bekahcubed

Categories Everyday Life

Black and Blue

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About a week ago, I mused on Facebook that “the trouble with black jelly beans is that you have to eat the other colors once they’re all gone.”

Then, I discovered that Brach’s sells bags of all-black jelly beans.

Black Jelly Beans

I bought two bags–one to eat now, and one to hide somewhere as a nice surprise sometime in the upcoming year (when I have forgotten that I bought and hid it and rediscover it again.)

I’ve been enjoying my black jelly beans, but they’ve had an unintended effect.

Blue tongue

My tongue turns blue from the black jelly beans.

Blue tongue

And I’ve been experimenting with mirror pictures.

Categories Book Notes, Missions

Jihad: Holy or Hellish War?

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Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 13: The Bloodshed of Jihad

Despite some Muslim apologists attempt to say otherwise, Jihad is clearly intended as a military, combat word rather than as a struggle towards personal piety. This fight includes the command to “slay them wherever you catch them” (surah 2:191)–not exactly a nonviolent expression. In different places within the Qur’an, jihad is ordered against Christians, against Jews, against pagans, and against former Muslims who have converted to another religion.

The reward for martyrdom in jihad is great. Jihad is a requirement for followers of Islam and requires a pledge of allegiance. Fighting to the death is encouraged. Jihad is considered one of the highest calls in life and martyrdom balances the scales (see Righteousness in the Balance for a closer look at Islam’s conception of righteousness). Any action taken in jihad is justifiable–there is no such thing as a “war crime” in the pursuit of jihad. What’s more, the martyr of jihad is promised fantastic houses, a huge feast, dozens of virgins, and amazing sexual prowess in paradise.

For the Muslim, war is not an unhappy necessity, but a central tenet of faith. Jihad is commanded, encouraged, and richly rewarded. Brutality in jihad is completely excused.

Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.

Categories Following Christ, Reflections

Eventually or immediately

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Mark 1:10 “And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.”

Mark 1:12 “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”

Mark 1:18 “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

Mark 1:20 “And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him.”

Mark 1:21 “Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.”

Mark 1:28 “And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”

Mark 1:31 “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.”

“Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””
–Luke 9:59-62

It’s time for me to get to work. Immediately.

Categories Book Notes, Missions

Religious Freedom under Islam

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Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 12: The Illusion of Religious Liberty (Terrorism from within)

Religious Freedom in a “Christian” Nation

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
-US Constitution, 1st Amendment

Religious Freedom in a Muslim Nation

“Christians…

  • shall not build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, Churches, convents, or monks’ cells, nor shall [they] repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims
  • shall not manifest religion publicly nor convert anyone to it… [Christians] shall not prevent any of [their] kin from entering Islam if they wish it.
  • shall show respect toward the Muslims, and shall rise from seats when [Muslims] wish to sit
  • shall not display crosses or books in the road or markets of the Muslims….[They] shall use only clappers in churches very softly.

-Caner and Caner, Unveiling Islam, page 175, quoting the Pact of Umar

Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.

Categories B3RD, Everyday Life

How long does it take to bend a bone?

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Once a month, I give a nutrition presentation for our church’s children’s group “Rock Solid Kids.”

I’ve presented on the food groups–talking about variety and balance. I’ve presented on grains–and how half the grains should be whole. I’ve presented on fruits and vegetables–and how we should eat all the colors of the rainbow.

This Wednesday, I’ll talk about dairy.

Which means it’s time to talk bones.

For the sake of the kids (and certainly not for my own sake :-P), I purchased two fried chicken drumsticks from SuperSaver to eat for dinner tonight. I carefully ate every scrap of meat off the bones (such sacrifice!) and painstakingly removed all the excess cartilage from the joints.

I placed one bone on my stovetop to dry–and the other, I placed in a saucepan full of vinegar.

Bone in vinegar

Do you remember that experiment? Didn’t you do it when you were in elementary school? You soak a bone in vinegar until the calcium leaches out, leaving a soft, rubbery, bendable bone.

