The Captain Has Shaved

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Now he's ready for a role in Gaslight!

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I'm gonna keep it like this Sally.

I know you think it's sexy ;)

Ya just gotta wonder sometimes.....

According to The Independent, a British news paper, Simon and Schuster is dumping a quarter million into a marketing promotion for a book by an American woman, 43, named Kathleen McGowan, who claims...are you sitting down?...to be "a direct descendant of the physical union between Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ." Of course, she has received a seven figure sum for the rights to her book as well. She says she offers no proof of her heritage, but claims to have traced her geneaology to an "ancient French lineage that claimed to trace its roots to the pair."

From: Alpha and Omega ministries - John White's blog

Weekend Report

Yeah I know it's been a while since I've done this. Sorry that I am a poor family blogger. This weekend we went to the farm. There are some pet pictures over on Gizmo's post if you want to see them. We only visited for a day, but the dogs loved it. Wrigley was up to his chest in poo, I'm sure he felt like he was in heaven. On Sunday we got a new game. It's called Munchkin, and it's a parody RPG card game. It's a lot of fun to play. We also saw Stranger's With Candy, which was funny, but not as funny as me putting my foot in the bucket of beer in the dark when I was coming back to my seat. At least judging from the reaction of the theater. Anybody else have an exciting weekend?

Bally's For The Mind

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

2Co 5:10

Blaly's For The Mnid

As I raed thsi I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Dddaym

Bally's For The Mind

"What attribute is God about to show to Moses? His petition is, "Show me thy glory." Will he show him his justice? Will he show him his holiness? Will he show his wrath? Will he show him his power? Will he break yon cedar and show him he is almighty? Will he rend yonder mountain and show him that he can be angry? Will he bring his sins to remembrance, and show that he is omniscient? No; hear the still small voice—"I will make all my goodness pass before thee." Ah! the goodness of God is God's glory. God's greatest glory is that he is good. The brightest gem in the crown of God is his goodness. "I will make all my goodness pass before thee." There is a panorama such as time would not be long enough for you to see."

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon,

from "A View of God's Glory," a sermon Spurgeon preached very early in his ministry (probably around 1856-57)

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"The goodness of God leads you to repentance."

Romans 2:4

Family Vacation 2007 Update!

There is no update!

I'm sorry I've been crazy busy. Friends in town this weekend and 2 of my closest friends are both getting married in September. So its planning and parties and showers and parties and invitiations and hotel rooms and flight reservations...!

Anyway, I will call on that property very very shortly.

Bally's For The Mind

"I get the feeling that our lives are a lot less random than we think."

-Clark Kent (Smallville - Season 4, Episode #81: "Sacred")

Bally's For The Mind

Artful Stand

A prestigious United Kingdom art gallery seems to have been confused about one of its exhibits. The Royal Academy put a block of stone and boneshaped stick on display for an exhibition, not knowing the two pieces were merely part of the stand for a sculpture of a human head. Add this indignity for the artist: "Given their separate submission, the two parts were judged independently," the Academy said in a statement, "The head was rejected. The base was thought to have merit and accepted."

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From World Magazine July 1, 2006

Family Vacation 2007

So if I counted the votes correctly it is 7 - 3 in favor of the DR.

For DR:

Becky
Cheryl
Leah
Eric
Richard
Kari
Stephanie

For NC:

Tom
Sally
Jason

Has anyone changed their mind? Are we pursuing the DR actively now? Because we aren't all in agreement should we discuss more? Let me hear those McMilton voices.

BBQ 2006!

On behalf of Leah's visit, Cheryl and I will be hosting a very formal BBQ on August 5th or 6th. My birthday is that Friday (I'm sure you all are well aware) so I'm a little hesitant to have everyone over the next day ... I know, I know, I'm goign to be 28 and you'd think I would stop making a big deal out of my birthday some time soon, but not this year.

