Futuristic Fashions

In 1936, this is what they thought the fashions would look like in 2000.

Reformation Polka

Mr. Microphone

Funny..., I never found that "Hey good lookin'," line to ever work. Maybe I needed a Mr. Microphone!

Look Smart, Dress Sharp!

Muddy Waters-Got My Mojo Wuerkin'

I know...I know...It's only Rock-n-Roll but I like it.

Fun With the Swedish Chef

Emmylou Harris-You Never Can Tell

A remake of the song written by the great Chuck Berry!

Van Morrison-St. Dominic's Preview

When I watch this and listen to this music, I experience something like being homesick for a place I've never been.

Buck Owens-Act Naturally

Right Back Where We Started From

"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:16

This little snippit is to me what Lewis called "drippings of grace." Are you looking forward to heaven?

Tolkien Sings!

This little ditty is called, "Troll Sat Alone on His Seat of Stone" Thanks Zach!!!

Who Wants an iphone?

I am curious. How many of you plan to get an iphone in your stocking this year for Christmas? I have heard the batteries for those little rascals are more expensive than the device! Please take my poll on the left. It's painless. I promise.

Charles Spurgeon on Water Butts

"He is great upon the ten toes of the beast, the four faces of the cherubim, the mystical meaning of badgers' skins, and the typical bearings of the staves of the ark, and the windows of Solomon's temple: but the sins of business men, the temptations of the times, and the needs of the age, he scarcely ever touches upon. Such preaching reminds me of a lion engaged in mouse-hunting, or a man-of-war cruising after a lost water-butt" --Charles Spurgeon (from Lectures to My Students)

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

Tower of Anor

Sing now, ye people of the Tower of Anor,
for the Realm of Sauron is ended for ever,
and the Dark Tower is thrown down.

Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of Guard,
for your watch hath not been in vain,
and the Black Gate is broken,
and your King hath passed through,
and he is victorious.

Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West,
for your King shall come again,
and he shall dwell among you
all the days of your life.

And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed,
and he shall plant it in the high places,
and the city shall be blessed.

Sing all ye people!

JRR Tolkien (from the Lord of the Rings)

Let 'er Roll, I Love Lucy

My Father's House- Bruce Springsteen

This is the one of the most haunting songs lyrically I know. And it seems somewhat fitting to the pictures of my father's house below.

My Father's House by Bruce Springsteen

Last night I dreamed that I was a child

Out where the pines grow wild and tall

I was trying to make it home through the forest

Before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling through the trees

And ghostly voices rose from the fields

I ran with my heart pounding down that broken path

With the devil snappin' at my heels

I broke through the trees, and there in the night

My father's house stood shining hard and bright

The branches and brambles tore my clothes and scratched my arms

But I ran till I fell, shaking in his arms

I awoke and I imagined the hard things that pulled us apart

Will never again, sir, tear us from each other's hearts

I got dressed, and to that house I did ride

From out on the road, I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and stood on the porch

A woman I didn't recognize came and spoke to me through a chained door

I told her my story, and who I'd come for

She said "I'm sorry, son, but no one by that name lives here anymore

"My father's house shines hard and bright

It stands like a beacon calling me in the night

Calling and calling, so cold and alone

Shining `cross this dark highway where our sins lie unatoned

(lyrics copyright 1982 by Bruce Springsteen)

My Father's House

When they were first married, sometime in the mid-1940's, my grandparent's bought a little home in Mount Airy, NC. It was a simple log cabin. Over time, little by little they fixed it up. When I was a child it was a nice place to live. Very clean and tidy. A couple months ago it burned. The following are pictures from long ago and from my visit yesterday 12/08/07. (You can click on each individual picture to see a much bigger view.)

That's my mom on the far left. My brother John is sitting on her lap. I am second from the right in the white T-shirt with my mouth wide open. This picture was from 1974.

Here my brother and I are waking my dad on Christmas morning, 1974.

My brother John and I in bed pretending to be asleep on Christmas morning.

Daddy playing with yo-yo in the living room.

In the living room with brother John. Do we look excited? Yep!

My mom. That tree could almost qualify as a "Charlie Brown" model.

That's my grandpa Genoa with his handy/dandy pocket protector.

And this is the way the house looked yesterday.

...and the other side.

The backside of the house. My dad is in the lower right.

A shell of the same bedroom where my brother John and I woke my dad on Christmas morning so many years ago.

The Christmas tree was in front of this window where my mom stood with her blue suit, my brother and I looked so excited and my dad played with the yo-yo. Now-nothing but charred memories.

