Head-dibs

Our Mud Run team did not make the run this last April, so our fear ful less leader took us on the trail of our lives. The experience was unmatched and is nearly indescribable. Pictures will be posted later. No map captures what this trail delivers. It is "black-diamond" expert level that most people do in descending fashion. We climbed. And climbed. And climbed. And experienced everything a human being could possibly experience--it was a ride, inside and out. We summited 9 peaks in two days: Celo Knob, Gibbs Mountain, Winter Star Mountain, down into Deep Gap, up Potato Hill, Cattail Peak, Balsam Cone, Big Tom, Mt. Craig, then finally ending at Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak on the Eastern Seaboard. Here's a snapshot of maps with elevation details. With calories burned. I am in deep recovery mode right now.

"In “Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible” in the March/April 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Purdue University scholar Lawrence Mykytiuk lists 50 figures from the Hebrew Bible who have been confirmed archaeologically. The 50-person chart in BAR includes Israelite kings and Mesopotamian monarchs as well as lesser-known figures." More here (ht: Dr. Bryan Beyer )

The 1971 song “ Getting In Tune ” (written by Pete Townshend) of The Who begins: I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well With the chords I'm playing I can't pretend there's any meaning here Or in the things I'm saying But I'm in tune As the song progresses, one notices a deep longing from the writer who struggles to find the words he really wants to say. His longing sounds almost spiritual. I've got it all here in my head There's nothing more needs to be said I'm just bangin' on my old piano I'm getting in tune with the straight and narrow He’s tired, dissatisfied with life the way it is: hanging out in the same old places, seeing the same people, pretending that everything’s fine. He thinks the object of his attention is “baby” (a woman), but his dissatisfaction becomes evident in “ The Song Is Over ”, revealing that a woman will not fulfill his deepest longing. When I walked in through the door Thought it was me I was lo...

This is a day for remembering our fallen. Some of us make this observance by participating in a special training session. At some point in the workout, we receive clues from our body to remind us that what we experience is a tiny fraction of what our heroes experienced. "Murph" is a workout performed in memory of Lt. Michael Murphy USN . The WOD can be modified to:  one mile run 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 squat Lt. Murphy is just one hero we remember and our gratitude goes out to all who gave their lives. The greatest hero is the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life to pay the penalty for our sin, for our lies, lust and adultery, hatred and murder, disobedience, covetousness, idolatry, theft, misdirected love, not setting aside time for God. God will hold us accountable for breaking His moral law unless we turn to Christ by faith. He died, was buried and rose again so we don't have to die in our sin--all we need to do is repent of our sins a...

Depends on what is meant by "evil".

"If atheism is true, what is 'thinking'? What is 'reason'? Well the answer has to be that it's merely a chemical process. If atheism is true and there is no God, what's going on between my ears right now are just chemical fizzing, atoms knocking together. But if that's true, how can I trust my thinking?"

Some read just enough to keep themselves misinformed. (Amish proverb) The man is sure to go wrong in his thinking whose aim is to get for himself. (possibly H.L. Mencken) Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid. (G.K. Chesterton) There is no worse error than to seek intellectual remedy for moral grief. (Gaston Frommel) Beat not out thy brains to fathom the un-revealed. (Harold Will) It is not honking your horn that keeps you out of trouble as much as steering wisely. (Headline in the "Butter, Cheese & Egg Journal" July 12, 1922) Knowledge is power under three conditions: if it is knowledge of things worth knowing; if it is known by a person worthy of using it; if it be used. (anon) A brain is as strong as its weakest think. (Thomas Masson) Hell hath no fury like a zealot trying to prove a theory. (anon) True wisdom is seldom gained without suffering. (Sir Arthur Help...

A recent article of interest is “ How To Spot The Charlatans In The Personal Training Business ” providing helpful instruction on how to discern a fitness trainer from one who only says they are a fitness trainer. When folks tell me, “I want to train with you,” I make very clear from the outset that I am not a trainer, but they are welcome to join me at their own risk. The con-men and grifters on TV and in movies have become anti-heroes--but the reality remains: we must be careful. There are people out there who seem to be successful in ministry but they are actually charlatans. The Bible is filled with warnings against false teacher, starting with the 2nd commandment where taking the Lord’s name in vain means much more than a warning against dropping God’s name as a curse word. This foundational warning is against those who take God’s name on themselves then misrepresent Him to the world. The apostle Paul makes a clear distinction between a true minister and those who Satan uses...

“If moral statements are about something, then the universe is not quite as science suggests it is, since physical theories, having said nothing about God, say nothing about right or wrong, good or bad. To admit this would force philosophers to confront the possibility that the physical sciences offer a grossly inadequate view of reality. And since philosophers very much wish to think of themselves as scientists, this would offer them an unattractive choice between changing their allegiances or accepting their irrelevance.” “Has anyone provided proof of God’s inexistence? Not even close. Has quantum cosmology explained the emergence of the universe or why it is here? Not even close. Have our sciences explained why our universe seems to be fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life? Not even close. Are physicists and biologists willing to believe in anything so long as it is not religious thought? Close enough. Has rationalism and moral thought provided us with an understanding of w...