61 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 3-4-21

  1. Good morning, (including older brother who is lost in time). Chores are done and I am on the bike. Children are much better, I seem to have the worst of it and am trying to keep away from the others, even if it is “just” a cold.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Good morning! I finished Bible study without coffee. I only had Rooibos tea which is without caffeine. I gotta have some coffee! It is truly a mind altering substance for me. I never drank it until I was in my 40s. My parents always drank coffee, and I was given a little with a lot of milk when young. I did not dislike it, but I guess I never cared enough for coffee flavored milk to ask for more. When I started to drink coffee, so I could be alert while driving a lot back and forth (with Wesley in the car) to go look after my mother, I drank it black. I loved it!

    Like

  3. Miss Bosely does not wear a collar of any kind. Once in awhile she escapes onto the carport a d possibly picks up fleas. If that happens, which is rare, we have Revolution to dot on the back of her neck. It always takes care of fleas. I can not remember the last time we had to use it.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I also have Revolution for Annie but don’t use it often (enough) really. I just gave the dogs their oral flea meds yesterday for the first time in a couple months, we took a break (which you’re not supposed to do with this one as it protects against heart worm, too, so if by rare chance they’ve contracted heart worm the medication can be very bad for them — but I can’t imagine that’s happened).

    I used to make Annie wear cute collars with a little ID tag, but she always wound up losing them. I replaced them dutifully for the first few years I had her, but finally just got tired of having to go to the machine at the pet store to make new metal tags every time.

    She’s never been a wanderer, and she especially isn’t one now (I blocked up the hole under the one gate that was the only thing that allowed her to slip out to the front porch in recent months). She used to jump and scramble over the tops of the gates, but that was in her youth. So she’ll do a little wandering, take bathroom breaks in the backyard, but she’s in the house probably 90% of the time these days.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. My cats are outdoors, probably very sick and on the verge of death. One is about twelve, the other about fifteen. They get wormed because they eat mice and stuff. They don’t have flea collars and they don’t have fleas.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. This week Veith has been tackling the issue of the cultural backlash we’re seeing against Christians, specifically evangelicals — while the world will always hate us, as Scripture makes clear, we’re also seeing another kind of reaction in our western culture right now.

    Some interesting thoughts, in my view

    ________________________________________

    What to Do About the Backlash Against Evangelicals
    MARCH 4, 2021 BY GENE VEITH

    So what can be done about the anti-Evangelical backlash that we have been discussing this week?

    First of all, we should remember that the Church is always in need of Reformation. Our Reformed friends have a slogan to that effect, Ecclesia semper reformanda est, and in this they are not wrong. Certainly our historical moment, like the Middle Ages, is in need of a Reformation, not unlike the previous one.

    The worldliness, doctrinal confusion, moral failures, and superficiality of so much of American Christianity call for a rediscovery of the Gospel, not just as a formula in time of conversion, but as a lifelong, fruit-bearing faith in Christ and His Cross, nourished by continual repentance and forgiveness.

    Because so much of the current revulsion against Evangelicalism and conservative Protestantism more generally comes from politics, it will probably be good for us to be out of power and out of influence for awhile. Not good for the causes we hold dear, especially not good for unborn children and other “life not worthy of life,” as the eugenicists used to call it. We will still have to do everything we can to support the cause of life, even though political power will elude us. But our political exile may help us to rethink our approach and our political theology, which might make us more effective in the right way should we ever gain political influence again.

    Those measures are obvious, as is the realization from John 15 that the world will always hate us because the world hated Jesus whom we follow. We need to adjust our expectations and stop wanting to be liked so much. We should not be the pathetic cultural conformists that we have often become, hoping to win the culture by trying to be like the culture, a tactic that seldom works and that can lead us astray. …

    (He goes on to spend some time on what makes Luthernaism district, but then points out that around the 1980s the influence of a more generic evangelicalism began to influence all of our denominations)

    …. This same pattern happened in nearly every denomination. Calvinists had their own way of worshipping and teaching, but conservative Presbyterians also began to look like “evangelicals.” So did Wesleyans. So did Baptists. So did Pentecostals. Even some Anglicans moved in this direction. Even some Catholics toned down their liturgy and brought out the guitars and contemporary Jesus songs.

    The biggest Evangelical churches were nondenominational, which meant not only being unaffiliated with other churches, but setting themselves apart from any particular theological tradition. Pastors could teach pretty much whatever they wanted to. And the people in the pew could believe pretty much what they wanted. You could hold a Reformed view of salvation or an Arminian view, and that was all right. You could speak in tongues if you wanted to, but you didn’t have to. Though there tended to be an implicit theology–hardly any baptized infants or celebrated the Lord’s Supper much–the implication was that we are going on our own and that new approaches will be better than the old ones.

    But that meant that when various denominations emulated the evangelicals, they too became non-denominational, losing their distinctives and their theological identity.

    This happened because Evangelicalism was so popular. But it isn’t popular any more. It is “other.” The old argument was that churches needed to become like the evangelicals in order to reach the culture. But today the culture finds evangelicalism to be, as Hunter says, “repugnant.”

    Here is my modest proposal. Drop the “evangelical” label. Let Lutherans be Lutherans, Presbyterians be Presbyterians, Wesleyans be Wesleyan, Pentecostals be Pentecostals, Baptists be Baptist. …
    _____________________________

    Liked by 1 person

  7. It was the growing blandness (for lack of a better word) — along with the effort to be popular and, more common today, politically involved — that partly drew me to the Reformed ranks. I loved the emphasis on sound doctrine that wasn’t superficial, observing the Lord’s Supper every week, longer, much meatier sermons with a stress on theology, good music that included the best of the old (and new songs, too, but those that were vetted by our elders and considered in line with good doctrine) — and, yes, the ability to stand apart from the popular culture (including the politics) that today have become so toxic.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. I have a question for those in the medical field. We were told to take NSAIDs if we had pain from the vaccine. One of my cousins was told try not to take one. Does anyone know what is the best course?

