It's ALIVE!!!

I live. Honest. Yes, it's been awhile since I posted, but I warned you (see blog title). I'm on the upswing of illness, there is light at the end of the tunnel for my current project at work, and things just feel like they are slowing down. I don't know why, maybe it's because I've been sleeping more with this blasted cold. Noah is doing Awanas on Wednesdays now, which puts Carrie and me at the Wednesday night service at church, which is cool. Yes, it is another thing, but what can you do?

We're going to be doing a 40 day fast with our church for a number of things, one of which is the upcoming election. Carrie is trying to convince me to fast soda. Which also happens to be what Kevin told me to fast. Hmmmm... I'm not entirely convinced, but my wife has her ways of making me bend to her will (I can just see the sad eyes and pouty lip now). So I'll probably be fasting soda.

Sunday Sunday SUNDAY!!!

As posted below, I've been busy, but by God's grace, I have had good priority management. I am now off to bed, but I did manage to work out a "rough-draft" of an outline for our discussion on Catholicism this Sunday. By the way, for anyone looking into studying false doctrines and religions, http://www.carm.org is legit. Here's what I have so far (I just KNOW I'll have to cut back further :( )

Things to talk about:

• Sola gratia - what is grace?
• Unmerited favor

• Sola fide - what is justification?
• Justification by faith ONLY

• Peter as the first pope
• Do you smell what the Rock is cooking?

• Papal infallibility
• A man who cannot be wrong

• Apocrypha
• Adding to the Word

• Tradition vs. Sola Scriptura
• Is Scripture sufficient or does tradition add to it?

• Indulgences
• The depravity of tradition

• Sacraments vs. Solo Christo
• Is grace provided by Christ or works?

• Purgatory
• Christ's death not sufficient?

• Mary vs. Soli deo gloria
• The goddess Mary

• Mass
• The "recrucifixion" of Christ

• Compare to Morms, JW, Islam
• So close it's scary

• Gospel for the lost
• Hold to RCC = not a child of God

• Testimonies of ex-priests
• What mattered to them?

I warned you

So Carrie has very politely pointed out that I have neglected posting here as of late. I have no one to blame but myself, I suppose, but there just isn't enough hours in the day to do everything. I've actually been neglecting many things, and this was one of them. I haven't logged in to WoW in over 2 (3?) weeks. I STILL have not finished Twilight Princess, and I've had the game since it came out. My garage is only half clean still. And I'm pretty sure if I were to try any song on Rock Band, it would be a dismal failure. Oh, and my "ark" as not seen very much progress, though I've documented some pretty good ideas within the last few weeks.

So what has been taking up all my time? Well, I'd be lying if I didn't mention Final Fantasy Tactics on my PSP. Thank you very much Kevin, I have been fully addicted to it lately, to the neglect of other free-time activities. I played this game on the PS1 about 12 years ago (!!!), and I didn't even get close to finishing it. The translation was bad, the story was convoluted, and much to my chagrin, I couldn't level-grind my way to superiority. Well I'm older and wiser now, they redid the story parts, and now it's a very entertaining game. And I can take it anywhere and there's multiplayer, so Kev and I can do missions together. Hurrah.

Also, I have been doing lots of reading and studying on Biblical things! I suppose I can hold my head up high, because of all the things I've neglected, God's Word is not one of them. I am preparing to teach about the Catholic church on Sunday, and I have never been more excited to teach before. I think what gets my goat about it is that Catholicism has become the "face" of Christianity in the public eye, and I don't think we could have picked a worse "denomination" to put there. But of course the world will do anything to undermine the gospel, so should we really be surprised? Also, precept will be starting up again soon, so I'll be a studying fiend for several more weeks for that. *phew* Didn't I say I learned my lesson about not posting for a while?

Mistakes were made, lessons learned

Well, another week is done, and as usual, this weekend was gone in a flash. Another week is just about to start, and all the things I hoped to accomplish last week, but failed miserably to do, now have another chance to get done. I actually dread right now, just before bed on a Sunday night. Not because of where I have to go tomorrow, but because of where I don't get to be. I'm one of the few that actually likes my job, I like where I work, I like who I work with. But I don't get to be with my wife and my kids, and that stinks. But do everything as unto the Lord, right?

Speaking of which, right now we are doing an 8 week study on "other religions" in our church class (Sunday school?). Today was on atheism, and I taught. I thought it went pretty well, though I was getting quite a few blank stares during the lesson (that is actually more common for me than I think is normal). We did end up having a good discussion once we started talking about evolution, probably because there is more to talk about with evolution than there is about atheism. At least according to my brother. But what I kind of realized while preparing, at least in a less vague way, is that atheism is just a fancy word for rebellion. Because that's really all people are doing when they live as an atheist, they are rebelling against God. They may say they have a reason, or maybe not, but in the end that's all it is. They don't think they should be held accountable to someone who is capable of holding them accountable for everything they've ever done, and deep down think they don't deserve it. They just take God from the #1 spot and put themselves there. The Bible calls that a "fool".

The more notes I took about this, the more I wondered why this doesn't get talked about a lot. We talk about how people can have their own opinions and it's no big deal, but it is. It is the biggest deal there is! People who reject God are in serious peril, and we all coast through life like there will always be tomorrow, Christians and non-Christians. God never promises tomorrow. He could return tonight. You could die tonight. The person you care about could die tomorrow morning. Nothing is certain. The only thing that matters is what you do with the man they call Jesus. I can think of people that I haven't seen for years, and I wonder where they are in their lives right now. I think about all the people I could possibly reach if I ever finished my "ark". God willing I do before time is up. But if I don't, will God still say to me "well done, good and faithful servant"? Or will He say "you know, you were awfully lazy". I feel like the latter on Sunday nights like this.

Wow, apparently I'm in "deep thoughts" mode, cause that's like 10 pages I just wrote. Guess I should stop now. For those that didn't stop reading before now, I'm sorry. I really like hearing "your blog is funny" from those that have read previous ones, but now I'm gonna hear "your blog made my eyes cramp from reading so much, you big jerk". So here is my vow, that my next post will be light-hearted and full of jest. Unless my hamster dies and I post about it*. See? See what I did there? I said I'd let it lie, but I didn't. Anyway I guess lesson learned, if I do this more frequently, I won't be compelled to ramble in one giant post like this.

* I don't have a hamster.