Laying Down Our 'Free Will'

I, for my part, do yield, that God hath given to mankinde a Free-will, but here is the question; Whether the same Freedom bee in our power and strength, or no?. . . for it is onely God that worketh in us, and wee must suffer and subject our selvs to his pleasure. Even as a Potter out of his claie maketh a pot or vessel either for use of honor, or otherwise of dishonor. Just so is it with our Free-will, onely to suffer, and not to work, passive, non active, which standeth not in our strength; for wee are not able to do any thing that is good in divine causes.

~Martin Luther, Table Talks, (translated 1652).

"You say: Who will endeavor to reform his life? I answer: Nobody! No man can! God has no time for your self-reformers, for they are all hypocrites. The elect who fear God will be reformed by the Holy Spirit. The rest will perish unreformed."

"Thus the human will is like a beast of burden. If God rides it, it wills and goes whence God wills; as the Psalm says, "I was as a beast of burden before thee" [Psalm 72:22]. If Satan rides, it wills and goes where Satan wills. Nor may it choose to which rider it will run, nor which it will seek. But the riders themselves contend who shall have and hold it."

"However, with regard to God, and in all things pertaining to salvation or damnation, man has no free will, but is a captive, servant, and bond slave, either to the will of God, or to the will of Satan."

"Christians, however, are not led by a free will, but are driven by the Spirit of God, as Romans 8:14 tells us. To be driven is not to act or do oneself. But we are so seized as a saw or an axe is handled by a carpenter ---."

"So I say that man, before he is regenerated into the new creation of the Spirit's kingdom does and endeavors nothing to prepare himself, and when he is regenerated he does and endeavors nothing toward his perseverance in that kingdom. The Spirit alone, without ourselves, works both blessings in us, regenerating us and preserving us when regenerated ---"

"But now that God has put my salvation out of the control of my own will and put it under the control of His, and has promised to save me, NOT ACCORDING TO MY OWN EFFORT OR RUNNING but --- according to HIS own grace and mercy, I rest fully assured that HE is faithful ---"

"I am certain that I please God, not by the merit of my works, but by the reason of His merciful favor promised to me. So that, if I work to little or badly, He does not impute it to me, but, like a father, pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying which all the saints have in their GOD."

"--- As for myself, I frankly confess, that I should not want free will to be given to me, even if it could be, nor anything else be left in my own hands to enable me to strive after my salvation."

"Therefore we must go to extremes, deny free will all together and ascribe everything to God."

~Martin Luther, Discourse on Free Will

how many of us still believe these things? how many of us have fallen back into what God, through His servant martin luther, brought us out of during the reformation?

how many of us believe we saved ourselves? well, if we say WE chose Jesus to be Lord of our lives, we deny what the bible says about us in our unregenerate state - slaves to sin and satan, unable to see the truth.... ergo, to say WE chose Him, we are basically saying 'i brought myself out of my sin'. can a slave free himself? no - only his Master can free Him... and that Master has to own him to do so... and that Jesus did on the cross - He bought us back from our then-masters, sin and satan.

the Glory be to God alone!

Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [NKJV]

Baby Cry? Spoil the Rod?

"What happens when a child is left to cry unattended for 20 minutes is the child’s vitals are comparable to someone suffering a stroke. When a baby stops crying and "learns" to sleep they have actually entered a state known as "infant depression" and they have given up attempting to have their needs met. They have learned very early that their cries are ineffectual and have given up." ~ Crystal Lutton.[read more]

In fact, the well-known saying "spare the rod, spoil the child" is not the wording found in any of the "rod verses" in the Bible. Instead it is a line from the Samuel Butler satirical poem "Hudibras" that ridicules the Victorian lifestyle. The very line today used to condone and even endorse the modern practice of spanking was originally penned to criticize and ridicule that same practice. ~Crystal Lutton.[read more]

wow. this seems to be an amazing website!

Where I'm From

in this blog i found out about this poem and a link to a this template to follow to do your own... so i did!