It’s been a long time since I did that experiment–and I can’t remember how long it takes to bend a bone. That’s why I’m heating the vinegar–I figured that’d make the reaction go more rapidly.

But still, I’m impatient. After three hours on the stove, surely my bone should be bendable, right?

But it’s not. Which leaves me with a dilemma. Do I leave the bone on the stove? Do I transfer it into a crockpot? Do I take it off the stove and leave it in a covered jar and trust that it’ll bend by Wednesday? I don’t know.

How long does it take to bend a bone?

Categories Book Notes, Missions

Muslim Sects

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Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 11: Islamic Sects and Splinters

Sunni

  • Largest sect
  • Leader is a caliph elected from among the people
  • This group systematized Shari’a law
  • Maintains the relative uniformity of Muslim practice throughout the world

Shi’ite

  • Leader is an imam who is direct descendant of Muhammed
  • Has a messianic figure of sorts, the twelfth imam
  • Shari’a law a governmental absolute–leading to harsh intolerances (even of Sunni’s) within Shi’ite governments

Sufism

  • Mystic sect that draws from Buddhism
  • Believes in simplicity, meditation, denial of self
  • Pantheistic
  • Follow an allegorical or symbolic interpretation of the Qur’an

There are numerous other, smaller sects that make up about 2% of the worldwide Muslim population. Many of these sects are rejected by the larger sects as being cultish, not Orthodox Islam.

Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.

Categories Faith

In the morning

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“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

I Peter 1:3-9

Thursday morning, I wrote of being blue. I wrote of grieving. I shared a tiny glimpse into my last several months. I wrote of feeling directionless, passionless, at a loss.

I’ve identified with suffering in the last few months. I’ve experienced testing. It’s been a tough go.

Friday evening, after a draining day of grieving, I read Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I realized then that I couldn’t conjure up joy or peace or hope. But God is the God of hope. He is able to fill me with all joy and peace. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I can not just experience hope, but abound in hope.

Saturday evening, I was reading Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler’s On Grief and Grieving. In a section on denial, the authors say: “There is a grace in denial. It is nature’s way of letting in only as much as we can handle.” I laughed a bit as I read it, noting their mis-attribution. Nature has no role in this. But I can see the gracious providence of God as I’ve walked through some of the various stages of grieving. God has provided me with everything I need, and has apportioned the seasons of my grieving as He wills in order to accomplish His good purposes.

And then this morning, I was curling my hair and reading blogs when I came across the oddest Easter morning post. Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like wrote “You’re not naked.” He wrote of Adam and Eve sinning and hiding from God–and God’s question to them. “Who told you that you were naked?”

“There is hurt in God’s voice as He asks this question, but there is also a deep sadness, the sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever, wrapped herself in shame.

Who told you that you were not enough?
Who told you that I didn’t love you?
Who told you that there was something outside of me you needed?
Who told you that you were ugly?
Who told you that your dream was foolish?
Who told you that you would never have a child?
Who told you that you would never be a father?
Who told you that you weren’t a good mother?
Who told you that without a job you aren’t worth anything?
Who told you that you’ll never know love again?
Who told you that this was all there is?
Who told you that you were naked?”

I saw the valley I’ve been walking through and it was as if I heard the voice of God: “Who told you that this valley would be forever?”

Acuff ended his post with these words:

“But in response to what you are hearing from everyone else, God is still asking the question, “Who told you that you were naked?”

And He’s still asking us that question because we are not.

In Christ we are not worthless.
In Christ we are not hopeless.
In Christ we are not dumb or ugly or forgotten.
In Christ we are not naked.

Isaiah 61:10 it says: “For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.”

The world may try to tell you a thousand different things today. You might close this post and hear a million declarations of what you are or who you’ll always be, but know this.

As unbelievable as it sounds and as much as I never expected to type this sentence on this blog:

You are not naked.”

