The Glory of the Incarnation

He, through whom time was made, was made in time;



and He, older by eternity than the world itself, was younger in age than many of His servants in the world;



He, who made man, was made man;


He was given existence by a mother whom He brought into existence;


He was carried in hands which He formed;


He cried like a babe in the manger in speechless infancy—this Word without which human eloquence is speechless!

St. Augustine

Merry Christmas!

10 More Things To Be Thankful For.....

1. That I'm off this whole week! (It's good to be in a private school! {I'm not dissing public school, for the record})

2. That we have so much to be thankful for.

3. That, despite the bad turn the economy has taken, we in America (and other developed countries) have abundance of food, shelter, and peace.

4. For snow (I have to say this, because we've been getting snow flurries this past week....not enough to make a layer that lasts more than a day, but snow nonetheless).

5. For the opportunity to write on this blog and share my thoughts and feelings with y'all.

6. To be able to have hopes and dreams that can be potentially fulfilled in a country like America.

7. For friendship in a world where many walk alone.

8. For warmth of heart and body in a world of sorrow and coldness.

9. (Almost done.) For TURKEY!!!!!!!!! (Sorry folks, had to throw that in...it is turkey many of us are eating ; ] )

10. And finally that, despite the hurt and sin that is in this world, we'll always have Jesus. And that is enough for anything life can throw at us.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Soli Deo Gloria!

8 Things To Be Thankful For

1. That we live in a wonderful country, where we are allowed to worship God freely.

2. That we live in a place where we can speak up for what's right, put down what's wrong, and vote people into office who will represent us (hopefully, in a fair way).

3. That we live in the USA! Come on, y'all! Say it WITH ME! U-S-A! U-S-A!

4. That we are free to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

5. That we have the freedom to publish what we want to say (like what I'm writing like now). Within reason, of course.

6. For the freedom to learn more through higher education about the world we live in, and about our God.

7. That we can work hard and earn wages of our own accord, as well give money to those less fortunate of our own accord.

8. That we are able to spread the Gospel with no hindrance, so that Christ's glory will be revealed.

Amen

Soli Deo Gloria

Guess Who Came To Dinner....Er....Breakfast? Part 2

This morning, my dad looked out the window again.

Dicey was out there, strolling about and waiting for breakfast, which wasn't there, thanks to Mr. Possum.


Somebody, however, was in her shelter.......


It wasn't the possum.


It was another cat.



That's right, Dad opened the door, and out of the cat shelter, looking straight at him, was a brown cat with black stripes and a white muzzle.


It was Marley.


Marley is the other cat that belongs to Dicey's owners. He's her "brother" in a sense. And now, he came out of the cat house and strolled about, as if to say, "I heard you guys served food here. Where's my continental breakfast?"

Apparently, Dicey, being the southern hostess, must have told him about the nice humans who fed her, and invited her brother to come spend the night at the kitty condo. They must have been snuggling together to keep warm.

Aww.

Marley had always been a skittish kitty around us....he's more shy and reserved than his sister. But amazingly, he was hanging around, all calm and relaxed.

Looks like we're gonna be running a kitty hotel, with two cats indoors and two cats outdoors.



Oh, boy.




Soli Deo Gloria

Guess Who Came To Dinner (er...Breakfast)?

My mom told me this morning that while my brother and I was still asleep, our dad had noticed something strange going on, on the front porch step.


He had gone to look out the door window to see if there was any frost on the car.



Instead he found this dude eating out of Dicey's food bowl.

Yeeeeeeek! A giant rat! Big, smelly, hairless-tailed giant rat!


(Hehe.....just kidding)


Actually, that wasn't the picture of the opossum my folks saw. They were probably too busy wondering how to get rid of that........thing.



It was chomping away, happy as you please, at Dicey's food. And heaven knows what the poor cat must have been thinking as she watched this....thing eating her morning breakfast. It must have gone something like this:

Dicey: Oh my goodness! It's a giant cat with a naked tail! What's it doing eating my food? A giant, ugly, rat-tailed cat is eating my food!!!!! Help me, Rhonda!!!!!!!


Poor kitty.



I making a big fuss over this because we have never, ever, ever seen an opossum in our neighborhood, let alone on our front step, let alone eating cat food. This is a suburban girl you're talking to, whose closest contact with wild animals has been watching deer eat her grandma's ivy. (And squirrels with giant nuts in their mouths, but I digress.....)