Richard and Keri, are you going to be here the next weekend for Sarah and Brian's wedding? If so, I don't expect you to make the drive 2 weekends in a row! But if are able to attend, we will definetly do a Sat. BBQ.

Leah has requested shish-kabobs. yum!

I'll call Jason & Steph.

Bally's For The Mind

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us."

-C.S. Lewis

Bally's For The Mind

"For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

1Co 1:18 {NET}

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In the fall of 2005, I [Mark Driscoll] preached a lengthy series on the accomplishments of Jesus’ crucifixion and came to realize that the cross was as foolish and offensive as ever. We had to call 911 for a woman who passed out during the sermon on blood. We had more than one angry person try and get on the stage to fight me during the propitiation sermon, which resulted in beefing up our security on Sundays and having a police officer on site.

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For the complete story go HERE

Is it time to vote?

Dominican Republic or North Carolina?

We need everyone's vote so we can move forward with the planning!
Is anyone going to see Jason and Steph? I want them to see the websites and check it all out.

In my opinoin, it comes down to wanting to travel out of the country and being ok with the higher airfare. It looks unbeleivable.

So...... enter your votes! If you need more info, research and let us know what you've found or ask questions!

New Sox Fan

I went to my first Sox game at US Cellular Friday night. Our family went when we were little kids to Kaminsky (remember the seat cushions?) but I haven't been since. My friend Jackie invited me to go with her and her parents (they are huge rediculous fans) who had awsome seats from her dad's company. I turned into a White Sox fan over night! It was so much fun. They really go crazy at those games: the scoreboard has all the stats of the players up to bat, a home run sets off fireworks, they have a kiss cam on the giant scoreboard, crazy games between innings, and each player picks a song before he bats. Which is hilaroius in itself b/c they are very typical picks, racially speaking. I've only been to Cubs games recently and I'm SO over the cubbies! Honestly, I've never been a fan of any team, so this is all new for me, but I love it! I won't miss a game now. Too bad this didn't happen a year ago so I could enjoy the World Series. Has anyone been to a Sox game lately?

Dominican Republic Vacation Spot

Check this out: http://www.cofresidr.com/

Bally's For The Mind

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The Epsitle to Diognetus, c. AD 130

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“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.

“They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet suffer all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their babies. They share their table with all, but not their bed with all. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their exemplary lives. They love all men and yet are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life. They are poor yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things and yet abound in all; they are dishonored and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evildoers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. To sum it all up in one word—what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.” -Found at the Fide-O blog

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And how do we Christians look in 2006 C.E. ? Is it still true that: "...what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world"?

Bally's For The Mind

An interesting contrast:

Herschel Hobbs 1907-1995

(longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City)

said:

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"God voted for you. The devil voted against you.

And you cast the deciding vote."

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The Scriptures say:

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"I have planted, Apollos watered;

but God gave the increase."

(1 Cor 3.6)

"You must believe in free will; there is no choice"

-Isaac Bashevis Singer

Bigger and Better for reals

Hi everyone.

I'm just poking around on-line trying to find a good place for us to vacation (b/c of the biting flies) and have been looking at North Carolina. There's an island or penninsula called the Outer Banks with tons of beaches and beach homes and its 30 min. from Myrtle Beach and another town but there are lots of small towns all around and lots to do (deep sea fishing, historical crap, restaurants, shops). I even found a house with a home theatre in it. Cool! Check out this site and see what you think. I have emailed a few people to find out what I can about going in September (less expensive) and if there are any insects etc. that we should know about. I think it would very similar to our previous Florida destination.

Mom, Tom and I had discussed Maine but to be honest it wasn't easy to search for beaches or homes and I feel like we can go anywhere as long as we have a great house, great weather and we're on the ocean with a pool (oh and we'll have each other). I mean, how wrong can we go with a house on the ocean??

Please feel free to check into another area if you'd like. I think everyone is pretty flexible. I'm also trying to find out when a deposit would be due, but I think we have some time for that.

So, opinoins, again, please.