The truth is, I am not without hope. This valley will not be forever. So I have had a glimpse of identifying with the death of Christ–but I have also and shall also identify with His resurrection.

Through His resurrection, I have been begotten again to a living hope–and when the trial is over, I shall praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Weeping may endure for a long night, but joy comes in the morning.

Categories Recap

Recap (Mar 28-Apr 3)

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On bekahcubed

Book Reviews:

Recipes:

On the web

Laugh out loud funnies:

  • Make a Students encouraged to participate in food stamp program.
    In a flagrant abuse of taxpayer funds, universities are encouraging their students to apply for SNAP. “The money is there for everyone who qualifies!” they say–and tell students that it’s not charity “It’s a right for every taxpaying citizen who qualifies.” Except that most students aren’t paying taxes–and most students are already living on taxpayer assistance through scholarships, grants, and loans. Please, have a little respect, and only use government assistance if you actually NEED it. (Talk to me if you want to learn more about how to make do nutritionally on less.)
  • Is Calvinism back? An interesting article on the “New Calvinism”. HT: Instapundit

Thought-provoking posts:

  • David Livingston (a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis) asks “Is Watching a Very Good Sermon on TV or Online the Same As ‘Doing Church’?”

    “No doubt there are more than just a few folks who have surfed their way into our services from elsewhere to hear the very good sermons and will stay only as long as the sermons remain very, very good. That’s what “doing church” is for them … they are “auditing” church.”

    This article on what church really is about is quite good.

  • Tim Challies on being a better reader. This article has usefulness for voracious readers (like myself) and non-readers alike. I love this particular suggestion:

    “We all have our heroes–men or women we want to be like. Most heroes (who are worth emulating) have been shaped by the books they have read. So when you find a person you admire, find and read the books that have most shaped him. If you want to be like John Piper, don’t just read the books he was written–read the books that made him who he is.”

    HT: Vitamin Z

Categories Faith

The Four Cups

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Last night, my family celebrated our annual Passover Seder. This is probably my favorite holiday ever because of the rich symbolism and powerful liturgy surrounding it.

Jews have been celebrating the Passover Seder for millenia, commemorating God’s delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

The Haggadah (Order of Service for the Seder) contains four cups of wine. They are named based the acts of God promised in Exodus 6:6-7 and are consumed in sequence throughout the liturgy.

“Therefore, say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.'”
Exodus 6:6-7

The first cup is the cup of sanctification. “I will bring you out…” God promised that He would bring Israel out, set them apart. To sanctify, to set apart. So too, we who are in Christ have been sanctified, set apart, brought out from the burden of the law.

The second cup is the cup of deliverance. “I will rescue you…” God promised that He would rescue Israel from bondage to Egypt. To deliver, to rescue. So too, we who are in Christ have been delivered, rescued from bondage to sin.

The third cup is the cup of redemption. “I will redeem you…” God promised that He would redeem Israel (purchase their ransom) with great signs. In Jesus’ Last Passover, “He took the [third] cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'” (Luke 22:20) Jesus raised the third cup and endued the cup of redemption with even more symbolism. This cup is not just commemorating the purchase of Israel from Egypt with great signs. It commemorates, too, the ransom Christ Jesus paid with His own blood to redeem His own from their sins.

The fourth cup is the cup of rejoicing. “I will take you…” God promised that He would take Israel to Himself, that they would be His people and He would be their God. And Israel rejoices in this promise. Jesus did not drink this cup in His last supper. After He had distributed the third cup, He told His disciples, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matt 26:29) This cup had not yet been fulfilled, would not be fulfilled for years to come. But Jesus anticipates the day when He shall take His people to Himself, when they shall be His people and He shall be their God. Revelation 21 tells of the fulfillment of this promise: “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain…” (Rev 21:3-4) It is in that Day that we shall join with Christ in the New Jerusalem and drink with Him the fourth cup, the cup of rejoicing.

