Today's Thought | Ain't Complicated

How to Get Past the Baby Stuff at Christmas

Begin by imagining a different way of celebrating your own birthday...

You probably already had your birthday this year. I did, but one of my life-long, faithful friends still hasn’t had his birthday. Imagine yours is yet to come.

To celebrate your birthday, we will hang up pictures of you in your crib — to show we know who this is all about, you know. Generally, though, we will disregard you in favor of other festive and seasonal activities. If anyone gets around to remembering you, it will be to reminisce about your birth and baby days. And gifts? We will give each other gifts we think we would enjoy. Maybe we will think to give you a baby rattle or a teddy bear. You would probably say “bah humbug” on birthdays, at least yours. Read it all

The Church Assembling: The Community of Believers

How to tell if your church has too many regular services?

Interesting to shoehorn this

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

(Hebrews 10:25)

into the historical context of these verses from this morning’s SS lesson:

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship,
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house,
did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

(Acts 2:42,46)

Maybe by the time of Hebrews 10 they were slacking off to three services on the Lord’s Day, another on Wednesday night, and a Bible study on Friday night. So God had the writer issue His warning/command. 😳 😯 Read it all

Web30: Web Conception Proclamation Day

The earth is not round. Neither was the Web born today. So there.

Today they hail the birth of the Web 30 years ago.

March 12, 1989 — the birthdate of the World Wide Web. You see that proclaimed all over the Internet.

I, thinking, beg to differ. 😯 Read it all

A Father’s Blessing

Oft repeated (sometime the final one, perhaps)

a father's blessing

At the window, perhaps sitting, perhaps standing…

Hand upraised (most of the time), likely waving…

Mouth open briefly, murmuring… Read it all

A Quiet and Peaceable Life

In all godliness and honesty -- but to what purpose?

“Lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:2-4).

Quiet, peaceable, godly, honest — does that describe the life I’ve chosen for myself?

For what purposes do I want such a life?

Serving the Lord Acceptably
(1 Timothy 2)

Serving the Lord acceptably with prayer and thankfulness.
Gender roles in church. Christian dress and adornment.
How to pray for political leaders.

(PS: Posted via email instead of the Web, so this might not be formatted properly or exquisitely.)

Sailors, Take Warning!

Especially Christian sailors on life's sea, sailing toward eternity

To whom it may concern: East of Hubbard, we have high hopes to see the sun.

But maybe we will see the Son instead…

The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

(Matthew 16:1-4)

(About the title: Red sky at morning)