Where I'm From

I am from old red bicycles,
CCM, Free Spirit,
and loudly ringing handlebar bells.
I am from the circular black driveway,
endlessly smooth,
pavement whizzing, under my feet.
I am from the raspberry bushes,
the comfrey patch,
and the tree swing, where i spun myself sick.

I am from home-fed dinners of M*A*S*H,
Latka Gravas, and cussing;
from sweet Uranie, aunt Angeline,
and les grande famille de Dan Coins.
I am from the "Let's-don't-ever-talk-about-that",
and the firm, "Everything's-fine";
from the out-loud "Hush, be quiet!",
and the silent, "She's such a bother".

I am from wounding hypocrisy,
spoken in the name of Christ -
from closeted confessions with peculiar men
who call the young truth-teller a liar.

***

I am from Canada, Heinz 57,
and sturdy Franco-Lithuanian stock,
from potato lefse, smelly pig's feet,
and crunchy sweet garden-fresh peas.

I am from the music my great-grandfather sold,
the convent, dreams forever shattered,
from Germanic Mennonites Pennsylvania-bound,
church planters, 1674 (or about).

I am from homecomings in 12 foot snow drifts,
cold sprinklers captured frozen in the sun,
Lourde's old dusty rosaries,
and other musty family history,
unknown.

(c)2006 CloverLyn.

i think i could do this again! i encourage anyone who likes to write (or not!) to try this out.... it brings back definate reminiscances (iffn' that's even a word!), and you can play with the musicality of the words, as there is no set rhythm. fun!

Indescriminate Charity...?

One of the serious obstacles to the improvement of our race is indiscriminate charity.
~ Andrew Carnegie

i know nothing about andrew carnegie.... and frankly, this quote, while making me curious, also puts me off wanting to find out who he is.

charity.... love.... charity is the expression of love... how can we discriminate with showing love? we are not to discriminate between peoples. is it ok to give to the girl guides, becuase they 'work with children', they are an established institution... but not ok to give some change to a bum on the street, and risk being taken advantage of?

how much philanthropy is selfish? oh, i will give so much to such and such an institution, in exchange for a name plate above the door, so for all time i will be enshrined as a charitable person....

charity.... merciful love towards those who least deserve it.

to me, it's not charity if it doesn't cost me something...if it's not a risk.... if i give expecting some kind of benefit to myself, it's not a cost, it's payment... that's not charity. if i give only to some but not to others, that's discrimination, and not charity.

how difficult charity is.

Christian Women....and Blogging

SpunkyHomeSchool: Blogging about blogging - this is a really great post, it made me think. as i blog more and more, have i been speaking only wholesome and encouraging, giving grace? ....or do i rattle and prattle away?

my best friend always quotes to me proverbs 10:19 - "in a multitude of words there is sin."

my goal is the same as spunky's.... but i think i still have a lot to learn.

Millstones, and the Crushing of the Spirit....

i talked awhile back in this post about spanking vs. not spanking... more specifically, when to spank and when to not spank, and the difficulty in determining appropriateness.... not from the perspective of a spanker (not a parent, never spanked anyone in my life)... but from the perspective as an adult child who was not spanked, and my reflections back on it.... and i believe God is preparing me for the possibility of motherhood... cuz i think it will happen one day!

anyways, it's definately a controversial topic.

my attention has been brought to an article -here- about 'millstones'.... it tells a bit of the story about a woman who, after having said that if she were ever to spank, she would not be able to stop, was became convinced that she *had* to spank.... and sure enough, she couldn't stop, and killed her little boy.

*whoa*....

the article then goes on to speak of assessing our personal self-control, reasoning etc, before we decide to spank/not spank. each of us has to determine in our own heart, before God, what our abilities are, what our weaknesses are, and act accordingly. that applies to everything, of course, not just spanking... but how often do we lose control of our anger and act out accordingly?

if i ever have kids, i don't want to risk that...

so what do i say? i don't know.... each of us will answer to God about what we do or don't do, so we'd best consider what is wise.... like i said before, i'm not completely anti-spanking... i just think it's use needs to be extremely judicious, careful, never to hurt, considering the childs heart response....

how does God correct us? does He set out to destroy our will? crush our spirit? manipulate us to do things his way? NO - He woos us to Him, loves us, and shows us His heart for things.... and we come to a place of repentance.

