The Sufficiency of Scripture Conference

The SOS Conference was such a blessing to me. First off, the preaching was amazing (of course)! Its hard for me to pin down my favorite speaker. A lot of them have had a huge impact on my life. I am so thankful for all those men who are willing to stand up and speak he truth. I also enjoyed fellowshipping with new and old friends! Nice meeting everyone! Of course, much more could be said, but I'm not one that writes long blog posts. :)

Cincinnati

This was actually my first look at snow in the day time!
I have to say, it was pretty much what I was expecting. :)

I tried to revive this image on Photoshop. I think it came out alright in the end....

The Convention Area

(: Is that Emily Rose??... (I don't think I even knew your name when I took this shot)

For those of who were not at the conference, this was the main room where everyone gathered. Multiply that section of seats by 6 or 7. It was mostly filled.

I recorded about 3 hours of preaching from the conference. I picked 20 minutes of my favorite audio from the conference. I think it also does a good job summing up what the conference was about. I really did this blog post to put up these two videos. Uploading the few pics I took with my point and shoot was an afterthought.

If you didn't watch it, come back when you have 20 minutes! You will be happy you did.

God Bless!

The Fallacy of "Fairness"

A Great political piece by Tomas Sowell.

If there is ever a contest to pick which word has done the most damage to people's thinking, and to actions to carry out that thinking, my nomination would be the word "fair." It is a word thrown around by far more people than have ever bothered to even try to define it.

This mushy vagueness may be a big handicap in logic but it is a big advantage in politics. All sorts of people, with very different notions about what is or is not fair, can be mobilized behind this nice-sounding word, in utter disregard of the fact that they mean very different things when they use that word.

Some years ago, for example, there was a big outcry that various mental tests used for college admissions or for employment were biased and "unfair" to many individuals or groups. Fortunately there was one voice of sanity-- David Riesman, I believe-- who said: "The tests are not unfair. LIFE is unfair and the tests measure the results."

If by "fair" you mean everyone having the same odds for achieving success, then life has never been anywhere close to being fair, anywhere or at any time. If you stop and think about it (however old-fashioned that may seem), it is hard even to conceive of how life could possibly be fair in that sense.

Even within the same family, among children born to the same parents and raised under the same roof, the first-borns on average have higher IQs than their brothers and sisters, and usually achieve more in life.

Unfairness is often blamed on somebody, even if only on "society." But whose fault is it if you were not the first born? Since some groups have more children than others, a higher percentage of the next generation will be first-borns in groups that have smaller families, so such groups have an advantage over other groups.

Despite all the sound and fury generated in controversies over whether different groups have different genetic potential, even if they all have identical genetic potential the outcomes can still differ if they have different birth rates

Twins have average IQs several points lower than children born singly. Whether that is due to having to share resources in the womb or having to share parents' attention after birth, the fact is what it is-- and it certainly is not fair.

Many people fail to see the fundamental difference between saying that a particular thing-- whether a mental test or an institution-- is conveying a difference that already exists or is creating a difference that would not exist otherwise.

Creating a difference that would not exist otherwise is discrimination, and something can be done about that. But, in recent times, virtually any disparity in outcomes is almost automatically blamed on discrimination, despite the incredible range of other reasons for disparities between individuals and groups.

Nature's discrimination completely dwarfs man's discrimination. Geography alone makes equal chances virtually impossible. The geographic advantages of Western Europe over Eastern Europe-- in climate and navigable waterways, among other things-- have led to centuries of differences in income levels that were greater than income differences between blacks and whites in America today.

Just the fact that the lay of the land is different in different parts of Europe meant that it was easier for the Roman legions to invade Western Europe. This meant that Western Europeans had the advantages of the most advanced civilization in Europe at that time. Moreover, because Roman letters were used in Western Europe, the languages of that region had written versions centuries before the Slavic languages of Eastern Europe did.

The difference between literacy and illiteracy is a huge difference, and it remained huge for centuries. Was it the Slavs' fault that the Romans did not want to climb over so many mountains to get to them?

