Caleb sings ABCs

Devoted to Distruction

^"15you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword. ¹⁶You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God." --- Deuteronomy 13:15-16

This morning I read the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is basically Moses' testament to the nation of Israel. In the thirteenth chapter, Moses told the people of Israel what to do if someone tried to entice them away to serve other gods. The above quoted section was what Moses told Israel to do if "certain worthless fellows" (Deut. 13:13) draw a city away to follow other gods.

Here is the point. I was not too happy this morning and so read the bible to remind me of God's wrath. Rather, after reading this chapter (I am reading through the old testament) I was reminded of God's mercy. I began praying about this chapter after I read it. God's remedy for city where at least some of the inhabitants have been deceived and chosen to follow other gods are seems so harsh. As I was praying it came to me...I was like that city. My affections stray away from Jesus. But God's remedy for me was the cross. I should have been destroyed, but instead I was made a child of God.

You who hated sin
saved this sinner.

Jesus The Very Thought of Thee

"Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest." --- Bernard of Clairvaux

The first line of this hymn is amazing, "Jesus the very thought of Thee..." I find that just the thought of Jesus causes my concentration to shift. No matter how busy or upset, the thought of Jesus reminds me that all things are in the Father's hands. With that said I am not very good at thinking of Jesus. It is counter intuitive. When I am presented with a problem my first response is to focus on the problem and try to fix it. I wonder how much stress I produce for myself by not focusing on Jesus.

Worship Set - August 10th Young Adults

Thanksgiving Day

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

t is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures
and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the LORD.

We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to, feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

Stepping Out

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by.
--Robert Frost

There are many "diverging roads" in life. What college to attend? Who should I marry? Where should I live? Each decision leads inexorably onward - there is no flipping back the pages like a real-life "Choose Your Own Adventure".

I believe the choices a person makes when faced with a potential opportunity say a lot about their character. For most of my life, I've been a "play-it-safe" kind of guy. What does that lead to? A safe life, without much risk of failure, and without much chance at spectacular success.

In my heart, I desire to take the bold and daring road. I recently watched several hours of "X-Games", and found myself respecting these athletes more than any other sport. Why? Because they live life without fear. They know that in order to perform an awe-inspiring trick or to win the gold, they must push themselves. And fail. And get back up and do it again.



I want to be a man who pushes himself, going all out for God, all out for my family, all out in my career. While thinking these thoughts (and inspired during a poetry teaching by my man P Duddy), I wrote the following.


What if I fail? What if I fall?
What if I can't accomplish Your call?
What if I'm not on the right track at all?

Keep me upright. Lord, keep me tall.

Better to relax in what I've done so far?
Better to stay put and lower the bar?
Better to play it safe, and end up subpar?

Give me the strength. Lord, make me a star.

Back in the Saddle

Note: Having a child can really do a number on an aspiring blogger's production. Now that we've passed the 6-month mark, my writing will resume. Hopefully.