner Text Only

The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.
He hath set me in a place of pasture.
He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:
He hath converted my soul.
He hath led me on the paths of justice,
for his own name's sake.
For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evils, for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.
Thou hast prepared a table before me
against them that afflict me.
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
and my chalice which inebreateth me, how goodly is it!
And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Haydock New Testament

I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound: (every where and in all things I am instructed) both to be full, and to be hungry: both to abound, and to suffer need. I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me. Nevertheless you have done well, in communicating to my tribulation.

And may my God supply all your want, according to his riches, in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to God and our Father be glory, world without end. Amen.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 22:1-14
Haydock New Testament

AND Jesus answering, spoke to them again in parables, saying:

The kingdom of heaven is like to a man being a king, who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage: and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell these that were invited:

Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the wedding.

But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandize. And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death. But when the king heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. Then he saith to his servants:

The wedding indeed is ready, but they that were invited, were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, invite to the wedding.

And his servants going out into the highways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good and the wedding was filled with guests. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment. And he saith to him:

Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment?

But he was silent. Then the king said to the waiters:

Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.

Haydock Commentary Isaias 25:6-10a
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 6. Mountain of Sion, a figure of the Church, and of heaven. The Jews shall feast: yea, some of all nations shall partake of the blessed Eucharist, and obtain heaven. The expressions are too grand for a corruptible feast. C. --- Wine. Lit. "of vintage," (H.) on which occasion great rejoicings were made. Hesiod. Hercul. 297. --- Prot. "of wines on the lees." H. --- In the East, the wines were very thick. Ps. lxxv. 9. C. --- On the rejection of the Jews, the Gentiles were converted. W.
• Ver. 7. Tied. He will open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. They shall be no longer as criminals, expecting death, or mourning.
• Ver. 8. Ever. Heb. "he shall swallow up death in victory." 1 Cor. xv. 54. Christ, by dying, conquered death, and rescued us from its power, if we do not voluntarily subject ourselves to it again. This was faintly represented by the liberation of the captives.
• Ver. 10. Mountain: the Church. C. --- Moab. That is, the reprobate, whose eternal punishment, from which they can no way escape, is described under these figures. Ch. --- The Machabees probably executed this vengeance on Moab. 1 Mac. v. 6.

Haydock Commentary Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

• Ver. 14. In communicating;[3] i.e. contributing to relieve my wants. Wi.
• Ver. 19. May God supply all your wants.[4] See the Greek, which determines the signification of the Latin. Wi.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 22:1-14