To those living in Western Europe in the days of the Roman Empire, the idea of being conquered, and many slaughtered, by the Romans probably had no great appeal. But their descendants would benefit from their bad luck. And that doesn't seem fair either.

Help Haiti! Buy Sugar Scrub!

Go to my sister Lauren's blog!

The Circa History Guild

On our way to the SOS conference in Cincinnati we stopped at the Weathers' House for a visit. Thanks again Weathers family for your gracious hospitality. Before we left Alpharetta GA., on our way to Cincinnati, we visited the Circa History Guild.

The following 4 pictures are items that were in the John Adams mini-series!

The election box

Messenger bags!

I really liked these chess boards...

the ol' copper Indian

A woman teaching her children... Not something you see everyday in stained glass.

Dad enjoyed this one. Can you tell?

Thank you, Mr. Potter, for telling (and showing) us all that neat history!

The Fluoride Treatment

NOTE: I know I've been out of the blogging sphere for quite some time now. In the past few months I've been quite busy, as you have probably guessed. I plan on doing a catch-up post soon, but for now I have written a post I had planned on writing a month ago....

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Fluoride. You know, that harmless, helpful additive found in toothpaste and our water supply. We've been told it's an essential mineral that prevents cavities and helps maintain healthy teeth. Right? ....Right?

Wrong.

First of all, there are no recorded benefits of fluoride. In fact, there is far more conclusive evidence that it is indeed harmful. The fact is, fluoride is a cumulative toxic waste that is more toxic than lead! It has been banned in 13 countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Italy, and Austria to name a few. It causes birth defects, cancer, osteoporosis, and it can actually cause your teeth to erode and discolor.

So, if fluoride is really a terrible, harmful toxic waste, why do we put it in our water and toothpaste? For decades we have bought the lie of fluoridation. This lie has not only weakened tens of millions of immune systems, but has lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths. Federal health agencies have known these facts for years, but they have been controlled by manufactures to keep it a secret. Manufactures of what, you ask?

In the 1920's, aluminum manufacturing was booming due to aluminum cans. Dealing with large amounts of toxic fluoride waste was a growing problem. Fluoride waste was very costly to safely dispose of. ALCOA, an aluminum company in Pittsburgh, decided they needed to find a way to cut some of their costs. At the time, a man by the name of Andrew W. Mellon was over the jurisdiction of the U.S Public Health Services. He was also a founder and major stock holder of ALCOA.

So, in 1931, a PHS dentist was dispatched to 300 small towns in Texas where wells contain organic, natural fluoride. His mission was to determine just how much fluoride people could tolerate without taking damage to their teeth. He found that people's teeth were often discolored and eroded, but he also reported that they apeared to have fewer cavities than average.

I think you can probably connect the dots. This group of people (and others) devised a plan for this apparently worthless product. They launched a propaganda campaign to sell fluoride to the masses in toothpaste (despite any real evidence that it is beneficial). Apparently, they weren't making enough money on their newly launched sales campaign of selling fluoride in insecticide and rat poison.

In 1945 the American Dental Association decided to pump water into the Grand Rapids to do an official 15 year comparison study to determine if there really were benefits from fluoridation. But six years later, 6 more American cities were given the go ahead to pump fluoride into their water. The so called "15 year" study was abandon after only six years and the results were inconclusive.

Thus, manufactures of aluminum turned this once costly drag on their companies into a huge money maker.

Also, note that there are 2 types of fluoride. Calcium fluoride is found naturally in plants and water. The fluoride being added to our toothpaste and water is not calcium fluoride, but sodium fluoride, hydrofluorosilcic acid, or silicofluorides (all three are toxic wastes).

Have you ever seen the warning label on a tube of toothpaste that says "keep away from children". If a child ingested an entire tube of toothpaste, the dose would likely be fatal.

The first occurrence of fluoridated drinking water was found in Germany's concentration camps. The Gestapo was worried about little children in the camps getting cavities...um- NO! They used sodium fluoride to sterilize people and force them into a calm submission.

I could go on about the negative effects that fluoride has on our bodies, but I think you get the picture. Fluoride has been in dripped in our American water supply for close to 50 years and our toothpaste just as long.

