The other day, we (that is, Mom, Dad, and the four 'dings) went back to the pet store where the other three 'dings had gotten their fish, because 'ding4's tetra, Rhubarb, had died, as had 'ding1's goldfish, Marlin and Coral (think about Finding Nemo). This time, we left with four fish: another tetra (again named Rhubarb) for 'ding3, two guppies (unnamed as yet) for 'ding1, and, wonder of wonders, a betta fish (named Epsilon) for me!
The worker told me to feed him every other day, so, as this is the second day I've had him, I didn't feed him this morning. The worker also said that bettas are livelier when the bettas' owners talk to them, so I have been faithful to say good morning to Epsilon every morning, good night to him every night, goodbye to him whenever I leave the house, and hello to him whenever I return to the house. He seems to be enjoying himself.
Now, for the books part of the title of this post. Like I promised two months ago, when I finished The Count of Monte Cristo, I read, in this order, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, Crime and Punishment, and, today, I started Les Miserables.
Goodbye after this short post.
'ding 2
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Conscience
Wikipedia defines the conscience as "a hypothesized ability or faculty that distinguishes whether our actions are right or wrong."
I personally believe that the conscience is a worldly view of the Holy Spirit, which is (to me) a counselor and helper to lead us away from sin and to convict us of our sin when we have sinned.
The Holy Spirit was there from the very beginning. Take Genesis 1:2, for example. This shows that the Holy Spirit was moving about on Earth before any life existed there. The opinion of one teacher that I heard in a Bible study is that the Holy Spirit was the one who did the work of creation. (I don't know if I agree with him on that point, but that might just be from ingrained habit, you know, the God-spoke-everything-into-existence kind of thing.)
Another thing about the Holy Spirit is that it worked in people even during Old Testament times. In 1 Samuel 11:6, we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit has come upon Saul and made him extremely angry. In 1 Samuel 16:14, we can see that the Holy Spirit has gone away from Saul.
These are only two instances of clear action from the Holy Spirit, but they prove my case that the Holy Spirit worked in people even in Old Testament times, and it is therefore a mistaken belief that the Holy Spirit is only from the New Testament.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
I personally believe that the conscience is a worldly view of the Holy Spirit, which is (to me) a counselor and helper to lead us away from sin and to convict us of our sin when we have sinned.
The Holy Spirit was there from the very beginning. Take Genesis 1:2, for example. This shows that the Holy Spirit was moving about on Earth before any life existed there. The opinion of one teacher that I heard in a Bible study is that the Holy Spirit was the one who did the work of creation. (I don't know if I agree with him on that point, but that might just be from ingrained habit, you know, the God-spoke-everything-into-existence kind of thing.)
Another thing about the Holy Spirit is that it worked in people even during Old Testament times. In 1 Samuel 11:6, we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit has come upon Saul and made him extremely angry. In 1 Samuel 16:14, we can see that the Holy Spirit has gone away from Saul.
These are only two instances of clear action from the Holy Spirit, but they prove my case that the Holy Spirit worked in people even in Old Testament times, and it is therefore a mistaken belief that the Holy Spirit is only from the New Testament.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
Friday, July 18, 2008
Abortion (and its implications)
You probably know the sixth commandment, but if you don't, it is in Exodus 20:13: "You shall not murder."
The Lord is speaking here. Our maker, the supreme ruler of all that was and is and will be. He is over every ruler on Earth, every presidential candidate, every King, Queen, Emperor, every common person. Yes, even the common persons are rulers, for it is written, in Genesis 1:28: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
What people do not seem to realize is that the order not to murder applies to every living thing with a soul. This applies to unborn babies as well as anyone else. Aborting an unborn child is exactly the same as killing a born baby: your baby. Would you walk up to your baby, sleeping peacefully, maybe cuddled up with a blanket, and kill it? Would you kill a toddler, smiling and making happy baby noises, a toddler who trusts who? Would you kill your kid while you were playing tag, your child at graduation, your grown kid when he came to visit you, your grandchildren? Would you? NO!
You see, abortion is killing everything your child will become, killing all of the children it would have had, cutting off every single life that might have been created through that one human being.
I would like to tell you another thing. You have no right to your child. Sure, you'll raise it; sure, through you it will come into being; sure, you will wield power over it when it is born! But God is only using you, His creation, a person He loves and adores and wants to be in eternal communion with, to bring another one of His creations, another person He loves and adores and wants to be in eternal communion with, into existence.
And here's another thing. You wouldn't want to be killed, would you? Well, would you? I'm guessing the answer is no, because most of the people who have a computer on which to read this have a pretty good life. They are provided for, they have a home, they don't have to sleep in the street, where any old lunatic could come and violate them.
It is written in Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD."
Believe it or not, your child is your neighbor. In fact, every human is your neighbor, and that means that you should treat everyone like you would treat yourself. You wouldn't kill yourself, so you don't kill others.
