Questionnaire

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you. My Mom
2. Where was your first kiss? Ironically, church camp
3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property? Nothing more serious than toilet papering.
4. Have you ever hit on someone of the opposite sex? Yes, I’m quite sure that I have.
5. Have you ever sung in front of a large number of people? Yes
6. What’s the first thing you notice about the preferred sex? Height and smile
7. What really turns you on? Smell and attitude
8. What do you order at Starbucks? Venti No-Fat Sugar-Free Caramel Macchiato
9. What is your biggest mistake? Only a few people need to know that
10. Ever hurt yourself on purpose? No
11. Say something totally random about you. I love to crochet
12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? I was told I looked like a cartoon once. Does that count?
13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows? Disney Saturday Mornings on ABC
14. Did you have braces? Yes
15. Are you comfortable with your height? Usually
16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the preferred sex has done for you? Surprised me and took me to prom unexpectedly.
17. When do you know it’s love? When they fart in your face and you still speak to them.
18. Do you speak any other languages? I understand Spanish, but have trouble speaking it.
19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon? Yes, until I saw first hand how ugly it makes your skin.
20. What magazines do you read? Generally, the occasional Sports Illustrated and Paste
21. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Yes, remember that prom story?
22. Has anyone you were really close with passed away? Yes
23. Do you watch MTV? *whispers* yes.
24. What’s something that really annoys you? Not being listened to
25. What’s something you really like? Cold Weather
26. Do you like Michael Jackson? Nah. I like GOOD music.
27. Can you dance? I can two-step
28. What’s the latest you have ever stayed up? 52 hours, my freshman year in college
29. Have you ever thought that you were honestly going to die? Yes
30. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room? No

Hard Times

let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears
while we all sup sorrow with the poor
there’s a song that will linger forever in our ears
oh, hard times come again no more

’tis a song… a sigh of the weary
hard times… hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh… hard times come again no more

while we seek mirth and beauty
and music light and gay
there are frail ones fainting at the door
though their voices are silent
their pleading looks will say
oh, hard times come again no more

’tis a song… a sigh of the weary
hard times… hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh, hard times come again no more

’tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave
’tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
’tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
oh, hard times come again no more

’tis a song…a sigh of the weary
hard times… hard times come again no more
many days you have lingered around my cabin door
oh, hard times come again no more
oh, hard times come again no more
(eastmountainsouth)

Happy Reformation Day!

I become such a theology geek on Reformation Day. It makes me giddy to read the 95 Theses. This truly is a day for celebration among the protestant churches of the world! Even though I don’t agree with everything Martin Luther had to say, the point is that he stood up for the Bible at a crucial time in history. Because the Roman Catholic Church was desperate to raise money to complete St. Peter’s in Rome during the Middle Ages, many clergy used fear as a tool to obtain money from poor and unsophisticated people. They told the people that they had to pay money to the church so that their sins and the sins of their families might be forgiven. The people bought pieces of paper called pardons and indulgences from the church so that they could believe that they would go to heaven when they died. Luther was deeply disturbed by these and other abuses in the church. At the same time he was aware of his own sins and imperfections, and he tried very hard to make himself into a person that he thought God would like. The harder he tried, the worse he felt. He thought he was growing farther and farther away from God, and that it was becoming impossible for God to like him at all. In despair, he began a deep study of the Bible, especially the letters in the New Testament that were written by Paul, and he began to understand what Paul had told the early Christians over a thousand years before. In his preaching and writing, Luther began to emphasize two main points: justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers. Justification by faith means that Christians can never earn God’s love or forgiveness. All that Christians must do is to accept God as God, and God will love and forgive and cherish them. The priesthood of all believers means that every Christian has his or her own personal relationship with God, reading the Bible and worshiping in his or her own language, and praying directly to God without anyone’s going in between. So Protestant Christians give thanks to God on this day for the opportunity to lead lives of faith, instead of lives of fear. For your reading pleasure…

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.

3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.

4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God’s remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.

7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.

10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.

13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.

14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.

15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.

16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.

17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.

18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.

19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.

20. Therefore by “full remission of all penalties” the pope means not actually “of all,” but only of those imposed by himself.

21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope’s indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;

22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.

23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.

24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.

25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.

26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.

27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].

28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.

29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.

30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.

31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;

34. For these “graces of pardon” concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.

35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.

36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.

37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.

39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.

40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].

41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.

42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;

44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.

45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.