So what should you do? I recommend buying toothpaste and mouthwash that doesn't contain fluoride. (Try www.vitacost.com)

I'd also recommend finding a filter that will filter it out of your water (something we have yet to do, as it can be expensive to find filtering systems that do). In case you were wondering, Brita filters aren't much good, but they do make the water taste good!

Anyway, I hope I didn't scare anyone too badly. Awareness is good though, right? You can click here for the article, 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation.

Until next time,
Joseph

Food, Inc.

Recently, our family watched a new movie called Food Inc. This film is extremely eyeopening as it describes where the vast majority of our food comes from. It goes into great depth as it documents the reasons why a hamburger costs less than a bag pf apples. It dives into topics like the dangers of E Coli and how they bathe meat in ammonia to kill bacteria.

Do you really know where your food comes from? I thought that I had a pretty good idea until I watched this movie!

Basically, most of the food in grocery stores comes from a few major companies that control how the food is made and who it is made by.

Although the people who made the movie did not appear to be Christian, they did seem to understand that food left in its natural state (the way God created it/ planned for us to eat it) is best. However, they mentioned "evolutionary design" a couple times. (Please.... now I've heard it all!!)

Aside from the humanist aspect of the movie, it's a great film that everyone in this country should watch! You'll never look at dinner the same way!

Finally Fixed...

For as long as I can remember, the only chair in my room has been broken. Recently it almost reached the point of no return, as you can see.

Molly was quite fascinated by the old glue.

A little too fascinated...

My seat in the mean time.

After taking it apart, my dad and I used J-B weld to put in back together.

At one point, many years ago, my Dad refinished the desk, chair, and dresser set.

To tell you the truth, it's not the most comfortable work station. But the neat thing about it is that my Dad worked on it when he was young. It makes my happy to see the chair restored for future generations.

...'til next time....

:)

Broken Promises

I want to apologize to my readers for not posting recently. I have been working on a few posts, but have been very busy lately. Just what has been keeping me so busy may show up in later posts... We shall see.

In the mean time, I thought some of you would enjoy this...

The Man Bag

A recent trend for many guys is to carry "messenger bags" or "man bags". I have found that many guys have tagged right along with this recent change (including myself), while others are still tentative to use this accessory. Before I go over the different points of view, lets talk about their history!

Messenger/man bags are not a new addition to a men's apparel. Throughout most of history, messengers used over-the-shoulder bags to carry messages and goods. In fact, men carried bags over there shoulders before women did. Even to this day, Royal Mail Carriers in the United Kingdom use large messenger bags to deliver mail. Almost every war had couriers that delivered messages in bags.

Some people don't agree with men wearing bags because they think it makes them look effeminate. I think this can be true. It all depends on how you wear it and what the bag looks like. If you are a guy thinking about carrying one and are worried about this, find one made from distressed leather. Problem solved.

You might say, "Well thats nice, but why carry a bag today?" Men carry them for many different reasons but my main reason is this: I usually like to carry around more stuff then will fit into my pockets. It's that simple.

Here is a list of the things I usually carry around....

_-wallet
_-keys (my keys now hang off the side)
_-digital camera
_-camera charger
_-sometimes my iphone (but usually stays in pocket)
_-ipod/iphone USB
_-spare ipod nano
_-set of earbuds
_-another set of earbuds
_-sunglass
_-tin whistle
_-business cards



_-decorated notepad (thanks to Michelle, Gabe's little sister :)
_-a few misc. cables
_-assortment of pens and a pencil
_-Gum (thanks Lane)
_- iphone's Otterbox belt clip
_-iphone cleaning cloth
_-box cutter
_-always my 16gb Flash Drive...

Those are the things that I almost always have in my bag. I also sometimes carry...

_-Day Timer
_-checkbook
_-bank deposits
_-receipts
_-invoices
_-laptop
_-change of clothes
_-germ-X!
_-Frisbee
_-My Bible (I always carry my i phone's Bible)
_-my friends things that have been left at my house ;)
_-things to give to other people


(This is another bag that I'm planning to use in the future)

I could go on about things I sometimes carry, but I think you get the picture. It is true that I may not use all those things all of the time, but many times, it's nice to have them on hand. I hope you enjoyed this! Tell me if you did!

