dmb in 3d.... count me in

i can't wait to see this movie:

serving those who are serving

today i am sending my third care package to my brother who is serving in the army and stationed in iraq. my chemistry teacher back in high school told me that i should send him many packages. she said it's not so much what's in the packages, but the fact that he is getting something from people who care that counts. i'm extremely proud of my brother Travis.

so what's in that package? i have included LOTS of beef jerky, crystal light, rolling stone magazine, and other knick knacks. i was wondering if you wanted to send him something? if you're up for helping out just shoot me an email and i can tell you the details.

remember sparkle?

my day.......

today i find myself in charge of a whole 3rd grade class. i get to sub for a teacher who is having some health problems. i love helping people out and giving them a day off.

we played sparkle before their spelling test! (those rules are a little different in that link)

we played medic for gym.

we had morning snack time.

they are at computer time now. back to preparing for our math lesson......

i feel like blogging again. it's been way too long.

Religion Saves Book Review Part 1

Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll

Who is Mark Driscoll?

Mark Driscoll is a founding pastor and the lead preaching pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and leads the Resurgence Missional Theology Cooperative.

:: introduction :: or simply “how did this book come about”

how on earth was this book formulated? well, mark driscoll was preaching through the book of 1 corinthians in a sermon series called, “christians gone wild.” note to self: a catchy sermon title like that probably will get people in the door. mark driscoll noticed that in the letter to the corinthian church, paul answered a lot of their questions. but how often does the church answer the questions of people? questions they really want answers to. sadly, this doesn’t happen very often.

mars hills church’s answer to this problem was genius. they opened up a page on their website for people to ask questions, comment on questions, and vote for the answers they would like to see in the sermon series. “And in the end, 893 questions were asked, 5,524 comments were made, and 343,203 votes were cast.”

another genius thing at mars hill church was an experiment with live questions from people in the late Sunday evening service. those people were able to anonymously text message questions. having no time to prep, mark driscoll would answer those on the spot.

i like this introduction because it addresses the most important thing about religion. it doesn’t save you and it hasn’t saved anyone. the Gospel is radically different than religion.

question 9 :: birth control

this was probably the most awkward chapter of the book for me. however, i can see that someday it may be extremely helpful to me in the future when I might have the chance as a pastor to help a married couple with their questions about birth control. Driscoll breaks down birth control to different levels and why different Christians choose those different levels. whether it may be because they are being legalistic about it or they use their Christian liberty to choose an appropriate method for the couples situation. he gives sound biblical advice for forms of birth control to never use.

my least favorite part about this chapter would be the amount of detail he goes into when he gives the history of birth control. i’m not sure it was necessary but oh well. another unnecessary thing was the story of Andrea Yates. i absolutely cringe at how sick this woman is.

question 8 :: humor

I was driving down the interstate the other day and I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Come the rapture, Can I have your car?” Whether you’re a Christian or not, that’s funny. For some reason, I feel Christians should have funny bumper stickers too. However, I don’t feel like anyone is going to come to know Jesus Christ with a bumper sticker or a Jesus Fish on the back of a car though. We won’t end the debate between the Darwin Fish if we have more of our Jesus fish on our car. Okay but back to the topic..... humor.

There is no doubt that Mark Driscoll is funny. Here is how he describes his humor: “I’m on a mission to both put people in heaven and put the ‘fun’ back in ‘fundamentalism.’ I believe Christianity should be more fun than a trip to the dentist and that evangelicalism needs a better patron saint than Ned Flanders of The Simpsons fame.”

He boils down the question to is it biblical to be funny? Are there funny stories in the Bible?