48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.

49. Christians are to be taught that the pope’s pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter’s church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope’s wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.

54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.

55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.

56. The “treasures of the Church,” out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.

57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.

59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church’s poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.

60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ’s merit, are that treasure;

61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.

64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.

65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.

66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.

67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the “greatest graces” are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.

68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.

69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.

70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.

71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!

72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God — this is madness.

76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.

77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.

78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.

79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: — “Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial.”

83. Again: — “Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?”

84. Again: — “What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul’s own need, free it for pure love’s sake?”

85. Again: — “Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?”

86. Again: — “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?”

87. Again: — “What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?”

88. Again: — “What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?”

89. “Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?”

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace!

93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

DST

Daylight Savings Time is your friend.

I love that it’s only 5:30 and it’s dark outside!!

Tech Wrecks Baylor, 28-0

Awww yeah!!

Insomnia

So, it’s 4:45am, and I’m wide awake. I’ve been awake since about 2, with sleep nowhere in sight. I feel asleep right at 6 after a foiled attempt at working out today, and I guess I got my rest out of the way early. This is both good and bad.

Good because…

I needed to be at work early today because my boss is on his way to Auburn to visit his daughter and catch a game.

Believe it or not, it’s actually the most sleep in one night I’ve gotten in months.

I’ve had lots of time to just be quiet and alone.

It’s nice and cool in my condo (the electricity is back on!).

I have lots of time to catch up on everyone’s blogs.

Bad because…

TV sucks this late/early.

I’ll feel the effects at about 1 or 2 this afternoon.

So, I’ve got one more week before Kate comes to visit. I’m excited, even though I’m sure it will be a low-key weekend. Just girlie time is fine with me!

Don’t Settle

My 15 year old sister is sad that she doesn’t have a boyfriend. She says that all of her friends have boyfriends and that she is becoming a loner. Although there are ten years between us, how is it that my feelings aren’t much different most of the time? I have only a handful of friends who aren’t in a relationship and I have to say that on some days it really sucks. Nevertheless, I told my sister that boys were overrated.

One thing has changed, however. I’m no longer on the lookout for someone who will just have me. As Andy Osenga says, I’m not prepared to settle for less than love. I am exhausted by this endless search for love. I’m tired of not measuring up to some guy’s image of what his wife will be (no matter how unrealistic and ridiculous his picture of her is). I am put out by fake affection and words that are intended to save my feelings, rather than honesty. Know that I’m not talking about anyone in particular here. It’s a Christianity-wide epidemic… this idea that it is necessary to act like everyone is beautiful… everyone is great… just not for you. If it is these things that I have to put up with, then I’m content with God leaving me single.

At this point, I can’t even imagine what me as a wife would look like. I’ve only recently come around to the idea of being a Biblically submissive wife, but does that mean that my ideals and opinions are to be muted in order for my husband’s to be heard? I think not. I don’t understand where the idea comes from that I should be shut up in privacy with my husband so as to spare his fragile ego-driven opinions. How disrespectful of me to have another!

Sorry for the man-hating moment. I’m just tired of this whole search.

Such a Tease

So, the weather’s been pretty nice here lately. It hasn’t broken 80 in about a week and the nights are chilly… but I just looked at weather.com and it looks like temperatures are starting to creep back up little by little.

GO AWAY WARM WEATHER!

I want to wear toe-socks and sweaters and bundle up in a warm blanket at night. I don’t want to wear short sleeves and slide-on shoes. I do not like you, warm weather! I will not like you in a boat or with a goat! GO AWAY!

Dear Samantha,

I miss you.
I love you.
I pray for you constantly.
I want you to know that you’re incredible.
I want you to know that you’re absolutely gorgeous.
I want you to know that you’re incredibly intellegent.
I want you to know that you shouldn’t have to give up anything for affection from others, namely boys.
I want to take my brain and put it into your head so that you can know the things I didn’t know when I was 15.
I want you to know that God has an amazing design for your life.
I love you.
I miss you.

All my heart,
Sissy

Vindicated

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of which has caught my eye

And roped me in
So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing
I am captivated

I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I’m right
I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intentions
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye
And rendered me so isolated, so motivated
I am certain now that

I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I’m right
I swear I knew it all along

So turn
Up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment, fall forever
Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I’d be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip against the current
and let me slip away
and let me slip away
and let me slip away
and let me slip away

I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I’m right
I swear I knew it all along

Slight hope
It dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption…