My pretend costume!

Ok, here is what my halloween costume would have been. LOL!

Good vs Evil - - - - No Contest !

I'm finishing up the book of Romans that I have been reading in my personal morning devotions. Here are some of the beautiful promises and counsel that I have obtained.

Romans 12:25 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 13:14 Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.


Romans 8:35-38 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry or destitute or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming VICTORY is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

Your Brother in Christ,

Emery

Article by John Piper for Thursday

Brother Beasts,

GETTING TO THE POSTS IN THIS BLOG: From the Blog Archive Menu, select the month you'd like to see. Easy, isn't it?

While we are transitioning between this and our next book, I wonder if each of us could read this article before Thursday.

NEAT LITTLE TRICK: You can click the title above (Article by John Piper. . . ) and this blog will take you straight to the article. If you print it, highlight it and come with questions, we will benefit more as a group.

This subject is one that hounds many believing men. What do we do in the light of failure in our Christian walk? How do we handle the guilt that Satan wants to use to paralyze us?

Here's the link:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/38.72.html



We're still at Hunter Park each Thursday, Breakfast Burritos and coffee, until they pry our cold hands from the steering wheel, or until further notice.

Blessings,

Jim

Pre-Dawn at Hunter Park

It was good to see Ronnie Lutz this morning at the Beasts.
We went over the "iron sharpening iron" verses to refresh all of us in the importance of keeping honest, strong ties of fellowship.
In a couple of weeks we'll be getting closer to that point on the thermometer (49 or less), when we'll have to move back to Panera (maybe). Why don't you post your thoughts on this one.

The first one in with the correct identification of the smile and the ear (see previous post) was Emery. Second was Will.
The Ear was enacted by Ashley Beasley.
The Mouth was played by Will Myers.
What have you been reading in Scripture lately that would be something you'd like to share here?
Beats TV, doesn't it?

Go to "L" !!

Have you noticed? there are not too many dull moments at the Hunter Park Thursday Forums these days. In truth, we could title our discussions "Words in Edgewise."

Could it be that most of us recognize (as in "ouch!") what Walters is underlining from Scripture about our sinful tendencies? The prickly subject of anger seems to have secured our attention. And we verify our insight into it by providing fresh stories from our personal archives dating all the way back to noon yesterday.

Now, as an objective observer, and the detached sole exception, I can comment on this matter because I never offend or fail to apply the principles we're learning. I know each and every one of you deeply appreciates having someone in your midst for whom these things come without effort, almost automatically.

Ha ha . . . just kidding. More to the point of paragraph 1, I'm aware of certain reactionary moments when I experience the desire to say something that rhymes with today's title. Instead I need to tell myself: Go to L ("Listen") mode.


So the visuals are presented here to encourage a more godly response at those times somebody's mad at us. [Shifting gears] Can you identify the owners of the depicted body parts? Send your comments, we'll post them. Who will be the first correct entry?

The third picture is a cool father and son experience at the New Life Retreat last year. Hey Will, some of the geezers in this group would like to have those times back.

Renewal by Christ in Alaska Wilderness

Safety and Renewal in Christ from the ANGER of the 'Dragon'...........



And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children - all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Rev 12:17

But the woman was given two wings like those of a great eagle.......... so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon........... Rev 12:14

The journey for our family has not been an easy one.........but

We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children and our goods as we traveled. Ezra 8:21

Now he is teaching us to be fishermen.....................

Jesus replied............."Dont be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" Luke 5:10

Do you think maybe God saving our family from the Dragon possibly made him "mad" ? Do you think that maybe I and my family are glad he is mad? Just look at the smile on our faces and I'll let you decide.

Bewildered but not Defeated.......How to be a Bloggist

I wrote a blog and hit the post button, but afterwards I couldn't find it anywhere so maybe I'm doing this wrong. This is my first time to read much less write a 'blog'. Bewildered and definitely humbled but not defeated. I'm in the very initial stages of learning how to be a Bloggist........please bear with me.

Response to being attacked by the unrighteous

Jim,
A very dangerous thing you've done..........giving the email king another forum for writing. I am mad that I didn't understand that I was to lead the "Angry" discussion this morning. Pride and ego all damaged due to my tarnished imaged resulting from my failure. What to do........now I'm mad about being mad..........can't stop. Which is the whole point.........God's strength not my own is the only answer.



One question I wanted to present but didn't because there wasn't enough time, since everyone arrived too early or was it me arriving too late?

Here it is, how do you appropriately handle and administer 'righteous anger' when someone unfairly or incorrectly vents anger at you for something you either didn't do or did with good intentions or worse yet their anger is fueled by their own selfishness, self rightousnesses, or ego.

How do we help angry, mean, selfish people who are unfairly attacking us when we truly and sincerely were in the right and know in our hearts we did nothing wrong? What if they are angry at us for doing, heaven forbid, something good?

Crazy or Just Mad

I added a photo of myself. That's my brother Brent that has come to Lord about 4 months ago.
D

Wearing Your Heart on the Driver Side

The daily traffic parade gives us all lots of opportunities to observe human nature. With these also come decisions, potentially, to respond according to the need of the moment.

So my response Tuesday to this angry driver was ... take a picture. I photoshopped the defendant's name out so you wouldn't be mad at him, too.

What would it be like to be a man who is defined by his anger?

"Here comes mad Fred. Is he ever steamed!"

I wonder what would happen to Fred's stomach if that builder's name came up in ordinary conversation? Watch his face mapping out a grimace or a little variation in color shade. Or inside, maybe just a few more drops of acid on the ulcer.

OK, now I feel better. It was somebody else's problem, not mine. Or at least it was someone who went public with his irritation.

Hope he didn't have any Christian stickers on the bumper!