So, I finally finished the DVD, Amazing Grace: The History & Theology of Calvinism, which I checked out from the church library. Great stuff; I highly recommend it. Grace, free will, sovereignty, election, security. It's interesting to see the kind of language we'll use based on our position on these matters. We often use simple language without realizing the deeper implications. I've always joked that theologically I'm a Calvinist but for every day practicality, I behave like an Arminian. Amazing Grace challenged my weak but practical theology and has caused me to rethink my approach to sharing the Gospel. Consider the following proclamations, I know I've used variations of them all:

"Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is able to save you. Your sin is abominable to God. A just and holy God must punish sin, — including your sin in Adam. Your sin is either paid in Christ or you will pay for it by eternal death. Christ died for sinners like you and I. His death is sufficient to pay for the penalty of your sin."

"God loves you! He loves you so much he sent His only begotten Son to suffer for you. He offers you a wonderful plan for your life. The death of Christ has made it possible for you to have this gift of life. All you need to do now is accept Jesus as your savior. Do not reject Him. He cannot give you the gift unless actually take it."

"God loves the world. He sent Christ to die for the world. God loves you, Christ died for you. If you believe in Christ you will be saved. Accept Him now, for He will not cast you out."

The last one is a slightly different position from the first.

Sound familiar? It's worth checking out.

Yesterday, we rented a Toyota Prius at the airport. Although we needed the vehicle for just one day, I thought it would be interesting to test drive one. The car was mainly used for a second round interview I had today with EPA. Both went smoothly. I should hear back from EPA near the end of this week or beginning of next...and unfortunately, I had to return the car. If you get the chance, you should check the Prius out. When you first start it, by pushing a Power button, the car quietly comes on since it's in battery-only mode. I love it in stop-and-go traffic because everytime you hit the brakes, it regenerates the battery system. Very cool...and environmentally friendlier.

Ciao for now!

Or should I say, "Everything's peaceful here in our sleepy old section of Raleigh?" I had an interview with my old employer earlier this week. It seemed to go well; I'll know in another week if I was selected for the next round of interviews. Kathy started working again in the medical field; she's using her nursing experience to provide quality assurance on patient charts at various medical facilities in our area. Paperwork is her forte; she loves it so this position is right up her alley. While I'm waiting for Round 2 of interviews, I continue to read federal regulations and brush up on current issues in the air pollution field.

Currently Playing Thurn And Taxis by Rio Grande

When I was 22, I put my hope and trust in Jesus. As a step of obedience, I was baptized in little Bible Baptist Church in Hallandale, Florida. Afterwards, it literally felt as though a ton of weight was taken off my shoulders. I mean it as though someone had physically unloaded a heavy bag that I was carrying around. I remember thinking, "man that was strange," but it felt so good. In fact, I used to walk around with a HUGE grin that must have connected my ears. The salvation of Christ is without a doubt the greatest experience I've ever had.

Several weeks later, after a church service, I was talking to a middle-aged lady who commented, "So, you must be one of those new Christians."  Guilty.  "Yes, isn't it great?" The huge grin must have given me away. Then she stunned me with her next remark,

"Don't worry, it'll wear off."

I decided then and there that, "I will NEVER become like that woman."  In making that personal commitment, I began to take steps against developing a hard shell on my new found faith; however, what I didn't realize was that I was also taking back the reins of my life into my own hands. I was calling the shots, determining my path, and ultimately, trusting in myself. My motives were noble but my claim to control my destiny was an act of rebellious independence.  Proverbs 28:26 - He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

God doesn't negotiate His lordship. He let me walk in my own foolishness for a while. Life became frustrating and I was losing many personal battles. My first college roommate in Gainesville wasn't a believer, so the pursuit of righteousness and purity wasn't any of his concern. In fact, it didn't seem to be the concern of any of the students at the University of Florida. Then one evening, following more frustration and failure, I sat on the floor, leaning against my bed and wept bitterly before finally surrendering my will completely to Him. I remember telling God, "Fine Lord, I'll be anyone you want me to be. I'll even be just like that woman if that's what you want."  I honestly expected that He would clone my personality to be just like some of the lukewarm people back home; but that didn't matter, I was surrendering, and I was surrendering everything.