So my folks are watching this possum eating the cat's food (the cat is watching safe in her little cat palace), and they're wondering what to do with it. They decide the best thing to do is to do what any good person would do......scare it silly!

So Mom rattles on the door handle, and quick as you please, they heard Mr. Possum scurry off into the dark.

Then they throw away the food and water bowls in case Mr. Possum had a lovely case of rabies. (My dad's coworker didn't think the possum had rabies though, if he ran away).

Dicey, of course, is not happy. When my dad opened the door again, she was leaning against the storm door with her paws splayed out in supplication for food.

Now we'll have to bring the new bowls in every night so Mr. Possum and any of his friends won't come back for more. They have just got to learn that there is no such thing as a free lunch.....er......breakfast.

So, that's the biggest story I've got for today........in a little town where nothing much goes on.

I need to get out more.

Soli Deo Gloria

Thanksgiving

For the first twenty-seven (okay, twenty-five) days of November, I am going to list something that I am thankful for, a thanksgiving on each day. Then, on the actual day of Thanksgiving, I will list all 27 things that I have thanked God for in the past 25 days. Very simple, if you're not a person who takes a lot of things for granted. And yet, very fullfilling.

Better than talking about turkey, right?

So, for the first two days that I have missed, I am first of all thankful for:

1. Jesus Christ dying on the cross for my sins, although I will never be worthy of such a gracious act of love.

2. That through God's grace, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a church and receive Christ into my life at a young age.

Soli Deo Gloria

Okie Dokie....It's Time For A New Banner!

Has anyone seen the wide (or not so wide) variety of blog banners these days??

I'm just trying to find an autumn blog banner, that's all.

And most of what I've seen is clutter.....even for a packrat like me!

Don't listen to me. I'm one of those picky people who have to have their blog banners just right....or else......you don't wanna know what else, do you? Hehe.

Anyway, fear not, my fellow bloggy bloggers. The summer banner WILL be packed away for the autumn.

And yes, Lord willing, I will be blogging often (if I can get my pesky college and high school homework out of the way first).

Soli Deo Gloria

Tim Challies And His Son Are Going To The Dominican Republic.....

Tim Challies and company are going to the Dominican Republic on a missions trip with Compassion International.

And he's blogging all the way.

So is his son.

Need I say more?

Soli Deo Gloria!

Lauren

Happy Reformation Day!

Today is Reformation Day!

That's right. Today is the 491st anniversary when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the doors of the Schlossenberg Church in Wittenburg. As Tim Challies so eloquently put it, "That small act triggered a series of events that forever changed the world. It stands as one of the most important events in all of history—though an event that has been largely forgotten. Today we remember that day and express our gratitude to God for raising up men such as Martin Luther."

I highly encourage anyone, Protestant/Lutheran or not, to check out about the Protestant Reformation. It is a defining moment in history, theologically and culturally speaking, and offers a unique and indelible view of Christianity and the Gospel. Among these are:



The Solas:

Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone, meaning that all Scripture is God-breathed and is the written authority of the church.


Sola Fide: Faith Alone, meaning that people become saved by believing, and only believing, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins and arose on the third day.



Sola Gracia: By Grace Alone. Nothing we do earns us salvation. By Christ's grace, we are saved.



Sola Christus - Christ is the exclusive mediator between God and man. By Christ's death, and by Christ's death only, do we have access to God.





Soli Deo Gloria - To God alone be glory.



Here's what bloggers across the blogosphere are saying about Reformation Day:

Dave Bish reflects on the book of Genesis.
Church Ethos wishes Happy Halloween to Martin Luther.
Per Caliginem writes about sola scriptura and the Reformed confessions.
Renewing Minds covers Luther’s theology of the cross.
Monergism Books announces the release of a new five solas sweatshirt.
Nick Bogardus says, “If one wanted an image of what obedience in Christianity looked like, we might simply say, ‘A hammer and nails.’”
Ray Van Neste writes about two chapel messages delivered this week at Union University.
Word Pictures discusses “Reformation and Election … but not the kind you’re thinking.”
Stephen Lay uses that great Reformation phrase “After darkness light.”
Barry Wallace writes about reformation with a little r.
The Spyglass offers “Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei “

Th’eternal Promise offers a three-part article on Christianity vs Calvinism.
Ron Man in his worship notes (PDF) says that Reformation Sunday is not just for Lutherans.
Gairney Bridge writes about the audacity of the pope.
Justin Pearson says that the Reformation continues, even in 2008.
James Grant looks at “The Beginnings of the Reformed Tradition: Calvin, Bucer, Vermigli, & Bullinger.”
Dispatches from the Valley of the Shadow of Death shares his Reformation Day address.
Ray Rhodes writes about Luther and prayer.
Stay, Stay at Home My Heart shares her idea for a Reformation Day party.