• Ver. 1. Jesus answered, and spoke to them again in parables, and concludes his discourse with again describing, 1st. the reprobation of the Jews; 2d. the calling of the Gentiles to the true faith; and 3d. the final judgment of both the one and the other. In this parable of the marriage feast, says S. Chrysostom, our Saviour again declares to the Jews their reprobation, and the vocation of the Gentiles, their great ingratitude, and his tender solicitude for them. For he did not send them a single invitation only; he repeatedly invited them. Say, says he, to the invited; and afterwards, call the invited; thus evincing the greatness of their obstinacy, in resisting all the calls and pressing invitations of the Almighty. Hom. lxx. — This parable is certainly not the same as that mentioned in S. Luke xiv. 16, as every one that will be at the pains to examine and compare all the circumstances of each, will easily discover, though they are very much alike. M.
• Ver. 2. Is like to a man being a king, &c. This parable seems different from that of Luke xiv. 16. See S. Aug. l. ii. de Cons. Evang. c. lxx. The main design in this parable, is to shew the Jews that they were all invited to believe in Christ; though so few of them believed. The king is God; his son is Jesus Christ; the spouse is the Church; the marriage is Christ's incarnation; the feast, the grace of God in this life, and his glory in the next. His servants were the prophets; and lastly his precursor, S. John. — My fatlings, which I have prepared, and made fat for the feast: but this is but an ornament of the parable. Wi. — The same takes place in the kingdom of heaven, as when a king makes a marriage feast for his son. Jesus Christ seems to have had two things in view in this parable: 1st. that many are called to the kingdom of heaven, i.e. his Church, and that few come, as he concludes, v. 14, many are called, &c; 2d. that not all that come when called will be saved, i.e. will be reputed worthy of the celestial feast; because some have not on the wedding-garment, as he shews, v. 11. M. — Thus the conduct of God in the formation of his Church, and in the vocation of men to glory which himself has prepared for them in the kingdom of heaven, is like to that of a king, wishing to celebrate the marriage of his son. V. — Marriage is here mentioned, says S. Chrysostom to shew there is nothing sorrowful in the kingdom of God, but all full of the greatest spiritual joy. S. John Baptist likewise calls our Saviour the spouse; and S. Paul says, I have espoused thee to one man, 2 Cor. xi. S. Chrys. hom. lxx. See also Eph. v. 25. and Apoc. xxi. 2. and 9. The nuptials in this place do not signify the union of marriage, or incarnation of Jesus Christ, by which the Church is made his spouse; but the marriage feast, to which men are said to be invited. This is no other than the doctrines, the sacraments and graces, with which God feeds and nourishes our souls, united to him by faith in this life, and by eternal joy and glory in the next. Jans. — This union is begun here on earth by faith, is cemented by charity in all such as are united to Christ in the profession of the one true faith he came down to establish, and will be consummated and made perpetual hereafter by the eternal enjoyment of Christ in his heavenly kingdom.
• Ver. 3. His servants. John the Baptist and Christ himself, who took the form of a servant, to call such as had been formerly invited to the nuptials that were to be celebrated in his time. The Jews were invited by Moses and the prophets, and were instructed to believe that the Messias would celebrate the happy feast. On the predetermined day, they were again called by his servants, saying: Do penance; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: come to the feast, i.e. become members of his Church, by believing in Christ. Jans. — In the same manner, S. Chrysostom says that the Jews had been invited by the voice of the prophets, and afterwards by the Baptist, who declared to all, that Christ should increase, but that he himself should decrease. At length, they were invited by the Son in person, crying aloud to them: come to me all you that labour, and are heavily laden, and I will refresh you. Mat. xi. 28. And again: if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. S. John vii. 37. — And not by his words only, but by his actions also did he call them; and after his resurrection, by the ministry of Peter and the rest of the apostles (hom. lxx,) he informed the invited Jews that the banquet was ready; because the Christian religion being now established, the way to eternal happiness was laid open to mankind.
• Ver. 5. One to his farm. After they had put to death the Son of God, still did the Almighty invite them to the marriage-feast; but they with futile excuses declined and slighted the proffered favour, wholly taken up with their temporal concerns and sensual enjoyments, their oxen, lands and wives. From the punishment inflicted on these, we learn, that no consideration, how specious soever it may appear, can prove a legitimate excuse for neglecting our spiritual duties. S. John. Chrys. hom. lxx. — Such as refuse to be reconciled to the holy Catholic Church, allege vain pretexts and impediments; but all these originating in pride, indolence, or human respect, will not serve at the day of general retribution and strict scrutiny.
• Ver. 6. Put them to death. Thus the Jews had many times treated the prophets. Wi. — These were by far the most impious and the most ungrateful; tenuerunt Servos ejus, as is related in the Acts, with regard to the death of James, and Stephen, and Paul. M.
• Ver. 7. Sending his armies. Here our Redeemer predicts the destruction of Jerusalem, by the armies of Vespasian and Titus, sent against them by the Almighty, in punishment of their incredulity and impiety. S. Chrys. hom. lxx. — Thus the king destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city; for sooner or later God is observed to exert his vengeance on all such as despise his word, or persecute his ministers. See the miseries to which the Jews were reduced in Josephus, book the 6th, c. ix, Hist. of the Jewish war; who declares, that in the last siege of Jerusalem 1,100,000 persons perished, and that the city was completely destroyed. Other interpreters suppose that the evil spirits are here meant, by whom God punishes man, according to Psalm lxxvii, v. 49. M. and Mandonatus.
• Ver. 8. Were not worthy. The Almighty knew full well that they were not worthy; he still sent them these frequently repeated invitations, that they might be left without any excuse. S. Chry. hom. lxx. — More is signified here than the bare letter conveys; they were not only less worthy of the nuptials, but by their very great obstinacy, ingratitude and impiety, quite unworthy. Not so the Gentiles. Jans. — Hence Christ says:
• Ver. 9. Go ye therefore into the highways. The apostles first kept themselves within the precincts of Judea, but the Jews continually sought their destruction. Therefore S. Paul said to them, (Acts xiii. 46.) to you it behoved us first to speak the word of God, but seeing you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles. S. Chrys. hom lxx.
• Ver. 10. Both bad and good. Christ had before told the Jews that harlots and publicans should, in preference to them, inherit the kingdom of heaven, and that the first should be last, and the last first, which preference of the Gentiles, tormented the Jews more than even the destruction of their city. Chrys. lxx. — Good and bad, persons of every tribe, tongue, people, nation, sex and profession, without any exception of persons or conditions. Hence it is evident that the Church of God doth not consist of the elect only; and, that faith alone, without the habit of charity and good works, will not suffice to save us. B.
• Ver. 11. Wedding garment, which Calvin erroneously understands of faith, for he came by faith to the nuptials. S. Augustine says it is the honour and glory of the spouse, which each one should seek, and not his own; and he shews this, in a sermon on the marriage feast, to be charity. This is the sentiment of the ancients, of S. Gregory, S. Ambrose, and others. What S. Chrysostom expounds it, viz. an immaculate life, or a life shining with virtues, and free from the filth of sin, is nearly the same; for charity cannot exist without a good life, nor the purity of a good life, without charity. In his 70th homily on S. Matthew, he says that the garment of life is our works; and this is here mentioned, that none might presume, (like Calvin and his followers) that faith alone was sufficient for salvation. When, therefore we are called by the grace of God, we are clothed with a white garment, to preserve which from every stain, from every grievous sin, depends upon the diligence (the watching and praying) of every individual. S. John. Chrys. — It was the custom then, as it still is in every civilized nation, not to appear at a marriage feast, or at a dinner of ceremony, except in the very best attire. V.
• Ver. 12. Not having a wedding garment. By this one person, are represented all sinner void of the grace of God. Wi. — To enter with unclean garments, is to depart out of this life in the guilt of sin. For those are no less guilty of manifesting a contempt for the Deity, who presume to sit down in the filth of an unclean conscience, than those who neglected to answer the invitations of the Almighty. He is said to be silent, because having nothing to advance in his own defence, he remains self-condemned, and is hurried away to torments; the horrors of which words can never express. S. Chrys. hom. lxx.

