Before I get to the main part of this blog, I need to give an update on my current blogging plight. It seems that a program, probably my firewall/filter software, prevents me from logging into either Gmail, Blogger, or anything Google-related. Since I'm home for Christmas, I thought I'd post a couple of things. I'll be traveling back to Louisville tomorrow where I cannot login at home, unfortunately. I can always blog at school, which I may try to do more often.
In the meantime, I apologize for inability to keep the blog updated.
Okay...Now to the main feature...
For those who haven't heard, my dad has a Myspace page now. Click here to check it out! He puts some neat videos and things on there from time to time. I must admit though that he normally sends the links to me first, so I get a backstage pass, so to speak.
He currently has a slide show of pictures from our family get-togethers. The first section (the large majority) are from the event we had with my mom's family, the McEntire's. Some of the pictures in the middle are of the Wells family event held at my grandmother's house. Then, there are a few taken here at our house with my parents, my sister, and my brother-in-law. It's pretty neat, and I thought it would give some of my friends an opportunity to "meet" my family. Click here to check out the slide show.
I'd also like to give kudos to my dad who did a wonderful job teaching Sunday school this past Sunday. He's the new Sunday school teacher for one of the adult men classes. He did a wonderful job, and I'm very proud of him. It's so great to see him using the knowledge that he has learned over the years. He's always been such a good teacher!
All that was to say that I'm proud to be the son of Mr. Once-Was-Cool!
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
This has always been, and will continue to remain, the big holiday of my extended family. We gather with both my mom's and my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve during two separate family functions. It was a blessing to see all of my family again and enjoy the laughs that come so easily with the ones you have loved for years.
However, as good as all of the festivities and gifts are, it's amazing that these temporal things still do not compare with the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, in the flesh, the incarnate Son of God.
I heard a great sermon yesterday from Pastor Tim Batchelor of Spring Place Baptist Church here in Chatsworth, Georgia. The sermon focused on the meaning of Jesus as Immanuel. It brought to my mind the glorious reality that Jesus Christ walked among real people in real time and space. Brother Tim pointed out that this was not a symbolic title. God incarnate walked among men.
For some reason, my thoughts turned to my new shoes. In a pre-Christmas feeling of compassion, my mom decided to buy me two new pairs of shoes. My old ones were simply horrible. It's hard to describe the condition they were in, but it's like the vinyl part on top was peeling off. They looked pathetic... Both my dad and mom commented on how awful they looked.
At the same time, I thought also of Christ. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths, literally rags. I knew how much I hated wearing my ugly old shoes, but they were all I had. I really didn't have the money to go out and buy some new pairs of shoes to replace. If I had more resources, I sure wouldn't have chosen to keep wearing those old shoes. Yet, when it comes to the incarnation, Christ chose the rags. I don't understand that, but I know that it's true. Christ chose to debase Himself and become low.
My thoughts turn to Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV). Christ "made himself nothing" (Phil. 3:7, ESV) and became a servant. His goal while walking this earth was to glorify the Father and be obedient to Him in all things, including the call to go to Calvary. He chose those rags for His sheep.
My new shoes are a testimony to my parents' generosity and care for me. They have chosen to bestow honor on me through giving me nice things and have taken away the shame of my poor, ratty, old shoes. In a similar way, Christ no longer bears the rags. He no longer endures the suffering of Calvary or the shame of being stripped naked before a crowd and slowly murdered by angry religious zealots.
No, the Father has lifted Him up, and He bears a name to which all in the universe will one day bow. The Father has chosen to honor His Son. He no longer has those rags. Instead, He bears wisdom and power and honor and glory and blessing.
I pray that when I wear my new shoes I'll be reminded of Christ's humiliation and the subsequent glory He bears in His glorified body. I pray that my every step will be a reminder to endure the humiliation of the world as a follower of Jesus Christ as well as a reminder that the pain and suffering of this world brought about by sin will one day vanish.
I thank God for those new shoes, but I think Him even more for the Christ who chose the rags.
This has always been, and will continue to remain, the big holiday of my extended family. We gather with both my mom's and my dad's side of the family on Christmas Eve during two separate family functions. It was a blessing to see all of my family again and enjoy the laughs that come so easily with the ones you have loved for years.
However, as good as all of the festivities and gifts are, it's amazing that these temporal things still do not compare with the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, in the flesh, the incarnate Son of God.
I heard a great sermon yesterday from Pastor Tim Batchelor of Spring Place Baptist Church here in Chatsworth, Georgia. The sermon focused on the meaning of Jesus as Immanuel. It brought to my mind the glorious reality that Jesus Christ walked among real people in real time and space. Brother Tim pointed out that this was not a symbolic title. God incarnate walked among men.
For some reason, my thoughts turned to my new shoes. In a pre-Christmas feeling of compassion, my mom decided to buy me two new pairs of shoes. My old ones were simply horrible. It's hard to describe the condition they were in, but it's like the vinyl part on top was peeling off. They looked pathetic... Both my dad and mom commented on how awful they looked.
At the same time, I thought also of Christ. He was wrapped in swaddling cloths, literally rags. I knew how much I hated wearing my ugly old shoes, but they were all I had. I really didn't have the money to go out and buy some new pairs of shoes to replace. If I had more resources, I sure wouldn't have chosen to keep wearing those old shoes. Yet, when it comes to the incarnation, Christ chose the rags. I don't understand that, but I know that it's true. Christ chose to debase Himself and become low.
My thoughts turn to Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV). Christ "made himself nothing" (Phil. 3:7, ESV) and became a servant. His goal while walking this earth was to glorify the Father and be obedient to Him in all things, including the call to go to Calvary. He chose those rags for His sheep.
My new shoes are a testimony to my parents' generosity and care for me. They have chosen to bestow honor on me through giving me nice things and have taken away the shame of my poor, ratty, old shoes. In a similar way, Christ no longer bears the rags. He no longer endures the suffering of Calvary or the shame of being stripped naked before a crowd and slowly murdered by angry religious zealots.
No, the Father has lifted Him up, and He bears a name to which all in the universe will one day bow. The Father has chosen to honor His Son. He no longer has those rags. Instead, He bears wisdom and power and honor and glory and blessing.
I pray that when I wear my new shoes I'll be reminded of Christ's humiliation and the subsequent glory He bears in His glorified body. I pray that my every step will be a reminder to endure the humiliation of the world as a follower of Jesus Christ as well as a reminder that the pain and suffering of this world brought about by sin will one day vanish.
I thank God for those new shoes, but I think Him even more for the Christ who chose the rags.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
My New Friend
Meet my new friend, a great new resource entitled LibraryThing! It's a free resource where you can catalog your books into an online catalog. The good news is that it's free for up to 200 books. Anything over that costs $10 a year or $25 for a lifetime subscription. Still great, in my opinion!
Click here to check out what I already have catalogued in my library already. I think I catalogued 115 books yesterday, according to the stats. Please do not pity me for staying home on a Friday night cataloguing books...I rather enjoyed it!
And, finally...yes, this is how some of my free time will be spent during the winter break in December and January. I'm serious, I really do enjoy this!
Click here to check out what I already have catalogued in my library already. I think I catalogued 115 books yesterday, according to the stats. Please do not pity me for staying home on a Friday night cataloguing books...I rather enjoyed it!
And, for those of you who know me...Yes, I am putting my whole library into this catalog, and yes, I am putting labels on each of my books using the Library of Congress catalog numbers. I know there's probably something really wrong with me, but I get a kick out of stuff like this!
And, finally...yes, this is how some of my free time will be spent during the winter break in December and January. I'm serious, I really do enjoy this!
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