The front porch where I sat with my mom and neighborhood friends. Now-it's something from a nightmare!

My dad, wife-Laura and daughter- Lorien look at me through the remains of the house.

"Where would we be without hope in our hearts."

100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers

Thanks to my good buddy Kev for this one! I can watch it over, and over, and over...Well, I could watch it for at least 100 times!

Dave Barry on Cholesterol

"It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from another person's plate." -Dave Barry

A Big Bite of Beef at Christmastime

When I was 14 years old we had a big Christmas dinner at my home. My mom and dad invited several family and friends to our small apartment. We did not have an official dining room. There was a tiny table in the kitchen. It was packed with scrumptious food, and there was barely room to sit. My brother and I inhabited the low rung on the food chain, so we ate on the floor in the hallway beside the kitchen. [side note: I used to keep a stocking cap permanently attached to my head in those days. Keep this in mind for the upcoming scene.] We had many good things to eat: Dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pie and a suculent roast and many other tasty morsels.

Gifts were opened that morning, people came to visit. Little time had been left to eat, so when dinnertime rolled around, my brother and I were quite hungry. We sat on the floor and stuffed our faces!

About halfway into the first plate of food, I took an exceptionally big bite of beef. I gave the lucious lump of meat a few quick chews and swallowed. Unfortunately, the hunk of meat got stuck just as it started to go down. I found this quite curious and decided to tell my brother about it. In a nano-second, I experienced the awkward sensation of not being able to speak! I learned something very valuable and I am not sure the thought had ever crossed my mind before: A person needs air not only to breathe but also to talk! And I was unable to because of that big bite of beef stuck in my wind pipe!

Panic soon had me in its snare and I stood up from the floor with stocking cap still on my head. My brother saw fear in my eyes and followed me into the kitchen.

The guests were talking and eating and having an all around festive time when I walked in. Their faces turned to me with jovial anticipation. I had a wild look on my face and my mouth was moving up and down, but no words came out.

My brother soon appeared behind me and with a mighty blow, lowered a clinched fist down onto my back. This caused the big bite of beef to eject from my mouth onto the middle of the table where it landed with something like a ker-splat. This all happened so quickly that folks were still removing forks from their mouth when it struck. I'm not sure if they were more surprised at my choking or the fact that a person could actually swallow something so large!

The sound of that meat smacking the table was music to my ears and the feel of air rushing into my lungs was exhilerating!

Since then, I have chewed my food with a little more caution, especially when I eat roast beef!

Mitt Romney Speech on Religion and Politics

Mitt Romney gave a speech today where he said if elected he would not let the Mormon church dictate how he ran the country. However, he also said he would not "separate us from the God who gave us freedom."

This speech comes at a critical time. I believe Mr. Romney is beginning to realize that Mr. Huckabee might be force to reckon with when it comes to conservative Christians in America.

What do you think....? I am not going to ask if you are going to vote for Romney, but what I would like to know is Could a Christian vote for a Mormon for president with a clear conscience? I am curious. What is your opinion?

Springsteen on Charles Starkweather-Nebraska

The recent killings at an Omaha shopping mall reminded me of the song Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen. The lyrics are based upon the story of serial killer Charles Starkweather. There was also a move made in 1973 called Badlands starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Both stories are tragic chapters in the history of America.

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” -Genesis 4:8-12

Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
I saw her standin' on her front lawn
just twirlin' her baton
Me and her went for a ride sir
and ten innocent people died

From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska
with a sawed off .410 on my lap
Through to the badlands of Wyoming
I killed everything in my path

I can't say that I'm sorry
for the things that we done
At least for a little while sir
me and her we had us some fun

The jury brought in a guilty verdict
and the judge he sentenced me to death
Midnight in a prison storeroom
with leather straps across my chest

Sheriff when the man pulls that switch sir
and snaps my poor head back
You make sure my pretty baby
is sittin' right there on my lap

They declared me unfit to live
said into that great void my soul'd be hurled
They wanted to know why I did what I did
Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world.

lyrics copyright 1982 Bruce Springsteen

Virgin America Safety Video

For those of you who find the stewardesses who try to explain how to buckle a seat-belt yawningly boring, this video is for you! Check out the nun with the laptop at the end. Hilarious!

Futuristic Technology from 1967

This is a real video from 1967. This was their vision of 1999. Check out the flat panel monitors, purchasing online concept, and email! I verified it on Snopes.com.

Will the Church Really Prevail?

