Nehemiah 8:10

(end of v. 10) "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah has been speaking to the people and they wept when the law was read. But Nehemiah tells the people to not grieve and reminds them "the joy of the LORD is your strength." What awesome words! We are so weak and powerless, and are reminded of this all the time. And we are utterly incapable of keeping God's Law. But we rejoice that Christ kept the Law perfectly for us and took the punishment we deserved. We are filled with joy because of God's grace and forgiveness, and celebrate the victory we have in Christ, and the promise of God to continually strengthen us.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

I like the 1956 version of this Hitchcock film, which stars Jimmy Stewart. This is a great suspense movie about a family vacationing in Morocco who stumble onto an assassination plot. This is up there as one of my favorite Hitchcock movies.

Steak n Shake

I dig the burgers at Steak n Shake, and the Frisco Melt is my favorite thing to order. I also really like the shakes. My favorite is when they offer the White Chocolate shake (usually in the winter). The Coffee Mocha and Dark Chocolate shakes are good too.
http://www.steaknshake.com/default-home.asp

The Sting

This 1973 movie starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman is a great caper film about two grifters who con a mob boss. It's a lot of fun to watch, and the cast is awesome. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Directing, and Writing Original Screenplay.

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VII The Holy Supper (par 69-71)--Chemnitz, Selnecker, and Andreae

(Speaking regarding worthiness and the Lord's Supper)
"Some Christians have a weak faith and are shy, troubled, and heartily terrified because of the great number of their sins. They think that in their great impurity they are not worthy of this precious treasure and Christ's benefits. They feel their weakness of faith and lament it, and from their hearts desire that they may serve God with stronger, more joyful faith and pure obedience. These are the truly worthy guests for whom this highly venerable Sacrament has been especially instituted and appointed. For Christ says:
Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (Matthew 9:12)

[God's] power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him...for God has welcomed him. (Romans 14:1-3)

Whoever believes in [the Son of God, be it with a strong or with a weak faith,] may have eternal life. (John 3:15)

Worthiness does not depend on the greatness or smallness, the weakness or strength of faith. Instead, it depends on Christ's merit, which the distressed father of little faith (Mark 9:24) enjoyed as well as Abraham, Paul, and others who have a joyful and strong faith."

Spiritual Blessings of Christian Friendship Quote--Martin Luther

"Throughout life a faithful friend is a very great blessing (bonum) and a precious treasure. This is true not only in view of the ordinary dangerous difficulties in which he can offer help and consolation but also in view of spiritual temptations.

For even though your heart is thoroughly confirmed by the Holy Spirit, there is nonetheless a great advantage to having a friend with whom you can talk about religion and from whom you may hear words of comfort."
--Martin Luther

I thank God for the faithful friends He has given me. They are indeed a great blessing!

Kansas City, Missouri

My friend Lisa and I took a trip to Kansas City in 2003. There was really quite a lot to do there. Kansas City is known for having a lot of fountains (over 200), so it was fun to see some of those. And of course while in Kansas City, one must go hear some jazz. We visited a couple jazz clubs including Jardines.

Shopping is big in Kansas City. The Plaza features 180 shops and restaurants. And the Westin Grown Center Hotel connects to a mall. How cool to walk inside from your hotel room right to a nice shopping area! The Hallmark Visitor's Center is a must see attraction where you can see Hallmark displays from past years and learn about how cards are made.

Other great attractions in KC include the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, The Zoo, Union Station and the Liberty Memorial which is the nation's only public museum specifically dedicated to the history of World War I. The Liberty Memorial has a 217 foot tower; great views of the city from the top.

As I said, there's really a lot to do in KC, and I definitely want to go back--especially in the winter when the plaza is all lit up.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8

7 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

These are the words King Hezekiah speaks to encourage his people when the king of Assyria is threatening Jerusalem. What a comfort for us too as we face our daily battles--there is a greater power with us! God helps; God fights our battles. We daily take comfort that Jesus won the battle against sin death, and the devil. By faith in Christ, that victory is ours, and we can face anything. That is our confidence!

"Down Under" Men at Work

What a great song! It was great in the 80s and it's still great now! I love it not just for the music, but because it is about Australia, a place I have always wanted to visit. The flute part in the song is really cool, and is actually based around the tune "Kookaburra."

A year ago or so I was in a coffee house and heard an acoustic version of "Down Under" which I really dug. Colin Hay, lead singer of Men at Work, had released an acoustic version of the song. I think I may like that even more than the original. But hey, they're both good; it all depends on if you're in the mood for upbeat or mellow.

Listen and/or purchase Men at Work version

Colin Hay versions (There are 2 on his album, but the acoustic version is better, in my opinion)

Popcorn Balls

What a delicious snack (and low in calories)! I love popcorn, and popcorn balls which have some kind of sugary component/glaze to them are really good. Act II sells popcorn balls before Halloween, so I always try to get some in the Fall each year. I've heard homemade are way better, so I'll have to make some sometime.

Antwone Fisher

This 2002 film is inspired by the true story of Antwone Fisher (he is credited as screenwriter) and is based on Fisher's autobiography Finding Fish. The film tells the story of how Fisher, while serving in the Navy, is sent to a psychiatrist after displaying a lot of anger and aggression. The naval psychiatrist helps Fisher to confront and make peace with his traumatic past.

