It Bears My Name

I grapple with Thomas' demand.

"Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails..." John 20:25

The Christ replies to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands." John 20:27

And God replies to me, "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands." Isaiah 49:16

Could that be what the Christ was saying to Thomas? "Here are My hands. Your unbelief is there. Now believe."

That is what the gory hole in Christ's hand is about. The nail hole bears my name.

It was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life. I know that it is finished.

Excerpt: The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

Coyotes don't speak the same language as dogs, don't you see. Some of the words are similar and some aren't. Modern Doglish and the coyote dialect both come from the same linguistic root, which was the ancient language spoken by our common ancestors many years ago before the species split into Dogus Domesticus and Dogus Coyotus.

This is pretty technical stuff, and I don't want to bore anyone, but it's important that the reader understand these things.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, John R. Erickson, chapter 7

Thy Savior Knows It All

Look up, the clouds are breaking,
The storm will soon be o'er
And thou shall reach the haven,
Where sorrows are no more
Look up, be not discouraged;
Trust on, whate'er befall
Remember, O remember,
Thy Savior knows it all.

Fanny Crosby, Hymn verse 3, O Heart Bereaved and Lonely

Credentialing

I have found myself giving my children my credentials.

• I've been around a lot longer than you.
• I finished the first grade.
• I'm your mother.
• I can read.
• I have worn sweatpants for over 30 years, and I know what they look like.

What's That Van Thinking?

I'm currently driving around a rental car. There is a button in it that I am afraid to push. It reads, "ESP OFF".

A McFree Meal

Permit me to wax eloquently for a few moments...

We're in a recession (so I've been told). Will McDonalds survive? Does anyone care about McDonalds?

First, the disclaimers:
I do not prefer to eat at McDonalds.
Sausage McMuffins with egg are not good for you.

Neither of those are the point, so let's move on.

I had a coupon for a free breakfast sandwich, with the purchase of a breakfast sandwich. I was hungry, and decided on my way to work, I could eat 2 Sausage McMuffins with egg.

I pulled up to the pay window, and handed the woman my credit card to pay the $2.75 for my breakfast. She informed me that the credit card machine was broken, and wanted to know if I had any cash. I checked my change purse, and informed her that I had 75 cents. She told me to pull up to the next window.

As I waited, I searched my purse for more change. I came up with a total of $1.08 worth of change in my purse. The manager came to the window with my credit card. I offered him my measly $1.08 - less than half of the suggested value of the meal (which was really a quarter, since I was getting one free). He informed me that I could take my meal for free, and to tell my friends. Then he clarified...don't tell them our machine isn't working, tell them we're...and I interrupted and said, "gracious".

I suppose it may have simply been a good business practice. But in a recession, do good business practices count? He could have turned me away.

So will McDonalds survive? That I cannot predict. But I do know that a man who treats his customers fairly is wise.

And so I'll tell you: the manager at the McDonalds by the mall is a fair and reasonable man, who runs his business well, at least in my opinion.

P.S. (I enjoyed my breakfast. Thanks for asking.)

Name Changing

It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; but you will be called, "My delight is in her," and your land, "Married".
Isaiah 62:4

And they will call them, "The holy people, the redeemed of the LORD"; and you will be called, "sought out, a city not forsaken".
Isaiah 62:12

No longer do I call you slaves; for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.
John 15:15-16

In summation: from forsaken to delighted in, from desolate to sought after, from slaves to friends.

A Protest

With regard to the store name Superfresh: I believe thou dost protest too much.

Flossie: She Was In The Bobbsey Twins, Right?

Just in case you weren't aware:

flossing is a discipline.

Oaks of Righteousness

"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Isaiah 61:3b

The oaks of righteousness describe the brokenhearted that Christ has bound up, the captives to whom he has proclaimed freedom, the ones who mourned that he comforted, those that were grieving that he provided for, those upon whom he has bestowed a crown of beauty and annointed with the oil of gladness, and those for whom he lifted the spirit of despair and put in its place a garment of praise.

And when you find yourself in that, know that God has done it for the display of His splendor.

Here's To Being Pretty Sharp

I believe my cooking skills directly correlate to the sharpness of my knives.

Excuse Me.

Now here's something you don't hear about every day...burping worms.

Etymological Flow Chart

Let me just introduce you to my new favorite word (thanks, S.F.): smarmy.

The definition of smarmy is as delightful as the word itself.

Smarmy: unctuously flattering

and the origin of the word, oh, the delight...
"variant of colloquial smalm, smawm (1847) "to smear, bedaub" (the hair, with pomade)"

And of course, the word pomade makes me think of hairnets on men and toads.

Which leads me to the justification of this very random thought:

"It's a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."

Praise the Savior

Besides the great name, Venantius Fortunatus was given the gift of penning (or quilling?)marvelous words to the praise of our Lord:

Man's work faileth, Christ's availeth; He is all our righteousness;
He, our Savior, has forever set us free from dire distress.
Through His merit we inherit light and peace and happiness.

For His favor, praise forever unto God the Father sing;
Praise the Savior, praise Him ever, Son of God, our Lord and King.
Praise the Spirit; Through Christ's merit He doth us salvation bring.

Gloffer

When you have your hands on the wrong keys and type blogger, it comes out as gloffer.

Who Wouldn't Love A Job Writing Descriptions on Boxes?

So That You May Know

In the chapters of Exodus that detail the interchanges between Moses and Pharaoh, a common refrain is found.

"So that you may know that I am the LORD".

Remembering this line in prayer has been helpful. It "allows" God to work His perfect will to bring glory to Himself. And that's a whole lot better than the plan I had, anyway!

Bowling on the What?

So, if I called my grandmother and told her my son was "bowling on the Wii", would that make any sense at all?