Julia's not too far behind this, and I have 3 others!

beach in Newport

that would be another shark!

Petting baby sharks

The area around the OR coast aquarium --probably why it was so expensive to get in!

Abby's hair showed enjoyment in the humidity

NOT the view of an average hike!

Hannah

Trip to OR coast 09 1st of several pics

I was able to get some decent close up shots

Hard Work

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going." Eccl. 9:10

We know that our work in Christ Jesus will stand in the resurrection (one verse to support this is Heb 6:10-"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister").

But we have one life to live before the perfection of the resurrection.

I am strongly reminded from time to time that one of the simple differences between mature believers and more immature is plain old hard work at whatever you're doing.

But hard work is always a bit more romantic in another man's field...

The darker elements of some Youth ministries

For those of you who haven't seen this on Doug Wilson's blog here you go:

Pastor Alexander at 75?

Notice the gray hair under the chin!

American religion

..."What was new with the American experiment in religious liberty (and implicitly in religious diversity) was the rationale used by both secularists and the devout for this new arrangement of religion and public life." D. G. Hart

An "arrangement" of over-reaction against the abuses of the European Christian nations, secularism, and an overall bowing down to the Enlightenment ideals of which we are now paying dearly... Jesus as Lord should have pervaded the Constitution and all government work. Not that by doing so would have ensured spiritual utopia but we should have declared Jesus our King instead of ourselves (the people, demos)

koinania~Fellowship

"We often say that we have had fellowship when all we mean is that we have taken part in some Christian social enterprise of this sort. But we ought not to talk in such terms. The fact that we share social activities with other Christians does not of itself imply that we have fellowship with them. To say this is not, of course, to deny that there may be a place for these activities. Our point is simply that to equate these activities with fellowship, and fellowship with them, is an abuse of Christian language."
J.I. Packer

Purgatory

If there was such a thing as Purgatory, I am now almost completely convinced that my punishment would be to write and edit my own stuff, while the demons would never ever be satisfied with it. I would have to fiddle with it for 1,000 years, always writing and never able to come to a final product!

I say this in all jest ;)