]]> http://fullofsoap.wordpress.com/?p=304 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:00:17 +0000 fullofsoap http://fullofsoap.ru.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/dribbling-down-her-skin/ Cause: her parents had left for the McNeese game. Effect: she was going to use all the hot water for her shower, and no one could complain afterwards or suggest that she take a quick one. No, she would be able to melt in the steamy water and drift away into her own little world until the heat became too overbearing and she couldn't breathe because of the humidity that clouded the bathroom.

Ah yes.

Shedding her clothes, she spotted that the small bathroom window was open. She should close the blinds so no one could spy, but she was too lazy to bring herself to the glass. Besides, the window faced woods. She didn't really care if some rabbits saw her.

Today was her school's math tournament, and on the way to her state's capital she'd imagined herself running freely beside the car. Though impossible, she felt free thinking of her stretching her long legs with every bound. No one would stop her. She would amaze and fill others with awe, since she was close to being called a gazelle.

But, instead, she sat cramped in the backseat of a car, wondering why her Burt's Bees chapstick had gone amiss.

And then her thoughts had fused into twirling in a meadow nestled between hills and a forest, with mountains scraped into the background. The music humming from her iPod would flood the air and wind would be her dancing partner. God would soak her heart so she would feel more wholesome than she did now.

She rubbed her shoulders in the shower, savoring the warmth. But she was starting to notice that the heat was becoming too much. And the granola bar she had consumed about a minute before bathing was oddly making her feel weighed down.

She shut the water off, frowned at the open window, wondering why she hadn't closed the blinds, and dried herself off. The effects of the boiling water made her appear as if she had been burned by the sun. 

Botan Rice Candy. She'd found the box in the kitchen and, mainly out of boredom, decided to eat them. She opened the first candy, but there was a plastic embracing the candy tightly. After many tries of plucking the wrapper off, she gave up and moved onto the next candy. It was the same, as were all the others. She sighed. Why did they have to be old? The candy looked enticing, however, so she eventually freed the candies from their straight jackets, even if she had picked them to pieces. They weren't as satisfying as they would be if they were whole, but no matter.

Sweeping the pile of plastic remains into a pile, she read the candy box. The lid said:

Each candy has an edible inner wrapper that melts in your mouth.

Positive Confession BY WATCHAMAN.ORG

 
Positive Confession is the belief that if a believer speaks "spiritual" or "faith-filled" words then he can have what he says. Unfortunately, this influence has invaded the church and continues to cause much turmoil and confusion.

Many of the teachers of the word-faith movement believe that words are so powerful that they can influence the physical and spiritual worlds. For example:

In The Tongue, a Creative Force (1976), positive confessionist Charles Capps, teaches that there are powerful "spiritual" words. Such words, which are ordinary words, can under certain circumstances, become vehicles for creative or supernatural power.

When "faith-filled" spiritual words are spoken (as words of power), they can alter the physical and spiritual world. Capps says, "You see there is more to it than just saying it. The words must originate from the inner man where spiritual power is released through words."

He goes on to state that "spirit words can control both the spirit world and the physical world. Because the words themselves have power, they will work for either God or man in the same manner." He goes on:

"The spirit of man is not of this world, it is of the spirit world. The creative ability of man comes through his spirit. He speaks spirit words that work in the world of the spirit. They will also dominate the physical world. He breathes spirit life into God's Word and it becomes a living substance, working for him as it worked for God in the beginning. These spirit words dominate the natural world" (p. 117-118).

