Ruminative Me

As I sit in my room listening to country music, the house begins to grow steadily quieter. My family has either headed to bed or is moving in that direction. I like this quiet time of the night more than I should as it makes the early morning seem like a curse rather than a blessing. But, my mind is still awake. Thinking. Pondering. Musing. Brooding. Contemplating. Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera.

The Sabbath was restful. And yet, convicting. Thus begins my thoughtful vigil.

Today was another day in the Worldview Study. As we discussed the orthodox views of creation, blogging entered the conversation. My dad reminded the group that it is not appropriate to insult, degrade, or bash our brothers online. He offered that the internet is a great tool, but we should be careful in its use. This evening, while I listen to John Mayer (yes, I've moved on from country...), I realize that I've failed. While I should always speak the truth, I need to speak it in love. I should THINK before I speak... Are my words True? Are my words Helpful? Are my words Inspiring? Are my words Necessary? Are my words Kind? My sin gets in the way. I may speak the truth, but do my words pass the other litmus tests? Therefore I stand (er, sit?) before you, my eleven readers, and apologize for any instance of inappropriate words. It is one of my greatest desires to inspire discussion; however, I never wish it to become an argument or a fight. If it does than I have failed, and this blog is useless. Therefore, if my words have ever caused discord, I apologize and repent.

On the main page of my blog, James 1:19 is written for my reminder, "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger."By God's grace, His hand will cover my mouth.

On the same theme, it is my confession that great communication is not my strength. I strive for it, but I don't always make it there. And I like to tease. Combine the two, and you've got quite the interesting bag. To my other friends who like to tease, we'll endeavor to laugh together and not be insulted. :O)

And with that, my mind begins to fade... Goodnight.

Biology and Christianity

We have begun our foray into the Biology section of the Understanding the Times study. The textbook is encouraging and helpful. With that in mind, I wanted to share a quotation from the Christianity portion:

 "The belief that God created all things, including men and women, in His own image requires faith. But evolutionary theory requires more faith because evolution runs contrary to science (e.g., spontaneous generation) and history (e.g., the fossil record). Still, many evolutionists hold desperately to their theory, simply because it is the only explanation of origins that begins with nature, not God. Scientists who believe that everything can be explained in natural terms cannot tolerate the concept of a supernatural Being. In fact, one scientist said, 'Science must be provisionally atheistic or cease to be itself.' For Christian biologists, however the world is comprehensible only in the light of God's existence. As a piece of art suggests an artist, the orderly universe and every living thing suggest a Designer."

Quote of the Day

"A religion which is in constant process of revision to square with science's ever-changing picture of the world might well be easier to believe, but it is hard to believe it would be worth believing." C.E.M. Joad as quoted in Understanding the Times p.18

A Week in Worldview Training

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32


Several CHEWV conferences ago, my dad bought Summit ministries worldview curriculum: Understanding the Times. This, combined with a general love for conferences, created our family conference.

"What", you ask, "is a family conference?" Don't worry. You're not the first to ask me that question. My father (and the rest of us) took a week off from the office... and pursued a course of study. Mornings started with devotions and breakfast. Study to begin at 8:30am. We read chapters in the textbook, essays in the student manual, watched lectures, and generally discussed worldview issues all week long. Theology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Law, Ethics, Biology, Politics, History, and Economics were the subjects whirling and colliding in our minds.


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ... 2 Corinthians 10:5




With 4 hours a day devoted to study, we made it through three units: Introduction, Theology, and Philosophy. I LOVED it. It strengthened my faith and aided me in analyzing the "Big 6" worldviews (which, of course, included my own): Christianity, Islam, Secular Humanism, Marxism-Leninism, Cosmic Humanism, and Postmodernism.




And there MUST be a silly photo! :)


See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8





I did not agree with everything Summit Ministries proposed, but I would definitely recommend their curriculum to anyone desiring a holistic worldview program.

Oh and PS... Y'all will probably being reading more quotes and ideas from Understanding the Times on my blog in the future...