Martin Downes offers a Reformation Day challenge.
Then Face to Face images a world without Luther.
Jared Wilson offers five solas for evangelicalism today.
Strengthened by Grace celebrates with a look at solus christus.
Boaly asks for ideas for celebrating Reformation Day.
Listening to the Wind reflects on what God has done for us.
Relentless Grace writes about a love for reformational theology.
The Merrie Theologian takes a light-hearted look at a few of Luther’s lesser-known resolutions.

Daniel Hames writes about “the dangerous thing about faith.”
Stephen Macasil gives “Analysis of John Knox’s Argument That the RC Mass is Idolatry Before the Bishop of Durham (1550).”
Rebecca Stark says that the Reformation was all about the gospel.
A Second Reformation writes, “Here in Québec city we are celebrating the 20th bay of the Église réformée du Québec (The Reformed Church of Québec)this year and tomorrow my little local church is hosting a big party for the entire province.”
SynerJACK writes about Roger Williams, the American Reformer and looks at one of the many social extensions of the Reformation.
Gospel Centered Musings compares Rob Bell to the Wild Boar.
D.J. Williams warns against the temptation to take our Bibles for granted.
Darryl Dash follows Luther in saying “the whole life of believers should be repentance.”
Doug Smith looks at the implications of sola scriptura in planning worship services.
Detours and Devotions thanks God for continued reformation.
Nephos takes a brief look at the story of James Guthrie, a Reformation martyr.
Boston Bible Geeks looks at the Reformation’s impact on the Bible.
Ligonier Ministries looks to some of the Reformation heroes.
Crossway Life has written a whole series on the Reformation solas.
168 Hours offers a profile of the Huguenot Marie Durand.
Writings of a Woman offers a few of her thoughts on Reformation Day.

Here is also a link to the 95 Theses

Happy Reformation Day, everyone!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Sola Scriptura!
Sola Fide!
Sola Gracia!
Sola Christus!

Oh, Boy....We've Done It Now!

Hi, everyone,

Remember that sweet little kitty I told you about in August? Well, my family and I have done it now.

We fed her.

That's right. We fed her.

Now she'll never leave.

I don't really mind. I like it when she hangs out in the morning, meowing at us to feed her and give her water. It was two weeks ago, when we realized that it was getting colder, and our furry friend might be getting chilly. We've never seen her go into her owners' house, so we were worried that she might be out all night.
So........
My dad and brother built her a cat palace. It's a box with all the sides taped together. We put blankets on the bottom and put the box on top. Then we put a thermal blanket on top of the box for extra warmth. Now we've put a trash bag on top to secure the box from the rain. Now that cat has a nice warm place to stay.
But the night my dad and brother were building the kitty bed, my mom suddenly got out our own cat's food bag and dipped up some cat food into a plastic container. She started heading for the door.
Uh oh.

"Mom!" I said, "Are you sure we should?"

"Yes," she said, "I'm not going to let that cat go hungry."

So she put the food bowl out there, which Dicey, the cat, eagerly started sticking her little nose in and chomping up the food.

She ate for five minutes.

Cats don't do that when they're not starving.

So now, Dicey has become an unofficial member of the Brown household. She cries for her food and water, like all our other cats (who are indoors) do. She bids us good morning and sees us off to school, and she waits for us until we get home. Just like a dog. She's become our friend for life, ever since that first bowl of food, and even before that.

Who woulda thunk?

God bless,
Lauren

Don't Waste Your Tastebuds

For twelve years, my family and I thought that I was allergic to seafood. This was pretty ironic, since I'm a Marylander, and Maryland is well known for its' crab cakes. Yesterday, however, I was surprised to learn that that was a big fat lie. I never was! It's kind of weird living your whole life thinking of a certain food as hands-off and then suddenly being allowed to eat it. Well, you can bet your bottom dollar that Mom and I went out to Burger King that night for a fried fish sandwich! It was good too.

