No Grasp of Your Reality

Another one of them danged online tests, this one to determine my personality disorder. It’s good to know that I’m a paranoid narcissist!

Mark Horne has posted another good commentary on baptism in the Reformed Churches, and their common tendency to become credobaptists when it comes to baptizing adults… nay, not credobaptists, but “New-level-of-commitment-baptists”.

Dear Mr. Lucas,

Despite your best efforts, my acquaintances and I have managed to procure a copy of the original Star Wars movies in a format superior than the VHS that you sold a few years ago.

A long time ago, in a city far, far away — before you decided that your movies weren’t really the movies you were looking for — you released the original Star Wars movies in laserdisc format, giving it quality that far surpasses the VHS versions.

Recently, some sort of dementia has infected your mind, causing you to disavow your original creation. You decided that Han shooting Greedo first was somehow insensitive, and not consistant with Han Solo’s character. This decision proves that you, sir, are a putz.

In September, you decided to release your original Star Wars movies on DVD, and I waited with anticipation to see you mirror your friend, Steven Spielberg‘s decision to release the original version along with his bastardized version. Sadly, you chose to not do this.

Despite your best efforts, however, we will not forget. I will remember Sebastian Shaw, even though you chose to replace him. My children will learn that Han did shoot Greedo first. There is nothing you can do to touch the laserdisc in my attic, no matter how much you hate it.

You can live knowing that your best days are twenty years behind you, and that I wouldn’t trust you to edit my wedding film. For all I know, you’ll edit me out in twenty years, and replace me with a washed up actor from the WB.

With All Sincerity,

Tom Albrecht III

Well, it’s good to know that this personal injury time wasn’t a total waste. I decided that I was going to fix a frustrating problem once and for all, and after two hours of toil, I can finally rest knowing….

THE COMMENTS FINALLY WORK!!!

There was a small bug in WordPress that caused comments to not work with my unique Internet situation. We have overcome and fixed the problem, and now we can expect the large flow of comments that all of you have been frustrated in not being able to post.

I am currently half-way through Lewis Bevens Schenck’s “The Presbyterian Doctrine of Children in the Covenant”. So far, it’s been a very good read. The book was first published in 1940, and originated as Dr. Schenck’s doctoral dissertation. Even though it’s been revised to be more readable, it does plod through a lot of historical examples. Since the goal of the book is to discuss the history of infant baptism in the Reformed Church, though, a reader should expect to flip through page after page of historical citations.

In my opinion, though, the strength of the book does not rest in the positive examples of infant baptism (which are very good), but in the harsh criticism of the American Reformed church since the early 18th century. The second chapter of the book entitled, “The Development of Revivalism” is an eye-opening exposé of the development of revivalism in the Reformed Churches in America, and, more importantly, it’s novelty in those Reformed Churches, and how revivalism violates many of the Reformed doctrines it claims to be preaching.

As I see it, one of the major problems in the Church today, Reformed or otherwise, is the failure to see the growth of the covenant children into Christian adulthood. Thankfully, most modern Presbyterians do not consider their children to be little heathens in their home. We do have our children baptized, understanding that God has given these children the gift of being born in the covenant, and as such, really are different from the children of unbelievers. However, do we really believe this to be true?

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So, my surgery went Ok, and the doctor seemed happy about both the surgery and my recovery from the anesthesia. After all the horror stories that others have relayed, I was glad the doctor was both a) reputable and b) pleased with the results.

This morning, I went back into the surgeon this morning to have the stitches removed. He laid me out on my belly, and snip-snip-snip, I was all done. “Sit gently for a while,” he said as I was going out the door. “Not a problem,” thought I, and made an appointment for a followup for a month later.

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Remember that a love without affection is like
An unbreasted mother;
And that unnurtured child will die.

I liked this line, but not the poem in its entirety.

Running with them in one’s mouth.

This was the scene I entered last night as I walked downstairs. I had gone up for only a minute to collect stray bottles for the evening chocolate milk ritual.

Tabitha had opened the storage box for all of our scissors, and each child was running with one in hand — except for Aiden — who was running with them in his mouth.

Earlier this week, Aiden was caught jumping off of the coffee table, earning him the nickname ‘Danger Mouse‘.

by Al Lorentz

Before I begin, let me state that I am a soldier currently deployed in Iraq, I am not an armchair quarterback. Nor am I some politically idealistic and naive young soldier, I am an old and seasoned Non-Commissioned Officer with nearly 20 years under my belt. Additionally, I am not just a soldier with a muds-eye view of the war, I am in Civil Affairs and as such, it is my job to be aware of all the events occurring in this country and specifically in my region.

I have come to the conclusion that we cannot win here for a number of reasons. Ideology and idealism will never trump history and reality.
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