The answer is yes to both questions but knowing that all Scripture is inspired by God and remembering to place the correct hermeneutical principles to what you are reading. God created humans with the ability to laugh and even said there is a time to laugh. so laugh it up.

question 7 :: predestination

as a college sophomore i could not understand if i chose God or God chose me. after a couple of years of wrestling with the topic with the Bible, Christian authors, and Christian friends, I have become a Calvinist. i think when we get to heaven someday we will laugh at why we made such a big deal out of this. However, as Christians, we need to know what God’s word has to say about it and be loving to those who do not share the same views about predestination.

when it comes to arminianism and calvinism, i feel like Driscoll has done an excellent job of explaining both views in a relevant way. then answering the common questions against calvinism such as “why should we evangelize if people are predestined?” or “does predestination make God unloving?”

question 6 :: grace

out of all the things in Christianity, mark driscoll struggles the most with grace. he describes it as too good to be true. the chapter starts out with his testimony. the fact that grace is the very thing that saved driscoll and everyone else who believes in Jesus. this is how driscoll defines grace, “grace is God the Father in love doing good for ill-deserving sinners through God the Son by God the Spirit.”

grace comes in different forms. even non-christians experience God’s grace through “common grace.” However, only God’s children are able to experience “saving grace.” the book then goes on to give 13 different experiences of grace.

this may be my least favorite chapter and it may be because

question 5 :: sexual sin

the specific question asked is “how should Christian men and women go about breaking free from the bondage of sexual sin?”

this chapter was shocking to me. especially the statistics. in this chapter, driscoll addresses the sexual sins of today including pornography, premarital sex, and prostitution. so how do Christians break free from the bondage of sexual sin? Driscoll gives 11 biblical ways to break free. This is another great chapter useful for everyone but especially pastors who counsel people about sexual sin.

Stay tuned later for a review of the rest of the book! Oh, and maybe you should buy it!

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Religion-Saves-Nine-Other-Misconceptions/dp/1433506165/ref=sprightly-20

question 8

:: humor ::

Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll

I was driving down the interstate the other day and I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Come the rapture, Can I have your car?” Whether you’re a Christian or not, that’s funny. For some reason, I feel Christians should have funny bumper stickers too. However, I don’t feel like anyone is going to come to know Jesus Christ with a bumper sticker or a Jesus Fish on the back of a car though. We won’t end the debate between the Darwin Fish if we have more of our Jesus fish on our car. Okay but back to the topic..... humor.

There is no doubt that Mark Driscoll is funny. Here is how he describes his humor: “I’m on a mission to both put people in heaven and put the ‘fun’ back in ‘fundamentalism.’ I believe Christianity should be more fun than a trip to the dentist and that evangelicalism needs a better patron saint than Ned Flanders of The Simpsons fame.”

He boils down the question to is it biblical to be funny? Are there funny stories in the Bible?

The answer is yes to both questions but knowing that all Scripture is inspired by God and remembering to place the correct hermeneutical principles to what you are reading. God created humans with the ability to laugh and even said there is a time to laugh. There are even stories in the bible dealing with bathroom humor. So instead of giving you too much information about his book, I recommend this book and encourage you to find humor in the Bible when it’s appropriate.

a summer to remember

gosh, i miss these guys. i will never forget summers at camp shetek and will hopefully be back next year with campers of my own.

question 9

question 9 :: birth control

so i'm not married and i am blogging about birth control. great! sure it's a little weird but it's the first chapter of the book. a fairly long one too. but i feel it's my duty as a selected blogger to review the book.

what’s the misconception about birth control? what does God’s word have to say about it? uhhh... well for one, there is no point in the Bible where we find the words, contraception, birth control, or family planning. which means as sinful humans we’re confused and need to really search the the answers in the bible.

the book then gives a very brief but maybe to detailed history of birth control and then driscoll explains the five different levels to how to view birth control. i will briefly explain the five levels..... you’ll have to get the book to read it

level 1: no birth control

you ever see those families on a Sunday morning that need a 15 passenger van to get everyone to church? yeah.. they may or may not believe that they don’t need to use birth control and God will provide them with however many children He wants them to have. there is nothing wrong with this approach if a couple decides this. however, some Christians have gone over the top by saying that all forms or birth control are from the devil.

level 2 : natural birth control

it’s exactly what it sounds like. i could explain but i’d rather not. this is the Roman Catholic approach to birth control. Christians have the freedom to choose this method if they desire.