But I digress....

The thing is, many of us take things for granted. In this case, it's food. Most of us sit down at the table in the morning, ready to chomp on some wheaties, not realizing how God has blessed us in giving us the tastebuds we have to taste the yummy treats we like to snack on. Most of you have probably eaten fish, and think it's no big deal. I bet though, you never thought about how a person who was allergic their whole life (or thought they were allergic their whole life) to fish would be happy to be able to taste fish without worrying about bursting into hives or having their throats close up.

That, my friends, is where we need to be thankful to Christ for all that He has given us.

Including our tastebuds.

Because there are many who don't have that wonderful blessing.

As for me, I'm going to take advantage of my living in Maryland and see what a crab cake tastes like.

And I'll thank God before I do.

Soli Deo Gloria

Friday Funnies

Crazy cat pictures

My Feline Friend

Hi everyone,

Earlier this summer, our new neighbors in the back moved in.  They have two cats, a male and a female.  The female is named Dicey and the male is named Marley (think Jacob Marley).  Marley looks remarkably like my cat, Heather (she's a tabby....I think....) and Dicey is sort of a tuxedo cat (she is black and white).  She sort of looks like this one:

The little darling comes back and forth through an opening in our neighbor's fence and wanders through our yard (and other yards).  I've made friends with her, and she'll let me pet her while she rubs against my back, purring happily.  

Last night, I had finished the ritual and started to go up our hill to go back inside.  I happened to look behind me, and lo and behold, a certain somebody was following me up the hill!  I kept walking and she followed.

She went under two of our vehicles and then came out to where the sidewalk met the driveway.  She looked at me, and as I walked up the sidewalk, what did she do?  Came walking right after me like  duckling.

Uh oh.

I stepped up onto the front step and she stopped.  I carefully opened the storm and front door and closed it behind me, slightly afraid that she was going to come in.  She had hopped onto the front step and waited there, like she was going to be let in.  My mom, brother and I looked through the screen door at her.  It was like she thought I was her owner or something.

At last, my brother and I decided that we needed to get her back home.  She had owners after all. So I stepped outside and just as I expected, she immediately followed me back down the hill, although she was slightly wary of the tall broad-shouldered boy that was following us.  

We led her back down the hill and to the opening in the fence.  One problem.

She didn't want to go.

And the owners were in their backyard, sitting at a table and chatting with each other.

Uh oh.

After repeatedly whispering for her to go home, we finally managed to coax her into slipping her little furry body under the slot and into her own backyard.  Mission accomplished.

You can tell how much excitement we get around here.

Kidding.  Everybody has more than one exciting moment in their life!  What?

Soli Deo Gloria

Works For Me Wednesday

For this Wednesday, I decided to do a WFMW, because I had something that,well, worked for me! *Grins*

Seriously though, it does work for you.....it's a recipe from Alton Brown for peanut butter fudge that you make in the microwave!

That's right, folks. No boiling ingredients in pots and pans or candy thermometers. All you need is:

1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound powdered sugar

1 microwave

Directions:

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

And look what you get in the end!

(In a note of trivia, this is actually a photo of the Alton Brown fudge that somebody else made and "flickred.")

Have fun and bon apetit!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Pics From The Rebelution

Soli Deo Gloria!

A Google Poem

Googled (2.0) by Douglas Groothius

No books or bookstores,

just Google.

No libraries or librarians,

just Google.

No articles to clip and file,

just Google.

No academic search engines,

just Google.

No conversations,

just Google.

It ranks, rates,

never hesitates:

Google.

It tells what is real,

tells us how to feel:

Google.

I googled Google,

and got Google.

I googled myself

and found myself

Googled.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Friday Funnies

"Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?"

Soli Deo Gloria!

Something's Up With My Nose.....

Hi everyone,

I looked through my grandfather's books a week ago, and as I did, I would pick up a book or two and smell it.  I like the smell of old books, provided there's not too much dust to make you cough.

 

I opened one, and as I sniffed it, I thought to myself, "This smells like a book that was made in the 1970s."  So I turned to the second or third page of the book, where all the copyright information was printed.  Lo and behold, that book was printed in the 1970s!  How weird is that???