"The principle problem here is not the fact that evangelicals adopted Calvinism and consequently lost their zeal for evangelism, but rather that postmillennial Calvinists abandoned their postmillennialism and consequently lost their conviction that the gospel would go forth into the world, conquering and to conquer" -Douglas Wilson (Mother Kirk)

Healthy Toy Alternative- ESV Children's Bible

With so many unhealthy toys out there imported from foreign countries that have less than perfect standards when it comes to that little element called lead, why not give your child A wonderfully safe gift this Advent season? The (click here) ESV Children's Bible is on sale at Westminster Bookstore for $14.94. (by the way, that's 40% off of retail!)

There are over 200 color illustrations and the cover can be safely chewed upon. We know the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, but this one has no lead!

"How sweet are your words to my taste,sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103

Who Was It?

Who was the guy in the picture with the grey suit?

It was my dad, Dennis Griffith, circa 1972.

D. W. Griffith, born in 1948 now lives at large, in the greater Mount Airy, NC area.

Some say he bears a striking likeness to the guy who played the father on the hit 90's TV show The Wonder Years. Do you see a resemblance?

Huckabee on Immigration

"Securing our borders must be our top priority and has reached the level of a national emergency." -Mike Huckabee

Is it possible to not like a guy who plays the bass guitar?

If She Were an Angel- A Parable

Once there was a little girl who could hardly wait for Christmas. It was honestly all she could think about. Now there was nothing wrong with this, of course, because all of us should be thinking about the Lord’s appearance as one of us. All of us should remember the Lord’s Incarnation, the Lord becoming a member of His covenant people. All of us should be excited about the prospect, yet again, of living in the midst of a people who are celebrating something they don’t quite understand, but who are celebrating it in a way that makes it easy for us to talk to them about it.

At any rate, this little girl was excited about Christmas for all the wrong reasons. She was sick of school, and wanted vacation to start so she could lie around the house all day and fuss about helping her mother. She wanted to eat a lot of fudge. She wanted to open her glorious presents in her mind a thousand times before Christmas day. Her obligation to give presents to others was a necessary nuisance to the whole business, and so she scarcely thought at all about what she would give the others in her family. There were always the old stand-bys—a necktie for dad, cheap perfume for mom. In short, she was very selfish little girl, and though she was celebrating Christmas, she was holding it upside down and backwards.

And then one night, right near the beginning of Advent, she had a terrible dream. Actually, it was a wonderful dream, but she certainly thought it was a terrible dream. In her dream she saw her parents sitting in front of a desk, like they were getting counseling or something, but behind the desk was an angel. And he wasn’t a happy-looking angel either, but had rather a severe look on his face. He was pushing a collection of papers across the desk, and he said, "I am afraid that you have been spoiling your child. Some in the heavenly office here have gone so far as to say you have been spoiling your child rotten. These papers show exactly what your daughter’s attitude toward everyone else at Christmas is. Pretty grim reading, I can tell you that. Now here are your instructions—we want you to treat her in just the same way. It is all in there. Exactly the same way . . . Got that?"

Her parents had an awful look on their faces, a look the daughter knew very well. They did not want to do this at all. She recognized the look—that’s how she could play them so well. But this time it was different; an angel who looked like a drill sergeant was telling them to get her a cheap tie for Christmas.

So of course she woke up in a panic. She was very quiet at breakfast, and her mother even asked her if something was wrong. But nothing was wrong; she was just thinking hard about it. And as she thought, and as she thought some more, she gradually came to realize that a real angel would never tell her parents to do anything like that. That’s only how she would talk if she were an angel, and for the first time in her life she realized how awful it was.

by Douglas Wilson (from Blog and Mablog)

The Church- By Edmund P. Clowney

In his book The Church, Edmund Clowney examines various aspects of and defines what it means to be "the Body of Christ." Clowney is a seasoned theologian and knows his stuff when it comes to writing about this subject. In this book he talks about what it means to be a part of the holy, catholic church. He examines the marks of the true chruch. He looks at the mission of the church in the world. He takes on Wayne Grudem in his examination of the prophetic movement. He also gives a good critique and counterview of the charismatic movement.

Overall the book was good. I love the subject matter, but I found Clowney's style of writing to be a little long winded. I kept looking forward to the end. Again, not because of the subject matter, but because of the writing style. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Springsteen

I really do not believe he is, but hey, I like the song nonetheless. The saxaphone solo in this song is one of the best!

Extreme Skydiving

Okay, I'm ready! When do we go?