What Capps is alluding to in the above statement is his teaching that since God, "by His faith" (using words) spoke this physical world into existence; the believer, using faith, can do the same. That is, the believer can speak things into existence. However, God's word is already "quick and powerful" (Hebrews 4:12), and it is referred to as the "Word of Life" (Phillipians 2:16). It is not necessary to activate it by speaking words of faith as though it were asleep or dead! Rather, it is by hearing the "living" word that one is brought to salvation through faith in Christ. (Romans 10:17)

A number of the prosperity teachers believe that the spiritual world controls and continually forms the physical world. So, if one can learn to control the spiritual world, then he can learn to control the physical world as well. This teaching then becomes the foundation for securing individual prosperity.

That is why in Releasing the Ability of God, Capps states, "You can have what you say! (because) the powerful force of the spiritual world that creates the circumstances around us is controlled by the words of the mouth. This force comes from inside us; the confession of our mouth will cause you to possess it" (pp. 98-99, parenthesis mine). This is why he teaches, "Discipline your vocabulary," and "today your word is god over your circumstances" (pp. 101-104).

Capps also teaches that the power within a Christian, within one's spirit, functions according to unchangeable laws. He says "These principles of faith are based on spiritual laws. They work for whosoever will apply these laws" (The Tongue, p. 103).

D. R. McConnell, in his book, A Different Gospel, directly traces the origin the spiritual laws taught in positive confession to the metaphysics of E.W. Kenyon, a man of 50-60 years ago whose theology was that of Pentecostal Christian Science (A Different Gospel, pp. 3-56).

McConnell records Kenneth Copeland in The Laws of Prosperity (p. 98, 101) as saying, "You can have what you say! In fact, what you are saying is exactly what you are getting now. If you are living in poverty and lack and want, change what you are saying. It will change what you have. Discipline your vocabulary. God will be obligated to meet your needs because of His word. If you stand firmly on this, your needs will be met" (Ibid., p. 173).

McConnell further states, that E.W. Kenyon's New Thought classmate, Ralph Waldo Trine, attributes the confession of prosperity to "Occult power." He says that "Trine believed that thought is a force, and it has Occult power of unknown proportions when rightly used and wisely directed" (Ibid., p. 174).

The usage of Occult powers is, of course, a practice that the Word-Faith teachers would publicly reject. Of course, this is not to say that those offering these teachings are Occultists. They are teachers who may never have thought through the implications of the practices they advocate. They may be unaware of the similarities between certain aspects of positive confession and Occulict practices. Nevertheless, the similarities do exist, and these practices are neither Biblical nor Christian.

John Ankerberg's issue of News and Views, June 1988, p. 1, reports that these words are used in religious rituals to influence both the spirit world and the material world. The report quotes Occult magician David Conway discussing the power of magical words to affect these worlds:

"Unseparable from magical speculation about words is the theory of vibrations, which supposes that certain sounds have a powerful acoustic impact on both the spiritual and astral worlds. Like the spiritual world and astral plane can in some circumstances be affected by sound, so that verbal magic may be said to derive its power not only from the idea contained in certain words, but from the peculiar vibrations these words create when spoken" (Magic: an Occult Primer, pp. 74-75).

Occultists, of course, have long claimed the true inner nature of man is powerful, capable of exercising divine ability. This is why New Ager Benjamin Creme says, for example, "One doesn't pray to oneself, one prays to the God within. The thing is to learn to invoke that energy which is the energy of God. Prayer and worship as we know it today will gradually die out and men will be trained to invoke the (inner) power of deity" (The Reappearance of Christ and the Masters of Wisdom, pp. 135-136, parenthesis mine).

The reason that positive confessionists can place so much emphasis on the inner man and his divine power is that they think the believer is a god. Kenneth Copeland says, "You don't have a god in you, you are one" (Copeland's sermon tape The Force of Love). And Kenneth Hagin says, "The believer is as much an incarnation of God as Jesus Christ" (Hagin, Word of Faith, p. 14).

To the positive confessionist, scripture passages such as Proverbs 18:21, "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue;" and James 3:8-10 are taken as proof of this doctrine, because they believe as "little gods" they have the same power as God through their own words.

Is it any wonder that Charles Capps says "The confession of your mouth even after you have prayed correctly will determine whether or not you receive. You can release the ability of God through the words of your mouth" (Releasing the Ability of God, 1978, pp. 93, 96).

For Christians words and faith are important, but there is a limit to what words can do.

It can help or hurt a close friend or a total stranger by what one says, but to treat words as if they were some "star wars" type weapon by which one alters or manipulates reality is not biblical, but Occultic. If one could change reality by the power of words spoken, then that would put man on the same level with God. This is exactly what teachers of the "positive confession," or word-faith movement, claim.

We are told by God Himself that He spoke the creation into existence (Genesis 1). He has not given that power to anyone else!

http://www.watchman.org/reltop/posconf.htm