What do you think about "Man Bags"?

Boston 7/2/09

Always Ready

I recently finished reading Always Ready by Dr. Greg Bahnsen. Bahnsen is a master at laying a concrete epistemology Foundation. Always Ready hits hard on the evils of neutrality and the foolishness of unbelief. His literary work really teaches you how to defend the the faith and intellectually be Always Ready to give an answer.

In one section of the book he writes how we need to be aware of the unbelievers assumptions of metaphysics (nature of reality) The following is an excerpt from Chapter 28, Bahnsen writes:

"Imagine that you have a colleague at work who graduated from college and fancies himself somewhat intellectual about matters of religion. According to him, there is no God and no spiritual realm (or spiritual events, spiritual forces) whatsoever. This physical world is all there is to reality. Moreover, this colleague finds it intellectually impossible to accept the Christian outlook because in contains what he deems logical contradictions within itself (say, that God is one yet three, or that God is loving and all-powerful but there is evil in the world). According to him, we cannot know anything to be true which conflicts with the laws of logic. The veiled problem in the thinking of your colleague is that his view of reality (metaphysic) does not comport whatsoever with his view of knowledge (epistemology). He can not simultaneously and consistently be committed to the laws of logic and the view that reality is solely physical in nature. You cannot touch or taste a law of logic; nor could you identify one with a sophisticated instrument devised be a physicist. Laws of logic are not physical, and thus given your colleague's perspective, laws of logic are not real anyway"

I love these types of arguments, they build us up in the faith and teach us how to be strong intellectually and "always ready" to give an answer. I think it is important for Christians to keep a constant read list to make us ever more passionate for truth. I recommend this book to everyone. But I would not recommend it as a bed time story. I found it required a pretty high concentration level.

I Hope you enjoyed my mini book review. May God bless you.

Reformation Vacation! - Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of our amazing trip to Boston! I finally got my camera going by this point so most of these pictures were taken by me.... I hope you all enjoy.

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Day 3

After breakfast and a seminar or two, we set off on a mini tour of the State House with Dr. Paul Jehle! The State House is on top of Beacon Hill. The hill was excavated so that the dirt could be used to fill in the bay due to population increase. The tour started in the Boston Commons.

Dr. Jehle teaching about Boston's founding

English Puritans, led by John Winthrop, founded Boston in 1630 .

More Teachings

Ok, now we at the state house...

The height of Beacon Hill use to be the top of the gold dome.

Across the street you could see the Shaw/ 54th Regiment Memorial, the Black Union Unit.

Looking on...

A good shot of Dad!

One of my favorites!

The next several shots were taken inside the State House....

The flag room!

Descriptions of the flags

The man himself!

Lovely stained glass....

One of the stain glass circles in the ceiling.

Simply amazing historical artwork....

My Art :)

After the State House tour, we had lunch and walked back to the Commons for our next tour: Calvinistic Preachers. Dr. Joesph Morecraft told us how great men like Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Samuel Davies, and others were greatly influenced by Calvin.

Later that evening...

George Washington speaking to the audience about God's providence...

If I remember correctly, these men were in there 90's and had been actively preserving the accurate history of Plymouth for decades...

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Day 4

We woke up early on Independence Day to participate in the parade.

Gathering to parade around the Commons...

Nice camera!

Fortunately in a great spot for taking pictures of the line behind us..

The Thomas Family drum and fife leading the ladies line.

This might be my favorite picture of the whole event!

He was cute...

Think anyone looks out of place?

The celebration continued after we marched back to the hotel!

Later that evening...

Back on the Commons!

Everyone was gathered around the to watch the show!

ooooo

ahhhh

Thanks again Lauren for the pics on the previous post and the fireworks on this one! And Emily Case for taking these last two pics of my family

Two more videos as promised!

You guys did great!!! I enjoyed your family's music as much as Mr. Zahm. Thanks!

What a way to finish the conference! Thanks to all you great people at Vision Forum!

7/4/09 Boston