*whoa*... i can't write anymore on this right now... i am just feeling so overwhelmed at how God's ways are so far above our own.... His goodness and love.... and our sinful and wicked hearts.... God have mercy on us....

a Warrior in God's Army!

who are you in God's army? draw yerself here!


*second pic removed, cuz i didn't like it. ha!*

Meeting a Mass Murderer...

whoa. i would normally NEVER answer these kinds of questions, but given that i DID list a 'celebrity' who i'd like to have lunch with on my list of 50 things about me.... and today someone asked me who the heck he was... i will answer these. lesson learned? never say never! lol....

If you could spend 24 hours with a celebrity:

1. Who would s/he be?
2. Where would you expect him/her to bring you?
3. Where would you bring him/her to?
4. What would you like to do with him/her?
5. What’s the one thing you’d been always wanting to ask the celebrity?
6. If s/he didn’t treat you well, would s/he be your favorite celebrity?
7. What would you give to him/her as a gift before saying goodbye so s/he’d remember you?

[from Great Pretenders]

1. David Berkowitz. if you don't know who that is, he was the 'son of sam' mass murderer in new york back in the 70's.... and he found forgiveness. unfortunately, his homepage is offline for some reason - it had an awesome video of how he found Jesus. hopefully it will be back.

2. i wouldn't expect him to bring me anywhere - becuase he is in jail serving a 300-some year term.... i would have to be some kind of highly respected journalist or something to even get an interview... if that would happen, then it would be in jail, of course.

3. i wouldn't be able to take him anywhere, but i'll pretend: i would take him to church. i think he would be blessed by that!

4. i would love to sit down and talk about God, love, and forgiveness.

5. what would i ask him? ....i don't know.... everything, nothing..... how he is doing, how is his walk.

6. he's (in)famous, but not realllly a celebrity... but i have to say... meeting him would be pretty much to find out what kind of guy he has become... full of grace and forgiveness, like i have heard? or has his heart hardend again, after all these years in jail? and whatever he was like, it's not about 'favorite celebrity', it's about praying for him, y'know? finding encouragement that if he can find Jesus' forgiveness.... why would i, or you, doubt God's forgiveness?

7. a new bible. and hopefully, i'd leave him encouraged... and i'd leave with a mailing adress where i could write to him, i would hope.

*******

i do hope his web page comes back online.... i don't know why it's not anymore, it was a very encouraging site..... unless there's something i don't know, which of course, could be true! :P

50 Things About (little ol' me....)

1. What curse word do you use the most? crap. and i hate that one, too! lol
2. Do you own an iPod? no, i would like an mp3 player. i don't really want an iPod cuz they are too trendy :P
3. Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most? i only just made a myspace... and i can't say that i'm impressed or anything....
4. What time is your alarm clock set for? um... 8:30ish? i think?.....
5. What colour is your room? the walls? off white... the interiors? cardboard box brown and storage container lime green! :)

6. Flip-flops or sneakers? sandals (no toe thingy)... cuz i don't understand how a person can wear sweaty smelly sneakers for 'comfort'? ick....
7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? take the picture.... but practically, be in the picture, becuase i don't have too many pics of me except from my web cam!!!!
8. What's the last movie you watched? the Mission, robert deniro as a mercenary turned priest.... very good movie.
9. Do any of your friends have children? of course!???
10. Has anyone ever called you lazy? yes, and she was a real 'ahem'... stinker when she said it, too!