And every year, after we have drunk of the fourth cup, anticipating the joy that awaits us in Christ’s kingdom fulfilled, we conclude our Passover Seder with the traditional shout: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

My heart beats fast and my spirit cries out: “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.”

This Seder is a beautiful one. It is every year. But my heart longs for the final Seder, the wedding feast of the Lamb. My heart longs for the consummation of that promise “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.” I long for His kingdom to come, that in the New Jerusalem we may drink with Him the cup He has held off drinking for millenia–the cup of rejoicing in the fulfillment of His promise.

And the echo of the shout continues to resound within me: “Next year, next year in the New Jerusalem!”

Categories Book Reviews

“The Haunted Cabin Mystery” created by Gertrude Chandler Warner

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Children's Classics Mystery Challenge

I didn’t read this (or review it) with the intent to participate in 5M4B’s Children’s Classics Mystery Challenge. But if the shoe fits…

I don’t remember ever reading on of the Boxcar Children books that was only “created by” Gertrude Chandler Warner rather than written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. But I must have read at least one, because I developed a deeply rooted suspicion of “created bys” and avoided them at all costs through my mid-elementary years. My main beef with the “created bys” was that they returned the four Alden children to their original ages rather than continuing to have them grow in age as they had in the “originals.”

Reading The Haunted Cabin Mystery confirmed my childhood antipathy toward “created bys”. The children abruptly return to being 6, 10, 12, and 14 after 19 books in which they’d aged at least 2-4 years (since Henry is in college in book 19.) This shift, and the uncharacteristic first chapter “recap” of book 1, was jarring to me–but not as worrisome to me as a mature reader than some more subtle elements in the story.

Like the other stories, this one centers around the four children solving a mystery in a relatively independent fashion–while still under the benevolent watchful eye of a concerned adult. Except that this story introduces a new element of secrecy and disobedience. In Warner’s “originals”, the children were always quite transparent with their older caregiver, sharing each new discovery as it occurred. Secrets in the originals were about what they were going to have for lunch or a special surprise gift they were planning–never about the mystery. Here, the children keep the mystery entirely a secret–ostensibly to avoid worrying the older man they were staying with.

In the original series, the children are energetic but obedient, following both the letter and the spirit of the law. In The Haunted Cabin Mystery, the children are expressly told not to go outside after dark–a rule that they routinely broke in solving their mystery. Despite this flagrant disobedience, the children are never punished or made to feel sorry for their behavior (even just in their own consciences.) In fact, the children were commended for solving the mystery with no mention whatsoever made of their disobedience or deception in doing so.

As a youngster, I probably wouldn’t have caught onto this. It was subtle, not intrusive. It wasn’t like the children were disrespecting their caregiver to his face. They were just ignoring his directives. But it’s the subtlety of this disrespect that most concerns me as an older reader. When “badness” is flagrant and straightforward, it’s easy to condemn it. The reader can easily see that they should not emulate the characters in that aspect of their actions. The reader is forced to read with his filter on when “badness” is clearly seen. But when something is billed as wholesome, the story can slip in bits of compromise to an unsuspecting reader. Without even realizing it, children can begin to think that there is no need to be obedient and no consequences for disobedience. They can begin to think that concealing the truth is a better policy than telling the truth. After all, the Boxcar children did and it all turned out for the best.

My opinion of the “created by” is hereby reinforced. I am highly in favor of the original nineteen Boxcar children books. But I can’t place my mark of approval on the subsequent additions to the series. Not only are they more clunky stylistically than the originals (admittedly, the series was never about literary style)–but I fear that they leave the moral high ground and embrace a relativistic approach to morality. I cannot recommend the “created bys”.

Rating: 0 stars
Category: Children’s fiction
Synopsis: The four Alden children go to stay with a retired sea captain and discover a mystery surrounding the cabin he lives in.
Recommendation: Tolerable story, intolerable moral relativity. I cannot recommend this book.