    I thought this might make a good bible trivia question sometime, although it may be too easy. To what is this referring: “All who hate me love death?”

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Yes, Janice, you are correct. I had forgotten the name of that author. I did read that book and for the most part thought he had some good things to see. Didn’t agree with all of it, of course. I had no idea about the organization, however, so can’t comment on it.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. On pain meds — I didn’t know this but they now advise not taking any OTC pain mediations BEFORE you get the shots as it could (they don’t really know for sure) inhibit antibody response and make the vaccines less effective.

    Taken OTC meds afterward is fine — at least that’s what I’d last read.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. I don’t know that it really makes much difference. NSAIDS are anti-inflammatory, not immunosuppressive. I could see maybe not taking them beforehand, just because that initial inflammation from the needle being put in might help draw the attention of the immune system to the area, but it shouldn’t make any difference after. I was not given any such advice, one way or another, so it clearly wasn’t considered an important factor.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. The two mask thing was discussed up here, but most public health figures felt that compliance would be lower with two masks and just recommended cloth masks have three layers.

    Like

  13. Thank you, Kare.

    I have been running some errands this a.m. for Art. It seems to be strange to be out like a regular person. I don’t think my efforts have accomplished what he needed, but tomorrow we will find out. I have more errand running later. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! I got to stop along the way and snap some flower photos.

    Like

  14. Don’t shoot the messenger.

    From an article about double-masking:

    ~ Researchers say that wearing a surgical mask underneath a cloth mask provides maximal protection, because the surgical mask acts as a filter and the cloth adds an additional layer and helps with fit, according to commentary on mask-wearing published on Jan. 15. In places where it’s difficult to maintain social distance, such as on an airplane or at the store, two masks would provide additional protection. The next best option would be a three-layer mask that contains an inner filter. ~

    Liked by 1 person

  15. “All who hate me love death.”
    People who do not love life, love death. Eternal life is knowing God. Death is separation from God. Makes sense that those who do not love Him, love death.

    Ooops, forgot to push send. Did I miss the whole conversation?

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I mostly wear the 3-layer (faux) surgical type ‘paper’ type masks, disposable after each use. (I don’t think they’re paper, really, but some very lightweight material — and they come in boxes of 50 for about $10.) The close-fitting cloth masks, especially the stretchy kind, I found to be stifling.

    Like

  17. Perhaps it is from one of the epistles of Paul that is quoting the words of Jesus? That covers a lot of ground. Trying to narrow it down through expansion, lol.

    Like

  18. Seen on Twitter:

    ~ Can we have a period of re-socialization when this is all over? I just ran into a woman in my (almost always empty) office and I nearly screamed. ~

    Liked by 2 people

  19. just sitting here watching the sun begin to light the day. There is a craft market this morning, but I can’t think of any crafts that are worth going down the hill before 7am. And it is quite quiet so I don’t think others are going either.
    So glad that it is Friday here. Hoping our internet gets repaired and that the area with fighting will resolve it peacefully.

    Liked by 3 people

  20. Ah, the “woman” wisdom from Proverbs.

    Jo, what a beautiful time of day! That is my preferred time for morning chores. Good time for worship.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. The reason I said it was multilayered is that the Proverbs 8, of which “all they that hate me love death” is the final statement, on Wisdom, is a Messianic prophecy as well. The section in verses 22-31 is a cross reference for John 1:1-2.

    Liked by 4 people

  22. Yesterday was my parents’ 48th anniversary, so we called my step-mom to see how she’s doing. She seemed upbeat. She said the place my dad volunteered for 12 years set up a mini library in his honor with a plaque. She spent the day getting some things to donate, mostly DVDs. We’ll have to go see it when we get out to Tucson again.

    Liked by 6 people

  23. It is coincidental that this past Sunday during our prayer call I read a Proverbs passage about Wisdom but it was from the first of Proverbs. I did not get that far!😊 On Sundays we mostly pray for the church so I was praying for wisdom for the leaders including accountability.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. We were predicted to get less than an inch of snow today…thus far we have six inches and now “they” are saying another three inches overnight…wet heavy Spring snow…lots of moisture! ⛄️

    Like

  25. I am baking my fruity gingerbread. Soon the house will smell heavenly. It is pretty nutritious so if Art does not have time for lunch he can at least have some of it. It has 3 eggs yogurt, oatmeal and plain flour, olive oil, banana, applesauce, orange juice, and crushed pineapple. For spices I put in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nuymeg. It is not vegan with the eggs and yogurt, but it is a good way to get protein.

    Like

  26. I’ll be having a phone call with my boss tomorrow morning to discuss a return to work!!! It will be part time to start, but I’ll be able to take my computer and office cell phone with me to the twins’ house and work from there. I’m heading out there next week with my daughter, who will get to see her nephews for the first time!

    DIL is having surgery on her nose (to help her breath better) on March 24 so she will need me for at least a week after that. Yay, I’ll get to stay for another month with the babies AND do some work for camp.

    Liked by 5 people

  27. Wonderful news Kare! Praying for everything to work out with the sweet blessing of our Lord! Oh and those babies…such a gift! ♥️
    Janice that bread sounds wonderful…well with the exception of the banana…wonder if that could be left out and still be ok? I have such an aversion to bananas.. 🤢 🍌

    Liked by 2 people

  28. Now I can’t find the cookbook, maybe I loaned it to someone, but I did find where I wrote down this recipe. I have been looking for it. My body just feels good after eating this. stronger

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.