Karl Barth Said That

Who said...?

"Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life."

It was Reformed, Neo-Orthodox theologian (Click here) Karl Barth.

Barth was one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the 20th century. Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he became one of the founding fathers of the Neo-Orthodox movement, which assumed prominence in Christian thought between the two World Wars. (from Wikipedia)

Ron Paul-Something Big

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'. --Bob Dylan

NT Wright -Rocky Raccoon

NT Wright with a new perspective on Paul (McCartney).

"Now Rocky Raccoon, he fell back in his room

Only to find Gideon's bible

Gideon checked out, and he left it, no doubt

To help with good Rocky's revival,

yeah, yeah

Da-n-da-n-da..."

Wright's gonna' have to do his homework to interpret Rocky Raccoon.

Questions:

1. Is Rocky really a raccoon, or is that just a nickname?

2. Was the Gideon's Bible a KJV?

3. What if any, is the significance of Rocky reading from the textus receptus?

4. Why did Rocky fall back in his room? (see rest of song to get full context).

5. Was Rocky really "good?"

6. What kind of a revival did Rocky have?

7. Checked out, is that as in "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave?

30 Percent of SBC Pastors are Calvinists

There is a Reformation afoot.

Understatement

Mark Dever

“The Gospel is the center of the sermon, and the sermon is the center of the church.” --Mark Dever

Dr. Dever's book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism is available at Westminster Bookstore.

Who Is It?

Who's in the picture?

I'll let you know next week. guess, guess, guess!

Handle Bar Moustache Club

Jeeves and Wooster- Minnie the Moocher

I Say a Little Prayer For You- Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is a great musical interpreter and an American treasure.

Red Mask in the Mailbox

Red Mask in the Mailbox
by Chris Griffith

Chapter 7: The Color Red

Mary was behind Thomas when he reached the top of the hill. She heard the dull thump as the car slammed into the iron pole planted in the ground. A second or two later she heard a window crash, but saw nothing. She did not see it hit him, but she heard it bang and clang as it bounced off his head.

When the silver mailbox with the red handle slammed into the skull of eight year old Thomas Trimpton, he was knocked unconscious.

He dropped the Cracker Jack lunch box onto the concrete sidewalk where it made a dull thump. Thomas had finished his lunch late and did not have time to empty his trash. So he stuffed an apple core, some napkins, and a empty zip lock bag into the box beside the Cracker Jack thermos. When he dropped his lunch box, the books from under his right arm slid out and slapped onto the concrete. First a social studies book and then a math book. Pencils, a few crayons, and a pink eraser spilled out of a little plastic bag. The eraser bounced a few times before it came to a rest.

Thomas’s eyes rolled back inside their sockets. He fell backwards, and his head landed in a row of bushes along the sidewalk.

She jogged over the hill and found Thomas flat on his back. A trickle of blood ran down his forehead.

She looked up and saw Joe Trimpton’s car in the middle of the street.

“Mr. Trimpton, come quick,” she said. “I think Thomas is hurt!”
He saw a body on the ground. He recognized the blue and white tennis shoes and the brown corduroys and broke into a sprint. Thomas was sprawled on the ground, his lunch box beside him, with books and pencils scattered about. The mailbox was in the bushes beside Thomas’s head, with one side caved in. The red flag stood straight in the air.

He awoke a few minutes later. The first thing he saw was the dazzling brilliance of the blue sky above. His eyes were filled with tears. His view was blocked by the silhouette of a man, and Thomas noticed it was his father. He stretched his hand towards him and tried to speak, but the words were lost in babble.

“Tommy, can you hear me?” his dad asked. The voice came from far away. His rough hand touched the side of Thomas’ face and caressed his cheek.

“It’s my birthday Mama, can I please stay home?” he asked, half awake, half asleep.

As Thomas lay there, another figure entered his vision and brought him back to full conciseness although he thought he was still dreaming. He saw the outline of a body, with the sun behind it. His eyes cleared and he saw her new and afresh, like a newborn baby. “Mama,” he cried.

Mary stood over him, Charlie’s Angels lunch box in one hand and Holly Hobby purse in the other.

Thomas sat up, his mouth gaped open, eyes wide as windows shot out in a ghetto. He gazed at Mary Snodgrass. A goose egg grew above his right eye and began to turn a light shade of purple.
“Wake up, boy,” Joe said.