I tried another book, but my nose just wasn't as good.  I got the years off by a decade or so.

My mother always did say though, that I had the nose of the basset hound.  ; )

Soli Deo Gloria!

Fried Oreos....

Yes, that's right, folks. 

Fried Oreos.

On the front of the newspaper today, an article talked about how one of the popular carnival foods at a nearby fire company carnival is a delicacy known as fried Oreos.  It's exactly as the name implies: Oreos that get deep-fried in batter and then sprinkled with powdered sugar.  It's like chocolate funnel cake.

My mom is grossed out.  My brother is grossed out.  I don't know what to say....they look kinda gross.  The name definitely sounds gross.  It sounds like fried chicken gone overboard.  I think for now, I'm gonna stick to funnel cake and fried chicken.

What do you think?  Yum, or yuck?

Soli Deo Gloria!

John Wayne Would Be Proud....

Don't you think?

Soli Deo Gloria

After Two Weeks Of Driver's Ed........

It's here.
That's right.
It's here.
After two weeks of learning which colored line means what and which gears does which and all those whosie what's-its, it's here.........

MY LEARNER'S PERMIT! HALLELUJAH!

(I'd show you it, but there's the issue of identity theft lurking around these days. But rest assured that it's laying contently within my pocket book, and my dad's going to take me out for a spin this weekend....Oh, happy day!)

Soli Deo Gloria

What I've Been Doing

Hi everyone,

It's me, the girl who blogs here. I haven't blogged in a while (at least, in internet terms), but never fear! I am still here!

I want to tell you all about what I've been doing with my room. Once in a while, it's good to do some redecorating. It's minor decorating, but still cool.

My room has a sort of Victorian, old-fashioned look to it. Originally, on the wall which my bed stood against had a poster of a little-known pop group from the 1960s. A week ago, I decided that I was getting tired of it and decided to replace it with a new poster. Originally, I wanted to place on the wall a Beatles poster (I love the Beatles), but my sensible mother persuaded me to try another, more elegant poster. I (wisely) agreed and now have this beautiful poster hanging on my wall above my bed:



And now, the lovely Miss Hepburn greets me with her beauty every time I enter the room.

But..............

I took a good look at that space of wall, and decided that poor Audrey looked lonely, soooooo I decided to get her some friends. They will be arriving to meet her this Friday, and though they are smaller than her, I am sure that they will have lovely time together, hanging up on the wall, side by side of Miss Hepburn:

Grace Kelly

And Lucille Ball

There you have it. Grace will be on the right, and Lucy will be on the left.


I also have an empty space now on the wall facing the east, where there is a window. On the side to the right of the window, I am planning to put a poster of the Arc of Triumph:



Now every morning, I will wake up and see a part of France! Ooo la la!

I will keep you all further updated, should I choose to do anything else to my room. Honestly, however, I don't think the girls will be going anywhere anytime soon.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Happy Birthday, Carrie!

Hi everyone,

This is a happy birthday to my friend Carrie. May you have the happiest of birthdays and a good year to come. May you grow in godliness and become a lovely maiden of God!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Hooray! It's Summertime!

Hi everyone,

Huzzah! This past week, I finished school and attended two graduations, that of my brother and two friends. My friends' graduation was the first high school graduation of my school, so it's pretty neat.

In other news, I just started my garden! Here are the following items that I have planted or have yet to plant:

Green Beans (bush)

Giant pumpkins. Now before you jump to any conclusions, I am NOT the kind of person that grows huge giant vegetables! (Although there was the time one of my zucchini grew to be very large.) I saw a packet for pumpkin seeds at the garden store. I picked it up without looking at it. I gave it to my mom who bought the little seed packet. 120 days later, we're gonna have a big momma of a pumpkin if we don't cut it before it grows too big (and believe me, we will).

Zucchini.

Squash.

Tomatoes.

Lettuce

Broccoli

Bell peppers.

Candytuft

Phlox

Johnny Jump-ups

Morning Glories

And last but not least, my most favorite flowers of all. They will be high maintenance, but it will be well worth it. May I introduce to you................

Queen Mary II Rose

And........

Memorial Day Rose

(I'll be honest and say that this isn't what the rose exactly looks like, but it's white and it's a rose.)

This is gonna be one neat summer! All I have to do is just remember to water the poor little plants! Ta ta for now!

Soli Deo Gloria!