level 3 : non-abortive birth control

this is another bible approved form of birth control. these include the barrier methods as well as the permanent methods. if you’re unsure of what i’m talking about, you’re either not old enough or you didn’t take health class back in high school... wikipedia would be a good idea for you until you can buy the book.

level 4 : potentially abortive birth control

everyone knows what “the pill” is. it’s the most widely prescribed drug in the world..... whoa. it tricks the woman’s brain into believing she’s pregnant. i had no idea that there was such a debate about the pill. Christians are divided on whether it’s potentially abortive. this is all new information for me and maybe for you too. as Christians, we need to read up on this stuff and make sure we are honoring Jesus.

level 5 : abortive murder

what is abortive murder? abortion is taking a human life by killing a fertilized egg. we all start out the same, whether we’re in the womb or outside, we are human. sadly, some people (even Christians!) use abortion for birth control because of an unwanted pregnancy. they can’t bear the shame and guilt of it. but what about someone who is raped? hear what Pastor Mark has to say here.

“thankfully, Jesus can forgive any sin, even the sin of murder, as he did while hanging on the cross and asking God the Father to forgive those who murdered him.

again, i come back to the real point of this book. it’s not about religion. a set of rules or guidelines. it’s not about mark driscoll and his book. it all boils down to Jesus. whether you want to live a life pleasing to him.

i'm on tour

.......a blog tour? it seems that i jumped the gun with my review of Religion Saves. it seems that my stop on the tour will be on July 20th. On that day, I will post my overall review.

To see the entire blog tour..... check out this link: Blog Tour

7/13

Andrew at Drew Ackermann

http://drewackermann.wordpress.com

Christa at Christa Allan

http://cballan.wordpress.com

Tammy at Grateful in GA

http://GratefulinGa.blogspot.com

Joe at Joe Snake

http://joesnake.neoblogs.org/

7/14

Sally at An Observation of Mercy

http://paraklesis.com/an_observation/

Linda at God, Grace and Giggles

http://www.lindamaebaldwin.com/blog/default.aspx

Clayton at Clayton Bell Online

http://www.claytonbellonline.com

Nicole at Gidget Goes Homes

http://gidgetgoeshome.com

7/15

Chris at Intersected

http://intersected.org

MaryBeth at Four Silly Sisters

http://www.foursillysistersreview.blogspot.com

Stephanie at The Blakes on a Mission

http://www.theblakesthailand.blogspot.com/

Nathan at Bliss the Family

http://blissthefamily.wordpress.com

7/16

Jennifer at Quiver Full Family

http://quiverfullfamily.com

Deborah at Comfort Joy

http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com

Suzanne at Suzannesaphone

http://suzannesaphone.wordpress.com

Rachel at Grasping for Objectivity

www.graspingforobjectivity.com

7/17

Priscilla at My Little Corner of the Web

http://mylittlecorneroftheweb.blogspot.com

Janet at GA Home 2 Mom

http://gahome2mom.blogspot.com

Denise at Thus Far the Lord has Helped Me

www.nisefunpages.blogspot.com

Amy at Amy’s Random Thoughts

www.amychristopher.blogspot.com

7/18

Kristina at Loving Heart Mommy

http://www.lovingheartmommy.com

Brad at Never Separated, Yet Always Searching

http://bradcopeland.wordpress.com/

Amy at The 160 Acre Woods

http://the160acrewoods.com

Mindy at Ponderings of the Heart

http://philippians4verse8.blogspot.com:80/

7/20

Pam at Without Fear

http://withoutfear08.blogspot.com/

Margaret at The Cappuccino Life

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/cappuccinosmom/profile/

Michelle at Chelled

http://www.chelled.blogspot.com

Bryant at North of the Ordinary

http://northoftheordinary.blogspot.com/

7/21

Scoti at Springs Writers

http://www.springswriters.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Jennifer’s Snapshot

http://www.jennifersnapshot.blogspot.com

Camille at There is a Season

www.thereisaseason.blogspot.com

Danica at The Journey of Writer Danica Favorite

http://www.danicafavorite.blogspot.com

7/22

Kayla at Kayla Finley

http://kaylafinley.com

AnnMarie at More Than Just A Mom

http://afriedrick.blogspot.com

Kelly at Love Well

http://www.lovewell.blogspot.com

Tricia at It's Real Life

http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com

7/23

Cassie at Cassie Graves

http://cassiegraves.wordpress.com

Jarrod at Jarrod Haggard

www.jarrodhaggard.blogspot.com

Mary at Daily into Devotion

http://RefreshMoments.com--Turning

Sarah at Reborn Butterfly

http://www.rebornbutterfly.wordpress.com

7/24

Melodee at Actual Unretouched Photo

http://www.unretouchedphoto.com

Heather at All Things Hendrick

http://www.allthingshendrick.blogspot.com

Jennifer at Rundpinne

http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com

Laura at Lighthouse Academy

http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/

7/25

Marta at Marta's Meanderings

http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

Ryan at The Redemption Blog

http://www.theredemptionblog.com

Michelle at Edgy Inspirational Author

http://www.michellesutton.net

Kaylea at My Scrappy Life

http://kaytebug2002.blogspot.com

7/27

Melissa at Breath of Life

http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/

Heather at Life As We Know It

http://thelittlesprouts.blogspot.com/

Lori at Laurel's Reflections

http://laurelwreathsreflections.com

Scott at A Day First

http://www.adadfirst.com

7/28

Mark at Here I Blog

http://hereiblog.com

Amy at Sprightly-AmyAnne

http://sprightly-amyanne.blogspot.com

Mandy at Becoming

http://www.mandarin21.blogspot.com

Christy at Christy's Book Blog

http://christysbookblog.blogspot.com/

7/29

Erin at Connected to Christ

http://connected2christ.com/theblog/

John at Resolved

http://resolvedsgc.blogspot.com/

Shanna at The Beauty of Surrender

www.thebeautyofsurrender.blogspot.com

Kate at The Accidental Traveler

http://katemcdonald.wordpress.com

7/30

Christy at Critty Joy

http://cirttyjoy.wordpress.com

Danielle at Miss.Mouthy

http://missmouthy.com/

Kate at A Simple Walk

http://asimplewalk.blogspot.com/

Tammy at Ramblings by Tammy

http://ramblingsbytammy.blogspot.com

7/31

Kimberly at Team Nelson

http://www.teamnelson.wordpress.com

Mimi at Mimi’s Pixie Corner

http://tagsandotherformsofmischief.blogspot.com/

Vera at Luxury Reading

http://luxuryreading.com

Deena at A Peek at My Bookshelf

http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com

8/1

Sarah at Real Life

http://www.reallifeblog.net

Karla at Looking Towards Heaven

http://karlascrazylife.blogspot.com

Leo at Videoadoracao

http://www.videoadoracao.blogspot.com

Zack at The Rieslands

http://www.therieslands.com

8/3

Tara at Tara's View on Books

http://tarasviewonbooks.blogspot.com/

Amy at Reading Too Late

http://readingtoolate.net

Suzanne at There's No Place Like Home

http://clickingherheels.blogspot.com

Pamela at Aunt Pam's Closet

http://www.auntpamscloset.com

8/4

Jonathan at Jonathon Shrader

http://www.jonathanshradar.com/

Pat at Why Didn't You Warn Me

http://www.whydidntyouwarnme.com

Rachelle at Land of My Sojourn

http://www.landofmysojourn.net/blog

Christi at Christi's BlaBlahBlog

http://christis-blahblahblog.blogspot.com

8/5

Christa at Christa Sterken

www.christasterken.wordpress.com

Jennifer at A Spacious Place

http://jennifertiszai.blogspot.com/

Brooke at Brooke Turner Photography

http://www.brooketurnerphotography.com/blog

Jared at Gospel Driven Church

http://www.gospeldrivenchurch.com

Dave at Ordinary Commentary

http://www.ordinarycommentary.com