Then the peace that passes all understanding descended on me. It was a wave of love of comfort and peace and it came after I finally got serious and genuinely surrendered my being. As I sat there, basking in the warmth of God's love, the thought  'Hey, wait a minute, I'm still the same person,' dawned on me. I realized that God didn't want to change my personality--something that I was apparently clinging to--but simply wanted to assert His rightful position in my life. I was tilting my lance towards windmills and began fighting imaginary battles based on misperceived notions not grounded in truth, not open to His purposes. 

Never say, 'Never!' to God unless you enjoy jumping on the wrong train heading down the wrong track.

I heard that one of my former colleagues, Lee, passed away while we were living overseas. His bad smoking habit finally caught up with him (not to mention his weight and diabetes; I hate the addiction nicotine causes); man, the laughs we used to share.  I used to affectionately call him 'Ski' having given him that nickname thru a process I call nomenclature regression.  So, how did it happen?

As I recall, the first nickname I gave Lee was 'El' as in his first initial, the 12th letter in the alphabet, the Chicago subway, and the Spanish article. 'El' happened to rhyme with his last name and had a nice ring to it and I called him that for some time. The seasons changed and so did his name, which took on a Slavic personality: 'Elski' also sounded nice but eventually proved to be too long to pronounce, so I shortened it to 'Ski.' Sure enough, the name stuck even though many of his new coworkers didn't have a clue to its origin. Yeah, I miss Ski.

Dearest Ocalan Moms, here are some pics of the parsonage we're living in. Just click on them to make them larger. Enjoy!

Last night's dinner at the Sushi Thai restaurant here in Raleigh was fabulous. Thanks so much Matt and Sarah for the very special treat. After we arrived, a veritable monsoon broke loose outside so we just took our time and enjoyed the tasty cuisine. I ordered Masaman Chicken (hot but not Thai hot) and it was so delicious that I'm drooling just thinking about it. We returned home just in time for dessert...a dish of Moose Tracks ice cream...tasty. Then we also had another go at some of the games they brought. It was such a special time to spend with the Dredges that we hated for them to leave this morning. Oh well, I guess we'll have to share them with Jen, Corban, and the rest of the gang they're visiting before returning to Toronto. Yeah, we'll have to plan a vacation and trek to the north this year.

Matt and Sarah arrived here yesterday! Now we're not the newest visitors to Raleigh, NC. It's been sooo good to sit and talk with them; we stayed up 'til 1 am last night (this morning) catching up; we also watched the Sonne videos and checked out the yearbook. Our boys are growing and the new guys sound wonderful. Today, we'll venture out and see some of the sights of this historical college town.

We'll also check out some of the games Matt brought back from Germany. In addition, we'll watch the best reality show on television...Nanny 911...those gals are virtually miraculous.

Currently Playing Thurn und Taxis. Spiel des Jahres 2006 von Schmidt Spiele

Currently Playing Zug um Zug. Spiel des Jahres 2004 von Days of Wonder

...or at least I'm trying to say 'No!'  Hey, it's easier said than done. It's been three days since I've ingested some of nature's stimulants. I've managed to avoid coffee, tea, and cola (including Mt. Dew).  Except for the occasional headache and frequent mind-numbing daze, I'm doing okay...I think.  While I'm not trying to make this a lifelong statement, I do want to go cold turkey in order to see if there are any tangible health benefits in a couple of weeks. There better be...

Finally, someone was able to dethrone 6-time reigning hot dog eating world champion Kobayashi. Hats off to Joey Chestnut for his amazing frankfurter-stuffing achievement. He single handedly held off the Japanese world champ from joining Lance Armstrong as 7-time titleholder in the annals of sports history. Here's a YouTube link but beware, Kobayashi has a hard time keeping down a dog near the end.  How the top 5 fared:

1. Joey Chestnut: 66


2. Takeru Kobayashi: 63


3. Pat Bertoletti: 49


4. Tim "Eater X" Janus: 43.5


5. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas: 39