11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? indirectly - i have meds at night that konk me out... and if i don't take them i get hardly any sleep. i've always been a stay-awake-for-hours-can't-sleep kind of girl! :P
12. What CD is currently in your CD player? um, jason upton, jason upton, and last sunday's sermon! (3 disc)
13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Regular milk... but not just any regular, it's gotta be homogenized... or at LEAST 2%... none of that blue bodily fluid for me :P
4. Has anyone told you a secret this week? um.... i don't think so...?
15. Have you ever given someone a hickey? yeah.... but this is a disgusting question!!!!!! :P

16. Who was the last person to call you? mickie
17. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? I hope not <--good answer christy, i'm stealing it!
18. Did you watch cartoons as a child? yes... smurfs, etc. yup, in the 70's and 80's!
19. How many siblings do you have? 3 half sisters and a possible but as yet unconfirmed half brother....
20. Are you shy around the opposite sex? yup

21. What movie do you know every line to? the closest would be 'strictly ballroom'
22. Do you own any band t-shirts? um.... nope, not any more! used to have a ton of The Cure t'shirts, tho, back in high school!
23. What is your favourite salad dressing? honey mustard
24. Do you read for fun? not as much as i used to!
25. Do you cry a lot? not usually... but in the last week, yup!

26. Who was the last person to text message you? on msn messenger, mickie
27. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? desktop
28.Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? yup, both
29. What is the weather like? rain with sun.... rainbow weather! :D
30. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? well, i won't date, i'm only interested in courtship... but if they had tats, and were serious about marriage? of course. but the would have to be an absolutely passionate-for-Jesus kind of person, y'know? ... and any ugly evil looking tats, well, they can get covered ;)

31. Is sex before marriage wrong? yes yes yes and yes... just say no... but if you already said yes, there is forgiveness!!!!! (and then say no!)
32. When was the last time you slept on the floor? my mattress is on the floor... does that count? otherwise, i can't remember...
33. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? 7 minimum, IF i have been having at least that regularly. tonight i will need 8-10... will i get it? i hope so, but some how i doubt it....
34. Are you in love or lust? i'm in love with my Jesus!
35. Are your days full and fast-paced? slow.... but almost overly full, at least for me! :P

36. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? nope. but i do read the ingredients... and 95% of the time, reading the list of chemicals is enough to turn me off from eating it....
37. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 33... but that's a whole 7 months away! lol
38. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? if you can't tell by now, you can't read worth beans! ;)
39. Have you ever been to Six Flags? nope... where is that, anyways? i get a mental picture of rollercoasters, but that's about it....
40. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex? easier with same

41. Do you like cottage cheese? yup, 2% tho, none of that low-fat stuff :P
42. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? left side, left side, left-right-left side....
43. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? yup, and 'won' them, too!
44. Do you enjoy giving hugs? yup, if the person is not reeking of cologne or perfume or hairspray or febreeze or fabric softener sheets, etc....
45. What is your favourite TV show? i don't have one right now. i havent watched tv in a few weeks, and this years 'this is wonderland' is just not the same....

47. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? ....David Berkowitz but it would never happen :P
48. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? last night at cell, when i played my guitar...
49. What one thing do you wish you had? a digital camera -with lots of memory sticks! - for my long trip coming up
50. Favourite lyrics? ones that God has spoken to my heart....

i Felt This Earthquake!!!

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program » Magnitude 5.9 - PAPUA, INDONESIA - unbelieveable, but i felt this earthquake on monday night.

i reported that i had felt it to the canadian earthquake peoples, that's it. never any information came out as to what the trembling was, i found it on the closest seismic chart in alaska.... but it wasn't listed as an earthquake. weird, i must have imagined it, and the blip on the seismic graph must be a coincidence, i thought...

well, today a friend said she had felt it too!!!!! so i dug around, and i found what i was looking for on this list - the earthquake we felt was on may 30th in irian jaya, indonesia (aka papua, indonesia) at 3:28 UTC, travelled around the world, and at 4:15 UTC (about 45 minutes later), we felt it in british columbia, canada (9:15 PST, may 29th).

WOW.

i am tooooooooo drained right now to write anymore about why this is SO AMAZING... but i'll give you a hint: God is shaking my life. i have never been so shaken as i have been in the last week... particulary yesterday and today.

i stand AMAZED.....