I enjoy films that deal with counseling/psychology and appreciated how this movie explored how past events that are not dealt with can affect a person later on and how a counselor can build trust and help a person heal and move forward.

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VII The Holy Supper (par 44-47)--Chemnitz, Selnecker, and Andreae

"Consider this true, almighty Lord, our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, after the Last Supper. He is just beginning His bitter suffering and death for our sins. In those sad last moments, with great consideration and solemnity, He institutes this most venerable Sacrament. It was to be used until the end of the world with great reverence and obedience. It was to be an abiding memorial of His bitter suffering and death and all His benefits. It was a sealing of the New Testament, a consolation of all distressed hearts, and a firm bond of unity for Christians with Christ, their Head, and with one another. In ordaining and instituting the Holy Supper He spoke these words about the bread, which He blessed and gave: 'Take eat; this is My body, which is given for you,' and about the cup, or wine: 'This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.'

We are certainly duty-bound not to interpret and explain these words in a different way. For these are the words of the eternal, true, and almighty Son of God, our Lord, Creator, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We cannot interpret them as allegorical, figurative, turns of phrases, in a way that seems agreeable to our reason. With simple faith and due obedience we receive the words as they read, in their proper and plain sense. We do not allow ourselves to be diverted from Christ's words by any objections or human contradictions spun from human reason, however appealing they may appear to reason.

When Abraham heard God's Word about offering his son (Genesis 22), he had reason enough to debate whether the words should be understood literally or with a tolerable or mild interpretation. They conflicted openly not only with all reason and with the divine and natural law, but also with the chief article of faith about the promised Seed, Christ, who was to be born of Isaac. Nevertheless, when the promise of the blessed Seed from Isaac was given to him, Abraham honored God's truthfulness. He confidently concluded and believed that what God promised He could also do, although it appeared impossible to his reason (Hebrews 11:17-19). So also about Isaac's sacrifice he understood and believed God's Word and command plainly and simply, as they read according to the letter. He committed the matter to God's almighty power and wisdom, which, he knew, has many more modes and ways to fulfill the promise of the Seed from Isaac that he could comprehend with his blind reason.

We, too, are simply to believe with all humility and obedience our Creator and Redeemer's plain, firm, clear, solemn words and command, without any doubt and dispute about how it agrees with our reason or is possible. For these words were spoken by that Lord who is infinite Wisdom and Truth itself. He can do and accomplish everything He promises."

Take 5

This is a pretzel, caramel, peanut, peanut butter filled, milk chocolate coated candy bar from Hershey (the "5" in the name refers to combination of the 5 above mentioned ingredients). I tried this recently for the first time, and I think it's become my new favorite candy bar. The sweet salty combo of chocolate and pretzels is always good. And with the caramel, peanut butter and peanuts--amazingly good!

Luke 8:22-25

Jesus Calms the Storm

22One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

It might be easy for us to be hard on the disciples. They had been around Jesus, and seen His miracles and heard Him speak. Yet here they get freaked out and are upset because Jesus is asleep and they think they're going to drown. We might wonder how they could worry the way they did with Jesus there. And Jesus says to them, "Where is your faith?"

But we really aren't any different. We know what Jesus has done for us, we know His promises to always be with us. Yet sometimes we doubt. Sometimes we feel like He's asleep on the job while we're drowning in whatever crisis or difficulty we're facing. And perhaps Jesus says to us too, "Where is your faith?" I have been convicted of this lately. I have been dealing with a lot the last several months with my dad's health issue, figuring out what's best for him, and deciding to move him down closer to me. And at times I have questioned how things were going to work out because I was overwhelmed and stressed.

BUT even in our times of doubt (perhaps especially in our times of doubt), our faithful Savior is there. He helps us and loves us even though we are unworthy and doubting people. In my current situation, God has provided for everything to fall into place and for people to help me. And now I wonder why I doubted. I am so thankful for God's grace and for His faithfulness. I'm thankful for His forgiveness.

Italian Fest--Collinsville, Illinois

From the Italian Fest website, "The Italian Fest now includes such features as the Paisan Pedal Push, 5K Run-Walk, continuous entertainment on two stages with authentic Italian Bands and local performers, Fest Olympics, Italian Cooking Contest, Bocce Ball, Grape Stomp, Wine Garden, Craft Fair, Wine Making Contest, Window Decorating, Little Miss and Mister Italian Fest Pageant and Pony Rides in the FREE Children's Area.

But, the real calling card for the Italian Fest continues to be the authentic Italian fare ... from spaghetti, baugna caulda, and Italian roast beef to Italian ices.

The festival now attracts more than 150,000 people during its two days and raises over $150,000 for various civic, social, church and school organizations in the Collinsville area."

This is a great tradition of Collinsville. 2008 marks the 25th year of Italian Fest in Collinsville. I love eating all the different Italian food. My favorite is definitely the baugna caulda. Other things I have gotten include spedini, cannelloni bites, lasagna, cannolis, spumoni ice cream, etc. Everything is always delicious.