To wrap this up, pretty much all I'm saying is that abortion is a sin against God, and I won't get into the political implications of that, though I'm sure all of my readers can think of some.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
The Lord is speaking here. Our maker, the supreme ruler of all that was and is and will be. He is over every ruler on Earth, every presidential candidate, every King, Queen, Emperor, every common person. Yes, even the common persons are rulers, for it is written, in Genesis 1:28: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
What people do not seem to realize is that the order not to murder applies to every living thing with a soul. This applies to unborn babies as well as anyone else. Aborting an unborn child is exactly the same as killing a born baby: your baby. Would you walk up to your baby, sleeping peacefully, maybe cuddled up with a blanket, and kill it? Would you kill a toddler, smiling and making happy baby noises, a toddler who trusts who? Would you kill your kid while you were playing tag, your child at graduation, your grown kid when he came to visit you, your grandchildren? Would you? NO!
You see, abortion is killing everything your child will become, killing all of the children it would have had, cutting off every single life that might have been created through that one human being.
I would like to tell you another thing. You have no right to your child. Sure, you'll raise it; sure, through you it will come into being; sure, you will wield power over it when it is born! But God is only using you, His creation, a person He loves and adores and wants to be in eternal communion with, to bring another one of His creations, another person He loves and adores and wants to be in eternal communion with, into existence.
And here's another thing. You wouldn't want to be killed, would you? Well, would you? I'm guessing the answer is no, because most of the people who have a computer on which to read this have a pretty good life. They are provided for, they have a home, they don't have to sleep in the street, where any old lunatic could come and violate them.
It is written in Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD."
Believe it or not, your child is your neighbor. In fact, every human is your neighbor, and that means that you should treat everyone like you would treat yourself. You wouldn't kill yourself, so you don't kill others.
To wrap this up, pretty much all I'm saying is that abortion is a sin against God, and I won't get into the political implications of that, though I'm sure all of my readers can think of some.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Obsession
Have you ever sat around with some time on your hands and thought of something that you've really wanted to do? That is, play a video game, watch a movie, go over to a friend's house? With many people nowadays, the first option is usually it. With Dad it was Dark Forces, with me, it's Civilization III, but neither of them is better or worse than the other one.
Mom has read studies that prove that video games are obsessive. They were made to be that way. When I first got the game last Monday, it was "the new game."
But, during the past week, conversations began to pop up between Mom and me, conversations that went, "Mom, may I play my game?"
"Yes."
Then the conversations turned to, "Mom, may I play my game?"
"Is the house tidy?"
"Uh, I don't know..."
"Don't talk to me until the house is clean."
Now, the conversations are usually, "Mom, may I -"
"No."
The following is a common conversation between 'ding 3, 'ding 4, and me:
'ding 4 - "Why do you like playing your game?"
me - "I don't know, because it's fun."
'ding 3 - "Don't worry about it. All he ever wants to do is play his stupid game."
me - "It's not stupid!"
'ding 3 - "Yes it is, isn't it?"
And, depending upon whether she's feeling mad at me or not, 'ding 4 might say, "Yeah, it is."
So, you see, my obsession is coming between me and most of my friends and immediate family. I say most of them because one of my friends bought the game in question, on my recommendation, and loves it as well.
I'm not saying video games are bad, I'm just saying that I'm going to try not to be so obsessed with Civilization III, and I hope you will pray for me, and possibly join me in not being obsessed with whatever it is in your life: Webkinz, Runescape, Halo, whatever kids (and adults with too much time on their hands) nowadays are playing.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
Mom has read studies that prove that video games are obsessive. They were made to be that way. When I first got the game last Monday, it was "the new game."
But, during the past week, conversations began to pop up between Mom and me, conversations that went, "Mom, may I play my game?"
"Yes."
Then the conversations turned to, "Mom, may I play my game?"
"Is the house tidy?"
"Uh, I don't know..."
"Don't talk to me until the house is clean."
Now, the conversations are usually, "Mom, may I -"
"No."
The following is a common conversation between 'ding 3, 'ding 4, and me:
'ding 4 - "Why do you like playing your game?"
me - "I don't know, because it's fun."
'ding 3 - "Don't worry about it. All he ever wants to do is play his stupid game."
me - "It's not stupid!"
'ding 3 - "Yes it is, isn't it?"
And, depending upon whether she's feeling mad at me or not, 'ding 4 might say, "Yeah, it is."
So, you see, my obsession is coming between me and most of my friends and immediate family. I say most of them because one of my friends bought the game in question, on my recommendation, and loves it as well.
I'm not saying video games are bad, I'm just saying that I'm going to try not to be so obsessed with Civilization III, and I hope you will pray for me, and possibly join me in not being obsessed with whatever it is in your life: Webkinz, Runescape, Halo, whatever kids (and adults with too much time on their hands) nowadays are playing.
Your brother in Christ,
'ding 2
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