Questions from a reader

This comment was added to the kitchen post below.  Since it has nothing to do with the post, I am making it a separate post.  Here it is:

Peter your Christian. Can I ask you a question personally? Is it against Christianity to marry another race and if your parents do not agree with the person that you're with is that a sin because it violates one of the 10 commandments? I not as religious as I should be but maybe someone with your faith can fill me in... thanks in advance.. Paul 

Paul- I love honesty in questions.  The first one is a yes, you can ask.

Secondly, no, it is not a sin to marry another race, or a person from another race.  You probably are thinking of the Old Testament, when Israelites were forbidden to marry non-Israelites.  This was for religious reasons, as the “Gentiles” did not follow the Mosaic law and worshiped other gods.  As New Testament Christians, we are not to marry outside of the faith, but the faith is open to anyone from any race in any nation.  So a white from America can marry a black from Africa, as long as the two are believers.

Now, if the parents oppose the marriage, the couple should refrain until something can be worked out.  I have known couples that waited, and the parents changed their minds.   It is always good to honor the parents. However, if the reason the parents oppose is not based on Christian principles, then there ate allowances for the couple to marry.  But there is no set rule.  Many variances in Christian practice are cultural or societal.  What we do in the US may be something an African or Chinese Christian would not do, and vice versa.  And by the same token, I know of some Americans who would frown on interracial marriages because of where they live.

Anyone else have some thoughts on this?

Kitchen: The Final Frontier

After a long delay, the final step in the kitchen redo has begun!  We got it painted, and though it does not look professional, we are all satisfied with the results.  Now, the flooring people are here, tearing out the old carpeting and getting things ready for the vinyl floor tiles.  Last night, three of us moved all the appliances and other things out of the way.  I think an appliance dolly will be a good thing to have when the floor is done.

Stay tuned...

Bob Jennings Journal

For those who know Bob Jennings, he has a blog now, set up by his son Jerad.  He has interesting thoughts relating to his cancer and other things. Go to: http://bobjenningsjournal.com/.

Two ways to spend the "Sabbath"

I am not a strict sabbatarian.  That is to say, I do not believe that Sunday is a Christian extension of the Jewish Sabbath, as many reformed believers do.  Let me say that I respect those that hold the Lord's Day in a strict Sabbath interpretation.  My post today is not to refute such belief, but give two different stories of how people in the past spent the Sabbath.  Both are biographical, so we can say that these events did indeed happen.  The first is from Laura Ingals Wilder writing about her father's boyhood in her Little House series, so it is a simplified account for children to understand, and may have some fictional additions.  The second is from the autobiography of John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides (modern day Vanuatu), telling his recollections of when he was a boy.  Note how each shows the same day of the week in about the same period in history, following the same belief in a "Holy Day" spent in rather different ways.

When writing of her father, Wilder tells of one particular winter Sunday in his boyhood.  His father made him and his brothers sit in the parlor after dinner and wait for the afternoon chores.  They were not allowed to talk or do anything but rest.  He would sit and fall asleep.  Of course the boys could not sit still, and who can blame them?  The story proves the adage about idle minds being the devil's workshop, as the boys left the house while their father slept and took the toboggan down a very steep hill near the house.  Needless to say, they got in trouble afterwards.  My thought here is that children cannot be expected to sit around doing nothing and wasting a day, even if it is a day of rest.

On the other hand, Paton tells of his household, and how the children enjoyed the day. 

Walking to and from church (a four mile trip each way), "...we youngsters had sometimes rare glimpses of what Christina talk may be and ought to be.  They went to the church, full of beautiful expectancy of spirit--their souls were on the outlook for God; they returned          from the church, ready and even anxious to exchange ideas as to what they had heard and received of the things of life." 

Paton remembers that the conversations were not phony and "did not repel us but kindles our spiritual interest.  The talks we heard were ... not the make-believe of religious conversation, but the sincere outcome of their own personalities."

He goes on to tell how at home, his father would relate the message to his mother, who stayed home with the younger children.  They would also take turns reading from and discussing Bible passages and The Pilgrim's Progress, as well as learning from the Shorter Catechism in a way that kept the children, rather than turning them away from piety.  In other words, they didn't just sit around bored, as Wilder implies from her description.

So, how do you spend your Sunday afternoons?  Whether you follow the "Christian Sabbath" or not, biblical discussion with other saints and the family are a good idea, rather than sitting around idly waiting for "the Sabbath" to end.

Why some people trust Glenn Beck

I noticed this morning while looking at a cereal box why so many people trust Glenn Beck.  Could it be the striking resemblance to this favorite icon of Americana?

         

Of tour guides and the Good Shepherd

On a recent cave tour I was giving, there was a 10 year old girl who
followed close at my heals the whole time. It did not matter to her
that her mother was stopping to take pictures, or that the two of us
were several feet ahead of the rest. She wanted to stay with the
tour guide so as not to get lost. I was reminded of the Good
Shepherd. Jesus says His sheep follow Him and will not listen to the
voice of a stranger. Now, I was a stranger to this girl, but I knew
the way to go. Her mother was not a stranger to her, but did not
know the way to go.

The lesson: Am I listening to familiar voices that don't really know
the way? Or am I following close to the One who knows me best and is
the only Way?

More progress

 The kitchen work proceeds slowly.  Here I am beginning the painting.  Notice the tie-dyed shirt.  That way I can make a mess and no one will notice!

We also hired a painter to do the outside gable ends.  They were white and have needed a paint job for years.  While we were at it, we had the painter redo the shutters, which had faded to grey.  I include a "before" picture for comparison (taken last winter from a different angle). 

                 Before                                                    After

                  

New Kitchen- Phase 2

The kitchen remodel shows progress.  The new cabinets are in:

Here are the base cabinets before the countertop was installed.

Little P having a little fun.  Gotta get that girl a hobby!

The finished product.  Still need to paint, though.

And a new floor covering!

Someday we'll get the blue plastic wrap off the dishwasher.

New Kitchen - Phase 1 continued

The kitchen remodel shows progress.  Here are a few more destruction pics:

The base cabinets were harder to get out.  We needed a plumber to disconnect the water pipes.

The old sink and counter top out in the yard.

More of the wallpaper coming off.  Little P counldn't reach that high.

A new kitchen @ 3rd & College

We are in the process of redoing our kitchen.  What we had was here when we bought the house 6½ years ago.  Below are pictures from the first step: taking out the old cabinets and working on getting the wall paper off.  That part is easy; something we know-nothings can handle.  We hired an out-of-work friend to do the the real work.

Before.  We are not sure how old these cabinets are, but the ½ inch particle board shelves are bowed.

Here I am taking down the last wall cabinet.  I had to improvise as the screw heads were stripped, and I don't have a lot of  tools.  So I drilled around them and pulled them out with vice grips.

Even 15 year olds like to have fun!

H enjoying a new toy: it is called the Paper Tiger.  It has wheels with blades to tear up the wall paper.

Stay tuned for updates.