Thomas stared at the red sweater Mary wore. It was a red cardigan with white buttons; her favorite. She loved the smell of the sweater and the softness of it. People took notice of her when she wore it, as if her mouth alone did not bring her enough attention. She wore the red cardigan with her blue jeans and a white pair of Keds running shoes. The outfit looked patriotic and on the days she wore her sweater, she spoke up a little louder when pledging allegiance to the flag.

“Tommy...?” He asked.

The sun sparkled down from above and shadowed the face of Thomas.

“Can you hear me son?” Joe said, and shook him on the shoulder.

“Do you think he’s dead?” Mary asked.

“No Mary, he’s not dead. I think he’s been knocked silly,” Joe said.

“Tommy, can you hear me?” Joe asked again.

“Dad…?”

“Tommy, what’s wrong?” his dad asked. “Are you okay?”

Thomas stared at Mary’s sweater, not because it was beautiful, (although to him, at that moment, it was), not because he liked the pretty white buttons on it, and certainly not because it was Mary “Snotnose” Snodgrass who wore it, but because for the first time in his life, he saw the color red.

Nature Boy by Nat King Cole

"The greatest thing, you'll ever learn, is to love, and be loved in return."

A Merry Christmas Season to You

"A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit."--Scrooge (from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

New Look for the Prancing Pony

The architects of Bree are developing a new look for the Prancing Pony. Although aesthetically sophisticated, the new inn will be technologically advanced as well. The revamped facility will have a state of the art gravity driven plumbing system to supply water to the kitchen and the W.C. (This is only a model.)

Who Said That?

Who said...

"Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life."

I'll post the answer next week. No cheating, (googling, etc.)

The Supremacy of Christ-John Piper

Strap your seatbelts on for this one! If this doesn't charge your battery, you must be dead.

Ron Paul- America's Hero

I know he's controversial, but I will vote for Ron Paul. Go Dr. Paul!

Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson

In the book Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson we learn husbandry is much like gardening. The Bible makes indicative statements like this, "the head of a wife is her husband." This statement does not tell a man what he ought to do, but it tells us what he is. He is the head. Now regardless if he acts like one or not, he is by way of a God-established covenant, the head.

The Bible also make imperative statements like this, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her," This statement does not so much tell a man what he is as it tells a man how he is to act.

Wilson believes a lot of confusion could be cleared concerning how people interpret the Bible if they can begin to distinguish between imperatives and indicatives.

So in essence, if a man is married to a woman, he is to care for her, much like a gardener would care for a garden. He should make every effort to "weed" his garden. If he does not, the fruit will be choked. He is the husband of the garden and he cannot just be a nice guy and stand by idly while the weeds grow and say things like, "you're the garden, you know what is best." If he does make a statement like that, he is being dishonest. He is responsible for that garden because she has been entrusted into his care. He will give account for his tending of her.

He also should use caution and not trample rip-shod through his garden and damage the blossoming fruit. Only a careless gardener would act in such a way.

This a a great little book and I highly recommend it.

Girls in Their Summer Clothes

Instant classic! Bruce is making music again like he did 25-30 years ago! And he's not afraid to sing either.

DJ Spock

"We simply must accept the fact that Captain Kirk is no longer alive...let's get ready to party." -Spock

Weltanschauung Rap

Dr. Orrick, Boyce College, Louisville, KY

What's a Weltanschauung? It's a worldview.

Your Own Worst Enemy

Sometimes innovative music is a little hard to listen to the first time 'round, but I've always found the best music is the kind that grows on ya'. Commercial music is very easy on the ears upon first listen, but that's the point: No one can sell Juicy Fruit with really creative music. A stick of Juicy Fruit, although succulent, will lose it's flavor in no time...just like the music they make to sell it.

Nashville Skyline

My favorite Bob Dylan album cover art, Nashville Skyline. I imagine he might say something like this, in his very recognizable voice, "er.., top of the mornin' to ya'."

The Intimate Marriage

I was almost dreading to read The Intimate Marriage by R.C. Sproul. I thought to myself "oh no, not another pop-psychology book." But I am glad I read it. Although it was not a self-help book, I still found it to be quite beneficial. After all- this is Dr. Sproul, not Dr. Phil.

Sproul in his familiar style of humour and thoughtfulness addresses such issues as communication between couples, roles of husbands and wives, divorce, sex, etc. Did I mention sex? Sproul on sex...? Yeppie. Of course, in typical fashion, it is God-centered.

I found the book to be a little different from some of his others in that he uses a bit more of a personal touch than usual. He talks very lovingly of his wife Vesta and we get a little glimpse into their marriage. Over all, I gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

The Name Says it All

For the lady who has everything....